6 Ways to Liven Up a Rented Room

Want to know something that makes me go crazy? Not having enough light in a room. My room in halls was at a weird angle and no matter what time of day, I'd always be peeking out into the courtyard full of light while my room remained dark. I had to liven up the room myself as best I could while dealing with the restrictions of renting.

I know a lot of you guys are either at uni or buying a little place of your own which is sometimes hard to actually make your own if it isn't livened up and opened out with those personal touches. It won't be quite like the apartments in Friends, but I've put together a few tips to make living in a rented space more you.

Plants

Plants. Listen to me? Plants. I can't stress enough how lovely a potted plant, some flowers or a couple of cacti can liven up a room. Pop one on your desk, on your windowsill or get a hanging one to place on a shelf. Bringing the outdoors inside can really breathe life into a place- literally. Take a look at this amazing little plant shop I came across.

Mirrors 

They make the room feel bigger and reflect any lingering light all around the room. Get a large one and place it on the floor so it stands against the wall, or you can get a full length hanging one for over the top of your door from here.

Open your windows

Letting fresh air in will not only make the room smell nicer and feel less close but it'll perk you up and make you happy on those long days at the desk. If your town has some kind of bug revolution, buy some cheap white mesh or a bug net to stop the critters setting up camp on your carpet.

Decorate

Decor such as: bookshelves, wall hangings (you can buy pretty square scarves from the market or art prints from Etsy, often for cheaper than you think) and photographs can liven up a place and add a personal touch at the same time.

Keep your door open

At any time when you're in the room and don't need to shut people out, prop the door open with a wedge. If it's a fire door, this isn't recommended but I'm sure you're not going to create fire hazards around the house. This will make you feel more in touch with the 'outside world' and hey, the more people in the room, the livelier it is, right?

De-clutter

Have a big chuck-out of everything you don't read, wear or use. If my mum is reading this then she's laughing because I'm a massive hoarder but when I want space, I want space. Don't forget that you can also store things under your bed to make more floorspace. The more surface area in your room, the better.

What do you do to breathe life into a place?

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Taboo Talk #3 | Is Meat Really Murder?

Is there anything more taboo than taking what people normalise in day-to-day life and calling it murder? Probably, but not much. In my last Week Journal I talked about how I'll always love a good roast dinner, but in the past few weeks it's come to my attention more and more of the inhumane ways that we treat animals for their meat, milk or eggs.

But we'll whittle it down and start with the 'simple' part, the meat. For almost three weeks now, I haven't bought any meat products or eggs and have started buying litres of soya milk instead of regular milk.

I'll cave for regular milk in a cup of tea if there's no soya left, and if someone else buys and cooks the meat in a meal for me, I won't turn it away, but I've decided that I'm not personally going to financially support the meat industry anymore. 

It started as a little experiment for myself, first to see if I felt better with less dairy products (and I actually feel so much less bloated!) then because I watched some documentaries after a long time of deliberating. I ate some chicken at home last week and felt super sick a couple of hours later, supposing that this is because I denied myself meat for a straight week or two before it, not because the chicken was bad!

Obviously I wouldn't consider myself a fully fledged vegetarian- maybe someday, but I feel healthier (bulking out with beans, legumes, vegetables and whole grains in the place of meat) than I did before I made this change. Living independently means that I can buy and cook for just myself without worrying what other people will want to eat, it feels right, personally, to make these changes in my life and diet.

In the last few days it was passed by the World Health Organisation that processed meats in particular, red meats, can cause cancer and it was recommended by Cancer Research UK to cut down if not give it up altogether.

Is this not reason enough to ditch some unhealthy eating habits? Does this make meat not just murder to animals but murder to us too? Excessive amounts of anything are bad for us, we know that, but it's super scary when large organisations and officials such as these tell us that the meat-cancer myth hasn't been a myth all along.

If you want reasons why the meat market and farming animals is detrimental to the planet, watch Cowspiracy. I was skeptical at first but it really did open my eyes to a different, factual and unbiased side of why these choices we are making are ruining our bodies, our animals and our planet. 

So if you're not ready to give up meat altogether, try substituting with Quorn or beans. Try eating veggie a few days a week or just stop buying the products for yourself and let me know if you see a difference in your mind, body and awareness!

What do you think of this topic? Is meat murder or bad for you? To read my other Taboo Talks, click here and here.
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Week Journal #2 | Wedding with a View

I'm guilty of posting this almost two months too late as I couldn't get hold of my photos but it's wedding season! Or so I was told by my television last night, after attending a beautiful wedding in my home of the Lake District. I briefly mentioned this trip in my last Week Journal (which I'll eventually start posting every Sunday instead of sporadically) where I visited my gran and had coffee.

I can tell you, I drank a lot of coffee that weekend.  My dad got married on the 4th September to a wonderful woman called Debs. They've been together for a number of years, she's lovely and I couldn't be happier that they got married (finally). Prepare yourself for a LOT of pretty photos!

The ceremony was short but sweet and took place in Kendal. My dad, being from Scottish descent wore a kilt with the Hamilton tartan (I don't know much about tartan but he wore a specific one) in honour of my gran's maiden name and his ancestry. I wore a dress from AX Paris that I'm totally going to re-use for winter nights out with my black JC's!

After the ceremony we took the hour drive to 'Docker's pop-up hotel', a barn conversion deep in the Lake District but not far from Keswick. My dad and his friends cooked an awesome three course meal after we'd all unpacked and popped celebratory champagne.

Starters were salmon and treacle, another fish and whiskey, or ham (and a fruit which was either apricot or plum, I can't remember) stuffed with avocado. Main was the classic roast dinner which I always love and for pudding we had gooseberry fool. Dad had been to Provence for his holiday in June and picked up loads (I mean TONNES) of wine which we drank with every meal and afterwards.

The next morning we got up from our rooms and were greeted by the smell of coffee from the Nespresso machines. I can't even begin to tell you how much I need one of these, if anyone wants to donate feel free as caramel coffee is my new addiction! After much chilling with an awesome view of the fells, we headed into Cockermouth- stop laughing, and Keswick with my cousins.

We discovered some vile sour sweets, my mouth is physically tingling as I think about them, in a sweet shop and hunted around a little craft fair where a drunk guy was haggling a woman out of five quid. 

Joshes 'sour sweet' face

Before we knew it, it was time to head back for an absolute feast and more beer! I don't even know the names of all the food we ate that night but it was brilliant. A few more guests arrived and we all got pretty tipsy, I told my sister some stories and danced with my ex-boss hahaha.

Feeling pretty heavy but not too bad the day after, I managed to get up in time for breakfast and sat outside. The only thing about the great outdoors that I actually HATE is BUGS. There must have been a wasps nest somewhere because they wanted me, my coffee and the blue in my hair. Honestly! What do wasps even do?!

Dad had rented the place out for another night but with me still being unable to drive I had to get a lift home that afternoon with some other family who had work on Monday. I'd have loved to stay, believe me, the rooms were rustic and beamed with little poky windows and beautiful wooden floor. Possibly the cosiest night's sleep I've had in a while happened there! Look at all the stars!

The weekend went quite quickly but as I don't get to see my dad that often, it was nice to make a few days out of the event. I'm nothing but happy for them both!

Have you been to any weddings lately? What would your dream wedding be like?

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Charity | Positive Postcards

Hello everyone! I wanted to share a bit of happiness with you today as lately my illustration projects have been revolving around positivity. I'm feeling fab as I recently hit 100 followers, I know this is barely anything in the big bad blogosphere but it means so much to me that a whole 100 of you want to follow my rambles and day to day life so thank you!



In the last week (for a brief set my uni) I've made a set of 3 postcards each with a different positive mantra or message on. As a second part of the project, I've been sending them out for free! Unfortunately I've actually reached my budget limit on what I can afford to send out for free but I'm selling them for £1.30 a piece over on my Etsy store. 60p from each postcard will be given to a charity of my choice and each postcard will come with a personalised, chirpy note or doodle on the back.
You can order them for yourself or for a friend who needs a pick-me-up. I'll post them to anywhere in the world. If you'd like something specific written on the back then let me know and I'll do that for you! The ones pictured above are a little creased from being in my sketchbook but the real ones will be printed on thick matte paper. You can use them as a reminder, bookmark, framed piece or just to put your cup of tea on.
I hope this is something you can get on board with, we all need a pick me up every once in a while! Click here for your positive postcard.

What makes you happy? Have you achieved anything you're proud of lately?

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Charity | Positive Postcards

Hello everyone! I wanted to share a bit of happiness with you today as lately my illustration projects have been revolving around positivity. I'm feeling fab as I recently hit 100 followers, I know this is barely anything in the big bad blogosphere but it means so much to me that a whole 100 of you want to follow my rambles and day to day life so thank you!



In the last week (for a brief set my uni) I've made a set of 3 postcards each with a different positive mantra or message on. As a second part of the project, I've been sending them out for free! Unfortunately I've actually reached my budget limit on what I can afford to send out for free but I'm selling them for £1.30 a piece over on my Etsy store. 60p from each postcard will be given to a charity of my choice and each postcard will come with a personalised, chirpy note or doodle on the back.
You can order them for yourself or for a friend who needs a pick-me-up. I'll post them to anywhere in the world. If you'd like something specific written on the back then let me know and I'll do that for you! The ones pictured above are a little creased from being in my sketchbook but the real ones will be printed on thick matte paper. You can use them as a reminder, bookmark, framed piece or just to put your cup of tea on.
I hope this is something you can get on board with, we all need a pick me up every once in a while! Click here for your positive postcard.

What makes you happy? Have you achieved anything you're proud of lately?

You can follow me on Bloglovin' | Twitter 

BACK TO UNI #2 | Stress-relief and Living Space

It's been a couple of weeks since Back to Uni #1 (Planning and Goals) and we're now into the term! If you're not then lucky you. Life at uni can be stressful and challenging, and it takes weeks or reminders or crying over that last cocktail to realise that it'll all be worth it in the end. Has anyone given up out of stress yet? Sometimes the debt might not seem worth it, or the partying (or Netflix) looks SO much better than that deadline on the horizon and believe me it is, but you can't blow your top just yet. 

Here are some tips to help you along when the living is anything but easy, you just need to de-stress and liven up your space.

• Clean your bedroom. A messy room is a messy mind so goes the saying- after many years of untidy bedrooms, I can vouch for this to be true. I always feel better sitting down at a tidy desk to work or being able to enjoy my down time in a clutter-free, calm environment aka my bedroom. Nothing is better than fresh sheets, towels and minimal mess to wipe your brain slate every morning!
• Make time for yourself. As elaborated on in my 'Why You Should  Date Yourself' post, there's nothing that takes stress away like removing the stressful things from your life. I don't mean procrastinate, I mean take yourself out on a date. Have a bath in Lush bomb bubbles and relax. Forget about that assignment for tonight- it's time to think about yourself.
• Separate work and home. Sometimes it's easier said than done, but instead of taking your work home, spend that extra hour at the end of class rewriting your notes or finishing that painting at your desk. Chances are, you'll feel more organised in a work environment and it means that your brain associates home with relaxation instead of cramming and deadlines!

• Sleep, sleep, sleep! For a minute there I considered exercise as a solution, which has been touched on before and does make you happy, but if you're run down or stressed the best solution is to sleep. Quit your 2am bed times and 8:30am starts, you're running on empty. Rest, re-cooperate and see how your brain deals with life then.
• Work and live in natural light. It will keep your brain awake better than artificial light, will make your eyes feel less groggy and living in open spaces helps to clear the mind a little more. Would you write an essay in a room with no window? No. Take in that fresh air and enjoy the daylight hours instead of being cooped up. You'll feel better for it!

These are just a few tips that I came up with but if you have more, feel free to pop them in the comments! How do you de-stress?

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How to | Quick, Easy Henna (Mehndi)

Henna has been used for a suspected 9000 years in Eastern cultures, used for weddings, birthdays and holidays in decorating brides-to-be and guests of the host. It can also be used as hair colour, but has had some taboo surrounding it for a number of years because of allergic reactions that black henna can cause.

The henna used in this post, Golecha Quick Dry Henna, is entirely herbal so no nasty allergens and it's clinically tested. If you're prone to allergic reactions then do a test before hand just to be safe! I've been through anaphylaxis and am allergic to just about anything but I can promise that this henna is safe and sound! This particular henna goes dark instantly and lasts up to a week or two depending on your skin type. For advice on real, needle and ink tattoos, head to this post!

Before applying any henna, you need to start with a clean hand/leg/arm or whatever you're drawing onto so that all of the surface cells can be stained! :) Just rinse with a little water and soap and you're good to go. Make sure you've pierced the end of the tube with a pin, if it's not already open, or peel the foil off from under the cap unless you want the paste to come out of the sides when you squeeze! 

You can wiggle the pin in the tip to expand the hole and choose the width of the lines as you please. Mehndi patterns can be simple or highly intricate, but I'm going to show you some easy lines and simple patterns that look beautiful anywhere on the body. 

If you're drawing onto your hand, separate it into fingers, back of the hand and wrist. Your drawings should flow with the shape of the surface and can join together to make a beautiful pattern. I usually start with the space between your first finger and thumb as it's a perfect canvas for anything from flowers and hamsas to mandalas! This is where you get to really play around! 

Start with a dot (or a few) for the centre of your design then add petals or floral shapes to the outside. Add another petal in between each of the first petals and so on, so you're expanding your design until you're happy. Many Mehndi leaves have lots of lines (see above) which I think is really beautiful. You can make these lines as thick or thin as you please. Another shape typically used in henna patterns is the semi-circle along with the paisley 'teardrop' shape. Try including little dots to fill out your pattern too. 

The design I've done on my sisters hand (above) isn't my best but it shows all of the different shapes you can include! Don't be afraid to create your own shapes too if you feel they fit with your design. You can also take your designs to other parts of the body, i.e ankles and feet. The same shapes and design rules apply here too; letting your drawings flow with the body.

From here on you can build on your drawings and make them as intricate as you like! The thinner the line, the more detail you'll manage but it can often look overcrowded if you go overboard. If you're still stuck for inspiration then you can take a peek at my henna/mehndi Pinterest board here!

What's your favourite form of body art? 

You can follow me on Bloglovin' | Twitter 

How to | Quick, Easy Henna (Mehndi)

Henna has been used for a suspected 9000 years in Eastern cultures, used for weddings, birthdays and holidays in decorating brides-to-be and guests of the host. It can also be used as hair colour, but has had some taboo surrounding it for a number of years because of allergic reactions that black henna can cause.

The henna used in this post, Golecha Quick Dry Henna, is entirely herbal so no nasty allergens and it's clinically tested. If you're prone to allergic reactions then do a test before hand just to be safe! I've been through anaphylaxis and am allergic to just about anything but I can promise that this henna is safe and sound! This particular henna goes dark instantly and lasts up to a week or two depending on your skin type. For advice on real, needle and ink tattoos, head to this post!

Before applying any henna, you need to start with a clean hand/leg/arm or whatever you're drawing onto so that all of the surface cells can be stained! :) Just rinse with a little water and soap and you're good to go. Make sure you've pierced the end of the tube with a pin, if it's not already open, or peel the foil off from under the cap unless you want the paste to come out of the sides when you squeeze! 

You can wiggle the pin in the tip to expand the hole and choose the width of the lines as you please. Mehndi patterns can be simple or highly intricate, but I'm going to show you some easy lines and simple patterns that look beautiful anywhere on the body. 

If you're drawing onto your hand, separate it into fingers, back of the hand and wrist. Your drawings should flow with the shape of the surface and can join together to make a beautiful pattern. I usually start with the space between your first finger and thumb as it's a perfect canvas for anything from flowers and hamsas to mandalas! This is where you get to really play around! 

Start with a dot (or a few) for the centre of your design then add petals or floral shapes to the outside. Add another petal in between each of the first petals and so on, so you're expanding your design until you're happy. Many Mehndi leaves have lots of lines (see above) which I think is really beautiful. You can make these lines as thick or thin as you please. Another shape typically used in henna patterns is the semi-circle along with the paisley 'teardrop' shape. Try including little dots to fill out your pattern too. 

The design I've done on my sisters hand (above) isn't my best but it shows all of the different shapes you can include! Don't be afraid to create your own shapes too if you feel they fit with your design. You can also take your designs to other parts of the body, i.e ankles and feet. The same shapes and design rules apply here too; letting your drawings flow with the body.

From here on you can build on your drawings and make them as intricate as you like! The thinner the line, the more detail you'll manage but it can often look overcrowded if you go overboard. If you're still stuck for inspiration then you can take a peek at my henna/mehndi Pinterest board here!

What's your favourite form of body art? 

You can follow me on Bloglovin' | Twitter