Birthday Bad Habit!

Today is my birthday! I'm now 20 years young and it seems so bizarre that I am no longer a teenager! I've been loving life lately, for the very first time I feel that I'm on the right path and know I have an amazing future ahead of me. So, here is what has been making me so happy lately!

1. TREACLE TOFFEE. Need I explain?! We've found the local sweet shop...We also found three market stalls which sell sweets and a 'Coffee and Toffee' shop! Sugar fixes - sorted.

2. SET UP. Finally found a photography set up which works in my dingy, dark little room. I think I'll make a collapsible infinity curve to replace the pad though - it's getting rather ragged now!

3. UNI. Dancing, drinking, laughing, getting talked into pole dancing lessons - y'know, the usual.

4. AL. Al is my inflatable dinosaur. I told my Dad I'd only make him a glass of Vimto if he bought a dinosaur for me. And so he did. Anyway - I actually meant to say that this shelf pretty much sums me up! Dinosaur, Sweden's finest and shiny things!

5. LEARNING. I'd forgotten how much I love learning. It sounds silly, but my brain hasn't actually had a challenge since leaving secondary school! We have SO MUCH new stuff to learn and I'm like a kid again - fascinated by everything. Mainly software - Maya, Premier Pro, Nuke, After Effects, Final Cut etc etc (anyone work with these?! Tweet me!) Also, anyone studying film, animation or games design? Tweet me!

Right now as you read this, I'll be sat in class learning about UVs in 3D modelling - ooosht geek supreme. I love my course! Straight home from uni today, then out in Manchester for a proper rock and metal night of madness :) What are you guys doing for Halloween?! What are you dressing up as?!

Week in Photos #15

MOVING. The sister moved back home this week, which means that the house is currently full of bags, boxes and general clutter. It also means I've lost my FOTD/ OOTD room *sigh*

NOSTALGIA. I found a 'to do' list of things I wrote with my best friend in secondary school! It was so strange, thinking how much I've changed and how much has happened since then. I've no idea how she is these days, though, she started ignoring me once we started college. Occasionally I'll get a text to see if I'm going to a gig, but that's all.

FAIL. Yesterday myself, boyfriend and boyfriend's mate set off to go to an acoustic festival. We ended up getting ridiculously lost and miiiles away, did a loop of the M60, gave up and went home. I still snapped some pictures, though!

CAKE. The flower toppers I showed you last week got plonked on to some huuuge cupcakes and promptly devoured. Tasty tasty :)

Week in Photos #14

TYPICAL ENGLAND. One day it's so hot I'm wearing short shorts and searching for sun cream, the next it's raining none stop. I find the rain a comfort, though - a reminder that some things never change!

CAKE. A cake a week keeps the...ah, who am I kidding? At least cake is good for the soul, if nothing else! This week called for a pear, walnut, pistachio and dark chocolate cake. Sounds fancy, right? Oh! And if you saw my tweets about the fail cake I made last week, we put it out for the birds - they demolished the whole thing in about 2 hours! Maybe that's why it was called a hummingbird cake...

MORE CAKE. My mother is currently sat covering flowers in sugar...I think she's going to cook them or something magical and use them as fairy cake toppers - how cute?!

I've also been continuing to clear out, you never know how much stuff you actually have until you're trying to get rid of it all! Last night myself and the boy half went to his mate's for another mate's pre-birthday gathering. HE HAS SNAKES. I wish I could have held one, but everyone was pretty wrecked so it wouldn't have been the best of ideas haha. I'd love a little reptile of my own one day...

How has your week been treating you?

Week in Photos #13

MAIL. Somehow I managed to buy quite a bit and everything arrived at once! Some stuff from Darling Girl, which I've already written about, Fyrinnae and Shiro Cosmetics. The other parcel is from a blog sale.

AAAW. My 'I'm 18...' cup broke :'( but my mother bought me this awesome golliwog cup! Isn't is ridiculously cute? She also bought me a red, flowery one, but says I can't have any more red stuff or my uni room will 'look like a womb. A big, red womb.'

GTFU. Isn't getting out of bed the hardest thing when you have nothing to fill your days with? I really, really want a job but searching and applying has gotten me nowhere so far this year. It's awful. I'm not even bothered about the money any more, I just want SOMETHING TO DO.

Week in Photos #11 and #12

 GREEN. Went on a ramble with boyfriend, his mother and her dogs through some woods. It's been so lovely and Sunny in England lately; I was shattered by time we got home!

SOROCCO. Had my first attempt at gig photography which was a bit of a fail for technical reasons...Basically, I need a better lens! Got a few shots but nothing half decent, so I went back to supping cider and dancing.

CAKE. Um. Are these posts ever complete without a food photo?! I think not!

STARS.  I attached some fairy lights to the ceiling in my room, it's so pretty and relaxing watching them all twinkling away.

Last week was also my parent's 50th birthday, but I didn't like any of the photos from the party! I'd thought 'sod it!' when I was doing my make-up and mixed highlighting liquid in to my foundation....NOT A GOOD IDEA. Serious case of tanned body, white face. Flash and highlighters don't mix - I knew this, teaches me right for ignoring a make-up rule I usually abide by!

Week in Photos #10

BIRFDAIII. My mum turned 50 on Thursday, so my Dad whisked her off to Geneva! They've been enjoying a jazz festival, lucky things.

PHWAAA! Julian Kynaston tweeted me, giving his approval of my Lady Gaga liner look - it really made my day!

FEED ME. With the boy in London and the parents in Switzerland, I've had the house to myself for four days! I've really liked cooking and eating things I wouldn't usually. I'll let you know how the fried ice cream turns out...

DONE. There was a week long exhibition at college of all of the final projects for everyone who had been on the art foundation course. It was a relief to take my exhibition down on Friday!

PRETTY! A new ring arrived which I bought from eBay - it only came to about £2 with postage! Bargain! Love it! Also, Emily sent me polishes that I had won from her giveaway - I'm excited to play with them all :D

I also decided to adjust the width of the blog, so that I can post bigger pictures. I *might* change it back, but I'm undecided. What do you think?

Week in Photos #9

* Click the picture for a better look *

DINO. A while back, I agreed to get my Dad a drink on the terms that he'd buy an inflatable dinosaur for me...Meet Al.

PRETTIES. Remember me ranting about trying to find something for my parents' combined 50th birthday party? I ended up buying that bustier style top...not sure I'm sold on it yet, though. Hmm. The ring is from DaintyDollymix shop.

PLASTER. Some plaster phrenology heads for my final project at college - my whole exhibition is up now! So relieved it's almost over :)

CAKE. I think this is self explanatory!

Uh...yeah. It bugs me that I've only posted 2 things in the last week, but I've been more or less consumed by college work! Whenever I've not been working/ panicking/ doing things at the last minute I've been thinking of working/ panicking/ doing things at the last minute - yup, it's been that kind of week.

Any requests for specific posts?

Week in Photos #8

CLEARING OUT - I took all the magazine pages/ posters/ flyers off my bedroom walls, it looks so empty now!

YOU'RE NOT 18 - I'm 20 this year and I'm not happy about it haha, wish I could be a teenager forever.

SUDOKU - Sudoku is really addictive, I've started doing it when I get into bed to tire my brain out so I don't spend ages tossing and turning before I finally get to sleep.

EUROCULTURED - Dancing, drinking, meeting crazy folk - my ideal day! Apart from that skanky pink cocktail - does that look like an amaretto sour to you?! No! Because it wasn't *bar staff fail*

DONE DEAL - Signed, sealed and sent my contract to live in uni halls. Exciting! Also scary since it takes me AGES to warm to new people - my house mates will think I'm a bitch ahaha.

Slightly different layout to usual...I think I prefer it. The image is clickable so you can see all the different photos better, I just wasn't a fan of 'Week in Photos' posts taking up so much room!

Week in Photos #5...and #6

BUTTONS.

TIME.

CHINA.

AUTOMATIC.

RED?

BUTTONS. I bought a remote for my camera and have been playing with it. Yeah, yeah, I know, I always go high aperture, low shutter speed for random pics but y'know what - they're fun to do!

TIME. Does 'Meet me at 6?' mean 'Meet me at 6?' to blokes? It doesn't to mine - he's always late! I found myself with time to spare waiting for him in town, so I took a few photos of the traffic and people in front of me. I'd have loved if it were busier! Maybe next time...

CHINA. Another one I took while waiting for the boy, not the best but I love the colours! Manchester's China Town is a bit shady, but there's an amazing Chinese supermarket there, I used to go in with my sister to buy 'mystery food'. They used to have a chiller in the back full of sea monsters, but I'm not sure it's there any more.

AUTOMATIC. A mask I painted for a college project...ended up washing the paint away, though!

RED? Today I bleached/ dyed my hair with a supposedly red dye...I knew it would be a bit pink, since it's called 'Rose Red' but...seriously?! It's freakin' magenta purple!

I didn't take many photos last week, or this week so I combined them - easiest option! I've also been playing with my studio light lately because I was fully aware that I have been very lazy with how I've been using it. I wish I'd done it sooner since I've been enjoying the results!

Week in Photos #4

DANDYLILOO.

OM NOM NOM.

FATTY TREATS.

CRITTERS.

REGAL.

DANDYLILOO. Liloo set up a little photography challenge on her blog and tagged a few bloggers in it, to see how we would capture dandelions. Dandelions remind me of hazy days, bleached out skies and childishly blowing the seeds away...

OM NOM NOM. Who actually makes that noise when they eat? I wish it were socially acceptable, 'Tasty food! OM NOM NOM!' Anyway, we made some enchiladas and watched Dr. Who - how creepy are those suited aliens?!

FATTY TREATS. Treats for fatties! I made some rocky road to give to my sister and her boyfriend for Easter instead of eggs - way more fun and it lasts longer!

CRITTERS. A creepy shrimp/ woodlouse thing and a TADPOLE. I'm so excited for baby frogs...soooo excited. The tadpoles have grown so much, they're much easier to spot now - still a pain to photograph, though!

REGAL. Did you know that it's illegal to kill swans in the UK since, apparently, the Queen owns them? All of 'em. Are you allowed to do that? Could I say, 'Dibs on all wombats!' if I wanted to? Anyway, this swan was bobbing along the river through Bakewell when  I went for a day out with the family.