Thoughts From A Sunday Afternoon - Tips From a Happy Trixybelle!

Well good afternoon you lovely lot! It is a very sunny Sunday afternoon where I am sat writing to you. This is making me feel slightly better about the fact that it's Sunday and I have to go back to wotk tomorrow after a week off doing nothing but watching Gossip Girl - I appreciate your sypathy.
 

 

A non related to the post comment - Ok so I was just having a look through google to see if I could find a cool Gossip Girl meme to add to this post only to find out the secret identity of Gossip Girl not reveiled until the very end and i've not even seen all of the episodes yet... what was I thinking?! I'm devastated, I'm just going to go and make some tea and try to erase my memory...

 

A cup of tea later and I'm back to being excited and happy, memory as much erased as possible...

 

I do actually have a reason to me writing to you today, it's the fact that I have just had my blog redesigned - thank's for noticing - and also the fact that even though tomorrow is Monday, it's the start of my new job role as Digital Marketing & Social Media apprentice! So my life is totally happy and exciting right now!

 

With all my new found excitement at the moment, I thought I would share with you my top 3 tips to stay happy (these are the top 3 of trixybelle so not totally serious!)

 

1. Drinking Tea

I love a good cup of tea - milk 2 sugars please - and I find that what ever the problem or the celebration, a cup of tea always has a worthy part to play. It's just an all round crowd pleaser. I couldn't imagine my life without tea, it's absolutely sunken into my daily routine and if I miss a cup throughout the day, I sure do know about it! If you don't already, I advise introducing tea into your life. This is not me saying become addicted I just mean next time you feel you need to relax, celbrate or just have a good cry - put the kettle on and make a brew, I assure you, you'll just feel good!
 

 

 

2. Get A Cat

So I have posted previously about my love for cats (which you can read here) and as well as them just making a home an all round better place, they manage to make you happy too. As I'm sure any pet will do, I'm just obsessed with cats... Anyway cats seem to have a special way about them which just puts a smile on your face as soon as you see them. Whether they are sat on your bed when you come home from work or they are fussing for attention around you just for some food, what ever it is, it is sure to put a smile on your face and in my opinion, a key to keeping happy! - You could alternatively look at cat videos on the internet... now theres a guarenteed smile if ever you wanted one!

 

 

 

 3. Do Some Shopping!
Every girl knows that one of the best ways to cheer herself up is to get some retail theropy. Even when it's just a day when you're feeling quite happy with yourself it's usualy "Hmm, today is a good day, I think i'll do some shopping!"

I usually tend to attempt to buy a whole new wardrobe when I'm feeling good about life and myself, until I realise that I have a limited budget so a whole new wardrobe is slightly out of the question but still, here's to wishful thinking! Whether it's clothes, make-up, jewelry, food literally anything I always like to treat myself to something when I'm in a good mood, I think its esential if i'm honest, us girls all deserve a treat from time to time right?

 

 

I hope you feel slightly happier after reading my blog and if not, then try my top 3 tips and i'm sure in no time those Sunday blues will be right out of the window!

 

If you have some other tips of keeping happy then let me know, I would love to try some new things and share some ideas.

 

 

P.s: If you are loving my new blog design like my happy self, take a look at Sarah Clarke at http://sarahsmilesdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ she is lovely and a brilliant designer as you can see! 

Thoughts From A Digital Marketing & Social Media Apprentice!

Hello dear internetters, readers, bloggers, whoever you are, hello! I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed a lovely bank holiday weekend to do well... nothing - I know that's exactly what I did anyway. The weather was lovely for a couple of the days here in England so I did try to get out and enjoy some of that. Anyway, I am coming to you today to tell you about some really exciting news which was given to me just before the bank holiday Easter weekend. Trust me, all I have wanted to do since I was given the news is get onto my blog and share it with all of you, however Gossip Girl has seriously taken over my life at the moment so I apologise for that.
Back to the news...

So as I have previously mentioned I have just completed my Level 2 Business Administration course at my current office which I am glad I had the opportunity to do. I have recently established however, that what I really longed to do is Digital Marketing and Social Media. I thought that if I wanted to pursue my dream I was going to have to leave my current employer and look for somewhere that would let me do the apprenticeship course as this is the only way I was going to be able to get into this sort of career as I didn't go to college etc. So anyway my career coach, which I got as part of my previous apprenticeship course, came in to my office to see me and she knows how much I would love to be given the opportunity to do the Digital Marketing & Social Media course which they offer. At first my coach didn't think that she would be able to help because my current office doesn't really have the capacity and they are not really into all of the social media side of marketing and the academy weren't allowed to move me to a different employer offering the course with more capacity as this was ultimately against their 'rules'. As you can imagine this was heartbreaking as I do love my job at the moment and I would have loved to be the one able to introduce the company into social media. Anyway, after a long morning of talking to my boss and my career coach, it was finally decided that it was exactly what the business needed and it would be a great opportunity for me to get the qualification for me to progress into the industry. I think my heart might have skipped a beat as I tried to contain my excitement so as not to look like a total loony in the middle of the office!

This is what I was imagining in my head... 

So you are now looking at... Trixybelle, the new Digital Marketing & Social Media apprentice for Architect CT! (Every time I call myself that I can't stop smiling!) 

I am so lucky to be given this opportunity and I will be counting myself lucky the entire year I am doing the course for. My boss is amazing for giving me this exciting chance and I cannot wait to get started and stuck into something new!

If you are 16-18 and are looking for an opportunity like this or you are interested in a different apprenticeship course, get in touch with The Apprentice Academy, Manchester. I know that I am 19 but I did become an apprentice when I was 18 so that doesn't matter. After doing one course, there are loads of courses to choose from to progress to once your first level is complete - look at me, I was a business admin apprentice and now I'm doing something totally different! 

A really old photo of an excited me, I was so excited because I knew this day would come!

Stick around to follow my journey being a Digital Marketing & Social Media Apprentice, who knows where I could end up next?

Love,

Trixybelle xoxo

Why Every Home Should Have A Cat

Hello dear reader. Today i'm going to do a bit of a different blog post just because I feel it's time to share my love for cats with the world.

Since I was young I have had a sincere love for all animals, I think I have stronger feelings towards animals than humans if I'm totally honest. Anyway, I've not always had cat's in my life I didn't actually have a pet at all until I begged my Mum to let me get a hamster when I was about 12. My first hamster was my first love, she was amazing she would fall asleep on my lap and everything, a bit like a cat really! She lived a fabulous life until the age of 1 and a half and then she had to be put down. I'm telling you now, the most traumatic day of my life I'm not sure anything has yet come close, I should probably stop talking about this before I start leaking all over my keyboard.

My First Hamster, Tilly. I know she's adorable right?

So anyway I've had a couple of hamsters down the line and I've got a lovely bunny rabbit but I always wanted a cat. My dream came true about a year and a bit ago when my beloved Tommy came into my life. I do truly believe now more than I ever did that every home should have a cat and here's some reasons why. 

It's Like Having A Baby, Without Having A Baby. 

We got Tommy when he was just about 12 weeks old, so still only just a baby. This meant that I could nurture him and bring him up exactly how I wanted to. Cat's are like baby's but without all the stress of actually having a baby. They give you cuddles and they know that you're their parent but they know what to do all by themselves. They know when they need to go to the toilet or they want to sleep etc. All you need to do is feed them and let them in and out when they demand it! Tommy is still my little baby even though he's growing up... and the fact that he's a cat, but he needs his mummy, I know he does (he's even listed as my son on Facebook... yes he has his own Facebook.)

How cute is this little boy?

There's Always Someone To Talk To. 

Yes OK so I know he's a cat but lets face it, who doesn't talk to their pets? I hate being alone in my house, I know people love it but I really do not like it. I get bored and I just like having people to talk to if i'm honest, people who I actually want to talk to anyway! Having a cat counts as one of those people, it's great when you come down in the morning and he's there waiting for our daily chat about what he might have caught during the night etc, if he's been out with his 'mates'. We all know cat's do not have mates, he's protecting his territory and getting into fights but we don't like to think of him like that! Anyway, I like to think he listens, he knows the sound of my voice I know that for sure and what ever the subject matter, I know that Tommy will always listen, even if he doesn't have a clue what i'm going on about and he's just waiting for his food!

A Guaranteed Smile On Your Face
I dislike people who say cat's are boring, I think that they are the total opposite. I know they have their basic routine - eat, sleet, poo, eat... But they also have their little random time when they come and unexpectedly sit on your lap. Or they run around the house at god knows what time in the morning just because they are bored and miss your company oh so much! No matter what Tommy is up to, whether I see him in the morning or I come home at night, he is always able to make me smile. He sleeps in the funniest positions our Tommy does, he likes to spread his entire body over the surface of which he chooses to sleep on. Or sometimes he likes to go on the pipes where he knows that it's warm. And now that the sun is out, we have caught him sunbathing a couple of times as well which he absolutely loves.
At the moment he is developing his voice box and has not quite officially learnt how to fully 'meow' so he does these little noises which I understand to be known as 'chirrups'. Just to let you know, the cutest noise known to man! I love it when Tommy does this little noise like he's talking back to me or when he wants something - Another guaranteed smile on your face!

As you can see I am a total cat person and after having a cat now in my home, I don't think I could ever be without one.

Let me know if you have a cat which always makes you happy, or maybe your the total opposite and hate cats? You think every home should have a dog? Let me know, I would love to get to know some fellow cat lovers!

Love,
Trixybelle xoxo

P.s Have a really cute gif of two kitty's having a kissy! You can thank me later.

Thoughts From A Girl With Unmanageable Hair

Hey, how you doin'? I'm doing good baby, how you doin'?

Spot of Friends on a Monday morning! Anyway, back in the room Bea! 

From a very young age I have had to put up with an horrifically unmanageable bush on my head. Or as my mother says, I have been blessed with thick hair. 

Growing up with thick hair was an absolute nightmare and here are some reasons why.

1. Going to the hairdressers 

Going to get a haircut with thick hair is a serious task. I pretty much had to, and still have to for a matter of fact, dedicate an entire day to getting my hair cut. Every hairdresser I have ever been to is the same, they comment on how jealous they are of my 'lovely thick hair!' I used to think they should count themselves lucky that they don't have to deal with this every day, however as I've grown up I have realised I am blessed especially with the amount of times I dye it! I was never really sure how to manage my hair so would always go for something different every time I went to the hairdressers, I soon learnt that this was a mistake. It's best to just stick to what you know works for you and what you're comfortable with and once you know what that is, the management of it will fall into place! 

2. Jealousy 

Now I know that jealousy is a sin and what not but when you're a girl growing up with thick hair like moi, you just can't help it. All of my friends had amazing hair which was so easy to manage. They would have a shower and dry and striaghten their hair in the time it would take me to finish putting conditioner through it! The amount of time's I wanted to do a Miley and cut it all off, but then you had to have confidence to do that and I definitely did not have that! However, confidence comes with growing up and although i'm not at the 'do a Miley' stage, my confidence has grown, i'm writing a blog for Pete's sake! Just stick with it all you thick hair owners and get those GHD's on it and soon you will be feeling very Disney Princess hair - telling yourself that all the best Disney Princess' have thick hair is always a good way to get through! 

3. It takes forever to do anything

As you know, I love to go out and get my groove on. However one of the things that comes with going out and getting your groove on, is getting ready. Don't get me wrong I love getting ready and picking out an outfit, one which you know you've not worn in about a year so that you're socially acceptable! But then I have to do my hair. The almighty task. I spend the majority of my life standing in front of a mirror striaghtening or curling my hair ready for a night on the town (or just work). In all fairness, when it's done, I have grown to love it it's just getting through the tough part knowing that I'm going to be stood in front of a mirror for 40mins+ waiting for my hair to get to a point that i'm happy with. The majority of time I will have my hair curly, being a naturally curly haired person, it's easier to manage if I just go over the curls with straighteners instead of trying to force them to go as straight as possible, however I do also love having my hair straight, it just takes forever to do anything! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that having thick hair is a bad thing. I mean that's what you think it is when you're growing up with it but now that I am older and I have learnt to manage it and I know how I like my hair, now I feel blessed to have it. It's just another of life's little drama's of growing up in a society that wants you to have perfect hair. But I had way more fun looking all frizzy haired! You can also do a lot with thick hair, there's a lot more hair to play around with and although this can sometimes be a pain in the neck, it's great for experimenting with different hair styles! My fave is just having beach wave and a little bit bed head messyness, i'm not really a neat freak when it comes to hair or fashion to be honest so having it a little messy with a light wave, it really expresses my cool yet collected sense of fashion. 

I'd love to get in touch with some fellow thick haired girlies, let me know your favourite style for your thick hair! 

Looking a tad bit scary, but me rocking my fave beach wavy look! 

Trixybelle xoxo

Thoughts of a musical Friday afternoon

Hello my darlings! So i'm having a lovely Friday afternoon in work. I think the best thing to get keep motivated on a Friday afternoon is definitely music. Not just your average music though, it's Friday afternoon it's got to be real feel good stuff.

You know what's coming don't you? That's right, my top 5 music motivational tracks for a Friday afternoon.

5. Get Lucky - Daft Punk ft Pharrell Williams. I absolutely adore this song. It's brilliant at any point of the week but especially for a Friday afternoon. As any of my friends will know this is my ultimate jam. Yano like after you've had a few drinks and you hear your favourite tune and you're all like "oh dammmm, it's ma jaammm"? Yeah you know the feeling! (And yes that's actually what I say in the middle of a club...)

4. Little Talks - Of Monsters And Men. Ok, so if you actually listen to the lyrics of this song you might think that it's not a very uplifting motivational song for a Friday afternoon. However, the trumpet solo's in this song are hauntingly amazing. It's one of those that as it builds up you can really belt it out of a Friday afternoon and it does make you feel that little bit uplifted. Give it a listen, it's a brilliant song I assure you!

3. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston. I am a well know Whitney fan girl in my house to the point where my sister will actually pause a playlist or the TV when a Whitney song comes on (most of the time I Will Always Love You, i'm a right good belter you see, Simon Cowell does not know what he's missing) so that I can run into the room and dance around like an over obsessed teenage girl. So Whitney obviously had to go on the list and what better way to get some Whitney motivation that wanting to dance with somebody?

2. Hakuna Matata - Disney's 'The Lion King'. How can it possibly be a good musical motivational Friday afternoon without Disney? Especially in the form 'Hakuna Matata' - it means no worries for the rest of your days...you know you want to sing along! Obviously all Disney song's are great of a Friday afternoon but singing about no worries with no worries, got to be the best! 

1. Song 2 - Blur. This is definitely an absolute all time favourite of mine. I don't think I could ever miss it off any top 5 or top 10 I ever create. Slightly random choice for number one but I don't think that this has ever come on shuffle and I've skipped it. Best Friday motivation ever, and it does literally make me want to scream "WAHOOO" especially when I walk out of the office at 5:30 on a Friday, you should give it a go! 

Well I hope you enjoyed my favourite 5 motivational Friday tunes. A very lovely mixture in my opinion and if you're ever feeling a bit rubbish on a Friday afternoon, give some of these a go and I am sure that they will lift your spirits.

I'd love to hear what tunes keep you motivated on a Friday afternoon!

Trixybelle xoxo

Thoughts of an office rant...

Hello again my sweeties (I am referring to you as sweeties as I am currently in a state of throwing foam banana's into my mouth at my desk, so yes, this is what you are named after, feel privileged) I have a pretty good feeling that this is one of those posts that you're going to read and then wish that you hadn't just wasted 5 minutes of your life reading it. But hey-ho, i'm writing it anyway.

So for those of you who don't know, I am an administrative assistant, after completing my level 2 NVQ in business administration, working in a little architect's office in my sweet little home village of Bramhall. Not that any of you would know that as I've only been blogging for a very short amount of time and in that time, I've not mentioned anything about my life...anyway moving swiftly on.
I have been working pretty much since I left school, I did try my hand at college but it wasn't really my thaaang, plus I really was in with the wrong crowd of people, I got into a bad place in my life but that's another story definitely for another day, i'm sorry but i'm just not at that place with you yet!

So for now i'm working in my little office, I do like it, I complain a lot to my boyfriend when I have bad days's but don't we all have bad days? So it's not my dream of blogging about the best fashion trends in NYC I know, but until I get there, this is where I am.

Since i'm having a quiet afternoon in the office, I thought I would share some thoughts of what it's like being a young girl working in an office full of established architect's and interior designers.

Being the youngest girl in the office is a really hard part to play for a fair few good reasons.

1. We listen to an 80's radio station in the office (which I absolutely adore can I just add) this causes problems for me. For instance, there's the whole "Aww Bea, you weren't even alive when this was around" as I am clearly bopping my head to a tune which I love. Ok so no I wasn't born but does that really mean that I can't appreciate the legendary music that came out of the 80's? They then continue on to tell some, at the time hilarious story that happened to them in the 80's and I have to proceed to sit there with that grin that looks like you're really interested, when actually in you're head you're thinking "what are you talking about?!". And then follows the "*sigh*, it's not like it was in those days anymore!".

2. I answer the phone at work and I have no issue with this at all, the majority of people on the end of the phone are lovely. Being an architect's office we get a lot of builders phoning, builders are lovely! There just big lads who call you 'love' down the phone and actually ask how you're day is going and if you had a good weekend. It's the rich clients that are the worst, I literally think that they can hear my actual age down the phone even when I think i'm sounding like I'm 30, i'm sussed out straight away. It probably doesn't help that when i'm trying to be nice and polite I resemble an 8 year old girl asking for a toy for Christmas.  I think that these people assume receptionist/admin's have no feelings. We are the wall's that stand in front of where they actually want to go and to get to where they need to be, all they have to do is knock this wall down - or me. They literally speak to you like you don't matter in the world, the worst part is, when I've actually passed the line to their desired place, you can hear them laughing and joking and being all lovely and innocent. This really winds me up the wrong way, it's very frustrating to think that you don't matter in someone else's mind. But anyhoooo, I think it's probably more to do with me and my issue in having to actually be sociable to someone...

So both of those are little factors which annoy me slightly in my job however the worst of all is my name. This is the biggest issue I will face no matter what job I go into. However being on the phone is probably the worst. As some of you probably know (if you read my first blog.. yes all 21 of you!) my full name is Beatrix. With an 'x'. You have no idea how many times I have to repeat this through the day. Then there's the spelling, my email at work is my name and then the company address and it's amazing how many people can get my name on the email link right the name they put on the email is  'Beatrice' i'm sorry but that's not my name. 

And then of course, I think 9/10 time through the day it will be 

"I'll just take your name to pass on"

"Beatrix" (with a lot of emphasis on the 'x' )

"Is that with and 'x'"

"yes..."

"Ooo like the author!"

Oh jees. 

Anyway I do like my job, it's just the little things that you have to get off your chest from time to time.

See, I told you you'll be wanting those five minutes of your life back after reading this! 

Trixybelle xoxo

P.s I'd love to hear if you have any office rants you want to share, let me know!