An update. More posts to come?

Well here I am.. Over a year since my last post. I simply cannot/refuse to believe that this year is already in its 5th month. It's true that the older you get, the quicker time flys. I don't like it much.

2015 was one of the best years of my life. scrap that. The best year of my life so far. I'm not sure if I have people that even read these posts if I am honest.. If I ever did I am sure they are long gone by now. But I will use this blog as another form of a diary. Because looking back on one of my past post that was a rant from a long day now truly warms heart. Here's why.

Back in November 2014 I wrote a blog post after a very long day of dance auditions. This is the post which would lead the the most rewarding year of my life. That day I had an audition for Mamma Mia on one of Royal Caribbean ships- The Allure Of The Seas. Have a quick read through it if you want this post to make even more sense. Little did I know that 3 months later I would get an email telling me the news I had completely forgot to wait for. I got the job! I flew out just a month later to start rehearsals in Miami for the shows Mamma Mia and Blue Planet on THE BIGGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD as an Ensemble member, Dancer and an Aerialist.

I think I will do a few blog posts about being on the ship. Rather than trying to squeeze them in to one. I was away for 10 months after all!

Even if you have no interest in anything I have said so far (not sure you would still be reading tbh.) If you take away anything, take away this.

Everything happens for a reason. What was one of my most stressful days turned out to bring me the greatest year of my life. When I wanted to give up and go home, I didn't. I am not a religious person, though I respect each and every religion as it is. But I do believe in fate. This is some advice I need to take for myself actually.. After 5 months of unemployment there comes a point where you start to question everything you know shouldn't even be questioned. Is this really for me? What if it takes another 5 months? Will I last that long? But I cant turn back. I can't give up. I can't imagine looking back for the rest of my life thinking what if? What if I had tried that little bit harder. Stuck at it that little bit longer.... Giving up is never an option for me.

Do what you love and you will love to be you.

We got this.

Stay tuned for more posts from the unemployed dancer that has far too much time on her hands.

Ella xx

We Got chickens!

YES.. real life egg laying chirping clucking chickens! can you tell this excites me?

For years me and my mother have wanted 2 things.. a sphynx being one of them, we got him almost 2 years ago and he is just gorgeous (you will be seeing him in posts to come). The second being chickens. we had the space in the garden, so no problem there but we just hadn't bothered to look for any being sold! until now. 

My auntie lives closer to the luscious fields of the Hertfordshire country side, so naturally there are a few more chicken owners around there. Her next door neighbour was about to take his pet chickens to the slaughter home as they 'weren't laying'.. my auntie, knowing that we had wanted some for a while called my mum and they went to pick them up. 5 chickens, for free. slightly skinny but they just needed a good feeding and abit of TLC. Myself and my nan spent a whole 12 hours building their coop in the corner of our garden.
we used an old unused shed for their home, and we made a little run with chicken wire all around to stop them escaping. In the shed there are 2 old Guinea pig cages that they use both to sleep in and to lay their eggs. yes its all abit makeshift.. odds and sods here and there, but we have had the chickens for a few weeks now, and they couldn't be happier.

A picture of the chickens roaming around in their little garden. there is an apple tree right above them, so when the apples fall down they love to tuck into them. 

Our chickens also love to roam free in our garden during the day,while we are at home.

the inside of the coop /shed looks like this. makeshift old Guinea pig cages, they use all levels and sleep inside of them. they lay their eggs in the closed departments.. 

                   Oh, did I mention we get 5 eggs a day?

    Enough eggs to feed my whole neighbourhood.!

Speak soon!

Ella Xx

Life after graduation.

On the 19th July 2014 i graduated my college of 3 years with a national diploma in dance, music and theatre performance. today's post is going to be about life after graduation for me. this will particularly be aimed towards dancers and actors, as that is what i am, but some points i am positive can be related to anyone just graduated.



Graduation

The day I graduated was one of the most emotional days of my life to date.
Good emotions and bad alike. I woke up at around 6.30am, we had to be at the theatre ready to have our pictures taken for 9. sounds silly now, but the first thing I did when I woke up was to write a speech on the notes part of my iPhone. I later posted this to Facebook, It wasn't planned it that way but I knew whatever I said on-line that day needed to be good. not only that, but I was writing for myself.. so that in years to come I could look back at that status and know how proud of myself I was that day.

Pictures were taken and the ceremony was done, my certificate collected and lots of tears accidentally shed. There was one major thing that separated our graduation to a normal university graduation.. And that was that we then had to do 2 shows! we all had to pull ourselves together for the final shows to be done all together, but they were by far the best, most atmospheric most emotional shows we have done as a college to date. 

'Summer Holidays' after graduation..

My summer holidays were great! I chilled out, caught up with friends, went to Madrid, ate as much as i wanted when i wanted. then i realised something.. this isn't a 'summer holiday' any-more .. I am not going back to an institution of any kind.. this is actually just life. So in came the auditions, the gym, the eating slightly healthier. i am very lucky in the fact that before i had left college i had nabbed myself one of the best agents going. having an agent is not the be all and end all of your career as a dancer or actress.. i have friends that are doing very well without one and keeping everything they earn for themselves! (Bonus), but it is so much harder to get in the door of the London west-end theatre land without one, so the fact that that was already sorted was a bonus.

Then starts the real job hunting..

Now.. This is where the industry can make or break you. Audition after audition with no luck at all. Sometimes audition after audition getting to the very final of every single one, and then STILL not getting the job. I'm not sure what's worse.. To be told 'No' from the start, or to be lead into believing you were perfect for the role, only to be told no (or to never hear back) at the very end. 

i think the key thing to remember is that every audition and every job interview that you go for has something very specific that they are looking for. There is no point trying to completely change yourself to suite one job.. you may still not get it, and then you've made yourself unsuitable for other jobs just around the corner. 

Keep going!

The more auditions and job interviews you go to, the better you get, the more confident and comfortable you feel, the more likely you are to get the job. its a matter of statistics. Go to 2 auditions, and you'd be very lucky to get the job out of just those 2. Go to 50 auditions and the odds are increased dramatically. That goes for every type of job interview. Weather that be an audition for a musical or an interview for a job opportunity to be a secretary. Keep going.

                                         Myself..

I have auditioned for a hell of a lot. From the lion king west end, to Matilda, cruise ships to dance jobs in Germany, Japan and more. So far i have had 1 job offer after maybe.. 30 auditions? by the time this post goes up i should be in full swing of my rehearsals for a pantomime. i will be in Cinderella over the Christmas period. i will be a dancer and understudy fairy god mother. And let me tell you i can not wait to get back onto that stage performing every day for hundreds.

When you haven't been on stage for a while as a dancer or actor, its easy to loose sight of what all of the hassle is for. One second on that stage and it is all apparent once more. I LOVE to perform, and i love to dance.. I am extremely excited to have a job, my first professional job, for the Christmas period. 

OOTD/N - friends party

Hello lovelys. just a quick OOTD post. have a nice day.

crop top- new look
'disco-pants'- river island
heeled Chelsea boots- simmies (£25 bargain)


speak soon,
Ella Xx

100 years.. Lest we forget.

2014 marks the 100 year anniversary of the beginning of the 1st word war. RIP to all of the brave men and women who lost their lives fighting for our country. I went to visit the poppy display at the tower of London a few days ago. here are some pictures of a truly beautiful sentiment.

Speak soon, 

Ella Xx

A post for a post

Well hello there beautiful people of the internet.

I have made a decision..
I would like to commit to my blog from now on. I want to write posts every week, I want to read other peoples posts every week, I want to keep a note of my life for me to look back on because quite frankly, my memory is just awful and I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached to my neck! This is a quick post, for anyone wanting to read it, just to say that you will be seeing alot more of me popping up on your feed.

My blog is going to change a little.. I want it to be a little more personal. I will still be doing my usual outfit of the day posts, and my make-up reviews, but I also want to write more about my day to day life, my thoughts, my questions and my journeys. I will cross my fingers and toes and hope that people might want to read about the average life of Ella.. but if not then that's ok, because this will be a diary for me to look back on when I am... well.. probably when I am 25 and can't remember a thing about being 19.

Speak soon,

Ella Xx

my favourite pictures of 2012.

                                                         (not me! unfortunately)

 i love taking snapshots of memories, so i love instagram :)

instagram- @ Ellamartine