Swoony Feels: Rufus Sewell

Tall, dark and broody is a thing.  A very worthwhile thing.  Especially when it comes in the form of Rufus Sewell.

Eyes and a gaze that make your heart beat a little faster?  Check.  A voice that turns you into a puddle on the floor?  Check.  Bad boy vibe and ability to do snark in the best way possible?  Check and double check.

You can, perhaps, see why I have a thing.  Then again I have always had a weakness for bad boys and snark, especially in the fictitious world.

Added to that he is also a bloody good actor who has the ability to play a variety of roles from lovestruck hero to ruthless Nazi to eccentric lover, all with a touch of that bad-boy charming vibe.

He also looks pretty damn good in a suit.

Essential Viewing:Dangerous Beauty - Dark City - Eleventh Hour - Middlemarch - Pillars of the Earth - Restless - The Man In the High Castle - The Taming of the Shrew - Zen

Holiday Reading And Other Musings

Going on holiday is always so awesome.

There's the planning of the holiday.  Which involves reading lots of books and blog posts and deciding on a destination and then even more reading once a destination has been decided on.

Then there's deciding what to pack.  For me there are always 3 essentials I always take.  These are:

• My camera, which after 10 years of hard use is starting to show its age and the pics I take don't look as amazing as they use to.  Buying a new one or at least a newer one, is definitely on my to do list.  
• Sunblock.  No matter where I'm going or what time of year. Because when you're a fair like me and can burn in a matter of minutes sunblock is an absolute necessity.  So factor 50+ it is
• Devices.  Tablet, laptop, USB key, removable hard drive, cell phone... I am as they say a tech junkie kind of girl and can not live without at least one - if not all - of these. 

Having devices means I can take all the things such as music, movies etc..  Which leads me to the next thing.

Books.  Because yes the reading continues once I'm on holiday. 

After once taking absolutely nothing to read while on a month long holiday and having to resort to peeking through the gaps in between some train seats to read the book the passenger in front of me was reading - which sounds kinda of sad and pathetic and just a tad creepy now that I think about it -  I know there is no way I can survive on holiday without at least something to read.

So for this holiday my tablet is currently loaded with the following... (weirdly they seem to follow some kinda of theme.  How that happened I have no idea)

Meet and Delete by Pauline Lawless

"Where to find Mr Right? Online, of course!

Three friends, in their thirties and unlucky in love, turn to online-dating in the hope of finding Mr Right.

The girls meet some Mr Nice guys but more often than not they are Mr Never-Again guys. As they weave their way through the online dating scene, their lives become ever-more complicated.

After some disastrous consequences, they discover that the old way is best after all."

Match Me If You Can by Michele Gorman

"Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen.

Rachel's office romance James was a big fat mistake and she's more than happy to upcycle him… Or is she? Homebody Sarah hasn't had a date in years but when her transformation finds men falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making? And Catherine falls asleep more often on her desk than on a man, so when she builds the perfect partner who ticks all her boxes, surely it's a recipe for love . . . not disaster?

There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out for themselves . .."

Just Haven't Meet You Yet by Cate Woods

"Percy James has everything a girl could want: a comfy flat, a steady relationship and a truly lovely group of friends. Then she is approached by Eros Tech. Eros is 'the future of love' - an agency that brings together soulmates using mobile data. Percy has been identified as a match for one of Eros's super wealthy clients. The only problem is she already has a boyfriend . . . but what if this is *destiny*?  

Would you - could you - pass up a chance to meet your one true love?"

30 First Days by Stacey Wiedower

"Erin Crawford is a relationship blogger with a bucket list and a vendetta. After years of horrible luck in relationships, she decides to start a blog called "30 First Dates." Her mission: go out with 30 men before her 30th birthday, all to find a non-jerk in 30 dates or less. As she blogs about her sometimes humorous and sometimes laughably bad dates, she crosses off her bucket list of 30 things she wants to do before she turns 30—and kills two birds with one stone by completing the items on her dates! In fourteen months she skydives, skinnydips, crashes a wedding, travels to multiple cities and lives way outside her comfort zone. The only question is, as her birthday approaches and her list grows smaller, will Erin be able to find love? Or is she destined to be a first-date-only kind of girl?"

Then again with views like this to look at the reading may be delayed for just a little while. 

Lake Rotoiti, St Arnaud, Tasman Region, New Zealand

Music Melodies: A Devilish Time

I have a confession.

Nearly all of the music I listen to comes from TV shows.  Totally shallow I know but also totally amazing because my music collection has grown heaps because of this.  No longer do I need to tune into the radio day after day or slot a CD into a player, instead I just have to make note of the background music that plays in just about every TV show there is.  

My current music source has been Lucifer - the show not the person - and what an awesome source it has been.  From blues to rock to hip-hop to ballads, Lucifer has got it covered and I'm loving all the new songs and artists I'm discovering and listening to.

And if you're wondering how I find out what music from what episode then you really need to check out TuneFind, a excellent if not always accurate source of what is playing when on which show.  And don't try saying that too fast. 

 

Where The Devil Don't Go by Elle King

A brilliant boppy bluesy song this tune will have you head banging in no time.

 A Little Wicked by Valerie Broussard

I love both the opening line and the ending line of this song.  It's so perfectly suited to the show and to the character that it should have been the theme tune.

The River by The Darcys

Another wonderful opening, slow, sultry and seductive and totally hypnotic, it lures you in and then picks up the pace.  Totally worth it.

Chains by Rose Cousins

Hard Rock Blues.  You've just got to love it.

Nothing To Lose by Dead Right

I have to admit I'm slightly conflicted about this song.  I love it - or at least some of it - and am slightly annoyed by part of it.  It's like a a cross between a great 60's rat pack song and a Turkish pop song.  Hopefully if you're like me you can over look it's flaws and groove to the rat pack vibe.

The Viewing Files: The Night Manager

Spies, spectacular scenery and swoony feels, The Night Manager is the perfect thriller to curl up with along with a box of chocolates and maybe a glass or two of something delish.  It's also based on the novel by John le Carre, boasts a cast of talented and well-known British actors and features the song Plain Gold Ring sung by Nina Simone.

You just knew I was going to love it.

And as an added bonus there is this man.

Doing all sorts of sexy looks and shirtless scenes and basically turning me into a swoony mess.

Damn you Tom Hiddleston.

All I can say is that I'm crossing my fingers that the rumours of a sequel do come true and that Tom comes back.

In the meantime have a shirtless scene.  And you're welcome :)

Book Talk: Romance For All: Binge Fest

I'm a romantic.  A big hearts and flowers, happily-ever-after romantic.  So it will come as no surprise to find out that I love reading romance novels.  A certain kind of romance novel.  Because yes contemporary romance novels are my thing.  Sappy will-they-or-won't-they romance stories that you can wallow in while drinking endless cups of hot chocolate or tea.

They are the perfect feel good story and I've been on a recent binge fest working my way through my ever increasing To-Be-Read pile.

All I Want by Jill Shalvis

"Pilot-for-hire Zoe Stone is happy to call Sunshine, Idaho, her home base. But her quiet life is thrown for a loop when her brother s friend Parker comes to stay with her for a week. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife special agent is a handsome flirt with a gift for getting under her skin. And the situation only escalates when Parker hires her to fly him around the area while he collects evidence on a suspected smuggler."

I'm addicted to Jill Shalvis's books.  She is my romance writer hero  And the fact that I've read every single one of her books and have all of her upcoming books on my library card waiting list is not in the slightest bit obsessive or stalkery.

See. 

An addict.

One of the reasons I love books like this is that I can read one in a matter of hours which means I can binge fest my way through a decent pile in just a few days.

Hope Springs On Main Street by Olivia Miles

"Jane's grateful for her adorable little girl, yet she yearns for the love that was missing from her marriage. Only one man ever really "got" Jane-and she's stunned when he returns to Briar Creek. But a single mom can't date her ex's best friend . . . can she?"

A newish author for me as I've only read one of her previous books.  To be honest I enjoyed that one a little more than this but I'm hopeful that I have found another writer than I can work my way through as she publishes more books.

As with the above it's another one of those small town modern day romance stories where two people who you just know are meant to be together seem to put obstacle after obstacle in their way.  Mostly because they are both too stubborn to know a decent thing when they see it.         
                                             


Chasing Jillian by Julie Brannagh

"Jillian Miller is happy with her life and her job working  in the front office of the football team the Seattle Sharks but feels she needs to change some things - starting with getting fit and losing some pounds.   

The last thing she expects is a hot, grumbly god among men to be there as witness to her first gym workout.  But when star linebacker Seth Taylor offers to help her revamp her lifestyle both of them discover there are much more important things in life and love."

I adore slow build stories and this book about two lonely people who gradually become friends and then something more is probably one of the best slow-build stories I have read in ages.

It left a warm tingly feeling in all my feels.


Holding Out For A Hero by Victoria Van Tiem

"Libby London fell in love in with the 80s, came of age in the 90s, and now, in the 21st Century, she's completely falling apart...
 
At least that's what her well-meaning friends think. They've staged a 80s intervention in an effort to bring Libby bang up-to-date. But how do you move forward when the one you love holds you in the past? "

Any book that references songs and movies from the 80's has got my vote.

Quirky, funny and sad Holding Out For A Hero is the journey of a woman who is lives her life as if it is still the 80s, big hair, shoulder pads and all. How is this 80s child going to cope with being dragged into the 21st century?  And can she do it while leaving behind the one she loves? 


Winter Wonderland by Heidi Cullinan

"Paul Jansen is tired of being the last single man standing, unfortunately the only person who shows any interest in him is the too-young, too-gay Kyle Parks, who builds X-rated snow sculptures on his front yard.  When fate conspires to have them working together on the Winter Wonderland festival will romance finally has a chance to bloom or will Paul's family come between them?"

Finding a semi-decent M/M romance is a bit of struggle.  Especially for a die-hard romantic like me.  Most of them seem to all about sex and nothing but the sex.  Which is fine. 

But I'm also after a M/M romance that actually has some romance... and some chemistry... and feelings... and all those girly things that people think that guys don't have.  I'm still looking for my perfect M/M read but for now this one has at least a sense of humour and quirkiness that I liked.

Buying All The Things

I may have a problem.  A very small problem perhaps in the scheme of things but nevertheless a problem. And it's a weird problem for me because I'm generally not much of shopper.  In fact I often hate shopping.  There are generally people and noise and I can never find anything I like and if I do it never fits me because apparently all women's clothes are made for stick like figures.  Which is fine if you have a stick like figure.  Awesome in fact.  But not so fine if you don't. 

So the fact that I have been embracing my inner shopaholic is something of a surprise.  Even more of a surprise (or maybe not) is that I've been thinking about going to Korea.  And all because of the shopping.  In particular beauty product shopping.  I've even told Other Half that when we go I'm taking an empty suitcase so I can load up on all things beauty related... and maybe some socks.  Because their socks are awesome too. I'm just going to blame all the YouTube clips I watch and the blogs I read for this current obsession.   Hopefully it will pass soon.  If not you'll know where I'll be heading...

In the meantime I getting my shopping fix courtesy of Daiso which just happens to be conveniently located right around the corner from where I work.

As you can see I went just a little crazy.  Why I brought 3 zip bags I have no idea, other than I thought they were cute.  Which by the way they totally are.  I also brought:

• matching card carry thing to hold all my cards that won't fit in my wallet
• pink storage box which I'm hoping to use to store some of my nail polishes in
• fold-up pink tote bag because you can never have too many totes. At least that's my reason and I'm sticking to it
• 3 pack of pink lady shavers. Because yes I have a problem resisting all things pink.  I blame my mother who never let wear or have anything pink as a kid so now I'm making up for it as an adult.
• a pink lip gloss (see reason immediately above)
• and finally a pink lipstick (see above again)

I have a feeling Daiso may just be my new fav shop.  So what shops do you have trouble resisting?

SyfyGirl 101

This is me.

I am a socially awkward red-head who either talks too much or not enough, who loves her job but doesn't live for her job.  I am a partner, a step-mom, a daughter, a friend, a librarian.  I am also a nerdy girl, a girly girl, a crafty girl, a writing girl.

I tend to say 'Seriously' and "Awesome' a lot, like really a lot, and generally think everyone is nice.  Because apparently I am also a cross between a Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtle and Pollyanna.  Personally I blame my parents... and television... and Derek.  And if you've ever watched Teen Wolf you might just get this last reference.

I love books and movies and TV shows and music and travel and writing and fanfiction and socks and nail polish... to name just a few.  

I have a serious addiction to all of the above along with chocolate and cherries and tea.  Weird but true.

What you won't see on this blog are pictures of me or beautifully photographed food or beautiful photographs in general.  Instead you'll more likely to see everyday pictures of everyday things plus a whole lot of words about things that interest me... and which might interest you too.