International Tiger Day

A couple of days ago, it was International Tiger Day. As Tigers are my favourite wild animal, I thought I would celebrate this with you. There are now under 4000 tigers left in the world, making them rarer than ever. I think they are very beautiful, and love watching them with their cubs.

Meanwhile, my resident tiger Bumble has been trying to get in our fridge. He knows there is lots of leftover roast chicken in there, his favourite. He has already had some for his tea and wants more, so he is giving us the sad eyes.

Do you have a love for cats, both big and small?

My Rock Playlist

Although I mostly like pop music, there are some rock songs that I really love. And when I am in the right mood, I love listening to that sort of music. I have compiled a playlist of some of my favourite Rock songs. I do like some older songs, as shown on my blog post "The Best Of The Classics", but this playlist is full of more modern tracks. Have a listen and tell me what you think in the comments.

Good Girls - 5 Seconds Of Summer
Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
Rock Star - Nickleback
Cigarettes and Alcohol - Oasis
She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds Of Summer
Na Na Na - My Chemical Romance
Living On A Prayer - John Bon Jovi
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
Roll With It - Oasis
Mr Brightside - The Killers
Hey Everybody - 5 Seconds Of Summer

What are your favourite rock songs?

Taskmaster - You Will Laugh Out Loud!

Recently, I have been watching a lot of Taskmaster, a comedy show that makes celebrities do weird, wonderful and hilarious challenges. It is all run by Greg Davies and his assistant, who set, watch and judge the tasks, giving them points that lead to a final winner.

Below is a clip of Noel Fielding attempting one of the challenges. He has to make an exotic sandwich, and his strange interpretation of the challenge made me laugh so much I couldn't speak.

Although there are not any new episodes of Taskmaster on at the moment, they are showing episodes from previous series on the channel Dave. So if you ever need a laugh, I recommend it. Have you ever watched Taskmaster?

Asymmetric Style

Asymmetric styles are everywhere at the moment in all forms. From off the shoulder tops to ruffled skirts, there is a wide range to chose from. There are some casual items, but mostly they are more dressy pieces. Many shops have sales on at the moment, so it is a great time to try out the trend. Here are my favourites from around the web.

I love the tie detail.
Was £9, now £5, New Look

The fabric is textured with lots of little dots.
Was £22, now £7, New Look

This dress can be worn in the day or dressed up for evening.

Was £9, now £5, New Look

Perfect for summer days.

£24.99, H&M

Simple yet unusual.

Was £34, now £15, Topshop

Cool and casual for the day.

£34, now £15, Topshop

I love the cut out section.

£59, Zara

A Female Doctor

I was a little surprised when they said there would be a female Doctor Who. I know it had been rumoured, but the idea that the Doctor was a bloke was so set in my mind that I never thought it would happen! And I feel as though the BBC have done it for the wrong reasons.

Ok, so the Master has regenerated into a women, so we know Time Lords can do that. And, if the BBC decided the best available actor was a women, and chose her for that reason, than fair enough. But I feel that is not why the BBC made the decision. I think they did it because they felt pressure to, and that should not be a reason to change the gender of a beloved fictional character.

Before I decide for certain what I think of this change though, I am going to watch some of the new series. If she is brilliant and the transition works, then maybe she has been chosen for the right reasons. If it feels forced, then we will know that the BBC really is too focused on being PC.

A New Discovery

I have a close friend who often introduces me to new and unusual music. She has recently got me into an Indie band called Seafret. Their songs are quite calm and stripped back with really good lyrics. It is the sort of music I like to have on when I am drawing. They make a refreshing change from all the pop stuff played on the radio.

My favourite of their songs is a love song called Wildfire. It is really beautiful and I love the lyrics. The music video is based on a psychological experiment on how to make strangers fall in love.

Some of their other songs I like include:
Oceans
Atlantis
Give Me Something
Be There

Do you like Seafret? Or are there any other Indie bands you like?

Who Would Put That On Facebook?

Since I have joined Facebook, I have been a little surprised at some of the things people post on their Facebook page. I have seen pictures that I would not want the internet to see if it was me. However, my friends are not anywhere near as bad as the people who go to see the Ellen show, as it turns out. They take dodgy Facebook photos to a whole new level.

Are you on Facebook? Do you ever see anything than surprises you?

Starting Work

As I have a very long summer this year, I decided to get a part time job. My Uncle is a mechanic with his own garage and he needed someone to help him with his office work. So from now on, I will be working for him every Monday, and today was my first day.

Although I have done work experience and helped out at my mum's school before, I have never had an actual job before. It felt a bit strange at first, but I got on well and had finished all his jobs by the early afternoon, so I got to go home and enjoy the sun.

Although I quite liked working at the garage, I would not want to work there more than one or two days a week. This is my summer of freedom and I want to have plenty of time to do the things I like. Also, although I like having a bit more money to spend, I am not desperate to have lots, just enough that I can go out shopping and to the cinema with my friends.

A Summer To Remember

This summer, I have the longest holiday I have ever had. Many of my friends say they get bored when they are home a lot, but I have lots of things I like doing. Some of these are with friends, but I am just as happy to do things by myself as well. Are you someone who gets bored easily, or do you love to have lots of free time?

These are 10 of the things I plan to do over the summer. If you are someone who gets bored, maybe they can give you some ideas!

1. Sketching and painting - always an artist at heart
2. Reading my A Level English Lit texts
3. Going to the beach
4. Playing my keyboard
5. Shopping!!!
6. Making things - bags, cards, jewellery, etc.
7. Helping out at my mum's junior school
8. Working at my uncle's garage
9. Cooking for me and my family
10. Writing my blog!!!

Our Sucesses

Often I write posts about the current campaigns Greenpeace are holding and how you can get involved. Two of their main long running campaigns that I have been supporting have been successful and I wanted to share those successes. They prove we can make a difference and it is important we know that when we are of a generation who's opinions are often ignored by many.

John West, the tuna company that violate human rights laws and kill sharks in it's fishing processes has promised to clean up it's act after 2 years of campaigning by Greenpeace. It has committed to protecting workers and stopping destructive fishing practises. This will improve the quality of workers lives as well as our oceans.

HSBC and other banks have Palm Oil companies as investors that destroy rainforests. After Greenpeace campaigned for them to not support irresponsible companies, HSBC has triggered investigations into the actions of Palm Oil companies, which have stopped the destruction of an area of rainforest 3 times the size of Manhattan.

Still, Greenpeace have many more unresolved campaigns on the go. Visit their site to get involved and make a change.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/

My First Concert

Yesterday, I went to my first ever concert with 2 of my best friends. We saw Little Mix, my favourite band and it was brilliant. Because we arrived early and queued, we were let in in the first group and got a space near the front. We could see the girls properly, instead of having to watch them on a screen.

First, we saw Shepard, the supporting act. They are an Australian band, famous for their hit Geronimo. They were brilliant and really got the crowd going. Then after a short break, Little Mix came on. They sung a mix of their current album and some older hits, including Hair, Black Magic and Wings. Their set was complete with costume changes, hot dancers and canons of streamers. At the end, they went off and then came on to sing Shout Out To My Ex as an Encore.

It was a brilliant first concert and I hope it will be one of many. However, now I have been so close to the front I don't think I would want to go unless I could do that again! Being sat in the stands just won't compare. Do you love going to concerts?

I Have Finally Done It!

I am now on Facebook! Although I was a little unsure about joining, I am really pleased I have. So far, I have had no problems and I have loved being able to see what everyone else is up to. My only problem is that I can't stop checking it! That is why I have not been blogging, because every time I go on the computer, I end up on Facebook! I have been trying not to look at it more than a couple of times a day though, and I have mostly succeeded. I am still worried I am getting addicted though!

Do you find it hard to stop looking at Facebook?

A New Doctor

After Saturday night's Doctor Who cliff hanger, it looks like we are going to have to wait until Christmas to find out who the new doctor is. As someone who is obsessed with Doctor Who, the gaps between series are always full of suspense, but when we do not even know who the actor is going to be, I don't know how I will wait that long!

Many people think it is going to be Kris Marshal, the actor who played Humphrey in Death In Paradise. I loved him in that show, and I think he will make a brilliant Doctor. Other possibilities are Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Flea Bag or Richard Ayoade, the star of Gadget man. While they are both great actors, I think I would rather it was Kris, as I think he will be silly and funny, yet able to be serious when he needs too.

Who do you want to be Doctor Who?