MY TRAVEL CLOTHING HAUL!

Hey y'all. I'M GOING TO EUROPE IN 24 DAYS AHHHHH! So obviously, being a girl, it's pretty much a given that you have to buy a whole new wardrobe. And that is pretty much exactly what I did!

I purchased ¾ of what I am taking online and the rest is just bits and bobs of clothes that I already had. The main places I got my clothes from were:

• Boohoo.com
• ROMWE
• Cotton On &
• Hype

I thought it would be a lot easier for everyone, myself included, if I just put all of what I bought into a video and uploaded it to youtube. I would like to point out that it obviously isn't a top notch quality video, but I don't mind. I only put it together so I can quickly get through what I bought instead of posting a zillion pictures on here! Plus, I tend to ramble a bit so it definitely made more sense to make a video where I can explain things to you that I normally can't really type because I just ramble!

Please check out my video below! If there is anything that you would recommend me taking, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! 

I really do hope y'all enjoy it. I'm so so so excited for my trip. This is something Ive been dreaming of doing since as long as I can remember and I just cannot believe that I am finally doing it! You can most certainly expect a couple more video posts of my essentials and what not.

PS. Lets just appreciate my double chin for a second, yeah? 

X

MY EXPERIENCE GETTING LIP INJECTIONS! PART 2

Hey y'all, yes it is time for the part 2 of the lip injections!

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PART 1 DO IT NOW!

So originally my next post was gonna be a haul with a video but because I'm special I didn't realise that my new camera takes a standard SD card rather than a mini one which is all I have! Anyway, moving on…

Exactly 1 month later (14th of February), my friend and I went back to Laser Clinics Australia in Westfield Woden to get a top up for our lips! The appointment was a lot shorter because we didn't have the consultation attached to it. The price was still the same though ($389). The doctor used the Juvaderm for us both again as it was the product we each had last time.

I definitely worked myself a little bit beforehand thinking that it was going to be super painful, even though it wasn't last time! I decided to grow some balls and I went first this time. I believe it was either Ed Sheeran or Paramore playing, so I was chilling out a bit. Anyway, the numbing cream went on again. This time I didn't get any in my mouth! YAY! My lips went numb and that was it. I definitely worked myself up for no absolute reason whatsoever! You absolutely cannot feel any pain at all and if you do, it's really only a pinch from the needle going in.

This time round I ended up getting all of the 1mL instead of only half. From memory, I believe I got most of the product in my top lip as my bottom lip was already bigger than my top. We just wanted to even it out a little bit.

It was over super quick and I was extremely happy with the results! It was exactly the right shape I wanted and everything. You do have to keep in mind that because you've had the injections, your lips are a tad swollen, so the size will actually go down a little bit.

This is what they looked like a couple days after:

This was a month later:

And this is them now:

So if you remember in my last post, they don't last forever! You have to get them topped up every now and then if you want to keep the size or even go bigger! The faster your metabolism, the quicker they dissolve.

I personally think this is a great option if you're wanting a bit of plumping but aren't too sure, because it's not permanent! That's what makes it so great. If you're undecided, it doesn't matter! You don't have to make a lifetime commitment to these lips.

SIDE NOTE: Can we plz appreciate how amazing Demi Lovato's new song, Cool For The Summer, is? Like I've had it on repeat for the last hour and a bit! SO BLOODY CATCHY! +1 if you agree :)

X

MY EXPERIENCE GETTING LIP INJECTIONS! PART 1

Hey y'all, this is a little in-between post again! I've just bought a new camera today and I'll be picking it up in a couple of days and all the posts that are in my to-do list I also really want to film a video for too! We'll see though. You can most definitely expect to see some clothing hauls, travel hauls, in-flight essentials (I'm going to Europe in 3 weeks!) and some facts about me! Stay tuned for those bad boys.

Moving on to todays actual post, my experience getting lip injections. Now, I am very aware that this could potentially be a very weird thing to do/talk about. Before I had it done myself, I did think it was quite silly and I never really understood why people had it done. That was until I had read Chloe Morello's (A fellow Canberran native) post and watched her video on when she had gotten it done. My views then kind of changed and I also had a friend trying to convince me to get it done with her because she really wanted it done! I definitely felt a bit more at ease about potentially getting it done because after reading Chloe's post, I actually found out that it wasn't botox! This whole time I was thinking the only lip injections people get are botox!

We um-ed and uh-ed about it for a while then we finally sucked it up and booked in with Laser Clinics Australia that was recommended to us by someone we work with. Because we had never had it done before, our first appointment was also joined onto a consultation. We both went in together and did the whole procedure together! We were so nervous. During the consultation, the doctor spoke to us about what kind of look we were wanting to achieve and how she could do it based on the actual shape of our lips and what not. Also, she told us what product she would recommend for both of us. We both were told to use Juvaderm, as it is a softer, more easy to work with product. We were also told that this product doesn't last forever; that it does dissolve over time because it is only Hyaluronic Acid (basically a sugar gel) and depending and how fast your metabolism is, depends on how long it lasts. She then took some photos and then told us to decide who wanted to go first. I chickened out and made my friend go first.

I watched my friends lips grow by the second and was trying not to freak out about the fact that I have a huge fear of needles and that they would be going into my lips! Where we went, they only sell the Juvaderm by the mL (millilitre) and we could only get 1mL injected at a time. If we wanted anymore, we'd have to come back in 4 weeks and get another 1mL etc.

Side note: 1mL = $389

My turn was up and the doctor applied some numbing cream to my lips and said, "Try not to get it in your mouth"…well I tried my best. Somehow, I managed to get it all over my tongue which resulted in it pretty much being all through my mouth. I can safely say that the numbing cream is a solid 99% effective.

As I watched her load the needle up with the juvaderm (which is a liquid if I forgot to mention it) and tried to just relax and think happy thoughts.

She injected the needle and I didn't really feel much pain. It was just a very awkward, uncomfortable feeling. And what made it worse was that you could actually feel the product going in and expanding! Talk about cringey. She did this over and over, all around my lips until she got a mirror and asked if I was happy. I looked at my bloodied and bruised, but numb, lips and decided that, yes, I was happy with how she had made my lips look. She then told me that I had only used 0.5mL and I still had another 0.5mL to go! I decided that I didn't want anymore, I liked how they look and I didn't want to go too big the first time around. Anyway, my friend had decided that she wanted hers even bigger and asked if they could use my remaining 0.5mL on her! The doctor said yes and went back to work on my friend!

That's the hard part over. Afterwards, we went and got some cold drinks as our lips were starting to feel quite tender. Little did we know it would be ridiculously hard to sip from a straw with semi-numb, swollen lips.

We then came back home and put some ice on them and watched a couple of movies. It was only later that night that we realised that we actually had some nasty bruises on our lips. The doctor did tell us that it would most likely happen and that we should worry, but we still freaked out! We also found out just how hard and painful it was to drink and/or eat anything. We woke up the next morning feeling as though we had both been punched in the face…and we both looked it too!

Just after obviously amazed at how numb my lips were.

 Overall, I was quite happy with the procedure. However, I did feel that they were a tad uneven, but I got that fixed. You'll have to wait for Part 2 to see that though! :)

I believe this was a week or so after? You can still see the bruising and the sites of the injections…well I can anyway.

Standard pout. But still needed improving.

I feel like a lot of people say that girls shouldn't do this because they need to feel beautiful and empowered in who they already are, which I totally agree with. But I do believe that if you're insecure about something, change it so you love it more; so you love you more. I wasn't ever insecure about my lips. I did it to try it out and do something for myself.

Some people do it because its a craze or fashion trend, and that is okay. Some people do it because they have really thin lips and they want some volume in them, and that is okay. Some people do it because they feel insecure in how thin their lips are and they want to change that, and that is okay. And some people just do it for themselves, and that is okay too.

Before I start on a semi-feminist rant, I'll end the post here! But I will leave some advice too. If you have any questions about the procedure, feel free to leave them in the comments below :) X

 ADVICE:
-Don't let anyone talk you out of it if it is something you want to do
-If you have a fear of needles, don't worry! It's all numb!
-If you completely hate it afterwards, don't stress, it only lasts for 3-6 moths the first time!
-Be prepared that the doctors can only work with and enhance the shape you already have!
-Do your research on the products they use beforehand
-Lastly, book in at Laser Clinics Australia. They are simply amazing and everyone is so kind and the service is to die for!

LINKS:

Chloe's Post

Chloe's Video

Laser Clinics Australia

HOW TO: DIY COPPER FLOOR LAMP

Hey y'all! Woohoo. My first DIY post. All I can say is it's about bloody time! I absolutely love doing DIY projects and I just think its so awesome that I can no share it with people too.

Okay, so basically I'm gonna tell/show y'all how I turned a boring chrome floor lamp into a nice statement, copper piece. It's super easy and ridiculously cheap, so if I can do it, anyone can!

First you want to start off with a basic floor lamp, however you're not restricted to this. You can pretty much take all this information and apply it to whatever piece of furniture you want! I got my floor lamp from Masters Home Improvement for a hefty $18! Look out guys, big spender over here!

As you can see, it's pretty bland and boring and I've been wanting to re-vamp it for a while now. 

Now that you have your lamp base you want to prime it.

I cannot stress enough how important priming is! The amount of people who come into my work having a go at me for their project not looking right and I ask them, "Well did you prime the surface correctly?" and their response is along the lines of, "no? I thought I could just paint it?"! Whilst some surfaces may not need to be primed, this is not always the case! 

I'd suggest going outside for this part if you're using spray paints like I did. It get get extremely smelly! Also just be careful as to where you're doing it too; if it's windy or something, you don't want to spray it and then have it fly back in your face or onto your mum's window, for example!

I used the Plastikote Primer in White. This stuff is a pretty versatile product and can be suitable for metal, wood, plastic etc. This is pretty much your stock-standard primer and is great for people doing DIY projects. I got this from Masters Home Improvement for roughly $14, so it's super affordable too.

1. Give the can a good shake first so you don't get any watery bi-product to begin with
2. Evenly spray the surface. I'd recommend holding the can back at least 30cm, just so it's not too thick and you don't get annoying little pools of the paint on the surface that'll take forever to dry!

I worked from bottom to top, but this stuff really just comes down to personal preference.

Just apply one even coat all over and then you're done! The Plastikote is supposedly touch dry in 20-40 minutes, so I decided to go make some lunch and catch up on some youtube while it dried.

Fully primed! Sorry about the glare, it was ridiculously sunny today.

Once it's all primed, you can move onto your first top coat!

For the top coat, to get the coppery/rose gold look, I'm using the Plastikote Brilliant Metallic Spray in Copper. I snagged this from Masters Home Improvement, also, for roughly $17. Now, depending on the brand the price can vary. I was so happy when this product came back in because I had been waiting and waiting just so I could specifically use it for this! I looked everywhere all over Canberra, but nowhere else had the right kind of product I was after.

The method used for applying the primer also applies to this. It is very simple. As long you apply it evenly and are not holding the can too close, there's not much that can go wrong! However I would suggest wearing gloves as this stuff goes everywhere! 

So this was what it looked like after one top coat.

Depending on the look you're wanting to achieve, you can do another top coat (once the first has dried) or you can leave it at that. There was a few lighter spots that I missed and I wanted to intensify the ffect a bit more, so I did a second coat.

I also did a little bit of the electrical cord which I probably wouldn't recommend, however I didn't really care so I just tried it out.

And after the second coat dried I brought it back inside, put the bulb in and admired my work.

So this is a close up of the actual finish (if you can see coz it's blurry as fuck)

So there you have it folks. A nice easy and affordable way to turn a lamp from drab into fab!

Now I'm also considering doing a coat over the top of a clear gloss just to make it really shiny, but I'm not too sure. I'll leave it for  couple of days and see if it grows on me.

Products Used & Cost:

1. Floor Lamp Base, $18 - Masters Home Improvement
2. Plastikote Primer in White, $14 - Masters Home Improvement
3. Plastikote Brilliant Metal Spray in Copper, $17 - Masters Home Improvement
4. Large Filament Bulb, $20 - Masters Home Improvement

Total cost = $69 (roughly)

SUPER CHEAP AND FAB RESULTS! Anyone can do it :)

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS WEEK!

Hey y'all so this is a little in-between post just keep y'all entertained before I post my DIY tutorial tonight which I'm currently in the process of making!

So on my day off this week (thursday), I decided to have a super lazy day and not get out of bed and just lay and watch movies. Oh man, it was so worth it!

#1- The Longest Ride

Oh boy. Where to begin? I completely forgot I had even been waiting for this movie to come out and when I saw it I freaked out! I am a huge fan of the Nicholas Sparks based films and I juts knew I was in for a treat with this one. Now, before any of y'all are like "I bet she didn't even read the book…", No I didn't read the book. Simply because the only Nicholas Sparks book I ever read was The Lucky One and I fell so madly in love with it that when the movie came out, while still happy, I was so disappointed! People think any Nicholas Sparks book that has been made into a movie is fantastic…well the books are 10000 times better! So I thought I'd spare myself the disappointment and fully let myself get into the film.
Whilst watching this film, I realised one of two things; 1) I definitely feel like someone, somehow, got into my head and put my life's dream into a movie! Like, who doesn't want to fall in love with a dreamy cowboy who lives on a ranch with his mumma? And 2) All anyone EVER needs in life is Scott Eastwood. I mean, his smile. Lets just appreciate him for a sec.
SPOILER ALERT: I did cry uncontrollably for at least the last 20-30 minutes of the film, so just be careful ladies! Have those tissues at the ready!


#2- Insurgent

This was definitely one of my most anticipated movies, so of course I had high expectations. Yes, I have also read all the books, so I obviously know what happens, but who doesn't want to look at Theo James? Anyway, seeing as how the first book and movie were so dissimilar, I kind of expected Insurgent to be the same. And I was right. There was so much plot that had been cut out for the movie and some of the things that happened and the sequences were completely off! I do understand that turning a book into a movie is definitely hard because you obviously can't keep everything in otherwise it would be 5hrs long! But, come on guys! I was so disappointed with this movie. I found it very hard to stay engaged in it, but I did. Now, that is nothing against the actors and directors and what not, it was purely for the fact that I am a complete nerd and having read all the books I found it hard to pull away from what I read in the book and be fully only into the movie.
However, it was still a good movie and I would highly recommend Divergent & Insurgent to absolutely anyone who is looking for something to watch!


#3- The Best Of Me

 















Ah yes, another based off a Nicholas Sparks novel. About 3ish years ago, I had actually read about half of this book, but I honest could not remember a single thing that had happened. I was hesitant at first to watch the film because it involved older characters and I'm a bit more into, you know, the typical teen romance thing, but I was pleasantly surprised. For most of the film, it flicks back and forth between the past and the present and I does it pretty seamlessly I might add. I found myself loving the older versions of the characters just as much as I loved the teenage versions. As per the Nicholas Sparks tradition, it was a very country film and it tugged on your heart strings. I don't really have much else to say about this one unfortunately. Whilst it is a great film with a touching story, I'm just completely drawing a blank right now!
SPOILER ALERT: Ladies, stock up on those tissues, alright?

And last, but not least, and also probably my favourite out of the four,


#4- The Age of Adaline

When I first saw the trailer for this I was completely obsessed. I wanted to see it at the cinema so badly, but then I just forgot. So, again, when I saw that it had come out I flipped! After watching it, it has left me speechless. It is absolutely a phenomenal film and I will 110% recommend it to anyone and everyone. The story itself and they way the film has been made is just astounding. It has probably joined the list as one of my favourite films. Blake Lively is absolutely flawless in it and she just played the character Adaline tremendously well. I also love, how towards the end, the story unfolds and comes apart and the truth is told and UGH, IT'S JUST AMAZING!
If you haven't seen this film already, please do so!

So there you have it! All the movies I watched in one day. It was a pretty fabulous day if I do say so myself.

If you have seen or are going to watch any of these, let me know in the comments what you think of them!

X

MY TATTOOS AND WHAT THEY MEAN!

Hey Y'all,
I feel like it has been FOREVER since I posted last even though it only been a couple of days. I wanted to continue with a post every night but I have been so exhausted from work and what not that I needed to just come home and sleep! However, there will be a very special post going up this weekend, one I am very excited about; my first DIY home decor tutorial! Anyone who knows me knows this is the kinda stuff I absolutely live for! I'm always painting/making something for my room, always buying new furniture…I'm obsessed with interior design. So I'm looking forward to that and I hope y'all are too. Now moving on to the actual post…. my tattoos.

I am very aware tattoos aren't for everyone, but some people get them for themselves, for the art or for someone special. I only have 3 tattoos at the present point in time, but I certainly hope to add more! I mean, I definitely will but they do cost some serious dollars.

Note: photos will be screenshotted from my insta because I'm lazy!

#1

So, this one is a bit of a story. I got this 2 days after I turned 18 because I'm not really into going out and drinking and all the other stuff that you can do when you're 18 and what not. I went down and got this one done in Wollongong (I live in Canberra) and my mum had absolutely no idea I was getting it which made it all the more exciting at the time. The reasoning at the time behind getting the triangle was that I had 3 siblings (a side represented a sibling), apparently if its facing the way it is it brings positive energy and apparently triangles also represent strength. I kinda did a bit of research before I got it to make sure I wasn't getting some like symbol that actually meant something weird like anal sex or something! Now I just look at it and I think to myself, great work Erica…you have a triangle, congrats (sarcasm of course). But I also just remind myself that it was kind of about the adventure and excitement of it all. I was never much of a risk taker growing up and this was the first real risk I ever took.
I got home later that night and showed my mum and she just rolled her eyes at me and said something mean that I can't remember. But when she got up the next morning she said to me, "You know I only did that to make you feel bad, I don't actually care" and I was just thinking WHAT?! The first thing I have ever done to defy you and you don't care?! Definitely not the reaction I expected or wanted!
But now, pretty much on a weekly basis, someone teases me about being in the illuminati. Or if I fake tan they say it looks like a dorito and I'm just like, "yeah whatever boys, you only wish you had a permanent dorito on you. Now I never have to live without my beloved doritos". It's all just banter in the end.

#2

This was the one I put some genuine thought into. I had wanted pretty much forever to get a tattoo in tribute to my grandparents because they are the 2 people in this world that I love the most. Unfortunately, I got that tattoo sooner than expected. We had a call that my grandad was getting worse and we would have to up there (they lived in Queensland with my Aunty) in a couple of weeks to see him and stuff. I then got my mum to book me in to get this tattoo pretty much ASAP because I wanted it before we went so I could show it to them both. Anyway, as it turns out, the day I got the tattoo was the day that we had to drop everything and drive all the way from Canberra to Queensland because it looked like my grandad wasn't going to make it through the week. When we arrived at the house, I was in a tank top but still no one seemed to notice. It's not exactly like I was complaining though, seeing as a lot of my family had some choice words to say about my triangle. After about half an hour, I pluck up the courage and say to my grandma, "I have a surprise for you. Not sure if you're going to like it or kill me though". I show her the tattoo and she and the rest of my family gasp, and while she appreciated it, she hated the fact that I had got another tattoo. I copped the biggest lecture from my aunty and I just zoned out because I genuinely didn't care what any of them had to say.
Later that day we went to the hospital to see my grandad. Because he was in so much pain, he had had a lot of morphine injected into him and was kind of asleep the whole time. You could kind of pull him out of it but only for a few seconds at a time. It definitely took me a good half an hour to stop crying before I could even go anywhere near him. In the end, my aunty dragged me over and started to try and wake him up and she said, "Look grandad, Erica got another tattoo!! It says yours and grandmas birthdays". He opened his eyes for a second and looked at it and grunted and pulled one of his typical disapproving faces but I didn't care because at least he got to see it before he passed. 4 Days later he passed away, and despite what everyone said about my tattoo, I was so so happy I got it and that my grandad got to see it. While he would've said, "Ooh Erica, I told you no more!", I just know he would've loved what I did for him and my grandma.

#3

It says: "What's Past is Prologue" if you couldn't see it! Now this one was the scary one. This was the biggest of them all so far. And by big, I mean it definitely takes up the whole outside of my forearm, so I was very nervous but also very excited. My thought processes behind this one was that I had always seen and loved the quote and what made me love it even more was the fact that it's from Shakespeares, The Tempest. In school, I absolutely loved studying shakespeare and I am most certainly a HUGE literature nerd. So the fact that I love books and reading and all that definitely helped inspire this one. But I also love how to anyone else, it's just a simple "What's past, is past" quote, but to me it has so much more meaning that no one else knows unless I tell them.
I was definitely worried about the pain for this one too. Like, I don't have the skinniest forearms but I do still have bones in there! Surprisingly, I didn't hurt as much as I was expecting it to. And it only took about 1.5 hours to do. Again, there were a lot of comments from my aunty saying how I'll be a dropkick and that I have no chance getting a good job, but in the end, you don't get tattoos to please other people. You get them for you and only you.



ADVICE:
- The only advice I will give is that research your design and make sure it is what you want. Also research an artist. Find an artist that has a portfolio that you love and who you know will do what you want perfectly. Make sure it's a reputable studio too!

- Don't let anyone talk you into something you don't want or talk you out of something you do want. At the end of the day it's your body and you can do what you please (if you're 18+). Like I said, you get tattoos for yourself, not to please other people. Before you get one, if you're thinking if other people are going to like it then you are probably getting one for the wrong reasons.

- When it comes to pain, before I got a tattoo, I always thought I could never get one because I'm so afraid of needles and I have such a low pain threshold. That wasn't the case. While yes, getting a tattoo doesn't tickle, it's not excruciating painful either. It's more of just an annoying, stinging feeling, but the noise of the gun definitely distracts you from it. However, it is different for everyone. Some people make have more sensitive skin than others, you just don't know until you try.

So that concludes this post. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be so long! I think I may ramble too much…
One day, I definitely hope to look like Kat Von D! Life goals right there.

X

WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP!

Hey y'all.
Growing up, there were so many different things I wanted to be. I only really started thinking seriously about it when I was around 13 or 14. I am most definitely still trying to figure out what to do with my life, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and not over think things too much. Sometimes you have to do what's going to benefit you and make you happy rather than feeling pushed into things by family or what not. You gotta be in it for yourself.
Anyway, lets get started!

1. A cafe worker at the airport in Paris (lol)

Yes, this was a real job I wanted when I was about 8 or 9. For some reason it was my dream to work in a cafe in the airport in Paris. I still, to this day, have no idea what was running through my head when thats what I decided I wanted to be! It's definitely the only funny/weird thing I've ever wanted to be. Clearly I was a very boring child.

2. Forensic Anthropologist

This came about during a time when I was super obsessed with the TV show Bones. When I get something in my head, I get 110% into it. I think I as about 14 at the time and I was already researching what universities to go to and what entry scores I needed and all that jazz. I think somewhere down the road I decided i wasn't smart enough for this but I still reckon it would be such a sick job!

3. Forensic Scientist

This was also the result of being obsessed with a TV show, only this time it was NCIS. If you couldn't guess already, my favourite character on the show was Abby and I wanted to do exactly what she did. I most definitely had such an unrealistic expectation of what it would be like in my head! (Right now I'm wishing you could use emoji's on blog posts for some reason). Yeah I gave up on that one too.

4. Interior Designer

Now, I pretty much do this anyway for myself. But I do think that having it as a career would just be the best. It's something I absolutely love doing. I love being so hands on and creating the perfect space for myself or someone else. Thats one thing I really enjoy about my current job; I get to help people choose the colour schemes and paint for their house and give them my advice and what not. If I'm honest, thats probably the only thing I like about my current job lol!

5. Author

This is definitely something that I still hope to achieve in my life, whether it's something thats published, or something that I do just for myself. Being an author is most certainly on my list of things to accomplish before I die. I just love writing and creating a brand new world that I can invest my whole self into and produce something great. I mean, I've done the short stories and school and what not, but I still believe that this is something I can and will do.

6. Adolescent Psychologist

This is the career I had absolutely set my heart on doing when I was 16. I had done all the necessary research and new exactly what I needed to do to ensure I got into the course I wanted in University. It wasn't until I started year 11 and actually began taking psychology as a course that my whole plan began to unravel! After only 2 months of studying this course, I hated it. I hated it so bad that I wanted to transfer out of the class and into a different one. It was only when my homeroom teacher (shoutout to Mr Langer) convinced me to at least stay in the class for another term after all the basic stuff was covered. I decided to continue on with the subject and actually started to enjoy it towards the end of the year when we got to look at specific types of cases and diagnose people and what not. Had I stayed in school, I probably would be studying this at university right now and aside from that I absolutely love working with kids of all ages and I just love helping them and people in general, but life had other plans and I'm okay with that :)

So there y'all have it. The inner workings of brain when it comes to what I wanted to be when I grew up. I'm obviously none of these things right now, but we'll see what the future holds!

X

50 SHADES OF GREY - BOOK & FILM REVIEW

OKAY OKAY OKAY okay. So if you're a male you're probably thinking, "That shit is just porn" or "That shit is like bloody sexual assault. No one should be into that". However, and no offence boys, I do feel like it is most definitely something that only the female brain can comprehend and take in and actually enjoy. But I do know some men that have somewhat enjoyed the books.

Side note: In all my years in senior school, I had THE BEST english teacher ever. We also studied a lot of books and so many films. She basically brainwashed us with correct way to structure and word things such as reviews etc. So I do apologise in advance if I do slip back into those habits but I'm going to try my damn hardest not to!

The Book

When the first book was released in 2011 I was only 14. I remember my mum and all her friends reading it and going on about the infamous Christian Grey. I begged and begged and begged my mum to let me read the books, but she basically had them under lock and key. Little did she know that most of the books I was already reading, 50 Shades did not even come close to their kind of raunchiness. But I was yet to figure that out myself.

It wasn't until 2014 when it was announced that there'd be a film, that I actually decided to just go out and buy all the books and just get it over and done with. I had no idea what I was in for.

Now, I am an extremely avid reader so I have ready many many books. Some good. Some bad. And some just plain weird. Given this, the only problem I had with the books is that, yes they are extremely compelling, but the actual writing and structure of them was quite poor. This is most definitely the nerd in me showing itself, so lets move on!

The actual story and plot itself was hard not to love. I mean, who honestly would complain about a drop dead sexy billionaire stalking after them? Certainly not me. E. L. James definitely knows how to draw you in with the characters and their emotions and back stories. She keeps you wanting more which is the absolute number 1 thing I look for when reading a book. And in the grand scheme of things, who cares if the book isn't expertly written, coz if Christian Grey is in it, that is 100% the main focus!

The Film

When it first hit the big screens, I was quite shocked to hear that it was getting such bad reviews. I wondered how such a huge profitable book that was turned into a film could really be as much of a dive as everyone was saying it was. After seeing it for myself, I came up with categories that each critic that gave it a bad review would fall in:

1. The old prude
2. The overly technical film critic
3. The one who hasn't read the book
4. and the one who read the book and loved it so much that anything else came second best.

Long story short, I LOVED IT! I absolutely adored their choices on who to cast as Anastasia and Christian. Looking back now, I don't think they could've chosen 2 better people and I honestly cannot even picture it being someone else. The only casting choice I didn't approve of was Christians brother, Elliot. I definitely pictured a way more attractive person in my head, but he's still nice to look at!

I loved it that much, I ended up seeing it 3 times at the cinema. No, I'm not a weird porno obsessed person. It's just, the first 2 times I saw it, it was very hard to focus on the actual movie due to all the boobs, butts, abs and Jamie Dornan. Just saying. I genuinely don't think it was as bad as everyone made it out to be. I mean, if we're going to be technical, it wasn't the best movie. But it wasn't about the technicalities, which I think a lot of people forgot. It was about a very risqué, scandalous book finally being put on the big screen so fans can put faces to names and finally get a visual sense of things. 

The only things I would critique it on was the fact that there were a lot of holes in the plot. There was lots missing from the book and there was quite a few events backwards in the film compared to how they were in the book. I know, I know. If directors and producers were to follow the book chapter by chapter, the film would be horrendously long. But I do feel as though they could've extended it the tiniest bit to do the book and E.L. James the justice they deserve.

All in all, I would rate the books a solid 11/10, coz you know, Christian Grey. Enough said.

And I would give the film, probably a 9.999999/10, coz you know, Christian Grey/Jamie Dornan and his butt.

If you're a female, I would highly recommend reading the book and seeing the film because 1- who doesn't love a good romance? and 2- It's definitely very sexually awakening!

If you're male, just watch the movies. There's boobs and stuff. 

I hope this wasn't too extremely essay-like and structured and didn't bore you to death. I promise i tried to keep it as light as possible, but I just had such a damn good english teacher. Cheers Miss Jones X

Laters, baby.

#FBF - LOTS OF FETUS ME!

So, pretty much all day at work i was trying to decide what to do tonight for my post. Then I thought, "You know you don't have to post everyday, just chill" but then I thought "No, I WANT to post tonight".

I'm now sitting here at 9:30pm listening to Taylor Swift, eating pringles and still trying to decide what to post. I have ended up grabbing my mums hardrive of old photos and seeing what I could dig up for a solid fetes/throwback post. 

I sincerely hope y'all enjoy laughing at me and the fact my mum dressed me like a lesbian.

This was my ENTIRE school (years K-6) just fyi.

Me and my aunty in America 2000

Me and my mum on my first day of school!

I hope y'all can appreciate style when you see it.

My cousin, Riley, and I were super close growing up!

Okay now neither of these are me but I had to throw it in because the one on the left is my mumma bear and she is the cutest.

And here, my good people, is where it gets embarrassing. 

*Cue the teenage years*

Year 10 formal YAS

Yes, when I was 14 I dyed my hair fire engine red.

When my mum makes me pose for a pic of me going to my 'first party'

AND unfortunately that is where I'm leaving it for this evening. It only gets worse from here. However, if you do wish to see more embarrassing fetus photos of myself, do feel free to +1 it and we'll see what happens.

I also was not expecting this post to be so lengthy. Oops.

X