19 Things I Learned From My First Semester @ Uni

Whaddup, it's me again! I think I'm going to start getting back into this thing. Will it last? Who knows but I have three posts in me head already so let's go from there. Here's what I've learned from my first half of first year:

1 Aldi is the best part of the week

2 Everyone is an alcoholic!

3 The north / south divide is real

4 From the Midlands? Yeah we have to choose one or the other (no matter how geographically impossible)

5 Netflix on 'in the background' does not exist, as you realise two hours later that you've only written one and a half sentences but managed to watch three episodes of Prison Break

6 Be prepared to remember a shitload of names

7 Super noodles are a food group

8 Food thievery is a real problem and whoever the fuck it is holds no prisoners

9 Number eight was a touchy subject

10 The term 'windmilling' has taken on a whole new, graphic meaning

11 Uni actually involves a load of work

12 You would be surprised by the ninja moves you are capable of when the club promoters appear on campus

13 No one cares what you look like (especially when you roll up for 9am lectures)

14 Urban Outfitters and Topshop are a thing of the past

15 The thought of getting up at 8am five days a week ever again is inconceivable

16 Girls' kitchens are so much more disgusting than boys' kitchens

17 You will become an expert procrastinator (and consequently will have navigatated every deep dark corner of YouTube)

18 Sacrificing food for alcohol is smart economics, not a first class ticket to Alcoholics Anonymous

19 Say YES to everything

Success Is Liking Yourself, Liking What You Do And Liking How You Do It

SO I'm pissing off to university in three weeks! Eeeeep. After much deliberation on the whole 'gap year' thang and much confusion about what the hell I was going to study, I have finally accepted my place at Manchester and I am (surprisingly) really excited.

I think the main reason I wanted a gap year was due to the financial aspect of university but with a year off to 'travel' I would have spent any money I earned on that anyway. Plus I will have much longer holidays to do things. To be honest, the excitement that I would have found travelling is easily found with the prospect of meeting a bunch of new people and exploring the city of Manchester! Whatsmore, I get to spend six months in a French-speaking country and six months in a Spanish-speaking country in my third year which I can't wait for. Hopefully by that time I'll be able to hold a somewhat normal conversation as opposed to discussing Europe's immigration policies and the death penalty.. Whatever happens in the next few years, I think we should all remember the wise words of Ms Angelou:
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it."

I'm currently writing out my never ending list of things that I need to take but, judging by the size of it, I am yet to realise that I can't take my whole bedroom with me. I think I've also forgotten that they do actually have shops in Manchester. If you're either at uni and have any tips for us freshers or if you're a newbie first year like me, I'd love to hear your take on the whole university topic. If anyone is going to Manchester that would be even better!

At The Dividing Line Between The East Of My Youth And The West Of My Future

I am sure I'm not alone in having a monumental debate surrounding the question of "Is university the right choice for me?". Just when I thought I had decided what I wanted to study, I am faced with the decision of "Is university what I really want?". I always thought higher education would be good for me as I have no set career path to hurl myself down but I am increasingly aware of my desire to travel and explore the world, the light of which will begin to fade as the tunnel of postgraduate jobs sucks me in.

I recently stumbled upon the instagram profile of a former student at my school filled with magnificent images of her travels across South America including Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. As I continued to scroll down, my travel senses were burning with the desire to do the exact same thing. Considering I want to study languages (and possibly international development) I see no better way to enhance my prospects than visiting and immersing myself in the countries in which they are spoken as opposed to a four-walled classroom.

Suppressing my appetite for exploration when the time for ucas application came along, I told myself that I could get an education and then visit all these wonderful places during the holidays or after my studies. However, after screwing a realistic head on, I am almost certain that this is highly unlikely; I'll be dealing with the burden of financial woes during and outside of term time and then once I'm out in the big bad world I will most likely be trying to carve out some sort of 'career' and mercilessly trying to avoid falling into part-time work and spending my life at a fast food chain.

But maybe I'm just thinking way too much.

International Women's Day

Here is an insightful timeline which reviews the global gender equality achievements in 2013. Those of you with vaginas, go forth and be a fabulous woman, and those of you who do not fall under this category, support the rights us gals deserve.

❝ I think the concept of virginity was created by men who thought their penises were so important it changes who a woman is ❞

❝ I interviewed a young anthropologist working with women in Mali, a country in Africa where women go around with bare breasts. They’re always feeding their babies. And when she told them that in our culture men are fascinated with breasts there was an instant of shock. The women burst out laughing. They laughed so hard, they fell on the floor. They said, “You mean, men act like babies?” ❞
- Carolyn Latteier, Breasts, the women’s perspective on an American obsession

❝ We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, “You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful otherwise you’ll threaten the man.” Because I am female I am expected to make my life choices keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or accomplishments but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. Feminist: The person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. ❞ - Flawless, Beyonce

Henna Appreciation Post

I got one done in Tanzania and now I want some more.

Art Of The Trench

We are approaching the middle of October, almost time to pull on our beloved scarves and coats, so I was pleased to find a tumblr that acts as a source of inspiration for all things Burberry trench coat. The timeless, classic style is shown through both men and women street style shots taken from all over the world.

This just gets me in such an autumnal mood. I need a trench coat.

ART OF THE TRENCH: burberry.tumblr.com

Bohemian Homes

all images via bohemianhomes.tumblr.com

Open spaces, batik and aztec print along with rows and rows of books. I could spend hours scrolling through this tumblr dedicated to bohemian-style interiors.

Queen: Daddy's Vinyl Collection

Today I had the lovely task of sifting through my daddy's vinyl record collection and putting them into alphabetical order. Firstly, I take pleasure in organising things (yes, I am the kind of person who gets excited about new folders at the beginning of the school year) and secondly, it was a major Queen fest. With the Queen Live Killers record spinning on the turntable and having eight Queen vinyl's in total, I am holding my father responsible for my love of the incomparable rock band.

However, seeing this large collection of iconic musicians and albums, it dawned on me how few hard copies of albums I actually own. In a technology obsessed world, it seems that most people (including myself) only ever buy music from the internet, losing that excitement of when you hold a new record for the first time and open up the immaculate cover. I know this is a scary thought, but what would happen if this technology broke down and all your music was erased? I want to be able to have a large record collection showing the culture of my childhood to look back on when I'm older, not having to rely on a computer to supply me with memories. I therefore pledge to buy albums from the store from this day forward. Well, the good ones anyway.

What do you think about the decrease in purchases of records? Is it good or bad?

I Can Hear The Sky Falling Too

Frank Ocean published this detailed piece of text to his tumblr today in which he addresses recently questioned rumours about his sexuality:

I have so much respect for him for doing this, especially as Frank is strongly affiliated with the hip hop world in which sexuality is a relatively sensitive issue. It's unclear whether Frank is stating that he is bisexual or homosexual but quite frankly it doesn't make the slightest difference to me. I still love him.

Diamond Jubilee Part 2

Yes, another post dedicated to my recently discovered love of the Royal Family...AKA Harry, Kate and Wills.

Firstly, let's discuss the amazing Diamond Jubilee Concert that was held last night:

The setting for the concert · Awh look at Prince Harry and William's brotherly love · Big up the person who organised the fireworks, it was a jolly good show

Seeing the breathtaking images of the stage, set in the middle of the Queen Victoria memorial with Buckingham Palace stood majestically in the background, it's hard to imagine a more perfect setting. I was struck by the sheer amount of people that were in attendance; the camera panned out to a wide shot that showed the mall overflowing with people, all of whom were waving flags in support of the Queen. It was really spectacular...then a certain Prince comes into focus and all of my meaningful thoughts are pushed away with dreams of marrying Harry. (How cute did he look singing along to Tom Jones?)

After a few performances from the likes of Robbie Williams, Will.i.am and Annie Lennox, the Queen arrived. I thought she looked so graceful and young for her eighty-six years. Unfortunately, her husband Prince Philip couldn't attend due to falling ill but spirits were kept high thanks to the unifying of different cultures with the performance of 'Sing'.

The evening came to a close with a magnificent fireworks display after the significant moment of the Queen lighting the beacon. As London was lit up by the pyrotechnics with the red, white and blue London Eye seen in the distance, flags waved wildly all along the Mall with everyone roaring in appreciation of Queen Elizabeth II. It would've been so good to be there.

However, I admit that my favourite moment, or at least the funniest part, of the concert was most definitely when Peter Kay walked out in a traditional horseman's outfit being his usual hilariously funny self. I couldn't contain myself.

So, as you may have guessed, I spent today watching all of the Royal happenings right from the service at St. Paul's to the fly-over at Buckingham Palace. The Queen looked so cute, taking in all the spectators and wonderful air show provided by Spitfires and Red Arrows.

Imagine having all those people stood outside your house though · Red Arrows flying over Buckingham Palace · STOP IT HARRY. You beautiful person, you.

Kate Middleton appreciation image. She always looks so perfect.

Oh, I also made a (generically British) apple crumble today too. Yummay.
Ooh, would you look at that. Just in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee message...

all images via dailymail

Diamond Jubilee

 Cue the obligatory jubilee post...

Although some miserable so and so's don't enjoy taking part in the celebrations related to the monarchy, I love the patriotism involved in celebrating the Queen's diamond jubilee. The bunting, the red, white and blue colour scheme, the food (scones galore!) all create such a British atmosphere. Having watched the Jubilee Pageant in its entirety yesterday - I didn't want to miss an inch of Prince Harry looking dashing in his princely attire - I felt a real sense of pride in how us Brits can come together and celebrate such an outstanding achievement that concerns the whole country.

Having said that, as a part of the younger generation, I don't think I ever understood the extent of the Queen's work and how, at only 25 years old, she gave up her life to serve her country. As we are often bombarded with images of Kate's latest style feats (I'm not complaining, she becomes my girl crush every time a royal event takes place) and William and Harry touring the Commonwealth, it's easy to forget that the Queen also does this and more.

In addition to the flotilla, Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber took on the almighty task of creating the 'Jubilee Song'. I watched the programme last night that documented Gary Barlow's journey across the Commonwealth in order to record a multitude of sounds from different cultures that would be used in the track. It was really beautiful to see how much music affects certain people's lives. It made me wonder why we pride so many musicians in this country (some of whom don't even write their own material) when music could be created freely and enjoyed by everyone. I now also hope that when I go to Tanzania, I can experience some of the singing and percussion groups that he did.

I think the concept of the song is perfect for the occasion. I would have preferred it if the choir weren't such a prominent role because, in some instances, it overpowers the other cultural aspects but on the whole it's a lovely song. Prince Harry's tambourine talent really makes it worthwhile.

Diverting from the meaningful purpose of the documentary, I also witnessed Prince Harry. Dancing. Feel free to play this video of the Prince moving his hips to One Love in Jamaica on repeat, I did.

All in all, we just love a good excuse for a party and what better reason than to celebrate the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II? I will most definitely be watching the concert tonight (7.30 on BBC1).

Oh and Prince Harry: I'll be waiting at the alter.

Saved By The Bell

A little post dedicated to reminiscing upon one of my most prominent memory of childhood tv shows, Saved By The Bell:

 

Ah, these images bring back a few memories of myself as a young girl sat right in front of the tv screen thinking i was much more mature than my seven years, watching the happenings at Bayside High.

I remember Saved By The Bell being my absolute favourite tv show. Although i was born two years after it had finished filming, the show was still going strong into the late 90s. Zack's looks never grew old. I think the eclectic mix of characters and lust to go to an American high school was what interested me...that and the amazing 80's style clothing that featured many zig zag prints and high waisted trousers.

There was a character that everyone could relate to; whether it was the nerdy intellect of Screech, Kelly Kapowski's it-girl looks, the classic macho torso of A.C. Slater, Jessie's independant personality, Lisa's dreams of going into the fashion industry or, the factor that kept me engaged, the charming smile of Zack. It was such a  perfect cast. Personally, i always loved tuning in to see what Kelly wore, she had the most darling outfits and her hair was so lucious with the classic 80s blowdry.

The dynamics between the six friends was such a great balance. There was a theme of matchmaking throughout the show; the cheeky troublemaker Zac was continually flirting with the sweet character of Kelly, Screech endured his tumultuous relationship with Lisa with light hearted conflict based on his geeky appearance, and Kelly, although calling him a 'pig' numerous times, bonded with Slater to make an adorable couple.

Obviously there are certain episodes that i remember more than others. For example, i won't forget the moment when a dance-off took place at the groups local hangout spot, The Max, in which Lisa made Screech's dreams come true by being his dance partner. Aww. I always had a soft spot for Screech. Also, i can recollect myself watching the tv film that was shot when the gang went to work at a hotel resort in Hawaii over and over again.

Gosh, i need to somehow get my hands on the boxset.

♥mollie

Namaste

Namaste!
So a few weeks ago i discovered an adorable shop called Evolution. The shop supplies a range of handmade candles, blankets, and the most adorable little Buddha statues amongst many other items that have been handcrafted in countries like Indonesia and Thailand. With the profits being distributed to projects that the brand supports, they bring benefits to the people that make their goods so i would most definitely say it was a worthwhile spend.
Anyway, i revisited it today to admire some of the beautiful handcrafted items and it gave me some lovely inspiration...

Although these images are from weheartit, the adorable elephant candles in the last image are sold in Evolution. I've always loved Balinese and Thai prints; they're so intricately created and the colours used are so mellowing. I would love to have a bedroom filled with scented candles, painted glass lanterns and sunset-reminiscent colours as shown above.

I had previously bought a beautiful string of hearts and an Oscar Wilde quote to add to my bedroom but today i purchased a candle with the scent of 'endless berries'. It's is divine. As i'm in such a calm mood i am dedicating the rest of this lazy Sunday to relaxing with my new candle and a book. Heaven.

^ Obligatory shot of Mollie ruining a good photo by pulling weird facial expressions.

♥mollie

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

Christmas decorations · Taking walks surrounded by the snowy scenery · Christmas movies! · Delicious food

"It's the most wonderful time of the year -ding-dong-ding-dong-"

There's only one more night to go until Santa makes his way down everyone's chimney and now that school has finished i am finally in the Christmas mood! I personally love seeing all the decorations and pretty lights everywhere, it's so festive. Although there is yet to be any snow where i live, i love seeing the street coated with a white frosting, not to mention how fun sliding on the ice can be.

However, my all time favourite thing about this time of year has got to be the Christmas films.  Every Christmas Eve, without fail, my mother and i watch Elf and tonight is certainly no exception. I'm going to use my scnazzy new Wagamama cooking book to whip up some sort of noodle dish and watch Elf in delight as i have done  for the past seven years or so. Speaking of cooking, Christmas is the time that i embrace food to the maximum; with helpings of yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets and a good old roasted parsnip to warm my tummy, i am in my absolute element. I'm making lemon meringue pie and helping with the Christmas dinner, yummy.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas filled with the people you love and heavenly food.

Merry Christmas!

♥mollie

images via weheartit