Weekly Update!

Friends & Family

This week I worked every day Mon-Fri so I could get the weekend off, so there wasn't much time left to do anything too exciting. On Monday I went for a coffee with my friend Lydia, and then dyed my hair in the evening, though it still hasn't come out the colour I wanted which is annoying!

On Wednesday all my friends came round and we had a lovely homemade tea, where we each brought an element of it. Hannah brought bread, mozzerella, parma ham and a tomato bruchetta topping for a starter, and I made a lasagne that we had with Tasha's salad for main. Hana bought a toffee flapjack pie, and Lydia made a lime and ginger cheesecake and we had a bit of each for dessert, and Charlotte and Emily brought wine and fruit juice to drink. We had a good catch up, and the night was full of giggles!

On Thursday my sister found out she had got into university which was brilliant, and I spent the day writing my next article for Candid online magazine, which I will post on here when it has gone up on the site. On Friday I did my final shift of the week and then went to the gym, before getting ready for an interview I had at 5pm in Alderley Edge for a nannying position. The interview seemed to go well, so fingers crossed - I am hearing from them before I go on holiday on Thursday, so luckily there is not too long to wait.

After my interview we had a buffet tea and then set off for Devon. We arrived at 10.30pm and had a fairly good run down. As I had been up early all week I was really tired so didn't stay up too late; just long enough to have a chat with the family friends we were staying with. On Saturday we had a tasty cooked breakfast, before my mum and I wandered down into Brixham town while everyone else went to watch the boys play rugby. We looked around some of the shops, though the choice was quite limited, and then had an ice-cream on the seafront.

In the afternoon we went to my great uncle George's 70th birthday party, which was the reason we had travelled down. The weather was a bit grey to start with, but it brightened up in the evening, and we sat outside until fairly late. There were lots of people there that we knew, and it was great to see all the family. My cousin Stephanie and I stayed up until 6.30am chatting, so needless to say I was rather worse for wear on the drive home today! Even though working all week was horrid, it was worth it to get a full weekend off to do something nice, and I'd forgotten how much I love Devon!

Summer Reads...

Iris and Ruby by Rosie Thomas- 4 stars ****

This book was quite simply lovely. It tells the stories of both Iris, a very elderly woman living in Cairo, and her granddaughter Ruby, a nineteen year old girl, who runs away to Egypt to escape her nagging mother. The pair don't know each other until Ruby turns up on Iris' doorstep hoping for a place to stay. Despite a frosty reception, eventually their relationship blossoms into something both relateable and heart-warming, as they learn more about each other, and discover just how similar they are.

The book is split into different viewpoints and tenses. There is the present day, which is written in third person and gives a general overview of events that are happening, and follows Ruby's exploits away from Iris. It also gives more insight into Ruby's mother and Iris' daughter Lesley, as she worries about her daughter back home in England before eventually visiting Cairo herself. Then there is Iris' point of view, which is delivered in first person, and skips between the present day, and the past, back when Iris was living in Egypt during the second world war.

She recounts meeting the love of her life, and both the highs and lows of living through a world war far away from home, which she recalls in the following quote:

'Home was a strange, evanescent complex of spicy cooking smells and my mother's French perfume, the brown arms of my nursemaids, shimmering heat hazes, and jacaranda blooms outlined against a sun-bleached sky.

It was dreams, mostly.'

One of the most heart-wrenching things about the book is that back in the present, it shows an old woman coming to terms with the fact that her very existence is decaying. This was shown most poignantly in the quote:

'Memory is not a recipe or shopping list. Memory is the scent of clear water at an oasis, the brush of lips on naked skin, a plangent chord. I cannot capture these things and dictate them to another person. I am a doctor, not a poet. There is nothing I can say.'

It also tells how Ruby learns to come to terms with the traumatic events in her past, with the help of a local boy of a similar age, Ash. The meeting of the two youngsters shows a culture clash, and forces Ruby to take a closer look at both herself, and the tumultuous relationship she has with her mother.

I would recommend this to someone who is searching for a meaningful book, that doesn't rely on shock or dramatic action to grasp hold of the reader's attention. It is both wonderfully happy and tragically sad, and for that I think Rosie Thomas should be highly commended.

Candid Article 1

Fashion Goes Fetish

In winter it was all about gothic glamour: an overload of lace and heavy crushed velvet in dark greens, navy and black, accessorised with pearls, pale skin and red lips. Now that summer is firmly upon us, the heavy fabrics have been banished; leaving a look that has been stripped down and laid bare - quite literally. Cue fetish fashion.

With celebrities including Rihanna (who has been rocking this look since 2009), Katy Perry, and of course, Lady Gaga, donning an increasing amount of leather, latex and spikes, it was only a matter of time before the trend became more mainstream. Looking at some of the top designers’ fall collections from earlier this year, it appears to have done just that.

Fashion houses Lanvin, DSquared2, Giles and Ralph Lauren all made use of tight-fitting high lacquer fabrics such as leather and lycra, and boned, rigidly stitched tops were key in the outfits on the Zac Posen catwalks; not a far cry from what you would expect to see a dominatrix wearing. The Alexander McQueen team took the look one step further with the inclusion of zips, restricting leather straps and provocative crosshatched lacing in their designs, and also used white fabric as well as black, creating an innocent contrast to their darker ensembles.

Mugler went all out crazy, and showcased trousers and ankle-length skirts made from PVC, worn with see-through tops, and dresses that had chest revealing sections and intricate corsetry. Models tottered on 24 inch heels (no, that’s not a typo) and Mugler super fan Lady Gaga even walked the catwalk in the Parisian show.

For those not quite so daring, turn your attention to Mark Jacobs, who took fetish down a more demure route for his own label. His coy twist was also present at Louis Vuitton, where he is the creative director. The emphasis was placed on the structure, shape and detail of the outfits; resulting in nipped in waists, patterned stockings and enticing translucent fabrics.

In the Louis Vuitton show, wide metal belts and collars were worn, producing a more angular silhouette, and lace up PVC boots adorned the models’ feet at Marc Jacobs. The combination of these bondage-esque elements together with fur, floral patterning and tweed provided a ladylike quality, echoing the style of ‘vintage Hollywood’ icons such as Dita Von Teese and Karen Elson.

If you like what you see but don’t quite know how to go about it yourself, a good motto to adopt is ‘less is more’. Leggings with leather or PVC sections are now available in many high street shops, and sheer blouses have been a summer staple, so can continue to be worn into autumn - pair a nude one with a black knee-length high waisted skirt and seamed stockings for an elegant effect. For those who want to amp it up, invest in a dress with risqué chiffon panelling, or even try one made from shiny fabric or leather (I got a gorgeous one from H&M for just £15!).

If the femme fatale is not really your thing, there are still ways to subtly include aspects from the look in your wardrobe. A simple choker necklace or dark patent handbag alludes to the fetish trend, showing your fashion savvy without having to go completely ‘Gaga’.

Weekly Update!

Shopping, Restyling & Sticky Toffee Pudding!

Unlike last week where I had four glorious days off at the start of the week, I was in work at 7am on Monday morning for an 8 hour shift. Once that was over though I was off until Friday, so it wasn't too bad.

On Tuesday I had a lovely lie in and did some odd jobs around the house, as well as taking a trip to the gym. Wednesday I went shopping at the Trafford Centre with my friend Emily. Although I got no clothes, I bought some much needed replacement MAC makeup, and also tried the new Creme Brulee flavoured Krispy Kreme doughnut, which was delicious (if a little sickly!). In the evening I went to her house for a bit of a gathering, where far too much gin was consumed, and I eventually got a taxi home at 4am- pretty good going for a last minute get-together!

On Thursday I got up pretty early ready to make my way into Manchester for a hairdresser's appointment. My usual stylist has quit the salon I go to, so I thought I'd try a completely different one, and was recommended Ethos in the town centre. I paid £32 for a restyle, and had a good amount chopped off, as well as more layers cut in and a new fringe, I feel much more groomed now! My sister came into town with me, so we went shopping afterwards; I bought a silk cropped top with a swan on from H&M, and a crocheted cream top to wear over a bikini or bra when I go on holiday. We went for lunch at Cafe Metro afterwards (I have mentioned it in a previous post as I love the place) and I had a prawn marie rose baguette that warded off my impending hangover for a couple more hours.

On Friday after a shift at work, Chris came to stay for the night. My mum made pork in mustard and cream sauce which was tasty, and I did homemade sticky toffee pudding; it seems to be becoming my speciality. The rest of the weekend was spent at Redhouse Farm (see previous post) and unfortunately working, but at least I had my fun first!

Days Out...

The Maize Maze at Redhouse Farm

My 4 young cousins came to stay today, so I ( accompanied by my auntie- couldn't cope with 4 kids alone!) decided to take them to Redhouse Farm in Dunham to visit the Maize Maze there. It is exactly as it sounds, a huge maze made from the leftover maize crop once it has been harvested. It is themed every year, and this year it was Wild West, so it was in the shape of cowboy riding a bucking bull. There are others dotted around the country; I know there are also ones near Nantwich in Cheshire, Knaresbrough in North Yorkshire, Kendal in Cumbria and Blackpool in Lancashire, as well as lots further afield in Scotland and down South.

It is £22 for a family of four, and then £3 each for under four year olds, so all six of us got in for £38. It sounds a lot, but we were there for approximately 2 hours, and there is an inflatable slide, sandpit, football pitch, bouncy castle and trampoline, all of which you can use for free upon admission. When you pay you get given a map, and a tall flag, so there is no chance of losing anyone!

At various points around the maze, there are checkpoints that are marked with wooden boards with wanted highwaymen on them. At each, you have to stamp the back of the map with each villain's 'brand', and upon collection of all ten stamps you get a prize (it is only a lollipop, but the kids were happy).

There are tables and a refreshment stand outside, so you can take a picnic with you, and the farm cafe and shop are very homely, and sell some lovely little gifts. Unfortunately I had to go to work in the evening, but it was something different to do beforehand that was challenging at times, even for us adults! Just make sure to take some wellies if it has been raining in the previous few days, as it can get rather muddy!

Summer Reads...

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin- 4 stars ****

After starting to watch the TV adaptation of this series of books on Sky Atlantic, I really wanted to begin reading them so I could get an idea of what the originals were like. A Game Of Thrones is the first instalment in the collection, which currently consists of five completed publications, although two further novels are planned for the future.

The epic fantasy novel is set in fictitious lands that are divided into The North and The South (together named The Seven Kingdoms), and Pentos, across the sea. At the top of The North stands The Wall, that separates the Kings' lands from the barbaric Haunted Forest. The Wall is protected by men of The Night's Watch, who swear their lives to it, forsaking the chance of marriage or children.

The way of life for people living in the lands seems quite medieval almost like in a historical novel, yet there are aspects that are heavily fantasised, for instance the inclusion of mysterious monsters, wolves and dragons. The book is split up into chapters, each of which are seen through the eyes of different characters. In this particular book, they are the viewpoints of Eddard Stark (the Hand of the King Robert Baratheon), Catelyn Stark (Eddard's wife), Sansa, Arya and Bran Stark (his children), Jon Snow (his bastard, a man of The Night's Watch), Tyrion Lannister (a dwarf, the brother of Queen Cersei Baratheon) and Daenerys Targaryen.

Daenerys' father was King Aerys II, who was overthrown and murdered by the current King, forcing her and her brother Viserys into exile across the sea. Viserys is hellbent on recapturing the throne, and sells 13 year old Daenerys in marriage to a horse lord called Drogo in the hopes that he can use their men to wage war on the mainland. Her tale is the only one that does not correspond to the rest of the story, as her viewpoint focuses around what is happening in Pentos where she lives.

Eddard Stark is made Hand of the King at the beginning of the novel, after the death of the previous one, Jon Arryn. It is discovered that this occurred in suspicious circumstances and he leaves his wife and sons to investigate at Winterfell where they live, while he travels to Kings Landing with his daughters. Stark is a loyal subject, but he learns that the King's children are actually fathered by Jaime Lannister, the queen's twin brother, in an act of incest. However, the King is killed in a hunting accident before Ed has chance to reveal the secret, and his 'son' Joffrey (who is betrothed to his daughter Sansa) is crowned King. As Eddard objects, he is executed. His eldest son Robb takes charge, and travels to gain support to avenge his father's death, while Tywin Lannister (head of the house) declares war on the Starks as punishment for their capture of his son, the dwarf Tyrion. The book ends with the Lannisters being thwarted and Robb being named 'The King in the North'.

As you can probably tell from my lengthy but by no means detailed account of the plot, it is a long and quite complicated sequence of events. However, the book is very well written, and is a bit more of a 'grown up' fantasy, touching upon more adults topics such as sex, and delving into the emotions of characters rather than just sticking to cold, hard facts. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a new saga to dig their teeth into, as I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it difficult to put down, which is saying a lot for a book that is 807 pages long! I am just waiting for the second book to arrive, so look for a review of that soon. For those of you that are not into heavy going, long books, I'd still say to watch the TV series, as it's amazing!

Weekly Update!

Interviews, the Mhariam & Catching Up!

This week has been a bit of a mixed bag, interspersed with lots of extra shifts at work due to someone quitting. On Monday I went in to Altrincham for a coffee at Caffe Nero with some of my friends, which was really nice. Despite it being my (last ever!) 'holidays' I feel like I've barely been seeing my mates recently, so it was good to just chill out and hear what everyone had been doing.

On Tuesday I had an interview to join a nannying agency, which is a job that I have always fancied, and thought now was as best a time as any to try it out, if only for a limited time. It seemed to go really well, and so fingers crossed I will hear back from them soon if they find me a suitable family. Afterwards I headed to the gym for a good ol' workout.

On Wednesday I went to visit Chris, and we went out for tea with a group of friends at a place called Buffet Island; a Chinese all you can eat in Newcastle-under-Lyme. It may not look much from the outside, but it is the most amazing place! Despite living in a city with its own China town, it is the best buffet place I have been to, as not only does it have the typical dim sum and main dish

stands, but also a sushi area, a teppanyaki griddle where you pick your meat/ fish, noodles and veg and they fry it before your eyes, and a seafood counter, which has everything from tiger prawns to mussels on it. They also do gorgeous desserts- ice cream, homemade pancakes and waffles, all kinds of fruit, and there is a chocolate fountain! It was the first 'restaurant' Chris and I went for a meal at too, so it also has good memories attached. After we had gorged on as much food as possible we went to see Horrible Bosses at the cinema (see previous post) and then I drove us back to Crewe.

The following day before I left for home we spontaneously watched City of God which I would highly recommend it, though it is definitely not the most light-hearted of films! In the evening I went for an Indian meal at my local curry house. We shared mixed starters, and then I ordered a Ghurka curry for a change, with chappatis. It was spicier than something I would normally order, as I usually go for the safe options when it is not homemade, but I really enjoyed it. After the meal I drove to meet an old friend at one of my local pubs. We had not seen each other for 3 years, so it was lovely to catch up with each others' lives and have a good natter.

Then was the horrible part- a ten hour shift Friday, five hours and the gym on Saturday, and then ten hours today. Such is life!

Summer Views...

Horrible Bosses- 3 stars ***

Last night I went to the cinema, and managed to persuade the group to watch Horrible Bosses rather than Captain America, as I'd seen an advert at the start of summer and thought it looked pretty funny.

The premise is fairly simple, three best friends all hate their bosses, and so decide to join together and kill them. When Kurt Buckman's boss (Donald Sutherland) dies of a heart attack, the company is inherited by his son (played by Colin Farrell), a manipulative coke addict, who makes his life hell with his selfish business-sense and extravagant lifestyle. Nick Hendricks boss (Kevin Spacey) is determined to run him to the ground by overworking him for no reward, blackmailing and threatening to fire him whenever he tries to complain. Dale Arbus has a maneater for a boss (Jennifer Aniston), who uses sexual innuendo and inappropriate mind games in an attempt to sleep with him, despite him having a fiance. Unfortunately for him he has a previous conviction which means it is unlikely he will get another job.

It is an easy to follow storyline, with some good laughs and a strong cast. It is refreshing to see Aniston using her talent in a more meaty role for once, rather than the same 'pretty girlfriend of a main character' that she always seems to be lumbered with.

As well as the few familiar faces that crop up, there are some roles that are played by those actors who you know you have seen before but you just can't place, most notably two of the three lead characters. Kurt is played by Jason Sudeikis, who you may have seen in What Happens In Vegas alongside Cameron Diaz, or in Hall Pass from earlier this year. Jason Bateman plays Nick, who has previously starred in indie flick Juno and last year's comedy hit Paul. The final character in the trio, Dale, is played by Charlie Day, who appears to be more of a name on the small screen. All three do the parts huge justice, and an excellent cameo role from Jamie Foxx really is the icing on the cake. It may not scoop hundreds of Oscars, but it is slightly more clever than your typical comedy, and is a lighthearted enjoyable film for summer.

Benicassim 2011

Days 6- 7

On Saturday we all decided we should probably make an effort to go back to the beach, as we had been moping around the camp for the past two days. I bought a really nice ham and cheese pizza pastry on the way down, and spent the day soaking up the sun in a last minute attempt to get a better tan. We set off back to camp a lot later than previous days, so didn't get home until gone 8pm, and we arrived to find our tents clingfilmed up by our 'lovely' neighbours, and the showers were also out of action, so it wasn't a great start to the night!

Nothing could dampen my mood though, as it was the night I had been looking forward to. I put on a new tunic/ dress which got me lots of compliments, and set off to watch Mumford and Sons. I have always loved them, but I saw them back in September and it made me completely besotted. They didn't disappoint, and me and one of the other girls spent the majority of the set in tears because we were so emotional from seeing them!

We were perked back up by Arctic Monkeys who were on next. They put on a classic performance with a good mixture of songs from the older albums as well as some from their latest album Suck It and See. It was a shame that they didn't play Mardy Bum, but they did all the other favourites, so it was a small price to pay. Once they were done, we went back to the tent for a couple of hours to drink a bit more (and wake up!) before Fake Blood came on at 3am. The extra bit of drink worked a treat, and by the time 3am rolled around, we were all hyped up and ready for a good ol' dance. I had never seen Fake Blood before, or really knew much of their stuff, but after seeing them live I will definitely be checking them out, as their set was phenomenal. I'm sure the adrenaline and excitement helped, but it really was the best fun-filled crazy night of the whole festival, and we wandered around being silly and having a laugh until 7am, when we finally admitted defeat and headed back to the camp. One of the lads from next door was leaving, so we had a couple more drinks and saw him off, then climbed into bed, for all of two hours before the sun woke us all up!

Sunday was our final day, and so moods were low in camp, as aside from having the arduous task of packing and clearing up to do, people were sunburnt, drained and craving a bit of home-time. We all slept outside our tents for a few more hours once we had crawled out of our sweltering beds in the morning, and then I started packing my bag to get it over with. After that I had a shower and got ready for the last of the music that evening. We went into town back to the same Italian restaurant for some proper food to travel home on, where I had spaghetti carbonara which was delicious. No-one was really drinking, although I had a little bit of wine to perk me up, and so we went to watch Professor Green a bit more content. I'll be honest, I really don't like 'Pro Green' but he was OK to watch, and I was surprised at how many songs I recognised so it passed fairly quickly. After him we wandered over to where Portishead were playing, and sat down for a while soaking it in. The lead singer has a really gorgeous haunting voice, but it is a little depressing sometimes, so we didn't stay for the whole set!

We also watched Arcade Fire, The Go! Team and Tinie Tempah that night, and having Tinie as our final performance definitely summed up what an amazing week it had been. He only played for 45 minutes which was a bit of a let down, but it was 45 quality minutes, and the crowd were buzzing all the way through. He played Pass Out, Written in the Stars, Invicible, Miami 2 Ibiza, Wonderman, Frisky and a couple of new tracks as well so it was a really cool set list, and he had guitars and drums to make it a bit more 'rock' which worked well. After he had disappeared, we traipsed back to camp for one final time, to double check we had everything and say our last goodbyes to people. Then it was a case of waiting around until 4am when we could set off to catch our coach back to the airport. We were all so shattered that we basically slept all the way home to England, and my sister stayed in bed for 22 hours when we got to Manchester! It was an incredible week, and once we had all eaten and slept in our own beds, we were all wishing to go back, and are already planning our return next year!