QOTW #11: To Love Something Despite

“It had flaws, but what does that matter when it comes to matters of the heart? We love what we love. Reason does not enter into it. In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.” 
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear


I've started re-reading The Name of the Wind and Oh My God... I had completely forgotten how brilliant it was. I remembered I loved it, that I could remember. But there was no way I could remember the level of its greatness.

For those who don't know, The Name of the Wind is the first book of the saga The Kingkiller's Chronicle, written by Patrick Rothfuss. I can honestly say that, even though it's not my favourite book, it's the best fantasy book I've ever read and it's going to take something reaaaaaaaally good to top it. It's situated in a world similar to The Lord Of The Rings, and it follows the story of the main character, Kvothe. I won't give anything else away, I'll just pray to every single bookworm reading this post: PLEASE go read it. Please. If you like fantasy books, this is a must. I swear. I've never seen anything like it.

Given my newfound love for the saga, it only felt right to dedicate a post to my favourite quote on the books, particularly from the second one, The Wise Man's Fear. I think it's one of the most beautiful quotes I've ever read. Although I'm quite a rational and logical person when it's necessary, the most important things to me are the ones that come from within.

When you love someone or something, it's never perfect. There are mistakes and we fall down, because we're unstoppable, stupid, messy, beautiful humans. And it's so easy to love something loveable. The good things about someone. Everyone could fall in love with them. But when we love the whole package, filled with good and bad... that's when we really love. And it's something that can never be calculated.

The fact that "unwise love is the truest love" is so interesting, though. When you don't think about it, when you cannot regulate it and make it logical... that's when it's true. There is nothing logical about love. You either love or don't. And you can't choose it.

I love this quote and I love this book. I hope that, if you read it, you'll love it as much as I do.

A big big hug!


Acqua

May Favourites!

Hi there! May is about to finish (which means exams are about to finish and I approve) so as always, I've gathered the things I've been loving this month and I'm sharing them with you! Let's go!

1- The Endgame novels
This is the book discovery of the year! I was talking to a new friend from Uni about what books I like, and she immediately recommended this saga because she knew I'd fall in love with it. If you like Divergent, The Hunger Games and/or The Maze Runner, please check it out. The writing style is quite different from anything I've ever read, and it's really interesting. There are a lot of characters, but once you get used to it, it's not complicated to follow. You become invested with their stories. The writing could be better, I have to say, as with Divergent and The Maze Runner, but the story is so interesting and the plot so finely schemed that you don't mind at all.

2- Bonté's hair masks: Satin Liss and Repair and Protect
You know I love Bonté! I decided to try out their hair masks this month and I can see a HUGE difference on my hair. The Satin Liss one is for rebel hair, and it's quite thick. The Repair and Protect one is for damaged hair, and it's lighter. They both smell amazing and work wonders on your hair. They moisturise it without making it greasy (which tends to happen with my hair), so I'm definitely sticking with them for a loooong time!

3- Essence's Coverstick in the shade 04 True Nude
I bought this stick concealer because I was looking for something I could use without foundation, which I don't feel comfortable wearing, and I found exactly what I needed. It works really well with my spots and imperfections. It doesn't completely hide my eye bags, but it tones them down and you can't even see I'm wearing something, which I feel would happen if it covered them completely. What surprised me was to see it had a creamy texture. It's not drying at all! But at the same time, it works amazingly with greasy skin and you don't need any powder because it's not shiny. It won't last the whole day though, just for some hours.

4- Essence's LongLasting eye pencil in the shade 01 Black Fever
If you remember, on my Top Essence Products post I talked about Essence's Longlasting eye pencils because I had one in the shade 09 Cool Down, and I really liked the product although it didn't look good on me. I was trying to find a black one, and I finally did! I think it cost me less than €2, which is a complete bargain, and it just works well. It's easy to apply, even on your waterline, it lasts quite a lot, it doesn't spread all over the skin around your eye... Great!

5- Sara Bareilles' Waitress
As you know, Gravity by Sara Bareilles is one of my favourite songs, but some weeks ago I found out Sara Bareilles had written a musical! What? It has a song that speaks to me so much. It's called She Used To Be Mine, and the character singing it talks about herself when she was younger, how different she was and what huge dreams she had. It's just gorgeous.

6- Chester See
I already talked about it, but Chester See (youtuber and singer) has just come back! I decided to check out his content and he's amazing. And his songs... they're gorgeous! If you're into the youtuber world, you need to check him out. And if you're not... this could be your doorway! You can thank me later ^^

That's all for this month! I'll leave it here and I'll see you on Monday!

A big big hug,


Acqua

Update & Tips Against Stress

I'm SO SO SO sorry! I know I was meant to post last Monday, but I got home after 11 PM because I had a meeting and all I could think of was having dinner and going to bed. I felt so bad when I realised I hadn't posted...

As you know because you're all in the same situation, the end of the school year brings lots of exams and projects and everything just keeps piling up. I also work and study music at the same time, so it can get quite overwhelming. If you've been here for a while, you'll know that I've suffered from anxiety before and, even though it wasn't triggered by the studying and working-related stress, the tips I used to overcome it are also useful for this time of the year, so I thought I could share them and some of my studying methods with you :)

1- SLEEP. Get some good, long sleep. Your brain and body won't work otherwise. When you're sleeping is when the things you've studied soak in and settle into your brain. If just one day you need to sleep less, it's okay, but NEVER less than 5-6 hours. Under no circumstances.

2- Don't do the same thing for a loooong period of time. Some people tell me they've spent the whole weekend locked at home to study THE SAME FREAKING SUBJECT. I admire them because it's something I can never do, although I can't help but think after a while, time isn't as useful. Your brain can get stuck, and you can't force it to go further. If you really have so much to do, maybe switch the subject, or do a different kind of work. And in most cases...

3- Take some time off. Have a nice, bubbly bath. Do some yoga (I've just started and it's really useful). Go for a walk, breathe some actual air. Go to the cinema. Go to have dinner with friends. Just do exciting and calming things between the studying.

4- Plan what you want to do and reward yourself when you complete a task. Even though I'm not always able to follow my lists and schedules, making them is very practical because it allows me to view everything that has to be done. That calms me down quite a lot.

5- Find what works best for you. Everybody has different ways of studying. Just keep trying things to see what works with the way your brain is built. Don't assume that because someone else studies in a certain way, this way will work for you. Find your own method.

6- Finally, be smart and see what your teacher wants. A question can be answered in different ways depending on the teacher that's going to correct it. Every teacher is an individual who considers certain things more important than others, and you need to pick up on that. Get to know who you're dealing with!

That's it! I hope you'll have a relatively nice and calm exam period :) And I'll see you on Friday with my May Favourites!

A big big hug,


Acqua

The Happiness Tag

Things that make me happy:

(Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...)


Scents

New books
Rainy days
Peach
Baking goods!
Tea


Books

Harry Potter: this just has to be the number one influence on my life since I read the first book when I was 7! I've made so many amazing friends thanks to Harry Potter and I've always been really active on the fandom. I've written fanfiction, read the books up to 7 times... I just love it!

The Fault in Our Stars: okay, I know this is supposed to be "things that make me happy" and you must be thinking TFiOS is a tear jerker... well, it makes me cry a lot, but it's also one of the things that brings the most joy to my life. I just have a connection with that book. It speaks to me on such a deep level! It's also one of my favourite films, but I've decided to put it just once so it would make room for more things :)

The Little Prince: I've said it before and I'll say it again: everybody should read this book! Adults more than children. We need to go back to the roots and see what's important in life. Sometimes we get so obsessed over the unimportant things that we get lost. To me, that book is solid ground. Is me knowing what I have to value.

All My Friends Are Superheroes: THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK IN THE WORLD. It wasn't on my favourite books post, but I love it. It's actually Carrie Hope Fletcher's favourite book! So there's that. If there's a word that defines it is endearing. It just leaves me with a warm feeling and makes me so happy.

Malory Towers: talk about throwback! I've read these thousands of times and I love Enid Blyton. It actually inspired me to write a story when I was 10 and I still have it hahaha I still find myself going back to them every some months!


Miscellaneous

Singing
Swimming
Children
My village
Playing theatre

Music (artists, songs, musicals...)

Les Misérables: IT HAD TO BE SOMEWHERE. As with TFiOS, it's one of my favourite movies too, but I've decided to put it on the list just once. Do I really need to tell you again how much I love this musical?

Danielle Bradbery: my favourite "mainstream" singer, winner of The Voice US season 4. She has a huge voice and needs to be more promoted, because even though her first album was average, she's been getting new amazing songs out and I can't wait to see the studio versions on a new album!

Lea Salonga: my favourite musical theatre singer. If I could just listen to her live... I'd be the happiest person on the planet. I admire her so much, and her skill is undeniable. She's such a funny person too! And her daughter is the cutest! (Let me say I wanted to put Carrie Hope Fletcher here so badly but I wanted to talk about different categories and she fell on Lea's... but I love her too!)

Txarango: you probably won't know about them, but they're a Catalan band which has been touring all over the world. And to me, they are the definition of something that makes me happy. Their music can always lift my mood. There isn't a grey day when they're around. I've also heard them live a handful of times and you have such a fun time.

Haven't Met You Yet: This song is by Michael Bublé and never fails to make me smile! I love the whole feel of the song!

(Sidenote: I have my "Favourite Musical Songs" playlist on while I'm writing this post and "My Favourite Things" has just started to play! This is perfect!)


Films & TV

DOCTOR WHO.: Just freaking Doctor Who. I love how it celebrates the wonders of the smallest things human beings do, the smallest acts of kindness that make us human. It makes me cry and laugh at the same time and it's such a special show to me.

Mary Poppins: This was my favourite film growing up and it holds a special place in my heart! It's so endearing and fun and funny. I love it :)

Hercules: I wanted to say "Disney Films" in general, but I felt it was like cheating... so I decided to write my favourite one instead! But if I say it maybe that's cheating too... Oh dear! Well, I'm sure you all know how special Disney films are to our generation :)

Castle: I'm still in denial over it ending. Castle's character is a joy. A writer investigating crimes... I love his out-of-the-box way of thinking and his different abilities. The other characters and the stories are also phenomenal.

The Big Bang Theory: Just funny! The characters are so well-rounded and they have the craziest ideas. I love it!


And that's it! Thank you so much Beth for nominating me, this was so fun to do! You can go check Beth's post here ^^ I want to apoligise to whoever invented this because I know music wasn't on the original, BUT it didn't feel right to leave it out! So I just had to add it hahaha I nominate Laura, Iris and Jess! I hope you'll enjoy doing it!

A big big hug,

Acqua

QOTW #10 Like There's Only Today

Hi guys! Today's Quote Of The Week will be a little bit different, and luckily you'll have guessed what I'm talking about because of the title. If you don't, you will in a second!

One of my favourite youtubers is Grace Helbig, and on the past weeks I've found out her boyfriend is fellow youtuber Chester See (I know, I'm quite late, but I've just gotten Snapchat!) Anyway, they did a collab on Grace's channel and said he would be posting videos again after almost a year. So I thought I could drop by and check it out.

On his first video after the hiatus, he included a performance of a song of his, and I was IN TEARS after I heard it for the first time. I've had it on repeat since that day and I love it so much. I thought I could use a quote of the song for this post, but... well, I just couldn't decide which one. I kept going back and forth and changing the quote I wanted to use, but I couldn't make up my mind.

Finally, I decided to share the song as a whole. Here's the video (the song starts at 2:50), and the lyrics are below. It's called Love Like There's Only Today

What if you found out tomorrow
that you’d have to say your goodbyes 
Who would you love? What would you do? What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Cause lately I find myself wondering
where everyone’s rushing off to
searching for the next thing to happen
but what if life is just happening for you?

I know it’s easy to say
yesterday’s past, tomorrow’s a guess, you might as well live for today
and love 
cause there’s too much at stake
and love like there’s only today

I know there’s a dream you’ve been dreaming
where everything’s finally right
you got all that you need, with all that you want, it will just take a matter of time

but what if your dreams have been waiting
while waiting has been your excuse
cause time won’t deny you the moments
they’re just yours to lose

I know it’s easy to say
yesterday’s past, tomorrow’s a guess, you might as well smile for today
and love 
cause there’s too much at stake
and love like there’s only today

What if we lived in a world where we tried to just smile a little more everyday, what a world that would be, a world I’d like to see
So take a deep breath, put your worries aside and try to start smiling with me

and love, love, love
cause it’s all that we need.


This song just speaks to my heart. It's exactly the song I needed at this point of my life. It has such a powerful message. Let's get rid of our burdens, doubts and fears and start living and loving as if it were the last day of our lives. We don't know when that last day would be, but let's live in a way that we won't have regrets. "I wanted to write a book but I didn't, I wish I hadn't put it on hold" is not something I want to say on my last hours.

As the song says, we all have a dream. Bigger, smaller, it doesn't matter. And I don't think we'll regret having done it if we fail. We'll regret not even trying. Putting our waiting as an excuse. That's what we'll regret.

And we'll regret not giving enough love to the people who are important to us. I remember the look on my dad's face when his brother, who he hadn't talked to in years, died. It wasn't his fault that they hadn't been talking, it was his brother who decided he didn't want to have contact with him anymore, and the reason has always been nonsense to me. But this didn't matter. What mattered was that his brother had died and he hadn't seen him in ages. Although he knew he wasn't the one to blame, he still felt guilty. And I was so sorry he had to feel that way.

Love. Don't waste your time on hating others, it's only a burden. If you don't like someone, be indifferent. Love those who deserve it and simply ignore those who don't. Hatred is such a poisonous thing, and it spreads like wildfire. Don't start it. Live, love, smile. You never know how good that will be for you and those around you.

That's all I have for today. I hope you'll like the song, and I'll see you on Friday!

A big big hug,


Acqua

Answering your questions!

Hi there guys! How are you today wherever you are on the world? I've been asking you to ask me questions for the last week, thank you to all of you who did! This is my first Q&A, so I'm really excited :) Let's get to it!

Laura (www.blossomofhope.blogspot.com)

- What has been your biggest achievement in life?
I feel like my biggest external achievement was A Fiddler On The Roof . Those who have been around longer will know it, but for those who don't, I was in a local production of A Fiddler On The Roof that immediately went huge! It was all over the newspapers with amazing critiques, and we were invited to one of the biggest theatres in Catalonia. I translated the whole thing when I was 16 and it was a hell of a work, but I loved every second! Then I got to play Hodel, who is one of my favourite characters ever. It was such a blessing! My biggest personal achievement I think would be learning to keep my anxiety at bay :)


 Rosie (rosieauthorwriting.blogspot.com)

- What are your favourite places in the world?
My village is actually one. There's just so much to do for such a small village... I know loads of people who can't wait to finish studying so they can go to live abroad. I'm just not one of them. I love travelling though, just... as a temporary thing! My favourite places I've visited are London, Rome, the North of Italy, Nantes, the Chenonceau castle in France... I wish I could visit Florence, Greece, Scotland and the U.S.! (Either coast would be awesome!)

- Other than blogging, what are your hobbies?
I have plenty! I love working with children, singing, playing the violin, reading, writing, swimming, watching TV series, watching films, watching reality singing competitions, listening to music, going to concerts, watching youtube... and I'm sure there are more that don't come to my mind right now!

- How was high school for you?
Honestly? It was haaaaaaard. So hard. I only knew a couple of people from my previous school, which was awesome because I'd been bullied really badly. I wanted to start over. The first year, my best friend who came with me was ill for some months, so I had to make new friends, and everything was fine. But when she came back, she didn't like that I had more friends. She became a really possessive person and sent everybody away from me. I spent two awful years. That's when I got anxiety and a bad, bad depression. At the end of my third year, though I met a guy who became my best friend. He was amazing. It took that girl a year and a half to take him away from me too. And then, things went bad again, but I managed better (wow, this is almost a book hahaha sorry it's so long!)

- Who are your top 5 blog/bloggers?
Wooooooow this is such a hard question! You all know I love El's blog, and Rosie's and Beth's have been my favourites for a long time too! But recently I've found more blogs that I love... I can't say only 5! To name a few, blossomofhope, Emily Maltby, ItsElla, ambiinwonderland, thepastelstyle, wellwellgirls, Royally Rouge, Autumn's... sorry if I forgot someone! >.<


Ambi (ambiinwonderland.com)

- What would be the one thing in makeup that you have to have in your collection?
I think it would have to be mascara, because it's the only thing I wear daily! Eye pencil looks better on me though... but I save it for special occasions! So mascara it is! ^^


El the Bookworm (theramblingssofmoi.blogspot.com)

- If you could be any book/film/theater/miscellaneous character, who would you be?
EAAAASY. Not to steal it from Rosie, but it would definitely be Éponine. Gosh, if I could play her in a production of LesMis... it would SO make me the happiest person on the world! But it's true that actually being her wouldn't be the best thing hahha If I could live one character's life I think it would have to be Luna from Harry Potter. I'd love to see things from her point of view and, of course, I'd love to go to Hogwarts!

- What would you be doing with your life if you weren't blogging?
Writing anything. I started blogging less than a month after finishing the fanfiction I'd been writing for 8 years because I couldn't just stay without writing and sharing my thoughts! I'm working on another project too, but that's classified ;)

- What is something that is traditional to your country that you love? 

Castells

Ball de Bastons

I love love love my culture! Here I have to specify: I don't consider the Spanish culture to be the one I belong to. It's not that I don't like it, I think a lot of Spanish traditions are really cool, but I've been raised in Catalonia, which has a different culture than the rest of Spain because of its past as a different country, and I love the traditions here, which I feel are mine. For instance, my favourite one is Castells, human towers. They're getting really huge right now! A lot of people belong to a group. I don't, but a lot of my family members do, and I always go to see their performances! I see them every time I can; I love them so much. I also love Ball de Bastons (stick dancers), which I take part in.


Jess (wellwellgirls.blogspot.com)

- If you have three wishes to make, what are they?
Wow, that's hard! I wish my brother would spend more time with the family. He's had a girlfriend for a year and he barely talks to us, and I wish that could change. I also wish wars were over. It's really cliché, I know, but it would make the world so much better. Finally, I wish people could respect one another. A lot of problems in our society come from disrespect. And I think it's so wrong!


Beth (bethmay75.blogspot.com)

- What inspired you to start writing a blog?
The idea came from Girl Online, I'm not original with that hahaha I just wanted to write more after finishing my fanfiction and it felt so right!

- What do you like to do in your free time?
Loads of things! All the hobbies I said above can apply to this. I sign up to more things than I actually have the time to do. It can get overwhelming, but I try to manage as well as I can! I love baking too, and drinking tea.

- What's your favourite shop or brand? 
I really don't think I have one. I loved Maybelline because of their nail varnishes, but I've found out they test on animals and I'm really disappointed. Ooooooh I know I know, my favourite shop is Fnac! They have books and music and dvds and electronic products and stationery and I'm so happy when I go! La Casa del Llibre (The book house) would be a good one too. Both of them have books in English, so that's always a bonus.


Ella (ellacrabb.blogspot.com)

- If you could make a film, what would it be about?
It would so be a musical! It would have love, and pain, and happiness, and sadness, and loaaads of drama! Some storylines would have a sad ending, but some of them wouldn't, and the final message would always be: there is always hope. If I made a film, I'd want to spread hope. Maybe that could be the title and the name of the main character! That's actually a good idea!


That's all! Thank you so much for the questions and I'll see you on Monday!

A big big hug,


Acqua

I'm doing a Q&A! | Twitter problems

Hey there!

I'm doing a Q&A tomorrow and I'm really excited, so I was wondering if you had any questions to ask me! If you do, please write them in the comments! I'd love to have a lot of questions to answer so you get to know me better :) So if there's anything you want to know about me, this is the moment.

Also, I've created a twitter account, as some of you suggested! However, I'm having trouble to log in, which I never have with my personal account. I'm trying to sort it out, I'll let you know when it's ready! ^^

That's everything, then. See you tomorrow!

Growing Up

Growing up is something I said I never wanted to do, and yet here I am. I've changed so much and still have so much to learn.

It's weird to me how things are when you see them from another perspective. How something that seemed the end of the world is just a funny story of how worried I could get, or how something that wasn't special at that moment stands out now.

One of the things I've realised is how you stop being on the extreme of things. When you're younger, you are always the most whatever of the place, and later it's like you've softened on the edges. Or maybe you're still as rough, but you see that there are other people more on the extreme. And suddenly, you're not the smartest in the room. You're not the weirdest anymore. You're not the most innocent. You're not the one who reads the most. You're still smart, and weird, and innocent, and read a lot, but there are always people who are further on the end.

At the beginning I kinda lost myself. I somehow hated to feel that different, but at the same time, knowing I was all those things was reassuring. It was like I knew who I was all the time. I knew my place, I knew what to expect from life. And then, I wasn't that anymore.

If I wasn't the smartest, or the weirdest, or the one who read the most... then, who was I?

Those thoughts scared me to death, and they still do. People keep telling me I have to show myself instead of pretending to be someone else, and I try, but then I think... If I don't know who I am, how am I going to show it?

I can clearly say who the 14-year-old me was, as if it were a different person. Maybe this difference is what allows me to describe her.

I think we never stop growing up, and yet we never stop being children if we don't want to. We can still see the beauty in things, look at life as if everything was brand new and, at the same time, have this extra knowledge that comes with time and lets us see how we don't know anything at all. Putting things into perspective. That's what it's all about.

Let me know if you have any questions for me, because I'll be doing a Q&A next Friday! Until then...

A big big hug!


Acqua

My Evening Routine | Collab with Beth May

I'm not good with keeping routines. But when I come home from a busy day, I like to calm down a little bit, so I try to find some time to relax and take care of myself, which I tend to leave at the bottom of my priority list (that's something I'm trying to change!)

I usually come home after having gone to Uni, to work and then to take a singing/ violin lesson or sing in one of my choirs, so I come really late and exhausted. The first thing I do is light a candle and take a long shower. I use the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo and the Pantene Repair and Protect conditioner. Every two days I also use a hair mask, Bonté's Repair & Protect, which I've been using lately and really love. I cleanse my face using Bonté's Cleansing Gel.



After that, I take my laptop and do my homework because I haven't been able to until that moment. Later, I have dinner with my family and then we watch some TV. If I still have homework to do I finish it while we watch something that doesn't distract me, and then I go to sleep.

Before going to bed, I make sure that I brush my teeth and take care of my skin. Depending on the day and how my face is, I use Bonté's Purifying Tonic, Facial Moisturizer and/or Purifying Attack. Then, I braid my hair, set some alarms (I'm a heavy sleeper and it's really hard for me to wake up!) and finally go to sleep.



I hope you have enjoyed this post! If you want to check Beth's, go here. And if you have some questions for me you can leave them in the comments, because I'm going to do a Q&A post next Friday :) See you on Monday! ^^

A big big hug,


Acqua

QOTW #9: Short Wisdom

Hi guys! I'm back! I arrived yesterday at 11:30 pm and I'm absolutely exhausted... I have loads of posts to read and comment, so I thought today's QOTW could be a little different. That's the reason I decided to do a compilation of short quotes I really like :) I'll leave you with them and I'll see you on Friday!

A big big hug,


Acqua