Liverpool Bloggers Ball

Liverpool Bloggers Ball

Last weekend I was kindly invited along to the Liverpool Bloggers Ball - the aim of the event was to give bloggers in Liverpool the chance to mingle and network with other bloggers, enjoy a tipple or two and have a grand ole time...and so it was! 

The event was held at the recently opened Roxy Ball Room on College Lane in Liverpool - a fantastic new venue with roof terrace, lounge, ping pong tables, pool tables and a mouth-watering menu to boot. I was really impressed with the interiors and it had such a laid back, fun vibe - somewhere ideal that you could hang with friends over a few drinks, pizza, burgers and all that lovely stuff.

I was greeted by the lovely Steph Bewley, the lady behind the Liverpool Bloggers community. She did such a great job organising this event for all of us! There was glasses of orange juice and Bellini's on offer (I hadn't had breakfast, so started with the oj) as well as little complementary lollipops and pouches to collect other bloggers business cards ooh err.

Steph also organised a round of ping pong and pool tournaments - which I sadly lost after the first round - maybe the Bellini and lack of breakfast had something to do with it?? Any excuse. She also organised a little Twitter competition for us all making everything interactive and fun.

Me, failing at ping pong

From the lounge, there were stunning views over Liverpool and luckily that day the sun was a-shinin' so the wall to wall windows let the blue skies pour right in.

Steph also gathered some really inspiring and interesting people together who gave us a talk about their businesses and how they started them. I was so inspired and motivated by these people who started out their businesses from an initial hobbie/passion and turned it into their job! I was close to not coming to the event, feeling tired and lazy (as always), but forced myself out of bed and I'm so glad I did!!

Firstly, we met David from the 'Independent Liverpool'. I am an avid follower of the Independent Liverpool (Facebook, Instagram - you name it) and love everything they recommend and how they promote independent cafes, restaurants and shops so it was so interesting to finally meet one of the faces behind the successful brand. David is also alumni of the University Of Liverpool where he studied business so it was great to see someone go onto something great and do so well post university. He gave us a short but sweet talk explaining how the business started and that they plan to expand to other major cities across the UK and places like Paris and more! It was refreshing to see a guy who was into blogging - as I think it's commonly seen as something woman do, which we do of course, but there are men that are into blogging too. Blogging isn't gendered folks!

Secondly, the lovely Gemma from Buttons Boutique also gave us a brief chat about her business which provides a range of art & craft workshops, parties and master classes in Liverpool. She also now has her own stall at REX Concept on Bold Street and told us she also has a TV show on Channel 4 that will debut later this year about upcycling! We also got to see some items from Teardrop designs who are a jewellery brand as well as a bespoke wallpaper designer - a really talented bunch.

After all the networking and mingling, some of us were starvin marvin and ordered some food. Roxy Ball had a varied menu with a selection of snack type meals like pizza, pitta bread and hummus, burgers and more - just good food. I went for the olive burger with mozzarella and tomato which came with a side of fries - there were LOADS so I shared them out amongst everyone. Everyone agreed that the food was delicious!

I haven't been to many blog events like this but I hope this is the start of many! It was great to meet so many other like-minded girls doing a similar thing to myself and discover different blogs from lifestyle to fitness, healthy eating, fashion, beauty, books, restaurants and so on all under one roof. I learnt a lot from the people there and met a lot of inspiring, lovely people so overall, it was worth getting out of bed for.

Thanks Steph for organising such an enjoyable afternoon!

Blogging gals I met and their wonderful blogs:

Sabrebeauty - Hollie in Wanderlust - Andra Loves Fashion - Saloca in Wonderland - Adorn with G

- Magazines and dreams -Sophie's Anecdotes - Olivia Cheryl - Dorkface - Reviews à la mode - Student To Staff Nurse

The Film Club #4

The Film Club #4

Victoria

It's been a while since I've seen a film that has left me thinking about it for days, even weeks and also leaving me a little emotionally exhausted afterwards. The single-take German film set in the urban streets of Berlin takes you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Victoria, a young Spanish woman, who has recently moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy but their night out with his group of friends takes a turn for the worst. Victoria has you constantly on the edge of your seat - feeling like you are experiencing this one night in Berlin with them. Laia Costa gives such a realistic performance, you forget she is even acting. The film left such an impression on me and I just want to watch it again and again!

Her

Her tells the tale of Theodore, a lonely man, separated from, yet still attached to his past with his former lover. He develops an unlikely relationship with his newly bought OS, that's designed to meet his every need. Her explores Theodore facing feelings of solitude, doubt, attachment and joy with his new found relationship and how relationships can form in the weirdest of ways and how unpredictable they can be at times. Her is both mind boggling and visually stunning, set in the futuristic cityscape of Los Angeles. As hard it is to get your head around the idea of a character falling in love with a computer, you actually get drawn into the concept, beginning to imagine this OS as a real person. Her teaches an important lesson for us all about people and how we are forming these synthetic "relationships" with and an attachment to things.

Casino

When I was considered "old enough", I went through my dad's DVD collection and watched every single 18 movie there was - the extent of my rebelling phase... anyway, one of the DVD's that has stuck in my mind was Casino. This Martin Scorsese classic explores the dark under belly of Las Vegas that lies beneath it's glamorous face. Behind the scenes in Tangiers casino we see the mob involvement of the 1970's and 80's through the eyes of Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro, who move to Las Vegas to live and work in the complex world of casinos, gambling, drugs and violence. Ace falls in love with Ginger and Nicky falls deeper into a spiral of drug abuse and violence - their weaknesses leading them to destruction. It's so interesting to see what goes on behind closed doors beneath the glittery and glamorous surface of Las Vegas - if you like any other Scorsese movie then you will love this too!

Dead Poets Society

It's the start of a new term at Welton Academy where the painfully shy Todd begins his senior year and is introduced to the bright and popular, Neil - who soon form a close friendship. Both, along with other friends, meet Professor Keating (played by the wonderful Robin Williams), their new English teacher - however, he is nothing like any other traditional teacher. Keating is enthusiastic and passionate, and encourages the boys to go against the status quo, to seize the day and teaches them the beauty and importance of art and poetry. He shows them how to think differently, be confident and creative and how to use their imagination to its fullest. Each boy in the class is changed for life by Keating's way of teaching and are all left inspired by his words. He tells them of the Dead Poets Society which unites the boys as a close group of friends and encourages them to go for their dreams - basically, every teacher should watch this and TAKE. NOTE. We need more teachers like Keating in the world, preach!

Amy - The Documentary

Whether you were a fan of Amy Winehouse or not - there is no denying the flawless talent she had in both singing and songwriting. The documentary tells the story of Amy's journey of her career success followed by her self destruction that eventually lead to her death. It explores Amy's relationships with her family and boyfriends and how they influenced her music. It faces subjects of self-harm, bulimia, the controversial attention from the media and her eventual downfall from her drug and alcohol addiction. The documentary makes you realise that despite her problems, she was a naturally talented, down to earth girl with a sharp sense of humour and not a bad bone in her body - it's such a moving and sad story but so worth the watch. The documentary shows you that there was a lot more to Amy than just her classic beehive do and drug addiction.

The Film Club #3

The Film Club #3

Here's some films I've been loving lately, a recent release and other golden oldies...

The Lady In The Van

It's always good to go out for your comfort zone with movies - whether that be a different genre from your usual favourite, by a different director or with different actors, maybe some whom you've never heard of before. It's not like I was super excited to see this film, but I'd heard about it's several award nominations, and the fact it stars the iconic Maggie Smith - said to me, it would be worth the watch. The Lady In The Van tells the true story of Mary Sheperd, an elderly woman who lived in a van on Alan Bennett's driveway in London for 15 years. The film is an enjoyable watch, funny and quirky, showing the importance in being kind to strangers. It was not my favourite film of all, but nevertheless, Maggie Smith played her character so well and there was something new and refreshing in the film.

Léon the professional

I picked up this film on DVD at a car boot sale (bargain hunter, hello) and it has become a major favourite in my collection that I watch again and again. There are so many things to love in this film - the dialogue, the actors, the story, the cinematography and the setting in NYC's little Italy. Léon is about Mathilda, a 12 year old girl, played by an 11 year old Natalie Portman who is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her whole family is murdered, which she merely escapes. The thing so special about this film is the unusual yet loving relationship between Léon and Mathilda, as she becomes his protégée and learns the tricks of the assassin's trade. Despite the heavy violence throughout the film, seeing the relationship grow between Mathilda and her only guardian is deeply moving, and leaves me with a wee tear in my eye every time. Not to mention how impressive it is that Portman was at this level of acting at only 11! Also kudos to her style too, choker necklaces and black bobs = yass.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is the ultimate feel good 80's movie. In The Breakfast Club we meet five high school students from five different walks of life who have to endure a Saturday detention under the supervision of the nasty principal. All five students, including a rebel, a princess, an outcast, a geek and a jock, have to spend the whole Saturday together, which initially is a huge burden for them all, however, they finally have the chance to tell their story, changing the way they all think of each other, and dismantling the clichés and stereotypes they used to label each other with. Even though I never went to a high school in the US, the whole clique thing is definitely relatable. This film is so refreshing, seeing these 5 kids bond with each other by talking about their home life and problems. The Breakfast Club is my all time favourite movie - the 80's soundtrack and fashion are a bonus too.

Cléo de 5 à 7

It can be rare I study a film at university, and actually enjoy it...I always think how nice it would be if I could choose the film's I study, but as I said earlier, it's always good to watch films out of your comfort zone and Cléo was just that! Cléo de 5 à 7, by Agnès Varda, tells the story of the selfish pop singer Cléo, who has 2 hours until the results of her biopsy come back. Cléo is a self absorbed, fearful and anxious character who we see develop into a new woman towards the end of the film. We follow her during these two hours in Paris, starting with an ominous tarot card reading, then visiting friends who fail to give her the emotional support she needs by finally meeting a soldier who helps to put her at peace with her worries, and see her problem in a different perspective. The more we've analyzed this film in lectures, and the more I've researched it, the more I actually love the film - it's so interesting to analyse characters in movies and their intricate personalities - you'll love this if you're a fan of Jean Luc Godard or François Truffaut!