Market Day Tips

Market Day is an exciting day, but it can also be a nervous day too. I've attended quite a few markets now and I thought I'd give you some tips on how to make the day successful.

Markets aren't always held inside where it's nice & warm and the weather has no effect on your stall. So when setting up a stall outside you have to be aware of wind! Wind was my first issue I came across, I wasn't prepared for it and didn't bring anything to hold my tablecloth down. Thinking back now I feel very naive in not allowing for this problem, so I tell you now bring clips or weights to hold down your tablecloth!

In case of rain it's good to invest in a really good marque/gazebo. If you think you may be attending a lot of markets and they are outside then I would highly recommend buying one, it's a great investment. I bought mine from boating, camping & fishing which you can see it online here. My gazebo is easy to put up by myself but I've found that other stall holders are more than happy to give you a hand if you ask. You may even need to buy some sides for your gazebo so it keeps out the rain and wind. You can buy tarps and lots of hand clamps or you could buy the proper sides for this gazebo which are so easy to put up as it's made perfectly for your specific gazebo. I purchased my sides from a local Bunnings Warehouse, just make you buy the correct ones!

Another tip for having a market stall outside is that you should always wear something comfortable and warm because you're at the mercy of mother nature. So if you're not warm and comfortable then you will be miserable all day!

Important things to take with you to a market are: a pair of scissors, sticky tape, pen, paper, bottle of water and some snacks.

I hope these tips have been helpful and I'd love to hear any tips you may have during your experiences being a stall holder

Completely Spellbound

Spellbound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins
Rating: 4 out of 5
327 pages
Buy it @ book depository

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?





Review: I'm sad that we're at the end of a fun & magical series. I can remember the feeling I had when I read 'Hex Hall' (the first in the series), it was amazement. I hadn't read anything like it, since then I have but you never forget your first. As always with a series there was a huge cliffhanger at the end of the second book and left you dying to find out what happened to everyone after the fire.

Sophie is back with lots of spunk and spunks in tow. As with SO many teenage series there's always a love triangle and this one is hard for me because I like both the guys involved. There's sweet Cal and funny boy Archer. Which one, which one?! I'll let you read to find out.

Some of my favourite characters are back and some new characters are introduced. The thing I love best about these books is the characters banter with each other. Sophie seems to make bad situations funny because of her comebacks and comments.

I was so upset at one stage towards the end but Hawkins seems to have made it all better in the end.
I decided to give this only 4 out of 5 stars because it wasn't as flawless as the previous two. I thought that it felt rushed and I hate to say it because I love this series, but after all this time wondering about why someone had created demons it was a tiny little let down to find out who was behind it all.

And finally I have to say thank you to Hawkins for writing this series, I have enjoyed reading about Sophie and the rest of the characters. *Sigh* there's no more, but I feel happy with the ending.

If you would like to read my review of Hex Hall click here and for my review of Demon Glass click here

On the cover: Is that Sophie on the front cover? I didn't even realise she looked like that. She's really pretty, no wonder she had two guys chasing her. I can't complain about this cover because I like it!

What I'm reading next: The traitor in the tunnel by Y.S. Lee

Do you have a favourite book series? 

Yummy Lolly Nails ~ Whimsical by Revlon

I love Revlon nail Polish and I've been wanting this one for ages but have never been able to find it in the shops. So I went to trusty eBay and found a fairly cheap one for sale.

Whimsical #430 is a very light blue jelly like nail polish which it is extremely sheer. It would be perfect for layering over nail polishes to give them that something extra. It has baby blue and pink hex glitter as well as smaller pink hex glitter pieces and even tinier iridescent blue glitter spread throughout.

I decided to put three coats over a white nail polish & pink nailpolish as you can see in the above picture.
I think this would look really pretty over a baby blue nail polish which I might try another time.
The amount of glitter you get each coat is quite good and it's easy to move around the glitter with the brush.

I named these my Lolly nails because they look so edible and sweet don't they? Overall I do like this polish and I think it will be a favorite of mine.

Do you have a favorite Revlon color?

Books I'm pining for ~ Halloween style!

"Books I'm pining for" is a feature for new and old books that I want to read. But being so close to Halloween I thought I would share some spooky reads that I'm looking forward to. Enjoy! *Evil laugh*

Hemlock Grove: A Novel by Brian McGreevy
Released: March 2012
An exhilarating reinvention of the gothic novel, inspired by the iconic characters of our greatest myths and nightmares.


The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A manhunt ensues—though the authorities aren’t sure if it’s a man they should be looking for.

Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a foreboding biotech facility owned by the Godfrey family—their personal fortune and the local economy having moved on from Pittsburgh steel—where, if rumors are true, biological experiments of the most unethical kind take place. Others turn to Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable high school classmates that he’s a werewolf. Or perhaps it’s Roman, the son of the late JR Godfrey, who rules the adolescent social scene with the casual arrogance of a cold-blooded aristocrat, his superior status unquestioned despite his decidedly freakish sister, Shelley, whose monstrous medical conditions belie a sweet intelligence, and his otherworldly control freak of a mother, Olivia.

At once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has the architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right—and Brian McGreevy the talent and ambition to enthrall us for years to come.

Spook's Blood (The Last Apprentice/Wardstone Chronicles #10) 
by Joseph Delaney
Released: June 2012

Time is running out for Thomas Ward. His final battle against the Fiend is drawing near, and the Spook's apprentice has never felt more alone in his task. Isolated and afraid, the Fiend is set to send the greatest of his servants against him - Siscoi, a Vampire God more ferocious than anything he has yet faced. Tom must risk his life to prevent the evil beast from entering this world, even as he learns that the final destruction of the Fiend may involve a sacrifice more terrible than he can imagine...

Seed by Ania Ahlborn
Released: June 2011

Fans of Stephen King, Jack Kilborn, and Blake Crouch… prepare to meet the Devil.

In the vine-twisted swamps of Louisiana, the shadows have teeth.

Jack Winter has spent his entire life running from something no one else can see. His childhood is his darkest secret, but after a near fatal accident along a deserted road, the darkness he was sure he’d escaped rears its ugly head… and smiles.

But this time, he isn’t the only one who sees the soulless eyes of his past. This time, his six-year-old daughter Charlie leans into his ear and whispers: Daddy, I saw it too.

And then she begins to change.

Faced with reliving the nightmares of his childhood, Jack watches his daughter spiral into the shadows that had nearly consumed him twenty years before.

But Charlie isn’t the only one who’s changing.

Jack never outran the darkness. It’s been with him all along.

And it’s hungrier than ever.

A new breed of dark fiction: the subtlety of Seed will haunt you, and the end will wickedly satisfy.

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
Released: April 2011

Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss. . . .When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries -- before it's too late for little Mimi. Riveting and intensely atmospheric, this stunning debut will hold readers in its spell long after the last page is turned.

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Released: September 2012

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle
Released: September 2012

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes by Many Authors
Released: October 2012

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

Dead River by Cyn Balog
Released: April 2013

My friends and I are spending prom weekend at a remote wooded cabin on the Dead. The Dead River.

I thought it was going to be just us.

I was wrong. 
Nothing is what it seems in this creepy paranormal thriller by Cyn Balog.

What books are you pining for?

Kooky Kreatures - Halloween Nails

Halloween is a week away and I thought I should do some Halloween inspired nails. I saw these nails on Instagram and they were so adorable I had to give them a go.

I didn't take any photos to show how I did this manicure because it was dark and the photos wouldn't have turned out that well.

If you're interested in knowing how I did this manicure here is a step by step written tutorial.

Materials you will need to achieve this manicure:

• White nail polish
• Green nail polish
• Black 2 way pen, white 2 way pen, red 2 way pen OR using a dotting pen/tooth pick for details and those three nail polish colors.

Thumb Finger "Frankenstein": Step 1 - Paint your nail green.
Step 2 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the hair, eyebrows & eyes.
Step 3 - Using your white 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put white dots in for the eyes.

Pointer Finger "Ghost": Step 1 - Paint your nail white.
Step 2 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the black circles for eyes & kidney shaped mouth.
Step 3 -  Using your white 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put white dots in for the eyes.

Middle Finger "Vampire": Step 1 - Paint your nail white.
Step 2 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the black circle for eyes, eye brows and hair.
Step 3 -  Using your white 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put white dots in for the eyes.

Ring Finger "Zombie": Step 1 - Paint your nail brown.
Step 2 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the black circle for eyes and a scar along the top.
Step 3 - Using your red 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the blood dribble from the top of the head.
Step 4 - Using your white 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put white dots in for the eyes.
Step 5 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put tiny dots in the white circles.

Pinky Finger "Mummy": Step 1 - Paint your nail white.
Step 2 - Using your black 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the lines in a way that looks like mummy wrapping.
Step 3 - Using your red 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick draw the circles for eyes.
Step 4 - Using your white 2 way pen or dotting pen/toothpick put white dots in for the eyes.

It was fairly simple to do this manicure and I love the outcome. My nails are super cute!

Which one is your favourite?

Michael Cera as Nick, I don't think so!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
183 pages
But it @ book depository

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

Review: I love David & Rachel together. I have read another of their books they wrote together 'Dash & Lily's book of dares' which was amazing and so was this. They know what teenagers sound like, they bring their characters to life in such a short story. Nick is a bit of a hopeless romantic, he makes mix tapes and is sexy without knowing it. While Norah is a bit wild, she's willing to hang out with a guy she barely knows. 

I watched the movie a long time ago so I couldn't really decide whether the movie was like the book or not. I just hopped onto Nick & Norah's exciting ride and let everything go. Nick & Norah feel like life is there's for the taking and they feel invincible because they're at that perfect teen age. 

The story moved along at a quick pace with a back and forth between Nick & Norah's point of views. One chapter will be from Nick's and the next will be from Norah's and so on. I love these sorts of novels because I love to get inside the other character's head to find out what they were thinking during a certain situation. David & Rachel due this so well!

I did notice that there was a lot of swearing, and when I mean a lot, I mean A LOT! And it was the bad 'f' word so this might not be a good one for the younger teen readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to watch the movie again to see what differences there are. I recommend this for anyone who loves music and reminiscing about what it was like to be a reckless teenager.

On the cover: This is the movie cover, which I seem to always get instead of the normal cover. After reading this I did not picture Michael Cera playing Nick. Nick sounds sexy, while Michael Cera is not!

What I'm reading next: Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins 

Have you seen the movie or read the book? Which one do you like better?

 

Wishlist #3

1. Gorgeous Peacock Hairclip ~ $3.98 from eBay
2. Tokidoki Unicorno Ladies' Hoodie ~ $59.99 from think geek
3. Fellowship of the ring coffee mug ~ £6.50 from Etsy
4. Pink Ballon - two part brooch ~ $22.00 from Hungry designs
5. Lola & the boy next door & Anna and the french kiss 
by Stephanie perkins ~ $24.37 from book depository

1. I love hair accessories, nothing dresses your hair up better than a funky headband or hairclip. This is simply gorgeous and oh so colourful. WANT! 

2. How can you not fall in love with this hoodie! It's so adorable. I know it's spring now but with our weird weather lately you need something comfy and warm to throw over your spring clothes.

3. This mug has my name written all over it! It's telling me it wants me to make lots of chai teas in it. It needs to come home with me. 

4. Just one of my loves from the beautiful Hungry Designs. I love the idea of it being a two part brooch, so unique and gorgeous!

5. Ok, ok! Yes technically this is two things, but they're by the same author and they come to under $25 for the two of them! Why not buy them before the third and final book comes out?

What's on your wishlist?