April Favourites

Hello darlings!

As you might already know, I have changed my posting day to Wednesday so I think I'll try to post  my monthly favourites on the last day of the month or thereabouts. We'll see how this new schedule works out.

This month was mostly spent at home with our country in lockdown. But it was a good month for me.
I did did a bunch of projects and cooking/baking.
This autumn has been amazing so far, so many sunny days. For more Autumny content, read my last post! 


So let's hop right in to my April favourites!


BOOKS 

I have a lot of books on the go at the moment and I finished a few during the month of April.
~ Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar
~ The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
~ The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel

I enjoyed all of these books but I think Daughter of Rome would be my favourite out of the three.

MUSIC & PODCASTS

I have been listening to a lot of music this month. I'll leave some of my favourite playlists/songs below.

~ slow playlist

~ Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

~ STILL by Rend Collective

~ Jesus, Strong & Kind by CityAlight

~ Cool with Being Crazy by Willow City

MOVIES

The Chosen : The Series

This is honestly THE. BEST TV. SHOW. I have ever seen! You have to watch it!
It is a Jesus show but unlike any other screen portrayal of Jesus' life we have ever seen. The Chosen brings out Jesus' humanness, Jewishness and loving kindness in such a touching way, it's incredible.
We get to see his miracle and ministry as it takes of in Season 1 through the eyes of those who witnessed it, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Andrew and the rest.
Season 1 is available for FREE on YouTube right now or you can stream it for the app. But do yourself a favor and watch, will you?


FASHION & BEAUTY

This month I have been enjoying getting out my woolly knits and wearing them when the weather gets cooler.
I also have loved this skirt and the autumn vibes it has!

Let me know in the comments what your favourite movie or TV show was this month!

keep blooming,

March Favourites

Hello darlings!

Its hard to believe that I haven't done a monthly favourites post since November!
January and February to me felt like they were really long but also because we were busy, time went by very quickly it seemed.
March has felt like it has gone on forever but finally April is around the corner.

I am very excited to get back into sharing my monthly favourites with you.
So lets dive into March!


BOOKS

My focus for my reading this year is not how many I can read but just to enjoy reading go through them at a slower pace so as to get the most out of them.
So this month I finished a total of three books.

~ When God Calls the Heart: Devotions from Hope Valley by Michelle Cox & Brian Bird
~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett {reread}
~ I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I can't pick a favourite and I will tell you why.
When God Calls the Heart was a nice devo but not my favourite. The Help is a favourite book of mine and I reread it this month so it doesn't really count as a new favourite.
Now, I Capture the Castle is a book that I can't quite pin how I feel about it. I enjoyed reading it though. You can read some of my thoughts on it here.

MUSIC & PODCASTS

~ Q + A | Get To Know Me Harvest Work Ep. 3

~ Good and Gracious King by CityAlight

~ Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach

~ Slow Down Playlist by Kaetlyn Kennedy

MOVIES

Jumanji: The Next Level

I was surprised at how much I like these movies!
They are quite funny and the adventure is thrilling to watch. I went and saw it in the cinema with my siblings and some friends (we snuck our own drinks in too!).

I haven't actually watched many movies lately so that is all I've got!


FASHION & BEAUTY

~ I am loving wearing cosy clothing as the weather gets colder! There will definitely be some autumn/winter fashion post coming soon...

~ These clips and sunglasses have been some favourite accessories of mine this month.

Talk to me!
What was you favourite movie you watched this month?


keep blooming,

November Favourites

Hello darlings!

2019 is wrapping up fast and Christmas is right around the corner!
Believe me when I tell you I am really excited for the Christmas season, for many reasons(one of which you will see later this week right here on my blog!).

But that is a different post for another day, today I am wrapping up November with my favourites of this month.
I found a bunch of fun things this month that I enjoyed and I cannot wait to share them with you.

So without further ado, here are my November favourites!




BOOKS

My reading went much better this month, partly because I am frantically trying to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge.
• Sweet Dreams (Christy Miller #11) by Robin Jones Gunn
• A Promise is Forever (Christy Miller #12) by Robin Jones Gunn
• Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess (graphic novel)
• The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo (reread)
• Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal
• In My Father's House by Ann Rinaldi
• Princess Sylvie by Elsa Beskow (children's picture book)
• The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel

I think my favourite reads from this month would have to be both the Christy Miller books and In My Father's House (link to review).

MUSIC & PODCASTS

• My Soul Be Satisfied by Selah
I found this song at a time when I really needed this month and it became a prayer from my heart. It's just beautiful.

• He Will Hold Me Fast by Keith & Kristyn Getty
I listened to this before my quiet time this morning and I just think it a lovely song of assurance and truth. I'll put it here so you can give it a listen.

• God So Loved by We The Kingdom
This is one of those happy, fun songs that makes the perfect summer jam!



MOVIES

My family watch a whole lot of series this month. From Victoria S3, Poldark S5 Finale, and When Calls the Heart S6.

I can't pick a favourite out of them. I did rather enjoy Victoria though (except for the whole footman-has-affair-with-married-duchess plot).
I just can't get enough of Victoria's scrumptious dresses!

FASHION & BEAUTY

• My new jumpsuit which I showed you in my recent thrift post.
I wore it three times in one week and I love it!

• Bunny ear scrunchie
My mum got this for me and I love it so much. It looks so cute on a bun!

That pretty much sums up my November!
This month we have had some very hot summery days which have made me very happy.

keep blooming,

Holiday & Christmas Haul

Hello, darlings!
I trust you all had a relaxing and special Christmas time, I sure did. My family all got together on Christmas Eve, shared a yummy meal, exchanged gifts and had a wonderful evening.

I thought in today's post I would share the things I was blessed with this Christmas and also the bit and pieces I picked up while my family was on holiday(or vacation as some of you might say!).

So while we were on our family holiday I splurged a bit...

(Left) 1. I found Season 2 of Downton Abbey while browsing a second-hand shop and I was thrilled because I already own Season 1. I wonder if I could collect it all from thrift shops...
(Center) 2. I couldn't resist this pretty pink notebook with gold detailing and it was cheap sooooo...
(Right) 3. I wanted to find a planner to help organize my school better so I found this pretty one which I love because there is a good amount of space for each day.

Sometimes you've got to treat yourself and get some nice beauty products! 

This strawberry body butter is heavenly and I can't wait to smell like a sweet berry this Summer.

I got some pens that I needed too, but I won't bother showing those. I just bought them because I noticed that I really don't have many and that a few to add to my pencil case wouldn't hurt!

Top: Another thrift shop find! My dad is a locksmith so when I saw these studs, I knew I had to get them.
Middle: I once saw earring very similar to these in a period drama (The Crown, Victoria or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and fell in love with them. Then I found these, in an art deco shop which was full of period style pieces, accessories and trinkets.
Bottom: This cute pin was a last minute purchase that I picked up while waiting at the counter and I love it. It is a geometric fantail, a native bird to New Zealand which I love.

Aren't these bookmarks adorable? I think so, and they are practical too. I am using them both in my Bible and in the books I'm reading.

Last but not least, I bought a bunch of postcards (these aren't even all of them) to stick in my holiday journal and use in my room.

C H R I S T M A S   G I F T S

I was given some lovely girly beauty/jewellery items, to begin with! The earrings are from my auntie who runs a small business called Happyful. I have worn them a lot already.

I'm pretty sure that when I opened this present I was beaming from ear to ear! I have been really enjoying  Audrey's movies lately and her style, so I am pumped to have this beautiful book. (Thanks Anna!)

This section is featuring pictures from How to Steal a Million, which is one that I really liked!

I am so excited to read through this sweet looking devotional! My dear Nonna gifted me this book as well as this other one...

I have already started reading this book and I am liking it so far. The writing style reminds me a teensy bit of The Book Thief. It has been a while since I've read anything historical of WW2 so I am curious to see how this one will turn out.

My brother said in his Christmas card that I had been fairly good this year and so out of the kindness of his heart he got me this present! Okaaay......
I love his sense of humour!

It makes me so happy to get clothes! The sleeves of this shirt are really cool and it looks quite cute tied up in the front.

And last but not least I have this stylish tee from my aunt.

I have already worn it a lot this week. Its soft, feminine and I love the cut of it!

I feel so grateful and blessed to have received these lovely things!

What did you get for Christmas that you are most excited about?


xoxo
Hannah

"Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings."

Dreamy!

How does one put into words all a review of a movie when they love it so much they have no words?
This is my dilemma right now. You see, after seeing the 2007 adaptations of Mansfield Park I decided that it wasn't my favourite JA story. But after watching this one, I LOVE IT!

I'm trying to figure out how to go about this review, I suppose I'll just begin to chat about what I loved about it(well, technically ALL of it was my favourite but that goes without saying!).

First of all, there are two quotes which I loved and stood out to me as I watched:
1. The title of this post, "Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings" (- Fanny Price). It's soooo true though! Sometimes life does feel like that. When I heard it, I went back instantly so I could save it.
2. "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time" - Edmund Bertram
Is this not one of the loveliest quotes you have ever heard?

♥♥♥

Next thing I want to point out is how many of the cast I recognized. I love it when that happens, and usually one of the actors/actresses are from Downton Abbey!
For instance, in Mansfield Prak, there was: Johnny Lee Miller (Mr Knightly in Emma), Lindsey Duncan (only seen her in a Poirot movie, but still..), Victoria Hamilton (Ruby Pratt in Larkrise to Candleford & Queen Mother in The Crown), Charles Edwards(Michael Gregson from Downton) and last but definitely not least........Hugh Bonneville(who I'm sure you know...*whispers, "Downton"*) played the very cringy Mr Rushworth. I mean look.......(ugh, that hair!)...

On the right

Moving on, I love Fanny and Edmund. Together, obviously but also as individuals. Fanny is a perfect mixture of a person who enjoys reading but is also intelligent and doesn't have her head in the clouds like some heroines who read a lot. She's not full of airs from being partially brought up in more upper-class society, even when she returns to her lower class family for a time.

The carriage scene!!!! My ♥!

Edmund and Fanny have a sort of brother/sister relationship, to begin with, but that grows into something more over time as they get older. Edmund is a good sort. 

He is sensible, friendly and loyal.

I was a bit annoyed at his attentions towards Mary Crawford, but that didn't go far when Edmund realised Mary's true colours and character.

Overall, Fanny and Edmund have are a sweet couple and the fact that they spent a big part of their childhood together makes it sweeter!

~

Meh.

Naturally, I did not take a liking to Henry Crawford. Though I do think that I much prefer this actor for Henry Crawford than the actor in the 2007 adaptation.
Mary Crawford was also not my favourite, to say the least. I was glad when Edmund was no longer interested in or engaged to her. I also like this actress better than in the other movie although they look strangely similar.

Love this picture, it's so dreamy and pretty!

Of course, the setting and style of the movie were lovely! The Regency period style was less gorgeous than say...the Victorian and Edwardian era(where the dresses are sumptuous and amazing!) but I still loved all the feels from that time period.

Though I have not read the novel, I do believe that Frances O'Connor played Fann marvellously. I like it when actresses aren't drop dead gorgeous but naturally beautiful and the simple makeup style helps. 

~

Again, despite me not having read any of Jane Austen's main 6 novels right through. if the movies depict her stories right, it seems to me that Austen had an incredible talent for casting her characters. She always has such a wide range and so many of them!

I love Fanny's little window desk nook.

This adaptation vs. the 2007 version is a perfect example of how it the story(portayed in a movie) can be great or not so great based on how it is presented. I for many reasons didn't enjoy the 2007 one as much. I thought that Mansfield Park(the storyline itself) was nit interesting and a bit dull. A lot of moping around until Edmund sees clearly and realises he is in love with Fanny. Whereas this version was utterly lovely and sweet!
(Hope I didn't lose you just there!)

I really liked this outfit of hers!

So that, my darlings, is most of the thoughts I could compose together about this wonderful movie.
I confess I nearly watched it again tonight(like a few days after first seeing it!).

~

Tell me, have you seen it and which version do you like better?

xoxo
Hannah

Dear Juliet...

To be honest, this is probably one of the movies I have seen the most and I'm going to tell you why in this post!
Every time I've seen this I loved it more and last night in bed while watching it for the 5th or 6th time, I couldn't stop smiling to myself as I watched the story unfold and Charlie make his funny comments on Sophie's ideas and behavior.
Anyway, without further ado, here are some of the reasons why I love this funny, romantic, summery movie.

Sophie and Charlie's love story

They have one of those funny love stories where they started off not liking each other but then seeing the other person for who they really are thus falling in love! I quite like this trope and it is quite entertaining and more realistic than intsa love. Sophie is a darling and Charlie, a good sort.
They find out that they actually have more in common than they thought too.



Charlie's lines

This is a perfect example! He just says the best, funniest, slightly annoying and romantic things!
You have to watch it to understand but trust me went you do, you'll be giggling at his lines and come to like him a lot for it.



Claire and Sophie

Claire is a lovely lady and her relationship with Sophie becomes very sweet. She reminds me a little bit of my own Nonna(grandmother ♥).
Claire is kind, caring and motherly to both Charlie(her grandson) and Sophie.



The Ice cream Scene

It's just cute, okay! Especially when he does it back!



The lovely, summery feel

It's set in Italy so of course, it gives all the summery(and Italian) feels. Sunshine, fields of grape vines, cobblestone streets, gelato, flowery window boxes and of course, balconies entangled with vines!

Clean content

Aside for a few comments that might be better left out, this is a very clean chick flick and I do appreciate that.

Of course, there are some kisses....and I will get to that in a minute!

The ending...the kiss!

Who doesn't love a happy ending? Or a funny ending? After a misunderstanding, they work things out while Sophie is up on a balcony, of course!



Overall, this is a nice movie and I recommend it to all of you who like this sort of thing!
As girls, I think movies like this are our one weakness(got the reference?)!

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

xoxo
Hannah