The Girl in the Moonlight | 2013

2013: the year I made The Girl in the Moonlight. *Wipes a tear and carries on*. To round up my 2013 with my last post of 2013 (oooo, that's a scary thought!), I thought I'd document some things I've learnt this year. My blog is very much so a blog for me to document my thoughts and life and this post, I believe will be very much so for myself because it's going to be very long.

I started my blog because, first and foremost, I love writing. I love that you can say one thought in many ways. To me, that's exciting. I wanted to share my thoughts on things that are controversial that shouldn't be, my wonderings on random things and write something down about things I love. It's a document of my life on a little space on the internet. My little space on the internet. The second and last reason I decided to create a blog was because of my way of thinking. I complained about not being able to write. "I'm 16, [at the time] I can't exactly get a job in writing," I said. No, 16 year old me, you may not be able to, but you can still write.

When I first started my blog it was simply a space for my thoughts but it didn't turn out to be just for that. I was mighty happy when I decided for sure to publish lifestyle posts. They've certainly become one of my favourite posts to write: Sunshine Sunshine La La La La Laaa!, A Little Bit of Tranquillity and Sun, Water and Family Time are some examples.  It's a little bit of my life in one space! How picturesque! I was very scared at first to post these sort of posts but once I did, I couldn't wait for the next moment in my life that I would mould into words. My lifestyle posts aren't the normal lifestyle posts that I love reading because mine aren't completely personal (I hope that one day they will be more about me but, for now, they won't be) but I enjoy writing them!

Blogging, I've learnt can be about learning what goes well with your blog and what doesn't. On my blog, a regular feature was "YouTubers" where I wrote about some of my favourite YouTubers. I liked writing these posts because I'm what they call a Professional Fangirl and so, for me, I like a proportion of my blog to be dedicated to that. However, they became a chore. They became this because I was beginning to just compliment people. They were true compliments but I felt like I was saying the same thing in every post and I didn't want to discredit these YouTubers that I love to watch by repeating things and typing things like a robot. I have so many more YouTubers that, at the time, I wanted to write posts on but I think I've learnt that, unless I'm writing it in an okay way, I may not.

Another series I became uninspired by were my favourites posts I did for a few months (June's Joys, July's Delights and August's Awesomeness). I'm not entirely sure why. It may have been uninspired because I scheduled these posts for the last post in the month and I had other things I wanted to write about. Whatever happened, I enjoyed writing My Favourites | 2013 post so I may bring back the favourites series, just in another way - maybe favourites of a season. I'm really not sure!

However, I do have series that I hold very close to my blogging heart. One is my "A Cynical Romantic Sees Love". I really enjoy this series I created because I don't make myself write it. It's very much so from a spontaneous moment that catches my eye and my first one, in particular really excites me (A Cynical Romantic Sees Love #1). Sometimes, they are my ultimate favourite posts to write!

I also love my What Disney's Taught Me series, where I write about a certain Disney film and why it's taught me something valuable. I have only done two so far (HERE and HERE) but I'm so excited to write more next year!

I have written quite a few blogposts on equal marriage rights (HERE, HERE, oh, and HERE) and the topic has featured in some not even predominantly about it (HERE). It's an issue (*sigh*, why is it an issue?) that I am very passionate about and bitter that the world doesn't see my and most people's view. I feel like this should be mentioned in this post because as it's a passion that burns brightly in my world and so, to me, it makes my blog brighter!

When I think of my own blog, the first thing that comes to mind are my abstract posts. I know I've named lifestyle posts and A Cynical Romantic Sees Love posts my favourite, but so are these. These are my posts that are about subjects that aren't tangible and mean I can come to my own little conclusion about something. I enjoy it a lot. Once I get a thought about something abstract I just love sitting down and allowing for everything I think spill out. My favourite out of my abstract posts is Version of Perfection. They're posts I don't plan writing; if something pops into my head for whatever reason, I write it down.

Sprinkle of Glitter (link) is one of my all time favourite blogs and this is so as it's not a blog that fits into one category (as she says, it fits into the category "Louise") and I like to think mine's like that (but in a different way). What I enjoy is that I enjoy every posts she publishes. From posts about her every day life to her beauty posts to her motivational posts, I love them all. Sometimes a post will make me think so much that it inspires me to write something about that too! You can see them here, HERE, HERE and HERE.

I've talked about my Professional Fangirl being released onto my blog - I will always blog about McFly, films I've seen and other things like it. McFly feature heavily on my blog. I've blogged about their achievements, their tours, their CDs and there are too many posts to link, but I can't wait for the next year so that I can blog even more about them!
 
One thing I have done this year with blogging was McFly Week to celebrate McFly's 10th Birthday. I enjoyed it because they are my favourite topic to discuss. However, it was a struggle at points. I blogged 7 days a week and I'm either really prepared with blogposts or I'm just not and that week I wasn't and so that proved to be stressful. It meant, in turn that some blogposts weren't worded well and were a big jumble of fangirlness which, well, sums up my life so it's kind of a symbolic message (oooo, how very mysterious!). In true New-Year's-Eve-let's-all-discuss-our-feelings-and-how-to-improve-our-ways-fashion: it's taught me that I must be prepared!*

Carrying on from all of this preparation talk, I must address how my blogging experience altered in Summer 2013. I got me some of that preparation thing. I decided to make myself a plan. I now know what posts are going up on what date for at least a month ahead of me. I didn't want this to take any kind of fun away from blogging because sometimes it's all about spontaneity (and this is definitely true with my Cynical Romantic Sees Love posts) and therefore, it's not like I'll be panicking if on Friday the blah-dee-blah if I don't publish a certain post as I want to post something that happened in that day, or a film or book comes out that I've seen/read straight away. A lot of the time, I know some of the posts won't be written and it doesn't panic me. The plan is there so that I can write posts in advance and have a sense of satisfaction (also called being a right smug so and so) that I know what's going on with my blog.

Shall we have a good ol' fashion tips section to end this mighty long blogpost? Yes, I think so. Oh, that was a rhetorical question, was it? How fancy.

Tips for The Girl in the Moonlight in 2014

One) We learnt in July not to just sit with a blank blog page in front of you, hoping for inspiration, didn't we? (Don't patronise a few months older me, but yes, I s'pose we did.) Sometimes inspiration may come, but more often than not you'll produce a piece you're not even the slightest bit proud of so take a break, listen to McFly and wait (that's if you've not done something I'm about to address)...

Two) Find a way to make your blogging experience less stressful. I like to plan. For some, planning is not the thing but do what makes you know that your blog is a happy place for you to be.

Three) Take pictures. The majority of my posts don't have pictures but I'm learning. Originally I did not like to use pictures. I like text and so, because it's my blog, many of my posts don't have pictures. Sometimes I really love pictures, more than I would a post just with text. They especially suit posts where I'm writing about what I've done in a day or on holiday.

Four) Don't ever rush a post because too many times I've posted something that I've been annoyed at myself for posting. It makes the posts pointless and simply not very good!

Five) Enjoy! This is something I've not taken for granted this year and I definitely will always remember to enjoy blogging.

For me, the most important thing I've got out of almost a year in blogging has been that I know what suits my blog and what doesn't. When I first started my blog I had a post in my mind that I was really excited about. I (luckily) never got round to doing it and I'm glad because it just wouldn't be right on my blog. There are naturally going to be loads of types of posts that I haven't done and will suit my blog when I get around to doing them, but I think I know what is for my blog and what isn't. Keeping this in mind, I may suddenly start doing blogposts that previously I didn't think would suit my blog because it's my little space. I'm excited to find all of this out!

Well that was a bit of a long post today (a post that only I probably read the end of), but I really wanted to write my blogging year down in one place. Blogging has been nothing but a great experience for me. There's been no pressure on it (and when I've made myself stressed about it, I've reminded myself there's no need) and because it's never been about the amount of readers I have or views I get, it's been all the more enjoyable experience. It's something that is mine and to me, that's lovely. Ok, The Girl in the Moonlight doesn't have the most readers and may only get a few comments here and there (and for these readers and comments I am so grateful), but it is my little haven.

The end of me rounding up 2013 in blogpost is over... 2014 is almost here. What are your tips for blogging? What have you found out about blogging this year? What are your aims? I'd love to know!

Three cheers for what your and my blogging life will be in 2014!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Party Poppers & Fireworks,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

*I find this very exciting as I wrote this section of the post in August! Go me, sticking to my outlook of being prepared!

My Favourites | 2013

As I have been posting things that round up my 2013, I thought a favourites post would do the job!

 

 

What an annoying change in light in those two photos! Soap & Glory are one of my favourite brands and my most treasured when it comes to skin products. I especially love this: Soap and Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em. Everything of theirs just smells so clean and fresh and lovely. 

 

 

I could rave about Barry M for a good while and these are my favourites of this year. Ah, so pretty! Here, from left to right, is Lemon, Blue Moon, Dragon and Mango.

 

 

 

I have a few favourite albums of this year: one of them being Frozen! It's a beautiful soundtrack that it always draws me in to the world of Disney and happiness as soon as I press play. I have also been enjoying Bastille's, Kodaline's and Demi Lovato's albums this year!

 

This year has been the best year for films. These two movies above are two of my favourites that have also been released on DVD this year. Safe Haven and Man of Steel are incredible. Iron Man 3 is also one of my favourite movies of all time but I don't have it to take a photo of - but Tony Stark, I love you.

My favourite event of this year has to be Royal Albert Hall. It was one of my favourite nights ever and soon, when my copy of the DVD/CD comes through the post, I will get to re-live it every single day - which will be my favourite physical thing of 2013, without a doubt.

My blog is most definitely a favourite of this year. The Girl in the Moonlight. One of my elite favourite things. My wee blog where I ramble about anything I want. It's the best. I love blogging and everything about it; sharing thoughts, interaction, finding other people with similar interests and naturally, writing. I was just looking through my blog and I found some posts that I'm really glad I wrote (not in a, I'm so good kind of way, in a, I am proud of starting my blog because of these posts kind of way), and if you wish to read them, they are these:

1) In February, I wrote my first "thoughts" post; the posts I'd pair my blog the most with: Dreaming
2) In May, I let loose my love of fictional characters on to my blog: Noah, I Could Be Your Allie
3) In December, I wrote a short story, if you will, with a "twist": A Christmas Wish
4) In July, I wrote a sort-of-lifestyle-post: A Little Bit of Tranquillity
5) In November, I wrote a post with a few facts in about me: Re-Introducing Myself | A Few Facts

As I love books so much, I made a separate post for my favourite books of this year which you can read HERE! What are your favourites of this year? I would love to know!

My regular, three posts a week routine will be back soon!

Blue Moon & Dragon,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Wonderful Words | 2013

Whether it be that they're making me think, laugh or decide to do something, I am always reading bloggers' posts that are making me feel something. Today, I want to sum up a few (of many) posts that have stuck with me this year. It should be noted that there are so many posts that have made me happy for some reason but I really want to write about a few.

Shirley from Wonder Canyon has a regular feature on her blog of motivational posts. I read every single one, excited about whether she'll make me motivated in a "I feel so positive" kind of way, or in a "I should go and do that now because of that video" kind of way, or like I felt after reading THIS post. This post is one of hers that has stuck with me since reading it. She wrote about a few things, one of them being about a video where American citizens were tested as to whether they'd stand up to racism or not. I was so inspired by those who had no tolerance for racism. Naturally, - you would hope - racism is something that makes me very angry; it's unnecessary, cruel and inhuman. After watching this video and seeing the wonderful people that stood up to racism, I felt truly motivated. I show so many people that video because of her post.

I was really excited when Carrie Hope Fletcher set up her blog, All I Know Now and every post of hers excites me because she'll always leave me thinking deeply about an issue. One post, in particular has stuck with me due to its relevance in my life (although it must be mentioned that that aren't many posts that aren't relevant to my life - in a big or small way). She wrote a post called Unrealistic that made me feel a strong version of inspired. My blog heavily depicts the idea of my dreams and aims in life being unrealistic and unreachable. Carrie's ultimate childhood dream of playing Eponine in Les Miserables came true and she made it clear that "just because it hasn't yet, doesn't mean it never will".

Simona from Sky's Book Corner published a post about her staying in Vancouver HERE and the pictures made feel all warm and fuzzy and it only inspired my wanderlust further. It left me wanting to plan every inch of the world's and my adventure.

Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter and her Motivational Monday feature made me very happy on a Monday. THIS one is one that has pumped through my veins when things are getting a bit "ahhhhhhh". It's about the idea of plans not working and feeling a bit lost. The post reminded me that if plan A doesn't work out, there are 25 more letters to go (a metaphor that I am highly appreciative of). Whenever I am well and truly in the swing of a plan, which is most likely education-related, the fear of it going wrong is always lurking underneath the surface. Sometimes, it does go wrong. In this situation, it's hard to think "it's okay, let's start again" with a smile and twinkle in my eye. Yet, it is possible. Louise reminded me there are a bunch of different paths, a bunch of other options - a way of thinking I'll be sure to use in 2014 with exams, uni and adulthood approaching. (Scary!)

You should definitely check out the blogs I've mentioned above. Reading other's blogs is an exciting thing for me - something I never take for granted because I'm more than likely going to learn something valuable. At the moment I am publishing posts to round up my 2013 blogging and normal world, whilst anticipation for 2014 grows!

Tins of Chocolate & Board Games,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

My Favourite Books: 2013

A couple of months ago I published a blog post about my favourite books I read before I was a teenager (which you can read HERE, if you would like) and I thought, to round up 2013, I would do a post on my favourite novels of 2013.

All I can say about these beautiful books is... they're life-changing. When people ask me what John Green books are about, I can't put it into words. Why they're so wonderful. Why they're some of my favourite books. Why he always leaves me crying. They're classics of our time. Of course, the fabulous Will Grayson, Will Grayson is also written by the equally brilliant David Levithan. These books have a special place in my heart. You can read my review about The Fault in our Stars HERE.


























Let's get the me-shamelessly-plugging-old-reviews out of the way: HERE, HERE and HERE. My point of putting these wonderful books in this post is to express how beautiful these books are (inside and out). One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon is a young love story that is soon less beautiful as Alice and Joe are no long in each other's lives. Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher follows Sophie May's life as she becomes involved with the famous Billy Buskin with a romantic tale full of happiness and heartbreak. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah is the story of Kate and Tully's lives as they go through school, love and life. These three books are in my favourites of this year as they are delightful and charming reads.


























I'd waited for The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks for so long, excited at every tweet he tweeted about it and as usual, Mr. Sparks did not disappoint. The text on the inside cover makes my heart tingle and tells me of the need to read it again. I'll write the last part of it here:

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected - and shocking - of ways.

It's a book that has captured my heart and won't let go.


























Me Before You is the tale of Lou and Will; the story of how two people find each other when they need it the most - a book I was recommended and a book I now recommend.

2013 was an amazing year, partly due to these wonderful books. Although I'm pretty sure I read One Perfect Summer at the end of last year, it was one of the first books that came to my mind from this year as I definitely re-read it this year, so I thought I'd include it! All of the books here that I haven't already written about have reviews ready and waiting to be published but as I've got so many waiting, it may take a while!

What are your favourite books you've read this year? Let me know in the comments!

Saturday Nights & Books,

The Girl in the Moonlight.



Music To My Ears | 2013

I hope you had the best and happiest Christmas! I had the loveliest family day and am childishly sad to see it go but with plenty more to look forward to, it'll soon be Christmas again - although, for the next six/seven days, it's still Christmas in my eyes!

I love YouTube for many reasons; one of them being that it can be a platform for musicians. I haven't before spoken too much about music on my blog but, today, I thought I'd sum up my favourite music on YouTube in 2013 that is by those whose main platform for me seeing their original songs is YouTube. They are in no particular order but enjoy the musical gems.

 



This song makes me all warm and cosy and fuzzy. Dodie Clark makes my heart happy with the way she writes songs. They're so exciting.

 

I find this song incredibly heart-breaking and raw and it showcases how much Wayward Daughter deserve people to hear their incredible music. They never disappoint.

 



When I first heard The Way We Were by Carrie Hope Fletcher, it was already one of those songs that I always sing my heart out to, feeling teary and then the video... It's such a lovely, heart-warming and thought-provoking video.

Tom Law's Never Met You is such a feel-good song that makes me happy and sing a long with all of my heart at the same time!

The next few posts will be posts to round up my favourite things this year as well as rounding up my 2013 blogging experience!

Rain & Paint,

The Girl in the Moonlight.



A Bit of Christmassy Chatter

As it's Christmas Eve and I'm brimming with festivity, I thought I'd do a round up of Christmassy things.

Yesterday should have been the day for a review of Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan. However, I've been so unbelievably busy that I'm only eighty or so pages in! I'm enjoying it so much and I'm really frustrated that I won't be finishing it this year. I will read it next Christmas now and will definitely post a review! In the mean time I will be purchasing more Jenny Colgan books!

It's the final day of Blogmas and I am waving it a fond farewell. It's been tough but awesome and I'm glad I did it. It's been the busiest month I've had but it was a nice way to spend it! Just below, I thought I'd share my five favourite posts to write from my Blogmas (and ignore the fact that a fair few were below average in terms of quality!):

A Christmas Wish

A Chat With Paige Toon

Own Little World

Team Spirit

The Love of a Father 



Now, before I explode from excitement, let's talk tomorrow: CHRISTMAS. I'm really excited to spend time with my family, eat lots and exchange presents. I hope you have the best Christmas ever. I send you lots of festive wishes and hopes. All the while, I remember those less fortunate than I am in a variety of different situations. I also have complete sadness for those in the UK who are suffering from flooding/weather problems and travel issues. It's gutting to hear about. Now, I'll leave a few links to some places you may be able to make a difference, whilst hoping that you can have the jolliest Christmas.



The Salvation Army

Cancer Research UK

Text Santa

 



Thank you to any of you reading this post and any of you that have read any other posts of my Blogmas. You have made my December the best!

Merry Christmas!

Santa & His Reindeer,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG!!!1!!11!

*Contains traces of spoiler.*

Since seeing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey last year, I was super duper, childishly excited to see The Desolation of Smaug, the second instalment of The Hobbit.

The Desolation of Smaug is action-packed as well as full of different storylines. It highlights the true courage Bilbo has found and his character reform but also the burden of the ring. The wonderful (and beautiful) Legolas is (narratively-speaking) introduced and, well, as I said to my best friend, "Legolas was mean". Tauriel, must be mentioned. She isn't in the book, I know, blah blah blah, BUT SHE'S AWESOME. She's all powerful and athletic and good at shooting arrows and stuff. I like her a lot. She's my new hero. Especially as she cares for my Kili so much.

Now let's talk evil. There were a lot of Orcs. They scare me but I think that's the point. Yet, at the same time, I think I've become fond of the characters - they feature heavily after all. However, I would like them to stay away from my dwarves and wizard and hobbit. The spiders - OH GOSH. The scenes with the spiders were horribly terrifying but the scene reminded me of the scene from An Unexpected Journey where Bilbo saves the dwarves from Stone Trolls. I love triumphant Bilbo.

With jokes dotted throughout, wonderful additions and a deeper understanding of the story if you're not familiar with it, The Desolation of Smaug really was something special. It ends on the biggest cliff-hanger, with a plethora of storylines being left to be finished in the third Hobbit film. I cannot wait.

I have seen so many good films this month but have only had time to sit down and write about The Desolation of Smaug. I know my film reviews are more writing-about-films-whilst-fangirling but I hope it portrays just how amazing the films I review are and reflects, literarily, what good films do to my heart and excitement!

Elves & Dwarves,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas

The Magic of Christmas

I feel like the closer we are to Christmas, the more I hear people say "it doesn't feel like Christmas". So today, I am bringing the festive cheer to you. Sit back with a hot chocolate and an unopened box of chocolates (that are just begging you to be eaten) and embrace the magic of Christmas.

 

 

I saw this today and it was an early Christmas present. Bastille singing Christmas songs is the dream. With a fabulous mash up of Bastille galore, you are very welcome indeed.

 



 

This video excites me so much. Zoella has made a DIY video for Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate and I am super duper excited to try these out sometime before Christmas.

 

Obviously (pun intended) McFly have to be mentioned. Jeesh, I love it.

 



 

Carrie Hope Fletcher and Tom Law's version of Baby It's Cold Outside is always on in my house. Their voices work so well together; it pleases my ears oh so much.

It's another Christmas video with Carrie in. Carrie, Anton and Rob's voices are b-e-a-utiful and despite the sombre song, it always leaves me smiling - such talent!

IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAS! I hope you're excited!

Holly & Mistletoe,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas



Slam the Door

I was listening to Let It Go from the Frozen soundtrack the other day and although I'm not in Elsa's position in terms of the storyline of the film (you know; I don't have magical powers that I've accidentally ruined my hometown with), some of the lyrics applied to me at that point and I felt silly for refusing to let go of something so unimportant.

Critique from friends is something that when dealt with, can be difficult. You can open up the door that has plaque reading "I'm Offended" or you can choose the one that reads "Let It Go". Obviously, if it's constructive criticism that is said with your best interests at heart, you may be right to choose to embrace it. The problem, in my case, is, my friends  won't be trying to offend me. They'll either be teasing about something that's slightly too personal but they won't realise or they'll be stating a comment that gets underneath my skin. Naturally, if people you know are doing it on purpose, you should take a different route all together: tell someone.

Can't hold you back anymore. Once I choose to move on from a comment, I feel that whole "weight lifted off of my shoulders" thing and I couldn't be more grateful. It is then, in hindsight, that I realise two things. First of all, my friend didn't mean to get to me and would feel horrendous if they knew that they did. Although sometimes friends might mean something, that's another issue that should be sorted. Secondly, the thing that had made me sit and think it all through a million times, asking myself if they were right, really wasn't a big deal.

Couldn't keep it in. Why keep something in and torture yourself? This is the question I asked myself and I just knew that I didn't want to waste my time on it anymore. Cry, if that will help. Write something, if that will help. Do anything or nothing until you can move on from it.

Turn my back and slam the door. It really is the best feeling. When I did so the other day, I thought my final thought about the specific issue, got up from my sofa and slammed the metaphorical door I keep writing about. It felt good.

From now on, I will open up the door reading "Let It Go" and slam it as hard as I can! "It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small."

This day 21 of Blogmas! Thank you for reading. IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!

Snow & Gloves,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. The bits in blue are the lyrics from the song that helped.

Meaning: The Silhouette of a Dream

A while ago I did a post about the meaning of The Girl in the Moonlight (HERE, if you're interested) and today I wanted to write about the meaning of the header of my blog, "The Silhouette of a Dream). Although, it may seem pretentious, I hope it's not perceived that way because it's not meant that way; I'd just like to document it.

I came up with the header "The Silhouette of a Dream" for my Tumblr (and blog) sat on my bed, attempting to think of something that represented my dreams and I. I thought it worked well because, to me, it meant that my dream, in my head is complete but in reality it is just a wee dream that I can see the outline of but it's filled in with the fact that I'm not going to accomplish it; filled in with darkness.

Ok, so, yes, that's extremely pessimistic. Yet, in my eyes it is also quite pretty, quite delicate. This, in turn reflects how beautiful the unrealistic dreams are in a personal way and the delicacy mirrors the unlikeliness of it and also the fragile mind-set "The Girl in the Moonlight" holds when considering her ambitions and hopes.

Fear, I think, is the biggest obstacle when craving a dream and that's what the silhouette represents: the dream is there, but it doesn't physically exist, it's just something created by the imagination. However, the fear is created by The Girl in the Moonlight - no one else and nothing more. Therefore, the pessimistic attitude of my dreams being completely undoable seems unjustified; the fear is created because I feel I need to fear - not because it's necessary.

The Silhouette of a Dream. Things can seem impossible. They may happen. They may not happen. Yet, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy trying. The Silhouette of A Dream.

Apple & Raspberry,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas

Who Is Your Blog?

I read a lot of blogs that have a niche. They're beauty bloggers or lifestyle bloggers, photography bloggers or cookery bloggers. What's more? They do it so darn well! Me, though; I don't have just one thing I blog about so when I signed up for Bloglovin' yesterday (feel free to follow me HERE) and I had to click on what type of blogger I am, I felt momentarily sad as I had to click the "other" option.

My blog really does vary and even the variations rarely fit into a category. I've written a beauty post once out of 160 posts, I rarely write lifestyle blogs and if you've read a few of my posts you'll know I am not a photographer, especially considering a post where I have dedicated it to photographs (and that's happened once!). I also blog about thoughts, abstracts ideas and re-tell stories I witness. What kind of blog is that? I blog about more things too. The plot thickens.

I also read a lot of blogs that don't blog about just one thing and go from reviews to thoughts to fangirl posts to whatever they want. This makes me more at ease. Like people, blogs can have many different characteristics. Like people, that's perfectly all right. It's also perfectly all right if you've got one thing you choose to blog about. If you're part of the "other" category or if your blog is specialised, let's unite together in the knowledge that we're all right.

If you've ever wondered "what type of blog my blog is?", it doesn't matter if yours doesn't fall perfectly into a category - but it's great if yours does too. Please feel free to leave links to your blogs below - I would love to check them out and see how you do niche/no niche!

To end this post, I want to link you to some blogs I read that do their niche or their variations of blogging so well:

Shirley - Wonder Canyon

Simona - Sky's Book Corner

Noelle - This Is Noelle



Luna - xbeautybow

 

Ramblings & Wonderings,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas

A Little Update | Bloglovin' and Blogmas

So, I decided it was time I got Bloglovin'.

If I'm honest, I don't completely understand it but I know it will benefit my blog - how, I will soon find out. After the whole Google Friend Connect scare yesterday (it wasn't visible on blogs), I feared a potential day where it is gone (as I'm not good with technology, I don't know if this would happen), so I signed up and for those of you with Bloglovin', I'd love for you to help me out, only if you wish to, of course. You can follow my blog on Bloglovin here!

My problem is this. Now Google Friend Connect is working and easier for some to use to follow over doing it through your personal homepage, I still would love, when people want to follow me (I would hate for people to follow me without the will), to follow me (as well as Bloglovin' if potential people so wish) through Google Friend Connect. I have 43 followers and my aim from the beginning of The Girl in the Moonlight was to reach 50 members so I'm hoping this won't affect my goal in the long run!

I would actually love for advice with Bloglovin' if you have it and understand the ins and outs of how it works! I don't understand what exactly it does, what I use it for and why I want to get followers through it as opposed to Google Friend Connect. If you have any time, I would love it if you commented below or emailed me at thegirlinthemoonlight@hotmail.co.uk. I am sure I will figure it out eventually, but I can be really bad at understanding technology so I would send you lots of rainbows if you could help. Nonetheless, I will embrace the adventure that is Bloglovin'!

Also, as this is a little update post, keeping myself up to date with what's going on my blog, I want to mention Blogmas. I have been blogging every day of December (and will do until Christmas) for Blogmas and woweee, it's tough. I'm enjoying it, but, as I publish posts I'm unhappy with, I feel my blog is becoming sad due to the content. However, this time (it's happened before), I feel myself becoming more "okay" about publishing these posts. I'm not releasing perfection (or as I perfect as I can physically make something) onto the internet, but sometimes that is okay. Frustrating, but okay. I'm really enjoying Blogmas and am also excited to get back to my 3 posts a week in the new year. However, I'm not wishing the year away as Christmas is my thang. To round off this post, I want to put a link to my favourite post I've published for Blogmas so far HERE. Feel free to check it out.

Frilly Socks & Shoes,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

My 5 Favourite Things About Christmas

With Christmas comes excitement and today I want to talk about my favourite things; the things that excitement the most about this festive time.

1. The general happy spirit is a delightful by-product to the build up of Christmas. No matter how busy I am at the moment and the stress I and a lot of friends are feeling, the excitement is keeping us content, creating a happy spirit that makes us count the days even more obsessively.

2. Decorations are also a favourite of mine. With the glittery excitement produced by the colours bouncing around, the tinsel and Santa greeting me wherever I go, they're definitely contributing to my Christmassy feeling. Admiring them should be a pastime I can write on my CV.

3. I was talking to some friends the other day about what we're excited about considering Christmas and we all agreed this: food. From crispy roast potatoes to yummy meat, stuffing, pigs in blankets and pudding, - oh golly, pudding - I just can't wait.

4. Songs are another favourite of Christmas. From Elton John to Slade, Christmas tunes rock. Also, of course, Michael Bublé is a reason for the joy of Christmas. That album is... everything.

5. As always, festive drinks are forming a smile on my face, especially Costa specials. Blimey, they're beautiful.

I'm not a hundred per cent sure whether these are in the order of how much I love them (other than number one) as I kept changing my mind because so many exciting things come with Christmastime. What are you favourite things about Christmas? Check out Blogmas here!

Mince Pies & Christmas Pudding,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. I have missed my absolute favourite thing about Christmas off of the list. HERE I spoke about the thing about Christmas that makes my heart so happy it has its own post about it... giving presents.

Christmassy London Snaps

Every year I go to London near Christmas and have a look at the beauty of London, covered in festivities and do any shopping I may want to do there. I thought I'd share a few photos with you today of when I went last week.

 

 

Finally, it is the Covent Garden Christmas tree *smiles childishly and whispers "wow"*. I only took a few pictures but they make me feel all the more Christmassy looking at them so I hope you enjoy the sight of them!

 

Ribbons & Sparkles,



The Girl in the Moonlight.

Pssssst. Blogmas!

A Festive Trip to Lush

Today I went shopping with some friends and, as if it needed encouragement, excited my festive spirit. What better way to do it than to take a trip to Lush?

I have been delighted to see so many Lush haul blogposts pop up when I log in and I couldn't wait to get to Lush to find some Christmas goodies and do this post! My plan was to "accidentally" go crazy and buy loads of Christmassy and classic Lush beauties, however, my rational mind was on and I knew I couldn't spend too much so I bought the thing that makes me grin every year at Christmas. Yes, it's Snow Fairy.

Lush is a weakness of mine so I'm proud of buying just one thing. Snow Fairy makes my heart happy. It cost me £3.50 and smells like the definition of beauty: pear and candyfloss and also, to me, bubblegum. It's very sweet and the smell doesn't go away - which I love! Every time I use Snow Fairy I am reminded quickly of how much I love the scent. Be still, my beating heart. I love you Lush and Snow Fairy.

What's your favourite Lush product?

Snow & Fairies,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas

Own Little World

Last night, I was lacking inspiration, fearful of this blogging day arriving as I knew I had nothing planned for today's installment of Blogmas. So, I did something that made me cringe and laugh but also long ever so slightly for a time that was no longer than four years ago.

I've written before about how I used to write little stories (that weren't actually that little) and it was always the most exciting part of my day. I'd hide away from my family for part of an evening and type out the thoughts and feelings of characters that I had thought of and memorized* obsessively up during the day. Today I went through an old USB stick and read through parts of three different stories. I want to (with embarrassed-coloured cheeks) share part of one with you.

Ashley stretched out her arms, absorbing the summery melody of the crickets. It would be cliché to say Ashley loved this time of day. But she did. Not quite afternoon, but not quite evening. The sun was still high and with barely any clouds dotted across the sky, it was a perfect dream. She let out a breath that she hadn't realised she'd needed quite so much and cringed at the sound of squeals from the garden.

She didn't have long before her mother would notice she was gone. Ashley knew that she wanted to portray the image of her and her daughter being okay more than she bothered to ask Ashely if she was okay. Ashely knew she wasn't a bad mother: far from it. She just avoided the subject that has haunted them for the past year as if it were second nature.

It wasn't long before Ashley had her Converse tied around a tree trunk, bare feet in the glittery water; the warmth soaking through the gaps in the trees; her heart feeling light, free.

Reading through all my storied was hilarious but reinforced how, like now, I used to get wrapped up in my own little world when I wrote. I was happy to just sit in my room, the evening or day ticking by while I became acquainted with strangers on a page. Lame, maybe, but exciting. I also cringed happily at the sight of "portray", knowing for sure that I would have wanted to drop that to prove some level of intelligence.

Clouds & Converse,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

*Is memorized spelled with a "z" in English not American English?! I've googled it tiredly, so not too much to find it is acceptable to with spelling it Englishly (definitely not a word) and it's underlined with red if I spell with an "s". Or has it never been spelled with an "s"? This is some research for me tomorrow!

Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

I finished Firefly Lane a while ago and I'm excited to talk about it today. This book saw me through a busy time in November and I have been thinking about it ever since.

 

Please excuse the poorly executed photograph. It has one of the most gorgeous front covers I have even seen and the beauty does, as much as we shouldn't judge a book by the cover, completely symbolise the sublime words that make up the pages inside.

 

Narratively following two best friends through decades, Firefly Lane contextually sets up the music and news of the time - something that particularly excites me. It allows the reader to travel through their adventures, relating to the girls easily. It's a novel that really deserves the title "beautiful".

Tully and Kate are dissimilar and yet the same. This is obvious from the start of the novel. As their lives progress their differences change but the similarities stay the same. With Tully focused on her career, fame and success and Kate wanting a family, love and security, eventually they realise a slight jealousy they possess at each other's lives. They go through high school, college and their work lives as best friends, taking on the world the only way they knew how: together. That's what triumphs the jealousy. My favourite thing about the novel are the two best friends. Tully and Kate. Their friendship is the most relatable relationship for me out of any book I've ever read. In so many ways, they are my best friend and I; their trust in each other; their plans for the future together; the way one will always be there fore the other.

But will their friendship survive the test of time? The test of love and ambition?

It's a story of two best friends. It's also a story of love, betrayal and happiness. It's a story of a daughter and her mother; a story of family. It's a story of learning things too late.

I really loved this book and it has become an elite favourite of mine. My mum read it afterwards and said that she thought it was fantastic. I believe it's a book for different generations for so many different reasons. *Sighs.* I didn't want it to end.

I'm really bad for sticking to the same authors. I fall in love with an author and then I'll read all of their books. I'll every now and then pick up a book by a different author and then read all of his/her books. For this reason, I'm trying to be open to different authors and I'm loving doing so! (Although I will still read all of their other books!)

Are there any good books you've read recently? I love suggestions!

Bike Rides & Dreams,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Blogmas

Trees, Fairy Lights and Festive Fun

The Christmas tree is officially up and festivity is calling from every house. 

 

There are twelve days until Christmas! Are you excited?!

 

The Christmas tree and decorations are up around my house. With half of my advent calendar left, the festive excitement is ensuring a permanent smile on my face. I am really looking forward to the next week and a bit before Christmas; exchanging presents, eating (a lot) and spending time with all of my best ones. What are you excited about?

 

I couldn't write a long post today but, as I'm taking part in Blogmas, I made time for a short one!

 

Tinsel & Bauballs,

 

The Girl in the Moonlight.

What Disney's Taught Me #2

After enjoying writing my first "What Disney's Taught Me" post HERE, I am excited to be writing another "instalment", if you will, of this series about the film Frozen. Before I go on to talk about what it taught me, I have to say that it was incredible; the songs were amazing (and are now stuck in my head), the characters were awesome and the light and dark moments were spot on. Lovely.

*Contains strong traces of spoiler.*

Frozen has two Disney princesses in it: Anna and Elsa. Both of these characters show that Disney, as I have set out to prove in this series, is full of messages that are good lessons to learn.

Firstly, I want to talk of Elsa. With her magical powers being potentially dangerous, she has to separate herself from her younger sister who cannot be at threat from her powers. This storyline definitely doesn't portray the "everything's-so-perfect" Disney storyline that people believe makes children naïve. It portrays the courage and sacrifice a young girl had to make. Okay, it's not something (I hope) anyone has to go through, but where Elsa and Anna were once close, Elsa had to learn to remove herself from situations that could create danger.

Once Anna is aware of Elsa's power and why their relationship had deteriorated to nothing in such a short amount of time, she wastes no moments in taking it upon herself to go and find her sister, knowing she can help Arendelle but, more so, I believe, wanting fix their relationship. Girl power shines off of her and her sheer bravery is definitely shown in my last point.

If you're still reading, not wanting spoilers, please stop reading right now. Are you gone? Okay.

At the end of the film, as Anna is becoming more and more ill, at sight of the one thing that could save her, instead of running for her safety, she sees her sister's need for help and puts her life at the hands of Disney hope and saves her sister's life. Now when people say Disney promotes girls relying on men, we can all rejoice and shout from snow-covered rooftops and protest.

Ultimately, Frozen is a film of courage. Kristoff and Olaf are also courageous characters but Disney focus on the power of the women in this film and the makes some kind of strong inner-feminist happy inside of me.

Snowmen & Reindeer

The Girl in the Moonlight.

What Disney's Taught Me #1
Blogmas

A Chat With Paige Toon

Paige Toon is one of my favourite authors. She writes chick-lit novels that make it an obsession to turn the next page to delve into the worlds she creates. She awesomely answered a few questions I had, so here we go!

1. What were your goals in writing when you first started?

I always wanted to write, ever since I can remember. When I got a book deal to write Lucy in the Sky, it was easily one of the best days of my life. I loved writing it so much and I hoped that if my readers could feel what I was feeling when reading it, then they'd love it to. They did – and that's been my goal ever since: to make sure I'm enjoying what I'm writing in the hope that my readers will enjoy it too.

2. Are any events in your novels inspired by something you've experienced?

I grew up between England and Australia (and America too for a little bit). When I went to university and met my husband-to-be, my parents moved back to Australia. I felt very torn between the two countries and I wrote about that in Lucy in the Sky

3. Who is your favourite character out of the novels you've written and why?

I find this very difficult to answer because I'm so deep inside their heads when I'm writing my books, that I feel very connected to each and every one. Often the heroine in the book I'm currently writing feels like my favourite, so that would mean Bronte from next year's Thirteen Weddings. I love her! I really loved Jessie from The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson (out in Jan) too. Looking back at my books, possibly Lucy or Lily, from Pictures of Lily.

4. How do you go about writer's block?

I had a nasty case of writer's block for a week in the run-up to my deadline for Thirteen Weddings, which was tough! I asked for an extension to my deadline so that took the pressure off a bit, then I went for some long walks until my characters started talking to me again!

5. Who are your favourite authors?

Marian Keyes will always be a favourite of mine, but I also love YA sci fi so Suzanne Collins, Stephanie Meyer and Cassandra Clare and current faves.

6. What's your favourite book that you've read this year?

The Immortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - I was hooked!

7. What's the most nerve-wracking thing about writing?

The final page proof stage when you read it through for the final - and usually about the fifth - time. I start to have doubts then that it's any good, but it's usually because I've read it so many times!

8. What's your favourite thing about writing?

Losing myself in the parallel universe of my heroes and heroines. It's like being inside my own personal movie.

9. When you're naming your characters, does a name you consider ever sound "wrong" in your mind?

Often. I change names quite a bit and often they will have already appeared on a synopsis on Amazon, which is very confusing for my readers!

10. What would your number one piece of advice be for aspiring writers? Enjoy what you're writing - if you don't, how can you expect your readers to enjoy reading it? Also, check out a blog I wrote about getting published on www.simonandschuster.co.uk - search for Paige Toon Author Voice!


I, of course, must say a huge thank you to Paige Toon for taking the time to answer my questions. I really enjoyed reading her answers. If you have any questions for her, you can tweet her HERE. Keep an eye out for her 2014 novels. I can just tell they're going to be perfect.

Stardust & Sunflowers,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

One Perfect Summer review
Blogmas

A Christmas Wish

His smile fills the room with glee, girls blushing, giggling and dreaming that he'll turn and make them the centre of his attention. And he does. One by one, he makes each girl's day; listening interestedly to one girl's story, laughing in the right places at another's joke and smiling easily as one girl takes a peak at him, each of their Christmas wishes being formed with his name. As the bell to symbolise a break full of fake smiles sounds, Johnny shrugs on his hoodie. His friends crowd around him, putting their fists close to his in the hope for approval (and, of course, Johnny does not disappoint) while girls gather in groups, excitedly telling their stories of how "Johnny-smiled-at-me" to each other. It sounds like an American movie about high school and yet, this really is how Johnny does college.

Johnny, the Clown of the Class; the nice guy; the intelligent guy; the so-attractive-it-hurts guy; the guy that avoids my story, my joke and my look every day.

Walking down the hallway, I stare as Katie Ford nudges Johnny playfully, pointing at her mistletoe hairband. Johnny smiles politely and kisses her cheek. I feel my heart scream but instead of struggling pointlessly for his attention, I put my head down, play nervously with my fingers and walk until I get home.

*    *    *

It was that picturesque scene that exists only in December: excited wishes written in children's eyes; a melody dancing between the particles that make up the crisp air; yellowy sparkles twinkling through the darkness. Just like a song.

Johnny stares blankly at the piece of paper in front of him. Words came easily to him. Not today, it seems.

Johnny's phone buzzes and he feels his heart anticipate a name that refuses to appear. It's Katie.

Turning up his speakers, Johnny drowns his heart in the sound of his favourite band, the melody bouncing off of the walls like his secret trying to get out. Tapping his fingers agitatedly, he moves his curtain slightly so he can watch the night's sky. It mirrors his loneliness. The uncomfortable silence that rung when he ignored the truth is painted in every star tonight.



*    *    *

Peter's eyes open and he's not sure why. He turns onto his side and then hears a sound that a moment ago rung through his dreams. Confused, he stumbles out of bed and switches on his light. A second later he hears tapping at his window.

For a moment he considers turning the light back off and rolling back into bed. As soon as the thought arrives, Peter dismisses it.

Running with light steps out of his room, he turns off the light, forgetting he's in an old t-shirt and pair of shorts. Quietly retrieving some keys and opening and shutting the door, to the back of a silhouette, Peter whispers a name.

The only name he could ever dream of telling the air of their secret.

He turns with a slow smile. "You turned off your light... You didn't even come to the curtains. I thought you weren't coming."

Peter moves carefully towards his sweet expression. "It's Christmas. Miracles happen, right?" Too fearful to feign confidence, Peter twists his fingers slowly.

"I could have been anyone. You didn't look, after all." There was that playfulness in his voice that Peter wanted to hear every second of the day.

"Well, you weren't who I was hoping for, I have to say."

Johnny laughs a little too loudly for the lonely night and then smiles wickedly, enjoying their secret adventure. He makes the space between them smaller and catches Peter's hand in his quickly, childishly. Peter feels his heart leap for joy but plays it as cool as he can manage; smiling playfully back at him.

Under Johnny's stare, Peter forgets the looks he dares to throw Johnny in History, the jokes he imagines telling him and the stories he longs to re-tell in the aching hope that he'll respond to his SOS calls. At 3o'clock in the morning, under a blanket of winter wishes, Peter couldn't care less.

Peter ignores his heart's sadness as Johnny releases his hand but watches as the fairy lights that are twinkling next door catch Johnny's attention. He stares, mesmerised. As if knowing Peter's want for his protection, Johnny takes his hand and traces his fingers around his skin, eyes still transfixed on the Christmas decorations.

Peter puts his hand on Johnny's face and Johnny returns his stare, seriousness shadowing the excitement. Peter feels him searching his face. "I love the colour of your eyes," Johnny whispers. "Like blue stars filled with the night's wonder."

Peter considers making a joke but his mouth dries too quickly and he falls effortlessly into his words, holding onto the promise of his expression. Peter dares himself to move closer and he is reminded of the few freckles that dot Johnny's nose and cheeks. He notes how he likes the sweet carve of his nose and the way his smile was a different smile he flashed all of those girls.

"I forgot the mistletoe."

"We don't need mistletoe, Johnny."

*    *    *

It was Christmas Eve; a week after Johnny turned up at Peter's house. His eyes were closed and he recalled the night.

At the whisper of his name, Johnny had felt an electric current surge through his body. Allowing a short moment to mean everything, he smiled one last smile at Peter's sweet but strong face and moved his hand to his hair. Closing his eyes he felt the warmth of Johnny's breath and rested his forehead against his. "You're my Christmas wish, Peter."

Peter, as he did, every day since, beneath the solitude of the moon's promise not to tell, made him know that one day, Johnny, too would have the courage Peter had and he'd be there, acting as his safety net.



Fairy Lights & Stars,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. You can read about Blogmas HERE.

The Loveliest Things in Life #3 | Christmas Edition

I have written two posts so far in my "The Loveliest Things in Life" series and I really enjoy doing them so I thought I'd do a Christmas edition.

You may roll your eyes, but one of the elite things I enjoy the most about Christmas is giving presents. When Christmas rolls around (in my world, as soon as Strictly Come Dancing is back on TV), I always get red-in-the-face excited thinking about what I can buy who. I make a list of names and then try and think of things that will make my friend or family member smile, maybe remember something we experienced or remind them of that time they spoke about something and I bought them something related to it. Then there's the shopping. I feel the excitement at the clutch of shiny bags with shiny presents in that I'm soon going to go home and wrap. I then write the cards and wrap the presents and I feel (as you see me write childishly) the young child in me beam through my smile, excited to hand the present over.

It's not about spending loads of money.

When I give presents to my family, especially, when I've found something I know they'll love, it makes me feel so warm inside. I'm excited for Christmas day so I can, I hope, see this scene and feel this feeling.

It was a bit of a short post today but I wanted to write it for the eighth day of Blogmas (you can read about it HERE).

What about Christmas, to you, is the loveliest thing?

Gingerbread Men & Candy Canes,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

The Loveliest Things in Life
The Loveliest Things in Life #2

My 5 Favourite Musicals

Musicals and the theatre have always excited me. Maybe it's a desire to become that stereotypical middle class Englishperson who eats tea and scones (which I am definitely partial to) and the reminder that I am not makes me love the theatre all the more*. Today, I want to write a post about my favourite musicals but I refuse to put them in order of preferance. Therefore, the musicals I will discuss are more or less joint first!

First of all I want to talk about Wicked. This musical had hold of my heart as soon as I heard the soundtrack a years ago. I listened to it over and over again, belting Defying Gravity (badly) every day, longing to finally see the musical. Then I did. It's essentially the ultimate story of people refusing to look past the cover of a book without judging. As a result of years of segregation, Elphaba becomes isolated and became used to it until she and Glinda become friends. During the beauty of the moral and melodies, Elphaba is on a journey to fulfil righteousness in Oz. It's full of sweet, up-lifting and heart-breaking moments that caused me to cry in a few places throughout.

Les Miserables is definitely a favourite of mine. I spoke about it HERE and I could speak about it for five more blogposts. Based on The French Revolution and a love triangle that breaks my heart, Les Mis is dramatic and sweet and exciting. My whole family sat, captivated by the storyline and music when we saw it. It's truly magical.

Hairspray is always the soundtrack to my mum and I's baking sessions. Hairspray is exactly what I picture when someone talks about the sixties and it makes me want to style my hair "big" and dance along to a TV show. With a teen called Tracy Turnblad ready to take on the world of stardom during a battle of harsh segregation, she shows America how the world should be. Seeing Hairspray at the theatre was a magical experience. It's so uplifting and motivational. It's an absolute favourite to watch when I'm sat at home ill or when I have an urge to sing along.

Grease was the first musical that I became obsessed with, watching it every single day when I was ten years old. Watching it now, I realise how inappropriate it was for me to watch but Sandy and Danny were the couple of my childhood along with all of my friends as they seem to be perfect for each other and yet so different too. With high school not living up to their perfect summer romance, Grease is the perfect "break out in dance" musical that makes me wish it was acceptable to sing at the picnic benches at lunch time.

A few summers ago I saw Legally Blonde The Musical. It really was awesome. It made me laugh and bop along to the music in it. It's a fabulous adaptation of the film and is perfectly charming. In the hope to win Warner back, Elle throws herself into the world of law and turns out to be pretty good at it. The film is a classic and I really do believe the musical is genius.

I used to do posts like this every now and then and as I enjoyed them so much, I thought I'd talk about musicals! I feel like I should mention that Dirty Dancing would be on this list but I wasn't sure whether it was a musical or not. What are your favourite musicals? I will actually be posting another "My 5 Favourite..." in a week and a bit and I'm excited about that one too! I have been posting every day in December and you can read about that HERE.

Singing & Dancing,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

*I think I'm satirising the class divide of England. Or maybe I just want to wear ball gowns and have handmade fans for the British summer in my well-kept garden. I don't know.

A Carousel of Thoughts

Sometimes I have so many thoughts, wishes and worries moving round in my head, gliding slowly yet too quickly, thinking the same things over and over again, that it feels like those elegantly poised horses, moving quickly but somewhat dogmatically with the moon bouncing off of their suits while the carousel sings the song of the night.

Right now I am sat on my bed, surrounded by pillows, under the glow of my fairly lights and listening to McFly. It's a colder night than usual. There's something comforting about it, isn't there? It's cold outside but I'm inside, warmer with the walls of my house protecting me. It makes me feel the "my-stomach's-so-squishy-and-excited-inside" feeling. It's a Friday night and I'm writing a bunch of blogposts - aren't those evenings the best? - and with a few presents ready to be wrapped around me, I'm excited to buy Christmas wrapping paper and ribbon and cards.

On the scale of organisedness (should totally be a word), I'm nowhere near the shiny "organised" end and not quite at the doom and gloom "disorganised" end. I'd say I'm a happy medium but sometimes tipping towards "too disorganised". Yet, when I'm disorganised, I panic. (We're the worst type of people, I know). College work is at a new high and I'm feeling quite stressed and disorganised when I'm not sure that I am. However, I also am. I'm slightly confused and feeling "ahhhhhhh", if that can be an adjective. I'm feeling this feeling about my blog, A-Levels and university. As a bi-product from feeling a bit panicky, my blog can become a disorganised mess. Right now, my blog is so very organised, in terms of what I'm posting and when, that I'd like to shout it from the rooftops. I won't though. This is so, as soon it will not be organised because for as long as I'm organised, the sooner the disorganised blog of doom exists. Although, through the fear that my blog will never regain organisedness (I'm sticking to it), it's quite an exciting time. I'm just worried that as I see piles of work metaphorically and physically forming around me, that I'll be forced to spend less time on my blog and therefore, delve into a whirlpool of disorganisedness. I watch other bloggers deal so well with busyness and so I'm taking my inspiration from them. It's going to be okay.

A-Levels, at the moment, are my biggest worry and, in turn, I fear I will let panic take over and thereby not get to where I'd like for university. However, I am more than willing to do what it takes and more to get to where I wish. With my friends motivated like I am, the excitement for our futures should power us all through.

I hope delving into my mind isn't too boring (or scary) but, as you saw in my paragraph about my blog, I came to a conclusion after my mind debated with itself. As long as I work hard for my A-Levels (with relaxing time where I sit and bond with my blog), getting to university shouldn't be feared.

I've also been thinking about my 2013 year. It's been a good'n and I've got lots more to look forward to next year. My blog, A-Levels and university are going to be a big part of 2014 and I can't wait. What are you looking forward to?

This is the sixth day of Blogmas that you can read about HERE.

At the end of the day, as I sit, surrounded in sublime tranquillity, I can't help think that, although I'd like the thoughts to slow down every now and then, the worries and excitement, I hope, will never stop. As they go round and round, my heart smiles.

Fairgrounds & Twinkly Lights,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Cliché Worth Remembering

I was thinking about something that happened a few years ago and it made me think of a cliché that I, from a moment back then, decided was one to bookmark.

Life's too short.

It's an overused cliché, I know, but a cliché, that I've learnt to live by.

A few years ago, something happened between a really unbelievably close friend (who is still an unbelievably close friend) and I. It's difficult to explain because it wasn't (I really want to emphasise this) an argument. I don't think either of us knew what happened and we certainly don't know now. We drifted apart when we aren't the type of friends to "drift". Soon, a few friends speculated about it and it meant tension arose, not only because our close friends were talking about it but because we knew we were too close to be friends that "drifted". In turn both of us got the wrong impression, assuming the other was angry when neither of us were.

While this was happening, I was witnessing a sad event that made me incorporate this cliché into my life.

I bit the bullet. Do you know why? Life's too short.

Beforehand I was speaking to my dad in the car about what was happening in our lives and I said how I wanted to talk to my friend and sort everything out. He turned to me and just said "life's too short to sit around with the fear of regretting not sorting something out" and I couldn't be more grateful for my rational father to say something like that.

I have never been so grateful for sending a message. I asked if we could meet up and we talked, like normal, and everything was okay again. I took the leap and realised everything wasn't as bad as I imagined.

Technically, life isn't "short"; it's the longest thing you will do. As it is long, things happen; life happens. Don't take risks you'll regret like falling out with a friend but don't take dangerous risks that will make life "shorter" than it should have been. I'm not saying you should start talking to people who are out of your life for a reason that means they should stay out of you life, but sometimes a leap towards harmony should be taken.

I know this is a bit of a sombre post and I'm not one for posts like this very often but I, for some reason, despite my fear of writing this and being a bit personal, wanted to document how I believe in this little cliché. I am posting every day until Christmas, by the way, and you can read about it HERE.

Raspberries & Yoghurt,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. Sorry about the appallingly bad photo.

The Christmas Tag

I am very excited about this post today; a Christmassy tag was calling me. After reading THIS post that Justine from Brighton Dream, she tagged everyone, so here I am!

1. Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?

I love real Christmas trees, however I always have a synthetic one. I suppose it's a little family tradition that we would find sad to stop. I'm not sure that I prefer one or the other to be honest; I just love a fabulous Christmas tree!

2. You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick?

If I am at Costas, I would have a Gingerbread and Cream Latte; I have had too many already. Or I would have a hot chocolate from Caffè Nero with all of the trimmings. Sitting in a coffee shop at Christmastime is really one of the best things. With the busyness warming everything on the inside, a warm drink is a wish fulfilled.

3. What's your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?

I love all of the bright colours: red, green and yellow.

4. Giving or receiving?

I just love the giving aspect of Christmas. It excites me when I've really put thought into gifts and watching them (hopefully) present a genuine smile back to me. That's the best.

5. To mince pie or not to?

I spend my life thinking I'm a "no-no-no-no-ever-mince-pie-eater", but then I have one and I'm pleasantly surprised (especially if a bit of cream is involved) but then I may have one or a few more and I'm no longer a fan.

6. What's your traditional Sunday lunch?

My traditional Sunday lunch is a beautiful concoction of chicken, roast potatoes, mashed potato, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower cheese.

7. Christmas day fashion

Normally, I spend a good part of the morning in my pyjamas and then I change into a dress, some tights and probably a big cardigan to keep my Christmas cosy.

8. What's your favourite Christmas song?

This is like asking a mother to pick their favourite child! Well, not my mum but -*
My favourite Christmas songs (I can't pick one, I just can't) are White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Merry Christmas Everybody and I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday!

9. What's your favourite Christmas film?

Again, I can't choose. It has to be Elf, Love Actually and The Holiday.

10. Open presents before or after lunch?

My family and I spread our presents out over the whole day.

That was super fun and I tag you all (if you would like to do it)! Santa is coming guys!
Snowmen & Snowflakes,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Psssssst. I'm doing Blogmas. You can read about it HERE.

*Joking; my mum and my dad would choose my brother.