Happy New Year

In all honesty, recently – I’ve found myself in a bit of a rut. Graduating from Uni, moving back in with my mum and dad, as well as having no luck whatsoever finding a job.

Having all of these elements makes it quite difficult to think of all the things I’ve achieved this year, and with the new year upon us and everybody being all “OMG I’ve had the most A M A Z I N G G G G year blah blah blah” I find myself zoning out or imagining them with a Mohawk whilst trying to fain interest.  

BUT REALLY if I look back on the year, I have achieved a HELL OF A LOT.

Like, seriously, I graduated from uni!?! How the hell did that happen- yes there were moments of doubt that it would ever happen, along with mild hysterical outbursts of crying in the library as all the days merged into one. The security guard knew me well by the end of it, and did not question my choice to bring my sleeping bag, shower gel and toothpaste into uni (I think he knew better not to ask really, as I started to look / behave like a madwoman, I like to think it’s because I created a pal- but probs not).

Another thing is I worked Glastonbury festival for heaven’s sake, it was mental! (So was the smell- but lets not go there…). Like seriously, not many people get to do that- guiding people who are tripping out to the nearest cesspit- or as they put it ‘toilet’- just a little note dear readers, these toilets are harder to judge than you may think, and resulted in weeing on myself on the first day. So take your time, and aim. In addition I got to access backstage areas, saw some of my favourite artists- and even managed to take a shower the temperature of the artic- yes my pals, staff have showers MWAHAHAHA. While, yes, my tent did rip on the second day, as did my roll-mat and there was a thunderstorm resulting in everything being damp for the whole 10 days, it did allow me to make friends with the hot lads across from us who did help to make light of my er, situation – silver lining I suppose? I mean, hell, I’ve even had work on a feature film this year! I can’t say much about it until it comes out, but when it does, you lot will be the first to hear about it!

 And these are just the ones that come to mind!

So back to my point, while yes, things may be a bit shit at the moment- I have had a pretty decent year. I mean it’s not ideal that I’m back in with M&D, and I may revert back to the adolescent “your ruining my life” line once in a while – but really, they’re pretty awesome.

But this is the thing.

We all focus on the negative stuff in our lives (don’t worry I’m not going to get all preachy on you), and it’s difficult to remember the good stuff.

However I saw something on Buzzfeed the other day (friggin love Buzzfeed), which I am going to try, and I urge you lot to do too.                  

It’s basically a jar, with a slot at the top, and when something good happens you write it down and pop it into the jar- at the end of the year you open the jar, and it gives you a chance to remember the good bits. So if like me, at the end of the year you generally look back and think… ahhh bollocks, maybe this will help.

 

I’ll let you know at the end of 2015.

But for now, thank you for reading, and have an amazing 2015.

Christmas Post

Not a lot to say this week, so I'll just wish you all a wonderful Christmas. It's tomorrow. Eek!

Christmas Films, the Marmite of the season.

Christmas is well and truly here, with that comes an abundance of Christmas related entertainment. You'll either embrace it, or decide to cocoon yourself in a duvet until it's over.

I cocoon.

Truthfully- I’m a bit of a scrooge when it comes to Christmas films. I especially hate it when Christmas films are on telly in the middle of July – seriously, what’s that about? You’re always going to get the shockingly awful and predicable scripts, let alone story lines: Childhood sweethearts reunited, dad home for Christmas, reconciliation and basically, a ‘happy Christmas’. WOAH didn’t see that one coming. (Although I do have a lot of time for Meet me in St. Louis- not gonna lie.)

Yet recently I worked on a Christmas film with the wonderful Building Block Films and Zion Creative- and actually enjoyed it. Crazy stuff right?!

This film is different, and certainly worth a watch. (Yes, I am slightly bias, but deal with it.) It's a short, so won't take much of your time - none of that 90mins business.

I’ve put it below so you can.

Santa Vs. Santa

 

They’re both awesome companies and I ask that you have a look at their websites- spread the word. All the lads are a pleasure to work with- absolute gems, and make for a really fun environment.  Got questions? Hit them up!

 

Building Block Films

@bblockfilms

 

Zion Creative

@zion_creative


I get that some people like all this fuzzy Christmas film lark- and that's great if you do, I don't mean to put a downer on it. So tell me if you like or don't like Christmas films and most importantly- why. I want to know.


Much festive cheer.

Life can be just so damn punny!

 Bloody love this card.

Puns eh?! I genuinely think they’re SO underrated. Everybody is all about the whole sexual innuendo, and don’t get me wrong I love them as much as the next person. Yet, if you’re working around littlens’ you can’t whack out your best willy joke can you?! I mean you can… but I wouldn’t recommend it.

So puns are bloody marvellous, adding humour to your day- appropriate for a range of audiences. Yet I think that people are forgetting the glory that is.

The best bit is that cards are becoming more readily available with a variety of puns for all occasions! (I’ll post one I gave my housemate for her birthday)

So I challenge you dear readers, let’s get more puns in our lives! Use them more often, make your friends laugh. Most importantly, get inventive.

Clutch Clutchedy Clutch.

 

 Its so Pretty.

 

So with the festive season upon us, it’s time for our mandatory work-dos, nights out with friends, and Christmassy gatherings.

It’s a time for everybody to get dressed up to the nines and look hawwwt. Yet there is always the issue of “where can I put my stuff”. If you’re a guy, it’s no problem- as tailors and shops generally provide pockets. Don’t take them for granted lads, as a girl it’s a right faff to find places to put your keys, phone, makeup and whatever other bits you may carry around with you.

This is where the glorious clutch comes in.

It’s not too big to take the attention away from a bitchin outfit, but it can also add to said bitchin outfit by complementing various details.  AND it deals with all the pesky little things we carry around for no apparent reason. (an example of this would be my deck of cards, Top Trumps and eyelash glue- I don’t know why I do it).

The best thing as well is that shops have started to sell clutch bags which have wrist straps. Some of you may think this is rather pointless, but believe me, when its wrapped around your wrist you don’t have to worry about putting it down somewhere and forgetting about it. (which I have done on many occasions)

They can also be pretty cheap too, so it’s good on the purse ;). Generally if you’re shopping in high-street shops you can get one for under £20, but if you’re super scrimpy like me, Primark sell clutches for around £6, I even got mine in the sale there for £3!!! £3 ladies! Three whole pounds. If that’s not a bargain, I don’t know what is.

So what I’s suggesting to you lovelies that if you’re worried about not having anywhere to put your bits and bobs without it drawing attention away from your outfit- invest in a clutch!

Have a wonderful festive season & party hard.

Running Wear... ALL THE LYCRA

So in the last few months I’ve really taken to running, because of that I have spent a FORTUNE on running gear.

What I want to ask is why is it so expensive, and why is it all practically the same!? I understand that there is “sports technology” involved in some of the items, which I hope is why they are so expensive. But the items that are the “basics” shall we say, seem to have no specific reason to validate the cost. So is there an alternative? Does all of this sports- technology- hoopla actually mean anything? Or do we just wear these items because it’s a given to the sport? I don’t actually know the answer to this- so I would love to hear from you lovelies! Do you think that running sportswear is effective, or just another con? Let me know!

I get the whole reflective aspect- be seen people. However things like “running gloves” what makes them so different to your standard gloves eh? The same with ear warmers and socks- really? Socks people, socks.

I would like to point out that there are places that you can buy discounted running items that, in my experience have been worth the money. For example, (if you’re into brands) TK Maxx or Sports Direct is great, and for those of you who don’t really care; I’ve found that Aldi’s stuff can be pretty awesome too!

 

Sports Direct

TK Maxx

Aldi

It's that time of year again.

 

 

Once again it’s time to be bombarded with Christmas songs while we shop, Christmas gifts to buy for our loved ones (and the ones we feel obliged to buy for), whilst having to deal with every other mundane task being transformed into something “Christmassy”.

That’s not to say that Christmas can be wonderful, getting to hang out with friends and do wintery-themed things. But the thing that I think is really nice is handcrafting gifts for the people we really care about. Yes, that’s not to deny that if you were to give a voucher for Apple that it’d be well received. It’s just that it’s not personal.

This year for me, everybody is getting dream catchers and then something else even more personal for them. Some of you may be thinking, “sure, that’s nice. But it’s a lot of hassle”. I beg to differ, most of these are actually quite simple to make, and you can find umpteen YouTube videos on “how-to” which is super useful! (I’ll put some at the bottom).

In addition to that if you think outside the box, most of the stuff you need can be sourced fairly cheaply, for example you can hit up EBay, John Lewis, ELC amongst others.

So ladies and gents, think about it. I’m sure that whoever you may be gifting this year would really appreciate something handmade and personal.

I’ve listed a few pages for you lovelies to look at for some inspiration. Let me know how it goes!

 

 

 

Homemade Gifts 1

Homemade Gifts 2

Dreamcatchers

The Book of Life (film)

Who’s seen it?

For those of you who haven’t, it’s an animation revolving around the Day of the Dead which is a Mexican festival celebrating those who have passed. With a brilliant cast its a pleasure to watch.

The animation itself is brilliant, and it’s nice to see a different style to the standard Disney/Pixar or even Burton animation. While, yes, I do have to admit that it is a little Burton-esk, especially in content matter. It is still different and new, and because of that it is deffs worth a watch.

Some of you may think that because it is about the Day of the Dead that it may not be appropriate for younger audiences, but think again. The way that this film is delivered makes it appropriate for audiences of all ages. The thing that is nice about this is it is not dummed down in order to appeal to such a wide range of people. There is something for everybody!

But, back to the Burton-esk thing. Who’s seen Corpse Bride? You know that bit where the underworld is way better than the living world. Well. It’s kinda similar in this film, but it is well done and comes across as more vibrant than the Corpse Bride (this is not to say that they Corpse Bride is not well done- it just has a different feel). Therefore it’s worth going to see.

Unfortunately there is a lull in the film, which does make you ask “when is it going to end?” but it soon picks up again and helps to round the story off quite nicely- so power through people!

Overall, this is a very good film. It’s good to see a new style of animation as well as including a holiday that isn’t Christmas or Easter. Because of this, it’s really worth a watch, get the whole family involved. (trailer is below)

 

Enjoy!

 

Trailer

Finding work as a graduate

 

Get a degree they said, it’ll get you further they said, it’ll be easier to get employed they said…

What a load of balls.

While I think that my university experience have been the best years of my life so far, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The idea that it is a way for an easier employment is a pure fabrication. I graduated this July and have still not found anything.

I have to remind myself that there are thousands of others out there finding themselves in the same boat if they did not study something vocational, but rather topic based. WHY IS IT SO HARD? We are all well-educated, and are capable to do the job, yet we cannot get a break! Has anybody else come across the “we can’t offer you a job without experience/ you cannot get experience without previous job” clause? I can’t seem to win.

It is not to say that there is nobody out there trying to help, as there are various sites for recent graduates. I just feel that it is the sheer volume of people looking for work that is causing all the disappointment. It’s just so competitive.

The other thing that is making me go that little bit more crazy is when you are applying for a position, and you either get no response/ acknowledgement to your application, or you get another rejection, with no constructive criticism. Yes, I realise that it would be a tedious task to write back to every applicant the bits that they need to improve on, but it would be invaluable! Even if it is a generic tick-box system!

Is anybody out there having any luck with job hunting? Have any tips, or are having the same issues?

I realise that this is not really a “lifestyle” post as such. I just feel that it is an important issue that needs to be discussed.

Halloween's THIS week!!

So this week is Halloween, who’s excited?!?!

Apart from the abundance of pumpkins available, there seems to be little else for those above the age of 12. I have scoured the high street for Halloween things to do, or items that aren’t directly aimed at kids, and you know what lads, they don’t exist.

This makes me sad; I want to be able to enjoy the fun elements of Halloween as much as the next eight year old. So, out comes my skeleton onesie, scary pumpkin bunting and awesomely carved pumpkins (if I do say so myself).  The crap thing with being a twenty-something is that it’s no longer socially acceptable to go trick or treating! Damn it! Then again, in hindsight- you are literally begging for sweets. (Never thought of that before). 

With this whole trick or treating business, has anybody else noticed in the last few years that people are asking for money?!? It all started around 7 years ago. Where I live, we had one young child forced to sing to us, and his parents consequently asked for £5. Now I think this was a bit of a piss-take. Firstly, we did not want the kid to sing, secondly, it didn’t look like the kid wanted to sing himself, and finally, it’s a bloody cheek. Halloween is meant to be about innocent fun, with a spooky twist. Not a money making prospect for parents/carers.  These incidents have escalated in my local area, my mum told me last year that the same thing happened with two kids, and the adults asked for £10. I mean seriously, do people pay?? Have any of you experienced this?

Another brilliant element I love of Halloween is dressing up, but I am sick to the teeth of girls doing “slutty” versions of everything. While yes, sometimes it can be a laugh- there is a line. For example, dressing as a maid- okay, but is it really just an excuse to get your legs out, where as a murdered/zombie maid- go ahead! I’m starting to think that for some people Halloween is just an excuse to dress like a slut in public, with no element of the “scary”. What do you guys think? This aside, I have seen some AMAZING face painting on various sites, it’s amazing what some people can do, from china dolls, voodoo dolls, cereal (box) killer etc. If you are stuck for ideas, a quick search on Pinterest of Instagram will sort you out! It’s nice to see that more original ideas are now becoming more popular than the traditional witch/vampire etc. (not that there is anything is wrong with them!), but it is nice to see new things.

I realise this is more of a rant about Halloween, than anything else, so I apologise for that.

For those of you who enjoy Halloween for its traditional means, there are loads of food-related things to do for those of us who are a little too old to go trick or treating.

But for me this year, it’s going to be face paint, a few horror films, apple bobbing, friends and popcorn. Have a brilliant evening everybody!

Ghostly going-ons!

Ghosts

Are they real? Are they fake?

Well, that’s up to you to decide, I’m not sure myself, but I’m starting to sway more to their existence. A few things have happened during my lifetime that makes me think this. Some may say that the amount of horror films and ‘ghost’ programmes (Ghost Adventures anyone?)  I watch may be influencing my decision. But there is more.

I’ll explain, I’ve had things moving, changes in temperatures (no, my heating was not just turning off). During my time at uni, I even had breathing in my ear – ending up with me calling my parents to collect me INSTANTLY!

Is it just the unknown that we are scared of, or is it the fact that we have no control over it? What do you lot think? I’m genuinely interested.

My housemates and I even downloaded a ghost detector (Windows 8.1 store, if anybody is interested). I don’t think it worked, but it certainly got our hearts pumping! During these moments of madness we also found different ways to tell if there were any ‘spirits’ present, now I don’t know if our minds were just playing tricks on us, but there were a hell of a lot of the things on the list we could tick off!

Have any of you ever had any “incidents” of the supernatural kind, or do you believe it’s all hocus pocus, tricks of the mind or creations of the imagination? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you.

Tartan you say?

Tartan,

 

I bloody love the stuff; this was not always the case as my secondary school uniform involved a tartan skirt which consequently meant that I stayed clear of anything remotely resembling tartan. However recently, with many years passing between my secondary school days and the present day, I have slowly come round to the whole tartan trend, and now, it’s my thing.

As the autumn kicks in, it gives us an excuse to layer up, and dig out our scarves, hats and gloves. This year I feel that tartan is the ultimate way to layer up. It gives a little flare to any plain piece of clothing without being too ‘out there’. 

Loads of high-street shops are selling various different tartans this year that would go with various different outfits you lovelies may be piecing together. That’s another thing, tartan is not just resigned to one gender, it can be worn by all. So, you’ve got no excuse ladies and gents.

It’s going to be a key item this autumn, and doesn’t need to be kept to clothing. Tartan blankets are amazing too. You can get them from The Works- (yes I do mean the book shop)for £2.99 or if you’re feeling a bit more flush, the National Trust shop sell them too for around £15 and they are made from recycled materials.

It’s time to embrace the cold, and get your tartan on.

Instagram... What is it and should I ?

So I am new to this whole Instagram business, at first I thought it was just another pointless phase that society seemed to be going through.

Like, what is the point? Surely it’s just like Facebook and Twitter without all the crap boring bits, right? RIGHT. This is what grabbed me, so I unwittingly signed up thinking that I wouldn’t get too enraptured by it, was this the case? Wrong.

I seem to find myself thinking “ah, I should Instagram that” more often than not. However in my case, I’m not sure that many people will have the greatest need to see my concert tickets from a year ago, my over stacked bookshelf or even my morning coffee- but hey ho. That’s the deal, and people seem to like it.

If many people start to feel this way, which I am sure they do, are we just looking for acceptance like any other social media output through the idea of portraying our lifestyles as aspirational without the mundane elements. Or is Instagram in fact a place where people get to showcase their “photography” (although I wouldn’t class some of the things I’ve seen as photography- we can all take a blurry photo of us on a night out and put a filter on it, it doesn’t make it a good photo).

I feel that while it may have its dark side like any popular entity, that it also has a prosperous side. By this I mean that users are exposed to elements and ideologies that they would otherwise be oblivious to.   I myself have come across loads of wicked crafty ideas trawling through the “explore” section of Instagram, and I highly recommend that you check some of these users out, for example the various DIY accounts make for some interesting scrolling!

There are good and bad elements to get lost in with Instagram, but I just say, give it a go! What have you got to lose, it’s pretty easy to navigate around, and could open your eyes to new things!

Just be careful to not waste every waking moment on it…

The Riot Club

The Riot Club

So, the other day I decided to go to the cinema- not on a Wednesday (Orange Wednesdays= half price cinema party) but on a Saturday. However I was not prepared for the £8.55 cost, and that was with me swindling a student ticket with an out of date NUS card, keep them in your purse ladies and gents, you never know! My friend had to pay a whopping £10.50! No wonder more and more people are just waiting for the DVD to come out.

Back to my point. The Riot Club has a wonderful cast and a great director (e.g. she’s directed An Education amongst others.) The plot itself was a little strange; I didn’t really know what to make of it. It focuses upon an elitist society based at Oxford University (and is issued around a real club that the likes of David Cameron and other influential people were involved in.)

Audiences are subjected to the antics of the members of said society- the highs and the ultimate lows. The film itself is well produced, and it is easy to follow the story. Yet it is the subject matter that is a little alien. While yes, it is interesting, I feel that the elitism represented in the film was a little too difficult to relate to, but if you’re able to enjoy a film completely with an element of detachment, I would say go for it. Then again, either way I would say go for it, there are sure ways that I would have preferred it, especially the ending, but all in all it is actually a fairly good film. The actors in this film are brilliant (and not too hard on the eye!)  they allow for you as the audience to feel more involved with the film, which is deffs a good thing, it’s got to be said that this film does get very dark, very quickly  so bare that in mind if you decide to go and see it. It made me feel rather uncomfortable, and to put that into perspective, I’m used to watching some pretty screwed up stuff.

There are certain highs and lows about this film, but that’s just my personal opinion, overall I think it sways more to a positive side than a negative.

So go forth, watch some eye candy and messed up crap all at the same time.

London Grammar eh?!

After rifling through my iTunes I came across an album I got around a year ago, I had forgot its sheer awesome-ness, until I pressed play.

So London Grammar are a British band, formed of three members. It’s hard to pinpoint who or what they sound like, but I think that’s what gives them charm. Their album, If You Wait came out a while ago, but unlike some albums that start to feel a bit dated after a few months, this album is like a little pot o’ gold.

It has songs to help its listeners through every part of their day, (am I the only person who listens to music reflecting their day?!?!). The melodic feature that comes with their music, is one that I feel isn’t as accessible in modern music as it once was (especially that in the Top 40) I would go so far as to say that it is hypnotic.

 

After rekindling my love for London Grammar I began traipsing around YouTube to see if there were other songs available that were not on the album, and guess what? There is! While, yes, there are only a few, they are little gems, London Grammar have also done a couple of sessions for the Radio 1 Live Lounge, for those of you who don’t know what the Radio 1 Live Lounge is, it is where current artists come into the Live Lounge and perform covers. London Grammar offer some brilliant covers, that are worth a gander!

So it’s time for you glorious people to go and give your ears a treat. Let me know what you think!

You can follow them on twitter at @londongrammar

Hello!

The ramblings of a twenty something will be exactly that, ramblings.

I will offer reviews on various items, or discuss things that have interested me throughout the past week, this is not to say that I am endorsing the products or what they connote in any way. It is merely my own opinion.

I hope that you enjoy reading my blog, it’d be great to hear from you, whether that is you commenting on my posts or suggesting things for me to cover.

 

A little about myself,

Twenty- something (guess you figured that out already), I have a tendency to be very sarcastic- which can often get me into trouble. I watch A LOT of films and listen to A LOT of music, of all genres! (Just ask any of my former housemates) – also any suggestions would be welcomed! Also I have a dog, who I love – so if there is a lull one week, you may just get a picture of his snout as my input for the week, soz guys. If any of you would like me to post links to your sites, just give me a shout and I will try my best.

I am also trying to find work in the media industry so any helpful insights would also be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you for reading this, and enjoy!