It's Been a While

since I last posted. Quite a lot has happened since I last did! Where to start...

I started my placement at the end of January. I'm now on week 8 and I don't want it to end! I've had such a good time so far and learned so much, I just want to keep going. I've done a few designs, some good, some bad. I've learned how to take criticism well, you can't be a baby in this industry! But I feel my skills are, and will continue, improving.

My auntie had a baby boy! He's now a week old (after being 5 weeks early) but it getting stronger and healthier everyday. I went to visit him for the first time yesterday and I started crying when I saw him, which I did not expect! He's just so bloomin' perfect.

I'm not looking forward to going back to Aberdeen, for fear of confrontation and awkwardness. And not feeling great about being in Oban over the summer while everyone else is in Glasgow. Fortunately, I don't need to go back to Aberdeen until May and that's only to hand in my work. Don't appreciate being expected to tidy up things that aren't my fault!

I've had my first paid job and it went well! I helped out a friend of my mum's promoting a Fairtrade Fashion show, designing two posters, tickets and postcards. I got paid for the postcards, which weren't part of the show. Very happy with the way it all went. Was also featured and credited in the paper!

I've turned 21! Feels slightly different but not much. Had a low key birthday with friends and family having a buffet at the house then a few of us going to a pub for drinks. Not as many people came as I would have liked but it was still a good night.

I'm working through a CSS book just now, so I'd better carry on with that.

So Tired

This post is mostly so I can test my coding to see if a link will work.

Had a very good Christmas, nice and relaxing, complete with Xbox 360! I absolutely love it, I've barely stopped playing it since I got it. And I got Viva Pinata from Zavvi for only £8! Felt a bit weird over the whole holidays though. Not really sure what or why, things just felt out of sync, like I'm not myself. To be honest, I think it could be to do with the lack of sleep that has been building up over the end of last semester. I was up at ridiculous times in the morning getting coursework and an essay finished and I don't think I've quite caught up yet. I was feeling really anxious too, which wasn't nice. Feeling a bit better now, though still need to get better sleep. Not a nice way to feel for so long that's for sure!

Anyway, I'm going to attempt to link something with a hyperlink code from the HTML I'm studying for my placement.
Viva Pinata!

School's (nearly) Out For Winter

There is one things standing between me and the end of term:

An essay.

It's not even something I hate doing now, the topic is actually really interesting. It's the time that's the problem. It's not actually due until NEXT Friday, but since I'm going home THIS Saturday, I would much rather get it done and out of the way so I can spend the holidays working on only my coursework. Uuugh.

I just saw a woman across the street press the traffic light button and carry on walking. Why did you do that? It's like that compulsion you have when you're a kid, to push every single thing that looks even remotely like a button.

Why do we write blogs and diaries? I'm trying to get my thoughts on the subject down in essay form. Or rather, are blogs taking over the notion of diaries? In this increasingly digital age, do objects have the capacity to be imbued with meaning and importance? Can objects be magical? Yes, I believe they can in this sense. That's the answer to the essay question, now to translate it from my brain and mouth, through my arms and out my fingertips and let them dance across the keyboard and type me a grade A essay....

It's a Wonderful Life

Oh wow. Me and Laura went to see It's a Wonderful Life at Cineworld tonight. Pretty darn wonderful alright! I didn't expect to like it so much, but I absolutely loved it! My mum and dad were so happy that I was going to watch a decent movie for a change, and I think they were chuffed that I liked it so much. We snuck in hot chocolate in a thermos and some mince pies, just to add to the Christmas spirit!

I found myself getting really involved with George. You get so absorbed in the story of his life and you don't realise just how swept up you are until Clarence shows him how terrible life would be without him. When I watch more recent films I find myself not caring very much about the characters and don't get so involved with the story because it all happens so fast. I think "don't be such a baby, it's not that bad!". But with Wonderful Life you really understand George and it did get a little emotional at the end! Such a, well, wonderful film!

Mum says we're going to watch it again at Christmas *<:]

Rewind

The past few days haven't been particularly spectacular but they've made me happy :]

I had a big presentation on Thursday to 3 people from Grampian Police, including a Sargent and a graphic designer. We had to design a graphic style for their recruitment campaign and I went for a Roy Lichtenstein inspired comic book angle. I think they liked it, the woman in particular liked the bat-signal style searchlight I used. They said it was very different and recognised that a lot of work went into the illustration. That was particularly nice to hear considering I was up late most nights last week trying to get work done and as a result have been suffering lightheadedness during the day! Not too bad though, and starting to go away now that I'm catching up with my sleep. We got our last brief of term on Thursday too, another corporate identity competition which my tutor said "could be done in a day". She shouldn't have said that :D

So Thursday was OK, then I woke up on Friday and started getting ready to go to St Andrews to visit Joe. I checked my university emails whilst munching on a bowl of crunchy nut and find an email from a guest tutor informing me that my logo design for a previous project was very close to being chosen by the client to be used to brand his physiotherapy practice! I was over the moon! The fact that my design was so closely considered for the actual brand made my day! I was so chuffed when I read that, and was touched that my tutor took the time out to tell me. I was telling her a while back how insecure I am about my work and I think that's why she emailed me. So that was super duper!

Went to St Andrews on Friday and had a really nice weekend with Joe, doing nothing in particular! We napped, ate chinese food, watched a french film, shopped, drank hot chocolate, napped some more, ate soup, watched Buzzcocks, at pizza, watched top gear, then decided that it was still early enough to shove a couple of pints down our throats in the pub before going to bed. Oh and he gave me part of my Christmas present early! It's a super-cool, super-warm hat from Fat Face, it's so cool! I might put a picture of it up if I'm feeling Myspacey enough :D

So now I'm back in Aberdeen facing a 2500 word essay and realising that the questions aren't quite as easy as I thought/hoped they were. Whoops. Think I may have to speak to my lecturer tomorrow.

I'm sleepy. I think I might eat some cranberry cheese I got from the international market last weekend.