Saturday, June 18, 2016

The Marble Collector


I started reading Cecelia Ahern novels when I was 11. Starting of with P.s. I Love You and continuing down the line from there. I have almost every single one of her novels in my collection because I absolutely adore this author. The way she writes is brilliant. I was never really into romance novels until I came across her because while some of her books are romance themed, they always have a little something extra that sets them apart from the other hordes of romance novels. It never is just the typical - girl meets guy, girl and guy falls in love, girl and guy lives happily every after. She just has a special flair that turns boring old love stories into something magical. The Marble Collector was a different sort of love story though, one between a daughter and her father. Each chapter of the book shifts from the daughter's point of view to the father's present point of view or his past. The entire story took part in a day which is already something unusual. One day for Sabrina (the daughter) to solve the mystery that is her father because it turns out she doesn't know as much about him as she thought she did. In an odd way I felt like I related a little to her. I'm not in love with the water like Sabrina is but we do share the whole not really communicating thing. I'm not one to constantly share my feelings and thoughts and this book actually made me want to change that a little. My favourite bits were the flashbacks of her father's past because I liked seeing how what happened then, affected the way he is now. My favourite character was Hamesh, he was Sabrina's uncle. I loved reading about how he was as a rebel teen and how her dad looked up to him and thought the world of him, his personality amused me the most and I think I sort of had a minor crush on teenage Hamesh. Hahah! Not all that surprising since fictional characters seem to be the sort of guys I fall for most. I wouldn't say this book is one of my all-time favourites from her but I will admit it was definitely an enjoyable read. Totally worth picking up if you're looking for a new book. Any books you have recently read and loved? Let me know because I'm on the lookout for a new read.

Talk soon xx

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Outfits of Spain

Black long sleeve top & tan shorts - H&M, Choker - Asos, Sunglasses - Monki, Red bag - Longchamp, Pink blouse - idk, leather shorts - H&M, Silver necklace - gifted, Crop top - Forever 21, Flowy pants - Primark, Black slip ons - New Look

Well, the outfits I remembered to document anyways. We left for Barcelona at the end of May which meant that Spring was just ending and Summer was just beginning. I pretty much packed for sunshine really, didn't even bother to check the temperature which was a rookie mistake. The only smart thing I did was bringing along my denim jacket because while the days were pretty warm, the nights did get a little chilly. Even on the beach, whenever I was reading in the shade my legs got pretty cold. However, applause for Spain's amazing weather during our time there, not a single drop of rain which was such a relief because I didn't pack for a wet holiday at all. I stuck with shorts for most of the trip because towards June, the days started getting pretty hot. I wore some tan shorts with an off the shoulder long sleeve top when we were visiting Park Guell. Kept it simple with a choker, my sunnies and a brown belt for accessories. For when we went up Tibidabo Mountain, I wore a cold shoulder pink chiffon blouse with some faux leather shorts. I've only just realised that this top is pretty much the only pink item in my closet. I do love it though, it's such a light and breezy blouse that seems perfect for summer. I can't remember where I got it because it was ages ago but I do wish I had bought more. All I wore with this outfit was a dainty silver necklace. We visited the Sagrada Familia in the evening, so I opted for these flowy trousers to face the chillier weather and because well I am going to a church. I adore these pants! I left my flowy pants back home and was searching for some new ones and I couldn't believe my luck at finding such a pretty pair at Primark. We visited Edinburgh for a little shopping before our holiday and I was quite impressed with Primark's Spring collection when we dropped by, they had quite a nice selection. I paired the pants with a plain black crop top and my denim jacket. I wore black slip ons with all the outfits because honestly, we did a lot of walking everyday and I just wanted to be comfortable. We practically covered half of Barcelona on foot I'm sure. It's a wonder our legs didn't fall off. I'll do a post on what we got up to during our trip asap. The holidays have ended and I've just started the second semester of my programme. Still trying to get back into the swing of school again. Oh by the way, I started watching Game of Thrones and I am absolutely loving it. Any shows that you are currently obsessed with?

Talk soon xx

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Beach Essentials


I love the beach or well I half-love the beach. 
I love sunshine but I hate getting tan. I love swimming in the sea but I hate sea salt drying up my hair. You could say this hate-love relationship has been growing pretty strong between us for a while. All in all, beaches are one of my favourite places to visit. Even if I don't always do typical beach activities (e.g. tanning & swimming) when I'm there, I still definitely enjoy the relaxed atmosphere beaches provide. Getting myself a perfect seat by the ocean and sipping some Pina Colada while reading a book is definitely one of my favourite things to do to wind down. And not to mention I have the best naps ever by the beach. No other location has yet to beat my beach naps because they are just beyond amazing. While we were in Barcelona, we visited the beach twice but spent pretty long hours there. Thought I'd share the few items I brought along with me. I never carried much because we always had plans and places to go after the beach and I didn't want to be lugging around a heavy bag all day. I did bring the most important item though, a book. Right now I'm in the midst of reading The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern. She's one of my favourite authors and I'm already half way  through the book. I think I might do a review soon to let you know my thoughts on this book. Of course I have my sunglasses along. Honestly, the Spanish sun makes this accessory an actual necessity. The weather is absolutely lovely but the sun rays can be so bright and blinding sometimes especially when I'm under it for long periods at a time. A beach towel/mat is pretty important too. They charge ridiculous prices to rent a deck chair so having a towel or mat to just sit on the sand is good enough. We forgot to bring one but managed to buy one from one of the many people selling them around the area. It was still pretty expensive for basically a piece of cloth so I really recommend bringing your own. I brought my headphones as well incase I wanted to take a break from reading and just relax with some music and last but not least sunscreen. I lathered up my face and body but still got a tad darker but at least there was some protection. I can't stress enough how important this is because it's been a couple days later and my friend is still hurting from the sunburn she got. I left the sun for a while to wander into this restaurant right on Barceloneta Beach. Ordered myself this delicious acai bowl as a snack while I read in the shade for a while. It was the perfect cool fruity treat on such a warm day. Definitely recommend hitting up the Barcelona beaches because they are absolutely gorgeous and you'll have a good time no doubt.

Talk soon xx

Friday, June 3, 2016

Holiday Packing



Summer break is starts next week and unfortunately for me, I only have a week of freedom before it's back to school. On a brighter note, I'm spending that week (Or well, 5 days really) in sunny Barcelona! I'm so excited about this trip. It's a short holiday but I've always wanted to visit Spain and now I finally am. I'm heading to Barcelona with a friend of mine and we'll be staying right in the city. Since it's a relatively short holiday and we're travelling via a budget airline, I'm only bringing a carry on as my luggage. In the beginning, I was worried because I have a severe overpacking tendency and how was I supposed to fit everything I need in 10kgs?? I'm indecisive so I always like having multiple outfit options, which in turn leads me to bring a lot more clothes than I necessary need. I couldn't do my usual routine of stuffing my closet in a suitcase for this trip so instead, I decided to plan my outfits before I leave, something I usually never do. I set 5 outfits aside, a beach outfit, a night out one and a couple day to day ones. I also put some more versatile accessories that would suit the outfits - a black floppy hat, a brown belt, a dainty necklace and a choker. And of course, two sunglasses that I forgot to include in the pictures above. I'm only bringing along a pair of black slip-ons and some sandals for footwear. For makeup, I had to keep it more or less minimal. The toughest thing was limiting myself to only 3 lip products. I usually pick my lip colours based on my mood so restraining myself from dumping like 6 or more lipstick options in my bag was tough. I won't be blogging while I'm away mainly because I'm leaving my laptop behind (cough 10kg limit cough) but I'll update with tons of pictures when I get back.

Talk soon xx