31BPC-Part 13-Do You Have Regret?

I had completely intended to get some nail art up for you yesterday but I am visiting friends in Sheffield and completely forgot to bring my camera cable-my apologies! It just means you'll get lots of posts next week instead I guess! So instead here's today's 31BPC post

Do I have regret? Well I try not to really, because I figure that everything in my life that I have regretted at one point or another has steered me to becoming the person that I am today. There were some big regrets that I held on to for a long time, but it doesn't get you anywhere in the end, does it? I think it's better to accept that events happened and that they changed you for whatever reason, but you can't go back and do anything to prevent it. Instead of regretting doing something or not doing something or whatever it may be, I try and learn from it, try not to do it again, try to make it a productive force in my life rather than a destructive one. There are things I've done that I'm not proud of, but all I'm trying to do is not repeat them, and then I can feel like even if they were things I regretted at the time, I can at least learn something from them.

So no, regret is a pretty useless thing to cling to, really.

~Nail Art Novice~

31BPC 12-Something That You Miss

What I really, really miss is living in Sheffield. I went to uni there and lived there for three short years of my life, but during that time I completely fell in love with the city. It's a really beautiful place and it feels safe and happy-and has recently been announced as the happiest city in the UK-and I can understand why! The city centre is full of fountains and greenery and is gorgeous, it's full of beautiful old red brick buildings covered in ivy and the whole place just has this really lovely vibe to it. I also have lots of friends who are based there permanently and I want to be back there so I can spend time just chilling at the pub with them, or hanging out in their living rooms just chatting about life. It's my favourite place and I always feel like I'm coming home when I visit it. It does make me kinda sad sometimes that I don't live in the place where I want to be, because I miss it terribly.

I'm determined to get back, someday, and hopefully someday soon!

~Nail Art Novice~

Read the other 31BPC posts here: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

31BPC 11-The Last Book You Read

The last book I actually read wasn't really much of anything so I'm going to tell you about the one I'm currently reading-Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.*
A couple of weeks ago I was persuaded (by way of a free ticket) to go and see the film when it was on at my Student Union's cinema. I had never really heard about it before so I had no idea what to expect but I really enjoyed it as it was very cleverly done. It tells six different stories set over six different time periods-from the distant past to the distant future-although they are all connected and linked to each other across the generations and are repeated groupings of the same souls or spirits throughout and across time. In the film this is cleverly represented by using the same 10ish actors across each time line in the sameish roles-this infographic explains it much better than I can, although is by no means comprehensive and misses out some of the roles/actors.
In the book, it's different-the stories are not presented  to you intertwining together but rather one at a time. But here's the wonderful yet annoying thing: they all stop midway through when the character has reached a critical moment-some even stop mid sentence! It's infuriating (but brilliant) because you just start really getting into the story, getting to that stage where it's wrapping itself around you and you need to know what happens next, and then bluntly and without warning, it just stops. It's a genius way of writing because I've had five cliffhangers in a row, each more dramatic than the last, and now I have got to finish the book to find out the endings of each one. Not that I wouldn't have finished it anyway-I'm really enjoying it-and as one of the characters writes in a letter "A half-read book is a half-finished love affair".
I'm really, truly captivated. I feel like I'm reading five different books all at the same time (I have yet to begin the sixth story) and every time I turn the page over in excited anticipation of what happens next to find another title page I feel both annoyed and desperate to find out more. That's why I haven't started story six yet-I'm still riding the emotions left from story five and don't want to confuse them with new characters, new actions, new voices.
And of course, I know what happens because I've seen the film but there's something about discovering it for yourself in the pages of a book that makes it more magical for me. I'm torn-I really want to get to the end to get closure on the five unfinished stories swirling around my brain but at the same time I don't want to because no-one ever wants to finish a good book. I'm really looking forward to realising how the stories all pull together as it's not yet obvious-they're 6 loose strands waited to be plaited and woven together and it's going to be interesting and beautiful and probably a little bit heartbreaking.

For a book that never seems to finish a story, this is the perfect place for me to review it because then you'll never find out the ending(s), or not from me at least.
In short, I love it, it's very very wonderful.

~Nail Art Novice~

*NB I am writing this post in advance so I will no doubt have actually finished it by the time this post goes up. In a way then, it is the last book I read.

31BPC 10-Your Daily Routine

Ugh, I really haven't been looking forward to this post. It's going to be a short one.
My daily routine? Well I usually get up late ish, bum around on the computer reading some blogs, uploading a blog or two, playing some games, looking for jobs/applying for jobs. I talk to some people on Facebook, I text some people. I eat, watch some tele, practice my bass (sometimes) and go to bed lateish. That's really my life. Half the time I don't even get dressed. Writing it down makes it seem so depressing but I usually find ways to enjoy myself. If nothing else, reading all the blogs that I follow and posting on two several times a week fills time nicely. Also, of course, doing my nails takes up some of the time.
SIGH.
Honestly I swear I'm a more interesting person than this post makes me seem! I just don't really have the money to do much until I get a job...

Back to more interesting posts soon, promise!

~Nail Art Novice~

Find the other 31BPC posts here:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

31BPC 9-What's On Your Life/Bucket List?

If any of you follow my other, non-nail blog then you'll realise I have totally cheated with this and copied it over from one of my posts over there, but why write something out twice when you can just do it once, ey? (Also as I am away this weekend I am scheduling this well in advance so it makes sense to me!)

I don't really have much of a 'bucket list'-I don't have mental lists of things I want to do before I'm x years old or before I die, or places I want to travel to or anything like that. In fact I would go so far as to say the things I want to achieve are fairly boring and un-original, what most people would hope for in their lives, but they're dreams none the less.

-In the short term I want to get a job (at the moment, anything) that will pay me enough to move out of my parents house and hopefully back to Sheffield, where my heart is.

-I want to fall in love again, because I miss having a someone.

-I want to end up in a career that makes me happy every time I get up to go to it, that fulfils me and that I love. (I just need to work out what this might be first)

-I want to own my very own house, that I can decorate and make completely mine. I don't necessarily want to share this with another person, or at least I never imagine it that way. I am a bit terrified at learning to live with someone else again, so for now I just want somewhere that's mine and maybe the rest will come later.

-I do want to get married, but NOT YET. The very thought strikes fear into my heart, really. I'm not ready to commit to something for life yet (apart from my tattoo, and even that I thought about for 4 years before getting!) and I wouldn't want to get married for the sake of being married, I want to be married because it's right. Almost certainly in white Doc Martens =p

-I never want to stop going on stage, because it's the biggest feeling ever, and it's totally addictive. I don't (really) drink, I don't smoke and I don't take drugs but I have a massive craving for that spotlight. Call me a diva if you like, it's probably true, but being in shows as often as I can is really important for me, it makes me happy, it makes me fly. I never want to stop feeling that feeling.

-I would like to accomplish something-but I don't know what yet. I've always wanted to have a book published and still do, although I recognise the difficulties with this dream now. But I want someone, even if it's just one person, to know my name because I've done something that they found inspiring.


So that's my life plans, what about you?

~Nail Art Novice~

Find the other 31BPC posts here:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

31BPC 8-Biggest Pet Peeves

I am a person who has a lot of pet peeves, I'm sorry to say. I just get annoyed really easily by little things and  end up ranting about it on Twitter sometimes! Picking just one for this post would be impossible:

1. People who play their music out loud on public transport.
Also if their music is so loud I can hear it over their headphones, that's just as bad for me. It's just so rude. The wonderful thing about music is that everyone has their own bands/songs that they like and dislike and it's a very personal thing. Which is why it really annoys me if I can hear your music blasting out over the top of my own/the conversation I'm trying to have-because you're assuming that everyone else around you wants to listen to the same things as you, or worse not caring if it bothers anyone. It drives me mad because it ends up being all I can hear and I have been known to move to an entirely different train carriage before to get away from someone being this inconsiderate.

2. Poor spelling and grammar.
In particular mis-use of apostrophes! I see it everywhere and it makes me twitch. Now I'm not necessarily talking about blog posts and FB posts here-I would never correct someone's grammar in this situation because I realise that a lot of people are sensitive about it, and you just come off as a bit of a nobhead (s'quse my French!) if you do. But in public or in a way that's supposed to promote a service you offer? It's ridiculous. It looks so unprofessional to have apostrophes to make words plural or the wrong use of 'your' in an advert or something. For instance there's a tattoo parlour near me that has 'TATTOO'S' in large black letters over the door. I'm really not sure why you would choose to go and get something inked on you FOREVER from a tattoo parlour that can't even punctuate its own sign correctly-I mean would you risk it??

3. People who assume I'm going to have children.
This is a very personal one, but one that really gets on my nerves. I'm don't want to have children, for a myriad of reasons, but it's something I've thought about a lot. This is why it drives me so mad when I tell people this and their response is "Oh but you'll change your mind when you get older" or "It's different when it's your own though". I would much prefer them to respect my decision rather than telling me that I'm too young to make it yet, or just being shocked that I know I'm not going to have any. The worst ones are people who respond with "you'll get all broody when the hormones kick in in 5 years time though" as if just because I am a woman with ovaries I am destined to want to have children one day. It's my choice and my body and my life, and if one day I do change my mind that will also be up to me and not anyone else. I can't see it happening though!

I'm going to stop there because there are so many more that I have but it'd take me forever to type them all out!

Until next time,

~Nail Art Novice~

Find the other 31BPC posts here:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven

31 Blog Post Challenge 7-Dream Job

What's my dream job? To tell the truth I have no idea! When I went off to uni I had a plan for my life-I was going to complete my Biomedical Science degree and then go on to do Medicine so I could eventually work as a pathologist but this was a bit of a flawed plan. 1-I hadn't realised David Cameron would come along and make it so that I would never be able to afford to do a second degree, 2-I hadn't banked on not getting the grades required for med school and 3-(and this is probably very important!) that I am absolutely pants at anatomy. Don't get me wrong, I love it, it's really interesting, but I'm totally rubbish at it. So I basically came out of uni with a degree in a subject I'd kinda lost interest in and no future ambitions or dreams, and I'm still in that same place really. I don't know what I want to do with my life, which is a bit sad because I'd wanted to be a pathologist since I was 14! I imagine I'll end up in a lab or a hospital of some sort, because I really love science, but I have no idea at this point in time.

~Nail Art Novice~

Find the other 31BPC posts here:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six


Ooh while I'm here I thought I'd tell you that I've joined a challenge group with Kimber's Lacquer Korner doing the ABC challenge! Basically this means once a week posting a nail art design/technique/nail polish name etc etc beginning with a specific letter, one for every one of the alphabet. They're already up to 'N' so I've joined at the half way mark. I am hoping to get an N design posted in the next couple of days and obviously there will be a link up with everyone else's (I'm a few days behind due to wanting to co-ordinate nails and outfit for Rara's birthday party this week, so if everything works to plan you'll get both an N and an O post next week!)
This has no relevance to the 31BPC posts, but I just thought I'd tell you all while I remembered. Keep an eye out for those posts next week, and happy polishing!

31 Post Challenge 6-Last Random Act of Kindness

I love the whole idea of random acts of kindness-making someone's day a little brighter with something you did is wonderful, and I try and do them whenever I can. I can't really afford much right now so I'm sticking with the simpler things.

For my last random act of kindness I left a code for two free Graze boxes on a train. For those of you who don't know what Graze is, it's a service which delivers amazing healthy snacks to your door-the idea being that you can 'graze' on them to your heart's content and it's better for you than eating more traditional snacks like chocolate or crisps. They have a lot of choice of foods and they're all really tasty! In my Spring box I got a voucher for 2 free boxes and didn't know who to give it to-so I left it on a train as a random act of kindness to whoever found it.

Please excuse the quality of my phone photos!

I also have a stash of what I like to call "positive post-its"-post it notes with positive sayings on them-which I randomly put around places. I found one of these myself once, and I still carry it around in my purse with me because at the time I really needed something nice to cling on to as I was having a pretty awful time of everything. I like to hope that it might make someone feel a little better and brighten their day a bit when they find one of mine.

As one last ROAK, here's my graze code, so that any of you UK ladies who want to try out this fantastic service can get their first box absolutely free: 5K4VLXW
Just go to https://www.graze.com/uk and click on 'promotion or gift code' then enter it in to the box. You can cancel it at any time, so you won't have to buy any boxes if you don't want to, and they also deliver to work places too!

~Nail Art Novice~


Please note this post has not been sponsored or endorsed in any way by Graze or anyone associated with it, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Find the other 31BPC posts here:
One, Two, Three, Four, Five

31 Post Challenge 5-Favourite Movies

*pulls a face*
I'm not really big on films reeeally, I'm a book girl at heart. I don't really watch films all that often and if I do I try not to watch the same ones too many times otherwise they get boring. Genre-wise I like good quality animations, comedies (especially awkward British ones!) and the odd musical. So yeah, there probably aren't any films I'd never get sick of watching but there are a few that I have watched more than others, I guess:
NB: Originally this post was without pictures but it looked so dull and boring that I went back and added them in to liven it up a bit! Hopefully it's still readable?

[Source]

-Wall-E
Man I just adore this tiny robot, he's so cute! I love the fact that for the first half an hour of this film there's no talking but you totally understand what's going on, I love the fact that he's in a love story that works against all the odds and that he saves the earth to boot. (And actually, with one...) This is my go to 'I need cheering up with loveliness' movie and it never fails to make me go a bit mushy inside.

[Source]

-Despicable Me
Frankly this story is entirely ridiculous but it completely works. The minions are adorable and comic and wonderful, and the ending makes me fight back against tearing up every time. Lovely and ludicrous.

[Source]

-The Boat That Rocked
An excellent example of a very British movie that I love. I love the music, I love the actors, I love the story and the fact it's inspired by real life pirate radio stations. It's a bit weird, and has very British humour in it, which I adore. Plus did I mention the music is excellent?

[Source]

-Hot Fuzz
Again I love this because of the Britishness of it-the way it mocks American action movies with its west country accents and its quaint little village setting, but then its still full of humour and guns and explosions and awesomeness-Pegg and Frost anyone? It's not trying to take itself seriously but it's funny and ridiculous and brilliant all the same.

[Source]

-Avengers Assemble
I'd never seen a comic-book-turned-movie before this one, and I went on a whim with friends and totally loved it. It's funny, and yes it's an action movie which normally I hate but this one is a little tongue in cheek. Plus I can accept it more readily because it's not meant to be taken as 'could happen in real life' what with the superheros and alien invasions and all. I think it was very well done and really enjoy it every time I see it! (Especially sexy Thor, phwoar!)






OK, so that wasn't actually as difficult as I thought it was going to be-maybe I do like films, after all!

Until next time,

~Nail Art Novice~

See the other 31Blog Post Challenge posts here

31 Post Challenge 4-Best Childhood Memory

I can honestly say that I had a brilliant childhood. While my mum and I may not see eye to eye as often now I am an adult, as a child she was definitely brilliant. I can't really pick one favourite childhood memory because I was lucky enough to enjoy a lot of it- most of it in fact. I have memories of play dates where she'd make a treasure hunt throughout the house leaving clues for me and my friend to decipher, and there'd always be something fun or something tasty at the end. She'd make us 'McMummy's' which were like MacDonalds only better because they were in our own house and the Alphabites would spell something out. Me and Rara have grown up with board games and craft days and trips to Sundown (basically an awesome theme park for kids) or the beach, or the American Adventure theme park, which used to be just up the road from us until they shut it down in 2007-sob! (I've gone all nostalgic now).
I'm an only child so I also have lots of memories of inventing games to play by myself and with my teddies-which I know might sound quite "sad" but I was happy. It's made me a very independent person who's quite contented in my own company so I definitely wouldn't knock it.
While I may not be able to choose my favourite childhood memory simply because there are too many to choose from, I have to say that I can totally appreciate how lucky I was to have amazing parents that made it awesome for me. I am especially thankful that from an early age they nurtured my love of theatre-I had the soundtrack of 'Joseph' on tape and played it constantly (still know all the words!), as well as watching the film probably at least once a week. Once I got older my family and I started making annual trips to London to see shows there and I just fell in love with the whole experience and still try to go as often as I can. So while I might not have a specific memory in mind to answer this prompt, I can definitely say that those trips to the theatre are up there!

~Nail Art Novice~

31 Post Challenge 3-What Makes You Happy?

It's a strange one for me this. Not because I don't have anything that makes me happy but because I'm generally a happy person, it's my base level of emotion I think. It just feels peculiar thinking of specific examples I guess.

What makes me happy:

• Wearing my Docs and a mini skirt and being all stompy and sexy and awesome.
• Laughing at stupid stuff with my friends until my sides hurt and I can't stop smiling and all of a sudden it's 4am and no-one noticed. 
• Getting awesome things in the post.
• Mastering a song on my bass so it sounds perfect, doesn't happen often but when it does it's brilliant.
• When my hair works with me and looks fabulous rather than a raggedy mess.
• Prancing around the house in pyjamas and a pair of stilettos.
• Singing along to my favourite songs much too loudly when I'm home alone. 
• Being Employed!! (hint hint to the mystery jobs fairy)
• The first warm day after winter, and scrunching through leaves in autumn.
• And of course, wearing something awesome on my nails so that every time I look down at my fingers it makes me smile!

Think I'll stick to 10, otherwise I could go on for much longer!

~Nail Art Novice~

You can find all my other 31PC posts here and the original posts and link up by Fabulous Finds by Tiffany here

31 Posts Challenge 2-Favourite Quotes

Today it's favourite quotes which is something that suits me down to the ground. I have a little book that I 'collect' quotes that strike a chord with me and make me smile. My favourites tend to change based on what I'm experiencing in my life at the time but these all mean a lot to me:

'All The World's A Stage'- William Shakespeare, As You Like It.

I love performing, I love to be in a spotlight, it's my favourite thing in the world. This is a well known quote from my favourite Shakespeare play, the one I'm determined to be in one day. I love this quote so much I've got it tattooed on my foot so it'll always be with me.

'To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape' - Terry Pratchett, The Hogfather

The perfect description of humanity.

 'Letting it get to you. You know what that's called? Being Alive. Best thing there is.'- The Doctor, The Doctor's Wife (written by Neil Gaiman!) 

I am a massive Doctor Who nerd, I love it. This episode is amazing, it's full of brilliant quotes that make me giggle, but this one always strikes a chord with me. The above picture is my desktop background at the mo, coz I like it so much.

'You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the next one.' - Anonymous, as far as I'm aware.

This was something I needed to hear a year or so ago. I kept it as the background of my phone for a while to remind me of it every time I looked at it. It took me a while to accept that my last chapter had closed but I'm finally onto the next one.

'I'll come out the other side a brand new me'- A Brand New Me, Bitter Ruin

Again this struck a chord when I was living it. Bitter Ruin are an awesome band that no-one will have heard of, but I love their stuff, this song in particular. Last time I saw them they did it unplugged, with only an acoustic guitar and no amplification at all and it was just absolutely beautiful. 

'Be the best you'- Gala Darling 

Gala Darling is a fabulous blogger who wants to inspire people to love themselves a little more. I love this quote of hers (can't find the original page though,sorry!) because it reminds me that I may not be as good as someone else at some things, but if I am trying to be the best I can be then I am not letting myself down.

I could choose more-hundreds more, but I won't, I'll stick with these 6 as my favourites. Oh, and this too.

Until next time then, 

~Nail Art Novice~

31 Day Challenge...but not the one you're thinking of...

I discovered a 31 Day Blogging challenge on AlyssiaRose's lovely lifestyle blog (she also has a nail one right here too!) and really wanted to take part. Originally from http://www.fabulousfindsbytiffany.com, it challenges you to post a blog a day for 31 days on yourself and your life. Except...I'm not going to do it properly. I don't want to post every day, so I intend to do one or two posts every weekend until I've done them all. This way I can fit them into my life and also my blogging schedule a little better than trying to do one each day for a month, so for me it's a 31 Posts blog challenge. If you want to join in and link up, then the original post from Tiffany is just here and there is a linkup at the bottom of each of her own 31 Day posts.

Here's the list of blog prompts:

Today is day number one-Self Portrait and 5 random facts about yourself

Photography by Michael Lau

It's weird, this is the first time you'll be seeing me on this blog! I've never put a picture of my face up, just my nails. Oh and I cannot draw, so you aren't getting a hand drawn masterpiece I'm afraid. I love this picture though, it was from a photo shoot me and Rara went on in December because we had a voucher for a cheap one. This photo was taken without me realising it when Rara had just made me laugh and I love it. It's so me-the random bright coloured ducks and the Doc Martens and the big grin on my face =)


5 Random Facts
1. I am having a love affair with Doc Martens-I currently have 5 pairs and I'm not ready to stop yet. I honestly think if I could have a pair of Docs and a pair of my comfiest heels in every colour, I'd never buy shoes again.
2. I've never seen Star Wars...or ET...or to be honest most films that you "have" to watch. When I come across those lists of '100 films to watch before you die' I've usually watched about 6 of them and they're cartoons or musicals. I'm just not massively into films, I'm much more of a book person.
3. I'm unemployed and it sucks. I hate it. I really wish someone, anyone would give me a job to give me back my freedom and life, and give me a reason to get out of my pyjamas every day.
4. I also can't drive. I've had 2 lots of lessons and never come close to passing my test. This is something I am determined to change in the next couple of months though.
5. My favourite band is Queen, and always will be. I'm as much as a fangirl as you can be when a band is no longer in existence (sadly, RIP Freddie!). I looooove them. I can't even pick a favourite song because I love that every album of theirs has a different sound to it and I reckon they're all awesome.


So there you have it. Who knew thinking of 5 random facts could be so hard to do? I'll be back tomorrow with day 2, probably.

~Nail Art Novice~