March Favourites

It's that time of the month again, time for a monthly faves post. I quite enjoy these posts!
March was a good month for me and I have a few of my favourite things to talk about from this month so let's get on with it!


Books

Valentine Joe by Rebecca Stevens
As you will know from my review of this book I loved it and of course, it's going in this post. My review is here.

50 Ways to wear a scarf by Lauren Friedman

This book is really cute. All the pictures are painted. There are some really looks in this book. I have been trying out some of the ways and they're quite cool. A post will be coming about this!




Music

Your Love is Mine by I AM THEY ~ Everything about this song is so cool. The tune and rhythm are nice. It's happy and bouncy. These words are great too.

Anthem Lights ~ I love this group. Their hymn mashups are amazing.


La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf ~ This song sounds so wonderful, romantic and cafe style. It's really nice to play in the background while you are sipping a delicious hot chocolate. It's in French which makes it even more beautiful.

I'll be with You in Appleblossom Time by The Andrews Sisters ~ Another old one. Even on Spotify, they sound old and crackly. It's so sweet and dreamy! ♥

Movies

The Young Victoria 
Paddington 2
The Well Digger's Daughter 
I will be reviewing these in future posts so look out for those!




Events

A dear, dear friend of ours got married! We went to the wedding ceremony and reception. It was a lovely wedding. I got to take the bridal preparation photos, which was really nice and fun.



Food & Drinks
Not much this month. I ate of course, but I didn't have a favourite thing.




MISC

Thrifted items and decor ~ I have a mini haul post in the works...

Faber-Castell pen ~ It's just simple ballpoint pen, but I have had a trial and error period with many ballpoint pens lately and I think that I 've finally found one that works well.


Quotes

"We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. ""No man can come to me," said our Lord "except the Father which hath sent me draw him."".

A.W Tozer, The Pursuit of God 

Photos I Took

How was your March? What was your favourite thing that happened?

Valentine Joe Book Review

I LOVE this book to itty-bitty bits! *long deep sigh*
From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love this book and it would go on my list of lovable-huggable books. And can we just appreciate this beautiful cover? *heart eyes*
Also, I have never cried whilst reading a book, but when I was finishing the last pages of Valentine Joe, there was salty liquid going down my cheek!

Back Cover Synopsis {from Goodreads}

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Rose's grandad takes her on a trip to Ypres, Belgium, to visit the graves of those who died in the Great War. It's the day before Valentine's Day, but Rose can sense the shattered old city beneath the chocolate-box new. And it seems that it can sense her too. When she goes up to her room that night, she hears the sound of marching feet and glimpses from her window a young soldier on his way to the front line...

The way Rebecca Stevens writes is just what I like from a book. Beautifully simple but yet still explaining the details. The little things. I like that.
"It was an old photograph mounted on yellowing cardboard which looked like it had once been in a frame. As Grandad pushed it across the table towards her, Rose caught a musty smell like old library books. It smelled of the past."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"He looked up and he saw Rose. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment everything seemed to stop. The snowflakes froze in the air and the stars held their breath. Then the boy grinned, a cheeky, familiar grin as if he'd known her all his life, and the picture broke up and time moved on."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rose and Joe were so lovely and perfect (not perfect as in they did nothing wrong but Rebecca created them perfectly). There is a little romance which I think was so sweet and heart-aching.

Cover. As I said before I absolutely love and adore this cover. It was what partly drew me into reading it.
Tommy. A furry friend is always a nice touch to a story! Tommy is a stray dog that wanders the streets of Ypres (Eepra) and befriends Rose.
Again Joe. Joe is one of those lovable, caring, slightly cheeky teens you read about sometimes. He is just so wonderful and friendly. He would make a really good friend.
Inspired by a true story. This makes it even better. Valentine Joe Strudwick was a real person. Born on Valentine's Day, hence the name Valentine. He is buried at Essex Farm Cemetery, near, Ieper, where you can go and put celandines on his grave. (Tell me if you know the reference)

Again, nothing. I loved every word!

As you can probably guess, I am going to force recommend you to read this piece of writing! It is middle-grade fiction but I recommend it mostly to ages 12+ simply because I think those ages would enjoy it the most, not because of any content.

Add Valentine Joe to your Goodreads
Buy Valentine Joe
Author's website

Unfortunately, Rebecca Stevens has only written 2 books, this one and the follow-up, Rose in the Blitz. I soooo want her to write heaps more! Please, pretty please?

GRACE.

I just had to share this quote! Sometimes words like grace are misunderstood or we don't have the best description of what it really means. When I heard this quote, I wrote it down quick smart.
It sums up grace is a sentence! Grace, amazing grace, beautiful grace, wonderful grace, sweet GRACE.

In a dictionary it is described as so (in the context I am talking about):

1. a manifestation of favour, especially by a superior
2. mercy; clemency; pardon

There is also the kind of graceful mannerism. Politeness and such. But that is not what we are talking about now. No. I am talking about the grace God gives. The grace that offers forgiveness. Because we are not perfect, we mess up, we do terrible, unforgivable thing, but He still gives us grace upon grace.

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Acts 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

I hope you liked that and that it gave you a new perspective and understanding of this amazing thing, grace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:2

My Top Favourite Children's Picture Books Growing Up

The other day we were talking and the topic of our favourite picture books popped up. When I was younger, library trips were a weekly occurrence. Each Friday we would go to get a new batch of books.
In all those years while we lived in that location we definitely found some favourites at that library. Some of these are also ones that our grandparents read to us. I know this is a little different but I hope you like it nonetheless.

Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne

I remember this one was an audiobook. It's quite a fun book. Full of bright colours! It's been a while since I read most of these so I can't say a lot about them.

Annika's Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis

I love this one! It's a beautiful Christmassy, warming story with wonderful illustrations. We listened to this one on audiobook too. I remember this book with much fondness. ♥

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

This story was one of my top favourites. I borrowed it from our library often. It's a like a recipe turned into a story. A girl travels all around the world to get the ingredients for an apple pie and sees the sights at the same time.

Maple Syrup Season by Ann Purmell

I remembered the plot of this book but I could not put my finger on the title. I searched for 'maple syrup children's books' on Google and there it was! I really would love to get copies of some of the books on this list to read again and pass on to any children I have! ♥

Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban

We have a few of these books in our home and I think of them with a smile on my face. They are funny, cute tales of a badger who can't spell and her family and friends. Read them! They will make you giggle!

Jody's Beans by Malachy Doyle

This is a book that I asked my grandparents to read to me just about every time we visited them. It's a really cute story with beautiful illustrations. It's all about Jody and how she plants runner beans and how they grow till they're ready to eat. I still love it so much!

Princess Poppy: The Wedding by Janey Louise Jones

All the Poppy books hold a special place in my heart. But these two are the ones I remember especially loving. They are sort of like a series but you can read them in any order. The Fair Day Ball is before The Wedding. The illustrations are so cute and special too.  

Princess Poppy: The Fair Day Ball by Janey Louise Jones

I remember loving the dresses Poppy and Honey had in this book. I played the audio CD that it came with many times when we got it from our library. 

Angelina's Birthday by Katherine Holabird

I loved and still love pretty much all of these books but I chose this one to represent it because I got it for a birthday once. As a young girl, I adored ballet. I took lessons and read these books. They are a signature part of my childhood I still rather like them.

Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman

I think I only read this a couple times but I recall that there was something that I liked about it. Since it has been so long since I read it I don't remember a whole lot. It was about ballet though and like I said before, ballet was an obsession for the little me.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

This is a really cute book and one that all parents should read to their young ones. It's one of those lovely, calming and lovable books that is perfect to read just before bed.

The Glass Heart: a tale of three princesses by Sally Gardner

A top favourite! My Nonna often read this to me when we visited and she still reads it sometimes to my younger sister, though she has given it to us now. It is set in Venice, one of my Nonna's favourite places. She has many books set in Italy. I have always adored this book and I am sure I always will.


Now, these were only my favourite picture books, but I am possibly going to do a post all about my favourite middle-grade/chapter books.

What was one of your most-loved children's picture books growing up?

Happiness in a Bowl of Oats

When the mornings are fresh and cold, when you reach for your cozy socks just as you step out of bed, when your breath turns to a cloud, when you can't feel your nose, when your empty tummy growls...that's when it's time for a bowl of oats.

Serves 1

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup water or milk

a dash of nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cook until all ingredients are combined and the oats have a thick consistency.

Serve with drizzled honey, a splash of cream and sliced banana.

(Or however you like it :))

Maggie's Kitchen Book Review

I was sooo surprised when I received an email telling me that I had won this book via the Goodreads giveaway I had entered.
It took about 5-6 weeks to arrive. When my sister handed me a parcel addressed to me, I was thrilled. And what did I find inside? Not 1 but 2 books. Yes, they sent me another book, an advanced copy no less! Elanor's Secret by Caroline Beecham, due to release in May 2018.

Back Cover Synopsis

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When the Ministry of Food urgently calls for the opening of British Restaurants to feed tired and hungry Londoners during the Second World War, Maggie Johnson is close to realizing a long-held dream.

But after struggling through government red-tape and triumphantly opening its doors, Maggie's Kitchen soon encounters a most unexpected problem. Her restaurant has become so popular with London's exhausted workers, that Maggie simply can't get enough supplies to keep up with demand for food, without breaking some of the rules.

With the support of locals, and the help of twelve-year-old Robbie, a street urchin, and Janek, a Polish refugee dreaming of returning to his native land, the resourceful Maggie evades the first threats of closure form the Ministry. As she fights to keep her beloved Kitchen open, Maggie also tries desperately to reunite Robbie with his missing father, as well as manage her own family's expectations. Ultimately, she can no longer ignore the unacknowledged hopes of her own heart, and the discovery that some secrets have the power to change everything.

The new aspect of the war. I had never heard of the British Restaurants and all that before so it was interesting to see what that was like. 

All the main characters were wonderful and fun. Maggie, Robbie, Janek, Eliza, Rose, and Tom. I am thinking of doing a dream cast for this book. 

Writing. It kept my attention, it was descriptive enough to be interesting, and there were parts that had me smiling to myself.

The War Cookery Leaflet snippets at the beginning of each chapter were a cool touch to the book. Here's an example:
POTATOES SAVE SHIPPING:
Potatoes, which are home-grown, give us the same king of energy-food as cereals, which are imported. Eat them in place of bread and other cereals wherever possible, and you help save shipping space. - Ministry of Food, War Cookery Leaflet No.3
The Ending was satisfactory!
Clean Content. Though it was a non-Christian book. It was extremely clean. No sexual content. Not one kiss except a kiss on the hand which I think is quite sweet. And the romance, in general, was a very minor part of the rest of the story.

Ummmmmm.............................................................what's not to like? There was nothing I didn't like!

Add Maggie's Kitchen to your Goodreads
Buy Maggie's Kitchen
Author's Website

I totally recommend this delightful book to anyone. Ages 14+ would enjoy it best.
Let me know if you enjoy it too!

Another Period Drama Tag

I feel like I can't say 'another' period drama tag because I never did the '1st' one. Anyway, I was tagged by my fellow blogger, dear follower and fellow lover of period drama, Elanor. Elanor writes her musings on her blog. She also created this tag. Thank you, Elanor for tagging me! Now on to my answers!


1. What was the most recent period drama you watched? Share what you thought of it.

Jane Eyre. I watched it with my mum. It was.......not what I expected. I expected it to be a bit like an Austen movie. I was wrong to expect that. I liked it but it was sad and a little gloomy. 

2. Do you generally prefer period dramas in the form of a movie or TV series/mini-series? Why?

I really don't mind as long as it's a good period drama!



3. What is your favourite musical period drama?

Singin' in the Rain! Love, love, love it so much. It's the perfect movie to brighten any rainy day!
(The Sound of Music too! It is such a classic! It's truly lovely and I can remember watching it a lot when I was younger and singing all the songs).

4. Read the book first or watch the movie first?

I have normally watched most period dramas before reading their book. Not actually making the decision to but we just end up watching it and then I'll most likely want to read the book. Also, I've been wanting to use this photo for so long!

5. What valuable life lesson have you learnt from a period drama?

What a deep question Elanor! Um, Cake is my one weakness!

6. Which period drama hero would you be likely to fall in love with in real life?

Henry Tilney ♥ Partly because JJ Field plays him in the movie but also because I love his character. He is so gentlemanly, kind and respectful! All things I admire.

7. Do you ever like to binge-watch a period drama series?

Would I like to? YES. Am I allowed to? No.

8. What things go best with watching a period drama?

My family, a mug of something hot, something sweet to eat and a cold night. But these could go with any movie.

9. Which period drama do you think you would fit into best?

Call the Midwife I think. I consulted my mum and siblings and they agreed! I like the fashion around then and all the characters are so lovely! (I was so shipping Jenny and Jimmy but it was not to be I suppose)

10. If you could have any period drama character for a best friend, who would it be? And why?

Lady Rose would be such a fun bestie! We could borrow each other's clothes(I do love her clothes so much, except the first dress you see her in. Remember that one?), go dancing, talk over some tea, have fun with friends. We are both social people and so we would go well together!

11. Show us a picture of a period drama costume you wish you wear in real life.

THIS DRESS! Soft, rosy, flowy, sparkly, perfect! I love a lot of Lady Rose's wardrobe. ♥


12. Are there any period dramas you like to watch during a particular season or holiday?

No, anytime is good for any period drama. Though I would like to watch the Downton Abbey Christmas Finale each December!

13. Which period drama has your favourite soundtrack?

The Call the Midwife soundtrack makes me smile! And The Light Between Oceans soundtrack is beautiful!


14. Dream cast your favourite actor and actress in a period drama of your choosing; tell which parts they would play and why.

Ooh, this is such a hard question! After some thought, I decided to cast Abbie Cornish and Michael Fassbender in Emma. I love Ramola Garai and the others in Emma but it's the one period drama I don't mind re-casting. The actors I chose are not my absolute favourites either but I thought they could pass as Emma and My Knightley.

15. Are there any period dramas you like more than one version of?

Not really. Either I have only seen one version or I only liked the one version.


16. What are the top three period dramas that you haven't seen on your to-watch list?

Breathe, The Man Who Invented Christmas and Victoria S2!


17. Show us a picture of your favourite period drama hairstyle.

Another Downton Abbey answer! I'm sorry but it is one of my favourite period dramas ever!
Lady Sybil has gorgeous hair and I love this hairstyle.


18. What was your favourite wedding in a period drama?

As much as I wanted to say Mary & Matthew's wedding, Amy & Arthur's wedding was also long-awaited. It made me so happy to see them so happy at last!


19. What is your favourite biographical period drama?

A United Kingdom. I love stories, true or fictional, about the whole coloured situation. I have got the book of this but haven't read it yet. This movie is done wonderfully. They are an amazing couple!
And Belle! ♥♥♥

20. Which historical novel will you forever recommend to anyone and everyone?

I keep saying how I NEED to re-read this book! I do recommend to ALL who read this post and those who do not. (Also, Little Women is a must read for every girl ♥)

Well, that was jolly fun! Some hard questions but nevertheless, fun! Thank you again, Elanor.
I do not know who to tag as most of the other bloggers I know have already done this tag.

I tag:
Any of you who have not done it yet!