Extremely Loud and Incrediby Close

As I sit in front of the fire listening to the loud pops and spits as it sparks and random lumps of coal and log roll out and towards the dog I can’t help but be reminded of a film I recently saw – ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ (no prizes for guessing before the big reveal, I think the subtle hint in the title might have given it away). Based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer, the film follows a young boy scouring the city of New York for clues that he believes his father left him before he died in the collapse of the Twin Towers. The novel is currently top of my Christmas list, and I am seriously considering putting the DVD up there. Thomas Horn playing Oskar Schell is amazing. At only 15 years old, he does well to capture the autistic boy as he strives to feel close to his deceased father. Slightly irritating at first, but he is a character you cannot help but fall in love with. All of the characters are so well crafted, definitely a must see.

Another thing that I have fallen in love with recently is Lush’s lovely Christmas edition face wash – ‘Let the Good Times Roll’. Exfoliating and super moisturising with an amazing smell, it is now my go to cleanser for the season. Good for sensitive skin, I am so sad that they only stock it for the winter months – I’ll probably go back to ‘Angels on Bear Skin’ for the summer months as the only issue I can foresee with using Let the Good Times Roll is that is might be a little too heavy on the moisture for the hot weather.

I’m excited for Christmas early this year. I don’t feel like there has been total overkill for the first time in years; which might be because I’ve not been into an actual shop for a month or so, but still, amazing, because now I am really really excited. Top things I am lusting after include but are not limited to; an Olympus SZ-14 camera, the DVD of Hanna, more make up. And since I’ve been super good this year, I’d really love to find Wah Nails book of Nail Art in my stocking from Santa. I’m sure it would be amazing inspiration, since I’ve been a bit lazy with my nails recently – if anybody could confirm this for me, I’d really appreciate the feedback!

Get Me Some Twigs and a Pen Knife.

Bank holiday weekends are wonderful. I’ve always been in the kind of job that means you don’t get to enjoy them, and makes them worse than regular weekends – but being a student bum has totally changed that. Two bank holiday weekends in the space of two weeks? Magical. I can only hope all of yours are as wonderful as this:I wish I could tell you where it was taken. We started off in Dunster, and ended up in Lynmouth (which is the quaintest, most beautiful seaside town I have ever seen) and this was on a toll road somewhere along the way. When I say toll road, I mean that there was a man stood outside his house in a shed attached to a gate, charging people £2.50 for the privilege. Worth every penny, not only for the amazing scenery, I also got to play with my camera a bit more. I bought an Olympus E-PL1 in November last year, and I have used it roughly 4 times since then. I have made a promise to myself that I will be getting it out more often from now on!

Student loans haven’t quite made it to the bank for all of us, and I am among those – but for those of you shaking your fists at your screens, swearing about tax robbing idlers, I have a job interview tomorrow morning, and trial shifts Saturday, Monday and Thursday. I’m almost excited to be getting back into work again, and I’m certainly looking forward to being less horrifically poor over the summer. Things are always more fun that way! I got my hair cut and coloured this morning, and have spent the last hour or so covered in oats and banana, all in the name of beauty. A close friend has been working at Lush for the last year or so, and I am now officially a convert. I actually think I want to eat my own face a little bit, it smells amazing. I had a slight allergic reaction to a packet face mask a month or so ago, and was recommended their “Oatfix” fresh face mask, which is lovely. My face feels pretty good, and I can’t stop touching it. Please just go and get some? I’d advise leaving any credit cards at home, the staff are pretty good at their jobs, the products speak for themselves and I have no totally rearranged my beauty and cleansing routines around their goodies – but now have no money for the pub.

As it is now after midnight, I ought to mention the royal wedding. Should that be capitalized – “Royal Wedding”? I’m not sure about the correct protocol or grammar in this situation. I hope that I’m not the only one who caught the utterly hilarious mystery guest on Russell Howard’s Good News this evening. William Hanson, international manners and etiquette expert. He comes in about 17 minutes in, so please go and watch it, just to see him squirm. He calls everybody that isn’t titled a”commoner”, and then defends himself as the audience boo by telling them it is the official term. Because officially being a commoner makes it better. I’m a huge fan of Russell Howard, but this is one of his proudest moments, as he becomes the child within himself. Go and watch episode 6 of series 4, please, so you know what I’m nattering on about.