A Journey | university

Lately i've been distant from blogging and the internet in general, life has been so consumed with everything university, so i thought i'd share a few of my thoughts on the matter. Applying, preparing a portfolio, then the actual interviews which concluded on Wednesday 25th this month. I now feel as though a weight has left my shoulders after receiving all my offers and roughly knowing which i want to study at. But really thats not where the journey ends, is it? not even once you get there or even finish your studies it wont be over, you'll still be on the journey for many more years to come. There's no true ending to a journey through education as it will always stay with you in some way. If you'd have told me two years ago i'd be going to university this September i'd laugh, originally i never planned on going to university i didn't want to "go for the experience" why spend thousands of pounds for an experience? but not to study something you enjoy. However after looking into it more and thinking what i actually want to do in the future within the photography industry i realised maybe it's not the worst thing, going to university and going to open days really opens your eyes with how it can expand your knowledge in the subject and also help you discover your style. Never did i want to give into the pressures of HAVING to go, all around people say that you need to get a degree to then persue and get the job you want, that should hardly be true but the experiences that university can give you can be incredible! Don't listen to what others say but explore the possibilities of what you can do after college/sixth form then choose whats right for you, that's all that truly matters.

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Sundays Adventures

Today i thought i'd do a day in photos type post, Sunday's for me are more of a chill day before college the next day and taking some time out to enjoy the things i love. 

To start the day off i made porridge with honey and a detox twinings tea for breakfast, usually i have green tea but while being ill i've found this to help. While having breakfast i'll read, today i read a couple chapters of Stardust, so far its really good. I then go on to tidying my room, focusing on my desk as that always ends up being a mess after doing sketchbook work for college, nothing says tidying than an upbeat playlist so it doesn't feel so much like a chore. After that i usually get dressed for the day and apply a little makeup; concealer, fill in brows, glitter eyeliner and bold lip. Quick, simple and nothing too heavy. Then sometimes i will make up a batch of yogurt, today i made plain yogurt to add berries and honey too. By then it's probably time for lunch, lately i've been loving scrambled egg with pepper on toast, super easy and yummy! After lunch i'll usually go for a walk in the heath near where i live taking different routes each time, exploring parts i haven't been to before, normally i'll only take my dslr camera to take a few photos but recently i've switched it up with my minolta film camera, i love shooting with this camera as it really makes you think about the photos that you take and the settings that you use. Upon getting home i like to take out my tablet and check up on my sims on there, it's really tempting me into buying sims 4 when it comes out for mac. After spending too much time on there it's usually time to start preparing the usual Sunday roast, though today somehow i forgot to cook my quorn fillets. While having dinner we'll usually have the tv on with a film showing or doctor who if its on. Following that its time to have a bath and have a few games of spider solitaire before removing any makeup from my face and moisturising. Sundays are when i tend to repaint my nails so today i chose a nude shade from barry m. Then to end the day i'll watch a few episodes of merlin then read one final chapter of the current book that i'm reading. 

Do you have any Sunday traditions?

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Embrace the unknown | thoughts

Looking ahead the path is unclear, nothing is certain. Long journeys, by car, train, foot or any other transport take in where you are, see it like you never have before. The roads you know may seem familiar but there'll be matters you don't know about them, always mystery. Nothing is straightforward or clear. Roads you don't know thats where the magic lies, let them take you to places of new, embrace the unknown. Without being cliche its not all about the destination, its about the journey, its true. All the little things along the way building up, the beauty of the world passing by, the adventures, the untold all lead you somewhere however the destination may be full of wonder don't let that make you forget what you went through to get there. It matters, it all matters, everyone and everything does. Get lost along the way and discover a new; things change YOU change.Your journey through time creates who you are, forever changing, developing for you never stop learning. 

Long journeys are my own state of bliss, watching the world pass around me as night turns into day and day into night. I wish to capture these moments and share them with others. The beauty of the natural world that many miss, the moments untold, I feel needs to be told and shared for all to see. At this time in the current day all seems miserable and repetitive like all is the same day in and day out, I want to capture moments in this day and age to remind people that there is beauty in this world, to share things that go unnoticed to show that we don't need to keep our heads in this technology and to take a step back and take a look at whats around us for a while. Nothing will stay the same forever its constantly changing.

Embrace this life that you have, enjoy it, fulfil your hopes and dreams at least try and never give up. Don't let the world or others get to you, it's a struggle but its worth it. Be your own ray of light everything may be unclear but what'd be great about knowing how everything will turn out? its an adventure, your adventure make the most of it.

Reads | January & February

Having set myself the challenge to read 45 books this year after having read 40 in 2014 i thought i'd create a series where i share with you the main books i plan to read over the next month or two.  Today i'll be sharing the books of January and February, as next month is busy with uni interviews i've only planned two main books to read however one is bulky which is perfect for long journeys. I might also do a book collection/bookcase tour if anyone is interested in that.

January:

Alice's adventures in wonderland by Lewis Carroll - Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"' So begins the tale of Alice, following a curious White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole and falling into Wonderland. A fantastical place, where nothing is quite as it seems: animals talk, nonsensical characters confuse, Mad Hatter's throw tea parties and the Queen plays croquet. Alice's attempts to find her way home become increasingly bizarre, infuriating and amazing in turn.

To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee - A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes if Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930's. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern - Best friends since forever, Rosie and Alex have shared their hopes, dreams - and firsts. But one awkward moment at eighteen, one missed opportunity, and life sends them hurtling in different directions. Although they stay in touch, misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck seem to be conspiring to keep them apart. Can they gamble everything - even their friendship - on true love?

February: 

Stardust by Neil Gaiman - Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.

Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix by J.K Rowling - Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...

Thanks for popping by x

Morning 2015 | year goals

Now i may not be one of the people that make the traditional new year resolutions as i've never stuck to them for more than a few months, or simply forget what i planned to do that year i've decided i'm going to create a list of goals that i hope to achieve by the end of the year, a bit like a bucket list really. I'm not setting out in hope to achieve them all, though it'd be amazing if i did but it's more things i'd like to achieve rather than being that i have to.

1. Read 50 books
> 50 books may sound a lot but last year i read 40 books and had a pause in reading for around two months as i was swamped in college work and such so it doesn't seem so unrealistic. I was going to set myself the challenge of reading 40 books again but decided to increase the amount since i have a pile of unread books sitting in my room awaiting me.

2. Drink green tea at least 3 times a week
> Rather a simple goal but i rarely drink anything other than water or the occasional hot chocolate plus i've never really liked tea before but when i tried this a week or two ago i really liked it so 3 times a week is just a start and i can increase it as the year goes on or try other teas?

3. Get into uni

> Never did i think i'd want to go to uni but over the past year i changed my mind, not sure how but it happened and i applied at the end of the year and interviews are in the next few months and i genuinely hope that i get offered a place my first choice.

4. Experiment + put more effort into my coursework
> Going along with my previous goal its all about education again, maybe effort isn't the right word to use but i strive to better myself with upcoming work and not stay at the same place that i am and to do that i need to put more effort in, if that makes sense? Also i want to experiment within my work more as i love trying new things out and making my work different and finding myself in photography.

5. Blog regularly/form a schedule
 >Again this is quite simple but knowing myself it will be a challenge to actually do this as it'll mean finding a balance between everything and stop procrastinating without sounding cliche i'd rather read a book or go on a walk than attend to my responsibilities but this year i hope to put up a new post at least once a week.

6. Exercise/workout regularly 
>Towards the end of last year i began doing workouts and exercising but never regularly as i got into the habit of putting it off, oops. This year i intend to carry on doing the workouts i was doing but do them regularly, so around 2 times a week and perhaps build it up as the year goes on i don't want to make it feel like a chore.

7. Re-watch all 5 seasons of Merlin
>Attempted this last year but only got to mid season 3 unfortunately but this year i'm challenging myself to re-watching it all again, it's not such a bad thing since i love the show and it'll take me even longer to reach the last episode of season 5 so more time to prepare myself for the heartbreak.

8. Travel
> Travel anywhere, places i've ventured to before or that i've never seen before but i don't want to spend the majority of my time in the same city. Living on hope that i'll visit Paris again this year but anywhere is fine, even for a day or two, i love travelling and i don't do it enough.

9. Get a job
> At the moment i'm volunteering at a charity based retail store, i enjoy volunteering there a lot but i need to consider looking for a paid job which doesn't sound so appealing but i need to try get a job at some point.

10. Be happy
> Simple? Being positive all the time is my downfall, i always see the negative in things but no more. Looking at the world as a glass half empty isn't fun, but then no one said it was. This year i shall think more positive thoughts and smile often; do activities that make me happy. Last year taught me not to dwell on the past, things are constantly changing some things you can't control and that's okay just don't let it bring you down, smile.

Thanks for popping by

New Years Eve | make up

Today i'm sharing with you a glittery eye, bold lip make up look for new years eve. This is a simple look that i plan to wear on new years eve when we have all our friends round for the evening.
Before applying any makeup i always moisturise with simple spotless skin anti-blemish moisturiser. I started the look off with my Rimmel wake me up concealer in the shade Ivory I applied it to under my eyes and to any blemishes then set it with the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 001 transparent. I skipped foundation as i didn't want the look to be too heavy but you could totally apply foundation as well. Onto brows i took my naked basics pallet and lightly filled them in using the shade faint. Using the naked basics pallet again i applied the shade w.o.s all over my lid and brow bone and foxy in the inner corner of my eyes. Then taking a mac eyeshadow in the shade cirlie i applied that over my lids, focusing on the inner two thirds, going back to the naked basics pallet to add a little smoky look to the eyes i took naked 2 applying it to the outer corner of my eye then ran it through the crease. Moving onto eyeliner i lined my eyes with Collection's dazzling gel liner in glitz 1 to add some sparkle to the look (I love glitter, like a lot.) Going back to my face i contoured my face with MUA's bronzer in shade 2 using my real techniques contour brush. Finally onto lips i took my favourite lipstick from mac in the shade craving and thats the completed look. I paired this makeup look with a black lace dress from Ark, i love adding a pop of colour to a look with a bold lip.

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Christmas eve...

Why not prepare a little box of treats for the family this christmas eve and pop on a family favourite christmas film? while the fire burns away and christmas lights glowing have a cosy and relaxed night in before christmas the next day. The idea is essentially a little mix of a winter film night essentials; set of christmas pyjamas, favourite food and drink to have with a film along with a little something special. This means that you can adapt and customise it to each person. Christmas day is always busy opening presents, preparing the dinner and chatting with relatives so there isn't much time to sit and watch a festive film so this idea is a perfect way to relax with everyone and watch a film, we always watch Polar Express on christmas eve before everyone comes round the next day, it's become quite the tradition now. 

Whats your favourite christmas film?

Hope you all have a wonderful christmas