Tiny Teddy Bear Cars

I made these super cute and very yummy Tiny Teddy Cars for my nephews birthday. They were a hit! I got the recipe online here if you want to try to make them for yourself. They were very easy, albeit a bit fiddly. But very fun to make with kids!

I changed a few things when I made them.

• I used Mars Bars instead of Milky Ways because I don't really like Milky Ways. 
• I didn't add steering wheels because there wasn't any room.
• I wanted my cars to have all different colored wheels so I didn't bother sorting them out.
• Instead of using a bag to squeeze out the melted chocolate, I melted the chocolate in a saucepan in another saucepan full of water over the stove and dipped the smarties/teddies in the chocolate and stuck them on. Leaving the chocolate on the stove meant I could warm it up if it started to get hard again. 

I had quite a bit of leftover melted chocolate and tiny teddies so I lined a slice tray with baking paper and poured the melted chocolate in there. Then pushed the tiny teddies face up into the chocolate. My partner said it looked like a Tiny Teddy Graveyard, unfortunately I didn't get a photo of this. It was very delicious!

What kind of party food have you made?

Rose the Survivor

Rose Under Fire (Code Name Verity #2) by Elizabeth Wein

Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
368 pages
Released: June 2013
Buy it @ book depository

While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that's in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

Review 

Here I go again! Reading books that are companion novels to others before even reading the first. I know about 'Code Name Verity', but I didn't know you had to read it first before reading this. I was able to read it easily enough, so I don't think you need to read Code Name Verity because this is a separate story and didn't seem to follow on.

I loved this! I really enjoy war books, mainly because the ones I read are all about courage and heroism - they can also be very sad at times. Books that bring on strong emotions like sadness and anger are always a good indication of a great book and a talented author. Congrats to Elizabeth Wein for making me feel those emotions. 

I listened to this on audio and I found some of the characters accents a bit annoying, but the stunning writing made up for that. I felt a bit lost when I first started and couldn't really connect with the story or Rose, it didn't take me long though to be swept up in the historical tale.

Rose tells her horrific story of being captured by the Nazi's and thrown into a concentration camp. She tells us through her diary entries, we move back and forth between present and past. I liked that they did this because I knew that she survived the horror she witnessed. Although she survived, her metal state may have been a little bit lost to the camp.

At the camp we meet the "rabbits", women who have been experimented on by the Nazi doctors and left deformed. These characters and many more made me laugh and cry. Wein has done a fantastic job making them feel like real people. I found out that some of the characters mentioned in the trials at the end are in fact real people.

This is historical fiction at it's best, I highly recommend this if you love war books with big heart. Now I can't wait to read 'Code Name Verity' to see where it began.

 

On the cover

Such a powerful cover! I can't even imagine what it would be like to live in a concentration camp, so horrible. You can tell just by looking at the cover that it will be about war. No confusion there!

What I'm listening to next: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

 

Just want more!

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) by Gayle Forman

Rating: 3 out of 5 hearts
323 pages
Released: October 2013
Buy it @ book depository

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

Review

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I enjoyed this book, although I think I had built it up a little bit too much because I was hoping for a bit more than what I got. 

It didn't take long for me to pick up where things left off in the first book, when Willem disappeared after that perfect one day. The story was a little slow around the middle, but the pace picked up again towards the end. It was great getting to know Willem more, I loved travelling around with him all over while he was trying to find himself. Just like Allyson in "Just One Day", Willem changes and grows so much over his travels. We see him make new friends and strengthen friendships with old friends. Something that made my heart melt were the moments between him and his mum. Finally realising that she has been caring for him all along when he thought she hadn't.

The ending was nice, but I wanted more! I found out that there is going to be an ebook called "Just One Night", which sounds like a nice taste to that more I wanted. I will always read Gayle Forman's books because they are fantastic and such a lovely read. I recommend her as an author for those people looking for a romantic contemporary novel.

To read my review of Just One Day - click here

 

On the cover

I don't particularly like this cover. I don't like when couples are making out on the front cover, especially when it doesn't even happen in this book. I like the purple though, and the cool color flare.

What I'm reading next: Every Breath by Ellie Marney

 

Instagram Catch up

Wow, it's been such a LONG time since my last post! Lately I have been making short cute videos each month of my Instagram photos using the flipagram app, and since I haven't posted anything for over a month I thought I'd share my videos for a fun quick post. If you want to follow me on Instagram my username is: love_sami

January Photos

February Photos

March Photos

April Photos

May Photos

Comment your username so I can follow you on Instagram

How they survive now

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Rating: 3 out of 5 hearts
194 pages
Released: November 2004
Buy it @ book depository

“Every war has turning points and every person too.”

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

A riveting and astonishing story.

Review 

It's so hard to like Meg Rosoff books. Because they are always a little strange and hard to relate to. This is only the second book by her that I've read so I can't really judge all of them, but so far the record isn't good. 

It was an interesting book, a book about war, first loves, family and much more. I listened to this on audiobook and I'm so glad I did, because I've seen how it is written, and that could've been a huge downfall for me. Daisy is the main character and the book is written from her point of view with no talking marks or indication of who was speaking at times.

A few things I'm going to mention about the story and they may be spoilers, so read ahead at your own risk. I have to mention the incest, I know you can't help who you fall in love with but I found it a little weird. I didn't see how it was important to the story, Daisy can have love for her family and still want to protect them, she doesn't need to be romantically in love to need to protect them. Something I wished had been explained a bit more was Edmunds mental/mind reading powers. Did he have them? I'm going to say yes!

What I liked about the book was the ending, it was true to how war can affect someone so young. I also liked the strength of the children, surviving all by themselves. I have lots of respect for them!

After finishing this I watched the movie and I got a huge shock. They had changed character's personalities and many other things. People even died who didn't die in the book. It was a terribly sad movie and I don't plan on watching it again. The book is so much better!

 

On the cover 

This is a beautiful cover, you can't see it in this picture but the book actually has shiny parts where some of the butterflies are. I wouldn't think by looking at this cover that this would be the type of story inside.  There are so many different covers for this, but I think I like this one the best. This isn't a pretty book on the inside but it is on the outside.

What I'm listening to next: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

 

Good Old Classic Movies ~ Part Two!

I did a post over 6 months ago showcasing some classic movies that I watched for the first time. Here are a few more that I have watched and a small review about each.

 

Funny Face (1957) In Colour

Starring: Audrey Hepburn & Fred Astaire

  

I am even more in love with Audrey Hepburn after seeing this movie. I love her dancing and her fashion style. She is so adorable and even more because she is working in a bookshop - my kind of gal. I don't know about Fred Astaire as the love interest though, he's an awesome dancer/actor, but not that attractive in my eyes.

How to marry a millionaire (1953) In colour

Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Betty Gable & Lauren Bacall

I thought this was the movie that Marilyn sang 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' in, but it's not. I still really enjoyed it. The only thing that I was annoyed with was how they made Marilyn look like a ditzy, clumsy girl. They made her seem like the stereotypical blonde.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) In B & W

Starring: Gregory Peck, John Megna & Frank Overton

This was an ok movie, but not a favourite. I haven't read the book and after watching this it doesn't make me want to read it, I still will but I'm not in a hurry to read it. Great acting and story, I just don't think it was up my alley.

The Birds (1963) In Colour

Starring: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren & Suzanne Pleshette

Was a little slow, but I can see that for it's time it would've been terribly scary and the special effects would've looked fantastic. I'm not saying that it looks bad, it still looks pretty good. I just didn't like it as much as Psycho. I also felt there wasn't really an explanation for why the birds were attacking people, which let the movie down a bit for me.

 

Singin' in the rain (1952) In Colour

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor & Debbie Reynolds

This was fantastic!! The story, comedy, dancing, singing and acting were all of high quality. It has become a favourite movie and I will watch this again for sure! Gene & Debbie are so gorgeous together!

  

An Affair to Remember (1957) In Colour

Starring: Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr

A romantic movie with a twist at the end. Was quite good, but I'm not dying to watch it again.

Do you have any classic movie suggestions for me?

 

 

More from Patrick Ness please!

More than this by Patrick Ness

Rating: 4 out of 5 hearts
472 pages
Released: September 2013
Buy it @ book depository

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . . 

Review

Patrick Ness has done it again! This book is like "A Monster Calls", it's hard to truly explain how you feel when you finish it. Anyone who reads this will get a different meaning or take something away from this. 

For me, what I take away from this is that we as humans live such short lives and we should try to make the most of what we have now. There is always more out there and never feel like 'is this all my life is going to be?'. If your life isn't what you want it to be, then go out there and do what you want and make it how you want it to be.

Seth was a refreshing character, I didn't particuarly like or hate him, but I can understand him. He was realistic and I liked that. I really loved Tomasz, always saving the day and giving us some comic relief in a world where there's nothing much except confusion and fear.

As with Ness' other books that I've read, there are always so many questions needing to be answered and lots of twists along the way too. This book is no different. There was action, suspense and mystery. I want MORE Patrick Ness please!

The next part of my review is a bit of a spoiler so read at your risk if you haven't read the book. Ness really made me think: How would I feel if all my life until now had ony been a sort of dream, not real and that I was living a life that meant nothing? If this isn't real then I would be happy with the descisions I've made. But, I don't think I'd like to live two different lives. I'm happy with the one I have now, I can see how for some people this would be a blessing to have a chance to live life a different way.

 

On the cover 

Something I have to mention about this cover is the feel. When holding this book in your hand and rubbing the cover it has a weird almost soft feel to it. Pick the hard cover up and have a feel. I love this cover! So simple but it draws my eye straight away. It's telling me could there be more than this? Open up this book to find out.

What I'm listening to next: How I Live Now Meg Rosoff