A Royal wedding...

A Royal wedding celebrated by not only Britain, but countries all over the world, hitting millions of television screens to see a young couple form their futures together in the eyes of Royalty and the eyes of admiration...

When I first heard of the Royal wedding approaching, to be quite honest, I wasn't too bothered, I wasn't excited or in the slightest 'touched', as to me the date of the Friday 29th April would be that of a normal day, for ordinary people getting married. I was being told by various people that this day is one of the most important, and not to mention most broad casted ceremony, of a celebration that Britain will remember and plenty of others around the world, a celebration to which makes us proud to be British, proud to celebrate, in this case 'true love' of Prince William and Catherine Middleton... Now known to be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

William Arthur Philip Louis and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton celebrated their 'Royal' wedding on Friday 29th April in front of millions of admiring eyes... Through television and also through the eyes of their family and friends...

On the morning of the 29th April 2011, I woke up knowing the Royal wedding would be broadcast live to the United Kingdom and to the rest of the world to see. All day was a line up of coverage from the Royal wedding, tributes including music and even a 'Will and Kate movie'. I was rather excited to watch the Royal wedding, to see the arrivals and most of all to see the happy couple make their vows, and of course to see that dress reveal - Catherine's dress, which people have been waiting to see. The most traditional, and to some, most 'important', the kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where the newly weds - Will and Kate, the Royal family including bridesmaids, page boys and in this case Catherine Middleton's family step out onto the balcony to appear and greet millions of admirers below them in The Mall awaiting their waves and that kiss which surprisingly happened twice by the, to me, perfect and beautiful couple, now know as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: William and Catherine.

I watched the Royal wedding on ITV, from the guests arriving - ranging from celebrities to Royal family members and acquaintances, the moment when Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry entered their car to arrive at Westminster Abbey, to the moment the Queen and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh arrived. Best of all the reveal of Catherine Middleton's wedding dress, kept a surprise until this very day... And what a dress it was, designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen - it certainly didn't disappoint. It was absolutely stunning, it complimented her frame well and most of all made her stand out from everyone, she really did shine, with that added beautiful smile on her face through the ceremony. Some say it was similar to that of a Grace Kelly iconic design dress... The dress was an ivory gown with lace applique floral detailing and a 2.7 metre train, this lace aligned above the sweetheart plunged neckline used for the sleeves. The lace detailed by individual flowers - thistles, roses, daffodils and shamrocks, it was definitely attention to detail, a lovely traditional, yet modern wedding gown worn by a modern but simple Catherine Middleton.

Not only did Catherine herself look lovely, but the guests also did with their formal wear, ranging from pastel to bright colours, some standing out, some austere and modest. Prince William and Harry certainly looked smart in their attire, Prince William wearing the uniform of Irish guards and Prince Harry on the other hand wearing Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, wearing the new uniform of his rank.

Queen Elizabeth looked lovely and elegant, in a pastel yellow coat dress accompanied by a matching hat with a flower detail on its rim. Catherine's mother Carole Middleton also looked wonderful in a pale blue dress with a dress coat that had attached a detailed embroided fastening showing her figure and waistline, accessorised by a matching hat with detail above the rim and slight discreet detail under the rim. It was rumoured that Carole had changed her dress design a few times until she was certain to which one she liked, and to me, she made the right choice, a proud Mother to Catherine, and I am sure Catherine is proud of her too... They both looked lovely.

Catherine's sister Pippa Middleton also looked the part today in the Royal wedding, being Maid of Honour she really did make Catherine proud, she looked stunning wearing a simple, plain white/ivory dress which was fitted around her figure, but near the bottom formed a slight loose fishtail giving it elegance and shape. The bridesmaids and page boys looked equally as honourable and beautiful/handsome, the bridesmaids wore traditional dresses with a ivory gold band around their waists whilst the page boys wore a red tunic attire, with ivory trousers - they looked the part. The attire for the wedding was exquisite, various dress shapes, hat shapes and not to mention the amount of effort designers must have put in to create such beautiful clothing. This beautiful clothing didn't stop at the end of the ceremony, but in the evening, Catherine revealed her evening gown which she wore at the reception, this was the same designer - Sarah Burton, it was an ivory dress with a corsetted sweatheart neckline, below the torso a dimonte belt around her waistline, then the dress had a ruffled vertical flow reaching the floor, she accompanied the dress with a bolero, this complimented the dress really well. Catherine didn't dissapoint on her wedding day, she really did look a Princess.

All this exquisite attire was seen by millions of people as I said, millions celebrated, viewed and even visited the occasion by either camping in various places around London to join the couple in their own little way. Some brought tickets in order to queue to walk up to The Mall to get their prime position to feel the overwhelming atmosphere and to see that traditional 'kiss' on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The crowd surrounding the monument infront of the Palace consisted of masses of people with gleaming and excited faces awaiting the moment, and to some, the seal and end of an exciting day which we have all been waiting for. Some described it as a 'fairytale', a start to a young couples adventure and to some a new generation, a new light to the Royal family, some even went as far to say 'The Royal family is back'... It needed modernising, new attention, as to some it may have been forgotten about, this has reminded everyone of our monarchy.

To me watching the live coverage of the Royal wedding, three moments stood out to me the most, not including the exchanging of the vows... But the moment in which Catherine was in the car accompanied by her Father, it showed the support and also judging by the smiles on her Father's face, how proud he was of I suppose his 'little girl' becoming part of the Royal family. Catherine showed no signs of any nerves, and spoke to her Father whilst on the journey to the Abbey, perhaps words of support, whatever the speech was, they both seemed happy and supportive of eachother. 

Another moment was when the newly weds stepped out of Westminster Abbey and stepped on the horse and carriage as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the smiles on their faces showed their appreciation for the crowds outside the Abbey, and the mutual love between them both. Once they stepped outside they took a deep breath, faced and smiled eachother and continued their walk up the 'red carpet' to the crowd in line and kept back by Metropolitan Police ordering that day. Catherine and William were friendly by waving and embracing the crowd in which they had.

 Further on in the day, surprisingly they emerged from the gates of Buckingham Palace still in their wedding attire sitting in Prince Charles' Aston Martin, in which William was driving whilst Catherine sat in the passenger seat on their way to Clarence House which was yards up The Mall. Ironically, the Aston Martin had balloons labelled 'C' and 'W' (the initials of their names), the numberplate was 'Just Wed' and on various ribbon strands there were items attached and dragging along the road - like a traditional couple would do. They were both waving and smiling to the crowds aside of The Mall, they looked overwhelmed and appreciative of everyones efforts and admiration for them both and for the best day of their lives.. And to those who experienced the atmosphere of being present, perhaps the best day of theirs.

To me the Royal wedding was absolutely wonderful! I loved every moment of it, from every step and choreograph of the day to every smile the couple made to one another and to their family and friends. Watching their story of how they met and how different they both were in 'social status' to me is a fairytale... How their differences caused media attention, and how they both coped, and now they are married, and joined as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - William and Catherine Mountbatten Windsor. I know when I grow up I can say 'I watched the Royal wedding' as I now understand what an important event it really is, as still today people speak about how they witnessed Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding...

To write a book/novel

I'd love to write a book or a novel...

As well as aspiring to be a Journalist, for some reason I'd find it rather interesting to either write a book or a novel. There is a difference, which I just researched: apparently, a novel is normally fictional whereas a book can be that of fiction or non fiction, but for some reason a book can't then be novel?

Moving on, I'd love to write a book or a novel, I'd prefer to write a novel as being fictional can be anything, can be imaginative, more creative than that of a non fictional book. I can write for hours, perhaps 'babbling' on, but if I planned a novel for example it would therefore follow some sort of storyline. I am not sure of the genre I would like to write in, but I prefer genres along the lines of romance or perhaps mystery (but not the sort of Sherlock Holmes, more the sort of mystery when a character is unknown, but then introduced into some sort of twist in the novel itself). I suppose a novella would be quite interesting to write - a short novel in other words. A novella generally retains more highly developed characterization and more luxuriant descriptions than that of a novel. I once read a novella called 'Lifted Veil' by the famous Mary Ann Evans, otherwise well known for her pen name George Eliot. 'The Lifted Veil' was a lovely novella exploring the science behind Precognition and the life living with such 'power' and know how, that any other would not be able to visit.

Enough of explanations of types of reading matter... I would love to write any sort of literature, I love writing, I love being imaginative - even though my imagination has limitations and can sometimes 'babble', I feel once writing it could perhaps venture into something exciting, something creative. However I do feel writing a book or a novel would require more intelligence, one day I hope I'll be able to!

Splashed.

Nigella Lawson, the known to be 'domestic goddess' was spotted on Bondi beach previously in Australia whilst filming the upcoming series of Masterchef screening on the 1st May... Was not only splashing the waves, but splashing on the covers of every newspaper.

Nigella was wearing a 'Burkini' known to be that of a Burka and Bikini, designed by 'Modestly Active' an online company. This outfit normally known to be worn by Islamic women to maintain modesty and comfort, however Nigella wore it as swimwear whilst splashing with her water 'companion' Maria Mcerlane recently on the beach in Australia. The 51 year old Television cook, revealed to have 'sunphobia' on a recent blog, this could be the reasoning behind her 'cover up' which to some was a ridiculous, over the top and a humorous way of greeting sunbathers and the Australian 'scorching' sun which was explained to be at a moderate temperature, but to Nigella this wasn't the case. Nigella living in London used to the cold, chilly weather and not to mention torrential rain, is rather exposed and fearful of the harmful UV rays being emitted from the sun, therefore perhaps a Burkini was a sensible choice of clothing for one at risk. Her skin explained as a 'creamy porcelain' was protected by this swimwear which only revealed her hands and face was refracting the sun acting as a factor 50 guard... Which who can blame her is rather sensible for a woman who is at high risk of Cancer due to her mother and sister passing away.

I was first exposed to the media's discovery of Nigella's 'fashion crisis' causing an apparent 'stir' on the internet a night before the newspapers were released showing her on the front pages exposed to laughs and strange looks at the sight of what looked like a penguin and that of a strange fashion revelation, which revealed her ample curves. Yes, I admit I first laughed at the images of Nigella, but I really do sympathise with her, her approach to the sun to me is that of a sensible one: precautionary principle - it is better to be safe than sorry. She was having fun, comfortably, I have to say I cannot blame her, I would do the same. Nigella once explained that she would not be a fashion victim, that she cares more about comfort, to me, that is a good line to take. Why go out and be uncomfortable? Fashion doesn't have to be pain. Taken from another perpective, if Nigella wore a bikini to Australia's famous Bondi beach, she would have been scrutinised even more so than she has been, Nigella who is curvaceous and on the 'plussize' scale wearing a bikini would not have made her comfortable. Let the woman be, let her have her privacy, and just like those Islamic women maintain her modesty. She is not so 'food porn' and coquette as some may make out, she has more respect and coverage.

Can we be puzzles?

Being puzzles can mean many of things...

By being puzzles we could be explained as being confusing, a mystery or that of being incomplete and therefore not whole - having a missing piece. A puzzling person, as I often hear, is someone who confuses people, someone who you are not fully aware of who they are, what they are doing... They are a mystery in some ways.

Writing this blog post I am taking on the perspective of a puzzle being someone who is incomplete, broken... Someone who is sad in themselves, that cannot 'go on' as them they feel empty inside, they have a missing piece which can't be fulfilled or refilled. This normally occurs when someone passes away, I hear the phrase "I am incomplete without"... Him or her, that person, whoever it is, they feel as though they are stationary now without them, unable to carry on, unable to live, unable to be independent as once they were dependent on each other, caring for one another. If that person leaves have we really been taken apart? Losing our final piece, just like a jigsaw puzzle. We want to carry on living with this person, being close to that person to finish our lifes, them leaving turns into that missing piece stopping us from 'completing' 'ending' our lives with that special someone (just as a puzzle: we are near finishing the puzzle, but a piece has gone missing, that piece stops it from being fully complete - this irritates us, it makes it seem pointless to have even started the puzzle).

I do wonder whether we are all like a jigsaw puzzle. Whether we can be dependant, whether we can be just us. We all go through the stages of acceptance: indenial, realisation, grief and acceptance... Surely this puzzle can be fixed if this is true? We can't believe the person has gone, we realise the damage and the loss of that someone, we cry, we feel as though we are unable to carry on and then we realise we have to live on for that person, that person is in a safer place, a better place - we accept the loss.

Most of us get to the acceptance stage, so perhaps we shouldn't feel so incomplete? Live for today, live for that person, live for them as they wanted to live. Complete your dreams, and leave theirs behind, or follow their dreams and complete those for them... Solve their puzzle as you would yours.

Is this my life?

My life, is this it...

Me, myself sometimes look out of the window at the sky or in the mirror at myself and ask myself "is this my life?" not in the sense that I am ungrateful for life, but the way my life has happened so fast, I am now sixteen, where have those sixteen years gone? Where has my 'childhood' gone when I found colouring books a novelty and grazing my knee an every day thing, but now it's getting to a stage of responsibility, a stage where if I graze my knee I would have a hypochondriac thought - 'what if it gets infected? And I have to get amputated' or something preposterous as that.

And this responsibility, this 'growing up' and 'adolescence' is scaring me, it's hard for me to sometimes understand. I remember that day when I was ten years old and I would look at 'adults' and wish I could be older, have more responsibility, and more 'maturity' and less of the 'childish' ways of colouring books and playing hop scotch on the school playground... I wanted to be older, wanted to be at the stage that I am currently at - even though this is not 'adulthood', this is still approaching close by. I don't want to reach that stage anymore, I want to live in the Peter Pan world of 'Neverland', how ridiculous it sounds I would do anything to stay young, stay out of responsibility: no bills, no worries... Just living, free, without a care.

I suppose we are all curious and scared about approaching our futures, as really we have no guarantee of the upcoming events of our lives, instead we have an illusion to what we want to be - an aspiration, and some of us are very certain that we will reach 'our goals'... But we don't know that, there is no chance of knowing, as life has no guarantee, does it?

Everything happens for a reason, does it?

I always hear this phrase, is it really true?

I commonly hear this phrase, and in most cases it is thrown around quite often. A reason? I suppose there has to be a reason for everything as otherwise it wouldn't happen, for instance if you go to school, you go there to learn, if you have children, you may have them to love, create a family and to feel loved yourself or even if you decorate your house, it may be because you are bored of the same pastel of colours. I often hear this phrase when someone passes away 'that it happened for a reason', but what could the possible reason be? I've heard it's because they were too good, but surely everyone is too good if they were supposedly created in the eyes of God? I'd like to think that everything does happen for a reason, otherwise our lives and actions would be pointless.

The question I always ask myself is why life exists, there must be a reason, and unfortunately this hasn't been discovered, and most definitely never will be. A sad fact, however true, as our life is what defines us, and without a true meaning, can we really know ourselves?

"The end"

A quote a recently read... "Don't kill yourself, you'll miss the ending"

I am not too sure if there is a definite 'ending' to our lives, we all have different ones... Some of us have the misfortune of our lives being taken away too early - in some cases, too late, some of us live each day as it comes and some of us even know that our lives will be taken shortly.

'The ending'... What is this ending? To most the ending is our lives gone, no more, no less. Just gone. To some, our lives may carry on, in an afterlife of some sort, and to some this requires true imagination. To me, I have no thoughts about 'the end' no thoughts on where we shall be taken, who knows where we shall be lead? We may still be lying there in a box, not knowing any different other than we are dead and in a stationery position in which we are trapped, enclosed from the outside living.

But an end, I'm not sure there really is one. We all have different endings as I said, just like fairy tales... They are all 'happy' endings, but all in a different way, a different story. Surely this is the same as our lives? A similar purpose, but always ending differently.