Bristol Harbour Festival

Today was the Bristol Harbour Festival and we had a lovely day going all through town to the different venues. Saw some shows, wandered around, had some Pimms, saw a Husky puppy, Great Dane and a couple of Newfoundlands - BIG dogs! Wandered along the harbour, had some food on a hill, watched some acrobatics and it was a good day. Finished off with dinner at Nandos - TIDY! =D

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Brand New Day

This song has definite significance to me for feeling like 'me' again after a lot of the crap of the last year... Also if you are not familiar with Joshua Radin then shame on you! He is my absolute favourite male singer, saw him in concert in Bristol in a tiny club that's a ship, and he was wonderful - as expected! <3 Seeing P!nk and Joshua Radin in the same year = incredible.

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Food for Thought?

Food for thought? Not trying to drastically lose weight but focusing on my fitness more recently and as this is next to my fridge, anything that makes me think about my motivations for eating is good right? Plus, how super cute is our chalk board? I LOVE it, thanks Mamala =D

Currently at my lowest weight in 2 years, let's try and keep it that way!

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Equality

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/portraits-of-gay-couples-just-married-in-new-york

Looking at this made me so happy, I hope I feel that joyful on my wedding day... Don't appreciate enough how hard people have had to fight for equality. I also absolutely adore the fact that Number 12 were the first couple to get married! Phyllis Siegal, 77, and Connie Kopelov, 85. =)

I will admit that I shed a little tear over this, just lovely!

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Pining for Pinterest

I am obsessed at the moment with www.pinterest.com - it updates constantly so I'll have just finished going through everything only to refresh and be inspired and *jealous* of so many new things! I definitely recommend you check it out, probably aimed more at the female audience as lots of wedding dresses, room designs and fun little things... always new and exciting things on there, I absolutely love it! Some of you may know this as I can be a bit of a 'link' queen, but yay for good websites! Just thought I'd share! =D

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Cuban Craziness

The library didn't have ANY Harry Potters in stock, twas most disappointing! Oh well, I have a pile of books at home to read and can go about reserving some HPs for sometime soon!

Thursdays are 'Zumba' days, I go to a Zumba class in Horfield with Caz and it's quite fun... well today Zumba was CANCELLED and we had Cuba Tone to replace.. my goodness, I've never done ANYTHING like that before! I swear the guy was trying to kill us! I don't think he was quite prepared for the hotch potch group of women that he had to instruct (20s, 40s, and 2 women in their 80s!), and he didn't seem to care! GO GO GO as quick as you can, and my goodness it hurt!

Definitely going to feel it tomorrow as I'm already feeling it now, but I've already looked at maybe switching to his class! Seriously, if anything is going to tone you up it will be that! Plus, he does it at Easton Leisure Centre which is a 10minute walk from my house; tidy!

Swimming again on Monday is the plan! Working on getting healthier, going well so far :)

Back soon,

Liv xxx

Lovely Libraries

I just joined a library!! For the first time since our poorly stocked school library... and apparently I'll get a membership card too! I'm a sucker for a membership card! The excitement is a little too much for nearly 2am and I am feeling my dorkiness to the full! I am going to a Zumba class tomorrow evening with Caroline but I think my day will be spent at Bristol Central Library! First on the list: Harry Potter of course! Considering I am not one to generally re-read books, I think I can break that rule and definitely relive my childhood by delving back into that world... the movies don't really do it justice, as much as I love them. Can't wait!

NB: If I do not post anything for a while, assume it is because I have my nose buried in a book!

Back soon...ish,

Liv xxx

New Beginnings?

I realise I have been rather rubbish with this and for that I apologise.. but I have good news! I have a JOB! A real job! That is full time! With a salary! Oh it's so wonderful :)

It is less than 10 minutes walk from my flat, in a very swanky law firm, and I am thrilled about it! Turns out putting my job ambitions out 'into the universe' has paid off! And whilst it may not be the dream job (Not that I have any idea what that is? Tiger Trainer perhaps ;)?), it is a stepping stone, a beginning, and I am most happy about it. Just thought I would share that with you as this is a good day!

Back soon,

Liv xxx

New Song

New song that has been brought to my attention by Tara, and thought I would share with you.

My beautiful birthday!

As you may know it was my birthday recently so I thought I'd go through a quick run down of what we did to celebrate!


Started off just how I like it: waking up at a leisurely time! Came in to find the lounge decorated with balloons, streamers, banner and presents lined up, surrounded by cards! Exciting! (Thank you for all my cards, some of you are loving Moonpig.com as much as me!) Lynsey had been really good and bought me loads of 'pre' presents and so she'd gone around and gathered and re-wrapped them! This included my purse and my umbrella! It's quite nice to receive a purse with money in it let me tell you! Even if it is my own! Definitely got the silver in for good luck :) It's a Fiorelli purse which is Linz's and my favourite brand for bags (both got new Fiorelli handbags recently, mine is an 'Olivia' bag :D) and it is perfect... I've been looking for a new purse for years and they are so hard to find with everything I want.... my requirements:

• A photo section (this has 2!)
• Plenty of card sections (has 12, 14 at a stretch)
• STUFF sections, for receipts, tickets, photos, vouchers etc (has 6 and a secret zip section)
• A large zipped coin section (huge, 2 compartments)... before moving here I didn't appreciate how much of the currency is coins... especially when you're poor like me! No big notes in my purse I'm afraid!

It sounds silly but my umbrella is AMAZING! Linz had it first and I was jealous so she went out and bought me one! They're from Espirit, hers is purple and mine is pink (very appropriate) and they have a button so they SHOOT UP and then you click it again and it collapses down, it's amazing! I've only lived in England for 4 years and I think this is about my 6th umbrella, they never seem to last but this actually feels strong which is a joy! <-- Didn't think I could say that much about an umbrella did you? How wrong you were!


Next to open was my clock which I absolutely looove, we found it in a little dinky shop in London and Lynsey will tell you I've been looking for a good clock for ages! (Don't ask me why I'm obsessed with time?) Not only is this one pretty and silver but better yet it has clips for things!! Photos, tickets, memos, oh it's so me! Looove it! Adds even more character to our living room which I am always a fan of! Foolishly though even though I knew it was coming I did not prepare by printing photos (bit presumptuous?) so I simply stole them off of my wardrobe! Means I have some odd looking gaps at the minute so need to get down Boots and get printing... I tend to get a bit carried away though!


Next I got a super cute notebook from Linz (I'm a sucker for a notepad, a list, or stationary!) called 'My lovely little book of lovely little lists', super cute although it's a bit of a prized possession at the moment so it's only being used for my best lists and rubbish ones go in the old book... is that crazy? 

And then my final big present was a new camera! It's BLUE, Sony (we are brand whores), 14.1 megapixels, dinky and cute, does panoramic shots and HD video, it's so spiffy!! As well as a 4GB memory card! The picture shows the new camera in comparison to the old, but it's so good! I had actually gotten out of the habit of using my real camera as the quality felt poor in comparison to my iPhone (which seems ridiculous) but this new one is amazing and even on majorly zoomed in videos you can clearly see what is happening which came to much use that evening!


Moving on with the day! We were beautified and out the door to the train station! We decided to do something different and so went to Bath for the day to check out the new SouthGate shopping centre as it wasn't built when Lynsey lived there! The first shop we went into was a tiny Endangered Madagascar exhibit so we had a look around, saw a few tiny animals, spiders, crabs and toads and then visited the even tinier gift shop where we bought a few little bits and gave a donation, so started my day with a bit of charity... always a good way to start I think :)


Arriving at SouthGate, what we didn't realise was that summer sales were on... now this may sound silly but Lynsey and I don't generally like sales... they're stressful, messy, and you can never find anything good (not one of those people who show up on day 1 super prepared) so I was actually a little disappointed, but it turned out quite well! The shops were not too packed and we actually managed to find a lot of things and didn't even have to queue for hours to get into the changing rooms! I got a new top (Size 12, way hay!) and 4 new dresses!! Lynsey got 3 new dresses so I would say it was pretty successful!! 

We then nipped into Pizza Express for a very yummy late lunch as there would be no time for dinner then nipped back to Bristol on the train! Mad rush to get ready, no time for pre drinks so a couple of Malibu shots and then out the door as Ben rushed us to Thekla to see OK! Go! There was a support act who was a guy called Mike Doughty and it sounded like I could get into his music but didn't know it well enough before hand to really enjoy it. When OK! Go came on they were so fun! We were tucked away behind the sound booth so that Lynsey and I could sneakily take off our shoes (I know my mother is gasping in horror right now) and not be trodden on or seen! Worked well standing there as could see well even though we were quite far back except that there were two groups of women around us that seemed to be under the seriously misguided impression that I had paid to listen to them, not the band. How wrong they were.. and how oblivious they were to my evils! That was really disappointing as we missed a lot of the 'inbetween' stuff that was said, and the jokes and stories, but I still had a lot of fun! 

After the show, Cai had to go home so Nick came and picked her up, with the lovely Lottie (Springer Spaniel) in the car and kindly dropped us to Oceana so Linz and I could get our dance on! It was 2-4-1 cocktails all night and so we definitely took advantage of that; suckers for a cocktail we are! Had a boogy to the chart songs and then made our way up to the Disco room which was lots of fun, totally got my 'rap' on to Spice Girls 'Wannabe'... 'So here's the story from A to Z...' Don't act like you don't know it! We got hit on by 19 year olds with their little baby faces so proud of themselves for finishing their first year of uni, bless 'em! Kindly sent them on their way :) Another bonus was when the pictures went up on the Oceana website a few days later, Lynsey and I were the cover picture! Totally felt special! 


Overall I had a wonderful day and the sun came out for me which was lovely! :) I guess that's all from me for now!


Back soon...

Liv xxx

Those who mean the most..

A little bit about the people that mean the most in my life and have shaped me as the person I am.....

Well firstly has to be my gorgeous Mama. I think a lot of people say 'My mum is my best friend' but I think I can say that and truly mean it. We speak everyday and as she calls me her 'Mini Me' I'd say we're rather similar! One of the funniest and wisest people you could ever have the pleasure of meeting, and she just happens to be my Ma. Her kids come first and I don't think there's anything I couldn't tell her... I just hope I have that relationship one day with my kids. I don't know how she did it but the three of us are pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. Taught me the importance of kindness; something that is never to be overlooked. Mama Norah OJ

Now for my Papa. The Harley riding Fighter Pilot. Pretty cool right? Also the person that would go on the Wipeout ride 5 times in a row with me, just because I wanted to! Always made holidays an adventure, with us, his little mountain goats, and even if we didn't always want to walk the longest possible way, it was always fun! 


My wonderful parents have made so many sacrifices to ensure that we have the easiest lives possible, and we probably don't say it enough but we are so thankful to them. 

Now for my big brother, Laurie... We may not always have gotten along so well as kids but that's probably because we're so similar... Such a kind and focused young man, I admire that he knew exactly what he wanted to do and has pursued that with great success. A dreamer if ever there was one, who would give you anything he could. And although he may not understand the concept of 'I have to go, bye!', he is always willing to talk, listen and sympathise. 

Now then, Miss Oopy Floo - my sister Linz. We live together, see each other every day and yet she will still call me on every single break at work. It astounds me that we always have things to talk about, but I suppose that is a skill! Such a gentle spirit, so kind but finally starting to stand up for herself which is pretty exciting to watch. We can laugh at the silliest of stories, things that no one else would understand! I don't know what to say about her as there's too much to put into words, but she's my other half, and ain't she pretty? She will go anywhere and do anything with me if I ask her. And even though Mum stopped dressing us alike about 17 years ago, we will still go in a shop and pick up the exact same items - even if we're not together! Luckily we let each other get the same things but some mornings one of us will have to go back and change as we're wearing the same thing! Plus look at how cute we were!

Next has to be my Uncle Bob, my mum's brother. He's always been there for us, always been welcoming of us into his home and always considerate of us! I don't know why I bother playing Scrabble with him as he always whoops me... but it's fun! He just exemplifies what family should be, and is always there to make us laugh, even if I don't always get it! Hey - it's before my time! 



Now... onto my girlies! S.C.O.T.

Our little friendship group has survived a lot of bumps along the way and we've been friends for YEARS. We've grown up together and this is my support system. Unfortunately there are many miles between us (11,395 between Tara and I!) but we are still there for each other and I hope at this point nothing can drive us apart :) I think I will go alphabetically so as to not pick favourites!

My shexy Siobhan, so different now from the shy girl we met 8 years ago; you've truly come into yourself and it we had anything to do with that then I am thrilled! Always willing to talk about crap with me that no one else would find interesting! My budding film-maker, don't forget us when you make it big ;) My ex-Azaiba buddy, I miss living walking distance from you!! Always introducing me to new and interesting things, broadening my horizons for sure! You taught me about standing up for myself and not doing things that I don't want to! 

Next is Cathleen, my laughing buddy! I have no idea how we made it through high school without teachers hating us because we laughed so much! My oldest friend, we have most definitely grown up together! Always known as 'Cat and Liv' it was quite a shock moving away and having to make it as my own person! You taught me to love organisation and lists (probably more than you do now)... I wish we could just go back through your old diaries and walk down Memory Lane, having a laugh at our ridiculous antics! As well as the things that we found hilarious but no one else could understand (probably because we were hyperventilating!). I'm thrilled you will be moving down to Bristol (this is confirmed as I have it in writing in my birthday card!) and can't wait to live in the same city as you again and get to see you more often!!

Completing S.C.O.T. is the wonderful Tara, our very own 'free spirit', who unfortunately lives over 11,000 miles away in Auckland, New Zealand. The distance and time difference mean that we sadly can't talk to her as much as we may like but when I do manage to catch her, she always has something interesting to say! We've known each for 10 years now which is just insane. Tara definitely brings a new perspective to things and even though we may disagree on certain things (that I should ditch my chemicals and choose natural products for example), she is always supportive of me, and even the person that suggested I start a blog! So here you are Tara, my babbling for you :)


Moving on from S.C.O.T. to my Bristol girlies... although I may have small groups of friends I think I choose good people! 

Sweet Caroline, we've lived together, and probably wanted to kill one another :P, but she's always there for me regardless of what's going on and willing to listen to me repeat myself over and over and is patient yet supportive. Crazy to me that we're growing up and you're getting married!! AHHH! I appreciate that you always make time for me, even when it's not easy, and love our little catch ups!

That leaves last but not least, Katie, my drinking and gossip buddy, always there for fun times and laughs-a-plenty! My go to gal for hitting the town and having some much needed fun! She's also always there for me when I need to talk and just 'unload' my brain on someone! Not many people can take that so I'm glad she can! 


Finally a little tribute to the puppies who have given my life a lot of love:

Kaz, our first dog and my first love. The sweetest, most loving dog I've ever met and had the honour to call a member of our family. Such a beauty, and smiling until the end. You brought so much joy into our lives lovely lady. RIP xxx




Beary, our little boy who came such a long way, from an abused little puppy who was vicious and scared, to just a bundle of love, our little Bummy with his wiggly tush and his loving ways... Always just wanting to snuggle, he was just so sweet and squidgy. Poor boy didn't have the easiest life but I hope he felt our love. RIP bubba xxx

And finally Tigger, our little lunatic! Biggest character I've ever seen in a dog, just wants to be loved and I hope we're doing our best to provide that for him! An attention whore if ever there was one but so adorable in doing so! I've only spent a short time with him so far and yet am already so in love with him! Another rescue pup, he's coming along nicely except for missing Beary so much he can't sleep at the moment bless him so he's not letting Mum and Dad sleep either, but hopefully that's just a phase because he's lonely! Poor little guy!


So that's it - some of the people, and pets, that have shaped me and made me who I am! :)


Back soon, 
Liv xxx

Where to start?

Hello my beautiful friends,


A little about me I suppose? Not that this will be news to you but one must start somewhere I suppose.


As I start my 23rd year of life, a new venture seemed exciting and Tara suggested I start a blog. Well we all know I can talk for England and so any opportunity to use my words seems like a good plan to me, I only hope I can think of things to entertain and interest you!


One of the great defining features of my life so far I suppose would be growing up in Oman. 


I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow up there; I met wonderful people, forged strong bonds and it sent my life in a direction I don't think it would have gone had we not moved there...


I'll set the scene: I've just turned 9 and my parents announce we're moving to a country I've never heard of... sounds pretty daunting, but I just remember being so excited. I believe we were meant to go for 27 months, but 14 years later and my parents are still there! It gave me the opportunity to go to a private school, be a part of an international community, and have experiences that I don't think we could have dreamed of. 


What kid can say they have climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, swam on the Great Barrier Reef, cycled through Chilli Fields in Thailand, ridden an elephant through jungles and rivers, cuddled koalas, para-glided over reefs, sand boarded down 50m dunes, and camped and hiked in the mountains and deserts in Oman. That sounds like I'm bragging, but you know what, perhaps I am; I have been extremely fortunate and am extremely aware of this.



I mean seriously, who gets to do this stuff?! Well, my family I suppose! It does seem rather incredible when I think back to all the things we did during those summers, I just wish I had a better memory! Old age, I'm telling you!

I went to an amazing school, ABA, and was able to enjoy school without being made to feel like a dork, which I think is pretty special. There were 49 of us in our graduating class, some of whom I had gone to school with since I was 9... I think when you grow up around people that closely they become like family... I don't think many people can say that from their school experiences but I wouldn't change anything about mine... We had the best laughs, best teachers, and just the most fun! I was so fortunate to be a part of such a special group of people... Caring, giving, loving people, who always made you feel like what you had to say was worthwhile. I still miss walking into Homeroom at 7.20am and seeing SMILING faces... Awe I'm getting a bit emotional! I miss my high school buddies!

After graduating it was time to go it alone! I moved to Bristol to go to UWE and study Law... now unfortunately this didn't go quite how I had planned it... I had some misconstrued idea that it would be something like a John Grisham novel when it really wasn't! Reading lots of statutes and cases was not the exciting times that I had planned! Uni in itself was a great experience, but looking back I think there is a lot I would change... Take it more seriously, nurture my friendships, don't get caught up in a relationship early on, and just focus on fun! I am extremely proud of myself for finishing it, and coming out with a 2:1 no less, when there were times that I really wanted to give up. And even though I might not have any immediate plans to use my degree, I'm glad I chose a 'proper' degree, and learnt that when the going gets tough, you don't just give up!


Well, now I have graduated and there have been a lot of changes in the past year, especially within myself. A big relationship ended but my friends and family showed me how to get back to myself again... Even if that did involve running away for a few months back home! It's taken longer than I would have hoped, but I finally feel like me again, in fact, an improved version of myself. 


Right, I believe now it is time to put good energy out into the universe and hope for a job!! Honestly, I think I'm a pretty switched on and friendly person, but I've been looking for a job for a year, only coming across little temp roles. Blows my mind, but I truly feel this is going to be a good year! And good things are due to come my way, let's hope. 


Well, I think that's enough about me for now, it's time instead to focus on some of you!


Back soon, 


Liv xxx