Editorial

Hello and welcome to the Christmas issue of eZine, it isn’t our first BUT it

is the first one since gaining all our lovely new team members and it’s

been amazing what they have come up with for you this month.

Whilst I’m not personally bothered about Christmas this year and I know

some of our team members aren’t either (as well as your guys and girls) I

still love the winter atmosphere that it brings with it and we’ve tried our

best to include this into this issue, as well as the Christmas parts too.

We have a range of things in this issue from ways to dress for Christmas

parties and cold winter days, a makeup review to go with your party

outfits, plenty of reviews that will help you with days out with friends and

Christmas presents and lots more Christmas related pieces for you to

read and enjoy!

This issue sparks off our new piece, member of the month, which I was so

happy to write about. I hope it does just as well as our other monthly

pieces, will be great to hear your feedback on it!

Since our last issue, I’ve personally not been very good at all. Something

sad and disappointing happened (as people will probably have seen around the forums) to me and it rocked me pretty badly for a good month

and without Amy (GlitterTrashDoll) being around to keep the team going

and everyone in good spirits, I don’t think this issue would be being

edited and put together by myself right now. So I want to thank Amy and

my amazing eZine team for carrying on and writing their pieces.

I’ve loved reading every single piece and I can’t wait for 2013 to write

and work on more things with them all.

It has been an amazing year for the RYL eZine. We got back on our feet,

sadly lost our past and joint editor Zed but happily gained some new

members. I’m so proud of everyone in the eZine team and I just want to

wish them all a Happy Christmas and an amazing New Year, because each and every single one of them deserves it.

As well as my eZine team, I want to wish everyone the same on RYL.

Happy Christmas everyone and have a wonderful New Year, you all

deserve it so much and I hope it goes well for you.

Look forward to seeing everyone in 2013!

Natalee (editor)

Gathering Threads

Hi Everyone!

It's that time again when the nights are longer and the weather is getting colder

and wintry and we're dinging out those thick coats and having the heating on full blast. It can only mean one thing! Christmas is only a few sleeps away!

So, we wanted to get into the Christmas spirit and bring to you our Christmas

Edition of the eZine! We've got all our usual things from previous eZines, but

tweaked them to fit in with the theme we have running through this issue, as

well as having a few extra things we hope you like!

I would also like to take the time out to say Thank You to the The Community

Team for a fabulous Community Weekend - we enjoyed it just as much as the

last, and hope to see more in the future and I hope you feel the same way! I

would also like to take the time out to say Thank You to everyone who left

wonderful comments in the Big eZine thread in General Chat about our previous issue, we truly love hearing about what you have to say and it's really does

make everything worthwhile hearing that you enjoy reading this! It really does

make me love creating things and coming up with new ideas and exciting things

for you all, plus new themes! We always listen to what you have to say - so feel

free to suggest anything you would like to see in future eZines, whether it be

articles or themes. We really do love to hear what you think!

I really do hope you enjoy this issue as we have tried to cater for everyone this

issue. We have the make-up reviews and suggestions for those who love all

things beauty, we have an three amazing recipes for a three course meal, plus a

homemade luxury hot chocolate - perfect for a wintry night! We have a mini

Christmas word search containing the A-Z of Christmas and of course, it

wouldn't be Christmas without a few daft jokes would it? Plus loads more!

We really hope you enjoy it, and please let us know what you think!

I hope you have all been good this year so Santa brings you some lovely

presents come Christmas Day! Don't forget to leave him his mince pie and some

milk - or a hot chocolate, it must be cold being outside all night!

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas everyone.

Happy Christmas from everyone at the eZine and we hope you all have an

amazing New Year full of joy and love.

Best Wishes,

Amy (assistant editor)

What Christmas Means To Me

From Too Shy:

I am a Christmas addict. My brother says I am a magpie – I love sparkly things.

I love tinsel, I love Christmas lights, I love tacky Christmas decorations, I love

Christmas songs, I love cosy nights in with hot chocolate, a blanket and Christmas socks, I love Christmas films everything.

But for me, Christmas is about my family, childhood innocence, and memories.

My mum died last August, our last Christmas together was in 2010. And

although it was unbearably sad, it was also my favourite Christmas, because the

little things were so much more important – watching The Santa Clause with my mum on Christmas Eve, playing card games and board games together, dancing

around to Christmas songs, wandering around town on wintery afternoons,

getting excited about Christmas decorations in shops, and just enjoying being

together.

So that is what Christmas means to me.

From Belle (Shine):

Christmas is a time of multiple messages that are far more significant than the

parties, meals and extra shifts that you might end up partaking in, and it really

hit me last year, when I could see how emotion-pumped Christmas was. Aside from the commercial aspect which is heavily promoted, Christmas is about

spending time with who you care about or doing something for others that will

mean such a lot, and enjoying or appreciating that. No, it’s not all perfection, fun

and games and things don’t always run smoothly – Christmas can be a time of

immense stress! – But hopefully, the end goal of being with those who are

important to you will shine through.

On a personal level, it’s the smallest things that impact me the most. I will

always associate tinsel with happy memories following my time in Kenya, when

every church had tinsel at the altar, come rain or sun, instead of all the

expensive splendour our churches hold. I used to see tinsel as something more

tacky and overrated and now it brings a smile to my face, so I’d always advocate using it! It’s so amazing to see something widely accepted and taken for granted

in the UK, in such a beautiful environment in Kenya. Essentially, Christmas is a

time for making something out of things that may be overlooked and allowing

them to be special.

From Myimmortalgirl:

Christmas means to me a time for me and my family to spend time together.

And be happy and have a laugh and a joke and family time. It’s rare these days

we are all together at the same time. Also its a time where we can show and

share love.

From Pretty.Reckless:

Christmas is sat around a warm fire at the crack of dawn, putting on the music

channels while they play all the old cheesy Christmas songs. Passing presents among the family and opening them together.

Christmas was opening a pack of "York Fruits" from my Grandma every year,

because she remembered I loved them as a kid and never forgot to buy me

some (sadly this doesn't happen anymore...they come in wrapping for my mum

now).

Christmas is Dad's Christmas dinner, far too much of it. But that's ok... because

that's what is expected at Christmas.

Its lights glittering in the snow, if we have any, being able to curl up on the

couch in whatever new comfies you got and watching the tree sparkle.

Christmas is family.

From Celtic heart:

Christmas is a bit of a complicated thing in my family, we have very different

views on how we spend it. When I was growing up and my parents were still

married, my mum always made an epic effort every year – food, presents and

Santa magic. My grandmother would also join us for dinner, which was a

tradition until she became confined to a nursing home. We spent it with focus on

being together, no doubt about that fact. When my parents began a food business, we got into the habit of going out for dinner on Christmas day so that

mum could get welcome day off from food prep!

My sister then moved out for University, then eventually moved to London where

she began working over Christmas. Also around this time, my parents divorced

and that's when things drastically changed.

Mum and I began to travel to my auntie and uncle on Christmas Day, which was

usually about an hour and a half drive away in bad weather. Since we had pets

at home we couldn't stay the night which meant mum would have to drive back.

That meant she couldn't enjoy wine with dinner or get too tired, since we'd

always be travelling in the dark and there's no public transport that runs on that day. This makes things quite stressful, which isn't how it used to be at all.

These days my dad doesn't even bother to put a tree up, let alone make effort

for family or food. In fact he says, he 'doesn't believe' in Christmas. We

exchange small gifts and pleasantries, that's about it. My sister got married and

doesn't ever come back to visit, which I find quite sad but there's nothing to

really persuade her – even though there is nothing to stop her. So it feels that all the 'togetherness' was just an illusion, since dad never really cared and since

my sister has stopped caring about being together. It really does upset me,

when I think about it too much I do feel very sad about it. There's a distinct

feeling of dis-junction, my family haven't been together properly since 2005,

soon it'll be ten years.

On the other hand, mum and I have a slightly different approach. Every

Christmas, we make the effort to be together even though the journey to our

relatives is difficult – we do it, because we love being with our family. This year since I'm disgracefully broke, mum is (let's hope it goes to plan!) coming over to

England to spend it with me as I can't really afford to get home. Mum doesn't

really like travelling much and it means having to send our cat to the cattery

over the holiday but the effort is worth it. To us, the holiday means saying thank

you for the company. It also means throwing off the misery of the dark, cold,

horrible weather and replacing it with fairy lights, food and merriment. We always extend the Christmas offer to dad and sis, but they're just not interested.

It's complicated, we have two people who love the holiday and two that don't.

That's what Christmas spells for me. It's a bit of a headache but every year I say

a great big thank you for all my blessings.

LavaLamp.

Christmas around the World

Christmas is a time of joy and festivity for people all over the world, and

many countries have their own unique manner of celebrating this holiday.

In Germany Christmas is known as Weihnachten and the celebrations

begin on 6th December, St Nicholis' day, on which children hang out their

boots or shoes on their fireplaces and if they have behaved well these will

be filled with chocolate, nuts etc and if they have misbehaved they will be

filled with twigs.

The concept of the Christmas tree was born in Germany and has spread

to other countries due to German immigration. Germany is also known for

its extensive Christmas outdoor markets which have spread not only

throughout Germany but in other countries as well, including the United

Kingdom.

Meanwhile the French also have their own Christmas traditions, for

example while they share with Germany the tradition of hanging up shoes

or boots to hopefully be filled with sweets, some also talk of Père

Fouettard who is a sort of anti-Father-Christmas who deals out spankings

to those children who misbehave.

An interesting fact to note with regards to French Christmas tradition is

that in 1962 a law was passed that said that every single letter to Santa

Claus had to be answered with a post card.

Regarding Christmas food a French favourite is la bûche de Noël which

translates to English as Yule log, which is a cake in the shape of a log

made out of chocolate and chestnuts traditionally survey at Christmas.

The United Kingdom shares Germany's tradition of having a Christmas

tree to decorate. Much of the focus in Britain is surrounding the birth of

Jesus Christ. Children in the UK traditionally leave stockings out at the

end of their bed to be filled by Santa Clause with treats and toys if

they've been good, and a lump of coal if they've been bad.

Turkey is a traditional part of British Christmas dinner, as is Christmas

pudding, a thick, heavy mixture of dried fruit and nuts which is

traditionally covered in alcohol and set alight.

So as you can see, there are many different beliefs and traditions

surrounding this time of celebration, hopefully spurring us to share these

traditions with each other, creating a more varied and interesting

Christmas for all.

Buttons.

Christmas and Winter Fashion

Christmas is by far the busiest time of year, as well as one of the coldest and

glitzy so what better way to go out than in style this year without Christmas

fashion guide!

Christmas parties

Whether you're out with family, friends or people from work there are loads of outfits to choose from this Christmas for parties. Whether you like a bit of glitter

in your life or that cute little black dress, there are loads to choose from starting

at decent prices.

Black Velvet

Peplum Mesh 3/4 Sleeve Dress - New Look £19.99 Leopard Jacquard Tights - Accessorize £8.00

Red Unfastened Blazer - River Island £40.00

Women’s Schuh Clara Peep Bow Bar Polka Dot Low Heels - Schuh £35.00

Chilly days

The weather outside really is frightful so you need to make sure to wrap up

warm whilst you hit the shops to do your Christmas shopping and what better

way to do it than with a massive parker and a Christmassy jumper. Wear this

with your favourite pair of jeans and you'll be toasty warm!

Megan Fairisle Jumper - Boohoo £15.00

Heart Cutout Leather Gloves - Topshop £22.00

Studded Combat Boots - Forever 21 £32.75

Khaki Fur Trim Hooded Parka - New Look £49.99

A staple winter coat

Everyone needs that winter coat at this time of year, whether it's military

inspired, a parka or a duffle coat, there are loads to choose from in all sorts of

colours and designs.

Billie Formal Fitted Double Breasted Collar Coat - Boohoo £40.00 Miso Classic Mac Coat - Republic £55.00

Navy Hooded Duffle Coat - £80.00

If you aren't able to get any of the pieces above then I hope you can find things

similar in the shops, these trends are everywhere right now so they won't be

hard to track down! Good luck and make sure to keep warm and look gorgeous

this Christmas/Winter.

Field Of Paper Flowers

Recipes

I have decided to put a spin on the traditional Christmas Day

Lunch/Dinner by choosing these recipes for your day.

Mulled Wine with Figs

2 x 750ml bottles red wine

1 orange, thickly sliced

6 dried figs

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

Method

Combine the wine, orange, figs, cinnamon and cloves in a large saucepan

over medium heat.

Simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside for 10 minutes to infuse. Strain the wine

mixture through a sieve into a jug, reserving the figs. Discard the orange,

cinnamon and cloves.

Coarsely chop the figs. Divide the fig among heatproof serving glasses

and pour over the wine.

Broccoli and Potato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1kg broccoli, cut into florets

2 potatoes, peeled, chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

Method. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic.

Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add broccoli, potato, stock and

2 cups cold water.

Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring, for 10 to

15 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat. Process until

smooth. Return to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Season with pepper. Serve.

Chicken with Mushroom, Leek and Bacon Stuffing

1.5kg whole fresh chicken 1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs fresh thyme leaves

Mushroom, Leek and Bacon Stuffing.

1 tbs olive oil

100g button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 bacon rashers, rind removed, finely chopped

1 leek, pale section only, washed, finely chopped

70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)

2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley

1 egg, lightly whisked

Method.

Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, bacon and leek and cook,

stirring, for 5 minutes or until the bacon and mushroom is golden.

Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley and egg and

stir until combined. Remove excess fat and giblets from chicken cavity.

Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with

paper towel. Loosely fill the cavity with stuffing mixture.

Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie the legs together. Tuck wings

under. Place chicken, breast-side up in a roasting pan. Drizzle over the oil

and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme.

Roast in oven for 1 1/2 hours or until golden and the juices run clear

when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Cover with

foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest before carving. Serve.

Zucchini and Eggplant Gratin

Olive oil cooking spray

250g zucchini, thinly sliced

370g eggplant, trimmed, thinly sliced

1 1/3 cups tomato pasta sauce

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Method.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray both sides of zucchini and eggplant slices with oil. Cook, in batches, for 2 minutes each

side or until lightly browned and soft. Transfer to a plate. Preheat grill on

medium-high.

Layer one-third of the eggplant, zucchini, sauce and cheese in a greased

4cm-deep, 4 cup-capacity, flame-proof dish. Repeat with remaining

eggplant, zucchini, pasta sauce and cheese. Grill for 5 minutes or until

cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve.

Fruit Mince Tart

260g (1 1/2 cups) sultanas

155g (1 cup) currants

75g (1/2 cup) craisins (dried cranberries)

115g (1/3 cup) raspberry conserve

55g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) rum

1/4 tsp mixed spice

450g (3 cups) plain flour

60g (1/3 cup) icing sugar mixture 230g chilled butter, chopped

2 egg yolks

80ml (1/3 cup) chilled water

Icing sugar, to dust

Method.

Combine the sultanas, currants, crisis, conserve, sugar, rum and mixed

spice in a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover and set aside, stirring

occasionally, for 6 hours or overnight to macerate.

Process flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture

resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and water, and process until the dough just comes together.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Preheat oven

to 200°C. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a

5mm-thick disc.

Line a 3.5cm-deep, 22cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin, with

removable base, with pastry and trim excess. Cover and place in the

fridge for 30 minutes to rest. Spoon fruit mixture into pastry case.

Roll out remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface until 4mm thick. Cut

the dough into ten 2cm-wide strips. Arrange half the strips, at 2cm

intervals, across the top of the tart.

Repeat, crossways, with remaining strips in a weaving pattern. Press edges to seal. Trim excess. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 35-40

minutes or until golden. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Dust with icing

sugar.

Devilish Hot Chocolate Mocha.

1 cup freshly made espresso coffee 60g finely chopped dark chocolate

whipped cream and finely grated dark chocolate, to serve

Method.

Place coffee in a small saucepan over low heat and add chocolate. Cook,

stirring, for 4 minutes or until the chocolate has completely melted and

combined with the coffee.

To serve, divide mocha mixture evenly among serving glasses and top

with whipped cream and finely grated dark chocolate. Serve immediately.

Akita

Film Reviews

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Five years, four books. It all comes down to this. As the most anticipated movie

of the year makes its way onto screens across the world, it’s almost impossible NOT to shed a small tear. The Twilight saga has finally drawn to a close, and

Twi-hards across the continent will be fighting their way to cinemas to catch a

glimpse of the grand finale.

The twilight franchise is often perceived as dull, predicable and disappointing,

but this movie is not one to follow the trend. With its careful mix of action, humour and romance, this is clearly the best movie yet!

The first scene continues exactly from where the last one ends, and we are

thrown straight into the bloodthirsty gaze of Newborn Bella’s eyes (Kristen

Stewart). As the latest addition

to the Cullen household, Bella seems to be fitting into her new

life impeccably well. However,

when she and her husband

Edward (Robert Pattinson)

implore on her first hunt, things

take a turn for the worst and we

find ourselves thrown into frenzy by a lone human rock climber,

and Bella has to make a difficult

choice to either drink the blood of

a human, or of a deer. Needless

to say, it’s a tense few minutes in which you find yourself firmly gripping the

edge of your seat.

As Bella is learning to control her newfound thirst, her dhampi (part vampire-

part human) daughter Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) is under the close care of

Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who has “imprinted” on the

new child. All finally seems to be well within the Cullen household, but danger is

never too far around the corner.

As Bella and Renesmee are out catching snowflakes, Irina (Maggie Grace) mistakes Renesmee for an immortal child, which is ‘illegal’ within the vampire

realm. With this, she immediately alerts the Volturi who begin the journey to

hunt down the Cullens, and kill them, one by one.

From here on in, it’s a race against time to find witnesses to speak out against

the Volturi, and tell them that she is not an immortal child. As they search the

darkest corners of the world, they find a dozen vampires willing to speak out, but Alice turns out to be the real hero in the end.

The showdown with the Cullens and the Volturi is the real heart-stopping

moment, where an unpredictable twist occurs, which is so unforeseeable that

many began crying real tears within the cinema. The fight scene is one of the

most shocking scenes within the movie, with dramatic performances from both

Jane (Dakota Fanning) and Aro (Michael Sheen) who steal the show.

As well as the cinematic

action, there’s also a lot of

humour involved, in

particularly in a scene involving Jacob Black and

Bella’s dad, Charlie (Billy

Burke). The film finishes on a

high, yet you can’t help but

feel emotional inside. This

movie is definitely one for the fans of Twilight, and for the

non-fans? Still enjoyable, but you probably won’t understand much of it.

Oh, and twi-hards? It’s not all over. We can still hope for a DVD release of ‘The

Short Second Life of Bree Tanner’, or a published version of ‘Midnight Sun’.

Hurricane. (Previously TheHighestDefinition)

Rise of the Guardians (U)

Category:

Family & Fantasy

Ideal for:

Lovers of DreamWorks films, particularly How to Train Your Dragon.

Trigger factor:

None at all.

Rewatchability Factor (Out of 10):

8. With all the detail in every scene, there are new things that you will notice

every time you watch it.

Overall Rating (Out of 10):

8.

Review (No spoilers):

This is a film that has something for every member of the family. It has an

interesting plot, unique and lovable characters, and a subtle moral message that

leaves you walking away with a smile on your face. The story follows Jack Frost (Voiced by Chris Pine) and his quest to find out why the moon gave him the

power to control ice and frost but is unable to been seen by anyone. But Jack’s

life is changed forever, when the evil Pitch Black (Jude Law) attempts to turn

children’s dreams into nightmares, and he has to join forces with the Guardians

to save them. The Guardians are made up of a mismatch of personalities, but it

all adds to the comedic and entertaining aspect of the film. There’s Santa Claus

(Alec Baldwin), the lovable leader who takes his job seriously and has tattoos that say ‘Naughty’ and ‘Nice’ on them; there’s the Easter Bunny/Bunnymund

(Hugh Jackman), who is an Australian rabbit with anger issues but has some of

the best lines in the film; there’s the Sandman, whose a silent being made of

sand that gives children of the world nice dreams; and then there’s the Tooth

Fairy (Isla Fisher), a humming bird/woman who has an obsession with teeth.

This film sounds like it shouldn’t appeal to adults, but it does. There are more

adult jokes that go over children’s heads, something DreamWorks have always been good at, and there is a sense of nostalgia there for the days when it was so

easy to believe in the likes of the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. There is also

never a dull moment in the film, with each scene flowing from one to the other

flawlessly, and keeping the audience immersed in it for the entire film.

It’s impossible to do a review of this film without discussing the animation. Every

scene is breathtakingly beautiful, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. The best animation is most definitely the frost and the waves of sand, which looks so

realistic that it leaves you questioning how they managed it in the first place.

The colours are all bright as well, but not so much that it feels unrealistic of

ostentatious – everything, including the worlds that don’t exist, look and feel like

they’re real. Even the slight cartoon-like character designs look realistic, which is

not an easy feat. The biggest issue with the film is how short it is. At barely 90 minutes, it is at

the lower end of the scale for film lengths, and they could have easily added

more to it. Some of the scenes, due to time restraints, felt rushed and could

have easily been developed further. But the time that we do have to enjoy the

film is 90 minutes of true entertainment. Regardless of your age, go and watch

this film. It’s the perfect way of celebrating the winter season, and it’s sure to

bring a smile to your face.

Short Review: · Plus sides: Has something for every age, great characters, immersive plot, and

visually stunning animation.

· Down sides: Too short, leaving some scenes feeling rushed and

underdeveloped.

Lucius.

Album Reviews

Ceremonials - Florence + the Machine

‘Ceremonials’ is the second album by British band Florence and the machine which was released in October 2011.

Florence and the machine consists of lead singer Florence welch, Isabella

summers (Also known as ‘Machine’) and a collaboration of various artists

to provide the backing music. They released their debut album ‘Lungs’ in

2009 which sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone.

The playlist for second album Ceremonials consists of the following songs:

1. "Only If for a Night"

2. "Shake It Out"

3. "What the Water Gave Me"

4. "Never Let Me Go"

5. "Breaking Down" 6. "Lover to Lover"

7. "No Light, No Light"

8. "Seven Devils"

9. "Heartlines"

10. "Spectrum"

11. "All This and Heaven Too"

12. "Leave My Body"

With new songs and acoustic covers added to the Deluxe edition bonus

disc.

This album is a lot more mature than the first, with songs like ‘Only if for a night’, ‘No light, no light’ and ‘Never let me go’ that exude raw emotion

and give the listener insight into Welch’s life experiences with

relationships and the loss of her grandmother in her early life. The lyrics

are filled with haunting imagery that anyone can relate to, in turn with

Welch’s powerful voice makes for gripping listening.

A lot of the songs have a catchy beat that you’ll be struggling to get out

of your head for days. ‘Shake it out’ and ‘Heartlines’ are the most uplifting songs on the album which speak of battling through hard times and

coming out the other side.

Although, there are some weaker songs on the album where Welch has

been likened to an angsty ‘Avril lavigne’ (No offense Lavigne lovers!), the

power of the overall album more than makes up for it.

In my personal opinion I think the album is stunning and if I were to give

it a rating it would be a well-deserved 8/10.

LavaLamp.

The Truth About Love – P!NK

That's right, the punk rock diva we all love is BACK! With her new album,

she's grown up and become a wise and clever songwriter, whose songs

inspire and relate to everyone, with strong and thought-provoking

messages.

P!NK writes about real emotions, real experiences, and real situations.

She has always been my "go to" singer when I've needed a song for

something, for a dance playlist or for something to listen to when I'm

feeling lower than ever and hiding under my duvet, her words provide a

comfort and a warmth. Another reason I chose to write about her is

because she is herself, and she's not afraid of what people might say or

think, and I think thats a message we all need to say to ourselves

sometimes. She's also not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

My favourite song from this album is "Beam me up", which is a calmer,

slow song with a really positive message. Kyle Anderson, who is a

magazine writer in the US, described Pink's song writing as "unfalteringly

vibrant, loaded with righteous anger, irreverence, and a clear eye for the

darker side."

I think this is definitely true! She is an incredible singer!. The new album

has a lot of variety on it, from the calmer "The Great Escape" to the "Blow

me (one last kiss) which has a much rockier edge to it.

If I keep writing, this will take up the whole eZine. I admire her so much

with her honesty. Give it a listen, even if you don't like her style, you may

find yourself surprised!

[Redemption]

Make Up Review

There's nothing more fun that getting the reds and glitters out and going

festive with your make-up and getting glam for those Christmas Parties!

This year, the vampire look is still in! So think dark, vampy colours for

your lips. If you prefer your eyes to attract people’s attention, then try a

beautiful smokey look to complete your outfit!

For this issue, I have picked out 7 make-up products that would be fab for anyone this time of year!

1. Sleek Make-Up Christmas Edition set. - £6.99

This set is from 2011, and I am unaware of whether or not they will be re-releasing it this year, but if like me and you snapped it up last year, then it's the

perfect set to be using this year! As soon as it hit December, I whipped mine out

and it's the perfect winter blush and lipstick for me. However, if you can't get

your paws on it this year, Sleek have a range of products almost identical to

these so just hunt down your local Superdrug and find the right shade for you!

Don't be afraid by the dark colours, they go on lighter than they appear! The

lipstick goes on a red with a pinky undertone and the blush is a beautiful berry toned colour with a brown undertone and the liner is a mix of both to tie in the

entire look.

2. Sleek Lipstick in Amplified - £3.99/£4.99

This is a lipstick that can be a dupe for the one from the Christmas set if you don't have it. It will create that perfect vampy look and you can put on as much

or as little on as you like to create the right look for you. Sleek also have a

range of Blush BY 3 blushers, so find the blusher for you - Sugar might be the

right palette for you, if you want to continue the theme. However, it is important

to take in your own skin tone when choosing a blusher - a red or brown blusher

on light skin is not a good look. Sleek and Superdrug always have testers so you can try the products before you buy them!

3. Rebel by MAC Cosmetics - £14.00

A lipstick from the higher end of the price range. This is a satin lipstick with a

blend or pinks, purples and reds running through in. This is a perfect alternative

to the red vampy look if you prefer pink lipsticks. This lipstick can be quite drying on some lips, but a lip balm should solve that for you. If you prefer using

a lip liner under your lipsticks, try More To Love by MAC (£13.00) - it's the

perfect shade to go under this lipstick and will help it last longer and fade better.

There's nothing worse than the ring of lipstick around the edges of your lips

when your lipstick is fading, so using a lip liner will prevent this.

4. New York Apple by MAC Cosmetics - £14.00

Another beautiful lipstick from MAC, this one is a frost lipstick that's a

combination of beautiful red tones which isn't as intense as the Sleek lipsticks.

The beautiful thing about this lipstick is that it almost has a metallic/foil finish to

it that makes it shine amazingly in the light. It feels more moisturizing to wear than Rebel and does last longer, but that's down to the finish. If you would like

to wear a lip liner with this fab lipstick then try Cherry by MAC (£13.00) which is

a subtle red, perfect for this lipstick!

5. Silvery Black Dazzle Dust by Barry M - £4.59

If you aren't a fan of a dark lip, then try a beautiful smokey eye with a bit of shimmer for this Christmas. Barry M Dazzle Dusts are loose pigments that are

very pigmented so you only need a small amount, so this pot will last you ages!

They give beautiful shimmery and are a perfect way to complete your eye make-

up. They are also a good alternative to the MAC pigments which are more

expensive. If you find your eye shadow moves a lot or fades quickly, then try a

primer first. It will give something for your shadow and pigments to stick to, and make the colour more intense and last longer! Primer Potions from Urban Decay

are great for this, but if they are out of your budget, cheaper ones are on the

market.

6. Metallic Gold Liquid Eyeliner by Barry M - £4.79

7. Platinum Silver No Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner by Urban Decay - £13

If you prefer a simpler look, or just don't fancy a dark lip or a smokey eye - then

why not make your look festive by adding a metallic eyeliner? They are a great

to add a bit of sparkle and shine to a simple look and give you amazing eye

catching eyes! You can find great eyeliners like these at all price ranges - it's all

about finding one that's perfect for you! Who doesn't love going in and trying all the fabulous colours out? You can go for a simple flick across the eyelid or go for

something more creative or add it to a smokey look, or even to go with a red lip

- the choices are endless, and shimmery eyeliners like this are a must in any

make-up enthusiast’s make-up bag!

Don't forget to let us know what's a staple in your make-up bag, and what you are loving for this festive season!

GlitterTrashDoll

Random Facts

Here are 50 festive facts to get you even more in the mood for

Christmas...

1: US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a

second to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at

650 miles a second.

2: Robins on cards were a joke 150 years ago when postmen wore red

tunics and were named after them.

3: Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were

made with beef and spices.

4: The tradition of putting tangerines in stockings comes from 12th-

century French nuns who left socks full of fruit, nuts and tangerines at the

houses of the poor.

5: Despite the tale of three wise men paying homage to baby Jesus, the Bible never gives a number. Matthew's Gospel refers to merely "wise

men".

6: Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting

neighbours to a long life.

7: Carols weren't sung in churches until they were introduced by St

Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.

8: Hanging stockings out comes from the Dutch custom of leaving shoes

packed with food for St Nicholas's donkeys. He would leave small gifts in

return.

9: There is no reference to angels singing anywhere in the Bible.

10: Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.

11: The word Noel derives from the French expression "les bonnes

nouvelles" or "the good news".

12: Jesus was probably born in a cave and not a wooden stable, say

Biblical scholars.

13: The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek

abbreviation for Christ.

14: The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a

Washington shopping mall in 1950.

15: The chances of a white Christmas are just 1 in 10 for England and

Wales, and 1 in 6 for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

16: Many theologians estimate that Jesus wasn't born on December 25

but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.

17: James Pierpont's 1857 song Jingle Bells was first called One Horse

Open Sleigh and was written for Thanksgiving.

18: Before turkey, the traditional Christmas meal in England was a pig's

head and mustard.

19: In 1647, after the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell banned

festivities. The law wasn't lifted until 1660.

20: In 1999, residents of the state of Maine in America built the world's

biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113ft tall.

21: The Greeks celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the old

Julian calendar, while Xmas presents are opened on New Year's Day.

22: Many parts of the Christmas tree can actually be eaten, with the

needles being a good source of Vitamin C.

23: The holly in a wreath symbolises Christ's crown of thorns while the

red berries are drops of his blood.

24: The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by civil

servant Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843. Featuring a family drinking

wine, one sold for £8,469 last year.

25: Hanging presents on trees may come from the Druids who believed

the tree was the giver of all good things.

26: THE largest Christmas cracker - 45.72m long and 3.04m in diameter -

was pulled in Australia in 1991.

27: The long shopping spree before Christmas began in America when

relatives of soldiers posted overseas in the Second World War were

encouraged to mail gifts early.

28: Jingle Bells was the first song broadcast from space when Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra sang it on December 16, 1965.

29: Astronomers believe the Star Of Bethlehem, which guided the

wisemen to Jesus, may have been a comet or the planet Uranus.

30: Santa has different names around the world - Kriss Kringle in

Germany, Le Befana in Italy, Pere Noel in France and Deushka Moroz

(Grandfather Frost) in Russia.

31: The word Christmas comes from the Old English "Cristes maesse" meaning "Christ's Mass".

32: The bestselling Xmas single ever is Bing Crosby's White Christmas,

shifting over 50million copies worldwide since 1942.

33: In Britain, the best-selling festive single is Band Aid's 1984 track, Do

They Know It's Christmas?, which sold 3.5million copies. Wham! is next in

the same year with Last Christmas, selling 1.4million.

34: Upside-down artificial Xmas trees are sold to allow more gifts to be

piled under.

35: Since 1947 Oslo has sent an Xmas tree to London to thank us for our

help in the Second World War.

36: Christmas pudding was originally a soup made with raisins and wine.

37: London sweetmaker Tom Smith created the first Christmas crackers

in 1847, based on the sweet wrapper design.

38 Santa Claus comes from a Dutch folk tale based on Saint Nicholas, or

Sinterklaas, who gave gifts on December 6.

39: Boxing Day gets its name from all the money collected in church

alms-boxes for the poor.

40: Kissing under the mistletoe is thought to spring from Frigga, the

Norse goddess of love, who was associated with the plant.

41: The Beatles hold the record for most Xmas number 1 singles, topping

the charts in 1963, 65 and 67.

42: Electric tree lights were invented by Edward Johnson in the US in

1882.

43: They may date back to pagan traditions, but the earliest known

reference to a Christmas tree is in a German pamphlet from 1570.

44: The highest-grossing festive movie is 2000's How The Grinch Stole

Christmas, which has raked in £175m so far.

45: There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They

come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and

have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.

46: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's

Christmas promotion in 1938.

47: Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave

bags of gold coins to the poor.

48: The first Christmas celebrated in Britain is thought to have been in

York in 521AD.

49: In Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany, workers get a Christmas bonus

of one month's salary by law.

50 In the Czech Republic they enjoy dinners of fish soup, eggs and carp.

The number of people at the table must be even, or the one without a partner will die next year.

akita

A-Z of RYL (Christmas version)

Can you find the A-Z of Christmas all wrapped up in to one word search?

D R E P A P G N I P P A R W P

I L Z N G S I S B K N O A O Y

P C X Z O R S A V K I I Q H J

G E I I Z I U L S G T N C K I

D G E C N B T A E T I E G Z N

H E Y R L U J A E G E F H S G

R W C E T E T S R P N Y T A L

Y E S O I E N C S B U A S S E

R P I Q R I H S R L E T L N B

K S T N O A N T E A H L E T E

S E Z P D E T D R G C X E U L

A V K J E E Z I I E I K X C L

X L O U J P E L O V D Q E X S

Q E Q K D K V R Y N T N G R A

F R A N K I N C E N S E U A I

ANGELS

BAUBLES

CELEBRATION

DECORATIONS ELVES

FRANKINCENSE

GIFTS

HOLLY

ICICLE

JINGE BELLS KINGS

LIGHTS

MINCEPIE

NUTCRACKER

ORNAMENTS

POINSETTIA

QUEENSSPEECH REINDEER

SNOW

TINSEL

UNDER THE TREE

VIXEN

WRAPPING PAPER XMAS

YULE

ZZZ

Tig

This Month Last Year

It doesn’t seem as though it has been a whole year since I was preparing for

Christmas! The last 12 months have absolutely flown by and so much has

changed in my life I don’t even know where to begin! It’s so difficult to simply

concentrate on what was happening at this point last year when my perception

of it now is so very different to how it was back then. I remember being on a year out from university, trying to gain support for various emotional

implications I was experiencing, as well as balancing a job in a supermarket

(which becomes ridiculously stressful come Christmas time!) and voluntary

work. It was a time of uncertainty. I still didn’t know if taking the year out had

been the right decision and whether I was really making the most of it at all.

Looking back, taking the year out was the best thing I’ve ever done, which I

know sounds very clichéd. Although I was in a time of extreme doubt, this time

last year, I had just returned from meeting some absolutely wonderful people on

here and from a volunteering trip to India. Like Kenya, going to India massively

altered who I was as a person and I do not think I would think as I do without

those times. I managed to foster a definite wish to return to Kenya and India and to spend some time there with the brilliant people that I met, making a

mediocre difference, if it is possible for me to do so.

Amongst the hope that I feel surrounding the year out, I recall Christmas last

year as being one of intense stress. I worked in the supermarket a substantial

amount and spent a lot of time bagpacking with the local Beaver Scout group I

have been a part of for the last twelve years. The days in the week preceding Christmas were full ones and, although it was worth it and we raised around

£1100 for the Beavers and Alzheimer’s Society, I was ill on Christmas Day due

to overdoing it. Christmas Day, for me, ended up being about spending time

with family, relaxing, and my Uncle was back from working in Iraq which made it

so much more special and I don't think I'd have wanted it to be anything else. Since then, so much has changed. Yes, I am still overdoing it but I love

everything that I do and in the past year I have changed my university and my

university course, I am now a qualified Zumba instructor and run adult and child

classes, I have taken part in two shows, continued working with Beavers,

recently gained another job, found some decent professional support to work

through my issues and managed to form some amazing friendships with some

really fantastic people. This piece was supposed to be about this time last year but back then, I didn't know what was in store for me and I didn't know how

much better it would be become. Perhaps I wish I'd have known then what I

know now? Perhaps I don't. As they say, hindsight can be a great thing.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Shine.

Member of the Month

Welcome to our new feature, member of the month! I can't even

remember how we came up with the idea or even how long ago but I'm

hoping you guys and girls will enjoy it, as I know I've felt really happy

writing our first member of the month.

I'm happy to say that Marie (Rodolphus) is the first member of the

month.

We decided to chose Marie for this month because many of us have

noticed how well she is doing with her recovery, not just that we've

noticed how happy she is and it's lovely to see and rather infectious!

Marie has achieved so much since the summer time and I have watched

Marie as a member and as a close friend recover and I'm so proud of her!

She's happily settled down with her girlfriend, her artwork is doing

amazingly as always, she started her mendhi business which is booming

and now she is tattooing people. Talk about going from strength to

strength!

Marie is an incredibly talented, beautiful, bubbly and happy person and

whenever in her company she has always cheered me up and made me

laugh. I'm so proud of her with how well she has recovered this year and

I know she will keep it up as things seem to be getting better and better

for her.

I met Marie a year ago at a Birmingham meet and she made me laugh so

much, every time I have a drink from Starbucks with cream I'm just so

tempted to dunk my face into it like Marie did not long after I met her. I

love you Marie and I also miss you, but that being said I am proud of you

and I know I'll see you very soon. Keep it up girl.

In future YOU will be able to nominate for who will be the eZine’s member of the month. All you have to do is drop me a PM on the forums about

who you want to nominate and why. No voting will take place as it'll be

purely based on how many nominations someone has. We can’t wait to

see who you’ll be nominating in 2013!

Field Of Paper Flowers

Birthdays

Happy birthday everyone this month from the eZine team, make sure to

have a wonderful day!

Saturday 1st December

Lipglossandblack1985 (27)

roxy1067 (26)

asphyxiation04 (24)

sufferinsilence (23)

Valerian (22)

Liz91 (21)

maskuponmask (20) RevengeIsSweeter (20)

*phantom* (19)

Outlouddaydream (18)

Sunday 2nd December

shae

~*~Perfectly_Unperfect~*~ (24)

~KemicalRain~ (23)

whispering girl (23)

Narcissism (22)

zoie4kimx (22)

Door (22)

HaleyBabyXx (20) snow (20)

Silentgirl93 (19)

Heathhzz (18)

Monday 3rd December

PreventThisTragedy (27)

tattoo_annie (25)

Tidbit (25)

toothpaste (23)

jeff (23)

Quarterback (22)

aprikusmus (20)

shadowfollower (20)

CharisShea (14)

seanrobbo98 (14)

Tuesday 4th December

Kendra04 (34) *lily* (30)

-K- (25)

killersushi13 (22)

straylight.run (22)

Left in the centre (22)

youngcrazedpeeling (20)

georgiaajane (20)

super nikki (19)

xX.Booki3.Xx (18)

skeletorissatan (18)

annaisadinosaur (17)

Wednesday 5th December

lau_83

kageeka

leahwa (27)

bleedingbeauty (26)

missmandy2009 (25)

Ellecore (22)

deviantobsession (21)

nothingspecial (19)

katieelouise. (19)

Thursday 6th December

Katan (29) Amylou (27)

Spazmodicus (25)

emmahickie21 (24)

emmalovesdan (24)

a_new_start (22)

fiyera (22)

falling-appart (21)

simplysarah18 (20)

Friday 7th December

Furimukanaide

Martttt michellelinda1 (45)

little-elf (25)

BrokenScars (24)

down*in*the*dumps (24)

LosingHope (24)

allblackrainbow (22)

beckiii_may (22)

kdxkurbstompx (19)

Ellie_Fever (18)

fire-flies (18) sunshinerevenge (16)

Josh McKeown (16)

heatherbvbradke (16)

Saturday 8th December

Sprinkles

san (30)

skindeep2painfulpleasures (25)

abril (25)

mandie (25)

scelestic (24)

musik-addikt (23) infernocpf (21)

Eitak (19)

MostlyKait (19)

Smiling_Eyes (16)

Sunday 9th December

The Ashtray Girl

mysticwillow (42)

Douglass (25)

haroldxmaude (25)

Argyros (25)

Discs (21)

Tanya-Louise91 (21) evan (19)

Monday 10th December

fortunategin

Lucky_Lucy

Bounce (28)

LonelyOne (26)

whatdoesntkill (24)

fabiola_medrano (21)

X-XvanX-X (18)

Secrets Live On (16)

MentallyUnhappy96 (16)

Tuesday 11th December

Butterflygirl

mistake after mistake

Ish. (25)

DeadButStillPretty (24)

Pathetic Fallacy (22)

TheSuffererComplex (22)

HazardxToxMyselfx3 (22)

MatildaE (22) slientscream (20)

Joy_27 (19)

x.If.It.Keeps.You.Sane.x (19)

HPHSML (18)

Ashley18 (16)

29M (15)

Wednesday 12th December

xxArri.Rxx

samersam80 (32)

beforemyway (28)

CrazyAboutMonkeys (28) Deathdancer (24)

whispered_angel (23)

Undetermined.Fate (22)

coverthisx (22)

elseykelsey1290 (22)

squeaky-1020 (21)

recoveringaddict (16)

Thursday 13th December

zorro

nottfaceeh

Shouttt

AboveJoy broken_wings13 (31)

theotherwindow (29)

timidtyger (27)

PinkLeapord (27)

-=|@bus3d_Un!c0rn|=- (23)

jenflower (23)

BrittanyAnn (22)

ConnorM (21)

Friday 14th December

Rubylou84

jadeycake. emonade

micele (24)

Dreamergirl (23)

0sureal (22)

littlerachie (20)

xoshannon1993xo (19)

Saturday 15th December

horsechika444 (21)

Marir (20) gemjam3315 (20)

prettylittleliar. (19)

amanda0rhea (19)

kuuipocat (19)

Sunday 16th December

Enelya

lauralk13 (43)

Mental Razor (34)

Claire2 (26)

nutkin (24)

Whichyway (23) Shpongleyes (22)

Jack Clubs (22)

xJami3x (21)

lil_attie (18)

xsaara.tee (18)

Monday 17th December

murtagh799

cm-blue

storyofagirl17 (26)

Krystal Nicole (25)

Cold Obsession (24)

FlawedAmbition (23) slumbercat (22)

twilight-vamp (21)

emoeddie (20)

josiedoodle (18)

Tuesday 18th December

troubleshooter

steenerxsmiles

~Grace<3~

craven (27)

thumbelina (25)

TonyR (24) iwasgettingoverit (24)

Tig (23)

shadow-seeker (22)

Envi90 (22)

Emotional<3 (21)

cannibalcupcake (21)

m.o.r.g.a.n (21)

xxanniekayxx (20)

Wednesday 19th December nightshadesk8r

help01

hmg.soccer19

one_step_closer (26)

zenith (25)

adygriffith (25)

metal_fiddler (25)

ndigo390 (24)

Dolphin (23)

amy.lee.addict (22)

dead girl16 (20)

Pochre (20) ZrinaTheMisunderstood (19)

Roykun231 (17)

Thursday 20th December

squirt (28)

princesskaytie-leigh (27)

Hollz (27)

tigerlily.pita (27)

aquatickitten (23)

Perfect_Disaster (22)

SinkingFear (18)

Tanya.S (18) sunshinegardens (17)

Friday 21st December

DisappearingImperfection

numb_walls

Meaningful

#Blade# (42)

miss melody (37)

triciabeary (35)

spikeydykey (34)

WhiteKnight (26)

Ultima_64 (25) sasira (22)

Cazaline44 (22)

x.Lollisaur.x (22)

niku (21)

iloveher (20)

LilTom (20)

Saturday 22nd December

sad and alone

Kivelle aaliyah (32)

Boa (28)

~smiling to please you~ (25)

Paperweight (25)

mydarkerside (25)

phillylette (23)

ledA (22)

Mrs Pan (20)

smashleigh19 (20)

LesAlbatros (18)

DemiLovatoSavedMe333 (15)

Kennedy (15)

Sunday 23rd December

DoctorDonna

Emo

X.cry_down.X

suicide solution

xSuzannex (42)

Disturbia (36)

Heartagram Tears (26)

deep_n_meaningful (25)

EveryonesDrunk (24)

Nyssa (23)

Babygirl606 (23) neverxenough (22)

Olanth (22)

Monday 24th December

ineedaname

garnetstripes (26)

MyLastBlkRose (22)

Sophh. (21)

Tuesday 25th December

xxTristenxx

ellipsisfeesh DarkCherry

jwevans35 (40)

lost and alone (34)

~Sad_Fairy~ (25)

hattie (24)

Chezio (23)

reflection (21)

Berlin (21)

marishka (20)

Soulscream (18) spacheezii (17)

Wednesday 26th December

Not Important (32)

Angel82 (25)

Louisexxxxx (23)

completely_destroyed (22)

FindingTheRealMe (22)

carolinadill (19)

viviglittery26 (18)

Xxonly_lonelyxX (18)

51210 x3 (18) Cellar Door (18)

MeganB (14)

Thursday 27th December

TruthBeneathTheRose

JoifulNoise (27)

Still_Ill (25)

guitarguy (22)

Carlos (21)

onigear (21)

onepapergirl (19)

brendonuriefan (17)

08brooky80 (16)

Friday 28th December

highoffjesus2010

Ontariobreeze (46)

noise_dude (30)

rubberduckygrl83 (29)

Pennacious (28)

SuicideAngel86 (26)

Dakota (26)

nathan (25)

kitkat_kate (23)

iceprincess (22) morganizena (18)

Saturday 29th December

xHailzx

LazyTheresa (25)

squarepeginaroundhole (24)

Kuwairo (24)

Shinpad (21)

Kel_Sea (20)

brittanymarie (19) cozetta12 (18)

vodkaeffee (17)

Sunday 30th December

Kurea

Lia.Mistaken

daz

AmythestMoon (27)

sis (26)

Absinthia (26)

Zarlish (24)

Bleeding_Rose_Petals (19) ur_awful_iloveyou (18)

BrittianyNicole94 (18)

Barbie. (17)

Monday 31st December

Race The Dream

xcrashgirlx

bigsis (49)

Bacchus (38)

sobroken07 (26)

Deconstruct (25)

lovelybones (22)

PixieRose (21) IceBerg (20)

ashfoohatesyou (20)

ihate1 (19)

Honesty.x (19)

PaperxTowns (15)

Field Of Paper Flowers & GlitterTrashDoll

Moving Forward Highlights

This month, I couldn't be more proud of the members of RYL. Every single

one of you has been truly inspiring in one way or another, whether it's the

fantastic support you have been giving to each other, letting everyone

know it's okay and they are not alone, to your own fantastic threads

about all the great achievements you have made as well as the amazing

recovery stories. I wish I could put every single one of you on here as you

have all done incredibly and every single one of you should be proud of

yourselves.

Even the small steps and small milestones might not seem much, but

they are so wonderful to read and are a massive positive step in the right

direction. Not only are the wonderful moving forward stories an absolute

pleasure to read, I am in awe of the overwhelming amount of positive

attitudes that I’ve seen, it's honestly fantastic.

I can't see much else - apart from, and I can't stress this enough,

everyone single one of you should be proud of yourself.

However, here are just some that caught my eye this month.

Sharmayla has found a great way to distract herself from hair pulling and has found fab ways of distracting herself from something she's been

doing a long time!

Frozen Inside has managed to reach the fantastic milestone of being 10

months free, and she has an amazing positive attitude and is determined

to reach a year free!

Zurg has been sober for a whole year. She didn't have much faith in

herself and didn't believe she could do it, and has now reached that

amazing milestone, and this has given her a great positive attitude that

she can achieve anything she wants!

AlexiaJayy has found ways to calm herself down and has found ways to stop her panic attacks.

Emmabob. hasn't OD'd since May and has gone an amazing 6 months

free of self harm!

Tig has gone a year since she was on section. She never imagined she'd

be away for this long when she got off section, and now she has also gone

a fantastic 14 months free of overdosing!

Feel Good Inc has reached the fantastic milestone of being one year free

from self harm!

SoDark has gone an amazing 15 months free from any self harm! 12

years ago she was sure she didn't have anything left in her and now she

is just 6 months away from finishing school for good, and now she's

reached this fantastic milestone with such a positive attitude!

BonBon has reached 6 months without cutting, and it's been a whole year since she had a rough time with urges on Hallowe'en 2011.

SophiaBlue647 has gone 7 days without self harming after a heart to

heart with a friend made her want to recover. As well as that, she has

also managed to throw her tools away!

Ballerina123 has not purged in 10 months and not had a depressive

episode in 6 months, where prior to this she was having 3 - 4 depressives’

episodes a month as well as purging at least once a month.

As I said - ALL OF YOU did fantastic and you should keep up the amazing positive attitude over the coming months. I know Christmas and New

Year can be a hard time for some - but please remember, we are all here

to help you. Stay Safe and I look forward to reading even more fantastic

recovery stories over December and into the New Year.

Well Done again and Merry Christmas!

GlitterTrashDoll

Signature of the Month

Every month we look around the RYL forums in search of our favourite

signature.

This month’s Signature of the Month belongs to..

CrazyKat

Sometimes it's easier to feel like you're the only one in the world who's

struggling, who's frustrated or unsatisfied or barely getting by, but the feeling is

alive and if you just hold on. Just find the courage to face it all for another day. Someone or something will find you and make it all okay, because we all need a

little help sometimes.

Someone to help us hear the music in our world, to remind us that it won't always be this way, that someone is out there and that someone will find you

We picked this signature because it has a beautiful Christmas image for the

festive period as well as a beautiful and inspiring quote. We know a lot of people

find the festive period, as well as the New Year hard for various reasons. So this

can make us sometimes feel alone, especially if he are having a rough time - or

lost a loved one - and you don't know what to do and who to turn you, and feel even worse when you see people Christmas shopping together and families

enjoying themselves with all the Christmas activities and such, and for some of

us, it can be a hard time. However, this beautiful message reminds us that there

is someone out there who loves you and cares deeply about you, and things will

change and improve. How you are feeling right now is only temporary and that

everything will be okay in the end, just hold on a little longer. ~

If you want to be in with a chance of being next month’s Signature of the Month,

then get creative!

Remember, it doesn't need to be busy and full of colour to win.

It can win because it's funny, inspiring, creative or just shows off your

personality! Remember as well, when it comes to signatures, they also help other members remember who you are because they remember a phrase or a

picture in your signature!

Have fun getting creative!

GlitterTrashDoll

Jokes

Q: Why was Santa's little helper depressed?

A: Because he had low 'elf' esteem

Q: What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games

in a hotel lobby?

A: Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!

Q: What do you get if cross a snowman and a shark?

A: Frost bite!

Q: Mum, can I have a dog for Christmas?

A: No you can have turkey like everyone else!

Q: What did the sea Say to Santa?

A: Nothing! It just waved!

Q: What's worse than Rudolph with a runny nose?

A: Frosty the snowman with a hot flush!

Q: What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?

A: It's Christmas, Eve!

Q: What happened to the man who stole an Advent Calendar?

A: He got 25 days!

Knock knock!

Who's there?

Holly

Holly who?

Holly-days are here again!

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Snow Snow who?

Snow business like show business!

Bigmike

Image Collection

ArtOfDeduction

Creative Piece

Born To Be Free (song)

V.1

A rose petal flying in the wind

So free, so beautiful

Gliding through the open sky

Life so abundant, so full

A bird soaring on open wings

High, low, among the clouds At one with the world

Singing such a glorious sound

Chorus.

Beauty and wonder lies all around

A world created for all to see

A life created to live and love

A girl created, born to be free

V.2

Created with meaning, purpose

Born for tomorrow, live for today Here with love to pour out

Here with something to say

A voice so strong, we must listen

A voice so true, we must hear

A voice so real, we must respond

A voice that's hurting, we must go.

Chorus.

Beauty and wonder lies all around

A world created for all to see

A life created to live and love

A girl created, born to be free

Bridge.

Beauty or ashes

Rising from the ground

Life's a choice, love or die

Choose to live

You'll end up found

ArtOfDeduction