Crafting... Sort Of.

I've never written about something I've made before as I'm not artistically gifted in any shape or form and even though I would love to I rarely have the time to do any big, serious projects.

For Christmas my sister bought me a super cute poster which I adore. The poster is carboard and I didn't want to attach it anywhere without protection so a frame was necessary. I found one that seemed to fit the bill for my A4 sized print and so I ordered it online. When I opened it though the front was completely smashed....

As the frame was inexpensive it probably would have cost me just as much or even more to return it, so I threw it out and decided I would search again.
When my sister moved back in to the family home with me and our parents she brought with her a spare frame that was not being used and suggested I could use it for my print. Perfect.

The issues arose when  I tried to put the picture into the frame, it was HUGE. There was a large amount of blank space around the outside leaving the brown wooden back showing ... not a good look.It seemed a waste to not use this perfectly good frame so I starting thinking of what background colours could work.

Trying to match the purple of the prints background would be near impossible, black to go with the frame would be way too dark and using the white of the lettering just wouldn't look right. Bugger.

Suddenly I remembered that I had some black and white tissue paper left over from my trip to the Disney store that had protected my mug..... Which in case you're interested is freaking awesome!
Me and my sister both love Disney, plus the black and white coordinated with the frame and the lettering without being over powering.

Okay so admittedly it wasn't complicated or much effort and all in all is completely unimpressive but I am pleased with how it turned out!

So here it is before -

                 

And then the final product -

Support Your Local.

This weekend I witnessed my local rugby team play on their new pitch for the first time and I then had the urge to write about it.

I am a fan of rugby..... to the extent of watching the 6 nations, the world cup and having a very basic understanding of the rules, but had only ever seen my local team play possibly twice ever. Now considering I have lived here all my 22 years of life and that my sisters boyfriend plays a fairly prominent part in the team I wondered how I had not seen more matches.
Truth be told it was the travelling, the team had up until two days ago had to play on a pitch that belonged to others and is about 15 minutes away from the town. This meant journeying a fair distance, having to know in advance timings of matches and basically just a whole lot more organisation than would be required now that the pitches are just a 2 minute walk into town.

There has been a team for over 20 years now but due to the small size of our town there was never the funding nor the support needed to give them grounds of their own. But after many years the training tirelessly, pushing for spectators and loving the sport has finally paid off and in a fantastic way.
Over 100 people showed up to support and many stayed after for probably one too many drinks .... but there was a perfectly acceptable reason for the large quantities of alcohol and noise. WE WON.

We had two senior matches that day, one for our second team and one for the firsts and amazingly we won both. The victories mean the boys have come away truly owning those pitches and with even more encouragement to continue playing wholeheartedly - as they always do. Recently there has been an increased feeling of importance among not only the players but those watching the games, more passion, more enjoyment and these games will only serve to increase it.

Making the effort to watch your local team whether it be rugby, football or whatever sport they happen to be playing, it is so worth your time. Even if you aren't fascinated by the actual sport being played!
If they are a small team like ours the games are more than likely free so you don't even have to spend money, the atmosphere will get you excited even if the idea of watching people run around after a ball doesn't.

I challenge anyone to go to a local game and not feel pride at some point during it.

It might seem like a strange thing to promote but after you watch a game like this and feel that passion of being a part of something, you don't forget it quickly and just want to do it all over again. The players love what they do, work so hard and having people cheering them on is sometimes all they need to feel like winners. Why not be that support?.... and hey if you're welcomed back to the club for some drinks after you're guaranteed a good time. Trust me.

Alresford Rugby Club

P.s shout out to our guys that got pretty badly injured, you put your all into it and the whole team will be grateful, you were amazing but please remember to take it easy ..... even if it's fairly clear they definitely won't!

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Awesome Of The Week: Blueberry Cupcakes.

I decided to make some cupcakes the other day, we happened to have some blueberries in the fridge so I threw them in the mix to see what happened.

Turns out insanely tasty things happen.

Just a simple and easy recipe for cupcakes - which you can find anywhere - will do. I tend to always go with the rule of 6,6,6 and 3 (same if I am making a victoria sponge.)

6 Oz butter
6 Oz Sugar
6 Oz Self-raising
3 eggs

I actually only used 2 eggs and some milk for this batch because that was all we had and on my day off work I was not okay with the idea of walking into town to buy more eggs.

I splashed in 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence and the small punnet of blueberries, then cooked for roughly 20 minutes at 180oC.

I am yet to decide if I want to ice them or not but I might give it a go, it's so easy and quick so if you like cake - I mean who doesn't? - give it a go.

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I am Thankful.

I am by no stretch of the imagination American, however I think a holiday dedicated to sharing all the things we are grateful for is a beautiful idea. Here is a little list of all the things I want to say thank you for partly to inspire others to really stop and think about how lucky they truly are but mainly because it's a cute thing to do once in a while that gives you a real sense of perspective.

- My family who are always there to support me and never fail to make me smile. I am so blessed to be able to refer to the members of my family as my closest friends. Because that's honestly what they are, when you strip away the fact that they have to put up with me because they live with me.

- Gorgeous friends that will always reply to a text or call no matter how far spread we may now be. Also that we can not see each other for months on end and yet when reunited we don't aknowledge any separation what so ever.

- The ability to own pets. I have a bit of a managerie and love them all unconditionally, I couldn't now imagine my home without animals.

- My job. Yes I complain and moan about it but seriously my job is pretty awesome. The people I work with and for are genuine and kind people and for me that is vital, regardless of the actual work itself.... Also earning money is kinda nice.

- The fact I can access so much. I have a laptop, phone, television and iPad for Internet - meaning entertainment and communication all of which are a luxury often expected and assumed but not appreciated.

- All my fleecie blankets and jumpers. At this time of year my blankets, marvel jumper and unicorn onsie are loved and worn beyond belief. 

- Also with the temperature dropping I am thankful for a nice cup of tea, nothing makes you feel more at home and cosy than a good cuppa.

- Books. As seen by my attempt at booktober I am trying my best to get into a regular reading habit... I'm getting there slowly.

- Music - there is no mood that can be experienced that you can't find a song to accompany and that's pretty special. Music really is how feelings sound.

- Cake. Or baked goods of any kind. It's again at this time of year that I remind myself how much I enjoy baking. In fact as we speak I am waiting for some blueberry cupcakes to cool down so I can tuck in.

So those a few things that are right with my life right now, all in all I reckon I'm doing fairly good!

Take time to think about all the good things you have, let them sink in and you might just find that life can be freaking amazing.

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Awesome of The Week: Gary C Charity Shirt

I came across this shirt approximately 7 minutes ago and am in love.

A very brilliant YouTuber called Gary or Gary C designed this t-shirt and all proceeds are going to a charity that he volunteers for called Mind which supports those that perhaps need a helping hand due to varying mental health issues.

They do great work so giving anything to them is going to make an incredible difference... plus the t-shirt is adorable and crazy festive so what's not to love?

Here is the video where Gary talks a little bit about it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0noL99P_xSY&list=UU_4syT17DvSSc8wGpxc2b1w

Give it a watch and then why not head on over to here to purchase your own. They are only available for a limited time so don't leave it too long!

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Booktober # 4: Pawn of Prophecy By David Eddings.

"Long ago, the Storyteller claimed, in this first book of THE BELGARIAD, the evil god Torak drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But Garion did not believe in such stories. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved--but did not know...?"

I am miffed at myself that my last Booktober installment has occurred almost half way through November, but I have won the battle with illness and general life business to complete the first in the epic David Eddings fantasy series.

After there being so much hype surrounding these books I went into it hoping beyond reason that I would enjoy it - I think my Dad would disown me if I didn't. Luckily I did! 
I will admit that it's slow to begin with and unless you are a fan of high fantasy you might struggle to get through this one at any great speed. Having said that once I was a fair way into it I did find myself being sucked into the adventure, you truly bond with and care for the characters you meet and feel like you are travelling along beside them.

 Even though this is apparently the slowest of the four I still found it a delight to read - it's only left me with extremely high hopes for the rest of them! With that in mind I have already put in my request for the others in the series to be dragged out of the loft and dusted off for me to start, especially with the promise that they only improve with time.

The world is described in stunning detail so if you have an active imagination like me you won't have any difficulty in immersing yourself. It is however done without being too over-bearing, I find quite often in high fantasy that so much emphasis is placed on building the world up that character development occasionally loses it way - I didn't find this to be the case at any stage of Pawn of Prophecy.

I think this would be an ideal choice for anyone that is just starting in fantasy as I am not overly experienced with it but didn't lose my way!

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Booktober #3: Throne of Glass By Sarah J Maas.

"In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?"

This is very late and at this point I'm just hoping to finish Booktober by the end of November! 

This book was yet again a recommendation from my wonderful Sophie when on one of our countless book shop explorations. I'm so so grateful to have her as an influence on not just what I read but on my general reading habits. This was no exception.

If being ill is good for nothing else it did allow me to catch up. Quickly. This weekend I was not feeling my best and so spent the entire day wrapped up in a blanket, feeling a bit sorry for myself, surrounded by tissues and Lemsip. Basically the perfect situation in which to digest this book and that is exactly what I did. I effectively read the entire novel without a break until I finished it at about 4 in the afternoon. It was Marvelous.

I wasn't really sure what to expect here as thankfully the blurb doesn't give much away - it throws you right in to the action without much scene setting at all, but in this case it was very a clever choice. It's written in a way that leaves you wanting to know more and more and you don't at any point in the entire story find yourself waiting for something exciting to happen. Every moment draws you in with inexplicable force.

One thing I enjoyed about Throne of Glass is that although there was a definite love interest it really didn't feel like it was the sole focus which was refreshing. I mean don't get me wrong I appreciate a nice bit of mushy romance as much as the next person, but sometimes it's just great to read foremost about a girl who is a full on bad ass, super talented and all round awesome. Basically I want to be Celaena.....

There is of course one major story line of Celaena fighting her way through a competition to win her freedom which is nail biting as it is but there are also a number of side adventures and curiosities to keep you going - there is literally no opportunity to get bored.

The one small niggle I would have is the ending seemed ever so slightly abrupt for me. It was probably only due to the fact that I wasn't ready to leave this world behind and definitely wasn't ready to say good bye to all the stunning characters I'd met, so really it's just testament to Sarah J Mass's beautiful story.

If you are looking for a book that you can binge out on this is it..... BUT WAIT there's more. Yes this is the first in a series (I seem to be making this a habit!) so that is at least 1 more to add to my TBR list along with the extras that tell you the tales of Celaenas time as an assassin which I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

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It's been a few days...

So basically I was planning for my next update to be part of booktober but I have a) been really busy and b) been feeling pretty darned rubbish the past few days.
My throat feels like someone has hacked at it with a scouring pad and every muscle feels like lead. I'm not after sympathy (although certainly wouldn't turn it down!) more giving a reason for my lack of posting.

I'm still hoping to finish all four books before the end of the month but am going to be a bit behind with the last two.
I have started reading Pawn of Prophecy and although am not far into it am already loving it. It's one of those novels I've been meaning to read for years since both my sister and dad have raved about this series for a long time.

I will be back soon, promise.

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The Best Crumpets Ever.

 A cold Sunday afternoon left me looking for something warm and filling to eat and thus I discovered the best crumpets to ever grace humanity.

Most people will agree that crumpets are delicious in any form you choose to have them but this happened to be so enjoyable I wanted to share it.

First off instead of shoving them in a toaster try cooking them on a grill, they get much crisper on the outside and also the topping melts into a gooey puddle of loveliness.

I grill the crumpets for a short while plain and then as they heat I take them out, slather on marmite (optional if you don't approve of the shiny black condiment.) and top with grated cheese. Dribble on a helping of Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce and back on the grill they go.

Leave until the cheese is liquid and golden brown then hey presto you have a quick snack that is so comforting the only suitable accompaniment is a cup of tea and a pair of slippers.

You're welcome.

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Awesome Of The Week: Ed Sheeran Music Video

There isn't a whole lot of explanation needed for why this is my choice for an awesome thing this week because it's a cute Ed Sheeran music video where he looks beautiful and is ballroom dancing.... that's really all that needs to be said however I should probably add something else.

I am one of those people that upon finding a song I enjoy will form the music video I want for it in my head and replay it every time I listen to said song .... it's normally involving me as the main actor obviously!
I become obsessed and so there are few things that give me as much pleasure as watching the actual music video for a song and it being perfect (trust me I'm not easy to please!).

This was one of those glorious moments, now everyone loves a bit of Ed Sheeran and his song "Thinking Out Loud" is another triumph, it's beautiful, heartfelt a bit mushy and my god do I love this gorgeous ginger genius.
I think we can all agree that we'll be forever envious of the lovely lady that stars along side Ed in this video and what makes it so delicious is the choreography. People seem fixated with being big, bold and different when it comes to music videos but this has ignored all that hype to strip back to the basics (if you can call this epic dance basic, which fyi you can't!). What do people do when hearing music? Dance. Bam music video sorted.

So if you didn't love him before simply watch and listen ... trust me you will fall, with very little grace, for this extremely talented young man.

Well done Mr Sheeran. Well done.

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Booktober #2: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

"In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought."

I have finished the second book of Booktober and I must admit that I massively regret this choice.... because thank to booktober I now have 2 more books to read before I can start the second in this series. Had I known how deeply I would fall in love with this book there is no way I would have even considered starting it without purchasing the next one, alas I now must wait.

The most important aspect of this book that needs to be mentioned is the language that Laini Taylor uses, every sentence oozes with stunning phrase and poetry and at times it's simply, heart achingly beautiful.

The story follows a girl named Karou who as main characters go is fascinating, she's unique and creative and pretty much everything I want to be as a person. You are immediately pulled into her world which on the surface is, well fairly average but falling deeper you learn about the dark, dangerous and exciting life she was truly born to live. Add to the mix Akiva who enters her life with an almighty force that pulls her away from everything she once knew. 
Everything that happens in this book is a fresh twist that changes all that you thought you knew about the creatures you have met along the way. There is so much more depth and many hidden secrets within each person that becomes entwined in Karous life.

I read most of this whilst on the train and on multiple occasions had a panic when I realised that I wasn't actually in Prague running errands for Brimstone but actually was heading home and needed to get off at the next stop.....
If you are at all interested in fantasy and other worldlyness ... or honestly even if you're not this book demands to be read. There's adventure, mystery and of course a romance that makes everything else seem so lack luster in comparison.

Pick up this book and you will not be disspointed. That's a guarantee. 

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Booktober #1: Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella

"Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life.But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??!

She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help.

But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up... and lands a new bombshell.

What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?"

Book number one is done and dusted and I am so pleased I began with this read, I had never experienced a Sophie Kinsella book before but am definitely going to look out for her on my next trip to a book shop!
This story was such easy reading, it was bubbly and had me laughing out loud on a crowded train there's also a few twists that make you simultaneously want to laugh, cry, eat crappy food and drink a lot of wine all at the same time. When I had it open the time just seemed to slip by without me noticing, which might be how I ended up being awake at gone midnight on a work night wanting to finish it .... Whoops.

I fell instantly in love with all the characters - they are larger than life and yet I have 100% encountered people with similar traits... slightly worrying when you actually consider the way some of the characters behave!

I was struck by how confident this story made me feel, sounds ridiculous I know, but it's kind of empowering to read about the way Lexi takes control of her life. Excepting that if you're doing something that's just not you or what you want to be doing with your time then you might want to rethink a few things.

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed it's not a competition to be won. You shouldn't be battling and in the end if you live that way you're the only one that will lose.

I won't give away any spoilers but this book will leave you with a warm satisfied feeling once you put it down and a strong urge to go and do amazing things with your life because, well you never know what's going to happen.

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Awesome Of The Week: New Bracelet/Necklace.

 This was given to me by my Grandma as for a long while she has been looking for something as a keep sake for me, something that belonged to my Grandad.

He passed away about 6 years ago now and since then I have wanted something of his to have as a little reminder of him. He was a huge part of my life and my family so losing him was a big blow to everyone.

As you can see from the photo this is actually a mans bracelet and as there is no way to make it smaller it is masses too big for my wrists so my nifty little brain came up with a plan to be able to wear it as a necklace. Simply threading an old chord necklace through the two ends and voila!

I am hoping to change the clasp and keep it as a bracelet as it is kind of chunky as a necklace.

The inscription on the plate reads B. Webb (Barry Webb) on one side and "All my love Joan" on the back - Joan being my Grandma, along with the date it was given to him which happened to be his 21st birthday.

 I think it absolutely vital to keep the memory of those that mean the most to us alive once they have gone.

I refuse to let my Grandad be forgotten and I will cherish this for myself and know that he is never really gone as long as I keep talking and thinking about him.


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I'm Doing Booktober

I have always been obsessed with learning about other peoples passions, the enthusiasm that exudes from someone who is in the midst of explaining something they love is an experience I treasure.


Now for a truly ridiculous amount of time I have been meaning to read more books, this is mostly due to the fact that for three years I lived with my lovely Sophie, who is the biggest book worm I have ever had the pleasure of meeting - and she is going to make it big in the industry very soon just you watch.

I shall digress from talking about how amazingly wonderful Sophie is so that I can explain the plan I am going to put into action in order to encourage myself into the habit of regular reading.
It is inspired by the brilliant Carrie Hope Fletcher, who for those that don't know is a YouTuber, blogger, author and currently playing Eponine in the Westends Les Mis.

She is an avid reader and every October she chooses four books to read and discuss, meaning each week throughout the month she has something to talk about with other literature enthusiasts - hence the name Booktober (Video about hers is linked here). I wish to do the same this month, so below are the 4 books I have had in my "To Be Read Pile" for months and months that I hope to finally get round to reading, I will write a little about each one when I finish and will link to them all below:

- Remember me?: Sophie Kinsella
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Laini Taylor
- Throne of Glass: Sarah J Maas
- Pawn of Prophecy: David Eddings


Anyone that fancies giving it a go or is simply interested in reading more I encourage you to do so, let me know if you plan to get involved and what books you are going to devour.

If that isn't enough inspiration than maybe knowing that this month is also host to the Books Are My Bag campaign which is an annual drive to get people to support book shops by bringing together readers of all ages, genders and genres to remind themselves what makes book shops so magical. Find all the info you need here and get involved.

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Torquay - It's a Three Generation Kinda Thing.

So this Friday I went on a trip to Torquay.

I packed quickly on Thursday night after my pole lesson shoving a few bits in a bag for our weekend away. Mum and I left the house at about 9 am and sadly I didn't leave myself enough time to have my morning coffee, a travesty right?! Don’t panic too much though as we thankfully needed to stop to get some petrol on the way to pick up our other travelers so I was able to buy a latte. Considering my option at home would have been instant coffee it all turned out better than I planned so we were off to a grand start.

Arriving in Alton half an hour later we collected the rest of our party which consisted of my amazing Grandma and her lovely friend Grace (who is in her 80’s but won’t show it!). From where I live it’s roughly 180 miles to Torquay so generally it would take 2-3 hours..... it took us 5. To be fair to us we did stop twice, once for tea which is always necessary on a long journey and then for a quick bite to eat, also essential. We managed to find a really traditional road side cafe for lunch, it was small, dated, right on the motorway and the food was incredible. I may have only had a ham and cheese toasty but my god was it all kinds of tasty.

The rest of the weekend was equally moreish as on arrival at the hotel (The Grand) at around 3 pm we enjoyed a cream tea which is one of my all time favourite things... coming second to afternoon tea obviously! The hotel itself was beautiful with the interior being just what you would expect of an old fashioned seaside hotel - lots of red and gold colourings and ornate trinkets dispersed all over the place. The rooms were HUGE, no word of a lie and the beds were like sleeping in a giant marshmallow. Heaven.

The first afternoon was spent exploring the coast that was right outside our front door. We actually came across a rather unexpected bird of prey, I’m not sure whether it was supposed to be there, had had a shock or was an escapee but it was sat on the fence and let me get really darned close before having enough of me shoving a camera in it’s face and flying to a safer, higher perch.

That evening we were served a two course meal, the taste and presentation were just insane and I couldn't help but get a picture of the desserts which were more like works of art and I am definitely not used to that sort of finery. The evening was all finished off with a glass of wine and being serenaded by a talented pianist in the hotel lounge.

The second day began with a breakfast buffet which as expected I over indulged on, but who can say no to hash browns? After a quick freshen up we headed out on a half hour boat ride over to another coastal town called Brixham, full of colour, pirates and fresh salt air. We couldn't leave without a quick trip on The Golden Hind, a bit of lunch and buying a few gifts for the Dad and sister who didn't come.

The afternoon shot past with us making use of the hotels pool and Jacuzzi until it was time for yet more food, this time three courses of deliciousness. A bit more wine and music blasting from the wedding party room and we headed to bed for one more sleep.

The last morning spent in Torquay meant another excessive meal for breakfast and then it was time to begin the journey home. This time around the drive only took 3 hours as stops were reduced to a single one for lunch. Pulling off the motorway to find a pub rather than a service station was the best decision we made that day, the staff were friendly and catered to us even if we were super awkward by not wanting to have a main meal! Compliments to the chef.

In the end the weekend was perfect, I got to spend time with some incredible women and explore somewhere new! If anyone has debated going to Torquay I highly recommend it.

If you wish to see more of my photos Click Here

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