Things I Love Thursday

(Image found via observando.)


Helloooo Thursday! It's been a bit of a dead week but I have some glorious things for which to be pleased - so let's get to it!

BEDA Buddies - These girls are awesome, I tell ya. Maureen set us up together to encourage each other throughout BEDA, but we Tweet together constantly, have an epic Facebook chat on the go, and have been gradually kindling our own little blogging circle. We've decided to make TiLTs a weekly commitment from now on, and I'm super excited to read all of their posts every week! Check them out via my blogroll! They are Autumn, Christina & Becky.

BOOKS - I ventured into Fopp today, which is always a dangerous game. I spent a total of £6 on books and came away with Russell Brand's biography (loooow-broooow! For some reason I suddenly realised-- I kind of like him. He's smart.), Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (respectable, for a change!), Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (why a Glaswegian hasn't read it while her Californian boyfriend managed it continues to allude me!), and Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. The last two were packaged together for £2 in total - I couldn't resist!

OMGah! - My boyfriend is coming to visit in order to attend my graduation, and then we're flying back to California together on the 29th to begin my Trans-Atlantic Adventure 2.0. He arrives on Tuesday, I can't wait!

Midday Catch-ups & Afternoon Drinks - I am a teensy bit tipsy after a couple of large glasses of wine this afternoon. I met up with my good friend from uni and we chewed the fat for a few hours. Always makes for a good time =)

Old Habits Die Hard - Lately I've been nurturing the old magazine junky inside me, and she is grateful. I just realised that this month's Empire has a quote on the spine:
"John Dillinger was killed behind that theatre in a hail of FBI gunfire. And do youk now who tipped them off? His f***king girlfriend."
Oh, Empire. You are too much. The Classic Scene is "There's no crying in baseball!" Brilliant.

Hard-Work Paying Off - Recently I've heard a couple of people describe post-graduation life as a series of accidents. I recently decided that I'm ready to put myself out there, and the results seem promising so far. Waiting to see what happens next is pretty damn awesome.

Honourable Mentions:
Also buying The Weather Man, the most hilariously dry film ever; cleaning out Gmail and seeing how many meaningful messages actually come through; BEDA Buddies, again!; lots & lots of awesome books (please please please go read Water for Elephants!); Skype chats, especially in the morning; Having lots to look forward to; compiling my personal hell (less scary when you don't believe that it will actually happen!); happy-dancing, and seeing the awesomeness in life.

What made you do your happy-dance this week? (Literally or metaphorically!)

The Perfect Carry-On Bag

(Image by aknacer.)


Carry-on bags are a fickle business. What you put in there can stay on your back and about your person for days, so it's important to pack well. Except for a couple of heavy valuables, I think I've just about cracked it. Aside from the super-obvious, I'm always sure to pack the following:

Laptop - A necessity, due to its valuable nature. But it isn't too hard to find a backpack with a sturdy laptop pocket to make this less cumbersome. (I use a Dakine).

iPod & headphones - Headphones and earphones are desirable, so as you can change it up. I like ear-buds with adjustable sizes as they block out a lot of outside noise without costing a fortune. Stock up on podcasts and a couple of new albums. I like music that tells a story, so I'm saving The Decemberists' Hazards of Love for my next long-distance traverse!

A book & A magazine - I'm guilty of lugging 2 or 3 books on board for one journey, and much of the time don't even get around to reading. Paranoia sets in: What if the writing is hideous and I can't concentrate? What if I finish the last 150 pages 4 hours before we land? Chillax. Get a good recommendation and stick with it!

Notebook - As a lone traveller it's easy to get a bit lonely, so grab a notebook and get scribbling! Extra points for 140-character, Twitter-style remarks on your eccentric aeroplane buddies.

Passport & documents - Keep them safe, in one place, and always know which bag/pocket you put them in! I once thought I'd lost my passport after a 15-hour journey and they wouldn't let me connect without it. It's not fun, so keep it together! Etsy is bursting at the seams with cute travel wallets. It's also a good idea to print your itinerary and keep it handy for picky airport staff.

Toiletries - Toothbrush, toothpaste, some moisturiser, and a couple of face-wipes. It helps to land feeling clean and refreshed. My hands dry out something terrible on long-distance flights. A dab of powder and a lick of mascara can really uplift your mood after sitting next to a grump for 11 hours!


A couple of cheeky travel tips:
- Drink lots and lots and LOTS of water! You'll feel better on the other side-- trust me!
- Sign up for frequent flier miles (and treat yourself to a free upgrade once in a while).
- Spare socks and hand sanitizer are your friends.


What items are top of your to-pack list? Where in the world are you off to next?

Trawling the Disney Store & the Toy Cave

(Image by mr_analog.)

Look at this trove,
Treasures untold,
How many wonders can one cavern hold?...


I recently found myself wandering into the Disney Store, with that familiar awe-struck stare. Eyes bright, arms outstretched, gawping at the selection of goodies on sale at their ridiculously inflated corporate branded prices. It's enough to make you ill, but I still absolutely love it. Where else can you get a pencil case with secret compartments, a Buzz Lightyear just like the movie character (in proper, reach-out-and-touchable 3D!) and a keyring bearing every Disney character you could possibly imagine?

I'm still a big kid in the Disney store, despite having no use or reason for the stuff. I might have found myself buying a soft-toy version of Bolt, had my friend not given me the biggest, "Nicola, you are a child and I will not condone this type of behaviour while you are so ridiculously skint" look I have ever received. After telling them not to let you buy anything, under any circumstances, most friends will cave for an eyeliner or a cheap book (for which I am eternally grateful!) but none have yet condoned my ridiculous admiration of plush toys. And as much as I'd love to throw caution to the wind and buy myself a hammock to fill with furry friends (it's how we stored them at my house in the old days!) - they're right.

And today I worked out why. I am a self-confessed soft-toy junky, but today my parents and I cleared out the loft and I realised... this is a pretty massive collection. What can I do with it, aside from putting it back into storage?

I guess I was big-time into anthropomorphosis all along.

How old is too old to keep stuffed Eeyores and teddy-bears? Where do their personalities go when we all grow up?

Things I Love Thursday

(Image found here.)


I'm such a Holly Golightly; Thursdays keep creeping up on me. I need someone to keep tabs on the days for me and warn me on a Wednesday evening that Thursday is approaching fast. It would make life that teensy bit better! So what's up in my life this week?

FINALLY getting my grades! - I've been waiting with baited breath for almost a month now, and they were finally published online today. Turns out I got a 1A for my dissertation (highest grade possible!), which means I'll get first class honours overall. Seriously chuffed with myself, and I'm rapidly running out of people to tell! Nobody likes a gloat, but I simply do not care.

Celebratory dinners - The impromptu kind, in particular. Just had a lovely meal with the family and an epic waffle with caramelised banana and chocolate sauce to finish. Deeelish!

Productivity - I've been spending far too much time worrying and not enough time actually doing something about it. Since I found out last night that the grades were on their way, I managed to get focused, knuckle down, and get some writing done. More posts to come as a result, which I hope you are looking forward to as much as I am! I miss posting regularly but haven't been putting in the time or energy. I promise that's about to change! =)

Things to look forward to! - It's now 2 weeks until my boyfriend visits, 3 weeks until my graduation and grad ball, and 4 weeks until I go back to the States. I've bought everything I need (I think!) so now I can finally relax and look forward to it. I can't wait!

Honourable Mentions - How did I manage to forget this?! So much stuff!.. Hanging out with my former flatmate who has just moved to Glasgow; exercising my right as a citizen and voting in the European Parliamentary elections; sunny & warm weather - first properly warm weather we've had in a full year!; being all organised for grad ball; cheeky waiters; reading lots and lots and lots of books; cheap wine, bring a bottle, and ending up at a party with strangers; the final Britain's Got Talent shows (I can't help it!), and finally feeling freeeee!

What's filling your week with awesome?

Travelogues

(Image by bloom-grow-love.)


My favourite places:

California - North, central coast, central valley, wherever! I lived in Santa Barbara for a full school-year and I adored it beyond sensible explanation. I did a lot of growing up there: the people are so friendly and open compared to Brits, and the weather is something to behold. Although to has its faults, I was all but blind to them. When I re-visited this January it was sort-of like being in The Sixth Sense. Everything was exactly how I had remembered it, but I didn't quite belong to the student community any longer. It has the best food joints - the best burrito of my life and my favourite breakfast. I think I'll live there again sometime, but I'm in no rush. I will however be moving back to California this summer, and I simply cannot wait!


Vancouver - I usually get the travel jitters whenever I land some place new. But not in Vancouver. We stayed for a long weekend and the whole time all I could think was, there's so much more I need to see! It's definitely somewhere I can picture myself living and working someday. Who knows. I've been talking for at least six months now about how I want to get a 1-year Canadian visa and ship my ass over there. Whether I have the guts or not, only time will tell. I love the clean, vibrant streets; gorgeous Stanley park; the simple, clean and modest North Shore; the people, the harbour, the weather, and the beautiful cityscape. That's my idea of home.



Places I want to visit:

Gibraltar - It only struck me today that I want to visit Gibraltar. I'm not even sure where it came from. It's kind of ironic, really, since my aversion to Spain in general is that most places are Brit tourist favourites; although I'd really also love to visit...


Barcelona - For the art, the culture, the weather, the food, the Sagrada Família. I'm taking Almodóvar at his word and seeing for myself what the fuss is about!

Australia & New Zealand - All of it! The drudgery of long-distance travel is the only thing that puts me off. I'll get over it eventually. Until then, the antipodes are out-with my grasp. When I finally make it over there, I swear it will be epic.

USA: East Coast - I've deigned to plan this trip on numerous occasions, and funds have always failed me. I want to do the whole sha-bang: Niagara Falls, NYC, New England in its autumnal dress, Chicago and The Bean, Boston, DC, the lot! Hopefully I'll make it farther south and finally visit Disney World, too!

Where are your favourite places in the world? Where are you simply dying to visit?