desktop1.

As I mentioned in my last 'this week.', I have recently become slightly obsessed with the Candybar application for Mac. It has transformed my pretty but also mildly generic desktop into this vision of beauty -

(Click for a huge version)

I'm going to be creating a post with links to the various icon packs, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the pretty.

this week.

1. The return of Doctor Who - tonight saw the return of the almighty Doctor and his three companions (yay for Rory the Roman!) and what a start to the new series it was. I can see that I'm going to spend a lot of time heroically hiding behind a cushion on Saturday evenings for the next few weeks...
2. Rearranging the bookcase - now that Neko and Blythe have arrived (squee!) I've had to make some more room on our already very busy bookcase. I ended up taking everything off, giving it a good dust and then got to have fun putting everything back. I can't really rearrange the furniture in this place so it's a good substitute!
3. Candybar - I recently discovered that there is a fun programme that allows you to change the dock icons on a Mac, so I'm now rocking the most amazing dock set up ever. I have ice lollies, bananas, cake, mushrooms... it's all going on!
4. Indeepop - when I found out about Candybar I went on the hunt for gloriously crazy icons and I came across this gem.
5. Thunderstorms - we had our first storm of the year this evening and I'm still smiling like a loon. I love thunder and lightning!

this week.

1. Spring flowers - colour seems have to exploded all over London over the last week. I'm lucky to work over the road from a gated garden and the daffodils are amazing. The flower beds on the way to the supermarket are awash with colour too. Glorious!
2. New arrivals - one of my friends has just had her first baby girl. I'm so happy for her, it feels like she's been pregnant forever! She's gone for a Space Invaders themed nursery - that's all kinds of awesome.
3. My spring coat - I've put my winter coat away for the time being and have broken out my spring coat, complete with gingham and embroidered flowers.
4. Waking up to sunshine - it definitely makes the mornings easier!
5. Cardy, for buying the Nintendo 3DS - perhaps the best moment this week. When I got home on Friday Cardy came into the living room with a HMV bag and I couldn't help but do a happy dance. Not only did he get it in Aqua Blue (which is gorgeous!) but he also bought the version of Nintendogs that I'd been eyeing up.

this week.

1. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - it's so nice to see something that you loved so dearly as a child being given a good treatment when it's rebooted years later. I haven't quite forgiven them for what they did to Polly Pocket (she's meant to fit in your pocket - POCKET!) so I was overjoyed to see My Little Pony being turned into something fun and exciting that adults seem to enjoy as well as the target audience.
2. Japan Day - I really loved Cardy's suggestion to have a Japan Day. Lovely food was eaten, yummy/cute things were bought and a very good if somewhat confusing anime was watched.
3. The Nintendo 3DS - I got to have a play on one of these beauties today and OH MY WORD it is spectacular! I think that tomorrow Cardy and I are going to be trawling the internet to find the best offer and then put in a pre-order. Squee!
4. The free SXSW FreePak from Hipstamatic - I love it when Hipstamatic release free sets, especially when a new lens is involved. The new SXSW pack including the Tejas lens is full of fun.
5. Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude - we did this in choir this week and it sounded amazing! I've had it in my head all weekend.
   

this week.

1. Looklet.com - I've never quite grown out of that girlish love of paper dolls so when I heard about Looklet.com I was THERE. Created in association with Vogue and featuring fashion from real designers it is every little girl's dream wardrobe simulator.
2. Skating at Earl's Court - as there was a bout on Saturday we had our training session at Earl's Court. The floor is concrete and a bit lumpy but it was so much fun! I couldn't really walk for three days, but there you go, that's derby love for you.
3. Valentine's Day - Cardy and I aren't hugely into Valentine's but we do exchange cards. I was also treated to a post-training back rub. He's a good'un.
4. Cardy's ever increasing Japanese game collection - Cardy has recently got a Sega Saturn and Dreamcast and he's been buying Japanese video games from eBay. I'm eyeing up ChuChu Rocket! - oh the excitement!
5. Late night noodles - I don't usually like to eat too late but on Saturday I really needed some food before going to bed so it was noodles in teriyaki sauce the rescue. Delicious!

this week.

1. Meeting up with old friends - I met up with a friend from uni on Sunday and a day of window shopping, Wagamama and gossip over Starbucks was had. It's always great when you meet up with someone you haven't seen for a while and you pick up the conversation like you'd only seen each other the day before.
2. Japanese pickles - Cardy is torturing me by keeping a jar of red pickled veg in the fridge. I fear I may wake up on the kitchen floor one morning with the stuff smeared all over my face.
3. South Park - thank you Viva for your week night showings of this fantastic cartoon. Cartman truly is a legend.
4. Wearing PJs during the day - I was meant to have a girly day with a friend on Monday but she was 'more snot than human' (her words, not mine) so we had to cancel. I therefore spend the day in the flat, wearing pyjamas and eating pasta. Happy times.
5. Creating palettes on Colour Lovers - so far I've been a watcher more than a do-er, but I've tried my hand at making some palettes and I've really enjoying it. Sometimes it's very frustrating, other times it just clicks.

1. Firefly - Cardy fancied watching some Indiana Jones last week but we don't have any of the films on DVD. I suggested that Captain Mal might be a good substitute and so began a week of watching Firefly over dinner. Although I won't deny that it would be nicer to have more episodes of this amazing show I'm sort of glad that they cut it in its prime. Now it will have the tragic luxury afforded to those beautiful people who die young - it will be forever brilliant.
2. Training so hard I have to sleep afterwards - exercise induced slumber is pretty wonderful.
3. Super Mario Bros. - I don't want to sound like I'm full of myself, but myself and Cardy do rather rock when it comes to playing video games together. We manage to reach a level of Ultimate Zen Coupleness which allows us to become this perfectly in tune gaming machine. And when we don't do too well we find it absolutely hilarious. We're therefore greatly appreciating the experience that Super Mario Bros. offers.
4. My new bag - I'm a bit gutted in that the custom bag that I'd ordered hasn't ever materialised, but I decided that rather than sit around a mope I should do something more productive about it. So I went out and bought a new one. From Desigual. Any excuse really. Needless to say it's a dream and I'm still not over the novelty of actually being able to fit my stuff in my handbag.
5. I Love Katamari on iPhone - absolute glee! Portable Katamari = ultimate love.

365.

As I am head over heads in love with my new iPhone 4 I have decided that I'm going to start a 365 photo project. It has it's own blog and everything.

I'm going to take a photo everyday for one year using the Hipstamatic app and upload it to Flickr and the blog. Hopefully the 'camera on the go' nature of the iPhone will mean that I find it easy to keep up!

toy.

I bought myself an iPhone 4 yesterday and I am in love. It's such an amazing bit of kit. I decided to talk it for a whirl and see how well it copes with various internet sites. This post is actually being typed on the new shiny.

this week.

1. Seven Ply on Etsy - I came across Seven Ply (aka Lynn) when she was the featured seller on the Etsy homepage. I really admire her ethics: the concept of taking something that would otherwise be scrap wood and turning it into something new and beautiful. She's the second artist I've found who seems gifted at making jewellery out of recycled materials. I decided to treat myself to one of her bangles and I'll admit I'm already keeping an eye out for more in other funky colours.
2. The Lego Luke Skywalker minifig - I would love to have been present at the meeting at Lego HQ where someone turned around and said 'Hey guys, what about making Star Wars stuff?'. It's a genius idea and combines two of my favourite geeky pleasures. Myself and Cardy have built ourselves up quite a collection of Star Wars Lego (including a motorised At-AT) and one of my favourite featuress by far is the little Luke minifig. I think it's the helmet that does it. The devil's in the detail.
3. Pop Tarts - thanks to the wonderful folks at Cybercandy I have been reliving the joys of the 90s for breakfast this week. I don't, however, think I'll be indulging too much due to the inflated price tag (I'm not complaining, they are imported after all). My Mum sent me a very excited email on Monday saying that she's heard that Pop Tarts are on their way back in the UK. I'm keeping everything crossed!
4. Jeeves and Wooster - what a gem of a TV schedule find. Myself and Cardy can get our weekly fix care of ITV2. Young Hugh Laurie plays the part of the clueless young gent perfectly (although I still maintain that he has got better with age) and Stephen Fry, well, he can do no wrong.
5. My purple leopard-print DMs - I've worked out that rather than change trains, it's actually quicker for me to get off the Tube at Victoria and walk the rest of the way to the office. It's a lovely walk, but not that fun in my work shoes. So they're now living under my desk of an evening and I'm wearing my good old favourites for my commute. They sparked what has become a love affair with DMs and they have a lot of sentimental value. I'm tempted to have a look on eBay for a second pair, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I don't know why anyone would want to part with them.