Monday, Monday

I have realised that my attempt to 'be good' and eat healthily has to start on a Monday. Some people can't get out of bed unless the minutes past the hour are a multiple of five, some people feel a stagnant underlying pressure to arrange their socks in pristine sets of 5, but personally, my OCD-esque necessity lies in not being able to start any diet or healthy eating plan on any day other than a Monday. Why? Well, it's pretty logical. Monday is the start of the week, thus lending itself to a 'clean slate'. After a long and stressful week punctuated with comfort eating, snacking, food on the go, the odd meal out - the calories soon add up. Then comes the weekend. Well, you can't start your diet on the weekend, can you? The only two days given to us by society to have some form of freedom, to do as we please, we should be able to let our hair down and have the odd treat. Which brings us back to the only valid option, I'll start again on Monday.

The problem is, as much as your intentions are ablaze with grim determination come Monday, by Wednesday night you are sat rocking back and forth in a darkened room having withdrawal sweats from the wine and chocolate you have forgone, and by Friday you've broken free from your dietary reins in a disillusioned frenzy and are eating cake…with your hands…out of the bin. Don't try to deny it, depriving oneself of the joys of life - i.e. everything that is bad for us - usually has alarming and uncontrollable effects, resulting in a hefty backlash and a binge session so severe that even the dog starts to look tasty.

I've tried to be bold several times and go against the grain, aiming to start my 'Jennie-Be-Good' eating regime on a Tuesday or a Friday, but to no avail, as my inherent excuse generator continually reminds me that it would be a far better option to start this torturous process on a Monday. When you think about it though, as if Mondays aren't bad enough. Monday is proven to be the absolute worst day of the week and on top of that you are taking away all the naughty foods that satisfy you in your darkest hour. You may as well go the whole hog and blow torch my Sex and the City boxiest while you're at it. Realistically, the whole concept of going on a diet that cuts out every food and drink that I enjoy is never going to last very long, but I'm good at perseverance, even if it does last two days a week.

Writing: Nutrition Rocks

In the time I've taken out from blogging, I've done a few writing ventures - one of which was being Editor of Nutrition Rocks for a short while. In that time I wrote a column, 'Confessions of a Real Girl' where I spoke about issues all women face to do with food, eating and weight.

Here is the first one I did.

WARNING: Boyfriend May Cause Bloating

I've been told countless times that being in love is a fast and effective way to lose weight. Your eyes meet across a crowded room, you feel a lustrous mythical aura envelope your person and in under thirty seconds you've chucked the gigantic slab of cake you were rapidly devouring in your lunch break over your shoulder. No more food is necessary from this point on. You have found love and love is your fuel. As much as the sudden ability to survive off little more than air in the first stages of blissful adoration seems magical, it is thought that chemical secretions in the brain cause appetite suppression when we meet that special someone. Pleasure doused neurotransmitter, Dopamine, is often released during the wistful process of euphoric fancy, and one effect of this joyous chemical is a diminishing desire to eat. Lucky us. 

However, this turn of events and resulting brain chemistry can prove troublesome, as it's right about now that you tend to get asked out for dinner. As if having a surging feeling of trepidation in your stomach (otherwise known as infatuation) wasn't enough to put you off your food, you now have the added pressure of avoiding food in teeth, food on face and a plethora of other terrifying possibilities encountered at the dinner table. This often results in a strategic thought process to pick the 'easiest' meal on the menu and a consequent none-eating of said meal. Involuntarily starving yourself for the first few weeks of a new relationship gives you a slimmer waist line and helps your boyfriend to validate the stereotype that women don't eat, which of course we all know isn't the case on a solitary Friday night when the only thing stopping you from opening another tub of ice cream is the walk to the freezer.

Of course, time goes by and you leave the flurry of infatuation, returning to your usual eating habits. However, for some reason you now experience an ability to match the appetite of your boyfriend. You cook a romantic meal for your man, and whereas a few weeks ago you'd give him a considerably larger portion than yourself, your inherent greed returns with a vengeance and you are stood staring at both plates thinking you want more. Before you know it you're armed with a bib and a fork ready to lock horns in a feasting battle. The jump from no appetite to eating everything within your peripheral vision is a result of comfort, which doesn't quite hit you until you realise you've put on two stone and strangers are offering you their seat on the bus. Enter a state of bleakness and despair. If possible, it is a state to be avoided because with it brings lowered self-esteem and often a series of non-effective crash diets to try and banish your newly formed love lumps. A simple 'head over heart' approach to eating is needed here. Realisation of the cause of your primary lowered appetite, acceptance of its return, portion control and the knowledge that men are built to consume more calories are all helpful in the art of striking a balance between love-sick starvation and contented consumption.

Bella Towse

Bella Towse is a London based illustrator and Visual Planner at Pearlfisher - where I have done quite a bit of work experience, researching trend insights. Bella also did a gorgeous illustration (love heart above) for one of my column articles for Nutrition Rocks. I love Bella's style. She uses layers, colour and composition to create really inventive constructions that are both exciting and abstract. There are more illustrations on her website - showing her drawing skills as well as mixed media like the pieces above.

Sia

I never blogged about the fact I went to see Sia at Roundhouse in May. She was absolutely out of this world - I love her so so much. And I got the best news EVER last week - because I get to interview her!! WAHHH.

Ministry of Sound

I have started writing for the Ministry of Sound Blog - my first post was a review of Example's album. READ IT.

The Creators Project: Mark Ronson

Intel and Vice have joined forces to bring you The Creators Project - a "new network dedicated to the celebration of creativity and culture across media, and around the world."

I'm going to show you their piece on the audio God that is Mark Ronson. We all know how innovative and totally mind-blowingly sick Mark Ronson's music is. His arrangements shake up conventions and implement the vast archive of genres (especially hip hop) Ronson has fallen in love with in his career, bringing something totally fresh and energised, bursting with complex technical musical genius. He is a trend setter from every angle. The video below gives you a bit of insight into his creative history, his collaborations with talents such as Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse and his new album. He is also chatting about how he's done a viral video to promote Circuit Breaker - which is a totally off the chain - pacman-equse sitch. He's also talking philosophically about the Twitter epidemic.. he's a seriously cool and interesting guy. You can also click HERE to read his interview for the project site.

krystle warren.

I came across Krystle Warren when I was watching the amazingness that is BBC4 - it was a show of various artists singing songs from The Great American Song Book - it was seriously supreme. Krystle Warren has the kind of shocking vocal tone that Tracy Chapman has. It is mind blowingly luscious - I got very very excited about it. Rich velvet and soulful - and the way Warren performs is out of this world - I could watch every song a thousand times, the pure enjoyment and pleasure from singing is totally evident. The video above is Krystle singing Eleanor Rigby - IT'S AMAZING. Check it out.

brainer magazine.

In other news - I have started writing for a really sick new online arts and music magazine that really looks deeply into creative culture and brings you the hottest there is. I just did a review of Sharon & The Dap Kings' new album, 'I Learned The Hard Way' - if you like the sound of 60s motown and soul then you should definitely give them a listen. You can read my review here.

Vice Photo Blog.

I have now added a link on my blog roll to the Vice Photo Blog - at the moment they've got some really hot fashion snaps up there from the Gucci pop up shop opening, with some lush celebs, so have a look by clicking here.

If you don't read Vice then I would advise it - not just because I am part of the VBN.

If you're feeling a little bored or pooped one day and want to either laugh at the misfortune of others, or just be amused by the hilarity of Vice contributors (for example, the fat Jew) then I heavily recommend Vice's Dos and Don'ts. Since adding Vice's Dos and Don'ts into my monthly regime, I have felt enriched and fulfilled and really suggest you do the same.

I'm pretty bored today. I haven't been blogging for a while because I am now deeply in love with a boy and it's taking up my time - and my brain space. I've also been working on something cool to do with ice-cream. This afternoon I am ringing the Soho renowned events wizard, Sara Blonstein, to interview her, which will be fun. Aside from that - keep looking at the new bands featured on Hit The Floor - because I will be putting some up soon.

pokemon Exhibition - Nintendo/Vice.

Who doesn't love Pokemon? No one. So thank the Lord that Nintendo are releasing their newest Pokemon game for DS. BOOM. With Vice being the on-the-pulse-creative Gods that they are, they've decided to commission 7 artists to create Pokemon inspired pieces for an exhibition that will be held at Blackall Studios from 24th to 31st March. The artists they've asked are seriously cool and also have a style that translates well into the virtual, colossal world of Pokemon. Amongst them is Jon Burgerman (pic to the left) who I blogged about back in July.

The launch of the exhibition on the 24th is going to be out of this world - with Nintendo demos for guests, food from the world of Pokemon (the mind boggles), drinks and DJ sets you won't want to miss, including Filthy Dukes, Friendly Fires and Real Gold. Unless you are a spy/offshoot for the Vice network like me - you cannot get into this beastly event, UNLESS you enter their competition - so go to the SITE to check out the really cool Pokemon themed art and enter!

my website.

Last week I made a website as a reference point for my writing 'services'. Because I do a bit of freelancing and would like to do more, I thought it was logical to get www.jenniferjaconelli.co.uk up and running - so people can read a bit about me and my qualifications, and some examples of my writing.

If you are interested in looking at an incredibly simplistic iWeb effort - click here.

i've broken myself.

Hi. I've fractured my wrist - MAYBE - they're not sure. Either way, I have to wear this bad boy for 2 weeks till my next x-ray. Naturally I opted for the Italian flag as my cast design. I think it looks pretty sharp....

Andrei Robu.

I have blogged about graphic designer, Andrei Robu before. I really love his typography and design work - so I look on his site quite a bit. Just wanted to share this logo design. Simplistic, effective, smooth yet bold, powerful, clever and distinctive. I love it.

H.O.H. T.Shirts.

I absolutely love these Henry Holland T-Shirts (click on the hyperlink to look at more). There are various abbreviations of phrases he uses (I know this, because I follow him on Twitter) - examples: C.T.F.O (Chill The F**k Out), D.F.W (Down For Whatever), K.M.T (Kiss My Teeth).

He's taken our generations textual lingo culture to a new level! I love them.

VBS Berlin Bunkers.

Listen In:

Berlin.

Vice/VBS have just been in Berlin, filming underground bunkers from the Cold-War era. Alongside them was New York artist, Peter Sutherland, photo documenting what was seen, as part of the Uneven Terrain project with Palladium Boots. As the film and the photography demonstrates, the project was exploring abandoned spaces that the Cold War left behind. Along their journey, they spoke to past soldiers who documented the arcane feel to the city in the war, due to spies and governmental agencies.

On their travels, they burrowed under the fragmented spherical domes at Teufelsberg, and studied the bunkers of Berlin to search for remnants of the battle.

"We're putting on our boots and climbing through the city's spy labyrinths, into the buildings that housed the hidden world of military espionage."

These beautiful images don't only communicate the desolate and broken result of war, and the remains of mystery, dishonesty and corruption. They convey beauty through frailty, form and fragments. Finding beauty in these 'found' objects is symptomatic of past artistic movements, such as Arte Povera.

Through these images, Sutherland has captured the darkness of war and the fragility of its aftermath.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Jamie Scott.

Next up in my search for hidden singers with the first name 'Jamie' - where is Jamie Scott? I love his music. And his face. I didn't love it when he was a cheating sleaze in 'Step Up' but I can't really hold that against him. I remember when this song came out about 6 years ago - I'd just past my driving test and I went out for my first drive on my own. Obviously, to try and be cool, I had my music quite loud (including this song and Estelle 1980... another brilliant song!) Anyway, I saw a good looking guy and nearly crashed into a lorry because I lost concentration. You'll be assured in the knowledge that now, at 23 years of age, I am much better at multi tasking.

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number.

I was reading The Guardian this morning and came across this brilliant article about a 70 year old DJ - Mamy Rock (a.k.a. Ruth Flowers) - who is becoming a Euro sensation on the decks. She's apparently hoping to take her DJ-ing back to the UK - as at the moment she's relatively unknown here. So watch out for her rocking out at Ministry of Sound! I'm blogging about this to show that if you have talent and passion for something - nothing can restrict you. I think what she's doing is inspirational to older people who've lost their confidence to follow their dreams. Read the article - I've hyperlinked it above (image from The Guardian).

where has jamie lidell gone?

I love Jamie Lidell. I know it hasn't been that long since he last released - but even his last record was quite under the radar for someone who I think is brilliance personified (although he did win the best pop/rock album in the Independent Music Awards for his last album, JIM). His voice is like rapturous husky velvet - entwining through his soulful melodies and funk inspired pop sounds. He's just amazing. I can't handle it. I haven't heard this Lenny Kravitz/Otis Redding/ridiculously good style anywhere else in current music. So come on Jamie - release something immediately, if not sooner. and stop dancing like you do in Little Bit of Feel Good x

Jen's Spotify Playlist of Amazingness

Yesterday I thought it would be a lovely idea to share an incredibly Spotify playlist with the readers of Hit The Floor. It consists of horrendously amazing 80s music - lightly punctuated with a few 70s beasts and some borderline 1990 tracks. As I said in my article - Where I come from, there used to be a late night radio show on the local radio station, called 'The Wind Down Zone' - that's right people - The Wind Down Zone. So - as I articulated - I used to frequently 'wind down' to the soothing tones of 80s power ballads. -- During the day they didn't disappoint either, with a vast plethora of 80s classics. It really was quite something - and has shaped my adult music taste. Or at least one section of it. So link on the hyperlink up above - and you can access the play list and have some fun with arguably the most amazing songs on earth. You can also have a look at Hit The Floor - watch out for some cool interviews I'm doing in the near future. Peace Out.