Moving to London//Goodbye thoughtsandthunder

With this blog long abandoned, 3 years abandoned to be exact, it's hard to believe anyone will even see this post. However, I thought I'd update you on my life and mention my new blog- little smoke.

As some of you may be aware, I've been working extremely hard to get into vet school for so many years now and as of august last year, I achieved that!!

As a consequence, I've moved to London and wish to document my experience, with a new (more mature?) stance.

Find me over here!!

Thank you thoughtsandthunder, for being my creative space from the age of 15, you will forever be looked back on fondly.

Love,
Abbie
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A pessimists view on life

People often wonder why I have such a negative view on life, why do I always expect the worse- regardless of the fact I am often proved otherwise?

Pessimism is often viewed as a bad way to look at the world and while it is true that people that are constantly positive do bring joy to others, I often find that for the most part it takes me more energy to look 'on the bright side of life.'

Yes, this does get annoying; however, I feel pessimism does have its perks that people tend to overlook.

Finding joy in the simple things

For the most part, everything positive that happens to me lifts my spirits and so I feel I am able to find the beauty in the smaller things. You see, I automatically expect everything to go wrong and everyone I encounter to be miserable. So when I am- quite often- proven wrong, I quickly feel as though my day has been made.

'Wow, my bus was on time today AND the driver was so kind! Can life get any better?!'

over planning

Another aspect of my personality is that I always think too far into things, if I am to go somewhere for the first time- even if it should be a great experience- I am always thinking about what could go wrong. Because of this, I make sure I am prepared for everything and although this limits the spontaneous of life sometimes, it definitely becomes useful!

What are your views on optimism vs pessimism?

Abbie
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Do Judge a book by it's cover

It's the age old saying: 'Don't judge a book by it's cover!'

Many of us have tried to keep to this phrase but inevitably- failed. And why? Because it is human nature to judge (books and people) and although I would love to live in an idealistic world where everyone just gets by without judgement; that is never going to happen.

Heck, I bet you even judged the title of this blog post!

Often, part of my process for deciding if I want to buy a book is thinking about how good it will look on my shelf in my room. Obviously, this isn't the most important factor when buying books but it definitely runs through my head.

There is just something about the aesthetics of a book cover, that even if you take ages to get around to actually reading it, you can look at it and smile because It looks so damn good!

This, ultimately, is why ugly book covers are such a turn off. I don't look at that book cover and get excited to read it. In fact, I feel sorry for the story- that it has been wrapped in such a gross cover.

You can only imagine then, why, I picked up two new books yesterday...

Not only do I want to read them, they have such beautiful covers AND match the style of a book I already have at home. Plus, they were incredibly cheap (HomeSense, I love you.)

Ultimate goal: to have all the classics in this style.

It's a win-win.

What about you? Do you find yourself only buying pretty books or, do you completely suppress this urge and follow, 'don't judge a book buy it's cover' to a T?

Abbie

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P.s. Why I smile at strangers

Welcoming February

January has confirmed to me that I am in 100% denial mode towards my exams. With every passing day I am hit with the realisation that I hardly have any time left of school and with every passing day I shove that exact thought into a box in the back of my mind. This needs to stop in February.

There has been a lot of hype around the prospect of snow recently, it seems almost everywhere has been hit by it except here. I would love to wake up one morning to a crisp, white blanket of snow.

This month I have been investing in a few statement pieces for my wardrobe. I am focusing on staple pieces that can be worn in multiple ways in different seasons, the best purchase of January? Some DC Marten style shoes, 15 pounds in the Topshop sale-sale.

This month I am:

Taking part in Blogilates 30 Day Butt Lift Challenge.
Starting to revise for my final exams.
Going to save up money for an eventual big shopping trip.

What do you hope to do this month?

Abbie
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Capturing the moment#1

I have been wanting a DSLR for around 4 Christmas' now. And on the 25th December last year(!) this dream came true.

As I get to grips with such a great gadget, I thought I would document my progress by showcasing my most recent photos once and a while. I was originally planning on doing this once a month but obviously the amount of photos I take will vary from month to month, so I didn't think this was consistent enough.

Here are a few of my faveourite shots since receiving my camera:

This was the first ever picture taken, a simple bokeh of my Christmas tree. It gives me such a warm feeling.

One crisp morning in December, I was playing around with what I could capture outside. We have an old shed in our garden that is falling over and provides a home for many a creature. I like the fine lines of the cobweb and the reflections caught in the web and around it.

Again with reflections, I love how each bubble has the reflection of another within it. I shot this just after drawing myself a bath with a Mango bath melt from Lush.

I absolutely love these three pictures for all different reasons. I feel they portray lots of emotions and have really captured Saffron's personality. I am especially proud of the one were she is looking directly into the camera. Although not so cute, It was timed just right!

Who doesn't love a cat paw?

What have you photographed this month?

Abbie
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Expensive Trainers- Are they worth it?

With the new year just beginning, many people are vowing to start exercising and go on a health kick. Some may have toyed with the idea of buying themselves a new pair of shiny new, expensive trainers but turned it down due to exactly that- the expense.

And It's the question that SO many people ask. Because, let's be honest, you don't understand the benefits and downfalls until you have experienced all different brands of trainers- within all different price ranges.

 I have been playing netball for around six years and have had all trainers imaginable but it's safe to say I would pay that little extra for quality ANY DAY.  However, I really do not think this is necessary if you are just starting running etc for the first time. It is much better to work your way up and find what is best for you according to how much you run, where you run etc.

But even still, If you are considering buying expensive, branded trainers (such as Asics) I thought I would tell you a bit about my personal experience with such trainers.

Pictured above is a comparison between my last pair of Asics and my current ones I received for Christmas, As you can see they were TRULY loved and thus battered. Over a period of around 6 months they went from pristine to falling apart. However, they were being used AT LEAST 5 times a week so obviously, depending on your fitness routine, your trainers will wear at a rate parallel to that.

Following that, here is the difference in grip. Believe it or not, my old trainers once had such grip. I knew it was time for a change when I could feel the gravel on the courts and was slipping around all over the place!

On thing I particularly love about these trainers (and what many high end trainers have in common) is the gel layer in the sole. This extra layer makes these trainers extremely comfortable to wear and obviously this is a huge factor to consider when buying something you will be using lots. Great trainers will take you great places.

Lots of places sell high end brands such as Asics and I can't stress enough over the fact that you DO NOT need to buy them directly from the brands website/ store. You can often get a much better deal if you look else where- gym shops, ebay, high street shops etc.

So, it turns out I can talk an awful lot about trainers. And I didn't even go into the excitement I felt unwrapping these.

What is your opinion on expensive trainers?

Abbie
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You can find my particular trainers here.

Alexa Chung- It

I was lent this book on the premise that I read it I would fall in love with her. And I did.

If I am completely honest, I had heard of Alexa Chung in the past, for a start she's all over Tumblr- but I'd never really idolised her in any way or thought of her as a particular fashion icon. Until I read this book.

This girl finds fashion inspiration everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE. Each page or so introduces a different one of her fashion icons, usually paired with an interesting and unique story. Put this along side her quips of wisdom and great photography and you have got a truly awe-inspiring book.

Pictured above are some of my faveourite photo bits and bobs.

I particularly liked how down to earth she appears, starting modelling at the age of 16 is no easy feat. That, and the fact she has dated the likes of Alex Turner and many other lead singers, if anyone- she has the right to brag. But no, she just delivers a great book with countless fashion advice and good humour.

The one downfall of this book is that it wasn't long enough! It only took me around 1 and a half hours to finish and I would have loved to read on. Of course, there is only so much that can be written without it becoming tiresome but Alexa Chung definitely quit while she was ahead- I would have loved another 200ish pages. However, this book is great for those short train journeys or just to dip into now and then to feel inspired.

Overall, this book is a must have for all fashion and beauty lovers. I am ever so sad to have to return it to it's rightful owner but will no doubt be purchasing a copy for myself.

Alexa Chung- can I be you please?

Have you read this? What did you think?

Abbie
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p.s I would love to do some in depth book reviews this year, what do you think?

A clean slate

2014 was a pretty bad year for me, in fact I'd go as far as saying I'll be happy to see the end of it. Throughout this year I've started to work incredibly hard at keeping myself happy and now I can safety say I am surrounded by people that make me laugh everyday and generally make my life better.

With that In mind, I'm looking forward to what 2015 will bring. I'll ignore the looming prospect of final exams for now, and focus on what I will be doing to contribute to a great year!

Blog-wise
. I am aiming to upload a post AT LEAST once a week, this will provide a great stress reliever from exams and I mustn't stop myself doing from what I enjoy.
. To get to grips with shooting manual and get out and experiment with my new camera.
. To discover my blog niche- by experimenting lots and finding out what works for me.

Personal-wise
. Organise my studying and social life so that I feel comfortable going into exams, not scared and overwhelmed.
. Eat less sugary snacks- think of your skin!!
. Try to become a master  decent at applying liquid eyeliner.
. Experiment with hairstyles.
. Try not to take your exam related rants out on your family. Save it for those who will rant with you- your friends.

What are your goals for the new year?

Abbie
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Holiday Baking

Today I joined forces with my incredibly excitable 6 year old cousin, to bake up a storm before Christmas.

First on the agenda, were these incredibly easy sugar cookies, made with Mary Berry's simple vanilla dough recipe. We did end up decorating these but I forgot to snap a picture before Molly took them home for Father Christmas.

And what does every baking session need? Why Frozen inspired cakes obviously, duh.

(and teeny hands to model them too)

These were incredibly easy too, considering they were just a packet mix. Little packets like this are great for getting the younger ones involved. Although, her favorite part of it all was allocating a sugar stamp to each cake!

Finally, a traditional Yule log- complete with figurines.

Have you been baking this holiday season? In the future, would you like to see recipes?

Abbie

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A catch up

I wondered If I should do a 'Hello December' but, considering I've only posted one thing since 'Hello November,' I figured I'd just have a chat with you instead. I should really stop starting my blog posts with apologies...

November turned out to whiz by a LOT quicker than I imagined it would, with the coldness slowly creeping in and the daylight hours quickly shrinking. It's certainly much colder in the mornings but, with not owning a single decent coat, I find myself having to grin and bear the frost nipping me on the nose slapping me in the face.

My mock results turned out to be much greater than my expectations. Which is good, considering I had already set them high enough. I've got another set mid-January though, followed by my final exams. so my revision doesn't stop just yet.

A few of you may remember this tiny post, about how my room was slowly being transformed. Well, nearly a year later, It's complete! (minus one wardrobe door but we won't talk about that)

As both the days and nights are becoming colder, Saffron has started to damn right refuse to venture outside. And while I appreciate all the extra cuddles, she is a slight hindrance when It comes to wrapping gifts. Here's a cute picture of her after one of her ribbon wrestling sessions.

Abbie
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Panic!At The Disco cover Bohemian Rhapsody

I'm aware I haven't been the most active blogger recently but countless amounts of revision means I barely even have time to eat my dinner.

However, I stumbled across this and thought that I must share it. I'm not sure quite how many Panic! fans are following this space of the internet but I just think this needs to be seen by more people and, as an avid fan myself, I thought I would share it just that little bit further.

Even If you are not a fan, I recommend a listen. Brendon Urie's vocals are easily appreciated.

I promise I will have a lot more content coming your way soon.

Abbie
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P.s Ed Sheeran at the 02

Hello November

Well hello November, haven't you crept up on us fast. It seems like only yesterday it was the first of October! This year, you brings some very exciting (and some very scary) things towards me. The first being tomorrow, my birthday! Later on you present me with two weeks of mock exams and, most likely, two weeks of stress.

As the month begins, my new bedroom is nearly complete. The furniture has been built (minus one missing door for my wardrobe), the carpet has been laid and the wallpaper has been hung. All that is left to buy is my favorite part, all the little knick knacks and accessories.

Although summer really is glorious, I am looking forward to your nipping frost and cold winds. They give me an excuse to shut out the world and snuggle up in my duvet. Something that I wish I had the chance to do much more often!

I feel that you often bring families closer together, November, there is nothing sweeter than curling up on the sofa and watching a Sunday film with your family except, maybe, the gingerbread lattes you grace us with.

As I look out my window today, it seems quite deceiving that you have started your month with sunshine and a pleasant breeze, I'm sure the rain will make up for that at a later date.

Abbie
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What are you looking forward to in November?

Post concert depression// Ed Sheeran at the O2

*WARNING: contains concert spoilers!*

How cool are these tickets!? My thumb is covering the tiny Ed.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind when I say this, Ed Sheeran is a lyrical genius. Not only is he a lyrical genius but a performing genius, a crowd-pleasing genius and and all round genius genius.

Last night was one of the best nights of my year so far, I traveled up to London with a close friend to watch Ed Sheeran and I can honestly say It couldn't have been better.

I was slightly apprehensive as to whether or not Ed would be able to fill the O2 arena, after all he is just one man and his guitar (plus a loop pedal but we'll talk about that later) however, I was blown away by the way he had the crowd completely gripped and engaged. To my own experience, he actually did this much better than a particular popular boy band playing on the same stage, a couple of years ago.

Unlike many artists, Ed Sheeran didn't need any fancy band or backdrop. He simply started his set by walking onto stage, adjusting his guitar and jumping straight into the opening song- I'm a mess.

From there, It only got better. I actually found that he sounded better live rather then pre-recorded on the radio, which is the opposite for many artists!! At concerts he tends to hold the notes longer, rap faster and add random songs into his own music. For example, In the middle of don't, he had us singing,'these girls ain't loyal!'

And when we weren't screaming at the top of our lungs, we were waving our arms to a slow song, such as thinking out loud.

Another great thing is the variety of songs he included. He didn't do the annoying thing of sticking to his most recent album, he went right the way back and sung songs for everyone and it's things like that that stick in your head,

BY FAR my favorite part of the whole concert was a little moment when Ed was talking about 'a band that he had recently be touring with in Northern Island', he mentioned that he considered these people best mates and had managed to drag one of them down to London to play for us. He then announced, no less than, Nathan Connolly from Snow Patrol!!

The place erupted with cheers and when they announced that they would be singing chasing cars together, I could have exploded with happiness. That song is one of my favorites on its own but Nathan and Ed harmonised perfectly, and made it even better. I was on the verge of tears right at the very end, on the last two lines, Ed and Nathan stopped completely and left it completely to the audience. Hearing a whole arena of people, singing the same song at completely the same time with such passion in their voices is one of the reasons why concerts are one of my favorite things, ever. I found this video of Chasing cars, if you skip right to the end, you will see what I mean. Absolutely breathtaking. 

After the encore, it was sadly time for the last song. Of course, Ed went out with a bang with sing. Every one was on their feet dancing and singing at the top of their lungs. Right at the end, he told us to, no matter what, carry on singing. He slowly put down his guitar, danced a bit and then walked off stage to end the concert! We sang him off stage and, as the lights went up, I felt absolutely on top of the world.

Abbie

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Why I smile at strangers

Yes... I am one of those people.

The type of person that grins at you whilst you are having a bad day, 'who does she think she is, smiling at me, and whilst I feel like this!.'

-source-

The truth is, I feel it is my duty to simply acknowledge others. We have, for one reason or another, ended up crossing paths in our lives and I think the least I can do, is to smile at these people. More often than not, we are too engaged in our own lives to realise that everyone else is coexisting beside us too.

I'll give you an example of a conversation I heard outside the gym, between a dad and his two children.

Child 1: Hey Daddy, they are redoing the gym, you could use that!
Dad: ...And why is that?
Child 2: Because you haven't exercised in FOREVER!!

The two children then proceeded to laugh and as I looked up from what I was doing, and smiled at this man, we shared a moment of, 'Oh god, children say that funniest things, how embarrassing!' All without opening our mouths.

It's moments like this that explain why I believe in smiling at strangers, so what if it's that grumpy old man on the bus, we should all spread a little joy!

Abbie
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5 Signs that you may have a sweet tooth

1. You scroll quickly past the pictures of apples of Pinterest and go straight to an AMAZING picture of cake. You pin it to your, 'yum' board and move on.

2. You have a stash of sweets for special occasions. That you dip into far too much.

3. You find yourself justifying why you chose the mega triple chocolate deluxe cheesecake for dessert when all your friends ordered coffee.

4. You claim your face is just going through, 'a break-out stage.' When, In reality, it's being charged up with all the sugar zipping around your body.

5. 'Whhaaattt, It's only my third chocolate bar, pfft...'


Abbie
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If you cannot be a poet, be the poem// Poet Feature

Those who know me, will know that I am an absolute sucker for all things literature. In particular- poems. I've written a far few poems myself however I doubt that I will be sharing them anytime soon. Keep in your mind my love when I tell you that BY FAR my favorite poet is Erin Hanson, of thepoeticunderground.com

Whenever I see a quote, poem or something similar that inspires me, I always save it. For a while I've been building up a HUGE collection of literature that I can refer back to on days where I just need something to take comfort in. Poetry always wins in this case. I was scrolling through this collection one day when I noticed that most of my all time favorite poems had the initials '~e.h' on the end of them. This sparked curiosity within me and I'm pretty sure I simply googled 'e.h poems.'

I could not have been more pleased with what I discovered, the mysterious 'e.h' had a blog! As soon as I discovered Erin's blog, I fell even more in love with her writing. She constantly updates it and her poems never fail to mesmerize me. What I love most is the way in which she uses continuous metaphors throughout her work and her use of personification is simply perfect.

What's more, she connects with her audience so much. She passionately replies to messages and comments as If she were talking to a close friend and It just creates so much more of a community. Moreover, You can actually pay (a tiny sum may I add) to receive a handwritten letter, equipped with a unique poem. This is such a lovely idea and I know If I were to receive one, It would mean a awful lot, the fact that the poet has gone out of their way to provide such a thing is a truly sweet gesture.

Erin has also recently released a book, which just tops it all off for me. The idea that I can have a collection of her poems sat in my bookshelf or the book open on my desk, fills me with joy. It will definitely be on my birthday list!

If you haven't already, I HIGHLY recommend you have a wonder through thepoeticunderground and fall in love with Erin's poetry. She continues to be a huge inspiration of mine and I wish her massive success for the future.

Abbie
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Quotes to end the week #1

A while back, I started writing up a few quotes in my journal on a Friday that I particularly liked or thought summed up the week well. I think this is a nice way to look back on your week, either in a good or bad light. Regardless of what happened, you can reflect on your week and get ready for the weekend ahead. Here are some quotes I think relate to this week.

What quotes sum up your week?

Abbie

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Sunday Adventures

Last Sunday, my family and I decided to go for a drive, with the intention of heading towards the new forest and not much else, we set off.

We ended up a place called Buckler's Hard, a natural port and Maritime Museum. It didn't take us very long to walk the whole thing; however, we skipped out on doing the woodland walk so maybe that would have taken us a longer time. The history of Buckler's Hard is extremely interesting (especially if you're a history nerd like me) and has bits of information that everyone can enjoy. From the history of the smugglers to the remains of the artifacts re-discovered after the sinking of the SS. Persia.

To summarize, It was a interesting trip but I would not call it a day trip unless you bring a picnic etc. and really milk what the sight has to offer.

Abbie
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Autumn playlist

It's not technically Autumn yet but we will just skip over that small fact.

Evenings are drawing in, I've traded tanning for studying and shorts for leggings. Here's what I've been listening to since September started.

Reasons Not To Be An Idiot//Frank Turner
Cigarette Daydreams//Cage The Elephant
Not Nineteen Forever//The Courteeners
School Uniforms//The Wombats
Tenerife Sea//Ed Sheeran
Wires//Athlete
Scar Tissue//Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Kathleen//Catfish and Bottlemen
Many of Horror//Biffy Clyro
Kids//Cover of MGMT by The Kooks

What's on your playlist at the moment?

Abbie
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Write away the blues

A while back, I purchased an A5 notebook, with the intention of turning it into a journal. If I'm honest with myself,  I didn't expect that it would last very long. I've tried (and failed) to keep journals in the past and have given up after I hadn't been able to fulfill my vision of what I wanted it to be like.

However, 7 months later, my journal has become a hive for my thoughts, ideas, fears and everything that is whizzing around my head. I feel like I have to write, to do my thoughts justice on paper. It has become so much more than 'dear diary...'

Thinking about it now, I was able to overcome the viscous circle of half finished journals by trying to forget what I was trying to accomplish. To me my journal isn't just writing about my day but about putting the world to rights, through words. I am able to unwind after a long day or even write about an out of this world theory, one that I'd thought up while browsing the internet.

If you are, like I was, someone that likes the idea of keeping a journal but ends up quitting: persevere. My journal is for my benefit only and I love what it has become.

Do you keep a journal?

Abbie
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