Liebster Award

Let me just start this post by saying I am extremely, extremely sorry it has been so long. If you are a loyal follower of mine (in which case, thank you so much! You don't know how much it means to me) you have probably been wondering what has become of me and whether I have been mauled by a ferocious bear or whatnot. I hope to explain all of this in one of the many future blog posts I'll be making soon.

Anywho, one of the many things that has happened in my temporary sojourn was that I was nominated by not one, but two amazing blogs for the Liebster award! I am so honoured and excited and thankful and I suggest you go check the two blogs that nominated me if you're reading this:

http://letsgetonwiththatbucketlist.blogspot.co.nz

http://neonrainbow83.blogspot.co.nz

So for those of you that haven't heard of the Liebster award, the rules are that you need to:

♦ Link back to the person that nominated you (in this case, that would be moi)

♦ Answer the 11 questions they have given yo

♦ Make up 11 more of your own

♦ Nominate 11 blogs with less than 200 questions and let them know they have been nominated

As I was nominated for two, I've got 22 questions to answer so bear with me folks....

In reply to Clare's questions:

1. What would you say is your best feature?

I'd probably have to say my eyes. I've always been told they are rather enormous but I quite like that.

2. Who was/is your first love?

I have yet to find this mystical creature. Crushes, temporary infatuations, yes. Love? Not so much. I'm a romantic with no particularly romantic experiences.

3. Who is your hero?

I have lots of heroes, but probably the biggest inspiration for me at the moment is John Green (author of the Fault in Our Stars). I admire him so much, not only for his incredible writing talent, but also because he seems like the sort of person that has always stuck with who he is and now found success in that. With so many people at school pretending to be who they aren't, it is such a reassurance to know that people like him exist and if I am having a bad day it is always his videos I go to watch first.

4. Favourite beauty product?

Gaaaaaaaahhhhh....so difficult. I think it might have to be Garnier Fructis' miraculous argan oil. It makes my hair feel so soft and silky and smells absolutely delish. Not too expensive either!

5. What is your dream job?

A famous novelist, detective investigator of Sherlock-esque crimes or a doctor. A range, I know!

6. Tea or Coffee? 

Coffee coffee coffeeeeee all the way.

7. What is the soundtrack of your life? (Song that describes you)

'Brown eyed girl' by Van Morrison or 'December, 1963 (Oh what a night)' by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. 

8. Tell us a secret (go on you know you wanna!)

A secret. Oooh errr... well, it's not really a secret to the people that know me, but I've always had anxiety and get panic attacks or almost panic attacks about five times a week. Most of the time it's not even noticeable but it is very distracting for work and things so I am trying to get better.

9. If you could visit any other country, which would it be?

Greece, I think. Or maybe Italy. 

10. Favourite item of clothing

Probably my Staring at Stars majestic pants I got from Urban Outfitters a while ago. They are so comfy and light and can be worn casually or when going out. 

11. Shoes or handbags?

I'm actually going to have to go with handbags here. In New Zealand shoes aren't always a necessity. 

              And now onto Angeline's questions....

1. What's your morning routine?

Wake up to alarm at 6:30. Fall out of bed. Get changed. Go up for a breakfast of cereal with chopped fruit. Brush teeth. Wash face (I have a shower in the evening). Style hair. Apply makeup. Pack bag. Catch bus to school. Not very exciting but not most routines are!

2. What is your pet peeve?

People that think they're all that. I hate being patronised by people who think they are better simply because they've had sex or smoked. You're the ones with tar in your lungs, people. 

3. If someone was handing out flyers, would you take it?

Yes. It's their job and as much as the flyers can be pointless and annoying, the people handing them out are only trying to get to their next payday and I know how that feels.

4. Cat or dog?

Dog

5. What's your favourite body part?

My head

6. Cheesiest thing you've said to anyone?

"You are you. Don't ever forget that. I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

7. All time favourite show?

It would have to be Downton Abbey.

8. Do you believe in superstitions?

I do actually! I can be very superstitious at times. Black cat crossing a road = bad luck and all that.

9. What is something you really want to get done on your bucket list?

I'm a big romantic so probably to meet someone I really feel strongly about. I don't even care about settling down with them. I just want to meet someone and to have them feel the same about me, even if it's for a little while. Either that or to help out in Africa or write a novel. 

10. What is your hobby?

Writing, of course! I also really love running and I bake when I'm upset about something.

11. What would you like to do with 1 million dollars?

First I would use it so I could go to uni in England. Then I would probably travel the world and give money to various different charities across the globe. If I had any more left I would buy an apartment in London or Paris and travel there with friends in the holidays. 

11 Questions from me:

1. If you could live and be healthy without sleeping or eating/drinking, which would you cut out of your life?

2. Do you have any addictions?

3. What would you do if you only had one more day to live?

4. If you could bring one fictional character to life, who would it be?

5. What scares you most? 

6. Describe your dream man

7. 3 physical features you get complimented on the most?

8. If you could get away with one murder in your lifetime without any legal, social or emotional repercussions, would you do it?

9. What would your reaction be if you were told you had to marry the first person you'd ever had a crush on?

10. If you could tell something to your 5-year-younger self, what would it be?

11. Would you rather live one 1000 year life or ten 100 year lives?

And finally, the people I'm nominating: 

♦ http://oceanicstars.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://windsweptwishesx.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://glass-in-the-park.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://dreamerlaura.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://before-they-make-me-run.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://acertainperhaps.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://whattshesaid.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://fashionably-late.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://searchingformyextraordinary.blogspot.co.nz

♦ http://bitchbookbake.com

♦ http://plainjanestory.blogspot.co.nz

Anna x

New Years Eve-in

Get the pun? Eve in, evening? No? Just me? Alright then, moving on.

Unfortunately, all of the terribly organised plans I had arranged in order to have an 'incredibly fun, incredibly eventful' New Years have collapsed, leaving me on my own with my slightly frantic family, their barmy friends and my supersize mug of tea. 

On the plus side, the alone time has left me with some time to reflect, not so much on the year that's almost over (thank goody gumdrops) but on the year that's coming. 

There are probably a million and one blog posts on the hundreds of New Years resolutions people are planning to 'completely, under any circumstances' going to keep, but with the knowledge of how unlikely this is for me I have come up with just two to keep my mind occupied:

1. Eat healthily and stay fit. I know, incredibly original right? However, the way I feel is really important to me and my self-esteem is always a lot higher if I have been healthy. I'm not really a big believer of diet plans after everything that has happened with my best friend's anorexia, but I have made a workout regime that I plan to do at least four times a week (I might do a post on this a bit later).

2. Say yes to more things. My mum has a saying that goes, 'Do something you feel uncomfortable with and there will always be a reward.' While this is just a long-winded way of saying 'Step out of your comfort zone', I can't help but agree with her. Every time I have returned back from somewhere lightheaded and happy with the world, it is usually from a place where I would have arrived with a churning stomach and incredibly negative mindset. Conclusion: this year I am going to be more open to doing things I don't always feel like doing, and am going to stop staying at home as much watching TV shows.

Both these resolutions are pretty ironic seeing as I am currently sitting on my bed, munching Lindor chocolates and watching Downton Abbey. However, as soon as I wake up tomorrow morning I am enthusiastic they will be put into action.

Next year will be good, I can feel it. 

Bonne année!

A X

Christmas and Camping

Salut mes amis et joyeux Noel!

Well, happy belated Christmas, that is. I hope you all had the most amazing day and got everything you could have asked for.

A festive shot of a Christmas tree in a desperate attempt to make this post more Christmassy.

While there is not really much to report on the Christmas front (although I did get an iPhone so expect to see better quality pictures from now on!) we did go off on a camping trip on boxing day with about six other families. I was initially slightly apprehensive about the trip as we were going with some of the more...notorious girls in my year, let's just say, but I actually had a really great time and am so glad I went.

Sunset at our campsite

For those of you that don't know, it is Summer in New Zealand at this time of year, so we spent a lot time at the beach and even more time sunbathing. If there's one thing I've come away with on this trip, it is definitely a good tan!

The one downside was probably waking up on the third night and finding myself absolutely soaked from the where the rain had flooded our tent. And then spending the rest of the day stuck inside said tent because it wouldn't stop.

We were damp and slightly miserable but it did give me time to bond with the four other girls in my tent and I quickly learnt that the old saying, 'Never judge a book by it's cover',  might actually hold more truth than I've ever given it credit for. Girls I had previously found rather intimidating quickly became a great laugh and I felt bad that I had ever been so prejudiced beforehand.

I'm a bookish type and always will be but it was fun to sip on very very slightly alcoholic raspberry lemonade as we danced around to terrible rap music and waited around for one of my friends to stop snogging her life-long crush in a bush. I know, hard core rebellion right. It was still a blast of fresh air though and it will be the kind of thing we are bound to look back on when we're older and say, "Remember that one time when we were camping..."

Enjoy the rest of your holidays before whatever lies ahead mes cheries.

A X

Inspiring quotes and late night thoughts

“& only as you gasp your dying breath shall you understand, your life amounted to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean!

Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?” 

- David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas (One of my all time favourite books).

Alright, I understand this is a bit of an intense topic to be writing about on a Monday morning. However, one must consider that this is 12:50 am on a Monday morning and practicality is not exactly the main thing on my mind. 

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my future and my significance to the world as a person. There are more than seven billion people on this planet and I am willing to bet that the majority, like me, want to make a difference - to change the world for the better and have our names go down in history books.

In my opinion, a person does not actually die so long as their memory still stands; that though their heart may have stopped pumping and lungs stopped inhaling, they can still live on if people can remember them.  It scares me to think of all the moss-stained coffins that stand only to display an empty name with no recallable story.  Not all of us can be Albert Einsteins, Marylin Monroes. 

However, every time someone remarks on our insignificance, I usually have to disagree. We might be tiny in comparison to the universe - our actions might mean nothing in the scheme of things - but that does not mean they actually mean nothing. Very few people will change the world, but many can change the bit around them if they try. 

We are one in seven billion on the planet, but the probability of us coming to exist here is infinitely smaller. Think about it: what were the chances of both your parents finding each other, of the exact 'bird' and exact 'bee' combining so that in the end you could stand here? Not a lot. And yet, here you are.

Please never believe you are insignificant or inconsequential. Whatever you do will cause ripples in the lives of others, in the places around you. Never, ever believe you mean nothing.

A X

A trip to the city

On the last day of school, my good friend and I managed to ditch our interminable prize giving early and catch the train over to the city for some much-needed shopping. Unfortunately, most of our money was actually spent on food - but that's not to say it wasn't good food!

We found the cutest little bakery called 'The Store'. Of course it took me a lifetime to decide what I wanted.

In the end I decided on some freshly squeezed orange juice and salmon chickpea salad...yum.

I made my friend promise that we would come back here. Coffee and donuts...what more could anyone want?

I've always been slightly skeptical of Auckland and its modern buildings and large tourism culture, but today, with both the sun and school year on our backs, the whole city seemed to illuminate in my eyes and for the first time in four years I actually felt that this city had become my city; it might not be the largest or have the most going on, but it has definitely become beautiful to me in a fond, familiar sort of way.

 Tucked off on a street corner we found the most gorgeous little frozen yoghurt place. It was expensive but well worth it. 

Salted caramel frozen yoghurt with strawberry chocolate buttons and fudge topping.

My friend spent a lot of the time cringing at my terrible and obvious photo taking as if I was some sort of obsessive tourist but I really wanted to capture the little delights of the city - if not for me then for other people from other cities to see. Auckland has the sky tower and its marina and everything but I think what really makes it are the tiny beautiful cafes; the op-shops and music stores tucked away on subtle street corners. 

A X

Saturday review: Fall to Grace - Paloma Faith

I often say that I was born a century too late. People say the corsets were excruciatingly painful, and yet, I honestly cannot think of anything better than being able to prance around in beautiful long dresses every day, attending ballroom dances with only the worry of finding an appropriate suitor. Of course, I’m probably humoring myself. I’m sure it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. A girl can dream though, can’t she?

In the light of this, I would like to introduce Paloma Faith’s 2012 album, Fall to Grace. Yes, yes, I know the music isn’t particularly Edwardian. Nonetheless, her music and style somehow bring me back to another era. I love the rich, velvety texture of her voice and the jazzy sort of swing she has to her songs. I know she is already very popular and most you will probably have already heard of her but this album had caught my attention recently so I thought I would share.

Happy listening! X

Favourite song: Just Be

I live by the sea

I moved to the sea almost four years ago. What an adjustment from the little, middle-of-nowhere country village I had lived in previously! The main attraction was literally a Post Office run from an elderly couple’s living room. Until, that is, the husband died and it shut down. It was the most dramatic thing that had happened there in a hundred years. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they still gossiped about it now.

Anyway, coming from the most landlocked place in the whole of Britain, the shingled shores of New Zealand were definitely a blast of fresh (or should I say, salty, trolololol) air. Being the scrawny, pale-faced little thing I was back then, I was overwhelmed by the possibility of simply catching a ferry over to the next island to meet up with someone or walking bare-footed to the corner shop.

While living by the seaside isn’t always the fairytale existence one might imagine, life is definitely sweet over here. Never before would I have thought I would be able to take a stroll along the sand with my BBC podcasts or pier jump with friends in the summer. Around Christmas time the sun glistens down on the land like a giant golden babul; the Pacific Ocean a mirror of the crystalline blue sky. 

It is Winter now, however, and as the lonely Southerly wind stirs the bare tree branches and old English nostalgia in my heart I find myself seeking comfort in the words of this blog. I hope that you too will be able to do the same thing, and that you will enjoy reading my little stories and observations from the coastline.

A bientot mes amis! X

Song of the week: Seaside by the Kooks (it seemed relevant for my very first post).