Hey GUys,
On Wednesday the 9th of November i was at my college's bar in Uni watching the results coming in and gradually seeing hate win. Donald Trump won the election, he is now *glups* president of the United States of America.
But why does this matter, why as a British, white, female citizen am i even writing about it.
Because this decision affects everyone. Good or bad... and at the moment i scared about the latter.
Trump as a person has said ridiculously hateful to many groups of society, and that should never be ok.
One of the leading countries in our world is represented by someone who's a racist, sexist, ageist, hateful against the disabled and so much more.
His slogan 'Make America Great again' has given in the words of Jon Cozart, given permission for people to hate.
And that's the scary part.
Trump's policies, ideas and sayings have developed this channel of hatred which is start to become accepted and normalised... People begin to think... Oh if the president can say this...So can I, I should start to view the world the way they do. As 'Them and Us' . Splitting our society into groups and segregating them.
This leads to groups getting discriminated, oppressed and abused.
That is not ok. Right. Or allowed. No one group should feel afraid to practice their faith, speak their views, or simply walk down the street late at night.
So that's why Donald Trump matters. That is why his presidency matters. He's become a beacon and mouthpiece for hate which starts to spread and spread.
Let's work and keep working to stop that.
Love,
LadyoftheRivers
Thursday, 10 November 2016
Sunday, 16 October 2016
How to maybe pass your driving test..
Hey Guys,
If your in the UK and are coming up to the ripe old age of 17 ( 16 if your in the US of A) your mind will be wandering to driving, whether you can pass, whether you should take the test, or if you even should be let lose on the road.
I once, back in the day last year went through the same questions, I especially was concerned about others people's safety if and when i was set lose on the road...
However, i have passed my test now ( over a month a go actually...) and i now feel relatively if not slightly under-qualified to give you some advice on driving...
1. DO NOT START IF YOU ARE NOT READY...
I for example unfortunately have my birthday in the midst of revising season, therefore i knew i could not even attempt to start driving until i had gotten my exams out the way. In that couple of months before i started driving i was able to take a step back, i defiantly would not have been ready to take my test on the day of my birthday. So do not worry if you have turned 17 and do not have the urge to get behind a wheel.
2. THEORY FIRST
As with everything in life driving and passing are not simple. First if you did not know you have to pass a theory driving test before you start driving practically. For me as someone who likes to understand the rules before starting anything found it helpful to look through the highway code and understand the regulations and rules of the road. It meany when i started learning my theory and driving at the same time it wasn't totally new to me. I could recognise the signs and the road markings, which meant driving became less scary... for both me and my parents.
3. USE YOUR RESOURCES
Do not start shelling out £50 for a 2 hour lesson, go out first with you parent/ guardian/ over 21 year old licensed driver you can trust. I started with 'lay-by driving' which is basically driving up and down a lay-by, reversing, getting used to the steering wheel and pedals. Driving is all about small and simple steps, break down what is a difficult skill to make it easier to learn. All this practice you've down will mean when you do start driving with an instructor you can start from step 6 instead of step 1, saving you both time and money.
4. GET A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR YOU CAN TRUST
I was very lucky and with the first try i had an amazing driving instructor. She was so helpful and luckily we got on really well, making the whole process easier. If like some i know who do not like their instructor don't be afraid to get a new one or swap, they will not be that offended as they know not everyone has the same taste. Its better to be happy than unhappy.
5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Driving like with any skill takes time to perfect, therefore practice driving any way you can. I used to drive my dad to do the food shop every Saturday and drive back from school as well. This helped me get used to the road and other drivers, it made me learn the 15 million eyes you need to be able to see everything you need to be aware off on the road.
I hope this helps relieve anyone of their driving fears and gives you a bit of confidence that you will eventually pass.
If you are far of learning to drive, watch your parents or somebody else drive while you're in the car to see how they do it- it might come in useful later.
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
If your in the UK and are coming up to the ripe old age of 17 ( 16 if your in the US of A) your mind will be wandering to driving, whether you can pass, whether you should take the test, or if you even should be let lose on the road.
I once, back in the day last year went through the same questions, I especially was concerned about others people's safety if and when i was set lose on the road...
However, i have passed my test now ( over a month a go actually...) and i now feel relatively if not slightly under-qualified to give you some advice on driving...
1. DO NOT START IF YOU ARE NOT READY...
I for example unfortunately have my birthday in the midst of revising season, therefore i knew i could not even attempt to start driving until i had gotten my exams out the way. In that couple of months before i started driving i was able to take a step back, i defiantly would not have been ready to take my test on the day of my birthday. So do not worry if you have turned 17 and do not have the urge to get behind a wheel.
2. THEORY FIRST
As with everything in life driving and passing are not simple. First if you did not know you have to pass a theory driving test before you start driving practically. For me as someone who likes to understand the rules before starting anything found it helpful to look through the highway code and understand the regulations and rules of the road. It meany when i started learning my theory and driving at the same time it wasn't totally new to me. I could recognise the signs and the road markings, which meant driving became less scary... for both me and my parents.
3. USE YOUR RESOURCES
Do not start shelling out £50 for a 2 hour lesson, go out first with you parent/ guardian/ over 21 year old licensed driver you can trust. I started with 'lay-by driving' which is basically driving up and down a lay-by, reversing, getting used to the steering wheel and pedals. Driving is all about small and simple steps, break down what is a difficult skill to make it easier to learn. All this practice you've down will mean when you do start driving with an instructor you can start from step 6 instead of step 1, saving you both time and money.
4. GET A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR YOU CAN TRUST
I was very lucky and with the first try i had an amazing driving instructor. She was so helpful and luckily we got on really well, making the whole process easier. If like some i know who do not like their instructor don't be afraid to get a new one or swap, they will not be that offended as they know not everyone has the same taste. Its better to be happy than unhappy.
5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Driving like with any skill takes time to perfect, therefore practice driving any way you can. I used to drive my dad to do the food shop every Saturday and drive back from school as well. This helped me get used to the road and other drivers, it made me learn the 15 million eyes you need to be able to see everything you need to be aware off on the road.
I hope this helps relieve anyone of their driving fears and gives you a bit of confidence that you will eventually pass.
If you are far of learning to drive, watch your parents or somebody else drive while you're in the car to see how they do it- it might come in useful later.
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
Saturday, 1 October 2016
Why am I so afraid of admitting I have a Period?
Hey Guys,
I know in the past i've contained these rant style blog posts for Thursdays, but this thought can't wait it just keeps spilling out wanting to be written about.. So here it is...Thought of the day...
Why am i embarrassed to have a period?
This thought sprang on me when i was buying reserve period pads for uni...I will not be caught out having a period with no money to spend on such 'luxuries'. Therefore I ,with my mum's permission, took her card out to buy a couple of packets to keep me going.
As I was walking into Tesco, I realised with horror that i was terrified to be buying period pads. The thought kinda amused me for a second as i walked purposefully to the back of the shop where there stock. But my brain kept insisting...Right now, you are embarrassed and almost ashamed to be caught buying such necessities. I kept trying to convince myself i wasn't but now not just my brain but my body was convinced i was embarrassed, walking in a round about direction towards them as if i wasn't going into the shop on the sole purpose of buying them, and then quickly picking them up, after checking no one was watching and shoving them right at the bottom of my basket.
It defies logic for me, why am i afraid to show the world that i am going through a normal bodily function, something that happens to half the population every 28 days or so. Why do i feel ashamed about my body. my period. my femininity.
I could go really deep and feminsisty by breaking it down, having a period is 100 and 10% female. When it first arrives there is always someone telling you 'You're a women now' like a less exciting letter from Hogwarts... Having a period defines many women as they believe it gives them a badge telling others their a women. Periods as childbirth used to be viewed as a mysterious 'women thing'. So is that why i am embarrassed about spending a few quid on pads? It marks me as a women, screams my femininity to anyone who noticed, marks me as someone who is weak/vulnerable at the moment?
I don't know...
Logically and normally i'm proud to be a women, proud to be strong, independent and hopefully sometimes a bit bad ass... So why does something which represent my life as a female bring me so much embarrassment?
It is society's doing, this stigma we've created around periods finally affecting me, subconsciously am i taking in the blue never accurate representation of the adverts how periods should be hidden so no one ever knows, like a horrible secret. Me flaunting my purchases revokes the way society deals with it, how dare i buy pads, i should be hiding this natural function.
I am still questioning why i feel so embarrassed about my period... I hope i'm not alone.
Anyway,
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
I know in the past i've contained these rant style blog posts for Thursdays, but this thought can't wait it just keeps spilling out wanting to be written about.. So here it is...Thought of the day...
Why am i embarrassed to have a period?
This thought sprang on me when i was buying reserve period pads for uni...I will not be caught out having a period with no money to spend on such 'luxuries'. Therefore I ,with my mum's permission, took her card out to buy a couple of packets to keep me going.
As I was walking into Tesco, I realised with horror that i was terrified to be buying period pads. The thought kinda amused me for a second as i walked purposefully to the back of the shop where there stock. But my brain kept insisting...Right now, you are embarrassed and almost ashamed to be caught buying such necessities. I kept trying to convince myself i wasn't but now not just my brain but my body was convinced i was embarrassed, walking in a round about direction towards them as if i wasn't going into the shop on the sole purpose of buying them, and then quickly picking them up, after checking no one was watching and shoving them right at the bottom of my basket.
It defies logic for me, why am i afraid to show the world that i am going through a normal bodily function, something that happens to half the population every 28 days or so. Why do i feel ashamed about my body. my period. my femininity.
I could go really deep and feminsisty by breaking it down, having a period is 100 and 10% female. When it first arrives there is always someone telling you 'You're a women now' like a less exciting letter from Hogwarts... Having a period defines many women as they believe it gives them a badge telling others their a women. Periods as childbirth used to be viewed as a mysterious 'women thing'. So is that why i am embarrassed about spending a few quid on pads? It marks me as a women, screams my femininity to anyone who noticed, marks me as someone who is weak/vulnerable at the moment?
I don't know...
Logically and normally i'm proud to be a women, proud to be strong, independent and hopefully sometimes a bit bad ass... So why does something which represent my life as a female bring me so much embarrassment?
It is society's doing, this stigma we've created around periods finally affecting me, subconsciously am i taking in the blue never accurate representation of the adverts how periods should be hidden so no one ever knows, like a horrible secret. Me flaunting my purchases revokes the way society deals with it, how dare i buy pads, i should be hiding this natural function.
I am still questioning why i feel so embarrassed about my period... I hope i'm not alone.
Anyway,
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
Friday, 23 September 2016
Updated Sneak Peak into My Jewellery
Hey Guys,
Quite a while a go i did a blogpost on my most worn pieces of Jewellery and since then my collection has grown, changed and adjusted so i thought toady i would share some of my favourite pieces with you.
If there was only one way of wearing jewellery i would only wear necklaces. Everyday i wear my Tudor rose necklace, and so i'm a little addicted to necklaces so i have quite a few. This one was my 18th birthday gift from my grandparents, as the only thing i asked for was a suffragette necklace, which i got. This necklace is thought to be a suffragette jewellery as it contains white, green and purple/ violet gems...Code for Give Women the Vote. I admire the suffragettes immensely as they were all so brave and fearless and if i could have a small fraction of their determination and courage in order to help the word, i would be so happy. This necklace is so lovely i like to wear it over jumpers as it come to just the right length.
What a surprise, another necklace, this again was an 18th present, this time from my aunt, i wore this in the summer as an alternative to my Tudor Rose necklace as it went really well with a top i had. I like this necklace as i love silver jewellery and this is such a nice, simple and classic necklace to wear if i don't want to wear to much jewellery. I like the little R stamped on to it as although it is my initial it also can stand for Ravenclaw or Rivers or anything else you know beginning with R...
Quite a while a go i did a blogpost on my most worn pieces of Jewellery and since then my collection has grown, changed and adjusted so i thought toady i would share some of my favourite pieces with you.
One of my most worn pieces of jewellery is my Pandora bracelet, this was originally my 16th birthday, as i got the bracelet and the charm furthest to the left as my present. Since then my family and i have been working hard and now my bracelet is pretty much full. Since my last blog post i have brought the good luck coin with my first pay check before my A2s. As shown last time the rabbit and crown were a Christmas present from my parents and the hot air balloon was my treat to myself after GCSEs. Most recently were these two charms the fleur de lis and the Aries charm which my parents got me as a results day gift and a getting in to Uni gift. The final clip was my 17th birthday present from my grandma as it is a daisy which is the flower of April, when my birthday is. This list shows why i love Pandora so much as it is a collection of gifts and stories, i like how people in my life give me different charms and each means something. I wear this bracelet so much and it is so comfy for me. If you are looking for a charm bracelet that people can add things on, definitely go for Pandora as they are just really high quality and i love it.
Lastly... It's a necklace, wow. This is one of my favourite piece of jewellery. This was my 18th birthday present from my parents and i love it. The opal is so pretty and the necklace is so elegant and simple which is right up my alley as i like simple and classic jewellery designs. I'm not a massive fan of modern jewellery so this a pre-owned vintage necklace. I'm so glad me and my dad decided to buy this as we walked passed it an i had to stop and look at it for a while and everywhere we went we kept referring back to it. I wore this at my end of school ball and every time i wear it i get so many compliments, its just so lovely.
I hope you enjoy this sneak peak and i'm sure you have so many special piece like i do in your collection.
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
Friday, 16 September 2016
Book Review- The Cursed Child
Hey Guys,
I recently read The Cursed Child as I have definitely caught the Harry Potter Bug recently after finally getting round to finish reading the series. So I thought I'd carry this new fascination on to reading the new play 'The Cursed Child'. Now I have heard some mixed reviews about this, some vehemently dislike it others ,myself included, really enjoyed it.
This play is right up my ally, i am a sucker for epilogues and fan fictions that take the characters and put them in different places with new problems. For those who haven't read it the play is based around Harry Potter's son Albus Severus Potter ( I know it's a ridiculous name) who feels like the 'Cursed Child' in his house as he is sort off the odd one out. Without spoiling the play he goes on adventures with his only friend Scorpius Malfoy ( A Potter and a Malfoy are friends...What ever is next)
For those who have read it, will know the crazy and insane things that happen, and i kind of loved that, the 'weird' things for me represent the wizarding world where literally anything could happen. I also really loved the 'villain' in this, for me it literally came out of nowhere and i honestly believed the character was completely innocent for over half the book.
I think i also really like the play because the characters for me were really interesting. I connected a lot more with Albus than i sometimes did with Harry in the original series and because it was a play every dialogue Albus has is meant to show you parts of his personality that would normally be described in a novel, and i really like that because Albus is then as a character more open to interpretation. When you read this Scorpius Malfoy will have your heart straight away, he is the sweetest, loyal and lovely character, there are parts where he shows his capacity for evil but most of him is focused on having adventures with friends, which is all he ever wanted.
One of my favourite thing about the play was Harry's nightmares and night terrors, i think that shows how deeply the war and the constant struggle for 8 years with Voldermort damaged him. It gives each character something else and thats why i really liked it, it was a continuation of these characters, exploring them differently and changing them up, which is one of my favourite thing to read.
I am beyond excited to see how they are going to stage and act this play... But if you haven't got tickets or want to revisit
the Harry Potter world or even see what all the hype is about, I would 100% recommend reading the play as it was something i really enjoyed.
Hope you do too.
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
Wednesday, 7 September 2016
Elizabeth Ist and her Portraits
Hey Guys,
SO today ( the 7th of September) is Elizabeth the 1st birthday. She for those of you who are familiar was a Tudor monarch who ruled England from 1558-1603. I think that although she did have some flaws she was a pretty great monarch, especially in the style department. Therefore i wanted to share with you today some of my favourite portraits of Elizabeth and even analyse a couple.
1. The Coronation Portrait.
Now this is one of her lesser known portraits. Now, you might be wondering, what on earth is in her hands... Which is a wooden sieve. Basically like the pearls Elizabeth always wore, this sieve is another image of virginal status, as it comes from a story when a women showed her purity by carrying water in a sieve and none came out. ( Or so I believe). Therefore this portrait shows how obvious Elizabeth's imagery can be, literally the sieve is the only focal point of this portrait so it like she is highlighting to everyone "Look How pure i am..."
4.
SO today ( the 7th of September) is Elizabeth the 1st birthday. She for those of you who are familiar was a Tudor monarch who ruled England from 1558-1603. I think that although she did have some flaws she was a pretty great monarch, especially in the style department. Therefore i wanted to share with you today some of my favourite portraits of Elizabeth and even analyse a couple.
1. The Coronation Portrait.
This portrait is one of my absolute favourite of hers, you might have seen glimpses in the latest drama series about Victoria. I don't know why i love this portrait so much but i just love how apologetically regal she looks, painted in full garb with orb, sceptre and crown she is basically sticking a middle finger up at anyone who doesn't believe women can rule and is proving that she is every inch a queen.
2.
This is one of the earliest full portraits of just Elizabeth and is one of the first portraits i saw. David Starkey did a really interesting analysis of this portrait as he said she is of course with the bible open behind her and her hand marking the place in a book showing scholarly and pious attributes. But he pointed out the french hood pushed back, the bed canopy open behind her and her intense eyes remind or have hints at her mother's provocative nature.
3.
4.
The rainbow portrait. This is one of my favourite portraits of Elizabeth, because i feel it is a portrait of her just throwing shade across all of her courtiers. Elizabeth here, is wearing a gown covered in eyes and ears, which translates as saying she can hear and see all in the country. Not only that but this portrait is full of symbolism, the snake on her sleeve represents wisdom, it has a heart in its mouth showing Elizabeth lets wisdom rule her heart. She is also holding a rainbow (hence the rainbow portrait) which implies peace, showing that she is literally holding peace and prosperity.
5.
Lastly, the infamous Armada portrait. The crown, hand on the globe, scenes of the Armada being destroyed and her fantastic gown all scream images of royalty and queen-ship. The still image links to the medals which had the phrase: "God blew and the where scattered" as it shows the English fleet serenely sitting on still water. The fan is a classic Elizabeth symbol of royalty and elegance.
hope you enjoyed this little post full of portraits,
Enjoy, Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
Monday, 5 September 2016
Guide Back to School- Dyslexic Addition
Hey Guys,
If you don't know for all my life i have suffered with the horror that is dyslexia.
Dyslexia if you are not familiar is a learning disability that google defines as:
"a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence."
And this means it really affects life when you are at school.
Finally as i have finished school, I am able to escape the hell it created, but that means many of you are still suffering through school, made especially hard if you too suffer with dyslexia. Therefore i have decided to give you a few top tips if you are in need of help.
1, Get Tested.
The first thing to do if you fee like you have any sort of learning disability, get tested. Therefore you can understand exactly what you have and what you can do to combat it. Getting tested is easily, go and organise a meeting with an educational physcologist They will do really easy brain test and IQ test, don't worry about that.
2. Speak to your teachers
Some problems can arise when your teachers believe you are being stupid or lazy- which you are not you are just trying to be a normal human. Speaking to your teacher so you can highlight the areas you have problems with whether it be reading, writing or numbers. If you can get your teachers on board life will become a lot more easier.
3. Find a way to revise
What i found hardest about dyslexia was my memory, that meant i have to start to revise a lot earlier than others- i;m talking October rather than when they start in like blooming May! I revise by A5 notebooks which i right summaries of all topics, and then to increasingly amounts of practise exams and essays.
4. Have the right equipment
If your handwriting is messy or takes you quite a while, see if you can get computer in exam, or at the very least 25% extra time. This will help make the HORROR that is exams, they are literally designed by Satan.
( If you can't tell. I hate exams)
5. Plan essays
This was the best thing for me, although you will always have the comments of can you plan your essays despite the fact you do, planning essays means you structure is a least on point. Planning is so important and without it my essays would be such a mess, so planning is a massive necessity just for getting all your ideas down in a coherent way.
I hope this helps anyone going into the horror of school tomorrow!
Good Luck
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
If you don't know for all my life i have suffered with the horror that is dyslexia.
Dyslexia if you are not familiar is a learning disability that google defines as:
"a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence."
And this means it really affects life when you are at school.
Finally as i have finished school, I am able to escape the hell it created, but that means many of you are still suffering through school, made especially hard if you too suffer with dyslexia. Therefore i have decided to give you a few top tips if you are in need of help.
1, Get Tested.
The first thing to do if you fee like you have any sort of learning disability, get tested. Therefore you can understand exactly what you have and what you can do to combat it. Getting tested is easily, go and organise a meeting with an educational physcologist They will do really easy brain test and IQ test, don't worry about that.
2. Speak to your teachers
Some problems can arise when your teachers believe you are being stupid or lazy- which you are not you are just trying to be a normal human. Speaking to your teacher so you can highlight the areas you have problems with whether it be reading, writing or numbers. If you can get your teachers on board life will become a lot more easier.
3. Find a way to revise
What i found hardest about dyslexia was my memory, that meant i have to start to revise a lot earlier than others- i;m talking October rather than when they start in like blooming May! I revise by A5 notebooks which i right summaries of all topics, and then to increasingly amounts of practise exams and essays.
4. Have the right equipment
If your handwriting is messy or takes you quite a while, see if you can get computer in exam, or at the very least 25% extra time. This will help make the HORROR that is exams, they are literally designed by Satan.
( If you can't tell. I hate exams)
5. Plan essays
This was the best thing for me, although you will always have the comments of can you plan your essays despite the fact you do, planning essays means you structure is a least on point. Planning is so important and without it my essays would be such a mess, so planning is a massive necessity just for getting all your ideas down in a coherent way.
I hope this helps anyone going into the horror of school tomorrow!
Good Luck
Love,
LadyoftheRivers x
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