Tunes For Tuesday | Shine by Laura Izibor.

This weeks TFT (or TFW as it's a day late!) really connected with me because I'm in a bit of a strange place in my life right now.

I am unsure of my job, what I'm doing with my time and generally wanting to do more and not being able to - it's infuriating.
I'm hoping to change things up in my life soon and it will be that much easier to do when I can drive, which in case you didn't already know I don't yet. Basically I'm extremely unsettled and this song helped me so much when it came on the other day.

If you are possibly feeling the same way or just like feel good songs that make you want to get up and do something you might enjoy listening to this one. You may also recognise it from a Special K advert a little while back!

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Awesome Of The Week | Sisterly nights out.

FYI none of these are my sister!

Last night I was supposed to be going to the cinema with two of my friends but when one of them flaked in the afternoon we didn't go (meaning still no Jurassic Park for me, I'm very sad about this).
I mentioned this in passing to my older sister just as she was going out the door in her glad rags to meet a work colleague for a meal out.

Whilst eating their dinner both my sister and her friend decided they wanted to move on to somewhere with drinks and dancing! My sister then text me saying I was more than welcome to join them as I had now been left with bugger all to do on a Friday night.
At first I was unsure - buses had stopped as I live in the arse end of nowhere so they stop at about 8pm and also taxis are fairly expensive. I decided to message both the guys I would have been seeing the film with to ask if they wanted to join me for some drinks etc.
Toby, who was the friend still intending to go to the cinema, replied and wanted to come along but as he had things to do in the morning would drive and not stay too late. Win for me as that way I wouldn't need a taxi - woo hoo.

So he came and picked me up we headed to the pub where we were meeting up with the girls to find they weren't there.....
Turns out they'd bumped into my sisters friends on the way and got caught up chatting and also noticing her ex was out and it was the first time she'd seen him since they broke up. Just so you know he's a massive douche bag.

Once they found us and we had some drinks we obviously hit the dance floor and the tunes were being blasted my friend. They had everything from a live band playing Jungle Book songs and Bruno Mars and then once they left stage we enjoyed a bit of MJ, Beyonce and Grease medleys. Basically everything I would want on a night out!

Toby had to leave at about midnight and the ex made it a tad awkward by being weird but all the friends he was with were lovely. They danced and chatted and the whole night was amazing.

I don't know if it's just me but I always find that spontaneous plans always seem to end up being the best. Perhaps it's because any that you organise and think about too much have way too much pressure and expectations surrounding them and it inevitably doesn't live up to them

We stayed out until 2 and oh my did we crack out the moves. So spending time with my sister is awesome, which I knew anyway but it's always nice to share!

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Bonus picture for you:

Out is In.

Recently a whole troop of people have decided to take the leap of faith and open up about their sexuality. I'm mostly talking about Youtubers in this instance, youtubers such as Joey Graceffa and Ingrid Nilsen also in the past we've had Troye Sivan, Connor Franta, Tyler Oakley just to name a few.

And I love it.

I am so pleased that more and more people in the public eye feel comfortable, confident and supported enough to talk about things that are clearly very personal to them. It's encouraging a whole generation to not be afraid of being themselves - whether that is to do with sexuality or any other insecurity - it's all good with us.

I've been an LGBTQ supporter forever and although I myself am straight it doesn't stop me from feeling super happy about the love that is being spread through these videos. 

Even in this day and age it can still be a scary prospect to be openly gay or bisexual or anything other than straight lets be honest. All these "celebrities" that have a mass following and who aren't straight is only going to encourage the acceptance of love in all it's forms.

No matter who you are attracted to love is always something to be celebrated. Always. So to all those who have made the decision to be public with their sexuality, and those who haven't, I salute you, keep doing you!

I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting and expecting a time when coming out isn't a necessity for anyone. That you can bring home a partner of any gender, race or background and the only part of it being judged is that you are both respectful, caring and loving towards each other.

So here's to spreading love, however you want to take it!

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Tunes For Tuesday | Four Five Seconds by Katja Petri.

Obviously this song is everywhere and originally by Rihanna but I came across this version on spotify and fell so in love. I kinda liked the song when I heard the original but there's just something a bit more special about this one.

I think it sounds more emotional and Katja manages to truly connects to the song plus unpopular opinion alert but I've actually never rated Rihanna so it was interesting to hear one of her songs sung differently.

Let me know what you think of this version?

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Awesome Of The Week | Game of Thrones.

Before you read any further I want to put out a disclaimer that I will not be giving away any spoilers as I am awful at watching shows at the time of being aired so if you are yet to get around to watching season 5 I won't ruin it for you!!

Game of Thrones has been a massively well received TV series and once you start it yourself you quickly see why. For me the main reason for my interest are the plot twists, everyone loves the unexpected and J.R. Martin does it like no one else and you're always left shocked and often highly emotional!

Season 5 was no exception with new alliances, huge turns, dragons and a number of  deaths that honestly I'm still not over. No matter how mentally scarring this show is I can't help but go back for more, the allure of the unpredictable, characters that become family and really one of the best theme tunes ever it's not surprising I'm an addict.

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Tunes For Tuesday | I Just Can't Help Believing by Elvis Presley.

I am done with being ill and hoping that sheer will power is enough to improve the state of my health!

Anyway on to this weeks TFT - I have been listening to a fair bit of Elvis over the past few weeks, I'm not entirely sure where it came from but I've decided to share my latest fad with you.
As with all his stuff this one just makes you want to don a poodle skirt and dance the night away and I am always a fan of songs that do that, if you aren't moving in some way by the end then you clearly aren't human.

I hope you get as much from the king as I have been:

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Being Sick.

I am currently off work with what can only be described as the grossy gross lurgy.
I have been feeling drained and a bit rubbish for a couple days now and had to properly debate going to work or not - I'm one of those people that always feels guilty about letting people down and have only had 2 days off in two years. This added to the fact that I recently took annual leave during the busiest time of the month for my job aaaand I have had to do the same for next month made it a tougher choice than normal.

There are times though when it gets to the point where your health is more important. I did not sleep well due to my reduced ability to breath and woke up feeling even worse than yesterday. I got myself out of bed and mulled over getting ready for work but I have run myself down and if I don't allow for rest I'll end up needing even more time off - taking the day should mean I'm more equipped for tomorrow.

So many people hate calling in sick and worry about the consequences but I am here to tell you that every single human being gets ill and needs to take time for themselves. Listen to your body and learn what it needs whether that be a kick up the butt to just get on with things or a serious sit down to rid you of any sicky demons that might be hanging around. You don't have to feel guilty or like your causing issues for other people regardless of how hectic your job might be or if someone might need to pick up a little of your work. In the long run if you don't allow time you will run yourself into the ground and end up at a place that takes a hell of a lot more effort and time to come back from.

Allow yourself to get better.

Take time.

Feel well.

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Tunes For Tuesday | See You Again - Wizz Khalifa

Business as usual! I am back to posting as per my normal schedule and apologise for the couple that have been missed. A week completely crammed full of being active and then succumbing to illness has left me rather drained so I hope you can forgive me and accept this short little post.

By now you will have heard this song many many a time but it became a sort of theme song for my recent trip away (which I will chat about at a later date). Now when I hear it I look back fondly and if I didn't before now definitely get a tad emotional - the story behind the song and the music video would break even the stoniest of hearts, you can't fail to be moved by it..

I can't imagine the pain of losing a friend and think that immortalising them in a song is a beautiful way of letting them live on.

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Awesome Of The Week | Vans Warped Tour.

IT'S BACK!!!!!

Yes, after a year off Warped Tour is making it's grand return to the UK and I couldn't be more pleased! Back in 2012 the once all american pop-punk tour came to England for the first time in 13 years so me and a friend snapped up tickets. Compared to the US tour ours is somewhat smaller - rather than running the full length of the summer, traveling the country with the biggest names in the scene it's only for one weekend (in fact the 2012 come back was only one day) and perhaps the names aren't quite so big - but my god do they make an insane event!

We also went to the full weekend in 2013 which lived up to the expectations after the previous years (even if we didn't make the first day due to a sudden vomiting on the underground of one of our party!) so I was devastated when they announced there would not be a tour in 2014 and no sign of another in the foreseeable future.

Our fears were conquered though when the wonderful Kevin Lyman decided to do it all over again on 18th October 2015. Why not watch a bit of the last one to rev you up and prepare?

If you are in any way into pop punk/punk rock/alt rock then this is definitely the gig for you, there's multiple stages with varying styles including acoustic. The rooms are huge so whether you like getting into the middle of the mosh pits and action or whether you prefer to enjoy the music from a slight distance you can do both! Constant music pumping throughout the day, a huge merch market, signings and meetings with band members, alcohol and yummy food.

Will you be getting tickets?
Early bird available here: http://kililive.seetickets.com/event/vans-warped-tour-2015/alexandra-palace/879890/

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London Comic Con - MCM Expo.

This weekend I attended London's comic con which occurs twice a year and this was in fact my second time going. If you're unsure of what Comic Con is it's all in the name - comic convention! It all started in America where such things tend to begin, and is a big celebration/meet up for all things nerdy, culty and down right awesome.

Although originally aimed at comic and graphic novel fans (thank you Stan Lee) it has grown exponentially and now includes anything you could possibly think of, video games, anime, super hero films, collectibles, TV shows (such as GOT and SPN) and everything in between.

The first time I traveled to London for MCM we only did the one day so had to do the journey twice within that day - tip: do not do it all in one day if it means having to get up at 6am! This time around we thought it out more and planned to do the entire weekend and get a room in London. I went with a work colleague who gets just as fanatic about things as I do! We got on the train straight from work on the Friday and arrived at the hotel at about 6.30pm and then went for Wagamamas which of course was stunning.

The Saturday morning was chilled and so different to Octobers counter part! We started the con at about 10.30 and left by 3.30 although we really didn't manage to see an awful lot we knew we had the following day to take our time and make the most of it.

For me one of the best parts of the day are the cosplays, people are so talented and I just love when you can identify characters from your favourite shows, games or films. This time around I noticed a LOT of Disney princesses which made me very happy.... and very jealous! Speaking of cosplay me and my partner in crime went as genderbend Thor and Loki which went down really well!

Other than some fantastic creativity there is so much to take in, there are 100's of stalls selling the most incredible and clever merchandise. I managed to hold back a bit and not go crazy, but believe me it wasn't easy. I WANT ALL THE THINGS.

I have been trying to find a funko pop Gandalf for quite sometime now and sadly still am yet to purchase one however I found this beauty and there was no way I could resist and I think you can see why! 

I do have a feeling this may become a slight obsession which my bank account will not appreciate one little bit.

Sunday was spent inspecting each and every table in great detail, and yes I bought a few more bits....

We tasted Japanese sweets and drinks which turned out to be delicious and washed them down with noodles. If there's on thing this expo is not short of it's a variety of tasty food.

Other things to expect from the day/weekend are guests, which can be voice actors, actors (Shane Richie, Sylvester McCoy, Felicia Day, Iain de Caestecker), singers, writers, cosplayers (Jessica Nigri), panels (Jekyll and Hyde and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) and even youtubers (Toms Ridgewell, Jack Howard, Dodie Clark). There's also stages where you can watch performances of other fans and also previews of up coming films and TV shows (E.g San Andreas, Jurassic World and Terminator).

We then ended the day with pizza and cake before passing out, exhausted but oh so happy!

There is always an incredible atmosphere at Comic Con and you can't help but feel at home, surrounded by 1000's of indiviuals all there for the same reason - to have fun, meet like minded people and show their love for whatever their chosen fandom may be. 

What ever your fandom you will be able to find someone that shares it and will enjoy everything that Comic Con is, The next one is in October at Excel London (there are others throughout the country) so please, please go and if you do let me know if you're cosplaying and have the best time!

x

 

Tunes For Tuesday | Red Hands - Walk Off The Earth.

This is a band I have only recently started listening to, my Dad played me a few of there covers before but I had never heard any of their original stuff.

With my limited knowledge of their discography this one struck a chord with me (pun intended). It's chilled out, folky melody paired with emotional lyrics makes it a joy to hear. I love how every single member plays an integral part and gets the spotlight, also the music video is simple but totally kick-ass!

I am genuinely excited about delving further into Walk Off The Earths collection!

Side note - I will be away from Thursday, I'm hoping to get the blog scheduled up so posts will appear but interaction will be at a minimum. I promise I'm not ignoring you I am in Italy! 

See you when I get back!

x

Awesome Of The Week | Canva.

This weeks awesome was found in an amazing post by the adorable Belinda who decided to be helpful and list all the tools she uses for blogging.

I decided to try out this one as I have been wanting to find somewhere to make graphics etc FOREVER and this is perfect. It's called Canva and is completely user friendly even for a noob like me! You can upload your own pictures and they offer literally 1000's of text options that you can edit to suit anything you are creating - the options are infinite! It's free to sign up and you can keep editing and amending as often as you like until it's exactly how you'd envisioned.

The only negative I have (which isn't even a negative) is that there are pre-made sizes set out and you can't change them so if the exact size you want is not on there then you will have to change it on another programme. However this is also a ma-hoosive pro as these sizes have been specifically chosen to be used for most social medias e.g twitter headers and blog posts as well we as business cards and posters.

It's how I made my new blog title, if you would kindly draw your attention to the top of the screen. I think this site is so ideal for anyone doing social media or trying to set up a webpage.

Amateur Dramatics.

This week my friend, who is an amazing amateur actress, mentioned she was in her local production and I just I knew I had to go along.The play was a murder mystery set as a 1950's radio show and had me laughing out loud plus we got dinner which is always something that encourages me to go to events!

They changed the murderer each night so that no one could give away spoilers as half the fun came from voting for who you think was the killer. After the interval (and the murder!) each suspect came to the tables and you could ask questions and interact which really made you feel a part of the story. I have to give the actors their due as they all stayed in character under the heat of interrogation. I'm not sure I would have coped with the pressure and improvising the answers of the scrutinising audience - some of them got very into their job as detective!

Watching the show got me thinking about my own past in am dram which although not extensive I look back affectionately on.The first thing that comes to mind is feeling like a part of a community, everyone is there for the same reason to put on a show and have a good time - as it's amateur no one is worried if you cock up occasionally or if you aren't Shakespeare worthy (seriously they don't mind). I have so many fond memories even if I was only in about 4 shows so I wanted to share my love of shows because I think that others might get the same benefits from doing them.

It's an especially brilliant activity for kids to get involved in - the rehearsals keep them entertained at weekends, they'll improve their socialising skills being around other children they might not know as well as older people and will gain so much confidence which I think is one of (if not the) most important skill we can teach the younger generation.
They don't even have to be a major/speaking character - I never was.Yes it can be a little scary before you go on but as I was always a part of the chorus I never went on stage alone but with a small group of people I'd grown close to and we had a ball!

If you are young (or even if you're not they need all ages!) please look into getting involved in your local amateur dramatic society. If acting and singing isn't your thing why not support others by getting tickets? They are normally crazy cheap and okay the acting and stories aren't necessarily going to take your breath away but chances are you'll have a bit of a giggle and it's a nice evening out!

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Tunes For Tuesday | Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks.

If there's any song that can conjure images of yourself clad in a load of leather and denim, thrashing around in an underground venue with a whole crowd of sweaty punks it's this one.
Turn it up, whip your hair and go crazy.

Granted the first time I heard this song was in the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging but once I heard the original I couldn't go back or hear it in the same way.

Lets face it English punk can't be beaten!

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Pit Stop | Dr Organic argan oil conditioner.

I could have waited and made this an awesome of the week but I want to save that for things other than reviews of products, plus I got overly enthusiastic and just had to talk about this so I'm making a quick pit stop on the blog.

For the longest time I have been trying to find a conditioner with argan oil without the insanely expensive price tag - I have some seriously out of control frizz and argan oil is the current craze to aid dry hair.

I was originally recommended Lee Stafford by my lovely cousin who has similar hair to me and so shares the same struggles. It worked okay for me although I didn't notice a huge difference from the conditioner I had been using previously plus I used it all in just over a week and at £10.99 a pop it wasn't a sustainable choice. (I do use the curl creme still though because it's amazing and lasts a super long time)

I for the life of me could not find any vegan conditioners with argan oil in them and believe me when I say I have tried a lot of products over the past couple of months and they all fell short of my expectations.

But my wishes were granted when I, on a whim, walked into a Holland and Barrett to pick up some snacks on a shopping trip and as we queued I looked to my left and saw it! This wonderful, shimmering, orange jewel - a completely cruelty free, vegan hair conditioner with argan oil.

Can I get a hallelujah?

My first experience with it was nothing short of magnificent! I only needed to use a small amount which is amazing compared to the 34 bottles I got through each time I used the other products I've tried (okay maybe that's an exaggeration). It went through my hair so easily, detangled it and it felt delicate and soft afterwards, not dry at all.

The best bit about this find? It costs £5.99 a bottle...... I am one very happy camper.

What are your beauty must haves?

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