Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

I hope you're all having a great week so far. Who's been enjoying this gorgeous summer weather we've been having in the UK this past week?

The sweltering heat has left me evaluating my wardrobe and noticing what I'm lacking. I'm in desperate need of some new sandals, summer sleepwear, and airy sundresses in breathable fabrics. It's only when it gets hot that I realise most of my dress collection isn't suitable for muggy summer weather, and all my PJs are too thick. I never seem to be prepared when the heat waves arrive, even though these wish lists are always filled with season-appropriate things! Time to start preparing...

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1, 2, 3. These sweetheart fit and flare dresses from Dorothy Perkins are three of my new found favourites. I got quite excited when I saw the cherry print and heart print versions yesterday, and I may have ordered them last night along with the bow print dress. I've been determined not to use my store card, but I just couldn't resist finding out if they're as lovely as they seem. They're simple dresses, but they look ideal for the sweltering hot weather, and at £18 each they're very reasonably priced.

4, 6. This week I learnt that ASOS have a few pairs of wide fit sandals in their own collection called Family Affair. Whether these sandals will be wide enough for my mutant feet, I'm unsure, but I love these embellished, beaded, and rhinestoned sandals- especially the pink pair.

5. I love the shape and style of these pretty pink Samba heels from ASOS. I can't wear heels right now, so I'll just be admiring them from afar, but- how pretty?

7. I think this simple tan leather envelope cross body bag by Pieces is so classic, and would look great worn with some denim for festival season.

8. Another novelty print! No, I'm not predictable at all! This lip print swing vest from ASOS Curve would be perfect worn casually with shorts or tucked in to a midi skirt for summer.

9. I'm in love with this teal heart print dress from Praslin. It ticks all the right boxes; the colour and the print together are absolute perfection, and I would wear it everywhere.

10. I don't often see eye-to-eye with shirts as I'm broad-shouldered and most just gape on me, but I have a thing for black and red checks, and the checked shirt from ASOS Curve would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

11. I recently bought these Truffle jelly shoes in black and was surprised to discover that they fit my wide fit and were insanely comfortable. I didn't expect that at all. I'm now coveting a white pair so that I can wear them with all of my summeriest outfits. (The breaking in will be a bitch, though)!

12. If the return of jelly shoes wasn't enough, Dorothy Perkins have just introduced some jelly style satchels! I'll admit I actually quite like the look or the coral version; at least through my laptop screen.

13. If there's one thing my wardrobe is short of, it's shoes, and I'm quite taken with these simple mint two-part flats from New Look. The colour is beautiful, and would go perfectly with so many outfits.

14. While we're on the subject of mint, I also have my eye on the fabulous mint midi skirt from ASOS Curve. I can't get enough of the colour, and this skirt is a beauty.

15. I learned of an American rockabilly brand called Steady Clothing through the blog Junebugs and Georgia Peaches a few days ago, and immediately fell in love with the Strongman swing dress in light blue. It has the most amazing circus-themed print complete with strongmen, and well, you know me and novelty prints! It's made in sizes small up to a 2X (about a UK 22, I think), and they deliver worldwide. Tempting...

16. I desperately need some new sandals as I've not bought any for a few years now! I'm quite uninspired by the selection of wide fit sandals available so far this season, but these simple black strappy sandals from Evans would be ideal for every day wear.

17. And if two mint pieces wasn't enough this week, I'm also coveting a third in the form of a mint cross body bag from Dorothy Perkins. I have got something similar in apple green from River Island, though, but it doesn't hurt to admire it from afar, does it?

What's on your wish list this week?

Travel Listography Book Review

I've been meaning to review this book for you for, oh, I don't know... five or six months now, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to get 'round to it. Actually, strike that, yes, I can; this is me we're talking about here; I'm hopeless! Better late than never, though, right?

So, today I'm going to be reviewing a fantastic book called Travel Listography.

Travel Listography is basically a journal-style book full of prompted lists (about travel, obviously), for you to fill in to your heart's content. The book is designed to spark your imagination, help you to see how amazing the world is, and provide you with a place to record where you've been and where you hope to go in the future.

It's the type of book you're either going to love or hate; depending on whether you love filling in prompts, planning for the future, and recording the little things in life, or absolutely hate it.

I personally have always loved pondering over things like this. I love to write; I love to day dream and think about things that matter to me. My head is often up in the clouds thinking about all the things I want to see and do someday, and the aspirations have only grown since I injured my back and my life was put on hold. I want to travel all over the globe; see everything; experience as much as possible. I don't want to ever take life for granted again. I thought that this book would be the perfect place for me to start planning some of those goals, so that one day I can go through this book and start crossing things off!

The book is a large paperback and is approximately 160 pages long. That's a lot of lists! Almost every list has been given a double page spread; the left page features an illustration relating to the list on the right.

Some of the lists are given a full page of lines to write in...

Many pages are split in to two columns like in the photo above; one list for things you've already seen or done, and the second for things you hope to see or do one day. I love that these pages prompt both accomplishments and aspirations. It's interesting to compare how much I've experienced and how much I haven't, and I think that the unbalanced lists have the power to motivate me in to checking the goals off.

Towards the back of the book, there are also several pages laid out like in the image above, with lots of Firsts to complete.

The illustrations are simple but sweet, and the font used in the book looks like super-neat hand-writing in capital letters.

The book is filled with dozens up on dozens of lists which cover every possible travel subject you could ever think about. It covers cities and countries in every continent, nature, animals, landmarks and wonders of the world, attractions, events, food, culture, people, transport, road trips, travel experiences, mishaps, what you learnt while travelling and so much more. They really have thought of everything!

Here's a little peek at some of the lists in the book, including a few I've started filling in:

I've been to many more beaches as my childhood was full of trips to the seaside... I just need to complete my list.

Going to zoos and aquariums is one of my favourite things to do and I've visited a lot of them.

The beginnings of what will be a very long list on both sides.

Being a big animal lover, there are so many animals I've always wanted to see in the wild. Living in England, I haven't seen many... yet! I've no idea why I've changed between singular and plural in the Hope To See list...

Some of my favourite lists in the book include:

Animals Seen in the Wild.

Beaches, Oceans, and Seas.

Cemeteries and Graves.

Festivals, Parades, and Carnivals.

Ideas For A "Staycation."
Local Weekend Trip Ideas.

Natural Wonders, Formations, and Phenomena.

Outdoor Adventures.

Places I Have Little Interest In Visiting.

Places I Thought Were Haunted or Creepy.

Places I've Travelled Via Books, Films, and TV.

Prettiest Drives.

Silly and Surprising Things I've Done On Trips.

Songs That Inspire My Spirit Of Adventure.

Souvenirs I've Come Home With.

Things I Do While Travelling But Not At Home.
Things I've Learned From Travelling.
Travel Mishaps.
What I Love And Hate About Travelling.
Zoos, Aquariums, Wild Life Parks and Refugees.

I think the Travel Listography is a brilliant book and I'd highly recommend it to anybody who loves to travel and aspires to experience so much of what the world has to offer. It's fantastic for making plans for the future and for recording your travel experiences, and it's such a fun way to document them! This book gets a 5/5 from me!

The book retails for £12.99, but you can find it for much less on Amazon. It's also available from Waterstones and should be available from most good book shops.

Are you a fan of the Listography books?

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Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

This week's wish list is another jam packed one; the pretty things just keep on coming and you know me; I'm a magpie led astray by anything colourful, quirky, patterned and dress-shaped! The shops are filled with pieces that appeal to me; it's just a shame I haven't got a few million in the bank so that I can buy them all. Well, a girl can dream, right?

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This week I've been going mad for pineapple prints, flamingo patterns and motifs, broderie anglaise, jelly shoes, mint, lilac, yellow and cobalt blue.

I've fallen in love with F&F's broderie anglaise cotton prom dresses which come in cobalt blue (1), red (11) and white (5, collage two). When I first laid eyes on them, my heart skipped a beat and I couldn't stop myself from ordering the blue and red immediately. They haven't arrived yet, but I'm hoping they're as perfect as I'm imagining them to be; if they are, I may even order the white. I love broderie anglaise; in fact I think it's probably my favourite summer detailing; it's so effortlessly pretty. (FYI: There is currently 30% off all F&F dresses and there are a few discount codes knocking about, too).

I'm also a little obsessed with all the pineapple prints that are everywhere at the moment, and I want to fill my wardrobe with them! I don't know what it is about that spiky fruit, but the prints make me happy. I've got my eyes on a pineapple print maxi skirt (12) and a pineapple print maxi dress (21) from George at ASDA, which I think are really fun.

I've equally been going crazy for all the jelly shoes that ASOS have available right now. I don't know if they'd actually fit my wide feet, but seven year old me loves them! Did any of you snap up a few pairs in last weekend's shoe promotion?

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Now on to collage two... a collage of denim dresses and skirts, coral maxi dresses, navy clothes with white prints, even more flamingo prints, and a pink lobster necklace! You're welcome!

I'm besotted with the anchor print Renee dress from Pin Up Girl Clothing (7) which is perfect for summer's nautical trend. I'd wear it to cheer myself up on dreary, grey days, as well as on hot sunny days out in the sunshine.

I don't think I will ever grow tired of navy coloured clothes with white prints; they're so classic and easy to wear. Just add some red, white, or black and you're ready to go! I have a lot of navy garments in my wardrobe but I'm always happy to add more. 

And I feel the same way about flamingo prints! I want to take the Accessorize flamingo print scarf (9) and tote bag (11) home with me. They'd be right at home in my little flamingo print collection!

What's on your wish list this week?

Last Week's Beauty Haul

Hey guys,

Last Wednesday, I popped in to town with my older sister for a spot of beauty shopping. She wanted to go shopping for make up and beauty products, spurred on by her new found addiction to beauty vlogs, and a (then upcoming) choir appearance that she wanted to look her best for.

I wasn't really intending to do any shopping myself; I just wanted to get out for some fresh air and a change of scenery, but with a shopping trip solely to The Body Shop, Lush, Boots and Debenhams' beauty department, I was never going to come home empty-handed. I forgot I have no restraint!

I'm still totally blaming the sister for the fact I treated myself to a few things! She's a very bad influence!

If you'd like to see what goodies came home with me and why, then read on!

This is everything I treated myself to on the shopping trip, (apart from the tray; that's old). As you can see, I completely succeeded at not shopping... ahem. Way to go, Louise!

Would you like a closer look at everything?

Debenhams

Let's start with what is without a doubt the best purchase of the trip; The Urban Decay Electric eyeshadow palette! It is quite simply the thing dreams are made of, or at least in this colour-loving junkie's head! You probably know by now that I'm just a little obsessed with colour and bold colourful eye make up, so you might be able to imagine how over-excited I got when I laid eyes on the palette for the first time. (Clue: very!) The colours! Oh, the colours! My eyes practically popped out of my head when I spotted the rainbow of neon colours from across the room. I'd been underwhelmed by it through my laptop screen, but in real life, this palette is to die for.

I told myself at £38 I couldn't afford it, but in the end I just couldn't leave without it. Nobody could've pried my fingers off the box I had clutched to my chest. My precious! I felt guilty for splurging but I reasoned that it was okay because I'd sold a few dresses on eBay recently and had to return the sunflower jumpsuit, which more than covered the price. 

Here's a sneak peek of the amazing neon-bright colours! It includes ten eyeshadow and a double-ended brush. I'm not going to say too much about it now as I'm going to review it properly really soon, but it's fantastic and the photos don't do the colours justice. It's well worth the money if you're a fan of colourful eye make up like I am.

The sister got herself the Naked 3 palette, which is also on my wish list, but the Electric palette is definitely more 'me'. I don't know why, but I've always felt more confident in colourful eye make up than in more natural, subdued colours. Yeah, it makes no sense to me either; I think I'm just backwards girl! 

When my sister was getting her eyebrows done at the Benefit bar, I noticed a sign saying there was a free Porefessional in the June issue of Elle magazine. (Out now, keep your eyes peeled, ladies!) I mentioned it to my sister and made a mental note to pick up a copy, but I didn't have to. The lady doing her brows kindly handed us both a sample for free so we wouldn't have to buy the magazine! Day made! I love me a bit of Benefit, and the Porefessional is one of my favourites.

The Body Shop

Our second stop was The Body Shop, which is a real weakness of mine. I love their make up, skin care and bath and body products- and their long-standing policy against animal testing.  

There was a buy one get one half price offer on the bath and body products, so I picked up a couple of their fabulous shower gels. I chose my favourite Satsuma, (I love citrus scents and this one smells like summer) and bought one in Early Harvest Raspberry to try. I've not tried any of the new raspberry range yet, but it smells seriously divine. I also treated myself to my favourite Banana Conditioner because it gives me the softest, shiniest hair and I've not had a bottle of it for so long.

I paid for those three products, and that was all I intended to buy... then I continued browsing while the sister paid for her shopping. I discovered that they do a leave in conditioner spray which I hadn't seen before, the bilberry scented Rainforest Radiance Detangling Spray (for coloured hair). I was curious to how well it would fair up against my old faithful Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance conditioner which I use after every shower, so it came home with me. I couldn't live without a leave in conditioner; in fact, it would probably be my desert island must-have.

I also picked up a small pot of the Satsuma Body Butter. I adore their body butters and have used them for years, but I don't think I've ever used the satsuma one before, even though it's one of my favourite scents. When I treat myself to a Body Shop body butter, I usually go for the coconut one because the scent reminds me of past holidays. I'm looking forward to trying the satsuma one for a change and giving my skin some TLC.

The consultant also gave us both a sample pot of the Blueberry Body Butter to try, which is not a scent I'd usually think to try, but is actually really nice.

Lush

I quickly headed in to Lush especially to get myself a Mask of Magnaminty. It's my favourite face mask but it's literally been three or four years since I last had one. Unacceptable! I used to pop in to Lush monthly but that kind of went out the window when I injured myself. (My nearest Lush is about 20 miles away). It was such a treat to buy a fresh pot, and the awesome lady who served me gave me a sample pot of the new formula! The recipe has been improved, but the small size pot I wanted was only available in the old recipe, so she popped a sample in for free!

The mask is made from peppermint oil and the scent of it is just heavenly; I'd quite happily sit and inhale the minty aroma all day long but that's probably not a very good idea. It's designed to clean, calm, and clear the skin; so it's ideal if you suffer from acne or pimples and it can be used on other areas of the body, too. I'm not prone to break outs, but my skin always feels revitalised after I use it and I couldn't recommend it more.

I also treated myself to a You've Been Mangoed bath melt on impulse. You pop it in to the bath like you would a bath bomb, and it always leaves me with the silkiest soft skin after a soak. The only issue is I can't get in and out of the tub right now (I use our walk-in shower instead), but I thought I'd cut it up and pop little slithers in to my foot spa and give my feet a treat ready for sandal season.

Boots

And as soon as walked in to Boots we were handed a fourth sample! A sachet of Lancome Visionnaire advanced multi-correcting cream! 

Never have I been shopping and handed so many beauty samples for free in one day! We were actually given a free sample in each of the four shops we visited, and it definitely put a smile on our faces. It's the little things in life! The staff in each store were all so friendly, happy and helpful, which I have to say is unusual to see in every shop you visit on the high street, and it made for a pleasant shopping experience.

I enjoyed our little shopping excursion, mostly because it was great to be out of bed doing something normal for a while. I've only made it in to town three times in almost as many years, but I used to pop in every month at least once. I definitely took that for granted. Although I realised there's a reason why I don't make it in very often these days.

From the start I was struggling with the pain, especially from the sciatica which has been worsening recently. It's spread to both legs over the last few weeks, (it had only been in the left before), and the burning, tender pain was sure making itself known. It did make walking and standing painful, but I was grateful for a rest when the sister got her eyebrows done and when we stopped for lunch. We weren't shopping for more than an hour, but I was sore and exhausted by the time we got back to the car. By the time I got home an hour later, after driving home with the windows down singing along to the Mamma Mia soundtrack in the sunshine, (yes we're losers), I could barely put one foot in front of the other and crawled right back in to bed.

I haven't quite recovered yet and I couldn't move for a few days, but it was worth it for an afternoon of normality. I try to push myself to get out and about as often as I can, but there are always consequences. At least on this occasion I have pretty new make up to play with, and in my opinion, it was one hundred percent worth it!

Recently Read Book Adaptations

Hello there!

I'm back with some book reviews for you today. These are all books that I've read in recent months, and when I noticed I'd been reading quite a few books which have been turned in to movies, I thought I'd review them all together. This post is going to be a little long-winded, but hopefully the book lovers among you won't mind too much!

The books I will be reviewing include: Water For Elephants, The Hunger Games series, The Divergent series and The Book Thief.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Why I Chose It: I chose The Book Thief because I was intrigued by the title, and I wanted to read the book before the movie came out.

Basic Plot: The Book Thief is set during the second world war in Nazi Germany, where a girl called Liesel has been sent to live with foster parents, The Hubermanns. She is fascinated with books, but illiterate, so her foster Papa teaches her how to read, beginning with the first book she stole- from a grave digger at her brother's funeral.. As she learns to read, she forms a tight bond with her lovely Papa, but her need to steal books only intensifies. She can't resist snatching a new book from time to time, regardless of the title, and is usually joined by her friend Rudy, the blond haired boy next door, who helps her get up to mischief. 

The Hubermanns also find themselves sheltering a young Jewish man called Max in their basement, aware that at any moment their secret will be discovered by the Nazis. Liesel, who does most of her reading in the basement, becomes particularly close to Max, and is able to bring some joy to his life of fear, persecution and confinement through reading and describing things to him. As the bombs begin to fall, Liesel is also able to pacify her scared neighbours during air raids by reading aloud, and she forms a complicated relationship with the Mayor's wife, whose library she repeatedly returns to steal from.

Thoughts: I absolutely adored The Book Thief; it is without a doubt one of the most beautifully written books I've read in my life. It's told through the eyes of Death which is an unusual, perspective but I loved the style of writing, and how beautifully everything was described. "The soft spoken words fell off the side of the bed, emptying on to the floor like powder." I particularly loved the way in which Death described the collection of each dead soul; it added such beauty to the tragedy of death.

I thought The Book Thief was perfect from beginning to end, and I loved the relationships that Liesel formed with Hans, Max, Rudy and the Mayor's wife. Even to a lesser extent, the relationship between Liesel and her foster Mama, Rosa. Each played their part in this beautiful, sad and tragic story, which basically teaches the power of the written word, even during the bleakest of times.

Rating: 5/5

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Why I Chose It: I fell in love with the film and when I heard there was also a book, I had to check it out.

Basic Plot: Water For Elephants follows the story of Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student who is forced to drop out of college when his parents are tragically killed in a car accident. With his parents dead and no home or money to his name, Jacob becomes a drifter and soon jumps aboard a moving train that belongs to a travelling circus. He is given a job looking after the circus menagerie, and falls for Marlena, the glamorous star of the equestrian act who is married to August, the cultured, charismatic but cruel animal trainer. The story is set during the great depression and the circus is struggling to survive and compete against a rival circus, so they add an elephant to the menagerie to lure in the crowds; only she won't listen to commands. This enrages August, and he beats the poor animal, much to the horror of Jacob and Marlena who become attached to the elephant and are desperate to find a way to stop him, while their feelings for each other grow stronger.

Thoughts: I thought Water For Elephants was a really enjoyable read and it was one of those books that I lapped up in a couple of sittings. It was a little different to anything I've ever read before, but Gruen's descriptive story telling pulled me in to the era and had me imagining life as a roustabout as if I were there living as one. If you love the film, you'll probably enjoy the book, too, and I recommend it to anybody who loves the romance of life on the road and the enchantment of old travelling circuses.

Rating: 4/5

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Reason I Chose Them: I first read The Hunger Games series about two and a half years ago before the first film came out, after a recommendation from my little sister. Being a fan of dystopian fiction, it sounded like my kind of read.

Basic Plot: I'm sure most of you are familiar with the plot by now, whether you've read the books of have just seen the films. Set in the not-too-distant-future, the districts of Panem are being punished for an uprising against the Capitol that happened over seventy years earlier. As punishment, each year a boy and a girl from each district are selected to fight to the death in an arena until one lone victor remains. The victor is bathed in riches as a symbol of the Capitol's forgiveness, but nobody ever really wins The Hunger Games.

The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Games. She is a strong character who despises the Games and the hold the Capitol has over the districts. She has had to learn how to hunt (illegally) with a bow and arrow to keep her family from starving, and it's these skills which might just keep her alive in the arena. She soon learns what she will and will not do in order to stay alive and protect the people that she cares about, while getting herself caught in a love triangle with her best friend, Gale, and Peeta, the male tribute from her district.

Thoughts: It didn't take me long to get addicted to The Hunger Games series; I loved this series from the start. The idea of a world where children are forced to murder or be murdered for entertainment is without a doubt fucked up, but the concept is unique and well written. There are plenty of twists and turns, and there are plenty of strong characters I loved or loved to hate. The character's names may be terrible, but there's something very likable and addictive about these books, and they are easily some of my all time favourite reads I've reread these books a couple of times in the last two years, and they're the kind of books I can sit and read for eight hours straight without realising the hours have ticked by. I can never put them down willingly. I felt that the third book ended quite abruptly, like it was missing a few chapters near the end, but overall, I really can't fault this series! Give them a try!

Rating: 5/5 (for all three books).

Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Reasons I Chose Them: I discovered the Divergent series after I re-read The Hunger Games saga last Autumn and was looking for something similar to read. 

Basic Plot: The Divergent series is about a society that is split in to five factions, each led by a particular human quality that dictates their way of life. Abnegation- selflessness; Amity- kindness; Candor- honesty ; Dauntless- bravery; and Erudite- knowledge. Of course, there are also the factionless, made up of people who don't belong anywhere, who are condemned to a life starving on the streets. And then there's the Divergent. The worst thing a person could be. The Divergent are people who possess the traits of more than one faction, and as their minds don't conform to just one box, this scares some people who see their free-thinking as a threat. Being Divergent is dangerous, and nobody should ever admit to being so as there are people out there who want them eliminated.

Each year, the sixteen year olds have to choose which faction they will dedicate their entire lives to. Do they stay with their families and the factions they were born in to, or do they choose another faction and leave their loved ones behind forever? This is exactly the decision that Beatrice- or Tris- has to decide as the series begins. It becomes clear from the start that Tris is desperate to leave her dull, selfless live in Abnegation behind, and she escapes to the Dauntless; the brave dare devils. She is determined to prove that she belongs with her new faction, but she is also carrying with her a secret that nobody can know; unsurprisingly, Tris is Divergent.

Thoughts: This was another dystopian series that I loved with a capital L, and got hooked on almost immediately. The idea of a world ruled by human qualities is certainly original and provoking, and I found the concept fascinating. I found the main characters Tris and Four well-written and likable, flaws and all, and loved the relationship which developed between the two of them. I saw the plot twist coming in the third book, Allegiant, and I'd be surprised if anybody didn't, but I will say I bawled my way through the last third of the last book. I'm talking actual tears! I don't think I've ever cried over a book before but that is just how much I loved those books. I'm already itching to re-read them, and strongly encourage you to read them if you haven't already.

Ratings: 5/5 (for all three books).

I hope you've enjoyed these long reviews; if you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me! If you enjoyed them, I hope you'll give some of the books a try, because I personally loved all of them and I think you will, too!

Thanks for reading!