Friday 14 August 2009

Holidays

Holidays are a big part of my year. My family and I try to get away every summer, whether its somewhere in England, or abroad. I love going on holiday with my family, we are not the type to just sit on the beach all day, so wherever we go we always see everything there is to see.

These are some photos from recent holidays:


Cornwall




Menorca



New York




Malta



Future holidays i would love to take:
Mexico
Cuba
Italy
Norway
Florida
Egypt

Wednesday 29 July 2009

Photography

Photography is a real passion of mine. Whenever there is a picture to be taken, i'm usually the one taking it. I took Photography at A-Level and it quickly became my favourite subject. I love looking at photographs, old ones a new, they remind me of good times, and how quickly people and environments can change. Although I don't study Photography anymore, I have continued it on as a hobby. It is extremely important to me, I like to document places I go and people I see so I can look back on the photos, and am rarely without my camera.

Here are some photographs from my favourite projects during A-level.

Theme: The Body



Theme: Rural Landscapes



Theme: Impermanence



Wednesday 22 July 2009

Eating Out

Those who know me will know that food plays a really important part in my life. I love food, and I love eating out. These are some of my favourite places to eat:

Harvester
Harvester is a really great place to eat out with family. I always order the same thing when I go there (Harvester rack of ribs), it's just too good to resist! When the meal arrives it always looks too big to eat, but somehow i always manage :) The meals are reasonably priced too, especially if you get the earlybird menu which is given if you are seated before 6.30pm. Another thing I love about Harvester is the salad cart. The wide choice of refillable salad means you don't even need to order a starter, which makes the whole meal more affordable. Harvester does a great dessert selection aswell, I always go for the rocky horror, it is literally the best dessert in the world, and even when I tell myself I wont have one I just can't resist. 

Pizza Express
I have begun to eat at Pizza Express more often recently, mainly because of the Taste London card. The card offers 1/2 price meals in most Pizza Express restaurants and many other chains, which makes the meal much cheaper than usual. Their pizzas are always really enjoyable, and they do the nicest dough balls i've ever had. You can get a one month free trial Taste London card from this website: http://www.tastelondon.co.uk/iwantafreemembership.php   which allows you do enjoy eating out more for less money - I highly recommend!

Weatherspoons
When i'm at uni, Weatherspoons is our saviour. Elephant & Castle doesn't offer the best in culinary talent, but Weatherspoons suits us students perfectly. We often spent lunchtime in our local, the food is actually pretty good and its so cheap you really can't go wrong. When im trying to be healthy I go for the tuna jacket potato & salad which is really tasty, and such good value for £2.99. They also do a really nice fish, chips and peas, and their Thursday curry night is pretty perfect for a cheap student dinner! If you've got an NUS card you should get 20% off food aswell - what more could you want?!


Monday 20 July 2009

Picnics


When the weather is decent, there's nothing better than having a picnic with your favourite people. There are lots of lovely parks near to where I live so i am fortunate enough to enjoy a few picnics every summer. When i picnic in my local park i am able to take my dog Holly which makes the experience much more enjoyable for me. We sit near a tree so she can get some shade, bring a bowl of water for her and a few treats and she's perfectly happy for a good few hours.



I also love having picnics with my friends, it gives us a chance to catch up, eat and sunbathe, which are some of my favourite things! When picnicing with friends, Hyde Park provides the perfect location. It's big enough to set up your own space, has lots of facilities, and is just a really nice park to relax in. I also love Green Park, if you're in town anyway its a great place to sit for lunch!

My ideal picnic basket would include:
A massive blanket to lie on
Crisps & dip (spicy tomato, cheese & chive)
Cocktail sausages
M&S chicken & stuffing sandwich (not very seasonal but it tastes good all year round)
Ribena & water
Jaques or Rose Wine
Percy pigs
Mini sausage rolls
Fruit pastels

yummy!


Race For Life

Yesterday, myself and three of my friends were alongside 17,000 other people who completed Race For Life in London's Hyde Park. It was the biggest Race For Life ever, and just being a part of it was a really special experience. Women of all ages, shapes and sizes took part, creating a sea of pink within a big green open space. Each woman set up a sponsorship for herself, and they aimed to raise over £1,300,000 for Cancer Research in yesterday's race alone. The atmosphere during the race was immense, and the thought of doing something so great for Cancer Research was really fulfilling. The day was also extremely emotional, as women ran for those with cancer, or in memory of their loved ones. I really recommend doing this event, its not about how fast you complete it, its about the cause, which made it that bit more enjoyable.




Doing Race For Life was the closest im ever going to come to doing the marathon - bring on next year!







Saturday 18 July 2009

Family






Family is so important, and I'm really lucky to have an amazing family around me. I've got a really big family, stretching from London, to Harlow, to Malta. I've got family that I see everyday, and some that I only see every few years.

I was the first grandchild on my Mum's side, and the only granddaughter for 11 years which means I have always been extremely spoiled. I am the second youngest on my Dad's side, and grew up with my Nan and Grandad taking and picking me up from school while Mum and Dad were at work. I am extremely close with both sets of grandparents, and I never tire of spending time with them. Our Sunday tradition involves tea round my nans, with crackers, crisps, chicken sandwiches and the odd bread & butter pudding which we have done every week since I can remember. I've got my own room at my nan's (I like to think), and It would be the first place I would stay if the occasion arises.

My grandad on my Mum's side is Maltese, and he provides a strong Mediterranean influence (unfortunately I didn't inherit the complexion, like many of my cousins, aunties and uncles), and has given me a lovely extended family in Malta whom we visit when we travel there on holiday.

Getting together with my Mum's family including grandparents, aunties, uncles, and 6 younger cousins (5 of them boys) is a regular, but special occasion. There is always something new to talk about, a doggy to cuddle and a lot of food to enjoy which all make me rather happy.

My Mum is a really special person to me, she would do absolutely anything if it meant making me happy, and we are alike in so many ways. She gave me my red hair by eating nothing but tomato soup, orange lollies and oranges when she was pregnant, and at one stage I saw this attribute as a curse, but now I see that it is very much a blessing.

My Dad is an important figure in my life. He works incredibly hard for our family, and although I perhaps don't show it as much as I should, I can't imagine life without him. He would drive anywhere if it meant there were shops to keep me and my Mum happy, and he would stand outside waiting all day without moaning.

My brother is extremely talented, he certainly got the brains out of all of us. He is extremely patient with me, and destined to achieve big things - not that I'd tell him that..his head is big enough already!

My sister is a truly special person in my life. I remember growing up someone said to me that having a half-sister meant you didn't have a proper sister, but I learnt that they were wrong. I have always looked up to my sister, wanting to be just like her. We always saw eachother every two weeks for the weekend, but we still used to write eachother letters inbetween. She's such a caring person who longs to make others happy, and is really special to me.

My boyfriend is the newest member of the family, but has fitted in perfectly. Being together at a young age meant he has been able to really get to know my family, and spend a lot of time at home with us. He gets the biggest dinners, the whole dining table to do his artwork, and anything he wants from the fridge and cupboards. In 3 years he has spent more time with his in-laws than most men do in a lifetime!




Mini-breaks





Mini-breaks make me so excited. I know that I, being a poor student n'all, can't afford annual lavish getaways, so recently I have begun to enjoy the odd mini-break or two. I love organising these with my boyfriend, it gives us something to look forward to, somewhere where its just us for a few days. Mini-breaks don't have to be expensive, you'll be surprised how cheap you can buy train tickets online (of course a student railcard comes in handy!), and there are also some good deals on hotels out there. I tend to take mini-breaks in the UK, as it requires less travelling time, leaving you more time to enjoy somewhere new, or somewhere you love.

These are a few of the photos I took in Edinburgh and Brighton on recent mini-breaks.