Last year I took on the challenge that was Blogmas! And I LOVED it. The idea is to blog every day until Christmas Day, and it gives me Christmassy happy shivers thinking about it. I enjoyed it so very much last year- even when I was sat on my sofa in the evening tapping my fingers, thinking about what to write about. I was so inspired by the Christmassy adventure, inspiration came eventually!
I want to add two fun post kind-of-series to this Blogmas; a story challenge; a reading challenge.
♥ A story challenge
I have an idea for a - and have started sorting out - Christmas story that will last for four posts. I adored writing my Christmas story last year for Blogmas (you can read it HERE), and the idea popped into my mind a couple of months ago to write a few "instalments" (if you will) to make a Christmas story for Blogmas and I couldn't imagine not doing it, so I'm so very excited.
♥ A reading challenge
Reading has been very much associated to my blog, and so I've decided to read three Christmas books in between now and Christmas and I will review them in Blogmas! I will be reading Christmas With Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher, Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Miracle and Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan! I shall, from here on, declare this mini series, "Santa's Reading Sack"!
I am very excited about Blogmas. Last year I managed to blog every day. I think it will be more of a struggle this year but I am even more motivated because my blog has slipped into silence every now and then this year and it has made for a very sad blogger. Blogmas is going to sort this out! I am a little nervous and have made a promise to myself that if I don't post a blog one day, I will post two on a day to make up for it etc! It shouldn't be a stressful process!
I will link each post down the bottom of this post once each day is up!
Good luck to anyone else doing this- I hope it is a relaxing, warm ball of Blogmassy delight for you all!
Christmas Jumpers & Hats,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
♥ Day 1 ♥ Day 2 ♥ Day 3 ♥ Day 4 ♥ Day 5 ♥ Day 6 ♥ Day 7 ♥ Day 8 ♥ Day 9 ♥ Day 10 ♥ Day 11 ♥ Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 ♥ Day 15 ♥ Day 16 ♥ Day 17 ♥ Day 18 ♥ Day 19 ♥ Day 20 ♥ Day 21 ♥ Day 22 ♥ Day 23 ♥ Day 24
Friday, 28 November 2014
Friday, 21 November 2014
Air Guitar - McBusted
Flashback to last September and McFly's 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall shows: McBusted come on stage performing Year 300, Air Hostess and Shine A Light. Childish excitement written in each of their smiles, their happiness was undeniable. This excitement is mirrored in everything the six of them are doing right now.On 23rd November, McBusted will release their first single: Air Guitar. I really super-ly duper-ly love it! It is everything you'd expect from McFly plus Busted plus a supergroup that are having the time of their life. It's fun and quirky, and it is everything McBusted should stand for.
You can pre-order it HERE on iTunes or order the CD bundle HERE.
Above is the video for Air Guitar, mixed in with the definition of McBusted. It's all very refreshing.
Karaoke & An Air Guitar,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Thursday, 20 November 2014
November 5th
Darkness. There was a lot of brightness. Brightness while there was darkness. Then there was darkness again. Even when there was brightness, the shadow accompanied the yellows and oranges and greens and pinks. A reminder. A reminder of the darkness. A reminder that the brightness really counted. Every single burst of colour should be cherished. Indulged in.
Looking back to November 5th 2010, Annie saw where she went wrong. Before she knew, happiness was taken for granted. When she knew, happiness was a blur of panic; a will to remember everything, enjoy everything; a fear of what was to come. That was what November 5th was. The final bright day.
Two weeks later and the memories that were made were memories of only darkness. A blur of "I'm sorry for your loss" and tears and old photographs.
Old photographs of genuine happiness. Selfish happiness. The kind that wasn't appreciated.
Not like it should have been.
The day of the funeral brought a clear blue sky and a smiling sun. A contradiction Annie should have despised. But she didn't. She saw darkness and she felt darkness but the sunshine was something she knew her mother would have only loved. It didn't bring Annie comfort or joy. It didn't turn on a fairy light in her vision of darkness. But she let her mother have something to glorify and make into something much more than it was.
Like when she was five and Annie was the only child in the class to have ruined the Christmas card she made. When Charlie Dawson reached over to get the glitter, Annie misread the situation and made a sudden movement that lead to glue being spilt all over the fairy she drew on the front.
"It's ruined," Annie had cried into her mother's arms.
"It's modified."
"But I made it for you. The fairy was supposed to be you."
"And do you know what the glue stands for, Annie, baby?"
Annie looked at her mother with hopeful eyes.
"It's for me and you. Stuck like glue."
Annie knew it was actually just an accident and it didn't mean that at all, but she sucked it up like her mother wanted her to. The thing is, the woman believed every word she said.
Two years after her mother's death, Annie stood, on the 5th November, with her head tilted towards the sky. Every piece of darkness was there to glorify the brightness. She knew it now. Maybe she spent the time leading to her mother's death from cancer panicking during happiness, but now, she cherished even these memories, and knew there were smiles and laughs and knew to relax from now on.
Her shoulders smiled and she took photographs of the fireworks with her eyes; her smile telling every wonderful story ever written.
It was all just a reminder of the brightness. A promise of the brightness.
Everything.
~
Glitter & Felt,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Looking back to November 5th 2010, Annie saw where she went wrong. Before she knew, happiness was taken for granted. When she knew, happiness was a blur of panic; a will to remember everything, enjoy everything; a fear of what was to come. That was what November 5th was. The final bright day.
Two weeks later and the memories that were made were memories of only darkness. A blur of "I'm sorry for your loss" and tears and old photographs.
Old photographs of genuine happiness. Selfish happiness. The kind that wasn't appreciated.
Not like it should have been.
The day of the funeral brought a clear blue sky and a smiling sun. A contradiction Annie should have despised. But she didn't. She saw darkness and she felt darkness but the sunshine was something she knew her mother would have only loved. It didn't bring Annie comfort or joy. It didn't turn on a fairy light in her vision of darkness. But she let her mother have something to glorify and make into something much more than it was.
Like when she was five and Annie was the only child in the class to have ruined the Christmas card she made. When Charlie Dawson reached over to get the glitter, Annie misread the situation and made a sudden movement that lead to glue being spilt all over the fairy she drew on the front.
"It's ruined," Annie had cried into her mother's arms.
"It's modified."
"But I made it for you. The fairy was supposed to be you."
"And do you know what the glue stands for, Annie, baby?"
Annie looked at her mother with hopeful eyes.
"It's for me and you. Stuck like glue."
Annie knew it was actually just an accident and it didn't mean that at all, but she sucked it up like her mother wanted her to. The thing is, the woman believed every word she said.
Two years after her mother's death, Annie stood, on the 5th November, with her head tilted towards the sky. Every piece of darkness was there to glorify the brightness. She knew it now. Maybe she spent the time leading to her mother's death from cancer panicking during happiness, but now, she cherished even these memories, and knew there were smiles and laughs and knew to relax from now on.
Her shoulders smiled and she took photographs of the fireworks with her eyes; her smile telling every wonderful story ever written.
It was all just a reminder of the brightness. A promise of the brightness.
Everything.
~
Glitter & Felt,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Friday, 14 November 2014
New Things
I've recently started university, and with the new atmosphere, routine and experience, comes a lot of new things, feelings and emotions.
New things can be scary; daunting; exciting. I experienced all of these feelings before coming to university and once I got here, I experienced them all over again. I've never feared new things, but once they have passed the "approaching" stage and are actually in front of me, ready to begin, I can begin to become nervous.
I decided a couple of years ago to embrace the nerves and swap them for an open attitude and a willingness to embrace a new thing. Despite the excitement I was feeling for university, I had an attachment to things I associate with home (really, it was the people that surrounded me) and it made me spend a long time just wanting to be home. It made it hard to embrace university completely, but I did try my hardest all the same.
I didn't feel homesick, I felt peoplesick.
I missed so many people, and alongside that, the routine of seeing those close to me.
However, being surrounded by other people experiencing a similar or the very same experience, was more than comforting.
More than that, I had some sort of routine again. Okay, my uni experience isn't the 9-3 school/college thing, but it's also not the summer "dowhatIwant" (within reason) routine. This new routine, along with looking after myself, has been something I have been enjoying (despite how nostalgic I am about my previous summer). Going home was an awesome time. Home made me feel homely and people made me feel homely.
New things are a lot of feelings and emotions mixed up it one. I hope to embrace new things as much as I can in a moment where I'm thinking of other things.
Yellows & Greens,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
New things can be scary; daunting; exciting. I experienced all of these feelings before coming to university and once I got here, I experienced them all over again. I've never feared new things, but once they have passed the "approaching" stage and are actually in front of me, ready to begin, I can begin to become nervous.
I decided a couple of years ago to embrace the nerves and swap them for an open attitude and a willingness to embrace a new thing. Despite the excitement I was feeling for university, I had an attachment to things I associate with home (really, it was the people that surrounded me) and it made me spend a long time just wanting to be home. It made it hard to embrace university completely, but I did try my hardest all the same.
I didn't feel homesick, I felt peoplesick.
I missed so many people, and alongside that, the routine of seeing those close to me.
However, being surrounded by other people experiencing a similar or the very same experience, was more than comforting.
More than that, I had some sort of routine again. Okay, my uni experience isn't the 9-3 school/college thing, but it's also not the summer "dowhatIwant" (within reason) routine. This new routine, along with looking after myself, has been something I have been enjoying (despite how nostalgic I am about my previous summer). Going home was an awesome time. Home made me feel homely and people made me feel homely.
New things are a lot of feelings and emotions mixed up it one. I hope to embrace new things as much as I can in a moment where I'm thinking of other things.
Yellows & Greens,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
To My 16 Year Old Self
You're sixteen and happy, lost and nervous too,
You're giggly and silly, looking forward to who,
You'll become, but, I'll tell you one truth,
Right now you are who,
You must look forward to,
Right now really counts,
Remove any doubt,
Carpe diem, 16 year old me, carpe diem,
If today is a day you wish for another,
Please know that tomorrow will always be better,
Tomorrow, I'll tell you, has no measurement,
It could be a day or a year, but it's coming so soon,
You aren't one for pressure, yet you don't reject work,
You thrive and you drive, but the panic, it lurks,
It's hard and it sucks,
But whenever you're stuck,
Clear your mind, take a breath,
The answers are left,
In your head, they're right there,
See, you know it, be fair,
To yourself, please,
You may be sixteen,
But the world is all yours,
Don't be scared anymore,
You're happy, you smile,
But just for a while,
You get sucked up in sadness,
The crazy school madness,
While sunshine is shining,
You're blind for a moment,
But the yellow is calling,
That new day is dawning,
The brightness is smiling,
All upon your arriving,
Welcome back.
~
I watched THIS video by Carrie Hope Fletcher and it made me want to do the same. I cried watching hers and felt like it'd make me happy to reflect.
Sunshine & Brightness,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
You're giggly and silly, looking forward to who,
You'll become, but, I'll tell you one truth,
Right now you are who,
You must look forward to,
Right now really counts,
Remove any doubt,
Carpe diem, 16 year old me, carpe diem,
If today is a day you wish for another,
Please know that tomorrow will always be better,
Tomorrow, I'll tell you, has no measurement,
It could be a day or a year, but it's coming so soon,
You aren't one for pressure, yet you don't reject work,
You thrive and you drive, but the panic, it lurks,
It's hard and it sucks,
But whenever you're stuck,
Clear your mind, take a breath,
The answers are left,
In your head, they're right there,
See, you know it, be fair,
To yourself, please,
You may be sixteen,
But the world is all yours,
Don't be scared anymore,
You're happy, you smile,
But just for a while,
You get sucked up in sadness,
The crazy school madness,
While sunshine is shining,
You're blind for a moment,
But the yellow is calling,
That new day is dawning,
The brightness is smiling,
All upon your arriving,
Welcome back.
~
I watched THIS video by Carrie Hope Fletcher and it made me want to do the same. I cried watching hers and felt like it'd make me happy to reflect.
Sunshine & Brightness,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Friday, 7 November 2014
An Autumnal Scene
Today I went for a run, and the autumn-ness was so beautifully, blindly obvious, I had to absorb every little orange and red and brown detail; whether it be the actual autumn features, or simply the autumnal feel that I was indulging in- and by the looks of it, other people were too!
As my feet took on a slightly quicker dance to the slightly chillier afternoon compared to afternoons I had become accustomed to over summer, they became friends with the plethora of leaves becoming friends with each other on the ground. Red, orange, yellow, green, brown. As my eyes grinned from autumnal detail to autumnal detail, I found my excited seeing-machines look to the sky. It was blue. Simply blue. If I were inside and had no knowledge of seasons, and the heating was on, I'd think, "Hey, what a gorgeous summer day."
But no, the chill. It's not a nasty chill; a bite from a bully's mouth. It's warming, somehow. Not in a literal way, but in a friendly, gorgeous way. The pavement was also a little damp. But not too damp. It glowed a little under the sun; like the ground was smiling up at the sky, wishing it a good day. Around me people were smiling. Autumn was their friend too.
And all around me were joggers; walkers; cyclists. All going about their lives; either conscious of or oblivious to the pleasant day that was autumn. Either way, people seemed happy; smiley. In love with the day and its offerings. It was good company to a run that made me calm and happy. I saw other people in good company; with actual people, or autumn itself.
It did, though, rain. I actually laughed. For so long I had admired the summery-esque feeling of the day, and it rained. "Of course," I thought. But I couldn't resent it. I actually liked it. It was a light shower. A little reminder of its uniqueness to winter, spring and summer. But autumn smiled while it proved its point.
Running to surroundings such as these was a calming experience. Sweet, too. It made me want my run not to end- but it did, of course. Yet, it has made me excited for my next one- and the one after that. And all of the ones until winter will well and truly become my friend.
Magic & Cake Decorations,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
As my feet took on a slightly quicker dance to the slightly chillier afternoon compared to afternoons I had become accustomed to over summer, they became friends with the plethora of leaves becoming friends with each other on the ground. Red, orange, yellow, green, brown. As my eyes grinned from autumnal detail to autumnal detail, I found my excited seeing-machines look to the sky. It was blue. Simply blue. If I were inside and had no knowledge of seasons, and the heating was on, I'd think, "Hey, what a gorgeous summer day."
But no, the chill. It's not a nasty chill; a bite from a bully's mouth. It's warming, somehow. Not in a literal way, but in a friendly, gorgeous way. The pavement was also a little damp. But not too damp. It glowed a little under the sun; like the ground was smiling up at the sky, wishing it a good day. Around me people were smiling. Autumn was their friend too.
And all around me were joggers; walkers; cyclists. All going about their lives; either conscious of or oblivious to the pleasant day that was autumn. Either way, people seemed happy; smiley. In love with the day and its offerings. It was good company to a run that made me calm and happy. I saw other people in good company; with actual people, or autumn itself.
It did, though, rain. I actually laughed. For so long I had admired the summery-esque feeling of the day, and it rained. "Of course," I thought. But I couldn't resent it. I actually liked it. It was a light shower. A little reminder of its uniqueness to winter, spring and summer. But autumn smiled while it proved its point.
Running to surroundings such as these was a calming experience. Sweet, too. It made me want my run not to end- but it did, of course. Yet, it has made me excited for my next one- and the one after that. And all of the ones until winter will well and truly become my friend.
Magic & Cake Decorations,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
Monday, 3 November 2014
TOURPLAY!!!!1!1!!
NB: I'm about to fangirl all over the screen.
McBusted's film, Tourplay follows the six guys on their 2014 tour. It has golden snippets of backstage-ness and plays certain songs from one of the O2 performances and their summer Hyde Park concert. The film is gorgeously fun and warming to the heart to see the guys and their bond; their hard work and want to perform and enjoy their job.
The only way I can describe McBusted's friendship is by thinking about when I used to go on sleepovers and my friends and I were in our element; having ultimate laughs and giggles and a fab time. McBusted are showing themselves to be living this excitement every day. And they portrayed it beautifully when I saw them live; easily reflected whilst watching Tourplay. Honestly, when the performances were shown, it felt like they were there. (In an awesome flux-capacitor-transporting-me-from-one-concert-to-another kind of way.)
Tourplay gave me a wonderfully homely feeling. It made me super proud to be a supporter of the guys because their excitement just makes them completely worthy of success. I loved re-living the tour and seeing the work that went into it; the friendship of theirs; their ridiculous talent.
You can pre-order the Tourplay DVD which also includes McBusted live at the O2 HERE which is released on 24th November.
Blimey, I am craving a McBusted concert.
Flux Capacitors & Doodles,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
McBusted's film, Tourplay follows the six guys on their 2014 tour. It has golden snippets of backstage-ness and plays certain songs from one of the O2 performances and their summer Hyde Park concert. The film is gorgeously fun and warming to the heart to see the guys and their bond; their hard work and want to perform and enjoy their job.
The only way I can describe McBusted's friendship is by thinking about when I used to go on sleepovers and my friends and I were in our element; having ultimate laughs and giggles and a fab time. McBusted are showing themselves to be living this excitement every day. And they portrayed it beautifully when I saw them live; easily reflected whilst watching Tourplay. Honestly, when the performances were shown, it felt like they were there. (In an awesome flux-capacitor-transporting-me-from-one-concert-to-another kind of way.)
Tourplay gave me a wonderfully homely feeling. It made me super proud to be a supporter of the guys because their excitement just makes them completely worthy of success. I loved re-living the tour and seeing the work that went into it; the friendship of theirs; their ridiculous talent.
You can pre-order the Tourplay DVD which also includes McBusted live at the O2 HERE which is released on 24th November.
Blimey, I am craving a McBusted concert.
Flux Capacitors & Doodles,
The Girl in the Moonlight.
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