Rachel Ellen

Monday, 11 August 2014

Help me....

This evening I decided I wanted to be productive and sort some of the stuff in my room, so due to my over sensitive nose and mild asthma I decided to open a window to let some air, big mistake.

I'm sat reading a magazine and suddenly notice the light flickering, I then look up to see an enormous moth, not that it's wings were particularly big but it's body was huge, I have a very fuzzy picture as I was too scared to get very close to it.

told you

After the initial trauma from the sheer size of it my proactive mind kicked in - what can I do about it?

Well then the moth went behind the curtain where there was an open window so you'd think - problem solved? Wrong!

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

lifestyle 18:03

Appreciation

by Rachel

This past few weeks we have had absolutely lovely weather (even in the North of England, would you believe) And it really makes me appreciate where I live.

There's enough bad news about the area in which I live to fill the country and there is a very negative attitude towards it. But if you take the time to explore you might find something special.

A picture will never do the justice this kind of view deserves. I forget sometimes just how privileged I am to have this at such a short distance. People travel for miles to get to scenery like this.

So as the weathers dipping and windy tops of hills are much less appealing, think of the quieter places without the problems, without the News just you and your thoughts.

Oh and we saw some puppies...

There was definitely non-human awwwing noises being made!

Thanks for reading

Rachel xx

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

lifestyle 20:40

Summer Sun

by Rachel

Everybody always complains about an English summer, but as far as they go this year has been almost tropical - including the torrential downpours. Nothing makes you notice the sun more than being in a hot sticky office full of computers and people for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. If anyone has any ideas for cool, office wear I'd be happy to hear them!

Instead I'll post a selection of the outside time I've had this week, and a homemade (by mum) knickerbocker glory (how cute are the wafers!)

I think this picture is adorable of my niece feeding the ducks and its so unfair how brown she is.

I also got a new phone this weekend and the first pictures I took were of these swans - all I seem to do is take pictures of them!

A boring post again, I know they're becoming all too common, work has been so time consuming and energy draining.

I'm due to start my third year of uni in September (scary) and need to start my dissertation prep, Hopefully this little note book will have loads of useful information by September (well maybe a page or two)

And if not, the thought was there right?

Thanks for reading

Rachel xx

Tuesday, 15 July 2014

list 18:30

Reasons I Hate the Hairdressers

by Rachel

I usually try and be quite positive on my blog, nobody needs a moany person in their lives but this post felt like a necessity.

I've never been one for getting my haircut every 6 weeks, so my (usually) yearly haircut tends to bring more dread every year. These are just a few of the reasons why I dislike the hairdressers.

Before I begin can I clarify that I haven't actually had any traumatic experiences at a hairdressers, and they have never been anything less than lovely.

1. The Phonecall - The first problem, actually ringing up and booking the appointment - I am still at the age where I feel like my mum should do these things for me, but at 20 unfortunately that isn't the case anymore (even though I got my boyfriend to book my last hairdressers appointment but let's pretend I didn't)

2. The Decision - Deciding what to get done, do I get a completely different style, colour (let's not be silly I can't afford that!), just a trim, get rid of it all, fringe, no fringe... all these possibilities all up to me. And let me tell you, taking a picture of a celebrity to the hairdresser doesn't make you look like said celebrity (many years of teenage disappointment that I am still not Hayley Williams)

3. The Grand Entrance - the look on the hairdressers face when they get a good look at your hair after you haven't been for a year

found on google images

4. Fighting Back The Tears - The fact that I'm a massive wimp, I'm really head sore and always have been so I can't think of much worse than someone ragging a comb through my uncut hair full of knots and split ends ouch!

5. The Hairdresser Talk - and the worry that comes before it. Knowing this chat is coming for some reason makes me forget anything even remotely interesting about myself/what I've done/what I'm going to be doing. And really, I don't want a stranger to know the details of my life, and I don't want to know the details of theirs. I am very impressed they can keep conversations going with strangers all day though.

6. The Regret - once they've already made the first cut. what've I done?

7. The Finishing touches - When you can tell it's definitely not what you wanted. Did you describe it wrong? Did they not understand? Were you picturing something different (reference to point 2, Hayley Williams is not looking back at you)

8. The Mirror Behind the Head - so does that look ok?
8.1. I can hardly say "no, put that hair around my feet back on my head"
8.2. If you suffer with bad eyesight, like me, there's not a chance you can see yourself in the first mirror, never mind a mirror behind you, just smile and agree.
8.3. How hopeful the hairdresser's face is that they've done a good job

9. The Payment - what do you mean that much for a trim?! I could have done that myself! but begrudgingly handing over your well earned money.

10. The Aftermath - Not getting compliments on your newly trimmed hair - because you were too much of a wimp to get anything new and your hair actually doesn't look any different.

Maybe it's only me that gets so traumatised by hairdressers appointments but I like to think other people struggle with this as well

Thanks for reading

Rachel xx

Saturday, 12 July 2014

university 20:32

A Walk in the Park...

by Rachel

This weekend in England seems to be showing the peak of our summer, whilst still covered in cloud the sticky humidity is warming the air up to a warm temperature of 23°C. This seemed the best opportunity this year to get my shorts on, flash the milky white legs and go somewhere I've not been before.

Me and my boyfriend - Andrew - went to Crookes Valley Park and Weston Park in Sheffield city centre. There is another park called The Ponderosa (we only had two hours of parking, so two parks was enough for one day). The parks are little pockets of calm and peace within the hustle and bustle of the jam packed city centre.

Crookes Valley Park

This park consists of a large fishing pond/lake/whatever you'd like to call it. The water was so clear around the edges that you could see different kinds of fish swimming around, Carp and Roach (see I've been listening), not easy to get those kinds of pictures on an iPhone camera.

There were a few fisherman sat around the lake and there were ducks and birds, including some very tiny ducklings - cue gawky awwing noises coming from me

Weston Park

Weston Park consisted of a lot of grassland, various statues/monuments, a band stand a museum and a much smaller duck pond, with pigeons ducks and geese galore! I have mentioned before that my boyfriend is a fishermen, so we were in that much of a rush to get to the duck pond to see if there were fish that I didn't get chance to photograph everything!

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

lifestyle 19:52

Wishing For September

by Rachel

This time of year consists of a lot of rain in England, a full time job for me and listening to all the holidays everybody has planned.

Luckily for me I have a holiday booked this year to Rhodes, but I have to wait until September, which feels like a lifetime away! The obvious benefit of a September holiday is the price, due to me and my boyfriend being university students we have most of September free. The problem of this holiday is how long we have to wait! Listening to everybody else go on about their holidays, how soon they're going, how great they were, how brown they now are!

Let me tell you though, all you making me feel jealous. When life's setting back in for you in September, your tans all but faded, your summer holiday is just a distant memory, that's when I come in. Or fly out actually! It'll be so worth it and I'll be back to uni with a glowing tan... well glowing yes but more likely red than brown!

Enjoy your holidays and enjoy your bragging - just remember I'll have the last laugh!

Thanks for reading

Rachel xx

Saturday, 5 July 2014

lifestyle 09:32

Let's Go Back To Prom

by Rachel

Since there's proms going on everywhere right now, an appropriate post is a prom throwback! It doesn't feel very long ago but it was four years, four years since I left school! I won't bore you again with my age crisis and instead throw lots of old pictures at you.

(note: me and most of my friends are in very similar colours and, unfortunately, it wasn't actually planned. We're clearly just too similar!)

And this is a post from the time before the word selfie existed, so not a selfie in sight. And no drawn on eyebrows, it was a different time.

After hours and hours and days of searching for a prom dress everywhere, and I mean everywhere, I finally came across this little gem in Jane Norman all places, not the usual prom dress shop. My mum was over the moon with the price (I won't give away all my secrets). The waist band wasn't even slightly stretchy and was a bit of a nightmare to get into - I definitely couldn't get in now - but overall it was a good little dress!