#BigLittleLiesParty 31st July 2017

On Monday 31st of July I was lucky enough to be invited to the #BigLittleLiesParty by @HBO_UK. 

When I received the invitation I was really excited as this was going to be an event I could actually attend! Working as a teacher in a school it is very difficult for me to actually do anything during the week, unless the events are held at the weekend or during the school holidays I have to turn them down. 

Curious House garden, ready for yoga. 

Getting up relatively early for a Monday morning during the holiday, I made my way to the train station and headed up to London for the #BigLittleLiesParty launch, After wandering around a little lost once I got off the train I met Eliza from @relentromance we went into the event together and pretty much became firm friends 😊

Eliza and me just before Yoga

On arrival at Curious House, we were greeted by Juliana, who had organised the event and headed off to get changed ready for a morning filled of yoga with @kmyogakundalini. Looking out to the garden we were amazed at how beautiful the house and garden was. We were so lucky as the previous days were awful with torrential rain, this was the first nicest day we had, had in a while. 

I was a little apprehensive about the yoga, I had only done it once before and I wasn't very good at it, however Kathryn made it easy, there was lots of time to really think while stretching and it really helped to relax me. We had about an hour and a half of yoga, and while this sounds like a long time it flew by. I must admit though for a few days afterwards I really ached in places, I could feel where I had been stretching. 

Photo taken by Juliana

After yoga we had a quick bread, I headed off to get changed and grabbed a bottle of water before heading into the private screening of the first episode of Big Little Lies. I had already seen this episode, I watched it on sky when it very first came out, I never actually got round to watching the rest of them. (They were all stored up on my sky box to watch!) 


The screening of Big Little Lies was amazing, I really enjoyed watching the episode and to be honest I couldn't remember what happened in the episode anyway so it was like watching it for the first time. As soon as it finished I couldn't wait to get home and continue the series to binge watch it! 

When the episode finished we also watched behind the scenes footage about the characters, that was also interesting to watch. 

When we returned back to the kitchen there was an amazing spread of food ready for us, Kathryn gave us a quick healthy eating tips and reasons for eating certain foods, which was really interesting and made me look at certain foods differently now. The food was by Ottolenghi and we also had some organic wine courtesy of The Organic Wine Club.

I learnt alot about Organic wine and after tasting it would recommend it, after the event I actually popped out and grabbed a bottle of organic wine from the supermarket. Obviously this was not as good as the wine I tried at the event, however I would go to say I would only drink organic wine now. That morning after heady feel? Not present when drinking organic! 


After lunch we had some time to sit in the garden and enjoy each others company before we had a treatment of our choice.  I decided to choose a manicure, I am going on holiday next week and wanted to get my nails done for then. I could have chosen from a pedicure, manicure or massage. 


Milkbeautymaid were the people who arrived to give us our treatments. After chatting to my beautician and hearing about the company she works for I think it is amazing and if I lived in London I would certainly use them. They would be great for hen parties/baby showers or even for a girly night out! They arrive at your house/venue with all the equipment they need and provide treatments for you there. 

I decided to go for a pink colour, which is nice and summery and should go with everything!

Curious House Basement Bar

After that the event was drawing to a close and I wanted to get back before rush hour on the train, I thanked Summer (owner of Curious House) and Juliana for inviting me and headed back to the station with Eliza. As we were leaving Juliana gave us a goody bag each to take away with us. 

I had an absolute amazing day, it was all really well organised, in a stunning location and full of great company. 

After reflecting on the day I realise how it all linked and the fact it was so well thought out. In Big Little Lies the women go to yoga classes, they do seem to drink wine (a lot) and they eat healthily. I really enjoyed my time and feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to attend. 

Once again I would like to thank Juliana and everyone else involved to provide an amazing launch party for Big Little Lies. If you haven't read the book or seen the series, what are you waiting for? 

Goody Bag

War Orphans by Lizzie Lane Blog tour with guest post

War Orphans by Lizzie Lane (Ebury Press, £5.99)

Blurb:

If at all possible, send or take your household animals into the country in advance of an emergency. If you cannot place them in the care of neighbours, it really is kindest to have them destroyed."

Joanna Ryan’s father has gone off to war, leaving her in the care of her step-mother, a woman more concerned with having a good time than being any sort of parent to her.

But then she finds a puppy, left for dead, and Joanna’s becomes determined to save him, sharing her meagre rations with him. But, in a time of war, pets are only seen as an unnecesary burden and she is forced to hide her new friend, Harry from her step-mother and the authorities. With bombs falling over Bristol and with the prospect of evacuation on the horizon can they keep stay together and keep each other safe?

I have been very lucky to be apart of the blog tour, Lizzie has stopped by at The Book Corner with a guest post. She has shared with us her inspiration for the book. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did. 

Lizzie Lane - 

A GIRL WITH NO-ONE TO LOVE HER, AN ABANDONED PUPPY



WEBLEY BOLT GUN. Dispose of your pet quickly and humanely. Price 4/6d



This advertisement at the beginning of World War Two coincided with a Ministry of Security suggestion that if you couldn’t evacuate your pet to the country, it was an act of kindness to put it to sleep.



Their fear was that animals could be contaminated with mustard gas (as used in the First World War) or run amok when bombs began to fall. On top of that there was the food situation. Food for people had to come first and if the enemy blockaded the country (which had also happened during the First World War) there would be precious little left for dogs and cats.



As an alternative to this ‘do it yourself’ method, thousands flocked to vets and animal charities to dispose of their animals. Estimates vary and do not take into account those animals abandoned to starve, drowned or done to death by other means, but a figure of 350,000 during the first week of war is not unbelievable.



As a dog lover, I was appalled when I came across these figures. I hadn’t even realised such a thing had ever happened in a nation of animal lovers, but it most certainly did.



It was my editor at Ebury who asked that pertinent question, ‘What do you know about dogs?’



The answer was, lots!



I was writing about what I knew, but had forgotten I knew it! Astounding!



A bit of thought and the characters began to form. Against a background of animal massacre on an incredible scale, I began to write WAR ORPHANS.



The doggy character is Harry, named by Joanna, an orphan neglected by her stepmother and determined to protect the cocker spaniel puppy where she’d failed to protect her cat who had already been slaughtered.



Seb Hadley aids Joanna in her endeavours. Seb spends most of his time on his allotment, still grieving over the loss of his wife some years before. His daughter Sally is Joanna’s teacher and lacks romance in her life. It’s through Harry that she finds somebody to care for. It’s also through Harry that Seb begins at last to live again.



When writing this I thought deeply about how much animals give us and how little they demand in return; food, a warm fireside, a walk in the park. In WAR

ORPHANS Harry is one of those dogs who lifts everyone’s spirits in a dark time, being there and giving nothing but love.



I wrote about what I knew. I know dogs and perhaps because of that I have expended more emotion in this book than I have in any other. I cried a bit and I laughed a bit, just as I would have done if I had been there and it was my dog in danger.

Thanks so much for stopping by, War Orphans is out now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on Lizzie's tour.