Hello, It's Me...

Hello, it's me...

(Sorry, I just love Adele so much. She is a universal treasure.)

So, it's been a very VERY long time since I've checked in here!

Short list of things that have happened during my radio silence:

1. Jack and I got engaged!! We are planning our wedding for Spring 2017 and I'm so so excited!

2. I moved back to Arkansas and am back working in retail (...yay...) for the time being. Although I miss England, I am happy to be home for a little while. 

3. I've officially graduated from the University of Sheffield with a Master of Arts in Medieval Archaeology!

One of my 'resolutions' for 2016 (most of which consisted of try AGAIN to get fit and eat healthy and stop spending money and, as always, travel more) was to revamp my blog here and consistently update it. 

There's only been one problem: I have no idea how to make this blog look better. I've got about half a dozen blog posts in drafts, ready for one last edit and posting, but I really want to post them on a new, fresh blog. 

So, unfortunately, until I can take some graphic design classes or something (if you know of any in the Little Rock area, please let me know!) I'm going to keep writing posts and saving them for when my blog is finally pretty. 

As I said, I've got a few things written and some plans for recurring posts, but it'll be awhile before they're up on the blog. If you guys have any ideas for any posts that you'd like to see, please let me know! I would love to get your opinions!

Thanks for being patient with me and please keep checking back! I promise that one day it will be worth the wait!

Day Out: Chestnut Centre

Hello again!

Apologies for the long silence, but things have been really hectic here.

I spent another month (plus two weeks) excavating and supervising a trench at Thornton Abbey.

My parents and sister came for a short visit, which cured some of my homesickness for a time.

And then I was plunged head-first into dissertation madness. It was a rough month, but I managed to get the whole thing written and turned in on time and now I get to sit back and relax for a while!

To treat ourselves for a job well done, Jack and I ventured out into the cold and rain (its only September England - get it together!) today to visit the Chestnut Centre in the Peak District.

 |driving through the peak district has been one of my favorite things to do in England|

The Chestnut Centre is a wildlife park in the Peak District that houses a really friendly herd of deer, some foxes, a few of the (endangered) Scottish Wildcats, lots of different owls and of course my whole reason for going...OTTERS.

|they just roam around and you can feed them and pet them|

|i got to pet one of the deer!|

I. Love. Otters. Seriously. I think they are just the cutest things on Earth. I can waste literally hours watching videos of otters playing and sleeping (they hold hands when they sleep!) on YouTube. 

So, obviously, I had to take a million and one photos of the adorable otters at the Chestnut Centre. 

|kisses!|

|this is not even half of the photos I took...I'm obsessed|

Hope everyone had as great and adorable a day as I did! 

what i've learned so far...

With Easter break starting today, I've decided to reflect on what I've learned from the first 3/4 of my master's degree:

1. Get an early start on things.

Yes, you would think that four years of undergraduate work would've beat this into me time and time again, but I managed to graduate and still be a major victim to procrastination. I've tried harder this semester, getting half of my midterm done super early and then forgetting about it until now (I have like three weeks before its due, so its fine), but I've still managed to convince myself time and time again that binge watching the first two seasons of Master Chef Junior are much more important than working on my coursework (but come on, can you blame me? Those kids are adorable and I am amazed at their cooking talents). Or that baking a banana pie should take precedence over doing background reading for my dissertation (to be fair, those bananas would've gone bad if I hadn't made them into a pie for everyone to enjoy). Or, like yesterday and today, that I desperately need to  complete Dragon Age: Origins over reviewing end term paper ideas. I did finish. I beat that dragon into the ground and it was awesome. Although I very much realize that this is something I need to get better at doing, it is really hard to actually sit down and make myself work when Netflix is just a click away. But this brings me to...

2. Treat. Yo. Self.

Obviously, I am a very strong advocate of treating one's self. The combination of very little willpower and a horrible shopping addiction has meant that I spend a lot of my time indulging myself. This has been true of me since I got my first job and started earning money for myself. Each and every cent was invested in my wardrobe. These days, though, I come back to my flat full of remorse for spending money that I shouldn't have and end up returning half of what I've bought (that said, I've still done a ton of shopping since moving to England). It's the guilt that's the worst. I know I have plenty of money left to live on, but I feel horrible that I've spent it on frivolous things for myself instead of something actually necessary. This is true of shopping and of wasting time, two things I excel at. I'm very good at talking myself around things (please just look back at those excuses from the first point) but sometimes you have to take a little time for yourself to indulge in what you enjoy so you don't lose your mind. And yes, I do need to get control of my shopping addiction, but I've learned (thanks to my mom and Donna and Tom from Parks and Rec) that it is perfectly alright - and sometimes absolutely necessary - to treat yo self. 

3. Always make time for friends.

Friendships are essential when living a stressful life. They let you vent and will share your troubles and then ease your mind. I try to make sure to have time for coffee or drinks with my friends once a week, to get away from work and classes and catch up. It keeps me sane and helps ensure that I keep my friendships strong. I also have Sunday lunch with my boyfriend and his family. It's really nice, especially since I'm so far away from my own family, that I have this time to spend with them. Last semester was a lot harder and this spring has been way less stressful since making time to spend with my friends. Its harder to do with my friends and family back home; the 6 hour time difference makes aligning schedules really difficult, but I've managed to Skype my parents at least once a week and my friends a few times. I'm still not very good at that though...sorry everyone. I should probably go try to Skype them. 

4. Take risks. 

I don't mean risks on your life, of course, but do things you wouldn't normally do or don't think you'd enjoy very much, because you never know what may surprise you. I've gotten to know some great people while I've been here and made some really good friends. I've also gotten to travel around and see things I never would've seen if I just stayed at home, or even just stayed cooped up in my flat. Last week, spur of the moment, Jack and I took a train to London because there was an exhibit I wanted to see at the Victoria & Albert museum that was closing the next day. I bought the tickets the night before and we spent the morning in the museum and then the rest of the day just wandering around the city. We didn't have a plan or a schedule (which I think irritated Jack a bit) but it was so nice to just meander around and stop if we saw something interesting. Today, we went out to Bakewell, a village in the Peak District, just because. It ended up being market day and, although it started raining right when we got our fish and chips, it was a nice day out. And I've learned a lot by doing things I didn't think I'd enjoy. I took a course on Human Osteology (bones) this semester. I've never been really into bones (besides the TV show) and didn't think I'd like it very much, but its ended up being my favorite course I've taken. My professors were awesome and I've learned all about identifying human skeletal remains (creepy, but very interesting).

5. Do your best.

As simple as that sounds, its true. Just do your absolute best and you can be proud of yourself. My end of term results for last semester were not what I was hoping and I really let myself have it. I'd worked really hard on these essays and, although the results weren't terrible, they weren't what I was used to from my undergraduate work and I felt awful for days. I was afraid to text my parents to let them know I'd not done so great, but I knew they would ask, so I told them my results and how horrible I felt. They made it clear that I was being way too hard on myself. This was a new subject (I'd studied history before doing my masters in medieval archaeology) in a new school in a new country with a completely different grading system. My grades weren't going to fail me or anything near that so all I could do was pull myself together and do better next time. Easier said than done of course, especially when your degree program is only a year long, but I am trying and I know I'm doing better this year. I did my best and, even though it wasn't the best by the university's standards, I have to be - and I am - proud of how hard I worked. 

So that's what I've learned in the past seven months. It's not a revelation, but I think its useful to sometimes step back and assess how far you've come from where you started. 

what you should be watching

In case you happen to have quite a bit of time on your hands, or if you're like me and are delaying working on your dissertation by any means possible, here's some great shows (in no particular order), both currently on TV or available for a week-long binge on Netflix.

1. Parks and Recreation

This show, starring Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, and most importantly, Chris Pratt, follows a group of government employees working for the Parks and Recreation department in small town Pawnee, IN. It is everything beautiful and wonderful in this world. Poehler's Leslie Knope is charming and so upbeat its almost painful, but when she does get real, its always hilarious. My favorite character is absolutely Pratt's Andy Dwyer: lovable, rockstar, wonderfully dim, and married to the manifestation of all of our inner voices, April Ludgate (played by Aubrey Plaza). Unfortunately this show just had its series finale, but seasons 1-6 are available on Netflix!

2. The Mindy Project

For those of you that have been living in a cave recently, allow me to introduce you to a woman who will soon be our new world leader: Mindy Kaling. There are literally not enough good things I could say about this show - and I could gush about it for days on end. Kaling (who started off as a writer on the US remake of the Office and was added onto the show as Kelly Kapoor) writes and stars in the Mindy Project, which details the hilarious life of OBGYN Mindy Lahiri. Her outrageous dating life aside (so many amazing guest stars: Timothy Olyphant, BJ Novak, Seth Meyers, Mark Duplass, Tim Daly, my personal favorite Anders Holm, and current love Chris Messina), Mindy's one-liners make me want to go to medical school so I can go work with her and be her best friend. She is unapologetic about her love for ridiculous (-ly bad) television, bright colored clothes, junk food, and pop music while smashing down stereotypes that smart, strong women can't enjoy the finer things in life! Basically, she's everything I want to be. And anyone who loves hilarious kickass women should also check out her book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns), which can be found here and don't miss the Mindy Project airing on Fox Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c.

3. Glee

I accept no judgment for this!! I will admit that this show does not have wonderful story lines or dazzling witty dialogue, but the songs are actually amazing (I may or may not have a Glee playlist on my iPhone), the characters are lovable, if underdeveloped, and Jane Lynch is a national treasure. This is definitely my guilty pleasure, but I've decided to just own it. Although I haven't watched every episode (I'm a season away from when Cory Monteith died and I just don't think I can handle it emotionally), I would still recommend it if you just want to listen to some awesome music and not have to pay much attention to anything else. This is another series that just had its finale, but the first four seasons are on Netflix and rumor has it that season 5 will be up soon.

4. Sleepy Hollow

Can I just start by saying that even if you don't like inaccurate history or time travel or demon hunting or the outrageous retelling of a classic story, Tom Mison's face should be enough to watch this show. It could honestly be just a show of Mison's Ichabod Crane adapting to the 21st century and sassy Lieutenant Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) and I would still tune in every week. The stories can be incredibly far-flung, even for a fantasy show, but the chemistry between Crane and Mills is outstanding and Orlando Jones (Captain Frank Irving) is runner-up to Mindy Kaling in my vote for new world leader. You can catch Sleepy Hollow on Fox Mondays at 9/8c. 

5. The Supersizers Go...

The Supersizers Go... was a BBC mini-series that aired in 2008 and 2009. It started off with a one-off show on Edwardian eating habits which can be watched on YouTube, but was so popular that they made a bunch more episodes. Writer and food critic Giles Coren and comedienne and all around magnificent human Sue Perkins take a week of their lives to eat and live according to an era in (mostly) British history:
Roman, Medieval, Elizabethan, Restoration, French Revolution, Regency, Victorian, 1920s, World War II, 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. 

It is honestly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Unfortunately, no new episodes have aired in years and I don't think they're planning on making anymore, but all of them are available on YouTube and on Hulu Plus (only the Edwardian episode isn't on Hulu).


Those are five of my suggestions, but a few more that are amazing, but I won't expand on are:

Qi (Stephen Fry is a god among men)

New Girl (so much better after the first season when Zooey Deschanel gets way less quirky)

Once Upon a Time (I did not think I was going to like this, and there have been some slow points in the plot, but it always picks back up. Also its basically Once Upon a Ton of Really Hot Guys)

Broad City (makes me want to move to New York and have a dysfunctional life)

Bones (still just as good 10 seasons in)

Playing House and Best Friends Forever (BFF got cancelled after one season which is a travesty, but real life besties Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair are two of my most favorite human beings ever)

Bob's Burgers (the only adult cartoon that is worth watching)

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares (God, I love him)

Parenthood (get ready for a lot of emotions and ugly crying)

Top Gear (UK only - the US version sucks)

Miranda (Miranda Hart is a living goddess)

In case you couldn't already tell, I have a major addiction to TV shows, and have decided to try and spread my disease. Enjoy!

images found here, here, here, here, here, 

I will never be a professional pottery reconstructor

I am one of those people - and I hope I am not alone - who loves crafty and artsy things. However, I am absolutely terrible at creating them. I cannot paint, draw, sew, dance or anything else remotely creative. So this past fall semester at university, when there was an opportunity to take a class in pottery, I of course thought, "Here it is. This will be my shtick. I will be amazing at this." A week into class and I realized that no, I also do not have a talent for making pottery. I did however, have a blast. 

My pots were always the ugliest out of the entire class and were always the ones that fell apart. I didn't really mind - I was learning a lot and having a great time doing it. When it came time for our final project, I chose to study kiln designs (because, honestly, it was the only option that didn't involve making thin sections, which I really did not want to do). I had already booked a trip home to Arkansas and couldn't join the rest of my group in firing the kiln. So I asked my professor if I could do my own open air pit firing at home for my project and the results were...interesting.

 Pots, pots, pots...

And more pots (the nice grey ones were made by my dad, the ugly red ones were mine, of course).

Our fire pit was gorgeous, if I do say so myself.

A mixture of red terracotta earthenware and raku stoneware pots were made - and looked a lot better before they were burned. 

The most perfect day for a fire, except for the wind blowing the smoke into our faces.

It was a gorgeous day getting to hang out at my grandparent's house with my dad and Jack and all of the dogs. I was pretty excited to be missing all the ice and snow that was happening in Sheffield and instead be hanging out in a t-shirt while lounging in the sun (not to rub it in).  

 I also got to dabble in some blacksmithing when I was there!

Again, not something I am great at. I could barely lift the hammer let alone swing it with enough force to make something cool. My leaf took about three times as long as my dad's. But it was so much fun! I felt like such a beast.

I will not be opening an Etsy shop selling my pottery and metal creations any time soon, but isn't the enjoyment of the process what really matters?

trip to bruges (finally)

A month ago, Jack and I took a trip to Bruges, Belgium with Jack's brother Sam and his girlfriend Hannah. It was a short trip, just a couple days (most of it spent on a ferry) but it was so much fun! I love getting to travel around Europe while I'm in England studying.

The view from the ferry as we (sloooowly) made our way into Zeebruges harbor.

Some photos from around the city. It was so gorgeous!

The view from the top of the Belfrey tower. That climb was rough.

Right outside our hotel.

Jan Van Eyck - my favorite northern European Renaissance painter. His attention to detail was astounding!

A random windmill in the city that I thought was adorable.

The winter market at night!

The Belfrey tower.

Sam and Hannah in front of the winter market.

This church has a relic holding some of Jesus' blood. Unfortunately they were using it in a ceremony later in the day so we didn't get to see it, but the church was absolutely gorgeous inside.

Madonna of Bruges by Michelangelo in the Church of Our Lady.

A sculpture outside the medieval hospital (which I was way too excited to visit).

Medieval apothecary museum.

This was seriously the best hot chocolate I've ever had. Not only was it massive - more like a large bowl than a mug - with hot milk and chocolate chips that you add in and whisk. I got milk chocolate (they have dark and white also) and a stick of cinnamon. I still dream about that hot chocolate...

It was such a fantastic trip! I'm so mad that I forgot to pack my camera, so all of these pictures are from my iPhone, but it was nice to just relax and have a couple days off with some great friends! I would love to go back to Bruges and get to spend more time!