Tuesday 20 November 2012

Dealing with Mental Health at University/College

I've been absent from the blogging world for a number of reasons, but mostly because I've been experiencing struggles with my mental health. I thought I had left these feelings behind, but sometimes it's difficult to get to grips with the concept of depression being something I will have to tackle for a long time.

As some sort of sign, I stumbled across an article I wrote for my tumblr friends not long after I had taken my sabbatical from university life last year. This is a chance to both refresh upon my life lessons, and to share with the world my advice on dealing with mental health at university/college.

1. If you’re showing signs of slipping now, act fast.
I’m one of those people that puts off dong things until the very bitter end. I recognised that I wasn’t dealing with life well but instead of nipping the bud, I left myself to fester until I couldn’t dress myself, I couldn’t clean, I couldn’t move from bed, ANYTHING.
Please, please, I implore you: if you find yourself in a slump, act. Do not ignore it. Question yourself: is there a reason that I feel like this? My social life? My course? My workload? Homesickness?
Sometimes, the sadness we feel stems from the simplest of things. Obviously, it is not simple at the time. It snowballs until we are out of our depth. But if you feel out of depth, the best thing is to break apart the problem into smaller pieces so it’s easier to deal with. The smallest solution can feel like a milestone.

2. Contact your university in any way.
Even if you believe your issue is ‘no big deal’ (see number 3), it’s best to let your university know. Tell lecturers, tutors, anyone with authority that you’re experiencing problems. It sounds silly but it makes things a lot easier in the long run, especially if you’re finding deadlines difficult to cope with. They’ll be more understanding than you think and will offer any help available to make sure you’ll do okay.

3. Your mental health is not ‘unimportant’.
Depression is horrible. Anxiety is horrible. Any aspect that brings you down is horrible.
I found it easier to slip into the denial game (‘I’m fine, I just need to get on with it.’ ‘it’s no big deal.’ ‘people won’t care, it’s not important enough.’) which left me getting help a bit too late than would have been useful for me. No problem is too small, nor is it too big. Do not think you need a ‘good reason’ for your sadness. It happens to the best of us, often without any explanation at all.

4. Work when you feel you can, no matter what the circumstances.
I found it impossible to focus until roughly 3am. Still, I found in those wee hours that I could work solidly for ages. I also found that working solidly for small segments of time broken up by breaks helped a LOT when my focus was shot. There is a handy application for Google Chrome called Pomdoro which helps you set work and break times, featuring alarms for either segment.

5. Praise any successes.
You’ve had a low week, spent in bed until one day you have got up, sat at your laptop and wrote an entire paragraph towards your essay. You’re now at a block. Don’t feel down! Focus on how impressive it is to pick yourself up and do a bit of work when you feel this way. Congratulate yourself. Maybe eat a chocolate. Whatever. There is no such thing as treating yourself too much, you need all the motivation you deserve.
This good vibe will honestly make you feel good enough to do more.

6. Your first experiences of support may not be the greatest.
I am the queen of losing faith when I seek help, I’ll admit it. I’ve seen psychologists terrible enough to make me lose my temper, sulk in frustration or make my jaw drop in incredulity. However, I have learnt that there are so many schools of psychology that finding one suited takes time and effort. I’m not giving up on my search and neither should you. Keep trying, no matter what. Even if that last guy is not getting AT ALL what you’re trying to say. Somebody will, soon.

7. Ask and examine all services your school can provide. Shy bairns get nowt (sadly).
I didn’t discover until I had actually dropped out of university that there are facilities in which you can get aid towards your studies. For example, money can be given to provide for printer ink or books if you have anxieties or difficulties in getting to the library. If you find it too difficult to focus in exam rooms, it is possible for you to be placed in a separate room of your own without the distractions to upset you.
Make a list of what distresses you the most in relation to university. Ask for help in association with those troubles. You may be pleasantly surprised with the extra help given and you never know until you ASK.

8. Put your own health over everything else.
I can't stress this enough. From any of the tips, I would highlight and underline and circle this one. I wrote this in the wake of a year's break from university but now, a good year on, putting my mental health before my university life has been the best decision I have ever made. Society puts pressure on us all to go on a course, complete it and live happily ever after, but the most successful people I have encountered have had turbulent times where they have dropped out, or life has taken them through another route that they would not have expected at all. You are number one, not your career path.

I'll end this here for now. If you're reading this, I send my good wishes and love to you. If this helps even one person, it'll be worth sharing. Now to go take some of my own advice... Feel free to share your own tips.

Monday 8 October 2012

To Be A Busy Bee

Oh, the academic life. I've missed you!
I am finally building the sort of life I originally had expected when I first moved to London in 2009. It may have taken the best part of 3 years to get to this point, but I'm finally pro-active, sociable and studious!

I've began volunteering for Education For Choice, an amazing little project keen on providing factual advice to young people on sexual health and choice. The people there are incredibly intelligent, open-minded and so funny that I get migraines from laughter. From two meetings, I already feel more confident in myself and I'm even throwing myself into involvement for the 20th birthday party for EFC! I applied for funding from Think Big with O2 and was successful, isn't that brilliant? So if you're curious and love a good party, follow the progress we're making with it here: http://www.o2thinkbig.co.uk/Projects/Project-Home/?clubId=2690

I also began my beekeeping adventures last week. On Wednesday, I hopped on the university bus to the Kingston Hill campus where I don't often venture due to being based at Penrhyn Road. I ended up wandering around for quite a while, feeling lost until I saw a lady in full beekeeping gear walk past. I ran after her and next thing I knew, I also had the beekeeping suit on! I must say, I looked so cute in it. I have to get a picture one day. The whole task only took about half an hour but I learnt so much about honeybees, how to check for infestations, eggs and larvae, and I even spotted the queen bee in all her glory.

I began Italian classes where everyone is a little embarrassed and shy as I am but our teacher is very warm and encouraging, so making a mistake feels less daunting. I have classes twice a week and the homework is pretty fun, it reminds me of French lessons in high school which I always remember fondly.

I've found myself with a social life in this big, scary city. I've signed up to a few social clubs through my university and already I've met some wonderful people who have embraced me into their groups, such as the Feminist society, the LGBT society and the Wine society. This is a wholly different experience to what I've had in the few years before so I'm pretty excited!

Kind words that warm my heart.
My favourite social event (tied to university) so far has been the icebreaker session. The evening was focused on us getting over our shyness and feeling more comfortable around each other. The first event, I ended up linking arms with a boy and we were wrapped head to toe in toilet paper in a race against several other groups. Our group won and we had an entire bag of sweeties as our prize. The best activity of the night though was like platonic speed-dating, involving every person having a sheet of A4 sellotaped to their back and everyone mingling for 60 seconds per person before writing a nice compliment on their back. My sheet of A4 paper (see above) had such perfect comments on that I nearly cried, oops...

The weekend just gone, I also finally got the chance to meet up with a few people I knew from online and we ventured to How Does It Feel To Be Loved?, a night that embraces indie pop, Motown and jangly 60's classics: my dream! Calum and Emma are the loveliest people and it's going to be swell having friends with similar music taste as I do so we can dance wildly to Belle and Sebastian without feeling excessive. We've already planned future gatherings, such as a Motown night this Friday. I can't wait.

This week is all about buckling down for my dissertation, planning the framework for my three big essays and working on my self-esteem. I've also got plans to meet up with my new friends over coffee, a trip to the bowling alley in town and maybe go watch a film if I can manage to keep awake. Bless me with all the energy in the world, dear reader; being a busy bee is tiring!

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Dealing With Homesickness

I feel a little bad because I keep writing blog posts then getting distracted or feeling too tired to write much. This is because I've just started university again and it seems like I've gone from no activity at all to full throttle, which is rather enduring on the body and mind!

While I do have a long post about what I've been up to (which I'll probably split up and summarise more since I don't want to bore you all to tears), I'd really like to write a little about homesickness. I moved out at 18 years old, way back in 2009. University for me meant a way to move very far away because Newcastle felt too small for me. Perhaps naive, I wanted bigger and better things and was determined that London was the place for me.

Of course, my determination and youthful arrogance vanished as soon as I caught Fresher's Flu and my wonderful mum was not there to nurse me back to good health. 3 years on, whilst it's not a constant difficulty because I've learnt to take care of myself more, I still find that I pine for home. It's not so much the being mothered that I miss but my adored family that I wish were closer than an expensive, 4.5 hour journey away.

So, whenever I feel sad about not being close to home, I do these things:

1. Phone home
Whilst an obvious option, picking up the phone does wonders for you. How much you want to ring is up to how much you miss that person. I tend to ring my mum once a week and we natter away for a good few hours (I love you free evening and weekend calls!) about all we've been up to this week, what is bothering us at that time and how much we miss each other. It's cathartic and good fun too.

2. Aesthetics
This is a bit of a weird one but it works very well for me. If your parents or your home smells of a certain thing, utilise it. Spray it around your room or on your clothes or on your pillowcase. For example, my mum uses white musk quite a lot. That is her associated scent. So if I'm particularly missing my mum, I'll spray it on myself or a pillowcase and I feel like she's there with me right away. Do not underestimate the power of the nose!
Music is also a good one. I always stick on Motown hits when I'm homesick because it reminds me of lazy Sundays in Newcastle, waiting for lunch. Anything that reminds you of home works.

3. Kind gestures
This depends on your budget but can be as simple as a text saying you're thinking of your recipient and that you miss them. It can be a facebook wall post if they're internet savvy or if you have the spare pennies, post them something! I sent home some flowers (bunches.co.uk is my favourite and you get free chocolates sent with every order!) which made me feel instantly better because I knew it'd perk up someone else's day.

4. Keep busy
If you're still homesick, it's best to busy yourself. If you're far from home because of university, surround yourself with social events or if that isn't your thing, occupy yourself with a hobby, interest or of course: university work. You're far from home from a reason! Plan future events so you always have something to look forward to; it'll keep you upbeat and focused.

5. Photos
I've seen a lot of my friends do this and it's a beautiful idea. Get photos of family and friends printed for your wall, especially on a wall where you'll look at a lot. The funnier the photo, the better because it'll give you a good giggle too. If you can't afford to print photos, Facebook is rather good to just scroll through tagged pictures and laugh with your friends.

6. Talk
When I first got hit by the homesickness bug, I thought I was the only one. I thought that everyone was elated to be away from home and I was being a big baby. How wrong I was! An offhand comment to my flatmates about it turned into a huge discussion about the things we missed at home which then turned into a pyjama party where we watched Disney films and ate junk food to feel better. You're never alone in homesickness and you should never feel like you have to cope with it alone.

I hope this is a tiny bit helpful to anyone else out there that doesn't have the option of hopping on the bus home to see their family and friends. Do you have your own way to deal with homesickness? Let me know in the comments!

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Glam Freebie of the Day: Chanel Lippy!!

This deserves a blog post all of it's own because it's quite exciting. Simply click the link below, print the voucher out and take it to your nearest Chanel counter for a mini-makeover and a complementary sample of Chanel Rouge lipstick! This is far too good to pass up so off you pop.

http://newsletter.chanel.com/mailing/CHANEL/invitation_idm36.asp

Valid from the 14th to the 30th of September.
Let me know how it goes!

The Liebster Blog Award

 

I've been tagged by Mel for the Liebster Blog Award, an award aimed at giving blogs with less than 200 followers a bit of recognition for the work they do. A very lovely idea and I'm super happy to be nominated! Now to struggle with 11 facts about myself...

Friday 14 September 2012

Money Sassing Expert: Freebies and Savings

When you're suddenly faced with very little money, something as simple as a freebie becomes the world to you. Amazingly, thanks to the internet, free stuff and discounts are as accessible as a few clicks. However, it does require an amount of persistence and patience.

1. Martin Lewis

This might be an obvious one but it's necessary to mention. I can't remember a life before Martin Lewis and his weekly email of deals but I don't think a time before him is worth recalling anyhow. Before you buy ANYTHING, I urge you to check this site out for vouchers or discounts on food, clothes, bills, travel, everything.
He's also an information bank for benefits, consumer rights, bank accounts, mortgages and loans. Freebies on this site are quite tricky to get unless you're quick since it's a very popular website. Still worth a try if you're feeling beady eyed.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

2. '10 ways to have more money as a student, without working'

A new favourite, this facebook page strives to bring you bargains and freebies across the country. I'm often wary of facebook for getting good deals (I've watched my brother getting swindled too many times to count) but this one is 100% legit. They update very regularly so it's worth checking at least once a day. I've already scored some free tea, a cheap USB stick and a £5 Schuh voucher from this site and it only started a few weeks ago!

http://www.facebook.com/StudentMoneyTips?ref=stream

3. UK Freebies and Free Stuff

I'm kicking myself for revealing this one as it's my favourite website in the world for free stuff but because I'm a loving and caring person, there you go. It updates pretty much every day with free things to sign up for. You can use an alias email if it really bothers you but I'm too lazy for that. I've scored myself tea, coffee, biscuits, perfume, facial creams and razors from this website alone! It also consistently links to Boots samples which you'd otherwise need to be signed up for.

http://freebiesstuff.org.uk/

4. Land of Freebies


Absolutely hideous layout for a website and a fair amount of rubbish to scroll through but there are gems such as vouchers for free crisps or cereal bars.

http://landoffreebies.co.uk

5. Hot UK Deals

Another obvious one perhaps, but this is ran by a community that wants everyone to have good deals. The best deals are considered 'hot'. Again, if you're considering making a big purchase such as a laptop or camera, check this site out first. Also, now and again they have stackable vouchers for shops such as H&M - great if you want to boost your wardrobe for cheap.

http://www.hotukdeals.com/

6. Bitter Wallet

Good for consumer news and deals and picks out the best deals from Hot UK Deals, if you can't be bothered to scroll through yourself.

http://www.bitterwallet.com/

7. Social Networking

If you have certain brands that you love, make sure to follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Check out their websites. Get involved in any and all competitions. A great example is Twinings, who have competitions running all of the time and interaction with facebook fans daily.
 The key is to be absolutely shameless about getting involved. Send letters or emails! I once sent an email to Gü puds telling them how their puddings made my day and they sent me a tote bag back! It's a little embarrassing but hey, I got a cute bag out of it for nothing.

This can also apply in real life too. If there's a stall with freebies, don't wait around for them to dish out the goods to you personally - storm right up there and ask! If you get chatty with the promoters, they can often give you a few more samples on the side. After all, they want to get their product out there.

This was just from a few minutes of signing up for stuff, in a few weeks!
This is just a small window into the world of getting stuff for free. It may seem a little redundant to some when you're only getting a few tea bags out of it but those tea bags in the post can completely transform an evening into something pleasant after a horrible day. Saying that, I've saved a bunch of money from these sites so it's been completely worth it.

I hope this helps you guys too!

Feelin' Fancy Free: What's In My Handbag

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an addiction to make-up. It took me a very long time to get interested in cosmetics because despite my curiosity, I was overwhelmed by the choice. I spent hours standing in Superdrug and Boots, staring aimlessly at foundations and mascaras before running out empty handed. So, make-up didn't enter my life until I was about 18 (I'll never forget that first application of red lippy!) and since then, I've slowly gathered a ridiculous pile of the stuff.

3 years on though, and I'm still staggered by the choice that's on the market. I'm hesitant to spend much money on a product unless I'm assured that it's going to be worth it. This is where What's In My Handbag comes in. I'd describe it as an online, interactive magazine that focuses on the contents of one's handbag. Make-up artists, musicians, fashion icons, actresses, all spill open their bags in order to reveal what their cosmetics of choice is.

The website does not feature strictly makeup either. It also shows perfume, hair products, facemasks, consultations, or even snacks on the go. Users then click on whichever products take their fancy and compile a wishlist. WIMH also brings out free samples each week of upmarket products and all you need to do is register. Receiving it depends on luck as demand is high but it only takes a few seconds to apply for the freebie and it's often top quality stuff that you won't necessarily get the chance to try.

Members of What's In My Handbag are encouraged to upload their own bag contents which can be shared and compared with friends. There is also an invite system where if you invite 25 friends, you receive a free gift worth £25, or if you're super popular then 50 invited friends can grab you a £50 voucher at Selfridges!

Due to my persistant nature, I've already hit the 25 friends mark and my box of goodies was sent in the post last week:


Perhaps I'm easily pleased but the little sticker with my name on in fancy text had me squealing like a small child with excitement. I'm just fond of feeling like a fancy lady, alright?

Nestled in a sleek box filled with black paper was a huge bottle of Mythic Oil by L'Oréal Professional which restores shine to tired hair (something I direly need!) and a bottle of Filthy Gorgeous nail varnish in the shade of Rosey Posey. 


So, for simply browsing the contents of handbags (sounds rather naughty when I put it like that) and inviting my friends to get their own freebies, I managed to get my own fancy products to indulge with. It seems like a win/win situation, doesn't it?

Sign up for What's In My Handbag here: http://www.whatsinmyhandbag.com/r/j9t

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Simply The Bestival (groan)

Given my new spring of positivity lately, I've insisted on saying yes to all opportunities laid in front of me, whereas previously I would have hesitated and instantly backed out. So, when my friend Sam asked me last week if I fancied a cheap last minute ticket to Bestival, my new run of go-getting was put to the test.

I ran out into the garden and went blackberry picking for a good hour to mull it over and decided that YES, I'd be silly not to pass up a chance for a beautiful weekend in the Isle of Wight. To me, it meant an opportunity to go a highly acclaimed festival, see some well loved bands and artists, and hopefully meet some new friends for the new university year.

Bestival did not disappoint.

Monday 27 August 2012

Ciao Bella: Relaxed and Renewed

Hurtling myself into relaxation on the first day.
The last time I visited Italy was in 2009. I had just completed my A-levels and the start of university loomed on the horizon, daunting and scary. I was happy, very enthusiastic about my future but also quite terrified. Zoom forward three years and I feel as if I'm running parallel to my younger self. After a turbulent year and a half of struggling with my mental health, having to take a year out of university to fix myself, the endless job hunt which pretty much ended in failure and not having much money to do.. well, anything with myself; it was safe to say that a trip abroad was definitely needed before returning back to 'reality'.

Still, this is not a post for gloominess. I am very, very lucky. In fact, I'd easily say I was blessed. Compared to 2009 Holly, I feel as if I am more mature and resiliant against whatever life throws at me. I've had a troublesome time and at the start, my only resolution to such problems was to hide under my duvet and cry. Now, I definitely feel as if I can decompartmentalise any issues I have and tackle them one at a time, instead of feeling overwhelmed and helpless. This rationalisation is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of progress.

The start to this post is a little more personal than I would normally wish to disclose but I suppose if I can't look back on my past self, scrutinise and improve, how would I develop as a person? I'd remain a scared little mite, unable to ever advance forward. It took a while but my life is on the up: I'm restarting university next month for my third and final year, I'm laying the foundations for my social life in London and I've started a voluntary role to help advise young people on sexual health. I did not imagine my life at all to be this way three years ago but when does anything go as planned? If anything, it feels like it's turning out for the better.

Such great heights.
I digress. At last, I was to finally return to Italy. The holiday did not cost me a penny thanks to the generosity of Luca and his family. Sometimes people are far more generous than I could ever imagine and again, I'm very lucky to be surrounded by such a kind and loving family. The flight only took an hour and twenty minutes from London to Milan. It boggles my brain slightly for it to take so little time when it takes twice that amount to reach Newcastle via train!

Luca's uncle Luigi picked us up at the airport and we stopped for a mid-trip espresso. This was to be the first of many, many cups of coffee in my 9 days. I believe I drank at least 40 shots of espresso during my stay despite my intolerance to caffeine. I can't help it, I can't say no to a good cup of coffee. My poor stomach.

As soon as the car reached the mountains of north Italy, my heart swelled with happiness. It makes all the poetry I have read on the wonders of nature make complete sense. I only had to stare up at the vast terrain to feel my soul flutter in satisfaction. I could almost convince myself that I was at the edge of the world.

Luca's family do not speak much English. This is not a problem at all for me as I'm in the process of trying to learn the language, so to submerse myself in the words helped me improve my vocabulary far more than reading from textbooks. I'm still a total beginner but I hope one day I can be fluent to express my gratitude to everyone.

I won't go on much more about my holiday because this ended up being very long-winded and fansical. I always begin an entry not knowing what to say and sometimes the words just pour out! So, I'll just list my highlights quickly:

Locarno, Switzerland. Just a short train ride away from Italy!
  • the countless flavours of ice cream (the best being Kinder, in my opinion!)
  • playing mini golf for the first time, even if I lost
  • reading six whole books with ease
  • exploring Switzerland for the day and indulging on chocolate
  • the potato festival which is a huge gathering in Domodossola where everyone gathers to eat gnocchi and party
  • swimming in the crystal clear waters of the lakes

All in all, I had a perfect time. I'm suffering terribly from post-holiday blues but I'm trying to focus on what's ahead. Life seems just as phenomenal as the giant mountains; who knows what's really around the corner!

Friday 10 August 2012

Bristol, Bad Luck and Bathtime

 As a last minute decision to help a sad friend in need, I managed to book a cheap coach to visit my best friend Kitty in Bristol, where she has recently made a big move on her own. The travel only costing ten pound return, I'm pretty lucky that I can drop in for so cheap. The journey there was nothing but pleasant as I listened to Jens Lekman and grinned the whole 2 and a half hours to the brand new city.

I met Kitty and we collected her packages from the post office, which happened to be a plushie red blood cell that I had bought her as a moving in mascot and an adorable bunny night light (which I am debating buying for myself). Once my luggage was ditched, we had a cup of tea and some cake whilst the heavy rain subsided.

Saturday 28 July 2012

Call The Moment Good: BBQ Round 2

Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long!
I woke up today in a terrible mood and the only cure seemed to be to fill my little stomach with barbecue food. Thankfully, the pleasant weather held up for another day so it was off to the shops for the bits and bobs required.

As a starter, I had a beetroot and cherry tomato salad. I never used to be a salad eater when I was younger so I do feel a bit more 'grown up' when I have it but I only ever crave it in the hot weather.

We decided to go for beef, onion and green pepper skewers as the main course. Visually, they looked amazing. I'm a big fan of presentation when it comes to food, as I am sure most people are, so it was good to see something so simple looking so impressive. For that extra gluttony, a few slices of halloumi were thrown on to the barbecue.

For dessert came the biggest treat: melted chocolate in banana skins. You simply split the skin of a banana down the middle, stud it with chunks of the chocolate of your choice then place on the grill until the chocolate fully melts. Green & Blacks Butterscotch Chocolate was the pick of today and, oh holy moly, the results were delectable and I only wish I could eat it all day.

Now I'm back to my flat in London, I'm determined to improve my day to day mood (not always with food but that won't hurt!) and get back into making things too, as the creative itch has been niggling at me all week.

Watch this space, Blogspot!

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Tramlines Weekend 2012

Ordering tea and cake in the cutest surroundings at Weston Park.

Last weekend, I travelled from Newcastle to Sheffield for the weekend festival, Tramlines. Tramlines takes place every year and the whole city is transformed into a site for live music, food stalls, fun and frivolities.

What I like most of all is the chance to hang out with my friends dotted about the country so it was easily worth the 4 hour coach journey. As soon as I strolled into the city and met Bethan, Mark and Foxy, I was already giggling away and happy to be there. We dropped our things off at Bethan's and grabbed some pizza and got the alcohol flowing in order to be suitably ready to party. More and more people showed up until the house was filled with good company.

Thursday 12 July 2012

A hidden gem in Newcastle: Tea Sutra

I've been very inactive since my 21st birthday party. After a couple of months solidly planning and crafting for the party, I suppose doing anything whatsoever was the last thing I wanted. So, I spent my time lounging on my sofa reading whatever novel I could get my hand on and devour, or watching Animal Planet marathons. Neither sloth-like activity is blog-worthy but today definitely was.


I'm very fortunate to have a group of friends that share my passions for the creative and new, so when I offered the idea of a crochet lesson in a nice tearoom somewhere, everybody clamoured to get involved. Luckily, at the same time we stumbled across a fairly new place in Newcastle called Tea Sutra, tucked behind the Magic Box.

Boasting over a hundred different types of tea and the promise of a cosy, relaxing atmosphere, it seemed absolutely ideal for our woolly gathering. So, we climb the stairs and are instantly greeted with sitar music and a beautifully scented room, clad with the usual sofas and tables but featuring the area we were instantly drawn to: the shoes-off area. This platformed area beckoned us with tiny sit-at tables and soft furniture. We were definitely in the right place.

The staff were friendly, unassuming and very helpful. A man passed us menus listing the many, many available teas. My mind boggled trying to pick one out but I went for a green flowering tea whilst my friends picked out all sorts of enchantingly scented varieties.



We started on the crochet lesson. I must say, I'm not so terrible at teaching though it is a little hard trying to show right handed folks how to crochet when I've learnt as a leftie! In exchange, Ellen introduced me to the basics of knitting and it doesn't seem as daunting as I once thought so I must invest in some needles. After a while, we decided to give the food a go. I opted for a falafel, chutney and hummus wrap (also known as a few of my favourite things). Needless to say, it was heaven for my mouth.


Since Tea Sutra didn't close until seven, we didn't feel the need to rush or leave quickly which is definitely rare for most places in town. Our group crocheted/knitted away, giggling and chatting away whilst indulging in some magnificent food and tea. I went for another pot of tea (this time a rooibos variety) purely because too much of a good thing does not exist in my opinion. We also tried out the various cakes which we all rated as delicious, the one Aine picked in particular - I even keeled over after a bite in adoration!


One of the nicest days I've had in a very, very long time. I just wish I knew about this place sooner, it feels like a home away from home.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Turning 21: The Party


After months of preparation, the party had finally come to fruition. We decorated Kitty's house with as much bunting as we could lay our paws on, birthday banners, balloons, glitter and confetti. It was a little stressful since we also had to get ready to look our best for the evening whilst setting up the buffet table and drinks and without our friends to help us out, I'm not sure it would have all looked as good as it turned out!


For the party, we wanted a mix of childish memories crossed with a more elegant twist so whilst we had sensible Northern stodge like sausage rolls, bombay mix, scotch eggs and crudites, we also delectable little ramekins filled with Haribo sweeties, strawberry laces, party rings. As a formal nod to our teenage preferences, we even had lambrini punch (which actually tasted pretty good, honestly!).


Continuing the theme of childhood with adulthood, we made vodka jelly and even had vodka gummi bears (which were a smash hit and went pretty quickly). If only you could buy the latter before a night out, yum! The above photo features a glimpse of the beautiful gifts Kitty had bought me, including a handmade fox and a very funny Geordie birthday card (made by Bykerlass)! She's my best friend for a reason.


After much mingling and drinking cocktails out of teapots, everybody sang happy birthday to us over the most beautiful cake I have ever encountered. On the left of the cake is the original piata made from tissue paper roses (Original guide here) that I slaved over for a good week before realising it was far too beautiful to destroy. So, in the space of a few days I threw together a lesser pinata, in the form of a teapot which was happily smashed up!


Once we were all fed and watered, we ventured to Jukebox at The Other Rooms and had a right good boogie. Definitely a memorable birthday filled with love and fun. Kitty and I may even have to plan for our 30th birthday party together, it was such a success!

Monday 28 May 2012

Party Crafts: Recycled Bunting

I have a love/hate relationship with magazines. I'm like a magpie, attracted to their shiny, colourful offers of beautiful, mostly unaffordable clothes. I like reading the problem pages and checking out new cosmetics or beauty products because pampering oneself is FUN. However, I really, really dislike a few things about them: the pressures of perfection, the concept of paying hundreds of pounds for any item of clothing, and of course, the disposal of these magazines which seems a complete waste.

I go through magazines in the space of an hour (either I'm a speedy reader or the content isn't too thrilling) and to throw away a £2-£4 product makes my purse cry a little. Of course, you can recycle them the traditional way via paper recycling wheelie bins - OR you can turn them into fantastic decorations, like so:

 

Thursday 24 May 2012

Let the Sunshine In

Britain loves the warm weather. Evidence of this escalates when as soon as the temperatures hit the mid-20s, there is more flesh on show than a butcher's shop window. I'm no different to this worship of the sunshine, for I find it truly blasts away the blues and positively drags me out of the flat with far too much enthusiasm.

So, it was out with the picnic blanket (Primark, £6), cold alcoholic beverages and of course, our summer pride and joy: the bucket BBQ (Sainsburys, £10).


Indulging in steaks, sliced potatoes and yellow bell pepper pieces, it was certainly one of the classiest barbecues I've encountered before. It was far from the desperate attempts to light the disposable barbies from Poundland, eyeing the safety of a half-cooked, half-charred burger!


After stuffing myself, then more so with warmed up decadent cookies from Waitrose, I lay in the sun reading Murakami from my Kindle (an early birthday present from my mum!). Whilst on the subject, I highly recommend checking out the Kindle covers created by the lovely Annie Sparkles. The fox cover I have has sold out but she has plenty to choose from and I can confirm they're beautifully made and stunning to look at.


As a final treat to myself (I'm a huge fan of treats, as you can tell), I purchased this magazine entitled "What Every Woman Should Know". Whilst I'm not a Daily Mail reader at all, I could not turn down the opportunity to spy at the sort of lifestyle tips and advice presented to the ladies of the 1930s - that and oh my, the fashion causes my heart to flutter with envy! My favourite article so far is the guide to purchasing your clothes for the year with a budget of £30. I wonder if it's possible at all in this day in age!

Finally, my cool Deal of the Week:
Between 3pm to 5pm, every day until the 5th of June, Starbucks are offering 50% off any sized Frappuccinos. Flavours include: mocha cookie, caramel, strawberries and cream. You can save up to £1.85 (depending on the size you buy). Definitely ideal for cooling down!

Monday 21 May 2012

Disability Awareness

The other day, as I nestled into the comforts of a Saturday night with a pizza, I switched the television on. There appeared to be some form of Family Guy marathon going on BBC3, so I shrugged and left it on. The cosy night in turned sour, however, when one of the butt of the jokes happened to be that of an autistic lady in a wheelchair and how her presence would make the characters feel uncomfortable.
I'm not new to Family Guy, I understand that the premise of many jokes runs on off-colour humour but this reasoning does not settle well with me. There are a few problems with this joke:

  • The woman in question was part of a cut-away gag, a cheap flash of a joke that is not intrinsic to the overall storyline.
  • The woman was presented as unfathomable, unrelatable and frightening.
  • Her only purpose for existence was for the 5 seconds of humour. The basis of a real human is reduced to nothing.

Okay, but this is a cartoon, you say! Fine, okay, perhaps you could argue that I'm over thinking a silly TV show. Fine. If you think that what is shown to millions of people is not relative to anything tangible, fine.

Then how about the example of Heidi Crowter, a young lady with Down's Syndrome who was shamefully portrayed as an extremely unfunny meme on the internet? An image of her as a young child was taken from a support group and warped into a ridiculous outlet of 'humour', for the sake of a few cheap laughs.

The portrayal of disability online is tedious, ignorant and truly upsetting to those affected or to those who know anyone affected with it. Rather than shown as an amazing defeat of hindrances, becoming less able either physically or mentally is thrown away as an easy target to make faceless strangers on the internet giggle. They are shown as stupid or completely alien to 'normal' people.

Well, welcome to the internet, you snort and pat yourself on the back for such an original and insightful statement which suddenly makes all low-brow, offensive jokes acceptable.

Let's take it further: real life. My mother suffered from Cerebrospinal Meningitis when she was 2, rendering most of the right hand side of her body unresponsive. She cannot use her right hand, her speech is impaired, she has problems walking. Despite these problems, she grew up into the strongest woman I know and love, the greatest mother anyone can ask for. Any reasonable person would agree.

Children mocked my mum when they saw her in the playground. I heard every abusive term under the sun about her, some that I repeated to my mum in confusion who had to explain that some people can get nasty when they don't understand something or someone. Mum could not even say to me, 'Well, they are children, they will grow up and understand better.'

Adults behaved the same too.

Holding my mum's hand, as we did simple tasks such as going to the shops, I encountered some of the worst behaviour from supposed 'grown ups', such behaviour that upset and disgusted me even as a young child.
Getting on the bus, my mum would ask, 'a child and an adult ticket please'. The bus driver laughs in her face and does nothing. Mum's face flashes with annoyance and repeats herself. Bus driver laughs again. Seven year old me has to step in and talk on behalf of my mum, because apparently it is not clear what an adult and a child wishes for when getting on a bus. This event happened every week.

Some facts:
  • There are over 10 million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability in the UK and disabled people are significantly more likely to be victims of crime than non-disabled people. (Source: British Crime Survey 2009/10).
  • 20% of repeat victims of anti-social behaviour are disabled people.
  • There were 1,569 recorded disability hate crimes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2010, an increase from 1,294 incidents occurring in 2009, according to recent figures published by the Association of Chief Police Officers. (Source: http://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/disability-discrimination/disability-hate-crime)
With such a large presence in British society, it seems strange that attitudes towards the disabled is still mostly negative. Reported hate crimes are on the rise and that only accounts for reported offences; it's easy to estimate that the levels of abuse are far greater and vastly invisible - reports can be denied or ignored, leaving the perpetrators free to continue their attacks.

I believe that such mockery and torment of the disabled that appears as an outlet for 'comedy' is just the foundation for something more extreme and horrifying. If you can dehumanise somebody into a joke or a meme, you can take that further and dehumanise them completely in order to attack. I don't want to police anybody in what's funny or what isn't, we should all be able to understand what is right and wrong but by laughing at such humour against the vunerable, you're giving the thumbs up to the misery and humilation that disabled people face on a day to day basis.

What we need is a vast increase on education, not only in schools but the workplace and on television, too. When we stamp out ignorance, I honestly believe we'll be able to give the disabled a slightly more comfortable living than what they are used to.

To read more, here are some useful websites:

http://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/scope-campaigns/hate-crime/take-action
http://www.stophateuk.org/
http://www.disabilityawarenessday.org.uk/

Saturday 19 May 2012

Sweet Treat Of The Week: Chocolate Mint Fudge Pie

Lately, I've been fantasising over everything mint chocolate. I'm not sure where this addiction has started, perhaps from the sly purchase of some Mint Kit-Kats. I've had this recipe bookmarked for a while and I have a terrible habit of hoarding recipes away for the day I decide to treat myself; today is that day. After all, Saturday is treat day.

So, with the constant craving for mint chocolate and the welcome embrace of happy tastebuds, I decided to try out this recipe: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/03/14/mint-chocolate-fudge-pie/

I omitted the cool whip (I'm not sure there is an exact UK equivalent and I figured the pie itself would be indulgent enough) and hesitantly used a pre-made pie base as suggested. Had I more time to waste, I would have made a base from crumbled up digestives mixed with butter after the whole thing nearly collapsed in two when cutting up! However, since this only took 10 minutes to throw together, I shan't complain too much.

 
Note to self: leave it so set a little longer.

Delicious? Yes.
Easy? Very.
Would I make it again? Yes.

Thumbs up all around from me!

Party Crafts: Recycled Sweet Ramekins

In three weeks time, I'm throwing a party with Kitty to celebrate our joint 21st birthday. I love parties to begin with but even more than that, I adore planning the decorations and food and everything to keep it running smoothly.
So, over the next few weeks, I shall post the various ideas I've come across!

I have a ridiculously overpowering sweet tooth and this is evident by the pile of pudding ramekins lying in my cupboard, both at my flat and my mum's house. I've hoarded them away, determined to find another use for them some how.


Finally, a brainwave! They make the perfect bowls to decorate the house with at the party, filled with sweets and treats for my beloved guests. Then, to make them a little bit more exciting, I've mustered up a bow to add a more personal touch:



The pattern was simple, following the pattern on this website: http://www.crochetspot.com/crochet-pattern-pretty-pretty-bow/

To attach the bow on to the ramekins, before wrapping the centre, ch40, fasten off. Attach the bow in the centre of the chain then wrap around as you would normally. Then, tie either end around the ramekin. Easy!

Friday 18 May 2012

A Fresh Start

Hello there, dear world. I'm a bit hesitant to start a real blog as I follow so many great ones to begin with but I suppose we all have things that we need to share, so here lies my little corner in which I can do so.

I'm about to go into my third year of university, where I study English Literature and Criminology. I'm on a sabbatical right now, in which I've spent a lot of time playing with arts and crafts, exploring the UK and living life to the best rate I can on such a limited budget.

I hope this blog is the real deal in my fully tracking my life so hopefully one day I can read back with pride.

Thank you for your time!