Looking Forward, Looking Back #2

Well it is definitely time for another one of these! I've been having a bit of a rubbish time lately, so time to refocus I think!

Looking Forward
I had a cheeky little ASOS shop and so am super excited to try on my new purchases once they arrive! It's not just parcels, I love receiving pretty much anything in the post, so also did a little search for some free sample, so I have some of the new Bailey's Biscotti Flavour heading my way too - a little random, but if it's free then why ever not?!

Looking Back
Looking back is kind of hard, since I must admit I've been having a pretty darn tough time recently, but in the spirit of Looking Forward, Looking Back, I accept that there is always stuff to be thankful for! One of my best friends has really taken me under her wing and done everything possible to cheer me up - I even arrived home to find she had baked me a cake yesterday! That girl is an absolute sweetie and I love her to bits, so looking back I am super duper thankful for her.

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Sarah x

Shh, it's a secret...

One of my favourite time-wasting things to do is faffing about on Stumble Upon. It usually produces a lot of rubbish, but yesterday I came across this video. It's about the Post Secret phenomenon, in which one man asked people to send in their secrets on a postcard. In this video, the same principle is applied, but this time it isn't anonymous...you'd be surprised how honest some people are!



PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God from Frank Warren on Vimeo.

My favourite part is the couple telling each other a secret.

Sarah x

Looking Forward, Looking Back #1

Life isn't always easy and sometimes it can be super tough to find stuff to be thankful for. I know I can certainly be prone to bouts of the grumps! So when I heard about 'gratitude journalling' (a fancy way of saying writing down stuff you're grateful for) I though 'why not?'. So, I've decided to try and do a regular little post entitled 'Looking Forward, Looking Back'. I'll look forward to something coming up - even the toughest times are easier when you've something to look forward to, no matter how little! Then I'll look back and find something great to be thankful for. Sounds simple enough right?

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So here we go with my first 'Looking Forward, Looking Back':

Looking Forward

My mum always says Autumn seems awfully sad, with everything dying and hibernating for winter. But what a pessimistic view! Personally, I think that this time of year has a certain sort of glamour - not the out-and-out 'woo let's wear a bikini' sort that summer has, or the delicate new life of spring, but instead everything gets a little mysterious. Sunset is earlier and everyone disappears into their lovely new coats and scarves. Plus, tights are my best friend...I'm about as white as they get and I just don't enjoy faffing around with all that fake tan! Now if finally being able to put the pasty legs away isn't something to look forward to, then I don't know what is!

Looking Back

I've had an absolutely fab summer! It's been the perfect combination of holiday, productivity and just chilling out. I feel completely refreshed and ready to hit October hard now! I was really lucky to be taken on holiday to France by my parents, which was amazing - great weather, lovely day trips and most importantly lots and lots of food and wine! Definitely something to be grateful for.

So there we go, my first 'Looking Forward, Looking Back'...and ya know what? I feel better already!

Sarah x

The Flip-Flops' Last Hurrah

Until next summer dear flip-flops!

What an unexpectedly lovely sunny day! Well not entirely unexpected, I know the weatherman has been going on about potential good weather this week, but I never that them raise my hopes! Especially not when apparently they're forecasting snow for the second week of October (or so a taxi driver told me - those guys are fountains of knowledge). I spent a little time out on a picnic blanket reading my newest book ('The Red Tent' by Anita Diamant) and, surprise surprise, got about half way through! It's just so easy to lose time when the weather is gorgeous and you're lost in a great book.

I must admit I am going to miss being able to go outside without piling on the layers, so it was lovely to be able to just spend some time relaxing outside.

I hope everyone has had a minute or two to enjoy the sunshine!

Sarah x

Book Review - 'When God Was A Rabbit' by Sarah Winman

I have an awful habit of getting so absorbed in a book that I finish it in a matter of days, and I must admit that 'When God Was A Rabbit' is definitely one of those books that I did this with!

Told in the style of a two-part memoir, this book is narrated by Elly, who tells the story of her relationships with family and friends. The most central and formative of her relationships are with her elder brother Joe and odd classmate Jenny Penny, and as the novel progresses we see how they impact upon Elly right through into adulthood.

The first half of the book revolves around Elly's childhood experiences and is told with a childish wonder - so many events are described perfectly through a child's eyes and it is often not until the second adult part of the book that the reader, alongside Elly, comes to fully understand them.

There are plenty of subtly shocking moments in 'When God Was A Rabbit', and Winman does not shy away from difficult issues such as terminal illness, abuse and murder. Nothing, however, is ever included purely for shock factor and it is fascinating to see how Elly and her family cope with the many events throughout the book. Despite the inclusion of several upsetting events, this is not a depressing novel - quite the opposite in fact! There are plenty of uplifting and beautiful moments, and the ending, although a little inconclusive, leaves the reader satisfied. The book's blurb claims that this is "a book about love in all its forms", and that is certainly what it achieves.

Overall: A really lovely and though-provoking book, perfect if you need a little heart-warming but don't fancy the typical love story.

Sarah x

All Tangled Up

I'm having a bit of a mare as my jewellery addiction is coming back to bite me! I've been maltreating my accessories a little recently and just chucking them all together in a bag and of course it then takes an absolute age to separate them again. The necklaces especially are a pain because of the chains getting all tangled together. So, I decided to have a look for a little inspiration for a nice jewellery holder to make. I must admit I was amazed at how resourceful some people can be!

Here are some of the ideas that I found on Pinterest...

Kitchen Grater
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Garden Rake
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Antique Typeset Tray
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Branches and Twigs
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Alas until the time when I manage to find some way as lovely as this to sort my jewellery I'll have to continue throwing it in a bag and then getting irritated as I spend twenty minutes trying to separate out the necklace I want!

Sarah x

Specs Appeal?

A little post today that was inspired by Selin over at The Tuesday Girl, who posted about making peace with her glasses. Apparently today is 'Proud Of Your Specs' Day, at the behest of Gok Wan. Now I certainly don't feel proud of my specs, in fact I do just about everything I can to avoid wearing the things. I can't wear contacts and so my life is, for the most part, a rather blurry experience. Apart from driving and times when I need to read at a distance, my glasses stay firmly in their (admittedly very pretty) Cath Kidston case. Some people manage to work the geek look, or even just look downright hot in their specs, but I'm just not one of them. Looks aside they always slip off as well. I know life would be easier if I just put the darn things on my face every now and then, but I don't! There would certainly be a drastic reduction in cases of mistaken identity but I'm used to the embarrassment by now, and this would of course provide most people in my town with a lot less entertainment.

Nope, I'm afraid I still don't think I can pull off the sexy specs look, but in the spirit of 'Proud Of Your Specs' Day I will at least let my glasses have one little outing...

Happy now Gok?

There you go, the glasses are outed! One day we may finally reconcile our differences, but until then I'll just pop them back in my handbag...

Sarah x