The Happy List

Happy weekend! I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Mine has been very busy; shopping, a night out, dog walking and seeing friends. Reflecting on a busy week and busy weekend, I thought I would write a list of some of the things that have made me happy this week.

1. Shoe shopping! I have had my eye on these boots for a while and finally bought them yesterday. I love them! I wore them last night with skinny jeans, a simple white shirt and this jacket/cardigan.

2. Seeing my oldest, best friend and her lovely babies. I just love them so much and there is nothing better than cuddles with them!

3. Beach walks with Manny. I have said this many times, but there is nothing better than a walk on the beach, especially when the weather is cold but sunny- so perfect and refreshing!

4. Gin and Tonic. As simple as that.

5. The most delicious burger at The Burger Shop. I had a Leathal Swizzle- so yum! It is a really cool place, very American and very Red!

6. Watching old episodes of Downton Abbey. I just LOVE Downton Abbey enormously! There is no better way to spend a Sunday than curled up watching this wonderful show. I can really get lost in this show- I’m sure I was a Lady of a Great House in a previous life!

Happy Sunday!

Another Review

I enjoyed writing my review of The Husbands Secret and felt that I must tell you about another brilliant book I have read as part of Book Club (my favourite so far)!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Blurb:

This story follows Don Tillman, a genetics professor on a quest to find his perfect match. Or as he calls it, ‘The Wife Project’. Don narrates the story and we soon get to know that he is very precise and particular in all aspects of his life. In Don, we can see traits of someone with Aspergers syndrome, yet he himself does not recognise this. The book explores how someone like Don approaches life and a romantic relationship. In the midst of his project, along comes Rosie who is unlike Don in every way imaginable. Together, the two of them embark on another project and we get to experience the humour, drama and excitement that this brings.

My Thoughts:

This book was very popular and well received at Book Club- and we are a tough crowd! I absolutely adored it. It is warm and light-hearted and I really couldn’t put it down. Don is an instantly likeable character, he has lots of quirks and traits which are unusual but these are the things that make him so likeable. I found myself on Don’s side instantly. The book is very funny and yet poignant through Don’s lack of understanding for human’s behaviour and emotions it allows us to question our own behaviour and embrace people’s’ differences. This was a really great book, read it!

This book is being made into a movie! So I suggest that you go and read the book before the movie comes out! We all know that the book is always better than the movie!

Have you read The Rosie Project? Let me know your thoughts!

Book Club

Once a month, I enjoy meeting up with some friends and colleagues to have a nice catch up, dinner and maybe a drink or two- oh and we talk about books too! I thought it would be nice to share mine, and my friends thoughts on the books that we read. A while before Christmas as well as deciding on a book to read as a group, we also bought along a book that we loved and did a book swap. I borrowed a great book from my lovely friend and thought I would share my thoughts with you…

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

The Blurb:

Alice wakes up after falling over and hitting her head at the gym. Alice thinks she is a newly married, pregnant and deliriously happy 29-year-old. She is in fact 39-year-old mother of three in the midst of a bitter divorce. Alice has lost her memory of the past 10 years. She barely recognises the person she has become and is not sure if she even likes her. With the help of her sister, whose life is full of loss and sadness, she tries to piece together what has happened in the last 10 years.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. Moriarty has expertly created such likeable characters, you instantly like Alice and become fully involved in her life. The story is written in third person, with journal and blog entries interspersed by Alice’s sister and Grandmother. This gave another interesting perspective to the story and allowed the reader to become even more involved and invested in Alice’s story and the lives of her and family around her. There are funny moments, happy moments and truly sad moments. The characters were well-developed and Moriarty has a wonderful way of making the reader feel like they know the characters instantly. I found myself laughing at some points and almost crying at others. Definitely worth reading, a really wonderful story!

This month, we are reading Daughter by Jane Shemilt. I haven’t started it yet, but I will of course let you know my thoughts! Have you read either of these stories? Let me know what you think!

Sunday Smile

I hope everyone has had a good week! My week has been busy, getting back into the routine of things after the Christmas holidays!

I have had a lovely weekend, catching up with family, shopping (spending the last of my Christmas money!), and two lovely walks with Manny to the forest and the beach. We are very lucky to have such beautiful surroundings here- the beach and beautiful countryside!

So here I find myself on another Sunday evening with Monday fast approaching. Instead of feeling the Monday blues here is something to make us smile…

Happy Sunday!

Another Introduction

I thought I should properly introduce you to my adorable dog Manny as I have no doubt that he may feature quite a lot on this blog!

Manny is 7 months old and we have had him since he was 8 weeks old. He is a beautiful French Bulldog and we just adore him! I had wanted a French Bulldog for so long and just fell in love with Manny from the first moment I saw him.

To get to know Manny a little bit better here are some of the most important things you should know…

• He loves to eat- he has a huge appetite and will eat anything! (Dog and human food)
• Manny loves to go for walks- especially to the beach to play in the sand
• He loves to play- when he was a puppy he had the sharpest teeth but luckily they are not so sharp anymore!
• He has a lot of toys- some that we have bought him and some that he has acquired (like one of my slippers!) Manny particularly likes to chew a toothbrush and any plastic bottles!
• Manny sleeps a lot- he loves to sleep on our bed (tut tut!) he also likes to fall asleep in his bed whilst he chews it!
• He snores- loudly!

Here he is…

On the first day we bought him home- so tiny!

One of his favourite sleeping positions

Look at those ears!

On a walk

Smile!

7 months!

I know I’m biased- but isn’t he the CUTEST?!

Amsterdam

Between Christmas and New Year I visited Amsterdam with my fiancé, brother and his girlfriend. I had always wanted to go to Amsterdam, everyone I know who has been there has nothing but good things to say about it and now I know why! Unfortunately whilst we were there my brother was ill for two days, which was a real shame but the rest of us soldiered on!

We arrived early in the afternoon excited and very cold! Luckily, I was prepared for the weather and had my big coat, gloves, scarf and wooly hat at the ready! We quickly checked into our hotel and went off to explore (stopping off at a pub or 2 along the way)!

It seemed that everywhere was busy so we didn’t get to see all of the places we wanted to see (Anne Frank haus being one) but we had a great time exploring the canals and just soaking up the scene!

We had 3 days there, which for me is a perfect amount of time to explore a city. I’m usually one for planning ahead and reading a Lonely Planet book cover to cover before going anywhere but this time we just went with it! Wandering, watching, and just going with the flow!

Some of my favourite things about Amsterdam-

• An awesome cocktail bar called Tales and Spirits – amazing cocktails! My favourite was Little Miss Trouble; Bombay Saphire gin, lemon juice, blackberry puree and elderflower. The cocktails were extravagant some even came with a notebook and pen or served in a troll goblin! Amazing!
• Wandering the canals, everywhere you turn could be a picture. It is very beautiful!
• The size of it- we walked everywhere (miles and miles!) but everything was in reaching distance
• The breakfasts I had an amazing bacon and maple syrup pancake
• Exploring the side streets and finding amazing little pubs and bars. One of my favourites being In De Wildeman – a pub that has 17 beers on tap and over 250 by bottle!
• The Heineken experience great if you’re a beer fan! I would book online beforehand though to avoid the queues, I was glad we did!
• The bicycles! They are everywhere! Although you have to watch every where you walk in fear of being ran over by one, it is great to see how confident and easy-going the locals travel around!
• The people- all of the locals were so friendly and helpful
• The shopping- designer stores and high street
• The buildings- some so grand and extravagant and some so tiny and wonky!

My advice- go to Amsterdam!

An Introduction

I thought I should properly introduce myself. So here goes.

My name is Kirsty, I’m in my late 20’s and I live in a town by the sea on the South Coast. I live with my fiancé and our handsome French Bulldog, Manny.

The Lovely Little Pieces is a place for me to share all of the lovely things that I see, do or enjoy in my life. Some examples; I love travelling and holiday-ing, I love reading, I love fashion and style, I love food and eating (sometimes cooking), I love my dog, Manny. (Prepare for a lot of cute pictures!)

I hope you enjoy, thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Smile

Sundays can be a lovely day. I like to always do something nice to finish off the weekend. However, with Sunday evening comes the dreaded Monday blues. So with that in mind, here is something to make us smile.

Hello 2015!

I have one New Years resolution. I normally make two or three then promptly forget them within a few weeks and, as a result, fail to keep any of them. So, with that in mind, this year I decided to make just one in the hope that I would keep it. So here it is, my New Years resolution… to start blogging!