The 'real wedding of 2011'

Forget the royal wedding this year... I’m talking about the real wedding of 2011; my sisters’!! The big day is 30^th July and I simply can’t wait! It took twelve years for it to happen but that’s kind of romantic, don’t you think?

I see people rush into marriage and for it to end in tatters. I personally believe that marriage is for life, ok, sometimes you have to get out but when you make that vow to one another surely you should stay to that vow? Marriage takes a lot of compromise, loyalty, trust and effort. Can you tell that when I get married (hopefully) that I will take it seriously?

I can’t tell you what the dresses are like but my sister will be the prettiest bride I’ve ever seen. It is sure to be one of the biggest weddings I will ever have attended with all the best men and guests. There will be only two bridesmaids; myself and my sisters’ friend. I was really excited when I was asked to be a bridesmaid... I have always wanted to be one. It is such an honour to be closely part of someone’s special day. For my parents wedding, I was a flower girl but I was only three years old and do not really remember much of it apart from getting carried around as I couldn’t walk yet.

It isn’t just the wedding but the organising and the hen do that I’m also looking forward to. This wedding has given me some sort of self-importance as I am involved with getting things prepared for it all. For a while, I could feel myself starting to get obsessed with weddings by watching telly programmes, reading wedding stories and looking at websites and non stop talking about ‘the wedding’ to friends! Being the good girl that I am, I haven’t let slip of any intricate details of dresses or anything that will be a surprise and not planning on letting slip.

However... all this talk of weddings has certainly made me want to get married in the future when I meet the right person. Seeing how everything gets put together has started me to gather ideas and thoughts about how I’d like my dress to look, who I’d have as bridesmaids etc. The rest will have to wait til I actually get married to decide ha ha!!

Seeing my sister walk down the aisle behind me will certainly make me very proud and witness both her and her fiance begin their next journey in life will be a moment that I won't forget. I just hope that I don't trip over mid-air and go flying down the aisle or that I have problems with my feet on the day. Although I think I will be too busy watching my sister to think of my anxieties of walking down the aisle in front of everyone but must remember for those few minutes, I walk down that it'll be my moment to build up the suspence of my sister and her dress.

So roll on July and let the ‘real wedding of 2011’ commence!!

Let Me Into Your World For You To See Mine

Looking at other people’s blogs over the past few days have somewhat made me think... I want to create more life into my own. Not only do I want for it to be about what you want to read but to show more of my personality so what do you reckon?

I want to write about topics that not only am I fascinated in but about things that inspire, stimulate new ideas/thoughts, and enlighten you! This blog isn’t just about a place to share my likes and thoughts but also to include yourself. Yes this is my world you are in but you are involved in it too, does this make sense?

This is your chance to share what you want to see and read about. Is there something you know that I absolutely love or totally detest, or simply something you would like me to research for you and share whatever that is on here?

However... I do aim to be respectful and not to be judgemental as I hope you would understand. In life, I try not to so think it is important to keep that on here too. Also, I intend to remain with the positiveness mode and not dreary in whatever way. So come on, don’t be shy peeps. Let me know what you think... remember that this blog is not just for me but for your entertainment, insight and knowledge of my life in this world.

Living Through The Words

This past week has been a week of doing my assignment. I’m doing a Comprehensive Creative Writing Course with The Writers Bureau. Comprehensive meaning that I get to cover many styles and genres such writing articles, travel pieces, writing for different audiences, and how to use techniques to help you prepare for publishing of your work.

I originally started the course early last year (2010) and successfully completed assignment 1 where I received positive feedback from my tutor although I did notice that she ‘corrected’ a name in the piece that was actually already correct. I have always been taught that if it is a name then it should start with a capital letter which is what I had done but she marked it and changed to small letter. I am guessing that she hadn’t realised this. I will be looking out for this in my future assignments feedback. From feeling slightly anxious at awaiting the feedback to what I did get back, I felt totally relieved and encouraged to carry on.

My second assignment was considerably more challenging than the first one which I expected but thankfully it all came together just this past week. I decided to write an article aiming for Love it! Publication about my life and how I’ve coped with living with E.D.S. the analysis section, I found relatively straightforward as I have had to do this whilst studying my A-Level in English Language back in 2007. It was the outline that I struggled with as I did this after I wrote the article piece. The reason for this being was that I had no quotes or facts to put in which was in the example the course gives you. Now I just hope that my tutor gives me constructive feedback, brilliant if it is positive and reasonable if it needs a little tweaking here and there.

From the time when I could read as a young child, I have loved to write. Mostly I wrote stories and plays that I would have my toys or my friends act out. It was a way of escape or merely to pass the time, not sure which it is but I know that I took pleasure in creative writing. My teachers at school used to tell my parents how I used to always just write stories and they would praise me for them. Even through during my teens, I still spent time reading and writing. However, I never showed any of my work to my teachers at seniors as I personally felt I wasn’t particularly good at anything. I was constantly told to do better with my work (whatever it was) so never dared show them my writing that I did at home. It wasn’t until I went away to Beaumont College (residential) that I began to feel confident and that I could do things competently. My friends around me also wrote, one who wrote songs and another who was poetic. This encouraged me to start showing off what I was capable of, the staff were liking my writing (which mostly consisted of poetry) and I was forever writing. Whilst there, I created my own little animation film which I wrote myself and had it on display for visitors to watch. This made me feel rather noble hearing pleasant feedback.

At this point in my life, I decided that I wanted to be a journalist. I had the notion that I was capable of writing for a publication (I was appointed as the editor of the college newsletter which was sent out of college to Scope and various other people) and it was set in an office. A few years later after studying my A-Levels, I secured myself onto a BA Hons Journalism course at a university which I was very contented with. I always dreamt of going to uni but in reality, never thought I could manage to get a place! Soon I realised that journalism wouldn’t be as straightforward as I thought it would be as you have to travel out of the office to interview people and work at a heavy schedule which was not amendable to my needs.

 So after some time out once I successfully completed all of my A-Levels, and had a thorough pondering, journalism was not for me. Somehow, I ended up being offered a place on a BA Combined Science Degree at my local college. This was to cover Sociology, Psychology and Criminology. In my head, I only applied to do a basic course on one of them courses but the tutor who interviewed me said I was too advanced. Anyway, after preparing myself for this new and unexpected adventure, I was all set to go when I found out that the college had dropped the degree course! I had to find out myself! Even my days of attending this college on a school link scheme, I hadn’t really liked it so in a way I was relieved. Then I took some time to find myself and enjoy myself for a change. Then I decided, after some research, that I would enrol on the writing course that I am now doing.

Anyway, it is time that I got back to doing some research for my assignment as I really don’t want to take ages to complete this one unlike I did on assignment 2!!

Being Bendy

For a while I’ve been wanting to explain what Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is as it is my main condition that I suffer from. I will tell you the other ones another time in a separate blog post as do not want to bore you! The information I’m about to tell you is generalised, as I luckily don’t have all of the following symptoms however I do have the majority of them though. You will see how greedy my body is!

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (E.D.S) is a varied group of heritable conditions of connective tissue, characterised by skin extensibility, joint hypermobility and tissue (nerves and muscle) fragility. There are various types of E.D.S which are classified according to symptoms and signs.

The syndrome is caused by a defect in a protein called collagen (you may have heard collagen being used in plastic surgery eg, for making the skin look younger etc). It is the main part of the body providing strength and support, such as ligaments, tendons and cartilage. When the collagen is defective, it can induce problems throughtout the body.

E.D.S can affect both males and females. It is however, quite rare. To diagnose the syndrome, a skin biopsy (a removal of a sample of tissue) and this should confirm the diagnosis and also determine the type.

Life expectancy with an E.D.S sufferer can vary on the type they have. One type, the Vascular Type can be shorter due to the rupture (burst/tear) of large blood and the major organs. Pregnancy can be life-threatening in the Classical Type and the Vascular Type.

Symptoms can also vary depending on the type. The skin can be easily torn and it is very stretchy. Folds of the skin at the inner of the eyes which make the nose look broader. The sufferer may have little lumps which develop over pressure poinys such as the elbows and knees. Varicose veins is common amongst many types of E.D.S. than in the general population.

The joints are hypermobile (double-jointed) due to the ligaments being extra elastic (stretchy). This makes them more prone to subluxation (partly) and dislocation of which is a regular occurance for the sufferer, this can happen without any trauma (unlike someone without E.D.S). There is a lot of pain and discomfort for the sufferer too.

Bruising is easily caused and doesn’t necessarily need much trauma. It tends to take longer to heal.

Less common features such as arterial, uterine and intestinal ruptures may occur due to the frailty of tissues. Inguinal (in the groin area) and hiatus (an opening in an organ for example the diaphragm) are faily common. Curvature of the spine (Scoliosis) may be present at birth or later on in life. Even gum disease can be a symptom. Gastrointestinal diverticula (the stomach and intestines) where a pouch or sac in the lining of the membrane of a hollow organ such as the intestines etc, that is produced in the bowel when the bowel muscle ruptures the bowel wall.

The treatment depends on the presenting symptoms. If simple precautionary measures are made, it will greatly lessen the chance of any trauma, scarring and bruising. Surgery and skin suture (a piece of material used to close a wound or to connect tissues) should be taken with immense care as fragile tissues may tear. Sutures ought to be left in longer than normal. The sufferer may be advised to wear supportive aids such as braces to support unstable joints. In some cases, orthopaedic surgery may be necessary but is unfortunately not always successful. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy may help.

There are also psychological problems that may occur with a E.D.S sufferer.

I am thinking of possibly doing some fundraising for the Ehlers-Danlos Support Group as I personally don’t think there is much support for this condition. I haven’t had the opportunity of meeting any other sufferers in person as it is rare. Therefore have only spoken briefly through Twitter. All of my life, I have wanted to meet someone like myself, to share stories and find out more how they cope with having E.D.S.

Half of the time, you wouldn’t even realise that I may be in pain as I smile away and trying to cope silently. It is sometimes hard for people to understand that just because they don’t see any actual physical injury on the surface so they think “what’s wrong with ya now?!” Do you get what I mean. It makes me feel lonely and anxious at times so I try to focus on other things like my family and friends. Music helps relax me and takes my mind of the pain too. I hope you would like to fund raise for the charity too.

http://www.ehlers-danlos.org/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=1&Itemid=11

Please contact me if you want any more information, about anything to do with me or the charity details.

Glitz and Glam

Over the past few weeks, I’ve discovered something that I used to love and somehow moved away from when growing up in my late teens. As my parents were young adolescents during the 1970’s, I grew up listening to artists that they listened to. The artists that I loved were Abba, David Bowie, Wizzard and many more. To this day, I still love them. I can’t forget Van Halen or Sir Elton John! A lot of these artists were into their make-up and fashion as we all are aware of. This is known as Glam Rock (just in case you didn’t know). Ok, Abba weren’t glam rock but their style reminds me of the theme.

Glam rock originated coming out of psychedelic and art rock era (bands such as Pink Floyd were known as psychedelic rock as well as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Byrds etc). It varied both musically and style. It is a mixture of rock and pop music. The style ranged from 1930’s Hollywood glamour, 1950’s pin-up sex appeal, sci-fi to other styles such as cabaret theatrics. Often it was seen outrageous with bright, daring make-up, platforms. The majority of the time it is seen showing sexual and ambiguity of gender.

Platform Shoe

I am glad to see that it has come back with the likes of Lady Gaga and a firm favourite of mine, Adam Lambert. I think it is fun, creative, stylish and daring to be different. Rock and pop are two of my favourite genres of music so to hear it blended... heaven to my ears!

For those of you who are asking who is Adam Lambert, he’s the runner-up in the American Idol back in 2009. You may have heard about him and his ‘controversy’ kiss with another male whilst performing on the American Music Awards, well that is him. The reason why I put it in inverted commas was because I personally don’t see it as controversial. There are far more things to worry about than two same gender people kissing. I understand to some people, they believe the Adam and Eve and that it isn’t part of the bible. I just think it is a natural thing, no matter what your sexual preferences are.  Most Adam Lambert’s fans know that he is gay and it infuriates me that people make a big deal out it. I know and I apologise for going off track, but it does relate to the glam rock in the ambiguity of gender sense. Anyway, Adam has released Whataya Want From Me, For Your Entertainment and If I Had You so far. I love how he dresses up and has an edge to his style of fashion and music. To some people, they may think he is off the wall in whatever way but I love that he is himself. He does what he wants to do.

Adam Lambert

I want to end this post on saying... be yourself, be wacky, be creative and have fun! Experiment with your clothes, make-up (for both men and women) and be a diva. Whack on some music. Lose yourself in the glam rock era and don’t be afraid to stand out from the rest of the crowd!