Yesterday two of my best friends in the whole wide world came round to my house. We had a lovely catch up session and talked about what we've been up to so far this summer, and what we're hoping for in the coming school year. It was really nice to see them after so many weeks, as even though we'd kept in contact via email (sort of), I don't think it compares to seeing people in the flesh.

Anyway, today I'm starting a new series of posts on my blog: my top five of anything. It's a really simple idea, where I basically pick a category and show you/write about my top five of something, whether it's clothes, bags, perfumes, stationery or YouTubers (watch out for that one!). Today I'm going to be showing you my top five contemporary teen fiction books - if you know me at all, you'll be aware that books are one of my favourite things in the universe, and I have a lot of them, which is why it was practically impossible to narrow it down to my top five favourites. However, I managed it in the end, and came up with a list of my current favourite single novels, i.e. books which aren't part of a series.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin 

I first read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin several years ago, and since then I've reread it again and again. The book is told from the point of view of 15-year-old Liz, who has just become the victim of a hit-and-run accident which killed her. She finds herself in a place called Elsewhere, where people age backwards from the point at which they died, and are eventually reborn back to Earth. Elsewhere is a wonderful novel that puts an original and above all hopeful spin on heaven and life after death.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson is one of those books that made me cry buckets and reach for the tissues. Lennie Walker's sister Bailey has just died, and the story is about the impact her death has on the family left behind, and how they cope with their overwhelming grief. For Lennie this means writing poetry to her dead sister and finding comfort in the arms of her sister's boyfriend, while her family slowly fall apart around her. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, as it's one of the more little-known books of this type I've read.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I found The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold at a second-hand booksale a few months ago. It sat on my book shelf for weeks, until one day my friend Elisha mentioned it and I had an odd sense of deja vu (or should I say, deja acheté) and decided to read it. The Lovely Bones is narrated by 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who was brutally murdered by a serial killer on her way home from school. Over the next few years Susie keeps watch over her family and friends from her version of Heaven, as her siblings grow up and experience everything she never got to. Chilling and sickening at times, The Lovely Bones is a dark portrait of grief in the aftermath of tragedy.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is another stunningly poignant tale of grief and depression, told with originality and flair. Clay Jensen finds a mysterious package containing several cassette tapes - they have been recorded by his classmate Hannah Baker, who committed suicide not long before. Hannah explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself, and thirteen people who will receive the set of tapes and listen to her story.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

A trend I've noticed recently on Tumblr and particularly on Polyvore is jelly shoes, or jelly sandals. For me they're a complete flashback to about 1999, as I have lots of photos of me toddling around the beach near my grandparents's house wearing a glittery pink pair.

I did some quick research, and found out that they were huge in the 80s and 90s, especially in the mid-80s when you could buy a pair for less than $1 - which makes the prices in shops these days seem ridiculous, as you're often talking more like $30 for good-quality ones. But what is it that's turned jelly shoes from a retro throwback to a cute fashion essential this summer?

In my opinion, it's the same thing that got dungarees back in style - the desire to feel like a kid again, bringing back childhood memories of paddling in the waves in summer, eating ice cream while the van plays its tinny tune, and digging elaborate sandcastles on the beach.

I have to admit that when I first saw photos of people wearing jelly shoes on Polyvore, my initial reaction was "Good God no, what are they wearing?" - but I had time to think, reflect, and create a Tumblr based around all things cute and glittery, and since then I've come to the conclusion that they are some of the most adorable footwear around. Although I'd associate them first and foremost with wearing on the beach and in water (as they're plastic and therefore waterproof), they can also be worn with socks, to fabulous effect:

After seeing so many quirky ways of wearing them, I decided I definitely wanted to get my hands on some - which was when I remembered that there was a lilac pair somewhere downstairs, shoved under the coats several years ago and since then forgotten. But not for much longer, because after a quick root through a heap of gym kit bags and too-small wellies, I found what I think must be a pair of my mum's from about 1993, which I tried on with white knee socks:

I love them, but I've realised that I don't have much in my wardrobe that goes with purple, and for that reason I'm planning on buying a black pair next time I go shopping, as they'll hopefully go with more things and work well with more autumnal clothing. Something I probably ought to mention is that so far I haven't actually seen anyone wearing them in real life, only on Tumblr and Polyvore - which is interesting in itself.

I've been looking into where to buy jelly sandals, and apparently New Look do some for around £10, which is where I'm planning on looking. A popular brand that makes them is JuJu, which sells them in lots of different colours and styles. JuJu claims to be the creator of the 'original British jelly shoe', and stockists for the brand include Topshop, asos, Office, Nasty Gal, River Island and American Apparel. If you live in Australia or the US, you can buy jelly shoes from JellyBeans for around $35.

What do you think of this fashion revival? Would you wear them?

So today I finally reached 100 followers on my main Tumblr! It might seem like nothing, but this is a huge milestone for me, as 100 has been my target since I made an account. I'm so happy, and if anyone reading thing follows me there, you have impeccable taste and I love you. If you don't follow me, please do - click here to go to my blog.

On a slightly different note: I also made a new Tumblr recently. I have quite a few different blogs, all with different styles, because I often get fed up with reblogging a certain type of pictures and switch to something completely different.

My main blog is kind of vintage/indie-themed, and I reblog a lot of nature, architecture, ornate things and Lana Del Rey.

My pale blog does what it says on the tin - it's strictly only for pale photos.

My pastel goth blog is one I don't really keep up with these days, but it has a lot of photos of the pastel goth style if you're interested.

My random blog, so to speak, is just a collection of various different humorous, memorable or otherwise relevant or interesting stuff that doesn't fit any of my other blogs. There's lots of Doctor Who, gifs, animals and Disney.

And last but not least, adjectives which describe my new blog are quirky, sparkly, holographic, fun, and glittery. I'm not entirely sure, but I think in terms of Tumblr categories it fits somewhere between indie, boho, roma and bambi. Anyway, it's all very summery, with a lot of models, jelly shoes, cacti and Charlie & Lola. Here's a sneak peek:

Today I though I'd post a poem I wrote a while ago - it's pretty terrible and I'm sure my English teacher would say it's a lot of fancy words but no structure or meaning, which is quite true. But get this, I'm pretty sure it's in iambic pentameter! I jazzed it up a bit on Polyvore, take a look:

Today I went to the local shopping centre with my mum and brother. I don't go there all that often, because the only shops I ever really go in are H&M, The Body Shop, Six, and the newly-opened Pull & Bear. But anyway, I went into H&M first of all, since it's the biggest and best-stocked one I've ever been in, and I bought the following:

Watch This Space jumper, €19.99 from H&M

 Even though winter is my favourite season of the year, as I love to wrap up warm in big coats and woolly scarves, I don't have that many big cosy jumpers - which is why I was so happy to find this. It's oversized and oh-so snuggly, which is just perfect for the colder months. I was also looking for something simple to wear with my many pairs of patterned leggings, and I know this is going to be perfect for wearing with my galaxy print ones.

DIY Studs, €4.95 from H&M

The next thing I bought was something I saw a while ago on the blog of a German girl I know from school. They're basically DIY studs, which you attach to fabric using pliers or a hammer. I just though this was a brilliant idea - why buy new clothes when you can jazz them up with these? They come in a little packet with square ones and triangular ones, and each is about 1cm squared, which I think is the perfect size. I can't wait to have a go with these - I might post some pics of the results if it works out alright!

Red Velvet Plimsolls, €19.95 from H&M

And that's all I bought. I went out determined to find some cream tights and dark red knee socks, but sadly I didn't find any - never mind, they shall remain on my shopping list till the next trip.

After I'd finished shopping I wandered round a few other shops, including the nature shop, tucked away round a corner on the top floor. It's one of my favourite places to go, because the moment you step inside the incense and the relaxing music whisk you away to somewhere in the middle of a forest - it's just so calming and I always go in and have a wander round. They have everything from telescopes to aromatherapy oils, including massage chairs, scented candles, and CDs that sound like nature. I managed to take some sneaky (and therefor bad-quality) photos of the displays at the back of the stall, take a look:

So yesterday I decided to review my checklist of Things To Do This Summer, and I realised that one of the items on the list was 'make a ton of cards'. This is something I used to do a lot, from the age of about 10, but then I got my laptop and the internet happened, not to mention Polyvore which fulfills all my creative needs on a day to day basis. The main reason why I don't craft as much as before is because when I first started, all my stash fitted in one smallish shoebox, which could easily be whipped out if the need arose - but in the intervening six or so years, it's grown considerably, to the extent that it's far too time-consuming to take it all out just to make a few cards, before putting it all away again. What with regular trips to craft shops in the UK, monthly papercrafting magazines sent over from my grandma/aunt containing free gifts and patterned papers, and a general tendency to hoard anything and everything which could possibly be of use, I've acquired boxes full of ribbons, card scraps, stickers, stencils, shaped punches, eyelets, brads, felt shapes etc, and two A4 ringbinders with plastic pockets that hold all my patterned papers. Observe:

I don't think it's possible to appreciate quite how difficult it is to photograph cards in a decent light until you're trying to do it yourself - all the same, here are the results of my day of crafting:

Welcome to another book review! This time I'm reviewing the first two books in the series Wicked by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié. First of all, the reason why it's the first two is that I bought the version containing two books in one volume, and after reading both I can see why they were put together, as it's difficult to point out where one left off and the next begun when thinking back to the overall plot.

Why I Read It

Not long ago I read the series Wicca by Cate Tiernan, which I absolutely loved - it's the story of a girl who, when the new boy in town invites a group of friends to start a coven, realises she is a blood witch and a highly powerful one at that. The series, which spans an impressive 15 books, sees her discover the extent of her powers, find out about the Wiccan faith and learn spells and rituals. She vanquishes foes again and again, while also dealing with the issues her heritage creates within her close family. While not the best written books I've ever read, I loved the story and the subject matter, and for that reason I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes witchcraft with a healthy dose of real life. So when I saw the first two books of Wicked at a secondhand book sale and read the blurb, I assumed it was likely to be something similar to Wicca and bought it with very little hesitation.

What I Thought

Holly Cathers is just your average 17-year-old girl, when her parents and best friend are killed in a boating accident, her best friend's mum is critically injured and she gets packed off to Seattle to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins, of whose existence she hadn't previously been aware. Gradually she realises that all the accidents happening to her are the work of something darkly ancient and highly evil - thanks to some confusing flashback passages which take place in medieval France, the reader soon catches on that there is a connection of sorts between her and her ancestor, Isabeau of the Cahors. It's down to Holly and her cousins to realise their powers and keep the attacks at bay, as they battle against time to stop history from repeating itself.

As the plot goes, that's pretty much it, and I have to say even my sketchy review makes it sound a lot more gripping than it really is. When I started reading 'Witch', I had high expectations as the beginning was punchy and intriguing, but it turned out to be one of the few novels I've read where the beginning is better than the rest of the story. As the book dragged on, I found it increasingly difficult to keep track of what was happening, which wasn't helped by the fact that the point of view from which the story is told was constantly changing. First we have Holly Cathers, orphan and victim of magical attacks; then it switches to Michael Deveraux, a dark warlock who just happens to be having an affair with Holly's aunt Marie Claire; next Jeraud Deveraux takes the stage, he's Michael's son and feels a soul-deep connection to Holly. Amanda and Nicole, Holly's cousins, also have their moments, as do Eli (Jeraud's brother) and Marie-Claire. 'Curse' has even more characters, which I won't even go into here. But with all these characters on the go, things soon started to get messy - and that's not even mentioning the frequent passages which took place in 15th century France. I'm not saying that books like this don't work, but it does require a skilled writer to manage all the different viewpoints and also keep the plot going, which sadly wasn't the case for Wicked.

There's a lot I could say about the quality of the writing, but I'll try and keep it short. To begin with, I have rarely read any work of fiction in which the action is quite so poorly narrated, to the point that it made it quite tricky to follow what was going on. The bit I found most disappointing was the part in between Holly finding out she was a witch, and pretty much the rest of the book - I'd been looking forward to detailed explanations of rituals, runes and traditions, as well as more witchcraft-related history, but Holly and her cousins learning how to use their powers is covered in a few pages, and they all seem to master various spells without a problem. The amount of spontaneous, syncronised chanting was beginning to annoy me; I like books to keep it real, and I just wasn't convinced by a group of friends suddenly knowing the words to a chant they'd never even heard before. The connection Holly has with her ancestor, Isabeau, is used a way round explaining such details, as the authors just write "Holly could feel Isabeau's spirit guiding her, and she knew in the depths of her soul what she had to do"- or something along those lines. This works reasonably well, until the point where it's overused and it seems like Holly can't think for herself. I also felt that Holly's grief over losing her parents wasn't all that well-written, as being only child who has also lost her best friend in a tragic accident and nearly drowned in said accident, you might think she would be a little more traumatised about the whole ordeal - but after a week or so she seems to fully recover, and goes straight into battling warlocks and ancient evils, with only the odd thought for her dead parents. Neither was I wholly impressed with the villains of the story, the ancient house of Deveraux. While the general ambiance in their gloomy mansion was atmospheric enough, I found it hard to take the characters themsevles seriously, which, looking back, I think was down to the humourous edge to the authors' writing. As the two families are descended from two magical houses from the middle ages, situated in France, there are quite a few words and phrases in French, and although none of these are longer than a sentence, I couldn't help noticing at least two grammatical or spelling mistakes - which is disgraceful for a published work of fiction, in my opinion.

I did actually enjoy Witch and Curse overall, despite the above criticisms - it was just one of those books where I tended to notice the faults more than the good points. Am I going to read the next books in the series? Unfortunately I think this is one of the rare times in my life where I'm going to say so, I won't.

Cameo Necklace from Ale-Hop, €5

Aside from birthday presents for my mum, that's really all I bought while on holiday.

x

So I recently made a Twitter account, with the aim of staying up to date with some of my favourite YouTubers, vloggers and general celebrities, and I'm definitely getting to grips with it. I haven't actually tweeted much myself yet (only some Polyvore sets), but I hope I will when I get more of a feel for the site.

I updated my Twitter profile page today, now it looks like this, and I love it:

Also, if you're on Polyvore (follow me here!), you'll know that they recently changed the profile pages there, and that they now look something like this:

x

Why hello there, guess who's back from being on holiday? I arrived back fairly last night, after a long flight delay, and oh is it good to be home! I was only away for two weeks, and staying our apartment with countless home comforts and my own room at that, but I've missed this house so much. But more than anything I've missed having a speedy internet connection, and being able to have five tabs open at once without my laptop overloading from the strain. The first thing I did this morning was go on Tumblr, which was a slightly scary experience in itself as I hadn't logged on for over two weeks... I scrolled down my dash until the glitches started, which was quite some way.

But the best thing is that after a fortnight of hot sun and over 30°C heat, I woke up this morning to pouring rain, black clouds and barely more than 16°C - a typical Belgian summer, in other words. It's only August and already I can't wait to wear jeans, leggings, boots, creepers and jackets: roll on autumn!

Here are some photos from my holiday:

I'd like to thank all my lovely nine followers for sticking with me so far as I try to get this blog off the ground. Even though I haven't been very active recently, my head is overflowing with interesting post ideas that I shall be using the rest of the summer holidays to try and translate into reality. Look out for another book review coming very soon!