2014 In Pictures

Last year I made a post summarising the year in a series of photographs, which I thought would be a good tradition to continue in 2014. There were so many photos that it was difficult to narrow it down to just eight. Somehow I managed and would like to share some of my best memories from 2014 with you.

The first photo shows my AS Art exam piece based on a photograph I had taken of the view from a plane window of the clouded skyline. I was really proud of this piece which I made from acrylic paint. To the right is a group photo taken from a history trip to London on one of the hottest days of the year. The day included a waking tour of London and a trip to one of my favourite museums, the V&A. The lower left photo is one I took of My Great-Nanny who celebrated her 100th birthday. We had a family celebration with relatives from Britain and Canada. I was even able to organise my Nanny's birthday telegram that was signed from the Queen. With another group photo we celebrated the first day of the summer holidays with bowling and a park trip. A truly great day with unforgettable memories including striking celebration, 'stunning' comments and how we managed to take the selfie on that bridge.

The next photo was taken on my birthday when Mum surprised me with a trip to see Phantom of the Opera in London. It was the best show I have seen on stage, and was far better than I could have imagined. Within our group at Sixth Form Uno matches became a tradition which we spent most of our free time playing, as shown in the right hand photo. The summer holidays were also filled with long walks and photo opportunities with my regular walking companion. The walks no longer happen but the memories were good at the time. The final photograph is from my friend's birthday party as people began turning a year older, reminding me how much younger I am. It was a brilliant night were I laughed and danced, and where I felt incredibly grateful for the amazing people I have in my life. Sorry I'm getting a bit emotional typing this.

Thank you 2014 for a great year. Let's see what 2015 has in store. I wish you all a brilliant year x

It's been a while....

Where has time gone? I've found myself asking that a lot recently:
The rush of work deadlines.
Saving dates in the diary for interviews and social events.
Even thinking about how people have changed - Can someone really have changed that much in a month?

I realise that I haven't kept you up to date, but it has been an eventful few months with plenty of highlights. As usual there's been A-Level work filled with deadlines, open evenings and plenty of laughter. Despite all the work I'm still enjoying Sixth Form with it's open study timetable and independent learning. This new freedom has led to the odd trip out to McDonalds in free lessons, the benefits of having friends who can drive. On that note I am learning to drive but am yet to take my test. This independence has enabled me to travel even more by travelling to London on my own and visiting universities across the UK with the thought of my future. Interviews and offers all add to endless possibilities of places I could go, what I could study and even possible careers. Too many decisions to make and sometimes it feels as though I don't have enough time.

Mid January even brought the ending of a relationship.... but we won't talk about that. We're still friends, but my friends haven't held back in sharing their opinions and explicit names for the two of them....
Won't worry about that though as I've got plenty of time for a relationship. Just got to hope that there's someone out there who will care enough about me.

I've carried on with a smile and a lot of laughter as always. I've really appreciated having my family and friends. I'll focus on them for now and my A-Levels to hopefully get me to university. Although the thought of summer and end of exams is appealing, I'm trying to make the most of my time now. I've got too much work to do to be able to think too far ahead. Also I don't want to wish away my time as I'm really happy. I don't want things to change, but am intrigued by what the future holds.

Tumblr Favourites - October 2014

Here are some of my favourite posts from my Tumblr this month. You can look at my favourites from last month here.

This month my Tumblr has been devoted to saying goodbye to autumn as we progress towards November and Winter. I have been sharing my favourite scenic photos as the leaves of the trees begin to change. As well as the combination of my favourite fandoms and jack-o-lanterns. I never seem to stray far from an art and fandom theme as gifs and paintings take up most of my post, rather than text quotes.

Walking round Flatford

Yesterday Mum and I went on a trip to Flatford to explore the local landscape of British Romantic artist John Constable (1776-1837). We started our walk from the train station and discovered the joys of British weather when we came across a muddy footpath, thanks to all the rain the night before. Thankfully I was prepared by wearing my old faithful pair of converse which I didn't mind getting ruined. While walking I was able to take plenty of photos of the scenic areas. It felt like we were walking in one of Constable's paintings. Somehow we managed not to fall over in the mud and made it to Flatford.

While in Flatford we saw picturesque scenery by the river which felt traditional of Constable's time. Buildings such as Willy Lott's Cottage were sources of inspiration for Constable and have been used in his paintings, such as the 'Hay Wain' 1821.
Despite the muddy footpaths the sun shined the whole day which allowed us to enjoy the peaceful landscape. Being there felt like we had travelled back in time. There was also a small museum which contains examples of Constable's preliminary sketches for his paintings, and his art supplies which show his original colour studies.
After a day of getting stuck in the mud and taking a trip back in time to traditional, rural Britain Mum and I decided to venture back through the mud home. On the train home there were some interesting characters which made an amusing end to the day.

Willy Lott's Cottage

Walking back to the train station

Constable's colour studies

New Autumn Wardrobe

It's now the time of year when I swap my summer wardrobe for my autumn/winter wardrobe. I love this time of year as I can start wearing checked shirts and oversized jumpers. I prefer the autumn/winter season when there is a crisp breeze in the air, as I feel cosy wrapped up in my soft shirts and jumpers. Also the colder weather means I can start wearing boots, including my favourite pair of floral Dr.Martens.

This year I want to be braver by wearing more skirts and dresses, as I always alternate between my favourite pairs of jeans. Now that it's colder I can wear leggings with skirts and dresses, which I find more comfortable than showing my bare legs in summer. I want to try a look that's a bit different for me. But I will always try to pair my skirts and dresses with my Dr.Martens, that always make me feel a bit more confident. We all have that one item that can transform how we feel about an outfit, that can make us walker taller and prouder. For me it's definitely my Dr.Martens.

I have found some images to use for inspiration. These should provide an insight into my style and outfits I would like to recreate.

Remember to laugh

This is a time I can say I genuinely feel happy and want to remember. I am lucky to be have amazing friends, who I can talk about random stuff with and help make A-Level work bearable. I can't believe the amount I laugh during the day. We all laugh about stories and private jokes, and get far too competitive in our daily UNO card games. The other tables must think we're all strange. But I have become increasingly conscious of my laugh. Well I say laugh, a cackle is probably a better description. I'm told I have a loud laugh for someone who's so quiet. Even though I feel tired when I get home I usually spend time telling my family some of the funny stories ,and gloss over the stress of unfinished work.

I just wanted to take a moment to remind you to laugh, smile and be happy. Take time out from stressing and worrying. I know that there will be days that you feel this isn't possible. However its important to surround yourself with good people and remind yourself to be grateful for sharing time and memories with them.

I have to say I'm worried about the day I leave sixth form. Where do I go next? Who will I stay in touch with? These are questions I don't want to think about yet. I just want to enjoy a time where I can honestly say I feel happy. 

I hope you are happy, or if not I hope you find happiness soon. Have a good week x

Tumblr Favourites - September 2014

Here are some of my favourite posts from my Tumblr this month. You can look at my favourites from last month here.

This month I have focused on text posts. There are always those posts that say exactly how you feel and are ideal for those moments when you want to imply what you feel without having to say it. These have been included alongside various F.R.I.E.N.D.S gifs to celebrate the twenty year anniversary since the first episode was broadcast.
Although my Tumblr is filled with the usual fandom posts, I looked more at my interest in art and reflecting on my current mood.