Life as a Bucket List

 

The other day I had a discussion with my friend and I came to the conclusion that the reason so many people are unhappy with life right now is due to the fact that so many of us, intentionally or not, view life in a 'bucket list' format. A lot of my friends definitely view life as a success only by 'ticking off' goals or fulfilling expectations of either themselves or others. I, myself am also very guilty of this. The struggle is, I suppose, managing somehow to find happiness and not measure it in any way. However, that seems like an unrealistic expectation for anyone, as happiness is always measured somehow; either by yourself or by those surrounding you.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

BE REALISTIC

This is definitely key to feeling better about life; having a positive attitude will enable you to to focus. If you stop measuring life by what you've achieved or not and instead concentrate on what is going well in your life, you will automatically be happier. By not having any excessive expectations of yourself you can find a find of contentment without feeling the need to be in constant control. I've become a bit of a perfectionist with age, so this is something that I do have to work at. However it's important to learn how to channel your inner control freak. Sometimes you have to think to yourself that if you're obsessed with having better, it will be impossible to be happy with what you do have.

"Life is like a camera... Focus on what's important. Capture the good times, develop the negatives and if things don't work out, take another shot." - Ziad K. Abdelnour

FOCUS ON YOU

Most recently, I've learnt that putting yourself first doesn't make you selfish. Sometimes you have to think about yourself in order to be happy, or at least feel happier. I'm sure everyone has that friend who never seems to be around when you need them, or when you have a problem. I've learnt that sometimes you need let these people drift out of your life. There's no point in begging people to be around you, especially if you're not feeling positive as it will just drag you down again. If you continuously focus on what makes you happy, and what you want then you're much more likely to get it. Confidence is genuinely the key to providing happiness, as difficult as it is to find. I doubt that anyone in the world is 100% happy with themselves but the sooner that you accept yourself for who you are, the more likely you are to find like-minded people and therefore grow a new, more supportive friendship group.

"Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it will always get you the right ones." - John Lennon

FIND AN OUTLET

Blogging has become a really useful way of letting out my emotions; I spent a long time thinking that life wasn't worth living and that I had nothing, when actually sometimes you need to make you life the way you want. I've always been creative and so that was an obvious thing to re-ignite within my life. As I enjoyed photography so much during my studies, I knew that was something I wanted to go back to, blogging has become a great way to mix photography with reality and it has become a visual diary for me. In the next few months I'm looking forward to starting to scrapbook alongside this as a way of keeping positive. I'm planning that whenever I'm down, I can look through the good times and remember that it can always get better. I've had a really rough year, most of it ruined thanks to negativity and depression but I feel as though I'm finally back on the right track; at last I'm looking forward to the future and actually feel in control of it.

"An entire sea of water can't sink a ship unless it gets inside. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to." - Anonymous

Changing seasons

 

 

As a child I absolutely loved the change in seasons and that has definitely followed me through to my adult life; my favourite seasons is probably autumn but I do enjoy every season for different reasons. However, I do struggle with the physical changes that happen as the seasons change. For example, gaining and losing weight, getting spotty skin and feeling constantly tired. I have arthritis, a condition which affects my joints. As a result, I've always struggled more with pain and stiffness in the autumn and winter months, I feel like the cold really affects me and joints. I've always had a problem with cold, in the sense that I always feel cold, even in summer months I wear a jumper without feeling hot, so imagine how many layers I have to wear in the winter months to keep warm.

Living in London, I feel like the city really comes alive during the winter months and I love how the lights glitter in the darkness, especially in central London. This year, I'm going to do my best and really enjoy every minute. I want to do at least one enjoyable thing a week using whatever time I have available. I need to learn to make more time for myself and spend more time with friends. I want to explore the city more and embrace the changing seasons. I studied an arts degree so I want to use my creative side more on this blog, take better photographs and organise them better. I'm my own worst critic, I want everything to constantly explain changed and improved. I feel like my photos don't look professional enough, that I don't spend more time taking perfectly planned photographs but I'm learning and I hope that my photography is improving, slowly, but surely.

Simple Pleasures

 

Now that September is over, it's nice to look back and enjoy the moments. Overall I've had a really good few months now, to the point that I'm looking forward to October (and beyond), to enjoying more simple pleasures. During this month I've realised that my favourite moments have been the least interesting. I want to spend more time doing touristy things in my home city; I want to visit more landmarks, galleries and museums and stop taking life for granted. I want to be more active in enjoying the life I live, not simply living it.

I haven't been to the cinema in literally years, so that's another things I'd like to do this month, I have no idea what to see but I'm sure I'll find something when the time comes. I've also realised how much of a foodie I'm becoming, so I'm quite excited to try new foods and eateries throughout this month. I'm definitely seeing a more positive side of myself, which can only be a good thing. Autumn in London is truly lovely, especially Greenwich Park with its crisp leaves and fantastic views that spread across the city. I like having picnics in the park as well, literally sitting back and relaxing with good company and watching the world go by. I want to watch the bonfire night fireworks with my boyfriend, as there's less tourists at this time of year so it's busy overall and therefore more space to explore! Here's hoping for a great month. :)

 

Things to be grateful for

 

As many of you will have likely guessed by now, I spend a lot of my time dwelling on the more negative aspects of my life; today I'm trying to challenge this and spend time thinking about the positive parts, difficult as it might be. I have several things that I should be more grateful for and I definitely take for granted sometimes. My Friends are not appreciated nearly enough at times, and I definitely want to spend more time with them. I don't have the largest group of friends, but the ones that I have are so incredibly supportive of me and I need to return that favour more as friendships are about giving and receiving. I have a tendency to overlook my Family a lot of the time too, when actually I do really enjoy their support and company. They've given me a place to live in since I was born and look after me when I need it, which I've needed a lot the last few months, more than I'd ever admit to them but I've appreciated them more since I've got older.

I have the most amazing boyfriend, who literally is the rock I need. There for me whenever and wherever, I don't know where I would be or what state I would be in without him and his constant support. I don't show my appreciation often enough compared to what he does for me and I'm definitely going to change that. He keeps me levelheaded. As much as I have a love/hate relationship with work, I also find that it helps me have a routine, as well as the more obvious monetary gain. Some days I love it, I love who I work with and feel really happy to be a part of such a good team and they're the parts that I need to remember and focus on.

Mistakes are also something to be thankful for, even if they make you feel like you're absolutely worthless. It's so important to remember that making mistakes actually shapes you as a person, they encourage you to grow in wisdom and confidence and I want to always learn from my mistakes for as long as I can. They're a part of humanity, a part of life. I'm thankful to be alive, to have the chance to enjoy all of life's moments and surprises. Even if it's not all #lifegoals or #relationshipgoals etc., life is life and not something that should be valued by a hashtag or how many likes you receive. Life is precious and not everyone is as lucky as I am and I need to remember that. 

Favourite Instagrammers - September

Hello again! As you will definitely know by now, I am what many would call a complete Instagram addict, to the point where I scroll through the home page many times per day, just to ensure that I've seen literally everything that I can in from that day. I follow people that I know and that I don't, from all areas across the world. Every month I follow a few more people that catch my eye and I take a liking to. I've always liked seeing how other people live and their passions and instagram is a fantastic way to explore others visually. All of the images below are from a simple Instagram google image search, the usernames are detailed below the images.

 

katyannestuart

I really love Katy's photographic style and her Instagram is full of lovely autumnal coloured views of flowers, horses and herself. Her vibrant red hair makes her stand out, especially against the soft greens of the landscape. She definitely has a passion for florals, animals and fashion as well as anything in between. Plus, her wedding photos look so nice, complete with a dog and a beautiful river landscape. She's one of the people I followed recently but I really like seeing her posts.

 

sarah_nunn

Her love for travelling is what made me follow her, her effortless style and love for the beauty found in new places and the little things. I liked how when she's exploring she documents even the smallest of details, whether that is tiled or mosaic flooring, or simply landscape views of cliffs and the sea they're always nicely framed and make me want to travel more often. She also posts photos of food and drink, even basics like coffee somehow look super interesting and that's why I like her posts so much, the small moments are just as important as huge moments.

 

girlandcloset

A lovely lady living in Vancouver, her posts are always very foresty and rather whimsical, whether intentionally or not. Soft autumnal lighting and deep hazy sunshine makes her posts photographically so pleasing to see. This month I've really been loving her posts because she's definitely in tune with the Sedona, going pumpkin picking and documenting leafy woodland walks. Her love of nature really shines through in all of posts, even her outfit posts are taken outside and embracing the changing seasons wearing boots, jeans and comfy cardigans; Veronika is more than worth a follow.

 

littlevoiceblog

I love how Georgia documents all parts of her life, from new house keys, moving cities for university, her pets and her travels. Her posts are often pretty minimalist, with close ups of coffee cups, travel cards and books. That said, I like that she captures things from an unusual perspective; it's nice to see how other people see things. Her views of exterior architecture are both interesting and photographically beautiful, regardless of their unconventional framing techniques. Her captions to the images are always both sensitive and direct to the point, which sometimes are more interesting than the images themselves and the reason why I followed her this month.

 

shotfromthestreet

I recently followed Lizzy, and I don't regret it at all, I liked how she showcases both herself and her taste in fashion using the city as a canvas. However what I really liked is that the captions to her images, she talks about life, for example what books she's reading, her life and her travels, not only fashion. Her personal style is fairly androgynous but somehow classics and co-ordinates well with her 'Instagram theme'. Usually I'm not a fan of accounts with all images of the self but she's definitely made an exception to the rule.

Tall Ships Festival @ Sail Royal Greenwich

 

Last Sunday my two nephews, mama and I went on along the River Thames on a boat, as part of a 'river cruise', complete with real sailors directing the ship along the course of the river. Starting from Woolwich Arsenal Pier and moving along towards the Royal Greenwich Heritage Centre, it was a really incredible way to see the sights of my hometown. My nephews, aged 12 and 14 were enjoying themselves, eating from canapés and drinking cokes frim glass bottles whilst looking out over the river. It was a rather nostalgic experience in some ways; my puppy Star, who died two years ago loved watching the ships sail along the river during the festival and so it was a reminder of her, in a way. As well as that, as we passed Silvertown docks we talked about my grandfather who worked there and how one of my nephews was named after him as he died when I was young.

In all honesty the river is a fantastic way to see all areas of the city; from Poplar Rowing Club, Silvertown Docks, the Emirates Cable Car and the o2 arena, there are so many different things to see. One thing that I noticed is how the old and new architecture mixes in together, from Stuart Palaces, 1900s factories and docks to millenium aged flats and oddly-shaped houses. It was a really nice experience to see the city from a traditional boat rather than ferry as it was slower and so you had more time to take the views in fully. My nephews seemed to really enjoy themselves, one was a bit hyperactive and desperate to see and do everything all at once, and the other was quite solemn, staring intently at different things and really concentrating. During the tip I also found out that the youngest one is very keen on photography and we definitely bonded over that. These river cruises are only available for a short time and if you can go, you should. Mama and I agreed afterward that we wished we had booked one of the fireworks evening cruises, but with kids the daytime version was probably the safest.

Favourite Albums of All Time

 

1. Hot Fuss - The Killers

2. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - Panic! At The Disco

3. Lungs - Florence + the Machine

4. Eyes Open - Snow Patrol

5. American Idiot - Green Day

6. Hopes and Fears - Keane

7. To Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die - Panic At The Disco

8. Alas, I Cannot Swim - Laura Marling

9. The Family Jewels - Marina and The Diamonds

10. Last Night On Earth - Noah and The Whale

11. Employment - Kaiser Chiefs

12. Death Of A Bachelor - Panic At The Disco 

13. MTC Unplugged In New York - Nirvana

14. First Love - Emmy the Great

15. Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

16. Riot! - Paramore

17. Under The Iron Sea - Keane

18. Black Holes and Revelations - Muse

19. Birdy - Birdy

20. Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? - Paloma Faith

I've avidly listened to music since I received my first ever iPod for my thirteenth birthday, a black 2gb 1st generation iPod nano. Eventually it as replaced as it was one of the models with some battery exploding problem. Shame, because I loved it to pieces. Prior to having an iPod th was always music playing in my house, so I grew up listening to Queen from my nana, the Spice Girls from my cousin, Blur and Radiohead from my mama and Placebo from my aunt. Judging by those slightly random and completely different tastes, it's hardly a surprise that my music taste is so extensive.

I literally listen to so many different genres and artists, for example Little Mix, Avenged Sevenfold and Marika Hackman. The music that I listen to definitely reflects the mood that I'm in at that time. Many of the albums listed above are old favourites that I still listen to on a regular basis and I will always love. I think that you always know when you really love an album as you can listen to it from start to finish without any breaks. If I hear any songs from any of these albums I always know all of the words, even if I haven't heard them for a while.

For me personally, each of these albums reminds me of a period of time during my life and when I hear the songs from it, its almost as if I'm going back in time to those memories whether they're good or bad. What are your favourite songs or albums? Let me know in the comments :)

September Playlist!

 

1. Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes

2. Real Love - Florrie

3. Faded - Alan Walker

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer - Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

5. Budapest - George Ezra

6. Still Falling For You - Ellie Goulding

7. Too Young To Remember - Florrie

8. Cannibal - Marika Hackman

9. Stitches - Shawn Mendes

10. Jar Of Hearts - Christina Perri

This month I've been enjoying a lot of acoustics and slow melodies... I saw Marika Hackman as a support act for Laura Marling and I've loved her musical style ever since. The iPod pictured is an old iPod mini which I absolutely loved, except the battery was so bad (actually it properly died... Stupid battery). I love Ellie Goulding's ethereal voice; it's really relaxing to listen to these kinds of songs when you're on a bus or train or on the way home after a hard day at work.

Education; a blessing and a curse.

 

I would say that I received a reasonably good education, even if I went to one of the worst secondary schools in my local area. Let's be completely honest, most inner London schools at any level are not exactly seen as fantastic; many people would argue that unless you pay a significant amount of money you don't get a good education. From the age of 5-8 I went to a Church of England Primary School and hated the majority of my time there, mostly because I was bullied for most of the years spent there. Aged 8-11 I went to a school in the neighbouring borough and statistically it was the best school in the surrounding area. I was probably my happiest at school during this time, for no particular reason. I excelled and genuinely enjoyed learning at this point, possibly because I felt settled and had a good group of friends.

At 11 years old, I went back in the Church of England School system and although the school went from being statistically excellent to inadequate I did enjoy my time there. During this time I definitely found myself and my interest in art... In fact I never really did anything but art whilst I was there but it was actually comforting to be encouraged to do well at something I loved. The school itself was very regimented, even to the point the amount of stripes on your tie were counted as you entered the school gates and naturally I rebelled.

Unfortunately I'm one of those people who doesn't enjoy being told what to do, what to dress or how to behave and obviously at a strict school that doesn't go down well and I struggled to fit in with the expectations given to me through the 5 years I spent in secondary education. It was during my secondary years that I realised that I have more mental health problems than the average person but somehow I managed to pass all subjects, with my highest grade being A and lowest being a D. I had the potential to do better but lacked the necessary self control to do better. Basically, I focussed on subjects that I wanted to do well in and had planned to later study at A-level.

Moving on to sixth form, I would say these years were the worst two years of my life. I enjoyed my studies, actually. I studied English Literature, Art and Photography but ultimately I really struggled to fit in, having not attended the school before, everyone already had friends and no interest in including me in anything. Sounds strange but it ruined my confidence and definitely had a negative affect on my mental health and in all honesty I was just desperate for those two years to be over to move on and go to university. Since the age of around 14 I had been interested in perusing a career in teaching and so going to university was the obvious next step, and I somehow managed to pass my A-Levels with reasonably good grades and gain a place at university.

In all honesty I wasn't exactly overjoyed with the university I went to; it wasn't a university I applied to thinking 'I would love to go here', but out of 5 choices I was accepted into 2 and so I made the decision to choose whichever I preferred of the two. Looking back I actually regret not taking a gap year and re-applying to university, but at the time I was thinking, well next year the fees are increasing and I was determined to graduate with the least amount of debt that I could, to the point that I refused to consider to apply to universities outside of London, or even move out of my family home during university. As I chose to study Art, I had to first complete a foundation year and this was a year that I really enjoyed. I love being about to learn about all kinds of art and exploring what form of art suited me and what I wanted to persue. I passed my foundation with a B and I was actually so happy when I saw I got 100% in a photography module. During this year my mental health was at its most controlled and a that definitely shows through my results and how much I learned during that year.

After that I decided to study BA (Hons) Fine Art and I chose not to change universities because of financial reasons and having such a amazing time during the foundation year that I was genuinely excited for what laid ahead. During my first year at university, I really enjoyed the work and found that drawing and photography were my main interests. It was more difficult than most people would assume, as everyone that I knew outside of art college always had an assumption that art is easy, when actually I always had a literal mountain of work to complete, alongside essays. I passed the year with good grades and was looking forward to starting second year, having enjoyed the first.

Second year was where it all went a bit downhill; I struggled with my mental health again after the realisation that this course wasn't really what I had hoped. After discovering my love for drawing in first year, I then found out that drawing was not an option in second year and I chose to dabble in sculpture... However the kinds of sculptures that I created were not exactly typical sculptures and i had to argue my way a lot, which was a nightmare. I also began having panic attacks and struggled to speak out loud or voice my opinions. I debated dropping out many times, but I suppose what kept me going was not only the fear of 'failure', but also a hope that if I made it to the final year, that it was be better towards the end.

In all honesty, third year was strangely bittersweet. On the one hand, I realised that I absolutely detested the practical work. On the other hand, I realised that my dissertation was the most interesting part of the university experience for me and I'm still proud that I managed not to drop out and finish the whole four years, somehow. Throughout my education I was never top at anything, always slightly more remarkable than average but I never really achieved anything of importance. Now that I've finished education (unless my crazy self does eventually follow through with a masters) I can that my fear of failure still exists, albeit in a different context, but I'm not longer afraid of being average. In fact I've learnt that I have to accept it. It didn't matter how much or little was paid for my education, my grades wouldn't have been better or worse as it is dependant on me and not a financial situation.

Monthly Reflections

 

As the months begin to change from summer into autumn, I start to think that almost another year is gone and I still don't feel like anything much has been achieved. Looking back, this year on paper doesn't look like I've achieved much at all in comparison to last year. This time last year, I got promoted at work and graduated (albeit not with a grade that I was happy with) from university. This year I've achieved... Well, I'm in the same job and literally so poor that it hurts to look at my bank account, but then money isn't the most important thing in life.

I'm actually far more happy now than I thought I ever would be. I really disliked university with a passion, although I don't regret going, I wish I'd changed courses or universities, but what's done is done and I survived, which is actually an important point and one that I need to remember. I'm in a relationship with the most supportive person, who listens and never judges and I'm so grateful for that, because when you have mental health issues it's really important to be able to talk to someone about everything and let out any negative thoughts as well as any positive thoughts.

As I get older, I'm definitely more aware of the importance of having a good group of friends and also the importance of maintaining friendships. I always used to think that the more friends you had made you happier, but now I would rather settle for less friends that mean more to me. It's bizarre how much you learn as you grow. One of the most important things that I've learnt this year is that the journey to happiness is never easy; sometimes you have to feel like utter shit to realise what makes you happy. Keeping up relationships with friends and family is definitely key to having a more positive outlook towards life, and as the month draws nearer to a close I'm beginning to find happiness is more within my reach this month than it was last month. Small steps make a massive difference and I need to keep reminding myself that everyone in this world fights their own personal demons everyday; I am not alone.

Finding Tranquility

 

One the things that I truly love to do is go for a walk along the riverside. Part of me wishes that I lived by the sea, as there is something so calming about hearing the waves crashing along the seafront and feeling sand pressed underneath your feet. However, back to reality; I live within 5 minutes of a river, so it's the closest to the sea I will get whilst living in London!

I enjoy walking my puppy along the river, hearing the water crash and fall against the barriers and watch her tony self love life, running along and investigating anything she sees. I also like to walk alone sometimes as well, stumbling alone and reassessing my life. I always worry that I forget to think about myself, or take the time to simply evaluate what's going on in my life. I guess we all have a tendency to forgot about ourselves and concentrate on other people. I've realised that I'm constantly tired and so I need to make an effort to take some time out for myself, and spend more time with friends. Walking along the river puts me in an incredibly positive mood and makes me have more energy.

The definition of tranquility is the quality or state of being calm, and is synonymous with other word such as peaceful, restful and serenity. Walking around and seeing a mix of natural and man made sights is relaxing and definitely brings me to the tranquil state I crave. Sometimes I find that putting in headphones and listening to gentle music helps me to relax more and feel more at peace with myself, especially if I have a lot of decisions to make as decisions are never easy. Sorry for a slightly random post; I suppose what I was trying to say was always ensure you give some love to yourself in order to find some happiness as the journey to happiness is almost always a complicated one. Until next time :)

My travel bucket list

 

Rome, Italy

I've always dreamt of visiting Italy, ever since studying the Romans at primary school, strange as that sounds. I'm in love with the architecture of Rome and the deep history, I really enjoy visiting museums and galleries, as well the opportunity to learn more about a place and Rome has such a rich history I know that I could do all of those things with ease. One obvious sight to see is the Colosseum, as well as others such as the Vatican, Trevi Fountain and the Sistine Chapel. I studied art at university and Rome has so many pieces of art I would literally be spoils for choice of what to see, and obviously the food and drink would be incredible, Italian ice cream anyone?

Tromsø, Norway

The reason I want to visit Norway is primarily to see the natural phenomenon that is the Northern Lights, but I'm also interested in the Polar Park, Lutheran Cathedral and the Cable Car which runs through a mountain range. There's also many museums and art galleries to see but ultimately the main pull of Tromsø its the breathtaking views you see throughout the city; it's rare to see such natural sights such as the sea, mountains and the night sky all at the same time and truly appreciate it.

Sydney, Australia

It's going to sound a bit strange, but in short; during primary school my best friend emigrated to Australia with her family. Like many childhood friendships, it fizzled out but we still have each other on Facebook and wish each other happy birthday every year. But ever since then, I've always had a wish to travel to Australia. From a tourist point of view, I really want to see Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, The Royal Botanic Garden, The Rocks and Taronga Zoo.

Budapest, Hungary

I've always wanted to explore more in Europe, particularly as I've always been interested in architecture. Budapest is home to some really spectacular pieces of architecture, especially in gothically styled churches. There are so many beautiful buildings to visit, such as Buda Castle, Chain Bridge, Hősök tere, Fisherman's Bastion, St. Stephen's Basillica and the Hungarian Parliament Building. It's one of the largest cities in Europe and a has some strange but interesting things to do, for example the Budapest Pinball Museum and I would be tempted to indulge in a buffet-style night time river cruise.

San Francisco, USA

The Golden Gate Bridge is probably the most well known architectural reason to visit San Francisco, but there are also many other highlights, includin Land's End, San Francisco Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts and Alcatraz Island. Aside from that, it's also a massively populated and busy city as the main commercial and financial centre of Northern California; therefore skyscrapers are everywhere and make for a beautiful viewing, particularly at sunset.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Ever since reading 'The Fault in our Stars' by John Green I've always had a passion to see the city of Amsterdam (and yes, I am aware that it is a fictional book!) the main reason the being the huge artistic culture of the city. There are so many things to see, some sad and some really enjoyable. These include The Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Oude Kerk, Heineken Experience and the Joods Historisch Museum. I have to admit I'm not fan of cycling though, but I'm sure walking would do just fine :)

Stockholm, Sweden

Sat next to the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is the capital but I mainly want to visit and see the areas that I've read about so much in the 'Millenium Trilogy' by Steig Larsson, strange as that may sound. I particularly want to see the medieval town of Gamla Stan, as well as other sights and attractions such as The Vasa Museum, Djurgården, Drottningholm Palace, Fotografiska, Nobel Museum, Livrustkammaren, Nordic Museum and Långholmen. Plus there are so many little hidden cafes and bookshops to explore.

Prague, Czech Republic

By far the ultimate destination for architectural beauty, Prague is made up of gothic churches and medieval buildings. Some of the main tourist attractions are the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Astronomical Clock, the Old Town Square, Museum of Decorative Arts and Prague Castle. Another reason to visit Prague is my childhood love of Ballet; Prague is famously home to the First International Ballet School and there are many performances to be seen at the National Theatre.

Barcelona, Spain

Atoni Gaudi's architectural creations are famous throughout the world and the Sagrada Família is definitely an excuse to visit Barcelona alone; however there are so many sights and attractions to see its almost impossible to decide where to go and what to see. There is the Gothic Quarter, Casa Milà, Park Güell, The Picasso Museum, MACBA Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum, Barcelona Cathedral and Santa Maria del Mar. Not forgetting the beaches and natural sights as well.

Geneva, Switzerland

I can't even fully explain why Geneva is on my wish list; but there are some really beautiful places to visit, such as the St. Pierre Cathedral, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, the Natural History Museum of Geneva, Jet d'Eau, Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain and a Grand Théâtre de Genève. It seems like the kind of place which would be perfect to wind down and generally relax in. 

A month in Instagram - July

As I've said before, I'm just a little bit addicted to Instagram... I studied Fine Art at university so I've always been more of a visual person anyway, but I like how you can just see something and not need to read a caption, or even include a caption in a post. July was actually a really good month for me, I saw my godson who doesn't live nearby (I cherish every minute that I spend with that little man), received a ridiculous amount of flowers from my boyfriend and went on several bus journeys at various times of the day.

I also realised that I hate using my iPhone for music so rediscovered an old iPod video, which has the best sound quality... Sometimes older is better, a little nostalgia never hurt anyone :) I spent my bus journeys listening to so many different genres and enjoying dabbling in old favourites like Muse, My Chemical Romance and Panic! at The Disco feeling 14 years old again. I like going for walks near where I live and took some photographs of the views in different lights and shared my favourites (there's secretly still an art student inside me, haha) and took a couple of selfies, one with makeup and one without. I'm learning to be ok with how I look and not wear so much makeup that it's a mask which has actually helped my skin a lot, it's a lot less blotchy than before.

I also shared some photos of friends, of my boyfriend and my Izabela, so is sadly leaving work but I'm sure we will keep in touch ❤️ it's strange how the people that you work with become so close to you, like family almost. So that was my July in a series of very random snapshots, but good memories all the same :)

Re-evaluating life

 

Every so often it's good to take time out to just sit and think about yourself, if that involves your life, your job or your health... Whatever you need to evaluate will be important to you and only you, but will also affect you in a big way. Ultimately, everyone's aim in life is to be truly happy; however it can be a struggle to define what actually makes us happy as people. Happiness is definitely something that only the indivudual can decide on, for example my idea of happiness may not be for you.

I'm trying out a new idea which is every month, to sit down and take the time to slow down and think more often. Even if thinking sometimes feels stressful, I've learnt that ignoring a problem isn't a solution and that sometimes you have to face your fears and take action. The hardest part of this process is not even the decision making for me, it's the taking action that is hard. Ultimately the most important thing to do is give yourself time only for yourself and simply unwind and do as little as humanely possible.

The only person who has the power to change your life you, and if something is making you unhappy then the solution is to change it. I know as much as anyone that is easier said than done, but as life disappears in a flash as it is, then why spend it unhappy? If you focus on the positives and plough through the negatives to create more positives then fingers crossed the journey to happiness will be complete.

Recently I've been evaluating and re-evaluating my life across many aspects; its almost theraputic, even if it's not the most pleasant of processes however necessary it is. I've realised that the quest for perfection is high, and that I definitely have a tendency to overthink many things but everyday is a learning curve and tackling problems rather than avoiding them is a step in the right direction. I'm learning to be grateful for what I have in life. :)

New Beginnings! ● 2016

 

Hi everyone, its literally been over a year since my last post [THAT IS DISGRACEFUL!] so this post is like a 'new beginning', so to speak. Plus, it makes for a great title, haha. Looking back on my past posts, I've always been fairly on/off with blogging, but this time I feel like I'm going to but more effort in to post at least once a week...

Since my last post was all about seeing in the new year and what I planned for the year, it makes sense to update on the current state of the mess that is my life; I only achieved one of the goals, which was that I graduated with honours in Fine Art last year. However, since graduating I've realised just how much I really miss being creative, so I'm hoping that blogging will fill that void.

See you soon! :)

Oh Hello 2015!

Hi everyone!

Sorry for being terrible as usual and forgetting to update my blog; obviously since I last updated it the new year arrived and with that I didn't make resolutions as such, more a list of important aspects that will be affecting my life during this year as so this post to simply to remind myself of these things. I don't intend to beat myself up if I don't stick to all of them, or if I struggle with them. Sometimes its important to recognise the challenges.

Graduate - 2015 is the year I'm going to graduate from University! After four years, its both a relief and a worry about what I'll be doing afterward; as my attempts haven't ben fantastic recently, but I keep reminding myself that I still have time and need to finish my degree first, so with that, fingers crossed the end that is in sight will soon be a reality!

Blog - Put more of an effort into blogging, as when I make the effort to write and post I genuinely really enjoy it, so it seems silly not indulge in this enjoyment more often, and I would also like to meet other bloggers and generally artistic people as that would probably increase my passion for it and coax me into doing it some more.!

Friends - I'd also ideally like to see far more of closest friends which has become increasingly difficult as we get older due to stupid things like jobs and some even moved out of London so opportunities are few and far between. However I feel like I need to try a bit harder to see them more regardless as I do enjoy seeing them when I see them.

Holidays/Time Off - I rarely on on a holiday and rarely have time off, so I intend this year to be the year that I go away somewhere nice, even if its in the UK, just somewhere that isn't camping and allows me to relax as I think there is a lot to said about relaxation and refreshing energy and its something that I don't indulge in enough.

Health - Whilst keeping an eye on my mental health and limiting my anxiety levels to a minimum, I also plan to be better to my body, as working for McDonald's for 3 years has definitely had a negative impact on my physical health, I want to be more careful about what I eat and cut down on the fizzy drinks which can only be a good thing as I feel very sluggish a lot of the time.

Work - I want to start off the year by successfully passing the Manager's exam, as well as try and take baby steps into finding a career for myself, as I think that after university that will be the most important thing to start hunting down after graduation; realising what I want to get from my studies and hopefully using my studies further. Possibly re-applying to teacher training too!

See you soon,

Rach xxx

Getting back into Photography!

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the lack of blogging, I've had a rough couple of months with a few health problems too. However, now that I've finished university for the summer, I'm planning to get more into the swing of blogging and also take better photographs for this blog. (Making better use of my Art degree and my DSLR!) I've had an absolutely TERRIBLE weekend, definitely one of the worst in a very long time due to a variety of things beyond my control.

So, I decided to have a bit of fun with my camera and get back into photography and blogging for enjoyment rather than to simply pass my degree. Today's blogpost is inspired by my family garden along with two of my seven pets; the tortoiseshell cat, Willow (named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer's sidekick) is 10 years old and the Jug (Jack Russell x Pug hybrid) puppy is named Star and is the baby of the family aged just 1!

When I feel down, I'm trying to stay positive by going for a walk, or at least into fresh air alongside a spot of retail therapy… Obviously! So I'm working really hard to stay positive and literally cannot be so excited that this year at university is over, bring on final year! On a much happier note, I'm going to really work at improving my blog in every way and fingers crossed that by the end of the summer it'll be just like what I envisioned it would be when I made my new years resolutions all those months ago. See you soon, Rach x x x

January Sales Haul

Hello again everyone! Apologies for ALREADY breaking some of my New Years Resolutions… However is it just me or does New Year seem like it has really flown past? I can't believe that it's almost the middle of January, craziness! The above photos were taken in bad light so I used flash; sorry for the bad lighting, I guess this whole blogging lark comes with practice!

Above are the range of purchases that I have made during the sales [so far!] as you can probably tell, I bought a range of things and I'm looking forward to hunting down more bargains as the month continues. At the moment I'm really into accessories and classic clothing. I have a tendency to stick to greys, navys, browns and blacks during the winter and so I wanted to break that up a little with a vibrant yet winter ready scarf that would fully protect my poor, battered throat that is truly suffering at the moment, boo.

Whenever I head around Westfield Stratford City I cannot resist spending money… There's SO many shops that I love and in the January sales it's practically irresistible, which is always a deadly combination. That said, I do love a bargain so this is the perfect time to go shopping, even though it makes me completely skint, oops. I was in desperate need of a new purse and I love Cath Kidston so this one was a match made in heaven, along with Accessorize and Paperchase. I have a feeling more hauls will be showcased this month, but as I'm technically saving money I refuse to feel guilty!

What bargains have you all found this month? Rach x x x

[Scarf - Accessorize £20 Purse - Cath Kidston Sale £20 Notebook - Paperchase £3 Stickers - Paperchase 50p each Postcards -Paperchase 60p each]

21 things to do before you're 21!

As I'm turning 21 in April, a bucket list of 21 things to do before you're 21 seemed appropriate; after all, 21 is the year that you're officially an adult worldwide - which is a little scary! [DISCLAIMER: Words are my own, the images are from various sites found on Google image search.]

1- Have a consistent hobby. Whether it is sewing, knitting, reading, ballet or karate [etc.] Over the years I've done a range of things; played the flute, photography, ballet, cheerleading.. You name it, I've at least tried it. If I didn't like it, there was always something else to do. The point is, if you don't try at least one thing, you won't ever know if its your passion [or not!]

2- Go to a music festival; have fun, laugh and meet people that you'll never see again. It's almost enjoyable knowing you look a state, completely at ease and enjoying every minute, even if it means roughing it. There are so many festivals, you're spoilt for choice, and eventually you find one that really works for you. Plus, if you go in a big group its like having a long weekend away with mates, which is always a bonus.

3- Get a job. Even if it's lowly paid, hard work and really stressful, you'll learn skills and earn your own money. Giving you a feel for independence, the chance to do everything for yourself and learn the value of money at the same time. Especially if you go to university, as if you've never had a part-time job, how can you expect to obtain a full-time job with no on the job skills? So many life lessons to be learned through having an awful job.

4- Embrace being a geek! Whether that means being good at maths or another academically based subject, or a bookworm [etc]. I was always obsessed with the Harry Potter series, so much so that the films irritate me with their inconsistencies in comparison with the novels. It also brings back a little nostalgia, remembering school and how much you hated or loved it.

5- Buy a lottery ticket. Even if its only once, you'll remember the first time you bought a ticket, whether you won or lost, particularly as its acceptable gambling, as it not too easy to get addicted to. As it's such a huge, unrealistic goal it's fun imagine and dream about what you could buy with 'your money' whilst knowing that it'll likely never happen!

6- Travel, even its if just out of the place you grew up; for example I went to the Isle of Wight, to Farnham in Surrey from London. The experience of travelling alone or at least without your parents is something that stays with you for a long time; the enjoyment of knowing you have achieved full independence. Obviously, some people go abroad, go with a huge group of people but you need money and probably a lot of willpower to save for that long!

7- Become a Vegetarian or Vegan, even if it's not for very long. Its a great way to start a health kick, to detox the body and generally feel happy and healthy. It changes the way you think about food. It makes you try different foods and tests your willpower, as it takes more effort than you think it does, especially if you've been a meat eater for a long time.

8- Keep a diary. Don't necessarily write everyday, even if its once a week or month, you can read it later and remember what happened and maybe even laugh about the silly things you said and did. For what seems like the world is going to end right now, in a year or so's time will seem hilarious. It also means you'll never forgot the random, immemorable moments of that year that probably aren't even that important.

9- Experiment with your hair. Dye it, cut it, get a fringe, grow out a fringe. Even if you end up hating it, you can say that you did it, and hair always grows back, so it doesn't have to a permanent change. It could even be just a crazy, outlandish hairdo if you're not brave enough for any of the other ideas. You can look back on photographs and either laugh or cringe.

10- Make a bucket list. Write down all of your dreams and aspirations and watch as they grow or shorten as you cross them off as they slowly become more and more achievable. You'll be surprised how many of the everyday ideas take longer than some of the wackier ideas. There's always a 'Get Married' on any females list as well. Amuse yourself and your friends by coming up with ideas together, I bet they'll be more similar than you think!

11- Create a savings account. As boring as it is, it's a good way to learn the value of money. Whether it's for new clothes, or a holiday, its good practice for when you get older and need to save for things like house deposits and that kind of thing. Also, as the amount grows it'll give you something to fall back on when that month comes when you suddenly don't have masses of cash.

12- Buy alcohol. Just because you can. If you get asked for ID, feel flattered, as if you look young now, you'll feel great about that when you still look young when you're older, which is always going to be a bonus. Just make sure you're responsible. But don't forget to enjoy yourself. This is a huge part of the process of growing up.

13- Look back on your teenage years; how you lived, laughed and loved. How many things went wrong and how so many went right. Leaving school and college, starting university or an apprenticeship or getting a job. All milestones in their own right. Remembering bad hair days, bad days in general, such random silly forgettable things that shape who you are.

14- Be a Volunteer; whether it's for experience, or to give something back; perhaps a bit of both? It'll give you skills and confidence that you never even imagined. Meeting new friends and becoming a 'you' that you never even realised existed. All very exciting! Plus, it's almost a sense of looming adulthood; again.

15- Have a movie marathon; whether it's a Harry Potter marathon, or a Lord of the Rings one, even a disney one; it's one of those things that everyone should experience, eating lots, drinking lots and just spending time with friends at sleepovers [or like such things] and enjoying whatever is on the screen… See how long you can last!

16- Wear a ridiculous outfit, whenever and wherever just because you can. Revel in being different and your own person for a change. [Or someone you're not and just want to experiment; that's part of the fun] It's good to experiment and play with your image - you never know what may suit you or become of it, and to just generally dress up and laugh and yourself and others for a day [or more!]

17- Do something nice and unexpected for a friend. It could be as simple as treating them to Starbucks or Nando's, or something bigger like organising a holiday. The main idea is to just be selfless; to want to do it simply for company, and not for your own gain other than the company. Everyone has had that friend in need of a massive cheer up, so be the good friend and do the cheering up. They'll appreciate it just as much as you will in your own time of need.

18- Refresh your list of goals. This is a therapeutic process, changing and expanding your future goals as you as a person have developed also. It sounds simple, but its actually difficult to let go or change something that has been your dream for so long, but at the same time it's important to move on and focus on the present - which means focussing on you and what can improve the future you.

19- Dare to bare. Not in the sense of going naked constantly, more in that don't be ashamed or worried to take a risk in what you wear, whatever your size or shape. Learn to love your own shape. It's more about the confidence with which you wear it then what you wear, and that's what is important. Not being slim or curvy.

20- Find yourself. Be who you want to be, however successful you want to be. It's about working for what you want; you don't just get what you want, as nice as that would be. Part of growing older is realising that you have to work hard to play hard.

21- Buy that one thing you've always wanted. This one is self explanatory. :)