American Adventures - Chapter One...

Hey everyone! Hazel Houdini is back from her vanishing act to finally fill you in on my tales from across the Atlantic. Why on earth has this taken me so long? I've been in a serious state of post-travel depression, and it's been seriously difficult to shake. Between feeling down about not being stateside, working, and maintaining the functions of a normal adult, I've not had the opportunity to sit down and pour out every little detail to you, and I'm sorry it's taken forever. I'm very aware it's been well over a month since I landed back on British soil! But here I am now!

 

Last month I went on the most amazing adventure I've ever embarked on in my life. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to America with my uni course, and I'm so glad I took the chance and went. We flew out to Las Vegas, spent a few days in the city, before road-tripping around via Kanab, Marble Canyon, San Jaun and Flagstaff, and eventually winding up back in Vegas again. We crossed three states, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and visited loads of iconic places such as The Grand Canyon, Route 66, and Monument Valley. I saw and experienced so many weird and wonderful things, that I can't wait to share with you.
 

 

Because we did so much within the two weeks, trying to cram it into one post seems cruel and rushed, I honestly wouldn't be doing the trip justice at all. Therefore, I've decided to spread it out into 'chapters' if you will, of my amazing American adventures.

 

Chapter One - Vegas

 

 

Oh Vegas, you won me over completely. As soon as we arrived, I was immediately aware of how small I felt in comparison to the city. Huge towers of hotels looked down on me, and the scale of grandeur was incredible. After we arrived (in a sandstorm nonetheless), and the jetlag began to fade, we were able to get really stuck into the city, exploring the many elaborate hotels and casinos that litter the strip. My favourite hotel by far was New York New York. Anyone who knows me will know that New York City owns my heart and soul, and NYNY was a perfect simulation of the real thing. The hotel completely absorbed itself into the theme, that there were moments when you could find yourself doubting that you were far from the real thing. The Bellagio Fountains were such a highlight of Vegas, I was incredibly impressed, it was like nothing else I've ever seen before. If you ever find yourself in Vegas, you need to get yourself to the Bellagio to watch the fountains 'dance' every 15 minutes, it's completely free, and it's one of those things that will amuse you much more than it really should.

 

(New York New York)

 

One evening, we found ourselves away from the busy strip, and on Freemont Street in 'Downtown Las Vegas'. Freemont Street can only be described as a poor mans Las Vegas, with all the novelties you can expect to find in the heart of the city, but for a fraction of the cost. Here, nudity is everywhere, with half naked girls dancing on bars, and old women with saggy tits wondering round, charging for photos to be taken with them (No I didn't before you even ask). Freemont felt more like the Vegas experience I'd expected thanks to films such as The Hangover, much tackier and carefree, and with the attitude that anything goes. I mean, for goodness sake, there was a casino there called "The D", and it has a shop selling "I 'Heart' The D" merch. If that isn't an obvious display of the kinds of craziness you can find in Vegas I don't know what is..

 

 

Shopping in Vegas broke me and my bank account into a million little pieces. Gone was my sensible budgeting for the entire trip as soon as I set foot into the MAC store. It was magical, I got a mini-makeover and felt bloody wonderful for the rest of the day. Within the first few days of the trip, the 11 of us fell into two groups, based pretty much upon those who wanted to shop on the first day, and those who wanted to explore. It pretty much stayed the same for the duration of the trip, but the girls I hung out with and I got really close in America, after all, nothing bonds girls better than shopping! And boy, did we shop! It felt as if no store was left 'unshopped' in Vegas, but it was brilliant. I loved every single second, I just wish I had a bottomless bank account to really relax and enjoy it.
 

(I'll confess, I didn't take many 'in-action' shopping pictures, but who has time to take pictures when there's serious shopping to be done??)
 

One obvious difference between the UK and the US, is the attitudes towards guns. I've never been able to get my head around the idea of owning guns, personally I don't see them as necessary, but that's just based on my own circumstances in life. Whilst I was in Vegas, we all went to a gun store, and had the opportunity to fire a gun. "Why not, when in Vegas" I thought, so I picked out a handgun, and got to fire 20 bullets (pretty awfully) towards a target. It was ridiculously unnatural, it would appear that I'm not cut out for the thug life, because ultimately I was incredibly shit at it. If anything, I've learnt that should a zombie apocalypse happen, a gun is definitely not my weapon of choice.
 

 (Minus the horrendous headphones, I reckon I look pretty damn badass..)
 

One experience I never thought I'd have in Vegas was to go hiking, which we got to do at Red Rock Canyon. Vegas is completely surrounded by conservation land, something I didn't know prior to the trip, and we took part in a challenging hike up to a view point to look down on the city. Firstly, I know what you're thinking, me...HIKING?!?! You're not wrong, this was my reaction as well, but honestly, I really enjoyed it, which surprised me a lot. Secondly, the view was incredible, like seriously worth the struggle of getting there. The whole experience is one of my biggest achievements (I don't care how lame this is), even though I did manage to fall sideways into a cactus halfway up. (Which then tanned horrifically during the rest of the trip, and I still have marks on the back of my hand which didn't tan because they were covered in scabs, lush right?)

 

(Little me with Las Vegas in the distance..)

 

The next morning we left Vegas and began our adventures on the open road, which I will save for the next instalment. I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow (June 1st), which is just another adventure waiting to be blogged about!

 

Much love ♥

 

 

Update: All the crazy things going on in my crazy life...

I did the very thing I promised I wouldn't do anymore - I didn't blog for an entire month. I know, it's incredibly shameful (when will I ever learn?!), but even though I spent half of April out of the country - which yes, you will definitely be hearing about in my next post -, I really had no other excuse. I've been up to my eyeballs in making crazy plans to ensure that 2015 will be the best year yet. 2015 is also shaping up to be my least financially secure year yet, I'm falling into the habit of booking things before I've fully paid off the previous plans...

 

 

So what have I got going on which are distracting me so from you? Let me divulge...

1. My grand adventures in the U.S.A - I won't go into this much now, I'll save all of that for next week, but it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I saw such incredible things, pushed myself further than I thought I could (I went hiking. I know, ME, hiking?), and made some awesome friends along the way. It's certainly going to be difficult to top this trip for a very long time.
2. Twin Atlantic....again! - Definitely not a bad thing. What can I say, Em has got me hooked on Twin Atlantic, so we're seeing them again this week in London!
3. Finishing Second Year of Uni - Can this hurry up already? Currently I have 4 assignments to hand in before I can officially say I'm 2/3 of the way through my degree. It's all getting a bit scary now (And I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life...eek!)
4. Edinburgh - My housemate Em (who I'm sure you're all starting to quite fondly know and love after all the time I blog about her), and I have booked a couple of days in Edinburgh at the start of June. We did this for several reasons; to continue our two-woman trek of places in the UK, to get more tattoos, and so Em can meet the Scottish man of her dreams. I only hope her quest is more successful than mine, we all know how my plans to escape to Ireland and elope went...
5. Wildlife Festival - Straight after we come back from Edinburgh, Em and I are off to sunny Brighton to go to Wildlife festival! What is Wildlife, I hear you cry? It's a festival set up by Disclosure and Rudimental, two of my all-time musical loves. Some of my absolute music faves will be there, including Disclosure and Rudimental of course, such as Sam Smith, George Ezra, Years and Years, B. Traits, Jess Glynne and Mark Ronson.
6. New York City - So my mum decided to drop the incredible bombshell that she wants to take me to NYC for my 21st this October! I don't want to jinx this because nothing is officially booked yet, but this is looking to be absolutely incredible.
7. Michael McIntyre - Em and I have had this booked for literally forever now. The weekend after my 21st we are going up to London to see Michael McIntyre and go out on LND town. How exciting!!
8. Another Field Trip to the USA - It looks as though I'll be heading back stateside in January on a 'Civil Rights Pilgrimage', basically a trip around the American South, visiting places of great interest and importance during the Civil Rights Movement. I've been studying this since I was 17, so you can't begin to understand how much I'm really looking forwards to this.

As you can see, I seem to have caught the travelling bug pretty badly. With the likelihood I'll be stateside three times within one year, you can understand why my bank account is currently hating me too.

 

 

I also just quickly wanted to say how crazy it is to see people are still reading my blog on a daily basis, even though I'm hardly a regular poster! Last month I had the most page views since the month I started blogging, and I didn't even post once, which is just pure madness. I don't deserve all the page views for sure, but thank you all so much for reading all my random ramblings, recommending my blog to your friends, and checking in every now and again. I'm truly blessed and grateful. It's because of you wonderful people I'll try to keep writing.

 

 

 

Much love ♥

So many addictions...

Guess who's back!

That's write, I'm blogging again, and I promise I won't leave you all for so long next time, okay? I fear I also may have left you all in the lurch with the complete lack of addictions recently, but not to worry, it's time compile the ultimate addiction list! To make up for the fact it's been months since I last did this, I've covered everything I've been addicted to since October (yes, it really has been that long!!) Everything on the list has been tried and tested by yours truly, and comes complete with my seal of approval. So go on, indulge yourselves.

 

 

Tattoo's After Dark - Now I'm an inked woman (which of course makes me a complete pro on all things tattoo), I've found I'm obsessed with any tattoo show. You name it, Em and I have probably watched it, from Tattoo Nightmares to Ink Master. So imagine the joy on our faces when we found Tattoo's After Dark on E4. We were completely hooked, 100% emotionally invested in every aspect of the show. It sparked many debates, such as, "Who would you want to tattoo you?", "Which of the tattooists is the most attractive?" and "Which tattoo is the most ridiculous?" (FYI my answers are Justin, Jersey and the one guy with the squirrels on his legs which are reaching for his 'nuts'.) But it's not just tattoos which appear on this show, oh no, there are piercings as well. There's a super British, super hot guy called Chris Saint who does the piercing, and my-oh-my have there been some arguments over which one of us would score him. I didn't even get into the show for piercings but now I'm inspired to get one at some point, this guy is seriously beautiful and persuasive. Lord Almighty, there isn't a single reason why I couldn't love this show, it has everything I love and more, from hot guys, amazing tattoos and super crazy Americans.

 

Iggy Azalea - I'm not even sorry. So I decided to have a look on the Spotify 'My Year in Music' thing in December, which shows you what you listened to the most, and it turns out I have a bit of an Iggy Azalea addiction. So much so that 6 of my top 10 songs were by her, and she was my most listened to artist in summer, autumn and winter. (Spring was Gabrielle Aplin in case you were wondering) So what is it about Iggy Azalea I love? Who knows, but god-dammit her songs are infectiously catchy. You already know (!!) I've already posted about my Fancy obsession, but I really love her whole album, New Classic, particularly Walk The Line, Don't Need Y'all, Impossible Is Nothing and Rolex. I know a lot of people can't stand her, and there's the whole stigma about her being a white-girl rapper (Just ask Azealia Banks, who seems to be insistent about how white people shouldn't rap because they don't understand how tough it is to be marginalised by society - but that's a whole other topic I'm not getting into);  but there is just something about her songs that work. It's semi-relatable I guess, plus I get to pretend I'm good at rapping, which is just shamefully embarrassing every time I get drunk.

 

George Ezra - This beautiful man made a beautiful album, and I'm in love with it. His style is almost nostalgic, from days gone by, like the kind of music my nan would've put on for me to dance to when I was a kid. But at the same time, it's familiar, fitting in with this one-man/one-guitar indie trend which seems to be dominating the charts at the moment. His songs and his voice are so soothing to listen to, and I can't get enough. I'm so excited that he's going to be playing Wildlife this summer, which I'm stupidly excited to be going to (Sam Smith, Disclosure, Rudimental, B. Traits and Years and Years will be there too!!). For people who haven't heard it yet, I recommend you go and listen to it, especially tracks Stand By Your Gun, Cassy O', Listen To The Man and Blame It On Me.

 

Ibiza Weekender - You should all have guessed by now that tacky TV shows are a way of life for me. Ibiza Weekender is no exception. It's a work of genius. Guests you'll never like, banter from the reps, and the hilarious voice over from Joe Lycett. The guests are always strange, none of the reps are particularly datable, but oh my, the drama. Who will Imogen get with? Why did Jordan have to come back? Is Sophie always so needy? Will Ben ever go out and not get too drunk? I can't get enough. I'm both desperate and completely afraid to go on holiday to Ibiza, it looks insane, but it looks like the kind of place you could catch an STD from a lamppost. Plus I recently found Deano auditioned for the X Factor which made for very hilarious and awkward viewing.

 

 

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Any uni student will know that reading for pleasure is a joy which dies during your degree, but I've forced myself to get back into it in a big way. Although I'd read the Hunger Games trilogy a while ago, I'd completely forgotten how amazing they really were, and instinctively went straight to them as a way of easing back into reading for fun. Suzanne Collins is a genius. I'm too emotionally invested in these books, they break my heart. I recently finished Catching Fire whilst on a train, and had to hold it together whilst surrounded by strangers. Personally, the books are better than the films. No disrespect to J-Law, but the books focus on more political issues and impacts on people than the love triangle of Katniss/Peeta/Gale, which makes for a much more gripping story. Go read them, you will not be disappointed.

 

Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime - Being a borderline alcoholic, this shouldn't surprise many people that I have cider on my addictions list. I'm fully aware how badly I'm coming across right now, and how bad cider is for you (all those empty calories!), however, it's really nice. Like, addictively nice. It's been my drink of choice this semester, whether I'm going out, or having a few drinks with the girls (or on my own, uni is stressful) in the house. I'd totally recommend! (Unless you're under 18, then don't drink. Ever. It's a poor life choice.)

 

I promise I won't leave it so long before I next do my addictions! I'm just so boring and busy with uni that I don't actually have the time to get crazily obsessed with anything. But fear not, my second year at uni is ending, and soon I'll have all the time in the world to blog (Minus the two weeks I'm having stateside, which trust me, you'll hear about), and I'm gonna try to up my game with this whole regular posting thing.

Much love ♥

 

Who run the world....girls!

 

Happy International Women's Day!

 

 

 

 

Today is International Women's Day, and I thought, how better to celebrate the incredible force of sisterhood than to dedicate a post to the women who inspire and influence me the most in the world? Sorry boys, but today is all about the ladies of the world, and together we are unstoppable. We've come a long way from being unable to vote, being seen and not heard, and being undervalued and underappreciated, however, we still have a long way to go to achieve equality for not just ourselves, but for all people along the gender spectrum. This is why it is so important to me that we are able to put any differences aside on amazing days such as this, and join together to make the world a fairer and better place for all. I'm trying not to fully explode into a feminist rant (although it's just so easy!), so instead, here are a selection of wonderful women who have changed my life.

 

 

My Mum - Let's start with an obvious one. My mum is my absolute favourite person in the entire world. Sure we've had our differences in the past, and what mother and daughter doesn't argue? My mum has gone through a lot in her lifetime, but she doesn't let it define her which is why I idolise her so much. Her strength is what has kept her, my brother and I going for years, and she always comes back stronger after every set-back. Plus she's looking pretty incredible after her amazing weightloss, and I'd kill to look as good as her when I'm her age. Without my mum in my life, I wouldn't be as down-to-earth and grounded, she's been an inspirational influence in my life, and I only hope I can do as well with my kids one day.

 

 

 

My Nan - Again, another obvious choice. It's easy to see how well my mum turned out when you look at my Nanny, she's such an inspiration. Although she also went through some really bad times, with deaths in the family, she has managed to turn her life around in the last few years, come out much more positive and stronger than ever before, and lost so much weight she is officially no longer a diabetic! I can always rely on my Nanny to be there for me, she's a completely loving and understanding person.

 

 

Florence Welch - Florence is one of the biggest influences in my life. If you ask anyone I know, they'll tell you how obsessed I am, and how much she means to me. I first heard her music in 2009 when I was 14, and her music still gets to me even now. On the release of her second album Ceremonials in 2011, I was in a pretty bad place, but I could rely on her music to help me through. In many ways she saved me, I won't go into lots of detail here because it's pretty personal, but there's a pretty good chance I wouldn't be who I am now, or here, without Florence and the Machine. It's funny how much music can help you or shape you in your life, and I'm just glad that for me, it was the ethereal sounds of FATM. Meeting her has been a highlight of my life, they say never meet your idols because you'll get disappointed, but she was so genuinely lovely and happy to see everyone, she's such a truly lovely and kind person, inside and out.

 

 

 

Rosa Parks - I'll always remember the first time I learnt about her, in a history lesson when I was 12. I thought she was so brave and incredible, while the boys in the class were laughing about how silly it was, and that she should've just moved on the bus. This was one of the first times I ever felt proud of someone I'd never met, but even though I was 12, I was inspired and realised how much her actions impacted for so many. Without her courage, bravery, and complete sense of justice and self, the world we know now could be very different. We need more people in the world who are willing to make the sacrifice for others, such as Rosa Parks did. She put her freedom on the line so that others may achieve theirs.

 

 

Emma Watson - I'm still convinced her and Hermione are the same person. It's very had to distinguish where Emma stops and Hermione begins, but I suspect the very well written character by J.K Rowling plays a large hand in this. Growing up with a character such as Hermione Granger in my life played a large part as to who I am now, as her independence, determination to do well against all odds, and compassion for her friends throughout her life helped to shape me. Emma Watson is equally as wonderful, as she too displays all these characteristics. As well as all of this, her speech at the UN on feminism and He For She was inspirational. It really got to me. Her ability to always remain true to herself and her beliefs is something we should all strive for in everyday life.

 

 

Emmeline Pankhurst - Without her, and the rest of the Suffragette movement, my life would be very different. I wouldn't be able to have a say or be able to achieve anything I want to do without her brave actions. Her determination to fight for the right for women to vote has changed the world and society. Her methods may be controversial, due to her militancy, but you have to admire her passion and effectiveness, as well as her ability to make such a radical change. She inspires me in that there are no limits as to what I can achieve, and that if there is something I don't agree with, I can change it. Nothing is impossible.

 

 

 

There are so many women who have helped to shape who I am today, I couldn't possibly write extensively about them all. To name but a few more, Beyoncé, Anne Frank, Haim, Taylor Swift, Maya Angelou, and Amy Poehler. And of course, all the women who've been there for me, including family, friends, teachers, and my boss back home in Weymouth, Sybil. Without all of them, I wouldn't be half the person I am today. 

 

 

Although today is all about women, everyone has a responsibility when it comes to equality. It's not impossible. We just need to all be more respectful and nicer to each other. So c'mon everyone, share the love! There is still so much more we need to do.

 

Much love ♥

 

 



Things I wish I knew at 15...

 

This was me on my 15th birthday, and to be honest this isn't anywhere near as embarrassing as some of the other pictures I found whilst trawling through the depths of my Facebook page. Why am I wearing a strange headband? Who knows. All I remember is that it was my 15th birthday, and after school all my friends and I went to Costa, then on to the cinema to watch whatever was on at the time. (But can we please talk about how long my hair is? I miss having long hair..)

 

Recently I've been thinking, what advice would I give to my 15 year old self, knowing everything that I know now. She looks pretty happy, but the girl in the above picture is far from having her life together. Like most teenagers nowadays, she was rushing to grow up, and keep up with all her friends and everyone around her. That's pretty rubbish really. But a lot has changed in the last 5 years of my life, and I feel as if I'm in a better position to advise silly little 15 year old me. So if I had the chance, what would I say?

1. You have all the time in the world to get into relationships, just enjoy being young without trying to have all that 'grown-up' drama.
2. Your size doesn't define you. Size 10 is definitely not fat, and there will be a point when you'll be larger than a size 10, so don't try to diet. Your weight will fluctuate throughout your life.
3. Pay attention in school, because you won't get the opportunity to learn all of this again, and in the grand scheme of things, GCSE's are much more straightforward than doing a degree.
4. On that note, don't stress out over exams, there's only so much you can do, and a bad GCSE in Geography won't determine the rest of your life.
5. Make the most of getting away with being innocent, once you leave school it's all downhill from there on, and people will always assume the worst.
6. Remember those who used to be little shits in class, because in years to come you'll see them in the court summons in the paper.
7. Lay off the energy drinks. Red Bull doesn't give you wings, it gives you a weird heartbeat and the need to piss every 5 minutes.
8. The odds that you and your friends will be 'Best Friends Forever' are ridiculously slim. Everyone has different paths in life, and often it means being apart from friends. It's okay, you'll make new wonderful friends along the way.
9. Don't panic because you haven't got your life figured out, because in 5 years time you still won't, and everything will be okay.
10. Go to every party and make stupid mistakes, because how else are you going to discover what's right, what's wrong, meet new people and just have fun. There's so many responsibilities that come with age, so be a bit reckless while you can.
11. If you enjoy it, do it! And don't answer to anyone. Sure people think it's pointless doing a GCSE in dance, but one day you'll be doing a degree in American Studies, and people will think it's even more pointless. Screw what they think. Do it for you.
12. Money will come and go, so while you've got no major responsibilities, enjoy spending your money on the things you want, even if that is a whole load of tacky jewellery from Claire's Accessories.
13. Dye your hair blonde. It will look so much better than your natural colour. Just don't dye it dark brown in Sixth Form, because it will go wrong and you will look like a Malteser (Brown on the outside, blonde on the underside).
14. Enjoy spending time with your family, because soon your family will split and spending time together will be impossible.
15. Take as many opportunities as you can. Who says you can't go on the New York trip? You can save up for it all by yourself and prove to everyone you deserve to go. If you really want to do something you can make it happen. There are no limits.

It's a bit of a paradox, I wouldn't be in a position to say all these things had I not lived my life exactly as I have in the last few years. Sure I've gone through some bad things in life, who hasn't, but the last 5 years have been pretty exciting as well. I've achieved so much more than I thought possible when I was 15, and I hope 15 year old me would look at me now and be proud.

 

Much love ♥

I'll be there for you...

There is no doubt that Friends is my all time favourite programme, even though it's been over for 10 years now, it will always be a relatable classic. Within its 10 series run, we saw the characters grow up, fall in love, end up with some pretty awesome jobs, and become closer than ever. I've always been pretty jealous and wanted a friendship group like in Friends, and in some ways at uni, I have. I've met all kinds of crazy people trying to carve out their own lives in the world, and even though we are all different, somehow it works.

 

My favourite character? This depends. I love Chandlers sarcasm, Rachel's wit, Joey's relaxed attitude to everything, and Phoebe being every bit as crazy as she is. I wish I was as organised as Monica, or as intelligent as Ross (although he's probably my least favourite of the six, I'm team Rachel in the whole 'break' thing) But either way, my point is that at some point or another, we have all been able to relate to all of the characters in some way, because even though it is an exaggerated comedy, the things we see are very much echoed in our lives. From relationship problems, to falling out with our friends, issues with work, and even just getting your own place, it happens to all of us.

 

Friends has bought us so many iconic and hilarious moments, so I thought I'd share with you some of my all-time favourite and most quotable moments within the 10 seasons.

She's your lobster! - Ross/Rachel were the ultimately will-they won't-they of the whole series run, spanning from back in the day when Ross had a crush on Rachel at school, to them finally getting together, having 'a break', actually breaking up, having a child together, and Rachel getting off the plane to be with him. There was just so much drama surrounding this couple, and we the audience were always having to second guess whether they would actually end up together. When they do eventually get together to begin with, Phoebe says they are like lobsters, because when a lobster falls in love, they hold claws for the rest of their lives.

 

 

Pivot - Sometimes the funniest moments in Friends are the most simple. Take for example, the simple action of trying to get a sofa up to an apartment, but it won't fit round the stairs. There we have the hilarious 'pivot' moment, where with the help of Rachel and Chandler, Ross tries to get his new sofa up the stairs. Just watch, it's brilliant.

 

 

Ichiban - Joey's acting career is a bit of a running joke throughout the series, with his biggest role playing Dr Drake Ramoray in Days Of Our Lives, a character who dies, but is then revealed to be in a coma, and bought back after a brain transplant. In his acting 'career', Joey also does a few adverts, including an absolutely brilliant one for a brand called Ichiban. What is Ichiban I hear you cry? Well, it's lipstick for men. That's right. And the advert for it is every bit as wonderful as you'd hope.

 

Confessions - One Thanksgiving, Monica and Ross' parents come over for dinner, and Chandler spends the entire time trying to win them over now that he is dating Monica. However, it is revealed that the reason they don't like him, is because in college, they walked into Ross' room and smelt pot, and he quickly blamed it on Chandler. At the same time, Monica has trusted Rachel to make dessert, but she has confused two recipes, one for a trifle, the other for a pie. Phoebe has developed a weird crush on Monica's dad, and Joey really wants to leave. This prompts a long string of confessions from everyone, which is just absolutely hilarious.

 

 

 When everyone finds out - To begin with, Monica and Chandler kept their relationship a secret, however slowly one by one the others began to find out. When Joey, Rachel and Phoebe found out, they decided to play a trick on them, by getting Phoebe to seduce Chandler, until they revealed their relationship. But remember, they don't know that we know that they know...

 

 

Holiday Armadillo - Ross wants to dress up as Santa for his son Ben at Christmas, however the costume shop is out of Santa costumes. He does manage to get hold of an armadillo costume instead, and tries to tell his son all about Hanukkah, and his Jewish heritage. However, there are a few unexpected visitors...

 

 

Phoebe's songs - Without Phoebe, we wouldn't have the classic which is Smelly Cat. But that isn't the only song she's written, oh no. She has others such as papier-mache man, grandma, ode to a pubic hair, and my favourite, the holiday song.

 

 

So there we go, some of my favourite moments in Friends. There is so much more I could include, but we'd be here all night, and I'd probably end up putting pretty much everything that happens in all 10 series.

 

Until next time,

 

Much love ♥

 

 

Another year over...

2014 has been chaos. Creative chaos. Travelling chaos. Family chaos. Friends Chaos. Just....chaos. I've typed chaos so many times that it doesn't even look like a word to me anymore, that's how chaotic it's been.

Every January 1st I wonder how the next year of my life can out-do the last, but this one has been a turning point for me in so many ways. I rent a house. I have a serious job. I have plans in motion which will determine the rest of my life. It's so crazy, and it feels as if it's been non-stop all year. I've been incredibly lucky in the sense that I've been so determined not to waste my life, so I've crammed my days with as much as they'll allow, by travelling, seeing and doing new things, and working as hard as possible so I have the best chances to make it in the world once the comfort of university is over. Currently, as of this very moment, I am exactly halfway through doing my degree at the University of Winchester, which is both exciting and extremely terrifying for me. It means that I'm going places with my life, the only little, small and *insignificant* problem is I don't know where. I've never had a natural calling in life, I've always been very relaxed about what I'm going to do in the future, but now more so than ever, I've come to realise that the 'future' is now. And I don't have that long left to make up my mind. So whereas 2014 has been the making of me as a person, I fully expect 2015 will be the year I set my sights on an ultimate life goal. And I'll achieve it.

So whilst I'm apprehensively looking forwards, it's come to that time of the year where I must look back to see how far I've come.

January - This feels as if it was forever ago. I decided uni wasn't too bad and went back for my second semester in First Year, and celebrated by cracking on with the drinking!

February - What even happened in February? I can't even remember... Probably because a lot of this month was spent playing True American with Emily, whilst being silently observed all the time...

March - March was the month my dreams came true. Whilst at a Haim gig with my housemate Emily, I was extremely fortunate to bump into Florence Welch outside! Anyone who knows me will know that Florence and the Machine are a huge part of my musical life, providing inspiration in dark times of my life. Meeting Florence was one of my ultimate highlights of the year. March was also the month of drunk, with St. Patricks Day and the infamous tequila night happening (all in the same week might I add). This month was rounded off by a trip to Marwell Zoo with two of my housemates, Emily and Abby, which completely satisfied my childish heart.

April - April shall forever be etched into my heart as the month I fell over in the Student Union whilst escaping from someone. We celebrated the end (almost) of our first year of uni by doing what we do best, getting very drunk. It was a beautiful day with beautiful people, with the creation of many beautiful memories (and some very embarrassing photos.)

May - Ah May, the month I officially moved out of uni halls, completely drunk, holding onto my seamonkey's for dear life. It was the end of the first chapter of my new independent life, which was rounded off in true uni style - getting blind drunk and awkwardly embarrassing encounters with all the people I made friends with in First Year.  

June - I started this blog! I decided that it was time the people of the world should realise how crazy I am, and write about all the weird and random things in my life. It seems to be going well, despite my laziness with regular posting. Emily also came to visit me in Weymouth which was awesome. 

July - The first girly holiday! I've been abroad without my family before, but that was always in the safe hands of teachers with a school trip. This holiday to Gran Canaria was organised by my friend Sophie, and it was the first time I was in charge, not my family, not a teacher. It was amazing, and completely memorable! July was also the month I began renting the house in Winchester, another monumental moment on the adulthood timeline.

August - Well for a start I cut most of my hair off. I spent the majority of August working and travelling between Winchester and Weymouth to sort my room at the house out. Ice Bucket Challenge mania consumed the world (and yes I joined in), and I became completely obsessed with Game Of Thrones - my life hasn't been the same since. I also went to Devon with my family at the end of the month, which was lovely, and probably the last time we go away together because my brother and I are getting too old. Getting old sucks.

September - I officially moved into the house in Winchester, got a job there, went to Belfast and got a tattoo. All within a week. What can I say, I don't waste time!

October - I turned the grand old age of 20!

November - November was spent mostly working, drinking, seeing Twin Atlantic and smashing my phone screen. Not to worry, I replaced it within 24 hours. I also went home for the first time since September, which was so lovely. Plus the dog died in Downton Abbey, which was such an emotional rollercoaster for me...

December - Ah December. I remember it as it were yesterday... Finished up my first half of Second Year at uni with a presentation on The Hunger Games, completely embraced the joy of Christmas, worked, then went back to Weymouth for just over a week to spend much needed time with my family. I hope I get to spend more time with them next year.

 

I can't wait to find out what next year will bring. I've got so many exciting things lined up, including going to see The Script, Charli XCX and Twin Atlantic again, Michael McIntyre in October, My 21st Birthday, and two weeks in Las Vegas/Grand Canyon/surrounding area in April as part of my degree. It's going to be amazing.

 

Happy New Year my lovelies, I hope 2015 is absolutely bloody spectacular for you all.

 

Much love ♥