We Picnic in Pretty Places

Sometimes, it's so easy for me to get caught up in every day life, and forget that actually I live in quite a nice (for want of a better word) part of the world! But, just as quick as that fact can slip my busy mind, it also only takes one day, or one part of a day, to re-stumble across the pretty landscapes around me - for example, this Bank holiday, when we set off in search of a place to picnic.


Whilst it seems that everybody decides to embark on the great outdoors in some form or other when a bank holiday comes along - be that for a gentle stroll, an invigorating hike, or a long bike ride - personally we just wanted a bit of fresh air, a stretch of the legs, and a bit of a change of scenery.

Hopping in the car for a long drive is no problem to me, especially when we end up wandering round somewhere are attractive as we did, however it might have been even better had I not wisely brought my camera along without both it's battery (charging) and memory card (in computer) - I don't even know how I managed it! Thankfully I did manage to borrow scrounge another camera, and so, not to waste the opportunity, got clicking...

 Overall I had to say, quite simply, that I loved the whole place for it's beautiful houses, trees and cute little cafes! What more could you want from a town?

Aside from the throngs of other tourists with much the same idea as us, our wander along the river was fittingly peaceful, and even a panorama photo could hardly do it justice (plus, points for who can spot how I've creepily managed to duplicate Dad, oops!)

Of course walking around/ standing around when slightly lost, only calls for, what, a foot selfie? It sounds weird when said like that, but come on, you know fine well the ones I mean...

Impeccably styled as always (haw haw), I decided there was nothing better to wear on such a chilled excursion than a good pair of leggings, riding boots and a slobby jumper - we all have those days right?


Of course, the goal at the end of all our wanderings, the final destination, was the picnic, and oh boy, by the time we got there was my stomach growling in anticipation! We found a suitably humungous tree stump to perch our bums on, and dug in.

All washed down with a steaming hot flask of peppermint tea of course, as by then it was undoubtedly chilly!

With satisfied bellies and the beginnings of tiredness showing, we jumped in the car and head back home - even the view out the window was pleasantly scenic, as we passed by the 'Devil's Beef Tub'.

Impressive right? All in all a successful, thoroughly calm, stress-free day!
What did you get up to this Bank holiday? Is there something, like picnicking, that you like to do, maybe that makes you feel a bit like a kid again too?

x

April Adorations

For me, April has been one of those funny months, a bit up and down and around, just whizzing by! But between studying, stressing and sleeping, I've also had just about enough time to discover some new things to wear, hear, do, and generally make my day. I thought I might like to share some of these "adorations" today, as the month draws to a close and we move swiftly on into the next one (eek!) So, this month I've enjoyed (ft. dodgy editing)...

Watching:

Frozen! For sure! I know we're moving into warmer, brighter days, and I should be well past the age and stage of obsessing over Disney films, but this film is just impossible not to love! Quite simply, the songs are currently my life's soundtrack (can. not. stop. singing.), and Olaf is my new best friend. If you're having a down day, there is no better medicine!

Reading:

Asides from textbooks and revision notes (yawn) I haven't had the chance (or energy) to be reading all that much, but one beautiful book I did get to enjoy was  The Book THIEF, which was fab!

Putting on:

-Vaseline 'Spray and Go' cocoa moisturiser - does everything it says on the tin, perfect for my fellow lazies

-Benefit 'Total Moisture' face cream - so fresh, even for my driest-of-dry skin

-Marc Jacobs 'Honey' - a go-to whenever the weather looks like its picking up

Listening to (on repeat):

1. This beacon of wonderfulness, "Another Story" by Head and the Heart. It's one of those songs that can lift my spirit at any moment, and I can't see it getting old anytime soon either.

2. Or "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez. You know those late night explorations of the YouTube sidebar that occasionally turn into something great? Well, this was one of them! (Also, I later realised it had been in One Tree Hill too, even better)

Wearing:
Saving up means that I haven't bought very much recently, but it also means that what I have picked up has had to be worth it! I'm loving my floral/lace kimono from Urban Outfitters, and can't wait to be able to wear it in all its glory! A more recent purchase was this black bag from Accessorize, which hasn't even had its first outing yet, but I am determined to get as much use out off as possible!

Doing:

Well, it was only for 3 days out of the months, but Future News 2014 will not be something I am likely to forget in a hurry! Meeting such a diverse group of people from around the globe, all connected by a common interest and goal, was a one in a lifetime opportunity I think, and I'm so glad to have conquered my worries and gone ahead with it!

Now that brings my favourites to an end, and I can now say that I hope May shapes up just as well as April did! What have you loved recently? And what are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Oh, Dear May...

I've waited so long for this month to come around, it hardly feels real now that it has actually arrived! 

I mean, if my life were one of those books I've been writing about in English, I think this month would be the turning point - not to scare myself, but there really is a sense of the rest of everything that matters to me right now riding on these next few weeks.

Obviously it is exams that are clouding the forefront of my mind, after months of preparation and studying and "staying cool". With the first one over and past today, I can say that all those nerves and stress I thought I'd be feeling right now seem to have bypassed me, and in fact I'm just tired and relieved; quietly confident but not wanting to jinx anything! Still though, it's undoubtedly easy to dwell on what could have gone, or could still go, wrong, yet I also know this is my time to finally let all my hard work pay off and get the most from it! I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm excited, but it's a feeling not that different.

So, I approach this month with optimism, and a handful of mini-goals for myself (maybe like not looking like Cyclops in photos...)

With looming stress and drowning in books, comes also the opportunity to take a break and embrace a healthy, happy lifestyle. Everybody says this every month, I know. But the past few weeks I feel like I've really been getting into it, and on the first of the month, having just returned from a quick run, I'm feeling positive that this can, and will, continue. Eating well, drinking lots of water, regular moving - simple right?! As with any girl on the internet, I feel Cassey Ho from Blogilates is my saviour in helping me with this, and as much as possible I'll be following her May calendar (I can already tell I'm going to die from it, no joke).

Something I've been wanting to do more for a long time now is draw and paint, and literally just in the past few days I've already tried to start this. My problem before was that I never know what to draw, being such a damn perfectionist(not a good thing_, but now I'm going to drop the idea that everything I do has to be of any quality, and just make some (possibly not great) art for the fun of it instead! I'm hoping the amazing original ideas will ensue. 

Study leave. Weeks of free time at home. Sure, I'll get some studying done, and some fun things too perhaps, but what am I really looking forward to? Getting to read! Now my English exam is officially over, I can pack away all those quotes and themes and characters which have been consuming me since last August, and finally enjoy books again. Not really a goal because I love it, but certainly something I will look forward to getting the chance to do once more, not to mention blogging about it too. (Also, watching Game of Thrones, which I've recently been hooked by, but I don't know if that's something I should actually encourage in myself?...)

Staying positive is something I'm normally ok at on the surface, but everybody has their down days, even their 'really-down' days. Recently I have been feeling a lot happier, not thanks to anything in particular I don't think, but this is something I want to maintain - however one does that! With the flowers blooming and the prospect of summer and the great big world and future just around the corner, May feels set to be a mighty alright month. If it'll agree to jump on board and be kind and treat us all well, then what could go wrong? 

x

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Like a Second Chance

Whether you are a very religious person or not, I think Easter should be a time for change, remembrance, hope- all those feelings and thoughts we tend to pack away and not give enough attention to in day-to-day life.
Of course it's easy for me to say that right now, when the sun is streaming in the window, the birds are chirping outside, and my stomach is pleasantly chocolatey (yes, already - oops!), and I realise that the world can't always seem as lovely as it does right now.

But please today, however you are feeling,  if you just do one thing - whether you're in with Easter for the faith or just the tasty goodies - please be thankful.
Be thankful for those people around you who are happy to see you, and you them. For the weather outside which keeps everything alive and the flowers blooming.

Go for a walk and appreciate the lambs skipping in the fields or the daffodils by the side of the road. Be thankful for your body which can allow you to do things like walk and see and smell (even if it maybe does enjoy those sugary treats a bit much!) and for your mind too, which is able to imagine and take in such great and beautiful things.

Bake a cake...

Lie in the sun...

Read a poem... 
perhaps starting with this one, which is my Mum's all time favourite, and understandably so!

("I wandered lonely as a cloud" by William Wordsworth)

Most of all?
Put on those springtime rose-tinted glasses and enjoy life for what it is...

No matter how you woke up this Easter morning, make this like a second chance, in every sense of the term. Smile, laugh, be grateful.
I hope everybody has a truly wonderful day!

x

The Commonwealth Melting Pot

It is in the young people of today where the best friendships are made, the most resonant lessons learned, and the future moulded. Now, Glasgow is taking this natural part of life and turning it into something prosperous, innovative, and hugely enjoyable for the Commonwealth - Future News 2014. As one of the 120 lucky enough to partake in such an opportunity, I must say that the natural way to describe these past few days is with the written word.

As a girl from a sleepy village near the Scottish borders, being approached by a bubbly personality from Jamaica or Pakistan, is not something I am used to in the slightest, more accustomed to passing a rogue farm animal in the road than any form of city hustle and bustle. However, I have learned that here in the Mitchell library, anything can happen.

Pushed to talking to strangers despite any former nerves or timidity, we quickly settled in, realising that, here, we are not thought at all strange for wanting to be a journalist, broadcaster, or presenter, but celebrated! Because of Future News we have talked to people we never would have otherwise; learned the ins and outs of the industry from its greats; even had a go ourselves at publishing the type of content we aspire to create in the future (whatever that may be).

At first, I may have cynically seen plucking over 100 young adults from various points across the globe and expecting them to get along as a bit far-fetched. Now, I can see the genius of the whole concept. It turns out that a thread of common interest, no matter how blurred, is enough to form the kind of bond not easily forgotten by anyone - creating the true 'melting pot'.

It seems the young people have done it again! We have done it again: shown that we are indeed the future; capable, teachable, and raring to get ahead. Although 2014 is just the first Future News Conference, I hope it will not be the last, and that the Commonwealth Games, and the reporting they inspire, will leave behind a legacy to be enjoyed by generations to come.

"They lived and laughed and loved and left"...

So, in an event which I looked forward to for weeks and weeks, and which then flashed by me in what felt like minutes, we recently went to Dublin for a weekend. Our excuse? That it was Mum's 50th birthday, we wanted to do something nice, my prelims had just finished and we all deserved a little break. In reality, I think we just wanted to do something regardless of occasion, and getting out of our small same-ish house and village and part of the world, was certainly called for.

Having only flown once before, the excitement of getting in a plane to go somewhere we could just as easily have driven, could not be downplayed. Of course, the flight was so short that we had barely sat down and I had read but a page or two of my trashy magazine before we were being told to prepare for landing again, but it still tickled pink that 5 year old hidden inside me!

Plus, despite it being a typically 'dreich' day, I couldn't help but think that it was quite a lovely landscape to be looking down on from miles high in the sky, with fields upon fields upon fields, and clear grey sea.





The first night was one for a little bit of exploring, tired from the day of travelling and hanging around and getting a little too excited about getting to miss a day of school to go on our little adventure. Naturally, the skies opened the minute we were on solid, Dubliner's land, and we were soaked to the skin, resorting to running down O'Connell Street, tucking my camera inside my jacket on the rare moments I didn't see something I wanted to capture.

I fell in love with the beautiful columns on all the old buildings, not to mention the various statues of revolutionaries, and the vast open street;  taxis zooming up and down it endlessly. There were flags everywhere, and well trimmed trees which just made the place feel so grand and well looked after - Dublin looked so proud to be itself! Plus, everything looks better when laid against a stormy backdrop, the sun struggling with all its might to make an appearance.

Unfortunately, as it was getting late, the night simply consisted of some "Irish" food in the end, a simple trick to satisfy grumbling tums as well as sodden clothes and chattering teeth.

The next day was a slightly better affair as far as weather was concerned, and we set about walking till we dropped, making the most of the beautiful city on tired feet.

I can't say we actually did very much, but really it was perfectly pleasant to just wander and absorb it all.

I never realised before we went what a hive of literary genius Dublin was, but everywhere we turned there was some writer or other, or another fascinating aspect of culture. James Joyce's death mask in a Wee Dublin Museum, a whole exhibition dedicated to U2, and of course seeing Oscar Wilde just hanging out in the park...

Plus an abundance of quotes, each one a beacon of some kind of hope or strength or humour.
Oh, words, wonderful words.








Later on, when it began to get dusky and the mood got just that bit too tired for things to be fun anymore, Temple Bar and its assortment of eateries was the perfect place to turn to.

Then came Sunday; the day of rest, homecoming, tired eyes, minds... and a perfect wash-of-blue sky to bid us farewell as we strolled along the river to wile away our last few hours in the city.

 We saw plenty of innovative architecture, namely banks and offices, covered in glimmering blue glass.

The famine memorial, having just learned about this heartbreaking period of history, was slightly eerie and disconcerting, entirely at odds with it's location, but it was captivating and made us remember, in that moment, the many who perished all those years ago.


And then, after our short break, it was goodbye Dublin, and home we went. As a city it is somewhere I would love to revisit when I am older and can more truly appreciate the history and beauty of it, as well as the busier side we didn't get to see. If nothing else, our visit has left me with an overwhelming urge to delve into the world of the literature which originated and was exposed to me there, and reading something by James Joyce is officially on my bucket list! When he wrote such words as these, who could not want just that?...

And I think I will leave you with that, for how could I follow it?

x