My Life in Movies Tag

My Life in Movies Tag

Friday, July 14, 2017

I love a good Tag. Maybe it's because I'm a a total over-sharer and will jump at any excuse to answer questions about myself, or maybe it's because it's a great way to get to know other people!

The wonderful Danielle from Underland to Wonderland  tagged me in this one, and as it combines my two favourite things- movies and me- I couldn't wait to give it a go.

So without further ado let's take a trip through my life via the medium of movies :-D

Harry Birthday Potter- Part 1

Harry Birthday Potter- Part 1

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Harry Potter is 36 tomorrow!! 30-bloody-6. That means that next year we will have finally caught up with the epilogue of the story that captured a generation and refuses to let them go.

Harry Potter is not just a character in a book, or a movie. He means different things to different people, he means everything to some, and nothing to others. There really is no in between with Harry and his world, you are either really, really in and desperately sad you never received your Hogwarts Acceptance letter, or completely apathetic. Me, I'm really, really in. Which is why this weekend I am celebrating Mr Potter's 36th birthday in style- with not one but TWO Harry Potter themed posts- both written while I work my way through the movies, and flick through my pile of add-on books.

This first post is a tag post that Fiona from Wishes, Hopes & Dreams asked me to do, so here we go.

Sisterhood of the World Award // Tag

Sisterhood of the World Award // Tag

Friday, June 26, 2015

Big shout out to the beautiful Sofie from It's Just Sofie, for nominating me for The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! I do love a good question and answer session so this one put a huge smile on my face, huge thank you for that. 

Rules of the award

Answer the 10 questions set for you, and remember to thank the lovely blogger who nominated you

Set 10 questions of your own

Nominate up to 10 of your favourite bloggers

Sofie's Questions

What do you love most about blogging?

As you may have noticed I've been a bit AWOL from blogging at the moment and that is simply because I'd lost my way. I'd forgotten why I started, I'd forgotten what I loved about it, and I had started to do what I thought was expected of me instead of what I wanted to do. But this wee break has helped me remember that I love blogging because I love to write, it is that simple. I love to rant, I love to let people know what I think about the things I fill my life with, and I love to just sit down at my computer (or with my notebook) and watch the words flow out of me. 

What's your favourite experience ever?

Without a doubt being married! It started with the most relaxed and totally "us" wedding ceremony ever (which by the way included sand in my toes, Disney music and the awkward moment my dear husband couldn't get the ring on my finger) and it has developed every day since. When you get married people always ask "Does it feel any different?" and in a major way it really doesn't, BUT in those small, almost imperceptible ways, those tiny moments and realisations it feels amazing. No fleeting experience can ever compare to the experience of being married to your favourite person (that isn't my father :-p) in the world. 

If you were a Disney Princess who would you be?

Argh! Aurora or Rapunzel, Rapunzel or Aurora?? I just don't know. Although Rapunzel has a chameleon and a horse, so yeah probably Rapunzel.

What country do you really want to travel to?

Can I say, all of them? Ha, I guess if I really had to pick just one it would be the United States because each State is different and there are so many things I want to visit, and photograph, and do. So yeah if i'm being smart about it it's the US but if I was to say it off the top of my head it would be the Maldives. 

Online shopping or real shopping?

Real shopping every damn time. Strangely though I don't like the actual act of shopping, but I do like buying new things lol. 

What is your dream job?

I've had many dream jobs throughout my life but one constant has always been that I want to write. It is my biggest passion and If I could make a living off it I would be in heaven. Sadly though it's not that easy to just become a bestseller so right now I'm dreaming of becoming a teacher. 

If your life were a book or a movie what would the title be? 

I always joke that my life story would be called "WTF Just Happened??" I was going to try and come up with something more intelligent but screw it, live is a series of crazy events and questionable choices so yeah we're sticking with "WTF Just Happened??"

Best sing-a-long song?

Oh my God!! I am a singer this is difficult! I sing along to bloody everything, not always in tune I'll admit but most of the time I like to think I'm nailing it. My go to drunken party rousing tune is Build Me Up Buttercup so let's go with that shall we.

Best Chick-Flick?

Dirty Dancing! Has anybody ever answered this question differently? If they have sit them down and make them watch it over and over until they realise the error of their ways. 

Describe yourself in one word!

Loving <3

Well, that was fun! Now I have to think of 10 questions (I'm avoiding the nominating part for as long as possible)...

Do you identify as a feminist-What does feminism mean to you?

What would a scented candle named after you smell like?

What is the theme tune of your life?

If you could only read one more book for the rest of your life what would it be?

If you were on Death Row what would you want for your last meal?

Who is your hero?

You have a whole day to yourself- what are you doing?

Keanu Reeves or Johnny Depp?

What is the number 1 thing you want to do before you die?

What do you think is the most interesting fact about you? 

Right then, my nominees are:

Chantel from Bonnie Blondie

Chelsea from Chelsea Potter

Kirsty from Kirsty Ralph

Estelle from Let Me Go XO

Katy from The Lilac Scrapbook

Sammy from Little Fickle

Hayley from It's Just Me Hayley D

Fiona from Wishes, Hopes & Dreams

Have fun ladies and remember and tag me on Twitter with your links once you've done your post. 

Much Love 

AJ 

XX

The Disney Tag

The Disney Tag

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Hey guys!!

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get round to doing anything Disney related on this blog! I mean seriously I freaking love Disney, obsessed would be an understatement. A couple of months ago I realised that I had watched Tangled more than 20 times in one month, and I'm not even ashamed. So when one of my favourite people in the world- the sweeter than candy Hayley from It's Just Me Hayley D- filled out the Disney Tag I just had to give it a go. So without further ado...

Who is your favourite Disney Princess?
Um this should be a clear cut easy answer BUT I have two! I've split the Princesses into two categories Classic and Modern. So my favourite Classic Princess is Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty- like I seriously love her, so much so that I am trying to convince Damian to let me name one of our future children Briar (Aurora's name while she's growing up with the fairies). My favourite Modern Princess is Rapunzel, she is feisty, beautiful, funny and determined...everything I look for in a princess :-).

What are your top 3 Disney Movies?
Clearly Tangled and Sleeping Beauty are in my top 3 but what about the third?? I'm struggling to decide between The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas, like seriously I love both of these movies so much that making me choose is like Sophie's Choice!! But I've had a think about it and honestly Colours of the Wind is one of the best songs ever so Pocahontas is getting the last spot in my top 3.

Your favourite Disney Song?
Oh my God there are so many good songs! At last I see the Light is beautiful, Do You Wanna Build a Snowman is funny, cute and endearing all at once, BUT Colours of the Wind wins it for me. It's so beautiful, and poignant, and just wonderful.

If you could be any Princess which would you be?
Rapunzel! For all the reasons stated above, and because I love sky lanterns, and books, and having lots of little hobbies, and I would adore a chameleon sidekick :-).

Your favourite dress/outfit?
Aurora's blue dress! In fact, Aurora's dress, when it's a paint splattered mess of blue and pink is awesome too. It annoys me how all the Disney Aurora merchandise has her in a pink dress...I mean seriously have these people even seen the movie?!?

The saddest Disney moment?
Seriously has anybody ever answered this question with anything other than the death of Mufasa?? So sad :-(.

The Disney movie you secretly hate?
Fantasia hands down! It's really quite irrational how much I hate this movie. Even it's name makes me angry at Disney and I have no idea why :-/.

Which Princess do you feel saddest for?
God this is a hard question! Of course, you feel bad for all the Princesses in the beginning but in the end they all end up happy and you know princessy! In the end, I've decided that I feel sorry for Anna the most. That poor girl had a built in best friend and then all of a sudden she was on her own for the majority of her childhood. I might have hated my sister at times but my life would have been so different if I grew up without her.

Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck?
Donald Duck. I love ducks, have done from a young age and Mickey always seemed a bit cocky to me. That and my dad used to do an awesome impression of Donald washing his face when I was little, which always made me giggle, so Donald for the win.

Would you have a Disney themed wedding?
No, I wouldn't. I am obsessed with Disney yes but the idea of theming my wedding just gives me the ick. I never realised until I actually started planning my wedding just how traditional I can be, so no, no themed wedding. However, they did play Beauty and the Beast as I walked down the aisle, and I did have an Aurora figurine to represent me on top of our cake...so Disney was there after all.

Favourite Disney scene?
The lantern scene from Tangled is beautiful and so clever. The romantic in me squeals a little everytime I see it. A very close second is the library scene from Beauty and the Beast, because seriously ALL THE BOOKS!!

A Disney villain you secretly like?
Maleficent! I always thought she was misunderstood and when Maleficent the movie came out we got to see a totally different side to her, which showed that villains aren't always crazy sociopaths but sometimes just created by the actions of others.

Who is your Disney Man Crush?
John Smith. He is buff, blonde, he saves Thomas's life at a risk to his own. lets Pocahontas in despite years of teaching that made him believe her people were savages, and he is so good with animals! Okay I know the real story of Pocahontas is totally different but in Disney world he would be the one.

Favourite Disney sidekick?
Pascal. He is adorable, he literally never utters a word but he says so much! He and Maximus are the perfect sidekicks in any Disney movie, and when he sticks his tongue in Flynn (Eugene)'s ear to wake him up I laughed my bloody head off.

Favourite underrated Disney movie?
Hercules. I realised recently that you can't even buy a DVD copy of this in the Disney store! It's almost like people have forgotten it even exists. It rarely makes it into to lists and I just don't understand. The music in Hercules is on point-seriously youtube "I won't say I'm in Love"! The characters are sassy as all hell, and Hades is perhaps the most flaming of all Disney characters.

So there you have it. There are so many questions out there, in internet world, that it would take forever to answer them all so these are just the 15 that I thought were the most fun to answer. If you love Disney you should definitely take part, if you don't love Disney I don't think we can be friends-i'm sorry ;-).

Much Love
AJ xx

The 1989 Tag // Taylor Swift

The 1989 Tag // Taylor Swift

Saturday, March 07, 2015

I love me some Taylor Swift! I first discovered her around the time Teardrops on My Guitar came out and she just keeps getting better and better! 1989 is an amazing album which I literally play on repeat everytime I walk to and from work (which is every day!). So when I saw this 1989 Tag on That Gent Mark I just had to do it! So here we go...

Welcome to New York // If you could live in any city, which would it be and why?
This is easy and not easy at the same time! I want to live in so many big cities, my life plan includes time in London, Manchester and New York. But ultimately we want to settle in San Fransisco so I think it should win this question. In preparation for our final destination, I actively walk up steep hills and major staircases, I mean have you seen the streets in San Fransisco??? I'm going to admit that the TV show Charmed was the thing that made me fall in love with San Fransisco in the first place, but it is more the lifestyle, the culture, and the area itself that have made it my end goal. 

Blank Space // What is something everyone thinks is true about you but is actually false?
That I am super confident. I am a big believer in fake it until you make it. I think this is why people assume I am so much more confident than I actually am. I get nervous in almost every social situation, I hate talking to people on the phone, I get proper nervous every time I sing in front of a crowd, meeting new people scares the life out of me. I could go on, but the point is that I may look calm and confident, on the outside, but inside my brain is going ten to the dozen and I'm scared as hell. 

Style // What is one item in your closet that makes you feel unstoppable?
I have a ridiculously overstuffed closet so I thought this would be difficult but after thinking about it for a few minutes I realised the answer is simple! My black croc effect courts are definitely my go to item. They have the ability to change my mood from "meh, I hate my body" to "damn girl your legs ARE ridiculously long for a shorty". If I'm feeling iffy I always chuck on my heels and my mood elevates along with my barely there butt!

Out of the Woods // What is one thing you are afraid of?
Oh God there are so many things!! But if I have to pick just one I guess it would be birds (mainly because the reasoning is funnier for you guys to read). So, when I was young me and the family used to go to the Norfolk Broads during the Summer holidays, we'd hop on a boat and tootle around Norfolk for a week and it would be great. Or at least it would have been great if one day, after a particularly heavy downpour, my dad had not let my sister help with pulling up the rain canopy on the boat! You see, dear sister let go of said canopy, so it came crashing down on me as I leaned over the side of the boat to feed the swans! I was literally trapped, with my body in the boat and my head poking out as the advancing swans decided my face looked more appetising than the feed I had for them! It was horrific and I've been afraid of swans ever since. I have since been bitten by an owl which I was assured "has never bitten anyone before", and a goose, when I finally decided on a hike in the middle of nowhere that the need to pee was just too great! So yeah, birds, I'm afraid of birds.

All you had to do was Stay // Who is someone you wish was still in your life?
Without stating the obvious like my family and friends who have passed away, or the baby we never got to hold, I would like to choose someone from my past who is still with us, but no longer in my life. I had a best friend in secondary school, we stayed friends long after school ended. We lived together in our first flat away from the parents, and I was there the day she found out she was expecting her first child. We did everything together and then, as so often happens, we started to drift apart. We stayed in touch though and still met up occasionally until she and her partner moved down to England with their brood of three. I often think about how we would be much better friends now that we are both grown up, and we do have each other of Facebook but it's not the same. So yeah, I miss my first real best friend. 

Shake it Off // What is something you have had to shake off?
So many things! Surely everybody has many things every day that they have to shake off? I think the most common thing in my life is the complete mind-boggling ignorance of the general public. These are the people that think it's okay to walk right in front of you while you are pulling a huge metal trolley on wheels. The people that read the name on your tag as Amanda-Jaied, and then proceed to call you Amanda. The people that assume because you work in hospitality you are somehow not as good as them, and the people that flat out just don't listen when you talk. To them I say: "This trolley will run you over, and I will laugh and laugh! My name is Amanda-Jaied, you calling me Amanda is lazy and the equivalent of me calling you Ja if your name is Jason! I have a bachelors degree with honours, and I get to see the country every day, while you sit in an office and stress about someone using your coffee mug! And finally If I am walking through the train with a bin bag asking for rubbish, I am not in any position to make you a coffee, use your ears and stop being a twat." And now I'm shaking it off. 

Wish You Would // What is something you would like to happen right now?
I want to start a family. Simple as that really, lol. 

Bad Blood // Have you ever had someone stab you in the back?
When someone finds you at your lowest point in life, and sees that maybe you might be getting some more attention than them for a change, they then proceed to lie to those around you in order to bring the attention back to them...that's the same as being stabbed in the back right? That's all I will say on the matter because she doesn't deserve any space in my blog, my mind or my life. 

Wildest Dreams // What would you like to be remembered for?
For being an amazing author, a caring wife, and a nurturing mother. 

How you Get the Girl // What is your favourite pick up line? 
Grab an ice cube, go over to the person you want to chat-up's table, place the ice cube on the table, smash it with a glass and then say..."now I've broken the ice my name's [insert your name here]..." simple, funny, and I'm sure more effective than "I'd swipe right on you!".

This Love // What is something you got back that you never thought you would?
My smile! How bloody cheesy is that? But yeah, a lot happened a couple of years ago and I honestly never thought I could smile again but thanks to my DH, my family, friends and my ever growing support network, I am smiling, and pulling funny faces, and laughing and having a bloody great time!

I Know Places // Where is one place you always feel safe?
My mum and dad's house. There is always room for us there, they are always ready with a hug (I don't care if I'm 27 I still sometimes need a hug from my daddy, damnit!) and anytime I am scared, or angry the first place I think of is their home. 

Clean // What is an important lesson you have learned in life, and how did you learn it? 
Honestly I think the most important thing I've learned is that other people's opinions of you DO NOT BLOODY MATTER. You should never change yourself, or hide pieces of yourself, in order to make someone else happy. Make sure you are happy with you, screw other people. You cannot be happy with other people unless you are happy in yourself first. I think experience has taught me this, that and age...when I hit 25 I really just stopped caring. You don't like me? That's your loss because I'M FABULOUS!! ;-). 

And that's it! I'm off to work (with Taylor blasting of course) and I tag YOU! If you want to do it, do it and let me know so I can check out your answers. 

Much Love 
AJ 
xx