2014 Non Beauty Favourites, Part 2: Films & TV

2014 Non Beauty Favourites, Part 2: Films & TV

Thursday, 29 January 2015

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It is no secret that I'm a major nerd when it comes to Films & TV, these were my faves from 2014. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

My love of comic book movies is widely documented, but GotG might actually be my favourite. It has everything. It's action packed, so funny with some really heartwarming moments, a kickass soundtrack and Groot, need I say anymore?

The Fault in Our Stars

After reading the book repeatedly I was just as in love with the film when it came out. It made me laugh, it made me cry, stayed true to the book - which I think is incredibly important when it comes to movie adaptations - and was a seriously good film. I loved it. I've also recently discovered the youtube channel John Green has with his brother Hank and have watched all his vlogs about TFIOS and love it even more now, because John Green (and Hank) is way more awesome than I  originally thought. 

Not Another Happy Ending 

This is the rare occasion where I actually preferred the film to the book. Not Another Happy Ending is a Scottish romantic comedy starring Karen Gillan - insert heart eyed emoji - as author Jane Lockhart who is struggling to finish her second book and her devious -but extremely handsome- publisher Tom Duval, played by Stanley Weber, who realises that Jane can only write when she's unhappy so sets out to make her miserable. I reviewed it when I first saw it last year so I won't bang on about it too much. It's funny, sweet and thoroughly underrated with some excellent vintage fashion, a gorgeous french man and a pretty decent soundtrack. It's on Netflix and well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. 

Celeste & Jesse Forever

This film is amazing, seriously, seriously amazing. Celeste and Jesse Forever is a loved story, and by that I mean it's about a couple, the titular Celeste and Jesse, who after a happy marriage are going through a divorce. But here's the twist they still spend every day together, say 'I love you' and act like a couple. It's only when Jesse meets someone else and starts to move on that Celeste, who initiated the divorce, starts to fall apart. It's really funny but bittersweet because you spend the whole film wishing they would just sort it out and get back together. If you liked 500 Days of Summer you will love this. 

22 Jump Street 

22 Jump Street is hilarious! I think it might actually be better than the first one, and I don't say that lightly because I loved 21 Jump Street. My favourite bit is when Jenko & Schmidt are in the library and Jenko is talking to the bad guys about gay stereotypes and prejudice.  It's so funny. I just love it. 

Frozen

I feel like this one really doesn't need explaining. Everyone loves Frozen. 

Scandal

I came across Scandal after a long night of youtube surfing and was immediately hooked. It is amazing. Well written, well acted and so gripping it is actually impossible to watch just a single episode. Scandal is my absolute favourite tv show. 

How to Get Away with Murder

Written by the undisputed Queen of  TV (and the woman responsible for Scandal) Shonda Rimes. How to Get Away with Murder, in my humble opinion, is television at it's finest. This show has been keeping me up at nights, although I probably would have been up anyway. But seriously the show is amazing, it's very nuanced with really clever plot twists that constantly keep you guessing. It's gripping. Plus Viola Davis is Queen of Everything. If you haven't watched it already I strongly recommend it. 

House

I got into House in the summer and quickly became obsessed with the curmudgeonly but brilliant Dr Gregory House. He's so rude, it's hilarious. The show is really clever and well written, though it did start to become a tad formulaic towards the end, even so it's still great tv and stars Hugh Laurie who I absolutely adore. Love it. 

Broadchurch

Broadchurch might be my favourite tv discovery of last year. It is incredible. Broadchurch is so cleverly written that never at any point did I have any inkling of who the killer was. I had no idea. Not only is the story great but it is brilliantly acted, I'd expect nothing less from David Tennant but Olivia Coleman is the true star of the show. She's amazing. I'm obsessing over season 2 at the moment and so far it's just as good as season 1. Who'd have thought I'd look forward to Mondays?!

Parks & Recreation

Parks and Rec is one of my absolute favourite tv shows. It is hysterically funny and stars five of my favourite people: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman and Aubrey Plaza. I super love it and I'm so sad that this season is the last one. 

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

For those who don't know It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a comedy about 5 really awful people.  I'm serious they are terrible people. But they are so funny. My old housemate introduced It's Always Sunny to me about a year ago and I liked it but didn't really get into it at the time but then I found it on Netflix and just loved it. It's so funny. 

The Mindy Project 

I have talked about my love of The Mindy Project more times than I can count, to the point where I was debating whether or not to include it but of course I had to. I am obsessed with The Mindy Project and just Mindy in general.  I love it ridiculous amounts. 

New Girl

Another old favourite that had to be included, I recently re-watched New Girl from the beginning and remembered just how funny it is. I love it.

The Office (US)

My best friend introduced me to The Office earlier in the year and it has become a firm favourite. The writing is hilarious -Thank you Mindy!-, the casting is marvellous -and brought the beautiful and funny John Krasinski to my attention-  and I actually prefer it to the original. 

What were your favorite films and tv shows from 2014? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, Bloglovin and pinterest. 

I've had a lot of uni work in the past two weeks so I'll be playing catch up over the weekend, so be sure to check back soon. 

Until then...

Love love love xxx

Images Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via, Via

Lola Loves... Christmas Movies Part 2

Lola Loves... Christmas Movies Part 2

Sunday, 30 November 2014

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Much like the movies of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay or Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Lola Loves...Christmas Movies has 2 parts! Tehe! 

There's nothing I like doing more at Christmas time then snuggling up on the sofa with a blanket, a hot chocolate and maybe a snack or two and losing myself in a really good film. To me it's all part of the fun of Christmas. Here's Part 2 of Lola Loves... Christmas Movies. Enjoy! 

Rise of the Guardians

onlinemovies.pro 

Not to be confused with Guardians of the Galaxy, which I also love (read more about that here). I first watched Rise of the Guardians a couple of years ago with my nephew and it's been part of my Christmas viewing ever since. This is CGI animated goodness at it's finest. Featuring an all star cast that includes the wonder that is Hugh Jackman as the Easter bunny. Rise of the Guardians tells the story of the Guardians: Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sand Man and Jack Frost as they fight to save the world from the evil Pitch Black. I haven't watched it yet this year but I'm really looking forward to it. 

Elf

Picture via: sleafordcinema.co.uk

10 Christmases have past since Elf first hit our screens (where has the time gone?!) and I have watched it every year since. It's an absolute classic. My favourite bit is when Buddy is trapped in Gimbels and decorates it for Christmas. The Grinch may be my absolute favourite Christmas film of all time but Elf is a close second. Will Ferrell is hilarious as the sweetly naive Buddy, it's set in my favourite place in the world (NYC) and is super quotable. I love it. 'The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.' Now speaking from experience this doesn't work but I do it anyway. 

The Santa Clause

Picture via stuffpoint.com

I watched all of these films when I was a tiny little thing and then forgot all about them, until a couple of years ago when a friend at uni made us watch all three of them in a single sitting. We had a fantastic day but it reintroduced me to these films and I love them. Being a child of the 90s I grew up watching Tim Allen in Home Improvement om the Disney Channel and I think he's hilarious. 

Jack Frost

Picture via www.hollywood.com

Jack Frost just gives me all the feels, it's so sad but so good. For those of you who haven't seen it (you need to change that now!) Jack Frost tells the story of musician and father Jack Frost who tragically dies in a car accident on Christmas Day when driving home to his family. Before his untimely death Jack gave his son Charlie his harmonica telling him it's magical and whenever it's played no matter where Jack is he can hear it.  A year later Charlie plays the harmonica and magically the snowman he built earlier comes to life as none other than Jack Frost. It's a lovely family film that makes you feel all warm inside and makes you shed a tear or two. I love it.

Little Women 

Picture via www.abbyrosebrock.com

Little Women is a Christmas classic and one I've loved for a really long time. As long as I can remember actually. It's just so lovely although it does take a sizeable chunk out of your day so I recommend setting aside an afternoon just to watch it. I also recommend tissues. It's one of my all time favourites and if that hasn't sold you then the fact that it stars a young and incredibly handsome Christian Bale just might ;)  

Edward Scissorhands 

Picture via www.lifetimetv.co.uk 

Another creepy yet amazing offering from the frankly incomparable Tim Burton. Edward Scissorhands is another festive staple for me. I love everything about this film, especially Johnny Depp's performance as Edward. How can someone who barely says anything convey such raw emotion? He is incredible. 

So those are my favourite Christmas films! I love Christmas and I'm so gutted that I only get to watch Christmas films once a year. What are your festive faves? Let me know on twitter #LolaLoves or by commenting below (I always try to reply so check back.) or by dropping me an email lolarocknroses@gmail.com. If you haven't yet you can read Part 1 of Lola Loves...Christmas Movies here. Also check out my instagram, facebook, BlogLovin & pinterest. 

I'll be back on Tuesday with my November Favourites if things go according to plan. 

Until then...

Love love love xxx

I'm baaaack... Part 2!

I'm baaaack... Part 2!

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

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I'm back from my break, although I'd hardly call it a break it having been the busiest and most exhausting 10 days of my life but anyway. So I thought for my second post in almost as many weeks that I would give you a a more detailed account of what I've been up to. So let's begin at the beginning:

 Friday 11th July 

(Picture via www.daylightfoods.com)

After a long, tiring day at work me and my mum were called to my sister's for a chocolate strawberry emergency - yes, that's a thing!- that required our immediate attention. Now I feel like this needs to be explained because having read it back it does sound completely insane. My sister is really good at planning parties, like really good, so she was enlisted to plan and organise her best friend's mum's hen tea party. Subsequently my mum was drafted in to make chocolate covered strawberries which are something of a specialty for her. And I was called up for chocolate melting duty being both the baker of the family and the only one of us patient enough to actually allow the chocolate to melt. My mum's an amazing cook but doesn't have the patience for desserts and my sister organises the hell out of everything -mostly- together we're a cracking (and incredibly loud) team.  Everything was going swimmingly until a mishap with some freshly whipped cream and melted ganache (warning do not mix cold cream with boiling hot melted chocolate, the cream will split!). After a mad dash around Tesco looking for emergency ganache - who knew there was such a thing?!- we returned, the strawberries were dipped and delicious and we celebrated by ordering a curry, which was also delicious.  Friday was a good food day. And now to Saturday.

Saturday 12th July

On Saturday me and my bestest, quite impulsively, decided to spend the day in London and caught a 20 minute train to the Big Smoke for a day of shopping, sunshine, awesome cookies, excellent theatre - we saw Once- and some quality best friend time. Being British and therefore used to the temperamental (read dreary) British summer time we'd both checked the weather and brought jackets and umbrellas with us due to the 'stormy rain' that had been promised. As fate would have it it turned out to be a bit of a scorcher in the capital so we ended up carrying our jackets around all day. Ah the curse of the overly cautious and prepared. 

We got into London around 10:30ish and headed straight for the TKTS stand in Leicester Square -when we do a day in London we do it properly, and that means taking in a show!- to get tickets for Once. I've already seen Once and thought it was incredible, which it is, and had to share it with The Platonic Love of My Life (she'll get that, no one else will) so I convinced her. And because she is a human woman and Once is about a gorgeous, heartbroken, guitar playing Irishman -be still my beating heart!- she also loved it. But more about that later.

Once we'd got tickets we headed straight to the MAC store in Covent Garden, where I simultaneously managed to be in make up heaven and too intimidated by the very heavily made up salesmen to actually buy anything. So to Selfridges we went where I actually was in make up heaven and no less intimidated. However I somehow managed to overcome my very real fear of the impeccably made up sales people and bought a lipstick. Not just any lipstick either. I bought my very first MAC lipstick (shocking I know how did I not own one already?!). After what felt like hours of near constant swatching I had made my decision and came away with the MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in the shade Girl About Town - it seemed terribly appropriate- which is the most beautiful blue toned fuschia. It is so very beautiful in fact that I couldn't actually wait to wear it and had it out of the box and on my lips within moments of purchase. 

Isn't it gorgeous?!

Following my minor spending spree in Selfridges it was nearly time for the matinee of Once so we took a casual stroll down Regents Street. Where my new lipstick was immediately tested by the purchase and immediate consumption of the single most amazing thing to ever pass my lips. I am  talking about the glory that is the triple chocolate Ben's Cookie. I had never tried a Ben's Cookie before with them not being readily available in the fashionless backwater from which I hail. But it honestly tasted as if it had been made in God's own oven. Ben, whoever you are, you are a cookie genius! 

(COOOOOKIE! Picture via www.stereogum.com)

After we saw Once, which I loved just as much the second time around, we wondered aimlessly - it being far too hot to do anything with any sense of purpose - down Shaftesbury Avenue in search of food and shopping. Instead we found Forbidden Planet AKA Nerd Heaven. For those of you who don't know Forbidden Planet is the most amazing comic book store. Now I am no comic book nerd BUT I really love a lot of the things associated with the art of comic book nerdery. I'll give you an example I love The Simpsons, Doctor Who, pretty much every Marvel film and even some of the DC ones as well and that is just the tip of the iceberg. So whilst I am not a comic book nerd I could appreciate that Forbidden Planet was awesome, even though it was quite clear that some of the clientele hadn't showered in, well, ever. Here are just some of the hidden treasures we found. 

These are the greatest things I’ve ever seen.

I’m not sure that this is necessary 

We also found the most terrifying action figure of Amy Pond, which I refused to photograph because honestly it will haunt my dreams forever. When we left Forbidden Planet we headed back to Covent Garden towards The Shake Shack for Burgers and Crinkle Fries but the queue was ridiculous so after an idle hour of window shopping -in which I scratched the face of my Marc Jacobs watch (sob) when coming out of Dior - we decided to head home for an early-ish night. All in all we had an amazing day in the Big Smoke! I just wish I had got more pictures.  But here are some of the photos I did take. 

I took this purely so I could send it to my friend who’s last name is Reid. Because that is how cool I am!

This is both terrifying and amazing

Sunday 13th and Monday 14th July continued pretty much as usual, although I came down with a really bad cold which couldn't have come at a worse time due to a very important event that took place on Tuesday 15th July, which I touched upon in yesterday's post (read it here). 

Tuesday 15th July. The day I graduated from university. 

Me and my step-dad Terry, in one of the few pictures that survived my graduation... it's a long story. To sum up Terry doesn't know how to use an iphone so took about 50 pictures of my graduation without taking a single one. He was pressing the home button instead. My mum went  ballistic! 

I woke up with a blocked and snotty nose, a sore throat and a temperature but in true Brit fashion kept calm (I didn't) and carried on (barely). After my sister did my hair I got dressed all fancy like and me, my mum and step-dad piled into the car and headed to Bedford for my graduation ceremony. I think the fact that I was ill sent me into a disassociative state because I didn't even register that I was graduating until I had the cap and gown on and was rushing into the ceremony. Where my mortar board would just not stay put, falling off no fewer than four times. Despite being really ill I had such a good day. The highlight of which was when my former flatmate (and bestie, though he'd deny it), the forementioned Mr. Reid, came and found me for a quick chat before he headed home to Newcastle. I was so touched, bless him.

Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th July

(Picture via www.radicalpossibility.com)

 I was so ill that I had to call in sick from work and spent the days in bed, moaning and feeling awful. There is nothing worse than being ill in summertime. 

Friday 18th July  I attempted to go back to work but was sent home ill. 

Saturday 19th July was my uncle's wedding. 

Me and my cousin/bestie Jade, we were pulling those faces on purpose! For any Friends fans out there these were our Chandler can't take a good picture faces!

I was still ill - hence the glassy eyes and red nose,-  but managed to make myself look and feel somewhat human (although you can't tell in the picture, hehe). It was such a lovely day. It was so nice seeing all my large and mental family in one place. We are quite the clan. I also got a mention in the best man's speech congratulating me on graduating which was a bit embarrassing but nice as well. Sunday 20th July was spent in a pub garden with the aforementioned family. 

The past 10 days have been so busy but really nice, apart from the days when I was ill. But I am back now and will be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as normal. So I will be back tomorrow with 2 Stars & A Wish #7.

Until then check out my twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest for your daily dose of me... if one is needed ;) 

Love love love xxx