Wednesday 31 December 2014

December Wrap up!


I can't believe December is already over. I feel like we spend all this month anticipating Christmas then it's all over so quickly. I have really enjoyed my time off work and spending time with my friends and family. I feel like I spent more time with my friends Helen and Emma in December than I have in the past three months. I have really appreciated the time off to chill and watch movies and not worry about a lot as I know January will already be busy with travelling, work and studying. I think my time off with officially be over by the first of January. I have also got back into blogging this month. I have really enjoyed trying to think of things to write about everyday even though some days it has been challenging. I am hoping to keep it up in the new year. At least when I am travelling which will hopefully make exciting reading. 













I wish you all the best in 2015! I hope you have a smashing year!


Tuesday 30 December 2014

Camera Obscura - Edinburgh


Me and my friends, Helen and Emma were looking for something interesting to do in Edinburgh that was a bit different from what we normally do. We went to popular tourist attraction Camera Obscura which was really good fun. It was actually a lot better than I expected, there was a lot more stuff to look at than I thought there would be. It was great to be able to interact with some of the exhibits as well, The view of Edinburgh from the roof was breath taking, I wish I could have stayed there longer but it was getting cold and dark so we had to leave.  The only thing I didn't enjoy so much was how busy it was but I think that's just me and it can't be helped because it is so popular. I think I will definitely be taking people back there to enjoy it.



Mirror mazes are always but confusing. I think it walked into a wall a few times!


We got to use lasers to make this picture. I want one of these in my house.



This was very weird. Looking at my friend upside down though this optical illusion.

'And in that moment I swear we were infinite'


It was quite fun watching people in Edinburgh with these cameras. They will never know!


It was funny to see that I am always the one with warm hands and my friends always have cold hands. This thermal camera proves it.


It's like stepping into Alice in Wonderland.



Emma looks so happy and contented with her puppet show.



From the roof top.


Edinburgh Castle and the sunset.











Not really anything to do with the Museum but we saw Grayfriars Bobby on the way home and had to take a picture of him.



Monday 29 December 2014

New Years Nails - BarryM


There are three things I want for my nails at New Year that is: Glitter, sparkle and more glitter.

BarryM's Rockstar from the Glitterati range is perfect for this time of year. It is a celebration after all and I think this will go with any party out fit or even if you are staying in a nice festive jumper.



 I can't wait for New year! Travelling up to Inverness to spend time with some amazing people. What more could you ask for?


Saturday 27 December 2014

2015 Resolutions...sort of

It's that time of year again, the time when you reflect on yourself and remember that you have flaws.

 I don't know why I have always hated making resolutions, maybe it's because I know that I will enviably fail at 'eating heather' or 'going to the gym'. I have sometimes thought why do we have to wait until the 1st of January to try and make ourselves different? Is the earth circling round the sun one more time really going to make you a different person when you wake up? I know that the idea of 'new beginnings' can be really inspirational to some people but not really for me.

 I think changing things about yourself comes from experiences in your life that have made you think. I think we all change as we grow and learn. These 'resolutions' I have chosen are something that I have notice are naturally changing about me as I have 'grown up' a bit and had some events in my life that have changed my view. I have also met new people that have inspired me to try and become better. I think that over coming some of our 'flaws' can be a life long journey and sometimes we don't even realised how much we have changed till we look back. Growing and over coming your flaws is not just a 1st of January thing. 

Here are some of my ideas, some of them I have already begin to change over the last few months and I want to continue.

Be more confident

I wouldn't say I am a particularity shy person but I am not the loudest either. When I say 'be more confident' I mean be more confident in my own decisions that what I am doing it right. Sometimes I don't think I am as assertive in my decisions as I should be. I often rely on other people to lead me though certain situations. I am making more of my own decisions at work but I need to be more confident when I think I am right, I have a habit of letting other people change my decision because I don't have enough confidence to make my argument.

Be more organised

I just need to face up to the fact that 'organised' is not one of my personality traits. It takes quite a lot of effort for me to get my head around things. I think that I just need to start getting on top of things by dedicating part of my day to just making sure everything is done or there is a time arranged when everything can get done. I think my life will be a lot less stressful.

Do more things

Lately, I have started doing the same things all the time so I want to stretch my self to do more interesting things. Replacing the time I spend on YouTube and browsing with other things like finishing my sort stories which I have really enjoyed recently. My brother is going to teach me some rock climbing I hope. I don't want to make myself busier, I am busy enough between work and studying but just want to stop pointlessly browsing all the time when I know my mind isn't getting anything out of it. 


TBR Jar and 2015 Reading Challange


Today I was inspired by one of my favourite BookTubers to make a TBR jar (or in my case a TBR tin). TBR stands for To-be-read. The idea that you have a pile of books you really want to read but have not got round to yet. Like most people my To-be-read pile grows faster than I can actually read the books. 

As I am also terrible at deciding what books to read next I though the idea of picking them at random is a great idea. I have also made the paper different colours for the books I own and the books I still need to buy. Yellow for the books I already own and Pink for the books that are currently on my Amazon wish list. I thought that if I read two books I currently own then it is justified to buy a new book that way I don't end up owning hundreds of books I have never read. 

I am not sure if this is going to work for me for the whole year but it is worth giving it a go. It was fun writing down all the book titles anyway. I currently own 54 books that I haven't read so hopefully this will help me get though them. 

In 2015 I am also going to continue with me Goodreads Reading Challenge. Next year I am going to set my challenge to 30 books to read in a year and we will see how it goes. I am currently 1 book away from completing my 2014 challenge which was 20 books. I am confident I will be able to complete 30 next year unless something goes horribly wrong. 






My current TBR for next month is

Girl Online - Zoe Sugg
Never Fade - Alexandra Bracken
Paper Towns - John Green
An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
In the after Light - Alexandra Bracken
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
The Long earth - Terry Pratchet
Entry Island - Peter May

Here is a link to my Goodreads profile
and my 2014 Reading Challenge

Do you have any idea of how to cut down your TBR?



Friday 26 December 2014

Boxing Day Wintery Walk


I had nothing to do today other than eat turkey sandwiches and go on a boxing day walk. I completed both tasks. I went up to the Colinton Dell with my Grandparents and Mum. I was very frosty and misty which made it very eerie when we were walking though the grave yard. I got to see some interesting things. The only way I can describe how it felt was winter. We have not had any proper snow yet but I think it's coming! Fingers cross for sledging this year!

Here are some of the photos I took. Hopefully they capture some of the eerie, wintery atmosphere.





When I walked past this note I was expecting it to say 'Lost Cat' I was surprised to see that it was talking about a dinosaur. Me and my Granny had a little confused laugh to our selves.


There is a statue of  the famous Scottish Novelist and Poet Robert Louis Stevenson and his dog. He wrote some very famous stories such as Treasure Island and Kidnapped. My Granny also knew a lot of his poems and was reciting them as we were on our walk.





Got a shot of the 'professional' photographer. My Grandpa is better than me anyway. I learnt everything I know about taking photos from him. He was the one who got me into it in the first place.



Thought this was an interesting idea to use an old shoe as a plant pot!




I wish I could still read what was written on the stone, I think it would be cool to know what it said. My Grandpa reckons the skull and cross bones was put there because the person didn't like their Mother and wanted everyone to know she was evil. Good theory.


Do any of you have any Boxing day traditions? I don't have many but a walk and turkey sandwiches is defiantly part of it.