Retail During Christmas.

I feel a little stupid making a blog post about this, but nevertheless I feel like it's an important reminder (or PSA, if you will) for everyone.

Christmas is about two weeks away. This is not the PSA, but it's still very exciting. Who doesn't love Christmas? (Other than, you know, people who don't actually celebrate it)

But a thing that always happens during Christmas is that it gets extraordinarily busy at the shops. And, as a consequence of that, people are more likely to be stressed and/or frustrated. I'm a human, I get that. Lots of people in a cramped space can get ugly.

But please, please, please try to control that stress when you're dealing with retail workers this holiday season.

It's not a big ask, really. But if you can do that, it makes life that much easier for them.

As someone who has worked over four Christmases (each one consecutively busier than the last), I can guarantee that if you're at stress levels of ten, sales people's levels are ten times higher. I digress. This isn't a competition. It really isn't.

I'm just saying that while I know you're in a rush to get your presents, please be aware that along with customer service, retail workers also have to make sure stock is consistently processed and out on the floor.

If someone directs you to the counter because they don't know the answer off-hand, do not take it as a personal insult. We aren't doing it to be rude. We're doing it because we don't know the answer and we don't have direct access to a computer.

Retail workers try to be as respectful and helpful to customers during the holiday season as possible. In return, all we ask is that you treat us in the same manner.

PSA: Done.

New Room!

It is finally here! I really wanted to get this blog up before I left for uni. And here we are! I did it! 

I'd just like to preface this blog by saying that my room changed quite dramatically. So, you know. Be prepared for that. For those of you who are not long time readers, I'll give you a few before shots.

Yep. That's a pretty vibrant pink and sunshine yellow right there. I really liked it at the time. I thought it was *cool* and *different* and *edgy.*

Just for contexts sake, I feel you guys should know that I'd had this room since returning from Canada. That's about five years. So, I've had it (and loved it) for a long while. But unlike The Brother, I actually kind of embrace change. So, that's why we're here.

Introducing: NEW ROOM.

 Like I mentioned above it's very different. But different is really what I wanted. I didn't realise this until I'd actually taken it down, but the loft bed used up a lot of light. While it was practical, it didn't help make my room look bigger than it was. 

And while I loved the pink and yellow, it did actually close the space in more than I realised. 

 I adore the green. Like, fully adore it. It's so calming and not overwhelming, and it's just so lush. It pushed the exact mood I wanted for the room. Fresh. Clean. Lovely.

Yes, I went a little cliche with the fairy lights. Surprisingly, these babies carry a lot of light. They're really good for reading in bed. 

Speaking of which (sorry, I've got to have a moment to talk about this), you see this bed here? It is a 1940's day bed. 1940's! Be-still my inner-history-buff heart! It's just wonderful. Plus, you know, it's nice to be sleeping on ground level again. There's only so much up-air sleeping you can take in your life. 

Yes, you did see correctly. That is a new bookcase. I'm so happy I finally found one that could work with the smallness of the room. It holds all of my other books. And DVD's. I'm pretty psyched. 

Who knew that Gumtree held so many treasures?

So, that's my room. For the most part, I'm happy. There's still a few tid-bits here and there I need to fix up (read: edges of walls and chest of drawers needs fixing up). I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Sentimental Hoarder.

I was going through my past journals, compiling ideas that I'd written down and never actually initiated. I came across this diary entry, and I just felt like it still rang true. I'll probably elaborate more though.

I think in my mind, since I identify so many clothes with different periods of my life, I automatically think that if I take away the clothes, the memories will go with it.

It's the same with random doodads. And cards. And basically anything you can imagine. I just hoard them away with no thought of the consequences. 

But I've entered a new stage of my life now. And while I enjoy living in the past, I've also got to keep moving forward.

So I did it. I cleaned out my wardrobe, and while I felt like all the memories would be erased, the nostalgia and all-encompassing feelings I get when I think back, still remain.

It's the same with everything else - I've been cleaning out my desk and my books (again). One of the things I love most about having a diary that I allow to contain just about anything is that I can glue all these little souvenirs I've collected over time, and stick them in. It's great because a) I'm creating space for myself, and b) I'm still maintaining the little things that matter to me. For whatever reason.

Here's a peak at what I mean. Because really, it's the little things that keep you happy isn't it?

And while I'm starting to understand that you don't need to keep absolutely everything to remember, it's nice to. Just in a more compact manner.

I want to apologise. I've been busier these holidays than I'd imagined I would. I've been getting a few extra shifts at work (which is nice), am editing a friend's manuscript (which is taking up more time than I thought it would), and redoing my room (which is slowly making progress). What can I say? My holidays are never boring.

So, A Change in Hair.

I know this will be of little interest to most readers, but I'm going to write about it anyway. I changed my hair. I want to say again, but not really. It wasn't the cut this time round. Instead, the colour.

I'd been thinking about going (more) red for a while. I wasn't exactly sure how red, just *red*. The other day, I was in Priceline and saw that a colour I'd been considering was on special. "Screw it," I thought, and here we are.

Introducing: Very, very red hair.

I'm still not used to it. It's like there's a scale, and I keep veering towards the side of utter hatred, and then back to thinking it's ok. It wasn't exactly what I had wanted from the package. I'd wanted a more orange-red, than red-red, and it to be lighter. Oh well. It was a DIY. I don't know what I expected.

So, my aim for the next six to eight weeks is to embrace it. It might not be the colour I wanted, but I can make it work. Confidence is key, and all that. Right?

Welcome Back.

Ok, guys. Sorry. I know there was a break in posting. Admittedly, it was only like a week or two, but no excuses. I just had a lot of assignments and they were making me feel dead inside, and I was totally burnt out.

But.

I'm done now. And I have no exams. You know what that means? HOLIDAYS.

That's right. There is six weeks of freedom calling my name. Starting today. I've already got some plans lined up.

a) Editing a friend's manuscript
b) Making a list of movies to watch before I go back to uni
c) Attempting to write my own thing
d) Getting back on board with the all important blogging

This is only a vague outline that I made just then. Basically, it's going to rock. *the 7th graders called - they want their vocabulary back*

I've been reading some great books recently, so book reviews are in order.

Right now, I'm getting my social life in order. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who puts friends (especially online friends) to the side when uni gets intense. It's never something I do on purpose, but it happens.

Some wicked concerts are coming up. Last week, I saw Gabrielle Aplin. In a cathedral. It was insane (insanely fabulous, I mean). Like, the acoustics are crazy. If you ever get the opportunity, see an artist you love in a cathedral or a church. Next week, I'm seeing Bastille with Best Friend Mel. Crazy excited for that as well. Then, next month there's Lorde. And the month after is Great Big World. Basically: A lot is happening.

In case you were wondering what I've been reading, the answer is: a lot. Most recently, Heir of Fire was finished. There's a lot of feelings on that book. You'll be getting a review at some point. Right now? I'm reading Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier, and it's kind of great so far. I'm also reading a non-fiction book called The Secret Life of Pronouns by James W Pennebaker. It's about how humans use words and what the little things reveal about us. I won't lie, it's making me paranoid while I'm typing this, because I am sort of analysing my own writing.  Fun times.

So, I think that's about it. Blog posts will start being steady again, and I hope you're all feeling wonderful (and not too stressed if exams are about to happen).

I am becoming Skilled in the area of Procrastination.

  As I lie here, quite comfortable on my bedroom floor, while trying to finish editing my Geography report, an almost obscure thought came to me. I can never write over 5,000 words on a writing project. Whether it's because I get bored with it (that's probably the case) or whether it's because I never get into a routine, or the idea slips from my mind, I have never, to this day, written anything over 5,000 words (other than, of course, my two attempts at NaNoWriMo, when I wrote about 14,000 words and 30,000 words). I think chances are though that it is more probably the former.
   As you know, if you've been following me for a while, I tend to dapple in different things quite often, and to I'm sure nobodies surprise, I'm beginning to attempt to write another little project. I started it perhaps 3 days ago, and I'm nearly up to 5,000 words (4,119 words to be exact) and it's making me wonder if I will surpass my expectations this time and actually finish something for once. I gave myself a goal earlier this year that I'd finish doing a first draft on one of my writing projects by the end of this year. At present, I haven't really stuck to that.
   However, now I've told a friend of this and she adores the writing project so she's making me write a chapter a week, and if I don't, then I shall be punished (I, of course, having a fear of punishment, have yet to find out what this is). It's working well, and I'm proud of myself. But you know what else? I suck at titles. I know some people are magicians and they can weave a whole story and summarise it swiftly into a title, but I am not gifted in that area. More so, I can literally spend hours brainstorming book names and only come up with one or two. I most likely won't even be happy with either of them.

ANYWHO, I have spent the last three weeks doing exams, assignments and more school work. This isn't fun in the slightest. One more week, though, and then freedom! *Excitement*

Just out of mere curiosity, would you like to see some of the new writing project? I'll just show you anyway because I have nearly honed my procrastination skill. Here it is:

And before you ask, yes it is paranormal. What did you expect? The basic jist of it is that it's about best friends that have had supernatural abilities since forever (but thought it was normal, so they never talked to anyone about it but to each other) and now someone is coming after them. They are apart of some big prophecy that says that the two girls can take that antagonistic someone down. I'm still working on what happens, the outline, etc. but tell me, what do you think? And, if you are a brilliant magician with book names, would you mind honing your skill to help me out?

HAVE FUN!
Continue being lovely
&dftba. xox

BOOKS CURRENTLY READING: How to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
                            &                           City of Glass by Cassandra Clare OR Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (I'm still deciding)