tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104360280004447282024-02-07T11:48:46.373+00:00LoppyLovesStories of a British expat living in Iceland. Life in Iceland, life back home and the struggles of expat life.Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-36276434462702627782022-02-02T19:01:00.005+00:002022-02-02T19:02:35.445+00:00Subscribe to my channel on YouTube!<p> Hi everyone!</p><p><br /></p><p>It has been a few years since I updated this blog and I really miss it! I will try to start updating it again soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share my YouTube and social media channels with you all.</p><p>I see that this blog still gets a heavy footfall despite not being active, so you may want to follow me on channels that are actually active and regularly updated 😅</p><p><br /></p><p>My main YouTube channel about life as a British immigrant living in Iceland is called LoppyLoves.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXaDNKV0e74TboIeYfU20Lw">LoppyLoves - YouTube</a></p><p><br /></p><p>My secondary channel, LoppyLovesEco, focuses on eco-friendly living on a budget.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFEAT0wnLzv-6whnuqsIv3g">LoppyLovesEco - YouTube</a></p><p><br /></p><p>And finally, I have 2 instagram accounts. My personal account is @loppyloves (although it isn't updated so often!), and my other account is @loppyloveseco.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you enjoy my blog I hope you'll also follow me on these other platforms!<br /><br />Love Loppy x</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCX7ELOUFhhrt47T4W0JuXazxnZHVjochOq9evHfwYlXG0p9MNW0XXW7aZf8bWT0VhQwQf28kqvSfDvlglruiYOqRmiytrpwqTxP_RNOy82-nG5ThaoaDSYXrhN-3MbwHWE8-Ju70yRIMmLxjSM2Gh-zqHGC3is6X5y4DXQfnX1Qpb87qTuilZdJbf=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCX7ELOUFhhrt47T4W0JuXazxnZHVjochOq9evHfwYlXG0p9MNW0XXW7aZf8bWT0VhQwQf28kqvSfDvlglruiYOqRmiytrpwqTxP_RNOy82-nG5ThaoaDSYXrhN-3MbwHWE8-Ju70yRIMmLxjSM2Gh-zqHGC3is6X5y4DXQfnX1Qpb87qTuilZdJbf=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0Selfoss, Iceland63.9334611 -21.001383235.623227263821157 -56.1576332 90 14.1548668tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-33031323217489688672019-06-10T17:55:00.000+00:002019-06-10T17:55:14.910+00:00Rewriting 'Care For Our World' - 13 Years Later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLBU5jkiNjeUQ6pbq60WPRGBYzkSs-vsPANCuSOe9FJbCeVV6hxjF19srJ3p01B33rZiEu6hHkk6NdWJO3ynSzt0W1xMXB3dEQ-AztAf7ccys3RmBC0CGMkafrW_EUtgS3Ln8V748k1U/s1600/www.loppyloves.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLBU5jkiNjeUQ6pbq60WPRGBYzkSs-vsPANCuSOe9FJbCeVV6hxjF19srJ3p01B33rZiEu6hHkk6NdWJO3ynSzt0W1xMXB3dEQ-AztAf7ccys3RmBC0CGMkafrW_EUtgS3Ln8V748k1U/s320/www.loppyloves.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Recently, while sorting through what's left of my belongings which are still in England, my mom discovered a copy of the first published article I ever wrote. I wrote this a little over 13 years ago, at the age of 12. It was published by the Birmingham Evening Mail at the beginning of May 2006. After it published the editor called my mom to encourage me to keep writing and within a year I'd published 2 more newspaper articles within the same media group.</div>
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This one however, came from a place of passion. I did win a nice camera for this piece but I never wrote it to win the 'letter of the week' competition (I wasn't even aware of the prize). I just wanted someone to listen to me, someone who might make a difference.</div>
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The original article was written too passionately, without too much thought for backing up the points I was making. I was scared of global warming and wanted everyone to recycle,use solar panels and stop polluting the Earth before it was too late.</div>
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Here is the original article:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9S8c_Vuuc-XUhBEaCnYvFeG7y_Hp5qmnuMdr7BRC_qAQyhxfUsrUDdmRX9PTu8YbOJ6fy0YodGO21bm2OBz0uG-kL95LeJL_Lj5dUrcZM35XopN1qmqkjtRWwY91LFG0drfhdG787I4/s1600/Untitled+design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9S8c_Vuuc-XUhBEaCnYvFeG7y_Hp5qmnuMdr7BRC_qAQyhxfUsrUDdmRX9PTu8YbOJ6fy0YodGO21bm2OBz0uG-kL95LeJL_Lj5dUrcZM35XopN1qmqkjtRWwY91LFG0drfhdG787I4/s320/Untitled+design.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The article was heavily edited, it was originally longer.</td></tr>
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The issue of global warming is now in the forefront of global issues. I decided that I wanted to rewrite the article as I would've written it today. Again, it isn't so long as it was originally intended for a newspaper, but I'm now able to properly vocalise what I wanted to say all of those years ago. So here is the second draft of that article.<br />
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<b><u>Care For Our World - Take Two</u></b></div>
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Nowadays in 2019, I'm delighted that the world finally seems to be taking global warming seriously. But it it already too late?</div>
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Social media is full of photos from around the world showing the devastating effects that single use plastic is having on our oceans. The news seems to show footage of natural disasters far more frequently than I remember as a child. Zero waste shops are popping up in cities all around the globe. Single use plastic bags and straws are being phased out in many countries, with many alternatives now readily available.</div>
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The public finally seems to care about our World.</div>
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Imagine what a difference we would've already made if we'd all cared 13 years ago.</div>
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I recently read <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/10/8/17948832/climate-change-global-warming-un-ipcc-report">this article</a> on Vox which states that we have just 12 years left to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels if we are to prevent the global temperature increasing by an additional 0.5<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: inherit;">°C</span>. The temperature has already increased 1.5</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">°C since the industrial revolution. Reaching 2</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">°C would have a catastrophic effect including risks to food supply, water supply and public health.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> We could've had 25 years if we'd thought about it in 2006.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We seriously need to reduce our carbon emissions if we want to avoid that extra half a degree. In fact, we actually need to<i> remove</i> some of the carbon that is already in the atmosphere. There are many things you can do to reduce your own carbon consumption. Here's just a few:</span><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Walk or cycle instead of driving wherever possible. A short trip doesn't need a car. Failing that, carpool or use public transport.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy a fuel efficient vehicle.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Avoid flying where possible. Flights are sometimes unavoidable, but search for alternatives first. If you must travel by air, fly with an economy airline as there are more people to share the flight's emissions with.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Insulate your home properly. You'll spend less on heating as an added bonus.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Install solar panels - Solar energy is a great renewable source of energy. It's a large initial cost but you will reduce your electricity bill, you could even potentially <i>earn</i> money by selling excess energy back to the grid.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use less water - It takes a lot of energy to supply your home with water, and more energy to heat the water that you use. Find ways to reduce the amount you consume. Wash your car when rain is in the forecast, spend a couple of minutes less than usual in the shower, collect rainwater to water plants. Be creative with it.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A quick Google search reveals that billions of plastic straws are used worldwide each year. The numbers are not consistent between websites but most estimate the amount to be well over 100 billion straws annually. I'm sure many people have seen a video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in it's nostril, or of a washed up whale with a stomach full of discarded plastic. My original article didn't mention anything about single use plastics. I wasn't aware of how damaging they were at the time. I assumed everything that I put in the recycling bin was recycled, we now know that that isn't necessarily true. Not all plastics are recyclable. While plastic straws are technically recyclable, they often aren't accepted as they are too small and can fall through gaps in machinery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately there are many alternatives available now. Metal, silicone, bamboo, glass and even reusable plastic are readily available inexpensively. They come in different shapes, and there's even flexible straws </span>available for people who need movement in their straws. The initial outlay may be a little more costly than a pack of throwaway straws, but they will last a lifetime.<br />
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Straws are not the only single use plastic that needs to be eliminated but it's a start. Here's a list of other everyday disposable items that can be replaced by reusables:<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;">Takeaway coffee cups</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Cotton ear buds</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Shopping bags</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Produce bags</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Menstrual products</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Takeaway cutlery and containers</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Toothbrush</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Disposable wipes</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Nappies</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Water bottles</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Dish sponges</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Tea bags</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Shampoo, conditioner, facial wash, shower gel</li>
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One thing that we can<b> all </b>do to help reduce carbon emissions is simply to plant more trees. Plants not only give out oxygen, they also absorb carbon dioxide from the air. In the autumn, collect acorns and conkers and plant them somewhere they won't be disrupted. Give them plenty of space. It is also becoming more common to scatter wildflower seeds in urban areas to encourage flowers to grow in unused places. Research 'seed bombs' to find out more about this project. Only plant seeds that would be native to the area, we don't want to disrupt the local wildlife by introducing a new species!<br />
If you are uncomfortable with planting something in public, use your own garden or space to grow something. A window box or a house plant is better than nothing at all.<br />
Renting an allotment with a friend is an option for those with no space and low income. You could share the cost, the work and the produce. Growing your own veg will also help to reduce your plastic waste as your not buying plastic-wrapped vegetables from the supermarket! It's good for your wallet and your health too.<br />
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In another 13 years time, our world could look very different from the one we know today. That could be for the better, or the worse. The choice is up to you. We could have already reached that 2<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">°C global temperature increase and seen an increase in natural disasters. We could have plastic free beaches and more trees. One person alone won't make a difference, but lots of individuals making a difference together can change the world.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Which side do you want to be on?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Loppy x</span></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-58122741002505019222019-04-20T11:57:00.000+00:002019-04-20T12:01:20.970+00:00Upcycling a checkered shirt - Handkerchiefs (zero waste)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Lately I've been trying to cut down on single use products and being mindful of when I use them. I realised I was using a lot of paper towels at work, using them as napkins after eating.</div>
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I used to collect hankies as a child, and carried them everywhere with me. I always took one to school instead of a pack of tissues, and always bought one as a souvenir on day trips. I can't remember when I stopped using them, I think it was at the end of primary school when the novelty of the bright patterns wore off. I've long lost my collection of handkerchiefs and have spent ages pining over the handmade and vintage ones on etsy, which are surprisingly pricey!</div>
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I spent a while debating if it was worth the money to buy a pack of pretty check print hankies when they are so easy to make.</div>
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Organising the clothes in my chest of drawers one day, I found 2 checkered shirts that I no longer wear but don't want one part with. Checking the labels I found out that they're both 100% cotton and therefore perfect for making my own handkerchiefs!</div>
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Here's how I did it...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOC7EErBdEO2f8LIiFt_5HeRJKQcRf9k8k0jJdEbsYv5fGZi3eXw-S0EmzUZHYVcbeQtdNLawJtqKfFipKVDHcLwGTp92NMCEBbcZHXywuq9XC1Jz12KhvFLrXLLgYfAaspIqy0Nbu3g/s1600/20181226_215958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOC7EErBdEO2f8LIiFt_5HeRJKQcRf9k8k0jJdEbsYv5fGZi3eXw-S0EmzUZHYVcbeQtdNLawJtqKfFipKVDHcLwGTp92NMCEBbcZHXywuq9XC1Jz12KhvFLrXLLgYfAaspIqy0Nbu3g/s320/20181226_215958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Find an old shirt that's seen better days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbIcMCpdBehl7sIJ-27LKeYAgCZVm1VkpwjUs2ozVwwq1D-7KZwgrcI1PazQypu8nGxuS8qkfaK00P-25nqPzMHAXA_TUSUKXGfk1xYInNso25WUKRsKF_W8KBVRbtwy8xZ0mSQMXiwE/s1600/20181226_220101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbIcMCpdBehl7sIJ-27LKeYAgCZVm1VkpwjUs2ozVwwq1D-7KZwgrcI1PazQypu8nGxuS8qkfaK00P-25nqPzMHAXA_TUSUKXGfk1xYInNso25WUKRsKF_W8KBVRbtwy8xZ0mSQMXiwE/s320/20181226_220101.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Check that it's 100% cotton.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD9YbXAYxPML4P2OWayiDML4tHwSYJk-TXEvMjsjvpqlkbktIMrSs4Djlp8A2qN_eVkM2C_j1yaaumNT6He-TdvqKLjyoaKXNyVXKOb6ANtcnHZaKZkgMtP5iFy9XV77_mPxti_OCjVM/s1600/20181226_220716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD9YbXAYxPML4P2OWayiDML4tHwSYJk-TXEvMjsjvpqlkbktIMrSs4Djlp8A2qN_eVkM2C_j1yaaumNT6He-TdvqKLjyoaKXNyVXKOb6ANtcnHZaKZkgMtP5iFy9XV77_mPxti_OCjVM/s320/20181226_220716.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using the checkered print as a guideline, cut out a square. It doesn't have to be perfect.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZijMnBJdLnqgu0tRqOEeudwov2bWUFAGEpuohUnnz7XjR2PYQ9xMAyQZ9QcSzwn91TfNkrGcx0Bm2VU9EL5UhuDBAfP89tncE-D0URk7M4sTw148EvHOKDUSe3TXGY1-yR3tMpuvWwGA/s1600/20181226_221603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZijMnBJdLnqgu0tRqOEeudwov2bWUFAGEpuohUnnz7XjR2PYQ9xMAyQZ9QcSzwn91TfNkrGcx0Bm2VU9EL5UhuDBAfP89tncE-D0URk7M4sTw148EvHOKDUSe3TXGY1-yR3tMpuvWwGA/s320/20181226_221603.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fold the edges of the square over and use pins to tack into place. Take special care when folding the corners over, see below how to fold them neatly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsJ0HmKzSRvGZCqwQfkF9c0FIsOywf1xCJCZwEMJUZJhOHJuUyWCvie7AwB7cdaIEsyv1t9z1JZf6JlbcWr-Gki3kL1EPv51OSTLJWYIxktTOFwaaPyLXDWGTTRm6p4nVFYoHLKR30RA/s1600/20181226_224406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsJ0HmKzSRvGZCqwQfkF9c0FIsOywf1xCJCZwEMJUZJhOHJuUyWCvie7AwB7cdaIEsyv1t9z1JZf6JlbcWr-Gki3kL1EPv51OSTLJWYIxktTOFwaaPyLXDWGTTRm6p4nVFYoHLKR30RA/s320/20181226_224406.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Stitch along the edges to create a border. This would be very fast on a sewing machine, but I just hand stitched it using a back stitch.</div>
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<b>Dealing with a fitted shirt:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bg07Wbd-Ym5gExjT9vjg58BIOIMuhEGB9LiYQ4ZGBhEo9jbngovvbBc6smYUzdJIbzOBrxvuzWpVOJu8NygdD-gFQCc_7UU4KyiCEfiqL3v9jygSjmfif_VXD6w7AHicz0hqxT484WA/s1600/20181227_224853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bg07Wbd-Ym5gExjT9vjg58BIOIMuhEGB9LiYQ4ZGBhEo9jbngovvbBc6smYUzdJIbzOBrxvuzWpVOJu8NygdD-gFQCc_7UU4KyiCEfiqL3v9jygSjmfif_VXD6w7AHicz0hqxT484WA/s320/20181227_224853.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you have darts in your shirt, cut a square out and carefully unpick the stitches in the dart before you pin the edges. You can iron the crease out if desired.</div>
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<b>To fold a corner:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jqB7BgGjABNoHt_KyfHGgeiouKrCb0qr-q2B8sjh2eqRAv4ev6e8KJAyJsolEJX_t3CvS6cCsvscdvP47GdQCDkg_-TpvHZlM0kMFxG_V_XxDNjzLWO8UXwBUpF85p7S1hL8f1YS2VI/s1600/20181227_230010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jqB7BgGjABNoHt_KyfHGgeiouKrCb0qr-q2B8sjh2eqRAv4ev6e8KJAyJsolEJX_t3CvS6cCsvscdvP47GdQCDkg_-TpvHZlM0kMFxG_V_XxDNjzLWO8UXwBUpF85p7S1hL8f1YS2VI/s320/20181227_230010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fold one side as usual. Fold the entire edge over, you should have a square corner at the top.</div>
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Tuck the second side into a triangle at the corner as shown. Then fold this side down, so the corner is once again square.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvtR7dHENBIQxKfZ_32K0D7p6Kz_EYmEIjb_qa78-RB6tfILuPsDqdz-b4dXyjDCsc4IxnD_Uwycgcelr29VL3tk1mU-CKlYa5sj4SeCqwzb_insYm5Ipkmx4Qb0LsfI4Uu-kl_R-Yyc/s1600/20181227_230126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvtR7dHENBIQxKfZ_32K0D7p6Kz_EYmEIjb_qa78-RB6tfILuPsDqdz-b4dXyjDCsc4IxnD_Uwycgcelr29VL3tk1mU-CKlYa5sj4SeCqwzb_insYm5Ipkmx4Qb0LsfI4Uu-kl_R-Yyc/s320/20181227_230126.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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A perfectly neat corner!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AwWNTVT7ndlSmzdOeYzaJnpUmvjtBReVZqUqjsJ3xwBAhAXE8o6QiSxuIGM-SqvMEDLmgtmROMu8yAVxPtf1najaprhihyphenhyphenAJbe7MXhBZDf1chwXgotqgyb2O94pB0p4z4-_DB8PEog8/s1600/20190420_104503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AwWNTVT7ndlSmzdOeYzaJnpUmvjtBReVZqUqjsJ3xwBAhAXE8o6QiSxuIGM-SqvMEDLmgtmROMu8yAVxPtf1najaprhihyphenhyphenAJbe7MXhBZDf1chwXgotqgyb2O94pB0p4z4-_DB8PEog8/s320/20190420_104503.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And that's it! A super simple way to make your own zero waste napkins, whilst also keeping your old shirts out of landfill.</div>
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I've made 2 hankies each out of these shirts so far, 2 small and 2 large. I still have more than enough fabric to make more and I've also made some other things from these shirts too!</div>
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There'll be a few more tutorials made from the same shirts coming soon, so stay posted. :)</div>
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Loppy x</div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-71284843441628434442019-04-13T08:40:00.000+00:002019-04-13T08:40:16.056+00:0025 Things I've Learned By 25<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
1. Your job doesn't define you.<br />
2. Leaving and starting again is always an option.<br />
3. Taking time for yourself is so important.<br />
4. Cooking at home is much more satisfying than getting a takeaway.<br />
5. Smiling instantly makes you feel better.<br />
6. Handmade gifts are the most treasured.<br />
7. Exercise can be fun, and makes you feel good.<br />
8. Self defence is a life skill that should be taught at school.<br />
9. Caffeine addiction is hard to break, but not impossible.<br />
10. Accept help when others offer it.<br />
11. Do a job that fits around your life, not the other way around.<br />
12. Check in on loved ones often.<br />
13. You only need enough money to live. If your jobs pays well but makes you deeply unhappy, leave.<br />
14. Learn old skills while you can, keep them alive.<br />
15. Leaving your comfort zone does wonders.<br />
16. Thinking positively manifests what you want.<br />
17. Don't skip breakfast.<br />
18. Saving the environment should be a top priority.<br />
19. Reusable products save money as well as the Earth.<br />
20. If you think you really need to buy something expensive, wait 3 months. If you still want it then, buy it. If not, don't.<br />
23. You don't need many possessions.<br />
24. Compliment others often.<br />
25. The best revenge is massive success. Success can be as simple as being happy in life.</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-85132837273780657502019-02-03T12:25:00.000+00:002019-02-03T12:28:41.737+00:00One Year Later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today marks one year since my mom's accident. One year since the day that I received the worst phone call of my life, where I was informed that my mom was in a coma after being run over by a Mercedes.<br />
I was unsure that I would ever see my mother alive, and aware, ever again.<br />
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I had to wait out the night sleeplessly until the morning, as no flights left from Iceland to England that late. I waited helplessly from over 1,000 miles away, terrified of every phone call, expecting the worst news.<br />
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The journey to the airport in the early hours was nightmarish. The weather was dreadful, and a few times a wave of water swept over the windscreen, obscuring our vision. I inwardly worried that we might also have an accident and imagined how awful that would be for my family; 2 car accidents in less than 24 hours, but 1,000 miles apart.<br />
<br />
I remember boarding our Icelandair flight and seeing multi coloured lights running along the base of the overhead luggage racks. I took it as a sign and felt a twinge of hope - mom loves rainbow colours.<br />
Then a sickening thought hit me. Mom had always told me that if she dies her funeral must be rainbow themed, no one will be allowed to wear black. I tried to suppress any thoughts of having to plan her funeral and told myself that she must survive, fully recovered.<br />
<br />
When the plane landed in Manchester we ran to passport control, hoping to get through quickly in order to make our train. The automatic scanner wouldn't let me through and I had to wait in the queue for manual inspection. The man working at the desk looked at me with unease as he checked my passport. He surveyed me; exhausted, unkempt and sobbing uncontrollably. He didn't want to let me through. A security woman behind him stepped forward and asked me if everything was okay. I screamed at them both that there was a family emergency and I had to go. She told me that everything's okay and I screamed back that it's not. I yanked my passport out of the man's hand and ran through the border, not caring about the consequences.<br />
We were running late for the train. The ticket machines were out of order and there was a queue at the booth. We missed the train by seconds, which put us an hour behind at a time when every second counted.<br />
<br />
Fortunately when we arrived mom was still alive and gradually started to improve. I won't recount the entire recovery as you can read it in other posts which I will link below.<br />
We were told that she would be in hospital and rehab for at least a year. Miraculously she left 6 months ago!<br />
There have been ups and downs since she left and a few setbacks but today she is alive, fully aware, and healthy and that is incredible.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7cme_eWQ7y64NU_o5RXSwhugXFh5PS6Xi6fZTwkp1sh5mWe9Lk__PHc1T2m4zguzc6HQOacoHIQkk97_fu7fLSkyJqEbqEwv5eTVlfjIG7Kdbz7AAdzypqDHYzaQ2lcmV-9eKy-tU5E/s1600/Screenshot_20180216-133927.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7cme_eWQ7y64NU_o5RXSwhugXFh5PS6Xi6fZTwkp1sh5mWe9Lk__PHc1T2m4zguzc6HQOacoHIQkk97_fu7fLSkyJqEbqEwv5eTVlfjIG7Kdbz7AAdzypqDHYzaQ2lcmV-9eKy-tU5E/s320/Screenshot_20180216-133927.png" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to my crowdfunder, you were a massive help!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Last week I visited her for my birthday and I couldn't believe that I was looking at the same person from last February. She was so happy, bright and full of energy, just like she used to be. You'd be hard-pressed to believe that she has a brain injury!<br />
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I will forever be thankful to the staff at both the QE and Sandwell hospitals, at Moseley Hall, and of course everyone who provided my family and myself with any kind of support during that horrendous 2018 that we had.<br />
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<b>Going into this year I'd like to remind everyone to check in with your loved ones often, you never know how long you have left with them. Life can change in a minute. Last year mine changed during the space of a short phone call.</b><br />
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<b>Also make time for yourself, life is too short to be stuck doing something you hate. You only need to make a living, don't overwork yourself.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>If you're feeling stressed, reduce your hours, even if it's only temporarily, it might make a world of difference.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Find time for your hobbies and passions, even if it's only for 10 minutes every couple of days.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Expand your comfort zone a little. It could be something as small as trying a new food, or as huge as taking a new job abroad.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Find happiness in the little things and don't let petty things ruin your mood. It really doesn't matter if the barista made your latte a few degrees colder than you'd like.</b><br />
<br />
Moving into 2019 I'm feeling optimistic that this will be a fantastic year and we are all looking forward to see what it brings.<br />
<br />
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous year.<br />
<br />
Loppy x<br />
<br />
Read about mom's recovery process<br />
<a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/03/the-first-and-hopefully-last-emergency.html" target="_blank">Read part one here...</a><br />
<a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/03/the-first-and-hopefully-last-emergency_59.html" target="_blank">Read part two here...</a><br />
<a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/03/the-first-and-hopefully-last-emergency_26.html" target="_blank">Read part three here...</a><br />
<a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/03/the-first-and-hopefully-last-emergency_31.html" target="_blank">Read part four here...</a><br />
<a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/06/the-first-emergency-back-home-four.html">Read the four month update here...</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/jacket-potato-lady-birmingham-crash-15300744">Read Birmingham Mail's update about mom here (includes video interview with her)</a></div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-85114390228775636202018-10-31T13:54:00.001+00:002018-10-31T13:54:05.116+00:00Midweek Mysteries: Halloween Superstitions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today's Midweek Mysteries is slightly different from usual, I'll be talking about the origins of Halloween.<br />
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Although we mostly associated as an American holiday nowadays, Halloween originated from the Celtic regions (UK, Ireland and Northern France. The Celts celebrated Samhain ( pronounced sow-in) on 31st October, which was celebrated as New Year's Eve during this era. Many of the Halloween traditions we enjoy today actually originated from Celtic superstitions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYj1GcZZpwKxRVvR5i5fEzFcZD5MZgAidgX-lePYS7uZoxq92GiQFN8wC5JPvKdSbN4FHam1tvMhVbO02s2y0YFmuiLJuFbyNx28A_kCajgOjiiaAg7WusKSCm7DoKYMSy_wfmDOxXcs/s1600/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYj1GcZZpwKxRVvR5i5fEzFcZD5MZgAidgX-lePYS7uZoxq92GiQFN8wC5JPvKdSbN4FHam1tvMhVbO02s2y0YFmuiLJuFbyNx28A_kCajgOjiiaAg7WusKSCm7DoKYMSy_wfmDOxXcs/s320/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Pumpkin Carving</b><br />
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Nowadays we carve pumpkins every year to decorate our homes during October. This tradition originated from England. Halloween night was considered to be the time that the dead could roam the Earth. To protect their homes from the spirits of the dead, people would carve grotesque faces into turnips and leave them in their doorways and window sills to scare away the ghosts.<br />
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<b>Trick or Treating</b><br />
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There is a little debate about how this tradition started but 2 theories stand out above the rest. One is that people believed that the lost souls roaming around could be bribed with food. People would leave baskets of food outside their houses as an offering to the spirits, believing that it would protect them from the phantoms' tricks. The other is that one Halloween, peasants would go 'souling'. This would involve them knocking on the doors of wealthier families begging for soul cakes in exchange for prayers for the wealthy families deceased loved ones.<br />
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<b>Apple Bobbing</b><br />
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Apple bobbing is believed to have originated as a way of divination. Apples were placed into a barrel and the first person to catch an apple without their hands would be the first to marry, hopefully before the next Halloween.<br />
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<b>Night of Fortune-telling</b><br />
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The veil between the realms were believed to be the thinnest on October 31st. Some people still believe that divination is strongest on Halloween night. Some fortune-telling games that people still partake in were started in ancient times. One of these games is throwing an apple peel (usually from a bobbed apple) over the left shoulder and whichever shape it lands in is a future spouses' inital.<br />
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<b>Wearing a Costume</b><br />
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This is another tradition that is debated. Some say that this started as a Bonfire Night tradition in England. People would wear a Guy Fawkes mask to hide their true natures. (Bonfire Night in England is celebrated on 5th November). Others say that people would wear masks when leaving their houses on Halloween to confuse the spirits and protect themselves from evil. Maybe both stories are true.<br />
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I'd love to hear some of your favourite Halloween traditions, let me know in the comments below!<br />
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Happy Halloween!<br />
Loppy x<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/185948-13-halloween-superstitions-with-bizarre-histories"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">https://www.bustle.com/articles/185948-13-halloween-superstitions-with-bizarre-histories</span></a><br />
<a href="https://paranormal.lovetoknow.com/urban-legends/halloween-superstitions"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">https://paranormal.lovetoknow.com/urban-legends/halloween-superstitions</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween</span></a></div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-67177807679313465292018-10-14T20:50:00.000+00:002018-10-14T21:09:31.593+00:00What to buy for a Halloween party (for adults)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">*LoppyLoves is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Just so that you are aware, I may get a small fee for any purchases you make through links on this post.</em><br />
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Halloween is fast approaching! If you haven't already planned one, here are some ideas to help you throw a memorable Halloween party!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity2u41uoJGBALtsUDhyVXERYFLlhF7N5XHIRI-v8bC82TazK7yZPJYDgMc78gdwtrBdfVrWkUf6G11_A5GonDaOHzEuCGz8ssYmtw2FXOwbA0yRWIepgAglw8vn3aLo3CwwVNdWWV6jY/s1600/Halloween+Crafts+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity2u41uoJGBALtsUDhyVXERYFLlhF7N5XHIRI-v8bC82TazK7yZPJYDgMc78gdwtrBdfVrWkUf6G11_A5GonDaOHzEuCGz8ssYmtw2FXOwbA0yRWIepgAglw8vn3aLo3CwwVNdWWV6jY/s320/Halloween+Crafts+Party.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">DECORATIONS (Indoors)</span></u></b></h2>
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<b>Halloween motif decorations</b></h3>
These spooky Halloween silhouette cut outs will look great hanging from the rafters (or just the ceiling) of your house. Place one of the giant spider streamers behind a doorway to scare your friends as they open the door!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1NjqIL7D5EGhA_HiU7KEVU0PEHaPB1slS_TB1u3ujCgpDaFKfdKlrJC57m4IVT2YScfXEIQnXnpPCTinrpbRyuTs6GYqeHPD7PGRXTkNYH7dDk-Cd_nDbGcW5xVY6tum1YPnQJl1scA/s1600/ah2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1NjqIL7D5EGhA_HiU7KEVU0PEHaPB1slS_TB1u3ujCgpDaFKfdKlrJC57m4IVT2YScfXEIQnXnpPCTinrpbRyuTs6GYqeHPD7PGRXTkNYH7dDk-Cd_nDbGcW5xVY6tum1YPnQJl1scA/s320/ah2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2xdELBA" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://amzn.to/2xdELBA" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Skeleton toilet door cover</b></h3>
Making your bathroom easily identifiable is always a good plan at any party. It prevents guests from awkwardly asking where the toilet is. This door cover is a hilarious bathroom door marker that your guests will love!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqSQTM8Nyj-UJnJ5nbnw1-KD2hMVHKShFRAmkxUozay0QUSAMfRAes3ZHz2hmNobl5N0dl0-K4DJ7I63WKxoDUXlMf50cxlCl4eLh2inwJN4XuvKkTHhVfGFKKz3YZxXCJXMZO8jd85c/s1600/ah3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqSQTM8Nyj-UJnJ5nbnw1-KD2hMVHKShFRAmkxUozay0QUSAMfRAes3ZHz2hmNobl5N0dl0-K4DJ7I63WKxoDUXlMf50cxlCl4eLh2inwJN4XuvKkTHhVfGFKKz3YZxXCJXMZO8jd85c/s320/ah3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2xfxst7" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Bathroom mirror sticker</b></h3>
While we're on the subject of bathrooms, this mirror decoration is brilliant for continuing the theme around the house. Your guests probably won't even notice it until they go to wash their hands...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7InlILnjxr94dBJfdInmAydVXedfZclEwk1qSvEp5kk2qPjYdStPqjw9ygWqW7cossB4mo49jHwi_TukRaRr9bcydxOJFrFq53Mdg027sJnWrhCsz04nbohz3u_FMhWLslsJHV0bkvw/s1600/ah4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7InlILnjxr94dBJfdInmAydVXedfZclEwk1qSvEp5kk2qPjYdStPqjw9ygWqW7cossB4mo49jHwi_TukRaRr9bcydxOJFrFq53Mdg027sJnWrhCsz04nbohz3u_FMhWLslsJHV0bkvw/s320/ah4.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2OjPoKt" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Green LED sign</b></h3>
This eerie green glowing sign will look great when the lights go out!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTKFjN83-nxMSRZ3bgY1sSxOeDzn_6C-A4uO8b3x5rOYsDKA4_R_QLsS1w6J9YuOHSwaqzA5mCSeaxbP3lB_2Cn8b-CrnoxxgJgfU_honYfXWvaJrwR1DD1fWcySjs2Uk_mhqARZ4Zj0/s1600/ah5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTKFjN83-nxMSRZ3bgY1sSxOeDzn_6C-A4uO8b3x5rOYsDKA4_R_QLsS1w6J9YuOHSwaqzA5mCSeaxbP3lB_2Cn8b-CrnoxxgJgfU_honYfXWvaJrwR1DD1fWcySjs2Uk_mhqARZ4Zj0/s320/ah5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2QrikS5" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Bag of bones</b></h3>
This pile of bones can be left anywhere; outside your front door, as a table centrepiece, or split it up and leave a trail of bones around the house. Or hide it somewhere off-limits to guests to spook the ones who go snooping...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iKsx6Ww23A0W3BzZwGR50EolS4LManU9IzlJRdBEJumAVnBxYYUtuX_OhW2vutI8muJJx0chZ9ahCadbWl5n6kPhXlj4iaUtT5yOuwS6Cdk-WF_l99UrXjZYQP_rKECBGF1PvHKOrNg/s1600/ah9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iKsx6Ww23A0W3BzZwGR50EolS4LManU9IzlJRdBEJumAVnBxYYUtuX_OhW2vutI8muJJx0chZ9ahCadbWl5n6kPhXlj4iaUtT5yOuwS6Cdk-WF_l99UrXjZYQP_rKECBGF1PvHKOrNg/s320/ah9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2Odn4x7" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Crime scene tape</b></h3>
I've used this at a few parties and it always go down a hit! It's great for sectioning off rooms that are off-limits to guests during the party. I've also found that people like to accessorize with it and make sashes across their costumes...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7t6z3ZtPdsuRV0A2a_F1zFOk7bm4m2oyC2QjGoUBD7Tk34OaMFEhsamjSObvKtwarQRTR_Dc_LyekLsVt-eEM4-WOS2q_xr1q3pQtQ4WuloWld3jysQPHYJpbocxL6mD9pxeW6WX5x4Y/s1600/ah10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7t6z3ZtPdsuRV0A2a_F1zFOk7bm4m2oyC2QjGoUBD7Tk34OaMFEhsamjSObvKtwarQRTR_Dc_LyekLsVt-eEM4-WOS2q_xr1q3pQtQ4WuloWld3jysQPHYJpbocxL6mD9pxeW6WX5x4Y/s320/ah10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2yblbaj" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">MUSIC</span></u></b></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Now That's What I Call Halloween album (3 Discs)</b></h3>
If you're a Spotify user this album is also available as a playlist. Recently I've been playing it at work when I'm working alone, it got a little awkward when halfway through preparing an order the Psycho murder scene music starting blaring out of the speakers...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdBsWbLJ_WdAZxEVEetSA2tGodMETuSGN9WJP-OwtcBiqTQ247T6zSsV7aeMD8X__owb9m6kGvCOHbHFYngGI8tSTpdJTlvnuzIRjfaSc-A4LX0SHgCJxt8NabtufVW63tnC1rG7qpxs/s1600/ah6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdBsWbLJ_WdAZxEVEetSA2tGodMETuSGN9WJP-OwtcBiqTQ247T6zSsV7aeMD8X__owb9m6kGvCOHbHFYngGI8tSTpdJTlvnuzIRjfaSc-A4LX0SHgCJxt8NabtufVW63tnC1rG7qpxs/s320/ah6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2CxKh7c" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">DECORATIONS (Outdoors)</span></u></b></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>The Creeper From the Grave garden statue</b></h3>
Continue the theme into your garden and hide this in the flowerbed. It could get some interesting reactions after a few drinks...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCyWlIEz4eNiqcFty3Yf9kjcZoZ8Mr3lszwhwsqvRE1O8xuVWDwFSYgZ7PO1FQABIzu029tVFJCbl46FaeY27BB13iLOJ-0xd56VIHEJyEP2M8pvhIzKDbNqjp8uazn1SrVIxjR_JxAI/s1600/ah7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="500" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCyWlIEz4eNiqcFty3Yf9kjcZoZ8Mr3lszwhwsqvRE1O8xuVWDwFSYgZ7PO1FQABIzu029tVFJCbl46FaeY27BB13iLOJ-0xd56VIHEJyEP2M8pvhIzKDbNqjp8uazn1SrVIxjR_JxAI/s320/ah7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2EaZvk2" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Skeleton Bride and Groom Statues</b></h3>
Following on from the Creeper statue, this skeleton couple have flashing eyes. Hide them in the bushes where guests will just see a pair of glowing eyes through the darkness...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIIH4qTv7O_pYSu-S4rCamvzfWJvjQrnkke6EdhxD1nb2yORpLgA1aBoDLpJ636PtPbYBwHGih_Kkouli35sNZaq2879-U0ufN3mrSGkTANACwj1aa95GofsyrDmw_scAAzhjqs-uBWo/s1600/ah13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIIH4qTv7O_pYSu-S4rCamvzfWJvjQrnkke6EdhxD1nb2yORpLgA1aBoDLpJ636PtPbYBwHGih_Kkouli35sNZaq2879-U0ufN3mrSGkTANACwj1aa95GofsyrDmw_scAAzhjqs-uBWo/s320/ah13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2PzbtFe" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Outdoor cobwebs</b></h3>
Decorate your entire house exterior with these huge cobwebs! They glow in the dark and are suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnjI6ytnJzmwPdEGdPcKJQfrIGjK4O8uHdL8kz7_YrRrXLZn_-2E6hzaf1H9JkMO1Ktf4tZZUtStRuYMj-JNej_PNyA0nuQ6X1LytmyHq9x7h7UNGKPf3W-tY7uQFNWdfO0uQUxfo1N8/s1600/ah8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnjI6ytnJzmwPdEGdPcKJQfrIGjK4O8uHdL8kz7_YrRrXLZn_-2E6hzaf1H9JkMO1Ktf4tZZUtStRuYMj-JNej_PNyA0nuQ6X1LytmyHq9x7h7UNGKPf3W-tY7uQFNWdfO0uQUxfo1N8/s320/ah8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2CvXPA9" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">MISCELLANEOUS</span></u></b></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Wine glass charms</b></h3>
These cute Halloween themed wine glass markers will help everybody to keep a tab on their own drink. They could also be used as party favours for guests to take home later.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKj4GoTDajjcTJyG6aIHfc6N9ksR49TmVLITIfUpqLVSj9db-uh-_6bd0kmZMs5A3F9CTHpmXjn83E00nJYHhgSfreL1BccVm4vv-0GvKtD7ciGXy62BdVQSN1f1kpocyx32q23Yv7_A/s1600/ah1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKj4GoTDajjcTJyG6aIHfc6N9ksR49TmVLITIfUpqLVSj9db-uh-_6bd0kmZMs5A3F9CTHpmXjn83E00nJYHhgSfreL1BccVm4vv-0GvKtD7ciGXy62BdVQSN1f1kpocyx32q23Yv7_A/s320/ah1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2NaVyQs" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Murder Mystery Game</b></h3>
Invite your guests to dress up as one of the well-known Halloween characters in this game and invite them over for the ultimate murder mystery party! It is for 8-10 players and takes around 2-3 hour to complete.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiujEnUG3RxJlzYNwx48dohmyZtnNySR_cV679tMlS5jgW5fa3uSOE2Is4SFBqwT1DWe8b9DukJTQvldq9F-0_D6rUfsAtKTwYnYmGHkrYnok6ehnw-DlwwYrjZHcr2A32jlauIbqtQ8/s1600/ah11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1266" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiujEnUG3RxJlzYNwx48dohmyZtnNySR_cV679tMlS5jgW5fa3uSOE2Is4SFBqwT1DWe8b9DukJTQvldq9F-0_D6rUfsAtKTwYnYmGHkrYnok6ehnw-DlwwYrjZHcr2A32jlauIbqtQ8/s320/ah11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2QKYDE6" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Halloween themed 2 litre bottle labels</b></h3>
These self adhesive bottle labels transform any 2 litre drink bottle into a ghoulish brew. You could also save a lot money by buying value range soda and replacing the labels.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqO2CHwA_rOuZsT-WJQ2hqvPpzMo23b8Xipg9YFgNLWy8G_BXtdkR4RZda_hGh9p8nb7gXszQyiQHX-tjZpJwBOZM-D29DBTnSpGxVPCZCC2j81tIJhH3pTVE0d6kHSaTZfPiMTcrGQyA/s1600/ah12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1500" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqO2CHwA_rOuZsT-WJQ2hqvPpzMo23b8Xipg9YFgNLWy8G_BXtdkR4RZda_hGh9p8nb7gXszQyiQHX-tjZpJwBOZM-D29DBTnSpGxVPCZCC2j81tIJhH3pTVE0d6kHSaTZfPiMTcrGQyA/s320/ah12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo: Amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://amzn.to/2yiuOEd" target="_blank"><br />here</a><br />
<br />
So that's my round up of Halloween products for an awesome (yet simple) party. If you're still looking for a costume then check out my <a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/09/how-to-dress-this-halloween.html" target="_blank">Halloween costume ideas post</a>.<br />
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I'd love to hear your plans for this Halloween, let me know below!<br />
<br />
Loppy x</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-64925305961226360162018-10-10T12:00:00.000+00:002018-10-10T19:48:52.313+00:00Midweek Mysteries: Kópavogskirkja, Iceland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week we're heading to the road I used to live on, Hamraborg, just outside the capital of Iceland.<br />
At the end of the road is an interesting church called K<span style="background-color: white; color: #211b14; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">ó</span>pavogskirkja (Church of K<span style="background-color: white; color: #211b14; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">ó</span>pavogur). Sitting atop Borgarholt hill, which is known to be one of the most populated elf colonies in Iceland. The unusual church structure opened in 1963 overlooking both <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reykjav<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">í</span>k </span>and K<span style="background-color: white; color: #211b14; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">ó</span>pavogur.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuBEy19xgUoecBLMv-iWVpwVII1-ArW63TFS0XxgPYl-KJa-CRLAgOjeAK6StRHVRc_qCTh6VYg54o9SysnTrOFO6e6w6l9AteGRb4dyFU0xY5DS8p-4Rtez06quwK4Bzj1aeTT1JJLY/s1600/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuBEy19xgUoecBLMv-iWVpwVII1-ArW63TFS0XxgPYl-KJa-CRLAgOjeAK6StRHVRc_qCTh6VYg54o9SysnTrOFO6e6w6l9AteGRb4dyFU0xY5DS8p-4Rtez06quwK4Bzj1aeTT1JJLY/s320/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES+%25283%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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One night I'd been out in downtown <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reykjav<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">í</span>k </span>with some friends and I missed the last bus home so I had to take a taxi. The driver was very chatty and was giving me interesting facts about everywhere that we passed (as so many taxi drivers in <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reyjav<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">í</span>k</span> do - it's a great way to take a tour of the city!). As we got closer to Hamraborg he shuddered as we approached the church.<br />
"You live <i>here</i>...?" he asked slowly. "Do you know about the church?"<br />
I shook my head, a little taken aback and slightly freaked out.<br />
"My grandmother told me that when the church was being built, the elves tried to stop it."<br />
I listened in awe as he told me the story of how the giant drills used to dig the foundations stopped working as soon as they touched the ground on the hill. The contruction workers were baffled as this had never happened before but they assumed that the drill was faulty. They ordered a new drill (at a large expense) and waited for it to be delivered. They tested the drill and it worked fine, so they went back to the hill. Again, as soon as the drill touched the ground, it stopped working. They deemed that the elves didn't want the church in that location so they moved it a few metres away from the original location. The drill worked finally and the church continued to be built with no more problems.<br />
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The landscape surrounding the church has been untouched and is very beautiful. Apparently this is so the elves can be left at peace...people don't want anymore trouble from them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM_s6mxnrkkl60Uwwsrvy-4L2V3MYl9MR2V08dEThVy8gjS6mnjKERqpf59zzGVTTilOfUhMJN3pKTArTF0zPgXQMCjoOIz9PKz5z_ennqlKDt_XV-VZ8G_nZtpAo_0Y760E6C9OFcQM/s1600/20180930_155925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM_s6mxnrkkl60Uwwsrvy-4L2V3MYl9MR2V08dEThVy8gjS6mnjKERqpf59zzGVTTilOfUhMJN3pKTArTF0zPgXQMCjoOIz9PKz5z_ennqlKDt_XV-VZ8G_nZtpAo_0Y760E6C9OFcQM/s320/20180930_155925.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Not far from the church is the road </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #211b14; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Á</em><i style="text-align: left;">lfh</i><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #211b14; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ó</em><i style="text-align: left;">lsvegur</i><span style="text-align: left;"> (elf hill road) where another story of the hidden people takes place.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #211b14; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Á</span><span style="text-align: left;">lfh</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #211b14; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ó</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ltsvegur </span>was meant to be the main street in <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">K</span></span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #211b14; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ó</span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">pavogur</span>, but when it was constructed the road workers ran into some problems. Near a large boulder, the machinery stopped working. The boulder was discovered to be an elf church. The workers brought in a 'seer' who could communicate with the elves and they all reached an agreement. The elf church had to be relocated to a new site before the work could continue, which it was.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKzfuw5LMMvKjsv5wnilzmuCx9_3OgGAbTF7eee7AQRgB-CKGDeuYw5aqEOw2qqRraZk-OO46wwlMByVQv4x1gO4NevHlfAbUBiobuaryNgm8afqb3ecJgwXWdEgvhpIYLSd-iWuySZE/s1600/20180930_155917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKzfuw5LMMvKjsv5wnilzmuCx9_3OgGAbTF7eee7AQRgB-CKGDeuYw5aqEOw2qqRraZk-OO46wwlMByVQv4x1gO4NevHlfAbUBiobuaryNgm8afqb3ecJgwXWdEgvhpIYLSd-iWuySZE/s320/20180930_155917.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you had any experiences with the hidden people of Iceland?</div>
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Loppy x</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://visitreykjavik.is/kopavogskirkja-church"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://visitreykjavik.is/kopavogskirkja-church</span></a><br />
<a href="https://books.google.is/books?id=j-NMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=hamraborg+elves&source=bl&ots=WkRCSu1fp9&sig=g8wcUouTUjr70YbwdXyWwkJBa4g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq-aSZqvfdAhWR3KQKHa8ICW4Q6AEwCHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=hamraborg%20elves&f=false"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://books.google.is/books?id=j-NMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=hamraborg+elves&source=bl&ots=WkRCSu1fp9&sig=g8wcUouTUjr70YbwdXyWwkJBa4g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiq-aSZqvfdAhWR3KQKHa8ICW4Q6AEwCHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=hamraborg%20elves&f=false</span></a><br />
<a href="http://totaliceland.com/why-the-area-around-kopavogur-church-in-iceland-is-untouched/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://totaliceland.com/why-the-area-around-kopavogur-church-in-iceland-is-untouched/</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/huldufolk-supernatural-creatures-hiding-iceland-005870"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/huldufolk-supernatural-creatures-hiding-iceland-005870</span></a></div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-18441274591830350152018-10-07T12:00:00.000+00:002018-10-07T12:00:02.161+00:00Boohoo Haul (First time importing from the UK)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So in the last few months I've managed to wear out TWO pairs of jeans! Looking through my wardrobe I realised I was seriously lacking in comfortable and appropriate trousers for work (I'm on my feet and moving all day so skinny jeans aren't the best thing to wear), everyday dresses, and skirts. I decided that it was finally time to go clothes shopping. Except I didn't want to do that in Iceland...it's way too expensive.</div>
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I'd heard horror stories of the inflated import taxes on imported items and so up until this point I had avoided ordering anything online to be delivered to Iceland. I either ordered it to the UK and waited a few months to collect it on my next visit, or had a relative post it a a gift if it was urgently needed. However this time I decided to be brave and have something sent straight to Iceland for once! I looked on my favourite website Boohoo.com to see what I could find, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered delivery to Iceland.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Sweetheart Neck Skater Dress Colour Grape - £20</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtCuXAqowhCIDIB12ogPE4wQRxRRUNQm1rDia7L2XoyT1sOCk8rkPPlbiBjjMrAq_sm-etVjFmjxAklHDCggveS00YVN9Hj4XYENZk-175bE1DH9jNAYeSAyvRkUe-QZpBI9AIOmDVsQ/s1600/Boohoo_Sweetheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtCuXAqowhCIDIB12ogPE4wQRxRRUNQm1rDia7L2XoyT1sOCk8rkPPlbiBjjMrAq_sm-etVjFmjxAklHDCggveS00YVN9Hj4XYENZk-175bE1DH9jNAYeSAyvRkUe-QZpBI9AIOmDVsQ/s320/Boohoo_Sweetheart.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Boohoo.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I've actually owned the same sweetheart neck skater dress before. It had a different name on the website back then (around 2012/2013). It was my favourite dress until one day I wanted to wear it on a date. I was in a rush to leave the house and needed to iron the dress, the iron setting was on high (I hadn't checked it) and the fabric melted!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I was devastated and kept the dress even though it was unwearable. I looked on the Boohoo website back then but couldn't find it, I'm so glad they have it again. I did wear it once more a couple of years after I ruined it. My friend's 21st birthday party was Alice in Wonderland themed. I didn't have a costume but I made some patches out of felt to cover the burn mark.</span><br />
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Anyway I ordered the dress in the colour Grape, I think it is slightly brighter than the last dress but it was the closest colour they had. I did notice that the new dress doesn't seem as well made, the material is thinner than the old dress but it still fits nicely!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAesmLdiGqJJ5oVcrysFl-EeXtlkyK1JTTVfTmIheaf5W_96rviHc3FRyBXl7FI_PqQekUbP-km2W3u-GdcGzuE8GKhszca4VmbGoIGPBHsqoojUB3Zewr2NFmssD80ajny04VAGlIOHk/s1600/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAesmLdiGqJJ5oVcrysFl-EeXtlkyK1JTTVfTmIheaf5W_96rviHc3FRyBXl7FI_PqQekUbP-km2W3u-GdcGzuE8GKhszca4VmbGoIGPBHsqoojUB3Zewr2NFmssD80ajny04VAGlIOHk/s320/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alice themed decorations I added to my old dress, the clock covers the burn mark!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Tall Jess Cigarette Trousers Colour Black - £7</span></div>
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I was eager to try trousers from the Tall range which is recommended for people 5'6" and over. I'm 5'7" so just about fall into this category. For the last couple of years I've noticed that so many British shops have been selling ankle grazers and not much else. I'm not a fan of ankle grazers, but even full length jeans look like ankle grazers on me sometimes! I hoped that the Tall collection would have some decent full length skinny black trousers, and I didn't want jeans.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTCfUY8VQfymOm0V8K4jfFkfSwdvoZHd2ufV2IKHuNKowFfdr621nc06jlH9Zf6gVSEKMTSL2Eqt7wivEIBIErRAUZlYC0puHlnSFQ04tiaJShfgiJdDBtS7vS3iTz4X_z5z3N7kQG_Q/s1600/Boohoo_TallJess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTCfUY8VQfymOm0V8K4jfFkfSwdvoZHd2ufV2IKHuNKowFfdr621nc06jlH9Zf6gVSEKMTSL2Eqt7wivEIBIErRAUZlYC0puHlnSFQ04tiaJShfgiJdDBtS7vS3iTz4X_z5z3N7kQG_Q/s320/Boohoo_TallJess.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Boohoo.com</td></tr>
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I found 2 pairs in the sale, and there was just one black pair of each left in my size! The first were the cigarette trousers. I've owned one pair of cigarette trousers before but they didn't suit me at all! They were ankle grazers though so I thought I'd give them another chance. I absolutely love these trousers! They fit like skinny jeans, they're very comfortable and they're high-waisted with an elasticated waist band. The only thing that I find weird about them is a little V-shape cut out at the top with wires inside. I might take the wires out as they dig in a little bit when I'm sitting down.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Tall Esme Crepe Joggers Colour Black - £8</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNd1NRFXo_IH5Rz2Lp2Oh8jf4YPyrmEeQU-jyhQVxg8Qka8_uATO5ck0_xGs2j6JGhgh3h0_OAgp5SvbsZ72S8nuDCompqADZg89Z6kXgLc9Mjb9ePCZEYkgNT8RvtzAk7sV9qnqVjJ0/s1600/Boohoo_TallEsme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNd1NRFXo_IH5Rz2Lp2Oh8jf4YPyrmEeQU-jyhQVxg8Qka8_uATO5ck0_xGs2j6JGhgh3h0_OAgp5SvbsZ72S8nuDCompqADZg89Z6kXgLc9Mjb9ePCZEYkgNT8RvtzAk7sV9qnqVjJ0/s320/Boohoo_TallEsme.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Boohoo.com</td></tr>
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The other trousers were the crepe joggers. I was most excited about these as I like skinny joggers and I thought they'd be good for work as they look like formal trousers but they're comfortable! the material clings to all the wrong places and creases up, although I could probably get away with wearing them with a long top. There's another problem with them...they're too long! I couldn't believe how long these were! The cigarette trousers are the perfect length for me but the joggers bunch up a lot around the ankles.</div>
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*Edit* It's been over a month since I bought these and now they've become my favourite trousers. They look quite stylish with the ankles rolled up and they after I washed them they don't cling so badly! The material is very thin though so I've had to wear them with thermal leggings on cold days.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Plain Full Circle Midi Skirt Colour Black - £14</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa-p8bYEEbJON0doGhxp9tCbd75I-4eUY1_dFvMm4QcfEOXThg4Z7eoG8sOLyb6p7wfWD9wxMPixYkPaKJVeRLR_Zx3HxQmcfDPhTewMdPgFmZdvv_FCzk7mH1z8mrggpX-CWM9vmNQ0/s1600/Boohoo_midi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa-p8bYEEbJON0doGhxp9tCbd75I-4eUY1_dFvMm4QcfEOXThg4Z7eoG8sOLyb6p7wfWD9wxMPixYkPaKJVeRLR_Zx3HxQmcfDPhTewMdPgFmZdvv_FCzk7mH1z8mrggpX-CWM9vmNQ0/s320/Boohoo_midi.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">I used to live in black skater skirts back home. I didn't bring one with me to Iceland and have learnt to live without them but this caught my eye. The ones I used to wear were mini skirts, and a mini skater skirt would be awful in Iceland - the first gust of wind and I'd be exposed! This midi one is is perfect though, and it's long enough to wear throughout the winter months (with thermal tights underneath!). The material is thick and the skirt feels sturdy.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Long Sleeve Midi Dress Colour Berry - £14</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk44nn4Iv78XPRgteQchrqGwmr6b_Y0gC0UoSyiSmV6sSg9tgqLAw0LnM54Rb6JmplRWpH2u1hZDqJs0Ts4TiJ1gPjts2xzCQmVG42EFBiTvC00vPxktUliFBO_cY_qJlvfydo65jhTyE/s1600/Boohoo_mididress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk44nn4Iv78XPRgteQchrqGwmr6b_Y0gC0UoSyiSmV6sSg9tgqLAw0LnM54Rb6JmplRWpH2u1hZDqJs0Ts4TiJ1gPjts2xzCQmVG42EFBiTvC00vPxktUliFBO_cY_qJlvfydo65jhTyE/s320/Boohoo_mididress.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Photo: Boohoo.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I was so excited for this everyday dress...but I was so disappointed when it arrived. It creases so easily and it's very badly made, there's gaps in the stitching between the skirt and bodice and the hemline isn't even. That being said I'll still wear it, it's very comfortable but very thin. I thought that this would be a good Winter dress but I'd need to wear a thermal vest underneath it to stay warm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Importation fees</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Now for the scary part - the taxes! From the stories I'd heard I was expecting to pay 100% or more in taxes on what I'd bought! I'd heard of people spending 1500 krona on something and paying 5000 krona in tax and handling at the post office. I hoped it wouldn't come to that!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Here are the numbers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Subtotal of items: £63 (8,759 isk)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Delivery: £9.99 (1,389 isk)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b>Total before import fees: £72.99 (10,148 isk)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: small;">Customs duty: 2681 isk (£19.29)</span><br />
<b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Total after import fees: 12,830 isk (£92.28)</b><br />
<b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></b>
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: small;">Divided between the five items that means I paid just 2,566 isk (£18.46) per piece including postage and import taxes, which is still a massive bargain for Iceland!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: small;">Strangely only the skirt was listed on the customs declaration, I don't know if this had anything to do with the low fee but I thought it was very reasonable non-the-less. I was relieved that it all worked out okay and I will definitely be ordering again in the future!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Loppy x</span></td></tr>
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</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-79364328549151215162018-10-03T21:39:00.000+00:002018-10-03T21:45:24.367+00:00Midweek Mysteries: Reykjavík Höfði House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this week's Midweek Mysteries I'll be telling you about what is known to be the most haunted house in Icelan<span style="font-family: inherit;">d, H</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ö</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">f</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ði</span>. Located in the Borgat<span style="font-family: inherit;">ú</span>n business district of Reykjavík, H</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">ö</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">f</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">ði has a rich and interesting history behind it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuOOSLIkzeFOKEdmW_XSmjR3cmGkjCMGPAHI2WwGSQ8uip7lZTRtUrukQv0SfrqrJ_17_BfRItCBmjpEhUaTqBjWKb4IRDQ1lWw55zCsKxA9gwCBWeOmQ2pGrgGNXR1kprwt2Lx224fc/s1600/Midweek+mysteries+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuOOSLIkzeFOKEdmW_XSmjR3cmGkjCMGPAHI2WwGSQ8uip7lZTRtUrukQv0SfrqrJ_17_BfRItCBmjpEhUaTqBjWKb4IRDQ1lWw55zCsKxA9gwCBWeOmQ2pGrgGNXR1kprwt2Lx224fc/s320/Midweek+mysteries+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Originally built in 1909 for the French Consulate Jean-Paul Brillouin, H</span><span style="background-color: white;">ö</span><span style="background-color: white;">f</span><span style="background-color: white;">ði still retains features from that time, such as the letters RF (<span style="font-family: inherit;">République Française</span>) above an inside doorway. It was built in an Art Noveau Norwegian/French style and was built in Norway before being shipped to Iceland. Jean-Paul complained about the house being haunted, and only stayed in it for 4 years before selling it and leaving the country.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">In 1914, the Icelandic poet and judge Einar Benediktsson moved to H</span><span style="background-color: white;">ö</span><span style="background-color: white;">fði with his family. </span><i style="background-color: white;">Interestingly, he was born on Halloween, although this is irrevelant to the story!</i><span style="background-color: white;"> Einar began to feel uncomfortable in his new home and he also believed it to be haunted. He concluded that he was being haunted by a young woman called<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sólborg Jónsdottir, who had poisoned herself after Einar's verdict on a court case involving her. He complained that he had to keep the lights on in the house at night, as her spirit would often appear to him. A few years later, he sold the house.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the years another 10 people lived at H</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">ö</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">f</span>ði, al</span>though none of them stayed very long. Many of them cited the hauntings as the reason for leaving. The locals started talking, and rumours spread that the site was built on an ancient Viking burial ground - which is why the liquor cabinets were habitually raided by spirits! Others said that a former caretaker haunted the grounds, although there are no records of a caretaker dying at the property.<br />
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The British Embassy bought the house in the 1940s, and it was used as the first British embassy in Iceland. In 1952 the British ambassador John Greenway moved to H<span style="background-color: white;">ö</span>fði. He would be the last ever resident. He immediately began seeing apparitions of a young lady dressed in white whom he named 'The White Lady'. He insisted that the embassy sell the house and move elsewhere, due to 'bumps in the night'. He escalated the case and sought for special permission from the Home Office to sell the house, which he received. The Icelandic government bought the house that same year and no one has lived in it since. It is now used to hold important meetings, such as the Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986. Unfortunately, it is closed to the public.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3y-9-5RGfOBk8yHLv1MDEx5AvCWwS6vWIF9xMvUULU-JdwXCyK-Vjp74epkpe8IY3wpbnENPqO62m67cwW7RUm17Vv1_N9bd2RYXmWXGb_kk4JJhJ9EuSrIY9MYM_WLw5E9_UQeA6W8/s1600/20180930_161715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3y-9-5RGfOBk8yHLv1MDEx5AvCWwS6vWIF9xMvUULU-JdwXCyK-Vjp74epkpe8IY3wpbnENPqO62m67cwW7RUm17Vv1_N9bd2RYXmWXGb_kk4JJhJ9EuSrIY9MYM_WLw5E9_UQeA6W8/s320/20180930_161715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When asked the address the rumours of the hauntings, the Icelandic Foreign Ministry released the following statement:<br />
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<i>'We do not confirm or deny that the H</i><span style="background-color: white;"><i>ö</i></span><i>fði has a ghost.'</i><br />
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You'll just have to decide for yourselves...<br />
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Sweet dreams...<br />
<br />
Loppy x<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://naturekicks.com/haunted-places-in-iceland-that-you-should-never-visit/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://naturekicks.com/haunted-places-in-iceland-that-you-should-never-visit/</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.nat.is/travelguide/ahugav_st_hofdi.htm"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.nat.is/travelguide/ahugav_st_hofdi.htm</span></a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B6f%C3%B0i"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B6f%C3%B0i</span></a><br />
<a href="https://visitreykjavik.is/hofdi-house"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://visitreykjavik.is/hofdi-house</span></a><br />
<a href="https://grapevine.is/mag/2017/09/21/time-capsule-hofdi/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://grapevine.is/mag/2017/09/21/time-capsule-hofdi/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://books.google.is/books?id=j-NMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=einar+benediktsson+haunted&source=bl&ots=WkRBYtVdna&sig=-kNMIpHdio9n__COvFWLR5U94sg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHtuWalOvdAhUDL1AKHXqtAFUQ6AEwBXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=einar%20benediktsson%20haunted&f=false">https://books.google.is/books?id=j-NMBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=einar+benediktsson+haunted&source=bl&ots=WkRBYtVdna&sig=-kNMIpHdio9n__COvFWLR5U94sg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHtuWalOvdAhUDL1AKHXqtAFUQ6AEwBXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=einar%20benediktsson%20haunted&f=false</a></span></div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-20283517851863897632018-09-27T13:27:00.001+00:002018-09-27T13:27:19.381+00:00Overnight Oats (V) Just 30 ISK a serving!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a really cheap, simple and healthy breakfast recipe that is also great for a grab and go breakfast. It is extremely inexpensive, and can be made even cheaper if needed. It is still very cheap to make in Iceland! The basic concept is oats soaked in liquid, with something added (usually dried fruit or nuts).<br />
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I've added the costing with current prices from Kronan supermarket. Prices correct at time of writing.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>30g Oats - 5kr (179kr for 1kg bag)</li>
<li>40ml Oat milk - 11kr (269kr for 1 litre)</li>
<li>20g Raisins - 14kr (169kr for 250g)</li>
<li>15g Dried cranberries - 30kr (399kr for 200g)</li>
<li>15g Coconut cubes - 45kr (299kr for 100g)</li>
<li>15g Chia seeds - 9kr (299kr for 500g)</li>
</ul>
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In a small container add 20-30g oats. It will look like a small amount but they are very filling! Add a small handful of raisins and cover with milk. Stir everything together and pop in the fridge overnight. That's it, so simple! This basic recipe costs just 30kr per serving! That's 21p in sterling, proving that eating in Iceland doesn't have to be expensive.</div>
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That's the basic recipe but you can add whatever you like to the mixture. I've added some dried cranberries, a few coconut cubes and a tablespoon of chia seeds. It's still cheap with these extras at just 114kr (78p) a serving and the possibilities are endless! If you'd like it sweeter, add some honey or maple syrup.</div>
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Variations:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mocha: Replace milk with cooled coffee, add cacao nibs in place of raisins. Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder and sweeten to taste.</li>
<li>Blueberry bircher: Replace milk with yoghurt (can be plain or flavoured), replace raisins with blueberries (dried or fresh). Top with fresh blueberries in the morning.</li>
<li>Apple and cinnamon: Replace milk with half plain yoghurt and half apple juice, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.</li>
</ul>
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I'd love to hear what variations you come up with! Let me know in the comment below.</div>
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<div>
Loppy x</div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-82599766810006961922018-09-19T11:49:00.000+00:002018-09-19T11:51:48.677+00:00Midweek Mysteries: Glasgow Necropolis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week's Midweek Mysteries I'll be telling you a true story from the cemetery in Glasgow, the South Necropolis.<br />
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The Gorbals was a poverty-stricken area of Glasgow in the 1950s. Running water wasn't a commodity in most households and the area was filthy, covered in thick black smog. The streets were over run with gangs and violence, it wasn't a nice place to grow up to say the least. There were no public playgrounds for the children, so they would often play in the local cemetery which was a lovely green area atop a hill. In 1954 a rumour spread around the school playground that 2 children from The Gorbals had gone missing whilst playing in the cemetery. The story spread like wildfire that a 7 foot tall vampire with iron teeth was to blame. It had supposedly eaten the children. The adults of course wouldn't believe them, so they decided to take the matter into their own hands.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNbq-WaD_uxGyj8C5gd2yIpWOZQjiAyiDiXCb956lbbuEF51f64fuSELWXbR_NO1herZpWZd5HamHfhTdWu21TOu9k-MbzIJx4GbE5DB9rbiSj7gYlvCpx0NSye2Lj74HvAk8prLKtuA/s1600/12543245_210241529316345_425262281_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNbq-WaD_uxGyj8C5gd2yIpWOZQjiAyiDiXCb956lbbuEF51f64fuSELWXbR_NO1herZpWZd5HamHfhTdWu21TOu9k-MbzIJx4GbE5DB9rbiSj7gYlvCpx0NSye2Lj74HvAk8prLKtuA/s320/12543245_210241529316345_425262281_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tomb within Glasgow Necropolis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On an autumn evening in September, a policeman was called to Glasgow Necropolis on reports of hundreds of children running amok in the cemetery. The children were armed with stakes, knives and dogs and told the police man that they were hunting the Gorbals Vampire which had eaten two of their friends. The police man of course dismissed their claims, but he couldn't get the children to leave the cemetery. The hunt went on for another 2 nights, after which the children either got tired of hunting or decided that the vampire wasn't real after all. The local media at the time covered the story and tried to contact the police regarding the case of the missing children, but no report had been filed of the 2 Gorbals children going missing from the cemetery. The mass hysteria around the vampire was put down to 'American comic book culture' allowing the children's imaginations to run wild. It didn't help that an American comic book had been released around the same time called 'The Vampire with the Iron Teeth'. There is also an old ghost story about 'Jenny wi' the iron teeth' who supposedly haunted Glasgow in the 18th Century.<br />
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Whether there ever was a vampire or not in the South Necropolis, the children at the time certainly believed it! Some of them who were on the hunt still maintain to this day that they saw the vampire with their own eyes. But they didn't manage catch it...<br />
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Sweet dreams...<br />
<br />
Loppy x<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://ebooks.visitscotland.com/ghosts-myths-legends/vampire-glasgow-necropolis/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://ebooks.visitscotland.com/ghosts-myths-legends/vampire-glasgow-necropolis/</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.scotclans.com/the-vampire-of-the-gorbals/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.scotclans.com/the-vampire-of-the-gorbals/</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/the-gorbals-vampire-and-monster-hunt-that-shook-glasgow-1-4076003"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/the-gorbals-vampire-and-monster-hunt-that-shook-glasgow-1-4076003</span></a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Necropolis"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Necropolis</span></a></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-7056394302578227682018-09-16T16:50:00.000+00:002018-09-16T17:11:59.931+00:00Roasted Orange Roots Soup (V)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week has turned colder and the leaves are starting to turn. Autumn is setting in here in South Iceland. As soon as the weather starts to turn I start to crave soup. It's what I live on during the colder months, and there's nothing I love more than a roasted vegetable soup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV9XS6buXxVP7JPuDN61dq8jpRgfS08hiDepqB_HaUB6iJ81ra_UP0GEEaYg5tL5nPJL-0VcGpTyK2Z9thVEhQRfKrIYlX1jNPjEMnBnF2fWw5InW5MkZMCNwCzxxCpZtlyCbOX4aYcI/s1600/Blueberry+Desserts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV9XS6buXxVP7JPuDN61dq8jpRgfS08hiDepqB_HaUB6iJ81ra_UP0GEEaYg5tL5nPJL-0VcGpTyK2Z9thVEhQRfKrIYlX1jNPjEMnBnF2fWw5InW5MkZMCNwCzxxCpZtlyCbOX4aYcI/s320/Blueberry+Desserts.png" width="213" /></a><br />
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My Viking has been feeling ill for over a week now, suspected throat infection. He's been drinking lots of herbal tea with honey but I wanted to get a good dose of vitamins into him.</div>
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We had a large sweet potato in the fridge that needed to be used up and some onions and garlic. This would've been enough for a basic soup but I wanted to add a couple of other vegetables so I bought a butternut squash and a small bag of carrots (the only veg that I'm absolutely sure go well with sweet potato). And the result was Roasted Orange Root Soup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qwmADPL3NK6HuYNfXYsBhBNkSkfrschOyBGPKzBhiVEJ-VIz-BQOIRXNRZU64GvOK_zNVtfa3ir0FE4e6LKXyFl-FOgclEtaZ2uR7LugVCO5wAShBci9C7IYoew7zibrSRXwBKL40X8/s1600/20180913_101234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qwmADPL3NK6HuYNfXYsBhBNkSkfrschOyBGPKzBhiVEJ-VIz-BQOIRXNRZU64GvOK_zNVtfa3ir0FE4e6LKXyFl-FOgclEtaZ2uR7LugVCO5wAShBci9C7IYoew7zibrSRXwBKL40X8/s320/20180913_101234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Serves 4-6</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 Large sweet potato</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 Medium butternut squash</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">5 Medium carrots</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 Medium onion</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">3 Cloves garlic</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">2 Tablespoons dried rosemary or 3 sprigs of fresh</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 Tablespoon dried Thyme or 1 sprig fresh</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Salt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pepper</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Oil</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Vegetable Stock</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Chili (optional)</li>
</ul>
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Method:<br />
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Chop the vegetables including the onion into small bite sized pieces. Spread over a baking tray with the whole cloves of garlic and drizzle oil over. Shake over the Rosemary and Thyme and a little salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until they are evenly covered with herbs and oil. Roast for 40 minutes at 20<span style="font-family: inherit;">0<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">°</span>C/Gas mark 6.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Test that the vegetables are mashable with the back of a fork and remove from the oven. When cooled slightly, tip the veg into a blender with ab<span style="font-family: inherit;">out </span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ litre of stock and blend until smooth. If you prefer a chunky soup, just blend half of the veg.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tip the soup into a pot and warm through, adding more water/stock if necessary and salt and pepper to taste.</span></span></div>
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*Optional* This soup works really well with a bit of spice, just add some dried or fresh chili to the blender for a fiery kick! Or for some added sweetness, roast an orange bell pepper with the other vegetables.</div>
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Serve with a chunky bread roll and enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMN0tT4xcFqZXpFzturKwNB81OCRhilM_kwbx_tZadYTbsWKRUXOcm2r-HqGxV38pcL4UUPkI_mNNmu-E4MF-HfMgKT3zYOZadtokjgI3Q-XgmUpnJN1pjJVXS56bJttD1Ww2bjMsm00/s1600/20180913_131346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMN0tT4xcFqZXpFzturKwNB81OCRhilM_kwbx_tZadYTbsWKRUXOcm2r-HqGxV38pcL4UUPkI_mNNmu-E4MF-HfMgKT3zYOZadtokjgI3Q-XgmUpnJN1pjJVXS56bJttD1Ww2bjMsm00/s320/20180913_131346.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Three cloves of garlic may seem excessive but it really adds a boost to your immune system and it possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Rosemary is also anti-inflammatory and can even help to relieve pain! Thyme can help you to recover from a cold and is great at relieving a sore throat. This soup is packed full of goodness to aid you through the winter. I hope you enjoy it!</div>
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Loppy x</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-45710532134755921272018-09-14T12:27:00.000+00:002018-09-14T13:03:20.419+00:00How to dress this Halloween<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">*LoppyLoves is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Just so that you are aware, I may get a small fee for any purchases you make through links on this post.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fKWh2H6kUJh8Hy1hEutyF714lf4cF1nU5HnPCMAelm4BOBptFE-YfTZMo706V2nBu-es3zzqBNhO6jlN1qSkXR8c_mvUEahqs6U2A2sxOmMaHacRcp4z-EtL5RBcxTpx0ubbHpbzx4Y/s1600/Halloween+Crafts+Party.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fKWh2H6kUJh8Hy1hEutyF714lf4cF1nU5HnPCMAelm4BOBptFE-YfTZMo706V2nBu-es3zzqBNhO6jlN1qSkXR8c_mvUEahqs6U2A2sxOmMaHacRcp4z-EtL5RBcxTpx0ubbHpbzx4Y/s320/Halloween+Crafts+Party.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Halloween is fast approaching, so with that in mind I thought I'd compile a list of costume ideas! From affordable and simple, to historical and detailed, this list should have everyone covered!<br />
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<b>Black wings and halo - £4.99+FREE DELIVERY</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgv9NBOcCuqXB8shbsAusDS0kaBG4LYt526ubNx2xIGUYnOrYzouxty8G6KyCOHE99mZeV1Zjefn4w7GZfRI2IFofNssWI7ywMZPl-Vz-P9Qc35g-7JauHLzXFjYr0-gcRtnpE6Yu-Ds/s1600/black+angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="355" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgv9NBOcCuqXB8shbsAusDS0kaBG4LYt526ubNx2xIGUYnOrYzouxty8G6KyCOHE99mZeV1Zjefn4w7GZfRI2IFofNssWI7ywMZPl-Vz-P9Qc35g-7JauHLzXFjYr0-gcRtnpE6Yu-Ds/s320/black+angel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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This black angel wings and halo set is an affordable way to turn any outfit into a costume! It is also available in white if you don't want to be a dark angel. It would love lovely over a simple black dress, or even a dark purple or red. Or if you're not into dresses maybe you could be inspired by the Train song <i>Angel in Blue Jeans</i>...<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2N8c83y" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Plus size spider - Starting from £9.99</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWKglHxwk7RONFuwbZhIdjJbwzpLkWK62iM4FqVTTxDay5PfmDlH_Zk3yD-eYI0oBUE7PNOLNiY7zmU6IlT9Ur5XWC9dfxs3jw9B6_oMs4Gl_Wb-0hjHcXxu0o-hDqzN1QA_qdmFuiaM/s1600/plus+size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWKglHxwk7RONFuwbZhIdjJbwzpLkWK62iM4FqVTTxDay5PfmDlH_Zk3yD-eYI0oBUE7PNOLNiY7zmU6IlT9Ur5XWC9dfxs3jw9B6_oMs4Gl_Wb-0hjHcXxu0o-hDqzN1QA_qdmFuiaM/s1600/plus+size.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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This stunning spiderweb costume comes in sizes XL-3XL. The prices vary (not really sure why?) with the most expensive size being 2XL at £13.67. The cold shoulder detailing and the bat wing sleeves look very elegant and almost too beautiful to be just a costume!<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2x5guOK" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Carry me<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">®</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>zombie - £39.99+FREE DELIVERY</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BRqHhv1Wq4LgvZw7n4zX9R3RWRgr10hpCLcm-xyt7xgb8Ozlqlpzdz4p4FALeAiW9pvjlQfNDdyMKxjF-YOBtgdk9kj0y_WYJuj8PKStyO0RcvT1-t-1VJhcsLZ_Wgo8veuWvfDGp7Y/s1600/zombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BRqHhv1Wq4LgvZw7n4zX9R3RWRgr10hpCLcm-xyt7xgb8Ozlqlpzdz4p4FALeAiW9pvjlQfNDdyMKxjF-YOBtgdk9kj0y_WYJuj8PKStyO0RcvT1-t-1VJhcsLZ_Wgo8veuWvfDGp7Y/s1600/zombie.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you like funny costumes rather than scary costumes, this is the one for you! Wear your own t-shirt and this costume on the bottom, then run around the party with flailing arms screaming for help. Then please send me a video because I'd love to see that.<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2QjSn6S" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Cat face swing dress - Starting from £9.89</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAxBJgM67pLgtwMd4rSSW0FUK4wuItPYrnIE2LgAtBnFCKnvZoMLjNvU4HJsNKub0rBd2nVEJzclmsCvm52HndM34m2qiA3RZIqmyS8oabtCuOoYFOiSkpaFH8OxdbwDtZZUk6n1WzR4/s1600/cat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="347" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAxBJgM67pLgtwMd4rSSW0FUK4wuItPYrnIE2LgAtBnFCKnvZoMLjNvU4HJsNKub0rBd2nVEJzclmsCvm52HndM34m2qiA3RZIqmyS8oabtCuOoYFOiSkpaFH8OxdbwDtZZUk6n1WzR4/s320/cat.png" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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Again this one varies in price! It starts from £9.89 for size 8/10 to £13.49 for size 20/22. It is available in sizes 8/10 - 24/26. There are actually 28 different designs to choose from in this listing! I've chosen this one as it could actually be worn year round, and if you like to keep your costume simple then this is a great choice. You could pair it with a cat ear hairband (like <a href="https://amzn.to/2Nf6oVs" target="_blank">this one</a>) for a cheap, effortless costume.<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2x3LQoK" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Temporary tattoo wounds - £1.17+FREE DELIVERY</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3g5ovNN2HhAAvXhLi-KYqbR6kuYaAjRVcGRKfY31__cgz_iEkw-sKJkV_IXc7zgR-0U0ABKij0K7hRK6SLIWUmOnvTuvufj3FaZrPCz3e-Aq1qyVSRwKQLhitwlEvwx1PkmtCxMy0y6s/s1600/wounds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3g5ovNN2HhAAvXhLi-KYqbR6kuYaAjRVcGRKfY31__cgz_iEkw-sKJkV_IXc7zgR-0U0ABKij0K7hRK6SLIWUmOnvTuvufj3FaZrPCz3e-Aq1qyVSRwKQLhitwlEvwx1PkmtCxMy0y6s/s320/wounds.png" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Possibly one of the cheapest costume ideas ever! Dress however you want and then accessorise with some cuts and bloody handprints. You could rip some old clothes, and back brush your hair to look like you've just escaped from something awful. These ship from China though so you'll need to order them soon to get them in time for Halloween!<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2Qu9nHQ" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Medieval friar/hooded monk - £19.99</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbo2hS9vnFh1swKIH8bpE7ytSkwbN-S4ZnAVfSZ6AhoUAwJ2fNF0Pe9O4UioEGOd1smhcRk-Q_QyRb0kgoFUMQkhnM-XF95DVWa3__tWQnH8rQ81PDeaxh9-DN3A-snIpih6GEBTgsHE/s1600/monk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbo2hS9vnFh1swKIH8bpE7ytSkwbN-S4ZnAVfSZ6AhoUAwJ2fNF0Pe9O4UioEGOd1smhcRk-Q_QyRb0kgoFUMQkhnM-XF95DVWa3__tWQnH8rQ81PDeaxh9-DN3A-snIpih6GEBTgsHE/s320/monk.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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Bizarrely this costume is £19.99 or £16 if you order a large. It runs from size S to XL and is available in 5 colours, although this deep red one is my favourite. It comes with a wooden cross and a rope belt so accessories are taken care of. This costume is great if you like to be well covered, and you can wear layers underneath it if the party is outside in the cold weather. The loose fitting robe covers a multitude of sins...*pun intended*<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2047975533"><br /></a>
Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2QpE3Kk" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Purple vintage style Halloween dress - £6.52+£1.49 delivery</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFEE3r0kQVfm1J_i0byJu-m03m8DRVjVFs6HRHCy-PpA0vcvu-xhpX2aZVlUKgrJyim62nP3QHM0P4eXC-Ti01cfpyiUUEtlJOanIjjoKcQt3ebC1L6iHVDQXpQy-6I-pFrpLBJR62fw/s1600/halloween+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFEE3r0kQVfm1J_i0byJu-m03m8DRVjVFs6HRHCy-PpA0vcvu-xhpX2aZVlUKgrJyim62nP3QHM0P4eXC-Ti01cfpyiUUEtlJOanIjjoKcQt3ebC1L6iHVDQXpQy-6I-pFrpLBJR62fw/s320/halloween+dress.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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This 1950's style swing dress is stunning! It has a sweetheart neckline and lace sleeves with a full skirt that flares out from the waist. It is available in black or purple and the hemline features some fun Halloween motives.<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2x9kyxi" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Unisex 'This is my Halloween costume' T-shirt - Starting from £8.50+FREE DELIVERY</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk0oGYxXp5z4agKyLBZ6c6rqq_vdZZJQkzMaJ_wO3RguHCfnRI8yzM4zWk5ZtgIPbFCBTXogHoMJqUdNTJxyO13V4AzYeRli0UWRW1UrSpNq60pTEbkWkB-3UOS7Bvas_irfL72wn3Co/s1600/HCBOO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk0oGYxXp5z4agKyLBZ6c6rqq_vdZZJQkzMaJ_wO3RguHCfnRI8yzM4zWk5ZtgIPbFCBTXogHoMJqUdNTJxyO13V4AzYeRli0UWRW1UrSpNq60pTEbkWkB-3UOS7Bvas_irfL72wn3Co/s320/HCBOO.png" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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Another one with varying prices, It's starts at £8.50 but 2XL and 3XL are £8.99, all come with free delivery. The sizes run from S-3XL and it's available in 3 colours but this black one is my favourite. This is a unisex top so I think it would be a loose fit.<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2N8vHIW" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Medieval dress £23.99+FREE DELIVERY</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFViSSUrnrWXxBkrr-cCK3tET5oSO1ysVO_313fnTtaazAzVZM-Eyb-rWLC1JKuwatJFhxV-hVjt71EleFCil876C1MMwQVNbxRGh5FxGUeKQOnIgaf7PVx_LAI0jwKlc1TkzXbN5-tSU/s1600/medieval.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFViSSUrnrWXxBkrr-cCK3tET5oSO1ysVO_313fnTtaazAzVZM-Eyb-rWLC1JKuwatJFhxV-hVjt71EleFCil876C1MMwQVNbxRGh5FxGUeKQOnIgaf7PVx_LAI0jwKlc1TkzXbN5-tSU/s320/medieval.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: amazon.co.uk</td></tr>
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This medieval dress is beautiful and comes in 2 colours. It's available in sizes S-2XL and is another full coverage option. I think this would work with a bloody choker (like <a href="https://amzn.to/2QtEt24" target="_blank">this one</a>) as an Anne Boleyn costume!<br />
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Get it <a href="https://amzn.to/2OlLkcn" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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So that's my round up of awesome Halloween costume ideas for this October. Do you have any favourites from this list? I'd love to hear what you're dressing up as this year!<br />
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Loppy x</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-76420702483612587362018-09-12T12:34:00.000+00:002018-09-12T12:34:24.905+00:00Midweek Mysteries: The Cemeteries of Birmingham Jewellery Quarter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week's <i>Midweek Mysteries</i> will be based on Birmingham, UK - my home town. There are many ghostly tales from Birmingham, and in particular, the historic Jewellery Quarter. In this post I'll be telling you about the ghouls that reside in both of the JQ cemeteries; Warstone Lane and Key Hill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23e9lz62c78-G6lV5GhyphenhyphenOpwMzdUSWnl31h6cYCjzMFqlDHstaekNk34Wlixcf8SAd2ibEW8271VhOGskp-MNVmnDoyGOap_gLAuKta_WNaW3ksI8OtASJ1vK3-rWH2fiB6zAC6m9-rQ4/s1600/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23e9lz62c78-G6lV5GhyphenhyphenOpwMzdUSWnl31h6cYCjzMFqlDHstaekNk34Wlixcf8SAd2ibEW8271VhOGskp-MNVmnDoyGOap_gLAuKta_WNaW3ksI8OtASJ1vK3-rWH2fiB6zAC6m9-rQ4/s320/MIDWEEK+MYSTERIES+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You get off the train at the Jewellery quarter station and you spot the graves through the platform fence. Curiosity gets the better of you and you feel the urge to wander around the tombstones. You exit the station and walk down the side road to Icknield Street, then you find your way to the cemetery gates. Once you step inside, it seems eerily dark despite the bright daylight outside. The ancient trees block a lot of the light in the cemetery, and you start to feel uneasy.<br />
Right in front of you there is a bench, which has been covered with rocks. There is also a large ring of rocks stacked before the bench. You shudder off the thought that some kind of ritual has taken place here...<br />
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You start to follow the path towards the back of the graveyard, noting the dates on the tombs, some of them date back to the 1800s.<br />
You look to the left and spot a crumbling wall lined with arches of inscribed stone and decide to take a closer look. They look like giant gravestones set into the wall and you recognise some of the names. Joseph Chamberlain, mayor of Birmingham. Alfred Bird, inventor of eggless custard. It's an odd place to put a grave marker, you think as you gauge the height of the stones, at least 6ft tall. You think you hear someone else in the cemetery, and quickly glance around, feeling some deep, primal instinct to hide.<br />
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There are some loud bangs coming from different directions, and the clanking of metal hitting metal. You peer out from behind the tomb but no one is with you. <i>Maybe it's the spirits of deceased jewellers</i>, you think, before shaking the absurd thought out of your head.<br />
You smell something in the air, the aroma is similar to pear drops, and intoxicating. You suddenly start to feel rather sick, and a heaviness falls over you. You need air.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warstone Lane Cemetery</td></tr>
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You leave Key Hill and walk back down Icknield Street, passing the turning that you came down. You spot another cemetery further ahead, this one has no fence and looks bright and airy. The trees don't block the sun out here. You step inside and see a huge coliseum-type structure towering over you. There is are a few large trees in the middle, surrounded by gravestones. It's rather beautiful, and it looks better maintained than Key Hill.<br />
You walk up to one of the many doors lining the coliseum but they are bricked up. Memorials are inscribed on some of the doors and you suddenly realise what the structure is - the catacombs of Birmingham.<br />
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Fascinated, you climb the steps up the two tiers of tombs until you reach the top. Looking down, it's even more impressive. Nature has slowly started to take over and it's crumbling in places but that only adds to it's beauty. You look around at the rest of the cemetery, this one looks smaller than the first. A few locals are walking dogs and you even see a couple of jewellers sitting on a bench eating lunch! There is definitely a more positive vibe here, and the heaviness you felt before has lifted. The smell of pear drops has returned though. <i>"Always smells of bloody cyanide out here"</i> You hear one the jewellers say.<i> "Maybe it's just stuck to your clothes from work, told you that you shouldn't have gone to the plating department..."</i> You slowly wander around the graves, admiring the decorative carvings and glimpsing the dates. There are a mix of very old and more modern graves here, the latest ones you see are dated to the 1980s.<br />
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From the corner of your eye you catch site of an interesting looking building, a bit like a gatehouse. It looks very gothic and the charcoal grey brick work only adds to the look. You go to take a closer look. Next to the building is a large rock mounted on a plinth. There is an inscription below it reading:<br />
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">This felsite boulder was deposited near here</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">by a glacier during the Ice Age: being at one</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">time used as a parish boundary mark, it</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">was known as the ‘Hoar Stone’ of which the</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">modern War Stone is a corruption</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You feel a chill run over you, and have the sense of someone watching you. Looking above the War Stone, you see a lady gazing at you. She looks like she needs help, so you jog over to her. She silently starts to walk away but you follow her through the graveyard, calling after her. She smells of pear drops, maybe she was in Key Hill with you. You shudder at the thought that this woman might be stalking you and stop chasing her. You watch her walk among the graves, her long white dress trailing on the ground. She turns to look at you one last time before she walks straight through a tree and vanishes from sight. The heaviness has returned...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The catacombs in Warstone Lane Cemetery</td></tr>
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Key Hill Cemetery (formerly known as Birmingham General) opened in 1836 as a nonconformist graveyard. Many famous people who resided in Birmingham are buried there. There have been many reports of paranormal activity in the cemetery over the years, included the sound of bangs and clanking metal. Some people have claimed to see a soldier smoking in the back of the cemetery. There was even a report of a humanoid kangaroo-like creature jumping out from the graveyard, and stopping a car in the road before returning to where it came from!<br />
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Warstone Lane Cemetery (formerly known as Brookfields) opened in 1847 as a Church of England burial ground. It is rich in history. During World War II the catacombs were used as emergency accomodation to house families. They used to be open to the public but have since being determined a safety risk and were closed up several years ago. The catacombs were found to be releasing vapours from the decomposing bodies which caused a smoking ban in the cemetery, as it was believed that cigarettes could ignite the gases in the air. The vapours were also responsible for the Birmingham Cemeteries Act, which requires that coffins that won't be buried, such as in the catacombs, should be sealed properly with lead.<br />
There are thought to be a few spirits residing in Warstone Lane. The most famous one is the White Lady. She is said to be young, and appears in a few different costumes, the most noted one being her white dress. An aroma similar to pear drops (cyanide) follows her around and it is disputed whether she simply worked in the jewellery trade or took her own life with the poison. She has been spotted a couple of times in Key Hill too.<br />
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So that concludes our tour of the Jewellery Quarter graveyards. I hope you enjoyed it and I'd love to hear where you'd like to explore next!<br />
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Sweet dreams...<br />
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Loppy x<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
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<a href="https://jewelleryquarter.net/tours/gruesome-jewellery-quarter/the-grey-lady-of-warstone-lane/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://jewelleryquarter.net/tours/gruesome-jewellery-quarter/the-grey-lady-of-warstone-lane/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.birminghamconservationtrust.org/2012/10/19/haunted-heritage-warstone-lane-cemetery/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.birminghamconservationtrust.org/2012/10/19/haunted-heritage-warstone-lane-cemetery/</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #003300;"><a href="https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/hotspots/birmingham.php"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/hotspots/birmingham.php</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/historyhaunted/posts/history-and-haunting-of-warstone-lane-cemetery-birmingham-england-uk/635320076494076/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.facebook.com/historyhaunted/posts/history-and-haunting-of-warstone-lane-cemetery-birmingham-england-uk/635320076494076/</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.spookyisles.com/2015/03/5-haunted-places-to-visit-in-birmingham/">https://www.spookyisles.com/2015/03/5-haunted-places-to-visit-in-birmingham/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Hill_Cemetery">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Hill_Cemetery</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warstone_Lane_Cemetery">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warstone_Lane_Cemetery</a></span></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-81416312388541206992018-09-08T21:04:00.000+00:002018-09-08T21:04:43.460+00:00Hallgrímskirkja Bookmarks (free printables)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today has been a very grey, rainy day in Selfoss. The days are slowly drawing in and the temperature is dropping. Although I long for the dark Winter days, snow and log fires, it can get rather boring being holed up inside all day. The Autumn and Winter months are the time that I read the most. There's nothing cosier that curling up on the sofa with a hot chocolate, a fleece blanket and a good book.</div>
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Although I have a stack of books ready to see me through the Winter, and I'll no doubt buy some more on my next visit home, it came to my attention today that I didn't bring any bookmarks with me to Iceland! I've been using scraps of paper all year. So with that in mind I decided to spend some time today designing a few bookmarks using my photo<span style="font-family: inherit;">s of <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjav</span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">ík.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">They all feature the LoppyLoves web URL and a quote from one of my most popular posts; <a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2017/11/i-quit-my-dream-job-and-left-for-iceland.html" target="_blank">I Quit My Dream Job And Left For Iceland</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Please feel free to Download them and print them for your own use, I'd love to know if you do use them! Which one is your favourite?<br /><br />Loppy x</span></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-78412008873179613122018-09-05T22:26:00.002+00:002018-09-06T13:33:25.770+00:00Midweek Mysteries: Whitby *New Blog Series*<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello my lovelies and welcome to my new blog series <i>Midweek Mysteries</i>! Every Wednesday I'll be publishing paranormal stories from around the world. I thought I'd kick things off with a few stories from the town that featured in my last post, Whitby.<br />
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Whitby is an ancient town in North Yorkshire which is surrounded by folklore and creepy tales. Residing within the North York Moors, it isn't hard to picture ghostly figures wondering around on the long, dark Winter nights when the wind is howling through the silent, cobbled streets. You can read more about the town in my recent post <a href="https://www.loppyloves.com/2018/09/my-favourite-place-in-england-whitby.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Our first story takes us up the 199 steps to St. Mary's Churchyard. Imagine climbing the Abbey steps on a bitterly cold, dreary Winter night and entering the graveyard in front of the church. It's so dark that the ruins of the Abbey are barely visible, but still looming over you. You walk around the churchyard, among the tombstones of deceased sailors who died on land and therefore couldn't be buried at sea. You think you hear horses trotting in the distance, and then assure yourself that no one is around this late. You continue walking around the graves, admiring the view of the town from the cliff top when you suddenly see the silhouette of a horse-drawn carriage hurtling towards you, the driver whipping his horses to gallop faster and faster. It's too dark for the driver to see so you start to run towards the steps, trying to escape. You hear the carriage slowing down and turn around just in time to see it stop in front of the church doors before slowly fading from view... You are alone once again.<br />
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This is the haunting of the Barguest Coach. According to legend it would come to visit the graves of sailors on the third night after they were buried. Witnesses of the carriage have reported that it is driven by headless horses and the skeletons of dead sailors ride inside the coach. They come to pay their respects to their fellow seaman, before his soul boards the carriage with them and they ride off together. Those unlucky few who happen to be in the churchyard in the dead of night might just encounter the Barguest Coach...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St.Mary's Churchyard with the Abbey in view</td></tr>
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Our second story is on the East cliff, the other side of the town. You've now descended the Abbey steps, walked along the cobbled, moonlit streets and crossed the swing bridge. You walk along the harbour towards the sea and onto the pier. You gaze out to the ocean as you try to catch your breath, still frightened from what you've just experienced in the churchyard. You glance the lighthouse at the end of the pier and find it rather charming. You ramble along the pier until you stand at the base of the lighthouse, which now appears much larger than it did from a distance. The wind howls loudly around the building and black waves crash off the pier. It unexpectedly starts raining, heavily. You aren't wearing a raincoat and you try the door handle. To your surprise, it opens and you step inside to shelter from the rain. You think you hear footsteps upstairs, but remind yourself that it's probably the rain battering down on the lighthouse. You hear some more steps, before a series of loud bangs echoes down the spiral staircase. Terrified, you grapple for the door handle but in your frenzy you struggle to turn it. You hear a loud bang right behind you and then silence. <i>Maybe something fell down the stairs</i>, you think. The wind could've got through a broken window and blown something down the stairwell. You slowly turn around and see a lifeless man lying at the foot of the stairs. Frozen in terror, you are too scared to scream for help. Almost immediately, you come back to your senses and start dialling for help. You look up from your phone, the body has vanished.<br />
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The haunting of Whitby West Lighthouse. Many years ago there was a huge storm one night in Whitby, the winds were so strong that the lighthouse keeper decided to leave his home and head out into the storm to fulfill his duties. He knew how dangerous this storm would be for any boats deciding to come into the harbour and he didn't want any shipwrecks or fatalities on his watch. He only achieved the former, there would be one fatality that night. He hurriedly put on his coat and rain boots and trenched out into the storm. He climbed the stairs of the lighthouse, his coat was soaking wet from the rain. He didn't notice the water dripping onto the steps. He turned the light on, and confident that he'd completed his work for that night he hurried back down the steps. On the way down he slipped on the rain-soaked steps and tumbled all the way down the staircase. By the time he reached the bottom, he was dead. Some people who visit the lighthouse have reported seeing the ghostly lighthouse keeper walking towards the end of the pier to fulfill his duties. An unfortunate few have seen his lifeless body lying at the base of the stairs...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The West Lighthouse</td></tr>
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Our third and last story happens in the place you might go to seek refuge from the strange occurrences. You run out of the lighthouse and sprint back down the pier, no longer caring about the rain. You run past the empty arcades and restaurants, past all the shops along the harbour front and past the swing bridge. You run down New Quay Road and past the train station. You see Pannett Park ahead and breathe a sigh of relief. You're back at your hotel, Bagdale Hall. You open the door and take in the cosy, warm reception area. The bar is still open so you order something strong to help calm your nerves. The bartender jokes that you look like you've seen a ghost. <i>'There's plenty more of them here'</i> he laughs before sauntering back into the kitchen. You hear a child crying right behind you, but when you turn around the room is empty...<br />
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Bagdale hall is a 500 year old Tudor building opposite Pannett Park which boasts plenty of spirits that haunt the halls. Both guests and hotel staff have reported spooky happenings whilst inside the hotel. The most well-known ghost to manifest is of a pirate called Browne Bushell, who owned the hotel during the 17th Century. He often jumped sides during the English Civil War and was eventually beheaded for his treason. He supposedly returned to the hotel after his death and a sense of doom lets frequenters of the hotel know when he's around. There are many other spooky occurrences at Bagdale, including the sound of children playing in empty rooms and poltergeist activity.<br />
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So that was my first Midweek Mysteries post, I'd love to know what you thought of it and if you'd like to read more of this series! If you have any suggestions for what place I should feature next, please let me know in the comments below.<br />
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Sweet dreams...<br />
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Loppy x<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<a href="https://www.thewhitbyguide.co.uk/five-haunted-places-in-whitby/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://www.thewhitbyguide.co.uk/five-haunted-places-in-whitby/</span></a><br />
<a href="https://shoreline-cottages.com/whitby-life-blog/whitbys-famous-ghost-stories-and-mythical-tales/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://shoreline-cottages.com/whitby-life-blog/whitbys-famous-ghost-stories-and-mythical-tales/</span></a></div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-54813273944291186612018-09-02T15:57:00.000+00:002018-09-09T11:50:13.843+00:00My favourite place in England: Whitby, North Yorkshire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't particularly like my hometown of Birmingham in the UK, this is no secret. I'm not overly fond of my home country either which is why I left, there's a lot of problems there that I don't think will ever really be fixed. Having said that, there is one place in England that I adore, and if I ever had to move back home it would be the place that I'd settle.<br />
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Whitby is a small seaside town in North Yorkshire that appears to be frozen in time. Once a major whaling port and jewellery manufacturing town, it's main source of income now is the fishing industry and tourism.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the East Cliff</td></tr>
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<u><b>A Brief History</b></u></div>
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The first recorded permanent settlement was in 656, when the first Abbey was founded. The town was known at this time as <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Streanæshealh</span></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</b> In 876 the monastery was destroyed by Viking raiders. The second monastery was founded in 1708 and around this time the town gained it's current name of Whitby, derived from <i>'White Settlement'</i> in Old Norse.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitby Abbey</td></tr>
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Around the mid-18th Century, Whitby developed as a major whaling port and shipbuilding centre. This nautical history is marked today by statues of Captain James Cook and William Scoresby, and the Whalebone Arch that stands on the West Cliff. There is also mini replica of Captain Cook's <i>HMS</i> <i>Endeavour </i>(called the 'Bark Endeavour Whitby')<i> </i>that takes tourists for short sailing trips.</div>
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During the mid-19th Century Whitby's whaling industry came to an end due to a succession of unsuccesful trips. Whitby's jewellery industry grew around this time. Whitby jet is a rare gemstone found only along a short strip of coastline just a few miles long. Jet can be found in other countries but Whitby jet is thought to be of the highest quality. The gemstone is black and very lightweight and is made of fossilized wood. It is still possible to find pieces on the beach. A couple of years ago I spoke to a jet carver selling his pieces on the street, he told me that he camps near the beach during storms just to find the washed up pieces of jet to use!</div>
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Whitby jet became very popular during Queen Victoria's reign due to it's black colour, and therefore was used in mourning jewellery.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitby at dusk</td></tr>
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<b><u>Dracula</u></b></div>
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Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby while he was writing <i>Dracula</i>. He stayed on the West cliff, with a view of the Abbey. It is also believed that he discovered the name 'Dracula' in a book in Whitby Library. The town is featured in the novel as the place where the Count's ship <i>Demeter</i> was wrecked.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mary's Churchyard and Whitby Abbey</td></tr>
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<b><u>Whitby Today</u></b></div>
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Today Whitby is a vibrant, yet gothic town. The Abbey dominates the East Cliff, looming over the Victorian town. A whalebone arch stands on the West Cliff, with the view of the Abbey centred through the middle. The orignal whale jawbone was donated by a Norwegian whaling company in 1963 but due to weathering it eventually had to be replaced. In 2002 a new whalebone arch was donated from a town in Alaska.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whalebone arch with the Abbey in the centre</td></tr>
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It is beautiful in all seasons but my favourite time to visit is in the Autumn and Winter. The harsh Northern weather and moody Winter darkness make this town hauntingly beautiful. The first weekend in November, and the last weekend in April, there is the bi-annual Whitby Goth Weekend. It is a festival of music, crafts and all things spooky. Many gothic and Victorian-clad alternative folk ascend on the town and truly bring the place to life. Halloween is celebrated well in Whitby and I think it's the perfect time to visit.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitby in the Autumn</td></tr>
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Jet jewellery is still available to purchase at any of the many jetworks in the town, and fishing is still one of the biggest industries there. It is said that you can get the best fish and chips in the UK from Whitby, and fresh Whitby scampi.</div>
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One of the weirdest local foods that you must try if you ever visit is a 'lemon top ice cream' (or goth tops during the WGW season). It's a cone of ice cream topped with a scoop of lemon sorbet (blackberry sorbet on goth tops). The ice cream is sweet and creamy but the sorbet is so sour and a sharp contrast to the ice cream. It's worth trying at least once!</div>
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Beach combing is a fun activity in Whitby, colourful sea glass lines the shoreline, and fossils and jet can sometimes be found. I found a decent sized ammonite on the beach during my first trip to Whitby. Most of the gift shops sell ammonites or inexpensive pieces of jet from the beach.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitby beach is full of treasures</td></tr>
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I'd love to hear what your favourite town is, let me know in the comments below!<br />
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Loppy x</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sources:</span></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8121000/8121579.stm"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8121000/8121579.stm</span></a></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-63376631116146505212018-07-10T21:02:00.000+00:002018-09-04T21:04:22.554+00:0012 Hours on the Russian Sleeper Train<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently I went on a trip to Russia during World Cup season. I'm not a fan of football myself but I do have a Viking who desperately wanted to see Iceland's first time playing in the World Cup, so the trip was booked and off we went.<br />
We weren't really prepared for this trip <strike>at all</strike>, we'd booked the flights and hotels 3 weeks before we left, didn't have any currency, and hadn't thought out our cross-country travel well. We were flying from Keflavík to Budapest, Budapest to Moscow and then travelling to different cities for games. We'd booked flights for our journeys between the cities, all except one, Volgograd to Rostov-On-Don, and then onto Taganrog.<br />
There was no flight that we could've taken. There was an extremely long bus journey which we thought would've been too uncomfortable so we booked a 12 hour sleeper train. Except there were no overnight journeys available, the options we had were to leave at 4am, or 7:40am. We chose 7:40am. There was only a second class 4-berth cabin available.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tiny 4-berth cabin</td></tr>
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We had stayed in Volgograd for 3 nights, and had learned that our hotel wasn't in a great location (right on the outskirts of the town) and we couldn't necessarily rely on taxis to turn up. Apparently the drivers don't like driving so far out of the centre (which was only 20 minutes away!). We waited for our taxi, and waited. A few times we asked the lady on hotel reception if she knew how long our taxi would be, the answer was always '5 minutes!', we waited for 40. We were getting dangerously close to the train's departure time. Finally our taxi showed up and got us to the train station with less than 10 minutes until the departure. We ran through the security (Russian train stations have airport style security, bags have to be scanned), and found a World Cup volunteer to help us find our platform. He looked at our ticket and looked alarmed as there were only a few minutes left, he ran with us through a maze of tunnels connecting the platforms. We would never have found the right platform ourselves. Frustratingly, while we were running up some stairs towards the train, suitcases in tow, one of my shoes fell off! Biggi picked it up behind me and told me to carry on running, I could put it back on when we were on board. The volunteer shoved our tickets in the face of a train conductor and shouted something in Russian. The conductor shook her head and pointed down the platform. Our carriage was right at the other end of the train, and leaving in 1 minute. We ran as fast as we could, exhausted. The volunteer stopped the train carriage from closing and helped take our suitcases on board. Another conductor (who didn't speak English) took our tickets and asked for our passports. He then said "nine" and pointed down the carriage. The cabins had Roman numerals on them, we walked along until we found <i>IX. </i>There was already a couple inside, wearing Iceland football shirts. They smiled as we walked in and asked "Ertu frá Íslandi?"<br />
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They'd occupied the bunks on the right hand side, so we took the left. I climbed onto the top bunk using the smallest ladder I've ever seen, mostly having to pull myself up with my arms. Above the door was a shelf to store luggage. Biggi and I only brought carry on cases but the other couple had full sized luggage. Everything just about fit but if we'd all brought large cases there wouldn't have been enough room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A0QZuhdqZRhTE3RAz8ZcoxlL90x7o9DRTkwktLrSVKl3Kfa4oFMBQVfQgeB2EWGzE31qS0Vh7LlPYgri8OK-PExACWjxh3om4l79rl6dppiPSO0ga7SM8iqoyEKhRkfLqTkGOB9g_9I/s1600/20180623_120911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A0QZuhdqZRhTE3RAz8ZcoxlL90x7o9DRTkwktLrSVKl3Kfa4oFMBQVfQgeB2EWGzE31qS0Vh7LlPYgri8OK-PExACWjxh3om4l79rl6dppiPSO0ga7SM8iqoyEKhRkfLqTkGOB9g_9I/s320/20180623_120911.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barely enough space to store luggage!</td></tr>
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The cabin was tiny and old. I wasn't expecting it to be nice, or even modern, but I was expecting it to be better than it was. It looked as though it hadn't changed since the war. The foldaway ladders to reach the bunks were wobbly, the walls were grimy, and the little nets on the wall to store belongings looked as though they were starting to rot away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small nets for storage</td></tr>
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The conductor brought linen for us all, clean and packaged in disposable plastic bags. We had pillows and duvets on our beds, but in 30<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; white-space: nowrap;">°</span>C heat, the duvets were useless. We all chatted for a little while before trying to get some sleep. The game in Volgograd had been the night before so everyone had stayed out late. Sleep was near impossible to come by. The train was loud, hot and rickety. The air conditioning didn't work,and the tiny open window didn't provide much relief from the heat.<br />
About 30 minutes after departure the conductor came in to mop the floor, he didn't say a word as he picked up our shoes and took them into the corridor while he mopped. After he left I gazed out of the window for a while. The terrain reminded me of an African Savanna, then I spotted two camels! I thought I was seeing things, maybe having a mirage from the heat but when I shouted "Camels!" everyone else could see them too. It was incredible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFDQp8Wk80xKX4xcgPLfuYB-COXu7HY4v7Lg6q1xyaLYqzGZopp0_luHZyNPn5qNZgQPZbeatypEj5AjbXDHgdnBZJC_gCXg4QI44dkoLqluKc5QcuYzeVjgvQx7U129fS4CQwRVPGLs/s1600/20180623_120102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFDQp8Wk80xKX4xcgPLfuYB-COXu7HY4v7Lg6q1xyaLYqzGZopp0_luHZyNPn5qNZgQPZbeatypEj5AjbXDHgdnBZJC_gCXg4QI44dkoLqluKc5QcuYzeVjgvQx7U129fS4CQwRVPGLs/s320/20180623_120102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No air conditioning, or maybe no Icelanders allowed...</td></tr>
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Eventually I fell asleep, not for very long but I felt more rested when I awoke. I woke up to a young girl standing in the doorway speaking Russian. The others woke up too and the Icelandic lady in our cabin spoke a little Russian! She translated for us. We could order our breakfast and lunch ife we wanted it. Biggi and I hadn't eaten a proper meal for a few days so we couldn't wait for our breakfast! There were 2 set menus so we ordered one of each to share. There were no vegetarian options for me but the breakfasts came with a few veggie things.<br />
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After half an hour the girl returned with our food. They'd only got one of the set menus in stock so we both received the same. She said the price and Biggi said he'd like to pay with card (we had no currency!), she told him he'd have to go with her to the dining cart. He left and I sat down to start eating. The cheese sandwiches included were made on stale bread, the cheap cheese slices were melted in the plastic wrap and the fried eggs contained chopped up pork. I shovelled the fried tomatoes onto the tiny cheese sandwich and wolfed it down, still starving. Our meals were supposed to come with a cup of tea each. I found 2 tea bags in the bag our food came in, but we weren't provided with cups or hot water! Biggi was taking a long time to pay, the Icelanders commented on it. After over half an hour he returned with some bottles of coke and water and told us that they'd charged him 4 times for the meal. None of the staff spoke English, and although he could clearly see that the payment was going through they kept telling him he had to try again. He also found a carriage with air conditioning, near the food cart, which was about 10 carriages away.<br />
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The other couple decided to explore the rest of the train and find the air conditioning, we decided to try to get some more sleep.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw-qWvkUY53xfoYOIxXJcj-eMyuMKGU1XUPwTX1KMMgsBZXxq_Lvv5mFTz_mL9lreaVrP01spyK1kadRHMYtLiyqx0y-UisUmFqqEIiKAmFw1Gh4p7H9vtG0uEUg0N5MHdeHCCAOmRqs/s1600/20180623_120215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw-qWvkUY53xfoYOIxXJcj-eMyuMKGU1XUPwTX1KMMgsBZXxq_Lvv5mFTz_mL9lreaVrP01spyK1kadRHMYtLiyqx0y-UisUmFqqEIiKAmFw1Gh4p7H9vtG0uEUg0N5MHdeHCCAOmRqs/s320/20180623_120215.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculously tiny ladder open...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculously tiny ladder closed.</td></tr>
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A few hours later the couple came back and told us it was lunch time, and lunch had to be taken in the dining cart. We followed them through endless carriages. There were large gaps in the floor where the carriages connected, I could see the train tracks below and I felt terrified walking between carriages.<br />
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We finally reached the air conditioned carriage, the cabins looked a little nicer. This might've been first class, but it still didn't look very comfortable. We found a table and waited for the food that we ordered earlier, a waitress brought menus over to us. We realised that they didn't know we'd already ordered so we asked for a couple of bottles of water and decide to skip lunch as breakfast had been so bad. I opened my water bottle and we walked over to pay. The lady told us we couldn't pay we card, the machine only had 4% battery charge left on it and she wouldn't even let us attempt to use it. We told her that we had no money and she scoffed at us. With help from the Russian speaking Icelander we told her that we'd come back to pay later, there was a long stop coming up and we hoped there'd be an ATM there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining cart</td></tr>
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Eventually we had a break from the train, we had 30 minutes to find food and money.<br />
We walked up and down the platform, there were no ATMs. We asked workers on the platforms where we could get cash from, they shook their heads at us. We panicked. We stood in queue to buy food and hoped we could somehow get money from the cashier. The Icelandic man in front of us had been in the dining cart with us, he started talking to us and asked if we needed cash. He gave us 5000 roubles and his bank details to send money back to his account (Takk fyrir maður!). We were relieved. We stocked up on food and water at the shop, which was much cheaper than the train had been. We boarded the train again, paid for our water bottles and then returned to our cabin.<br />
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We'd been on the train for 8 hours and hadn't used the bathroom yet (partly out of fear of what it would be like). I opened the door to the toilet next to our cabin and was mortified. A rusted steel toilet and sink stood in the tiny, filthy room. There was a foot pedal to flush the toilet, the bar of soap looked as old as the train, and barely touched. I suspect everyone else was scared to touch it too, afraid of catching some deadly disease. Finally, to my horror, no water ran from the taps.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The terrifying toilet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL3kIkWHzfu1E3N6Q2cMZIYOIP0eFJBfDy9u5Q99eQcGAmaCaYVNrZtIczkUzd1y2_TlJ-mnxXNJFwl-JLkUeJqeRv_4GTvp_DgmUUxfX0HP2VhgT71h5DkKYPcde1e0BoyNSBkPLcAg/s1600/20180623_144737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL3kIkWHzfu1E3N6Q2cMZIYOIP0eFJBfDy9u5Q99eQcGAmaCaYVNrZtIczkUzd1y2_TlJ-mnxXNJFwl-JLkUeJqeRv_4GTvp_DgmUUxfX0HP2VhgT71h5DkKYPcde1e0BoyNSBkPLcAg/s320/20180623_144737.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The broken sink</td></tr>
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I rushed back to the cabin and decided to stay in there for the rest of the journey despite the heat. A few hours later we finally pulled up to the platform at Rostov-On-Don and I almost ran off the train! My first mission was to find food; finding a proper meal was hopeless but I found a place selling cabbage pies and cold potato wedges. That was good enough!<br />
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Now we just had to find the bus to Taganrog...</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-57852653931296946332018-06-19T07:33:00.002+00:002018-09-04T21:04:39.526+00:00What I packed for 10 days in Russia (Summer)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Finally the time has come for my trip to Russia! I was never interested to visit but my boyfriend wanted to see Iceland play in the World Cup for the <i>first time ever</i>, and so our trip to Russia was planned! Not very well I might point out. We bought the tickets for the games months ago, applied for our Fan IDs about 2 months ago, and actually booked flights and hotels 3 weeks ago. I was worried that the flights would be sold out or extremely expensive (the flights were really expensive when we looked 4 months ago!) but we managed to find return fligh<span style="font-family: inherit;">ts for about 50,000 ISK each. That's about <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">£</span>350 sterling. We even have a decent stopover each way in one of my favourite cities, Budapest! There was just one catch, they were carry on only.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I usually fly carry on anyway but 10 days in Russia didn't seem plausible to me for some reason. I was convinced that I'd need lots of layers and many changes of clothes. I think it's just because I'm used to short haul flights, not travelling from the most Western part of Europe to one of the most Eastern parts!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's Summer in Russia which apparently is very hot, as I'm writing this it's<span style="font-family: inherit;"> currently 17</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">°</span>C in Moscow but it's been in the high 20's during the last week! Hungary is also hot during the Summer but I was preparing to pack for the last time I went to Budapest which was during the coldest month, January. I'd recently returned from a trip to Reykjavík and Budapest was much colder in comparison. Anyway I had to remind myself to pack <u><b>Summer</b></u> clothes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>What I packed:</b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pair of black Skinny jeans (Travelled in)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Black floral shift dress</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pale blue cotton peasant blouse</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Black and white midi skirt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Striped jumper</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Blue shirt dress</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Black leggings</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
White slogan t-shirt (used as pyjamas)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
Central Perk shorts (used as pyjamas)</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Burgundy hoodie (travelled in)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Swallow print t-shirt (travelled in)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Black cardigan</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">White and gold chiffon blouse</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Butterfly print chiffon top</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Swimsuit</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">3 x vest tops</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bikini bag</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Underwear (not pictured)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pair of trainers (not pictured)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pair of ballet pump style sketchers (not pictured)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Toiletry bag (not pictured)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">GoPro (not pictured)</li>
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I always travel in my jeans as they're usually the heaviest item of clothing I take. Even though I probably won't need it I packed a lightweight jumper for the evenings. The blouse is lightweight and great for keeping cool. The skirt is a nice length and matches most of the tops. I usually wear skater dresses but I am officially a shift dress convert! This is one of my most worn dresses, it's surprisingly flattering and so comfortable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBfy2inQN8XuXTyYT2ggTTE46u7XdkRTn6e4Kpth3AOdJW8nLjLDfM5Nt7CVaNoLOQ5NALa2VfiZIWVLZWu7Jsr487g2IMD_ub3Ci9ignBfgd54PdeJ7fSa0I5tQdAViIjpTZUWJviKg/s1600/20180617_201925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBfy2inQN8XuXTyYT2ggTTE46u7XdkRTn6e4Kpth3AOdJW8nLjLDfM5Nt7CVaNoLOQ5NALa2VfiZIWVLZWu7Jsr487g2IMD_ub3Ci9ignBfgd54PdeJ7fSa0I5tQdAViIjpTZUWJviKg/s320/20180617_201925.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of my pyjamas have long bottoms, so I decided to just bring an oversized t-shirt and shorts instead to save space and keep cool. I bought this shirt dress on my last trip home, it's very lightweight and looks nice with leggings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJ720kklXNyGjlEWQIWGjNYN5475ucisI2c9BOhkeyDmnKdzyDWy6PlfK-XRPlS7LHTFy6CDQ9KjE9tkiJheF8O7PH5WIG_E4_D8EZKvp-nEoVY_9sft1hs0tlRtr9IK1KL3a0Qyid0/s1600/20180617_202118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJ720kklXNyGjlEWQIWGjNYN5475ucisI2c9BOhkeyDmnKdzyDWy6PlfK-XRPlS7LHTFy6CDQ9KjE9tkiJheF8O7PH5WIG_E4_D8EZKvp-nEoVY_9sft1hs0tlRtr9IK1KL3a0Qyid0/s320/20180617_202118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My boyfriend bought this burgundy hoodie for me from Finland, he also bought matching trainers which I'll be taking too. It's very soft and perfect for travel. The cardigan was my mom's but I sneakily packed it when I was emigrating as I needed one, sorry mom! The t-shirt was bought on a recent trip to the UK when I was meeting friends at the pub, but spilled coffee down the shirt I was wearing right before I met them! In my panic I went to the nearest shop and bought this for a fiver.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvAkahRUB3zgbDXqqMp52iguzHjtbe0J6xhMn3E2V6_d5a6Irp4ale95BznBhVKAFME8-nljAzNGd-UcdQbt90aKBQBsWkyB65j73K7nInJD2gkzBBMJ88ao9rOb3IPtF2HmQTOqUMpk/s1600/20180617_202232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvAkahRUB3zgbDXqqMp52iguzHjtbe0J6xhMn3E2V6_d5a6Irp4ale95BznBhVKAFME8-nljAzNGd-UcdQbt90aKBQBsWkyB65j73K7nInJD2gkzBBMJ88ao9rOb3IPtF2HmQTOqUMpk/s320/20180617_202232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The blouse with the white polka dots was free from Hollister! There was a 3 for 2 sale and this was my free item. It's lightweight and ideal for the Summer heat. The butterfly top was from my favourite clothes shop in Whitby, North Yorkshire. It's my favourite top for nights out in the Summer. I don't think I'll need it but I packed my swimsuit just in case (another burgundy coloured gift from Biggi, do you see a pattern?). Even though we don't have that much time in Budapest I would like to squeeze in a trip to the geothermal baths if possible!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8tojen7B7RBVtBugMawkAqGiuG2Ls_3I8UK2pNH5-wagB_zu_KOi5Weu4eSBnO1ZPlLjklGFAtYJC3wyymlOdbexhI0GrvV0ficrcNLBKj90_LBeIBPgb1nlIQdDs3xJKQXLhcso9ts/s1600/20180617_202559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8tojen7B7RBVtBugMawkAqGiuG2Ls_3I8UK2pNH5-wagB_zu_KOi5Weu4eSBnO1ZPlLjklGFAtYJC3wyymlOdbexhI0GrvV0ficrcNLBKj90_LBeIBPgb1nlIQdDs3xJKQXLhcso9ts/s320/20180617_202559.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took a few vests which I'll probably wear the most, I might even buy some more in Russia. The bikini bag is waterproof on the inside and I store my swimsuit inside it after swimming.</div>
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I usually roll my clothes but decided to pack everything flat this time as I find Summer clothes tend to crease easier than my regular clothes. I still have quite a lot of room left in my carry on case after packing! I will put my (empty) backpack inside the case and probably fill the rest of the space with snacks to save money. I've been known to fill 50% of my carry on with food for a trip before...</div>
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I actually believe that I've really over packed for this trip! I'm not really used to packing for hot holidays so I think I've over estimated this but it's a learning curve! I've heard that Russia is great for clothes shopping (and cheap!) so maybe I will pick up a couple of things there and not wear much of what I've brought with me. I'd like to bring a maxi dress but I don't own one! Hopefully I can pick one up while I'm there.</div>
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So that's what I packed for 10 days in Russia! I'd love to hear where you're heading to for a Summer holiday, let me know in the comments below!<br />
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Loppy x</div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-41130678316031420052018-06-16T15:22:00.000+00:002018-09-04T21:09:31.251+00:00Finding Hugarró (Peace of Mind)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Over the last year I've dealt with a lot of stress. Emigrating, surviving my first month in Reykjavík with no money, finding work, finding an apartment, moving a few times, my mom's accident, crowdfunding to raise enough money to visit my mom, learning Icelandic, moving back to South Iceland and planning a big holiday with little to no money!</div>
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Although it's been hard, I've come to find a few ways to deal with all of the stress that has come my way. The Icelandic word for 'peace of mind' is rather beautiful, hugarró has become one of my favourite words recently. It sounds a little similar to the Danish word 'hygge', and the concept of hygge ties in well with hugarró.<br />
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These are my ways of finding hugarró.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw8A_xuxEwC3sHEpQZSUxcK3bQlO0GnscWyOBe35BFC4fNWJaSPc6tBCHnBJappU7uERJusRP5yjqIuO1tHYfpnOmgk_okonv5PbMby2IDqjMUVSdyWnzYccKw8XPA_1yhmhaPWZBja8/s1600/IMG_20180614_201023_908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw8A_xuxEwC3sHEpQZSUxcK3bQlO0GnscWyOBe35BFC4fNWJaSPc6tBCHnBJappU7uERJusRP5yjqIuO1tHYfpnOmgk_okonv5PbMby2IDqjMUVSdyWnzYccKw8XPA_1yhmhaPWZBja8/s320/IMG_20180614_201023_908.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting is a great way to take your mind off your worries</td></tr>
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<b>1. Switch your morning coffee for a herbal tea.</b></div>
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I've been a huge coffee drinker for years but my boyfriend pointed out that the high levels of caffeine I drink throughout the day might be keeping me on edge and could be a contributing factor to my disrupted sleep, which in turn affects my mood. I decided to cut down my coffee intake drastically and started to replace it with herbal tea instead. I still struggle to sleep but I think I've been having better quality sleep since I switched.</div>
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<b>2. Start writing!</b></div>
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I've been writing this blog for a while (although admittedly not as consistently as I should!), but I also had an idea for a novel around 3 years ago. I started to write it but soon abandoned the idea and the file was left unopened on my computer for most of that time. Recently I decided to open the file again and just start writing. Soon after I started writing it again I very quickly figured out a full plot and ending for the story. I'm aiming to get the first draft done within the next 3-6 months. I always found it hard to find the time to write and hard to get into the flow, but I've discovered that my commute to work is the perfect time to write and the ideas come easily now.</div>
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<b>3. (Re)Discover your creative side.</b></div>
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I don't yet have a work space here that I can create jewellery in. Although I'd rather spend my days designing and creating in metal, I have to settle for other creative outputs at the moment. A few months ago I bought some polymer clay and wire. Wirework and polymer clay were always my weakest skills in jewellery making but I was determined to prove to myself that I could make something lovely from both mediums. Although my wirework left something to be desired, I was pretty proud of my polymer clay attempts.</div>
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I've started painting again. I've always loved painting in acrylics and wanted a new challenge. I love watercolour paintings but have always been intimidated by the loose paint. On my last trip to England I bought a miniature 12 colour watercolour kit. In the last few days I've been painting quite a lot. It allows me to shut the world out for a little while and I've produced a couple of nice bright floral pieces. It's a better alternative to scrolling through Facebook for hours (GUILTY!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyiP7pimAvT8hBQjT30tudQhusjF0CtMLDKEbqqWj5obG0cNtDSLEFTd96_MY4xrsj_5aNnM65fP2cJxEza7izvEIuJw2Jff7SaRTE-9DmDACaMWbxRyxsN5X9lvvLnGufhHWPVczGSk/s1600/20180612_152859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyiP7pimAvT8hBQjT30tudQhusjF0CtMLDKEbqqWj5obG0cNtDSLEFTd96_MY4xrsj_5aNnM65fP2cJxEza7izvEIuJw2Jff7SaRTE-9DmDACaMWbxRyxsN5X9lvvLnGufhHWPVczGSk/s320/20180612_152859.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First attempt with watercolours</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfOHnYggtV6znjMNUSu0pHVv7N0Yret6fr3f7i5rhCv2HdgcsgJl6fLUMfxzr2d1j_60MWHQ51zx4t6jR14IXXEzdK0LSEQzZYwMuygROm5kx_saQzTXpcygvtGCn1DFMJ7om1RcZwyI/s1600/20171017_233612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfOHnYggtV6znjMNUSu0pHVv7N0Yret6fr3f7i5rhCv2HdgcsgJl6fLUMfxzr2d1j_60MWHQ51zx4t6jR14IXXEzdK0LSEQzZYwMuygROm5kx_saQzTXpcygvtGCn1DFMJ7om1RcZwyI/s320/20171017_233612.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not amazing but probably the best wirework I've ever done!</td></tr>
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<b>4. Hygge.</b><br />
I think by now almost everyone is aware of the art of Scandinavian cosiness. Since I discovered the concept at the beginning of 2017 I've been trying to incorporate it into my lifestyle as much as I can. Sometimes the only thing that I want to do is close myself off from everyone else with a hot chocolate, a good book, a cosy blanket and some thick woolen socks. It's good and healthy to treat yourself every once in a while.<br />
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I'd love to hear your ideas, let me know in the comments below!<br />
Loppy x</div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-32778360971062050682018-06-11T12:07:00.000+00:002018-09-04T21:04:53.898+00:00The First Emergency Back Home - Four Months Later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So it has been over four months now since my mom was hit by a car after leaving work. I thought it was time for an update about what's happened since.<br />
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For anyone who didn't see the original post, it can be found <a href="http://www.loppyloves.com/2018/03/the-first-and-hopefully-last-emergency.html?m=1" target="_blank">here.</a> There are four parts, links at the bottom of each post.<br />
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First of all, after I returned to Iceland it was very difficult getting back into my routine. My Icelandic classes were about to start again and I didn't feel ready to go back to work (but of course I had to in order to pay my rent). Every time a customer complained about their coffee being too cold (or worse, too hot), I wanted to scream and throw the drink over them. Seriously, never complain about minor things, you never know what it going on in someone's life. There were even people complaining that I'd put the drink in a take away cup but they wanted it in a mug, and demanded that I make the drink from scratch again. THIS. IS. NOT. A. SERIOUS. ISSUE.<br />
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I also had an email from a journalist asking to promote the Crowdfunder, I asked permission from the police liason officer as I didn't want to give any information to the press if it would interfere with the investigation. Annoyingly, the liason officer wasn't really interested in talking to me once I'd returned to Iceland. She stopped sending me updates and started to ignore me.<br />
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Not so long after I returned to Iceland, mom was no longer deemed to be in a critical condition and was moved from Intensive Care to another ward. Her memory was still fuzzy but a few weeks after that she was deemed well enough to be moved to another hospital (Sandwell and Dudley). She had seemed pretty good when she moved, but within a few days her memory deteriorated again. One time I called her and she didn't even believe that I was her daughter! Sandwell didn't know what to do and admitted that they weren't made aware of just how serious her condition was. They had to call the QE for advice, the QE suggested tilting her bed back so the fluids stay in her head. They tried it and within a few days she started to return back to the way she had been when she came to Sandwell. At some point at Sandwell she tried to get out of bed, she fell but a nurse spotted it and caught her before she hit the ground.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zwvnRnE7SsrUfvQWs5_NS3MnqweoiUPtvwWXM4O8iMoG5zPHP7JDbss5Vt3kq-RDWntXxgUGtBdvRrznzhI2oBM-SjpUPwM2PtmHYKJFjUfKoy9feaOEOL-y3HTbGE8obaESYTlXa_4/s1600/20180330_115126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zwvnRnE7SsrUfvQWs5_NS3MnqweoiUPtvwWXM4O8iMoG5zPHP7JDbss5Vt3kq-RDWntXxgUGtBdvRrznzhI2oBM-SjpUPwM2PtmHYKJFjUfKoy9feaOEOL-y3HTbGE8obaESYTlXa_4/s320/20180330_115126.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping mom to write again during my first visit. I think she did pretty good!</td></tr>
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I visited her when she'd been in Sandwell for a few weeks and I was a little shocked. To me she actually seemed a little bit worse than she was on my last visit. She struggled to put sentences together and didn't understand some things. She seemed very dazy, especially on the first day. She looked physically different too. Last time, half of her head was very swollen where the skull had been removed, this time the skin was sunken down below where the skull should've been. It looked very scary as she only appeared to have half a head! We asked one of the nurses if her broken ribs had healed properly. She looked at us blankly and didn't know what we were talking about. She asked when had mom broken her ribs. I couldn't believe that no one knew about the extent of her injuries. The hospitals hadn't communicated well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j6wIHg2K46FtOQKEgcT5XBQKMT__cUsAliLF9QXkOp49IJW-zTZEMjnEW_Tvi_a0IBVl4sqv7HrbArGVQ1WDlUkwJ6HY5Fixh-QCYttK7vJklq80cEzLNWAjkk_fvruZXzWorVpDGqc/s1600/20180330_130936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j6wIHg2K46FtOQKEgcT5XBQKMT__cUsAliLF9QXkOp49IJW-zTZEMjnEW_Tvi_a0IBVl4sqv7HrbArGVQ1WDlUkwJ6HY5Fixh-QCYttK7vJklq80cEzLNWAjkk_fvruZXzWorVpDGqc/s320/20180330_130936.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is still missing half of her skull, and will be until her surgery</td></tr>
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I returned to Iceland admittedly a little upset as I didn't feel that she was in the best place (that being said, the nurses and cleaning staff at Sandwell are fantastic! I really appreciate everything that they've done for mom). It seemed to me like she was regressing and I wanted her back in the QE as soon as possible. We were told that she couldn't return to the QE until she was having surgery to put the metal plate in her skull. It was so frustrating and I felt that no one was taking my mom's case seriously anymore (and honestly those feelings haven't changed, I still don't believe it's being taken seriously). The hardest thing was, again, returning to work in my customer service job. My lease was almost up and I had the stress of moving again to think about too. I also found out about some new changes that would be taking place at work soon, regarding new management and staff. For the first time ever, I really needed consistency but there was none.<br />
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Over the weeks mom's condition seemed to be at a stand still, no better but no worse. I was planning to visit again for a little bit longer this time. I managed to get the time off and came home for a week to visit. It was so much better this time! My mom seemed to be back to herself, just missing half of her skull. She was chatty and happy, but getting bored of being stuck in bed. She couldn't remember anything from the last few months of being in hospital and still couldn't believe what had happened. Although she told me that she was nervous, she desperately wanted her surgery so that she could start rehabilitation. Before I returned home on 17th May, she was told her surgery would be on 25th May.<br />
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The day I left she was moved back to the QE to be prepped for surgery as it had been brought forward! Then they cancelled it and rescheduled, it was cancelled again and she was told by 25th May she will have the surgery. The 25th May came and went - still no surgery. It was decided that she could learn to walk to the toilet with the help of a zinger frame and a nurse. Although I knew that mom would be happy to be able to get out of bed, I didnt like the idea of her getting up with half of her brain unprotected.<br />
Her condition worsened, she was starting to act a little bit funny again. The doctors discovered that she'd contracted MRSA and she was put in a side room alone. She hates that, she has no one to talk to and she can't people watch. Infuriatingly, the nurses also can't keep an eye on her so well. She got out of bed to go to the bathroom, alone. She fell. No one noticed her getting out of bed.<br />
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The surgery was cancelled yet again, this time the doctor informed us that this appointment was never for the surgery, it was a visit to the neurological centre. Mom can't leave the hospital until she's had the surgery so it wasn't a good excuse.<br />
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A few days ago mom had a seizure. She hasn't had one before. The hospital says that they don't know what brought on the seizure but she should be in surgery this week.<br />
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I don't feel that I can believe them anymore.<br />
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Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the Crowdfunder, I raised £1200 to visit mom over the coming months!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVGqg19HbuXHZbOq7kdqPgfXuHq_BS3JdbIruN0HKvzOAHazALtO8P1iYP4yQJIF7FJIxJpgyRixO_QwSjvA9s9_xsZ1bKRmTe8-jw6pQU0btXoQK2J3iBBB2StWfNo3_T5Eu3C-q8S4/s1600/Screenshot_20180216-133927.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVGqg19HbuXHZbOq7kdqPgfXuHq_BS3JdbIruN0HKvzOAHazALtO8P1iYP4yQJIF7FJIxJpgyRixO_QwSjvA9s9_xsZ1bKRmTe8-jw6pQU0btXoQK2J3iBBB2StWfNo3_T5Eu3C-q8S4/s320/Screenshot_20180216-133927.png" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitting £1000 on Crowdfunder!</td></tr>
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I know that I been a pain over the last few months cancelling plans at the last minute and struggling to keep in touch. Thank you everyone for being patient with me. It really means at lot. ❤<br />
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Loppy x</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-36907608443794677252018-05-23T22:25:00.000+00:002018-09-04T21:05:11.198+00:00How To Cope With The Homesickness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I arrived to Iceland a little over a year ago, I didn't think that I'd really feel homesick. That might sound crazy but I was deeply unhappy in the UK and I couldn't wait to leave. I'd knew that I'd miss my friends and family, but I knew that I'd likely see them every few months or at least a couple of times a year.<br />
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I look back now and realise how naive I was to think that I'd be completely fine. The first real wave of homesickness was about 4 months after I came. I'd visited home for a week after 3 months and being home was actually was set me of! I came back to Iceland and a few weeks later found myself crying my eyes out because I missed home. I had just been home, that should've kept me going for a few more months!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is local to where I lived in Birmingham, I miss walking here sometimes</td></tr>
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I think I was more sad because home just didn't feel like <i>home</i> anymore - and Iceland wasn't quite home yet either! I'd gone back and nothing had changed in those few months I'd been away, but I'd changed a lot. Birmingham seemed darker and dirtier than I remembered and I noticed how unclean the air felt after breathing in pure Icelandic air all Summer.<br />
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I've learned now that the homesickness can strike at any time, without warning, and for the silliest of reasons. Here are a few ways that I deal with it...<br />
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<b>Call someone back home</b><br />
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This one is easy. Sometimes it can make me feel a little bit worse when I hear what I'm missing out on, but other times it helps so much! It's so easy to talk to friends and family across the world now with video calls, some nights I chat away for hours. Just remember to account for the time difference!<br />
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<b>Get back into old routines</b><br />
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In England I used to use a face mask every Sunday, it was my only day off work and it helped me to unwind for half an hour. I moved to Iceland and didn't use any face masks for about 5 months! Although I haven't quite gotten back into the habit of using one every week I am back in the habit of using them fairly regularly.<br />
I also used to go for a half an hour walk after my commute home from work everyday before I went inside my house. I had a few different walking trails I'd take and I'd switch between them every few days. It helped to clear my head after a long day. Now I go for a walk at least a few times a week after work (but before I start my commute home). I've got a couple of my own trails in Reykjavík that I worked out as a tourist before I moved here.<br />
These routines help me to feel like I'm at home here now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_S8gVshxNSK2-RMpAhnm2-EaMNT7EDeqxsWrQCRKzFaenqI0WDVhHJFq_ekMgc_8FVa8GNepveLTwA9i9eD88SwB7PNwvWIYOQd5U-r6Yi8u0BUHZXHqyy1MfDDzW6mvKZKrxfJtSfdM/s1600/20170730_235001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_S8gVshxNSK2-RMpAhnm2-EaMNT7EDeqxsWrQCRKzFaenqI0WDVhHJFq_ekMgc_8FVa8GNepveLTwA9i9eD88SwB7PNwvWIYOQd5U-r6Yi8u0BUHZXHqyy1MfDDzW6mvKZKrxfJtSfdM/s320/20170730_235001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my walking trails goes through this sculpture park</td></tr>
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<b>Treat yourself</b><br />
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Every once in a while treat yourself to something nice! Maybe it's a dress that you've had your eye on for a while, a massage, a nice meal, or even just a pamper day at home. Emigrating is a really brave thing to do and you deserve to reward yourself for that, and for sticking with it!<br />
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<b>Have an emergency stash of food from home</b><br />
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I was given this advice by one of my friends here a few months after I came. Nothing can comfort you like the food from home when the homesickness suddenly hits you out of the blue. I have a cupboard full of British foods; Bisto gravy, Bisto curry sauce, Angel Delight, Bachelor's pasta'n'sauce, Pot Noodles (most importantly Pot Noodles, they are the cure to everything). When I start to feel emotional over something trivial that reminds me that I miss home, I make a Pot Noodle. I start to feel better pretty quickly after that. Yesterday I found my 2 favourite Pot Noodle flavours (Original Curry and Bombay Bad Boy in case you're wondering) in Reykjavík for the first time ever! That was a small victory.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding these in Reykjavík has honestly made my year</td></tr>
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<b>Remind yourself why you're here</b><br />
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There was a reason that you left your old life behind and moved abroad. Whether it was a new job, love, or a need for adventure, there was something that drew you into your new country. Remember why you're there and what you love about this new place. Make a list of everything that you have in your new life that you didn't have in your old one. It could be language skills, the strength to adapt to a new climate, or simply a bigger apartment, more money etc.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming to Iceland definitely improved my Instagram feed...</td></tr>
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So those are my ways of dealing with homesickness, but I'd love to hear yours too! Let me know your tips in the comments!<br />
<br />
Loppy x</div>
Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-51233254798922103552018-05-04T19:46:00.000+00:002018-05-04T23:20:43.429+00:00One Year in Iceland and Icelandic Public HolidaysToday marks one year since I arrived in Iceland! When I came I was expecting to stay for 3 months and then leave for a while before making any decision to return for longer but plans change and I decided to stay.<br />
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During my year here so much has happened! I met my boyfriend who I'm now living with (as of a few days ago), I have lived in 3 towns here (Hveragerði, Kópavogur and Selfoss), I've had 2 jobs in the capital, there was a major emergency back home and I have almost finished Icelandic 3!<br />
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I could never have imagined that so much would change in such a short time but I'm so grateful for the changes and things that I've learned along the way. I've met many people from all walks of life, learned about different cultures and started to learn how to communicate in another language.<br />
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One of the things I learned a lot about this last year is public holidays. There are a lot of them here and they're celebrated differently from back home. Here are a few I've experiened this last year.<br />
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<b>17th June</b><br />
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The 17th June is Icelandic Independence Day. Each town has celebrations and Icelandic flags are everywhere! There are usually family events around the country to celebrate.<br />
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<b>Jól (Christmas)</b><br />
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In Iceland, presents are opened on the evening of 24th December rather than the 25th. It is a rather formal affair with the family gathered and dressed in formal attire. Christmas dinner is eaten and the presents are opened after. Everyone gets one present each from each family members instead of a sack full. There are 13 Yule Lads that visit children on the lead up to Christmas and leave small presents in their shoes. Traditonal Christmas food includes Skata (fermented Mantaray).<br />
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<b>New Year</b><br />
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New Year is also a family event, a family dinner is eaten before and everyone <span style="font-family: inherit;">watches <span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043;"><i>Áramótaskaupið</i> </span>on TV t</span>ogether. It is a sketch show mocking the years events. In downtown there is a huge firework display at Hallgrímskirkja (and it is absolutely terrifying to be a part of!).<br />
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<b>Páska (Easter)</b><br />
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On Easter there is a traditional roast dinner eaten (similar to a British roast lamb dinner) and Icelandic Easter eggs are handed around afterwards. The chocolate eggs contain sweets (mostly with liquorice) and a fortune written in Icelandic (a bit like a fortune cookie). The eggs are decorated with little chicks and other embellishments.<br />
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<b>Red Days</b><br />
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On Public Holidays and other important days (known as red days) employees are required to be paid more if they are working. The workers unions fought for this to be implemented and it means that anyone working on a red day must be given double pay (or triple on days such as Christmas!). I wasn't aware of this at first and had worked a couple of red days before I knew that I was being paid extra for them!<br />
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After my first year living in Iceland I feel that I'm slowly getting used to this cultures holidays and traditions. I find it strange that red days don't always fall on a Monday (like bank holidays back in the UK) and I still don't quite understand all of the holidays (like commerce day which is a public holidays for shop workers, even though everyone is still working...) but the more I learn about the more this place starts to feel like home.<br />
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Loppy xLoppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310436028000444728.post-28417968147821716762018-04-16T10:58:00.000+00:002018-09-04T21:05:32.428+00:00Mowgli Birmingham Review (Indian Tapas)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While I was home I met up with a couple of friends who were also shopping in town. I'd eaten not long before but they suggested that we go to Mowgli. I've wanted to try this place for months since I first heard about the swing seating they offer! It turns out only 2 tables have swing seats and they are both tables for couples, not three.</div>
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We waited for a while to get in, it's best to get a reservation here, but it was well worth the wait.</div>
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The decor was spectacular, heavily featuring monkeys on absolutely everything! Ropes hang from the bars above the tables and there is a giant table for large bookings, separated from the rest of the restaurant by ropes and a giant ornate double door.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornate double doors and 'private' area</td></tr>
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The food here is Indian Street food served like tapas, so we ordered a selection of dishes with a couple of bowls of rice, roti and puri bread.</div>
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We ordered picnic potato curry, Mowgli paneer, Mowgli chip butty, ginger and rhubarb green dahl, yoghurt chat bombs, Himalayan cheese toast and tea steeped chickpeas.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water bottles with monkeys!</td></tr>
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The yoghurt chat bombs and Mowgli chip butty came out first. The chat bombs were something I haven't really seen before, chickpea and yoghurt stuffed balls, with the perfect balance of spice and cooling yoghurt. My friends warned me that they can be messy to eat so it's best to try to eat them in one bite! I was looking forward to the Indian take on a chip butty, and it was amazing. Crispy curried potatoes with red onion and chili wrapped in a roti. When I ordered it I think I was expecting chippy chips in spices but this was far better!</div>
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While we were finishing these dishes, the rest arrived. I was hesitant to try the rhubarb and ginger green dahl, I prefer red lentils usually and didn't think the combination of rhubarb, ginger and lentils would work. I was wrong, this was one of my favourite dishes. Go and try this dish.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjFgRF9hrA1Cno1m4R4KqvQrrAb2p_U4SCR2cqQLBTdybLbEjgunMXJVAvFy9csz1KtHRC2bhSNz2fJDvhEbZV239ResvmShBA68kYJ9-_9FGL_fUN1lQzuQDQarQ-TWXBAWpnAe7ECc/s1600/20180330_190157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjFgRF9hrA1Cno1m4R4KqvQrrAb2p_U4SCR2cqQLBTdybLbEjgunMXJVAvFy9csz1KtHRC2bhSNz2fJDvhEbZV239ResvmShBA68kYJ9-_9FGL_fUN1lQzuQDQarQ-TWXBAWpnAe7ECc/s320/20180330_190157.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the amazing dishes, I love the plates too!</td></tr>
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We all fought over the Mowgli paneer, Katie and David's favourite dish. Soft cubed Indian cheese in a spiced tomato sauce - I think next time we'll get one each!</div>
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The picnic potato curry was my choice, potatoes and tomato with Bengali Five Spice. Comfort food at it's best.</div>
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The Himalayan cheese toast was served with the best lime pickle I have ever tried in my life, and growing up near the balti triangle that's a bold statement! I would like to bring <strike>a jar</strike> many jars of this pickle back to Iceland.</div>
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The tea steeped chickpeas are cooked in a Darjeeling tomato sauce. It's an interesting combination and was really delicious! We have Darjeeling tea available in Iceland so I may have to try this one at home.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSyxOo677m-UD48-tRwKUzj91IDa5zWj9dpdxYn_8AEMkanbLyXOmt8uBIjounP2Pt1UGmEURrZHBEnsS8gRd0PA3LITmSCu5Yv4PEKpa9djIC6Bayw1XknGI8fnWaBX_M6HBzHXFw_c/s1600/20180330_190201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSyxOo677m-UD48-tRwKUzj91IDa5zWj9dpdxYn_8AEMkanbLyXOmt8uBIjounP2Pt1UGmEURrZHBEnsS8gRd0PA3LITmSCu5Yv4PEKpa9djIC6Bayw1XknGI8fnWaBX_M6HBzHXFw_c/s320/20180330_190201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie-Marie and David enjoying dinner</td></tr>
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My first, but definitely not last, visit to Mowgli was incredible! Next time I'm in Brum I will make a reservation ahead of time, and maybe even try to snag one of the swing chairs!</div>
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They now have a Mowgli cookbook for sale which I will bring back home with me next time to try to recreate some of the dishes here (we need more Indian restaurants in <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reykjav<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">í</span>k!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reading up on the company I discovered that Nisha Katona, the founder, hand picks 'curry virgins' to work in the kitchen and hand trains them! I think that's amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nisha, if you ever open in </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reykjav</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">í</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">k, which you definitely should, please pick me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Loppy x</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">*This post was not sponsored, all opinions and recommendations are my own.</i></span></div>
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Loppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05288603805159571023noreply@blogger.com0