30.03.16

29.03.16

28.03.16

27.03.16

26.03.16

25.03.16

24.03.16

23.03.16

22.03.16

Today was a struggle but I feel as if I have actually made progress with my dissertation today. I have my meeting with Louise at 10am tomorrow. Today I didn't leave the house. 

21.03.16

Nothing much to report today, did dissertation all day despite feeling as if I have made zero progress. I played Majora's Mask on my brakes and ate the last few slices of pizza from yesterday. At about 6pm I gave Rory a ring because I was starting to feel very down about dissertation and he suggested I went for a walk. Because it was getting dark I left the house immediately and went for a really quick walk in the valley as the sun was setting. I took Rory with me on the phone and managed to get home before it was complacently dark. I decided not to do any more work after than and come back to my work tomorrow with a fresh mind. 

20.03.16

Me and Rory spent literally all day in bed watching cartoons and eating pizza. If you are, like us, a fan of cartoons PLEASE watch 'Over the Garden Wall' by Cartoon Network!!! Its only 10 episodes and is one of the most original and well-crafted cartoon narratives I have seen in a long time. Rory walked me home at 8pm so I could pick up some stuff and catch my train at 10pm. I was happy to see mum at the house only to be told that the metros were off at the coast! Thank god she was there! She gave me a lift to a station the trains would be running, giving rory a lift too so he could see me off. I bought my ticket but when I got to the platform the board informed me that Central Station metro station was closed. I think my heart stopped. Thank god mum was sat in the car park waiting to give Rory a lift home or I would have been abandoned! She took us both to the station which was not only amazing of her but meant that me and Rory could spend a tiny little bit more time together <3 I caught my train and enjoyed the journey eating left over pizza and playing Majora's Mask. Because the train was so late at night on a Sunday I was sat at a table by myself. I got home at about midnight and headed straight to bed! 

19.03.16

After a very chill morning myself, Rory, his mum and his dad caught a taxi to town at about 3ish to meet Claire and Ross at Las Iguanas for Rory's birthday meal. The food was delicious as always - I got a burrito and Rory got a whole chicken (I kid you not!). Because it was the Carmichael family the drinks flowed all night! After the meal we headed to Dat Bar and then Alvinos for cocktails. We headed home to have more drinks and nibbles and listened to good music and conversation. I passed out by the end of the night (4am) completely exhausted. Tonight was one of the best night out I have had in a very long time :D 

18.03.16

Today was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me if I'm honest. I went to uni in the morning for a dissertation meeting, went home and packed my weekend bag, got a taxi to the station, missed my train by seconds, caught the next train, got the metro from Central Station to Percy Main to meet my family, got picked up by mum at the station, went straight for an Indian meal, got dropped off at |Rory's house (who was having a big family get together for his birthday), left because I though Rory was asking me to leave, called Rory only to realized we were both very confused and then finally got dropped off a final time to stay there the night! phew. I'm tiered just writing it! 

17.03.16

I should have spent all day doing dissertation but because today was the original deadline everyone else was celebrating. Its is also St Patrick's day so going to the pub was necessary. Sinead, Nathan, Laura and Elys headed to a couple of bars but ended up in the Fenton. The weather was lovely so I treated myself to some rather strong cider. We all planned to hang out at Charlie's house in the evening and drink but she was feeling ill and Sinead and Nathan just fancied having a quiet night in so me and Elys hung out at mine for a while before she needed to head off and pack to go home. 

I had a lovely day, followed by another 2am knock on the door followed by a series of Simon's tipsy friends demanding that I join them down stairs. They had been on an Otley Run and when the bars had shut decided to continue the party round ours. I think most (if not all) of Simon's mates live in student accommodation so its cool they can come back here and chill out in a more comfortable environment :) I got to know everyone a bit better and was introduced to two girls I had not met before. I hope I can hang out with them all again when I have'nt been asleep and I'm not in my pajamas ahaha

16.03.16

Because nothing much happened today here is my view of the street, I though it looked quite pretty. I dedicated all my time today on getting as much done as I could. I am aiming to finish Chapter 2 asap so I can move on quick and spend more time editing later!   

15.03.16

After an uneventful day writing dissertation the boiler stopped working. I ran a bath (which I really really needed because baths are my therapy) only to find that it was ice cold. I ran around the house trying all the taps and when non of them ran hot I texted the landlord. He was at the house within the hour and fixed it straight away! Brilliant! But then the boiler started leaking. He left at about midnight but told me he would be back the next day to fix it properly, as well as sorting our some odd jobs for us. Hes amazing - so much better than our last landlord!

I went to bed, planning on getting up early the next day, only to be woken up by Simon and his mate at 2am. They wanted to hang out and watch a film and seeing as I had a good time last time I couldn't see why I shouldn't. I chilled out downstairs for an hour before going back to bed. It was an unexpected but very fun turn of events!

14.03.16

Today's photo is Sineads bottom because it is a work of art. Hahah also because Mondays are not as much studio day as much as they are Sinead day! The day was productive and was followed by a couple drinks at the pub as usual.

When I got home I gave mum a ring and we arranged that I should go home for Rory's birthday a day early and have a meal with herself, Jim and dad. I called dad to invite him and we had a little chat. Simon came up to my room and asked if I wanted to join him and his friends downstairs. Because I had spent all day in the studio and I wasnt planning on doing anything else I agreed. Im glad I did because all his mates are lush, we had a hilarious time and I hope to see them around!

13.03.16

Because I am really trying to give myself one day off a week I dedicated this day to messing around, doing whatever I wanted and not even thinking about work! I painted, watched shows on the laptop and played Majora's Mask on the 3DS. Today was fab! I need to do this more often haha

12.03.16

Today's photos is pretty grim because all Iv just been cracking on with dissertation all day. Rather than talk about that I thought I could share the songs I have been playing on repeat to get me through all this work! In no particular order:

Major Lazer - Powerful 

Major Lazer - Light It Up

Grimes - Maim V Kill 

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Porter 
Scroobius Pip - The First Time I Met Muzic

They are all very different but all extremely good! If you haven't heard them I defiantly recommend! 

11.03.16

I spent today doing dissertation ...again. Its going really well but today I lost my concentration a bit and ended up having the most productive procrastination session! I made a website! Iv been meaning to make one for my art for ages but had never got round to it. Yesterday Sinead mentioned something about her own website which inspired and motivated me to just go for it! ..Even though I probably should have been doing dissertation instead haha oh well.

Mum sent me a little present in the post as a reward for how hard I have been working and as a hepful motivator to keep going. It was a mug with all the common sppelling mistakes I make like 'there', 'their' and 'the're' and what they all mean so that I can always double check my cuppa before I make a spelling error haha classic mum! I love it - it has been designated my dissertation mug. (there is a photo of it on my insta @awesomefroghat)

This evening I Skyped Rory and his flat and we listened to My Dad Wrote a Porno together which was hilarious! Please listen to it if you haven't already, its amazing! 

10.03.16

I spent all day working on dissertation until about 6pm when I met up with Sinead to go watch a Peggy Guggenheim documentary 'Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict' at the Collage of Art. The tickets were only £5 and it was really really good! I feel very inspired as both an art enthusiast and a woman, she is defiantly my new role model, she was fab! 

Sinead suggested we go to the pub after but there was some sort of sports event happening which meant that all the pubs were packed so we went back to Sinead's, grabbing some oven pizzas on the way and drank wine all night! Today felt like a reward for working so hard this week and I feel like things are finally coming back together, like Im in control again :) 

09.03.16

I have started listening to a podcast called My Dad Wrote a Porno on Amy Smith's recommendation and its amazing! its laugh out loud funny and you have to listen to it! Each episode is only 30min long so its perfect to listen to on brakes from dissertation. I finally got round to buying more curry powder and so celebrated by making this delicious lunch of rice, curry, salad and falafel YUM. 

I had a really really good dissertation meeting at 2:15 which motivated me to go to the library and get lots of books out. I finally feel like I am in control of my work and things are going really well - I just hope I can keep it up! 

Listen to this! https://soundcloud.com/my-dad-wrote-a-porno

08.03.16

Today has been a really good day. It is offically spring because my room is no longer freezing! Its still a bit chilly so I whipped out my little radiator and got to work on dissertation in a lovely toasty room :) As usual I had my meeting with my disability suport tutor which is always quite motivating, all in all a good day.

07.03.16

Today started off really shit. I got a text from mum when I was getting ready saying how hurt, upset and disappointed she was that she has heard from neither me or Jim yesterday. Obviously she had not received my card and the lack of phone call did upset her... I gave her a ring and proceeded to get very upset with the fact that she thought I had forgotten Mother's day, even though I had gone to all the effort of making her a cute card (which I obviously couldn't tell her about because i wanted it to be a surprise). Yes, it was my fault, and it was my bad sending the card too late and not phoning but there were some factors I would not assume responsibility for: such as Jim forgetting (not my fault!) and not knowing when she got off work to call again (it was 10 and I was in bed by then anyway!). These excuses only made things worse and I was devastated and furious that she refused to believe I had forgotten (which I obviously didn't, proven by this blog and the images of the card I posted on Instagram!) Either way we made up a bit and I went into the studio feeling drained and generally really down.

However my day turned around when I got my glasses! These are my new 'reading glasses' (I guess) to help with my visual stress :) The colour is specifically created just for my eyes and is a combination of 4 colours, 2 pinks, 1 orange and a red. I love them! I have never had glasses before so this is really exciting! I picked them up after the opticians texted me they had arrived and I went to collect them as soon as I had my meeting with Andrea for studio. Dissertation is going to feel a bit more exiting now I think haha 

06.03.16

Happpy Mother's Day!

After another day working hard at the book fair I didn't really get to speak to my mum but I have sent her this card I made so Im sure she will still feel loved :) I got to talk to her a bit to tell her I had made £10 at the book fair by selling some work but it was a pretty quick call because she was at work. Here is a good a place as any to say thank you mum for all that you do! xxx

05.13.16

I volunteered to work at my school's table at the International Artist's Book Fair this weekend at the Tetley Gallery. I arrived at the venue at 10am and stayed until 7ish. I never would have thought working at a craft fair would be such hard work but I am shattered! Myself and one of my peers, Emily were the only ones working today so it was up to us to be friendly, talkative and helpful to anyone who came to the stall. I love this type of work but it was nevertheless tiring. 

04.03.16

Dissertation day. Also made a card for mum by painting out of tea, its really cute (photos on my instagram @awesomefroghat). At the end of the day I was feeling down and felt like I had not achieved anything during the day but I gave mum a ring and she assured me that I had. Talking to mum put me in a good mood again and I spent my Friday night watching tv with Amy Smith.

03.03.16

I spent all day re-making the books that were destroyed today so I could reach the book fair submission deadline at 8pm. After a lot of pain and cartoons I finally did it! I rushed into uni at half 4 to get into the studios before they closed at 5 and was pleased to see a few people still in there. I chatted with Gemma and Amy for a bit and then helped Amy out with her dissertation colour experiment which was actually quite fun. She thanked me with in hot chocolate and biscuits so I was happy! 

Jim loves babies and has been going to the bounce and rhyme mother and baby group on tuseday mornings at Whitley Bay libary. Mum gave me a ring just as I handed my work in and told me that Jim was being discriminated against by library staff for his autism, telling him he could not be in the public space with the bounce and rhyme session. When he went with mum everything was fine, but when he was alone he was unwelcome. I was outraged! Mum asked the librarians why and the best excuse they had was that he was not with a baby. SO, me and mum decided to ask Adiie and baby Lexa if they wanted to go to the same group and have Jim's back. When Adie was there when they asked Jim to leave again for no reason she could say no, and that he was with her and her baby. Adiie said she would be pleased to do it and I am so thankful :) I have so good friends x 

Me and Amy hung out and watched broad city in the evening and accidentally ended up staying up really late. 

02.02.16

I got up and out early today so that I could dedicate the whole morning to dissertation in the library I looked a room for 10am (which I was late to and missed) and then had quick meet up with Louise about dissertation at 10:45. My whole morning was set back a bit by the fact it suddenly started snowing just before I left the house! I love snow! It makes everything look so different and interesting. It was raining for most of the night so at first it didn't settle but it just kept falling until there was a small layer of sludge like snow on the ground - its not the nice soft fluffy snow I like but ill take what I can get ahaha! 

 01.03.16

I had meeting with both Louise about dissertation and my usual Tuesday disability meeting. Both went well and I am feeling much more confident about my dissertation and the direction I want it to take - now all I have to do is write the bloody thing! 

There was a minor disaster in the studio however, there has been yet another leak in the ceiling and a brown liquid has dripped all over my book fair submissions for this weekend. I am gutted. I was so so happy with my books and now they are ruined! I will have to rearrange my week so I can make more and hopefully they will be ready in time.. 

29.02.16

After a long long day in the studio myself Sinead and Elys went to the Hyde Park pub for a couple of drinks. When I got home I sat on the kitchen table and panted. I haven't done anything big and expressive just for fun in a while so it was refreshing. Its been a good but long day.

28.02.16

Today I watched the entirety of Black Mirror in one day. It was so damn good and I dont know why I haven't seen it before! It made me feel so many things... 

I also spent most of the day in bed other than having a bath and all I have really eaten is grilled cheese sandwiches. So, all in all its been a cool Sunday :D 

27.02.16

Today was dedicated to dissertation. Black is my older work and the blue is my new work, I'm making decent progress and feel like my work is starting to take a direction. I booked a session in the library and am feeling much better about the whole situation. 

26.02.16

Mum and Jim came to the house to collect me at about half 9. We spent the day at Temple Newsam, an amazing stately home with huge grounds and a farm only 20min away from my house in the centre of Leeds. We wandered around the house for hours looking at the amazing architecture, textiles and furnishings from all different periods of history. The house even had some interactive elements such as kids dress up (demonstrated by mum and Jim above haha) and a small textiles archive.

 After a few hours looking around the house we went to the cafe and mum bought me this Yorkshire pudding meal! Me and mum then left Jim with a cup of coffee to go to the farm. I saw so many pigs and they were all sooooo cute! Some of them were pregnant and due to have piglets any day and it was amazing! I LOVE piggies! 

On the way home mum took me to the supermarket bought me a shop which was very kind. I got things I would never usually buy for myself like chocolate biscuits and mozzarella cheese! Yum! When we got back to my house mum read through my dissertation. They left at about 7ish, it was really really lovely to see them x 

 25.02.16

I spent most of the day doing dissertation stuff and I had my meeting with Louise in the late afternoon. I went to the library for a bit but was too excited about mum and Jim coming down for a visit so I couldn't concentrate on work. They arrived a bit later than expected as they hit traffic as soon as they entered Leeds but I didn't mind and was really excited to see them. We went for a meal at Reds BBQ, which I had never been to because its menu is primarily meat but I thought I would try it out! Because Im not a huge fan of meat I was a but nervous but I thought if I was going to eat it at all I might as well do it at Reds as the quality would be amazing (seeing as meat is kinda their thing!) The food was amazing! We all had burgers and I had the veggie burger with added pulled pork. The pork was to die for and I really enjoyed the whole experience there. It was lovely to catch up with mum and Jim. We planned what we were doing the tomorrow and then they gave me a lift home.

24.02.16

Worked on Dissertation all day trying to reach 1600 new words. Booked a room in the library for a couple of hours and made good progress.

23.02.16

Sat in my kitchen for the mojority of the day and worked on dissertation, following the new timetable Sinead drew up for me. Louise gave me a book called Place by Tacita Dean and (as per usual) its taking me ages to read!

This is the view for my kitchen window. It keeps me motivated and is always beautiful. 

22.02.16

Mondays are studio days and I felt particularly productive this week. Because of the timetable Sinead made for me after my last dissertation meltdown today was my only day dedicated to serious studio progress so maybe that was the cause of my motivation. Either way I am feeling good about it and received a lot of positive feedback both from my tutor and my peers. 

21.02.16

Obviously, today was a day of recovery and relaxation. I slept a solid 12 hours and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day in bed watching YouTube and sewing photographs for studio. I didn't feel hungover, just exhausted! ...but of course I was wide awake when it came to bedtime, typical! 

20.02.16

Happy birthday Sinead! Even though we already celebrated her birth on Wednesday and it was your actual birthday on Thursday today was officially the time to celebrate. The Otley run started at 2ish in the afternoon so all the day was devoted to getting drunk and partying! The theme was Cowboys and Indians and we made sure we looked the part! All of Sineads mates are really nice so it was fun to hang out with the ones I already knew and meet the ones i didnt :) Overall I had a fab night and I hope Sinead did too! x