De-clutter My Belongings Phase #1

Last night my mum was surprised to walk in and find me cleaning my makeup drawers. It was well overdue, and as discovered with my nail polish clear out, I had a lot to throw out!

I'm glad I did go through it all because the drawers were so full of stuff that I wasn't, and will never, use. As well as discovering some lost treasures! (Like my unopened, unused Benefit mascara...) I've tidied it all, reorganised, and cleaned the drawers out. Wooo

I'm intending to keep on top of this, and try to use up older makeup before going onto the new. Elsewise it will all just build up again!

If you have read my new years resolutions post, you will already be aware that one of my resolutions is to de-clutter my belongings. Therfore, my next job is to condense the drawers to fit all of my brushes into them, instead of having a box of brushes elsewhere because they don't fit. Also, to clean my brushes. Some of them are pretty gross at the moment! Shh, don't tell anyone...

I still can't believe how much I threw away... It was like a mass makeup grave...

Sleepy Sunday!

WHAT a week. Been a very busy bee recently! I'll give you a rundown...

Monday...

Arrived at work, and was thrown into going to London Toy Fair to set up because my colleague was not well! I had no idea what the plan was, and had to pretty much just wing it...it made for an interesting morning for sure! By the time I was back in the office most of the day was gone.

Tuesday...

Was not as eventful as Monday, the office was really quiet due to lots of people being on the stand at toy fair.

Wednesday...

Worked through a whole bunch of outstanding tasks that had been building up. the day went very fast, but got a lot done. After work I went to the gym, I was on the treadmill and attempting to jog, 90 second intervals between brisk walking. I was shattered by the time the half hour workout finished, so I got the bus to go home rather than staying for weight work...

Thursday...

Is the day me and my two admin colleagues were able to visit toy fair to have a look around. we pulled names out of a hat to see which two would go first, it was me and B, but there was a meeting in the afternoon that J needed to attend, so I bowed out and stayed in the office. once they had come back-with thrilling stories of toys and minions-I set off alone to toy fair. It was awesome, Really enjoyed wandering around looking at all of the stalls. One big disappointment was that due to being an 'exhibitor' the stand with loads of minion (as in, minions from Despicable Me) stuff wouldn't let me look at it! I LOVE minions, I even have a minion phone case. But alas, no dice. However, when I got back around to that stall the minions were out! Definitely got my picture taken with those little cuties!

Minions and myself! 

I have to say, even though it was really cool, it would have been a bit more fun if I was able to go around with someone. I was originally meant to go back to the office, but I ended up staying, having a free massage and bottle of wine with the sales managers. a very good afternoon at work! I helped pack up and get the boxed loaded onto the van, then accompanied the van back to the office to unload. Once all this was finished, it was 7.30pm. Leaving me with a long journey to the boyfriend's house (as I was staying the night there).

I finally got back to my hometown, and was waiting at the bus stop. a random guy decided to talk to me, he was a little drunk, and seemed to want to know my life story. Freaky much? So I was moving away from him, and ended missing my bus because of that. Thanks Ian the Random Guy. Tried and failed to get money out for a taxi - the cash machine wasn't working. Next step, get on the train and hop over to the town MrMan lives in, and bus/taxi from there. walked up to the bus stop, got there at the time the bus was supposed to, but it didn't come. the roads were super quiet, so I figured it had already passed the stop. decided to start walking, and find a taxi number while doing so. Once I had found the number, the operator answered, and did a call out to the taxis to see if anyone was available. no-one responded to her, so she came back onto the phone and simply said "I haven't got anyone in that area, bye" and hung up. Awesome. 40 minute walk in the dark & cold for me then. finally reached the BF's at about 11ish...

Friday...

The day did not start very well. Missed the bus I was going to get, the next one got me to the bus station not long before my train. 5 min walk to get to the station, I got there just as my train was pulling away. So I missed the train as well. Luckily, the next train would still get me in on time. Quite a normal day at work, though I did manage to make J cry with laughter. I don't even know how...I think we were all just going a bit loopy with end-of-the-week-itis. Had a mad rush to get some packages ready for Nuremberg Toy Fair (Germany) had these ready JUST in time for the delivery man to pick them up. And later realised there was one more box that needed to be sent. Oops. Luckily the courier was still able to come and pick the box up under a different reference number. Phew!

After all of this, the best part of the day happened. An evening out with two of my colleagues. we went for dinner in this awesome little restaurant in London Borough Market called the Banana Store. Very limited menu, but absolutely divine food. And wine. Happy days. We were meant to then go on to watch a musical-Candide-at Menier Chocolate Factory. I saw 'were' because we got there 3 minutes after the show had begun, and there weren't able to allow audience members in due to lots of backstage activity! Luckily, it is also a restaurant, so we had more wine, and a chocolate platter. Each. This part of the evening involved lots of giggling, and more laughter crying! We were able to go in to watch the second half after the interval. It was SO GOOD. I was totally gutted that we missed the first half. I would even consider getting tickets just so I can see the whole thing. I highly recommend watching it if you are in the area!

Overall, a highly enjoyable evening to end the work week with.

The Weekend...

I feel like I never stop! Saturday morning I had a driving lesson, during the day I took some time to relax a little, but then it was off traveling via bus to the boyfriends house, then to our friends house for drinking and a game of Cards Against Humanity (this is 'a card game for horrible people', according to the blurb on the box. SUCH a fun game. NSFW though...) which of course, was yet again another late night. Sunday, I had a bit of a lie in. It was glorious! then the BF and I met up with our friends and went to a shopping centre briefly, watched a film (at home, not cinema), then to Nandos.

After a very busy week, I am hoping this week will be a little calmer!

It won't be, but a girl can hope!

The Life Span of Nail Polish

Last week I went through my nail polish collection. I knew full well that a lot of it was going to need throwing out, so it was well past the time they should have been sorted out. I find it weird how some polishes keep forever, when others go off much quicker in comparison.

There's some in there that I've had since...I don't even know, since I was 9 maybe? That seem to be absolutely fine, where others that I got in the last couple of years have gone off. I know it's probably something to do with what's in the polish and whatnot, but it's still quite random. What's your oldest nail polish?

P.S. I threw away the ones I'd had for ages, they were small crap ones I don't use!

A Risk Worth Taking & Silent Revenge by Laura Landon

Two books by the same author. Figured it would be worth writing about these together! Also, SPOILERS ALERT! Only some, and only things that I found obvious.

The genre this story firmly sits in is historical romance. I quite like this genre, it's all old world-y and very different from today's society. Reading in this genre transports me into a whole world of different society values and expectations.

A Risk Worth Taking

I was unsure about what to expect from this novel. I liked the sound of the synopsis and the reveiws were mostly OK, so I thought it was worth a go.

The story focuses on our hero and heroine, and is told from both of their perspectives. First we meet our hero, an ex-intelligence officer who is guilt ridden, has a hero complex, and a drinking problem. (developed while trying to forget his guilt). This self hated comes up a lot through the book, and if it weren't for the antidote of our heroine's monologue, it would be very tedious. Griff has been avoiding his family (Griffs brother and his wife & children) for fear of old enemies from his intelligence days. His only friend is killed suddenly, leaving him quite distraught and torn over his friends last words "look after Annie". (This also adds to Griffs pile of guilt and tips him into drinking oblivion).

Our heroine-Anne-is left destitute after her brothers sudden death. She has a younger sister to support and no means of income. She does not wish to marry, as her parents had an unhappy marriage due to her father being a drunkard. She does not wish to end up like her mother-trying to make her husband love her, failing, then dying (we assume of heart break/losing the will to live). However, her situation is dire and she can't see any other solution. The distant cousin who claimed her brothers lands and title offers her the only solution possible. This character is the villain. The reader knows this from the offset due to the way Anne interacts with him. His solution is marriage to him, as the only way to survive. That is, until dear drunken Griff arrives with a different offer. An offer to come and stay with his brother and his brother's family for a season so she can select a suitable husband.

Griff becomes more and more involved with Anne's selections, being rude and overbearing towards all of her suitors. As the reader, we can decipher that it is because he cares about her. However he will not admit it. I won't explain the story further, as I wouldn't want to give it away!

I enjoyed reading this and finding out if the predictions I had made were correct (usually they were) and I liked the way the characters interacted. 

I wrote this review while on the train.
Then lost it when I accidentally hit the back button when jolted. So annoyed, had to re write everything!!!

Silent Revenge

I got this novel for a discounted price when I bought another romance on my Kindle. I recognised the artwork on the cover and checked to see if the author was the same as the above book. It was, so I decided to get it as I liked the first one I read.

First and foremost, not very impressed. It's the same basic storyline as the other one. Strong male with hidden past, some sort of illness making heroine look after him breifly without him knowing, a villain who wants something from the heroine&hero, who is involved in the same thing as the villain in the previous book...You see my point.

Having said this, there are some interesting twists to the story. The heroine's two secrets, for example. That part was well done, even if Jessica did go on about it in her internal dialogue...There were some well planned out parts of this, but it was like the two books were an entity with the same DNA, arranged differently. I do feel as though the author has a basic template for these storys and threw in different situations and characters.

Despite all of this, I still enjoyed reading it. Perhaps when I come to read my next Laura Landon's novel I'll make sure I havent recently read any others!

Sorry for the waffling on!
Happy Thursday!

Book review

Hello world!

Click the link below to hop over to my other blog for a review of Energise You by Oliver Gray. 

http://wp.me/p1VIS4-bQ

:)

Review: DISenchanted by Robert Kroese

Did I ever mention I love a good read? I  bought this book from the recommendations that come up on the first page of my Kindle Paperwhite (best invention ever) as it was on sale. It's not the sort of cover that would usually catch my eye, but I read the synopsis and decided that for such a small price, it was worth a shot. I was completely right. SO worth it.

This novel started out as episodes in Kindle Serials, where you (the reader) receives the episodes as the author finishes them. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for it to be finished. That drives me a little crazy because I'm impatient. I always have several unfinished series on the go!

The story is set in a fairytale-esque land called the kingdom of Dis. The story focuses on one character throughout, and has several flashbacks which explain his personality and how he got to where we meet him- at his death. Boris' death does not mean that the remainder of the book is retrospective, we follow Boris in his afterlife as a wraith. I found the storyline to be humorous and suprising. I liked that there were several moments when I couldn't decide if I actually liked Boris, It's refreshing to have a main character whom you are not always fond of.

The book includes helpful footnotes which assist in explaining obscure facts about Dis. Usually I find footnotes a little irritating, however these are worth reading as they are often quite funny. These added to the humour in the book.

Overall I found this to be a lighthearted and engaging story. One which I will most definitely be reading again.

New years nails

Twas the night before New Year, and all was in chaos. All were getting ready, even the mouse.

Doesn't quite have the same magical feel to it...

Anyway, I just wanted to write about my glitterazzi new year nails. For Christmas I got some super bright nail polishes, so I decided to wear these, and glam them up with glitter polish. I'd seen a great nail idea on pinterest a little while ago where the nail tip was glitter and it looked like it had traveled up the nail and dispersed (So lots of glitter at the tip to barely any at the cuticle). I wanted to give this a go, with my own brightly coloured twist-using my Christmas nail polish, and silver glitter polish.

So I did my nails all pretty and put a dense silver on the tips, and a sparse silver on the rest of my nails. It looked pretty cool.

As it turns out, the silver nail polish had gone off, leaving me with rotten smelling fingertips. And glitter that dried all weird and lumpy. Of course, by the time I'd realised this it was too late and I was already at the NYE party...Oh well...

Bring on 2014!

With 2014 arriving, I've been thinking about how fast this year has gone. And the past 3 years since I trotted off to uni land and back. I feel that I've achieved a lot in that time frame. Going to uni, surviving a long distance relationship, graduating, and gaining full time employment. For example. On the flip side of these, I feel there are a few things that I haven't been able to achieve yet. Including my 2013 resolutions... It's with these in mind that I made my 2014 goals, and I feel determined to make all of my resolutions happen in the coming year.

1. I will lose a minimum of two stone by July. Goals that seem more achievable are more likely to actually be achieved.

2. I will pass my driving test this year. This is on track For the end of Feb. Exciting!

3. I will manage my finances more successfully-pay off debt and start to ammas some savings.  I created a 2014 financial plan to assist me in this goal.

4. I will look after my skin by moisturising and exfoliating more often.  A little self-love is always a good thing!

5. I will de-clutter my belongings. I have too much stuff.

I've made a small poster which is up on my wall so I am reminded of them, and stay on track.

I feel that 2014 will be an interesting year, I don't know what to expect from it. I am no longer in education, so the framework of knowing roughly where I'll be in 6 months time is completely gone. It's like I'm suddenly adrift in real life, and the tide could take me anywhere! That sounds really cheesy...Buuuut, I don't care. :) 

What are your resolutions?