A Lifetime of Adventures

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The front cover of my new 2016 calendar.

The new year is upon us! Happy New Year to all my new and old readers, I hope you’ve all stuffed yourself with food and had lots of fun over the holiday season.

Unlike most years, I didn’t stay up to midnight like I usually do and that’s because of the lack of sleep the night before mixed in with work/university stress. I missed the family fireworks we host every new year and the London fireworks show but I did get a lovely catch up when I woke up this morning to rain and harsh winds. Ah, lovely England!

I think one of the things I was most excited about starting a new year was the opening and hanging of my new 2016 calendar. Isn’t it adorable? I bought it from an online shop, notonthehighstreet and absolutely love it! It’s something to gaze at and get lost in my day dream as I study.

2015 was definitely a year for me: I finished my first year at university, got another job and quit my first awful retail job, had the most interviews I’ve had in a year and started this blog up again. Whilst all the while learning more about myself and from that, going through self-development.

I don’t usually do New Year’s resolutions because when I did do them before, I’d just disappoint myself when I did reach out for Dominos pizza’s phone number 4 days in a row or skipped a run because I couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed. This disappointment leads to a very unproductive attitude for a few weeks which I really dislike.

Unproductiveness puts me down, making me wish – more than ever – on an undo button. But this year I do want to set some resolutions that are more than just stop eating pizza or put the pizza down…

Join Zumba again – I’ve been telling myself to go again for months now but I kept putting it off because of the growing anxiety that reappeared in my life last year. I’m definitely going this time though (after exams), I even got some friends to do it with me. Familiar faces reduce my anxiety and not to mention make it all a lot more fun! Also, much more fun than joining the gym in my opinion.

Stop being a pushover: I am the biggest, I mean, BIGGEST push over ever. My best friend has constantly been telling me for years that I need to let this trait of mine go because people will constantly walk all over me and… they do. Slowly but surely, the Sasha Fierce within me will come out. *flicks hair

Read more books! A goal of 8. This is a lot for me because of my busy schedule!

Keep up with the university/part time job balance: Plan, plan, plan. I started doing this at the end of last year which has been working but when I do slip up on the schedule I tend to stress out way too much so I really need to keep on top of everything.

Sleep more: last year I probably slept 60% less than I have ever had in my whole life.

Appreciate and give more: I often feel “relatively deprived” from things when I look at how other people run their lives, what they have etc. So, I want to be more aware of the things I have, the people I love around me rather than comparing myself to others. I’ve been thinking of giving blood for a while now – this year I will do it!

And some other things I have planned for this year:

  • Fingers crossed: an internship or work experience for the summer/year out.
  • I want to do a lot of creative work when I have time e.g re-learn Photoshop and learn photography.
  • Buy a camera!
  • Limit money spending on things like clothes. C’mon girl, you have enough.
  • Vlog?? At least one, don’t be shy.
  • Get on the train and visit at least two new places!

I’ll be sure to be taking you all with me (through this blog!), the whole time. Thank you for all the comments over the past half-ish year. A special shout out to Kya for allowing me the chance to do blogging, design and coding all over again!

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Me & my sister for New Years! ⭐

Also: New year, new layout.

I’ve added a page where you can see all my previous layouts and some comments about them, I love making them a bit personal rather than just a layout for the sake of it! This one is inspired by my hilly hometown.

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Pawlean.com’s favicon/logo & 2013 me with my fiery, ombré hair.

I’ve also got a new favicon/logo for my blog made by my boyfriend a long time ago, it’s supposed to be me with my excessive love for makeup and the “fiery” hair I used to sport for years.

Happy New Year lovelies! Let me know what you’re up to this year!

36 responses to “A Lifetime of Adventures”

  1. Happy New Year, Paulihne! I wish you nothing but the best this year :). Love the new layout! Go you with the one-column layout ;).

    It sounds like a lot happened last year. It’s good to learn about yourself and gain self-development. Good luck with your goals this year. University comes first! But having a part time job is really beneficial because it shows you can balance things out on your resume and that extra cash to go shopping isn’t too bad ;).

    Hope to see you continue blog over the year. Good job with what you have done so far~ The feisty hair looks cool X’D.

    1. Happy New Year Nancy! 🙂 I’m glad you like the layout – I tried to make it as pretty as possible and not as boring as people think!

      Thank you for reading sweetie!

  2. Love the new blog layout Pauline! So very you, ahh it’s so pretty too.
    As for the resolutions oh my goodness I know right, I didn’t want to make resolutions as I end up being disappointed and feel so shitty about myself.

    Best of luck to you sweetie, you can do this!
    Lots of love xx

    1. Thank you SO much Micah! That’s the response I was looking for 😉

  3. I love your goals. I didn’t want to make goals for myself because I’m dreading disappointment so much, but you put them in such a great way like sleeping more and joining a society, simple lifestyle changes that ultimately go a long way :”‘) your vlogs are always so inspiring!!

    2015 was a great year for me too it’s the year I grew and matured most in my life by far. I discovered this year what its like to be motivated to be really really motivated. Before I always envied people who worked hard continuously, I never knew how to do that because everything I did before was because I had to. But in 2015 that spark of motivation in my heart really lit into a full fire (sort of like your hair) at a point around June after not doing well in my exams.

    Ever since then I feel like I’ve been arming myself with a lot of knowledge and a lot of ways to keep my motivation high and I’ve done more this year than ever before in my life especially the amount of work I’ve done in university. But once December 31st came by I felt like I could still do more? I didn’t feel tired? And that’s what I want to do, I want to do as much as I’m able this year I want to run after all my goals and dreams and work hard in every aspect in my life, I want to make the most out of each of the 24 hours we get each day. I want to be more creative but mostly, once December 31st 2016 comes by I want to feel tired.

    1. You’ve put everything I’ve been thinking into words. That’s exactly what I want to do with my year too. I want to feel damn tired.

      Thank you for leaving a comment 😉

  4. Happy new year, Pauline! <3

    I adore this layout a lot. Great job!

    Also, wishing you the best with your goals for the upcoming year. Reading is also on my list, as well as being physically active again. Now, I just need the push to actually follow through. 😛

    1. Good luck with your goals Kristine! Thank you for reading! <3

  5. Love the new look here, Pauline! 😀 The favicon is also awesome!

    Sounds like you had a rough 2015. Work + school is a tiring combination, especially when you throw in that awful job you had 🙁 I hope you will have a better 2016 and that you will accomplish your goals! Good luck with it all! <3

    1. Thanks Tara! The favicon is pretty neat, isn’t it? 😛

  6. Happy new year – love your new layout up! Best of luck achieving your resolutions. Zumba is something I’ve always wanted to try, should maybe pop that onto my list too. 🙂

    1. Definitely try it, Catherine! It’s so much fun and beneficial 🙂

  7. Good luck on the goals! I have similar ones, especially focusing on what I have and not other people, learning some new (or improving on old) hobbies and maybe a vlog.. maybe, it’s so scary! 🙂

    I love the favicon, I was just thinking about creating one for my blog.

    1. I always loved favicons – it makes me feel really “official” 😛

  8. Happy new year! I really like the art style of the calendar you got. I get excited for using new calendars at the start of the year too 🙂 Also, your new layout looks great! I love the photo you chose for the header. The scenery is so pretty, and it feels so personal. The favicon looks really cool too!

    Good luck on your goals! I think those are great things to work on. Better than stop eating pizza because well, pizza is pretty great 😉 It’s my guilty pleasure, haha. I hope you’ll find an internship later, and I think that’d be neat if you learned photography!

    I hope 2016 will be an awesome year for you!

    1. Thank you Cat, it’s my hilly hometown ^_^ Happy New Year love!

  9. Definitely ate waaaaay too much this Christmas. That’s okay… it was Christmas, haha.

    I need that calendar in my life. Alice in Wonderland is my favourite book EVER. I have a tattoo of “We’re all mad here” with the Cheshire Cat’s grin 🙂

    I’m thinking of joining yoga myself. I want to do some kind of exercise class, either way – keep me fit and active and stop thinking about that greasy delicious cheesy pizza T_T

    Good luck with your goals, my love! Happy New Year and I LOVE your new layout 😀 x

    1. Omg? That’s amazing Chynna! Where’s the tattoo at?

      1. It’s on my right shoulder :3

  10. I am cracking up at the pizza resolutions because I would do the same thing. I’ve just accepted that I am who I am. 😛 I really like your goal to read. You can totally do it! I’m not sure if I’ve suggested this to you before, but audiobooks are really great for on commutes or when you do laundry, etc. It helps me read more when I can’t physically pick up a book.

    I love your “appreciate and give more” goal, too. I sometimes get so caught up in seeing the lives that others have when things get handed to them or I get jealous. It’s silly when I have so much to be thankful for already.

    I love your layout, especially the picture. Your hometown looks absolutely gorgeous, Pauline! As do you 🙂

  11. You finished your first year at uni — that’s big!!! Work, girl. Hope the coming year sees many successes and learning experiences in your resolutions. AND you get to start 2016 with a brand spankin’ new layout. If that’s not a symbol of new and shiny great things to come, I don’t know what is. 🙂

    The Alice in Wonderland calendar is such a lovely and whimsical addition!

  12. Happy New Year!

    Good luck with your resolutions! I bought a Dominoes last night but it’s going to be my last one for a long while – I need to save money! And I’m doing the same with buying things in general as well. My wardrobe’s full, I don’t need anything else.

    I’d love to join Zumba. I doubt I’d have the confidence though. I also fancy clubbercise (can’t spell it lol) where you get to dance with glow sticks as if you’re in a night club. It sounds like a really fun way to keep fit!
    Xxx

  13. Great list and you’ve got plenty of time to make it all happen. Have a great 2016!

    http://www.jeannechristinemarie.blogspot.com

  14. Happy New Year Pauline! Love your new blog layout! 🙂
    Hope you have a good year :>

  15. Happy New Year, sweetheart! 2015 sure was an eventful year for you. Sorry you’ve been so exhausted because of studies but you’re doing superb! Keep it up!
    Love your goals and hope you achieve them all! Yas to Sasha Fierce coming out – we all need that inner diva to show up at times 😉
    Love the new layout – I am still playing with mine. Hopefully I will soon finish it and it will be 100% me 🙂 I just need a fab designer on board.
    Lots of love your way, and how sweet of your bf to design a little favicon for you <3
    xox Nadia
    http://www.mielandmint.com

  16. Happy new year Pauline! Wow you look so beautiful with the wavy ombre! That shade of brown is actually what I have in mind for my next dye job since I’ve only gone dark brown or red, but I think 2016 might be the year I go for some bleaching! AH.

    I was once a pushover because I kept getting the blame for things I didn’t do, and at this point I think the best way to go forth is stop letting anything get to you! I hope you can stand up to others because life is short, too short to waste on people making you fall down. And also it’s very easy to love others if you don’t let yourself get pushed around. 🙂

    A girl can never have enough clothes so I don’t support that one. 😉 Otherwise good luck with those resolutions! Wah I made the goal of 12 books, maybe my eyes are too big at the moment but I do wanna do a lot of reading despite how busy my schedule is.

  17. Happy New Years, we are getting a lot of rain where I’m from as well because of El Nino.

    http://www.pixics.com/blog

  18. I think I’m in love with your new layout!~ I love love it! I’m having Georgie make me layout and I can’t wait to see it when it’s done <3

    I kept all my resolutions and I'm keeping my new ones too. Mine has always been simply be a better you every year. Keep growing, keep learning, and keep maturing. Happy new year~

  19. What a wonderful and beautiful post, Pauline! You and I have a lot of things in common. For instance, I too, have made a goal to read at least 20 books before the year is up. That might be extreme, but I hope to accomplish it.

    Like you, I too, get discouraged by New Year’s resolutions because some times I would just give up on them half way through the year, or not do them at all. This year, is different and I can feel it. I am glad that you are able to get a new job fine and sleep more.

    Did you know that the actor James Franco only sleeps when he absolutely has too? He looks stoned out of his mind because of that reason. He is an artist, college student, and actor. I feel that way too, some times. I feel that I don’t want to sleep, but my body gives up sometimes and refuses to stay awake. Plus, I have this nervous system that needs some 6 or more hours of sleep. If not, I have an ‘Earthquake’ aka petite mall seizure. Don’t worry, it’s just a twitching thing that happens and I stay in one place.

    Anyways, I wish you all the luck in the world for your resolutions and goals. By the way, I love the new layout!

  20. I like the new layout, damn that banner is really striking. Loving the style! I’m working on something new myself, haha. Was not really for the new year but I had some small changes planned and it just ended up being a bigger project. ?

    I have been known to let people walk all over me and treat me like shit. 🙁 I am sure you will be able to fight people back and be more defensive. I think it may be because you are really nice to people and they take advantage of that – at least that is how it worked in my situation. You can do it! You can stand up for yourself and show people you won’t let them use you. 😀

    I love the favicon! I also love the red hair haha, you probably guessed that red is my favourite colour to colour my hair. I had blonde once but disliked it and I found myself just reverting to the red. On another note, my favicon is a boring triangle. 😛

    I hope you have a much happier 2016 with some more sleep indeed! You deserve it, you worked so hard last year. <3

  21. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Regardless of if you do what you set out to do long as you try its good!

    But those are some nice goals. Yay reading! XD Good luck!

  22. Good luck with all your goals for 2016!

    I really hope manage to find a good balance between work and university. It can be really hard, but fortunately when I was in my second year of uni I managed to find a job that was super flexible with my studies. Don’t over work yourself!

    I’m hoping to read more books too. I’m sure I say that every year, but this year I’m determined to read some of the great classic novels out there.

  23. A very late Happy New Year!
    I love the new layout and the favicon!!
    I hope you achieve all the goals you have set for the year!

  24. Happy New Year Pauline! Lovely new layout. Boy the cover photo just makes me want to jump in it and see the countryside.

    Good luck on the resolutions! Definitely sleep more and read more books are part of my goals for this year as well.

    And i love your calendar!! 😀 Cheers to more blogging!

    AND YES DO SHOW US A VLOG!

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  26. Pauline is passionate about everything Social media. She is the leader of a number of online communities and spends her days building them for businesses.

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