Though my soul may set in darkness

it will rise in perfect light; 

I have loved the stars too fondly 

to be fearful of the night.

So my exam was not too bad, although I can't guess how I fared. It already feels like weeks ago when it was only Monday! We just chilled out for the rest of the day, paying a visit to the bar and the coffee shop and various places around town, and then yesterday was pretty much the same lazy day. Today though we merrily trotted off to Carmarthen, the nearest town with a cinema and real shops (about an hour away on the bus, eurgh!) and went to see the new Star Trek and take a gander in some clothes shops, trying on clothes varying from nice to ridiculous. Monsoon never fails to make me reaaally want at least one dress and the most recent was a beautiful multicoloured maxi dress that fitted just right. Sadly the need nor the money are actually there, but trying them on is very entertaining (and our sole purpose for setting foot in there! I don't understand it when people don't enjoy trying clothes on if they can't afford them, it is just like dressing up to me. I was saying today that I reckon the reason I can walk in high heels at all is from many hours spent trying shoes on in New Look. 

Speaking of New Look, there were a couple of notable items I tried on but left behind - a white (eep) skirt, and a cute little blouse that looked rather good with the jeans I picked up in the sale; they are just a black pair of skinnies with a vague waxed effect thing going on. I wore through my normal pair and replaced them with straight legs for a bit of a change but decided that I really was missing having a dark skinny pair. I have yet to adjust to my straight leg pair because it feels a bit like they aren't actually mine, since I've lived in skinnies for so long. The feeling is somewhere between early-high-school-wear-whatever jeans and jeans-my-mother-would-wear and just plain somebody-else's-jeans, which I'm hoping will go away soon!

Moving to Star Trek: it was a really good film. Plenty of action (in fact, mostly action) and lots of emotions (my housemate and I nearly flooded the cinema with our tears), with some real cracking lines. Another that all you lot should go and watch. The Great Gatsby comes out tomorrow, so that is the next on the list.

In other news, I made a coffee cake on Monday night and it is actually amazingly delicious! I've been meaning to try for ages but never got around to it, and then the freedom went to my head and I cooked one up. It is perfectly moist and the icing is amazing, and I'm trying to be modest here but am so impressed that it is impossible. I had some leftover icing on a slice of vanilla cheesecake (Sainsbury's does an amazing New York one) and that too was wonderful. I very rarely drink coffee, but coffee cake has always been a favourite, even if it was relegated whenever chocolate was available...


Also, thanks to the person who bought my shiny shoes! I hope your daughter has a great prom in them.

But if you close your eyes (+ Level 2 Day 4)

Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?

Procrastinating again whilst the weather cannot decide between sun and rain, whilst I'm thinking how much I'll miss this view and this room, whilst I'm thinking how little I'll miss some of the other things.

Technically I'm busy revising for my Rome exam on Monday morning, which is the end, the final thing I have to do before the end, fin. In reality I'm doing very little whilst getting ready to DJ tonight.

When I started here almost three years ago, there would not have been a chance that I would enjoy being on the dance floor, let alone being the DJ, and I can truly say that I've changed, in the sort of evolving way, the good way. 

I'm not panicking or sad yet, but I think that it is like when we reached the end of high school, and college- it's time to go, to move on, to fly.

I belong with you, you belong with me (+ Day 4)

So, update with the 30 Day Shred: I'm on day 4, having skipped a day yesterday because we happened to go to the bar instead... Two of my housemates happen to be doing it too and started it the day before I did, entirely coincidentally, so I join them and we sweat it out together. Some bits are killer, like the lunge exercises, but it really has got easier since the first time! Shows how much regular exercise does for you, doesn't it?! Also got a chance to head to the stables on Sunday and got Milly (~5 year old fluffy little grey arab) going much better than she has been previously and she actually felt willing, which in itself felt like a bit of a breakthrough.

In other news, went to see Iron Man 3, which you (whoever you are) should watch. Brilliant film and some excellent unexpected bits. We went and had a meal too, making a day of it to celebrate dissertations being in. Now to do this bloomin' archives assignment involving writing about a document I can find no information about: argh. Meanwhile it has actually started being sunny, finally! Chilly still, but sun makes getting out of bed that much easier in the morning.

I also bought these shoes today, a departure from my trainers and boots, but they feel like they'll need careful wearing in so they'll be house shoes for a while. I just wanted something a bit different and have never been a flats/dolly shoe kind of girl so we'll see how they go. Matching this idea, I'm after a bag which is just a bit more refined than my usual scruffy satchel or cheap totes. Under prime consideration at the moment is the Mari Tote from Accessorize, possibly in the cream or the mink, but they aren't real leather and I'm not sure the size is sensible for what I'm actually after (not that I know what I'm after...). It's unlikely that I'll need to lug as much around once I'm done here at uni, so having such a large bag may be pointless and encourage me to carry around more junk than I already do! I'm just going to keep on the lookout.


Watching: America's Next Top Model Season 7 - These people are insufferable, but I think that I'm in love with Nigel Barker; Doctor Who - Disappointed thus far by these episodes but entertaining enough; Game of Thrones - Not particularly enamoured with it but again, entertaining enough; Carries Diaries - Silly and overdramatic, but 80's fashion.
Eating: Leftover Creme Eggs. Nom.
Listening to: The Lumineers - Ho Hey
Also: Altering a bunch of the Manfriend's old tops that his mum made him get rid of, aka that I accepted as free clothes.
And: Trying to find a new pair of red cowboy boots out of concern that mine will pop their clogs soon.

 

30 Day Shred: Day -1

So over the past couple of years, whilst at uni, I've done very little in the scheme of exercise and rather more in the scheme of eating/drinking. This has left me a lot less fit than I was three year ago, funnily enough! I want that to change. I want to be fitter, and I want to be more content with my body, rather than feeling as though I've let myself go. Thus, starting tomorrow after my dissertation is in (eep!) I'm going to do the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, inspired by Charlotte over at girlnextdoorfashion. Each workout is only 20 minutes, so I can easily fit it into my day without feeling like I have to dedicate an age to it, and it'll really make me push myself! Also, the DVD was only a fiver on Amazon.

Another aim is to go to more of the free student swims that happen four times a week at the pool here, as a. swimming is good for you, and b. more importantly, I want to get better at it so I can swim without flailing whilst on holiday in Mexico at the end of summer! This motivation is part fitness part vanity, which I think is alright - really I'm striving to be more content with myself. I'm not discontent, as such, but it could be better. Being fitter will also let me ride without getting as exhausted: huzzah!

Mr Blue Sky

a. I'm back in Lampeter. Not bad, but not home. 
b. Procrastinating lots, getting more and more stressed somewhere inside, I think, considering I flipped out at my housemate a couple of times today. Whoops. 
c. University term means I'm back with my housemates. Again, not bad, but sometimes I actually would like to verbally punch some of them in the face. Her response to me snapping the second time, 'what's got in your boots today? You're so snappy!'
d. I feel tired and grotty and not up for circular ranty conversations about faff all, and so it is my turn to be the one with emotions in this house. Fed up of tiptoeing around and acting the grown-up.
e. It'll pass. My dissertation will be done, and I'll be back to acting mature.
f. But perhaps if they considered the larger things in life rather than focusing on complaining about itty bitty things, they'd be much happier.
g. I mean seriously, I'm the type who goes with the idea that it'll be 'right (short for alright and prounounced 'reet in my head) crossed with (mostly) internal panic every now and then and a sort of lazy determination but they make me look like a cross between Happy and his bouncy cousins, Optimistic and Proactive.
h. I don't want to need a defensive Pollyanna demeanour again.
i. I won't need a defensive Pollyanna demeanour again.
j. It'll be 'right.
k. Apologies for the rant, but enjoy the picture.

l. Peace out, Grumpy.

m. Wish I'd made it an acrostic poem now.
n. Maybe next time.

The past and the chase

Source

Procrastination from dissertation happening now. I wanted it done before Easter, bah. Anyway, have a few links to the rest of the internet:

• Interesting furniture customisation, though I think it'd go terribly badly if I tried to do it!
• I've seen step ladders for shoes before, and uprights for towels, but never this
• Excellent for an informal nosy at red carpet fashions. (Current plus - Robert Downey Jr. in lederhosen..!)
• Some of Jonas Bendiksen's fascinating photographs
• An adorable updo that isn't too polished. Now to actually manage to do it...

Back to the middling realms of the internet to procrastinate some more - I've been watching The Carrie Diaries which is pretty terrible yet entertaining enough.

You shoot me down

but I won't fall

via

I appear to have been amassing these for yonks, so you may have seen some of them by now, but take your pick:

• A most fabulous blazer (sorry, smoking jacket)
• Disney Paris runway show? Um, yes.
• Brilliant little funny paintings
• Just a girl with fun style (who happens to be a 'Style Columnist for Lauren Conrad and Giuliana Rancic'...)
• Badass DIY shoe accessories
• A swish yet not overly fancy place to store your drinks that go with your smoking jacket
• A great lamp. Seriously.
• I love nosying in notebooks
• The transformation of runway models
• And yet another angle into the fashion modelling world
• Heart friendship bracelets, old school style (admittedly not sure what I'd count as new-fangled here...). I made my younger sister one with deep green hearts and mottled reddish-purple thread, which is less immediately cutesy.
• And if you want other patterns, go for it
• The most pristine sofa set you ever did see
• The burgundy and gold cavalry pair are my favourites, and I think shoes like this would get more use than scarves, surely...? Kudos to the guy with the idea.
• Cute DIY hoop earrings, that I'm very tempted to attempt, via here
• And this song, that's been in my head for weeks: