Q&A A Day: 5 Year Journal Book Review

I recently bought myself a creative journal book called Q&A a Day: 5 Year Journal. It's a book which has been on my wish list for a year or two, and I'm pleased to say when it made its way in to my hands last week I wasn't disappointed.

Q&A a Day: Five Year Journal is exactly what it sounds like; a five year journal book with a different prompted question to answer every day of the year. Each question is returned to each year for five years so you can look back and see how much your life changes over time, and in the process this little book will help you to create your own personal little time capsule. Sounds fun, right?

The book is filled with a wide variety of prompts to ponder over, and there are many you're likely to never have asked yourself before. You only have one question to answer a day, so this journal only takes a minute of your time a day and doesn't need much commitment. It's ideal if you want to journal, but rarely have the time to stop and write an entry; and perfect for anybody who enjoys creative journaling, but regularly struggles to find the inspiration to write.

With 365 different questions to answer a year, there's no shortage of inspiration, and there's a great variety of questions and topics to keep things interesting, including:

♥ How would you describe your victory dance?

♥ Who would you trade places with for just one day?

♥ What is your most cherished memory of the year?

♥ What is your most recent act of generosity?

♥ How do you feel about your body?

♥ What's the best part about your life right now?

♥ Today was unusual because __________.

♥ Write a phrase to describe your year so far.

♥ What's the next book you want to read?

♥ What are the top songs on your recently played list?

♥ What do you feel grateful for today?

♥ Today you wore __________.

♥ How do you want to be remembered?

♥ Are you seeking contentment or excitement?

♥ Who do you want to be?

This journal is such a fun way to challenge yourself daily. It will not only get you thinking about what's important to you, but it will give you somewhere to record the little things about your day you might otherwise forget about.

I think it will be interesting to look back on each year's answers and see how much life has (or has not) changed over the years. We don't always realise just how much we evolve as people from year to year, and I think the changes could surprise us. It's the sort of memento that would be interesting for you or your family to rediscover in a box in years to come, and a great way to remember a particular period of your life.

So, each day of the year is given a full page with the date and prompt at the top, and each page has five sets of lines, one for each year's entry. There's room for a few sentences each time, which should be plenty of room for each answer.

You can start the journal on January 1st and write daily for the next five years to keep your journal entries consistent throughout. You may prefer to start the journal on whatever day of the year it makes its way in to your hands, as I've done, because you just can't wait until January to get started! You don't even have to answer questions each day, if you don't want to. You can fill in an answer to today's date on whichever year you're inspired to pick up the book from today until the end of the year 2099! It's your journal; you have the freedom to use it how you wish!

The book itself is a small hard back measuring  16.5cm x 11.5cm x 3.5cm. It's smaller than A5 and about an inch and a quarter thick. I was surprised when it first arrived because I was expecting it to be much larger; although, I think its compact size is a good thing, because it's small enough easily carry around with you to use on the go.

The covers and spine of the book are covered in brown card / paper, and feature an attractive black font.

The pages are golden edged, so the book is such an attractive little thing, and it won't look out of place on anybody's bedside table- male or female. 

The book retails for £14.99, although you can find it much cheaper online. I purchased mine from Amazon, where it is currently on sale for £8.81, but it should also be available from all good book shops.

It's a fantastic little journal and I'm so glad I purchased it. I always look forward to picking up the book each night to fill in another answer before I fall off to sleep, and for once, I think this will be a journal I'll actually be able to write in every day. 5 thumbs up from me!

If you love to journal, I'm confident you'll love this book, too! Why not treat yourself to a copy today?

Barrington Park and Bourton-On-The-Water

On Sunday, it was a beautiful hot sunny day, so my older sister and I decided to pay a visit to Bourton-on-the-Water to enjoy the sunshine. Living about twenty miles away, we've been many times before, although it had been a few years since my last visit.

Bourton is about a half hour drive from where we live, and the journey takes us through the picturesque Cotswolds countryside and some very pretty little villages. We set off on our leisurely journey just before midday, and at a fork in the road a few miles from home, we decided to explore a road we'd never taken before, knowing somewhere along the line it was bound to take us where we needed to go. The thing about country roads in the Cotswolds is that you never know where they might take you or what you might find, but you're pretty much guaranteed they'll lead you somewhere good. 

Sure enough, our little detour led us our best discovery yet; a large herd of deer, out in the middle of nowhere! We were both so excited to see a field full of deer, that we pulled over and got out of the car for a closer look with our cameras in hand.

Some immediately galloped away out of sight, but the rest watched us cautiously from a distance. We didn't want to stress them out too much so we only stayed for a minute or two, but they were beautiful and we even saw two bucks rutting.

I haven't seen a herd of deer (outside of zoos) since I was a little girl, and it's been a while since I last saw just one, so seeing thirty of them together was really exciting. Call me sad, but it really made my day! 

Come with me, I shall show you the ways of the forest...

As it was so bright and sunny, I really couldn't see what I was snapping, so I was stoked to see this beauty when I came to edit my photos. He had the biggest antlers of the group, and stood watching us the entire time. I love this photo, although I'm gutted with the quality of them all; it was only when I got home I realised my camera had been on the 'glass' setting the entire day, instead of auto like I thought it was. The camera thought everything was behind glass, which is why the countryside looks hazy and grainy instead of lush green and blue skies like it really was. Fail.

The deer were in an enclosed field which had an ornate black and gold metal gate further along to the left of these photos, which made us think this was a deer park, or a herd being raised for meat, especially as they appeared to be an all-male herd. I later discovered, after a bit of Googling, that the place was called Barrington Park, which apparently has an 18th century manor house, and a deer park that dates back to the 17th century set on 120 hectares of land. I'd never even heard of the place before, but our random drive paid off!

There was also a stone hut in the field, and we thought it might be an observatory or some kind of WW2 shelter, but it turns out it's a folly, which is just an ornamental building with no real purpose. I've never seen anything like it before, especially not in a field in the middle of nowhere.

As the deer drifted away from us, we got back in the car and continued on our way. We soon arrived at Bourton-on-the-Water, which is the most quintessential Cotswolds town in the land. 

A shallow river runs through the centre of the town (village?), which has several bridges running across it, and grassy banks and benches on either side where people can sit, enjoy the view, and while away the hours. There are trees everywhere which makes it looks even more picturesque, and there are no shortage of tea rooms, cafes, ice cream vendors, and gift shops to enjoy. It couldn't be more Cotswolds if it tried!

As it's such a pretty place when the sun is shining, the place was swarming with people on Sunday. There were literally thousands of people milling around, which would usually be a stressful environment, but the atmosphere was so calm and laid-back it was actually really nice to be a part of it. (Even if it did make it difficult to take photos). 

We grabbed an ice cream, and sat down by the river. I even slipped my feet in to the shallow water, but soon regretted it when I discovered the water was icy cold. I hadn't expected it to be so cold in June, and it was so cold it kept causing my feet to cramp- which they continued to do in to the night... it was so painful!

Still, it was lovely to sit down by the river to enjoy the sunshine and take in the atmosphere. There were people and dogs wading in the water; kids splashing about; people sunbathing; others reading, picnicking, and chatting... it was like the country equivalent of a day at the beach! The skies were bright blue, and it was extremely hot, and it really couldn't have been a nicer day. I'd have loved to have sat there all day with a good book, but the back pain only allowed me ten or fifteen minutes before I had to admit defeat and move on.

More Observations in Bourton

♥ Mallard ducks in the river trying to swim away from wading kids.

♥ A little girl who lost the ice cream off her ice cream cone... and her Dad didn't go get her another one. Mean Dad!

♥ People sitting in beer gardens and outside tea rooms and cafes enjoying the sunshine.

♥ A waffle house I'd like to try food from one day.

♥ Japanese tourists protecting themselves from the hot sun with umbrellas and parasols.

♥ A Christmas shop full of pretty Christmas decorations... in June!

♥ An assortment of cute dogs in various shapes and sizes.

♥ A couple of retro ice cream trucks.

♥ A little boy of 5 or 6 taking the hand of a little girl of about 4 to help her wade through the river. He also made friends with my sister while we were sat on the bank.

We walked to the end of the river, and then headed back along the other side, and popped in to a couple of gifts shops along the way. I didn't buy anything. In fact, my only purchase was an ice cream while I was there. You don't need to spend any money to enjoy Bourton-on-the-Water, that is if pretty riverside country towns are your cup of tea. Just grab a blanket, a picnic, a book and head to the river! That's your lazy Sunday afternoon sorted!

Bourton-on-the-Water is also famously the home of Brum, the little yellow car from the nineties children's TV show of the same name. If you remember Brum, your childhood was awesome! I think he lives in the car museum at the far end of the river, although I've never been because car museums aren't my thing.I'd much rather visit the bird gardens (a small zoo with all kinds of birds in it), or explore the maze and act like a big kid!

When we got back to the car I was sore and absolutely frazzled from the heat. We got ourselves a cold drink and fresh peaches, and then took a different new route home, which took us past a couple of poppy fields, and an assortment of weird and wonderful sights.

Sunday's Observations From the Car

♥ A village fete complete with bunting.

♥ A cricket match played by grown men in proper cricket attire on a village sports pitch.

♥ A sculpture exhibition held in a field.

♥ Plenty of red phone boxes.

♥ A horse and cart.

♥ Two horses with young riders being led by adults down a country road.

♥ A red kite circling low in the sky, on the hunt for dinner.

♥ A couple of fields filled with red poppies.

♥ A retro white American car which looked very fifties.

♥ Classic cars and sports cars taken out on Sunday drives.

♥ A guy whose (half mullet half Mohawk) haircut and outfit made him look like he'd stumbled out of an eighties movie... he would've played a bad guy.

♥ Countless beautiful Cotswold stone houses, thatched cottages, and dry stone walls out in the country.

♥ A road sign for a place called 'Douglas'.

♥ Flower beds planted in the shape of the Union Jack.

I really enjoyed escaping the cabin fever for a few hours to enjoy the beautiful sunny day, catch up with my sister, and explore a few pretty places close to home. Four days later I haven't quite recovered from the extra pain the day cost me, but it was worth it just to see the herd of deer.

I wonder where the next random drive will take me! I can't wait to find out!

Have you visited anywhere great recently?

What's the best thing you ever discovered on your travels?

Wednesday Wish List

Hi guys,

I hope you're all having a great week so far.

I can't believe it's Wednesday again already, but apparently it is, and that means it's time for another Wednesday Wish List!

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I've fallen in love with Hell Bunny's Mariam halterneck polka dot dresses, after coming across one on my Pinterest feed. They're made in a bunch of different colours up to a size 22UK, and I'm especially taken with the green, although they're all gorgeous. I'm a firm believer that a girl can never have too many polka dot dresses!

When I put these three dresses together, for some reason they immediately made me think of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, with their colourful flared dresses. Make it blue! Make it pink! I also happen to be coveting three shoulder bags from ASOS which coincidentally match these dresses perfectly.  I can't decide which colour I like best.

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My love for the fruit trend is still going strong; probably because it's so fun and light hearted, and that's exactly how I think summer style should be! New Look have brought out some adorable and very affordable fruit-shaped clutch bags, and purses, and my heart is particularly set on the watermelon clutch. The orange wedge is cute, too, and they also have a lemon clutch and purse, which I didn't include because I already have a similar clutch by Monki.

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Net-a-Porter have some amazing novelty bags at the moment. They're waaaay out of my price range, but I can't help admiring so many from a far. I wish there was an affordable dupe of the peach on the high street, because it's so beautiful. It would look so cute with a denim dress and sandals during the summer. They also have a large selection of book clutches which are absolutely gorgeous.

Aldo's pink Riccardi lips clutch is also a beauty, and I'm pleased to say it's far more affordable at just £20.

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I love Simply Be's bubblegum pink heart print cardigan with a capital L, although at £30, it's quite pricey for a cardigan. I know it would get so much wear, though, and it could be worn in lots of different ways.

I also really like ASOS Curve's vintage floral leggings, which would look great under block-colour dresses and tunics, and Joe Brown's purple flocked skater dress would look stunning all year round.

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Pansies are one of my favourite flowers, so I was so excited to see this v-neck skater dress appear in ASOS Curve's new-in section this week. It's beautiful! 

Continuing on with the monochrome theme, I'm also smitten with the classic polka dot maxi dress from Ruby's Closet. It's so simple, but yet so effortlessly stylish and chic. If it was a little cheaper, I would probably have pounced on it already. I think I'll wait to see if it comes down in price.

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I've been thinking about getting myself a pair of shorts or two to wear around the house, in an effort to stay as cool as possible in my sauna of a bedroom, and to get my tops a little more wear. I really love these culotte style shorts (or skorts) from New Look Inspire, and in particular the polka dot pair. (Obviously)! They'll probably look absolutely awful on me, but I won't know for sure until I try them...

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And I've been drawn to all these beautiful emerald green pieces this week. The colour is one of  my favourites, and one I don't see enough of in the fashion world. Dorothy Perkins have some beautiful, simple pieces like the satchels, maxi skirt, and tee, and Alice and You has brought out the most fabulous plunge-neck jumpsuit. Get in my wardrobe, all of you!

What's on your wish list this week?

Which of these are your favourites?

And Mary Wish List

I recently paid a visit to And Mary's website to see if I could link back to a ring I was wearing in an outfit post. It turned out the ring was no longer available, but what I did find was the most fantastic selection of whimsical accessories I have ever seen.

Yes, I already own one of their rings, a lilac macaron ring that I purchased through ASOS a little over a year ago. The macaron ring should've been my first clue that And Mary made whimsical jewellery, but for some reason, it just never occurred to me to find out what other accessories they sold. If only I had known...

And Mary sell the most beautiful handmade porcelain and charm jewellery, which are hand-crafted in Scotland. and are designed to make you smile and evoke childhood memories. (I just love that!) Most of the pieces are animal-themed and I am in love with almost all of them! I've fallen for far too many pieces to add to my Wednesday Wish Lists, so I thought I'd dedicate a complete wish list to And Mary because I know many of you love quirky accessories as much as I do. 

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They make the sweetest little porcelain earrings and rings. Naturally, I'm smitten with their fox and bunny designs, and although the rings will never fit my chubby fingers, I'd love to own those little fox and bunny studs. I adore the pansy earrings, too. Pansies are one of my favourite flowers and I've always associated them with Disney's Alice in Wonderland cartoon.

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I'm a big fan of pendant necklaces, and And Mary's selection is one of the best I've ever seen. They have some fantastic tropical themed designs, including bang-on-trend pineapples, and my favourites- flamingos. I love the toucans and penguins, too.

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There are a great selection of wild animal pendants, including hippos, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and polar bears. I particularly love the hippo and the bears.

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There are several woodland animal necklaces, including foxes (my personal favourite) and deer. And there are more than a few necklaces of pet animals, including rabbits, cats, and popular dog breeds like pugs, French bulldogs, dachshunds, and Scottie dogs. I love the adorable little rabbit necklace.

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I don't have my eyes on as many pieces from the charm collection, which is made up of over twenty pieces, but I love the selection I've shared above. Predictably, I L-O-V-E love the fox necklace, which is just so beautiful, and I'm really drawn to the dachshunds, and the horse earrings.

I can't decide which piece I want to buy first, but I fear this may become a collection in the making. Everything is just so perfect!

Which ones are your favourites? 

Thanks for reading.

*Please note: I wasn't asked or compensated to write this post. I'm merely sharing a selection of products that I've fallen in love with, and wanted to share with you.

Hearts and Polka Dots

I've been meaning to blog about this outfit for a couple of weeks, after snapping the photos in the garden one sunny afternoon, but as I wasn't happy with any of the photos, I've been hesitant about sharing them. 

I can see too many flaws in my photos from the shadows on my face to one strap of the dress that had unknowingly slipped off my shoulder. The garden's a mess and I also have a wheelie bin in shot because it was the only angle of our one hundred foot long garden which didn't give me over exposed photos (it gets all the sunlight), and I physically couldn't move it out of view. I was going to re-shoot the photos, but I've not made it out of bed in nearly a fortnight now, so sod it, I'm just going to blog them anyway, flaws an' all.

A few weeks ago, I found this cute fit and flare dress when I was window shopping at Dorothy Perkins. I had been on the look out for some dresses that I could bare to wear on scorching hot, muggy summer days, and it was just what I was looking for. A light-weight cotton dress which is breathable and doesn't leave me too flustered and over-heated on hot days. 

It's a navy fit and flare dress with a polka dot and heart print print, a sweetheart neckline, and capped sleeves. It's a little shorter than I usually wear, as I'm not a fan of baring my thighs, but I feel comfortable and confident in this dress with tights or leggings underneath. The length hits me an inch or two above the knee (I'm 5'6''), but if you're much taller it will be quite a short dress, which may be good or bad depending on the skirt length you prefer to wear! The shorter length has actually been a god-send for me on several sweltering hot days already, when I've worn it bare-legged around the house and managed to remain fairly comfortable in the heat.

I purchased this navy heart print polka dot dress along with two others in the same design, including this cherry print dress, and this bow print frock. They are all such pretty dresses, and so inexpensive at just £18 each. I bought them while they were on promotion, and with a discount code, so they were fantastic bargains and well worth the price. The dresses come in sizes 6-22UK, and they have a lot of stretch to the fabric, so your usual size should be fine. 

I paired the dress with a red cardigan, black opaque tights, ruby red ballet pumps, a toadstool brooch, and an owl necklace.

The fabric is a darker navy than my camera captured, and it has a polka dot and heart print all over it. You just can't go wrong with polka dots, and when it's combined with another awesome print it's even better!

I've always loved red and white toadstools, and when I saw this Cath Kidston brooch last Autumn I couldn't resist making a cheeky purchase. It's no longer available online, but it could be worth checking your nearest Cath Kidston shop or outlet shop in case it's still available in store. It's such a cute little brooch.

The owl necklace was a gift from my older sister a couple of years ago. She bought it in Florida on one of her Disney holidays, but I've no idea who it's by or where it's from.

These shoes are always so difficult to photograph; they just don't translate well at all on (digital) film. They're actually dark ruby red in colour and extremely glittery; just like Dorothy's ruby red slippers, but without the heel. I bought them from Evans around seven or eight years ago, because I'd always wanted a pair of ruby red slippers and I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. They're such cute pumps, but after all these years they still severely butcher my feet every time I wear them. Why must pretty shoes hurt the most? I try to only wear them now when there's not much walking involved, or I will end up with bloody blistered feet.

Outfit Details

♥ Dress-Dorothy Perkins
♥ Cardigan-TU at Sainsburys
♥ Tights- Evans
♥ Shoes-Evans
♥ Brooch-Cath Kidston
♥ Necklace-Gift from Florida

What do you wear to keep cool in the summer heat?