12 Things I Wish I'd Known At Sixteen

Looking back at any of my journals, you'll see just how naive I was as a teen. The long lists of dreams now seem ridiculously over ambitious and some down right impossible. Even more so when I remember just how fearful I was of life back then. Goodness knows how I planned to do half of the stuff when I wouldn't even say boo to a goose. Many years have passed now so I thought it would be interesting to write a list of twelve things I would tell my sixteen year old self if I could.


Dear Justine


1. You won't be married before the age of thirty and that's okay. Hell if you never get married that's okay too!


2. Stop being so afraid of boys. They're not an alien species although some might argue with that. Try talking to one once in a while. They don't bite.


3. The world isn't as scary as you think. Sure it's a scary place at times, but there's also a lot of good going on. Try and have a little faith in humanity. People will often surprise you.


4. Just because you argue with a person, that doesn't mean the friendship/relationship is over. People do row and it's completely normal.


5. You're not going to be able to change the world by yourself. Although changing the world frequents most of your goals lists, you need to accept that you can only do your bit.


6. Pretty soon you're going to be diagnosed with GAD. Later on down the line you'll also be diagnosed with OCD and depression. This doesn't mean you're a crazy person or a psycho. Ignore anyone that makes you feel as such. Yes you're going to have a really tough seventeen years ahead of you but once you come out on the other side you'll be stronger for it. Do not give up. Likewise, when someone tells you to 'snap out of it,' I'd advise stamping on their foot and running away! A joke obviously but I would indeed consider cutting anyone out of your life that brings you down. You don't need that shit.


7. You're going to start a blog. You don't even know what one is right now but trust me you're going to love it. It's going to give you a much needed confidence boost and you'll also get to know many like minded individuals. Some of whom will become really good friends.


8. Sadly, you're never going to be a Spice Girl (or any other pop star for that matter.) Sweetheart you just can't carry a tune! Do the world a favour and give that dream up.


9. You are not going to become a millionaire by writing a best selling novel. In fact you're going to have a love/hate relationship with your writing for many years to come as you battle with your mental health. Although writing has always been cathartic for you, don't force it. It will come naturally when it's ready. Oh and there are much quicker ways to get rich than writing a novel. Sorry to burst your bubble.


10. A bespectacled young boy called Harry is going to take the literary world by storm. Words like 'muggle' will become a part of daily life for a while. As will running at walls in the train station. Do not try this at home unless you're a descendant from a witch/wizard! :)


11. You'll make mistakes as you go along in life but you're only human. Treat them as a lesson learned and move on. Don't beat yourself up.


12. You're not going to be a teacher. Although you're going to college next week to enrol for your A-levels you'll panic and change your mind last minute. You'll end up doing a hairdressing and beauty course but this won't be your career path either. By some fluke (or maybe fate) you'll end up working for a dental practice where you'll stay. There you will grow and learn more about yourself and life than you realised was possible. You'll also meet some girls who will become your friends for life. Helen, Zoë, Dani, Tracy and the rest... :)



If you got this far, I hope you enjoyed reading. What do you wish you could tell your sixteen year old self? I could have carried on this list forever but that would make for a very long blog post. Have a fabulous week. I'm off for pizza!




Lots of love Justine xxx





Image via Pexels

Progress Not Perfection

After uploading last weeks blog post (click here to read) I spent the following hours re-reading it, mentally tearing it to shreds and generally wondering how I could have written it better. 
We all do this right? It's that annoying little voice inside our heads called 'The Perfectionist!' 

August Favourites

Summer Delights!

 

Hello lovelies! Did you all enjoy the book review from Murphy's Mother last night? Today it's my turn to share a post. (Long overdue I know.) Sorry for being so terrible of late. However on a positive, I've been working on several new blog pieces and I plan to stick to weekly updates once more. Which brings me to two other pieces of good and rather exciting news! A publishing house contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would review a book from a rather well known author. I cannot reveal anymore than that but what I can say is that the lovely MM is currently reading said novel and will soon be working on the review so keep a look out!
My second piece of good news is that I am now officially a permanent columnist with brand new UK based quarterly lifestyle magazine... 'LoveFrom.' I feel like I can actually 'legitimately' call myself a writer now. I'm super excited about it and feel lucky to be part of Flo's team.
If you would like to order a copy then please email the editor/founder, Florence Matthews at lovefrommag@gmail.com.

Now I've updated you on all that, I'll get to what this post is about... My August favourites. Sit back, grab a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy!

First up...

 

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

 

*Please note possible spoiler alert

What's it about? 

They say everything changes in a moment...

Rachel catches the same commuter train into Euston every day. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even beginning to feel as if she knows the couple who live in number fifteen. Their life - according to Rachel - is perfect. She wishes her life could be just so. But then in one fleeting moment, Rachel sees something and everything changes. She now has a chance to become part of the lives she's been watching from afar... But will she end up embroiled in more hot water than she can handle?

I'm going to be straight with you all. I thought I'd hate this book. After being hugely disappointed in 'Gone Girl' I expected to feel the same about this. Afterall, comparisons have been made between the two. I'd read plenty of rave reviews on the internet but some of my friends had said how poor it was. That said, I decided to give it a whirl. I was initially a little bored and confused with the plot. The constant back and forth in timescale added to the change in narrative meant I had to keep flicking back pages just so I didn't feel lost. (Granted it could just have been exhaustion on my part to blame.) But fifty or so pages in, things started to get exciting. Tess Gerritsen described this novel as thrilling and tense and when the second main character - Megan - disappears, it does become an altogether more tense and thrilling read. Yes in honesty I did work out who had killed Megan long before the big reveal, but I was still pleasantly surprised with the novel as a whole. 
It's safe to say that when I stay up all hours gripped by a novel it must be good. So all in all I'd recommend you give this one a go. 

Movie of the month... Disney Pixar's Inside Out

 

They say kids tell it like it is. Well if my eight year old nephew is anything to go by he described this movie as 'Awesome!!' and I heartily agree. Being a big kid at heart myself, it wasn't exactly a hardship to see this at my local Odeon. (But the ticket prices!!?? So expensive these days!) 

In a nutshell the story revolves around 11 year old happy-go-lucky Riley and the five emotions who are 'running the ship' that is her mind... Anger, Disgust, Joy, Fear and Sadness.
When Riley is faced with a huge life change - a move from the rural midwest to San Francisco - everything starts to go wrong. Unbeknown to her, the five 'emotions' are also having difficulty adjusting to the move. The story reaches it's peak when Joy and Sadness get accidentally thrown from 'headquarters.' 

With neither Joy or Sadness now in the driving seat, Riley no longer has the ability to feel these two major emotions. Her life begins to unravel as she struggles to express herself to those around her. 
I won't spoil how the movie ends but needless to say turmoil unfolds as the other three emotions - Anger, Disgust and Fear - try to fix things and there are life lessons learned aplenty! (Note, take tissues if you tend to cry at movies!) It's by far one of the most vibrant, colourful and feel good movies I've seen in a long time. Perfect for both adults and children alike.
Novelist and junior psychiatrist, Rosie Claverton wrote an interesting blog post about this movie titled, '5 Mental Health Truths From Inside Out.' It's well worth a read. She says ALL the words! It was my favourite blog post of the week. Click here to read.

Useful pretty things...

I'm currently in the process of organizing and am always on the lookout for useful items such as box files and tins. Whilst out in Lytham shopping with Murphy's Mother... (We had so much fun discussing future blog posts!) we made a beeline for what can only be descibed as 'my kind of place.' I used some of the birthday money I had left to buy this gorgeous tin and notepad from shop 'Something Special.' Aren't they pretty? Note the two Lucy Diamond books too... Both gifts from MM! Cannot wait to read them both. If you also recall, MM reviewed 'The Beach Cafe' a few weeks back. Click here if you missed it.

Perfume

Another empty perfume bottle sitting on my bedside cabinet... Armani White Diamonds is now another firm favourite! My sister gave it to me as she wasn't so keen but I loved this scent. I think I've said this before but I find that a good perfume always makes me feel that little bit more glam and confident.
Fragrance notes include Lychee, Rasberry, Rose, Lily Of The Valley, Patchouli, Freesia, Vetiver, Amber and Vanilla.

Birthday Gifts

I was fortunate to get lots of lovely gifts for my birthday this week. But this notepad pictured lower left has to be hands down my favourite of them all. Again a gift from my sister, (Thankyou Joelle!) it's made of actual wood. One of the most robust notebooks I've ever come across! Engraved with my details this will be one keepsake that I'll treasure for years to come. I'll be doing a 'birthday haul' next week to share with you all the new goodies and books I received!

And that's it for now...

Hope you've all had a fantastic week. I'd just like to take a moment to thank you all for your kind messages, tweets, emails and cards. It really did help me during a difficult time. Obviously I miss my Nanna so much but your love and support really pulls me through on my not so good days. 

Sending you all lots of love...

GGD xxx

P.s... If you don't follow me on Twitter but would like to enter this international competition to win both Girl Online and Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg, simply email your details to jamachin07@aol.com. Closing date 1st November. Winner drawn at random.

*Photos taken from the following

The Girl On The Train http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-girl-on-the-train-by-paula-hawkins-book-review-suburban-noir-goes-native-9984287.html

Inside Out Header http://m.disneystore.co.uk 

Inside Out Sub-Header https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/blog/disney-news-week-inside-out-trailer-released-frozen-fun-coming-disneyland-resort-watch-disney-b

Chatting with friends...

I've named this 'chatting with friends' because that's exactly how I feel when writing these posts. You have all been so amazing. I've genuinely appreciated all your kind words and messages over the last few difficult weeks. It has helped me hugely.

A week ago today we lost a great lady. Such a strange expression. It sounds like we've simply misplaced my Nanna in the supermarket or something. I wish we had because at least then I'd be able to see her again. She is missed terribly by the whole family. 
It's safe to say it's been a peculiar week. I've been walking around half the time in a bit of a daze, feeling lost somewhat. The girls at work have been incredible. I couldn't have got through this week without their love and support. 
I think loosing someone who was such an enormous part of your life makes you take stock of things. It's certainly made me question the direction in which my life is going. There are so many things I thought I'd have done by now and yet in reality I've barely scratched the surface. So, I've decided to become a little more proactive. I'm going to make a list of goals, (attainable ones) that I will have to achieve by a particular date. For instance, I must get a passport! I've never been abroad yet! And I'm also going to learn how to swim! There are obvious bigger goals that will take time and money to achieve, (bridal shop for one!) but in the meantime I'm going to also work extra hard on finishing my novel. I've even made a mental list of literary agents that I'd like to send it to! Fingers crossed!
I hope that this post inspires one or two of you to try the same thing. Maybe do something you've always wanted to do but for whatever reason you've been putting it off. 

Have a fabulous weekend/week. I'll catch you all soon.

Justine xxx

New Book Review From Murphy's Mother

 

 

Book Review...

'Die Again' by Tess Gerritsen

Happy Friday people! Hope you've all had a pleasant week? Today's post is another from my resident book reviewer, Murphy's Mother. As you all may remember from her previous posts, she loves crime fiction and is a HUGE Tess Gerritsen fan... And on that note here is her review of Tess' latest novel.

Dear fellow readers...

Today's review is of Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. This is an amazingly gripping novel from start to finish. 

In Boston, Dectective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are investigating a bizarre murder. A man has been found gutted and hanging in his home. When the remains of another victim are found, it's clear that this murderer has been at work for years and not just in Boston.

Maura connects the case to a number of seemingly unrelated deaths where the victims have all been found hanging upside down, the hallmark of a leopard's kill.

Rizzoli follows the puzzling trail all the way to Botswana where she uncovers the unsolved mystery of a deadly camping safari six years before. When she realises the two cases are connected, Rizzoli must track down the sole survivor of the tragic trip to discover who or what is behind these gruesome deaths. 
 

This is another outstanding thriller in Tess Gerritsen's series featuring Detective Jane Rizzoli and her friend and colleague, medical examiner Dr Maura Isles. 

I love the characters of Jane and Maura, Tess portraits the warmth of the two women really well and this novel carries on adding depth to their relationship.

I can't wait to read Tess Gerristen's next novel.

Until next time... MM  xxx

Thanks as always to the lovely Murphy's Mother! Hope you all check out her latest recommendation. Should any of you want to know more about the author, I did a little bit of research...

Who is Tess Gerritsen? 

Tess worked for many years as a physician. It was while on maternity leave that Tess first began to write fiction. 'Call After Midnight' her debut novel was published in 1987. Now living in Maine, Tess has retired from medicine and writes full time.

Click here to read more about Tess' novel 'Die Again.'
 

'Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are back—and they're going into the wild to find a killer. Die Again is the latest heart-pounding thriller in Tess Gerritsen's New York Times bestselling series, the inspiration behind TNT's hit show Rizzoli & Isles.' (Excerpt taken from tess.gerritsen.com)

Contact Tess via Twitter: @tessgerritsen or via email: tess@tessgerritsen.com

 
That's all for now... Thankyou once again for all your lovely tweets, emails and messages. I never tire of hearing from you all! I also just want to share a glimpse of this beautiful card which I received this week from one of my readers... Huge thankyou for this! It really did make my day! 

I'll be back on Sunday with part two of my post on author Andrew Males! Until then, have a fabulous Friday night and weekend! GGD xxx

Britain's Next Bestseller...

 

 

Spotlight on Andrew Males. 

Author of '26 Miles To The Moon'

Hello my lovelies... So it's been a little while. (Apologies.) I've had quite a testing two weeks but I'm back now with a brand spanking new post. If you're a writer, aspiring or otherwise then this post may be of interest to you. If you're not, I hope you enjoy it all the same.

As I did previously with my 'All The Bright Places' post, I'm again going to split this one into two.

Part One 

 

So you may all be wondering... Who is Andrew Males?
First and foremost a husband, father and business analyst, Andy as he prefers to be called, is also the author of fictional novel, '26 Miles to the Moon.' (A romantic comedy about Jon Dunn - a nobody who is going nowhere in life until he answers a random email and finally takes a chance...)
Quite frankly I hadn't heard of Andy myself until I came across a feature in the 'Members' News' section of Writing Magazine.
He spoke of how his novel, 26 Miles to the Moon had been rejected by several agents. Now let's face it. We writers know that this is nothing unusual. For those of you who are sitting there lost... The book industry is a tough nut to crack. Winning the lottery is probably easier! However, knowing these facts does not stop the gut wrenching disheartened feeling that hits when your masterpiece, (often months of blood, sweat and tears) has been kicked to the curb. Not one to give up, (we writers are a tenacious breed) Andy decided to look into other avenues which could possibly fulfil his dream of publication... Cue route BNBS... The new book crowdfunding site Britain's Next Bestseller! 

Now if you're an unpublished, aspiring writer and haven't heard of this site then I definitely recommend you take a look. In a nutshell, you submit your manuscript to BNBS. If they approve your book then you'll be given a minimum pre-order sale target to achieve within a set time limit. The readers then decide who they want to see published. As BNBS says, it's a great opportunity to get a publishing deal based purely on the merit of your manuscript. Not to mention the fact you are guaranteed a publishing deal if your book achieves the minimum target. And as a reader, you get to check out the fresh new writing talent that's on offer. It's a lovely feeling to know you've supported new authors that might not otherwise have achieved publication.
Which leads me back to the main man in question. Andrew Males. His personal target was 250 which he smashed through in no time. I for one pre-ordered it and then set about trying to encourage others to do the same! Initially I got chatting to Andrew via Twitter (no surprise there... Twitter obsessive that I am) and so followed the idea to do a Q&A with him. I thought it would be a great insight for you all. Not just for the writers out there but for anyone with a dream. Because as Andrew himself has proven, with a lot of hard work and determination, you CAN make your dreams come true. Here is part one of my interview...

So Andrew, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? At school, my teachers liked my stories, but it was only about eight years ago that I started writing again and realised that it was a perfect way to release my pent-up creative side.

       

What (apart from running marathons) gave you the idea or inspiration for this novel?

I wanted an adventure and a competition, something like Brewster's Millions. I love sci-fi and have a mild obsession with the Moon. I threw those ideas into the mixing bowl that is my brain and after cooking them for three weeks I'd got my plot.

Describe your average writing day.

When I was off work and writing daily it was:

Wake up. Think about the book and the 1500 words I have to write today.

Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast. Think of as many things as I can to delay starting writing.

Sit at my desk and read the previous day's work. Try not to cringe or go back and change anything.

Think of any last minute things I really, really need to do before I start typing. When did I last cut my toenails?

Write.

Resist the Dark Force that is the Internet. It's only a click away. Must. See. Sports. Headlines...

Find any excuse to stop and have lunch. Two and a Half Men, or Friends repeats. Maybe Bear Grylls, as I'm sure I might need survival tips in the wilderness of Stevenage.

Think of more things I need to do before resuming writing.

Write.

Reach 1500 words.

Do a little dance.

Make a little love.

Get down tonight.

(Or maybe just the first one).

Wait for girlfriend (now wife) to come home from work to tell her all about it the very second she steps through the door.

How long did it take you to write 26 Miles?

First draft: 3.5 months of 1500 words a day.

After that, a lot of editing, on and off, over the next 3.5 years. 

And what do you want the reader to take away from this particular story?

I'd like them to be inspired - to take a risk in life and see where it may lead. Failing that, just some LOLs.  

Tell us an inspirational quote that you love or that means something to you. 
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - F. Bueller, 1986.

 

To be continued...

The man himself. Andrew Males

In part two I'll be sharing my personal opinion of 26 Miles to the Moon. This is where Andrew runs and hides... ;)

If you fancy grabbing yourself a copy then just click here! If you've already read it then please do leave your own feedback in the comments box below.

Until next time... I hope you have a fantastic week. Don't work too hard! Love GGD xxx

Links 

Website: Andrew Males 

Email: andy@andrewmales.com

Twitter: @andrewdmales 

'26 Miles to the Moon'... Available on Amazon

10 Hopefuls. 26 Miles. 1 Target: The Moon. 

Jon Dunn is a nobody, going nowhere in life. But that all changes when he answers a random email that puts him on a journey that'll take him so far out of his comfort zone, he'll need a telescope just to look back at it...Read more of the book blurb on Amazon.

Favourites follow up...

'Mucking about!' Me with one of my favourite people... My brother.

More of my favourite things!

Happy Friday people! I cannot believe that today is the very last Friday in May! Where is this year disappearing to? Hope you are all well!
A couple of weeks ago I shared some of my favourite things with you all. From the lovely response I got (thankyou to you all on Twitter and to those that emailed...) it would seem that you enjoyed that particular post. I promised a follow up if that was the case so here it is! 
By the time I've finished sharing all my favourites over the next few months you'll probably know me better than I know myself! :)

And off we go...

Blogging

Of course I had to include this! It's been a good few weeks since I began this little venture and I'm absolutely loving every moment. Sure my novel is suffering somewhat, (I haven't written any of it for weeks.) What with all the research, interviewing and feature writing I've been doing, I just haven't had the time to work on 'Surviving Isabelle,' but I wouldn't change it for the world. Blogging in itself has become such a unique experience. I had no idea when I started how many like minded people I'd get to interact with. And I'm truly blessed to have had the privilege of interviewing several published authors. The next of my interviews is with the talented Andrew Males, author of '26 Miles To The Moon' and will be live next Friday on GGD!

Christmas

Go ahead. I can almost hear the moans and sighs of dismay but I LOVE Christmas. In fact I'd go as far as to say it's probably my favourite thing ever! My family and friends are well used to me by now! I start planning about six months ahead and listen to Christmas music pretty much all year round!

Photography

 

I love photos. Whether it's one that's taken by a stranger or just an image I've captured myself, I love this particular art form. I guess you could say I'm the very definition of 'amateur photographer.' I snap pics at almost every given opportunity. 
If you're on Twitter then do look up Steve Davey who has an excellent eye and has taken some incredible photos! 

Face Powder

This is an absolute handbag essential as well as being a favourite of mine! Not just a face powder it also doubles up as my own version of 'dry shampoo' when I don't have time to wash my hair! I usually stick to Rimmel because it's pretty cheap. But if I'm having a splurge and want to look really good for an event such as a wedding, my 'go to' is Chanel! Pricey but flawless.

InTheFrow

 

I mentioned Victoria Magrath on a post a few weeks back. (When I was nominated for the Creative Blogger Award I chose her blog - InTheFrow as one of my own fifteen nominations.) Blogging was something I'd never really looked into until I read about Zoe Sugg in a magazine. But it was then that I started googling and finding out what these 'bloggers' actually did. Victoria's was one of the first blogs that I stumbled across in my search. She also has a YouTube channel and I'm totally in love with her makeup tutorials. If you love makeup and haven't seen any then please watch them! They're awesome! 

Quirky gift shops

Although I tend to shop online these days (again due to lack of time!) I do love mooching around unusual, or as I like to call them 'quirky' gift shops. It's usually in these places that I find a random notepad or a wall hanging with an inspirational quote. Kirkby Lonsdale, a small historic market town in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, has a couple of gorgeous shops which I always pop into whenever I'm there.

 

Twitter

 

 

I love Twitter! Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, since blogging I've been able to chat with so many like minded people and this is mostly down to social media. It's a great place to network and due to this I've been blessed to have been presented with some incredible opportunities. 
The following are people who I interact with on Twitter and who in one way or another have inspired me! Each and every one of these people has also been so incredibly supportive. For this I am truly grateful to you all! Some are writers, some bloggers but all are the most loveliest and genuine of people. When you have some time, go take a look at their pages and/or blogs. Links to their individual websites can be found in their Twitter bios!

  

Florence    

Sally

Kayla        

Aimee

Jessie        

Rebekka

Matt        

Brett

Polly       

Hayley 

Julia   

Ella

Rhea  

Bobbyanne

Adriana 

Becky

Kayleigh

Olivia 

Abbie 

Maddie 

Chris 

Jess 

Emily 

Isabel

Charlotte

Andrew Males 

Jennifer Niven  

Sarah Morgan

Emma Finlayson-Palmer

Kathryn Player 

Tony Parsons 

Matt Haig 

Marian Keyes 

                      

Random Acts Of Kindness

 

Okay so to be fair this isn't really a 'thing' but then so seems to be the pattern when it comes to the majority of my favourites list. 
I feel that it's hugely important in life to treat others as you would care to be treated yourself. Many a time a stranger has surprised me with a random act of kindness. It could be when someone has handed me their car parking ticket because they've still got a couple of hours left on it and they're leaving. Or when someone simply holds a door open to let me pass through. There are hundreds of examples. But needless to say it always makes my day and encourages me to pass this 'kindness' onto someone else. Who said one person couldn't change the world? Especially if one person starts a chain reaction! Try it... Do something totally random for someone. I guarantee you'll make their day and you'll feel pretty good for it yourself too!
  
I shall stop there for now.. More favourites will follow in the near future. As always, please leave your feedback below or catch me on Twitter. Have a fabulous weekend! Hope you've enjoyed tonight's read?? What are your favourite things? Until next week... Love and hugs! xxx

P.s Bloggers look out for this...

Coming soon! xxx

Catch up...

Well it's the end of a busy week. Have you all enjoyed your weekend up til now? I hope so. I have to apologize as I didn't get chance to post on Friday and I haven't really had time to so much as breathe since. But rather than leave you all with nothing I thought I'd share this short update. 

This week has been a positive one in regards to my writing. I submitted a feature to the lovely Florence Matthews in the hopes she'd choose me as one of three contributers for her new publication... 'Love From' magazine. As always, stuck for time, I threw a feature together and emailed it Flo late Wednesday night. By some miracle she loved it. And then she made my entire week when she informed me I was going to be one of the three contributers! Safe to say I was one happy bunny! If you want to pre-order a copy then you're best speaking to Flo. Her twitter handle is... @flomatthews_ 

Other than that I've just been working all week and trying to catch up with myself. I have many author interviews in the pipeline. I'd love to share names but for now my lips must remain sealed. I will however divulge that several are chart topping bestselling novelists! (Hugely excited!)

That's all for now... Hopefully I'll have chance to upload a proper post this week. In the meantime I've been enjoying discovering new blogs. If you want me to check out yours then please leave your links in the comments box! 

Lots of love to you all... Now I must catch up on sleep! :) GGD xxx

These are a few of my favourite things...

Handful of favourites! 

Here we are once more, another Friday evening. Typically I have left it to the last minute to get this post uploaded. That's me, always on the last minute. And unlike me I didn't have chance to write this longhand first, it's been a busy week all in all. So forgive me if there are any mistakes, I'm literally winging it!

I hope you've all had a fabulous week? As always, thankyou for all your lovely messages, and thankyou to those who messaged me about 'Murphy's Mother.' I have passed on your comments to my resident book reviewer! I must say, I think she did a marvellous job considering it was her very first post. Can't wait to read more!

So over the last few weeks I've noticed that many bloggers post 'favourites' specials. Usually a collection of all the lovely items they've bought and loved over the previous month. With that in mind I decided to do my own favourites post... but with a twist. As I haven't really given much insight into 'me' yet, I decided to share with you just a few of my 'general' favourite things. If you enjoy this post I may do a follow up in future so please do let me know what you think.

Here we go... Sit back with a brew (or glass of wine) and enjoy...

 Books

It goes without saying that books are at the top of my list, or at least very high up on it! I've loved reading ever since I was a child. I've pictured only a few of my most loved reads here as it would have been impossible to list them all. Two of the books featured have huge significance for me. The first is an Enid Blyton novel. It was Enid's books that sparked something inside of me at the grand old age of seven. I think I knew there and then that I wanted to be a writer. I certainly filled a lot of notepads with stories. Every Birthday and every Christmas I'd ask for new stationery. However it would be a long time before I would get really serious about it.

'Watermelon' by Marian Keyes was the next 'life-changing' read. I can't put into words why exactly, just that it inspired me to pick up a pen and take my writing more seriously. I found my 'niche' so to speak. (And a love for all things chick lit.) This is one of Marian's best novels and I totally recommend it.

Friends

Friends are a hugely important aspect of life and I'm lucky that I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Without them I wouldn't be the person I am today. Many a time they've been there to pick me up when I've had a down spell or what I like to call a 'slump.' Some of my favourite memories are of the laughs and good times I've shared with them. Girls... You rock! 

Perfume

I don't class myself as being very materialistic but I do however have a love of perfume! There's something about it that makes me feel better about myself. The first 'real' perfume I ever bought was with my first pay check at nineteen. I splashed out on a bottle of Chanel Allure which has since become my signature scent. My second favourite perfume is Marc Jacobs Lola (shown above). As you can see it's empty but the bottle is so pretty I just can't bring myself to throw it out. I tend to like heavier, musky perfumes that make me feel glamorous!

Cath Kidston

I absolutely adore Cath Kidston. Full of craft and sewing items it's my kind of place. If you can't find me in Waterstones then you'll more than likely find me in here! This photo was taken outside the Manchester store which is the nearest to where I live. (Hint. Please get one in Preston!!)

The Great Outdoors

One of my favourite places to be is outside. The Lake District in particular! If I could live there I probably would. Maybe one day hey? I find being outdoors both incredibly therapeutic and inspiring.

Wine and Music

Who doesn't like the odd glass of wine? I love nothing more than curling up at the end of a long, hard day with a glass of white wine or pink fizz. 

Music plays a big role in my life. I have hundreds of cds. I play them in the car, at home, when I'm relaxing and when I'm writing. If I need to lift my mood or feel inspired I usually reach for my Taylor Swift collection! I'd like to stake claim at being her number one fan but I'm sure there are plenty more Swifties out there saying exactly the same thing! 

Sewing

The snowman tree decorations (pictured) were made the Christmas eve just gone. I was teaching my eight year old nephew. His is on the left handside. He did a beautiful job don't you think? I've loved sewing ever since I discovered a needle and thread aged six or seven. Every year I now make a Christmas Stocking as a gift for a family member or friend. If you've read my 'about me' you'll already know this, but one of my dreams is to have my own fashion line and at some point a bridal shop. But you know what they say!? Dreams do come true! Watch this space...

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme doughnuts... Enough said!!

Writing

 

Last but not least... Writing. I guess you could say writing is in my genetic makeup. I take a pen and pad with me EVERYWHERE! And if I don't have a notepad to hand, I usually end up with handfuls of scribbled post-it notes stuffed into my pockets! I never let a creative moment pass me by. 
I do love this photo as I think it sums me up perfectly without any words! My nephew caught me unawares. I tend to get lost in my own little world!

I could go on but I don't want to make this post too long. At some point I'm going to do a Q&A post to answer all your questions. If you want to ask something and you don't mind it featuring on GGD then please email me, tweet me or leave a comment below.

Catch you all in another week... Until then, have a lovely weekend! xxx