FAVOURITES BLOGS AND FILMS OF 2013

A quick post on some of my favourite blogs and films from 2013...

Just some of my FAVOURITE BLOGS OF 2013

What Olivia Did, Love Cloth, Late Night Nonsense, Vivianna does Make Up, Amy Valentine, Elevator Musik, LLYMLRS, Lisette Loves, Jazzabelle's Diary.

For some of the blogs I regularly read then check out my blog roll here I'm hoping to add some more to it in the new year). You can also take a look at my Bloglovin' profile to check out all the blogs that I follow. 

FAVOURITE FILMS

The World's End. Although not as great as Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead, The World's End was a good finish to round of the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. It's definitely worth a watch if you've seen the other two and if you're a fan of the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost duo or Edgar Wright's directing.
Monsters University. 12 years after the first film was released we saw the prequel to the events that occured before Sully and Mike got their jobs as screamers. Set whilst the two were at college the film follows a teenage Mike and Sully as they go about their college adventures.
Side Effects. An American psychological thriller featuring Jude Law and Rooney Mara as the lead roles. I won't reveal anything as I don't want to ruin the plot for you! I really enjoyed this film and it's on the American Netflix if you wanted to give it a watch!
Star Trek into Darkness. One of my favourite action movies from this year. A good sequel with a lot of action sequences and you can watch it without having watched the first one! There are subtle continuities but nothing drastic that would affect the main plot line of this film. Plus one of my all time favourite actors, Simon Pegg, has a greater role in this than the first film!

Those were just some of my favourite things from this last year! I'd love to know what some of your favourite things of 2013 were, so let me know!

Follow on Bloglovin'

2013...

A few memories from 2013...
- I started this blog back at the very beginning of January and have loved every minute writing and taking photographs for it since! It's definitely something I shall be carrying on through 2014!
- One of the biggest things was that I moved to away from home to attend university in London. This was something that I 100% don't regret doing. I have loved the fact that I live in London and get experience everything it has to offer first hand. This includes visiting an NFL Fan Rally in Trafalgar Square as well as getting to visit the Natural History Museum (one of my favourite buildings) many, many, many times.
- I purchased my DSLR (Nikon D3100) in June and then last week brought my new lens (Tamron 18-200mm) which I can't wait to use on a regularly basis. And in November I purchased a Canon AE-1 35mm film camera to develop my passion for photography and try shooting on film.
- I took a trip to Paris in August and got to visit Disneyland whilst there. It was an amazing trip and I loved every minute.

Moving on to 2014...
- I will be running a half marathon in April which I've already begun training for. I'm planning on posting my progress maybe weekly, so let me know if you're interested in that! I will have a bit more of an introduction post about that coming up soon.
- I'm hoping to take a trip back to New York and experience one of my favourite cities again.

Apart from that, the rest of 2014 remains a mystery but I'm very excited to see what happens next! I hope you have a lovely evening and I shall post tomorrow with my very first post of 2014!

Follow on Bloglovin'

WINTER WONDERLAND - HYDE PARK

Some photos from when I visited Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park last week.

Follow on Bloglovin'

COOKING AND BAKING GIFT GUIDE

Three month spice subscription (£20)
This is bit of an unusual gift but one perfect for someone who loves to cook and experiment with flavors. The curry box contains fresh spices and recipe card to create a curry as well as the side dishes. Each subscription box is enough for a meal to feed four people. There are options of a Favorites, Discovery or a vegetation box to choose from.
SteakStones Plate (£89.95)
The stone can be used at varying temperatures from cold to sizzling hot. You can cook on it or use it to keep the food at the intended temperature for a longer period of time. So whether it's to present or cook the food this a very interesting gift idea.

Wild flower utensil set (£119.85)
This is a bit more of an extravagant gift but one that is seriously pretty. Beautifully hand crafted and designed these would look amazing in any kitchen and are a stunning gift for any keen baker or household. The set is made up from a skimmer, masher, serving spoon, whisk and a spag spoon all with a base to display and store them in.

Tetris cookie cutters (£6.99)
Create your own game of edible Tetris with this cookie cutter set perfect for the retro game fan. Containing 7 cookie cutters in the classic shapes this is a nice small gift to give this Christmas.

Safari animal cookie cutters (£7.99)
If you know someone who loves to bake and loves animals then there couldn't be a better gift. A simple and cute idea that allows you to create 3D animal cookies. Whether you want to create a herd of one animal or a entire zoo with all the varieties, this is a little gift that is something a bit different. Dinosaurs aren't extinct with the dinosaur versions of the cookies available here.

Le CreusetThree petitie casserole dishes (£45)
Perfect for making individual meals such as pies and casseroles. A set of three stoneware dishes will make a lovely edition to a home. With their classic resign and colored stoneware they may be just the gift for someone who loves to cook.

Nesting measuring cups (£10)
A lovely set of 5 varying sized measuring cups that all fit neatly into one another. The measurements range from one teaspoon up to 1 cup.

Follow on Bloglovin'

CHRISTMAS - NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

It may be clear by now that I have a bit of love for the Natural History Museum. Since moving to London in September I have been around 3/4 times and each time I visit I look forward to having a look around. It's not just the exhibits that I love but the building itself is beautiful. Both the inside and outside design are amazing and if you haven't visited before I couldn't recommend it enough. The other day I was at the museum with one of my friends and was taking some photos so I thought I'd share some with you as it is currently decorated for Christmas!

Follow on Bloglovin'

THE SOUTH BANK AND COVENT GARDEN

On Saturday I was down on the South Bank taking a look at the Christmas market before heading to Covent Garden. I thought I'd share with you some photos I'd taken on the day!

Follow on Bloglovin'

SCIENCE MUSEUM

The Science Museum was founded in 1857 and is located on Exhibition Road (where the Natural History and V&A are also situated). The museum is open 10:00-18:00 everyday, excluding the 24th-26th December. During school holidays the museum closes at 19:00.  

Split into a number of different galleries there is a lot to see at this museum. Whether it's Exploring Space or Visiting the Modern World with over 300,000 items there is plenty around to take a look at. It's not just items to look at but there are also a number of interactive points in various galleries throughout. The museum, like many others in London, is free to enter with temporarily exhibitions costing an additional charge.

It's not just the galleries and interactive experiences that are housed in this museum there are also 3D films and experiences as well.Some of 3D films that are currently showing include Hubble 3D - "Journey through distance galaxies on this mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope" and Penguins 3D: "A heartwarming tale of a very special King Penguin". Tickets for these films cost £10 for adults, concessions £8 and family tickets are also available. You can also attend tours of certain areas of the museum so definitely check out their website if you want to know more about that!

So whether you have a slight interest in space or are just interested in a variety of different things I'd really suggest heading down to the Science Museum to try out something new. Perfect for a rainy day or just a general browse there is plenty inside to keep you occupied for many hours.
Nearest tube station: South Kensington

Follow on Bloglovin'

NFL FAN RALLY

Last Saturday I headed down to Trafalgar Square to check out the NFL Fan Rally that was being held that day. The rally was a gathering of NFL fans to celebrate the international game that was being held the following day between the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. A similar event for another international match had been held earlier in the month in Regents Street. There were performances from both drumlines as well as performances from the Jacksonville cheerleaders and the All star cheerleaders. Not only were there the performances but there were also interviews with the NFL commissioner, members of the participating teams and ever talks with NFL legends.

The atmosphere was great from both the crowd and the venue and I'm so glad I went down for a nearly the whole thing. Mini american footballs were thrown occasionally into the crowd, although I sadly didn't manage to get one! It wasn't just the performances on stage that were going on there was also a lot of things situated around Trafalgar Square. There was a a chance to see the Vince Lombardi trophy, dunk some footballs, play the official EA game and more. There was also the chance to buy merchandise at the official NFL and New Era shops. Some rather delicious pulled pork burgers were on offer along with other refreshments.

Overall it was a brilliant couple of hours and definitely something I'd love to go see again. Despite the rain, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm hoping next year that I can get tickets for one of the three internationals being held in London as I'd really love to see an American football game being played live, but if not I will definitely be going to the fan rallies!

Follow on Bloglovin'

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM - V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum (also known as the V&A) is set near the Natural History Museum, on Exhibition Road. It is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4 million objects housed within. It was founded in 1982 and is named after Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Entry to the museum is completely free but as with many museums like this they do ask for donations to keep it running. The museum is open from 10:00 - 17:45 daily. On Fridays 10:00 to 22:00 (selected galleries remain open after 18.00).

The museum is split into 5 sections:
Exhibitions 
There are currently two ticket ticketed exhibitions that are running. These are Pearls (21 September 2013 - 19 January 2014) and Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s (10 July 2013 – 16 February 2014).
Asia
This section houses pieces from China, Islamic Middle East, Japan, Korea, South Asia and South East Asia as well as Sculpture section.
Materials & Techniques
Housing a range of articles and pieces on a variety of materials from glass to silver, there is a lot to see in this section of the museum. Whether it's stained glassed windows or old tapestries there is something for everyone to take a look at. There is also a section within dedicated to fashion showing a variety of pieces from different periods and styles. This is where the exhibition Club to Catwalk is held.
Europe
Take a look at pieces from 1500-1760 Britain before traveling through Britain in 1760 - 1900. Then there is the chance to look at pieces from Raphael and the Medieval & Renaissance pieces. Also housed within are pieces from Europe from the period of 1600-1800 and Europe & America from 1800-1900. With this section containing some of the largest in the museum there is a lot of delicate and intricate detailing to look at on these pieces.
Modern
The final section is Modern showing pieces from the 20th Century.

As well as the exhibitions and the various pieces there are also shops with in the museum and also a cafe/restaurant to allow for you to grab something to eat whilst having a break from browsing the museum. 

The V&A is a place where you could spend hours discovery and I would highly recommend it. With so many things housed in a incredible building it really is worth visiting if you find yourself with a spare day or couple of hours in London.
Nearest tube station: South Kensington

Follow on Bloglovin'