Last Post of 2014

Hello dear readers, 

I'm writing this little thing as a memoir to the year 2014, which seems to have whizzed by in a very confusing flash. It's been, for me, a year of ups and downs; trials and triumphs.

My main aim for next year is to be less passive and to really attack things head-on (I'm not talking about people here, I'm not that violent! fear not)... But also not to push myself too hard and to understand that I'm only human, that I have limits; that we all have to be selfish sometimes otherwise we'll be left behind in this crazy, fast world. 

I also wanted to say that I'm so thankful for my wonderful family, friends, and you, dear readers. Especially if you've been with me from the very beginning. Hopefully next year I won't be so passive when it comes to blog post-writing either! 

All that's left to say is that I hope you have a very happy new year, and that it is filled with love, laughter, luck, and most of all - pizza. (Only joking - not.) (no really I am... Sort of) 

Thanks for reading, 

See you next year! Bring on 2015.

The (very) happy blogger 

Ps: pizza is really great though isn't it?!

Frantic Festivity

Hello dear readers, 

How lovely to be reunited with you!! Sorry I've been so absent recently - as expected, the busy Christmas period has hit full-force and I've been engulfed in the middle of a huge mountain of homework, tests, present purchasing, Christmas decorating, present wrapping, meeting up with as many people as possible, and all the usual Christmas frantic factors. Even though they're tiring, I suppose they're what makes this time of year so exciting. 

Another little life update is that from 21st-23rd December I was in Berlin with my dearest one, Helen - hopefully I'll have a full post up about it soon - where we went Christmas shopping and famous-sights-visiting. 'Twas absolutely wunderbar (German A Level teachers would be proud). 

We're hosting the festivities for 10 people and 2 dogs this year, which should be very busy!! I'd love to hear about your Christmas traditions in the comments.

So, all that's left to say is I hope you all have a very, VERY happy, safe, love-filled, and all-round merry Christmas and that Santa brings you everything you wish for. 

Thanks for reading, 

The very (festive and) happy blogger 

Ps: currently wearing a very garish, bright red, sequin-filled Christmas jumper and I have no shame whatsoever. I feel this is the time of year when fashion rules no longer apply; anyone else agree?? (Or it may just be me being my slightly oblivious-to-conventionality-self - but who wants to follow the crowd anyway?) Therefore, have no shame in whipping out those reindeer/Santa/Christmas pudding (what I've opted for)/whatever other festive things/sequiny jumpers and/or onesies, and feel as festive and gleeful as possible - after all, Christmas only comes round once a year. 

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Hello dear readers, 

So, as the title of this post suggests, today marks the 1 year anniversary of my very first blog post! Granted, it wasn't the most exciting piece of writing ever written - it was me being very confused about having to post a link to my Blovlovin' (the link at the top of this blog if you want to check it out!) account; so not incredibly enthralling. 

Nethertheless, I feel it's been a good year, and I'm really going to try to write posts more often from now on - so that I have a few more blog-filled years yet to come! 

Thanks for reading, and can't wait to share more random bits and bobs with you all in the future. 

The (very) happy blogger

Exciting Announcement

Hello dear readers, 

Today, after an amazing phone call earlier, I can officially announce some very exciting news: I'm going to be a godmother!! 

I'm so, so thrilled, especially as the little girl, Millie, who's going to be my goddaughter (eek!!) is from a family which is sort of, well very, intertwined with my own. Let me attempt to explain: 

Basically, Millie's mum one of three daughters of one of my mum's oldest friends, who with her brother and parents used to be the neighbours of my mum's family when she was about the same age (ie, very very tiny) as Millie - so we all go way back! Then, two of the three daughters (including the mother of Millie) were my mum's bridesmaids after my mum was bridesmaid to their mum, then Millie's mum is my mum's goddaughter, and I'm HER mum's goddaughter, and now Millie rose is my goddaughter!! 

If you grasped any of that hugely complicated explanation, then I commend you. 

In short, another chapter is being made in the very complex story which is the relationship between us and these friends - who, in fact, are more like family to us all now. 

I can't wait to spoil my new goddaughter, and I'm pretty sure that this isn't the last you'll hear of her either! 

Thank you so much for reading, 

The very (excited and) happy blogger

PS: hopefully I'll have a few new posts up on the blog this week! 

IL PLEUT (extended version)

Hello dear readers, 

Yes, I'm fully aware that the title of this post sounds like a pop song - and in fact, this little nugget of excitement gives me great happiness (weird mood alert). 

I'm writing to you on this dark and dingy Monday evening to inform you of a VERY - yes, VERY VERY exciting fact.

The fabulous friend who I've known for 12 great years; whom I shared my first 'Il Pleut' Pret À Manger moment with; I can officially now pronounce her name I think: Chloe. 

Chloe is a lovely, lively and - (darn I've run out of similar words) - girl, who is now *much joy & general jubiliation* walking along much-enjoyed route embarked on already by yours truly: [essentially] she's started a blog. 

It would mean the absolute galaxy ft comet with scientific equipment (get it?!) to me if you could check out her blog. It's called 'On Cloud Chloe', which, believe me, is indeed a wondrous cloud to be on. Here's the link: 

http://oncloudchloe.blogspot.co.uk/?zx=df0fc1519429b927

So please, next time you have a spare moment (look at it NOW, I demand - I mean, no pressure or anything), please wend your way to the kingdom/reputable cloud of Chloe - and experience a wonderful world of music, fantastic funniness, and general amazingness (sorry grammar) which will, I'm sure, therefore ensue (grammar likes me again now). 

How very loquacious I am today! (I dare you to use this word in your day-to-day vocab, it's fab)

Thank you for reading, and PLEASE look at her blog - be sure to expect extraordinary things - and I will love you forever (I already do, naturally - I'm talking about an even longer forever, if that's even possible), 

The (very) happy blogger 

Taking Time to Relax

Hello dear readers, 

I worry that, recently, a lack of posts on this blog has become the norm, and I'm so sorry about that (many sad faces and tears). 

I'm currently suffering because I wrote out this whole post, and was really proud of it, then promptly managed to delete it all. Great. I'll attempt to re-create it now: 

I do actually have a reason for my recent absence, and it's that I've been incredibly busy. But it's not even that I've had loads of things going on, it's more to do with the amount of work I've had to complete. 

In the last few weeks, it feels like I literally haven't stopped working, and I've been trying as hard as I can (sounds cheesy, but it's true!!) You see, I do four (five if you include critical thinking) essay subjects for A-Level (last two years of high school for any confused non-UK dwellers), which is kind of exhausting. Don't get me wrong, I love my school and my subjects, but when you feel obliged to do as much extra reading as I do, it can result in you feeling that your work life never ends. As though there's always something else you can do; as though every second of study missed is a mark lost on your final exam. Of course, this isn't true, and I need to get out of this mindset. And I'm not the only one.

I'm sure that there are so many others who feel this way - those at school, college, uni, work, and any situation which makes you feel that you're being repeatedly drowned in a sea of endless information and late nights. 

But surely this isn't the way our lives should be lived? Surely we should be spending our time talking and spending time with each other; relaxing and letting the hours drift by in content, rather than in stress? 

Therefore, do whatever makes you feel good - and not the staying late at the office kind of good, the truly good good.

Whether it's reading, taekwondo, video games or curling up on the sofa to the beautiful voice of Ed Sheeran (it really is, isn't it?!), please relax whenever you can.

Personally, today is my day off. The first I've had in what feels like a long time. I'm spending it by going to my school Christmas fair and seeing people I haven't seen for a while, eating what feels like my entire body weight in fudge, reading part of a really long book called 'The Goldfinch' (which I thoroughly recommend) and seeing the new Benedict Cumberbatch film with my parents later (if any of you have already watched it, please comment below - I'd love to know your opinion!)

Yes, I have to do work tomorrow.  But it will be so much easier to bear when I've had a day to recuperate. I may even enjoy it! 

So next time you feel weighed down by an indescribably heavy burden which some refer to rather too generously as a 'work life', take time to put your feet up for a day or so - or even a few hours - and it will do you the world of (a really good) good. 

Thanks for reading (hopefully I won't delete the post again this time), 

The (very) happy blogger 

Ps: I've been thinking about new, interesting posts recently, and so I'll try to have them up as soon as possible! 

Sheeran & Stevie

Hello dear readers, 

Ginger, Guitars, and Graham the Cat - Guess Who?!

Well, a few weeks ago (this provokes more apologies for my lateness - sorry), I went to see the utter musical king that is the Sheeran himself! And, good golly, was he good. 

It was Monday, 13th October to be precise. I met my friend at the train station and together, we travelled up to the O2 arena in London. It was literally packed - thousands of people - and who comes to sit a couple of rows behind us, but STEVIE from Made in Chelsea. Our excitement was, understandably, um, very big. I have to admit, I did spend a considerable portion of the concert looking behind me to check that it was actually him. And it was. Gah. 

But anyway, back to dear Edward. His supporting act was a great guy (he has a band but I think it's supposed to be just him as the act?! Sorry I'm not entirely sure) called Saint Raymond. He was very good, but I have to be honest, I was a bit more focused on the fact that I was an emotional wreck in my Stevie excitement and Sheeran anticipation (all mixed in together).

When the wondrous ginger ninja himself eventually stepped out on stage, it was as I'd expected; perhaps even better. The huge stage contained only him, a guitar, and a loo pedal or two. And that's how it should be. 

(you can see how excited I was) 

To be honest, I think that's the main reason why I love his music so much - because it's not over-complicated or high-tech, it's simply amazing music played and sung by a guy who looks like he's just popped to the shops - standing there with messy, ruffled ginger hair, wearing a T-shirt and jeans. 

Ed's songs just blow my mind - his lyrics are so beautiful that three people were proposed to during the concert, and the melodies are so catchy that you wonder why they've never been used before.  

A great moment of the concert was during the song Tenerife Sea, where everyone held up their phones, and the huge O2 was lit up with thousands of gleaming lights, which swayed with the music. These are a few slightly dodgy photos, which don't do it justice, but ah well.

My favourite song of all time, though, has to be The A Team. Naturally, he did it as his penultimate song. Boy, did I love it. From the first chord, I was in tears, and after previously having assured myself that I'd sing all the words out loud and clear, I was unable to even muster a sentence because I was a complete, blubbering wreck. I managed to cheer up a bit when he did Sing, but the steady stream of mascara down my cheeks said otherwise. 

When we were leaving the arena, we heard a few screams - then I remembered who had been sitting near us. Stevie had completely failed in his efforts to hide himself with his jacket hood - already several girls had crowded around him, and you could tell that the number would grow soon. 

But, dear readers, I'm happy to announce that... I got a photo with him!! (Please see below) 

He was so lovely, and was nice enough to point out that the initial photo we got was unsuccessful as he noticed that my mum had her finger over the lens (technology and parents - they never go together, eh?!) ps, the brunettes in the photo are my friend and I, but I have absolutely no idea who the blonde girl is - she was a very excited Stevie megafan who seemed very close to complete combustion, and randomly posed for a photo with us in her excitement...

Altogether, it was quite an eventful evening. 

Thanks for reading!! 

The very (nostalgic and) happy blogger