Saturday 3 October 2015

In My Element | Stirling

Today, my sister, cousins and I travelled to the small town of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills, which has a population of less than three-thousand.  The area is covered in bright flowers, beautiful buildings, native wildlife and has incredible markets every month.  Stirling is an amazing place to walk through and enjoy - the scenery in itself is absolutely breathtaking.


I decided I wanted to take some shots with all this beauty surrounding me.  It was kind of relaxing in a way - to just be still, and focus on flowers and listening to birds around me.  I think it's so important to always take a moment to ourselves.  We should embrace our surroundings and simply be.

My cousin is a fabulous photographer, so each of the images below was taken by her with my Canon EOS 600d, and it's a whole bunch of pictures of me in my element.  You should try having someone close to you take you to your favourite place for some photos, it was so much fun - especially after my tonsillectomy operation which occurred a little while ago, this was my first time properly outside and made up (face and hair done) since then!


I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed posing!  This is one of my most favourite places in the whole world!  Today there were Koalas and Rabbits which unfortunately had moved on before we had a chance to take their picture.  Those legs moved them faster than I thought possible!


If you're curious, my dress is from JayJays and it was about $34.95, and my Jacket was from Valley Girl for $60 a couple of years ago - I've got such amazing wear out of it!  Shoes are also from Valley Girl (their flats are so cheap, around $12.95!)


It's one month into spring and already the flowers are starting to wilt, I sort of wish I'd been able to travel to Stirling earlier in the month, but I know for future visits - the most beautiful time of the year in Stirling must be the very beginning of Spring... or very late winter.  (I'm glad to learn this now because I really want to get married one day in Stirling - future plans are happening hehe!)

Anyway, I'll leave you to your own devices, I hope you enjoy the photos and let me know if you like them?  Also please tell me where your favourite place is and why?



                                         How cool is this tree?



- Thanks for viewing -

Laura xo


Thursday 1 October 2015

Book Review: P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

P.S I Love You

Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre:  Romance
Published:  Hachette Books 2003
Pages: 470 
Rating: 4/5

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

The Blurb reads:
“Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates
But not Holly and Gerry.  Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other’s sentences.  No one could imagine them without each other.
When Gerry dies, Holly is devastated.  But Gerry has left her a bundle of notes, one for each month of the year, each signed PS, I love you.
As the notes are opened, the man who knows Holly better than anyone teaches her that life goes on.  With some help from friends and family, Holly laughs, cries and finds that life is for living – but it helps if there’s an angel watching over you."



*

So far this book has been incredible, I started it on the 17th of September, and had read one-hundred and sixty-six pages in that time (I had to squeeze study in as well).
At this point of the story I felt emotionally invested, within the first page I was hooked!  I didn’t even know the characters properly and I already felt such pain for the main character as to what horrible things she was going through with the loss of her husband.

I was worried as I have heard of the story through people who have seen the film version of this novel.  But I decided to read the book first which is one of my favourite ways to experience movies, I enjoy knowing what the author was thinking before a director added their ten cents to the story.
I will add here that I have since watched the movie version, and I hated it... It had hardly ten minutes of footage which was the same as the novel.  I believe though, if I had watched the movie first, I might have enjoyed it and thought differently about it!

Ahern wrote in a way which encouraged the reader to feel the characters emotions.  I love stories which demonstrate the emotions, and the reason I could read the story so quickly was partly due to this.  I wanted to get to something happy, I wanted to know if Holly would ever move on from her deceased man, Gerry… but I mostly wanted to know what the next letter would say!

As I continued through the story, especially with the final quarter I found I would cry for the characters, and smile for them, laugh with them and all in all feel as though I was a part of the story!

I finished the book in four days, finishing it on the 21st of September 12:30pm.  I read a quarter of the book each day.  I loved every moment I was reading 'P.S. I love you'!  By far one of the most tear jolting stories I’ve ever read, and I found it refreshing.  The novel reminded me of some of my own emotions, and how it’s okay to grieve in times of loss… but it’s important to move on and live with happy memories in our hearts as well!


I would give this novel a 4 out of 5!  I loved the way it was written, and even though there were moments which made me incredibly sad - it had it's good moments too!

If you've read this book - what are your thoughts?
Any book requests?

Laura
x

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