Top 10 Tv Shows

Heya,

           As it's summer and I know many people will be binge watching Netflix instead of going out adventuring, (as much as we want to) it will undoubtedly be useful to have a guide to the tv shows that grace our screens and change our lives. Here are my top 10, although some of them are very cliche, some of them are 100% underrated! So without hesitation lets get underway!


10.  Making A Murderer.
This is a documentary series recalling the case of Steven Avery; Who wrongly served 18 years in prison for rape and then shortly after being released was charged with murder. The documentary explores the trial from his lawyers' point of view. Undoubtedly written in order to make Steven look not-guilty this show must be taken with a pinch of salt. It is easy to get into the mindset of the program and begin to believe that he was set up by the police, however you must keep reassuring yourself that not all the evidence is shown in the show and there are two sides to the story. Never the less this is a gripping show and i watched all 10 hours in 1 day as i just needed to know what happens! It's both information and emotional and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

9. Skins.
This is a British drama following teenagers as they struggle with love, school and a lot of drugs.The over exaggerated passion purely displays the feelings that teenagers are going through. Melodramatic and raw the show portrays gripping issues with mental health, death and drug abuse. This show changes its cast every 2 series. Although this allows lots of room for new story lines, relationships and families, it also leads to you missing certain characters and begging to know what will happen to them. Thankfully, many of these concerns are concluded in the final series when the program focuses on the characters 10 years later. This show has a one in a million feel, although it is set in my city so I am a bit biased, it is hard to forget the stories you witness and the characters you meet, it is both haunting and sweet at the same time.

8. Gogglebox.
Another British classic. The concept is simple, watch people watching tv. The show shows normal people watching normal programs. The hilarity of sarcastic British humour over politics, dating and documentaries as they say exactly what the public are thinking. However, do be warned there are often tears!! But this show is perfect for a light pick me up.

7. Sherlock
One of the best tv shows produced by the BBC. Following the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, Sherlock Holmes is bought to life in television. With modern twists on the classic novels such as  A Study in pink (Based on A Study in Scarlet), The Hounds of Baskerville (Hound of the Baskervilles) and The  Empty Hearse (The adventures of an Empty House). There are never ending plots twists, moments that make you gasp and writing that makes you question every single movement. Although the episodes are an hour and a half long (basically a movie!), there is never a boring moment as your mind ticks away trying to work out what the next twist will be. The writing is consistent and keeps you waiting, Gatiss truly owns this show and makes it into a masterpiece.

6. Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux is one of the best documentary film makers of our time. He has series upon series of timeless documentaries, ranging from weekends with celebrities, to helping film gay porn, to gambling hundreds of pound in Las Vegas. The beauty of Louis Theroux's documentaries are that he is never afraid. Never afraid to join in, he's even had liposuction in order to see what it's like. Never afraid to ask the questions we all want to know the answer to, he once asked white supremacists is they would be offended is he was a Jew.  Never afraid to interview celebrities with secrets to hide. Louis travels the world showing the conflicts our society faces in all subcultures, ethnicities and religions. However, his documentaries never seem to lack humanity as the often show the humans behind the worst crimes in the world and how more often than not they are just humans with mistakes. Many of Louis' documentaries are on Netflix, so deffo check them out!!

5. Gossip Girl.

By far the most 'classic american teenager' show on this list but oh my godddddd I can't deal with it. Although it is insanely melodramatic and often easy to guess what's going to happen, the emotions and characters in this show are too much. As you grow u with the characters and see the ins and outs of every relationship you can't help but root for the ones who you want to end up together and are just begging for certain people's secrets to be outed ( cough *Vanessa* cough). From the original queen B, Blair Waldorf, to the insaneeeeeeely good looking Nate Archibald there isn't a character you can truly hate. Not even Jack Bass. If you want something that's easy to watch and never ending (unless you binge it) then deffo watch this as it will tear your heart into a million pieces and the sew it back up again with insanely romantic monologues.

4. The People Vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
Oh wow would you look at that, another crime documentary series.  This series follows one of the biggest court cases in the history of modern america, the case of OJ Simpson. Using the book  The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson  by Jeffery Toobin the series shows the behind the scenes of the case as well as portraying real life scenes from the court room itself.  For me the best thing about this adaptation is the portrayal of Marcia Clark. When the case was happening she was seen as a stone cold bitch who messed up. However, the series shows her background, everything that was going wrong in her life at the time and the pain of her portrayal in the media. A portrayal by Sarah Paulson that was inspiring and flawless. This series taught me so much about the case, rather than just the facts it showed the people and the feelings behind it.

3. Sense8.

An overshadowed and underrated Netflix original. Set all over the world with 8 completely different characters living completely different lives. Through, poverty, fame, crime, education and drug use, the all differ however there's one thing that links them, their brains. All of them are connected and can visit help and talk to each other. Leading to fascinating fight scenes, intense storylines and beautiful shots. Each hour long episode of this feels like a film due to the sure beauty of it and the amount of detail that goes into every cinematic element. It truly is a breathtaking show and the finale is over whelming!!!!

2. Orange is the New Black 
One of the hottest tv shows in the world right now, and it deserves everything. Underlying humour, intense character development and the topical issues discussed are everything that makes this tv show great. It's crazy to think of the success it has had considering it was never actually shown on tv, only on Netflix. What I love about this show is the devotion to every character, with the thoughtful background stories and the relationships with other characters the show relates to ethnicity, brutality, sexuality and religion. All of which are problems in america and society all over the world. It just goes to show how raw everything is when it is condensed down into a small population, and suddenly the few ethnic people become the targets, just like in society.  However it truly is the humour and the personalities of the characters that make this show great. 

1. Gavin and Stacey. 

MY NUMBER ONE, THE BEST SHOW EVERRRRR. A hilarious British comedy written by no other than James Corden and Ruth Jones. A story based on an Essex boy and a Barry girl and their relationship over a series of years. The thing that makes this so funny is how realistic the characters are and how sarcastic and mundane the jokes are. If you want to watch one episode watch the Christmas episode at the beginning of series 3 because it is hilarious and i mean hilarious. From the leather boots of Nessa, to the weirdness of Pete's drunk mum Edna, every character brings something to the show both comically and emotionally. The tragic thing about this show is how early it was cut off, 3 seasons did not do it justice. Especially considering almost every household in the country watched it on Saturday nights and the Christmas special is watched every year. I can only hope that it will one day make a comeback, with Gwen being the best grandma in town. James Corden steals the show in this with his unique character of Smithy who reflects perfectly the stereotypical view of British young men. This is an easy going best of British comedy drama which just makes you feel instantly at home. 

So, it turns out this list solidifies my love for documentaries and British humour and although there were many other shows I could've added (GOT, PLL) these are truly shows I could watch over and over again and be happy. So I hope no matter What you're feeling you'll be able to find something here. 

Speak soon, 

Lois Mae 

Dear Maria,

 Dear Maria, 

You asked us to tell you your strengths, and since you're a nagging lil bitch, I thought i'd tell you over the internet, considering you've been persuading me to start my blog again. 

Where to start... You, my little Bulgarian friend, are one of the most influential people in my life. I know that with wisdom beyond your years and a gleam in your eye that never fades, you touch the lives of everyone around you, undoubtedly for the better. The confidence you have is spellbinding, you take life with ease and confidence and achieve your dreams without fail. If I, or my kids, ever have as much confidence as you, I will be the proudest person alive. This confidence is what makes you a life changing person, your ability to take life in your stride and your energy to persistently say yes when the world is constantly saying no, is what makes me most proud to be your friend. But, your smile when you reach a goal, is what makes me most happy to be your friend. I hope no one ever budges this confidence because I know with it you can conquer the world. 

Kindness is something everyone aims to have, but many people  genuinely lack. You, however, have as much kindness in your heart as knowledge in your brain. It's endless. You put others first and want to make their lives just as amazing as yours (and for your shortness, you give pretty good hugs). No matter how shit your day has been, you are always there to give people a positive push in the right direction. And although I have heard you bitch about many people (mainly when you're drunk), I know that every bone in your body is used in order to help others. 

However within people are there are always differences, their interests, their opinions and their styles. It is your fascination in other people's interests and your thirst for knowledge that I truly love about you. Whether it's me rambling on about sport, psychology or Cecelia Ahern, you always listen with full attention and take everything on board, remember it and then add it into later conversations. You truly are a friend that remembers the little things. Our lives are made up of big life moments that change our paths, however it is the little moments that make our happiness and create our fondest memories, and  I know deep in my heart my fondest memories are with you. 


Me and you, we're completely different. You're an organised business woman, and i'm a disorganised mess. I love fiction, you love facts. My wardrobe is a floral disaster, yours is stylish and chic. However, we just click, hours of pointless conversations, hysterical laughter and DMCs are the purest form of friendship and that truly is what we have. So, before this gets too soppy. You asked us to make lists of the things you're good at, but that list is truly endless. You're a selfless, driven, inspiring, knowledgeable woman who deserves all the recognition she deserves. Your time is coming and it's all down to how amazing you are. 

Love always, 
Lois Mae  

Language Learning!

Heya,

As you may or may not know I studied 2 languages at A level, French and Chinese. I just about survived and ended up with quite good grades, and now I study Chinese at university, so I thought I'd share my tips about language learning, and how to survive what seems hell! 

Firstly, flashcards will be your saviour, build up your collection throughout the year so that by the time revision comes around you can just get them out and practice. Without having to create hundreds in one go (although this is great procrastination). This is perfect for just lists of vocab, even if you think you know them it is worth making flash cards anyway as it is quite likely you'll forget by June! What I like to do is go through the flash cards and sort them into red, amber and green piles. The green are those which I already know off by heart, so I will not check them for a week or so. Amber, I kind of knew them, either I didn't quite get the right meaning or I knew half the word, in which case I will check them in one or two days. And the red pile are ones I do not know at all and I keep practicing these constantly until they reach the amber pile.  However, if you're lazy like me and don't make flash cards throughout the year, there are many websites you can use which have preprepared flashcards. My favourite is a website called Memrise, which helps you learn words and keep them in your long term memory, so that you wont forget them in the exam. It is easy to use and free to sign up for, you can even get an app! But if memrise doesn't take your fancy there is always Quizlet, which is more game based and less structured. Or there is also an app called Skritter which is useful for Asian languages as you can practice the characters. Although it is quite expensive it is worth the money in my opinion!

Next, to practice grammar, I find that using text books are the best way to practice it. There are many textbooks all over amazon and ebay which just  give you lots of exercises to do, like fill the blanks, and then you can check your answers after. My favourite one to use for french is a book called Action Grammaire. However, if you find this too tedious another thing to do is just to practice writing essays. Although this is time consuming, the results are insanely beneficial! And I'm sure your teachers will have enough time to mark one extra essay a week or something! They don't even have to be long, just as long as you're practicing writing, you'll pick up the language.

Finally, in order to practice speaking and listening the best thing to do is to watch films and listen to music. In my opinion it is most useful to watch a film you already know quite well in your native language in the language you study. However, you must pay full attention and try and make sense of it whilst trying not to look at the subtitles too much! Although it takes time, you pick up so many useful little phrases that look so good in your oral exam because they're up-to-date. Another useful thing is to talk to your friends in your study language outside the classroom. Although it sounds stupid it can actually be fun, even if you just jokingly offend each other in the language, it's still practice! 


I know many of these tips are ones your teachers tell you to do anyway, but they're right, they are the most useful! Once you advance you can also try and read books in the language you're studying. I currently read young adult fiction books in french as they are about the same level as me. However, you can start from children's books and work your way up! Have you guys got any tips? I'm still learning myself, so any advice is welcome! 

Speak soon, 

Lois Mae

My Prom Look

Heya,

So last Friday I went to my year 13 prom, and I loved my outfit and makeup, so I thought I'd talk you through it!

Firstly, My dress. Our year 13 prom is more casual than most proms, everyone wears cocktail dresses and we all just have a great time! My dress was from a shop called TheclothingEnd and only cost me £19. It was a light blue midi skater dress, which came off the shoulder. It also had extra detail of mint green leaves and pink oriental flowers. I was skeptical of the quality due to how cheap it was, but it arrived and it was amazing quality with no faults what so ever. I would deffo recommend this store!

As usual i was very unorganised for the prom, I realised three days before that I had no shoes, however a quick trip to Primark led me to find the prefect heels. The were deep pink platformed heels and only cost me £14. The looked so cute and brought out the flowers in my dress, although I was stuck for choice as primark had loads of amazing heels!

My jewelry I ordered from Wish, and my necklace was only £2!! Absolute Bargain, although it did take a while to come so be prepared to wait.

A family friend did my make up and it was outstanding! She used mainly MAC products and it was so worth the money. The studio fix foundation made my skin look flawless, and the false eyelashes completely brought out my eyes, I am so glad I had it done as it made me feel so much more confident all night long.

Speak Soon,

Lois Mae

I'm Back!

Heya,

After a hectic 6 months I finally have enough time to run this blog again, and write about the things I love! So as an update, here are my favourite things of 2015 so far!

1. Film- Pitch Perfect 2

Bit of an obvious choice but it had me in stitches. We went and saw this the night before our last day of school and we were so excited. As a massive fan of the first film I was scared the second one would disappoint (as many sequels do!) however, that wasn't the case. With the same type of obvious humour and hilarious characters, this film was amazing! This film focused a lot more on the minor characters than the first one, and overall this made the story line more gripping and exciting. This film is a must watch  if you're  having a girls-night.

Rating: 9/10

2. Album- The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Soundtrack

When this film came out I was instantly blown away by the soundtrack. The use of classic songs perfectly captured the emotions portrayed in the film. From the freedom of 'Heroes' to the sadness of 'Asleep'. I was obsessed with this soundtrack when the film originally came out in 2012, but then I kind of forgot about it, However this year has been a year of making final memories and so, recently I have reconnected with this amazing album. I highly recommend listening to it, no matter what mood you're in!

Rating: 11/10

3. Make-up:  Body Shop Shimmer Waves Blush

In my opinion, The Body Shop is often underrated for their makeup. This blusher provides a range of shades of pink and even a silvery highlighter. So, whether you need a bright pink blush that stands out or a subtle coral you can use these waves to get a natural effect whilst choosing the shades you want!

Rating 7/10

They are my main three favourites for the year so far! However, I have also been loving the shop Monki (which I discovered whilst exploring London),  Cecelia Ahern's books (Currently rereading where rainbows end for the millionth time), the Women's World Cup and my signature lemon cake!

Sorry it's been so long!

I'll be back soon!

Lois Mae