A Court of Thorns and Roses Colouring Book Review

Last year, I devoured the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, and adored the books so much, I've been a little obsessed ever since.

My love for this enchanting world of gorgeous fae lords and warriors, magic, friendship, and romance hasn't stopped at the series, oh no. Not content to stop at the novels, I also went and acquired the officially licensed A Court of Thorns and Roses colouring book, and spent many a good pain day painting my way through some of the pages in 2023.

I may have an ACOTAR problem.

But I just couldn't resist.

And thank the Cauldron, because it's one of the best colouring books I've ever seen or owned.

If you're a fan of the ACOTAR series, and love colouring, I think you're going to love this as much as I do.

So, the A Court of Thorns Colouring Book takes you on an illustrated journey through the first three books in the series- A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin.

This was the first page I painted, and for my first attempt at mixing skintones, I'm kinda proud of how Feyre's colouring came out. I made such a mess of Tamlin, though, especially his hair and sleeve from overworking the paper, but I guess it's fitting since his character is also a train wreck. I also wish I'd done the butterflies differently- I started off attempting to make them into Monarch butterflies, and it went a bit wrong- but overall, I really enjoyed working on this page.

I can't paint realistic trees to save my life, but this page makes me want to live in the Spring Court.

I'm not much of a fan of Elain so far (I'm gonna need her story to change my mind), but this was one of my favourite pages so far. I loved playing with lots of pinks and purples- it was so relaxing. Side note: her garden in the mortal world was described as having purple and white flowers, but I added in some pink to compliment her dress. The roof of the house was said to be emerald green, so I decided to give it green window frames- but they look awful, so I wish I hadn't.

So many of the iconic characters, settings, and scenes in the series have been brought to life in stunning detail, from Tamlin taking Feyre from her home in the mortal world, to meeting the people and wonders of the Spring Court, and Rhys and Feyre's first meeting on Calanmai ('There you are. I've been looking for you.'), to the horrors of Under the Mountain. You can colour your way through Rhys gate-crashing an important wedding and Feyre throwing a shoe at him; meeting the Inner Circle and Mor rescuing Feyre; the wonders of Starfall and the heartfelt moment at the beginning of Chapter 55; and even intense scenes like Feyre battling the Attor, and Nesta crawling out of the Cauldron at Hybern. As the illustrations move to the story of the third book, you'll be able to colour-in Lucien bowing before Feyre on Solstice, and the Bone Carver looking like a demon child that needs to be killed with fire; cool locations like the Forest House and the Night Court library; Nesta sizing up Cassian, and Azriel sweetly loaning Truth-Teller to Elain; to Amren taking on Hybern, and Rhys and Feyre sharing a quiet moment together on the rooftop in Velaris after the war. There is such a fantastic and diverse selection of scenes and characters included, and every last one is amazing.

Some of my favourites include Tamlin and Feyre lounging in the glen, Alis leading Feyre to Under the Mountain, the wedding scene, Mor rescuing Feyre after her panic attack, Rhys and Feyre on Starfall, the landscapes of Velaris and the Spring and Summer Courts (so intricate!), and the romantic little scene in the cabin before things heated up. (You know the one I mean *wink*).

This one was fun as I got to use my metallic Winsor & Newton watercolours for the first time. I used them on the floor tiles, staircase, statues, and curtains. The colours of the Spring Court entry aren't described, so I chose spring greens to symbolise Feyre fading into the background as she was wearing a green dress in that scene. Her hair was supposed to be golden brown, but I screwed up again and it came out a little too ginger.

I totally messed up this page. I had a minor disagreement with the black paint, and also messed up the curtain and Rhys' skintone. It was my first time attempting to mix darker skintones, and didn't go quite right. (Apologies to anyone with brown skin- no insult intended)! And I couldn't try layering other shades on top to fix it as the paper started to disintegrate. 

Altogether, there are forty-five drawings from five different illustrators to colour-in, with sixteen based on A Court of Thorns and Roses, eighteen dedicated to A Court of Mist and Fury, and eleven inspired by A Court of Wings and Ruin. You can also colour-in the introduction pages, which features an illustration of Feyre surrounded by thorns and roses.

Each illustration has been given a double-page spread, with one side featuring the illustration in thinly-lined black ink, and the other displaying a relevant quote from the books in large type, cornered with swirling patterns that look a little like butterflies. The pages are white and made from good-quality paper that is thick enough that most inks shouldn't bleed through, and spoil the quote on the back. I've been using watercolour paints to colourise the drawings, and even though the paper isn't designed for that, it can cope with a light layer or two, with some rippling to the back of the paper. The paper will disintegrate if you keep working it with a wet brush, though. But overall, I'm very impressed. The pages are perforated so that you can tear them out and use them how you wish, but unfortunately, they are printed back-to-back, which means you'll have to choose between displaying  your artwork and the quote of the following illustration.

Overall, it's a fantastic colouring book for any fan of the ACOTAR series. The illustrations are so beautiful that it's a must for any fan's collection- even if you don't plan to colour them in, it makes a great companion book for better visualising the characters and scenes in the books. But for those who want to use it to get creative, it's such a treat. Whether you love the Spring Court or the Night Court, are team Feysand, Nessian, or Elriel, whether you would rather throw Ianthe to the Middengard Wyrm or the Attor, and can't decide who you hate more- Amarantha or Tamlin, this book has it all. (Excluding topless Illyrian bat boys (pity) and s*x scenes, that is). There's no explicit content, so apart from a few creepy monsters, it's suitable for under-18s, too. It's so satisfying to be able to bring so many favourite characters and scenes to life with colour, and I couldn't recommend this colouring book to you more.

I'm loving it, and I can see it keeping me entertained for a long while yet. I also have the Throne of Glass colouring book, which is also amazing, but I have a lot more painting to do before I'm ready to review it.

The A Court of Thorns and Roses colouring book retails around £13-14 in the UK, and you can find it on Blackwells here.

Are you a fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses? Do you enjoy colouring-in?

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Currently | April 2023

It's been almost four months since I last sat down for a catch-up, so I think it's time for a long over-due Currently post. 

Today, I'm going to talk about some of the things I've been enjoying and doing lately. 

Let's start with some books:

Reading

Since the New Year, I've fallen down a Sarah J. Maas rabbit-hole and have been flitting back and forth between the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series'. Two series that I've wanted to read for years, but have only just got around to. I'm kicking myself, as they're both amazing. 

So far, I've read the first three books of A Court of Thorns- A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin, and I've just began A Court of Frost and Starlight after a a little ACOTAR break to stop myself reading them too quickly. I'm completely obsessed with the series, and it's been living rent-free in my head for the last four months. 

A Court of Mist and Fury has definitely been my favourite so far. It's so different to the first book, and completely changed my perspective on several characters (Tamlin's out, Rhys is in, Lucien can get a time-out for being an enabler), but it's one of my favourite reads ever. The trauma, PTSD, depression, abuse, and recovery storylines were so powerful and heartbreaking, and the character development was amazing. The book is quite melancholy for a while because of the trauma and abuse, but as characters heal and so many different things unfold, it turns in to such a funny, flirty, empowering, and exciting read. I loved getting to know Rhys and the Inner Circle (hello, Cassian), and I adored Rhys' relationship with Feyre- especially the way he tries to piece her back together with banter and flirting. Chapter 54 killed me, and that ending! Cauldron boil me, it was so good! Would highly recommend it and the series in general... as long as you don't mind a bit of spice... (Avoid chapter 55 of ACOMAF if you do). 

I can't wait to read A Court of Silver Flames for Cassian and Nesta's story, but I won't know what to do with myself once I'm finished and have to wait God-knows-how-long for the next book to come out.

I've also been loving the Throne of Glass books (perhaps even more than ACOTAR), and have so far devoured Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, and Tower of Dawn. Just two more to go.

I loved the first two books and the Celaena/ Dorian / Chaol love triangle, but Heir of Fire is when it really started getting good, and has definitely been my favourite so far, followed by Queen of Shadows- mostly because of Rowan, who quickly became one of my favourite male fictional characters ever. Sadistic side of him, an' all. I adore Rowan and Aelin together- especially how cute the big grouchy warrior is when he gets protective and starts fussing over her, or later worships her like a queen. (Where can I get one?) The introduction of the fae magic definitely adds something extra to the story, too. I really enjoyed Empire of Storms, as well, though, with so much of the storyline focused on war, I found it a bit slower than the other books at times. But, I loved the Elide and Lorcan scenes, and all the romance and sexual tension building between several couples, and I can't wait to find out if they all end up together in the final book. And that ending! Brutal! Rowan's reaction to what happened broke my heart. I was gutted when I began the next book, Tower of Dawn last week, and realised it took a break from the main characters and storyline to tell Chaol and Nesryn's stories, and that I have to wait a whole other book to find out what happens next. I wasn't so invested in Chaol and Nesryn's POV to begin with and it took me a while to get into as it was a bit duller than the rest of the series, but I loved Yrene as a character, Chaol getting his ass handed to him by Yrene, and Sartaq being so obviously smitten with Nesryn. It was also interesting to see Chaol learning how to adapt to life with his spinal injuries, battling his limitations and his pride, and realising using a mobility aid doesn't make someone less of a man / woman. Despite the unrealistic fantasy healing, it sent a good message about disability, and it was great to have an ambulatory wheelchair user character to open people's eyes to how mobility levels can alter through activity, and that not all wheelchair users are paralysed.

I'll try to post some proper reviews of both series' once I've finished them, but you can find some mini reviews on my Instagram highlights, and more in-depth ones for some of them on my Goodreads.

Another book I really enjoyed was The Stolen Heir by Holly Black. It's the first book of a new duology set in the same world as The Cruel Prince series, but eight years on. It follows Jude's younger brother, Oak, and Suren (Wren), now all grown up in their late teens as they team up with his knight and their prisoner, and travel across the faerie lands of Elfhame to the Ice Needle Citadel to free Madoc and defeat Lady Nore. Along the way, they face dangers and threats, like trolls and monsters made of human body parts, and there's some fledgling romance developing, before they reach the Citadel, where there's lots of shocking twists and turns. I didn't see the ending coming, but it was brilliant. I can't wait for the second book now- and it pains me that it's almost a year away.

Watching

I haven't watched a lot lately, as I've been in a weird funk, but I've been loving Shadow and Bone on Netflix these past couple of weeks. I'd been looking forward to it since I finished season one last year, and though it's different to the books, it hasn't disappointed. I need season three and the Six of Crows spinoff now!

I also recently watched Avatar 2: The Way of Water for the first time, and absolutely loved it. Possibly even more than the first one. It was so beautifully done- especially the underwater / sea creature scenes.

Listening

I'm loving the new Fall Out Boy album, So Much (For) Stardust, which came out recently, and have been playing it on repeat. The entire album is amazing, but I particularly love Fake Out, Love From the Other Side, The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years), and So Good Right Now. I've also been going back in time twenty years with Linkin Park's Meteora 20th Anniversary release. I've been playing the original since I was seventeen and still at college, and it's always been a favourite album (and Linkin Park era) of mine. I'm enjoying reminiscing about those good old days with it, and getting to hear lots of unreleased tracks from that era on top of the original songs from the album. It's like 2003 all over again.

Playing

I've been playing Animal Crossing New Horizons a lot, and have jumped on the bandwagon and got myself Disney Dreamlight Valley, when it was on sale after Christmas. I haven't actually got past making my avatar yet, though. I've been in too much of a funk to want to play or concentrate on anything new lately- sometimes my brain-fogged head gets like that. I'll have to give it another go again soon.

Stitching

I haven't done any cross stitching since Christmas. I've been so uninspired with what to make next that I've lost my sewing mojo. Hopefully I'll spot a fun, colourful pattern I like soon.

Painting

I recently bought myself the A Court of Thorns and Roses colouring book, and have enjoyed colourising Feyre and Tamlin in the glen of the Spring Court with my watercolours recently. I'm just beginning the second coat, and making a complete mess of it, especially of Tamlin, who is a complete train wreck at this point. I ruined a patch of his hair and sleeve by overworking the areas, and made his gold mask too yellow, since I didn't have a gold paint when I started. (I do now)! I'm hoping I can improve them before I'm finished, but he might remain a bit of a fixer-upper- much like his character. It's going to take me forever to work through the book as my joints will only let me paint in short bursts, but I'm enjoying destressing with it, trying to improve my painting 'skills' (I have none!), and bringing one of my favourite book series' to life this way. It's so therapeutic. I'll post a review of the colouring book once I've painted a few more pages.

Loving

The new book covers for the Throne of Glass series- especially the hardbacks, which I'm currently collecting. The cover art is so pretty, and the books are such lovely jewel colours.

Liking

The Nivea Organically Good Aloe Vera body lotion. I've been trying some cheaper skincare options since the cost of living crisis to save my pennies where I can, and I'm so impressed with how good this one is. I don't think my skin has ever felt softer! It smells so good, it's vegan, and you can roll up the bottle as it empties to get every last drop of lotion out of it. Very impressed, especially considering it's a budget brand.

Enjoying

the extra hour of light in the evenings now the clocks have changed, and all the blossom and colourful spring flowers that are popping up. I love it when everything comes back to life again after the winter. 

Seeing

I recently saw Ronan Keating and the City Light Symphony Orchestra live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and it was amazing I've seen Ronan live countless times over the years, but never quite like this. The classical music really complimented his voice and they were some of the best performances of his songs I've ever seen / heard. The music was so powerful, I had goosebumps all night, and even got teary-eyed over a few songs because of it. It was such a fantastic experience, and the 65-piece-orchestra was incredible. I've never really seen a big professional orchestra perform before (though Ronan toured with a small one years ago), or been to a classical concert, but I was definitely impressed by what I saw and heard. There were so many talented musicians on that stage, and the maestro was so fun to watch as he was such a character. It's a shame it was just a one-off gig in the UK (with random shows in places like Cape Town and Switzerland), as I'd have happily gone to see them again. 

Needing

I really need to get my hair cut. I haven't had it cut in almost two years, and I'm beginning to look like Cousin It again. Hopefully I can afford a visit to the hairdresser's this spring to get it cut into a more manageable length. I also need to get to the optician's for new glasses (I'm about five years over due), and see a dentist about my cracked molar.

Wanting

About 8929134 books, several of the new Lady Vintage Lyra dresses, a new Vendula London clasp purse (to replace the one that was stolen), quite a few Loungefly bags and purses, a few Erstwilder My Little Pony brooches, an Illyrian bat boy, my own Rowan Whitethorn, a pain free day, more time out of the house, some adventures, a holiday, and a good night's sleep. Not asking for much, really...

Wishing

the two guys who pick-pocketed my purse from my bag at Victoria Station last month get kicked in the balls before enjoying a pleasant stay in hell. 

Buying

Most of my purchases over the last few months have been books. I just can't resist them, and they're the best form of escapism and distraction. I've been gradually collecting the Throne of Glass and ACOTAR hardbacks, and also treated myself to the Illumicrate editions of The Stolen Heir, Ninth House, and Hell Bent, which are all absolutely gorgeous. (I'll try to review those for you soon). I also treated myself to an amazing A Court of Thorns and Roses book tin from Litjoy Crate in the style of Beauty and the Beast (yes, I'm obsessed!), some Erstwilder brooches, and an amazing My Little Pony print smock dress from Truffle Shuffle. 

Eating

I've been enjoying treats in Easter form- especially Cadbury mini orange eggs, and Kinder Bueno eggs. They're so good! Why is Easter chocolate so much better than regular chocolate??

Drinking

Apart from being treated to a Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate after Christmas, I haven't drank anything interesting in  ages. I don't think I've even had a proper drink in about five years. I've not made a conscious decision to quit drinking or anything (though I'm not meant to drink on my painkillers), I just don't tend to drink unless I go out, and it's been a long time since I did that. *Tiny violins.*

Well, that's been my life lately.

What have you been enjoying recently?

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Christmas To Color By Mary Tanana Adult Christmas Colouring Book Review

Last Christmas, I treated myself to a stunning Christmas colouring book called Christmas To Color by Mary Tanana, and while I was eager to show it to you guys a year ago, I never did find the time to review it for you before Christmas was over. I wasn't going to miss the opportunity again, so I'm better prepared this Christmas, and here to review it for you today.

Christmas To Color is a beautifully illustrated Christmas colouring book for adults by American artist Mary Tanana, and it's without a doubt the most beautiful Christmas colouring book I've ever laid eyes on. 

It's filled with page after page of intricate, folky line-drawings of festive scenes and paraphernalia that are just waiting to be brought to life with colour. From wreaths and reindeer, to baubles and stockings, Nutcrackers and Christmas trees, to sledges and poinsettias. its 84 pages are filled with everything you'd associate with a traditional Christmas, and all the Christmas illustrations you could ever hope to colour-in. 

Tanana's stunning illustrations have, naturally, been inspired by the Christmas season, and are also heavily influenced by nature, Eastern European folk art, and delicate henna designs from India, which is clear to see on every page. All of the pictures have a wonderful folky festive feel to them with intricate detail, and you'll find flora or fauna added to almost every design. They're truly beautiful, and every picture is so festive, that they'll have you in the Christmas spirit in no time!



As the images feature so much detail, Christmas To Color is aimed at adults, but would also be suited to older children and teenagers with some artistic talent and a lot of patience. Each page will take hours or days to complete, so this is not the colouring book for quick results, but perfect if you're happy to take your time and see your work gradually come together. The great thing about that is this colouring book will provide you with weeks or even months of entertainment, so you really get your money's worth from it. It's going to keep you entertained throughout the festive season, and long after Christmas is over, so you'll be able to return to it again next Christmas, too!



The illustrations are printed back-to-back on thick, good-quality white paper, which, unfortunately, is not quite thick enough to prevent bleed-through with some inks. You may wish to stick to coloured pencils to avoid ruining the design on the other side. I've started using watercolour paints to colour in the designs, and I find the paper accepts watercolours well with very little damage to the paper- although, I always pop a sheet of watercolour paper behind the page while I'm painting to be on the safe side.



What I didn't realise until recently, is the pages are discreetly perforated, so you can easily pull out the pages for framing, pinning on the wall, scrapbooking, or for enjoying a colouring session with friends or family. You may have to flip a coin to decide which side to display, but it's ideal if you like to make use of your colourings once you've finished them.



I haven't actually added a lot of colour to this colouring book yet as the arthritis in my hands has become so bad I've had to give up colouring with pens and pencils altogether (it's become too painful and turns my hands in to claws), but I'm hoping to find some time to relax with it this Christmas, and paint my way through a few pages to destress.

Colouring-in is the perfect hobby for destressing at this time of year, as it's so relaxing and therapeutic, and can easily be fitted around other tasks on your to-do-list. You could steal ten minutes in between decorating the tree and waiting for your Christmas cookies to bake, relax with it in front of the TV, and even enjoy it while travelling to see family this Christmas. If you always get super stressed at Christmas time, I recommend you give colouring a try- trust me, it helps!



Christmas To Color is a fantastic adult Christmas colouring book. It's stunning, it's festive, it's great-quality, and guaranteed to get you in to the Christmas spirit and give you hours of entertainment. It's one of the best Christmas colouring books around at the moment, and I couldn't recommend it to you more!

Christmas To Color by Mary Tanana retails for $15.99, and should be available from all good book shops now. I bought my copy from Amazon here.

Will you be relaxing with an adult colouring book this Christmas?

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Escape To Christmas Past Adult Colouring Book Review

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of the most well known and beloved Christmas stories of all time. You've probably read the book, you've likely seen at least one of the movie adaptations, and now you can bring the story to life through colouring. Yep, that's right, there's now an A Christmas Carol inspired adult colouring book, called Escape To Christmas Past, and being a fan of the story, I just had to get my hands on a copy to unwind with this Christmas.

Escape To Christmas Past tells the story of A Christmas Carol through beautiful, detailed line-drawing illustrations, so it's basically like a picture-book for adults that you can colour in. The illustrations will lead you through Scrooge's journey of enlightenment and transformation as he returns home to the tormented ghost of Marley on Christmas Eve, learns the lessons from the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, and finally makes his transformation from a bitter, miserable old money-lender to a kind, generous gentleman on Christmas morning.

The book is filled with a wide variety of Dickensian illustrations, from the ghosts of Christmas and the roof tops of London, to cameos of Scrooge and Victorian typography, to hum-bugs and the graveyard where Scrooge discovers his future fate if he doesn't learn the error of his ways. The book is also filled with dozens of illustrations of all the splendours of a traditional Victorian Christmas, from lanterns and figgy pudding, to decadent desserts and beautiful decorations, carol singers and crackers, to partridges and poinsettias, so you don't have to be a fan of A Christmas Carol to enjoy this colouring book. If you love colouring, Christmas, and the Victorian era, there's a good chance this book will interest you, too!

The majority of the illustrations are drawn in thinly-lined black ink on cream-coloured paper with generous detail, although there are a handful on a black background which helps to keep the book fresh and interesting. The pages are made of reasonably thick paper, so I'd recommend sticking to colouring pencils as the illustrations are printed back to back, and some ink does bleed through, ruining the picture on the other side.

The book is a medium-sized colouring book, about the height of a paperback novel in length and width, so each picture won't take weeks to complete, but should keep you busy for a at least a few hours at a time. It would be perfect for enjoying while travelling to visit family and friends this Christmas, winding down with in front of the TV after a busy day, and for destressing with if Christmas doesn't go quite as perfectly as you hoped for.

I personally think it's a beautiful Christmas colouring book, and I'm gutted that I've been suffering from a bad arthritic flare in my hands all month, as I had hoped to colour my way through it this December, but hopefully I'll do better next year.

Escape To Christmas Past retails for £6.99, and should be available from all good book shops now. I bought my copy from Amazon here.

Have you picked up a Christmas colouring book to enjoy this Christmas?

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Johanna's Christmas Johanna Basford Adult Colouring Book Review

I love Christmas as much as Kanye loves Kanye, (shocking revelation, I know!) but that's not to say I don't find the fast pace of the festive season stressful and exhausting. I've lost count of how many Christmases I've gotten so run down from the stresses and pressures of the festive season that I've made myself ill- and I'm sure I'm not the only one. We have to-do lists a mile long, a bustling social calendar full of parties, get-togethers & family gatherings (well, I haven't due to my health, but you probably do!), hectic workloads, financial pressures, and very little time to just rest and relax. It's exhausting just thinking about it all.

I think it's important to find some time for ourselves to put our feet up, relax, and de-stress during the festive season, even if it's just for half an hour between tasks. I find popping on a Christmas movie, and colouring away in an adult Christmas colouring book an effective way to de-stress- no, really! Channelling all that negative energy in to creating pretty pictures really helps to release stress, and ease your worries, leaving you feeling calm and relaxed in no time at all. If you don't believe me, give it a try for yourself; I promise it helps! (It works for me, anyway).

I recently bought myself a gorgeous new Christmas colouring book to enjoy this Christmas- Johanna's Christmas by Johanna Basford, which I think you'll love if you're a fan of colouring-in.

Johanna's Christmas is the latest adult colouring book from Johanna Basford, the creator of the best-selling colouring books Secret Garden, Enchanted Forest, Lost Ocean, and Magical Jungle, who to date has sold over twenty million copies worldwide. I have a copy of the Secret Garden, and it's lovely.

This new title is the first festive book from the illustrator, filled with page after page of intricate, Christmas-themed line drawings in Basford's pretty signature style. There are bauble-laden Christmas trees, flurries of snowflakes, festive wreaths, sleighs full of presents, decadent decorations, gingerbread houses, and so many more Christmas illustrations just waiting to be brought to life with colour this Christmas. The designs are all so beautiful, and the only hard part is deciding which to colour first. 

There are 36 double sided pages of illustrations to work through, plus one double sided blank page for testing out colours at the back, which can all be pulled out of the book for framing, scrap booking, crafting, pinning to notice boards, or for giving to loved ones. This could also come in handy if there are several of your family or friends who want to colour with you without purchasing the book themselves.

Most of the illustrations on the back of the pages are one of three recurring patterns- baubles, presents, and holly, and while this is repetitive, it means you can use ink pens on the illustration on the front without having to worry about ruining the picture behind too much- you still have other chances to colour it on another page. You can even colour the inner covers, introduction, and publishing info pages if you want!

The book is made from good-quality, reasonably thick white paper, which really helps to make the colours pop, and should be just about thick enough to prevent ink bleeding through the paper, if you go gently. Personally, I like to use Crayola colouring pencils for colouring, as I think they give the best, most vibrant results; cheap sets just don't compare. And who doesn't want a good excuse to use some Crayolas?

I've already began colouring my way through the book, which I've really enjoyed so far. It's been a pleasure to colour in and it's been helping me to relax and calm down from the stress of having a massive to do list and not enough energy or hours in the day- although I haven't done as much colouring-in as I'd like thanks to an arthritic flare up which is giving me awful pain and stiffness in my hands, and making it difficult for me to use them, so I apologise for the lack of colour in the photos. I had hoped to have several completed pages to share, but nothing ever goes to plan when you're living with chronic pain and illness.

Johanna's Christmas is one of the best adult colouring books available this Christmas, and it's sure to keep you occupied throughout the festive season and beyond. If you're looking for a way to de-stress, and perhaps even aid your mental health over the holidays, go grab yourself a copy and a pack of colouring pencils and give it a try. I promise you won't regret it!

Available now with a RRP of £12.99. I bought my copy on Amazon here, where it's currently just £5!

Will you be de-stressing with a Christmas colouring book this Christmas?

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It's no secret that I love to de-stress with a good adult colouring book. I've talked about my love for the pastime several times over the last year or so, and have reviewed a few of the colouring-books I've enjoyed, too. I still enjoy colouring-in regularly, so naturally, when Plexus got in touch and invited me to review a new adult colouring book called 'My Mystical Wonderland', I jumped at the chance.

My Mystical Wonderland* is a beautifully illustrated colouring book, filled with 101 magical pictures that are just screaming to be brought to life with colour. The illustrations follow a mystical, fairytale theme with page after page of magical unicorns, fire-breathing dragons, painted peacocks, and noble stags. There are even more pages of flowers and trees, toadstools and feathers, and all kinds of wonderful animals, which together create a mystical fairytale world in black and white. My favourite of the illustrations has to be the lion with bows and flowers decorating his fabulous flowing mane; I couldn't stop myself from getting to work on him almost straight-away!

The pictures follow the same style as the other book in the series, My Magical Oasis (reviewed here), which are outlined in black ink in a variety of thicknesses. Some of the illustrations are made up of intricate detail, and others have a lot of blank space that can be block-coloured or elaborated on with your own detail, often with a few words on the page to encourage your creativity. I think the variety helps to keep the book fresh and interesting, while providing something for every taste, and ability. It doesn't matter whether you're new to colouring-in or an old pro; whether you like simple designs or those with a lot of detail; this book has something for everybody. 

Each illustration is printed back to back on good-quality, reasonably thick white paper, although the paper isn't quite thick enough to stop ink bleeding through to the other side. If you have your heart set on colouring two pictures back to back, I'd advise you use colouring pencils instead of felt tip pens. I personally love using Crayola colouring pencils because the colours are so bold, and I personally think they give the best results.

I've been busy colouring away in my copy over the last couple of weeks, and I've enjoyed every minute of it; it's such a fun colouring book to kick back with. I find colouring-in really relaxing, so I like to put my feet up, pop on a movie or some music, and colour away to my heart's content to unwind and de-stress. I find it amazing how quickly colouring-in can take away all of my worries and stress; one minute I can be so stressed and upset that I'm on the verge of a panic attack, the next, after a little colouring, I'll be calm, content, and chilled again. I personally think it's an effective form of therapy for my mental health (I suffer from depression and anxiety), and also a great distraction from the constant sting of chronic pain. and all the other mental and physical woes that come with it. It helps to have a distraction and something to channel my energy in to. (Of course, colouring is not a substitute for professional medical care and treatment, but it can definitely supplement it).

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to relax and channel your creativity, I'd recommend you get yourself a copy of My Mystical Wonderland* and a pack of colouring pencils pronto. It's a fantastic adult colouring book, and with 101 beautiful pictures to colour in, it will provide you with entertainment and enjoyment for many months to come. If you love fantasy, animals, and nature, this is the colouring book for you.

My Mystical Wonderland is available to buy from all good book shops. Find it on Amazon and Waterstones here.

Have you got yourself a copy of My Mystical Wonderland yet? Do you enjoy colouring-in in your spare time?

Colouring book reviews you might also like

My Magical Oasis

Millie Marotta's Animal Kingdom

Zen Colouring Winter Wonderland

*This colouring book was gifted to me by Plexus in exchange for a review. As always, all words, opinions, and photos are my own.

Favourites | January 2016

It's been a while since I last did a monthly favourites post, so I thought it was about time I put a new one together. I've been enjoying all sorts of things these last few months, so you can expect to see some fashion, beauty, food,  creative hobbies, and entertainment faves in this post.

First up is the latest addition to my novelty bag collection- a robot bag from Accessorize, which has to be one of the kookiest bags I own. My Mum thinks I've lost the plot, but I think it's really fun, and it makes me smile because it's so damn cute and quirky. It's definitely not the most practical of bags, with just enough room for a phone, keys, lip balm, and a small purse, but who wants practical when you can carry a robot bag around? If you like the sound of an impractical robot bag, you can still get it on sale for just £10.50 here.

I haven't used a lot of new beauty products lately as I spent all of January in bed with the flu and I've just caught another cold, but two products I have been enjoying are Korres' Bergamot Pear body milk, and L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom hand cream. They both smell amazing, and have been keeping my hands super soft and well nourished all month. I'll review them both properly soon.

Over the last couple of months, I've gradually been working my way through my Yankee Candle stash. My favourites have been Snowflake Cookie, Christmas Cookie, Cranberry Ice, Sugared Apple, and Red Apple Wreath, which have all smelt ridiculously good. I'm currently loving Orange Splash, a candle my sister gave me for my birthday last year that has a gorgeous orange-citrus fragrance (funnily enough). I'm not sure why it's taken me seven months to use it, but it's been worth the wait and I'd definitely repurchase it once it's finished.

Watching (Movies): A Long Way Down, About Time, The Grey, Interstellar (amazing movie!), Insurgent, We Bought A Zoo, Life of Pi, Mockingjay Part 2 (at the cinema), plus loads of old faves.

Watching (TV shows): The Big Bang Theory, Daredevil, Fringe, Home and Away, The Supervet. (I haven't been watching that much TV, but now I've got Netflix there are loads of shows I want to binge-watch).

Reading: I've only finished one book so far this year- Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller, which is one of the best books I've read in years. (Review coming really soon!) I'm currently reading The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton.

Listening to: Panic! at the Disco's 'Death of a Bachelor' album on repeat, with a little bit of Fall Out Boy's 'American Beauty / American Psycho' album mixed for good measure. Both amazing albums! 

I've spent quite a few hours de-stressing with the adult colouring book 'The Menagerie', which is filled with beautiful, intricate animal pictures. I can't tell you how many hours have gone in to that hippo so far, but it's been keeping me busy for weeks, and I still have so much left to do! Would anyone like me to review the book once I've completed a few more pages?

Another creative book I've been enjoying is '642 Things To Write About Me' (recently reviewed here). I've written in it almost every day since I bought it in December, and I'm loving it. It's not just challenging my creativity, but it's prompting me to stop and think about my thoughts, feelings, opinions, and all kinds of moments from my life, before exposing them on paper, which I personally find far more challenging than writing meaningless fiction. It's a fun kind of challenge, though, and the book is well worth a purchase if you love to write.

The weekend before last, I began a colourful new cross stitch project, a patchwork-style 'home sweet home' sampler from Riverdrift House. It's so bright and cheerful that it's been so much fun to work on so far, and it's super easy, too, as it's all colour-blocked in simple lines or patterns. It might not be much of a challenge, but I'm finding all the continuous stitching really therapeutic, which is just what I need right now. I can't wait to see it all come together because I think it's going to look awesome when it's done. That's something I never thought I'd say about a 'home, sweet home' cross stitch sampler! 

I found Pocky sticks in Tesco before Christmas, and I had to get them to see what all the fuss was about.  I don't understand why people are obsessed with the chocolate flavoured ones as the chocolate is disgusting, and tastes very synthetic, but the strawberry flavoured ones were amazing. They taste like strawberry Mini Milk lollies in biscuit form. I wish I'd bought more than one box!

I can't stop wearing my bespectacled French bulldog brooch whenever I go. I'm surprised I haven't pinned it on to my pyjamas yet! It's easily one of the cutest brooches I've ever owned, and it goes with everything. I don't know who made it, but I bought it in a little art shop in Cheltenham called the Cheltenham Collective. (P.S. It doesn't actually have a discoloured stripe down the middle, it's just the way the light hit it).

And last but by no means least, is this gorgeous green polka dot 'Lola' dress from Dolly and Dotty. I've blogged about it in a haul post already, but I'm still crazy about it, so I had to include it today. It's so beautiful! I've worn it a couple of times already and feel amazing in it whenever I wear it. I've even taken photos of me wearing it (!), so I'll tell you more about it in an outfit post later in the week!

What have you been loving lately?