I'm back. But just to leave this right here.

Smile :)

"Smile" is a song based on an instrumental theme used in the soundtrack for the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. This song was composed by the wonderfully talented Charlie Chaplin - I've mentioned him in one of my older blogs.

The version I love is that from Michael Jackson. The lyrics are there to tell the listener to basically cheer up, because there is always tomorrow. The message is to just smile. Nat King Cole also has a lovely version of this song - he was the original singer for this song.



Just a little something for when we may be feeling blue.

Have a lovely evening.

Lisa

p.s - Please check out some of Charlie Chaplin's silent movies. They are fantastic. Simple they may appear, but there is such a deep and meaningful message behind each of his films. My favourites would be 'The Kid' and 'Modern Times'



I actually have this poster in my room :)

Anniversary of The RMS Titanic

Good afternoon. Hope the Easter Holidays are being thoroughly enjoyed!

I'm sure many of you who have watched the news lately have heard about Titanic Belfast; the new tourist attraction which aims to tell the story of the RMS Titanic. I have always been interested in the story of the Titanic.




Ever since the big blockbuster I've been reading many articles and facts about what actually happened that dreadful night. There are so many questions of 'what if?' and 'who was to blame?', that I think it is fair to say that no-one will really truly know what happened.

I hope to visit Titanic Belfast in summer. It'll be £13.50 well spent! Although, I am a little bit disappointed that the construction of the grand staircase within the building is not part of the tour itself. This is not part of the tour as it is only open to business 'class' when they hire that particular area for a function. It's a shame that there is still a little bit of class division going on. The grand staircase was the thing I was most looking forward to on my future visit.




I know this wasn't a real part of the story, but I absolutely loved the movie and adored 'The Heart of the Ocean' necklace, worn by Rose. I had to buy a replica! Here it is :)



Anyway, just a short post today. As soon as I've visited the museum, I'll give you my verdict on here.

Good day,

Madame Norrby

A (war) Poet everyone should know about

One of my favourite poems, by my favourite war poet: Siegfried Sassoon

Counter-Attack

We’d gained our first objective hours before
While dawn broke like a face with blinking eyes,
Pallid, unshaved and thirsty, blind with smoke.
Things seemed all right at first. We held their line,
With bombers posted, Lewis guns well placed,
And clink of shovels deepening the shallow trench.
The place was rotten with dead; green clumsy legs
High-booted, sprawled and grovelled along the saps
And trunks, face downward, in the sucking mud,
Wallowed like trodden sand-bags loosely filled;
And naked sodden buttocks, mats of hair,
Bulged, clotted heads slept in the plastering slime.
And then the rain began,—the jolly old rain!

A yawning soldier knelt against the bank,
Staring across the morning blear with fog;
He wondered when the Allemands would get busy;
And then, of course, they started with five-nines
Traversing, sure as fate, and never a dud.
Mute in the clamour of shells he watched them burst
Spouting dark earth and wire with gusts from hell,
While posturing giants dissolved in drifts of smoke.
He crouched and flinched, dizzy with galloping fear,
Sick for escape,—loathing the strangled horror
And butchered, frantic gestures of the dead.

An officer came blundering down the trench:
‘Stand-to and man the fire-step!’ On he went...
Gasping and bawling, ‘Fire-step ... counter-attack!’
Then the haze lifted. Bombing on the right
Down the old sap: machine-guns on the left;
And stumbling figures looming out in front.
‘O Christ, they’re coming at us!’ Bullets spat,
And he remembered his rifle ... rapid fire...
And started blazing wildly ... then a bang
Crumpled and spun him sideways, knocked him out
To grunt and wriggle: none heeded him; he choked
And fought the flapping veils of smothering gloom,
Lost in a blurred confusion of yells and groans...
Down, and down, and down, he sank and drowned,
Bleeding to death. The counter-attack had failed.

Siegfried Sassoon 1886 - 1967

Off I Go!

Evening all!

Just a teeny post to tell you that there will not be any more posts for about 2 weeks (maybe less), because I'm off to Brighton tomorrow. Got last minute (vital) things to do (charge phone and iPod) I'm super duper excited! Early start tomorrow- yawn. One of these days I'll be able to afford someone to escort me wherever I want in the world, via private jet. A girl can dream...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the holidays (wherever you may (or may not) be jetting off too). Be careful, and pack your suncream! :P



Byebye,
Lisa X

Monday Evening Ramblings...

Heya. I hope you are all well. I wish I could say I hope you're out enjoying the weather but no :( Go away rain! Grey skies are only acceptable in winter. I've just about finished my packing for my holiday to Brighton! Yay :)

Anyway, this post is not focusing on anything in particular.

I had a look of my collection of unread books to take away with me. There is nothing more boring than sitting in a bus station/airport with nothing to do, so I always make sure I have a book or a magazine with me. It makes the time fly!

Anyway, I've decided to read 'Fatherland', written by Robert Harris. Basically this is about what might have happened if Hitler had won the war. There is murder and investigation (which as you all know, is my cup of tea!). Looking forward to getting stuck into it :D Once I've finished reading it I'll post about it. There is also a movie but obviously I'll read the book first.



I plan on travelling to American next year so I need to gather a good list of books to read on my way there, and while I'm there! Does anyone have any books the would like to recommend? Just comment below and let me know :) I would appreciate it.

During this (kinda crap) weather, if you find yourself bored at some point, I recommend you watch Paranormal activity. I did not watch this when it was actually released. I was never into the whole 'ghost thing'. I only watched it a couple of weeks ago and I was really surprised! It was excellent and what is even more impressive is that it actually scared me (not the easiest thing to do). So yeah, I'd definitely say watch it!



Well, this was just a rather short post, but you know, the soaps are calling me :D (ha). Be sure to check back again tomorrow.

Take care,

Lisa. X

Things I'm loving at the moment.

Good evening all. I'm currently watching Come Dine With Me. God, some people on that show need a kick up the back-side! Anyway, my post is not on CDWM. I'm basically just going to list a number of things that I really am loving just now. I'm sure there would be more, but these are the things that initially spring to mind. Please read on if you're interested :)

Oh, by the way. This is more of a good read for girls. (Sorry guys- but the first thing on the list may interest you, so keep reading if you please :D)

1) The Death List, written by Paul Johnstone.

The was a book I picked up at Morrison's. Only £2.99 so quite a bargain! In a nutshell: protagonist, author Matt Wells has been dumped by his ambitious and professional City-working wife, his uppity literary agent and finally, his publisher; but he has one fan of his novels who remains in contact via email. The Devil has appreciated his historical novels, more than most, but he also has another reason for staying in touch with Wells. This fan likes crime fiction and wants to make it real, first picking off from his own "Death List" and then working on what he perceives as Wells's own revenge "Death List". He very cleverly enrolls Wells in his killing endeavours, with no obvious way out. It becomes a game of cat and mouse with Wells implicated as an accomplice, where the Devil has Wells writing his story.



This book is excellent, and if you like blood, guts and investigation then this book is for you. It's a gorefest. If you do happen to buy this book, let me know what you think of it :)

2) My (gorgeous!!) Pandora bracelet

My lovely boyfriend bought this for me at Christmas. I've wanted one forever but I knew my purse would never be deep enough to afford one. So, this was an amazing surprise! I love how personal the bracelet is, reflecting what you like, hobbies, personality etc. Also, it goes with EVERYTHING. My other bracelets have been neglected ever since I put the Pandora on my wrist. I just do not want to take it off! I'm glad my boyfriend has elegant taste :)


3) Johnson's Baby Wipes

Why? Well for starters they are VERY cheap. I used to buy make-up wipes all the time which cost around £4 for only 20 make-up wipes. Whereas with Johnson's Baby wipes you get 64 for only £1.50. They smell lovely and they are also a lot better for your skin. There are no harsh chemicals in them, which is good news if you happen to have sensitive or dry skin (I sound like an advert). I would definitely recommend them. After all, it is always good to look after the pennies.



4) Rimmel Lash Accelerator

One word. Amazing. This mascara really does accelerate your eyelashes. It is definitely the best mascara that I have ever purchased (and I've tried a lot). I already have quite long eyelashes, but this makes them even longer which is great! This mascara is a little pricey. £8-9. But I really do feel that it is worth the money. So girls,if you have long or short eyelashes, this stuff will do wonders. Treat yourself ;)



5) JVC Earphones

I spotted these (once again) in Morrison's. I needed a new pair so I decided to try them. They were only £5 so I was not expecting the greatest quality, yet I was not prepared to spend £40 on a pair elsewhere. Verdict- To my amazement, they were excellent! The sound quality was really good. They are also quite comfortable to wear. I find some earphones can irritate my ears and cause some pain. Not with these though. They come in a variety of colours. I decided to go for a kind of dark colour. White earphones are difficult to keep clean and I don not like that grubby look. So my point, save yourself money and purchase these. Chip as chips with great sound quality.



6) Crystal Necklace

This necklace is absolutely beautiful. My mother bought this necklace for me :) I love how simple, yet elegant it is. Perfect for wearing with a black dress for dinner or a cocktail night. This will be for special occasions only. This definitely is not a 'wear-everyday' necklace. I'm sure every girl has jewellery only to be worn for certain days. I love crystal/diamond jewellery. When it hits the light it looks marvellous, which is even better if it is for a romantic evening out. Wearing some sparkle can make you feel like a princess.



7) Notebook

This was a Christmas present from a very good friend of mine. I always like to have some kind of notebook with me in case I need to jot some things down, such as things I need to remember/do etc (which is why I always carry a pen with me as well). I love how feminine this notebook is :)



Anyway, that is just a short list of things I'm loving/using at the moment. In weeks to come I will have an updated post on other things I am using. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it in some way helpful.

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take care all,
Byebye.

Lisa X