Bloody Brilliant Blogs #12

How is it Sunday night already?! Seriously…. Who do I need to speak to about cancelling Monday? 

Anyway, you fab lot have delivered some amazing blogs to read this week!

Thanks to Lisette Loves for this amazing Ginger and Lime cheesecake recipe. YUM. And I can't wait to make this breakfast muffin from The Elle Next Door! 

I'm off to Flat Iron finally with some friends next week, London Kat's post has got me even more excited that I already was. 

Derby is my hometown and I can't wait to try out new restaurant Seven when I next visit the family. Thanks Gingey Bites for a great review! 

Ginger Girl Says made me laugh with her Lessons I Learned from The Little Mermaid post. All SO true. 

And finally, love them or loathe them, you can't deny the no make-up selfies have done an amazing job to raise money for cancer research. This is Hannah wrote a great post about it - and I'm in awe of how amazing she look sans make-up -  what a beaut! 

The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman

You know the books you can't stop thinking about, days, weeks after you've read the last page? 

The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman is one of those books. 

I knew it was going to be sad but wasn't prepared for how upset I'd be. 

The story is based around Claire. She has two children - Caitlin, 20 and Esther, three. She's married to a gorgeous younger man and works as an English teacher. 

Her life is pretty good. Then she's diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and life as she knows it will never be the same again. 

As her memory fades, Claire, and her family, write funny, sad, poignant stories in a book. For Claire, the book is all she has left of her memories…

This book is heartbreaking as all the members of the family have to say goodbye to the Claire they knew. But it also has it's funny moments too. Rowan Coleman did an amazing job at writing such an amazingly sensitive book about such a huge issue. 

I'm not going to say much more. I don't want to spoil it. But I will say, get a box of tissues. You'll need them. 

Bloody Brilliant Blogs #11

How amazing is this weather?! Long may it continue! 

This week I've…. 

…. loved looking at Cider with Rosie's pictures of my hood 

…. enjoyed reading Being Erica's honest review of the Grillshack 

…. really wanted to make Treasure Every Moment's healthy spicy tuna burgers 

…. enjoyed Wander to Wonder's's Primrose Hill pictures. Wandering up PH is my fave lunchtime activity! 

….. really Laughed Out Loud at Becky Bedbug's wedding magazines from 2000 post. Oh the hairstyles….! 

Bloody Brilliant Blogs #10

This week I've…. 

… been desperate to have brunch at Kentish Canteen thanks to Sophie Denise's post 

…. agreed with Big Fashionista about the frustrations of self service checkouts 

… decided I need a drinks trolley in my life, inspiration from Domestic Sluttery

… got excited when I saw Sprinkle of Glitter's Liverpool pics. I also went to uni there and it's the best city. I'm up there next weekend and can't WAIT 

… got food envy when I read about Heroine in Heels Dirty Bones trip

… drooled over Lily loves Lola's's Nutella brownies. I've given up chocolate for lent but shall be making these as soon as it's over!! 

Today was sunny....

Sorry to state the obvious BUT HOW AMAZING HAS THE WEATHER BEEN? I've ditched my fleeced lined parka and happily pulled out my pleather jacket and found my sunglasses. I still wore tights though. It is still March after all and early March at that. Lets not get too ahead of ourselves… 

Though of course, some people do. Glorious weather brings out the crazies and the over excited…. 

I've witnessed: 

More men in vests than I ever thought possible in March 

Several people wearing shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops and sunglasses like they were heading for the beach  

Two women fighting over the last disposable BBQ in the local shop 

About a million pictures of the sunny weather with exclamations of THE SUN'S OUT via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, any other social media - like we don't all have a window to see for ourselves that it's sunny outside (though I am guilty of such pictures myself… See above)

And on Brick Lane my flatmate saw girls wearing very little, vomitting in the street in a scene like (I quote) 'they'd just come out of a foam party in Malia.' 

So yes, the sun is out. And we're all excited - though some more than others. 

Us Brits, eh, we don't do things by halves do we? 

February Reading

The Lemon Grove’s release has had a lot of hype around it’s release – and all justified.

From the moment I picked it up I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT DOWN and for the first time ever wanted my commute to last longer. 

The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh focuses on Jen who is on holiday with her husband in Mallorca. All is well until Jen's step-daughter Emma turns up - with her new boyfriend Nathan in tow. What should be a happy family holiday though is anything but and what happens next will leave you open mouthed and unable to turn the pages quick enough. 

Firstly this book leaves you desperate to go on holiday. The description of Mallorca is so impressive if you close your eyes you could almost imagine you were there and not on the very packed, sweaty Northern line at rush hour. 

Secondly this book is rude. Like, 'oh wow, did that really just happen?' rude. It makes Fifty Shades look like a kids book. I really hoped the man sitting next to me on the tube wasn't reading over my shoulder… 

And thirdly, this book has more twists and turns than The Big One in Blackpool. 

If I haven't convinced you by now to read it, I don't know what well. 

Helen Walsh, I applaud you. The Lemon Grove is a superb book. The only negative? It was all over far too soon… 

Bloody Brilliant Blogs #9

This week I was… 

… shocked to hear from Big Fashionista that it's been 20 YEARS since Oasis's Definitely Maybe was released. Where does time go?! 

… jealous of Cocktails and Caroline's breakfast at the Sanderson. Need to book in ASAP! 

… hungry when I read about Teffys Perks brunch at Breads Etcetera 

… happy when I saw Wander to Wonder's pics of Brick Lane. My fave place to go on a Sunday - and I need to check out that chocolate shop!