i love you guys.

i've been writing this post over the past week because i just knew i was going to run out of time.
and it's nowhere near finished. and i'm in the middle of clothes mountain, trying desperately to concentrate on packing. and i just. can't.

however, i've managed to get some software, and tweak a few things, so my phone can now blog! although i can't attach photographs. but i'll try.

the bad news

is that the before and after photographs i planned for the end of the Fitness Feature. are currently a) still on the camera so b) won't upload. so i'm pretty stressed out. the odds are against me. but i promise you, as soon as i get back, i will conclude the feature properly.

more bad news

is that the internet in Cyprus is not free. i think i can work my way around this. although i can't work my way around the horrific lack of wi-fi/3G. i thought i'd finally be able to holiday with easy access to the world through the medium of an iphone. i guess i didn't account for the fact that the internet actually has to be available.

good news

i have bought tonnes of sugar for 4am tomorrow morning. it's a good thing there will be travel-sickness tablets on hand too - yummy.

really good news, maybe?

i think 'the expense of being a poor girl' (title of my previous post) would be an awesome name for my currently self-entitled blog. the only reason it became 'Sydney Swift' was because i was too lazy to think of anything. the only reason it remains 'Sydney Swift' is because it gets good google search results. can i do a quick poll here? change or not to change? maybe not to 'the expense of being a poor girl', but to something other than my name.

changing the subject completely...

i haven't finished the latest Harry Potter book yet. i'm part-way through The Deathly Hallows. i wish i could just upload a review now because i am so far behind on my list. and this book, is the only one i'm taking with me which is also on my list. although i am taking three chick-lits and one drama. if i get through them all will be a miracle. i spent £25 on itunes yesterday. i came out with one tv show, one tetris game (i am the unbeatable queen of tetris) two rented films, ten podcasts and more music than i could shake a hat at.

final notes:

• i don't speak any greek.
• i have been told i am not allowed a holiday romance.
  
• apparently there is the best water park nearby.
• and a mcdonalds. and a debenhams. (just me who finds this weird?)
• i just found this picture. and my god. i hope the villa has a balcony. i love balconies.
• i will miss you guys lots. regardless of the internet connection

the expense of being a poor girl

two days til Cyprus!

i'm so excited. so so so excited. but i really dread the thought of getting up incredibly early. it makes me nervous just thinking about it. i think the excitement/stress is what's keeping me from sleeping. in the last twenty-four hours, i worked more than i slept. my brain is just a huge fuzzy mess.
and i keep losing track of clothes. and i have no idea what to wear, what to pack or what to take on the plane. what's worse is that we're flying from heathrow's terminal five. this isn't exactly a casual place. inside there's a Harrods, a Dior, a Gucci, a Prada and a Tiffany & Co. so i guess what i'm really stressing out over is if i can wear Primark shoes without looking like a totally ignorant, poor nobody. i'm aware that i am a ridiculously superficial excuse for a human; this is the way i am.

i'm also buying a stupid amount of music from itunes.

i think the invention of itunes is a godsend. i have a really strange taste in music, the fact is that i will listen to pretty much anything. Florence and the Machine, Kids in Glass Houses, Whitney Huston, Blink 182, Bloc Party, MGMT. i could go on. and on. and on. but i think i do that enough. i'm currently buying: Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Hey Monday and Jennifer Hudson. spot the odd one out. i really wanted to get Sex and the City (the movie) to go on my iphone, however itunes didn't have the film, only the soundtrack - hence the Jennifer Hudson song.

in other news

i'm really proud of myself for sticking to my weight-loss/fitness programme. it's due to end on saturday, so that should be the final instalment of the fitness feature.

finally

the next two days are going to be beyond hectic. i'm working from 9am through to 4:30pm both tomorrow and saturday. along with packing/last minute beauty regimes / other arrangements etc, if i have any time to sit down will be a miracle. fingers crossed i should be able to do my final blog before saturday night. even if i have to perform magic and do it from my phone. which at the moment is proving to be impossible.

current feeling:

• guilty snacks today: none.
• weight gain/loss: - /+ 0 lbs (4lbs in total)

iheartdesk

last night, i got the pleasure of watching the latest Harry Potter film. now i'm not going to review it, because you'll find millions of reviews from fan-girl to professional all across the web, so there's no point. but i will simply say that it was fantastic. this is a great year for movies.

i also have to mention how much i love some of the characters.

they have been flawlessly cast. this includes the old and new ones. from Slughorn, to Bellatrix, to Luna. and the acting is truly superb. i've read most of the series. i read the Half-Blood Prince as soon as it came out. and every time i watch a film after i've read the book, i'm shocked by what they leave out/change and what i remember, considering it was so long ago. still, it put my imagination into over-drive. and i spent three hours this morning getting a good start on the Deathly Hallows. i have to finish it before i leave.

in other news. this morning, my desk looked like this:

as you can see, i'm like the little girl from Signs, lots and lots of glasses of water. and that's just my desk. there were another three in my room.

and after three weeks of posting/working from my living room armchair, i decided that all my mental work was useless and i actually needed to start writing things down. i come up with ideas all of the time. as i was just a creative jukebox last night. and i need a place to focus and work away from distractions, like a television with 700 channels. so after spending two hours indulging in one of my favourite movies of all time, (Sex and the City) i cleaned. and i cleaned good.

ta da! perfect.

ps. i ate the minstrels soon after completion.

• guilty snacks today: see above.
  
• weight gain/loss: - 1 lbs (4lbs in total)

clothesclothesclothes

i never thought i'd have the determination, concentration, or dedication to write 75 posts. but here i am.

yesterday i (finally) ordered some clothes of asos. i've never ordered clothes from the internet before, because i'm scared that they won't fit, or aren't right, etc etc. but now i have, yay! although there's only one problem when i do order things from the internet, it's that they take so long to arrive. i am a very impatient person. when i want something, i want it now. i could have paid for next day delivery, but i already spent £79 on clothes. i didn't have a spare £3.95. therefore, i have to wait until wednesday. *sigh*

i'm really sad i didn't get this hat though. it's beautiful.

so instead of moping about the fact my brand new clothes aren't here yet, i've been stumbling blogs! i missed this as a hobby, because it really shows you what other people use blogger for. the amount of craft and food blogs is just unbelievable. there are so many! i love the fashion/customise ones though. they're absolutely inspiring. and, of course, i adore the beautiful photographs.
apart from that, i'm basically going to spend my day getting over-excited about my up-coming holiday, and chewing my split lip. don't you hate it when you gain injuries in your sleep?

ps. it looks unlikely, really unlikely, but i might do something special for my 100th post. we'll see.

'how quickly an idea planted...'

when i was younger, i used to love my barbies. so so much. i had a box, half the size of a single bed, filled to the brim with different variations of barbies, hundreds of items of clothing, thousands of miniature hairbrushes and one ken doll. there was also a fully functioning campervan, bungalow, pool, jeep and house, complete with lift.

i was a very girly girl.

but when i got bored of it all, i used to take my mothers old 'Next' magazines and cut the models out. spending hours carefully trimming around every heel and wayward hair strand. i'd play with them like dolls for a while, then keep my favourites. i had a whole folder filled with hundreds of cut outs of women in fabulous clothes, heels and accessories. it was a glamorous 2D world with which barbies couldn't quite compete.

then, for lack of a better phrase, i "grew up".

so today, while feeling all gross and ill, i was reading both this and last months Cosmopolitan. and then i got inspired. really really inspired.and now, i am off on another crazy long haul project. i would print pictures off fashion websites, but the quality is never as good. it doesn't get that amazing sheen. after destroying only two issues, i already have this:isn't that the most glamorous inside-of-a-wardrobe door you ever did see?

sickyy

i cancelled on my friend.
i'm now receiving abusive text messages.
i still feel ill.
i'm going to go read or something.
bye x

ughh

so, last night was hilariously disastrous.

it's perfectly safe to say, some of the contestants were more than nervous; they were terrified to their very core. and some, couldn't sing whatsoever. however there were a few little gems with fantastic voices. but one act really stole the show. a kid who is infamous for performing dances on command and striking poses when asked is a techie called Little Ashley. him and his strange friend Liam performed the funniest act i've ever seen. they're no older than twelve, yet they had no fear in dressing up as the characters from Queen's video 'i want to break free'. complete with fake boobs, a moustache and a toy hoover. it's no surprise that they won. and on their final performance received a standing ovation from the crowd of two hundred.

overall it was a great night.

so after a few weeks of working and relaxing, i wanted to go out and do something with my friends today. therefore, i planned. i was going to go out. i was going to have fun. yet this morning i wake up and my head is being tortured by headache monsters, while my internal organs are turning each other into play dough. it better clear up soon. i canceled on going out the other week because i was too tired, i promised i'd go out this time. and because currently, i feel like this:trapped and sick.

dress up! ps: embarrassing photo.

i love going out. even if it's just going into town, if i want to make it a big deal i will.

tonight i'm going to this show at my (old) secondary school. it's called 'Stars in Their Eyes' where students dress-up, go up on stage and sing their hearts out. i went last year and the year before. where a 13 year old boy called Nigel dressed up as a spice girl and sung 'wannabe'. poor thing forgot the lyrics so the crowd was singing it for him. i've never known a child so brave or possibly stupid. one of my best friends won it last year too. i was so happy for her i cried. i was worse than her mother. when they called her up to sing for the big finale to the show, i blubbed throughout the entire thing. she'd gone up for it the previous year and come second.

AND!

i have just received news that a really good friend of mine and his band are playing at it tonight!

woopwoop!

i manged to get myself a ticket through the medium of my younger brother, however i feel i may have to smuggle Elly (friend, accomplice, etc) in. either with violent threats or bribery. the show is always full to bursting.

so, i like to stand out.

like last year, when everyone was going colour crazy, i opted for a short high wasted, polka dot skirt, and white top. i still love this outfit and wear it all the time. because i have no clothes. i do have pictures of this outfit, but they're with a bunch of other people and i can't deal with either cropping them out or explaining. so you will have to imagine.

however; this year...

i have so far decided on bright mint green heels and possibly a (forcibly borrowed) trilby hat. but i love the fact that being a girl allows me to start my beauty regime four hours before i leave the house. and that i can do pre-make-up before the real war-paint. and that i can change my outift twenty times. and shop for accessories an hour before. and do my hair in several different styles before finally settling on "curley". and the way i can't even begin to get ready without the right song playing. if i haven't mentioned it before, i like being a girl. i really really do.

• guilty snacks today: milky way magic stars... oops.
• weight gain/loss: - 1 lbs (3lbs in total!)

ps. just for laughs, here is the picture i had taken when i got stuck in a broken down car for three hours on friday night.that is not a happy teenager.

one, two, three, four

so, apart from a recent ride in a tow truck which i was sure was going to be my death, i've pretty much had a boring couple of days. and with practically no inspiration for anything non-soppy, i'm going to do another one of these!

1. i haven't watched High School Musical because i'm afraid i'll fall in love with it. just like after seeing the Hannah Montana movie, i fell uncontrollably fast. and i don't want to be an obsessive Disney freak at the age of sixteen. which makes me a hypocrite, because i am.
2. i want a pipe like Juno. from the movie.
3. i cannot sing. i have to sing for my piano exams, and well, i hate it. my teacher tries so hard to get me to sing in tune, but it stresses me out so much, every time i'm on the brink of tears. it's horrible.
4. i like to sing. i like to sing so people might actually catch me singing. because i never sing. and they never catch me.

broken strings

like every child, when i was younger i went through a lot of phases. phases where i wanted to be a nurse, or a comedienne, where i wanted to do ballet or horse riding. so when i told my parents i wanted to learn how to play the piano they played along for a little while. then, for my eighth birthday i received a keyboard. little did they know that eight years later i would have a full eighty eight key electric piano in the dining room and have passed my grade four with merit.

i did also horse ride for a few years until my teacher became sick. and the idea of being a comedienne is still lurking in the back of my brain. the only problem is that i'm not funny.

but that's beside the point. i remember having an 'interview' of sorts with my piano teacher. i remember it was in the evening, it was dark and he just kept asking me questions like 'how long had i wanted to play', 'did i want to play famous composers' etc. i was eight, the only reason i wanted to play was because i'd seen multiple cartoons with these passionate pieces in. while tom and jerry weaved in and out of the piano strings.

i was, and still am, inspired by very strange things.

so i started playing out of this book with stickers in it. for every section you completed you got a little sticker. it had characters in it, and every piece had words to go with it. so i could happily sing along in my head. it was all very cute. until i was about eleven, and got into my jazz music. i've never listened to jazz. i don't know any jazz musicians. i just loved to play it. i still have two amazing jazz books. alongside my disney songbooks, and my downloaded boyz II men /fall out boy/ Gabrielle /Maroon 5 folder.

i have a very varied taste in music.

four grades and a lot of hard work later, i had achieved pass' in grades 1 & 2 and then merits in both grades 3 & 4. and then i stopped.

until yesterday i hadn't touched my piano since march. and i just thought. it's what you want, so get off your ass and do it. so i did. and it felt great.

superlongpost

it's only been six days, but i've really missed you guys!

it is more than safe to say i am extremely happy, and everything is going fantastically well. monday my boss' took me to the zoo! there's a local one less than an hour away, so the three of us set off on a little road trip to Marwell Zoological Park. it was a wonderful day out. and we managed to avoid the rain, which came down in torrential outbursts.

but i kind of like storms

i received my bus pass yesterday. which now means i can travel free throughout six whole counties ( practically all of the south east of england ) until midnight on the third of september 2010! it did cost my parents a bomb though... however, i also decided to become totally independent and get myself a library card. i know it's beyond geeky, but it saves me so much money. i have this weakness for buying books. so now i have two cards which give me so much freedom and independence and save me sooo much money. i'm worried that i might actually be growing up...

i've had a major sort through of all of my books.

although it turns out i haven't read seven of them, so maybe there will be some serious additions to the list. i'm not decided on that yet. i went into town yesterday, and was so incredibly tempted by pic 'n' mix i had to spend my money on a book so that i didn't spend it on food. this leads me onto declaring that i have already lost two whole pounds! i am so proud of myself right now. although i'd like to lose a little more. thankfully my determination overpowers temptation and i am doing so much better than i ever thought i could.

i also bought a swimsuit.

i am a firm believer in bikinis. however they're pretty impractical for swimming. and because of the upcoming cyprus vacation, i treated myself to a half price swimsuit from asda, bought with the cash i got from trading in some of my wii games. i am a cheapskate, and should be punished. anyway. this swimsuit is a size six. and oh my life. i have never worn anything which has made me look so good before. i'm not normally this confident or... arrogant. but i just can't help it. i love this swimsuit.

i also love the fact that there are sales everywhere at the moment.

i would also like to mention how grateful i am for my job at the moment. i work at a small dog grooming salon on the outside of town. i have for a year now. and i love it there. it doesn't pay a lot, but my boss' Emma and Laura are amazing. i mean, they took me too the zoo! they buy me lunch, and they tell me that i'm not ever allowed to leave, because they like me too much. it's so refreshing to know that i do have some sort of job security, even if it is just the emotional impact i've made on the both of them. especially now that nobody under the age of twenty-five can find work anywhere. the amount of status' i've seen on facebook saying 'filling out my fifth job application, maybe this one will take me' or 'out job hunting again'. it's shocking. businesses want people with experience, or so they say. i think it's also got something to do with the bad press relating to teenagers. nobody wants to hire destructive, out of control, violent, teenagers. that's what our generation is being portrayed as. i'm not saying it's false. because there are a percentage who fit that stereotype. nevertheless there are others. ones who don't drink, smoke and act promiscuous. there are the ones who have lunch in cafes before trips to the cinema. ones who go on evening bike rides to let off some steam. ones who enjoy being teenagers without destroying everything they touch. i don't think it's fair that businesses and workplaces are not willing to give teenagers a chance. even if they are the destructive type, maybe that will be the chance, the opportunity, to give them structure, and mould them into a better person.

so i am much more than grateful to have a job.

i now have to spend a lot of time working. because suddenly money has become this huge ball and chain around my ankle. by the beginning of september i'm going to need at least £200 saved up for college. and another £200 saved up for outside of college. (and money for clothes. it would be so good to look as glamourous as her below)that's about 90 hours of work. owch. and it really doesn't help that i have forgotten several vital details for the bank account i set up several months ago. oops.

• guilty snacks today: none!
• weight gain/loss: - 2 lbs (yess!!!)
  

Book #4: Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? - Louise Rennison

four down, ten to go. (linklinklink)

so when i started this project, i said that i would tell you the reason behind reading each book. but you see, i've already done that in this post - bookend feelings. so that's one less job for me, onto the review!

this book is just a hilarious romantic mystery. there's something about teen fiction which i totally adore. maybe it's the fact that i can relate to it. but i promise you. this was easily the funniest book i have ever read. it got to the point i was still reading at two in the morning, and had to bury my face into my pillows to stifle my explosive laughter. Louise Rennison has such a talent for writing some genuinely genius comic moments. the basic plot is a fifteen year old girl, Georgia, trying to decide who she really loves, Masimo, the hot italian guy, scooter and all. or Dave, the friend, who she just can't help flirting with. the narrative keeps you guessing right up until the last page and gives away no clues whatsoever. i can truly say it was the perfect end to the ten novel series Louise Rennison has created.

Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging

people, in the uk particularly, may be familiar with the film 'Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging', this is the feature film based on the first two Confessions of Georgia Nicolson novels. it differs somewhat from the books, however, it's still full of pure comedy. and if you want to dip your toes into Georgia Nicolsons world, i could not recommend it more.

22 daaayyyssss

okay. this is it. d-day.

i have just had my last supper. with only 22 days until i jet off to cyprus, today was the final day of pussy-footing around. no more snacks. no more excess calories. no more pretending i could get away with not exercising that day.

this is it.

i have worked out a little plan. and i will stick to it if it goddamn kills me. the general theme is to exercise in the morning; when the house is empty. for 30mins minimum and no longer than an hour. but it has to be done every. single. day. but. i have to do this alongside steering clear of calorie filled things. no more sweets. no more pizza. no more cola. from now on it's yogurt, banana and lots and lots of water. it sounds boring, and horrible, and gross. and my motivation level is through the floor right now. so, i am counter-acting this with another fabulous little plan.

remember this photo?of course you do. the model is undoubtedly gorgeous. and she has that stomach which i would undoubtedly die for. for motivation, there are four variations of this photograph currently situated in my bedroom. one is pinned on my noticeboard. one is on the inside of my wardrobe door. one is in that weird little photo bit of my purse (to remind me, right before i purchase some guilty sweets). and the last is on the back of my bedroom door. so every time i leave the room i remember what i want more than anything right now.

i know

it's superficial. and it's ridiculous. and its bordering on materialistic. however i am willing to admit that i am unfit. i am unhealthy. and i am willing to change that. by achieving a body which looks similar to the one above, it shows me that i am capable of becoming a healthier, fitter, better person.

so here's the plan

• breakfast: fruit&yogurts
• lunch: fruit&yogurts&... ham, or something? suggestions please!
• dinner: whatever my mother puts in front of me. unless it's something really unhealthy, in which case i will create something out of raw vegetables or just a boring old salad. again suggestions would be much appreciated.
• all snacks will be replaced with water! or possibly sugar-free gum! yay...
  

i now promise not to blog about this until july 25!

so, when i had my taster day at Peter Symonds College on wednesday, it really opened my eyes to how boring some peoples lives were. i'm still in shock to a certain degree. i mean. there were these two boys in my economics class, Josh and Jack, (they looked like geeks. kind of strange looking, didn't particularly care about their appearance, odd choice of unfashionable yet simple clothes. bearing in mind it was about 30 degrees celsius outside, and this Jack was wearing a dark blue jumper...) and they were happily chatting away until they got onto the subject of politics. one of them, Josh i think, said

'well i wouldn't mind being prime minister'

the other, Jack, said

'oh yes? for which party?'

Josh

'definitely conservative. of course. not labour, not in a million years'

and well. that was it. *argument*

there were also two other boys sat at my table. who thankfully were teenagers through and through. one of them said 'what is wrong with you? i get that you care. but, don't you go out with your friends? go into town? just hang out?'. turns out they don't. they like to read the guardian. both the paper and the website. the business and economics section. and don't for a second linger about the sport. these are teenage boys. fifteen and sixteen year old boys. the only thing they should be using the internet for are pictures of Megan Fox. i just couldn't believe it. i really really couldn't. i still can't. i had never encountered people like this before. i'd heard they'd existed. but to meet a fifteen year old who acted like some cynical middle aged man just shocked me. this poor child had either been brainwashed to an incomprehensible amount, or... was born an unfortunate case of a human being.

nevermind.

ps. i know i promised to blog today. and i apologise for leaving posting so late. it's just, when i have nothing to do i get distracted easily. just like when i have stuff to do. i'm a very distracted sort of person. apologies!

pps. happy independence day for tomorrow!

ppps. my favourite part of planning a major work out session: making a playlist!

week cont.

so here is the last of my exciting week.

tuesday

went shopping on a budget of only £25. i managed to get a return train fare, a pizza hut buffet, underwear and shoes! as far as i'm concerned, that is not bad going at all. although, after walking miles around both andover and basingstoke, it was no surprise to have blisters on both of my heels. owch. i also booked a day of work for thursday! so i will finally be able to pay for my yearbook. however i won't receive it until november. madness.

wednesday

college taster day. an early start, five lessons, lunch and a journey home, i discovered one thing. college is exactly the same as school. but with less people i know. i nearly cried with delight when one of my secondary school friends was in the same media class as me. i'd spent practically the whole day with people i didn't know. some lovely girls in maths, drama and theatre studies and english literature and language, and some weird geeky politics-obsessed boys in economics. after reviewing the economics class, i have decided against taking it. however the maths class has completely changed my view on the subject and i'm almost definitely sure i will be taking it in september.
tomorrow i will be working again. although i am enjoying a well earned day of rest on friday. when i promise to post something much more interesting than an update. have a lovely rest-of-week, whatever you do!