Pride.

I remember a time in college when a close friend of mine had looked at me with an expression of worry and said;

'So I suppose you don't support same-sex relationships, since you're a Christian?' 

And all I could do was stare at them in complete shock. 

I eventually managed to fumble together an answer that wasn't as put together as I would have hoped, explaining how I felt my religion was one of love and that, while I didn't personally swing that way, I fully supported the 'crazy' concept of someone being able to love a person of the same gender without discrimination. 

With all the excitement going on recently to do with the legalization of same sex marriage in the US (woo America you made an awesome choice!!), there's been a few negative comments that were always bound to follow. 

Gap Years - The Pros

A small article compiling the reasons why taking a gap year was one of the best decisions I could have made.

(**Note - This is just my opinion, I am now going to university in September 2015 for a three year course and couldn't be more thrilled, I'm not suggesting everyone should take a gap year, I just want to put out the good points about them in a system where university can often be pushed onto young students who are unsure of their options.**)

Let's face it, education can be gruelling, nerve-wracking and sometimes just plain dull, by the time I got to my last days of college I had been in school for fourteen consecutive years, and for future generations the element of choice in that period is beginning to be totally eradicated. By no means am I arguing against education with this article, because unfortunately the old adult saying of 'these are the best years of your life' is actually completely true.

Kids These Days...

When I was younger I always made sure I said 'please' and 'thank you' when it was expected, and if I forgot to then you can bet that I was called out on it.

If I lost control of my temper and snapped at someone I apologised profusely and explained my reasons afterwards, without using them as an excuse. If I unintentionally caused upset or disorder then I apologised, even though I hadn't done it on purpose.

If someone was speaking, I listened, and if a teacher, parent or any kind of authority figure spoke I wouldn't dare to talk over them.

I respected the people that taught me, lead me and raised me; and this behaviour has given me one hell of a head start into adult life.

Trading in Grandma

"Hi there! How can I help you today miss?" The overly perky male attendent smiled expectantly into the defiantly flippy-fringed and overly made-up face, blatantly ignoring the slightly creased but still perfectly functional piece she was holding. 

"Uh yeah I'd like to trade in grandma." Her bored tone suggested the 'I couldn't care less' stage of her life was already in full swing, although the dark circles carefully drawn round her eyes implied the boredom was also very deliberately applied for show, she was the kind of customer that made this whole enterprise worthwhile. 

"Certainly, did you have anything in mind for the exchange?" The old lady at her side opened her mouth as if to suggest something, thought better of it, and kept quiet again, eyes averted. It was clear this kind of decision didn't involve her input and she would just be seen as a nuisance if she attempted to deliver it. 

"Well her original label was June, I was thinking some kind of variation of that?" The girl played a hard bargain, not giving all the answers, expecting the quality of service given to all of her friends before her most probably.

Working Girl...

Currently, my life is a blend of cuppa soups and cardigans. Mugshots or missed mealtimes. Crackers and cashing up.

In other words; I got a job.

It's pretty full on right now, I'm only meant to be part time but at the moment I'm covering for another staff vacancy, which is pretty great in terms of money to save up for uni, not so great on the writing and general 'keeping up with life' front.

I'm also discovering that I'm one of those people who just can't leave a job unfinished. Which is, again, a little sucky for my energy levels. I hate taking a lunch break and leaving someone else with a mountain of work so generally I keep going and make do throughout the day, (which is okay and all, but I definitely don't advise it.) 

So anyway, welcome to adult life! 

Cosplay Crafts - Apokélypse

The next cosplay plan I am undertaking is an apocalyptic twist on Pokémon, or as me and my boyfriend affectionately call it; 'The Apokélypse'. 

The plan is for him to dress as the eternal-10-year-old Ash Ketchum (well, a grown up version) while I take a human twist on a Growlithe, we then cover everything in dirt and blood and act as vicious as the characters undoubtedly would if a nuclear disaster left the world in tatters. ;) 

So since my cosplay partner has yet to collect any items for his costume and MCM is less than a month away -(we booked the tickets yesterday, eeek!)- I decided to take matters into my own hands and make him a bandolier that could not only accommodate bullets but also pokeballs. 

Budget Cosplay

I love cosplaying. I mean, what could be more fun than dressing up as your favourite character to show the world your love and appreciation (not obsession... haha...) for a tv show, a movie, a game? 

But I'm a student. Who's goal in life is to become a writer/actress. Let's face it, I'm never going to have enough money to really splash out on extravagent costumes that make people do a double take, unless I just stop needing food or something...

So some people may say I 'half-arse' my cosplays, but, I feel that as long as I have the basic recognisable elements of the character, I can use a bit of artistic liscence. After all, cosplaying is about having fun pretending to be a character, which means if you don't look completely-totally-ridiculously identical to them - IT'S OKAY!