The Essentials.

I've never lived abroad before, even though I've lived away from home.  Some things were obvious to take with me (clothes, shoes, computer etc.) but when it came to non-essential items, like craft materials or ornaments, the line got very blurry and I started having to make tough choices.  But no matter how many lovely things I've had to leave in the safety of my parents' house, I've made absolutely sure to pack a few personal essentials to remind me of home ^_^

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One thing I've never really done in any of the places I've lived is have photos up and displayed.  All too often I find myself just leaving all my precious pictures on my camera or computer.  Knowing that I'm going to be away from my family for a while has spurred the desire to hang pictures of my favourite people on the walls and to hang them in lovely frames like the one above.  I'm hoping that our family BBQ on Sunday will provide the perfect opportunity for great photos!

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If it's not already obvious, I -love- food.  Two of my particular English favourites are bourbon biscuits and Marmite (especially on toast, yum!) and while I have prepared for the devouring of these in America (I have a bumper pack of biccies and a jar of Marmite waiting for me), you can never have too much cute jewellery, right?  I'd love both of these pieces!

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One of my most difficult choices so far has had to be choosing which of my Complete Works of Shakespeare to take with me.  I realise how silly that sounds >.< but I'm a true Shakespeare fangirl and it was so important to me that I have at least one Complete Works with me!  'Othello' is, without a doubt, my favourite of his plays and this matching pair of Othello and Desdemona journals are not only stunning but at the top of my wishlist.

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One of my friends very sweetly bought me a Union Jack t-shirt as a going-away gift, to remind me of being at home ^_^ I did consider getting a little flag to put up on my wall but I like the idea of wearing my funky t-shirt with pride!  I would mind adding the one above to my collection (or getting a big comfy cushion with a Union Jack on it - what do you think?).

I can't quite believe the time to leave is rolling around so quickly!  Only 5 more days in England and then I'm pottering off for a while!  All I have to do is get a little bit of English chocolate to take with me and I'm all ready to go ^_^ I hope you're all gearing up for an exciting weekend!  I plan to spend mine seeing a few friends and enjoying every moment of being with my family.  Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo