An American Girl
[Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan]

I first came across her in Twilight and immediately thought she was our very own British beauty, Emma Watson. Since the Twilight phenomenon began, I started to watch other more smaller, indie films that she appeared in. She is of course the American actress, Kristen Stewart.

With 24 films to her name Stewart is only 20 and has millions of fans who adore her, you only have to see footage of her premieres to know that. Despite how popular she is, I find it very sad that people criticise her for how she comes across in interviews. Admittedly she does stutter, pause and cough but doesn’t this just tell you that she is human - everybody gets nervous about something or other. I admire her because without this she wouldn’t be normal. It comforts me knowing that she has a million dollar bank account and that despite all that, she has true feelings and thoughts that everyone can relate too.

When Kristen presented the award for the years horror films at the Oscars this year, with New Moon/Eclipse co-star Taylor Launter, she coughed in between her speech. Kristen hit back at everybody who criticised her for doing this, saying she would rather cough and had been able to finished her speech than not finished at all. People would have moaned a lot more if she had done that. Kristen revealed she wasn’t worried about the cough, however was proud that she didn’t fall down in her heels. I say, Go Kristen! What, should there be a no cough rule now?! Despite this, many praised her for looking beautiful on the night and beautiful she was. She wore a strapless midnight blue silk satin gown by Monique Lhuillier, accompanied by Amantea sandals with criss-cross ankle straps in black satin from Bally.

She’s a smart girl and knows what she is talking about, listening to her in interviews she really gets into the characters mind. She knows exactly what the character would do next. Not only that but she’s bagged a gorgeous boyfriend, her other New Moon/Eclipse co-star Robert Pattinson, who as I’m sure you all know plays the mouth watering, Edward Cullen (sighs, as I gaze up of a poster of Robert on my wall).

I really admire Kristen’s style, although it seems she doesn’t really try too hard but is that not the beauty of her? Stewart’s statement every day wear consists of converse trainers, jeans (usually ripped), a casual tee and leather jacket. Rarely do you see Kristen without her favourite Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer 2140 Sunglasses.

So as the American stunner tours the world promoting Eclipse I salute her, she is one cool dudette! Eclipse is released in America on the 30th of June and the 9th of July here in the UK.


[Robert Pattinson with girlfriend Kristen Stewart and co-star Taylor Launter][Photos sourced from google images]

Everything passes; love remains...

[Photograph: My Grandparents on their wedding day]

Since I can remember he always had long white hair and an equally long grey beard. He wasn’t a very tall man, perhaps he was to me when I was younger but looking back now, he wasn’t, he did however have a rounded belly. He looked like Father Christmas, so many people said. To me he wasn’t, he was something more special than that.

As Lucy and I ran along the paved steps, our Nan was always there to greet us at the door of their small magical cottage in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. As they lived 100 miles away it was always a treat for us to visit. We would bundle into the living room and without fail he would always be in his chair, waiting for us to give him a cuddle and kiss. On the right hand side of his chair, was his penknife – something that I now know from my father he always used to carry around with him, that and some string. In case he ever found himself in a spot of bother. With this knife he used to cut his apple every evening and sat a tin of Werther’s Original, which he kept to offer us whilst we were watching the T.V.

He had a great mind and always plenty of stories to tell, my sister and I would listen to him at the dinner table and answer his questions of why showers were more economical than baths. How would I know I was only eight years old at the time and further more why would I be interested? But that was the great thing about him, everyone was equal, in his eyes. He never said a bad word about anybody, even while my Nan would worry about my Dad’s new love interest. I can hear him now ‘Marie, let them be!’ He would calm her down and they were great together.

I have always admired the love they had between them, they are people worthy looking up to. They were married 55 years and met before he went to war – although he apparently didn’t remember my Nan eyeing him up at a dance when she was only 14. I love hearing stories about their time together, they had twins boys, owned a pub and retired together when the time was right for them. I want the same things that they had, I want that unity with someone, to create a life and to be partners, forever. They are my teachers and always will be.

I was training for a charity race, when I got the call. He had died. A rush of emotion flooded through me, I broke down, I could not believe what was happening, weren’t people meant to live forever – obviously not. Regret filled my mind immediately, I would never hear him chuckle or called me his munchkin, I would never have another conversation with him, I would never run through to the living room and he would never be waiting for me in his chair to kiss and cuddle me. It was that chair, his chair where he died. It seems so enchanting now he died happy, in his chair, in his home, that he spent many years of his life in with his true love. He had lived a great life and it was time for him to move on.

His funeral was a blur to me, I was crying too much to listen to what the vicar was saying. I remember looking over at my Nan to see that she was not crying as much as I was – I realised this wasn’t because she didn’t care for him, far from it, she loved him and always will love him dearly. I realised that she had a lot of memories of him and a lot of happy moments that she had only experienced with him. I thought maybe she had done her crying and she was there to say goodbye and to cherish the memory of their life together. On the back of the funeral pamphlet, was a poem, a poem that brings a very true message. It said, ‘Do not mourn for me, as when you see the world, I see it with you’, at the end it said ‘Everything passes; love remains’. I can almost hear him say these words, it’s like he wrote it just for us, to help us heal and say goodbye.

Although I have regret of not learning enough from him, I have something that powers through that, I have the memory of him, he will always be in my family’s hearts, heads and conversations. He will always be my grandad, Sidney Thomas Gates.

[Photograph: My Grandparents in their garden :)]

Be Kind

Hello all Sophie here,

I'm new to this blog thing, so as my title says 'Be Kind'. I decided to start a blog because I'm a journalist student and this is just what we should do to unleash our voice upon the world- isn't it?!

As my profile shows I LOVE MAGAZINES - hence why I'm studying a degree in journalism :) One day I hope to work within this world and fly into heaven, what I imagine it to be like annddd a lot of hard work, stress, tears but I'm tough and it's what I love :)

Why 'My Blonde Bombshell'? Well, my dad used to call me it when I was little and my hair had yet been touched by the bottle. In this blog I aim to show off my super duper journalistic skills ;) by writing features, reviews and a diary from when I carry out work experience.

So for now I will say goodbye and hope that you will give me a shot, there are good things that come :)

xXx

[Photo Taken By: Timothy Alexander Sayer]