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Dear Readers,

It is wonderful to see the amazing comments and positive feedback I received. Now, I feel like I should do something in return and get to know you guys more.

These are my contact details:

Twitter - @VLADMARIN97   Guaranteed a follow back if you follow me :)

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Public Apology: I'm not going anywhere

Dear Readers,

Snapshot in Scotland, June 2014

Do not even think for a minute that I have forgotten about my blog. Nothing makes me more happy knowing people around the entire world are actually putting in the effort to look at my jumble of words on the screen. It is so wonderful when I hear that my friends and people in my life have read my blog and interested others in reading it,. Albeit, it has very few articles, I will continue to publish material until my heart decides not to. I have had a rather interesting summer where I have acheived an overall mark of BBBCD in my A levels. Although, not the greatest of marks, I have to look at the positives and realise that I have done better then others on a national scale. However, it is also a 'WAKE UP CALL' to kick some butt this year! I want to get into a great university and feel like I have accomplished something. As an aspiring lawyer, you can understand how competitive it is and essential it is to do well this year.

 In addition to getting my A levels, I want on a lovely holiday to Madeira with family friends to celebrate my parents' 25th anniversary. It was lovely to get a shade of tan on my skin for once. However, 4 weeks later, I returned to my colour drained self. 


I have also started learning to drive. This means that all you lovely people that own a car or are even remotely close to the public road, GET OUT OF MY WAY !! In other news, I have also rejoined a competitive swimming club in order to turn the bingo rings and my six pack of rolls into a swimmer's body. Well, at least that is what I'm hoping for...

In a nutshell, this blog is simply an update to what I have been up to this summer and I want to add that I will be back with more blogs, particularly in my free time. 

Katy Perry

As we enter the intense exam period, I decided to do one last blog for a while. But don't worry, I will be back soon in June with plenty more to offer. My muse has been a bit fickle as I haven't been able to think of nothing else apart from exams and the relief I will get when its through.

But something else will happen to me during the busy May period: I will see Katy Perry live in concert with my best friend, Bianca Stanescu. We are both hyped about this concert as it will also be the first time we've met up in almost 2 years!

The tickets were given to me not too long ago on my 17th birthday from my loving family. I have wanted to see Katy in her California Dreams Tour after, Teenage Dream came out. One of my best friends got the opportunity and I was extremely jealous.

For me, Katy Perry has been one of the best singers I've seen in this generation of music. She is genuine, honest, smart and writes songs that are easy to relate to. She consistently breaks boundaries and pushes herself to do better. All of her videos, have been extremely creative, whether its her acting as Cleopatra or reinventing her nerdy alter ego Kathy Beth Terry. She pays tribute to a lot of artists, films and always has a story to tell. And in fact, lots of artists now pay tribute to her such as Glee, Selena Gomez, Cher Lloyd and other aspiring musicians that want to mirror her career. Everyone knows her, everyone wants to be her.

One of her alter egos, Katy Patra

Also, I went in the summer to see her debut biographical film to get a glimpse of what happens behind the stage, the make-up and how she copes with her new-found fame and the breakdown of her marriage to Russell Brand. She was dropped by 3 labels yet she never gave up on her dream which is an inspiring message for everyone that we can all become someone. She is now the most popular person on Twitter, has 2 number one albums and has sold a whopping 100 million singles in just 6 years. Approximately 10 of her singles are amongst the biggest selling singles of all time. 

http://www.officialcharts.com/features/katy-perrys-best-selling-singles-revealed-2444/

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/5657799/ask-billboard-whos-sold-more-katy-perry-or-lady-gaga

Her new album Prism has recently come out and I can't wait to see how she continues to promote it and what singles she will choose. Fingers crossed for Legendary Lovers and International Smile. This album has the full potential to blow people away just like Teenage Dream. It has a more vulnerable touch to it, yet equalising the fun and magic Katy has to offer.

DISCOGRAPHY: Teenage Dream is the only album to have 5 number one singles from an album in America by a female artist. In UK, it has 7 top 10 singles, amongst the most in history. Roar is the biggest selling single in 2013 in Australia and Prism itself the biggest selling album in 2013 by a female artist, closely beating Beyonce and Miley Cyrus.

In relation to the concert, I expect Katy Perry will continue to push herself and make the show extremely colourful. Since, now she will have more Number 1 songs to perform than she did on her previous tour. There will be more content, more action, more dazzle. In addition to this, I will get the full 'Katy Perry Experience'. The stage has a triangular segment in the middle called the Reflection Section which I will be standing in. It will be the perfect place to see her perform and interact with her fans. As well as this, the cheeky duo, Icona Pop will be supporting her. So, clearly, it will be an unforgettable night. Better prepare the memory on my camera and iPhone! Take a look at the picture below to see where the Reflection Section is.

What is my favourite song? - E.T. - A mesh up of All the Things She Said by T.A.T.U and We Will Rock You by Queen. Its hip hop, club, dance genre. The video is very visual and cosmic as well as the lyrics.

What is my favourite album? - Obviously Teenage Dream. There is not one song I don't like off the album. I love Prism and One of the Boys but there is a slight detection of filler tracks.

What is my favourite video? - Last Friday Night or The One That Got Away. Both completely different sides of the spectrum. One is a party video which tributes the 1970s, 80s and 90s along with mega features like Rebecca Black. The One That Got Away is bitter-sweet and touches your heart.

Being a Vegeterian?

I've constantly debated whether I should take the leap and give up meat forever. I tried giving it up as part of my New Year's Resolution in 2010 but having brought up in a household that serves up meat for almost every course, it was hard to drop cold turkey. Also, I read this online article about a recent study about how healthy are vegetarians?

Facts discovered:

• Vegetarians visit their doctors more often and are more prone to allergies
• They also have 'a 50% increased risk of both heart attacks and cancer'
• They are also more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders
• But vegetarians tend to be more active and less likely to drink and smoke
• The research also revealed that people of high socioeconomic status are more likely to be vegetarian.

In my opinion, it would make sense why this research shows this. Think about it! Meat is an excellent source of protein as well as a bit of fat which is needed for essential insulation, internal organ shielding and also good for developing muscles and repairing bones. Most of our body functions with proteins e.g. enzymes. In addition to this, people often worry that red meat increases the risk of cancer. The simple fact is that it is high in saturated fats and that it is not recommended to eat high levels of it. A little bit of anything can't hurt. People have eaten red meats for millions of years, why suddenly drop that? Cheeses, tofu and other substitutes for meat cannot compensate to the lack of intake your body requires. Being a pescaterian can have some benefits as Omega 3 which is good for the brain and muscles however, fish is very expensive and its simply a luxury in most of society's cases. As for the slaughtering of animals, this has been going on for a very long time, and it is being thoroughly managed in agricultural businesses. It is not as if we will be running out of cows. Farmers and livestock owners have breeding programmes and make up for the stock they kill for produce. It  Also, animals are used for a lot more things such as products that we use day to day. Does that mean you are suddenly going to stop using glue, soaps and bags for the rest of your life? Another interesting fact is that we don’t have the teeth of vegetarian animals - our incisors and canines are the teeth of meat eaters. Without these teeth our ancestors would not have survived. So honestly, it is inevitable to not be using or consuming the product of an animal in your day to day to lives... 

Ready, Set Cook: Make your own home-made Oreos

OREO COOKIES

Greetings aspiring little chefs! This blog is short and quick. I was reading up on some interesting articles when this fantastic recipe popped up. Give it a go if you dare! It's a small blog but I have been so busy with exams, the summer has a lot more creative blogs coming your way. Be prepared...

So... Let's begin our cooking!

INGREDIENTS: (Makes around 40) 

For the biscuits: 

• 285g butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 250g icing sugar
• 120g cocoa powder 
• pinch of salt
• 200g plain flour 

For the filling: 

• 115g butter
• 500g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons water 

Instructions: First, you make a chocolate pastry using the cocoa, flour, butter and sugar. You then chill it, roll it out and cut out small rounds, using a cutter.Afterwards, bake, then cool, and fill with vanilla butter cream. In a nutshell, a lot of mixing...

HOW IT TURNED OUT: 

Review of the person who first made it: Originally American, the branded version of these biscuits is available in every British supermarket and is one of my children’s favourites. The homemade ones were biscuit perfection. The cocoa stopped the pastry being too sweet, the butter icing had just the right amount of vanilla, and the crunch/squidge texture was spot on. Better than the real thing. However, a packet of Oreos costs 72p, — mine worked out at double that. But they were more than twice as good!

My Disney Collection Part 1 #Disney

Toy Story 3: I wasn't entirely impressed by the first two films as I was with this one. It's probably because this film dealt with more teenage issues that I will be facing soon such as no longer playing with toys and that I will one day leave for university. This film is a reminder of every person's childhood innocence and how each toy is like a best friend. I love that this film is so adventurous and also portrays real emotions. My favourite character is Buzz Lightyear. I love the scene where he transforms into a Latin dancer trying to impress Jessie. 

Finding Nemo: Fish are friends not food! This has been one of my life quotes since the film was released. I am a serious Finding Nemo fan, I travelled to Sydney in 2006, been to millions of aquariums and have scuba dived and snorkelled. I practically accomplished most activities that have occurred in that film. The DVD was released on my 7th birthday and I also predicted the same year that a new Finding Nemo will be released. And it will! What I love most about Finding Nemo is the fact that Disney Pixar have designed a story based on the mysterious creatures of the underwater world and has educated me about different types of fish. It is an emotional story about a kid's father who wanders from afar to find him. Finding Nemo has a very heroic theme behind it and gives the sense that sea life act as a community, as a team.

The Lion King: Probably my favourite film of all time. I love the theatrical nature of this film which features heartbreak, triumph over evil and a singing meerkat and warthog! I even went to see the West End production of Lion King for my mum's birthday and it was phenomenal. The colours, the animals, the tribal dances, it was a dream come true. Also, in the Summer of 2013 I took up the opportunity to go to Kenya for a month and saw the majority of all the animals on safari. My favourite character is Simba because he got up the courage to take matters into his own hands and prove to people the extent of his power.

Aladdin: If I had 3 wishes on an Arabian night, that would be a very difficult situation. This exotic cartoon portrays a poor boy that falls in love with a princess.  When I went to Morocco, I could see the exact resemblance of the fictional town Agraba. My favourite character is Genie because he is fast, snappy, funny and caring. The most memorable scene for me is where Jasmine and Aladdin sit on the roof and watch the fireworks burst in the sky. So romantic!

Ratatouille: One adorable mouse that changes the face of French cuisine. This film beautifully captures one of the most jaw dropping cities in the world with an adorable mouse that is willing to push the boundaries of being one of the most detested species on earth into a chef/artist. My favourite character of course is Remy because he never gives up on his dream and his feisty attitude allows him to triumph all the challenges in his life. Like Chef Gusteau says 'Only the fearless cooks can be the greatest'.

Frozen: After seeing the magic of Tangled, I knew straight away that Frozen wouldn't disappoint. I first watched it during the end of the Christmas period at a family friend's house. The film is a dazzling work of art. I love the winter theme behind it and the fact that it draws inspiration from the fictional character, The White Witch. The plot is adorable and displays the power of love in so many different ways and that inner conflict can be eradicated. My favourite character is Olaf the Snowman, he is adorable and so very confused about the season of summer. I also downloaded the motion picture soundtrack for this film as I found myself humming 'Let It Go' one week later. This film has the potential to become a huge West End or Broadway theatrical phenomenon that I would watch over and over.

Miniature Dachshund, The #Dog TAG

Part of my life consists of looking after one of the cutest breeds of dog known to mankind, the Dachshund. Famously known as 'weiner' or 'hotdogs' because of their long spine. What's even better is that I have a miniature one, one big enough to cradle like a baby. Her name is Pippa and she is two years old. But don't let age deceive you, she still looks and acts like a little baby. Whilst having a nervous personality towards other dogs, she is not afraid to bark at strangers in our home like a Rottweiler. She was successful in scaring two German shepherd dogs away. Keep trying, buddy! 

She was born in Wales to a boy called Hugo and a girl called Trudy. Her pedigree name is Eskims Gaslight Girl! I should think so too! When she farts, its like a dynamite fuse has been burnt!

She loves to chew on bottles, toys (particularly a hamburger toy or a furry monkey), go on walks and likes to strut around whenever we dress her up in her Christmas dress or furry necked coat. On her birthday, we made her an amazing cake out of bread, liver patte, bone treats and smarties (purely for decoration).

My godparents have an old regular dachshund and I fell in love with it instantly. I always wanted another dog ever since we sold my cat's kittens and the time we had to sell my cocker spaniel, Nala. A connection between a man and dog is so intriguing. I love Pippa unconditionally and she always cheers me up whenever I am down. Those big, glossy and empty eyes just put a grin on my face.



 Here are a few facts about Dachshunds:

• They originate from Germany and are a cross breed between Toy Terriers and Pinschers

• Their name originates from dachs (badger) and hund (dog)

• They can suffer from spinal disc problems as they get older due to their long spines and short rib cages

• They live on an average of 13 years.

Cutest moments: 

1. When I played the piano, she would always come by and sing along to it like a werewolf howling at the moon.
2. When we adopted her, she quickly went to the toilet in a cage before she left. A pit stop before hitting the road!
3. I was rocking out to a tune when I accidentally kicked her in the face. She cried a little yelp and her eye kept shimmering as if I punched her like a gangster.
4. In the garden, a bumblebee stung her in the nose which caused her to look like a hippo. Her nose is long but it became wider. It was shockingly funny.
5. Whenever we give her slices of ham it looks like she vacuums it up in her mouth. Whenever we give her carrots, she lies on her belly and holds the carrot like a stick or a bar of chocolate
6. When she has her ears folded inside out, it looks as if she has become a bat or E.T.

The amount of memories I have had with this little furball has been so fulfilling in my teenage years. Since I am an only child, she is the one thing I can look after, call my own and play with.