Cutting my hair?!?!

Hello Everyone!

I have had a manic start to the week. I had an assignment due in for yesterday (as well as a long day), and I made the mistake of leaving it for the last 2 days. I managed to get it all finished and handed in, but I did end up with 4 hours sleep the other night (yikes!!). This meant last night I spent hours sleeping (probably about 12 hours!), and so I'm all caught up on sleep now, but I think I've overslept so I'm still knackered!

 Tonight I think I'm going out - so that'll be nice. I'm looking forward to just letting my hair down and having fun. I still need to have dinner and everything - so guess I better start getting ready soon!

 Last night I was just lying in bed and thinking - does anybody else's brain go into overdrive when they should be sleeping?. I was wondering: have you ever not done something out of fear of what others may think of you? Why do we care what others think?! Recently, Its become more and more aware to me, now that I'm in my twenties, lots more people care what others think of them. But why should we care? Shouldn't you love yourself for you and nobody else? I think its so important to love yourself before someone else. I'm still learning to love myself, some days its harder than others. Some days I feel super confident and happy, and other days I just want to sit in my comfiest pyjamas and stay in bed. I don't think theres any problems with this - some days I know I eat badly, others I eat well. Some days I go to the gym, others I don't. Just random thoughts.

 Im also thinking about cutting my hair! At the moment, my hair (when straight) goes down the the middle of my chest. I want to cut it so that it just hits my shoulders - like this:

 My hair at the moment is brunette, probably around Kylie's colour, with blonde dip dye (which is kind of fading into a dark brown. Has anybody else cut their hair to make it shorter when its been around chest length!?!

 This post has kind of been everywhere - so I hope thats okay. Just my ramblings of today!  

 Love, 

 Lucy Victoria xo

What To Watch On Netflix

Hello Everyone!

 Happy Sunday. Hope everyones looking forward to a fun week ahead (Who else DREADS Mondays?!?!). I've been out twice this week, so Wednesday and Friday were fun nights for me with my friends. This week I also know that I've been procrastinating to the max. I have a deadline on Tuesday and all I seem to have done is potter around the subject, writing the slightest few facts that I need to know. I definitely need to buckle down and finish that today, and here I am writing down a post at 4am. You know why I'm here at 4am? I'm watching Netflix. I have become obsessed, and I can't stop watching series.

 One of the series on Netflix that I am loving right now is The Carrie Diaries. Based on the story before Sex and The City, The Carrie Diaries follows a young Carrie Bradshaw in high school. It stars AnnaSophia Robb as Carrie, and the adorable Austin Butler as Sebastian Kidd. I could watch Austin Butler all day - I am seriously going crazy. There are 2 series of this, as unfortunately it was cancelled back in May 2014. That makes me ridiculously sad because I honestly love it so much, so you should definitely try and watch it. I can sit for hours and just watch it (I accidentally watched 7 hours of it yesterday...)

 Another series I bingewatched when it first came out was Orange is the New Black. Again, there are 2 series of this, and follows Piper when she gets put into an all woman's jail. I loved the first series of this programme, although I wasn't a massive lover of the second series. But, either way, I'd definitely recommend giving this programme a watch. 

 Greek was a programme which I had never heard of before until I logged into Netflix one day and it was there. I decided to add it to my list, not thinking much of it. However, One day when I was bored, I decided to start watching it. And what a mistake - I don't think I did anything for the next 2 weeks. On Netflix there are 4 "chapters" which go through the stages of Casey Cartwright's experience at university once her brother has joined. Honestly - I loved this. 

My favourite programme to date. The Vampire Diaries is something that I just fell in love with. Following Elena Gilbert, a girl who happened to get involved with the Salvatore brothers because of who she was a doppleganger of. On Netflix there are 5 Seasons, each episode around 40 minutes long. This was the first series I ever watched on Netflix and it took me a month to get through the whole series. I'm also very attracted to the majority of the male cast, so I couldn't really go wrong here...

 A follow up from The Vampire Diaries, The Originals goes back to the beginning, setting the scene for the ever popular VD. Although this series doesn't have the Salvatore brothers at the beginning, its very addictive and worth watching. If you like the Vampire Diaries, you'll love The Originals. There's only one season on the British Netflix, but you can access the other series online elsewhere. 

 Who doesn't love a little bit of Drama?! Gossip Girl has that, following Serena and Blair in NY, and has a flawless cast. On Netflix, there are 6 seasons, so plenty of watching! I'm still working through this series, but I am loving it!

 Life Unexpected was also something that I had never heard of before seeing it pop up on my recommended Netflix list. Again, I added it to my list for a rainy day, and when that came I decided to click and watch a few episodes. However, A few episodes (and hours) later, I found I was again addicted to the programme. Life Unexpected follows an unconventional family  - Teenager Lux found her birth parents (who had been separated before her birth), and wormed her way back into their lives, with lots of twists of course. There is one season on Netflix, but there is another that can be found online elsewhere!

 Probably the most unexpected that I loved on my list is American Horror Story. I am absolutely terrified of Horror normally, but I love watching this programme. I love the fact that all seasons are different, and follow different characters. I also love Evan Peters - a little bit of an odd crush for me to have I think! I can never watch American Horror Story at night (or in the dark), because it absolutely terrifies me (haha), but my housemate has assured me season 3 is not as scary as Asylum, so I'll start watching that when I've finished with The Carrie Diaries!! (There are 3 series of this on Netflix!!)

 I know that my sister and my housemates have really enjoyed watching Pretty Little Liars on Netflix,  and my parents really love Breaking Bad. I have lots on my list which I'm looking forward to watching, including PLL, BB, Greys Anatomy and ALL 10 SEASONS OF FRIENDS!!!! What?!?!

 Who cares about my degree? Certainly not Netflix!!

 Let me know what you've loved watching at the moment!! Is there anything on Netflix which I should put on my list?! 

 Have a good week, and I'll see you all again on Wednesday!

 Love, 

Lucy Victoria xo

The Liebster Award

Hello Everyone! 

 Earlier this week Bethany Rose from Illusive Bethany Rose  nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you! Go check out her blog. For those of you who don't know about the Liebster Award, here are the rules!

 

11 QUESTIONS GIVEN BY Bethany Rose

1. What made you start a blog?
 I wanted to start a blog because I found it difficult to keep up to date with my writing in an actual diary. So, I started a blog so I could write everything down so that I didn't forget things that I wanted to remember. 

2. Whats one quirk you have?
 A quirk? hmm. I think I'm quite outgoing when I want to be, so my friends all think that I'm super odd. 

3. Last Television Show you watched?
 The Carrie Diaries - I AM OBSESSED. Why was it cancelled?! Also, Austin Butler <3

4. Who inspired you to start a blog?
 I'd heard about lots of blogs mainly from Youtubers, such as Zoella and Sprinkle Of Glitter. But, nobody in particular inspired me to start a blog. I just felt that it was something I needed to do. 

5. Who is your all time favourite blogger?
 Again, I don't really have a favourite blogger. I just follow lots of blogs on Blog Lovin' and keep up to date with my news feed on there!

6. Have you traveled, If so where?
 I've travelled a lot as previously stated. My family goes on lots of cruises, so I've been on those to places such as Alaska, Norway, The Med, The Caribbean and The Middle East. Ive also been to Canada, South Africa and Mexico (for a day). 

7. What is your dream job?
 My dream job would probably be reading and publishing books, but I am studying for a degree in Social Sciences so I'm quite interested in Anthropology. I feel like I might end up with a job in HR. I'd also love to become a full time blogger, but I think thats something so far away!

8. What is one quote you live by or would like to live by?
 I love quotes, reading them and writing them. One I really like is just "Wake Up and Live", and I love this picture. 

(Source)

9. What is your favourite snack to have while blogging?
 At the moment I'm really into Hummus and Pitta Bread, Or Easter eggs. The other day I was eating popcorn, and I've also eaten Scotch Eggs - Do you guys have those everywhere?! 

10. Who makes you smile more then anything?
 My Family. 

11. Who is your number #1 Blogger crush?
 I have no idea. I really like Hannah Gales blog (Fashion, Beauty, Life & Lists), and I really like Rosie Ladkin's too (A girl on a journey). 

11 BLOGS I NOMINATE

1. Raven - Just Write About It
2. Raven - Miss Rayfancy

3. Bobby - Pressed Powder 

4. Ana - Astounding by Ana
5. Gweni - Beauty By G
6. Sarah - Tasting Lifestyle 
7. Dimitra - Powerful Smiles
8. Courtney - Jacksons Cup Of Tea
9. Jaimie - Jaimiesam
10. Kelsey - Suite Casanova
11. Tahlia Lily - Tahlia Lily

MY 11 QUESTIONS

1. How long have you had your blog for?
2. Whats your favourite song at the moment?
3. If you could marry one celebrity, who would it be and why?
4. Whats one word you hate saying?
5. If you had the ability to change one thing, what would it be?
6. Whats your favourite blog post to date?
7. If you could kiss the last person you kissed again, would you?
8. Whats one thing about yourself that wouldn't normally come up in conversation?
9. What is your favourite meal?
10. What is your favourite item of clothing?
11. If you could read one persons blog and only theirs for a year, who would it be?

Hopefully you guys got to the end of this post! I had fun answering the questions so thank you Bethany!

Love, 
 Lucy Victoria xo

Is Celebrity Obsessions really a thing?

Hello Everyone!

Bit of a random topic this Wednesday, but I feel like this is interesting to discuss. This is a long post, so stick with me! Not only this, but we got a topic in one of my lectures the other day and I found it amusing. "Why do humans become obsessed with celebrities and people we don't actually know?". I've always been quite curious to the answer of this question. We've all done it, found someones account on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook and just looked at everything they've done recently. I know that I've found someones instagram and gone through all their images, looking at what they've done recently. I feel like this is something that everyone's done, so I can't be alone in wondering the answer to this question!

A common known phrase amongst teens (and probably adults now) is the phrase 'Fangirl' / 'Fanboy' or 'Fangirling'. This is linked to celebrities. According to Urban Dictionary, a fangirl is defined as "A female who has overstepped the line between healthy fandom and indecent obsession". Why do people become obsessed with people they don't know? For example, the media portrays people (celebrities) as these amazing individuals with perfect personalities. Take Justin Bieber - Once a teenage heartthrob (and still is to some), turned into someone who probably shouldn't have done half the stuff that he did. But, he still had a group of followers who praised everything he did..."WOW, Justin's been arrested..and he's smiling in his mugshot! how funny". Now think of someone that you know well. If they got arrested, there would not be this kind of stigma attached to it. 

Another 'celebrity' that has a large following is Nash Grier. A Viner, Youtuber - and a teenage idol. Nash Grier has come under fire for many backhanded comments, especially about the gay community. Why, in 2015, is this still a big deal? How does a boy with millions of adoring fans have this kind of stigma attached to a large part of human community?! To me, it seems incredible that people still follow and believe in his views and the things that he does. Now, again, I'm not hating on Nash. He has apologized for his wrong doings, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist, because they do. Everyone is so easy to forget what he does because they adore him. Is this just the celebrity culture?

 This topic is interesting to me, because last Summer I found myself watching videos including 5sos and following Tumblrs dedicated to them. Now, I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with them, but I felt that they could make me happy and in my opinion could do no wrong. Therefore, If I kept this up I could become "obsessed" with them. Then, I saw a post which stated some bad views on them. The person writing stated some things that had happened when they had met some of the band members. This suddenly threw things into perspective. Was I looking at these Celebrities because I thought they were something that they weren't? Why did it depend on whether I liked them or not? Did it matter? Turns out, once I had questioned everything, I decided that they were just a band. Yes, they did (and still do) make me laugh, but other peoples opinions didn't matter to me. This is because I don't know them as people (and probably never will), so why shouldn't I just appreciate their music? That's what they're all about after all. So, even after reading bad things about them, I still appreciate them as a band. But, I stopped myself from becoming obsessed with them - after all, they are just a group of regular teenagers (and twenty year olds). 

The same that I can say about myself cannot be said about other people. Mostly young teenagers find themselves basing their happiness of a certain person or a band. Why is your happiness essential on what someone else does? How do you know that those views aren't just opinions from a day when their idol was having a bad day? I mean, come on. We all have bad days, maybe someone woke up to some bad news. Maybe they just broke up with someone. You are left guessing, and will probably never know. The media will only portray things as much as they feel will entertain, and thats what we are lead to believe. Just look at how many men Taylor Swift has been linked too - has she dated them all? Maybe, but you don't know! You just don't know unless you actually physically know a person. 

 So, why do we become obsessed? I think it's partially to do with the media, and the culture we have been brought up with. Twitter has now become a platform to interact with your favourite celebrity straight away - sometimes they see, and sometimes they don't. Fan accounts are now a thing, and "fandoms" hate against each other if they disagree over awards or whether someones dating someone they think is wrong. Why can't people just get along with each other? How do you know for certain that the person you idolise isn't in love with the person you hate? 

I think its so important to remind yourself why you admire someone. I think that its okay to look up to someone and admire what they do. Maybe they make you happy, helped you achieve something you didn't think would be possible before you knew about them, they saved your life when you were down. Theres a whole list of reasons why its okay to love whoever you do. But for the sake of your happiness, do not judge them on something you don't know. Did they physically save your life, or was it something that they did that helped you? For example, their music? If someone else has a bad opinion, let that be their bad opinion and don't take it to heart. Think about how much time you spend idolizing someone, sitting on twitter asking for their follow (Has anyone ever seen the spam accounts that tweet someone the same thing over 40 thousand times?!?!?). Think about if you were in their position. Would you want someone to spam your twitter account just for you to follow them? If you had a bad day, would you want thousands of cameras in your face when you went to Tesco or Walmart? Would you want to think about what you can and can't wear for fear that you may be judged on whether your outfit is good or bad? Lets be honest, I wouldn't want to get up and look perfect before I went out. I love my sleep - I can't function without a nap, and thats okay. If i didn't nap, i'd be grumpy and my housemates would not enjoy that. So, I like to leave as little time as possible to get ready. Likewise with relationships, I wouldn't want every single person in the world to know or have the ability to know about what I've done or who I've been with! I think the reason so many celebrity couples break up is because of the media. One celebrity hangs around with their friend for the day and suddenly their cheating on their partner. Oh what a world to live in!

 So, while its okay to admire someone for what they do and the way they handle situations, in my opinion its important not to think that you just admire the way someone looks, or the way they act. This opinion could change hugely, and you'll realise that the Friday night you had planned and cancelled because your fave celebrity was doing an online podcast, was SO NOT WORTH IT. Admire who you please, but keep your real life friends close and rely your happiness on something other than what someone else does. Like everyone always says, the only person you can always rely on is yourself. 

 Let me know your opinions on this!! 

Love, 

Lucy Victoria xo

My Birthday Gifts!

Hello Everyone!

2 weeks ago today was my birthday, and I got some gifts which I thought I would share with everyone on here!

 My first gift was this wonderful Breville blender (I know a blender is an odd thing to ask for for your birthday, but I'm on a health kick at the moment and one of my housemates had this blender, and I really wanted one!). Basically, its so great because you put the fruit straight into the blend active cup and replace the lid with the blade, which then blends straight things into the cup. It means you don't have any washing up except for the blade! Honestly, I find life with this so much easier and have way more smoothies now! I'd definitely recommend this blender!

 I also got the lovely "Honey" by Marc Jacobs perfume. Honestly, this scent is so nice because it lasts for so long and is quite a fruity, sweet smell. It is described as being "pear, mandarin orange, notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, peach, and honey, vanilla, woody notes. A natural scent." This perfume is my favourite at the moment because it makes me feel quite summery and is light to wear. The bottle is actually very lovely, and I think it makes a cute decoration in my room. 

 As I go out quite often, I love to have a small over the shoulder bag to use. This is because I feel that while clutch bags are super cute and go with the outfit, they're much easier to drop / lose. Seeing as I am known for being clumsy, I always have a bag with a strap. For my birthday, I got this super cute one from River Island. Its a black cushioned bag which has a gold strap. It is large enough to fit a purse, phone, make up (I don't actually take any apart from lip balm so I'm not sure what exactly would fit in here), hand sanitiser (I love the small hand sanitisers from Bath and Body Works in the US!) and my house keys!

 Another thing I got was 'The Fault In Our Stars' DVD. I'm a big fan of the book and the film and therefore decided that I needed to own this! Shailene Woodley is absolutely amazing at acting, and Ansel Elgort is also very good at what he does. I feel like everyone has heard of this film, and if you guys don't, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!

 A few month ago, My hair straighteners broke. I found that I could borrow my housemates, but it was interesting for me to see how much I actually relied on my hair straighteners for a quick hairstyle in the morning (as my hair straightens in about 5 minutes!). So, my parents kindly replaced my hair straighteners with these GHD's. They are the best brand in the UK - I'm not sure what the equivalent would be in the US!

Lastly, my friends from University brought me these beautiful earrings! They're from Pandora and I love them so much. They're very me, and I've been wearing them constantly since I got them! So Thanks girls! 

 That's all the main things I got for my 20th birthday this year! Hope everyones week went well and let me know if you have any of these listed above! Whats on your birthday list this year?:)

Love, 

Lucy Victoria xo 

*I know the pictures aren't great quality - but I'm in my university room and its extremely difficult to find a nice backdrop with this horrible carpet! haha. 

The Versatile Blogger Award

 Hello Everyone!

 A huge thank you to Courtney from Jacksons Cup Of Tea for the nomination - Check out her blog! I love having my blog with lots of different things as it makes it more of a memory for me to look back on rather than entertainment for everyone to read. Although I would like people to enjoy reading my blog!

The rules: Give 7 facts about yourself and nominate a further 15 people for the award!

My 7 Facts:

1. I have a scar on my right leg where I cut it once getting out of the shower. At the time, my mum convinced me that it wasn't that bad, but now it's scarred!
2. I wear glasses and am short sighted, although I wear contact lenses a lot. 
3. I love Netflix, but can't stop watching series after 1 episode. The Vampire Diaries is my favourite. 
4. I love watching Youtube and am subscribed to over 70 channels. 
5. 5sos are my favourite band at the moment! I'm going to see them in June. Although, I'm not 'obsessed' with them like others may be!
6. I really want to study abroad in my 3rd year of university!
7. I love going on cruises and they are my favourite kind of holiday. 

My 15 Nominations are:

• Rosie Ladkin "A girl on a journey" 
• Hannah Gale "Fashion, Beauty, Life & Lists"
• Tahlia Lily "Tahlia Lily"
• Kenya Martinez "NYA New York"
• Lottie "Lottie's Life"
• When She Writes "When She Writes"
• Emily "Threads and Blooms
• Leen "A Home Addict"
• Brittany Gary "Beauty, Life & Style"
• Amy Liddell "Salt and Chic"
• Alice Young "The Velvet Black"
• A Possible Fantasy "A Possible Fantasy" 
• Ziwei "Arocheme" 
• Alana & Kyra "Alana & Kyra"
• Tanith "Things Tanith Did"

Remember to tag me in your posts so I can see what you've post and who you've nominated!!

 Lucy Victoria xo

A little bit more about me!

Hello Everyone!

 This week has been a lot more chilled out - although my day yesterday was so busy and I had a much more extended time at university than before. I've got assignments to be working on - but I keep finding other things to do. Today I went out to dinner & watched the fault in our stars with my friend - but I'm just so tired! Im trying to get an early night - so its nearly 12 and I have to be up by 9, so hopefully I can get some sleep. 

 I have a few other posts I'm working on - but as I have quite a new blog, I decided to do this 'Get to know me tag', which I found on a blog which I've sourced below. So, Here goes!

1. Are you named after anyone?

 Nope! I was originally meant to be named Lisa, but when I was born my parents thought I was more of a 'Lucy', so thats where my name came from. It has no connections to anyone else!

2. When was the last time you cried?

 The last time I cried was last week, because I wanted to go home to my family and things were getting really stressful at university!

3. Do you have kids?

 No, and I don't want to for a while!

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

 I would hope so! I think my panicking would annoy me sometimes, but I feel like I'd be quite fun to be friends with! 

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

A LOT. My parents always call me sarcastic and my friends all know that I'm super sarcastic - however I probably won't be if I don't know you!

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

Like I mentioned earlier, Im quite a panicky person, so doing something like this would TERRIFY me. However, I would love to do something like this and I guess pushing the boundaries is something I should do. 

7. What's your favourite cereal?

My favourite Cereal is probably Cheerios - I know I know, they're plain, but I love them. 

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

The first thing I notice about people is their personality. If someone seems genuinely friendly, I'll pick up on that much quicker than appearances. 

9. What is your eye colour?

I have brown eyes:) 

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings all the way! I am NOT a fan of scary movies - I'd prefer happy endings. 

11. Favorite Smells?

I love the smell of perfume - at the moment I'm loving HONEY by Marc Jacobs. I also love Victoria Secret scents (Love is Heavenly). Odd smells I like are petrol, strawberry laces and freshly cut grass!

12. Summer or Winter?

SUMMER. I also feel so depressed during winter, but as soon as the sun comes out and the days are really long I'm super happy. 

13. Computer or television?

Computer. I like to spend my time on different websites (My favourite time wasters are Youtube and Tumblr) - but I have to access a lot of my school work and readings online. I don't actually have a television at university - so definitely computer. 

14, What's the furthest you've ever been from home?

The furthest I've ever been from home by myself is Orlando - in Florida. With my whole family, Its probably Alaska. 

15. Do you have any special talents?

I can put my foot behind my head - but I feel like that is the most special thing I can do. 

16. Where were you born?

I was born in a town near where I am originally from in London. 

17. What are your hobbies?

I don't really have any hobbies as such. I like reading, watching netflix TV series and I enjoy going out and spending time with my friends. 

18. Do you have any pets?

Unfortunately not, although I'm looking into getting a hamster for my house next year. 

19. Favourite movie?

My friends all laugh at me when I say this, but my favourite film of all time has to be The Secret Life Of Bees. You need to watch this if you haven't seen it before! It has Dakota Fanning as the main character, and discusses racial issues in past times. 

20. Do you have any siblings?

I have one sister who is 22. 

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I honestly have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. I know that I want to be successful, have enough money to help my family with day to day life, but most importantly I want to be happy. Once I'm happy in a job, that'll be where I'm meant to be.

 So, If you decide that you want to answer some of these questions - leave them in the comment box below! Why don't you choose one question to answer and let me get to know you guys too!

I hope you've enjoyed this post - and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Lucy Victoria xo
(Source)

My Memories of the years I've lived...

Hello Everyone!

 This week has been so crazy. Its had so many ups and downs and I felt like I just needed to escape for a weekend to let everything get back to normal! Some weeks (like this one), I just feel super emotional and things get too much for me to handle, and I just need to see and spend time with my family. Everything is fine, but I just wanted to come home (and a lot of my friends went home this weekend!). 

 As you may or may not know, on February the 1st, I left my teenage years and became an adult. I AM FINALLY 20!!! In honour of my complete 2nd decade on earth, I felt like writing down some of the things or times that happened before I was 20 that I want to remember in many years to come. As I've said from the beginning, this blog is somewhere where I would like to indulge in my own personal memories, as to not forget. So, I feel like its important to remember the things that happened before 20 in order to help me remember! This blog may seem like a list of all the things I'm "bragging" about, but honestly I feel so privileged to have been able to experience half the stuff that I have been!

My first big, main achievement that comes to mind is getting into University. I am currently studying at one of the top 10 universities in the UK, which to me is a huge well done!. I feel that I worked tremendously hard to get here, as all throughout school I did all of my homework, battled through exams, and finished my GCSES with high enough grades to get into sixth form, which led me to doing four AS levels and three A2 levels. After attempting (and completing!) those two crucial years at school, I had a nail biting summer in which I anticipated my results - and hard work pays off! I got my place secured at my top choice university, and have been here now for just over a year and half. I honestly am so happy here, I have an amazing group of friends which I would not have met if I hadn't achieved what I have!

I guess with the achievement of getting into University meant that I also moved out. So, for the past two years (nearly), I haven't lived at home. After growing up in the same place for 18 years, this was scary and a daunting experience, but I was so excited. I feel that for me it was the right time to move to a new place and experience life in a way that was new and interesting. For the first year at my university I lived in halls, where I lived with 7 other people. I had my own bathroom and had a cute little room. Although I didn't get a long fully with my housemates, I got along with one girl really well and I live with her now. In fact, I basically lived upstairs when I was in halls because thats where the majority of my friends were. Now, I live in a house with 4 girls and have been looking for next year! Moving out was definitely something that I'm glad I experienced before I turned 20.

I also want to remember the excessive travelling my parents have taken me on. I am very privileged to say that during my 20 years on earth, I have been to countless countries and even on 18 cruises! Cruises are my ultimate favourite holiday, and I am so privileged to have been able to travel to places such as Norway, Alaska, The Middle East, The Caribbean and The Mediterranean. Not only this, but my parents have taken me to America, Where I have visited countless states, Canada and even South Africa. I owe my love of travel to them, and hopefully this explains why I want to jump on a plane flying the opposite way around the world and stop off in places such a Thailand and Australia, as well as New Zealand. Here are some of the photos I have taken on my travels:

(Kefalonia, Greece)

(South Africa)

(Dubai)

(Kalkan, Turkey)

(Malaga, Spain)

(Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain)

Another thing to me that I feel like I've achieved is passing my driving test. I feel that this is a big part of your teenage years as it means you have more independence and it can change the rest of your life (literally!). Although it took me a while to pass, on the 1st March 2013 I finally did!, meaning at this exact point in time, I've been a legal driver for 1 year and 11 months and 7 days (As i'm writing this exact paragraph, its Saturday the 7th Feb, 12.09am - Precise). I feel that driving has changed my life, as I can now drive to university and drive home whenever I want, and I can hang out with my friends whenever I want. No more buses in the small little town I grew up in. 

Ofcourse, Ive also experience the everyday teenage things. Relationships, Break-ups, First Kisses etc. I guess without all of my experiences I wouldn't be the confident, happy and strong person that I am today. My past 20 years have had their ups and downs, but I'm excited for what the future brings. 

Happy Sunday! Leave in the comments your favourite memories! Also, What do you feel is your biggest achievement to date?

Love,
 Lucy Victoria xo

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Lucid Dreams (or Nightmares!...)

Hello Everyone!

 I've recently been having trouble with some lucid dreaming. However, in my case, its not good dreams, I've been having lucid nightmares. If you've ever heard of lucid dreams, then you'll understand why lucid nightmares are not good at all. For those of you who don't know, "A lucid dream is any dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming" (Source). This basically means that you are fully aware that you are asleep and dreaming, but it feels like you are awake. You can control your dreams to some extent, but sometimes you can awaken from these experience sort of paralysed, where you are now awake but your body is not. Sometimes, you can teach yourself how to lucid dream, and sometimes put yourself into the state of lucid dreaming. I do not get to chose when I lucid dream or not, and am yet to find out why it happens to me!

 In my case, it is not that severe, I do not wake up paralysed. I do, however, have a recurring lucid nightmare. To further explain, I am fully aware that I am dreaming, and am aware that I can just wake myself up. This for me, is harder to do. I have found that I encounter something called "Eye-Pry", in which I feel like I'm opening up my eyes, or straining to open them. I don't know if this actually affects my eyes, its pretty scary. I consciously know that if I open my eyes I will wake up, but I struggle to actually fully open my eyes. There has been points where i'll believe that my eyes are open, then realise that I have just controlled my lucid dreaming. 

I have a recurring nightmare. Within this, I am alone in a house where I can only stay downstairs and if I go upstairs, terrible things happen. However, I always seem to go upstairs. WHY?!?! I have no idea. Basically, at one point within the nightmare I will become so aware that I'm dreaming, that i'll try and physically prise open my eyes. I have on occasion managed to switch on the light, which wakes me up, but I feel that this is all done consciously, but with my eyes closed. BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!

Quite frankly, I don't understand whats happened. Why am I getting into this situation? Why do I feel like I can open my eyes when I for sure cannot at that point? and Why at this point does the dream stop? However, even though the dream stops I am not awake! 

I have tried to research this, as I am fairly new to lucid dreaming (by about 8 months), but the only time it ever happens is when I have this same dream. I feel like if I reach out, maybe someone can answer my questions so that I understand whats happening to me! Maybe my brain is subconsciously sending me messages that I am just unaware of. Lets see!

Have you ever lucid dreamed? if so, what about? Let me know in the comment section!! (Also, let me know if you know whats happening in my little brain!!!) 

Lucy Victoria xo

I Turned 20!

Hello Everyone!

 What a busy weekend I've had! Yesterday it was my 20th birthday, so where I'd normally write a Sunday post, I've been quite busy and have not had the chance yet!

 I've had a packed weekend full of my family and friends. On Saturday night, my parents, sister and I stayed in a hotel and we went to a pub/restaurant called The Goat (Website). Ive always wanted to visit here as long as I've known its been around and was happy that I got the opportunity to. Inside, there was live music and the food was lovely. We had 3 tapas style starters (Whitebait- My mums favourite, BBQ chicken wings and Curried goat skewers) which we shared between the four of us. My favourite were the curried goat skewers, although they were really spicy. My family all had burgers for their main courses, but I decided on a roast rump of lamb because thats what I fancied. My mum and I had a bottle of white wine, and the water was given in these little vase bottles. They were so pretty. Inside, the whole restaurant was very rustic, with a wooden but homely and warm feel to it. If you're ever in the area and you see one of these restaurants, take the opportunity and go (although you might have to book in advance!) 

(Source)

 By the time that we had finished eating, it was quite late (and nearly my birthday), so we just went back to the hotel. My sister and I went into my parents room for a little bit, but then decided to go back to ours and watch TV. The Inbetweeners was on, so we watched 2 episodes and then it was time to sleep. During this time, it had hit 12, so I was officially 20, and one of my best friends from uni had stayed up and rung me at midnight. It was so lovely and it made me so excited for the rest of the day. 

 When I woke up on Sunday, my family all went for a full english breakfast in the hotel. It was nice to see them even for a short time as my dad had to fly over to America later in the afternoon. After breakfast we did presents (and I'll update you on those later on!), and then my family drove me home. 

 With my friends in the afternoon I went for cocktails at a bar/restaurant called Turtle Bay (website). At the restaurant its happy hour between 12 - 7 and then 10-close, so we decided to have cocktails at around 4. Heres some of the ones we had:

 These cocktails are the Bahama Mama's, Koko Coladas, Caribbean Mojito's and some others. My favourite cocktail is the Passion Rum Punch, and I could drink it all the time. It is the first one I tried and will not be the last time I have it!! 

 After cocktails, we went to a local pub and had a bottle of wine, then came home for a Chinese takeaway. It was lovely to spend some time with my family and friends over the weekend and to just have some time to relax and chill out!

 Hopefully I can get my posting back on track shortly - who knows, maybe you'll get an extra post here and there!!

 Overall, I had a wonderful weekend celebrating being 20 and I hope there is so many more fun things for me to experience this year!! 

 Heres to 21...

 Lucy Victoria xo