Love Letters; The Perfect Guy.

It's a question that's probably been through every single one of our minds, at least once. What do we want? What do we define as perfect? Because that's what we all want, right? This, Mr Perfect. But before now, to me the perfect man was somebody who was absolutely gorgeous. Think Liam Hemsworth, or Channing Tatum. That perfectly sculpted physique, the strong jawline, and manly persona. He'd be successful, and have a good career. Maybe a lawyer, or a banker. He'd be generous, and spoil me like nobody has done before. He wouldn't bat an eyelid about surprising me with those dream LouBoutin suede boots, and the £8,000 Tiffany engagement ring I've dreamed about for years? He wouldn't think of getting me any other ring.

I don't know whether its to do with maturing, or just reality, but those things all seem so shallow and superficial to me now. Sure, having serious eye candy on your arm is never a bad thing, but it's not the most important thing. And whether he works as a lawyer, or a farmer, it doesn't matter to me, anymore. When I meet my perfect guy, I just hope that he's kind, without being a pushover. I want him to have a sense of humour and laugh when I'm dancing round the living room in my underwear. Not look at me like I've grown another head. I hope that he encourages every single dream of mine, even if every other person is against them. I want him to be romantic enough that he realises love isn't just about materialistic gifts. Home cooked meals, handwritten letters, and being together on the sofa watching films is more than enough.

I want somebody who doesn't feel compelled to seek satisfaction from jealously. He'll make me feel like I'm good enough for him, because he believes that. He won't judge me by how I dress, or what colour I decide to dye my hair, because those small things in life aren't important. I'll trust him without hesitation because I'll know he's always going to be there for me.

And above all, I want somebody who will be there for me. When I'm crying and I don't look my most attractive, he'll just kiss away those tears with concern, and love. And when I'm fueled by PMS, and I'm angry at the world, he'll be patient with me. And when I am grumpy, he'll realise that humor is the best way to bring me round, and here he'll be, making jokes so unfunny that I'm laughing.

And that right there is perfection.

Change Has Come.

After much deliberation, gone are the ginger locks, and in their place brunette locks!

Here you go :)

- Lo x

Lyrical Love.

The songs I have been well and truly over-playing on my iPod at the moment;

1- If Tonight is my Last; Laura Izibor.
2- Newborn; Joss Stone.
3- Why You Wanna; Jana Kramer.
4- Set The World on Fire; Britt Nicole.
5- Sandcastles; Kate Voegele.

24 Hour Binge Read.

Nicholas Sparks is the only idol I have in life. I don't know when, but at some point I started to look to him as this significant figure in life, someone who I want to be just like. I admire his talent, his ability to use words that touch people to the core. Some writers will write pages, to build emotion, but he manages to produce such raw, touching emotion with the simplest of sentences. 

So, how is it that I became so ignorant towards him? A Walk to Remember is my favourite film. I can't begin to even count the amount of times I have watched it, but every time I do, I cry like its the first time I'm watching it. The relationship between Landon and Jamie is what love is about. We've seen too many rom-coms where the boy-meets-girl storyline is the same, and the two characters have these perfect lives, and they're beautiful people, and its just so tiresome. Jamie Sullivan's character isn't typical, or stereotypical, she's like this breath of fresh air in the cinematic world. And the fact that she and Landon fall in love is what I believe touches people the most, because that is what love is about. Uniting two people together who are so different, yet together, so much better. You see love isn't about meeting the best looking guy your eyes have ever met, or someone rich who will spoil you rotten. You don't choose love, you choose infatuation. Love is something that's altogether different. You don't choose love, because love will find you, and sometimes its in the most unlikeliest forms, in people who've never even been on our radar, or those we don't even dare to think about in such a way, but that's the beauty of love.


You see, I can gush about A  Walk to Remember, and write about how Nicholas Sparks influences me, yet until last night, I had never even read the book form. It's been sat on my shelf for a few years, and not once have I picked it up. Until yesterday. And I spent the last 24 hours binge reading that book, into the early hours of the morning, not quite believing I'd been so ignorant to a man whose work has changed the way I write myself. And all I have to say, is that Nicholas Sparks has done it again. To anyone else who hasn't read the book, I urge you to do so, because it differs so much from the film. And while the film will forever remain at the top of my ultimate film list, the book form is on my book list, too.


I have spent the last 24 hours binging on convenience food, barely wanting to stop reading. It was a chore to put the book down just to take off my make-up, shower, and get into bed. And even then, I stayed up until every page of that book was read, and there I was in the early hours of the morning, tears streaming down my face as it came to an end. And I wish I'd read this book sooner.


The relationship between Jamie and Landon in the book is a lot different to the movie, but its equally as powerful, and I'm in awe of Nicholas's ability to have such power over the emotions of his reader with his words alone.

Dear, Amy;

I think that when somebody under the media spotlight dies, it's immediately brandished a tragedy. But the death of Amy Winehouse is not a tragedy simply because she was famous, or because over the years she has rightfully collected a large fan base, and not even because of her raw, natural ability to have such unique talent. It's a tragedy because underneath that all, she was just twenty seven. And that small, frail twenty seven year old was crying out for help. She just needed somebody positive to come into her life and to help her rid herself of the demons in her life. Amy may have felt as though the rock and roll lifestyle was the one for her, but nobody can want to imagine their life ending at just twenty seven. Her addictions in life weren't because she woke up one day and decided to gamble with life. Her addiction was just that, an addiction. And people can sit here and judge her for that, even blame her for her own death, but its also those people who've probably never hit a bump in their seemingly perfect lives. Who've never made a bad judgement, or choice, and who've never had to live with the consequences.

So, to Amy Winehouse, I'd like to tell her this.
You were inspiring to a lot of people, and not because of the drugs or the alcohol, but because you had an exceptionally talented voice, and your voice will be forever known because people will continue to buy your music, just like they have done all weekend on iTunes.

But most of all, I'd like to say sorry. Sorry that nobody was there for you that day to stop you, or to help you. Sorry that nobody managed to make you feel like you had enough support to turn your life around. And most off all, I'm sorry that your life ended at just twenty seven. Strip away the addictions, and nobody, not anybody, deserves to die at such a young age. And now you're up there, with the music legends that defined history, that changed music, that we still remember to this day, and I'm positive that ten, twenty years down the line, the next generation will remember you, too.

R.I.P.

- Lo x

Playlists for Life.

I'm always blogging about music, and how it saves lives, how it's a part of life, and how it unites people. So this is a blog dedicated to actual music playlists. On my iPod I have this folder called Playlists for Life, and inside it are lists of different playlists for different moods. Not every day do we wake up and feel happy, and sometimes we just need something to play that changes that. Sometimes we're struggling to get through a bad breakup, or row, and we need empowering words to give us strength. And sometimes, we want a happy, care-free beat to smile along to . . . 


Here are my top fifteen songs in each of those playlists, I hope you like.


- Lo x



The Smiley Playlist:
Relxaxing, chillout songs that just make you :) . . .

1. Three Days of Rain - Jason Liberatore.
2. Sky - Joshua Radin ft. Ingrid Michaelson.
3. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat.
4. The Heart of the Matter - Indie Arie.
5. Better Together - Jack Johnson

6. Our Song - Taylor Swift.
7. In Love With a Girl - Gavin DeGraw
8. Someday - Miley Cyrus.
9. Loving You - Paolo Nutini.
10. Good Time Comin' On - Chuck Wicks. 

11. You Look Good in my Shirt - Keith Urban.
12. Mmm.. - Laura Izibor.
13. Say  Hey, I Love You - Michael Franti & Spearhead.
14. Summer Girl - Leighton Meester.
15. California - Phantom Planet.

The Dance Playlist:
Songs that immediately have you reaching for that make-shift mic . . .

1. Miss Independant - Ne-Yo.
2. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj.
3. Out of my Head - Lupe Fiasco.
4. Pass Out - Tinie Tempah.
5. Let The Bass Kick in Miami Girl - Chuckie ft. LMFAO.

6. Higher - The Saturdays.
7. Single Ladies - Beyoncé.
8. Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake.
9. Midnight - Pitbull.
10. Stay - Ne-Yo.

11. Miami to Ibiza - Tinie Tempah.
12. Freeze - T-Pain.
13. I'll Bring you Flowers - Sweet Female Attitude. 
14. Let the Sun Shine - Labrinth.
15. Baby - Justin Bieber.

The Getting Over Them Playlist:
The most empowering songs to help you get over them . . .

1. Irreplaceable - Beyoncé.
2. I Remember Me - Jennifer Hudson.
3. Fuck You - Cee Lo Green.
4. A Little Bit Stronger - Leighton Meester.
5. One Day You'll Be Fine - Kari Kimmel.

6. Ego - The Saturdays.
7. I'm Ready to Let you Go - Michelle Branch.
8. That Phone - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.
9. Best Thing I Never Had - Beyoncé.
10. Well, Well, Well - Duffy.

11. Girl - Destiny's Child.
12. Take A Bow - Rihanna.
13. Starts With Goodbye - Carrie Underwood.
14. A Woman's Worth - Alicia Keys.
15. Where You At - Jennifer Hudson.

The Sad Playlist: 
Sometimes you just feel depressed, and can't turn your frown around, and you need to listen to depressing, sad music . . . 

1. Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright.
2. Collide - Howie Day.
3. Say Goodbye - Katharine McPhee.
4. Lonely Day - Phantom Planet.
5. Wherever You Will Go - The Calling.

6. Only Hope - Switchfoot.
7. Hurt - Johnny Cash.
8. What She's Doing Now - Garth Brooks.
9. Your Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
10. Dreamer - Kari Kimmel.

11. I Want Tears - Michelle Branch.
12. Stupid Boy - Keith Urban.
13. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum.
14. I Couldn't Save You - Kate Voegele.
15. 3AM - Edwin McCain.

The Just Because Playlist: 
Sometimes they make you smile, or sad, but you play them either way, just because . . .

1. Never Say Never - The Fray.
2. Run - Snow Patrol.
3. All We'd Ever Need - Lady Antebellum.
4. Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross.
5. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw.

6. Light Outside - Wakey!Wakey!.
7. I Won't Give Up - Jana Kramer.
8. Landslide - Dixie Chicks. 
9. Waste Away - Hayley Jensen.
10. I Think About You Every Day - A Rocket To The Moon.

11. Let Love In - Goo Goo Dolls.
12. Lay Me Down - The Wreckers.
13. Life After You - Daughtry.
14. If Tonight Is My Last - Laura Izibor.
15. The Mixed Tape - Jack's Mannequin.

Dear, Kimberley;

If  I could do just one thing at this precise second, it would be to take all of these feelings away. To make the seemingly dark world you're living in at the moment better. To make you better, to make you laugh and smile. To make you enjoy life again. Because that's my best friend. You know, at times she annoys the absolute hell out of me. She has done for years, way back when she'd run around my house like an absolute lunatic, as my brother watched her bemused. And even then, she just laughed. That was probably an indication that you would always do things that test my short fuse, and make me snap at you. But even then, you just laugh, and after a while its forgotten, and we're both laughing.

But the love I have for you is greater than the smaller things that irritate me because they don't annoy me, not really. I usually want to laugh along at you, but it feels appropriate to encourage you. But that's my best friend. She's single handedly the person who makes me laugh the most, who I feel like I can turn to with any problem. I don't always fall for the right guys, or make good decision, but never once have I felt like you judge me. I remember you once saying, 'I don't judge you, Lora.' And those words are true, because you don't. Even when I'm telling you that I've fallen for a boy who already has a girlfriend, or crave the attention from an ex who really isn't good for me.

And my best friend is the most unique person on this planet. She wears green nail varnish the colour of bogies, and multicolored genie pants and she isn't fazed by the looks she gets walking down the street. She's defiant, and turns to them people with a smile and says, 'Do you like my trousers? They're from the shop along the road if you want some, too.' And that's not an act, or a projection of a caviler care-free attitude, that's you. You are who you are without any apologies, Kimberley. And you may be unhappy with yourself at the moment, and you might sometimes hate looking in the mirror, but let me tell you something. Females are born with this ability to never see their best attributes, yet they can spend hours picking out their worst. And they waste their life picking away at their faults, wishing they looked like this idealistic person they've created in their head, and before you know it, a year, two, maybe three has passed and you're still that same person. Still look the same. At some point you either have to make a change, or learn to accept yourself and see the refection differently, see it as the person the world sees.

But what I want to tell you now is selfish, because I want you to know how much I need you. These past few years haven't been the best while you were away at University, and I missed my best friend. And I need you in my life because you make it brighter. I've always been used to you being larger than life, being this person who I can laugh about anything with. And my favourite sound is knowing that I've made you laugh. And I miss those times, more than you know. I've been counting down the days until you came home, and now that you're here, you've come back a different person and I don't know how to make that better, but I want you to know that I'll try. Even if you feel alone, you always have me. I'm not going anywhere, not ever. Because you're not my best friend, Kimberley. The love I have for you, the love my family has for you, goes beyond a friend. You're a part of this family, a part of my life, and you always will be.

So whether you need me now, tomorrow, or a year from now, I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be right here because that's what a best friend is. They're not just there to benefit from the good times, they're there to go through the bad times with you, too, to suffer alongside you.

And I love you, Kimberley Tough. And I promise you, this will get better, life will get better.

We all have to believe that.

- Lo x