Steps to feeling happier

So one of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog was to use it as a place to express my thoughts, problems and awkward moments that happen in my life and currently I'm feeling pretty low. I'm sure many of you have felt like this before...you consistently feel incompetent, everyone around you seems better looking, nothing you do is right and you feel whatever you say is the wrong thing...if you've never felt like this then trust me you're either a robot or an incredibly confident and positive person so I applaud you but for the rest of us it's hard.

As a student, the pressures of getting the grades are constant and for me writing is one of my main passions so of course I thought taking my creative writing class would be loads of fun and a doodle so when I had to write a short story or the beginning of a novel over the Christmas break I thought, this might be fun cause you know it's creative so I can write what I want. I spent three days working on it and trying to create the right atmosphere, characters and sense of shock that I wanted the reader to feel. The story is teen fiction and focuses on the struggling life of a tabloid socialite suffering from a mental illness. It is told from the perspective of the hotel receptionist Jack who finds himself getting wound up in the confusing world that Lorna leads. It includes murder, romance and deceit and by the time I had finished I have to admit I was pretty proud so when my family read it and not a single member liked it, it definitely hurt.

I suddenly went into this self conscious mode as I do and felt fatter, dumber everything about me seemed that extra bit worse. I know others will have felt the same.

My cure for feeling better:

• Put some make up on- sounds stupid but it does genuinely work and makes you feel that little bit more confident

• Smile in the mirror - everyone should do this at least once a day

• Sing really loudly - doesn't matter if you're crap, let it all out with your favourite song

• Read a great book! Yes books do exist and they're amazing, go read one and let your mind take you into another realm of your imagination

• Binge watch tv - my go-tos are FRIENDS, GIRLS and just recently Orange is the new Black

• Have a long bath - I'm not usually a bath person but they always seem to work

• Smelly candles - I adore anything that smells good and am a complete sucker for candles so often light them up and it makes me feel that little bit better

• Watch Disney - who doesn't love a bit of Disney? The classics like Snow White or The Little Mermaid will never get old and are great but the newer ones like Tangled are simply AMAZING

• Phone a friend - people seem to use the phone a lot less due to Facebook and Twitter but despite the use for phones now, they were originally intended for talking to another person, so dial your friends digits and have a good old natter

• Glass of wine with mum - this is a top one for me, I'm very close to my mum and both of us love our wine

Hope this helps you and hopefully next time I blog I'll be feeling a little happier

Cheerio,

Emma

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Silver Linings Playbook review

Director: David O' Russell

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence (Oscar winner best actress), Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Rating: 15/15

Its almost impossible to write a review for David Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' without simply repeating "it was AMAZING". Prior to watching the film I had very high expectations of this film what with Lawrence winning an oscar, along with the film winning best screenplay and script and I have to say it deserved every award it got given. The plot follows former substitute teacher, Patrick (Cooper) struggling with bipolar disorder and has just been released from a psychiatric ward due to an unfortunate loss of temper. His determination of going back home stems from trying to win back his fiancée, a work colleague who we learn cheats on him with the actual history teacher. His character becomes involved with widow, Tiffany (Lawrence) known round the neighbourhood for her bad reputation. Cooper and Lawrence work excellently with each other and bounce of the other's energy. In an attempt to win back his love, Tiffany convinces Pat that they must enter a dance competition. She ensures him that the commitment, dedication and physical strength will present itself in the competition. The film was far from predictable with the way it ended and despite knowing that Tiffany and Patrick were obviously going to end up together I was surprised at various moments of the film. It was clever and provided the audience with the perfect combination of laughs, emotional turmoils and sexual tension between Lawrence and Cooper. I am a huge Bradley Cooper fan but I've got to admit that Jennifer Lawrence stole the show with her natural on screen acting; she allowed you to feel sympathy towards her while still knowing that she is occasionally out of order and potentially unstable. I would reccommend this film to absolutely everyone but mostly for those who enjoy watching romantic dramas. 

What's your top film you've seen this week?

Emma

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Sales shopping

So it's that wonderful yet extremely stressful time of the year where sales are crazy good, every shop is as crowded as a bunch of fatties trying to all squeeze into a tiny cupboard...not the greatest of similes but it made me smile so it's staying...and everyone seems to wear the exact same panic stricken face whenever they step into a destination with shops. My family decided to brace the slightly nauseating experience of post-Christmas sale shopping and headed to Cabot circus in Bristol. It's a great place to go to for the day but be warned, for some reason the bristolians enjoy the outside and so despite the fact that it's in England, the shopping mall is sort of half outside, half inside meaning that every time you step out of a store you feel as if you've stepped out into the cold again. Luckily for us there were copious amounts of people so it wasn't as cold as it has been on previous occasions. 

Now I'm part of a family of five pretty opinionated people so deciding what and where to eat is always a pretty stressful process. We walked past nandos, cafe rouge, yo sushi, sussing out every menu and scrutinising each one till we finally decided Frankie and Benny's was the best option. If you haven't been there, you should go. It's slightly pricey but think of it as a treat rather than a meal. The restaurant is a mix between TGI Fridays and an upmarket Italian so you can sort of imagine the style of food served and the layout of the restaurant already. I'm guessing you don't want to hear the entirety of my meal but I will say that I recommend either ordering a burger or the Cajun chicken pasta bake both are fabulous.

Moving on from lunch, next came the hard part...SHOPPING.

I usually love shopping but despise shopping for myself because I can never seem to find anything which looks even remotely flattering on me but can always find masses of options for other people. I went off with my sister Katie, a size 6 beauty so it's always a blast shopping with her as I feel like a whale in comparison with my size 12 curvaceous frame. Anyway as most shops had 50% off I was determined to find something...

NOTHING. 

I picked up a bunch of stuff but just ended up putting them back. I'm sure there are plenty of other people in my situation and it sucks. My sister doesn't get it but it's easy for her, she doesn't get self conscious looking at her reflection. I'm quite a confident person and dress well so I am only talking about seeing my bare reflection when I take off my clothes. I read in Cosmo once that in order to have great sex one must appreciate one's own body so should stand naked in front of the mirror at least once a day. No offence to Cosmo, I absolutely love reading your magazines but that's nuts and if it is the truth then I am officially terrible in bed. I am definitely straying from the point here, my point is that likes lot of other people, I find it hard to buy clothes for myself.

My mum knows this.

She is also an expert at the sales so when we all met up she handed me a bright pink House of Fraser bag with a blazer and formal dress in it, both were 70% off and both were beautiful and exactly like me. 

Here's me in the blazer, I tried to do a selfie where you could see most of the blazer but it didn't work so it just looks like a pouty selfie but oh well you're able to see the colour and tartan pattern from it. 

The dress is blue, floor length and has a small gold belt that holds me in at the waist. It went down from £200 to £40!! Like I said, my mum knows the sales. I'm gonna use it as my summer ball dress so when that fateful day comes in June you will all be able to see it and it's beauty.

Going to spend my evening tonight watching silver linings playbook with Jennifer Lawrence because I'm such a raving party girl haha and don't worry I'll make sure to let you know what I thought, but I have very hig expectations because I love Jennifer Lawrence, she and the movie won an oscar and it also has the hottie that is Bradley Cooper in it so here's hoping it doesn't let me down.

Stay safe,

Emma 

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First post

So a blog is always something that has interested me and so I thought why not?

I'm currently an English lit and drama student at royal holloway university. If you haven't heard of it, it's situated on egham hill in between Egham town and Engelfield Green in surrey, about an hour walk or 10 minute car journey to Staines and a half hour train journey to London. So that's where I spend the majority of my time. I'm loving life at university so far, friends, societies, drinking...it's all great. I'm dreading graduating next year because I have no clue what I am going to do with myself, I think I might take a pgce cause I taught in Sri Lanka over the summer and really enjoyed it so that might be something.

Anyway, this blog is basically going to be a (hopefully) useful guide to life; I'll provide you with all my mistakes that you will be able to learn from as well as easy to do recipes, cheap restaurants I go to, shows I see, good films I watch, anything...and once I begin to get a following I will hopefully be able to answer any questions anyone has.

Short generic bio I feel everyone needs to do:
Name: Emma styles
Age: 19
Likes: theatre, musicals, writing, reading, films (both making and watching), dogs, friends and of course my family
Dislikes: insects, rain, crocs and bats (they are basically rats that can fly and get stuck in your hair!!!)

With my first post done, I'm off to bed,

Cheerio,
Emma