Exams are Over!

Hiya!

Summer is here! Okay, well not weather-wise, but it is the official start of my summer holidays, which is super exciting. The exams were spread out over 5 weeks and it felt like they were lasting forever, but I knew how important they were so I put all my efforts into them! Also, I was always thinking about the fun things I was going to be doing once they were over, so that helped too!

Now, I've got so many exciting things and events coming up, my favourite one being prom! It feels like the prep for prom has been going on forever, especially because I'm a member of the prom committee so I've been attending weekly meetings for months. I bought my dress in around April and the shoes followed not long after, so I had finished the physical shopping before my exams started. Last week, I had a makeup trial which was amazing, and I'm looking forward to prom even more now! I'm definitely going to upload a blog post later on in the month, detailing everything about prom - look out for that!

Another thing that I've got coming up is HOLIDAY! At the end of July, I'm going to Jersey with my family, which is an island near the coast of France and the weather is always great which is a change from the drizzly, rainy English weather that we're experiencing at the moment! I'm also going on holiday in England with my friends at the end of August which I'm also super excited about - it will definitely take our minds off of results day!

Finally, in a couple of weeks time, I'm doing a week of work experience at a local primary school which will definitely be a unique experience - I'm hoping to gain a better idea of what a primary school teacher consists of and whether I would like to do that for a living! I also think that it will be a really nice opportunity!

I hope you've enjoyed this ramble, I just thought I'd update you all on what's happening in my life at the moment :). Expect many more blogposts over the summer as I'll have all the time in the world to chat about my experiences so look out for those!

See you soon,

Charlotte x

BOOK REVIEW: The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone

Hiya!

I was so motivated to write this review that I hopped straight on the computer... and here I am - that's how good 'The Loose Ends List' was! 

Maddie O'Neill Levine is caught up a the maddest, most ludicrous adventure that her beloved grandmother, Astrid, has ever come up with: a secret 'death with dignity' trip, in which the dying take their families on a cruise around the world, until the time comes that the patients feel they are ready to die and are put to sleep and laid to rest at sea.

At first, I thought this novel was a little to crazy for me and I didn't know if I'd be able to finish it because, in general, I don't enjoy stories when the main focus is death. However, I'm so glad that I continued reading as the book was magical, enchanting, and just all round amazing. It made me think about a lot of things, especially the fact that many people can't choose how they die, and it really had a lasting impact on me.

While Maddie is seen as the main character in the novel, I feel like there are so many other great characters that latch onto your heart and never let go! One of my personal favourites was Rachel, Maddie's childhood best friend, who Maddie still confides in regularly, despite the girls growing apart. She was so down to earth and completely understood and supported Maddie, even though she had not experienced anything like what Maddie was going through.

The bond of family in the novel was super cute - I loved how the whole family joined together to celebrate their relative's life, and completely put their lives on hold, just so they could be with Astrid. They seemed very accepting of each other and anyone they came across, regardless of their 'judging' nature (which provided a lot of laughs in the story!). Maddie's family had so many minor plot lines intertwined with the main story  which made the book even more enjoyable as it was almost like reading several books at once!

Finally, Maddie and Enzo's relationship was almost law-defying - she had embarked on a trip to honour her grandmother and spend time with her family, yet Maddie manages to jump into a relationship with the boat owner's son! Their story was portrayed in a wonderful way and I loved the dynamic that their relationship added to the novel. I don't want to include any spoilers so I won't say anymore!

Overall, this is honestly one of the best books I've read in a long, long time so I would highly recommend you nab a copy when it comes out in a couple of days time! I hope you've enjoyed the review - if you read 'The Loose Ends List', leave a comment below or tweet me, letting me know what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

See you soon,

Charlotte x

Meeting Tom and Giovanna Fletcher!

Hiya!

Super excited to write this post because it was such a random, last minute thing that turned into a really enjoyable, fun day! It all started when I was checking the 'Loose Women' website to see which celebrities were appearing in the next couple of weeks as I watch the show quite regularly. I then saw that Tom and Giovanna Fletcher were making a joint appearance on 1st June which was only a couple of days away! Quickly, I applied for tickets to be in the audience on that day and I was lucky enough to nab two tickets!

My friend and I arrived in plenty of time to ensure that we got seats as they oversubscribe the tickets to ensure that the audience is full, even if some people don't turn up. However when we reached the entrance, we were told that the audience had been filled up by those with priority tickets - so upsetting! So, we stopped off at a nearby cafe and chatted somewhat dishearteningly. We then decided that we would wait at the back exit of the building to see if we could catch a glimpse of Tom and Gi when they left.

We waited for around half an hour, despite the miserable weather (we had to buy an emergency umbrella!) and it was nice to see that others had come to show their support as well, including the paparazzi! All of a sudden, Tom and Giovanna came out of the studios and began posing for pap photos. They were so kind and sociable and they were happy to interact with everyone that was waiting to meet them! We spoke to Tom about the McFly tour and he apologised for the delay (it's been postponed as the drummer, Harry Judd, has injured his neck), which we thought was really nice of him! The pair then hopped in their waiting car and drove off, leaving my friend and I in a very excited and happy mood :)

Afterwards, we decided to wait for a while longer to see if we could see anyone else as we wanted to make the most of our day. To our surprise, we also managed to meet 'Loose Women' star, Coleen Nolan, who also happens to be the mum of Jake Roche, frontman of Rixton! She was also very, very friendly and was happy to take a photo with us and have a quick chat. All in all, the day was very exciting, despite not actually getting to see the recording - at least I could watch it on catch up at home!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's post and I love to hear about any TV audience experiences that you've had! Comment below or tweet them to me at @charlyblogs.

See you soon,
Charlotte x

 

PIGS CAN FLY: Busted Tour 2016

Hiya!

I'm so excited to be able to say that I have finally seen my all-time favourite band (who I've adored since I was a toddler!) and it was everything I was hoping it would be! After so many years of anticipation and assumptions, it was relieving to hear that Busted were getting back together, giving me a chance to experience a Busted concert for real (rather than watching their 2004 tour DVD over and over!).

When I first heard that Busted were reuniting, I was obviously super excited, but there was a slight sense of suspicion as to what Charlie's motives were, after his refusal to take part in the McBusted era. However, after watching a couple of interviews, I soon realised how wrong I had been and how enthusiastic all three of them were to be back together!

The show itself was amazing - the support acts were Youtuber, Emma Blackery and punk band, Wheatus. We didn't arrive early enough to catch Emma's set but we saw Wheatus and it was like stepping back in time! I didn't recognise some of their newer material but as soon as 'Teenage Dirtbag' started playing, I was up on my feet and dancing; the whole arena was buzzing!

Then it was time for the main event: it started with a giant, somewhat eerie, pig floating around the arena, while snatches of a VT were played on the screens, building the tension and anticipation. Then all of a sudden, the lights were off, the music was playing and Busted were on stage in London for the first time in 12 years!

The gig featured the big hits like 'Air Hostess', 'Crashed the Wedding' and 'What I Go to School For', as well as some new songs including 'Coming Home' and the brand new tracks 'Easy' and 'One of a Kind'. My personal favourite was 'Sleeping With the Light On' as this has been my favourite Busted song since forever! And naturally, they finished with the killer 'Year 3000', along with smoke, lights and confetti canons, which sent the crowd absolutely crazy.

It was a super memorable night and I'm so happy that I had the chance to see my faves live for the first time! I also managed to buy a tour t-shirt (which is linked on my 'Charlotte Loves' page) which added to my excitement!

I hope you've enjoyed this post - if you've been to see the Pigs Can Fly tour or saw Busted the first time round, tweet me or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear about your experiences!

See you soon,
Charlotte x