September Summary

Puling out your get psyched mix tape like

Good day people of the blogisphere.  I am currently sitting in my bed, pajama clad, listening to my 'morning vibes' spotify playlist  (some would call it my very own Barney Stinson-esque get psyched mix).  This playlist is particularly fun because, despite it's name, I have listened to this selection of music at just about every time of day imaginable bar mornings.  Anyway, it's 11.30pm and my morning vibes are plentiful all thanks to this strong, select community of songs.  It has also just occurred to me that in less than an hour it will be the last day of September and this has led to take a long, hard look into the pond of reflection.  
Let the reminiscence begin.

September began with me drowning in a deep swamp of post New York depression.  A depression that could only be cured by spending money that I was supposed to be saving on clothes, boots and fun new stationary.  Myself and B had come to the conclusion that the only way we were going to survive the fiery pit of hell that is our university was to go into the new academic year feeling fierce, fun and fashionable.  We were going to go into the year as new people!  Then when the old faithful bus pulled up at the university bus stop on the dreaded first day back and we were forced to accept our cruel fate and sulk our way to the lecture theatre and fight the overwhelming desire to off ourselves we could take one look in the mirror and at least pretend that we were sophisticated, well put together young ladies.  My return from holiday also resulted in my return to work which brought about a strange turn of events:  I turn on the CD player one day because music is fun, therapeutic and because I wanted to and it just happened to be a Frank Sinatra CD that was in the machine... before I knew it the Frank Sinatra obsession of September twenty fifteen began #StrangersInTheNight.

Wish I could leave today to be a part of it

Shopping filled the void well and kept me from staring at pictures of New York/Watching absolutely any film or TV show set in that marvelous, beautiful city of dreams whilst crying into my Laduree napkins and rolling around in a pile of my New York City attraction tickets which I had kept as souvineers.  However, shopping can only solve so much and when shopping had done everything it could it was time to move on to the next method... Alcohol.  It was time to assemble The Whale Wankers (for new readers: the whale wankers is both a potential name for Sea World employees considering what the devastating and eye opening masterpiece of film Blackfish revealed about certain tasks they are required to undertake as servers of Satan and the name of the squad which consists of myself, B, L and S... It's a long story... when S isn't around we become The Taymoms #simples).  The Whale Wankers met for cocktails and clubbing.  

The Whale Wankers

Queen G and B after spotting The Calvin Harris

When we checked the drinks menu the first thing that caught my eye was what some would call destiny!  A drink called The Calvin Harris.  Now anyone who knows anything about The Whale Wankers knows that Calvin Harris is a deity to us.  We want to be him, we want to be with him, we want to take him home to meet our mothers...  Predictably 4 'Calvin Harris's' were purchased and then following that 2 more cocktails were purchased each (for myself they were The CrayCray and The Basic Beach but The Calvin Harris was abundantly better than everything that followed it, naturally).  After cocktails we went to the club and we danced all night because when in Rome.  S decided to stay at the club after we left, B fell asleep in the taxi and L and I (in said taxi) went to the McDonald's drive thru where I quizzed the employee on his knowledge of current BBC newsreaders (namely Fiona Bruce #MyHero).  I was most unimpressed about his knowledge and as soon as the transaction was complete we got the hell out of dodge and back to our flat.  We tried to get the taxi driver to keep B because she was asleep and only the strong survive in this friendship but he said it was against the Taxi Driver rules/laws/code of conduct.  L and I sat and gorged on deliciously disgusting fast food while watching Gossip Girl (L watched while I talked over the whole episode about how much I love Chuck Bass and Leighton Meester) and then I "woke a human being" (a phrase I chose to repeat over and over again in a whole lot of snapchat videos to B and L) to retrieve my Ed Westwick cardboard cut out from the room said human being was sleeping in #noregrets.  

Family Goals

A few days passed and then before I knew it, too soon, my alarm sounded to inform me that the summer was officially over and uni was back in business.  The first week flew by considering I was only in class for 2 days.  On those days I was told I looked "sophisticated" "older" "pretty" and I was complimented on my new Kate Spade bag from New York, my Miss Selfridge coat and on how fun my summer holiday looked (from the Facebook pictures of course).  

When you have to go back to university 

Team Gossip Squirrel 

After uni started back the weeks became a routine of uni Monday-Thursday, Friday off, working 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday.  In between this monotonous, dull, drab, struggle of survival we found time to attend a pub quiz which was hella fun -more alcohol was consumed except this time in sensible amounts and we came 6th overall which I think was a not bad effort for our first time.  I also managed to get through a crazy amount of How I Met Your Mother and have become absolutely addicted, which will probably result in a noticable reduction in productivity in post class studying but as I always say: when in Rome.  And you know what they love to do in Rome?  Watch How I Met Your Mother (probably because who would love to do that?).  Anyway, September has drawn to a strong and steady end as Leighton Meester's baby's birth was confirmed, Taylor Swift continued to dominate the charts, the world and my heart, cats still exist and are still 100% fluffy, the sun has returned to Scotland, I finished reading the first Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants book, I've been making soup, Scream Queens finally aired and  Fiona Bruce returned to my screen looking as Olivia Benson/Veronica Hastings/Eleanor Waldorf as ever.  

My plans for October are to join the gym, finally settle on a Halloween costume (it's between Holly Golightly because I love Audrey Hepburn and plus cat or Wednesday Addams because thats fun and why not?), pay back my parents, host the Halloween party of the century, make a start on my dissertation and most importantly stay fun, fierce and funky.  

On a side note I finished reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty in September and it was so good and I think you should all read it! 

The moral of the story is you can't win a participation award if you're not willing to participate.

Xoxo
Queen G

And for reference here are a list of songs that have played in my Morning Vibes playlist as I've composed this blog post:
Young Blood - The Naked And Famous
I Want You Back  - Jackson Five
Magnets - Lorde and Disclosure 
You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall and John Oates
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Baccara
Weight of Living part 2 - Bastille
What Do You Mean? - Justin Bieber 
Blue - Marina And The Diamonds
All My Love - Ariana Grande and Major Lazer
Pumpin Blood - NONONO
Midnight Movies - Saint Motel
Something Stupid - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman
Tongue Tied - Grouplove
Marvin Gaye - Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor
American Pie - Don McLean

The Australian Adventure Part 2

So I decided to split the Australia post up into 2 parts because you know what they say about too much fun, it's not good for the old heart!  But i'm back now with part 2 of my Aussie adventure - fun fact: this part of the trip includes road trips, emus and even more dolphins.  

Classic writing in the sand pic

After Christmas my family and I packed up some things and headed out on the road - half of us in my uncles car and the other half in a hired car.  Myself, my sister and my dad took the hired car and I had full control on the music which was heavenly since I had made a road trip playlist - fundamentals are the building blocks of fun after all.  We were on our way to Monkey Mia which was over 10 hours away in the car, we were stopping half way at a motel in order to split the driving up a bit and I was filled with excitement! I love being in the car, I cant drive yet and so I get to put up my feet, close my eyes and just enjoy the music - I feel like a modern Miss Daisy.  When we arrived at our first destination we went straight for a walk to stretch those leg muscles and for food because food is my favourite part of the day.  Then when we got back to the motel my sister and I proceeded to make a million movie trailers on an app on our Ipads - they were cinematic masterpieces on par with the likes of The Theory Of Everything and Les Mis.  

Riding shotgun

The next day we set out on the open road again listening yo short burst of songs - slow and yet uplifting songs at first to welcome us into the day and then gradually building up to upbeat booty shakers #ProfeshDJOverHere.  Then we made some pit stops at Shell Beach and other fun locations.  Fun Fact:  There is a huge amount of random wild goats wandering around the outback - like there was so sign of civilization for like 2 hours and then we passed a herd of goats!?!?!  Finally we arrived at the celestial, radiant, heaven on earth that is Monkey Mia!  The first thing I noticed about Monkey Mia was all of the emus that wandered around - it was crayyy.  There was no time to waste, I wanted to soak up all of the magic from this place just for myself.  I changed into a bikini, grabbed my snorkel mask and charged to the beach full speed ahead.  My sister and I took to the water and then a wondrous thing happened, the dolphins accepted me as one of their own and they swam among us! 

Emu

Shell Beach

Dolphin

That night was New Years Eve and we spent it partly watching the Sydney New Years shenanigans and party in the hotel bar - There was a live musical act that weren't really talented at all and I got a strong vibe of sexual tension from them even though they were old and wearing matching Hawaiian shorts and shirts but they were a lot of fun.  We danced a bit then we headed to the beach to dip our feet in the ocean for the first time in 2014 and to dance around in the sand then we went to bed.  

Our alarms woke us early the next morning so that we could watch the first dolphin feeding of the new year, I just loved all of the dolphin activities because they are most definitively the greatest of all God's creatures.  Then we headed out to see some sights such as Eagle's Bluff - where we spotted a shark in the ocean and a sort of Aquarium/Marine conservation place - where we watched the shark feeding.  After this we went for dinner then back to the hotel.  On our final day we went for a walk and a swim before heading on a sunset boat ride and then an early bed to prepare us of the 10 hour trip back to Perth.

Romantic sunset boat ride

"I survived the shark feeding" sticker

On the way back we stopped at the Pink Lake, The Pinnacles and Nature's Window.  Fun fact: One member of the party thought that the Pinnacles were kangaroo grave stones and we almost detroyed the hired car going off road to get to Nature's Window.  

Pink is my fave colour

Nature's Window

Me and sissy at the pinnacles

The good, the bad and the ugly

Once back in Perth my dad, sister and I went for a trail ride which was so much fun - the best trail ride I've ever been on!!  I got to ride an ex race horse called Copper and we went for a gallop and small jump - It was the first time I'd been horse riding in ages and I loved it so much! Then before I knew it my mother and sister headed back to Scotland.  

This hat is hot!

 My dad and I then went down to Margaret River for a few days.  We visited the lighthouse where the Southern and Indian oceans meet (Fun Fact: my dad was taking a picture of me with the lighthouse and a snake slithered along the path behind me and instead of warning me he turned and ran leaving me to fend for myself), we explored a cave and (my personal favourite) we discovered Cowaramup!!  Cowaramup was a little town full of fake cows and it was the most random and amazing discovery I've ever made.  I subjected my father to roughly 4 hours of Taylor Swift music on the drive back to my uncle's house and then the day after we got back m grandad flew back to Scotland.  My dad and I spent our last few days in Australia at the zoo and by the pool - the temperature was in the mid 40's, the pool was perfect (except when I got stung by a hornet while I was in the pool!) and I was so upset at the prospect of coming home!  My tan was on point!!  

Happy moooo year

<-Southern Ocean.
Indian Ocean->

At the zooooo

The time came to pack my things, say farewell to my uncle and head to the airport - I had forgotten how much I loved Australia before this holiday and I desperately wanted to stay!  As a wise Canadian has-been(#RudeAndControversial #SorryNelly) once said "All good things come to and end" and this holiday was no exception.  

And just like that it was done - except unlike Rose from Titanic I do have some pictures and it does not exist only in my memory #21stCenturyPerks.

My Best Friend From The Land Of Lorde

Sometimes you don't know what you're missing until you find it.  If G had been asked to specify what she thought she was missing from her life she probably would have said something along the lines of a maid, car service or a million dollars.  It really was a plot twist like no other when she met C and realised that what she had been missing most in her life was a new fun friend! 

Introducing C

Best good friends

Waffle Queens

The friendship blossomed over the summer of 2014 when the girls met at Summer Camp in Iowa, both girls were working as horse riding camp counsellors which basically involved them teaching campers to brush horses, feed horses, ride horses... basically become one with the horses.  C had a lot of experiences with horses because she had owned the infamous and noble war horse.  G had previously owned a pony called Surprise that was scared of cows which was awkward since she G kept her on a dairy farm.  Anyway, G knew pretty instantly that she and C were destined to become BFFs but she wasn't sure if she should pull an Elsa and try to conceal these feelings and not let them show.  But G thought, nah that aint me I aint about that life! (<-This made L snort like a prize pig who won big at the country fair) So she let her feelings show and as it turned out C wanted to be her camp BFF too, hurrah! G and C had a magical summer together, some highlights include eating at over 4 different fast food places in one day, eating an immeasurable amount of waffles for breakfast, lunch and dinner (they weren't called the waffle queens for nothing, or at all), going for long romantic horse back rides though the camp grounds, sending each other heart felt letters AT LEAST once a week, and naming build-a-bear rabbits after one another - both of which had voice recorded messages from one girl to the other on them #QTs. 

When in Walmart

First ever Build-a-bear experience 

C and Sunny #Truelove

 The pair traveled all over Iowa, Chicago and Orlando together and then soon, too soon it was time for G to return home!  Who was going to give G head massages now?  Who would C have to feel her smooth, freshly shaven legs?  Don't worry your pretty little heads though, this post may have started to break your hearts but I'm going to put them back together because guess what?  C was coming to Scotland to reunite with G!! 

C first came to Edinburgh with her super fun Kiwi friends and the group of girls + G's cohorts went out for their first ever Edinburgh pub crawl.  G and C taught everyone the llama song and they had what was probably the greatest night out anyone had ever had.  Ever.  That's not an exaggeration.  Then C was gone #Cryingface.  Then she was back #Happyface.  C returned to Edinburgh for Halloween and the girls finally accepted their destiny and officially became thing 1 and thing 2.  Fun fact: the blue hair spray probably gave them some kind of life limiting lung disease but yolo.  For the remainder of her visit C and G's time was spent watching the entire first season of Gossip Girl, eating a pulled pork sandwich from a shop with a pig's head in the window (this put G off of pork forever) and a fun trip to the cinema to see Babadook - which although it was a terrible film it rather unsettled G and kept her up for most of that night.  

Thing 1 and thing 2

I believe this was against the rules

G and the Kiwis

Eventually the time came for C to leave, G and C rode the tram all the way to the airport with heavy hearts.  As G and C waited for security to open G was trying to think of ways to get C to stay, she wasn't ready to lose her most special friend.  C was her best good friend and even G knew that that wasn't something you could just find around the corner.  Security opened, roughly 50 hugs were exchanged between the friends and an oceans worth of tears were shed.  Social media was bombarded with collages of the girls alongside the lamest, most heartbreaking captions and then just like that C's flight was gone. Now a 13 hour time difference stands between them but at least G always has fun snapchats to wake up to.  And pretty much every night G rolls over on top of her Build-A-Bear accidentally setting of C's message to her, it's almost like she never left.

I'm flying Jack!

A surprise proposal

I miss your face every day C! 

The birth and death of the Harry Potter graveyard obsession.

The graveyard became an instant favourite location for G, B and L.  The first spontaneous trip was enough to solidify how important the graveyard would be to this friendship, even if one member of the trio wasn't convinced.  That member of the group was later convinced when in a sudden strange turn of events, which some would call fate, an organised New Years Eve event led them back there.  However in the third and final visit to the graveyard it was clear that nothing lasts forever and the graveyard was no longer a place for fun friends to hang out.  Now lets revisit the whole story from start to finish in more detail!


Monday October 27th 2014

Queen G, B and L were sitting in the hall of their wonderful penthouse on the Upper East Side of Edinburgh.  The girls were contemplating what fun activity they were going to take part in that evening when G was struck with a brilliant idea.  You see G's best Kiwi friend had recently been visiting and she had gone to the graveyard to see Tom Riddles grave because, fun fact, Harry Potter was written in a cafe beside the graveyard and J.K Rowling had taken names off of some of the graves and put them in her book.  One of those names was Tom Riddle and so you can actually go to visit Lord Voldemort's grave while you are in Edinburgh, isn't Scotland fun?  Anyways, it was decided that the girls would indeed go to see Tom however once they arrive at the graveyard they somehow ended up right in the middle of a ghost tour.  What does one do when one finds themself in the middle of a ghost tour that they did not plan to take part in nor did they pay for?  They keep their heads low and enjoy this brand new unexpected adventure!  Ultimately they never found Tom's grave that night but they left with a brand new appreciation for the graveyard and with high hopes that one day they would return.

Tom Riddle's Grave.

Wednesday December 31st 2014/Thursday January 1st 2015

Queen G and L were spending New Years together and it was all very exciting!  They had written a contract which stated a list of rules that the two girls must follow throughout the night and they had plans to attend a pub crawl.  One of the rules was that the girls would not visit the graveyard that night because as it would turn out L wasn't such a big fan of the graveyard after all.  However fate intervened and the tour guides led our group into the graveyard just before midnight because the graveyard had a wonderful view of the castle and the fireworks.  This was surely a sign that the graveyard, now dubbed the raveyard, was in fact their destiny.  The girls had an all round great night, fun for the whole family! AND they even got to see Tom's grave!  I guess it's only fair to say theu spend New Years with Lord Voldy!

G and L in the raveyard on New Years Eve

Saturday February 14th, the final visit

Queen G and B ended up spending Valentines day with each other, lets call it Galentines day!  L had returned to the neighboring city for a fun family weekend and the other girls actually didn't cope so well with her absence, it cut them deep, it cut them real deep Shrek!  What do 2 single girls do on Galentines day?  They go to the raveyard!  However, this time something was different.  Upon entering the raveyard the girls noticed a clocked figure walking just ahead of them.  To this day G is still certain it was a death eater!  There is no other logical explanation!  The girls beat on, boats against the current determined not to have their special placed ruined by an evil murderous wizard!  The girls ended up being separated and in her panic G phoned L, the tears were near for she was positive she was about to die.  Queen G estimated her pulse to be roughly 200 beats per minute and she was afraid that Voldy was going to rise out his grave and everything would go down in flames, it leave her breathless or with a nasty (scar on her forehead).  When the girls caught up with one another, they left the graveyard and G knew things would never be the same again, this was no longer their fun place, it was a place she had looked death in the eyes!

The Ducks Do Soothe Me

Saturday February 7th 2015

One fine Saturday afternoon Queen G, B and L were alone in their apartment when they were struck with a fabulous idea, they would go feed the ducks!  The weather in the kingdom had been relentlessly horrific for 30 days and 30 nights prior to that Saturday and with the sudden reappearance of the sunshine it had been impossible to resist going on a leisurely stroll.  Wrapped up in their coats and scarves and with a loaf  of orange Warburtons in hand they set off on their adventure.

G felt a wave of happiness wash over her at the thought of the impending soothing she was about to experience because the ducks soothed her in a way that nothing else could.  Queen G and her cohorts walked purposefully through the crowds, the village was a glow.  Kaleidoscopes of loud heart beats under coats.  B lead the way down a path she was familiar with, leading them straight into the heart of the ghetto which G and L found most unnerving.  They tip-toed by the windows of the derelict buildings afraid that any minute could be their last, it was one things to go down town and be among middle class professionals and mole men but the ghetto was something else.  It was as they passed under a urine scented underpass that they heard the gun shot ring out! L pushed G and B behind her and she began to run - classic L! L had forgotten that B was a former cross country champion and it took B no time at all to over take her, G caught a ride on B's back and they escaped the ghetto first leaving L far behind them.  L eventually caught up, unharmed, and the fun friends beat on, boats against the current.  The girls entered the field, the ducks were so close they could practically smell them!! as they walked across the mushy grass they sensed they were being watched, there was a soft thudding noise in the distance gradually growing louder and louder.  G really wished she hadn't been wearing red as they suddenly saw the outline of a ginormous bull come tearing up the field towards them.  It was a race against time, the gate to their freedom and to the sweet sweet sanctuary of the ducks was so close but so far.  G tore off her coat and threw it to the ground hoping it would distract the bull long enough to save their souls.  B grabbed the coat off of the ground because it was her coat and she wasn't about to leave it in that field as bull bait.  Luckily against all odd the girls were able to out run the bull, leaping over the gate and arriving finally in any duck lovers paradise.

 

The ratio of swans/geese to ducks was a little upsetting, at first glance it seemed that there were no ducks at all and G was overcome with anguish.  However, then she saw a duck, then another and more and more arrived, almost as if they had all turned up just for her!  As soon as her eyes fell on the ducks G felt instant peace and happiness and as she looked at her friends she knew the feeling was mutual.  Queen G was so glad she has been able to share this magical experience with her closest confidants and fellow adventurers.
until next time xoxo,
Queen G