Chocolate

So I might have a slight notebook addiction. I guess this could be assumed since I’m doing a Creative Writing degree, but I’m in my second year and I still haven’t taken my laptop to a lecture or seminar once. I always handwrite everything in a notebook first. I just really like the motion of writing everything by hand. Clicking away on a keyboard is fun and all but doesn’t compare to thick ink on fresh paper. 

Writing in that way is slower of course though and often distracting if I like the notebook too much. I like to leaf through the remaining blank pages and fold the covers

On A Rainy Morning...

(Not my image.)

It’s one of those rainy days. The good ones. Like the ones when I was younger where I would stay in my room and find my copy of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke to read for hours and hours. I’m not sure why, but it was always my rainy day go-to book. I think it was because of the way the book starts in the first chapter. With the rain on the window. I love it.

Today is a day much like so many of those were. But I’ve decided to write it down before I pick up my book again. Through raindrop speckled windows the street is a blurry watercolour and the grass a mossy green.

Don't Blink

(Not my image)

Time. Sometimes I wish it would pass faster than it does. Like when I miss people or places and can't wait to return to them. Or when I'm looking forward to something that will happen too far in advance, like moving into a new house later this fall. I just wish time would move quicker, so I can get to that point faster, see the people I miss now.

But there are also cases when I want time to slow down, like being on break for instance.

Currently

Currently I'm...

Reading:

• Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

• Next on my list will be Nameless by Lili St. Crow

• Previously on my list was I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Because It Was Wednesday

So I'd been back home in North Carolina for a few days when I finally did it. The idea of colouring my hair had been in the back of my mind for maybe a few years now and that fact had started to bug me a little. Why couldn't I just do it? 

Traveling: The Day Of

Here are a few quick tips I've gathered from my own traveling adventures, these in particular make my day of traveling go as easily as possible:

1. Get up on time.

Of all the days to hit 'snooze' and go right back to sleep, this certainly is not one of them. When your alarm (which should definitely have been set the night before) goes off, get up. It's as simple (and yes sometimes very difficult) as that. My flight out of London for going home over Christmas break last year happened to be at 12:00pm. Meaning I at latest had to get to the airport at 10am, and there was a 3 hour travel time to get there. When my alarm went off at 5:30am it seemed like I was getting up way too early, but I needed every bit of time that gave me to get out the door and if I had hit snooze even once my morning would have been a lot more stressful. 

Traveling: 3 Prep Tips

After traveling very recently to come back home for spring break, I thought I would list my top 3 tips concerning international travel preparation. This runs parallel to the post I did recently about packing specifically. I will follow this with tips for the actual day of traveling, but there will be more in this one since the day of actual travel goes a lot easier when all of these have been done in advance. (Please keep in mind that this is particularly international travel.)

Traveling: 3 Packing Tips

(Not my image.)

Due to traveling quite a bit lately, I can now list a few things that have helped make that process go a lot smoother. Here are a few tips when it comes to packing:

1. Basics first.

Before you start going through clothes, accessories, gadgets, and miscellaneous items that you'll want to bring you should first find the critical items. These are the things you either won't get very far without or are the absolute most important things to bring. 

For me these are: Passport, phone (and charger!), keys, & wallet. 

Even if all else were somehow to be forgotten or misplaced, if I have those four things I can get where I need to go. Decide what these are for you and put them all where you will not forget them.

A Few Writing Tips: 1, 2, & 3

While I definitely don't have a step by step process for this writing business, I do know that certain things definitely help and I don't mind sharing.

1. Be comfortable.

Try to get to a favourite place or maybe bring something that helps you relax. For me, it's wrapping a blanket around me until I'm a burrito and having a hot cup of coffee or tea nearby. This will make me not want to get up any time soon, giving me the chance to write more.

Color: Strawberry, Raspberry & Cranberry

Today was a 'Berry' day in terms of color on the side of the spectrum that makes up pretty shades of pink and red. This is specifically referring to what I happened to be wearing and/or accessories I got, and I didn't realize they were all so similar until later. 

Now I should put this into perspective a bit. First I would say I'm normally not a pink person at all, and if I make an exception it's because it is a faint shade like a pastel pink. If I had to pick a side with the colors, blues and purples would win every time. But today everything was bright, bold, and berry. 

Secondly, I had just turned in four different assignments after a weekend of crazy work to get them turned in on time, so the stress for all that was finally gone.  

And third, it was sunny for the first time after days of rain and the wind died down a little, allowing the air to be almost warm enough to go outside without a coat. So I believe it was this combination of things that sparked such an out of the ordinary mood, where I transferred over to the red and pink side of the color world.

Strawberry:

I have pinkish red converse that also happen to be sparkly, and today they were the obvious choice. I really should wear them more often. I have no clue why I don't. They're just fun and glitter is always a good idea.

Sweetened Hues - by Design Seeds

Raspberry:

I managed to buy a nail polish on impulse that was almost fully red but not quite, still fitting into the pink category a little. It reminded me of raspberries in general almost immediately, which I always connect with the summer season. So then I wanted it to be summer and almost bought some ice cream on impulse as well, but I figured that'd be a bit much. Too many spontaneous purchases can be not the greatest of ideas. However I did settle for a smoothie a bit later in the afternoon. Shhh. Don't tell.

Cranberry:

This was today's winning lipstick shade. My favorite shade. I've actually tried to get into the habit of automatically putting some on before I leave for my classes, just because I can. So yes, I personally am a fan of combining lipstick with the converse look. It just works for Berry days, and well, most others too. 

Now add in a black leather jacket, black jeans, and sunglasses. Yes. It was just an "I'm secretly ruling the world" type day.