I’d been excited about the Nintendo Switch the moment I watched the announcement trailer and I knew that I just had to have it. Previously the last console I’d bought had been the 3DS and that was when it very first come out. I’ve been a fan of Nintendo for as long as I can remember, I have vague memories of being very young and playing Super Mario World on our old SNES. And then I got the Gameboy Advance, then the DS, the Wii and finally the 3DS. Nintendo has always produced that fail-safe console that I could happily play for hours and hours on end.
The announcement trailer for the Switch honestly blew me away. A portable console you could also hook up to the TV and play? I was sold! I eagerly waited for months to buy it, eventually deciding in October last year I would put any birthday money I got towards to console. You can imagine my surprise when it turns out my dad and step-mum had actually bought it for me! I could have cried! So why is this review coming out over a year since the Switch’s release date and almost a year after I got mine? The excitement alone of holding this console in my hands would have meant I gave it a 5-star review regardless of any issues I may have found. So I’ve waited, bought games, both physical and E-shop, seen what Nintendo has offered at Directs, as well as E3 to help me give an honest review on the Nintendo Switch and whether it’s worth picking up any time soon. But don’t worry I’m not going to yammer on about the technical aspects of the Switch because I’m not going to pretend like I know or understand whats going on inside the console because I don’t.
Let me take you back to October 20th of 2016. A trailer emerges on YouTube. It’s the Nintendo Switch, previously referred to as the NX, announcement video. I watched it once on my own, then excitedly showed my housemate, then watched it again when our friends came round. I was hyped. Like really hyped. Anything coming from Nintendo was pretty sure to be a hit with me, but I just knew that this was going to be the next best thing. A console where you can be in the middle of a huge boss fight and take it off the dock to continue playing instantly when you’re on the go. I’d never seen anything like it and I truly think that only Nintendo could have pulled it off like they did.
A lot of people didn’t understand my excitement, which is understandable, it is just another games console after all, right? Wrong. This was taking the home console and portable console and smashing them together, this was a big deal. There are typically three different ways for you to play your Switch; TV Mode where your console is docked, Tabletop Mode where the console is placed on a table with the kickstand out and Handheld Mode where you can use it as a standard portable tablet. Nintendo marketed the Switch as a home console you could take with you on the go, however, I still find myself using it more as a portable console that one I dock.
So let’s talk about some of the games themselves. I am more than happy with the selection of physical games available for the Switch. I eagerly awaited last years E3 and the Directs scattered throughout the year to see which games were being announced next. I was obviously hyped for Odyssey and I think it remains one of my favourite games on the switch so far. The music, the graphics, the story, the worlds, it is honestly an amazing game and if you’re thinking about getting a Switch just to play it, I say go for it – it’s definitely worth it! Mario Kart is, well, Mario Kart, it plays great as a multiplayer game and the courses themselves are absolutely stunning. Breath of the Wild is a game I bought having never really delved into Zelda, purely because of how pretty it is. I still haven’t played a huge amount of it, because it requires a lot of dedication and time, of which I don’t have currently. But I can confirm it is even more stunning in real life. I’ve also got LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 and Skyrim, both of which I have also only dipped my toe into but am very excited to play.
The E-shop isn’t something I thought would thrill me, purely because I’m a collector (*cough* hoarder *cough*) and I like having the physical games more than downloaded. However, when I first started to browse the E-shop last year, there were games I saw that looked so interesting that I actually downloaded them. Fe was one of them and I love playing this one in the dock because I think the animation and graphics are stunning, even if I still don’t fully understand how to play it or what the story is. However, as of late, I’ve been a little bit disappointed about the selection on the store. Nintendo seemed to have such a high-quality control that I knew I could pick almost any game and it would be pretty amazing, however, some of the things I’ve seen lately have made me question that slightly. I’m hoping it’s just a phase and that the quality control will be upped again soon.
Am I still a little disappointed that we don’t know everything about the online service? Am I happy to wait because it’s going to be £20 a year? Hell yes! The online service isn’t something I thought I would jump at because I’m definitely more of a solo player than playing as multiplayer, however I am intreguied. The thought of exclusive games and classics reinvented is almost enough to sway me into handing over 20 quid a year. And lets be honest, no other online service offers that cheap of a service, so even if it’s not used to the full potential of playing online, I think it’ll be worth it.
So am I still as excited about the Switch a year down the line? Yes and no. The console itself still thrills me and I honestly urge everyone who’s thinking about picking one up to go and grab one, especially if you’ve been a fan of Nintendo’s work in the past. However, I do feel as though things have slowed down for the Switch in regards to the quality of the E-Shop and the sorts of games that have been announced, but I think in part that a lot of that is down to the fact they had such a strong first 6 months on the market, which game after game and announcement after announcement being made.
That being said, there are still recent releases that I have loved like Octopath Traveller (if you haven’t already, please PLEASE pick this up!) and Lego Incredibles, as well as some big ones I’m less impressed about like Smash Bros, I’ll admit it looks amazing and I understand the hype but it definitely isn’t a game for me. I can’t wait to see what the online service brings to the console and I know that I will continue to buy games and am super excited to see what the next year brings to the Switch.
My Bedside TBR Pile.
My plan for the summer was to try and read more. Which didn’t really happen so then I decided I’d just try and get back into that mindset where reading doesn’t feel like a chore. So I’ve decided to have a TBR pile on my bedside table. My thinking is that, because the only real time I would have to read will be the end of the day, having them right next to my bed might mean I pick one up as I crawl into bed.
The first on the pile is Sarah J. Mass’ A Court of Frost and Starlight. I’m actually really excited to pick this one up. A companion novel to one of my favourite book series of the year so far, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I’m very excited to delve back into a world full of characters that I adore. I’ve been putting this off since it arrived on my doorstep a few months ago purely because I don’t want the series to end and I know that after I’ve turned the last page in this book, that it’ll be over.
Second in the pile is Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepherd. Now I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the TV show. I’d watch binge-watch a season in the space of two days but then wouldn’t watch another one for months. The only seasons I think I watched as soon as it came out was the last two. That being said, I’ve always been interested in reading the books, despite having been spoiled and knowing how they end. (Don’t worry I won’t spoil it for you here!) I saw the whole collection for £12 in a charity shop a couple weeks ago and I couldn’t resist because I have no self-control.
The next is a book I know I’m bound to read within no time. The Princess Saves Herself In This One. I’m trying to make a really conscious effort to start reading, as well as writing, more poetry this summer. After having been such a huge part of my life while I was at Uni, I’ve missed being away from it for as long as I have. I’m hoping that starting to read some poetry will get me back in the mood to write, as that’s one of my favourite things to do. I even used to publish my poetry on here but I haven’t done that in years, maybe I should start again? Anyway, I’m hoping that having a book full of poetry by my bed will mean that I am more inclined to pick it up and chip away at it a bit more often.
Lastly, we have the first The Wicked and The Divine collection. I thought that I would throw in a graphic novel just in case I don’t feel like delving into something that takes too much concentration or a lot of brain power, I can still pick this up and have a flick through. Chances are this will be finished in one sitting but that’s no bad thing. I think it will be a nice way to ease back into reading!
Have you got a TBR pile? What are you planning to read? Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
Books I've Bought Recently #2
It’s been a while since I’ve done a post like this and when I was clearing out my bookcase a few days ago, I realised that I’ve added a few books to my collection that I’m super excited about and I thought I’d share with you.
Book buying has always been a little bit of an issue for me. In the sense that I have pretty much no control. If I walk into a bookshop, you best be sure I’ll be coming out with AT LEAST one book. So these are a few of the books I’ve accumulated over the last few months.
I had a little trip to Leicester a while ago and I love the Waterstones in the town. I can honestly spend hours there! I won’t lie by the time I had finished wandering around the entirety of the store for the third time, I had an armful of books but I knew I would struggle to get them all home. So I just picked two, which is a miracle for me really. I picked up Paper Girls Volume 1. I always spend the most amount of time looking at the Graphic Novel section in bookstores, because I’m really starting to enjoy them more and more. When I’m having a slow day and can’t focus on that fat, juicy bestseller I’ve recently started, a graphic novel is the next best thing. I really like the art style of Paper Girls, and it was because of that I picked it up. Having heard nothing of it before and having no idea what it was about, the art style alone sold me. (Plus the assistant in Waterstones told me it was really good, and I always trust recommendations from fellow bookish people!) I actually read this one as soon as I got home recovering from the shopping trip over a cuppa. Honestly, it was okay. Not the best one I’ve read, but certainly not the worst. I found it quite slow and honestly a little boring, however, the last few pages and art style will definitely mean I’ll be picking up Volume 2 and giving that a go before I give my final verdict.
I’d Die For You and Other Lost Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald was the first book I saw and picked up in the store, and I couldn’t put it down. I love Fitzgerald’s work and I’m slowly building up my collection, but I like them all to match so I’m trying repurchase some of my mismatched ones before I buy new ones. That being said, this one doesn’t match the others I have AT ALL. But I kinda don’t mind which is odd considering how much of a control freak I am when it comes to my books. I love the colours of this book and it’s one I’ve never seen before. I haven’t read it yet, but from what I can gather it features a collection of stories that have previously been unseen by readers. Things that never made it past Fitzgerald’s editor and others that were physically lost and only recently found. I can already tell I’m going to love this one.
I have also rediscovered my love for ordering books from Amazon. Not only can you pre-order ones, that you then forget about so it’s a wonderful surprise when they arrive at your door, sometimes it’s lovely to find and order books you’ve been meaning to get for ages without having to move from your bed. This is a regular occurrence for me. Typically if I’ve had a bad day, I’ll go to bed with a cup of tea and instead of picking up a book, I’ll have a look through the recent releases on Amazon, and order a few that catch my eye.
The F Word by Lily Pebbles is one that I pre-ordered honestly more for the hype and author than the books itself. I’ve been a fan of Lily Pebbles for years, so I was super excited to find out she was writing a book. Couple that with the fact she was posting constantly about it on SM, when I saw it on Amazon, I couldn’t help myself and just had to pre-order. I haven’t picked it up yet, but I think it’s probably one I’ll pick up one Sunday when I’m just lazing around. People have said some really good things about this so I’m excited to pick it up and see what I think.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton is another instance in where I had seen a lot about this on SM and blogs galore, so I just had to pick it up for myself. This is another one I haven’t picked up yet (do you see a theme emerging here?) but I’m very excited to get to it sometime probably in the summer when I have a bit more time on my hands.
I won’t lie, I ordered Uncommon Type, purely because Tom Hanks wrote it. I’m a huge fan of Tom Hanks and when I found out he’d written a book, I just had to buy it. I’ve attempted a few times to read it, and it’s not that I don’t like it, I just don’t know how I feel about it right now. I’m hoping that it’s one that I just have to power through to see the beauty of, but if not, I’ve decided I’m going to give the audiobook a go. I’m not usually one for audiobooks, but having the opportunity to have Tom Hanks read a book to me is not something I’m about to give up.
And then we get to some of my favourite purchases. Poetry books. I’ve been feeling really mad at myself about the fact that I haven’t written anything since I finished University. Especially poetry. So I thought what better way to spark some inspiration than reading some great poetry. Milk and Honey is one I’ve been meaning to pick up for the longest time, I actually used a lot of the poetry featured in this book as inspiration for my own poetry collection. I love picking this up randomly and reading a few poems in it, if you’re just delving into the world of modern poetry books, I would definitely recommend this one as an absolute must. The Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One by Amanda Lovelace was another I pre-ordered which meant I obviously also had to get The Princess Saves Herself In This One. I have only briefly flicked through both of these because I want to delve into them when I have a clear head and can devote all of my attention to them, I might even try to set aside some time this weekend to getting stuck into these two.
The last one on the list and the one I’m possibly the most excited about. I pre-ordered this book back in February and completely forgot about it until I received the email from Amazon telling me they’d delivered it. I was with my dad like, what have they delivered, I haven’t ordered anything for ages. Then lo and behold this beauty had arrived on my doorstep (or rather through my letterbox). I finished this series in February, I think I powered through all three books back to back in the space of about a week because I was hooked! (Reviews for the full series will be coming shortly.) So I was super excited to get around to this, and so far I’ve only read the first chapter or so but I’m already loving it. It’s so great to fall back into a world and characters that are written so well, it doesn’t feel like any time has passed since I put down the last book. I’m torn between wanting to read it all in the space of one evening, and savoring it because I don’t really want the story to end which is the reason it’s been sat on my desk for the past few weeks. I know that I’m going to adore this one and if you haven’t I definitely recommend picking up the series.
Have you bought any books recently? Are there any graphic novels you think I absolutely need to get on my bookshelf? Are you a fan of poetry books? Have you read ACOFAS yet? Let me know in the comments down below!
What I Packed in my Con Bag
Okay so first up in my SPNUK series is a good ol’ fashioned, what’s in my bag! This by no means was full proof and I’ll for sure be downsizing for Vancouver but in case you need any tips, inspiration or maybe you’re just nosey like I am, here’s a little peek at what I took.
The reason I took such a big tote bag to begin with was because I took my scrapbook for everyone to sign. I think having a big bag meant that I felt like I needed to fill it up so I definitely took things I wouldn’t necessary take again, but hey, a learning curve for sure. So obviously, I took my scrapbook. I got all my autographs in it and I’ll be sticking all my tickets and photos in there when I get a chance. I took sharpies with me because I didn’t know what colours the actors would have and I’m very particular about things matching so I wanted everyone to sign in silver. I’ll be doing a completely different post about the autos, because otherwise I’ll ramble on for far too long. I also took a folder with sleeves in which I was told would be a lifesaver and it definitely was! If you’re only going to take one thing with you, make it one of these. It kept all my ticket PDF’s in until I exchanged them for my tickets and wristband. I had my itinerary inside which meant it was super easy to find and see what was happening and where. It was also fantastic for when you got your photo-ops back, it meant I had somewhere safe for them where they wouldn’t be bent or squashed.
While I did take my tiny black rucksack as well, all of my necessities I kept in my tote bag because it just made for easy access. My purse was a given I think because obviously, I needed somewhere for all the cash that would be put towards all the impromptu photo-op! I also took my power bank, which honestly was a life saver. My phone lasted pretty much all day, but it was great to give it a charge during dinner so that I was ready to go for evening activities. Not having time to go back to the hotel, or when we did only having time for a quick outfit change meant having something like this was super handy. Camera is another given I think, although this did start off in my rucksack, I ended up keeping it in my tote because it was a lot easier to get out quickly. Anti-bac and tissues are also just a given if you know me. I actually took another spare anti-bac bottle and I think I had about 12 packs of tissues, how I thought I was gonna run out over the course of a weekend, I’ll never know! In my two glossier bags, I had make up and other little bits I didn’t want to be rummaging for. I took my make-up one with me because I don’t like to do my make up until I’ve had my breakfast, so I ended up having breakfast with the girls in the mornings and then made a quick dash to the loos in Spoons to apply my face, the lighting was actually pretty on point! The other had bits like, paracetamol, blister plasters, face wipe, antibacterial wipes and plasters. Ready for anything I am!
Quite possibly one of the most important things in my bag, snacks and drinks. I took a range of different snacks ranging from sweets to snack bars to crisps. When you’ve got a schedule that’s absolutely brimming with things to be doing, you don’t always have time to eat throughout the day. I did make sure that I had something substantial for breakfast and dinner, so missing lunch didn’t seem too major. To be honest between watching panel, vendors jams, photo ops and autos you don’t even really have time to be hungry. I tended to tuck into my snacks during the auctions or the trivia when everyone was having a breather. The most important thing I would say is to take water or some form kind of drink. I bought one of those water bottles that keeps your drink cold because I’m really fussy about drinking warm juice. I can definitely say that they work and even after taking my water out of the hotel fridge at 7:30am, it was still cold by the time I got back to the hotel which was around 11pm. It’s super important to stay hydrated and to try to eat something during a con weekend, and considering I am the snack queen, it was no hardship for me.
What are your essentials for a convention? Did I overpack? (We all know I did!) Was there something I missed that I should have taken? Let me know in the comments!
Turtles All The Way Down Review
Okay, so this is a super late review. As in I started and finished this book during the first week of February. I know, I know, I’m a terrible person. Anyway, in February I was doing some temping work that required a bit of travel to get there. I was on the bus for half an hour there and back, which makes a very bored Taylor for an hour a day. So I decided I would take a book to keep myself company. Bear in mind that until this point, I hadn’t read and finished a book for probably a year. Mostly because I’m lazy but also down to the fact that my brain sometimes can’t process and store a large amount of information due to brain fog. So the fact that I finished this within a couple of days was a complete surprise.
I’ve read almost all of John Green’s other books, and I really liked them. When I was like 16. Now that’s not to say the writing isn’t good, because it is. But I found that they are more relatable to kids that age, which is fine. Like I say the other books aren’t bad, but I wouldn’t be in a rush to re-read them any time soon. This purchase was due to a moment of weakness in Sainsbury’s when I saw that it was less than a tenner. And because I have all of his other books, I just had to, okay? I hadn’t really heard a lot about this book at the time that I bought it, but I think that was more down to the fact I’ve not really kept up with new releases, at least not as much I used to, more than there having not been any hype around it.
Previous to reading the book, I did watch the video of John reading the first chapter, and I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t interest me. Because it did. Aza interested me. So I was more than happy to spend my time traveling to work with my nose in this book.
And I really liked it. I related hard to some bits in this book. The concept of the Thought Spirals hit me like a tonne of bricks. Because that was how my brain worked sometimes. I found remnants of myself in Aza throughout the book and I think this is one of the main reasons I liked it so much. Often with books in the genre, I find that there are some long, slow bits which really put me off. As soon as I’ve lost interest I put the book down and typically never pick it back up. But everything that was written in this book had a point. There was a reason behind everything written, no slow bits. But perhaps that could be partly due to the fact that it isn’t a very on-the-edge, thrilling read? That being said, I almost think I preferred the languid, breezy pace it had rather than the dynamic, frantic pace it could have had. There was so much franticness going on in Aza’s head, you don’t need that in every chapter too.
Something I think John Green always knocks out the park is his ability to capture being a teenager. He does this so well within Aza’s thought patterns as well as the speech used. I’m a little ashamed to say that when I was 16 I also used the word ‘like’ at the start of every sentence. (I still do sometimes!) While Aza is for sure not your typical teenager, there’s some beauty in that. John shows the world that for some, it really isn’t all about parties and drinking. It’s about forging genuine connections with people. About discovering the kind of person you are, or the kind you want to be. Something else John does well is the fact he keeps us guessing throughout. Obviously no spoilers, but even when things seem to have concluded and been put to bed, we’re still left thinking, what’s going to happen? It keeps us thinking about what’s next, but not in a ‘I need to read this every second of the day because I can’t put it down’ but in more of an ‘I’m really interested in these characters and I want to see more about how they act when they’re put into different situations’.
I’ll admit that I was less interested in the mystery once we started to delve into Aza’s relationship with Davis, but I think that’s the point. I don’t think the mystery itself is the thing that keeps you engaged and turning the page. It’s just there, it’s a thing that happens that strangely brings these people together. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is what these people do about it or as a result of it.
What did I love most? I loved how predominantly about Aza the whole book is. Yes, there’s a murder and a mystery, but this is a story about Aza, everything else is more like background noise. Even in the moment’s where Aza is with all her friends, we see her tuning out and spiraling in her thoughts and for me, those were the moments where the writing really shone. It was written so brilliantly and so on point for many people, myself included. It was definitely one of those books that I got sad about when I started to realize how few pages were left. It had that kind of comfort about it that I didn’t want to end.
One not-really-a-spoiler point is that I was a little surprised by the ending. Mainly because it felt like it ended too quickly. Don’t get me wrong it was written well, and I actually really liked the ending itself. But with less than 100 pages left, I still had so many questions left. Will Davis’ dad come back? Does Aza control her anxiety? Does she fall out with Daisy? Will she stay with Davis? What will happen to Noah? Did I have too many questions because of how much I loved the characters? Probably. Was I a little disappointed when it felt like the ending fell a little too flat and open-ended? Definitely. Like I say, I liked the reminiscent tone and the foreboding. I guess if you squint a little, everything is tied up, albeit a little messily. I did think it was a good choice to not openly say what happens to Aza and that we’re left to wonder and make up our own minds. I think in a lot of ways this allows the character to stay with us even after the last page has turned.
If you’re a fan of John Green’s stuff or YA books in general, this is definitely a book you should feast your eyes on. However, if you’re looking for a book that keeps you on edge and keeps you guessing, this might be a tad disappointing. But I can say that having finished the book over 3 months ago, it’s one I’m still fond of and would happily read again.
Have you read Turtles All The Way Down? Are you a fan of John Green? Let me know in the comments so we can nerd out about books for a while!
May Favourites.
May, for me, felt like both the quickest and longest month in a while. I was waiting for May to roll around for months because I was waiting for SPNUK. Then it was over and it felt like the weeks just flew past. But it was also an antagonising wait until pay-day at the end of the month so I could buy my VanCon ticket. Nonetheless, we haven’t had a favourite’s post since February I think, so let’s get on with it shall we?
SPNUK
I feel like this is a given with how much I’ve been going on about it. But obviously my absolute favourite thing about last month, was the first weekend in May. SPNUK was definitely a highlight of this year, let alone just for May. I’ve done a small post already on it, but I’ll be posting other posts that go a bit more in-depth about certain aspects of the Convention, like autographs and photo-ops.
Rookie Blue
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I would be as much of a fan as I am of this show. I was just laying in bed one night, just wanting something easy to watch. I stumbled across Rookie Blue, which admittedly has been on my to-watch list forever. The first few episodes took a while to grow on me but before I knew it, I was spending most evenings watching at least a few episodes. I like the fact that the seasons are only around 13 episodes because it doesn’t feel like too heavy an investment. That being said I was very disappointed to find that there is only 6 season. Having just started season 4, I’m not sure I’m ready for it to be over soon. If you’re wanting something that isn’t complicated and is just easy watching, I definitely recommend this!
Duck Tales Mug
I saw this on the Disney Store website a little while ago and fell in love straight away. When I visited Leicester a few weekends ago, I went into the Disney store, but I didn’t hold out hope that I’d find it in there. And lo and behold, there it was, nestled perfectly amongst the other mugs. I just needed it. As luck would have it, there was a 20% off in-store, so really I was saving money. (Well, expect the money I saved I put towards another mug, but we’ll just forget about that!)
A Court of Frost and Starlight
I absolutely loved the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (I promise my review will be up very very soon), but I’ll be honest, I forgot that I’d even pre-ordered A Court of Frost and Starlight. It was a lovely surprise to get the email from Amazon letting me know they’d delivered it. I haven’t read it yet, I think I’m trying to savour it a little bit longer, but I’m almost certain that I’ll get around to it this month and I honestly can’t wait.
Urbanista Earphones
Okay, so I’ve never been very fussed about earphone. Earphones are just earphones at the end of the day. Plus I’m not the sort of person who has a new pair every couple of months, I’d buy a pair of earphones and wouldn’t even think about needing another pair for at least a year. But when I got my new phone, I got these for free and I have to say I’m a fan. I like that I don’t have to plug them in and fiddle with the wire, the battery life on them is really really good, they’re not too big for my ears which is something I find a lot with earphones and it’s really good quality. They do a pair of headphone in exactly the same colour and I’ve been toying with the thought of buying a pair of headphones for a while, so they are definitely on my list.
Home for The Holidays Yankee Candle
Yes this is a Christmas candle, and yes I am aware that it was christmas over six months ago. But Christmas candles are a weakness for me. This is literally Christmas in a jar, and anyone who knows me that I love to make it a little Christmassy year round. The cinnamon and clove mean that my bedroom smells like Christmas for days on end and I love it.
Charlotte Tilbury Bond Girl Lipstick
This was featured in my February favourites and I’ve got a Charlotte Tilbury post going up soon but this is still my go-to lipstick. Even if I’m wearing no other make-up, chucking this on, makes me at least feel like I’ve kinda got my life together. It lasted me well through SPNUK and I can definitely say that will how full on and crazy that weekend was, it really tested the staying power of this lipstick and I was certainly impressed. There was no need for touch up before photo ops, or autographs or after dinner. So this one is going to be a sure favourite for a long time.
SPNUK – My First Convention.
I’m writing this at 7:15am June 5th, and this time last month I was getting ready to meet some of the best people I’ve ever met for breakfast. Doesn’t sound like a big deal right? Of course not, apart from the fact that come 10am, you’ll be not only meeting, but hugging Jensen Ackles while the amazing Chris takes your picture and then running off to a meet & greet with Jared Padalecki. It was a totally normal Saturday. (Spoiler alert – Jensen is as amazing and welcoming as everyone says. I can also say that The Musk is 100% real. And it’s also one of my favourite photos from the whole weekend)
But I guess I should go back to the start. May 4th. When you’ve spent almost 7 month waiting for this one weekend, you can feel a little nervous. Which explains why I was stressing before I’d even got to the train station. I had been hyping this weekend up so much that I started to panic. What if it wasn’t that great? What if it’s just a waste of money? What if the people I’m sharing a room with don’t like me? What if the people I’ve spent the last 6 months speaking to, and who I’m finally going to meet today, don’t like me? Partner that with the fact I was having to make a train journey I’d never made before, and you could say that I was a little on edge.
But I can honestly say, there is not one thing about that weekend that went wrong, or that I would change. Getting to Birmingham was actually a breeze and there was no need to panic. I met the girls who I was staying with and both Danii and Katie were amazing. I hope there are more conventions to come with those two because honestly I couldn’t have asked for better people to stay with for my first convention. Getting my tickets and a few extra’s was easy as pie. (HA pie!) And then it was just a matter of waiting. Waiting for it to actually begin.
Every day of the convention starts with a Welcome from Rich and Rob, and by the time for the Friday Welcome, I was buzzing. And then I was on my way to meet the bunch of girls I’d been chatting to for the last however many months. The girls who I spoke to almost every day, who made me laugh, made me feel welcomed and excitedly counted down the days to this very weekend with me. I was nervous. I always have been meeting new people, the social anxiety just goes through the roof and I would rather be hiding in a corner somewhere. And that’s kind of how I felt. But the minute I saw them, it was gone. No anxiety, no stress, just happy. And I’m pleased to say it stayed like that for the rest of the weekend.
Meeting online friends, I think, can always be a bit tricky. But this wasn’t. These were the girls I’d spoken to almost everyday for months. So there were plenty of huge hugs and big smiles from everyone. We still chat, albeit, it isn’t daily but we check in, get excited about new episodes together and complain about how long we’ve got to wait until the next con! I can honestly say had I not met these girls, I don’t think my weekend would have been half as good! We were a support system to each other, we calmed each others nerves before photos and meet & greets, we ate together, encouraged each other to buy more photo’s that we couldn’t really afford. I can think of no better group of people I would rather have experienced this weekend with.
So we had panels, we had photos, meet & greets, autographs, karaoke and a concert. You really don’t get a much better weekend than that. I will be doing some posts that go more in depth about things like panels and photos, because I have too many words to say about them, but if you’re thinking about doing a Con, whether it’s a last minute one this year, or you’re planning in advance for next year, just do it. Seriously. I had the time of my life and you will too. It’s hard to explain what it is that’s so magical about the weekend, it’s truly something I think you have to experience for yourself!
It’s the people, it’s the actors, it’s Chris, it’s the vendors and the volunteers. It truly is everything. For one weekend you live in this little bubble, surrounded by the most amazing, and accepting people I’ve ever met. I harp on and on about it, but it’s like finding home.
You may not know, or you might considering how much I go on about it. But I’ll be doing VanCon in October and while I am still a little blue about the fact that SPNUK was a whole month ago, I’m very excited that in less to 135 days, I’ll be in Vancouver getting ready for the next Con on my list. So keep your eyes peeled for posts all about planning a Con, photo-ops, meet & greets, as well as keeping you up to date with all my planning for VanCon!
Did you go to SPNUK? Are you planning on going to VanCon? Or are you planning a trip to one next year? Let me know in the comments below!
Feb Favourites
February was a pretty good month for me, I bought tickets to Vancouver, bagged myself a new job and finished a tonne of books. A pretty damn great month if you ask me. So it was quite hard to pick just a few things that I liked the most, but alas I have managed it and as per, there really is a huge array of things.
I’m Going to Vancouver
I feel like this is pretty obvious! Me and a few of the girls who are going to SPNUK in May decided that it would be really fun to all go to the Convention in Vancouver, and suddenly it was an actual thing that was happening. Flights book, room reserved, all I have to do is wait for the convention tickets to go on sale. But how exciting?! I’ll be going for a week so that I can enjoy Vancouver and go sightseeing around the convention. (And no doubt try to see some of the filming sites for the show, because when in Vancouver, am I right?!)
A Court of Thorns and Roses
I finally got around to picking this book up as I’ve had quite a bit of spare time while I’ve been travelling to work the past few weeks, so it took me almost no time to breeze through this book. I absolutely loved which is saying something because these sort fo YA fantasy books aren’t typically my thing. BUt it is written so well and so beautifully. I loved it so much that as soon as I finished it, I ended up ordering the other two books in the series, and pre-ordering the companion novel. This is without a doubt going to be one of my favourite books of this year, if there’s something you must read this year, I would gladly shove a copy of this into your hands. I’m planning on doing a more in-depth review of this at some point so you’ll be able to read all my complete and honest thoughts then.
9-1-1
There have been some great new shows that I’ve been watching, and this is one of them. I’m not sure what I find so appealing about it, I think it’s a mixture of how light it is and how the characters are written. Now don’t get me wrong, if I miss a few episodes I don’t think I’m gonna be that mad about it, and I’d be fairly surprised if it gets picked up for another season, but for right now, it’s a fab choice. If you like medical sort of drama’s and things like that, you will probably like this.
Ocado Gluten-Free Milk Chocolate Chunk Biscuits
Okay, so I have been raving about these biscuits to pretty much anyone who will listen. If you know me, you’ll know that I am a huge tea and biscuits kinda gal. And I’ve been really impressed with most of the gluten-free ones that I’ve tried (and trust me, I’ve tried a fair few), but these are by far the best I’ve ever tried. I think these are the most like a normal biscuit that I’ve found and they are just so delicious. They don’t crumble (that much), they’re a really decent size, (looking at you Tesco, your choc chip cookies are tiny!) and they tend not to fall apart when you dunk them in your tea, which is great news for me. I’ve made my family try them and they agree that they were great biscuits, I’m buzzing to try the rest of them.
The Play That Goes Wrong
I went and saw this show a few weekends ago and I can honestly say that I laughed throughout all of it. It is hilarious and the whole audience was in fits of laughter the whole way through. It’s really hard to explain what makes it so funny without either telling you exactly what happens or explaining it in a way that doesn’t truly show how funny it was, so I just recommend that you go see it. Tickets can go pretty cheap, I don’t think I even paid £25 for mine and the seats were pretty decent!
Olympus Pen E-PL8, Strap and Case.
So I got a new camera at the beginning of January but it hasn’t been until recently that I have had the time to really sit around and play with it and take some pictures. I’m still figuring it out because it’s definitely a bit more intense than my old camera, but I’m loving figuring out all the tricks and things, if anyone has any posts about their own Olympus Pen E-PL8 I’d love to give them a read so make sure to leave a link in the comments. I’m planning on doing my own ‘getting to grips’ post in a couple of months when I’ve had more time to play with it.
Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Bond Girl.
I’ve got a whole post going up about this but I couldn’t not mention it here. This is by far one of my favourite beauty purchases of the year so far. I saw another blogger rave about it and thought that it looked really pretty so thought I’d take the gamble, as I don’t really tend to wear lighter shades as I don’t think they suit my pale skin. But when this came I was super surprised by how stunning the colour was, I have worn this throughout the month and have had so many compliments about it. I’ll be doing a more in-depth review about it in a few weeks so make sure you look out for that.
There is definitely more things that I have loved this month, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate me rambling on and on. Let me know what your favourites of the last month have been in the comments below, or link your own posts if you have them, I’d love to give them a read!
The Road So Far: Gotta Do A Supply Run.
So SPNUK might still be a fair few months away, but I am already planning what I need to pack, and in turn, what I need to buy before the big weekend. This is part need to buy list and part wish list. There are things I’m going to mention that I probably won’t be able to buy due to funds but a girl can dream, and I could win the lottery so who knows! (Although it would probably help if I actually played the lottery once in a while!)
Photo-Op’s
Okay, this is a given. So far I’ve only got a photo-op with Jensen Ackles, but there’s a fair few more I would like to buy. I’d absolutely love to get one with Jared Padalecki as well as both the boys, but there’s the question of whether my bank account will stretch that far as well as them not selling out. There are some that I’m planning on picking up when I get there, like one with Rich, and Rob, plus the full line-up hasn’t even been revealed yet, so who knows who else I’m gonna wanna snag a picture with. I guess I better start saving now. (Since writing this Briana has been announced so obviously once pay-day come’s around I’ll be grabbing one with her for sure!)
Power Bank
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my phone almost 2 years and the battery life on it is still pretty darn good. But no doubt, the weekend is going to be filled with taking quick snaps, uploading them, chatting on social media and all sorts and I really don’t want to get halfway through a day and end up hugging a wall, trying to will my phone to charge quicker. Solution? Power bank. I’ve no idea what sort I need, what brand is good, how much you should spend, so I’m gonna have to do a little bit of researching. If you know of any that you think are note-worthy, let me know in the comments below.
Suitcase
Right, this is still a maybe, if there’s budget and you see one cheap sorta deal. I have a suitcase and I also have a holdall. However, I feel like one is too big while the other is too small. The holdall I could probably make work while the suitcase is a little bit of an overkill, but then if I decide to go crazy at the vendors room, at least I know I’ve got space to bring it home. Decisions, decisions. Like I say, it depends on if I find one nearer the time that isn’t too pricy and smaller than the one I already have, so we’ll see.
SPN Themed Shirts
What exactly does one wear to a convention? Ultimately for me, I’m going for comfort. If it were acceptable to wear your pyjamas, I probably would but alas it is not, so I won’t. Which then begs the question, well what then? My immediate thought was jeans, flannel and boots, I’m sure you understand why. Fortunately, this isn’t at all news to my wardrobe so I feel pretty golden. But I’d like something that’s actually SPN related, because I’m sad like that, okay? Before Christmas I ordered one of Kim and Briana’s Wayward AF tops, and I love it, so I think I’m gonna be going down that route. Try and find some more SPN-ish tops, to wear under the flannel of course. I’d also reeaally like to buy a Loudain Swain top before SNS on Saturday so I can wear it and hopefully get them to sign it, because yes, my fangirl is starting to show and I don’t care.
Wallets for Photos and Tickets
So, this is something that has been advised to me time and time again. Get a folder to put all your tickets in so that they’re all in the same place and you’re less likely to lose them. Plus I think it makes for helping things run a little quicker because you’re not having to root around at the bottom of your bag for your now crumpled ticket. Then we move onto wallets for the Photo Ops, and this is something that Alana from KingBooks talks about. Apparently you can get these at the con but they’re way overpriced, and with the way Creation are going at the moment, you know damn well they’re gonna try to squeeze every penny out of you they can. So like Alana suggests, I’ll be buying a bulk pack and taking my own. Smart move.
Scrapbook
I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I was gonna get the boys to sign. I pondered for ages, found out what others had signed and there were some really good ideas. When I got ‘Family Don’t End With Blood’ for Christmas, my mum suggested I could get everyone to sign their chapters, which is a very nice idea but goes against every fibre of my being when it comes to not writing in books. So if this were what I was going to do, I’d probably have to buy another copy just so that I could have a signed copy to treasure and an unsigned copy to read. I know, I’m crazy. Anyway, I’d toyed with the idea of making a scrapbook, almost coming full circle to wanting to take lots of pictures of everyone and everything, and I was thinking about how nice it might be to have a scrapbook of photo’s I’ve taken as well as photo ops with the autographs in. I’m not sure how well it’s going to work yet, but it’s a semi-formed plan, so we’ll see.
The Road So Far: My Supernatural Collection.
I wont lie, I’m very much a closet fan when it comes to anything I adore. I don’t tend to get involved in the fandom, I don’t buy merch, but not for any particular reason other than I just don’t. But times are a changing people. My very small Supernatural collection I’m hoping is going to continue to grow, because why not invest in the thing that makes you happy, right?
Season 2 and 6 DVD’s
So, I haven’t got around to buying the whole collection and I’m not sorry to say that I probably won’t until the show is finished. (*gasp*, I know how could I even mention such a preposterous idea?!) I’m very particular when it comes to things matching, books, DVD’s, stationary collections, I’m a very matchy person. One of my biggest pet hates is when a book series decides to do a cover change half way through the series, because it means I have to buy all the books I already own with the new cover. So, I’d probably wait until all the season’s were just in one big box and I didn’t have to buy separate one’s to finish the collection. That being said, I do have 2 season’s on DVD. The first actually belongs to my mum, but has since been mixed into my collection of DVD’s so I’m now dubbing it as mine, and the second is season 5 which I brought because that was the season that I finally got caught up to and I just needed to have it when it came out on DVD.
The Essential Supernatural – On The Road With Sam and Dean
Surprisingly, I got this a fair few years ago, when I rediscovered my love for the show. Mostly because it looked cool and books like this interest me because I love finding out what goes on behind the scenes. I’m pretty sure I ordered it from Amazon during a Black Friday sale because it was going quite cheap and I got excited. I’ve still yet to read through the whole thing but that’s what so great about a coffee table book like this, you can just pick it up as and when you please. It kind of bummed me out when I found out that they actually republish it with information on the newer seasons, which makes sense, but I can never justify repurchasing a new books just for the sake of an additional chapter or two. What they should have done is broken it into parts so that it was part of a series as opposed to a new book with 90% of the same information.
Family Don’t End With Blood
I got this for Christmas just gone, and I was beside myself when I opened it. Yes I know, I’m very late to the party, but I don’t care. From what I’ve read so far it’s amazing and everyone raves about it, especially Jared’s chapters. So I don’t want to rush it, I’ve been reading small sections of it when I’m on my own and can really take in everything the book has to offer and it’s honestly the best thing ever. That undeniable feeling of not being alone that you get when you read it, is something that I’ve yet to find so strongly with anything else.
Wayward T-shirts
I saw it, I needed it, I got it. What more can I say? They were in the Stands sale and I just had to have them because I realised there were suddenly all these things I could have had that were awesome if only I’d taken the time to puruse the fandom more, so I decided not to waste any time and just get what I could to make up for lost time. Money well spent, I feel.
Jason Mann’s Album
I’m not sure if this counts, but I’m gonna say it counts. A fair few from the SPN cast sing on it so I think it’s fair. I have listened to this album more times that you would believe, it’s always my go to because it’s such easy listening. (Yes – the fact that Jensen sings on it probably does sway my opinion but anywho!) This album has some of my favourite songs on it and I love that it such a mix of really good tracks. I cannot wait for the new one!
Louden Swain SNS Album
Okay, so truth be told, I’m very new to the Louden Swain situation. In that until about a month ago, I didn’t even know they had their own albums out. So I’ve been given then a listen through and I have to say their live SNS album is my favourite. Yes, I love that they get the cast signing songs, but actually I love that you can hear the raw emotion when Rob is singing as well as how awesome the connection between the band and audience is, every time I listen to it, I get even more hyped for May!
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