Take that time!

The past few weeks I have been doing some more intensive revision for my January exams. I did make sure that I started little bits much earlier on so that I was not snowed under now, however I still feel guilty every moment when I am not revising for not revising. Yet the only time during the day when this guilt vanishes is lunchtime (of course provided I have already done my scheduled amount of revision up till that point). Unlike some of friends who I know rush their lunch straight down to get right on with their work I don't mind enjoying my meal and luxuriating in the guilt-free bliss. Perhaps it is my hobbit-y nature coming through which tells me to value each meal I eat but  "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold [as the hobbits do], it would be a merrier world." and I am sure we would also have more productive afternoon revision sessions.

Alas! When the clock doth strike 1 so begins the afternoon session of revision. Of course revision is not all misery at all, in fact there is a bizarre fun in ticking off each little topic you do. If you are like me a checklist is a must. Still, I will not lie a few extra minutes for lunch on any day would be nice... especially when the clock agrees with you that lunch is not over. 


Enter the lunchtime clock. (cheers)


It speeds up every day at 11am and slows down 20% every day 12 minutes before noon. Who wouldn't want an extra 12 minutes for lunch? This is an hour a week and 52 hours a year. Boom. Take that time. Of course there is the drawback that there are other time devices other than this clock which would tell you otherwise but view the video below to see this lunch extender in action.

A few of my favourite things; Aran knitwear

A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to stumble across an Aran jumper and not just any aran jumper... no before you say it; it was not an M&S jumper. Rather 100% wool and gorgeously thick knit. Not only that, it was also a total steal coming in at only £5!
Perhaps due to both it's versatility and practicality- being both warm and of an easy to match creamy white colour- it is now one of my favourite items of clothing, and possibly the best buy I have ever made... Dare I say it? I can hear my other clothes weeping in jealousy in my wardrobe.
Up till this point I had never had any luck in charity shops. Either I had not spent enough time looking, just didn't have 'the eye' or there genuinely was nothing there for me, but I had never come out with an item quite as chuffed. It is a mens' sweater, but is the perfect fit for a baggy jumper which I wear both round the house or jazz up with some gold earrings and my trusty brogues for a trip out. On this same visit I also snapped up another bargain in the form of a sheepskin coat for just under a tenner. Since then I have made sure to keep a lookout at the local charity shops and if any more bargains appear...be ready fellow shoppers!

Snap Happy; Flowertime.

When I was a child...

I read the Mouse and Mole books by Joyce Dunbar. These were beautifully illustrated books with very heart warming stories. They nearly always had a moral message, but hidden within the cleverly simple story.

an image from the story Preposterous Puddle

One scene from these books which particularly stayed with me was where Mole sees one particularly beautiful flower outside which he wants, and being the more rash one of the pair runs out and cuts it off, only to find that it can now no longer grow. There is then some moral (unrelated to flowers) which sadly I have forgotten (it is probably not the bit I should have forgotten).  

Irrespective, one day last summer...

I saw a flower in our garden which just popped out at me. Instead of cutting it off (as even if the moral did not stick with me I know not to always cut off flowers and also that you cannot glue them back together)  I took some pictures of it. I used my hipstamatic app on my Iphone and was delighted with the quick results I got. 

It is important to note that I am simply an everyday person taking snaps. I yearn for Polaroids and aged effects but want them in the quickest, simplest way when you have no such camera. 

Buzzy bee on this fuzzy photo appreciates this yellow fleur...

...standing tall...

...and proud...

...just hanging...

...with some other pretty blooms.

Begin at the beginning

Hello and welcome to my slice of the internet.

Above is an image of a slice of cake if you were in anyway unsure of what one looked like. This blog however is not a slice of cake, rather a 'slice of the internet', so if you were also uncertain what this would look like, read on.

My name is Clarissa Dale and this is my first post on my SHINY NEW blog Lily & Tamsin. I am a college student about to enter the ‘real world’ so I started this blog in order to gather my thoughts and record my experiences both fun and hilariously regrettable as I make the important steps before my future.

The motto of Lily & Tamsin. will be to focus on the positive side of life and perhaps provide the odd tip to brighten your day. I find it incredibly exciting to be able to type, post and share, and even more exciting to think that someone might read and perhaps even be interested in my musings. If you are one such person THANK YOU and make sure you leave a comment, I will comment you back. Any help whilst I make my way through the blogosphere would be much appreciated. Here is a photo of me with a cup of finest english breakfast; the perfect accompaniment to a session of blogging. I assure you beneath the cup there is a smile.

Serial tea drinker