Weekly Update!

Barbecues & Uni Revisited!

This week has been another good one, I was feeling energised after my 10km run on Sunday so started the week on a high, and kept up my exercise regime all week which is a bonus!

It was mainly the weekend where I socialised, but I had a nice day on Thursday catching up with the girls over a drink at the Moss Trooper - the weather this week has been stunning, so I've been catching the rays and chilling out in between work. I also went shopping in Altrincham during the day and got a lovely royal blue maxi skirt and a sort of tie-dye dress that's cream, pink and blue, I just need a summery occasion to wear it for now!

On Friday I had my nails done a bright fuscia colour to keep me in the summer mood, and we had a barbecue at Emily and Smeeds in the evening, my first of the year! Afterwards we went into Manchester to Deansgate Locks, where we intended on having a couple... Then got in at 2am. Whoops.

On Saturday it was the Ashley Rose Queen festival near where I work, so the pub was absolute chaos! It is an annual thing where they have little village stalls (tombolas, a best cake stall, coconut shy etc) and a parade where the 'Rose Queen' is crowned, and the weather meant loads of people were milling around. I was so busy I ended up finishing half an hour late, but at least the tips were good.

After work I drove to Lancaster for a night out, which was fun and messy as always. It was pretty quiet in town as lots of students are still doing exams, but we still had a great time!

I drove home in the afternoon today after sunbathing all morning, and went to Sam's for another barbecue, wearing my new blue skirt! He had been preparing stuff all day and you could tell; 4 flavours of foccacia bread (sundried tomato and mozzarella was my fave), chilli and lime Tuna steak, sticky honey ribs, yoghurt and mint lamb chops and tandoori chicken all made from scratch with some gorgeous salads that were very unusual - papaya, chilli and red onion being the most!

So all in all I had a very pleasant weekend, seeing lots of different people, eating yummy food and soaking up the sun - I wish the weather was like this all the time!

Spring Reads...

The Chapel at the Edge of the World by Kirsten McKenzie- 3 stars ***

This book has taken me ages to read, not because it wasn't good, but I've just been so busy lately, I miss having time to just chill out with a book for a few hours. It was a decent read, but isn't to my personal taste, I think it would suit a more mature reader perhaps, as I found it a little tedious at times.

It is about a couple of childhood sweethearts, Rosa and Emilio, who are separated during WWII when Emilio is stationed on the island of Orkney where he becomes a POW. Desperate for something to occupy his time, Emilio sets about building a chapel with his friends on the island, from laying the foundations to painting the pictures inside, it is all done with their hard work and determination. 

Meanwhile back in Italy, Rosa is being drawn into the war, when the man she works for reveals himself as a resistor, and persuades her to harbour refugees in the hotel she runs with her mother. She also encounters Pietro, a old childhood friend, who makes her question her loyalty to Emilio when she falls for him. The story ends with a little flash-forward to the present day, where a journalist is interviewing Rosa, Emilio and their friend Bertoldo for their war experiences.

One of the things I loved about this novel is the fact that the chapel mentioned is actually a real place on Orkney. It is interesting that the author took inspiration for her writing from a landmark, as this is a technique I have had to use in my own creative writing.

McKenzie uses some lovely figurative language throughout the book that has different effects on what is being said. In some instances it really adds visuals to what you are reading for example:

'He loved to be left alone in the quiet of the small ante-room, with the mushroom smell of wood and the vinegar tang of the pigment pastes. In the coolness of that space all of his senses were alive. He could hear everything. The mice scraping their feet on the floor, the dusty clap of pigeon wings in the roof. The light footsteps before the small hands gripped the back of his shoulders.'

Whilst on other occasions it creates more sensory awareness:

'They attacked the flesh with their fingers, sliding it from the bone in pink meaty chunks, sticky with the burnt syrup taste of the skin.'

And sometimes it shows the true harshness of the situation, and the difficulty Rosa has in coping with being alone during the war, looking after her elderly mother:

''It just doesn't seem like something that will end. It's like a pendulum. Being pushed backwards and forwards. But it'll never stop unless both sides stop pushing.''

I'll be passing this book on to my mum and grandma, as I think it is exactly their cup of tea. I don't think it is the sort of book my friends would read, as it is a little depressing, and quite long. But give it a go if you can get hold of it, it is a well written novel that is worth a flick through.

Spring Views...

American Reunion - 4 stars ****

I wanted to see this as soon as I saw the advert, as American Pie just takes me back to the whole of my teenage years! The premise of the film was pretty straight forward: the school that the loveable guys from the original lineup went to is holding its reunion, so the three of them that are still in touch (Jim, Kevin and Oz) arrange to meet up a couple of days before to have a catchup prior to the main event. They are gatecrashed by Finch, who they have not heard from for years, and of course Stifler, from which straight away, you know chaos will ensue.

What I found great about this film were two things. Firstly, its simplicity. The directors and writers haven't tried to make it anything it isn't, it is the same gross comedy, cringeworthy mishaps and believable relationships that have presided throughout the first 'three' films (I am not including the various offshoot films or extended editions in this number!). This was added to by the second good thing about this film: that it is one of the few sequels to include the complete original cast - even down to the MILF guys, and The Sherminator! So there wasn't that confused moment when the audience suddenly realises, 'Ohhh, so he's supposed to be X now'. I think all of the actors got their first shot at fame because of American Pie, and so probably felt some kind of affiliation towards it, which I think is a pleasure to see in today's Hollywood.

Because we are all so used to expecting the most crude jokes and awkward scenes from the original trilogy, I think the opportunity to address some actually fairly relevant topics for the characters' ages (early thirties) was handled well, as they were directly contrasted with humour. 

Jim and Michelle's (Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan) marriage is a bit rocky since the birth of their first child; Oz (Chris Klein) is a successful sports commentator with the perfect house, car and stunning girlfriend, but is concerned that he hasn't found the love of his life and settled down yet; Stifler (Sean William Scott) is still bumming around the town he came from, struggling to find a job that he can stick at, and having lost all his friends; Kevin is happily married, but feels emasculated, and confronted with old flame Vicky (Tara Reid) has a hard time dealing with it; and Finch is living a lie, telling everyone he has travelled the world and had crazy adventures, when really he works in a branch of Staples and feels he has accomplished nothing in life. 

All of these things, as well as generally growing up, having to deal with the death of a parent and facing past demons are something that everyone can relate to, no matter how old they are, and I think this is the overall beauty of this film. It is genuinely funny, heartfelt, and leaves you happy at the end, as everyone gets what they want. Who would have thought it from American Pie?   

Weekly Update!

Good Reads, Homemade Pizzas & The Great Manchester Run!

This week again was fairly quiet to begin with, which I think is becoming a habit, mainly due to me working Monday evenings at the pub, and working until 7.30pm on Tuesdays, leaving little time for socialising. I did take part in Aum's school sponsored walk on Tuesday morning though, which was good fun, though supervising 60 children across busy roads was a little testing on the nerves! At least the weather was good which was one less thing to worry about.

On Wednesday my grandpa came for the day before travelling to Jersey for a holiday, so we had a nice roast dinner and sticky toffee pudding for dessert which was gorgeous, and then I went to the cinema with Charlotte. We went to see the new Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows (see previous post) which was really good.

On Thursday I had a coffee and cake in Costa coffee in the morning whilst I finished my book Growing Up which I really recommend (see previous post again!). In the evening Sam came to stay and we had a lovely Italian meal courtesy of my mum - bruschetta, olives and balsamic vinegar, followed by homemade lasagne and apple torte with ice cream. We watched Shutter Island after tea which I've wanted to see for ages, and it was really good, if one that you have to really concentrate for!

On Friday I had people around to mine for the evening, and we had a few drinks and made our own pizzas. It was a nice, sociable chilled out night, and our pizzas came out really well, three between five of us was too much because they were so filling! I was working Saturday literally from 11.30am until 11.30pm, as I went straight from the pub to babysit Aum. It was good as it meant I couldn't go out before my 10km run this morning, so I did it in a personal best time of 57 minutes! I was very chuffed, and it was a really great atmosphere to be surrounded by. The weather was perfect for running, and a few people came down to support me and Smeed who I was running with, which was really lovely.

This evening we got a Chinese takeaway, and then Sam and I went into Hale for a few drinks with Lydia at Piccolino's (I had the delicious Fruits of the Forest cocktail!) and then The American Bar. Because I had such an early start, it felt like I had made the most of my day, and I'll be going to bed shattered after being so busy!

Spring Reads...

Grow Up by Ben Brooks- 4 stars ****

This book was amazing! I got it for Christmas randomly, and had never heard of the author, but after reading the back cover I learnt that he was only 20, and had already written 5 novels! Quite impressive.

Growing Up is about literally that - a 17 year old's experiences as he stumbles through teenage life with his friends, at school, at home and out partying. Because Ben Brooks is so young, the novel is written in perfect pubescent prose; including up to date slang and accurate details about sex and drugs, and this made reading it all the more believable, as not being too far off that age myself, I could really relate to the character.

This is also perhaps the book's biggest downfall though, in that it would only really appeal to the 16-24 age bracket; I can't imagine my mum enjoying reading about ketamine and teenage pregnancy!

There were some absolute gems of quotes in this book, I could honestly list at least ten, but I will pick out a choice few:

'They are his lucky socks, I think. I don't know why. Maybe he lost his virginity while wearing them to a girl that has done catalogue modelling.
I do not have lucky socks. I have an overwhelming sense of impending failure.'

'Sometimes, when I feel sad or ill, I play the old Avril Lavigne album and think about how happy I was in 2003, when kissing a girl who tasted of Panda Pops at a school disco was enough to make everything seem as though it couldn't get any better.'

It may not be everyones cup of tea, but I will definitely be handing this around my group of friends. If you too still hark back to the angst of your teenage years, I encourage you to give this a read, it will bring nostalgia flooding back!

Spring Views...

Dark Shadows- 4 stars ****

As soon as I saw the billboard for this film in America, I knew I wanted to see it. Directed by Tim Burton, with an all-star cast including Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (who are two of my faves), and Colleen Atwood as the costume designer (her creations are amazing!), it was pretty much guaranteed to be good.

Sticking with the gothic theme that all of his films have, Burton's latest venture is about a young man called Barnabas Collins (Depp), who is cursed to be a vampire by a witch whose love for him is unrequited. Not content with murdering his parents and his one true love Josette in 1772, sorceress Angelique (Eva Green - who looks STUNNING in this film!) buries Barnabas in a coffin where he stays for two centuries, until he is found by workmen in 1972.

Returning to his parents estate, Barnabas finds it in ruin, and his remaining family have lost their successful fishing business to AngelBay Industries - owned by the much loved Angie (who turns out to be none other than Angelique). Determined to seek revenge on the woman who has ruined his life, he sets out restoring the family to their former glory in a bid to destroy the witch, and end the curse that has plagued his family for centuries.

It is a fairly simple story, but there are many twists that are added to it. Barnabas, it is revealed, is not the only Collins to have suffered at the hands of Angelique. His modern day ancestors have various afflictions that are the result of her spells. One of the children believes he can see the ghost of his mother, who died through drowning in the sea (which wasn't an accident). Another -sultry teenager Carolyn (played by Chloe Moretz) turns out to be a werewolf due to being bitten as a child. Michelle Pfieffer plays Carolyn's mother Elizabeth, and has an array of gorgeous costumes throughout the film, and Bonham Carter is a psychiatrist (perfect casting!) helping young David with his 'hallucinations'.

Because of the dramatically different surroundings and time period Barnabas finds himself in, there are lots of moments of humour, and Depp plays the character with such naivety that it is endearing. It is refreshing to see a film involving mythical creatures such as vampires and werewolves that doesn't take itself too seriously, and in this way it almost seemed like a deliberate parody, which added to its entertainment value. There were also some brilliant cameos from Christopher Lee and Alice Cooper, that I thought were well placed within the action.

Although there were lots of funny moments, there were also scenes that were very dark, and some that were also quite heartbreaking, making it a good all rounder film, that I think would be appreciated in different ways by different people. Just don't take any young children to see it despite the PG rating - there is a lot of blood, as well as some rather raunchy parts, that couldn't easily be explained to a five year old!

The only complaint I have is the love story behind the film. Though the chemistry between Depp and his lover was quite convincing, there was a rather lacklustre plotline that I don't think was very well explained. The actress playing the doomed Josette (newcomer Bella Heathcote) also played the children's nanny Victoria, and the audience later found out that she has had visions of an eerie woman since childhood, causing her to be sent to a mental institute by her parents. It was obvious that Burton meant for Victoria to be some kind of reincarnation of Josette, and at the end Depp and her are united as vampires to live for eternity, but I just felt that the detail was missed so it wasn't entirely clear. This wasn't enough to ruin my opinion of the film as a whole though. I would highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of all things Burton-esque and gothicy like I am!

Weekly Update!

Quizzes, Cocktails & Football!

This week has been another nicely extended one due to a much appreciated bank holiday. I was still working at the pub in the evening, but had the day off to enjoy. I didn't really do much, having spent the majority of Sunday hungover, but it was nice just to relax without feeling awful. I went for a walk with Sam and his dogs in the morning, and then popped into Altrincham for a wander and a coffee at Costa.

On Tuesday I went to the Moss Trooper after I had finished work with Tasha and Charlotte and we did the quiz - though it went on for so long that we left at 10.40pm with four rounds still left to go! On Wednesday after work Mike came round and we booked the hotel for Madrid in July. The three of us are just staying for the one night before we head on to Benicassim, but we found a gorgeous hotel for only £32 each so it should be good fun.

On Thursday I went to Sam's and he cooked a lovely squash, sage and pine nut risotto for tea. We went for a drink at The Greyhound, but it was cut short after we were called to rescue our friend Hannah, who had hurt her ankle playing hockey and couldn't drive home! On Friday I had my nails done and dyed my hair (long overdue) and then went out in Hale for a few drinks in the evening. Hana was home from university for the night, so we had cocktails in Hale Bar & Grill and Hogan's while we had a catch-up which was nice. It wasn't too late a night as we all had fairly early starts on Saturday.

On Saturday evening after work I went to a friend's 30th party at The Brasserie in Altrincham. It was fairly quiet to begin with, but there was a brilliant Irish band playing, and after a few cocktails (2 for £10!) and vodka jelly shots the place livened up and we were there until gone 2am. I felt horrendous today (a pattern is definitely occuring!) so I spent a lot of the day in bed; although I managed to venture out for a cooked breakfast in the sunshine this morning. This afternoon we went to The Chapel House in Mobberley to watch the football. We got some food while we were there - I had scampi and chips - and it was a good laugh with everyone there going crazy whenever someone scored. I just wish I had another Monday off now!

Candid Article 15

Best Of British

With this year not only being William and Kate’s firstwedding anniversary, but the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the Olympics, Britainis high in the talking point stakes, and patriotism is everywhere. Despite HerRoyal Highness hardly being at the top of the list when we think of modernfashion icons, no one can deny that she is always immaculately turned out. Shehas a team of designers on hand to make sure she looks her best at all times,armed with a budget that would make women everywhere turn green with envy. Withthis in mind, I thought I’d take a few styles that the Queen frequentlypartakes in, and show how they have been inspiring various designers recently.

Tailoring

The Queen is a fan of the two piece suit, and it is a trendthat is gaining in popularity amongst women for everyday wear rather than justin the office. Design houses such as Dolce and Gabbana, Vivienne Westwood, TomFord and Stella McCartney have all featured suits in their catwalks, inmaterials varying from simple plain white cotton (Tom Ford) to the more bulkytweed (Stella McCartney) to black brocaded fabric at D&G. Suits are nolonger restricting and uncomfortable, but can be sexy, by incorporating a pencilskirt with a risqué slit, or add a bit of edge as was achieved with grey designsat Vivienne Westwood, which were worn with ruffled shirts.

Countrywear

For the Queens’ trips to the countryside, she is often seenin the more muted shades of brown and green, donning a hat or thick woollencoat. We have already witnessed a rise in people clamouring for Barbour jacketsand Hunter wellies over the past couple of years, and rural chic has now spreadto other garments, with tartan, felt and tweed becoming more common fabricchoices among designers such as Burberry and Ralph Lauren, and riding bootsmaking a comeback. Quilted and belted coats were worn by models on the Mulberrycatwalks, and tailored trousers paired with knee length riding style boots andtrouser clips were on show at Gucci, where dark purple and navy blue gave thetrend a gothic twist.

Diamonds

Obviously Her Majesty is not short of a gem or two, and deepjewel tones have been on the colour palette for the past few seasons. Recentlythough, a more simple approach has been taken, with silver and gold shades appearingon catwalks for Marc Jacobs and Diesel Black and Gold, using gorgeously shinyfabrics to create an ethereal shimmer like that of metal. Gold colouredjewellery is also top of the list of things to buy ready for the summer, thechunkier the better.

These are just a few trends that nod towards Britain’smonarch in the style stakes, showing her surprising influence on the fashionworld; and together with more old-fashioned British traditions such ascrocheting being revived ready for summer, it is clear we are a nation not tobe ignored.

Spring Reads...

The News Where You Are by Catherine O'Flynn - 1 star *

To be fair, this book was a backup plan to begin with, as I got to my shift at the pub, realised I had left my book at home, and so bought this off the charity shelf there to occupy my time. It was the closest thing I could find to something I would typically read, and I am always happy to discover new authors to broaden my horizons. This novel, however, fell a little flat.

The main character, Frank, begins by admitting that his job as a regional newsreader is a trifle boring, his life is very ordinary and he tells unfunny jokes that he pays somebody to write for him (and man, are they bad!). He has a daughter who comes out with slightly clichéd children's comments (which, granted, are at times funny), a mother who is suffering from some form of depression, and a weird obsession with local residents who have recently died.

The book trundles along with no real plot line; the closest I can find to this is Frank's desire to find out who killed his television predecessor Phil, in a mysterious hit and run incident some months previously. This I could have gone with, if not for the problem that it was all wrapped up and solved within the last two chapters. This seemed to begin a theme, whereby the author also threw in a kind elderly gentleman to romance the suicidal mother, and a swift house move from the country to the city to entertain the daughter. It gave it the feel of a teenager with half an hour left in their English Literature exam in which to quickly tie up all the loose ends.

That's basically it in a nutshell, so apologies if I've ruined it for you. Personally, I think I've actually done you a favour, and saved you a few hours of your life that you can never get back. A little harsh, but I really wasn't a fan of this book!

Weekly Update!

Pizza Hut, Bunk Barns & Lebanese Food!

Nothing much happened this week until later on, I had an article to write and babysat as well as working at the pub so there was little free time for me to enjoy. On Friday though I went to the Trafford Centre with my boyfriend Sam and we did a spot of shopping. Although I only got bits of makeup, I enjoyed having a browse, as shopping is something I rarely have time for nowadays. We ate at Pizza Hut, which was tasty despite taking quite a while to arrive! Afterwards we picked my parents up from the airport - it was nice to hear of their travels over a cup of tea.

On Saturday I only worked until 3pm and then went with my parents to North Yorkshire for my Uncle's 50th party. There was a bunk barn that slept 30 people that we had rented, and opposite was a pub that was very cosy and atmospheric. We all stayed there until the early hours drinking and chatting before crashing out in our little dorms - it was like being back at Brownie camp!

Today we drove back before lunch and I went straight back to bed! This evening, feeling better recovered, I went out with Sam, Emily and Smeed for a meal at Yara, the Lebanese restaurant that I have been to a couple of times before. We shared some mixed starters and then I had an aubergine and lamb dish that I have had before, it was delicious. After eating we went into Hale and met some friends for drinks. We started in Hale Kitchen, but they had run out of practically everything so we moved onto Piccolino's and ended the night in Hogan's. Good job it was a Bank Holiday on Monday!

Candid Article 14

Once Upon A Time

Noone can resist a good children’s story – princesses, castles, happy endings, what’s not to like? And it appears that the general public are not the only ones indulging in a little fairytale nostalgia now and again. Since the release of films such as Alice In Wonderland in February 2010, and Red Riding Hood in March last year, a plethora of fictional heroines and heroes have been reborn on our cinema screens (Mirror Mirror out now is the latest adaptation, and features some stunning costumes); prompting fashion houses to jump on the bandwagon and invest in some magical creations of their own.

Designers have all put their own unique slant on the fairytale trend, some merely hinting at certain fables, while others are more akin to full on fancy dress costumes. It is a look that has been growing in popularity for the past year, but recent personal favourites of mine are Rodarte’s gorgeous floral summer dresses worn by models with flowing Rapunzel length flaxen air, yet given a more womanly feel with dark come-hither eye makeup; and Miu Miu’s twisted Snow White muse – raven hair slicked back on models donning Red Riding Hood style capes. Critics have commented that the latter is very similar to that evoked by lady-of-the-moment Kristen Stewart in the forthcoming Snow White and the Huntsman film due for release on June 1^st.

The beauty of storytelling is how easily it travels between cultures and across continents – and this is even more so for the fashions within such tales, as no translation is required. So far it is only the better known fairy stories that have been mentioned, but plenty of designers have looked further afield to European folklore. Using this inspiration to build upon the festival boho chic and folk fashions of the last few summers, Proenza Schouler sent short and jacket two-piece suits down the runway, worn with wooden platforms in a nod to Rumpelstiltskin, and there were also shoes with bells on, leather shorts and even a swan headdress at Giles.

The trend continues into hair and makeup too, with maiden style braids enjoying a revival at Valentino, and the ever popular rose tinted cheeks and pretty pastels used on the face to give that innocent glow.

Traveller's Tales...

New York City (Part 3)

The Sunday was spent quite hungover, so we took the day slow. We had booked to go to Ground Zero at 4pm, so we set off in plenty of time to get there leisurely. We stopped for food in Grand Central Station again, I had a slice of pizza and a brownie and caramel cake from Magnolia Bakery.
When we got to Ground Zero we had to go through rigorous security to get in, but to be honest I was slightly disappointed. I expected a tour or some kind of museum, however it was literally the two commemorative fountains where the towers stood and that was it. It was beautiful and very serene and I am glad I went, but it wasn't really what I expected. Afterwards we stayed in the same area and went shopping for a bit and then we went back to East Village to Panya for some tea. I had tempura king prawns in a noodle soup, it was gorgeous!
Once we had finished eating and sat chatting for a bit, we went to the Yankee Stadium to watch the baseball. It was a good experience, and the stadium was completely unlike anything I'd seen before, it was enormous! We didn't know the rules though so it was quite hard to follow, and a pretty stop-start sort of game, so we left before it finished; apparently the games can go on for upto three hours!
Monday was our last full day, so we got up, packed most of our stuff up and took it easy until mid-morning, when we all began to get a little peckish. We went back to Soho and ate at Benny's Burritos, which was a cute little Mexican that served the most amazing food - I had the low carb plate which had guacamole, sour cream, rice, tortillas, cheese, salsa and chicken, and I had a pint of frozen raspberry margarita, I was drunk by lunchtime! We went into a few vintage shops after and I got some really nice high waisted Levis denim shorts for $15, I have been looking for a pair for ages.

We spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine in Central Park; Abi, Hana and Tasha hired a boat on the lake, but Lydia and I stuck to dry land and sunbathed instead. Later in the evening we went for tea at Outback, an Australian steakhouse that Hana and Abi had been to before in Florida. We shared a huge deep fried onion for starter, and then you got to choose the weight of your steak, how it was cooked and any toppings, along with two side dishes. I opted for Caesar salad and a baked sweet potato with sour cream. Afterwards we went home one last time and finished packing before getting a fairly early night, it was a sad evening!

In the morning Abi was at work so we said our goodbyes before she left. We had brunch at the same place as on Saturday, Virage. This time I had the chorizo and eggs - yum! We said goodbye to Hana as she was getting an earlier flight to us, and then wandered about for a bit before dropping the apartment keys back to Abi and heading to the airport.
This trip was hands down the best week of my life, and I had so much fun with my girls! None of us wanted to leave, but we are all looking forward to seeing Abi when she moves back to the UK in July.