This snip-it is inspired by two things; firstly a song by Martina McBride (I'm a little bit country at heart) which in spite of myself I love. But mostly by 'the Ilkley girls’, AKA the Bridge Club or just ‘my girls’.
The Bridge Club is simply a nickname for my friendship group of lovely ladies back home; Danielle, Amy, Pittsy, Helene, Jess, Hannah, Grace, Ellen and I. I could write endless stories about them: one each, stories, songs, trips, moments, dramas, sayings and more. So it's hard to decide where to start. I suppose at the beginning makes most sense, but that history would take forever. Instead I’ll settle for bragging about them a little. A bit like when I had to introduce ExpressLD, here's'Introducing The Girls!'
First off, to save me repeating myself all are loyal, kind, beautiful and hilarious. It’s not easy to explain how lucky I have been to grow up with these girls as my friends, but here’s me trying to anyway.
Lets be honest, over the years we have fought like hell amongst ourselves, to the point that quite successfully and justifiably we developed a reputation in our small home town for dramatics. But then again, I don’t really care. I would take every drama a thousand times over to know that no matter what happens to me, my friends are going to be there. From uni stress, work drama, boy trouble, family upheaval to just general chit chat, come hell or high water we are there for each other. Like having a great big safety net of cuddles, giggles and gossip. I don't of know of any other group of friends so big who have displayed the loyalty we have through all these years and ups and downs but still are as close as they were at 16.
So, simply put, love you girlies!
I so wish I had just one photo to put up of us all together!
Recently I've become quite a fan of the colour red. So not even close to as stylishly as Nora at Hand Drawn Heart I thought I'd compile some photos to show my appreciation, including a cheeky little one of me in my new red jeans which I love oh so much.
This little achievement is something I'm just so happy with I thought I'd take a minute to share it, ExpressLD has a logo! I didn't make it as I'm no graphic designer but my good friend Sam Hughes (who's also a nifty photographer) did as a favour because he's a sweetheart like that. So I proudly present the new and wonderful logo for ExpressLD (the project that I manage and co-founded). My big hope is that by the end of this year that bit will read "the charity that I manage and co-founded", if we raise £10,000 by the end of this year, which I truly believe is doable, we can become a registered charity!
ExpressLD is a volunteer run project that aims to provide support and practical tools to young people with learning difficulties so that they are better able to acheive their full potential in school, further education and work. (and I'm so proud of it!)
As you may of noticed I've been a little absent from the social networking world this last week, the reason for this is I've been taking a break, in Florida, as you do!
For the same 2 weeks every October for the last 19 years my family have enjoyed going to a villa at White Sands in Longboat Key, Florida. Throughout my childhood I was lucky enough to go with them most years and this beautiful place holds many happy memories for me. Due to A levels and university I hadn't been for 6 years, until last week. In need of a time out from 4th year life I made the somewhat spontaneous decision to join them, I didn't realise just how much I needed the space until I was there, and even more so, how much I needed to see my Mum. I'm incredibly lucky that my time out happened to be somewhere so gorgeous!
I just thought I'd share some bits of my little piece of paradise...
Most people who have seen me around lunch time recently might of noticed I've developed a mild caffeine addiction, fuelled primarily by Starbucks. Mine's a tall, skinny, sugar free, vanilla latte.
This morning I set out to do the usual; meet the lovely Mia at Starbucks on the corner of Forest Road and put the world to rights over a latte (hers is a grande, skinny, sugar free, hazelnut latte). But shock horror 1. Mia was at home ill (feel better soon lovey) and 2. due to 'immediate maintenance' Starbucks was closed! Which meant that like me, everyone who would usually pop in about that time walked the short distance to Meadow Walk Starbucks, but the queue was out of the door. So feeling very disgruntled I gave up and wandered about aimlessly for a bit, I even considered going into my old work place from which I've only just been unbarred (company policy is to bar you for a bit if you leave - don't ask) but decided it wasn't worth the awkwardness.
Eventually I ended up at The Elephant House. I've lived in Edinburgh over three years, walked past it on George 4th Bridge literally hundreds of times, but never been in. Despite being an avid Harry Potter fan the fact that it says 'birthplace of Harry Potter' on the window because it's where JK Rowling wrote a lot of the books kind of put me off, I always assumed it was just a place for tourists. But in increasing need of caffeine and slightly curious, I went in.
Wow how wrong can you be about a place?! JK was really onto something here. I am absolutely smitten. So much so that I'm going to make a sweeping declaration and say I'd rather go there than Starbucks from now on. The people at Forest Road might think I've died. Sorry.
I don't think I've ever gotten so much work done in 2 hours! Which is how long I sat there for, I had 2 large lattes and a veggie chilli jacket potato, all of which were lovely, and good for me too! Great coffee. And the staff were so, so friendly, I can't emphasise enough how much of a difference that makes to my mood. I got to sit and read through an article* in peace, enjoy my coffees and lunch on quite a large table without once feeling guilty for being there so long. I even made a friend, horribly I forgot to ask his name, but he looked like a Gary, so lets call him Gary. A software developer from Glasgow who weirdly enough is also applying to do the Graduate Diploma in Law, AND has been to Yorkshire regularly and knows Ilkley (my beautiful home town), he was drinking tea in a take-away cup and sat at the table next to me.
So yes, loved it, and I didn't even realise that through the back room is a view of the castle. Now I have to go back tomorrow just to sit there, and I know to get there early as it filled up so fast after 11.30am. One last thing I promise... Mike, one of the regulars of The Elephant House, keeps a blog about the people he meets when he's there which I think is such a good idea. I really enjoyed having a read through so I'm going to leave you with that in the hope that you'll check it out too. http://theelephantstale.blogspot.com/
*Managing Blame In NHS Weight Management Treatment: Psychologizing Weight and 'Obesity' by Sally Wiggins, 2009 - the article I spent my lunch hour highlighting, my assignment for Critical Social Psychology is to write a critical summary of it.
This is one of my all time favourite films, and a classic ironing film. It's a long one, but if you skip the hours of introduction and intermission scores it's not so unreasonable. For those who don't know, Gone With The Wind is " an American classic in which a manipulative woman, and a roguish man carry on a turbulent love affair in the American south during the Civil War and Reconstruction." That's according to IMDb. But it's more than that, the love story between Scarlet and Rhett is turbulent at best, but so are all the best loves in my eyes; the ones that leave you breathless. This particular ironing film also touches on something very close to my heart and that's love for your home, in our heroin Scarlet O'Hara's case home is a plantation called Tara. Much like myself (and most of my close group of girl friends from home), when something goes wrong she knows home is where she needs to be.
Scarlett: "Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day."
Gerald O'Hara (Scarlet's Dad): "Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts."
Scarlet can be a bit of hard work at times, for the most part of the film she is painfully selfish, desperately inappropriate and cruel to a man who loves her.
Having said that, she is completely fabulous and fierce (yes, the word fabulous was necessary and you have permission to say it like a camp hair dresser). Take her dresses for instance...
And lines like this...
Scarlett: "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
Scarlett: "Great balls of fire. Don't bother me any more, and don't call me sugar."
A good friend of mine who knew me scarily well bought me the film Gone With The Wind for my birthday last year. I'm completely ashamed of myself in that I got so excited to see it I didn't even wait for him to watch it! If you haven't seen it, do, and if you don't like it, please don't tell me. Because you're wrong.
I could honestly quote the whole film by the time I'm finished but I'll try restrain myself, here are some of my favourites from Rhett Butler (her turbulent man). Maybe, just maybe, I see a little of myself in Scarlett sometimes, so I can't help but love her inspite of her flaws
Rhett: "With enough courage, you can do without a reputation."
Rhett: "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."
Rhett Butler: "You're like the thief who isn't the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he's going to jail."
Scarlett: "Rhett, Rhett... Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?"
Personal statements are so incredibly tricky to write. They never ever get easier, I find them just as hard now as they were when I was applying for UCAS all those years ago.
The breaking news is that I've decided to apply to do the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), which simply put is a conversion degree and the first step towards becoming a qualified solicitor. It's a long road. Including vacation schemes, GDL, LPC (law practice course), training contracts for two years then you are qualified. It's a huge decision to make and it's by no means set in stone, but I'm interested, so I'm going for it on the basis that later on I will still be able to change my mind if I'd like to but if I do nothing I won't have a choice in the matter, it'll be too late.
Here's my attempt at a personal statement, to give him due credit my Dad helped.
"As an undergraduate, I have worked hard consistently and thrown myself into taking on all that a psychology degree has to offer. As a result I am accustomed to carrying out extensive research, and articulating complex ideas and findings in both scientific written reports and in conversation. In addition to this, I am comfortable with a wide range of statistical concepts, and familiar with ethical guidelines in relation to psychological theory and practice. However whilst I thoroughly enjoy studying psychology and I am certain it will always be an interest of mine, the deeper into the course I have progressed it has become clear that furthering my career in a specific area of psychology is not my ambition.
I am a highly organised and driven individual who takes the initiative, learns fast and who works well both independently and as part of a team. Recently I have put these skills to use as founder and project manager of Express LD, a volunteer-run charity project committed to helping young people with learning difficulties reach their potential. This innovative project has fast become one of the most invaluable experiences of my career so far. I have enhanced existing skills such as public speaking, making persuasive presentations to gain funding, leading group meetings and sustaining complicated ideas and visions in front of an audience of varied learning capabilities. I have also welcomed new challenges including writing a mission statement, recruiting a team of workshop volunteers, drafting volunteer guidelines, writing meeting agendas and managing weekly objectives whilst simultaneously ensuring that our sponsors are kept informed of the projects’ progress in a timely, organised format. My enthusiasm for and development within my role as Express LD Project Manager is a large factor in leading me to pursue the Graduate Diploma in Law. I strongly believe that the skills I have acquired combined with my personality and interests make me an ideal candidate for a successful career in legal services.
Whilst my role in Express LD, and my commitment to my studies is understandably time consuming, I have also had the pleasure of maintaining a part time job whilst at university. For the best part of 3 years, I worked for Inventive Leisure at Vodka Revolution in the restaurant and behind the bar, which involves working hard for long periods whilst maintaining a positive, enthusiastic and customer service focused attitude throughout. For 9 months of my time at Revolution I acted as Supervisor, which I really enjoyed, unfortunately I was unable to continue this role as demands from my studies rose. I currently work at The Meadows Hotel as a server, bar tender and receptionist, which, in order to better accommodate the demands of my final year of university, is slightly less time consuming but involves much of the same responsibilities as I had at Revolution. The social aspect of working in cocktail bars has undoubtedly had a large impact on making my years at university as enjoyable as they have been, I have immersed myself in a diverse range of people and I am proud to have been a part of such lively, hard-working and friendly teams, most of whom happily have remained close friends.
I always strive to manage my time so that there is space for exercise on a regular basis; my hobby of running is an example of my ability to self-motivate, set myself goals and reach them. However, perhaps more importantly I thoroughly enjoy going for a run and get a great deal of satisfaction from it. Whilst I am by no means an athlete I think it is important to have a healthy balance between professional interests, socialising and keeping fit.
On a personal level, I consider myself a warm, approachable, and charismatic person. I enjoy being part of a similarly motivated team and find it easy to get along well with colleagues. I have always maintained that an aspect of my career has to be working closely with and for people, therefore aiming for a positive resolution on the behalf of a client is a notion I find inspiring and I am confident I could be successful in a position of advocacy. I envisage a potential career path to be practising as a divorce lawyer or in family law. This particular interest stems, in part, from a personal experience; as a teenager throughout my parents’ divorce I was able to observe the legal system and some of the negotiation of my parents’ respective lawyers from the child’s point of view, it also ties in with my passion for child protection. My other career interests, broadly speaking, are litigation and dispute resolution. I am eager, if accepted, to learn more about the broad variety of law areas and will be keeping myself open to all options and career paths within the legal services.
Through my own research, attending court sessions and various presentation evenings hosted by representatives of extremely successful firms, for example Shearman and Sterling, MacFarlanes and Hogan Lovells International, my initial interest in law is now a deep commitment to a career in the legal profession. The GDL is the ideal course as I would like to cover the foundation areas in a succinct and effective manner. Furthermore, I am eager to begin practical training after the year of study; I believe the GDL course specifically will equip me with a solid foundation from which to start my practical development as a lawyer and is essential to my career interests.
Being able to study law at one of the establishments I have chosen to apply for will mean moving home to Yorkshire. Whilst this is not entirely easy, as anyone who has spent time in Edinburgh would probably understand, moving back will enable me to begin this new career path from the stability of my home, practice law in England, and to focus on the things I value highest; namely my family and my future. "
Not too shabby eh?
Follow Up - I just got accepted to College of Law in York and the BPP law school in Leeds. Yay!
So this weekend was all in all completely lovely. In fact so lovely that it's all I really feel like blogging about, so here we go. My first weekend re-cap. Maybe it'll be a regular feature. Friday brought a Gals Night Out. Mega fun.
Saturday morning began with my first Laser Quest experience, an interesting feat whilst hungover wearing a moustache. Also, mega fun.
Then Sunday was a relaxed affair. Sunday lunch at the Meadows Hotel with Mia, which was incredible. Followed by a craft afternoon. I may have made a paper bouquet, and 'happy' collage, whilst Mia made more of an 'I hate men and love and life' collage.
But that's not all, then I went to see the Lion King in 3D which was awesome, just the opening music makes me tear up within seconds.
AND it didn't stop there, then there was a few drinks at The Villager and The Jazz Bar, two of my favourite places in Edinburgh with some of my favourite people.
All in all, I'd say that's making the most of a weekend.
After being all doom and gloom this morning, and feeling decidedly overwhelmed, I actually had a wonderful day. Beginning with a productive and exciting meeting with the web designer for ExpressLD that has got me really positive about the project and how well we are getting on. The other reason for my lifted spirit was simply walking around Edinburgh. I live here. In this breath taking city. Now that's something to be glad of.
Playing "The Glad Game" is something I do try to do often, and encourage other people to do. It stems from when I first watched Pollyanna with my great Auntie Kathleen when I was very young (the 1960 Disney version - not completely true to the book but still lovely). For those of you that don't know; Pollyanna is a heart warming story by Eleanor H. Porter about a young girl who is sent to live with her Aunt Polly after the death of her parents. Her philosophy of life centres on what she calls the "The Glad Game" taught to her by her father, where by no matter what happens, she always finds the silver lining in the darkest of clouds. Sometimes we need to take a moment when it all seems too much to cope, just to remember all we have to be glad of. I realise that on some occasions playing the Glad Game isn't effective, but generally, wouldn't it be nice if we all had this wonderful approach to life?
Today I needed telling to play the Glad Game & walking around Edinburgh did the trick. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself strolling around somewhere so beautiful.
Sorry the photos don't really do it justice, they're just some snap shots taken on my phone!
When I first got back to university this year I knew straight away it was going to be tough, with facebook status's like "how does anyone actually get through 4th year" almost instantly. I threw myself into the library, printing everything I thought I could possibly need, spent far too much money on various pukka pads, highlighters, post-it notes, display files, folders, giant plastic envelopes, staplers... you name it I've got it. All of them together sitting on my desk are a comfort blanket, if I've just got everything organised, I'll be OK. Lies. How does anyone actually get through final year? I'm aware it's just one of those days, well, one of those weeks. And I already feel a little better than yesterday after a serious panic fuelled productive evening last night. But I'll be honest (so far this blog has been filled with honesty lets not stop now) I'm drowning, almost. More like struggling to stay afloat. Whatever I do is not enough. I know that sounds like I'm feeling sorry for myself but it's true. I can't possibly do everything for the project that I really want to, whenever I do give myself some time to get on top of it something else falls behind. The mountain of reading for each lecture never stops building, never. Add that to the looming biggie, the dissertation. My dissertation is on The Role of Memory in the Interpretation of Dreams as 'Precognitive'. I've got a great supervisor and a lovely dissertation partner, but shouldn't I be spending all day every day on that? Isn't that what people do? But how!? Dissertation, lectures, reading, exams, presentations, extra curricular work, part-time job, eating, sleeping and living. AND you're also supposed to be deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life. The rest of your life. There's the real problem. Before now, it's been 'decide what you want to do for the next few years'. "Well I want to do psychology, biology and philosophy and ethics at A level." says the 16 year old me, 2 years pass. "I'm going to do psychology at university". says the 18 year old me, 4 years pass. What next? This is where it gets really tricky. Say you want to change your mind and alter from the path you were previously on, are you allowed? Maybe not as it turns out. By age 21 have I already made my bed and now I've got to lie in it? At 18 I said "I want to be a psychologist". I said this having studied psychology for 2 years, and barely knowing myself let alone what 'being a psychologist' actually meant. Maybe I still do, maybe I don't. I genuinely don't know. I don't have the answers. And whilst every man and his dog is saying just focus on getting the grades at the end, every man and his dog will guaranteed ask me over Christmas and then on graduation day, so what next? So there you go, decide who you want to be, where you want to be, what you want to be and how you are going to get there. Don't upset Mum, don't upset Dad, make grandparents proud, make money, keep morals, have a family, have a successful career. "We'll be proud of you whatever happens from here on out" They said at 16. Lies. Proud if you get a 2.1 from a red brick, prouder of a first because so and so's daughter got a first. Prouder if you finish with a well rounded CV. Proud if you graduate with a job already offered, a job paying vast amounts because so and so got that. Prouder if that job is something that sounds good because your job is helping people. But sure, we'd be just as proud if you'd gone to beauty school aged 16.
