Tuesday 31 October 2017

Spooky Reviews/// TV Reviews: Stranger Things 2.


Hello! 

I, like every one else spent this last weekend all wrapped up in the Stranger Things universe. 
After 9 hours of being in LOVE with all things Season 2, I can now go back to my normal life. 

Have you seen season 2 yet?
God! I loved it so much. 
In fact, I think I might love this season a little bit more than last season...just because it was so much more intense. 

If you haven't watched Stranger Things yet...you've got to! It is nostalgic, funny, spooky and so brilliant and man those kids are golden!!! 

So let's jump into some thoughts and feelings I've had watching these 9 episodes...why can't we have more?! 


 Some Favourite Strange Things/// 

1. I loved this season. I was a little worried if the show would live up to the exceptions around it..given how incredible the first season was, this season was just as good. The first season was a little bit of a slow burn...it takes some time for the action to get rolling. But this season seemed to take off from the get go. 

2. It was so nice to be back in this world and to see these amazing characters again. All of these kids are amazing and I am so glad that we got to see each of them for significant amounts of time. I felt like all of them got equal screen time overall. 

3. There were also some new characters- Billy and Max, Dr. Owens, Murray and Bob. It's nice to add new people to the mix. 
I like Max and what she brings to the party. 
Bob...oh Bob! Such a good guy. 

4. The last two episodes were on fire. Every single moment of those two episodes were brilliant. 

5. Dustin is such a sweetheart! My heart broke during the Snow Ball when he was sitting on the bleachers. I also loved the whole Dustin-Lucas-Max shenanigans. 

6. Steve!!!!!
I love how his character has evolved and he was one of the best things of this season. This boy is golden. I was living for all the Steve and Dustin interactions. 
I was so scared he would die at the hands of the Demo-dogs! 
T one fair, I like him in season 1 too but Season 2 Steve is the best! 


7. The acting in this season is amazing. Especially Will and Eleven were on fire. 

8. I loved that everyone seemed to be on their own adventure this season. Everyone was doing their own thing and solving their own problems and then coming together to kick some collective ass. 

9. Mike and Eleven! 
Do I need say more?! 
I can't wait to see more. 

10. There were some seriously spooky moments all season long and some edge of the seat action. This was such a fun ride. 

11. The soundtrack of this season is awesome. 

12. I love that even with all the chaos and upside down madness, there are still quite a few laughs and lighter moments all season long.


Some not-so-favourite Strange Things/// 

1. I would have liked the whole group to spend more time together. There was very little of all of them working together and I missed seeing all of them (the kids) together and solving things, those are some of my favourite things about the show. 

2. Episode 7- The Lost Sister, was my least favourite. Truth be told, I was bored out of my mind. I do think Kali and her motley group are interesting and kick ass but I don't really think they needed a whole episode. Especially given how episode 6 ended..I didn't want to move away from that action and be thrown into Kali and her shenanigans. 

3. I felt that there was very little of Mike in this season. 

4. The angry and screaming Eleven and Hopper interactions were a little bit jarring, not my favourite thing! 

Rating: 4.5/5 


If you haven't watched Stranger Things yet, you've got to. 
Just give it a shot and I really think you'll like it. This show deserves all the hype it gets. 

I don't belive we have to wait a whole year for a new season! 




Sunday 29 October 2017

Stationery Sunday: Pages of my Journal.


Hello! 

Today's Stationery Sunday is going to be a super quick post, since this girl needs to get back to binging on Stranger Things 2! 

Today I want to share some recent pages from my journal. 
All of them before the ink. Because, that stuff is personal and not something I want to share on the world wide web. 

:) 



This is a page from my journal that stays in my bag. It's a place to make grocery lists and jot down fleeting thoughts.
I like to keep it pretty too! 
So stickers, doodles and washi tape all decorate my pages. 


Stamps!!! 
Trying out some of our new stamps in my journal. 



List making shenanigans. 



I love that my journals hold my memories and musings and lists of all sorts. 
And I love that I've been making them as pretty as I possibly can. 

:) 

I hope you guys had a lovely weekend. 
Mine was full of Netflix-ing and chilling. 
Reading a little bit. 
Good food. 
And enjoying the slight cooling down in Bombay. 

:) 


Saturday 28 October 2017

Spooky Reviews: I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles Book 12)



Book: I Know A Secret

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Pages: 316

Read On: Kindle

Publisher: Bantam 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days

Plot Summary: I have a secret. 
And someone wants to make sure I never tell . . . 

In a house decorated with horror movie posters, a young woman’s body is found. She lies on her bed, two bloodied objects clutched in her palm. Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are called to the murder scene, but even faced with this gruesome sight they are unable to identify the immediate cause of death. 

Their investigation leads them to a high-profile murder case that was seemingly solved years before. But when another body is found in horrific circumstances, the link between the two victims is clear. Was the wrong person sent to prison? Is the real killer out there right now, picking off new targets? 

One woman knows the killer is coming for her next. She’s the only one who can help Rizzoli and Isles catch him.

But she has a secret that she has to keep .

General Thoughts: Another Tess Gerritsen book for Spooky Reviews. 
Honestly, she is one thriller writer that I can wholeheartedly recommend. I've read pretty much all of the Rizzoli and Isles books and I've loved all of them. They are all so good! 

There is also a TV show based on these books, but the TV show is a lot more warm and fuzzy (like TV shows often are) but it's still pretty good. Do give it a watch if you like crime shows. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The writing as always was brilliant. Like I was pulled into this book in the first paragraph and didn't want to put it down. 

2. The thing I love about this book and this series of books in general is that it tackles some very dark minds. You see the workings of a messed up and somewhat sociopathic minds. You get to see the world and the story from their perspective too. 

3. I personally, love books that are rooted in a mystery from the past. Old sins casting long shadows and all that. This book has one of those too and I loved finding out more about it and how it related to the brutal killings in the present. 

4. This is definitely one of those books that you don't want to put down. I read way into the night and didn't want to stop. This book will suck you in. 

5. The old case- a sensational, headline grabbing case from over 20 years ago is one that I LOVED reading about. Kinda based on real life stories/ cases (ones I had actually studied in Social Psychology) it made for really interesting reading and I think you'll like it too. 

6. The main killer reveal did take me by surprise. You are led to believe it is one person but the real twist is pretty good. 


Rating: 4/5 

I really, really loved this book and I highly recommend it. 
The good thing about this series of books is that you don't really need to read all of the previous books to read the newest release. I mean there are certain things- about the regular characters and their lives that progress through the series, but it doesn't take  away from enjoying the book. 

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Bullet Journal Set-Up: September 2017.

Hello! 

September was a special month, it was the month of Durga Puja so I went a little all out to deck out my Bujo. 
My set-up was a little bit extra this month. 

I personally loved how my set-up looked. I love, love, love the fluffy little nerdy darling. I have had it sitting in my closet for so long and finally decided to use it in September. 


Look at that derpy little face! 





All the bits and bobs I carry in my Bujo. 
Stickers. 
Pens.
Felt clips. 
A cat pocket to hold sticky notes and some diecuts. 


My Pottering Cat bookmark and a bow pagemaker to add to the decor. 
:) 
Told you, I went all out! 


First page decor. 
Some die cuts and stickers and washi tape. 


I even used a special notebook this month. 
My field notes Luna edition. 
So pretty. 


Some pages/// Wishlist for every month. 
Goals for the month. 
I always start my month with these two lists. 



Details/// 

Fauxdori: Lyra and Company 
Notebook: Field Notes 
Stickers + Diecuts + Washi Tape: The Planner Society Kit 
Pens: Zebra Sarasa and Paper Geek Co. 

Tuesday 24 October 2017

Whimsy Wear: Hints of Aqua.

Hello! 

Long time no outfit posts. 
Let's fix that shall we? 

This outfit is from Saptami morning. It was a scorcher of a day, so I chose to wear this airy anti-fit kurta to keep cool. And even then I was hot as hell. 
:( 

I love the print and soothing colour palette of this kurta. 
I paired it with a aqua churidar and carried a pink boho tote. 


Most people chose to really deck up and go all out during Pujo. 
I would too, if the weather permitted it. 
But Bombay is way too hot to handle and cotton is the only fabric I can bear. 


A close-up of the print of the kurta. 


My gorgeous little bag! 
An explosion of colour and print. 


From where I stood! 



Since we were in crowed pandals all day, it was a little difficult to take proper outfit pictures, but you do get the gist of the look. 



What I Wore/// 

Kurta: Indu Bindu 
Bag: Bought in Jaipur 
Cloth Bangles: Jaypore 
Silver Bracelet: Amber, Colaba 
Dupatta: Fabindia 
Jooties: Dastakar Mela 
Silver Rings and Pendant: Jewellery Shops in Bangalore (pretty old) 
Earrings: Jaypore 


Since I didn't manage to snap a good picture of my jhumkas, you get a mug shot and a glimpse of my earrings too. 

Incase, you were wondering my lipstick is Twig from MAC. 


Monday 23 October 2017

Spooky Reviews: Slasher- Guilty Party on Netflix



In keeping with the spooky season, we have for you today a TV/ Netflix recommendation!

If you enjoy slasher flicks, with an unknown killer gruesomely hacking away at unsuspecting victims, then Slasher: Guilty Party (Season 2) is the show for you!

Slasher: Guilty Party is set in the middle of Canadian wilderness. A group of five friends return to the property that used to be their summer camp after five years. They harbour a deadly secret from their past and have come back to lay these ghosts from their past to rest!

These five friends have to stay with another little group of people, who now live in the camp house as an intentional community called 'We Live As One'. These six people also seem to have a past that they're trying to overcome or avoid in the middle of nowhere and things start to go wrong on the very first day, when their local guide is slashed to death in the sauna!

Like any typical slasher flick, the body count piles up quite quickly and it is clear that the killer is out to extract vengeance on the five ex-camp counsellors, who had done something not-so-nice in the past.

However, please note that this show has a ton of blood, guts and gore, so if you don't enjoy that kinda stuff (we don't enjoy it that much, but it was okay for us), then don't watch this show.

The show is quite fast-paced and with each episode, we get to learn the backstories of the camp kids as well of the members of 'We Live As One'. With each episode, we also get to wonder why the killer is going about killing everyone indiscriminately?! Is it really about the missing girl Talvinder- the one who disappeared five years ago? Who is seeking revenge on her behalf? Why is it happening now? Lots of interesting questions to think about as the episodes go on.

We could guess who the killer is but the twist on the motive behind the killings is quite decent and quite a good twist.

This series only has 8 episodes and is a perfect binge-worthy show for a quiet night in!

If you have watched Slasher: Guilty Party, do let us know your thoughts! :)

Sunday 22 October 2017

Stationery Sunday/// Traveler's Notebook and Pocket Inserts Haul from Lyra & Co.


Hello! 

This edition of Stationery Sunday showcases some more Lyra and Co. loveliness. 
This time around we made a little haul of some more Rifle Paper Co. goodies. Honestly, I just can't have enough! 



This navy beauty is such a gorgeous print and is perfect for fall/ winter.





This is a pocket zipper insert in a gorgeous coral-red colour with some beautiful flowers and Toucans! I love these zipper pocket inserts because they're so handy to tuck into your Traveler's Notebooks and store all your tickets, stickers, washi samples etc. 





This cream linen Rifle Paper Co. printed fabric is one of my favourites! My sister got this to tuck into her TNs and she prefers the pocket inserts without the zipper. 



Here is the TN again. I will be using this to house my Bujo next month. 


Hope you guys enjoyed this floral and pretty edition of Stationery Sunday. 

We will return next week with more book reviews and other such fun things!

Have a great week ahead, guys! :) 

Saturday 21 October 2017

Book Review: Die Again by Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles Book 11)




Book: Die Again (Rizzoli & Isles Book 11)

Author: Tess Gerritsen 

Pages: 349 

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: 

THE VICTIMS
In Boston, Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles investigate a bizarre murder. A man has been found gutted and hanging in his home. When the remains of another victim are found, it is clear that this murderer has been at work for years, and not just in Boston.

THE KILLER
Five years ago, a group of travellers set off on an African safari. None of them was seen again – apart from one woman who stumbled out of the bush weeks later, barely alive. The only woman to have seen the killer’s face.

THE SURVIVOR 
Has the ‘safari killer’ resurfaced in Boston? Jane is sent to Africa to find the one link between the two cases – the only survivor. 

And convince her to face death once again. 

Things I Liked: 
  • The premise of the book is very interesting! A series of inter-connected brutal murders, which take place thousands of miles away from each other. Unclear motives, several red herrings, a safari where everything goes wrong! So much to get excited about! 
  • This book has two stories in it. One is the story of a group of tourists from England, South Africa, America and Japan, who were on a safari in Botswana five years ago when everything that could go wrong starts going wrong and they find themselves stranded in the middle of the bush with a deranged killer! Only Millie survives this ordeal and even she doesn't fully know what happened or why the killer did what they did. 
  • In present day, a bounty hunter and taxidermist is found butchered in his home in Boston and a rare white leopard pelt is missing. The same night, a school teacher in a different suburb is also found killed. Then there are a series of old murders, spanning all over the country, with a similar modus operandi are discovered. The motives behind these murders are unclear and there is a ritualistic element to them as well, which I always find interesting. 
  • The investigation process is nicely depicted- like in all Tess Gerritsen books. The Boston cops and Maura Isles (the Medical Examiner) work out the possible connection between the safari deaths in Botswana and the recent murders (and old cases) in America. 
  • The characters are all well drawn and I really like the Boston PD team- Jane Rizzoli, Barry Frost and Maura Isles. Even the members of the Botswana Safari are people you get to know and each character is quite memorable. I really liked Millie, the sole survivor of the carnage and how she managed to survive for ten days in the bush all alone and with no survival skills training. 
  • The killer is not very easy to guess, which is always a good thing! There are a few red herrings and they seem like they could well be the killers almost up until the last few chapters. 
  • The writing is great and the narrative is fast-paced with no pointless chapters or useless points of view. 

Rating: 4.5/5 
This is a great thriller! Read it! 

Friday 20 October 2017

Monthly Favourites: September 2017.

Hello! 

I was about to do my Friday Favourites when I realised I hadn't even done my September favourites! 
Gah! 
So let's crack on and jump into it right now! 


1. Bujo/// I went a little all out with my Bujo set-up of the month. Given it was a festive month- Durga Pujo, I wanted to do a little something special for my Bujo. 
I used this floral dori for my Bujo and used this fluffy monster in glasses to decorate it.
So cute!!!! 


2. Stamps Galore/// September was month of acquiring some beautiful stamps. Some really quirky and seriously beautiful stamps. 
I love the Classiky ceramic stamps. The cat and the girl I also have in sticker form and love. 
I got all of these from Cute Things From Japan


3. Indigo Bag/// My favourite bag this month was this darling and super soft and well-made bag I got from Jaypore. I love indigo in all it's form. And this bag was love at first sight. It is so incredibly soft and it fits everything I need. So gorgeous! 


4. Autumn Sunsets/// Marmalade skies and nature putting on a brilliant show every evening. You've got to love fall?! 



5. Laptop Case/// More indigo love! 
For Pujo we also got the laptop a new outfit from Okhai
It is slightly padded and fits a 13 inch MacBook Air perfectly. 


6. Durga Pujo/// The end of September ushered the four days of Durga Pujo and all the celebrations that come with it. 
Pandal hopping. 
Pretty Protimas.
Bengalis being in a tizzy. 
All good things! 
My favourite time of the year. 




7. Pujo Styles/// Pujo means new clothes and wearing the best styles.
This pujo I wore mostly comfortable clothes and clothes I could breathe in given how hot end of September was brutally hot and humid and I could only wear cotton and muslin and soft fabrics. I will share my OOTDs soon. 

September was a good month. 
Full of festivity. 
Spending time with my family. 
Some happy shopping. 
A chill little month. 



Tuesday 17 October 2017

Happy Dhanteras!



Hello! 

Happy Dhanteras Folks. 

Hope you had a lovely first day of festivity! 

My day included...

New curtains. 
Lights. 
Cooking dinner for my family. 
Halwa. 
A little bit of reading. 

Just simple and happy things. 

I love Diwali. 
The lights and diyas and the mithai. 
What I love most is the cheer in the air. People out and about buying things and doing things that came them happy. 

This year seems a little quieter. A little less festive. 
I was watching the News and it claimed that people bought a lot less gold and silver. The strange new taxes levied on people has definitely slowed down festive shopping. :( 

I hope that the rest of the festive season is just as happy and joyful as it always is. 






I hope all of you a very, very Happy Diwali. 

Eat yummy food. 
Spend time with your loved ones. 
Lights loads of diyas. 
Just be happy! 

:)