Gossip Girl and it's NYC drama may seem like a distant memory to some of you - can you believe it ended in 2012?! - but the thought of Blair, Serena, Chuck, Nate and their fabulous drama will always live on in my mind. I've always been a HUGE GG fan and Blair hands down was my favourite character from the start - her one liners and straight talking attitude used to make me laugh out loud and I'm not going to lie..... I kind of wish I could be a little more like her (hairbands and all!). So I've decided for 2016 I'm going to take on Blair's wise advice... because I mean - she's so damn good at it! 1. There is ALWAYS something to smile about. As much as you might want to scream, cry or curl up in a ball - remember the good stuff. Be grateful.
2. Be determined. Never stop until you've reached your goals and don't stop making more.
3. Don't let anyone dull your shine. Refuse to be put down - reject the negativity.
4. Don't wait. Get out there and take life on - create your future, live the life you want.
5. If all else fails. Shopping helps.......
6. .......and sometimes so does drinking.
7. Always make a little effort (even when you really, really don't feel like it) it will always make you feel a little better.
8. As much as you love it - sometimes just sometimes sleep shouldn't be a priority.
9. Mean people. Fake people. Rude people. Don't waste your energy. #ByeBye
10. I'm taking this one and using it against junk food..... #idontneedyou
Now........ who's for a GG marathon?
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Recently I was asked what I thought the most romantic city for couples was?
Yes immediately my brain flashed up images of the Eiffel Tower, Venice and pretty beaches on the other side of the world but in reality I haven't actually been to any of these so feel like I can't choose them!
Somewhere I have been is New York City and even though I went with a best friend when I went twice back in 2012, I still saw the romantic side of the city and what it has to offer for loved up couples!
New York is the backdrop to so many amazing love stories, I mean ... Ross & Rachel, Carrie & Big, Blair & Chuck - that list is definitely endless for both soapy and dramatic relationships! The city is full to the brim with amazing tourist sights, beautiful scenery, amazing shows, delicious foods - it really is like nowhere other, the buzz of NYC is something I'll never forget.
Like I just mentioned New York City is an incredible place to visit if you are a foodie couple and nothing epitomises NYC more than it's aray of foods! The amount of romantic,fun and unique meals and snacks you can enjoy is one of the best things about a trip!
Not only this but the sights and sounds they have to offer are literally like nothing you will see anywhere else - the for one skyline is breathtaking. With the amount of songs, TV shows and movies focused in NYC you really could be entertained for years by it and I think just about everyone has dreamt of going to New York.
I've been challenged by MSC Cruises to create a romantic bundle of things that, for me, represents New York and it's love story atmosphere.
LOVE STORIES
The list goes on and on for these! You must all have a favourite movie or TV show which was set in New York City.
I mean... Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Friends, Serendipity, Maid In Manhattan, New Year's Eve, New York I Love You, Breakfast At Tiffany's. There are some pretty epic love stories there!
So these were a MUST for my bundle. There is nothing better than cosying up and watching a rom-com or love story (as long as you can talk your partner into it!).
From watching Carrie & Big finally tie the knot in the SATC movie to Blair & Chuck realising they were perfect for each other to Rachel getting off the god damn plane (thank God for the left phalange problem!) these all take place in the beautiful New York City - doesn't it make you want to have your own little love affair there?
Here's a Romantic NYC DVD marathon ...
THE FOOD
Okay, so I have invested in the greatest recipe book... ever!
New York is seriously famous for it's amazing foods - whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack off the street, New York is the home to the most iconic American flavours!
New York Cult Recipes is an epitome of awesome NY foods so, in light of it's romantic flare, me and my the boyf decided to attempt some of the fun recipes inside and send ourselves on a tantalising, mouth-watering trip to the USA!
First up the Tuna Melt!
Now this has got to be hands-down the best sandwich I've ever eaten! 3 slices of bread, cheese slices, a special tuna mix - fried to perfection!
This is amazing!!! I literally want to jump on a plane and go to every cafe in NYC.
Next - the USA's famous Sloppy Joe's! My boyfriend is called Joe so he is a big fan of this one!
The recipes in this book are super easy to follow and don't take long at all! We are definitely going to be trying alot more from this! Romantic trip to the NYC every weekend I say!
Last but not least.... my favourite - dessert!
Nothing says New York more than New York Cheesecake so we HAD to buy some! We seriously enjoyed this authentic yummy pudding - someone take me to cheesecake factory like NOW?!
THE SCENERY, THE SIGHTS AND THE SHOWS
For me when I think of New York the first thing that pops into my mind is the sight-seeing. Those iconic places like the Central Park, Times Square and the Empire State Building just shout romance too me! There's nothing more amazing than sharing an experience like that with a loved one.
I've included the pretty lights in some of the photos - because NY is famous for it's gorgeous lights throughout the city isn't it?! The skyline - full of lights, Time Square is one big light-fest, it just looks so perfect at night!
Tiffany & Co - what's more romantic than one of the most gorgeous jewellers in the entire world?! Ahhh what I would do to have a box full of their stunning jewels!
Last but not least - the shows. I am a huge musical fan - like huge! And I don't think there would be a night more perfect for me than in New York eating the incredible food and then seeing a show!
I have been to Broadway and I feel so grateful, my list of "need to see's" though is as long as my arm. Rent is a musical I've never seen so it was a must for this romantic bundle. I can't wait to have a cosy night in with the lights off pretending I'm on the otherside of the Atlantic with my loved one.
So there we have it - do you agree with me that New York City is the most romantic city in the world?! I love this bundle I have put together - it makes me super happy! I dream of the day I can go back - but for now I'll enjoy the food, movies, music and everything I love about that place from the comfort of my own home! (Next on my list.... making my own NYC pizza and cupcakes!) Thank you so much to MSC Cruises for challenging me - I've had a total and utter blast ( and Joe has too!)
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FINALLY! I've been waiting for new L'oreal lady Blake Lively to get her own lipstick! After the seriously popular nude's collection from the glamorous faces of L'oreal I knew it wasn't going to be long until they bought out some more!
This time it's all about the reds and I'm SO pleased Blake has been involved!
The new Pure Red's Collection is made up of 4 new shades from the likes of Blake, Eva, Julianne & Liya. (and I'm sure at some point I'll own them all but I thought I'd limit myself to just the one for now..... it's not like a need another red lipstick!)
I am a huge Blake Lively fan and I won't lie - my purchase of this was heavily influenced by the fact her name was plastered on the front of it!
Blake, Serena, S, that druggie girl in The Town ... whatever you want to call her - she is a total stunner, I have become total captivated with her transformation into one of the most stunning women to hit the red carpets recently.
The lipstick itself is only £6.99 - I'm not sure weather this is a prmotional price of whether the Colour Riche lipsticks have been reduced permantly - a middle price for a high street brand and I was more than happy to pay it.
I love the shape of the bullet, it is slightly different to most products out there with a smaller and more pointed nib which makes it super easy to apply neatly and precisely.
With Autumn more or less here I'm starting to prepare myself for less bright pinks and corals and more reds and deep purples!
This shade is gorgeous, bold and has incredible staying power! L'oreal's lip products are always impressive and I have to say this is definitely my go-to red for now.... I think I may just go and buy the rest of the collection!
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Yes, show after show, episode after episode - I'm a huge lover of TV and the amount of shows I have become addicted too is a little worrying. (although after speaking to so many of you on twitter over time I've realise I'm not the only one!) After the love I got for my movie recommendations posts and having so many of you asking for a TV version I thought I would do it - in one big post... 26 of my favourite shows, ever.
Now some of these may be obvious to you - you might think ... ummm.... everyone watches that Kirstie but I'm going to share other shows too that may not be so well known!
1. Buffy The Vampire Slayer You may know this already but this is my favourite TV show ever. I've been obsessed since I was 7 when it started! I have watched every episode countless times and got probably speak most of them word for word! The original (and best) vampire/fantasy show, Joss Whedon is a total genius... and there's some major eye candy! 2. Angel Well.... I couldn't have Buffy and not Angel! The spin-off show which starts after Angel's departure at the end of Season 3 of Buffy. Another amazing show from Joss with fab cross overs and some friendly faces gracing the awesome cast! 3. Ringer Sarah Michelle Gellar alert - again! This is one of the shows that I'm still so so sad that they cancelled after just one season! Sarah plays twins, the ex-addict/stripper Bridget who is meant to be a witness to crime and the queen of the upper east side Siobhan. When Siobhan 'kills herself' Bridget steals her identity to hide from her own troubled life but finds out S isn't as innocent as she thought.
4. Pretty Little Liars Basically a cross between Gossip Girl & Desperate Housewvies (which both are obviously mentioned in this post) 4 friends are torn apart by a mystery 'A' who knows all their secrets, all they are trying to do is find out what happened to their best friend Ali who disappeared! This is hands down my favourite show at the moment, the amount of twists is insane - I literally have no idea whats going to happen next! Warning : major hair envy will occur whilst watching this show. 5. The Following Not one for the faint hearted now. A serial killer and his newly formed cult cause havoc around the east coast of the US! Kevin Bacon plays detective Ryan Hardy who is trying to bring Joe Carroll and his evil followers down! This is such a good thriller drama, not that scary as I can wath it alone but very tense... and a tad gory! 6. Ru Paul's Drag Race You may remember this being in one of my monthly favourites posts this year. I was recommended this by a friend so I started watching it on Netflix, I instantly became addicted and bascially watched seasons 1-5 in a couple of weeks! It's like America's Next Top Model but for drag queens and it is bloody hilarious!
7. The Vampire Diaries Being such a huge Buffy fanI had always been a bit dubious about other vampire teen-type dramas! BUT this show turned my opinions around! I remember starting watching this when it started on ITV back in like 2009! Immediately fell in love with the gorgeous Salvatore hunks aswell as Nina Dobrev's amazing acting! The storylines are awesome with some great twists in each and every seasons so far! Cannot wait for the new epidoes to start this Autumn! 8. The Originals Quque another spin-off series! Focusing on a certain family from TVD, The Originals is set in New Orleans and is on par with TVD for me! Plus the Michaelson brothers are hot. 9. Orange Is The New Black If you haven't started watching this yet then shame on you! Piper is going to jail..... for a crime she did 10 years ago, she not your usual jail house chick and there's alot in store for her........ this is so so funny/shocking, I guarantee you'll binge watch it in a matter of days! (and how much does she look like Katy Perry with blonde hair!!!) 10. Once Upon A Time Fairytales, Disney princesses and evil queens all in one TV show... need I say more? If you are anything like me this will be right up your street!
11. The Secret Circle Another show that I'm still sad The CW cancelled. A coven of witches is completed when Cassie moves to a new town to live with her Grandma after her Mum is tragically killed! I loved this show and if you watch TVD/The Originals you'll recognise the bitch of the show Faye as Hayley the werewolf!!
12. The Simple Life The show that made my life complete as a teenager. This 'reality' TV show of Paris & Nicole still makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times I watch it! I love these girls.
13. Laguna Beach/The Hills I'm sure most of you girlys have watch The Hills... but have you seen Laguna Beach aswell? Where it all began for LC, Kristen and most of the others! I love both of these, the real original of this type of reality TV show! We all know the last few seasons were a tad set up and the ending is brilliant but I still love it so so much! "What did I do?" "You know what you did!!!" 14. Girls Of The Playboy Mansion A reality show watching the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends? Could I love a show anymore? The original 3 Holly, Kendra & Bridget will always have a special place in my heart, this show is crazy - the way they live is just insane, an amazing look into how the other half live! 15. Long Island Medium I've only just discovered this on US Netflix but I have become a crazy fangirl literally like overnight. Thersea Caputo is a medium, who lives in Long Island - duh! (This is a reality show btw!) If your a skeptic - watch it! Even though the show has it sad moments.... it has hilarious ones too - I love the Caputo family!
16. Glee Singing + massive lols. Glee is so show that I instantly fell in love with. The script, the characters, the music - all totally up my street! I still rock out to the songs from Glee all the time... I'm so behind on the episodes though I need a good old weekend marathon! 17. American Horror Story A scary one now! I watch this with my boyfriend, although I think I could brave it on my own! The same cast each seaosn BUT totally different stories and characters each season - I love it! Season 1 is Murder House, Season 2 Asylum and Season 3 Coven! I love them all - Asylum is probably my favourite though! Plus Emma Roberts is in Season 3 ... I love her!
18. 90210 Queue being jealous of other peoples lives. High school drama set in Beverly Hills - fabulous! I love easy to watch shows like this..... and even though its 'teen' show I love it - it's not like any of the actors are teens anyway! Favourite character? Probably Naomi! 19. Gossip Girl Oh wait is that another show in which you will sit and get jealous of the charcters and their fabulous lives? Yes! But this time on the other coast! NYC & the upper east side is home to the fabulous Blair, Serena and all their merry men! GG is an online site revealing all the latest news, gossip and secrets about the popular kids...but who is it?!!? (#Chair for life!) 20. Desperate Housewives A comedy, drama and mystery show all in one! Each season is fantastic and I can honestly say it makes me laugh out loud ... alot! Major love for the housewives and all their crazy, scary and shocking adventures! 21. Modern Family One of the funniest shows on TV. Ever. This 'mocumentary' show follows an unconventional family and their day-t0-day lives. I urge you to go and watch this right now, I first saw this whilst on a plane and actually had to control myself as I kept laughing so loud! My favourite character has to be Cam, although it's a bit like friends - it's hard to choose a favourite!
22. Breaking Bad Probably THE most talked about show for the past couple of years! I was totally and utterly hooked on this from episode 1 and was actually devastated when it ended! To sum it up pretty quickly Walt, a genius chemistry teacher and Jesse, a former pupil and drop out, are making meth and it's popular. But the story that unfolds will keep you on the edge of you seat and watching through your fingers... I'm saying no more! 23. Toddlers & Tiaras This show will gobsmack you. Dramatic toddlers and pre-Madonna divas, do you agree with it? 24. Catfish Catfish the movie was his story, Catfish the TV show is everyone elses. People in online relationships for years but never met and never even seen each other on screen? 9 times out of 10 all is not what it seems..... alot of shockers and alot of angry heartbroken people! 25. Lost The show with more twists and turns than a game of Twister! Some may say it is slightly farfetched but I couldn't care less... I love it and everytime I watch it I notice even more... there's jsut so much going on it make my brain hurt! This show will blow your mind with it's storylines and theories! 26. Summer Heights High Saving one of the best til' last! Chris Liley is a genius and I love every single on of his shows but my favourite has to be Summer Heights High. After 7 years this still makes me and my friends laugh uncontrollably and even just one quote can set me off! Mr. G is of coure my favourite - go and watch it now!!!
So there we have it 26 of my favourite TV shows (I forgot Will & Grace... I LOVE Will & Grace.. and Misfits, oh god and Friends - those shows are amazing!)....
Have you seen any of these? What are your favourite shows?
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Catch up with Day's 1 & 2 here. DAY 3 (02/03/12) So this was our first morning waking up in America and it was a bloody early one! With our body clocks being 5 hours ahead we were up and wide awake at around 6am (aka 11am!) so up and ready we got and we wrapped up seriously warm because it was actually so much colder than we were expecting! Luckily we had both worn big thick hoodies from Jack Wills & Hollister for the flight - little did we know they were going to turn out to be life savers on this trip. We knew the first thing we wanted to do was to head to DASH (The Kardashian's Store in Soho) so once again the iPhone was out we had our map telling us which way to head. After around 30minutes of walking we found it tucked away a few stores down from Chanel on Spring St.. What we hadn't realised is that stores open a bit later in this part of town and DASH didn't open until 11am so instead of waiting around we took a few photos outside and vowed to go back before we left the city so we could have a look round and get some merchandise!
Next stop was The Statue Of Liberty (yup, today was going to be a sight-seers heaven) so we hailed a taxi, which is always awkward when you first get to NY but I'd like to say we are now experts, and we were on our way. Before we headed over and got our tickets we decided that we needed some breakfast, we saw a little supermarket type shop and thought we'd try out luck. Well this had everything - including a cafe area upstairs to go and eat your purchases! I settled for a chocolate chip pancake (hey I was in New York) and it was huge!! This is the first time I thought to myself their portions are huge and it wouldn't be the last! Breakfast eaten, a little bit warmer and with a few snacks bought we headed over the road and towards the ticket office.
The queue for The Statue Of Liberty was pretty big but with all sorts of people waiting from all over the world it was quite a good location for people watching. Although saying this this didn't make me feel any warmer and I was so grateful that I had packed my mittens that morning! After about an hour we were in, getting our bags checked and heading towards the boat. Living on an island I am very used to ferries and this one just felt like I was at home. Growing closer and closer I was getting more and more excited, my friend had been before but this didn't make her any less excited as I. We hopped off the ferry and followed the crowds for a walk around Liberty! This was a perfect spot for photo taking and you'll get to learn from reading these posts that I do tend/love to get a bit snap happy - but I see nothing wrong with this when making memories! You can see the skyline of the city across the water and of course you are up close and personal with The Statue!
We stayed here for probably around half an hour but the wind was so icy cold that we had a quick look around the gift shop, took photos with stupid hat/masks on and walked back to the ferry. Next stop on the ferry was Ellis Island but we decided to skip this as we had lots planned for this day.
We got off the ferry and were greeted with street performers, these awesome guys doing some amazing dancing and gymnastics and had a massive crowd around them. after watching them for a little while we ventured off and went to ask for directions for Ground Zero. We thought we would have to get a taxi there but after talking to a lovely traffic warden (I think thats what he was anyway) he kindly pointed out to us that "that is the freedom tower right there". We weren't far from it at all so we were off on foot and heading towards the 9/11 site. I always knew it was be eerie and even standing in the queue you could just feel that everyone around us felt the same. As we were in New York is was something at the top of our list of things to do and I am so so glad we went. Obviously security, like a lot of the landmarks/tourist attractions, is tight and again we went through the metal detectors and bag searches just like at the Statue of Liberty. We went to ground zero just before the museum had opened so it was just the water fall fountains there at this point. They are incredible and the size of them just really does make it hit-home how big these buildings were and how many people's lives this affected. Ground Zero isn't somewhere you hang around for a long time and after a little while we made our way back out and into the store which is situated by the exit.
Now like I said before, this was a major sight-seeing day so yeah you guessed it next stop for us was The Empire State Building. We got a taxi from Ground Zero and I can't quite remember how long it took but I can't imagine it was long! We were nervous that we were going to have to queue for ages but that wasn't a queue in sight so up we went. A fairly expensive ticket and 86 floors in a lift (elevator) later and we were at the top... and getting probably the most wind swept I've ever been in my life. What an AMAZING view. You really get to see the beauty and uniqueness of New York and I could of spent ages up there. But with the cold weather and time ticking on we decided to head back down and make our way back to our hotel. As easy as that sounds we managed to totally and utterly balls it up. We went to a store and got some food for our room back at the hotel and some well needed bottles of water. As we started making our way back to the hotel location we started to noticed that actually we had no idea where we were going. And... I may, MAY, have made a teeny tiny mistake in thinking our hotel was on 152nd when actually it was on 125th (or something like that) so after walking around 52 blocks more than needed and spending some of our trek in a part of New York I would never want to go back again to we made it back to the hotel. Baring in mind we had been up since around 6, and just carried 24 bottles of water alot further than needed, we were exhausted but our day wasn't over. When planning this trip we made sure we had tickets for a few things while we were in each state. Tonight we had some of those tickets and they were for Spiderman : Turn Off The Dark the musical on Broadway. Luckily Broadway was only around a 15 minute or so walk from our hotel and we had seen where the theatre was the night we had arrived and gone to Times Square so we knew where we were going. Our seats were right at the back of the circle but this didn't matter at all - The musical was amazing. If you are in New York and wondering what show to go and see I would definitely recommended it! Where else are you going to have Spiderman running out of the door right next to you and jumping off of the balcony. So so brilliant, modern and unique with an amazing cast, storyline, soundtrack and set. (I've even got the CD and love singing along).
We left Broadway and it was chucking it down with rain but instead of trying to hail a taxi with the hundreds of other people around we decided just to go for it and walk as fast as we could. And that was our first full day in New York done and dusted. NEXT POST - Seals, Polar Bears, Central Park & a spot of shopping.....
