Saturday 23 November 2013

Saturday Smiles #1

Hi everyone!

It's the weekend! I hope everyone is looking forward to a lively/relaxing weekend (I'm working sadly), so to kick things off I thought I would share some things that have been making me happy this week and in general...

 1. Tea - I've been on a little bit of a health kick this week (failed miserably last night by having a bit too much wine - oops!) and my favourite thing to do when I'm trying to be healthier is try out new healthy teas. At the moment my favourites are two from Morrison's - Green Tea with Berries and Berry Blitz with Acai berries, mmmm!


2. Fringe - I absolutely love this show, always a great mystery to solve and I find the science fascinating. Also Olivia Dunham is just the biggest ass-kicker ever!



3. Owls - I've always loved owls so I thought I'd share some owl love :)



4.Lily Allen - Hard Out Here


This makes me LOL :) I've always enjoyed Lily Allen's music, she just doesn't give a monkeys and I love it. So many people have dissected the messages of the song and blah de blah, but for me it's just a good tune and it makes me giggle!

5. Barry M Gelly Nail Effects in Green Berry


This is one of my favourite polishes at the moment - such great quality for £3.99! Here I've teamed it with a Models Own glitter (its name escapes me!) and it looks fabulous!

And that's my top 5 things making me smile this weekend! What's been rocking your world this week?

Christina xo

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Christina's Christmas Wish List

He-he-hello readers!

I can no longer deny that Christmas is fast approaching, so I thought I'd share my Christmas beauty wishlist with you :)

1. Enrapture Encode Totem Styler (currently only £17.99 at Home Bargains!)



Picture of Enrapture Encode Totem Styler

For years I have relied on my straighteners to also curl my hair, however seeing all the hype surrounding this rather funky looking styler has me wondering if I could do better. At £17.99 (the actual RRP is £49.99, making this an absolute BARGAIN!), it means I can try a new style without breaking the bank.

2. Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette (RRP £42)


Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette
I've read several reviews on this and already I'm in love. I received the Smoked palette last Christmas and I loved the quality of the shades, so I think having such a wide range of shades for a fraction of the individual price per shadow is pretty bargainous too!

3.  Guerlain Terra Nerolia Bronzer (£44)

 Buy Guerlain Terracotta After Summer Compact Online at johnlewis.com

 Just...look at it... so pretty! I'm probably too pale to make this work on my skin but holy moly it is stunning!

4. Florence & Fred Men's Bah Humbug Jumper (£16)


F&F Bah Humbug Christmas Jumper

 I've been feeling a bit bah humbug recently, since Christmas build-up seems to start earlier each year, so this jumper encapsulates my sentiments perfectly! I've also been invited to my first blogging party, and the dress code is "Cheesy Christmas Jumpers" so I think I've found mine, haha! Also I know this is a men's jumper, but the ladies' ones were too festive for me :P

What would YOU like for Christmas?

Christina xo




Sunday 3 November 2013

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 80 - Suspense

Good day readers!

As some of my regular readers will know, I love Chanel. If I could afford it, I would have the entire Chanel make-up collection. Unfortunately I can't, so I make do with raving about the products I can occasionally afford to splurge on, such as this rather lovely lipstick.







Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Suspense is a gorgeous deep pink/purple with a tiny hint of a warm plum shade, with little particles of purple glitter through it, giving it a rather unusual two-tone effect. This hasn't shone through in the pictures sadly but in person, this is an impressive shade of lipstick!





I tried pictures with and without flash to try and give you a better impression of the shade but sadly it hasn't worked well! Suffice to say, this is one lovely lipstick though. It glides onto the lips as you apply and it genuinely hydrates the lips; one of my main issues in the winter months is dry, chapped lips and this is a lipstick that helps to treat them and doesn't cling to the dry patches on my lips. With a sealant, the lasting time on this is about 3 hours before I need to reapply, even if I've been eating and drinking during that time. Generally I am impressed with the quality of Chanel lipsticks and this little beauty is no exception.




And here's a picture of my pasty mug wearing said lippy! It adds a lovely pop of colour without being too in-your-face, looks like a gloss on the lips and is soothing to wear. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine retails at £24 (RRP), which although it isn't cheap, I think it is a worthwhile investment since I find it very wearable and I always feel a little bit more glamorous wearing it and having it in my handbag! Personally I prefer Chanel lipsticks to MAC (I know, shocking opinion for a blogger to have!) and would rather treat myself to some Chanel since they always look and feel luxurious, adding a touch of class and elegance to one's make-up collection!

What are your thoughts on this lipstick? Or do you have a particular lipstick that always makes you feel more glamorous whilst wearing it?

Take care!

Christina xo


Wednesday 30 October 2013

100 Posts! And a 5x5 face!

Hey there readers!

This is my 100th post! Wahoo! It's only taken me... 2 years to get here? I'm proud of my blog, despite my repeated and prolonged absences and I do love the interactions with fellow bloggers so I'm striving to improve!

With that in mind, I thought I would share my 5x5 face - a 5 items in 5 minutes face - that I use at times when I'm running late and don't have time to go all-out on make-up... which is pretty much every day of my life! Here are my 5 items and a little mini-review of each:


1. Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur Primer (RRP £12.99) - I only put on primer rather than a full base because that would take ages to apply (since I'm so pernickety when it comes to blending etc.) This works for reducing the size of my pores, however it isn't great in terms of lasting power; I get shiny very quickly with this so thank goodness for blotting tissues! I will be using this up before trying another primer sadly...

2. No.7 Instant Radiance Concealer (£12.95) - After priming I conceal any spots and brighten my eyes with this concealer from No.7. This works really well on both fronts; my eyes always look bright and dark circles are reduced, as well as keeping my spots (if any) obscured from view. I would happily buy this for myself, although thisone was gifted to my by Kris' mum!

3. B. Set Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in Light/Medium (£7.99) - To set everything in place, I use this setting powder. I bought out of intrigue to see if B. was any good but the jury is still out on that front. This powder is OK if used lightly, but I sometimes find if used on top of foundations it makes my skin look a little cakey. It's OK for everyday useage but I am on the lookout for something a little better methinks...

4. Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara in Black (£6.29) - Once the face is done, now the eyes! This is one of the 3 mascaras I swear by. The comb brush fans and separates my lashes before letting the mascara do its work, volumising and extending my lashes. It really creates a true doll effect. Definitely stocking up on this soon!

5. REN Vita Mineral Lip Balm (£9) - On the lips I keep it simple with a slick of lip balm, specifically REN's Vita Mineral offering. Although a new addition to my collection after winning a competition, this has quickly found its way into my make-up bag as my most-reached-for lip balm at the moment. This is thick and moisturising enough to protect my lips from the harsh Scottish weather, as well as keeping them soothed, soft and preventing them from becoming chapped.

And here's me wearing my 5 minute face!


Simple and easy, it literally took 5 minutes (and please excuse the mess in the background haha!) I know it's not the most exciting FOTD but I know we all have those days where we end up rushing or we can't be bothered so I thought I'd share my go-to routine for those occasions.

Do you have a 5-minute face or go-to products for when you're in a rush? I would love to hear you recommendations!

Christina xo

Saturday 26 October 2013

REN Skincare - Unboxing My Prize

Hello readers!

As some of you lovely ladies may already know, Instyle (UK) Magazine gave away a free set of REN skincare products free with their November issue this month. Coinciding with this, Instyle also ran a Twitter giveaway offering one lucky winner (i.e. ME!) the chance to win £100 of skincare that would be tailored to their skin! I described my skin as being oily across the T-Zone, normal elsewhere and my main problem is dealing with large pores. Would you like to see what REN sent me?




From left to right we have:

Invisible Pores Detox Mask (£18) - This mask claims to: "...designed to reduce the appearance of pore size and leave the skin purified, smooth and toned." - This sounds perfect for my troublesome pores! I've already used this once and it leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. After one use I can't testify to any reduction in pore size but I will keep you posted!

Rosa Centifolia 3-in-1 Cleansing Water (£13) - This is REN's micellar water offering. I'm looking forward to using this as a make-up remover, I'm trying to use up another make-up remover at the moment but once that's finished I'll be all over this baby! REN describe this as: "A detergent free ‘beauty water’ that will remove everyday make-up. The flower water acts as a cleansing agent and is perfect for those with sensitive skin or prefer to use this around the delicate eye contour."

Vita Mineral Lip Balm (£9) - My new best friend! My lips always flake and dry up badly in the colder months so having this lovely, thick and soothing lip balm has been an absolute godsend!

Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream (£19) - Described as: "A multi-active day cream that replenishes the skin with moisture and vital nutrients. Powerful antioxidants, trace elements and vitamins further protect and energize the skin to keep it looking fit, radiant and youthful." - I haven't tried this yet, as once again I have a moisturiser that I want to try and use up first, but this sounds very promising. My main issue with moisturisers is finding one that doesn't make my face feel like a greaseball and that helps keep the balance of oil in my skin. I have high hopes so again I will keep you posted!

Active 7 Eye Gel (£20) - This was one of the samples that Instyle gave away in the magazine so I have tried this before and was very excited to receive a full-size tube. This is: "A light and cooling gel to treat, revive and brighten the delicate eye area, under or over makeup." This is like Ronseal: does exactly what it says on the tin! My dark circles have been significantly reduced since using this and it's lovely as a pick-me-up when I feel a bit tired.

Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser (£13) - This is described as: "A gentle, detergent free foaming cleanser infused with Rose Extracts that removes grime and make up in one stroke delivering purified, toned skin that feels fresh and revived, without stripping skin of essentials oils." - Again, I have yet to try this as I still have other face washes to use up but I should be able to try this soon. I know a lot of people say a foaming cleanser isn't great for skin but I've never had any problems with them and I find them great for balancing my skin and reducing the oiliness. Looking forward to testing this also!

I am very excited by this box of goodies! Hopefully once I have all the products on the go at once my skin will be amazing! Thank you so much to REN and Instyle and I will post reviews once I've tried everything properly. Please let me know in the comments if you have tried any REN products before and what you recommend!

Toodle-pip for now! :)

Christina xo

Friday 25 October 2013

Holidays! (WARNING - PICTURE HEAVY)

Hey hey readers!

I'm aware it's been a long time since I have posted, for which I profusely apologise. As I mentioned in my previous post, the last 2 months have been quite challenging for me personally, with a new job (and now I'm starting another one - back with Scottish Autism, huzzah!) and with my mum taking seriously ill (thankfully she is now out of hospital and gradually getting herself back to full fitness). However, I'm hoping that now I'll have a bit more time to enjoy myself blogging once again.

Life hasn't been completely doom and gloom for me though. I've just arrived back from two holidays. TWO! I didn't actually leave the country, rather I explored my own, so I thought I would show you some of the places I visited and the things I witnessed...

Holiday 1 - Aberfoyle/Kinlochard

A little while ago, my friends Claire and Ed invited Kris and I to spend a long weekend at their timeshare at the MacDonald Forest Hills resort outside Aberfoyle (on Loch Ard and nr Loch Lomond). We delightfully accepted...


We met Ed in Balloch, but since we arrived early, Kris and I stopped off at the beautiful Tullie Inn for a drink first :)



This was the view from the timeshare; stunning like the timeshare itself (sorry I don't have pictures of the timeshare itself but I felt a bit weird taking pictures of it!!)


On Sunday, Claire and I took advantage of the beautiful Elemis spa based in the resort at Forest Hills, each experiencing a tailored massage, facial and foot treatment. Bliss!


 One day, since all four of us enjoy a lovely dram (and since I haven't been on a distillery tour since I became old enough to drink), Claire and Ed took us to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery at Dumgoyne. I've become more of a whisky drinker as I've aged, but Glengoyne is a beautiful whisky and the distillery tour taught me so much more about the process of distilling whisky. I'd highly recommend a visit! You can see below that I also came away with a cheeky bottle (of Glengoyne 15 year old single malt for those interested parties.)


Kris and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Claire and Ed and we were sad to leave. But on to our next adventure...

Holiday 2 - Ullapool

Within 4 days of returning home from Aberfoyle, Kris and I were away again, this time we were spending a week away with a group of Kris' friends, sharing a holiday house just outside of Ullapool named Ardmair Bay House. Click through and have a look at this beautiful house, it was gorgeous and served as the perfect base for our collective holiday!

 This was our view of Loch Broom from our patio area. Watching the sun rise and set from here was truly breathtaking.


This is Kris and some of his friends heading off for a walk up the hill next to our house!


This is the dining area, just to give you a taste of the luxury and glamour Ardmair Bay House offers!


One of the local sights to see is Corrieshalloch Gorge. If you don't like heights then this might not be your cup of tea but I thought it was stunning!


Near the end of the week I suggested another local walk/tourist attraction, The Bone Caves.  The caves are a beautiful and popular walk in a limestone valley and these cave openings part way up a steep side of the valley are where the remains have been found of species such as lynx, reindeer and polar bear which once roamed here. However my boots fell to bits and then I fell to bits before I could make it to the actual caves but the walk itself was gorgeous also, which is where this waterfall was pictured.


On our last night, Kris and I enjoyed a little date night, so we decided to avail ourselves of some local cuisine and nightlife! Pictured above and below is the Seaforth Inn, one of the main hotels in Ullapool itself. What I adored about this particular venue was its popularity with both locals and tourists. Particularly I also noted its popularity with the local fishermen. The top picture shows how close the Seaforth is to the port and below you can see what I decided to have from the catch of the day. It was such a lovely novelty to see where my food came from, to see the fishermen themselves in the bar enjoying the fact they've fed many a hungry patron and also to enjoy the delicious fresh mussels. (nom nom nom!)


On our way home, we stopped off at the Beatrix Potter exhibtion and gardens in Birnam (The Potter family used to holiday in the town and it's thought that it inspired Beatrix Potter to create some of her best loved characters). It was a lovely end to the holiday and a nice nod to my favourite childhood stories!




How am I feeling after all this relaxation? I feel like I need to get back into blogging. From now on, there will hopefully be more frequent posts from me and I hope you enjoy reading them :)

Thank you for your patience and love,

Christina xo

Tuesday 13 August 2013

A Little Less 25 Candles, A Little More Wishlist

Hey there!

Post may be slightly sporadic from me at the moment (I shall explain later), but one good thing is that my birthday is coming up, yaay! I'm going to be 25, which I'm fine with. I will never understand people who become obsessed with ageing/hiding their real age etc. I'm happy with it, growing old is part of life so get on and have fun with it!

With that being said, I thought I would share some of the things (material or otherwise) that I would love to receive for my birthday...

1. I would like my mum to get out of Intensive Care.

Not many will realise this, because I didn't want to sound all "woe is me", but my mum is currently very ill, having had 2 operations and is currently in an ICU. It would be very unrealistic, given her current state to wish for her to be completely out of hospital, but if my mum was in a general ward, eating and drinking so I can take her juice and sit with her on my birthday, I would be extremely happy.


Me, my bro, my mum and my dad at Christmas. If we can all be together on my birthday, that'd be just grand :)

2. I would like my flat to be fully unpacked, decorated and not looking like I've just moved in!

Basically this all comes down to the fact that since we moved back, Kris and I have barely had a chance to sit still or even get anything done. At the moment we're both in this cycle of home-hospital-work so we don't have a lot of time to finish unpacking things. If I could find some unpacking/painting fairies at some point...


pretty room (Source: Pinterest)

Ok my house won't look like this, but so long as it looks clean and not full of boxes please?

3. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Taboo. - I would never spend £18 on a nail polish for myself, but God that is such a pretty shade!



You can buy Taboo from House of Fraser and other leading Chanel stockists.For me maybe? :P

A pretty short wishlist from me this year, seeing as the main thing I want for my birthday is for my mum to be well enough to celebrate with me! Anyone else have a birthday coming up? What would be on your birthday wish-list?

Christina xo

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Tales from the Kingdom: No Longer in the Kingdom!

Hello there!

Long time no see, for which I apologise wholeheartedly. I haven't blogged in nearly 2-3 months; basically life got in the way and I didn't feel a terrible amount of enthusiasm for blogging in that time. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I've been trying to move back to Glasgow, my home city. I can now happily announce that I have moved back to Glasgow and into a lovely flat with my boyfriend Kristopher, who as a result of his new job in Glasgow starting sooner than mine, I have had to live apart from for the last 2 months.

I have a lot of new-found respect for people in long distance relationships as a result!

I'm really happy that life is finally settling back to normal, I start my new job on Monday and I'm looking forward to re-discovering the myriad joys my home city has to offer! Once I'm settled and my flat's all tidy and organised, would folk fancy a virtual tour?

Let me know what you think!

Christina xo

Thursday 16 May 2013

Absence makes the heart grow... something.

Hey there readers!

I am so sorry that I haven't posted in over 3 weeks! If you follow me on Twitter or know me in real life, you'll know this has been a very busy time for me. Kris and I finally made the first step in our plan to move back to Glasgow and started applying for jobs. Me being over-cautious, I applied for any and every job I thought I could do within a 20 mile radius of Glasgow's boundaries. This resulted in me trying to squeeze 7 job interviews over 2 weeks, sometimes with 2 a day.

However my persistence has paid off, as I have just accepted a job working for the charity Quarrier's who support families in difficult circumstances or who have a family member with disabilities! I'll be working mainly with adults in supported living services, and although I'm pretty gutted to be leaving Scottish Autism, I'm looking forward to the challenges and excitement a new job presents. If you want to find out more about the work of Quarriers, then click here.


Kris has also been offered his old job back at the cinema, which is awesome because he loved working there. The only thing holding us back now is waiting for my start date, which will take a while since they need to check my references and to get my CRB check (i.e. check I'm not a criminal - I'm not incidentally.) completed, which always takes forever! But at least it's a step in the West direction.

It does mean though that my posts will still be a little sporadic for the time being. I'll try to be more proactive in posting here, but please bear with me and don't judge me too much, haha! :P

Lots of love to you all and thanks for staying with me!

Christina xo

Thursday 25 April 2013

10 Day You Challenge - 1 Picture of Me!

Sad times people! The last day of my 10 Day You Challenge and today I will share one picture of myself with you all. It's a photo (I believe) I have shared on my blog before and it is also a photo that I am immensely proud of...


This is a picture of me while I was abseiling (read: dangling!) 165ft from underneath the Forth Rail Bridge, raising money for Scottish Autism. I like this picture a lot because it shows what I can do when I put my mind to something, that it pays off to try new things and how it felt so good doing something for others. I always look at this photo and smile :)

Christina xo

Wednesday 24 April 2013

10 Day You Challenge - 2 Songs

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sh-iT6QAmRg/UUiNLUN6QQI/AAAAAAAADiI/jZRYMcV8q7c/s1600/10-days-you-challenge.jpg

Hey there readers :)

Today's part of the 10 Day You Challenge involves me sharing 2 of my favourite songs with you. This is a pain in the hole considering I love my music and find it hard to pick 2 favourite artists, let alone songs! But, in the spirit of the challenge, I shall give it a go... in my own way of course. I'm going to pick 2 songs that make me laugh and hopefully you'll like them too!

1. Game of Thrones - Key of Awesome.


This is what I actually hear whenever someone plays Payphone by Maroon 5. I love anything by Key of Awesome, search for them on Youtube and enjoy some of their many hilarious parodies!

2. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop


Yes I am incredibly late to this song's party. I love it though, a funny tribute to the joys of thrift store/vintage/charity shop trawling. I used to get laughed at for going charity/vintage shopping, but where I stayed in Glasgow you can find some real gems :) and thissong reminds me of the fun of shopping there!

(Interestingly, Key of Awesome actually has a parody of this:)

 

Hope you enjoy my random song choices!!

Christina xo

Tuesday 23 April 2013

10 Day You Challenge - 3 Films



http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sh-iT6QAmRg/UUiNLUN6QQI/AAAAAAAADiI/jZRYMcV8q7c/s1600/10-days-you-challenge.jpg

Hi there everyone!

Today I'm going to share 3 of my favourite films with you, and why I love them so much. I'm not that big on movies really, so picking 3 was a bit of a struggle, but here we go...

1. Up. I love anything from Pixar, but Up is a particular favourite. I can't watch it too often though, because I literally cannot stop crying for the first 10 minutes of the film. It's my favourite scene because it's such a beautiful glimpse into a love story, but I always cry because it's so sad. Even though it makes me cry, I love that it illicits such a strong emotional response from those who watch it.


2. 500 Days of Summer. I love Joseph Gordon Levitt in this, he's so funny. Normally I'd love Zooey Deschanel too but in this her character is just annoying and so horrible to JGL. But that's why I love Zooey Deschanel as an actress; she's versatile and able to play different roles. This is my favourite scene from the film and it always makes me giggle.


3. Princess Mononoke. This is one of my favourite anime films so far. It's about forest spirits and Gods vs the encroaching civilisation and developments of society, but visually it is stunning.


Hope you enjoy these 3 films, so what are your favourite films?

Christina xo

Weekly Spending Ban Update

Hello Spending Ban fans!

Last week I did a bumper update detailing how badly I broke my ban when I was in Glasgow at the beginning of the month (in my defence, Kirkcaldy is piss poor for shopping and Glasgow is the biggest shopping city outside of London... go figure.). This week I have been much better... because I'm completely skint! Which is good because I can't spend money if I don't have any.

This week I'm lusting after B. Pure Micellar Water from Superdrug...

B. Pure Micellar Water 150ml

Mainly because I'm about to run out of my Clarin's Water Purify that I use for removing make-up, and do not want to shell out £19 when I could be getting something as effective for a tiny fraction of the price. So my wish-list currently stands as follows:

1. Dior BB Cream
2. Chanel VitaLumiere Aqua.
3. Dr Jart Premium Beauty Balm.
4. MAC Lipstick in Chatterbox.
5. Lancome Genefique Youth Activator.
6. Illamasqua L'Imperfection Nail Polish in Fragile.
 Marks and Spencer's Limited Collection Multi Blush. - I bought this last month.
 Sleek Aqua Collection.  - I bought this when I was in Glasgow last time. 
7. B. Pure Micellar Water. 
 
What products have you been lusting after this week then?

Christina xo
 

Sunday 21 April 2013

10 Day You Challenge - 4 Books

Hello readers!

Today's part of the 10 Day You Challenge is a good one: 4 Books. Although having to choose just 4 is really difficult; I love books too much! I'm going to choose 4 books that have made an impression on me through life and my studies and share them with you...

1. Tennessee Williams - A Streetcar Named Desire and Other Plays. I studied this in my final year at school and discovered the brilliance of Tennessee Williams. His plays are absolutely brim-full of imagery and symbolism and focus on the death of Southern values in America. My favourite is A Streetcar Named Desire, but I'd recommend reading any of his plays. If you're feeling particularly lazy, there's a film version of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh which is really great.


 

“I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And it that's sinful, then let me be damned for it!”

2.  On Beauty - Zadie Smith. This was one of the novels I wrote about for my dissertation and it follows the lives of the Belsey and Kipps families. It focuses on issues of race, the clashes between liberalism and conservativism and also looks at what we consider beautiful. I loved reading it, made my dissertation (slightly) more enjoyable.



“Stop worrying about your identity and concern yourself with the people you care about, ideas that matter to you, beliefs you can stand by, tickets you can run on. Intelligent humans make those choices with their brain and hearts and they make them alone. The world does not deliver meaning to you. You have to make it meaningful...and decide what you want and need and must do. It’s a tough, unimaginably lonely and complicated way to be in the world. But that’s the deal: you have to live; you can’t live by slogans, dead ideas, clichés, or national flags. Finding an identity is easy. It’s the easy way out.”

3. Lanark: A Life in Four Books - Alasdair Gray.  This is one of the best novels to come out of Scotland, and it's bit realist and a bit dystopian fantasy. The books are out of order in the novel; we start with Book 4, then books 1, 2 and 3 follow. Books 3 and 4 focus on Lanark, who exists in a dystopian fantasy city called Unthank, while Books 1 and 2 focus on Duncan Thaw, an artist living in Glasgow (The idea is there's supposed to be parallels between the 2 characters and their stories.


“You suffer from the oldest delusion in politics. You think you can change the world by talking to a leader. Leaders are the effects, not the causes of changes.”

4. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte. This is my favourite romance novel, in that it's not very romantic in a lot of ways. Mr Rochester is a total arse for large parts of the book and before Jane finally stands up for herself I found myself shouting at her: "Say something! Speak up ya big jessie!" But that's the joy of a great book, it pulls you in and makes you feel strongly about what happens to the characters. Jane's passionate speech to Rochester is one of my all-time favourite scenes in literature.

 

“Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal — as we are!”

Gets me every time. P.S. Don't watch the film Jane Eyre, the Michael Fassbender one. It's awful. If you want to watch a decent adaptation, the BBC adaptation with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens is brilliant and has me in tears every time.


Are you like me and have 4 books that mean something to you? Share them with the world!

Christina xo

Saturday 20 April 2013

10 Day You Challenge - 5 Foods

Food glorious foooood!

Hey readers :) today's part of the challenge is about sharing 5 foods and I'm assuming it's my top 5 favourite foods, so I really hope you've eaten today, because I'm probably about to make you really hungry...

1. Bacon. Preferably crispy smoky bacon. I love it on sandwiches, in fry-ups on burgers, and especially with pancakes and maple syrup. Nom. This reminds me of a song...


2. Blueberries - Blueberries are my favourite fruit, always so juicy and refreshing. I love them on their own, but also in muffins, in porridge and especially in my speciality cheesecake: Blueberry and white chocolate mascarpone cheesecake on an amaretti biscuit base, with a blueberry and amaretto reduction. God bless Masterchef...


Some of my famous blueberry muffins :)

3. Steak - Sorry vegetarians, I am a bonafide red meat-eater. Direct your moral outrage elsewhere. Preferably at Morrissey, he likes that sort of thing :P I like my steaks medium rare (i.e. still bleeding a little in the middle), in a mushroom and red wine sauce with some chunky chips. That would probably be my death-bed meal.



4. Cream cheese - Random one, but I love cream cheese, especially now that most companies have made different flavours too. Sandwiches are a lot more exciting with some nice cream cheese instead of just spread or butter (and a bit healthier too). Om nom nom...





I haven't tried the chocolate one yet, but it looks pretty good...

5. Pizza - I love pizza in all its forms. Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns - they're all pretty naff compared to a real Italian pizza, although I also find when I'm in Spain they make excellent pizza too. At home, I like ordering from a little takeaway on Kirkcaldy High st called Elevenses (they're great when you have the drunk munchies.) and my favourite kind of pizza is a Frutti di Mare (i.e. a seafood pizza.)




Oooh... really want a pizza now... damn...

Those are my top 5 foods, what do you think? Any fave foods we share or do you think I'm just weird?

Christina xo