The Spoon Drawer

Charleston, or originally ‘Charles Towne’ is a city in South Carolina which is bursting with a vibrant history. It was founded in 1670 and named in honour of King Charles II of England, but adopted its present name in 1783. Many parts of American history are closely tied to Great Britain, France and Spain predominantly, from before the American Revolution late in the Eighteenth Century, where they fought for their freedom from European colonisation. In the development of American society, the slave trade gave rise to the emergence of Jazz music, which helped to shape the Civil Rights movement. Modern day Charleston is definitely overlooked as a very influential hub of talent that pushed the Jazz Age along nicely. The Charleston culture today shows its European influences even now through their awesome architecture, liberal attitudes, arts heritage and Southern cuisine. A repercussion of the prominence of the slave trade in Eighteenth Century America was the arrival of...

Have you ever stayed at a hotel and loved the design so much that you have wished you could take it home with you? Well apparently you are not alone. Stealing a hotel’s interior design concept (and sometimes a little more) appears to be the new trend. Bringing Hospitality Home – Literally when I saw the tweet from @TravelandLeisure linking to the article @peterjindberg had written regarding coveting interior design from hotels, I had to actually read over this twice before it really sunk in . Now I have to say, at first the title “The Art of Bringing Hotel Design Ideas Home” made me think it was going to be informing me of some interior design tips that will help me to transform my bachelor pad into a chic, sophisticated, ‘grown ups’ living space, suitable for inviting guests over. Well…it does, but I wouldn’t necessarily follow the path that many people have chosen to embark on unless you want to be banned from a lot of hotels and possibly arrested…that is, if you don’t read...

Image Source  www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjohnbeckett/8127792520/ When you're at University, these are the things that probably wont make it on the end of your to do list: Make sure that all socks are paired with their right partner Discover the difference between bio and non bio washing powder Improve credit rating  Do the ironing However, you might want to take another look at improving your credit rating as it can effect everything from your student loan, your mobile phone contract or your flat rental agreement. A credit rating is a score that credit bureaus use to give a reflection on how creditworthy they feel someone is. The applicant’s credit payment history, current debts, the length of time the person has had credit, the type of credit and how often he or she has applied for new credit are all considered. In fact, every time someone applies for any type of credit, the lender will probably check what the applicant’s latest score is before deciding whether...

Have you ever danced to soca music? If you haven’t then you haven’t lived, my friend. Even if you don’t consider yourself a dancer in any way shape or form, sweet soca music is guaranteed to turn you into a booty shaking monster for hours upon end. It’s addictive, fun and just a little bit different from your average party music. Drop a fine soca tune into a set at a house party and people go wild or just plain silly. So, where does soca music come from and who brought it into existence? Well, we have the Caribbean  and a fine fellow called Lord Shorty to thank for this. For the record, he was not a real Lord, and at a towering 6ft three he was definitely not short. What he was however, was a musical pioneer. Born Garfield Blackman in Trinidad in October 1941, he later changed his name for the stage name Lord Shorty and eventually to Ras Shorty I. Lord Shorty, who became popular on the calypso scene in the Caribbean, took traditional calypso music and combined it with ...

Getting your room set up is often your first priority when you first get to University. That and locating the Student Union Bar. You mother will be welling up as she makes sure you have all the essentials (mattress protector, spare bed sheets, plenty of fresh underwear and socks) while your dad will be giving you a pep talk and how to stay safe and not to spend all your money in one go, to work hard and don’t let anyone push you around. When you finally wave them off in the car park you’ll suddenly come to the realisation that, you’re alone. It’s a very strange and unfamiliar experience, and it’ll take a while getting used to, but this is your new home now.  It took me about two and a half weeks for me to realise that I wasn’t on a school trip or family holiday. That I wasn’t going back home and that this was the place where I actually lived. My first domicile whilst at University was not a pleasant one. A halls of residence that was built in the late fifties and ran on an ...

Prepare To Party What makes the ultimate Uni House party one to remember? To be honest, it’s probably the top class shenanigans that carry on into the wee small hours. The ones that make Uni life headlines, are talked about for weeks afterwards and then reminisced about years down the line when you might have forgotten the names, but never the faces. However, the best way to get you and your mates to let your hair down and forget the pile of essays waiting to be written, is to get properly prepared and put a bit of effort into creating a wicked atmosphere. Now, I may be teaching a grandmother to suck eggs here but let’s run through a few pre party essentials.  Love Thy Neighbour Tell the neighbours you are having the party and tell them well in advance. Sounds obvious I know, but the amount of parties I’ve been to  that have had neighbours coming round during the party screaming bloody murder are too many to mention. Be nice to them, take them a cake when you go...

Our homes, much like our phones, are becoming smarter. In the way they save heat, electricity water and the money in our pockets. But they’re also becoming smarter in the way they entertain us. This month, Microsoft waded further into the development of the ultimate in home entertainment system with the unveiling of their latest gaming system, Xbox One. Eight years on since its predecessor, the Xbox 360, Xbox One proves how far the gaming industry has come in less than a decade. It also shows how the traditional market of the singular teenager alone in his room discovering imaginary worlds and challenging mythical foes, has changed to become a family and home orientated entertainment system. This was galvanized in the very opening showcase, as the multitude of Microsoft employees kept hammering home the point that ‘the living room’ would never be same again.  So what’s the big deal then? Well it’s the fact that the Xbox One does it all that has really impressed potential...