someone decide for me?

via

(I meant to use one of my own pictures for this post but I left my camera at school, wahhh!, but I found this one and it fits so here we are)

JANUARY 13TH 2013. This is my UCAS deadline, I have a UCAS deadline. How did this happen?

I've been ordering prospectus' for like the last four years (keen) and now they are actually aimed at me. 

My year went to a university gala which basically had 170 something uni's crammed into two halls.  My aim was to get a prospectus from every single one, just for the challenge, but that wasn't realistically that feasible. I scouted out all the ones that do journalism and media courses and headed on a mission. In the end I picked up about 22 prospectus', 2 pens and one badge. 

I spent the whole of last night reading through them all, stalking the student room forum and generally freaking myself out. I got all excited about courses, then researched them and saw pages of people slamming that type of course or subject. I almost cried to my brother and then wailed 'HOW AM I MEANT TO KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO FOREVER, WHEN I'M SIXTEEN?!'. 

It's such a big decision to make, made bigger by the fact they've piled on an extra six grand a year. No pressure though. It's not the massive pile of debt or the moving away or having to clean the toilet myself (srsly though, the bleach smell makes me feel ill) that really really scares me. I don't want to have a job I don't love. That's the scariest thing for me.

In my state of constant future freak out today I spoke to a local journo in school and he said 'journalism is always going to be there'. He said it's always changing and that there are different ways into it and that the most valuable things to learn, you learn through doing it. You don't have to go right into it. This lessened my freak out as one of the things worrying me was not being certain it's what I want to do.

I also roped my friend into this freak out on the way home and realised I'm not the only one that the whole uni thing is getting on top of. We talked about how we're worried about picking the wrong degree, the wrong university, the debt, the amount of unemployment and actually getting the results to get in. We came to the conclusion that we need to study something that we enjoy. We can't see any point in spending all that money to study something that we don't think is exciting or something we're not interested in, even if we do end up getting our best grade in that.

I'm feeling so much calmer now about everything. It's cheesy and corny but I honestly believe everything will work itself out. You have to put some effort in but it will. I'm going to do what I enjoy and something I'm good at and stop worrying so much. I'm aware I might come across as being in some naive little bubble sparking off about doing things you enjoy, seemingly forgetting about money and everything and maybe I am, but i'll cross that bridge later. 

Any uni/course choosing tips? Or any uni tips in general? Or are you smack bang in the middle of the uni process too?

Victoria xx

I know it should be well done but this is the one I have! 

I got my GCSE results yesterday. 

I now have qualifications! Real qualifications!

So after these two years I've come out with 2 A*'s, 6 A's and 3 B's. 

I'm so pleased with them. 

I got an A* in english Lit which I was really shocked at. But mainly was that I got a B in my maths which I honestly didn't expect. Maths is my weakest subject, I just suck at it so that was a nice surprise.

I'm just happy I didn't fail any and I'm happy all my friends did well! 

I had a really lovely day with my mum yesterday. It involved a lot of carbohydrates (namely pastries). Then in the evening I went to a party to celebrate and then had a somewhat impromptu sleepover (always the best) with four of my best friends. We played a game called who's in the bag, it got competitive. I now have a sore throat and only three and a half hours sleep in me but it was worth it!

So overall I had a really lovely day! 

Anyone who got results lately,I hope you're all happy with them! 

Victoria x

p.s. I got a woolly jumper the other day that I need to blog. My brother held it up and said 'Oh, I didn't realise you were now 75'. Ha!

Outfit Post (finally)

Vest Top - Primark

Top - Primark

Denim Jacket - New Look

Skirt - H&M

Belt - H&M

Bag - Primark

This is actually my first proper outfit post, and it's only taken me just over a year.. with the not having a camera, then exams, then lazy then having somewhere to do it etcccc #excuses. 

It looks like my skirt is really short in the pictures but I assure you all dignity was kept! I wore this out with my friends yesterday night (we played basket ball in the dark with very few rules.. intense) but I wore the same outfit just with a thick black elasticated belt and no denim jacket for a party the other week. I've practically lived in my tube skirts recently but they're just so easy to make an outfit with. 

GCSE results are out on Thursday! I'm not that nervous yet, I was on the A level results day but it's cooled off now. I'm doing something with my friends on the Wednesday day and evening to keep our minds off of results  stress out together. We can collect them at 10am. I want to get some sleep because I don't want to be some hysterical wreck whether I get good or bad results so I figure staying awake as late as possible should ensure a couple hours at least. It's silly but I'm nervous that I'm not nervous yet. Last year I was bricking it and I was only getting about three results back and they weren't even whole ones. Oh well. 

Any one who got results/receiving results? 

Victoria x

Prom on a budget

At the start of the 'prom hype' that swept my year (and me) I was adamant that I would not spend more than £100 on the dress. Then, the whole prom thing started to become a much smaller deal than it was at the start. There were arguments and bitching and way too much stress over just one night. Then we started dress shopping, this only reaffirmed my cheap skate status. If I can't see value for money in something then I'm unlikely to buy it. This was only increased as my parents were paying for this dress so add the fact I didn't feel comfortable them paying a lot to my cheap skated-ness = dress hunting got hard. 

I soon started saying I didn't want everything I needed for prom to cost over £100. This didn't turn out to be the case. Over all it cost a little under £150. However I have made some investment pieces. 

First off the ticket for prom cost us £35 so there is no getting around that. 

Dress was £49.99 from Missguided.

(sorry rubbish picture, its the only one  I can  put on as it was already saved to the computer.  It wasn't taken on prom day btw. )

Shoes - £19.99  (investment buy) 

Clutch - £13.00 (will be re-used)

Both New Look.

 Nails - Free ( A friend did them but you could do them yourself or buy cheapy fakes)

Hair - £20 - haven't got a photo right now, sorry.

Bracelet/Necklace - already had. 

  

You can do prom cheaper than I did. You can do your nails and hair your self. Use shoes you already own or borrow someones and the same goes for the bag. You could even borrow a dress. Our transport only cost £10 because it was a favour but some people just got dropped off in parents cars that had ribbon on. 

 I haven't decided if I will sell my dress now. I can't see another time I will wear it in the future and it would be nice for my parents to have some pennies back! I'll see. 

Overall, I think I managed to keep to a good budget especially considering I spent less overall than some people did on their dress. It's each to their own and everyone can afford different budgets but I think this helps prove you can do prom on what ever budget. 

If you have done any prom posts I would love to see them, leave me a link! 

Victoria xx

There are impressions to be made

It is my sixth form induction day tomorrow! I'm not really that nervous because the sixth form is part of the school I was at for years 7 - 11. Also the majority of my friends are carrying on there too, so its not really that big of a deal. 

Sixth form is non-uniform, so that has the potential to get stressful! We have to stick to the dress code so tube skirts aren't reaaaaly allowed (despite the fact every girl in uniformed school is wearing one!).  So that means trousers/jeans/leggings. 

I have been needing a new pair of jeans/trousers for a while now. So i took the opportunity to order some for induction day, from New Look (their sale is on FYI!). Impressions and all. I ordered these in blue and these in the oatmeal, which I'm not sure about. 

If I keep any I will deffinately only keep one because they're expensive for someone with no job! Butttttttt, induction day is tomorrow and they're not here. Improv time?.

random picture of flowers to break up the text!

Today, I watched something like two and a half hours of Kardashian related programmes with two friends. Spending a large amount of time planning how we are going to marry Rob Kardashian.. 

Victoria xo

SUMMER HAS STARTED!

It is officially summer. 

My exams are done and i literally have nothing to do now. No school, homework, coursework or anything. 

My last exam was textiles on wednesday. I had finished (and checked my answers) and totally had a high school musical moment, staring at the clock waiting for summer to start. 

I never have to go to school again. I have finished compulsory education. It feels so weird to say that, it's cliche but the time really has gone so fast. It doesn't feel like i've been in secondary school for five years. It's been amazing and not so amazing at times but mostly amazing. I don't feel this old, or look it apparently as me and my friends got mistaken for year 10's (14/15) and when we said no, they went lower to year nine. Surely, you go up. ouch. 

via;here

Anwyay. I have an insanely long summer this year, about 12/13ish weeks. That is a double summer. I really hope we make the most of it, summers have a tendency to be a let down. We build them up so much and plan all these things that we never do. I think I am off to a pretty good start though. On Wednesday my exam finished at quarter past ten and I went to a friends house with another friend. We ate biscuits and crumpets and watched keeping up with the Kardashians. We also made the window cleaners coffee in fancy dress. Today I went shopping with the same people plus one. Bought a dress which may be shown here, i'm undecided. I also bought some fake tan that I'd been told is really good and cheap. I'll see how it goes and let you know. Tomorrow is the last exam for the people in my friendship group so we're going out for a meal to celebrate and practice walking in our heels. Our aim is to stop looking like we've wet ourselves. It's not going excellently at the moment, prom is seven days away so we have time.

via;here

I I Cant wait to get back into blogging. I always kept up on blogs while i had exams but didn't have time to do proper posts and thought I'd just leave it for now. As i said in my last post, I've got some ideas for my blog including layout, header and posts. Obvs, I have a new blog name now so the header needs changing.

Summer plans?

Victoria x

brbbbbbbb,

Via; me.

I'm so artistic, aren't I?

Well, the image sums it up, just to say I haven''t forgotten about my blog, I'm just putting gonna wait until exams are over to start posting properly again. 

Victoria xo

I cant think of a title

(..at least i'm honest!)

Via; Me. on our D of E practice. 

Hope you are all having a lovely long easter weekend. I spent yesterday with some of the family who came to ours and we sat outside all day and talked broken up only by a big Sunday meal. 

I'm back at school tomorrow. It was genuinely one of my first thoughts waking up. Oh well, it's a three day week and then my birthday is the may bank holiday (may 2nd!). 

  

I've got my eye on these Barry M nail varnishes. The one on the left is Peach Melba, that even sounds nice! The one on the right is called Blue Moon. The Peach Melba would prioritize I have to say. These are both the new ones out. 

Victoria xo 

p.s. still trying to think of a new blog name!

default pink.

Lovely spring flowers! Some of the photos are the wrong way up because I forgot to flip them, they should really let you do that when your making the post? Anyways, it was such a sunny day so I thought I'd take some photos of the garden, again! Off school today, teacher day or something like that.

Since easter holidays are here thought I better snap up the opportunity to paint my nails asap. This is probably one of my default colours that I go to, but its lovely so i think thats okay, right? 

Off to my friends house tonight and then out for a little while, actually still so tired though so don't know how long I'll last! Friday plans? 

Love Victoria xo 

cupcake.

COURSEWORK'S DONE!

Well except from a few little tweaks which wont take long at all, but i'm not counting that. 

Feeling quite cold-ified and sleep deprived but that doesn't matter right now because its easter holidays. Filled with revision for the impending exams, but none the less a holiday (ish). 

I got to bed at two last night after working for something like 8 hours on coursework which seemed to be making very slow progress despite the amount of time spent on it. My mum bought this for me today, for working so hard! Isn't she and it adorable!  I'm going to bake some cakes during this holiday. and sleep. a lot of sleep. 

Going to try and post more, and come up with a new blog name (do not like mine!) as well these two weeks. 

What are you up to? 

Love Victoria xo 

focussed pretty things!

oh, my dearest blog! I have missed you!

So, I haven't done a proper post in agesssssss, and to be honest, I don't know if this is going to be one. We'll see how it goes? I'm going to try to post more but exams are obviously a priority so I'm sorry if posts are sometimes few and far between. 

Firstly an explanation for the whole no posting thing. The usual mix of exams, revision, D of E practice expedition and a cheeky mock interview today. And just no time. Where does it go, seriously. People say they need an extra hour in the day, an hour is no where near enough!

The photos are from this weekend (my Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition). Basically, one the first day we had to be out for six hours, walking for atleast three I think, but we walked for way more than that! Then we slept laid there all night freeeeezing in a blue peter-esque tent. 7 people in a six man tent, not as squished as I expected but much colder! Anyway, we then walked for another six hours the next day. The walking was tiring obviously but wasnt unbearable. The weight of the rucksacks we had to carry however, that was cutting it close. The first day our 'destination' was a lovely reservoir and on the second day it was a church which had the most beautiful seating place opposite. 

These photos are part of my skill for the bronze award, photography obvs. I'm not really sure its showing much skill though because mostly its just something in focus and the back ground not. I am proud of some of the pictures I got though because the things (mostly flowers/trees ect - theme was nature) were so beautiful. 

Any opinions are more than welcome! 

I'm hoping to do some more fashion-y posts soon, I'm really wanting to right now. It's just finding the time and subject to write about. 

I don't think this counts as a fully fledged post, somewhere in between perhaps! 

Hope your all having amazing weeks so far!

Love V xo  

don't miss it on your way up.

here.

One of my science teachers came into our lesson last week and said that before she starts the lesson, she wanted to talk to us first. 

She asked us what we thought success was. Things like 'goals' and 'achievement' and 'best of your ability' were shouted out and written down. 

She told us that success is individual. 

She said that success is not just about what grades you get. She said that she worries that schools and society itself pushes one target that we must all meet, but that we all have different targets. 

Also, she told us how it's important to relax and have fun. Work hard and study but make sure theres time for your friends and family too. She told that there is a balance that needs to be found, between friends, family, work and play. 

An analogy that arose during this was that of a ladder. We climb up this ladder, looking up to the top at the goal we want to reach. She told us to make sure we don't just focus on the top and miss the steps we take getting there. 

She told us it all matters. 

...and then we did biology.

Love Victoria xo 

50p calenders and some very bright fabric

Ah! I haven't posted properly in ages but I just haven't had time, which is strange because I don't recall doing anything particularly momentous, oh well, time flies eh. So, Happy Valentines day, hope you're having a good day, coupled up or not. Anyway, just a quick update for now, I want to do a kind of beauty/hair product post soon. I know nothing about beauty or hair for that matter but when has that ever stopped anyone and why should it. 

I went shopping with my Mum on Sunday, it was supposed to be a quick in-out shop but didn't end up as short as we planned, never mind. I got myself a cheeky Zac Efron calender for 50p, to replace my JLS one that has been hanging up for two months too long now. Making myself sound incredibly teenage right now, JLS then Zac Efron. But I love him and it was 50p. Reason enough i think. 

I took this picture quite quickly so it's a little blurred and there's a shadow because this is January's photo and so I had to hold February up with one hand at the same time. 

We made a quick trip to a near by-ish fabric shop too because I finally came up with a design for my textiles project. I've been playing around with a few designs that are all quite similar but it just wasn't quite right. This project is mostly marked on details and quality of making so I've decided to make a cushion cover. Hopefully I'll be able to incorporate several embroidery techniques with that. Also, I did a dress for my last project which I ended up hating by the end of it, so this will be a nice change. Anyway, getting back on track, there are petals/tiny flowers on my design so we got this sheer material (that doesn't photograph well) to go over a more opaque lighter shade of pink material for those. 

My attempt to show the sheerness of the fabric.

 I'm a bit nervous because this material frays a lot as you can see in the second photo. We'll see how it goes. Positive mental attitude!

Hope you all had a good weekend and have a good week! 

Love Victoria xo

jupe.

zara.

So, I haven't posted in a while. I wish it was because i'd been off having amazing adventures and all that but in actual fact I have a french speaking exam tomorrow and a whole lotta deadlines which seem to come way too quickly. 

I decided, just to keep some life in my blog, that I would post this skirt from Zara. I love that pleated skirts are coming in this season. I wasn't so sure about it at first but I've seen a few around that I like now. It'll give us a breather from the body con skirts at least. (I still love my body con skirts though). 

Opinions?

Back to French for me, au revoir ;)

Love Victoria xo 

title.

Hello, just a bit of a catch up post as I mentioned in this post. :)

**I meant to post this last night, but it took me a while

and then I got a bit too tired, so tonight it is! **

(No joke, this is very similar to the scene in my room for the last week)

001. Eight hours and fifty minutes. That is the amount of time I have spent in exams this week. I've only had seven exams which isn't actually too bad compared to some people but still. It has drained so much energy out of me. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it really has. I'm so tired. However, something good to come out of this exam riddled week is that I now know why revision is supposed to be done over a period of time, not one night. It just doesn't fit. I've had two maths exams, two hours each. Two french, one for an hour and one lasting fifty mins. A philosophy and ethics for an hour. Sociology for an hour and then ICT for an hour and a half. Maths didn't go so well in my opinion, but I never thought it was going to. I think sociology and philosophy and ethics definitely went well and my french along with ICT went okay. At the end of the day, these ones are only mocks. If we don't do as well as we expect/want then it isn't the end of the world. There's no point getting too worked up over these because it wont help us, it will probably end up being a hindrance. I am nervous for the results though, for two reasons. Firstly, because we get some real-counting exam results back at the same time and last time I got results I wasn't very well. I think it was a mix of nerves and actually being ill, but it wasn't nice. So i guess I'm nervous about getting nervous.. and the results of course. But they're over now, nothing more I can do and I'm happy with the effort I put in so there's no point dwelling now.

002. It doesn't feel like Christmas yet. I suppose that's because in my household it isn't. We have a rule you see. 'It's not Christmas until after my dads birthday', which is Sunday, so I guess it's close. I have a busy weekend. I mean super busy. Saturday, family is round and I also need to manage to sneak out to buy my dad a card (unprepared) and tidy my disgracefully messy room. Sunday, I have a netball party thing, it's okay I checked with my dad if I could go, knowing it was on his birthday. But it was all good because we're doing something when my brother gets home from uni in a weeks time. Then it really will be Christmas because we are waiting to decorate the tree (yet to be bought) until he's home. I love decorating the tree, one of my favourite parts of Christmas. I've digressed, I didn't even notice, basically netball party thing and have to write two essays. eugh to the essays.

003. I know everyone and their mothers are talking about it, but I want my say too. Yep, I'm on about X Factor final. *eeep*. I think it will be close between Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson. I love all the finalists but I felt so sorry for Mary Byrne, I really liked some of the performances she gave. I was hitting the replay button way too much on her performances of This is a man's world and You don't have to say you love me. They say it isn't an age thing but to be honest I think it is a little bit, I'm not saying I agree with it, but it is. I hope Mary gets a record deal, she deserves it in my opinion.

I honestly think all the finalists will get deals. Cher Lloyd because she's different to anything we've got around at the moment (Her version of the Shakespeare's Sisters 'Stay' was amazing!), One Direction because of the attention/frenzy they get and they can sing as well. I think sometimes people just like them because they are good looking, when it also needs to be recognised that they're actually good singers too. Matt and Rebecca, they are both good enough for a deal. Good luck to all of them, they've all worked hard and so whoever wins it, will be deserving I think.

I think Rebecca & Christina Aguilara will sing I am beautiful, Matt and Rihanna will sing Take a bow and I don't know about the others. But there the ones i'm hoping to hear! Roll on seven o'Clock.

Who do you think/want to win? 

Well done and thank you if you managed to reach the end. I do appreciate anyone and everyone who takes the time to read what I write, It does mean a lot.

Hope you all have fantastic weekends! :)

Love Victoria xo

photos: vi.sualize.us

remember your pen.

Been so busy this week, four exams down, three to go.

They're only mocks but you gotta try right?

I think I'll be so tired friday night to actually do anything that I should be able to do a nice decent post, for a change. ;) Failing that, Saturdays good.

Hope you're all having a good week :)

Love Victoria xo

hot chocolate anyone?

(from here.)

I have spent the whole day involuntarily speaking like a man, damn cold!

It's so cold outside. I understand going out this morning with no coat/gloves/scarf/anything warm extra on was not a bright idea but still. I regretted this decision even more by the time the six billionth person turned to me and said "Aren't you cold?".

They're in a coat and they're cold, of course I'm cold.

We've just started our English Lit GCSE and it's come as a bit of a relief that I am enjoying it, even if it is early days. I wasn't sure I was going to like it which worried me as it is going to be one of my A Level choices and as I want to be a journalist it seems a little bit essential. My brother (currently studying creative writing) took it for A Level too. However (like I am), he wasn't too keen on the idea despite wanting to go into a career of writing. The conversion my parents had with him before he chose his A Levels went as such;

Parents: Any idea what you want to do when you're older?

. Brother: Writer.

Parents: So do you want to take English Lit at A Level?

. Brother: No.

This caused some confusion between the parents because they couldn't understand how my brother wanted to be a writer and yet the idea of studying English lit at A Level was so unappealing. Three years later they had the same conversation with me. Only, writer became magazine journalist. Hopefully, I'll enjoy it just as much as he did and do as well as he did. (fingers crossed)

I think the reason it seemed so unappealing to the both of us is because we want to be creative. He wanted to write stories and I want to write about anything and everything. English Lit seems quite constrictive, just essays. However, my brother said he got the occasional chance to be creative and besides you learn so much that helps improve your technique and knowledge of literature and writing which in the end should ,hopefully,be invaluable in the future.

Love V xo

A levels and what not.

I have an open evening next week about A Levels. They will of course tell us how this decision is the most important decision we will EVER make. They told us that with our GCSE's too. Just after they did so a scared silence spread across the hall, my father, apparently oblivious to the silence, said loudly 'oh, no pressure then'. ha.

I think I'm going to pick:

1. Business Studies

2. Textiles

3. English Lit or Communication and Culture

4. I have no idea about a fourth.

I think that leaves it open for me to go into fashion and writing. Hopefully.

Which A levels did you take?

Love V xo