We did it!

We got married! 

Almost eleven weeks ago actually. I don't know where the time has gone to be honest but a four night minimoon and a three week honeymoon have probably got something to do with it.

It was an incredible day. Filled with most of our favourite people (damn Australia for taking two of our closest friends away last year), lots of amazing food and a massive amount of love and laughter. It absolutely flew by, predictably, and it feels like it was a lifetime ago now. Married life thus far has been pretty sweet, although not much has changed really. I still haven't changed my name anywhere other than work and my Asos account (priorities) and I don't have a new signature yet. The word "husband" still makes me do a double take and I can't yet say it without feeling like a child playing make believe. But it has been a fantastic 2.5 months and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me and my husband (HA!).

Which leads me on to the next point.

This little blog of mine has reached its end. When I sat down and opened up the Blogger website in October 2008 I was heartbroken. An awful relationship (although I didn't know it was awful at the time) had ended and taken my spirit with it. I was sad all the time. All. The. Time. I started this blog as a way to "get it all out" I guess. A place to write down my thoughts, no matter what they were A place to cry and scream and sob into the internet. That relationship that broke me was rekindled for a short time but then, with devastating predictability, I had my heart broken all over again and it ended, for good this time. I was sad again - more sad than I'd ever been. But then, slowly but surely, life began again and I "found myself", for want of a better phrase. I desperately wish I could think of a better phrase. I lost some weight and found some much needed confidence, sure, but, and much more importantly, I also grew to actually like myself. I found out who my real friends were. I dated. I danced till dawn on more occasions than I can count or remember.

And then I met Ainge. The Soldier. The boy who came along and changed everything.

And life was never the same again.

I haven't written in here properly really for about the last two years. I just.... ran out of things to say. I lost my connection with this blog, with the reason for its existence. I never stopped reading other blogs but I just didn't want to write in mine anymore. There is so much hurt within these pages and it no longer feels like a place that represents me or the life I lead.

But that is not to say I will be disappearing. Oh no. I've had an online "presence" (ugh) in some form or other since the year 2000 so you won't be getting rid of me that easily. There will be a fresh start. A new blog of some sort, somewhere else, soon. I will post the link here as soon as it's live and I hope you'll follow me over there.

Thanks CYH, it's been a blast. Truly.


Photo Credit: Our incredible wedding photographer, Cassandra Lane.

Hello, 2015!

So, here we are. 2015. 

The year I'm going to become a Mrs. The year I'll gain a husband and a new name. The year we'll finally get a dog. Those are not necessarily listed in order of how I excited I am about them. Ahem.

At exactly this time in 12 weeks we'll be saying our vows and tying the knot. Which is rather terrifying, exciting and surreal, to say the least. I cannot wait. 

I haven't made many resolutions for the coming year. Mainly I'd like to be happier than I was in 2014, which, by all accounts, was a fairly terrible year. I intend to worry less, laugh more, throw out fewer vegetables which have rotted away to nothing in the depths of our fridge, go to the gym more, sit on the sofa less, be more sociable and wear more lipstick.

I wish you all a very happy new year. Let's do this, 2015.

Tying the Knot

 

Way back in April (!) I posted about our holiday at the beginning of February. What better time to post about what happened at the end of February than right now, the very end of August! I am nothing if not the queen of being delayed these days. Truthfully, the last six months have passed in a blur and the last thing I've felt like in an evening is putting on my laptop and tip-tapping away at the keyboard. But this is not an apology post, because I wouldn't puport to assume that anyone has even noticed my hiatus, let alone mourned it.

Enough of that. I am here. For now at least. And I hope to be here more from now on. Although I do say that each and every time I return, so I really wouldn't place any great trust in it.

So, the great happening of the end of February 2014! We only went and booked our wedding. Yep. It's actually happening. In exactly seven months from now, to be precise. So far we have our venue, Registrar, photographer, florist, favours and numerous other things sorted. Bridesmaids and best man have been asked and, thankfully, they all said yes. Most of the save the dates have been sent out and received. We have a minimoon booked. And a honeymoon. A three week honeymoon in Florida and New Orleans, to be entirely accurate.

So, yes. We're actually getting married. I am soon to be Mrs C, rather than Miss F. Although I may be Mrs C-F actually, given that I'm the last of my family to bear our surname and I don't think I'm ready to give it up just yet. I rather like my name. I've grown quite attached to it over the last 32 years, truth be told. However, I'm a bit traditional sometimes, as much as I try to protest that I am most definitely not, and I would like to share a name, at least in part, with my husband.

Husband. Yikes.

This is a whole new kettle of fish, isn't it?


(The photo is really just because I cannot publish a post without one. But I do rather like it. Me and t'husband-to-be at Beacons Festival a couple of weeks ago.)

So Good They Named It Twice

Way back in February, A turned the grand old age of 30. Luckily for him, he got to avoid a minor meltdown (which I definitely experienced when I turned 30)  because I took him to New York for six days of glorious food, strong drinks and freezing temperatures. I actually booked the holiday in April last year and then kept it a secret until Christmas Day, when I surprised him with it. I think it's fairly safe to say that it's one of the only secrets I've ever kept successfully and I'm not entirely sure how I managed it. Stealthy.

Brace yourselves for a photo-heavy post!

We stayed at the Ace Hotel in midtown and it was incredible. That picture of the Empire State Building above? Yep, that was the view from our room. It doesn't get much better than that.

I mentioned freezing temperatures above. By "freezing" I mean -9 with a 'RealFeel' temperature of -13. Every single day. But New York sure is pretty in the snow and there were only a couple of occasions when I felt like my body was shutting down due to the cold. Win win.

And then, of course, there was the food and drink...

It was an amazing few days and I was so sad to say goodbye to NYC when the time came for us to head for home. It was my fourth visit and definitely my favourite. Until we meet again, magical city of dreams!

January

January started with good intentions. So many good intentions. Resolutions were made to give up alcohol, caffeine and chocolate for the whole month. All those resolutions had fallen by the wayside by 4pm on New Year's Day. What followed was a month of nice meals out, nice meals at home, delicious wine, delicious gin and not a whole lot of moving off the sofa. And I have zero regrets.

February looks to be fairly decadent too, particularly given that we're off to NEW YORK on Thursday for six days. I won't say any more, for fear of spiralling into mania and burning myself out before we even land. Needless to say I'm very excited and looking forward to many many slices of pizza the size of my face.

January, in all its Instagrammed glory:

1) Amazing hot chocolate after a bracing walk early in the new year; 2) Leftover Christmas cheese and port; 3) An epic roast dinner cooked by my friend Becky and her fella; 4) A big gin in an awesome Betty Jackson Black glass; 5) After work wine at Superstore in the Northern Quarter; 6) Pulled bbq brisket, halloumi, sweet potato chips and coleslaw - believe it or not this was actually Slimmin World friendly; 7) Meal planning. We tried. We really did; 8) Fruit platter following a huge Chinese banquet for my Dad's birthday; 9) A chilli mojito and a mai tai at Bangkok Bar & Restaurant; 10) All you can eat chicken and ribs with Charlotte; 11) Token picture of Millie, because she doesn't normally sit still long enough for me to capture her cuteness