Sunday Round-up

Back by popular demand....the one and only Sunday Round-up!

Recently I have been...

reading :: "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins // sure, I was sceptical of this when recommended but oh my goodness, what a treat! I couldn't put it down! Off to find the next book!

eating :: a lot of pizza; Honest Burgers (utterly delicious); a ridiculously delicious tagine cooked by my best bud; The Londoner's Chocolate Loaf; graze box treats

drinking :: bubbles

wearing :: dresses {summery + ball} ; playsuit ; sunglasses

celebrating :: the end of exams

watching :: Bridget Christie, Lolly Adefope et al at The Invisible Dot

buying :: summer dresses

listening to :: Muse aplenty; also London Grammar of course

also :: scrap-booking, holiday planning, playing with the kitten.

--------

Photograph taken with the Nokia Lumia 1520 I have kindly been sent by the Connects team to trial.

Tweet Pin It Now!

52 Lists // Twenty-six

Fully aware that I've missed seven weeks of this lovely project, here is my come-back - a list of my "life essentials".

My exams are finally all done so I'm getting into the swing of summer by indulging in many of the things on this list. It takes some time figuring out how free time is meant to be spent again, doesn't it?  The next few weeks will see a great deal of planning and organising, hopefully some bits and pieces on here too. Life is about to change a fair bit but first, I'm determined to have a wonderful summer.

Please feel free to share below what you're up to these days, how your exams/jobs have been going, and any tips you have for coping with change. I'm looking forward to chatting to you all again :)

Tweet Pin It Now!

Why we write

Writing :: putting words next to one another to somehow make sense of the mind’s mazes.

Ernest Hemingway described it rather aptly as just needing to “sit down at a typewriter and bleed”.

Bleeding :: a negative sensation showing a tear in your exterior, a crack in your soul.

Negativity :: the catalyst for many masterpieces; or hindrance for your passions.

Passions :: include writing.

How then to get yourself out of the circle which feeds on your apathy and unwillingness to share with others and, more importantly, yourself how you are feeling? For a public sphere, privacy jumps in to guard or excuse you, but what’s holding you back from spilling your mind’s cocktail and soaking personal pages with at least acknowledgement of blood?

Being busy solidifies any numbness which may be protecting you but the evidence is clear-cut from your history of cathartic pieces – you need to write. To rationalise, to heal and to move forward.

Tweet Pin It Now!

Taking Stock #9

T A K I N G // S T O C K

Making :: time for reading
Cooking :: brunch for Father's Day
Drinking :: tea
Reading :: the beginning of "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts (but leaving the rest for my holiday) and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Wanting :: to find somewhere to live in a stress-free fashion
Looking :: for holiday plans
Playing :: with Cosmo in (frequent) revision breaks
Deciding :: to go away in July
Wishing :: for certainty
Enjoying :: finishing exams 
Waiting :: for results
Liking :: the beautiful sunshine
Wondering :: how to help
Loving :: being able to give family/friends lifts and not having to rely on others so much
Pondering :: what's really important
Considering :: plans
Watching :: Dinner at 11
Hoping :: to keep up Pilates and yoga
Marvelling :: at how utterly incredible the moon was over the weekend - bright orange, full and MASSIVE
Needing :: a change of scenery
Smelling :: more summery smells like barbecues and grass
Wearing :: comfy clothes
Following :: long-awaited plans
Noticing :: changes
Knowing :: all sorts of facts for my exams
Thinking :: strategically
Feeling :: so pleased that I've started yoga
Admiring :: indieberries illustrations
Sorting :: exam prep, life stuff et al
Buying :: presents, plane tickets
Getting :: EXCITED
Bookmarking :: things to do, places to stay
Disliking :: the reducing number of weekends I have left at home
Opening :: plenty of bags of Skittles
Giggling :: at live comedy 
Snacking :: frequently
Coveting :: some nice clothes but feeling uninspired by everything...help?
Helping :: strangers
Hearing :: old school tunes on compilation CDs from the mid-2000s

---------------

Let me know if you're also taking stock (as discovered here).

Tweet Pin It Now!

What to take to Glastonbury festival

Or any other festival for that matter.

Glastonbury Festival last year is up there in my top five favourite things I've ever done. I can't put into words how utterly significant it was to me as an experience but the place has this magic to it that I'm certain can't  be replicated elsewhere. If you're going this year, I am incredibly envious - you're going to have an absolute ball - and here's a list of things I think you would benefit from taking. I'm no expert and you can buy pretty much anything you could possibly need at the festival itself, but I would recommend taking the following....

The essentials

• your festival ticket and any associated parking permits etc
• ID
• a tent :: if you haven't put it up before, do a test-run at home! Make sure somebody in your group brings a mallet/enough pegs etc
• sleeping bag
• a roll mat (unless you're taking an air bed)
• sun-cream/after-sun
• a bag for all of your stuff :: make sure you can carry it yourself and think about investing in some sort of carrying device in your group, but one that won't get its wheels stuck in mud!
• a backpack/small bag for daily use
• medication
• money

To wear

• enough clothes for the festival
• warm layers for sleeping
• clean clothes for home-time
• socks (more than you think you'll need)
• wellies
• trainers/a pair of comfortable shoes
• undies
• something to cover your hair :: a hat, headscarf, flowers etc
• hair ties
• sunglasses
• something waterproof :: trust me.

For hygiene purposes

• deodorant
• wet wipes and face wipes (millions of them) :: never has a damp cloth felt so refreshing
• dry shampoo
• hand gel
• a she-wee :: extremely clever contraption to avoid sitting and squatting!
• toilet roll
• packets of tissues
• if you plan to shower (hmm...), soap/shampoo/towel
• period equipment, ladies...
• hair brush/comb :: to minimise the knotty, tangled mess you're going to have to rectify come Monday

Other helpful bits

• bin bags :: loads of them for rubbish obviously, resting muddy things on inside the tent and all sorts of other unspecified purposes
• duct tape :: for fixing most things
• an air bed (+ pump) :: worth carrying for the extra comfort and warmth of being a little further away from the ground
• a phone that you don't care about loads :: I did take my iPhone and a portable charger (thanks gadget Dad!) but this only lasted 3 days or so in total and after that I was phone-less. You won't need a phone really but it is helpful for organising meeting friends etc so perhaps think about getting a cheap, temporary one with a little bit of credit for emergencies.
• some food that keeps okay in a tent :: breakfast bars, crisps, dried fruit, biscuits, sweets, chewing gum etc - there is plenty of food to try and I would recommend this as part of the experience as it is mostly delicious and good value, but you'll want to save some money bringing your own snacks.
• a big bottle of water :: to keep in your tent so you can always hydrate 
• small bottles to fill up around the site
• any alcohol you want and are able to carry :: but not glass
• torch (+ batteries)
• plasters, including those handy blister plasters as you will be on your feet a lot
• a watch :: to ensure you don't miss your favourites

Let me know if you think of anything else, or if you've got any other festival tips and I'll add them to the list :)

Tweet Pin It Now!