20 Questions Christmas Tag

I've seen the 20 Questions Christmas Tag doing the rounds on a few blogs this Christmas, so I've  decided to give it a go myself, just for fun.

There are 20 questions and 20 answers, with everything from holiday traditions to the worst present I've ever received. It's about to get festive around here, so don't say I didn't warn you!

1. Use one word to describe how excited you are for Christmas.

Meh? The excitement I felt a few weeks ago has worn off, and while I'm looking forward to it, I'm currently feeling too sore and exhausted from preparing for it to enjoy it much.

2. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Not since my sisters and I were kids. Back then, we were allowed to open one present from a relative or friend on Christmas Eve night, but now there aren't any kids in the family, everyone waits until Christmas Day.

3. What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?

I don't have any exciting holiday traditions, so just decorating the tree with the family, taking a drive to spot Christmas lights with my sister, and opening presents with my dog.

4. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Both! Our main tree is artificial, but I have a small real tree in my bedroom. Best of both worlds!

5. What is your favourite Christmas film?

It's a tie between Santa Claus the Movie, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Best Christmas movies ever. Fact!

6. Where do you usually spend your holiday?

These days, I just spend Christmas at home with my immediate family. We used to visit my grandparents on Christmas Day until I was about ten, go to my auntie's Christmas Eve party in Worcester, and visit my Mum's side up north after Christmas, but things have changed a bit as everyone's gotten older, and relatives have passed away.

7. What is your favourite Christmas song?

Probably Last Christmas by Wham, I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake, or Step into Christmas by Elton John, but I also love It's Only Christmas by Ronan Keating, and Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson.

8. What is your all time favourite holiday food / sweet treat?

That's a tough one because there are so many tasty treats in our house during the holidays. I love my brother-in-law's goose-fat roast potatoes, a good turkey and stuffing sandwich, my Mum's apple pie, my sister's Chocolate Squidgy Log (like a fancy swiss roll filled with cream and chocolate mousse), and my apple and blackberry trifle. I'm also partial to a Hazelnut Whirl from a tub of Roses. So... any of those.

9. Be honest, do you like giving gifts or receiving gifts better?

I definitely enjoy giving gifts more. I love buying and wrapping presents for people I care about, and seeing their reactions when I get it right.

10. What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

The pretty decorations/ lights, and how it always seems to bring out the best in people. Sure, there are plenty of Christmas Scrooges, but I love how most people are a little kinder, happier, and more welcoming to others at Christmas time.

11. When do you start getting excited for Christmas?

Usually as soon as Halloween is over, but I have been known to start getting excited in September... 

12. What is the best Christmas gift you've ever received?

One present that still sticks in my mind is the Sega Mega Drive my sisters and I got for Christmas when I was nine. We never had a games console- besides an ancient Commodore we had to play on an old black and white TV in my room- until that Christmas, so it felt like the best Christmas ever. We spend all Christmas playing The Lion King and Columns, and were still playing games like Golden Axe, Aladdin and Maui Mallard on it years later.

13. What is the worst present you've ever received?

I can't think of anything in particular, but I've received my fair share of socks, and ugly bags that have earned a long stay at the back of my wardrobe.

14. As a kid, did a sibling ever receive a present that you wished was for you?

I can't remember ever being jealous of someone else's presents. It probably helped that my parents often got my younger sister and I a lot of the same gifts to avoid that, though! 

15. What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

I'd love to visit New York City at Christmas time, and also somewhere in Scandanavia where I can see the Northern Lights, enjoy the snow, and cosy up in a cute log cabin at the end of the day. 

16. Most memorable holiday moment?

This is when I realise all of my Christmas memories are boring and uneventful! But I still laugh when I remember the Christmas Eve my older sister and were so excited we couldn't sleep, and plotted to make Christmas morning start early by turning a clock forward. I was sent into my parents' room with the evidence that it was definitely 7am, and certainly not the 3am their clocks announced. Of course, they sent us back to bed, but I just remember a lot of giggling, and how they gave in and let us get up to open presents at 6am that Christmas. Yeah... I really need to make some good new holiday memories...

17. Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you stick to them?

I never make big, life-altering New Year's resolutions, but set smaller goals for myself for the year instead, like reading a certain number of books, or maybe learning a new craft. I usually stick to some of them, while others go out the window by the second of January! Haha!

18. What makes the holidays special for you?

I guess just spending time with my family, and that everyone does their best not to fight for a few days. My family's a bit dysfunctional, and nobody can tolerate that long around each other without arguing at the best of times, so it's nice when we can sit down to a good meal together, and get along.

19. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

I always enjoy decorating the Christmas tree, opening presents with my dog on Christmas morning, Christmas dinner with the family, and watching Christmas movies.

20. You have been granted one Christmas wish... What will it be?

Right now, I'd just wish to be free of chronic pain, and visual migraines. I've only had a few weeks without a migraine all year, and what I wouldn't give to be rid of them.

If you're reading this and want to take part, consider yourself tagged! Be sure to leave me a link to your post if you decide to have a go!

What are you most looking forward to this Christmas?

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Twenty Questions: Part Two

Last week I posted the first part of a twenty-question challenge, and this post today is the second half, where I answer questions 11-20. You can see the first part here, and if anybody would like to give this post a go, too, please do! Just make sure you leave the link to your post so I can have a read!

11. What's the hardest part of growing up?

I think the realisation that life does not usually go the way we plan, and that it's not as easy as we think it will be. I always assumed my life would all make sense by eighteen, but at twenty-seven (almost twenty-eight) I still don't have my life in order, or any idea what to do with my life. And I certainly never expected to go through a life-changing (at least temporarily, anyway) set back in my mid-twenties, or to have battled depression since my teens. Nobody ever prepares you for that kind of life.

12. Describe 5 weaknesses and strengths you have.

What is this, a job interview??

Weaknesses

-I'm very shy, so I'm just so awkward all the time.
-I'm easily stressed under pressure.
-And I can be a moody bitch.
-I can be impatient at times.
-I'm never quite on time for anything... I always end up running five minutes late, or if I get somewhere on time it's by the skin of my teeth. It's not intentional, but it happens.

Oh, I hate talking about my 'strengths'; it's so immodest! I'll answer the question, but please know I'm not trying to brag...

Strengths

-Getting lost, even with a map to hand. I excel at that!
-I always try to make the best out of a bad situation.
-I know my way around a computer.
-I'm not bad at visual merchandising.
-I'm great at getting nail polish on everything but my nails...

13. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

-Definitely getting through the last nineteen months of constant unbearable pain, and somehow coping with my life being shattered beyond recognition because of it.

-This blog. I have it to thank for the above.

-Living for over a decade with depression, No easy feat, let me tell you.

I can't think of another two things I've truly accomplished...

14. What is the thing you most wish you were good at?

Writing, drawing/painting, making things, and being creative. I've always enjoyed doing these things, but I've never possessed any real talent for writing, or art.

15. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

I've absolutely no idea. I never plan anything that far ahead. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered from my disc injuries, out of pain, living life to the full, and happy!

16. What's your favourite holiday and why?

In August 2011 I went to New York for a week with my older sister. It was my first time out of Europe, my first time on a long-haul flight, my first time to America, and a place I'd dreamt of going to my whole life but never imagined I'd experience.

I can't describe how exciting, overwhelming, and surreal it felt the first time I saw the sky line as a taxi drove us from JFK to Manhattan. We stayed in the most gorgeous hotel with really lovely staff (The Muse, in Times Square, FYI, and I highly recommend it), the weather was gloriously hot and humid the entire time (so welcomed when you live in England, trust me!), we got to see so many iconic sights and landmarks we'd spent a life time falling in love with from a far, made so many great memories, ate good food, and I loved every minute of it. It was one of the last fun things I did before I injured my back, so I'm still clinging on to those good memories, and I can't wait to go back to do it all over again.

17. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?

I've never really given this topic any thought in the past, so I really don't have any idea. A dinner with my idols would be a disaster and more than likely render me speechless and a trembling nervous wreck, so it probably wouldn't be a sensible idea to go ahead with...

18. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?

I think society's attitude regarding weight, size, and appearance. How we're taught from a young age that we have to be skinny to be desirable, attractive, worthy of living, and likable et cetra, as you can't possibly be any of those things if you're fat. *GASP!* And also how society as a majority believes fat people are all lazy slobs who sit around eating too much junk food while avoiding all forms of exercise. It's not true, (just as it's not true that all skinny people eat healthily, and exercise regularly), and even if it were, people shouldn't be concerning themselves with other people's bodies, which are none of their business.

19. What is your favourite part of your body and why?

My freckled skin, because I'm proud of my freckles. And also my hair because it's so thick and glossy.

20. List 10 things you'd like to be remembered for.

Ten things? I doubt people will even remember one!

I guess I'd just like people to remember me for who I am. Louise, the awkward, dress-loving, freckled girl, who wears a lot of polka dots, and crazy colourful eye make up. The girl who loves music and going to concerts; the girl who loves Linkin Park, and Fall Out Boy, and has been fan-girling obsessively over Boyzone and Ronan Keating since 1994. And mostly, I hope people will remember me for being a fighter, a decent person, and a loyal friend.

Twenty Questions: Part One

I saw this tag over on Laura Jane's blog last week, and thought it would be fun to give it a go to share a little more about myself with you. The tag has twenty questions, so I'm going to split it in to two posts as it's a lot to read in one go. So, without further ado...

1. List five random facts about yourself.

-I love wearing green eye make up. It's my signature look.

-I'm an introvert. I like being around people but I need time to myself to recharge, too.

-I haven't had a hair cut in about sixteen months (due to my back injuries). I'm dying to have it cut shorter.

-I miss going to concerts more than almost anything.

-People are always surprised when they find out I like rock music.

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have.

-Small spaces/being trapped. I can get very claustrophobic when I'm in a small space with no control over getting myself free immediately. I've freaked out in the car wash, in a MRI scanner, and even during a hydrotherapy session supported with floats and no control over my movement.

-Spiders and daddy-long-legs. I hate them. I will scream like a little girl if I find one near me.

-Being alone forever. I'm comfortable with my own company, and I'm an introvert, but nobody wants to be spend their life alone. I worry that I will.

3. List 5 things you'd tell your 16 year old self if you could.

-Don't be so ashamed of your body. There is nothing wrong with how you look. Ignore the bitches who tell you otherwise. In ten years time you will look back and realise how slim you were back then, and be sad that you hated yourself so much for being ugly and fat.

-Baggy clothes do not make you look smaller. You will just look like a hobo.

-Don't be so shy and scared of drawing any attention to yourself. Most people don't bite. You have a voice, and your opinions, views, and interests matter. You matter.

-Remember how you always say you'd never be seen dead in a dress...? Just wait a couple of years and you'll understand why I had to mention this.

-Don't waste the next ten years. You'll never get those years back. Go to uni. Have fun. Work out what you want to do instead of getting lost in a miserable rut.

4. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

-Music. Music always makes me happy.

-Fall Out Boy's reunion. I'm so excited that they're back with new music for the first time in three years. They're one of my all time favourite bands, and their music is so uptempo it always makes me happy. I just have to play one of their songs and I'm instantly in a much better mood.

-Dresses. I don't know why they make me so happy. They just do.

-Longer days. After such a long, never-ending Winter, it's lovely to finally see the days getting longer.  I feel less inclined to want to hibernate when the evenings are light. And the thought of Summer on the horizon is welcomed, too.

-My new comfy bed. I recently bought myself a new double bed, and a memory foam mattress as my old mattress was actually contributing to my back pain. I never realised until I returned home from a week at my sister's, and it felt like I was lying on a jagged rock! Now I'm a little more comfortable, and sleeping in it is a treat. Memory foam is the way forward!

5. If you could have 3 wishes, what would you wish for?

-For my back to be better; to be pain free, and able to live my life again. (Yes, that's technically one wish).

-I'd wish for a very long holiday to New York in the August heat. My last holiday there was perfect.

-To have a large house overlooking the sea in Cornwall. It's always been my dream to live by the sea and live a surfer's life style.

6. What is your dream job and why?

This is something I still haven't worked out at the grand old age of twenty-seven and three quarters, but I shall have to begin a life from scratch when I've recovered, so I guess I could do anything!

I'd love to work with animals in some scenario. Animals just bring me a lot of joy. I actually studied animal care at college full time for two years from 2001-2003, but haven't worked with pets since my early twenties.  I regret not going to uni to study for a degree in the field when I was eighteen. I'd be blissfully happy working as a zoo keeper, or in a rescue centre, for instance, although I don't know if I'll ever be fit for manual work ever again.

I'd also love to pursue visual merchandising, as it's something I did for several years before injuring my back from constant heavy-lifting. (Although, perhaps that's a sign I shouldn't do it again?) I loved creating displays just from ideas in my head and seeing customers shopping from and enjoying them.

Equally, I think I'd enjoy a role which allowed me to bake all day long. I find baking so therapeutic. And then, there's also fashion. I like the idea of being a buyer, personal shopper, or doing some role which allowed me to help other plus size ladies find their perfect outfits and feel great about themselves. I guess the possibilities are endless! Who knows where life will take me when I'm back on my feet...

7. What are 5 passions you have?

-My Blog. I've really come to love this little blog of mine. I've put so much time and effort in to it over the last year, and I've become so passionate about plus size fashion and acceptance since creating it.

-Music. I've been passionate about music since before my age reached double digits. I love music. I need to listen to it every day. There's a song for every mood and situation, and I just couldn't live without it.

-Going to concerts/gigs. Nothing makes me feel the same way being in the crowd of a good concert does. Being in the same vicinity of my idols... listening to them playing my favourite songs. which always sound incredible live... the adrenaline rush... the enjoyment... sharing a connection with a venue full of strangers... the good times with good friends... and the possibility of sharing a moment with my favourite musician(s)... There's just something addictive and enjoyable about seeing a live show. I'd go to one every night if I could.

-Dresses. I adore them. I love my steadily growing collection, and I love the thrill of finding a new beautiful frock, especially when it has an incredible print I don't already possess.

-Travelling and sight-seeing. I love to get away from home, and see other parts of the world. The old me enjoyed exploring new places, and jumping on a train to spend the day in London, or to visit friends hundreds of miles away, or to go to concerts in random cities across the UK... just because I could. I miss that freedom and impulsiveness.

8. Describe your most embarrassing moment?

How long have you got? I've done and said so many things in the past which still embarrass the hell out of me. Even years or decades later I embarrass myself with the memories and ask myself ''why did I have to do that?''

One of my worst ever moments happened at work about six years ago. I worked in retail and my boss came over to cover the till so I could go for lunch. I stepped aside to let him past, and went to walk away. Only, I didn't realise in stepping aside I'd hooked my right foot underneath a metal shopping basket stand that was beside me. So instead of walking away, I fell flat on my face on the stone floor. And I mean, literally flat on my face. My jaw hit the floor, and my entire body was parallel with the ground. I fell in front of my boss, another colleague, and two lines of customers. I was mortified. I quickly got to my feet, brushed myself off, and hid around the corner. It soon became apparent something wasn't quite right with my left arm. I ended up in A&E. I eventually found out I'd broken my wrist, and spent seven weeks in a purple cast acquainting myself with the fracture clinic.Way to go, me.

9. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

-Noisy eaters.

-People (customers) who talk on their mobile phones at tills, don't acknowledge the sales person at all, and expect to be served. So rude.

-Parents that let and encourage their children to treat shops as play areas.

-Bad manners. Why are please and thank you lost on so many people these days?

-People who never attempt to use basic spelling, grammar, or punctuation on Facebook statuses, so you're left trying to decipher the jumble of text speak with twenty exclamation marks on the end. 

-Society's attitude towards fat people. I can't stand fat hate, or people who think it's alright to make fun of anybody the slightest bit chubby.

-Being interrupted or ignored when I talk.

-The words 'amazeballs' and 'amaze'. I HATE them. 

-People who post photos and videos of their kids on Facebook a hundred times a day. I have no problem seeing such statuses once or twice daily from each person, but I don't think everybody needs a play by play of their every action. I don't need to know if their child has used the potty or eaten a wotsit.

-The way so many people are racist towards "foreigners" and immigrants being in the country, adamant that they're all taking their tax money, and are all scamming council houses, and benefits. I often hear it from the mouths of people doing just that themselves! If I read another Facebook rant on the subject I might scream.

10. Describe a typical day in your current life.

My days are very groundhog day like at the moment, since I'm mostly confined to bed, so this won't be very interesting.,, I wake up in the afternoon after a night's (morning's) broken sleep. (I don't sleep well due to the pain). Check Facebook, and Instagram on my phone and iPod. Get up and use the bathroom. Take medication. Quickly check on my blog and eBay listings. If I can manage it or have an appointment to go to, I'll get showered and dressed. Then I'll take photos for any blog posts I have planned whilst it's still light. Start working on blog posts whilst listening to music or watching a movie or two. Have dinner if I can stomach anything. Watch a little TV. More medication. And the rest of the day/night is usually spent working on my blog, surfing the net, using Tumblr and Pinterest, reading blogs, and reading a novel, with more medication to take twice during the night. I read until I fall asleep around dawn, and wake a dozen times over the course of the morning until waking properly in the afternoon. The end.

To be continued...