2013 Highlights!

2013, You have been a year full of ups and downs... (I'm pleased to say mostly ups!)

finished school

I'd been at my school for 15 years, so this one was emotional but definitely came at the right time. I was ready to move on to bigger and better things.

got three B's a-levels

I predicted myself these grades so I was more than pleased when I got them! When I found out it was 3am, I was in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere in Three Rivers, California. I risked being eaten by a bear, by going out on the balcony to get signal to call my mum in excitement!

had two incredible and unforgettable holidays

I went on my first 'big girl' holiday with my best friend, Charlie! 4.30am and we were ready to jet off to Ibiza with no parents for a week of sunbathing, partying and a lot of laughs. It was a week I will never forget with my best friend who I will always be there for, no matter how far away from each other we are! My second holiday was a month long road trip around the West Coast of America. I'm going to do a throwback blog post on this holiday as it was amazing and I'd love to have an account of it on my blog.  Highlights for me were the Grand Canyon and LA! 

started my blog

Whilst in america, I decided I wanted to start a blog. I would watch Zoella, Tanya Burr, Sprinkle Of Glitter, Pointless Blog and Tyler Oakley if I had some spare time at a hotel and if the weather wasn't great (monsoon season...) which inspired me to start vlogging, but I knew I wanted to blog first! So on the 12th August 2013, I said hello to my blog, Love On The Wall!

met my wonderful boyfriend

I had actually met him once before, but moving to Brighton and going to BIMM bought Henry into my life and I couldn't be happier. I love having him by my side to I can't wait to start the new year with him. 

moved out and started university

A big, scary and daunting thing to do, but I'm on an amazing course, with amazing people in an amazing place. It is a new chapter in my life and it's going very well so far. It has really made me realise who my real friends are and I've definitely grown up a lot already. I do miss my family but I am loving life in Brighton and I'm actually surviving looking after myself! 

I'm really looking forward to another exciting year, bring on 2014!

What were your 2013 highlights?

Honey Roasted Nuts & Peppermint Creams

Hello!
After reading Cider With Rosie's posts on her Honey Roasted Nuts and Peppermint Creams I was eager to give it a go myself and make a few gifts for people. I'd definitely recommend these to anyone, not just at christmas, but anytime of year! I don't do this quite as 'prettily' (is that a word...?) as Rosie, but they still taste great!

Peppermint Creams 

(Click HERE for a link to Cider With Rosie for the recipe! 

I'm also going to try these with milk chocolate and see what they're like!

Honey Roasted Nuts 

(Click HERE for the recipe on Cider With Rosie)

These are delicious and make your house smell good enough to eat! 

These take hardly anytime to make so for a quick make on Christmas Eve for some Christmas Day snacks, they are perfect! A huge thank you to Rosie for posting her recipes! 

Christmas To Do List

It is Christmas Eve Eve! I still have things I need to do before Christmas Day and things I want to do before this festive time is all over (the thought makes me want to cry so I won't think about that...)

(photo via pinterest. source unknown)

watch Love Actually 

make mince pies

wrap everyone's presents

make peppermint creams

spend a lazy day in my christmas onesie

go ice skating

drink mulled wine

go to winter wonderland

spend time with my family

kiss under the mistletoe

decorate the house

put the bowl of chocolates on the coffee table

spend christmas eve with henry

hmmm, I need to get a wriggle on!

what else should I have on my list? 

Christmas Songs

IT'S CHRIIIIIIIIISTMAS! *sings in style of Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade...obviously*

(Photo From Pinterest. Source Unknown)

The excitement of christmas is getting far to much for me so I thought I'd share my favourite Christmas songs with you! I pretty much love EVERY single christmas song. They all make me jump around the room with festive glee...

Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea

Happy, feel-good and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Pretty sure this one is one of my dads favourites, it always makes me think of him, so Dad this ones for you!

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

If you don't love this song... I don't love you. That is all I have to say.

Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

Bit of an unusual one, but I covered it with my brother a few years ago and I will always love it!

Santa Stole My Girlfriend - The Maine

Not a traditional christmas song, as you can probably tell from the title, but it's happy and catchy as hell. 'Santa, you bitch. Didn't get a damn thing on my christmas list' haha!

Last Christmas - Wham!

Nothing better than a soppy bit of Wham!

Of course, there is Michael Buble's christmas album too, my favourites are 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' and 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). 

If you're enjoying the christmassy songs & the John Lewis Christmas advert, have a look at mine and my housemates cover of Somewhere Only We Know - Keane/Lily Allen to get you in the festive mood!

What are your favourite christmas songs? :)

Christmas Cover #1!

Hello!

Who doesn't love the John Lewis Christmas Advert? It's super cute and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Me and my housemates loved the song from the advert, so recorded a cover of it.

We hope you like it. Maybe share it with your friends if you do? Christmas is all about sharing, right?

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

1st December 2013 - 7th December 2013
(WARNING: I have managed to relate everything to christmas... I'm a little excited) 

(Photo From Pinterest. Source Unknown)

1. It's December! Therefore I can start playing christmas songs nonstop, I can wear christmas jumpers, eat loads of mince pies and just be as christmassy as possible whenever I can!

2. Buying Christmas presents for my loved ones. I love writing lists and being organised, planning what to buy each and every special person. Also, christmas hampers with homemade bits in are high on my list this year for presents for family, so browsing through blogs like Cider With Rosie & A Beautiful Mess has been lovely.

3. Having productive, yet lazy afternoons. Coffee in Caffe Nero and then a productive afternoon of me writing blog posts whilst Henry sorts out his band stuff. AND he's allowing me to listen to ONE christmas song... scrooooooge!

4. Getting the cutest reindeer stamp in my ticket en route back to Brighton on Monday.

5. Getting a free glass of champagne in L'occitane whilst christmas shopping!

6. I bought my first ever onesie... It's cute, christmassy and very cosy.

7. Making it on my uni end of term gig! Something like 300 bands auditioned, so I'm really greatful to have made it on! Get yourselves to Coalition in Brighton, Friday 13th for the gig!

8. Hearing my little brother say his one line from his Nativity play. He said it very very little enthusiasm, but it was super cute all the same.

9. Passing my first two uni assignments. Only 5% each, but every little counts!

10. Vanilla Chai tea. It's definitely a new favourite!

What made you happy this week? :) 

Birthday Celebrations!

Hello!

I had the best few days celebrating my birthday with the people I love! Birthday morning started with presents and breakfast in bed (thank you housemates!) then a costa coffee black forrest hot chocolate with Henry. 

presents and cards!

Breakfast in bed. Lemon and Sugar Pancakes, Toast with Jam & Vanilla Chai Tea!

Black Forrest Hot Chocolate, mmm!

I picked up my my lovely best friend, Charlie, from the station. So lovely to have her here and to catch up on all the gossip!

Me & My housemate, Dommy!

Me and the lovely Henry.

Me and Ash!

Me & My Best Friend, Charlie!

I'll stop there with the photos from my night out. After getting VIP wristbands and free champagne at a club the photos got a lot worse... 

Despite a flat tyre and horrendous hangovers, we all made it home on friday! It was so lovely to be home and to see my family.

Cuddles with Mickey

Mozzarella, Basil, Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar at Birthday Tea

The Brothers

My Gorgeous Mumma

On The Phone To Daddy!

Birthday Cake! 

Spent that evening at a Christmassy Open Mic Night, a very good way to start the festive season (Which, by the way, I am VERY excited about!) 

I had an amazing few days and I got some very lovely presents which I'm sure might pop up in some vlogs or blog posts some time soon! I told you this post would be photo heavy, but a picture says 1000 words, right? 

What did you get up to this weekend? 

<3

i'm turning nineteen!

28th November 1994 (put it in the diary!) 

(illustration by inslee)

I am the biggest child when it comes to my birthday. It get so super super excited and, despite 19 not being the most exciting age, I'm just as excited to celebrate my birthday this year! Family birthday tea is one of my favourite things ever and it will be lovely to be at home! My best friend, Charlie, is coming down from Southampton to visit and I miss her like crazy and can't wait to catch up on everything (like our regular hour long phone calls aren't enough...) Due to it being assessment week (mine is on monday... eeek!) I have no lessons on my birthday! Celebrating in brighton will be so much fun and I will be documenting the whole day on here in a very photo heavy post. I might even use the big girl camera....

what's your favourite thing about birthdays?!

Fireworks Night!

Hello!

Lewes Fireworks wasn't quite an idyllic fireworks night... but it definitely was a laugh! Burning crosses, a parade, fire all over the streets and thousands of people milling about all over the place. It was absolute chaos, but a very fun night with good company! I did take my camera like I said I would in my last blog post, but I didn't take my DSLR. I'd love to go back to Lewes in the day, it looked like a really pretty town! Here's a few photos from my night.

Oh! & It was a big surprise to bump into one of my oldest friends, Amy, on the way home! Hadn't seen her in a few months so was lovely to see her, even if it was only for a few minutes! 

What did you get up to on Bonfire night?

iPhone Life...

Although I've said I'm going to take my camera out more, I still take a lot of snaps on my iPhone everyday. Here's what I got up to last week!

monday morning: starbucks hot chocolate and chocolate swirl 

tuesday morning: run along the sea front (I know, I can't believe it either)

tuesday evening: lewes fireworks (blog post to follow)

wednesday: a very lovely surprise early birthday present!

thursday afternoon: costa christmas cups and my favourite christmas drink!

saturday afternoon: a yummy hawaiian burger for lunch with my mumma and family friends

staurday afternoon: hearts in our coffee

Notes For November...

Hello there, a November Resolution to start the month with...

(Image found via Pinterest. Originally from Krisatomic)

I have missed my blog so much whilst I haven't had internet in my flat. Not only have I missed updating mine, but also reading all the blogs I love, daily. But, whenever I got the chance to update or catch up I always felt like I wish I had something better to post when it came to photos. Since I moved to Brighton I have barely even touched my cameras... saaaaad face. I never put my cameras down when I was at home, I was always the one taking photos at parties and on days out. 

In such an exciting and new time of my life, why have I chosen to put the cameras away now? Confidence. I'm scared to take my cameras out for the 'why are you taking a photo of that?!' and 'put your camera away!' comments. How ridiculous is that!? I have relied on my iPhone for photos for the first 6 weeks of uni life, but as of now, that is going to stop! I'm going to try my absolute best to not be afraid to take my camera out with me and to take photos of anything I want to. 

November is one of my favourite months of the year. It's birthday month, fireworks night, the build up to christmas begins and it starts to get super wintery and chilly and then of course it's December and nothing makes me happier than christmas. I love it! So, there couldn't be a better time to start this.

What has your confidence stopped you from doing? Any other bloggers feel like this? 

Happy Halloween!

Pretty pumpkins, scary movies, sticky toffee apples and dead school girls... pretty much sums up my halloween. I've never properly dressed up for halloween before so I was super excited to get into it! I'll definitely be buying contacts again next year, they successfully freaked everyone out! These are just a few quick photos from my iPhone to sum up my halloween! Next up, Fireworks night!

How was your halloween? What did you get up too?