Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

Hi guys!
So, summer has been and gone and with it came new friends, new adventures and new experiences. But now that is it over I have been left with something even more important that any of those.

Memories.

I have found through my 15 years in this world that there is nothing quite like a memory. They are part of what makes us ourselves. What makes us unique. No one memory is the same as another, or the same as anyone else's, for they were seen through your eyes, and experienced with your heart.

At the end of the day, that day becomes a memory, and every memory shapes and creates us. I feel that summer brings everyone a new lease of life. A life free from the stress and obligations of school. A life where for those 6 weeks, we are free.

This summer was no different. All my grand revision plans fell away the minute I had my first lie-in, woke up with nothing I needed to do and knowing I had the next 24 hours at my own disposal.

I volunteered at my local Christian camp Lighthouse, where I was lucky enough to be able to help out in 'The Space', an area dedicated for children with special needs.

I got to film for an educational video that would go on to be sent around the world to help people from foreign countries learn English.

I took part in a two week youth project production of 'Singin' in the rain', where
I not only got to spend time with some of my  amazingly talented friends, but also got to make some new ones too.

And finally I got to spend one week at the seaside town of Salcombe in Devon, where I was surrounded by the warmth of a happy community with my family and some of our closest friends.

It is times like this that bring us back to what life is really about. Spending time with those you enjoy being around and doing the things you want to do. It is so easy for people to get bogged down in the pressures of school and work, but for me, summer is the time to live life the way you want.

An oasis of the mind. A chance for a new beginning. A chance to make memories.

"Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory"

Letting Go

We all have those moments we wish we could go back to. The days you wished had never ended, the times when you wish you'd said something different. The time you wish you'd stood up for yourself.
I find myself walking away from situations thinking about how I wish the conversation would have gone, what I said and didn't say.

Is this only me?

Minutes, hours, days go by and I still think about it. But breathe. Inhale, Exhale. The moment is gone.
The art of letting go is one most aim towards, but very few achieve. It is easy to tell someone to let it go, but the actual act isn't. It's like a battle with yourself, and these are the hardest of all. Your mind is often stronger than your will, but at the same time you need to realize that your mind controls your will, so really you just need to find the courage to let go.


There are people in my life I wish I still talked to, but know I never will again, and I need to stop letting this bother me. I need to stop imagining our conversations, it is only limiting me.

Inhale, Exhale. Time to move on.

Revision Tips

It has reached that time of year where summer is almost upon us (thank god)! But with the beginning of summer also comes a LOT of exams. Whether you are in primary school, high school or university there are always exams at the end of the year, with weeks full or GCSE's, A-levels and end of years.
I, like so many others, find it really, and I mean REALLY had to revise properly for tests. When weekends and half-terms come along, all you want to do is relax and spend time with friends and family and the last thing on your mind are your exams. When I get home from school I just want to crash and spend the evening with my two best friends, my TV and my fridge.
However it is soooooo important to prepare for your exams if you want to get good grades, and as every always reminds me "YOUR GRADES WILL CHANGE YOU LIFE!".

So, on that note I have compiled a short list of revision tips to help you get ready for all those lovely tests (yay!).

1. Make a timetable and stick to it
With revision I find it a whole lot easier if I have a timetable that looks pretty. I know that sounds silly, but it seriously works! Make a really pretty revision timetable and stick it above your desk or work space, so you are always reminded of what you should be doing that night. It is also important to stick to it, instead of just revising what you like when you like.

2. Keep organised
A clean desk helps you to have a clear mind. It is always best to keep your desk clean, as this will stop you from being distracted and help you focus on your revision. It is also just a nicer environment to work in!

3. Allow yourself time for social stuff
It won't do you any good to shut yourself up in your room all day revising, as your mind won't be able to focus for long periods of time and you will find yourself getting frustrated easily. It is best to leave yourself ample opportunity for other leisure activities, such as going out with friends, doing your hobbies and being social.

4. Don't cram it all into one night!!
Cram-revising may help you learn for a vocab test or grammar test, but is really bad for important exams. This is because you will not be able to retain the information for long, and you are also causing yourself a lot of stress by trying to rewrite and learn all your notes in one night! Allow yourself 6-7 weeks of revision leading up to your exams and constant note making all year in order to do the best you possibly can.

I hope you found these tips useful, even if they were quite obvious. I know that I find it really hard to actually stick to revision plans, as once I sit in front of the TV there is no way I'm leaving, but it is so much better to revise for short amounts over a long period of time.
See you all soon and good luck in any exams!







"You're entirely bonkers, but I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

Dear Future Me

Dear Future Me,

In 10 years time I will be nearing the age of 25, and it is hard to say what will become of me or what I will be doing then. However that hasn't stopped me from compiling a list of things I wish to have done in 10 years time. So here is my list, and when I look back on this in years to come, I hope I can tick at least a few of these off.

I hope by now you have learnt the art of being organised. I now it won't be the kind of organised that is doing your homework the night you get it or revising for tests, as I hope by now school will be but a distant memory. However, I would much appreciate it if I knew you were at least doing the jobs you have to on time and I don't have to suffer the late night rushes that I do now in the future.

I hope you have learnt that to get anywhere in dance you have to start stretching every night. I know for a fact that the Sophie that is 14 pretends she stretches every night, when really me stretching at all outside of the studio is a rare occurrence.

I hope you've learnt that you can't please everyone. No one is the same, some people may love the fact you love Disney (if you still do, which I'm 99.9% sure you will), but others may not. The only way to be happy is to be yourself, cheesy though it sounds. Some people will like you and some won't, but as long as you are yourself you will find people who like and appreciate you. Surround yourself with these people, the true friends.

I hope you have achieved, or at least tried to achieve our dream. That far away hope that you could perform on stage may be dimmer now but the I hope the dwindling flame burns on. I know there is a small chance of achieving our dream but I hope you at least try and turn it into a reality, otherwise I know you will regret it in the future.

And lastly, I hope you don't forget me. The 14 year old version of yourself. The unorganized, dance/drama obsessed, crazy, weird, teenage version of yourself. I hope that you are having a great life, and sooner than I think I will be you, reading this in your present, but my future.

From Sophie on the 03/05/15

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the light"

Top Ten Disney Films

Hey guys, sorry this post will go up at midnight tonight! I have been practicing ALOT for a dance audition at school, but now that is over with I can return to my normal schedule. Just to give you a heads up on what to expect next week, I have a post to be released on Monday about different ways to revise and tips, and then on Thursday I will be posting about self confidence, as I will have just performed solo for the first time.
But for now enjoy another Disney related post that took a lot of hard decisions to make :)

10. The Lion King
I will probably get controversy over this because I know this is my friends favourite movie, but I had to put it at number ten. The soundtrack is great and I can't help but burst into song at The Circle of Life and I Just Can't Wait To Be King, however I find it so hard when Mufasa dies and I don't like Scar's death either.

9. Hercules
The narrators songs, like Zero To Hero are such great dance songs that we all end up attempting to sing even though we don't quite know all the words, and I Won't Say I'm In Love is one of my favourite songs, but I never watched Hercules that often so I reckon I didn't like it as much when I was younger.

8. Mulan
I can't lie but I have attempted to copy the stick fighting thing whilst singing I'll Make A Man Out Of You, and I know all the songs off by heart, so I think Mulan deserves to be on this list. Also who doesn't love Mushu!!

7. Aladdin
I love this movie because of the beautiful songs and also the stunning voices of Robin Williams, as he really made the Genie come alive. I still love watching this one, even as a teenager.

6. Lilo and Stitch
This film had to be on the list, because Stitch is my favourite Disney character, he's just so cute (when he isn't in his monster form). I love the setting in Hawaii and the all the blue skies and water makes me wish I was there.

5. Brave
One of my favourite things, apart from the accents, in this movie are the songs they use in the background. They have a lovely country feel and add a lot to the film, which I don't think many people notice. Brave is a lovely mother-daughter movie and my mum cries every time!!


4. Saving Mr Banks
I watched this a few days ago and I love the use of flashbacks which help you understand what Ms Traverrs went through in her childhood. I also love Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, he is so perfect for it.

3. Mary Poppins
Linking to Saving Mr Banks, but both two very different movies, I love how the family all get back together in the end and Julie Andrews voice is beautiful,  I am still trying to learn supercalifragilisticexpialidocious backwards!

2. Enchanted
Everything about this film is perfect for me, she's a real life Disney Princess!!!! I love all the songs and her dresses are so pretty. I love the happy ending and the fact it's so over dramatic.

1. Pocahontas
If you read my post last week then this would be no surprise, but Pocahontas remains my favourite Disney Film, and if you want to know why, you'll just have to go watch it!

How to... Scrapbook

Hi guys xx Sorry this post is a few days late, I tried to zap myself into the 21st century by writing and uploading this Thursday's post on my phone, however it completely failed and I accidentally deleted the whole thing instead of uploading it. Still, I have managed to retrieve the photos for this post as I couldn't do it without them, so without further ado let's start!

Today's post is about one of my favourite hobbies..... Scrap-booking!!! I love the thought of collecting all my cute photos and things from over the years and compiling them into something physical to show my children and grandchildren in the future. There is no set way to scrap-booking, and you can really do it any way you like, however I thought I would show you how I tackle it with the help of some photo's. So, here we go!

You will need:

Your chosen photo in the correct size. I recommend using photocopies, particularly if you're going to cut them as it is nice to keep originals separately.






A scrapbook, mine is from an arts and crafts shop called The Works and was only a few pounds.




Scissors, sellotape and super glue. I find it best to have both sellotape and super glue, however I mainly use superglue for the photos and embellishments.

 And finally you will need a selection of embellishments. You could have anything from lace, ribbons and fabrics to stickers, sequins and gems. I like to have lots of different embellishments to ensure all my scrapbook pages are different in some way.


Right, now you've got everything you need it is time to get started. First thing first, find the next empty page in your scrapbook and make sure that your photo is the right size.

Then, once you've decided where to put it, draw around the outline of your photograph. Once you have your outline drawn, select the colour for the background. This isn't essential but I think having a different coloured background is a really easy way to make each page a bit different and can help enhance the photo. Because this photo is outside, I thought a blue background would be perfect as it would represent the sky, but you can choose whatever colour suits your picture best. Make sure that you have coloured the whole page up to or slightly over the outline, however there is no point colouring in the part where your photo is as this won't be seen.
 Now you have your background done, it is time to stick down the picture. I recommend using superglue, as it is more subtle than sellotape and is sure to hold the picture in place. Mine is from The Work and was only £1.

Now you can start placing your embellishments. Try using different ones before choosing a final design. Look at the colours in your picture and choose suitable embellishments. I have decided to use a sticker flower and butterfly, some green sequins for the opposite corners of the photo, and piece of white flowery fabric and gold and purple pen for added details and to say where the photo was taken.

And here is my final page. For more scrapbook inspiration, see some of the other pages I did below:

I hope you enjoyed this post! See you on Monday :)







*Also, feel free to check out the dance blog I co-own, The Bunheads by clicking here. I post there on tuesdays*

The Disney Tag

If you know me, you know that I am a huuuugggee Disney fan! I have watched almost every Diney film and could happily sing the words to almost all the songs, therefore I think it is about time I do The Disney Tag. 

Feel free to answer any of the questions in the comments or leave a link to it on your blog!

I hope you enjoy: :)

1. A scene in any Disney movie you wish you could experience

I have always wanted to jump into the pictures like they do in "Mary Poppins". I would love to experience a drawing come to life around me. 

2. An unforgettable experience you've had at the parks

The wishes fireworks show- it was soooo magical!

3. When was the first time you went to a Disney park?

I think I was around 5??? I don't remember much except crying because I thought Winnie the Pooh was scary!!

4. If you could choose any of the characters to be your best friend who would you choose?

I think I would choose Tinkerbell because she could help me learn to fly and I could see the fairy world.

5.  Who is your favourite Disney princess?

I think it has to be Rapunzel, I just love her voice and personality and listening to the music from that film never ceases to make me smile.

6. Name a scene/moment in any Disney film that never fails to make you cry

That's easy- Mufasa's death. I think I cry because I feel so sad for Simba when he's looking for his father, then finds him trampled to death. It's just.... so sad..... :( 

7. What is your favourite Disney movie?

This question is so hard!! I love Disney so much and all the movies are great but my favourite would have to be "Pocahontas". The soundtrack is amazing and the animation is beautiful. It is the film that even as a teenager I can watch over and over again. 

8. Underrated Disney?

My childhood was filled with Disney, and it's safe to say that I watched a lot of films that are not classics that I think should be. Firstly, my brother and I used to love "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", and I think it is a hidden gem. I also loved "The Rescuers" and "The Black Cauldron", so if you haven't seen any of these I urge you to do so!!

9. Favourite Disney Song?

Another really hard question!! I think it has to be "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" because when I hear that song I can't help but get up and sing-along. Also my whole family knows the words so we have a whole family performance :)

10. Most memorable Disney Villain?

It has to be Maleficent. She was always the scariest Disney villain in my childhood, and I didn't actually watch "Sleeping Beauty" because I was so scared of her!! 

11.  Favourite modern Disney movie?

I really love "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam". I didn't remember how much I loved this film 'till I watched it recently and then couldn't stop singing the songs for the rest of the day!!

12. Favourite Disney Score?

Either "Beauty and The Beast" or "Frozen". What I loved about "The Beauty and The Beast" was the softness in the melodies and the use of flutes and violins in the soundtrack. In the "Frozen" album, they included the soundtrack and it really highlighted the beauty of the music in this movie. 

Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed hearing my answers to these questions and if you would like to tell me your opinions then please feel free to leave a comment below xx 

See you on Thursday xx

"You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"