How to survive a massive to do list September 10, 2008

OK, I get stressed at the thought of my to-do list more than I get anxious at actually doing the list.  Last night was a case in point – I had fooooking loads on that had to be done that night.  It’s always compounded by a really busy week where I’m out each night and busy every lunchtime, making everything completely time sensitive and mostly, urgent.

Here’s how my evening went:

- calm start to the evening with lovely Pilates (last night’s session involved the foam roller contraption.  Wierd, but surprisingly good)

- rush home – get in and put dinner on.  Can’t bear ready meals so last night it was lamb with roasted tomatoes, low fat chips, broad beans and carrots.  Give The Boy instructions to watch the dinner.

- multi task whilst dinner is cooking by printing off flat inventory for new tenant moving in today.  Take wash out and hang up.  Put new wash on.  Pack rugby kit for tomorrow’s training.  Speak to The Boy before he heads off to the pub quiz.

- eat dinner and go to rental flat.  Check new carpet’s ok – drive to carpet fitters to pay and collect spare keys.  Drive to mate’s house to drop off spare keys for tenant to collect tomorrow.

- Go back to flat and paint wall whilst chatting to older sis on the phone.  Hoover flat, reconstruct bed, put furniture back and put curtains up.  Finish cleaning and polishing.

- Go to Tesco (it’s now 11pm) cos there’s no time tomorrow or Thursday (I’m out both evenings) and the work girls are over on Friday. Buy stuff for Friday dinner plus a new hoover for the flat.

- Go back to flat to put in new hoover and last few bits.

- Get home and unpack shopping (it’s now 12.15am).  Down a pint of squash and find The Boy asleep on sofa.  Quick chat to check he won the quiz, then it’s up the wooden hill.  Phew!

And the morning after survival recommendation:

- wake up feeling like crap.  Big mug of tea, plus echinacea and multi vitamin tablets to ward off potential side effects of being run down.

Wedding dress, by committee June 23, 2008

You’ll know from this post, and this post, that I’ve been trying on Wedding Dresses for a while, with varying degrees of hilarity and disgust.

Anyhoo, Saturday was decision day, as I took along a gang to look at my shortlist, with the aim of ordering one (no point hanging about, eh?).  In the gang was younger sis (+ BM), Best Mate (also a BM), Mother and adopted Grandma Joan – all honest, supportive and raring to go.

The five of us got on with the job well. In the first shop, where I tried a close contender on, Best Friend was very useful in taking pics on her phone to compare later and Ma was good in helping me rule it out (she’d seen the hot fave dress before).

Then we popped to Heart of the Shires, where a relative has a gorgeous hairdressers, also selling accessories.  They have got some really nice, high end, bespoke stuff available and will basically get stuff made how I want it. I like that!  The BMs tried on some fab fascinators, including a pearl/crystal wire one which we were keen on, then it was my turn.  As I sat to try on a tiara, all the women gathered round cooing, pampering and preening. I decided, I could get used to this.  It was great to hear advice from the experts about how it might look, and one of the tiaras I tried was absolutely beautiful. I was keen – but the dress has to come first!

After lunch it was on to our final destination, Shop for Brides in Daventry, and basically I’d already decided I wanted the dress I tried there.  When Ma and I went before, we were so so keen on it – I was hoping it would be just as good again. The shop lady was absolutely lovely – really down to earth and helpful. She was on hand throughout and a welcome change from some of the snottier wedding dress shop people I’ve come across.

The girls all made the right sounds when I emerged with the get up on, and lots of preening, adjusting the train and playing with the fabric went on.  I walked around, sat down, swished round and my mind was made up. This was the frock for me.  I just didn’t want to take it off!  The lovely lady showed my Ma how to do up the back and adjust stuff and the BMs were fab in getting me a veil on and providing feedback.  Everyone was keen, I was keen, and decided this was IT.  After about 30 mins swanning round after that I thought I had best take it off at last before they think I am a psycho, so off it came and it was group hugs all round.

I felt very lucky to have my girls there with me on Saturday – it’s a massive decision and I can’t believe I don’t get to see the frock again until next YEAR!  I’m SO excited now I have that bit done.  In a wedding daze, I spent the rest of the day trying not to spill any beans to H2B, whilst being ultra excited – in my fervour I was efficient enough to order invite samples and start checking some websites for shoe options…bring it on!!

More proof of why I’m not a morning person May 30, 2008

My other half springs out of bed in the morning, like he’s just had an electronic shock on his ass, but I’m quite the opposite.  I tend to use the snooze facility on the alarm for a good 15 mins, slink out from under the duvet, wander to the bathroom with my eyes half shut and until I get a brew, I’m pretty much useless. 

However, I am determined to get my dodgy knee better, which means early morning gym trips to the facility at the Boy’s work.  This morning, it was up at 6am, pack the bags and go. I did have time to make a cuppa tea for my vacuum cup/flask thingy, which does go down a treat whilst in the car on the M1. Not whilst driving, I hasten to add.

Duly, I did a good gym session of balancing, wibbling, squatting and stretching hamstrings with a wierd gym ball manouevre (it darn well works  but looks bizarre).  I had my lovely shower (see the boiler episode – another reason for morning gym trips) and then I went to get dressed.

I had obviously packed my gym bag with one eye closed this morning however, as there was no bra to be seen!  I couldn’t go to work without an over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder and I couldn’t wear my black sports bra as today I had  white shirt with me.  And it was sweaty (the sports bra, not the shirt).  There wasn’t time to go back home, so what’s a girl to do?

Luckily, much as I don’t like Tescos for many things, I do like the fact it opens 24 hours, is on my way to work, and stocks lingerie.  Racing there in my kit, I grabbed a likely underwear suspect and dashed to the till.  Changing in the loos, slapping on some slap and one deep breath later, I was ready to go – panic over!

Now I just hope I learn from this and don’t go on to forget my trousers/shoes/shirt one day.  Panic shopping is not good for the purse!!

 

Frock Shock and Lush Locks April 13, 2008

Just had 2 wedding related weekends. The first was a trip to a friends in Wiltshire, who are marrying in September this year. Leaving the boys to play golf/tennis/pool, we ladies made our way into town to have a gander at the bridesmaid dress selection (the gang: b2b, bm2b, another mate and me).

The morning was spent with one of the gals gamely trying on every bridesmaid dress possibility we could find, whipping frocks on and off in a flash. Most were totally lush although there were a few shockers in there which looked great on the hanger but clearly weren’t designed with human bodies in mind.  However, the shock to me really was the cost of them all.

They were really good quality and nice designs, but heck we were looking at £150 minimum for most of the dresses!!  With five bridesmaids of my own to think about, I suddenly got panicky about the potential cost this could rack up to. Now, I don’t want my gals in hessian sacks, but I’m loathe to spend nearly 200 bucks on each dress. 
It’s not that they’re not worth it (said with a hair-swishing L’Oreal move), it’s just that the prospect of spending £1k on dresses alone doesn’t fill me with cheer.  So, the bridesmaid dresses are now at the top of my list of Things To Worry About (also included: invites, my dress, my hair, the weather, shoes, the speeches etc etc).

Anyhoo, another weekend, another wedding event, this time the wedding of two friends of ours in Hitchin.  Gorgeous venue and a super evening and momentously fabulous hair from the new Mrs.  Lovely tresses tumbled over her shoulders in loose curls with bits gathered at the back of her head in a kind of Grecian stylee. It looked lovely and the sort of thing I’d like to have I reckon.  Meant to take a picture but inevitably got hammered and bundled onto the dancefloor instead.

Next weekend there’s no wedding related events or incidents planned, yet, but in the meantime, Tuesday brings a Bridal Summit Dinner with another mate who’s a b2b.  Flowers and colour schemes I think are top of our agenda. Plus those blimmin dresses as well, of course…

 

 

 

 

Plenty of meringues in sight… December 11, 2007

OK, so following the last missive, BF (best friend) and I went bridal dress shopping yesterday with young bubster of BF in tow (who was exceptionally well behaved and delighted at seeing herself in the massive mirrors).

My fears about the shop assistant being arsey and pompous were unfounded, and she willingly helped lever me into pouffy creations, squeeze me into corsets which were everso slightly too small for me, and shoehorn me into slinky sheath dresses.  It being my first ‘trying on’ day, we were keen to try everything and anything. 

Some of the dresses were simply humungous and not dissimilar to The King and I styles sported by Governess Anna – I could have hid a gaggle of small children under there. (Incidentally, the boy and I watched The King and I Sunday and he now has the idea that we should thunder round the floor doing a fast waltz as per the pic for our first dance.  He has no finesse – really, NO finesse – so I am likely to be toe-trodden, bedraggled and potentially injured at the end of it were we to go this route….)

Back to the dresses – some made me look pretty much hideous, craftily creating an illusion that my torso was dwarf sized and I had no neck – not the best look for your most special day ever, quite frankly.  Then there were the ‘dramatic’ ones which were black and white with embellishments hanging off them, making me look like I’d walked through a hedge backwards and emerged with foliage randomly attached to what was once a nice frock.

So aside from those comedy moments there were also quite a few which really made me look quite pretty and two in particular which I really loved.  Quite different in style but very flattering, completely gorgeous and one was nearly tear inducing, especially once I had the veil on as well.  I looked like a laydeeeeee!!

The issue now is that I have something else to be obsessed by for over 18 months – will I find other dresses to match up?  How many other dresses and shops should I try? When to order? What shoes? Gaaaaahhhh!!