June Life Update; From My Bed

Hi Readers,

I'm ill in bed. I'm having a flare up of my IBS and it's making me feel like I've got a bad stomach bug. I'm not sure what's set it off but I've not been that careful about what I've been eating over the last few days. It's been hard because I've been working every day since Thursday - covering for the second receptionist it, my normal shifted then an extra one on Sunday I got asked to do. Also, I didn't have a date with my boyfriend and that's made me feel a bit lonely too.

I've not done much today though things seemed to be improving this evening, so I've just written two short stories for my blog and now I'm here writing this for a bit. Then I'll have to try and got to sleep but it's so hard when you need the loo all the time! I keep thinking I should write a separate blog about all of this but I've just not got around to it.

Anyway, I ordered three new books of Amazon two weeks ago now and they've been added to my reading pile, though I'm currently reading Red Queen right now. I only ended up getting them because Montenegro had been reduced to £3, odd from £14.99 and it's been on my to buy list for over a year now. It's the second book of a strange vampire series and I liked the first so getting the second was needed. But it's so expensive, so I had wait for a reductions and who could argue with that one? Then I ended up with the other two books because I didn't want to pay shipping!

I really wanted to read Red Queen as the first book Alice was so good. I so needed to do a review about it on here! Might do a combined one now though. Reading had helped me though much of the day and watching TV too.

I've also been flipping through this; my dad's guide to Cornwall as it were. We go away in about 4 weeks and my dad has put together this file of places to go, eat and shop etc. We all got to pick what we wanted to do and not wanted to do before hand and this is the print out with his notes. There's lots of cool places to visit like castles, manor house, museums, towns and beaches. Really can't wait for that as I love Cornwall a lot. Plus, my boyfriend is coming and I get to share the adventure with him. 

You can expect a blog post all about that real soon. Might have to divided into two parts as I know it's going to be a long one!

My dog has been really sleepy and wanted to snug into everything lately. Her favorite place is on the sofa in all the blankets. She also likes to bury her bones behind the cushions were my dad normally sits. We joke she is giving him presents as the pack leader! It's really funny when he sits on one though! 

It's days like today that make me super glad of my dog though, because I know I can pet her and she'll make me feel calm and I can tell her anything and she won't judge me for being ill. She's helped keep me going today. 

I wanted to share this last time I wrote but I couldn't fit it in that blog post. I've been busy making some baby things for my best friend who's going to have a little girl soon. I'm mostly done with knitting the things I wanted to make for her now and with some wool left over I wanted to start knitting my own stuff for that hopeful one day. 

I made this blanket but I wasn't happy with the shape. I'd asked my mum how many stitches and she said 50 but really I wanted 60. I was half temped to just unravel it and start again. The wool is chunky and soft and takes no time to knit but then I decided to keep it as maybe I could give it to one of my sister- in- laws or another friend some day. 

Now, I've got some more wool of the same kind but in a different shade; purple, blue and yellow mix which I really like and have made a teddy bear pillow out of in the past. I'm going to make a larger blanket and mum is going to make a hood to go with it. That should be really nice. 

I like knitting as it's nice to do whilst watching TV, I find sometimes, I can't just sit there, I wanted to do something and this is perfect for that. It keeps me busy when I'm ill and chilled too but I've not been able to focus to do any today. Might try tomorrow though. 

I've gotten into adult coloring big style and this is my current favorite magazine. How fitting that it's filled this month with two of my favorite animals - wolves and bears who are also my spirit animals. It made me really happy to see it on the super market shelf! 

This is another thing I like to do when I'm ill, bored or need to calm down. Though as much as I wanted too, I've not started on this one yet. Like knitting I need more focus then I've had today but soon I'll start and maybe I'll post some photos on here. 

In a slight connect to that, I've hung a dream catcher above my bed again. There was a prompt for a short story that had the imagine of one and I wrote a story that can be read on my other blog with it. I got reminded about how dream catchers are meant to capture the nightmares and since I've been having a few bad dreams/ nightmares lately including one were I was chocking to death and then woke up with asthma attack. 

I like to think of this dream catcher as being powerful because it has the wolf painting on it. Since I hung it up I've not had any nightmares and only one bad- ish dream. So maybe dream catches do work after all? Or maybe it's my belief that it will. Whatever it is, I hope it carries on and I can have more restful nights. 

That's it really for today or this night as it now is! I'm off to try and sleep a bit and hopefully feel better in the morning. Here's a cute photo of my snug teddies for tonight; Fifi fox and Astrid unicorn. They are so soft and comforting!  

Thanks for reading, see you next time. 

All photos used belong to me. 

Book Review; Minecraft, The Island by Max Brooks

Hi readers, 

For those of you who don't know I'm a massive Minecraft fan. So, when I saw that a fiction novel set in the Minecraft world was coming out, I knew I had to read it! It was expecting a fantasy style story but instead The Island is half an introduction/guide on playing the game and half a person's experience of playing the game for the first time. I'm feeling torn about liking it and disappointed that it wasn't what I was hoping for. 

The book is aimed at children and written in a simple way which could mean that older teens and adults might lose interest. I liked the easy style though because the previous book I read was long and heavy (that review coming soon!) There wasn't much of a plot though, it basically was; man wakes up on Island, has to survive, learns lots of lessons then decides to leave the Island to discover more about himself. 

The way it comes across though is good, with the man realising how things are different in the Minecraft world and what he needs to do to 'instantly' make things. I also liked how he made friends with the animals, since there was no one else; a cow called Moo, three sheep called Flint, Cloud and Rainy and some chickens. However, when he's translating the mooing of the cow into conversation it did start to bug me. Kids might find that funny though. The fighting scenes were well described and good too and I enjoyed reading about the battles with the zombies, skeletons and creepers, which for any Minecraft players out there you'll get on board with. 

This book feels like the wisdom of life a way which was something that came to me about 50 pages in when I realised how full the pages were getting with like cliche positive quotes; 'Take life in steps,' 'keep going, never give up,' 'books make the world bigger,' even though these are applied to events that happened with the Minecraft world, they can easily be applied to things in the real world. Which then makes me wonder if that's what Minecraft is a metaphor for? Anyway, I can see these positive messages being good for kids. 

Towards the end of the book, the details of crafting and guide like style do move over for a bit more plot which allows the main character to grow and realise what he must do. I like when he finds the abandoned mine and meets and Enderman! They've always been the scariest monsters for me. He manages to overcome all the problems that face him in the mine, even using some techniques I didn't know about! Afterwards, he reflects he was just using the exploring and fighting as an excuse to put off the one thing he needed to do. So, he leaves the Island to try and figure out even more. The book ends with him saying he's leaving it behind as a guide for the next person. 

Overall, I like this book for what it actually is; a novelized guide to playing Minecraft from a player's point of view but I'm still disappointed because I feel it could have been a lot more. Like the Minecraft Story Mode games which I'm slowly getting into. Will there be any more Fiction Minecraft novels? I don't know but it would be interested to read someone else take on the Minecraft world.          

Thanks for reading and see you next time. 

Please check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/ where I write a short story everyday. 

Book Review: Imprudence by Gail Carriger

Hi readers,

I finally finished this! I know it's like two week over due now, but the first week I had like four days to read it in and that wasn't happening. Then last week, I realized I was rushing through reading the book and losing my enjoyment fast. I decided it wasn't worth speeding through it just to write about this novel on my blog. So, I slowed down again - at least until the last few chapters! 

So, this is the second book in a new series by Gail Carriger, which follows from The Parasol Protectorate and is the story of Alexia and Conall's daughter, Rue. She has the power to steal supernatural forms and can become a vampire, werewolf or other were-beast by touching said creature. This can led to some funny moments, but also very useful. 

This novel is about Rue's trip to Egypt to relocate her parents as her father is under the werewolf alpha curse and going crazy. As we know from the other series and get reminded a little in this book, there is a God-Breaker-Plague which is made up of dead soulless's bodies that makes all supernaturals mortal. Of course, this was all set up at the end of the last series, so people who've read them will be able to make more sense of things, but of course enough information is given for those that have not. 

There's a lot more going on then just a pleasure trip to Egypt though, as news of the werelion, who Rue and her friends met last time has gotten out. The werelioness is still traveling with them as The Spotted Custard starts getting attacked, Rue decides it's due to people hunting the werelioness. Throughout the novel they are chased and often engage in fights with unknown enemies. Rue decides they need to warn the Pride of werelioness they are all being hunted, but just maybe the enemy isn't after werebeasts after all?

As with the first book, I thought the chapters were too long and they were too broken up. The pacing too was slow, which might be the reason I didn't read this as fast as I've done the other books. I know that most people won't made these facts and maybe I'm being too fussy. To be hones those are the only downsides for me. 

The characters were really good and it was nice to spend more time Alexia and Conall, even though I think this might have been their last appearance. They both come across as being their good old selfs', if just older! There is also the appearance of a very old friend too. I kinda don't want to spoil that though, I wouldn't say the introduction is a plot twist, but there is one later on. I do see why this character has come back though and I think it'll be useful in the other books too. We do get to see a lot of development of the characters in this book.

I think this happens especially to Rue as at the start and later on, she 'loses' her family. She can't be part of the werewolf pack now her father is gone and she doesn't want to stay with her parents now they have moved to Egypt. She has to find herself again and also her own family. That's really what this story is about, though it stays mostly in the background. The romance between Rue and Qusenel finally takes off and they get together. Though and I'm still not sure how I feel about it because of me it just feels wrong, especially with the historic setting, but they end up sleeping together before they enter anything else. 

I also don't feel that the same level of bedroom activity language that was in the first series is present here and in away I feel a bit let down by this. I get the narrative is trying to stick within the historic time zone and the over all theme of the novel is not sex. I think maybe I found the whole thing jarring and just thrown in there when so much else was happening. I think that I'd have liked the characters to have more time, instead of the danger of their adventures, as it were, pressuring them into falling in love. Anyway, they are together now and we'll see where things go. 

The novel has a good ending, which does leave one thing open ended for the next book and it'll be an interesting read. Looks like Rue is uncovering more of her family history. I also wonder which country she'll end up in next. I'm guessing it might be a little bit of a wait now though! 

Overall, I did like reading this novel. The setting and characters interested me greatly and find them all so likable. I don't think I'm that excited for the next book though because I still feel that compared to the original series this one doesn't quite hit the mark for me and that really comes down to pacing and now the narrative is structured. I would add don't read this one without reading the first one as they are not stand alone books, but you don't have to have read the first series as enough information is given. 

Thanks for reading and next week I'm going to be looking at the first book in a new series by my favorite author.      

Book Review: Heartless by Gail Carriger

Hi readers, 

Today it's the turn of the 4th Parasol Protectorate book; Heartless. The plot of this one does follow on, though there is a bit of a time gap of a few months. A now heavily pregnant Alexia has decided to have her unborn child adopted by her vampire friend Lord Akeldama as a hope to stop the vampires from killing her and the baby as they believe the child to be a threat to them. Of course, Alexia then ends up moving next door the Lord Akeldama, but secretly living in his second best closet, so she can help bring up the baby. 

For the moment though, she has to deal with a threat from a ghost about the Queen being killed and that is the main plot of the book. The twist about the Queens is nice and I think it took me awhile to figure it out. What's also nice that we get cut scenes to the ghost thinking and talking. Of course, the name of the ghost is hidden up till the end, but if you close read the book, it's easy to pick up. I know some readers can find cut scenes likes these jarring, but they fitted in well enough for me. I guess because the plot does cut to a number of different people anyway. 

I did think it was a little too much for eight month pregnant Alexia to deal with though and I get that the author is going for high drama, but I just felt given the historic time setting that Alexia should have really been aware of of how dangerous chasing after the supernatural and hell-bent inventors can be for a mother and unborn child. The only time we see Alexia resting is when she twists her ankle chasing a burglary and even then she's out of bed too soon! For me it just felt like it was pushing the reality lines too much. 

I still enjoyed how fast pace this one was though and it was good that the story was centered on mother's and children, since Madame Lefoux has to save her kidnapped son from the vampire queen and of course the only way she feels she can do that is to build a mechanical octomaton to battle the vampires who stole him. Of course, she does get her son back in away as she now has to go and live with the vampires in order to do so. 

And Alexia has her baby, though it does arrive early! She has a daughter, who does as Alexia has researched turn out to be a skin stealer, which means the baby can take a supernatural's power. So, she becomes a baby vampire at the end of the book. I think that's so cute and I can just imagine some of the trouble she might course in the next book now. 

The development of the characters is still good, though it feels to have slowed down for me. I like how the second characters are used well to support Alexia and I don't feel they are just in the background. They all have their own parts to play in the story and the whole group of characters works well together. It's nice they come together to solve all the issues too and at the end of the book everything is tied up. 

I think I would have liked to see more steampunk elements coming in, but that really is a secondary genre as the main one is really supernatural romance. And this book actually focus a bit more on married and family life, which is slightly different from the other three books in that everything is being set up for the baby coming, but also that Alexia has to revised Lord Maccon's past to find out what really happened for him to become the leader of the werewolf pack. The knowledge she finds out is does keep a secret, but I get a feeling that isn't going to last long.  

I was a bit sad at the end when the werewolves had to move out of their home though and into London center, due to Alexia's too fast thinking, but this does show the progress on the characters and I get all the werewolves need to be in one place and not split between two as they end up becoming. Also, this could be a plot element in the next book.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and it ended on a high with a supernatural baby being born. The plot and characters were as good as the other books too. I'm looking forward finishing the fifth and final book off now, but also a little sad too because I've grown attached to the characters. Hopefully, it'll have a good ending. Till Next Monday.   

  

Image from: https://www.amazon.co.uk

Book Review: The Shadows by J. R. Ward.

Hi readers, 

It's the first book review of the new year! I was hoping to have finished this book and got it up sooner, but it's been a hard slog. Which is a bit off for me because I love J .R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood, but this novel which is number 13 in the series, had issues. I know when I read The King (which I didn't review for whatever reason) and Lover At Last (http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/lover-at-last-review.html) I spotted a few problems and though Ward seems to have cut down her plot lines in Shadows, there's still a hell of a lot going on. 

As normal, I'll try and not spoil anything, though reading the book's blurb does give away the key points to the main plot. I guess to draw you in? But knowing straight off that the main female character is going to die doesn't draw me in that well. Reading about the how and why does though.

So, this time we get the story of the two Shadow brothers, who have appeared throughout the series and most of their back stories are all ready known. Trez and Serena finally get to be together, though they time is very limited as she dying. It's a genetic disease that is incurable and though most of the other characters spend all the books time searching for one, nothing is found to help her. Whilst, iAm meets the female he's destined to be with, though she's not as she seems. For me, not enough time is spent getting to know her, really. Maybe, there'll be another book about them, but it didn't feel like there was going to be at the end.

I was really getting into the whole romance between T and S and I kept thinking that something would happen so that she wouldn't have to die. I was waiting for the twist right up till the no return point and then after reading Rhage's thoughts about how he got to be with his Mary though she was human and dying, made me think about why this time Ward had decided not to let her main lovers be together. That is the massive spoiler and downside to this novel. I was reading a few reviews that other people had done on Goodreads and they said that Ward had stated that though she didn't want things to happen they way they did, the characters told her it had to be so. And I just don't get that. Why have all the other books have happy endings and not this one?

Throughout all the other books bringing the two main characters together has been the first plot point. In the earlier books this could always be seen and how the two lovers overcame their problems to be with each other was always interesting. Somehow there has always been a fix, (expect for Tor and Wellsie) and things have always worked out. So, why when clearly Trez and Serena were meant to be together they didn't get their happy ending? Maybe, because Ward didn't want all her books to end the same why or maybe the death was needed to shake up all the characters? Whatever, the case, it just doesn't work and left me feeling unsatisfied.

After going on a long heartbreaking trip with Trez and Serena, where she does a bucket list of events and really enjoys life, I really got to connect with her as a character. As a reader you invest time and energy into these characters and when the ending is rolling around you want to feel like they are going to end on a high note. Instead, I felt let down by the ending as we are left with Trez trying to deal with the loss of his lover and seeing that he has to repay his brother back for supporting him throughout everything. iAm on the other hand, gets to be with his love! How unfair does that feel to Trez? (Plus, given my return to single status, I really wanted that happy ending for them!) I now hope that Trez can have another chance at love with someone else soon.

So, what are the other problems with The Shadows? I felt that overall the book was just too long. There was stuff that could have been cut. Like do we need to know about the drug trading going on between the vampires and lessers? The lesser war really felt it had slipped to the sidelines this time around too. Those plot points felt lost between the lovers and Rhage struggling to sort himself out. The Band Of B* story and what's happening between Xcor and Layla did keep distracting me in a good way because I really want to know what's going to happen between them, but I feel they are going to need their own book to tell that story. The ending also just felt too neat. Things fell into place quickly in the last hundred pages or so with the wrap up to some of the plot points seemingly too loose.

I still really enjoyed this book though and do like how Ward has created individual and dynamic characters. They all feel so different to me even though there's so many of them. The use of dialogue is just great too and I like how there's lots of slag and male language because it makes it feel more realistic. The sex scenes work fine for me too and I always feel so immersed in the world of the BDB. If you've not read the books I would so recommend them. They put vampires in a different light and it works.

In the future though and as I have heard a small rumor about, I would love for Ward and the BDB to return to the formatting they had at the very beginning. I feel that if the overloading of characters and their stories carries on and if the more then six plot points keep happening, the series is just going to die. Which would be a shame because I really really like the novels, but I'm just so tried of having to read tombs of books where I can see stuff that could have easily been cut or moved to another book. Ward writings does seem to be falling and I can only hope it picks up soon and we see better novels coming out of her.           

So what's next for The Black Dagger Brotherhood? 

There's a spin off series, Legacy. The first book is already available to buy, but not for me as I want it in paperback. That won't be out till June, so I shall have to wait. (I could get it in hardback but I've very limited room at the moment and well, it won't fit in with the other BDB books and that'd bug me). I do know that the story is going to follow Paradise, a new female character that was introduced in The Shadows and I'd got interested in. Shame, I have to wait so long to read her story though.  

Then there's this: book 14. Which I just stumbled upon whilst getting the image for Blood Kiss. So, once again when I was kinda thinking that Ward was actually finishing up with the main brotherhood, I was wrong. Which now makes the loose ends of the Lessers, Layla's twins, the Band of B* and why there was a lot of focus on Rhage more into context. I've no doubt that this book will pick up where The Shadows left the story and reading the blurb, it looks like The Beast is going to to be all about Rhage. Which should be great for me because he is my favorite brother! This novel comes out in April, but it'll be October for me. 

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to like, leave a comment or share this post. Also, please check out my other links below.  


Images all from Amazon. UK. 

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December Update: Counting Down To Christmas

Hi Readers,

I can't believe it's December already or that it's almost Christmas or that another year is about to end! Everything feels like it's gone too fast, but a part of me can't wait for Christmas to be over with. It always feels like it starts earlier every year. All the shops sweep Halloween away like it didn't happen and start slotting Christmas themed things up. Come the middle of November this just explodes and everything has to be Christmas! Then it's about the decorations, the presents, the food, the final plans. The word is on everyone lips, Christmas songs - old, new, classic, strange ones- are blasting everywhere and the only way to escape is to go and live under a rock for the next few weeks.

That makes me sound like a 'Scrooge', but I actually love Christmas! It just feels so commercialised now, like every other holiday or maybe it's been like that all my life, but as a child I never noticed? I think also this year because I'm finally moving away my family's traditional Christmas I'm feeling more stressed. I was trying to see if I wrote about the Christmas we have in my early posts. I found this one; http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-traditional-christmas.html though it doesn't go into the full details, but you can see how close my family is.

So, the move is that my boyfriend invited me over to have Christmas at his. After lots of thinking, arguing with my mum, doing the pros and cons, I decided to accept. I know I'm in for a very different, much quieter and less chaos/fun time, but the chance to finally say I spent Christmas with a boyfriend out weighs that. And who wouldn't want a quieter/peaceful Christmas day? Anyway, with that very mixed introduction out of the way, here's what's becoming my normal list of things on writing these update posts;  

At my other blog, The Story Files, you can find winter/Christmas themed stories for today, the rest of the week and last week. I've found a very interesting trend on there too and that is that people seemed to enjoy my flash fiction and shorter stories a lot more then the long single stories or part ones. I guess because they are fast to read and more to the point? I don't know, because some of the ones I wrote last week I wasn't too keen on, but people have really been liking them. The link is;
https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/ and you can also found it on Facebook, which I've included the link to at the end of this post. Also, if you've written a story and fancy submitting it -I'm still looking for Christmas and New Year themed stories- you can go to my guidelines page on that blog.

Tonight as I write this, I'm busy finishing painting and fake snowing a glass jar lantern. Remember the ones I made at Halloween? Well, that same person who came up with that design did a Christmas one too. I really liked the idea as giving them as extra gifts to people. So I made one for my best friend and forgot to take photos! So, I've now made this one to give to my mum. Even though its' not finished you get the idea. I've included the link to the website is; http://www.adventure-in-a-box.com/magical-christmas-lanterns/

They are really simple, cheap to make and effective. Once again, I had trouble with the drawing, so I blew up the image and that was easier, though the thickness of the glass and roundness of the jar made it harder so I free handed a lot of the roof tops! I just need to do another coat of paint, put on some fake snow and add the sand and candled to the inside.

The other thing on my list to make is this;

A sugar plum fairy felt socking. Which I thought would be easy to make, but the instruction seem to make it really complicated. I think this is a job for mum and me to do. We didn't get a chance this weekend so maybe next? I've got a few other things to get making, hopefully it'll put me in a Christmas mood.

This morning I made Gingerbread men. I've had a mad craving for them over the weekend, but hadn't had the chance to go and buy some, so I made my own today. I was a bit worried after my problems with all the stuff I made over October. However, these guys turned out fine! I followed this simple recipe; https://www.homemadebyyou.co.uk/recipes/baking/gingerbread-family , which I have in my favorite cook book. I stuck with it and took my time over it too. Unlike last time I also stayed in the kitchen the whole time and made sure they didn't burn!

I didn't have a whole family like the recipe calls for and I could only find two cookie cutters. So  I made a big and small gingerbread man. I also decorated them with ice writing pens, because that was all I could find. I can't wait to eat them with my parents later!

One of the smaller ones did have an accident though....I dropped one of the big ones on him when I was transferring them to the rack and his arm snapped off! I was going to leave him undecorated and eat him as my 'tester' but I just couldn't resisted doing this instead....

Halloween is still lingering in me!

This month I'm burning some new Yankee candles. I've had Cosy By The Fire melting in my burner this weekend. It smells really nice, though it is strong. It's like burning wood and warm mulled wine spices. I've also got Winter Glow and it smells piney and just like a winter garden soon after the snow has stopped falling and the sun has come up. That's the only way I can describe it.

I've smelt the other two new releases, Bundle Up and Berry Trifle. I wasn't too keen on the first one because it smelt too piney, but I did like the second one because it was very fruity and I got for the food candles more then the other categories.

At the minute I'm burning a big jar Fireside Treats. I love the smell of toasted marshmallows and a wood burning.   

Music time! With winter coming, I love listening to howling winds and fire places. Here's my current favorite of a winter storm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg9E2YBgsI This is perfect to listen too whilst burning a candle and reading a good book.

Lastly, I want to share my advent calendar bag with you. My mum heard of this idea about three years ago now and you buy a small present for every day in December and open one per day as you would an advent thing. This is the inside of my bag. Look at all those presents just waiting to be opened!

These are the things I've gotten so far:

The purple thing is a detangle hair brush, a notebook is next to it with a chocolate bear and a Yankee candle behind it. Also some fluffy socks and some jelly babies. I also got a bracelet that my mum made me which is in my jewelry box so it didn't get lost. I wonder what I'll get tomorrow?

Thanks for reading and please check out my blog.


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Photos:

Falling snow scene; https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBK8HyMhaJ0x2FwNgj9o348fcQkm6gw9a2q5WJY7USMxOA5_T-uwGrn1h93uYzRJV2-tATh9Y7RfQ-hGZQLXMMti68nRwxHTQzWdWgMbBYqqBLR8snvL2AvT6oS5r4MJ7vm7-HDkufsaI/s1600/tumblr_myvfv4s4Ec1r3t8ico1_500.gif

Yankee Candles; http://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/

The rest; all author's own.

Leeds Steampunk Market and Christkindlmarkt

Hi readers,

I'm slotting this post in before my first December update to bring you my day trip out to Leeds! Though to be honest I'm feeling really tired and I just want to snuggle in bed with a book. The weather has been rough today- very windy and rainy. Driving on the motorway was difficult (I didn't drive by the way, not insured yet) and scary as the wind was really blowing the car around. My actually day out was good though, but I didn't get to visit the cemetery and the Thackray museum still scares me. It's dedicated to the history of medicine, hospitals, doctors, nurses and patients, which for someone who has a big issues and a slight phobia of hospitals and medical stuff isn't good.

The Steampunk market made it worth it though! If you don't know anything about Steampunk here's a post I did on it awhile back; http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/steampunk-introduction-to-genre.html I've written about Steampunk and the market at the mill before. It was from there that I found out the Leeds one was worth a visit. They have four throughout the year and this was the last one for 2015. There was a lot of interesting stalls, a few of which didn't seem that steampunky to me, but I enjoyed seeing things I wouldn't be able to see anywhere else, like for example the guy who made robots out of recycled metal things and give them each a background story, he could even make a personalised ones.

There were some stalls selling clothes, which I always love looking at even though I can't fit in anything and it's expensive. I didn't go dressed up by the way. The hour traveling and the fact I wanted to be warm and comfy for the day saw to that. I've got a picture of me dressed up from the Mill market though. I was actually just looking for my post about the Mill and I can't seem to find it. I'm sure I did one though!

There were a lot of stalls selling jewelry, most of which was of course Steampunk and fantasy styled. I didn't see anything I really liked though, other then different versions of a pendent which my best friend had actually brought me for Christmas! I saw the dragon love necklace my boyfriend got me for our first year together. I'm excited to see what he's got me from Christmas at the moment. There were hats stall too and I so would love a hat, but I don't have a lot of things to wear one too!

There was also a glass etched stand, which had some cool designs printed on the beer glasses. There was a woman selling fairy like wings and other stuff, who had a pet skunk. I've don't think I've seen one in real life before and I do have to admit I thought it was fake the first time I saw it! Someone else was selling old army uniforms for reenactors and there was this man who made like Victorian style props. My mum brought this device which is meant to turn people having a secret conversations in a public place invisible! She said it'd be handy in the office and also she liked the flashing lights.  

I meet three authors who were selling their own published books. I connect with two of these and brought their books. I also told them about my blog and writings. I feel inspired to put together that collection of short stories I keep saying I'm going to do and have another go at trying to actually earn some money from my stories. Both of their books seems interesting and I've added them to the review list, though it won't be till next year now. I've got the second book of The Bone Season and another book to read first before anything else.  

There were two other stalls my mum and I got things off. The first was a beauty/bath one that was all like home made things. I got some cooling liniment for my back (I pulled a muscle last weekend and I'm still in pain) It smells like mint and I put some on before I sat down and it does seemed to have helped! I got some chocolate sugar lip scrub, mainly because it was in the sale items and I've always wanted to try some. The ones at Lush are too expensive and I've not got the time to make my own, though I've read it's very simple. Anyway, this one was really nice and my lips do feel better, less dry and chapped. I also got an apple and cinnamon scented bath fizz which also has popping candy in it. That smells so nice and reminds me of autumn - which I'm missing already! My mum got a few others things; a mint lip scrub, some massage oil and lavender oil. I picked up a card too and so in the future we can order more things. Here's a photo;

The other stall we got stuff off was a mixture of little gift like things. To be honest I can't remember what else was on it because I was so distracted by the clay dragons. There were four different sizes, lots of colors and characters. I picked out a large blue one for mum because I liked the fairy style wings and he seemed like a dragon with attitude. I picked out a light purple one then a darker baby one to go with it. Mum got the other two small ones, because they need friends! They are so cute though and I've got mine on my desk right now. The photo really doesn't show their full cuteness! 

I got everyone's business card too. I've included the links at then end if anyone fancies checking then out.

  

We then left and drove a few minutes into the Leed's center. There we walked around the Christkindlmarkt or German Market. The wind and rain picked up when we arrived though, but the market was only small and in one area - unlike the Manchester Christmas market and I do plan to write about that when I go maybe next weekend of the one after. The place was more packed then the Steampunk market had been and as the afternoon got later more people arrived. We didn't buy anything other then some hot potato cakes/ rostis to share. Mum was tempted by a dragon which when you burnt an incest stick inside let the smoke escape out of his nose and mouth, but it was expensive and we don't have anywhere to really put it.

I did try to take some photos, but the weather, the dying light and the horde of people made it hard. I always end up feeling embarrassed too. I'm not sure why when people use their phone cameras and selfie sticks, because it's not like my camera is that big anyway. I don't know, maybe because I've been told off before and I really don't like that. I'll have to try harder at the Manchester one if I go.

So that was my day. What have you been doing today? Let me know in the comments and add anything else you want me to see in there too. I reply back to everyone, so don't be shy. Come back Monday for my Update post and please check out The Story Files. Thanks for reading.


Links:
https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles/
http://www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.leedssteampunkmarket.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/CraigHallamAuthor/?fref=ts
http://carliemartece.com/
http://www.bimble.eu/
http://www.beckettstreetcemetery.org.uk/

Photos;
Google maps
All my own. 

October Update : Counting Down To Halloween, Part 3

 Hi readers,

I've got a mixture of things to share with you today in the third and finally count down to Halloween post. Kicking off this time are these Halloween lanterns ; http://adventure-in-a-box.com/enchanting-halloween-lanterns. I fell in love with them and really wanted to give them ago. As soon as I started buying and gathering everything I needed, I had all these ideas to make different ones. The one above is my practice one as art/drawing/painting is a weak spot for me. I'm so glad I decided to have a practice first because I learnt a lot from it. 

I'm pleased with how it turned out, though I wish I couldn't have got the orange background paint a little bit better. There are lots of different ways to make these lanterns and I guess depending on things you might find one way easier then the others. So, how did I make my practice one? Firstly, I printed out some designs that I found free to use online then I cut them out and arranged them on my clean dry jar. I stuck them to the outside with some tape then got a Sharpie permanent marker and drew around them all. I also drew a bumpy line to connect them all and represent a hilly landscape. Next, I painted in the outlines and the bottom of the jar. I used glitter black paint because I love how the candlelight catches of glitter and it just enchants it a bit more. I put on three coats because the paint was thin and I wanted there to be no leakage of the candlelight. 

I then mixed orange glitter paint with water and placed it inside the jar. I swirled it around and tried to get a good coverage. I was happy with it when it was done and left it to try. An hour later, I noticed that the orange paint and water mix hadn't stuck and had pooled at the bottom of the jar. I swirled it around again and spent time rolling the paint around to try and get it to stick. When I went to bed, I left the jar on it's side and whilst most of the paint had settled, it still hadn't dried. I added more paint, because I think I might have used too much water. I left it to dry and though it turned out a little bit patchy in places, it still looks good enough. 

My other one I made today was this The Nightmare Before Christmas image. The photo is a bit bad and I'm sorry about that, but my other problem was I didn't actually get the spray paint right!   

I sprayed too close and too much and thus really didn't get the right effect I needed. The other jar did spray alongside this one, was to make a lantern using the witch/ moon cat village scene from the above link. However, I used too much was was unable to trace the images through. I don't know what I'm going to do with that jar now, maybe just do like I did with my first one and trace them on the outside? 

However, I please to say that I learned from my mistake and I got another jar, which I'll be using for the scene correct, if not a little under colored, but to be honest after all the troubles I've had with stuff today, I don't mind. I did my two others jars which are actually cookie /kitchen food jars that I brought for £1 in ASDA Homewares, at the same time and got a nice effect on them and their lids. I've this awesome idea all set to do with them. I just ran out of time and I don't want to rush them. 

That's the biggest thing I found out about doing this project; not to rush. I'm really bad at drawing and I think my worries about these turning out how I really wanted them has been playing a big part in my mistakes. Now, I'm going to try and stop thinking about that and just get them finished. I want the two cookie jars to go outside on my front porch area - somewhere! I wish I could but the others in the front window, but that's going to be hard to do as it's a jungle of plants and ornaments. Plus we have colored glass so they won't be easily seen. Hopefully, by Halloween I'll have made them and be able to post them up.   

The other project I completed last week was this one. I made a bat and a ghost out of toilet roll tubes. I thought they'd be a good idea for the kids at the youth center as I went back to work since being off ill last Tuesday. I didn't get a chance to do the activity though as I wanted to take it easy and someone else had already set up a dot-to-dot drawing art for the kids to do. I shall be doing them tomorrow though with my felt pumpkins - see part 1 for them- and I know the kids will love them! 

There's lots of different ways to make these. I didn't follow anyone else's pattern and I just free handed it. I got a cardboard tube and flatted the top part. I then shaped the corners into points for the ears. I covered the whole thing in black tissue paper then drew bat wings and cut them out from the same tissue paper. I stuck them on the sides before adding white and black circles of the eyes. I decided to complete the bat with a strip of red and two white fangs. 

For the ghost, I balled up some white tissue paper and stuck it on the top, before measuring out enough white tissue paper to drape across the tube. I stuck it down at the top with some tape then made some black eyes and mouth, which I taped on too. 

I'm happy with how they turned out and just wish I had enough time to make a witch - I've seen one on Pinterest or maybe a vampire or a pumpkin too. I've seen some spider ones which look pretty good too. They are so easy and simple to make, yet look effective. I also thought about getting some white string or thread and hanging them up. A collection of bats would look nice in the hallway.
    

Today in the kitchen I made Headstone Biscuits. The recipe for these came with a chocolate moose tray bake graveyard in the third cooking book I own. I made the tray bake three or four years back and it turned out really well. However, I like making the gravestones more! These turned out so good and am way pleased with them. They are a vanilla butter biscuit with a hint of ginger and cinnamon, which I added myself. I spent awhile decorating them too and thinking about what to put on them. I don't think they are going to last very long around here though! My parents have been sneaky eating them since I told them they were like my test run and not for any purpose. 

I've got two other recipes for gingerbread Halloween shapes to try later on now. I'll be writing about them in my Halloween post. Hopefully, I'll get time to make at least one of them, because I've signed up to be a stand in member of staff at work over the half-term holidays, so I might get called in. I so need the money for Christmas and to put towards a car. Anyway, moving on.   

Of course, my candles this week have to be Yankee Halloween ones! I'm still annoyed that there's only the choice of two this year; Witches Brew or Candy Corn. I do like the smell of the Witches Brew as it's just patchouli, which is dark and spicy but not overpowering. The Candy Corn on the other hand isn't sweet enough for me, nor does it fill the room and linger like the Witches Brew and other scents do. I really hope next year Yankee brings out some new candles and/or works on improving the smell. I'm loving my new pumpkin wax tart melter though! The whole range can be found here; http://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/en/uk/halloween/icat/halloween

Comparing these candles to the set I brought off Amazon, I do have to admit that I was more impressed with them. I like the mixture of smells and the different choice I can pick through. I'm burning the purple Witching Hour again, mainly because it was already in my white wax melter. It smells like patchouli, cinnamon and jasmine, though I know there's a few other things too. I've still not tried Witches Brew, Tricks or Treats and Mulled Cider. I'm sure I'll have time before Halloween though. Here's the link if you are interested and please read count down part one for more information. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Halloween-Scented-Wax-Tart-Melts/dp/B00FBM8680/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1445613462&sr=8-21&keywords=Halloween+candles

This week I'm writing my novella Trust. The six parts will cover everyday (starting yesterday and ending Friday) expect Halloween, on which there'll be a Halloween night themed story. Trust is the story of newly made vampire Fern and her maker/lover Brook. It's about Fern's changing and growth as a vampire. It's also about the conflict between other vampires and the challenges they have to face in 2015. 

These next parts -19 to 24- are about the arrival of another vampire, who Fern and Brook have already had a brush with. Fern seems to be falling in love with this other vampire, but has Brook become too distracted trying to defend his home/territory to notice Fern's wondering attention? 

If that's got you as interested as it has me, you can find the full listings here; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit.php?category_name=trust-novella

I finished reading The Little Paris Bookshop last Wednesday and I've written a small review to be published sometime in November. I also re-broke my not buying any books promise. It's a bit too late anyway as I've brought about 12 books, which for me is actually good because it should be double or triple that really. I brought The Welcome To Night Vale novel and I'm so into reading it right now. I've posted about Night Vale before, but here's the link to them on YouTube anyway. It really is worth checking out; https://www.youtube.com/user/WelcometoNightVale. I'm sure I'll be reviewing it as soon as I'm done! 

Lastly, I brought two pumpkins at the weekend, sorry there's no photo of them, there was meant to be one but they are currently being stored in my mum's car and I forgot to take a photo and now it's too late. But I'll do one before I get carving them. I've still not decided what to carve actually. I wanted to do a wolf but then saw I'd done that last year. I also wanted to do something that children would recognize, like with my 2013 Minecraft pumpkin. I was thinking of a Disney character, but I'm not that big a fan of anything Disney or animation to motivate me enough. I did think about doing a vampire because I've never done one of them, but I've yet to find a design I like. It'd be interesting to do a matching or connecting pair of something though. I'm sure more research would give me more inspiration and now I've got the pumpkins I can really start doing that. 

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave comments and check out my other blog. I'll be posting next on Halloween night and putting up lots of more photos, so be sure to come back then.    

Links To Me; 

https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles

https://www.pinterest.com/hails9/

https://twitter.com/ironmaidenfan9

Photos; My own. 
(The Frankenstein lantern stared in last week's post, but I got a better a photo of it to share today; )

October Update : Counting Down To Halloween

               

Hi readers,

My favorite time of year has rolled back around and now its' 19 days till Halloween! I'm so excited and have already done nearly all of my shopping. I've got some new decorations - black fabric, lights and a banner for my front door/garden. I've been making things and I got them to show you today! Also, planning out my baking, deciding my costume (I'm staying at home again this year, hopefully with my boyfriend coming to stay the weekend) and researching what design to carve on my pumpkins. The only thing left on the list is to get stuff for the trick-or-treaters. I'm torn between making goodie bags and just putting a random mix of sweets/candy into a bowl. 

There's a few other things I've got to do too; one of them is craft project, which I'll be including in my actually Halloween post. The other is to hunt down the Happy Halloween candle by Yankee candles. I've got two at the minute, but I found out a few weeks back that its' now been officially retried and getting hold of one is like panning for gold. I'm hoping the shop I got my last two from have got one in, but if not I won't be getting one this year. Tidying my house and decorating are of course on that list too. 

So, whilst I seem in a bit of a writing block today, I thought I'd do this post and get myself in the mode of writing. I've got the story and the ideas in my head, but for whatever reason I can't seem to put it down in physical form. That sounds kinda weird, because you'd think you'd just type or write the words and that'd be that. But it's the art of conveying what it's in my head which is the issue. For some reason the right words and the structure don't seem to want to come. There's not much that can be done other then to write through and just try to edit things later. I'll be doing that tonight after eating homemade stew and dumplings! 

That's the other thing I love about autumn, I get to eat all my favorite foods like stews, pies and soups. There's just something so wonderful about getting home from walking my dog in the woods or else having been wrapped up in writing for a few hours and tucking into a hot, filling meal. Speaking of which here's a photo of the chicken, leek and mushroom pie I made last week: 

It took me about two hours all together, but I'm way pleased with how it turned out and it tasted so nice. Everyone enjoyed it and I had the leftovers for lunch which tasted twice as good! I've added this recipe - it was actually a free leaflet in a supermarket that I picked up - to the recipe folder to be used again. I'll be putting up some more baking stuff on my Halloween post as I've got a list of savory and sweet things to make. And I digressed from what I set out to write..... 

Okay, so I'm huge on making things for Halloween, just in case you didn't already know that and Pinterest is my awesome place for discovering things and putting them all in one place. A few weeks back I was looking at some craft ideas for the Youth Centre children to have a go at and I found the pattern for a soft toy/plushie bat. Well, my mum has been helping my dad make his Halloween costume and has had the large sewing machine out, so I thought I'd ask her to help me make the bat. I'm good at sewing and using the machine, but her expert skills are just so useful and the fact that her sewing machine never seems to want to work for me. So here he is:

   

He is just so cute and looks cool sat on my desk, though I'm tempted to snug him in bed. He's big and fluffy, just what I wanted and he turned out so great. I did think about making some smaller friends, but I'm running low on fabric right now. I've included the link to the website were the pattern and instructions are below. He just makes the perfect Halloween companion and I'm sure kids will just love him, though he's a bit complicated and time consuming for the kids at the youth club to make. 

Instead, I'm going to get them to make these cute felt pumpkins! 

Once again I've included the link below, these are just so easy and quick to make. I added the faces and leaves on and put them in basket as a center piece. I also put some dried mix spices/pumpkin spices in the orange pumpkin on the right and some dried lavender into the purple one at the back -which I just noticed you can't really see.- They do smell nice and I think they'd also make nice little gifts. As decorations they look awesome and I'm half tempted to make some more, but I'd have to buy some more orange felt because I'm almost all out. I'm sure the young people at the youth club will enjoy making them!  

That's currently were I'm up to with Halloween stuff. Like I said before I'll be posting some more stuff next week (depending on things) and then on or just before 31st. Watch this space for all of that! So, now it's time for this month's updates! 

The novel I'm reading at the minute is:

My mum give this book after she had read it and it was actually a gift given to her by a friend to read on her canal boat holiday with my dad last month. She enjoyed reading it and suggested I give it a try, even though she knew it wasn't my normal subject/theme. I've read 50 pages and though I'm getting into it and do find it interesting, I'm not sure there's enough for me to want to actual finish reading it. Which does say a lot about me, because I hardly ever finish reading a book. My mum does say it gets better, so I'm hoping to stick with it. I'll probably do a review when I'm done, so I won't write any more about that now. 

Currently writing: short stories. I'm busy battling my way through writing horror/supernatural/Halloween themed stories for my blog. I had put up a request for submissions throughout last month, but had no luck, beside from an old uni friend helping me out when I was mega ill two weeks ago. So, yeah, luckily I got a few ideas and lots of inspiration, but I keep hoping that I'll open my emails and see that someone has submitted a story to me. I just think I'd be nice to hear other peoples' voices etc on my blog for a change and it'll help bring more people in. (Link is below if you're interested) 

Currently Listening to: I'm still getting through all the new album releases of September and the ones I missed. So, I've still got 5FDP, BFMV, Disturbed and Kamelot high on my music list. I've also been listening to Halloween themed music and my natural sounds still. I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos too, including episodes of The Addams Family and The Munsters. I'm also going to watch some of The Dinosaurs TV episodes too, does anyone remember that show? I was addicted as a kid! 

Candle scent of the month: This is also my favorite time for candles too! Normally, I'm burning Yankee wax tarts and picking Autumn smelling ones. But this year I decided to have a look online and I found these on Amazon and thought I'd give them ago. It was worth taking the risk, because they are really great scents and I love the Pumpkin Crunch Cake one. Right now I'm burning the Witching Hour and I'm looking forward to the Tricks or Treats soon.    

Lastly, though I know this is boarding on Christmas, I just wanted to share with you the knitting my mum has done recently. She got the patterns and the wool in her knitting magazine and after some begging so made them for me. They are so cute and set on my computer desk. I pick them up and give them a hug when I start to feel stressed and/or worried. The next thing on her needles is a werewolf! I can't wait to meet him. 

Thanks for reading and good luck in whatever Halloween activities you're up to. Here's my bat and pumpkins once more! 

Links to me: 

https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

https://www.pinterest.com/hails9/

https://twitter.com/ironmaidenfan9

https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles

Other links; 

https://americanfeltandcraft.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/diy-mini-felt-pumpkins/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/halloween-bat/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBM8680?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Photos from: 

http://libertyridgefarmny.com/2012/09/19/pumpkin-picking-adventures-in-albany-clifton-park-saratoga/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Paris-Bookshop-Nina-George/dp/0349140359

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBM8680?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

My own personal ones.