Australia Exploring #3!

Yesterday was one of those days where I just had to go to the beach. Priorities though: I went for a manicure first (a really awesome one) and then I met my friend for lunch before we walked to the beach. 

First of all, lunch was flipping amazing. I can't remember the name of the place we went but the sandwich I had was one of  the best. It was somewhere in Port Melbourne on Beach Street I think, so hunt down the good places on there and I'm sure you'll come across it. They also do these pretty awesome berry smoothies.

It was so frickin' hot though and I am as pasty as it gets so me and the sun don't always mix well, but I put my factor 50 on (if a higher one existed I would be putting that on instead) and off we went to the beach.

We stopped at Princes Pier on the way to the beach, seeing as it was only a couple of minutes away and it proved to be quite the photogenic spot on a beautiful day.

And as for the beach, well it was very sandy and I got sand in places I didn't even know sand could go but all in all it was a fab day!

Katie x

P.s. For those of you wondering, yes, my pasty, milk bottle skin did get burnt - it resembles a tomato instead now :(

Confidence is Beautiful

A few days ago my friends and I went to Gradball - we got dressed up and went out to this end of year event because we've finally finished university (YAY!). We had a great time and took tons of pictures. 

Today I decided to upload one of those to my Facebook as my profile picture; this one to be exact:

In this photo, I feel confident. I love my smile, I love the fact that I have a tan (a rare occurrence), I like my hair, my makeup, I like everything about this picture. 

What I didn't expect was to upload it to Facebook and get comments about it being 'too revealing'. Albeit most of these comments were from family but to me that didn't make it any better. 

Yes, this is not the kind of photo I would normally take or post on social media but, whether that is the case or not, what is to say that I shouldn't when I feel hella good in it? 

There was a comment that said I needed to put more clothes on, another that said it was a bit revealing and one that said I should put my boobs away. First of all, there is barely any boob on show in my opinion, just skin, and why can't I post a picture where god forbid there's some kind of skin showing in it anyway, when it's okay for a man to post a picture of himself topless? Or it's okay for another girl to post a picture of herself in a bikini? Are neither of those revealing? Because I rarely see comments on those photos telling them so.

Personally when I see pictures of other people, like the one I took, or even just pictures where someone's wearing a beautiful dress or looking very dapper in their suit, I tend to look and think 'wow, they look amazing'. Not once have I ever considered telling them they have too much skin on show.

I'm a self conscious person at the best of times, so the fact that I looked at this picture and thought that I looked confident and happy in it made me happy, but then comments telling me to 'put it away' made me question that, leaving me feeling less than happy about the photo in the end. I debated taking it down and just changing it back to my old picture (where I'm wearing a jumper so there can be no arguments about revealing too much there - although if I was to have had that picture taken standing up I was wearing a skirt, so I guess that outfit would probably be too revealing as well), but then I came to the conclusion that why should I?

Not nearly enough people in this world have enough confidence, never mind body confidence and, I'm not going to lie, it's not something I have a lot of either, but if I feel good in this picture then I shouldn't let a few comments change my mind about that.

I know that none of the comments made were meant to make me feel less confident or less happy with myself but that doesn't change the fact that they did. They made me question myself. It may not be the kind of picture I would normally post but that doesn't mean I shouldn't post it. Since when did showing off some skin become such a taboo thing in the 21st century? I've seen plenty of celebrities online and in magazines wearing outfits that are a lot more revealing than a bit of my chest so surely I cannot be seen as a bad influence to any of the young people in my family that might see this photo - surely, if anything, it should be a good thing for them to see someone looking confident and happy with themselves.

So many people of all ages, but especially younger people, have problems with their self-esteem because of celebrities and their friends at school. They need to know that it's okay to be happy with yourself. One young girl in my family has just got Facebook, she's only eleven but she pouts in nearly every photo and everybody is always telling her she doesn't need to pout to be beautiful but she always replies saying yes she does. Is that how we want such a young generation to think? That they have to be like everyone else and think they have to act a certain way to be beautiful? They don't. Everyone is beautiful when they're themselves.

Confidence is beautiful.

Katie x

For the Birthday Princess...

Dear Little One,

This is just a little letter to you that, I hope, one day in the future when you're all grown up, you'll read and see just how much I love you and how special you are.

You're officially two as of the exact time this post went up!

Until there is someone as special as you in your own life, you will never understand just how quick you're growing up. I remember the first day I saw you, and the next day, and the day after that too. (Shhh, don't tell your sisters but you were definitely the most well-behaved baby out of the three of you ;) ). You were the most precious little thing I'd ever seen, in your bundle of pinkness! This is a warning, Daisy Doo, stop growing up! Even when you're thirteen, and probably don't want big hugs from me, I'll be giving them to you, because you'll always be my baby goddaughter that nuzzled into my chest when you couldn't sleep.

I know I'm bias, so some might say my opinion doesn't really count, but you're the most beautiful little girl there is, with your big blue eyes and little blonde pigtails - you make my heart melt, baby girl - dye your hair and I'm going to cry... Buckets! Seriously. Don't dye your hair. It's beautiful. And don't you dare ever let anybody tell you you're not the most stunning and delicate Little One that they ever did see, because you just tell me and I'm gonna go kick some butt! You're amazing.

Every time I see you, no matter how often it is, you always seem to have grown up that little bit more, saying new words  - your current favourites are "owanges", "no", "babyyy" and "baf", just in case you're wondering - and doing new things; I know you'll be off to school before I know it!

It was because of me going to university that we started our real, whole-day little park days and play dates - it was something that just the two of us could do together and get some proper Daisy and Tatie time, and I could spoil you tons too (remember, all of those bubbles and cakes are a secret from mummy - we always forget to save any for the grown-ups ;) ). It's also probably the reason that every time you manage to get hold of my phone you look at it and go "cheeeeeese" with a big, cheesy grin on your face.

You make me smile on days you don't even know I'm feeling down and, it's on them days especially, I don't know what I'd do without you. You're this gorgeous little light that nobody can help but love. All I ever want to do is see that smile on your face and I'm not going to be happy if anyone ever stops you from smiling - I'll kick their butt too! Promise.

There is nothing I wouldn't do for you (and you know it, I'm sure!), every time I walk through the door you have that cheeky grin on your face, as if to say you already have planned where you're taking me to that day (I don't get the choice, I just follow, and that's the way I love it). One day you can hopefully look back at this blog, figure out how this blog came about (I know you're going to be a clever girl, so that shouldn't be difficult for you) and see all of the different places we've been and what we've done.

I love you so much, Little One.

Tatie xxxxxx

P.s. I have a lot of embarrassing baby pictures of you, expect me to show them to any and all future boyfriends - it's in my Godmother contract!

I PASSED!

Hello!

Today is a celebratory day!

I PASSED MY FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY!

With a 2:1, too!

You have no idea how happy I am about this.

I know that your first year at uni is supposed to be the easiest because it doesn't count towards your degree, you just need to pass it to get to the next year but I worked hard in  my first year and I couldn't be more pleased.

There isn't much to this post.

I was just so excited about passing that I thought I have to share this, so I did!

Is there anyone who's got their results lately? 

Katie x

An Ode to a Book

Hello!

I'm sure a lot of you know, and can even just see by looking at this blog, that I love to read.

Well, I read a lot of books whilst I was on holiday but right now I'm on an unfortunate book ban seen as I have a lot to read for my uni course - it sucks. Shakespeare, I hate you... No offence.

However, when I implemented the book ban on myself, I said I wasn't to buy anymore books, nothing was said about re-reading...

So, to get around my self-imposed book ban, I decided to re-read some of my favourite books and it has made me realise how much I truly love one book in particular.

Samantha Young is the author who has provided us with the beautifully wonderful book that is On Dublin Street. So you can consider this blog post either a mini-review or my declaration of my undying love for this book. It's up to you. Although it's probably more the latter.

The story follows Jocelyn (a.k.a. Joss), a girl who has just graduated from university in Edinburgh and is looking for a new apartment to live in. However, she's originally from Virginia but when her parents died in a tragic car crash and she was left an orphan she made the decision to leave after high school and head to the University of Edinburgh.

She falls in love with a luxury flat as well as it's one existing occupant, Ellie Carmichael, unknowingly at that point that she has also met and lusted after Ellie's brother, Braden, too. 

Braden has a well-known reputation of being a womaniser as well as a wealthy businessman in Scotland but this doesn't stop the undeniable chemistry that Joss and Braden share from making an impact on their relationship, but both of them are unwilling to commit to anything serious.

Although we get to know most things about Joss's past from the beginning, she keeps her pain from her friends, and now Ellie and Braden too, something Ellie especially doesn't understand due to her open, chatterbox nature but it's easy to see that Joss's character is used to fending for herself, not being open. 

So there are the basics! I could recite ever moment of this book, easily, but I don't want to ruin it for you, so it's just a quick synopsis type thing!

It's no surprise that I'm in love with Braden. Obviously. I'd worry if I wasn't. He comes across as the sultry, sexy businessman with an epic sense of humour but his character develops into a lot more than that as his friendship with Joss unfolds. We find out about his past, his family and why he values his relationship with his sister so much. To a certain extent, I have to admit, the business side of him strikes me as very Christian Grey-esque but better... A lot better. And a lot sexier. Braden's one of those dream characters who you literally end up dreaming about. Fifty Shades was not a book I massively enjoyed though, and I certainly didn't dream about Christian, so don't let that one similarity put you off!

Joss's character is what draws me to love this book so much. The suffering she had to endure at such a young age made her shut people out because she thought that if she loved and cared for people it not only made her weak but it would lead to them getting hurt. As the story develops, we see her character slowly grow in strength and become more confident with her feelings and her insecurities.

A part of this is definitely because of her new flatmate, Ellie. Ellie is one of those characters who you can't help but fall in love with and just want to swaddle in cuddles; she's so sweet and kind that it makes you want to be like her, even if she is a fictional character! She's so open that living with someone as closed as Joss is difficult for her at first but their friendship blossoms and, as it does, so does Joss's confidence to trust people and open up more - it brings a tear to my eye!

One of my favourite quotes is from Ellie's character and seen as it's one of the few that can't be classed as a spoiler, I'm going to share it with you:

""Did you just call me a numpty?"

"Yup. A delusional one."

"What, may I ask, is a numpty?"

"A person demonstrating a lack of knowledge of a situation; a silly person; an idiot; a dumbass. A delusional numpty: Joss Butler's stupid, idiotic, blind misconception of the true nature of her relationship with my brother, Braden Carmichael.""

I don't know why I love that quote so much, I just do. Maybe it's the humour in the idea that, in Scotland/England/UK in general, a numpty is a concept most people know. The best English teacher I ever had had an extreme love for the word, too, so maybe that's why! It's at this point that you remember Joss hasn't loved in Scotland all of her life - it's like a little reminder.

Of course there are the general struggles on the way but it's the twist about three-quarters of the way through that you don't expect that makes it so different. Most books have some kind of 'shocking' (supposedly) twist near the end that's supposed to make you think it's not going to work out anymore but in On Dublin Street it really is an unexpected but expected one at the same time... if that makes sense. If you're observant enough, you'll spot the signs leading up to it but it has effects that you didn't realise it would and, if you're anything like me, it will have you rocking on the edge of your bed...

It's so well written, the characters are so lovable and, for anybody who lives near Scotland or even just in the UK maybe, the setting in this book will seem so familiar to you, it will feel like you're there. 

I only live about two hours away from Edinburgh and there is not a single detail in this book that isn't true when she's talking about the streets of Edinburgh and the castle and all of the lovely fine points about the place - it makes me want to go back there so bad! I've seen quite a lot of reviews where people have complained that the book could probably be set anywhere, Young just says it's Edinburgh, but anyone who knows Edinburgh will know there is only one place this book could have been set and it's already there.

For those of us who fall in love with books and characters so easily, Samantha Young has kindly provided us with a series which follow different characters from the book whilst still letting you know how your favourites from the previous book are getting on! It's perfect!

This is in my top five favourite books... maybe even my top three, actually! I feel this book deserves all the love and more. A million out of five stars, easily (yes, that is possible)!

If you're looking for a book to read then this is definitely it... unless you're not into the kind of YA fiction genre, although I still think you should give it a go because I think there's something for everyone in this book.

Happy reading!

Katie x

The Unsung Luxuries

Hello!

I've been home for exactly a week now and, I must say, there are some luxuries which I have definitely missed whilst I've been at uni.

1.

Baths

Baths galore! I don't understand how someone can't love to unwind in a heavenly, hot bath, that's just crazy. I would live in the bath if that were possible... I couldn't deal with the prune-like skin though. Having only the option of showers since September has definitely given me more appreciation for my relaxing bath and book time!

2.

My Own Bed

Oh man, how I've missed my bed! I know that my bed at uni was technically 'mine' but it wasn't a double bed and it was definitely not as comfy as my luxuriously sized cushioned bed, with a big fluffy duvet that I can wrap myself in and stay happily cosy for the whole day.

3.

The Little Ones (obviously)

How could I not miss my babies like crazy? I hate missing seeing all of them grow up because it feels like everyday something new happens with them - at the minute, Daisy's favourite word is "shooooooes" - and as for the older ones, they're just getting way too clever! I should be able to answer the math's questions a nine year old poses to me - apparently not!

4.

Unlimited Food Supplies

I will never take food for granted again! At home, food is limitless (to a certain extent, anyway). If I want extra cheese, I can just go get it. Or if I fancy a yoghurt, I can go get that too! At uni I couldn't have that extra cheese because, much to my horror, cheese costs a hell of a lot of money when it's not your parents paying for it! Also, I don't have to wash the dishes every night because I'm rarely the only one eating, yippee!

5.

The Laundry Problems

I no longer have those horrible problems of "I don't want to pay £2 just to wash a jumper" because there tends to be enough laundry in our house to make a full load and I don't have to pay £2 every time I have to do it, which means I can where my favourite jumper whenever I want!

At least I can say I fully appreciate the unsung and unappreciated luxuries now!

Katie x

5 Things That Make Me Happy

Hello!

There are a lot of things that make me happy but here are just five - my indecisiveness made it extremely difficult to narrow it down to just five, but I've done it, finally!

1.

Books!

How can books not make you happy?! You get to imagine this whole new place and get overly-attached to characters and ahhh! I just LOVE books.

2.

The Little Ones

The little babies in my family never fail to make me smile. I told you all about taking the Daisy out the other day in THIS post and it was the happiest day I've had in ages because I can't not be happy when I see that cheeky little smile on her face (super mushy, I know!).

3.

Sunshine
I know a lot of people say sunshine makes them happy but when you live somewhere where sun is practically non-existent you crave every minute of sun you can get and you always appreciate it! So sun makes me extremely happy!

4.

Pajama Days

I know a lot of people say you should get up, get dressed and ready for the day every day but that just doesn't float my boat! I love the days when I have nothing planned and I can stay in my pj's and sit in bed with some tasty snacks and a book. Lazy days are perfect.

5.

Writing

When I can write for pleasure. Not to meet a deadline or because somebody wants me to - because I want to. That's when it makes me the happiest little bee around!

As you can see, it doesn't take much to keep me happy!

Katie x