Blood, Bones and A&E...

I am currently laying here crippled in my bed, dosed up on some ridiculously strong pain killers with my not so fabulous ankle covered in ice packs and piled high on pillows. It's pretty safe to say that yesterday was not the greatest of days.

In the past 2 days, I have been in and out of so many different medical service rooms that I think I have actually lost count. It all started on Monday when I went to see my Doctor about my problems with my skin. For the past 3 years, I have tried so many different treatments to try and rid me of my acne, but nothing seems to work properly. The appointment ended well; I was FINALLY referred to a dermatologist to be put on a more strong and appropriate course of treatment which should take place over the next few weeks. Before this happens, my Doctor advised me that I needed to have a blood test to check my liver (no, I am not an alcoholic - it's just to check that I am okay to pursue with one of the possible treatment options which can cause damage to the liver). This kind of freaked me out as I've never had a blood test before and I always thought that it would be worse than donating, and I was especially terrified as I would be donating on the same day that I was booked in to have the blood test, which was the next day.

Tuesday came around, and I was feeling quite nervous about the day I had ahead. My blood test was in the morning, and the blood donation was in the afternoon. I planned my day out so that I could rest and eat well in between, to try and prevent fainting when I donated like I did before. My friend Lena was donating with me on this occasion, so I felt much more comfortable than I did before when I went in alone. I got to the clinic to have my blood test, and it's safe to say that I was absolutely terrified. I was expecting a huge needle and a lot of pain, but within about 30 seconds (maybe even less) it was over, and I walked out feeling so proud that not only did I not faint but I didn't even flinch! 10 points to me! This certainly put my mind at ease, and I felt so good about donating later on in the day because I was confident that I wouldn't have any issues with it now. The day was going great, everything was going to plan...that was until lunch time at least. 

Now, if there's one thing I learned on this occasion, it is that food is no longer my friend. If I had stayed away from the lunch hall, my day would have most likely stayed a 10/10, but that was not to be the case. Lena and I was walking down the concrete steps from the lunch hall, when I was called by someone from behind. I turned around to look, and as I did, I lost my footing and fell down the stairs, smashing my ankle onto the edge of the concrete step. It was probably the most painful thing I have ever done, and I've smashed my head open, had teeth knocked out, stubbed my toe and stood on a plug, but this easily hurt the most out of everything. Admittedly, it was quite funny, and as everyone else was laughing, I laughed along (although I wanted to cry) and I think that initially took the pain away. We walked (or should I say hobbled) back to our friends in the Common Room and immediately, everyone was throwing all the first aiding advice at me and helping me out. My friends are fab. We got hold of an ice pack from the school nurse and elevated my leg, but nothing was making the pain go away. If anything, it was getting worse. I went back to the school nurse to see if she had any advice, and she took a look at my now golf ball sized ankle and told me to go and lie down. This was actually great news for me, because I am now in my last year ever at school, and ever since Year 7, I have wanted to lie in the medical room bed. My expectations were exceeded, and the nurse gave me a blanket and put the radio on, and my friends sat with me and chatted, so it was actually quite a nice little time minus the pain. 

We sat there for about 20 minutes before it was time for Lena and I to go and donate. She helped me up and propped me up whilst I hopped all the way from my school to the local community centre where donations were taking place. It took so much effort, I'm surprised my good leg isn't not toned to body builder perfection! When we got to the donation centre, we went to sign in and was asked a few questions, when bad luck round 2 of the day occurred. Despite my Doctor, and the lady who took my blood earlier on stating otherwise, unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to donate on this occasion until I received the results from my blood test. To say I was gutted was an understatement, because not only did I really want to help such a good cause, but it also meant that I was letting Lena down, as it was her first time and we wanted to do it together. Regardless, I sat with Lena as she donated, and she put me to shame! She took it so well and was laughing and joking throughout the whole thing! She even looked at the massive needle hanging out of her arm and held her bag of blood afterwards! She definitely deserved the sticker and biscuit at the end! We had such a laugh and it took my mind of my pain.

We both went back home, and I rested my ankle, but the pain was getting worse and worse. My Dad got home from work and took a look, and by this point, my ankle had swollen to the size of a tennis ball and whether it was up in the air or resting on a cushion, the pain was excruciating. My mum ended up taking me to the Hospital to get it checked at A&E. She was pushing me around in the noisiest wheelchair ever and we actually had quite a laugh considering we was stuck in hospital and was repeatedly getting lost! After waiting for about 3 hours, I was finally seen by a Doctor, where he was concerned that I may have broken my ankle. I was sent down for an X-Ray and left to wait for even longer (you can probably tell that I am such a fan of hospitals). It got to about 12pm after my X-Ray, and I was seen by the Doctor again where the damage was revealed. My clumsy fall had resulted in a sprained ligament and a little fracture somewhere in my ankle. The x-ray showed that part of my bone was supposed to look like this: ( but it now looked like this: ). The Doctor said that as the fracture was small and in an awkward place (which is so typical for me; fractures a bone and is still awkward), there wasn't much that could be done. I was given some painkillers and had my ankle bandaged up for support, with the advice to keep it rested and still until the swelling has gone, and then to gradually start to move it and walk on it. We got home in the early hours of the morning, and I went straight to bed where I have remained pretty much since. 

So there we have it; probably one of the most eventful days of my life. I would be quite happy to stay away from any sort of medical area for a lifetime now. And remember the lessons we have learned from this experience; never take the stairs.

Amsterdam, August 2015!

I've been wanting to post about my recent trip to Amsterdam for quite a while now, but for whatever reason, it kept slipping my mind. I'm so happy to finally be able to sit down and share such an amazing experience with everyone, and perhaps even relive the trip myself through this post!

As I have mentioned before, my friends Lena and Zoe are half Dutch, and Zoe now lives in Amsterdam. Lena visits often, and was kind enough to invite Tanishia and I to join her for a week during the Summer. It was so lovely to be able to go with people who know the city well, as it enabled them to show us all the hidden treasures of the city that aren't so stereotypical.

Naturally, we did also visit the cliché tourist attractions, and they all exceeded my expectations. I've always loved the look of Amsterdam in any pictures I've seen, but is so much more beautiful in person. I didn't expect to feel so calm and at peace there, but it truly is one of the most relaxing places I've visited. 

I think one of my most favourite parts of the trip was taking a bike ride around Amsterdam, full-dutch style. You may or may not know that cycling is one of the most popular ways to travel in Amsterdam, as the land is so flat, and so it's very easy to cycle everywhere. I rode a Dutch bike which meant to break, I had to pedal backwards, which was weird at first but I quickly got the hang of it. I really loved the bike ride, just because it enabled me to get a real feel for the city, and see parts of it which I would never have even considered otherwise.

I filmed the whole trip, as I often do, so be sure to check out the video below of my trip to Amsterdam! 

What cities do you enjoy the most?

DIY Monsters Inc Halloween Costume!

We may only have just reached October, but it's never too early to start brainstorming ideas for your Halloween costume. Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of year; I love being creative and I like the competition that comes with Halloween in trying to have the best costume. Last year was probably my most memorable Halloween, and even a year later, I am still so proud of my costume! The theme for the Halloween bash I went to was Monsters, and so instantly, the movie Monsters Inc popped into my head. I got thinking, and eventually, I came up with an idea on how to make a DIY Mike Wazowski Costume! Although the costume only lasted a couple of hours before it got destroyed during a game of human bowling, in which I was the bowling ball, it was SO much fun while it lasted!
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To Make This Costume, You Will Need:

• Paint (Blue, Green, Black and White);
• Paint Brushes;
• White Foam Sheet (optional);
• A Long Sleeve, High Neck Green Top;
• Green Leggings;
• A Blue Cap (I Went For A Drinking Hat, Just Because I Thought It Would Make The Costume More Fun);
• A Large Exercise Ball; 
• Newspaper;
• PVA Glue;
• Water;
• Marker Pen;
• Bowl.

I got most of these items on EBay, where it was all pretty cheap. In total, the costume cost me around £20 to make.

To Make The Costume:

1. Blow up your exercise ball, and draw a large circle big enough to fit your whole body through on the bottom using a marker pen. Draw 2 smaller circles on either side of the ball for arm holes, making sure that they are at a comfortable height, and then draw a hole large enough to fit your head through on the top of the ball.
2. Mix equal amounts of PVA glue and water to create a sticky, runny paste. Tear up LOTS of newspaper into strips.
3. Dip each newspaper strip into the paste, wipe of the excess using your fingers and then proceed to cover the entire exercise ball with the paper, making sure you do not cover the holes you made earlier for your head, neck and arms. For the shell to be study, you will have to apply at least 6 layers of paper mache onto the ball. Once the ball is dry, you will be able to feel how strong and sturdy the shell is, and know if you need to apply more layers.

      TIP: To stop the ball from rolling around, sit it on a large cylinder shaped object. A bin               worked well for me!

     4. Once you have applied as many layers of paper as required, wait for the ball to dry. I applied 6            layers of paper mache to my ball over the course of 3 days, and it was completely dry by the                5th day. 

     5. Paint the ball in a base coat of white. You can go straight in with the green, but I found that                  some of the newspaper would show through when I did this. Once the base coat has dried (you            may have to apply a few layers), you can proceed to paint the ball green.

     6. It's useful to look at a picture of Mike Wazowski when painting the detail. Paint on an eye, and            a mouth. To give a more 3D appearance, you can use white foam to create teeth and an eyelid,            which is what I did. If you choose to do this, be sure to paint the eyelid green, and do this after            the other parts of the eye and mouth have been painted. 

     7. To remove the exercise ball, either deflate it or burst it before gently peeling it from the inside            of the shell, and removing it from the large hole at the bottom of the shell.

Finishing Touches:

• As seen in the second movie, lots of the monsters wore 'Monsters University' caps - to create this look, take white paint and copy the letters 'MU' from a picture on the internet onto the front centre of the hat. Then outline the letters in black. 
• Finish of your look by teaming it with green clothing underneath.

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So there we have it! How to make a DIY Monsters Inc Halloween Costume! It is quite time consuming to make, but it's definitely worth it for the great feedback it receives, and it's generally quite simple to make! If anyone does decide to try this idea out for Halloween, please feel free to send me any pictures of your costumes!

What are your costume ideas for Halloween this year?

Post-Human Bowling...RIP Mike

Macmillan Coffee Morning!

Last Friday, we celebrated Macmillan Coffee Morning as an entire school, raising money for the cancer support charity and having a fabulous time in the process. It's with events like this that I really appreciate my school and all that it is - it's so great to see everyone come together and have a blast for such a great cause!

During the run up and on the actual day of the coffee morning, there was cake baking, bake off competitions judged by the teachers and a mass amount of cake selling, all of which I managed to film and document so that we could look back as a school and be proud of such a great achievement!

                                        

To Donate to Macmillan Cancer Support, Please Click Here!

Looking Back on Old Times...

A lot has happened lately that has stirred up quite a few old memories and emotions. I look back on my childhood years, and I'm envious of the carefree, bubbly little girl I once was (even if I did only have one front tooth until I was about 8). So much has got me thinking about how much I miss my happy, memorable childhood, and I can't help but regret the times that I was so ungrateful for how great everything was back then.

When I sit down and start writing my personal statement drafts and my CV, the section that always seems to get me is 'hobbies and interests'. It must make me seem like the most boring, uninteresting person, because I struggle to think of a single thing to write. And then I think back to everything I used to enjoy as a child; my own company would never fail to keep me amused and I loved playing in my room, pretending to be a teacher and give lessons to my teddy's and dolls. I would line them all up on the floor, and stick a laminated sheet on my wall which I used as the whiteboard. I could sit for hours playing that game, and I love that after so many years and a change of heart on career aspirations several times, I've found myself taking that piece of my childhood with me as I head onto the next stage of my life.

Although I was quite happy being on my own, I adored the company of my cousins and the other kids around the neighbourhood. I was one of 23 Grandchildren on my Mum's side (although the number is decreasing rapidly, but we'll save that story for another day) and we all lived very close to each other, so company and entertainment was never far away. We'd play giant games of tag with at least 20 kids at a time, and run all the way around the neighbourhood until the street lights came on. We had den making competitions, whether it be in one of our garages, a cupboard or even a bush, and we used to put on shows for all of our parents and make instruments out of the stuff we found in the back of our kitchen cupboards. If we wanted money, we had to earn it, and we'd work as a team doing chores for the family or setting up cake and ice cream stalls. When it was hot, we'd pull a hose pipe onto the street and everyone, old or young, would come and join a huge water fight. Then when all of this was done, we loved nothing more than all trying to squash into my Nan's living room and finding a spot on the floor to eat our chips at the weekend.

No pool? No problem.

What tends to happen when you get another brother instead of a sister

Fast-forward to now, and my hobbies and interests include "laying in bed watching Netflix with a tub of Ben and Jerry's with the occasional face-time to one of my friends" - what a blast. What's worse it to see the attitudes of many of the children of the current generation; it's not rare to see a child screaming and shouting at their parents because they didn't get the X-Box game they wanted, and it's not rare to see Toddlers using IPad's and IPhone's before they've even learnt to talk properly. It does really sadden me to see how so many people have lost sight of what's important. It can't be possible to look back on your childhood when you're an adult and think "Wow! I had so many great memories spending hours on end playing games on my IPhone as a child!" - it sounds crazy!

As I approach adulthood myself, I am so thankful that I can look back on happy, worthwhile memories and be proud of my childhood. Although I probably don't take advantage of life as much now as I once did, I want to be sure to make the youngsters I come across, now and in the future, have a childhood as good as mine, without technology and without the competition to have the best and the newest stuff. And who knows, maybe as I do this, my adulthood will be just as fun, and I can look back in 10/20 years time and be envious of the life and experiences I have now.

Shout-out to Pokemon cards - those bad boys were the best!

What are your best memories from your childhood?

Top 5 Summer Essentials

We may be approaching the colder months of the year here in England, but for many, the sunny holidays on white sandy beaches and city breaks accompanied by glorious sunshine will continue. As most of us eagerly make a desperate attempt to thrive of of what's left of the summer, it makes sense to be prepared for when the sun does decide to eventually make another appearance here in Britain, or better still, be prepared for when you hop on a plane to somewhere hot and sunny to revel in bikini clad days, sun kissed skin, and the warm breeze beside the sea.  

Below are my must-haves and essentials for any summer activities you may have planned, whether it be a day at the beach, a stroll around the park or simply an afternoon relaxing in the garden. It's a good idea to always keep these items on hand because you never know when the sun might decide to pop out and inspire a beach day or a dip in the pool.

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1. Sunglasses 

Fairly obvious, but sunglasses are a necessity when it comes to summer. It's important to keep them handy, even when there's a chill in the air, as UV exposure can damage your eyes. I personally keep sunglasses on me all throughout the year, because even when the sun fails to make an appearance, I love to wear them on my head to keep my hair out of my face! I often find it difficult to find sunglasses to suit my face, so I love it when I come across stores who offer a wide range of sunnies which makes the search so much easier for me. I have recently discovered a great company called Salt City Optics who offer a large range of stylish prescription sunglasses from Ray-Bans to Oakley glasses. The company have recently released a new range of Oakley glasses, so be sure to check out the new arrivals here!

If you are someone who does have to wear glasses on a day to day basis, it's especially important to protect your eyes from the sun, so it is worth checking out the prescription glasses on offer and finding the perfect pair of sunglasses to suit your lifestyle. Alternatively, for those of you who do not require prescription glasses, I recommend Ray-Bans - I love their classic styles at affordable prices.

2. Sunscreen

Although I've not always been one to follow the sunscreen rule, it is SO important to protect your skin during the warmer months. I often underestimate the strength of the sun, and end up very red, and very sore, so it is worth keeping a good sunscreen with you at all times in the Summer, even if it doesn't seem particularly warm. 

I personally love the Hawaiian Tropic range. It smells absolutely beautiful with its blend of coconut and mango (my two favourite scents), but it also comes in a tanning oil formula, so you can be a bronzed goddess whilst protecting your skin. The range offers a variant of strengths from SPF 6 to SPF 30 and it will be sure to leave your skin moisturised and glowing with a lovely fragrance. 

3. Make-Up

Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with beautiful skin, and I often suffer with very bad breakouts, noticeably more in the summer. Because of this, I try to wear a lot less make-up when it is hot to let my skin breathe, however, I still like to ensure that I am concealed and my blemishes are hidden. For many who are in the same situation, I recommend using a primer to stop your make-up from coming off throughout the day as it most likely would otherwise due to the heat. If you are on a tight budget, I recommend Max Factor Facefinity All-Day Primer. At £10.99 per bottle, it is great value for money and lasts a long time and leaves your skin feeling velvety as well as controlling any excess oil on the face. If you are willing to spend a little more, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is amazing. It is more expensive at £25.50 a hit, but it is very much worth it for what the primer does. It gives a lightweight and silky feel, leaving you with a smooth base, and is particularly good if you suffer with bad skin, as it enables you to use less foundation because it evens out your skin very well.

4. Accessories

When it is hot and humid, you don't want to be spending lots of time putting an extravagant outfit together. I much prefer to stick with a very simple, light weight outfit such as a play-suit or a maxi dress (very handy for if you're particularly lazy when it comes to putting outfits together as it doesn't require finding a top and bottom that go together). You can then jazz it up very easily by teaming it with a statement necklace or a headpiece such as the head chain I wore in my previous post to spice up your outfit with a bohemian, summery vibe.

5. Entertainment

Last, but not least, I recommend you keeping some sort of entertainment with you, especially if you are intending to spend the day relaxing at the park/beach/pool rather than walking around lots. This could be either a good book, some magazines or simply just a music device. I love nothing more than relaxing in the sun listening to some chilled playlists on Spotify, or laying back on a sun lounger to tuck into a good book. Spend some time making a playlist of your favourite summer music and discovering some popular books of the moment to prepare yourself for your relaxing day in the sunshine! See below for my top 5 songs for this summer!

Not Letting Go- Tinie Tempah ft. Jess Glynne

Where R U Now - Jack U ft. Justin Bieber

House Every Weekend - David Zowie

Cheerleader - OMI

Show Me Love - Sam Feldt ft. Kimberly Anne

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So there we have it! I could probably go on forever talking about my summer must haves (bikinis, smoothies, hair products, fake tan, shoes etc.) but if there's anything in particular that you can't live without during the summer, please comment below! We could all use the extra knowledge and inside scoop on what's good when the sun is shining! I hope you've all had a wonderful summer, and enjoy what's left of it! 

What are your summer essentials?

What's your favourite thing to do during the summer?

This post was brought to you by Salt City Optics. 

Kiss FM Haunted House Party 2014

It feels really strange to be writing about something that happened nearly a year ago, but after a very restless night, I came across lots of video footage that I forgot I even had, and after remembering what a great experience it was, I just had to share it! On Halloween last year, me and a couple of my friends took a trip down to London to attend a Halloween-inspired gig which featured lots of various artists like Example, Professor Green (who called me darling and held my hand *EEEK!*), Rizzle Kicks and Ella Eyre to name a few. It was an absolutely incredible night and was brilliant value for money at just £30 which enabled us to see about 20 different artists. 

We spend the day in London, strolling around, doing typical tourist things before sitting down for some lunch at a beautiful restaurant we found near the venue. We then began queuing at about 3pm, preparing ourselves for a long wait as the doors didn't open until 8pm. I am however very glad that we did this, because it meant that we got to be right at the front and just a meter away from the stage and all of the artists which was so amazing! They were all very interactive, and it made such a difference! Queuing early also gave us a chance to meet some new people who we ended up spending the rest of the night with as there was originally only three of us. They were all really nice people and I still keep in contact with them today. 

We also spent our time queuing making ourselves look more Halloween-esque. As we were spending the day in London, we didn't intend on going in full blown costume like some people did, and so instead I wore a Halloween themed dress covered in Skeletons and then got my friends to splatter me in fake blood before we went in. It actually did look like I had been hit over the head, and even pushed Professor Green to talking to me whilst he was on stage and commenting on my blood-splattered face.

Throughout the night, I filmed some of the acts, and I've never really looked through any of the footage until now! I decided to put all of the film into a single video, just to act as a little memory of a brilliant night! Hopefully, Kiss will do something similar for Halloween this year, and I will most certainly be buying tickets again!

What gigs have you been to?

What ones were your favourite?

Uni Planning: The University of York

As some of you will already know, I am currently at the oh-so pleasant stage of trying to decide what I want to do with my life for the next 4/5 years. I've been sifting through University prospectuses now for what feels like a lifetime, and although I am pretty much set on the course that I would like to take, trying to decide exactly where I would like to study seems impossible. In the past month, I have managed to visit three Universities around the UK, and although it has been super useful for helping me decide on which Universities I do and do not like, it's also been so much fun to explore parts of my country which I have never seen before. I absolutely love travelling and seeing new places. The first University I visited was the University of York, and it was the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. As my family live up North, I'm so surprised I've never been to see the charms of the city before, but whether I get into York Uni or not, I will most certainly be visiting the city again.

The day began with a gruelling 4.30am start, as it takes around 3 and half to 4 hours to drive up to York, and we had specific times that we had to be at the Uni for. My Dad, Lena and I made it to the newly built campus at around 10am, and I felt like I was sold on the Uni as soon as I saw it. It seemed to be secluded from everything else, and was surrounded by lakes and greenery, with modern, homely buildings. It was everything I dreamed it would be, especially as York was always my favourite University just from reading through the prospectuses. 

We then proceeded to take a short bus journey to the main campus, which was slightly older but nevertheless, still very beautiful. I particularly loved how the University was surrounded by lakes and beautiful parks. I could so easily imagine myself sitting down to read and do work on the grass next to the lakes. It all just looked so perfect. 

We attended various seminars on different topics such as accommodation, finance, the History course itself etc. and the more I was told, the more deeply in love I fell with the University. I also loved having my Dad attend the open day with me, as he was pretty much clueless about all things Uni until then, and was quite sceptical about me going to Uni, but it put his mind at ease, which I was so thankful for. 

Once we had done everything we needed to at the Uni itself. we took another bus ride into the city centre, and I don't think I can quite put into words how incredible it is. It featured everything I love about historical cities, and seemed to tick every single box. It was stunning. 

We strolled round the city for the next 2 hours which included a visit to a Church converted bar (which I highly recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in York - it's called 'The Parish' and is awesome!)and a visit to the mighty Cathedral before taking a wander over to the cliché attraction of the Shambles and taking a walk across the huge wall which surrounds the city centre and has stood since the age of the Romans. I think that the city was the cherry on top of a perfect cake for me, especially as I want to study History, and the city features so much background itself.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that I will be able to study at York, especially as it does have high grade boundaries which I am not sure I will be able to meet, however, the city will always hold a piece of my heart, as I fell so deeply in love with it, and I will be sure to visit again sometime soon!

Stay posted for my blog post on my weekend visiting Southampton and Portsmouth Universities which will be available to read over the next week!

(SHOUTOUT TO MY DAD FOR BEING A FAB PHOTOGRAPHER/TAXI DRIVER FOR THE DAY)

What cities do you treasure?

I must not forget to apologize for my absence and lack of blogging over the past month or so! I wish I could say I have been up to lots and that I have many stories to tell, but in all honesty, I have quite enjoyed winding down and doing nothing much at all! I will be sure to make up for it, and have lots planned to write about! :)