Italy 2013

First of all, sorry for the bombardment of pictures, my apologies! I was going through my Italy album and thought I would upload some onto my blog. So here they are! I went to Italy for a wedding, first of all we stopped at Pisa, then went on to Siena, and then finally to Florence. Italy as a country is breathtakingly beautiful. For the wedding we stopped in an old country villa/mansion. It was incredible to say the least. The weather was very mixed, but we did get some hot days, hoorah. I honestly didn't want it to end. We've already made plans to go back again next year, I literally cannot wait!

-H xo

missing in action?

It's been a while since I last blogged and there is a good reason for that! About 2 months ago my life changed pretty drastically! Ahh where to begin? WELL... I met someone very very special. We've moved into a lovely little home with our Collie dog, Grace. It's all happened so quickly, but I couldn't be any happier, over the moon infact! A couple of weeks ago we went to Italy for a wedding and in all honesty I had the best time of my life, it was absolutely incredible and breathtaking.

Because my life has been so busy, my Blog and YouTube got a little bit neglected! However, the internet has been ordered and is on it's way, hoorah! So I shall be back very very soon. 

- H xo

happy happy happy, Summer's on its way!

Yaaay, so it's finally getting to Summer, we've changed our clocks one hour forward and now we're in British Summer Time, BooYah! Sunshine, and weather in general, really affects my mood. When it's a lovely day out, I'm way more productive. For example, I'll go for a long run, eat healthier, film videos and write blog posts. I also see things differently, I look at life in a whole different way. In general, I'm a much more positive person! So I really hope we get a bloomin' good Summer this year, God knows we desperately need deserve it! :)

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sneak peek - magazine collage/inspiration wall

Just a sneaky peek at my "wall", it's nearly finished, just waiting on a few more things to be delivered but the majority of it is done, yay! It took me quite a few hours to go through the magazines choosing the pages that I liked. Then cutting them up and sticking them on the wall. I've also added little trinkets, for example bunting, dreamcatchers, wooden signs etc. But I'll do more of an indepth blog post once it's finished! I love just staring at it, definitely makes my room a lot more interesting!

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a very happy hattie

New Job

Well something massive went down in my life last week. As some of you guys might know I graduated in November with a degree in Forensic Biology but I actually finished Uni in June. So since then I've been applying for jobs left, right and center with no luck. However I had a second interview the other week for a Pharmaceutical company, and well bugger me, I only went and got the job! I literally cried when my recruiter said I had the position. Ahhhhh. So my job title is: Pharmaceutical Process Technician and today was my first day. I was excited more than anything and the day went so fast. I got to grips with GMP, H&S and Gowning. As well as looking around the facilities. It's all so interesting and the people who work there are lovely. I'm over the moon and can't wait to go back in tomorrow (*cough* "loser" *cough*) :D.

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a day to remember

Graduation is the last thing on a student's mind as they're enrolling at university, I know it was for me. It seemed like such a long way away that I didn't even need to think about it. I had to get my head down and actually get my degree first. Fast forwarded 3 years and suddenly you're leaving university. For me I had a huge gap, I finished my last exam early June but had to wait until early November for graduation. Within that time I felt like I was in limbo, neither coming or going, & a little lost to say the least.

At the cross in Chester

But finally the day came and I've never been so nervous. I went with my parents to collect my cap and gown and had our professional pictures taken. We then walked into Chester and took lots of photographs. The ceremony itself was incredible, all the students were in the cathedral. I was lucky enough that my seat was just across from my family so I could see them and they could see me.

My friends and me

When they call your name, it's quite terrifying, as there are about a thousand eyes on you. I've never liked being in the spotlight but that day was an exception. I've worked my butt off to get my degree and I'm so proud of myself.

Me & Dad

The only sad thing about the day was that my Grandfather wasn't there. He died before I went to university, so he never knew. He was a Doctor of Music, and a senior lecturer at Chester University. He use to compose the musical anthems especially for graduation. He then played these anthems on the cathedral's organ during the ceremony. He was unbelievably talented and would have been over the moon to play for me on my special day. But I still had my parents, my grandma and my boyfriend to support me!

At night me and my friends all went out to celebrate and to be a student one last time.

A little drunk

All in all it was definitely a day to remember and cherish.

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rest in peace my little furry friend

Today is a sad day... my little guinea pig, Ted, passed away. He was always a sickly pig but a fighter nonetheless. Just over a year ago he had a stroke where he was paralysed down one side but recovered in a matter of hours. At the time I thought he was going to die but he didn't and pulled through. But yesterday he took a turn for the worst. We believe he had yet another stroke but this time it affected his swallowing reflex and so couldn't eat or drink. So we left him quiet in his cage, I sat beside him stroking his little face.

It's been quite a shock. Before I went down South he was doing so well. Happier and healthier than usual, really active, with nice shiny bright eyes, always up at the bars wanting attention. And now he's gone. My little furry friend. We, as a family, couldn't do anything more for him. He had a loving home, with all the food/water/treats that he could ever want. 

I can still remember the day we got him, he was the tiniest little thing I had ever seen. My Mum and Dad bought him as a surprise for me. I burst out crying when I first met him, because I had lost my previous guinea pig, Squirrel, beforehand who I loved so dearly. Ahhh I'm in tears as I write this. Guinea pigs are amazing little creatures with huge personalities despite their size. They bring so much love to a person's life.

  

I still have Basil bunny, he's been cheering me up with his naughty ways.

A very sad...

London 2012

I'm back off my jollys down South! I went down to Haslemere (Surrey) first, then to Hastings (East Sussex) and finally to London. But now I am back home up North. We fit so much into a week and I'm absolutely exhausted, it'll take me a week to recover :P. I thought I'd put in a few photies that I took...

1. London Shopping 2. London Underground

I did do some shopping whilst I was in Surrey but I did the most damage in London. We don't have Muji, Monki or Forever 21 where I live which is so annoying because I love the things they sell! I'll show you guys what I got in another post/video :). 

I love the tube, its such a cool and quick way to travel. I always think of that movie 'Creep' when I'm in the underground. haha. Don't want to come across any scary monsters!

3. China Town 4. Liberty

We had a Chinese in China Town which was very yummy. 

Liberty is such a pretty building, pretty much the same as the ones we have up in Chester.

5. Tower of London 6. Killer Axe

We went to the Tower of London because we'd heard that it was suppose to be really good. Don't get me wrong some things are interesting but it doesn't live up to the hype what so ever :P. The axe on show was the one that beheaded Henry the 8th's wives!

 We also saw a show called 'Jersey Boys' which was really good! We had the best seats and view. We also saw James Bond, Skyfall at the IMAX and went to The Comedy Store in Piccadilly Circus.

I love London and can't wait for my next trip down there!

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Graduation!!

It's my graduation tomorrow, 2/11/2012, eep! I'm so excited and nervous. I have to get up super early to collect my cap, gown and hood for 7:30, then take pictures and then go to the cathedral to take part in the ceremony. I have an upper second-class honours degree in Forensic Biology :D.

My 3 years in uni have gone by so fast it's scary, and going out into this big bad world is just terrifying. But lets leave all that doom and gloom behind! After the ceremony, me and my family are going out for a nice meal somewhere in Chester. Then in the evening, I'm off out with my uni friends for some cheeky cocktails. 

Thought I'd whack in some photo's of the lovely bunch ^_^.

All in all it should be a day to remember.

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22nd Birthday Haul

 Jeffrey Campbell Everest

Clothes

Cushions

Daniel Wellington Classic Glasgow Watch

Juicy Couture: Viva La Juicy Perfume

Sorry I've been a little MIA recently, it was my 22nd Birthday last Wednesday (17th Oct) and things have been a little hectic :D. But I'm back and I thought I'd show you some of the presents I got. I did get quite a bit of money, so I will be saving that for my London trip!

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I saved a ferret!

I saved a ferret!

If you don't already know, I am a huge animal lover and will always try to do my best by them. Well today I went downstairs and started to clean Ted and Basil out. In the corner of my eye I saw a white flash disappearing into Basil's hutch. I thought 'oh bloody hell, what on earth is that thing'. I stopped what I was doing and went out to investigate. A little furry face of a ferret appeared from inside the hutch. I acted quick and shut her in the run. I then went to phone my Dad and Mum to tell them about this little creature. But as I was doing that she managed to escape out of a small hole.

She then was loose again in the garden. We usually put bread out for the birds to eat but she was picking it up and running off with it. It was so funny. I knew I had to get hold of her again but I didn't want to pick her up since she could bite. I coaxed her back into the rabbit run and shut her in securely. I also put some more sawdust in the hutch. Eventually she curled up and went to sleep. Then my Mum came home and we decided to call the rescue shelter and they said to bring her in. We also contacted the police incase someone had reported her missing. Afterwards Mum and me put her in Ted's travel cage and put a blanket over it to keep her calm. And then we drove to the shelter and dropped her off there.

The shelter is called Capricorn Animal Rescue (site link here). They are based in North Wales and have so many animals. So if you on the hunt to welcome a new pet to your family you should definitely check the place out. :)

She was such a little cutie. I would definitely have kept her but we already have Ted and Basil. But for now she's going to be well looked after and have other ferrety friends to play with. :) Take a look at my video since I managed to get some footage of her.

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Invisalign - before and after pictures

Invisalign - before and after pictures

After 15 months and 33 trays I have finished the main part of my Invisalign treatment. *Lets out a huge YAY*. If you remember back to my old post (here), where I first spoke about my teeth and how much I wanted braces. And also to this post (here), where I talk about my first consultation and the price. It seems like such a long time ago.

So I'll go back to when I got my first tray. (Note I had 33 trays for the upper and 9 for the lower). The first was an absolute bitch. It hurt to put them in my mouth, my teeth were in agony and it was so uncomfortable. Thinking back I had to take painkillers. This was only the case for about 4ish days. The reason behind this is that my teeth back then were stubborn and had found a place that they wanted to reside in. So when I came along and applied lots of pressure they really didn't like it. But as the teeth got use to moving they become looser and therefore changing trays is not such a hassle.

The trays are very tight to begin with, obviously but will relax over the next couple of days. I found that early on in my treatment I use to get really bad ulcers on the inside of my cheeks and also the roof of my mouth from the plastic. But overtime my tissues became more resistant.

So you change your trays every 2 weeks (switch the trays at night so then in your sleep your teeth are moving and is left uncomfortable). In this time I use to give them a brush with toothpaste to keep them clean. I was also given this dissolvable tablet thing, which I would put into warm water that would clean the braces. But it didn't work that great. Also, like an idiot I put my braces into warm water to clean them with this tablet and then I cleaned them in cold water. And with this massive change in temperature it completely altered the shape of the brace so it became useless, so just watch out! I had to go up a brace asap!

After your first few trays you will have attachments put on your teeth. These are tooth coloured little globs of cement stuff. These fit into the bubbles in your braces which help to move those certain teeth. Getting the attachments on doesn't hurt at all and is not uncomfortable. I had two of mine break off out of 8 but you just go and get them put back on. The only thing I didn't like was when it came to taking them off. That can be annoying because you want all of this cement stuff off but you don't want to damage the enamel. Also with the attachments is that you can't clean those teeth that well so you will get a little discolouration. This goes as soon as they come off and you have a good toothbrush/toothpaste.

I had to have shavings between my teeth due to the overcrowding. Shavings are only about 1mm wide but the gap soon closes. This can hurt a little bit if the gums are caught.

Cleaning your teeth is a massive must when you have Invisalign. I cleaned mine religiously and flossed too. You don't want bits of food and plague in/on your teeth and then put your braces in. This will lead to tooth decay and it will ruin your life! You just have to be proactive and not lazy. This means after every time you eat too. So take a little toothbrush/toothpaste and floss out wherever you go. Sometimes I used to wait until I got home before I cleaned my teeth and put my braces back in. I had Invisalign whilst I was at uni, I went out drinking a lot so I didn't always use to wear them 22 hours a day, but they turned out good in the end!

I finished my bottoms really quickly, 18 weeks, since I only had 9 trays. So then I went down to only wearing the bottom tray at night. However because I wore it every night for 48 weeks the trays became far too loose and then my teeth started to slip a little. No to worry this will be fixed in the refinement stage. Now my top ones took 66 weeks to complete (33 trays). But my upper left two is a little out by a couple of degrees so this will be fixed in refinements too.

Here's my results to far:

BEFORE

AFTER

For refinements you get molds taken and sent to America for your braces to be created. I got a phone call today to say that they had arrived, but I would need to see my orthodontist before I could get them because I need more filling done. So this is where I am up to now.

I will update you guys in a couple of months hopefully with my fully completed Invisalign treatment.

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