No review on Wednesday? Are you okay?!
Yes, I am fine but I am trying to change up my style a little when writing. I don't want to get bored of my content because if I don't enjoy writing it, then who is going to enjoy reading it? I still adore reading and I think my blog name really says it all. But this week I am going home for the Easter break, so I ventured out into my University hometown, my home away from home, and decided to pick up some books.
First off, most of these books are second hand. I don't understand when people buy first-hand books when they are £2.00 in a charity shop and their money would go to a good cause. Yes, I do love browsing Waterstones, but I find it really hard to drop £8-10 on a book. I can be a bit of a hypocrite in this area though. If I love the author and it is guaranteed good read with a beautiful cover, I am willing to splurge. For example, Angela Carter in all her macabre glory will always be one of my favourite authors. So when Waterstones released a hard copy with an illustrated cover of her famous collection of short stories titled 'The Bloody Chamber', I had to buy it. Other than that, you will always see me, spending my coin in Oxfam books.
The first book on my haul was 'His Bloody Project' by Graeme Macrae Burnet. Now on the back of this book, I can see the original price was £8.99 but I personally bought it for £1.99, always shop second-hand. What really drew me to this book was cover. A pale beige covered in bloody marks would catch anyone's attention. I haven't begun this book yet but as far as I am aware it is a memoir from a guilty man who committed the murder of three victims from the Scottish Highlands. This fictional story is based on true documents that were found and featured in a BBC documentary of the same name, 'His Bloody Project'. This book begins with the reader knowing that the man writing this memoir is guilty, but it delves into why he had done it. Was he mad? What pushed him too this?
I think it is going to be so interesting, keep your eyes peeled for the review.
Secondly, is an author close to my heart, Roald Dahl. After loving many of classics as a child, I was recently recommended his collection of adult short stories, which to say the least, are very different. This collection is called 'Cruelty' and is part of an eight-part selection with the others titled, Deception, Madness, Lust, Innocence, Trickery, Fear and War. All of these books are so appealing, I want to collect them all as a set. Sidenote - I did buy this new and from Waterstones. I knew I was going to love it, but at £8.99 for one and there being seven more, I might have to look for a cheaper alternative. These collections are edits, so they have been put together by the publishers, which means that I had already read some of the tales that were in this book. However, I have only just begun this book, I am already in love with it. The bite-size, short stories makes it so easy to pick up and put down whenever I please, I am not committed to one book and it allows me to read others along the side. I also adore the underlining topic which is at the centre of every story in this collection, which is greed. Every story is a different tale about greed, which I think really pulls all these stories together.
First off, most of these books are second hand. I don't understand when people buy first-hand books when they are £2.00 in a charity shop and their money would go to a good cause. Yes, I do love browsing Waterstones, but I find it really hard to drop £8-10 on a book. I can be a bit of a hypocrite in this area though. If I love the author and it is guaranteed good read with a beautiful cover, I am willing to splurge. For example, Angela Carter in all her macabre glory will always be one of my favourite authors. So when Waterstones released a hard copy with an illustrated cover of her famous collection of short stories titled 'The Bloody Chamber', I had to buy it. Other than that, you will always see me, spending my coin in Oxfam books.
The first book on my haul was 'His Bloody Project' by Graeme Macrae Burnet. Now on the back of this book, I can see the original price was £8.99 but I personally bought it for £1.99, always shop second-hand. What really drew me to this book was cover. A pale beige covered in bloody marks would catch anyone's attention. I haven't begun this book yet but as far as I am aware it is a memoir from a guilty man who committed the murder of three victims from the Scottish Highlands. This fictional story is based on true documents that were found and featured in a BBC documentary of the same name, 'His Bloody Project'. This book begins with the reader knowing that the man writing this memoir is guilty, but it delves into why he had done it. Was he mad? What pushed him too this?
I think it is going to be so interesting, keep your eyes peeled for the review.
Thirdly is 'In Love with Death' by Satish Modi, which I am really excited about. This book is titled a 'self-help book'. It centres around the questions that Satish Modi has about life. These questions are usually provoking and allow you too sit back and self-reflect on your own life. I have had this book for a while, but I haven't ventured into reading it yet because I feel like I need to be in the correct headspace to tackle it. The cover, like so many of my other books, struck me and made me buy it. Along with the ominous title, I felt compelled by this book. I will definitely be featuring a review of this book because I feel like it is going to be an interesting one.
That's it for my weekly haul, I hope you enjoyed it. Next week, I won't be doing a review either! As I have said, I am changing up my style a little at the moment. But I hope you will stand by me while I do it! Until next time, keep reading!
Lesson number one - Don't stop until you are proud
When this year began, I had many plans in my head for what I wanted to achieve. One of the things being to start a blog and to enjoy every post I did. If wasn't happy whilst writing my posts, then who would be happy to read them? Staying motivated is key.
At the end of the day, you are working for yourself. You are your own boss, you tell yourself when to write and when to take photos. All your ideas come from your own brain. Sometimes, I struggle to burst through my writer's block and actually come up with an idea that I am proud of. I wanted to speak a little more about that this week because it can't be only me that feels this way.
First of all, you come first, always. When you come to the evitable decision of either writing a blog post or sleeping. You must choose sleep. Your brain is not going to want to be creative if you don't let it rest. Remind yourself you are a badass bitch and curl up under your covers. Everyone has off days.
At the end of the day, you are working for yourself. You are your own boss, you tell yourself when to write and when to take photos. All your ideas come from your own brain. Sometimes, I struggle to burst through my writer's block and actually come up with an idea that I am proud of. I wanted to speak a little more about that this week because it can't be only me that feels this way.
First of all, you come first, always. When you come to the evitable decision of either writing a blog post or sleeping. You must choose sleep. Your brain is not going to want to be creative if you don't let it rest. Remind yourself you are a badass bitch and curl up under your covers. Everyone has off days.
Secondly, set yourself goals which you can write down and see. This way, you are reminded of how well you are doing and it keeps me organised. I can honestly say, that I am a list maker. I always feel so much better once I have written a visual list and I can see myself checking tasks off. Recently I got send some these adorable, personalised notebooks that can say anything you would like. This service is provided at the low cost of £8.95, which is very competitive compared to other businesses. I love this notebook with my blog name on it and I have recently begun using it for all my creative, blog post notes. For this low price, it would be so easy and affordable to get a couple more of these notebooks and have them personalised to say things like 'homework' or 'coursework'. This would help massively when trying to organise your work.
Another thing I love about these notebooks is that they are ring-bound. If you have read any of my other blog posts, you will know that I love ring-bound notebooks because you can so simply rip the pages out if you make a mistake. If you are anything like me, you always feel better about your notes and work if they are written neatly. These books allow you to tear out any pages that you don't need or that are too messy.
Thirdly, use those creative thoughts. Keep reading other bloggers posts and keep reading magazines. If you have an idea, write it down, remember it. What I find the hardest thing to do is to keep going with my ideas. I have a busy brain. I love thinking of new, creative posts to write about. I can have up five new ideas a day, then I just forget about them. They never make it out of my brain. I have to write down my ideas, so I can expand and develop them.
But also, while we are on the thought of staying inspired, I think it is worth mentioning that writing a blog post is not the only way to stay inspired when you are a blogger. I find that one of the best ways I stay inspired is doing something different with my time. Painting is creative, drawing is creative, writing a poem, writing a story or even reading a book is creative. They are perfect ways to keep your brain-inspired and relaxed. Taking care of your brain will help you to write a blog post you are proud of.
Lastly, change your location every so often. My favourite place to write a blog post is in bed, with a tea and a podcast in the background. However, sometimes, I feel confined to those four walls. I like to go to a coffee shop occasionally and write there, it is surprising what a change of location can do for your writing.
I hope this rant has helped you a little. If you are concerned that blogging isn't for you because you don't have a creative mindset, don't worry about it. Creativity takes time and patience, give it a go.
Also, a massive thank-you to Write On It
Remember to check out their shop: Writeonit.com
Thirdly, use those creative thoughts. Keep reading other bloggers posts and keep reading magazines. If you have an idea, write it down, remember it. What I find the hardest thing to do is to keep going with my ideas. I have a busy brain. I love thinking of new, creative posts to write about. I can have up five new ideas a day, then I just forget about them. They never make it out of my brain. I have to write down my ideas, so I can expand and develop them.
But also, while we are on the thought of staying inspired, I think it is worth mentioning that writing a blog post is not the only way to stay inspired when you are a blogger. I find that one of the best ways I stay inspired is doing something different with my time. Painting is creative, drawing is creative, writing a poem, writing a story or even reading a book is creative. They are perfect ways to keep your brain-inspired and relaxed. Taking care of your brain will help you to write a blog post you are proud of.
Lastly, change your location every so often. My favourite place to write a blog post is in bed, with a tea and a podcast in the background. However, sometimes, I feel confined to those four walls. I like to go to a coffee shop occasionally and write there, it is surprising what a change of location can do for your writing.
I hope this rant has helped you a little. If you are concerned that blogging isn't for you because you don't have a creative mindset, don't worry about it. Creativity takes time and patience, give it a go.
Also, a massive thank-you to Write On It
Remember to check out their shop: Writeonit.com
21/03/18
❤❤❤/5
Genre: Poetry
Published: 19th September 2017
How long did it take me to read: 2 hours
❤❤❤/5
Genre: Poetry
Published: 19th September 2017
How long did it take me to read: 2 hours
I read something a little different this week, a YouTuber's book.
I don't watch many YouTubers but Gabbie Hannah (The Gabbie Show) is one that I have been watching for a while. When I found out she had released a book I pre-ordered straight away. This book contains a collection of minimalistic poems which are accompanied by illustrations which I believe were drawn by Gabbie Hannah, herself. There are three colours of this collection, there is a light pink, blue and yellow. However, the only one that you are able to purchase through Amazon is the blue and I believe the other two were limited edition.
I wouldn't say I am a die-hard fan of Gabbie, however, I do enjoy her videos and for the most part, I did enjoy the book as well. The reason I gave it three hearts instead of five was the fact that it wasn't overly relatable to a wider audience. For example, there is a poem that simply says 'Link, in bio'. I physically laughed out loud when I first read this as it is a regular joke among the YouTube community. However, my mum wouldn't understand this joke and I wouldn't be able to gift it to her. I feel that with books, especially minimalistic poetry, the amount of relatability is key. Yes, I loved it and thought it was funny. But I also I am a fan of Gabbie, whereas if you arent, I feel this book would be harder to get in too.
Although, let's talk about the cover. I loved this image. For people who aren't aware of Gabbie Hannah, this is a drawing of her. She drew it herself and the image are meant to represent her mind. I thought every illustration in this book was well thought out and in turn, were very enchanting. Pictured below, there is a photo of the illustration accompanying a poem titled 'Anxiety'. It was poems like this that really brought the book back to being relatable to a wider audience. Not too mention, the drawing is amazing and goes perfectly with representing the feeling of Anxiety.
This book cost me £10.82, which I think is a little over-priced for a minimalistic poetry book. I recently (well... a couple of months ago) bought a copy of 'The Sun and Her Flowers' by Rupi Kaur, which a highly prized minimalistic poetry book, that I know many people were waiting for after Kaur's success of 'Milk and Honey'. The Sun and Her Flowers cost me £7.73. There was such a difference in cost. I wouldn't personally say I was disappointed with the price, however, I wouldn't feel obliged to spend that much money on it if I didn't know who Gabbie Hanna was.
One thing I really wanted from this book was the other colours. I would have loved the choice of the pink, yellow or blue version of this because I probably wouldn't have choosen the one I got.
Overall, this book didn't take me long to read and I did enjoy it for the most part. There was a range of poems in this collection that tackled more heartbreaking topics and other poems that bought the book back down to earth because they were funny and entertaining.
Long story short - I have a biased view. I like Gabbie and I enjoy her videos. In this book, I could hear her voice when reading the poems. However, if I was not a fan or didn't know anything about her channel on YouTube, I wouldn't necessarily be interested in purchasing this book.
I would recommend this book to friends, but only my young-adult peers. I couldn't gift this to my parents.
Happy Sunday! Get ready for a rant!
I have had a hard week at university. I think I have had the same headache as well for this whole week. It is difficult when I'm at the university to care for myself and think about my well-being when every day I have a different deadline. However, I am in my second year now. So I have learnt some tips from struggling through my first year. Halls was not a good place for me. I thought it would be a good idea to go into student accommodation in the first year because I was in a new place and it felt comfortable to be around people in the same boat. Being put into halls is usually a great experience for people in their first year, it just didn't personally work for me. When I was in halls, I found taking care of myself even harder. I wasn't eating properly and I struggled to sleep properly a lot of the time because living on campus was always so loud.
However, since I have been in the second year and I have been living with my best friend and boyfriend, I have figured out how to live more comfortably.
The first thing I learnt was eating correctly. This is so so important. Your brain needs food to be able to work properly. Repeat after me, packaged sandwiches brought from Waitrose is not dinner. You need a hot, homemade meal, it doesn't have to be a pro-chief meal but a bowl of pasta with a side of vegetables is so much better for you than a pizza delivered from Dominos. When I first started making a dinner for myself, vegetables was something I found so hard to add to my diet. I am definitely more of a fruit lover myself but eating your greens is so important. I always try to add a side of veggies to my dinner. For example, if I am doing a pasta bake (a common meal in my household), I will add pepper or peas to the mix and then put a side of frozen veggies alongside.
Basically, just make sure you give yourself a set time to take care of what your body needs food-wise because your brain is so important to your academic journey.
Secondly, live with people you love. This is a little more tricky than just eating right because some people don't get a choice of who they live with. But if you can, choose people you KNOW are going to be nice to live with. Before I lived in my student house and I was in halls, I felt trapped in my tiny room as it was the only space that could be labelled 'mine'. Now I live with people I love, it's so much easier. The house is cleaner because there is not the problem of 'causing an argument when asking if someone can simply wash up. We are able to make a coherent rota for cleaning and cooking because we are friends and we KNOW we will stick to it. But above everything, it's cheaper. Food shopping and cooking together means you save so so much money. I can not stress what a difference it has made to my university experience knowing that when I get home, there is a supply of food in the fridge and my housemates will all be cooking the same thing. Sitting around a table with your friends, eating dinner at the end of a long day has made uni so much easier.
Thirdly, having an unproductive day is okay. Yes, you are paying £9000 a year and that is a lot of money and yes, you want a good grade. But working yourself hard every day is going to end in nothing but more stress. If you wake up one more and you still feel tired, go back to bed. If you attend every class and do every piece of work, it is okay to stay home and DO NOTHING. This is definitely not advisable for every day but you should not feel guilty for preventing a week long headache and just taking a break.
Thirdly, having an unproductive day is okay. Yes, you are paying £9000 a year and that is a lot of money and yes, you want a good grade. But working yourself hard every day is going to end in nothing but more stress. If you wake up one more and you still feel tired, go back to bed. If you attend every class and do every piece of work, it is okay to stay home and DO NOTHING. This is definitely not advisable for every day but you should not feel guilty for preventing a week long headache and just taking a break. Next, make times for friends. Friends are so so important. New flash: Secondary school DOES NOT MATTER. The people who are in your life matter so much more. I met three of my best friends in secondary school and they are beautiful strong ladies, I love them to pieces. I see them regularly and when I go home I make time to see them. But the people you meet at university and especially on your course will understand what you are going through so much better than anybody else.
Finally, produce things you are proud of. If you are not happy with your course, change it. If you aren't happy with what your writing, stop doing it, speak to someone. You have the right to be 100% enjoying every single thing you produce. You should adore working on your all projects, you should get excited to go to class and learn. This is your journey and it matters how you feel along the way. You don't want to look back in 10 years, unimpressed with yourself and thinking that you put yourself in debt for no reason. My favourite quote ever (and get ready for some cringe) is 'you are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously' (Sophia Bush). I think this is so true regarding your university experience. You should love your work but you should be able to always see how you could improve.
Please try and be happy with your university journey.
7/03/18
❤❤/5
Genre: Nature writing (36 pages)
Published: 1st May 2014
How long did it take me to read: 1 hour
If you couldn't guess from the title of the book, this novel (if you could call it that, its only 36 pages) is about Holloways. Holloways is a sunken road which was man-made a long time ago. This path allowed people to get places faster and could have been used for a quicker route for traders.
❤❤/5
Genre: Nature writing (36 pages)
Published: 1st May 2014
How long did it take me to read: 1 hour
If you couldn't guess from the title of the book, this novel (if you could call it that, its only 36 pages) is about Holloways. Holloways is a sunken road which was man-made a long time ago. This path allowed people to get places faster and could have been used for a quicker route for traders.
Okay, so two hearts is a rather low rating from me.
What I think was my main problem with this book was the price. I had to buy this book for university course because I was studying nature writing, therefore I had no choice but to purchase this book. I bought it second hand on Amazon (thank you Amazon for always helping out poor students) for £5.99. When I got the book, I thought it was gorgeous. The cover was flawless. The illustrations were adorable and I know, for a fact, that I would at least of picked it up in my local Waterstones.
However, I was still disappointed when I received this book. Don't get me wrong, it was...interesting. But was it £5.99 interesting? It was only 36 pages. Lets some simple maths, £5.99÷36= 16.6388. That means that each page is worth around 16p. I understand that a lot of the budget for this book would be spent on the fantastic illustrations. But I wouldn't have spent that much money on this book if I didn't have too.
Nevertheless, I had so much fun taking these flat lay photos of it because, at the end of the day, this novel is extremely photogenic. Holloway was written by Robert Macfarlane and was dedicated to Roger Deakin as he wrote the nature book, The Wild Places. Robert Macfarlane goes and visits the Holloway in South Dorset and repeat's the journey he had once done with Roger Deakin. It comes across as a wonderful gesture. However, for the most part, I wasn't overly impressed with the book. I found myself skimming through it rather than pondering every line, which I think is what this book needs. And I felt that the author was reliving something because they felt like they should and the idea of going back to Holloway where he visited with his friend, Roger Deakin. However, as a reader, I didn't get the emotional connection too it as I think the narrator wanted there to be. I didn't feel much at all when reading it apart from 'Wow, I love these drawings'.
When I read the blurb of this book. I got really excited because it is based in South Dorset and I am originally from Dorset. I did learn things from this book as well, I had no idea what a Holloway was. When reading it, I kept thinking back to my hometown and remembering little paths that I used to walk down as a child and wondering if they would be considered a 'Holloway'. I did find this aspect interesting and I think that especially for people who live in the UK, that this would be a common theme.
Overall, I was disappointed by this book. I liked the creative ways that a Holloway was described and I think Robert Macfarlane did a good job. I was really inspired by this book to write something similar myself but this book didn't stick with me. I didn't know what I was expecting from this book. However, it still will be on my favourites page because although my cynical self-didn't enjoy it, so many of my friends told me I was crazy, as they really really loved it. So many people have told what an enchanting read it was!
I don't know if it's just the fact that I don't read a lot of nature writing and haven't ever really ventured into that genre. But if you would like a copy and the photos of my illustrations have captured your heart, then head on over to 'my favourites' page.
For now, keep on reading.
Hello Hello. Happy Sunday!
This is not my usual post, on Sunday's I like to post lifestyle posts and in my daily life, I do wear makeup. So maybe...it's not outside my usual posts? However, I am a very sensitive skin gal, so finding makeup that actually agrees with my skin is a hard task. I got into contact with the Poppy Austin makeup company because they sell natural products, which is something that appealed to me and my skin massively.
I received the mascara on Monday, so I have been wearing it for about six days. What the trouble with my other mascaras is the flaking. I can wear a mascara all day and not even think about it until it begins to itch. I then have to admittedly take it off, no matter what time of day it is, where I am, or what I am doing, I have to take it off.
So the main selling point of this mascara is the fact that it's vegan. Vegan you may ask? Is it edible? No. Well, I don't think so? Personally, I haven't tried it. What the vegan label on this product means is that it's not tested on animals. Many popular products like MAC, do use animals to test their makeup to make sure it's safe for human application. To be honest, these thoughts never really went through my head until people started really complaining about MAC and shops like LUSH started advertising their 'animal-free' products. Obviously, I care about animals as much as the next person, but I feel that this year I have become so aware of where my cosmetics come from. Also, this might be obvious to some, but I found that when I started looking at all natural products, I found my skin to be less reactive to them. I know, shocking. But that is what drew my eye to Poppy Austin's mascara. I loved it. It didn't make my eyes itch and I could wear it confidently knowing that no animal suffered in order to make something I use for vanity.
Secondly, the feeling of the mascara. The wand was slightly different from the ones that I had used before. It was more square, yet the bristles were more woven together. I've taken a picture of the brush below because honestly, I had trouble describing it. However, I have no problem with describing what it did to my application of the mascara. The formula itself was light, I could see the product before I could feel it on my eyes. The wand allowed for the formula to coat my eyelashes evenly, distributing the cosmetic perfectly. I wasn't worried about the fallout or flaking during me putting it on.
I have quite average length eyelashes, they aren't short but they definitely aren't long. I am always open to trying a mascara that will length them a little but doesn't make it look like I have spiders taped to my eyes. Basically, a mascara that can add volume to my eyelashes without having to put a million coats of the product on. The Poppy Austin mascara is flawless in this department. A couple of sweeps and it is on perfectly. And you better believe that mascara is there to stay. This mascara is waterproof and it will not move from your face for 24 hours.
Finally, the packaging. I like the minimalistic packaging however, I don't know if I would necessarily see it in a store and pick it up. I think the main selling point is the fact that it is vegan and for an animal-free product, it is EXTREMELY fairly priced at about £20. I would defintiely recommend this to a friend and furthermore, I would probably buy a second tube when I run out!
Thank you so much, Poppy Austin!
Go check out their company!
Their Instagram: Poppy Austin
Their Shop: Poppy Austin Cosmetics
7/03/18
❤❤❤❤/5
Genre: Novel
Published: 1st September 2005
How long did it take me to read: 3 days
Hello! I am a day late on posting my weekly book review because I have been SWAMPED with work and decided to put my university project above posting. Today, I decided to do a slightly older book than I normally write about. I read a lot of books in my spare time and the topics that they encompass changes a lot. However, I thought I might take the time this week to look at one of my absolute favourite books.
Milkweed is based in Warsaw during the Holocaust. Our main character is a young boy who guides us through World War Two. He is a child living in the war, he doesn't have any parents and the only fact that he definitely knows about himself is that he is Jewish. I'm sure I don't have to retell you what happened during the Second World War and there are plenty of fictional stories that are based around it. However, there is something so refreshing about this tale. Being written from a young boy's point of view, the reader is left in the dark a lot. We are misled often and get explained a lot of heartbreaking details of the main characters live through a fun, misunderstanding children's voice. For example, the Nazi Soldiers within this book are called 'Jackboots' because of their big, black boots. We are never told they are Nazi Soldiers, we are just left to assume they are by the young narrator. It's strange but different and almost heartwarming in amongst such a gloomy event.
The protagonist is called many things like 'thief', which because of his age and lack of parental influence, thinks his name is in fact, 'thief'. Later in the tale, we find out his name is Misha and he begins to find friends within the war. Misha is small, as he is a child. He learns that he can fit through tiny gaps and retrieve food for his other friends. This is was a dangerous job in World War Two, but we are told through the enchanting voice of the child narrator, that we barely notice.
I feel that many tales about Nazi Germany weave into the same gloomy story, however, this story is refreshing in a way. We, as a reader, are forced to hear about some horrendous events but we are charmed at the same time by the child's narration voice. This book was released a lot later than the books I normally review. Therefore, I feel it is okay to spoil the ending. If you don't want to know the ending, stop reading now!
The ending to this tale is why I love the book so much. As you can see from the picture above, this book is very well loved, the spine is broken and the corners are creased. This is my comfort book. When I am down, I will read Milkweed, when I am happy, I will read Milkweed. When my local Waterstones is boring me with all the new releases, I will read Milkweed.
Within the first final chapter, we are shown Misha again, in a post-war world. He is happy, he has children, he has grandchildren. He now has a name and it is 'poppy noddle'.
Despite my adoration for this book, I only gave it four stars. I have read many a book by Jerry Spinelli, including Star Girl, which I would recommend even more than Milkweed. However, this doesn't mean that Milkweed is any less than it. I loved every, believable character within this novel and that's why I continue to go back.
From cover to cover, I will continue to live in my routine of going back to this book. Jerry Spinelli is well known for this charming children narrators and I would highly recommend anyone this book. If you want a good read, but aren't scared of hearing some real-life events thrown in with some fiction. Then this is definitely the book for you!
You can find a copy on my favourites page!
❤❤❤❤/5
Genre: Novel
Published: 1st September 2005
How long did it take me to read: 3 days
Hello! I am a day late on posting my weekly book review because I have been SWAMPED with work and decided to put my university project above posting. Today, I decided to do a slightly older book than I normally write about. I read a lot of books in my spare time and the topics that they encompass changes a lot. However, I thought I might take the time this week to look at one of my absolute favourite books.
Milkweed is based in Warsaw during the Holocaust. Our main character is a young boy who guides us through World War Two. He is a child living in the war, he doesn't have any parents and the only fact that he definitely knows about himself is that he is Jewish. I'm sure I don't have to retell you what happened during the Second World War and there are plenty of fictional stories that are based around it. However, there is something so refreshing about this tale. Being written from a young boy's point of view, the reader is left in the dark a lot. We are misled often and get explained a lot of heartbreaking details of the main characters live through a fun, misunderstanding children's voice. For example, the Nazi Soldiers within this book are called 'Jackboots' because of their big, black boots. We are never told they are Nazi Soldiers, we are just left to assume they are by the young narrator. It's strange but different and almost heartwarming in amongst such a gloomy event.
The protagonist is called many things like 'thief', which because of his age and lack of parental influence, thinks his name is in fact, 'thief'. Later in the tale, we find out his name is Misha and he begins to find friends within the war. Misha is small, as he is a child. He learns that he can fit through tiny gaps and retrieve food for his other friends. This is was a dangerous job in World War Two, but we are told through the enchanting voice of the child narrator, that we barely notice.
I feel that many tales about Nazi Germany weave into the same gloomy story, however, this story is refreshing in a way. We, as a reader, are forced to hear about some horrendous events but we are charmed at the same time by the child's narration voice. This book was released a lot later than the books I normally review. Therefore, I feel it is okay to spoil the ending. If you don't want to know the ending, stop reading now!
The ending to this tale is why I love the book so much. As you can see from the picture above, this book is very well loved, the spine is broken and the corners are creased. This is my comfort book. When I am down, I will read Milkweed, when I am happy, I will read Milkweed. When my local Waterstones is boring me with all the new releases, I will read Milkweed.
Within the first final chapter, we are shown Misha again, in a post-war world. He is happy, he has children, he has grandchildren. He now has a name and it is 'poppy noddle'.
Despite my adoration for this book, I only gave it four stars. I have read many a book by Jerry Spinelli, including Star Girl, which I would recommend even more than Milkweed. However, this doesn't mean that Milkweed is any less than it. I loved every, believable character within this novel and that's why I continue to go back.
From cover to cover, I will continue to live in my routine of going back to this book. Jerry Spinelli is well known for this charming children narrators and I would highly recommend anyone this book. If you want a good read, but aren't scared of hearing some real-life events thrown in with some fiction. Then this is definitely the book for you!
You can find a copy on my favourites page!
Okay, let's begin with what a flat lay actually is...
When I first started blogging back in December, I didn't know the word 'flat lay', but after making friends with other fellow bloggers, they explained that a 'flat lay' is simply taking a photo of products from an above angle, usually with a plain background.
I personally try to take all my blog photos using similar props and colours, so they match and are a part of my theme.
What is one of my pet peeves is bloggers that use other peoples photos. I don't understand it when it's so easy and affordable to take your own. Also, it such an issue along the lines of copyright. Yeah, sure you might not be stealing your photos from other bloggers, but Google Images aren't free to use if you begin earning money.
A small disclaimer - I am not an expert.
I had to learn how to take a flat lay that I was proud and would happy using. But when I promote for companies, they always compliment on my photos so I thought I would share how to take similar flat lays too me.
There is one thing I can promise you though, they will be cheaply made. I am a poor student and I can't afford to keep buying new props for every photo I have to take. I post twice a week, so having to buy new items every time I released a new post would become very pricey very quickly.
So let's get into it...
First of all, I will pick my props. I have set props I use, but I will try and swap some out when I can. Pictured below are a few of my favourites. The branch and the leaves are literally from my garden. I put some shoes on, go outside with a pair of scissors and cut off some leaves. As simple as that. But be prepared to get some weird looks. I have had the branch for a while and I keep it in my 'props box'. Again, I found it outside while walking home one day and I took it back with me. The only other plant pictured is my cactus, which I replanted into a more photogenic pot, a simple black one.
The heart dish that you can see, was given to me by my mother. However, if you go down to your local charity shops you could almost definitely find some dishes that would look really good in your own flat lays.
That is where I got the pink balls from that are pictured below. I got a large pack of assorted potpourri from the charity shop. I have had them for a while now and they have lost their smell, however, they still look good in my photos.
And finally, my fake flowers. These cost me £1 and I use them in nearly every photo. These are fake orchid flowers, which I love. However, the main reason I bought them was that of the neutral colours. I know I use a lot of green in my photos so the little green seeds on them would work and the white always looks good with bright colours.
The next step is really useful if you are promoting a product. This week I was asked to use The Willow Tree's cards in my post. These beautiful cards are extremely well priced retailing at about £2.50 depending on the card. I loved these products so much I jumped at the chance at featuring them. The 'Hello' card is perfect for a student like me, who likes to send cards to their other friends at university, rather than text them. I find that sending people cards is so much more personal than a phone call. The 'Bloom and Grow' is a postcard, but I have recently stuck it up on my wall and it looks adorable. A big thank you to The Willow Tree - I will link them below so you can check them out yourselves.
So why did I include this photo? Figuring out what colours compliment what you are promoting or even just including within your blog post is important to how your photo comes out. For promoting these cute cards, I have focused on the green and white in the first postcard, complimenting it with the green and white in the orchid flowers. I have also included a grey piece of fabric to compliment the dark grey of the 'Hello' card. This ties the photo together and makes it look more neat.
Do you edit your photos?
I hardly edit my photos at all. I sometimes crop them if they aren't perfect and I usually enhance them slightly to make the colours pop, but apart from that, I leave them as they are. I take all my photo below a large window and this allows the natural light to shine through and brighten the images. So they barely take any editing.
How you place your props is the next thing you have to think about. You want to promote the items (for me, it's the cards) and not have the props swallow them. Adding my grey piece of fabric allows the cards to be separated and shine amongst the other props. It has to be clear from the photo, what you are focusing on.
Finally, the amount of space that is present. Don't be scared of having a little space present in your photos. You want the white background to shine through, otherwise whats the point of taking photos on a plain backdrop anyway. However, you want your flat lay to look fun, yet professional. So having a lot of space might make the photo look slightly boring. I sometimes use confetti to fill these tiny spaces, however, they are so hard to clean up and they get EVERYWHERE. So I have started to use leaves, as pictured below. It fits my overall theme better and they are so easy to sweep up and throw away.
I hope this has helped you in some way! I would love to hear your opinions and your very own tips in the comments!
A big thank you to The Willow Tree!
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