That's right, I went to Hogwarts, well not quite, the Harry Potter studios in Leavesden. Words cannot describe how amazing it was.
My sister, being the uba keen internet surfer that she is, read a few reviews beforehand who were all highly pessimistic and negative about it. My advice is go with a bunch of friends and you will have the best time of your life.
The people who work there are the friendliest people in the entire world. Happy, smiley faces are boundless. And they will love you even more if you dress up. Our claim to fame is that ours was the best outfit they'd seen throughout the entire time they've been open, apart from a little boy who rocked up in just a pillowcase. I nearly died from cuteness overload when they told us that.
Such a wise lady
Our costumes
Professor McGonagall there to greet us - she's let herself go a bit
Down Diagon Alley
Hogwarts model
So get onto the website and book your day, NOW! It may seem expensive now but I spent a good 2 and a half hours there and I know others who spent five, so you get your money's worth, that's for sure. Moreover, there are a ridiculous amount of souvenirs, so you might want to bring some money although, they are ridiculously overpriced but how many people can say they've eaten a genuine chocolate frog?
Being the absolute neek that I am, I have fallen head over
heals in love with these book clutches.
Spike Jonze's short film is so adorable, it made me want one even more.
They have all my favourite books and I want every single one of them!
Unfortunately, these beautifully handcrafted clutches are about €1,140.00 so slightly out of my price range but if you have the money, they have just made just about every single classic known to man into a clutch and are available here
Kate Spade has made some more reasonably priced ones, coming in at $350 and are available here
Asos have made the most reasonably priced ones (€33.94). They're not as cute as the others, purely because they're not as personalised in my opinion but they do have that sweet tassel, which I think is really sweet. I've just ordered myself one in mint from here and am so excited to receive it.
Lastly, I am fully aware these are not clutches but I thought I'd carry on the book theme. I want one of these so badly and I think after having had my pink $20 macbook case for over five years now I'm entitled to it. They are a little pricey ranging from $79.99-$99.99 but they are meant to last forever as they are exceptionally sturdy and handmade. You can buy them from here and if you live in the US, they provide you with free shipping.
The Great Gatsby is by far one of my favourite books of all time. The more I read it, the more I love it. The glitz. The glamour. The parties. The scandals. If you haven't read it, I cannot recommend it enough. Everyone must read it at some stage in their lives.
Fitzgerald's metaphors spring from the page and his style is so refined. The Great Gatsby is commonly perceived as being his finest work or as Malcolm Bradburn puts it 'his most finished work'. Being only 50,000 words long, it can be said to be one of the shortest classics ever written.
Moreover, it is clear from Fitzgerald's clear and untainted his writing is, how much editing went into it to make it as streamline as possible. He is said to have revised for four months. This allows the reader to let their imagination take control.
There is virtually no description and Gatsby himself is barely portrayed, merely adding to the mystery surrounding him.
If upon reading it you get 'Fitzgerald Fever', I can only encourage you to read Tender is the Night and This Side of Paradise. Unfortunately, I have not read The Beautiful and the Damned but that is the first thing on my to-do list after exams are over.
This brings me to what this blog post is really about: THE NEW MOVIE COMING OUT.
I practically orgasmed when I saw the trailer, as did my entire English Department at school.
And what a better cast to play it. I could not have cast it better myself. The cherry on top of the cake for me is Isla Fisher playing Myrtle Wilson, which I only just found out today and nearly died with excitement.
Furthermore, who is going to complain about watching Leo on the screen?
One must read the book first though! Please. Please. Please. I could not imagine anything worse than having my experience of The Great Gatsby tainted by someone else's imagination and experience of it. One must experience for oneself first before letting someone else guide you through it. As your imagination is pivotal to the story. Otherwise, you'll regret it for life.
Today, I decided to make a blog. Partly to distract myself from the mindlessly, boring, monotonous task that is revision but also so that I can document my various happenings. This blog will, therefore, consists of all the things that I find interesting. I can't make any promises as to what that will consists of as I have only just started but this will undoubtedly include; food, books, museums, fashion, food, more books and trips abroad.
