Gone Fishin'

Although I routinely blog about various beauty bits you may have guessed that I'm not an entirely girly girl. Sure I revel in all things skincare, haircare, makeup, etc but I also ride a hulking great motorbike, do my own car maintenance and repairs and am no stranger to the many uses for WD40. I even remove spiders from the bath all by myself. So it should come as no surprise that I also have one or two hobbies which aren't your typically feminine pastimes and, since I'm trying to get more lifestyle into my wee blog, I thought I'd share one of them with you today.

Mention fishing to most people and they think of a bloke perched on the end of a pier with his rod and a bucket of bait enjoying some alone time. Most of the time that's pretty accurate but unfortunately for Mr P going fishing doesn't mean a bit of quality "man time" as I like to tag along too! I have my own rod and reel (a 12ft Shakespeare Sigma and SurfZone 70 in coordinating black and turquoise) and I'm perfectly capable of setting up my own rig, although I must admit I tend to leave the whole baiting business to Mr P. The is nothing about ragworm that makes me want to touch them - they're slimy, they smell and they bite!

You might imagine that the attraction of fishing is catching something yummy for tea, and for some that is the case, but I'm a vegetarian and haven't eaten fish in over 20yrs. For me the attraction is all about peace and quiet, picturesque surroundings and the chance to truly relax and spend time with my man and, sometimes, dog. Let me explain... 

In my professional life I work very hard. I manage staff, I manage big projects, I'm always on hand for professional advice and I'm always busy. At home I still spend a lot of time managing - bills and finances, housework and DIY (which we do share to be fair), dog, holidays and outings, etc. If I'm honest it all gets a bit tiring sometimes! Going fishing gives me a chance to truly relax. I don't need to organise anything, I don't need to manage anything and all I have to worry about is watching the little blue light on the end of my rod for that telltale twitch which suggests there might be a fish chowing down on my bait.

Even better I don't even have to worry about inclement weather (because we all know what a tropical paradise Southern England is) as we can relax in the relative comfort and warmth of Mr P's Defender, which has comfy seats, plenty of space and is kitted out with a stove and mini gas heater. I can ignore my phone if I want and just chat and enjoy Mr P's company. Honestly, it doesn't get much more chill-outy than a mug of hot chocolate in a nice warm truck accompanied by your lovely bloke and surrounded by peaceful nighttime countryside just waiting for something interesting to swim along! Besides, real live fish are way more interesting than what you see on the counter at Tesco. I've caught sea bass, pouting, whiting, dab, sole, bream, eels (icky, slimy things) and some really fascinating species including thorn backed rays, dogfish and smooth hounds (both types of shark, which is very cool!). In fact all the fishy photos in this post are animals That I personally have caught!

Have you ever been fishing? If your man/dad/mate goes why not tag along sometime?

New Dressing Table

Ok my makeup collection may be tiny compared to most beauty bloggers but since getting into reading and then writing beauty blogs it has had a bit of a growth spurt and outgrown its little green storage baskets in our compact and bijou (i.e. minuscule) bathroom. Plus the bathroom ain't really the best place to be keeping it what with all the steam and soap flying about. So recently I set about finding it a new home...

We don't use our spare room much so it's been feeling a bit unloved but it happened to have the perfect spot for a dressing table area atop a chest of drawers, with the top draw providing plenty of storage space. Add a nice mirror, a pair of lamps, some storage baskets and some pots and the job is, as they say, a good 'un!

Chest of drawers - Aneboda by IKEA (no longer available but Austmarka is virtually identical)

Mirror - Living Silver Bevelled Triple Dressing Table Mirror, Argos

Lamps - I've had these for years and can't remember where they came from but these Hyatt table lamps from Argos offer a similar lighting effect.

Storage Baskets (set of three) - Tesco Home (I can't see them online but they seem to be widely available in-store)

Brush pot and Glasses - stolen from my desk and my kitchen cupboard!

I have to say, though, no matter how pretty that mirror is or how much the organised storage pleases my inner librarian, the thing I like most is my tiny mini wheelie bin. I've no idea where it came from but I think it's pretty funky. If only I could find some mini bin liners for it!

Do you have a dedicated dressing table space?

Conversations with Dog

As I write this Keeta, our Siberian husky, is stretched out on the couch with her head resting on my left arm. In fact she's making my arm go dead but she looks so content and sleepy I haven't got the heart to move her. She's a lovely creature who is in equal measure affectionate, stubborn, independent, excitable, greedy, lazy and daft. She's also addicted to cheese and Haribo which is why my packet of fizzy cola bottles is cunning hidden under a cushion next to me. She knows they're there and whenever I rustle the packet she grumbles at me.

Huskies are quite vocal dogs and although ours is quieter than some (she rarely howls, despite Mr P spending hours trying to encourage her with some interesting wolf impressions) she nevertheless let's us know when she wants something. If you have a pet, especially a dog, have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a proper conversation with them? Here are a few things I can imagine Keeta saying if she suddenly mastered English...

On being told she's not having any of my cheese sandwich...

Keeta: I suppose that's fair, it is your sandwich, but I like cheese. Besides, I'm cute and you love me. Please can I have some? Pleeeeeeeeeease? I'll just sit right here next to you while you think about it.

When one of us picks up her collar...

Keeta: That was my collar. That means I'm going somewhere! YES! Where are we going? Are we going in the car? Are we going for a walk? I'm so excited! What are we doing? Oh god, I hope it's not the vet. No I can't sit still. I'm far too excited! Lemme out! FREEDOM!!! (By which time we've usually just  about managed to get her collar on her)

On opening a packet of Haribo...

Keeta: Those are jelly sweets aren't they? I love those! Can I have one? Please? PLEASE? I'm soooo hungry. I don't care if you hide them under a cushion, I know they're there. I love you! Give me a sweetie! PLEASE! Ok, just give me a sweetie NOW!!!

On deciding she wants to go lie on our bed...

Keeta: You two look tired, you should go lie down. I know you're watching TV but you have a perfectly good TV upstairs. Come on! Look, I want to go chill out and your bed is so comfy! I promise I won't take over the whole bed, I'll make sure you have a little bit of space too. I know I'm not allowed upstairs on my own so please will you come with me? I just want to snuggle up with you all comfy like.

On meeting a very small dog...

Keeta: Lunch?

(To be fair she usually just wants to play but huskies are very rough and mouthy when they play, which small dogs tend not to appreciate!)

Do you have any pets? What do you think they would say if they could talk?

Thin

I felt compelled to write an extra post this week in honour of National Eating Disorder Awareness week, which is this very week. Eating disorders are an issue rather close to my heart as I suffered with anorexia and depression during my late teens and although my relationship with food is a little better 10yrs on my body and I are still uneasy bedfellows.

To put no finer point on it I starved myself from a healthy 11.5st and size 14 (I'm 5ft 7 inches) down to a skeletal 6st. At my smallest I was a size 4-6. I was a little plump to begin with, but by no means overweight, yet I was convinced I was a huge, disgusting whale which no one would ever find attractive. I honestly believed the key to being happier was to lose weight, to be skinny. I was wrong.

Over the course of a year I cut all fat from my diet and then started reducing my calorie intake ultimately down to less than 100 a day. I existed (you can't call it living when you barely have the energy to walk up a flight of stairs) on water and thinks like sugar free jelly pots. And it worked - I lost a lot of weight and quickly - but I also destroyed my body. My breasts stopped growing and have never started again (I am a 32A on a good day), my hair became thin and dry, my skin was sallow, my eyes sunken and the widest part of my legs was my knees. My periods stopped, I was constantly shattered and freezing cold even in the middle of summer. Yet I ignored all of these negative things because I thought I looked good.

I don't think my parents knew what to do. They never really tackled me on my secretive eating habits (I used to pretend I'd already eaten or take food up to my room and hide it so they would think I'd eaten it). It wasn't their fault - they just didn't know what to do and we were never the sort of family that talked openly about feelings or emotional stuff. Fortunately I had some amazing friends and teachers who did see what was happening and who did try to help. I can vividly remember my A Level chemistry teacher sitting me down and telling me, in the gentlest way, that if I did not start to improve the school would consider having me sectioned. They never did but that was a turning point. 

A couple of months later I started to eat again, very slowly as my body couldn't handle more than a mouthful without me throwing up at first. Slowly I gained the tiniest bit of weight and it terrified me. I felt out of control and that's the crux of it. Anorexia isn't really about food, even if it may start out with a desire to lose weight - it's about exerting control over something. Now I can recognise that I am a total control freak and put that to constructive use but as a teenager, when so much is happening to you that you can't control,  that side of my nature was destructive.

10yrs on I suppose you could say I'm cured. I am a healthy weight and I eat regularly. I even eat junk food. That need to control, though, is still with me. If I find myself in a stressful situation I still start to unconsciously restrict my eating, almost like a reflex, but at least now I can recognise it and take steps to prevent it becoming an issue. I still compare myself to others all the time and find myself wanting. I wore a size 10 pencil skirt and size 6 jumper today but still had moments where I felt big, clumsy and fat even though my rational mind knows I'm not. I refuse to have scales in the house and don't know what I weigh because if I did there would be the potential to obsess over it.

I don't think you're ever totally "cured" of something like that, but what I do believe 100% is that you can learn to live with it! You can learn to control the impulse to control. I don't completely blame the media and images of tiny women, often with airbrushed or otherwise enhanced bodies, but they certainly did have a negative impact on my teenage mind. They absolutely do not help and I get really angry when I read magazines which promote healthy body image while using super skinny models on their fashion pages. Hypocrites! The thing is according to the vast majority of men I've spoken to, including my husband, they don't find those skinny women sexy. Go figure.

I know this has been possibly the longest post ever but I did say this was an issue close to my heart. If sharing my experience can help someone recognise a problem with themselves or their friend or family member then it was worth if. If you are worried about someone or yourself then talk to someone, maybe a GP or a teacher or a friend. Don't assume that dieting and being funny with food is just a normal teenage or female thing (anorexia affects men too). And please please don't fall into the trap of thinking that what you see in magazines is a true image of beauty which you must emulate. It isn't.

Wet 'n' Wild Weather

Do you remember that Kevin Costner film Waterworld where the whole world was covered with water and people basically lived on ships? Well we're not quite there yet in Hampshire but we're not far off!

You can't fail to have seen on the news how badly southern England has been affected by the relentless rain and storms we've had since before Christmas. I can certainly vouch for the fact that it's rained almost every day and some of the winds we've had have been so strong my poor little car has been blown all over the road. Near where Mr P and I live the New Forest has taken some serious hits with large areas flooding repeatedly and loads of trees coming down meaning closed roads dangerous driving conditions.

 Fortunately Mr P owns a Land Rover Defender (recently dubbed man's answer to Mother Nature's bullsh*t) which he's been using to rescue flooded vehicles, clear roads and generally help the emergency services. I'm going to sing his praises for a sec because he does this without being asked, without being paid and in some of the worst weather conditions purely because he wants to help. With over twenty cars recovered (some of which he managed to restart and get the drivers on their way), half a dozen trees cleared from roads, many stranded people helped and countless drivers redirected it's safe to say I'm seriously proud of him. He even took one couple Christmas shopping 3 days before Christmas after their car was drowned by a thoughtless truck driver.

I'm pretty impressed with the truck too. OK it might not be a sleek looking sports car and yet it's noisy and drinks diesel by the gallon but it's taken everything Mother Nature has thrown at us. It even waded us to safety through 3ft of flood water (that's right up over the headlights!) in complete darkness at 2am when a tree came down behind us blocking our escape on a deserted road. 'Twas very scary let me tell you!

If it's flooded near you then please, please take care if you're driving anywhere. Use a bit of common sense and don't plow your car into water on the road. Take it slowly and carefully and if you're not sure you can make it don't try. Watch out for the wash caused by large vehicles

If you happen to be down our way and get stuck out in the New Forest keep your eye open for a bloke with long blonde hair and a big black 4x4. If he offers you some help, be sure to say thanks 'cos that's my man!    

TMI Part Deux

Welcome back to oversharing central! Today's extra special bonus post is the second part of my own version of the TMI Tag doing the rounds on YouTube...

26. The reason I started blogging
The original question is why you joined YouTube but since I don't have a channel (yet) I changed it. I got addicted to reading blogs as I was a bit sick of the impersonalness (is that even a word?) of magazines and blogs are so much more real. I started writing one because I wanted to join in the fun!

27. Fears?
I don't really have any. I own two pet snakes so I'm definitely not scared of them. I don't mind heights, water, the dark, wasps, bees or spiders (although I could live without the eight legged monsters which inhabit out garden - they're huge!). I have a bit of an aversion to Audi drivers when I'm out on my bike.

28. Last thing that made you cry?
An animal rescue programme

29. Last time you said you loved someone?
Earlier today, to my husband

30. Meaning behind your blog name?
Another adapted question. Handlebars because I'm a biker and hairspray because a) I'm a girl and b) this is primarily a beauty blog and it sort of fits.

31. Last book you read?
Blood Stone by Nate Kenyon (random Kindle purchase)

32. The book you're currently reading?
Sacrifice by Paul Finch (another random Kindle purchase)

33. Last show you watched
Castle re-runs on Netflix

34. Last person you talked to
Our husky Keeta - I told her off for trying to steal my bag of Sensations

35. The relationship between you and the person you last texted
My husband, asking if he was having a good day out with his mates

36. Favourite food?
Satay tofu and crispy seaweed

37. Place you want to visit?
Money no object, Route 66 on a Harley Davidson or Australia

38. Last place you were?
I popped into Southampton this morning

39. Do you have a crush?
No, I'm old and married.

40. Last time you kissed someone?
My husband earlier today

41. Last time you were insulted?
At work last week - I have better hearing than some of my colleagues think I do

42. Favourite flavour of sweet?
Rhubarb and custard

43. What instruments do you play?
The oboe since I was 8 and the flute since I was 14. I can tinkle on the piano and I've got my eye on a tenor saxophone...

44. Favourite piece of jewellery?
My engagement ring - a marquise cut diamond set in white gold with yellow gold shoulders. It's a very unusual cut and my absolute favourite. My husband chose it all by himself without even knowing that so it was just meant to be!

45. Last sport you played?
I went running a few months ago. That's the closest I get!

46. Last song you sang?
Tonight the World Dies by Avenged Sevenfold, loudly (and badly) in the car

47. Favourite chat up line?
Ugh, I hate them!!!

48. Have you ever used it? 
No. I'm actually incredibly bad at picking up on when they're being used on me as well. #oblivious

49. Last time you hung out with someone?
I'm hanging out on the couch with the dog and my husband - does that count?

50. Who should answer these questions next?
Anyone!

Phew, all that sharing is tiring work. I'm sure I deserve some chocolate now...

The TMI Tag

I've seen the TMI Tag doing the rounds on the channels of some of my favourite YouTubers and I must admit its kinda nice to get an insight into some of the people behind those fabulous channels. Anyway, I figured if I enjoyed finding about my favourite bloggers and vloggers then it's only fair if I share too. So here it is, my very own TMI Tag! I've split it across 2 posts so you're not reading for hours - the second part will be in a special bonus post tomorrow. Let the sharing commence...

1. What are you wearing?
Right now as I type, my scruffy sitting-around-the house Lee jeans, a random khaki top from Tesco and a fluffy black cardigan. I have my cute little leopard print ballerina slippers on too.

2. Ever been in love?
Yep, twice. Once with my first serious boyfriend and then with my husband.

3. Ever had a terrible breakup?
Thankfully only one.

4. How tall are you?
5 foot 7 inches (but most people think I'm taller because I usually wear heels)

5. How much do you weigh?
I actually don't know as I refuse to have scales in the house but somewhere around the 9 1/2 stone mark. Not a supermodel but no need for WeightWatchers!

6. Any tattoos?
Four - a Chinese dragon on my left bicep, a tribal butterfly between my shoulder blades, a Chinese symbol on my right hip and an ambigram that says "work hard" forwards and "carpe diem" backwards on my lower back.

7. Any piercings?
Several! Four in each ear lobe, a helix and conch in my left ear cartilage, nose, tongue, both nipples and belly button top and bottom.

8. OTP?
Richard Castle and Kate Beckett (I'm watching Castle re-runs on Netflix)

9. Favourite Show?
Don't have one but I like a lot of American dramas - True Blood, Arrow, etc

10. Favourite Bands?
I listen to all sorts from Mozart to Manson! Currently I'm mostly listening to Rammstein and Avenged Sevenfold.

11. Something you miss?
North East England. It's where I'm from and where my family are.

12. Favourite song?
It's a toss up between Metallica's Unforgiven II (which I walked down the aisle to) and Nothing Else Matters from the S&M album with the San Francisco Symphony orchestra (our first dance).

13. How old are you?
30 (ancient)

14. Zodiac sign?
Virgo, maker of extensive lists!

15. Quality you look for in a partner?
Wicked sense of humour

16. Favourite Quote?
"A lack of planning on your part does not consitiute a crisis on my part" (when I'm at work)

17. Favourite actor?
Christian Bale

18. Favourite colour?
Purple and turquoise

19. Loud music or soft?
LOUD! You really can't play metal softly, it just doesn't work.

20. Where do you go when you're sad?
Bed, specifically the very middle of the duvet where I can hide from the world

21. How long does it take you to shower?
About half an hour. Is that a long time?

22. How long does it take you to get ready on a morning?
For work, about 40 minutes. Slightly longer at weekends because I can take my time (and I can never decide what to wear).

23. Ever been in a physical fight?
Yes, but only because I used to do karate. I've never been in a cat fight or anything.

24. Turn on?
Muscular arms (my husband's could rival Vin Diesel's. Yummy!)

25. Turn Off?
The usual - bad breath, bad manners

Stay tuned for more over sharing tomorrow!

Life for less

Living on a limited budget is no fun, especially at this time of year when pretty much every brand going is launching tantalising new goodies. Whether your limited funds are a result of studentdom, unemployment or just how damn expensive the basics have become there are a few things you can do to make it a little more bearable and still afford the occasional beauty essential. Yes, lipsticks, nail polish, mascara and concealer are most definitely essentials!

Max out those loyalty cards - if you're going to spend, and it's pretty unavoidable if you want to eat, you might as well get something out of it as well as lunch. Get your paws on loyalty cards for the stores you use and hand them over on every visit. Remember some cards like Nectar can be used in a variety of places. Make sure you use any vouchers you get to max out points too, although obviously don't spend extra just to use a value based voucher! Boots are particularly good for vouchers at the moment...

Track your spending - keeping a spend diary is just as revealing as a food one. Keep a track of everything you spend for a couple of weeks and you'll probably see where you could save a few pennies here and there. Once you've done that set yourself a reward to out those pennies towards - maybe one of those lovely spring launch products.

Bargain hunting - limited budgets usually mean high end products are a big no-no but they needn't be. Check out discount websites like Direct Cosmetics for a wide and regularly updated selection of products from drugstore and higher end brands. Direct Cosmetics is by far my favourite as they stock current as well as discontinued products and their prices represent a serious discount. Beauty shopping on eBay is a bit controversial but there are genuine sellers out there if you carefully check feedback and the wealth of sample sizes on offer mean you can try more expensive products before committing to a big spend on the full size version. For clothes, shoes, accessories, etc crack on - you're bound to find something you love for a fraction of the high street price.

DIY - can't afford expensive face masks, body scrubs or hair treatments? Make your own! There are loads of recipes on the web for all manner of beauty essentials using pretty much what you have in your cupboard. Imagine what you could do with just olive oil, brown sugar and honey! Candles are delightful but definitely a luxury so why not try making your own instead of buying them? Pick up some cute cups or glasses in a charity shop, get your hands on some soya wax, wick and essential oils and get creative!

Scoop a dupe - if there's a particular product you're dying to get your hands on but it's a bit pricy then do some research and find a dupe. While I think with skincare you often get what you pay for there are drugstore dupes for most high end makeup favourites which are almost as good as their expensive counterparts and some are even better! A few of the bloggers I follow have done a lot of dupe posts recently so check out my blogroll to get you started. 

How do you afford those little luxuries when you're counting the pennies?

The Feeling Better Factor

So it's January. Christmas is over, the weather is awful and there's a pretty good chance you've got a cold. I certainly do, courtesy of Mr P, and I feel utterly rubbish but there are a few things that will make me feel at least a little bit better even if I can't quite manage feeling human at the moment!

Keep cosy - When you've got a cold the last thing you need is to be cold so warm and cosy is where its at when it comes to flu fashion. I have my fluffy dressing gown and my fleecy PJ's but my feet usually end up freezing so there's nothing better than wrapping them up in a pair of really snuggly socks. Think super soft knits, fleecy linings and as chunky and thick as you can find. I have loads of pairs but the pretty pastel spotty pair pictured were a pressie from my sis-in-law so they're extra special.

Soothe a sore nose - A straw pole of my friends reveals a myriad of things used to combat the sore nose you get from all that rubbing and blowing, from E45 to Vaseline. I do rate E45 as a moisturiser but the best thing I've found is this Botanics Organic Super Balm. It's 93% organic, truly fragrance free and has a melting oily texture which nourishes and soothes raw skin. It also provides a bit of a protective barrier against future wiping. This balm makes a pretty decent lip balm and works wonders on really dry patches of skin too.

Breath easier - Traditionally eucalyptus is the oil to clear the sinuses but I'm not a fan as it seems to linger in the house for weeks after my cold has departed and my poor dog hates it. Tea tree oil, on the other hand, smells lovely (to me anyway) and has a similar clearing effect. It also has a fantastic clearing effect on my skin, which breaks out spectacularly whenever I'm under the weather. To breath easier add a few drops of oil to an aroma diffuser or oil burner, especially just before bed. To combat those illness-related blemishes dip a clean cotton bud in the oil and apply a little bit to each blemish. Tea tree can be a little drying so you might want to treat your skin to some extra moisturising too. Superdrug's 100% Pure Tea Tree Oil is the best value and always seems to be on offer.

Indulge - I know we've all eaten a tonne of chocolate over the festive season (guilty) but when I have a cold I really crave sugary hot drinks. I'm sure its because of all the energy my body is putting into fighting off my cold. That's my excuse anyway! My favourite way to get my fix is a huge mug of hot chocolate because its really warming, soothes my sore throat and the steam helps to clear my head. Besides, I can't take Lemsips and I don't drink tea or coffee so my options are a bit limited. I'm currently loving Galaxy Bubbles Orange. Simply delicious, and at least it's sort of low-cal!

There are a few other things I rely on to help me feel better. I hate being bored at the best of times so a good book, DVD and a stash of blogs and YouTube videos to keep me amused is essential. A long hot shower with lots of steam and freshly washed bedding makes sleeping easier and as I'm usually feeling ultra pathetic I need lots of hugs from Mr P and the dog!

How do you make yourself feel better when you're under the weather?

2014 - It's Here!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm not really a fan of New Year's resolutions - it's all too easy to make grandiose promises after a few glasses of festive fizz only for the cold light (and rain) of January to give you the perfect excuse not to start that daily run/trip to the gym/reduction in chocolate intake. Been there, done that, cancelled the gym membership! However, being a plan to the last detail control freak type I do like an opportunity to come up with a list of things I want to try and do in the forthcoming year. Some of them I achieve, some of them I don't, but it's nice to have something to aim for.

So, this is what I'm planning for 2014, and they are most definitely not resolutions!

Beat those blemishes! Having introduced a serious amount of exfoliation into my regime recently (look out for a forthcoming post on what I'm using) I'm determined to finally conquer my evil blemish prone complexion once and for all! That I've gotten this far is muchly thanks to fellow bloggers, particularly Kate at Gh0stparties and JennyPurr, so of course I'll be looking to those skincare gurus and the inimitable Caroline Hirons for further inspiration!

Learn to love lippie! I'm not a huge wearer of lip colour, mainly because my lips are so dry all the time, but I love the way it looks so my plan is to find a truly impressive lip balm (Nuxe Rêve de Miel I'm looking at you) and embrace all those lovely glosses, mattes, nudes, bolds and berries.

Ditch the drugstore! Ok I don't mean I'll be turning in my Advantage card any time soon, but I do want to try some more high end brands. I've never bothered with more that the odd Clinique and Benefit eye product before because of the state of my skin (although in hindsight I might have had more success with a higher end brand - doh!) but now that it's slowly starting to improve, and since getting into beauty blogs and discovering a world of wonder products, I'm ready to splash some cash!

The Chop! My hair is really long, really thick and between you and me it's not in the best condition at the ends. In truth it's too long as it gets in my way and is so heavy I can't wear it in a ponytail for more than a couple of hours without a headache. So the time has come for me to follow the blogger trend and go for The Chop. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go shoulder length but shorter it will most definitely be, and I'm already looking forward to having hair I can style and wear in a nice up do. Watch this space to see just how brave I end up being!

Blog, blog, blog! Although this is still very much a baby blog I'm having lots of fun writing it (hopefully you're enjoying reading it too!) so I'll be cracking on with it in 2014 and at the very least let you know how I get on with my other plans. I'm aiming to get into a more regular posting routine with some new ideas I've come up with and there will definitely be some bike posts come spring - I really do ride that shiny beast on my About Me page! Of course if there's anything you'd like to see me writing about please, please let me know - I'll never say no to free inspiration!

What are you hoping to get up to in 2014?

2013: The Review

Phew, it's almost 2014 already. Where did the time go?! Hopefully 2013 was a good year for you but before we wave it goodbye, here's a quick run down of some of my highlights...

January/February

January saw us welcoming the loveliest, furriest member of our family - Keeta the husky. Although it took her a while to settle in she's now very much part of the pack and we're completely besotted with her. Also around this time trips out into the New Forest and Dartmoor in the snow. Great fun!

April

Our first wedding anniversary! We celebrated by staying the night at Marwell Hotel, where we originally tied the knot, courtesy of my Mum. Absolutely splendid!

May

The weekend of two weddings saw one of Mr P's best friends and two of mine getting hitched. Cue us scrambling between Hampshire and Liverpool to make it to both do's! It was absolutely wonderful to see people so clearly perfectly matched tying the knot.

July

Bit of a low light here I'm afraid. At the beginning of July Mr P came down to find his Defender had been broken into and my motorbike stolen (fortunately my car and his bike were untouched). Cue a heartbreaking nightmare of police and insurance compounded by the fact that it was perfect biking weather. Argh!!! She was eventually recovered (ha, take that thieves) but not before the insurance had paid out and they refused to allow me to buy her back, but by then I'd bought the Suzuki and I have to admit she is a better bike for me. Still, very sad times :(

August

My 30th birthday! Very strange to be leaving my twenties but I can't say I was dreading it at all and I haven't found 30 to be at all scary. To be honest I don't feel any different to when I was in my mid twenties, except I have a hubby and a house and a dog (check me out with the domestic bliss!). My mate Jen, who also turned 30 this year, put it best - age is just an accident of birth! Anyway, a visit from my Mum and a trip to Longleat Safari Park made for a lovely celebration.

September
After much umming and aahing I finally took up playing music again, something my life had revolved around in my teens. I bought some new oboe reeds, dusted off my music stand and joined a wind band in Emsworth which I'm thoroughly enjoying. Who'd have thought after a decade away I'd still remember how to play?!

November
My little blog was born! I only got into reading blogs in October but immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of - the perfect outlet for my girly side and my inner geek delighted at the idea of playing with CSS.

December
Bit of a stressy start with work piling up in my day job but on the plus side my manager position was made permanent. Hurrah! Then a whole big flurry of Christmas shopping, decorations and finally the holidays and here we are!

Did you have a good 2013? What were your favourite bits?

A Merry Veggie Christmas!

If I say the words Christmas Dinner do you think of mouth watering roast potatoes, crunchy roast parsnips, juicy carrots, sprouts (if you must), fragrant stuffing, sweet cranberry sauce and a generous helping of succulent turkey topped off with figgy pudding gently sizzling with flaming brandy? I sound like an M & S advert! Me too sort of, except I hate figgy pudding and I'm a vegetarian so no turkey for me! However, I don't miss out as both mine and Mr P's family (we alternate) cook the veg well away from the turkey and I have a not so secret weapon to ensure I have just as yummy a meal as my meat eating relatives.

This year I'm having a delicious caramelised balsamic and red onion tart with goat's cheese taken from Delia Smith's Vegetarian Collection, which I have to say is the yummiest collection of veggie recipes I've ever seen. I won't recount the whole recipe here as it's quite long but here it is in a nutshell:

You will need...
Enough short crust pastry to make your desired size tart (you can buy it ready made but if you make your own add some mustard powder and cayenne pepper)
A little beaten egg
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
900g sliced red onions (chew gum while you chop them and you should cry less)
2 round goat's cheeses
25g butter
1 dessert spoon of chopped sage and some whole leaves for garnish
A little olive oil and cayenne pepper

To make the tart...
Heat your oven to 180°C or gas mark 4. Roll out your pastry nice and thin and use it to line a greased quiche tin. Lightly prick the base with a fork, cook for around 15 mins in the oven and let it cool.

To make the scrum my onion filling melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions, balsamic vinegar and hopped sage, season and let it all cook gently for about 30 mins until the excess liquid has evaporated and it has a glazed look.

Brush the cold pastry case with a little beaten egg and pop it back in the oven for 5 mins to stop it going soggy. Spoon the onion mixture into the case and add slices of goat's cheese on top. Finish the tart with a few sage leaves dipped in olive oil and sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

The beauty of this recipe is you can make the pastry case and the onion mixture ahead of time and put them together in a jiffy. That and it tastes amazing, even as leftovers on Boxing Day. I heartily recommend Delia's veggie recipes for any fellow veggies out there and for any meat eaters who think they can handle a meat free meal!

Are you having something non-traditional for your Crimble dinner? 

Picture and recipe credit: Peter Knab for Delia Smith's Vegetarian Collection (BBC Books, 2002)

The pen is mightier than the, erm...keyboard!

I'll let you into a little secret - ever since I first got my sticky little mitt on a coloured crayon as a little 'un I've had a bit of a love affair with stationery. Much as I love the ease and speed of email and the neatness of typed documents there's something about a hand written missive that's both charming and personal.

I love writing. I have loads of hand written wish lists, notes, thoughts and ideas around the place. Sometimes I wish I could do my posts by hand, but then again I want you to be able to read them! But what makes writing really special is having something beautiful to write with. Over the years I've always had a nice pen and have mostly favoured Parker and Waterman but for my 30th birthday I thought I'd treat myself to something really special - a Cross zebra themed chrome and black rollerball from their Sauvage range.

The Sauvage range, which features funky animal inspired designs including zebra, giraffe and crocodile, is specifically designed for the female hand so the pens are slightly smaller but still have sufficient weight to feel comfortable. The finish of these pens oozes quality and they write beautifully. What's more, I've had loads of compliments on mine. What more could a girl want?

So go on, even if you don't fancy a safari inspired number, treat yourself and scribble away in style!

Cherry Cute iPhone!

I've been coveting the iPhone 5S since Apple first emailed me to inform me of its pending release (they need to stop doing that - I'm also coveting a MacBook Pro which I definitely can't afford). Unfortunately, though, current funds won't stretch to an expensive new phone contract so I thought I'd treat my ageing iPhone 4 to a new look. I found this delightful mint green case with the cutest little magnetic cherry fasteners on eBay for the cheap as chips price of £5.99.

Ok, it's not leather but as PU goes it's better quality than most I've seen and the plastic bit inside, which is an exact colour match, holds my phone nice and snugly. The wallet side also has two useful card holder slots.

It's made by a company called Hello Deere and is available in a range of colours besides this pretty mint green (pink, red, black, lime green and cream) and can be found here for the iPhone 4/4S and here for the iPhone 5/5S.


Note: I have no connection to this seller and have linked to these specific items purely because I received quick delivery and good service from them. They are available from other sellers.