February in Pictures

1. Girls' Night at the Full Monty

The Full Monty show is a doing a UK tour at the moment, and arrived at our local theatre last week. The girls from work and I have had tickets for ages, and we've been all been looking forward to it. I was a bit unsure about what to expect from the night. I've seen the film, but wasn't quite sure how the show would come across. It was far better than I'd ever imagined. Definitely a good show for a girls' night out.

2. Broadchurch

The first series of Broadchurch was amazing, I was addicted to every episode. I wasn't quite sure how the second series would follow on from such a dramatic ending, but it was brilliant. I'm now excited for series 3.

3. Post Exam Haul

I passed my exam! Therefore I needed a celebratory shopping trip. Read about my haul here.

4. Starbucks

This month was a time for treats. Starbucks to celebrate my last day of college and to calm pre-exam nerves.

5. I ran 3k!

This may not seem impressive to some people, but I don't know if I've ever ran 3k before. I'm building up to 5k and should hopefully manage it within a few weeks.

Sarah x

Film Review: If I Stay

Wow! Where do I begin? When this film was released in the cinema I'd heard a lot of good reviews, but hadn't really spent the time to research into what it was. I got The Fault in Our Stars DVD for Christmas and as I was skipping through the trailers before it started one came up that caught my eye, and I stood in the middle of my living room fixed to the TV until it ended. I instantly went and ordered the DVD so I could watch it. I'm so pleased I did.

The film follows Mia, a high school girl with an amazing musical talent. She meets Adam, a high school senior with a promising music career ahead of him, and they fall into an amazing relationship. Before you get the chance to learn much about Mia's life, family, and relationship, there's a serious car crash which Mia and her family are involved in.

The story follows Mia in the aftermath of the crash. She's stuck in limbo as she watches her family being taken to the hospital, fighting for their lives, debating whether she should stay on Earth or move into the light. As it progresses you get to learn a lot more about Mia, her life, her relationships, and how everyone around her feels at the thought of loosing her.

The cast is perfect for this film. Mia and Adam have amazing chemistry, and their lives come across as so ordinary and normal. Their lives and relationship could be happening to any normal teenager.

I'm struggling to find the words to express how amazing this film is. It is so emotional, I cried throughout, I'm left feeling a bit empty in side, but I would quite happily press play on the DVD remote and watch it all over again.

It is, without a doubt, one of the best films I ever seen.

Sarah x

Post Exam Shopping Haul

To celebrate passing my latest CIMA exam I took myself on a little trip around town and decided to treat myself to a few new purchases.

Shoes - Debenhams £20

These shoes caught my eye with their lovely pattern. My mum described it as animal print, I thought of it more as an aztec pattern. Either way, they look lovely. I'm hoping they'll be comfortable too.

Bare Foot Lotion and Cream - £3 each

I love love love love these products. They smell gorgeous! After only a few uses I can definitely see the benefit of these. Hoping to post a review very soon.

Smashbox Makeup - £17 to £28

After it was pointed out to me that my face was becoming very shiny from my makeup, I've been on the hunt for new makeup, particularly a new foundation, that would stop the shininess. Since reading Dominique's Smashbox Liquid Halo Foundation Review at the weekend, I decided to pay a visit to the Smashbox counter in Boots and see what they had to offer.

From chatting to the helpful assistant and testing out a few different products, I came away with the Liquid Halo Foundation, BB Cream Concealer and Finishing Powder. Lets see how well I get on with these!

MUA Eyeshadow Palette and Bronzer - £1 to £4

I've heard a lot of good things about MUA, and not wanting to spend a lot of money on eyeshadow, I decided it was time to give this brand a go. The palette has a perfect range of light shades that are going to be perfect for every day, or for nights out. The bronzer, was a complete spur of the moment purchase, but for a £1 I can't really go wrong.

I may have gone a little overboard celebrating passing just this one exam....when I'm finally qualified I dread to think how much I'll spend as a celebration.

Sarah x