Hannah's Merry Christmas Greeting

Hello wonderful readers of this blog!

As you may have guessed by the not-the-normal greeting, this isn't Libby. It's Hannah instead - if you're wondering right now who in the world I am, I was fore-mentioned in the gorgeous Libby's brilliant blog as 'the lovely lady who wasn't able to play guitar' (isn't she just the kindest?).

Anyhow, Libby and I were talking and I was expressing how utterly amazing she is (as you do and if you don't you should as she deserves it very much).

Her blog became the subject of conversation alongside me speaking of her humour as one of her brilliant attributes. She mentioned she was worried about new ideas and lack of time for posts for all you lovely readers (although I believe she does a cracking job) and she proposed the idea of me writing a post for this incredible blog of hers!

With it being so incredible and me being just a tad obsessed (have read every blog post and will continue to) I was very excited by the proposition and agreed to it!

So here I am, hijacking her small Libby-ified section of the internet for a while - I do hope you don't mind.

Seeing as we're in the festive season of Christmas, I decided to go wild, and attempt a positive and uplifting Christmassy blog about things to be happy/grateful for (as we all have many things although it may not seem like it) because Christmas is about counting your blessings after all.

Libby is absolutely counted among my blessings, as she and all that she is is a blessing in her own right (just to make that prominent before I really do begin).

So here's a little list of reasons to be happy if you're feeling down or sad or appreciative (or any feeling at all really) because there's lots of things to thank your lucky stars for:

• Friends and family (these people love youuu and they love you just the way you are, because chances are they've spent enough time with you to see you being yourself) 

• You've got a roof over your head and if it rains outside it won't be raining on you, most likely there's a lovely HOME you can go to which is something a large number of people do not have (I say home instead of house because it matters more how much of a home to you a building is than how big it is, or how well furnished it is or if the paints peeling a little or not or even if it's your house that you usually live in. In other words it could be a place that feels like a home, your Nanny's house etc etc).

• Someone smiled at you today. I needn't say more really: smiles are great and they brighten days whether this is acknowledged or not. In the rare circumstances someone didn't smile at you today (I'd find that exceptionally hard to believe if you told me) I bet they did yesterday. Or maybe you smiled at a stranger today and with everything they've got going on it made their day a whole lot better! Whatever the case, smiles are great!

• Music : dance, soul, rock, funk, reggae, disco, indie, Bhangra, jazz, country, all sorts. I know for a fact i will very much be backed by Libby on this one! Now, there may be one person (God forbid) that says 'I don't like music' but the fact is music categories are so vast that there's going to be one song that you like - or you haven't listened to enough.

• You've profoundly impacted someone's life. I think we must of all had that one day, week, month, minute, hour (however lengthy period of time) where we've felt useless or like we didn't matter. But the fact is, we've all made an impact in the world in one way or another and there's people that need us and things we are yet to complete. We all very much have a place and are indescribably important.

Right then, I think that will do. If you're a not so happy person reading this then I hope you see sunnier days soon because you deserve it and you are wonderful and loved.

Hopefully my little input on Libby's blog hasn't bored you (and Libby is as happy with it being on her blog as I was to write it) and I'm sure Libby will be back with another outstandingly brilliant post for you soon or thereafter.

Wishing you all a very merry last few days of the Christmas week (not sure if the Christmas week has ended now we've had Christmas Day but I'll go with that).

To Libby: Thankyou for letting me do a little (or not so little as I may have got carried away) post on here! You're gorgeous! Have only recently told you of your value and specialness so won't publicly rant on.

Today's song of the blog is The Fairytale of New York by The Pogues because it's my favourite Christmas song

Lots of loveeee xx

More Than That.

Hello fellow friends of the interweb! Yet again, I've managed to abandon you for a month and for that I apologise. However, I am back! Today I am here with something that I felt I needed to talk about. Do you have a friend that you've never argued with? Do you have a friend that you can call at 3 in the morning if you need it? Because I do (and I strongly recommend that you invest in one if you don't.)

Today, on December the 20th is Olli's birthday. Now, if you're new to the blog you may be totally confused as to who Olli is, so I'll happily elaborate for you.

The Story of Olli (That isn't a birth story. That'd be weird.)

 In year 7, I was in the same tutor as Olli, he was close friends with my friend Lucy (Hello Lucy) however, we never really talked. Fast forward to year 9 and he was pretty much my knight in shining armour. At the end of year 9, our school holds a year 9 graduation to celebrate the transitioning from KS3 to KS4.  During this mini graduation, there were performances from students. 

Now, I had a bit of  an issue with singing in front of people during year 6 (well, I still do to be perfectly honest, but that's not the point) and wanted to redeem myself during the year 9 graduation. The main issue was that I lack dedication and never learnt to play an instrument, this lead to me going on the hunt for a guitarist.

At first, I asked a lovely lady called Hannah, who was unavailable. At this point I was hellbent on performing, but still in dire need of a guitarist. Hannah, being the aforementioned lovely lady she is, directed me towards Olli. Having not spoken to Olli at all since year 7 (and I mean AT ALL. No interaction ever.) I was a bit nervous about asking him to help me out.

Eventually, I plucked up the courage to ask him to be my guitarist and he said yes! (This is starting to sound like an engagement story isn't it...) We agreed to practise one day after school, and ever since then we have been best friends (I hate that term by the way. "Best friends" always sounds a bit childish doesn't it?) 

To my family, Olli is either known as: Mister Jenkin, (By my mum. She tends to put missus or mister in front of peoples names.) The Guitarist/Guitar Boy (by my dad, who's a bit rubbish with names, but I forgive him because of his beard.)  Or as Olli (by my brothers, because they're probably the most mentally stable out of the five of us.)

However, to me (other than a lot of names that are not suitable to repeat here :3) Olli is known as Gary. Not in a weird 'pet dog' sort of name, there's a story behind this too. Also, when I say 'known as' I mean that's what he's saved as on my phone.

The Gary Story 

(This isn't a long story, so I'll just go right into it.) During one of our practises, I did something stupid (as per usual) I can't remember what it is but just to paint the picture, I'll use a frequent strap incident as an example.

Olli needed a strap for his guitar so he could play it comfortably. He was talking about the strap and I giggled (very childishly) because "Hahaha, 'strap.'"  We then got into a conversation about how I tend to do Miranda-esque things. (I tried to play 'where's Libby' once and got stuck under a dining room chair.)  We then decided that I may as well be called Miranda, so then I insisted (considering he's the better looking, talented friend) that he should be Gary. 

The whole point of this blog post is (partially to brag, I'm going to be honest)  to thank Olli for being a fabulous human.

He's the friend that seems only to exist in books or films. He's the person that I'll always talk to if I need anything (we rant a lot, he's good at that, it's rather amusing.) I know that if I'm feeling a bit off colour I can call him and he'll make me feel better and we've never argued (which is really saying something.) Overall, he's an extremely selfless person. If he was in a burning building, he'd be the guy who'd save everyone else. I'm very pleased to be able to call him my best friend and would like to take this opportunity to wish him a very happy birthday:

Olli, I know you've heard this a lot but you really deserve to have the happiest, present filled day because you're a brilliant person and I love you a lot, yush? 

(Fellow friends of the interweb, I sincerely hope he actually reads this otherwise I'll be a bit embarrassed. He will though *hopefully*) 

Today's song of the blog is: Cucurucu by Nick Mulvey

That's all my fellow friends of the interweb!

Till next time-L

Baby Olli

Not Baby Olli

The 'M' Word.

Hello my fellow friends of the internet!

I'm here today with a very overdue post! Today is the 15th of November. Flash back to 1978 a very important person in my life was born. That important person is my mum. Now before you roll your eyes and groan, I KNOW that was a predictable thing to say! However, my mother is pretty fabulous.

Before you totally think I've lost all sense of self restraint; I'm not gong to brag or gush. I'm just going to share with you some brilliant moments I've had with my mum (Sorry if I embarrass you mother. Mwahahaha.)

Top 5 Brilliant Moments: With Libby and Mum.

1. I really enjoy it when we take Rue (our dog) out for a walk and have very in depth conversations.
2. When she bakes. Anything. I mean, she can bake. 
3. I appreciate that she's there for me. Whenever I need her, I know I can ring her or text her and she'll be there for me (provided she has her phone on or I have signal. It's a faulted system I know.)
4. When we bond over books, films and TV series together.
5. The random nights we stay up later than usual laughing at ridiculous things (Like my appalling attempt at Beyonce's Single Ladies dance.)

We don't get a long all the time, I don't think any daughter can say they get on with their mother 100% of the time, but when we fight- we get over it and move on. At the end of the day I know that if I have a problem I can turn to her for help.

Aww look at that, baby me. How sweet. Moral of this post is I love my mum. Motherhood is a full time job and my mum is pretty darn good at it. I really hope she's enjoyed her birthday and I also hope that you, my fellow friends of the interweb, have experienced (in some way or another) the loving feeling of a mother (or mother figure.)

That's all for now, I shall leave you with today's song: More Than Words by Extreme

-L

Fireworks

Hello again my fellow friends of the interweb! I'm here today with a bit of a spur of the moment post! Due to where I live, I'm fortunate enough to not need to pay for fireworks to see them because I live on a hill and can therefore see everyone else's for free! The joy!

Today in England is Bonfire night! For those who don't know, bonfire night is where we celebrate a bloke called Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up Parliament! The fireworks represent the gunpowder and sometimes people will make a slightly satanic looking bloke and burn him (Sounds worse than it is!) However, most people enjoy firework displays and bonfires!

I have realized that I (for some unknown reason) really love fireworks. I was stood outside on my decking, admiring the free fireworks like a child. (My favourite fireworks are the "Glittery fairy thingies" if anyone was curious.)

I find that fireworks are used to mark something significant, the beginning of a new year, at an opening event,  a bloke trying to blow up the king- all of these things are important and I think that's why it resonates with me. I love the atmosphere of togetherness that they create, I love the colours and the noise! They just generally bring me joy and transport me back to the times where I could scream at things and it would be cute and not considered weird or bratty!

This video, made me cry when I watched it! That's the power that fireworks have over me. Any significant event in my life-expect to see fireworks!

That's all for now! I shall leave you with today's song of the post: Don't Stop Believin' By Journey (the live version because why not?)

Catch ya soon-L

Music

Hello there fellow friends of the interweb! I've been spending a decent amount of my time recently, on my phone or on YouTube listening to music and it made  me realize how much I appreciate the work artists do and how music plays quite a fundamental part of my life. (Would I like some crackers with that cheese I hear you ask? Yes please!)

I chose drama as a GCSE, so I think that gives me the right to call myself a performer (and I've performed so that's good enough right?) So, as you may (or may not) expect, music choice tends to be quite important on certain occasions.

Let me give you an example (that's defiantly not based on real life experiences) that demonstrates how getting the music right is key:

An Example Of How Getting The Music Right Is Key

Let me set the scene, two 14 year olds are sat in a small music practice room. One is a tall, floppy haired blonde boy with a guitar and the other is a short, muddy red headed girl with a bottle of water and song lyrics.

They are a duo without a name (at the time, all hail Lolli/Olliby, we can't decide! Suggestions?) and their performance was drawing near. With only 2 weeks left, they knew now was the time to seriously put work into practicing (well, Libby knew this, Olli was just sort of going with it as usual.)

The boy sat down and sorted out his strap (HAHAHAHA) whilst the girl sat opposite him, laughing to herself and preparing for the impending embarrassment that was no doubt soon to follow (as it did most practice sessions.)

Boy: Am I playing it from-

Girl: Yep, just do it from there it'll be fine!

Boy: Right...Okay...*Starts to play the song*

Girl: *Starts singing* No...No this isn't right...Can you move the thingy up a notch?

Boy: What like this? *Moves the thingy up a notch and does some fancy guitarist thing*

Girl: Yeah, that's cool. Back from that bit then.

Boy: Uh huh *Plays*

Girl: *Midway through singing* Mngahhjaja *Looks at lyrics* shsmfjiwmmsm *Laughs*

Boy: *Stops playing abruptly* What?

Girl: You made me laugh! It's fine, it's fine. Go back from the start of that bit.

Boy: Okaaaay *Plays*

Girl: *Midway through singing* Uggghhh! This is not going to work and we've only got 2 weeks left until the performance! Do we do another song? What songs do you know? What songs can you PLAY I mean?

Boy: *Thinks* Well, I can-

Girl: Great, do that.

Long story short the boy plays the other song and first time round it goes perfectly and they perform it and everyone loves it and they ride off into the musical sunset and live musically happily together forever (until Libby gets tonsillitis and Olli breaks a guitar string.)

Moral of that story is, although the girl could sing the song and the boy could play the song, it wasn't the right one, and as soon as they changed the song; they felt more confident in what they were doing and gave a kick ass performance.

My love for music is the main reason for doing a 'song of the post'. I decided that instead of making one post where I list all of my favourite songs (which realistically for me would be a stupid thing to do because I'd be here for hours.) I would instead pick a song that I adore or maybe a song that's relevant to the post and link it to you guys so you can get a taste of the sort of music I like to sing or listen to!

That's all for today my fellow friends of the interweb! I shall leave you with the aforementioned song of the post: Make You Feel My Love by Adele (her version of it anyways)

Happy Half Term to all and anyone who's got a week off!

-L

P.s This is the song we performed.

Friends.

Hello! I apologize for leaving you for so long, but as I've mentioned before I only want to blog about things when I feel like doing it otherwise, this will feel like more of a chore and less of a hobby! I'm in the mood for a bit of a chatty/long blog post today so be prepared for badly formed sentences and appalling spelling. In other words, get a cup of tea because I'm not planning on holding back at all.

As you may have gathered from the title, today's post is about friends. Personally I have issues trusting people; so all of my friends have been hand picked with care. Oddly enough, I've found friends in people I wouldn't have thought I would ever call a friend. Even more than that; I've become really close friends with people that I never thought I would consider a friend.

As much as I'd LOVE to name and shame my friends (trust me I thought about it) I'd end up forgetting someone and that's not cool so I'm just going to have to hope that you know who you are! Considering I'm shuffling through a rough patch life wise at the moment, the one thing I think I've needed most is support and I'm SO thankful to have a brilliant group of friends behind me.

Some of my friends understand what I'm going through and have experienced it themselves, some know my "deepest and darkest" secrets (although I'm a very dull person so none of my secrets are very deep and dark.) I have friends that let me use their Netflix account and friends that I've been camping with.

Recently (By recently I mean on Thursday) I went to the cinema with two friends to watch Annabelle. (Warning: it's a horror movie, I don't want to be responsible for any younger people scaring themselves.) It was fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed myself but (get to the point Libby.) I came to the conclusion that without those friends, or without friends in general- wouldn't life be dull? I don't want to go to the cinema alone, or go camping alone or dance to I'm Sexy and I know it on a bridge alone!

Everyone likes some time to themselves of course but don't friends make life so much more enjoyable? Have you ever nearly peed yourself whilst with a friends because something ridiculous just happened? Have you ever taken long walks with your friends just because you want to talk? When was the last time you told your friends that you appreciate them?

As horribly cheesy as it sounds, I was in a maths lesson the other day having an utter existential crisis and my friend was sat next to me giving me ideas for what I could do to solve my problem blah-blah-blah and I suddenly felt overwhelmed with appreciation for this person.

She didn't have to help me out, she didn't have to use up brain power to help me come up with solutions, she could have just left me to my own devices and sort it out by myself but she didn't. Instead she actually took the time to help me out and I appreciate her for that (she knows so too because I told her so in the lesson.)

I dedicate this blog post to all of my friends, to those of you who have: spent time with me, brought me food, share an inside joke with me and those who have calmed me down when I've been a little too emotional. Most importantly, I would like you to know that I appreciate you and I love you (Ohh she went there) because you're all brilliant and life would be very dull without you,

That's all for today my fellow friends of the interweb! I shall leave you with this posts song of the day: Centuries by Fall Out Boy

Till next time- L

Pessimism.

Hi there! So, I'm a very pessimistic person. When I say 'a very pessimistic person' I mean a VERY pessimistic person. I actually don't think I've ever met someone as pessimistic as I am, the only person that's come close to being as pessimistic as me, is my friend Charlie.

On a good day, my level of pessimism is probably about Bobby Singer (Supernatural.)

However, on a bad day my pessimism probably reaches Wednesday Addams level.

Everyone knows the idiom of "Is the glass half full or half empty" or whatever it is, but technically isn't it always full? Isn't air present in the glass where the liquid has been removed? I'm sure there are FAR more intelligent people that could answer this question (*Cough* Charlie.) But I found this which proves my point more or less.

I like to think of my 'pessimism' as a superior emotion that nobody else can fully understand. Much like the following emotionally stunted people:

Cristina Yang- Grey's Anatomy

Martin Freeman- Hardware

Spencer Hastings- Pretty Little Liars

Smeagol/Gollum- The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers

Now, I'm not comparing Charlie or myself to the above people, however I like to believe that we are full of just as much sass as Martin Freeman (bold statement to all you fellow fangirls out there.)

That is all for today my fellow friends of the interweb! I shall leave you with todays song: Wonderwall by Oasis.

Stay loose bull moose- L

*This post is dedicated to Charlie, a very fabulous and superior being.*

Give Me Grief.

Last year in May my Grandfather passed away. Regretfully, I didn't deal with it well and therefore am still dealing with the repercussions of that, but that's a different blog post (If I ever decide that I want to talk about it at all.)  

I remember stumbling across this video (A little too late may I add) and totally understanding everything Louise had to say. One of the things that struck a chord with me more than anything is her honesty and bravery.

Not everybody would be able to post a video about this, not many people would want to share a moment of 'weakness' with millions of people. But she did. I can say from personal experience that talking about death is a very difficult thing to do. I'd much rather ignore it and pretend it didn't happen but that's not the case.

Not talking about things doesn't help, if anything it prolongs the pain you're in and manifests itself into something more than just grief. Whatever emotion you're feeling: anxiety, sadness, happiness, stress, confusion etc- talk about it. I'm saying this now because I understand what it's like to not talk about it and I can't help but feel that getting it off of my chest at the beginning would mean I'd be in a better place now and after all, nobody's going to judge you for feeling what you feel.

My friends (more or less) have been great after I've explained to them what I'm going through. The hardest part of it is working through it and the initial action of understanding within yourself that you have this issue to face.

The most important thing to know, is that having a mental illness or feeling any extreme version of emotion doesn't make you any less of a human. It doesn't make you weak. It doesn't mean you've been defeated. Yes, it's a challenge, but it's a challenge that can be overcome. It's a challenge that will make you strong. It's a challenge that will give you determination.

That's all for now Fellow friends of the interweb, the video is below at the bottom of this  paragraph thing but if that doesn't work click Here to watch it.

The song of this post is: You Raise Me Up by Westlife mainly because all of my friends cry when listening to it so I thought it fitting.

-L

The Hairdressers.

Yesterday I went to the hairdressers. My dad booked me in around a month ago and yesterday morning I was SO excited; however, whilst at the hairdressers, I managed to come up with (basically) this entire blog post, so I'll shut my mouth (odd thing to say considering my mouth's not open) and get to the point!

This is a photo of the interior of my hairdressers (courtesy of Google.) It's very trendy isn't it? Very clean, white and shiny, which is fabulous however I'm an idiot and I currently have a concussion so I ended up sliding from one place to another instead of walking. 

Now, whilst at the hairdressers I realized that I'm probably the one type of customer they hate the most: The 'I'm too passive to tell you anything that isn't positive, so I'll continue to communicate in overly happy uh huh's and smiles' customer. So, what with being aforementioned customer, I decided I should share with you a list of things that happen a lot when I go to the hairdressers:

A List Of Things That Happen When I Go To The Hairdressers:

1. When being asked if I want a drink, I will always answer 'No, thank you *smile.*' The same answer will follow 'Do you want a magazine to look at?' No, I do not- however thank you kindly for asking me.
2. 'Is this your natural parting?' If you mean 'Is this where your hair is when you roll out of bed in the morning?' Then yes, yes it is.
3. Ending everything with 'Okay' or 'Good'. Usually used like this: 'She'll be with you in a minute, okay?' No. It's not okay. (Seriously, even if it wasn't okay I don't think I'd be able to tell you, so it's fine that she'll be with me in a minute.)
4. The hair wash. Now, this is a total dilemma- So much so, I'm going to include a list within a list:

The Hair Wash: A List Within A List:

1. The awkward neck angle, it's fabulous to begin with but then it HURTS. I'm talking about chronic neck pain. Not only that but what am I meant to be looking at? Why can't they have built in TV screens attached to the ceiling? Or abstract works of art? Write a poem on the ceiling! Anything that means I'm not counting the number of lights in the ceiling.
2. 'Is this temperature okay for you?' Usually it's fine but I cannot imagine myself telling the lovely person 'No. It's painfully hot.' Obviously, I'd HAVE to if I was verging on tears but otherwise I think I'd keep my mouth shut.
3. When the water decides to run along the side of your ear and down your neck. This means that I have to conceal my laughter. IT TICKLES. 
4. Having Flynn Rider (Aka, Eugene Fitzherbert) give you a head massage. Now, having my head massaged is an intimate experience- nobody other than me is allowed to fondle my hair follicles. So having someone who looks like my favourite Disney prince:

Crossed with Petesjams (Youtuber):

Was extremely distracting. Although, I did enjoy the head massage (does wonders for concussions!)

At the end of my trip to the hairdressers I was VERY pleased with the outcome and no doubt, I did enjoy my time there; the staff were friendly and attentive, the hair cleaning products (didn't want to limit it to shampoo) all smell lovely and they definitely gave me what I wanted, which is what we want from a hairdressers really isn't it!?

That's all for now my fellow friends of the interweb! I shall leave you with todays songs of the post: I See The Light (Tangled Cover) By Petesjams and Carriehopefletcher and Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dam (I thought I'd treat you to two songs today! Note the Disney theme.)

Till then penguin- L

Issues.

I don't know if it's because I'm British (What a way to start a blog post) but I am truly socially inept. Honestly, you can't take me anywhere because something will happen and, chances are, someone will either end up embarrassed, hurt or offended.

 Preferably I'd stick the above photo on my forehead and parade through my life like an elegant seal doing the macarena, however I've yet to witness an elegant seal so unless you find one soon- I'm screwed.  

Again, I think my face in the picture on the left looks rather much like this seal to the right. Just another example of my undeniable grace and good looks (please bare in mind I TRY my hardest not to be a total buffoon.) Here's a list of unfortunate things I do:

A List of Unfortunate Things Libby Does:

1- I am unable to say 'Hello' instead it's usually one of the following: Yo, Howdly-doodly, Hello-nice-to-see-you-to-see-you-nice or (more often than not) Hello kind Sir/Madam.

2- I ask people how they are like this: How art thou? Or I make something up like: Howest hast thou day been? Because saying 'How are you' is so dull.

3- I enjoy saying these two Spanish words: Patatas fritas and un sacapuntas. Mainly because if you don't know any Spanish I could be serenading you with love instead of talking about food and a pencil sharpener. 

4- I like to gallop. Now, I discovered galloping when I was watching Miranda, and honestly whenever I have to run in P.E or drama, I always gallop (obviously I ask first: MANNERS) and I always feel better for galloping.

5- I have a TERRIBLE habit of saying things at inappropriate times. A teacher at my school returned with (majestic, for lack of a better word) hair and I was (loudly) talking about it outside of his classroom whist the door was open (HE WAS INSIDE THE ROOM.) He heard me mention something about "Yeah, it looks better now it's longer- he looks younger, don't you think? What with his man-fro and all." (MAN-FRO!?)  And my friends kindly did the pointy 'he's behind you' thing and we then (loudly) continued to compliment him more to make sure he didn't think we were being rude. 

My friends

My friends

Anyway, that is all for now my fellow friends of the interweb. I shall leave you with this posts song: Esmerelda by Ben Howard (Which happens to be Olli's favourite song of all time.)

Farewell gazelle- L

Animals.

What with having an 19 week old puppy, it's pretty difficult to forget the fact that animals exist; this involved googling animal videos on YouTube and Tumblr, as well as delving into my "Animal Shrine" folder on my computer.

There's a story that come along with my "Animal Shrine" folder and this story is a brief one, however I shall tell thee:

Libby's 'Animal Shrine' Story

For a start, the folder is actually called 'Funny animals' and consists of 265 photos, most of which are related to animals. This folder came into existence around three years ago when I was Skyping my friend and she thought it suitable (rightly so) to send me 265 photos. In all seriousness, my friend thought that it was bloody okay for her to send me 265 photos. Via Skype. I hope you all can understand what a painfully slow experience that was.  Anywho! I ended up downloading and keeping all of them!

I thought I'd be generous and share with you some of my favorite animal photo's in my 'Animal Shrine' folder!

Now you know what I spend my time looking at when I'm incredibly bored! That is all for today my fellow friends of the interweb. I shall leave you with todays song: It's All About You by The YouTube Boyband (May I just add, this is mainly for my friend Josie, who totally adores Joe Sugg.)

Bye bye dragon fly- L

Awkward

Nice to see you to see you nice it is!

My fellow friends of the interweb; I have been on a 10 day hiatus. Mainly because I couldn't think of anything to post!  School's back so I may be posting less frequently, however! I am here today with a post that you will (hopefully) relate to. So, without further ado-on with the show!

I'm a very socially inept person, if you watch 'Miranda' (a British sitcom) you will be familiar with the person that is, Miranda Hart. Now, bless the beautiful soul she is, she's painfully awkward in any sort of occasion- and I, am equally as tragic.

Libby's Tragic Story of Tragiosity:

I decide to go to the toilet. (This is a strange thing for me to do because I don't particularly like public toilets and the whole kerfuffle that goes along with it, however this time I was desperate.) Long story short,  I farted, (loudly, as in mass vibration) then giggled and proceeded to blame it on the person in the cubicle next to me. The other girls in the toilet were clearly confused so just agreed that the atrocious noise came from my innocent friend.

I'm often a victim to embarrassing moments, but I do believe you must embrace it! Do tell me if you have suffered from self inflicted mass embarrassment! Another example is:

One day, I was sat watching tv with my pap and he was channel surfing, and came upon a show about The Black Eyed Peas. Now I'm not a super fan or anything, however- I was just tapping my foot as a music video was played and, although I didn't particularly want to, (however my pap was tapping his foot so I thought he must be enjoying it) we ended up watching it. A few days later, my mum tells me that it turns out my pap didn't want to watch it he just thought I wanted to, both of us just didn't want to tell the other that we didn't want to watch it. #typicalBrit

That's all for now my fellow friends of the interweb! I'll leave you with the song of the post: Keep Your Head Up by Ben Howard

Until then hen- L

Positivity.

*Just a warning I thought I'd insert half way through writing the blog post: All views are based upon personal experiences or friends/families experiences etc. I'm not qualified in anything, but I am a human and I therefore observe. Take this as a lesson of observation if you will. Proceed.*

Hello fellow friends of the interweb,

Today, I'm here with a bit of a more serious blog post. I say 'a bit more' of a serious blog post because it's only serious if you take what I'm saying seriously...Obviously...ANYWAY, before I further digress, let me ask you this; What IS positivity?

The word 'positive' has many meanings in The Oxford Dictionary. (Take a look here if you so wish.) To generalize all of the definitions; the word 'positive' is mainly used to describe something good. Whether that be a certain outcome or mental state.

You're probably tired of the ill-delivered English lesson, but just bare with me for a moment. Although just a word, 'positive' or 'positively', maybe even 'positivity' or 'positiveness', all carry the weight of meaning.

What I mean by this, is when spoken, some words have a larger impact on a person than others. Think about it, when you think of the word 'negative', what images come to mind? What colours do you associate that word with? What do you feel? What connotations are linked to that word? Now think of the word 'positive' and ask yourself the same questions. Different people have different connections to words, they associate different images, sounds, smells, feelings- dependent on opinions and experiences (And quite possibly a number of other things.)

'Positive' is a big thing in the media. 'Positive' thinking, 'Positive' examples, 'Positive' body image- and each time someone else's version of positivity is shown, our own version of positivity changes. Much like our own version of negativity changes. Because of the impact words have and because of the weight words carry, to be able to live by those words, to adopt them into everyday life- can be made difficult.

In short, to be positive, to look at things in a positive way (to me), is quite a difficult task. I think this is because there's a pressure on the word. When I hear 'positive' I think constantly happy, 'everything happens for a reason', forgiving, generous etc. As much as I'd like to be that person- I'm not. However, I know that to an extent, I can be.

In order to adopt something like 'positivity' into your life, I think it's very important to understand what it means to YOU. Not to your friends, not to your family, to you. How can YOU be more positive? What images come to mind when you think of the word? Really think about it, write it down, sing it- whatever you need to do! Then, adopt it into your life. Do what you can to be the best version of you!

That's it for today my fellow friends of the interweb. I'm feeling quite philosophical having written that and ideas are brewin'. For now I shall leave you with my song of the post: Up The Junction by Squeeze

Hit the street Parakeet- L

Teachers

Hello!

I apologise for being a bit M.I.A yesterday! Very thankful that Tom decided to step in.

So, as he mentioned yesterday- school is approaching (it starts tomorrow. ) So I thought, now's the perfect time to write my teacher appreciation post!

Further throughout the term, no doubt there will be a few school based rants; but for now imma keep it upbeat!

Students complain a LOT. It may be mainly due to hormones, but I wonder how many students actually think about what they say before they say it. Especially in regards to teachers.

As a profession, teaching is extremely important. From the basics to neurosurgery- nobody ever got anywhere without having been taught something by someone. It's just a shame that students don't appreciate what they do!

They plan lessons, mark in-school book work, mark homework, come in early, leave late, attend unbelievably dull (but necessary) meetings, sit through extra curricular clubs, get through to around 30 students- whilst maintaining a social life. Imagining doing all of that, then having to come home and cook, or look after your own children. It's beyond difficult.

Well, why do they do it, you may ask. Why go into the profession?  Well, for a start,  someone's got too. Secondly, because they enjoy teaching. Maybe because they enjoy spreading their passion for their subject or they just enjoy helping students. Whatever their reason is for deciding to go into teaching, it's a bloody difficult job.

So, when you go back to school, cut your teachers some slack. They're only human.

That's all for today, fellow friends of the internet! I'm afraid I have no song of the blog post today!

Gotta scat cat- L

Tom's Awesome Take Over!

Hola fellow internet beings!

LIbby has ben very busy recently and so she's asked me to step in for the day. I'm Tom by the way. Please to meet you Sir/Madam. I'm 14, Libby's husband (not officially*) and live in England. So, let's get started!

So I was sitting for what felt like hours (however, it was probably for only a few minutes) thinking of what I could write about in today's blog post and then it hit me- we're going back to school so why not talk about it!

Many people hear the word 'school' and instantly either groan, moan or shrug. The vast majority of people associate school with bullies, bad teachers, boffins etc. This may be because of unpleasant experiences in the past. They may have been in trouble a lot, been bullied, struggled with learning or just hate the idea of school- however, I believe school is what you make of it. In my school, I am lucky to have few bullies, supportive teachers and just a general pleasant atmosphere.

In school, there (seems) to be three types of people; that of which I shall demonstrate below:

Tom's Three Types of People In School:

1) The 'Chavs'- They tend to be found in big groups, parading around the school with their trousers half way down their bum's, school bags slung as far down their back as they can go, smelling of cigarette smoke. THese are the people that still tend to laugh at words like 'poo' and 'willy'. Often found in the deputy heads office to be "reminded" of the schools rules.

2) The 'Sensibles'- Okay, so this is the kind of place I'd put myself. We don't try hard constantly and never have fun, we just realize we need good grades to actually do well. We're often found attending after school (extra curriculum) clubs/activities.

3) The 'Sporters'- THese people (both boys and girls) are the ones who absoloutly LOVE physical education lessons. They can be found turning up to their P.E lessons up to 20 minutes before it starts just to have a head start doing what they love (and what I hate.) They attend most of the after school sports clubs and often compete in competitions (which they don't even win money/food for. I mean, cummon, what's the point without prizes?!) Also, may I assure you, I am NOT one of these people. I hate sports. I hate being physical. End of.

Well guys, I think I have written enough for one post! I'd just like to say thanks for readin, it means a lot and of course thank you to the amazing Libby for letting me post on her awesome blog!

I have also noticed Libby ends with a song of the day. So, In true LIbby fashion, today I leave you with the song of the day: Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

You can find more of me here: @tom_morcom (on Twitter)

Ciao, fellow internet friends,

Tom.