10 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

Are you tired of the same Christmas tree every year, the decorations do not seem as sparkly as they did the year before? I recently purchased a very modern and abstract tree, something that I have never had the urge to do before, it got me thinking about alternative designs that people have for Christmas. Here are just ten of my favourite designs that I have discovered on the web to make Christmas just that little bit different this year. 

1. The Wooden Replica 

2. The Artwork 

3. The Cardboard Cutout 

4. The Tree of Lights 

5. The Bits & Bobs 

6. The Log Tree 

7. The Abstract Teepee

8. The Elegant Crystal Tree 

9. The Labeled Twig 

10. The Shelves 

Do you have a favourite or have seen other trees of alternative inspiration? Let me know! 

Brompton Tube Station To Reopen

Now I do not know about you but I find the London underground fascinating and also rather creepy. Creepy in the sense that there are parts of it that have been closed off, disused or are being changed. We do not know really what goes on down there as we are sealed off in a train that darts so quickly through the tunnels (well usually unless there is a delay) the surroundings are all a blur and aren’t usually taken in. When it comes to disused stations, there are a couple that come into mind that are usually talked about in one way or the other. The stations that come to mind with me are York Road (just next to Kings Cross) Brompton Road (just next to Knightsbridge) and Aldwych station (on the strand) all of them have had rumors about reopening and to be completely honest, I think they are in desperate need of being revived into this day and age (more so Aldwych and Brompton road) as they are in areas that have great congestion at times and could be used to ease the manic rush. In the last couple of weeks it has been confirmed that there are plans to reopen Brompton Road tube station, just not as we know it. It looks like there are plans to reopen it as a museum. Ajit Chambers is the man behind the talks to change the station into a tourist attraction and has said that he has more tube stations in his eye that he would like to transform also. Whilst I think that it is such a great idea to open up and reuse all of the old tube stations, a part of me is a little sad that they are not being reopened in the correct way and being used as train stations once again. In the long run I  guess that as long as they are re opening then it can only be a good thing. Whilst there are still not concrete plans about the development of York Way, which remains extremely intact externally, I think with the development of the Kings Cross site and the views of all these tall buildings going up, it will only be a matter of time before this station will be needed once more to help filter people around. Aldwych on the other hand still has a use as an intact station that is used for filming and tours. Whilst it is not in my own opinion the best use for this station, it is still an option that has kept this station alive until today so I can not speak too harshly on it. What ever plans come out of these three and the other eighteen or so other disused stations, it is nice to know that all these years later they are still there. They may need lots of work but they all still have the potential. 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling

22nd April 2012: Photo Of The Day

I took this photo and uploaded it on instagram and it reminded me so much of the apprentice that I watched it after. I love the way that the buildings are displayed in that program and you really a get a feel for how the city is moving. It is my photo of the day because I love the prescence that this building has (and how shiny it is!) 

The Only Way Is Essex: Series 5

Last night, The Only Way Is  Essex returned to our screens after a short hiatus with series 5. I was watching with little hope after such a disappointing series 4 was broadcast earlier this year. I was not expecting much at all for the show but I will honestly say that TOWIE managed to come back in full force and it had me laughing all the way through. Early figures show that the premiere of series 5 was watched by an audience of about 1.16 million so the show is still holding in strong. It is because of characters such as Lydia, Gemma and my new found love for the show, Charlie that are keeping this program at top form. One thing that I have to admit that I was disappointed with was the axing of the twins Dino and Georgio. I understand the reasons for this as they were not very dominant characters and barely had an impact on the program, but they were fantastic to look at and they just seemed really lovely people to have as the cast. Arg has returned and is looking slimmer and “reem” to the rafters which is fantastic but, I can not help and think that they are trying to fill that gap that Mark left with someone that really is not naturally comparable. The moment that stole the show for me was the “Titanic” evening between Charlie and Gemma. Charlie is so lovely and I think that many of us can relate to him, he is funny, cute, romantic and genuinely nice but putting him with Gemma, who just wants some nookie by the looks of it now is going to keep me gripped all season. Whilst I was very impressed, there were things that I would change. I love Joey Essex but I feel that he is becoming boring now, he is very repetitive and seems to do the same thing in ever episode of the show. I am not a fan of Georgina Dorsett so it was fantastic not to see her in the opening episode (lets hope it stays that way) and the final person that gets my back up that I think would be better to leave the show is Ricky. I just do not see him as a real person. He seems fake, contradicting and just a little weird. For any of you that are thinking about watching the show then I would recommend it, it has improved (and yes it is not the best show in the world) life is short though so we should laugh as much as we can. I really hope that TOWIE can continue to be as funny and entertaining as the first episode of this series. It was so lovely to see it being “Reem” again. 

  

Above: Two people that I think put the downers on the last season (Ricky & Georgina) 

Above: Goodbye to the cute little twins :( (Dino & Georgio)

Look reem, Smell reem, Be reem, Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Facebook purchases Instagram

I am somewhat miffed as to why it is such a huge thing that Facebook bought Instagram? Is it the amount of money that Facebook paid for Instagram? I mean $1billion is a huge amount but then I convert it to £600million and then it does not seem as much. Is it because we all use Facebook and they have purchased something that most of us do not use? There are many reasons why the news story has been told and I accept that however, the media seems to be rather bored and are spinning this into a massive story when I do not think that it is that amazing. Maybe I was not taking much notice at the time but I did not see the story of the Youtube takeover by Google being as huge as this? Instagram has acquired a strong following of supporters and was nominated by Apple as app of the year in 2011 but it still does not even take a chip out of the amount of followers that use Facebook. In my personal opinion I think that only bad things will come out of the purchase of Instagram as Facebook is very commercialised and has far too many adverts, constant changes and things going on. What I love about Instagram is that its pretty silent when it comes to the social media side. You take photos, you add vintage effects, you like and follow with no other complications. I feel that even though Facebook has stated that it will barely change the app, I can’t help but think that it is a big lie. What is done is done and we will just have to sit back and see how this one rides out but I do not have the best feeling about this. I do hope that this news story disappears very quickly though as it is boring already (says he writing about it!) Do you think that the takeover will be a good thing? 

To check out more of my Instagram pictures then have a look at my Tumblr: http://thatmfeeling.tumblr.com/

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Will They Ever Raise The Titanic?

Titanic fever has hit most of the world recently as it is has now reached 100 years since the Titanic set sail on her first and last voyage. A question that always comes to mind when thinking of the Titanic is, can it or even will the Titanic be raised from the sea and taken back to land? In answer to the first question, the ship could be raised from the sea bed but with huge difficulty. Even if the ship was raised, there would be great risk of it breaking up and settling back down on the sea bed. After reading numerous documents and articles on this magnificent ship, it was very clear that it will forever more remain in the location that it has settled for all of these years. My initial opinions on this was rather sad as I liked the idea of the ship returning to the United Kingdom so it could at least complete a journey before it was preserved. After reading all of these articles however, my opinion has changed. What changed my mind was the thought of all the people that had died in this catastrophe. Why should the Titanic return to land when all of these people will forever remain out in the ocean. The Ship is a marking for a grave and I personally believe that it should always remain on that site until the sea finally finishes her off. If the ship was no longer there then people would forget about the place she come to rest and with that we would loose all the memories of the people that traveled with her on her maiden voyage. Because the Titanic remains on the ocean, these people have a grave but without her they do not. In an article with BBC News, the man suggested that the ship should be preserved under water. It could be cleaned up and repainted which would protect the ship from decay for many years to come. If preservation does not happen then this ship is nearing the end of its recognisable life. Rust has set in, submarines have weakened the remains and it is only a matter of time before the sea erases her. So in answer to the question I initially asked. Yes there is the ability to raise the Titanic to the surface however, it will never be. We should focus on the preservation so the memories of those who died that day and the great ship itself will last with us into the distant future. 

What do you think should happen to the remains of the Titanic? Signing out, Thatmfeeling

8th April 2012: Photo Of The Day

I thought that this photo would tie in very well with the day. There has been a huge egg hunt going on in London recently. You may now this if you have been following my blog previously, the eggs are all designed by different artists or celebrities and are being sold in auction to raise money for charity. I think that the idea is such a good one from many angles. It also opens up peoples findings of London, going to places that they may have never been before. It creates great art and more importantly it has created so much money for charity. I hope you all have a fantastic Easter and rest of the year, 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling