Exploring London // Regents Canal

Hello again guys; this post is a little more out of the ordinary for me and I’m hoping to start posting more photographs of the world around me as the weather improves (I literally cannot wait for Spring!) and I love the light of the sky as the seasons begin to change. I had to travel to the Regents Canal // King’s Cross area of London recently for a course after several years of just travelling through the area and never exploring. Even in the midst of the winter months, the view of the canal and beyond is lovely; I know not everyone likes an urban view, but personally I like the mix of the man made and the natural world. Since I was a child I’ve loved looking at buildings old and new alongside rivers and fields, although that’s probably because I’ve grown up as a city girl. The day that I visited this part of London it was pretty grey and dreary; typical of London actually. Using the app A Color Story, I then picked the filter May from the Seasons pack that was made by the blogger Rebecca from aclotheshorse which made a beautiful pink sheen across the skyline in each image and generally lifted each photograph with minimal effort from me. I would love to revisit this area in the middle of summer, all green areas and blue skies (hopefully). Sometimes it’s nice to simply walk around and enjoy the air rounding areas. What parts of London do you like to visit? Let me know in the comments :)

The Christmas Tag // 2017 Edition!

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

No, England (more specifically London) isn’t really a country (city) that really gets much snow, although at the minute it definitely feels cold enough for some snow... But next year I’m likely to be spending Christmas in Poland so I’m sure that I’ll be seeing a white Christmas, which is exciting as seeing a white Christmas is a bit of a dream for most people!

Where do you usually spend your holiday?

Always at home with my family and for the past couple of years, my boyfriend. I like a quiet, chilled Christmas with good food and hours spent watching the Christmas themed tv shows and films just because it’s always nice to get in the spirit of things and basically relax. A lie in is always key to having a good Christmas too, alongside all of the good foodie stuff like Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets!

What is your favourite Christmas song?

This is actually really difficult! I like so many Christmas songs although I do love the ‘Power of Love’; both versions, but I do prefer the Gabrielle Aplin version that was used in the John Lewis advert a few years back. I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘The Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl too as it’s my Nana’s lifelong favourite so it’s a Christmas staple in my household - I’ve lost count of how many she’s played it in the house already this month, haha.

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

No, I never have, although that is likely to change if I do celebrate Christmas in Poland next year as they celebrate present giving on Christmas Eve. But in the UK (e.g. Christmas with my family) we always celebrate on Christmas Day and spend Christmas Eve preparing for the next day. I think generally it depends on what traditions you and your family uphold.

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Erm, no... I get stuck after Rudolph, Dancer, Prancer. Oops.

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

I’m so ready to open a box of Celebrations after Christmas Dinner and pudding... We always sit and watch crappy tv whilst eating chocolate and other naughty but nice food bits whilst relaxing and just enjoying having a day spent being happy and together as everyone in my house works different jobs and shifts so it’s a rare occasion to all be together. 

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Always fake, personally I find it easier to just whip it up and decorate every year, although real trees are beautiful and the smell of a real tree is gorgeous, let’s be honest I’m a lazy Christmas decorator and so fake is easier and cleaner haha.

What is your all time favourite holiday treat/food/sweet?

I’m a sucker for a pig in a blanket, although Lindt reindeer’s are definitely another item high up on my list of must haves for a good old Christmas Day dinner and treat. This tag is really getting me ready for Christmas dinner...

Be honest, do you like giving or receiving gifts better?

If I’m honest, I’m a bit of both person. I like seeing what my family and friends buy me as it’s nice to see how well that they know me, but I also like the process of picking out presents for those that I love. This year I’m being a bit more creative in terms of giving and I’ve had a wardrobe clear out with the intention of donating to my local charity shop, as well as donating some food to the local food bank. At the end of the day, I don’t care how many presents I get, I love spending the time relaxing with those I love.

What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

I’m a walking cliché but every year I get something Harry Potter related, for example the illustrated versions of the original series and I always love whatever book I receive each year. It sounds strange, but getting Harry Potter books as a gift was a massive part of my childhood and so I like that those gifts have carried on into adulthood.

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

Realistically, I’m really looking forward to going to Poland for Christmas next year; my boyfriend is Polish and I’ve fallen in love with the country more each time that I visited (even if learning the language is a nightmare for me) but in all honesty, I’d love to go to Iceland and see a proper wintery, snowy Christmas with the Northern Lights in the background. That is the dream.

Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

Hah, definitely a failure of a present wrapper... I absolute hate wrapping anything as it is, but Christmas is the worst as there’s so many gifts to wrap as in my household we wrap everyone’s presents for everyone altogether, it’s literally the most stressful part of the season for me. Luckily my mum is a pro!

Most memorable Christmas moment?

Last year was the first Christmas as a couple for my boyfriend and I, as well as the first time he had spent Christmas with me and family and I loved seeing his confused face at receiving so many presents from various members of my family. Neither of us expected it, but it was nice to realise that he was being properly included even if my Nana made millions of jokes about him being spoilt because he’s was a guest and not family... Generally Christmas Day for my family is really quiet so we don’t have any wacky moments as such.

What makes the holidays special for you?

I love being able to chill out, eat as much as I want with the excuse that I’ll start a diet in January (which never works haha) and just spending time with family and not stressing about work or anything. It’s great to just enjoy life and relax knowing that you’ve got a bit of time to yourself at home, all comfy and cozy in a crazy Christmas jumper and pajamas. I feel like it’s the only time of year that people noticeably care for one another, friends, family or strangers; a lot more love is shown at Christmas in terms of giving and I like that.

Happy Things #25 // Life Update

 

Every Monday, I try to start the week off by listing five things (however small) that are positive and will make my mental health keep upwards, rather than downwards. For literally 24 weeks, I've done a post like this every single week and on the whole, it has really kept my mind in perspective. The issue with having mental health issues is that you're constantly in recovery, there's no magic wand that means that everything is forgotten and you'll never have to worry again; I've definitely learnt that the hard way.

For the past couple of weeks I've definitely been struggling more than I have for a while. I'm telling myself that this is ok, that I can work my way back up. I want to discover my life more, I want to keep on my happy plane and focus on myself, what I want to achieve, but ultimately it's hard to be positive all of the time. I need to motivate myself to keep getting better. I need to remember that finding five happy things every Monday keeps me sane and ready to fight the world.

- - - - -

1. This week I have a lovely weekend planned, as well as the Saturday and the Sunday off from work. I'm going to spend time with Piotr and enjoy the long summer days, maybe sit in a pub garden, eat good food and enjoy simply watching time pass with my favourite person.

2. Blogging has become a part of my life in so many ways now, I have so many post ideas and things that I want to achieve. So far, June has been my most successful month in terms of blogging; views, engaging with other bloggers and my content.

3. Piotr bought me these roses the other day and I love watching them bloom. He buys me flowers often, but each time I always feel so happy whenever I see them in their vase around the house. There's something beautiful about receiving flowers as a gift and I'm lucky to have a boyfriend who knows how much I love them and spoils me with various bouquets.

4. This time last year was probably my lowest in terms of mental health and I can't quite believe how far I've come; I'm so excited to see how well I'll be this time next year. By taking on the world a week at a time, I've found a way of keeping in control of my health and finding myself again. I need to remind myself of how strong I can be.

5. June is actually one of my favourite months of the year now, thanks to Piotr changing my outlook on life; I hadn't realised how quickly this month and actually this year is disappearing right under my nose. I'm learning to embrace change, to embrace time passing and most of all, embrace life.

 

 

TMI Tag

 

Hello again! I found this tag through the lovely Beth from LifeWithB as she also posted this on her blog; I'm not a confident enough person for making YouTube videos, blogging is much more within my comfort zone as I love writing and photography. I do quite enjoy doing tag posts as they're basically a form of Q&A without the stress of asking for questions on social media (and not getting any as I'm such a small blogger) and I do like being open with whoever does bother to read my posts - if you do, I appreciate it so much as I often feel like I'm typing to myself, eek! Enough of rambling, here's the tag!

What are you wearing?

I've literally come home from work and changed into comfy clothes, so I'm wearing a Gryffindor t-shirt from Primark, a pair of checked berry red pajama trousers also from Primark and my slipper which were a gift from my trip to Poland from my mother in law.

Ever been in love?

Yes, I have. I'm such a hopeless romantic that for a long time I misunderstood the concept of love, whereas now I'm really at peace with not only myself, but to the point where I'm able to love and be loved. #cringe haha!

Ever had a terrible breakup?

Yes, I've experienced an extremely traumatic break up, it's something that I'm not fully happy about addressing if I'm completely honest, even though I'm much, much happier without that person in my life.

How tall are you?

I'm super short, literally just 5ft tall!

How much do you weigh?

I've been told that I weigh far too much for my tiny height, in fact my GP is certain that I have super heavy bones as my height, weight and dress size don't correspond. I'll admit that I'd like to be thinner, but it doesn't control my thoughts like it did when I was teenager.

Any tattoos?

Yes, I have a dog paw on my right forearm with a red heart in the centre. It's my only one, but I'm debating whether or not to get another.

Any piercings?

I have a lot of piercings! 3 lobe piercings, a rook, tragus and an auricle piercing on my right ear; 4 lobe piercings and a conch on my left, my left nipple pierced and my belly button. I would say piercings are very addictive.

OTP?

I actually had to google this as I had no clue what it meant... Apparently it means 'One True Pairing', which to be honest still doesn't make sense to me, but I'm going to say my boyfriend as he's very close to perfect for me. 

Favorite Show?

I actually don't watch television that much (not like I used to) but my absolute favourite show growing up was Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which is pretty fitting as it's having a moment right now as it's been 20 years! That said, another classic for me is Friends so I'm definitely a proper 90s child, oops.

Favorite bands?

There are actually so many, I'm a big fan of Foo Fighters, Panic! At The Disco, Placebo and White Lies just to name a few. That said, I listen to so many different kinds of music that it's actually hard to put my iPod on shuffle as I never know what I'll end up listening to... It could be Slipknot, Katherine Jenkins, One Direction or Britney to give you a taste of how random it really is.

Something you miss?

I really miss Poland; it's not a country I would ever have dreamt that I'd visit if I hadn't have met my boyfriend, but I've really fallen in love with his city and spending time with him and his family.

Favorite song?

At the minute my favourite song is most likely Hard Times by Paramore, it's actually such a tune... It's stuck in my mind all day long!

How old are you? 

I actually turned 24 literally about a week ago!

Zodiac sign? 

I'm a Taurus, which I feel fits my personality fairly well.

Favorite Quote? 

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live - Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It's definitely a quote that encourages me to stay positive and enjoy the moment.

Favourite Actor?

I like a lot of actors, but one who comes to mind is Jennifer Aniston as I've enjoyed anything I've seen her in that I can think of.

Favourite Colour?

Green, but when I was a young child it was always Purple.

Loud music or soft?

Mostly loud, but it does depend on my mood.

Where do you go when you’re sad?

I like to nest under my duvet until I feel ready to face the world.

How long does it take you to shower?

Surprisingly not that long. If it's just to be clean, around 10 mins. If I want to relax and take my time and condition my hair and use a fancy body scrub then probably 25 mins.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 

Around 30-40 mins if I'm not putting make up on. If I'm wearing make up it'll be another 40 mins on top of that, which is why I don't bother wearing make up to work.

Ever been in a physical fight?

Yes, I was actually quite a horrible child in school. I could be bad as often as I was good, which I'm not proud of.

The reason I joined Blogger?

I originally joined Blogger back when I was at university as I thought blogging was so easy, how wrong I was! I posted a few times and then I ended up doing uni work instead. Roughly a year ago I decided to start up blogging again as I'd been through a bad break up and wanted a distraction. As I studied a Fine Art at university and I wanted to find a creative outlet, I've not looked back since.

Fears? 

I'm absolutely terrified of flying, which kind of makes sense as I hate heights too.

Last thing that made you cry?

I had a nightmare a day or so ago and it felt so real that I honestly had a massive cry. Mental health issues can be super hard.

Last time you said you loved someone?

I say it to Piotr at least once a day. Today I said it as I left to go to work.

Meaning behind your youtube/ blogger name? 

Actually it took me ages to decide. When I first started blogging, I was interested in fashion, so I was called 'artaccessoriesattire', but a year ago when I overhauled my blog I wanted something that was more general and less of a mouthful. Blogging full time is a dream job for me, which is where the dream comes from. I'm blonde, and an online thesaurus suggested pearl as an alternative word so that became pearly as pearldream or pearldreams were taken already, so it resulted in apearlydream which is fairly generalised and easy to use as a social media name.

Last book you read?

A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman, I can't rave about it enough. Absolutely fantastic read.

The book you’re currently reading?

The Muse by Jessie Burton. Also a beautiful read, it's so addictive.

Last show you watched?

When writing this, I was in the living room with my nana and mum; nana likes quite niche tv shows, so we watching something to do with life in Alaska. I was more typing than watching, but it's an interesting take compared some of the other reality shows.

Last person you talked to? 

A hungover boyfriend, he's definitely not feeling his best haha. He did manage to laugh at me, so he'll survive this pain.

The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

My mama, I told her we'd go to the other side of London ok. The journey was super annoying.

Favorite food?

Definitely fish and chips. If I don't have any chips for a few days I'm genuinely missing eating them, it's not a surprise that I'm not skinny hahaa.

Place you want to visit?

To be honest, there's so many places in Europe that I'd like to visit, but I'd also like to see a lot more the UK too. For example, Amsterdam, Prague and Budapest in Europe, in the UK I'd love to visit Edinburgh, Cardiff and Cornwall.

Last place you were?

Yesterday I was at work and my house before visiting Piotr's family, this morning we're still at the other side of London, but we're in London at least (zone 6 is an effort to reach... from zone 2)

Do you have a crush?

I'm forever crushing on my boyfriend, I think it's healthy to be in a place where they're forever attractive to you. (Mentally and physically)

Last time you kissed someone?

A couple of minutes ago, when I left bed and someone is too hungover to leave bed, so he got a kiss and allowance to stay in bed haha.

Last time you were insulted?

I don't really remember anything specific, other than a customer at work verbally abusing me over a month ago. He called me various names, wasn't pleasant.

Favourite flavour of sweet?

Berry flavoured; raspberry, strawberry, blackberry etc.

What instruments do you play?

When I was younger I played a few instruments; flute, recorder, bit of violin and piano. Ever since my school messed up my options for GCSE I never really kept up the skill, but I do still own some recorders and a flute.

Favourite piece of jewellery?

I actually own so much jewellery; a couple of years ago I would've said my pandora bracelet but I don't wear it much now. My favourite piece of jewellery that I wear all the time is probably the gold star currently in my tragus.

Last sport you played?

I've never been a sporty person, I could manage sports but that was it. I always preferred dance, particularly ballet. But that said, I stopped going to ballet when I was 17 and I really miss it.

Last song you sang?

Burn by Ellie Goulding.

Last time you hung out with anyone?

This weekend I've spent time with Piotr and his family, last weekend I saw my bestie so I've had a pretty sociable couple of weeks without realising it.

Who should answer these questions next? 

Anyone who wants to, it was quite enjoyable. There's a lot of questions but they're not too hard to answer, which is nice.

 

Happy Things #14

 

1. Today I fly back to London, which feels kind of bittersweet. I've missed London, but I know that when I'm in London I'll really miss Rzeszów. I'll miss not having to work and relaxing in general whilst spending time with my favourite person.

2. I'm working a lot this week, but after having ten days off I'm definitely up to the challenge and will secretly be counting down the days until my next day off, which won't be until next week, sadly. That said, I've made plans to meet up with my best friend soon so I have things to look forward to and help me get through this long week!

3. Last month was a really good month for me blogwise and I'm going to continue working hard at blogging and improving all areas of my blog. I want to improve my content and really push myself to get more active within the blogging community in terms of not only reading and liking other blogs, but also making comments and following more people on various social media networks.

4. After eating far, far too much whilst on holiday the time to change my bad habits is definitely now. If I'm completely honest with myself, I really need to start losing weight getting healthier for myself. As I'm not happy with myself at the moment... It was hard to hear, but Piotr is right and if I'm unhappy then only I can start to change myself. 

5. I want to focus on the good things and not fret over the not so good things. I'm slowly learning that time doesn't stand still and that life isn't limitless, like it feels when you're younger. As you get older, you realise that time is slipping away very quickly. This holiday has given me a lot of perspective on that; there's so many things that I want to do and see, although I'm still young time definitely isn't on anyone's side so I want to focus on happiness.

 

Favourite Blogs! - December

So far this month I've been enjoying reading through festive and beauty posts, which has made me realise that Christmas has really appeared out of nowhere. The nice part about the festive season is that most people have a more positive outlook on life and the excitement that comes with winding down and getting ready to spend time with loved ones. I like seeing how other people prepare and/or enjoy the start and end of the season and what presents they gift and receive.

 

www.whatoliviadid.com

I've been loving Olivia's blog for a few years now and her Christmas posts this year have been amazing so far; each day has been a detailed set of present ideas for a specific loved one, such as a best friend, mum or boyfriend. As always, she has lovely taste and her ideas aren't super expensive or unreasonable; she's definitely one of the more 'real' bloggers and is so relatable. I like how her blog is very visual, with many photos alongside short, summarised captions that describe just what is necessary. It's festive without being too 'oh my gosh I love Christmas so much!' and so I love it.

 

www.paigejoanna.co.uk

Paige's blog is another of my all-time favourites that I come back to and read time, and time again. She's so incredibly creative and inspiring as she's very open about the struggles of working and blogging full time, running a creative business and juggling having a chronic illness. One of her most recent posts was a quirky, girly gift guide full of glittery hair clips, make up brushes and fluffy unicorn slippers. I adore her passion for making things and her etsy shop is full of handmade, one of a kind pieces; she clearly puts 100% into everything that she does.

 

www.chloesway.com

This blog is one of my more recent finds and I'm really enjoying going through her posts past and present. Chloe's Christmas gift guides are really relatable with items from places like Primark and Superdrug which are great for people like me, who are on a budget. Alongside this, she touches on more controversial topics such as plastic surgery, skinny shaming and getting married. Her posts are fairly varied and that's the main reason I like her blog so much; it's nice to see posts coming from the heart and not just for the money.

 

www.aimeroseblog.com

Another newer find, I liked her page instantly. The layout is so visually pleasing, as well as easy to follow. Mostly beauty related, she has a recent post on beauty Christmas gift ideas which are fairly pricey but no doubt excellent quality items. Her blog is very polished and the photographs are so nicely put together and framed so well. Although her blog is fairly high end, not all of her possessions are, with some pieces from Primark and other high street shops, which is nice to see as it makes me want to read her posts more as that's more suited to my budget.

 

www.styleandsplurging.com

I recently found Charlotte's blog and I've really enjoyed reading through her posts, particularly her wintery themed ones; not only does she recommend ways to get into the festive spirit, she also gives some very much needed advice on how to look after yourself during the colder months and the importance of resting up and pampering your inside and outside. As well as that, she also wrote a fantastic series of posts on how to start and work on a successful blog which are great if you need help with getting more into blogging.

Visiting Poland

In the last week of November my boyfriend and I went to his home country of Poland for a few days. Being terrified of heights the thought of flying was fairly horrible... Especially as I hadn't got on a plane since I was 11 years old and I'm 23 now, so you can imagine how much I didn't even want to think about the flight, plus I had an added pressure of meeting his family for the first time. The flight went as badly as expected, I didn't like it at all. The take off was particularly scary. On the way to Poland we ended up landing in a different airport to the one that we had booked, which added to my stress as it was due to bad weather conditions. Piotr found his friend in the airport and we ended up in a car for roughly 3 hours in the biggest fog I'd ever seen to get to his home city and family house. A 3 hour journey ended up taking around 7 hours... It was a stressful start, as my anxiety isn't always the best on a regular day in a regular situation.

 

However, once we arrived in the right city it was a really pleasant trip; it was so cold outside. It was mostly a family based trip, so we didn't see too many of the typical tourist sights. It actually was snowing a little, which I hated as it made everything so slippery... From the photos you can see the Market Square, with Piotr dancing around and being funny; the start of Christmas coming with the Christmas decorations and lights already in place. The Market Square reminded me a bit of Trafalgar Square with the podiums and decorations, but slightly cooler with cobblestones and interesting architecture. Everything seemed to be either a bank, pub or kebab shop, which was a interesting array of places. There was also a massive shop devoted to alcohol only; definitely conforming to the British stereotype of Europeans having alcohol available at all times. That said, I saw much less drunks around than I would in London, so they obviously know how to control themselves.

 

On another note, I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life... I literally ate roughly 4 or 5 times per day, whereas at home I eat maybe twice? I was actually struggling to finish plates of food, oops. Seriously though, all of the cakes in Poland looked so appetising, to the point where I just want to buy them all. I didn't, I took photos instead. I wasn't sure what to expect or what the country would be like, I went with an open mind as it was more of a family orientated trip, but the parts that I did see I did really like. Now I'm back in England I just feel as though I want a permanent holiday for the next month. Because Christmas has suddenly started to appear, there were Christmas decorations being put up in the town so I have started to feel a little festive, which is nice but also a bit exciting as it's the first Christmas I'll be spending with Piotr as well. But a bizarre ending to this post, sorry about that, haha. If visiting Europe is something you want to do, definitely check out Poland as it's fairly inexpensive and has a nice atmosphere. Plus the majority of people manage to speak English, which is useful :)

 

My Blog Redesign!

Hello again! :)
You may have noticed that my blog has changed a little in the past couple of days; ever since I've been getting more into blogging I was starting to get tired of my original blog design, although when I was starting out I really loved it and I have kept a copy just in case I ever want to use it again. I'm not amazing at HTML and coding so the best option was to purchase a blog layout. I bought this one from Etsy (buy here) and I really love it. The pastel pink headers look so nice and I like the Instagram integration feature at the bottom of the page.

I actually managed to create the overall blog header that is pictured above myself so I'm feeling fairly proud of myself for that. The floral wreath fits in really nicely with the overall theme of pink and white. Personally I'm loving the new layout and hopefully whoever is reading this does as well. It looks much more professional and I think it's easier to read, too. There are so many blog designs available to buy or for free online and so many tutorials to help you through the more difficult parts such as Instagram integration and making clickable picture links to other social media, which I've finally managed to work out how to use for Facebook and twitter. I'm so excited to see where this blog will end up and I'm enjoying getting more into blogging. See you soon x

A month in Instagram - November

Overall, November has been slightly unexpected; it feels as though it has literally disappeared, it's gone so quickly. On a positive note, this means Christmas is coming  and therefore so is all of the fun stuff that comes with holiday time. At the start of the month of November I watched the bonfire night celebrations with my boyfriend who hadn't been before. His comment was that fireworks are always nice but didn't understand why we celebrate omeine who tried to blow up our parliament buildings. Fair point, I suppose... Especially as I couldn't even give him an answer. Clearly didn't pay enough attention in history lessons in school.

 

During this month I've definitely eaten far too much and naturally with that comes far too much weight gain, oops. But to fair, living with someone who has a good appetite is the perfect excuse to eat nice things, like pancakes with golden syrup, cream and fruit. Plus, I've learnt that the only way to love your life is to appreciate every part of it, and that definitely includes good food. I went on the night tube a couple of times, which was a fun experience I suppose. Most people are either drunk, begging or on the way to or from work. It's a bit like getting on a shit night bus, but faster. I bought some uggs which have literally saved my life in this cold weather... My feet suffer the most of my whole body during the winter months and after using my brain for once I finally decided to look after the, with comfy and warm shoes. 

 

The end of the month brought another unexpected journey, Piotr and I went to Poland for a few days. The country is nice, but the flight really wasn't. The positive side to flying is that it wasn't too long a journey but the downside is that it made my anxiety absolutely awful... Like really, really bad. I spent much of the time really confused due to the language barrier, but thankfully I did have a translator with me all the time. It was so cold, to the point that even wearing uggs all the time I struggled to keep warm but it was nice, the view of the city lights from the hills was amazing. I tried to take pictures but wasn't successful, sadly. I've never seen such pretty cakes and sweet things in my life!

 

Bonfire Night // Life Update

 

 

Hello again! November has been a fairly positive month for me, thus far; I had a weekend off for the first time in absolutely ages and took the opportunity to see the bonfire night (or 05/11?) fireworks next to the local funfair with my boyfriend. It's been so so bitterly cold recently, it's as though November arrived and so winter has suddenly appeared from nowhere... Not sure how I feel about this, I always feel really rough and under the weather when it's super cold. I suffer with stiff joints and the cold weather really doesn't help my bones.

The fireworks themselves were super pretty and worth the effort of walking through a million hills due to road closures. Plus, it was nice to do something other than work at the weekend, haha. For the first time in a long time I felt like making an effort and putting some make up on and looking more like the confident person I used to be; hopefully this is a sign I'm slowly getting a little better, taking each day as it comes. I'm starting to feel lucky to be alive again, as opposed to being constantly down and having daily panic attacks. Although they're still present, they're slowly getting less frequent and I feel more in control of them, which can only be a positive thing.

I've found that I actually enjoy cooking, even if I'm not even good at it. It's enjoyable watching other people enjoy something you've made just for them, and those fruity, syrup-y, creamy pancakes were definitely a good idea... So so delicious and filling on a lazy Sunday morning. I've enjoyed spending time with my boyfriend and generally being in his company. November is looking like it's going to be a good month, as we're going to Poland this month... Ever so slightly terrified, for various reasons, especially the cold. Eek. Let's hope the rest of this year will be as good as this month is going :)

Travelling Light

 

When I was studying art during school and university, photography always had a special place in my heart. It was probably my favourite of the art forms, aside from drawing. I've always loved light, or lack of light and how it forms in a photograph. I've used many different kinds of cameras for these photographs, including a canon 35mm film camera, a Nikon D3100, D5200 and a canon 760D. I love seeing how the travelling light transfers through the camera lens, how the camera picks up on the vibrant shades of dark and light.

Since not feeling well, I've found a kind of solace in both photography and travelling through the local area, appreciating the small things like cobbled streets and old industrial buildings and river ports. I've enjoyed restablishing my love for photography, but at the same time I'm not sure that I have the passion for these kinds of 'fine art' style photographs anymore; these photographs are more what I would've created at university for a project then something that I would do as a hobby as an adult. 

Starting a blog has been a turning point for me; it's been a hobby that I've found I've really enjoyed as a creative outlet. I'm currently working in a job that completely lacks creativity so it's refreshing to be able to utilise my creativity somewhere. Moving forward, I feel like my interest in blogging has grown, and I'm getting more passionate about making quality posts. I'm starting to realise what kind of posts I want to make, and what kind of photographs I want to be making. Photography is very much a positive part of my life at the moment.

Monthly Reflections #3

 

It feels as though Christmas is getting ever closer at the moment, which therefore means that the new year is coming not long after. In all honesty, I'm not the most social of people, but during this time of year, I do actually enjoy going out more and spending time with family and friends. That said, I hate the cold but somehow, it's bearable because everyone seems to be fairly upbeat and friendly. With this in mind, I feel as though it's time to think about my personal goals. I'm not one for ever sticking to New Years resolutions, therefore I want have goals that I can work on overall, regardless of the time of year so to improve my life.

One of the most important goals I have is to look after my health as I haven't been in the best state for a while. I want to improve my health physically and mentally. I tried going running and actually that did help to clear my head as well as getting my fitter physically and I'm thinking that doing some  exercise will help me, alongside actually making an effort to concentrate on the good things in my life and not constantly focus on the negative things. I want to focus on pushing forward and keeping forward, my intention is to get better and not go back down again.

As a result of focusing on my health, I also want to focus more on my relationship, my boyfriend is literally one of the most patient and supportive people I've ever met and I need to appreciate him far more than I do. I need to spend more time building friendships new and old, even if it's just sending a text or meeting up for a quick coffee. I have a terrible habit of not looking after my health and therefore neglecting other aspects of my life, such as friendships and relationships in general. 

During the past few months I've really been enjoying blogging more regularly; it's been a therapeutic experience for me. I've been pushing through my low moods to keep going and actually make an effort to continue doing something. It's an enjoyable hobby for me, and I'm really loving it at the moment.  In the future, I would really love to meet other bloggers and generally push myself to be more sociable as I do have a tendency to shut myself away. I feel as though I've been pretty consistent with my blog these few months and I'm planning to continue posting regularly. 

On a final note, I want to have a holiday as soon as possible, or at least some time off from work. I feel as though I'm literally frying my brain; I'm currently working a ridiculous amount of hours a week, as well as getting few hours sleep a night. Insomnia has always been a problem for me, since my later teenage years, but recently it's begun to spiral out of control and has started to affect my health. With this in mind, I just feel as though I need to relax, recharge my batteries and find myself again.