// see wicklow through my camera lens

Last Monday, my year and I went to Wicklow for another class trip. I bet you're probably wondering where on earth it is, hahah. Let's do a quick geography lesson. Basically, it's a county just at the South of Dublin (As you can see on the picture below) I don't really know any other information about it besides the fact it's in the countryside and it has mountains. 

Our first stop in our trip was the Chocolate Garden of Ireland. The drive to the place was really long but nonetheless it was worth it and had so much fun. I usually don't mind long drives though because I'm a road trip kind of gal but its just that the roads were bumpy (we are in the countryside after all!) and there were a lot of turns  so you could imagine the complaints coming off everyone in my year.

As the Chocolate Garden of Ireland was a bit secluded, we actually had to walk to get there. And that was just fantastic because I was injured and had to walk with crutches. So you could probably imagine how much it sucked. I loved the interior of the place, they made it look like a magical land of chocolates. 

They were still setting the place up so my teachers decided to get a nice comforting cup of chocolate (Cheek of them though, they didn't get us any, lol). Heather, the girl in charge of us for the day told us that their hot chocolate is actually one of their popular products. The delicious heaven in a cup which is purchased in the store and was basically a block of chocolate melted in warm milk. Honestly, I regret not buying myself one since I am a massive fan of hot chocolate.

 

Before we entered the venue, we all got handed a "golden ticket" in attempt to make us feel like we were in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. I was confused at first, since I haven't seen the film but thankfully my teacher explained the reference to me. I can't believe I haven't seen it yet, everyone has seen it!

 

Heather then started to explain the process of making the chocolate. From the harvesting to the actual making of the product. It was intriguing and fascinating to find out how actual chocolate was made since as consumers, we just see the finished product in shops. Whilst we were taking in all these information, she was also giving out free samples of chocolates. We were able to try their milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate. Coming from a picky chocolate eater, I actually liked them and did not make me feel as bad when I ate it because I knew, according to Heather's talk, that they used natural and unprocessed ingredients to make their chocolate. 

The highlight of the trip was when we had the chance to craft and design our very own chocolate. We had a choice of picking a bear or a dinosaur mould and basically long story short I picked the bear one. We were also given paintbrushes and white chocolate to contrast with the brown colour of the milk chocolate as design. After that, Heather and her co-worker went around with a huge container of oozing melted chocolate which they poured into our moulds. We had to consequently turn our containers so that it wouldn't drip and that it would coat the container evenly. The picture below is our finished "artworks".

I actually fell asleep on our way to our next stop. That mould turning was actually quite tiring (lol, kidding). I rarely sleep during the drive but yeah it was weird how I was tired. Shoutout to one of my main bitches, Lalaine, for capturing the moment. But I low key hate you for this, haha. Please pardon my ugly face whilst sleeping! 

Our next stop was the Wicklow Gaol. There wasn't really much to see there apart from jail cells. I couldn't really fully enjoy it since there was a lot of climbing the stairs and I was on crutches, so fun times! So the whole time they were 'exploring', I was just watching them from the first floor. Thankfully my friends didn't mind doing the picture taking for me.

Could you believe this was actually a jail? At first glance, I wouldn't think at all that this was a jail. It just looks a normal mundane building, but sure dont judge a book by its cover right? Apparently this building has been standing for approximately 200 years. Thinking about it, there has probably been a lot of things that happened here. Including deaths. How chilling! 

I thought the canon was pretty cool so I had to take a photo of it. The second picture is the actual structure of the Wicklow Gaol and it just shows how massive it is.  

To sum it all up, I completely fell in love Wicklow Town. It's a nice quick break from the city and I loved how the infrastructures had these vibe that it's from a different time. I love our school trips because it enables us to see amazing places in Ireland that we dont really get to visit since we just take advantage of the fact that its just there.

Let me know in the comments below if you've been to something similar in your city/country. Thank you for reading! :) <3

// 24.11.15 top ten tuesday: ten things i'm grateful for this year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where get unique topics to talk about. This week's TTT is all about the things I'm grateful for this year. 

1. Our Mom

This woman is the whole package. She's the strongest, most patient, loving and most supportive person I know. You guys have no clue how supportive she is of us in terms with blogging. She gets us new books and clothes if she has money for it, and even when she doesn't she finds a way for it. We often take her for granted, but I hope we change and make it up to you. 

2. My Sister 

Although Hanna is a pain in the ass, my life wouldn't be the same without you. I know we often fight about making posts for the blog but it's been a great six months running Two Sisters Bloggin' with you and I wouldnt want to share it with anyone but you.

3. To all the publicists that have invested on our blog

Massive thank you to all the publicists from different publishers that has given us ARCs of our anticipated reads or for contacting me to be a part of blog tours. You cannot fathom the joy I feel whenever I get sent one and I will probably never get used to getting them. 

4. The Book Blogging Community 

I will never forget how welcoming and supportive everyone was when I first started blogging. It didnt matter how many posts/readers you had, everyone was just so lovely. I love how we all instantly click over books and have a strong bond over them. 

5. My Uncle

Most book signings happen in the US so what I do is I buy books online and get my Uncle to go the signing for me then get it shipped to Ireland. I am sucker for signed books and I cannot put into words how grateful I am that my uncle is willing to do it for me despite his very schedule. And to Tito Jr, if you're reading this, sorry if I constantly annoy you with book related texts. 

6. My Grandparents

Thank you for the very memorable stay in the US. You two are the only grandparents I have left and I treasure you both very much. Thank you for being kind, loving and for taking us to see different places when we were there. I can't wait to see you two again next year. 

7. My family over in the Philippines 

Thank you for all the amazing memories from last July to August. There's too many to mention but you guys know who you are & what they are. We only get to see each other every so often and I treasure every moment we're together. Thank you for being so warm and being so welcoming. 

8.  The Night Owl Chat

I couldnt ask for a better bunch of book bloggers to be friends with. So Kelly, Lin, Mel, Nori, Tika, Jade, Britt, Em, Blessie and Bex, I'm so glad I met you guys this year. I love you all!

9. Brittany of Book Rambles

Hey Britt, if you're reading this, I love you so much! You are by far one of the loveliest people I have met on here and I hold you to my heart dearly, my precious cinnamon roll. I love how we click on everything and have a mutual love for Leigh. I long for the day that I get to meet you then go bakery hopping in NYC. Stay kind. 

10. YOU

Every single one of you. For continuously reading our posts. We love every single one of you and cant thank you enough. You're amazing, don't let other people tell you otherwise. 

Thank you for reading! I hope you have a lovely thanksgiving with your loved ones <3 

// blog tour: long way down by krista & becca ritchie

Title: Long Way Down, (Calloway Sisters, #4)

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie 

Expected Publication: 20th of November 2015

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance 

Add to your TBR list: Goodreads

Synopsis: 

With a seven-year age difference, Ryke & Daisy have faced an uphill battle in the eyes of the world and their families. Known as the most adventurous, fast-paced couple — their next step has always been elusive to the rabid media.

Behind the scenes, heartbreaking troubles continue to test Ryke & Daisy’s resilience and shape their future together. 

They promise:

To never slow down. 

To never compromise who they are. 

To never abandon their love for each other. 

But preserving their happiness also means adding more risks. Ones that Connor Cobalt wouldn’t even take. As a professional free-solo climber, Ryke is no stranger to risk, but his next step with Daisy wagers more than just his health. 

With their lives on the line, Ryke & Daisy head towards the vast, wild unknown in this epic final conclusion to the Addicted series

All about Krista & Becca

Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. Now in their early twenties, they write about other twenty-somethings navigating through life, college, and romance. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love. 

Connect with these lovely twin authors: 

Website // Facebook // Twitter 

 Tumblr // Pinterest // Instagram

Author Interview:

Have you always wanted to become an author since you were younger?

Krista: I started writing when I was thirteen, so about a year after Becca. Back then, I wasn’t writing to become an author. My whole mindset for most of my life was to go to medical school and become a doctor. It wasn’t until college that I even wanted to pursue writing as a career, but I always thought it was something I could share with my passion for medicine. It took a while to realize that those two things personally couldn’t coexist in my life, so I chose the one I loved more.  

Becca: I started writing when I was twelve. I dreamed about being an author one day, but our parents are very realistic and told me upfront that the likelihood was one in a million. But I loved writing too much to just stop. Author was never the goal. Being happy was the goal, and writing made me happy. I just wanted to write for as long and as much as I could. So I wrote all the time growing up for fun. Krista joined in, and every time I finished a book, I fantasized about it being on a shelf in a bookstore. Other people reading it. So I’d query literary agents at 14, 15, 16 etc.—with this idealistic fantasy of what if someone says “yes” to me. No one ever did, but I never stopped querying on the side. I ultimately went to college to pursue a career in television production. And yep, I kept querying even then too. All up until we decided to self-publish. And then our dreams came true because of these great, miraculous readers. I’m just really grateful, every day. 

At what age did you guys starting the series? whose idea was it first?

Krista: We were 21. It was the second semester of our senior year in college. We wrote a few YA novels before that, and I usually would pitch Becca concepts all the time. Some would be ridiculously awful, while others we’re actual decent. We just watched the movie Shame, and I really wanted to explore a story with the female as a sex addict. So I pitched Becca the concept of a NA novel with a romance between a female sex addict and alcoholic. Luckily for me she liked it enough to plot it out and write it with me ☺ 

Becca: It was most definitely Krista’s idea! I’m happy she shared the concept with me because Lily Calloway exists from Krista’s mind—and I can’t imagine a world where I don’t meet her. 

Who was the first person to ever read your series? 

Krista: Besides each other, I suppose our mom would be the first person. She reads all of our books before anyone else.

Becca: Yep, our mom reads all of our books before they go live. She’s a huge Coballoway shipper, so she’ll leave notes in her Kindle for us around Connor’s scenes like I just love him. I want him! And then the Rose & Connor parts are littered with her feels. She’s been so supportive of us, and I can’t imagine this journey without her. 

What's self-publishing like? any advice to people who are considering on self publish? 

Krista: It’s very hands-on! If you like control during the publishing process, then self-publishing may be for you. Advice: research, research, research. There are so many authors who have taken this journey, and while everyone’s journey is different, it’s now a lot easier to find how-to guides and testimonials about what works and what doesn’t. We’re still learning things!

Becca: What Krista said! Self-publishing takes tons of dedication from start to finish, but we wouldn’t be authors right now without self-publishing. It’s been not only invaluable to us, but it’s changed our lives. My advice too: if you’re going through bumpy times as a self-published author, always look forward. A publisher doesn’t control your destiny, and tomorrow, you can pick yourself back up again and rise. 

What's it like co-writing series with each other? do you guys always get along/agree on how the story should go/what would happen? were there ever any disagreements? 

Krista: It’s incredibly fun! Seriously, I would not want to write on my own. She fangirls over my writing and I get to fangirl over hers! It’s the best of both worlds. We agree for the most part, but if we ever disagree, we’ll sit down and have long discussions to return to a point of agreement. It’s really about communicating well. 

Becca: I love Krista! That is all :)

If your characters read YA, which book/series would be their favourite? 

Krista: Daisy’s favorite YA Book is the Iron Fey series. Lo and Lily love Harry Potter—and I suppose the later books would be considered YA. I’ll leave Becca with the harder three *evil laugh*

Becca: Ooooooh she left me the harder ones! Okay, so Rose would love YA contemporary romance books. Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins—she’d be drawn to those. I can see Connor really loving novels that step outside of the box in terms of diction and style. Maybe We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Ryke would love Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. It has feminist undertones, and it’s adventure-packed.

Personality-wise, who are you most alike with in terms of your characters and why? 

Krista: I’m most like Connor and Rose. They’re both very goal-oriented and driven like me. People also sometimes view me as cold, but underneath my armor, I do care a lot about the people I love. Their whole backstories with the honor societies is also something I’ve been through. It’s a different kind of mindset when you grow up pushing yourself to succeed. I relate to Connor’s fear of failure in Kiss the Sky a lot. 

Becca: A mix of Daisy and Lily. I can be more upbeat and energized. Like the bubbliness to Krista’s super intellect. She’s the fancy champagne that you’d be like more please, and I’m the fizz that tickles your nose. This is a very strange metaphor, but I’m going to roll with it! 

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// 17.11.15 top ten tuesday: top ten quotes i loved from books i read in the past year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish wherein every week we get different topics to talk about. This week's highlight is "Top Ten Quotes I Loved From Books I Read in the Past Year"


1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

Have you read any of the books I got the quotes from above? Did you like them? What are your favourite quotes from books you've read this year? Let me know in the comments below :) 

// warm me up for winter/christmas tag

Hey everyone! I'm sorry if I haven't been posting lately. I've been a lot busier, school work started piling up (I am still trying to catch up with some work), after school activities almost every day, I also recently injured my knee (sucks to be me). You know the usual things that I think everyone has been through. So the other day, I was scrolling through my Youtube subscription list and saw one of them do the "Warm Me Up for Winter Tag" and I was like why not do it as well and spread the christmas vibes.

1. What's your favourite hot chocolate?

Ever since I was a little kid, I would always ask my Mom to buy me Swissmiss. Am i the only one who loves Swissmiss? I am a sucker for the rainbow marshmallow it comes with tbh. Every morning I would always have a cup of coffee or a Swissmiss. 

Credits to @iamjannoscar11 on instagram

2. What's your favourite pjs, fluffy socks and slippers?

During winter, I do love my christmas onesies and some fluffy socks from Penneys but I usually end up removing my fluffy socks in the middle of the night. I don't know why I do it, but I just usually skip the fluffy socks as well haha.  I don't really have favourite slippers. 

3. Favourite thing in winter?

What do I love about winter? Hmmm, well for starters I love Christmas. I love going Christmas shopping with my mom (even though it's usually stressful). I love seeing Christmas decorations being put up, but if you know me, I hate it when the shopping centres put up the Christmas decorations straight after Halloween. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing Christmas decorations cause it gets you into the festive mood but putting it up straight after Halloween. Like why?

Me when I see people putting up Christmas decorations after Halloween

4. Favourite winter lip products?

As it gets really cold here in Ireland coming up to Christmas, it's good to keep your lips moisturised. I usually use lip balms or Baby Lips, to be exact during school days, but during the weekend I'd usually use my NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen, Transylvania and Monte Carlo. 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Set (see more cream makeup)

5. Favourite winter candle?

Am I the only one who's kind of obsessed with lighting candles? Unfortunately, we don't have a Bath & Body Works here in Ireland and it costs a fortune to ship candles. *sigh* I know they have really good Christmas candles. But I do love Christmas Cookie by Yankee Candles. It smells so good, I can even eat it haha. 

6. Favourite cosy jumper?

I don't think I have a favourite cosy jumper? I have yet to invest in a nice cosy jumper.

7. Favourite scarf?

OMG! Once again, I don't have a favourite scarf. *sighs* I might be purchasing a scarf from Stradivarius soon. I recommend checking out their scarves cause they're affordable and good quality. 

8. Favourite winter bath bomb?

Uhm, I personally prefer bubble bars rather than bath bombs from Lush. 

9. Favourite winter scent?

I am terrible at this. I don't think I have a favourite winter scent. I'm more like a stick-to-one-scent-until-I-finish-it type of girl haha. 

10. What do you like about winter?

I love coming home, after being in the cold, to a nice and warm home  and looking like a burrito after wrapping yourself with 3 or 4 blankets haha. 

11. Favourite movie?

I like watching Home Alone, Elf, A Christmas Carol on winter nights. I wouldn't say they're my favourite but the fam bam likes to watch them hah. OMG! I just remembered Jack Frost. I also like watching The Rise of the Guardians. 

12. Do you like the snow?

It doesn't really snow here in Ireland. I mean, it snows sometimes but it doesn't really stick to the ground. But I remember at the start of this year, it snowed and my friends and I had a little snowball fight. It was my first time cause it doesn't really snow in the Philippines haha. 

You, reading this, can also answer this on the comments below. Thanks for reading! :) <3

Disclaimer: All the photos are from tumblr! Shout out to the owners for taking nice pictures.

// top ten tuesday: ten book to movie adaptations i still need to watch

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish wherein every week we get different topics to talk about. This week's highlight would be "Ten Book To Movie Adaptations That I Still Need To Watch"

1. Paper Towns 

I wasn't really a massive fan of the the book "Paper Towns" so I wasn't uberly excited to see when it was out in the cinemas last summer. Needless to say, I will still go and see it for Natt Wolff because he is such a babe.

2. The Scorch Trials 

I am a massive fan of the series and the movie itself nada I cant believe I missed this film at the cinemas. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

3. Pride and Prejudice 

Now I haven't heard anything about this film but it's Jane Austen's book and there's a film adaptation of it therefore I need to see it.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Literally almost everyone has seen this film except me, what am I doing!?

5. Jane Eyre

This has gotten a fairly average rating on iMDB. Now, I haven't read the book too so I don't know what to expect. But I'm hoping that it would be good.

6. The Time Traveler's Wife

Time travelling is something that has always intrigued me and I love Rachel McAdams so I need to see this asap.

7. Alice in Wonderland

This probably falls under the "Classics" category and I really need to read them as soon as I get the time. And of course, see this film, too!

8. The Outsiders

I remember reading and watching this when I was in second year but was out most of the days so I didn't really get understood it.

9. Eragorn

I love dragons! (Who doesn't though?. Now I havent read the series so I've no clue whether it's good or not. I will give it a chance though!

10. I Am Number Four

I haven't seen the film nor read the book so I have no idea what this will be about but the actor on the promotional poster has glowing hands so I'm guessing it's fantasy? 

Have any of you seen the film I mentioned? What about read the book it was adapted from? Which one is your favourite? Did you hate anyone of the ones mentioned? Let me know in the comments below :)