My Wish May Have Been Granted

As you know, I have been complaining about our lack of snow here on the south coast. Well today, my wish has been granted. College has been cancelled for tomorrow due to a weather warning for large amounts of snow over the next couple of days! I have already planned a snowball fight with my friends who live locally, and am hoping it stays long enough that I will get a nice long weekend.

Yesterday we got a taste of snow too. I was sat in the cafeteria at college chatting about how I am hoping for snow, and suddenly it started floating past the windows. Soon it started settling, and we even got enough for a snowball fight, although they were pretty small snow balls. It melted soon after, but according to the weather report, that will soon be fixed.

Some of my friends in other parts of the country have already had snow! Is it falling where you are?

All The Bright Places

It has been freezing this week walking to college! And yet here on the south coast, we have had no snow all winter, and it does not look like we are going to have it this week either. Some of my friends who live further up the country have had lots, and I have had to endure many photos of snow covered gardens that have made me very jealous. Shame, I felt like skiving off college! It would be like having two half terms!

The book I have just finished reading even features snow, as it is set in Indiana in the middle of winter. It is All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and it is brilliant. The book's main characters, Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, are complete opposites. Theo has spent his whole life standing out and wandering free, yet is still so unhappy he wants to kill himself. Violet has gone from the popular cheerleader to a girl who never travels further than the streets surrounding her home after the death of her sister, and yet is content to live a life that limited. Together, they begin to explore new possibilities in their lives. But as Theo manages to get Violet to leave her comfort zone, he becomes more and more miserable, and Violet does not know how to help.

My favourite thing about the book is the stories about the weird, wonderful and unique places they travel to, as they show how the world around you is often more interesting than you think it is. My personal favourite is the women who runs a second hand book store in several caravans in a field, with a separate van for each genre. I wish we had one of those round here!

However, I am slightly annoyed that the Author is compared to John Green on the cover, with readers saying this book is the next Fault In Our Stars. Personally, I think they are completely different. The characters, the writing style, the sort of places they go, and the reasons the characters are the way they are all unique to each book. I love both books, but think they should be admired individually!

 I recommend All The Bright Places to all older teens. Have you read it? Comment with your own views if you have.

Scarlet

Now it is nearly spring the new season trends are beginning to appear in the shops. My favourite is all the scarlet clothes and accessories that are appearing, as I love wearing bright colours, and red is one of my favourites. Whether is a casual summer skirt or an evening dress, you can find it in red this season. Here are some of my favourites from around the web.

This simple ribbed jumper is perfect for the next
couple of months of cold whether.
New Look, £14.99

I love this dress. 
The halter neck and tie detail make it unusual.
New Look, £19.99

This simple top has a zip and slit at the back

Peacocks, £8.00

I love the gathered detail and tie on this cold shoulder top.

River Island, £24.00

This skirt is perfect for summer days at college.

Topshop, £29.00

This flats are smart enough to wear in the evening

when you want to be able to dance.

Topshop, £19.00

This small across the shoulder bag is perfect for

everyday essentials in the summer.

H&M, £7.99

Valentines Day

In only a couple of days it will be valentines day. This can be a difficult one for teenagers, as many of the things adults do cost too much money or involve having the house to yourself. You can't go to an expensive restaurant, buy posh jewellery or even champagne. So I have compiled a list of things students can do on valentines day, for a variety of budgets. Whether you have no money whatsoever, quite a bit to spend or somewhere in between, there is plenty of inspiration below.

Try out a new café - often more cosy and interesting than your standard Starbucks, an independent café makes a good place for teens to hang out anytime, especially valentines day. They often have a nice secluded sofa near the back!

Go to the cinema - this classic date is affordable and suitable for all ages. Better reserve that back row! 

Go for a walk along the beach - as long as it doesn't pour with rain on valentines day, this will be a perfect opportunity to find some space to be alone. You can always warm up with a bag of hot chips!

Go to a theme park - as it is out of season, you should not have to queue for hours, and it is definitely a more fun filled way of spending a day together.

Go Ice Skating - if you are feeling active, try some skating. You can huddle up together in the café afterwards. If there is a fairy lit outdoor one near you, even better! 

Have a night in - If you are lucky enough to have the house to yourselves, you don't need to go anywhere. Have a movie/boxset marathon, You could try making your own popcorn, or maybe share a chocolate fondue. If you are feeling really brave, try cooking! Or a takeaway is cool if it all goes wrong.

Half Term Plans

I am on holiday for half term! And I do not have too much work to do unlike at Christmas, which is great. I have plenty of time to see my friends from my old school, who I don't often see in term time. We are going to see the Death Cure, which is the last in the Maze Runner trilogy. Although I have read the books, I still don't know what is going to happen as the previous film was so very different from the original storyline, so there is still some suspense. I am a bit upset though, as one of my best friends who I saw the first two films with now lives in another part of the country, so won't be able to come with us. She is going to watch it too though, so we can still obsess over it afterwards.

Here is The Death Cure trailer. It looks brilliant:

Are you a fan of the Maze Runner? Have you seen it yet?

Missing You Already!

Since September, our college has had some exchange students studying with us from all over Europe, mostly Italy. Some of them I did not talk to regularly, but there was one student from Germany who was in my graphics and photography class that I became good friends with. Sadly, she had to go back to Germany last week, and we all miss her. Hopefully we can stay in touch.

I really like having exchange students at the college. I learnt quite a lot from her about life in Germany, as well as lots of tips and artistic inspiration to help me improve my work. She made life at college more interesting, and every time I look at the empty seat next to me I wish she was still here. She was a lovely girl who has even been known to hug a few trees!

My senior school also had exchange students whilst I was there. They came from Chile, but only stayed with us for a few weeks, so I did not get to know them so well. I like it better when they stay for a while, you have time to become proper friends.

Has your school or college ever had exchange students?

The Music Videos You Have To Watch

I like listening to all sorts of different music, usually whilst I am working. Sometimes though, it is the music videos that captivate me. The reasons why vary. Sometimes it is because I like the story they tell, or remind me of something personal.

Below are all my favourite music videos with links to the video on YouTube. If there are any you think are particularly good that I have missed out, put them in the comments below.

Seasons - Olly Murs

I love how the scenery and clothes change to reflect the different seasons. Simple but effective.

Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran

This video features a young boy and girl playing together, but what I love most is how much they remind me of my best friend in infant school and the things we used to do together.

Can We Dance - The Vamps

This video is hilarious, it shows the Vamps clearing up after a wild house party using some unconventional methods.

Wildfire - Seafret

Featuring a psychological experiment to try and make strangers fall in love, this is a sweet but unconventional video that perfectly fits the music.

Drunk - Ed Sheeran

I think this one is my favourite! Beer drinking, talking cats at pubs and parties! Need I say more?

Rock This Party - Bob Sinclair

This one is simple but brilliant. Just 3 kids in a house dressing up in clothes from different styles of music and dancing.

What is your favourite music video?

Disorder In The Courts

As I am sure you can imagine, all sorts of things are discussed in courts by Witnesses and Attorneys. What you might not expect though is that some of the things said are hilarious. Below are conversations that genuinely took place in courts. They are all published in a book called Disorder in the Courts, which is written by a court reporter and is a collection of hilarious interchanges during real trials. The first two are about witnesses giving stupid answers, which you might expect. My favourite ones though are the last two, when despite their education, lawyers still manage to get it very, very wrong. Enjoy!

Attorney: Are you sexually active.
Witness: No. I just lie there.

Attorney: How old is your son, the one living with you?
Witness: 38 or 35, I can't remember.
Attorney: How long has he lived with you?
Witness: 45 years.

Attorney: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Witness: Are you kidding me?

Attorney: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
Witness: No
Attorney: Did you check for blood pressure?
Witness: No
Attorney: Did you check for breathing?
Witness: No
Attorney: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
Witness: No
Attorney: How can you be so sure Doctor?
Witness: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Attorney: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
Witness: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.

A Surprising Read...

Compared to most teenagers, I read quite a lot of books. But I have never really understood why people read plays until now. Even reading "Streetcar Named Desire" in the summer holidays didn't encourage me to read any more. However, that has now changed. Whilst I was in the performing arts block at college, I stumbled across shelves of interesting plays, mostly written in European countries and translated to English. I picked up one that looked interesting called Blood Wedding by Lorca. 3 pages in and I was already hooked. I have read 2 out of 3 acts and cannot wait to go and finish it in first period tomorrow!

I guess I always thought that with just the speech to read and no description as found in books or costumes and scenery as seen in stage performances plays would be dull to read. But actually, if they are well written with good storylines, they can be just as exciting. If fact, I like the fact that some things are left to the imagination. Also, without the description, they are much shorter, so make good quick reads. I think I will be reading more plays in future!

The Best Lyrics

Previously, I have posted playlists on here that are perfect for certain occasions, or feature a certain genre. This time, I have created a list of songs I think have amazing lyrics. This can be for a variety of reasons. The first group are songs that make you think, the next are beautiful love songs (unusual ones you might not have heard before) and finally the last group are ones with more fun, comical lyrics. As the focus is on the lyrics, the hyperlink to each song takes you to a lyric video.

Him - Lily Allen
A Team - Ed Sheeran
Blasphemy - Robbie Williams
Flaws - Bastille
Half The World Away - Oasis
Come Undone - Robbie Williams

Wildfire - Seafret
Who'd Have Known - Lily Allen
Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran
Song Bird - Oasis

Foundations - Kate Nash
What a Buzz - Olly Murs
Rockstar - Nickelback