Music Mondays: Best Song Ever by One Direction REVIEW

Although the days in which I would identify myself as a 'One Direction fan' are behind me, I still can't quite summon the strength to unsubscribe to their YouTube channel or not click or not reblog the occasional adorable photo of them on tumblr. When I first heard their new song was called 'Best Song Ever' I have to admit, I was more than just skeptical. I couldn't see how they were going to pull this one out of the bag but I have to say, credit where credit is due, the song is unbelievably catchy and the music video is hilarious.

If you haven't seen the video yet you can click here to do so. I have to say, this is by far my favourite music video of theirs yet. I loved the fact they went a little out of their comfort zone and did pretty much turned the song into a comedy sketch and to see in the credits at the end that it was written by James Cordon and Ben Winston just made so much sense to me. Them joining forces with One Direction for a music video has to be a fantastic move for both and it really did make the music video stand out from the others the boys have made.

As for the song it's self, it's definitely a grower. The first time I heard it I thought it was okay but could be better and then before I knew it I'd be wandering round the house singing it under my breath.

I may not be a die-hard fan like some of those directioners out there but I do appreciate them as musicians and to me, that's the most important thing. The new song and video are great and I wish people who don't like them watch it because I honestly think it might sway them a little if they just gave it a chance.

Lucy x

Nostalgia For Things That Haven't Happened Yet

Recently I've been feeling more and more nostalgic about leaving my secondary school despite the fact I haven't actually properly left yet.

I'm well aware of the fact this doesn't really make sense but every time I go to the school these days (which is surprisingly regularly as I have to walk past it to get to the beach and often get side-tracked talking to someone or another who's currently stood outside or by a door or window) I feel an over-whelming sense of nostalgia. My last exam there was 5 weeks ago today and I don't start my new school until September yet I still feel like the days that were spent in that place are so far away. 

I never fitted in properly in that school and deep down I know that going to a new place where I can have a completely fresh start and I haven't got the ghosts of my past lurking over my shoulder every where I turn is the right thing for me to be doing, but the more time that passes the more I feel like I want to stay at that school. There was a variety show in there tonight which I went to with a few people in my year who I've become increasingly close to since leaving school and it made it really hit home for the first time that although I'm gaining a fantastic new school where the education is far above the standard of that in my old school, I'm leaving behind a group of people I care about more than I could possibly put into words. 

What I'll miss most, without a doubt, are the friends I have in other years. The few people in my year I really care about I'm 100% sure I'll keep in touch with and I didn't really spend much time with them during a regular school day anyway but the ones in other years are a whole different story. I'm going to miss walking past them in corridors and hugging them without saying a word, each of us completely engrossed with our current conversation, and then walking off. I'm going to miss seeing them in the canteen at lunch time and waving to each other frantically. I'm going to miss hugging them at break and lunch as if I haven't seen them for years.

Ultimately, I need a fresh start and I know that, but I'll miss those guys so much it terrifies me to think about it. 

If any of you guys are reading this, I honestly love you so much and no matter what happens I promise to do everything I can to keep in touch with you.

Lucy x

Butterbeer Cupcakes!

As is probably very obvious from my instagram and tumblr, I'm currently in the middle of a massive Harry Potter obsession. This being one of the longest summer's I'll ever have, I decided that there was no better time than the present to re-read the whole series back to back so I've been reading and watching them in order and am currently on Order of the Phoenix (5). This time, however, I've completely caught the Harry Potter bug and I find myself wishing I was a part of the world of Hogwarts and Hogsmead very often.

As I was trying to think of new ways to feel like part of the wizarding world I stumbled upon this recipe for butterbeer cupcakes (thank you so much to the creator of the recipe!) and although they're not mentioned in the books or films, they looked too good to not try. I'm a big fan of cupcakes and making them myself (I usually enjoy the decorating part the best as is shown with my Harry Potter themed ones shown below) so I thought this would be a fun thing to do on a day that would otherwise have not been productive at all.

Now I warn you, these did take AGES to make. I'm not sure exactly how long because I had to wait for them to cool and do a few bits and bobs here and there too but it was certainly over about 3 hours. That may have been because it was the first time I've made something other than standard cupcakes without anyone who knows what they're doing or it might have been because I knew I didn't have a time limit at all but either way, it might be something to keep in mind if you're planning on trying these (especially if you're a beginner like me!)

Having said that, these cakes are honestly amazing. There were several times throughout the process that I worried they weren't going to turn out right at all but after a slight disaster with the butterscotch ganache and having to substitute it with some 'baking caramel' (which worked perfectly well if you'd rather not attempt the ganache yourself) they are certainly a success. Having just tasted one I can tell you that they taste absolutely amazing (even though I was skeptical) and I think they're well worth the time it took to make them. Also, the recipe makes a lot of cakes (it made 20 for me) which is always good!

Lucy x

Prom!

Although I don't live in a place like America where prom is a massive thing, our school does have an end of year 11 prom which I attended last week and it was something that's been hyped up a lot throughout the school year.

For me, prom was quite a big deal because it marked me leaving the comprehensive school I've been attending for the last 5 years in our quiet Welsh coastal town, ready to start in a new school in Cardiff in September. This is a pretty big thing for me because although I was never really 100% happy in that school, I did meet a lot of amazing people that I'm going to miss so much. Also, I've never been the 'new girl' because I went from Primary to Secondary school with the same group of people so September is certainly going to be an experience for me!

The prom itself was lovely. It was held in a hotel in Bridgend and pretty much consisted of eating, taking photos with everyone, a short presentation from our head of year and dancing. We decided as a year group to have a 'Hollywood' theme so the presentation was basically categories (such as laziest, cutest couple and celebrity look-a-like) which our year nominated people for. The people with the most votes then received mini 'Oscars' (naturally, my year voted me 'Most Likely To End Up On X-Factor').

After such a lovely evening I really think I'm going to miss that school more than I realised. It's not just some of the students I'm going to miss but the teachers too. Teachers that, over the last 5 years, have become friends as well. I'm so glad I got to spend time with them before leaving and it really was a lovely night.

Lucy x

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I very recently discovered a website called bloglovin that lets you follow all your favourite blogs in one place and sends you a notification when they share a new post. I just wanted to quickly let you guys know about the site because although I haven't been on it long I've already fallen in love with it and I can see how it will make keeping up with the blogs I like so much more easy.

If you want to follow me on there the link it above :)

Lucy x

Where Have My Book Related Posts Gone?

For those of you who may have begun following this blog in search of book posts (reviews, tags, etc) this is just a quick update to let you know that I now post my book related things on another blog you can find by clicking here. There are a few reasons for this but mainly I just wanted to be able to keep my book things in one place and I wanted this blog to be more posts about music/whatever I want to post about at the time. I hope that's okay with all of you and please head on over there if you fancy checking it out!

Lucy x

My Book Blog: thebeautyinwords.blogspot.com

The Upload Tour 2

On Thursday 30th May I had the amazing opportunity to see the Upload Tour 2 in Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff. The Upload Tour 2 saw Eddplant, Bribry and Dave Giles join their musical forces with Luke Cutforth (LukeIsNotSexy) as the host.

To say that I enjoyed the evening is an understatement. I have been a fan of Eddplant for a few years and I have listened to his album 'Confidence Tricks' more than any other album I've ever bought. It is no exaggeration to say that he is quite possibly my favourite musician of all time. To have the opportunity to see him live was amazing but the fact that I got the opportunity to meet him afterwards was just incredible. His performance was utterly amazing and he was really lovely afterwards, signing the copy of his latest album 'Nothing To Worry About' that I bought and having a photo with me. The friends I were with even told him I'd covered his song 'Butterfly in the Breeze' (which is my favourite song of all time) on YouTube and he said he'd watch it (I am well aware that as a busy musician he quite possibly won't have time but the fact he said he would was amazing in itself).



I was first introduced to Bribry a few years ago by a friend (who also came to Upload 2 with me) and I have been a fan of his music since. Bribry has such a unique sound and is not only a fantastic musician but also an extremely inspirational person, having set up charities such as the Ross Foundation in memory of a friend of his who sadly passed away from cancer and CutCakeNotWrists to help young people who struggle with self-harm. His performance was also brilliant and although there wasn't time to have a photo with him afterwards (due to the majority of the people there wanting to see him in particular) he managed to sign my ticket and seemed lovely, even if slightly over-whelmed (which was completely understandable due to the constant crowd around him).


If I said I'd been a fan of Dave Giles for a long time I would be lying. Although I'd heard of him before, I never really listened to his music properly before the Upload Tour 2. This is something I regret. Dave Giles is such a fantastic musician and a truly lovely person and he deserves so much more attention than he gets at the moment. His lyrics in particular stand out to me as he seems to have a way of making each of his songs a story with beautiful words. I was also amazed at his guitar skills and it is clear that he's not just a singer/songwriter but he is a true musician. If you have never listened to Dave Giles before I honestly can't encourage you enough. I bought his album 'Love, Life, Loss and Tea' at the gig and I have honestly been listening to it constantly since. Along with his being an incredible musician, Dave was truly lovely afterwards. He signed the CD of his album I bought, had a photo with me and even promised to check out my own YouTube channel. Dave Giles made the performance a completely unique experience for me as at one point he had the audience sat on the floor in a circle while he played his song 'Bangarang' with just his voice and an acoustic guitar (no microphones, backing vocals from the others or extra instruments) and it was an amazing opportunity.



I enjoyed the evening so much and if you've never heard of any of these people before, please do check out their YouTube channels. They're each unique, unsigned artists who deserve to have their music listened to. On the rare chance any of them are reading this, I would just like to say thank you so much for making the night so incredible with your fantastic music and your wonderful personalities. I won't forget the night in a long time.

Lucy x