Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
I can't believe it's March already! And yet so much has happened in the first two months of the year I'm almost surprised that we're only just at March. I started seeing a guy called Luke at the beginning of January and had my first Valentines for about three years (in which I got this adorable handmade door sign!(1)) and have generally had a wonderful few months with him. He flies to Canada tomorrow, and we knew that when we were setting out so though I'm going to miss him the goodbyes weren't too melodramatic.
We also had pancake day (3) in which my own apron was entirely for aesthetic effect as my kitchen-savvy housemates were in charge of the batter and the flipping, while I was in charge of the application of delicious toppings and of course the very important eating process.
The lovely Coralie Bickford Smith (illustrator of Penguins clothbound classics and writer of the Fox and the Star) came to do a signing with designer Paul Barnes at my branch of Waterstones. They were both lovely and Coralie spent a lot of time talking to guests and signing books and I had a great time putting together the displays (4).
The lovely Coralie Bickford Smith (illustrator of Penguins clothbound classics and writer of the Fox and the Star) came to do a signing with designer Paul Barnes at my branch of Waterstones. They were both lovely and Coralie spent a lot of time talking to guests and signing books and I had a great time putting together the displays (4).
The last few days of February were intense! I had a job interview for a new, more senior role at a different Waterstones, and got the job!! So I'm really sad to be leaving my current friends at Waterstones, but excited to go on to new challenges, more hours (and better pay... ahem.) And I really shouldn't only work part time... I end up sitting around derping with Tom all day, which leads to pictures like (2). After my job interview I worked a NINE HOUR SHIFT HOLY HELL and then got home and into pyjamas just in time for Luke to come over and stay for a few nights before he leaves the country. We had a lot of fun, we went to London Zoo and made friends with some teeny tiny monkeys (5), got attacked by an escaping parrot, saw baby gorillas with their mama and generally had an awesome time.Then on the last night we had a house party and bought all of our various nerdy weird-ass friends together (6). It was a really good night and lovely to hang out with my work friends somewhere that doesn't involve a rota.
So February has been jam-packed and lots of fun. March is going to involve considerably more hard work and challenges, but after two months of essentially bumming about it's something I've been craving.
Let me know how your month has been and what you've got on the cards for March!
Isabelle
xox
It's 2014! I hope you all had an absolutely lovely New Years and are ready for a fresh start. I certainly am. 2013's been okay, but I feel like I've found myself a little stagnant and am ready to move up to a new level in life. I know some people are against making resolutions but I personally love the feeling of goals to accomplish and the opportunity to reevaluate what I think is truly important in life. 2013 for me was a year of self discovery, very much an introspective year in which I re-considered a lot about my life and decided who I want to be and what I want to do with my life. 2014, I hope, is the year that I begin to put these things into practice...
Read 52 Books - I know averaging a book a week is going to be difficult but I really want to get ahead on my reading this year. I explained in this post how since starting University my reading-for-pleasure has taken a nose dive and shared a few books I plan to get through this year.
More 'Creative Time' - All I want to do for a living is to be a writer, preferably of novels and possibly screenplays. Ultimately I want to be able to support myself doing what I love, and I want to start doing that as soon as possible. I watched a great talk by John Cleese on YouTube about creativity and putting yourself in the best possible environment to let it flourish. Part of his talk was about regularly scheduling time for yourself to seclude yourself and just play around with ideas in your mind relating to whatever project you're working on, creativity breeds creativity, I find often once I start thinking of a few ideas the ball gets rolling and after half an hour I have pages of scribbled notes and doodles ready to be turned into something useful, which leads me onto my next point.
Finish A First Draft - One of my worst problems is my tendency to get easily distracted. I'll be merrily working away on a fantasy novel draft and then one day my mind will wander and I'll decide I want to try out writing a sitcom script instead. Que aforementioned novel slung to the side and a whole new notebook being filled up with new ideas. The issue is that this happens all the time, so I have a pile of notebooks and folders on my computer full of a few chapters/scenes/outline points from at least ten different ideas. I love having the ideas, and the excitement of working on a new project but I am far too easily distracted. I have decided I will put all other projects aside (only allowing myself to scribble down any sudden inspiration by hand to be put aside for another day) and work solely on finishing one thing. I've never finished anything longer than a short story, and they were for creative writing deadlines! This will be the year folks!
Keep up with Regular Gym Visits - For the last few months of 2013 I actually signed up for a gym membership and was doing really well, going at least twice a week. It fell by the wayside for the last two weeks of term when I was forgoing sleep to write essays and I'm only enrolled at my local gym at Uni so having come home I haven't been able to pick it back up but I'm still proud of the effort I put in during those months and I definitely want to keep up the good work into the new year.
Develop a Better Sleeping Pattern - 3am to 11pm is not a good habit to be in. Enough said really.
Stick to a Cleaning Schedule - Instead of having to physically and mentally force myself to do any type of cleaning and tidying at all, and only when it direly needs doing, I want to start sticking to a routine, that will hopefully turn into a habit. If regular household maintenance is just part of an everyday routine I can just do it on autopilot, allowing me to focus my brainpower on other things! Also noone calls me messy - Win Win!
Be More Grateful - I take a lot of things for granted and I find that not noticing the little things in life is leading me to become quite negative and I don't want a life of unpleasant thoughts. Therefore I'm going to make the effort to realise what a lucky person I am. To have such amazing opportunities, a loving family, good friends, to live in the area I do, to have access to fresh water, food, shelter... the internet. Just to be alive at all, and to stop feeling upset about things that don't actually matter.
Do More for Others - Similar to the last one. I resolve, this year, to do more to make other people happy, whether it's giving my spare change to a charity collector, offering to lend a hand to someone with a heavy case or just telling my friend when I think they look particularly fine-as-hell one day. I'm very introverted and often don't do nice things, simply because I'm too shy to reach out to others. But I shall be brave, and in doing so hopefully make the world a better place.
Keep on Top of Work - I promised myself I wasn't going to let myself fall behind last term, and to be fair I did okay, I my research reading well in advance and stuck (mostly) to a good work schedule. I was still up at 2am finishing my last essay the day before they were all due in however. I'm hoping this year I can do better and actually have all my work finished the day before they have to be handed in. That would be nice.
Ace my 2nd Year of University - I am aiming for a first. This will be a challenge. I am cursed in that I am pretty clever and perfectly capable, but also appallingly lazy. With my resolve to keep on top of my work however I'm pretty confident I can do well this year. Wish me luck!
Blog more Regularly and be a More Active Part of the Community - With all my above resolutions to take time to be creative, take time to go to the gym, take time to read and of course work hard at University, one thing I am probably going to be short on is time. However I am really really going to make an effort to keep up blogging when I go back to university in a week or so. I miss being part of the community and I feel like whenever I take a break I get left behind a little and have to play catch up again. I can't make any major commitments, but I want to try and average once a week during term time and to take a few hours maybe twice a week to read, comment and find new blogs, just to keep me in the loop, more when I'm on holiday and have free time.
So that's it, those are my resolutions for 2014. I know there are a lot but I honestly feel ready to meet this challenge and am actually quite excited for it! I feel like it'd be fun to keep maybe a monthly log just to see how I'm doing with all of these. Things like cleaning may get a little mundane, but I reckon my artistic struggle for the elusive first draft could make for fun reading.
Anyway I have rambled away at you for long enough, if you made it this far well done you trooper!
Thankyou for reading!
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Well where have the years gone? Or at least that's what all of my various relatives have enjoyed asking all day. Honestly I don't have an answer, aside from maybe 'wasted on Tumblr'.
Although I'm writing this today, on the 30th, I imagine it will not go up until tomorrow, which means that yesterday was my birthday! (I feel like a very confused Time Lord) I turned the big two-one, which is weird age, because I feel like it's the last milestone age for a long time, next time my age is a big deal I'll be forty! Isn't that terrifying? Regardless I had an absolutely lovely day and was spoiled rotten by my lovely family and friends and wanted to share my day with you.
I knew me, my parents and brother were going out for lunch the afternoon of my birthday. What I did not know was that a big cluster of relatives had come a long way to surprise me! It was lovely, we went to The Marchmont Arms, which does sort of posh pub food, you know the type, and as we were guided to our table I couldn't help noticing the big pink monstrosity hovering over our table, like a girly Nativity Star. When we got closer all my relatives cheered and started singing Happy Birthday in tones typical of my Irish-Mancunian heritage... It was a case of grinning and bearing. The table also bore a huge bucket of treats, seen above, featuring possibly the most mentally unstable looking gingerbread man I've ever clapped eyes on. Luckily I turned him to face my brother so I didn't have to look into those eyes. Also a round of applause goes to my Dad for managing to Photo-bomb every decent shot I got of the gingerbread psycho.
There were many ultra fancy schmancy options on the menu featuring names of seafood I couldn't pronounce and phrases like 'laid tenderly on a bed of basil leaves.' But in the end I went for a burger. It was pretty impressive when it turned up I think you'll agree. Nothing says fancy establishment like eating off a chopping board and having your chips in a bucket. It was absolutely delicious and of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy chocolate and vanilla gelato, topped with a homemade (still warm! Ahhhh!) cookie. It's definitely one of the nicest meals I've had in a long time, and being in the company of my wonderfully rowdy and hilarious (and slightly drunk) relatives just made the day even more special.
After the lunch and a quick disco nap I was given my main presents: The two Folio Society Editions of classic books and the amazing perfume Sartorial by Penhaligon's, all of which are pictured at the top of this post. In a fun twist, mum's first inkling of my interest in the perfume, came from her reading this wishlist post. So now I know how to hint! I also got plenty of cash from people, which, unfortunately will mostly go towards boring things like rent, and being able to eat. Afterwards I was whisked off for a little shopping spree with some of my most loved friends and I was so busy having a great time that I forgot to take any pictures! But I was treated to a few beauty bits, a nice LUSH selection and a few books so I consider myself a very very lucky girl indeed. I'm actually having a bit of a quiet night in now, as I don't think I could handle three big social things in one day, I'm already exhausted! But it was a lovely day and I do consider myself so very fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
I hope you had a lovely weekend, let me know what you got up to!
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Coke float! | Being a tit | I just like staring into the windows!
Some doodling | Monsters Inc jammies! | Kitty napping in the sun
Cheeky Starbucks et bagel | Lounging in the garden | How I spend far too much of my time.
It's been forever since I had any kind of catch up post so I thought it was high time. Has everyone been enjoying the sunshine? I love it during the day but my bedroom window doesn't open all the way so at night I have to swelter in my baking room with the cat trying to snuggle up to me. I've finished my first year of university! I passed (just but I'm still pleased considering I did roughly zero work.) I'm really excited for next year though I've chosen all my English modules and they're perfect for my literature-nerd self! (Seriously I've got Shakespeare, the Bronte's, Oscar Wilde, Gothic Novels the whole she-bang coming next year..... sorry I'll stop.) But for now it's just enjoying the summer, flexing my artistic muscles, catching up with old school friends and trying to finally finish Pokemon Emerald! I've been at it for almost six months!
How are you enjoying the summer?
How are you enjoying the summer?
Where the hell did the first quarter of the year go? Can't believe it's April... partly because it's only just stopped snowing here in blighty. This little scribble was done during the many hours of hardcore procrastination while I put off doing my assignments due at the end of my Easter break. I technically still have three weeks to get them done but there are three essays and a big-ass pile of revision as well so I need to get cracking!
Goals For April:
01. Complete #doodleadayapril on instagram (follow me @Bella_bun if you like!)
02. Eat clean 3/7 days a week
03. Make more complicated friendship bracelets
04. Revise for a minimum of 7 hours a week
At least it looks like it's getting sunnier. I don't want to get my hopes up too high but I think warmer climes may be just around the corner! Excited!
It's been a funny old week. I've returned to uni but was suddenly struck down by illness and so haven't really made it to many of my lectures! I'm glad I'm back though. Surrounded by my wonderful flatmates who are nothing short of fantastic, and like a second, younger and better looking, family to me.
I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do this year. I mentioned in my last 'Weekly Inspiration' post that I want to start creating more so I've taken the plunge and ordered a needle felting set from a seller on Etsy. I've wanted to try it for ages after seeing all the cute things you can make (see little mouse-bear thing in the middle of the board above) and have finally gotten round to it so if it goes well I'll share my creations. I'm also hoping to get back into drawing (I'm a little rusty) and really crack on with drafting my novel. I have a really phobia of endings in fiction, so I'm struggling to think of a way to round off the story!
I can't wait to start building up my SS13 wardrobe as well! I just want stupid, cold January and February to be over and done with so it can start warming up a little (please PLEASE let it be a nice warm summer this year!) Current lusts include this skirt, these heels and this bikini set.
Speaking of bikinis I've decided to try to get in better shape recently. For a while, being in a not particularly happy place, I've neglected myself and stopped eating properly and exercising. But now that I'm getting back in the right direction I'm taking good care of this little body of mine. It's gone through some rough times and needs some love. If anyone would be interested on a regular diet/exercise update feel free to let me know and I'll see about making it a feature. I've found some really good exercise videos on YouTube and also some healthy tasty recipes that I've been enjoying so I'd be more than happy to share.
In all I want to start pushing myself. I want to break out of my little comfort zone bubble I've been floating around in for these past few years and really explore new realms of life. It's quite exciting really!
In all I want to start pushing myself. I want to break out of my little comfort zone bubble I've been floating around in for these past few years and really explore new realms of life. It's quite exciting really!
Right, I need to go to bed now. I'm completely knackered and have quite the to do list for tomorrow!
Thanks for reading
I didn't end 2012 in a very happy place. Not at all. But I'm determined to leave that behind, and use 2013 to do a lot of the things I've wanted to do for a long time. I think a lot of people want to see new years and fresh starts as a chance to find themselves. But I think I'd rather think of it as a chance to create myself.
Thing is, I don't think we are anything other than who we choose to be. I think sometimes it can be an excuse for someones bad qualities or undermining to someone's good qualities. People use "That's just who I am" to justify being rude or unkind. At the same time sometimes we don't appreciate when someone does something good for others. Just because that's who they are, of course they would do that.
I think it's so important to be conscious of our own behaviour so I want to give myself the next year to develop attributes I want and to improve myself. I want to improve my organisation, be more giving and more creative. I also want to be free in the way that I think and approach things. I want to be more appreciative of the little things and I want to make other people happier. I want to be silly, honest and kind.
I haven't really made any solid new years resolutions but I'm simply opening my mind to new things and hoping to discover and create and generally reach 2014 a little prouder to be me. I want to get into crafts, learn to cook properly for myself, find a form or exercise I enjoy and finally finish a draft of a novel! I don't care if noone reads it, I've wanted to write a book since I could first read and I just want to finish one!
I'm planning on having a weekly inspiration board such as the one above to help me get inspired. Feel free to use it to inspire you too! Or better yet create your own and link it below. I'd love to be see what inspires you. Every week I'll be talking about life and thoughts and just general things that wouldn't really fit in a normal post.
Thankyou for reading.
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