Yet Another Catch-Up

Whilst second year has been incredible so far, the amount of work I've had to do has at least doubled compared to last year. It has been incredibly stressful but it's paying off as I'm getting really good grades (1sts and 2:1s) compared to last year!

Me and the boyfriend broke up a month ago (though it was essentially over a month before that...not a good break up at all) which was honestly quite a good thing for me. I stopped feeling guilty for not putting someone that wasn't myself first and I've realised that I am actually a lot happier now. I've been able to concentrate on what is important to me - first and foremost my education and the fact that I began to feel pressured and guilty about not seeing him due to my work load increasing and the fact that he didn't understand this despite being a masters student definitely didn't help the situation. 

This term has been so packed that I've had no time for blogging or reading for pleasure which is disappointing! Hopefully over the Christmas break I'll get chance to do more of what I love in between the assessments. 

I hope I do end up actually writing some more this holiday - I shall have to think of some posts! I've been lacking some inspiration recently as well which hasn't helped the lack of blogging recent.

Jess.

Portugal travels!

Last week I went straight from work to Gatwick airport and hopped on plane to Faro in Portugal! 

The boyfriend has a house out near Burgau and I was invited to stay with him and his family! As I've already taken a lot of time out with my Athens trip and my dig at Pewsey, I only went out from Saturday to Tuesday. 

Despite it only being a short trip, I got to explore quite a few different places which was great as I've never been to Portugal before! We ended up going to Sagres, Burgau, Lagos and quite a few beaches between!
I got to see a Medieval fort, a Roman fort, small villages and towns which gave me a great whistle stop tour of the country and I'm very grateful for being invited to go out there!
I love travelling so being able to tick off another place that I've seen is great!

There were a few people parachute gliding off the top of the cliffs!
I would love to try it one day!

A strange fog that covered both ends of the beach on the West Coast!

The slate cliffs were incredible!

The view from the Roman fort near Joe's house.

Sunset on the beach near Joe's.

The flora in Portugal is incredible - fennel, olives, almonds and figs
 were growing in abundance all along the roads!

The beach 10 minutes walk from Joe's house! 

The water had some strange greenish foam in it...
It's really satisfying to watch the sea come in and make half of your legs disappear! 

I didn't get a lot of photos of the food but everything there was so nice and I wish I got to try more! 

Apparently  I can't go anywhere without having some form of pastry!
The best chocolate croissant that I've had.

Seriously yummy chorizo, ham and bacon pizza and my favourite cider I only had in Athens!
I was rather excited when I found it again in the shops!

I'll end with a couple photos of me and Joe! 

Sorry about the photo spam, I can't really do the place justice with words, it was amazing and gorgeous! 

It was such an amazing trip and I will aim to go there again to explore further! 

Jess xx

2015!

I've been horrendous with blogging over the last half of the year - it's been a mix of heavy workloads, getting used to uni life and just having no motivation or decent things to blog about. I have idea but when I come to write them I just don't know how to write it. I have about 4 posts that are in my drafts folder that I've been working on - some aren't even relevant anymore so will need to be deleted!

You may also notice that I've changed the title and description on my blog - I re-read them and found them rather embarrassing so I decided to change them a little instead!

It's the end of another year so I thought I had to at least post something now - it's always good to look back at the year and think about what I want to change and improve on. Last year I posted a 2013 vs. 2014 review which I obviously can't just add to as there's quite a lot of difference I feel! 

~~~~~~~

Confidence

This year I feel like I've come to understand myself a lot better as a person and have consequently become a lot more confident than I was this time last year. The fact that I managed to get into University helped this fact I feel as it made me realise I was good enough and could achieve the things I wanted to if I tried hard enough. I didn't actually get the grades I needed for my course but because of the extra things I'd done outside of my A levels to do with Archaeology and Ancient History, they saw my passion and accepted me anyway! Due to this, I also ended up realising that just because you aren't the best at one type of education, it doesn't mean you won't be good at another so don't be put off if you aren't very good at A levels like I wasn't - I'm now doing well at Uni because the teaching style and the way you're graded works a lot better for me! Asking for help to make sure you get all the help you need for exams is also useful - I probably annoyed my teachers last year by how much I asked them for help! However, this is another thing I learned this year - don't be afraid to ask for help because the teachers want you to succeed and if you show willingness to improve, they will try and support you so you can get the results that you want.

Another thing I've noticed over this year is that I've also become more confident in my body. I'm not a size 8, 6 ft tall model with long, flowing hair but I'm happy with my body in its entirety as I'm the only one that has to live with it so why live hating it? I wear things that look good on my body shape and wear make up because it makes me feel happy and prettier. I already did a post earlier in the year about how I feel about lipstick and how it boosts my confidence! Of course there are things I wouldn't mind changing but for now, I'm happy with myself. 

Work and independence 

Last year, I said I needed to focus on my work but I may have taken that a little too far during the last few months as I've been known to not leave the flat for a couple of days and not sleeping until 3 to make sure I could finish essays on time! I think this year I need to prioritise better as I'm now living more or less independently so I need to balance work and looking after myself as well as remembering to save some time to see friends. 

I also need to organise my work so I have time to do more background reading as I didn't get a lot of chance to this term. This also needs to include planning essays in advance so I don't have a mad rush at the end of term like I did in the last week of this term. It will be a lot better for me if I do little bits along the way instead of huge amounts at the end that get me overly stressed and run down.

Health

I want to try and get a bit healthier in 2015 as I know I could vastly improve what I eat - I think I'm going to try and post recipes when I find ones that are healthy but still nice! I'm already trying to cut down the amount of snacking I'm doing and the amount of sweets/chocolates I'm eating. 

I need to start going to bed earlier which links with my organisation goal - if I do more work earlier in the day then I'll be able to sleep earlier which would be a lot better for me - hopefully I'll be able to get a proper sleeping pattern sorted by the end of this term if I can work properly!

One last thing I need to do is to learn how to take breaks from work and just wind down sometimes. I am constantly working at uni so if by organising my work and life better I can add in break every so often, that would be incredibly helpful!

What are your goals for the upcoming year?
I hope you all have a wonderful New Years!
Jess xx

Bring On Christmas!

I've finished my first term of University. It feels very odd to say that as it still doesn't seem completely real that I'm doing this! 

Since my last post, things have got a lot better as I've written 2 assessment essays, done a quiz that counted for my final grade, written three coursework essays and got all but 2 coursework marks back! I'm working at 2:1 and even got a first in my first assessment essay I got back which makes me really happy as that's the equivalent of Bs and As - my previous doubts about being good enough have diminished quite a lot luckily. It makes me realise how messed up A levels are as I was at B/C level for those but I'm getting better grades in a higher level of study?! I think I suit independent working a lot more as I like using a lot of books and finding my information from them which is exactly what is needed for University essays!

Even though I seem to be doing well in my work, it's taking its toll as it means that I'm up quite late at night finishing my essays off and I'm not able to see my friends or even my flatmates that much! I'm starting to feel a bit distanced from them which isn't too fun. Luckily I get to see my old friends in my month off so I get back into a good social environment with a much needed break from working, it will be a nice change! 

Christmas is easily my favourite time of the year so getting nearly the whole of December and the beginning of January off from Uni is so exciting! The fact that I'm going to have 2 weeks of nothing means I'm going to have loads of spare time to get presents and cards for people which is great! Hopefully I'll also be able to work more so I'll earn money that I can save up and spend later on next year! The time off also means I'm going to have loads of time to blog and read again so be prepared for more posts (I mean it this time!) - I intend to get back into the swing of things again as I haven't had any inspiration over the last couple of months as nothing very exciting has happened! I do however have a few things to catch you up on! 

Jess xx

This week's favourites!

My presence on the internet has increased to normal levels again this week so I actually have enough things for a favourites post!

1. Lauren Aquilina - Lovers or Liars

I love Lauren so much - she's released two EPs off her own back, has another available for pre-order and is only a year older than me! This is her new video for one of the songs off her new EP (already ordered...it was only £1.99!) and I love it, I can't wait to see what the other new songs are going to be like!

2. The new Kate Spade range

Most of you guys will know that I have an unhealthy obsession with Kate Spade by now. They can be quite hit and miss, but when I find something I love, it's perfect. This season is really pretty and it inspired by Brighton and Paris! 

My favourite pieces:

Je ne sais quoi shirt

Ooh la la Francis

Dorothy coat (it also comes in white!)

3. 50 company slogans if they were honest about it

Some of these are American so they don't apply, but the ones that do are so funny and accurate!

4. Howl's Moving Castle

I found a post on Tumblr with links to lots of Studio Ghibli films and I watched Howl's Moving Castle over this week - WOW. This might possibly be one of my favourite films. It's adorable, funny and it's just great. I've watched it with English subtitles and being dubbed over by English/Americans (Josh Hutcherson and Christian Bale...definitely worth a watch/listen!) and I loved both - be warned though, you get to hear important background info that doesn't come up on the screen in the subbed version but the subbed is obviously more authentic - you just have to watch and read at the same time!
Subbed/Dubbed

I'm happy with the variation in this post, hope you guys enjoyed it too!
You can suggest things for me to check out in the comments below!
Jess xx

Lazy Sunday

Now I'm back, the first week back at college went by so quickly and now it feels as if I never left! Overall, it's been a good start back, with lessons feeling quite relaxed and not a lot of homework being given out. 

I've been re-doing my coursework today which has been quite hard as it's my final draft. Whatever I give in next time will be the piece that is marked for my final grade. Last year we got a few drafts that allowed us all to get good grades but this year it's quite scary having to get it all right pretty much on the first go! Hopefully it all goes alright!

Jess xx

P.S. I'm almost at 100 followers on Bloglovin', thank you!

Bad day.

(I need somewhere to rant so don't bother reading this if you don't want to.)

You know where you get those days where everything seems to go wrong and you just want to curl up in a ball and hide away from the world? I've been having one of those days. Big time.

This holiday, I wasn't set much homework aside from reading, but what I did get was quite large and takes quite a bit of time up. 

I was given a project to complete with a friend in Classics and we split the work up between the two of us as it was easier to complete most of the work individually but had planned to come together once we couldn't do any more without talking about it. 

To start the day off, I ended up oversleeping again as I've not been sleeping very well the last few nights anyway so it's starting to catch up on me. This meant that I was already behind by a few hours and didn't get to work until about 11.30/12. I had almost finished my part of the document when I accidentally managed to reload the page (on a Mac, this can be done really easily by swiping left to right) when looking at a picture I was using. As it's an online document with no automatic saving features, I lost everything I'd done over the last four hours. I had one last page of my booklet to complete (I had done 10 others today) so I've been pretty upset for the last hour or so. 

I know it doesn't seem like much and I can just re do it but it really annoys me how I got so close to finishing and I ruined it in a second. It also really upsets me because I feel like I've let my friend down as we were going to meet up today once it was all finished so I've ruined the chance of us being able to meet up and get the very last part done.

I really needed to do something to clear my mind a bit so I decided to write a little post on here as writing always makes me calmer and happier. 

Jess xx

Listen Without Understanding.

I love listening to songs in another language while I'm working. It makes it easier to concentrate as I can't sing along or listen to the lyrics closely so it forms a lovely background hum instead of distracting me from work. 

My favourite foreign language songs currently are by a singer called Luce Tremblay-Gaudette. I absolutely love her and even though I can't understand a single word, the songs are so sweet and happy sounding, they just put me in a good mood. You can listen to her 5 track album here.

Jess xx

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go...

It feels odd that I'm going back to college tomorrow after only getting back from my holiday yesterday. It also feels odd blogging again as I've been blog free for the last week! I also have no posts in my drafts or scheduled posts so I have no ideas to work off; the only posts that I have lined up are reviews/showing freebies I've acquired over the last few weeks or so which can get a tad boring. You'll have to bear with me over the next week as I try and balance college work and writing new posts again!

The trip to Norfolk me and my family went on this week was a much-needed break as I haven't been on a family holiday for two summers! It was nice to relax and do minimal homework but that means that I've had to do lots today to catch up which isn't so nice! 

We spent a lot of time at the beach as we couldn't really anywhere with the dog and the rest of the time was either at home or in the nearby town. Even though we did next to nothing, it was a great holiday as I got to spend time with my family and do nothing without worrying about anything.

I actually really like this picture of me!

The beach we spend each morning walking Snoopy on apparently had a Humpback whale just off shore a few days in a row which was really exciting! We didn't see it but it was funny when there were lots of people with their binoculars and cameras crowding on the dunes to hopefully get a glimpse of it! 

After a three hour car journey back home, I got a message from one of my secondary school friends asking if I wanted to go to see some fireworks with her and another friend. We went and it was amazing. I haven't been to a fireworks display for quite a long time so it was exciting to wrap up and catch up with a couple of really good friends while watching really pretty fireworks! It really felt like what I imagine autumn to be like which made me super happy!

I love fireworks, they're so pretty!

Sadly, I've had to do lots of homework today due in this week so it's been quite boring but I've been able to stay in my pyjamas all day which is always a nice bonus!

I've also found out that me and my family are going to London next weekend which is always really exciting - I'm planning on dragging them to the new J. Crew store that opens on Regent's Street on Friday, I'm super excited - I'll update more when I've actually gone!

Jess xx

The Wrong Direction.

All of my posts seem to be about my make up buys over the last month and I assume they're getting pretty boring! To be honest though, my life isn't particularly exciting either...
I'm very close to finishing my personal statement and I honestly don't understand how people are finding it so hard to write about why they want to do the subject; surely if you love it enough to want to do it at Uni then you should be able to write about it? I found it hard to start but once I got going, I managed to write the rest in under an hour and a half. When I gave it to my tutor, she gave me really good feedback and helped me structure and word it better for my next draft. It was quite a bit over the character limit but I'm so pleased with it! She also managed to find a way to fit my blog into my personal statement and make it sound like it's relevant for my course!
UCAS is a nightmare though. It takes so much effort to write in each grade you got for each module of each subject done since GCSE so trying to find the right course then the right version of the subject is nearly impossible. Luckily I'm almost finished which is great!

A few things that have been going through my head recently:
1. I need to work and revise more.
2. I'm so excited for Uni, but which to choose?
3. Cardiff do Journalism, English Lit, Creative Writing and Fashion and Beauty societies? Awesome. When can I start?
4. I miss London.
5. This song.
6. I need a job but too much college work.
7. I can't wait for Christmas.
8. I get distracted way too easily.
9. Also, this song!
10. I wish more people would find my blog, I love getting my voice out!
11. I wonder what doing YouTube videos would be like?
12. I want all of the Uni stuff out of the way so I can make my final two choices!
13. This year is going crazily fast, how is it almost Christmas already?! I'm so excited for next year though.
14. Sophie Ellis-Bextor is the best on Strictly Come Dancing, I don't care what anyone else says!
15. X Factor gets worse every year, why do we still watch it?!

 Hope you enjoyed this insight into my mind! And just to see how much of a workaholic I am as every other thought is related to work or Uni...
Jess xx

Picking my pieces off the ground

After a bit of a rocky start to the year, I'm finally feeling comfortable with all of my subjects at college. 

Everything makes sense and I'm enjoying all of the lessons and participating on a level I've never done in my entire time in education. 

And I'm so happy about it.

I'm actually excited to work and go into college every day and I feel so optimistic about this year and my inevitable exams. It's inspiring me to work even harder this year so it all pays off come August when I find out results and if I get a Uni place. 

Today is the first of October. This month I'm going to make sure I do extra work/reading to help me understand and consolidate the work I've done in the lessons. I've already bought note cards and started my Classics notes this morning which is a great start!

My teachers are also really supportive so if I have any problems I can just talk to them and explain what I'm struggling with. 

Learning is actually one of my favourite things - you can never have too much knowledge and it's fun getting to learn new things. It's like unlocking a whole new piece of the world and I can't wait to unlock more.

Jess xx

September!

It's the end of September which also means the end of my post challenge! I'm really happy to say that I actually managed to do equal to a post every day! It was quite hard to think of ideas towards the end but luckily my spending habits gave me a few extra things to talk about! 

I've had quite a few more views this month which is really nice to see! Hopefully people keep coming back after this month is over!

I've found that doing a blog post each day has actually been great because it means that I get a little time off doing homework and I get to just write for myself a little each day which I really love. It's a great stress reliever to be able to write about whatever I feel like and other things I love instead of doing solid work all of the time. 

Thanks for reading guys! 

Jess xx

Sick Days.

I'm not feeling particularly great as the moment as I've caught the cold and sore throat that seems to be going round. It's only a cold but it's one of those nasty ones though which drain you so I'm not feeling like doing much. 

I took a couple of books out of the library today to help me with this year and to add some extra items to my personal statement read list so at least I can do some reading whilst curled up on my sofa. I love looking through the classics shelves in the library because I always end up finding new and exciting books that are relevant to my course!
I found a book about my Ancient History course this year and then I found one linking my art course to Archaeology which I am finding really interesting! I'm glad I'll be able to read them and link passages in the book to what I'm currently learning!
I'm lucky that I don't have any proper homework for this weekend so I can take it easy and get better in time for Monday!
Jess xx

Worry.

I am underestimating the amount of work I have to do for my lessons and personal statement. I keep trundling along, just doing the pieces of work I've been given in my lessons, but not doing anything else to improve the amount of stuff I can write about in my personal statement. I also need to do more of the actual personal statement come to think of it! 

There is very little happening in my life apart from college work and preparing for Uni currently and I'm worried because I don't seem to understand the sheer enormity of the workload I already have, three weeks in to the first term of college. I could be doing so much more than what I am so I think I'm going to try and work harder and for longer by using my frees at college properly so I can use my time at home to focus on my personal statement and things to go towards it. 

Hopefully I can stick to my plan and get more done, but this also means that I probably won't be posting as regularly after this month which is a shame! This year is completely focussed on my A levels and everything else is having to be put second.

Jess xx

Shoes and Accessories wish list.

I did a clothes wish list a couple of days ago and I decided to do one for my shoes and accessories that I'm craving! 

1. Black flats

I could happily buy these as replacements...

I have a pair of these that are really comfy but they're so old that there are holes in the back of both shoes so I need equally comfy replacements!

2. Brown Chelsea boots

These are almost exactly what I want...I think!

I've been wanting a pair of these for far too long and have so many items of clothing that would look great with a pair of these. I just need to find a pair that I like and can afford now! I also haven't decided the shade of brown or if I want a heel or not yet...decisions decisions! 

3. Brown (Tan) brogues

I love these!

Again, many outfits to pair them with, just lacking the shoe! I've actually decided that I want them in a tan colour and not heeled for these! 

4. Longchamp le pliage bag

The red one is my favourite but all of the colours are so pretty!

I've heard so many good things about these bags and I really love them even though my mum finds them boring and quite horrible. It's the perfect day time size for a bag and apparently fits a laptop, book, jumper, plus all of the usual items! They come in so many colours and I think that if I ever actually bought one, I would get either the red or the navy so it would go with majority of what I wear!

5. Red flats

So similar to my current pair!

I have a pair of these and again, they're wearing out. They're my favourite shoes and my most comfy but they don't sell them in red at New Look any more so I was super upset to find I couldn't just get an exact replacement because they go with literally everything I own! I hope that New Look decide to stock them in the red again sometime soon so I can properly repurchase otherwise I'll have to find a more expensive alternative that doesn't feel as comfy! They were only £8 so I'm sad that I can't find them again - they were a complete bargain!

6. Nude heels

Not the right colour but they look pretty. Maybe a bit too high for wearing around daily!

I haven't got many pairs of plain heels and nude heels are one of the pairs that I think will go well with  a good few of my outfits. They're also classy and if I get a good pair, I will be able to wear them for a good few years to come! I really want to find the right nude as well, some (like above) are too sandy and I'm looking for more of a pink nude colour instead.

7. Black heels

They aren't skyscrapers or kitten heels so I think these would be perfect for work/interviews/a day out!

As I get older, I'm more likely to go to interviews or important occasions where looking smart is essential. Having a good pair of black heels will be a key thing so you can get them out when they're needed. I also think they'd look really nice with my new boyfriend jeans to dress them up a bit! They would also look great with a few other outfits and that's just off the top of my head! Black is great as they can go with anything!

8. Red heels

A bit too high for just wearing with every day outfits...the search continues!

My final pair. I wear a lot of navy so naturally red is my main go-to accessory colour. I've been toying with the idea of buying a pair of red heels for a while but I've never found a pair that's just right. I don't know if I want them to be patent or suede or leather or what! I guess I'll know when I try them on and either fall in love or don't.

I know these were mainly shoes but I don't have many accessories that I pine after apart from that Longchamp bag and I have far too many pairs of shoes on my list even though I already have far too many pairs (I'm a girl though so it's acceptable...right?)

Jess xx

Blogger Problems.

I say to myself at the beginning of each month that I will do a post every day and every month I fail. I always get so busy in one way or another so it's difficult quite a lot of the time to actually keep up with blogging, especially if all I'm doing is working or something equally boring and time consuming. 

I've decided that instead of a post a day this month, I'll just aim to do 30 posts; the equivalent of one a day but not necessarily having to post one a day. I could miss a day out and write two or three posts the next day but I think if I try hard to stick to this, it will stop me from leaving my blog unattended for a week or longer without a proper post. I think I should be able to actually complete it because this is already my fifth post of this month so I'm on target for once! 

In doing this, I hope that it will keep me writing and blogging regularly because I love writing so it should help me with that and it gives me something to do other than work so it will hopefully force me to take a short break at least for half an hour a day or every other day which will be good for me as I tend to overwork and stress quite a lot so just sitting and writing something fun and light-hearted will be so nice and relaxing. 

I just hope I can stick to it this time!

Jess xx

20 days

It's been 20 days since I last posted.....work truly has taken over my life. After Easter, I've basically been working the entire time. I went on a biology revision course for one week in Easter which surprisingly turned out to be quite fun! The people there were great and I ended up learning a lot of stuff that I didn't really understand before! Hopefully it rubs off properly and I can remember it all in my exams!
I have literally been eating, sleeping and working 9am-11pm every day so I'm shattered. I've had at the most, 8 hours sleep each night since about Christmas so it's really starting to catch up now and it's not nice, I can tell you that!
On a brighter note, I got a timed Ancient history essay that I wrote before Easter back this week, I got 23/25 which is an A so I'm super happy! Hopefully I can do that in the exam!
I also went to see The Host last weekend which was just amazing. Me and my friend kept laughing through it though because some parts were rather cliché and hilarious so that was pretty fun!
My life is so so boring now it's unreal. Nothing exciting is happening until the end of the year really which sucks! We had to do our 2nd year enrolment forms this week too so I finally got to say I'm dropping biology! This also means that I don't have to take it after half term so I finish biology after my last exam on 3rd June so I'm really happy about that!
I finished my extended project and have handed it all in now so I'm REALLY excited to find out what grade I got! My teacher predicted me an A so if I got that or an A*, I would be so happy! It would really make me feel proud because I've worked hard on it, and it would be nice to actually get an A* for a subject overall!
Anyway, I don't have time to write long blog post so I shall post again some time soon I hope!
Jess xx

EASTER!

Happy Easter everyone! Sorry about the long wait in between posts again, for the millionth time, work has taken priority. But this last week has been as awesome as it has crazily busy!
On Monday I went to a UCAS convention at Reading Uni with college which was quite fun! The English talk I went to was pretty boring, mainly because the lecturer was just dull and because I don't even want to do English, I was just there to take notes for Kate! Reading is actually one of my possible choices for Uni so it was nice being able to look around and see what it's like. I actually really liked it but some of the buildings were a bit boring and dull looking. We then went and spoke to loads of reps from different Universities and got prospectuses which was actually really useful! I had a really good chat with the lady at the stall for UCL which helped me understand what it's like living in London. I think overall I picked up about 15 prospectuses when I only went in for 7!! It's funny how you literally go in and just pick up any that look interesting, even when you have no intentions of going there!

So many!!! There's Exeter, UCL, Reading, Durham, Birmingham, Warwick,
Bournemouth, Leicester, York, Aberystwyth, Edinburgh, Royal Holloway and King's College.

I also ended up going to UCL for a taster day on Wednesday which was amazing. We had loads of lectures which was fantastic and the lecturers were all just brilliant. The building we were in was really nice and splat bang in central London, I walked down to Oxford Street and back in under half an hour! It's definitely helped me judge if it's somewhere I could see myself going, and I really can! I'm honestly so excited because it's also one of the best Unis for my course, so if I get in, it will be so amazing! Just need to get AAB first...

On Thursday, because it was the end of term, me and my family went to watch The Croods. Its been ages since we all went to the cinema together so it was nice having a bit of family time out. It was actually a pretty amazing film, it was so funny! It reminded me of Ice Age a bit at some points and seeing as that's one of my favourite films, there's nothing wrong with that!

I went round a friends house to watch some band films (All Time Low are so funny backstage!) and it was really nice catching up with my secondary school friends because they're awesome! It was a lot of fun just sitting around and eating pizza and chatting whilst awesome music goes on in the background.

Now finally on to today.....EASTER! I love it so much, it's like a chocolate Christmas! Chocolate makes me happy so this is always a good time for me, especially when I need something to keep me going whilst working!

SO MUCH YUMMINESS. yay! And also Crème Eggs, which are my favourites.

Sadly, despite the yummy chocolate, I have to do work, so I'll be back sometime in the next week I assume! Byee!
Jess xx

A week in the life of Jess

Well this week has been rather hectic to say the least...I'm just glad to be back blogging again! I've missed it!
I've had a crazy amount of work, with exams looming, it's only destined to get worse sadly!
So...as I said on Monday, Friday and Saturday I actually went and did stuff!!
On Friday I went to the Classics open day at Oxford which was amazing! I met up with some friends by accident and ended up spending half of the day with them until I went for a quick tour around the Ashmolean museum. It was completely amazing!! The other people at the open day were so smart though, one guy read Ancient Greek backwards off a gem on display! It was amazing but scary that he could be a potential rival in getting a place at Oxford...
I lost my friends after the museum tour and I hung around with a girl that I met on the tour! Obviously being me, we ended up in the sweet shop!
I went to a lecture about Hercules and how he can be related to various colonies popping up and some events in history and stuff. It was actually pretty cool! And I felt quite proud that I recognised some of the authors of sources and knew something about them!
Oxford is absolutely breathtaking though, the buildings are gorgeous and they have all the shops anyone could ever need! The colleges are spread out over the whole city which is good because you have to actually walk to get to places so you get to see more of Oxford as you move around which is great!
It just looks crazily hard to get in to, and seeing the people I'm up against, it seems my chances of getting in there are dwindling by the second.
On Saturday I had a few girl friends round and I had a movie day/party for my birthday which is on Wednesday!! It was great seeing all of my old school friends again because it's been ages. I love how it always feels like it's only been a day or two since we last saw each other when we meet up, I love them so much! It was nice to see my college friend and outside any school friend got on with the others super well though! Always makes things easier! They got me some fantastic presents too, they know me so well!

The Dan & Phil top is amazing; Katie, you're fantastic!
The Colin the Caterpillar and Percy Pig sweets are from my friend Phoebe,
a reminder of our awesome GCSE Geography lessons!
The Exploding TARDIS mug, mini malteaster bunnies and stickers are from Julia
 who definitely summed me up in 3 presents!!
I love these girls!

My mum's dog walking friends also got me a gorgeous Roman bird pendant and it's just amazing and beautiful and I love it!

How gorgeous is this?!

I got a free today instead of Extended project and my presentation (YAY!) so I went to Boots and took advantage of their 'Buy 2 Barry m nail polishes, get £1 off' deal and bought these beauties! I ended up spending £10.96 which isn't a lot for 4 nail polishes for a fairly decent brand! I'm currently wearing the Gelly nail paint (far right on the pic) and its super shiny and it's gone on pretty well! They're all great colours for when Spring/Summer finally show up so I feel super prepared for then with regards to my nail colours!

I love these, from left to right: Berry, Mint Green, Blue Moon, Prickly Pear

I'm beyond excited that it's my birthday in 2 days, this week feels like it's going to be good; I've already got an A on my last Ancient History essay which I'm super proud of! I think I'm getting the hang of my subjects now!

Anyway, I'm tired so I'm off! Hopefully I'll blog again soon, I've missed this crazy amounts!
Jess xx

Whistle while you work...

So, work has taken over my life, I don't have time to do anything but work and I'm still not getting time to revise!! What's that even about?! It doesn't make sense to me!
Luckily, I've been working from my bed so I can get home, slip in to my pjs and sit on my bed doing work until stupidly late hours for a school night. I'm super happy that I have a YouTube playlist of calm songs that I just have on in the background as I do my classics notes so it isn't as bad as it could be!

Song list
40 Mark Strasse - The Shins
Just Be - Paloma Faith
O Children - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (The song used in Harry Potter - DH 1!!)
Down the Drain - Orla Gartland
Moving to New York - The Wombats
World Without You - Hudson Taylor
Fools - Lauren Aquilina
Bones - Lewis Watson
Pompeii (acoustic version) - Bastille
King - Lauren Aquilina
Rings Round Roses - Gabrielle Aplin

So there you have it! Some of my favourite songs at the moment and all good to just do work to as none of them are really get up and dance!
I'll post on later in the week, some things are actually happening at the end of the week so I will finally have some bloggable material! Yay!
Jess xx