June Favourites

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Hello lovelies!

As summer is just peeking its way around the corner and the sun has been making a (very welcome) appearance in our skies these last few days, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the almost-summertime than with a Favourites blog. The shops are brimming with treats and all things cute and colourful at the moment, and the thought of long clear days and lazy hazy evenings is getting me all excited! With Glastonbury at the end of the month to prepare for (and hopefully a couple of ill well-spent evenings spent nursing a cold cider in a little pub garden somewhere), I hope this post brings a bit of early summer sunshine for you too =)

Book

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

I know, I know. This was a party which started a good while ago now, and I'm only just turning up with hair like a bird's nest and a different shoe on each foot. Most people have already left by now, and there are two kinds of people remaining: the latecomers (ie yours truly), and those who have passed out on a sofa with their half-finished can of Carlsberg slowly soaking into the carpet.

But oh buddy boy, am I glad I finally got here. This book is special, and is nothing quite like I've ever read before. It's not a fantasy, despite the time period giving it a distinctly Game of Thrones-esque atmosphere. It is a history novel, set in the simple times of early England, but Follett doesn't force the facts down your throat and choke you with truth. The realism within it makes the novel extremely human: accessible to the reader whilst encouraging empathy, rage, and honest laughter in quick succession, all the while unwittingly learning the trials endured whilst faced with the task of building the cathedrals we still know today.  

Song

New York Raining - Charles Hamilton feat. Rita Ora

This song, oh wow. It hearkens to Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind Pt. II, in that it's slightly bittersweet or even melancholic: that bleak image of Manhattan in the pouring rain is all too easy to picture. But at its heart it's a love song - quite an elegant, charming kind of love song - and that's all you want sometimes.All over my Spotify, this one is. 

Perfume

 Fleur de Figuier - Roger & Gallet (Marks and Spencer)

Obviously relatively difficult trying to describe a smell...Can I just put 'gorgeous'? 'Cos this is just that. This scent smells exactly like sun-warmed blackberries (at least, it does to me. Given it's meant to smell more like fig leaves that could be well off, but y'know. Each to their own). With pretty, pastel-coloured packaging, this is the sort of perfume you'd use on a sultry summer's evening, probably in your best friend's garden whilst the barbecue is being fired up and everyone's all barefoot and relaxed. 

Treats for the nose, eyes, and tongue!

Fruit

Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm into Pink Lady apples so much recently. Having never really tried them before, and only having one by accident, I've really taken a shine to these little delights. 

It being fresh fruit season in general, I'm loving the variety of all the tasty fruits on offer atm. Mangoes, strawbs, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon...Summer tastes so damn good!

And speaking of good-tasting things...

Drink

Twinings Salted Caramel green tea

Having never really been much of a green tea drinker in the past, but being a perpetual lover of salted caramel, I was a little cautious when first trying this. But when I did, it blew my little mind.

In the UK we've got hard toffee sweets called Werthers Originals (a staple of grannies nation-wide), and this tastes exactly like them. It's like drinking liquid caramel and is utterly delicious. Then you remember that, whilst it tastes like the nectar of the gods, it's also green tea and therefore über good for you, so you can be a little bit smug as you sip. "Had my green tea fix for the day, win! What's that? Spinach wrap yoga followed by meditative quinoa salad? Don't mind if I do!"

Place

At the end of last month, J and I moved to a new flat in a completely different part of the city and have spent the last couple of weeks making it feel more like home. So, this month, my favourite place to be is the sitting room! An article from Pinterest mentioned dedicating one particular room to being as cosy and snug as possible, so you always have a place where you’re able to fully relax even if everything around you is still full of faff and hassle. It’s an oddly triumphant feeling when you look around and just see your things, your life’s collection of bits and pieces, instead of everything being mixed with the possessions of others.

It’s snug/bijoux/a smidgen bit weeny, but it’s also warm, comfortable, and safe. Somewhere I’m genuinely happy to be. There are flowers, and the sun comes in first thing in the morning, and my books are in pride of place. There’s always tea in the pot. More to the point, there’s actually a teapot! I’ve always wanted a teapot of my own to use and love! It even has a tea cosy!!

Getting a bit carried away here. It’s the little things, isn’t it…

What are your favourites this month? Are you just as excited for the sunshine?

x

The beginning of an era...

Hello, and welcome to my blog and my First Ever Blog Post! (Warning: it's gonna be a bit of a long 'un...)

Never one to turn down a good selfie op

This is ever-so-slightly daunting, if I'm being honest. Far too much time has been spent pondering what to write for this maiden post, and even more time has been passed consumed with worry and concern that no-one will care about my little corner of internet space, and it will tarnish and fade into oblivion with barely any 
time to have gotten itself remembered at all.

And then I thought, 'Emma...Instead of nearly having an emotional breakdown about what could potentially happen (or, as the case may be, not happen), why don't you pipe down and just do it?'.

So here I am, just doing it!

Right, here we go. My name, as the more astute amongst you have no doubt noticed, is Emma. I am currently twenty-three years old, and live in Bristol in the UK but originally hail from Cornwall (which in my obviously completely unbiased opinion is the most stunning and wonderful place ever in the history of places).
Now, honestly, as a result of living a relatively sheltered existence in Cornwall up until January 2014, city living is utterly terrifying to me. I've nothing against cities as places to visit and see the sights of, but living in one is a different kettle of fish altogether. It's busy, scary, dirty, claustrophobic, and all just a little bit too much to a country bumpkin such as myself - someone who is very used to looking out the window and seeing rolling green fields, and never being more than a few miles from the seaside, and peace and birdsong instead of sirens and drunk people rolling out of the bar downstairs at two in the morning.

So for a while I've been wanting, craving, an outlet. Somewhere I can unleash all my thoughts and feelings, somewhere I can be comfortable and safe when writing down everything in my head. Somewhere for reviews, opinions, recipes, stories, photos, adventures and ideas.
And, after a fair amount of umming and ahhing, Dream Between the Daisies was born! I'm so excited to start this little endeavour - to go on a adventure, and maybe even learn a few things along the way.

Now, enough of my background for the time being. I'm sure more personal bits and pieces will come to light as things go on. Let's get on to what you can expect from this blog:

• Books I am a huge bookworm, and immensely proud of it! At university I studied English Literature, and fulfilled a lifelong dream in doing so. Books are my world, and my literary collection is my most prized possession. As part of this project I want to include reviews of some of my all-time faves and brand spanking new discoveries after a good Waterstones browse.
• Recipes Under no circumstances am I the new Nigella or Delia, but cooking and baking are quite important elements of my life as a developing adult. Spending hours on Pinterest finding new things to try is a boring interest of mine, and anything food-related which turns out especially well might just being shared with you lovely lot.
• Favourites A bit of a guilty pleasure of mine is spending an inordinate amount of time poring over bloggers and their 'monthly favourites': a sample of particular things a person has been really into that month. I'd love to try something like that on here, a list of bits and bobs that have floated my boat of late.
• Hair and beauty Not the girliest girl by any means, but there's something about pretty eye palettes, summery plaits, and nail polish designs which I enjoy on a very simple level. Here I might write a few tips and tricks, and take a few photos of things that turn out especially nicely. 
• Cats I love cats. Well, all animals really, but I'm very much a cat person at heart. Cats.
• Life bits and tips Sometimes I want to be able to share opinions or life hacks, or just give you a little insight into what's going on on Planet Emma. This next year is looking set to be a pretty exciting one already (#nospoiler), and if this blog is going to develop, I want it to be like going on a journey - a journey I'd love for you to come along on! 

Phew. That's a lot of writing up there, isn't it. Let's bring this First Blog Post to an end for now.

Thank you very much for checking out my internet corner - I'm aiming to be writing a couple of posts a week for now, so will be back very soon!
In the meantime, have a peep at my other internet abodes: Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Love, me x