An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 24

I hope you've enjoyed spending December with The Optimist, and today's final advent offering is sure to bring a smile to your face.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 23

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 23 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for a final look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 22

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 22 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 21

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 21 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 20

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 20 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 19

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 19 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 18

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 18 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 17

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 17 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 16

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 16 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 15

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 15 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 14

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 14 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 13

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 13 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 12

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 12 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 11

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 11 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 10

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 10 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 9

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 9 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 8

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 8 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 7

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 7 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 6

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 6 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 5

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 5 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 4

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 4 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 3

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 3 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 2

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 2 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

An Optimistic Advent Calendar - Day 1

Ding Dong Merrily on High! Welcome to day 1 of 'An Optimistic Advent Calendar'. From now until the 24th, I'll be bringing you a daily dose of Christmas cheer by sharing all sorts of festive makes and bakes, things to see and do and of course, lots of pretty pictures - all served up with an extra handful of seasonal sparkle. So pop back tomorrow for another look.

Gravity

Gravity's opening shot would be the centrepiece of any other space film. A glowing corner of Earth fills the left-hand side of the screen while a solitary dot floats in the blackness beyond. Is it a star? Some kind of space debris? Either way, it's distant, like everything else. It takes minutes for it to become discernible, welcome minutes that give you time to drink in the view and nudge the person next to you to make sure they're as in awe as you are. There is silence except for the faint crackle of voices over a radio then some vaguely audible country and western beaming out of George Clooney's space suit, completely at odds with the stillness.

Shot at the Night

The Killers are one of the few bands that continue to make truly beautiful narrative music videos. Shot at the Night, set against the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada, features Bella Heathcote and Max Minghella as a couple making the most of their chance meeting. Take a look.

Autumn

It's official; as of this weekend, Autumn has begun and naturally, as an optimist, I'm looking forward to it. The crunchy leaves, the rosy cheeks, the amazing telly and above all ... the excuse to buy a new coat. There's loads to love, so for your delectation, here's a gallery of scrumptious seasonal highlights.

Cinemagraphs

   

Did somebody ask for a blog filled with beautiful pictures perfect for scrolling through with a cup of tea on a rainy Friday afternoon? Thought so - The Optimist is here to help. Take a look at annstreetstudio.com, the stunning blog from Jamie Beck and Kevin Berg.

I love Richard Curtis

He's the man that brought us Renée as Bridget Jones, tore our hearts in two when he reimagined the life of Vincent Van Gogh for Doctor Who, introduced us to The Vicar of Dibley and even had a hand in the script for War Horse. Oh, and he's the writer of Love Actually which also makes him responsible for the painfully cute scene between Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln which spawned a million flip board marriage proposals, plus ... he made Colin Firth speak Portugese.

Cheltenham Spa

Fancy a stay-cation? Well The Optimist's taking the hard work out of deciding where to go - by choosing for you! In each of my insider's guides, I'll pick a different UK destination, then give you a run-down of all its hotspots and highlights. To make my compendiums a bit different to the average guidebook though, I'll be sharing those little known gems that are usually missed by tourists, for those that want to experience something out of the ordinary on their visit.

Les Lumières

Paris is beautiful, and that's all the reason I need to put together a photo gallery. Rain, sun or snow, day or night, there's nowhere more stylish than the city of lights.

Saving Mr. Banks

Is it Christmas yet? The Optimist's getting rather excited about the prospect of a festive cinema trip to see Disney's newest live-action delight, Saving Mr. Banks.

Lucy Rhiannon

Recently, The Optimist was invited to the city of Manchester to see singer/songwriter Lucy Rhiannon's latest gig. Join me for a reflection on a wonderful evening of Sangria and songs.

Baby Cambridge

On this day, the 22nd of July in the year 2013, we welcome the future King, the first born of their royal highness The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The third in line to the throne. May he be long lived, happy and glorious and one day reign over us.

Classic Film Trailers

You're at the back of the concessions queue waiting to pay for your pick 'n' mix and your film starts in two and a half minutes. It's touch and go. Your friend says "Don't worry. It's only trailers for the first fifteen minutes anyway." But therein lies the problem - it's the trailers you want to see. The Optimist loves a good film trailer, so join me for a run down of my all time favourites.

Michelle the Rabbit

Prepare to meet the internet's cutest photo-blogger. She's well dressed, well travelled and she's two inches tall ... she's Michelle the Rabbit.

Houses

If you haven't already joined Pinterest, I say hop to it! You don't want to miss out on delights like this ...

21st Century Artistry

The Great Gatsby VFX from Chris Godfrey on Vimeo.

Continuing The Optimist's obsession with all things Gatsby (just finished reading the book - glorious, as expected) it was impossible not to post this video showcasing some of the film's extraordinary visual FX and the unseen trickery that goes into making them. (Be warned, there are a few very subtle spoilers in there.) Anyone who's seen Gatsby will know that Luhrmann's heavily stylised backdrops dominate the film but the CGI goes further than you might think - it seems a lot of the less ostentatious sets were illusions too. Isn't it incredible the level of detail that can be created artificially these days? It must be said that while I'm still a strong advocate of in-camera effects, some VFX artists truly live up to their title.

Wimbledon

It's the opening day of Wimbledon 2013 so to celebrate, I've put together a gallery of the legendary Tennis tournament's best bits, including a few of my favourite fashion moments from the celebrity spectators. Let's crack out the Pimms!

Special Days

Here's a bit of loveliness to brighten up your Thursday morning - take a look at the gorgeous pictures on the Shoot Lifestyle Photography blog.

The Great Gatsby

I've long been a fan of Baz Luhrmann's work and after repeated watchings of the trailers for his adaptation of classic American novel The Great Gatsby, I was expecting a film with the director's trademark visual flamboyance. Suffice to say, I was far from disappointed on this front. Gatsby is, in a word, gorgeous.

Eleanor & Park

The Optimist doesn't do reviews - only recommendations. You won't find anything on this blog that hasn't been pre-loved by me, so here's my first 'must-read': Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

Optimism

I didn't even have to Google that.

It's one of a few quotes that I know off-by-heart. I told my friend mid-English lesson as we studied Romeo and Juliet for our GCSEs that I would remember it forever. I'm not sure what it was about that passage that appealed so much to my fifteen-year-old self - clearly Romeo had been a lot less spotty than the lads I went to school with.