New beginnings

With everyone getting their A Level results during the week I thought that I would help shed some light on those that maybe feel like they didn't do well enough.

It's the start of something new! 

Now to be serious life is full of missed opportunities, mistakes and failures but when you have the power to create your own lives like Sir Richard Branson, Simon Cowell, Kate Moss or Cheryl Cole. When you have a talent or a passion you thrive to excel in you will find a way. Whether it takes years or  months if you never give up on your dream that's the biggest accomplishment in life.   

These few months of either University, Apprenticeships or working in a career. These will all be the start of a very long and bumpy journey; And coming from a girl who failed her AS but had amazing A Level results at the end it shows that with a little bit of passion and who lot of hard work. You can set yourself on the right path. I can say for sure that things never come to you easy you either put in the hard work and passion for something or you don't and end up being disappointed at yourself afterwards. 

Never give up on your dreams just look for a better angle and everything will be fine. I promise. 

Failure does not define your success. 

Love, Emily xx

Travel// My wonderful Welsh holiday

Well I have been off my holiday now for nearly 2 weeks and I have decided that for tonights post Im going to share some of my holiday photographs. All of these were taken on my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 (Link for my camera at the bottom of page). I hope you enjoy.

Broad haven, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire 

Me and my family stopped in a 3 storey house not far from Broad haven beach. The holiday home we stopped in was quite bizarre as it had two bedrooms on the ground floor, Kitchen and living room on the 1st floor then had the other two rooms on the 2nd floor. Unlucky for me I had one of the rooms on the ground floor which meant in the morning I would have to walk upstairs instead of downstairs which did feel a little strange on the first few days.

Broad Haven Beach 

This beach had a lot of amazing photographic opportunities so it was quite hard narrowing them down. This is a panoramic picture of my family building rock sculptures in a little cove on the beach.  This place is so peaceful and beautiful but very windy.

The beach was so beautiful with the coast and landscapes visible. The waves and the rocks with the background just screams peace and sanctity. I like where I live but when I look at where I was compared to home. I miss this so much. The urban lifestyle while nice is a little irritating. 

Some of the places we visited

Picton Castle 

Picton castle has amazing grounds and is actually quite fascinating as it doesn't really look like a castle. However the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have visited this castle on numerous occasions.I found the main living area quite strange looking as I thought it looked like the inside of a dolls house. (With the bright pink walls and white detailing). It is a beautiful place with a lot of history. 

                                                   

St. Davids Bishop's Palace

This medieval cathedral was beautiful inside and out with the small town around it mixed with the sounds of the river Alun. It was quite tranquil. The stain glass windows and the organ pipes (Images shown below) where my most favourite parts of the cathedral as the show such peace and calm. All tensions I had or stresses about not having wifi to blog seemed to disperse into more positive and less stressful scenarios.

 Nature offshore

We went on a 2hour boat trip around some of the islands located just off the pembrokeshire coast. These islands were called Skomer island and Ramsay island. These had some very unique and different animals living around these islands. Skomer island had quite a lot of puffins. I have never seen a puffin before so to see hundreds maybe thousands was quite breathtaking. They are such beautiful and elegant birds. Ramsay island had seals and porpoise in it surrounding area. I have seen seals before and I have also seen porpoises but to see them so close in such a personal and private environment was absolutely stunning. I really recommend people who love nature and learning about different species and different historical facts about islands to go on a boat trip whether its and hour or 2 they are just as amazing. 

To finish my holiday post. I would like to end on my favourite sunset pictures taken on Broad Haven Beach. I hope you have enjoyed this post,

See you soon x

Love, Emily xx

.Link to my camera:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-and-camcorders/digital-cameras/compact-and-bridge-cameras/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz72eb-k-bridge-camera-21660641-pdt.html

Being confident

My anxiety usually holds me back but I've learnt over the past few weeks/months/years that if you let a mental health problem hold you back you can't fully move forward. Mental health is a little quirk that needs to be accepted not only by society but also by you. If you have a mental health problem or you have a lack of self confidence, you need to let whatever it is that's causing the issue from holding you back. 

Focus on what you want. Most of the time a lack of confidence and insecurity stems from being scared of the negativity from people who really don't matter. Nowadays most people will see somebody do something different and put them down because they have done something that is different to everyone else. If you want to do something go ahead and do it because the ability to do something for you will attract light minded people, people who admire that little unique quirk. The people who are positive towards your achievements not the people who are negative to your aspirations, those are the people whose voice matters most. 

Be happy, Be Confident, Be YOU! 

Love, Emily xx

My top 5 must read books

I'm a huge fan of reading and one of the things I really enjoy is having a conversation with people about their favourite books. I really think it helps me get to know them a lot more, so I wanted to share with you guys just 5 of my must read books!

The Declarationby Gemma Malley

"The Declaration opens in the year 2140, and people have conquered death in the form of Longevity drugs. With limited food and fuel resources, waste has become a serious crime and the worst crime of all is having a child. Anna is one of these children. She is housed at Grange Hall where she and other Surpluses are taught that the most they can ever hope for is a harsh life of servitude to make amends for their existence.

Anna is well on her way to becoming a Valuable Asset when Peter arrives at Grange Hall. He challenges everything she has learned by arguing that people who take Longevity are the real criminals and perversions of nature, not the young. He also claims that he knows her parents and that they want her back. Peter is strange and new, but is he enough to make her risk everything to escape with him?"

This book I've had since I was around 11 years old and never over the past 8 years have I gotten bored of it. It's an amazing dystopian thriller that has always had me burning the midnight oil. It set me up to be a big fan of Gemma Malley's other stories...and I've now realised that there are actually another 2 books which are sequels to this one...so there's a spending spree going on right now!

Buy it here: The Declaration

FangirlBy Rainbow Rowell

"Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.

Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible . . ."

Emily first introduced me to this book in late 2014 (I think) and I read it in like 5 hours. I think it's one of the first books with links to Mental Health that I've ever read, and it was so tastefully done. I instantly felt a connection to Cath and her boy struggles. I fell in love with the characters and bought myself a copy as soon as I'd finished reading. It's still one that I pick up regularly to read, and the fact that it's become a widely known book lately has made me so happy!

Buy it here: Fangirl

Don't let anything dull your sparkleBy Doreen Virtue

"Difficult relationships and challenging circumstances all come down to one thing: drama. In this ground-breaking book, Doreen Virtue guides you through the process of determining your Drama Quotient. You'll discover how much stress you are unnecessarily tolerating and absorbing from other people and the situations you find yourself in.

Doreen explains the physiological reasons why you can become addicted to high-drama relationships, jobs and lifestyles, and how to heal from this cycle. You'll come to understand why traumatic events from the past may have triggered post-traumatic symptoms, including anxiety, weight gain and addictions, and you'll learn natural and scientifically supported methods for restoring balance to your body and your life.

Doreen shows you how to:

- Deal with relatives, friends and co-workers who are 'hooked'? on drama
- Assess your own level of drama addiction
- Relieve stress and bring about inner peace

Go on an overall Drama Detox to clear away negativity and let your light shine through!"

For me, I'm always trying to better myself. One of the things I try the hardest with is breaking away from negativity and trying to understand how my past has influenced my present...and therefore how I can move past it. This book has been so interesting and has definitely given me some food for thought.

Buy it here: Don't let anything dull your sparkle

Practical magicby Alice Hoffman

"Sisters Gillian and Sally Owens were brought up by their two elderly guardian aunts in a world of spells and exotica. As the magical charm of their childhood wears away, they escape from this mystical mayhem - one by running away, the other by marrying.

Many years go by before strange circumstances thrust them together again, and once more they are in a place that blends the mundane and mysterious, the familiar and fantastic. Three generations of Owens women are brought together in an experience of unexpected insight and revelation, teaching all of them that such perceptions are rare and wonderful and - to be sure - practical."

It's a tale of love, family, magic and acceptance. I first became a fan of the film when I was a child, so naturally (always being a fan of books more than films) I had high hopes for the book....and it did not disappoint. It was a truly magical experience.

My favourite ending passage:
" there are a few things, after all that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep Rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can"

Buy it here: Practical Magic

You can heal your lifeby Louise Hay

"If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed" Louise Hay


"Life Is Really Very Simple. What We Give Out, We Get Back What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us. I believe that everyone, myself included, is responsible for everything in our lives, the best and the worst. Every thought we think is creating our future. Each one of us creates our experiences by our thoughts and our feelings. The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences."

The book shows us that through changing the way that we think, and by using different mantras and thought patterns, any physical or emotional issues can be overcome! It's even been tried and tested for drug users trying to overcome their addictions...and it was successful.

Buy it here: You can heal your life

What are some of your favourite books to read?

Love,

Louise x

Guys and Dolls

Photo credit: http://www.theatreroyal.com/whats-on/2016/guys-and-dolls/

So yesterday I went on an outing with my grandparents and my aunt to the Grand Theatre. When I was told that we were seeing a play that was set in the 50's I was worried. its one of those situations where you think " I'm either gonna love it or hate it"....and guess what? I LOVED IT!

It didn't seem like we were sitting there for a little over 3 hours at all. I was captivated right from the start with the lovable characters Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet. They were your typical full of fun characters that you could put anywhere, In any kind of situation and still have a chuckle with.

The musical is about Maxwell Caufield as Nathan Detroit, in search for a new location for his illegal craps game, with the only available space asking for $1000 cash in advance. Detroit is forever in need of cash and so has to place a bet with sky Masterson, a man known for his weird and wacky bets. Richard Fleeshman plays a wonderful Masterson with a wonderful voice

The show continues to take us through Detroit's avoidance of marriage after 14 years of engagement to show girl, Miss Adelaide (Louise Dearman) and Masterson's sticky relationship with missionary Miss Sarah Brown. Bethany Lindsell is wonderful in her role as Brown and truly showcases the religious and slightly naive nature of the very lovable character, as the bet slowly turns into a blossoming romance. It's a truly wondeful mixture of love, living life on the edge and friendships.

http://www.behindthearras.com/Reviewspr/reviewsPRapr-jul2016/guys-and-dolls-review-Wolverhampton-Grand-G07-16.html

Truly a great performance by all, and the staff all did an amazing job!

Louise x

Travel// My mini trip to Cardiff

So last week me and my boyfriend set off on a mini adventure to Cardiff, Wales little did I know that it would test me on how well I handle my anxiety.

Wednesday morning before heading to my boyfriends house I felt completely fine. I finished my packing, got ready and prepared myself for the day ahead. However on the bus journey to his house I was flushed with anxiety. My palms were sweaty, I felt sick, I was shaking and was overall feeling quite panicky for anyone who suffers from anxiety will understand that if you don't get over this anxiety it will get much worse and so it did. To cut a long story short I threw up at my boyfriends house which was completely embarrassing but thankfully his family were out and it was just us.

I did eventually get over my anxiety when we got on the direct train from Birmingham to Cardiff. Throughout my mental turmoil my boyfriend stayed calm and helped me as much as he could.

We had a fantastic trip in the end where we visited a few attractions, went shopping and ended up clubbing. The experience of the whole trip was amazing. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I was unwell while we were there but I carried on like a trooper.

Where we visited in 1 day:

• Cardiff Castle 
• The Doctor Who Experience
• St Davids Shopping centre
• Walkabout (The club we ended up in)

We stayed at the Clayton Hotel next to the train station. The hotel was lovely, the atmosphere was pleasant. The only downside is that we had a room right above the train station so we lost out on a lot of sleep due to passing trains all night long. Overall it was great.

My next trip with my boyfriend is my family holiday which is a true test of our relationship as we will be together 24/7 for 2 weeks.

Push yourself and find something amazing!

Love,

Emily xxx