Wouldn't it be nice...if I wasn't such a blog fail!?

So I've been a bit of a blogging fail recently. Quite a bit. OK a lot. Life has become very busy! So much busier than I thought it would be!

As I said before busy is good in some senses but unfortunately things like blogging have slipped down my list a bit recently. Apologies to anyone who actually reads this blog (so...hi Mum!) I do love blogging because I love writing and I just need to make sure I make the time for things such as posting on here. Commuting saps a lot of time and energy though but I will make sure I keep blogging; I WILL. That's more of an assertive message to myself rather than to anyone else. KEEP GOING CHARLOTTE!

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if we could all make more gifts!

This blog post will simultaneoulsy conform and go against it's own title. Yes I made my best friend the make that I will go on to show in this post. Yes it felt very good to make a present and made the gift giving itself a whole lot more satisfying. No I don't feel like I'll ever have the time to do it again! Not because it takes long but life feels a little chaotic right now. Seriously, friends who are reading this...if you want a gift like this tell me about 3 months before your birthday!!!

Anywho, I did make something for my bestie because 1. she loves homemade stuff (her family are the kings of collages), 2. I saw it on Pinterest and am so addicted I had to make it, 3. I am rather skint at the moment (Interning is great and I'm learning tons but alas being free labour means my bank account is rather woeful!)

So here is the make. (Alice you are absolutely not allowed to click on the links to where I got things from, instead you must just admire the process and then turn and admire the gift in your room) It's super easy, cute and fun to do!

You will need:

1. A glue gun. I bought this one and it's great. Adding the cost of the gluegun in did increase the cost of the overall project but I saw it as a great little investment and, although I said before I don't have time, I will make more things! I am determind to :)
2. Buttons of your choice. Alice loves pink so I chose these gorgeous pink mother of pearl ones. I didn't get through the whole pack either covering the entire letter.
3. Finally you will need the letter of your choice, which I got from here.

First of all I painted the letter. We had some quick dry gloss in the house already so I used this and it worked perfectly. I painted all over the letter with two coats to ensure the colour was even and smooth.

Next I began glue-gunning...hot-gluing...not sure which one sounds better...anyway...I began sticking the buttons on.

 

I didn't really have a technique. I knew I wanted a textured look so didn't want them all flat or laying the same way across the whole A, so I worked with small sections at a time layering the buttons then gluing them on before moving on to a few more buttons. It really was just a case of "oh that looks good there" andddd stick.

 

So I just worked building up the buttons. I only wanted one layer but as I said before I wanted some over, some under, rather than routine lines.

Next are some images kindly taken by my mother showing how I placed the buttons on individually working with glue as it was cooling as it was still tacky to position the button.

Nearly there...

And VOILA!

The longest part of the process was actually letting the paint dry between coats but the actual glueing of buttons took very little time at all! It felt really nice though giving someone a gift that you know you took time and effort over (seriously though, friends whose birthdays are coming up...please don't expect one at the moment! I will try next year or for Christmas or something instead!)

I hope you liked this little make blog post, let me know if you did. I know it's a bit different to normal but I just wanted to share it with you all as a cheaper but still lovely gift idea.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if I wasn't so busy!?

Actually it's rather nice being busy. Particularly when it's something new, exciting, and potentially career starting. However being a grown up is time consuming and tiring. Hence the lack of blogging. I'M SORRY! I will get back on track soon once I'm more settled into my new routine; it's all just been a bit of a change and taking a bit of getting used to (again good change, and good getting used to) but unfortunately that's resulted in things such as blogging and, you know, my social life, falling to the wayside a bit. It'll all be worth it in the end though. I hope!

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...to be back on holiday.

Ah holiday blues! Everyone gets them at some point and I am sorely missing lazing around by the pool all day then being able to swan into town in shorts for a delicious dinner and far too much wine. I've only been back a few days!

Yes the reason my blog has been lacking recently was because I was away for 10 days having a lovely time with the boyfriend not doing very much in Portugal. But now it's back to reality. And the cold. My goodness England feels cold at the moment! When we booked the holiday it seemed such a good idea just before I start my new job to get that last bit of sun and last chance for a while to get away together. However now I'm wishing we'd thought it through a little more and given me a little teensy bit more time to get my life together before I start the rest of my life. Now don't get me wrong the holiday was lovely and this lack of time is mostly my fault because I managed to lock myself out of the house yesterday so wasn't able to do tons of things I needed to do (bills-snore-train tickets-snore) so yes that fault of mine has rather cut into my preparation time.

I don't really need preparation time in reality but I am very nervous and excited for this placement I'm starting on Monday...I am VERY excited but this potentially is this start of the rest of my life! Well...actually it really is! Student life is officially over and my working life begins. How terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...to not feel bored anymore.

Basically I'm a little bored at the moment. My days seem to be constantly filled with nothing. This is not because I'm super lazy (much) but more down to the fact that I left my old job because I've been offered an internship that starts at the end of September. I am VERY excited. Now it may seem that I left my job rather early to many of you but the boyfriend and I are going on holiday on Monday which will take me right up to the start of my internship. So I haven't been doing nothing for long but I don't really cope with doing nothing that well.

At first the idea of days filled with nothing seem like a dream. A rest away from incredibly busy work days to relax and do whatever I want. However in reality that nice feeling lasts for a few days before I begin to get incredibly bored. I really should have taken the opportunity to start driving lessons again (yes, yes I really need to learn how to drive...pipe down everyone!) but unfortunately I've now left it a little late and it seems silly to have my first driving lesson in 3 years before I poodle off on holiday for a few weeks! Silly Charlotte. Missed opportunity right there!!

But soon my days will be filled. Well on holiday they won't be that filled with anything that productive; more filled with reading and relaxing. Possibly more sight-seeing than we originally planned as the weather forecast is not looking that good right now! It's the being away from it all that matters though, that's what we keep telling ourselves anyway. 

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if I stopped writing about the Olympics!?

I know, I know, I've written quite a few Olympic related blog posts but I have to make one amendment for this post and instead talk about the Paralympics. Mainly because it is AMAZING.

I've never really watched the Paralympics before and feel that it's been perhaps left at the wayside in terms of media coverage in previous years but these games are truly awe inspiring. The home of the Paralympics really has done the event proud. It is wonderful to see stadiums as packed with fanatic GB supporters as during the Olympics, cheering on our team as though there has been no break between the two events.

I have been a little disappointed with the Channel 4 coverage really only because of advert breaks! I know that that is what the channel does and they are clearly working around matches and races to slot in the ads in appropriate places but it was a shame the Opening Ceremony (yet another wonderfully bonkers display of true British-ness...apples everywhere...) was disrupted by them. However they have redeemed themselves, in my eyes anyway, with their website where there are great pages such as: http://paralympics.channel4.com/video/gb-medal-winners/index.html where every GB medal win is shown in full, although, yet again, you have to sit through more adverts to be able to watch the videos! If you missed them or haven't seen them yet I would definitely recommend the videos of Ellie Simmonds smashing the world record in her 400m freestyle event (yes I cried at the end) and, of course, Richard Whitehead's incredible T42 200m win. All the videos are fantastic though, another favourite which I watched live was Hannah Cockroft's gold, the list of amazing moments you need to see really could go on and on and on!

(Richard Whitehead's incredible victory. Image from The Telegraph website)

What I find really interesting with the games is that there are so many different classifications within every sport meaning there is so much to watch and be amazed by. I'm sure there are many pages like this all over the internet but my family and I have been referring to the BBC's 'A-Z of Paralympic Classification' which is very clear and informative on all the different classifications. All I can really say is that I think every single Paralympian is a truly inspiring and quite epic individual. The original Channel 4 tagline of 'Meet the Superhumans' couldn't have been more accurate!

London 2012 and Team GB have really lived up to the much used Twitter hash-tag #OurGreatestTeam with Olympians and Paralympians doing the country truly proud. I really have never felt more patriotic than I have during this year.

Bye for now :) 

xxxxx

Wouldn't It Be Nice...GlossyBox Review

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently I have been super busy and my blogging has been slacking! So I'm back (from outer space...sorry I started singing that in my head and had to write it down!) with one of my infrequent beauty blogs. As I've previously mentioned in my 'About My Blog' tab I love beauty and beauty products so sometimes include posts merely to satisfy my little love rather than as the main body of my blog.

This post is on, as the title suggests, GlossyBox. For those that don't know what GlossyBox is it's a subrscription service where you pay monthly and you receive your box with five products in; some sample size, some full size. You cannot quarantee what you'll receive in your box and it's this that I really like about the whole idea. It introduces you to new products and new brands without spending tons of money. The subscription is £10 plus postage and packaging which takes the total cost up to £12.95. I've been really interested in GlosstBox for a while now having heard so much about it on beauty YouTube videos and blogs but hadn't felt quite able to part with my cash. However after my birthday I saw on their Facebook page the possibility to buy a single July box without the need to start a subscription so I thought why not!

Here are some images of the box itself (which is very pretty and I am definitly going to keep for storage!)

(The box in it's postage packaging)

(The GlossyBox itself)

(Inside the box)

(Each box comes with a sheet providing more information about each product in the box)

(Again, lovely presentation!)

(The box with the information sheet alongside it)

Now onto the products I received! Here is an image of all the products in the box:

(I'm a little in love with all the packaging)

I'll start each product review with the information provided on the GlossyBox Beauty sheet alongside an image of the product I received to show the size.

Collin Resultime - Regenerating Collagen Gel 
Multitasking superhero containing 15 key skin molecules. Use daily as a serum or sleep mask. Fullsize: £47.25/50ml

I received a sample sized 15ml bottle of the product (which would cost just over £14 if you work it out via the fullsize price) I used this as a daily serum applying it in the evening after my normal cleanse and tone regime. I used it in conjunction with the Monu Extra Rich Night Cream that I also received in this box (review below) and my skin has been feeling so smooth when I wake up every morning. However this has a rather hefty price tag with it and I don't know if I'd be willing to fork out the money, I certainly wouldn't be able to with my current budget anyway! Perhaps it's a product I'll have to remember for the future when I've got more of an income!


Awapuhi Wild Ginger - Texturising Sea Spray
Create a tousled, beachy style any time. This surf-inspired spray adds texture and body to any locks.
Fullsize: £18.95/150ml

The bottle I received as a 25ml sample size of this product. I have naturally curly hair that doesn't require any extra body but I found this spray did give me lovely beach style hair, loosening my curls slightly and giving them a relaxed but still defined look. I tried apply it to wet and dry hair and it had a similair effect on both. My only problem with this product though is that if left my hair feeling a little sticky afterwards. Now this will be fine when say I'm on holiday and I'm washing my hair everyday (I definitely intend on taking this on holiday with me!) but I only need to wash my hair twice a week at home so it left me needing to wash my hair the day after I'd styled it. Overall though I did like this product and will definitely be taking it on holiday with me to keep those beach curls into the evening.

Monu - Extra Rich Night Cream
A luxurious night cream to intensively nourish and firm whilst you sleep.
Fullsize: £36.95/50ml

As mentioned above, I used the night cream from this 20ml sample size bottle after applying the Collin Resultime Regenerating Collagen Gel and they worked really well together leaving me with super soft skin. I also tried this cream on it's own and still found it really moisturing. I suffer from dry skin and I sometimes get unsightly dry patches around my eyes and mouth; this cleared even those really dry patches up really quickly. Again my only problem with this product is the price tag. I'm more tempted to fork out for this than the Collin gel though as I feel a really decent moisturiser is worth spending money on. I might just have to close my eyes if I choose to buy it and try to ignore the price tag...that works...right?

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics - Lip Frosting
A multifunctional cream gloss. Use on lips for a tint of colour, or cheeks for a luminous glow.
Fullsize: £10.00/15ml

Firstly my boyfriend found the name hilarious but this without a doubt is my favourite product I received in my box. It's the fullsize 15ml bottle which doesn't sound like much but a little of this goes a long way. It's a gorgeous bright glossy pink that goes on quite sheer and smells delicious! I've been using this on my lips everyday since I got it. I did try it on my cheeks but I felt it left a bit of a sticky residue so have stuck to the lips! I will definitely buy this once mine has run out but as you only need a little to leave you with lucious lips I don't think I'll be needing to re-purchase for a while!

Kryolan - Satin Powder
This micro-fine powder will create extraordinary shimmer effect eye make up.
Fullsize: £4.75/3g

This is the product I've used the least from the box I received. It's a really lovely coral colour light shimmer powder and the fullsize product but I just haven't really had any time in which I'd need or want to wear it so far! I do really like the look of it though and have tried it on it's own, it's a little weak on it's own but could be used as a very subtle shimmer eye or highlighter, and I've tried it on top of a few different eye colours; it works well to enhance or add a nice glitttery effect to an eye for a night out. It's one I'm sure I'll use more over time and again I think I'll take it on holiday with me as the sheer coral colour will work nicely with a tan as a light evening makeup in the sun.




I also received as a Bonus Product samples of the Elizabeth Arden's Visible Difference Skin Balancing line. I unfortunately haven't had the oppourtunity to try these out yet but I am a lover of Elizabeth Arden products so definitely will be giving those a try as soon as possible!

Overall I was really impressed with the box I received. Working out the amount each product cost (by dividing the fullsize cost by the volume to get the cost per ml then timesing that by the sample size) I worked out that this box had over £43 of product in it. When you think I paid £12.95 and got to try lots of new and different products I think that's a bit of a bargain! I, unfortunately, don't have that kind of money spare every month to get a subscription though however much I wish I could. When I do have the funds though I really would like to be able to get myself a subscription. I loved trying all the different products and, lame though it may sound, it was exciting getting the box and unwrapping it not knowing what was going to be inside! It's like Christmas!

If, like me, you're interested in the idea, log on to their website, take a look around, and perhaps think about getting just one box to see if this is for you! Let me know in the comments if you've got any reviews of GlossyBox's that I could take a look at and if you liked this review.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if the euphoric wave of London 2012 continued on.

I know I've already written about the Olympics but I'm going to do it again because I truly loved it. I have never been sporty, I was always into dancing but dreaded facing weekly P.E. lessons at school, and I have never before been really that interested in watching the Olympics regardless of what nation was hosting it. I can honestly put my hands up and say that before London 2012 began I was very uninterested in the entire thing. Then it began. And I was hooked.

(Image from http://www.london2012.com/)

For the entire event nothing else was watched in my household. I became actively interested all sports, from the obscure (who knew canoe events would be so exciting!?) to the traditional favourites. I truly do wish that the Olympics had come to London during my childhood because I think I would have got more involved and interested in partaking in sports. I hope that it has had that effect on children across the nation; I really do hope that 'Inspire a Generation' becomes so much more than a tagline for these games. That it instead becomes a reality.

The most important thing that I believe can be taken from these games though is they were a complete success. Many outside and inside the nation had little or no hope for London 2012 but instead we surpassed all expectations and everyone was swept into a euphoric state. Team GB stormed the medals table with our most successful Olympics for 104 years, the volunteers received the biggest cheers of all from crowds and athletes alike, and the public rose to the occasion. We all came out and supported our team. My entire family and I, like many others, were unlucky and didn't manage to get tickets to anything in the original ballots or during the re-sale, but it didn't dampen our support. We simply cheered from our home, adding our voices to the many thousands screaming on our greatest ever team.

Whilst many have already returned to the classic British cynicism I hope that we all can continue to ride this wave. The Paralympics are yet to begin and will hopefully prove to be as exciting as the games and I really do hope they inspire as much support. I love the current adverts for the Paralympic Games that feature the title 'Thanks for the warm-up' following the original adverts introducing the athletes as 'Meet the Superhumans'. Here is another fantastic Team GB to continue supporting in the games.

Of the games all I have left to say is that I truly will miss watching them and that I believe they did more than inspire a generation, they inspired a nation.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if Pinterest wasn't so addictive.

I know I might be a bit late on the bandwagon here but OH. MY. GOODNESS. Pinterest is so very addictive. For those that don't know Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where members can "pin" images, videos etc. onto their own boards. Having been a scrapbook addict as a child this has enabled me to return to that love but without the fuss and fiddle of having to physically cut images out of magazines and glue them into a book or blu-tack them to my wall.

I've only recently got really into Pinterest and I'm actually very glad it took me this long. I signed up to it a good few months ago when I was still studying for my degree but (thankfully!) wasn't that interested then as I had much more pressing matters to deal with...like passing my degree. I completely forgot about it until a few people recently started talking on Twitter about it, so I logged in again and I am now officially hooked.

Pinterest basically enables me to collect together pretty things I like into one place (for one thing I love that kind of organisation) but it's also great because you can see tons of other things people are pinning to their own boards and are therefore sharing on Pinterest. I have never wanted to make so many arts and crafts in my entire life than I do now because of lovely, simple makes I keep finding on there!

(A simple PrtScn and Paint job just to demonstrate for those that don't know what a Pinterest page looks like. If you wanted to take a look or follow my Pinterest go to http://pinterest.com/charlotte2306/ )

I love it because it also means that if I simply see an image of anything I like anywhere on the internet (except, rather annoyingly, Facebook) I have a simple way of saving it and collecting it with other things I like. You can add a 'Pin It' button to your Bookmark Toolbar that only requires a click of it to add it to any of your boards. I can imagine as well if you were intending on decorating or planning an event, such as a specifically themed party or a wedding, Pinterest would be a fantastic, fuss-free way of collecting inspiration.

Let me know if you're on Pinterest and if you follow my profile I'll be sure to take a look at your boards too!

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...to feel like I had some control again.

Hello lovely readers

Apologies for the lack of blog posts recently; I have been experiencing a rather odd period in my life and haven't really felt the desire to write or have known what to write about. As many of you know I recently finished university with high hopes for the future but since actually graduating I have instead experienced a very odd panicky and rather disconcerting feeling of "What now!?!?" This combined with the worst bout of flu I have ever had has not resulted in a very happy Charlotte. However things are looking up and I am feeling more certain and in control again so hopefully the inspiration will come back for more posts, and my blog will get back on its feet as I get back on mine.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if everyone appreciated how amazing the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony was!

I have caught Olympic fever. I'm finally starting to recover from the flu and now I've caught fever! However this fever is easily treatable with near constant Olympics on the television in my house and with my whole family on the (rather fantastic) London 2012 apps checking the results of events we can't watch. Basically we are all addicted. And this addiction began with the fantastic opening ceremony.

Danny Boyle you did us Brits proud. It was truly amazing. I watched every single minute of it gasping in delight at the fantastic sets changes and crying with laughter for the inclusion of the Queen (yes the ACTUAL Queen) and Mr Bean within the whole event. I thought it fantastically covered our history and it was quintessentially British and British at its best. Taking us from green pastures:

(Image from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830)

To the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, all lead by Kenneth Branagh as Isambard Kingdom Brunel:

(Image from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830)

With the Olympic Rings forged by workers (below) before we were taken through a journey incorporating British children's literature and some one of our great national institutions, the NHS. To me the whole 3 hour spectacle was perfect culminating in seven young British athletes lighting the beautiful beacon; highlighting the key message of inspiring the next generation.

(Image from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830)

However I was somewhat perturbed in the few hours following our viewing of the ceremony when Twitter started to become more and more active as NBC started showing the delayed, edited, version in the USA. Now I know, because I waited to see and hear more, that generally the reaction from the USA and their media was good. Yes they found it a little bizarre but they seem to have expected that from us Brits. BUT I was shocked by some of the messages I saw on Twitter and by some articles I have since read. Some stated it was "too British" and many wondered why lots of Abraham Lincolns were wandering round *face palm* (perhaps the US need to invest more time and energy into their teaching of world history). I read a particularly disparing piece on The Washington Post Social Reader by Cyd Zeigler that genuinely offended me! I may be taking this all a little personally but I feel as though each attack on the Opening Ceremony is an attack upon the nation and everything that makes us us, because that is exactly Danny Boyle showed.

Also upon hearing that NBC cut one of the most poignant moments of the ceremony; a hauntingly beautiful contemporary dance piece widely viewed as a tribute to the London 7/7 bombing victims, I was genuinely outraged. Mainly because of NBC's reasoning: "it wasn't tailored to U.S. audience". Seriously!? Can you begin to imagine the outcry if the BBC cut a tribute to 9/11. They wouldn't even dream of doing it let alone outwardly stating that they didn't because it wasn't specifically tailored to our nation. And what did NBC show instead? Ryan Seacrest interviewing Michael Phelps. Top journalism there.

Woah this has turned into a rant! I do not mean to tar all with the same brush as I have read many fantastic pieces praising the opening ceremony by US journalists writing for various publications but I won't lie that it has left me not rooting for the USA as much as I normally would do. I do want to say though that I feel the Opening Ceremony was a perfect presentation of all that makes this nation great. It was all a bit wonderfully chaotic with different eras of music mashed together for amazing dance routines but most importantly of all, it felt fun. We British don't like to take ourselves too seriously and we like to enjoy ourselves and I think that really came across in the fantastic show. I hope that that kind of feeling and atmosphere rubs off on all; athletes, viewers, volunteers etc. throughout the entire games. Let's show the world what the best of British really looks like.

(Image from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19020830)

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if I wasn't ill during the only real sunshine we'll probably get this summer!

I am ill and I am grumpy. I hate being ill and I get cabin fever being stuck inside. I also hate the fact that it is gorgeous weather and I feel like poop. Here is a picture of a puppy to illustrate in a much cuter manner how I feel:

(Image source: Google)

I apologise for the lack of blogging but my head feels like mush so I can't think of anything to say. That is all. Grumpy Mc Grump Grump.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx 

Wouldn't it be nice...if we could all be as kind as my bestie!

This post comes from a very personal place for me and it is entirely based on my admiration for my best friend (as if the title wasn't clear enough!) The reason I am extra specially proud of her is because she is just coming to the end of her final placement as a student nurse and soon it'll be her full time job. Since she began her degree I have truly been in awe of her for taking on the job and training to be a nurse. Belive me it is something I could never do! I have quite a few friends who are going into different branches and areas of medicine and I really am so proud of all of them but I met this particular girl on the first day of senior school when we sat next to each other in class and we have been best friends ever since so my pride is particularly great for her.

I don't think she realises how proud of her I am even though I tell her everytime I see her, so I thought I would write it down and publish it on the internet so perhaps she would finally realise how extremly proud of her I am! So Alice this is directed just to you:

You are the kindest, sweetest person I know who accepts everyone for who they are and strives to help and care for everyone as best as you can. I really am truly so in awe of your chosen career path and I can't think of anyone who would make a better nurse than you. I know it's tough and it might get tougher but you are so much stronger than you think you are and you know I will always be here for you. And if you ever have a bad day just think of the fat pigeons and it'll make you smile.

If there is anyone else out there who is currently training to be a doctor or nurse or anything like that give yourself a massive pat on the back because it really is impressive (to me at least!) This has basically turned into an ode to Alice so I apologise and I will stop now, but I had to impress this upon her and felt this was the best way to do it!

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if life were a musical.

I know that it would annoy tons of people but I am an avid musical and music lover so to me the idea of everyone breaking out into perfectly choreographed song and dance is a dream; for others it would be a nightmare.

The practicality of this situation in real life would not be so good; it would be very difficult to get anywhere quickly as you'd either have a song and dance yourself or end up being a backing dancer in someone else's life song, but wouldn't it be fantastic!! (Again keep in mind that I am a musical lover so to me this would be AMAZING) It would also be unfortunate if you could not sing or dance but if it was a commonplace occurrence then the skills would be honed from a young age so everyone would be able to partake in the fun and games. It would be good exercise for everyone too...perhaps the Government with the NHS should invoke some kind of legislation.

I am aware that this is quite an odd blog post (to say the least!) but it's a thought that sometimes pops into my head and for some reason it just did again whilst I was sitting down to write, so I went with it! Yes I am aware I sound a bit loony. Yes I am aware that this is totally impossible and would be totally impractical. But my goodness it would be fun and funny wouldn't it!

Bye for now :)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if everything was celebrated like this!

This is quite a special post because for me it is one of a kind and never to be repeated topic! It is a post about my graduation day. I graduated from the University of Kent yesterday (12th July 2012) with a BA (Hons) Drama and English & American Literature degree, and it truly was an amazing day.

We were all up bright and early for the day and we couldn't believe our luck with the weather; it has been on-off thunder storms for most of the week but for the majority of the day on which I graduated it was gloriously sunny! This made the day, which was already a fantastic one, even better. I was also incredibly lucky as I got to graduate in Canterbury Cathedral because of the university I attended which made it all even more special for me.

So here are some pictures from the day that I thought I would share. For those outside of the UK who don't know, here we don't have graduations below university level; we only have them on the completion of a degree so it's a very important, significant, and often one of a kind, day.

(Me on the steps outside the cape and gown collection area)

(Canterbury Cathedral, where the ceremony took place, in the background)

(Walking through the Cathedral grounds to register)

(In the cloisters before the ceremony)

(Having just received my degree in the Cathedral)

(A glass of celebratory champagne with lunch)

The cape and gown I wore is specific to the University of Kent and the degree that I completed. The hood worn over the cape is silver, to denote that I was receiving a Bachelor's level degree, and the centre triangle was yellow which denotes the faculty which in my case was Humanities. That is the academic address for my university but other than that we were required to wear smart dress. The dress I wore was a floral peplum pencil dress from River Island that I bought in the sale for a bargin price of only £25! Then my shoes are my go to, fail safe, black lace court shoes that I bought from ASOS about 3 years ago.

It really was an amazing day. The ceremony itself was very formal but was so grand with a wonderful amount of pomp as it was in the Cathedral! It took place on the fourth day of ceremonies and was the first of three on the day itself. There were over 300 people graduating during my ceremony and I was number 123 to go up, shake the Chancellor of the University's hand, and receive my degree. Also John Lloyd CBE, received an honorary Doctor of Arts in recognition of his contribution to broadcasting and he made a fantastic and hilarious speech. The whole day really was quite surreal though. We all worked incredibly hard for a minimum of three years towards this one day and I couldn't quite believe I was finally there. It was thoroughly enjoyable though, something amazing to cross of my '21 Before 22' list, and it is wonderful to finally be able to say that I am now officially a graduate.

Bye for now:)

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if public transport was more friendly.

By that I of course mean the people on it, not the actual transport! This comes from travelling many times on the bus and trains throughout my life, and from realising that I've only ever had a handful of proper conversations with people. I'm not suggesting randomly striking up conversation with every person you ever meet (everyone will think you're as nutty as a Snickers bar) but niceties shouldn't go amiss. I will admit I'm a very smiley person and so if I catch eye contact with someone I will most of the time give them a little smile. I normally get one of three reactions to this: 1. a return smile; always lovely, 2. a look that I am insane; eye contact is hastily lost as is the smile, and 3. absolutely no reaction at all. It's the third one that bothers me the most. I don't really care if someone I'm never going to see again in my life thinks I'm a bit loopy for smiling but it's people who purposefully reject that little bit of happiness that I don't quite understand. Smiles are meant to be, and normally are, infectious. So you really have to be quite a miserable person to knowingly reject that little injection of happiness into your day.

I've had a few memorable interactions on public transport that I want to share. The first one happened when I was on year 12 work experience up in London so I, obviously, was commuting. It was an extortionately hot day to be on a packed underground train and I was pressed up right againist the doors as we were zooming through the underground. It was at this point that the doors, that I and two other women were pressed up against, started to open. Now I doubt this has happened to many people but being pressed up against doors on a moving underground train as they open is really quite terrifying. Then a giant of a man jumped to our rescue! He moved all three of us out of the way and stood arms stretched out in front of the doors to ensure no one fell out. The train stopped, the doors shut again and the journey contiuned but that man stood like that the whole journey along the line back to the station. So there is lovely story number one. Lovely story number two happened on a bus in my university town. It was a very crowded bus but I'd managed to nab a seat after a long day on campus so I was happily resting my feet when an elderly couple got on. I of course knew I was going to give them my seat but saw next to me a very sullen looking young man who I thought, with a slight sense of dread, "Oh no...I'm going to have to ask him to move for them because I don't think he's going to do it himself." That was not a conversation I was looking forward to. I really should learn to not judge a book by its cover. As soon as the couple got on the bus we both simultaneously stood up and offered them our seats. They were incredibly grateful and proeeded to chat to us for the duration of the journey. I've had some strange conversations on that bus though. My friend Hannah and I did seem to attract the slightly odd ones of the world and they liked to talk to us, but hey ho the bus journey was never a long one so it didn't bother either of us!

I'm not entirely sure where I was going with this blog post but basically I think people should smile more!

Bye for now :)

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Wouldn't it be nice...if we all read more.

 This post is once more part of Sprinkle of Glitter's 'Love Of The Day' series, as Wednesday is books:

(The lovely Louise also known as Sprinkle of Glitter: Image from her blog http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk)

Now I have read a lot over the past three years studying for a degree in English & American Literature and Drama, some books I loved ('Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley is a truly fantastic novel) and some I'm glad I'll never have to pick up again (I read 'Ulysses' twice...once was enough. I'm not even going to link it on here!)  But once I finished my degree in May I went on holiday for two weeks to Egypt with my boyfriend and I had a wonderful realisation that I could read whatever I wanted too! So I chose to read, amongst many other books, 'The Hunger Games Trilogy'. I had all three downloaded onto my Kindle and I devoured them, reading all three in 2 days.

The books are a fantastic read regardless of age and I really enjoyed the whole story. For anyone that doesn't know the books are set in a post-apocalyptic North America where two children from each District, each area of the country, are chosen and forced to compete in a fight to the death. The books follow Katniss the female tribute from District 12 through her struggles. I know a lot of people had read them already by the time I even got to them, I read them once the movie had come out, so I was a little behind with the times but I couldn't start them whilst I was studying as I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading once I'd started! Even my boyfriend, who doesn't particularly enjoy reading, loved the books; if you knew him you would know that this is accolade for these novels! We are now, not so patiently, waiting for the DVD of the first book/film to be released because by the time we returned from holiday we had missed the film in cinemas.

If you haven't read these books I would really recommend picking them up from somewhere or downloading them as they are a fantastic, action packed, easy read for all ages.

Bye for now :)

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Wouldn't it be nice...if even more of us joined in Sprinkle of Glitter's 'Love of the Day'!

Now if you don't know who Sprinkle of Glitter is then be ashamed of yourself. Well don't be, but I love her and she brightens up my days and puts a smile on my face with her blog posts and YouTube videos so I feel you should all go check her out (not in THAT way...dirty minds). Basically Sprinkle of Glitter is a yummy mummy beauty blog/vlog type lady who shares her love of cosmetics, interior designs and anything sparkly with all of her chums on ther internet!

She has begun a new series on her blog called 'Love of the Day' in which she has a different object for the day and everyone shares a love of their own. Monday is clothes:

(The lovely Louise also known as Sprinkle of Glitter: Image from her blog http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk)

I thought I'd join in with the series and share an item of clothing. I've chosen to share this white fit and flare dress from Oasis and there's a bit of a story behind this dress! I bought it to wear for my graduation but then found a dress I loved more (and that was substantially cheaper) so returned it as I thought it was a bit pricey just to keep. However now I can't seem to stop lusting after it and I feel I might have to re-purchase. Unfortunately I'm struggling to justfy a situation in which I would need a white dress (I can be a little bit clumsy and feel white is a bit of a risky colour for me!) and it's still the same price it was when I returned it for being too pricey. I feel this dress and me are not meant to be. I do love it though. Any opinions on the dress!?

I really like this idea for a series so might do a few more posts if they prove popular!

Bye for now :)

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Wouldn't it be nice...if convertibles weren't so windy!

Yet another moment where I state the blindingly obvious in my blog post title but this has been sparked by a night out last night. It's been quite nice weather in the UK (a little bit sporadic but we, as the British, can cope with that) and so my boyfriend, who has a rather nice convertible car, has had the roof down as we've been driving around. This has been fine with me as I mostly wear my hair up so hasn't been affecting 'the do' at all. However on Saturday night we were going out for dinner with my family so I got ready as normal and did my hair. I mean properly did my hair. I curled it to perfection.

What a waste of time that was! I can normally hold my hair in place to a certain extent when the roof is down and control it, but as it was windy already that evening and then we were creating more wind as we were driving; it was beyond saving. It was then that my boyfriend turned to me and said these words: "It's alright babe, it looks rustic!" Now my man doesn't normally get it wrong, but my god he got it wrong then! "RUSTIC!? What do you mean RUSTIC!?" Thankfully we then descended into raucous laughter but I still don't think I'm going to let that one go for a while. He basically told me I looked ok all wind-blown and interesting because I looked countryside-ish. Or like delicious bread. Not his finest moment in terms of compliments. Hilarious. But not his finest moment. Bless.

I do love his car and it's wonderful to drive around in but a lesson has been learnt. I can cope if we're just driving with the roof down, but if it's also windy already then that is a combination beyond help for my hair. Rather obvious but it took being called rustic for me to see that one!

Bye for now :)

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