Wiki How, you saucy minx.

The other day I was looking something up on Wiki How and a little message (pictured right) popped up at the bottom of the page when I finished the article. The message suggested I wrote an article on becoming an author. Now I'm sure this is just a sign of how much information the internet collects on us, who we are and the stuff we Google but for a second - boy, did it inflate my ego.

Song of the Day: One Love by Aiden

"The demon, your ghost eyes

Watching me run through our lives
A soft look, in silence
Misery come and find us
Well don't try to stop me
I'm headed straight to hell down

I want you, I need you now"

Song of the Day: I'm Only Human Sometimes by William Control

"Yeah I want my life to begin,
All I have to do is let the right one in"

February Writing.

So I had planned to treat February like NaNoWriMo and try to sit down each day to get closer to completing a novel in a month.
How did I do?
Well I didn't.
I didn't really get to do anything. With work and all that's going on I just didn't find the time to write. February is a short month and it seems to have really flown by. If I can do this at some other point in the year then I shall. I think I'm putting a bit of pressure on myself to get things done when it's still only the second month of the year, I'm just so determined to get the most out of this year.
Oh well, we'll see. There's still plenty of time to go...

Song of the Day: Ja, Das Ist Meine Melodie by Carice Van Houten

Recommended Reads!

As Wednesday dawns, so does another segment of Recommended Reads. What is recommended reads? It's a weekly segment where I recommend a couple of things I've seen around the internet lately with you lovely people in the hopes that you'll enjoy it too.

Here are the picks for this week:

• Author Lemony Snicket has picked out 13 passages from children's literature that are actually more sinister than they may first appear; this makes and interesting read.
• Here are some harsh realities about the wizarding world that may change the way you think about Harry Potter. 
• The 10 Best Parties in Literature. Yes guys - Gatsby is on there, don't worry.
• 25 Interesting Facts you Probably Didn't Know about the show Friends
• BuffFeed: 19 Horrifying Vegan Problems. I'll be honest, I had a good chuckle...

Song of the Day: Sleeping Sun by Nightwish

"I wish for this night time 

To last for a lifetime
The darkness around me
Shores of a solar sea
Oh how I wish to go down with the sun
Sleeping
Weeping
With you"

Song of the Day: Suicide Note by Johnette Napolitano

"I wanted to believe
As I watched your world
Crumble in your hands
I wanted to believe
As you raised your glass
To your last stand
And I wanted to believe
You would win
The war in your head
That I did not understand"

a

Motivational Monday: Moving Past Grief

It has been a hard few days since the loss of my childhood friend and loyal dog, Hamish. I'd had him for so long, for over two thirds of my life I think, and I had just started to hope and almost believe he was invincible.

It's important to remember all the good times. It's also really important to grieve, to have your feelings and just let them sit out to air in the open. Often when you tell people about a loss they instantly want to rob you of your feelings.

"Well look on the bright side..."
"Think of all the good times, don't dwell on the bad"
"What can I do to make you feel better?"

That's the thing. I don't want to feel better. There's something about grief, in it's very nature, that requires acknowledgement. I need to feel and I need to respect my feelings. I need time to process what's happening around me and if that means spending some time on my own or just feeling sad then that is what I need to do.  This isn't the most obviously motivational post but I suppose the overall message is that if you're going through something tough then just feel your feelings and don't be afraid to feel. Take the time you need to process what's going on in a way that is best for you. Check in with yourself and make sure you're doing whatever is best for your own emotional needs.

If you have a dog, go give them a big hug for me, okay?

The Crazy List

So if you read my blog a lot then you're probably aware of my B425 List which is a list of things I want to achieve before I turn 25. Well, I also realised that there are things I want to do beyond that but they're perhaps a little harder to achieve. They may take a whole life time to accomplish. That said, I wanted to share some of them with you. These ones are a little bit more... out of my control.
So here it is...My crazy list of things I'd love to accomplish in life but will prove more of a challenge and these aren't things that I feel I can really put a time limit onto. Let's consider this a bucket list of sorts...

I want to...

• Cuddle an orangutan
• Travel. I want to visit America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Amsterdam, etc. I want to do at least one Lord of the Rings related tourist trip whilst in New Zealand.
• See a quokka in real life
• Picket a Westboro Baptist Church picket. Let's see how it makes them feel...
• Have my own make up line - even if it's just an eyeliner and a few eyeshadow shades. I'd love that. 
• See sea turtles hatch up close and follow/help them to the sea.
• Hold a koala
• Attend a film festival
• Attend a film premiere 
• Be an extra in a film
• Voice a cartoon or movie character. I'd love to do some voice over work for a family film or something. I don't see myself as a Disney Princess but to be the voice in an animated film or TV series I could one day show to my kids would be awesome.
• See the Northern Lights
• Find a job that I really enjoy that is also relevant to my long term goals. This could be a job working in publishing, working in TV, radio show hosting. Anything. I'm utterly obsessed with media and so working within any such field would be perfect.
• Do yoga on a nice, quiet hill in a foreign country and to just breathe in and appreciate the air.
• Write a TV series for TV or maybe turn it into a web series. 
• Have a verified twitter account
• Direct a film or TV show that I wrote so that I can be involved throughout the entire creation and production process. 
• Ride an elephant
• Bring out my own signature perfume
• Plant many trees, preferably one for every year of my life but I'm hoping to start a charitable foundation that works with planting trees and creating new space for plant life whilst educating others about sustainable ecosystems. 
• Research your family history to better understand your roots.
• Sit on a jury again.
• Celebrate Oktoberfest
• Do some charity work, help a just cause
• Grow a garden and grow flowers and fruit and vegetables within it. 
• Become friends with at least one person I currently admire but don't know. Like through vlogging I could possibly meet and befriend a YouTuber I like or rub shoulders with a fellow author I adore at a literary festival.
• Write an album full of my own original songs and release it into the world. Maybe just self publishing the music onto iTunes. Whatever. I just want to leave my voice hanging around in the universe so I'll still be singing when I'm gone.
• I want to travel in a nomadic, care free fashion like YouTuber Louis Cole.
• I want to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras 
• Swim in a waterfall. This one I've already done but it was magical. I want to do it again.
• Go to the Edinburgh Festival as well as loads of arts and literature festivals in general
• Go on a road trip across Route 66 - preferably in a sexy old Cadillac. 
• Have children. I'd ideally love to give birth to at least one and perhaps adopt a child too. It's too early/difficult to say but I know I'd love to have children eventually.
• Finish and publish a novel. At least one but preferably several. I'd like to leave at least five published novels/books behind when I'm gone. This can be fiction, non fiction, short stories, poetry etc. Anything, really...
• Read a fuck load of books in my life
• See a load of great movies
• Live a life full of good health, happiness and love for myself and the people I love.

Happy Birthday To Meeee
Happy Birthday To Meeeeeeeee.
Happy Birthday To Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEE.

*cough* it's my birthday.

Song of the Day: y by iamamiwhoami

"Little hope, little home of heavenly

Come and save us from this ugly truth

Little hope, sprung from necessity

May all good things in life come to you

Little ghost, so innocent and carefree

They would never stop hunting you

Little voice, life got the best of me

And in time that's what awaits you too

Little hope, sing a song of fire

I grow up to be just like that

(little hope, little hope)

Sing a song of fire"

Song of the Day: Pretty Handsome Awkward by The Used

"Hey, are you OK? (OK)
You look pretty low
Very handsome awkward"

p.s With blonde hair doesn't the singer (Bert McCracken) look like Kurt Cobain?

Hamish.

Yesterday I was picked up from work with the news that my dog had died. I didn't quite believe it. I got in the car and realised I hadn't cried over it at all since finding out or whilst walking down to the car park. My dog was old. He was very old. I sensed the other day, the last time I saw him, that I wouldn't have much longer with him and so I made a point to take a crazy amount of photos of him in his favourite place: curled up by the fire on his bed with his blanket. I gave him his doggy treats, or "treatses" as we called them. 

Going back through old photos of him now I realised that he let us dress him up a lot in some really silly get ups and never minded. That's real love right there...

I remember when we first got him. Mum had brought him back from Scotland all the way down on the train. He was this tiny West Highland Terrier puppy and he had had severe diarrhoea on the way down. Being stinky is a recurring theme throughout his life. I recall Mum coming home and how she tried to surprise me with him but I could hear him yapping and crying away in his little carry cage. I took him out and he was so tiny and so precious. We got him not long after my sister was born and just before we moved to another part of the country. His presence seemed an effort to counteract all the changes I was having to deal with at the time. I remember really loving just having a puppy in the house. He was my first dog and I think, for a while, he'll be my only dog. I'm not sure I could get another dog in my life for a long time. 

Another favourite memory involving Hamish was when I was in my first year of university. My parents and sister were planning to come up and visit me and asked if I needed them to bring up anything from home. I jokingly asked if they could bring Hamish. To my surprise, they did. I remember standing in the kitchen of my apartment, looking down and seeing a little white lump leaping out of the car and feeling so happy that my parents drove with him all that way. We walked him around the town and later found a pub where we could have lunch and sit with him in the sun. Well... the amount of sun that Yorkshire afforded us. 

Yesterday I lost the best dog I've ever known, the only dog I've ever had. Hamish was a sweet dog. Hamish was a stupid dog. My Mum brought him down on a train from Scotland at a time where my life was changing: I was moving to another part of the country and my sister had just been born. He was the friend I had when everything around me was changing. I miss him so painfully right now.
 

Song of the Day: Steal My Romance by Ghosts On The Radio

"Speak to me
I'm hanging on your word
Give to me
The love that I deserve,"

1000 PUBLISHED POSTS.

This is the 1000th published post on this blog!

For the past year I've been working on this blog and writing, not for profit, but for pleasure. I put a great deal of work into running this blog and am pleased to pass this milestone. This is a real labour of love and I seriously enjoy doing what I do as it has opened many doors for me. Thanks to you whether you've read all 1000 posts or just this one.

Song of the Day: I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

"Oh, misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over Durin's sons

If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night"

Camp Takota Review + Response!

So, I just bought the movie Camp Takota.
If you don't know what Camp Takota is then you clearly don't spend enough time on YouTube.

Camp Takota is a movie put together by a bunch of YouTubers starring Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, Chester See, Sawyer Hartman and more. It was co-written by Mamrie Hart and follows the character of Elise who gets dumped and loses her job in a terrible day and has to return to the only place that will welcome her at this point - her childhood summer camp.

Here's the trailer:

So I just watched Camp Takota tonight and I am filled with all the feels. I'm a big YouTube fan and I totally love the Holy Trinity that is Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart. I feel a sense of pride as this is a project that was a real labour of love. It was a passion project put together by YouTubers to the best of their ability and with the resources available to them and it turned out to be a damn good movie. It's a real feel good flick that makes me lament the fact that summer camps aren't really a big thing here in England. If you like feel good movies that make your day feel just a little bit better then go to CampTakota.com to order it OR you can download it from iTunes. I'm so proud of Mamrie for writing it, starring in it and producing it. I feel she had such a large part to play in the creation of this film that it inspires me to continue with my own script work. The film was put together in such a short amount of time and with a modest budget and it just goes to show that you can make something good even without a big Hollywood budget behind it. It's cute, heartfelt and humorous though out and a really good lazy day movie. The thee leading characters, played big Hart/Hart/Helbig, were actually really great performances. I was particularly surprised to see how good Mamrie is as an actor. She's known for more comedic portrayals of characters but pulled out a lot of heart (or, should I say, Hart) for this film. I hope that this is just the beginning for the trio and that more exciting projects come in the future.

Recommended Reads

Hey gang!
It's time for recommended reads.
I know you're aware of what recommended reads is. Obviously it's a segment on this blog that I do every week where I recommend a few things I've spotted around the internet lately. I then share it with you so you can enjoy them to. It's a crusade of kindness and sharing.
Enjoy,

• 16 Little Books To Read On Long Journeys. It's a great list. I'd also recommend Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald as they are both short yet poignant reads.
• Suburban Fantasy, Gender Politics, Plus a Goblin Prom: Why Labyrinth is a Classic I would truly be sad if someone ever tried to remake this film. David Bowie is GODLY.
• 20 awesome minimalist Harry Potter tattoos. There are a few in there that I wouldn't quite call "minimalist" but there are some really gorgeous ones in there.
• Here's a video of Vin Diesel singing sadly to "Stay" by Rihanna. I don't know what exactly you'll do with that but I'm just puttin' it out there.
• Trying to get fit in 2014? Looking for a REAL challenge? Why not try Tough Mudder. 
• Now for something a little naughty: here is a potato that looks like a pair of breasts.

Song of the Day: The Bed Song by Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra

"And I lay there wondering, what is the matter?
Is this a matter of worse or of better?
You took the blanket, so I took the bedsheet
But I would have held you if you'd only
Let me"

Join The Birdcage.

Are you a writer who wants their work read and reviewed?
Are you a musician or singer wanting their music featured and shared?
Do you run a blog that you want signal boosted?

If so, please feel free to get in contact as we're always interested in featuring new talent here on the blog. I think it's great to help share the talents of others and to help each other out in any way possible. Leave me a comment on this blog post or follow & tweet/DM me to get in touch.

Who? Where? You? WHAT?

I'm forever happy to see people all over the world stopping by to read my humble little blog that I started with no major plans for it. Here I am many months later and still raking in views from all over the world.

Here is a list of the countries that have stopped by my blog so far. Thank you for reading and making me feel awesome on a daily basis. Don't forget that you're awesome too:

United Kingdom
Isle of Man
Latvia
Guyana
Luxembourg
Guernsey
Bangladesh 
Lithuania
Nigeria
Bahrain
Mauritius
United Arab Emirates
Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe
Pakistan
Macedonia [FYROM]
Singapore
Israel
Colombia
Thailand
Qatar
Nepal
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Georgia
Peru
Moldova
Taiwan
Mongolia
Estonia
Kuwait
Croatia
Slovenia
Saudi Arabia
Portugal
Hungary
Norway
Tunisia
Belarus
Morocco
Poland
United States
Germany
South Korea
Brazil
India
Indonesia
Finland
Argentina
Puerto Rico
Bulgaria
Greece
Cambodia
Sweden
Mexico
Turkey
Romania
Serbia
Philippines
Japan
Canada
Netherlands
Spain
Venezuela
Chile
Switzerland
Italy
Ireland
Egypt
France
Malta
China
Hong Kong (as special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
Vietnam
Malaysia
Czech Republic
Russia
Ukraine
Australia
New Zealand
Belgium
Denmark
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Argentina

Song of the Day: Something For The Weekend by Molotov Jukebox

"Monday morning I say I won’t touch a thing

Ever again…

Thursday I feel my resolve has paid off

Just one more night off

So I call my friends, they all come over

And it begins, it won’t be over til the tambourine rings

With that regret that it brings"

Song of the Day: In A Shell by Lisa Germano

"From a little shell at the bottom of the sea

With the earth and the moon and the sun above me"

Motivational Monday: The Power Of Sunday

Sunday, we are told, is a day of rest.
But why?
Sunday is the perfect time for a little bit of action and planning.
For me Sunday is a day to relax but it's also a day to plan and to reflect on the week just gone and to plan the week ahead. I used Sunday to chill out after five days of work and penned out some articles I want to write and what I want to get done in the next 7 days.

How did you spend your Sunday?
How will you spend the next?

BAFTA Awards Live-Blog!

So we have the wonderful Stephen Fry hosting. This, as always, is an excellent choice as he is such an excellent ambassador for our little island. Lauren Mvula and Tinie Tempah opened splendidly. emind me to have some Lauren Mvula songs as upcoming song of the days. Also DID TINIE TEMPAH JUST BRO-FIST PRINCE WILLIAM? Winning.

There are so many films I didn't get to see like Saving Mr Banks and Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom. I did see Gravity, which takes the first award, and I feel this was deserved. Gravity was one of my favourite films of 2013 and I thought that it was a real cinematic triumph. Oprah Winffrey, who is giving the award, looks stunning.

Can we talk about how stunning Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie looked on the red carpet tonight? They are honestly my favourite Hollywood couple.

For animation I feel like Frozen is going to win the award. Hell, it has been in the cinema for two months now. It's only up against Monsters University and Despicable Me 2. YEP! Frozen won. I thought so.

Emma Thompson is charming but also a little scatty. She's had a lot of rather excited appearances at awards ceremonies lately.

I think Michael Fassbender should take the award for playing a character so vile that I couldn't find him attractive at all in this performance. He played the most unredeemable, loathsome man. The award goes to Barkhad Abdi - I've not seen Captain Phillips but I've heard good things about the film and of his performance.

I love seeing American actors in the crowd trying to wrap their heads around British humour.
Whoever wrote the jokes for Stephen Fry should win a BAFTA of their own. Excellent punning!

Awards for cinematography could go to Gravity, Inside Llewyn Davis, 12 Years A Slave, Captain Phillips and Nebraska. I could see Gravity taking the award. That said it's the only film in the category I've seen the whole way through.
Yep - Gravity took it. Do people bet on the BAFTAs? I feel like I should have bet on the BAFTAs.


The award for supporting actress now. I don't even need to hear who is nominated. My vote lies with Lupita N'yongo. I've not seen all of 12 Years a Slave but the parts I've seen have shown how harrowing a performance she gave. LEONARDO, STOP BEING CHARMING. Jennifer Lawrence gave a good performance, I think it was the only redeeming point of American Hustle, but I think Nyong'o deserves the award more. I think she had to go to a very dark place emotionally for her role. Julia Roberts was fine in August Osage Country but in terms of characterisation she played herself mostly... just with many emotions. Lupita had to act out some truly disturbing scenes and it was horrifyingly believable. Then there's Oprah. Jennifer Lawrence just beat Oprah and Lupita Nyong'o. I'm going to be honest, I don't really agree with it. I like Jennifer Lawrence.

I didn't get to see Philomena. It was in my local cinema for such a short time.

Now for the award for original screen play. The nominees are Nebraska, Blue Jasmine, Gravity, American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis. The BAFTA goes to American Hustle. Cate Blanchett looks piiiiiiissssssseddddd. I think we've learned now to not piss off Galadriel already.

Stephen Fry correcting grammar. STOP MAKING ME LOVE YOU, SIR, YOU SAUCY FIEND.
12 Years a Slave - I really hope this film wins best picture. I'm seeing it in entirety on Wednesday. I've seen lots of the film but not the whole thing. I'm not ready to feel that much. What I've seen is already enough to leave me feeling uneasy. Chiwetel Ejiofor is brilliant. Lupita Nyong'o is utterly luminous. Michael Fassbender is terrifying and Brad Pitt is charming as ever. 

Now for the nominations for best adapted screenplay. The nominees are The Wolf Of Wall Steet (which is a winner for me already - one of the best films I've seen in a long time), Captain Phillips, 12 Years A Slave, Behind The Candelabra and Philomena. The award goes for Philomena which, unfortunately, I have not seen. 

Can the EE Rising Star award go to Lupita Nyong'o please? Thank you.
It didn't go to Lupita Nyong'o.
WRONG. 

Now we come to the part where we remember lost stars and people within the film industry.
God, I want to be a part of the film industry in some small way. If it's screen writing or directing one indie movie - anything. I'd love to be a part of this crazy world. 

Man, Uma Thurman has such swagger when she walks. She's such a stunning human being. Her hair and make up look awesome tonight and that's a wonderful dress - classic but simple.
GIVE THE AWARD TO CHIWETEL EJIOFOR RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.
Ok, I'd understand an award for Leonardo DiCaprio because Leonardo DiCaprio but Chiwetel has my vote. Yes! You go, Chiwetel! Ooh, he got a kiss from Brad Pitt. That's probably better than a BAFTA. Everyone in the room seems so happy for him and rightly so. 

MICHAEL SHEEN IS ON SCREEN.
OH MY GOD.
THAT MAN.
I can't wait for another season of Masters of Sex.
It's one of my favourite new shows. 

The award for best director goes to Alfonso Cuaron and this seems fair - he took on such a massive project that was no doubt a challenge to direct and adapt from paper to screen. 

The award for best leading actress goes to Cate Blanchett.
I think Sandra Bullock should have won. We know Bullock for her gutsy comedic roles but in Gravity she really turned the tide and took on a new genre. She played something much outside herself and the roles we've previously seen her in. She allowed herself to appear strong at times and vulnerable at others. That said I've not seen Blue Jasmine so I'm not sure what to say but I'm sure it was fabulous and a well deserved win. It's sweet that Blanchett dedicated her role to Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He seems to have touched so many people in the world of film. It looked like Blanchett was tearing up a little as she left the stage - bless her sweet heart. 

The final two awards are for best film and the BAFTA fellowship which will go to Helen Mirren. So strange that Prince William will deliver the award to someone who has played his own grandmother in a film.

Best film I think will go to 12 Years A Slave. It's such a human film and it explores a really dark period of human history in a candid, unapologetic manner. Ok, so the nominees for this award are Gravity, 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle, Captain Phillips and Philomena.
I suppose Gravity could take this.
Oh yes!
12 Years A Slave!
I really should have bet on the BAFTAs. Steve McQueen is awards gold after his success with 12 Years A Slave and, previously, with the film Shame. I think that McQueen is a rising star and the director to look out for in the future. Although he has only made three feature films (excluding short films here) they have had relative success. This is the director to work with. This is the man to stand beside when his next project rolls around. He also delivered a short but poignant speech reminding us that slavery isn't just a dark thing of the past. 

There were a lot of hits and a few misses but overall it was a good awards season.
So many Hollywood stars made it over to the BAFTAs and I think that the awards are truly becoming a bigger and grander event.
Now the countdown to the Academy Awards begins.
And the Oscar goes to...

Song of the Day: Underneath The Stars by The Cure (renholder Remix)

"And the waves break...
Whisper in my ear a wish
We could drift away..."

BAFTAs Live-Blog!

So the BAFTAs have just started and I shall be live blogging and tweeting along with the event. The blog will go up at the end of the night. I'll be sharing with you my thoughts, my predictions and general comments. I watched the red carpet coverage and as the actual awards ceremony kicks off my blogging begins. I'll just be writing out my thoughts in messy, unedited format and posting it once the ceremony is over. So stay tuned!

Today.

I'm currently looking for interesting career opportunities and internships and considering the many future projects that I have planned. I almost feel like I need to structure the next five years of my life right now.

I'm waiting to hear back for an intern position that I applied for last month. Apparently a short list will be released soon and I can't wait to hear as I'd love to know if I'm in the running for the position. At the moment I'm happy to have a job but I want to start working towards a career so, fingers crossed, this is the year that things will start taking off for me.

IT'S PAY DAY!

It's pay day!
So, last pay day I bought a bunch of books. Here are the books that I bought with money from my last pay day:

• Taipei by Tao Lin
• When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives Of Animals by Jeffrey Moussaief Masson
• Daughter of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor
• Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• Orange Is The New Black: My Time In A Women's Prison by Piper Kerman
• A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy) by Deborah Harkness
• Necroscope by Brian Lumley
• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• Return to Labyrinth volume 2 by Jake T. Forbes

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series are rumoured to soon be adapted into films so I'm gonna make sure to read them now before they become movies. I'm really looking forward to tucking into these beauties. Apparently the third book in the series will be released later this year and will be called Dreams of Gods and Monsters so I'll keep an eye out for that.

Now it's pay day again! 
I'm looking for more recommendations because I'm thinking I might just keep adding books to my collection each month. I'll read 'em and review 'em. 

What have YOU been reading lately?
Got any book recommendations for me?
Let me know in the comments section below.

Valentine's Catch Up

Hey blog-ghosts,
I know I've been a little quiet lately but I have a good reason for it. I'd been a little stressed with a few things and after a really tough evening at work I called up my partner and just cried a bit and expressed how shitty I'd been feeling. My partner and I live about 4 hours away in different parts of the country which hasn't been easy. During our long phonecall I kept saying "Can't you just be here? Can't you magically just be here? I'd feel so much better if you were here" and my partner reminded me that in two weeks we'd be together again.

I went to work the next day, going about my usual business, and as I finish serving a customer I look up to serve the next and there's my partner standing there, suitcase in hand, having gotten onto a bus at five o'clock in the morning to come see me. I swear in that moment I felt so loved and so cared for that I've been smiling ever since. On Valentine's Day my partner even took time to stop by and surprise me with flowers and champagne at work. Beautiful... I hope that Valentine's Day was good for you and that you know you're loved

Review + Response: It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini is a contemporary work of young adult fiction focusing on the topic of mental health after the protagonist suffers suicidal ideation. After reading Wildthorn I vowed that this would be the next book I read after the recent and shocking suicide by author Ned Vizzini. Vizzini had toured the country speaking to young adults and teens about suicide and how to work around it and how to cope. It came as such a horrible surprise that he should end his life. Because of this I began the book with a heavy heart...

I've got to be honest, it's not a book that I enjoyed greatly. At the start I found myself feeling rather bored. It's someone's view of their own illness and it was quite a slow build up. It didn't really start to take off for me until many, many chapters in once they were in the hospital.

It's certainly not the most entertaining book I've read about mental health but that said, are books about mental health meant to be a laugh? You got the feeling that it really drew very directly on Ned's own experiences and was therefore a way for him to re-tell a chapter of his life in a way that only he could.

In recent years the book was made into a film adaptation. See the trailer below:

Pay Day Book Buying.

Yay! It's pay day!
So as money arrives nicely into my account I'm thinking of doing what I did last month: I want to buy a couple of books with my money.

Got any recommendations?
Read any good books lately?
Let me know in the comments section below.

Song of the Day: Blue And Yellow by The Used

"...and you never would have thought in the end
how amazing it feels just to live again
it's a feeling that you cannot miss
it burns a hole through everyone that feels it 

well you're never gonna find it
if you're looking for it 
won't come your way
well you'll never find it
if you're looking for it

should've done something but I've done it enough
by the way your hands were shaking
rather waste some time with you"

Song of the Day: Valentine by Kina Grannis

This was the obvious song choice for our song of the day.

Spread some love and positivity today.

Enjoy,

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, blog-ghosts!

I know that this is a holiday people tend to have mixed feelings about, but I like it. There's something really pleasant in having a day just to celebrate love. It gives people that chance to pull up the courage to make a romantic gesture. It makes us pause and think about the people who make our lives better with their love and generosity. Today, whatever your relationship status, do something nice for someone. If you have a partner, do some small thing to remind them of why they're special. Call a parent or relative and thank them for all they've done for you. Why not celebrate Valentine's day with your best friend by reminding them why they're your best friend? Or just go about and do a few small, random acts of kindness just to remind people that the world is full of love and good people.

I love you, blog-ghosts.

Song of the Day: I Caught Fire (In Your Eyes) by The Used

"Seemed to stop my breath
My head on your chest
Waiting to cave in
From the bottom of my...
Hear your voice again
Could we dim the sun
And wonder where we've been
Maybe you and me 
So kiss me like you did
My heart stopped beating
Such a softer sin

(I'm melting, I'm melting)
In your eyes
I lost my place
Could stay a while

And I'm melting
In your eyes
Like my first time
That I caught fire
Just stay with me
Lay with me
Now"

A Daily Exercise In Positive Thinking

In my life I have personally experienced and had to handle depression. I've lived with it and those I love with have had to deal with it. It's a terrible burden to carry around with you and it's very different for everyone who has depression. Depression is very much a spectrum and people fall in different areas of that spectrum. It's very easy to begin to feel totally lost in it, especially in a longer period of depression. I'd like to share with you something I did to try and cope with my own depression.

I used to sit and think/write down at least five good things from the day. It could be anything, small or big, I'd think and reflect on it. Maybe someone held a door open for me or I saw a family of ducks swimming down the canal or I watched an elderly couple walk down the road hand in hand. If possible I'd then try to think of five more things. Somehow just reminding myself of the small goods in the world made me feel a little better. There were days where it didn't but if you repeat this then it may have a positive impact and it is, therefore, definitely worth the try. There are other things I'd do: I'd look at houses for sale online and imagine which ones I'd buy if I won the lottery. I'd write lists of things I want to do and achieve over the next few weeks. I'd buy tickets to gigs and events. You've got to really start to pick at the shell around you and not let yourself be utterly submerged/trapped.

It may seem silly. Hell, it may even seem patronising but I assure you I've done this and on your worst days it reminds you that, although you feel awful or maybe don't even feel at all, there are still positive things around you. If you're suffering with depression my heart goes out to you because I know it isn't easy. I do know, however, that it's possible to beat it. You're in my thoughts.

One Month To Go!

It is now just under a month until the release and book launch for my short story collection.
I am so thankful, so excited and just waiting until I can hold my own published work in my hands and have something I wrote up on my shelf. At the book launch I'll have to do a reading and maybe answer some questions. The idea of talking in front of people about my work is a little scary but I'm so, so thrilled for the experience.

I can't wait to change my Twitter bio where it says "soon to be published author" to just "author"

So tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I hope that however you choose to spend it you're happy. I think we can all get wrapped up in the commercial aspect of the day or feel a little low if we don't have a significant other to spend it with but (and please don't turn this into a sexual innuendo) it's the perfect excuse to love yourself for the day. You could run yourself a nice bath, cook your favourite meal, dance around in your pyjamas, read your favourite book all over again.
However you spend the day I hope you love yourself first and foremost.

Song of the Day: Optimissed by Skinny Puppy

DIY TIME!

So I've done one of these before, it's a collection of DIY materials. Some are from blog posts or YouTube tutorial videos etc. Either way, the idea is to inspire you to to and make new things because DIY is fun and important.
Here are my picks for the month:

• How to decorate/re-decorate your old mugs at home.
• How to make the Glowing Green Smoothie. This is a smoothie that will improve your skin, hair and energy levels. Trust me: I drink GGS a lot and it's a real life saver.
• How To Make A Short Film
• How to make a cute DIY heart banner out of paper and string. This is a cute and inexpensive Valentine's gift/decoration
• How to modify your accessories by making them all beautiful and sparkly
• How to customise your backpack
• How to make yourself a pair of cute fluffy ear muffs
• How to do a spot of cute, Valentine's inspired crafting.

How To Protect Your Pets From Floods!

Areas around the UK are being battered by severe floods and bad weather right now and apparently the worst is yet to come. This is disrupting traffic, damaging homes and it will potentially cause a lot of problem for pets. Whilst the weather is bad it's important to consider ways to make things easier for your pets and the pets of other people in your neighbourhood. The RSPCA have even made reports of cats being lifted up and carried off by the wind. Cats and small dogs could easily be carried away by rushing streams caused by flooding. Here are some ways to help provide for and protect pets in your area.

• Regularly check your cars, garage, outhouses, greenhouses and any outdoor spaces as cats particularly may go in seeking refuge. Check your roof, your attic and anywhere a critter could creep into. If you can provide any high up forms of shelter to keep animals away from rising water levels, please do so.
• Make sure your pets are wearing proper identification so that, if they go missing or find shelter during the floods, they can be properly identified and returned home safely. Your pet is safest if they have a microchip as well as an identity tag with their name and your phone number and any important medical information that requires attention in your absence.
• Make sure to stock up on pet food and any necessary medicine.
• Try to keep cats inside and maybe provide a litter tray as it will be much safer for them to stay inside if the floods in your area are severe. 
• Make sure to always provide clean water in your home to minimise the amount of muddy water in your dog or cat's system if they tend to drink water whilst out and about. 
• For dogs, plan a safe route to walk your dog so you can keep an exercise routine without endangering you both. Make sure that you accompany your dog at all times. 
• If your cats are out make sure to keep an eye out for them if you don't have a cat flap so that, when they return, they can get in immediately. 
• If you have outdoor animals like guinea pigs or rabbits find somewhere inside to keep them. If you put them into a garage then make sure their cage is high up. Ensure any cages and enclosures are water-proof and that you routinely check them to ensure safety. 
• If you do find any animals on your property then contact your local animal shelters and RSPCA branches to find out if any animals have been reported as missing. Keep an eye out for missing pet posters and make authorities and the community aware if you've found a household pet so that it can be appropriately rehomed.
• If you have horses then make sure to plan a safe evacuation route to get them into their horse carrier and drive down a non flooded road. Also look into temporary paddocks in safer areas for your pony.
• If things get bad and you have to leave your home it's best to have pet carriers so you can transport your pets to safety. Make sure to keep updated with the situation and severity in your area. If you have friends who are able to take in your pets for a few days if things get really bad then make sure to prepare in advance.

Keep your pets safe and stay safe yourself. 

Recommended Reads: Valentine's Edition

Hello, lovelies!
Of course it's Valentine's Day later this week therefore our recommended reads will all have a love/romance theme. Sorry if you're one of those people sickened by this particular holiday.

• Check out this insane star studded proposal: man uses his connections at OK magazine to get some TV stars to help him propose to his girlfriend. What do you think of this proposal? Would it work for you?
• Read this article about a woman who is supporting her husband in ticking things off of his bucket list.
• This is a list of 20 things women should do before they get married.
• Do you like reading cute and true love stories? Look no further: Love Gives Me Hope

Song of the Day: Goldfish by Cookie Monster Galaxy

Check this out, it's another SoundCloud find.

I first heard it in a Louis Cole/Fun For Louis video on YouTube and tracked it down.

Literally just listening to it makes me feel happier. It kinda makes you want to bop around with a big grin on your face.

Enjoy,

Song of the Day: YOU.ME.BED.NOW by Carice Van Houten

"I know this drizzle is driving you mad
But there's sunshine at the place I lay my head,"

Random Acts of Kindness Week!

So you remember back in November where I posted about National Kindness Day? Well this is the start of Random Acts of Kindness Week. From today, the 10th, until the 16th I hope you get into the spirit of the week by going out of your way to do small, kind things for other people. You can never really know the impact it might have on someone.
Go on, spread a little kindness this week.

Song of the Day: Awakening by The Damning Well

Protect your pets from floods!

Areas around the UK are being battered by severe floods and bad weather right now and apparently the worst is yet to come. This is disrupting traffic, damaging homes and it will potentially cause a lot of problem for pets. Whilst the weather is bad it's important to consider ways to make things easier for your pets and the pets of other people in your neighbourhood. The RSPCA have even made reports of cats being lifted up and carried off by the wind. Cats and small dogs could easily be carried away by rushing streams caused by flooding. Here are some ways to help provide for and protect pets in your area.

• Regularly check your cars, garage, outhouses, greenhouses and any outdoor spaces as cats particularly may go in seeking refuge. Check your roof, your attic and anywhere a critter could creep into. If you can provide any high up forms of shelter to keep animals away from rising water levels, please do so.
• Make sure your pets are wearing proper identification so that, if they go missing or find shelter during the floods, they can be properly identified and returned home safely. Your pet is safest if they have a microchip as well as an identity tag with their name and your phone number and any important medical information that requires attention in your absence.
• Make sure to stock up on pet food and any necessary medicine.
• Try to keep cats inside and maybe provide a litter tray as it will be much safer for them to stay inside if the floods in your area are severe. 
• Make sure to always provide clean water in your home to minimise the amount of muddy water in your dog or cat's system if they tend to drink water whilst out and about. 
• For dogs, plan a safe route to walk your dog so you can keep an exercise routine without endangering you both. Make sure that you accompany your dog at all times. 
• If your cats are out make sure to keep an eye out for them if you don't have a cat flap so that, when they return, they can get in immediately. 
• If you have outdoor animals like guinea pigs or rabbits find somewhere inside to keep them. If you put them into a garage then make sure their cage is high up. Ensure any cages and enclosures are water-proof and that you routinely check them to ensure safety. 
• If you do find any animals on your property then contact your local animal shelters and RSPCA branches to find out if any animals have been reported as missing. Keep an eye out for missing pet posters and make authorities and the community aware if you've found a household pet so that it can be appropriately rehomed.
• If you have horses then make sure to plan a safe evacuation route to get them into their horse carrier and drive down a non flooded road. Also look into temporary paddocks in safer areas for your pony.
• If things get bad and you have to leave your home it's best to have pet carriers so you can transport your pets to safety. Make sure to keep updated with the situation and severity in your area. If you have friends who are able to take in your pets for a few days if things get really bad then make sure to prepare in advance.

Keep your pets safe and stay safe yourself. 

Song of the Day: Lucretia, My Reflection by The Sisters of Mercy

"I hear the roar of a big machine
Two worlds and in between
Hot metal and methedrine
I hear empire down"

Big January Film Review

Here's a post of films I saw this month and my thoughts on them. I started doing this last year because it means I can put together a big film review of several films each month all in one efficient post thus creating something concise and collected.

Here is a list of some of the films I watched in the month of January. I may have forgotten some but if I have I'll feature them in upcoming posts. That said, here are the films I saw in January and my thoughts on them.

American Hustle

Ok. This is going to be an unpopular opinion, I know, but I really didn't enjoy American Hustle.

For me it all felt kinda familiar, a little stale, and it wasn't really a breath taking film for me. I thought that Jennifer Lawrence gave a great, charismatic performance and Christian Bale went through a real transformation for the role but it didn't do it for me. The film had a pretty good soundtrack and, from what I hear, the director and cast were all more focused on exploring characters and real emotion rather than being tied down to a pre-written plot and I can appreciate that but I'm saying that this just isn't a film that I was really raving about with great passion.




Celeste and Jesse Forever

I actually didn't know if I'd like this or not but I saw it on Netflix and decided to put it on. It's the story of a couple at the very end of their relationship as they are about to finalise their divorce and yet they remain close best friends and as they put an end to their marriage they begin to question their flaws and feelings. It's a very human film with a real indie edge and some brilliant moments.

Tangled

I can't believe it took me so long to see this movie. A friend of mine wrote about it for her university dissertation for crying out loud. I watched it and really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun and had some very entertaining moments throughout. The relationship between Flynn and Maximus was reminiscent of Jean Valjean and Javert and I loved that it put a really light twist on a Grimm fairy tale.

47 Ronin

This movie totally bombed at the box office but I actually really enjoyed it. It was a colourful fight fest with imaginative elements fused with the essence of feudal Japanese history and culture. It comes with an unexpected ending that most Hollywood films would try to re-write. Rinko Kikuchi totally stole the film for me via an utterly stunning performance. It was refreshing to see a film where there were only a handful of white characters as we're often so used to Hollywood white-washing. It was visually stunning with a great soundtrack that reignited my love of taiko drumming and Japanese language.







Catfish: The Movie

OK, so I watch the TV show of Catfish but until recently I had not seen the film/documentary that sparked it all.
I sat down to watch it and appreciated seeing the roots and inspiration for the show. It was kinda heartbreaking to see just how much faith Nev had put into this stranger. Of course, if you've watched the TV show, you know how it all ended for Nev but the movie was just so fascinating because you realise just how deep the deception in this particular story went and it's scary but thankfully since the documentary was released, and the subsequent TV follow up, internet safety has been signal boosted.





Heathers

I am not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the best films I've seen in a long time. It was so good that I don't want to say too much. From what I'd heard of it I assumed it'd be like Mean Girls... but in the 80s. Oh, how wrong I was.

Don't read anything about this movie, just watch it. It's on Netflix or DVD copies will be fairly cheap but do yourself a favour and watch it.

You Again

This was a bit of a gamble as I don't really like chick flicks or family comedies like this but it was a decent, predictable watch with moments of slapstick comedy and immaturity. It follows a young woman who returns to her home town for the wedding of her older brother. The only problem is she finds out on arrival that her brother is marrying her high school tormentor. Unwilling to allow her brother to marry a bully she does her best to break the two up in the run up to the wedding. If you like chick flicks, family comedy, wedding movies and light hearted fun then this is the flick for you.

Safety Not Guaranteed

This is one of the most recent films I watched and it was a refreshing film. This oddball, indie sci-fi was a great watch that left you guessing throughout the whole film. It follows a group of journalists who go undercover to follow up a bizarre ad in the personal column seeking an assistant for a time travelling mission. Their safety, it states, is not guaranteed. It's a film about trust, adventure and acceptance. This is a great summer movie or a good Valentine's Day movie regardless of you relationship status. It reminds us to remain open to adventure and to have hope and trust. As an audience you bounce between belief and disbelief as the film goes on and it unwraps slowly but it's a real laid back film that I highly recommend.




What movies have YOU watched in the past month?
What have you been enjoying?
Let me know in the comments section below.