COVETING #6

Wallis £55

Urban Outfitters £38

Miss Selfridge £40

H&M £24.99

Primark £15

24.

Wilderness Festival

I just discovered this little festival gem and thought I'd share. 

Wilderness Festival is in Oxfordshire and described as 'A celebration of the arts and outdoors in the wilds of England'.

The illustration (above) is what grabbed me so I went in search of the website and found that it's just as beautiful. This isn't your typical festival. It has music, banquets, talks and debates, theatre and art, a spa, boating, an astronomy area and it looks amazing! They also give the option of 'Boutique Camping' - a more luxurious version of camping, it involves a variety of different camping experiences, nice hot showers and a much improved festival experience. Who genuinely wants to sleep on a solid floor and use a portaloo?! Anyway, my words can't explain just how pretty this festival looks! Here are some pictures I've taken from the website. Hope they don't mind!

I can't afford to buy a ticket this year but it's definitely on my wishlist for next year!

BOOKWORM #4

“Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.”   - Angela Carter

Holiday reads so far:

I've been desperate to read this for a while now as everyone has been raving about it. Finally got round to it on holiday and have to say that I found it hard to put down. Written across twenty years, it tells the story of two people and how their lives intertwine as they grow up and change. By the end of the book it really had me thinking about my own life, what I want to change and where I might be in a few years time. I would recommend it to all, although it's probably more for women as it is quite sentimental and reflective at times. The film is coming out soon and I'll definitely be at the cinema to see how they've adapted it. 

I haven't read anything by Dean Koontz before but a friend of mine is a big fan so I thought I'd give it a go. It is definitely one of the most disturbing books I have ever read but it gripped me from start to finish and once I got past the overuse of similes I was pretty enthralled. It's a very dark book but Koontz also explores human relationships particularly well and I felt like I almost knew the characters by the end of it. If you like gruesome murder, the supernatural and strong emotion then this is a good book for you. I'm yet to decide if I'm brave enough to pick up another book by the same author!

I first got into Harlen Coben's writing when I was about 16 and have read quite a few of his books now. Miracle Cure was his first book and I'm halfway through it at the moment. It hasn't gripped me quite like his others but as he wrote an apology in the front of the book for his first works (seriously) then I am going to forgive him for that. The premise of the book is based on AIDS victims being killed off mysteriously, slightly dated now as the main focus is on most victims being homosexual, which we know is not necessarily the case nowadays. Anyway, I do love a good mystery and as always Coben has plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.




Thanks to the Asda deal of three books for ten pounds, I've had plenty of reading to do! Still plenty more to read and do this summer so will keep you updated as I go. I'm still halfway through Living Dolls so I'm aiming to get that finished soon too.

Ah, I love being a bookworm.

FASHION FIX #11

As my magazine addiction spirals out of control I realise that I spend far too much money and time deconstructing each magazine, looking at the latest trends and decided what might suit me and what will obviously make me look like I got dressed in the dark. I probably buy about 2/3 magazines a week depending on travel or boredom levels. Mostly I buy Look magazine as it has a good mix of fashion, beauty and stories. They always seem to do features on blogging which interests me purely because I'm nosy. I like seeing how other people write, how they lay things out and what makes them tick. My blog is mainly just a space for me to share things I love and waffle about goings-on. Anyway, I reason that it's ok to buy all of these magazines as I always use them at school to teach Media or even in English when I'm feeling particularly arty/creative/lazy or need a nice display! I have a lovely big Romeo and Juliet board up at the moment which is full of collages made entirely from my hefty magazine collection. I can't deny that it does hurt me to see them cut up but I make sure I rip out the best adverts (for media) and inspiration (for me) before I hand them over to the little darlings. I have an entire folder full of adverts for media, even sectioned off into types. Yes, I am that sad.

My top three things today:

Top blog: LLYMRS I seem to view it daily just to see what she wears. Lily Melrose is only 21 but her blog has so many followers that she is making a good living off it and is even in Look magazine this week! She also has a jewellery shop (see link from her blog) which sells beautiful chunky rings (my current love) so I have just ordered 5 random rings for £10! Couldn't resist.

Top advert: Mayonnaise - I don't particularly like mayonnaise or Aldi but this advert does make me laugh. Good work!

Top trends: Emerald green, Polka dots and bright red lipstick.

Emerald green - Classy, easy to carry and will work right through to winter because it's such a gorgeous jewel kind of tone.

Gucci green is my favourite kind! It suits most people and can look really classy in a dark shade.

Dorothy Perkins - Love the colour, love the length.

Topshop - I do enjoy a good floral print!

Topshop - cute summery but good to add layers to.

Zara. This one looks a little Kate Middleton. Want!

Polka dot -  Cute and girly but I like it most when it's worn with tough accessories or mixed with another print.

Another of my favourites, Lanvin, doing polka dot with tough boots.

Whistles

ASOS - Really girlie but I would add a leather jacket and black tights.

Last thing I wanted to mention is Tumblr, another of my addictions. It's basically a kind of blog but in a different format. It depends on how you use it. I like to use mine to show photos, art and quotes that I love. I queue up various things that I like and it posts new things each day even when I'm not online. This is my tumblr - go and have a look if you are wondering what I mean. Even though they're not my pictures it still feels very personal as they are things that I love and I definitely think it says lots about me based on what I choose. If you are too lazy to click the link then here are a few things from my tumblr.