Baking: Halloween Themed Candy Bark (No Heat)

After browsing Pintrest this week I came across possibly the easiest sweet treat to make ever which can easily be themed to suit any occassion. As Halloween is just around the corner - how depressing is it that the clocks go back tonight, cold dark evenings? no thanks! - and the shops are stocked full of pumpkins, bats and anything else slightly scary I thought it would be good to embrace the coming season and create some 'candy bark'.
If you have tried any of the new Cadbury's marvellous creation bars I find these very similar to them, melted chocolate poured into a baking tray and different chocolate and jellies put in to create anything to your own taste! It can then be shared by being smashed or cut up once stored in the fridge to harden :)

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Baking: Simple Cupcakes

With the weather turning, coupled with a lot of free time recently I have been trying and experimenting with my baking. I'm probably most experienced with the standard fairy cake as they never seem to stay around long in my house! but inspired by programmes such as the great british bake off, cake boss and various pin boards on Pintrest I'm really enjoying testing different types of decorating at the moment :)
For these cakes I was planning on using a standard cupcake recipe from the BBC food website but at the time I could not find the weighing scales anywhere in the kitchen and no one was going to be home for a while so I just guessed the amount which is probably not recommended but fortunately it gave an even better result than usual so maybe all wasn't lost!
Whilst browsing the cake decorating aisle in Asda I picked up piping bags and tips and some Betty Crocker icing which happened to be on offer, perfect. After watching a couple of demonstrations online about how to use piping bags properly (it's actually so much simpler than what I thought!) I was off and away and here are the results :)

I'm looking forward to making some more seasonal baking treats in the next week, Pintrest is becoming a slight obsession......send help

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Makeup: Everyday eye look with the Urban Decay Naked palette ♡

After owning this palette for about a year I've no word of a lie used it probably every single day. It just has every neutral colour you could ever want to use and is versatile enough to use for both day & night occasions. Recently I've been loving using just two colours to enhance the size of my eyes using a shadowing technique. Firstly I use Virgin all over and up to my brow bone, focusing a lot on the inner corner to help with the 'wide awake' look, then using a blending brush (Sigma E25 is a current favourite!) I concentrate half-baked across the top of my crease, intense blending is essential in creating a natural look. Then as usual I just add my usual line of liquid eyeliner, then my holy grail bright eye pencil from Benefit on the water line - with added lashings of mascara, my eyes appear more wide awake than usual, no matter the amount of sleep.

What's your favourite eyeshadow from Urban Decay? Do you think all the hype is worth it?

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Fashion: Bindis

Love them or hate them, right now bindis are a thing. No longer a symbol of Indian religion and tradition they are becoming a must have fashion accessory and makeup enhancer. This summer i spotted them firstly in the club scene in ibiza, reminiscent of the little star and heart gems you would stick on the side of your face at primary school discos but a more stylish version for the 2013 early twenty year olds. The teen pop princess Selena Gomez has even been spotted wearing one in her recent performances of her new single 'Come and Get It' despite reports and complaints of disrespecting the Hindi religion.
Some may say they look like silly sparkly dots in the middle of your forehead and they aren't doing you any favours but personally I don't see anything wrong with something that adds a little sparkle to your face on a night out :-)

x x x

Thoughts: You want a job in media? what..

'You'll never get a job' 'You're going to have to work hard' 'Good luck with that' 'Media doesn't count as a degree'

In the last two years I have honestly lost count of the amount of times I have been told this by so many different people. When I first applied for university I tried to find a completely different degree a more 'intellectual' & respected one, 'American Studies' I liked the description of it, I liked the route it could take me in but in the end I decided it was just plain boring, & I just wouldn't enjoy studying it at all. I think it's so important to choose something you like especially if you're going to be spending three years of your life on it &  paying £9,000 a year.

I'd like to say I'm quite a well rounded person, I try to surround myself with as many different people as possible. I have friends studying a variety of different subjects at university including medicine, english & sciences. I also have friends who decided to completely ditch the education route to work in retail positions & work there way up in different companies and there's nothing wrong with that.

No matter what people are always going to be interested in the 'media' alhough the way we recieve it may be constantly changing with the constant technology innovations, it's always going to be of interest to people no matter what & I don't believe people should put it down so much. Fair enough after walking out with a media related degree no matter on your grades you are defiantly not guaranteed a job like other careers such as medicine but I think it's one of those subjects that proves that if you work hard then you can succeed. Personally I like the versality of it, I could never ever picture myself sitting in an office all day staring at numbers like some people I know, I want to be out learning new things, meeting different people & seeing new things everyday..

It is annoying when I tell someone what I plan to study at university as I constantly feel like I need to defend myself, but what I've been thinking if recently is why should I? Why is a law degree ranked any higher than one in a media related subject when there both equally just as important in society! You may need higher grades to get on one but that is no measurement on what kind of person you are which leads me onto another subject I feel strongly about which is that your school grades are not the be all end all & that exams are not a true measurement of ability.
I'm not 100% sure where I want to end up but I'd rather be studying something that has different avenues to go down rather than just one. 

Just a rant.

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Music: Have I heard this before? ...Yes probably

Ever heard a song that you feel as if you've heard before? Think Flo-Rida's 'Good Feeling', 'I Cry', 'Right Round', 'Sugar' ...actually the majority of his songs have echoes of releases in times gone by. Turning semi-well known songs into Top Ten chart hits is not a new thing but is this really a good thing for the music industry though? Effectively it's just stealing and copying someone elses song and building on the previous artists success, a lot of the time, without permisson, is this really fair?

Will.i.Am has got himself in a lot of trouble recently. This week he released on his YouTube account a song from his new album 'Let's go', which some could say is a instant rip off of a song by lesser well known house/dance DJ's Matt Zo & Arty's 'Rebound'.  There was a statement released saying he was interested in the song but they denied working with him, and he still used it without the labels permission. Although this is not the first time 'Steal.I.Am' has been accused of stealing songs some say that his latest number one with Britney Spears 'Scream & Shout' has elements of Avicii's Levels. This is bad press for the star who was also recently accused of using some of Tulisa's lyrics in the same duet, where there is still an ongoing battle pursuing. 

Personally I'm torn on the whole idea of 'stealing' songs, I love how something can be updated and shown in a different way to appeal to a different type of audience but if this is done without permission from the original artist, then the artist and the management seem to be covering it up in any way possible it all looks very suspicious to me and as a result the artist loses respect from their fans and critics alike.

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Entertainment: Springbreakers

Take two ex disney actresses, cast them in a film focused on sex, drugs, crime and gun violence and you have one of the most eagerly anticipacted films of 2013, Spring breakers.

Directed by Harmony Korine, starring well known actors such as James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, and new on the scene Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine and rap star Gucci Mane. The film follows four college-aged girls who decide to rebel against the norm and rob a chicken restaurant in order to pay for their 'american tradition' of spring break, but in reality it's much more than that. It was actually intended to be only released on DVD but because of the publicity it got - most likely due to the actresses and subjects covered, they decided to release it on the big screens.

After seeing it myself on the opening day most of the people that I have personally spoken to about Spring Breakers have gone on and on about how terrible they thought it was, how it 'didn't make sense' but i believe that they fail to see what the movie is actually portraying it can get frustrating to hear the same review from the same people over and over who refuse to take it as anything more than a first glance. Yes the story seems unbelievable (what films are?) and it may mainly be focused on partying, drugs and violence BUT if you look a little deeper, don't look at it so literally it really does have a good message encoded in it.

spoiler alert

The Complaints - “The girls and nudity were unnecessary” "Selena Gomez was only in it for like a half hour” “Those parties are unrealistic” “The James Franco gun barrel scene was disturbing” “What was the point of Brit and Candy talking to their mums about wanting to be good right before they went and killed everyone” “They should have been punished in the end” "It repeated itself so much" 

Explanations - Why is any nudity shown in any film ever? This film like any other, is a form of art and the opening scene introduction which includes raging teenagers drinking, kissing, flashing usually covered body parts, and essentially just partying is Harmony Korine’s interpretation of what he believes a spring break vacation actually entails. The introduction is actually very reminiscent of the live spring break specials filmed and sponsored by MTV several years ago (seelink here). Also it may serve as a warning for those who had other expectations for the movie to stop watching the film i.e. Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens fans. Keep in mind the movie is rated 18, and that is for a reason. Korine’s first scene in his 1995 film Kids is supposedly just as bad. I think having such a graphic opening scene cuts straight to the point, if you don't like what you see or are offended then you aren't ready for what's coming at all.

If you are only going to see this film because Selena Gomez or Vanessa Hudgens are in it then you need to go to your bedroom and rip down your Wizards of Waverley Place poster, burn your High School Musical DVD's and start looking at your life. Also the fact that some people have lost respect for the main actresses because of this movie is incredibly narrow minded because just like the director, they are artists. Actresses aren't supposed to play the same character over & over again, that's the point. Maybe they don’t want to be seen as the innocent TV star that they have been type cast as and maybe it’s time for there fans to grow up too.

Even I found the James Franco scene a little hard to watch but it was the moment in the film where you saw the connection made between Brit, Candy and Alien. You saw that he would be willing to do anything for them at that point which would in the end lead to his death, you could see how the status of the characters changed, instead of the girls being in awe of Alien and his so called power, it changed so quickly to where they were calling the shots, quite literally.

The scenes near the end where Brit and Candy called their mums urging them that they wanted to be better, happy and wanted to do good in school and that they had finally realized that "in order to be happy they had to be good people" is actually a very important scene concerning the film as a whole and more importantly answers another problem people found with the movie, regarding punishment. Korine made this scene particularly long in the film and I believe it was so that his last point would be made clear. Some argue that the last two girls had gone unpunished. The first to leave, Faith, punished her self in the guilt she felt for having committed such "unchristian" behaviour  and the second girl to leave, Cotty, was shot in the arm so she was definitely psychically punished. The girls each told their mums that “the secret to being happy is being a good person” and after the roughly 15 murders they both commit they are inarguably NOT good people. Essentially they become evil and by their own definitions they shall never be happy. They are punished by being fated to live unhappy lives. Lives thats may mirror Alien’s who after all was plotting to kill his ex best friend. Will Candy and Brit follow in their foot steps?

I was left with questions though, so why did Alien want to kill his best friend? What made Brit & Candy so Destructive? Did they kill Alien so he didn't get a chance to kill himself. I believe a good film should leave you with questions and wanting more...

The cinematography was stunning with the luminous visuals, so different to any film I’ve seen recently. The repetition of the dialogue and time jumping made the film edgy and constantly stimulating, I will never be able to listen to 'Everytime' by Britney Spears the same way ever again. Personally I just loved the thought process behind each character and their traits, the whole ideology behind their trip and what they wanted to gain from it; turning into something much more sinister but at the same time liberating and free.  The whole technique used throughout of cross cutting the narrative, blurring audio from one scene over another and voice-overs, heightens that candy dream exaggeration of reality that Korine claims he was after, it works really well and makes you feel as if it's all in your own head it's refreshing to have something different for a change. The music was also another thing I was impressed with, featuring Skrillex, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and Ellie Goulding. They also incorporated a lullaby-like songs to the more mellow scenes which worked incredibly well for the atmosphere.

I can see why people go in and come out hating it, if you want to see a movie that is structured and based on form than dont. if you want to watch this film because your looking for something funny and you think it's not going to be serious like Hangover, Project X, American Pie. then don’t because you will be disappointed.

I hope that whoever reads this can find it in themselves to give Spring Breakers another chance because it really was quite a spectacular film, you probably won't be able to see that from the beginning as it's not what you expect it to be at all, but surprises can sometimes be good.

Music: All Too Well

Following on from my previous post about the most heartbreaking Taylor Swift song I thought I would talk about the one song that I find so earth shattering and agonizing to listen to from the first string of guitar playing, I almost cannot stand to hear it even at all, All Too Well.
This song tells a story with the most intricate detail, the little moments - from wearing his sisters scarf, the weather being described at the time to the highest point and the emotional factor 'I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all.' A line that has all gone through our heads at some point no matter the reason. I think what makes it even more HEARTBREAKING is how you can picture every single step she takes in your head 'cause here we are again on that little town street, you almost ran the red cause you were looking over at me' You can literally see it happening right in front of you, with the background music getting deeper and picking up you can see it crash and fall right in front of you, it makes it too real. Relationships, in my experience all come down the little things, the tiny habits you both have , the way one of you says something, the lines on your face, the small things that add up to big moments like 'here we are again in the middle of the night, we're dancing round the kitchen in the refrigerator light'. It's the memories like that we all hang on to.

If the whole story on it's own wasn't heart-wrenching enough it hits a climax at 3:46 with a bridge where Taylor with determination and anger looks back and gives her response, the effect of something which was perfect is just broken.
'Time won't fly it's like I'm paralyzed by it, I´d like to be my old self again
but I'm still trying to find it.' I think that's the saddest thing, when someone you once knew, changes and all memories you have of them become bad. You feel like you've lost yourself and the way she portrays this makes all those feelings come up to the surface and bubble. Originally 10 minutes, this song had to be cut down for the album but this just shows that clearly there is much to this story and situation than the six minute snippet she shows us. The way she breaks down and is vulnerable, that's scary, Taylor is a role model for so many girls especially with 'awkward boy' problems but the way she admits that she's actually broken down and torn into pieces about it instead of being more 'picture to burn' about it is scary. At one time in our lives I think we all go through something like this and the way the melody, the lyrics, and the background music can just bring the emotions back can be terrifying.....we remember it all too well.

An Interview with TOWIE girl Linzi Peel

(Note: This was actually done in May 2012 alongside my college class at the time.)

After appearing in the first series of the hit ITV show as part of the girl band LOLA after reportedly being fired for being 'too fat' Linzi Peel has launched herself in an array of different careers listing herself as a Radio, Presenter and Actress and is also the face of the Trinitia tanning company.

Did The Only Way is Essex put you off appearing on reality TV again?
Going on the only way is Essex, it was a reality show and if I’m honest if I was going on it just as myself, Linzi Peel I don’t think I would have done it, but because I was in a band at the time it is so hard, for any of you that know the music industry its really hard to launch a girl band. So the opportunity came along and we thought why not go for it.

How was it being in the band LOLA?
It was amazing; we got to do some amazing things. We got to open T4 stars of 2010 at Earls Court in front of 10,000 people.
How real was the show?
The show, it wasn’t scripted however we were put in situations that would intentionally cause drama so yes it is real but it is also set up?
Was it a lie that the band LOLA got a record contract with Universal?
It wasn’t the band that lied, it was really the show that did it...
What happened to LOLA?
Well for those of you that don’t know, i was actually kicked out of my own band. Unfortunately one day just after The Only Way is Essex when the first series had finished I got called into an office by a management company which i had found for myself and the girls and they basically told me that I was no longer needed in LOLA. It came completely out of the blue because if I’m honest I actually held the band together and I would admit that I was absolutely gutted it was like my dream had been taken away from me. But to be fair it’s the best thing that could have happened to me.
Jessica Wright has gone solo, how do you feel about that?
Do you know what - good luck to her really.
Do you feel a bit bitter towards her because of it?
Unfortunately Jess and I don’t talk anymore, I have seen jess out and she has ignored me, I haven’t made much effort with her either. I’m not going to hold any grudges because as I just said, good luck to her. It will be interesting to see what happens for her, because of the industry I don’t know if everybody will take her seriously.

Did the fame go to your head being in The Only Way is Essex and LOLA?
With the industry it’s so hard you basically just get caught up in a bubble everyone wants to be your friend, even if they don’t like you they pretend to like you. You’re constantly getting things thrown at you for free people wanting you to wear their range of clothes, I think for anyone it’s hard not to let it go to your head. I think you just need to make sure that you keep your friends and family and it’s important that they keep you grounded. I must admit that a lot of the cast from The Only Way is Essex have changed since being on the show but unfortunately it’s just what happens.
Do you think they have changed for the better or worse? 
Well I’ve known Kirk for years so I can say this and he won’t mind, he has changed alot so has Amy and so has Arg. I’m not saying that they are bad people but it is because they have surrounded themselves in people that allow them to change.
You seem quite well put together how did Julian Bennett manage to become your manager?
Unfortunately this is where Lola started going wrong when Julian Bennett was brought on board. I don’t know if you watched ‘Queer eye for the straight guy’ but Julian doesn’t actually have anything to do with the music industry he is known as a stylist and ITV2 brought Julian in to be a stylist however he took it upon himself to say, infront of the cameras that he was now our manager and obviously we don’t get any say in how it’s edited. So he literally went from being our stylist to now our manager. I was annoyed that day because I didn’t like the fact we were being told what to do by someone that had no clue about the music industry and that’s when problems started to happen. There was a scene where Julian said we had a single coming out next week and for anyone in the music industry knows that you can’t have a single out in a weeks time, there has to be preparation and it takes at least two months I’d say to have something like that behind you.
Would you say he cared more about the girlbands career or yours?
Oh his, definitely

Did you actually release a single?
We released ‘Claustrophic’ which was whilst working with universal records however because Julian Bennett decided to say on national television that our single was out, it was like right our single is out whereas if it was done properly we probably would’ve released a second single and you could see the whole process, but unfortunately he ruined it for us.
Was Jess really keen to get rid of her brother?
I suppose, I think the problem that Jess had was that she was always known as ‘Mark Wrights sister’ and Jess wanted to be ‘Jessica Wright’.
On your column for Styledmagazine.co.uk is says that you did the 10k walk for the project waterfall..?
I was invited and it was really challenging actually. You say to people 10k and they think ‘really?’ but when you carry 10 litres of water on your back it was really really hard. I don’t know if you’ve seen the video but it’s on YouTube somewhere I got quite emotional because I suppose we take it for granted really.
Is that something you want to do more of?
Yeah, don’t laugh but I’m actually taking part in a charity football match on the 8^th July in Ipswich which is for a little boy with a brain tumour so raising money for him. I’ve also got a skydive coming up in August, I’m really not looking forward to that! So yeah I really do want to get more involved in charity work!
You mentioned that you are now presenting a radio show could you tell us a bit more about it?
After TOWIE finished I took a year out to sort of find what I wanted to do, I’ve always loved radio presenting it’s something I’ve always wanted to get into so I looked around and an agency asked people and started working for Saint FM and did the Monday & Tuesday breakfast show it was fantastic, I absolutely love working in radio it’s such a buzz. I actually left Saint FM because I’m trying to get a bigger and better show basically but I don’t want to rush into anything yet!

You can follow Linzi on Twitter @Linzi_Peel and read her column on Styledmagazine.co.uk!

Music: Sad, Beautiful, Tragic

Taylor Swift writes a lot of sad songs. The word “sad” is pretty well used, I suppose, but what if I used the word heartbreaking ?

What if I asked you to name a Taylor Swift song that literally has left you curled up in a fetal position on your bedroom floor with tears streaming down your face? You’d probably say Last Kiss, or Dear John or All Too Well.

Personally I have spent many nights on my own bedroom floor listening to Breathe on repeat in the complete darkness in my pjs with a duvet wrapped around myself while rain falls down at my windows. Nights like those, where I don’t want to talk to anyone, and just turn off my phone, are the most perfect for Taylor Swift songs.

What defines a sad song? – quiet and slow and melancholy – but then again you’d call Forever and Always a pretty sad song, too, wouldn’t you? And not just because of the piano version, but because of lines like back up, baby back up, did you forget everything, because those lines hit home, in whatever way they do, for you. That’s what makes a Taylor Swift song sad, the lyrics.

The name of a person flutters through your mind when you hear a lyric like 'and you come away with a great little story of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you' and a memory passes in front of your eyes when Taylor sings 'you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.'Taylor’s best sad songs have a tendency to reach a climax – in Dear John she howls that she’s shining like fireworks over his sad empty town. In All Too Well she wonders, angrily over a noise of guitars, if she asked for too much. In Last Kiss she comes pretty close to tears as she explores what’s left of a relationship that she never thought would end. In Cold As You she’s accusatory, screaming out you 'never did give a damn thing, honey.'All of these are moments that you scream-cry through alone lips yncing in your bedroom at 2am, that have you thinking no song has ever made me cry this hard until another Taylor Swift song with the next album has you saying the same thing. But once again, it’s the lyrics that really get you. What happens when you get a song that has no “chill inducing” climax? When happens when you can’t scream-cry along? What happens when Taylor doesn’t accuse anyone of anything, doesn’t howl, doesn’t get angry? From the beginning, the first five seconds of Sad Beautiful Tragic, with the ringing, the sound of forgetting, and the thumping of a train car blazing down the tracks, all the way to the end, the sudden drop off and silence, giving a feeling of being left behind altogether by a train that you can only see in the distance, there is no climax. There are no accusations. There is only a dismal sort of hollowness. The  plucking of the ukulele, marking each and every downfall of the relationship.  It’s almost like you can feel her giving up. 'We had a beautiful magic love there, but now it’s just…sad'. Tragic. Beautiful enough to want to get it back, and tragic enough that you just can’t. It ends, just like that with no warning, no happiness, it ends. 

The Taylor Swift Effect

After reading many blog posts online and many peoples comments on news websites I thought I would have a rant about the latest Taylor Swift drama and give my view on the subject..

I have been a fan of Swift ever since I discovered her first ever music video Tim McGraw on YouTube in 2006 and since then I have been lucky enough to see her perform in the UK at every single available opportunity, I have also been lucky enough to meet her mum, bandmates and almost the superstar herself multiple times. Reading comments online about her being a 'slut' and a 'whore' have this funny way of offending me too. Since the release of her latest album her popularity seems to be increasing as she has suddenly moved from the country market to the pop charts but this hasn't come without it's criticisms. 

Yes, she writes her songs about relationships and the emotions that come with them

Yes, she names and shames in half of her songs

Yes, she might come across as whiney and annoying and the only thing worth having is a boyfriend

BUT..

What songs nowadays aren't about the subject of romance? Isn't it nicer that young girls are listening to songs about one day finding their prince charming and falling in love rather than going into a club and getting drunk? 

''Taylor Swift’s life revolves around being in a relationship and that makes her a negative role model for young girls.'

I could understand this completely if it had some kind of truth in it but it does not at all, it's a popular topic in her songs I agree but first off, just because her songs revolve around love most of the time does not mean her life revolves around love. She writes love songs and if you don’t enjoy her music because it is too relationship-centered then stop listening to her. I do not respect the people that criticize her simply because she writes about relationships. I think the reason she writes most about love is because it’s a large part of her life, and also because it has become her 'thing' no matter if you like it or not, she's not going to be stopping that for anybody because all of her fans like her for the exact same reason. 

“After hearing my songs, a lot of people ask me, ‘How many boyfriends have you HAD?’ And I always tell them that more of my songs come from observation than actual experience. In other words, you don’t have to date someone to write a song about them.”

—	Taylor Swift

There is nothing wrong with naming the people who hurt her, she's a well known celebrity most of her relationships are public it's bound to happen and I'm sure that her suitors are well aware of this, it's what she's known for after all.

If you full on believe that she so called 'slut shames' (which I am not entirely convinced of), than DON’T LISTEN TO HER MUSIC. It’s as simple as that. If that one line in that one song (better than revenge, the one example I have found of it) has turned you off her music forever, so be it. Stop listening to her and don’t buy her music.

'Taylor Swift only dates guys to write songs'

So what if she has supposedly dated alot of guys or you're favourite celebrity crush, this by no means means that she is a bad person, the amount of people someone has been with does not convey there character at all at the end of the day it's her choice and if she wants to write about it then she can all she wants. The media is obsessed with tearing apart her love life, there is no celebrity that escapes this unfortunately a lot can be and is made up so before you go reading gossip sites about her being pictured with seven different guys in a week and dating every single one of them, just use your brain and think 'is this really true?'.

Taylor Swift is not the only music artist who might not be supposedly sending out the best possible message about relationships and maybe her music does makes it seem like a boyfriend is the key to happiness, but at the end of the day young girls would be getting this message regardless of Taylor Swift songs. She’s just a girl who wanted to write some songs to express her feelings, maybe you believe she’s childish, but she’s not the one who invented this problem, disney films and fairytales also have as much to answer for.

Personally Taylor Swifts music has been there for me when nothing else has and I find comfort in knowing that she has probably gone through the same situations as me. Until she actually does something 'scandalous' other than writing cute little love songs or sad breakup songs I will always have respect and adoration for her.

Thoughts: Valentines Day

I have probably been way too influenced by Disney princess films with the idea of love. I love the whole idea of romance, I love chilvary, I love cute gestures and I am probably way too in love with the idea of being in love...
There are many different views on today's date, these are a few on my current Facebook newsfeed
'Who needs a boyfriend on valentines day, when you could have a cat ♥'
'I hate valentines, if you're in a relationship it's stupid because it's a waste of money and if you truly loved someone you'd tell them everyday not just today. And you'd surprise them throughout the year. And it makes single people feel (possibly) sad. Okay, rant over :)'
'is there a postal strike on??? because i haven't got any valentines cards yet'
All of which I agree on to some extent but there is a part of me which just adores the whole idea of the day. If you're with someone it's a cute day to celebrate the fact that you are together and appreciate what you do for each other, if your single it's nice to watch cute films, eat chocolate and bake valentines themed goodies - there is no point in moping around just because you're single or don't have someone special, you should also celebrate the fact that you're not settling for less than what you deserve (something that i have been a victim of far too much personally). I had a tiny bit of an awkward moment yesterday where my manager at work asked me what I was doing today when I replied 'I'm spending it with my one and only valentine, work' he laughed, but that doesn't mean the day has to be boring. I was lucky enough to wake up to a flurry of 'happy valentines day!' texts from some of my closest friends and I love the fact that you can celebrate friendships on days like these as well. The message that I'm trying to get across is that instead of feeling like the next Bridget Jones or Miranda today, you should feel more 'Beyonce Independent women' about it, if things are supposed to happen then they will. If you want something, don't sit around and wait for it to come to you, go and make it happen yourself. An article in the most recent Cosmopolitan magazine has been in my mind all week, it's very empowering and if your not feeling too happy today then I suggest you have a look here :) Hope you have a lovely day no matter what you're doing.
All of which I agree on to some extent but there is a part of me which just adores the whole idea of the day. If you're with someone it's a cute day to celebrate the fact that you are together and appreciate what you do for each other, if your single it's nice to watch cute films, eat chocolate and bake valentines themed goodies - there is no point in moping around just because you're single or don't have someone special, you should also celebrate the fact that you're not settling for less than what you deserve (something that i have been a victim of far too much personally). I had a tiny bit of an awkward moment yesterday where someone asked me what I was doing today when I replied 'I'm spending it with my one and only valentine, work' they laughed, but that doesn't mean the day has to be boring. I was lucky enough to wake up to a flurry of 'happy valentines day!' texts from some of my closest friends and I love the fact that you can celebrate friendships on days like these as well. The message that I'm trying to get across is that instead of feeling like the next Bridget Jones or Miranda today, you should feel more 'Beyonce Independent women' about it, If things are supposed to happen then they will. If you want something, don't sit around and wait for it to come to you, go and make it happen yourself. An article in the most recent Cosmopolitan magazine has been in my mind all week, it's very empowering and if your not feeling too happy today then I suggest you have a look here :) Hope you have a lovely day no matter how you spend it.