Happy 18th 'Chuggers'!

It is incredibly strange to think that you, my baby brother, have turned 18 years old today. I can't quite get my head around it...

Aww look at you in your little glittery 'Ibiza' t-shirt....

I remember this one time when you were about four years old and you went to play outside in the garden whilst mum and I were sat in the house reading a story or what not. After a few minutes we realised you were being unusually quiet, when mum went to investigate it turned out you had painted all the back windows with mud... apparently you were giving them a wash! Likely story...

Another time, I was playing in my room and suddenly realised my tiny tears doll (aka little timmy) was missing... Do you know where I found it? In the bathroom sink, full of water and missing half its hair! It turned out you and a friend you had over fancied playing a game of hairdressers... You gave poor timmy half a skin head! 

Like all kids we had our fair share of fights, some of them ending up with headlocks, food thrown up the wall and DVDs scratched into oblivion...

The fight that really stands out the most though was the time that we had that massive fight at a summer fete over a toy or something, and one of us, I can't remember which one, grabbed a sack of videos we had just brought, swung it round trying to hit the other but instead accidently whacked mum in the face with it! After that I'm pretty sure we were both lost for words...

I dunno how you did it but as a kid your ability to get messy was legendary, you were one of those kids who could end up covered in food just from eating a slice of toast - your talents were extraordinary. 

Mum has always said that as a kid you would come out of school looking like you'd tipped your lunch tray over your head and straight down your front whilst the rest of your friends were as pristine as when they arrived at school in the morning... 

However, despite your 'mucky streak', shall we call it, as a kid you were always the kindest kid in the world... If we'd fight you'd always be the first to apologize or if I was ill you'd find a way to make me feel that little bit better...

There was this one time when I was ill, I can't actually remember what was wrong with me, probably just a cold or something, anyway you came up to me and gave me a little bell so that if I needed anything I could ring it and you could get it for me... How cute is that? 

I don't know if you remember but growing up you spent a lot of time in the company of girls, especially as all Mum and Dads friends had girls... pretty much until you started pre-school you spent all your time in female company and what fun it was...

I don't know if you remember but when you were three or four, me, Lucy and Sarah decided it would be fun to dress you up in girls clothes, and do your hair in little bunches... you ended up wearing a floor length nighty with your hair in little pigtails all over your head - it's safe to say that Dad was not impressed!

Another time we dressed you up in a little swimming costume with pink bows down the back... 

But jokes and cross-dressing aside, Happy Birthday you adult you! 

Homeward bound....

After a lot of stress, sweat and tears my second year at university was concluded last week after one final (and incredibly scary) exam, which I should probably admit I am 99% certain I failed. And so finally free, tomorrow morning I'm heading home! Sadly it is only a flying visit though as I am then off to my crazy family's annual camping trip slash reunion where I will be spending a week with no less than 30 of my distant relatives. That's something you should know about me, my family is big and loud and somewhat resembles the Portokalos family from romcom My Big Fat Greek Wedding, this year we will even be roasting meat on a spit in our make-shift 'front yard'... we so should have been Greek!

Camping trip aside, the main reason I'm heading home tomorrow is just so that I can wish my baby brother a happy 18th birthday... I can't quite believe my little, or not so little anymore, brother is turning 18, where has the time gone?

10 years ago he was turning 8....

Inside my bag - my everyday essentials...

Recently I've seen a lot of bloggers posting about the everyday necessities that reside within their handbags - the things they truly cannot live without, so I thought I would give it a go.

I personally can't live without....

1. My diary slash organiser - without it I would be seriously lost. Unlike a lot of my generation I lack the ability to double up my phone as an organiser. I need to see each day and date set out on a page in front of me to have any hope of being in the right place at the right time, and even then it's a struggle. Relying on good old fashioned pen and paper may sound slightly outdated but trust me, in my world it is a complete necessity.

Plus I just love the pretty designs! 

2. Lip balm - because there really is nothing worse than the look or feel of dry, chapped lips. Plus you never know, today might just be the day you end up in lip-locked passion with that barman you've been hooked on for like ever... I'll admit it''s unlikely, but a girl can dream can't she?

Love this! It's hand made and comes from my home town...

3. Note pad and pen. You never know when you may need to jot something down - be it a business contact or the number of the local answer to Ryan Gosling, a note pad and pen really are as essential as wearing matching underwear on a first date.
4. A can of Dove. This cucumber and green tea scented deodorant spray is nothing less than a handbag essential (for obvious reasons).
5. A bottle of non-chip nail varnish. I don't know what it is about carrying around a bottle of the shiny stuff but knowing I have the ability to top up my nails wherever and whenever I want gives me a strange sense of comfort. I'll admit I do suffer from a slight case of chip-a-phobia, who knows, maybe it's something to do with that...

6. Hairbrush. My hair has to be the most frustrating hair on the planet, it has the most annoying and unnatural tendency to tangle... as in, within five minutes of being brushed. It really isn't normal. Hence a hairbrush is more than necessary, unless of course I fancy the birds nest look... I think it may be time to invest in a tangle teaser!
7. My iphone. If I'm being honest, I've always been a bit of a technophobe, even the most simplistic of technology ends up confusing me (I think I inherited my lack of love for technology from my mother, who at age 45 is still unable to use the internet or a computer). But there's something different about the iphone, the minute I laid eyes on it I just knew we were going to get along, and for once I was actually right. It's simple and easy to use, in fact I fell so deeply in love with it that I persuaded (aka bullied) my mother into getting one of her own.

It really is stunning....

8. My make-up bag. I'm one of these people who more often than not, ends up being late, so carrying around my make-up makes life a hell-of-a-lot easier. Many girls my age would squeal with horror at what I'm about to say...but I tend to leave the house bare faced, completely free of make-up pretty much everyday and it's only if I get a spare minute that I'll slap a little colour onto my face.

9. My purse - kind of obvious but totally necessary. I mean without my Starbucks loyalty card, oh and of course my debit card, where would I be? ... Gingerbread-latte-less