This Morning...

...I wrote myself a list of tasks I needed to do.

But then I didn't do any of them.

I feel like a rebel.

And I like it.

xx

Dear 16 Year Old Naomi...

...I think you might just love today's Dear 16 Year Old Me letter, from Naomi from The Rockstar Diaries:

{Grown up Naomi}

{Naomi aged 16}

Dear 16 year old Naomi,

You need to wear your retainer more, otherwise your 23 year old self with surely regret it.

And don't pluck eternity out of your eye brows, I know it seems to be the trend right now, but fuller eye brows will always be better. Especially on you...

Your family is there for you, even if you don't think so. So treat them kindly, with love and respect. They'll be there through it all, even when others aren't.

Keep working hard in school and in your dancing -- a little bird told me you just might get in to your dream school if you keep up the work.

You're going to have the greatest group of girlfriends who are doing exceptional things with their lives in just a few years when you move to NYC, so don't worry about the catty girls that you're not fitting in with right now. Seriously, they aren't worth it.

Please do not waste your time on boys who won't be going to college or doing anything with their life post college. If only you could see them now....

I know you think your dream man will show up once you turn 27 or 28, but he actually shows up much much sooner -- so start prepping -- so you're ready for the rockstar man when you meet him because you somehow hit the jackpot, there.

And lastly, just be confident in you. You have a lot to look forward to over the next few years -- don't take any of it for granted. Live, thank your Father in Heaven each day, and love.

xo

Your 23 year old self.

---
Thank you Naomi!

More letters from some fantastic bloggers will follow this week - if you can't wait then you can find more Dear 16 Year Old Me letters here. And remember, if you want to be included here then please e-mail your letter to red.boots{at}hotmail.co.uk

xx

Dear 16 year old Maddy...

Maddy from Madeline Elle is sharing her letter to her 16 year old self today:

(16 year old Maddy)

Dear 16 year old Maddy,

I know you enjoy being outspoken but in time you'll learn to keep your emotions more under control. People will respect you more and it will be a wonderful feeling. It makes me sad how much I've realized that a lot of your beliefs about politics and the world will be changed now, but the fervor you have will not vanish with time, you'll simply become more aware of what's really going on.

You will not get into the University of Florida, twice in one year. Going to Florida State will be a great experience for you, however. You will lose touch with important people (extremely important people), get screwed over immensely by "friends" and be very hurt. You will realize how much stronger and level-headed this makes you, but it will take some time and some pain.

Aside from this, you WILL meet a wonderful, caring young man who loves you just how you are, and wants nothing more than to keep you safe and happy. You will live with this boy by the time you are 19, and Mom and Dad will be okay with it. You will also be done with college by the time you are 20, so keep taking those AP classes!

Learn how to take good care of Roxy and Lady, because you'll need the knowledge eventually. Also, pay attention to Mom's decorating skills, you will appreciate her talent and interest in antiques much more when you are older.

Take an interest in budgeting your money and saving it well, it WILL help you in the future. It doesn't have to be a strong interest, just try and learn what's right and what's not.

And most important of all, keep your head up! There's so many more adventures to come :)

Love,

20 year old Maddy

---

Thanks for taking part Maddy! I'm ooking forward to hearing about your future adventures!

If you'd like to take part too e-mail me on red.boots{at}hotmail.co.uk

xx

Things That Made Me Smile...

...this weekend (even if it was too wet and windy for words):

I started a new job in the cutest little cinema known to man, and met some wonderful new people.

Boyfriend was the sweetest - on my first day at work he made up my lunchbox, even putting in my favourite chocolate, and then he walked me to work in the pouring rain.

I've had some amazing Dear 16 Year Old Me Letters from some lovely bloggers, which I aim to post in the coming week.

Aly and Maggi posted some very touching Dear 16 Year Old Me letters on their blogs.

And on top of all of that, I found some polaroids of autumn in Edinburgh that I took a few weeks ago and thought I'd lost:
They're not my finest moment: me and little Polaroid are still getting to grips with each other, but they still make me smile.

Poor Edinburgh doesn't look like this anymore - it's all wind and weather beaten. But I like the harsh weather: time for heavy coats, mittens, scarves and hot tea!

xx

Dear 16 Year Old Rhianne...

So exciting - today Rhianne from For the Easily Distracted... is sharing her letter to her 16 year old self...

(Grown up Rhianne)

Dear 16 year old Rhianne

I feel like I barely remember the worries that you have anymore but I think this is a good thing.

I’m afraid to say that you won’t keep in contact with many people from high school but that’s ok because you will meet lots of amazing, wonderful new friends (from all over the world it seems… I still can’t believe this myself!)

You made the right choice with College – I know that worried you but I promise you, you will meet someone amazing there and even though he is the coolest guy in college, he won’t be seeing nerdy little Rhianne from High School, in fact he fancies you too and don’t worry when you first talk to him he will be as nervous as you and won't remember much either.

I think you know what you want to do and even though you have to fight and work hard for it – you will do it (Ignore your college art teacher. Seriously.) and you will love it.

I’m so incredibly excited for you, your future is bright! I wish I remembered more so please, for me, enjoy every day because before you know, it will be a fond memory.

You will make the right choices, believe in yourself and definitely believe in love!

Lots of love

24 year old Rhianne

P.S. If you think you have a few white hairs now, then wait for 8 years time. Oh and you don’t have a puppy yet (I’m really sorry!!)

---

Thanks Rhianne, this is wonderful.

To see your letter here please e-mail it to red.boots{at}hotmail.co.uk

xx

Dear 16 Year Old Connie...

I am so excited about the response to my Dear 16 Year Old Me letter. It seems it struck a chord with so many of you.

And I was excited to open my e-mail today, and find a Dear 16 Year Old Me letter from my old friend Connie:

(30 Year Old Connie - sorry Connie, I unashamedly stole this off of your Facebook page!)

Dear 16 year old Connie,

You are going through so much right now, and believe me then I say every teenager is. But you can also be sure that your life will turn out fantastic, of course there will be ups and downs, but mostly ups.

Do whatever you want, and not necessarily what everyone expects from you, go in your own direction, thats usually when you find the best friends, whom you can trust and from whom you can learn a lot. You will discover that not everyone should be trusted, so go with your instincts since they are usually right.

I'm sorry to tell you that your boobs aren't getting much bigger, so stop obsessing about it, and start appreciating you nice long legs instead ;o) When it comes to guys, luckily not all them are breast people, another thing about guys forget those really good looking cool types, you will have a tendency to fall head over heels in love with them, and they usually never call back. But you will end up with a really nice guy, whom you in the beginning think is just for a short term, till you will be moving on, but he grows on you, and you will end up falling head over heels in love with him, and you will be marrying him.

In the job department, you will not end up doing what you dreamed about, but you will end up loving your job, at least most of the times. Just remember to say stop when its not fun any longer. Thats a thing you have to learn, stop caring about what people think of you, and say no when you don't feel up to doing what people ask you. At age 30 you will still have a hard time, because you are trying to please everyone, but not nearly as bad as you used to.

Just enjoy your life, it seems it always is getting better. Enjoy every moment, and enjoy the world.

Love 30 year old Connie

---

Connie has just started her adventures in blogging, so please pop over to her blog and say hello to her!

xx

ps: If you want to have your letter featured here please e-mail me on red.boots{at}hotmail.co.uk

Dear 16 Year Old Me...

...I've been thinking a lot lately about my younger days, and how much I've changed and grown in the past 12 years.

I've thought a great deal about the choices I made and the things I did, and sometimes, looking back, I wish I had the hindsight and knowledge that I have now, then.

If I could have got in touch with myself aged 16, this is what I would have had to say to myself:

-----

Dear 16 year old Wendy,

{Me, aged 20, and my friend Line - the oldest photo of me I had to hand}

I know you're in turmoil, because you're so painfully shy, awkward and lacking in confidence, but trust me, in a few years time you will find your feet, discover who you really are, and be confident in yourself. It will take time, with some set-backs along the way, but trust me, you will get there. Although you are still a bit shy and a bit awkward at 28, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. You'll never be the loudest person in the room, but that just isn't you.

I know school is difficult because you want to be like everyone else, but never be afraid to say what's on your mind, or be different from everyone else. You're unique, and although it will take you time to see that, it is your best asset.

One day you will find your soul mate and your best friend rolled into one. So don't waste time on those boys that don't treat you well, as attractive as they seem. And always trust your instincts - trust me, they're always right.

Some friends are there for life; some come and go. Learn to hold on to the ones that count, and let go of the ones that don't. Although it's hard to work out who your true friends are, you will learn and appreciate them every day.

And don't worry, you will never figure out what you want to do when you grow up! Just enjoy the journey and cherish every day.

All my love,
28 year old Wendy.

xx

----

Would you like to write a letter to your 16 year old self?
If so e-mail me your letter (and photo if you have one) to red{dot}boots{at}hotmail{dot}co{dot}uk
and I'll publish it here.

xx

Some Pretty Awesome Ladies...

...have given me some pretty awesome awards lately!

My Spare Thoughts gave me two awards:


Farah also gave me this award:


AND THEN - Girl With The Golden Touch awarded me this little lovely:


I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed (in very much a good way) - like all my birthday's and Christmas's have come at once!

I probably don't deserve these awards, because I'm going to be lazy and just share some random things about me:

1. I cannot get enough of pomegranates at the moment.
2. I'd really really like a job before the year is out. I've applied for so many jobs in the past few months, and not got anywhere, so I hope my luck will change soon.
3. I have a near photographic memory for faces. Not names. Just faces. Most of the time I pretend I don't though so that I don't look like a stalker.
4. Sufjan Stevens still hasn't accepted my invitation to come round for a cup of tea.
5. I've love to live in New Zealand one day.
6. We drank beer, ate pizza and played "Operation" on Saturday night with friends - I think that officially makes us losers!
7. I lost miserably at "Operation" - my excuse was I never played it when I was little.
8. The reality was I'm just rubbish at it.
9. I'd really like a gingerbread spiced latte but I can't bring myself to go into Starbucks.
10. I'd love to take a photography class - I've promised myself that once I get a job I'm going to go to enrol in a class.


I'm going to award the Your Blog is Fabulous to:
My Name is Yeh
UrbaNiche

The Over The Top Blog Award (in a very good way) goes to:
Jessica Leigh La Lou
Oh Missy Me

The Sugar Doll Award goes to:
Auburn Street
Ruth Writes

And the I Think You Are an Awesome Girl Award goes to:
The Childlike Empress
The Perfect Compilation Tape

All are blogs that I've found recently and adore, so do pop over and say hello!

xx

A Birthday Treat...

...for my birthday, Boyfriend was a total sweetheart, and bought me a ticket to see the Flaming Lips (one of my favourite favourite bands) live in Glasgow.

I've been waiting in anticipation for nearly two months for the gig, so last night, full of excitement finally off we travelled to Glasgow.

It did not disappoint, the Flaming Lips were complete and utter magic:



I told Boyfriend I was a lot in love with Wayne Coyne. He was kind of ok with that - he knows I love him more - well, most of the time anyway!

If you ever get a chance to go see them then do, you won't be disappointed - so so magical.

xx

ps: the photos I took weren't so good - sometimes it's not very useful being little, so I borrowed these photos from the same gig found on Flickr - donkeyjacket45(first four photos) and mdj (last four photos). I took some videos - if they work out I'll post them soon.

Remember...

...the brave who have fought, and those souls who have fought and fallen...

xx

The Highlands Part 2...

...I want to live here one day:

My mum and dad

My mum and I

---

Yesterday was a magical day:

My new dentist gave me free dental treatment even though I'm really supposed to pay.
I thrifted a cute tapestry (photos to follow).
I met a man who is going to give me free training to allow me to teach kids. So exciting!
I shamed the lady that in May wouldn't give me a job as she didn't think I was up to it: I proved to her I was more than up to it and that she'd made a big mistake in not hiring me. Her face showed it all. I love proving people wrong when they have made pre-conceived ideas about you.
I met boyfriend after he finished work and we walked home together, hand in hand. There is something quite special about an Edinburgh evening in mid-November - the city takes on a whole new light.

Today is also going to be magical - I'm off out to take photos on my holga for the photoswap!

xx

I Completely Missed...

...Guy Fawkes Night on Thursday night - the only drawback of being in a lodge in the middle of nowhere.

I was a little bit gutted: it's one of my favourite nights of the year, so in homage I thought I'd put some pictures up - a sort of pretend bonfire night if you will!


NB: Guy Fawkes Night, to American readers, is held every year on the 5th November - to remember the capture of Guy Fawkes, who in the 17th century tried to blow up the Houses of Parliment in London. It's celebrated with fireworks - every town will have an organised firework display - so magical.

You learn something new every day!

And as I missed this year's. next year I will have to celebrate with extra fireworks!

xx

{images from weheartit.com}

I Was A Bit Naughty...

...and didn't tell you where I was on holiday.

Well, I went up to Rothiemurchus, near Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands, to spend some time with my parents (because, like my previous post, they are awesome), and my sister, brother-in-law and two nieces. It was a real family affair - we all stayed in a lodge that my parents rent every year.

Because I have always lived far from my family from the age of 17 onwards, I feel really lucky to spend holidays with them.

We were lucky to have glorious sunshine the whole time, so we made the most of the weather: every night my cheeks were rosy and my legs ached from walking in stunning autumnal scenery, and I have never slept so well in my life!

Here are some of my favourite photos from The Highlands:
Me
My youngest neice after feeding the ducks

I liked the symmetry of these three photos

My dad


There's more to come: I took so many photographs!!

xx

Diamond In The Rough

Thanks to Rhianne and the Diamond In The Rough team, I've been featured on the Diamond In The Rough website!

It was so exciting to take part, and I must thank Rhianne for the lovely write-up.

You can find my interview here, and my guest post here.

xx

I'm Back!

Hello, I'm back from my holidays, and raring to catch up with all of your blogs. I'm also looking forward to welcoming my new readers.

I hope you've all had a great week. Me? I've had a wonderful week.

Part one was spent north, in Aberdeen. Boyfriend and I used to live there - it was where we met - and all of our friends and Boyfriend's family live there, so we had great fun catching up with old friends.

First on my list was my old university friend Lyndsay - we caught up over a fair few gins and wines in the best pub in the world. No photos am afraid, we hadn't seen each other in ages, so there was far too much gossiping and drinking going on to even think about photos!

Then I met up with some of my other favourite Aberdeen ladies:
For more gossiping and good food.

Nothing beats the company of good friends. I miss them all lots, but now that I'm living in Edinburgh, as opposed to the south coast of England I get to see them all a lots more often, which makes me a very happy Wendy.

Part two of my holidays will follow tomorrow, but I'll give you a little sneak peak as to where I was:

xx

Dearest Bloggers...