The Sunday Post: The End Of An Era

Superpower Beyonce tutorial!// Only one more pink slip to go!// Cookiesss// A good cuppa, getting me through my last essay// Drinks to celebrate my last ever hand in// Taking a trip around Cardiff// Last night out with the friends as students// Tom Cruise in Top Gun, awesome film// Getting home to biscuits//

Well this week has been fairly hectic to say the least. I've well and truly fallen off my blogging game but I did complete my degree, so swings and roundabouts and all that. I finally got all of my assignments in and proudly collected my pink slips to prove it, hip hip hooray for me. 

My plan was to stay an extra week after deadlines to just chill out with friends and have a bit of fun before returning to the real world. However due to unknown reasons to me, all of my deadlines were pushed back so I ended up having very little time with friends after, booooo. If you want to follow my last week of uni I vlogged every single day, I tried to make it as interesting as possible but unfortunately I'm not that interesting.

Now I'm back at home and a little bemused and unsure where to go from here. I'm going back to part time work for now, but I need to start looking at what to do with the rest of my life, something no one actually prepares you for yet expects you to know. But oh well, onwards and upwards as they say! 

The Sunday Post: Mechanical Meltdown

Traveling back to Cardiff with a beautiful view on my right// I finally got my hands on the Spring/Summer 14' LOVE// Final bath before returning to Cardiff// I got me a polaroid, oh yehhh// NO! My worst nightmare// 

This week has felt like a fairly short week, I didn't get back to Cardiff from my spontaneous trip home till Tuesday evening. But the journey was a pleasant one, chugging along through the rolling hills of the English/Welsh countryside. I got to Cardiff around 3:30pm and decided to go a different way home from the station. Little did I know that on my usual route a certain Mr Peter Capaldi and the rest of the cast and crew of Dr. Who were filming!  I could have been plodding along in the background with my giant rucksack bouncing heavily on my back. I could have recorded the episode and showed my grandchildren with pride. But no, I missed my 60 seconds of fame so I could go and get a bag of apples from the market. 

Since that fateful Tuesday evening I haven't really been very interesting. I have a pile of University work to do so I've just been getting on with it. I did make a few cheeky purchases of course, the main one being my cute little FujiFilm Instax Mini 8 camera. When I was a kid we had a family Polaroid camera, which I loved! The downside was that the film was and still is fairly pricey and my parents refused to buy the film, therefore the retro Polaroid camera was disposed of. I have longed for one ever since and now good old FujiFilm have brought them back; my childhood dream has been fulfilled.

As for this fine Sunday evening, I am currently still sat around in my dressing gown doing nothing of importance. My Macbook gave me a fright this morning though, I am assuming the graphics card is having a bad day as it filled my screen with pink lines. Panic ins-sued, frantic backing up to external hard-drive began and then my lovely laptop decided it had terrified me enough and returned to normal. Fingers and toes crossed that it behaves itself for the next few months and I don't have to take out a loan to fix/replace it.

How has your week been? Have you been productive or had a bit of a lazy lounge? 

The Sunday Post: Take Me Home

Realising that the C on my canvas bag stood for Cardiff and not Catherine, sad times// Being able to cook makes buying food a lot cheaper// This weeks YT video// My new Celine style bag from eBay// Treated myself to a cheeky bit of MAC// Selfie! Apparently my hair styles itself in the rain//

This week has been a bit of a weird one, it started off pretty generic, slogging away at uni work and just generally being a boring human. Then by the time Friday rolled around, my brain decided that I'd had enough. My flatmates were having people round every night this weekend and I just couldn't bare the thought of being kept awake till 2am three nights in a row, I'm getting too old for that. So, Friday morning I logged onto the good ole' Trainline and booked a return to the north. I have to say that nothing makes me happier than arriving in Manchester, even if it is gloomy and peeing it down. 

I do have to do a bit of filming while I'm here though, for one of my uni projects, so it's not all fun and games. I plan to spend the next 2 1/2 days taking things slow, visiting family and just enjoying the peacefulness of the suburbs before returning to the city. The silence really is deafening here, don't get me wrong I love it, but it is strange not hearing the prisoners shouting from the prison across the road or flatmates running up and down the corridor.

Hopefully when I return to Cardiff I will be able to focus a bit better and be a little less stressed and frantic. Only four more months before I finish, I just have to be like that little train in Dumbo and repeat 'I think I can, I think I can' in my head until it's all over. 

The Sunday Post: Work, Work, Panic, Work

Trying out BLEACH London Dip Dye kit// Finally watch The Amazing Spider-man in my cozy bed// Lift selfie, preparing for a Uni presentation// I uploaded my first ever vlog!// Trying out the dip dye look// Yummy Starbucks caramel macchiato// View of Cardiff from Starbucks// My Topshop dress I got in the sale// Cooking up some meatballs for dinner// Brand new iPhone 5s// Giving up with the Casual Vacancy and starting Gone Girl// Cheeky cocktails made with the cocktail set my brother bought me for Xmas// My favourite quote of the week, might start doing quote of the week posts hmmm//  

This week (well technically two weeks as I missed last Sunday's post) has had its ups and downs. It started off fairly smoothly, preparing for a presentation I had at Uni, finally getting the BLEACH London dip dye kit and having a bash at that. And then, for some completely unknown reason, my anxiety flared up to gigantic proportions. 

I'm sure I've mentioned that I have an anxiety disorder in past posts and I also did a video on it once, one I'm thinking of re-doing for my main channel if people want to see it. But since doing my presentation it has reached the red zone, critical, the captain's going down with the ship kind of level. I've now had to cut back on caffeine, which means goodbye yummy caramel macchiatos, and alcohol, which as a student means goodbye social life. It has sky rocketed so quickly that I now can't sit through my lectures, go shopping, or anywhere public without feeling like I'm trapped in a box without oxygen. But do not fear readers of LilacGhosts, I have made plans to see the mental wellbeing people at Uni and I am on my way to sorting my head out. This is after many years of being told 'it's your hormones, you'll grow out of it' or 'your just stressed, do some deep breathing, read a self help book and you'll be fine'. 

All of that palava is for a whole different post though so I'll leave that there. On a more positive note I got a new iPhone 5s which I love dearly, but I did feel bad handing over my loyal iPhone 4s, he served me well. I'm also starting to love my ombre hair, despite it drying the ends of my hair out more than the Sahara desert. I would also like to point out that I gave up caffeine and alcohol after I took those above pics! 

So overall, yes I'm in a constant state of panic at the moment but good things happen all the time and I'm trying to focus on those. 

 P.S. If you do want me to do a post/video on anxiety just let me know, I have a lot to say on the subject.

The Sunday Post: Last Week At Home

Brand new threads!// Barry before bed// My dad is a strange one// OOTD ready for shopping// New navy Dune bag// A rather nice water jug I wanted to steal from ASK restaurant Warrington//

This week marks the end of my Christmas holidays, tomorrow I make the 4 hour journey from my hometown back to Cardiff. This last week has pretty much been all hands on deck regarding Uni work. I finished working full-time on Thursday, and since then I've just been planning and filming. Of course I managed to squeeze in a few fun activities when I could. 

Everytime I'm home I try and fit in a good shopping sesh at the Trafford Centre in Manchester. It is my all time favourite place to shop and I was on a mission to try and get the Bleach London Dip Dye Kit, which I have to say I failed at. But I have now ordered it online and should have a review up by the end of this week, exciting stuff!  I was also in need of a new handbag, my River Island one has started to fall apart. I picked up a really nice box style bag from John Lewis. It's in navy instead of my preferred black (I'm rather in to navy at the moment) It's by Dune and it's definitely something a bit different to add to my ever growing bag collection. 

Finally I rounded the week of with a very tasty meal at ASK restaurant in Warrington with my friend Hannah. I had a large pizza all to myself but my attention was on this unusual water jug. As you get older you start to notice yourself getting ever the more excited over homeware, a pretty cushion or an interesting salt shaker is all it takes to get you brimming with joy. If anyone knows where I can get a jug like this, just send me a link because I need it in my life. Also, just adding this tiny little detail here, I've changed my name! Not my actual legal name but my blog name. Yes I love Cheshire Cat and it will always be me, but I wanted my blog/YouTube to be individual and unique, a product all of it's own. I decided that if that was what I wanted for it, it couldn't happen with the same name as a very well known literary character.

And so today, my final full day in the North, I had to go up to Delamere Forest to film a few shots for a project. It rained a lot and it was freezing and pretty much an unsuccessful trip all around. Now I have about a million and one things to do before I go to sleep tonight and then I leave bright and early tomorrow morning. I hope you all have a great week and have had a chilled out, stress free weekend! 

 

The Sunday Post: Christmas & Sickness

First Lush bath in forever! I don't have a bath at Uni// New bed covers from Asda// Trying to be healthy, failing later in the day by eating extortionate amounts of chocolate// Flu hits and completely takes over my Christmas// I found my old Gameboy!// It's officially Christmas, watching the Snowman// New read, I got my Lula magazine through the post// A lovely Dragon Hottie from my Secret Santa! His name is Smaug// Just a taster of the presents I got for Christmas//

I would first of all like to apologize for my absence, the combination of working full-time, a 2 week long flu and Uni work has kept me very busy (and exhausted) over Christmas. I did manage to have a Christmas though, I got to see my family and eat my body weight x10 in chocolate. I am now however, very wobbly in the thigh and stomach region. 

I got a lot of lovely gifts from friends and family, PJ's, makeup, Lush goodies and many other lovely things. I even got a cocktail making set from my brother! I'm sure I'll be able to put it to good use, being a student and all, I'm a trained professional. 

I'm hoping in the next few days I'll have a spare 5 minutes here and there to take some blog photos, and maybe even film a video or two, though I doubt it. I will be posting a little bloopers video over on my channel though, just so my subscribers know I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have exciting plans for New Year, I myself will be heading to a friends house (after I finish work) to bring in the New Year with non-alcoholic beverages, as I'm driving. 

Did you guys have a nice Christmas? What have you got planned to bring in 2014? 

 

Insta Life #5

Favourite Friends episode, Fajittaas!// Finally got my Alice In Wonderland print framed and on my wall// Soap & Glory have changed their packaging and it is unbelievably boring// Last shift at work, going to miss the Odeon Fam// No more work so nail painting time! OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight// ASOS having a sale whilst I have no money, again!// My goodies from JenLuvsReviews for being a contestant in the Best In Beauty YouTube competition// New shirt from New Look, it has my age on it!// Is that Heisenberg hiding on Spotify?// Packing to move back to Uni// New glasses!// Getting everything set up in my new Uni dorm room// First Starbucks of the year and it was goooood// The best cider in the history of cider// I managed to flip my key card off of a box of plasters and get it into my water, skills!// My room is very green// What are friends for eh? The most boring pub quiz in the world FYI// And so the Uni work begins, bring on final year//

Insta Life #4

Yummy strawberry and cream sponge cake for my sister's birthday// Spare few minutes to have a play with photography// Finding old school photos for my 'Makeup & Me' thumbnail// My fave pic taken in my little photography session// Shopping spree, some essentials and some non-essentials// The Marc Jacobs Honey EDP box is huge!// New app to remind me to drink and not be a camel all day// Survived my last shift despite the hoards of 1D fans// It's getting chilly in the UK, time to break out the Spirithood//

Insta Life #3

New desktop background created by IKEA.com!// First piece of artwork to go up in my new room// Taking off a face mask and looking like my name should be Bill// Bit of a splurge, new foundation and Color Tattoos// Getting back on the healthy eating wagon// Newspaper style social media buttons over on my new 'creation' blog cheshirecatcreates// Finally got my hands on some Crayola pencils <3// Cupcake social media icons// Taking a walk along Lymm Canal for my sisters birthday//

Insta Life #2

I hit 500 subscribers on my YT channel!// In work again, getting judged by the Lorax// The Decorating begins, taking a short break to drink some yummy hot chocolate// My first magazine freebie of August// The bed is finally painted after some paint dilemmas// Letting out my inner nerd, let's start from the beginning// The room is finished woo hoo!// Finally got my Malm desk from IKEA <3// Chilling, editing some blog photos at my new desk//

I'm doing the FAW blogging challenge along with Rabbitwood!