What not to forget for your holidays...

I have came back from a holiday in Devon which explains my absence last week! The miraculous thing about this Holliday is that we actually didn't forget anything major (we left the grape in the fridge, they were gravely missed...)! This made me think of all the things we have forgotten preciously and stuff that is easy to forget to pack. So I compiled them into a list...

1. PJ's 

This is the motif on the PJs that I brought from Primark just before we went because they are so cute! I mean what's not to love about animals in clothes? I was shocked that they fit considering how stupidly weird my legs are but they do and I love them. Unfortunately one year my PJs were left at home for a week but luckily because we were in the UK and I was little at the time, a few pairs we picked up for me!

2. Reading material with attractive actor on the cover. 
 



 

The attractive actor is ESSENTIAL okay? When we went away last year and the year before I didn't bring enough books of my own so my mum gave me one she had read called Need about pixies but on the up side I did like it! But bring enough books so you don't have to resort to not so good books for example the year before last I resorted to my sisters biography of Cheryl Cole. It was dull and boring put nicely shall we say!

3. Orthodontic appliances- DO NOT FORGET THIS!! I very almost forgot these this year but stuck them in my bag quickly before we left. They are easy to leave especially when you wear yours at night, they arn't the first things to cross your mind! 

4. Socks



 

My mum forgot her socks one time and had to borrow mine (luckily we are the same shoe size!) these chick socks are again from Primark and I thought they were adorable! I didn't want to put pants (even though I just did) but don't forget these either.

5. Nobody's judging you. 
 

When on holiday I'm a different person a lot of the time. I'm more adventurous, I wear less (if any) makeup and I relax more and worry less because of it. I tried loads of new things in the week I was away including body boarding, golf (I can't see myself winning the US open anytime soon!) and spent quality time with my family, Twix had a blast too! He particularly liked to dig in the sand which was hilarious!

Hope you have enjoyed the holidays if you go back to school/ work/ collage/ Uni next week (I feel sorry for you guess who gets an extra week off!?) Here's to a new year and a fresh start!

 

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Woolacombe Devon

 

Woolacombe Bay

Sun Sand and Sea

Illfracombe Elephant

Illfracombe Harbour

Matching Moustache!

This is my beach peasants!

As I said here are some of our holiday snaps from Devon! The weather was beautiful the whole week we were there meaning that we went to the beach every day without fail! The whole Woolacombe area is incredibly dog friendly too even my mum said she has never been anywhere so accommodating for dogs! We could take Twix most places but he doesn't mind being left for a while if we went to eat somewhere where dogs weren't allowed so we did a fair balance of things. Wherever you went though, you would see dogs everywhere including in the neighbouring Illfracombe area where signs saying "friendly dogs welcome" were everywhere! 
I had no reason to be sceptical about holidaying in the UK in Devon with the nice weather and taking Twix wasn't a tie at all for us. So a lovely holiday all in all!

I can't believe that next week marks the end of the summer holidays! My brother starts Year 7 on Wednesday and my sister goes into Year 10 on Thursday afternoon (don't ask!). I luckily only have registration for sixth form on Friday then I start year 12 on Wednesday the 11th! So who's up for some school related posts next week?

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Chalk Art




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Now I'm not the artistic type but I've seen pictures of Chalk Art and Pavement art floating around instagram and the internet as a whole for a while. I love how they create such incredible illusions and the water ones are my favourite, especially the ones above by Julian Beever. Me and the sibs decided to make the most of the bank holiday weather and create some of our own...



Yeah no need to question why I didn't take art further than the compulsory grade! What have you been up to this bank holiday weekend?

 

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Mid-August Resolutions update

So it is just about halfway through August today umm so where is the summer going? (I can't deal with the idea that I start sixth form in 4 weeks.) 

Any who I wanted to update on how I have been doing with the stuff I wanted to do/ be /change this month and like I said, I will check in at the end of the month and say how I have actually held up! (If this makes no sense to you have a quick look at this post here.) 

1. Be more positive.
         Um... Well I'm trying to make a conscious effort but I don't know, it's harder than I thought! It's so weird because people make out that its so easy to just click your fingers and change your outlook on life but its not! It's a slow process (for me anyway!) that I'm trying to adapt to but with late nights and other stuff it seems to be a little difficult at times but I guess that's the thing with habits!

2. Get more Active.
        Yes! I have been doing a lot more exercise this month! I've been trying to do at least 3-4 hours at the gym per week and I never thought I'd say it but I feel so much better for it whenever I do I mean today for example I have been busy with the family so I haven't been since Tuesday and I feel kind of meh as a result. It does make me feel a lot healthier and happier too probably because of the positive endorphins you get from exercise so it's a win-win situation! I mentioned before I haven't been going to lose weight but I do feel a lot more toned in my legs which is a perk! I don't really weigh myself so I don't know anyway but yeah I feel so much better for it.

3. Get into a regular sleeping paturn.

    I don't think I've been doing too badly on this count either! I have a pretty sturdy routine now which I've managed to muster up and I feel less tirerd (unless I've been working/ online shopping/ simming!) but yeah most of the time I have more energy now which is probably down to both this and the exercise but all the same it's all good!

So there was a quick update on how I've been holding up for the past 16 days! I hope you have had an awesome August so far!

 

Tea Rooms, Tierdness

This Pun made me smile!

Yesterday I went to a new(ish) vintage tea room with one of my best friends for a catch up and to talk about the important things in life- Holidays, the new Dr Who and why I should watch Sherlock! This opened a few months back but then refurbished and has just reopened again and it's so cute! I highly recommend their hot chocolate its delicious! I really want to go again. Apparently they do cake decorating and crumble making and that kind of thing and which sounds really fun! 

Today on the other hand I have been incredibly unproductive. I'd like to say that I've been packing all day but in actual fact I finished that at 10 am. I have basically been doing odd jobs like folding towels and dog walking for the rest of the day and sitting on my backside. Me Lazy? Honestly I have been so tiered today which I think has jus caught up with me after 3 late nights in a row! I  was at work until 10 the other day then last night I had to help my Mum order something at 11:55! Early night for me tonight!


What did you get up to this week?

New Blog and Updates

Hello!

Sorry things have been a little sporadic lately but it has been for good reason I promise you! As the title might suggest, I have a new blog! The idea came about when I was writing a White Queen Review and thought that it felt a little out of place on Autumn Leaves and Misperceives. I mean I normally have such a casual tone and then wanted to talk about a serious historical TV drama so it seemed a little odd to me to keep it here. So after conferring with an AMAZINGLY supportive friend of mine, it seemed like the right decision to make a "sister blog" for reviews of all kinds be it books, TV and Films and generally anything entertainment related.

And so Awesome Reads and Misperceives was born! 

*Cue Fireworks, Fire, strobe lights ect.*

 

 

The URL is of the same style to this blog which you may have noticed has changed recently to autumnleavesam.blogspot.com (because and misperceives is 4 syllables too long don't you think?) so similarly (because they are sisters after all!) You can find it at awesomereadsam.blogspot.com .

 

Posts on here will still be 3 times a week as usual but I will still aim to post once a week minimum on Awesome Reads! Think of this Lifestyle blog being like a Crazy older sister if you will!

 

Love Kim x

 

 

Clapping Games

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Whilst in line for The Smiler at Alton Towers yesterday two girls in front of us (remarkably) recognised my brother from swimming meets because they swam for another local club. The funniest part of it is that they recognised him purely for is ginger hair- my brother had no idea who these girls were!

They were 8 and 10 so started to play clapping games with us to pass the time in the 2 hour long wait. My favourites are "Popey the Sailor man" and "Miss Mop" but these were apparently alien to these two girls and they liked one about Ribena and tic tacs. 

I love how clapping games are so different wherever you go. The same for campfire songs and how there are different variations of the same songs even between your school/ Brownie pack and the one five minutes up the road. There's an individuality about it that I have grown to love. Not when you're eight or ten though, no then there's just war between you and them over who's version is wrong (always theirs) and who's is right. (Always yours!) for some reason at our brownies we always have a bitter rivalry between those that think Joe worked in a book or a button factory. To this day his true occupation remains a mystery. 

Can you remember any clapping games or songs? 

P.S. The 2 hour wait was totally worth it! We would probably got on sooner if it hadn't been for people throwing up every 20 minutes. I guess 14 is a few loops too many for some stomachs, I can't blame them though we all felt a little queezy after too! 

The White Queen- 3/4 way Review

Hello!

This review contains SPOILERS read at your own risk.

So episodes seven and eight I thought were very good and there have been a lot of changes in The White Queen particularly to the 3 brothers. Let's list them:

1. George was executed for treason by calling Elizabeth a witch (and killing his wife and  whippet.) He chose to be drowned in the queens favourite wine to make her feel guilty. So their children are Orphans but it was a bit unclear what happened to them.

 2. Edward gained weight in the form of a pillow getting stuffed up his tunic and he died of a fever in episode eight.

3. Richard has been made sworn protector of Edward's son Edward (confusing much?) and elected himself as King so that Elizabeth couldn't rule through Edward. There is a lot of tension between them as you could imagine for the throne. Edward and his siblings however have now been made illegitimate heirs because they are considered to be Bastards so unlawful heirs. This was because Edward was said to have married before Elizabeth in order to sleep with another women.

Speaking of sleeping around remember Edwards Mistress? The woman who he was cheating on Elizabeth with? Well I didn't realise at first because she was just kind of there up until yesterday's episode but her name is Jane Shaw. Since the King had died, she was kicked out the court by Richard and Anne so went to live with Anthony  , Elizabeth's brother and Edward jr.'s guardian before Richard was. So her being her, she slept with him he was arrested and she was met with mixed reactions some of the people felt sorry for her but most saw her as a "whore" and although I wouldn't go as far as to call her that, she shouldn't have done what she did. The bets option for her would have been for her to leave town and start a new life but she didn't and that was resultantly the end of her.

What I'm beginning to see in the show is the rise to and fall from power as a leading theme specifically how it affects the characters. I mean Richard and Anne I mentioned in My half series review to have been my favourite characters but they plot and scheme as much as Edward and Elizabeth did when they were in power which puts me off them yet again! I mean It's inevitable because it's history that they became king and queen but I liked them better when they weren't.

Elizabeth and her 10 children (minus Edward jr.) have gone into "sanctuary" which is the prison like abandoned building that Elizabeth escaped to with her children when Edward lost the throne for an episode earlier in the series. This is kind of sad to see really because I mean her son was born in this poverty and now they're back there. Her other son was wanted by Richard at the palace too but rather than send him there she chose to say he was ill send him with Thomas (no idea who he is but I can't see him coming back! he's either a brother of hers or one of her older sons, I'm not sure.) and then send a fake son to Richard with the same hair colour which is clever when you think that Edward Jr. wont have seen his brother in years.

Now who's the last of the three women I haven't talked about? Oh yes Margaret Beaufort. Now her and Elizabeth are close now after she saved Elizabeth's baby (?) and Margaret has sided with Elizabeth because she knows that Richard being on the throne only increases the gap between the throne and her son. So she is spying on the court for Elizabeth.

The thing that's getting me a bit now is how I feel about the ending. I mean we're at a stage where we know what's coming with the battle of Bosworth and I'm not sure how I feel about knowing what's coming next. That said I guess that's what's part if the magic of period dramas- you watch them knowing the outcome. We'll see anyway!

What have you thought of the show so far? 

Love Kim x

The White Queen- 1/2 series Review

Hello! 



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So I have been watching The White Queen this week on catch up and I have mixed feelings about it. The basic concept I like: there are 3 or 4 women struggling with power in the War of the roses: Elizabeth (The White Queen), Margaret Beaufort (Lancastrian Lady Who is obsessive about her son Henry Tudor being King, I'm pretty sure I can guess the outcome!) and the Nevill sisters who are more or less having power forced upon them by marriage. It's a good concept and I haven't read the Phillipa Gregory book it's based on but it sounds like something I'd like. Not sure about the TV show though...

What Happens (SPOILERS don't read unless you have watched up to episode 6!If you plan to watch it that is...):

So Start with Elizabeth is shown to be able to do witchcraft with her mother and see into the future, mainly deaths though apparently. She has 2 sons and is a widow but she met the York King, Edward which was all very sweet and they got married in secret. 

 



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Then you get to see their enemies, or the York enemies as a whole really. There are the Red Lancastrians and the Lord Warwick, a friend and adviser to Edward who becomes an enemy because was not happy with the marriage between Edlisabeth but he captures the Red King for him so that he will let him marry his daughter to Edwards brother George, but he doesn't. Because Elizabeth doesn't like their Family and doesn't want their children on the throne. So Lord Warwick, Edwards brother George betray them. Elisabeth also keeps having daughters (which was so confusing they announced the birth of one but then boom these little 5 year old girls keep showing up and your like umm, where did you come from?) which is not good heir wise! She then finds out Edward is having an affair which he says is totally fine because he's king. Obviously. I mean how is adultery ever not totally fine (he has no apparent logic.) 

 



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I feel really Sorry for the 2 daughters of Lord Warwick though. They ,unlike The White Queen, were not married for love which was pretty normal at the time I which it was set but neither of their husbands care about them at all! The eldest Isabelle is married to George without the King's permission and becomes pregnant with their first child. After they lose the war mentioned previously they end up fleeing to France whilst she is heavily pregnant and despite her knowing something is wrong nobody will stop for her and she lost her baby whilst giving birth on the ship to France. Obviously she was really angry and upset and it was upsetting but you kind of knew it was coming and it meant that Elizabeth's son ( which she finally had called Edward too) would be older and there for the heir to the throne. 



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But worse still whilst in France Anne the younger sister is married to the evil horrid and rude French Prince who is the son of a French Queen who Lord Warwick wants to form an alliance with. Luckily for Anne (I think anyway!) He is killed in Battle and his Mum the French Queen is held prisoner. But then so is she in the York Palace when she begs for forgiveness as a Widow back in England after the second (and a lot bloodier) war in the series and is a Prisoner their! It's looking really bad for her up to this point but then Edwards younger brother who she loved and wanted to marry anyway proposed to her and said he loved her and I was so happy! She can finally be happy! Episode 6 also has a lot of greyhounds which appeals to me a lot. 



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Then there's Margaret Beaufort who seems to like wars a fair bit. She wants the Yorks off the throne so her son can be in line to it again (she's basically a nutty, pushy Mum) and is extremely religious, convinced that her son is destined to be King by god. Her son Henry Tudor was the son of her first Husband and she was married to another man who he doesn't like probably because he is anti war and fights for the York side as he things they have a better promise of peace for the country with a younger king and a direct heir to the throne. He dies anyway of his injuries which is a shame because he probably talked more sense than most people in their group on the show! Then she married again to get in with the York royal court (her enemies) to try and get her son closer all the same. Her marriages are basically all business and power related. It's like she forms business alliances in a way. 



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Speaking of death being set in a war there is a lot of them in this show! Lord Lancaster was cursed by Elizabeth after the first war because he called for the execution of her dad and brother who were captured by them. She started a storm at sea using which craft with her Mum and daughter to try and Kill them but it failed and the storm  probably didn't help Isabelle's baby's chances. The witch craft always works though and Warwick does die in battle (More hardship for the sisters).

Elizabeth has Come to be a character that I don't like as much now because of this. She has become very hateful with power of the 2 girls and I don't hate her but it's a massive flaw especially as Anne has become a favourite character of mine, mainly because I felt sorry for her and I'm so happy that her life is back together again! 

The costumes in the show are amazing too! Elizabeth's coronation dress from episode 2 is my favourite as shown in the top picture I think but there seems to be the occasional metal  zip showing up here and there! We'll let it slide for now though. This is one of my favourites too from episode 1 (I think!)

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What I don't like about the show as a whole though is the "Hankey Pankey". It ruins it for me and luckily for me I am watching it on catch up and will continue to so I can fast forward it! For me that is big downside and every once in a while there's an upper body part that comes on the screen and I just think- please stop its not even necessary! It makes for uncomfortable viewing and not in the way of bloody mangled bodies from battle which I can handle. It seems unnecessary to the show to me and I think without it, I would rate the show more highly. I think they're trying to make this series into a British BBC equivalent to Game of Thrones and I don't like that. I don't  watch game of thrones even though its been recommended to be because of all the stuff I've been told that's in it. 

Overall:

So far though I would give the show 3 stars. It starts off well, took a bit of a dip for me but its picked up a little with Anne's wedding but perhaps that's just me being a hopeless romantic! 

It hasn't exceeded expectations in the way dramas from the BBC like The Paradise did which I understand was shown at eight o'clock not nine as this is but all the same that's how I feel about it. I also often prefer the BBC's family shows like Merlin was and Dr Who we love in our house and Atlantis sounds good too which comes out I October. 
I will probably continue to watch it to the end of the 10 episodes and give my final verdict when it finishes in 3 weeks  time(ish)! 

Have you been watching this show? What have you thought of it? Let me know in the comments too if you can recommend any series that are good at the moment! 

Love Kim xx