Free Days

Today I had a completely free day. I had arranged to go out to the cinema with my friends but they got busy. So we're going to see Ironman 3 on Saturday instead. We are restricted to the 2d version because one of my friends can't watch 3d without hurting his eyes.

I thought I would make the most of the sun today and went to put on my summer clothes. I was hoping for a dress but all my dresses are too formal to wear so I went shopping. I think I spent over £100. I'm definitely going to start hiding my bank card from myself. After going shopping and spending an extortionate amount of money on clothes I went home and practised the piano.

Yes I actually practised! Unfortunately I discovered that:
1. My piano is severely out of tune and
2. My keys are really stiff so I can't play anything without the keys staying pressed.
Then I had to stop and look for some WD40 to fix it but I couldn't find any.

I also took my dog out to the park. It was really nice and warm for Scotland. Recently all I have heard from other Scottish people is that Scotland doesn't get good summers. Rubbish! Utter Rubbish. The problem is that the people have raised their expectations.

With all the holiday's people go on I can see how it can easily happen but for me a good summer is one where I can go at least a week straight without needing a raincoat or jumper.

I went to St Andrew's University a few years ago for a project called the Sutton Trust. It's basically a taster course for university life but while I was there I met some really interesting people.

One of those people was from England and when we got there it was sunny. The next day we all visited the beach. I had a kagul (a very thin raincoat) in my bag. It was very warm and sunny but this is Scotland so it's best to best prepared. Anyway one of the guys from England came out to the beach in shorts and a tshirt. No surprise that when it rained he got soaked! I asked him if he had a raincoat and he said that because it was St Andrews and it was on a beach he didn't think he'd need one.

Probably because I'm from Scotland I never go to stay anywhere without my kagul. Even if I think it's going to be sunny because living here I try to always be prepared for the prospect of rain.

In saying that I sometimes go overboard. I still wear a heavy raincoat to college right through till May just in case of heavy showers. Then I switch to my kagul.

I have been looking up new skills to learn since my college has been winding down. I'm now looking towards friendship bracelets. I think incorporating this skill into my textile sample's for college could be interesting. I think that it'll wait until next year as we are entering the stage in one of our classes that we're actually making the dress we have designed and in our other class we are printing so it isn't very 3d.

I have a big to do list for myself now. Things I'm promising myself I'm going to do soon. I bought a load of tshirts which I have a design to go on one using iron on paper. The others I'm planning to Tye Dye or to use as my 'print Tshirts'. I'm envisioning having a tshirt which I can wear to print class and not work about getting dye on it because the whole thing will have smears of paint and dye. A bit like when you used to wear an old shirt in primary school when you were doing something messy.

I have knitted bags that I have to put a lining in. I have pockets of jackets to repair and I have a pair of jeans that I have cut into sorts to customise.

Little projects that I haven't thought about over the college year. I have revisited my watching of anime though. I am thinking about trying to draw anime and working on drawing to upload to my deviant art account. The drawings I've currently got on there are not really that good. I posted them years ago. Time for fresh stuff to go up.

Bobbi Jean
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Sunny days, Busy Nights

So... I handed in my coursework for two of my classes this week. Phew! Glad thats over.
One was my Professional Design Practice Class where I and a team of four other people had to design a neckpiece.We started a blog about our project together which you can check out:
lelegancenoire.blogspot.co.uk

The other class was my Graded Unit which I had to do a presentation for. I still have to hand in an evaluation of that project which goes in on Monday. So needless to say I have been busy for the passed few weeks.

This week I'm going to see Iron Man with my friends 'spazzyhawk' and 'thisiscarole'. I'm looking forward to it alot.

This week I managed to find a little spare time and we went on a picnic.

Well... We didn't count on the weather. It started out a really nice sunny day. I turned up to the park at ten to eleven because I underestimated two things:

Firstly how much time I would be spending in the shop and also how long it would take to get there.

Our agreed time to meet was 12.30. I went into the wee cafe in the park but they said I couldn't wait in there without buying anything and I didn't have any cash on me (They didn't take card). Anyway I went outside and I started raining on and off till my friends got there so I was freezing and wet and we all decided to go back to 'thisiscarole's house due to the rain.

Funny thing. The weather. It didn't rain at all from the moment we went back to her house.

Most of our food went uneaten and it was a bit of a job carrying it all but I  really want to do that again It was really fun and I can't wait for next week's movie night.

I started putting together the pattern for my dress at college. I'm so excited to be bringing it to life. It's an a-line with embroidered panels. Although I found it was hard finding fashion source for a-line dresses. They all seem to be either too simple or they're brought in at the waist.

My weekly shot of Doctor Who and Glee is approaching.
dunabunk signing out for the week
Over and out!
Bobbi Jean
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Happenings This Week

Okay the most exciting news I have  this week is that mum got a new car. I'm so excited I wish I could drive just to get  a wee shot of it but even if I had had passed my driving  test its unlikely that I would be driving it.  I'm not on the insurance. If I was on the insurance  then I could but there's no point when I pass my  test I'll try to get my own car so getting put on the insurance is pointless for the moment but it is different. 

 Our old car was a Peugeot 106. No power steering. No central locking. No radio. This car has all those things and more. It's a yellow Peugeot 107 and it's great. I won't get to spend much time in it tho. Mum spends all her time working so she needs it. Shame!

I keep thinking about cars and flats and all those things that most independent adults have. Not that I'm anywhere near ready to have all those things myself but I find  myself looking up these things in my spare time. I don't have the  money to actually get any of these things but I can dream. Truth be told I don't reckon I'll move out until after I leave the  education system which might be years and years from now. 

The bad thing about having your mum as your boss is that you get very little time off during your holidays I have two weeks off of college and I swear I haven't had a full day off since I was at college. I find myself being booked in for shifts without even being consulted. Today I was told that I'm working tomorrow morning. Told, not asked.   Don't get me wrong when the paycheck comes in I like it but it interrupts  my plans for the day.

Recently I have started to get back into watching Anime. I used to watch it as a kid and I've just recently started watching Fruit's Basket. I'm really getting into it. I  love Yumi's character and Ayame is really funny. He's so vain.  I have also use my Holiday from college to level up my character  on Ragnarok Online. I love to play it in my spare time but with  college my free time has been few and far between.  My best friends 'thisiscarole' and 'spazzyhawk' both play it and we often have skype conversations while playing. I tried drawing my high archer character using my older laptop.

  

My older laptop is the one I use for college as my newer one doesnt have Microsoft Office. I refuse to throw away my old one despite that fact it has barely any memory and I have a much faster one and its mainly due to the screen. My screen on older laptop flips and can be used as a graphics tablet which for someone doing design is a godsend. I did try making do with my old graphics tablet but I think its broken as it constantly clicks whether I want it to or not. On photoshop this is very bad as I can't stop it from drawing

I did one of those grown up things  that normal people do the night before last. I went to the pub with my best friend for the first time. I know it seems pretty pathetic. Most people my age (18) are out clubbing  and stuff already but I've never been like that. In fact I went to my first club at Christmas and I have never felt more out of place in my life. I disliked it so much I couldn't stop crying and I just wanted to go home. The pub was  nice. There was karaoke and I got up and sang. My friend was too much of a wimp!! lol  

 

Usually there would be three of us but I didn't think that it was 'thisiscarole's scene she doesn't like pubs and things. I tried convincing her to go to the Rocky Horror Picture Show in February but she didn't like the idea. It's back in august by popular demand and I'm not taking no for an answer this time. In February I ended up going with my Gran so if my Gran can sit through it and  enjoy it so can she. I won't force her but I will try my  hardest to convince her. My friend 'spazzyhawk' has already agreed. He's going away for college at the end of august so we won't see him much during the term. Generally we don't do much during college times anyway.

I was out with 'thisiscarole'  and 'spazzyhawk'. We met up in town and then got something at Mc Donald's and then went to Braehead shopping centre. There is a sort of mini funfair out the back so we went on the  dodgems and Twister and that thing that take you in the air in a circle. On that last one I accidentally  smashed the screen of my phone. It flew out my  pocket. I didn't even notice till we went to get the bus home. Luckily I asked 'thisiscarole' to phone my  phone cos I could find it in my bag and the lady that ran the ride answered. The bus hadn't left yet so I was really lucky. It still works but the screen is cracked so I need to get my mum to ring the insurance.  When we usually go out we normally go bowling then back to 'thisiscarole's house so this was a refreshing change even if I am kicking myself about my phone. I got a case for my phone  so that once I've got a replacement I won't break it.

Bobbi Jean
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Easter

Hello
Easter is on the horizon and we all know what that means: Chocolate!
Well there is all that stuff about religion and a rebirth and things but we all know that just like Christmas this religious celebration is an excuse to get presents in Easter's case chocolate.
I'm not a religious person but i am all for the getting of chocolatey goodness. Hopefully this year my Easter eggs won't be eaten by a certain step mum again and I'll be able to spend the next month or so debating with myself if I really should just eat them all at once.

We've been getting lots of snow here in bonnie Scotland. Typical March and its snowing. Today though has been particularly sunny and no snow in sight. All my deadlines for class are after the Easter break so I'm going to get stuck in during the holidays. At least it'll keep me from sleeping the day away.
I'm feeling much more confident now about meeting my deadlines.
During Easter I might put up some of my work for the course. Not my current projects as they aren't finished but my previous projects I'll probably upload.

My one of my friends has recently introduced me to nightcore. If you don't know what that is then its a genre of music and I'm not sure how I would explain it so if you look it up on YouTube you should find a lot of examples. I think this is his revenge for me getting him into ragnarok.

Ragnarok is an online game which I have played since I was a little girl. I love it and before Christmas I got my best friends into it. I've been too busy to play for a while but we would have all night sessions of playing the game and have meh fights on Skype. These basically consist of each of us not having anything better to say than meh and results in fits of laughter. The first person to stop saying meh loses or if 'thisiscarole' is on then the first person to make her shout at us.

I spoke to my two best friends for the first time in ages the other night mostly cos I've not went on my laptop in about a month. Cant wait to the nights staying up till three am talking absolute rubbish and joining hunting parties on ragnarok!

Roll on the Easter hols!!

Bobbi Jean
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Cute Cats and Best Friends

Hiya

I havent posted in a while but then it is close for me One month is better than more than a few months. I have been busy working extra hours and my graded unit for college started last week so I have geniunely been busy even though for me thats not really an excuse.

I have been swimming more recently trying to get into shape but I wanted to share with you The cutest picture ever.

Isn't he the cutest cat? He's one of my two cats. His name is Cheri. When he was born we had nine cats but they have all gone through illness or old age so I only have two left.

The toy he is playing with is a catnip pillow from a very good friend of mine who runs Happy Housecats. She also runs the Frenzy series of cat toys which my cat is addicted to. If I dont play with him he starts cryingand dragging the toys about the house. Cheeky little kitten.

I cant wait for Doctor Who to come back it comes back on the BBC at the end of March and I have to admit Im addicted.

Doctor Who, Sherlock, White Collar, Buffy, Glee, Being Human, these are just some of the television shows I am addicted to. Some of them my fellow Whovian and best friend 'thisiscarole' has introduced me to. She tends to like the same things I do and regularly gets me to watch things which I soon become obsessed with.

Case in point : Glee. When Glee first started I have to admit I was skeptical. In fact I didnt watch it til the middle of the second season. When 'thisiscarole' told me to check out starkid productions I gave it a shot without realising that Darren Criss who starred in AVPM was also in Glee. So her sneaky tactics made me start to watch Glee. Now I get so excited for new episodes of Glee that my Sunday nights consist of me jumping around the living room singing the songs and saying quotes and it's all down to her.

Don't get me wrong. Despite her manipulative sneaky ways she is my lovable best friend and I don't know what I'd do without her. She keeps me from going completely mad.

Bobbi Jean
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Thoughts

Okay so its the start of Febuary and I thought it might have been time to update. I tried updating earlier in the week but the publish failed.
At the start of this week we had a talk in college from the girl who runs Bee waits for noone. It was a very interesting talk on how to write blogs.
Our college has just changed to the second block and I have three new projects to do. Last block Our class had to design a tshirt and a print as well as making up embroidery samples.

I enjoy both embroidery and print though I have to admit I prefer knitting and crochet. I knit alot but Im not so good at crochet so I have asked a friend of mine that I met in college if she could show me and in return I'll show her knitting.

Knitting seems to be a dying art. It has been associated for years with old ladies knitting for their grandchildren. If I am out and about I try to take my knitting with me but I am regularly approached and asked what I am knitting and why.

Currently I am knitting bags which I will post pictures of on my blog. I am also knitting a blanket made of a few different strips of knitted fabric.

I am also thinking of using felting for one of my currrent college projects.

I would like to explore different ways of making and manipulating fabrics.
Bobbi Jean
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Oliver!

When I was in high school I was in every School Show we had. In my fifth year I was in a production of Oliver. This show was the first time that I was interested in auditioning, of course being in fifth year and never had auditioned before I was rejected but I still was a part of the chorus. It was well known in our school that main parts went to sixth years and those with drama back grounds.

Our show ended up being quite funny as Fagin accidently cartwheeled off the stage and Nancy mispronounced clock leading Mr Brownlow to run around saying " The Clike! Mrs Bedwin. The Clike!". Not to mention Widow Corney who had been played by a male teacher flashing his chest at the audience.

Anyway the point to this was that last Wednesday my sweet little brother or one of them anyway was in an amateur dramatics production of Oliver. It was a bit strange watching it as I had performed in it and inevitably compared it to mine as I was watching it. I went pretty smoothly. No mess ups like mine except my wee brother did get up when all of Fagin's gang are meant to be asleep although he assures me that he was meant to do that. His twin, had his head on my shoulder throughout the play.

Also this week my dad got me a camera case for my new dslr camera. Mum spilt me on the camera. I was just planning on getting a digital camera for college but mum tends to go overboard a bit. Not that I mind shes just a bit nuts. I have to admit it takes some really great photos.