My Summer Plans

Today I sat my last management level case study exam and, all being well and I pass it, that means I get the summer off exams and college! I can't remember the last time I had this long off studying. But a summer off means I get to make summer plans. Here's what I hope to do:

Pointe

As a dancer it's always been a dream of mine to go on pointe, to own a pair of those beautiful shoes. This year I get the chance. I'm booked onto my first ever pointe class, and now just need to arrange my pointe shoe fitting. I'm so excited.

France

This year I get a proper holiday. Two weeks relaxing by the Pool in France. I haven't been abroad since 2007, and after the busyness that has been the last few years a fortnight doing very little is exactly what I need. We've booked two beautiful cottages, one right near the beach, another further in land and I can't wait to get away from home for a while.

Birthday Celebrations

The summer is always a good time of year for me as it's my birthday! This year it's even better because it's the Sunday of bank holiday weekend, meaning I get a long weekend off work. No concrete plans yet, but I foresee plenty of meals out, cocktails and quality time with loved ones. Exciting!

Boulevard

Boulevard is a burlesque show in Newcastle that I've been longing to go to for a few years now. When debating where to go for our last work's night, one of the girls and I suggested here but then decided that we'd save this for a girls only summer night out. Drinks, dancing and laughter is sure to be fun.

Reading

I started the year with a list of books I wanted to read. I think I've managed to read only one. I'm very disappointed in myself, but college unfortunately took over my life. I want to fall back in love with my Kindle and start to make a dint in my reading list.

TV/Film

Again, my TV shows have been neglected whilst I've been at college. I can't wait to continue working  my way through Pretty Little Liars, and getting up to speed on Vikings. There's also a few good films out this summer I can't wait to see, and my Now TV box that's feeling very unloved.

Health and Fitness

With a summer of no college, I have no excuses not to focus my attention on getting fit and healthy. I can get back to the gym, get back on track with loosing my winter weight and improve my flexibility and strength a lot more.

Blogging

I have a list of blog posts that I keep adding to quicker than I write them, and a new camera that's dying to be used for some new photos. I'm going to do as much as I can over the summer, and plan ahead for the rest of the year.

So far I have only a few definite plans, but I'm sure there'll be a lot more adventures with my friends and family to come. Here's to a brilliant summer! (And fingers crossed I passed my exam so I can enjoy it all)

Sarah x

Song Sunday - Gresford

Gresford

Written by Robert Saint

Played by Black Dyke Band

This week I lost the greatest Grandad in the world. He passed away peacefully in hospital after suffering with cancer and a respiratory infection. He was a great man known well in our local area for his musical talent, and for being a wheelman at the pit. In memory of him, my song sunday is The Miner's Hymn, Gresford. I will always love you Grandad.

Sarah x

Book Review - On the Fence

On the Fence

By Kasie West

I went to bed last night to read just the first chapter of this book, two and a half hours later I finally went to sleep, I couldn’t put it down. It’s such a good book that has you on an emotional rollercoaster. You laugh, you cry, you fall in love. A great read.

Charlie’s Mum died when she was little and having been raised by her brothers and father she has had very little girlie influence on her life. A self-confessed tomboy, Charlie has no trouble talking to boys or tackling them to the ground, but when it comes to finding one to date, she doesn’t think anyone is interested in her.

Forced to get a new job to pay her father back she’s thrown into the world of fashion and makeup, but is brought out of her shell and makes a new group of friends who show her a different side to being a girl. And it isn’t long before she’s getting male attention she isn’t used to.

According to Braden boys like to feel useful once in a while, and Charlie takes this into account when speaking to her new date. It starts off harmless with Evan teaching Charlie about baseball (nothing that she didn’t already know) and ends up with her hiding her true self to impress him.  And this doesn’t go down well with Braden at all.

With both Braden and Charlie dealing with family issues, their midnight talks provide a great opportunity for them to listen and talk without having to keep up appearances for Charlie’s older brothers. A great way to show how their relationship changes.

I loved Charlie for the fact I found her very relatable. I was tomboy for most of the time I was at school, and have always found it easier to be friends with guys than girls. I can totally relate to her struggles as she tries to learn what makeup to use and how to dress fashionably, as well as the need to feel like she must hide parts of herself to impress guys.

Thankfully she realises, as we all do at some point in life, that it’s better to be yourself and you can have more than one side to you.

This is a great light contemporary read that keeps you wanting more on every page turn.

Sarah x

Song Sunday - A Drop in the Ocean

A Drop in the Ocean

by Ron Pope

This song is without a doubt one of my favourite songs of all time. I first heard it on an episode of Vampire Diaries and had to download it. I love the emotion behind the song, I love Ron Pope's voice and I just love the song. When I finally get enough time in a studio on my own I have choreography in my head that I just can't wait to try out against this song.

Sarah x

100 Happy Days...Day 98

Day 98 - Random Moments

My car is in desperate need of a wash at the moment. It's filthy. It's taken since Friday for me to spot it amongst the dirt, as the sun had to fall in the right place, but my wonderful boyfriend left me a message. 'Loser x' it said. How romantic is he?! But he did make me smile. Thanks Omar x

100 Happy Days...Day 97

Day 97 - My Dad

When I was fourteen I nearly lost my Dad in a car accident, ever since then I've always been grateful for the fact we've had this extra time together. We do still have our moments where we annoy each other, argue etc, but the majority of the time we get on pretty well. So here's to my Dad on this Father's Day, for being the best Dad I could hope for.

100 Happy Days...Day 96

Day 96 - Seeing Omar

After what feels like forever, I finally got to see Omar this weekend. Knowing that we were going to see each last night made the day at work pass much more quickly. A quiet night in watching The Big Bang Theory, Bondi Vet and Once upon a Time, whilst eating one of our favourite meals (lasagne and garlic bread, yum!) was just what we needed. Living so far away is such a pain, I can't wait to be a ten minute drive from him.

100 Happy Days..Day 90

Day 90 - Car Anniversary

This weekend is the one year anniversary of buying my own car. It's shiny and blue, and I'm pretty sure I spend more time with my car than I do with any person each week. He's been well and truly used over the past 12 months with over 18,000 miles done, and I'm sick of the site of motorways because of it, but I love my little car and I love driving it.

Here's to another happy year.

100 Happy Days...Day 89

Day 89 - Loved Ones Birthdays

There's not much to say today except, Happy 17th Birthday Gemma. We miss you.

100 Happy Days..Day 86

Day 86 - Vampire Diaries

OMG! I've expressed my love for VD before but this season finale had me hooked the entire way through. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but O.M.G. is all I can say. This is going to be such a long summer break. I can't wait for my birthday to get the DVDs and rematch the entire series again.

100 Happy Days...Day 77

Day 77 - For the love of dogs

I wasn't sure that watching For the Love of Dogs tonight was a good idea, but I'm glad I did. Seeing all the dogs getting a loving home to go to really made me smile. Everyone deserves a loving homes, dogs included.

I'll admit I did get upset when Noodles got put to sleep, a very emotional moment but as said in the program it was better for her. The fact someone could leave a poor little dog like Noodles in a park is just cruel and if that person had really cared they could have saved the poodle by taking her to the vets. It's a cowardly and cruel thing to do abandoning or abusing a dog.

To anyone who loves animals and hasn't seen the programme, go check it out. You'll love seeing the dogs happy faces when they get their new home.

100 Happy Days...Day 74 (sort of)

Day 74 - Remembering the time we spent together

Right now it's hard to think of anything that's made me happy since I last posted, but if I don't try and find something it could be a very long time before I find something to be happy about.

My beautiful little girl sadly went to sleep for the very last time yesterday. She had a long life, spending an amazing 16 years with us, but she's been suffering with doggy dementia for few months now and it was her time to go. I know she's better off where she is but we will miss her.

In her amazing life we went through a lot of things, and made a lot of happy memories. It is remembering all those times, good and bad, that is keeping me going right now.

Sleep tight baby girl, I love you.

100 Happy Days...Day 27

Day 27 - Remembering good times

I'm normally pretty good at remembering certain events or moments...no matter how random or little they are. However, it's nice to see/hear something that brings back a moment you'd forgotten. I've had a couple of those reminders today...

My Mum, Dad and I were watching some YouTube videos on the tele earlier and my Dad started selecting some random old songs from when we were all younger. He picked an video of Steps singing Tragedy live back in the late 90s and I had to smile at all the images in my mind of me and my friends learning the dance and performing it at every party, or in the playground, or anywhere we could do. Things have changed a lot since those days...

I have a new app on my phone called 100 pics....it's basically a game where you have to guess what's hidden behind the pictures....I was playing on the animal levels and Raccoon was the answer, and again I had to smile. My boyfriend nicknamed me raccoon once after failing to wipe my eye makeup off properly and it smudging all round my eyes. Not an attractive look, but the name stuck for a while. It's just one of those things that got lost as the days passed.

Finally, I spent the majority of my day at college covering fun and exciting topics such as ratios and working capital, but all I kept thinking was how we covered this in first year of uni. We were sat in the back row of the big lecture theatre, me and my friends, trying to figure this all out and wondering why we'd ever need to know all these random formulas and how far away graduation seemed. Looking back now it doesn't seem five minutes ago since we were sat as freshers in that university lecture room...and here we are now all graduated and working. How times have changed.