Monday 30 December 2013

Party food: Sticky sausages (and Christmas update)


I hope 2014 brings you all happiness and health in abundance!

 

 

Sticky Sausages

  • 2lb cocktail sausages
  • 4 floz Honey or Maple Syrup
  • 1 floz Sesame oil
  • 1 floz Soy Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Sesame seeds








 Preheat the oven to 200c














In a bowl or jug mix the Sesame oil, Soy sauce and honey and whisk well.






 (Looks good enough to drink, no?)















Separate the sausages and place them in a baking tray (I use a disposable tray as the stickiness is a curse to get off my baking tray!) Pour the sticky sauce over the sausages. 










Take a spatula, turn and coat the sausages in the mixture. Pop in the oven for between 25-30 minutes. When they are done, let them cool down and the sauce gets really sticky.. YUM!















Finally, just before serving, sprinkle the Sesame seeds over the top!















And breathe....

Finally the craziness of Christmas is over for another year! This year was uber stressful/emotional as it was my first Christmas without my Mother, so that largely loomed over us for most of the month of December. We decided not to put up decorations this year as neither the Hubster or myself were in the mood to celebrate. We still bought small gifts for each other, though it was very weird not opening them under the Christmas tree like we did every year. This year it was just my Dad, Hubster, Sushi and myself for Christmas dins. I tried to wrangle the rest of the family and after the year that was in it, I thought they would make the effort..but alas. It was a real eye-opener this year, looking in from the outside. I realised that the true meaning of Christmas; rudeness, anger and craziness. The desperate shoppers looking for presents with no meaning or thought behind them, it was like a crazy free-for-all in the local shopping center. People were shopping like an Armageddon was coming! (The shops were only closed for Christmas Day) So we've decided that next year we are going to rent a dog friendly cabin and have a holiday away from it all. Sounds like bliss and I'm already marking off the days on my Simon's Cat calendar that Himself bought me as a Christmas present. :-D And finally 2013 is nearly over! I'll be glad to see the back of it too after 3 suicides and a cancer scare, I'm hoping 2014 is going to be more positive and peaceful for my family and friends. (Plus my soul mate is coming home from Australia in March!!) So while I'm gearing up to give 2013 the middle finger, here is a recipe for Sticky Sausages for our New Years Eve party. (It's just myself and the menagerie, Himself has to work)

Sunday 8 December 2013

When the blog..

..gets neglected.

Things haven't been mad crazy over the last few months but I've found that my recovery from the operation has been slow. (Finally getting my voice back though!) The scar has healed fine but my energy levels have been so low that just to get out of bed and make a cup of tea has been an achievement for the day. After seeing the specialist in October and being prescribed with a strong dose of Eltroxin, I really thought I'd be back in full swing, but that didn't happen. So along with my usual procrastinating and low energy/mood levels I just didn't feel inspired to post or do much else.(My allotment is a disgrace at the moment!) I've decided, I am going to make the effort to post at least once every two weeks, just to get back into the swing of things. I've been reading so many blogs this week, now I'm ready to kick myself up the arse and try it again. I hope y'all bear with me as I get back into the swing of things! Roll on Spring!


Friday 13 September 2013

The woes of hospital

This is a long winded post about my recent stay in hospital, if you don't feel up to reading it, please scroll to the bottom of the post for my results.




3 weeks ago I finally got the call I had been waiting for, I was getting surgery to remove a malignant tumor from my thyroid. A few weeks previous I had received a letter instructing me to call the hospital on the 19th of August to make sure there was a bed available for me. When the day came, I was at odds with myself if I wanted to have the operation or leave it. To any normal person this sounds ridiculous right? But since I was 15 I have been suffering with agoraphobia. It has hindered my life in a lot of ways, so to stay for 3 nights in a hospital, was my vision of hell. I have the tools to help with the panic, but the unknown and not having my safety blanket (my Mom), well I really thought I couldn't go ahead with it. I had prepared myself that morning by reading about the operation and made a list of questions to ask the surgeon. Normally I would shy away from asking questions because I felt quite intimidated by doctors and surgeons in the past. This time I was determined not to be dismissed. I packed my bag with Mp3 player stuffed with Mindful Meditation tracks, Rescue Remedy, snuggly blanket, paper and pen and books. Basically anything that would make my stay feel a bit like home (sans cats & dog)

When I arrived my anxiety was through the roof and I felt that no breathing exercise and progressive muscle relaxation was going to get me through the few days. The nurse came around and took my details and got me settled into bed. I was in a room with 5 other ladies. The room was old and dirty, stained and cold. 3 of the ladies were Alzheimer's patients and one in particular was, how do I say this, from a troubled background? I wasn't looking forward to the night!

The lights went out at about 10pm, which for me, is when I get my second burst of life. I just ended up reading the whole night, 2 of the Alzheimer patients shouted the whole night, the other one went on the run, I think I got about an hours sleep before the light came on at 6am. An hour or so later the surgeon came. He informed me that the operation wasn't going to be 'keyhole' and that half my thyroid would be removed. PANIC! I hadn't prepared myself for this at all. I rang my Dad and had a chat before agreeing to sign the consent form. I was so nervous and just wanted my Mam to be there to hold my hand. I ended up upsetting myself to the point that the nurse gave me a Xanax.

At 2pm the nurse came to get me. I walked to the theater which I thought was a bit odd, normally they take you by wheelchair, but I didn't mind too much as my arse was hanging out the back of my gown and it was keeping my mind off the operation. When I got to the prep area all of the surgeons were standing in the hall looking at me. They all had such friendly faces which really put my mind at ease. They took me in and put me on 'the slab' and had a joke about tummy tucks and nose jobs. I lay down, took a deep breath and counted....



Sick & swollen after surgery
1 week after surgery


I woke up after having the best freakin' sleep ever! I felt OK, not sore and after a while in recovery I was back in the dark, dirty ward. Himself and my brother called up an hour later. I didn't feel like I had surgery (I'm sure I was up to the eyeballs om good drugs!) I felt normal, no anxiety at all. They stayed for a while, took some photos of my blood drainage thing and kissed me goodbye. I was ready for a great sleep... Unfortunately the poor Alzheimer's patients kicked off. One was drunk, trying to light cigarettes, and wrestled a nurse on the floor for a lighter. It got to the point where the security had to sit with her the whole night as she tried to pull my bed neighbour out of the bed by the leg. The other Alzheimer's patient shouted the whole night and the other one went on the run again. The nurses were so overwhelmed and understaffed. 2 nurses for 18 patients, 3 of which had Alzheimer's, it was disgraceful! The next morning I was exhausted, and begged the nurse to ask the doctor to let me go home. About an hour later the doctor arrived, he decided that if I ate something solid I could go home but I'd have to rest for a few days, no lifting heavy items etc. I threw a slice of toast into me and rang my Dad to collect me. I wasn't offered any aftercare so I rang the local chemist for advice. They were great! They contacted the hospital and asked if I needed any medication. They got everything sorted for me.

It's been 3 weeks now and I've finally removed my stitches and the scar is looking so tidy, compared to my appendix scar, you can barely see it!
I had my follow up appointment with the surgeon yesterday and got the best news; they got the tumor and cyst on the right hand-side of the thyroid and they were happy enough it hasn't spread and doesn't require any chemo or radiation therapy. It was such a relief but I will have to go for check ups every 3-6 months. I now have to go on medication to regulate my thyroid and a calcium supplement. I'm so glad it's over and done with, as this last year has been the hardest of my life, so it was great to finally get some good news.




Friday 16 August 2013

Mini Quicky Quiches

MMMmmm..

As you know (or may not know) I love to bake, now I'm not saying I'm a master baker (*snigger*) but I love to dabble and the easier the recipe the better! This week I decided to make some mini "quicky quiches". Let me just say, I'm not a huge fan of quiches, I think it's the texture that makes me a little queezy but these little things have just enough egg not to make me want to barf. (Please forgive my shaky photos!)

What you will need:

  • Pre-rolled shortcrust pastry (No messing with me, always a short cut!)
  • 100g grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 60ml milk
  • 60ml of double cream (or heavy cream for the Yanks)
  • Ballymaloe relish (or any other relish you have)
  • salt and pepper
  • Fairy cake baking tray
  • Circular cookie cutter




And GO!

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Grease the baking tray lightly.
Mix together the milk, double cream, large egg and egg yoke in a bowl then add a shake of salt and pepper.



Roll out the pastry and using the cookie cutter, cut out the desired cases.


Place them on the baking tray, pushing the middle of the pastry down gently.


Add 1 teaspoon of relish to each of the cases and use the back of the teaspoon to spread the relish around the bottom of the case.


 Add a pinch of cheese on top of the relish in each case.


Carefully pour the liquid ingredients into each case making sure just to cover the relish (don't fill over the cases as the ingredients will rise slightly anyway)


Pop them on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven. These should only take about 18-20 minutes to bake (depending on your oven), but keep a wee eye on them, when the tops turn brown they are ready to be taken out.


They are scrumptious eaten straight from the oven, but be careful as the relish is uber hot!

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Friday 2 August 2013

Wishlist - Modcloth

I don't know why I subject myself to the torture of browsing the internet! Last week while clicking random links, I came across this yummy website..that had drool worthy homeware, gifts and clothing! (Hide the credit card please Hubby!) At the moment our budget is super tight so I have to resign myself to drooling on the keyboard hoping my lotto numbers come up soon. Here are a few bits I just had to put on my wishlist;


1. \\ 2. \\ 3.\\ 4. \\ 5. \\ 6. \\ 7.

Friday 12 July 2013

Daddy & Daughter lunch @ Foley's

The good weather is such a shock to the system this week! As I've never been away anywhere foreign, I am really not used to feeling like I'm walking through extremely warm quicksand. How and ever, as much as I would love to sit in the shade with one of these (minus the fun, straight edge for me!) all day, the housework had to be done and appointments had to be kept.

Last week I went to get my results of the aspiration I received a month or so ago. Although I didn't get good news, I've decided to just keep the chin(s) up and get on with things because life throws these things at you and well, you can lie down and cry or just get on with it, the later is what I am doing. I was a little upset and shocked that day, but on the way home the Father thought it would be nice to go get some lunch at his local hangout (this is where he hides out when he's supposed to be working *cough cough*) This is a wee quaint thatch cottage called Foley's in the village of Castlebellingham. They make hearty Irish dinners, full Irish breakfasts and yummy desserts and if that didn't get you going, they have the most amazing antique shop at the back of the tea room! In fact, I spent most of our lunch drooling over antlers for our antler wall in the front room. Here are some photos from Foley's!



So quaint, so beautiful


Itty bitty tea set

Love this, but Himself says NO!

These Apple Sauce heads totally freak me out, can't understand why though..

I NEED these for my front room!!

Want this for my kitch-en!

Bye bye little tea room!




Friday 21 June 2013

Layman's chocolate danish

These are my easy-peasy-lazy "Layman's" Chocolate danishes. Let me tell you this, these won't last 5 seconds on the table if you have gannets like I do in my home! :-D

  • 1 Box of ready rolled puff pastry (If you're lazy like me, use the ready rolled but if not, you can make your own.)
  • 1 Jar of Nutella
  • 1 Pack of Chocolate chips
  • Baking tray
  • Parchment paper

Okay, here we go.
Set the oven to 200c, we need the oven pre-heated (as per instructions on the box, though my oven is a little too hot at 200c). Open out your rolled pastry. If you are using a non-stick baking tray I would still recommend using a layer of parchment paper as the bottom of these danishes can burn easily.
(Sorry, my lovely assistant deleted the first pastry photo!)




Next, take a big spoon of Nutella and smother it onto the pastry. (I use the back of a spoon to do this as it spreads a lot easier!)



Now, if you've bought ready rolled pastry it will already be wrapped in paper. Take the edge of the paper and roll the pastry in on itself. Keep rolling until you get to the other end and you've ended up with something that looks like a log.



Take a sharp knife and cut the log into slices of about 1/2 inch. Flip them over onto the baking tray but make sure to leave a good bit of room between them as they will expand (they look like little spirals) then, take some chocolate chips and sprinkle them over the top of the pastry.




Now time to pop them in the oven! They should only take about 15 minutes to bake, just keep an eye on them because everyone's oven is different.





There you are, these take only a few minutes to prepare and about 20 seconds to eat. Enjoy!






Saturday 8 June 2013

My week in pictures


(Top to bottom, left to right)

  • A Jackdaw wearing his chicks as a pair of novelty slippers on Springwatch
  • The Bluetits nesting in my Dads back garden finally fledging
  • Allium opening to reveal a fabulous purple puff
  • A vertical rainbow on top of the mountain
  • Going snow blind because of the reflection of the sun on my legs!
  • Beautiful bleeding hearts
  • Biopsy punctures and bruises

Thursday 30 May 2013

Paying bills.. kicking it oldskool!

A long, long time ago, in the 80's, my sMother used to pay all the bills by cash (Remember those days?!) Every Friday my Dad would come home with his wage packet and before it was even opened, it was placed in my sMother's hand. My sMother then had the task of juggling money to pay bills, keep us fed, basically keeping all of us alive on a tight budget.. and I mean TIGHT!
I remember the sMother having this huge green purse with lots of little pouches and panels. She would take an allotted amount of money and place it in each pouch for each bill. Thinking back now, she really was Superwoman. My hands would be so itchy with money sitting in my purse which I suppose comes from having too much money during the 'good old times'. Now the good times are well and truly over and I feel like I've been kicked back to the Irish recession in the 80's. It had me reminiscing at the local Stitch'n'Bitch club, how it was a simpler time. I remember bills being paid on time, no confusion over direct debits, standing orders or if the incompetent staff in Ulster Bank will manage to lodge money on time. It was only today that I had a conversation with Himself about how unproductive he is when it comes to paying his bills. (We pay our bills separately) Then, I came across this, 'A Time for Everything' It just brought me right back to the 80's! (which made me sad) So I rang Himself up and explained that because I am so efficient when it comes to paying bills that I should manage his, lo and behold he agreed. I am definitely going to invest in this little beauty!




I heart Organizing are having a great giveaway for one of these fab purses! Click here to enter!

Tuesday 28 May 2013

The 'No Dig' bed..

(OK I lied, you have to dig a tiny bit!)

As promised, the lazy 'No Dig' bed for planting vegetables. As planting season is already under way some of you might not find this post very helpful, but I would see it as already getting prepared for the coming autumn. Maybe it's because, for me, time seems to be going so fast that I feel the need to think ahead. Anyhow, hope this post helps for your future gardening adventures.

Start off with a small bit of land. You can mark out the area using string and canes. If there is already soil on the ground grab your gardening fork and turn the soil. For your first layer, add sheets of cardboard, this will smother the weeds and mulch into the soil eventually. The second layer, add seaweed, if you live in Ireland you'll notice we are lacking in seaweed, so the best time to collect it off a beach is after a storm. If that's not possible to do, your local garden centre should have powdered seaweed in large bags. The third layer is straw, again, most people won't have this to hand but it is available from agricultural centers and some large pet stores (used in rabbit and guinea pig hutches) To keep that layer of straw down you should add a layer of soil and/or compost. The fifth layer is shredded newspaper and cardboard. It makes a great mulch for most beds, but make sure there aren't any glossy magazines, they don't break down like newspaper. The sixth layer is optional, but is great for the soil. You would tend to do this part in Autumn. When the leaves finally fall off the trees, get out there with refuse sacks and collect all the leaves you can. These are invaluable! They are great for mulching and a good thick layer on a bed will keep the weeds at bay. I've noticed on a lot of forums gardeners have used cut grass instead but I find it goes into seed and basically ruins the beds. You don't want to spend 90% of your time weeding, right?

And lastly, add another layer of soil or compost. All these layers will break down and will give you lovely soil. I will do another post on soil soon. Let me know if you have attempted a No Dig bed before and if there is anything I can add that might be helpful to my no dig bed!




Monday 13 May 2013

On top of me head!


I want to say an uber big SORRY to my two followers for not updating in a while. As I'm sure you read back in March that my Mother passed away, it was a terrible heart-breaking time for the family (and still is) and everyone that knew her. My Mother and I were, at the time, attending a night course to get our FETAC 5 cert as Care Assistants. After my Mother passed I found it quite difficult to continue with my study and unfortunately missed the submission date for my work. Since then I've started another module of the care assistant course and I am finally on a roll with my work, so that has been taking up a huge lump of my time. When I'm not studying or at the gym, I am usually working on a community allotment in the local countryside. I love it, it's so good to get the hands into the soil. The Irish weather has been unkind again this year, so our beds are still empty. While we've been waiting to the seeds to sprout, (cat+seed tray=disaster) we've been busy (between showers, hailstones and thunder storms!!) building a No Dig bed. It was our first time this year trying this out. I promise to do a small blog explaining what this is and how easy it is to do! I do have a lot of blogs to post up but I just haven't had the time to sort out the photos and words. Here is an idea of what will be coming soon;

  • More crafts with tins
  • Layman's danishes
  • Recycling 
  • An Cuige allotments
  • My own allotment
  • Knitted tea cosy
  • Interiors
  • and..fashion.. yes I know, I'm in my wellies and mucky clothes most of the time!

Saturday 20 April 2013

Tinlights

If there's one thing I love more than cake, it's hoarding. (Himself thinks I'm a hobo in training!) I have bags and bags of tins and glass jars and I have GREAT intentions of doing some crafty things to them! (Thanks to Pinterest!)

Here is a little tutorial I came across; (I don't know what website because I didn't bookmark it, wish I could credit the author :-/ )


Needed:
 1 Hammer (or heavy shoe)
 1 Nail (Not the stick-on ones, one of those masonry ones the boys use!)
 Some cord or an old shoe lace. (Optional)
 1 Tea-light candle


-Take an empty tin (or can) and give it a good scrubbing and peel off all of the labels.(Instead of scrubbing, simply pop it in the dishwasher)
-If you can't get the glue off use a bit of nail varnish remover, I find that helps for most sticky bits.
- When it's all clean, fill the tin with water and pop it in the freezer overnight. (WTF?)
* This is so when you try to hammer your pattern onto the tin, it won't crush or put the tin out of shape.



- If you want, with a Sharpie, you can draw your desired pattern onto the tin. (Please excuse my wonky heart! Hehe)

- Take your hammer and whack the nail so it punctures the tin, continue to finish your pattern.

I know my nails are dirty, it's called manual labour ;-)



- When finished, allow your ice to dissolve and drain in the sink, then pop in your tea-light. Easy peasy and fab, right?




If you want to use these tins as hanging tea-lights simply puncture a hole either side at the top of the tin and thread some rope through.


Friday 5 April 2013

The allotment..

It looks so bleak at this time of year!

As the weather was atrocious last year and we were over run with snails and slugs, the poor allotment was left to over-grow. I did have some small raised beds planted in the back "secret garden" yet the yield was little to nothing. Lets just say the snails were well fed last year. As it's now coming into April, it's about time to start preparing the ground/beds for planting in May. Some say you are ready to plant in April, but I find the last chance/risk of frost is after the second week of May. The climate has changed so much over the last few years that the sowing and pricking out times have been later and later. 2 years ago I was caught out in May, it actually snowed the first week!! A good way to test if your soil is warm enough for planting is by sticking your elbow in it, if it's somewhat warm you are ready. Another way they used to test the soil in ye olden times was to pull the gruds/knickers down and sit on it but you don't want to frighten the neighbours, right? :)

This week, Himself and Meself got busy! (Dirty minds!) On his day off we armed ourselves with all of the gardening tools and some muscle. The raised beds were all over the place last year and I wasn't very happy with the layout. Behind the raised beds we have another 11ft to the back fence and I was hoping that this year we could put a sitting area in there. We've been using that whole area for mulching/compost so that's going to be a huge job to clear out! (I had planned to lay out the allotment like this next picture because it was so quaint, but as always, any plans I make Himself wants to do the opposite.) It gets great sun in the evening as it faces west so it's a sin not to use it!





I was on Pinterest this week looking for inspiration for the back area, I found this..so simple and it doesn't look like it needs alot of up keep.


I love the use of the bamboo, it makes a really relaxing rustling sound in a breeze!

Monday 25 March 2013

Hokey Pokey

As I live in quite a small home I find myself trawling the interweb looking for ideas and inspiration for compact living and space saving solutions. While poking about this week, I came across this uber amazing video. This furniture is definitely inspired by caravan holidays!

(p.s Lets hope Ikea pick up on some of these designs!!)



Friday 15 March 2013

M is for..



..Mother. Who left her earthly body on 28th February 2013. I will love and miss her eternally xx




Sunday 24 February 2013

Flaming class!

My love affair with Flamingos started when I was only a wee teenager. I remember sitting watching a David Attenborough documentary with my Dad. It sticks with me because I had PTSD after watching it (drama?) One of the Flamingos was going about his business, grazing in the mud...next thing he knows..he's stuck! The sun had dried out the mud and he was pretty much cemented in. The camera crew just sat there and filmed his demise. I was soooooo upset :( Later that year I bought a 3ft tall wooden Flamingo and named him Roger. He was supposed to come as a pair but I could only afford one..I was heartbroken again. Haha I'm such a sado! Anyway, I adorned my home with Flamingos from then on. Recently, while trying to sort a mood board for my "ROOM OF DOOOOOOOM!!" (The spare room) I found this absolutely class wallpaper from Cole & Sons. I'm not 100% sure of what kind of price range a roll is, I'd take a guess it's around 40euro.

Here's a little collage I made....







  • Wallpaper is Cole & Sons
  • Paint swatch is Tumbleweed Marble from Colour Trend
  • Pictures are from Google image search
My idea for the spare room was to paint the reclaimed old wooden floors and skirting a nice bright glossy white to help reflect some light into the room as it is west facing. I thought the off white, warm tones of the Tumbleweed Marble would warm up the white gloss so it won't have a sterile look. I really think the mink/grey coloured wallpaper would finish off the room. :-)

Any suggestions welcome!


Wednesday 20 February 2013

Weddings Day

Later this year I will be bridesmaid at my sisters wedding. Though I'm so happy for her taking the plunge, right now all I can think of is WHAT IF. Yes, the "what ifs" that come with having panic attacks. While trying to use everything I have learned in Mindful meditation to stay relaxed, I have been trying to help Shaz plan her wedding. Let me just say, I don't have patience. Nope, not a bit! After manys a chat about colour schemes, flowers, dresses and all of that fun, I thought she had set her mind on what she wanted. Then.. she changed her mind. Yet again, she picked what she wanted.. yet again, she changed her mind. I know, I know, it's her special day and she wants everything her own way to make it the best day of her life, I'm good with that.. BUT.. get back to me when you have everything picked, set in stone, in fact, send me everything I need on the day and point me in the direction. Haha
Somehow, I feel I should have been a man.

Anyhoodle, here is a little mood board I came up with for the bridesmaids.






The dress is from designer Jim Hjelm and is stocked by Frilly Frocks in Drogheda. The shoes are from Love Label (I've already purchased them, they were 15euros, bargin!) at Littlewoods. The hair-do and bouquet are from boards on Pinterest



Sunday 17 February 2013

Up-cycling




My name is Caroline and I'm a hoarder.

I noticed a trend lately in upcycling, I think it's thanks to Pinterest. As I have an interest in hoarding (It's an interest not a compulsion, right?) I've decided to start painting the old timey/vintage bits and pieces I've picked up over the years. As much as I appreciate the contemporary look interiors, it's not me.. my home was built in the 1860's, it's a very small terrace house, quite pokey. I think up-cycling suits the old-fashioned feel of the house. Recently I went to a vintage furniture painting class, it's a method of using a specialised chalk paint (named so because of the finish) and while I thoroughly enjoyed the class, the paint itself was quite expensive. (Annie Slone chalk paint) After alot of searching on the webs, I finally found a great recipe for homemade chalk paint, it's so simple and you can use left over paint from other projects. The Annie Slone wax is a reasonable price so you could still used the dark wax over this paint to give it the shabby chic look!



Chalk paint recipe;

1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris (cup = American baking cup measure)
1/2 cup of luke warm water
1 1/2 cups of paint


Method;
Use an old tin or plastic container that you are willing to throw away. Mix the warm water and plaster of paris, stirring out all of the lumps. Pour that mixture into the 1 1/2 cups of paint and mix super well. Wait until the mixture has cooled before painting your item.


Thursday 14 February 2013

Valentine..

Normally I wouldn't be one to celebrate the Hallmark holiday known as Valentine's Day. I don't remember if I was always unromantic or it's just because Alan and myself have been together for so long.
At Christmas we hit the 7 year itch and even though we knew how much we loved each other, complacency had crept in. Anyway, we decided to fight hard for each other and managed to get most things sorted in our relationship. (Unfortunately there are still a few wee things we can't change, but that's out of our hands at the moment) It kind of feels since we got back together that we are back at the honeymoon period, which is making the relationship exciting again. So this year, we decided to make the effort and try to be romantic.
I made him a card and bought him some heart shaped chocolates (this makes me cringe, but I'm trying!) and he is taking the day off work so we can get dressed up and go out for dinner.
We don't often get a chance to go to occasions where you have to dress up, as Himself works most weekends, but tomorrow I've decided to make the effort and put on something swanky.

Here is a peak of what I will be wearing;






The dress is the Ruth Contrast Dress from BooHoo.com Although it looks quite clingy and I'm a well rounded woman, the dress compliments the curves. (I wore it to a wedding in July and it was perfect, very classy!) The bag I have for this outfit is similar to this one from the BooHoo website, mine I purchased in a thrift store. The shoes in this picture are also available over at BooHoo, though my own were purchased in Penneys. To jazz this outfit up a bit (it's the rock chick in me!) I have a black leather biker jacket.

Sunday 10 February 2013

A first for 2013

Ok, so I was inspired to start a blog again after having one from 1998 until 2005. You know how times change and so do you, well with one thing or another it fell by the ways side. After reading so many great blogs out there (over 2012) I am totally inspired to start blogging again. I didn't want to box myself in with one topic, i.e fashion blogging (I'm no Gok Wan!) as I have so many interests, so this blog, I'm hoping (we'll see how it goes!) will have a bit of everything from interiors to allotments :-)