My Travel Bucket List

Hey guys! In this week's blog, I'm going to be sharing my travel bucket list with you. This is only a small list of places I want to visit because there are, of course, hundreds of places I would love to go. Remember to tell me in the comments what your travel bucket list is!

Italy

Italy has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to go to Rome to see the Colosseum. Italy is such a romantic and magical place. I would love to eat real pizza in Rome and see the Colosseum at night, all lit up.

I also want to go to Venice and have a ride on a canal boat down the waterways. I would ideally love to do a tour of Italy, going around all the places I'd love to visit such as Rome, Venice, Naples and Sicily.

Canada

I would love to visit Canada and I've always wanted to go to Banff and see the magical lakes. It's so beautiful, it looks like Photoshop. I would love to go to Toronto and Vancouver as well. Both me and Oliver would love to move to Canada one day. Life's too short to stay in one place.

I mainly want to go to see the wildlife in Banff and all the scenery. I bet it must be a big contrast between the city and countryside there!

Germany

I mainly want to visit Germany just for the Cologne Christmas market! It looks so cosy and cute.

I've also seen that they have some rather unique castles in Germany that I'd like to visit, such as the Neuschwanstein Castle which is also called "The Castle of the Fairytale King." Disney also used it in their fairytale, Sleeping Beauty and the real Disneyland Castle was inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Kenya/South Africa

I want to go to Africa so that I can just go on a Safari trip! I love animals and seeing them in the wild would be a truly wonderful experience.

There's this hotel in Kenya called The Ark which sounds amazing, but extremely expensive, obviously. It's pictured above and you get to see all the wildlife outside!

Japan

I would like to go to Japan, mainly to see all the beautiful buildings. I would also love to find out more about the Japanese culture so seeing a country so different from the UK would be an experience in itself.

I would love to go to Tokyo during the cherry blossom season. It's so idyllic.

Egypt

Egypt is also on my bucket list because I've always been interested in the history and hieroglyphs.

I'd love to visit the Pyramids and ride a camel! What an experience that would be.

Disneyland

I have been to Disneyland Paris, but my aim is to do all of the parks. I had such a lovely time, and even though I hate roller coasters, I really enjoyed the themes and shopping and the overall experience. I had never been as a kid but Oliver took me and we had a magical few days visiting his family and Paris.

For once, this photo is actually mine. I loved seeing the Disney Castle! I hope one day we get to stay at Disneyland overnight and see the fireworks.

I hope you all enjoyed this post; it's something different I rarely do and would love to write about travel more! Please share your travel bucket lists with me, I'd love to get ideas on where to go.

Until next time, love, Vee x

Blogmas: My Favourite Things About Winter

Hey everyone! As it's nearly December I wanted to share some of my favourite things about Winter with you all. Don't forget to let me know your favourite things about Winter in the comments! If you're still missing the Summer, I hope this post reminds you of the good things to come in the Winter season.

My Favourite Things About Winter

• Thick blankets 
• Cosying up with a good book and a cup of tea
• Snow and building snowmen/throwing snowballs
• Hot drinks on cold nights
• Watching Christmas movies with my partner and his family
• Listening to Christmas music in the car on long drives
• Shopping and wrapping (minus the stress and money)
• Onesies and comfy socks
• Log fires
• Christmas craft and baking
• Oversized jumpers
• Going to London at Christmas time
• The smell of cinnamon and pine needles
• Cute outfits
• Decorating the tree and the house
• The general magic feeling I get at Christmas time
• Crunchy, icy leaves 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and it reminded you of some good Winter memories. Until next time, love, Vee x 

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday

Hey guys! So this week's post is a guest post from my wonderful partner, Oliver. He's been on many holidays with his parents and plans all of our holidays together, including our two trips to New York. Here are his top 10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday.

1. Be Realistic

The first thing to do before booking any trip is to be realistic about the amount of money you can afford to spend and your preferred destination. While you cannot afford to go from Europe to America for a holiday from under £300 that could be more than enough to go somewhere remotely closer.

2. Package vs DIY Holidays

Package holidays are where you go to a company or a comparison site and you pick the flights and the hotel through them. Whereas DIY holidays are where you book everything yourself such as the flights, holidays and transfers.

Depending on where you are going either of them could be the best choice. If you are going to a holiday destination such as the Caribbean. Whereas a package holiday could end up costing you a lot more when it comes to visiting a major city such as NY, London or Paris so in that case the DIY option is better.

3. Price Comparison sites

Price comparison sites are a great way to save money as long as you set the right filters. All of the sites can offer better deals depending on where/when and your choice of holiday. My favorite is JetCost which most of the time comes up with the best deals for flights and Hotels.com for the hotel. However, different people have different preferences; my tip is to check out several different ones as well as going straight to the airline/hotel and seeing whether you are getting the best price.

4. Money vs Time

This one is quite important if you are travelling longer distances. If you are travelling ultra long such as London to Sydney then you are going to have no choice but to get connecting flights. However, if you are flying from London to New York there are several ways to go that can be varying prices as well as times. It might cost a lot more to go direct than it will be to stop. You have to weigh up whether it is better to go cheaper and spend less time in your destination or spend a little more and spend more time.

5. The Tuesday Rule

A known fact in the airline industry is that it is always cheaper to book holidays on a Tuesday than on any other day of the week. This is because the weekends are when everyone is able to sit round and talk about it with their families so the price is always the most expensive as well as a Monday because everyone has the weekend hangover and a case of the Monday blues. Therefore, if you do go to book a holiday the best time to do it is on a Tuesday as the airlines start their deals on Tuesdays.

6. Convenience vs Price

When booking a hotel how close it is to the tourist attraction or city it is the more expensive it is going to be. You are paying for the convenience of not having to travel to it. Sometimes it can be more expensive to travel into the city so make sure to do your research. If the hotel offers a free shuttle bus or there is public transportation then you may be better to stay slightly further out and then travel in.

7. Attractions

When you go on holiday everyone wants to see attractions, whether it be museums, art galleries or a theme park. The best thing to do is to do some research to see whether there might be a city pass or if you pay for them in advance or paying for two at the same time can sometimes save you some money.

8. Free Attractions

Before you go make sure you check out some blogs from people who have gone as well as looking at places such as TripAdvisor to check out whether there are any attractions that are completely free. These could be filming locations from one of your favorite TV shows to places that appeared in adverts or just a local park. My favorite free attractions are the owl cafe (Friends building) and the High Line which is an old train line in NYC.

9. Dining

One of my top tips is to check out the local supermarkets and shopping malls that are just outside of the city because you will pay an awful lot less for a fizzy drink than you would if you bought it in the city. You can also pick up some cheap souvenirs for your family and chocolate for yourself in the room.

10. Research

My top tip is do some research months before you want to book a holiday. I have a spreadsheet which has the places I want to go to and then check the prices month from month to see when the cheapest time to book is as well as the cheapest time to go. Then when you have the money to go on a trip you can look at your work and see what you can afford and the best time to go.

Before you set off make sure you have planned and know where everything is so that when you arrive at your destination you aren't blind struck by the location and don't go spending money on taxis you can't afford. This will save you time, money and you will be able to get more out of the location and actually enjoy your holiday and relax.

I hope these tips are helpful to you! Let us know some of your money saving tips. Until next time, love Vee x

Things to Do While in Croatia

Hey guys! I recently went on holiday to Croatia with my partner and his family so I wanted to share my experience with you all. I'll be telling you where we went and what we ate in Dubrovnik, which is where we stayed.

We were staying near the old town in Dubrovnik, which is a beautiful tourist spot. They film parts of Game of Thrones there because it's so medieval looking! We stayed just above Banje Beach where we spent a lot of time swimming. I've never been in the sea before so it was a very strange feeling.

Eating Out and Supermarkets

The currency in Croatia is mainly in Kunas but some places accept euros or cards. Just be aware that there are a lot of expensive places to eat in the old town as this is where the boats come in and it's a top tourist spot. We found a nice ice cream stall in the old town that was fairly cheap at 10 kunas a scoop and it's located right next to the old port.

We also went to several restaurants in Dubrovnik's old town and had some wonderful dishes, including pasta, pizza and burgers (obviously). One place that Oliver and I really liked was Burger Tiger. It was a fast food place which also had seating and served pizza, pasta and burgers. Their chips were delicious! If you want to know more about them, here's their website.

We had several supermarkets around where we stayed, called Pemo which were relatively cheap but probably would have been much cheaper if we had been staying on the other side of the old town.

Days Out

Montenegro

Oliver's parents rented a car for a few days so that we could travel to Montenegro. It's a beautiful place to take photos. We had some lunch in a shopping centre and there's some ruins and a little church that you can walk up to (quite steep). There's also a cat museum (I didn't get to go because I found a kitten and we wanted to take him home, so if I saw more, we would have had to rent a truck and drive them all back to the UK).

The Old Town

I know that I've already mentioned the old town but it is a beautiful place to go in Dubrovnik. With plenty of tours, cosy restaurants and cute book and candy stores, there's something for everyone. Definitely go in Captain Candy which has massive pieces of all types of sweets! The alleyways and buildings are beautiful, especially when lit up at night. We really enjoyed walking around and sitting near the water at the old port when we could.

Lokrum Island

Lokrum Island is just a 15-minute boat ride from the old port in Dubrovnik but costs 150 kunas each which is roughly £20. I wanted to go over to the Island because I wanted to swim in the "Dead Sea" which is a rocky pool situated on the island. It was beautiful but I recommend bringing some sort of swimming shoes as I did cut my foot!

You don't receive a map when you buy the tickets - I took ours from the apartment with us which was extremely handy. But if you don't have a map, don't worry, there are plenty of signs on the Island. We also climbed the very steep hill to Fort Royal, a small building at the top of the Island. We were both so exhausted by the end we had a nap as soon as we got back!

Although the view from the Fort was gorgeous, it was a very tiring day. We did see baby peacocks which were so cute!

I recommend taking snacks with you because the cafes and restaurants are really expensive.

Cable Car

The cable car was about 150 kunas for a return ticket but we only got a one-way ticket and walked all the way back down. It is really rocky and takes at least 45 minutes. It was a really amazing experience to see Dubrovnik from so high up. Just don't buy anything in the gift shop if you don't want to be bankrupt!

There's a war museum at the top as well which tells you all about the fire that happened there.

Don't forget to tell me if you are going to Croatia or have been; I'd love to know what you get/got up to!

Until next time, love Vee x

Favourite Book Covers

Well hello there fellow bookworms. I hope your week is going well! In this week's blog I'm going to be looking at some of my favourite book covers and asking you about yours!

Now, we are always told not to judge a book by its cover but I'm the complete opposite; as I work in marketing, the most crucial thing is a cover, poster, leaflet images etc. If the graphics are rubbish, there's no point in me picking it up. You know the covers I mean with the people on the front like they're from a teen chick flick? Yeah... that doesn't draw me in - it makes me want to run away.

The covers I love are bright with illustrations or interesting pictures. As long as it's creative and colourful, I will pick it up, even if I'm not sure about the story line. I'm going to be sharing the covers and blurbs from some of the books I love. Let's see if you prefer the cover or story line or hopefully both!

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Do I really have to say it? This cover is gorgeous because of the illustration and I'm a sucker for sunsets. Plus, there's a book on the book cover! What more could you want?

Blurb:

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar, where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester, Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

I bought this book because of the blurb but then fell in love with the cover! Needless to say I bought it and can't wait to read about a queen falling for a princess.

Blurb:

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile kingdoms.

But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire--a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden. Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria's formidable warhorses before her coronation and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed. When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit.

As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought--and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more. But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms--and each other.

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

I saw the cover of this book on a fellow Instagrammer's page and fell in love with it and the story. It turned out to be one of my most favourite books I've ever read! And it was outside of my comfort zone which is a big plus. 

Blurb:

Lucy and Gabe meet in New York on a day that will change their lives – and the world – forever. As the city burns behind them, they kiss for the very first time. Over the next thirteen years they are torn apart, then brought back together, time and time again. It’s a journey of dreams, of desires, of jealousy, of forgiveness – and above all, love. And as Lucy is faced with a devastating choice, she wonders whether their love is a matter of destiny or chance.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Obviously this was another impulse buy because of the cover... And I loved the story line too!

Blurb:

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot.

With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad s old costume), Elle s determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons before he was famous. Now they re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob.

As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again? Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. You can read my blog post on Geekerella here. 

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Even though I haven't purchased it yet, I really can't wait to read this. The cover is so pretty and unique and I purely would love it for the photos if I'm honest! Although the story line seems quite interesting.

Blurb:

Marin hasn't spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she's tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that's been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

This cover is cute and modern and everything I adore. I can't wait to get my hands on the hardcover! The story line reminds me of Fangirl and Geekerella so if you have read either of these, it might be a good idea to try this one out.

Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless.

Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called  Monstrous Sea With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community.

Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite book covers are so I can check them out! Until next time, love Vee x

Poetry Review: Pillow Thoughts

Hey guys! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend of relaxing and reading. I recently read Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell and I instantly fell in love with the way she uses her words. It was an impulse buy from Waterstones with my birthday voucher so I took a gamble to see if I liked it, and fortunately, it paid off. In this week's blog I'm going to be reviewing Pillow Thoughts and showing you some of my favourite poems.

My Review

I bought three poetry books recently and Pillow Thoughts was one of them. Pillow Thoughts is broken down into 10 sections including 'If You Are In Love,' 'If You Are Sad,' and 'If You Need A Reason To Stay.' Therefore, you can read them for any occasion and when you are feeling different emotions. I read the entire way through and could relate to so many of the poems - especially the long distance ones. My partner and I were long distance for three years and to read about all the feelings I used to feel, was enlightening. I used to feel so alone and thought the distance would never end.

I also related strongly to the 'If You Need A Reason To Stay' section as this had encouraging poems to comfort me. The way Courtney uses metaphors is beautiful and even if some of the poems seem easy to write, you can still relate to them but you would have never thought to write in that way.

I really enjoyed reading this collection and I'm looking forward to reading Pillow Thoughts II: Healing The Heart. I love modern poetry such as Amanda Lovelace's, Rupi Kaur's and Atticus' work and I think I just found a new favourite poet.

Now I'm going to show you some of my favourite poems from Pillow Thoughts! Let me know in the comments whether you've read it and what you thought!

See you next week. Love, Vee x

An Author Interview with Lisa Williamson

Hey guys! So this week I have a special author interview with Lisa Williamson who kindly agreed to answer a few of my questions. I hope you enjoy her answers!

About Lisa Williamson

Lisa is the author of the book, The Art of Being Normal, which I absolutely loved because it has two transgender characters in who are so different yet so lovely in their own ways. It really reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson! She is also the author of All About Mia and her newest book, Paper Avalanche is out in January 2019.You can read more about Lisa here.

Interview Q&A

What was your inspiration for writing The Art of Being Normal and what part/character was your favourite to write?

I was initially inspired to write about trans teenagers following a two year spell as administrator for the Gender Identity Development Service (the NHS service for young people struggling with gender identity issues) between 2010 and 2012. Having noted a severe lack of transgender protagonists in YA fiction at the time (something which is slowly changing!), I wanted to have a bash at writing something that explored gender identity in a way that reflected the experiences of the young people using the service.

From the very beginning, I wanted to write a book that was about gender identity, but not defined by it, just like the dozens of young people I met. My favourite parts to write were all the horrible bits – the bullying scene and the scene in the woods. I don't know why, but writing really emotionally charged scenes is the most exciting part of writing for me. My favourite character to write was Leo. I loved how gruff yet vulnerable he is.

What made you want to be a writer? Did you know from a young age you were going to write books?

I've always loved stories and from a very early age, I'd make up stories in my head. My first ambition was to be an illustrator and I'd spend hours drawing people and coming up with back stories for them all. As I got older, I developed a love for acting and I sort of forgot about writing for a while! I rediscovered it in my late-twenties when I was temping in offices between acting jobs but it took another six years before I got a publishing deal.

Who is your favourite author/book and why?

I have lots of favourites but one that really stands out is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. It's clever, funny, inventive and beautifully written.

What's your advice for someone going through writer's block or someone wanting to become a published author?

If you have writer's block the worst thing you can do is stare at your notebook or computer screen and wait for inspiration to hit. Go for a walk, watch a film, do a really mundane domestic task, write something totally different - anything that will take your mind off your project. More often than not, the solution to your problem will present itself when you're least expecting it.

My best advice for aspiring authors is to remind yourself it's not a race. I was 35 when I first got published and I know many authors who were significantly older than that. Writing is a craft and it takes time and hard work to figure out your voice and style. If your destiny is to be a writer, it'll happen. Just stick at it and try to have as much fun with it as possible.

Do you have any plans to write more books/series?

I do! My next book, Paper Avalanche is out in January 2019 and I'm currently working on a fourth novel.

If you had to pick a quote that you had to live by, which one would it be?

'Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today' (Jordan Peterson).

Now, this is a fun question I love. You're stranded on an island and you can only pick 3 people and 3 objects/things to take with you. Who and what would you take?

My boyfriend Dylan, the author Non Pratt and my good friend Ash. They're three of the most interesting and inventive people I know. Plus, they're positive thinkers (a handy trait on a desert island!). In terms of items, I'd go for pen and paper (can that count as one, please?), sunscreen (I'll burn to a crisp otherwise), and a hammock.


I hope you all enjoyed this author interview and I'll see you next week! Love, Vee x