July 2017 – that lemon life

UK haul

Hola everyone.

I love going shopping. And I love the UK. So I thought in connection to my last post (link) about my trip to the UK I’d present you guys all the things I brought home with me – books, clothes and other stuff. Please enjoy.

Books

First and most important, books. I love reading with every single fibre of my body. Funny thing that about 3 years ago I wasn’t even that interested in books. I mean, of course I was reading, but I wasn’t like obsessed with it like I am today. Since January I think I read about eight books or so, which is really quite a lot for me. And as I only read English books, going to the UK meant that I’d come back with some books from the first second on. I even always have a list of books I’d like to read saved and ready on my phone. So let’s just say that I spent quite some time in different book stores and got back with no less than five awesome books.
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Remix by Non Pratt
THUG (The Hate U Give) by Angie Thomas
Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Some of you may already know all or some of the books, especially THUG or A Monster Calls. I think they are pretty popular right now, A Monster Calls even being an amazing movie. While being on my way to Liverpool I started reading Remix, actually having no idea what it is about. There’s literally no short description in the book. Just to give you guys a little insight, it’s about two bfs going to a festival called Remix and their ex-boyfriends, who crazily also attend the event. Chaos is predestined, of course. Honestly, I’m now over the half of this book and I freaking love it. It’s something I’ve never read before. The POVs change between the two girls, Ruby and Kaz, even in between the chapters, so you experience the whole story from both of their perspectives, which is so damn cool. I can just really recommend you guys giving this a go. And I’ll definitively go and check out the other books by Non Pratt, I really love her writing style.

Clothes

I don’t need to tell you guys how much I love clothes and dressing up and experimenting with outfits and planning them for the week. And as I waited quite a while to go shopping again, I had the plan of spending some money while being on the trip. Buying something in Manchester for example is always cooler than buying it at home or online. And you can’t deny it, that’s true. So, my mum and me went on a little shopping trip. I mean I didn’t buy that much, but I love every single item, so I’m more than happy. And I like to wear all the pieces together, I love how English it looks. So, I bought:

the coolest socks ever from Topshop
a supercute blouse also by Topshop
black dungarees I’ve been looking for forever from Primark

Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Like I said, it’s not much, but I love everything. Apart from the things we bought, mum and me also fell in love with another cool blouse and an amazing jumpsuit, all from Topshop. I can’t tell you why we didn’t just buy them, but anyways, we now bought them online and I can’t wait for the pieces to finally get here so I can wear my beautiful jumpsuit – the weather is perfect for that right now. I’ll just tell myself that I got it in Manchester.

Ed-related and other stuff

You know, the UK isn’t just great for buying English books, but also for getting stuff you’d never get here in Austria. Which for example is the magazine I got called Q. It’s a music magazine and features an amazing article about Ed. Altogether the article is 12 pages long and one of the truest things I’ve ever read in my life. I know that in the past weeks, there has been a lot of hate swirling around Ed and his music, which I don’t get at all, but I’m a massive fan, so yeah. No comment on that. But seriously, I love the article. Because it really just tells the truth. Ed explains why he works the way he does, how he deals with all the hate, his future plans – which are big and crazy – and his life overall. He now seems to be in a really good, happy place and I’m really glad. I know that before going on his break, Ed went through a rough time and I’m more than happy that he managed to wrote through that. I don’t think he deserves any of the hate he gets, as he’s such a genuine, honest person with such a great talent. And he works hard for what he does. He wouldn’t be where he is now without that. Personally, for me, Ed is one of the most inspiring people on this planet. In the article it says that before even being signed, before being anything near to popular, he had this huge masterplan. Five EPs, five albums with mathematical titles, another row of five albums after that. Can you believe that? He had this plan, from the first second on. At times when none but his dad truly believed in his work. And now look at him. He all made it real. And for me, that’s just so incredible and inspiring. Because I’m the same. I have this huge plan of moving to London and maybe even starting my own magazine and so on. But it’s going to be hard and it may sound impossible to other people. But like Ed I’ll work hard for that dream and then, maybe if I work hard enough, I’ll achieve all of the things I’m dreaming about. Ed showed me the way, so I’ll try my best.

And speaking of that, I also bought all of his five EPs. I just had to. They are all so amazing and from 2011, that’s crazy. I’m so happy that I chose Ed as the one guy I’ll stand with forever. You know, I know I’ll grow older and maybe forget about all my fangirl moments. But being a fangirl is different to this. I love Ed for his music. And that kind of love is something you can hardly ever leave behind. And I don’t want to, not for a slightest bit.

Oh and apart from that I also got two pins, something that’s a must for me. I’m kind of a collector of pins, I always put them on my bag. And when I saw them, I just had to get them. Especially the “I like big books and I cannot lie” one. That’s so funny.

So yeah, there you go guys. Those are all the things I got on my trip. I really hope you like this post and my pictures. And if you have any other questions or want to say something, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. And until then I wish you all an amazing start of the week and, as always, thanks for reading. x

The country I love

Hola everyone.

Long time, no see. But hey, here I am, back at it again with some nice stories about my recent trip to the UK and of course the best pics. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

The trip itself was actually a gift for my stepdad for christmas. Mum had bought him tickets for The Open in the UK, which is like the biggest golf tournament there. And as the UK is pretty much my favorite country on this planet, I just stuck to them and added myself on the people-going-to-the-UK-list. No UK trip without me. Nope.

Although the trip wasn’t that long, just four days, I think we saw quite a lot. On the first day we visited Manchester, than we drove to Blackpool and on the last day, while my parents were watching the golf tournament, I drove to Liverpool.

Manchester

As already mentioned, Manchester was the first city we visited. Our plane actually landed there and I told my parents that I would love to take a stroll around the city, so we just stayed there for the whole day and then drove to Blackpool where our hotel was in the evening. And I have to say, it was magnificent. I mean, I never expected it to be anything else but amazing, but I was really surprised by how “hipster” it was. All those old buildings with cool pubs and cafés and shops, street art everywhere, a town hall that looked a little bit like how I would imagine the real life version of Hogwarts and, of course, really cool people. For me, the whole city just screamed HIPSTER. And I loved that. After we had walked around a bit and me and my mum had done a little shopping, we walked back to our car and agreed that mum and I would have to visit this city again. It was just too cool not to see it again. Oh and the last plus, they actually have like two Wagamama restaurants there. Their food is something I’ve been craving since I had my first seafood ramen there last year in Brighton. Of course we went to eat there. Of course I loved it.

Blackpool

To be honest, I don’t really know what to say about Blackpool. I guess Blackpool is what you would call the Vegas or the Ballermann of England. There are thousands of game stores, things like rollercoasters and a giant ferris wheel and hundreds of people being distracted by the whole entertainment show that is going on down at the piers and the beach. Too much for me, honestly. For me that was like the ugly part of the UK. At first, mostly, because on our second evening we walked a little further up North next to the beach and got to the more laid back, chilled and quiet area of the city, which was and looked a lot nicer to me. So I guess we just had to look for the right part of the city. But except for all the party stuff that’s going on in Blackpool, I really enjoyed going for a little shopping stroll there (more to come in my next haul post) and, of course, the beach. I looooove the beach and the sea. Really. I think living right next to the beach is one of the coolest things ever. No wonder I can see myself spending my later life in Brighton.

Liverpool

Another great city, another reason for me the love the UK. As I said a few passages before, I actually visited Liverpool completely on my own. I got there by train and, honestly, just the train ride was so freaking amazing, I was so happy. I think the countryside of the UK is something really special. Everything is so green and glowy. You can seriously see the life. And after the ride, it just got better and better. I think Liverpool is especially cool, as it looks so modern and new. Not to mention the piers and the waterfront, which make it so unique and cute. I enjoyed it so much, just walking around the city, taking pictures and sitting at the pier, listening to the waves and breathing in the fresh sea air. After going to Liverpool, I had the idea of visiting the UK next time by driving from one city to the next by train and just visiting city after city for a week or so. Because it is so easy. You could start right in the North and then visit city after city by train and end the whole trip in London or so. This way even the train rides are a supercool event. I’d really love to do this.

So yeah, there you go guys. That’s my little trip to the UK. I really hope you enjoyed it and all of my pics. I extremely enjoyed visiting the UK again, it just feels so home-like for me. And I can’t wait to get back – what a surprise. If any of you guys have questions or want to know more or just have anything to say, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And until then, I wish you all an amazing weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x

England I’m coming

Hola everyone.

I just wanted to give you guys a little update on what’s happening right now and the next few days. So, as you can probably guess by the title, I’m going on holiday. FINALLY. Yey yey. We’re flying to Manchester this weekend and then visit Blackpool and maybe Liverpool, we haven’t decided yet.

And I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am. I haven’t been on a holiday since Zürich and that was in March. So it’s really about time. And I can’t wait to visit another part of the UK. I’ve already visited London (of course), Brighton and Reading. And I loved every single city, with London being my favorite place, so I’m pretty sure I’ll love this trip too. And of course I’ll be taking my so beloved camera with me and then be back next Friday with my story about out little trip and the best pics. I’m already so happy, I know it’s going to be amazing.

What else? Oh yeah, guess what I found in the mail today? My tickets for the first concert to see Ed next year. And oh my god, they look amazing. And they really have my name on it, which is so damn cool. It feels so special. And yes, I teared up a bit. And no, I still haven’t realized it. But that’s fine, I still have 386 days (yes, I counting) to let it completely get to my head. I just can’t handle it, I’m so damn happy and I feel so lucky to see him again. Even twice. Holy moly.

So yeah guys, that’s my little update for you. Due to the vacation, I won’t be posting anything until the next Friday, but at least I will be back than with a big, long post and amazing pictures. So, get excited. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading, x

Sherlock

Hola everyone.

You know, Netflix is actually a pretty cool thing. Yes, I did say before that I’m not the biggest fan of it, but it’s true that it has some big advantages. You can watch tv shows and movies that you could never watch anywhere else (except for that illegal stuff, but we won’t talk about that). And as you can probably guess by the title, I recently had the chance to watch the tv show Sherlock.

I just finished the last season, season 4, yesterday night and, honestly, I’m blown away. I mean, I’ve always been a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories. I loved the two movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Maybe that’s why I was quite skeptical towards the tv series. But I think to be able to review both of them in the best way, you really have to separate those two. Because apart from the names and some main plots, they are completely different. And I tried to do that and that’s why I really fell in love with the tv show too.

I guess you all know the name Sherlock Holmes and what it means, the stories behind it. And the tv show Sherlock is like those stories, but just taken to our time, to the modern times. That’s also why the movies and the tv series are so different. I actually really enjoyed this aspect, but I think the old times just embody the stories better. But, anyways, I enjoyed it really much. Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock is truly mind-blowing. No wonder he had his big breakthrough because of this show. You can really see Sherlocks craziness in his eyes. And Martin Freeman as John Watson is just as good. I fell in love with Freeman when I saw him as Bilbo in The Hobbit and I’ve been a fan of him ever since. Maybe that’s why Watson is my favorite character of the series. Whenever he appeared, I saw Bilbo. And I love Bilbo. So it was pretty much obvious that I’d love Watson too. I think both actors are amazing at showing so many emotions with so little actions, with just their mimics, the looks in their faces. Especially at the last seasons. And yes, I did cry indeed. Quite often. But I laughed even more.

I think my favorite seasons are the second and the third one. And apart from the amazing acting, I loved the way the tv show works the most. You really have to concentrate on the stories and think. I often went to bed afterwards, still thinking about an episode. And I loved the amount of crazy and superfrustrating cliffhangers and shocking plot twists. That turns a good tv show into an amazing one. And the fact that one episode is one and half hours long, just makes everything even better.

You know, all I can say is that the stories are from an English writer, the tv show is English, the actors are English. Of course it had to be awesome. So, I can only recommend you guys to give this show a go, you won’t regret it. Seriously. Oh, and if any of you have already watched it, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. Or if you just want to know more. Or say anything else. I’m here. And until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and hope you enjoyed this post. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

I did it

Hola everyone.

Okay, my mum did it. But hey, the outcome is the same. I seriously have tickets to see Ed. My Ed. Edward Christopher Sheeran. Basically the musical love of my life. And I still can’t believe it guys, oh my god.

First of all – have you got tickets too? If yes, oh my god, congrats. And if you don’t, go and check out the shows, some aren’t sold out yet. And there’s still the website twickets, you still have a chance of getting tickets there. Good luck.

And second, I’m currently listening to Divide and the tears are already streaming my down my face (actually Happier is playing at this exact moment and I’m more like ugly-crying). I seriously cannot tell you how happy I am that I’ll be seeing Ed. Even twice. How crazy is that? Holy moly. But first let’s talk about Saturday, the day. I woke up at like half past 10 to be ready for 11 o`clock when the tickets will be on sale. So, I was sitting there, in front of my laptop, on the edge of my nerves. I knew this one would be hard, really hard. And even harder because I knew that mum wouldn’t be able to buy tickets for me because she was on a gold tournament. So I was pretty much alone, apart from a friend, who was also trying to get tickets for us. And then it got 10:59 am and I got ready, refreshed the page and there it was, the crash. The whole site crashed. Of course I also tried to get tickets for other countries, just to make sure I’d really be able to see Ed. But those sites also crashed. Everything crashed. And I sat there, for more than a half hour. Nothing worked and I got more and more nervous with every second.

Then I tried to check for tickets in London. I always wanted to see Ed at Wembley, so this was a good plan B. And then I saw that Wembley was already sold out. And I got worried. Really worried. I had the feeling that other people were already grabbing tickets for Vienna and yeah, I can honestly say that I had a little breakdown. I was really scared. I mean, I could not not see Ed. That was no option. Never.

And then mum texted me and asked if I was able to get tickets. And I of course told her no. And suddenly she texted me and told me that she had tickets for us. And a minute later I got the confirmation email. And if I didn’t cry before that, I cried then. Oh my god, I was so relieved. I seriously still can’t believe it. And you know what’s the coolest part? My mum actually got tickets while playing golf. She told me she got the tickets, shot the ball and then proceeded to pay for them. And while she literally got us the best tickets while playing golf, I sat in front of my laptop, unable to do anything. Thank god the servers seemed to work from then on, so I tried to get tickets for my friend and at around 1 pm, I could finally shut my laptop.

And then I checked Stuart Camps twitter page. He’s Ed’s manager and pretty much the coolest and most amazing manager ever. He answered questions throughout the sale and still does, actually. And if you ever want to have news about Ed first hand, you just have to follow him. And as Ed’s shows sold out so fast, Stu started adding more and more shows. And I was so shocked. Like, speechless, really. Because before anything had happened Ed was said to play two shows at Wembley. He now plays four. FOUR. That’s about 360.000 people. Can you believe that? He sold out Wembley for four shows. An English guy with his guitar and a loop station. That’s crazy. And I’m so proud. Really.

And then it happened. Stu was tweeting again and then this came: “2nd Austria show going up soon”. And you can probably guess what happened then. I freaked out. Completely. A second show? In Vienna? A chance to see Ed two times? I thought I was dreaming. Imagining things. Crazy. But it was real. So I called and texted people, asking them if they would go to the second show with me. And at 3 pm, I had the tickets for two shows. And I’m still at the edge of bursting into tears every second because of it.

I’m so thankful. God. And you know what, my mum bought both tickets, for both shows. So I would never be sitting here, writing the things I’m writing, without her. And her ability of doing the impossible and getting tickets for the most-wanted-shows. She’s a superwoman. There’s no denying that now. So yeah, thank you to my mum. My hero.

So yeah, I am now seeing Ed in 393 days (yes, I installed a countdown) and I can’t wait. For real. Can time please hurry up? Please? Oh, and I can’t wait to get the tickets. I think that will be the moment I’ll finally realize it and then cry until I have no more happy-tears left. And before I forget it, I want to thank Ed’s management and whoever made those two shows possible. And of course Ed for making me so happy and being in this world, basically. I know it’s getting pretty cheesy now, so I’ll stop.

Anyways, guys, that is my story. But what’s yours? I really hope that you got tickets if you wanted them. And if you didn’t, I hope you will manage to get some. I actually saw that they are constantly adding shows, so just keep an eye on Stu’s twitter page, that’s my tip. And until that, I hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Concerts and more concerts

Hola everyone.

Today is the day. I think I don’t really have to explain to you how much I love going to concerts, we have talked about that often enough. You could say I’m pretty much addicted, but hey, it could be worse, right? So, while being on my “blog-break” to focus on my exams, I actually had the chance of seeing two of my favorite bands live – Paramore and The 1975.

This was actually the first time for me to ever see Paramore live and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was to finally experience their show. Because judging from the videos I watched of them playing live, it would be freaking amazing. And to be honest, it was even better than I expected. I was and still am totally blown away. Honestly, I usually never really listening to girl bands or bands with female singers, but Paramore always had a special place in my heart. And now that I could experience their magic live and hear Hayley’s voice, I’m even more in love with them and their music.

It’s unreal how good they are at playing their songs live. From the first second on built up this incredible dynamic, the whole crowd screamed their lungs out and jumped around like crazy. They started of with one of their newest songs called “Told You So” and then continued with a mix of old and new songs. And even though I pretty much only listen to their new stuff, I couldn’t help but freak out at every single song they played. I think my favorite part was when they played “Still Into You”. I love this song with every cell of my body and every single piece of my soul, so there was no holding me back when they started it. I don’t remember a to of other situations where I screamed and sang that loud and with such great passion. And I wasn’t the only one.

You know, that’s why I love concerts so much, especially rock concerts like this one or Fall Out Boy. The music is so loud, everyone is screaming and singing and jumping around and you can just let yourself fall completely and get lost in the moment. That’s when I can really be free.

And apart from that I loved when they brought fans on stage to play “Misery Business” with them. Before bringing them up Hayley told us that this time was going to be special as there was a fan out in the crowd who had written to them on Twitter and wished to play with them. Of course I was expecting just another guy to come on stage, but what happened next really surprised me. We started cheering and suddenly there was this guy called Viktor, rolling on stage in his wheelchair, with the biggest smile on my face. And then it all became real. Hayley went up to him and handed him the mic. He then proceeded to talk to the crowd and what he said brought real tears to my eyes. He said that this was the happiest moment of his life and this was the sign that anything is possible. God, it was so emotional. Then they brought another girl on stage and started playing the song again. And everyone was so happy, you could really feel it in the air. I am forever thankful for that moment and that night. I will never ever forget it. And I seriously cannot wait to see them again.

Yeah, the second concert, as already mentioned, was The 1975. And actually my 4th time seeing them. And I guess four times are a little bit too much, as I was a little bit disappointed. Maybe it was because they only played for one hour and a few minutes, maybe because I couldn’t feel any emotions coming up. I don’t really know. I just wasn’t feeling it. Even though I still love their music with all of my heart, especially their old songs. I just don’t love their new album, I guess that was one of the struggles of mine that evening. My friend who was at the concert with me said that she had the feeling that it seemed like the band wasn’t really happy to be here. I think that’s why I couldn’t sense any emotions.

So yeah, two concerts, one more than breathtakingly good, the other one a little bit disappointing. Of course I am still happy that I could experience both of them and I guess there can’t always be perfect concerts. That would be boring, wouldn’t it? But please don’t hesitate to leave your opinion down below.

Speaking of concerts, I forgot telling you one of the most amazing things ever. I can’t really remember if I told you about this last year, but I’ll tell you anyway. So, every year in October there is a EDM festival taking place in Amsterdam for a whole week. And last year, Martin had a show there too (pretty obvious as he actually lives there). I got to watch it live over a stream but while jumping around in front of my TV, I made it my mission to once experience this live. And guess what, I actually will this year. I know, how crazy, right? Lucky me I could tell one of my friends into wanting to come with me and experience this big, incredible party together. We bought our tickets two weeks ago, I know have it hanging on my door so I can always remind myself of what amazing things are coming up. God, I’m so excited.

Oh, and another thing. Tomorrow is the day. Ed’s tickets will be going on sale at exactly 11 o’clock and I’m already slightly freaking out. Please guys, please pray for me to be able to get tickets. Please. I need to see Ed. I really do. Oh, and if any of you will be trying their luck too tomorrow, good luck. I know we can do it. We just need a lot of hope and a good internet connection. And until then, I hope you enjoy this post and my little concert stories and I wish you all an amazing weekend. And, as always, thanks for reading. x