Things I Like Most About Myself (tag)

Hey guys :3

So this is a kind of tag-type-thingy that I was nominated to do my +Layla Hopper (aka Laylatheawesome) - thanks Layla! :3
I have to say that this topic is one that I don't really think about much - I feel like most people focus mainly on what they don't like about themselves rather than those parts that they do. I really think that there should be more tags like this, because it's a really nice thing to think about!

Also, please don't call me "arrogant" or whatever just for listing the things I like about myself. I am allowed to love myself - I have every right to! I strongly believe that everyone has every right to love themselves, no matter their race, gender, sexuality etc.

So yeah, let's get going!

My favourite feature is probably my eyes. I like how they are lots of different colours in one colour. My friends say that they change colour depending on what mood I'm in (apparently blue is happy and grey is sad???). I don't believe them really, as I'm pretty sure that's impossible, but it's a nice thought!

I also like my creative side - I love to write and act, and recently I have discovered that a few people like reading what I write and watching me perform too! :)
I don't know - English is my favourite subject and I really love reading and writing, it makes me feel at ease, like it just comes naturally or something. 
One day I think I might want to write a book of my own :)

I also think that I'm really empathetic, which has served me well in many situations, and not so well in others. For instance, I can put myself in someone else's shoes and understand them in depth in ways that not many other people can, but it also means that I can get too emotionally involved in things that should not matter so much to me... it also means that I cry at a lot of movies and books, even when I'm surrounded by many other people and it's really inconvenient!
Anyway, I think that over the years, my sense of empathy has taught me a lot about others, and has helped me to help other people too :)

Other things that I like about myself (though I don't know exactly why) are my hair and my ears. 
I just think my hair is pretty cool, even if I don't really style it or anything... I have no idea what's going on with my ears though. They kind of look like elf-ears, and I just think that's pretty awesome! :P

Anywaayyy...
here is a picture of my face:

Thanks for reading :)

I nominate anyone who likes the whole idea of this tag and wants to try it out for themselves (so basically anyone who is interested!). I just think that it is really important to think about these things once in a while!

Speak to you soon, 

Lucy x

The Story of My Hair

My blog is in no way a beauty blog, but today I wanted to share something with you, and hopefully I will get some kind of response :)

When I was starting Year 7 (and I was 11 years old!) I decided I would try to grow my hair out. 
Up until then, I had wavy mid-length(ish) hair - my hair would still be wavy now, but it is so heavy that it's just naturally straight!
But yeah, I don't really know what I was expecting when I decided to grow my hair out - knowing me, I probably wanted to look like Taylor Swift! 
But anyway, yeah... 3 years later, this is what my hair looks like:

My hair has been in this style for a very long time now, and recently I have been thinking about whether or not there is something else I can do with it, just to make it a little more interesting or whatever...

One of the main reasons for this blog post is that I am getting a haircut tomorrow (a very rare occasion if you're like me, and can never be bothered with the whole haircut thing) and I am wondering what I should do with my hair, how much I should cut off, etc.

I don't know. I feel like I should be a bit more adventurous with my hair just because I can. Most of my friends have experimented with their hair in the past with drastic cuts and dyes, but I have always been really cautious and backed away from any kind of change to do with my hair. 

This is mainly because of an unfortunate experience that took place when I was a kid in which I asked my mum if I could get my hair layered, and she decided to cut it herself using a tip she had learned off the internet. 

WARNING: If someone on the internet tells you to tie your hair in a high ponytail and take the chop, DON'T DO IT. 

Ugh - seriously, it was horrific. I even remember crying. 

Just no. 

So yeah, I've never really done anything with my hair. Our school doesn't allow us to dye our hair any colours that are too unnatural (e.g. blue), and my hair doesn't really suit many colours. 

When I was little, my hair was really blonde, but since then it's just been getting darker and darker, and I don't really think I would suit my old shade of blonde or anything. 

I also don't think my hair would look any good short - I could never pull of Zoella's beautiful, daring new look!

What's your opinion? Should I keep my hair (vaguely) the length that it is, or should I be daring and cut it a bit shorter? 

The only problem with my hair length is that it weighs a ton, meaning that it is practically impossible to style it into a ponytail!

I'm not exactly sure what this blog post was, but please tell me your opinion in the comments :)

Speak to you soon, 

Lucy x

A little YouTube Update!

Hey guys :)

Those of you who have been reading my blog recently will have heard about the fact that I have started my own YouTube channel, which so far I have been finding really fun :D

( if you have missed those updates and all that stuff, click here to see my YouTube channel :3 )

I'm not really sure what I think of my channel so far - I'm still just experimenting. My favourite video to film so far was definitely my Whisper Challenge with my best friend Katie, yet I'm not sure I would say that it is my favourite on my channel so far. 

I don't know, I'm still figuring things out! :P

One thing I have been trying to do is making my videos look a bit more professional. This has been an interesting task, seeing as my camera does not seem to focus or respond well to the lighting in my bedroom, but I'm working on it! This evening I have been putting together some thumbnails together for my videos - my previous pictures were just some derps of me that YouTube suggested for me. 

The great news about the quality of my videos camera-wise is that for my 15th birthday (WHICH IS NEXT MONTH!!), I will be getting a new, professional camera of my own to film with, as well as a tripod!!!!!

As you have probably guessed by now, I am SO EXCITED. 

I've never been great with technology or anything (as my I.T teacher will tell you) but I still can't wait to test everything out - you guys will actually be able to see my face instead of the blurry mess you might have seen in some previous videos.

Another thing I wanted to mention was that recently I have been wanting to write some more advice posts (my latest one has been my New Year's Resolutions post), but I have also made my first advice video. Click here to see that video! :)

What I love about YouTube and blogging is that they both give you the opportunity to reach out to people, and, potentially, offer them some advice to help them face whatever problem they're going through. Even before I started blogging, I always loved that about the internet, which is really the main reason I started my blog in the first place! :)

So yeah, I just thought I would give you a little update on all that stuff. I will leave you with some videos of mine below to check out :3

Thanks for all the love and support so far,

Lucy xxx 

Liebster Award no.2 (as well as no.3!)

Hey guys :)

So I've had to look back at my last "Liebster Award" blog post in order to remember how exactly this things works, and I think I've got the hang of things, so here we go! :)

I have actually been nominated for the Liebster Award twice this week - once by ohemgeeitsmaya (Maya) and then again by Pen&Key (Eve), so I will have double the amount of questions.

Be prepared for a long blog post! :3


Rules:

• Thank and link the person who nominated you.
• Answer the questions given by the nominator
• Nominate 11 other bloggers (Who have less then 200 followers) and link them.
• Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer
• Notify all nominees via social media/blogs!

Maya's Questions:

1) What is all time favourite item of clothing?

Probably a little dress of mine with stripes on the top and a cool flower pattern on the bottom. Otherwise I would basically say "any massive fluffy jumper I own!" :)

2) Name your top three favourite people

OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO HARD. 

I have no idea - I really can't choose! If you asked me about my top 15 favourite people I might be able to answer. 

For the sake of the question though, I would say my friends Katie, Faith and Ellie.

3) Name your top three favourite celebrities

Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Clifford.

4) First memory?

I have this really blurry memory of my mum walking me to school on my first day of Reception, but like quite a few of my memories, I probably just made that one up. 

My first definite one is me crying really hysterically because I didn't want to go to into school to Reception (I got really homesick when I was younger). 

I realise that this memory is probably quite anticlimactic - I promise that I was jolly sometimes as a kid! 

5) When was the time you've laughed the hardest?

There are so many times in my life where I have laughed so hard it hurt - the last time I recall this happening was when I was in town with my friend Katie, and we heard this man behind us who was with his friend, and was previously saying stuff like "Wassup blad, y'alright yeh?" scream "NOOO STEEEPHEEN!!!" in this really posh voice. 

It. Was. AMAZING. 

6) Favourite book

It is SO HARD TO CHOOSE!!!

I would probably have to say "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky :)

7) Favourite movie

10 Things I Hate About You - Kat Stratford is my role model!

8) Favourite band

Paramore or 5 Seconds of Summer (I said this in my first YouTube video but somehow it came out as "Paramore or 5 Seconds auo Summer" - I don't know how). 

9) Are you left or right handed?

Right handed. 

10) Look behind you. 

    Which shoulder did you look over?

My right shoulder. 

Eve's Questions:

1) If you could learn any language, what would it be?

French, because it would really help me for my GCSEs!

2) If you could re-pick your options, what would you study?

I would probably be really boring and not change anything, there isn't any subject I particularly regret. I kind of wish I had been able to take Health and Social like some of my friends do, but I only had four options!

3) If you had a one-way trip to anywhere, and a spare ticket for someone else, where would you go, and who would you take?

Assuming that this contract does not include fictional universes, I would probably visit Venice with my friend Ellie :)

4) If you could rewrite the ending of any book, what's the book and what would you change?

I would rewrite Mockingjay and bring back all of the character I loved who died (no spoilers - most of them). 

5) If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you have with you?

A boat, iodine (that's the thing you use for water, right?) and a book on how to survive when stuck on an island. 

6) If you could share a house with any 5 people (dead or alive), who would you share a house with?

My friend Katie

My friend Ellie

My friend Faith

Taylor Swift (because Taylor Swift)

ThatcherJoe/Joe Sugg, just so I could prank my friends :)

7) If you could take charge of your country for a day, what would   you do/change?

AAAAH - RESPONSIBILITES. 

I would probably just panic and give everyone free cookies to keep them happy. Also I would replace our flag with a picture of Benedict Otterbatch or something, just to confuse everyone. 

8) If you could collect anything, what would you collect?

Unicorns :3

9) If you were to set yourself a reminder that popped up every day   for the rest of your life, what would it say? 

I have a reminder like this when I wake up in the morning every day - my alarm is called "RISE AND SHINE MOFO, IT'S A BRAND NEW DAY". 

However, due to the fact that this Dan quote does not apply to every situation, my reminder would probably say "If you can get through this, you can have a cookie afterwards" - I find this very motivational and I think it would help me through quite a few tests!

10) If you were to travel back to any historical period, which would you visit?

This one's extremely hard, because every historical period seems to have it's downside... I would probably go back to any time in history when inequality was a big issue and stand up for those who were treated unfairly (because I could, I guess!). 

So those are my 20 questions! Wow, that took a long time. 

I always have a hard time finding people to tag, and since this tag is spreading like crazy amongst the blogs I read, I literally have none! (awkward)

I actually read a lot of blogs, I just don't feel like I know any of the people writing them well enough to tag them. I would tag Maya and Eve, but I think they need a break after tagging each other, haha :)

Speak to you soon, 

Lucy x

I am so tired...

Hey guys :) 
I hope you all had a great first week of school (or work or whatever, depending on your age), I think I just about survived!

It was brilliant to see my friends once again, even if I did have two assessments on the same day - history and science (I didn't mind my history so much, it's my science I'm worried about!). 
I have had a pretty productive week with lots of revision - I even managed to squeeze in a YouTube video!

One things that has been bothering me though is how tired I have been. What was so great about the holidays was that I got to choose my sleeping schedule, so of course I would stay up late and then sleep in till really late in the morning the next day. 
However, now I can no longer do that, and my sleeping pattern does not seem to be adjusting. My problem is that I am a complete zombie during school time, but as soon as the time comes for me to go to sleep, I am wide awake. 

This problem is not new to me - I have had problems with my sleep since I was a toddler and I would have night terrors. Then throughout my childhood I remember laying in bed at night, tired out of my mind, but 100% awake for no reason at all. I would go downstairs to the living room, where my parents would be watching TV in the evening, and complain, but they couldn't do anything for me. I think they wanted to help, but it really annoyed them at the same time. 

If I tell people about this problem, they always say "You should go to bed earlier", like I haven't already heard that advice before. I have tried that so many times, but I always end up lying in my bed for hours and hours, like someone has left a little light switch in my brain turned on. 
I have also heard some other basic advice, I know I shouldn't look at screens before going to bed or eat certain things, but I don't tend to look at screens before going to bed or any of that stuff. 

So this isn't so much of an advice post as a post asking for advice. Does anyone have any tips on how to get to sleep, or maybe do you have the same problem as me?
If you have any words of wisdom, I could really use the help. This morning I woke up up an annoyingly early time (it was, like, 9:30, which is early for me) because I am now used to waking up at 7, but I was still COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED. Just because my body is used to waking up earlier now doesn't mean my mind can cope with it. Last night I also read John Green till really late because I couldn't sleep.

Best wishes, 
Lucy x

Back to school for me...

( If you are looking for a survival guide for your new school term, you can see my advice post; "Things to think about in the new school year"

I hope it helps! :3 )

Hey guys :) 
Today is the last day of the holidays (BOOOO!), so I thought I would write a blog post while I still have the time. 

It's not school in particular that I am loathing right now, it is just the small things, such as getting up at 7am and all that torture. I got up at 8:30 this morning as a kind of practise for this kind of thing, and I have been yawning all day. I definitely think that if school started at a later time then I would be more productive throughout the day.
Teenagers are always told "If you're really this tired, you should go to bed earlier!", but I really don't think it's as simple as that. Also, I personally find it very hard to sleep, and have done for all my life. I am such a light sleeper - the smallest of noises can wake me up in the night! The other night I involuntarily stayed up till around 2am because I thought I heard noises downstairs. It's not that I get scared of noises or anything, they just keep me really alert :(

Other things I will miss are listening to music all day and not being in a constant rush to go places - the holidays seem to have lulled me into this false sense of security with no responsibilities or deadlines. I am also not a subtle enough person to listen to music during class, I can barely chew gum in class without looking absolutely startlingly ridiculous! My friends always laugh at me if they give me gum and I try/fail to chew it without anyone noticing. It's a good thing that I've always been a goody-two-shoes, because I'd be terrible at trying to get away with disobeying the teachers... 

Despite these things, I do think that it is also good that I am finally going back to school. This is partly because if I didn't, I doubt I would socialise much. I always have a number of friends who I will try to meet up with during the holidays, but there are also quite a few friends who I haven't seen since last year, and I really want to see them!
The new school term will also give me the chance to test out my new ADVENTURE TIME BACKPACK!!! :D

I got it for Christmas, and I am extremely happy with it! :)

It is also reversible, so if you get tired of Jake's face, then you can switch it round to see Finn instead :3

My last bag was falling apart, and I was in serious need of a replacement. The destruction of my last school bag was quite upsetting, as it was my pride and joy when I got it around this time last year. It was a David&Goliath bag, with a Hipsterpotomas on it (click here to see it on Amazon - I really can't describe it clearly enough!). Of course, it now looks nothing like it did in January 2014 after a year of being battered about and scratched in the school corridors. I am hoping my new bag does not have a similar fate!

For those of you who are in school, what is your favourite and least favourite part of going back to school? 

My favourite part of going back is seeing my friends, and my least favourite part would definitely be getting up in the morning. Once I am in school, I tend to be fine, it's just the mornings!

Best wishes for the new term, 

Lucy x

YouTube Announcement!!!

Hey guys! :)

As I mentioned in my last blog post which was all about New Year's Resolutions, in 2015 I have decided to try new things to ease myself into new situations and environments. Another thing I mentioned was that I have tried out YouTube before and failed horrendously because all I could really do was freak out... 

So you can probably guess what I have done... 




If you guessed "started a YouTube channel" you could be right! :)
If you guessed anything else such as "climbed the Eiffel Tower" or "got on a roller-coaster", you would be wrong (trying new things doesn't mean literally scaring myself to death.

So yeah, I thought I would make a mini-video just for you guys to inform you about my YouTube channel. It's not great quality or anything, and I am still trying to sort out my voice in videos (it goes all murmur-y at the end of my sentences and I hate it), but it's something. 
No YouTuber is perfect the moment they turn their camera on the first time!

To all the readers of my blog!

Click this link to watch my unlisted YouTube video especially for you guys! :3

You can also watch my other YouTube video, 50 Facts About Me, but to be honest I don't really like it that much. Like I said, my voice goes weird at the end of my sentences - it kinda creeps me out to watch it. I don't do that in real life! I thought that starting a YouTube channel would be like giving a voice to my blog posts, but apparently I need to work on some things...

In the meantime, please subscribe to my channel! :)

Thanks for being awesome <3

Speak to you soon, 

Lucy x

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!!

Pinch, punch, first day of the month! 
(does anyone else do that?)

Woah, where the hell did 2015 come from? I certainly did not see it coming! I seriously cannot believe how close my 15th birthday is, it seems like I was 13 just yesterday. So much has changed in the past few years, it's crazy. This time last year I don't think I could have really anticipated my life being the way it is now. I am hardly different from my 13-year-old self, but at the same time I have changed somehow. 

Change seems to be a theme today, doesn't it? New Year's Day is always the perfect excuse for people to try to transform their lives (and then realising in March that they have completely failed to improve their lifestyle in any way!). Last year I remember my New Year's Resolution was to drink less Diet Coke (I was obviously aiming very high in my goals) and I managed that(not that it was at all difficult). 

This blog post, however, is not about giving up chocolate (as if!) or working out every day (like I have time for that kind of commitment), but about rethinking my decisions. Recently I have not been happy with my confidence, and how my social anxiety has been affecting my decisions. Earlier this year I was meaning to start a YouTube channel, but as soon as I turned on my camera, I froze and couldn't bring myself to say a word. It was horrible. 

So one of my goals for 2015 is to ease myself into situations I may not be completely comfortable with. That does not mean throwing myself into every opportunity that comes my way, I do need to know when to say when. I have also been kind of short of time recently, so even if I was that crazy, it would leave me with no time for schoolwork or anything. 

One thing that I would like to be able to do without freaking out is going to concerts. I am going to two different concerts this year, and I know for a fact that one of them is really crowded without any seats, and just loads and loads of people standing up. I'm not going to specify what concert or where the concert will be held due to privacy reasons, but when I imagine it in my head, I can just see myself stuck in the middle of this crowd, being pushed and shoved in a massive mob.
However, the concert is for an artist who I deeply adore, and even though the idea of being in this crowd scares me an unfathomable amount, I am extremely excited for going to the concert with one of my best friends! Before I thought the whole thing over, I really didn't think I would be comfortable and wasn't sure I wanted to put myself into a position that made me feel that vulnerable, but now I am sure that I will not regret this concert once I am there, and I will make the most of the day :)

One thing that has convinced me to have this as my New Year's Resolution is that recently there was an incident at my school (without naming any names) where someone was treated disrespectfully due to their panic disorder, and for once in my life, I stood up for that person (that person wasn't me, in case you were worrying, it was a friend of mine!).
I told the disrespectful person exactly what he/she needed to hear without losing the high ground/going into full-scale bitching (because bitching really isn't my style!), and although the whole experience took me out of my comfort zone and made me feel really exposed for actually opening my mouth to speak my mind for once in my life, it felt seriously amazing! It gave me a feeling of strength that I feel like I might have lost quite a while ago, and I am so glad I did it. I did feel panicky afterwards and had to have a sit down for a minute, but I think I did a great thing and my friend said I was really scary (I think that was a good thing!). 
Although I am hardly looking for any conflict or aggressive confrontation, I would definitely say what I said again, and I will definitely make sure to speak my mind in the future :)

I suppose this post is the return of my meaningful advice posts, so if you have the same kind of problem as I do, I recommend you to have a New Year's Resolution that is similar to mine - remember to try new things. You may find public situations and confrontations terrifying, but sometimes it is good to go out of your comfort zone. 
I hope you find this goal empowering, and if you are like me and choose this resolution, I hope it makes a positive impact on your life :)

What is your New Year's Resolution? Is it something like this, or are you just hoping to work off all the chocolate you ate over the holidays (I should really do that too, haha). 

Best wishes for the new year,
Lucy x

If you are not feeling empowered enough, here is "Something Big" by Shawn Mendes (it is one of my favourite songs right now!) :)