My reads of 2014

Hello world, 

I wanted to end the year with some of my most enjoyable reads of this year. 

Have you heard of the website and app called goodreads? I've joined it back in March and set myself a challenge to read 20-50 books before the year is out. I've read about 11. 2014 hasn't really been my most motivated year, but it has been a lot of thinking and realising. Enough to gain motivation for 2015. 

With help of my goodreads account, I was able to look back on some of the books I have read and I thought I would share with you the ones I have really enjoyed. 

Dreams and shadows by C.Robert. Cargill: This was the first book I read in 2014 and couldn't put down. It is full of mystical creatures and a story line that kept you guessing. 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: This is like the ultimate teenage read. I got so involved with the characters that I was so jealous of them. I did however find the storyline sterotypical, but it still had me hooked. 

Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world by Murakami: I am a huge fan of Murakami! I have read at least five of his books and each of his works are different, but still with the voice of Murakami. I can't strongly suggest enough, for anyone to start reading a Murakami book. 

Practical magic by Alice Hoffman: I only picked this book up because, the film is one of my favourite films. But the beauty about this book is that, it is a slightly different story to the film. It like reading a completely different story. In some ways I enjoy that about books and films. Except for Harry Potter, those films had to follow the book!!! 

Just a girl standing infront of a boy by Lucy-Anne Holmes: I'm not the type who enjoys romance books. I tend to find them all the same and really cheesy! I'm terrible with my own romance and it just makes me cringe to read others. This book however was very good and easy to read. It had some moments, where it was cheesy overboard. But it is the friendship between the main character and her best friend I enjoyed reading about. 

It by Alexa Chung: It was just the doodles and the photos, the slight insight to Alexa Chung's style that had me loving this book. I also think I am quite bias, as I like to use Alexa Chung style as an inspiration to my own style, which is why I enjoyed reading this book. 
The Ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman: If it wasn't for this book, I wouldn't have picked up The Daughter of Smoke and Bone which had been on my bookshelf for over a year. This is one of my first reads from Neil Gaiman and I really understand why people seem to like his works and I honestly can't wait to find another good book of his in the New Year. 

There is a quote from Murakami;

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” 
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

 A quote that has inspired me for my goal in 2015. When I am looking bookshops of any shape and form, I'll look deep into the bookshelves and see if I can find a book or books that will hold my interest and motivate me with my journey. 

Happy New Years everyone and I hope you have a lovely night/day! 

Rose

 

December favourites!

Hello World,


I enjoy watching and hearing about people's favourite products, whether it is about beauty, fashion or any other thing in general. So, along with this Blog I thought I would introduce the world of Rose's monthly favourites and hope you find something inspiring or interesting to try, like how I do when I watch/read/hear about their favourite products.

Ok, I have to start of with a TV programme I started watching at the beginning of the week for my Christmas break and I am currently watching it now, it is proving to be very distracting! It's called Girls, written and the main character is played by a woman called; Lena Dunham. A 24 year old girl living in New York, trying to make it as a writer, but is also very self-centred. She has four other close friends and it all about sex, alcohol, working and other general growing up in your 20's lifestyle. I'm literally hooked on the drama between the romances and the 'finding yourself' attitude. I am almost caught up and ready to watch Season 4, when it comes on Sky on the 12th January! 
Warning: this programme contains a lot of swearing and a lot of sex scenes!

Entertainment!

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone:  Click here and it will lead you on to the review, written about this book. I have finally found the second instalment of this book and I am still completely enjoying the characters and the story line! 
Taylor Swift- 1989: Some of my friends and family will pretend to disown me on this, but I am literally obsessed with Taylor Swift at the moment. Her songs Shake It Off and Blank Space where she is kind of making fun at the rumours from the media and trolls of the internet. She is fighting back with absolute Sass and I love that! This album makes me want to shake it off and sing along at the top of my voice as I am driving to and from work. It is literally the go to album at the moment, when I am feeling pants about myself. 

Beauty

A few things from the beauty department; 

Pore Professional from Benefit: I got this a trial sample from a magazine, giving it ago and literally fell in love. It works as a Primer and it minimises my pores amazingly well. I know when I run out of this, I'll have to buy some more as I don't think I could live without this product now. Wearing this makes me feel confident. 

Natural Glow Palette 2 from Barry M: I wanted a natural looking eye palette for my every day wear. This contains three matte looking and three shimmering colours and I love all of them! Whenever I label it in my other post, I always call it 'the naked palette', but it isn't it! It is called the Natural Glow, so scold me when I do this again!

Aveeno cream: I suffer from some really bad dry knee and feet. Generally because I am on my knees a lot for my job (not meant to sound like an innuendo), so the knees can get very dry and generally disgusting feeling. A friend of mine suggested using this cream for it and I am truly thankful for the suggestion as they soothe my knees really well and last all day!

Fashion

Lastly fashion: Which are these boots! I love winter, the cold weather, the warmer clothes and most certainly these boots! They are my go to everyday wear comfy shoes. I brought these pair at the beginning of Autumn in 2013, so they are starting to look old and worn, but I think I might actually cry when it comes to the day, I have to let them go. I like the fact, that I can wear them with everything I own, because they are versatile like that.

This is the end of my December monthly favourites! Let me know what you think and if you have monthly favourites. I would really like to hear it!

Rose

What I got for Christmas?!

Hello World,

This is a slightly more personal and different blog post tonight. I would like to share you with something I got for Christmas something I really do enjoy doing in my personal time.

For Christmas I got some very useful things, but a couple of them was to build on my hobby. These were; a set of colouring pencils and a set of sketching pencils. There is actually a sad reason behind this gift and that was because, apparently I am too messy for paints. Painting and drawing come very rare in my personal times lately, that when I received this present I became inspired and excited to rebuild my hobby again.

 

This one is actually a remake from an old drawing I did, about a year ago. Also done based around a small bit of writing I thought of. I think I might share with you, what it is based around. Just let me know or something.

I've been thinking about building on New Years resolution and although I have started one on my writing, which is coming a long swimmingly. I would like to make one on; making time to do some drawing or painting. Whatever I fancied, just to get on do it? This is my life right?
Let me know what you think?

Rose

Beach day

Hello World.
Today was a beautiful day, so my mother, sister and I went out to a beach to test my sister Christmas present. A kite! The sky was beautiful and held a lovely crisp winter air. It was a lovely day, with all the other people walking their dogs.

Rose

My make-up on Christmas #3

Hello world!!!

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas and a general well earn break.
In this post, I am just going to show you what I did to my face for my Christmas day. We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, due to working schedules and what not.

The day was going to be a casual day, so I stuck to a casual make-up look. Using a Barry M natural eye palette, I stuck to using a rusty pinkish colour on the eye lids and lighter colour on my eyebrows. My lips however, I used a Rimmel Lipstick and I just used my fingertip to spread the colour on my lips and give it the natural lip colour look.

Rose

My Christmas movie choice.

Hello world.

As the festivities are now becoming upon us, if not already have. I don't know about you, but one thing I do enjoy about this holidays are the movies! Snuggling down into a blanket with a hot cup of green tea or hot chocolate and munching on some chocolate, is something I really enjoy doing. In fact, I really enjoy doing it so much I do it all year round! It is just more special over the Christmas period.
I thought it would be really nice to show you my top few films, I particularly enjoy watching over the Christmas period.

 

Ok, you guys are probably thinking. None of these films relate to Christmas in anyway! I do have a valid reason. I'm not a Christmassy person, i.e; I don't like Christmas films or the music or anything to do with Father Christmas. You guys are probably shocked by this and may think little of me, but it just something I can never get my head around. I'm not a particularly religious person, but I like to think I am quite spiritual. I do enjoy Christmas as a way of spending the holiday with your loved ones, but most of mine works on Christmas, so it kind of like a bank holiday for me.

I also never really liked Christmas films, the new ones that have come out are kind of the same and not really as magical as I remember when I was younger. The music is just another form of cheesy pop and the X Factor. Which is definitely not my cup of tea.

 

So my films I do enjoy around the Christmas period are kind of magical, but in my own way;

Beauty and the beast: I have always loved this fairy tale and Disney always provides a nicer version of the fairy tale that adds to the jolliness of Christmas.

Nightmare before Christmas: During my teenager years, I went through a massive gothic phrase and the only way I could feel Christmassy, was to watch this film. I always felt like I related Jack Skeleton, when he was trying to figure Christmas out and I kind of still do.

Memoirs of a Geisha: I remember watching this film over the Christmas holiday and falling in love with it. I had to find the film and the book the next day, the colours and the romance story always made me smile. I find this movie enchanting and it had me captured from the moment I saw the title.

Spirited Away: I think this is my first ever Studio Ghilbli film I have ever watched, and I am pretty sure it was over the Christmas period. I have always been a huge fan of anime, throughout my life. Yes, even as a child; Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon. The music and the story of this film, has always made me happy and that is what Christmas is all about right?

My Neighbour Totoro: This is one of the newest Christmas films, I love. As soon as I hear the intro, I think of a Christmas tree. The two girls having an adventure with a tree spirit, this for some reason screams Christmas holiday to me?! I love this film so much, it kind of makes me feel nostalgic to my childhood.

Howls Moving Castle: The book is an all time classic for me and I pretty much always re-read it when I want to, even if it is just finding my favourite quotes. The film is very different from the book, but I love the differences because it makes it's own film. This is not a huge Christmas film for me, but I do like to watch it every now again.

Hook: It's not in the picture, but I know I have it on DVD somewhere. I am a huge lover of the Peter Pan story and any form of adaption that have been created. My favourite is Hook. From the late Robin Williams, I will be sure to feel my childhood as I watch this film this year. RIP.

 

There you go world, my Christmas movie choice. What are your favourite Christmas film? Is there a film that you always watch over the Christmas period? Even though it has nothing to do with Christmas at all?

 

Rose

Book Review #2 Girl Online

Hello World,

Christmas is drawing near and only just on Wednesday I have finished Christmas shopping. This is normally crazy for me, as I am normally more organised and have finished my Christmas shopping by the second week of December. Wrapped and under the Christmas tree. This year however the family dog is becoming a bit more cheeky, so we now have to hide them in our rooms. I have woken many times in the nights, where I have not properly closed the bedroom door and the dog has managed to come in and started sniffing about. I am becoming more aware of closing my door.

Today, I have made myself a day of reading. I did this last weekend for The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. And straight after finishing that book, I started Zoe Sugg's new and first book 'Girl Online'.  I admire Zoe, she is an inspiration to me. If it wasn't for Zoe's YouTube channel and Blog post, I personally wouldn't have started my own blogging hobby. I honestly couldn't have been more happy for the success Zoe had received from her first ever novel, even though I have read a lot of negativity about how people are becoming 'sell outs'.

Girl Online is about a young girl in school who suffers from panic attacks and writes on her blog about her feelings and anxieties. She meets a boy and falls in 'love', but of course the boy has a little secret of it's own. The secret unravels and drama blooms, the dangers of first love and romance. 
This was the best way to describe Girl Online, without giving away any spoilers. I am very anti-spoilers, so I am always sure to never give any away. Please feel free to scold me if I have ever given or give spoilers to my book reviews.


Here is my personal view on Girl Online;
I wanted to make Girl Online my Christmas book, I would have liked to have made it last until Christmas and to have finished it on Christmas day, in a complete bliss. I, however couldn't do that. I have this strong curiosity in finishing books and finding out how they make their plot unravel. How authors tell their story through their writing? So, I ended up dedicating a day to finishing this book, so I can have my questions answered and also to get it over with.
I knew from the start that Girl Online would be more suited for teenagers and that the plot would be a typical teenage romance story, because that is how I imagined Zoe would be. Even when I was a teenager myself, I was never interested in modern 'real' romance story and it is something that I never have grown to enjoy.
I am however glad to have read and finished the book, because I really wanted to be supportive to Zoe, even though I don't know her personally and I wanted to know what the book was like. Also, I am just happy to have fed my curiosity.

Rose

My book review #1

Hello world,

I have recently finished a book called 'The Daughter of Smoke and Bone ". I was a bit sceptical at first when I started reading this, but I remembered the reason why I wanted to read it. I remember reading the Blurb on the back and thinking this sounds a lot like an idea I had for my own book and I wanted to read it, to see if our ideas matched. It was safe to say, that my ideas and the author ideas did not match at all and I could continue the path of writing that. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, is a fantasy book by Laini Taylor. I am not familiar with her works or even if she has done anything else, or if she is actually a she! The writing sounds like a female and so does the name, so I'll go with it. It is a book about love and war between two types of species from another world. The character Karou, a student in Prague studying art. Everyone thinks she is a normal student, but really she has another secret life, she travels through a door where she really grew up. Creatures that Karou considers her family. She runs errands for her main carer Brimstone. Then one day, a mysterious burnt handprints appear on doors all around the world that connects our world to Brimstone world.
I don't want to go into too much detail on the book, because I want you all to read it for yourself.
This is the first part of a trilogy, which I didn't find out until the end of the book as it had to leave on a bloody cliff hanger!! So I am eagerly waiting for payday, where I can buy the next two instalments. I've found the book a real page turner. The plot and the characters are really good and Laini Taylor provides brilliant description of each characters, that they come alive inside my head. Her description throughout the books can be a good and bad thing, the good thing is making you believe it is happening and you can clearly picture it inside your head. The bad thing, (and this really only depends on your view on romance), is the description Laini Taylor did on the romance between two characters. I am not a fan of Twilight or certain romance novels, so when reading Laini Taylor description of such 'star cross' lovers, I found it dragged on a bit and completely beside the point. Although there was one part of the book, I was in love with it. The rest of time, I was trying hard not to gag on the lovey dovey stuff.

I will let you know when I have completely finished the trilogy, as I am so eager to finish it myself. I want to know what happens at the end! That is why I want to speak highly of the book, but I will when I finally finish it!

Rose.

My weekend with Make-up #2. Along with the Woolly Jumper.

Hello world!

This weekend I haven't been feeling to great, but I knew I had to get the Christmas shopping done and guess what, I am almost finished! I literally just got to buy my mother her present and I am finished. It is completely satisfying finishing your Christmas shopping, and I already feel a huge sense of an achievement to have nearly finished.

Due to not feeling 100%, I have settled for ultimate comfort and that is whipping out the cosiest and woolliest of my woolly jumpers. Along with a simple nude looking make-up, except for the vintage pink lips. My Saturday was complete to stroll the shops.

 

 

Yes, I am still working on my Selfie pose. You'd think I have grown out of the Myspace times, but I proud to say, they aren't in my bathroom!

Rose

My weekend with Make-up #1

Hello World,

So my first post on, "What I wore" cosmetic style today. Lately I have been supporting the natural look, especially during the day and sticking to a nude type of lip gloss. I have done nothing but wear lip gloss all weekend! 

What I have on.
No 7 concealer, No7 stay perfect foundation, No 7 powder (These are all in the shade warm ivory), Bronzer ( I can't remember where from) Body Shop blusher, Barry M Lip Gloss, Hi Impact brow and Barry M Naked Eye palette.

Hair, all natural as I didn't actually have time to do anything about it!

Rose

Cake Pops.

Hello World,

One thing I love to do is to bake, I love being creative and find interesting recipes in cookbooks or online. I enjoy looking into ways to decorate and ways to make things seem out of the ordinary.
Recently Cake Pops has been becoming the new craze and I knew I had to give these a chance. For my first attempt, I was amazed and they even taste really good. I know the family are going to enjoy them! As for me? I am the type that loves to bake, but it is very rare I would eat it! Unless they come straight out of the oven.

Rose

New Years Resolution started

Hello world!

I've been thinking about something, I would like to take on as a New Years resolution. Then I thought, 'is it too soon, to be thinking about New Years resolutions?' When do people actually start thinking about what they want to do or what they want to change? Do some people start thinking about it, a month in advance or do others make the decision on the night? When they are drunk most likely. Then when do others start implementing the New Years Resolutions? I know for some, they would start on the first day and then after to first fail it's The End to the New Years Resolution, with sentences like "I'll try again tomorrow, Next Monday, Next Week, Next Year".

What I have decided to do is this; I have thought about my Resolution and what I want to do. As soon as an idea comes to my mind, I want to write it down or draw it right away or within the available time I can. That being the reason of work, as I can't just drop my workload to write down/draw my ideas. I will make sure that I do so as soon as I am on my lunch break or once I am inside my home. The catch, I want to make this resolution now. I don't want to wait until the News Years, I don't want to give myself preparation for January. I want to give myself the full steam ahead and start exercising the creativity by doing.
I've started by making sure I am writing my diary every evening, like others around me. I want to have my day written down and remembered, even when I used to think they are not worth remembering. Then hope this will move to going back to writing my dreams into my dream diary and that will progress to writing and drawing random thoughts or daydreams I have. Until I have something big.
Like J.K.Rowling a thought that started on a train journey, turning into something so huge and life changing.


Rose.

Exploring the New.

Hello World!
Welcome to my new Blog. I am not your new Blogger here, trying to make it in the world of Blogging. I am actually somebody who really enjoys the literature world. I suppose you can't really call Blogging literature, but you can say as a writer and lover for reading, the blogging world looks like an amazing place for me to expand my hobby and interest.

I did have an old Blog that you all may know, "Claire's Crazy Ramblings." I decided to ditch that old blog and create something new, start a fresh. I found "Claire's Crazy Ramblings", a place where I would only write what random things, lifestyle as it were. Whereas on this Blog, I want to write about EVERYTHING  that interest me. So, like I said; a fresh start. Out with the old in with the new.
Also from here on, although you all know my name is Claire. I will be ending my Blogs with 'Rose' instead. It's all due to confidentiality at the current moment.

In this Blog, you could be reading something very different, as I have many different hobbies and interest. Like most Blogs you come across in this world, we will be covering fashion and lifestyle. But I will also share with you- The internet; books, movies, magazines, art, writings and health.
I am hoping to do monthly favourites for you, that I will start on the end of December. I am also hoping to be sharing with you all, my fashion illustrations and other general art I have conjured up. I want to also share some snippets or drabbles about anything that I may have written, or have dreamed about.
I want to cover fashion along with books more closely. You'll receive book reviews, from books I have read recently and books I want to read in the future. I'll do a weekend fashion and make-up ideas, I may review products only if I have a strong feelings towards them. I will talk about health and what I do to try and remain living in a healthy lifestyle, any healthy food out there, that I really enjoy. Also covering anything exciting in my life and other general news.

So, instead of going on. It is now time to cut to the chase, I welcome you to my Blog and I hope we have a great adventure together.


Rose x