Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Book
Christmas Gift Guide: The Book of Everyone
0
6 years
Over the next couple of weeks I will be writing a series of posts as part of my annual Christmas Gift Guide, and today’s post will be the first in the series.
I always put a lot of thought into finding the right gift for everyone that I buy for, and I try to find something that’s a bit different to your bog standard gift set. There are several book lovers in my family, and this year on my hunt for unusual book-related gifts, I found something that is perfect for book lovers of any age. Though to be honest, this gift is so nostalgic and personal it’d be suitable for just about any of your loved ones…
The Book of Everyone is a 50 page book full of beautiful artwork, interesting statistics, and fun facts, that can be personalised to be about anyone and everyone! I was kindly sent a copy personalised to be about me, and every single page is gorgeous to look at, but also exciting and fascinating to read, as it all relates to my life. I feel like I learnt so much about my own history when reading the book, for example, in May 1989 I spent 30 minutes as a single cell, and in ‘my day’ a litre of petrol only cost 40p! I was also the 5,414,171,296th person alive on the planet when I was born. Amazing.
Creating the book is simple. It’s all done on The Book of Everyone website, and all you have to know about the person you’re creating for is their name, gender, and date of birth. The rest is done for you! Although you can change the text on some of the pages, add photos, and change the colour of the cover, just to make it that little bit more special and unique.
The book also suits any budget, as it’s available in four different formats. A digital PDF version costs £7.50, a softcover edition is £19.50, a standard hardback is £29.50, and a deluxe edition costs £49.50.
One of my favourite things about this gift is the fact that The Book of Everyone is collaborating with the charity Age UK, and every purchase from their site will go towards gifting a book to an elderly person this Christmas, who may not otherwise receive a gift. A lovely idea that I’m happy to get behind.
Books take just a few minutes to create, and are dispatched within 5 working days, so there’s still time to order before Christmas. Who would you buy The Book of Everyone for?
Naomi x
*The Book of Naomi was sent to me for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Best Of 2013
2
7 years
by Naomi in General
With only a few hours left of 2013, I thought I’d put together a reflective post of my ‘Best Ofs’ from the last twelve months, both blog-related and things that I’ve generally enjoyed this year. 2013 has been fairly eventful for me, what with getting starting to keep rats again after a five-year hiatus, finishing university, working more regular hours, and moving my blog to its own domain, thus growing its success. Luckily I’ve also had a lot of time for leisure, and managed to fit in some exciting trips and weekends away. So without further ado, here is my Best Of 2013.
TV Show: Breaking Bad
Now, I’m only three seasons in to Breaking Bad, so I haven’t yet seen the final one which aired this year, but Breaking Bad is easily my favourite TV show of 2013. I’m not usually one for following series (I’m more of a documentaries kinda girl), but I started watching Breaking Bad a month or two ago, and nothing on television has ever got me as hooked as this has. I genuinely have no idea what I’ll do without it.
Film: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Out of all the films I’ve seen at the cinema this year, ‘Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa’ stands out as the best. There’s nothing like a good British film, and it had me laughing all the way through. Admittedly, Alan Partridge as a character is an acquired taste, but I’ve always been a fan and I think the film did him justice (others I know would disagree, however).
Theatre: War Horse & Sweeney Todd
I was lucky enough to go to the theatre several times this year and I found it hard to pick a winner, so there are two. After years of wanting to see it, I saw the stage version of ‘War Horse’ at the Birmingham Hippodrome, and it was more beautiful than I had imagined. The puppetry was incredible and I shed many a tear. I would love to see it again, perhaps in London next time.
Source: Birmingham Hippodrome
I also went to see the Curve Community Production of ‘Sweeney Todd’ in August, at the Curve in Leicester. I’m not usually a fan of musicals, but I love the story of Sweeney Todd, and the quality of both the acting and the set were so high that I was instantly transfixed. My fiancé’s sister was in it too!
Book: Stonemouth by Iain Banks
‘Stonemouth’ by Iain Banks was actually published in 2012, but I didn’t get round to reading it until this year. I’ve been fond of Iain Banks’ writing ever since reading ‘The Wasp Factory’ when I was a teenager, and ‘Stonemouth’ is a classic Banks story. The characters are well developed and I couldn’t put the book down, which is always a good sign! I won’t say too much about it as to avoid spoilers, but I’d definitely recommend it to those who like fiction set in the real world. Unfortunately, Iain Banks passed away earlier this year after a short battle with cancer (RIP), and I for one am really sad that he is no longer here to write any more brilliant books, but at least he can live on in his existing literary legacy.
Gig: Sleepwalk City by 65daysofstatic, Sheffield
I tend to go to quite a few gigs every year, and 2013 was no different, but the best gig of the year wasn’t a straightforward one. It was actually a live sound and visual installation called ‘Sleepwalk City’, in an art gallery in Sheffield, performed by my favourite instrumental post-rock band 65daysofstatic. In short, the idea was to become immersed in sound, and the 30 minute performance for a select number of people was one of the most interesting and overwhelming musical experiences that I’ve ever had.
Celebrity: Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul, aka Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, is my absolute favourite celebrity of 2013, for many, many reasons. As BuzzFeed quite rightly said, Aaron Paul Was The King of 2013, Bitch, so visit the article to find out why!
Source: Instagram
Eatery: Spanky Van Dyke’s & Cornucopia
Spanky Van Dyke’s is a bar on Nottingham which sells some of the best burgers I have ever tasted. Their homemade fries and desserts are amazing too! I’ve been there countless times this year (usually before heading to a gig), and I always enjoy it. My menu recommendation is the Shroomaloomi burger, which is stuffed full of flat mushrooms and grilled halloumi, mmmm.
Another of my best eateries of 2013 has to be Cornucopia in Dublin. I can honestly say it is hands down the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant I have ever been to. It’s a little on the pricey side, but the atmosphere is relaxed, the food is all homemade and they experiment (and succeed) with unusual ingredients, so it’s well worth the money.
City: Dublin
In September my fiancé and I went to Dublin in Ireland for a short holiday, and we had an absolutely lovely time. The city itself has so much to offer – so much to see and do, and I’d love to go back to see and do what we missed the first time! Whilst there we did the touristy thing and went to Dublin Zoo, Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse and Croke Park, but we also spent a lot of time relaxing in the local parks (and pubs!)
Achievement: Becoming a Master of the Arts
After two years of studying hard and writing essays, and a summer spent writing my 20,000 word dissertation, I finally finished my Masters degree in Modern Literature in September. I passed, with Merit, and I am so, so happy and proud. Bring on graduation in January 2014!
Blog Post: Interview Review: Superdrug Colour Rewind Hair Colour Remover
After looking at my blog stats for this year, my most popular blog post, with the most views, is the Interview Review I did with my sister about Superdrug’s Colour Rewind Hair Colour Remover.
Giveaway: JollyChic $100 Fashion Giveaway
I’ve ran a few giveaways in partnership with several companies throughout the year, but the one with the most entries has been the JollyChic Giveaway to win $100 to spend on fashion. The giveaway is actually still open, and is running until January 12th, so if you want to enter click here!
PR Product: Helvin DUO Boots
I received a lot of gorgeous PR products and samples this year, and I found it difficult to choose a favourite, but in the end these Helvin DUO Boots triumphed. They’re top quality and look fantastic on – you can read my full review here.
Fashion Item: Primark Winter Coat
The best fashion item I have purchased in 2013 has to be my winter coat from Primark. As my review says… ‘Every year I end up trailing around shops for hours, trying on coats that just don’t look or feel right, before eventually settling for something that I don’t particularly like. This year, however, was different. I walked into Primark, picked up the first coat that caught my eye, tried it on and, much to my surprise, I loved it! And, to make things even better, it only cost £25 – a third of what last year’s coat cost me.’
Beauty Product: INIKA Certified Organic Liquid Foundation
I struggle to find foundations to suit my skin tone, let alone ones that are natural, vegan and cruelty free, so when I discovered INIKA’s Certified Organic Liquid Foundation I was very happy, as it fulfils all of the above criteria! You can see my swatches and read my review here.
Skin Care Product: Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Hand Cream
My favourite skin care product of the year is one I haven’t got round to reviewing yet – Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Hand Cream. Every winter my hands get so dry that they actually crack and bleed, but this year I found the cure. At £9 for a 75ml tube it’s not the cheapest, but it actually works and that’s what matters! I’ll be reviewing it next month so keep an eye out if you’re interested in hearing more.
What are your 2013 ‘Best Ofs’? I hope you all have a happy new year!
Naomi x
My Week on Instagram #4
0I had a really busy five days at work last week so didn’t have much time to Instagram anything that interesting, but here are a few photos anyway, mostly taken in the evenings after work! As you can see, I tried to put aside some time to relax and pamper myself a bit.
Imperial Leather Foamburst, reviewed here / Bad Apple Nail Varnish in Anna / Relaxing evening with a good book and a mince pie / Friday night chocolate soufflé treat / Uno, Chocolate Orange and Miggley rat / My dad’s new, beautiful Leopard Gecko – Gex
If you’d like to follow me on Instagram and see more of my photos, my username is bewitchery_. If you’re on Instagram too, please comment on this post with your username as I’m always looking for new accounts to follow, especially fashion and beauty ones!
Naomi x
Fashion Find: Out of Print Clothing
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8 years
by Naomi in Fashion
One of my greatest passions in life is literature. I first joined the library at the age of two, and throughout my childhood I spent most of my free time either reading a book or writing my own stories. My love for words and books has been carried with me into adulthood, and I am even studying for a postgraduate degree in Modern Literature. As I’m sure my blog reflects, another of my passions is fashion, so what could be better than a combination of both of these things?
Last week I came across a fantastic website which combines my love of literature with my passion for fashion, and it also has an ethos I can adhere to. Out of Print Clothing celebrate some of the world’s best literary works through quirky t shirts and accessories, which depict striking, and often out of print, book covers. They also state on their website that ‘Each product is treated to feel soft and worn like a well-read book’, which is such a lovely touch. Their greatness doesn’t stop there, however, as the brand are charitable too! For every product they sell, Out of Print donate a book to a community in need, through a charity called Books For Africa. I’ve always believed in the importance of spreading stories and sharing books, so donating books to those who need them is something I support completely – it’s such a beautiful idea!
There are many t shirts to choose from and I’m sure there’s something there for everybody, but here is my pick of some of my favourite Out of Print t shirts…
A Clockwork Orange – $28.00
1984 – $42.00
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – $28.00
Alice in Wonderland – $40.00
Wuthering Heights – $28.00
Out of Print Clothing are an American company, but they also ship to the UK and the rest of the world. You can view their full range online here, or alternatively, if you’d rather order straight from the UK some of their t shirts are also available from TruffleShuffle.
Which book would you like to see on a t shirt?
Naomi x
I’m having a BLOG SALE!!
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9 years
by Naomi in Blog Sale
Hi everyone!
Some of you may have noticed that Bewitchery now has a Blog Sale page! If you haven’t seen it, the link/tab is at the top of the page. I have already listed quite a few things for sale, including dresses, tops, ANEW face creams, jewellery, watches and books, and there will be a lot more to come. I will post items to the UK, USA, Canada and Europe. Postage will be calculated once items have sold. Payment by PayPal only please! If you want anything, please leave a message on the sale page, or email .
Thanks for looking and happy shopping! You can view my blog sale here.
Naomi x
Nail Art: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
12I recently bought a set of nail dotters on eBay, so yesterday I took a bit of time out from everything to practise using them! The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of my favourite books as a child, and I am still just a little bit obsessed with it. I have a Caterpillar calendar, a Caterpillar mug, bowl, plate, Caterpillar toys, Caterpillar plasters, Caterpillar books, a Caterpillar bookmark… all sorts! So it seemed only natural to attempt some Caterpillar themed nails, just for fun. 90 minutes and about 12 nail varnishes later, here is how they turned out…
I have to say, I am SO pleased with the result and I’m actually really proud of this attempt! The design took about 90 minutes in total, including drying time, which I don’t think is that bad considering I did it all freehand. The nails on my other hand all have polka dot tips like my thumb and pinky in this picture. I found the dotting tools surprisingly easy to use so I didn’t have much trouble with the drawing… This is definitely a more adventurous design than my previous ones anyway! The pale blue base is Avon’s Nailwear Pro in ‘Vintage Blue’, and the Caterpillar green is MUA’s ‘Shade 13′.
I have entered my design into Avon’s ‘Perfectly Polished’ competition and so far I only have 2 votes, so if you like my nails please vote for me here! A massive thanks in advance to those that do 
What do you think?
Naomi xx
