These are the good times...

I am obsessed with these Sapling Press cards

This weekend has been mega.


Friday involved smoked haddock risotto (I'm addicted), spiced coffee and almond vodka (YES), Mean Girls, dancing at Trof and my friend falling asleep on my bathroom floor with a towel over her. Hero.

Saturday involved bacon and egg sandwiches, DIY, framing pictures, sitting in D's garden in the GLORIOUS sunshine, mega turkey curry, The First Day of the Rest of Your Life and a little bit o' wine.

Today has involved waking up with a cold and sore throat (boo), making roast potatoes and broad bean/pea/garlic/fried onion salad, lots of painting of spare room walls, hall floor and canvasses and, still to come, a bit of a Law & Order: SVU marathon. Oh yes.


Some facts for you:

In my fridge there is hardly any food. However, there are six (SIX!) types of cheese. My commitment to le fromage knows no bounds.

I have £24 a week to live on for the whole of August. Oh yes. Frugal is now my middle name.

I have removed three (THREE!) spiders from my kitchen this weekend without a) crying b) phoning my Dad and trying to make him drive 20 miles to get rid of them or c) killing them. I'm all grown up.


How have your weekends been, loves?

Confession

Bless me Father, for I have sinned... (and not just by eating that cupcake)


It has been 35 days since my last outfit post. It has been 8 days since my last blog post. It has been even longer since I actually posted anything of substance.

There is a reason. Reasons, actually. However, this blog is my happy place and I do not want to go against that by talking about what's been going on this year. Suffice to say, my head is a lot more sorted now than it has been for months. My holiday in Spain was just what I needed to clear my head. A bit of space, a lot of thinking and a few revelations later and... I'm back.

And I have a plan. A plan for infinite happiness, if you will.

A lot of it is not for blog consumption. Not yet anyway. A lot of is long term and currently fairly intangible. But, for now, I'm going to:-

-- Cook from scratch. I LOVE cooking but, for some reason, I've barely cooked at all over the last few months. Unless I'm having someone round I tend to just pick. Or, even worse, pick up a takeaway menu. Not anymore. Last night was smoked haddock risotto with a poached egg. Tonight is turkey bolognese with wholemeal pasta. I feel so much better about myself when I'm eating well and not just shovelling rubbish into my face.

-- Exercise more. That age old resolution. However I never feel better than when I'm doing exercise regularly. I need to dust off my trainers, get out the horrifyingly unflattering dri-fit leggings and RUN.

-- Blog more. Yes, normal service WILL be resumed. Pinky swear.

-- Take more photographs. I used to take my camera everywhere but recently it's rarely left my dining room shelf. I love taking photographs. I love playing about with them after. I want to create things and see the beauty in the world again.


Because there is so much beauty. Even in the darkest hour, there is light. And I think I might just have switched it back on again.

Regresar

Hola!


At 4.30pm yesterday I was still in Marbella. Now, after a taxi ride, a bus ride, a plane ride, a train ride, another bus ride, a walk, another bus ride, another train ride and a car ride, I'm home. Nerja was relaxing, hot and lovely. Marbella was slightly less relaxing, slightly less hot (although still roasting) and hilarious.

I'm shattered and just about ready to fall into bed. So, without further ado, some snippets...

Food eaten: Curry (yes, really), pasta (numerous times), whitebait, paella, pineapple on the beach, far too much ice cream
Drinks drunk: Strawberry daiquiris, tinto verano, sangria, wine that cost 10 euros for a glass (horrific), sambuca (downfall), Jagermeister, more blanco y negros (coffee granita with cream ice cream) than I care to admi, GALLONS of water
Swimming pools jumped in at 4am: Just the one
Parts of body sunburnt: Numerous
"Celebrity" spots: Lauren from Eastenders, Gavin Henson (maybe)


Verdict: AMAZING. Take me back. Now.

Viva Espana!

Week one in new job. Done.

To celebrate I'm off to Nerja and Marbella for eight days. The weather is currently about 38 degrees in Nerja. Pray for me and my lily white skin. Please.

Laterz xx

Home Sweet Home: Part 1

So, I know that some of you have been eagerly awaiting pictures of my little palace. Well, it's still not finished. If I'm honest, I have no idea when it will be. However, I am impatient and want to show you a few photographs! So, without further ado, let's start with the living room. Here's what it looked like before...

Pretty grim, yes? Brown walls, brown carpet, brown skirting boards. Dull dull dull. And now?

That's not the best photo in the world but it's a very frustrating room to take photos of! The wall inbetween the living room and dining rooms makes getting a decent shot of either room very difficult. Still, hopefully you can see that it is white! With carpet! And a big television. Oh yes. There are curtains up now and wooden Venetian blinds will be going up any day, to banish those horrific office-style vertical blinds. The pink chair is from Tesco and was more trouble than it's worth, but I do love it.

Now for the details...

Top: 'Make Art Not War' bought at the Tate Modern, in a Paperchase frame; Green vase from IKEA; 

Anthony Wilson on Manchester coaster. Yes, we do do things differently here

Middle: New York canvas, photograph by me; Blown up photograph, taken by me in Pacha, Ibiza in 2006; 

Fabric letter 'H' from Anthropologie

Bottom: Lips telephone that the world and his wife seems to own, bought from Amazon; 

My A-Level Art coursework featuring the Royal Exchange Building, Manchester. Done in inks

So, there you go! One room down, five more (plus the hall, stairs and landing) to show you.