September Reading

September saw me being very reminiscent as it marked the 10th anniversary of when I started university, so reading The Reunion by Amy Silver made me reminisce even more as it's all about a group of friends who met at uni. 

Jen, Andrew, Lilah, Natalie and Dan were inseparable but in the 17 years since they graduated, they've hardly seen each other because of a tragedy that happened one summer in France. 

Then Jen decides enough is enough and invites them all back to the same French house. A snowstorm traps them inside and forces them to face their broken friendships head on and finally deal with the tragedy that tore them apart… 

As the tragedy in The Reunion is slowly revealed, you realise there is a lot more too this book. All the characters are intriguing and have their own issues to deal with and you feel sympathy for them all. This is a real page-turner - and a bit of a weepy too!  

HOW has it been 10 years since I left uni?!

On Saturday my cousin set off for uni in Sheffield and it was a reminder that it has been 10 years since I packed up and set off to Liverpool to start my university adventure. 10 YEARS! Where has that time gone? 

I was super jealous as she spoke about parties, drinking games and Freshers Week! A whole load of fun ahead. 

So if I could speak to my 18-year-old self now, what advice would I give….?

* Don't panic when your bathroom floods on the first night - a soggy carpet for the first couple of days honestly isn't the end of the world. 

* Don't worry about crying in the toilets during a night out on Freshers Week because you're homesick. You'll get over it and Liverpool will soon become you're home. Just wipe away the tears and drink a few more Apple VK's.

* Put your foot down with the flatmates when the kitchen was getting out of control - maggots aren't cool. 

* Dancing to the Baywatch theme tune on a Saturday night in the Union will never get old. Keep shimmying. 

* Missed a few lectures? It's fine. You'll still end up with your dream job. 

* Take ear plugs. A bedroom by the front door of the block isn't ideal… 

* Keep an open mind. The girl you're not that keen on when you first meet her? She'll end up being your BFF… 

* Most importantly - have fun. It's the best time of your life and the memories you'll make will be priceless. 

Amazing jewellery which will make Idris Elba fall in love with you.....*

If you're friends with me in real life or you follow me on twitter you will know I LOVE Idris Elba. (Not as much as Gary. But a close second….) And my love of Idris means Luther is obvs my favourite TV series. 

So imagine my excitement when I found out that my friend Sophie made the necklace for Luther's love interest Mary in the third and final series! 

Here are the earrings she wears - gorgeous, right?

Sophie's jewellery is gorgeous. They're all really delicate pieces in gold and very, very cool. Each piece is made by hand making using metal chains, beads, semi precious gemstones and Swarovski crystals. 

This is my bracelet. I love the skull which is in really contrast to how delicate the piece is. 

So, hands up who wants jewellery as worn by Luther's love interest? 

You all do? Good. 

Check Sophie out on Not On The High Street here

Maybe it'll lead us a little closer to the man himself. Though I was there first, OK? 

*I can't guarantee this will happen. But we can but hope. 

This is How It Ends by Kathleen MacMahon

My friend Claire raved about This is How It Ends and after being in my book pile for ages, I finally got round to reading it. 

I'll be honest. I didn't love it straight away. I found it had a slow start and I just didn't connect with the character straight off. 

But I knew I had to give it a chance, and I'm so glad I did. 

The story begins in Autumn 2008 on the coast of Dublin. American Bruno has come to to Ireland to search for his roots and he meets Addie who is looking after her infirm father. Their worlds collide as they fall quickly in love. But their feelings are about to be tested… 

This is not your typical love story, it's a more realistic love story, and one that will leave you both happy and sad as you discover This is How It Ends….

Let's go to the beach, beach...

Wow, how is it halfway through September already? And I've yet to post on the blog this month… How neglectful! 

I've got a good excuse for being AWOL though. I was on my jollies! 

I went to Paris (more on that at a later date) and then headed to Cornwall for my auntie and uncle's 25th wedding anniversary. As I was there only bridesmaid I obviously had to be there... 

Yep, this was us. 25 years ago. Awwww. 

So 12 of us plus three dogs set off and home for a week was this lush place with even lusher views. 

It got the seal of approval from Chance and Charlie.

So what did we do all week? 

Got excited when we saw the beach 

Drank cider (when in Rome and all that. Or Cornwall in this case...)

Had cream tea on the beach. A little sand mixed with the jam makes it taste all that much better 

Went for walks 

And chilled out 

Travelled to Lands End

Surfed in the sea that was surprisingly warm 

And surfed on the, er, sand too...

Ate cakes from Rick Stein's bakery (Who knew passionfruit cake would be so delish?)

Caught a fish 

Be a little too happy about catching the fish

Cooked the fish 

Toasted marshmallows on the campfire 

Burning them adds to the flavour. Apparently. 

Oh, and a campfire wouldn't be a campfire without a little 'Kum Ba Yah' on the guitar and tambourine would it? (Or Adele in this case…)

Oh, and a campfire wouldn't be a campfire without a little 'Kum Ba Yah' on the guitar and tambourine would it? (Or Adele in this case…)

And the perfect end to a perfect holiday? Make a wish and set off Chinese sky lanterns…. Sorry there is no picture of this nice moment. Unfortunately it was VERY windy and no one thought that maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to set them off meaning they rose up and then came back down almost setting us AND the house on fire. Not ideal but it made for a very funny end of the trip…

So thanks for having us Cornwall. You were a beaut. See you very soon.