Life since last time

You know when life seems so calm and serene, close to perfect, and then suddenly things begin changing, disrupting the life that you're so used to. It was certain that this year was going to come at me full of change, with turning 18 and starting university and I suppose I am someone who likes routine and gets a little bit scared by change but I decided to try and embrace it. It's been a while since we last spoke and since then many great things have taken place, and some not so great happenings, here's a super quick run down...

 I embarked on my first girls holiday to Kavos, I'm not ashamed of it's awful reputation because I bloody well enjoyed it okay. Then came results day, BBD was what stared at me on the piece of white paper after spending a while being too nervous to peel back the envelope, I was okay with those letters. That's all they are, letters which can determine the next step in your life, crazy isn't it. I was one grade off getting into my number one university, Northumbria, and although they spent the day deciding whether to let me in or not I had accepted an offer from Sunderland University, my insurance choice, before they could confirm their decision. A few phone calls later, I managed to not only change University but change course too, to do psychology.

 Not long after that another holiday greeted me, a more relaxing week compared to the crazy night life of Kavos, I spent it desperately (and safely..) trying to tan beneath the scorching sun in Dubai. Next on the agenda was of course freshers week, consisting of a Willy Wonka themed night, a UV party, 90s night and many more, considering I live at home an hour and a half away from my University (on public transport, always takes twice as long as a car journey!) it was easier for me to spend most of that week at my friends flat, who attends the same Univerisity but decided to move away from home. So, yes, I have had a pretty fun filled few month but I suppose you're wondering what the not so great happenings have been that I previously mentioned.

 Basically, all of this change took a toll on mine and Lees relationship which I guess is understandable considering I was here, there and everywhere. Of course this is a private issue so I will not say too much, the past few months have been so difficult for us, we even decided a few weeks back that it was best to go our separate ways, but it's me and Lee, best friends since 2010, we are stronger than that and giving things another go just felt right. We're doing good again, finally we're back to the old us and I could not be more grateful for him not walking away or we would've never gotten back to this point, thank you Lee.

Change is inevitable, life is bitter sweet sometimes and it gets rough, but time is a healer. 

Rachael x

P.S. I'm eager to launch myself back into blogging right now, but first I'm looking into a redesign which is so exciting as I'm eventually going to let a pro do the job. As soon as that's all good expect more posts from me, hopefully I'll be back soon!

In July I...

♦ Turned 18 - received lots of alcohol, pretty things and my first cookbook from my friends with this message inside "we thought this may come in handy as you can't cook, have fun cooking and be careful." Such thoughtful friends.

♦ Was treated to 2 days in the Lake District with Lee - went on a rowing boat, paddled in the lake, welcomed my birthday with a pint of cider, seen a beautiful waterfall, did lots of walking, talking and laughing, admired lots of amazing scenery and chatted to some friendly old folk
♦ Lived with Lee in my house for 11 days whilst my mam was on holiday, managed to keep ourselves alive and the house safe and clean - a few nights of drinking in the garden until the early hours were had
♦ Visited Walkworth castle with Lee
♦ Went out for drinks / had drinks at mine with Lee and friends 8 times
♦ Ate 4 kebab wraps
♦ Had 3 BBQs
♦ Tried and kinda failed at making homemade lasagne with Lee - edible but a bit hard and crunchy in places
♦ Ate at the cutest little Italian restaurant in Whitley Bay and at the local Indian restaurant twice with Lee
♦ Met Lees step mam
♦ Went to Wetherspoons for Sunday lunch with Grandma where we chatted about life
♦ Caught a tan
♦ Went shopping 4 times - bought the Topshop Joni jeans (it's love), a lovely Topshop dress, some sandals, a bikini, some pretty tops, a pair of dressy shorts, a beach bag, a new little daytime bag and more
♦ Seen my half brother for the first time in about 3 years
♦ Watched some movies; I Give it a Year, Dear John, Pineapple Express, Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids
♦ Had 6 driving lessons
♦ Ate too many McDonalds and Subways
♦ Bought a new digital camera
♦ Watched the man with 10 stone testicles - sat in shock, felt sorry for him, then felt happy for him after
surgery. How he coped for all those years dragging that heavy mass around with him is crazy
♦ Was told by Lee while walking through Sainsburys "you look like an elf. No, it's a good thing, I used to have a crush on elves." I wasn't sure how to take this but it made me laugh, he is one strange boy

I began this month with writing down a few sentences for every day in a draft blog post to remind myself what I have been up to, 18 years old with a memory of an 80 year old here! I had no idea what I was going to do with this mini diary or if I was going to keep it up, yes it was forgotten about on many occasions but I always returned to it to fill in the days I had missed, so I thought why not take my little diary entries, look over them and create a little summary of my month. Maybe this will be a monthly thing, who knows. So the above list is what my little diary told me. In conclusion, I have ate a lot of bad food and lazed about too much this month, although I have kind of enjoyed that and in a way I do feel as if I've managed to spend some good quality time with family, friends and Lee with little outings and gatherings. August will bring my holiday to Corfu with the girls and results day, dun dun duuuun!
 

What did you get up to in the month of July?
Rachael x
 

Eighteen - The Lake District

A very overdue post indeed but on the 13th of July I finally turned 18! Lee definitely did well by treating me to two lovely days in the Lake District. He had let me know that he had booked somewhere for the night about a week beforehand but I had no idea where (ok, I did kind of guess) until the morning of our road trip, the day before my birthday, when I was appointed the role of getting us there with the GPS. A McDonalds breakfast and a few wrong turns later and we pulled up outside a hotel in Windermere, the Windermere Manor Hotel. We were a little early for check in so began exploring, coming across a little gate leading onto a walk which resulted in us stepping out onto the stones next to the lake. As boats were passing, large groups of people were swimming in the water or sunbathing above it, so we went back to fetch our swimming gear and Lee had a swim while I paddled. We returned to the hotel to check in and freshen up before heading out again.

We headed out on a long walk, passing through the cute little town of Windermere with it's quaint little shops and winding streets where we picked up some chips to feed our tummys. As the lake came into sight again, we ended up in Boweness where we took a rest with an ice cream and looked out onto the lake before trekking back on the uphill journey, fair to say our feet were in agony on our return! After showering and getting ready, we headed to the hotel restaurant for tea, we both chose burgers and were pretty impressed. Just across from our hotel was a magnificent viewpoint, we did try to catch the sunset but just missed it, damn! We still stayed for a while though, chatting away as we admired the view of mountain after mountain rising from the lake. The night ended with a pint in the hotel garden, of course we stayed till midnight to officially welcome my birthday. We were that tired that we completely fell asleep on each other as we were chatting, all of the walking and fresh air definitely got to us.

The day of my birthday began with a drive through some pretty towns and although Lees little car struggled up the steep climbs, we came across a road sign saying 'Aira Force Waterfalls' which attracted our attention so we followed the signs and ended up on a lovely walk where we spotted the 'Money Tree' and admired the pretty waterfall whilst channeling our inner children as we climbed a tree. Being surrounded by so much greenery and the sound of running water as it made it's way through the rocky terrain, creating little waterfalls on it's way, made me feel like I was in a rain forest somewhere far away. After that, we drove a little further towards the lake and found a little car park with signs saying 'boat rental', now this made my eyes light up as I knew that before we headed for home, I wanted to be on a boat of any sort, gliding across that beautiful lake. We went for a traditional rowing boat and Lee really got the hang of it pretty quickly! Of course he did all of the work with his muscles, although I did have a go and my god, it really is like an arm workout. We had an hour on the little wooden boat, taking in the amazing scenery for the last time, wishing we could stay a little longer but of course we had to return to Newcastle so I could end my birthday with the rest of my friends and family. I apologise for the awful quality of the last photo, that's a Blackberry photo for you, my camera and Lee's phone (Samsung Galaxy S3), which actually has better picture quality than my camera, were left safely in the car.

 Overall we had a great time, the weather treated us well as the heatwave was in full force and the sun was shining, it was scorching outside so understandably a little unbearable but we preserved and all was fine. The Lake District is such an idyllic setting with the most breathtaking scenery and friendly people. I found that it was a place where all of our cares from back home were forgotten about for a little while and we could just completely enjoy each others company, just me and Lee in a beautiful, peaceful place. It's crazy how there are many huge cities full of skyscrapers and traffic in our country and then a short time away lies something completely different, the tranquil countryside.

Rachael x

Nice Occurrences

I have made the effort to do a few nice things recently, such as taking an 'eyes to big for my belly' approach at the Chinese buffet where me and Lee ate with friends, if any of you live in the Newcastle area, this Chinese buffet that has popped up before on my blog is called My Shanghai, situated on the Coast road, North Shields. It's loooovely! That was one of those nights, you know the ones that make you happy because it was full of laughter and smiles. The following evening was spent with Lee, a box of nachos and cheese, a huge Tango ice blast and a soppy film, Safe Haven. Ok, so you can definitely predict who she is going to fall in love with from the start but there are definitely a few unpredictable main events with an aspect of mystery and thriller thrown in there. It's a very touching movie and I would 100 percent recommend it. More tasty food was consumed on Thursday as I met a friend to have a much needed catch up in the pub, with a yummy pub lunch. I must admit I am guilty of letting my friends slip away every so often but a few texts later and a little outing is arranged where we can chat about anything and everything until our heart's content. Me and Lee had a sleepover on Saturday, it's always nice to not have to say bye at the end of the day. I was awoken through the night by a lot of laughter. It was him laughing in his sleep, not just a little giggle, full on laughing as if he had just witnessed something totally hilarious. Gotta love him! So, that is my life lately. I've just demolished beef stew and dumplings whilst thinking about what to spend my tax rebate on, save it like a good person or go crazy and treat myself? What have you lot been up to?

St Valentine

The day of St Valentine. I do love this day, me and Lee don't often do much but lets be honest, a night in with a takeaway is perfect to me, and it's the small things. For example, Lee walking through the door looking very smart whilst I was standing make up-less in a hoodie and leggings, I did have socks on with pink hearts on them to match the occasion ;) In his hands lay a single rose and a cute little teddy, bless him. Even after we pinky promised not to buy for each other, he broke that promise last year too! Also in his hands was a pizza from our favourite takeaway, does anyone else have a takeaway that you are completely loyal too? The owner knows us well now and created a super tasty heart shaped half kebab, half bbq chicken pizza with our initials in bbq sauce. Greasy, fatty, unclassy but amazing. As well as my rose and teddy, I received an envelope covered in inside jokes and cute quotes with a beautiful card inside, that made me smile. I love you Lee.

45 Facts

1. Me and Lee have been together 754 days, that's just over two years to me and you.

2. I seem to be the opposite of most people in the blogging world. I'm good at saving money and can make it last a long time, I'm rubbish at spending it. This can be a good or bad thing. It's a good skill to have I guess but it does mean I often stop myself buying pretty things that I really want.

3. I have a weird thing about using things up and throwing things out. If it's still useable then I find it hard to throw it  out, even if I can't see myself using it, e.g. that old Primark trio containing a bright blue and bright green eye shadow. To be honest, even if it's not so useable I will try everything to make it useable again and then probably keep it for another few months until I realise that I really should bin it. I need help.

4. Speaking of slightly OCD tendencies, I'm a bit of a clean freak.

5. Oh, and I can be a perfectionist. Which is why my poor blog has been put through so many design and name changes. Even after a week I'm starting to question the current name, oh dear. Someone stop me.

6. I can't wait until I can have my own little doggy friend, they're such loveable animals.

7. I LOVE my bed.

8. I also love mayonnaise.

9. I suffered from social anxiety at the start of high school, just answering the register seemed like such a scary thing. I still can be very shy and socially awkward.

10. Some may say I got into the wrong crowd in high school but no, I didn't. We had the best times and some of them were and still are my closest friends. You just have to stay true to yourself.

11. Over the past few years I've had a big attitude change which has resulted in me having such a positive, happy outlook on life. I would recommend it to everyone.

12. With that attitude change came the realisation that arguements are stupid. You pretty much always end up back at square one, e.g. you were friends, you argued, hated each other for a bit and then were friends again. Just like before. How pointless. I know not all arguements go like that but why waste your time being angry eh? That's why I avoid any arguements now and it makes life so much easier!

13. Disneyland is one of my favourite places, so magical!

14. However, home is my number one favourite place. I'm such a home bird.

NYC 2011

15. I'm lucky enough to have had the chance to experience many different areas of the world; Dubai, NYC, Florida, Paris, Spain, Greece, Canada, Holland, Norway...

16. Back in the day when Katie and Pete were together I had an obsession with the family, weird. I still have massive respect for Pete, the wonderful man he is but Katie, well...

17. Nowadays, that obsession lies within a family with the surname Kardashian. Beautiful people.

18. I was obsessed with my dolls as a youngster. Baby Annabelle accompanied me as a bridesmaid in her very own bridesmaid dress and in Florida I had one of them strapped to me in a baby carrier for the most part.

19. I had major fangs when I was younger, I've recently gotten my braces off after two and a half years and the change is incredible. Although there is still one annoying disobedient wonky tooth showing it's face.

20. I have wanted a sister pretty much all my life, the bond between sisters seems so precious.

21. I have embarrassingly weak ankles which prevent me from wearing beautiful heels, they can't even deal with wedges without collapsing on themselves, so sad.

22. I love long journeys.

23. I'm such a daydreamer, so slow and dozy. You'd think I was in a world far away most of the time.

24. I'm a Summer baby. This has been a good thing for the past 17 years as it's in the middle of the year and if the British weather's feeling nice, the sun will often be shining. Now that everyone is passing their driving tests, turning 18 etc before me it's a bit of a bummer.

25. The day that I get to decorate mine and Lees first little flat will be a good day, I love a bit of interior design.

26. The Lion King is THE BEST film.

27. I can't think of anything better than being in some cosy pyjamas, getting cuddles and watching a soppy DVD.

28. I have had a love/hate relationship with tattoos over the years but now the love for them seems like it's here to stay, I have a few ideas, I'm just terrified of regretting it afterwards!

29. I am pretty small. 5' 1.8" to be precise.

30.  Someone really needs to give me some motivation. I am so lazy.

31. I so wish I could cook some tasty, exotic meals. Even simple, non exotic ones will do. Instead, I live on a lot of microwave meals. The fact that I'm quite a fussy eater and dislike most healthy food doesn't help.

32. Me and Lee could spend hours tickling each other, not as in the fits of giggles tickle but the relaxing super tingly tickle. For him it's his back, and for me, my feet. Unlucky for him eh haha.

33. I used to figure skate and do gymnastics. I miss my flexible self.

34. I am SO BAD at making decisions, even the simple ones.

35. I have rode a camel in Dubai and an elephant in Canada. I've also been super lucky and had the experience of swimming with dolphins, even if the water was deathly cold.

36. I'm very self-critical and will compare myself to others. I dislike how I look in most photos, but I suppose no body's perfect.

37. I'm not a fan of change.

The Hulk, Florida

38. I love roller coasters and crazy theme park rides in general, adrenaline junkie right here, in that sense anyway. You won't see my bungee jumping off a cliff any time soon.

39. I very much doubt you will get me to spend the night in a tent. I hate the thought. Give me glamping any day haha.

40. I had two goldfish called squish and squash. Squash was the fat one.

41. I would love to try pole dancing lessons, purely for fitness.

42. I'm such a soppy person. I'm in one of those cringey, nothing goes wrong, perfect relationships and there's no way I would change it for the world.

43. I really, really don't like talking on the phone. I sometimes find it rather uncomfortable. It's the worst when I'm talking to someone from a business or someone I don't know or hardly talk to.

44. There is definitely something living inside my tummy. The noises it can make are crazy!

45. I am not a morning person at all. I do however, like the snooze button.

It's the little things...

Source via google images

What's made me smile this week... 

1. Being treated by Lee to a gorgeous chicken korma at the local Indian restaurant.

2. Being surprised with a pair of Nike blazers as a result of Lees shopping trip.

3. Having not one, but two takeaways involving kebab in one week.

4. Being brought a McDonalds for lunch at sixth form, can you tell it's been a fat week?

5. Meeting grandma for lunch, an amazing hot chocolate and a chat.

6. Creating a blog design that I am finally happy with.

7. Being nosy reading all of the 'facts about me' posts that are floating about.

8. Spotting a fox who enjoyed sitting and staring into the car, it was the first time I'd seen a 'real life' fox.

9. Watching the Lion King.

10. Being told 'I love you' every day, multiple times a day.

This post was inspired by the lovely Rosie. What has made you smile this week?

Twenty thirteen

Wishing every one of my lovely readers a happy, healthy new year! After last night's plans of going to see a firework display went to pot me and my friends were plan-less and who wants to be plan-less on new year. However, a friend of mine and Lee's came to the rescue with a small house party and it was a great night. I hope you enjoyed your celebrations. I thought I'd do a bit of reflecting and future goal making, as you do at this time of year.

2012, you came and went so fast but thank you for being good to me... My 17th birthday. Learning to drive, passing my theory test. Receiving AS grades that I was proud of. Vacating to Gran Canaria for two weeks. Experiencing my first mini adventure, just me and Lee, to Alton Towers. Finding my little place on the internet. Seeing Jessie J live. Having a go in the working world with a Christmas temp job at Next. Realising the importance of being happy and knowing how incredibly lucky I am. Another great year with the most amazing people, I feel so content. To 2013, please bring me another amazing year, lets make it memorable... My 18th. 2 years with the boy of my dreams. My first girls holiday. Passing my driving test, fingers crossed. Hopefully, becoming a uni student. Who knows what else.

As with the good old 'resolutions', I thought it might be useful to have a look back over last years goals. The one that I've surprisingly made the most progress with is the cliche 'drink more water', at the start of the year water was a no go for me, I just didn't like it - plain, colourless and boring. I don't know what happened but now, water is my friend as I will have a good few bottles a day. The whole 'always be on time' thing didn't quite work out, I have no idea what it is, I just can't get to anywhere on time. My most important aim last year was to improve my confidence and I honestly feel that a smile has managed to do that, being more happy has definitely made me more confident in myself. I'm still not the best in social situations but I can definitely feel my confidence improving.

For 2013 I would like too:

• Finish decorating my bedroom and find new make up storage, there's not much left to do, just a few finishing touches here and there and some nice storage solutions to find. 
• Go to a festival.
• Go on at least 2 mini breaks with Lee, I'm thinking the Lake District and Edinburgh, or one big holiday, we're undecided. Everything is so expensive! 
• Go on more walks.
• Make the most of Summer, it's gonna be a long one this year!
• Get a permanent job, or more experience at least.
• Do a charity event, probably the race for life. 
• Pass my driving test, April is the aim!
• Learn to cook, I'm a big fat fail in the kitchen. A few fresh meals made successfully and I'll be happy. 
• Try lots of new beauty products, I was so obsessed with using up old things in 2012 that I didn't let myself try many new products.
• Document 2013, I hate the thought of forgetting memories which make me smile, I want to take lots of photos this year and jot down my adventures in a diary. I may even join a few bloggers with writing the good times down and locking them in a jar until new year's eve 2013. 
• Most importantly, continue being happy and appreciating my loved ones. 

I realise that's a lot but I think they're all pretty doable. What are you hoping for in 2013?

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine

Wow, Christmas really does seem like so long ago doesn't it, or is that just me? It's weird how Christmas changes as I get older, I'm not sure if it was just an age thing this year, because we stepped out of our normal traditions and went out for dinner or due to some sad, unfortunate circumstances but even on the big day, it didn't feel like Christmas. However, I still loved and cherished every moment I was able to spend with my family and Lee, eating enough food to fill me for a year, sharing cringey cracker jokes and giggling at the pantomime on boxing day, even if my alarm did have to wake me up at 5am that morning, all ready to work in the Next sale. I was well and truly spoilt this year, I'm so grateful for everything I was lucky enough to unwrap on Christmas day...

Converse, knickers, cosy socks, pyjamas, Forever 21 stripy black top, Forever 21 long necklace

Simple skincare minis, Nivea sunshine essentials, Babyliss curling wand, Liz Earle skincare starter set, Victoria's Secret make up bag, mini impulse body sprays, cooling eye pads, face wipes, hand lotion, batiste, tangle teezer, tea tree oil, tea tree cleanser, Trevor Sorbie hair set, honey bubble bath, Flowerbomb perfume, Lady million perfume, Vera Wang princess night perfume. 

So, as you can see, I now have enough Soap and Glory to last me a lifetime, yay! I'm kicking myself for not snapping many pictures during the festive period but hey ho. I don't think I mentioned my job at Next to any of you, but yes, after moaning on and on I did manage to grab myself a Christmas temporary position and yesterday, it came to an end. It's been tiring but enjoyable, I met some lovely people and at least I now have experience of the crazy working world to add to that CV of mine. I hope each and every single one of you had a lovely Christmas and I wish you a very happy and healthy new year. Love,

Get to know me

Just because I couldn't find a decent photo...

1. Are you named after anyone?

Nope, I guess it would be cool if I was. I do believe Rachael was my dad's first choice whereas Sian, my middle name, was my mam's. We know who wore the pants in that relationship. S'pose Rachael Sian goes better than Sian Rachael.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I honestly can't remember, I don't really cry a lot at all, it's been a long time since I had a really good cry, I'm not as insensitive as I might sound, the emotions are there I just don't seem to produce the tears haha. If someone snaps at me I often fill up a bit, I never used to be like that but now I just can't deal with it, I'm like a child. 

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, I'll have a little family of my own someday. Hopefully. 

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Lets be honest, no. I make it extremely hard for people to become friends with me because of how shy and socially awkward I am, I think it can sometimes seem ignorant and like I'm not trying when really in my head I'm trying so hard to think of something to say. I do consider myself a good friend though once I'm comfortable. 

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I've never really thought about this, suppose it's not something you think about is it haha. I don't think I use it too much but there's nothing wrong with a bit of sarcasm now and again. Nasty sarcasm is a plain and simple no-no though. 

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

If I can find some balls and build up the courage I would love too, would be such an experience! I'm not a risk taker though so I can imagine myself being too terrified to even move. 

7. What's your favourite cereal?

Somehow I can eat the same cereal everyday for months and months and not get sick of it. Special K has been my choice for a while now, trying to be healthier and all that. My all time favourite cereal is chocolate shreddies, sooo yummy!

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I was going to say appearance, which seems like the obvious answer but honestly, I tend to notice a persons expression or what mood they're in before I have a neb at what they're wearing and how they've done their hair etc.

9. What is your eye colour?

Dark brown.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings, you know I'm a softy. I do enjoy a good scary movie once in a while but you definitely can't beat a good cliche rom com. 

11. Favourite smells?

I love fresh and clean smells, but also love sweet scents as well as the smell of burning, like that one burning smell when people are burning things in their garden. Not explaining myself well am I. Flowerbomb perfume is a beautiful scent too.

12. Summer or winter?

I do love the sun and certain things that summer brings but winter is the winner for me. Cosy jumpers, snowy scenery, countdown to Christmas, snuggling with a hot chocolate, yes please.

13. Computer or television?

Computer for sure, you can do everything you can on a TV plus way more. 

14. What's the furthest you've been from home?

My geography is awful, I'm pretty sure Canada is the furthest I've been. 

15. Do you have any special talents?

Unfortunately not, I'm boring. Totally wish I did have a talent. 

16. Where were you born?

North Shields, Tyne and Wear, North East England.

17. What are your hobbies?

errrm... shopping, socialising, sitting on my laptop all day and blogging of course. Like I said, I wish I had some interesting talent that I could call my hobby, I did do figure skating for quite a while and totally miss it. 

18. Do you have any pets?

Sadly, no. I have tried my very best to hear the word yes come out of my mam's mouth about getting a dog for years and years. I love dogs, a little maltese or bichon frise will be mine one day. I did have a white rabbit with bright red eyes when I was younger, as well as a vicious hamster and a few goldfish but I do quite fancy another cuddly little bunny. 

19. Favourite movie?

Tricky question, my all time favourite is probably Lion King, how can you not love Lion King. Apart from that, Friends with Benefits is probably still number one right now, Mila Kunis is beaut!

20. Do you have any siblings?

I have lived my life wanting a brother or sister so badly, I was about 8 when I found out I actually had a half brother who is only two years younger than me. I met him and we got along quite well but now I haven't seen him in forever. Being an only child can be lonely sometimes but it does have it's advantages I guess. 

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I have chopped and changed my mind many a time. From singer (I can't sing, at all) to dolphin carer to interior designer to paramedic to journalist. However, right now I want to be a social worker, to help people. I'm pretty set on it so lets hope no more attractive careers pop up in my mind. Otherwise, uni will be a huge waste of time, and money.

Unfortunately I had to re-post this as the last one went all funny for some reason, boooo. Sorry to those who commented previously! I hope you enjoyed it and maybe feel like you know the girl behind the blog a little better, I apologise for not being very interesting. Thanks for reading. Love,

Rachael xx

I want to be a bird and fly away

source

001. I believe I owe you all a bit of an explanation, you may have been wondering what the hell is going on over here, on my little blog. Well it all began when I believed that starting a new blog was the way forward, I managed to create a design I was proud of (yes, this was all done by me. proud moment right there) and opened my new blog, all was good. However, after much thought I realised, did I really want to leave all of my lovely readers, sweet comments and memories that I have documented over here? No. I didn't. Silly me. So the task of transferring that design over here began and here we are. There's still quite a lot of older posts that need a bit of editing magic but we're almost there and I'm finally happy with the way my blog looks. I do apologise for being such a pain in the bum!

002. How have you all been anyway? The post title pretty much describes how I'm feeling at the minute, I'm still happy little me but I just need to get away, just for a little while. Fly to a place where my head can be clear and I don't have to worry about a thing. It's just sixth form getting me down, I have  an amazing friendship group there, they have been nothing but lovely to me but they weren't the friendship group I was with in high school, those friends didn't decide to come to sixth form. It's been over a year and I still don't feel like I fit in. Sixth form can be a lonely place sometimes. 

003. On a happier note I shall share with you my thoughts on a few films I have seen recently. They're both a bit out of my comfort zone to be honest, I'm a romantic comedy girl at heart, I love nothing more than a good, soppy movie. Cheesy I know. However, it was Sinister and Taken 2 that I was watching on the big screen this time. I will admit, I have seen a fair few horrors, with one of my childhood best friends being a horror movie junkie it was hard to stay away from them. I can deal with them though, and do enjoy them when there's a decent storyline to go along with it, Sinister wasn't as scary as I was expecting but definitely did have that interesting storyline and I would recommend it. Every one seemed to go a bit crazy when the news about a Taken 2 started circulating, I absolutely loved the first Taken movie so was one of those who was a little excited for the new release. It was very good, I just felt there was something missing, some sort of twist could have been thrown in to mix things up but once again, I would recommend it because I did enjoy it!

004. I have a driving lesson and two tests tomorrow yet I'm sitting here writing to you at midnight, oops. Definitely not complaining though, does anyone else find it easier to write at night? I don't have much more to tell you, hmm. I can tell you I'm in need of a large shopping spree though. It's been too long!

005. Loving Georgina's blog

Love,
Rachael xx

I need a million energy drinks please

How orange does it look haha! Tis only a NW20...

001. I have finally, after months and months of scraping product from the bottles, and with a little help of my ever so lovely friend donating me number 6, accumulated six MAC foundation bottles meaning back to MAC has to happen resulting in a new lipstick for me! This excites me. I need your help, what shade would you recommend a pale brunette? I have Hue and honestly, sorry for all the 'Hue' lovers out there, I'm not all that impressed. This is because I constantly have very dry lips, ew I know and this lipstick loves to make that very obvious! The smell of MAC lipsticks is just lush though isn't it, mmm come to mamma. 

002. I think I'm getting ill, boooo! My immune system is often my friend as I rarely get ill so when I do its all into feel sorry for myself mode. My throat feels like sand paper and my energy level is refusing to rise below zero. Bluergh.

003. Zero energy unfortunately means one ratty Rachael which my poor family, friends and boyfriend have to put up with. You know I'm usually a happy chappy but I just can't be bothered. I think it may be school to be honest, I remember feeling this way when I began year 12 and that wasn't good! I ended up almost dropping out and I'm in the same mind set now, I just have so much work to do, aaah. I'll stick at it though. I've been a bit down recently about the friends aspect of my life too, we used to be one big group and we've all gone our separate ways, I miss the way it used to be so much! Let me turn back time, pleeeease.

004. On a positive note I did finally dye my hair at the weekend, not that anyone at school noticed haha. Since stupidly chucking a permanent red on it (which I couldn't keep up with, it faded so much within a week) I have to keep going over it every so often with a dark brown, pretty much my natural hair colour. However, when the brown starts to wash out I'm left with a horrible gingery brown, I'm not saying anything bad about gingers here, lets just clear that up but the colour I mean just isn't nice. So yes, now I have dark brown hair again with a hint of red which I like, as it actually looks like the red is supposed to be there. I know a photo would be helpful but I shall not scare you with my mug, especially since I have just arrived home from school after walking in torrential rain and wind. I hate you England.  P.S. I have a few very random things up on my Ebay, I very much doubt any of it will interest you haha but you never know. 

005. Loving Abbie's blog.

Love,

Rachael xx

The sound of waves

Blackberry photo, sorry!

001. Shattered. Exhausted. Zonked. That's me right now, is my body ever going to get back in the swing of sixth form life?  

002. So what's been happening, Lee passed his driving test last Monday, yay! We went for our first drive down to the beach and had a cute little walk, doing the obligatory writing our names in the sand thing. My momma and her boyfriend took the two of us bowling on Saturday which was nice, however, I lost one of the games. Boooo! Last night was spent snuggling on the sofa with Lee, of course, I feel like I mention him so much and he doesn't even know about this blog of mine, I do see my friends too haha! The heating was on, hunger games was playing and hot chocolates were made. We decided to get creative and make our own recipe, told you we're the next top chefs! We added cookies and cream ice cream and some minstrels, pretty impressive if I say so myself, it definitely felt like Autumn!

003. I have decided that by the end of the year, my goal is to pass my driving test. I have now had a total of 6 lessons, yes I have stalled at the front of a line of traffic which was rather embarrassing and I constantly forget that up is right and down is left on the indicators but nonetheless I do feel like they're going pretty well. I'm going to be having two lessons a week soon so fingers crossed I'll be able to drive around in my little Corsa by Christmas!

004. Now is Good is coming to the cinema soon and I can't wait to see it, looks so sad and soppy but that's just what I love. Also, I cannot wait for Taken 2, who else is excited? Apparently there's a Hunger Games 2 coming out at some point too which sounds interesting, I wonder how they're going to manage it without making it too similar to the first. If Liam Hemsworth makes the cast again I'll be a happy chappy, as long as we see his face more...

005. Loving Sophie's blog.

Love,

Rachael xx

Award 4: Liebster Award

Hello, I have another award post today, thank you Samm! The aim of the game here is to share 11 facts about yourself, answer the 11 questions from the 'tagger', create 11 questions for the people you tag and finally, tag 11 people with under 200 followers. Random fact, I was definitely intrigued into what leibster meant so I googled and it's actually German, translating into words such as sweetheart and darling, aww. I also found out that these aren't the original rules at all, it's like a game of Chinese whispers! Anyway...

11 facts:

1. I'm a total daydreamer, a bit slow and dozy at times.
2. I am not good at making decisions. At all. 
3. I'm a curious person, I think it's so strange how things happen the way they do.
4. I love romantic films, I'm such a soppy girl, n'aww.
5. I will travel America one day.
6. I want to stay home for uni, all of my friends are moving all over the country but no, home is where I want to be.
7. Me and Lee have been together for 596 days, love him lots!
8. I used to collect stickers, rubbers, bouncy balls and key rings, strange kid.
9. I often get told I 'look about 12'. That's not fun.
10. I hate healthy food, life would be so much easier if I liked the stuff.
11. I'm socially awkward. Terrible at meeting new people and keeping a conversation going.

Questions from Samm:

1. What's your favourite make-up brand? I can't choose! Different brands are good for different things aren't they...
2. Do you have any pets? No. I would love a dog, I've been begging for one for so long but it's not happening.
3. Bronzer or blusher? Hmm, I can go without bronzer, not blusher otherwise I look dead so blusher is it.
4. Laptop or Mac? Laptop. I would love to own a posh Mac one day but for now, my pink Dell inspiron is my baby, it has treat me well.
5. Opinion on the brand MUA? I've only tried their undressed palette and I love it, their prices are great so I definitely want to try more!
6. Favourite palette? As above. I'd love to own the Stila in the lights palette but I've been loving my undressed palette, tis so versatile. 
7. Urban Decay or Benefit? Benefit, only because I haven't tried anything Urban Decay, I love Benefit's high beam.
8. What's your dream career? I'm pretty set on social work, preferably working with teens. I'd love to do some magazine writing too.
9. Favourite blog? I love so many, I'm going to start adding a blog to my reflection posts, I've enjoyed reading through Alix's recently.
10. Most used eye look? Like neutral or bold? Neutral. I love to experiment with colour but very rarely go out without my go to neutral eye.
11. Random, iPhone or Blackberry? I have a BB and unlike others, I enjoy my little phone although sometimes, I do crave an IPhone.

My 11 questions:

1. What makes you happy? Name a few things.
2. Favourite place?
3. One of your favourite memories?
4. One goal of yours?
5. Favourite way to spend your free time?
6. One of your favourite make up products?
7. One of your least favourite make up products?
8. Favourite fashion 'trend'?
9. Least favourite fashion 'trend'?
10. Something you can see right now...
11. Favourite song at the minute?

11 people I tag:

1. Jess
2. Laura
3. Romany
4. Helena
5. Jade
6. Sarah
7. Laura
8. Charlie
9. Lisa
10. Sylvia
11. Lyndsey

Thanks for reading. Love,

Rachael xx

Goodbye summer

001. My follower number seems to have rocketed within the last week and of course I am so grateful to each and every one of you lovely people, thank you so much. We are now in triple figures, it's rather exciting thinking that my little blog is growing and I can natter on to even more of you, it does make me smile. 

002. I can't believe I'm back at sixth form on Thursday, yes we go back on a Thursday, does that make sense to you? I have so much work to do before then therefore serious stressing has begun, why oh why, no matter how much I say I will not fall into the trap again I always leave it till the last minute. Anyone else? It's so strange thinking that this time next year, I will hopefully be off to uni, I feel all grown up. 

003. I have applied for quite a few jobs recently and I'm really hoping I manage to get something, work just seems to be against me, don't get me wrong I do love being a lazy bum but I'd really like to be more independent with money so I can buy as much make up and clothes as I want, sounds good doesn't it. Everyone else seems to have gotten a job so easily, I don't understand. I have now applied for so many jobs, including 17 different jobs at Next, only to be told everytime that my application cannot be viewed as too many people have applied, I even got rejected from McDonalds! Rant. Over.

004. I haven't been up to much recently, as per. Being lazy is my speciality. I did have another cute little weekend with Lee and our 2 friends consisting of getting drunk, sleepovers and a bbq as I had the house to myself for a few days. As for today, I'm currently sitting with achy teeth after a trip to the dentist, I've had my braces on almost 2 years and I'm at the point where I just want them off. No talk of it yet though. Oh, and me and the girls finally booked Kavos for next year!

005. Loving Alix's blog.

Love,

Rachael xx

Award 3: Laine Blogger Award

Hello m'loves. The lovely Mollie recently left a nice little comment telling me she had awarded me for this award, thank you very much Mollie! 

The questions:

1. What is your current beauty obsession?

I would probably have to say my new MUA undressed palette, it has the most perfect shades to take you from day to night, I've been enjoying seeing what I can come up with from this palette recently. 

2. What is one beauty item you wished you owned?

Oh dear, I could go on and on, no way can I choose just one! Okay, a random pick from my wishlist at the minute is a few Essie polishes, Anna is a very bad influence with her love for the brand as she has got me lusting over many shades. 

3. What kind of posts are your favourite to read and write?

I love reading every type of post, the nebby side of me wants to say the more personal life style posts but I also love favourites and empties. For me, I do love writing a bit about my life as I feel like I'm creating a little online diary which can keep all of my memories for me to look back on. 

4. What inspired you to become a blogger?

All of the other amazing bloggers and youtubers of course. I discovered YouTube first but just couldn't bring myself to make videos, I'm way too shy! That's why I'm so pleased I found blogging, I realised I could chatter on about whatever I like and share it with others without putting myself out there on the camera. 

5. What nail polish are you wearing right now?

This is a rubbish answer but I'm trying my hardest to use up my old nail polishes to make room for a whole new lovely collection, so right now I am sporting a rather nice bronze shade from an unbranded bottle haha.

I'm not a fan of tagging certain people so if anyone wants to answer these few questions, I tag you! 

I hope everyone is having a good week.

Love,

Rachael xx