Contact?

How many littles are there out there?
You often hear it said "there's more than you might think" and certainly there have been places when it was obvious to me some one was even if they didn't realize it or engage quite so openly in expressing it.
I can remember the first time I discovered a works colleague I spent a few years working very closely who shared much of the same traits as I do skipping up and down the corridors like a couple of kids high on candy talking about our favourite cartoons, stuffies and so on even though we were super good workers and we had a caring male supervisor who was a bit more like school teacher to the two of us.
Equally sometimes we go online and find their are people who do share much of what we do who wouldn't see it that way being more an adult hobby or interest even if it may of started as a run on from their own childhood and it has a clear link to their sense of having an inner-child.
Sometimes it seems to me I see more littles away from what I'd call niche sites set up expressly for them in other communities where there is more around being more 'child-like', regression or other kinds of persona or even fursonas talking away about much the same thing as I an many others in our own unique way are doing while certain sites and even events may struggle.
In 2016 it is hard to escape all embracing social media be it all purpose such as Facebook or Tumblr (although I don't regard that a substitute for full on blogging) or adult sites such as Fetlife for making contact with others or even just knowing what's happening in your State or Province as that's where information is being increasingly posted although the public nature of it may not be ideal for anything personal and easily identifiable about you to be posted that may impact on family relationships or your employment.
One thing is for sure the World I encountered online in the early 2000's is very different than todays and places need to adapt to changed times.

Being an Edwardian Girl

I find the past interesting not least looking at past fashions at our local Museum's  in this bit of the Midlands and little girl fashions is one subsection of  that.

Sears of Chicago, Illinois had this to offer in 1914 what Britishers would instinctive call the Edwardian era cos they define things by the Monarch on the Throne but I think you can spot some timeless elements like the collars, relative simplicity of the dresses and the Ribbon in your head, something that's making quite a comeback over here in the UK in the last few years.
The Bloomers look really charming!

 

Meanwhile, this side of The Pond  near the end of World War One, you can some complete outfits it's the frocks * and head wear that get my attention like the Straw Hat, like I've never worn one in my entire life.

I could just picture meeting a group of similar attired children at a Summer Party out of doors back then.

The Edwardian era was one of change of styles from those that went back toward the 18th Century to after 1910 when the more streamlined Sailor based look came including navy Gym Tunics which remain a part of schoolgirl uniform today.

The site link below is actually pretty interesting for documenting those changes and even has colouring pages to print off and colour!

Fashion Era

(*=In the form of English they speak here, a Frock is a woman's dress or gown)

Upon the 90th birthday of our Queen

Upon the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IInd, this blog wishes her a very happy 90th  birthday thanking her for her tireless service as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and other dependencies and territories since 1952.

Creating little headspace

I'm a little late starting this entry cos I've been Pawley over the last few days but I had noticed a few people talking about Headspace which I know I touched on in late February.
I think the first thing I will say is this space is very much as you, yourself make it and you do need bring something to being in it even if you may be fortunate to have either a Caregiver do things with you or you go to any number of littles activities where organizers do lay on activities because you're the one  'doing' them to getting into that sense of being more child-like.
Because anyone for a host of reasons isn't able  - and I do understand - to get out either as much as they like or at all due to lack or disabilities perhaps doesn't mean you are unable to  but you'll need to create them where you are.
The second thing is, to do this we need to remove as much 'groan up' mental background noise as we can, not just technology (sometimes  super intrusive) but also anything that distract us from playing in the way as kids we did.
If you can add a few touches like cute 'throws' (aka Covers) over furniture, I'd suggest bringing out the one thing you loved from your childhood first and putting it in your room unless you're fortunate to have a already set up play space.

It may be a favourite plushie, a teddy or doll you hugged, talked to and created adventures with. I can't speak for you but you may of played at being a Vet, a Nurse or an Astronaut with them but we're going back in time and buried away are just the memories you need to get back to where you were.
Some people like something a little less imagination centred but fun nonetheless such as watching a Disney movie or cartoon series that they find takes them back.
The other approach may appeal to those of us who like difficulties aside to do art to draw, colour or paint but allowing our 'inner child' to tell us and in way do the activity that relates to their interest and age range which is something personally I feel matters for your own well-being.
Some find littles role playing games and sites helpful in getting into that 'role' opening up your inner childs thoughts and expressing them with others.
The important thing here is you do create that space to go back, enjoying the experience.

We have more to say

Hello there peoples we'd like to say a few things this today after making our appearance last week.

 With help of the boys and girls on Ikklespace, I am no longer called Rabbit but has a proper name which is Maisie which I think is important cos I've a fursonality all of my own. I mean you wouldn't care to be called just Human would you?

After a bit of thought our owner, Jo called me Millie cos I believe in the right of bears to have emotions and a conscience that people should respect, that all creatures are created equal being treated properly and that plushies should have lives respected. If they're not, you're stuffed!
So in a way I'm  an important bear cos I remind Jo of what matters the most in life and the sort of standards she should keep to to be the best girl she can (and I think she's getting the hang of doing more of that!).

I know she saw this as drawn by TheLatestKate on Tumblr the other day and really that's the thing she know expected to do like don't  give up, don't think cos she struggles with her difficulties she can't try to do things and just give things the best shot she can.
Do try to help her.

Regards Simba, Maisie and Millie

Music on the go Part II

You might remember the post about the new to me cassette machine, heard the 'clicks' in chat, and might of been thinking "Okay so you have this machine but just what are you going to do about listening to them on the go" especially as it's been 19 years since I had anything remotely portable that wasn't digital like a cd portable, a minidisc portable player or my beloved Fiio's that play stuff off Micro SD cards? I mean being stuck to a mains plug is rather limiting.

Well, you might just recall  how I write about the first cassette walkman, a portable battery player, I bought in the mid 80's and how that enabled you to play cassettes On The Go, well I bought a replacement to it after all that time!
It too is an Aiwa from the  late 80's - never again a Sony!!! - and although it doesn't reverse the tape for you, it does have Dolby for playing tapes you made with Dolby B correctly which that one didn't, a tape selector and a really handy thing called a stereo FM/AM  radio with presets no less so you can listen to broadcasts with a powerful output stage for good quality headphones.

 Living in the 80's!
Seriously younger persons reading this blog, we didn't have this downloading music from iTunes thing so you either made your own tapes up or you went to your local store - Sam The Man, HMV or for Brits Woolworths - and walked out with a ready done one with art work you slotted into the player and pressed Play!
Those three pre-recorded ones are my originals from the early 80's, UK Imports cos tapes in North America were not generally as good and they messed up the songs and tracks on UK bands albums for good measure.
The first one has just a square reduced version of the front lp jacket and merely lists the songs on the inside, the centre one extends the art concept of the to the rear of the inlay card and has a bit more information while the third has a redesign of the album cover and some of the lp sleeve notes printed.

Here's the spines of a few more-you spot what I was talking about on the spine of Rio - and that some used better quality tape and duplication techniques.

 Some on this group were the last pre-recorded cassettes in 1997 I bought being of particularly high quality sound, long playing times and extensive inlay notes about the music.

A message from the Plushies

Been a bit busy tidying up this week removing magazines and the likes and  I thought I'd post about something we all like.

 First off here's Lil'Simba in his dungarees showing us his "Oh man I'm really chilling" look although he's quite capable of giving us a Rawr! when he's in the mood. He'd like to meet his namesake in America, apparently.

 

 Hello. My name is bunny rabbit as Joanne hasn't gotten around to giving me a name  which I think is a bit of a  swizz as she's had one ever since she was little (and she's not gotten any bigger xD!) and I 'd like a name please. Pretty please?

You thought Bunny Rabbit had it bad but I'm just called Bear even though I know she's gotten  a Theo IInd which is worse than not even having your porridge cooked on time which is shocking.
I think the girl was going through a bad patch when she had us, feeling depressed and just never got around to it although I'm glad she found us again.
I'm a girl bear and I'd like someone to give me a name so I can be a proper bear, like, so would you please find me one and let Joanne know? Thanks.

'Ello peoples

Weekend was a bit busy sorting through somethings, finding one pre-recorded cassette made the most awful squeaking  sound from it's hubs so that one will be making its way out soon and talking of squeaky just look at this?
Nyaa!

It's him sleeping off a heavy session after the Tom Cat Club yesterday when I spotted this photo opportunity with multicoloured reflections and even a bit of a reflection of his face on the plastic we have to prevent him tearing up the carpet.
He's even taken to pulling off the towel sending everything on the table flying as I scream "Marmalade!"!!!

A return to tape

There's no  need recheck your calendars as this is not an entry from 1996 actually but this very year that I wasn't really expecting to make not least as I think I wrote some bits around that period as I'd moved over to a portable digital enclosed disc system called MiniDisc because of my inability during the 90's to use reel based recorders and physical trimming and joining of program on tape and finding cassette wasn't quite doing what I wanted for a one format for all recording needs.
That system came to the end of its road with the discontinuing of both home recorders first,followed by portables together with its re-recordable discs and so for just carrying portable music around, I copy it to Micro sd card and put in a portable audio player which is currently my Fiio X3.

Sometimes you do need a quick means of recording something and I do have a number of pre-recorded cassettes bought during the Nineteen eighties that have things that aren't easily found on cd or other digital forms never mind tapes of various chart shows with voices of DJ's some now dead like Tommy Vance of the BBC I like to listen to.

That's why given the issues around the reliability of my last home MiniDisc deck like it died a few weeks ago (!) it was a Yamaha KX-393 cassette deck  I've gotten that had it not been for falling in love with a Sony MiniDisc unit in February of 1997 I'd of considered buying new!

It's a simple model in some ways, in that it only has one head to record and playback with outside of another for wiping any previous recordings and only records and plays in one direction so you turn the two sided tape over by hand.

On the other hand it has a thing called Play Trim that helps tapes recorded on other machines keep their sparkle by making the high notes clearer when playing back and the ability to match individual blank tapes to the recorder for the best possible sound.

Like most home decks it has switchable Dolby B type noise reduction for reducing the noise on tapes played back and then  featured C type that is more effective at reducing hiss but sounds really bad on machines without it which some of my legacy tapes were made with unfortunately between 1985 and about 1990.

A girltastic  offering from the UK's Boots The Chemist bought and recorded in 1986 from my original 45's when I had better paws for writing with complete with the very stickers that festooned my original portable player in addition to every tape I made.
Just to keep Marmalade amused, I have a copy of the Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon  where at the last twenty or so seconds of the second side having had two minutes of silence I put the striking clocks from the start of 'Time' so it plays that and on a machine that reverses, will go to the first side again and start with the heartbeat intro to 'Breathe'!!!