End of Summer Blues...Well Kind Of

Finally (is that even the correct word? Maybe I should perhaps change it to 'regrettably'), what seemed like a never-ending summer has started to give way to chilly mornings and blustery showers. Autumn is on its way, along with everything that comes with it. This is one of the reasons why I love the UK - I could not live anywhere that didn't exhibit at least a hint of the four seasons...although global warming, if true, could put a stop to this worldwide! I love nature's colourful display of burnished oranges and golds, accompanied by crisp mornings and the first frost. I am a knitter so naturally indulge in the opportunity to make any item of warmth, as well as being very partial to a pumpkin spice latte or marshmallowy hot chocolate. Jumpers and scarves take up well over half of my wardrobe. Definitely a cold weather person here! Not that I don't enjoy summer and not freezing my arse off on the commute to uni. However, there are some bloody awful things about this time of the year too, mostly to do with rain and sludge. I don't want to get out of bed at 6am and leave the house whilst it's still dark only to get back well after nightfall! And don't even mention the Scaling an Icy Hill to get to an Exam incident. I actually feared for my life.

Anyway, to welcome the season in, I've started reading the Song of Ice and Fire series and embarked on a new knitting project of making a Slytherin scarf for the bro. Double Knit weight wool is a little bugger. I've also stocked up on stationery things for the new academic year (I'm an addict) in an attempt - however futile - to organise my life after the months of being at home. The first book (A Game of Thrones) is reading very well so far. I'm actually quite surprised that I enjoy this type of book because I was convinced that it was going to be very Lord of the Ringsy (even though I haven't even attempted to read the trilogy!). However, the language and the layout of the book is pretty different and also satisfies my over-active imagination by being set in a fantasy world with all sorts of weird creatures and lands.

Most of all though, I'm really looking forward to starting third year. I can't wait. My aims for this year are to be involved more in my societies and I'm even toying with the idea of setting my own one up. The prospect of having some hard work coming my way seems to excite me, probably because I'm slightly bored of bumming around with no concrete plan for the majority of the summer. My house this year is just beautiful and full of period features: high ceilings, fancy plasterwork and stained glass. Not bad for a student house! Of course I will miss my family and pets greatly (saying goodbye is usually a messy affair for both parties...definitely an occasion for the good old waterproof mascara) but I suppose that this is an unavoidable inconvenience of living away from home. Thankfully, I have a lot of things to be looking forward to back at uni so it kind of makes up for the gut-wrenching feeling of leaving home!

Less Mr. Grumpy & More Little Miss Sunshine

Yesterday, I found this on Tumblr:

As I read through both sides, I (worryingly) noticed that more and more of my current personality traits were matching up with the portrayal of the unsuccessful person on the right hand side. Not everything matched, but quite a bit. This was not a good. It made me realise that I'm focussing on the current difficulties in my life instead of long term goals.

I'm too wrapped up in what I've failed in and how seemingly unfair parts of my life have been. However, what I failed to realise was that being in a constantly negative state of mind is not going to help me achieve my goals any quicker, or benefit my mental health in any way! 

So from now on, I'm not going to dwell on things and I'm going to strive to become more like the person on the left hand side. I need to stop criticising people as much as I do and start focussing on my own downfalls! 

This Month's Necessities: May

Most of May has been taken up with revision and end of semester exams, so I have been residing in my bedroom cave underneath a pile of notes for the majority! Therefore, my favourites this month have come in useful more towards the end of May after exams. Here they are:

#1: Stabilo Mini Point 88 Fineliners

These pens have been an absolute godsend to me during revision week! My paperchase sign pens were OK, but I found that the tips blunted after a while, leaving you to play a guessing game on how to hold the pen in order to get a consistent flow of ink! These were £5.99 from Ryman and are perfect for carrying around in my bag due to their size. The range of colours not only made my notes prettier, but also (hopefully!) more easy to remember. 

#2: 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish

For a fairly cheap polish, it's actually pretty good! My most recent purchase was the colour 'Forever', which is a beautiful oyster pink: very nude and perfect for summer. I wasn't expecting it to last so long. I put 3 coats on (no top coat) last Sunday and it is still going strong today even after a deep clean of my kitchen and various other gruelling activities! I'm in love with the colour too and am so pleased that it comes out the same colour in the pot. The photo below shows my nails tonight, and there is virtually no chipping! 

#3: Star Trek TOS Season 1

For non Trekkies, TOS equals The Original Series. This was my post-exam box set of choice and will always be my favourite Star Trek. I think it's something about the freshness of all of the characters and how young they are. The first season definitely sees the development of the Spock-Bones relationship, as well as an obvious retro vibe. Absolutely fantastic! 

#4: Soap&Glory Arch de Triumph Brow Pencil

My brows are dark naturally but I still like defining them a little more, especially if I'm a bit reckless with the tweezers! This pencil combines a natural dark brown shade with a creamy highlighter which really makes the brow bone stand out. The pencil is smooth and I have no trouble applying it. I've also found that the highlighter end can be used for cheeks too! I would definitely recommend this for fellow brunettes - I think it was about £9 from Boots, so not too pricey. 

#5: Scholl Party Feet Invisible Gel Heel Shields

These may not look too pretty but they saved me from embarrassing trip overs and awful blisters at the Summer Ball! I have narrow feet and slim ankles, so find it very hard to keep court shoes on. However, I was not willing to admit defeat when I found a beautiful pair of towering Kurt Geigers in this style. So I raided the footcare section of Boots and found them. The heel shields grip the back of the foot, preventing it from slipping out of the shoe. I think it's safe to say that they did their job very well - no falls or near misses! 

On another note, I've finished reading Under the Jewelled Sky. I couldn't put it down. It was bitterly heart-breaking as well as glittering with some fantastic imagery. Everything was so well described from scenery to the villains; I felt as though I was there in India. Definitely a recommended book! 

My Filofax Setup

As a form of subtle procrastination, I have recently been tweaking certain parts of how I organise my filofax. I'm still not 100% happy with it though. I think the main trouble I'm having is managing to fit all of my lectures in to the pages as well as everything else, without it becoming an illegible mess! I'm seriously considering upgrading to a an A5 size for next semester or changing to a 2DTP diary, because I'll also be doing my dissertation too. I would also love to implement some kind of colour-coding system! Anyway, back to the layout. 

So, say hello to my loyal personal Chameleon in black! It's been in use for about a year and has weathered all of the chucking around etc. pretty well! I mainly use it for the diary/organisation side of things, as well as lists and other stuff. However, I don't really use the address section because I already have an address book.  

                                            

As you can see, I fully utilise the card holders - it's my purse overflow! I also keep my Paperchase cute animal sticky notes and some classic heart shaped post its stashed away too. The front is just decorated with patterned tape, although I am tempted to experiment with pictures and scrapbooking stuff too. 

                                          

Here is a (rather shoddy) example of what one of my term time weeks looks like. Usually it's busier than this, but all the lectures and other classes take up so much room/looks really messy! I like to space the lectures out on the page according to what time they are at so that I can more easily assess whether I have any blocks of free time for work or meeting up with friends/going to the gym. Saying that, my exercise regime has been steadily declining in quantity...not good! 

                                         

As well as having a WO2P diary, I also have a monthly one further back which lets me quickly scan for any events etc. The two tabs behind this are for my blog ideas, lists of things (books, wishlist, presents for people) and exercises. 

I hope you liked the tour and I would be very grateful if you have any ideas about organising my main diary pages more efficiently! 

What I'm Reading This Month...

Now that work is about to calm down slightly (last exam of the year on Friday!), I wouldn't mind getting on with a bit more reading. I used to be a prime example of a book worm, but the ever increasing workload of a pharmacy degree has gradually stripped me of this title. Saying that, I have read two very good books this academic year: Captain Corelli's Mandolin and The Glass Blowers by Daphne DuMaurier. There's something about DuMaurier's work that makes it near impossible to put down. However, books seem to be collecting on my shelves at the rate of knots, so here is a list of my 'to read' list, along with several other titles.

1. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. I purchased this book after jumping on the bandwagon at a book-signing after a lecture presented by Ben at my university back in March. I am hoping that it will prove to be a useful read, seeing as I've tailored my uni modules next year to favour Epidemiology and Drug Safety. The book basically exposes how the Pharma industry is ripping people off (and perhaps risking peoples' health) for profit, carefully hiding any dodgy clinical studies and trials. Sneaky.
2. Mere Christianity by C S Lewis. This book isn't very substantial in quantity, but a lot more so in quality. As the title suggests, it is a Christian book mostly outlining Christian morals and the reasoning behind them. Do not expect to be bombarded with backless wardrobes and various talking animals: this is a serious book. So serious, in fact, that I'm struggling to finish it. I'll have to chivvy along a bit though, because I'm sure the friend who lent it to me will want it back before the end of the semester!
3. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth. Again, I started reading this book a few months ago when there was a lull in workload. The beauty of this book is that the chapters are relatively stand-alone, so it can be dipped in and out of. It is a fascinating view into the life of a post Second World War midwife and kind of makes me want to travel back in time. 
4. Under the Jewelled Sky by Alison McQueen. This is my Aunt's new book which is set in India around the time that British colonialism was falling apart. From what I've read already, it's a lovely flowing read with a spark of romance, and very accurate on the historical part too.
5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. A birthday present from my house, in addition to the lethal food blender (0-fingers hanging off in 4.5 seconds).

There are various others, but this should stand me in good stead for at least the first part of the summer holidays, and will be an extremely welcome break from the (easily) foot high pile of textbooks sat next to my desk.