So most years I enjoy getting my nails done ready for the festivities of Christmas day etc, and this year is no exception.
Now I usually go out to get them done, in town but since Febuary last year my friend has been doing them for me.
This is super exciting as I have always wanted to get proper festive nails, I have only ever got full glitter nails… but this time, THERE IS NAIL ART!!!!
Super cute!!
We went for red glitter on the thumbs, gold glitter on the little nails, and then for the nails art there is a Santa Hat, a Reindeer and some cute Bauble style dots.
I would pick my favourite nail design but I can’t because they all just look amazing.
As a self confessed book lover I thought I would share my Christmas tbr (to be read) list…. I thought it might offer a little inspiration if you are looking for something good to read this festive season.
Let’s have a look…
(Synopsis are from Amazon)
‘Carmen has always worked in her local department store. So, when the gorgeous old building closes its doors for good, she is more than a little lost.
When her sister, Sofia, mentions an opportunity in Edinburgh – a cute little bookshop, the spare room in her house – Carmen is reluctant, she was never very good at accepting help. But, short on options, she soon finds herself pulling into the snowy city just a month before Christmas.
What Sofia didn’t say is that the shop is on its last legs and that if Carmen can’t help turn things around before Christmas, the owner will be forced to sell. Privately, Sofia is sure it will take more than a miracle to save the store, but maybe this Christmas, Carmen might surprise them all… ‘
‘She’s snowed in with the family. The only problem? They’re not her family.
A family gathering This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal – to avoid their family’s well-meaning questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.
An uninvited guest Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job – unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas.
A Christmas to remember When Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowed-in Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers… ‘
‘Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.
Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.
But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine’s family arrive at the house – including Dido’s teenage crush Xan – tensions rise around the castle’s future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel…
As past secrets come to light, can this still be a magical Christmas to remember?’
‘Maggie hasn’t told this story in years. More than two decades ago, she fell in love. She was sixteen and far from home, waiting to give her baby up for adoption. Bryce showed Maggie how to take photographs and he didn’t judge her for the way her belly swelled under her jumper. They had the perfect first kiss. Theirs was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.
Now, as Maggie sits by the Christmas tree in her gallery telling her story, surrounded by the photographs that made her famous – the photographs Bryce never saw – her new gallery assistant asks her a question. If she had one wish, what would she wish for this Christmas?
Maggie always thought she knew the answer to that question. But before she can say ‘I’d go back to that winter with Bryce’, she stops herself. It is all she has ever wanted but suddenly here, on this dark night under the twinkling stars, there is something else she wants. She wants to find her baby.’
‘It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas escape – a dream trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband, Seb. Her solution? Alix, along with Seb’s oldest friend, Zac, can take Christy’s daughter on the planned Lapland trip, and they will all reunite there for Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for?
There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy, but Christy’s plan to save Christmas is testing their friendship. Especially as Alix and Zac have a difficult history of their own.
As long-held secrets unravel, and unexpected romance shines under the Northern Lights, can Christy and Alix find the courage to fight for the relationships they really want? And could this Christmas escape save the precious gift of each other’s friendship? ‘
‘The first fall of snow can be fatal… A year has passed since DI James Walker cracked his biggest case yet, and he’s hoping for peace and quiet this festive season.
But across the fells, a local farmer returns home on Christmas Eve to find footsteps in the fresh snow that lead down to his unused basement – and no footsteps leading away. Days later, his body is found, alongside those of his wife and daughter.
Without a neighbour for miles, there are no witnesses and little evidence. And the crime scene has strange echoes of another terrible murder committed at the farmhouse, twenty years earlier…
James knows that to catch this killer, he needs to solve a case that has long since gone cold…’
‘When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.
One night while driving home after delivering library books and shopping to residents she stumbles across an isolated cottage and meets Albert, its elderly and rather grumpy owner. She quickly realises there’s more to Albert than meets the eye and the same can be said for the other man she can’t seem to help running into, handsome but brooding Brodie.
All three of them have a secret and a desire to hide away from the world, but with Christmas on the horizon, is that really the best way to celebrate the season?’
The decorations are up! A little later than I would have liked but they are up now.
I especially love getting out our tree decorations, it’s so cool to see them again and all of the ones you’ve picked and the memories from over the years.
I thought I would share with you some of our special/significant decorations that go on our tree.
This is our souvenir decoration from our 2018 Holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida. DisneyWorld was incredible.
From the same holiday, this is our Universal Studios souvenir decoration.
These decorations have been handmade by my Nephews and Niece so these are really special.
This one is a little homage to my childhood, of NEVER being able to find my name on any decoration/magnet/keyring – it was always ‘Rosie’ never ‘Roseanne’.
This pretty ‘Mr & Mrs’ decoration was given to us as a wedding gift, the year that we gor married (2016) so this is a nice momento of that significant year. Plus, the box was cute and had ‘Bestfriends for life, husband and wife’ written on it.
I bought this cute, personalised decoration at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London, in 2019. I got this as a suprise gift for my husband. It also reminds me of the day out. Me and my Uni friends were celebrating having met 10 years previously.
It was a strange time but also pretty standout in terms of years of our life, so I got these personalised ‘COVID’ decos because you’ve gotta make the best of a bad thing.
We are on Day Three already! Here are my favourite Christmss films to get you started for December.
It’s the weekend too so what better way to spend a cold (well here in the UK anyway) evening than watching a Christmss film.
So, here are some of my favourites…
Deck the Halls
A traditional, old school, slightly (& by slightly I mean very) tacky Christmas film, I love it.
Elf
I am elf, he is me. My spirit animal in all its festive glory – what’s not to love! It will make the child in you very happy.
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
One of the best Christmas characters ever – the film is hilarious and Jim Carrey plays the Grinch so well. Classic.
Nativity
I just find this hilarious because I am a TA in a primary school and its just pure, British Christmas chaos. Great songs too.
The Snowman
The top classic Christmas film of all time. Is it even Christmas if you don’t watch this film!?!
Last Christmas
A much newer addition but it’s a brilliant story and I LOVE that it’s all based around my favourite Christmas song ‘Last Christmas By Wham!’. It’s a very clever story and Emilia Clarke is brilliant.
Love Actually
This is such an easy to watch Christmas film, with lots going on (I still haven’t forgiven you Alan Rickman!!) Lots of great characters too.
So this weekend me and my husband went to the Stranger Things Experience.
I bought us tickets for Tim’s birthday in July and we have really been looking forward to it since.
We decided to dress up for the experience.
I dressed as Eddie Munson…
And Tim dressed as Dustin Henderson…
The experience was really cool and really well done. It genuinely felt like we took a little trip to Hawkins, Indiana and snuck around the lab.
The actors and everyone involved were really good and very authentic – some of them were a little too good at staying in character.
Once we had finished the experience we were free to go around the merch/eating/drinks area. The themeing was really cool and very well done. They had recreated lots of iconic Stranger Things ‘Sets’ and rooms to make your experience really immersive.
There was the Surfer Boys Pizza Van, Family Video, Scoops Ahoy and they even recreated the iconic living room of the Byers house, fairy lights and all.
As well as these there were smaller themed areas and sets that were themed around Hawkins high and the Roller Rink from Season 4.
I had to do a little Eddie Munson Redemption Photo…. 86′ baby!
There was some cool merch on offer too (although not as much as I thought there would be) and a Hellfire Club themed Merch area which was amazing.
Hellfire Club Merch AreaTim at the Surfer Boy pizza van Family VideoScoops Ahoy!Dustin at the AV Club doorSurfer Boy pizza vanMeeting Vecna!‘We’re not in Hawkins anymore’
There were lots of cool photo opportunities with sets and props as well as retro photobooths.
Photo bioth snaps
It’s a brilliant experience for any Stranger Things fans and I would definitely recommend it.
The only negative I can think of is that maybe the actual experience could have been a little longer. It’s a 45 minute experience but I think an hour would make it more worth the money.
And prehaps a little more specific merch for some of the main characters like Dustin, Steve and Eddie.
I did pick up some cool bits though, Inc some Hellfire bits and a cool poster for our picture wall.
Eddie & Dustin’s Day Out
My fave!
Like I said, I would definitely recommend it, it was a really fun afternoon out.
Here is another book review from my monthly Book Club meeting.
I haven’t done one of these in a while as our meetings have been a bit different. Our July meeting was a trip to see ‘Where the crawdads sing’ as the book had been read at Book Club previously, and I have read it and loved it.
August/some of September was devoted to out next read, the one I will be talking about – ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest’.
We decided to go for a classic for August as we all expressed a wish to read more of them! So someone chose One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.
If you have ever read it (or indeed any classics tbf) they are a bit harder to get into so we gave ourselves longer to read it, seeing us through August and most of September, meeting last week.
So, let’s get into it!
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
SYNOPSIS
‘In order to escape the prison labour, McMurphy, a Prisoner, fakes insanity and is shifted to the special ward for the mentally unstable. In this ward he must rise up against a cruel nurse, Ratched.’
THEMES
•Stigma and Mental Health
•Power
•Masculinity/Feminity
•Human Dignity
PROS
It’s a classic and it is always nice to add a few of them to your repertoire.
I really enjoyed the characters and found them to be very interesting, likable, endearing and charismatic – for me, they are one of the best bits of the book.
I also really like how thought provoking it is, in its themes and the way it conveys them through plot devices, imagery and the characters themselves.
CONS
It’s quite a slow burner, a slightly arduous start to the story and a story where ultimately not alot happens (considering the book is over 300 pages.)
It is also written in a very confusing way, sort of disjointed with A LOT of dialogue.
Also, the font is tiny. You feel as if you have read alot but haven’t got very far at all.
I also much prefer a book when there are short, clearly defined chapters – this one didn’t which was a shame!
Rating out of 5:
☆☆☆☆☆ (2.5)
Would you recommend it?
Y / N
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? 💭
We are halfway through 2022 (HOW!?!) So I thought I would do a halfway round up of what I have read so far…
So far…
Harry Potter and the Philosphers Stone: Minalima Illustratred edition
I know what you’ve done by Dorothy Koomson
Cometh the Hour by Jeffrey Archer
22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Her majesty the Queen investigates… The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett
Trust me by T M Logan
The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse
The Land of Stories: An Authors Odyssey by Chris Colfer
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Love, Locked down by Beth Reckles
Nalas World by Dean Nicholson
This was a man by Jeffrey Archer
Midnight is a lonely place by Barbra Erskine
Walking on Sunshine by Giovanna Fletcher
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
The Summer Fair By Heidi Swain
The Baby is not mine by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Donor by Clare Mackintosh
1. My Favourite book so far: ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time’
This is an absolutely fantastic book. It had me at the synopsis – never have I sent a synopsis to so many people because it sounds SO good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I didn’t want to put it down. The characters and their relationships were lovely and it was a great reading experience.
2. The most gripping so far: ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Tim’ & ‘The Hunting Party’
These were both brilliant books for making you say ‘Just one more page’. There was lots of drama, lots going on and lots to keep enticing you to the end.
3. My Least Favourite so far: I know what You’ve done.
Simply because I didnt find it as gripping as Dorothy’s other books and I found the characters less likeable. It did have a good few twists though.
4. Easiest to read: ‘Love Locked Down‘
It was weird reading a book about the madness that was the beginning of the pandemic but it was quite cool reading about something that you’ve actually been through in a relatively light hearted way. I liked the variety of characters.
5. One I would recommend: ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time.’
The time loop and just the sheer depth of the plot ans suspense made it a fantastic reading experience. I really enjoyed her writing style.
Italy is our favourite country to visit and out of all of the places in Italy that we have been, Venice is my favourite.
If I could recommend one place for people to go – it would be Venice. It’s beautiful and so unique.
Shall we take a look at what we got up to!?
Day One
22.07.22
Being up for over 24 hours wasn’t the most fun 🙃 but it was worth it to really make the most of the first of our four/five day trip.
We arrived in Venice at about 10/10.30am and I was honestly in a bit of shock, my eyes genuinely couldn’t believe that I was actually there again.
Last time we visited Venice was for our first wedding anniversary!! in 2016.
And of course, a lot has happened since, including a two year long global pandemic (who the hell would have ever guessed that would be around the corner) so consequently we hadn’t been on a plane since 2019 when we visited Rome (another MUST SEE city for its Italian awesomeness, food and history.)
My brain couldn’t comprehend that we were actually there, in the beautiful city of Venice – Honestly, at the real height of the pandemic I really did have those thoughts of ‘What if this is it? What if we can never leave this country again? Was our last holiday our LAST holiday for the foreseeable future?’
It really was a crazy time wasn’t it!!?
So to actually be back on Italian soil, in my most favourite country was so special and I am so very grateful that we got to visit it again.
We wandered around before checking into our lovely hotel (we always stay at the same one) and freshened up. We basically did lots of exploring and wandering around (to find pizza).
On our second day in Venice we did a walking food tour. We have done one of these before so, being seasoned visitors to Venice, this time my Husband created his own walking food tour (with the assistance of Trip Advisor).
It was really fun and nice to try out some different spots. We visited the most amazing Gelato shop. The flavours were insane. Our particular favourites included the ‘Opera’ which was hazelnut and chocolate, the Strawberry Cheesecake and the Pistachio and Amaretto Cherry.
We visited our favourite place for dinner ‘Al Bari’ which is situated just behind our hotel. I have SO missed the food here. It was amazing.
Absolutely INSANE 😍
Day Three
24.07.22
Having wandered around many times over the last few days we discovered that Venice has a Natural History Museum which we hadn’t visited before.
With the addition of a English Speaking Audio Guide we really enjoyed all of the different exhibits. It was cool to find something we hadn’t done before.
We decided to get some food from some of the little eateries that we had passed on our walk, on day one, on the opposite side of the canal to our hotel. There were lots of yummy things to try and it was cool to have a bit more of a look that side of the canal.
In the evening we played some games and went on a nice little stroll around the canals, it was fun to just wander and see what we would find around the corner. I then did my usual early evening routine of sitting outside the hotel, right on the Grand Canal and reading my book as the sun set. Heaven.
Day Four
25.07.22
Our final full day saw us take a lite adventure down the canal to one of the furthest points, St Marks Square! (Via Rialto) so that we could enjoy the amazing view from the bridge properly.
It was cool to go to St Marks again, we enjoyed a nice stroll around the whole square, in the hot sunshine.
The weather has been amazing.
Day Five
26.07.22
This was our final ‘day’. We had our flight to catch at around 2pm so we only really had until midday to spend in Venice.
We decided to head to Academia Bridge as we hadn’t been for a while, maybe even missing it out on our previous trip a few years back.
As we wandered around we discovered a little ferry that will take you across the canal, which is cool. So we have managed a ‘Gondola’ ride every time we have been now 🤣 I mean, it was a less fancy one and was definitely less than 5 minutes but, we’ll count it haha.
We had a great time in Venice, and as I said it is my most favourite place to be. A great start to the summer of 2022 ☀️
Have you been to Venice? Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Roseanne Byford 