What Sophie Said

Where did you come from? I feel like we only just welcomed in October. Seconds later, it was gone. This year has absolutely flown by. Everyone’s saying it, and I’m going to say it again. I can’t even think what happened in October. I know over the past few months I’ve been to the theatre a lot, as anyone who knows me or follows me on Twitter will know. I’ve been working. I’ve been continuing to get into the swing of London life. I’ve been seeing friends. I headed home for a weekend to see my dad for his birthday (I’ve just got home, he was a Halloween baby!)  Just getting on with day-to-day life really. The days are strange at the moment. When I look back, time is flying by, but the days themselves whilst I’m in them seem to stretch on forever. I think the clock change definitely played a part in that, as last week I was completely out of sync. Let’s just chat about the clock change for a moment: I’m not a fan! The weather affects ...

Yesterday marked the first day of autumn. Slightly scary, as I have no idea where summer went. Oh wait… I left my old job. I moved to London. I stayed with family friends for a month. I started a new job. I moved into my new room. Kind of a busy summer, some may say. And I’m now hoping autumn will be more settled. A time to explore, but at a leisurely place. A time to continue finding my feet in my new role. A time to grow more used to my new city. A time to pause and think, ‘Wow, it’s been a busy few months.’ A time to think ‘I did it.’ A time to think, ‘It’s ok to relax a little.’ I’m ready to enjoy autumn foods, events, birthdays, outings. I’m ready to enjoy autumn weather. (Preferably the blue skies, cold air type of weather. I’m not so fussed about the grey rainy parts.) I’m ready to experience London in autumn. And to watch that pave the way for winter in this busy, hectic, exhausting, exciting, be...

It’s been a quiet two weeks on this little corner of the internet, so it’s time for a life update! The City – London is treating me well. I’ve been here almost three weeks now and the transition has been so much easier than expected. I’ve quickly fallen into patterns of jumping on and off the tube, keeping busy, and making plans. I’m not sure I will ever quite understand the way some people act on the tube (SO rude), or get used to the fact the air just FEELS different here (I’m from somewhere far more countryside-ey), but it’s going well. The Job – The reason for moving down here. I’m not going to go into detail, but I’m working in digital marketing at a company I’ve admired for years, and the first two weeks have gone well. I’ve learned incredible amounts already, and I’m feeling very inspired by the amount of knowledge amongst the people surrounding me daily. Working in the heart of Oxford Street is busy, it’s fast-paced, and it’s exciting. The Room -  I think the r...

A few days ago (on 10 th July), it was exactly two years since the day of my graduation ceremony. I studied English Literature at the University of York. My Instagram and Twitter feeds at the moment are covered with proud pictures of new graduates, the latest group of people who have succeeded, and completed the next stage in their education. It’s got me thinking back over that period, and over the three years which led up to that day, for me. It’s a funny old thing, graduation. There’s pride: you did it! There’s excitement: many people see it as an important life stage. Plus you get a cap and gown. There’s love: people are there with family and loved ones, and surrounded by their course mates. And then these feelings are all mixed in with uncertainty. How did I manage that? What next? Where now? I have to LEAVE this place and these people? For many that choose to go to university, it’s the next stage in a mapped-out process...

On 7 th July, I turned 23, and after an amazing week of enjoying my birthday, I’m feeling somewhat reflective.  I’m planning, I’m thinking, I’m sorting through my thoughts.  And whilst I process these thoughts, for today, here’s a list of some of the 23 ‘life lessons’ I feel I’ve learned over the last 23 years. 1. Real friendships take work, and effort to maintain. 2. Don’t be afraid to drift away from friendships that leave you feeling drained, or tired, or not valued. 3. You won’t always understand every decision those around you make… But if you care about them, support them. 4. Some people will have very different views to you on a whole range of things, and that’s ok. 5. The path that’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for you. 6. It’s ok not to have absolutely everything figured out. Most people don’t. 7. Work hard. It will pay off in the end. 8. Making mistakes is fine, as long as you learn from them. 9. Alone ...

Hi there. It's been a while. I took a bit of a pause from the blog, and didn't do much tweeting or anything either. Because I've been thinking. I've had a lot of thoughts in my head. They spin and twist and get all muddled up. Sometimes I feel a little confused. So I've been taking some time to think. Some time to wonder. Some time to explore. Some time to explore my own thoughts, feelings, wants, wishes... For life, for work, for friendships. Thinking about what truly matters. What doesn't matter so much. What and who do I want to be? These are thoughts that will never go away. The joy of life is that it is constantly changing, there are opportunities, there are changes, and there are chances to learn and grow. I know this is a little vague, obscure, nothingy... But it's what I wanted to say. That's where I've been - just thinking. Planning. Researching. And now it's time to turn some of those plans into actions. To m...

The beginning of a new month means it’s time for a new challenge, and this one revolves around food. When it comes to lunches, I’m really fussy. I don’t like a huge variety of sandwich fillings, or a lot of typical dressings like mayonnaise. This makes my typical lunches – I take a packed lunch to work each day - very uninspiring and repetitive. I want to try and break out of this trap, and cut down on the amount of bread I’m taking as lunches, in favour of other alternatives. Realistically, you can’t change everything overnight, so this month’s challenge is: Try out two new lunch options per week. This could be leftovers of different meals, salads, wraps… I’m currently on the hunt for inspiration! If I can do more than this, great, but the aim is at least 8 new ideas. As always, I’ll be taking pictures and filling you in at the end of the month. Do you have any tips? What are your favourite lunches? 

Another month has flown by, and it’s time to fill you in on the results of my fifth monthly challenge. The challenge for April was: To walk to and from work (3.5 miles each way) every day, and not take the bus. I did it! There were 3 occasions – either the journey to or from work – that I had a lift from one of my parents as they were coming to the house or going in that direction, but every other time I have walked. I’ve not set foot on the bus. Here’s my top 5 benefits of my walk to work month, which is a routine I will 100% be sticking to: 1. Saving money – A bus pass costs money. The walk doesn’t. Simple! 2. Exercise – Walking a brisk 7 miles each day is already feeling so much easier, and my legs are toning up. 3. Wakes me up – I arrive at work feeling fresh and energised because of all the fresh air. 4. Time to think and reflect – As someone who has been dealing with panic and worrying, I’m finding it really helpful to have these periods in the ...

I can’t believe these photos have been sitting waiting to be blogged for so long… Andy and I made them on Valentine’s weekend, oops! Anyway, they were so yummy, and the most simple cupcakes. If you want simple, tasty cakes, keep on reading. The recipe is based on one from a Women’s Weekly baking book I found on my mum’s bookshelf a while ago. To make 8, you will need: 150g self-raising flour 90g butter, softened 1tsp vanilla extract 110g caster sugar 2 eggs 2tbsp milk For the buttercream  - This made FAR more than we used, so feel free to cut it back a little - 125g butter, softened 240g icing sugar 2tbsp milk Preheat oven to 160C for a fan oven. Line 8 holes of a muffin pan with paper cases and set aside. Sift flour into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on a low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is smooth and pale. ...

Time for my next challenge update! January’s goals were focused on beginning to take control of my panicking, and trying to take positive steps forward, and I’ve had mixed success. Point number one was to go to the doctors, chat about what’s going on, and discuss some kind of talking therapy. I did that, and was lucky to get a great doctor, who immediately made me feel so calm. He referred me to a local place for some CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). I’ve had one session so far, but may write about it in a little more depth once I’m really starting to learn any techniques, or can see it making a difference. This was definitely a massive step to take, so I’m really pleased about that. Point two was yoga, and that one has just not happened. I do have a tendency, whilst I’m worrying so much, to put off certain things. It’s something I’m trying to sort out, but this was something that fell by the wayside. I got as far as emailing to confirm the times of a local class, but on h...

At the beginning of our second year of university, Andy (my boyfriend) and I made the decision to move in together and commute to and from university. We settled on Darlington – a half hour train from each of our universities – and moved in at the beginning of September 2 years ago. Now, university is complete and we have temporarily moved home whilst we start to find our feet in the world of jobs, but two years of private renting has taught me a good few lessons. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, but I’ve definitely learned some things for next time I leave home… British Gas and Sky will never, ever be on your side This was obviously the first time I’ve had to deal with bills, utilities and the like, and I was a bit unprepared for just how unhelpful the customer service departments at big companies can be. British Gas regularly tried to overcharge us, and when we moved out demanded an extra £200 that I knew we didn’t owe. Sure enough, about a month ago,...