Two just in from the younger members of my family. This first one is a lovely hippy one from Susan:
And here’s the next, from young Maya:
Quality!
Well done girls – there’s now only 12 days left so get your entries in!
Pilates = peace of mind March 25, 2009
Having missed a couple of weeks of Pilates, I was finally back in class last night and positively relishing it. I mused later on that evening that Pilates classes are one of the very rare times where my mind is not working overtime or I’m stressing about my to do list.
Even when driving, I have the radio on but once again my internal speakers are far louder, and I end up going into a sort of reverie (not the good kind), making mental lists, remembering stuff I have to do and mulling over stuff. It’s the same when I get to bed – I end up reading a bit, and then lay awake more often than not, going through the events of the day, or worrying about things that may never happen – my mind needs an off switch!
Anyhoo, back to Pilates – it is one of the few things I do, like I say, where the outside world melts away and I focus totally on what I am doing in that moment. That is because partly if I don’t totally concentrate, I am highly likely to fall over, roll over or stop “zipping and hollowing”. It’s hard work – but I love it. I also feel a bit slimmer the day after too – I reckon the stretches and moves give you an internal massage of some sort, as well. Basically, there’s nothing bad about it.
A recent trip to the doc also convinced me that these moments where my mind actually does relax are hugely important. I’ve been having random dizzy spells (for once, not related to my wine consumption) and after an eye test confirming I have 20/20 vision, I got a check up to see if it was something else. I’ve got to get some blood tests done, but the doc did mention stress could be a cause. Now; I wouldn’t say I’m overly stressy, I just have a very active mind in my view. I enjoy my job and yes, it’s stressful from time to time but again not overly so. Planning a wedding is of course a lot of stress but the enjoyment I’m getting from that is outweighing the nail-biting, I reckon.
Still, stress is something many of us are under all the time – and we just get on with it don’t we? I’m even a believer that a bit of stress does you good, and I definitely work better when the pressure’s on. Although the blood tests might reveal something else, I think the doc’s mention of the S-word was timely anyway and last night I spent the rest of the evening on the sofa with a mag. Every so often – you need to just chill.
I’m also off to book myself in for a spa day, massage, pilates retreat and facial…
Colourblocking the camper van March 23, 2009
The latest in are reflecting the current colourblocking trend that’s all over the catwalk. Here’s the autumnal efforts of Jessica, aged three-and-a-half:
And on the same trend, but a different scheme, here’s Dave’s:
British gas van?
And the latest great news is that, the camper van now has passed its MOT! Trevor hasn’t been driven since 2001, so this is a real achievement – well done Boy!!
Wedding – full steam ahead March 15, 2009
It’s been all go on the wedding front recently and the main focus has been…hair. I’m hugely lucky to have relatives running a superb hairdresser and tiara/fascinator shop, The Glass Slipper. They are doing all the hair related activities so I began my bridal beauty quest with a hair trial the other week.
Two hours and four hairstyles later, I knew what I wanted and thanks to Mary’s creativity I discovered the do I wanted wasn’t what I thought I wanted! Full marks there. I also picked up my tiara, a pearl and crystal affair by Richard Designs, and tried the dos with my veil. It was highly productive and I felt tres excited at the end of it!
This weekend it was the BMs turn and luckily all five made it along (including my Sis who lives in Carlisle, top effort!). We had a lush lunch then took over the shop, and soon it was filled with gossiping women (Mum was there too) and cackles of laughter as Matilda got her hair backcombed (she has strong hair, seriously strong hair).
All 5 BMs had their barnets done and they all looked slightly different – 3 are having curls, and the others are sort of half up but in different styles. They all looked wicked. Then we tried on every fascinator known to man and again, different styles looked good on the different BMs and their dos. All together and with their dresses on, it looked quite funky having them all different and they all looked absolutely stunning. I might have to sack em for being too gorgeous!!
So that’s the hair affair all done and dusted. Tick.
Onwards and on Thursday night the Boy and I had a jewellry supplier come to see us (franchise of a shop in Hatton Garden, they visit you, v convenient). I knew exactly what I wanted but The Boy being a jewellry novice tried umpteen on, eventually settling on a nice design (slightly retro, but in a good way).
Measuring us up, the jewellry lady discovered that yes, I had big fingers and yes, The Boy has slim fingers. So slim in fact, that we are the same size. This is highly unusual, the lady pointed out, noting that she was sorry to say that Boy came into the ladies fitting sizes. Bless im!
The next job is invites and thanks to a 3 for 2 at Hobbycraft these babies are ultra budget but will look cool. The amount of cash that printers wanted for what is a very straight forward invite was obscene. I ain’t having it and would rather spend our cash on booze!! So, tonight we’re hooking up the PC and printer downstairs so we can keep printing whilst watching No 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
My critical path wall chart is looking quite full still, we’ve only managed to cross off 10 jobs out of 40…still; there’s four months to go…eeeeeps!
Two more entries: camper van contest March 11, 2009
Two more just in, both using surfing as the inspiration! This first one’s from Dean:
and there’s a front and back design with this as well; top marks for effort Dean! (is the fish a bit out of proportion though?
OK, so the next one’s from me. Well you can’t blame me for doing some colouring in! I did an evening art course 2 years ago I’ll have you know:
Very similar designs, eh? It’s a bit weird that the sand and shells etc are falling onto the sky, but there you go…
What you think, readers?
More to come soon!
Camper van contest is underway! March 5, 2009
Being D-I-Y type people, we are also doing our honeymoon ourselves – which means, we’re going in a camper van round the South Coast, hopefully! I say hopefully, as The Boy’s been resurrecting an old Bedford camper van which hasn’t been driven in about 5 years. Nothing like a small challenge, eh!
Anyhoo, the time has come to do up the exterior of our beloved van (which is very very near roadworthiness, apparently…) – so we’ve launched the Tart Up Trevor competition.
We’re asking people to come up with a design for our van – the winner gets a home visit from Trevor, with the new design in place, and tea and cake in the seating area of this luxurious classic vehicle. Ahem.
Entries in by 10 April please – you can submit them via email to tartuptrev@live.co.uk. Here’s the van in all it’s glory, ready for your artistic endeavours!
And our first entry is in – see what you think of this, from Scotty – very bold, slightly retro…but I’m not sure The Boy can manage that hairstyle?!
the first entry in...
25 things… March 2, 2009
I always think these things are a bit indulgent, but here goes:
Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you (thank you Casey!).
1. For years I’ve been spelling my middle name incorrectly. I kept being unsure as to whether it had an E on the end. As a result, my passport, driving license and various official paraphernalia all have a variety of middle name spellings. I had to check it the other day for wedding stuff on my birth certificate, and it’s spelt Ann. No E.
2. I once got told I had scurvy, by a dodgy looking pharmacist in Fiji. On the same travelling extravaganza, a drugged up man in Beijing told me I was the image of Joan Collins. I was more offended by the latter.
3. I have a huge amount of extended family. It all became clear when we totted up family for the wedding invites. I have 98 members of family invited (this is excluding children, so just aunts, uncles and cousins) – my other half has 11 people in his extended family, and only one cousin!
4. I wish I did more piano practice and more painting.
5. I was never sporty when young. I positively hated P.E., probably due to the fact that I had the evil Mrs Whitwam as my teacher. I remember her once quipping that I was fat when the button popped off my gym skirt (it was loose, okay!). Fortunately she didn’t put me off altogether, I got to Uni and sport very quickly became a big part of my life – I’ve since run 2 half marathons, done a triathalon, represented the British Police at rugby and love giving anything remotely sporty a go (including the OU Mile Relay this week!).
6. As a punishment my Mum used to confiscate my books when I was young. My favourite was The little white horse, and Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree.
7. I am a worrier, and often worry about situations or scenarios that haven’t happened yet and which I usually have no control over. These worries sometimes keep me awake at night.
8. I have had my heart broken.
9. Like Robyn, I had my nose pierced. I sometimes think the mark of where it was looks like a big pore.
10. Although I’m an outdoorsy person, I don’t like sheep (vertical pupils, weird!) and I am scared of cows.
11. I will never do a bungee jump. I’m not scared of heights and I’ve even sky dived, but bungee jumping looks to me like it could easily snap you in half.
12. I’m Catholic and I like religion in my life. I wouldn’t say I’m the strictest or the most reverent Christian in the world and I still struggle with some of the edicts of Catholicism – but I find it useful and comforting.
13. I’m not an argumentative person at all and have rational discussions about annoyances or disagreements with The Boy (they usually start: “I’m upset with you at the moment because…”). It is probably bizarre to others that we don’t have blazing rows, but I’m just not into that!
14. I’ve never dated any ‘wrong uns’. All my boyfriends have been brown haired engineers and generally quite nice, genuine people.
15. Richard Fuller once refused to hold my hand in country dancing because I had a wart on my finger.
16. Being a bar maid when I was younger really improved my mental arithmetic.
17. My lil’ sis and I are sometimes mistaken for twins. This is good for me, as she is five years younger than I am!!
18. I have a yak’s wool jacket – unfortunately it was brought back from Nepal for me when I was 3, so it no longer fits.
19. One day, I hope to be a good Mum… (oof that’s a grown up one, non?!)
20. I can’t stand spelling errors in books. I used to underline them but I just quickly skim over them now. I can’t bear it!!
21. I was born with white blond hair.
22. When I was a kid I hated wearing trousers and would live in dresses and skirts. I was very very girly like that. It all stopped as I hit my teens and I opted instead for long culottes with a briefcase for school. Yes readers, I was a geek!
23. I used to play the double bass to Grade 7 standard but haven’t touched one for about 10 years now.
24. I sometimes have an irrational fear of closing car doors. I think the summer I got a perm I kept getting electric shocks when closing car doors (new chemicalised hair the cause?), and that fear stayed with me and sometimes resurfaces. If it does, I put a jacket sleeve over my hand before shutting the door.
25. I once holidayed with my family (6 of us in total) in a VW camper van in a car park in Blackpool for a long weekend. This was the weekend that the donkey on Blackpool beach ran away with me. No word of a lie.
OK, I’m done – so I’m now passing this on to:
and
