My wardrobe

Dear clothes lovers

Now most females my age love to shop and I'm no exception. Hitting the high street or the web looking for new clothes that I can wear for that special occasion (or just because its Tuesday) puts me in such a happy mood. I love it when I get to try on new clothes and put together a new outfit for a Saturday night, out with the girls. Now having plenty of clothes like most females do, it's the question of where to store them all. Now I'm 22 and still living at home, (yes, I cant afford to move out, maybe something to do with the amount of clothes I have) so I only really have my bedroom to sort all my stuff. Well I should store all my stuff in my room however it seems to have spread itself around the house and garage. Now, when it comes to clothes I do have my own wardrobe in my room, but I'm lucky to have a large walk-in cupboard at the end if the hallway outside of my room. This has become a second wardrobe over the years, shared with my mother. Lets just say you can see where my love of clothes comes from, as she has plenty too. This cupboard has become very filled. I have handbags, and shoes in here as wells as most of my dresses, jeans and jackets. My friends have become to understand why it takes me soooooooooooooooooooooo long to get ready. Mainly because I can't ever decide what to wear. Most of them come over and love looking through my wardrobe with me. I give them a little fashion show on what I should wear. (We might only be going to the cinema, but who knows who you might see there...Robert Pattinson, I wish! haha) I do love my collection of clothes, shoes and other accessories I have. The only other problem I have, other than what to wear each day, (I'm so glad my work has a uniform or it would take me all morning to decide what to wear), is when I've got to clean it out. Now, I do try about 4 to 6 different outfits on before I decide what I want to wear each day, it drives my family and friends crazy! (Well, if I'm not happy with what I'm wearing I'm not going to be happy when I'm out! Moody, springs to mind!) So cleaning out my wardrobe can take a couple of hours, (sometimes days) well I don't just have one to sort out. I end up with tops everywhere, where I've changed my mind. Also I don't get rid of many because I love them all, and you never know when you might need it. That event around the corner, where it might be perfect. Additionally, I don't like wearing the same thing twice out with the same people. Well I try and make it look different, its not too hard with the amount of clothes I have.
So this weekend I've given myself the task of sorting through these wardrobes! At the moment I know I own more than 60 dresses alone. ( I counted them one day!) I do need to get rid of some of these clothes to make space (maybe for new clothes *Big smile*). So I thought I'd write to you all so you can see how much hard work this really is! I'm only starting on the clothes, I'm not even going into shoes or bags. (I wanna go out tonight!)

SOOOOO please wish me luck! I'm just glad the sun isn't out today or it would never get done. AND I'm going to London next week so might do a spot of shopping ;-D

Enjoy your weekend people,

Love Lolly
xoxo

My new read

Dear Readers

I have many books that I love, one series that I have been reading for the last two years is The Vampire Diaries by L.J Smith. This set of books has been turn into a TV series which is now in its third series. The TV series has the many of the same main characters from the books and tells the story of Elena Gilbert. The TV show does drift away from the books of which I love, however the actors and the story plots keep me watching.

Back to the books. I picked these up because I loved the TV show and I wanted to know where the story started. Now knowing this book was about Vampires I was quite happy to find out more as I had loved over vampire sets of book. There are many differences from the TV show which I won't go into or I'd be here all night. However this set of books differs from other teen vampire books as the female lead is already a strong character in herself, knowing she doesn't need to be told how good she is. Elena Gilbert's parents have been killed in a car crash close to her home, she survived. The book starts you with Elena going back to school on the start of the new term. You see how she feels and thinks about going on with her life without her mother and father there to guide her through these final stages of school. The character is your typical popular girl at school, the one that all the guys fancies and who all the girls want to be. Normally she would rule the school, however with her parents gone she knows her last year at school won't be the same, little does she know how different it would be.
Stefan comes to the town wanting a normal life after travelling around the world feeling lost. He stays in the small town because he wants to know Elena. He is the reason why she is still alive after the car crash, as he saved her. However he has his own dark secrets and troubles that he brings with him. Now you can guess he is the Vampire, easy done. Nevertheless he brings more danger to the locals than just himself. Mainly in the shape of his brother Damon. Damon is the darker of the two brothers, true to what is.
The series follows the two brothers fight for the same girl, not only for her love, but for her affection and trust. Elena thinks she knows which one her heart lies with however she also has a pull to the other brother at the same time. She can see herself with each of them. One drawing on her dark side, the other on her natural self. Mainly we do follow Elena, however her actions affect not only herself but that of her friends along with the town she lives in. You will fall for these characters yet Elena's friends draw you in too. Bonnie and Meredith Elena's close friends, have there own stories to tell. Not forgetting Matt. He maybe Elena's ex but also a close friends in addition a main part in the groups fight for their lives.
Overall this set of books does take you away from the normal life is starts with. Many events take place affect all of the characters, plenty of twists and turns. There are also more vampires, werewolves, in addition other ghost and supernatural beings. The books are very fast moving, keeping the story flowing throughout.

The books:

All the books so far in order.

(These are the American covers)

These are the first books in the set:



 This book contains the first two books

The Awakening

And

The Struggle

 This book also contains two books

The Fury

And

Dark Reunion

The next set of books are a full book, but in a set of three: The Return



The Return: Nightfall

The Return: Shadow Souls

The Return: Midnight

The next set of books: The Hunters:

The Hunters: Phantom

The Hunter: Moonsong

I am sure there will be another book after this one, which will lead the friends into more danger.

If you want a new read ready for the summer, this set of books could be for you. However there are a few books in the series so be warn once you start one, you will want to read the next, and the next and the next..... you get the point. Just make sure you have plenty of time because I found them hard to put down!
I hope you get chance to read these, to enjoy them at the same time. Now I have brought these for a friends of mine so I had someone to talk about them with and she loves them too!!

Thanks for reading

Love Lolly
xoxo

DIY

Dear Readers
In our house hold DIY has always been a family affair, it's all hands on deck, so most of the rooms in our house have been decorated by my family of four. We are very lucky as my grandad is a carpenter so many jobs are quick and easy for him do to. He's very helpful to have about to lend a helping hand. I remember when our rabbit decided she didn't like the wallpaper in the hall, so she started eating the corner of the paper, which she then pulled at, ripping a piece all up the wall. My mum wasn't to pleased, I'm sure there was some bad language used as the rabbit just quickly hopped out of the door. With a piece of paper missing from the wall my mother decided it was time to redecorate, well the rabbit had stared the job. A week later the walls had been stripped and a new floor had been added. Just over two weeks later the hall way was finished.
This year my parents have decided that the living room needed decorating. It started with just the ceiling being redone as the colour had faded. However again my mother had other ideas, telling us it had been over 10 years since the room had last been done. So in I, coming up with a colour schema, a nice mixture of warm browns. Within a day the room had been cleared of all its clutter and all that was left was the TV and sofa's. We had been told the TV was not allowed to be moved until the Everton match at the weekend had been seen, (football in our house always comes first).
Now the weekend just gone is one of the busiest weekends at work for the fact it was mothering Sunday, so I was working flat out to get every ones orders filled. You may think that when I got home Saturday night after a crazy day that I would of had a quick dinner, followed by a bath, then a falling asleep while watching a girly film... well that's what I'd planned to do, but my family had other ideas. It was time for me to learn a new skill.. wall papering!!! Now I've never done anything like this before but my dad decided because I'm crafty as hes puts it (I say artistic) I should find it easy and fun........No. After working a full busy day then learning a new trade, I wasn't in the best of moods. Every time I finished a piece I would lay on the floor and try to take a nap before I was handed the next bit of paper to place on the wall. Nearly two and half hours later it was decided by my dad that we should finish the rest the next day. Dam, I couldn't wait to go to BED!!
The following day we all finished the rest of the walls. So by 10pm we could have a rest and look back at our hard work, until my dad had to screw the sockets back in place where he found I'd cut them too short!! By now I was passed caring. Overall I'd rather pay someone else to do all the hard work for me!!
So the next time I'm looking round the house at what needs mending, I'm going to book a very long holiday because I'm really not into DIY. I'm sure that I was lucky that it was only wall papering as knowing me the next thing I take on, a visit to A&E would be on the cards.

Talk to you all soon,

Love Lolly
xoxo

My next read: The Hunger Games

Dear Readers,

 It's been a busy start to the year, with a holiday to Egypt, Valentines day (peak period at work) going to the Brit awards (sorry to mention it again) so finally with a free Sunday just over a week ago I was able to pick up a new book to read. Now knowing a film has been made about this set of book, and I'd rather read the book before seeing the film, "The Hunger Games" had to be the book to read. All I can say it doesn't disappoint. If I didn't have to go to work I'm sure I wouldn't of put this book down. Within three days I had finished the book and was itching for more, so the second book in the trilogy, "Catching Fire", was out in a flash and in my hand reading every free moment I had. Again within a few days, (a little longer than the first book because I needed to go to work and do some housework, plus visit friends) I had finished the book. The story holds you tight wanting to know how the main character survive, copes with everything that gets thrown in her face. Yesterday, because I couldn't take it anymore I started the last book in the Trilogy "Mockingjay". I'm already at chapter 15, page 238. Again I've only put in down to get some jobs done today. For anyone who hasn't heard about these books, I'm just going to sum up the first book from my point of view, I don't want to give to much away or about what happens in the next two books, mainly because I hate it when someone gives away the ending of a book or film, so I don't want to do it to anyone else either.

    The books in order, left to right, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay

The blurb on The Hunger Games reads:

In a dark vision of the near future,

twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear

in a live TV show called the Hunger Games.

There is only one rule: kill or be killed

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps

forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees

it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death

before. for her, survival is second nature.

Even this blurb draws you into the book, a good summary.

The book is broken into three parts, this helps you understand the story more and what the character is going through. The main character is Katniss Everdeen, the story is told from her point of view. Katniss lives with her mother and younger sister in a poor area of district 12. With no father in her life after he died she takes on the role of the head of the house hold at a young age making her grow up a lot quicker than most do. Her world is a far cry from what we know and the author helps describe Katniss's world, dropping you into the future. The country every year holds an event called the hunger games where two contestants from each of the twelve districts, one male and one female, compete in a contest where only one can survive. These games have been invented to show the power the leaders, the Capitol, have over the people. They use them as entertainment for everyone to watch them die. When the two contestants are picked from district 12, Katniss sister Prim is selected at random. Katniss steps up to take her place knowing that she is heading to her death. Katniss is then thrown into a world she hates and despises, the people who are putting her into danger, who want her to fight for entertainment. Her fate is in her own hands and her competitors, all she knows is that she wants to get home to see and stay with her family, but that's what everyone else in the arena wants too! Now how hard is she willing to fight?

Once you start to read these books I'm sure you will be griped. Go on and take a chance get lost in another world.

Well done to the author Suzanne Collins on a beautiful set of book. I'm now looking forward to seeing the film this month. Also I'm pleased that the author has had a hand in the film being able to co-write the screen play for the film. This, I hope, will make the films close to the books unlike so many book to films before them. I understand that to turn a whole book into a film could make a film extra long but I believe it can lose some of the magic of the book. Only watching the film will clear this up, but every time I see a Trailer for the film I get more and more excited!!

Now I must finish the last book, I hope you are able to enjoy the books and also the film.

Love Lolly
xoxo

The Brits

Dear Friends

This year I was very lucky and got to got to The Brit Awards. I won a competition on BBC radio 1 where I had to answer a question with four other people to win ticket. Luckily we all knew the answers to our clip of music and knew on Tuesday 21st February we would be heading to the 02 arena in London and sharing a table then being able to watch the Brits live!! When I rung up that morning I never thought I'd get through, but if you take a chance some times they pay off!! However I now think I've used up all my luck for the year - I'm a little scared.
 Now for a big event like the Brit I needed a drop dead beautiful dress. Which is a lot hard that it sounds when you only have one morning and my nan to go shopping. Bless my nan, we don't always like the same things, however she wanted to come with me to find a dress. I ended up buying three!! (Two which I returned unworn after the event). I also brought a new hand bag - it was needed to go with the outfit.
 When Tuesday finally arrived I didn't think I'd be able to stay calm. I was going to the biggest party for music in the UK! I was taking my close friend Chrissie with me, as I knew she would love it too. The hotel was book and had our tickets in hand and it was London here we come!!
By the time we got to the hotel we had an hour to get ready and out the door in a taxi to the 02.

                                           A picture of me just before we ran out the door.

We arrived at the venue early so we had plenty of time to wonder around before we had to meet Ian from radio 1 who had our tickets. As we had plenty of time Chrissie and I took load of pictures of us outside the venue. Just before 5 everyone had arrived, we were given our tickets and we all headed in. Now I've been to the 02 before to see a band play and its such a good venue, so I was itching to get in. We all were guided through security checks with our "Diamond tickets" where a large tent awaited us, inside was a Helta Skelta and line of free champagne. Of course we went for the free champagne I didn't want to get my dress dirty on the Helta Skelta.

Me and Chrissie with our champagne

I was very lucky because the other competition winner were such lovely people and just as excited about being there. We all talked about the competition and how we sounded on the radio. This included did we know each others song (for one he didn't so all his friends have brought him the girls aloud album) and how nerves each of us were. Now our guests (plus ones as we were calling them) were loving it all as they didn't have to do any work to get where they were, lucky s**ts haha. With four lads and four ladies at the table we were chatting away excited about everything that was happening.
The table we were given was close to the stage, where later we had a performance from Emeli Sande the critics choice winner. She was amazing and I just couldn't believe I was watching her. All the competition winner and their guests at our table were entranced watching her. Me being me, I picked the seat where I couldn't see. Ian from radio 1, who was our chaperone, switched seats with me, bless him. It was a perfect view and I just couldn't believe I as watching her.
When her performance finished we carried on into the 02 venue, finding our seats with a perfect view of all the stage, but also all the stars sitting at their tables. Coldplay open the show with all of us on our feet screaming/singing along. Each performance was amazing from Olly Murs, Florence and the machine to Bruno Mars. Who could forget Adele and of course Ed Sheeran who didn't disappoint. As the event was being shown live on ITV there was advert breaks where we could run to the loo or grab a drink. At one point I headed to the bar and found Matt Edmondson, T4 presenter and Radio 1 DJ.

He was so lovely I got two pictures!

 Back at the seats Chrissie couldn't believe who I'd just meet, the pictures helped as proof. The rest of the show was just as fun, apart from when they cut Adele's acceptance speech. She wasn't even able to thank her fans. Now people have been asking me how Blur were as they didn't think much to them on the TV, but live they were epic. The really did help the show go out with a bang!

 After being able to watch the show live, the party didn't finish there. We headed to the after show party where the room had been transformed into a fun fair, with bumper cars, candy floss and cup cakes. Now I've never been to a party like this and probably will never again, so I did the only thing I could do.... enjoyed myself!!


 The next morning Chrissie and I left the hotel and headed home, with a quick trip to Oxford street,  with hangover in tow (well I did). Shattered that we were our, trip home was just us sleeping on the train.

 I'm so fortunate that I got the chance to go, knowing that one phone call gave me the chance. So to anyone that read this, take a chance you never know where it could lead, it lead me to a night I'll never forget and can't stop talking about (sorry to all my friends, I'm sure I'll shut up about it soon).

Thank you radio 1

Love Lolly
xoxo

Valentine's day

Dear Valentines Day
Now every year you arrive on the same date 14th February. I believe its a day to spread joy and give the people in your life something to let them know you care. This doesn't just mean your partners even if you are married or not, i mean your best friend, your mum, your dad or even your cat.
I'm a florist so i work in the trade of Valentines day, it one of our biggest days of the year. We get through so many roses in one day you wouldn't believe how my hand feel the day after (that's today). They receive cuts from so many thorns, I'm surprised i haven't run out of hand cream. It's nice to sell roses and other flowers to people on this day who will leave and put a smile on someone elses face with the gift they are about to give.
Don't get me wrong I'm single and like sooooo many people out there, didn't receive a single thing, not even a card. But that's life and after 7 years in this job I've learn to enjoy seeing other people happy at what you have created with flowers, so at least I'm giving on this day.
However i did treat myself to chocolate so i wasn't to bothered about getting nothing from anyone else.
So next year, if you are single like i was this year, not be bitter about it, just enjoy the day with some chocolates for yourself, or do what my friends and i do (this year a few days before on a Sunday because i don't work that day), head out to Nando's with a smile on your face and enjoy some chicken and see who you can pick you in the street, if not what you can buy in the shops.

Always look on the bright side of life

Love Lolly
xoxo

Books

Dear Books,
  I love it when I have the chance to start a new book.  It holds a many words, experiences, and ideas for me to enjoy. Someone has taken their time to write a story or facts that they hope someone else will enjoy and learn from.
  When I was younger wasn't really interested in books, I never took the time to read. I was to busy playing with dolls, learning ballet, swimming, watching Disney films and trying to understand maths. I do remember being given a book by Roald Dahl, "Charlie and the chocolate factory", I couldn't put the book down. Now I must of been about 8, so when I found out there was others I wanted them all. At that time a tea bag company were selling them attached to their tea bag boxes. So being the little kid I was, I bugged my mum to buy me them all. I'm sure everyone in our family was being given tea bags. Each book of his I read I enjoyed more and more. James and the giant peach being another of my favourites. The whole family ended up going to the Roald Dahl museum. From there my love of books began.
  With technology changing as I was growing up, books were put to one side while I found computer games and the Internet more interesting. However when family holidays came around, with long road trips, then flights, books were back. I borrowed one of my dad's crime novels and was hooked. My dad had most of the collection so I worked my through most of them.
  Moving forward some years, to when I was 19, I was given a book to read by a friend. However it took me about three weeks till I started the book. I was told a movie was to be made about this book, and that I needed to read it! One Sunday in December a few weeks before the release of this film I sat down to read the book. Now I was at college and should of been doing course work, but I didn't know how addicted I would be to this book. I finished it the same day, called my friend to see if I could get the next book in the saga. The book was Twilight. My love for books had begun.
  Friends and family are the best people to ask when you want a book recommend. I told all my friends and family that they need to read Twilight, I also brought it for a few friends as birthday and Christmas presents just to press my point home. Once I have found a book I like I tend to follow that author. I now have many books in my growing collection, people like Sophie Kinsella, L J Smith, Emily Giffin, and Nicholas Sparks, just to name a few. Each with many different stories to tell, waiting behind beautifully illustrated covers. Don't always judge a book by it cover, because the story inside might much more beautiful. But don't forget to share them!!
  So tomorrow, when i sit down for a chill, i will be starting a new book. Excitement for the pages to bring another story to me.

  Love Lolly
   xoxo