Herbert's at Tissington

A few weeks ago, when spending a weekend in The Peak District, I stumbled upon a very cute "picture perfect" cafe called Herbert's (in Tissington).

Inside there were gorgeous rustic tables (some with cute polka-dot cloths on) and walls, exposing the brick-work. There was a slate floor and roses on the tables. Everything was beautifully presented. There was also a selection of delicious cakes. It had a very English-Country-Style about it, which I loved!

I had a Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae - yum!

I loved this cute little cafe for the scenery but also for how everything was presented. It was a beautiful day when I went, so we sat outside. It had a really good atmosphere for a cafe and the Cream Teas looked perfect. I would definitely recommend if you are in the Peak District!

L x

Website: Herbert's Tearooms

The Night Circus

Last week, I read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It was a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend. Morgenstern presented a very different idea to magic than I am used to (having read Harry Potter and the likes), but I loved this. It was a very sophisticated view on magic and shown in a grown-way. The magic was surrounded by sophisticated language, character and thoughts.

Another thing I loved about The Night Circus was the constant change of perspective. I know some people find this very confusing, but for me it added to the magic. It was mostly told in third-person, following around specific people, but with the occasional second-person passage. One chapter you would be reading about Celia, and the next Bailey. The advantage to this style is you get to know all the characters in great detail rather than just the odd one. You also feel like you are inside the book, more so, I found than other books.

The book is set in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and this is well represented. There is a touch of romance, enough for romance lovers (like myself), but it doesn't dominate the storyline.

My only negative thought is towards the ending: it didn't feel like an ending of a book but rather of a chapter, and I think something a lot more powerful could have been done there. But maybe that was how Erin Morgenstern wanted it to come across that Le Cirque Des Rêves continues.

Overall I would rate this book 4.5 stars out of 5 stars, and would definitely recommend.

L x

Book Haul

Over the last few months, I have purchased several books, so today I am going to share them with you!

The Mortal Instruments - I have been wanting to read these for ever so am really excited to finally be able to read them this summer. I have heard such good things about them! I got the series new for about £15 of eBay - this saves quite a bit of money!

Paper Towns - as a huge John Green fan I had to buy this! I read it last three years ago when it became one of my favourite books. I have really enjoyed re-reading it so many years later and have completely fallen in love with it all over again!

Looking for Alaska - again I had read this before, but I found I enjoyed it a lot more the second time. It is so easy to get endorsed into Pudge and Alaska's live - I would defiantly recommend!

Chaos Walking Trilogy - again I have wanted to read these for so long! I got all three books off The Book People for around £7 and so they are defiantly a must on my summer reading list!

L x

Wimbledon

Last week, I went to wimbledon. The weather was lovely and sunny, which made the day really special! Here are a few snaps from the day!

Firstly we spent 4 hours in 'The Queue'

Murray Mount

Court 18

Court 3

Centre Court

Wimbledon Strawberries & Cream

L x

The Fault in Our Stars

Last week, I attended 'The Week Before Our Stars', and special pre-screening for fans of The Fault in Our Stars. If you have read my first post, you will know that this is my all time favourite book, and it means so so much to me. I do not know exactly, but I reckon I have read this book over 50 times. Thats quite a lot! Having read it for the first time two to three years ago, and talked about it everyday since, I could not wait to see the film.

At first I wasn't sure about the casting of Ansel Elgort as Gus. This was not because I disliked him; he is one of my favourite actors, but rather that he wasn't the Augustus Waters that had been in my head these last years. As an after thought, however, I do not think they could have chosen a more perfect Augustus. Shailene Woodley, as I have mentioned before, is one of my two favourite actors/acresses ever, along with Emma Watson. She was the most perfect Hazel and this made me especially excited for the film. Many people are bothed about Nat Wolff not having blonde hair, however this never bothered me. Overall, i do not think they could have done a better job with the casting.

Surprisingly I found the movie hilarious, as there were so many times when the whole theatre laughed out loud. I did not expect this. There was, as I expected, a collective sob from the audience thoughout the last part of the film. I would totally recomend seeing it (however read the book first!). 

I would not say it was the best book to film adaptation I haave seen, although I would argue how faithful it is. It kept many important ideas of the book- their love of the book, understanding of life etc. I did coming out of the film feel the relationship between Gus and Hazel was presented differently but I loved this.

All in all, I loved, loved, loved the film, and could not have wished for a TFiOS movie. It is such a relif that the movie was this amazing having waited so long for it. 

L x

Visiting Hogwarts!

Last month, I visited the Warner Bros studios in London. I had heard amazing things so was eager to at last visit it, and was not disappointed. Inside, there was everything that you could ever possibly imagine and it was done in a really cool and exciting way! I saw Dumbledore's study, the Great Hall, Gryffindor's common Room, the Burrow, Hagrid's Hut, and the list goes on and on. I saw Hippogriths, mandrakes, and all the other beasts and plants. I (stupidly) forgot a decent camera, so here are a few of my favourite (very bad quality) photos. Enjoy!

Ron's howler - 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'

The Marauder's Map - 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'

Olivanders

L x

Welcoming Summer

It has reached that time of year again in England where you feel like you should be able to enjoy picnics in the park wearing floral dresses and BBQs in the evening, however the weather stays pessimistic.

Going away for bank holiday weekend should have been sunny, bright and warm, but instead involved trudging through the campsite in muddy walking boots and soaking cagoules. It is however times like this, in my opinion, where you get the most unexpected laughs; as you sit in the squashed caravan playing all the board games you played when you were little and many you have never heard of. You have the heartiest chats about books, movies, memories that you are so grateful for and that really make you smile. Even though the weather is a disappointment, it really makes the best times and the best memories. For me it helps me to appreciate life to the full extent. And then, when the gorgeous weather arrives, you feel lying on the damp grass with your closest friends and watching the butterflies and birds burst in to life under the painted blue sky and the blaring sun you realise that to get here you had to go through worse but it was worth it, and that all weathers are perfect in their own funny way. I now cannot wait until summer...

L x

Staying Positive

At the moment, I am finding it a particularly hard task to stay positive. I am constantly dragging myself down over tiny little things, things that previously I wouldn't have batted an eyelid at! One reason for this, I think, is probably stress. Another that I am often in my own little world with my favourite fictional characters, that when I do return to Planet Earth, I have to admit its a bit of a disappointment. Many other teenage fangirls will agree that our life is nowhere near as thrilling as Hazel's, Tris', Charlie's, Harry's or Miles' life. The rest of the time I undermine my value, or so so many have recently told me, never thinking I'm good enough at whatever it is that I'm doing. I'm sure many other people feel this way too.

Today, my English teacher reminded me of one of my favourite quotes of all times, which made me feel better. When Christopher Robin said to Pooh:

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

This, in my opinion, is an important message to always have stored in your heart. Sometimes in life people, whether friends or enemies will need to be reminded of this, and even yourself. There are some days in life, when everything is going against us and we really need people to reassure us of who we are and what we are capable of. Always remember, as Henry Ford identified:

“When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ....”

Never let what you can't do pull you down; instead what you can do push you up. Keep moving forward in life, one step at a time, and sometime you will find something which will make you truly smile. I will try to remember this and put a skip in my step next time I walk into somewhere I don't want to be and smile at the people I don't want to see, as at the end of the day I can slip into my fictional world slightly happier than the previous nights. And I hope you do the same.

L x

Divergent

So, on Friday 4th April (the day Divergent came out in the UK), I had to immediately go to the cinema to see it! I'm not usually much of a movie person, but having adored the books and loving Shailene Woodley (Tris Prior) I HAD to see it!

Many people came out saying that it wasn't the best adaption, as they got many parts wrong, skipped events and added new ones, however this did not matter to me. As it says in the beginning it is based on the book, not a copy of the book. I'm sure you all know the idea of Divergent, but if not, here is a quick idea: Divergent is set in a futuristic Chicago, where in order to keep the peace, the society is separated into six factions, each with their own value. In a world where everyone fits somewhere, Tris finds herself unable to trust anyone, and with nowhere where she will truly belong.

I found the factions where presented very clearly in the film and the setting was narrated in such away people who hadn't previously read the books where able to follow along without a problem (this isn't always the way with book to movie adaptations!). I thought that Shailene Woodley and Theo James (Four Eaton) fitted the roles perfectly.

The acting was perfect, and I came out feeling like I was in their world. Four and Tris's relationship was not built up as much in the film as it was in the book, and Tris wasn't as 'small and underdeveloped' as Veronica Roth described her, but these were my only complaints. 

I left the cinema in tears (no one else in the cinema was crying) but this wasn't because it was sad; rather that the world I had been reading about for months suddenly seemed real on the next level and also the ending was PERFECT. 

If you haven't already read the books/seen the film I would urge you to do it..

March Favourites

Welcome to my March Favourites post. Here are some things I was loving through March:

Miscellaneous
H&M navy skater skirt - I wore this all the time throughout March. As it is still a bit chilly, I paired it up with some black tights and a hoody.

Trains - my love of trains grew as I went on two 3-hour train journeys. I have also spent time researching the underground for a art project!

           

Pinterest - I have been using Pinterest a lot lately, and it defiantly has to be in this months favourites! I use it for art inspiration, but also for fashion, quotes etc..

Art Materials
Winsor & Newton deep edge canvases - I had never used this brand for canvases before, but I have fallen in love with them. There is a beautiful quality and I think the deep edge makes the art really stand out on the wall.

Spray glue - I have been using this a lot for art - it is quick and easy to use, dries fast, repositionable and give a lovely finish. I would completely recommend this product for any art students or keen crafters!

Letreset Spring 2012 Promarkers - these were limited edition, so are now harder to get, however I absolutely love these spring like colours:

           

 

Books
Divergent & Insurgent (Veronica Roth) - Although, I have not yet read the 3rd one, I thoroughly enjoyed these books. I love the plot, the characters, the writing - they defiantly are a must-read!

One Day (David Nicholls) - I wrote about this in my previous blog post but have recommended it to practically everyone since!

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared (Jonas Jonasson) - This is a hilarious, ridiculous book which I couldn't put down! The story is superbly written and I definitely will be re-reading!