Book Ramble/Review - 'A Game of Thrones (1)'

A friend of mine has read most of the books written by George RR Martin from the A Game of Thrones (AGOT) series and would often mention it to me. It didn't take long for me to download the first book, A Song of Ice and Fire, on to my kindle and start making my way through it. It took me a couple of weeks to finish, which I eventually did yesterday. I know a few people follow the TV programme based on these books, but I personally haven't got around to watching it myself. 

This book is quite different from other books that I've previously read, and to begin with I was unsure whether it would be able to hold my interest. Although when I started reading, I was quickly drawn in to the characters and the stories within this book and found myself pleasantly surprised. 

This book, along with the others from the AGOT series, is described as an epic fantasy novel. Here's a description of the book, which I've taken from amazon; 

"Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones"

As you can probably see from the above this book has many different themes within it. There's quite a bit of violence, and it can be pretty heavy going, but despite it being something I'd not normally pick up I really did enjoy it. I think it's extremely well written which definitely helped me to get stuck in and want to continue reading. I did find that I had to be in the mood to read this book and make sure I was giving it my undivided attention as there are a variety of different characters within the story, so it's easy to get a bit confused and wonder who's who! At the end of the book theres a handy bit which lists all the characters within the houses which is helpful.

I like that each chapter or so is from one of the various character's view point as it allows you to explore the story fully. Also as there's a lot going on, it becomes more manageable and ties together nicely. I think I'll go for a couple of lighter reads before I tackle the second book. 

I'd love to hear what you think if you've read or are reading any of the AGOT books :)  

New - This & That

I spotted this sweet little pyjama set in Accessorize a few days ago. At 50% off, and with all the hot evenings we've had recently, I just couldn't resist! I love the ditsy floral print and the light material.

Also in Accessorize was this cute little elephant key ring. It was sat by the till with a few other little floral printed animal key rings. Of course this one stole my heart as I love elephants!  

I've been on the lookout for a relatively large but affordable bag for work. I'm hoping this fabric Dorothy Perkins one will do the job. I normally have to cram a few bits in to my bag for work and as I work long shifts I bring lots of bits and bobs to get me through the day. Unfortunately this means I end up bringing one of my favourite bags (which is slowly getting ruined!) and lots of other little ones. This bag was under £10, is roomy and has a beach bag vibe to it. I'm not too sure about the print though.

I loved the look of these cushions in Next, and after placing them together I was sold. I really like the combination of the bigger taupe coloured cushion and the smaller dark purple one. They'll probably end up on the cream chair that sits by my desk, as it adds a nice splash of colour. 

After returning from Italy last month I've been on the lookout for a few new frames for some of my favourite pictures from holiday. Its strange how I feel like no other picture looks quite right in some of the frame that I already own, other than the picture thats already in there. Maybe it's because I'm so used to seeing the same picture in each frame that a change just doesn't seem to fit. Is that just me? 

The three photo mirrored frame can be stood or hung up both vertically and horizontally. I particularly love the silver one. I love Laura Ashley but they're definitely not the most affordable, fortunately these were both on sale otherwise I wouldn't have grabbed them. I'm looking forward to sorting through all of the photos and picking out which ones to put up :)

The weekend is almost here! I hope you all have a good one. 

Words To Live By

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-"If someone wants you in their life, they'll make room for you. You shouldn't have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continously overlooks your worth" 

-Author Unknown

-"Either they like you or they don't. Never try to convince somebody of your worth. If a person doesn't appreciate you, they don't deserve you. Respect yourself and be with people who truly value you" -Brigitte Nicole

-"Whoever is trying to bring you down, is already below you" -Author Unknown

-"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" -Oscar Wilde

It seems as if a bit of a self-worth theme has emerged! I normally repin, save pictures or scribble down quotes as I go along and then after a while I'll pop it on to one of these posts. I suppose some of these quotes are a bit of a reflection of how I've been feeling recently, and have helped me by reaffirming the fact that I don't need certain people in my life and to let go of those that don't value me. At times thats definitely easier said than done but stumbling across quotes like these help give me that "Yeah!" attitude, and strangely enough it helps.

In A Nutshell

So the last month or so has been pretty hectic for me - a good hectic though. I've really missed taking the time out to mooch around the blogging world so I'm happy I've taken some time out this afternoon to write a little post. I thought I'd do a little update type post today. I can be a bit nosey and lifestyle posts like these are definitely my favourite to read and to write :)

At the start of June I went away with some of my family for a couple of weeks in Italy. I had an amazing time and enjoyed every minute of it. We travelled around and visited some beautiful places, it was a lovely adventure and I have lots of great memories from my time away. Once I'm feeling a bit more organised, and have sorted through the hundreds of photos, I'll be doing a post on my time away and sharing some of the pictures with you all. 

I've been back home just over two weeks now and aside from getting back to work, I've been trying to sort out various bits and bobs that I've been meaning to do for a couple of months now. Funny how time away can refresh your batteries and give you that bit of motivation! But in a nutshell here are some of the things that I've been up to, apart from the above of course.

Watching: Mainly Buffy. Netflix has given me the excuse to get comfy with a hot drink, relax and watch old TV programmes that remind me of my childhood/teen years. This morning I did just that.

Listening: Rudimental and Icona Pop - I Love It.

Reading: A Game of Thrones - A Song of Ice and Fire. A friend that I work with has been in the process of reading the AGOT books. I've recently heard a lot of talk about the TV series aswell. I downloaded the first book on to my kindle at the start of the month and started reading it on the plane. I didn't think it would be my kind of thing but it really sucks you in. I've been enjoying reading this book!

Eating: Wraps, fruit and salads. In Italy I consumed a lot of pasta, pizza, paninis and ice cream. Makes me hungry just thinking about it..

Seeing: Family, and the boyfriend. I was off work last weekend so after being away on holiday it was lovely to have the weekend catching up with him. On the Saturday we visited a few little villages around the countryside nearby. It was nice - we strolled around, stopped and had a delicious pub lunch and just enjoyed each others company. 

Debating: On whether or not to start a particular course in September. It's something I know I need to do but it comes with lots of little decisions, planning... and of course saving. 

Well that roughly concludes the month of June for me! This coming weekend is full of long shifts at work for me, but whatever you're all doing I hope you all have a great weekend :)

The Little Things

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-Maisie (my not so little rabbit). She chases me around the garden, nibbles on my slippers and eats all the plants. I love watching her antics


-Little splurges 


-Having a good tidy up, de-clutter and re-organising of various bits and bobs in my bedroom. I don't know what it is but I always feel better once I've got the job done. Earlier this week I had a little spring clean of my wardrobe. It felt good chucking out stuff I haven't worn in ages!


-The boyfriend coming over and surprising me with Les Mis on DVD a couple of days ago. It was such a thoughtful little surprise as I didn't get the chance to watch it in the cinema. I'd absolutely love to go and watch it in the theatre! I haven't watched the DVD yet but hopefully I'll find a quiet evening at some point this week :)


-Spending the weekend away catching up with some family and friends. The whole weekend was lovely and chilled out


-Getting things ready for holiday at the end of this month. I can't begin to explain how much I'm looking forward to it!


-Home cooked meals. I work long shifts so when I'm at work I really miss eating a proper meal so I enjoy sitting down and having a nice meal. I've had a week off last week so was lucky enough to eat things such as home made vegetable lasagne


-The pretty pink blossom trees that almost seem as if they've suddenly appeared overnight 


-Netflix. I signed up for the months trial a couple of months ago now and I just can't bring myself to cancel it! I love having the chance to watch different TV shows and films that I'd forgotten about or wouldn't go out and buy on DVD. Plus it's been so useful at work when I've had long breaks

Lately

On  the bank holiday Monday me and the boyfriend made a last minute decision to make the most of our day off together go and visit a safari park! I worked all weekend but fortunately we both had the Monday off. The weather was absolutely beautiful so we picked up some snacks, packed some suncream and a camera and made our way to a safari park.

As it was a bank holiday it was super busy, the actual process of driving through the safari park was long! I'm talking hours. Most of the time it felt like sitting in a very long traffic queue. Normally this may have been irritating but the sun was shining and seeing all of the animals along the way made it worth it. In particular seeing the two beautiful elephants. I don't think I can explain how much I love elephants! Once we'd spent hours making our way around the safari part we parked up and had a little mooch around. This park also had amusement rides and other animals located within the park. We went on a couple of rides, which was highly amusing. My boyfriend isn't one for rides. He enjoyed them in the end but watching his reactions were hilarious. We ended the day by grabbing a bag of chips, sitting on a picnic bench and enjoying the sunshine before heading home. 

I loved our day out together, despite how busy it was. It was one of those fun, light hearted days. 

There was a nice week or so of rain-free days and sunshine. When me and the boyfriend had bit of free time together and weren't stuck in work we tried to make the most of it by getting out and about. This usually consisted of jumping in the car and finding nice places to have a mooch and a walk around. Below: the view by the docks and taking the dogs for a walk :)

                                                                                                                                                                    






I had last weekend off so me and the boyfriend spent a couple of days back home. Well back home for me anyway. I live a little way away from where I grew up so I often go back and visit some family and friends. This time around my boyfriend joined me. It was a lovely laid back weekend full of delicious home cooked meals, bowling, drinks and movies. You can't beat a catch up with loved ones especially when it's been a couple of months since your last visit. 

What have you all been up to lately?

Rimmel - Hip Hop

I couldn't resist picking up this bright Summery shade when I spotted it in my local supermarket (Asda, if you're wondering). It was slightly cheaper than usual and priced at £3 for a 12ml size bottle. However, they're normally priced at around £4.49. I have a handful of other nail polishes from Rimmel, I find that they're affordable, easy to use and can be quite long lasting. This particular shade is under the new Salon Pro range which includes a variety of different shades. The Salon Pro nail polishes claim to be up to 10 days chip resistant so I'll be putting that to the test!

Hip Hop is somewhere between a red and a coral shade. Two coats of it gave me a lovely glossy and opaque finish. I found applying this polish was quick and easy, as the brush is thick and wide, so about three strokes on each nail and you're done. It was a fairly quick process overall as this polish seems to dry quite quickly which is an added bonus. I think it's perfect for Summer and great for if you're in a bit of a rush. I love this shade, it really stands out and has a gorgeous finish. 

Have you tried any of Rimmel's Salon Pro nail polishes?

{This nail polish in actual fact lasted 3/4 days without chipping. To be honest this doesn't really surprise me. 10 days would be very impressive but I don't think it's very realistic. Nonetheless a couple of days without chips isn't bad going}