Book recommendations - The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

My lovely boyfriend Vince brought me this book for my birthday. He had no idea what sort of book to get me but he knew I liked books with pretty covers and 'those girl type books' like the ones he has seen me read before. Luckily, he picked up a book by an author I was familiar with, Cecelia Ahern.



Of course, I'd read 'P.S I Love You' and loved it but I have been apprehensive about reading anything else by the same author, mainly because I always thought the prices of the books were too much, but I'm so glad I finally gave this author a chance as The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern was quite truthfully, stunning.

We join the bratty 16 year old Tamara on an emotional journey as she is abruptly moved to her Aunt and Uncles house in the middle of nowhere thanks to her Dad selfishly (in Tamara's eyes) committing suicide.

As Tamara's mother mourns her husband's death, Tamara feels completely alone. Like any teen, she's bored out of her mind, so when a young boy with a mobile library comes rolling through town, she's eager to get away from it all.

Finding an interesting book in the library, she takes it home with her only to discover that it's a diary and her tomorrows are already being written in it. As Tamara's suspicions grow, the book reveals many hidden secrets about the house she's staying in, as well as the people around her.


It didn't take me long to become completely engrossed with this book, staying up until 3am because I literally could not put it down. It's emotional, sometimes witty and at times, scary. Tamara grows from a spoilt teenager to a young woman, who becomes wiser of the world and more understanding of the events that happen to her in the story.

There are small hints through out the story that tell you the outcome of a few things, but this doesn't take away from the story. Instead it made me feel happy that I'd worked out one of the mysteries! The story is nothing I or anyone could ever have come up with, it's complete genius as it twists and turns through out the story. I urge anyone who hasn't already, to read this book as I was blown away by it. Always a sign of a good book.

Now I can't wait to start reading Cecelia's other books, where shall I start?

P.S. I'm just one follower away from 100, so if you're not already following, then please do! And thank you so much to all the commenters on the last post, I'll be returning your comments soon. :)

Peter Pan!

No, this post isn't about the little pixie-like boy from the Disney films...it's about my favourite trend of the moment...the Peter Pan collar!

About 3 years ago, I had a Peter Pan collar top that I once dared to wear to work, but never wore again. Now I'm seeing the trend all over the place...does this mean I started a trend? (I doubt it)

Anyway, I've been spotting some lovely Peter Pan collar dresses on the high street recently. I previously had my eye on a black Topshop creation but have found a much nicer alternative on ASOS.com, which is £4 cheaper!

I've put together an outfit from ASOS that is possibly going on my wish/Christmas list!

It starts with this beauty...


It's not normally a colour I'd go for as I'd usually opt for black, but as I'd team it with black tights and boots, I thought I should add a little colour otherwise I'd look like I was going to a funeral. Plus £24 is a little bargain I think.

As I browsed the ASOS website, I knew I was looking for a pair of black tights. Simple, boring, but I came across these lovelies which ticked the black tights box but also give a bit of interest to the outfit, in my opinion!



Now for the best bit of the outfit...the shoes! Wedges are massive at the moment so I'd probably opt for something suitable for the winter, such as these gorgeous shearling winter wedges!


These wonders are £55 which is pretty reasonable, but with my lack of cash and the current length of my Christmas list, I probably won't be getting these until they are way out of date, boo!

So these are the latest additions to my wishlist, what do you guys think? I realise the majority of posts recently have been wishlist posts, but they are becoming my favourite thing to write recently, and seeing as I'm not up to much else, they're better than no post at all!

Hopefully this ASOS discount will help towards these items finally becoming mine! I might email it over to mother!

Sleepy Head

This morning I actually gasped out loud at the state of my bank account.

I've been unemployed for nearly 2 months now...which was by choice by the way. Being in Southampton while Vince carries on with his third year of University, means that I obviously want to go home to Weston Super Mare for the Christmas holidays with him and not be stuck here alone, so in preparation for this, I saved money through the summer to help me live over the Christmas period. I didn't look for a job in this time because most of the shops are/were looking for Christmas temporary staff, and not being able to work Boxing Day is a big no no.

Anyway, the saving kind of worked and kind of didn't. I've managed to live this far but have obviously over spent majorly, as my lovely account balance now tells me that I won't be able to buy any Christmas presents this year!

So, I'm hoping to go back to work over the holidays at a holiday camp back at home. I'm just waiting anxiously to hear back from them and hoping that they need an extra hand over Christmas. They've been very good over the past 3 years or so, letting me come back every Easter, Summer and Christmas.

I'm not planning on staying unemployed for much longer. As much as I love being able to stay in bed all day and watching day-time television, it can get a bit boring and there's only so much cleaning I can do to keep myself occupied. When we come back to Southampton in the New Year, I'm going to go on a mahoosive job hunt, literally looking for anything. Hopefully I'll find something that can tide me over until I find a job that relates to Journalism in some way! Wish me luck!

P.S Thanks for all the lovely comments and *Hi* to the new followers, not long until I reach 100!!

My Christmas wishlist Part 2!

Part 1 of my Christmas wishlist started out with the search for the perfect satchel, and now I think I've found my dream satchel, which I'm hoping will be sitting under my Christmas tree this year, thanks to my loving Sister!

The Stitch Detail Biker Satchel is everything I love in a bag/satchel. Lovely and chunky for all my rubbish. Leather look and black, to 'go' with everything. Perfect! £40 from Warehouse!



And now I'm going to show you the rest of the things on my Christmas wishlist. My mum has asked for a specific list so she knows exactly what to get me. Most of the list consists of books, but there's also the usual bits and pieces I get most years, such as slippers, PJs, a new Calendar and a Diary.


As you've seen from my Book Recommendation posts, I love to read so these books are all on my wishlist, and I expect the list will continue to grow!


So now you can probably guess what some of the future Book Recommendation books are going to include, but that's not all, there's still many things I want! Including these two Accessorize Nail Polish's in 'Rockstar Idol' and 'Illusion Molten Copper.'



I had no idea Accessorize did nail polishes or even cosmetics. I've also opted for a 'Molten Copper' eyeshadow.



Last but not least, I've found this scrummy Bubblegum Lip Scrub from LUSH, which I've also added to my wishlist.


I also really love this dress from Topshop, but I'm not really the dress type and it would probably just sit in my wardrobe for the rest of the year! Boo.


If I get all of these lovely things for Christmas, I'll be a very happy bunny...but I'll have to wait just 36 days!

What's on everyone else's wishlist?

Eyeko Rain Polish & Strawberry Fat Balm Review

Having freshly painted nails is a great feeling and I change my nail colour at least twice a week.

I have recently been seeing a huge rise in Eyeko product reviews and with their new Ambassador program, people are really able to get involved with the company and the products they sell. I recently decided to purchase the new Rain Polish - 'For City Nails.'


When you think of a city, you'd normally think dreary greys, but this gorgeous light blue polish totally puts the glamour back into the city. I love the cute dinky bottle and the long lid is really easy to hold,obviously making it easier to apply.

The website suggests using 2 coats of the polish but I found that if you scoop out just the right amount, it looks fine with just 1 coat! I always prefer polishes that only need 1 coat as I find they last longer.

I love that there is a teeny tiny hint of shimmer in the polish and although not as fast drying as some, it wasn't too long before I could stop walking around with my hands held out in front of me!


Overall I was really impressed with this polish and for only £3.50, it's an absolute bargain!


As an Ambassador for Eyeko, I made full use of one of the site's free offers. I got to pick a free Fat Balm from the range, so I opted for the Strawberry. After seeing a few reviews around the net, I wish I had opted for the Mint flavour as the colour looks much more me.



This is the first time I'd tried Eyeko's Fat Balm and I was surprised at how small it was! The box is cute and fun and the smell is scrumptious. I love the fat holder it comes in and the lovely deep red shade. I know it's called a 'Fat' balm, but if I were to use the entire thing on my lips, I'd end with it all over my face, like a clown. Instead, I used the tips of the balm when applying it.





It left a not too sticky texture and my lips were left much less vampy than I thought they were going to be. I'm definitely going to continue to use the fat balm, it's a great alternative to my boring Chapstick!


If you want to purchase some Eyeko products, you can use my snazzy Ambassador code in order to get a free gift if you spend over £10! Just enter E12339 at the checkout!

Opportunities...

I'm glad people are starting to like my product reviews, I love doing them! It gives me a great excuse to go out and buy things, although I probably really shouldn't! I've just received some cute products from Eyeko.com, so I'll be reviewing those soon!

It's very hard to write a blog post when the majority of what I've been up to includes sitting in front of a laptop or TV for most of the day. However, last night I went to watch Kids In Glass Houses at Southampton Guildhall. I have to say they were pretty good. For a change, we decided to sit in the balcony and what a good choice we made! We had comfy seats and could see everything that was going on. It also gave me the chance to write as I watched, without getting bashed into my sweaty people.

Here are some not so good pics, taken on my Blackberry:





The lights at the back were pretty mesmerizing and distracting as they kept morphing into different shapes and colours.

As I was on the Guestlist for the gig, I didn't take any money with me, but when I got to the Guestlist entrance, the guy there told me I had to make a £5 charity donation. I'm really skint at the moment and obviously didn't take any money, which I explained but he said if I didn't make a donation, I wasn't getting in. I didn't have much of a choice really, so we went to get some cash and we were allowed back in, only to witness the girl in front be let through without making a donation. I thought donations were optional?!

I reviewed the gig for Portsmouth News, which hopefully means it will be printed in the newspaper, like my other review was. When I first signed up to write for them, I believed that my reviews were only going to be on the website, but having them printed is a great surprise and means I have more to put into my portfolio!

I had an offer of an short Internship at Top Sante magazine recently. There were a few dates to chose from, including January next year, which I opted for, but sadly it was already taken. They offered me a placement for November but I had to turn it down because I just don't have the money to travel to London every day for three weeks, or even stay there. They did offer £50 a week travel expenses, but for a week of travelling it costs about £120 and I still just can't afford it. It's a real shame because it probably would have been a good Internship, at three weeks long, there certainly would have been a chance of getting stuck into things, instead of sitting in the office sorting the post every day. :( Hopefully another opportunity will come along, when I'm a little richer!

Primark Saint or Sinner eye-shadow palette review!

When I think of Primark, I think cheap and sometimes badly made clothing, but I never think, make up. Recently they've brought in a range of beauty products and today I decided to try some out.

I picked up the Saint or Sinner eye shadow palette for just £2, which for 10 eye shadows, is a bit of a bargain!


The box is really cute, but a bit hefty to lug about in a handbag or anything. There's a fair sized mirror which is great and although the eye shadows are only little, I think there is enough for them to last.

The eye shadow colours are: Vanilla, Bamboo, Dusk, Cosmo, Curfew, Galaxy, Matted, Rockstar, Charcoal and Emerald. The names are a little cheesy but I'll let them off!


I have to stay I'm relatively pleased with the colours, especially the darker ones such as Matted, which is a matt Grey, and Charcoal, a glittery grey perfect for smoky eyes.

The Vanilla and Bamboo colours are quite difficult to see so I wouldn't wear them individually, but they would make great highlighters. As you can the see, the Bamboo is barely visible.

Vanilla, Bamboo & Dusk

Cosmo is probably another colour that I would avoid, but not because it isn't pretty, it just wouldn't suit me. Curfew and Galaxy are much more my colours. They both have a hint of sparkle and would be great mixed together. Curfew comes out much more purple that it looks in the package.

Cosmo, Curfew & Galaxy

Matted is probably my favourite colour. It'd look great on it's own as well as with Rockstar, Charcoal and even Curfew for great smoky eyes. Emerald is a real party colour which I might whip out for a special occasion.

Matted, Rockstar, Charcoal & Emerald

Overall I think the palette is pretty good, and very reasonable! I personally prefer the darker colours but I love the slight sparkle in each of the colours. :) The packaging is cute if a little childish but if Primark continue to produce make up like this, they will have a big hit on their hands!

NUS Student Demo

If you've been paying any attention to student affairs, you'll know about the Student march that is currently going on in London. Tens of thousands of students and lecturers have taken to the streets today to protest against cuts to further and higher education for the 'Fund Our Future' national demonstration, jointly organised by NUS and the University and College Union.

The Government is proposing to triple Undergraduate fees to £9,000 as well as abolishing the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) grant and ALG (Adult Learning) grant.

Even if the fees do rise, they aren't going to affect me but having literally just graduated a week ago today, I know how expensive University is as well as how daunting it is for people thinking of attending. The rise in fees is going to deter a lot of people. People that should have the right to go to University and deserve to do so.

The tuition fee rise is going to split the country into those who can afford University and those who can't and I don't think it's fair. Why should the next generation suffer and be denied opportunities of good Education because of this generation's debts?

Having just Graduated, I now face having to pay back my student loan and although it is considerably less than it could be in the future, it's still a daunting process and will probably take me years. If people are made to pay £9,000 a year for tuition fees, they are going to be spending even longer paying back their student debts, which could possibly lead them to falling further into debt and scuppering opportunities such as getting mortgages.

Although the students marching in London are all for changing the proposed rise in tuition fees, I'm being realistic when I say it probably won't change anything. As much as I hope it does, the Government will eventually do what they want and mess up this country even more.

Good luck to all those marching! What are everyone else's thoughts on this?



[Edit] It's a shame that a select few right wing extremists had to ruin things for everybody and take the focus off the serious protest going on, by smashing windows and starting fires in London. What's the point? Now everyone's assumptions about Students have been proved right! [/Edit]

Nails Inc, Hampstead Heath!

There's nothing I like more than a freebie, so when I noticed a mini Nails Inc polish free with the December issue of Glamour magazine, I had to have it!


I have previously used the Nails Inc 'London' polish which I love, and which I also got as a freebie. As much as I love Nails Inc, I can never justify spending out on a single polish, they are a tad expensive for me but with Christmas coming up, I may just have to add some to my wishlist!

I didn't fancy the Barbie pink colour that was on most of the magazine covers so I settled for this vampy, red 'Hampstead Heath' shade in 10ml.


The polish is so cute and dinky and I love the colour! It went on really easily, dried in a flash and only needed one coat, so it ticks all the important boxes! The shade of the polish is a deep red, very in keeping with the huge vampy theme that's going on at the moment. Usually I don't like red nail polishes as they can be a bit bright and trashy but I love this shade!


Hooray for Nails Inc! Good job!

My Christmas wishlist

I know, I know it's still on November but everything is starting to feel all Christmassy already! The adverts are starting to include little jingly bells and the dark evenings make me feel all wintery. I can't wait to start wearing my woolly hat and gloves!

I'm already starting to think about what I want for Christmas, even though my dad says 22 is too old for presents! There's not actually many things I want, a few books, some nail polishes and I've put in my order with my sister for a new satchel bag!

I've found a few that I love but my sister and I have a bit of a budget so I've given her some ideas of the style I like, so I thought I'd show you guys aswell.

This Oasis Herringbone satchel is particularly gorgeous, especially at £35 from ASOS! It's in budget, but I'm not completely sure about the material pattern, it looks a bit Grandma to me.

This Oasis Casual Satchel is really cute and I love the colour but the £65 price tag and the size is a bit off-putting!

The Contrast Strap Satchel from Topshop is really cute, although a bit business like for me. £45 is pretty reasonable I think as it's real leather. It's growing on me actually...

The Real Sheepskin Despatch Bag is great for winter, but at £85, it would be my only present this year! Shame!

So, those are just some of the satchel bags I'm liking at the moment. I'm almost tempted to buy one myself so I can have it right away but I know the funds won't let me! I'd love to see other people's suggestions for satchel bags, what's on your own Christmas lists?

Book recommendations - The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison

Thanks to everyone who wished me congratulations on my Graduation. :) Moving on, I have another book recommendation for you for this month.

As I said previously, I'm a sucker for easy, girly, chick lit, so while once again browsing my Nan's bookshelf, I came across The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison.



Of course, I only picked it up because the title caught my eye. A book about shopping...perfect!

The story is based around 3 young women living in London. Emily is a single mother who has been dumped by her Husband and replaced by a Swedish tart. Sandie was a store manager of a popular department store but was sacked thanks to her hellish assistant and Grazia is a glamorous, Italian widow, running a secret shopping agency on behalf of boss, Charlie.

Each woman comes across times of trouble but are brought together by Grazia, to take on secret shopping missions for Charlie's Shopping Angels. Each character narrates her own story which I love. You feel like you're really getting to know each character like they're one of your best friends. Not only do we join each character on secret shopping missions but we live their lives with them, through new romances and financial and family troubles.

The Secret Shopper's Revenge is easy to read and easy to get sucked into. You immediately imagine yourself as part of the gang, laughing along with the girls and feeling triumphant when they get their own back on snotty shop assistants through their secret shopping missions.

The book leaves you wanting to know more about what happens to the three girls, not because the book lacks anything but because, like a soap or drama series, you become so engrossed in their lives that you feel a need to know what happens next. Thankfully, soon after I finished reading this book, I realised that the follow up was to be released. The Secret Shopper Unwrapped rejoins the girls during the festive season. Watch the Secret Shopping Angels build their lives with new men and a new found lease on life.



So there's my recommendation for this month...and I've literally just noticed that another follow up is to be released in March 2011. The Secret Shopper Affair! I can't wait!

Post-Graduate!

I did it! I graduated University with a BA Hons in Magazine Journalism and Feature Writing!

It was a pretty long day, starting at 9am when I got up in order to tidy up the house in preparation for my parents coming down from Weston Super Mare. After they arrived, we all got changed and ready and I had to get mum to curl my hair! It did look nice once it was done but by the end of the day, my hair was pretty much back to normal, damn these fine, weak locks.

We had to go over to the University so I could get my gown and hat, and oh my God it was boiling in the robing room, which led to my face becoming bright red for the professional photos, great! I knew I should have chosen the retouching option when I paid for them!



Even by this time my hair had started to fall and just look like a wavy mess! The actual ceremony didn't start until 2:30 so there was lots of time to faff around and have pictures taken. My dad took a few photos but we seem to be a family of non-smiling, non-photogenic people so there aren't many good ones. I'm really not looking forward to the professional photo coming through the post. :(



Excuse the devil eyes on this one and the false smile, hah.

The ceremony literally went on for hours! There were speeches and processions and then every single Graduate had to be called on stage, shake hands with the chancellor and have a little chat with him and go off stage. It sounds like it would go by in a flash but it took over 2 hours. We were all sat in rows in the Guildhall and as the empty rows got closer and closer to us, the nerves certainly started building.

When it was my turn to go on stage, it kind of went into a blur. I heard my name being called and was so determined not to trip over that I didn't really pay much attention. The chancellor asked a few questions about what I'm doing at the moment and have I travelled far...yada yada, then I grabbed my certificate and went and sat back down! It was over pretty quickly when I think about it.

Every year we have a bunch of honorary doctorates or as I like to think, people that did nothing at our Uni to get a degree! If only it was that easy for the rest of us. Anyway, the 'Media' person was comedienne Jo Brand, who looked pretty bored through out the entire ceremony. She gave a pretty funny speech though, packed with swear words; just what we like!

And then it was all over...Vince met us afterwards and I had some pictures taken with him. Where again, I look like a fool. I really can't seem to take a good photograph, my dad says all the ones he took are rubbish so now I have none to remember the day.

Vince, myself and my Mum and Dad all went for something to eat afterwards and the day was over before I knew it! It was such a nice day and I now have a fancy certificate to frame and show for all my hard work over the past three years! Just a shame there won't be many photos!

Con-graduations!

I swear I was a boy in a previous life, or maybe I was just meant to be one in this life. There's just nothing girly about me. An average girl can probably work out how to curl their hair, I just 'practiced' curling my hair before tomorrow's graduation and completely messed it up. I then proceeded to pick up the tongs by the hot end and burn my hand and then stand on the hot end and burn my foot. I am completely useless!

Hair curling fail:


Tomorrow is my graduation! I'm quietly nervous but relieved that I finally have my outfit sorted. I'll definitely post some pics once I get them, clever me left my camera charger back at home so I'm going to have to rely on Dad's picture taking skills.

I've been peeking at the graduation ceremonies on the live webcast that my Uni has going...literally you have your name called, walk across the stage and shake hands with the chancellor of the University and that's it! I had to pay £70 for the gown and hat and I only get a few seconds on stage! Plus, the ceremonies take about 2 and a half hours so I'm going to have a pretty numb bum.

Anywho, wish me luck and look forward to some pictures pretty soon!