A Simple Favour | Blogtober Day 14

I went to watch 'A Simple Favour ' at my local cinema the other day and oh my goodness! The film was brilliant, there were so many twists keeping you gripped the entire way through. And even though the film could be seen as a thriller there were definitely some comedic moments in there to keep you alert. The reviews have been fairly mixed for the film and I have recently learnt that the ending to the film is much different from the book which people are not too pleased about. No matter what people say it cannot be any worse than 'The Girl on The Train' which for those of you who never got round to seeing it in the cinema has just been added to Netflix. 

Making Gluten and Dairy Free Pancakes | Blogtober Day 13

I'm not gluten or dairy free in fact I am a pescetarian, however, I have decided that I want to limit the amount of gluten and dairy in my diet for general health reasons. I'm a huge fan of Deliciously Ella and all of her recipes, I have the app one of her cookbooks with plans to get the most recent one at Christmas and I follow her youtube channel. It's great apart from two things one being that a lot her recipes rely on you having a high-quality blender something I don't have sadly and two, all of her recipes are for a fan oven which means I am forever having to google the gas mark equivalent. 

As it is Saturday I decided to get up and make Banana pancakes and they turned out to be incredible despite their being no dairy or gluten. You can find the recipe here.

What I've been up to | Blogtober Day 11

An image from my final major project at uni 

This post comes a day late and I thought I would share what I've been up to recently. I graduated in the summer and I am currently job hunting. Finding a job in the sector I want to work in is proving to be very difficult not that I'm surprised about this though and while I have seen some great jobs that I can't apply for them. You may be wondering why it is because these jobs are in London and London is too expensive when the job states its salary I can instantly tell it won't be enough and when it doesn't sometimes I feel the application process might not be worth it for the employee to turn round and tell me how much they would be paying me and for me to sadly have to decline.  Right now, I am just praying and trusting that God has a plan for me. He knows which job is perfect for me and if I end up in London I know He will provide for me. 

In the meantime, I am applying for jobs in retail and would love to do a bit of freelance work but I am currently waiting for my 50mm lens to be repaired. I also intend to truly make a go of this blog as well as my Instagram page and have been busy planning thing out.  

Earl Grey and Cucumber is a Surprisingly Nice Combination | Blogtober Day 12

Another hand massage at Jo Malone, my Mum and I went for another hand massage at Jo Malone, this time we tried three different products (as shown above) and I've learnt that Earl Grey and Cucumber is a really nice combination.  One that I would certainly buy if I had the money. These hand massages at Jo Malone are such a nice treat and as I said in my previous post, allows me to test the products before I thought about buying them. 

How to avoid going into your overdraft at University? | Blogtober Day 10

Being a student at is not easy there are so many changes and new experiences you face at once one of them is managing large sums of money. For some people having a large amount of money in their bank account is too tempting and they end up treating themselves to one too many things, with the thoughts of it won’t hurt, just this once but before they know it they are two-hundred pounds into their overdraft with no way of coming out. For others, it can be peer pressure, they never had that much, to begin with, but their friends have loads and want to go on nights out. Talking about money and lack of money can be hard especially to those who are fortunate to be well off and therefore do not see it as a big deal, leaving those with barely anything feeling forced to try and keep up. 

                 Here are 9 tips to stay out of your overdraft:

1.   Do not open an overdraft at all

 If you are one of those people who know you will be tempted and see your overdraft as extra money then avoid opening one, leaving you forced to only spend the money in your account. 

2.  Open a smaller overdraft

  If you feel as if you need an overdraft as a security net, then try to avoid opening such a large overdraft. Some banks offer you the chance to choose how large your overdraft. If you were to open an overdraft of £500 and happened to go into during a year at university it is a much more manageable amount to pay off than £1500. 

3.   Create a spreadsheet

 If you are an excel wiz then you can create a spreadsheet which includes any direct debits you may have and a weekly allowance.  

4.   Try and find a job

5.   If you prefer to use notebooks or have a bullet journal then add an expenses tracker to your monthly set up, you’ll find that once you start noting down the amount you spend each month you’ll soon start to cut down. 

6.   Download an app to your phone

 There are apps out there specifically for budgeting such as Yolt – Your Smart money app and some banks allow you to budget through online banking as they can track where your money is going. 

7.   For nights out take cash and leave your card

 With a card, it can be so hard to keep track of your spending during a night out. But with cash you only have the amount in your purse, some money is already set aside for a taxi and if you make sure you have enough for a round of drinks you are all set!

8.  Take Cash out weekly and only spend that

At the beginning of the week take out your weekly budget from a cash point and a safe place to leave it and only leave the house with your budget for that day. Perhaps that money is lunch money or you are paying for something to do with your course but this method will stop you from going shopping for things you do not need. 

9.  Last resort - transfer student finance to a parents account

 If you are one of those people who really cannot control your spending, transfer the money to a parents account and ask them to give you a weekly allowance. This ideally should be used as a last resort because you have to learn how to manage your money one day and you could say the university is the perfect time due to the nature of how rent is paid.

This Time Last Year I Was.. Writing My Dissertation | Blogtober Day 9

I'm planning on starting a university series sharing aspects of my university experience and offering advice to those who are currently studying.  For now, I thought I would share with you what I was up to this time last year.  

I had just started writing my dissertation and it was tough I found it so hard motivating myself. I cannot work in silence and depending on the work I am doing I'll either listen to music with lyrics, listen to a film soundtrack where there are no lyrics and, therefore, cannot get distracted or I will have a film or tv show in the background.  Whilst writing my dissertation I listed to a various film and tv soundtracks on Spotify.  

The soundtracks were
 'Goodbye Christopher Robin '(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
'Downton Abbey' - The Ulitmate Collection (Music from the Original TV Series)
'Downton Abbey' - The Essential Collection
'Paddington' (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
'Paddington 2' (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
'Hidden Figures' - Original Sore

My favourites were 'Goodybe Christopher Robin' and both of the 'Paddington' Soundtracks.

What are your favourite film soundtracks?  

Shoot the Frame Finalist | Blogtober Day 8

Last month I decided I wanted to enter a photography competition, so I began searching the internet for one with a theme that I already had work from and wasn't too expensive to enter. I found Shoot the Frame which wasn't too expensive and had the theme of Portraits which I knew I had a lot of work for. 

This morning I woke up to an email saying that I was a September Shoot the Frame finalist twice this month. (Images above) Whilst I didn't win I am still happy to be a finalist and gain more exposure to my work. 

I was also awarded with the badge below. 

Everything I'm Watching / Gearing up to Watch | Blogtober Day 7

Now that it's autumn I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with all the number of shows returning as they all seem to be happening at once and I'm used to just focusing on one what at a time.  I thought I would share with you all the shows I am currently watching and the ones that will be returning. 

'The Good Doctor'

I've recently gotten into this show after discovering it on Sky Boxsets and I have managed to finish the entirety of season one just as season 2 is about to air. 

'Chesapeake Shores'

I first discovered this on Netflix when I was ill at university and tomorrow is the last episode of season 3.  

'The Walking Dead'

Whilst 'Chesapeake Shores' is ending,, 'The Walking Dead' is returning for Andrew Lincolns last season,  I honestly cannot imagine the show without Rick Grimes. 

'Riverdale'

Riverdale is returning to Netflix on the 11th October and I can't wait, people were constantly recommending the show to me. But I never got round to watch it up until my final university deadline where I suddenly became hooked and managed to watch season 1 and every episode of season 2 that had aired so far in 2 weeks. Not the best idea but if you haven't seen I would definitely recommend it. 

'The Apprentice'

'The Apprentice' returned with a bang last week with one candidate talking about world domination and another one throwing one under a bus by volunteering her to pm though she barely knew her.  And I thought the show couldn't get any crazier. 

3 Things to Do When the Weather is Bad | Blogtober Day 6

As the weather is starting to change and the appearance of torrential rain is beginning to return, I thought I would share with you 3 things I like to do during bad weather. 

Go to the cinema 

So I understand this involves leaving the house which is never tempting in the slightest when it is cold and raining outside. However, it gets you out of the house and is a nice day out. 

Read 

When I start a new book I can never put it down until it is finished. A miserable day is perfect for curling up under a blanket with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a good book. 

Try a new recipe 

This may once again involve leaving the house but would result in something yummy afterwards.

A Hand Massage at Jo Malone | Blogtober Day 5

This afternoon I went with my Mum to the Jo Malone in the Highcross shopping centre for our second complimentary hand massage since the store opened a couple of months ago. So far I have seen so many products that I would love to buy if I had the money as they are such good quality.   For now, I'll just make do with the complimentary hand massages they offer which for me who has sensitive skin is such a nice thing to do as it allows me to fully test the products before I think about buying them.  The girl who gave us our massages was lovely and allowed us to choose our own scents to try, whilst offering us a glass of prosecco and some chocolate. 

I choose to mix the 'Oud and Bergamot' oil with the 'English Pear and Freesia' cologne with the oil being applied first and then rubbed into my skin before cologne was tapped in to prevent mixing the scents too much and losing their great individual aromas. It is amazing what you can learn whilst having these things done.  And just before we left we were given samples of the 'Oud and Bergamot' and 'Honey and Davana' colognes which I cannot wait to try it out.  

And if you are not a fan of colognes they sell other things such as hand washes and candles! 

My October Reading List | Blogtober Day 4

Since starting the 15 pages a day pledge I've finished two books so far, and it has re-instilled my love of reading.  I'm challenging myself this month to read the following two books. 

 "Disclaimer' by Renee Knight

Finding a mysterious novel at her bedside plunges documentary filmmaker Catherine Ravenscroft into a living nightmare. Though ostensibly fiction, The Perfect Stranger recreates in vivid, unmistakable detail the terrible day Catherine became hostage to a dark secret, a secret that only one other person knew--and that person is dead.

Now that the past is catching up with her, Catherine’s world is falling apart. Her only hope is to confront what really happened on that awful day even if the shocking truth might destroy her.

'You're The One I Want' by Giovanna Fletcher 

Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church. At the end of the aisle is Rob - the man she's about to marry. Next to Rob is Ben - best man and the best friend any two people ever had.

And that's the problem.

Because if it wasn't Rob waiting for her at the altar, there's a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned around and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right?

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart and the hearts of the two best men she knows depend on it...

*Synopsis is taken from Goodreads.

                   

5 Films I Want to See | Blogtober Day 3

With the cooler evenings approaching and there being many good films coming out this side of 2018, to the point where I'm struggling to see them all. With the film beginning it all being 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' which I thought it was better than the first! I thought I would share with you the trailers of 5 films I want to see before the year is over. 

A Simple Favour

A Star is Born 

 Bohemian Rhapsody

 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 

Mary Poppins Returns

October Goals | Blogtober Day 2

I haven't written a goals post in a while so I thought I would share with you everything I hope to accomplish over the next few weeks.

 Find a job 

Since graduating I've been searching for a job in my field. However, that is so much harder than people can imagine. I'm tired of not working so I've decided to look for any job so that I am working again whilst I continue to search for one in my field.

 Complete Blogtober 

This is my first year completing blogotber and I'm determined to post every day.

Focus more on Fitness and well-being

While I was away studying I got myself into a really good fitness routine at the gym and I felt the best that I had in years despite how hard it was.  Since being back home that routine has slipped mainly because I cannot afford a gym membership.  This month though I hope by using workouts that I've found on youtube,  I can go back to feeling that way again.

Let us Begin | Blogtober Day 1

Hello, 

Can you believe it is October 1st already where has the time gone? On the other hand, I'm looking forward to cooler days allowing me to dig my jumpers out of the big drawer under my wardrobe, the opportunity to wear my autumnal nail varnish, the chance to curl up with a book and a cup of tea whilst wrapped up under one of my many blankets and of course the leaves falling off the trees. 

Join me over this month whilst I share my autumnal loves and everything I get up to.  And if you are also taking part in blogtober leave you links below. 

Joining the 15 Pages a Day Pledge

I begin each year saying I am going to read more, and usually for the first few months that is what happens. But then I always end up being distracted by something else, Netflix or most recently my university course.  Whilst I was writing my dissertation I couldn't bare read anything more at the end of the day so I spent my free time curled up watching Netflix instead. But now that I have graduated, I would like to get back into the habit of reading. As it is something I do enjoy. 

The aim of the pledge is to read 15 pages a day on paper. Paper being the operative word.  I prefer to read on paper which made doing all the reading for my dissertation very expensive as I had to print out all of the journals I found online. So the paper bit won't be hard, it's the 15 pages a day part that will take some getting used to. However, it will be worth it as reading on paper has a wealth of benefits.

You can read more about the pledge here.

Let me know if you decide to take the pledge yourself. 

I'm Officially a Graduate

On Thursday the 19th July I graduated with a 1st class degree in Photography from The University of Huddersfield. I had no idea what to expect from the day having never graduated before.  But it definitely made all of the hard work worth it. 

The music at the beginning of the ceremony gave us all a bit of giggle which, to be honest, helped with the nerves. I have never been so nervous yet excited in my life. And I am so thankful for friends and family that came to support me.  The gown was so heavy though and I am especially thankful that the weather wasn't as hot as it had been as I don't know how I would have survived. 

 Here is a toast to the most expensive piece I will ever (when it finally arrives) receive and to the next chapter of my life. 

    

Celebrations with Friends

A couple of weeks ago a few friends and I headed to Leeds to celebrate, birthdays, engagements and finishing uni. Crazy right! It feels like yesterday we were all just starting and getting to know one another.  We began our afternoon at Wagamama, it was my second time eating there and friend of mines first, it was a lovely place to begin our catch up as well as exchanging presents. Being a pescetarian I had the Yasai Pad - Thai with tofu and a tropical fresh juice. Before heading to Be at One for cocktails. I'd never been there before as I'm not much of drinker. They serve cocktails that are like desserts so I had the Irish Disco Biscuit which consists of baileys, peppermint liqueur, Oreo cookies and vanilla ice cream and on top of the cocktail they even add an Oreo biscuit. What's not to like? Maybe the peppermint liqueur but if you give it a good stir before you take each sip the peppermint isn't as strong.   

I took my Hp Sprocket printer to print out any photos we took considering it was going to be our last time meeting up for a while. It was great we all took one final picture together and I was able to print out a copy for each of us to take home. It's nice to have a little memento, as someone who has just graduated with a photography degree, I know what it's like to forever be looking at photographs on screen. Why? Because we take so many, it is easier and cheaper to store them on a computer and hard drives than it is to print them out and put them into an album. But every once in a while, it's nice to be able to print them out to stick in a bullet journal, the back of our phones or to pin onto a pinboard especially photographs taken on your phone. That is what makes the Hp Sprocket printer so great, it's nice and compact making it easy to carry around with and giving you the perfect opportunity to share favourable moments instantly with family and friends. 

*This is not an ad. 

My First Hen Do

Over the past couple of months, I have been planning a hen do for a friend of mine who is getting married this summer. It has been exciting and nerve-wracking as I've had never attended a hen do before let alone planned one.  We spent the day at Stapleford Park in Melton Mowbray, beginning with an afternoon tea in the Harborough Room. I had bought decorations from Ginger Ray on Amazon who do an incredible range of team bride decorations allowing you to keep everything to a theme and so I arrived early in order to set up the room. I had also printed off different activities for us to do whilst we were having afternoon tea and made goodie bags for all of the other hens with a few small bits.  The room looked lovely and the decorations were incredible. 

Once the afternoon tea was over a few of us left for our treatments at the spa. I choose a back massage, I'd never had one before but knew it would help me relax after the stress of final year. There were other treatments that we could choose such as head massages and nail treatments. Everyone felt thoroughly relaxed after their treatments and slightly sleepy. Mine started off painful with the number of knots I had in my back but I left the room feeling relaxed and lighter.  

After our treatments, we spent the rest of our time alternating between the pool, steam room, and jacuzzi. Before heading to pizza express for a meal. Stapleford Park was beautiful and makes a lovely wedding venue (we happened to see members of one whilst we were there.) The staff was all very friendly and polite making us all feel very welcome something which helped to make the day an even better one.

Overall the day was an enjoyable one and the bride to be had a great time which was the most important thing. 

Matilda the Musical

 I have been itching to write this post for a while, but I have been busy with uni work. On the 10th March 2018, I went to see my favorite childhood book and film on stage with a couple of close friends. I began listening to the soundtrack a couple of weeks beforehand for two reasons really, one because I was so excited and two it was a great way to keep me motivated with all of the work I had to do.  I even started a countdown with my friends five days before it began.

We made an evening of it by meeting up and going for dinner beforehand, like actual grown ups.(despite what we were seeing and the fact that we are) The performance was incredible and we all throughly enjoyed, I'm also not ashamed to admit buying a Matilda the Musical t-shirt as well as a programme once the performance had finished. I had to get something to as a reminder of the performance, in all honesty if I had not of had to return to uni, I would have happily paid and gone again.

'Wicked' ✓
'Matilda the Musical' ✓
Next up 'The Lion King'

4 years later...

I am done! Everything is handed in and my four-year degree is finished. It's crazy how quickly these past four years have gone and everything that has happened in between. However, this year I finally reached a place where I felt like I belong. Where my work was equal with others in my class rather than seeing all of the flaws within it,  As this chapter of my life comes to a close I thought I would share some things I've learnt over I would say this past year. But it's only been around 8 months. Along with some advice for those who may be going into their final year.

On writing your Dissertation 

 Set yourself targets 

I was lucky because on my course they had given us rough word counts to have for each supervision and considering we only had five I felt it was necessary to stick with it.  With my deadline being just after Christmas me sticking to these word counts allowed me to have Christmas break. 

Read, read and read some more. 

I cannot stress how much easier your dissertation will be to write if you have done a lot of research. Also, don't be so quick to disregard stuff that you have read that do not relate directly to your chosen topic, you will be surprised to find that it may actually link in one way or another. 

Music 

Not everyone can listen to music whilst writing essays but if you are one of those that can, I would create a playlist with all of your favourite songs. For me, I can only write essays listening to music that is instrumental as I find end up writing out the lyrics instead.  Soundtrack from films really help. I've put together a playlist of songs I listened to. 

Keeping yourself motivated 

My housemate had to hand in her literature review around the same time my dissertation was due, so we used to spend a lot of time in the library together. Working with a friend helps to keep you more focused. 

Writer's block 

Change techniques, after a while I found it too hard typing on a computer so I began writing on scrap sheets of paper and then typing it up afterwards. This technique really helped me to 

Final Major Project

 

For those of you studying an art subject. 

Embrace it and don't worry. From the second I read the summer briefing in May I spent time wracking my brain as to what my final major project could be about. Before I knew September had come, I was preparing to go back to university after my placement year and I still had no idea. However, starting with an image I really liked and enjoyed taking was a good point, and just not forcing an idea on myself but by shooting every idea I had to see how they worked out and playing by my strengths. You can see a post on the evolution of my work here. 

 

Putting Together My Portfolio

Due to printing expenses, I have decided to create my portfolio at uni and by hand. I have used the printers at uni to print the images. They are A4 and printed on semi-gloss paper. I then purchased several sheets of A3 off-white mount board before sticking my images onto the card using spray mount. It's a very lengthy process, however, I have learnt that you can still get your desired results even on a budget. It took me around two hours to spray mount all of my images, however, I am extremely happy with the results. 

You may wonder why I have chosen to mount my portfolio. It wasn't my first choice but after talking to one of my tutors and sitting down to think about it, I've realised it's a good idea.  The majority of my images have black backgrounds and with semi-gloss paper mounting them will give people something to hold without touching the prints themselves. Also, it looks much more professional. 

Collaboration with Sarah Moses | Textiles Student

This evening I was back in the studio with textiles student Sarah Moses photographing the same as we had previously done this time using a grey background. We managed to clean up the confetti much quicker this time. I also photographed the collection of fabrics she had woven.