MILF in the making ;)

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet, but one of my bestest friends Helen is expecting her first Bubba soon!

She's due in Feb, so is looking a little more bump-y right now - all very exciting :)
At first it did seem a little surreal that one of my friends was going to have a little person (we're not grownups yet, surely!), but now it's just plain exciting!
Something else to look forward to will be in a few years, when I can proudly show the little one beautiful pictures of her Mummy getting waaaasted** :) teehee. 
This has also recently meant fun times in shops I wouldn't usually go into/avoid...baby item shops!

Everything's just so small & soft, it's hard not to want to buy everything in sight! In the end though, I managed to narrow the gift-buying down to this;

so soft & tiny! Aww. Almost worth having one...almost :)


I think if I could just spend silly amounts of money & borrow someone else's baby for dressing up, the company for the job would probably be The White Company. I would love to post some pictures of the bits they have online, but they're all GIF images...so go check out the website! 
Actually, having a browse around the 'adult' part, there are quite a few things that would make lovely Christmas presents.
I especially like the "Home > At Home > Home Accessories > Small Solid Clear-Glass Tealight Holders". (Hint, hint).

*Also, a handy tip shared by both The Mother & The Grandmother; when you've got morning sickness, eat ginger biscuits & drink ginger beer! 

Speaking of Christmas, it's that time of year again - the annual Christmas shopping routine of mild panic (don't know what to get/who to get for/how much to spend), followed by an almost euphoric (interesting definition, no?) feeling when you find something that's just right. Then a general feeling of smugness, provided this has all occurred before Dec 23rd. 
Oh, I bloody love Christmas!    


xo

Ps. **

She's gonna be one hell of a Yummy Mummy ♥

Lists & Shizz.

After spending much of the day reading other peoples blogs (partly on a recommendation via twitter) & it made me realise that I haven't posted anything of interest in ages.
However I'm partially inclined to blame this (in a roundabout way) on the boy - blogging was usually something I did when he was playing something on the console...now my background is more grandmother-shaped, & a hellofalot more "Oo, did you see that?", & "now, not to be annoying, but what does this button do?". Aka; distracting!

However, I have made myself a short list of things to blog about (I find this helps. Mostly because during the day I think of things that would be cool to blog about, but promptly forget five minutes later!)

The 'list' is as follows (in a slight shorthand, which will allll become clear later. Hopefully):

• Job hunting- new plan.
• Top five fave brands & why? 
• Making notes with a black marker
• HW, Sj & Lyzz coming to visit
• Need for picnics/BBQs in parks
• Bank Holiday in Soton

As these are in no particular order, other than the way I thought of things, I shall start with the one that makes most sense at the beginning, although probably the least sense on the list;
Making notes with a black marker.
  I guess I just wondered if anyone else feels the same about this...When making a 'to-do list', or just general scribbles to myself, I really enjoy using a black marker pen to do so. Like a Sharpie or something.

Ha, this picture was called 'angry sharpie' - I think it's quite sweet, seeing as it not only includes a "thank you", but also a smiley face =) I'm a fan.

So moving on from that pointless piece of information...

Job Hunting - New Plan.

This is basically a short idea about a new plan I have job-hunting-wise. Because it's been about three weeks now that I've been applying for jobs & hearing one of three responses - 1. Time wasting - getting me to phone them, asking me questions, asking me if I have used (insert computer program I've never heard of) to which I say no - which they should have known already based on my CV, & then hearing nothing(!). 2. Phone/face to face interview, but being told I don't have enough experience, or 3. Nothing at all. 

All of this gets a little depressing after a while, sooo I figured that the best thing for me to do would be to apply for internships! 

I really think that this would be a good idea because not only would it give me some experience & therefore look good on the CV, it also means that I can go for different jobs/companies for a few months at a time before either deciding exactly what it is I want to do, or (ideally!) being offered a job at a company that I not only know I can do, but will really enjoy! 

Because I had a think the other day - if someone was to ask me where I would like to be in five or ten years time, I would say in a job that I really enjoy, within a really nice, friendly, creative company, doing something that I look forward to doing every day. Ahh, I can but dream!

 (Offices at Pixar)

Oh yeah! So the rest of my plan is to get regular work (in a shop, or something along those lines) for a couple of months 'till I have the pennies to work for free :]

Next on my list is HW, Sj & Lyzz coming to visit.

Not all at once, obviously, but during the next month I am going to have quite a lot of visitors!
This obviously requires pictures!

(Lyzz & I, looking sexy)

(Sj & I...we've been working out...)

(An old pic of Me & Helen - dressed as super girl - looking fabulous!)

 

Lyzz is the first, as she has some time off next week! Think she's coming on the Sunday night, & staying for a coupla days, which will be nice. Due to lack of funds, it means we'll have to find some fun, free things to do, but in London that shouldn't be too hard! In addition to this, her other half Oli happens to be in the big smoke for the next couple of weeks too, so I expect we'll meet up with him, & our other friend Danni (who works in selfridges & gave me free cakes! New favorite cake person - pics soon). 

 I'm not sure if Helen or Sj will be next on the visiting front - I know Helen & her other half Adam will be down for a day or two over the May bank holiday, which will be really nice. Especially as Adam (from what I can gather) doesn't really know London that well, so will be nice to show him it's really quite a delightful place!

(Sj & I a couple of years ago outside Buckingham Palace)

Which made me think of my next point -  Need for picnics/BBQs in parks. I'm not fussed whether they're in Soton, or London, or even Eastbourne/Brighton...I would very much like a picnic (or BBQ if there are boys around to tend to it) + good friends + gin&juice + frisbee or something similar + music of some sort + sunshine. Now if someone could just arrange the weather accordingly, that would be grand. Please & thank you.

And while on the subject of London - a poster I love! (On the left).

Oh! My other two points (Bank Holiday in Soton & Top Five Brands & Why?) I think should go in a separate blog entry, so I shall do that in a bit.
Enjoy!
xo

What a week!

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, but it's all been a little hectic recently! But I will start from the beginning anyhow;

Since I last posted, I have moved to London (finally)! Which is pretty exciting. I'm currently living with my Gran, in the lovely area of Southfields (where the highly artistic arrows are pointing);

It's a really nice place to live, because it only takes me about 20 minutes into central, but isn't too noisy, busy, or 'stabby'. & as for living with the Gran - it's lush! Getting used to having dinner cooked for me again is ace! Although I can just see myself adopting her phrases such as "woppit" (a term of endearment), "the hairy clappers" (a speed...as in, "it goes like the hairy clappers!"), & "widder, widder, widder"(when paraphrasing someone else)...


In the days leading up to moving day I didn't really do much, except pack! Which I have now decided I hate, partly because it makes me feel as though I have far too much stuff! Which is clearly not true...probably.
But for my last night (after some frantic last-minute packing), my beautiful friends came out for what turned out to be the best night out I've had in ages!
We managed to take 141 pictures. Shocking! To be fair though, most of them were of the boys, who got on like a house on fire;

(Dan, Jd & Adam)

& there were a couple of nice group-shots too;

(Me, Dan, Jd, Sj, Adam & Helen)

After that, the night got a little messy & we all seemed to be slightly worse for wear!

(Joe, Simon, Adam & Helen)

I think the only down point of the night was that in the morning, I woke up (at 8 o'clock) to find I'd left the electric blanket on all night & was cooking slowly...not fun! But all in all, it was lovely <3

The following day consisted of shopping with The Mother for "work appropriate" clothes, due to the fact that everything else I owned was apparently "scruffy". I prefer the term "casual", thanks! 

Then it was more packing, & driving to London (for her, not me). When in London we just had time to swiftly dump everything in my new room - pictures to follow - before heading out for an Indian with my Gran!

The Indian was really good! It's a local place in Southfields, but I can't remember what it was called! Next time I go past, I'll have a look & try to update this with a website or something. The food was delicious though! I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the area. 

 Anyway, after the meal The Mother (very kindly) drove us back to Eastbourne (where the family live), because it was Bracey's birthday! 

Technically it was her (22nd) birthday on the Saturday, which I had to miss due to moving. Boo! But it sounds like she had an amazing time with a kid's themed party! They played pass-the-parcel, had a treasure hunt, did face painting, dressed up & load more stuff! 

However I didn't miss out on all the fun - on the Sunday we went down to the seafront for a walk along the prom & fish & chips on the beach. Bracey was even wearing a swimming costume underneath her clothes! Madness. However after dipping her feet in the sea, she agreed with us all that it was far too cold to swim in April...

 (Click to enlarge - this was the weather on the day...not exactly warm!)

(From www.timeanddate.com)

We then watched Julie & Julia - which although was a nice story, heart-warming, etc. It did seem to drag a little. Could have done with sharper editing, maybe? I think the funniest part had to be Meryl Streep playing Julia Child - I can't really explain the eccentricity of the part, but I did enjoy it.

 

An 'official' review from IMDB:

"Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. Written by Columbia Pictures

 

In 1949, Julia Child is in Paris, the wife of a diplomat, wondering how to spend her days. She tries hat making, bridge, and then cooking lessons at Cordon Bleu. There she discovers her passion. In 2002, Julie Powell, about to turn 30 and underemployed with an unpublished novel, decides to cook her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in a year and to blog about it. We go back and forth between these stories of two women learning to cook and finding success. Sympathetic, loving husbands support them both, and friendships, too, add zest."

We also watched Orphan. It's a horror/thriller, about a nice couple who have two children & after a still-birth, decide to adopt another older child...cue the adopted child being a bit sinister, a lot of 'accidents' happening & eventually the whole family is in danger...dum dum dum! 

Overall, I did like the film - it was an interesting concept, with a beautiful look about the whole film - not once did you see a really bright colour, & it was snowing the whole time...really visually appealing. 

The following day I returned to London, to settle in/unpack & so on. However after two days of job-hunting, I thought I might go stir-crazy in the house! So I went for a jaunt in central. I visited Topshop, where the changing room doors are made for giants!!

(bearing in mind I'm 5"8)

I also saw a fun display in H&M;

Made me feel all spring-y! & for now I'm really quite enjoying living with my Gran, partly because this is what happens at "tea time"!

Lovely ♥

xo

Lazy

A slightly lazy post tonight, because I haven't uploaded any pictures from my Devon trip just yet, & also realised that I haven't done a picture (or three) of the day about HW! (Or Helen, sure).

(Helen & I dressed up for Sj's birthday...about a year & a half ago)

(& this is just a delightful picture of Hw in Kaos one time-loving life!)

This picture makes me giggle :]

I love Helen. We met because she started working at the bar I work at (for 5 more days!) & then we went out a lot...& the rest is history!

I think one of the things I love most about her (the way she dresses & cares about it as much as I do aside), is her amazingly positive attitude & outgoing-ness! She's always such a hyper, happy person...♥♥♥ it.

 (From the German Market, Christmas just gone, with hot chocolates after our fake Christmas day♥)

xo

Currently Listening to

Eminem.

I was just reading his bio' on Spotify, thought it was pretty interesting & worth sharing:

"To call Eminem hip-hop’s Elvis is correct to a degree, but it’s largely inaccurate.
Certainly, Eminem was the first white rapper since the Beastie Boys to garner both sales and critical respect, but his impact exceeded this confining distinction. On sheer verbal skills, Eminem was one of the greatest MCs of his generation -- rapid, fluid, dexterous, and unpredictable, as capable of pulling off long-form narrative as he is delivering a withering aside -- and thanks to his mentor Dr. Dre, he had music to match: thick, muscular loops that evoked the terror and paranoia Em’s music conjured. And, to be certain, a great deal of the controversy Eminem courted -- and during the turn of the millennium, there was no greater pop cultural bogeyman than Marshall Mathers -- came through in how his violent fantasias, often directed at his mother or his wife, intertwined with flights of absurdity that appealed to listeners too young to absorb the psychodramas Eminem explored on his hit albums, The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. 

  With hits “My Name Is” and “The Slim Shady,” he ruled the airwaves, but it wasn’t long before some detractors acknowledged his depth, helped in part by singles like the mournful “Stan,” written from the perspective of an obsessed fan. Eminem capitalized on this forward momentum by crossing over into the big screen with 8 Mile, earning acclaim for his performance and an Oscar for the film’s anthem “Lose Yourself,” but a number of demons led him to shut down for the second half of the decade, an absence that proved life is indeed empty without Em, before he returned in 2009 with Relapse."

 - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.

Aaaand picture of the day:

(There's gonna be a few today, because it's so nice outside it reminds me of summer, when Helen, Sj, Jake, Ryan & I went on a boat to the Isle of White for the day - now know forever as "Boat Day"!)

Helen on the boat (sitting up front).

Me & Sj in the back!

Ryan & Jake, driving.

Ahh, I miss summer!

xo