A Time Flies By

"Where did the time go? And what have I done? The days keep getting shorter and I'm still on the run" Sick Puppies - Where Did The Time Go

I still question myself that on a daily basis.
Writing my thesis, having a job and a boyfriend, harly any time for some much needed girl-talk...
It's hard to find time for oneself and when you do have that time, to spend it doing things that need to be done or doing things that you love. 
It's so easy to pass time browsing Tumblr, Youtube, Deviantart.. but really the part of writing is easily forgotten.
The thing of it is, I am scared to start writing again. I know I must finish it -- Lauren Kate said so. But to fall into my fantasy again seems hard when reality is always marching in.
Always the excuses, headache, tired, writer's block, no time, so much stuff to do -- basically is neglecting my passion and a piece of me.
I used to say that I'm a writer, but I've barely touched my stories in the past couple of months. Am I still worthy of that title?
Perhaps not but then again, there is so much going on in my life at the moment. And I bet in many other lives too, when thinking about it, it definitely scares me how many lives (about 7 billion if I'm correct) people are living right now. 

Anyhow, I'm still alive (very tired due to illness but that's getting better since Spring is really brightening the world), and intending to enjoy the days a bit more -- since time is flying by. I can barely remember my teenage years that's how fast it's all going.

Have a lovely orange day (first Kings'day here in the Low Lands, the Dutch go crazy) and some time to do things you enjoy and make you happy. We deserve to be happy.

Toodles!

February, when did you get here?

First of all, I'm lousy in keeping a blog.
I love reading them though, when others write them.
So every once in a while I find myself in a whim to write one once again.
I just keep wondering what to write, what people like to read.
Do they like to hear the stories of my life? Would they like advice on certain topics or just some random ramblings, which - let's be honest - I'm pretty good at.


Today a rambling about how February got around so quickly.
Lately it seems as if I've been living in a bubble. Two bubbles to be exact.
One bubble consists of stress and hard work (internship was so much fun, yet much hard work!) and the other consists of very happy butterflies and juggling my social life around. I've been a very bad friend for the past six months. 

Being - as you've probably guessed - a busy bee, it is hard to reflect on all the good stuff that has happened.
Especially looking back to this time last year - being a mousy little girl that was knocking on a strange front door as a school assignment. This assignment was the start of what we call a minor-study, in which we learned to get self-confidence and use theater as a way of connecting to people and hear strangers' stories. 
I never thought I would be able to do that, but there I was, talking to a total stranger.
From that moment on I knew I was about tot change to someone with a little bit more confidence.
Little did I know that I would performing on a stage with a 100 people watching me play a bit scary Greek Goddess;

Meet me as Klotho, one of the Fates

Or that I would fall in deeply love that summer and come to the conclusion that - since then - I've been craving less for chocolate! 
Even that I would be able to finish my internship - after a lot of stress, a few panic attacks and a massive amount of work done right- with a fantastic grade and confidence in myself being an actual speechtherapist.

Spotted just now: Spring in my garden!

February is here now and like every start of February, I'm feeling poorly (it's like clockwork that scary).
But the weather outside is beautiful. The sun is shining and I woke up by a few birds that were already singing their songs.
Spring is coming and I couldn't be more delighted.
Right now I'm trying not to think about tomorrow, when I have to really start with my graduation thesis and the stress will only grow once again.
Therefore my goal for February is to relax a bit more, spend some quality time with my friends and to enjoy the oncoming Spring. It is time that I start to worry less, don't let anxiety get the best of me and just go with it. 

Is there anything you would like to achieve this month?




I watched 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' the other night and as dear Sonny said: "everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it is not the end". 

And with that saying I wish you all a very good month!

Toodles! Iris

Images are not mine, most of them belong to their respectful owners (via Tumblr). Photo of me as Klotho belongs to a good friend of mine and the flowers of our garden belong to my mother and mother Earth, I took the liberty of taking the crappy picture with my phone though, I should be arrested for the violation of this beatuy.

My 2013 Favourites

My 2013 Favourites!

Watch if you feel bored and need some chattering.

Grab a cuppa and the best wishes for 2014!

with love, Iris

The Christmas Tag!

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Toodles!! Xx

A Sunday of Work poem

Sitting here, waiting for something to happen
Just listening to the wind that keeps blowing
Enjoying the sound of birds that keep singing
Such a peaceful morning of Spring

Another task shoots through my head
To worry over in a few hours
This is too quiet and too pleasant
To disturb the silence of the present

Yet the silent consists of sound
Wandering through the empty space
Steam from the cup filled with tea
Yes work can be nice to me

(picture by ~wiwionart)

-- A quick hello to this neglected part of my interaction with the internets. Again at work (I really should be working haha) but this idea of a bit of poetry shot through my head so I thought of sharing it here :) If you'ld like to read more of my work visit my DeviantArt: ~dazzling93 

Have a great day and enjoy every bit of it.
Toodles!! Xx

Awaiting Spring and catching up with friends

Hi guys,

I'm at work at the moment -- oooh she is writing blogs at work you sneaky girl -- yes I am, the privilege of my job is that as long as I get my work done, I can basically do whatever I like. I work at a small hotel in the town that I live in, as a hostess. And at the moment it is quiet and the laundry isn't done yet, so I thought I could write a blog whilst I'm waiting :)

Yesterday I had the chance to finally catch up with one of my best friends. Going to college in different cities and me working every other weekend and her having a boyfriend can take up a lot of your time, so we have to grab every moment we can have. And to our great shame, we hadn't seen each other since I believe January.
As we almost always do when we can meet up is having lunch in town, so that we have delicious food - one of our weaknesses - and have a few hours to chat. It was so good to see her; it was like we'd seen each other the day before and when she eventually went home my throat was slightly sour from all the talking!

It is so special to realize that you have so many incredible people around you. 

Sometimes when you see those quizzes in teen magazines or the internets about friendship, there is most of the time a question about 'would you rather have a group of friends or one or two very close friends'.

I definitely fall in to the category of having a few very close friends.

And I don't think I would want to have it any other way, they know you so well that one look can be enough to give you comfort or crawl over the ground in laughter.
Though all of my best friends - thinking about it is letting me realize that I actually have a lot of best friends - are girls, and I absolutely love them, I would also love it to have some more 'guy-friend's'. 

In my work-area, becoming a speech therapist, there aren't a lot of males. Which I think is a real shame and definitely sets the mood a bit. Girls can go on about stuff for so long, without any decisions being made, guys do that so quickly with some sort of no-nonsense. Plus they can bring that sense of humor that girls just don't posses and can be quite hilarious.
But I am subscribed to a lot of amazing people on YouTube, so I think I get enough of testosterone humor every week :')

So that's that for my small work-avoiding-update and I shall check on the laundry in a bit.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Iris

 - some Spring pictures since I can't wait for Spring to start, I'm in need for sunshine, flowers, singing birds and lovely days :)

Oh hey there, she's alive!

Hiya everyone,

One of my bestest chummies -check out stellavitrum.blogspot.nl she's amazing- also started a blog and that's when I realized I had one too!
*hides away in a corner of shame*
But ey, everything takes time to get used to and why not give it a go once in a while?
This time I didn't want to review a book, I wanted to chat away, so if you are not interested in that, cover your eyes and hum a good tune - or click on my chummy's blog :)

I've said in a previous blog that I am from the Netherlands in a teeny tiny town that has a lot of cheese and deliciously sweet syrup waffles -- there is honestly no proper translation for them, I am very sorry.
That can leave people to the question to why the heck I'm writing in English. I do that absolutely everywhere, my books, on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, my journal and even in my mind.
I have a strange fascination with the language, it helps me think and it sounds better than in the sometimes rude Dutch language.
This fascination is so strange for the people around me, they cannot understand why I would do such a thing. But for real, what does my family care about the fact that I write in English on Facebook? They say I am too 'technical' and that sometimes they find it hard to translate my messages. I consider this not my problem, I may have motives. I actually quite enjoy the fact that they can't read everything I say -- if they would only quit complaining since it is my life.
I haven't grown up with the language, apart from the fact that I've watched Notting Hill and Pretty Woman from the age that I could read along with the subtitles. It only is getting a bit out of hand up till the point that I can't find the Dutch word and need to say the English word and translate that before I know what the right word is. Still - some grammar mistakes etcetera are still in order, I am no bilingual and a human - so I am allowed to make mistakes...?

Since I've also said in a previous post that I write books -- at least I attempt to write them. And they are also written in English. Why do I do that, some people may ask? It is for the simple fact that you can describe things so much prettier and some kind of fuller than in Dutch -- which no doubt will be horribly translated if they ever get published. For example, I absolutely love The Mortal Instruments series by the amazing Cassandra Clare. Some Dutch translator thought it would be all right to translate that into the Chronicles of the Underworld.
And I can say with every fiber of my human being, that that person should be fired from his or her job. Because if the Translator had read that book, he or she would know that the book isn't about the Underworld. The main characters are Nephilim - half humans and half Angels. The Underworld is only a slight part of it, yes they kill Demons or send them back to their realms but really - that isn't what the books are about. They are about the Mortal Instruments, the Mortal Cup, The Mortal Sword and last but not least the Mirror. It may sound like I am a know it all and stuff and I know that not everyone will agree with me but it literally pains me that the Translator hasn't read the books properly. Is it too much to ask that someone knows what they are translating?
And this is why I am trying to figure out if I want to study English after I have graduated Speech Therapy. Because I would love to learn more about the language and I might want to start translating books, so I know that I can pour my heart in it and give the books and their authors whom have worked so hard for it, their proper translation.

Having that said - phew that was my complaining part, again I'm sorry - back to my 'books' by lack of proper word for Stories Unfinished. I am currently working on three books that are progressing nicely, and I have about five - yes it is insane, I'm very aware of that - ideas that need to be worked out. I am really insecure about putting things out on the internets since you never know if someone will copy it and use it for their own stories. Plus I am also insecure about my writing style. At the moment I am following a minor - a small course inside the Speech Therapy subject - that includes Creative Writing and I am very excited about that!
We are doing some fun assignments like describing a paper bin or the person that is sitting opposite you. We also have to write a fairy tale based on an event in your life. So that's what keeping me busy lately :)

I hope that I can keep up with blogging from now on. I don't think that there will be many book reviews since school is taking up a lot of my reading time and I am re-reading a lot of books lately. Which means that there probably be more chatting types of blog posts. Maybe some hauls I did lately? My bank account is seriously complaining and I should start saving for my trip to London this summer. I already have a bit too large list of stuff that I want to buy over there.

Thanks for reading :)
Love, Iris

Rapture by Lauren Kate (Fallen #4) 5 cups of tea!

The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer. (Goodreads.com)
-----------------------------------------


How to begin?
This book kept me awake after I read it.
This book is very accurate in hitting a place in your heart where it settles with stitches made of the same tissue as everything that you hold dear and can cause you pain if you want to have it removed.
I think that pretty much covers it.
Well not exactly but I am truly blown away by how good this book is. I think that Lauren Kate is a fabulous author. She can make lines so beautiful that you have to read them again plus her way of describing a scene is very well done.
This book has some huge themes to focus on, certainly after Passion. I honestly thought that Passion wasn't as good as Fallen and Torment and I was a bit scared and curious on how Lauren Kate would finish it. Certainly after her lovely short stories of Fallen In Love.
I can say that she's reached the top 5 of my favorite authors with Rapture.
The way she spins the bible into this book and explains things, is brilliant. She really made me think; well yeah, maybe it is/was like that. And then there is the lovestory. It is huge, it is sweet and has a certain dark edge to it. It isn't like Romeo and Juliet, thank 'heavens' no, though I think it is definitely as beautiful and capturing.
The only thing I'm stuck with is this; I want to know what happened to my beloved Cam. Because he is on of the best bloody characters in the entire series.
Further complaints I have not. I'm still too blown away!
Absolutely deserved 5 stars and a place in my heart (and it is crowded in there with all those beautiful fictional characters, I can tell you that!)

 

Fracture by Megan Miranda, 3 cups of tea.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.
-------
The story has a great concept. The characters are well laid out. The amount of thrill isvery very high and it totally gave me the creeps.
All in all, I can't really explain why I don't really like it. Maybe it has something to do with the power of Delaney. She felt miserable and so did I. She felt like no one cared for her and only wanted her dead, and for the few hours that it took me to read the book, I felt too.
Megan Miranda did a very good job, that must be said. The story is great and so is the writing, but honestly, it didn't leave me entirely happy. I still have questions I want answered, like; what's going to happen now? Is what happened to Troy, also going to happen to Delaney?
I do recommend this book, it's a story that's going to make you think and suck you in. But it didn't leave me with a very happy feeling, so be warned.

 
Kind of appropriate to the story :)

Cassie Clare's City of Lost Souls, 5 sugared cups of tea!

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

--------------------------------

It doesn't happen very often. A book that you HAVE to put down because you can't temporarily take it.
It did happen with CoLS. What a book, never a dull moment, not even an emotion that you couldn't find yourself having while reading.
Clary is such an amazing character, she really grows in his book and you grow a little with her. This book just kicks butt with every other book I've ever written. There aren't many series that, as they continue, keep getting better and better. City of Lost Souls definitely is.
Before I can give a more detailed review, I think I need to read it again, it was just so full of action, romance, drama and comedy that it is impossible to give you a good image of the book.
My best advice is to read it.
It definitely adds to the series and I'm quite sad that after City of Heavenly Fire, it will truly be over. But then again, this series is so amazing that you'll keep on reading it again and again :)
So conclusion: there is no emotion to describe the whirl of feelings that lifts you off your feet and takes you in a flow of excitement throughout the book.

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom Of The Opera, 5 cups of tea

What did I think of it? Good question.
I've seen the 2004 movie first and then I wanted to read the book, thinking that the movie would be based on it (of course).
I must say this first; despite the horrible ending, I hate it when the story doesn't feel 'finished', it is a fun, terrible, romantic story to read.
I'd expected that you would read from Christine's perspection as well, which would be tremendous, but then it wasn't. I didn't like it at first but as I went on, it added some sort of thrill and in the end, you did find out what had happened.
I like that the author has written the book like it has all happened for real and he's the journalist that's reporting it.
Even though I found Raould de Changy a bit whiny in the beginning, you cannot doubt his actions and his devotion towards Christine and even though she is a very naive girl in the beginning, she has faced terrible things and remained strong, which made her also some sort of heroine.

What can I say about the Phantom? I've loved him in the movie (honestly, who wouldn't love Gerard Butler?) and even in the book, in which he seems different, to me at least, he has something that is drawing you in and wanting to feel pity for him and go and comfort him.
The characters are honest and very well described, they are a part of the story, everone even the minor ones. The different perspectives also give you the hectics of an Opera house and you feel like you are a part of it.
Conclusion: a confusing book in the beginning but when it has seized you, captured you by the powers of the Voice and unheard but imaginable music, you can't let it go and it stays with you, wherever you go.
So yes, it will go on my favorites list with 5 cups of tea.

My rating system:
I use cups of tea (I told you I was obsessed ^^)
1 cup of tea: not my cup of tea, I didn't like it.
2 cups of tea: it was okay
3 cups of tea: that's more like it, I like it!
4 cups of tea: I really liked it
5 cups of tea: That's for sure my cup of tea, I loved it.    

Review: The Host, 4 cups of tea!

Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

Summary by Goodreads.com
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.


-------------------
The big question is, what did I think of it?
To be honest, this book has been on my shelf since it was published in 2009. Somehow I never felt the urge to pick it up and start reading.
Now, with the movie hitting the theaters next year, I felt that urge, plus I had a friend who was almost forcing me to read it. ^^
And I simply love her for forcing me into it, I owe her brownies and a cup of tea I guess. :)
When I started reading at first, I was completely confused. I didn't get the story and I really had to be sucked into it. But then the story started going and it was as if I couldn't stop any more, as if someone had cut the breaks. I have been speechless for a whole day after I'd finished it. My first thoughts, after 5 minutes of being completely numb, were: "chocolate, I need chocolate".

Firstly, I must point out how well written all the characters are, everyone has his story and his own character.
All the characters were so well expressed and I felt like I too got to know them. Of course the setting is hard for them but it shows that together, and with a dose of craziness, you'll stand strong.
The writing and the story are very clever, with both Melanie and Wanderer being the leading ladies and you can relate to both of them. Of course, Wanderer isn't human but her thoughts are pure, being a soul and all. And it is very interesting to read their conversations and discover that those girls really don't look alike but then in the end have one thing in common. Their relationship is an adventure alone in the book.
Secondly, though the whole setting might be a little unbelievable, you can do nothing but believe it while you are reading. It is so well described (though I only began to understand everything after the first part of the book) with a dosis of humor and sensation.
I also must add that I cried my eyes out in chapters 57 and 58. I just couldn't believe it but when those chapters ended it was like; "yeah it's supposed to go this way". So I must say I was absolutely shocked with the events after those chapters.
Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced because I love Stephenie Meyer's books and I am really sad that some people can't seem to do the same, tastes differ, I know. But in my opinion, books must always entertain, is a book entertaining, than it has succeeded in its duty. And 'The Host' definitely is entertaining. I have been stuck in this book with my nose for 6 days at every free possible moment.

I rate 'The Host' 4 cups of tea. I really liked it a lot and the book has ended on my favorites list and The Host will definitely be read many, many times. The one thing I thought that wasn't so good about the Host, was the trouble I had in being sucked into it. It has some starting issues, but like oldtimers, when it finally runs, it runs good :)

So if you haven't read it yet, please do, give it a shot -yes all those pages-, it's worth it.

My rating system:
I use cups of tea (I told you I was obsessed ^^)
1 cup of tea: not my cup of tea, I didn't like it.
2 cups of tea: it was okay
3 cups of tea: that's more like it, I like it!
4 cups of tea: I really liked it
5 cups of tea: That's for sure my cup of tea, I loved it.       

Oh and another thing...

One thing I might add to what I've just written. Why the name of this blog?
Well let me explain something first. One of my "books" has a theme of an arch, the other books have that theme too, a little, but it's more important in this book. It's the symbolic of an arch that appeals me. An arch is a place where things cross. And in this blog it will be my thoughts that cross the arch of the world wide web. And since I spend a lot of time in my worlds of ink (I love those series by Cornelia Funke, they've changed my life) I thought it would be an appropriate title.
I sometimes believe, but then again, I am a bit crazy (but who isn't eh ;)), that if I'm bleeding, I'll bleed ink. The amount of fantasy that sometimes gets into me brain is crazy.
I shall immediately explain another thing. I'm a Dutch girl, writing a blog. Then why is it that you write in English? You could question that. It's just that this is an international thingy, you could say and that could reallybe an explanation. In this case it isn't, and this another crazy thing about me, not everyone can understand it so I try to hide it an awfully lot, but English is like my second language. I write all my stories in English and I find that when I'm kind of stuck, I can express myself better in English. Plus, everything sounds better when I put it in English.

I hope that later this week, I'll put up my review of The Host. I've finished it like a few hours ago and I'm still in awe and can't really think straight.

Another warning for future readers, my mind is silly and I write when I feel the need to. So somedays, like today, I will post two times a day and then again I will not for a few days.
So I hope I can keep it up and post frequently.

A start

After a very exciting e-mail from one of my dearest friends, I decided to start a blog.
It's a strange thing to do and very obvious actually.
Strange, because I said once that a blog was nothing for me.
Obvious, because it actually is something for me.
I am a writer, as I call myself very convincing and proud. Not that I have published anything yet, I'm still in the phase in which I have 5 stories in my mind and about 8 written down.
Though people, friends, say that I have a talent, but I guess it's their duty to say so.
I've asked them several times to honestly say, without any prejudice, what they think of it.
But they remain enthusiastic and encouraging.
So when my dear friend, whom I've known since the first grade - that was like 15 years ago since I turn 19 this summer - said to me that a blog was a good way to give people reviews of books and tell them stuff.
I'm obsessed with books and the world of the written. Though I enjoy a good movie, like, every night. I seem to have no mind of my own, my mind is completely filled with song lyrics, quotes from books, quotes from movies and above all, conversations between my own fictional characters.
It is amazing that there is still space left to stuff with all the information a speech-therapist needs. For I am learning to become one at the moment. I'm in my second year of college at the Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands.
I don't know yet what to achieve with this blog, maybe it's just another way to let my voice speak with the hope to be heard. So enjoy my reviews, my thoughts and everything else I want to tell.