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Archives for June 2015

Magical Midsummer Ritual

Magical Midsummer Ritual

Midsummer brought me magic just when I needed it, both last year and the year before. So of course, “celebrate Midsummer” became a goal on this year’s birthday list.

I happened to be in London for the launch of Caroline’s newest project, The Girl with the Sunshine Tattoo [warning: addictive], so for Midsummer Sunday, Sarah Starrs and I met for a Diner lunch and crystal shopping before performing a summer solstice ritual in a secret garden, which happens to be called the Phoenix Garden (!).

Magical Midsummer Ritual

We found little benches for laying out the summer solstice tarot spreads we found on LouiseAndrolia.com, studied our results, and decorated with flowers and petals from the garden. Funny how we both got messages we needed to hear at that moment.

The ritual concluded with writing wishes on gold paper, a little tradition I learnt from Paige last year and since we had no matches, we buried them.

your-assignment

Honour a day that is special to you and your geekiness by setting aside time to acknowledge it. Here are some ideas…let’s add to the list in the comments below!

  • Bake a pi pie on Pi Day (March 14)
  • Recite a sonnet on Shakespeare’s birthday (23 April)
  • Carry a towel to celebrate Douglas Adams (25 May)
  • Sing through the entire Phantom of the Opera soundtrack on the musical’s birthday (9 October)
  • Read the first chapter of Sorcerer’s Stone aloud on Harry Potter Day (1 November)

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P.S. Are you following me on Instagram? I documented my Midsummer ritual in real time!

29 June, 2015Filed in: Hatstall

How did you spend your free time as a child?

How did you spend your free time as a child?

The question I get asked all the time…

When people ask me how many times I’ve read the Harry Potter books [for some reason, I get this question a lot], I honestly have no idea, because rather than a number of cycles, they were the soundtrack of my life.

Jim Dale read me to sleep.

As a kid I spent my free time tidying my room and listening to Jim Dale read the Harry Potter books to me on CD. Sometimes at exciting bits I dumped out drawers just so I could piece their contents back together while I kept listening. At night I would listen until I fell asleep. This method still works when I can’t sleep.

Less stuff doesn’t always mean more simplicity.

My yellow boom box got me through a childhood’s worth of Harry Potter, and I still recall the sound it made as the CD spun to a stop when its tracks were through. But one day the boom box broke, and listening became a faff. Gone was the simplicity of the CD system, where I had to press only two buttons to get it started. Now I have to weed through my iTunes library, and right now my computer doesn’t even have enough space for all the books. Less stuff doesn’t always mean more simplicity.

How did you spend your free time as a child?

How I incorporate childhood pastimes into adult life:

A lot of friends fondly recall listening to the audiobooks on road trips, but this was never the case for me, because my whole family had to agree to the pastime, and frankly I don’t blame them for choosing against listening to someone else read them Harry Potter for hours at a time, let alone having to live with me talking about it during all those other hours.

But I found a new method for playing CDs, and a way to enjoy them on the road: by playing them in Monkey’s car! We spun through half of Deathly Hallows on the road there-and-back-again, brushing up on Harry history, and passing the time with a gripping story. Plus, we both like camping, and there’s a lot of it in that book.

your-assignment

So I want to know – what did you do in your childhood downtime? Do you still enjoy it to this day? Please share in the comments!

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P.S. Minimalist inspiration from Harry Potter

26 June, 2015Filed in: Hatstall
Tagged With: harry potter

#HappyThesisChallenge Check In

#HappyThesisChallenge Check In

The #HappyThesisChallenge is for all of us who need to buckle down and get some work done, in the prettiest way possible.

When I explain this to friends, some get it right away. We’re a particular shade of nerd, those of us who enjoy studyblrs, stationery shopping, and perfecting one’s handwriting.

your-assignment

If this describes you too, take a picture of your workspace and tag is #HappyThesisChallenge. You don’t have to be writing a thesis to participate in the #HappyThesisChallenge. You can be knocking off items on your Passion Planner to do list, scribbling notes from your latest Letters from Jane Austen project, or publishing blog posts. I have done all of the above over at @heroinetraining on Instagram.

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P.S. Things I learned from having no internet at home

25 June, 2015Filed in: Hatstall

Heroine Training on a Train: Things to Do on Long Journeys

Heroine Training on a Train: Things to Do on Long Journeys

When I have to be on a train for a while, I think Hogwarts. This visualization technique is not too difficult on my route from London to Edinburgh, which departs at Kings Cross, complete with Platform 9 3/4 sign around the corner – except these days it’s occupied by a massive queue of tourists wanting to be photographed with it. So much for the Statue of Secrecy.

The reality of the journey, sadly, is less glamorous. Yes, there is a trolly lady [or dude], but they never sell chocolate frogs, or anything that comes with collectible cards with moving portraits for that matter.

Lately I have been blessed with the misfortune of long journeys. It’s worth it, of course, because of what awaits at the other end – usually good adventures with great friends – but boy does it take up a lot of time. So I have to bring my work on the go.

Sometimes it’s not great, with motion sickness and cramped spaces, and noisy neighbors. But sometimes this is for the best: traveling can feel like free time, and anything I get done is a bonus. Or sometimes what a task needs is for me to be forced to sit in one place for several hours with nothing to preoccupy myself with but a wifi-less laptop.

Here’s how I make the most of my time:

  • Take Dramamine or motion sickness medicine. For longer journeys, I’ve caved into what I formerly thought of as a weakness. “It’s called taking advantage of modern medicine”, says Dr Dad.
  • Read for fun. Always a lovely way to pass the time! Get lost in a good book.
  • Catch up on a self-guided course. I’m loving Miracle Worker, Cubicle to 10K, and Elemental Astrology, but I keep creeping farther behind. It’s work that I love to do, so it’s a treat to work on during a journey.
  • Write greeting cards. Writing meaningful notes in birthday cards and letters is something I always mean to do, and always fills me with joy and gratitude, but in practice, it never quite feels like a priority. Devote a bit of travel time to writing out a card or two.
  • Journal. Journeys are a great – and metaphorically appropriate – time for getting in some journalling time. Reflect on where you are and where you want to go. Deep, right?
  • Do just a little bit of work. As a student I made the effort to get out of Oxford for at least part of the weekend. I brought a short article with me for the first few minutes of the ride there. Set yourself a small, achievable amount of work to complete, then feel accomplished and guilt-free during your time off.
  • Listen to podcasts and your favourite playlists. Sometimes I’m too queasy or tired to do anything but listen to the latest episode of RHAP or Taylor Swift on repeat. I play music a lot in the background, so it’s nice to have concentrated time to pay them more attention.
  • Catch up on your favourite TV show. I subscribed to The Carrie Diaries on iTunes to watch on my Oxford to London bus rides. I can’t get much else done on buses!
  • Look out the window. Grace Coddington swears that this is the only way to spend travel time. Sometimes it isn’t possible [hello redeye flights through the dead of night…] but when it is, enjoy the setting of your trip.
  • Play the alphabet game. This one works best in cars – go through the whole alphabet picking out letters from signs (“A in Parking”, “Z in Pizza Hut”). When you spot a word, you claim it, and no one else can take it. Yeah it can get really competitive.

your-assignment

Time to share with the class! What is your favourite way to pass the time on a long journey? Do you prefer to indulge in relaxation or employ on-the-go office hours?

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P.S. Going somewhere? Consult my comprehensive packing guide!

24 June, 2015Filed in: Hatstall

Little Things that Make a Big Difference

Little Changes that Make a Big Difference
  • Cut out sugar.
  • Meet with a friend every day.
  • Take time to plan.
  • Read for fun.
  • Journal in the morning.
  • Get out of the house.
  • Eat fruit.
  • Run – work towards a goal.
  • Charge your devices.
  • Try a month-long challenge.
  • Stand up straight.
  • Hug.

your-assignment

have a lovely weekend :)

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19 June, 2015Filed in: Hatstall

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