New hobbies

I have a headache. Which probably isn't being helped by staring at a computer screen, but hey-ho. Here we are.

February came and went with the blink of an eye as it always does because it is so short, but I find that March seems quite short too. Mostly because by the time your mind processes that it is not February anymore, it has already been March for a good few days. In theory it should be warming up now, but although the nights are getting lighter it feels like we've fallen back into the depths of winter. It reminds me of this comic. After January, winter just becomes a bit of a burden because there's no Christmas to look forward to. Bring on summer, I want to sit outside.

I've started drawing. Although I'm not a jealous person by nature, I have always envied people who seem to be artistically gifted. I've had a change of heart though. Whilst I still think that there are people who have a natural flair for drawing, it actually takes a lot of work and all those people just try a lot harder than the rest of us who say that we're not very good at art. Last week I decided that I wanted to get better at drawing so I just started practicing. I think the coolest thing about sketching is that you start out with some circles and lines on a page but you build them up and they become something, and it's really rewarding when your finished product actually resembles what you wanted it to. It's hard though, and it takes time. Patience is a great virtue, but it's never been one of mine, so it's good for me to start taking more time over things. When I told Jack that I'd started doodling he said, "Are you going to draw me like one of your French girls?" because he is oh so hilarious (I'm assuming everyone will get the reference). So far I've pretty much been drawing some of my favourite cartoon characters, but you've got to start somewhere and it's really fun.

Speaking of cartoons, here's some awesome ones that you should definitely watch if you don't already:
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: Legend of Korra
Over The Garden Wall
Adventure Time (obviously - everyone knows how much I love it)
Bob's Burgers

Watch them. Thank me later.

Song of the Day: Like I Can by Sam Smith

Currently reading: Death Cure by James Dashner

Bloglovin'

A list. And pancakes.

I did start writing a belated Valentine's Day post on Monday, but I didn't finish it. It's too late now. It can sit in my drafts until next year. Or forever. Who knows. I couldn't finish it and post it yesterday obviously because yesterday was the most sacred of all the days: Pancake Day. Any day that makes it socially acceptable to eat pancakes for dinner is definitely a winner in my book. 

Anyway, here's a list of some of the things that I find ridiculously overrated. Haters gonna hate, hate, hate...

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Actually, Quentin Tarantino films in general.
3. Nando's
4. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - it's not even that catchy a song, I don't get the appeal.
5. Breaking Bad - don't get mad! I don't mind it, I haven't even finished it yet, I'm only on series 2 but honestly I find it kind of slow moving and hard to get into. Maybe it gets better? I'll persevere.
6. Champagne (sorry Mum)
7. Looking for Alaska by John Green. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but I don't quite think it lived up to all of the hype it got. Paper Towns and The Fault in our Stars were much better, in my humble opinion.
8. Frozen - I actually really like Frozen but holy moly it's so over-hyped and it's everywhere, all the time.

And now, in honor of Pancake Day, a video of someone making pancakes shaped like characters from The Walking Dead, how cool!

Song of the Day: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Cockney Rebel & Steve Harley

Currently reading: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Bloglovin'

A very british ramble about weather

The good news is, we made it through January. The bad news is that the weather forecast for the next week looks like it's going to be really, really cold. Sub-zero maybe. I wouldn't mind if any of the snow we've had here actually bothered to stick around for more than an hour at a time. This is about the best we got.

At least it makes a pretty picture. A couple of hours after this was taken you wouldn't have seen any evidence that it had snowed at all. Things like that really annoy me. I think I've spoken about it before, but I like the weather to stay the same all day. If the day starts off miserable and grey and rainy, then I get irrationally angry if the sun comes out in the afternoon. I don't know why. It's not that I don't like change. I love change; I crave it. Just not when it comes to the weather I guess. Where weather is concerned, I like to know where I stand. 

In other news, Jack and I added a new recipe to our repertoire last night. It was a casserole/stew type of thing and it was delicious. I love it when new things turn out well. Also, cooking new meals makes me feel like a grown-up. Go me!

Song of the Day: Be Good by Emily Kinney

Bloglovin'

Sensitive soul

I was a sensitive soul when I was a child. Sad movies, songs and books used to always make me cry. I vividly remember going into my room and sobbing inconsolably after watching Dragonheart (remember that movie, with Sean Connery playing a dragon? It was great). However, somewhere down the line, I stopped getting so teary about things. I don't mean that I became I robot or anything and stopped feeling things. I still acknowledged the sad scenes in movies, like when Jack dies in Titanic (I don't mean to spoil it for anyone but come on, Titanic is about a million years old now), I just for some reason didn't get as upset by things like this anymore. This went on for years and years. Until now, apparently.

Recently, I feel like I've been getting teary eyed a lot. I think perhaps I've just watched/listened to a lot of sad (or at least moving) films and songs lately. For instance, in the last month I've watched The Fault in our Stars (sad), Les Miserables (it's called that for a reason people), The Theory of Everything (incredibly moving) and The Book Thief (very sad). Also, I was listening to the Wicked soundtrack the other day and when For Good came on, I very nearly bawled. 

However, would you like to know the most recent thing to make me cry? This song from An American Tail. 

I don't know what's happening to me.

Song of the Day: Polaroid Picture by Frank Turner

Bloglovin'

A lick of paint

You may have noticed I've had a layout change. I've always had issues with my blogger themes ever since I started blogging, and even though I got better at changing things myself, I decided I am just not good enough at design to ever be completely happy with what I can come up with on my own. So I bought an easily customised theme from etsy, had a little play, and voilà! I may not be able to use Photoshop very well, but I can cut and paste code like nobody's business. I've also added a blogroll because sharing is caring. 

I'm really happy with it, I feel like it looks more like a 'real' blog (if that makes sense?). It makes me excited to write more on here (although I think I'm doing pretty well so far this year - but then again it is only January). 

Song of the Day: On My Side Leighton Meester

Bloglovin'

A revelation

I got up early this morning to do some exercise before I thought the better of it. It was still dark outside as we are stuck in what feels like an eternal winter, and 5 minutes into Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred I was beginning to realise how unfit I am. Also, why do her two mates that help her on the videos smile so much? It's not fun, it's hard. On the plus side, as long as I keep it up, it will get easier. So I'm calling this Day One. Wish me luck.

My reasoning for doing workouts in the morning rather than leaving it until later in the day are that I figure it will make me more productive for the rest of the day. If my alarm goes off at 7 and I get up straight away, I can get ready and do my exercise and be all finished by 8. Then I can have a shower, get some breakfast and a cuppa, and I'm all energised and motivated and ready to take on the world by 9, at the very latest. It's a good plan and I'm determined to stick to it. I really really am.

The only problem with getting so much done so early, is that now it feels like it should be mid to late afternoon, when actually it's only 12.30. Oh well, I'm sure I'll manage to adjust.

In other news, I really want to make these candles, because come on, they look awesome.

Via Hello Natural

Song of the Day: Young Chasers by Circa Waves

Bloglovin'

Snow Worries (get it?)

It snowed last night. There's something really magical about when it starts snowing at night time. It's like a promise of what tomorrow might bring. At the very least, your usual surroundings will be completely transformed into a winter wonderland for you to marvel at from the comfort and warmth of your house.

However, that's not to say you can't be disappointed. It can't have snowed for that long as there really wasn't that much, and the sun was out in full force this morning, creating patchy, sludgy bits of snow not worth taking pictures of. I did spend a little time watching the snow melt and the steam rise off the tops of the fences where the sun hit though. So not a total loss.

There's more forecast for Saturday. Fingers crossed.

Song of the Day: From a Closet in Norway (Oslo Blues) by You+Me

Bloglovin'