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 

Monday Moans - IL PLEUT

Hello dear readers, 

As I hope you're aware (if not then please browse after reading this post), my last post centred heavily around the British themes of tea, cake, and slightly dodgy (we like to think it's fabulous) humour. But as I'm a patriotic sort, let's expand on this. What else is fundamentally British, I hear you ask? Well, I answer: bad weather.

It seems that the sky has been just chilling (in a cool Brian-from-the-Money-Supermarket-adverts way rather than a cold Elsa Sven Christoff Olaf way) recently, and has subsequently bottled up all of its anger and fury and all other related weather imagery. However, all of this bottled-up-whatnot needs to be let out eventually;  so today Mr Blue Sky turned into Mr Not So Blue Sky, and decided to let out seemingly one months' worth of rain in one day. *much cheering and general joyfulness*

You may say, why am I complaining when I'm British, and so haven't I got used to it by now? Well, the issue is (and I'm sure many would agree with me): I got rather more used to it being dry in recent months; so torrential rain was a bit of a shock to the system. 

I have a dear friend (hiya hello hi) who always walks with me to get lunch every Monday: it's our regular Pret Monday Excursion to battle the Monday Moans. 

But, but but: as I'm sure you can imagine, that journey was a little bit more difficult today... Let me give you a few reasons: 

1. As soon as we stepped out from the cosy, comforting warmth of college life, we entered into the blustery gale-force winds of a cold October day only to realise pretty soon that my friend's umbrella was... Well, faulty. Even though mine could be considered a sturdy brolly (umbrella, for all those unaccustomed to random English-isms), it was still no match for the sky's tears (how poetic) and so we both suffered with the umbrella-turning-inside-out situation as well as being blown and subsequently dragged halfway across the town. 

2. This next one wasn't actually too bad (just trying to tell the story chronologically hehe), well - 'twas indeed wondrous - when we got to Pret, aforementioned dear friend suggested us both buying warm toasties, and golly, were they amazing. *I had mozzarella, tomato and pesto for any interested!

3. Walking back up to school was interesting: it mainly mirrored the walk down - thereby featuring many intense confabulations (great word, please do look up) regarding the exciting nature of how this blog can be translated into Latin (I know right, so exhilarating!!) For the most part, we were blissfully unaware of how there was a guy behind us, sniggering under his breath the whole way (blame his overhearing us on the wind - it was so strong you had to literally shout to have a decent conversation). 

4. Time to shout more profanities at the sky such as "I hate you England" (statement from said dear friend) and "oh to have a faulty umbrella" (yours truly). 

5. Thinking we were safe, we kind of jogged (I know, what is this) the last few metres to the sixth form common room. 5, 4, 3, 2 - PLONK. My paper Pret bag was so wet it had exploded; straw, napkins, fork (pls don't ask why I felt the need to have a fork for a toastie, I don't know either), drink, crisps, beloved toastie, and random paper fragments, all littered the ground. In our panic to pick it all up, my friend managed to drop her wallet, which caused another panic a few minutes later; just after her own bag had done exactly the same thing. 

6. We walked into the common room breathless, drenched, windswept, freezing, and, most importantly, hungry. Needless to say, the luckily-still-warm toasties were much enjoyed!

So, there you have it. The dramatically told (naturally) story of my lunchtime. Hope it was thoroughly enjoyable for you (though nothing could be as enjoyable as a Pret toastie - please try if you haven't already experienced the wonders). 

Until next time, 

The (very exasperated and) happy blogger

Ps: happy October! Hope it's a great one for you 

My Guilty Pleasure (and Everyone Else in Britain's)

Hello dear readers, 

May I present to you a post entirely dedicated to that wonder of wonders; that programme of programmes: the Great British Bake-Off. If you, like me, watch this religiously every week and enjoy every single mouth-watering morsel, then please proceed to be my buddy. If not, or if, heaven forbid, you haven't even HEARD of it, well... Let me say to you, yes you, kindly sir or madam I say to you, yes that's you: please... do watch. Then you'll understand our obsession with it. Then therefore, thereby, forthwith, you can be my buddy. Yay!

Moving on... It may just be a stereotype, but - in fact, it IS a stereotype, that - Britain is associated with tea. Tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon, tea in the later hours (if you're feeling particularly daring). Just tea, tea, and yep - you guessed it - tea. BUT - and this is a very big but indeed - tea cannot go unaccompanied. Oh no, one must pair tea with one of the greatest partners-in-crime of all: cake. And this is where Bake-Off fits in. 

Fun fact: apparently the National Grid has noticed that energy usage increases very suddenly around 8pm on Wednesdays. And the usage from each user (of electricity that is, naughty!) amounts to how much usage you'd need to boil a kettle. Essentially, most of Britain's inhabitants agree that the age-old relationship between cake and tea should constantly be re-kindled. 

So now we've established Britain's association with tea, what next, you ask? Well, dear reader, I answer: British humour. Another age-old tradition. And that's where these two lovely ladies fit in:

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins are honestly one of the highlights of my week. The dymanic duo, the punny pair - whatever you wish to call them, they're brilliant in my opinion. Recently, they've been criticized for being too smutty. Personally I think this is ridiculous, as what kind of jokes do you expect them to make when their job is to be funny and entertain whilst presenting a programme where there are frequent soggy bottoms? I rest my (very sugary) case. 

Talking of dynamic duos, another worthy pair is these two: 

*drum roll pls*

May I present to you (this is the second time I've used that phrase, I must be feeling particularly dramatic this evening) the wonderful king of bread and the delightful overall queen of baking, fashion, and everything. Paul Hollywood may have his rough edges, but we all know he's secretly all soft and squishy and nice on the inside (punny baking pun, thank you, thank you). As for Mary, well - another fun fact, which I think shows her amazing influence over people despite being the grand old age of 80 this year (so is my grandma actually - as of Friday - so yay to that) is that a jacket she recently wore in an episode sold out within half an hour on the shop's website. She is an absolute style icon. And she bakes great biscuits too - what more could you want?! 

But hang on, let's not forget some very important people here: the contestants. Some of my favourites have been John (who won a couple of series back), Norman (I mean, how could you not adore him), Martha (unfortunately *SPOILER ALERT* she went out this week, but it's amazing how she got to the quarter finals aged only 17), and so many others who have all outdone themselves in the baking department. The irony is that I can't bake for my life, so I guess it's natural in a way for me to extra-admire all of the contestants, who have to be so talented at baking to even get on the show in the first place. 

The bake-off family (not forgetting the hilarious Jo Brand, who does the spin-off programme 'An Extra Slice') is just fabulous - there's no other word for it. I think it's wonderful how it's such a popular programme when all it really is is good old baking puns, many soggy bottoms, and a lot of amazing concoctions on the side. The nation has truly been betwitched the by the power of... Cake. 

So now you're all probably thinking, what's my opinion on who's going to win? Well, to your thoughting thinks I do say: I have no idea.

Hmm... Maybe I do. 

But that would be telling! 

I hope that if you haven't already been immersed in the world of Bake-Off, that you do soon. After all, it's great for the soul (although not the stomach - I find it makes me incredibly hungry and, naturally I must fulfil this hunger with the most unhealthy thing I can lay my hands on... Ah well)!

Thanks for reading, 

The (very) happy blogger

A Much-Needed Catch-Up

Hello dear readers,

Oh how I've missed this!

Understandably, you'll all be thinking either, "oh God she's back again" or "what took her so long" (don't worry, I know that you're all far too kind and wonderful to be this abrupt).

Well, dear readers, my excuse for this prolonged absence is quite simply my settling into sixth form, which has actually taken longer than I thought. 

At first, I didn't really know what to think, as everything was so new yet fabricated out of what we were used to. Let me explain... I don't know if you remember, but I think I explained before that the 6th form/ college part of my school is in a different building, which is odd as I rarely go in the senior school one anymore; that will take some getting used to!

Essentially, I'm not good with change. Change of work amounts (gah), change of uniform (none now - woohay! - although outfit choices have made me late on several mornings), change of people (I talked about this quite a lot in my last post - although the wondrous, amazing, fabulous and all-round good news is that one of my best friends came back to school on Monday, after she changed her mind about college choices post a week and a bit of another one).

Overall, I'm really happy though. The teacher-student relationship is so much more informal now, and I feel like I can talk to many different members of the year who I didn't really get to see that much before, and having new girls is exciting too. So much change. 

On the subject of change, I'm sure you're all well aware of what went on today. And if you're not, then... Well...

I never intended this blog to be a political blog as I wanted to keep it a bit lighter than that. However, I think I'm going to gently express my opinion by saying that I've never found this song more appropriate:

 

And I'll leave it at that. Apart from saying how scary it is that when I wake up tomorrow, I, and all the millions who live in the UK, will see things differently, no matter the result of the vote. If it is a yes, then I worry about how something we can't (not if you're not I'm Scotland anyway) control, will impact the lives of generations to come (again, I reiterate that this is only my opinion, and I don't want to be politics-y for too long!) And if it's a no, I still don't think that this whole thing will be laid to rest, so it won't be the end of it all either way you look at it. I only wish that as many people as possible will be happy tomorrow. Or even if they're not necessarily pleased, then at least satisfied, or prepared to put up with the result. At the end of the day, everyone has a different opinion on the situation, and they're more than entitled to have that. 

Anyway, I better get some sleep now, as not only is tomorrow a big day for Great Britain, it's also a big day for my grandma. It will be her 80th birthday, and I hope that it will be as enjoyable as possible for her. 

Night night, and I hope that you're all enjoying life at the moment too. 

Thank you for reading,

The very (slightly nervous as I feel too helpless meh and) happy blogger 

Ps: hopefully I can get back into good habits soon and have a more regular blog schedule!! Well, at least I've suggested it now... Let's see if I carry it out... Hmmmm...

#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 6 - Summer Playlist

Hello dear readers, 

I forgot to tell you: a couple of days ago my morning was so exciting (for me in my own little way anyway) as, well remember I did work experience at a publishing house? They said they'd send me books in the post, and they did!! I got a package full of EIGHT - EIGHT (just let it sink in) beautiful and free books and I'm so happy. 

Meanwhile, I'm trying to spread out my holiday posts so that you don't get horrifically bored, so today I decided to talk about some of my current favourite (happy, naturally) songs (ps not everyone has the same taste in music as me so I apologise if this is of absolutely no use to you):

1. Rude - MAGIC! 

This song is so happy and summery, and I love how it tells a story - especially as it's a very romantic story (sorry, my lovey girly side kicking in there)

2. Let Me In - Grouplove 

This is a song in the Fault in Our Stars soundtrack, which I bought whilst in America as I noticed whilst watching the film that all of the songs featured were ones I liked; whether I'd heard them before or not. This particular song is quite different and not as classic pop as, say, Rude, but I love how it has different vocals and sections 

3. Boom Clap - Charli XCX 

Also on the soundtrack - it's shocking how my music taste becomes a lot more pop-y in summer... Ah well!

4. Honey - Swim Deep

Swim Deep are quite 'alternative' and so not everybody's cup of tea, but if you're searching for a chilled, summer song, this may just be it!

5. You & Me Song - The Wannadies 

This song isn't precisely summery for me (well it is happy so maybe it could be seen as so!) but it's so positive and lovely - especially the chorus; so if you need a bit of cheering up, do have a listen:) 

So, I hope those recommendations come in useful! Please comment below if you want me to do this again - maybe once every month? I'm literally addicted to music and so I'd be more than happy to!

Thanks for reading, 

The very (melodic and musicy-feeling and) happy blogger