WE MADE IT: How We Beat The Winter Blues

It's finally spring - hooray! The sun is shining and I'm sipping ice-cold water out of a curly straw so life is fabulous. Now that term is finished I've finally had the chance to flick through all the fun photos and reflect on all the busyness and fun. Word on the street is that January and February are the most depressing months of the year, but by the look of my iphoto I had SO much fun and hardly spent a penny. Here's the evidence:

1) We went to Ikea...a lot.

We played in the duvet/pillow roundabouts

We Tried to find a cactus that didn't look like a willy (it took sometime!)

Look how pretty it is!

I turned my flake into a foustache (faux moustache) can I just add that this ice-cream cost 60p. BARGAIN!

Louis ate two 50p hotdogs at once cos he's a lad.

2) We ate cheap, fun food. We made a lot of popcorn (from scratch with oil and kernels, so it was cheap AND healthy) but I haven't got a picture of popcorn.

We ate raw jelly! Nom.

3. We went to the pub and drank a lot of lime and soda.

Louis wore my glasses and tried to be a trendy church leader...remind you of anyone?

4. We found a lot of free stuff up for grabs on the streets of Clifton. I found an unwanted shelf...

Louis found two persian carpets. Casual.

5. We went to Pizza Provencale in Clifton and shared a gluten-free pizza and pretended to read an Italian sport magazine. CIAO BELLA!

6. We directed and produced a play called The Vigil. We got new friends, new skillz and exciting new dreams!

7. We used our voucher from the wonderful Gemma Chance to go tea-tasting at this awesome place called ATTIC. Louis was convinced that they all tasted like English Breakfast Tea, but I can assure you they all had their own individual flavours. Oh, and we got cake too!

8. We rocked up to a party with cups of tea, hung out with COOLEST people in town and got attacked by the Paparazzi. Thanks to Jamie Corbin for such an awesome pic!

9. As soon as the sun came out we donned our sunglasses and had a homemade picnic of rice, Earl Grey Tea and cream eggs. YAY!

I honestly feel so blessed I might explode. Thank you to everyone who treated us and made this term so incredibly fun.

What are you favourite memories of this term!?

Candy Sticks

So after a week of late-night ASS* sessions, horrible deadlines, German phone-interviews, curlers, vocal warm-ups, show-buzz, bobby-pins and sweeties I'm ready to dive headfirst into the bloggersphere! Bristol has been so lush recently and I've got SO many pretty flower-photos to share, but first let's focus on the subject at hand: sweets. I love sweets, I like them chewy, I like them gummy, I like them sweet, I like them sour, I like them in big packets, small packets, cups, bags YOU NAME it, I LOVE it. I'm especially fond of penny sweets, because it reminds me of going to the newsagents with my 50p pocket money and filling up that little white paper bag full of white-chocolate mice, cola bottles and flying saucers. Nom, nom, nom nostalgia....

ANYWAY, imagine my delight when I discovered the Clifton sweetshop in the Arcade - it's a sweetie heaven for sure! They have everything from vintage humbugs, to blackjacks, to gobstoppers, to fudge, to CANDYSTICKS. I'd forgotten how much I love Candy Sticks until a few weeks ago. It turns out that Louis are both very enthusiastic about these little white cylinders, not only do they taste incredible but they make you look SO cool, so we bought them in bulk, especially the ones with Spiderman on the front, because we love Spiderman LOTS. Hehehe. Why would you want to smoke a cigarette, polluting the environment, endangering everyone else around you, stinkin' to the high heavens and decreasing your life expectancy, when you could walk all carefree and non-chalent, down the street, swinging your arms, with a sweet-tasting Candy Stick hangin' from your lips!? I think if everyone bought and used Candy Sticks the world would be a simpler, sweeter place. Do you agree!?

Soph and I demonstrating the simple life.

Happy Mother's Day!

Living away from home is such an adventure and one I'm grateful for every single day. But sometimes I just really miss my family, particularly on days like today. If you've been reading my blog for a long time you'll know what an incredible woman my Mum is. She's not only beautiful, funny and intelligent, but brave and strong. She has beaten cancer twice, combatted her 7 year disability with grace and humour, continues to inspire difficult teenagers, got me through MY turbulent drama-queen-teen-years, supported me through the hardest summer of my life, travelled all over the place and is still the best coffee date around. I would like nothing more than to spend today chilling with her, watching movies, reading books and eating cake, but alas the term is not over yet and I'm chained to my desk until this work is finished. But nevertheless Mum's the word - I hope everyone who gets to see their Mum today appreciates the opportunity to hug them in person. I'll have to content myself with a virtual Mum hug *HUGS MUM*

Favourite Socks

Spring might be just around the corner but my house is FREEZING. I was working in my room all of yesterday and when Louis turned up for dinner my hands were literally frozen together. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. It's those darn big windows of mine, when the sun shines my room sweats like a rainforest leaf and when the temperature drops its like living in an igloo. I've also recently discovered that I'm mildly allergic to my lavender-scented-microwaveable-dinosaur so I'm having to find new ways of keeping warm. *sigh* These socks have ALWAYS been my favourite, but since the sudden temperature drop we've rekindled our love affair. They're wool Cath Kidston socks that I got for my 19th Birthday from my wonderful housemates and are so thick and snug, they're practically slippers. I also tell myself that because they're like slippers I don't need to wash them all that often *snigger* All I need now are hand-socks that won't inhibit me using my fountain pen...hmmmmmm.

Do you have a favourite pair of socks!?

The Vigil

Tonight, tonight tonight is the LAST performance of The Vigil. It's the first show I've directed and the first show Louis' has produced so it's all very exciting. It's been so, super fun and I really encourage you, if you've got nothing else to do tonight, pop on down to Clifton Hill House and get yourself a dose of theatrical goodness. I can't believe we've managed to put this on in 4/5 weeks, I'm so proud of and grateful to everyone involved. The performance of the cast at the dress rehearsal and on opening night was so humbling. I have loved working with such awesome, exciting and inspiring people! There is nothing like working with your best friends. Here's too the many more productions to come. Love, love x

Another Politics Rant

After seeing a clip of the American Republican party elections on Tagesschau just now, I am once more reminded why I remain politically disillusioned. Let me be frank, I am no singling out the Republican party, but rather commenting on politicians in general. There seems to be a formula for their speeches and a tightly knitted rules for their propaganda:

Firstly, exaggerate the terrible state of the country (but ignore the poor, just focus on the economy)

Secondly, blame the opposition, personally insult them and then appeal to your apparent moral high ground.

Thirdly, appeal to the FEAR of the society, never let them forget this FEAR, exaggerate the stimulus of this FEAR, then claim that you are the solution to this FEAR.

Fourthly, do not mention how much money you have spent on this campaign and when asked, dodge the question or LIE.

Finally, appeal once more to your apparent moral high ground then close with superficial, sugar-coated rhetoric. Remember to use the words heart, hand, door, dream, together, God and freedom.

Politicians are not the answer to our fears, nor are they, as many claim, the cause of them. They are just men and women. Men and women who so often pretend to be God, to be the Messiah of the nation and so often disappoint our expectations. I do not want to be led by people pretending to be something they're not. I refuse to give my vote to people who are ugly campaigners, who try to improve their position by insulting their opponent: How does this a)advocate peace and b) show maturity. Until there is a politician who is honest, admits when they are wrong, uncovers the fear rather than enhances it and shows true compassion for the people rather than the position...I will remain politically void.

Combatting failure with a homemade skirt, ice-cream and opera

So I failed my Italian exam. Boo. Lame. No likey. However, this is not to the time to despair, nor the time to work harder, instead it's time to work differently. Instead of pouring over grammar books and going through past papers, I need to watch more films, listen to more radio, read more Italian literature and find an Italian penpal (if anyone could help me with this...PLEASE SAY!) For a moment I thought I might have to leave Italian behind altogether and that option is still possible. As my tutor says 'It's like the late night email Ellie, don't send it, wait till the morning to read over it' . So I have made myself a target for the end of the term, and if I do not reach that target then I will no longer study Italian, knowing that I gave it my best shot. Capito?!

Despite this little nuisance, life is jogging along just fine. I wore my favourite skirt with Sophie's Jumper and my brogues and it made me so happy! I bought ice cream and danced on lamposts and walked through Clifton in the beautiful late winter sunshine. I went to watch my friends in the opera and it was awesome and fun and sad and great. I've brewed great coffee, rediscovered popcorn kernels, enjoyed my fountain pen, had a text conversation with my Dad completely in German, I've been to rehearsals, I've directed rehearsals, I've learnt how to dance like Fred and Ginger, I got a place in the National Youth Music Theatre (more to come on that) ,I've shown people how I can stick my whole fist in my mouth and blow a Malteaser up into the air before catching it in my mouth, I had a boyfriend-bought Boston Latte and a great catch upwith my Welshygirl over dark chocolate and I've sat on a roof and eaten custard accompanied by cups of tea, I've seen the whole of Orion in the sky and not just his belt and I've had breakfast with my Sophie-friend and got loads of awesome books out of the library. All these things remind me that God is good and life is blessed.

But oh my (!) isn't life just whizzing by!?