April 2016 | Monthly Wrap Up

Wednesday 27 April 2016

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April has felt really long, but has actually gone quite quickly at the same time. 

Favourite part?


The Easter holidays were good as they meant that I could have a more balanced work and leisure lifestyle. I could choose what I wanted to do and felt productive without making myself overstressed and in ways that I knew worked for me whilst also seeing a lot of my friends. (And I’m going to Judgement Day in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday and I’m really looking forward to that!)

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Best read?


Yep, still reading Moranthology. What a surprise. Though I’m probably about 3/4 of the way through it now, so I’m making progress. During one afternoon where m brain felt fuzzy and bleach from revision, I picked up Not Quite Nice for my local library. It’s making feel so nostalgic and I’m seriously yearning to be back in Nice now.

Favourite tunes?


McFly have been playing a hell of a lot - even more so since I found out they’re going on tour (fingers crossed I can get tickets!). I’ve had a lot of concentration/study music playing in the background as well when I’ve been doing revision.


What did I learn?


That I can actually get organised! I’ve been properly making use of my new planner and it’s helped me so much - it’s been highlighted and everything! (also p.s. sorry to everyone I know who I’ve been going on about my planner to, I’m sorry I’m just so happy with it…)

What’s happening next month?


Exams will be in full flow but hopefully I'll have some down time. And it's also this blog's first birthday!

What’s been on my mind?


Obviously revision, but I’ve also been thinking a lot about my novel and looking forward to summer - I can’t wait!

Favourite blogger/vlogger?


Carrie has been uploading more regular vlogs in the past few weeks and it makes me so genuinely happy. It just brightens my day to hear her talking and seeing a snippet of her day. Thank you Carrie!
You guys know how much I love Caitlin Moran and I’ve been watching her Youtube videos a lot this month - it’s so great to hear her speak more. Again, I could go on for ages about how brilliant she is.

(Did I mentioned I binge-watched all of Hazel Hayes’ Time of the Month series? Yeah that was fab.)

Favourite post?


Definitely My Flaws - it was written quite spontaneously and has had such a great response!

Biggest inspiration?


I’ve seen loads of stuff on Pinterest - from poems, cute motivational things and other bits to make me smile. Some things on there really lift my mood and cause my imagination to start moving. Go follow me on there if you haven’t already, I’m being very active on there at the moment!


Any other favourites?



Right, here’s the thing: I’ve developed 2 obsessions with TV shows over this month. Those obsessions have been for a) Glee and b) Loose Women. I’ve been watching so much Glee when I’m having breaks from revision and then Loose Women clips on YouTube when I want to be working (although I’ve still got a lot of work done and I’m running out of new clips to watch now).




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The Web of Lives

Monday 25 April 2016

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I constantly feel the buzz of lives around me. Bristles of thoughts brush me as I slip past fiery clusters of bottled up opinions. I smell the almost tangible stench of arguments brewing and the honeysuckle sickly sweet aroma of love blossoming in the depths of a touched heart.

Feelings are poured across the floor, a ‘caution: slippery’ sign standing in an island among them. Everyone else skirts around it wearily, treading on padded feet, careful not to cause any disruption.

A I walk through a crowded street, hundreds of lives flash before my eyes. First memories, family, friends, brothers, sisters, jobs, lovers, food, drinks, laugh, tears, life. Every single one as vividly complex as my own.

We live in a web of tangled, messed up lives. We are sewn into each other with an iron strong thread which will never break, no matter how hard you tug on heartstrings or yank on bandages.

Once you’ve entered a person’s life, you cannot leave it - even if you have not seen that person’s face for fifty years or not made contact with them in even longer. Once a tie has been formed it cannot be broken. It may be faded and have become a bit dusty over time, but it will still be there, even if it’s been pushed to the back of the filing cabinet by brand new, seemingly more interesting, bonds.

That person will always share a connection with you. And these will be at different levels. 

The person you thought was really attractive on the train; the author of your favourite book; brothers; sisters; fathers; mothers; a stranger sat next to you on the bus; forgotten childhood friends; a waiter who served you once on holiday. You share a bond with everyone you have meet, seen or has influenced you in anyway. 

That’s incredible.


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The Unlikeliness of You | A Poem Response To Emma Blackery

Wednesday 20 April 2016

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Time and time again
I hear people complain
About how they’re ‘nothing special’,
Two words that make
My heavy heart fall
Into tiny little pieces - 
a mosaic on the wall.

You are something special
and there is nothing else the same,
Made of stardust: particles
I bet you couldn’t name.
The timelines that took you here,
The pathways that lead to your creation
Are incredibly rare.

What if your parents walked
Straight past each other
And never even talked?

Or your grandparents?
Great-grandparents?
Great-great-grandparents?
Ancestors who could never have planned
For you to stand where you stand 
Right now - 
Could never have imagined
They’d help create
The person you are destined
To be.

You are special and 
You are unique through
And through,
As the complete
And extraordinary
Unlikeliness of You.


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--------------------------

So I watched Emma Blackery's video called Unlikeliness of You and she finally out something I often think about it words. This made me think about how I would express my feelings on the topic and I wrote this poem when my head felt too filled with schoolwork and I finally found the words to express the thought we shared.

I hope you liked this poem!

Jemima x


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My Top 7 YouTubers

Monday 11 April 2016

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I watch a lot of YouTube - like a lot of YouTube. So I thought I would talk about my favourite creators with you guys!

1. Carrie Hope Fletcher (ItsWayPastMyBedtime)


I’ve watched Carrie for years and it’s fair to say that she’s my favourite YouTuber - but she is also one of my favourite people too. I love hearing her speak, no matter what she’s talking about, as it’s usually something to spike interest. She’s always really positive and has helped me a lot to achieve the positive mindset I am now proud to have. I could honestly go on all day about Carrie, but then you’d be reading an epic novel not part of a blog post so I must move on…

thehopefulshop.com 

2. Tom and Gi Fletcher (Tom Fletcher and Giovanna’s World)


I was introduced to Tom’s channel through Carrie and didn’t realise they were siblings until they started doing their ‘Dear Tom/Carrie’ videos (I had just never connected them before!), and was then introduced to Gi and her channel after they got her to start vlogging! Although they are two separate people with two separate channels, I put them together as that’s sort of how I view them. They are in each other’s videos so much that they all end up blurring in to one in my mind really. I love Tom and Gi, they have a great relationship and that’s lovely to see - they’re so genuine and open and they too rapidly became some of my favourite people. They’re so funny and I love watching their family grow. It’s amazing to think that Buzz didn’t even exist when I started watching Tom’s videos!

Tom or Gi's instagram

3. Dodie Clark (doddleoddle and doddlevloggle)


Ugh, where do I start with Dodie? Her voice is beautiful for a start and I could play her songs on repeat all day (covers and original songs alike). Although she deals with depression, I find Dodie is one person (similar to Carrie) who can lift my mood really easily. She’s really genuine with her audience and keeps in many things that other YouTubers would call ‘outtakes’. 


4. Hannah Witton (Hannah Witton)


Hannah’s videos centralise around feminism and sex. She also talks about books and other things as well. I love Hannah; I find that she is really engaging and easy to listen to, which is probably because I’m interested in lots of the topics she discusses (as regular readers will know, I love discussing feminist issues!). She studied History at university and I love how she talks about history quite a lot too, seeing as that’s something that fascinates me a lot.

Hannah's blog's About page

5. Dottie James (thisbedottie)


Dottie posts videos of her saying the things that she has written. Her videos are all rather poetic, yet may not all necessarily be poems. She is probably the most creative person I watch and her voice is so soothing! She’s a massive inspiration for my writing and many of the concepts she explores really resonate with me.

Dottie's twitter

6. Lucy Moon (meowitslucy)


I think I was first introduced to Lucy through some videos she featured in on Dodie’s channel, and she in turn introduced me to Hannah Witton. I love her videos so much! She talks honestly and openly and, I don’t know, I love the way she speaks haha. Plus she never misses a chance to make a video arty, which is great.

7. Maja Anushka (Maja Anushka)


I’ve only recently discovered Maja but I think she’s brilliant. She talks about many topics that are really important to discuss and she’s great at getting point across. Also she’s really funny and open about many things, which make her videos even better to watch!


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My Flaws

Wednesday 6 April 2016

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I don’t like the way my body dips in between by hips and my leg joint. I think it makes the curve of my body look disjointed and uneven.

I don’t like the shape of my big toes. I think they look really manly and unfeminine.

I don’t like the way my cheeks crinkle under my eyes when I smile. It looks weird and makes my cheeks look puffy.




I don’t like my knobbly knees. They just look a bit odd in the summer or whenever I’m not covering them up.

I don’t like my thighs. They rub together and jiggle when I walk.

But I love that dip between my hips and leg joint. It’s there because of my hips, which make me feel sexy if I’m alone and wiggle them about and swish them to and fro. 

I love the shape of my big toes. They’re my dad’s big toes and remind me of him and of all the other family members who have these toes. They’re a sign of all the people I’m descended from and who have evolved and reproduced to pass on these toes to me, which is pretty incredible.

I like the crinkle that forms under my eyes when I smile. It’s there because I’m smiling, and if I’m smiling I’m probably happy. I will never, never, resent being happy.



I like my knobbly knees: if I straighten my leg they can make the shape of a smiley face. How can someone not find that amusing?

I like my wobbly thighs. They’re fun to jiggle about and stop my phone from falling in the toilet when I drop it.

I love my flaws. They show that I’m not perfect, as no one is. They remind me I’m human and that I can make mistakes. They are parts of me that make me. I love them because they are a part of me. I love them because they are me.

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