Friday 17th September

Hi here this weeks enstallment of the life and times of me

Watching?

This week I wne to watch Tamara Drewe, starring Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia) and Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia), directed by Stephen Frears and based on the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds. It follows the story of Tamara Drewe who started out as an ugly duckling and returns in the age old fashion as a gorgeous london music journalist and generally is supposed to cause hell. However there isn't much hell caused she basically sleeps around a bit and sleeps with an older and fatter man halfway through. Tamsin Greig puts in a great performance as a hard done to wife who isn't appreciated by her adulterous husband who is with Tamara for part of the film (which is gross and unreal). She also runs an amusing writers retreat on her farm which is worth watching in itself. Dominic Cooper is worth watching as he is gorgeous and plays a rockstar drummer from a band called 'Swipe' and can drum with his toes. The two hopeless teenagers who are fed up and bored in their tiny town cause more trouble than Tamara Drewe. It was said by some radio reporter that this film gave 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' a run for its money, however this is very much untrue Four Weddings remains untouched and this sadly will not enter the romantic-British-comedy-classics that this country is famous for. It's a light hearted film filmed in a beautiful place and starts out well but ends really quickly and without much backup at all, maybe they ran out of money...

Tamara Drewe 4/10 not even worth watching as an afternoon escape. (Gemma Arterton who comes across as really interesting and amusing in her interviews keeps picking crappy films! pick a good one serve your education well!)

Reading?

This week I have been reading 'Grey Souls' by Philippe Claudel which was published in 2005 and translated into English by Adriana Hunter also in 2005. The story is written as if someone is telling you the story so at times it can be slightly confusing. The story is set in a small French village known as 'V', and it follows a man (who isn't named in the book) who in 1917 is present for when a terrible murder is commited against a small girl who is strangled and found in the river. The murder is blamed on two deserters from the front, and around this murde everyone's lives start to fall apart including the protagonist who's wife sadly dies and he finds himself alone in the village. Anyway, twenty years later the protagonist begins to look back over the crime and tries to piece back together what happened to the little girl, in this snowy and tiny French village. In the process of finding the truth he finds more than one 'miscarriage of justice'. This book is beautifully written and uses vivid descriptions of the characters and this small village which is torn apart by the war and this horrific murder. 

Grey Souls gets  8/10 (I can't wait to finish it and find out the ending!) 

'Nothing's black or white. And it's the same with souls, you're a grey soul like the rest of us' (Claudell, P 2005:85)

Wearing?

This week I have been wearing Maybelline Falsies Volume Express Mascara in Very Black. Anyone who knows me knows i am obsessed with makeup and especially mascara! A face isn't finished without two or three coats! I originally bought this mascara because I liked the packaging and it was an introductory 20% off the price at Boots, but now I would always buy it as it is an amazing mascara. it has a patented 'spoon' shaped brush with a curve on the other side. you use the flatter spoon side to fan out your lashes and give great volume and length and the curved side to give good seperation and curl. It also has a 'Pro-Keratin and Fibre rich formula' which is sounds good is supposed to help your lashes last all day. And  they do they stay really nice and thick and curled up all day and the very black is really dramatic and really nice. I love finding new products and this is my new best friend mascara. Look out for it on the telly its on a new advert with Jameela Jamil http://www.channel4.com/4beauty/make-up-skin-care/make-up/how-to-apply-make-up/get-the-look-just-kissed-all-over-chic

Maybelline Falsies Mascara gets a stunning 9/10.

Listening?

I'm slightly behind on this as it has been out for ages and ages, but this week I have been listening to Laura Marling Alas I cannot Swim. The benefit of moving in with your boyfriend, is that if yours is similar to mine, he has hundreds and  hundreds of CDS all of which superior to my own and suddenly I have like an amazing free music shop in my own living room. Anyway while I was doing my housey chores (i.e. ironing, scrubbing, cleaning and other boring tasks etc) I found his copy of Laura Marling's CD and put it on because the cover art is very pretty and I've hear a bit of her stuff before and I loved it. She has a beautiful voice and her lyrics are beautifully poetic and meaningful. She is not the typical sort of music I usually listen to but it was really relaxing and we spent a lovely afternoon together me and Laura Marling. My favourite song has to be Night Terror and Tap at My Window.
Laura Marling gets 7/10 because you can't listen to it all the time it's more of a chill out album but is worth a listen

Eating?

Since moving out of my family nest I have been struggling with the age old problem of what cereal should I eat in the morning, it sounds really stupid and I never thought about it before. I usually just eat whatever my mama and papa have in but recently with my new taste of freedom. I went crazy in the supermarket and got a nestle variety pack like a little child I thought it would be great to re-live the old days of my youth. I bought a good old variety pack, a Nestle one. Thinking I was so smart and retro I happily left the store with my purchase of sugary sweetness smacking my lips in anticipation of my breakfast the next day. However the variety pack didn't cure my problem with the whole choosing cereal thing, yes they were all Nestle but there was tonnes of them and all different flavours and incredibly annoying. I finally settled for one and it was like eating a bowl of pure sugar and I felt really sick and I haven't eaten one since I can't face the toothache! Instead they are pushed to the back of the cupboard where they belong! Away from my poor teeth. Maybe they are just meant for children and I should have just left well alone, and I'm going to stick to my Weetabix or whatever my boyfriend buys in and happily ignorance and lack of choice is bliss.
Nestle Children's Variety Pack = 4/10 (I like the cartoon characters, I'm young at heart what can I say!)

Using?

As I am currently without funds until pay day I had to stop my very Soap and Glory addiction right away. Aimlessly wandering away from the luxury bathing aisle a pink wonderment caught my eye. It's a brand called 'The Pink Cow' and they have these huuuge bottles of shower gels and bubble baths which are really cute and have really cute colours and are named after desserts. What's not to love about a shower gel named after a dessert?! They are also at quite a cheap price at 2.99 for a huge bottle and I mean huge of shower gel and they also have some scrubs if you're feeling flaky at all! (gross). I purchased the Strawberry Sundae which is very sweet and its a brilliant texture and foams really well and then the smell sort of lingers all day. I'm hoping for Lemon Cheesecake next, but honestly it is a really good product for the price! happy shower times ahead.
The Pink Cow Strawberry Sundae Shower Gel - 8.5/10

Purchasing?

This week I have been very frugal so have not purchased very much but however I have other purchases I use a lot. I have a huge obsession for photos, in frames and in albums and just in general. I just love photographs I think they can tell a story and when i'm old and probably disgusting I will be able to look back on my albums and know i wasn't always disgusting and old. So I use Truprint to print all my photos. It's really simple to use you just upload your photographs and you can pick the sizes and how many you want and what finish you want and stuff like that. they they arrive three days later and are great quality, I find it much easier and cheaper than printing them out yourself or using a machine in town or whatever. I usually order a hundred of whatever and it costs about £5.00, you can also get mugs and photobooks and posters which are great for presents and are really cool.
Truprint gets a score of 8/10

Doing?

This week I have been driving around Manchester a lot. I thought I was true Mancunian and knew everything there was to know about where to be and stuff like that, but sadly I didn't and I still don't. So I've been exploring a bit and have been driving around going to my new job, dropping people off places and picking people up. Now, I know I'm a crap driver and have only been driving for year but I didn't I was so crap! In Manchester every single road I've been on is so confusing! there are three lanes all going different places and it's full of filter arrows where I always get filtered into the wrong place and all over town. I am now an expert at turning around and starting again, and the sat nav is no help. I just have to ride it out I suppose but the roads could be much simpler and less lanes! I know the lanes are important to combat congestion but please help with some more signs!
Manchester roads =5/10 ( mainly my score for my own driving!)

So here is my little week of interest! see you next week
Much Roadie Love XXX

I'm baack! September 9th 2010

Hi everyone! so sorry I haven't written for such an age but I have been very busy planning futures and doing very exciting things like moving home and getting on MA courses and getting a job etc etc.
So I shall just pick up where I left off really then try and make our little chat a regular thing once more.

So...

Watching??

Most recently I went to the cinema with the boyfriend to watch 'Salt', I was told by some trusted few who claimed it was on par with Inception (the greatest film of 2010) and was brilliant and that Angelina Jolie wasn't terrible as she usually is. However on watching it I became more and more infuriatingly annoyed with her. Angelina Jolie is one of the only actresses I know who makes me want to stab myself repeatedly with a corkscrew. She is so skeletal thin and depressed looking and whiny and spends the entire film running around flicking her hair and doing death defying stunts. Though the film itself starts off with an acceptable American spy action flick storyline and  you are genuinely worried for poor Evelyn Salt in the beginning. It turns out she is a Russian spy trained from birth when she was kidnapped from America and sent back to spy on the American government and yadda yadda yadda. The whole point of the movie is who is this blonde haired wannabe Evelyn Salt? She is a Russian spy, she has betrayed the ever so patriotic America, but in the end I didn't really care (sorry to ruin the supposed twist but you weren't going to watch it anyway) the only reason to watch it is to see Angelina Jolie put in a poor show as a plastecine man. But personally I was tremendously dissapointed in it. thumbs down Angelina. shameful performance.

3/10 what else can I say

Reading?

Oh my gosh this summer I have fallen back in love with books and my current fad is for gruesome and scary crime novels especially by my favourite author writing duo Nicci French. The duo are a couple called Nicci Gerard and Sean French and they combine their literary genius and create exctiting stories that are just so addictive and brilliant that I pick them up and I can't put them down until its finished. This summer I have read three of their masterpieces and am hunting down the rest. The first was 'Losing you' which follows the protagonist Nina Landry who is trying to go on holiday with her new boyfriend and her two children, just as her daughter completely dissapears. The book follows twenty four hours that Nina spends desperately searching for her daughter. The second was 'Land of the Living' which follows Abbie Devereaux who wakes up bound and hooded in a dark cellar and forces her way out just to find she remembers nothing of how she was taken, she doesn't have a clue what to do next and nobody believes that the kidnapper is still out there and is hunting her down. The third I have just finished is 'Secret Smile' which follows Miranda Cotton who split up with a creepy new boyfriend just to find him going out with her sister a week later and thoroughly destroying everyhting she loves and needed, and she is the only one who knows what he is truly like.

These stories are so exciting I can't explain my need to read them. I recommend them highly, the web address for Nicci French with full descriptions of the books is http://www.niccifrench.co.uk/ 

Nicci French gets a 10/10!

Wearing?

This summer I have discovered a new shop, which isn't new really and has been around for ages. But I keep noticing other people starting to shop there and coming out with amazing things. It sounds silly to have never noticed it before but the shop is 'Miss Selfridge'. As barmy as it sounds I has always assumed it was a shop for tweens and high school girls and I had never been there seriously before this summer, but I have found some really beautiful things there. I now have three dresses one in black with a turquoise and pink skirt I wore for my birthday, one in black and white with a lace frill, and a red and white poppy sun dress which I love. The shop is just full of very 'pretty pretty' things that are just lovely and when you wear them you feel all girly and silly and there aren't enough little brands that do that anymore you always have to be fierce, sporty, sexy, vintage or retro or something, but I think we should embrace our girly side and visit Miss Selfridge. I also have reccomendations from them from my friends and family who have found dresses and pretty lacey cardigans and lovely tshirts I reccomend every girl goes there soon. The dresses themselves are great quality and a good price usually around £30-£40 and are great for going out in as they also sell my favourite Girls Aloud false eyelashes. Their day range is also great, my only criticism is that sometimes the clothes are a bit too dainty for the likes of me and it can be hit and miss with certain dresses. The website address is http://www.missselfridge.com/

Miss Selfridge receieves an 8/10

Listening?

I have been listening to a new Manchester band my fella introduced me to called 'Hurts'. It's made up of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synth player Adam Anderson. They've released 'Wonderful Life' which is amazing, and you may have heard 'Blood Tears and Gold'. The video for 'Wonderful Life' is also very iconic and worth a look see and is on Youtube.  My personal favourite on the album is 'Stay' because I like a nice power ballad. Kylie Minogue has also given them the seal of approval as she has recorded a little duet on the album called 'Devotion' which was very good. They are so good and so very squeaky clean new that I'm going to see them at the Ritz in Manchester, I think you should go too or at least get the album which is very dramatic, lyrically beautiful, and has some good dancing beats which is all I ask for really.

Hurts gets a 9/10 today because I'm ever so generous

Eating?

I think its since I've had my own flat I've been embracing housewifely duties and one of them is baking. I am a huge fan of carrot cake and so found my own Carrot Cake recipe which is very easy and I have made three or four times and now have it down to perfection. I shall post the recipe and only because I'm generous and you need to try it. I regularly look for recipes on the internet and found this one on BBC good food and is by Mary Cadogen.

Ingredients: 175g of light Muscavado Sugar, 175g of oil (I use olive oil but you can use sunflower), 175g of self raising flour,  140g of grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots), 100-120g of raisins, 3 eggs, the zest of one large orange, a teaspoon of baking powder, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg.

1) mix the eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl until its liquid and there is no lumps

2) add the carrot, orange zest and raisins

3) then sift the dry ingredients the flour and spices etc

4) then add the mixture to a cake tin that has been lined in greased proof paper

5) put in the oven at 160 for 40-60 mins (check by putting a knife in it and seeing if it comes out dry)

For the frosting I cream butter, icing sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until it becomes the right texture and sweetness.

6)Then remove the cake from the oven leave to cool and then spread the frosting on the top and leave in the 7)serve to everyone with cheers of appreciation and then spend the next week trying not to eat the whole thing.

I give myself 10/10 for effort and 6/10 for the overall look of the cake and 10/10 for taste (it's my blog I can give myself 10 if I want to the picture is the one from the original recipe on www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3229/yummy-scrummy-carrot-cake)

Using?

This summer I have switched shampoos from my usual brand and am trying John Frieda Luxurious Volume. I've been growing my hair and am desperately trying to keep it thick and not lank. This shampoo and conditioner is quite expensive each time, but it does work my hair does seem to be a lot thicker than it used to and I've had a lot of comments on how shiny and healthy my hair looks and I don't feel like I need to have it dyed as much. My only criticism is the conditioner doesn't seem to be looking after the ends very well and I am a lot more aware of split ends and so I may have to change conditioner back to my favourite soap and glory as I like the shampoo a lot.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume receives 6/10 mainly for the shampoo and the smell because it smells lovely!

Purchasing?

I have moved into a new flat and therefore needed lots of lovely new things and have been a frequent visitor at my local Ikea. I knew that eventually I would have to mention my slight obsession with Ikea but seriously I love it there. My flat which was supposed to be furnished ended up being only slightly furnished and so we had to get everything that you would never think of having to have. We got lots of tables, side table, coffee table, tv table, bedside table etc. It's worth going there as Ikea does have brilliant value stuff and styles that suit everyone and every flat. Also the names are worth having such as our 'Malm' bedside tables, a spice racks called 'Ekkan'. We also got some very pretty things like coloured glass bottles and a silver lantern for our balconey darling. I am also an efficionado at putting the furniture together and thinking logically about which screw goes where and all that important stuff! go to Ikea its fun!

Ikea= 8/10 (only an 8 because their self checkouts are rubbish)

Doing?

This week I went to Alton Towers for someone's birthday and it was brilliant. I went on the new 'Thirteen' ride which I thought would be absolutely scary stuff but it was really clever and really breath taking but not scared for your life which you can have on some rides. My favourite was 'Rita' which goes so fast but is amazing. My other favourite ride was the log flume as we all go so soaked and it was so hilarious in our tub, the rapids were also brilliant, as was 'Nemesis' and 'Air'. However, as usual I hated 'Hex', and before you all yell its not the fact that you don't move its the fact that its in the dark and you feel like you're going to fall the entire time into an overgrown tree's mouth! hate hate hate it!! the downside was the very expensive entrance fee £38.00 if you don't have a voucher for two to get in for the price of one, and the very expensive food £5.50 for hotdogs and chips and £5.50 for ten piddly small doughnuts just not good enough Alton Towers. They also have a serious wasp problem which makes eating practically impossible and my poor boyfriend got stung on his neck and was extremely annoyed about it (hehe though it was very funny!)

But overall was a fantastic day and gets a 9/10 

So there you go I aqm back I have been up to a lot and I shall return next week with an update on whats been going on and what I have been marking out of 10.

Thanks for reading

Much Roadie Love

XXX

July 8th-18th 2010

As I have been super busy recently this weeks blog is incorporating ten days of wonderment and roadie times. In the last ten days I have travelled over to Barcelona and back and graduated from University, so here are this weeks scores.

Watching??

One hot night in sunny Barcelona we settled down onto the sofa to watch a little movie.It wasn't my choice but we watched the 2006 film 'Little Miss Sunshine'. The film follows a disfunctional family who are falling apart at the seams. It follows a little girl called Olive (played by Abigail Breslin) who has entered herself into a beauty pageant, just at the same time her mother Sheryl (played by Toni Collette)has her suicidal gay brother, Frank (played by Steve Carrell) move into the family home. Olive's father is a failing motivational speaker who doesn't get a crucial book deal and her brother has taken a vow of silence until he gets his dream career of being a RAF pilot, also because he hates the family. It turns out the whole family has to go to the pageant but they hit trouble along the way. Sounds confusing doesn't it? but it is a really funny and heart warming film that filled the void that night.

It receives 7/10 and I would reccomend it but it does need a second look.


Reading?

While in Barcelona I read a very interesting and simple to read book called The Information Officer by Mark Mills. This book follows Max a headstrong army officer stationed on the ravaged island of Malta In the second world war. Who among other things is in charge of the British Army's involvement with the local Maltese people who are reliant on them. Max discovers that some of the local girls who work at the dance bars, are being raped and murdered by a British Army officer. It is up to Max to find out who the murderer is, what he wants and protect the local beauty he loves. This book is well written but at times I felt like I was having a history lesson on the second world war. And although there is a good twist there isn’t enough action in the book to keep me interested in the murders and murderer. And there are some very uncomfortably raunchy scenes which are entirely male focused.

Sadly this book only gets a 5/10

Wearing??.

While on holiday I realised that every single outfit was from Topshop. My favourite thing that I wore was a strapless peach dress which had white embroidery on the bottom. It was incredibly comfortable And pretty! I got lots of compliments for it off my boyfriend and other tourists. The only problem with it was that I couldn’t wear a bra..which was a bit dodgy... but it was ok. I really like this dress and I got it half off in the Topshop sale so I got it for £15.00 so I recommend the sale for some cheap summer holiday bargains. The good thing about this dress was that it was light, comfortable and could be worn over anything, to the beach or to the city.

I give my Topshop dress a 8/10

Listening?

I have been listening to a personal favourite of mine, a real summery album by Paolo Nutini called Sunny Side Up. This is his second album and was released in May 2009, and was a definite and sharp change from his first album. The singles he released from it are ‘Candy’ and ‘A Pencil full of lead’ which divided the critics as some wanted him to have the same mellow light jaz-pop sound he had before, whereas this album is more reggae meets soul. On the first listen I hated it as it was so different, but I really recommend that you give a second, third, fourth etc listen as it gets better and better. My favourite songs are the croony romantic ones which Paolo is brilliant at singing as his lyrics are beautiful.

Paolo Nutinit gets a 9/10 only because he’s gorgeous as well as talented.

Eating??

I was pleasantly surprised in Liverpool John Lennon Airport on the way to Barcelona, there is a Frankie and Benny's restaurant. wWhich was good as it was very early in the morning and the onl thig we fancied was bacon, eggs and mushrooms and strong coffee. Persanlly I am always a Frankie and Benny's fan, I love all the food, but had never had the breakfasts before, but they were lovely and good value. I had the breakfast bagel my only criticism was that it was too big for me that early. Bt the herby potatoes were so delicious I coud have just eaten a plate of them. The staff at the airport restaurant were brilliant too, they were really helpful and cheery for so early in the morning.
Frankie and Benny's breakfast get an 8/10.

Using?

Recently I have been using a JML Ped Egg to get myself some lovely and soft feet for summer. My feet are well know for being ugly, claw like and rock rock hard! I hate them and most of the time I’m in a bit of pain with them. I got myself a new ped egg recently as my old one had gone dull and wasn’t working. This surprised me as I hadn’t ued it for ages, but on buying a new one I’ve seen what I’ve been missing. The razor blades aren’t too sharp and don’t cause any pain or bleeding, they very gently remove hard skin in all places and leave your feet soft and clean. My only criticism is that the egg doesn’t hold all the skin filings which is a bit disgusting at times, but I would recommend this handy little gadget to everyone

Ped Egg gets a 8/10.



Purchasing?

This week I graduate from University and I needed shoes! I really wanted some sensible but pretty shoes that had a heel but not too high a heel that would also match my navy dress I was wearing and the horrible grey and white of my graduation gown. Eventually I found a suitable pair in Office in Manchester. Although some of their high heels area slightly eccentric this pair are white heels with a Mary Jane sort of feel with the little white strap on the front. On wearing them over two days they did hurt my feet as they were quite stiff to walk in and for some reason dyed my feet orange from the lining, I did receive some blisters but thats usual from new shoes, but I did like the shoes very much and will go to Office again.

My Office shoes get a 9/10



Doing?

As you have probably guessed the last few weeks have been very very busy I finished university and then popped off to Barcelona. I love Barcelona, the city is beautiful and full of people. The Sagrada Famillia is my favourite part of Barcelona it was designed by Gaudi who imagined things very differently to other architects, and it really is a beautiful building. It’s not finished yet and has taken them nearly a hundred years to complete. Parc Guell is also a Gaudi masterpiece which I would recommend everyone going to go see, we also went all through the city down to the beautiful marina and went round the old town. It was an action packed holiday! As well as city sight seeing we went to lovely little beach in San Pau which was beautiful and we had delicious paella and the sea and sand was perfect for our aching feet. I love Barcelona and would recommend everyone to go as it is a wonderful city.

10/10 thats all I can say for my holiday in Barcelona

Thanks for reading this weeks instalment, I’m going to try and keep up with my posts each week from now on but I’m hoping for a calmer and more chilled out week next week!


Much love!! XXX

Sunday 27th June

Oh my gosh! I have to apologise at my extremely late blog this week! I don't know what happened I was just so busy leaving university, packing, sobbing and stressing about exam results that my lonely little blog got forgotten. So I will write last weeks and then continue for this week on Sunday!


Watching?
Last week I visited the local cinema complex and enjoyed watching 'Wild Target'! It's a new English film starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Everett, Bill Nighy, and Rupert Grint, directed by Jonathan Lynn and is apparently based on a French film called 'Cible Emouvante'. The story follows a serial con artist called Rose, who is amazingly brilliant, and very stylish and who basically takes whatever she wants and has done for years. Her mistake is to try and sell a fake painting to Rupert Everett's character, Ferguson a well known gangster. Ferguson hires a certain famous and well renowned assassin Victor Maynard, who is incredibly uptight and has a lonely existence. Howver when Maynard tries to kill Rose, he 'feels' something for her and spares her life. Rupert Grint who plays a hopeless teen Tony gets picked up along the way as they escape town and Ferguson's hapless buffoons following them. This film is in the same league as other British gems 'Love Actually' and 'Four Weddings', it's seriously funny, very charming, and extremely entertaining. Really worth a watch.
Wild Target steals a 9/10!

Reading?

Last week I settled under a nice tree in a sunny and beautiful York Museum Gardens and read myself a nice little Grazia magazine. I usually read Reveal or Closer, (as they are cheaper)  but I am so sick of reading boring gossip about plastic celebrities I craved a change. Grazia isn't like the other glossy magazines in that it isn't all about gossip it's about fashion, style and those happy shiny and seriously fashionable celebrities. I paticularly like Lauren Leverne's articles, that week's top ten fashion must haves, some real stories and the style pages. There are also some really beautiful photographs and it really was a nice hour spent in the company of this country's fashion elite.
Grazia receives a stylish 7/10...as it was a good read but some sections could be perceived as slightly poncey, and a lot of the clothing is for the very very rich.

Wearing?
Last week I spritzed myself to high heaven with Eau de Soap and Glory. The website www.soapandglory.com describes this perfume as a floral and oriental fragrance. It has top notes of Citrus, bergamot, mandarin, jasmine, and freesia but underneath has a sensuous musky vanilla and sandalwood fragrance. It is a beautiful perfume is really light and smells absolutely gorgeous, the bottle is very stylish too and has an old perfume bottle feel and is presented in a beautiful little box too. The only downfall for this perfume is that it does fade pretty quickly but is really nice for the day time and makes you feel very special when you use the stylish little bottle.
As it fades pretty quickly my favourite 'luxury bathing' company get a 7/10 for their perfume as it fades so fast but it is lovely while it lasts and smells divine.

Listening?

It's festival season again, and as I am never ever organised enough to buy festival tickets I have really enjoyed listening to the highlights of the festival on BBC3. The Scissor Sisters were amazingly brilliant and had a surprise performance from Kylie Minogue and previewed some of their tracks from their new album, I also enjoyed watching the headline act Muse who were ever so dramatic, Mumford and Sons had an amazing gig too which I wish I had seen in person, Bombay Bicycle Club were also brilliant. listening to all these amazing singers makes me wish I had got myself a little ticket, but as I wasn't there I can't dare insult the festival by grading it. Just wish I had been there!!

Eating?
Last week I partook of some Sunday dinner at the one and only Nandos. As my fella had won a little raffle ticket for a free bottle of wine we decided to use that to our advantage. We had a really smooth Hummus, he had half a chicken, and I had a lovely chicken burger, and then we both had sides of coleslaw and chips. The thing that is brilliant about Nandos is that it is just easy to eat food, that's quick and tasty and you can pick whatever spice you want, (I'm a medium chick myself). As it was a Sunday we had to have dessert and the chocolate cheesecake was so nice my mouth is watering now as we speak!
I love Nandos' no frills, non deep fried chicken and you can't beat it when you're starving and cannot be bothered to cook. a sizzling 8/10!

Using?
I love using Urban Decay Shadow Palettes, the shadows are really smooth, have a beautiful sheen, are really easy to blend and very long lasting and have really cool and interesting names. They are perfect for day and night looks and look really stylish on your dresser. I own two palettes the first is the Deluxe Shadow Box which came with a free Eye Primer Potion which helps the shadows last longer. The shadows in the Deluxe box are; Fishnet (light purple) , Honey (gold), Ransom (dark purple), Graffiti (green), Zero (black), Peace (turquoise), Shag (bronze), Scratch (champagne) , Underground (fawn) and is priced at around £20.00-£25.00 but is so worth it. The second palette I use is the Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box, I use this palette more than the other as the colours are slightly less fluorescent and are really shimmery and full of sparkle. The shadows in this box are Smog, Maui Wowie, Mildew, Shattered, Oil Slick, Polyester Bride, Last Call, Grifter, Chopper, Sin. I love this palette so much I've run out of some of the shadow colours already! I really recommend these shadow boxes for presents or just for buying's sake!
Urban Decay gets a shimmeringly perfect 9/10 (but when applying I recommend you blend two or three colours together rather than one straight bright colour unless you want to look a bit like a clown)

Purchasing?
This week I decided to get a lunch from Boots rather than get a packed lunch from home. The range is really good and are really good if you're cutting down on calories for the summer. they have a range called Shapers which do amazing low calorie fizzy drinks like home made lemonade, apple and blackcurrant, strawberry, apple and cherry. They do some really tasty wraps like Hoi Sin Duck, Chicken Caesar and also have some delicious fruit boxes which are really summery. This is a great way to fill up without over indulging, and are at a really cheap price which are perfect for students and working lunches!
Boots receives a 7/10 because I had to queue!

Doing?
On one of my fella's days off we went on a little tourist day trip to Rieveaulx Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales. It was a fifty minute drive through the beautiful Yorkshire Nature Reserve. It cost £4.00 to get in as we were both students, and it was free parking for up to three hours. We had a picnic on the site, and although there wasn't much of an abbey left the ruin was really interesting, and had lots of information about how the monks worked and chilled out, and basically treated others as slaves. The staff were really friendly, and it really was a beautiful day and Yorkshire really has a lot to offer for tourists and bored people alike!
Rieveaulx gets a 9/10 for a really brilliantly, chilled out and history packed day!

Overall it was a lovely and sunny week!
thanks for your time
Much Roadie Love XXX

Sunday June 20th 2010

Howdy! this week I have crossed the Yokshire border, and returned home like the prodigal son!

Watching?

This week I have gone back to a time of perfume, jewels, glamour and curlers. A time where a man was only as good as his moustache and paycheck and women were just plain B-E-A utiful! This is otherwise known as the fifties. Yes, I carried on my love of all things Marilyn Monroe, and thoroughly enjoyed ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’. This film is just a classic, and stars the delightful Betty Grable as Loco Dempsey, the beautiful Lauren Bacall as Schatze Page, and my hero Marilyn Monroe as Pola Debevoise. It was written by Nunnally Johnson and directed by the one and only Jean Negluscoe. The story follows the three women as they move into a New York Penthouse, on the hunt to marry millionaires. They meet millionaires who are either very old, very fake or very married. And when it seems that none of them will ever find love they all meet and marry their Mister Right! Loco, heads to Maine with an older married millionaire who she doesn’t like or fancy, and eneds up catching the measles, passing it to him and having an amazingly wonderful week with a very strapping forest rancher called Eben, played by Rory Calhoun. Pola gets engaged to a millionaire, with a fake eye patch, but as she never wears her glasses, gets the wrong flight to meet him and meets a glasses wearing hottie called Freddie Denmark, played by David Wayne, who is on the run from the IRS and is actually a millionaire, if he ever gets his money back. Pola ends up falling in love with him after he tells her she is beautiful in her glasses! And Schatze constantly turns down the handsome Tom Brookman, played by Cameron Mitchell, for dates over and over again as she assumes he is a poor man, even though she is secretly attracted to him. And after nearly marrying an old millionaire who she doesn’t love, decides she loves him regardless of his poor paycheck marries him instead, just to find out he is a millionaire!

All in all this film is charming, romantic, extremely funny in places, and as I am a Marilyn fan I must give it a very high score of 9/10

Reading?

This week I have been reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd published in 2002. This story follows a young girl called Lilly who lives her life thinking she is responsible for the death of her mother who was shot when she was four. At fourteen she has a miserable life with her Father T.Ray who only cares about himself and the peach farm they live on, her only friend is a black servant called Rosaleen. One day as Rosaleen heads into town to register to vote, she is beaten by local men, and Lilly takes it upon herself to save Rosaleen, and follows a trail left by her mother, a picture of Black Madonna, the logo for a honey making company. The small company is run by three sistets, August, June and May who take them in, no questions asked. And the table is turned on Lilly as she becomes the only white person in a black home, and as she learns more about the mysteries of her mother’s life, she lives and works with August and her sisters, no thought for her father and the angry men folk of her home town who are on their trail!

This book is brilliantly written, hard to put down, and extremely packed full of American history. It’s a compelling story which can at times however be a bit slow. Therefore The Secret Life of Bees gets a 7/10

Wearing?

This week I went to visit a very good friend of mine from school in Liverpool! And as it was a celebration of an end of degrees and such and a going out on the town night, I couldn’t think what to wear! I ended up buying a new dress off ASOS.com. Now I’ve used ASOS before, and although you can get some amazing clothes for a cheap price you can also end up waiting around for the package so I recommend you order in advance of the occasion. The great thing about ASOS is the amount of clothing there is to look at and purchase. They have designer clothing, looks based on those of celebrities so you can look like you’re favourite star, and the quality isn’t too bad. I got a new dress with a black top which had a sweetheart neckline, and an oyster pink skirt just above my knee. It was slightly ‘boobish’ at times, but two girls in a club thought it looked nice and asked me where I’d got it. So all in all it was a good buy, the price wasn’t too bad either as it was £35.00 which for a dress like that is quite good.

My final score for ASOS is a 6/10, as the amount of clothing is good, and the quality is good but the delivery is a bit nerve wracking. But I would recommend it to those of you in a tight fix and need a quick outfit for an occasion.


Listening?

This week as I have previously mentioned, and which is turning into a common theme in this blog, is that I went to Liverpool. I had to get the train as I can’t stand driving into unknown city centres and finding places to park, it can be a nightmare. While I was on the train I put on my ipod and the first album that it chose to play was Beyonce ‘I Am...Sasha Fierce’. I love this album, there are two CDS the first one which is ‘I am’ and is full of beautiful, slow gorgeous songs such as ‘If I were a Boy’ and ‘Halo’. Which lulled me into a dreamy state on the horrible train, but it was then transferred to the second section, ‘Sasha Fierce’ which has belters on it like ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘Diva’, ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Radio’, which got me ready for the night ahead. This CD is great for all kinds of people and suits whichever mood you’re in. Beyonce is a talented and beautiful singer, and her music is just brilliant and ahead of it’s time. I love this Cd and it is a must for all Beyonce fans!

Beyonce you get a bootilicious 8/10 mwah

Eating?

This week I have eaten at Scream Bar in Liverpool (of course). I was starving after my long journey and just wanted some nice and easy food. Scream Bar is a student hot spot and has some really cool music, sofas, pool table and interesting people. The food was delicious and the staff were lovely! We ordered Cheeseburgers which were served with delicious chips and onion rings and arrived really quickly. It’s no aute cuisine but it is delicious pub grub and is a nice bargain bucket too. The atmosphere was excellent too until the football came on which was horrendously boring. Another downfall was the toilet which was upstairs which after two bottles of Brother’s pear cider is hard work and it wasn’t the cleanest of loos either!

Scream Bar receieves a delightful 7/10

Using?

This week I have used First Transpennine Trains to order my train ticket to Liverpool from Stalybridge. I booked it three days ahead and thought it would be very expensive, but after doing a little testing, I got an open return to and from Liverpool for only £9.30! if I had got a return on a certain day on certain train it would have been £16.00 which is a huge saving!It got me there in an hour and ten too which is really quick as the trains don’t stop at every stop possible like others do. I really like First Transpennine trains they’re really quick and smooth, and the seats are comfy. They come frequently and until later and I’m really pleased with their service.

First Transpennine you get a 8/10 because your food trolley knocked my arm and I have a bruise

Purchasing?

This week I have purchased a new foundation for myself, as I was sick of my other one always wearing off after a few hours. So I got Maybelline New York Dream Satin Liquid in Sand. I really like it it covers really well and blends easily but it doesn’t feel like you have much make up on at all. It says on the back that it is an air whipped formula and is like a light mousse in a liquid designed to cover every pore. Now I don’t think it covers every pore but it does feel very light which is good for the summer months. It also gives a slight luminosity to the skin, but sadly doesn’t last as long as I’d hoped for, I have to set it with a bit of powder after application but all in all it is a good foundation that doesn’t smell too bad and is a good price.

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid receives a 6/10

Doing?

This week I have been celebrating the end of my university days by getting utterly wasted in Liverpool with my best mate. We went to Cava a very awesome Tequila bar which was amazing, the amount of different flavoured tequila and for only a pound a shot! (the chilli shot however was awful and very spicy!). We also went to Popworld which was really cheesy and we had an amazing pitcher of cocktails which were served in a giant cocktail glass which I want for my house. The music however was good but the DJ extremely annoying and most of the time we wanted to punch him in the back of the head. The third place we ventured was Krazy House, which is a large club with three different floor each with different types of music, the first heavy metal music, the second floor was punky/rock music and the top floor was indie and pop music. This club is really cool with the different floors and it had a different atmosphere on each floor with different decor too. It was slightly empty but that was because most of the students had already left for home for the summer.

Liverpool night life gets a huge 9/10, it gets a slight knock down because of the annoying DJ at Popworld and the lack of people in some places. But is a fantastic night out I would recommend to anyone.

Well tarra and tallyhoe for this week! See you soon!


Roadie Love XXX

Sunday June 13th 2010

Hi there folks I'm back again with some more products and 'stuf' I've been Road Testing!!

Watching?

This week, the 2009 film ‘Dorian Gray’ based on Oscar Wilde’s 1891 genius. I read the book in college and when I say read I meant I was forced to study every single sentence until I thought I was going to pass out from boredom. So I was slightly dubious to how great the film would be. I was very surprised to find that the film was fantastic! If you don’t the story I shall give you a small synopsis; Dorian is very good looking (fit!), and on inheriting his Grandfather’s estate he moves to London and meets Basil Hallwood, an artist who wants to capture his ultimate beauty on canvas. Basil introduces Dorian to a gentleman called Lord Henry Wotton, who prizes beauty and youth above all things, and sets out to mould Dorian into technically a ‘player’. When Dorian sees the painting, he feels jealousy that the figure in the painting will be young forever, while he will grow old, he sells his soul to the devil and its all downhill from there for Dorian, who commits mortal and inhumane sins, but never grows old or ugly. The painting which holds his soul changes into a monster.

Back to the film, the film is dark and gothic, the painting is really creepy which I didn’t expect but liked about it, Colin Firth as Henry Wotton is fantastic, Ben Barnes is gorgeous and brilliantly dramatic as Dorian, and Ben Chaplin (relation to Charlie?) plays the tragic and desperate character of Basil Hallwood brilliantly. All in all it is a brilliant creepy and dark film, and a brilliant Ghost story.
Dorian Gray gets a 8/10


 Reading?
Right as I have not actually finished last week’s book, I will tell you about another book I read recently; ‘The Book Thief’ by Marcus Zusak. I borrowed this book from my Dad, as I needed a break from Uni work, and thought it would be an interesting read. And ‘my’ is it interesting.

The story is set in Nazi Germany in 1939, and it follows the miserable life of Liesel, a little girl taken away from her mother, and adopted by the Hubermans, who live on Himmel Street. She is taught to read by Mr Huberman and finds a way to escape from this misery of the war happening around her in books and the power of words. The first book she steals is the Grave Diggers Handbook, taken from the early graveside of her little brother, and throughout her life she takes more books and falls in love with the stories. The interesting aspect of this book is that it is told from the perspective of ‘Death’ itself, who is very busy of course during the years Liesel lives on Himmel Street. This book is a wonderful book, it’s brilliantly written, has an exciting and dramatic storyline, and deserves a read just for another perspective. Once I picked it up I didn’t put it down until I finished it and it is one of my all time favourite books.

The Book Thief has to get my highest score of 10/10

Wearing?

This week I have been wearing some new sandals from New Look. I bought them as they were the same metallic shade of gold as my favourite ones that snapped. They are described as the ‘Cage sandal’ and have lots of detail around the foot, and a zip at the back which helps keep my feet still and in check and were only a measly £16.00. I personally really like them, they have been described as slightly over the top by my friend but I don’t mind standing out a little bit sometimes. They’re really comfortable and don’t have a toe thong which is good as that can rub sometimes and come in two colours, gold and black. . They do have flaws but which shoes don’t? They can be very slippy when wet on the street, and on the shoe itself from your foot, and when I first wore them I felt a bit like I was Paddington Bear in his wellies!

All in all I shall give New Look a 9/10 for their shoe section as the prices and designs of the shoes are fantastic, and I give my new summer sandals a 7/10.

Listening?

This week I have been listening to the new album ‘Fleshtones’ by Kelis. I was surprised when I started listening to this album, as her first album wasn’t really my sort of thing. She’s completely changed her sound to incorporate the new trend for electronic dance pop music (don’t know how else to describe it). The album has her brilliant single ‘Acapella’ and in between each song there is a short piece of music which sets the mood for the next song. My two other fave songs are ‘The 4th of July’ and ‘Song for the Baby’. Its a really cool summer album and worth a second listen to ‘get it’.

Kelis gets a 8/10

Eating?

This week I went to ‘Slug and Lettuce’ with my housemate for lunch to celebrate the handing in of essays and dissertations. Slug and Lettuce is one of my favourite places to eat, the menu is always versatile and changes to suit the season. They make wraps and sandwiches, burger, grilled meats and steak, a delicious baked lasagne, and baked linguine cabonara. This time I had fish and chips which was gorgeous, and my housemate had a Mexican burger. They also have lots of deals and this time it was £10.90 for any bottle of wine, so we got the most expensive one we could but it only cost £10.90! perfect! They also have 2 for 1 desserts which we en joyed!

Slug and Lettuce receives 6/10

Using?

This week I’ve been using Shockwaves Boost it! Heat Defence Volumising Mousse. I’m so bored of my hair at the moment, as it’s inbetween cuts and dye, so I decided to go for a bigger volume look in my hair, also to ease back combing for nights out. First of all it smells gorgeous, and doesn’t leave a sticky mess in your hair like other products can, it adds volume to your hair really well and it lasts until the evening. It would be nice if it lasted longer instead of having to put more in and risk greasiness. Since using the product I have also noticed less split ends and so it does work for the heat defence part of it.

Shockwaves Mousse gets an exciting 7/10

Purchasing?

This week I went for a different magazine than usual, and went for Glamour, not because I need to be more glamorous or anything like that, but because they had free Benefit makeup! Now that’s a bit mean to Glamour magazine, but this month they have either a ‘Badgal Eyeliner’, ‘Eye Bright’ eye pencil and the ‘It stick concealer’. On the website these products are all worth £14.00 each, but Glamour magazine is letting it go to the public for just a measly £2.00. I’m going to get all three! However the magazine itself is ok, it’s a slightly awkward shape and I’m not sure whether it s supposed to be a book or a magazine, and there are adverts inbetween each page which is not good.

Glamour magazine get 5/10 but the fact that it’s letting us get Benefit makeup for £2.00! puts its score up to 6/10

Doing?

This week I’ve been counting down the last three days of my degree, and its now all over, so to pass the bordom I’ve been playing lots of online arcade pc games. I downloaded a Hp Games add on ‘Wild Tangeant Orb’ which allows you to play and download free trials of some arcade games. My favourites are Farm Frenzy, Super Granny, and Build a lot. They all involve doing lots of different tasks at once, by looking after animals, children etc etc. They’re really fun and really addictive, and you get a free trial to play twice before you have the option to pay for the download of the game, or buy wild coins to play the full version and own it. I prefer the free option to just play a game twice, so it doesn’t get too boring and you can have lots of different games.

Wild Tangeant Orb games gets 7/10.

Overall this week has been a bit slow, but I have managed some road testing and trying out of new things for you! Now I’m off to handle the M62 back to Manchester! Next week here I come!

Sunday 6th June 2010

Well hello there few readers of mine, I'm back for another week of roadtesting! last week has been my last full week as University of York student, and I have managed to road test lots of nice things for you!! here goes.

1) Watching?

This week I paid a pilgrimage, like all females all over the world, to see the wondrous Carrie Bradshaw (SJP), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrell), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon), in their new film 'Sex and the City 2!' It's a return for the girls who first starred in an epic telvision series which inspired single women all over the world and who filmed their first film in 2008. This second movie is based around marriage and moving on with life without losing its sparkle. The girls fly to the colourful and rich Abu Dhabi and has some hilarious comedic scenes, and emotinal turmoil. Samantha has a hilarious role this time as someone trying to fight the menapause. Carrie has been married to Big for two years and feels her marriage is losing its sparkle and drive, and meets a long lost boyfriend who nearly costs her the love of her life. Miranda quits her top power job as she is not respected and has no voice, and Charlotte struggles with the responsibility of two small children.

The film itself is very pleasing, it's quite cheesy, very romantic, the costumes are beautiful and the locations they filmed are spectacular. The only negative is that it seems slightly over the top at times but is a film for women all over the world who have a voice!

 As a die hard SATC fan, I have to give it 9/10! I am Woman!

2) Reading?

This week I have been reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This book is set in Barcelona post the Spanish Civil War. It follows the lives of Daniel and his father, who own a book shop. When Daniel is very small his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and asks Daniel to pick one book that calls out to him. He picks a book by a man called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. This is when the book gets truly interesting, the author Carax is missing and presume murdered and there are no other copied of Julian Carax’s novels. There is a strange man with a burnt face called Lain Coubert, named after one of the characters in Daniel’s book, this man starts following Daniel and demands every copy of every book Julian Carax has ever written. While this is happening the police in Spain start arresting people close to Daniel and there becomes rumours of intrigue, lust, murder and mystery.

It truly is an excellent read, but I haven’t finished it yet so I shant tell you the ending. I shall recommend it to you and it gets a wondrous thumbs up and receives a nice rounded 8/10

3) Wearing?

This week I have been wearing a fantastic birthday present I received for my twenty first birthday from my lovely friends at University. I always a charm bracelet and so five of them decided to get me one. It’s a Thomas Sabo bracelet, and on it I was given four charms, a lovely green emerald for my birth stone, a shiny four leaf clover for luck, A ‘G’ for my first name and a tiny Eiffel tower as I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. I also brought myself a tiny silver diamante cross to go on it aswell. It’s a really nice idea for someones birthday because now i can get charms for other important events in my life and it will always remind me of my friends at Uni who I am leaving soon. It also looks beautiful and Thomas Sabo has lots of different charms to add to bracelets, necklaces and even watches and rings. If you’re looking for a special present for someone this is a brilliant way of showing a little bit of sentimentality.

For that reason it gets a sparkly 10/10

4)Listening?

This week I have been listening to a really great band called ‘Yeasayer’ and their album ‘Odd Blood’. This band from Brooklyn have a unique sound, with a mix of pop, rock and electro with some eastern influences and brilliant vocals. The lyrics are very poetic and it’s a really cool album to just chill out with, dance to and drive with in the car. The band is made up of the vocalist/keyboardist Chris Keating, the vocalist/guitarist Anand Wilder, basist Ira Wolf Tuton and the drummer Luke Fasano. My favourite song has got to be the single they released O.N.E and the song Mondegreen. Really brilliant music.

They get a very jazzy 8/10

5) Eating

This week as my Cupboards were bare, my and the fella sent out for some delicious pizze cheesy goodness from Dominos. I love dominos I love the variety of flavours especially Texas BBQ and the Mighty Meaty. As it was Tuesday we also got two for one on medium or large pizzas. They were delicious, my mouth is watering just thinking about them, and that garlic and herb dip. However they did take an hour to arrive, which is very bad considering it was a Tuesday and I orded them a5:30.

So for that Dominos you get 7/10 you would have got a 9/10 but I don’t wait around for anyone.

6) Using?

This week as it became marginally sunny and summery it was time to get the pins out so I needed to be nice and tanned. As I am an all year gradual tanner, I wanted to have a bit extra this time and I started using Garnier Ambre Solaire No-Streaks Bronzer. This product is a gel, it smells lovely you don't get any bad after smell of biscuits like you do from other tan products, and the colour was lovely. However it it is a bit sticky it takes a while to dry and it did leave tell tale tide marks around my fingers and feet which is  no no. Therefore this product gets a sticky 6/10



7) Purchasing?

This is a new topic this week, which is there to look at what I’ve purchased recently. So as I’m finish university very very soon, I’m going to the Graduate Summer Ball. I needed a dress! I’ve been everywhere trying on dresses, looking online and looking at what I already have, but found nothing. So I rallied the troops (i.e. my mother, shopper extraordinaire) and headed up to Coast. Now I’d been in Coast before but had found nothing! Zero. Zilch. However this time lurking behind some of the other dresses was a very beautiful green little number. Which is perfect, and although was a £75 worth of perfect, I just had to have it! Now I’m not going to show you a picture of my dress until I’ve been to the ball so you’ll have to wait a few weeks. But Coast is a really nice shop for prom dresses, ball dresses and outfits for weddings and races, and it’s worth looking around and trying on lots of different ones first, so you can figure out what suits you.

Coast has a massive range and they get a glorious 8/10.

8) Doing?

Finally this week in a bid to look gorgeous for the summer, I’ve taken up the dreaded evil exercise. As I will never set foot in a gym and felt a bit embarrassed I’ve gone down the route of the home exercise video. I plumped (get it plump!) for ‘Davina Fit’ Featuring Davina ‘This is Davina’ McCall. It’s a really good DVD, she works with two other instructors and divides all the exercises into five key stages, so you can pick what you want to do. The first stage is Aerobics Fit, which is really fats paced and eek sweaty, the second is Top Fit which is loads of exercises designed to keep your upper body toned, then there is bottom fit, for your legs and bum and Kick Fit, which is loads of Kick Boxing moves designed to strengthen your core. As well as this there is a really good cool down with Yoga Stretch which helps elongate your muscles and relax you totally. I’m not saying its a miracle or that I’ve been converted to eugh sport, but it does make you feel good and see results. The negatives is that it can be a bit tiring, and I hate the bottom fit as it hurts like hell! And Davina and the banter gets slightly irritating.

All in all it gets a pleasing ( and because I’m in a good mood) 7/10- But I do recommend you stretch properly before and after the workout and invest in some weights to see the full effect.

So thats all this week, I’ve been very generous and I hope you enjoy reading this week and tuning in next week. Much Roadie Love XX