GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN

why so serious.
Levi's Jacket// gift from Lil
Sweatshirt// United Colours of Benetton via my mum
Skirt// American Apparel
Necklace// Miss Selfridge

Helloooo, long time no... write? But as you can tell from the stupid witty use of Eminem's lyrics, we're back! Well attempting to be.
As much as it is an old and shameful excuse, at the moment it feels like time is a luxury we can't afford which is why we've started doing separate outfit posts in between our joint ones (in case you didn't realise there was only one of us).
Hopefully this means we can post more regularly (fingers crossed) and as usual we hope you enjoy them!

Anna and Lil x

p.s warning to all you pre sixth form readers, when they say the workload compare to GCSE is ridiculous, they mean it.

p.p.s clear that I am excited to be blogging again from the 2nd photo where I appear to have gone insane (but not as excited as Lil and I were for Comic Relief Great British Bake Off).

SUN, SEA AND SEA SHOES!

Dubrovnik Old Town

On our boat trip to the island of Lopud

My Brother thought it would be a good idea to rent a pedalo. It really wasn't

Watching the sun go down

Just one of the millions of cats (literally) we saw while there

Crystal Clear Sea!

The old Town

An evening swim

My Mother and I (I had to include this as it's pretty much the only picture in which I'm smiling)

Hey! So Here are a few pics from my recent trip to Dubrovnik! The First one shows Dubrovnik old town, which was a short walk from where we were staying. It reminds me so much of a toy town as all the buildings are so perfect and there's absolutely no litter or graffiti. There's also hardly any beggars in Dubrovnik, which is unusual for a busy city, however there is a ridiculous amount of cats. They'd even come and sit by your feet while you were eating...which was slightly off putting. 

The beaches in Dubrovnik are great as they're really clean and the sea is crystal clear, although there are actually very few sandy beaches (pretty much none in fact) so depending on how big the pebbles are, they can be quite uncomfortable to lie on. My Dad unfortunately is also one of those people who refuse to pay for sun loungers.  I guess the good thing about pebbles is that you don't give yourself an accidental exfoliation when rubbing in your sun tan lotion and you don't have to worry about getting sand on your towel. A downside however, is that my Mom bought us all matching sea shoes as it was incredibly painful (and difficult to look graceful) when walking in and out of the sea. And yes that's right, my Mom, Dad, brother and me all had the same sea shoes. If sea shoes weren't cringy enough if not wearing a wet suit. 

The majority of the holiday was extremely relaxing, however on one occasion my older brother decided it would be a nice idea to get a pedalo. He also thought it would be good idea to dive off it into the sea, which I agreed with, however we had the pedalo for an hour, and I spent approximately 30 minutes trying to climb back on. I was almost certain I would have to swim back to shore, however I did finally manage to get back on, not in the most lady like of fashions may I add. 

One of my favourite parts of the holiday was going to one of our local beaches and watching the sun go down. My absolute favourite time to be on the beach is the evening (it's also the best tanning time). I find there's also something really inviting about the sea when the sun's really low in the sky. This particular beach was actually concrete (not even pebbles) but it had a real party atmosphere and you could jump of the rocks into the sea! 

Finally, I thought I should just mention the food, as we all know that's pretty important. The fish is really good there and due to the Italian influence there's also loads of pizzerias. I'm not usually a big fan of ice cream, but on the main street in the old town there must be a tleast 7 ice cream shops that have the biggest selection of flavours I've ever seen. So naturally I had to try a different flavour every day. The Kinder egg or cookie one was definitely the best.

Anyway, I hope you're all having a great summer and enjoying your holidays! 

Lil x 

BOOK REVIEW: HOLIDAY EDITION

Hey Guys! As Anna previously mentioned, I've been in Croatia for the last two weeks, so I thought as well as sharing some of my holiday snaps and telling you a bit about Dubrovnik (post on that coming soon!) I could also do a little review on the books I read while I was there. During the two weeks I got through four books, and I can honestly say I absolutely loved them all...

All the Single Ladies: Jane Costello. This book is a real easy, light hearted read, so perfect for on holiday. I'm a big fan of Sophie Kinsella books, and if you are too then I'd definitely recommend Jane Costello. In places this book is hilarious and you can easily lose yourself in the ups and downs of the main character's life. I find a lot of books similar to this one (centered around break ups and such) can be a bit predictable, but I was unsure of what the outcome would be right up until the last few chapters! 

The Lovely Bones: Alice Sebold.  I've wanted to see the film for a while now, but as everyone always recommends reading the book first I picked it up for my holiday. Although it is centered around something  horrific, it is not a depressing book. It is emotional, but also very uplifting.  I really enjoyed the way it is written and loved the concept of the afterlife and how it was portrayed. 

Before I go To Sleep: S J Watson. I absolutely loved the uncertainty and tension throughout this novel. I think the concept of it is genius as you are left unknowing who to trust right up until the very end. For this reason it is utterly gripping and very thought provoking. If you want a thrilling book you can't put down, then definitely try this one!

Room: Emma Donoghue. I picked this book up at an English bookshop in Dobrovnik. The blurb is extremely vague, which is what actually encouraged me to buy it. It simply tells you that it's about a boy who lives with his Ma in a locked room. Understandably, I had very little idea about what the main focus of this novel would be, and was actually very surprised by what it turned out to be (I won't tell you in case you read it!) The narrative voice throughout the novel is a five year old boy called  Jack who I think as a reader you become very attached to. I finished this book a couple of days ago, and am still thinking about it. It is not only moving, but upsetting and even funny in places! Has definitely become one of my favourite books!

I often find it difficult choosing books, so I hope you found this useful if you're in need of something new to read! 

Lil x 

Much Two Do About Anything: LIEBSTER AWARD

We felt so honoured when Picture Me nominated us for this award, honestly we could barely believe we had some wonderful members and now this! We're so excited and love tags so thought we would have a go! 

Here are the 11 things about us:

1. We've been best friends for about 3 years, but have known each other for about 7 and actually became friends through my ex-best friend (haha, sounds a bit harsh, but she moved schools)

2. We're both 16, Anna shares the same birthday as her Dad and Auntie (16th March) and Lil's is Christmas Eve.

3. We would both love to live in London together in the future (we can only dream)

4. Lil is a very talented chef (cringe) and made it to the national semi finals in the competition Rotary Chef!

5. Anna loves to sing (cringe again) and performs sometimes at school etc. 

6.Lil has 2 cats called Pickle and Pepper and their so cuuuuuute (every fish Anna has owned has died)

7. We've completed our Silver DofE (read blog post here)

8. We both regularly quote Bridesmaids because it's awesome

9. Lil plays the drums and Anna plays the piano

10. Anna is a Christian, but Lil also believes in God

11. It's surprisingly hard to think of 11 facts about us (says a lot really)

Questions for us:

Your biggest wish at the moment?

Both: For the sun to come back properly- soon pleaaaase!

Favorite tv show?

Lil: Revenge at the moment, Anna: Bachelor at the moment, but for all time favourite it has to be Made in Chelsea for both of us and Sherlock's pretty amazing too.

What is your favorite store?

Lil: Urban Outfitters and Zara, Anna: Urban Outfitters and Topshop.

Who/what inspires you?

Lil: Selfless people Anna: People that have worked hard to be where they are.

Heels or flats?

Both: Flats in the day, heels at night.

What do you watch from You Tube?

Both: ESSIE BUTTON!!!!!! (we adore her, like seriously. We. Adore. Her.), also CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS (literally no one cooler then Jen ), We LOVE Zoella and Beautycrush- they're both just so lovely! Non- beauty wise Sam Pepper and MarcusButlerTV might just be the funniest people. Ever. 

Your summer song?

Lil: Constantly Changing for both of us! The Long Run by The Eagles (always reminds me of summer) and Round Here Counting Crows Anna:  Summer In The City by The Lovin' Spoonful or Ragged Wood by Fleet Foxes

Celebrity crush?

Lil: JAMES FRANCO Anna: HIS BROTHER also Thor, Thor's pretty hot.

One thing you couldn't live without?

Anna: Lil Lil: Anna 

What you love the most about yourself?

Haha what an awful question! Lil: Eyebrows Anna: Hair

Team Edward or Team Jacob? And Peeta or Gale?

Both: Edward in the books, Jacob in the film, PEETA

11 Questions for our Nominees:

Who, style-wise, inspires you?

Who is your favourite Harry Potter character?

What item in your wardrobe could you not live without?

What are you studying/ studied at school/ college/ uni?

Do you have any phobias?

What's your favourite type of food i.e Italian?

What's your most embarrassing moment?

What's your dream holiday location?

What is your ideal job?

What is your favourite film?

Do you have any unusual talents?

What's your favourite band at the moment?

Our Nominees:

1. The Casbash

2. Valencia Shanelle

3. Sweet Paprika

4. Optimistic But Never Quite Elegant

5. Lauren Jade 

6. Opal In The Clouds

7. Thoughts From A Constellation

8. telcommunication

9. Rogue-and-Creep

10. Style Sincerity

11. Twin Maniacs

OH I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIIIIIIIDE

At the event

Amusing sign

Being a little kid with my brother

Me and my family went down to Teignmouth/ Shaldon for literally a couple of days and thought I would share a few snaps with you :) The purpose of our trip (besides a paddle in the sea) was to visit Cathedral 900, an event that displayed the 3D work of one of my parent's friends. The banners were beautiful, however one woman did make me chuckle when she claimed to a man next to her, "The trick is to focus your eyes on the big jugs". Unfortunately, the second day I didn't feel too well, but I still enjoyed a paddle with my brother as well as a classic burger and (of course) a cream tea! See you soon,

Anna x

ROYALNESS, CRAZINESS AND SCOTTISHNESS

WARNING: the rest of the photos, consist of smiles as cheesy, if not more, as the one displayed in the above photo

The Royal Yacht Britannia (aaah yeaaaah)

Surprise! Rain. In Edinburgh Castle.

Say whaaaaat, Camera Obscura.

My head on my mum's body... lol.

EDINBURGH

Big smile and annoying piece of hair in Holyrood Palace Gardens

Durham, Camera Obscura, watching Olympic festivities at Festival Square, best pizza in the world :)

Heeey, fairly long time- no talk, this is mainly because I've been away (as you can see) to the beautiful city of Edinburgh and Lil's been extremely busy, unfortunately, however, this is only going to be me (Anna in case you hadn't figured out) because Lil is jetting off to her holiday in Croatia- words can not describe how jealous I am.

Anyhoo, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about my mini city break if you're interested... and even if you're not. Firstly let me begin with the weather (like a typical English conversation), it was FREEZING. No exaggeration.. well, a little bit, but honestly, it was so cold, which was a bit of a problem when we'd packed for sun, sun and more sun e.g two out of three of the pairs of shoes I had brought were sandals. Which was pretty unpractical (is that a word) when you're facing biting Scottish wind. Which brings us to the 2 things I learnt on this trip:

1. Edinburgh is always windy and

2. It's literally impossible to say Scottish without putting on a Scottish accent. Go on, try it.

Me and my fam actually went away for 5 days, but one of them was spent in Durham and the others were mainly spent travelling... so I thought I would tell you about the 2 full days in Edinburgh.

Day 1: An early start and then a quick walk to the station which for some reason stank of cow pat, with no apparent reason why. We then proceeded to catch a tour bus in typical tourist style (what can I say, my mum's asian) to travel to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was REALLY GOOD. I won't lie, I had my doubts, but honestly it was so good and you really got a feel that royalty had been there (erm.. probably because they have). We then had lunch and made our way to the Castle (unfortunately this post probably will just consist of a list of the tourist attractions we visited) which was actually a bit unimpressive mainly due to the lack of recreated rooms, also, it was raining. Finally, we visited Camera Obscura, which was AMAZING. GO, GO, GO if you're ever in Edinburgh, hahaha, it was such a crazy and wonderful experience and was so fun! Especially the spinning tunnel, which was hilarious and terrifying at the same time, basically, just go and experience it for yourself- you won't regret it.

Day 2: Another early start (yay me) and we were off to the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, where, unfortunately you weren't allowed to take photos, although that's probably for your benefit considering it would consist of another photo of my 'Cheese Gromit' smile, Oh Wallace. Moving on, without sounding like a pompous twit (probably the wrong description choice then) seeing the originals by Warhol, Hockney, Picasso and Lichtenstein was really inspiring and the pieces of art that dated back to the war were incredible. Our Final attraction was the Palace, which I found really, really interesting, especially the story of Mary, Queen of Scots (yes, I am a history geek) who, possibly had the worst life ever. 

And that's it, that's everything in our trip, apart from a bit of shopping and a family run Italian which was possibly a gateway to heaven, seriously. The pizza was beyond incredible. Beyond.

See you soon!

Anna x

P.S if you made it this far you are an amazing human being

JULY RUNDOWN

LILY: I love these boyfriend jeans for a number of reasons, firstly I'd been looking for a pair for ages and found these in ZARA reduced to £12.99 (!), but mostly because they are really easy to wear and give a relaxed, effortless feel to any outfit.
ANNA: This top is just so classic, I've been wearing it non-stop and can make a simple skirt or a pair shorts look more 'put together' as well as the high neck making the outfit a bit more flattering. This too was in the sales (summer's so great) in GAP for only £6.99 and I know I definitely get my wear out of it!

LILY: This is definitely one of those books that constantly plays on your mind and you struggle to put down.It is cleverly and carefully put together and is full of twists and turns. This novel is far from predictable. It's slightly disturbing, but in a way that adds to the suspense and the creepy atmosphere of the novel.
ANNA: This novel is seriously brilliant and I know this will be so controversial, but I can honestly say I preferred it to the first book. Both novels are extremely well written, but the fact that the murder and the prime suspect was revealed and then the rest of the book used situations to enlighten the reader further and further, made the book impossible to put down. 

LILY: It may seem like a strange thing to rediscover, but I seriously forgot how much I love this cheese. It reminds me of summer as we ate it on holiday in Normandy last year. And it's delicious.
ANNA: I LOVE these sweets, they're like mini kinder eggs wrapping up grape flavoured jelly sweets and, trust me, it is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, as you can tell from the packaging, I've only found them in Hong Kong and my mum bought them back for me on a recent visit, but if anyone knows a UK supplier, pleasepleaseplease let me know!

LILY: After recently getting my hair lightened, I thought I should start using a deep conditioner to hydrate my hair. I haven't been using this for too long, but already I've noticed a difference in the quality of my hair. It's a lot softer and seems more manageable. I'm not nuts on the scent, (it has a bubblegum smell), but it's not unpleasant, just a little sickly. I really love the dispenser at the bottom though, it means you don't have to unscrew the top, you just simply squeeeeeze.
ANNA: I got this free from the latest GLAMOUR magazine and I didn't really have any expectations, but I actually really enjoy using it! I love the scent and it does leave my lips hydrated, which is hard considering I have the driest lips in the world (it's really not pretty), which I think may be down to the 100% natural ingredients (!),  all in all, a really nice product :)

ANNA: THIS SONG IS GREAT
LILY: THIS SONG IS BETTER