2016 A Year in Books
31 December 2016 • books, list, year in books
If there's one goal I don't have a problem sticking with, it's reading! As I've done last year, here are the books I've read in 2016. I always like to know what novels others are reading so that's why I'm sharing my list. Also, it's a great way of keeping track of my "reading history".
2016 | A Year in Books
Harry Potter 4, 5, 6 & 7 by J.K. Rowling | HP are everyone's favourite books. I can't wait to have to kids to share those treasures with them. The stories are so comforting and always remind me of my teens when I was a very avid reader. I didn't have internet, I didn't have a phone, I spent my free time reading and watching Dawson's Creek.
The Shock of the Fall by Jonathan Filer | This one was a very interesting read. I found the book very moving. It won the Costa award 2013 so I'm not the only one who appreciated it!
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates | If you loved Mad Men, you should be interested in reading this novel. It was written in 1961 and describes the life of a suburban family. This novel was turned into a film with Kate Winslet and Leo which I loved at the time. I can't really remember the film but I really enjoyed reading the novel as it reminded me so much of the ambiance of Mad Men. It's basically a commentary on the life they lived back then which I find so fascinating.
The Stranger and The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg | I adore the Patrick Hedström series and psychological thrillers in general. The Stranger wasn't as good as the other ones I thought but the Hidden Child was a great one. The Swedish Agatha Christie is my go-to because it's like watching Midsomer Murders: you know the main characters, want to know a bit about their lives but with a murder thrown in the mix to keep things spicy!
A Tiny Bit Marvelous by Dawn French | I really enjoyed this book which was about a little family drama. I wrote a little review on the blog, read it here>>
Terra Australis by Laurent-Frédéric Bollée | This is more of a graphic novel and it's about the beginnings of a penal colony in NSW, Australia. I had watched the BBC series last year (called Banished) and the book relates all of the same stories as the series. I knew the show was based on real events so I was not really surprised.
Why not me? by Mindy Kaling | You know I read her first book so I had to give this one a go. I am ashamed to say that as of today, I can't remember a single thing about this book. I checked the back cover to remember what was in it. Bad, bad, bad me.
The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagerkrantz | I loved the Millenium trilogy and was excited to see what would have become of the protagonists. I quite liked this book, it's a bit different than the others (obviously) but the plot was interesting.
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore | This one I remember. I enjoyed Barrymore's memoirs even though I have to admit, it's the cover that got me into it. I wrote a little review on the blog, read it here>> Since then, I watched a few of the early films she acted in and I discovered a few gems!
Revenge wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger | Very bad book. It was so boring, I can't even remember how it ended. Skip it.
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany | I was very excited by the thought of ordering my copy and reading it on the release date, just like I did when I was young with the HP novels. I liked the screenplay and enjoyed having a look at my favourite characters' adult life but I must say this won't be the story I will always remember. It was a bit too melancholic for me.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins | OMG. So so so good. I loved it and read it in three days I think. I could have been done in a day but I had other things to do. I loved it better than Gone Girl, I guess it's probably because I can relate to
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby | I didn't really thought this novel was funny. The Girl wasn't funny either. It was a bit boring and I wanted to skip pages badly. I loved the bits about the tv show but the book was more than that, unfortunately.
Letters to my Fanny by Cherry Healey | A nice little feminist read. Cherry Healey is a TV personality in the UK and wrote her little memoirs. I wrote about it in a post too, read it here>>
1984 by George Orwell | A revelation. I never read this classic but wow! Orwell predicted a lot.
The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson | This book is not a novel and is about all to reclaim your weekends back. No more shopping or DIYing but enjoying the seasons and the pleasure of a good life. I picked it up in a charity shop and was delighted with it - probably because I didn't pay it full price...
The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson | This book is not a novel and is about all to reclaim your weekends back. No more shopping or DIYing but enjoying the seasons and the pleasure of a good life. I picked it up in a charity shop and was delighted with it - probably because I didn't pay it full price...
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | I'm still currently reading this one and I love it so far. I'm slow but it's because I have so many other things going on. Also, it's pretty dense so I need to be focused when I read it. But so far, so good.
Did you read any of those books? What did you think?
If you enjoyed this post, you might like: 2015 A Year in Books
Find my book reviews and what I'm reading at the moment on Goodreads.
4 Questions to ask yourself before the end of the year
30 December 2016 • list
If you read my last post about how I reflect on the past year, you know I have been answering a few questions to help me reviewing the highs and low of 2016.
I thought I might share a few questions to ask yourself before the end of the year to get you started. It's not very groundbreaking or anything, you'll find those questions in many self-help books. If you have the time and if this kind of thing speaks to you, then spare a few minutes to pause and reflect.
What went well in the past year?
As someone who always remember the negative, it's important to appreciate the goals you achieved, the travel adventures you went on, what made you feel good or what were the fabulous things that happened. Some of the stuff I came up with surprised me a lot!
What didn't work and what could you do to make it happen next year?
Reflect on the goals you set yourself at the beginning of the year and try to find out why it didn't work. Was it something too hard to achieve? Was it reasonable? Was it what you really wanted? Maybe it's something you no longer wish for yourself. After all, times and conditions change and you've probably changed as well. Another reason why it didn't work could have been a lack of step by step planning, not breaking the goal into actions, being afraid of the end result, etc.
What did you learn, how did you grow?
For personal and professional well-being, it's important to continually grow. It could be learning a new skill or learning more about something you're passionate about. What did you learn about your failures, from the challenges you've had to face?
What do you want for the year ahead?
List some goals you want to achieve, describe who you want to be next year. How do you want to be as a father, a brother, a son, a manager, ... ? How will you do it? What can you do to make it happen? Break down big goals into achievable steps, find yourself a mantra, put together a vision board, go wild!
What went well in the past year?
As someone who always remember the negative, it's important to appreciate the goals you achieved, the travel adventures you went on, what made you feel good or what were the fabulous things that happened. Some of the stuff I came up with surprised me a lot!
What didn't work and what could you do to make it happen next year?
Reflect on the goals you set yourself at the beginning of the year and try to find out why it didn't work. Was it something too hard to achieve? Was it reasonable? Was it what you really wanted? Maybe it's something you no longer wish for yourself. After all, times and conditions change and you've probably changed as well. Another reason why it didn't work could have been a lack of step by step planning, not breaking the goal into actions, being afraid of the end result, etc.
What did you learn, how did you grow?
For personal and professional well-being, it's important to continually grow. It could be learning a new skill or learning more about something you're passionate about. What did you learn about your failures, from the challenges you've had to face?
What do you want for the year ahead?
List some goals you want to achieve, describe who you want to be next year. How do you want to be as a father, a brother, a son, a manager, ... ? How will you do it? What can you do to make it happen? Break down big goals into achievable steps, find yourself a mantra, put together a vision board, go wild!
How did it go for you?
Wishing you all the best for the year ahead!
photo viaReviewing 2016
It's that time of the year.
Grab a cuppa, it's gonna be a long one.
At the beginning of 2016 (actually, at the end of 2015), I had reviewed the past year, listed my achievements and failures and had set some goals for the year. It has now been twelve months and I never shared any of that with you. I had an idea for an article but it never materialized - I didn't even post anything on the blog last January...
Anyway, inspired by fellow blogger Laura Agar Wilson..
... I bought the 2016 Shining Year workbook. And it has been a revelation.
The aim of Leonie Dawson's planning tool is to help others create an amazing life for themselves by guiding them through the various steps needed to make it happen : having a vision, dream big, mapping it out, planning and finally, create it. The workbook has been great for me because there is no need to fill it all out. I just filled in the parts that seemed relevant to me.
When starting by going through the workbook, you start by reflecting on the past year.
This has been something that I had never done properly before and, wow! it was fascinating to discover myself in that way. I wrote down on actual paper my successes and failures. Yup, failures written black on white. Positivity is still key so I had to think about what I was grateful for, why I was proud of myself. I reflected on the things that had not worked out and what could I do to change them.
In order to create my shining year, I had to dream how 2016 was going to be for me and what I wanted to happen in 2016. Doing so, I filled in almost all the parts of the workbook where all areas of life are covered: creativity, spirituality, career/learning, relationships, family, body and health, home, finances, community service and self care. Towards the end of the book, there was also a list of 100 items to do in 2016 which I found particularly fun!
I'm a bit slow to get to the point, aren't I? Here is what I wanted to work on in 2016 and here is what actually happened. Inspired by the workbook, I created a vision board (seen in the first picture) and chose a sacred word for the year which was Glow.
Let's just say that 2016 has not been easy for me and has been full to the brim with challenges and bad (personal) news. I certainly did not achieve to glow because when I read back at what I had hoped to accomplish, I've fallen short. Looking back at it, I mostly felt stuck throughout the whole of 2016.
The first thing I wanted to accomplish was to finish my degree but as of today, it still hasn't happen. The main reasons for that fail were a serious lack of motivation mixed in with two difficult personal issues I had to deal with first.
On a positive note, one of the highlights of 2016 has certainly been my move. The bf and I left our little apartment in the capital for a bigger place at a cheaper rent in a smaller city. Doing some manual and creative work on the house has been a fun experience but also a challenging one. I learned a lot from it and really appreciated my organizational/creative abilities. However, lots of things happened at the same time which made our move pretty difficult and as it was something I did not take the time to appreciate, it resulted in a series of struggles.
Other goals included...
Creativity - play the piano/knit I only played a few times and only worked on a piece. It was mostly a fail and probably one thing I had not seriously thought about. I didn't knit at all.
Spirituality - start a gratitude journal/go on a retreat/write a manifesto/do yoga Instead of starting a gratitude journal, I used the 1SE app to record a one second video of each day. I didn't go on a retreat (the one I wanted to go to was too expensive), I didn't write a manifesto and haven't been into a single class of yoga in the past year. Yoga classes cost money obviously and I just didn't have the funds. I tried to do a few online yoga lessons but I wasn't very consistent.
Career/learning - improve my diy skills/find a job I'm still looking for a job position ✖ I improved my DIY skills on the house ✔
Relationships - deepen my current friendships/connect with out-of-town friends This has been easy to concentrate on my friends but I sometimes felt that my "stuck" feeling got the most of me and made me fail at being a good friend. I got in touch with my long lost friends but our busy lives didn't make us meet.
Body and health - I made the pledge to eat more vegs/exercise more I haven't been particularly active the first part of the year because of the move and the reno work. I trained for a race (but did two races) ✔ from August to October, went to the swimming pool quite regularly ✔ bought a bike and a home stepper ✔ so I could fit in more exercise in my life. I wasn't always good at eating my greens but I tried to make more soups to get them in my body.
Home - moving/getting comfortable in the new house Move ✔ Reno ✔ We achieved quite a lot in that area this past year!
Finances - save/earn more Easy to say that as I didn't work much during the past year, this has been a complete fail (spent all of my savings). On the work front, I have been on a few interviews and had my fails and successes but the feeling of rejection is just crap ✖
Community - eat local/reduce waste/donate blood/volunteering I finally donated my blood in August after a lot of procrastination. I have been really focused as the red cross center is very close to my home and I now book appointments ✔ as it's easy for me to go in at the end of the day. I also started donating plasma and platelets which has been easy for me. While I can, I do. I couldn't really give back in terms of money because I didn't have much spare cash and I also didn't take the time to do volunteer work ✖ I tried to eat local and reduce waste but probably failed as much as succeeded because I didn't record everything I was doing...
Self care I didn't go on a retreat ✖ haven't been on a particular beauty regimen due to the ugliness of my bathroom and my less than glowing constant feeling ✖ I started going to a new hairdresser which has been really good for my hair (and soul). I didn't buy many power/feeling confident new clothes because no money. I recently started a new skincare routine which has helped me feel better at times ✔
Regarding of failing at my main goal for 2016, I must say I still feel proud of myself for still going with it. I have dealt with those personal issues that were having their serious toll on me without me actually knowing. Also, I'm not a quitter.
My friends and family (including bf)/I traveled to London/ran a 10K/learned a lot from my mistakes/I read all the Harry Potter books/I took another step in the right direction/started/continued counselling/adopted a cat/moved house/kept writing in this blog/my parents got the cutest dog on earth/hosted a big brunch/read a lot of books/the Gilmore Girls Revival/hired a coach/good podcasts
As I think about how 2016 was difficult, I'm excited to see what 2017 has in store for me.
Read also: 4 questions to ask yourself before the end of the yearAnyway, inspired by fellow blogger Laura Agar Wilson..
you know I love her and her blog because I've talked a lot about her, especially in this post 5 blogs I read everyday >>
... I bought the 2016 Shining Year workbook. And it has been a revelation.
The aim of Leonie Dawson's planning tool is to help others create an amazing life for themselves by guiding them through the various steps needed to make it happen : having a vision, dream big, mapping it out, planning and finally, create it. The workbook has been great for me because there is no need to fill it all out. I just filled in the parts that seemed relevant to me.
That picture of my old phone dates back from February 2016!!
The closing ceremony
When starting by going through the workbook, you start by reflecting on the past year.
This has been something that I had never done properly before and, wow! it was fascinating to discover myself in that way. I wrote down on actual paper my successes and failures. Yup, failures written black on white. Positivity is still key so I had to think about what I was grateful for, why I was proud of myself. I reflected on the things that had not worked out and what could I do to change them.
A very motivational and visual tool to help reach your goals
The year ahead
In order to create my shining year, I had to dream how 2016 was going to be for me and what I wanted to happen in 2016. Doing so, I filled in almost all the parts of the workbook where all areas of life are covered: creativity, spirituality, career/learning, relationships, family, body and health, home, finances, community service and self care. Towards the end of the book, there was also a list of 100 items to do in 2016 which I found particularly fun!
The actual reviewing part
I'm a bit slow to get to the point, aren't I? Here is what I wanted to work on in 2016 and here is what actually happened. Inspired by the workbook, I created a vision board (seen in the first picture) and chose a sacred word for the year which was Glow.
Let's just say that 2016 has not been easy for me and has been full to the brim with challenges and bad (personal) news. I certainly did not achieve to glow because when I read back at what I had hoped to accomplish, I've fallen short. Looking back at it, I mostly felt stuck throughout the whole of 2016.
The first thing I wanted to accomplish was to finish my degree but as of today, it still hasn't happen. The main reasons for that fail were a serious lack of motivation mixed in with two difficult personal issues I had to deal with first.
On a positive note, one of the highlights of 2016 has certainly been my move. The bf and I left our little apartment in the capital for a bigger place at a cheaper rent in a smaller city. Doing some manual and creative work on the house has been a fun experience but also a challenging one. I learned a lot from it and really appreciated my organizational/creative abilities. However, lots of things happened at the same time which made our move pretty difficult and as it was something I did not take the time to appreciate, it resulted in a series of struggles.
Other goals included...
Creativity - play the piano/knit I only played a few times and only worked on a piece. It was mostly a fail and probably one thing I had not seriously thought about. I didn't knit at all.
Spirituality - start a gratitude journal/go on a retreat/write a manifesto/do yoga Instead of starting a gratitude journal, I used the 1SE app to record a one second video of each day. I didn't go on a retreat (the one I wanted to go to was too expensive), I didn't write a manifesto and haven't been into a single class of yoga in the past year. Yoga classes cost money obviously and I just didn't have the funds. I tried to do a few online yoga lessons but I wasn't very consistent.
Career/learning - improve my diy skills/find a job I'm still looking for a job position ✖ I improved my DIY skills on the house ✔
Relationships - deepen my current friendships/connect with out-of-town friends This has been easy to concentrate on my friends but I sometimes felt that my "stuck" feeling got the most of me and made me fail at being a good friend. I got in touch with my long lost friends but our busy lives didn't make us meet.
Body and health - I made the pledge to eat more vegs/exercise more I haven't been particularly active the first part of the year because of the move and the reno work. I trained for a race (but did two races) ✔ from August to October, went to the swimming pool quite regularly ✔ bought a bike and a home stepper ✔ so I could fit in more exercise in my life. I wasn't always good at eating my greens but I tried to make more soups to get them in my body.
Home - moving/getting comfortable in the new house Move ✔ Reno ✔ We achieved quite a lot in that area this past year!
Finances - save/earn more Easy to say that as I didn't work much during the past year, this has been a complete fail (spent all of my savings). On the work front, I have been on a few interviews and had my fails and successes but the feeling of rejection is just crap ✖
Community - eat local/reduce waste/donate blood/volunteering I finally donated my blood in August after a lot of procrastination. I have been really focused as the red cross center is very close to my home and I now book appointments ✔ as it's easy for me to go in at the end of the day. I also started donating plasma and platelets which has been easy for me. While I can, I do. I couldn't really give back in terms of money because I didn't have much spare cash and I also didn't take the time to do volunteer work ✖ I tried to eat local and reduce waste but probably failed as much as succeeded because I didn't record everything I was doing...
Self care I didn't go on a retreat ✖ haven't been on a particular beauty regimen due to the ugliness of my bathroom and my less than glowing constant feeling ✖ I started going to a new hairdresser which has been really good for my hair (and soul). I didn't buy many power/feeling confident new clothes because no money. I recently started a new skincare routine which has helped me feel better at times ✔
2016 has been good because...
Regarding of failing at my main goal for 2016, I must say I still feel proud of myself for still going with it. I have dealt with those personal issues that were having their serious toll on me without me actually knowing. Also, I'm not a quitter.
My friends and family (including bf)/I traveled to London/ran a 10K/learned a lot from my mistakes/I read all the Harry Potter books/I took another step in the right direction/started/continued counselling/adopted a cat/moved house/kept writing in this blog/my parents got the cutest dog on earth/hosted a big brunch/read a lot of books/the Gilmore Girls Revival/hired a coach/good podcasts
As I think about how 2016 was difficult, I'm excited to see what 2017 has in store for me.
How has your year been? Did you achieve your goals?
The Christmas Tag
9 December 2016 • merry
- What is your favourite Christmas film? The Holiday, Love Actually, Bridget Jones, You've Got Mail, Miracle on 34th Street, so many favourites....
- Have you ever had a white Christmas? I think I did but I can't remember when... Oh yes I can! It was three or four years ago! We had snow storms, it was insane, roads were blocked and my godmother never made it to Christmas Eve dinner!
- Where do you usually spend your holiday? At home, except in 2007 when I spent Christmas in Sydney.
- What is your favourite Christmas song? Too Lost in You from The Sugarbabes. I know, it's not your typical festive music but I love it so much because it was featured in the movie Love Actually and every single time I hear it, it reminds me of the film and so Christmas. I'm a big fan of Bubblé as well!
- Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve? Precisely at midnight. When we were kids, we opened them in the morning.
- Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Rudolph, Dash, Dancer? That's it.
- What holiday tradition are you looking forward to this year? Eating our favourite foods, opening our presents right before the bûche. We didn't get a tree this year but it's always something I'm looking forward to do as it is usually our #1 tradition.
- Is your Christmas tree real or fake? Real.
- What is your all-time favourite holiday food/treats? After Eights, a glass of Baileys with ice, an icy bûche (the Viennetta one), shrimps, foie gras, croquettes, oysters, garlic snails, hot chocolates, the cheese, home made gravlax, st jacques shells, all the appetizers, ....
- Be honest: do you like giving gifts or receiving gifts better? I'm excited for both! I really really like seeing the face of my sisters/bf/parents when they open their presents as I put a lot of thought into choosing them.
- What is the best Christmas gift you've ever received? The typewriter machine I really wanted when I was 6 or 7. I don't think I knew Santa wasn't real at that point and was really surprised to see it in the chimney. Also, we didn't have a single item of technology in our house at that time, not even a CD player, so he typewriter was amazing to me.
- What would your dream place to visit for the holiday season? New York hands down!
- Are you a pro-present wrapper, or do you fail miserably? I think I fail because I never buy cute ribbons and nice paper. I always say I'm gonna do it next year but I'm always cheap...
- Memorable holiday moment? Christmas in Australia and the time my dad took us to a factory where it was snowing all around it - which coincidentally was the time I got my typewriter machine.
- What made you realise the truth about Santa? I can't remember at all.
- Do you make New Years resolutions? Do you stick to them? I make New Years resolutions but I only stick to them when I break them into little achievable actions.
- What makes the holidays special for you? Being with my family, the christmas tv programs and films, the festive food and the decorations. Basically, everything about Christmas.
Power Songs
7 December 2016 • list
As you know, I'm watching the latest Gilmore Girls episodes on Netflix. At the end of the second chapter, I heard the most uplifting song in a long time. It was from a movie called Swing Time, a 1936 musical featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It's called "Pick yourself up". Don't you have those moments when you're watching a film or a show and the music is totally getting you?
It's funny because it also happens to Lorelai in the third episode of the revival. She listens to a song and it seems that it reflects her feelings at that particular time.
Pick Yourself Up
Anyway, as I've said, I haven't had the best year so far and it seems that I can only see the negative stuff. My life is very far from being bad, that's for sure, but I'm guilty of always looking at it from the wrong angle. I've also felt like a failure a few times and it hasn't really helped me get my confidence back. So, when I heard those little words, it totally felt like a sign, like it was written just for me, to encourage me. The lyrics go like this:
For when my chin is on the ground,
Nothing's impossible I have found,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!
Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
Strip Me
The problem I have when I find "THE song" is that I completely lose my mind and listen to it over and over again. It happened a few years ago when I saw the movie Morning Glory with Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton. At the very end (again!) they featured Natasha Bedingfield's "Strip Me". Here is an excerpt:
Everyday I fight for all my future somethings,
A thousand little wars I have to choose between.
I could spend a life earning things I don't need,
That's like chasing rainbows and coming home empty.
And if you strip me, strip it all away
If you strip me, what would you find?
If you strip me, strip it all away,
I'll be alright.
Take what you want, steal my pride,
Build me up or cut me down to size,
Shut me out but I'll just scream,
I'm only one voice in a million,
But you ain't taking that from me.
You ain't taking that from me.
You ain't taking that.
I don't need a microphone
To say what I've been thinking.
My heart is like a loudspeaker
that's always on eleven.
And if you strip me, strip it all awayIf you strip me, what would you find?
If you strip me, strip it all away,
I'm still the same.
Cause when it all boils down at the end of the day,
It's what you do and say that makes you who you are,
Makes you think about think about it doesn't it.
Sometimes, all it takes is one voice.
Take what you want, steal my pride,
Build me up or cut me down to size
Shut me out but I'll just scream,
I'm only one voice in a million,
But you ain't taking that from me.
You ain't taking that from me.
It's very serious. I remember my roommate was so sick of hearing the same thing on repeat because it was on practically every single time he came home! I'm the song, or the song is me, something like that, it's kind of insane. I still shiver every time I hear it.
I Don't Want To Be
If I go way back when I was a teen, my heart pounded in my chest whenever One Tree Hill was on tv. The theme song is "I don't want to be" by Gavin Degraw. I actually scream in the shower/in the car when I listen to it - on repeat. Here are my favourite parts:
I don't want to be anything other
Than what I've been trying to be lately
Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from.
I don't want to be anything other
Than what I've been trying to be lately.
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind.
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be.
I don't want to be anything other than me.
I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn.
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn.
I'm surrounded by identity crises everywhere I turn.
Am I the only one who noticed?
I can't be the only one who's learned.
Than what I've been trying to be lately.
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind.
My whole situation made from clay to stone
And now I'm telling everybody
I don't want to be
Anything other that I've been trying to be lately.
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind.
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms,
Wondering what I've got to do
Or what I'm supposed to be.
I don't want to be anything other than me
I don't want to be, I don't want to be
I don't want to be, I don't want to be anything
Anything other than me.
ETA: I've read a nice piece on the New York Times called "How a triathlon helped America Ferrera (you know her from Ugly Betty) defy her inner critic" and it was so inspiring! Read it here>>
Her last words were just perfect:
I finally got my answer to that question: "Who do you think you are?"
I am whoever I say I am. And I am a triathlete.
photos one, two, three
Waiting for Christmas
5 December 2016 • merry
Cosy evenings are always a must in my house and especially at Christmas time when it's just magical. We still haven't bought a tree yet but I have already pulled out all my Christmas boxes from the attic...
I spend my best evenings all curled up in my favourite knitted blanket from Ikea that I got for Christmas a few years ago. I sometimes sip a hot chocolate with mini marshmallows which is probably my favourite warming-up drink when I'm cold and tired. Also, I usually have a shower before movie night, so I'm all cozied up. I've been wearing my uggs as slippers since the last time I visited Australia - which was too long ago... They're the comfiest, most sturdy and warmest slippers on earth. I love my boots so much, I wear them in the summer months too... Winter nights are better now that we have a little kitty as Gaston loves to sleep on our laps and he's all cute and soft and warm...
I always forget to apply cream on my hands which is a shame because I could take better care of myself, if I'm honest. I had a soy candle from the same brand as the hand cream, Ecoya, and I definitely recommend them to you because they're a bit better for the environment and their scent is divine: it actually fills up the whole room I light them in. However, I never forget to put on a festive nail polish and the Essie ones are always my favourites.
As Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without fairy lights or scented candles, I've already been spraying some Christmas cheer throughout the house. I bought that mandarine, clove and cinnamon room spray last year but you can still find it at M&S in a new packaging.
If I'm not watching some festive classics, I'm found reading in bed. I have quite a pile of books to go through and I'm all set for the holiday season but I'm still guilty of having a massive book wishlist going on... At the moment, I'm reading Americanah that I borrowed from a friend. It's really different from what I usually go for but still has been a nice surprise. I'm a bit slow going through it as I'm usually too tired to read more than a few chapters at night but you could say I'm embracing the slow movement, which isn't always bad.
I didn't buy anything new to write this post, I just gathered a few things I already owned and that were bringing me joy. Of course, it's okay to treat yourself but at this frantic time that is Christmas, it's always good to remind yourself of the little things in life and appreciate what you already have. Enjoy!
Peter's famous classic home boots circa 2010 // Americana by Chimmanda Ngozi Adichie // Ecoya's Coconut & Elderflower Hand cream // Old Starbucks Christmas mug // Essie's Vested Interest, Jump in my jumpsuit & Toggle to the top nail polish // M&S Room Spray // London Bus Ornament // Ursula Blanket // Särdal fairy lights
If you enjoyed this post, you might like: Minimal Christmas
Around here
30 November 2016 • update
So. I have seen the revival. Not all of it, I still have the last episode left to watch. You can continue reading if you know what I'm talking about (GILMORE GIRLS!!) because I won't spoil anything. I just really like it so far. There have been a few bits that felt like, come on!!!!, but other than that, it's been a delight to watch after a hard working day. Not that I work very much at the moment but anyway....
As I'm writing, my cat is driving me insane by trying to eat all my pens. He's cute so, he's lucky he's got that going on for him...
I'm focused on my dissertation I still need to hand in. I should be productive but I'm a bit stuck right now. Hell, it seems that I'm always stuck... I was told to fight me. Not in a violent way, but to tell myself, yes, you're going to finish it in two weeks and that'll be it. No complaining, no lamenting, no doing nothing. I just have to work at it everyday and it will be done at one point.
I'm back with my earl grey. Where was I? Oh yes, I just want to go out and enjoy the sun. What I don't like very much in this house is that there isn't enough natural light. Large windows + a garden will be compulsory requirements when we'll house hunt.
NOW, THe cat is walking on my keyboard, hence the capital letters.
I have been straightening my hair lately. It feels so good. I have outgrown my permanent curls and my hair looks crazy when I don't do anything. Straightening them makes me feel really good and confident.
I still have lots of work to do on my dissertation, so I'm going back to it. No Gilmore Girls for me tonight, I'll try to leave the last episode for later so I can enjoy it better! I'll let you know if I actually resisted to the tentation...
A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the efforts of a spasmodic Hercules. - Anthony TrollopeOh. I need to get up, my water has boiled. It's tea time.
I'm back with my earl grey. Where was I? Oh yes, I just want to go out and enjoy the sun. What I don't like very much in this house is that there isn't enough natural light. Large windows + a garden will be compulsory requirements when we'll house hunt.
NOW, THe cat is walking on my keyboard, hence the capital letters.
I have been straightening my hair lately. It feels so good. I have outgrown my permanent curls and my hair looks crazy when I don't do anything. Straightening them makes me feel really good and confident.
I still have lots of work to do on my dissertation, so I'm going back to it. No Gilmore Girls for me tonight, I'll try to leave the last episode for later so I can enjoy it better! I'll let you know if I actually resisted to the tentation...
6 Podcasts you need to listen to
29 November 2016 • list
Sometimes I like to listen to an audiobook whilst driving or commuting and other times I don't listen to anything at all. For a while now, I've been obsessed with podcasts. I had written about my favourite podcasts a long time ago but here is my list of current favourites - in no particular order.
Ravacholle's Top 5
20 November 2016 • list
It's been two years since my first post. Today I'm sharing the five posts you clicked on the most on the blog.
Are they really your favourites? Let me know!
Giddy with excitement
18 November 2016 • personal
W-1.
Last year, I was finally catching up on the last season of the show. I somehow only watched the first five seasons when it aired (=the best!)
However, as I sat through the final episode, I became extremely irritated. That was a stupid ending in my opinion. Women couldn't have it all apparently... You were either entitled a career or a love life. Having both seem incompatible somehow...!?
Anyway, I'm excited about how I'll spend my next Friday night because:
Anyway, I'm excited about how I'll spend my next Friday night because:
☕️ I can forget the last episode ever happened and think of it as a tiny mistake
☕️ I'm dying to know what book titles will be added to the famous Gilmore Girls Book Lists
☕️ I'm dying to know what book titles will be added to the famous Gilmore Girls Book Lists
☕️ I've seen the trailer and it left me seriously wanting for more
☕️ Melissa McCarthy! Duh!
☕️ We'll finally know who Rory ends up with (please, let it be Logan)
☕️ I can't wait to hear Emily's voice again
☕️ The show was so comforting and full of joy and I wish I lived in Stars Hollow
☕️ The theme song
☕️ It feels like a high school reunion!
Will you be watching the revival?
Why I blog
15 November 2016 • personal
As I am writing this, I'm super stressed.
I am preparing a job interview that I'll have in a few days and I feel overwhelmed. I had to take a break so I came to my blog. Then I realized that my blog is just that little outlet where I can go wild and do whatever I want, write anything I want. It's a space I can call mine, where I control things. I can get creative and write about things that I like or that I read. I enjoy relating my travel adventures and it makes me feel good sometimes to look back at my photos and remember some of the things I've done or saw that made me happy at that time. I feel very satisfied when I plan posts for a whole week. It's still a hobby and I don't always feel like blogging but I know I can be organized and consistent when life isn't too hard on me.
It's always hard to remember the positives when feeling overwhelmed but it's something I try to work on! Now, I'm going out in the rain for a bit of cycling and fresh air. It can't be bad for me, right?
What's on my cameral roll before I delete it all
11 November 2016 • update
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share a few snaps of my life and consider them as a reminder of things I did/saw/accomplished/spied/lusted over.
Anyway, since my last recap, I've painted many walls and pieces of furniture. I'm exhausted from all the cleaning-brushes work I've done and I feel very satisfied with my DIY skills. We're hosting a little family house warming party next Sunday so we had to get the house in shape.
I visited DisneyLand Paris for the first time ever. It was fun but not like I had imagined. Overall, I enjoyed very much our stay at the New York hotel, it was really cute and very 90's. I also absolutely loved the little street at the entrance of the park. I wish the little houses were real!
I had many cakes and coffees with myself and also with friends! I loove them all: friends, cake and coffee. I also do tea.
I finally bought that bike I wanted. I've been using it when I need to go somewhere that's not further than 5km from my house. It's made my life a bit easier when I have to go places and the bf uses the car. My bicycle is very comfy and I'm obsessed with its mint colour. I've received many compliments on it, it's this one from Decathlon if you're interested.
I milked a goat.
Speaking of animals, there's a new guy in my life.
I've spent my share of days chained to my desk reading stuff, doing admin work and studying for a job exam. I also organized our office bookcase and the all the paperwork that needed filing.
I had many cakes and coffees with myself and also with friends! I loove them all: friends, cake and coffee. I also do tea.
I finally bought that bike I wanted. I've been using it when I need to go somewhere that's not further than 5km from my house. It's made my life a bit easier when I have to go places and the bf uses the car. My bicycle is very comfy and I'm obsessed with its mint colour. I've received many compliments on it, it's this one from Decathlon if you're interested.
I milked a goat.
Speaking of animals, there's a new guy in my life.
I've spent my share of days chained to my desk reading stuff, doing admin work and studying for a job exam. I also organized our office bookcase and the all the paperwork that needed filing.
Finally, I nearly bought this mirror for our kitchen but decided against it because too expensive and too fake looking for my taste. There might or there might not have been a 10€ Goodwill find and some DIY involved...
Also loved
Going clubbing with my girls, celebrating our 8th anniversary in the countryside, reading, achieving stuff, getting things checked off my list, GBBO, finishing up the big jobs in the house, getting rid of clutter, making plans and sticking to it, getting out of my comfort zone and actually doing stuff.
Looking forward to
The Gilmore Girls Revival, who else is excited?? On Netflix November 25th. Decorating for Christmas, seeing my cat getting bigger, 2017, reading new books, getting more things done, listen to my friends recap their trip, running some more, Tanya Burr doing Vlogmas.
On the blog
I ran a 10K and saw the latest Bridget Jones on my birthday
Review of Letters to my Fanny by Cherry Healey
5 Blogs I read everyday
Books wishlist
And that's a wrap. I've been blogging everyday of this past week, I'm feeling great. 💪 #winning Review of Letters to my Fanny by Cherry Healey
5 Blogs I read everyday
Books wishlist
What have you been up to this past month? Have you painted anything? What are you looking forward to?
PS: it's not going to happen again next week... sorry!
Bookish Wishlist
10 November 2016 • books, list
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | I read it as child and want to devour it again. I also need all the books Rifle Paper Co. designed. I am sure I would appreciate the novel better this time around as I am more grown up. I also want this book because I feel like it's a comfort novel I can read over the Christmas period sitting by the fire...
Making it up as I go along by Marian Keyes | This would be my first Marian's book ever if I can get my hands on one. I'm intrigued about all her funny observations about life. If you've seen my latest book review, you know I have been enjoying non-fiction books about being a woman in the 21st century lately...
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes | Jim Chapman recommended it in one of his videos so I shall try it. I'm joking only partially because 1. I love good thrillers and 2. this book has very good reviews everywhere I see it mentioned. Murder, mystery, fast-paced, 600+ pages. Good for rainy days, uh?
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann | I only know about this one because I've read a review of it on The Pool. It's about girls who make their way up to the top only to find out that there's no place left to but to go down and it was published in 1966. I'm very curious about it and as I've said, I'm into feminist reads at the moment!
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple | This novel is on my list because I enjoyed Semple's previous work, Where'd you go Bernadette. It also reminds me of A Tiny Bit Marvellous because it's about the hectic day in the life of a woman (called Eleanor Flood).
Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams | I have a major crush on Pr. Kate Williams at the moment, be prepared for a post about it! I also dig ITV's new show, Victoria. Since last summer, I've been a bit obsessed with looking up history facts on Wikipedia. I've also been watching a few of victorian era inspired documentaries and shows (life in a victorian slum, victorian bakers...) so I wanted to get more specific and actually read a biography. I love Kate Williams ever since I've seen her on the BBC last summer so I chose her work to learn more about Victoria's early years as a queen. Also, Leopold everyone! First King of my country!
Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella | I've been meaning to buy this for ages but never found it second hand yet. I might get it new or order it for Christmas because the Shopaholic series are my feel-good go-to books. I'm eager to know what crazy plan Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) thought of to rescue her dad...
What's on your list?
If you like this post, you might like: Current to-read list
Find my book reviews and what I'm reading at the moment on Goodreads.
Find my book reviews and what I'm reading at the moment on Goodreads.
5 Blogs I read everyday
9 November 2016 • list
or at least every week.
DANIELLE MOSS
She's is my blogging idol! I love her. I already talked about her way too much but I just love her style. Danielle moved all the way from sunny Los Angeles to freezing Chicago where she knew practically no one. Her move coincided with a feeling of being stuck and gave her the kick she needed to change things that didn't work for her at the time. Some years later, she just moved in with her boyfriend and she sold almost all of her furniture to her old landlord - I just dream of decorating from scratch again but the bf would kill me...
Write Like Noone's Watching
Charlotte is the same age as me and is already a home owner and proud mamma to two kiddos. She writes some very thoughtful posts, does weekend vlogs and food shops hauls that I really enjoy watching. I like her style and the homey feel there is to her blog and Youtube channel. It's just the vibe that I get from her that's so comforting. She's lovely! I also enjoy reading Life as Our Little Family and Ethel Explores in the mummy category...
Wholeheartedly Healthy
Previously Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish, I've been reading Laura for quite a while. She's my inspiration for all food and health related worries. She introduced me to the Davina McCall workouts DVDs and I will never thank her enough for that. As I sometimes struggle to stay in shape and eat a well balanced diet, I love popping in to check on her blog as she inspires me to keep on track with my goals (exercising more and eat more legs if you're wondering...) Laura has been through a very inspiring body image journey and her blog is just a mine of inspiration. I also admire her dedication to her work, she's brilliant and inspiring as I said multiple times!
Young House Love
There are actually two other home related blogs that I read on a regular basis: Brooklyn Limestone and Manhattan Nest. I used to be completely addicted and obsessed with YHL when they were still blogging daily. They taught me everything I know about DIYing everything in my life. Sherry and John have recently started a podcast and I very enjoy keeping in touch with them that way now. They somehow lost their mojo a few years back and stopped blogging altogether so it's nice to see them back in the game in another format.
Gals from #TheGirlGang
Utter Ardour, Alice Red, The Nerdy Me and Very Berry Cosmo are my favourites! I love the way they are real and that their own voice transpires through their various content. Rai is from Australia and enjoys getting creative and reading books. Alice, a photography graduate, and Kayleigh, a graphic design graduate, are from the UK and both vlog. Kayleigh writes about her struggles with OCD and Alice is quite unique with her videos, you really need to see her work for yourself. Finally, Leta is from Lithuania, which in itself is so interesting on so many levels, and she writes on inspiration and motivation as well as on her days out and about.
Meet the new guy in town
8 November 2016 • update
Hello everyone! Just a quick post to introduce my new little buddy, Gaston! The bf and I had wanted a pet for a very long time and since we moved into a bigger place last April, we thought it was time to make our wishes a reality.
We both like dogs and cats but we eventually decided after very long debates about pros and cons to adopt a little kitty. You already know that I had pets when I was still living with my parents (our very best cat, Snoopy and earlier this year, my parents got a puppy AND a kitten!) so I've really been missing having a pet around.
I desperately want to be dog mama. I imagine myself going on doggy walks and doing some running with my future pup but if I'm being realistic, having a dog wouldn't really fit into our lifestyle at the moment. Also, major point here, we don't have a garden. So, for the sake of a dog's wellbeing, we decided against adopting one.
Our house is kinda big so we felt ok with letting a cat wander around. We would preferably like to let him go outside but we're a bit scared that he'd get lost/killed/catnapped.
Anyway, Gaston's been living with us for about a month and he's made our lives a little bit better. I had read multiple times that despite being a bit of a hassle (cleaning the poo, health and food costs, things getting destroyed or peed on....), you can actually benefit from having a pet.
Pros
♥ His body's warmth when I'm cold on the sofa
♥ Having someone to cuddle with while watching telly
♥ Stroking my little kitty is actually quite calming
♥ Whenever I need a break from home work, chores, blogging, job hunting, Gaston is there for me to play with
♥ Cats live in the moment so I find them a very good reminder to appreciate the present whenever I'm faced with anxiety/difficulties/hard times
♥ His body's warmth when I'm working in the office and he sleeps on my legs
♥ He doesn't shred my furniture... yet.
♥ Gaston's coat is so so so soft. You would think I would have made him loose all of his hair by now because I pet him so much...
♥ I sing all the time (soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur...)
♥ He gets on with my parent's kitten and he kind of tolerates their dog
♥ He's so freakin' adorable
Cons
✘ Gaston has absolutely no sense of dignity or personal space
✘ He's so annoying when he's in a bad/playing/sleepy/cuddling mood
✘ Poo's smelling way too much
✘ His butt. In our faces.
✘ Licking our skin until it's red with pain
✘ When he walks on my keyboard
✘ The smell of his farts
✘ The mess he makes everywhere: paper balls for him to play with in
every room of the house and his litter out of the box
✘ His breath in the morning and at lunchtime and in the evening
✘ Buying food and cat litter and toys (€€€)
✘ Dropping him off somewhere when we're away
Overall
I wouldn't exchange him for the world despite the cons list being roughly the same length as the pros one.This post is getting a bit too long so I'm stopping with the cuteness here. I don't want you to throw up with disgust with all the love I have for my kitty friend.
Do you own a pet? What's its name?
Related posts
To my beloved cat, Snoopy
The Guide to Fall
House update and a new puppy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)