Favourite Books....Of ALL TIME!

I'm a massive Bookworm...even a bit of a geek... this post is gonna be about my all time favourite books...

#1 All time favourite is a trilogy..The Rose Series by Jennifer Donnelly

These books are tales of hardship, love, success & pain. They are fast paced and I couldn't stop reading once I started reading them. I plagued my local book shop for months to get me the final book in the series as soon as it was released in Ireland!

#2 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A harrowing tale of the lives of two women in Afghanistan. It made me appreciate modern day life in Ireland. Another page turner and one I recommend to all my friends.

#3 Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

A true story about a dying University Professor, who in the final months of his life details his views on life...sections include marriage/relationships, regrets death, ageing, forgiveness... Life changing is an understatement for the impact this book had on me. It made me take stock and appreciate the important things in life.

#4 The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

A romantic novel detailing Henry's time travelling, his love affair with Clare and all the funny situations his time travel lands him in.  Another page turner that I couldn't put down!

# 5 The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who kicked the Hornets Nest. I picked up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on a whim and when I finished the first fast paced thriller I was kicking myself I hadn't gotten the other two at the same time. Mystery, danger, suspense, romance it's all there in these three books!

So there we have it, some of my all time favourites...now that I have these out of my system I'll be able to crack on and do some reviews of books I'm currently reading!

What are your favourite books??..I'd love some recommendations!

PS.. I'm also guilty of reading trashy stuff like 50 Shades!!! (come on...the whole world was talking about it!!!)

DE-Stressing...

Hello everyone....so we all have those ‘down days’ and stressful times of our life every now and then,The following is a list of things I do to help snap me out of those horrible moods and de-stress...

-Pampering- face masks, hair masks, & a long hot shower

-Going for a walk- no matter how long or short a walk, I find just getting out into the fresh air helps me. (I’ve even been known to do this in the rain and then follow up with pampering as above!)

-A Treat- I’m on a budget...so any treat does, a magazine, an ice—cream, chocolate....

-Listening to some of my favourite music

-Painting my nails. This might sounds silly for some but I find it very relaxing

-Talking to a friend. I’m very lucky I have several friends I can ring if ever feeling low- some are great to help me talk through my problems, others make me laugh...and i love them all.

-Watching Videos on Youtube of my favourite Volggers and Gurus.

-Cooking a really really nice dinner. I’m not ‘into’ cooking but there is nothing more comforting on a cold miserable day then a good stew, or homemade soup!...(please don’t ask for recipes...I’m crap at cooking!!) 

I’m lucky that days like this don’t happen me often, but when they do the above list are my weapons against feeling crappy!!!!!!

1 Year Ago Today...

I made a big change in my life!...It was hard..a VERY difficult decision to make...and it wasn't easy for a while!

BUT...

Through all the tears, hurt, anger & pain...

I LEARNED...

About myself...

I THOUGH ABOUT...

What I really wanted to be when I grew up...

I DID THINGS...

To make myself Happy

I MADE DECISIONS...

That will shape my future...

Sometimes the hardest decisons to make are the most important decisions we'll ever make...It's been a tough year but I am stronger, more determined and in a much better place now to...

MAKE MY DREAMS COME TRUE!


PS. Sorry I've been MIA lately, Mr.Blahblahblah works from home for a couple of months each year which means I have very little access to our 'shared' PC!

Martina Cole Book Reviews....

 

 

The Ladykiller Martina Cole

 

 

 

I absolutely love a good thriller, a book that I can't put down, a real page turner and The Ladykiller did not disappoint. This book is not for the fainthearted, it follows George a cruel and devious man, a serial killer who kills and then rapes random women. The best thing about this book is that the story is told from the perspective of everyone involved, George, Elaine his wife, the detectives investigating the cases,the victims and their families. It goes into George's history and childhood and gives us a real feel for what his life has been like.

A riveting read, once finished I immediately set about reading the other Martina Cole book in my possession....

 

 

 

The Business..Martina Cole

 

After reading The Ladykiller I was expecting a fast paced thriller, unfortunately this book is a slow burner right until the end. Right the way through I was waiting for the storyline to pick up. In reality I felt this book was without a main plot, there was no real reason to continue reading to find out the fate of the characters.

 

It follows the lives of three generations of a gangster family. Imelda the daughter of a crime boss becomes pregnant outside of marriage and all hell breaks loose, it results in the murder of her father and the father of her unborn child. The book then tells the tale of her life, her mothers life and the lives of her children. As with the Ladykiller the story is told through the voices off all the main protagonists. Themes such as drug abuse, prostitution, abuse, violence and neglect weave through this book.

 

This book was a disappointment for me, but if you enjoy reading about the lives of gangsters and their families this may be the book for you! 

 

 

If you would like more information about Martina Cole and her books her website is here

 



What to do when you have no Internet...

Hello Everyone!

I've not disappeared....I've been without Internet connection for almost a week! Living in the middle of nowhere and having no Internet can make for some real boring days! I felt as if my right arm had been cut off and I didn't know what to do with myself!

So here are a few things I did while I was without Internet....

Painted my Nails....

Read Two Whole Books... Reviews on the way...

Messed around with putting rollers in my hair (this was not a success!!)...

Took Polly on lots of Long Walks...

Read a magazine...something I rarely do when I have the world of the Internet at my fingertips, but something I actually enjoyed!

Life without Internet connection can be boring, and I did feel disconnected from the world, but on the other hand it was nice to spend sometime with Mr.Blah Blah Blah without Facebook,Twitter, E-Mail etc ....

Would I willingly go without Internet...NO....but maybe for a couple of hours a few times a week...!

Thanks for reading,
Cor
x

Puppy Love....

You may have wondered why there is a dog on my header...It's beacause of my beloved dog Polly.....

About a year and a half ago she came around my workplace, a hungry little stray..and a presitstent little thing... she stayed!!!..Of course everyone was feeding her so why wouldn't she!!!!

Late one Friday night I was leaving my work and found her bedding down in a ditch along the road as I drove home....My heart broke, so she came home with me. After prolonged attempts to find her owners I decided to keep her.. I'd fallen in love with her at that stage, and to be perfectly honest I wasn't too keen on handing her back to where she'd come from. She was skinny, starved, shy and nervous of humans...I suspect she had been abused.

Now Polly lives a charmed life...She sleeps at the bottom of my bed, eats as good as I do...loves meat, all things dairy and even Walkers Ready Salted Crisps! She hates the cold and is often seen lying up against the radiators in the house! She hates the rain but loves sunbathing in the little sunshine we get during the summer! She loves walks and understands when I say 'Do you want to go for a walk'..she goes beserk when I say those words! She goes EVERYWHERE with me...and sits in the front seat of my car happy as larry!!!

If we ever have to go away and she can't come, she stays at Mr.BlahBlahBlah's mothers house... she's got underfloor heating...Polly loves staying there!!!!

 

 

 

Life is always lots of fun now that I've got Polly to keep me entertained with her mischef every day!!!!

Quote of the Day!

 Hello Again!!!

It's Wednesday which means it's Quote day!! I'm definitely guilty of this one...doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...although I don't think I'm Insane...let me know in the comments if you disagree!!! :-)

Fab Facial oil!

Hello Everyone!!!

Today I thought I would tell you all about a fab oil I've been using (on and off) for a few months now.

It's the Busby Liquid Gold Pure Tissue Oil, its main claim is that is improves the appearance of scars, stretch marks, wrinkles and ageing skin within 28 days.

I've actually been using this as a facial oil, simply because I have a scar on my face from when I had the chicken pox (yuck I know!) about five years ago. I've also got a lot of pigmentation on my cheeks and well I'm pushing on a bit so anything with anti ageing properties is right down my street.

The main ingredients are Grape Seed Oil, Rose Hip Oil, Vitamin E and Avocado Oil. I find this really helps when I have breakouts, it soothes the skin and I always find my breakouts don't last as long as they usually would when I'm using this. It is lightweight and sinks into my skin almost immediately. It is lightly fragranced, but it doesn't have that strong botanical smell I was expecting given the ingredients, this I'm happy about as I'm not a fan of botanical smells! I've got oily skin, but after showering it feels very tight, just two sprays of this little beauty and I'm feeling a whole lot better.

I have repurchased and will continue to repurchase. As for the scar & stretch mark claims..I'm not sure I've seen any visible difference with my little scar- but I'll keep an eye on it and report back if it suddenly disappears! Wrinkles....I'm not sure I need this for wrinkles yet...hopefully this stuff is keeping them well away!!!

Their website is here I purchased my 15ml bottle from my local pharmacy for only €3.99 which makes it great value also!

Anyone tried this?



Best Friends.....

This is a bit of a mushy lovey dovey post but here goes..... I’m very lucky to have such good reliable, dependable friends that I love in my life & I wanted to honour them here by mentioning them each individually. I’m gonna give them nicknames- they’ll all know who they are, and I’ll send them a link to this post- this will be the first most of them will have heard about my blog-my surprise to them!!!

All the people mentioned here are my nearest and dearest friends, so they are in no particular order, I love them all equally but in different ways and for different reasons!

Mr.Blahblahblah: What can I say, we’ve been best friends for 10 years, he is my companion in life, the person I turn to when I’m happy, sad, excited or lonely. He is the person that knows me better than anyone, sometimes I think he knows me better then myself! He makes me laugh every single day, gives the best cuddles, has a wicked sense of humour and we share the same outlook on life!

Miss Accountant: We’re friends since college-I used to ‘borrow’ her notes, we lived together and have loads of memories of the fun we had. We talk every single day, (for hours!!!), she is a super listener, great craic and keeps me on the straight and narrow!
I know she will always be there for me in times of crisis and times of happiness. We’ve been through lots of life's ups and downs together- discussed life, dissected life, analysed life and always end a conversation with about 10 goodbyes! She is my reliable, trustworthy, fun friend & I love her very much

Mr. Teacher: Another college friend- that's 8 years of knowing one another now!!!This is my cool, easygoing, jammy dodger friend. Everything always works out for him!!!(lucky fecker!!)
A great listener, also been through lots of ups and downs with me- but instead of dissecting life his usual response to any problem is ‘don’t worry it will all work out in the end’ and it usually does! Reliable, honest, trustworthy & funny !! (also single ladies....!!!- he’s a catch....e-mail me if interested!!!)

Mrs.Long Distance Friend: I used to live in New Zealand- this is my NZ friend. We havn’t seen one another in two and a half years, but we still e-mail lots. I’m crap at keeping in touch with friends who’ve moved etc, but Mrs.Long Distance is such an important person in my life I’ve made a real effort to stay in contact & its paid off.
I can tell her anything, and I always get an honest (sometimes brutally honest) reply, she keeps me grounded and real. She is funny, witty and a real hard worker- she reminds me that with hard work and commitment you can achieve your dreams- like she has!

Miss.Blogger: As I describe her to the people already mentioned ‘my Internet friend’ – she introduced me to the world of blogging and for that I thank her very much. We don’t know one another very long, but in the time we have known one another, I’ve grown to love her just as much as my other friends!!!!..
She is funny, quirky (in a good way!!!) &  beautiful person inside and out. I know in 10 years time she will still be on my ‘nearest & dearest’ list of friends!

So there we go, our friends are the family we create for ourselves and I truly see all the people mentioned as part of my family!

So who are your best friends?...do u have nicknames for them like I do??...what makes a friend special for u?

Until next time!

Cor

x

Blogger inspired Wishlist

Hellllooooooo There!

As a self confessed Beauty Blog and You Tube addict, I've come across some great recommendations from some of my favourite Bloggers/Youtubers.

Most of these things you will have already heard loads and loads about, but this is my wishlist and I'd love them all please!! (ahem...**cough** hint hint Mr. Blah Blah Blah!)

First up is Soap & Glory's Peaches and Clean Cleanser, I've heard Miss Budget Beauty rave about this sooo often I've just gotta have it!!!!

Next up is a tad on the expensive side (but hey we can all dream!!!) Fleur de Force raved about this in her October Favourites Video & it looks amazing on her!!!....so i want it too!!! It's the YSL Glossy Stain in shade No.10 (see Mr.Blah Blah Blah I couldn't make it any easier for you!!!)

Another lip product that is on the list simply because since their release I've heard soo many great things about them out there in the blogging world!!!...You guessed it... its the Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in the shade Crave.

So now that my skin will be fab, my lips beautifully coloured...of course I'll need something amazing for my eyes...and that means just one pallet and one pallet only...Urban Decays Naked Pallet!!!!!...no explanation needed as to where I heard about this little star...EVERYWHERE!!!

 

Inspired by Louise Sprinkofglitter, I just have to have MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle.



Next up is an all time favourite of lots of bloggers but something i wasn't sure about until Hannah from http://lovelifeandmakeup.blogspot.ie/ actually used this on me last time we met up for a natter...its Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder!

 

Another face product, and something I've been dying to try since A Thrifty Mrs blogged about a few months ago. Unfortunately living in the middle of nowhere can be a pain in the bum as my local Boots doesn't stock Natural Collection...so I haven't yet tried the Natural Collection Blushers....any shade will do..but I wouldn't mind trying out Pink Cloud!!!

 

 

Foundations can be difficult to purchase as a gift, BUT...I really want to try Estee Lauders Double Wear foundation ever since Anna Saccone mentioned that she was going to wear it during the birth of her baby girl Emilia...if this foundation can stay on while someone's in labour it MUST be good stuff!!!

 

 



Just one last thing....This list could seriously go on forever, but i must contain myself and not be too greedy....It's a candle Miss Budget Beauty mentioned in her Fall Tag...Its the Yankee Candle in Red Apple Wreath. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cinnamon/ apple type scents especially at this time of year!....

Okey Dokey!!!..Phew... If you've gotten to the end of this looong post well done!!!!..even I'm getting tired of reading what I type!!!

Anyone got any other Wishlist suggestions???...any crucial thing I'm forgetting?

Hope everyones having a great weekend!
Cor
x

 

Blog Design....

Okey Dokie, in my 25 things you don’t know about me post I mentioned that my friend Hannah designed my blog header...

The truth is she did everything for me to set up this blog, that included setting up my blog name, designing the whole blog, layout, photo editing,buttons, coding & all the stuff I don’t understand basically the whole kit and caboodle is all down to Hannah.

I know for certain that without her hard work on this blog I wouldn’t be here blathering on right now!

So here is a big THANK YOU and a hip hip horray for Hannah, and if you want anything done with your blog please head on over to her blog , see more of her creations, her fees are extremely reasonable and she is an absolute pleasure to work with....! http://lovelifeandmakeup.blogspot.ie/

 

 

Epilator Love...YES LOVE

These are my top tips for  epilating your legs!

I use the Braun Silk Epil Xelle  which I purchased in Boots about 5 years ago...it cost over €100 then, but can be purchased for around the €50 mark now!

  

1)    Before you ever touch your legs with an epilator get them waxed- epilating stubbly shaved legs with thick hairs is incredibly painful- then begin to epilate once the hairs start growing back

2)    Never epilate when it's that horrible time of the month- you are more sensitive then and it will be more painful

3)    EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE EXFOLIATE, the days coming up to epilation day, a few days after and regularly between epilations if you are prone to ingrown hairs like me!

4)    Only Epilate when you have time to devote to your legs...lots of time.. I always set aside an hour- starting and then having to run off to do something is not a good idea

5)    When you decide to start-START- no dilly dallying...talk to yourself while you do it...grit your teeth and just keep repeating ‘it will be worth it’ ‘keep going’ or my personal mantra ‘keep ploughing on’

6)    Keep your skin taut while epilating- it helps reduce pain factor

7)    Take some painkillers 20 minutes before if you really want to minimise pain

8)    Complete one leg at a time- don’t stop midway for a break- as you keep going the pain minimises- your skin gets used of it- stopping for a coffee mid leg is not a good idea, i can almost guarantee you won’t go back to it!!

9)    Once one leg is done- go straight onto the next leg, again no dilly dallying...just keep going

10) I find epilating after a shower easier also as your skin is nice and soft and the hairs seem to pop out that bit easier.Do not shower after epilating- or for the rest of that day

11) Keep it up!- I epilate once i week- i found when epilating every single day or every second day my hair growth went crazy.....I had hairs appearing constantly- when epilating only once a week, or once every second week my hair growth is more regulated & i am ‘getting’ more hairs at a time.

 

Epilating is not the worst thing in the world, it has helped me regain my leg confidence (after years of not ever exposing my legs!) and now I love shopping for dresses, shorts and skirts.

Another tip is fake tan, before I ever expose my newly hair free legs I always fake tan them and then for an extra polished finish I use Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in Medium Glow.

Anyone tried epiliating before? How did you find it?

Cor

x

Quote of the Day...

 

Hello Everyone!!!

 

I am a big fan of nice quotes...I think there's something nice about a quote that can inspire me and perk me up a bit...so on Wednesdays I'm gonna share some of my favourite quotes with you! Whats your favourite quote????....I'd love to hear from you in the comments!!!!

 

 

 

 

25 Things You Don't Know About Me

So to kick-start this blog i thought it would be a good idea to do the 25 things you don’t know about me tag.... that way ye can decide for yourselves if you like to read what i babble on about!

1:  I have just one sister and no brothers, she is 2 years younger then me and we nicknamed her Polly!

2: I studied Business Studies in University but dropped out after 2 years

3: My family & friends are the most important people in my life and l love them very very much!

4: I have a dog, her name is Polly(named after my sister see no.1!)- i rescued her just over 12 months ago

 

 

5: I live with my partner of 9 years

6: My favourite place to shop is Pennys...but some day i'd love to have the cash to shop in BT!

7: I lived in New Zealand for 2 years

8: I have 2 best friends!!!..A girl & a guy that i used to live with in Uni

9: I feel like my nails are Naked if I don’t have nail polish on

10: I feel like my ears are Naked without earrings

11: I HATE jingly, jangly jewellery- that includes Bangles (even if someone else is wearing them), long earrings, long chains etc. The look lovely but I hate wearing them!

12: I am a bookworm and LOVE reading, i devour about a book a week!

13: I love charity shop shopping!!!!- I’m a big bargain hunter!

14: I have a soft spot for Cans (never bottles ) of Coke (as in Coke-a-Cola not the other dangerous stuff!!)

15: I work part time as a waitress

16: I am obsessed with watching Beauty Gurus on YouTube and reading beauty blogs

17: I LOVED school!!!..I’d happily go back if i could!

18: I am a romantic at heart and love soppy films like The Notebook.

19: I cry at the drop of a hat when it comes to watching movies

20:  I did a Personal Development Course last year & rate it as the best thing i’ve ever done!

21: I used to work for a magazine selling advertising

22: I met my friend Hannah through the internet!!!!!- she introduced me to YouTube Gurus, Blogging and all things pretty and beautiful...and she designed this blog!!!Hannah's Blog is here!

23: I hope to get on a Beautician training course in the New Year

24: I could take or leave Christmas

25: ..Phew...that was harder then i expected...just one more...come on Corinna... you can do it....ammmmm....ammmmm....ammm... oh yea...I love my I-phone..couldn’t live without it! J

 So there we go, i think it’s always nice to know a bit about the person behind a blog so hopefully this post will help ye get to know me a bit better.

I’d love to hear a bit about ye all....whoever’s out there...come out and say hello!!! I won’t bite...I promise!!!!

Until Next Time,

Cor

x

Hello-ha!!!!

Hello Everybody!!

So i’m new here and i just wanted to pop in and say 'Hi I’m Corinna'. This is my blog, Blah Blah Blah Talks, my little slice of the Internet where i blather on about whatever pops into my head.

I talk A LOT and have spent years burning my friends ears off, I have a lot of opinions on various topics and when a friend introduced me to the world of blogging, I decided 'why not try burn the ears (eyes) off even some more people'!

What you can expect from my blog

• Beauty related posts, I'm a beauty fanatic & LOVE beauty blogs!
• Posts about books I've been loving
• Some money saving tips I've gathered along my way
• General ramblings, blathering and blah blah blah-ing about anything else that pops into my head!!!!

I'm hoping that eventually I'll get into a routine and have some order among the chaos here but initially I'm just going to blah blah blah about whatever topics tickle my fancy!!!

I'm very excited about my new baby (this blog) and look forward to getting to know all of you, so please do comment, e-mail, twitter, facebook me...I won't bite I promise!!!!

 

Until next time

Cor

x