Day 11: Happy Saturday

What on earth am I doing? The Eurovision is currently on and I'm not going to lie it is a bit cheesy but it is what it is. Although, it get's worse! Jaws 4: The Revenge was on earlier and I'd never seen it before; I can't understand why they even bothered to make it! The ending was so quick and awful, no offence!

It's Saturday! Woop! Woop! A much needed lie in was in order this morning although I did get up at a fairly reasonably time just in case the post man arrived with a parcel Mum had been waiting to allow her to do a few bits and bobs.

Sadly, it's become a lot cooler here in Scotland although the sun still shines so I won't complain too much. However, the weather was still nice enough to sit outside in the garden even if I did wear a jacket, Dr Martens boots, a hat (Surprise! Surprise!) and eventually wrapped an old towel round me as I was cold. What a sight!

Like I said yesterday, I've got plenty to do this weekend so my notebook accompanied me into the garden as I worked on ideas for something that cannot yet be revealed. My Dad found it quite amusing that I was using an Audrey Hepburn notebook, tormenting me that I was only 50 per cent posh. Firstly, it was the first notebook I came across and secondly, I am a big fan of Audrey Hepburn! I have a fascination with old Hollywood actresses and actors; I love the glamour and sophistication. There's something very special about it!

At some point every weekend we usually have takeaway for dinner; tonight we decided on Chinese. We're extremely lucky to have a brilliant Chinese takeaway just a few minutes drive from our house, although it's almost too close. I'm not as adventurous with food as I once was so ordered my favourite: Singapore chow mien which always tastes amazing! Mum and Laurel had vegetable spring rolls and Dad made something from scratch (I'm not even going to attempt trying to spell or describe it so I'll let your imagination do the talking!)

My Mum and Grandad had popped out to our local Dobbie's Garden Centre the other day and purchased an array of gorgeous new plants for our garden. Mum created a display of the flowers around our new garden hut with a cute lantern to bring it all together. My sister Laurel and I were sitting chatting whilst my Mum was on the phone and Laurel came up with the idea of using it as a background for photographs. So Laurel took a few photos of me with a vintage boho theme and in turn, I took a few for Laurel. I'm quite pleased with the results even though they were taken on my iPod.

Laurel and Dad headed off into the house as they were too cold leaving Mum and I as the last ones standing. I like to try and hold out for as long as I possibly can despite the fact that my hands were like ice. Eventually, I decided to give in and go back inside for a hot water bottle to heat myself up whilst forcing Dad to watch Britain's Got Talent. I can't believe it's almost time for the live finals! It feels like not long ago since I was excited about Saturday Night Takeaway beginning back in February! The year is seriously flying by!

And that brings us to the present moment; The Eurovision winner has been announced, congratulations to Ukraine! It's after midnight so I'm going to bid you farewell and try and get a few things done before I head to bed. Like I said before for whatever reason, I feel most inspired at night. Perhaps it's because it's so peaceful? What I do know is I get things done and that's all that really matters.

Speak soon my friends!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx 

Day 10

Hello from me! How are you all doing today?

My goodness has it been another busy day; I have a list of things I need to do logged deep inside my head. I don't know why but as soon as it comes into the Summer season, I always find myself absolutely run off my feet; there's always something happening!

I spent some time with my Grandparents this morning who brought down a few bits and bobs for our garden which had been stored at their house until we moved. We went out for a bite to eat at TK Maxx's café before my tutor was due to arrive this afternoon. It had been a while since I'd been in; I used to shop in TK Maxx and pay the café a visit a couple of times a week but with my tutoring schedule this year I'm not able to pop in as often so it was lovely to catch up with Kirsty, a friend of mine who works there-what a fabulous lady she never fails to make me smile! Fortunately, we were in early enough to order a cooked breakfast which was pretty delicious!

This was followed by a look round the shop. I left with two skirts which have a bit of bohemian vibe too them. After the heatwave we've had this week I realised I really ought to get some new Summer clothes so that's a good start.

Time was ticking on by and time for tutoring was soon approaching so back to the car it was with around twenty minutes to spare as we hit the house. At one o'clock my tutor arrived and it was straight to work for me. I have just over a couple of weeks to get all of my work finished and ready to hand into school-not long to go at all. My tutor had photocopied recent pieces of artwork I created of apples (the ones I got frustrated about painting the other day) and enlarged a few and shrunk a few and I have to say they look fab in different sizes. We'll use the photocopies of the artwork in various other pieces that I'm yet to create. I'm very lucky to have such amazing tutors who I can easily chat away to whilst working, today my art tutor even started playing some of The Waterboys songs as we were planning to using poems or song lyrics in my artwork and were looking for ones that were relevant to the portfolio I've created this past year. It's such a great idea, something a little bit different!

Anyway, I spent most of the afternoon after my art session and into the early evening working away. Last year we focused on creating masks for a period of a few weeks using natural materials such as leaves due to the fact that it was Autumn and they were so easy to come by. As I sat at the kitchen table earlier painting/creating collages inspired by the mask designs, my Mum walked into the room to prepare dinner and looked over my shoulder for a peek. She immediately turned to me and said 'Oh that one looks a bit like David Bowie' and on second thoughts it actually did, through no intention of my own might I add. The only problem now is I can't look at it without a vision of David Bowie and the temptation of painting a lighting bolt on the face.

I'm pleased to say that it's finally the weekend. It's always a relief when it approaches. Although, for me it's going to be working one. I have so much to prepare and get done so I'll be spending a lot of time doing just that-wish me luck!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 9: Thursdays at 3TFM

Good Evening Everyone! This post is a little earlier than the usual upload time that I've become accustomed to during the past few days so I'm pretty delighted that I managed to sit down and get it written a little earlier. The sun continues to shine here in Scotland although I do believe it's to get a little cooler, I can't say I'm too chuffed about that but what can we do?

Thursdays are by far the busiest day in the week for us; I usually have music tuition in the morning, followed by an early lunch, then heading straight up to 3TFM for my weekly show and then back home to pick Laurel up from school. It's crazy normally!

In today's music lesson my tutor and I decided to use sheet music from some of the music books I own as it's important to not only be able to play by ear but to actually be able to read music. Flicking through the books we took note of all the songs I'd already learned to play and eventually decided upon playing 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' by The Police. I've been listening to their music a lot of late-they got some great songs! We also did some work on ukulele which I've been learning as a side instrument. Fortunately, I've got the gist of it fairly quickly probably due to the fact that I used to play guitar when I was younger. It's great when we bring out the uke and my tutor plays along on bass so it becomes like a mini jam session which is always fun!

Like I said earlier on, a quick lunch was in order accompanied by a rush around the house as I threw on some makeup, (I'm getting pretty good at applying it quickly these days!) and organised CDs that I needed for today's show. I had a rough idea of which songs I planned on playing but that usually changes throughout the show. Each show is surprisingly unpredictable when you think about it; you never know what might happen.

When arrived at 3TFM, Chris was live on air and Kevin was manning the studio phone lines; it's always a good laugh behind the scenes in the studio. Today's discussion was about Kevin's rather large DVD collection, my answer was 'well I don't have a huge DVD collection but my CD/Vinyl collection is certainly getting there!'

Today's show went pretty well; I received a good few text requests which are always greatly appreciated! The time seriously flies in when I'm on air because I love it so much! It was also great to see Frank, a fellow presenter back in the studio today and hear how he was doing. I'm still so grateful for this amazing opportunity and can't get over the fact that I'm only seventeen and have my own radio show!

Fast forward to picking Laurel up from school where we immediately went to Sainbury's to get the weekly shop. The radio was on in the background as always and I think I may have gave my Mum a fright as shrieked when I heard a familiar tune begin to play. Yes, that would Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'-love that song! Fleetwood Mac songs keep playing wherever I go these days, it's the fifth time that's happened in two weeks! I can't believe it's almost a year since I saw them, the time has flown in!

I don't know about you but on warms days like today my family and I enjoy particular types of food; things that aren't too heavy usually. So tonight mini baked potatoes were on the menu with prawn cocktail and salad-I've not had that in ages so it made a nice change! Mmmm!

Although it's been a busy day, it's been a pretty good day too! I have something exciting in the pipeline that I can't wait to share with you guys so I've also been a little excited about that today! It won't be too long until I tell you more about it but until then I'll keep you guessing! Oh, I'm so mean aren't I?

Well, it's already half eleven so I guess this post will be up just as late as every other day-oops! I thought I might have it finished and uploaded early for once but who am I kidding?! I come alive at this time of night and feel so much more inspired. Anyway, I really ought to go!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 8: Busy Busy Busy!

Well, this time last week I decided to write my first ever daily blog and somehow I've managed to write a post every single day since then! Woop! Woop! I'm definitely going to stick to it and keep writing each day for as long as I possibly can. Yeah, each post might not be uploaded at the same time every day due to the craziness life and how unpredictable it can be, but there will be a post nevertheless and that's all that really matters!

I'm sitting here in the usual writing spot (not my desk!) a little bit excited about something I have coming up very soon. Unfortunately for you guys I can't tell you what it is just yet but it's pretty exciting! Promise! Keep an eye out for more details in future posts!

So what has the day had in store for 'The Hat Hippie'? Well, it's been a busy one that's for sure! It all started with the usual wake up routine-I'll not go into too much details to avoid sounding boring, I highly doubt you want to read every detail about what was on the morning news. But why is it that on a school morning that my bed suddenly becomes a cosy cocoon and getting up is a serious inconvenience? On weekends getting up is fairly easy-why can't it be the other way round!?

After dropping Laurel off like we do every other morning we popped into Morrison's on route home for a few bits and pieces. Before long I found myself back home and seated at the kitchen table with sketch books, paints, paint brushes and pencils scattered around me. I had artwork to complete before my tutor came this afternoon. To be honest, I don't think I ever want to see an apple ever again! I have never been so frustrated when painting/drawing in my life; I just wasn't happy with it. The end result looks pretty good but that's all thanks to my Mum with her support and encouragement telling me to keep going. But seriously, if I'm ever asked to draw an apple again I think I might flip-I much prefer painting flowers and leaves! But in the end it got completed and that's the main thing! Good riddance!

My tutor arrived around half past one for my art session, she was very pleased with my completed work and we spent the session working on a few pieces we'd been planning to do as part of the coursework for Nat 4 art. It's all coming together pretty well and the sketch book looks absolutely amazing if I do say so myself! I'll enjoy flicking through it when I'm older and looking back at everything I've done. I'll make it my mission to take a few photos when I get all of my work out again at some point in the next couple of days.

In the car on the way to pick up Laurel, BBC Radio 2 were playing 'Under Pressure' by Queen and David Bowie which was brilliant. Love that song! It's a favourite of mine to jam along to on bass-it's one of those addictive bass lines that I could quite happily play over and over again.

An ice lolly was in order for each of us on arrival back home as it was still boiling hot.It's been a while since Scotland was this warm for as long-I think it might be a record by now! Poor Laurel had studying to do for an upcoming maths test at school so had to head upstairs to her room to study. I began clearing away all of my art supplies and somehow managed to drop a ton of art paperwork behind the radiator next to our table. I couldn't exactly stick my hand down it as it's such a tight space so I dug around the kitchen looking for something long enough to do the job. Eventually, I found a rubber spatula and with that managed to pull everything! Thankfully, the heating was off! I remember sticking my hand down a radiator when I was little (I must have dropped something) and burned my skin and still to this day, I have a small scar from the burn on my left hand. An incident not to be repeated!

We enjoyed sitting out in the garden watching the world go by and were also joined by Dad once he finished up from work. There was a bit of a breeze in the air today so it was a bit cold for me and I ended up digging out a black sparkly poncho from my wardrobe to keep me warm. The slightest hint of cold alway seems to affect me, I think it might be to do with my medical condition and how it affects the nervous system. Anyway, I managed to get most of radio prep finished for tomorrow's show as we sat outside so once I finish typing this I'm going to quickly check over it and add the final few songs to the playlist. If you're about tomorrow be sure to tune into 103.1 3TFM or listen via the TuneIn Radio app between 1-2pm UK time to hear my show!

I really ought to go now as it's getting late, have a good evening folks!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 7: It's Still Sunny!?

Good Evening!
Here we go again, another late night post. That will probably change in a few days time when the weather decides to return to its usual state of grey skies and rain. Until then I'm doing my absolute best to make the most of the sunshine whilst lasts. I sound like a typical British person, constantly talking about the weather don't I? Oh well!

We dropped Laurel off at school this morning and headed straight into town as I had the morning free; tutoring on Tuesdays always take place in the afternoon. Popping into town first thing in the morning is great as it's like a ghost town; the shops are always empty and extremely quiet which is perfect for someone like myself in a wheelchair. I normally hate shopping as people bump into you, stare at you or make you feel like an inconvenience for even being in the same isle as them. That's the day in a life of a wheelchair user I'm afraid. I think everyone should be given the opportunity to use a wheelchair for at least a day and go out and about and see what lifes like from a wheelchair users perspective. Trust me, I think you'd be surprised at obstacles we face each and every day hence why I prefer to visit the town when it's quiet.

We had a browse in Primark where I picked up a couple of new tops to wear in the Summer as well as some new pyjamas as all the pairs I currently own are suited to Winter and it's far too warm to wear them in this heat! This was followed by a visit to Debenhams for a bite to eat, we always try to have something substantial in the morning as making time for lunch can be rather tight when I have tuition in the afternoons. And the breakfasts in Debenhams are always pretty good which is a bonus!

Back home I worked on a painting of apples that I started the other day for part of my Nat 4 in art. I'm not going to lie, I did get a little frustrated with it as I tried to get the right shades and colours-who knew just how many colours you'd need to paint an apple? It's pretty surprising! Thankfully, Mum was able to give me a bit of advice and it's definitely looking on the right track as a result so I'll be sure to finish that off in the morning.

Before long 2pm had arrived and my tutor pulled up into the driveway for my music sessions. Today's lessons was a continuation of ELO's 'All Over The World' which I pretty much completed. The bass parts vary so much throughout the song so it took a while to work it out but we got there in the end! My tutor and I are both big Prince fans so we ended up listening to some of Prince's extensive catalogue and worked out the bass line to a song called 'Jam Of The Year' that my tutor had previously told me about. I really enjoyed jamming along to it; it's such an addictive bassline to play along to! I've got it stuck in my head right this very second as I type.

We picked Laurel up from school and returned to Primark as she'd been invited to her friend's house for a water fight and to use the swimming pool and needed a swimsuit, new shorts, flip-flops etc. Let's face it, we don't get weather like this often so none us have any close to suit the occasion. The shop was so much busier compared to earlier that morning and unfortunately, I experienced staff members rudely walk out in front of me in my wheelchair on three occasions within a short period of time-not impressed! Eventually, Laurel found what she was looking for and we dropped her off at her friend's house.

Whilst she was out I continued to paint whilst Mum prepared dinner for the three of us (Dad, Mum & I). After dinner we sat out in the garden for a little while although it was a little windy so we didn't stay outside for too long. And before we knew it, it was time to pick up Laurel who had a pretty fun time by the sounds of it enjoying the pool, getting soaked during their water fight and eating some delicious homemade Thai food; I can't help but feel a little jealous hehe!

So that brings us to now, I'm currently fighting with my eyes trying to avoid nodding off. Could you imagine me falling asleep with my laptop on my knee? What a laugh!

Speak soon!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 6: Meetings

Good evening my friends!

Yes, it's another late upload from me tonight-I'm a night owl at heart! I wish I had a more interesting day to tell you about but let's face it, it's Monday and it's only the beginning of the week. But let's be positive about it; the countdown to Friday begins!

I am very delighted to report that Scotland was blessed with another day of much needed warmth and sunshine! We all deserve it after such a long and cold winter. It's hard to believe it was only just a couple of weeks ago that the weather forecast predicted snow! How things change eh?

Sadly, we couldn't take full advantage of the sunny spell due to the commitments of everyday life such as school for my sister and in my case, tutoring. Tutoring is always enjoyable but let's face it, I'd rather have been outside chilling in the garden. During today's music session I was learning to play 'All Over The World' by ELO on bass. We started working on it last week but soon discovered the bassline varies throughout the song so decided to only learn half and begin learning the second half today otherwise there'd be a lot for me to remember all at once. So that's what we did. It's amazing to think how much progress I've made when learning songs by ear. I used to find it extremely daunting and now it's like second nature! I love the fact that I can pick up my bass, pick any random song, work out the bass lines and jam along-words can't describe just how good it feels!

This afternoon we had a meeting with my guidance teacher from school to discuss and complete paperwork to do with my health. This for me is a little bit of a milestone in many respects as I used to get extremely worked up about talking to professionals and as you can imagine I've had to meet with so many over the years. I find it quite stressful at times. But as time's gone by I've decided to stop worrying about situations as much as I possibly can and just be completely calm and honest. And you know what? It definitely works for me! I've become more and more confident as time went on and I feel very proud of it.

Believe it or not I actually found it quite interesting going through the paperwork today and reading my history both medically and educationally. I'd forgotten so much about what I've been through and it makes me all the more determined to work hard and use what I've been through as motivation to fight and campaign for change. I also found reading all the information very useful as I really want to sit down and write a book about my life one day so all of the details are vital when putting that together. I don't know when I'll get round to it with life being so crazy these days but it's definitely a plan for the future.

Again, we spent most of the evening chilling in the garden; you really don't appreciate outdoor space until you no longer have it. We're all so grateful to finally have such a lovely house with such expanse outdoor space. It makes such a difference!

Well, it looks like that time again where I draw the post to a close. It's actually a lot loner than I thought it would be but once I start I find it hard to stop! Make sure to return tomorrow for my next post.

Goodnight world!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xxx

Day 5: The Garden

Good Evening Everyone!

Today's post is a bit later than anticipated. Why might you ask? Well, for once we actually had some sunshine in Scotland and to top it all off it was very warm! What a difference compared to yesterday's weather! So I spent the latter part of the afternoon and evening sitting out in the garden making the most of the sunshine whilst it lasts hence why I haven't got round to writing until now.

It's after 11pm so I think today's post will consist mostly of photographs as I took quite a few whilst pottering around the garden and that means I might actually have the post completed before midnight which would be a bonus!
So what did I get up to today? Well, we took a short trip to Matalan this afternoon for a wee nosy around. If you're ever looking for new home accessories, Matalan is the place to go! They have some many cute bits n' bobs to choose from so you're bound to find something that'll suit the theme/colour scheme. Mum even picked up a couple of mason jars filled with solar power fairy lights for the garden. I've posted a pic of them all lit up down below to let you have a peek-they're so pretty!

We then nipped into town for a rather brief visit, picking up a few necessities before heading back home. As soon as we returned home Mum and Dad attempted to set up the new lawnmower as our grass was in need of a good cut after all the rain we've had. During this time I spent some time jamming along to some cool blues and funk tracks that my tutor had shown me on YouTube to play along to on my bass guitar. Somehow I always manage to get a little carried away with my bass which results in a blister on my finger-ouch! Eventually, I decided to put it down and head out to the garden with my camera in hand to enjoy the sunshine for a while.

It's so lovely to have our own garden at long last! Prior to moving house we lived in a flat without a garden, needless to say we missed the outdoor space very much. I cannot wait until the Summer holidays to take full advantage of it! But for the time being it was nice to get a taster of what's to come and enjoy laying down in the grass and watching the fluffy clouds float by in the sky up above me. I can't think of a better way to pass time to be honest! Pure bliss if you ask me! 
After dinner we decided to sit out in the garden for a little while longer. The sunset tonight was absolutely breath-taking; the sky was covered in an array colours such as shade of pink, red and orange. The photograph really doesn't do it justice. As the sky began to gradually darken a crescent moon shone bright in the sky-for those of you who don't know; I have a slight fascination with the moon. Again, it is very beautiful!

Anyway, it's looking like it's going to be after midnight before this post goes live so I'm going to leave you now with a selection of photos to illustrate an unusually warm day in Scotland! Enjoy!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xxx

Cloud Watching

Cloud Watching

This little fella landed on the chair beside me

The beautiful sunset!

Gorgeous little mason jars with fairy lights