Tuesday 28 January 2014

Making Lemonade (again)

So, sometimes you really need things to go to plan, and when they do, it's the most magical feeling. But life has a way of completely going the opposite direction you want it to go. So far off track, in some cases, that you can't even imagine how to find your way back.

In these cases, it's easy to give up. Despair. How could this happen?! It seems so unfair. You did everything right, you took care and precaution and yet somehow you've ended up in a situation where you feel like you have failed. The important thing is not to let this feeling overcome you. Once the notion of failure sets in, it's hard to shake. But you should remember that failure happens to everyone, it's normal, it's human, and most of all: it is by no means the end.

The world that we live in is dominated by social media, celebrity and success: more and more we are expected to do more, earn more, achieve more, and further still we are expected to all this at a younger age. The pressures of being in your 20's is well documented: TV shows like Girls represent the challenges faced by the Y generation: having less opportunities coupled with more expectations = a recipe for an array of psychological problems and insecurities.


At times when you feel like the world around you is collapsing, it's a good idea to take stock, re-evaluate and try to imagine the bigger picture. Here are my tips which I have found help me personally. This is by no means a definitive list. Of course, being 23 myself I am still learning, my life is a continual process of new mistakes and experiences and working out the best way to deal with them. But, so far, these are some of the things I have found some comfort in.

1. Keep a diary


Writing down my thoughts in a personal diary is a calming, therapeutic way to vent any fears, worries or emotions. Writing it helps to give you an outlet; reading it back helps you re-assess and nine times out of ten you'll find, as I do, that you're problems don't look nearly as bad as you imagined them to be in your head!

2. Talk to friends

It could be something as simple as a funny text message from a close friend reminding you that "only thick people pass their driving test first time". Hearing supportive words from people who care about you will make you realize that you are your worst and only critic.

3. Lose yourself in something


Keeping busy is an important way to keep your mind from constantly re-living your mistakes and snowballing into another self-esteem black hole. If you don't feel like going out, even just gluing yourself to a marathon session of TV shows can be a good way of escaping your own head, if just for a while.

4. Think about your successes

Ok, so you're not perfect. But at least, you tried! Think of it less as a failure and more of a halfway step to success. Remember things you've achieved that you feel proud of. 

5. Get very drunk


This one explains itself.

6. Eat chocolate / sweets / cake


7. Laugh!!


8. Buy something you want

Even if it's only a few pounds for a new lipstick or a magazine, the rush of spending money and the excitement of having something new will give you the boost you need

9. Challenge yourself

So you failed this time, but next time, you'll learn from this and you'll do better! Make a plan of action, make a list of make a promise to yourself to meet a goal.

10. Above all, remember... 
things WILL get better! One of the main things I've learned in the past few years is just how quickly bad situations can turn into good ones. I really believe that everything does happen for a reason, because it proves itself to be true time and time again. Don't forget to make the most out of life's downs as well as its ups. Something I have often realized in retrospect is that many of the best times in my life were brought out of the worst times.

Life's too short to dwell on your own shortcomings- things are going to go wrong. A lot. Sometimes it will be your fault, sometimes it won't. But regardless, have fun and shake it up, make it fizzy, it's all you can do!

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Monday 27 January 2014

The Calm Before the Storm

As much as it is considered back luck to inform others of one's driving test date and time, this time around I could not contain the information and have told everyone that will listen! Tomorrow will be my second attempt, and although it is still another twenty whole hours away, I can feel the nerves already building in the pit of my stomach, so I'm dreading what I will feel like in the morning!

To combat this I have decided to have a day of relaxation and prep, so I'm fully ready to take it on without collapsing like a house of spaghetti.





I bought these rescue remedy pastilles after I googled ways to overcome stress and nerves on your driving test. Probably they won't make a blind bit of difference, maybe it's all psychological but it can't hurt to try! I will report back my findings on here.


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Sunday 26 January 2014

Happy Burns Day





Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome to your gory bed,
         Or to victory!

Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;
See approach proud Edward's power—
         Chains and slavery!

Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave!
Wha sae base as be a slave?
         Let him turn and flee!

Wha for Scotland's king and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa',
         Let him follow me!

By oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
         But they shall be free!

Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!—
         Let us do or die!

- Robert Burns

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Wednesday 22 January 2014

City Bees

Today I took a walk up with Tom, the resident bee-keeper at Urban Roots, the charity where I'm volunteering. We were taking the bees up food, in the form of a large and squidgey bag of sugary and sticky sweet goodness, which to be honest looked pretty good to a sugar addict like myself!



The bees were mostly sleeping, but a few were doing their nosy outside of the hives and Lindsay (bee-keeper in training) had to deal with some cheeky stings!

I stayed well out of their way to observe and take photos.








Aren't bees amazing? I can't wait to the Summer time to see what they have been working away on all over Winter. Lovely busy city bees! Right in the heart of Glasgow. 

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Tuesday 21 January 2014

Outfit of the day 20/01/14

Trying out my new camera. So I guess I'm blogging now!




Top : H&M
Leggings : Topshop
Boots : Primark 


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Tuesday 7 January 2014

Welcome to chaos

Hello and welcome to Twinkle Toast, where I plan to vent my thoughts, dreams, aspirations and comments on life, music, films, television, travel and other wonderful things. Of course there will be a lot of tea chat, and I will at some point reveal the meaning of Twinkle Toast, when I'm sure of it myself.

Happy reading, writing and exploring
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