June Favourites - 2019

It's been a long time coming, but it is finally here - my June Favourites Video. As you can probably tell from the recent content I have been posting on my blog, I have been trying to look for ways to make posts seem more interesting. That lead me to making my June Favourites into a video as opposed to the usual lists that I make.

Here are my previous Favourites posts in case you have missed anything:

• January Favourites - Click Here
• February Favourites - Click Here
• March Favourites - Click Here
• April Favourites - Click Here
• May Favourites - Click Here

Apologies for the delay with this one, it was mainly due to trying to screen capture footage from the Sims 4. The Game and the screen capture software did not like each other which is why for half of the Sims things I mention it is my game play and the other half it is the reveal trailers for each pack I speak about. I am looking into sorting this as I would like to add Sims videos to the content that I am already producing!

I neglect to mention in this video that I also bought the Sims 4 Parenthood and the Sims 4 Bowling Night Stuff, so I am posting my thoughts of these stuff packs below.

Sims 4 Parent Hood

Parent hood is a really cool expansion pack. I like the little school projects that have been added to the game in particular, since they add that little bit of realism to the game. It takes me back to my days at school, where I would bring home a school projects and would ask my mum to help me with it!

I also love the spontaneous parent moments that come up in the game that shape the sim that your child will grow up to be, I think that is another really cool mechanic that has been added to the game. It's nice that its not something that pops up all the time, and when it does (in my experience at least) it has been a different scenario each time, which is a real improvement on the mechanic they have in place for the careers in the base game (it is similar in concept, but a lot of the time when you are in a certain career, the same issue pops up, meaning that once you know the "correct" answer you can click it every time, taking away from the thought process of deciding what is the right thing for your Sim to do!)

In my experience, this is one of the better Sims 4 Game Packs as I feel like it adds a lot more to your sims being parents as well as giving children more of a purpose in the game. I also like that the parenting moments sort of distinguish teen sims more from Young Adult Sims - in the base game they sort of felt like Young Adult sims that you had to send to school rather than get a career.

Sims 4 Bowling Night Stuff

Bowling has always been one of my favourite things to do, I really love going on a family trip to the bowling alley for a couple of games, so this pack has slowly become one of my favourites. 

I love the accessories that you can add to the bowling alley in build and buy mode and I really love the animations when you go to play bowling and the interactions that your sims have with each other whilst in this environment. 

This is definitely one of the stuff packs that I think is really worth your money, I was really surprised when I realised that this was actually a stuff pack and not a Game pack because it felt like there was so much content added to it. If this pack was not purchased as part of a bundle, I would consider buying it separately since it is definitely worth it, so in a bundle combined with parent hood makes it an absolute steal!

I really hope that you have enjoyed my June favourites and please do let me know if you would like me to make more favourites videos! I can confirm that my July Favourites would be a traditional post like the earlier ones purely because I am going away on holiday, so I don't really have much time to get that filmed and edited for you guys to watch, but maybe we could do this for my August Favourites. Who knows what will happen!

References:

• Sims 4 Strangerville Trailer - Click Here
• Sims 4 Luxury Party Stuff Trailer - Click Here
• Sims 4 Spa Day Trailer Trailer - Click Here

Music:

• Bensound: Buddy - Click Here
• Don't Leave me here alone - Click Here

June Favourites - Update

Hello everyone! So you are probably wondering where the June Favourites post is since July is nearly over and there has still be no sign of it! Well, I have decided to try and experiment with my content a big, and have created a June Favourites Video. I am still learning how to use the editing software, not to mention I am doing all of my editing on my laptop which is competing with snails for who is the slowest at the moment. Unfortunately it has taken a little longer than expected to get this video to you guys, but fear not! I am hoping that I will be able to upload this video for your enjoyment on Monday. Again, apologies for the delay, but I am working on it!

New Look!

Hello Everyone! So at the weekend I have worked on giving my blog a bit of a makeover, and I absolutely love how it looks right now!

The purpose of this post it to make you all aware that the formatting of some of the previous posts has changed slightly due to the new blog theme, and I have been unable to change a lot of them without having to delete and rewrite the whole post (which is something that I don't really have the time or effort to do right now!)

Many apologies for any inconveniences this causes, but I do hope that you enjoy this new theme and I look forward to chatting to you all again! I am looking into sorting these issues out, so although there will be no immediate changes, I will gradually try to get everything looking normal asap!

My Hogwarts House has Changed?!?!?!

So I was originally sorted into Gryffindor when I first took the Hogwarts house test on Pottermore when it first became a website.Now, almost ten years after originally taking the Hogwarts test, I have decided to re-take the test since I am curious to see if anything has changed over the past couple of years. Also, I don't really feel as though I identify with the Gryffindor house anymore, and I feel as though I should be in a different house. Watch this video to see what the results are:

Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2019

So it is currently July as I am writing this, meaning that we are into the seventh month of 2019! It is crazy how fast this year has gone already, and I have read some amazing books this year! Unfortunately, due to the high demands of my University course, I have not managed to read many books in the first half of 2019, which is why I have made the decision to also include plays/scripts I have read in this tag since they are still technically books. I have previously done this post before last year, I am updating everything for the books that I have read this year, so if you would be interested in reading last years edition of the mid-year book freak out click here. Without further ado, here is the mid-year book freak out 2019!

1) Best book read in 2019 so far?

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this books, it was one of the firsts books I read this year. It was a very interesting retelling of the little mermaid story, and related back to its origins rather than the sugar coated Disney movie (with I still have much love for!) It was a feminist retelling of the story, which was refreshing to read about, and I loved how much the female characters stood up for themselves and fought back in this story. That being said, there were many darker elements to the story, and some parts were quite brutal. It may not be a book for the faint of heart, but this should be on everyone's must read list, particularly for people with a love of fairy tales and fantasy. Also, the cover is so pretty, could you really leave this book on the shelf?

2) Best sequel read in 2019 so far?

Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical by Stacy Wolf

This book is not really a sequel, it is more a companion to the book "A Problem Like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical". Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and finding out new things about the industry that I would like to enter. Learning about the history and the struggles women have faced in the Musical Theatre industry has been fascinating, and although it seems like we have come a long way, its eerie to see that in reality, we have not made much progress at all.

3) New Release you haven't read yet but want to?

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertti

Although this may technically be a new release for 2018, I am including it on this list as I have owned this book since it first came out but I have not had chance to pick it up just yet. I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series - Simon versus the Homosapien Agenda - and am really excited to see what will happen to these characters next. I am particularly excited for the fact that seemingly the narrative is told from the point of view of an LGBT female character - mainly because I rarely have come across non-straight women in YA fiction (or any other type of fiction might I add! If there are any books with gay women in please throw suggestions my way, I would love to read abut women who are like me!) I really need to find time to read this book this year hopefully, as the first book was very good and I have a lot of high hopes for this book!

4) Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of 2019?

Of Ice and Shadows by Audrey Coulthurst

Leading on from above, I am really looking forward to reading the second book in the Of Fire and Stars Series as it is one of the rare book series with two lesbian protagonists. Both characters were very fleshed out and felt like four dimensional characters, and both were very likable. To top it of, this is a fantasy series, which is just the cherry on top of a Christmas cake as I love fantasy series and to read about these bad-ass gay women was awesome! I am really looking forward to the follow up to this story.

5) Biggest Disappointment of 2019?

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

I really hate to put this book in this answer on the mid year book freak out, but out of all the books I have read so far this year, it has been the one that has stuck with me the least. I really enjoyed this book and the concept behind it was very interesting, but it was not as fascinating as other books I have read this year have been. I feel like I haven't done a great job of selling this book to you, but I did write a review of it on Good Reads that you can check out!

6) Biggest Surprise of 2019?

Playing a Part by Daria Wilke

I feel like this is a story that focuses more on the characters than story itself. I really enjoyed reading it, it was a little short and I do think there may have been a couple of errors in translation as some of the phrases sounded very strange, but it was a lovely read! I also find it fascinating that a Russian Author wrote a story with an LGBT Protagonist, especially with all the LGBT rights issues going on over there, so it was a very bold move to make.

7) Favourite New Author

Louise O'Neil

I really enjoyed reading The Surface Breaks written by Louise O'Neil as mentioned above, and there was something about her writing style that I really loved. I will definitely be looking out for more books written by Louise O'Neil in the future.

8) Newest Favourite Character

Yeva from Hunted

 Yeva used to go hunting with her father in the wood as a child, but then when she grows up, she stops since it is something that a young lady shouldn't do. When their father is forced to sell his home and move to his hunting cottage with his three children, Yeva begins hunting again. Her father goes missing and Yeva goes into the forest to see what has happened to him, which is where she encountered the Beast.

I loved how awesome Yeva came across in this story and how she seemed to be a no nonsense taking girl (if that makes any sense to you). I also loved how she fought back and did not give up when she was initially held in captivity in the early stages of the book. She was a brilliant character to me and one of the strongest in the books that I have read so far.

9) A Book that made you Cry

Bare: a Pop Opera

When auditioning for Bare: A Pop Opera, I had no idea what the story was about, I only researched the characters I auditioned. So when it came to actually reading the script the heartbreaking ending, I was not emotionally prepared. I will not ruin it for anyone who has no idea what I am talking about, but I will say that if you get a chance to go and see this show, please go and see it! It is a lovely, tragic story and the music really helps to carry the story along. Even better, if you get the opportunity to be in Bare, AUDITION FOR IT!

10) Favourite Review you have wrote this year

The Surface Breaks

I think the review for The Surface Breaks that I wrote is my personal favourite from this year. It was a review that didn't feel forced and that I really enjoyed writing. 

You can read the full review of this books here.

11) Most beautiful book you have bought this year

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge 

I am unsure if this means the most beautifully written book I have read this year or the book with the most beautiful cover that I have bought this year, but I have taken it as the latter. I have not had the chance to sit down and read The Lie Tree as of yet, however, the hardback copy that I bought in the middle of this year is very pretty, and it is easily the prettiest book I have bought this year so far.

12) What books do you need to read by the end of 2019?

There are probably too many books that I need to read to put all of them on my list, so I have just picked a select few to put on this list (that I will have to read now since I have written them down):

• The Game of Thrones Series by George R R Martin
• All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher 
• The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
• A Counjuring of Light by V.E Schwab
• Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green
• Things a Bright Girl can Do by Sally Nicholls
• A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 

You'll Never Make It...

People think it is incredibly cute to enroll their children into dance lessons. When their child comes up to them at the age of 4 saying that they want to be a ballerina, so they enroll them into ballet lessons. It will be a chance for them to met new friends, they will think, they will have a skill that will set them apart from others, they think. Yet, when their child is 13-14 years old saying they want to persue a career in the performing arts, it stops being cute. It starts becoming serious. How are they going to survive in an unstable career field? How will they buy a house? How will they live? 

This may be surprising, but they will already know how difficult the industry is, and making them feel down about themselves will do nothing for their confidence. They already know that only the extremely lucky people manage to get hired, yet they still want to put the work in and train their hardest, even just to try to achieve the career of their dreams. 

It is also likely that they are not even doing this for the fame either. They want to do this since it is something they love and a willing to work for, just as a child wanting to train to be a teacher, or a doctor. They may want to do theatre, but that doesn't mean they want to be in the West End or on Broadway. They may want to set up their own theatre company and tour shows locally in the area they live. They may want to do TV and Film, but that doesn't mean they want to be in Hollywood Blockbuster movies, they may want to be in indie films and independent wed series. 

When parents hear that their children want to pursue a career in the performing arts, they act asthough their child has failed them. All those years they wanted young Susan to become a Doctor, since that's what all the clever children do and it is a stable career field with good pay, and she turns around and says she wants to become a professional dancer.

Its terrible! THE SHAME!

People who haven't really considered the performing arts as a career field don't really understand how mentally exhausting all this negativity from family and friends can be, it is already difficult enough. You think you are an incredible singer, until someone comes along ho has been classically trained since they were 3 years old. You think you are an incredible dancer, until someone with amazing dancing skills comes along and does a triple pirouette without hesitation. You think you are pretty, until someone comes into the audition room looking like you, but slightly prettier. 

You are constantly up against competition, fighting for a chance to be able to audition for something you might not even end up being a part of, and the added voice from family and friends saying that acting is an incredibly unstable job opportunity really does not help. 

So yeah, pursuing a career in the performing arts, you may not make it, but it is definitely worth a try if its truly what you want to do with your life. No job field guarantees a stable job at the end of it. I worked in the financial services industry whilst taking a gap year between leaving college and going to university, and within 3 months of working their I was told that I would be getting made redundant. So why hold yourself back from what you truly want to do? No job is truly stable, the company you work for may go bust any day, or they might decide that they want to cut down on their staff and let you go. So if I'm going to have to make a career choice, I'm pursuing my dream. I might never make it, but at least I have tried, it would be better than turning back and doing a job I hated without even trying.

May Favourites - 2019

It is that time of the month again, and I must apologise that this months list is a little bit delayed. I have many favouries this month that are directly from my showcase that I performed at the end of May, which I didn't mean for this much to sneak through onto this list, but there we go. Hope you enjoy reading my favourites from the month of May!

Music

She's my Sister
(from The In-Between) 

Before researching for my showcase, I had not heard of the concept musical The In-Between. It was suggested for my and the girl I was working with to have a look at this duet and play with it to be in the show, and when we listened to it I really liked it. t had a very realistic sister relationship to me, one which reminded me of my relationship with my own sisters, which I loved and wanted to work to bring to life on stage. It was also exciting that there is not really a filmed video of a fully staged version of this song, so our ideas were original and we were able to interpret the characters ourselves and not worry about imitating somebody else's portrayal..

They don't make glass slippers

 (from Soho Cinders)

What a beautiful song! I am ashamed that I have never heard of this song before now! This is yet another song we used in our end of year showcase that I was introduced to (spoiler alert, that is pretty much what the entire of this section is) and it just hasn't left my head. The music is amazing and the lyrics are hauntingly beautiful in a sad way (if that made any sense at all). I am interested to see Soho Cinders as a full musical one day and will be looking further into the soundtrack.

Bring on the Monsters

 (from The Lightning Thief)

I appreciate a song with good harmonies and parts where people sing different things on top of each other (there is probably a technical term for that!), so this song is right up my street! Although there is no alto harmony in the cast recording when it is written in the sheet music with is a little bit annoying, this song is very feel good and quite empowering. I had no idea there was a Percy Jackson musical and I am totally useless when it comes to explaining the plot of the books/movies so I cannot say how faithful it is as an adaption, I'm just approaching this song from a "hey, this is a song I appreciate" perspective.

So in Love 

(from Kiss Me Kate)

This is a song where I don't have an awful lot to say about it, I just listen to is and am like "that is a nice song". I'm not 100% sure of the context of the song, I have only seen Kiss me Kate once and did not really understand what was going on, but this is a song that I really liked.

Breathe 

(from In the Heights)

I am one of those terrible rare people who have not listened to In the Heights (in my defence, it is one of those musicals that I would prefer to see first then listen to). But this is a song I have heard a few times being sung by people in my Musical Theatre classes, and it is a song that I really love. The fear of disappointing everyone you know for dropping out of college is something a lot of people can relate to - hey, even I was wondering if I had made the right decision at the beginning of the year and feared what my parents would say if I came home - and that sort of emotion is really brought across in this song. Again, I have no idea the context of this within the musical, this is just stuff that I have picked out from listening to the song a couple of times so I could be completely wrong in what I'm saying.

Daryl is a Boy (and he lives in my closet)

This is a song that I was contemplating doing as a solo in m showcase and is a song that I love. It is from a musical theatre cabaret and isn't in a full on musical, but it is still a very silly but good song. I was told to look a lot more at comedy in classes which is why I came across this song. Although I didn't do this in our show at the end of it, I still really like this song and would love to add it to my rep book!

Shopping

Mickey Mouse Bag and Purse

This might be the rainbow mickey mouse bag that everyone has been going crazy over in Primark. I absolutely loved these purchases, the bag was £12 and the matching purse was £6, and I have to say they were very much worth the money! I feared that glitter would shed everywhere when I initially saw it online and thought that after a couple of uses there would be little patches where there was no longer glitter, but this is not the case! This bag is all packed up now to take on holiday, which I know already this is going to be a holiday hit! The purse is just as lovely, it is very spacious inside with plenty of rooms for cards and money.

Minnie Mouse Ears

I have always wanted a pair of Minnie Mouse ears every since I first visited Walt Disney Wold in 2007, but the official Disney ears are rather pricey. For my holiday this year I bought custom made Minnie Mouse ears online and they are absolutely lovely! I cannot wait to wear these in the Magic Kingdom!

New Hair Style

So I changed up my hairstyle a little bit during the month of May. I have been cutting it myself for about a year now, and decided it was time to get it sorted. I got it cut and highlights added, and I absolutely love how it looks. As expensive as hair salons can be, I love how my new hair looks and it was definitely worth the money!

Showcase leotard and skirt

The end of this month was my First Year Showcase at University, so I needed to get my costume sorted! I bought this leotard and dance skirt off Amazon, not expecting much from them since they were inexpensive and were not from an official dance shop. However, I was very impressed with what arrived in the post. The leotard was very well made for the money it cost, and I am incredibly impressed with how the dance skirt looks on. The downside was that I totally underestimated the size that I needed for the leotard and we had a couple of wardrobe malfunctions during the dress run of our show. This was resolved though for the final show, I ended up having to sew myself into it, which meant that there were no bathroom breaks for me during the show! Still, I am very pleased with how it looked on the night of the 

Revolution Pro Full Coverage Camouflage Foundation

My foundation was running out, and the foundation I had was the No7 Stay Perfect foundation. I bought this when I was at work and had a bit of extra spending money, but I couldn't really afford to get this foundation again once it had ran out. So I hit the highstreet trying to find a cheaper alternative to my older foundation. Then I came across this foundation. It is very full coverage, I accidentally put too much on my face the first time I used it meaning I looked like a ghost, so it needs to be used sparingly, but I love this foundation, and don't think there is another drug store foundation that I would buy alternatively to this. 

Foundation available to buy here.

Revolution Pro Loose Finishing Powder

As with the above item, I needed a new setting powder and found this in the revolution section of my local Superdrug. I was a little skeptical at first, since the powder is completely white so I did not know how it would look on. But I have fallen in love with how this looks. I would say a downside to this product is that it seems to go all over the place whenever I use it, but I'm not sure if that is the product itself or if its just me being unable to function like a proper person.  Still, this was a great substitute to my other setting powder.

Setting powder available to buy here.

Shows

Avenue Q

Avenu Q was a production that was put on at my university, about two days after we finished up with Bare: A Pop Opera. So I went with my fellow cast members to support the cast of Avenue Q and I was very impressed. I loved what they had done with the set design and was very impresses with what they had done with the puppets. I think that some people were cast very well in their roles and could easily be switched with some cast members on the UK Tour and people wouldn't realise that they weren't supposed to be there. Well done guys, you did a fantastic job.

Trouble in Tahiti

This is another production that was put on at my university, this time by my friends in the first year Performing Arts class. I had no idea what Trouble in Tahiti was before seeing it at the Stanwix Theatre - I believe this was the reaction of most people who came to see the show - but these guys did an amazing job with it. I believe it is actually supposed to be an opera, but the cast performed it in more of a contemporary musical theatre style which was anything but a bad decision.  I don't think there was one member of the cast that felt out of place in the show. Plus the set design was phenomenal! I know that there had been a couple of unavoidable hiccups before the show, but I am so glad that you got over this and pulled this off since I really enjoyed it!

So there you have it! My favourites for the month of May. Let me know what your favourites were for last month, I would love to know! I have been doing this series since January and have a post for each month, so if you have not read those posts yet, click the links down below!

January Favourites - Here
February Favourites - Here
March Favourites - Here
April Favourites - Here

Last Days at University

So if you have not been keeping up with my social media posts, you may not have been aware that this weekend I moved out of the Halls of Residence at my University, as I have finished with first year. I grew very attached to the flat that I stayed in, so I created a video of the last couple of days I spent at my accommodation so I will have those memories of that flat to keep.

Hope you enjoy, and as mentioned before I would like to continue creating content like this so let me know your thoughts and if you have any suggestions!

April Favourites - 2019

It is that time again! I would like to apologise about the lack of posts lately, this was due to the amount of work I had for uni plus having rehearsals every night, but now things seem to be calming down a little bit so I will try to get back to my usual upload schedule. Anyway, if you have missed any of my previous favourites lists you can find them here:

• January Favourites
• February Favourites
• March Favourites

Without further ado, here are my favourites for the month of April!

Movies 

A Star is Born (2018) 

I missed this move when it was in the cinemas due to being too busy with Uni work at the time, but while I was home over the Easter Holidays I made sure to find time to watch this, and it was a great decision. A Star is Born is not the movie I expected it to be, but it was a good one. The music was beautiful, and I was also really impressed with Lady Gaga's acting skills (though there was never a doubt that she wouldn't be good, since she has been amazing since day 1). I absolutely loved the story, as tragic as it may be, as it displayed what being in the music industry may be like and also the troubles celebrities may go through with drugs and alcohol without sugar coating or glamorising that type of lifestyle. 

A Star is Born (1976) 

I watched this straight after the 2018 remake since my mum had told me that she really enjoyed this version more. I really liked watching this version of A Star is Born; I felt like the characters in this version were much more likable than the characters in the 2018 version. However, this could just be due to the time period that the movie was made in and the type of characters in movies at the time that this movie was made. Although this version was very good, it did feel very dated and it was obviously set in the 70's. This does not hinder the movie in anyway; it's my opinion that the 2018 version updated the story very well.

Avengers: Endgame 

Arguably the most anticipated movie of 2019, Avengers Endgame met a lot of my expectations. Following on from the story of Infinity War, it is the perfect end to the 11 years that Marvel has spent building up the MCU. I love the character development in this movie, this is referring to both older and newer characters. A particular favourite character of mine was Black Widow; I have always liked her, but she was particularly good in this movie. There were so many great action sequences and many emotional moments. It is a movie you do not want to miss, so if you have not already, get yourself down to the cinema!

Hanna

Here is a movie that I have not watched since it came out originally on DVD. Hanna is a movie I rediscovered when looking for something to watch and I found it collecting dust in one of the cupboards at home. It is one of those rare movies with a strong female lead who is not over-sexualised and who doesn't have a romantic plot line. It is so refreshing to see, and I can't believe I forgot about this movie. The soundtrack is also very good, not to mention the performances from the actors in this movie.

Shows

The Addam's Family Musical 

This was a musical that was being performed by the second year Musical Theatre students in my university, so I went along to support them and it was brilliant. I loved the music in this show, even though I had heard the songs "When you're an Addams" and "Pulled" before, and was surprised at the story line as it did not follow my expectations for the show. I went into this show having no idea what was going on (which in my opinion is the best way to go and see a show!) and I had also never seen anything Addams Family related, and I was surprised that I really like it. It was a very good show, and my friends in second year did a very good job performing it!

Bare: A Pop Opera

At the end of April, I performed Bare: A Pop Opera playing the character Rory. I had an amazing time being a part of this show and I am now very sad that it is over. I have previously spoken about my thoughts on the show itself in my March Favourites, so if you would like to see what I thought click here.

I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this production, having the chance to work with a lot of talented people and make new friends from different year groups and courses. It was challenging to step into since this is the first show that I have been involved in in two years, but it was so nice to be able to get back into the swing of things and to do something that I love. 

 Shopping

Doughnut Skirt (Lindy Bop) 

I have been in love with Lindy Bop for almost a year now, with many of their skirts and dresses making their way into my wardrobe. I was looking for clothes for my upcoming holiday, and found this lovely doughnut skirt, which I instantly fell in love with!

Each doughnut on the skirt has a different design making the skirt a colourful and quirky item. I wore it over the Easter Holidays and was complimented by many people on it. It is a lovely length - personally I have a preference for longer skirts, and this style is perfect for the warmer summer months, especially if you are someone who doesn't really want to show much leg! You could probably wear one of the Lindy Bop petticoats underneath to get the 1950's silhouette if you wanted to achieve that look, but I personally prefer it without the petticoat, especially for what I want to wear the skirt for.

You can find this skirt on the Lindy Bop website here. 

Red Trousers (Primark) 

These were an amazing find for me while I was shopping in Primark for more holiday clothes. Ususally I go for jeans or leggings and I tend to avoid trousers, but I found these and wanted to give them a try and I loved them! The fabric is nice and light so they are definitely perfect if you are going somewhere and want to keep the sun off your skin but also want to stay cool (I need stuff like this since fair skin does not mix well with the sun!). They have definitely become one of my favourite pieces that I have bought for my holiday and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of them.

Sandles (Primark) 

Another thing from Primark! I fell in love with these sandals when I saw them - I am a victim for anything shiny though so its no surprise these ended up in my shopping basket!). They are of lovely quality, especially for the price that I bought them for - and I thought they would be nice for any time I need to go somewhere on holiday and be a little bit more dressy. 

The Game of Thrones Box Set

I have been waiting for years for George R R Martin to write the next Game of Thrones book so I could make a start on reading the series, but it does not look like that book is going to be released any time soon. So I decided to read the series anyway! I absolutely love this boxset, it was a bargain since it would have cost me much more to buy all of the books separately, plus if came with a map which is handy to look at when reading so I can figure out where all of the chapters are happening and where each character is heading. This is my introduction to the Game of Thrones Series so no spoilers please! I already get enough from my family talking about the TV show!

This boxset is available on The Works website here.

Other

Malteaser Cakes

I love baking and it makes me so sad that while I'm at University I don't really have the things I need to bake in my flat. I took advantage of going home and made some chocolate malteaser cakes which were amazing! It's fair to say they did not last in the house for very long! The recipe I followed was from the Hummingbird Bakery but I cannot remember the exact recipe or book that I got the recipe from.

That's it for another month! I hope you enjoyed reading about my April Favourites! Please let me know what your favourite things were this month!

March Favourites - 2019

A new month means a new favourites list! If you have missed my previous favourites posts, you can find my January Favourites here and my February Favourites here.  March has been an incredibly busy, but exciting month for me, so here are my favourites for this month!

TV Shows

Young Justice: Outsiders

I have been waiting for so long for Young Justice Season three to be released and I was so glad when it finally was released this year! I watched the first half of this season in March and I really enjoyed where the series is going. I really like the new characters that have been included, and the older characters are still as fabulous as they have ever been! The animation in this series also looks so much better than it has in the previous two seasons and it has really helped keeping Young Justice relevant. I am looking forward to the second half of this season which is set to be released in June, so I am sure you will see it making a reappearance on a future favourites list!

Books

On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher 

This may be a little late to the party, but I finally read Carrie Hope Fletcher's first book! I really enjoyed this story, I thought that the concept was an original idea. Something I think that lets this book down is the names of some of the characters, like "Evie Snow" and "Vincent Winters". Not that there is anything particularly wrong with the names, I just feel like they sound like Carrie couldn't think of any other surname to give to her two main characters, and they took me out of the story sometimes by thinking "These names sound a bit silly". Nonetheless, the book is written very nicely, and it is a lovely feel good book. 

Shopping

Aldi Chocolate Unicorn 

This may be something really silly to include on this list, but I was really happy when I found this unicorn in Aldi whilst out shopping. It looks so cute and the chocolate itself was actually really nice (yes, Sparkle the Unicorn is no more! RIP). It was a lovely little buy this month and I felt like it needed to be included in this list.

Revolution Make-up (Various)

So I needed a new eyeliner and I walked down to my local Superdrug, and I ended coming home with ten lipsticks, a concealer, a brow-kit and a primer as well as the eyeliner that I originally needed. My Bank Account was not best pleased with these purchases but it was definitely worth it in the long run. Just to clarify, these are the products that I bought that weekend (plus the links to them online in case you wanted to buy them yourself!):

• Revolution Pro Full Coverage Camouflage Concealer: C2 - Click Here
• Revolution Pro Lipstick Collection: Reds - Click Here
• Revolution Pro Lipstick Collection: Bare - Click Here
• Revolution Ultra Brow: Fair to Medium - Click Here

Firstly, lets talk about the concealer! The coverage on this concealer is very good, it is easy to blend and stays on until I take off my make-up. It doesn't look cakey underneath my foundation either which is a plus! The only thing I would say is that you shouldn't use a lot at a time, since it is a thick consistency, so a little goes a long way!

Next are the lipstick collections that I bought. I think I was going slightly mad when I decided to buy ten lipsticks, but it happened. The lipsticks them selves are really nice. I wouldn't really say there is a shade that I dislike in the packs that I bought, all of them are really nice shades that compliment my skin tone. They are also quite long lasting. You do need to do a re-application after eating, but other than that the colour stays.

Lastly, the Brow kit. I was not someone who really cared about my eyebrows before buying this kit, but it has changed my whole perspective since buying it! It comes with two waxes and a selection of powders which look really great; they also allow you to change up your look a lot - if you want a more bold brow or a more subtle brow. 

Shows

Bare: A Pop Opera 

I was obliged to watch this show since I had been cast in it, and I had no idea what it was about. I think it's fair to say that Bare: A Pop Opera is now up there with my all time favourite musicals! I absolutely love the music in this show, there are some amazing songs, not to mention the harmonies in this show! (I love a good harmony! Don't Judge!) The show brings up the topics that nobody wants to talk about in a normal conversation - religion, coming out, teen pregnancy, drug use ect - and I am really surprised that it is not more popular than it already is. The way the characters are written also make them seem realistic, and they actually behave like teenagers probably would put in that situation - take away the speaking to music but it wouldn't be a musical without that part!

Blood Brothers 

I went to see this show for the second time after being given tickets for Christmas, and it did not disappoint. I have always loved Blood Brothers, ever since looking at it in my GCSE classes, but seeing the musical live has made me find a new found love for it. For my school assessment, we acted out the script and cut out all of the songs; after seeing the show live this decision  baffles me. The music is something that makes Blood Brothers so great, it just wouldn't be the same without it! The performances of each of the actors were amazing, some still being the same actors that were on the 2018 tour, some being new cast members, but over all it was such an emotional piece. 

Music

Heathers (2018) Cast Recording 

So the 2018 Heathers cast recording was released at the beginning of this month, and I am so happy that it was! This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the original cast recording, it is absolutely fantastic, but there is something so refreshing about hearing the same songs sung buy these new talented actors.

There were three new songs added to this album, You're Welcome, Never Shut Up and I Say No. I would like to address these songs individually since they are the major differences to the original soundtrack (other than the new cast).

First of all, You're Welcome. This song replaced Blue from the Off-Broadway cast recording, and I am so glad it did. As much as I love Blue, it always felt a little out of place for me and kind of took away from the rest of the album. To me, the song always sounded like it was trying to be funny for the sake of being funny. You're Welcome is s a much better fit for the album in my opinion. I have not see this in the context of the show, but seeing two different productions of Heathers the Musical with Blue being performed at my college confirmed my feelings about the song. You're Welcome is so much darker than Blue, one line in particular that stands out to me is, "Hey, you wanted to be popular", implying that when becoming one of the Heathers Veronica automatically consented for the boys to make sexual advances on her (which is obviously not the case, but it really comes across in Kurt and Ram's character and makes them seem to be much more of a threat to Veronica rather than being there for a moment of comic relief). This song fits the dark comedy tone of the musical much better and sounds brilliant on the new album. 

In the original script for Heathers, there is a reprise to the song Blue, but on this album, Never Shut Up is in the place where this should be. I do not think this is necessarily a direct replacement for the Blue reprise, but since Blue had been cut, they would naturally have to replace this reprise with something else. Personally, this song is one of m favourite songs on this album. I had always felt like the original version of Heathers the Musical was missing a song for Heather Duke, Heather Chandler and Heather McNamara both had featured parts in Candy Store and then solos later on in the show, but Heather Duke never really had a moment to shine, which didn't really make much sense to me. This song really enforces that Heather Duke is now the person running the show at Westerburg High, and again like with You're Welcome, this song really fits with the tone of show and I feel like it really shows the darker side of what High School life can be like.

Finally, I Say No. This is a completely new song that was put into the musical, it hasn't replaced a previous song unlike the other two songs I have looked into. I absolutely love this song, it really gives Veronica a strong moment to stand up to JD and shows that she is finally done with him. My issue with this song is that Seventeen just a little bit before it and is pretty much the same character moment for Veronica. It's not that I think that this song should full on replace Seventeen or that this song should not have been added into the show, it's just that it feels like a bit of a repeat moment that isn't necessary and is put in to make Act 2 longer. All in all though, this is a brilliant song. 

The new cast sound really good on the recording, and this is just a very good cast album that you should give a listen!

All Grown Up from Bare: A Pop Opera 

Further up on this list, I talked about Bare: A Pop Opera, and one song that really stood out to me was All Grown Up, a song that comes in Act 2 of the musical. I love a good belt song in a musical, and this song is no exception. Again, like the whole musical, it talks about a taboo subject - teen pregnancy. When you usually hear about this subject, it usually blames the young mothers for being irresponsible and says that they got themselves into this situation, when in reality this is not always the case. This song seems to show the other side, and although this song may not speak for everyone going through a teen pregnancy, it certainly shows you a different perspective of the subject. I really love this song and it is definitely one I have added to my rep book!

So there you go, that was my favourites for March. I hope that you enjoyed reading this post and I will see you in the next one!

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher - A Review

This may be a little late to the party, but I finally read Carrie Hope Fletcher's first book! I really enjoyed this story, I thought that the concept was an original idea.

Evie Snow has lived a long and relatively happy life but now she is dead, she's suddenly faced with a door that won't open. Evie realised that her three biggest secrets are holding her back from entering her own heaven and she now has to face them and share her biggest, and secret, love story with the people in her life.

This was a really lovely idea for a story, and I love the idea that people face doors when they enter the afterlife. There is a hint of magical realism portrayed in some of the phrases of the book that gave it the feeling of a fairy tale. The story was enjoyable as a sweet romance, but there was not really much more to it than that.

Evie Snow felt very much like a self insert character for Carrie Hope Fletcher, which isn't really an issue but she felt very much like a Mary Sue character. She was constantly being told how great she was by the other characters in the book. We were told a lot of things about Evie from other characters, but we on't actually see much from Evie herself.  It was a story about an adult woman being told what she should do with her life by her adult mother.

Considering these characters are supposed to be 27 years old, they came across as rather childish. Not that a 27 year old cannot come across as a bit immature, but when reading the book I did feel as though I was reading about a group of children, this coupled with the was Evie is treated by her mother emphasized the fact that I believed these characters were much younger than they actually were. I do believe that this may have something to do with the fact that this is Carrie's debut novel, so I do hope that there is some improvements in the writing of the character's in her other books.

Another thing that bothered me a little with this book was the surnames of some of the characters we meet, like "Evie Snow" and "Vincent Winters". Not that there is anything particularly wrong with the names, I just feel like they sound like Carrie couldn't think of any other surname to give to her two main characters, and they took me out of the story sometimes by thinking "These names sound a bit silly". Nonetheless, the book is written very nicely, and it is a lovely feel good book.

All in all,. this was a very lovely feel good book that is a nice quick read for someone looking for something to make them feel happy, but it is not a complex novel. Not that it is trying to be a very complex story, but if that is the type of book you are looking for then I would suggest looking elsewhere for a different book.

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neil - A Review

A book that has been on my to read list for quite some time HAS FINALLY BEEN READ! This was definitely a 50% cover buy 50% book buy because the artwork on the cover of this book is beautiful!

The story is a retelling of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, and when reading a synopsis before purchasing the book it was clear that this would not be the sugar coated Disney tale that most people are familiar with. Having said that, the story was much darker than I expected it would be. The store clearly sold this book as a feminist retelling, which is exactly what the story is, and is something that I have never come across before for the story of the Little Mermaid.

The Story starts out when the youngest daughter of the Sea King turns fifteen years old. We are taught how the monarchy works underneath the surface and are introduced to all of his daughters. The royal family live in a rather sinister way and it is clear that there is definitely a corrupt side to the king. The Women are basically seen as pawns that are only good to be sold to a potential suitor. They have no voices of their own and are told to smile whenever it is necessary. Gaia is just a girl with her head in the clouds who is willing to risk everything. She is searching for someone who will adore her for who she is and not because of her looks and her royal status.

This book definitely captures the dark essence of the original book. It brings into the play the question: is it truly love at first sight or is is lust at first sight? It is a tragic tale for Gaia, but it is understandable why she desires to leave home.

This is one of the best fairy tale retelling stories that I have read. The author managed to capture the devastation and gruesome tale that we are familiar with, and added a modern twist to it which made it such a unique read. The feminism arc in this story is very important and it shows that women aren't as weak as men may perceive them to be, they have their own voices and demand to be heard.

Hunted by Megan Spooner - A review

Hunted was a book that I really enjoyed reading.  I really liked how it was a retelling but tried to be different to the story that we already know. Yeva used to go hunting with her father in the wood as a child, but then when she grows up, she stops since it is something that a young lady shouldn't do. When their father is forced to sell his home and move to his hunting cottage with his three children, Yeva begins hunting again. Her father goes missing and Yeva goes into the forest to see what has happened to him, which is where she encountered the Beast.

I liked how the relationship built up between Yeva and the Beast, but overall I was not a huge fan of the romance as I felt like that element of the relationship was very rushed into the story. It was great that you could see that they began to understand each other, and a sort of friendship formed between them.

It was a fun book to read, not the best but every book has its flaws and I personally really enjoyed reading this book. It was a very easy to get through and took me three days to finish. I'd say if you were looking for a more romantic book or a book with intensive world building, then this book may not be for you since as mentioned before, the romance feels very rushed, and there is little to no world building in the book.