Everyone has a magic birthday. Mine was on the 24th of December, 2011. Yes, I turned 24, and I decided it was a Big Deal. I decided my magic birthday was going to be a Big Deal long ago, but my expectations were surpassed by three wonderful people: my parents and my younger sister.
As a Christmas Eve baby, the location of my birthday has always been dictated to me. I was not in my beloved Scotland this year, which saddened me simply because it is my home. The whole family (minus my older sister and brother-in-law, who were the only things lacking on my birthday) were down in London. Even in the big smoke, it is difficult to find things to do on Christmas Eve. In most places, things are not open because, hey, it's Christmas Eve. In London, however, the things that are open are usually packed for family outings.
There had been suggestions of opera (not on), ballet (booked out), galleries (all closed), and then I remembered that I had high tea on my 101 list. (Side note: I have just realised that the birthday suggestions listed make me sound super and cultured. I wish I was as sophisticated as those activities suggest. I would wear elbow length black gloves and smoke, probably.) My lovely mum booked us a table for tea at Brown's hotel in Mayfair (!), and we decided that we'd have a wander around London before we went.
My sister and I took some truly ridiculous pictures on our way to the hotel, and I realised while trying to clamber onto one of the Trafalgar Square lions that I am less flexible than your average foot-thick steel girder. Still, I had so much fun!
When we got to Brown's, there was ACTUALLY a man in a top hat and tails who opened the door. No lie. It was amazing. As he opened the door, I decided to pretend that I was exceedingly rich and that I do this kind of thing all the time. I gave him the sort of smile the sophisticated, black-gloved smoker version of me would have given, and we were welcomed into the tea rooms.
All of the staff sounded French. All of them. Was this deliberate? Did they want to give it a further air of sophistication? Was the pianist playing a baby grand not enough of a giveaway? Apparently not. However, it did feel more special having all the French accents around. This probably makes me a tad ridiculous. I am OK with that.
Guys, if you are feeling wealthy one day and you happen to be in London, go to tea at Brown's. It was utterly wonderful. They kept bringing food. It did not stop! The mini-scones melted in your mouth, the wee sandwiches were what I imagine sandwiches would taste like in heaven, and the cakes... well, words are not sufficient to describe the cakes. The selection of teas was astounding, and they were the most delicious things ever.
As if all this weren't enough, right in the middle of tea, the pianist stopped. He started playing 'Happy Birthday' as the waiting staff brought out a candle and cake on an iced plate that also wished me a happy birthday. Everyone in the tea rooms sang along, and my mum cried. True story. I don't know if I have ever felt so special in my entire life, and I was able to share the moment with some of my all time favourite people.
I didn't want to leave, but leaving was made worth it when my mum put her coat on over her enormous bag and started to look like Quasimodo in the middle of one of London's smartest hotels. We then went to the big Odeon in Leicester Square where all the premieres are held (a big thrill for a movie lover like me. 'Meryl Streep could have peed in this very toilet', etc.), and as we were all going home, laughing like drains at slightly inappropriate jokes as is standard for my family, I realised something: my family are my friends. I am so blessed to be able to say that. My family are wonderful people whose company I enjoy, and I laugh with them probably more than I laugh with anyone else.
My family are also my friends. This is a rare and beautiful thing, and I am so lucky to be able to call both those who were present and my absent, beloved sister and brother-in-law, my friends.
My magic birthday was filled with small, special and unforgettable events that I honestly think I will cherish forever, but it was those fabulous people who I spent with it who made it the treasure it truly was. Thanks for giving me one of the best days of my life.
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Number 81 - On the road to becoming a classy lassie
Ladies, we all know the following to be true: if we are make up wearers, an item that we should all possess is a good red lipstick. You know, the one that makes you look like you've stepped out of the 1940's and makes you feel super glamorous, like one of those perfume advert women who have one hundred stubbly, attractive men in suits gazing at you in wonder and awe, as you sweep through the room in your silk gown and glare slightly, as perfume advert women seem to be prone to doing. Yeah, that lipstick.
I haven't got one of those cool, edgy faces. I look like a porcelain doll, but I figure you gotta work with what you've got, so I decided that yesterday was the day to make my lipstick purchase. I was going into town for a hair appointment. Now, my confession today is that, before yesterday, I had never been to a 'big girl' hair salon. I'm lucky with my hair. It's generally pretty good quality, falls straight and doesn't need any real maintenance (which is just as well, as hair is one of those things I seem incapable of understanding. Number 29 should sort that, see http://dayzeroproject.com/user/hannahelizabeth), so I've gone for a cheap and cheerful cut every time. However, the fabulous Groupon provided me with an oppourtunity to do this for the first time on the cheap, so off I went.
Much as I hate to say it, it's worth it. I left feeling amazing. They treated you like royalty. I got my hair dyed darker, and as I left the shop, Tom Jones was singing 'She's a Lady' in my head. It was awesome, and I had my strut on.
I went to the Debenhams make up counters. Now, at this time of year, doing this is a little terrifying. There are hundreds of women grabbing products left, right and centre, and I was overwhelmed. Seriously, the fear that some brush-brandishing beast from Yves Saint Laurent is going to stab your eye out with a mascara wand is an entirely justified one around Christmas. I ducked and dived my way through the crowds to the Mac make up counter, as they've always had a good range.
I was browsing away for about three seconds when a woman came up and asked me if I needed some help. I explained that I wanted a good, red lipstick. She immediately had about a thousand suggestions, all of which she flicked onto the skin of her hand with a brisk stab, and then she took me over to the chairs to try some on. Having explained I knew little about make up, she then gave me a tutorial on how to apply it all properly, and rushed to and fro from me to the lipstick stand until I found exactly what I wanted, coming up with some suggestions that I would never have picked up but actually looked pretty good. If any women out there are reading this who, like me, are very unsure about lipstick and want to give it a shot, I highly recommend the Mac make up counter. They are brilliant!
Of course, once I had my lipstick, I felt the need to just look at the liquid liner. Just look, y'know, not buy... whoops. I ended up buying more than I meant to, but leaving that counter, I did feel like a million dollars. I went on to spend an amount of money on myself that is absolutely unforgivable around Christmas. I don't regret it yet, but probably will in a couple of days. My family may not get presents, but I'll look good this Christmas. That's enough, right?
I haven't got one of those cool, edgy faces. I look like a porcelain doll, but I figure you gotta work with what you've got, so I decided that yesterday was the day to make my lipstick purchase. I was going into town for a hair appointment. Now, my confession today is that, before yesterday, I had never been to a 'big girl' hair salon. I'm lucky with my hair. It's generally pretty good quality, falls straight and doesn't need any real maintenance (which is just as well, as hair is one of those things I seem incapable of understanding. Number 29 should sort that, see http://dayzeroproject.com/user/hannahelizabeth), so I've gone for a cheap and cheerful cut every time. However, the fabulous Groupon provided me with an oppourtunity to do this for the first time on the cheap, so off I went.
Much as I hate to say it, it's worth it. I left feeling amazing. They treated you like royalty. I got my hair dyed darker, and as I left the shop, Tom Jones was singing 'She's a Lady' in my head. It was awesome, and I had my strut on.
I went to the Debenhams make up counters. Now, at this time of year, doing this is a little terrifying. There are hundreds of women grabbing products left, right and centre, and I was overwhelmed. Seriously, the fear that some brush-brandishing beast from Yves Saint Laurent is going to stab your eye out with a mascara wand is an entirely justified one around Christmas. I ducked and dived my way through the crowds to the Mac make up counter, as they've always had a good range.
I was browsing away for about three seconds when a woman came up and asked me if I needed some help. I explained that I wanted a good, red lipstick. She immediately had about a thousand suggestions, all of which she flicked onto the skin of her hand with a brisk stab, and then she took me over to the chairs to try some on. Having explained I knew little about make up, she then gave me a tutorial on how to apply it all properly, and rushed to and fro from me to the lipstick stand until I found exactly what I wanted, coming up with some suggestions that I would never have picked up but actually looked pretty good. If any women out there are reading this who, like me, are very unsure about lipstick and want to give it a shot, I highly recommend the Mac make up counter. They are brilliant!
Of course, once I had my lipstick, I felt the need to just look at the liquid liner. Just look, y'know, not buy... whoops. I ended up buying more than I meant to, but leaving that counter, I did feel like a million dollars. I went on to spend an amount of money on myself that is absolutely unforgivable around Christmas. I don't regret it yet, but probably will in a couple of days. My family may not get presents, but I'll look good this Christmas. That's enough, right?
Friday, 11 November 2011
Numbers 23 and 31 - Wishes and intentional fun
So, today is, obviously, a magical day. 11/11/11. Unfortunately on this most fantasmogorical of days, I am still in bed. Bed is where I have been for close to a month, recovering from what is essentially THE PLAGUE. I am now suffering from post-black death fatigue, but starting to regain my energy bit by bit, and my mental capacities along with it, hence why I finally feel capable of writing an entry today.
'The plan' for today had been to do 11 fun things (stolen shamelessly from another friend who had done the same thing on 10/10/10 last year). However, having missed so much university at this point, the priority has to be getting myself well enough to work again, so instead I embark upon day 23 in bed, most of which consists of watching the West Wing, writing a novel (see no. 94) and enjoying the fact that I am now well enough to stomach eating something other than uncooked noodles.
However, I did manage to have my glimmer of fun today. I got an internet clock up on my computer screen that would show me the time to the very second, and at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11, I made a wish. Now, I know that all of my millions of dear readers are quite desperate to find out what my wish was, but, of course, it will not come true if I tell anyone, let alone post it on the internet, Sorry, folks, you're just gonna have to make something up. Total let down, I know. If anyone is reading this out there, post a comment below and make up what you think my wish was. The wildest and weirdest gets a prize... or somethin'.
Anyway, this post is also about my number 31. My number 31, to do something fun each week, may sound silly. However, the reason I wrote it down was because I realised that I am rarely intentional about doing things that I want to do. There are so many obligations, so many 'shoulds' (that never seem to get done anyway) that sometimes I know I have missed out on enjoying my life. I don't resent my obligations most of the time. They make you a responsible person when you do them, and that is never a bad thing. However, I don't want to look back on my life and realise that there was a period of time where I didn't really enjoy anything.
I took a rather stark look at myself a couple of months ago and became aware that my default setting for going out and doing stuff was 'no'. I then figured out that there was no reason that this was the case, and so I secretly experimented with myself, and vowed that I would say 'yes' to ANYTHING I was invited to as long as it didn't clash with any other invitations, and do you know what? I was markedly happier. I was a little more tired, but I was just enjoying my life more than I have in years.
Having gone from that to being in bed for so long, I am now fully invested in fun. Being isolated for this long certainly makes you appreciate being out and about and healthy more, I can tell you! I am invested in being intentionally active in enjoyment of life, which is the reason I feel I can cross it off the list. There are many others in progress, but they will be ticked off once I know I have created a habit. Fun is now something I recognise as a very basic and simple way to be more joyful day to day, and I have no intention of going back. Embrace the good times people, and I will hopefully be posting some more entries with my adventures soon. I know it's been a long time, but progress is being made, slowly but surely.
Until next time, kids!
'The plan' for today had been to do 11 fun things (stolen shamelessly from another friend who had done the same thing on 10/10/10 last year). However, having missed so much university at this point, the priority has to be getting myself well enough to work again, so instead I embark upon day 23 in bed, most of which consists of watching the West Wing, writing a novel (see no. 94) and enjoying the fact that I am now well enough to stomach eating something other than uncooked noodles.
However, I did manage to have my glimmer of fun today. I got an internet clock up on my computer screen that would show me the time to the very second, and at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11, I made a wish. Now, I know that all of my millions of dear readers are quite desperate to find out what my wish was, but, of course, it will not come true if I tell anyone, let alone post it on the internet, Sorry, folks, you're just gonna have to make something up. Total let down, I know. If anyone is reading this out there, post a comment below and make up what you think my wish was. The wildest and weirdest gets a prize... or somethin'.
Anyway, this post is also about my number 31. My number 31, to do something fun each week, may sound silly. However, the reason I wrote it down was because I realised that I am rarely intentional about doing things that I want to do. There are so many obligations, so many 'shoulds' (that never seem to get done anyway) that sometimes I know I have missed out on enjoying my life. I don't resent my obligations most of the time. They make you a responsible person when you do them, and that is never a bad thing. However, I don't want to look back on my life and realise that there was a period of time where I didn't really enjoy anything.
I took a rather stark look at myself a couple of months ago and became aware that my default setting for going out and doing stuff was 'no'. I then figured out that there was no reason that this was the case, and so I secretly experimented with myself, and vowed that I would say 'yes' to ANYTHING I was invited to as long as it didn't clash with any other invitations, and do you know what? I was markedly happier. I was a little more tired, but I was just enjoying my life more than I have in years.
Having gone from that to being in bed for so long, I am now fully invested in fun. Being isolated for this long certainly makes you appreciate being out and about and healthy more, I can tell you! I am invested in being intentionally active in enjoyment of life, which is the reason I feel I can cross it off the list. There are many others in progress, but they will be ticked off once I know I have created a habit. Fun is now something I recognise as a very basic and simple way to be more joyful day to day, and I have no intention of going back. Embrace the good times people, and I will hopefully be posting some more entries with my adventures soon. I know it's been a long time, but progress is being made, slowly but surely.
Until next time, kids!
Sunday, 28 August 2011
No. 6 - The Happy List
The first time I saw a 'Happy List' was on the radiator of my older sister. A piece of paper with 100 items on it, stuck firmly to the heater with a Dennis the Menace magnet. I always thought it was rather a good idea, and thought to myself that I would get around to doing it one day. As with so many things in life, that day never came around. Until now.
Thinking about the things that make us happy in life is an exercise in gratefulness. It is a way to remember that, despite what we may encounter in day to day life, good things exist. Life is worth living for big things and for small. I intend to look back to the list in those moments I find myself in need of a quick glimpse of happiness.
Take a look at my 101 if you want, and then I encourage you to make a list of your own.
101 Things That Make Me Happy
1. Sunshine
2. Community
3. Kids laughing hysterically
4. Singing
5. Writing a song I like
6. Ice cream
7. A good book
8. Window seats
9. Live music
10. Open fires
11. Slippers
12. Alison Krauss
13. A good harmony
14. Trees
15. Clothes that fit
16. Feather duvets
17. Good food
18. Making my family laugh
19. Making my family proud
20. Skype
21. The smell of old books
22. Thick snow
23. Bird song
24. Travel
25. A good view
26. Spending quality time with Jesus
27. Spending quality time with friends
28. Walking in torrential rain
29. Being silly
30. Playing music really loud and dancing like crazy
31. Jonsi
32. Coming in from the cold
33. Cosy clothes
34. Impromptu road trips
35. Christmas
36. The Sound of Music
37. Hugs (from the right people!)
38. Water fights
39. Youth work
40. Stories of hope
41. Strangers being kind
42. Brooke Fraser
43. Holding babies
44. Laughing
45. The sound of wind through trees
46. The smell of rain
47. My Fair Lady
48. My itunes ‘Happy’ playlist
49. Seeing old friends
50. Making new friends
51. Tea
52. Cakes
53. Candles
54. Blu Tac
55. An accessible Saviour
56. Dressing up nicely
57. Sticking my tongue out
58. Antonio Banderas
59. Colourful clothing
60. Nice make up
61. Watching ‘The Biggest Loser’ while eating doughnuts
62. A good riff
63. Mistakes kids make when learning to talk
64. Having nerdy conversations
65. Looking back and seeing changes for the better in your life
66. Avoca
67. Having lots of fun with friends
68. Scotland
69. Fresh air
70. The countryside
71. Hearing people talk about their dreams
72. People who believe they can make the world a better place
73. Feeling inspired
74. An empty laundry basket
75. A new dress
76. Being given flowers
77. Hearing someone’s story
78. The stars
79. Buying house decorations
80. Chatting with kids
81. Making a difference to someone’s day
82. The Redwoods
83. Indian take away
84. Grandfather clocks
85. Going to bed feeling like I’ve achieved something
86. A good loooooooong bath
87. Fairy lights
88. The Sea
89. St. Andrews pier
90. Central heating
91. Showing people places I love
92. Hats, scarves and gloves
93. Taking pictures
94. Take off and touch down on a flight
95. Going to the cinema
96. Climbing trees
97. National Geographic
98. Fail Blog
99. Fleetwood Mac
100. Jazz
101. Knowing that I am alive for a reason and that ‘what we do in life echoes in eternity’ (102 - Gladiator)
Thinking about the things that make us happy in life is an exercise in gratefulness. It is a way to remember that, despite what we may encounter in day to day life, good things exist. Life is worth living for big things and for small. I intend to look back to the list in those moments I find myself in need of a quick glimpse of happiness.
Take a look at my 101 if you want, and then I encourage you to make a list of your own.
101 Things That Make Me Happy
1. Sunshine
2. Community
3. Kids laughing hysterically
4. Singing
5. Writing a song I like
6. Ice cream
7. A good book
8. Window seats
9. Live music
10. Open fires
11. Slippers
12. Alison Krauss
13. A good harmony
14. Trees
15. Clothes that fit
16. Feather duvets
17. Good food
18. Making my family laugh
19. Making my family proud
20. Skype
21. The smell of old books
22. Thick snow
23. Bird song
24. Travel
25. A good view
26. Spending quality time with Jesus
27. Spending quality time with friends
28. Walking in torrential rain
29. Being silly
30. Playing music really loud and dancing like crazy
31. Jonsi
32. Coming in from the cold
33. Cosy clothes
34. Impromptu road trips
35. Christmas
36. The Sound of Music
37. Hugs (from the right people!)
38. Water fights
39. Youth work
40. Stories of hope
41. Strangers being kind
42. Brooke Fraser
43. Holding babies
44. Laughing
45. The sound of wind through trees
46. The smell of rain
47. My Fair Lady
48. My itunes ‘Happy’ playlist
49. Seeing old friends
50. Making new friends
51. Tea
52. Cakes
53. Candles
54. Blu Tac
55. An accessible Saviour
56. Dressing up nicely
57. Sticking my tongue out
58. Antonio Banderas
59. Colourful clothing
60. Nice make up
61. Watching ‘The Biggest Loser’ while eating doughnuts
62. A good riff
63. Mistakes kids make when learning to talk
64. Having nerdy conversations
65. Looking back and seeing changes for the better in your life
66. Avoca
67. Having lots of fun with friends
68. Scotland
69. Fresh air
70. The countryside
71. Hearing people talk about their dreams
72. People who believe they can make the world a better place
73. Feeling inspired
74. An empty laundry basket
75. A new dress
76. Being given flowers
77. Hearing someone’s story
78. The stars
79. Buying house decorations
80. Chatting with kids
81. Making a difference to someone’s day
82. The Redwoods
83. Indian take away
84. Grandfather clocks
85. Going to bed feeling like I’ve achieved something
86. A good loooooooong bath
87. Fairy lights
88. The Sea
89. St. Andrews pier
90. Central heating
91. Showing people places I love
92. Hats, scarves and gloves
93. Taking pictures
94. Take off and touch down on a flight
95. Going to the cinema
96. Climbing trees
97. National Geographic
98. Fail Blog
99. Fleetwood Mac
100. Jazz
101. Knowing that I am alive for a reason and that ‘what we do in life echoes in eternity’ (102 - Gladiator)
Friday, 26 August 2011
About a month ago, a friend posted a blog idea on to her facebook page. This woman had decided to take part in what is known as a 'Day Zero List'. Intrigued, I looked at what this was. The idea is simple; write a list of 101 things you would like to do over the next 1001 day (approx. 2 1/2 years).
I don't know what it was that gripped me about this idea so thoroughly. I think it is very easy to feel like you drift from day to day, doing the same old things for no particular reason. The very British idea of 'getting on with it, what-what'. I've never been one to desire a life like that, but it is not necessarily an easy thing to find your way out of.
Having done my (current) share of travelling and working in coffee shops, I am now settled as a (slightly) mature student, about to go in to second year. As such, my potential for being able to go off and adventure whenever I want has been somewhat severed. Nothing in me feels as though I am in the wrong place, but particularly recently, I have been feeling more restless and lacking in direction. It is probably because of this that I found myself so captivated by the idea of getting myself some goals, whether they be frivolous or serious.
I technically started this on the 1st of August (felt right, beginning of the month being a Monday), but so far I have not done much. It was the same friend who initially posted the idea who suggested to me that I write a blog on my experiences, almost as a form of accountability. I must admit, the idea of posting things on the internet as a sort of diary has always been odd to me. My thoughts are my own. They are private. No one should be in my head. Bless them, if they were it would not take long to find the monsters lurking at the back. However, I have no intention of writing to the world about how much I luuuuuuuuurrrrve James Franco/shopping/my boyfriend/cats etc., so it's more of a journal of my day zero experience than it is a diary of my most intimate thoughts.
So, here I am, writing my first ever blog entry and wondering whether anything I have to say could be interesting to anyone at all. For the moment, I shall publish my list, and then go and eat the lunch I should have had 2 hours ago. http://dayzeroproject.com/user/hannahelizabeth
I don't know what it was that gripped me about this idea so thoroughly. I think it is very easy to feel like you drift from day to day, doing the same old things for no particular reason. The very British idea of 'getting on with it, what-what'. I've never been one to desire a life like that, but it is not necessarily an easy thing to find your way out of.
Having done my (current) share of travelling and working in coffee shops, I am now settled as a (slightly) mature student, about to go in to second year. As such, my potential for being able to go off and adventure whenever I want has been somewhat severed. Nothing in me feels as though I am in the wrong place, but particularly recently, I have been feeling more restless and lacking in direction. It is probably because of this that I found myself so captivated by the idea of getting myself some goals, whether they be frivolous or serious.
I technically started this on the 1st of August (felt right, beginning of the month being a Monday), but so far I have not done much. It was the same friend who initially posted the idea who suggested to me that I write a blog on my experiences, almost as a form of accountability. I must admit, the idea of posting things on the internet as a sort of diary has always been odd to me. My thoughts are my own. They are private. No one should be in my head. Bless them, if they were it would not take long to find the monsters lurking at the back. However, I have no intention of writing to the world about how much I luuuuuuuuurrrrve James Franco/shopping/my boyfriend/cats etc., so it's more of a journal of my day zero experience than it is a diary of my most intimate thoughts.
So, here I am, writing my first ever blog entry and wondering whether anything I have to say could be interesting to anyone at all. For the moment, I shall publish my list, and then go and eat the lunch I should have had 2 hours ago. http://dayzeroproject.com/user/hannahelizabeth
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