August Photo a Day

Hi all :)

Can you believe it's August already? I know I say every month

I can't believe it, but this year has just flown by! 

Here goes nothing... 

1. Something beginning with N: Find something that begins with the letter N, snap it and share it.
 My NEPHEW. <3

2. Incomplete: Incomplete, unfinished… is it a meal, a craft or something else?
 Without pets a home is incomplete.

3. Skyline: Show us where you are today by sharing your skyline.
Of course, Turkey! 

4. Fresh: Take a photo of something fresh – it could be flowers, food, the weather, someone’s style… anything.
Fresh fruit on holiday = bliss <3

5. Early: Take a photo of something that represents early to you. It could be the time of morning, being early for work or an appointment or something I haven’t thought of!
When you're up for work as early as me (5.45am) you 
need all the help you can get. #moreteaplease

6. This means a lot to me!: What’s something special in your life that has a lot of meaning?
Memories and family mean a lot to me.
My Great Grandma and my Grandad - my most favourite person ever. 

7. A sign: We come across signs throughout our day, which will you pick to share?

8. Peek-a-boo: This can be a bit like a bit of a mystery photo, show us just a hint of something. Or perhaps something hiding.

9. 2 o’clock: Whatever you’re doing at 2 o’clock, take a photo, snap it and share it.

10. Beverage: Pour a glass of something nice, and share it.

11. I love doing this!: What do you love to do? Take a photo of it.

12. Macro: This is our photography technique prompt. I’ll write a post soon with examples, but it means an extreme close-up.

13. Fast: Can you show speed in a photo? Try it today.
0-80 in 1.9s! Taken at Thorpe Park last summer.

14. Trash: One man’s trash is another person’s art. Take a photo.
My trash can hair from the hair show :)

15. The best: This can be interpreted anyway you like, what do you see today that is ‘the best’?
 Another selfie, sorry.
The best feeling ever is the sense of freedom you feel
when you quit a job you really hate. 
Today, I feel free.

16. Cooking: Whether you’re the one doing the cooking, or someone else – take a photo.
 The one thing I miss about living at home is Mum cooking a roast dinner every Sunday. I'd wake up to the smell of the chicken going in the oven, the smell of freshly washed school uniforms for us to lay out for Monday morning, bliss. 
This is Mum cooking a roast last year - we accidentally celebrated Thanksgiving without meaning to!

17. Exercise: It could be physical exercise or otherwise, but take a photo of what you consider to be exercise.
 Im super lucky to have a job that keeps me fit!

18. Someone you spoke to today: Who have you chatted to today? How can you creatively share them in a photo?
 My parents - we went hiking :)

19. Lost: Have you stumbled across something today that’s lost? Or do you have an idea of how to portray lost?
I think this little dude got lost :(

20. Stairs: Stairs! Self-explanatory really.

21. Slow: We’ve explored fast, now let’s turn it down a little and explore sloooooow.
 These last few days in the flat before we move are going SO SLOWLY. 
I just wanna be in there already!

22. A room: It could be a favourite room in your home, an office space, a shop or otherwise.
My parents lovely kitchen. 

23. Yellow: This is our charity prompt. Find something yellow and snap it.
A yellow Turkish sunset

 


24. In the background: Get creative and shoot something in the background, rather than the foreground.
Not very creative today Im afraid but I always love this photo for the background.

25. Culture: I can’t wait to see the photos for this one. Not sure what it means?  
I learnt the most about cultural variations when I spent a summer living abroad in Turkey. Little differences that seem insignificant can be hugely important. Part of the youth culture over there to make a little extra money is to offer to weigh tourists for 1 lira (40p). My parents gave 2 lira to one little lad and had themselves weighed, and the boy across the street was looking in awe, so my lovely other half walks over, hands him a 5 lira note and stands on the scales. His little face was a picture! He couldnt read the scales, but who cares.

26. Entrance: Find an entry to somewhere. Anywhere.
The Tamar Bridge - entrance to Cornwall

27. 10 minutes from home: What a great excuse to explore. Take a walk or a drive and see what’s right near where you live.
 A 10 minute drive takes us the the beautiful Saltash Passage :)

28. Corridor: Show off a hallway or corridor. It’s a great way to explore perspective {which we learnt about in July}.

I didn't have time to look at perspective for today's prompt, 
so I took a photo of the hallway in our new house. We just put up
our sign :) 

29. Lucky: It could be a lucky charm, or a reason you feel lucky.


30. Cluttered: Is there a space in your home/work/life that feels a bit cluttered? Now is the time to show it off. Be creative!
Sorry, but this one just annoyed me. Cluttered mind, cluttered life, and all that!
So here is my lovely shelf that was very cluttered, but I cleaned it up so it's half psych, half forensics.  

31. Dangerous: This could get a little scary! Let’s see your dangerous! 
The most dangerous this I have done to this date was jump off a 6550 ft cliff.

I'm....Psyched!

Hey guys!

So today I made a huge decision. Last week, whilst we were in Turkiye, 

I was sent this email.

It took a lot thinking, but finally, I decided to accept it!

For those of you who are new here, or perhaps haven't caught up with my rambling posts yet, I have just come to the end of a 3 year BSc (Hons) Psychology degree with a 2:1.

I was stoked. I bagged a fulltime job and we started planning the move into our new house.

But then along came this email! 

I don't want to bore you, but the MPsych course is one of the first in the UK of its kind, and gives students a year head-start into clinical psychology, focussing on interventions, child development, age related problems, neurological problems and an introduction to different therapies. It's tailored to make you stand out when you apply for the competitive DClinPsy places, which is my ultimate goal! So it would have been silly to turn it down!

Although it's another year, if I work my butt off, we can afford the house AND for me to complete the MPsych. I am so stoked to be going back to uni... I love the environment and I love learning. I always want to learn more and this is a great stepping stone.

It also means that I get to work less which is always a plus! :P

Have any of you guys done a degree, or are you studying for one now? 

University is what you make it. Lots of people think of it as an opportunity to get drunk, party, make loads of friends and sleep during long, laborious lectures. To me, it's the one place that I can better myself, that gives me the tools I need to be everything I can possibly be.

I love it, and considering I never, ever planned to go to uni, that's pretty cool :)

Since starting school at 4 years old,  I've taken only one year out of education. That's 20 years of studying! Once the Doctorate is completed, it will all pay off. I'm lucky to have a Mum who worked her butt off for us, and worked in healthcare - there's nothing more inspiring than someone who loves what they do. 
I want to give my family the same amazing opportunities I have been blessed with, and that thought alone is what keeps me grounded.

I'm Psyched!

Sunday Social 28/07

Today's Sunday Social questions are all about food, which makes me happy (and hungry!)

1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Stir fry!

2. What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food?

Popcorn. Nom nom.

3. What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten?

I tried şırdan when I was in Adana, Turkey.

 Never again.

4. What foods do you avoid at all costs?

I don't like meat on the bone, so ribs, wings, thighs... no thanks!

5. What meal reminds you of your childhood?

Egg pasta. I have no clue what it was!

It was kind of like this but mainly just birds nest pasta, egg, ham and cheese.

Also, I ate a whole lot of mash, peas and gravy!

6. Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.

My Grandma always used to make a lemon pudding and everyone in our family LOVED it. 

My Grandma's recipe for lemon pudding. 

She kept this recipe book over the past 60 years,

adding clippings from magazines to her own hand written

recipes.  

 

 In the middle, was 'Canadian Lemon Pudding'. The best dessert she ever made us as kids, and for my Dad when he was a kid. 

1oz butter

5oz sugar

3oz flour

2 eggs

1 lemon

1/2 pint milk

pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add flour, salt and egg yolks. 

Add lemon rind and juice, then add in the milk. 

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into mixture. 

Pour this into a buttered dish.

Bake at 350  180* for 45 mins, centre oven. 

BEFORE                                        AFTER

 The photo above was my first attempt. Unfortunately I didnt take photos when it actually turned out right!!!

I ended up using about 3 lemons to get a sharper taste the next time, and we used self-raising flour the second time instead of plain which didn't rise well (as you can see). 

So I googled the recipe, and low and behold, GoodFood have 

a modern, similar version of the recipe, and this, my friends, is what it should, and will, look like when you do it properly :)

Report back if you make it!!!!

Let me know if you try the lemon pud recipe!

Linkup, and have a fab day!

Saira

xo

The Liebster Award

Hello my pretties!

I was recently added to the nominations for this wonderful link-up by the lovely Amanda Rose at Sew Much to Say

I came across the post by chance and loved it. It's so great to 

read link-ups because you learn so much about the blog authors that you might not otherwise know.

This is such a good chance for any new followers to learn a little bit more about me. 

So basically, I'll answer 11 questions from Amanda, then state 11 facts, then I create 11 questions for the people who I nominate to answer. 

The only rule is that the blogs you nominate have to have less than 200 followers - I'm good there! Please keep sharing my blog as I'd love to build-up a little neighbourhood of fellow bloggers.

11 Facts About Me:

1. I just graduated from my 2nd degree, with a 2:1 in Psychology.

2. I want to be a clinical psychologist so I'm hoping to do a Doctorate. Dr. Saira has a nice ring to it, don't you think?!

3. I am half South African.

4. I can speak Turkish (badly).

5. I go abroad every year but I'm not a happy flyer!

6. I love doing yoga most mornings before work.

7. I was brought up on Doctor Who, ergo... geek ;)

8. I have an incredible boyfriend and we're excitedly embarking on the next chapter of our lives - we just bought a house!!!!

9. I am petrified of reservoirs, robots and deep water.

10. I have two pet rats and am about to get a new puppy springer spaniel!

11. I absolutely love Asian and Turkish food and could live off either.

11 Questions from Amanda:

1. What is your favorite season?

 Summer! It's when I can wear flip flops everyday

and keep all the windows open. 

2. If you could move anywhere where would it be?

Australia. 

3. What is your biggest daily challenge?

Getting out of bed! Probably not worrying because

I'm a bit worrier. 

4. If you had a super power what would it be?

Mrs. Not-Worried-About-Anything?

Or flight ;) 

5. What is your favorite color?

Turquoise.

6. Favorite book and why?

Anything by Harlan Coben.

7. Biggest pet peeve?

 People who make everything about THEM,

and who are jealous but try and make it seem like they're

not by constantly bigging up their own lives.

Oh, and people who say that they've had such a hard

life and that that somehow makes them stronger/better than you.

Do one. 

8. What is on your bucket list?

Paraglide

Jet ski

Buy a house

 Procreate ;)

9. What is the best date you have ever been on?

The first one with Woody. We knew each other for years before

but never properly. Only a quick hello every now and again.

We sat down at 6pm to order takeout and ended up talking until 11pm 

about life. We realised it was something special straight away.  

10. If you could be one person from the past who would you be?

Wowzers, what a question! I'd love to be Judy Garland

before she went off the rails.  

11. What is your favorite dessert to make?

My Grandma's recipe for lemon pudding. 

She kept this recipe book over the past 60 years,

adding clippings from magazines to her own hand written

recipes.  

 

 In the middle, was 'Canadian Lemon Pudding'. The best dessert she ever made us as kids, and for my Dad when he was a kid. 

1oz butter

5oz sugar

3oz flour

2 eggs

1 lemon

1/2 pint milk

pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add flour, salt and egg yolks. 

Add lemon rind and juice, then add in the milk. 

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into mixture. 

Pour this into a buttered dish.

Bake at 350  180* for 45 mins, centre oven. 

BEFORE                                        AFTER

 The photo above was my first attempt. Unfortunately I didnt take photos when it actually turned out right!!!

I ended up using about 3 lemons to get a sharper taste the next time, and we used self-raising flour the second time instead of plain which didn't rise well (as you can see). 

So I googled the recipe, and low and behold, GoodFood have 

a modern, similar version of the recipe, and this, my friends, is what it should, and will, look like when you do it properly :)

 

Report back if you make it!!!!

Next, I have to nominate 11 bloggers:

Do I know 11?!

Joanna 

Kelly

Kerri 

Kate 

Lyzi

Ashlea 

Ashlea no. 2

Whitney 

Brista

Erin 

and

Erin no. 2

Here are your 11 questions to answer from me:

1. What is the best present you've ever been given?

2.  If you could tell childhood YOU one tip for your future what would it be?

3. What 3 things would you take to a desert island?

4. Do you have children? Are you planning any?

5. What was your favourite kids tv show?

6. Whats your favourite thing about yourself?

7. What one thing would you change about your life?

8. If you could pick any job what would it be?

9. Do you have any nicknames?

10. What do you enjoy about blogging?

11. What is your favourite meal?

I hope you ladies enjoy answering as much

as I did! 

xo

Turkiye 2013

We're baaaaack!

We had a really lovely time in Turkey, and 

despite the severe lack of sleep over the past 48 hours,

we're happy to be back home (as much as can be when you've

just left 40 degree heat and amazing food!).

We didn't do a lot in the way of trips. We just spent the

time relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Here are a few snippets from the week...

My favourite meal - Joseph's sweet chicken!

First night.

Men at work.

Happy tanning!

My parents adopted a local pigeon.

 It's 1 lira to weigh yourself. The kids always laugh 

and call you fat no matter what no weigh.

I'm such an awful flyer, but I was really proud that

I managed to keep myself calm and try to enjoy it!

 

I'm kind of glad that with future plans, we probably won't have another

holiday for a while. I'm always thankful for my life when I'm cruising along over oceans at 700mph at 35,000 feet!

xo