10 THINGS I WOULD DO IF I SUDDENLY BECAME RICH

We all ask ourselves this, don't we? Like what you would do if you won the lottery, or what would happen if someone gave you a million pounds? Here is what I would do...

1. Invest in properties 

I'd love to buy a cheap block of offices and turn them into pretty apartments. It would be so much fun designing them and working on the interior fixtures!

2. Travel the world

This one kind of goes without saying really. There are so many places that need ticking off my 'to visit' list. I’ll be updating a blog in the near future of my top ten places I want to go to (watch this space!)

3. Charity fundraisers 

Every fortunate person should really do their bit for charity. I would subscribe to various different charities where I can donate on a monthly basis, but I'd also use some of my affluence to organise charity fundraising events. This would encourage the community to donate to a good cause and bring people together at the same time - aww.

4. Invest in my own business.
I've heard so many stories of people who have won the lottery and then just squandered it in a few years. I'd probably go out of my mind with boredom if I were to become rich and not have to work. After several holidays and expensive shopping sprees, surely it just all becomes the same?

Plus I have too many cool ideas to not invest in them... just saying.



5. Participate in extreme activities

Everything I've ever wanted to do; skydiving, swimming with dolphins, learning to surf or to ski, bungee jumping, etc etc etc...

6. Family
Mum would be granted her dream house, Dad would have the funds to start his own business, my brother would get his allowance to likely spend on more 18-30s clubbing holidays and my grandparents would get more trips to Vegas (they're both 80 and they love Vegas!) I'd make sure they were all alright.

7. Appearance
Of course with all that money I'd have to make sure I was looking mighty fine! I’d have a personal trainer, shiny white teeth, a great tan, perfect manicure, the best wardrobe, a sexy hairstyle, oh and (don’t judge me) I would totally get botex on my forehead because it’s annoyingly creased.

8. New wheels
I can't say I'd splash out on anything too swanky but I would devote some of my fortune towards a sumptuous BMW Mini Cooper because I’ve wanted one for zonks! This is what I’m after…

Annnnnnnnd (call me cliché) but I’ve always wanted a VW Campervan which I can pimp out and then my friends and I can go on road trips. Like this one...

9. Humble abode
I’d probably have more than one home - one in Kent and an apartment in London. Each would be kitted out with really awesome furniture like a rubix cube themed coffee table and a Smeg fridge.

I will be writing a blog about my dream house (again, watch this space! Also follow my board on Pinterest).

10. Music

My music collection would become even more spectacular. I'd be able to pursue my dream of having my own home music library with so many vinyls, CDs and music memorabilia. 

I feel like there is a ton of stuff I would do that isn't on this list but this is generally how I envisage my outgoings in a fantasy world. One can dream!

Thank you for reading!
Mel x

MY FIVE (THE FREEBIE LIST)

Hey, me again.

You know how like in friends, Ross and Rachel had their 'freebie list' So, five celebrities you are allowed to sleep with, if given the opportunity and it's not considered cheating? Or something like that anyway...

Well my five has changed frequently over the past couple of years I've been with Joe, so I thought it would be a good idea to log it.

Here, in order, is my current five. Joe and I have agreed that we can alter our list of five, but if you happen to meet the latest addition, you couldn't sleep with them, until after a week of them being on your five. Otherwise I could just bump into Tom Hardy and be like 'oh, he's now in my five' and that just wouldn't be fair. Nor would it ever happen, but anyway. Here ya're...

1. Chris Pratt

Best known for taking the lead role in Guardians Of The Galaxy, Jurassic World and starring in TV series Parks and Recreation, Chris Pratt is just bloody gorgeous, isn't he? I think he is ridiculously hot now he has toned up, but lets not forget how cute and handsome he was back when he was a bit podgy...

Anna Faris is a lucky lady.

2. Scott Eastwood

Clint Eastwood's son, everybody. What a beautiful man. I recently watched The Longest Ride, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, which he starred in, alongside Britt Robinson. I'm an absolute sucker for Nicholas Sparks films (The Best Of Me, Safe Haven, The Notebook etc) and I balled my eyes out at this film. I struggle with sad old people, it really makes my bottom lip wobble because old people shouldn't be sad! Anyway, back to  it...

Watch The Longest Ride and you will fall in love with Scott Eastwood.

3. Paul Rudd

I've always had a thing for funny guys. In fact, I think sense of humour is a more important quality to me than appearance. Paul Rudd actually has both, he's a comedy genius and pretty darn hot. I was lucky enough to get tickets to the press screening in London of Ant Man a couple of weeks ago. It has now been released and you HAVE to see it. It's definitely up there as one of my favourite Marvel films. So yeah, that's him.

4. Daniel Adair

I also have a thing for hot drummers with tattoos... so Daniel Adair ticks those two boxes quite nicely. I love Nickelback. I'm not sorry about that. I love them and I don't care what any of you have to say about it. I adore their music and I'm pretty happy with myself about it. Daniel Adair is the drummer for Nickelback and I swear, if you ever see them live, he is a machine. His drum solo was one of the most incredible things I think I've ever experienced.

5. Zachary Levi

Tall, dark and handsome, it's Zachary Levi everybody. If you've ever seen Chuck, surely you'll agree that he's pretty cute? Awww.

So that's my five! I'm pretty happy about it.

Thank you for reading.

Mel x

THINGS I WANT TO BUY BEFORE 2016

Hi All,

There are a lot of things I wish to buy before the year is up. I doubt I'm even going to manage a third of them and even then I will have to sell a ton of stuff on Ebay and starve myself to be able to manage it, But hey ho, a girl can dream.

1. A folding bike.

Okay, so.... this is more of a practical luxury. I get the train to St Pancras every morning and then walk to work in Islington which is a 35 minute walk. I'm absolutely dreading the Winter so I want to get me one of these babies. A folding bike?! What a genius idea. Plus I think this one is absolutely adorable.

2. A Bobbin Cycle Helmet

I need to invest in number one before I get one of these, otherwise that would be utterly pointless, but how cool is this? I know I will probably look ridiculous but I don't care because I know I will feel majestic whilst I'm wearing it. I don't think I've ever wanted anything more, ever!!

3. A Mac Book

Ahhhh! Isn't it just dreamy? I've wanted one of these for the past 6 or 7 years and every time a laptop dies I set out to buy one, look at the price tag and instead go with the more rational option, a Windows laptop *sigh*.

I've had my laptop now since 2011 and it takes about 35 minutes to boot up due to all my design work and music stored on it. So it's about time I got myself a new one. The reality of the situation is that I will be lucky to get myself a Windows laptop at the moment, so an Apple Mac is definitely still out of the question. But nevertheless, it's on the list. 

4. Sin by MAC

This is the most realistic item on the list. I never used to spend money on expensive make-up, I would always settle for a Rimmel lipstick or No7 foundation, but I have to say it is definitely worth spending a few extra bob if you're after something which will give you longer-lasting wear. 

I bought my first MAC lipstick (colour = Rebel) last month and I wear it all day, every day. I've probably not got much wear left in it so I've decided to increase my inventory and get this little beauty. 

5. R&B by Lush Cosmetics

So my friend Bex is a bad influence when it comes to beauty products. There I was, all happy using my Tresemme products and along she comes and shows me all this great stuff I can't afford. I hate her for it tbh. Anywho, I picked up a sample of R&B last time I was in Lush and I have to say, my hair is so soft. It smells tremendous too, which is always a plus. I'll be buying a pot after pay day and you should too.

6. Cherry Red Doc Martens

I've had my eyes on these sexy things a while now. I wanted to get myself a pair for Download but instead I spent all of my money on alcohol (irresponsible, as ever). I think it would be nice to get a new pair of Docs for the Winter months though. So yeah, moving on...

7. Denim Corset Skater Dress

I've been on the hunt for a dress like this for a while. Every time I stumble across one it's either too short in length or not enough room for my melons. I'm determined to find one before the year is up as it's just too cute for me to go without.

8. Ukulele for Dummies

My boyfriend bought me a ukulele for Christmas, as I've wanted one for ages. I've been so busy, I've just not got round to teaching myself how to play it. I've decided I want to at least know chord from chord before the end of the year, so I'm going to invest in this. If I ace it, I'll upload a video or two for you all to see.

To be continued...

Mel x

THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN BUSY!

Hi all,

Apologies for the lack of blog posts recently. I know I said I'd be blogging more now that I work in London. The title to this blog explains why. It's been so busy! My financial situation, although it wasn't great to begin with, definitely isn't good right now. But, it's Summer and us Brits have to make the most of being able to go outside whilst we can.

So here's some of the stuff I've been doing...

Sunny Afternoon
I went to London with my mum and a friend to see Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks Musical). It was amazing! Unfortunately their Upper Dress Circle wasn't too complimentary to my ridiculously long legs. My knees were wedged into the back of the person in front, but nevertheless, we sang and laughed and enjoyed it thoroughly.

The photo below is of my mum and I before our meal at Bubba Gumps (what a place!) Yes, I know we look alike, thank you very much. On the way to Bubba's we walked passed a dude holding a handful of balloons with my name on them. I know, weird right? So like the child I am, I asked for a couple and that made me pretty happy.

The Book Of Mormon

Words. cannot. describe. Like seriously, this show is incredible in every way possible. It's hilarious and stunning and I've honestly never seen anything quite like it. I would happily see it again, maybe even a few times.

Download Festival

Please ignore my fuzzy hair in the photo below. It rained pretty much the entire weekend and that revealed my frizzy, curly locks to the world. Bravo, rain. Bravo!

What an incredible weekend though. I saw some amazzzzzzzing bands and met some great people. I think I've only just managed to overcome the post-Download blues.

British Summer Time

The boyfriend and I went to see Blur at British Summer Time - Hyde Park. Such a well thought out event. It was such a shame it rained. The rain and I don't seem to be getting along recently. Glorious weather all week at work and as soon as I go to a festival, the rain decides to make an appearance. God dammit.

Blur were incredible and I'll definitely be up for going to British Summer Time again in the future.

ACDC

I went with my Dad to see ACDC at Wembley Stadium. They were incredible. We sang and head banged to pretty much every single song. This was Dads first proper concert and now he's already looking into other shows to go to. Bless him!

Pretty Muddy

Aww, what a great day this was! I took part in the 5k Pretty Muddy run, in aid of Cancer Research UK, with four of my best friends. We all had such a laugh. And yes, we got 'pretty muddy'! Below is a before and after photo of the race so you can see how muddy we got. Jade, who is next to me in the 2nd photo (2nd to right) got the most covered after she slipped over in a huge pile of mud (LOL). 

As a team we raised just shy of £700.00.

Jason Byrne @ The Udderbelly

I went to see Jason Byrne with two of my besties at the Uddebelly on Friday. It's so nice to sit outside (if you can get a seat) with a glass of Pimms. Jason Byrne was absolutely hilarious. I think he's now become one of my favourite comedians.

So there's that. I hope you'll forgive me for the lack of posts. As proven, I've been here, there and everywhere and this is just some of the stuff I've been up to! You can see more photos of my shenanigans on my Instagram @melkcx, if you're interested.

I'll be posting more now, I promise :)

Best wishes,

Mel x

SOCIAL MEDIA - THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE

Has anybody else noticed how we don't miss people unless we fell out with them for a good reason? I've had a couple of friends go travelling for a few months in the past and I didn't miss them at all. This isn't a bad thing, as I still spoke to them every day. I could see the photos they posted on Facebook and Instagram. Social media kept us connected, but do you know what? I hate that. I hate that we don't have to make an effort to meet up with people any more. Social media is the reason that coffee shops and bars are struggling financially.

One of my best friend's Bex I speak to every day, but we can go months without actually meeting up with each other. The reason why is because that's cheaper than going for an overpriced glass of wine or coffee. Prices are shooting up everywhere, because these places are having to compete with the internet.

Mobile phone companies killed the coffee shops. Internet is killing the mobile phone service providers. It's the evolution of the internet. But where is it going? Are we going to have virtual friends? Will we stop leaving the house and just work from home? Buy our weeks food shopping online and have it delivered to our door? Talk to our family and friends via instant messaging from our sofas? We're becoming robots and it's terrifying. 

Don't get me wrong. The internet does bring people together and keep us connected. My aunt was adopted at a young age and through Facebook she's been able to find her family and has spent the past three Christmas' with them. I have friends who have found love on the internet and some have even married because of it. But is the internet taking away our confidence?

Gone are the days where you would be asked for your number in a bar. Now, a guy would just ask for your name, go home, search for you on Facebook and then maybe ask you out. People are starting to use their computer screens as a shield. 

We need to remember that we aren't machines, we are humans. Whilst it's great chatting to your friends on Facebook and Whatsapp (and I do it too) make sure you meet up with them regularly too. If someone takes your fancy when you're at the pub, buy them a drink there and then. If you've spoken to your mum every day on the phone, make sure you still visit her at the weekend. If you watch all your films and TV on Netflix, still make the effort to get the gang together and go to see a film at the cinema. 

Let's not let the internet and our computers destroy us. I hate to sound like a complete hippy, but we're letting that happen. 

Thanks for reading!

Mel x

NEW JOB!

Hi folks,

So I am now a commuter... Yep. I work in London now and tend to tweet so much more than I used to.
The issue with Twitter is that you're restricted to how many characters you can use. So I've decided to make use of my blog and log my daily tales on here instead.

You tend to experience some random things working in London. It's such an interesting place, populated with so much character. I love how everything is so easy to get to. Want to go to a pub? One next door. Want to go for a coffee? There's 6 different coffee houses within a two minute radius of where you are. Want to meet new people? Fuck it, just go out on a Friday night in Camden. You'll meet loads of people!

I live in Ashford, Kent which is a pretty small town. Everyone knows everyone, everyone's been in relationships with everyone. It's quite incestual I guess. So it's really refreshing spending all week in London where you can just be anybody you want to be. Nobody knows you and nobody cares what your deal is. It's all about the NOW.

The most random things tend to happen when you're out on London. As you can see from the above video, I had a pretty eventful underground experience when travelling on the Northern Line last week. I might be wrong, but I am pretty sure I'm right when I say, this would NEVER happen in Ashford. So many random things happen to me now that I work in London. I will be logging them here for you all to enjoy.

Have a fantastic day.

Mel x

The 8 things I dislike about traffic

As someone who spends approximately 10 hours a week (minimum) on the roads, there are a few issues that I would like to vent. 

It's easier if I list them one by one:

1. VARIABLE.SPEED.LIMITS - I could write an entire blog just about how ridiculous these things are. Am I the only person who thinks that they are more hassle than they are worth? Most of the time I am stuck in traffic it is because these buggers are holding everything up. '40... now 60.... national speed limit...........40'. WHY?! Please somebody explain to me why. It may help me to feel less annoyed when I next find myself stuck in a variable zone (which is likely to be tomorrow).
2. LORRY'S THAT INDICATE AS THEY ARE PULLING OUT OF A LANE - Are you trying to kill me?! I have lost count of the amount of times I have almost been flattened by a lorry doing this. It's so dangerous.
3. BIG CARS AND ANGRY VAN DRIVERS WHO THINK THEY OWN THE ROAD - I now play a game I like to call 'Let's P*ss Them Off More'. When an arrogant driver is attempting to shove me out of the way, I deliberately drive extra slow, then when they get into the middle lane to try and over take me... I speed up. Oh it's so entertaining! 
4. SENIOR DRIVERS - If it was up to me, I would make sure that at aged 65 drivers are expected to retake their driving test, to access their suitability to drive. It's quite often the slow and hesitant drivers who cause more trouble.
5. RIDICULOUS TRAFFIC DODGING TACTICS - Let's use the Dartford Tunnel as an example. Every day it is clogged up with people queueing for the tolls. People try to be clever by coming off of the motorway to try and rejoin it at the next junction. This means all the roads as you get off of the motorway are congested and people who are going to opposite way still can't get to where they need to be. Something must be done!
6. TOLLS - Why?! Extra traffic because we are waiting to pay money... for WHAT?! As if we aren't robbed already with insurance, fuel, car maintenance and tax! Arghhhhh!
7. BAD ROAD SIGNAGE - When I say 'bad road signage' I think this applies almost anywhere in Britain. I am forever thankful for Sat Navs. 
8. DRIVERS WHO DON'T LET YOU ACROSS - Okay, in all honestly, at 8am most mornings I am not the most polite driver and tend to just ignore people who want to overtake the vehicle in front of them. So this one is completely hypocritical. But my god it's annoying when the shoe is on the other foot!

Feel free to add in the comment box anything that annoys you about the roads which I may of missed. I love a good rant!