A Typical Female!

Please look at I'm just a bit of a stereotypical young woman.

[missnotsowitty]

Dream as big as a floppy summer hat! Take idiots out with it while you're at it!

[missnotsowitty]

If it's not on social media it didn't happen! #gym #socialmedia #life #propersweating #bedtime

[as-a-student-childrens-nurse]

I call that a productive hour of procrastination! All 107 photos now have a new home!

Time wasting for exam prep aside, your friends and family both new and old hold so many memories. Some of these may be tainted by time or arguments however I can say hands on my hear I wouldn’t have got this far in uni without everyone of them!

[missnotsowitty]

Thought I'd update the blog and kill even more time!

[juansendizon]

A healthy mind, some minor romance and some meaningful work. That’s all I really need to exist well.

Juansen Dizon (via juansendizon)

[missnotsowitty]

Here we go again! Off to lands end from worlds end garden centre! Come down if you're around! #charity #bike #exercise #shartered (at World's End, a Wyevale Garden Centre)

[as-a-student-childrens-nurse]

Coming Home

Over the last few weeks I’ve been spending hours on trains but loving every minute of it. I’ve been home to spend quality time with my family, as well as seeing old friends who never fail to make me smile.

Coming home is great whatever the weather however in the sunshine it’s even better! It’s also been lovely as with such a limited holiday time, I’ll take whatever time I can, out of uni surrounded by those I love!

[missnotsowitty]

Still pretending to be a blogger!

[missnotsowitty]

Ignore my weird face but today I'm a proud daughter because my daddy wrote an article, go read it: http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/16998670?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

[missnotsowitty]

My parents dragged me to a farm. Luckily for them the view saved them from me throwing a paddy! #farm #views #countrylife

[missnotsowitty]

It may not be #tbt or some special event! But on a quiet Sunday afternoon scrolling through photos as a distraction from uni work, I came across this gem. This is me on my 16th birthday with 2 of the most inspirational woman ever, my grandma and nana. I'm privileged to still have one alive and present in my life and RIP Grandma. On some of my toughest days at university where academics seems way beyond a kid like me I remember how proud these woman are/were of me and suddenly even psychosocial development seems a bit less tough! I am officially a lucky granddaughter! #love #nurse #familygoals #rip #inspirationalwomen (at Kingston University)

[teenagerposts]

[dear-self-harmers]

Tattoos and scars.

Firstly if you’re considering getting a tattoo over scar tissue whether you’re a self harmer or not be warned of 2 things. 1) not every Tattoo Artist will agree to do it and some will request the scar is over a certain amount of months/years old, 2) it hurts like a bitch. If you thought getting a normal tattoo hurt, this is 10x as bad. However If like me and are determined go for it.

In terms of my scars as I’ve recovered I’ve never had any major issues with still being able to see them. I seem to have gone through the journey of self acceptance and see them as just a bookmark in my life story. However despite that ideal it can easily be broken. The big one being when people pass comment or judgement about them. Or when as a youth leader I feel like a poor role model if they are visible when I where shorts. I almost feel like my visible scars are saying to these kids that it’s okay and it’s not, it’s not safe. As a tattoo freak it only felt right to fight this issue with what I know well…ink!

My lotus tattoo as you can see from the first picture no way covers all of my scars and that is my choice. I wasn’t naive enough to believe that just by getting a giant tattoo that hid it all would be the easiest and most effective way for me to recover. So I had to find another way. Then I looked at the fundamentals of my recovery journey. Throughout recovery I’ve focused a lot on the idea of hope. Hope of acceptance for those also fighting my battle, hope to stop forever, hope to do will. Hope for a lot of things. It was this concept that acted as the spark. Maybe I needed to learn that hiding my scars wasn’t what was best but to use them to create a message of recovery. The lotus flower grows in the thickest of muds but is one of the most beautiful flowers. So by placing the tattoo next to my scars and only covering some of them it was as if this flower was growing from the mud of my past. That is flower way my hope for the future.

So that’s my new tattoo and the story behind it. The key message is recovery and scar acceptance are tough, especially with it being such a taboo. Therefore it is important that in ourselves we find a way to make it good. Also remember it hurts like a bitch!

Love Shannon x

[missnotsowitty]

I wrote a thing and I'm proud!

[missnotsowitty]

Manchester

I don’t think now nearly 24 hours later there is anyone left that hasn’t heard about the horrific events in Manchester last night. My condolences go out to all those effected. In addition to this my heartfelt respect and thanks go out to all the medical professionals, emergency service members who have worked tirelessly with no regard of shift patterns and days off to help those affects. 
To the brave members of the public who risked their own safety to help you are unsung heroes. In all this it is important that it doesn’t divide the nation that no matter what ethnicity, age, relation or social status we support each other through another crisis. For those who are straight to jump and attack the Muslim religion I wish you could see inside the NHS where countless members of that religion worked through night and day to help. It is not the religion it was the person that did this damage.

[missnotsowitty]

Today we finally went on our mother daughter bonding session. We had a lovely make over and photo shoot. My mum is just incredible, she motivates and inspires me every day and it was so lovely to treat her! #muma #motheranddaughter #love #inspiration

[missnotsowitty]

[missnotsowitty]

This is my second of hopefully many tattoos. I know people love the meaning behind them so here it it! So the semi colon is all about suicide awareness, there is a whole online following and people who have done some beautiful things with it! The background is a writer uses a semi-colon when he could end the story but choices not to. Like we could end our life but we carry on. Now when I attempted suicide in early 2016 , I couldn’t eat it made me really sick so I lived off cups of tea and really now it’s still most of my diet, So I have a tea cup! In addition to this so much of mental health recovery is about the ability to talk and safe places to talk. Like over a cup of tea. It's those chats and smiles that can make rough times easier. But there is one slight problem. This can only occur if the taboo around mental illness is stamped out!

[missnotsowitty]

I talk about my time in St John Ambulance a lot because it has been responsible for shaping the person I am today. After a lovely FaceTime time with basically my SJA children @lboddington12345 and @gemg100, I've been reminded how many friends and experiences the charity has given to me and continues to do so! To everyone I've met through my time in St John thank you for being part of some of the best experiences in my life! #sja #lifechanger #family #inspiration

[this-iswhatmakesus-girls-deacti]