Category: Life

Spring Comic Con ’23 – Meeting Joseph Quinn πŸ¦‡

Hi Guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So, something super fun happened last weekend! March 4th.

Me and my Husband went to our very first comic con. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was at times as stressful as I thought it would be… but also, not as stressful as I thought at the same time…

Let me explain – so I don’t think the where’s and when’s of your photo experiences were massively well explained. I was never explicitly told a time but thankfully someone I know worked it out for me and we arrived with plenty of time, without prior con knowledge I have no idea how you’d ever work it out… but,

Once we were there the staff were super helpful and it was relatively easy to find/ask where you needed to be and when for any experiences and photos you may have booked, so that made it alot less stressful! Everyone else who was also visiting were helpful too which was lovely.

So, anyway – our first comic con was really fun and it was exactly how I imagined it to be. There were so many people in so many costumes, epic costumes. Seriously impressive stuff. It was just a vast room filled with people geeking out, having fun and being unapologetically themselves and maybe slightly irrationally excited about celebrities 🀣 (my self included) I walked past Sylvester McCoy for christ sake!!

And best of all… I MET JOSEPH QUINN.

It was actually surprisingly nervewracking just before the photo slot but it all went well, mostly… I had to have my photo done twice as the camera flash left a glare on the photo because of my glasses… so I had to go again… I had to stand and have everyone look at me as I had a photo taken, again… which I hate… but, it meant I got to say ‘hi’ and put my arm around Joseph Quinn twice so… πŸ€·πŸΌβ€β™€οΈπŸ€£ I’d take that as a win tbh

Plus – I thought it was really nice that they let me go again and made sure everyone got a nice photo.

I mean, I literally said ‘hi’ x2 and ‘bye’ and ‘thanks’ to him but in those 10 seconds he seemed very lovely (as I had heard he would be) his very enthusiastic ‘HI’ and smile as you walked over was very sweet. I kind of wish I had plucked up the courage to say a bit more to him but you don’t really have much time anyway… I would probably buy a autograph next time if he goes to any nearby cons again.

The two things that struck me the most were how totally normal he looks (and I mean like in a non celebrity way, he looked great but I think it’s very easy to forget that celebs are just people and they don’t like float around on clouds, with gold sparkles around them or whatever ) and how friggin tall he is in real life- jesus.

I enjoyed having a walk around and looking at the stalls and costumes. A highlight being when I rounded a corner and saw Ghostface casually browsing a t shirt stand 🀣🀣

I got me and my sister a cool Stranger Things Poster each and then we headed over to the mainstage and queued for Joseph’s talk. It was the final event of the day and it was so packed, I’m glad we started queueing when we did.

It was so surreal seeing the set up that I have watched so many times on tik tok of his previous con ‘talks’ but it was really cool to listen to one and see him chatting in real life. To be honest, if you’ve seen one you’ve probably seen most as he gets asked alot of the same questions… but there were some really funny moments that made it worth it… and some adorable moments from a few little kids too.

All in all I really enjoyed my first comic con experience and I would definitely go to one again and be more confident and less panicked now that I know how it all works.

Have you ever been to a comic con?

Who have you met?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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A weekend in Wales πŸ΄σ §σ ’󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hi guys!

So this weekend saw our first trip of 2023 – and we visited Wales 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Friday 24th February 2023

πŸ“Merthyr Tydfil 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

We stayed in a lovely AirBnb…

We drove up on Friday night in order to give ourselves maximum time on Wales. A quick stop at a services on the way and we made it in time for bed, ready to start the adventure the next day.

Saturday 25th February 2023

πŸ“Barry Island 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

I was super excited about this day!!! We got to visit somewhere that I have wanted to visit but never thought I would… Barry Island.

Now this may seem like a strange choice but if you’ve watched the TV show ‘Gavin and Stacey’ then you’ll get it.

I was literally having my Gavin and Stacey moment and it was awesome. Seeing the seafront where so many iconic scenes took place, Nessa’s slots, Marcos cafe, Gwen & Stacey’s house, Bryns house and Doris house… it was friggin’ epic!!!

Honestly one ot the funnest days ever. So amazing.

We spent most of the day enjoying the seaside sights and then we headed home via a shop to make dinner at the air bnb.

We played games and of course watched some Gavin and Stacey to round off the day.

Sunday 27th February 2023

πŸ“Cardiff 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As the capital and as it was on the way home we decided to spend our last day exploring the city.

We started off by getting some yummy lunch!

After that me and my sister had a look around the Primark (Standard!) Haha

We then looked around the Castle. We didn’t pay to go inside but you can walk right through the middle and see it all from the outside which was really cool.

Our second stop was the National Museum of Wales.

This was really cool, in particular the animal section and dinosaurs. My Nephews really enjoyed it too.

The architecture of the building and the town hall next door was amazing too.

We enjoyed the extra ‘100 year’s of the BBC’ exhibition that was happening at the time too. It was really interesting to see the evolution of television over the last century.

There were some really cool parts to the exhibit like props from Cardiff filmed BBC shows such as Dr Who. There was also a cool set up of a 1970’s lounge complete with retro furniture and TV set… and finally there were some awesome retro children’s toys that were on programmes over have all been on the BBC – very nostalgic.

We headed off once we had, had a refreshment at the cafe (I tried a Welsh Cake – the regular ones were delicious but a scone is better!!)

& of course once we had been to the gift shop…

They were very happy with their Wooly Mammoth and Pteradactyl!

The journey home was pretty straightforward and it didn’t seem quite as long as in the way! We made another, quicker stop at a service station together on our way home and finally got back around 10/10.30 which wasn’t too bad.

We had such a great weekend and we managed to cram lots in, in order to make the most of our time there. I’m looking forward to more trips throughout the year.

Have you been to Wales before? What was your favourite sight?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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World Book Day 2023 πŸ“š

Hi guys! πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

Today is World Book Day. I mean everyday is Book Day for me haha.

As I work in a Primary School Setting I do love this Day simply for sharing stories and excitement around books.

Plus, it’s good fun to make a costume and dress up. My favourite part is reading to the children throughout the day though.

What could you do this World Book Day?

Get crafty and make a bookmark for you and or the kids.

Just enjoy a bit of quiet reading time with a new book or a favourite of yours…

Read to the kids! This is my favourite part of world book day at work β€οΈπŸ“š

Try something new? A new type of book, a new genre. I have recently been enjoying the Heartstopper Graphic Novels which is not a book format that I usually read.

Read your favourite book β™‘

Unfortunately I won’t have time today but, going to a local bookshop and treating yourself to a new book would also be an awesome way to spend it too. Especially if the kids have their book token too!

This year I have reused my Stick Man costume as I put alot of effort into making this last year so I thought I would get one more year out of it!

Whatever you do, I hope you have been able to enjoy a book and share that joy with somebody…theres nothing better β™‘

What did you do for World Book Day?

What costume did you wear?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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A book review: The Christmas Murder Game πŸ“š

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So, we have had book club meeting number one of 2023.

(A little later than planned as the madness of Christmas/January meant we all, for the most part needed more time to finish up)

This book was chosen as our December/January read – hence the Christmas theme. Although this was far from my usual cheery, festive fiction jaunt.

The Christmas Murder Game is by Alexandra Benedict.

Here is a brief overview of the plot:


Twelve clues.
Twelve keys.
Twelve days of Christmas.
But who will survive until Twelfth Night?

Lily Armitage never intended to return to Endgame House – the grand family home where her mother died twenty-one Christmases ago. Until she receives a letter from her aunt, asking her to return to take part in an annual tradition: the Christmas Game. The challenge? Solve twelve clues, to find twelve keys. The prize? The deeds to the manor house.

Some opinions on the book:

  • A different, interesting twist to a Christmas book.
  • Easy to read.
  • An interesting plot which made for a really good story.
  • Short chapters.
  • Something different to what I have read before.
  • It would make a really good film.
  • Some points are a little unbelievable.
  • The bonus riddles are so hard to find!!

Out of 5 stats I would give this a β˜†β˜†1/2.

Simply, for a Thriller it wasn’t that thrilling. It was an easy read for sure and it was a good story… we were all in agreement that actually it would make a really good film, but I wasn’t personally gripped by it even though it is very easy to read.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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London Baby πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§πŸ’‚β€β™€οΈ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

So 2022 was a fun year – one of my favourite parts being our trips to London.

We had lots of fun days out watching theatre shows, going to exhibitions and concerts.

January

Wicked – Jan 9th

Romesh Ranganathan – Jan 28th

February

Cinderella – 19th Feb

The Titantic Exhibition – 19th Feb

March

Back to the Future: the musical – 20th March

May

Dear Evan Hansen – 21st May

Women in Black – 21st May

June

To Kill a Mockingbird – 19th June

2:22 – 19th June

July

Les Misrable – 30th July

August

Westlife at Wembley Stadium – 6th August

Frozen: the Musical – 10th August

September

Beauty and the Beast – 10th September

Star Wars at the Royal Albert Hall – 25th September

October

The Stranger Things Experience – 15th Oct

Football Away Day, Charlton Athletic – 29th Oct

November

Pretty Women: the musical – 6th Nov

Evanescence and Within Temptation – 14th Nov

Beast in Black and Nightwish – 21st Nov

December

Back to the Future: The Exhibition – 17th Dec

As I said previously, Me and my twin sister love the BTTF films

I wonder what trips we’ll have in 2023!?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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It’s a new year… βœ¨οΈ

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

It’s 2023 and we are now one month in! Its absolute madness really.

All I can keep thinking is, it’s 3 years since 2020!!

Now this isn’t a list of my new years resolutions because in all honesty – making goals or resolutions puts alot of pressure onto things that might otherwise be quite enjoyable.

And then I saw this photo on Facebook…

I just think these are brilliant, monthly selfcare, positive, healthy ‘goals’ that keep you ticking over each month – It’s giving thriving not just surviving and I’m here for it.

So, now all I need to do is print this out and pop it by my bed in order to remind me… because let’s be honest, I never re read last years posts and forgot some of what I pledged (which is kind of annoying as some were great ideas, if only I’d been reminded of my good intentions!!)

And as it says at the top of this list ‘try’ to do these things, so… no pressure…

So, How did January go… ✌🏼

  • Plan a lunch with friends

I went for dinner instead of lunch as I am at work most days. I went round my friends flat for a lovely dinner in the middle of January.

  • Spend a day outdoors

Me and the hubby reinstated our walks this month so we have been doing a few, despite the cold snap. I feel like we have made a good start with this one, prehaps not a whole day yet but getting back to the walks has been great.

  • 24 Hours without Social Media

Not going to lie, I totally failed at this one 😬 I might as well be honest.

I’ll try again next month.

  • Have a Movie Night

I took this one a little more literally as I have had several ‘movie nights’ this month. Being an unlimited card holder I love going to the cinema as much as possible and I have just managed to fit in loads of trips this month, the best kinds movie nights. I have been with both my sister and husband a few times as we all have unlimited cards. I normally treat myself to a Starbucks and I took us along treats in the form of leftover Christmas choc. Perfect.

  • Have a day for yourself

I decided to use my afternoon off for my ‘me time’. I spent a couple of hours at my favourite local coffee shop reading our current Book Club book… followed by a trip to the cinema to watch ‘Empire Of Light’.

I really enjoyed the film and Olivia Coleman was brilliant as usual.

  • Write down your favourite memory of the month

So, here’s me writing that down… my favourite memory from January has been…

Going to the Zoo with my husband β˜ΊοΈπŸ’—

How has your January been? What is your favourite memory?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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My Top 5 reads of 2022! πŸ“š

Hi guys! πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

I thought I would share with you some of my favourite books of 2022. I have read these over the course of last year! These have all been brilliant.

1. Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

2. The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

3. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

4. A Christmas Celebration by Heidi Swain

5. The Therapist by B.A Paris

Domestic Fiction and Thrillers are probably my top two favourite genres of books.

Have you read any of these?

Which books have been your favourite of 2022?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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What’s first on my tbr list for 2023 πŸ“š

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

I hope 2022 was a fun, book filled year for you all!

I am looking forward to starting 2023’s reading adventure – my extensive TBR shelf needs to make space for some new books which I’m sure I will pick up in the coming year (plus, my new Christmas additions)

Let’s take a look at the ones that I would like to get started on first in 2023.

Lots of these I have been waiting to read for a long time or were due to read before I started on my Christmas novels.

[ I will include a short Synopsis of each book from Amazon. ]

The Maid by Nita Prose

‘It begins like any other day for Molly Gray, silently dusting her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel. But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed, a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly’s at the heart of it – because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface, the fingerprints amongst the filth – it’s the maid . . .‘

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

‘Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11 p.m. she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30 a.m. Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.

Tallulah never returns.

2018: walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence.

A sign that says: DIG HERE . . .‘

The Murder List by Jackie Kabler

‘When Mary receives a blank diary as a present, she thinks nothing of it. Until she opens the diary, and sees it’s not blank after all…

1st January MURDER LISA, OXFORD
1st February MURDER JANE, BIRMINGHAM
1st March MURDER DAVID, CARDIFF
1st April MURDER MARY, CHELTENHAM

Is this a sick joke? But…it’s the end of January now. And a woman called Lisa was murdered in Oxford on 1st January. Could there really be a killer out there, planning to commit a new murder each month? And is the Mary due to be killed on 1st April her?’

You and me on vacation by Emily Henry

’12 YEARS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again. 11 YEARS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 10 YEARS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 7 YEARS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 2 YEARS AGO: It all goes wrong. THIS YEAR: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.’

The Curfew by T.M Logan

‘The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.
The lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.
The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?‘

The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer

‘In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!
With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?’

The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

‘You wake on a beautiful, remote island.
Sparkling blue seas, golden sunsets, barely a footprint in the sand.
Yet this is no ordinary escape.
Next to the wreck of a plane, a stranger paces. Another sharpens a knife, scoring a list of the dead onto a palm tree. Others watch from the shadows of a campfire – all with untold stories, and closely-guarded secrets…’

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain

‘Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.
Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.
But it was all built on the perfect lie.’


Beyond the wand by Tom Felton

‘From Borrower to wizard, Tom Felton’s childhood was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. Speaking with candour and his own trademark humour, Tom shares his experience of growing up on screen and as part of the wizarding world for the very first time. He tells all about his big break, what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years with the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished.Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.’

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

‘A faded list.
Nine favourite stories.
For two strangers, friendship is only a page away . . . When Mukesh Patel pops to the local library, forgoing his routine of grocery shopping and David Attenborough documentaries, he has no idea his life’s about to change. He meets Aleisha, a reluctant librarian and the keeper of a curious reading list – just a scrappy piece of paper with the names of 9 stories. It doesn’t seem anything special. Yet something tells her to keep it close . . . Story by story, Mukesh and Aleisha work their way through the list – their worries slipping away with every encounter, with every world discovered in their unlikely book club of two. A fresh chance at life, at friendship, wasn’t on the cards for these lonely souls – but every story starts somewhere . . .’

What’s on your tbr list this year?

Which book are you going to read first?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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Rating our 2022 Book Club Books πŸ“š

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

If you follow my blog you may be aware that in February of 2022 I joined a local book club.

It’s been amazing and one of my favourite things about 2022.

I thought that I would share my ratings for each book that we have read, with you guys.

Let’s take a look!

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
3.5/5

The Sanitorium by by Sarah Pearse 4/5

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
4/5

Midnight is a lonely place by Barbara Urskine
4/5

Wrong Place, Wrong Time Gillian McAllister
5/5

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
5/5

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
2.5/5

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
4/5

The Girls Who Disappeard by Claire Douglas
5/5

Have you read any of these books?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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A lovely weekend πŸŒ€

Hi guys πŸ‘‹πŸΌ

What a lovely weekend!

Here’s a little diary of what we got up to.

Saturday

We started off the weekend with a lazy start (which was much needed) followed by a lovely cooked breakfast and drinks at a local cafe.

After that we went home and we caught up with the final part of the Thriller we have been watching ‘Riptide’. We really enjoyed that. Whilst we watched this I started my Harry Potter Christmas puzzle.

I then read my book for a bit before playing ‘The Sims’ with my sister.

In the evening I made me and my husband a lovely pie, mash, veg and gravy dinner and we ate it whilst we watched ‘The Masked Singer.’

Sunday

I started off the day enjoying a green tea with mint as I read some more of my book.

We then got up and ready and made our way out for our trip to the zoo.

Before we go to the Zoo we always start off by going to the Sainsbury’s cafe that is en route. Delicious.

We then headed to the zoo.

It was a little wet at times but it held offmost of the time that we were there.

They have really improved the zoo in recent years with regard to the facilities and enclosures – which is great to see.

We usually go to the zoo a few times each year and it was great to discover bits that we hadn’t seen before, had been redeveloped or we just hadn’t visited on our last few trips. We had a lovely time and saw some lovely animals.

We headed home after a few hours and relaxed at home. I wrote a few blog posts, did some social media and then played ‘The Sims’ with my sister again

All in all a calm, restful and fun weekend spent with some of my favourite people.

How did you spend your weekend?

I hope you enjoyed yourself!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne πŸ™‚

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