Friends come and go but, only family lasts forever

Sadly the holidays are over chaps and I already have a lot on my mind: mock exams, student finance, driving theory test and most importantly the fact that my eyeliner pen is perilously close to running out! Though the reminder of the holidays and the plans of the future are keeping me positive about this hectic week.

I am blessed to have an insanely close family; I’ve grown up living in my extended family pockets and I couldn’t think of having any other way. Although, we all live under 20 minutes away from each other and see each other regularly there is nothing like spending quality time together for more than a few hours. Therefore, we went on a long weekend break in the Sussex countryside to celebrate a multitude of special birthdays.

We stayed in an amazing 6 bedroom house which had acres of land, tennis courts, a swimming pool and most importantly a huge kitchen/dining room. My family are crazy arse people meaning we had activities in the day and dance parties in the evening, with bedtime being no earlier than 3am. It was a fabulous reminder that even though us ‘kids’ are growing up and are parents are hitting the big 50, nothing is changing- if anything our relationship as a tight knit little pack is getting bigger and better. Whether we’re curled up on the sofa all together watching a movie, having a pub lunch, walking the dog, playing tennis, double-dutching in the hallway at 2am, cooking a Sunday dinner, Irish dancing, playing cards, competing on Pointless or nailing the Cha Cha Slide we shall always be laughing.

There may have been 3 generations of us under one roof, all of whom have experienced different lives but, we all have one thing that shall always bring us together and that is our love for each other. Yes, we have little tiffs sometimes or people get under each other’s toes but, at the end of the day we are a family and that can never be broken.

I know that I am one of the lucky few who have a supportive and close family, so am thankful every day for the people I have in my life. Appreciate who you have while you’ve got them guys and girls because sadly they won’t be with us forever and we need to make the most of the ones we love while we’ve got them firmly by our sides!

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

PS. Album of the day: Love Is Hopeless 2013 (Bands such as All Time Low, We Are The In Crowd, Yellowcard etc. covering songs including True Colours, Toxic and Locked Out Of Heaven)

Video of the day: Becoming YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dKrTkDhGt4

Education, the End and the Future

It’s the half term holidays in England, meaning I have a week off from school- Hoorah! I’m in my last year of education (Year 13/ Upper Sixth) so we are reminded on a daily basis that this is ‘the most important year of your life so far’ and that is a scary prospect! This year determines so much for me in the future but, is also a complete end to a huge chapter of my life. I’ve gotten to the stage where every holiday brings me joy, sadness and terror combined in one. There is the utter relief that you get a little break from the mundane cycle of school but, the sadness, fear and terror that this means I’m one landmark nearer to leaving and having to face the dreaded exam season.

I have been lucky enough to enjoy every single step of my school life and know that I will miss it when I leave. I’ve created best friends which I intend to keep in contact with even after I have to enter into the big bad world. But, it’s more than that. I’ll miss my classmates whom I only see in lessons or my teachers who I know I won’t see after June. After spending 7 years with the same bunch of kids (now young adults) it’s utterly bizarre that you won’t be seeing them every day or perhaps ever again.

A school trip to Southend in Year 10- back when I had to wear this stylish uniform

School is a beautiful environment that for the most part you need to embrace and make the most of. Yes, it can be a nightmare, there will always be people you detest or subjects that you will never get the hang of- I valiantly turned up to French lessons for 5 years and still cannot string a sentence together- but, at the end of the day you spend 5 days a week inside those gates, so it will forever be an integral part of your life.

 Employers and Universities will only look at those stupid little letters on your CV as recognition of your education (commonly referred to as A-levels and GCSE’s) but, high school has a much larger impact on you than that. Its undoubtedly made me the person I am today, your teenage years are meant to be the time you develop the most and secondary school teaches you so much more than the speed of light (299 792 458 m/s) and the year of the Battle of Hastings (1066) .  Think how much your life has changed since primary school. I went from going to a school a 5 minute walk from my house, with 30 students in my year to a high school 40 minutes away from home and with 250 students in a year.  You learn who you are as person, how to make friends, have relationships, work your arse of for exams, write a CV, play sport, respect people and so much more that is outside the specific education curriculum.

My friends and I use study time correctly by taking selfies 

 So if you’re having a bad week at school: people are being mean, your teachers are setting homework like it is their ultimate goal for you to have no life or your just a little down in the dumps; take a second to think the last time you smiled or had a little giggle at school. I bet you half a Galaxy chocolate bar that it was probably yesterday in Geography lesson or riding home on the bus or walking to class in the torrential rain and wind. Whatever stage of education you’re in, every year brings a new battle and you always reflect and think that was honestly a piece of cake in comparison to what I have to do now (sorry). Lower school ( year 7-9) is a battle of settling in and balancing a trillion new subjects, GCSEs (year 10-11) mark the beginning of your ‘future’ and having to take about 18 exams at once and A-levels (year 12-13) bring on a whole new definition to work load and the significant difference in an A or B grade. I already look back at AS and GCSE’s and think what was I actually worrying about, did I even do any work? You forget the endless hours of homework, the torture of writing an essay, the piles of revision and the terror of exams- instead you remember the laughter and joy! I already know this time next year I will reflect on A-levels and just remember the good times and not my current state of trying to figure out how I meant to do coursework, revision, mock exams and homework all in one go and how the hell I’m going to actually achieve my predicted grades to get into university. Instead I’ll probably be scrolling through my old blog posts (hello to future self), school photo albums and stalking my old class mates on Facebook and Twitter, while panicking that I need to attend a University lecture, write an essay and read about 5 books- so to be fair maybe my life won’t be as different after this year as I think it will be.

What are your thoughts on school? I would love to know if you have the same memories as me and the same hates- do you think you’ll miss the craziness when you leave?

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

PS. Blogging artists this week have been Passenger (http://www.youtube.com/user/passengermusic/videos) and Vance Joy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ_1HMAGb4k) 
PPS. If you want to see some of my school and life adventures follow me on Instagram: amygill_96

My Bedroom Part 2

 My Bedroom Part 1 

My Bedroom Part 2 

Welcome back guys and girls for 'My Bedroom Part 2'. You can read 'My Bedroom Part 1' here: http://gilly15.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/my-bedroom-part-1.html, so go have a little look! I'm really excited to show you guys my new room because every morning I wake up and just love it, even though it has been white for months. Also, I haven't completely finished it yet ie. I still don't have a blind- which isn't really a problem at the moment because in England we are rarely seeing the sun, so just bare in mind some sections look a little bare. 

Ok, lets start with the basics! I wanted a plain colour, so I had a base that I could build on through accessories as well, so I wouldn't get bored of the colour in a couple of months time. I started by picking the wall paper, initially I wanted a design like this but, in Duck Egg Blue but, I just couldn't find one that took my fancy. In hindsight I am so pleased that I went with this silver instead, its from Laura Ashley. Therefore, it was kind of pricey but, obviously it's only for small area and it will be up for years so I viewed it as an investment. I then went to a paint shop with the wallpaper where they found a paint which matched the background of the wall paper perfectly. This is great idea if you've got colourful wallpaper and you're trying to pick out a specific colour for paint! 

Perhaps most excitingly I got a DOUBLE BED because my old one broke when we decorated because we kept moving it. If the fact it being a double bed was not exciting enough, it's also a storage bed. This means the mattress flips up and the whole base of the bed is storage. Its so much better than having boxes under your bed because everything is easily accessible and doesn't become dirty. I was in much need of storage space and this bed is seriously life changing.

My bedding is from Sainsbury's and reflects the pattern from the wall paper, being plain white with three little swirly hearts across the top. These are helpfully covered by my pillows. I love quotes so these cushions from Next Home were perfect to encompass my personality into the room. I especially love the back left cream cushion, which has ribbon texture, which is also from Next Home. The silver cushion at the back is then from Matalan. 

Consequently my desire for my storage space led me to get a new huge bookshelf. This was from Ikea, so led to extreme flap pack furniture but, my mum and I being the strong independent women that we are managed to build it in one evening. The shelf slats are removable meaning you can adjust them to the height you want for whatever you want to put on each shelf, which is seriously handy! 

This is where I have also put some of my more sentimental bits from my old room which I just couldn't bare to get rid of such as particular Teddy Bears and Gifts. 

Continuing in a logical direction, I'll show you my dressing table/desk area. I got a new mirror, which was from The Range, its a similar design to some of the photo frames I have and is that 'French Renaissance' look. The Range has stacks of Mirrors, Artwork and Home ware items for really affordable prices (under £40) so I would defiantly recommend it for someone looking to add a little jazz to a space on a budget. 

The 'Live, Laugh, Love' photo frame is from Matalan, which also has a fabulous Home ware range which I would hundred percent check out! The Large frame is actually 9 varying size frames from Ikea, which I super glued together in a style that I liked; fulfilling my illusion of creativity. 

I then got a lamp because my main light is not bright enough to do some serious studying under. Again this is from The Range and I love how it spreads out light due to the glass sections.

 I have a 'retro' style mini speaker which is from Amazon and really projects the music as well as, having the options of changing the Bass ect. I love the style of just having glass jugs as storage pots, so I got this one from The Range as pencil holder. The small flower patterned cloak is from Sainsbury's. 

In the background you can see a standing face mirror, from Boots (but you can get them from most drug stores) which directly lights up and has a zoomed in side. I would a hundred percent recommend this for anyone and makes it so much easier to apply make up or clean your skin. 

This photo frame, initially from Marks and Spencers for around £40 is perhaps the happiest I have ever been about any purchase. I volunteered at an Oxfam Charity Shop for around two years. M&S donate 'damaged' or last seasons stock to the stores as a collaboration. One month this included this beautiful frame which was slightly damaged on the back (which you can't see because its on the wall) and I got it for the bargain of £4. Charity Shops are a great place to find bargains, though you do have to persistent because they can be very hit and miss. 

I love candles and have them scattered all around my room, mainly on my window ledge and bookshelf. The majority of them are from Sainsburys or Matalan. 

The photo frame on my Window Ledge was a Birthday present and a believe it is from Amazon. 

 I am a magpie when it comes to Jewellery or sparkly objects and therefore have a vast collection. The storage boxes and stands are from Sainsburys, Accessorise and Amazon; being the best way to organize any collection. 

I got given this 'Jewerally' hanger for my Birthday which I believe is from Amazon. Previously all my long and chunky necklaces were hung in my wardrobe. A lot of it still is but, this way I get to show case some of my favourite pieces for the world to see! I also hung some little ornaments off it, including a quote heart and glass shoe. I think little personal touches such as these truly create a room and make it your own. 

So that's my new room, I hope you guys like it as much as I do. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask and if you know any good Blog or YouTube home videos then please let me know because I love to be nosey! 

Peace Out My Lovelies xxx

PS. This weeks blog writing music is 5 Seconds of Summer's new single, She Looks So Perfect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfWg68IyoAg, so check it out!! As well as, the Six Nations- c'mon England and Ireland 

My Bedroom Part 1

My Bedroom Part 1 

My Bedroom Part 2 

This is going to be a two-part post (oh so swarve) because there are stacks of pictures, especially in Part 2. I recently re-decorated my bedroom after planning on doing it for about the last 3 years, so I'm super excited to show my results. Part 1 shall be my old bedroom and Part 2 shall be about new room, with information about where I got all my shizzle from. Also please bare in mind that there are not many detailed pictures of my old room because I took them before I started blogging, with them just meant to be a reminder of my crazy style. 

My old room was basically a combination of my personality and likes because I began to stick up posters, pictures and quotes all over my walls, in order to cover the lilac colour. When it finally came round to decorating my room I did it with a tear in my eye because I loved the craziness that had become embedded in my walls. 

All my furniture is from when I initially decorated my room when I was around 7- hence the lilac- all of which I believe was from Ikea. It was a nightmare to put together if I remember correctly but, is extremely affordable and has lasted through a lot of bangs and heavy clothes. In the left of this picture you can see my jewelry table, which will be more detailed in 'My Bedroom Part 2' as well as, an overall panorama of the main section of my room.    

I created my own statement wall, with a collection of World War II propaganda posters. The History nerd that I am came out in full force and I became obsessed with the fashion trend at the time of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' this was then supported by Godmother who had access to all different type of posters, some more famous than others.  Shown below are some of my favourite posters and as a Historian I have always been interested in how the government motivated people in the war, with them all being extremely clever in their persuasion techniques. 
                                                          


 I love photo's, I have an awful memory, so am obsessed with taking pictures of events so I can remember them forever. So me and my friends, like the cool people we are, all make photo albums. This meant I had loads of pictures left over (the size I print come in double copies). I therefore decided to stick them all on my wall around a massive picture poster that one of my friends got me for my birthday. I believe you can get blown up pictures on posters at most photo shops and they're a lot cheaper than canvas products. Also personally I would much rather a picture from an event that I loved and have a sentimental attachment too- this was from a local music festival- than one from a professional photo shoot. 

Then I have my bookshelf, which is covered with my favorite novels and sentimental bits and bobs such as, the named coke cans (my favorite drink) and little boxes. 

 I had shelves above my bed which had photo frames, cuddly toys and china statues which I had collected from when I was a baby. Naturally I'm a hoarder and because I hadn't had my room decorated in over 10 years I just hadn't thrown anything away. That is one of the big differences in my two rooms- my new room has a lot less clutter! 

All around these shelves I had inspirational quotes from books, films and famous people as well as, little pieces that my friends had made for me such as cards. I also had various photo frames, that I had collected to suit my new room (see the white creep in) which I will give the links of in 'My Bedroom Part 2'. 

I really liked my 'LOVE' statement piece and wish it would suit my new room. Again I got it for my Birthday a couple of years ago and believe it was from somewhere that you wouldn't expect like Tesco's. 

So that was my old room, I really wish I had taken more detailed and zoomed in pictures because so much of it I loved. You'll just have to look really closely at the pictures if you want to see stuff in more detail and feel free to comment if you have any questions or if you know any good room blogs or YouTube videos, because I love gathering inspiration. My Bedroom Part 2 will be up next week, so see you then!                                                                  
                                                                Peace Out My Lovelies xxx