The Blog-tember Challenge: Day 7 : Things that bring me joy

Happy Wednesday! As you're reading this post I'm either at the hospital in my appointment or have just received results for the scary tests I've had done. I have absolutely been dreading this appointment for the last month and I'm praying for good news, keep your fingers crossed for me!

Let's not beat around the bush and get straight down to why we're here today, and that's for day 7 of the Blog-tember challenge!

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing is every day" - Henri J.M. Nouwen

Wednesday, Sept. 7: Five things that bring you joy.

1. My partner

2. Photography.

3. Blogging.

4. Reading.

5. Travelling.

What things bring you joy?

The Blog-tember Challenge: Day 2 | Goals

Goals

Friday, Sept. 2: Share a list of your current goals.

Hey, lovelies and happy Friday to you all! I'm working today, but following my departure from work this evening, I actually have 6 days off and lots of plans!

It's now day 2 of the blog-tember challenge and I'm still going strong. This year I've decided to plan in advance for these posts because one thing I struggle with is finding the time to write, especially on my days in work. I'll be scheduling all of my posts in the hope of successfully completing the challenge without missing a day. 

I haven't actually compiled a list of my goals for a little while now so I'm quite excited to get everything down on this page. 

Monthly goals:

1. Read 4 books. I've always been a big lover of reading, I just often struggle to find the time to finish a book, but I've been doing a lot better lately. I'd ideally like to read more than 4 books a month, but let's start off light eh? 

2. Learn to swim. One of my biggest dreams is to swim with sharks because they are amazing and I just love them. I only have one little problem... I can't swim. Mike and I have been going to our local pool every single week in order to try and beat my fears and reach the ultimate goal of me learning to swim. It's going to take awhile, but we will get there!

3. Save. This is an always goal for me, not because I can't save, but just because life continuously gets in the way. There are so many wonderful things that I want to do, and obviously, they cost money, especially all of those Holidays. It's time to sort out Christmas, save for Japan, and all of the other wonderful adventures we plan to go on.

4. WRITE! Writing is one of my biggest passions, but sometimes life gets in the way. I come here as much as I can to talk to you and tell you all about my life. Another thing I'm trying to get finished at the moment is my own book, it's taking some time and I'm constantly distracted, but I will finish and will publish.

5. Enjoy working. I need to take the time to find a job that I could fall in love with. That's certainly something it's going to take, time. All I need to remember is that I have a job for now that will help me pay for the things I need, but there's a bigger end goal in sight. 

6. Do more things that make me happy. I love a lot of things, reading, writing, gaming, creating videos, and the list goes on. It's very easy to let life get in the way of the things you really want to do, and it happens to the best of us. I need to start using my time off work more productively.

7. Go to ALL of my hospital appointments. I hate the hospital, I absolutely despise it, and I've spent so long avoiding getting things checked out. All I seem to do at the moment is visit the hospital, and I have so many more appointments lined up. I'll make sure I attend them all, as much as I don't want to because my health is at stake, and nothing is more important than your health.

8. See my loved ones more. It can be hard to spend time with those you love when you don't leave too close to one another and when you have completely different schedules. I'm going to stop making excuses and just start making plans more frequently, no matter how busy life gets.

9. Visit Rome. It's booked, it's finally booked! It's now less than a month until we will be walking around the beautiful streets of Rome, and I'm unbearably excited. This trip is something I've waited so long to do, and along with this trip will come many things ticked off my bucket list.

10. Be happy. Happiness is the ultimate goal in life, it's all I strive for. I must admit that my life is pretty perfect right now, but things have a habit of changing. 

Some more goals...

• Get a new tattoo
• Exercise more
• Play more games
• Be decisive
• Stop procrastinating 
• Spend Christmas just us two, no matter how stressful
• Get Christmas shopping finished before November
• Do more of the DIY projects I constantly say I want to do
• Do more book/film/game reviews
• Buy a new sofa
• Cook more

What are your current goals?

The Blog-tember Challenge: Day 1 | Meet Ashleigh

The Blog-tember Challenge: Day 1 - Meet Ashleigh

Hello lovelies! Happy September to all and what better way is there to spend September than participating in the Blog-tember challenge. Unfortunately I managed to completely miss the challenge last year and I was absolutely gutted! From that moment I made sure to leave a memo in my diary to ensure I would not miss it this year! 

Thursday, Sept. 1: Introduce yourself however you like! Pics, vlog, collage, your choice :)

I'm Ashleigh. I'm 22 and live in a not so big town in the North West of England with my sweet lovely Mike, and I'm very proud of the bricks and water that have came together to create our lovely little home. This has been my first real year without those lovely summer holidays, and it's awful! I've been a working girl for the last year of my life, not doing something I completely enjoy, but it pays the bills. I studied a BSc in Broadcast and Media Production at Liverpool John Moores University and it was the worst 3 years of my life. 

I have MANY dreams, most of which include me being on a place travelling to beautiful places. I'm a blogger (obviously) when I remember. I love reading, I love being transported into new worlds. I'm in the process of writing my own book, it's a working progress that's for sure, but I hope to one day be a published author. I have a MASSIVE love for cameras and love running around taking pictures of everything and anything, I'm quite the creative person. Have I mentioned reading? I love reading. I also love watching films, I could never watch too many films, and I'm quite the gamer too I must admit. 

These are a few of my favourite things... 

Reading. Pizza. Doctor Who. Tattoos. Gaming. Writing. Supernatural. 

Boyfriend.Blogging. Make-up. Bones. Candles. Travelling. Movies. Clothes. 

Stephen King. Horror. Journals. Cameras. Autumn.

Tell me about yourself...

What are your favourite things?

Day Thirty: Au revoir Septembre bonjour Octobre

Sept 30th: A farewell coffee date. Take some time to breath, sip a warm drink, and share with your new blogging buddies. If you'd like a prompt: how did the Blog-tember challenge go for you? Any surprises? What was your favorite prompt, or what would you like to see included next time?

I'm not a coffee lover or even a coffee liker…a nice cuppa would go down a treat though!

I have really enjoyed the blogtember challenge, I'm a bit annoyed at myself for not managing to keep up to date every single day, but I managed to do the majority and I'm happy with how I did with those.

This has been my first blogging challenge and I'm quite happy with how it all went, I can't wait to be involved in many more! 

It's hard to say which prompt was my favourite because they were all amazing in their own way and I have loved every part of this challenge. 

I'd say it's been an eye opener to be honest.

Blogtember has been amazing, until next time, friends!

xo

Day Twenty Nine: Blogging Resources

Sept 29th: What are your go-to blogging resources? What would you recommend to a beginner?

I'm going to be honest right now; I don't really have any blogging resources.

It may seem hard to believe, because most bloggers have heaps of resources they use whilst blogging but, I just don't.

There are a couple of things that inspire me a little bit, or help point me into the right direction, an example would be Pinterest…there is so much on this site, it's inspired me for a lot of things, my blog, photoshoots, pretty much anything. If you don't have an account I highly suggest you create one.

There was a point about a month or so after creating my blog, where I became obsessed with the layout. When you have a blog and you are truly dedicated to it, you become obsessed with making sure it's as perfect as can be. I had found many free layouts which I liked but, there was always something wrong with them that just didn't sit right with me. This resulted in me heading on over to Etsy to buy a layout, it only cost me £6, which I don't think is too bad at all! If you're dedicated to your blog, make sure it looks the way you want it!

It's almost time for the last day of the #blogtemberchallenge…see you tomorrow!

xo

Day Twenty Eight: September Highs and Lows

Sept 28th: What were your highs and lows for this month?

Highs of September
- Spending a lot of time with my best friend.
- Getting a new tattoo.
- Shows are coming back! It's that time of the year where I don't want to leave my house because there is just too much to watch!
- My Student Finance came in on time!
- I have found myself a new style, it seems to be making me a little happier.
- I went back to University...
- I figured out my plans for my final year project.
- I have Demi Lovato tickets for November!
- I'm in the process of starting my own business with my best friend. 


Lows of September
- My little Hamster, Daisy, passed away.
- I spent a night locked out of my house.
- I went back to University…

It's been a pretty okay month but, it's coming to an end and I'm looking forward to October!

xo

Day Twenty Seven: Wishful thinking…

Sept 27th: What's on your wishlist? Be sure to include links so we can shop, too ;)

Xbox One. Skull Phone Case. Sleeping Beauty Cushion.

The colour added to my recent tattoo. K-9 slippers. 

Fairy string LED lights. 1989.

Christmas with Billy and Me.

There isn't too much on my list really, what about yours?

xo

Day Twenty Five: Introducing Miss Stacey Williams!

Sept 25th: Grab a guest post! Swap blogs with someone, and share about anything. :)

Hello, I am Stacey Williams, and I am Ashleigh's best friend…yes, the one she talks about in most blogs ;) I have been invited to host my own blog on Ashleigh's page for the #blogtemberchallenge :) I will now tell you some things about me..

I am currently

…reading I'm reading Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher. Its a lovely story about a girl who lives a shallowed life in a small village, before finding love with a handsome movie star and moving to London. I'm about two thirds of the way through this book and have to say, it's pretty amazing! I also think it's a coincidence that Ashleigh and I are both reading Giovanna Fletcher books, but then again, she is an amazing writer.

…watching I'm currently watching season 8 of Doctor Who. We're only a few episodes in, but I think this season is turning out to be something special. It's definitely the best writing we've had for a while. When I first heard that Matt Smith was leaving Doctor Who, I was heart broken. His performance as The Doctor was simply breathtaking to watch, and I honestly never thought I'd like seeing anyone else play the role. But I have to say, Peter Capaldi is doing a pretty good job! He had big boots to fill, but I think the role fits him like a glove.

…trying At the moment, I'm trying out different styles. I've realised recently that I haven't really ventured out of my comfort zone when it comes to how I look and what I wear. I've had pretty much the same dress sense since I left school (that was 5 years ago..yeah) and it's becoming a bit dull. I'm also thinking of changing my hair up a bit, maybe a dip dye or a fringe or something. And then of course I'm thinking of piercing my nose and getting a tattoo..so yeah, nothing too drastic. Can't imagine my mums face when I walk through the door like that..she'll think I've hit my rebellion stage just a little too late!

…eating I'm not eating pizza, but I like pizza. I like pizza a lot. I like any kind of food really, apart from olives. They do not belong on this planet, I swear. But yeah, I like pizza mostly. I wish I had pizza now. There's ice cream in the freezer actually, and we have lots of cake..hmm..

…tweeting I usually tweet the members of bands that I'm into, or I tweet about them, or I tweet their lyrics, or I tweet that I have tickets to see them. You get the picture. I tweet a lot about my cat too, and seem to tweet about how much I love my best friend as well. Aw :)

…going I'm not really going anywhere at the moment, apart from bed. It's almost 11pm as I'm writing this so my day is already over. But what a day it was! I spent it with my best friend, shopping in lovely Liverpool. I spent a fair share of money, but spending time with one of my favourite people was priceless. We went for a three course meal afterwards and almost killed ourselves with how much we ate..think we'll just stick to a starter and main meal next time!

…loving I'm loving life in general at the moment. My family are all happy and healthy as far as I'm aware, I'm seeing loads of my best friend, and I'm about to start my second year in uni, studying Film & TV Production. Everything seems to be really good right now, I hope I don't jinx myself..

…discovering I'm starting to discover that I'm maturing as a person. I keep telling myself that I still feel like the 16 year old girl that left school (5 years ago, in case you forgot), but then I have these moments where I just stop and reflect on how far I've come. When I left school, I had no dreams, no ambition for the future. I didn't know where I was going in life, or who I wanted to be. I didn't even have anyone I could really call a friend. I'm not gonna sit here and give a sob story, but I was a bit down in the dumps. But now, I've got amazing people around me, and I'm at uni and I know what I want to do with my life and where I want to go. I really have grown up a lot. I'm still a boob sometimes though..

…enjoying  I'm enjoying the last of my summer break. I go back to uni in 4 days time, so I'm getting in some last minute fun before its essays, shooting schedules and more bloody essays! But I am more than looking forward to getting back to uni and seeing what this year has to offer.

…thinking I think I think too much. I'm not even sure what to write because I'm thinking too much right now. This question gives me anxiety. I'm thinking 'I wonder how many people know that the plastic bit at the end of a shoelace is actually called an aglet'. Yeah..

…feeling I'm very happy at the moment. Things are just good right now, I have no reason to be unhappy. I have a roof over my head, food on the table and lots of love. That's all that I need.

…hoping I'm hoping that I stay this optimistic for the rest of the year. My moods often change quicker than you can say pizza, so I'm just really hoping that I stay feeling this good for a while. I'm also hoping that the people around me feel this good too :) Oh and I'm hoping for more pizza..

…listening At the moment I'm listening to a lot of 5 Seconds of Summer, The Vamps, Ed Sheeran and Demi Lovato. I've been listening to a lot of bands from my childhood as well like Sum 41 and Good Charlotte, and of course, Green Day and Blink-182. My all time favourites have to be McFly and Busted, or as they're now known as, McBusted!

…thanking I should really thank my mum a lot more than I do. She puts up with a hell of a lot and still manages to look after me, same goes for my sister too half the time. I should thank my best friend for being a good friend and always supporting me. She's awesome, and I'm not just saying this because I'm on her blog ;)

…starting I feel like I'm starting the next chapter of my life. It's a weird feeling to explain. I've been through quite a bit in the past few years, but now it feels like I'm finally me again and I'm really starting to enjoy life the way I should. Yay!

Day Twenty Four: Fall Bucket List

Today's prompt: Your fall bucket list. What do you want to do before winter rolls around?

My Fall Bucket List

• Carve a pumpkin
• Create more of my own films
• Stop procrastinating when it comes to uni work
• Get another tattoo
• Buy some new converse 
• Take a nature walk
• See Ed Sheeran in concert for the first time
• Burn loads of beautiful scented candles
• Bake fall cookies
• Host a photo shoot that involves a leaf pile

There isn't much to write about for this post…what's on your fall bucket list?

xo

Twenty Three: A Trip Around Liverpool.

Sept 23rd: A guide to your city! Share some of the hot-spots and hidden gems of where you live.

Liverpool is a place that has been in my life for as long as I can remember, it holds a tight grip of a piece of my heart. In the past, Liverpool has been noticed for all of the wrong reasons, those who have never been there couldn't even begin to imagine how amazing the city is. In my eyes, Liverpool is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, there are so many amazing architectural buildings and cute places to visit.

Central Perk

Everyone has seen the popular television series Friends, it's probably one of the most watched television series going and frankly, if you haven't seen it, then you must have been living under a rock for the past 20 years. You absolutely have to visit the Friends inspired cafe, Central Perk, especially if you're a lover of the show. It's the cutest cafe that I have ever been to and to make it even better, friends is constantly playing on repeat…what's not to like?

The Cavern Club

One of the worlds most famous bands is The Beatles, and if you didn't know, they were originally from Liverpool. During the beginning years of the band, they would often play in the Cavern Club, it's what it's more commonly known for today. Located outside is just an ordinary brick wall, carved into the bricks are liverpool band names, and this is just a must see.

The Bombed out Church (St. Luke's)

To be honest, not a lot of people take the time to actually appreciate the church, it's more commonly used as a meeting ground for friends, a gathering point, but if you're in Liverpool then you absolutely have to explore inside of the grounds, it's often used to hold gigs and film screenings but is a remarkable building to admire.

When exploring Liverpool you will find a lot of hidden things you wouldnt expect to…if you walk down some of the back alley's near bold street  you will stumble upon some wonderful street art that isn't often noticed. 

Places to visit in Liverpool…

Albert Docs. Central Perk. Bold Street. St George's Hall.

The Anglican Cathedral. China Town. Anfield.

The Cavern Club. The Bombed out Church. Empire Theatre.

Camp & Furnace. Walker Art Gallery. World Museum. 

Sefton Park. Speke Hall. Christmas Continental Markets.

Until tomorrow…

xo

Day Twenty One: Welcoming in the Autumn

Sept 21st: Fall Favourites. What do you love most about this season?

So it's not that time of year where we will be saying goodbye to summer and hello to autumn… I have never been so excited about something!

I love Autumn, it's my favourite season of the year, everything about it is just perfection, from the crunchy leaves upon the ground to the beautiful smelling candles we come home to. I love waking up early in Autumn and just taking in that crisp morning air and then coming home from university and cuddling up in a duvet.

Fall Favourites

Cold Air. Big Jumpers and Coats. Boots.

Leaves Falling From Trees. Halloween. 

The End of TV Show Hiatus. Candles. 

Layers of Clothes. Camp Fires. Doctor Who.

University. Cool Weather. Uni Supplies. Dark Nights.

Upcoming Gigs. Fog. Supernatural.

What's are your fall favourites? 

xo

Day Nineteen: Be Happy...

Sept 19th: If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

Honestly, the only advice I would give to just about anyone and everyone is to be happy.

Happiness is the most important thing whether you know it or not, everything you do in your life should be to make you happy and, if it doesn't, then you shouldn't be doing it.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” 
- Anne Frank

I think to be happy is to be the best you can be, if you're happy, you're going to spread your happiness around, thus making others happy also. We weren't put onto this earth to be miserable, we should make changes where we need to and do the things we enjoy. 

Never take your life for granted, live every moment like it's your last, don't spend a moment being unhappy, live your life with a smile on your face.

Until tomorrow 

xo

Day Sixteen: Those things you didn't know...

Sept 16th: "Most people don't know this but…"

Here's a few little things about me:

- I can actually sing…rather well, if someone here's me singing I quickly start joke singing so they don't realise.

- I only feel like I have one true friend and she is my absolute world.

- I find reading therapeutic, it calms me after a hard day.

- Most people know that I am a gamer but most don't know that I am actually addicted to gaming.

- Doctor Who and Supernatural make my whole world.

I'm currently in the process of building a business with my best friend.

- I am probably the most stressed out person that you will ever meet.

What about you?

xo

Day Fifteen: Home Inspiration

Hey guys, I'd just like to start off this post with apologising for yesterday, I went to see some uni friends so didn't have much time to post. I just thought you should all know now that I have now gone back to university and it's my final year, I'm can't even handle how stressed I'm going to be this year but, I will make sure I'm still blogging regularly!

Sept 15th: Make a mood board. Are you brainstorming a room re-do, or are you dreaming of glamping with gal-pals? Share a collage of any kind!

If you take a look at my pinterest here, you will notice that the main thing that I am pinning right how are things for my future home with the lovely boyfriend.

Whilst I don't live at home right now, I haven't really got around to making where I currently live feel like home, mainly because this was never a permanent solution. So, at the moment I'm pinning a lot of ideas for a home that my boyfriend and I will soon share and I think it's a really fun thing thing to look into on Pinterest.

What are you currently pinning?

Until tomorrow…

xo