Christmas month... Couldn't be happier!

December has arrived and I couldn't be happier. 

It's the perfect time to be jolly, to grab hot wine, hot chocolate with Baileys, Christmas songs and movies, the Christmas shopping and the obvious Christmas market...

Edinburgh Christmas Market 2018

Since it's December and we all have to wait for Christmas Day to arrive, I went through the list of my favourite Christmas films. One for each day... I started with my all times favourite which I'm sure is a classic....

Day 1- Love Actually! 
A classic that will always take everyone into a loving, joyful mood, and how can we forget the famous dance of Hugh Grant. 

Day 2- The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Famous Tim Burton's got it right with this film. Perfect for a family film... After Halloween... It's just perfect!

Day 3- Elf!
This one is most likely to be a favourite with the humour and Will Ferrell's acting is brilliant, everyone falls for the cuteness.

Day 4- How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
If you want to fall in love with a cute movie with an adorable child who saves Christmas then this movie is for you!

Day 5- The Santa Claus!
Growing up with this film made me fall in love with Christmas and the hot chocolate! 

Day 6- The Santa Claus 2!
If you watch the first might as well continue!

Day 7- The Santa Claus 3!
After two movies, let's finish the trilogy!

Day 8- Home Alone!
Full of laughs and cute moments, it's one of the classics...

Day 9- Miracle on 34th Street!
One more classic, many versions, and all of them are just amazingly cute! A family film for sure!

Day 10- Scrooged!
The story is beautiful, the lessons are powerful!

Day 11- Angela's Christmas!
A 2018 Irish Christmas film which is beyond adorable! How can I not put an Irish film on the list? It's adorable and everyone is falling hard for it. How can you not?

Day 12- The Polar Express!
I remember watching it with my brothers when I was younger and each year we had to watch the film and read the book!

Day 13- A Charlie Brown Christmas!
An American classic, one I will surely watch for the first time... I needed to add it to the list because I found it pointless not to put it. 

Day 14- White Christmas!
Classics are always best especially during this season! 

Day 15- Home Alone 2!
Another great movie, one you cannot skip!

Day 16- The Grinch!
A 2018 movie, Dr.Seuss always had wonderful books, and the film will be just as delightful to watch. 

Day 17- A Christmas Carol!
Same as Scrooged, but more a family style film. 

Day 18- Bad Santa!
If you are looking for more adult fun, go for it!

Day 19- It's a Wonderful Life!
One classic at a time, this one deserves more credit!

Day 20- Frozen!
I mean it's not specifically Christmas but it has snow and long lasting songs. We all know how 'Let It Go' get stuck in your head for days.

Day 21- Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer!
Used to watch it when I was a kid, cute cartoon that made me think about my red nose when I was sick. 

Day 22- One Magic Christmas!
It's been a while since this movie, but a Disney film nonetheless!

Day 23- Gremlins!
If you want a spooky Christmas film, this one will be perfect! 

Day 24- 
Anything you want... I know I'll probably end up watching 'Love Actually', 'Angela's Christmas', ' Angela's Ashes' or 'The Snapper', an Irish classic which if it comes on the tele, you will end up watching it again no matter.

This year, Netflix is taking down Love Actually so if you are a fan, watch it sooner than later!  But it does reserve us amazing new films, and I cannot wait to get through the list of films and songs myself... After all, even if you are an adult, you will watch cartoons and family films because Christmas has the power to let everyone become a child all over again!

~Bella

February's list...

February started last week and believe it or not, I bought multiple books since 2018 has started... I have started a few and just bought the others just because I wanted! Not sure how I am going to make it to Ireland with the cases of books, between the weight and the amount I currently have and the ones I'm planning on getting... Anyways, it's not, for now, I have time to figure it out!

February, the shortest month of the year, also means my brother's birthday which is coming tomorrow! Come back the 8th for a special quick post on him!

The list isn't going to be long, only five good books, I had to buy just because I didn't feel like I could walk away from them!

Little one... At Swim-Two-Birds from Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan)
"A wildly comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, At Swim-Two-Birds, is the story of a young, lazy, and frequently drunk Irish college student who lives with his curmudgeonly uncle in Dublin. When not in bed (where he seems to spend most of his time) or reading, he is composing a mischief-filled novel about Dermot Trellis, a second-rate author whose characters ultimately rebel against him and seek vengeance. From drugging him as he sleeps to dropping the ceiling on his head, these figures of Irish myth makes Trellis pay dearly for his bad writing."

Everyone has either read or heard about the story, the novel, and the author... If you haven't, I would tell you to go check it out because this is a great book no matter how famous or unfamous it may be!

The next three novels were written by Anne Enright, I got into her writing, giving me the urge to read more from her.

Little two... The Gathering
"A dazzling writer of international stature, Anne Enright is one of Ireland's most singular voices. Now she delivers The Gathering, a moving, evocative portrait of a large Irish family haunted by the past.
The nine surviving children of the Hegarty clan are gathering in Dublin for the wake of their wayward brother, Liam, drowned in the sea. His sister, Veronica, collects the body and keeps the dead man company, guarding the secret she shares with him- something that happened in their grandmother's house in the winter of 1968. As Enright traces the line of betrayal and redemption through three generations, she shows how memories warp and secrets fester. As in all Enright's work, her distinctive intelligence twists the world a fraction, and gives it back to us in a new and unforgettable light."

I read the first page and it captured me fast... Quickly fell in love with the way she writes!

Little three... Yesterday's Weather
"Enright's characters are haunted by the ghosts of the lives they might have led- lit by new flames, old flames, and flames that are guttering out. A woman's one-night stand is illuminated by dreams of a young boy on a cliff road, another's is thwarted by a swarm of somnolent bees. A pregnant woman is stuck in a slow lift with a tactile American stranger, a naked mother changes a nappy in a hotel bedroom, and waits for her husband to come back from the bar. This collection includes some of Enright's best love stories as well as her latest works."

It's something different, something dark and yet brilliant. It's something you rather not get into, but still, do cause you are drawn to every story.

Little four... The Green Road
"The children of Rosaleen Madigan leave the west of Ireland for lives they ever could have imagined, in Dublin. New York and various third-world towns. In her early old age their difficult, wonderful mother announces that she's decided to sell the house and divide the proceeds. Her adult children come back for a last Christmas, with the feeling that their childhoods are being erased, their personal history bought and sold."

It says that Anne Enright is addicted to the truth and it shows in every sentence. And that makes every detail more important than anything!

Little five... Ghosting from Jennie Erdal
"Ghosting moves from startlingly vivid evocations of an austere Scottish upbringing in Fife to superbly rendered portraits of the people- the young and beautiful, the titled, and the eccentric- with whom Erdal worked at a London- based publishing house. None is more affectionately or intriguingly drawn than that of Tiger himself. In temperament, Tiger and Erdal couldn't have been more different. Yet their relationship weathered storms of all kinds, from temper tantrums to serious financial reversals, with a tenacious bond that is both a wonder and an enigma."

Despite the fact that I love reading, and despite the fact that I don't set myself a specific schedule when it comes to reading, I read whenever I can, which is not too much lately... But hopefully, 2018 will be your year. The year where you will be escaping real life...

"Fairy Tales are more than true not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragon can be beaten." - Neil Gaiman

~Bella

Christmas Month!

December has come, finally!

Gingerbread, the pine scented candles, the hot chocolates with marshmallows, the songs... I could go on and on about what's happening during Christmas month, the cold breeze coming around nighttime which makes you want to get into a hot, steamy shower and get in your warm, cozy bed. 

This time, I'm not talking about the goodies that December has to offer us, but I'm going to talk about my favourite films. The ones I watch every year. Some are more recent films, year after year, I added a few more to the list. Do not worry it isn't going to be the longest list even though, I would add a lot more if I had the time. Being an adult means less time to get around my "me" time. Struggling with friends, family, and work... 

So I thought I would share this famous list of mine with you. Hopefully, I will give you a new film to watch! 

Little one...

"Love Actually" (2003)

Number one movie that I cannot get over, cannot stop crying over, and since it's British, I love it even more! How can someone hate it? I don't understand you if you have never seen it or dislike it? Go watch it now! Little plus, the actors are amazing... Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Andrew Lincoln, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson, and many others as good as the other. 

Number two...

"The Santa Clause" (1994)

"The Santa Clause 2" (2002)

"The Santa Clause 3" (2006)

I've been watching them since I was a child, in French, but I would watch them all the time. It's part of my childhood.

Little three...

"Elf" (2003)

I believe it's people's favourite... It's such an amazing story, a great film that each year since it came out, it's all over the internet, mugs, I mean Americans go all over this movie each time Christmas is coming. 

Number four...

"The Polar Express" (2004)

I know it's a kid's movie, but how can you not want to watch such a beautiful film? The hot chocolate song always gets me! Give it a shot! 

Little five...

"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)

I recently got my head around watching it a couple of months ago and I was far from disappointed! The little girl in the movie cannot be more perfect, caught my heart fast! 

Number six...

"A Christmas Carol" (2009)

First time, I ever watched it I was in France, and oh my... It brought me to tears. The movie shows great life lessons. 

Little seven...

"A Child's Christmas in Wales" (1987)

Brings me back to a childhood dream of mine... A snowglobe, rain instead of snow, bedtime stories... Couldn't get better than this film... 

Number eight... 

"Home Alone" (1990)

As a baby in the 90's I couldn't get away from this movie despite being born in Europe! 
I believe it's more a classic movie that anyone could fall in love with at any age. 

Enjoy my list if you are ready to watch any of them. I know, I will make sure to get on the list even if it's much longer than what I gave you! 

Christmas isn't here yet, but trust me when I write this...
I will talk about Christmas a lot! So GET READY!

"What if Christmas, he thought doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

~Bella

Titles After Titles...

Novels, short stories, essays, jokes, little paragraphs.... Every reader will enjoy them... I know I love to read either it's a novel, a textbook, or a short story, an article, a magazine, I will read it if I'm interested.

Sadly, oddly enough, I ain't one to read many American writers. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of amazing writers, but I can't seem to enter their world. The writing is rather different from an Australian, British or German writer. Now, I'm still in love with novels, I can't stay away from them, no matter what will be in my way. But we also have an American writer who came to me via a friend of mine after they let me borrow a book.

Obviously, I can't buy every book I'd like to, I would need an entire room just to store them, show them off like a little library... But for now, I make lists, and buy a few! I wanted to share the latest 10 books with one review...

I. Me and You by Niccolò Ammaniti, an Italian author. "It's a beautiful book, a perfect tale. Painful and moving. Surprising, even for a writer of such a pure and inimitable talent, a sort of island without archipelago in the panorama of Italian fiction."- L'Unità (Italy). Ammaniti was born in Rome where he still lives. One of his novels was listed for The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. 

II. The First Book of Calamity Leek by Paula Lichtarowicz. "A mash-up of Margaret Atwood and Roald Dahl" - Lady Magazine (UK). Lichtarowicz was born in Cheshire and studied English literature at Durham University. When she isn't writing, she makes television documentaries. 

III. 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough. "Mean Girls for the Instagram age." - The Times. Pinborough was born in the United Kingdom, she is an award-winning YA and adult thriller, fantasy and cross-genre novelist and screenwriter.

IV. The Girl With No Name by Diney Costeloe. " Gripping"- Somerset Life. She is the daughter of a London publisher and has been surrounded by books all her life. Her early published work included ten romantic novels, several short stories for magazines and radio. 

V. The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley, an Irish writer. "Full of family secrets, exotic flowers, tragedy, and redemption... A sweeping, poignant saga that will enthrall fans of  The House at Riverton, Rebecca and Downtown Abbey."- Shelf Awareness. 

VI. Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher, an amazing British author. "A gorgeous, gloriously romantic read with buckets of charm." - Jill Mansell. An incredible woman who I come to inspire a lot through her writing, her vlogs, and her husband, Tom Fletcher. 

VII. The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien. "One of Edna O'Brien's best and most ambitious novels yet. The Little Red Chairs is personal and political; charming and grotesque; a novel of manners and a novel of monsters."- Maureen Corrigan, National Public Radio. Edna was born and raised in the west of Ireland but has lived in London for many years. 

VIII. The Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. "Poignant and hilarious, threaded with compassion and, behind everything, the cataract of a thundering moral statement." - The Boston Globe. Vonnegut is a master of contemporary American literature. He has quite a dark humor and unbelievable imagination which makes me love his writing. 

IX. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. "A free-wheeling vehicle... An unforgettable ride!"- The New York Time. 

X. The Sirens of Titans by Kurt Vonnegut. " His best book... He dares not only to ask the ultimate question about the meaning of life but to answer it."-  Esquire.

I have to go through them all, but I'm still waiting for a few other novels that are suppose to be arriving soon enough... Can't wait to be able to read them!  
Books are a way of escaping life, real life, to go on adventures, make you travel to insane places while being in bed under warm covers and a cup of tea on your bedside. So when I receive a book, I just imagine myself going into another world, another place. 

"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."- J.K.Rowling

PS: Sorry about last Friday's post, I couldn't get one online, I had to go to work and do other things right when I woke up. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it before leaving to work. 

~Bella

The disappointment is real...

As you may know, relationships to me are quite important, to be honest, I prefer to be in a relationship than being alone. Don't get me wrong, I love being single, but if I could choose, being with someone else and giving all my love to that one person is amazing! 

But then you also know that somehow I get disappointed, played around with, and let's just stop there. All you have to know is that no matter how much I try my best, I get f***** over fast! Thank you, they are great life lessons... Sadly, I ain't a fan of them, next time just don't play around, I ain't the type! 
After thinking about it all for a bit, I remembered that eleven or twelves years ago, I had made a list of what I was looking for in a guy. 


The list was quite long, but here's pretty much what I wrote back when I was younger. 
- Blue or green eyes (that's kind of still the case, I prefer those colored eyes)
- Taller than me (that won't be an issue)
- Have some acknowledgement of football (soccer) or at played before
- Can't fear blood because I do
- European or have some European in the guy, an Italian is preferrable (ha-ha)
- He can't like country
- Love animals
- A hopeless romantic 
- Honest and loyal
- Overly affectionate, but not the suffocating type either 
- Funny but at the same time intelligent enough to hold a conversation
- Must love kids or planning on having some in the future
- Family type of guy 
- Movie addict
- Sweet and charming
- Have the cutest smile
- A guy that can give me butterflies each time he calls my name

You can figure out the rest, but honestly, I don't think it has changed much... Just kidding! I don't have anymore list, and don't look at your eye color or if you don't fear blood. I don't care much anymore. I ain't as demanding as I may have been in the past. Santa Cleopatra, what was I thinking?
Having a type of person we are interested in is normal, like some would prefer muscular while others thin guys... Nerdy vs. Goofy... Or even blond or black hair... We get attracted to the similar type of person in general, but making a list and expecting something will only make it worse for you! You won't be happy, you will only destroy yourself, thinking that you will NEVER find the right one! Just because you make a list doens't mean you'll find "the guy of your dreams" or "the girl of your dreams".  Love will finds its way to you just take the time!

The perfect other half doesn't exist, no one is exactly like you imagine! Everyone has flaws and we all have to deal with them, you are the first one to have some. I mean I've done the list younger, it might have saved me some time to do other things than waste on stupid boys, but should I follow it now? 
Sure, I could try and get a few things like the football part (that's a must for me), but the other things like movie addict? No! 
There's pros and cons, it's for you to decide! Just know that no matter what you will find your king and queen at some point. Maybe it will 

"I ever had a speech from my father 'this is what you must do or shouldn't do' but I just learned to be led by example. My father wasn't perfect." -Adam Sandler.

~Bella

I'm bored... What should I do?

It never really hit me, but I know that it was meant to happen at some point.

A couple of days ago, I was waiting for a friend to come off work so I could get an Uber to get to his place.
I was done with dinner, the dishes, and watching YouTube. Now, usually I'll know what to do, clean up my room, closet (as it is quite messy most the time), write my novel, listen to music or even do little projects. I never really get bored, I kind of always know what to do, or at least I will figure out a few things to do. But this time, after YouTube, TV shows, getting ready, and packing a few things up, I was BORED!
Boredom hits EVERYONE! Don't lie, don't try to hide away, we all have been bored once in our life. And it happened to me a couple of nights ago while waiting on someone. Thanks to him, I got to write about it.

For some people, like my mother, they eat. It's like a stress eating, but it's called boredom eating (alright, I might have made that up, who knows)... Some may just fall asleep... I've seen people fall asleep during church time... Almost happened to me a couple of times, shameful of me. 

That night, I looked up the internet and came across this site: http://www.i-am-bored.com/
and this one : http://www.boredbutton.com/

I know it sounds weird, I didn't get to really look into the first site, but the second one blew my mind! You have to give it a try, I had to do it twice, and it has me blown away each time! 

So after thinking about it for quite a while, I decided to make a list, short one don't worry, about the things you may want to do when bored...

1. Clean up... I know it's not fun, but it takes your mind away so fast and you end up having a clean, tidy house or room...
2. Read a book! When you finally get into a book,  you won't see the time pass by at all!
3. Cook something, or bake! Invent a new recipe, bake sweets, it takes a while, especially if you are like me, just watch out for the hot stuff, you may end up burning yourself... 
4. Call your friend or text them! I know this is an obvious one, but honestly just talking to someone, in general, may end up giving you some cool time!
5. Go outside. I love to walk to my secret little hideout, and looking around, breathing fresh air is always appreciated!
6. Workout. Not something I will do, but I've heard it's nice! You should try it!
7. Prank someone! I've got two younger brothers still living with me, and to be honest it's hilarious to prank them or just scare them when they are coming out of the shower! Make a list of pranks and put them into action! It's hilarious!
8. Redecorate your room. Put more photos up the walls, or rearrange your pillows on your bed... You will like your room a lot more!
9. Write a song, and try to sing it with a background tone! It's fun!
10. Have a bubble bath, it's so relaxing and add a few candles to make it romantic...

Next time you are bored, just believe you can always do something if you set your mind to it! Life can give you times of boredom, but you have to get over the obstacle and move forward!

"The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is boredom." - Timothy Ferriss

~Bella