2013: End Of Year Blog Statistics

End of year blog statistics

Number Of Blog Views:
22,837

Top 10 Most Popular Blog Entries:

1. Album Review: See You On The Ice by Carice Van Houten
2. Game of Thrones character RE-CAST?
3. David Wenham looks good in make up
4. The B425 List
5. 10 reasons to adopt pets from shelters rather than buying them from stores or breeders
6. The Business of Bodily Insecurity
7. Dashing David Wenham
8. Response & Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green
9. Spellbound: A Night With Siouxsie Sioux
10. Kavos: Sleaze Central or Soothing Escape?

Top 10 Countries That Have Visited My Blog:

Entry	Pageviews
United Kingdom	8717
United States	6503
Netherlands	1057
Russia	1046
Germany	939
Ukraine	447
Canada	293
Australia	281
France	238
China	170

Total Number Of Blog Posts Published So Far:
831

Total Number of Blog Posts Altogether (Including drafts/scheduled posts):
934

2014: Silver Lining Search

I like to believe in the notion of silver linings, that there's always something positive. These things don't always present themselves; sometimes we have to find them. We have to go out and actively search for the goodness that life can bring.

So I have this crazy idea that, here on the blog, I'm doing something called the "silver lining search" challenge where each day I'll think of nice things I've enjoyed. Let's call this an exercise in positive thinking. Maybe it'll be a story someone tells me, a book I love or a picture I take. At the end of each week I'll write up a little post and share it here with you all. If some of the things that happen are quite personal then perhaps I'll keep them private but the idea is that I'll be sharing positivity with you and with myself. I'll also write them down on paper and put the silver linings into a jar and seal it and not go back and read them until the end of the year. This way I'll have a lovely collection of silver linings, a reminder of all the lovely things that happened in 2014.

So on January 1st I shall start with an empty jar. As the day begins I'll write down any nice things that happen in that day on a little piece of paper and I'll put it into the jar. Piece by piece I'll record the positivity a year brings. When 2014 ends I shall read and review all the lovely things that happened to me that year. Who knows? If it's a good year maybe I'll need more than one jar.

In looking for positive things it'll ensure I remain happy at every turn. I'll try it for the first month or so of 2014 and, if I can continue, I shall.

Please feel free to find your silver linings with me.

New Years Eve

On this day of the year most of the Western world are fretting over what party to go to, what to wear, who to kiss at midnight to usher in the luck of a new year.
Do you know what I was doing this time last year in the run up to midnight?
Sleeping.
On my sofa.
Curled up and snoozing my way through a movie (we were actually watching the film "New Years Eve" and I still don't know 99% of the events of the film) However I woke up to ring the new year in whilst feeling comfortable, warm and well rested.
Tonight I'll certainly be awake to bring the new year in.
Whatever you're up to, readers, stay safe and be kind and respectful to others.

2013 Favourites

Favourite films of 2013:
- The Great Gatsby
- The World's End
- Gravity
- About Time
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Favourite songs of 2013:
- The Fox by Ylvis
- Sinners by Lauren Aquilina
- Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz
- Spring Break Anthem by The Lonely Island
- Siren Or The Sea by Carice Van Houten
- Someone Like Me by Ylvis
- Roots by Orla Gartland
- YOU. ME. BED. NOW by Carice Van Houten
- Only Teardrops by Emmelie De Forest
- Bird by Anouk
- The Good Life by Anouk
- kill by iamamiwhoami
- Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert
- y by iamamiwhoami

New bands/songs/artists I've discovered and enjoy:
- A Fine Frenzy
- Lauren Aquilina
- Molotov Jukebox
- Carice Van Houten
- Anouk

Favourite Album of 2013:
- See You On The Ice from Carice Van Houten

Favourite Books I've Read in 2013:
- Trumpet by Jackie Kay
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Fevre Dream by George R.R Martin
- Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? by Dan Bucatinsky
- The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric
- Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Favourite new TV shows:
- Masters of Sex
- Orange Is The New Black
- The Tunnel

Biggest achievements of 2013:
- Landing my first publishing deal
- Becoming a blogger for The Huffington Post
- Graduating from university
- Setting up this blog and getting it to the point where it stands this day.
- Completing my first short anthology of poetry.
- Taking part in NaNoWriMo

Favourite memories of 2013:
- Graduation Day

- DJing for my partner's birthday party. I hadn't done any sort of DJ gigs for so long and it rekindled my love for it. I spent most of the evening indulging in music banter with two other guys with plenty of requests.

- Doing a whirlwind road trip to Whitby with Julia, Vief, Becka and Yuki and making a lot of women jealous when William Control chose to get a little close with me and wrapped his fingers around my neck and sang to me. I mean...how many people can say they've been strangled by a famous singer?

- Getting off my bus and seeing my partner again after weeks of being apart in a long term relationship. In 2014, however, that long term relationship will go back to a normal, close-dwelling kind of relationship.

- I got to see Siouxsie Sioux, one of my all time idols, perform live. I was so close to her. It was truly magical.

- Sharing a birthday party with my good friend Julia. The theme was zombie Disney and people came as zombie versions of Disney characters. I particularly loved Inkley in a rather stunning zombie Cruella Deville costume. It was a fun evening and, near the end of it, Hannah and I found ourselves drunkenly criticising Legolas. That was a fun night. This year I also went to a party at a small mansion where there were tiny dogs walking around in little tuxedo suits. It was adorable - a totally extravagant party, almost Gatsby-like in the sheer grandeur of the night. That was another good moment: seeing dogs dressed up as fancy people.

- Just being able to spend time with my family. Even when my father was in hospital there was this wonderful sense of togetherness. We'd be laughing and poking fun at my Dad about his surgeries and he'd joke right back. This year, and every new year, I become more and more aware of how truly awesome my family is. I'm enjoying just spending time with them. My parents are my dear friends, my sister is now blooming into this really rad young woman. I'm proud to call these people my family. I've also got a really rad partner who, all year, has supported me through the ups and downs, through the stress of university and through moments of great depression and anxiety. I'm very lucky for the people around me.

- Writing and beginning work on completing my B425 List.

- My trip to Kavos with the girls from uni (particularly the last night with Charlie and Claire's birthday outing, but I loved being curled up by the pool with the sun above me and a book in my hand. There was also a particularly memorable moment that involved nudity, roof climbing and a hijacked fishing boat)

- The moment when I found out that I was going to be a published author, seeing my chapbook anthology of short stories had been accepted. Also I don't want to forget that I also submitted an anthology of poetry which made the long-list. The fact that it was even considered and then made the long list must mean it's good enough to seek publication for. I'll make my poetry a big personal project of mine next year.

So that's a rough round up of some of my favourite aspects of 2013. Thank you for letting me share them with you now and through a year of blogging. I'm sure there are things I've forgotten about but I can safely say that this has been a wonderful year and I'm very thankful for all the good that it has brought to me. I hope that 2013 was good to you and that 2014 is even better.

2013: A review.

As the year comes to a close I think it's very important to sit down and reflect on what you've achieved over the past year to really put your life and your accomplishments into perspective. It's a little exercise in positive thinking to carry you through into the new year ahead. So bare with me for a moment as I give myself a well earned pat on the back for 2013 and all that this year has brought me.

One of the huge things that I'll remember this year for is that it's the year I graduated university with upper second class honours. It was such a lot of work and I put in so much time and effort to earn this degree that will follow me for the rest of my life. My degree is now framed and hoisted up on the wall and I do actually feel this intense pride whenever I see it. It's only now that I'm out of university that I'm actually thinking about the possibility of a Masters degree one day or, perhaps down the road, a degree in psychology as it is a subject that I've always been vastly interested in.

This year I started blogging. I set up this here blog and I've kept at it since March. It started at a way of venting all of my emotions and frustrations whilst writing my university dissertation so I could dump my feelings and get back to work. I didn't ever dream that this blog would have been accessed worldwide and read/shared by celebrities. My blog is still something that I run and write for fun but it has achieved so much in the past 9 months. It's my little blog baby! I aim to continue writing about things that interest me into the next year and, hopefully, for the rest of my life.

This year I started writing for The Huffington Post. I applied on a whim and after striking up a conversation with one of the editors they let me blog for them and my articles have been read and shared all over the world. I feel a sense of pride knowing that I contribute to such a wonderful news website.

I've had some contact with some wonderful famous people via Twitter who have tweeted me or reblogged me/shared links to my blog. This can be said of Natalia Tena (of the Harry Potter films, Game of Thrones), Carice Van Houten (singer, also on Game of Thrones), I was retweeted by Neil Gaiman, I was tweeted and thanked by actor/author/tv creator Dan Bucatinsky, I was tweeted by Dominic Monaghan. I got a message from Anne Rice when I messaged her whilst writing my dissertation on psychology in vampire literature. She thanked me and was happy I enjoyed her books. That was a good moment. I screamed with joy then. I know these things seem superficial but they're pretty big for a fangirl like me.

I got to see Siouxsie Sioux perform live. She has long been one of my icons and just when I was thinking I would probably never see her perform live she became one of the closing acts of the Meltdown Festival. Standing so close to her, even making eye contact with her, was strangely magical.

I made real, active work towards finishing my first novel. I even took part in NaNoWriMo. It has taken a lot of discipline and three years on a Creative Writing course to help me re-evaluate the way I thought about writing but I really love what I'm doing and I have hope for myself.

I went on a holiday with the girls from university. I'd done trips without my parents before, but not solely with people of my own age where we were entirely responsible for ourselves. We collected some fun times and some crazy memories.

I funded my first Kickstarter project! I kept meaning to get into Kickstarter but when I was a student I never had the money. It's something I highly recommend doing. It feels good knowing you'd funded the arts and given back somehow. Now that I'm working I hope to fund small amounts to promising Kickstarter campaigns each month.

I wrote my B425 list. Until this year I never really even took New Years Resolutions seriously, so the fact that I had 2013 resolutions and went on to create a mini bucket list of things to try and accomplish by age 25 seems like a great way to ensure that my life is fun and that I'm learning new things and having new experiences. After I turn 25 I'll write a "30 Before 30" list and truly hope to create new lists every 5 years or so of my life. I never want to sit back and passively accept what's happening within my day to day existence. I want to have goals aiming to get me closer to where I want to be at that point of my life.

I drank a lot of beer. I mean it's not an achievement as some of the other things but I probably drank more beer this year than ever before because I finally acquired a taste for it. In my mind 2013 will be mentally filed under the name "That Year Where I Drank All That Beer"

This blog was nominated for an award. No really, this blog was nominated for the Cosmo New Blog award. It didn't make the shortlist because the blog isn't primarily about fashion and beauty but still, I can technically say that, as of 2013, I write and run an award nominated blog and that's pretty rad.

I landed my first publishing deal at the age of 21 and on my first real attempt to submit an item of my work to be published officially. This is probably the coolest thing that happened in 2013. My first collection of short stories will be out later in 2014 and will be launched at a literature festival with another awesome writer, William Thirsk-Gaskill. I'm so excited. I've dreamed of being an author and having my work officially published since I was a kid and this is a really big step for me. It makes going forth into the world of book publishing just that little bit easier for me. I also wrote a collection of poetry that made it to the long list of a competition and was so very close to being chosen for publication which is pretty amazing. The fact that it was being considered is still pretty amazing so in 2014 I'll still pursue publication for my poetry and I've already started on my second collection of poetry. It has a title and everything. Very exciting.

2013 has been an utterly fantastic year and, sorry to toot my own horn, but I am truly proud of myself. I'm thankful for YOU even if this is the first time you stop by or if you read this blog every day. I'm happy for my family and friends. 2013 was tough and presented obstacles but I stand here feeling truly happy about what I've managed to accomplish. I hope 2013 was a good year for you too.

The B425 List: New Year's Resolutions with a Difference.

There I was, 21 and curled up on my sofa, staring at a computer screen. I was procrastinating. Again. I was trying to find a break from my university dissertation and had spent the past hour or so just she and her friends went canyoneering. I'd never even heard of canyoneering. I felt something within me deflate like a sad balloon. I wondered "Why can't I be doing fun things like that?" Then, some lost voice within me piped up saying "But of course you can!" I turned my mind to the things I wished I could be doing. It was certainly a nice way to procrastinate. I then started to write down the things I wanted to do in life, the things I wanted to achieve, and very soon The B425 List was created. Named the B425 List, after the P45 list that you receive when you finish working somewhere, seemed apt as I was about to finish my work at university. I needed to know that something good was on the horizon. I wrote them out as a list of things I wanted to achieve before I turned 25. Whilst writing it I found the 30 Before 30 project and took inspiration from lists that other people had written. Once done, I found myself able to get back to work instantly.

My list includes entries like:

• Take up meditation
• Stand out in public with a 'Free Hugs' sign for at least an hour just to spread some joy. Maybe do it to raise awareness of/raise money for a charity that helps with mental health.
• Take up belly dancing
• Write a song and put it out there. Get together with other musicians to create some original music and release it into the world.
• Visit at least one of the following places, at the very least: New Zealand, Australia, USA (preferably for a road trip style holiday), Canada, Spain, Ireland. If you hit more than one, even better.

...and many more. You can read the full list here.

I'm 21 now, 22 in a matter of weeks, and I've already started on ticking things off of my list. I'm so glad to have all these goals. What started as a mere exercise in positive thinking is something that is going to continue steering me towards happiness and rich experiences. My hopes are that I'll grow old knowing that I didn't let life and experiences pass me by. I'll know that I went out and actively sought happiness and fulfilment. When I turn 25 and have hopefully ticked off everything on my list I shall simply sit down and write another for the next five years of my life. I'm hoping to vlog my experience on YouTube. So if you're scurrying around to try and think up some New Year's Resolutions why not also write a list of things to do over the next five or ten years. Have goals specifically for 2014 but think and plan what you want in advance for the next chunk of your life that lies ahead. Set yourself a bunch of goals, begin to plan and start thinking about what you want from your own life. Who knows? It could be exactly what you've been missing...

HOW'D YOU GET HERE?

So the cool thing about blogger/blogspot as a blog hosting website is that it gives you a lot of information about the people who look at your blog. I don't know your names. I don't know how often individual people view my blog. I can however see things like which countries people have been reading my blogs in, which posts are getting the most views and... what people Google to find my blog.

Now some things are pretty standard, it'll be a certain phrase that I put in the tags that appear at the bottom of every blog post however sometimes I'm startled by the crazy things that people Google and somehow find my blog. I'm left wondering how they found my blog by Googling such crazy things or wondering what the story is behind it but I wanted to share some of them with you as an interesting look into how people access this blog and what eventually leads them here. I've found it pretty interesting. Some of them are pretty weird and I genuinely have no idea how you've managed to find my blog with these searches.

So here are just some things people have Googled that somehow lead them to this blog:

• country girls skinny dipping
• the truth about pescetarianism
• quirkysex
• super gay blogger
• is How To Train Your Dragon a horror film?
• gay super blogspot
• How to do Aaliyah's eyebrows
• geek shirt girl
• does Kavos turn you gay?
• what is a geek?
• pescetarian for beginners
• How to make a human birdcage?
• did john green do a nanowrimo?
• senteron indo hot sex (wtf?)
• nick offerman on whittling
• nip slip boys boys
• what happened to the old Wife Swap?
• welcome gay blogspot
• gay gay gay gay gay
• Is the World's End a family friendly movie?
• katie hopkins dress size
• is Samantha Brick for real?
• david wenham looks old.
• gay kavos
• addicted to hair dye
• book at the university
• and sweeping generalisations
• smile gays
• of the albums that acted as (no really, that's the whole phrase that someone Googled)

and my two favourites:

• family skinny dipping
• why women can't control lusts?

Quite frankly I want to turn "why can't women control lusts?" into the blog motto, it had me laughing so hard. You know what? I have no idea why women can't control lusts.
We're crazy.
We're crazy. lust-driven beings. 

Song of the Day: All Of Me by John Legend and Lindsey Stirling

"Cause all of me loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections"

Who? Where? YOU?

I'm forever happy to see people all over the world stopping by to read my humble little blog that I started with no major plans for it. Here I am many months later and still raking in views from all over the world.

Here is a list of the countries that have stopped by my blog so far. Thank you for reading and making me feel awesome on a daily basis. Don't forget that you're awesome too:

United Kingdom
Latvia
Luxembourg
Bangladesh 
Mauritius
United Arab Emirates
Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe
Pakistan
Macedonia [FYROM]
Singapore
Israel
Colombia
Thailand
Qatar
Nepal
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Georgia
Peru
Moldova
Taiwan
Estonia
Kuwait
Croatia
Slovenia
Saudi Arabia
Portugal
Hungary
Norway
Tunisia
Belarus
Morocco
Poland
United States
Germany
South Korea
Brazil
India
Indonesia
Finland
Argentina
Puerto Rico
Bulgaria
Greece
Sweden
Mexico
Turkey
Romania
Serbia
Philippines
Japan
Canada
Netherlands
Spain
Venezuela
Chile
Switzerland
Italy
Ireland
France
Malta
China
Hong Kong (as special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
Vietnam
Malaysia
Czech Republic
Russia
Ukraine
Australia
New Zealand
Belgium
Denmark
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Argentina

Brittani Louise Taylor read my blog!

So today I sat down to get a bunch of things done. I've been working on this blog and over at The Huffington Post and managed to churn out two HuffPost blogs, one of which included a reference to a video from the lovely Brittani Louise Taylor. As you may know I'm a big fan of YouTube as a forum and have followed Brittani for some years. Her constant positivity and outlook on life are so utterly refreshing. Anyway I'm writing this because I tweeted her a link to the article since I'd referenced her video in it and she tweeted back (see tweet below)

So yeah, I guess that was the coolest thing to happen thus far in my day. My B425 list is Brittani Taylor approved. Awesome!

@GabrielleLeimon Awww I like your list! Get it! :P
— brittanitaylor (@brittanitaylor) December 30, 2013

Song of the Day: Sunflower Field by Autry!

"You might be sweet but you're not sweet enough,
You're mixing all your sugar in the wrong cup.
Oh, live on and let go,"

The B425 List: New Years Resolutions and achieving the things you've always wanted to...

I've noticed that a lot of people right now have been accessing and reading my blog post about my B425 List. My B425 List is a compilation of all the things that I want to do, achieve or experience before turning 25. I assume a lot of you are looking for things to add to New Years Resolutions. I highly recommend writing a list of resolutions but also writing out you own B425 list or a 30 Before 30 list. This way you ensure that you are constantly moving forward and doing the things you want to do in life which should, in theory, help you to achieve ultimate happiness. If you feel like time is passing you by and you're not happy or not having the adventures and experiences you want ask yourself, why not? 

For 2014 write your resolutions, but maybe consider writing a bigger list of aims and things you want to achieve and set yourself a time frame of five years, maybe ten years. I hope to do a new one every five years to ensure I'm getting the best out of life. I hope you can do the same.

Film Round Up: Movies I Watched In December. Thoughts + Reviews

Here on the blog we love a good movie. Here is a round up of some of the films that I watched in December so you can maybe find films you'd like. I've shared my thoughts on the films rather than writing a full review in one blog post of a single movie. In keeping the blog short and sweet it means I can provide a load of movie information in one post to be super efficient. So, here we go, here's some information for some films I watched throughout December...

Conception

I watched this quirky rom com all about, you guessed it, conception. The film focuses on several couples and how they handle the topic of conception in a Gary Marshall style narrative (see Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve) with lots of different story arcs in one movie. It features couples struggling to conceive, lesbians attempting to conceive with donor sperm, couples who have a child and are learning to be parents... It's a quirky sex comedy with no real aim rather than showing different stories about how different people get pregnant which shows that it takes a little more than just having sex to make a baby.

Riding In Cars With Boys

This real life inspired film about a young woman who falls pregnant at fifteen after sleeping with a man she only just met was a really nice lazy night flick. Drew Barrymore plays Beverly Donofrio, a depiction of the real life Beverly Donofrio whose life and memoirs serve as inspiration for the movie. Barrymore presents a likeable yet humanly flawed protagonist in an effortlessly charming performance. It's a refreshing film and far from the cookie cutter style films we're so used to seeing nowadays. If anything it captures life. It depicts the hardships teen mothers face, not just as a teen but from that point forward. The film is currently up on Netflix and I enjoyed it. If you like a good drama then this was certainly enjoyable.

The Help

It's a rather air-brushed tale of "beatin' down the man" and some have accused the notion of having a white protagonist gaining credit in mock posters that dubbed the movie "White People Solve Racism" and I didn't particularly enjoy it. I wasn't overwhelmed, I wasn't underwhelmed. I wanted a better exploration of the oppression of African American maids and I would have preferred a tale where the maids themselves had more power rather than it being granted to them by a benevolent, privileged do-gooder whose dreams come true at the end of the film whilst the maids are still living their day to day lives of servitude. It was a bit of a downer. The only highlight was a truly strong performance from Viola Davis in the role of Aibileen.




The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I'm still rather unsettled on how I feel about this movie. I am torn between my faith in Peter Jackson's vision and my appreciation of the source material which framed some particularly fond childhood memories. This film takes more creative liberties than the first of the trilogy and I'm still trying to decide where I stand here. I do know, however, that I appreciated the pugs in Laketown, officially accept Thranduil as my husband wife and that I'm a little bit attracted to a dragon.

Zayn Malik to quit One Direction? Cheryl Cole back for X Factor 2014? Metro predictions for Celebland in 2014

Our gaze now seems to be turning to the new year ahead: 2014. This has been an intense year in the world of celebrities with the shock deaths of some celebs and the twerk-based rise to fame of others.
Goodness only knows what's to come next...

Well Metro has made some predictions about what will happen in the world of celebrity next year. From band break ups to record label drops, which ones do you think are most likely to come true?

2013 New Years Resolutions, A Review: Did I Complete Them All?

What I said:
"1) Do that work, like a boss. With only three months left of university I want to do as best I can on any assignments that still lie ahead including that mammoth dissertation of mine. At the moment whenever I close my eyes to sleep my dissertation is what I think of, usually having sudden surges of inspiration when what I desperately need is sleep. Thanks for that one, Brain. "

Did I manage to complete it?
Yes!
I managed to ace my degree. In creative writing alone I got straight firsts and over all I got a 2:1, an upper second class honours degree. My degree certificate now hangs in my study with pride next to my mother's law degree.

What I said:
"Thank you, Kimberly Snyder. I spent a lot of my life hating my appearance, focusing hatred on little bits of it: my weight, the shape of my nose, my legs. The past year or so I've really tried to focus on my health: I've been swimming more, gone on more walks, even made radical changes to my diet. I hope that in 2013 I can continue my new pescetarian diet and continue to swim and, as soon as my leg has fully healed, go on more walks/hikes. "

Did I manage to complete it?
Yes!
I kept to my pescetarian diet and have even made certain changes with my diet. Some days my diet is practically vegan. I'm very healthy and I treat my body with care. Now I don't hate my body, I'm so wonderfully comfortable in my own skin and it's great. I've done some swimming but I should really try to make sure I swim more in 2014 because it's something that I really enjoy.

What I said:
"She works hard for the money. Once I graduate from The University of Huddersfield with my degree I want to move back down south and find a job - any job at first. I want to throw myself back into work so I can start earning money (which will be continued in the next resolution) and it'll give me something to do post-grad. The last thing I want to do is fall back into the habit of doing nothing. The job doesn't even have to be relative to what I want to pursue in my future career path. "

Did I manage to complete it?
Yes.
I had a job almost directly after completing my dissertation but I'm now looking for a proper graduate job with decent pay. I'd preferably like something relevant to my skill set but we'll see what the new year brings. I got a job and earned money which I've put away. I have just started a new job and am being put on a three month contract and, whilst I work that job, I'm also applying for a position as a weekly columnist so I'll be able to pursue journalism in my spare time.

What I said:
" The Pen is Mightier than the Sword. By the end of 2013 I want to have a book, a script, a screenplay or whatever written, completed, ready for the next stage. This, to me, is just as big and as daunting as the dissertation. If I have a book published I can then look into getting it published. If I have a script I can start to consider the next stages in the production process. "

Did I manage to complete it?
You bet your ass I did!
Not only did I finish a project, but it's currently in the publication process. I worked on a novel for NaNoWriMo which, although I feel still needs some work, is a huge personal success. So this year I completed two projects and took one all the way to the next stage way ahead of schedule. I scored my first publishing deal which has really been the highlight of the year for me. Majorly proud of myself for that...

What I said:
"Do more interesting things. I should take inspiration from the film 'Yes Man' and start throwing myself head first into new experiences and situations. Variety is the fruit of life and whatnot. I could go paintballing or take up painting or learn to dance ballet again. Who knows? "

Did I manage to complete it?
I guess so, yeah.
I've taken up doing exercises at home like sit ups and squats. I started drawing/sketching again. I got back into hiking just a little bit. I took up blogging here and for The Huffington Post thus pursuing an interest in journalism. I took up making cool, flavoured iced coffees at home, some of which are vegan. I've taken up modifying shirts. In 2014 I hope to continue doing new, cool things. This year I've gone from being in university to working to trying to finish a novel... So hopefully in 2014 I'll have more time and money to try new, exciting tasks and hobbies. The year before I took up making soaps and bath oils at home.


What I said:
"Go to New Zealand."

Did I manage to complete it?
Sadly no.
I have the money to go but I've just been so busy this year and at the moment I've got other things that take priority. If I go to New Zealand I want to go for a minimum of two weeks and lately I've been too busy with my writing and supporting my partner through university (emotionally) so this is quite an important time. Will I make it to New Zealand in 2014? Possibly, but who knows...

AUTHOR BIO.

For the publication of my collection of short stories I had to fill out some information about myself that the British Library need. After fangirling intensely about the idea of there being records about me written in the British Library I decided to write a quick bio here for you. I'd seen author Laini Taylor do something similar on her blog.
Who knows?
In 2014 I may be setting up my own website, an idea I've been toying with for a few months, and will probably have to include some of this content there anyway.

• Born in Aberdeen, Scotland. 
• Raised by my two loving parents in Scotland, moved to England during my early years. Have lived mainly within Hertfordshire. 
• Went to an all female high school where my chosen subjects were geography, theatre studies, French and Spanish.
• During my A Levels I based my entire final year language analysis project on expletive language because I wanted to listen to people talk dirty and have an excuse to swear in class.
• Have a younger sister, Bethany. She is my hero. One of many but one of the most influential.
• Has many cats. I also have a dog who thinks he's a cat.
• Follows a pescetarian diet and primarily uses cruelty free beauty and cosmetic items. I make a wicked all vegan iced coffee. I base a lot of my dietary choices on the work and teachings of nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. 
• Am a rescuer of ex-battery hens. Am often woken up to the cry of "cock-a-doodle-do"
• Was educated at The University of Huddersfield and graduated with a good degree as part of the Class of 2013. 
• Whilst at university I began writing for The Huffington Post. This, for me, was a huge break into journalism. I hadn't really considered journalism much previously but becoming a HuffPost blogger was a huge turn of the key for me.
• I landed my first publishing deal at the age of 21. Technically it was my first time submitting my work for proper, stand-alone publication. It was through a competition of sorts. The publishers took in entries and, at the end, would award an offer of publication to any that they liked. There would be a maximum of six winners. In the end my collection was chosen along with the work of two other authors more accomplished and well known that myself which was utterly humbling. My collection of short stories is set to come out early this year. 
• Have worked in a lot of boring jobs: waitress, barista, hotel receptionist, bar maid etc. My coolest job thus far was working in a cinema/movie theater/theatre. I love film so working in a job with film nerds and getting to see all the movies for free was a real plus for me.
• Hoping to work on a few projects in 2014 that will end up beyond the page and on screens. Expect lots of script writing and exploration of digital media and literary presentation.
• I have always wanted to be a writer. When  Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire came out I recall meeting JK Rowling very briefly at a book signing. Standing before her, finding myself in a state of awe, I had an epiphany. I wanted to be a story teller and I wanted my work to be published. I've been writing stories ever since. I wrote before, of course, but before that point my desires and preferred outcome had never been so clear. Also I have a signed copy of The Goblet of Fire so...u jelly?

Wowwwwwwwww

I am writing this to you from my shiny new iPhone 4S.
I'm really happy that I will be able to create and regulate blog posts on the go. Beforehand I could see my blog statistics but could not write or edit posts. Ahhhh I'm excited. This is pretty nifty.

Ok, ok I know some of you are iPad and iPhone users and that iPhone 4 has been out for ages but I'm still new to this and find it convenient and very exciting...

Song of the Day: My Pornoshow by Schwefelgelb

"Fashion stylists

Make-Up artists

Photographers

Backstage at my porno show"

Hemlock Grove + Thoughts on Season One

I recently sat down to watch another Netflix original show: Hemlock Grove. This show was recommended to me by a friend. As a Buffy/True Blood fan and all things horror I figured that something else with supernatural beings in a creepy town would be right up my dark, poorly lit alley...

So I sat down to watch this Netflix original series and am now three episodes in and am enjoying it. It sets up an air of mystery and a lot of questions, many of which are yet to be answered. Young protagonist Peter is the new boy in town. Disliked because of his gypsy heritage he has trouble connecting with people until the arcane, stoic Roman Godffrey befriends him. The two boys begin to realise that they are more similar than they appear and that they both have secrets as they are brought together to solve some strange, gruesome murders in their town whilst trying to shake the feeling that something big is about to happen...

What I did really enjoy so far was the werewolf transformation as it was one of the most visceral and violent physical lycanthropic changes I've seen on screen. That, so far, has been a real highlight for me.

I'm three episodes in and I'm still not entirely sure how much I like this show, what's going on or if I'll stick with it but it's interesting enough. If you like True Blood, Supernatural, Teen Wolf etc then this is probably a show that you should check out.

2013: A Year of My Life in Pictures

So I recently uploaded this to my YouTube account.

In 2014 you can expect to see me make a move from blogging to vlogging (don't worry, there'll still be stuff posted on here regularly) but I've enjoyed blogging so much that I wanted to expand. Vlogging just seems like a lot of fun. Here's my "A Year of my Life in Pictures"
I wanted to do one of these ever since I saw Brittani Louise Taylor do one.

Obviously it's not all the pictures I took this year. There were far too many, but it's a random selection of pretty things and memorable moments.

Enjoy!

How was 2013 for you?

Let me know in the comments section of my video.

Song of the Day: The Point of It All by Amanda Palmer

"And you're learning that just 'cause they call themselves friends

Doesn't mean they'll call"

Song of the Day: I Want You To Want Me by Letters To Cleo

You may remember this song from the film 10 Things I Hate About You.
It's a cover of the original by Cheap Trick.
I love the film and the movie.
Enjoy,

Remake of Rosemary's Baby on the way?

Say it ain't so!

Well, there's even an IMDB page for it so I guess that makes it legit. It looks like they're going to remake the Roman Polanski horror classic Rosemary's Baby which remains one of the few horror films that has actually left me feeling a little creeped out and anxious once the credits had stopped rolling. I remember, after watching the film for the first time, making sure my curtains were firmly closed and usually horror films don't even impact me at all. This film is a classic and so I'm always nervous and pretty hesitant when I hear a film of such prestige is being remade. NBC is apparently behind the remake. If you haven't seen the movie then what are you even doing right now. Go watch the movie right this instant. I'm gonna try to keep an open mind on this one.

Can you see me?
I'm trying so hard.

Recommended Reads... with Mistletoe on top.

Well it may be Christmas but there's still time for Recommended Reads. What is recommended reads?
It's a segment where I throw together some things I've seen lately on the internet to share them with you. This way, if you're bored on Christmas or checking out this blog from a shiny, new device then you've got cool things to check out. Let's get started, shall we?

• Not having the best Christmas? This blog, Gives Me Hope, will remind you of the good in the world. Why not send in examples of things that give you hope?
• One of my new favourite things, totally new this week, is the twitter account Stephen Fry set up for a cuddly toy bear in his dressing room. I totally love seeing teddy bear tweets popping up. Check it out here.
• Some really cute stuff happened around the world this year, so check them out for smiles.
• Christmas often brings out our crafty side. This blog shows you how to make cool pastas at home - even confectionery pasta. In fact they just have a bunch of cool recipes so you should check it out
• HuffPost article: 25 Secrets to a Lasting Marriage
• 17 Cool Books from 2013 if you got book tokens for Christmas or want something good to read.
• Or read this article about one crazily rude bride and her conversation with a strapped-for-cash friend. You won't believe how callous the bride is to her friend.

I hope you're having a Happy Christmas wherever you are <3

Well I'm off to London to celebrate Christmas with my extended family. Though I've not had much money lately I've crafted my gifts. I've made some really beautiful, fragrant soap and confectionery items. I hope that you're having a lovely Christmas, I certainly am. My main present was a new phone since my last one was dying. I now have the new iPhone 4s and have spent the whole morning asking Siri inappropriate questions. I absolutely love the routine and silly traditions my family and I have for this day including wearing pants on our heads and my sister always racing to open her presents with absolutely no shame. I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas. I'm thinking of you. I'm thankful for you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I hope you're having an amazing day full of good things. Be kind to others today and be kind to yourself. I'm sending you love and positivity on this day of all days. 

Song of the Day: I Loves You Porgy by Nina Simone

Now for something a little relaxing.

This is "I Loves You Porgy" from the wonderful Nina Simone.

This is a song to slow dance to with the person you love.

Enjoy,

So I just received an exciting early Christmas present: the master edit of my collection of short stories. I now have a list of any last minute adjustments needed and will spend the next 20 days or so editing the final text for publication. Since the submission of the original piece it has gone through a title change and some other major changes but I'm hoping it all goes smoothly. Fingers crossed...

Song of the Day: Home by Phillip Phillips

I hope you're all wrapped up warm and near the people you love today.
Enjoy,

Christmas For The Crazies: Coping With Christmas Whilst Living With Mental Health Disorders

They're there throughout the year and we often don't know they're there. They are battles beneath skin. They live in those we love. They sometimes live within us. There are times and situations in which they can become amplified to an almost intolerable point. I am referring to mental health issues. Far too often people may forget how difficult it can be for sufferers of mental health issues to live and enjoy life but I feel and fear that these problems potentially intensify around Christmas.

This Christmas I'll be thinking of all the people who have difficulty just getting by during the festive period because of mental health issues. I'll be sending my love out to anyone with body dysmorphic disorder or any form of eating disorder from anorexia to bulimia to emotional eating. With the Christmas meal and looming threat of over indulgence building an insane sense of guilt and pressure this can be an extreme time for those uncomfortable in their own skin. I'll be thinking of all the people with agoraphobia who want to see their family at Christmas but even leaving their home brings about intense feelings of anxiety. I'll be thinking of those with depression trying to move around the heaviness of their feelings or their numbness to try and enjoy what should be a happy time. I'm thinking of those who become over stimulated and uncomfortable or anxious in social situations who are striving through family meet ups and Christmas office parties. I'll be thinking of those who experience panic attacks whilst out Christmas shopping and surrounded by noise and hustle and bustle. As someone very familiar with some of these experiences I can say that I personally know how difficult Christmas can be and how difficult it can be to discuss because it's a time of year everyone loves that presents problems for us as individuals. I think it's important to remember that if you're getting through the festive season with a severe mental health disorder that you are a very strong individual. Living with any mental health problems will pose personal, individualised problems that only you can truly understand and it isn't easy. The fact that you're still going strong despite it all is inspirational and I'm thinking of you. I'm rooting for you.

I will be thinking of all the people out there who, rather than feeling joy and mirth, find themselves stressed and anxious in the run up to Christmas. I think it's important that we all remember that Christmas, though wonderful in nature, can cause a lot of stress, sadness and anxiety especially in those who experience high levels of these emotions on a daily basis. Drink sensibly, eat well, remain active and care for yourself and others through this time. Christmas has the potential to be wonderful but also very hard. If you suffer from a mental health issue and are struggling with the holidays don't be afraid to speak to your doctor or any relevant help services. If you know someone living with a mental health issue then try to remain patient, kind and supportive at this time.

Ugh, I feel really ill. Surely it should be illegal, utterly forbidden by fate, to feel so rough this close to Christmas. STOP BEING SORE, THROAT, IT'S REALLY GETTING IN THE WAY OF MY FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ING.

I hope you're all well. I'm going to go watch Hemlock Grove and then review it. BYEEE.

Writer Excitement.

So my first event as a published author will apparently be at the book launch of my collection of short stories and the launch of the work of two other authors in March next year. It's part of a bigger  10 day literature festival We'll be presenting our work and maybe talking about it a little, though at this stage I'm not sure.

It's kind of exciting to think of my first public event as an author. I've looked up the information and other cool people are going to be there such as Joanne M Harris, author of Chocolat and Gwyneth Hughes, writer of screenplay of The Girl. There will also be a whole talk about Iain Banks and his life and legacy.

How To Be Alone: A Poem by Tanya Davis

Here's a wonderfully uplifting poem by Tanya Davis that I wanted to share. 

Now that Christmas is drawing ever nearer I think it puts pressure on the lonely but this video, a wonderful poem, expresses a joy in loneliness that I certainly found resonated with me. I found this video to be affirmative and very uplifting. If you're going to be alone this Christmas then don't let anyone make you feel bad if this is what you've chosen for yourself. If you spend much of your time alone then this may make you feel better.

Enjoy,

Song of the Day: Runs In The Family by Amanda Palmer

"My friend has problems with winter and autumn
They give him prescriptions, they shine bright lights on him
They say its genetic, they say he cant help it
They say you can catch it but sometimes you're born with it"

Orange Is The New Black review

So I recently sat down with Netflix to take a look at Orange Is The New Black...
...and devoured all of season one in under two days.

I have to say I really loved this show when I didn't even expect to. Fans of Girl, Interupted will probably appreciate this intense but quirky prison drama. It focuses primarily on protagonist Piper Chapman who is called in to serve a 15 month prison sentence for a minor crime she committed ten years ago. Then as each episode goes by we get flashbacks and stories of the other inmates. We learn how each of them came to be arrested, what their crime was, who they are. If anything it reminds us that criminals are people too; we're all human.

Taryn Manning serves as an excellent villain, Christian meth-head Tiffany. The show is based on the real life story of Piper Kerman and her memoirs of her time in prison. Kerman even works as a producer on the show. Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon serve up an excellent portrayal of ex lovers and business partners. Laverne Cox also gives a beautiful and emotional performance as Sophia and the love story between Baptiste and Ms Claudette, as played by Michelle Hurst, is utterly heart breaking. What I love about this show is that it features a diverse cast of characters. There are characters from different cultural and economic backgrounds, characters with different sexualities, characters who have committed different crimes. Every character manages to stand out in their own way because they are so candid, so vividly real and so excellently written. I honestly recommend this show to everyone. It's actually worth getting Netflix, or signing up for a free month of Netflix services, just to watch this show. Do it. Do it now.
 Orange Is The New Black is battling Masters of Sex for the title of Best Show of 2013 in my heart right now. I honestly cannot choose.

Season 2 is set to air in 2014 and I'm telling you now, I cannot wait.

23,000!

So whilst working on a few upcoming posts I noticed that this blog has now received over

23,000 VIEWS!

You cannot even begin to understand how truly thankful I am for your ongoing support as readers. As I always say, I write this blog for myself but I share it with you and so I write for you too. You've made this such a wonderful experience whether this is your first time stopping by or whether you read every day. I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart.

lists.

I'm a compulsive list maker. I email myself a list of things to do the next day before going to sleep. I have a weekly list to keep me in check. I have a monthly list to stay on top of all that's going on within those weeks. I'm now compiling a whole list of things I'm doing throughout 2014 and planning things up to a year in advance. This is the face of determination.

Song of the Day: Feel Alive by Anneke Van Giersbergen

"I feel your heart it beats against

The side of my face

I'm holding on the memory

Of our embrace

I see your smile and I'll never want it to fade again

You find your way trough hide-aways

In the back of your mind

Let's hope I find the energy

I'll never deny

I feel alive, you saved my heart

I lost control

I feel alive, you saved my mind

I wanted you to know

I'm holding on the fairytale

Of our embrace

I feel alive, you saved my heart

I lost control

I feel alive, you saved my mind

I wanted you to know"