Braces off!

So, this is not at all book related, but I just had to share it! I GOT MY BRACES OFF TODAY! Ahh, I'm so happy.

I used to have really... awful, scary, over-crowded teeth:

I didn't really care too much about my teeth. I mean, I still looked happy and smiled in every photo! I just didn't realise how bad my teeth were, until I got my braces on (11th July, 2011):

After a couple of months, my teeth started straightening up! It was so surprising. It happened so fast. This next photo was taken late September, just a few months after first getting braces:

This next photo isn't a very nice one! But, it was about a year after I had gotten my braces. My teeth were so straight and I loved looking at them! I decided if I were to get my braces taken off in that moment, I would've been happy because they already look so good:

The top photo in this collage was taken the day before I got my braces removed. My teeth were so... perfect. So straight. I was very excited! My friend told me to smile really big and show all my teeth so she could take a photo!
The bottom photo was, obviously, taken after I had my braces taken off:

So yeah! That was my journey with braces. 19 months. 19 exciting months. It was a pretty smooth ride. I didn't break anything, thank god. I had lots of fun with the rubber bands ;) Great for flicking people with :D
Here's the final photo of me. Taken straight after getting my braces removed. It took 2 and a half hours. But, in my opinion, braces are so worth the pain, the money and the time. I didn't exactly love them, but I was definitely a little bit sad to see them go.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Five/ five stars, of course!

Thank you so much to the team at Penguin Books Australia for allowing me the opportunity to read this book through NetGalley. 

When I saw that I could request The Indigo Spell on NetGalley, I had a mini fangirl moment, and then requested it! A few hours later I was accepted and had a HUGE fangirl moment; complete with crying, running around and even screaming. The Indigo Spell is one of the most anticipated books of 2013 and readers will not be disappointed. Even on her 9^th Vampire Academy book, Mead has managed to captivate me and totally amaze me, yet again. The Indigo Spell was everything I expected and more. Readers will fall in love with this series all over again.

I know many readers and reviewers are still sceptical about the Bloodlines series because... well, it’s just not as awesome as Vampire Academy, but The Indigo Spell is sure to turn all sceptics into lovers. I was never a sceptic, but I was as unsure as everyone else about Sydney. Sydney just isn’t Rose, but I’ve accepted that and I think everyone else should too. The Bloodlines series is never going to be like Vampire Academy. Mead has been there, done that. Now it’s time for Sydney and Adrian to shine. And to be honest, I totally love it.

Of all the VA books she was in, Sydney was a typical Alchemist; afraid of vampires, straight-laced and smart. In Bloodlines Sydney was still very Alchemist, but in The Golden Lily she got marginally better. In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was someone completely different. I kept wondering where boring Alchemist Sydney went, because this new Sydney was awesome! She went against her Alchemist ways to make herself happy and that showed courage. Of course, she had qualms about doing so, but wouldn’t everyone? The fact that she went against fellow Alchemists was so unlike Sydney. Sydney sure kicked some major ass in this book and that was so unbelievably awesome. Sydney has vastly improved since VA, Bloodlines and The Golden Lily and I cannot wait to see how she acts in the rest of the series.

After everything that happened to Adrian in VA, I’m so glad he got a spin-off series. Adrian may be a bit rude and quite strange but deep down he has a good heart. I admit, I didn’t particularly like Adrian in VA, but in my defence he was in the way of Dimitri and Rose, and we couldn’t have that! BUT! Right from the beginning of Bloodlines, I loved Adrian. He was funny and interesting and didn’t take things too seriously. He basically lightened up even the darkest of rooms. Since Bloodlines, Adrian has frustrated me, infuriated me and made me swoon. But in The Indigo Spell, he was incredible. He was persistent with Sydney, nice, surprisingly kind and loving. Adrian really is an unexpected ball of emotion. After that ending, I cannot wait to see how Adrian and Sydney continue. (Because, OMG SYDRIAN).

I’m not going to say too much, but I didn’t particularly like Marcus. I did not think that in any way Sydrian was even remotely threatened. I admired Marcus for some time in the book, but after a great brainwave from Sydney and some dodgy plans from Marcus, I decided I wasn’t very fond of him. Also, even though she is a bit of a nut, I really love Mrs Terwilliger. She believes in Sydney and I loved her for that. I also thought some of the things she said/ did were hilarious (Like the dragon thing). She was a great little character.  

Everything about this book was amazing. Sydney was awesome! As well as that, the book had an excellent, intriguing plot and fabulous characters. It was interesting, mysterious and exciting. And it had the most wonderful romance! Everything about it was great and I honestly cannot fault one thing from this book.

From about 96%, I was absolutely ecstatic. Then at 99%, that happiness evaporated into shock.  (Although, don’t worry, the ending is nowhere near as horrific as TGL!). I have loved every one of the Bloodlines books so far and I cannot wait for the rest of the series.