#BLAUGUST - Day 31 - Something New/ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello dear readers, 

1. I'd like to apologise about how scary the 'announcement' bit of this post's title is - I just wanted to make it stand out more! 

2. Yes, today we came home and luckily there were no hitches apart from us getting to the airport too early - I actually wrote most of this whilst waiting for two hours (meh) for the check-in desks to open!

3. As you can probably tell, I have an announcement.

Tomorrow is September; thereby making today the last day of #BLAUGUST. Aw, thank you for saying that you'll miss it! 😉 I will too. I've enjoyed doing it (almost as much as I enjoyed the fact that I actually completed it woo!) and so my announcement focuses on continuing to daily blog, but in a slightly more exciting way. I've been pondering this for quite a while...

I know that quite a few bloggers/vloggers use the technique of themes: generally a theme for each day of the week, so they know roughly what to write/talk about. But I'd like to put my own twist on it; with slightly different themes, covering a range of topics - mainly because I still have no idea what 'type' I can classify this blog as being.

So *drum roll pls* my themes for each day of the week would probably (please note the word 'probably' - they're not set in stone yet!) be: 

. Monday Moans (because this naturally goes with the title of being a 'very happy blogger'... Hehe)

. Tuesday treats (not good I know, this is the one which is giving me the most grief - if you have any suggestions please comment them below!) 

. Wednesday Wears/Randoms (I was going to say 'wandoms' but decided against it due to the fact that I want to clarify that I'm over the age of 5) - 'wears' being any outfit ideas I may have or clothes hauls/advice/etc, and 'Randoms' being, well, random! (I'll switch between the two) 

. Thursday Thoughts/Throwbacks 

. Friday Favourites (featuring beauty/any type of products, apps, games, music, food, and films or TV programmes)

As for the weekend, I'm not sure whether I'm going to post anything... I shall have a think; but currently I'm considering that this will be my in-advance post-planning and maybe even writing time, as I'm not sure how much free time I'll have during sixth form for the next two years. 

But I think that's about all for now! 

By the way, I go back to school on Wednesday *cry* - this summer went SO quickly!! If you're going back to work/school soon or already have, I'm sure you'll feel my current feels. 

Hope you're all feeling fabulous, 

The (very excited as have finally got this off my chest and have been tempted to blurt it out for ages and) happy blogger 

#BLAUGUST - Day 30 - A Happy Ending

Hello dear readers, 

We arrived here in the afternoon today. But where is here, you ask? Well, basically because of local airports and a lack of flights at decent times (we weren't prepared to get up at some unsightly hour just to get on a one hour plane journey!), we couldn't get one today, so we're spending an extra day in France and leaving tomorrow evening. Therefore we're currently in the mountains, somewhere near Grenoble, and the scenery is beautiful: 

Literally feels like the Von Trapp family will walk up to us at any moment! 

The hotel we're staying in is only a small one, and is quite eccentric; feauturing some wondrously floral tablecloths and blankets, together with fabulous translation mistakes on some signs such as "please to use", "please notch this box", and "so we will be pleasant for the other people" - oh the joys of google translate!! It's all very sweet though. 

Anyway, if you follow my twitter, (@thevhappyblogr) you may have noticed that I hinted earlier about a story feauturing certain dogs. Well, this morning my mum woke me up to tell me that the male dog had returned, but without little Athena (back track if you've forgotten: she's the one who spent the day with us), which was slightly worrying... Three of the family , including me, spent the early morning (meh) calling out her name; desperately hoping that she wasn't injured and/or hadn't run into the hunters in the woods, who seemed to spend the whole of last night shooting, and so a stray dog may have appeared to them as any other animal... 

Eventually, we called up Athena's owner, who spoke to his neighbour (the owner of the male dog) to tell them that he was here. The male dog's owner came right away, and told us his dog's name was Jules - and Jules was so happy to see him it was adorable. But just as importantly, he told us that Athena had only just found her way home, after three days lost in the woods. So they're both safe, and there couldn't have been a better ending to the trip. 

Thanks for reading,

The (very) happy blogger 🐶🐕

#BLAUGUST - Day 29 - So Much Is Happening

Hello dear readers,

I'm sorry, this isn't going to be a long 'un - just a quick update on life!! (By the way, I never ask how you all are, so please comment how you're feeling etc in the comments below. 

We're leaving tomorrow morning; so I've spent the latter part of today packing and tidying up - I never knew how much I could spread out my belongings in a building... We're driving farther north and staying in a more mountainous part of France; then we fly home on Sunday evening.

This morning wasn't too great for me - I won't go into details; we all have bad days - and last night wasn't fabulous either, especially not in terms of sleep. Ah well. 

By the way, the two dogs who were with us last night apparently did stay there, but when my aunt and uncle went out early this morning I think they thought that we were all leaving them, so by the time the rest of us had got up, they'd gone. It's such a shame - I hope they've been OK (it was slightly cooler today so that's good for them); especially as Athena's owner did turn up this morning to pick them up, and I had to explain in my not-so-good-as-who-remembers-education-during-summer French that they'd disappeared. Hopefully they'll find their own way home... 

Anyway, I hope that (if you're British and have similar holiday times to me) you're having a great last few days of summer, and if you're already back at school/work, I hope that's not too bad either. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (panicky as might have forgotten to pack something and) happy blogger

#BLAUGUST - Day 28 - A Birthday Surprise

Hello dear readers, 

Today is my mother's birthday, wahooy! I hope she's had a great day. The only odd occurrence we've had today has something to do with dogs. Well, a lot to do with dogs. 

So I accidentally slept in (teenager) and whilst having my unsuitably warm, late breakfast of porridge, my aunt related to me how two dogs had turned up that morning when I was still asleep, seemingly out of nowhere; then disappeared again.

I didn't think any more of it (except when I saw a little memento of their visit that they'd left on the patio!) until we'd all had a sunbathing session, when I caught sight of - yep, you guessed it - one of the   dogs from earlier! Reading her name tag, we discovered that she was called Athena and had two contact numbers. After calling both several times to no avail, we kind of just became friends with her. 

She's lovely - I'm not sure what breed, but she's got cute pointy ears, long legs, and big black patches on white fur; she's so friendly and docile - she just spent the day lying in the shade, and we kept her happy with lots of water and a bit of meat. 

But the real problem was, why weren't her owners answering the phone or calling us back? who were they? how long had poor little Athena been wandering around in the forest, and how did she become separated from her friend, the other dog?

Well, that last question could be answered by the fact that she was wet when she came up to us - my mum's theory (by the way, she seemed to really enjoy spending her birthday with canine company!) is that someone saw the two dogs approaching and sprayed them with a hose, thinking they were strays; the two ran away in different directions. 

We're staying in a villa owned by a British family, but there's a French lady who comes to look after the house, and she told us that she recognised Athena, and that this wasn't the first time it had happened. The male dog who was with her before was her next door neighbour, and he likes to go exploring - but she always follows! So they'd both been traipsing through the forest for a day, which is why she looked so thin and tired when we found her. Luckily, we're all strong dog-lovers (or any animal-lovers really!) and so we looked after her. 

We came back from my mum's birthday dinner to find Athena where we'd left her - she was so happy to see us, it was adorable - but this time, she wasn't alone! The aforementioned male dog had found her again. He was a little tense and protective of her at first, but when we saw that we weren't going to hurt him, or her, he settled down.

Now as I write this, I believe they're both outside the house, hopefully sleeping. 

I really hope that their owners will come and collect them tomorrow morning - they're truly lovely dogs and it makes me sad to think that they're not being looked after properly... But I assure you that we and the French lady will do all we can to make sure they're safe. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (tired, dog-loving and) happy blogger 🐶🐕

#BLAUGUST - Day 27 - Eyebrow Evolution

Hello dear readers, 

So earlier today (ps we had a powercut for the whole of last night which was both exciting and annoying) I was plucking my eyebrows (please bare with, this has a point) and I started thinking about how much they've changed over the years, and how that's fundamentally been all my fault, and sometimes not in a good way! 

My eyebrows used to be, well, an eyebrow - I inherited my monobrow from my dad. Then, probably about this time of year but in 2011, I decided that I wanted to make them a bit neater. Not knowing how to do this - all I knew was that I wanted nice eyebrows 'like all the models had' (always a big mistake, please don't follow this phrase for any part of your body) and so I took to hand the first sharp thing I could think of, a razor - next mistake. 

Anyway, my eyebrows went from a reasonable neat line, to the shortest, tiniest little slug-like things perching on my forehead. So bad. 

Essentially, my message here is: please be happy with your body and all its eccentricities, even if you really don't like them, as you're perfect how you are, and if your tampering with that thing goes wrong, then it's so clear to everyone, especially you, and you'll wish you'd never done it. 

Here's a picture from when my brows started to grow back, a little while after I'd had an emotional chat with my mum and she'd told me pretty much all of the above. Mothers are always fab for advice!

I hid the razor away and let my brows grow back, then my mum bought me a great Model's Own pair of tweezers, and they've been fine ever since. 

Sorry I can't do this now as lack of time, but if you want, I could do a post on how to pluck them and shape them in the future? I'd be happy too, as it would have saved me more than a year of stress if I'd seen something like that at the time! 

Thank you for reading, 

The (very) happy blogger

#BLAUGUST - Day 26 - Marché Madness

Hello dear readers, 

So I had an exciting morning today at the local Lorgues marché, where there were so many people which was really surprising actually (I guess in Britain not so many people turn up to a small village market!) but not surprising in some ways because the market was amazing and had such a big variety and gah (long sentence exhaustion). 

Here are some photos: 

 

Les tomates (edited version on Instagram!) 

Les legumes, aka yum - although temperamental sometimes, refer to #blaugust post number 8 for an embarrassing story regarding that! 

I loved the look of the prickly ones in the middle (if anyone knows what they're called please tell me below!) 

Lorgues is so pretty and has so much character - it's just the look which I completely associate with the south of France & Provence. 

As well as vegetables, there were also clothes, jewellery, sweets, hand-made tablecloths and many other food items at the market - if you ever have a chance to go to one, please do. 

I dread to think how long this will take to post with bad wifi!! 

Sorry about how my posts aren't great at the moment - it's just I've got a plan for future ones which I'm saving up till September, so please just hold tight for that! 

The very (satisfied as bought some exciting clothes which hopefully no one else will have at school as it's always a crisis when you wear the same clothes as someone else and) happy blogger 🇫🇷

#BLAUGUST - Day 25 - Travel Bucket List

Hello dear readers, 

So I'm currently on holiday, and I really love and appreciate the fact that I am, but whilst I was sunbathing earlier, I got thinking (dangerous, I know). I thought that this is a great trip so far, but where else would I like to visit? 

So, here's my little list: 

1. Hawaii (specifically: Maui and the amazing waterfall there, and the Kauai Waimea Canyon - I've been researching I know - bit desperate I am)

2. To be honest, just the Caribbean in general would be great! 

3. South America - definitely Brazil - I'd love love LOVE to traipse through the Amazon Rainforest (despite the bugs) and try to help stop deforestation (it's such a massive problem there) and see all the amazing animals in their natural habitats 🐒

4. Africa, just Africa... *romantic sigh*

5. New Zealand - the scenery looks amazing

I'd also like to go to Indonesia, Nepal, China, India, Cambodia, Japan, Iceland, the Antarctic (the list goes on)... So you see I have a problem! (I haven't even been to Scotland or Ireland which is so shocking)

But really, I'm sure everyone just wants to visit as many places as possible, and personally I'd love to explore every corner of the earth, but that may be a little tricky! 

Where would you like to visit (and why)? Please comment below!

Thanks for reading, 

The very (wishful/hopeful and) happy blogger 🌍🌎🌏

#BLAUGUST - Day 24 - Lorgues

Hello dear readers, 

Today has been so good. I got up late (teenager), had a leisurely breakfast of a croissant and orange juice (France) and lay outside for ages getting burnt/tanned - more burnt (sun) - whilst reading my new book, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. I'm really enjoying it so far - it's a sort of sequel to Jane Eyre so that's not really surprising!! (I have to read them both for A levels next year) 

Some photos of the house: 

I'm sure more will be up on my Instagram pretty soon! (@matiwarner)

Then, in the evening, the whole family (me, my parents, my auntie & uncle and my grandparents) watched Frozen together, and it got me thinking that it's such a universal film - it's liked and appreciated by people of all ages and backgrounds, which is so lovely. I adore it (you can probably tell). 

Hope you enjoyed my not-very-interesting-but-ah-well round up of my day!! I'll hopefully provide a slightly more entertaining one tomorrow. 

The very (relaxed and) happy blogger 🌞

Ps: I'm aware that this is posted late and I'm very sorry, but the internet connection here hasn't been great! 

#BLAUGUST - Day 23 - On The Road

Hello dear readers, 

We've arrived at the villa in the south of France, hooray! It's got so much character - it's absolutely gorgeous (will show photos some time soon) - but we had a bit of a bad journey getting here... 

Our flight landed successfully, if a little bumpily/turbulancily (new words) on time late this morning, then after quite a long wait for the hire car we were finally on the road. But, whilst my mum was grappling with the complicated gears and steering, as well as having to drive on the opposite side of the road to usual, we realised that we'd left our good south of France map at home... So a very sensitive SatNav (we've christened her Christine) was teamed up with a not-so-good map from a petrol station and soon enough, we were fully on our way. 

Or were we? 

Without having to go into too many details of all of our woes along the way, a journey which my dad had predicted to be about 3 hours long ended up taking 7 1/2 hours. 7 1/2. 7 1/2.

Just let that sink in... 

Therefore, my accomplishments today include having eaten almost a whole (large) packet of Tangfastics by myself, watching the entirety of Mean Girls (again), and finishing Jane Eyre (genuine accomplishment for once woop!!) and enjoying myself far too much when having an amazing, makeshift midnight supper of tea and pizza just after we'd arrived here, in the dark. 

Even though this journey wasn't quite as smooth as hoped - due mainly to Saturday evening traffic and us getting frequently confused and lost... Oh, and some "marital debates" as I call them, between my parents, due to one favouring the good old art of map-reading, and the other being slightly more accepting of technology. Parents, eh?!

Thanks very much for reading, 

The very (tired but) happy blogger 😴🇫🇷🌞

#BLAUGUST - Day 22 - My Favourite Place

Hello dear readers, 

So tomorrow I leave to go to France with the whole of my family, and I'm already feeling nostalgic and home sick! Also I'm sort of sad about the fact that we can't bring our dog Brownie with us (aka my bestest pal)... I sound so not adventurous I know, whoopsies - this isn't normally the case - but I'm having a sentimental moment, please bare with! Therefore I'm going to share some photos of the woods near to where I live: 

Isn't it beautiful?! 

I'm half sharing these photos to show you, and half because they make me remember where home is, and why I really love it. 

I can get pretty homesick when I'm away - this can definitely be increased if I listen to 'I vow to thee my country'... #patrioticorwhat

Do any of you know what I'm talking about? I mean, it's great to travel, to explore, and to be away for a bit, but I love having a base - somewhere stable and comfortable; the favourite place to be - home. 

After all, there's no place like it (well said Dorothy).

Leaving you with that little message, I thank you very much for reading. 

The very (excited but hesitant as can't bring dog aka favourite being with me so slightly sad as know I shall miss him and) happy blogger 

#BLAUGUST - Day 21 - An Emotional Day

Hello dear readers,

So today's post won't be too long - sorry - as I really only have one thing to say: I'm really happy with how exam results went, and I hope all of you are too.

It's very daunting to go up and collect the dreaded envelope, but if it holds good news it's such a lovely sight to see how it cheers up so many people, not only you.

The only downside is that I woke up with a really painful upper back - leaving my movement pretty restricted - so I celebrated by eating a ton of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and watching Miranda. So not too bad at all! 

The (very) happy blogger

#BLAUGUST - Day 20 - Exam Results

Hello dear readers,

Tomorrow is a day that I, and thousands of other teenagers across the UK, have been dreading all year: GCSE results day. The day when we see whether all our hard work throughout the two years has actually paid off. 

But do you know what stresses me out the most of all of this? It's that people will only really think someone's grades are the best possible ones if they're all A*. And this mindset is ridiculous. 

No one is good at everything; therefore it's truly rare that someone can excel in all school subjects. All I'm saying is that, if you're reading this and are facing results tomorrow, or in the future, please don't worry. Everyone is good at something. Also, these won't truly matter that much in a few years; then the next ones won't matter that much a few years after them; then the whole world will open up to us, and we'll see the things that truly matter: being a good person to yourself and others. As cliché as it may sound, these are the things people will really remember about you - not that you got good marks in every single subject. (Pls note that I'm not saying don't try, as trying is great but everyone has a limit - so basically do your best as that's all you can do!) 

So when you eventually collect that envelope, and open it up - take a deep breath, and put it all into perspective. If the grades aren't exactly what you wanted, don't panic, as life will throw you so many more wonderful oppurtunities, which you'll really excel at - far easier than your least favourite subject (maths for me) - after all, Winston Churchill got pretty bad marks at school, and look what he did! 

Thanks for reading, and good luck for tomorrow and the future in all your pursuits, 

The very (much calmer and) happy blogger 

Ps: my godmother's uncle was a Guru and he actually came up with the slogan "don't worry, be happy", so please just follow his advice and SMILE, no matter how hard it may seem at the time - as everything will be alright in the end. 

#BLAUGUST - Day 19 - Made in Kensington

Hello dear readers, 

Today, I went to Kensington with my friend. Or, more specifically, I went to Kensington Palace, where generations of members of the royal family have lived. It was so beautiful and fascinating (they had an exhibition on fashion in the royal family, featuring some dresses belonging to Diana - which was moving as well as so interesting).

Strolling through the gardens 

It was so lovely to just sit back and have a quiet moment to think in such a picturesque setting - especially with exam results looming in a couple of days!! 

My friend and I sat by the river and had a ponder, and it was actually really tranquil in its own little way - what with loads of kids running around (which was lovely to see anyway)!

But I so recommend the Palace for a visit. I know some people stay clear of any faint mention of a museum or exhibit - but this one is so family-friendly, with loads of interactive elements and more exciting ways to learn about the stories of all those who lived there. All I can say is, I hope I can find a relationship even half as seemingly perfect as Victoria and Albert's was! 

Hope you're all having/had lovely summers. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (peaceful-feeling and) happy blogger 🐟

#BLAUGUST - Day 18 - Improvisation (Gone Wrong)

Hello dear readers, 

So I have to admit something: I don't know what to post. Our friends have just left and the time is currently 11:30PM so I only have half an hour to make this post right for the BLAUGUST (necessary capitals) day... I do have other planned posts, but they'd take too long!! 

Hmm... I know. I'll give you 10 facts about my day, featuring my many, prolific accomplishments: 

1. Got out of bed

2. Gave dog breakfast

3. Tried to get back into bed 

4. Unsuccessful as fear of not being proactive (um.. What was I thinking? After all, this is summer.. I joke.. Hehe maybe not) so had shower then breakfast

5. Got ready for day - aka put clothes on and procrastinated by dancing to Pharrell very energetically as what else does one do when home alone?!

6. Finished two Miranda episodes 

7. Ate pizza *rupturous applause* aw thanks!

8. Watched more Miranda 

9. Wrote thank-you letters for birthday bits

10. Friends came round & had dinner (ft profiteroles 😎) 

11. Ooh how cheeky, I only said I'd do 10!! 

12. Phwoarrr I've really done it now

And there you have it! 

All I can say is: sorry, this may be classed as the worst blog post EVER.. Many apologies...

Thanks for actually reading it anyway! 

The very (tired, confused, disappointed in self and) happy blogger

#BLAUGUST - Day 17 - Such Fun

Hello dear readers, 

Today I had a great day - my accomplishments include (actually, they only really consist of) not wrecking the house whilst home alone and watching a whole series and a half of Miranda. This is my favourite TV programme - but you may be unfortunate  enough to have never heard of it if you don't live in the UK - in which case, I am deeply sorry unto you *sob*. 

If you fit into aforementioned category: it's basically a comedy programme about a 30-something (she calls it 'late twenties'!) year-old Miranda (Miranda Hart) and how she copes with the struggles of running a joke/gift shop underneath her flat, having a comparably miniscule best friend called Stevie who takes unusual pleasure in imitating Heather Small, a 'just a friend' called Gary whose chef nature keeps her cake and general (free too - how handy) food needs fulfilled, and who she happens to be irrevocably in love with, and last but not least, an eccentric, posh mother whose life mission is to find her daughter a husband - and she doesn't even care who, where, or how... Just as long as it's in time for her next elite social engagement so she doesn't have to quiver with embarrassment about her daughter's shamefully single status.

It all sounds like a pretty good premise for a television show, doesn't it?! Well, I think it's brilliant. It features regular, now well-loved phrases from the mother such as "such fun!", "what I call..." and the 'weekly laugh' - based, invariably, on a pop song. It's just pure, silly fun and I love it. If you've never watched 

an episode, and are in a position where you can (it's a BBC show if that helps you find it!), please, please, give it a go - if you're a fan of classic slapstick, complete with much falling over, fart jokes, and plenty of galloping, then this may be perfect for you. 

Just a suggestion... Not really. I am hereby thereby therefore henceforth forcing you to watch it. No pressure or anything... 

SUCH FUN!!

The very (what I call) happy blogger

Ps: today I made a new twitter account, but specifically for this blog - it would be lovely if you could check it out and maybe even give it a follow!

Ps2: hahaha that spells out play station 2 hahaha

PS3: even better! *Miranda chuckle*

Sorry.

What I meant to say was that this is my 50th post. Much celebration!

Ps4: ooh so up to date ... Hehe

#BLAUGUST - Day 16 - Topshop & UO Haul

Hello dear readers, 

I did tell you previously that I'd make a post about what I bought whilst shopping on my birthday, so here it is! I went into Guildford and accidentally-on-purpose wandered into Topshop and Urban Outfitters, which, as it happens, are opposite each other in the shopping centre - so I couldn't resist paying them both a visit - just out of courtesy, of course...

First stop: Urban Outfitters 

(By the way, I apologise in advance about the bad photo quality)

 

I picked out this top as I loved its coral colour, and thought the robin pattern adorable. 

I also got these two mini skirts from UO: one is black velvet *cue song* with sailor-esque popper buttons down the middle, and the other is floaty and navy blue. 

Next stop: Topshop

My mum actually insisted that I get this dress: it has a soft cotton top grey part, a black waistband, and    (again!) a floaty skirt (but this time it's white). When I bought all of these clothes, I was thinking of the next two years, as at my school, we don't need to wear uniform anymore when we go into the Sixth Form, but our clothes still have to be fairly smart - so with everything I buy now, I have to picture wearing it with a blazer! 

I love the intricate lace patterns on this top - every section is different. I imagine this would look good with a white bandeau bra (probably lacey too) underneath - not at school though!! (Think that much flesh showing would be pushing it a bit) 

Incidentally, my aunt also bought this top - we're the same dress size! 

OK, so I've seen in her instagrams that Beyoncé has been wearing these types of tops a lot recently, and I admit with no shame whatsoever that that did kind of influence my choice in buying it (ie, queen B has a top like this, I must therefore purchase it)... Um... To my own defence, it's a nice pink colour... 

Ps the flowers are a flower crown - me trying to be more artistic with my photography 

As this thin jumper (could it be called a jumper?) is long-sleeved, I obviously intend for it to be worn later in the year (I hope that the classic British weather will hold out and make that the case anyway!) 

It's really soft, and I like grey clothes for some reason... But it is very cropped, so my plan is to buy a pair of skinny, high-waisted black trousers nearer the time - anyone know a good shop to buy them in?

This is another classic Topshop top - the cami. It's got scalloped edges, and the colour is a subdued, but lovely blue (the camera doesn't do it justice).

So there you have it! There are the results of my birthday haul - some of these were bought by me; some by my family as presents. All I can say is, sorry bank account... I won't be shopping again for a while!

Hope you enjoyed this - it's a new type of post for me, but I quite enjoyed doing it. Please let me know what you think in the comments. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (satisfied and) happy blogger 👗🎽

Ps: I fulfilled Topshop's name by getting only tops there... Haha, get it?! Sorry.

#BLAUGUST - Day 15 - Summertime in London

Hello dear readers, 

First things first: sorry this is slightly late - I've only just really returned from London! 

I went to the city today with my parentials as my dad treated me and my mum (it's her birthday too in a couple of weeks - why is it that this always happens - I know so many people whose birthdays are really close to their mother's!) to see the musical/opera, Porgy and Bess, based on the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward. It features the song "Summertime" (hence blog title!) which Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong made famous with their cover of it. The story is set in a religious 1920s Charleston (which made it interesting for me, having just returned from there! The characters' street is called Catfish Row, which we went to visit on our trip), and is about a kindly cripple called Porgy and how he strives to win the heart of the promiscuous, but vulnerable, Bess. 

The whole production was done so well - the set was amazing (I'll upload a photo later) and I loved how everyone had quite large parts - the songs were shared out as equally as possible. The music is so beautiful - it's mainly jazz - and the cast performed it all to perfection, especially one cast member, who is incidentally part of the Sugababes! 

The performance was at the Regent's Park open air theatre, which is lovely as they perform whatever the weather, and the shows can be made a lot more authentic. The weather here in little Britain is starting to get a bit more chilly, and so we lugged sleeping bags around the tube earlier so that we'd be warm! It was definitely worth it though. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (tired and) happy blogger 🎭

#BLAUGUST - Day 14 - Birthday Blogger

Hello dear readers, 

So, today is my birthday. It's been a great day: full of lovely people and lovely gifts. I've spent it in town (Guildford) with my grandparents, my mum and my aunt (and dad in the evening, after he came home from work!) 

We had lunch at a great restaurant called Bill's: 

My cute cake(s)!! I had a bee in honour of queen B 🐝 

When the waiter brought my cake, he started singing, and soon enough, everyone in the restaurant was looking at me and singing too. It was so sweet, but I'm very British in the way that I find these situations quite awkward, and so I awkwardly sat not really knowing what to do, awkwardly...

🐝🐝🐝 

(Ps there is the iphone 'fade' filter on these photos - I've really been liking it recently) 

YUUUUSSSSSS

Also, I didn't share these with you yesterday: 

(Yesterday) we went out to a lovely village in Hampshire to visit an incredibly interesting house which featured an exhibition about Scott's expedition to Antarctica. It was very moving; focussing on Captain Oates - whose cousin Frank lived in the house, after it's previous owner: the naturalist Gilbert White. The house is in the village of Selborne, if you're interested. But these photos are of the cream tea we had at the house's tea rooms - scones, clotted cream and jam - how quintessentially English do you get?! 

Sorry, this post was quite a mish-mash!! 

Tomorrow I may do a post about what I bought today, and/or what I got present-wise. 

But overall, I had a great day, spent with some of my favourite people. And I'm officially 16 WOOO (I can now do all the things I listed yesterday!!) 

Thanks very much for reading, 

The (very) happy blogger 🎉🎈🎊

#BLAUGUST - Day 13 - Perky Privileges

Hello dear readers, 

Currently facing trauma. I'm actually OK with spiders or daddy-long-legs if I know where they are, and if they stay put in said spot. But a particularly long-legged member of the latter has just disappeared after I'd seem it lurking near me, which is INCREDIBLY disconcerting. *shivers involuntarily*

Anyway, dear readers, tomorrow is a special day for me. It marks 16 years after the day I was born. Hooray! 

But what does it mean to be a 16 year-old, you ask? Well, I've been doing a bit of research...

First and foremost, I ignored the boring, classic privileges as, I mean, everyone knows those (eg, can leave school - but only at the right time, can get married - but only with parents' permission, can drink alcohol - but only with an adult, etc, etc)... These particular ones seem so rigid and have annoying extra terms and conditions coming along with them, so I decided to look up the more exciting privilges: the wacky, the odd, the unusual. Here's a little list of my favourites: 

1. Can drive a tractor (I'm in me mams tractor, broom broom) 

2. Can buy large pets, eg, llamas *many excited noises* 

3. Can pilot a glider (😎) 

4. Can get a license to sell scrap metal (obviously my first choice of activity) 

5. Can engage in... Ooh, slow down cheeky! 

There you have it: there's the list. It may be short, but at least it's something. 

But for now, I have a date with Jane Eyre. 

Wherever you are, I hope you have a lovely evening,

The very (excited as could be llama-owning, glider-flying, scrap-metal selling, very cheeky farmer) 

Ps: in a very good mood as just read latest Hello issue - and it's about Danny Jones' wedding and I feel so proud aw everyone looked so beautiful and aw aw

#BLAUGUST - Day 12 - Nanu Nanu

Hello dear readers, 

Sorry this post is a little late - I suppose it's technically the 13th now, but we went out to dinner with friends and I've been procrastinating since we returned (more apologies). 

I'm sure you're all aware by now that last night, Robin Williams passed away. I feel that the spread of his comedic genius was so great that I don't need to say too much, as everyone will remember him in a different way, but with one universal tone: fondly. 

Personally, Mrs Doubtfire has always been one of my favourite films, as it's essentially a family film, but has many crucial morals and messages inside it. However, this is only one of the 50+ films he's been in: so think of all the millions of people he influenced, and consequently inspired. You only need to scroll through Twitter (or any other social network) to see the true breadth of this. It's amazing how one man has left such a great impression on so many. 

My thoughts at this time go out to his friends and family, who will no doubt be feeling his loss on a much more personal level. I really loved the touching paragraph and quote of remembrance which his daughter Zelda gave, and I hope he would have too. 

Mainly, I'm just so sorrowful about the whole thing, especially as a man who gave so much joy to others was unable, in the end, to find it in himself, which is such a shame. RIP Robin Williams.

So if you're feeling down, think about how things can only get better, wear a smile proudly, and perhaps sit down and watch a Robin Williams film or two, as he didn't make all of those films so that people would feel sad - he made most of them to cheer us all up - as life is short, and I think what his hilarious roles and personas have taught me is that you might as well enjoy every second of it. 

The very (sad but trying to be) happy blogger 

#BLAUGUST - Day 11 - Mark My Words (My Secret Obsession)

Hello dear readers, 

I'm sure that it's more than apparent to you by now that I have an inherent, ardent, and intrinsic (great triad of vocab there) love of literature. So what better accompaniment to a good book than a good bookmark? It makes sense. But, in some cases, the love of the humble bookmark can become slightly obsessive... Cases such as, well, me. 

Feast your eyes on a mere selection of my wide collection (unintentional but now much appreciated rhyme) - the hoard which I finally re-discovered today, after having forgotten where I put it for most of this year...

The collection was begun by my (paternal) grandfather, who unfortunately died when I was four. So from a young age, when I was given his already substantial stash of predominantly leather bookmarks, I became determined to carry on the tradition. 

Due to my mum's love of National Trust properties (old houses - interesting ones) I've spent half my childhood traipsing around their gift shops; one of my only consolations has been receiving a (normally) leather bookmark commemorating my trip to that particular house, so to any onlooker I must seem to be an antique property obsessive who finds pleasure in purchasing as many illustrated bookmarks as possible; even factoring in the previous visits and purchases so as not to have too many of one colour (sad or what)...

And now, dear reader, please (you don't have to), take pleasure in viewing some of my favourites from the collection: 

A really intricate and pretty lace one which I never knew I had, and a tribal beaded one which we got in South Africa (2009)

A bookmark fit for a queen! *many chuckles* 

Need I say more... It's perfect <3

I also, oddly enough, have a One Direction one (I'm sure you'll be devastated to learn that I didn't take a photo of that one) which was spontaneously handed out at school in English, of all lessons, a couple of years ago to spread the word about their new album (at the time: Up All Night), as though they were a minuscule indie/alternative band that nobody had ever heard of. Hmmm...

Moving on, here's a real cutie (to be honest I'd feel bad about squishing him between heavy pages - I don't want to suffocate an adorable, fluffy giraffe, even if it is only a bookmark) 

So, I hope you enjoyed that insight into my very eccentric world (bear in mind also that I have more: books which have been on-the-go for a while each have a bookmark in, which weren't featured in these photos). I really need to start actually using all of them, as all I do at the moment is keep using the same one (a purple Glyndebourne one, if you're interested... Nope, didn't think you would be). 

Thanks very much indeed for reading, 

The very (weirdly proud of myself, but very proud of my grandpa and) happy blogger 📚📖 

Ps: hope you appreciated my attempted witty title, complete with exciting message in brackets to draw you in... (I really need to get out more)

#BLAUGUST - Day 9 - Phone Fail

Hello dear readers, 

So after previously assuring you that today's post was going to be about Atlanta - part 4/4 of my America trip - it didn't really work out as my phone is going slightly bonkers and won't let me text; save, take, or delete photos. And now it won't let me upload them to a blog post. Sigh. 

This is probably my fault, as dear phone is evidently giving in to its long battle with me about how much storage I've used up - I have nearly 5000 photos... Whoops. 

So I'm sorry that today's post is simultaneously both a failure and practically non-existent (certainly in interest terms!) but tomorrow, if I get the time, I'll try to upload most of my photos to the computer and attempt to delete them from there. All I can do for now is hope that it will work! 

Apologies again, 

The very (not so) happy blogger 

#BLAUGUST - Day 10 - Atlanta

Hello dear readers, 

(After the unfortunate delay yesterday...)

It is officially time for the final chapter, the conclusion of all conclusions, the finale to finale all finales... *drum roll pls*... The last part of me documenting my trip to America! 

Atlanta was our last stop as we have some friends who used to live very near to us, but moved to this particular city a couple of years ago. So we went to visit them! 

The day after we arrived, we went thrift shopping - it was one of the best moments ever *cue Macklemore*

Having fun with masks at the Gone With the Wind museum in Marietta, Atlanta - my mum bought an incredibly kitch handbag, which is ever so slightly embarrassing 

My dad looking majestic

I found this so interesting: the numbers of women who served in various wars and how it increased #gowomen (think this was the Marietta museum)

Hi there you dear deer u

Buddies (me in the middle)

Dressing up as Lincoln in a shop and having a sword fight, as you do

We went to the incredibly powerful, new Civil Rights museum in Atlanta (with my godmother - who I hadn't seen for 9 years and she flew down especially from New York for a day just to meet us!) - it was fascinating and really interactive. They had a stunning exhibit which simulated the civil rights sit-ins, where you say at a lunch counter and put your hands out in front of you, whilst headphones pumped out racial abuse from all sides - both shouts and menacing whispers - and your chair had the sensation of being kicked violently, all captioned with the slogan: how long could you last? It was incredibly powerful and something I don't think I'll ever forget. 

The museum was full of inspirational quotes; featuring many from this wonderful lady and her amazing husband

This was a striking bit of artwork on the ground floor - but upstairs they had another section - human rights. That featured exhibits on current global issues such as LGBT rights (if you've read this blog for a while you'll be familiar with the fact that I feel incredibly strongly about this particular issue) and other worthy causes, and how you could help campaign for them. I left the museum feeling truly inspired. 

That night, we went out for dinner to a lovely restaurant called Seed and had one of the best drinks I think I've ever tasted - watermelon, strawberry and raspberry lemonade. I can't even begin to describe how good it was, and how I regretted the supersonic speed with which I drank it. 

 

so macho 💪

Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King's grave - part of a whole area of buildings dedicated to him, with speakers blaring out his speeches and facts about him - did you know that he went to university when he was 15, and had got his degree by 17?! 

Windows in the church where the man himself preached - they again had his speeches playing - if you closed your eyes it was almost as though he was standing at the pulpit

A brilliant sculpture in the museum dedicated to MLK, which his wife helped to create, which symbolised the 'long road to freedom'. People of all races and ages are included in it, which I think is lovely 

The surprisingly large house he grew up in - and the guide was at pains to state that he was just an ordinary man who was once an ordinary boy (including being the mastermind behind many pranks with his brother on their sister, such as ripping the heads of her dolls and using them as baseballs!), who, when the time came, did extraordinary things... 

Later that day, we went to a baseball game: Atlanta Braves vs the Miami Marlins - Atlanta won woop woop!! This is a photo of the huge stadium, ft our photobooth photos 

the caption sums it up 

my new ride, discovered in a playground 

"Come on Barbie, let's go party"

the trip to Menchie's was definitely worth it

BEST MOMENT 

we are girls, therefore: always time for a manicure 

It was an amazing holiday - and seeing our friends at the end of it was a huge plus. Definitely would recommend this part of the world!! 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (satisfied and) happy blogger 

Ps: in the last photo, notice how exciting it is that our hair colours go up in gradient, GOSH