.

So.
Hi!
Whilst I'm typing this I'm internally crying.

I only have one more day of the summer holidays.
But I'm determined to make this school year 100x better than the last one.

Yeah, school is stressful, scary, challenging- sometimes monotonous.
The only thing I can change about it is how I deal with it.

"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."

I like to see it as: there is an external world, that we live in; and an internal world  that lives in us. We can't control what happens in the external world, but we can choose what effect that has in our world. (Make any sense?!?).

Every day I'm going to try to choose happy. 

In theory it shouldn't be too hard, that fact that I woke up at all should be enough reason.

 But in practice, it's easy to let the little things get to you. 

This is my last year of school, and I want to remember it fondly.

~Rachel x

*Sorry for being so reflective and boring and moan-y again*

Summer Checklist- Revisited

This time last year (almost to the day!) I wrote a blog post called 'Summer Checklist'.

I spoke about a number of things I'd like to achieve.

I thought it would be a good idea to see whether, a year later I have achieved them.

A follow up wasn't my original intention, but I'm going going with it ;-)

1) "to practice my keyboard like a crazy person. My Grade 5 exam is scheduled for November and I'm waaayyyy behind."

Okay. I didn't practice as much as I probably should have... and it was touch and go for a while- but lo and behold November rolled around and I got a high pass. I didn't get a Distinction; but I didn't fail.

2) "I'm probably going to redecorate my room, which I'm super excited about.I'll do a blog post devoted entirely to this topic once I plan it a bit more...and not to mention pictures of when its finally finished! '

YES.  This, I can safely say I have done. I love love love my room now and would love to do a whole post dedicated to its new state, but its just occurred to me that I have no pictures of what it looked like before so they'll be nothing to compare it with! 

D'oh.

3) I'm going to try and eat as healthily as possible. I'm not going to cut out sweet treats completely, just greatly limit my intake; and have something healthy instead.

E.g: Banana>Cake. 

I actually did follow this through from August to about April (my brothers wedding was in April and I wanted to.... resemble a elephant as little as possible). 

But after the wedding I kind of just let myself go. 

:-(. But I have prom in less than a year so I better get back on a treadmill or something otherwise I might as well just go as an elephant.

4) Like I mentioned earlier, my body clock is messed up. I'm going to bed too late and waking up too late. 

Huh. I'm still working on this. It's probably gotten worse, if anything. I need to get into my head that watching a film at 1am is not good, and 2pm is not an acceptable time to wake up.

5) I have a little bit of homework to do... 

I actually don't have a lot of proper homework to do this summer, but I want to get a fully functioning revision timetable up and running so I'm at least a little prepared for my GCSE's next summer.

6) Have fun.

Yeah, okay. 

May she rest in peace

Lets not talk about how long I've been MIA from this blog. Or how cringe-worthy it is to look back at my previous posts.

It only seems like yesterday that I did THIS blog post last summer.

I haven't really achieved what I thought I would this time last year.

Sometimes expectations are what mess us up the most.

This year coming up is probably going to be the most important of my life.

I'll be in year 11....I'm going to be doing my GCSE's, which kinda makes me feel ill when I think about it.

During my mocks I felt like I was being lead to the slaughter house.(too much?)

A lot of my friends are turning 16 in the next couple of months; and I'll be doing to the same in 6 months.

I remember thinking about turning 16 when I was younger.

It was the magical age where I would suddenly know exactly what I wanted to do with my life and do cool things like get my ears pierced (mum's orders) and get a boyfriend.

But here I am approaching that elusive number, and I feel no more prepared to fulfill my expectations than the day I thought them up.

I still feel like I'm in Year 9... as if the past two years haven't really happened.

*sigh* 

Well this post is really a box of laughs, isn't it?!

I guess this post is my attempt to try and resurrect this blog.

"Miss Rachel Reidy- may she rest in peace".

The Red Tour!!!!

On of 1st of February 2014, I went to see Taylor Swift LIVE at the o2. I've been a maahossive Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember. The main thing I love about her is that she tells stories through her songs. I love a good story, as you may know :-)

I went with one of my friends, Daisy. We went to a buffet restaurant called 'Jimmy's. 

I wish I got some better pictures of the decor, because it was crazy. Because it served food from all different countries, they reflected this in the design, which I thought was really neat...

The only picture of the decor I got, outside the toilets (The Western themed bit with the road signs)
Sorry for the crazy face I'm pulling- I was a bit over excited and definitely believed I deserved a snack!

This is what I wore. It's pretty much all from Primark, haha.

Also, I apologise for the state of my surroundings, we are re-doing our house and therefore all the walls were stripped.

Skater Dress: Primark
Disco Pants: Primark
Black Boots: Primark
Necklace: Beaverbrooks
(Such a rubbish picture, but the only full length one I have!)

Yes, that's my mum in the mirror taking the picture. Couldn't find it in me to crop her out. :-)

Daisy and I on the way there! I look pretty composed in the picture, but believe me, I was jumping off my seat the entire car journey.

Daisy and I
(Coat: Peacocks)

The actual concert itself was amazing. 

Think strobe lights, 

drums, 

people flying through the audience, 

ballet, 

crazy costumes from clowns to paparazzi, 

a performer that is as good live as she is on her album, 

Taylor performing bare footed whilst walking down a thin walkway suspended in the air and singing about danger (treacherous), 

amazing dance routines, 

so many costume changes done in a matter of seconds, 

 a crowd that's as excited to be there as you are, 

Taylor being carried through the crowd whilst singing( not quite crowd surfing, but near enough)

'You Belong With Me' sung soul. That was cool. Take a classic song and switch it up. Those backing singer's harmonies were tight.

ED SHEERAN turning up unannounced, 

The Vamps playing beforehand, 

I repeat: ED SHEERAN being there.

And many other things that would take too long to type.

It was a magical time. I got some recordings, but in all of them you can hear me singing really embarrassingly loud. Whoops.

I ask you kindly to ignore my face but acknowledge how close we are to the stage! EKK! Not quite the pit though ahah.

I had a great time. What's the best concert you've ever been to? 

*Sparkle* 

Rachel   xxx

Its CHRRISSSSTMASS!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas......

We put up our Christmas tree today! I'm totally in love with everything about Christmas and I'm so excited that I can finally go out wearing Christmas jumpers and tinsel in my hair and not be judged (much).

My mum and I had such a great day, playing Christmas songs, (Listen to a Christmas playlist HERE) burning cinnamon candles, drinking mulled wine and watching a Christmassy film later on that evening.  

Last year we didn't have a Christmas tree as the boys were kittens and we just knew they would tear it down! This year we are confident that they wont destroy it (although Jay-Jay has been having some fun with the Wise men......). Still don't know anything about these cats?!? Read a post I did a while back about them HERE.

Said Jay-Jay having fum with some tinsel :-)

Henry helping me put some decorations on the tree. Just call him an elf!

I think I got a bit confused with which glass of Mulled wine was mine.... I ended up drinking both and getting a little tipsy. Whoops!

"Which one is Joseph?"

Obviously getting distracted by cats. Story of my life.

Yep, causing havoc once again......




This post is obviously just for me. Hopefully I can look back on this in a couple Christmasses and smile at the memories.
Hope you are having a great time preparing for Christmas. Now all I need to do is buy some presents!

*Sparkle* this  Christmas---

Rachel   xxx

OOTD: Birthday party!

Hello! 

Long time no blog. Apologies. Been busier than busy.

 Tonight I went to one of my best friends 15th birthday party at a restaurant. I only had just over an hour to get ready and I had no idea what to wear so I went with the classic: An LBD. Not so classic that I had to pair it with brown boots though.

Imagine the scene: I'm rushing out at the last minute and ask my dad to quickly take some pictures for my blog. My dad, being the technology expert he is (note the extreme sarcasm is this sentence) agreed . So, therefore I apologize in advance for these terribly shot pictures. And the junk in the background! I tried to edit it out but it just looked weird. We are forever renovating at our house XD.

I wore my hair naturally down, tied at the back with a black bow from primark. (It wouldn't show up in the picture as it blends in with my hair)
Fake Pearl Necklace: Claire's

Coat: Peacocks
Bag: F&F for Tesco

The dress is plain black, with black lace on the back as shown here.
Dress: H&M

Boots: F&F for Tesco
(wish I had them in black D:)
They're the same shoes I wore in THIS blog post

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

Facts about me #4

Fourth installment!
Read the 1st HERE
The 2nd HERE 
The 3rd HERE


44) I could eat popcorn (sweet or salty) all day.

45) My toes click all the time.

46) When I was younger, I was obsessed with Club Penguin, and later on, Stardoll.

47) I have a brother who is quite a lot older than me. He's like a second father and I love and respect him so much.

48) Said brother is getting married next year, and I'm going to be a bridesmaid!

49) I come from all over the world. One granddad is Jamaican, another is Indian, One grandmother is White English, the other is Vincentian, African and Portuguese. Saying that, I have a great-granddad who is Scottish (My last name, Reid- is Scottish). So when people ask my where I'm from, I find it hard to know what to say. 

50) I'm very dramatic.

51)  The world amazes me everyday

52) I have ambitions goals for myself, but I don't like to share them with other people; otherwise they'll expect too much of me- and if I don't fulfill their expectations then I'll be letting down more people than just myself.

53) I'm a doodler. My geography book is like a trip inside Picasso's MIND, my dear.

54) I love to act & sing, and have done since I was very little.

 My mum has countless videos of Young Rachel prancing around on a stage.

 I've starred in 2 of my Secondary School's Productions, and plan to continue until I leave.

55) I hate speaking on Skype or the phone. I feel like I'm just talking to myself. I'd much rather see someone face to face or text them.

56) I've always been a poser in photographs. When I was little I used to turn my head on an almost 90 degree angle for photo's haha.

57) John Green is AMAZING.

58) I'm messy/clumsy 

59) Music is my escape.

60) Socially inept. 

61) I find it hard to understand why people like me at all

62) Doctor who is my favourite TV show, forever and always


Since I included a couple of pictures of me when I was younger, I thought I'd include this one too...hopefully to make you smile.

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

Hopelessly lost and not needing to be found.

I'm always losing things.

My phone, 

                 headphones,

                                     watches,

                                                   jewelry,

                                                                  schoolwork.....

                                                                                          the list goes on and on.

I read online somewhere that although the amount of time people spent looking for lost things varies, in John Ortberg's book 'When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box', and in James Gleick's 1999 book 'Faster', it is said that we spend sixteen minutes a day (roughly one year of our lives) looking for lost possessions.

For me though, its probably a lot longer. I'm scatty, forgetful and all-round clumsy. Poor me.

Yesterday I lost something relatively important. In a couple of my previous blog posts, I have confessed my love for Youtube and my desire to start filming one day in the near future. I filmed that video yesterday....but accidentally deleted all of the footage. This was after I'd spent practically the whole day getting to grips with the editing system. That was one thing, that no matter how much I looked for it, I'd never get it back.

*all go awwh for unfortunate Rachel*

Losing things generally seems to be a bad thing; but then I look to characters such as the 'Lost Boys' in Peter Pan, which are lost... but seemingly perfectly content with this.

Some days, I feel that I'm lost. Not my possessions, but my personality. Its something that I can't always interpret. 

I've been feeling this way lately, a lot more than I'd like to admit. 

I sometimes have to pinch myself out of my self-pity, and remind myself that I'm not the only one to have ever gone through hardship. We all do and are, just in different ways.

Next time I feel lost, I'm going to remember that I'm only young, and life is about creating yourself, not trying to replicate someone else.

I'm also going to remember the saying:

                                                      'I'm hopelessly lost, not needing to be found'.

I can't remember where I heard this, but it came to mind whilist writing this post. 

Sometimes its okay not to know how you are, to feel lost in yourself. You can't find yourself the way you would a item, but acknowledging your current state, and still being happy with it (Like the Lost Boys) is enough, for now.

So I've re-filmed that YT video, (will keep you posted if I have the nerve to put it up...!) and I'm going to revel in the fact that I'm lost.

You know what they also say about lost things. Sometimes when you stop looking for them, they turn up.

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

Facts about me #3

Third installment. 

Get Excited!!!

Lets continue right where we left off:

30) I lived and went to school in Brisbane, Australia for just over a year. I've been back 5 years now (!) and don't remember a lot about living out there.

31) I'm an observer. I could people watch all day. 

32) I like to understand what makes people tick, and I'd maybe like to take physiology when I'm older. 

33) it's not just people though, I like to understand why things are the way they are anyway. My dad subscribed to 'how it works' mag, and it's safe to say I'm a little obsessed.

34) I love food way to much than is healthy, and because of this, I'm bordering on 'OverWeight'. Oh dear.

35) I love all animals, but cats are my favourite.
(and I have a soft spot for penguins)

36) I take extra-curricular lessons in: Singing, Guitar, and Keyboard.

37) I'm not as confident as I make out to be. Its an act (shh, don't tell anyone)

38) I'm in Year 10 (UK). In America, I guess this means I'm a Freshman?

39) I've been wearing glasses since I was 5 years old and my prescription is pretty high.

40) I tried to wear contact lenses and month ago and fainted. I'm still trying.

41) I get dehydrated really easily. When I was a lot younger I was admitted to hospital for being severely dehydrated.

42) If something new or important is happening soon, I can't sleep leading up to it. 

43) I have literally no upper body strength, but I can kick pretty hard.

There ya go, pointless things that you definitely needed to know!

Talking of pointless things, there is this amazing twitter account, that you have probably heard of called 'UberFacts' filled with even more pointless things. 

You can also follow me, if you are feeling snazzy.

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

A touch of magic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: 

A green lipstick. I love it.

Nothing like Glozell's though, don't worry.

Its green in the Bullet, but when applied to the lips it transfers as a wicked deep pink. The official name is 'Touch of Magic'.

This is my first Barry M lip paint, and I'm really impressed.

I think Barry M tries to portray an image of: glitter, colours, and really fun affordable makeup...and I must say I agree!

Barry M say that this lip product is meant to react with your natural Ph levels, to create your own unique shade of pink. (Not sure of the validity of that statement, though.)

This colour dries down into a stain, so you can eat and drink, and the colour still remains. Thats probably my favourite thing about it.

The colour is also really build-able, you can have a light wash of colour or a bright statement lip from this product.

The only negative thing I have to say, is that it can look a bit patchy (more in the middle of the lips than round the edges)

Below are a couple of pictures of how they look on me. 

Sorry for the PJ's, headphones and general shabbiness. This is a post-writing addition; thought you might like to see how it looks on. :-P

That's it for now, folks! Next post, 'Facts About Me' will be out in the next couple of days, so be sure to look out for that.

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

Facts about me #2

This is the second installment of my 'Facts About Me' thingy that I'm doing. (Check out the first one by clicking HERE).

It's fortnightly, so this is due for the 17th, but I'mma put it up early 'cause I'mma rebel. (not).

15) Even though I said last time that I don't like voicing my opinions... My Favourite colour is purple.

16) And, My favourite male singer is Ed Sheeran

17) In general I prefer old music to new music; I'm going to a Barry Gibb concert in October!

18)I gave two facts in my last fact, so I'm going to waste this fact. (...I love to write)

19)I have the worst long term memory going. I can remember yesterday and last week perfectly, but when it comes to last month or last year; my knowledge of what happened then is very limited. 

20)I don't remember as much I'd like to about my childhood, and that makes me sad. 

21)I'm the type of person who can appear to be doing something, but actually not achieving anything at all.  As my mum would say 'Busy doing nothing'. 

22)I'm an extreme girly girl. I like nothing more than dressing up in a big princess gown, wear lipgloss and play with dolls. It's sad I know. 

23) I love the sound of rain. Its so relaxing. If its raining at night, I'm almost guaranteed a good nights sleep. 

24) I'm notorious for constantly being late.  The only thing I'm always NOT late for is school.... Just about. 

25) My first pet was a blue Siamese fighting fish called Splash.

26) I watch too much Youtube.

27) I can spend a whole hour in the shower (I'm a poet and I didn't know it)

28) The more clothes I have, the less I know what to wear.

29) I'm a UK size 7 in shoes.

That's it for now, Folks (third installment will be up in 2 weeks)

My Mum is frying frankfurters and plantain as I type this, it smells sooo good.
I'm going to eat some of that now. Bet you wish you were me! :-P
(or not...)

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

Dove Intensive Repair Line

Previously posted as a Guest Post on Sophie's blog, but thought I'd post it if anyone hasn't seen it yet. (check her out HERE)

I recently subscribed to Company Magazine. (which is not the focus of this post but it's a really great mag btw) and when you subscribe, you receive a free gift. If you know me, you know I'm all over anything that is free.

I received the 'Dove Intensive Repair' line. This was a blessing in disguise as I didnt realise how damaged my hair actually was. My brother is getting married early next year, and I'm a bridesmaid. I want to grow my hair out, but have it still look healthy. Using any random product I can find in the bathroom probably isnt the best way to do this.

I got the Shampoo, Conditioner, Quick Repair Conditioner, Intensive Repair Masque, Leave In Conditioning spray. 

The intensive repair line contains good sounding stuff like 'Hydrolyzed Keratin' and  'Hydrolyzed wheat protein'.

The Hydrolyzed Keratin is particularly important because your hair is made from 80% Keratin anyway- so its as natural as it gets.

 It repairs the hair shaft, increases elasticity, volume and future breakages.(Read more HERE) 

Some products in the line DO contain Sulfates (hey, its not a miracle product) but I wouldn't what that to put you off as they still great products. (For the low price as well!)

Still, I'm guessing its less of a gimmick than the products that contain a crap-ton of silicons. *I'm looking at you, Herbal Essences....*

This is what Dove have to say:

Dove_®Intensive Repair Shampoo + Conditioner system contains breakthrough Keratin Repair Actives that absorb into Keratin already present in your hair, and repair proteins at the cellular level. Lustrous locks without excess residue:

• Gentle, everyday moisture doesn’t weigh hair down.

• Strengthens hair* and prevents split ends.

• Leaves hair silky to the touch and healthy-looking.

• Hair is easy to manage and style.

 Honestly and truly, I'll have to agree guys!

 Its the best thing ever. (Read to tune of 1D's 'Best Song Ever' for maximum effect.)

My hair feels pretty damn soft. Probably the softest in been in recent memory; and smells the way you want your hairs to smell after washing. I'll probably be repurchasing. *she softly strokes her hair whilst typing*.

The shampoo and conditioner 

Intensive masque-thing

Express Treatment Conditioner 

Leave-In Creme and Conditioning spray

So now I've spruced my hair care up, maybe this will give you the notion to pay more attention to any part of your beauty regime...or even lifestyle. (Next on my list is to take better care of my hands- I can't remember the last time I moisturized them.. Don't judge me :-).

For more rambling you can:

Chat to me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rachie228

See my beautiful big nosed face on Instagram: http://instagram.com/rachie228

If you've read to the end...well done you! Its a long 'un. 

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx

*Not sponsored

*Sorry for bad pic quality