There are few things more irritating than pouring water into the kettle for a cuppa, disappearing for a couple of minutes to do something else while it boils, then coming back and realising you forgot to switch the bloody thing on. So that's what I'm dealing with today. How are you?
Christmas is starting to get into full swing. The tree went up on the 1st, as always. Some of the lights were broken, and I got into a strop about that. Then I couldn't get the tinsel to look right, and I got into a strop about that, too. 'Tis the season.
(The broken lights got hidden around the back of the tree and the tinsel got sorted eventually. Crisis averted.)
Jack has been in 'Full Festive' mode since mid-November. He's the only person I know who gets even more excited about Christmas than I do, and that's saying quite a lot. He got me a Galaxy chocolate advent calendar and a Yankee Candle advent calendar, as well as a little tealight holder in which to hold the candles.
Giving people presents is one of Jack's favourite things to do, and he likes me for some reason, so he always ends up getting me loads. This works out really well for me; I love getting presents. He seems really excited about them, which is pretty adorable actually.
Jack asked if I knew what I was going to get for him yet and I told him I was going to make him a mix-CD. I was sort of half joking but then he seemed quite taken with the idea, so whatever, I'm doing it. I've got him a couple of other things, too, so I won't look like the biggest cheapskate in the world.
But anyway. Christmas time is busy. There's a lot to do, and people to see, and plans to make. I'll see you on the other side.
Song of the Day: You're The Storm by The Cardigans ('Cause you're the storm that I believe in/ And all this peace has been deceiving/ I like the sweet life and the silence/ But it's the storm that I believe in)
Currently reading: A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
2016
Christmas came and went too quickly, as it always does, but at least it was fun while it lasted. Santa put some booze in my stocking this year, because he obviously knows that I'm a grown-up now.
New Years Eve was as uneventful as it always is. There always seems to be so much pressure to go out and do something to mark the occasion but I can never be bothered anymore; everywhere's always too expensive and I'd prefer to be in bed at a reasonable hour anyway (god, I'm so boring). As a special New Years treat, Jack decided to give me his cold, so I've spent the last couple of days feeling absolutely rotten and hiding under every blanket I own. I took the Christmas decorations down yesterday morning (because I'd been awake since 4am and needed something to do) and didn't even feel sad about it like I usually do because I was feeling so poorly. So all in all, 2016 isn't off to the best start. But then again we're only four days in so it's a bit early to judge it as a whole.
I'm not making any resolutions this year, because let's face it - I never, ever, ever stick to them. Ever. So why bother? I did pick up a pretty diary from Smiths which I'm going to try and write something in every day, even if it's as little as a sentence. So far, so good, but who knows how long I'll be able to stick to that?
But anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and the shock of returning to reality hasn't been too jarring. Here's to the new year, and hoping it's better than the last.
Song of the Day: Sometimes It's A Bitch by Stevie Nicks (Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems/ You get what you want but it's not what you need/Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze)
Currently reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
New Years Eve was as uneventful as it always is. There always seems to be so much pressure to go out and do something to mark the occasion but I can never be bothered anymore; everywhere's always too expensive and I'd prefer to be in bed at a reasonable hour anyway (god, I'm so boring). As a special New Years treat, Jack decided to give me his cold, so I've spent the last couple of days feeling absolutely rotten and hiding under every blanket I own. I took the Christmas decorations down yesterday morning (because I'd been awake since 4am and needed something to do) and didn't even feel sad about it like I usually do because I was feeling so poorly. So all in all, 2016 isn't off to the best start. But then again we're only four days in so it's a bit early to judge it as a whole.
I'm not making any resolutions this year, because let's face it - I never, ever, ever stick to them. Ever. So why bother? I did pick up a pretty diary from Smiths which I'm going to try and write something in every day, even if it's as little as a sentence. So far, so good, but who knows how long I'll be able to stick to that?
But anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and the shock of returning to reality hasn't been too jarring. Here's to the new year, and hoping it's better than the last.
Song of the Day: Sometimes It's A Bitch by Stevie Nicks (Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems/ You get what you want but it's not what you need/Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze)
Currently reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
It has been a day
I ventured into town today to try and see if I could find anything suitable for a couple of family members and it took no more than half an hour for me to completely lose the will to live. It wasn't even that busy, it's just that everyone sort of seems to lose their heads around Christmas time and forgets basic shopping etiquette. People seem to go out of their way to make sure they have blocked an entire aisle, so everyone just waits for them to move or they take the long way round because we're all far too British to say anything. Also, the people who just decide to stand still in shop entrances while pedestrian traffic builds up behind them - why do they do that? I left after an hour with nothing to show for it except some top-coat nail polish which isn't even a gift, it's for me. There were even some shops I meant to go in but didn't because I was so full of rage and had utterly had enough. Ho ho ho, 'tis the season and all that.
Popped into Waitrose on the way home because there were a couple of basic things I needed and I managed to only remember one of them. I was at the tills, looking at my basket, thinking about how I had definitely forgotten something, and it wasn't until I got home that I remembered. Literally as soon as I walked through the door as well. But anyway, I had something to eat and I did the washing up and had a cup of tea, and then I wrote a couple of Christmas cards so I feel marginally better now.
In the spirit of cheering up, here are five songs that never fail to make me smile:
1. Baby I Love Your Way by Big Mountain
2. Wake Up Boo! by The Boo Radleys
3. You & Me Song by The Wannadies
4. Come And Get Your Love by Redbone
5. Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon (the link is to the movie dance compilation video because it's way better than the official music video)
There are plenty of other songs that make me smile too, those are just a select few.
Song of the Day: Just A Cloud Away by Pharrell Williams (This rainy day is temporary/ The contrast is why we got 'em/ 'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud away)
Currently Reading: Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch. I really love it so far.
Popped into Waitrose on the way home because there were a couple of basic things I needed and I managed to only remember one of them. I was at the tills, looking at my basket, thinking about how I had definitely forgotten something, and it wasn't until I got home that I remembered. Literally as soon as I walked through the door as well. But anyway, I had something to eat and I did the washing up and had a cup of tea, and then I wrote a couple of Christmas cards so I feel marginally better now.
In the spirit of cheering up, here are five songs that never fail to make me smile:
1. Baby I Love Your Way by Big Mountain
2. Wake Up Boo! by The Boo Radleys
3. You & Me Song by The Wannadies
4. Come And Get Your Love by Redbone
5. Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon (the link is to the movie dance compilation video because it's way better than the official music video)
There are plenty of other songs that make me smile too, those are just a select few.
Song of the Day: Just A Cloud Away by Pharrell Williams (This rainy day is temporary/ The contrast is why we got 'em/ 'Cause sun shining through is just a cloud away)
Currently Reading: Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch. I really love it so far.
Full-Festive
I'm a Christmas person. I have always been a Christmas person, and anyone who has ever met me would be able to tell you as much. The past couple of years, however, I have been a little more subdued about it than I would normally be. It probably has something to do with working in a pub where Christmas starts much earlier due to festive bookings and so on, and especially when you end up working on Christmas Day some of the enjoyment can be stripped away. However, I don't work at the pub anymore, and this year Jack and I have gone what I like to call 'full-festive'.
We're steadily making our way through the Christmas movies with the fire on and candles and the tree lights making it the coziest we can get it. Mulled cider is currently an important part of our diet and I am listening to festive music almost exclusively. I'm mostly prepared for the big day, I think I only need a couple more things so I've just got wrapping to do now really.
We thought we'd give some festive booze a go so we went to Ikea the other day to get mason jars and little bottles. Now, I had never been to Ikea before (or if I have, I don't remember it at all), so I was quite looking forward to it, although Jack warned me not to get my hopes up.
I said, "Why not, what's wrong with it?"
He just shrugged and said, "It's the layout really, it's awful. You'll see."
"It can't be that bad," I scoffed whilst Jack gave a knowing smile. Oh how naive I was.
Ikea, if you haven't had the pleasure, is sort of how I imagine Purgatory to be. You can't go straight to the main shop bit to just get what you want; you have to walk through all the showrooms first, following the arrows around and trying to avoid being run down by people with giant trolleys and/or pushchairs (aka: battering rams). Every time we rounded a corner and I expected to be nearer the end of the showrooms, there was more. Bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, miscellaneous furniture, you name it. It was there. And if I was trying to furnish a house perhaps I would have enjoyed the experience more, but all we needed was mason jars and it took fifteen minutes just to get to the general shop bit where they were. As soon as we found them, it was another ordeal to get to the tills. We kept following the signs that said which way the tills were, but every time I expected them to be, y'know, there, they were conspicuously absent. By the time they eventually came into view, it felt like the closer we got to them, the further away they seemed, there were so many obstacles in the way. There were no windows in there either, I couldn't tell how much time had gone by. We could have been in there for weeks for all I knew. I thought I'd never see the light of day again.
But this tale has a happy ending, because we made it out in one piece, and there are currently mason jars full of booze and other stuff infusing away happily in the utility room. I don't know what they'll be like when they're ready, but it's alcohol so I doubt there'll be many complaints.
Song of the Day: Fuselage (It's Starting To Look Like Christmas Once Again) by Centro-Matic
We're steadily making our way through the Christmas movies with the fire on and candles and the tree lights making it the coziest we can get it. Mulled cider is currently an important part of our diet and I am listening to festive music almost exclusively. I'm mostly prepared for the big day, I think I only need a couple more things so I've just got wrapping to do now really.
We thought we'd give some festive booze a go so we went to Ikea the other day to get mason jars and little bottles. Now, I had never been to Ikea before (or if I have, I don't remember it at all), so I was quite looking forward to it, although Jack warned me not to get my hopes up.
I said, "Why not, what's wrong with it?"
He just shrugged and said, "It's the layout really, it's awful. You'll see."
"It can't be that bad," I scoffed whilst Jack gave a knowing smile. Oh how naive I was.
Ikea, if you haven't had the pleasure, is sort of how I imagine Purgatory to be. You can't go straight to the main shop bit to just get what you want; you have to walk through all the showrooms first, following the arrows around and trying to avoid being run down by people with giant trolleys and/or pushchairs (aka: battering rams). Every time we rounded a corner and I expected to be nearer the end of the showrooms, there was more. Bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, miscellaneous furniture, you name it. It was there. And if I was trying to furnish a house perhaps I would have enjoyed the experience more, but all we needed was mason jars and it took fifteen minutes just to get to the general shop bit where they were. As soon as we found them, it was another ordeal to get to the tills. We kept following the signs that said which way the tills were, but every time I expected them to be, y'know, there, they were conspicuously absent. By the time they eventually came into view, it felt like the closer we got to them, the further away they seemed, there were so many obstacles in the way. There were no windows in there either, I couldn't tell how much time had gone by. We could have been in there for weeks for all I knew. I thought I'd never see the light of day again.
But this tale has a happy ending, because we made it out in one piece, and there are currently mason jars full of booze and other stuff infusing away happily in the utility room. I don't know what they'll be like when they're ready, but it's alcohol so I doubt there'll be many complaints.
Song of the Day: Fuselage (It's Starting To Look Like Christmas Once Again) by Centro-Matic
I'm a winner
I normally wait until the 1st of December to put up the Christmas decorations, but I caved this year and roped Jack into helping me put them up on Saturday night. There's something about a Christmas tree that really ties a room together. After we had finished, we put on our PJs, had some mulled cider and watched Home Alone with the fire on. It was great.
Yesterday was very productive, despite it being Sunday. I finished NaNoWriMo! Well, I didn't finish my story, but I reached 50,000 words, so technically I'm a winner and I'll take that. Jack had a headache and lay down on the sofa feeling sorry for himself all afternoon so I turned the telly on and had The Little Mermaid on in the background while I wrote. Which probably wasn't the best idea because that movie actually makes me really angry. I hope I'm not alone in thinking this, but Ariel is a moron. I mean, no offense, but she really, really is. Why would you give up being a mermaid (I really wanted to be a mermaid when I was a kid) for some bland, boring prince that you know nothing about? She's not in love with Eric, she's infatuated, and it's borderline creepy. The only one to make any sense in the whole movie is Sebastian - "Ariel, listen to me. The human world ... It's a mess"- and he gets completely ignored. Not to mention that only two of the songs are even any good! Sorry, apparently I have a lot of opinions about The Little Mermaid. You know what you should watch for a much better interpretation of the story, featuring love in its most innocent and pure form instead? Ponyo. I love Ponyo.
I went off on a tangent there, but I think I made some valid points. But I was talking about NaNoWriMo, and how I finished it! Good for me. And a day early, too. I'm pretty chuffed about it. I think now I just need to not look at it for a little while, and then I can finish it, and then I can go back through and edit. I might just rewrite the whole thing, change things around and make it better. But that's getting ahead of myself, so we'll see.
Here's to getting stuff done!
Song of the Day: Don't Think Twice It's Alright by Bob Dylan (I ain't saying you treated me unkind/ You could have done better but I don't mind/ You just kinda wasted my precious time/ But don't think twice, it's alright)
Yesterday was very productive, despite it being Sunday. I finished NaNoWriMo! Well, I didn't finish my story, but I reached 50,000 words, so technically I'm a winner and I'll take that. Jack had a headache and lay down on the sofa feeling sorry for himself all afternoon so I turned the telly on and had The Little Mermaid on in the background while I wrote. Which probably wasn't the best idea because that movie actually makes me really angry. I hope I'm not alone in thinking this, but Ariel is a moron. I mean, no offense, but she really, really is. Why would you give up being a mermaid (I really wanted to be a mermaid when I was a kid) for some bland, boring prince that you know nothing about? She's not in love with Eric, she's infatuated, and it's borderline creepy. The only one to make any sense in the whole movie is Sebastian - "Ariel, listen to me. The human world ... It's a mess"- and he gets completely ignored. Not to mention that only two of the songs are even any good! Sorry, apparently I have a lot of opinions about The Little Mermaid. You know what you should watch for a much better interpretation of the story, featuring love in its most innocent and pure form instead? Ponyo. I love Ponyo.
I went off on a tangent there, but I think I made some valid points. But I was talking about NaNoWriMo, and how I finished it! Good for me. And a day early, too. I'm pretty chuffed about it. I think now I just need to not look at it for a little while, and then I can finish it, and then I can go back through and edit. I might just rewrite the whole thing, change things around and make it better. But that's getting ahead of myself, so we'll see.
Here's to getting stuff done!
Song of the Day: Don't Think Twice It's Alright by Bob Dylan (I ain't saying you treated me unkind/ You could have done better but I don't mind/ You just kinda wasted my precious time/ But don't think twice, it's alright)
Snippets of Christmas
My one and only resolution this year is to drink more water. That's it. So far, on the third day of 2015, I have had precisely three glasses. Not pints either, just regular sized. It doesn't sound much, but if you know me you'll know how bad I am at keeping hydrated. So, you know, baby steps.
Christmas and New Year have passed by in a blur, as they tend to now I'm an 'adult', but it has been wonderful. Quiet family time, fantastic food, lots of wine and even more chocolate. It's been perfect. The tree came down today, so it's looking rather bare in our living room.
A trip to Derbyshire where there had been snow resulted in some unexpected sledging fun. On bin-bags, mind you, but sledging nonetheless. We discovered that we'd grown out of our 'no sense, no feeling' ages, and began to feel the cold very quickly and so retreated inside. Alas, the trials and tribulations and getting old.
I feel refreshed, relaxed and ready for what the new year will bring. Welcome to 2015 everyone. Here's hoping it's a good'un.
Song of the Day: Shake by Walk Off The Earth
Christmas and New Year have passed by in a blur, as they tend to now I'm an 'adult', but it has been wonderful. Quiet family time, fantastic food, lots of wine and even more chocolate. It's been perfect. The tree came down today, so it's looking rather bare in our living room.
A trip to Derbyshire where there had been snow resulted in some unexpected sledging fun. On bin-bags, mind you, but sledging nonetheless. We discovered that we'd grown out of our 'no sense, no feeling' ages, and began to feel the cold very quickly and so retreated inside. Alas, the trials and tribulations and getting old.
I feel refreshed, relaxed and ready for what the new year will bring. Welcome to 2015 everyone. Here's hoping it's a good'un.
Song of the Day: Shake by Walk Off The Earth
Merry Christmas Eve Eve!
There is no place more claustrophobic than a supermarket on the 23rd December. On this day a few years ago, I went to Waitrose with my Mum like the good little helper I am, and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. (I have led a somewhat sheltered existence, I know.) It was so busy (which I had been expecting), and people are incredibly ruthless at Christmas time. They will try and force you out of the way with their trolleys if you happen to be standing in between them and the last box of mince pies. 'Never again,' I said to myself.
Today, after noticing my Mum's sizeable shopping list, I offered to go with her again. 'It won't be like last time,' I thought. 'I'm older now. Wiser. I can handle this.' How wrong I was.
I spent the majority of the time trying to keep out of everyone else's way whilst my Mum nipped in and out of spaces to grab what she needed. I tried to manoeuvre the trolley into areas where I thought not many people would go, like in front of the avocados or near the end of the aisles where there wasn't actually anything on the shelves. At one point I was nearly squashed in between our trolley and an elderly gentleman's who was pushing his with reckless abandon and not looking where he was going. No one has any trolley etiquette and it is infuriating. Everyone seems to think it's a great idea to leave their trolley horizontally across the aisles so you can't get passed, and when you say 'Excuse me' they either give you a look of contempt that you have dared to speak to them, or they just ignore you entirely.
My Mum overheard a man telling his wife that he couldn't stay in there as it was that busy and just walked out, and I heard a lady threaten her children that it wasn't too late for her to just cancel Christmas. So all in all, everyone was full of Christmas spirit.
So there's a nice festive rant for you. If you're lucky, I may return tomorrow with a tale about how I learned the cold hard truth about Santa Claus. 'Tis the season and all that.
Merry Christmas!
Currently reading: The Walking Dead: Compendium One
Song of the Day: Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson (very catchy - would definitely recommend a listen!)
Link of the Day: 13 Dogs and 1 Cat enjoy a holiday feast with human hands.
Today, after noticing my Mum's sizeable shopping list, I offered to go with her again. 'It won't be like last time,' I thought. 'I'm older now. Wiser. I can handle this.' How wrong I was.
I spent the majority of the time trying to keep out of everyone else's way whilst my Mum nipped in and out of spaces to grab what she needed. I tried to manoeuvre the trolley into areas where I thought not many people would go, like in front of the avocados or near the end of the aisles where there wasn't actually anything on the shelves. At one point I was nearly squashed in between our trolley and an elderly gentleman's who was pushing his with reckless abandon and not looking where he was going. No one has any trolley etiquette and it is infuriating. Everyone seems to think it's a great idea to leave their trolley horizontally across the aisles so you can't get passed, and when you say 'Excuse me' they either give you a look of contempt that you have dared to speak to them, or they just ignore you entirely.
My Mum overheard a man telling his wife that he couldn't stay in there as it was that busy and just walked out, and I heard a lady threaten her children that it wasn't too late for her to just cancel Christmas. So all in all, everyone was full of Christmas spirit.
So there's a nice festive rant for you. If you're lucky, I may return tomorrow with a tale about how I learned the cold hard truth about Santa Claus. 'Tis the season and all that.
Merry Christmas!
Currently reading: The Walking Dead: Compendium One
Song of the Day: Underneath The Tree by Kelly Clarkson (very catchy - would definitely recommend a listen!)
Link of the Day: 13 Dogs and 1 Cat enjoy a holiday feast with human hands.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! And obviously I hope you all had very merry Christmases. As soon as people started coming home (my brother and my parents), I quickly lost the inclination to blog, because anytime I wasn't working (which wasn't that often - Christmas is a busy time in the restaurant trade!) I just wanted to spend with my family and friends. And despite working so much, I still managed to have a fantastic Christmas. Here's some of my festive highlights:
- Listening to Christmas music whilst putting up the Christmas decorations with my brother and his girlfriend.
- Having my parents home to cook for me again, haha!
- Going to the German Christmas Market in Birmingham with Jack and going to watch The Hobbit at the IMAX while we were there.
- My Nan getting out of hospital on Christmas Eve, just in time to come with my Grandad to spend Christmas with my parents and I.
- Only having one or two grumpy customers in the pub on Christmas Day.
- A delicious Christmas dinner which my parents had prepared for when I would get back from work (which ended up being about 6.30) - thanks very much for waiting for me!
- Getting a furby(!) and a Kindle Fire from my parents.
- Being absolutely spoilt rotten by Jack.
- Watching Arthur Christmas on Boxing Day, then going round to Jack's, meeting a lot of his family (eep!) and playing Trivial Pursuit.
- Shopping with my mum on New Years Eve and having a quiet night in to ring in the new year.
- A nice walk on New Years Day with Jack during which we nearly got ran down by a tiny child on a bike which had no pedals.
I haven't been in work since Sunday but I'm now on my last day off before I head back to normality tomorrow. My dad left early on New Years Eve and my mum left this morning, and the Christmas decorations came down yesterday so the house is feeling very quiet and bare at the moment. I think I'll have severe post-Christmas blues next week.
Anyway, everything should return to normal on the blogging front now. Maybe I'll try and think up some New Years resolutions so that I can fail miserably at them.
Christmas Song of the Day: I know it's not Christmas anymore but I missed a whole bunch of these and I wanted to include my favourite festive song. I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake
Currently reading: Since getting my Kindle Fire I've read 3 books but I finished one last night so I'm currently between books.
Monday Thoughts
My hours at work are currently all over the place, hence the blogging hiatus. But anyway, my brother and his girlfriend will be coming to visit this week, plus my parents get back from Saudi on Thursday so I'm excited for that. I've been waiting until everyone's here to put the tree up and I'm starting to get a bit impatient - I'm usually one of those people who puts up the Christmas tree on the 1st of December. I've shown a lot of restraint I think! Also, I've had a disaster with my advent calender. I accidentally opened the door for the 17th on the 7th and didn't realise until the next day. So now I'll have to open the 8th on the 17th. It might not seem like a big deal to normal people but I am strange and it has infuriated me, haha.
Did everyone see the X factor final? I'm kind of glad James Arthur won because he was definitely my favourite, but I think he was going to do well without winning, whereas I think Jahmene would have benefited more from winning, I feel like he's less likely to do well on his own. Also, James Arthur might find himself restricted by whatever conditions come with being the winner of the X factor. Oh well, I don't really care that much, I never vote on shows like that anyway!
It's that time of year again where I have been gifted some extra channels for the holiday, including Good Food, which has made me incredibly happy. I love watching cooking shows anyway, and Christmas cooking shows are just the best. Everyone knows that. So I've been watching a lot of old Jamie Christmas specials!
Anyway, it's very cold today, and I have to wait in for a delivery, so it's quite nice that I've got an excuse not to go anywhere. Nigella's on soon - think I'll watch that with a huge mug of hot chocolate :)
Christmas song of the day: Please Come Home For Christmas by Jon Bon Jovi
Currently reading: Letters from Father Christmas - I nearly finished it last night but I fell asleep. Considering reading Life of Pi next because I really want to watch the film when it's out.
Did everyone see the X factor final? I'm kind of glad James Arthur won because he was definitely my favourite, but I think he was going to do well without winning, whereas I think Jahmene would have benefited more from winning, I feel like he's less likely to do well on his own. Also, James Arthur might find himself restricted by whatever conditions come with being the winner of the X factor. Oh well, I don't really care that much, I never vote on shows like that anyway!
It's that time of year again where I have been gifted some extra channels for the holiday, including Good Food, which has made me incredibly happy. I love watching cooking shows anyway, and Christmas cooking shows are just the best. Everyone knows that. So I've been watching a lot of old Jamie Christmas specials!
Anyway, it's very cold today, and I have to wait in for a delivery, so it's quite nice that I've got an excuse not to go anywhere. Nigella's on soon - think I'll watch that with a huge mug of hot chocolate :)
Christmas song of the day: Please Come Home For Christmas by Jon Bon Jovi
Currently reading: Letters from Father Christmas - I nearly finished it last night but I fell asleep. Considering reading Life of Pi next because I really want to watch the film when it's out.
Photo Friday (Monday)
New photos! These were going to go up on Friday, but I genuinely had technical difficulties. The photos wouldn't load and I didn't have enough time before work to figure out why and try again. So here ya go.
Just a few snaps of my Christmas decorations in my bedroom. Christmas fever has well and truly taken over me, yesterday at work there were Christmas songs playing on the radio all day and after work I went to the cinema to see Rise of the Guardians (which is awesome).
I've also decided that throughout December, my songs of the day are going to be Christmas songs - hopefully not obvious ones like Slade and Wizzard, but we'll have to see , I might run out of lesser heard Christmas songs that I actually like.
Christmas Song of the Day: December Will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
Currently reading: Letters from Father Christmas - I'm almost finished, it's so lovely.
I've also decided that throughout December, my songs of the day are going to be Christmas songs - hopefully not obvious ones like Slade and Wizzard, but we'll have to see , I might run out of lesser heard Christmas songs that I actually like.
Christmas Song of the Day: December Will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
Currently reading: Letters from Father Christmas - I'm almost finished, it's so lovely.
Oh Christmas Tree...
I have had such a productive day. A big chunk of my Christmas shopping is done, I dusted and hoovered all of upstairs plus had a massive tidy of my room, and I put up some Christmas decorations in my room as well. Lots of other household chores have also been done, which considering it's only Monday is nothing short of a miracle.
Then, when I sat down feeling really smug because of how much I've got done, I remembered I have a blog. Which I neglected somewhat last week (sorry).
But hey, look what I bought in Sainsburys today!
It's a real mini Christmas tree! It came with the little decorations and I love it so much, plus it was a bargain at only £6!
So yeah, I'm now well and truly in the Christmas spirit, plus my bedroom is now lovely and festive. I'm a happy girly. I'm even tempted to do a bit of Christmas wrapping later. Or is it still too early to do that?
Song of the Day: Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran. Sigh. He sings to my soul.
Then, when I sat down feeling really smug because of how much I've got done, I remembered I have a blog. Which I neglected somewhat last week (sorry).
But hey, look what I bought in Sainsburys today!
So yeah, I'm now well and truly in the Christmas spirit, plus my bedroom is now lovely and festive. I'm a happy girly. I'm even tempted to do a bit of Christmas wrapping later. Or is it still too early to do that?
Song of the Day: Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran. Sigh. He sings to my soul.
Happy Weekends
I had such a good weekend. I didn't do a great deal, but when you work every weekend, the occasional ones you do get off are appreciated that much more. On Saturday I just did a bit of shopping, played some video games and then watched Harry Potter movies 3-5. On Sunday I was taken out to a local pub for a lovely Sunday lunch followed by a couple of drinks in front of the fireplace. Then more video games and the rest of the Harry Potter movies to round off my weekend. So good.
Anyway, after a clear and sunny (albeit incredibly cold) weekend, it's now grey and windy and raining and pretty horrible to be honest, so I'm definitely feeling the Monday blues. Oh well, nothing a bit of Christmas shopping won't fix. I haven't seen all that much in the actual shops so I think this year most of my shopping will be done online. I'm excited to get sorted, I love buying people presents.
Song of the Day: Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club
Anyway, after a clear and sunny (albeit incredibly cold) weekend, it's now grey and windy and raining and pretty horrible to be honest, so I'm definitely feeling the Monday blues. Oh well, nothing a bit of Christmas shopping won't fix. I haven't seen all that much in the actual shops so I think this year most of my shopping will be done online. I'm excited to get sorted, I love buying people presents.
Song of the Day: Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club
Christmas Adverts
Am I the only one who finds it irritating that the John Lewis Christmas adverts use slowed down, kind of depressing sounding versions of old songs year after year after year? Not that I don't like Gabrielle Aplin's version of The Power of Love, it's lovely. But I want my Christmas adverts jolly. And I'm probably the only one who thinks this but I think the John Lewis adverts are hugely overrated - I like them, I just don't love them, like everyone else seems to. On a related note, I feel like I'm officially allowed to get excited for Christmas now because I saw the Coca-Cola Christmas advert yesterday.
Song of the Day: Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine
Song of the Day: Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
I feel like from now until January, all I'm going to talk about is Christmas. Now that it's November, every other advert on the telly is incredibly festive, and I don't really need that big a push to get excited in the first place. I think I'm going to start my Christmas shopping tomorrow, but I also want a few of the gifts I give to have a bit more of a homemade feel to them too, so that should be fun. I'm looking forward to decorating my room this year as well, I want it to be full of cheesy festive tat. It will be awesome.
Work was incredibly quiet this weekend, everyone must have been enjoying Bonfire night celebrations. Speaking of, when I was driving to work on Saturday just before 6pm, I was getting incredibly distracted by the fireworks going off, they're a menace. And I'm not at all bitter that I didn't get to go and see any fireworks displays this year. Not. At. All.
Anyway, that's about all I have to say for today I think. My blog schedule works in theory until I forget what day it is and realise last minute that I have to post something and then just write any old rubbish. Like today.
Song of the Day: Candy by Robbie Williams. I'm so glad Robbie is back in my life.
Currently reading: I feel like I should just skip this section until I finish We Need To Talk About Kevin because this is getting ridiculous.
Work was incredibly quiet this weekend, everyone must have been enjoying Bonfire night celebrations. Speaking of, when I was driving to work on Saturday just before 6pm, I was getting incredibly distracted by the fireworks going off, they're a menace. And I'm not at all bitter that I didn't get to go and see any fireworks displays this year. Not. At. All.
Anyway, that's about all I have to say for today I think. My blog schedule works in theory until I forget what day it is and realise last minute that I have to post something and then just write any old rubbish. Like today.
Song of the Day: Candy by Robbie Williams. I'm so glad Robbie is back in my life.
Currently reading: I feel like I should just skip this section until I finish We Need To Talk About Kevin because this is getting ridiculous.
Hi
So you may have noticed my unplanned absence from blogging. But honestly, sometimes things happen that you don't really want to talk about, or feel like you shouldn't talk about, but when that's the only thing you can even think to talk about, sometimes it's better not to talk at all. Does that make sense? Good. Moving on.
The idea of blogging again after such a long time has felt pretty overwhelming because not only had I not written anything personally, but I also hadn't read any of the blogs that I follow since the beginning of September. Now that's a lot of blogs. I kept putting off logging into Blogger and Bloglovin' because I knew there would be a lot to read, and the longer I left it, the worse I knew it would be. But yesterday I spoke to my mum and she reminded me that the last time I had blogged was the middle of August or something. So I decided to fix that today.
I'm already excited about Christmas. Online websites have already added a Christmas section with gift ideas and trees and decorations, making my inner 5 year old squeal with delight. I'm working Christmas Day this year, which I'm surprisingly OK with. Last year I was dead set against working it (which worked out wonderfully because I didn't have to), but the more I thought about it this year, the more I realised that it really wasn't a big deal - I'm sure my family will be nice enough to wait until I get home to eat! Plus the tips will probably be pretty good.
Talking of work though, I've started to get increasingly annoyed at customers who think me and the other waitresses are the same person. Last week I took the meals out to two ladies who were sitting in the section of another waitress, so I hadn't served them at all up until this point. So I put the meals down and one of the ladies asked if they could order more drinks, so I said yes, and then she said, "We'll just have the same again, please."
So I said, "I've got no idea what you've had I'm afraid, I'm a different person." I said it with a laugh and a smile, but the lady was very apologetic which made me feel quite bad. But to be honest, the number of times I've been confused for another waitress is ridiculous. And it's not just a case of two of us looking quite similar, as it's several different people that I have been confused with. And I know other waitresses have had similar experiences. I guess that when some people go out they don't really pay too much attention to you as a person, which is pretty rude considering you're trying to help them have a good evening. Oh, and another work annoyance is when customers assume that every single member of staff knows what's going on with every single order that has been taken. The other week I had literally only just got into work, I hadn't taken any orders yet, and a lady came up to the bar and said, "Have you forgotten about my coffee then?" I'd never even seen this woman before.
OK that's my work rant over, and hopefully I'll get into a better blogging routine soon.
Song of the Day: Long Division by Death Cab for Cutie
Currently reading: Technically I'm reading We Need To Talk About Kevin but I haven't picked it up in ages. Oops.
The idea of blogging again after such a long time has felt pretty overwhelming because not only had I not written anything personally, but I also hadn't read any of the blogs that I follow since the beginning of September. Now that's a lot of blogs. I kept putting off logging into Blogger and Bloglovin' because I knew there would be a lot to read, and the longer I left it, the worse I knew it would be. But yesterday I spoke to my mum and she reminded me that the last time I had blogged was the middle of August or something. So I decided to fix that today.
I'm already excited about Christmas. Online websites have already added a Christmas section with gift ideas and trees and decorations, making my inner 5 year old squeal with delight. I'm working Christmas Day this year, which I'm surprisingly OK with. Last year I was dead set against working it (which worked out wonderfully because I didn't have to), but the more I thought about it this year, the more I realised that it really wasn't a big deal - I'm sure my family will be nice enough to wait until I get home to eat! Plus the tips will probably be pretty good.
Talking of work though, I've started to get increasingly annoyed at customers who think me and the other waitresses are the same person. Last week I took the meals out to two ladies who were sitting in the section of another waitress, so I hadn't served them at all up until this point. So I put the meals down and one of the ladies asked if they could order more drinks, so I said yes, and then she said, "We'll just have the same again, please."
So I said, "I've got no idea what you've had I'm afraid, I'm a different person." I said it with a laugh and a smile, but the lady was very apologetic which made me feel quite bad. But to be honest, the number of times I've been confused for another waitress is ridiculous. And it's not just a case of two of us looking quite similar, as it's several different people that I have been confused with. And I know other waitresses have had similar experiences. I guess that when some people go out they don't really pay too much attention to you as a person, which is pretty rude considering you're trying to help them have a good evening. Oh, and another work annoyance is when customers assume that every single member of staff knows what's going on with every single order that has been taken. The other week I had literally only just got into work, I hadn't taken any orders yet, and a lady came up to the bar and said, "Have you forgotten about my coffee then?" I'd never even seen this woman before.
OK that's my work rant over, and hopefully I'll get into a better blogging routine soon.
Song of the Day: Long Division by Death Cab for Cutie
Currently reading: Technically I'm reading We Need To Talk About Kevin but I haven't picked it up in ages. Oops.
DIY gift tags
Mondays always feel like Saturdays to me because I work weekends, so I've had a nice relaxing day, spending the morning in town doing a bit of shopping and the afternoon making Christmas gift tags out of the Christmas cards we got sent in 2011. I meant to do it as soon as we took the cards down, but I put them in my old room which I hardly ever go into, and I forgot about them. Until today.
Sure, they're a bit wonky (apparently I can't cut straight even if I have a line to follow), and some of them are odd sizes, but I like them. They're rustic. Now all I need to do is find a hole-punch and some string, and I'm all sorted in the Christmas gift-tag department.
I spent a bit of time sorting out the layout of my blog yesterday. I added picture links to my Flickr, Tumblr and Twitter accounts and put them on the right sidebar. My Twitter account is brand new because I deleted my old one a while ago as I never really used it and found it a bit overwhelming, but I'm giving it another go. If anyone's interested in following that, feel free! I'm super interesting!
Finally, I've discovered the webcam on my laptop, which might possibly make me really vain, or just make me start to really hate my face. I'm not sure which one yet.
Sure, they're a bit wonky (apparently I can't cut straight even if I have a line to follow), and some of them are odd sizes, but I like them. They're rustic. Now all I need to do is find a hole-punch and some string, and I'm all sorted in the Christmas gift-tag department.
I spent a bit of time sorting out the layout of my blog yesterday. I added picture links to my Flickr, Tumblr and Twitter accounts and put them on the right sidebar. My Twitter account is brand new because I deleted my old one a while ago as I never really used it and found it a bit overwhelming, but I'm giving it another go. If anyone's interested in following that, feel free! I'm super interesting!
Finally, I've discovered the webcam on my laptop, which might possibly make me really vain, or just make me start to really hate my face. I'm not sure which one yet.
Hello from my webcam
I think that's all for today then folks. I will be back soon. Probably. Maybe.
Song of the Day: Hey Ya by Obadiah Parker (originally by OutKast)
Happy New Year!
2012 already, I can hardly believe it. So I've been M.I.A again for a while, but I've been busy either working, or enjoying all the festivities that December brings.
Want to see what I got for Christmas? Of course you do.
Not pictured: a Cookie Monster t-shirt, and some cute little measuring cups.
I am writing this blog post on my brand new laptop, and so I am a very happy bunny.
Yesterday I spent a little while writing a list of New Year's Resolutions, which I'm not going to bore you with, but one of them is to read at least 30 books this year, including 10 classics. I originally wanted to do 50 books, but then I realised that was almost a book every week and I decided I didn't want to set out to fail. 30 it is. I've started making a list of the 30 I want to read but I'm only on about 15 so far, so when I've finished the list I'll post it here. Once it's on the internet it'll mean I HAVE to do it because I will have witnesses.
To update my blog more is not on my list of resolutions, because I don't want it to become a chore, and hopefully I'll have more blog-worthy things to say this year than I have lately.
So anyway, my brand new Shaun the Sheep calendar is up, I have a Winnie-the-Pooh pocket diary to organise my life, and I have had a relatively decent January the 1st. Bring on 2012!
Want to see what I got for Christmas? Of course you do.
Not pictured: a Cookie Monster t-shirt, and some cute little measuring cups.
I am writing this blog post on my brand new laptop, and so I am a very happy bunny.
Yesterday I spent a little while writing a list of New Year's Resolutions, which I'm not going to bore you with, but one of them is to read at least 30 books this year, including 10 classics. I originally wanted to do 50 books, but then I realised that was almost a book every week and I decided I didn't want to set out to fail. 30 it is. I've started making a list of the 30 I want to read but I'm only on about 15 so far, so when I've finished the list I'll post it here. Once it's on the internet it'll mean I HAVE to do it because I will have witnesses.
To update my blog more is not on my list of resolutions, because I don't want it to become a chore, and hopefully I'll have more blog-worthy things to say this year than I have lately.
So anyway, my brand new Shaun the Sheep calendar is up, I have a Winnie-the-Pooh pocket diary to organise my life, and I have had a relatively decent January the 1st. Bring on 2012!
Christmaschristmaschristmaschristmas
So, my decorations are up, my Christmas jumper is here (although a tad too big), my shopping is almost finished, and I have just found a bunch of photos from last Christmas.
I am so excited!
Don't worry, I'm still here
November was going to be the month where I got out of my blogging drought and started posting things more regularly again. As you can see, that didn't really happen. I did start writing something just over a week ago, but then I didn't know how to finish it, hopefully I'll get round to doing that at some point.
Anyway, I've been busy planning Christmas things, shopping, baking, and having girly times with Soph. We went to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 which was hilariously awful, but we knew it would be.
I'm now getting super pumped for Christmas. I have an advent calendar waiting patiently to be opened, and I think I'm probably going to put up the decorations soon, maybe on Thursday or Friday. I'm sure my mum would say that's too early, but she isn't in the country and is powerless to stop me. Sorry mum! Also, I may have purchased my very own Christmas jumper. I saw Karen Gillan wearing an amazing one on the BBC Christmas advert and I tracked it down on play.com. It was initially too expensive but I looked again the next day and it had been considerably reduced, so I bought it. I have absolutely no regrets.
Anyway, I've been busy planning Christmas things, shopping, baking, and having girly times with Soph. We went to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 which was hilariously awful, but we knew it would be.
I'm now getting super pumped for Christmas. I have an advent calendar waiting patiently to be opened, and I think I'm probably going to put up the decorations soon, maybe on Thursday or Friday. I'm sure my mum would say that's too early, but she isn't in the country and is powerless to stop me. Sorry mum! Also, I may have purchased my very own Christmas jumper. I saw Karen Gillan wearing an amazing one on the BBC Christmas advert and I tracked it down on play.com. It was initially too expensive but I looked again the next day and it had been considerably reduced, so I bought it. I have absolutely no regrets.
Animal Madness
This morning I was rudely awakened by a Blue Tit which had managed to defy logic and fly in through my barely open window. The curtains are really thick and this bird was tiny so it was trapped on the window-sill. I kept hearing flapping wings as it tried to get out, but it was obviously having trouble. Daf was still asleep so I woke him up.
"Daf. There's a bird on the window-sill."
"That's not possible."
"Well, there's something on the window-sill."
He got up to investigate because I was scared that there was an eagle behind the curtains. Or at least a huge pigeon. I told Daf not to open the curtains because I was worried the bird would start flying all over the room and shit everywhere. So he peeked through the crack in the curtain and said, "Aww, it's a tiny little Blue Tit." He opened the window further and managed to guide it out quite quickly which was good because apparently little birds can get really flustered and then have a heart attack and die, and a dead bird is the last thing I need on a Monday morning.
After that, Daf saw a squirrel knock something ceramic off next-door's bird table and break it, then he scarpered with his mate. Vandals.
In other news, I keep looking at all the Christmas gifts on websites and it's getting me ridiculously excited. How soon can I listen to my Christmas music?
Song of the Day: Do You Want It All? by Two Door Cinema Club
