Instagram Round Up

Hey guys,

I'm sorry I haven't posted much this week. I got my laptop back last week and now have a working keyboard again... but the battery annoyingly still needs replacing. It's completely drained and doesn't last a second unplugged, so it's being temperamental. Annoyingly, I learned the battery isn't covered under my insurance plan (I've been paying a tenner a month for five years and they can't replace a battery? Seriously?!), so I've ordered a cheap one from Amazon and I'm hoping it'll get here soon so I can get back to blogging properly again. I also need some decent sunlight so I can take photos for all the posts I have planned, but now I'm just being greedy!

For today, I thought I'd do something a little different and do an Instagram round-up post. I know most bloggers do these posts regularly, but I haven't actually done one in about two years! Crazy, right? I love using Instagram as I love taking photos, but I don't post as much as some, mostly because I run out of interesting things to share being stuck in bed so much. I have been trying to post more over the last couple of months, though, so I'm going to share some of my favourites from the past few months.

As you can probably tell, all six photos above are of the same river; although all taken on several different days between October and December last year. We pass over this bridge every time we go to and from the hospital, and I can never resist snapping a couple of quick pics because it's just so pretty. 

I have a habit of taking pictures from the passenger seat, so most photos of buildings and the countryside were taken from a moving car on the way to hospital appointments.

1. Xmas shopping in Oxford in Oct/Nov. // 2. Passing through Oxford in December. // 3. Autumn leaves. // 4. Sunset on the way to physio in Dec. // 5 and 6. Two pretty January sunsets from my bedroom window.

1. January sunshine. // 2. Wiltshire countryside. // 3. A river in Oxford glistening in the sunlight. // 4. Satisfying shot of houses in Cheltenham. // 5. Pretty church in Cheltenham. // 6. Storm clouds.

1. Christmas tree in the river at Bourton-on-the-Water. // 2. Nutcracker. // 3. Colourful Santa ornaments in Bourton. // 4. Festive Costa hot chocolate. // 5. Chocolate Snowman- pre-amputation. // 6. Wrapping Christmas presents in December.

1. My lovely Christmas gifts. // 2. First meal of 2015- turkey roast. // 3. Lush Christmas sale haul. // 4. Fresh bedding and fairy lights for the win! //  5. Christmas present for the brother-in-law. Best. Tee. Ever! //  6. Funky Cassette tape bag- Accessorize sale bargain.

1. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park live at the O2 in November. // 2. Currently reading. // 3. Joaquin Phoenix film fest. // 4. Linkin Park's Meteora album never gets old. // 5. Perving at Hugh Jackman! // 6. The new Fall Out Boy album!

1. Physio / acupuncture / cranial sacral / manipulation / torture room. //  2, McDonald's mango and pineapple smoothie- my favourite way to get brain freeze. // 3. My Dad has had  this Garfield teddy forever. //  4. Wearing my fave fox print dress. // 5. Wearing a Cadbury's purple OPI nail polish. // 6. Christmas Eve selfie.

1 and 2: Riverside under a heavy frost. // 3 and 4. First snowfall in 2 years;  but only a pitiful dusting, // 5. A field covered in a thin layer of ice. // 6. Remainder of the snow when I returned from physio. 

1. Beginning a new cross stitch project. // 2, 3, and 4; Making progress. // 5. My finished Christmas cross stitch, 2014. // 6. Sewing a Christmas card in December.

And those are just some of the photos I shared over the last few months.

If you'd like to see more of the photos I share, you can find me on Instagram here.

What photos do you most enjoy seeing on my blog or Instagram account?

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys!

Just a quick post from me today to show you some of the things I've been lusting after this week...

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I'm keeping it short and sweet today as I've just got back from the doctor's on an hour and a half sleep, and I'm going to try to get back to sleep for a few hours. Plus I lack the capacity to form coherent sentences this morning.

I will quickly tell you that my favourite new find of the week is the gorgeous strawberry print Ophelia dress from Lindy Bop (#5). How beautiful?! I'm not sure if I've got the boobs to pull off Ophelia frocks, but that dress is the thing of dreams. I'm hoping Lindy Bop make an Audrey (boat neckline swing dress) in the same fabric; it would be the perfect Summer dress.

A girl can dream.

What's on your wish list this week?

Book Review: 642 Things to Draw

It's been a while since my last book review, but rather than rectifying that with a novel review, I'm here to tell you about a fun, creative book instead. It's called: 642 Things To Draw.

642 Things To Draw is an inspirational sketch book packed full of prompts to inspire and encourage its owner to draw. Rather than just being a collection of inspiring words and ideas, the book is designed to be used as a sketch book, with room beneath each prompt to complete each one.

If you're like me, you might long to draw but often lack the inspiration when you pick up your sketchbook; there's only so many fruit bowls and wine bottles you can draw before you get bored and give up altogether. Sound familiar? If it does, then I think this could be the perfect book for you.

With 642 different prompts to work through, this book is a great source of inspiration for beginners and pros alike, and it should keep even the most productive artists busy for months, if not years. It includes a wide range of different topics, such as: animals and people, landscapes and buildings, food, every day objects, emotions, body language, fantasy, and so much more. They've got everything covered! The wide variety of subjects helps to keep the sketchbook interesting, and also challenging- well, at least for amateurs like myself!

The pages each feature one to four things to draw, and are neatly divided by thin black lines in to halves, thirds, or quarters (when more than one topic fills a page). The space provided for sketching is limited when the pages are divided in to three or four, but the advantage is that most tasks can be completed in a relatively short space of time- which is ideal if your time to draw is limited.

Here's just a selection of the prompts included in the book:

♥ A crash test dummy.
♥ Sea spray.
♥ A circus.
♥ Freckles.
♥ Unmentionables.
♥ A narwhal.
♥ Head in the clouds.
♥ A scream.
♥ A gravestone.
♥ The view from an airplane window.
♥ A tattoo.
♥ A celebration.
♥ A spiral staircase.
♥ Best friends.
♥ Polka dots.
♥ A lemon meringue pie.
♥ A Beatles song.
♥ A shoulder shrug.
♥ Tears.
♥ Hills and valleys.

What I love about this book is that the majority of the topics are suitable for artists (or budding artists) of all ages and skill. Some prompts are easy, others more complex, but you're free to interpret each prompt in your own way and draw in your own style, at your own level; you don't need to be Van Gough or Banksy to give them a go. You should be able to complete many of the topics at home, but you could also carry the book around with you, completing tasks as and when you find the inspiration. It's totally up to you!

I bought this book because I used to really enjoy drawing, but I haven't picked up a pencil or paint brush in several years. My art supplies are just gathering dust, and I'm eager to start using them again. I knew I needed a little help with inspiration, though, so having already gotten a lot out of the Things To Write books, I knew this book would be the ideal way for me to slowly ease my way back in to art. 

I'm not a great artist by any means, but using 642 Things To Draw is a great way for me to give it a shot, practise, and attempt to draw a bunch of things I've never drawn before. I haven't drawn anything worth sharing yet, but I'm looking forward to working on more this Spring and Summer when the days stretch out and the daylight is better quality to work from. There are so many interesting things to draw in this book, and I plan to eventually work my way through all of them. Although, knowing me, it'll probably take me a while!

I think 642 Things to Draw is a fantastic inspirational sketch book for any person who loves to draw; and it's a great book to challenge yourself with if you're looking for something new to try this year.

There are a couple of other books in the series, too, including 642 Places to Draw, 642 Fashion Things to Draw, and 712 More Things to Draw, which are all available through Amazon.

Have you got a copy of 642 Things to Draw, yet?

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

I've got a quick Wednesday Wish List for you today, full of bold, colourful clothes and accessories to help beat those January blues! It my opinion, colour is one of the best ways to tackle the bleakness, (along with loud cheerful music), and it's a hell of a lot cheaper to obtain and enjoy than a holiday! I find it even helps through a laptop screen.

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All that colour just makes me happy, and I'm pleased to see so much popping up in the early Spring collections. I could happily snatch them all up, and feed my colour addiction until its full... which I'm pretty sure it never will be. I'm certain I'll still be dressing colourfully when I'm old and grey, standing out amongst a sea of beige in the queue for my pension. If I'm not, then something has gone really wrong!

(Also, how cute is that Accessorize apple juice carton bag?!)

What's on your wish list this week?

Fashion and Beauty Sale Haul

Hi guys,

I'm sorry that there wasn't a Sunday Favourites post from me yesterday. I had to go to the hospital for physio and acupuncture first thing Saturday morning- on two hours sleep- and it really took it out of me. I was in so much pain by the time I got home, and felt so exhausted that I just didn't have the strength to blog. Or the patience to deal with my Mum's laptop that kept freezing and crashing on me every ten seconds. I drifted in and out of naps on Saturday afternoon / evening, and then slept on and off on Sunday from 5am 'til 6pm, and only surfacing because I was awoken for tea. I ate a few bites and fell back asleep for another hour soon after! I still feel completely drained.

I was hoping to put this week's Sunday Faves post together yesterday, but obviously that went out of the window. I should be getting my laptop back from PC World today (fingers crossed), and providing everything goes to plan, I'll do my best to bring you a belated Sunday Faves post by tomorrow morning. In the mean time, I've got a shopping haul to share with you, full of lovely things I spent my Christmas money on. Who wants a peek?

The photo of everything grouped together makes it look like I splurged my arse off, but the haul isn't as excessive as it looks. I didn't even spend a fortune; I bought most of them in the sales and snapped up some really great bargains. 

So, first up is the milkshake clutch from New Look. Yep, the one that every fashion blogger and her pampered pooch has gone crazy for this Winter; myself included. I've been lusting after it for months, so when I saw it was on sale for just £4(!), I finally pounced. The delivery charge doubled the bill, but it was still a saving on the original RRP of £12.99, and I personally think it was worth it; it's going to go with so many of my clothes. Plus it's bloody amazing! Unfortunately, it's no longer available from New Look online, but it's still available via ASOS here for £6.

Accessorize is one of my favourite shops to visit at sale time; they always have generous discounts on their sale stock- often up to seventy-five percent off! A couple of weeks ago I was browsing their site online, and saw these Gypsy Rose fairisle lace up slippers on sale for just £5.70, down from £19.00! I also managed to find a 10% discount code (here) that took the price down even further! I'd been coveting these slippers all AW, so it was an offer I couldn't refuse. They have a fleece lining, so they're ridiculously comfortable, and there's even plenty of room to accommodate my chunky legs and wide feet.

I also bought myself a Soap and Glory gift set from Boots, which I think was my first post-Christmas purchase. The Think Pamper set is my very first taste of S&G toiletries; until recently I'd only tried their make up! I kid you not! Crazy, right? I've wanted to try some for years, so I took matters in to my own hands and bought some with my Christmas money. I got the Think Pamper set for just £9 (down from £18), which was a brilliant bargain considering it includes six lotions and potions, a big bath lily, and a huge vanity case. For some reason, I didn't realise it came with a case, so it was a pleasant surprise. It's really great quality, too, and will be perfect for storing my extra bath stuff in.

On Boxing Day, I braved the crowds of shoppers eagerly trying to shop the Lush sales online. The website was running ridiculously slow and kept crashing on me repeatedly for a couple of hours, but I was determined to snap up a few Christmas goodies. I eventually gave up on trying to add single products to my basket, and went for the Santa Claus is Coming to Town gift set, plus a Lush Pud bath bomb, and a Sparkle Fairly Shimmer Bar. Everything was half price! I think I spent about £22 in total. The gift set contained eight festive products, including bath bombs, bubble bars, soap, and shower gels and came in a lovely festive box tied with red and white string. It even had an envelope tied to it containing a letter from Santa, some stickers to decorate the box with, and naughty and nice badges, which I think is such a cute touch. I may be thirty by next Christmas (a terrifying thought!), but I'm sure I'll make good use of the badges when it comes around.

I treated myself to a couple of things that weren't on sale, too, including this amazing Skinny Dip ice cream cone bag from ASOS. I'd wanted it for months, and just couldn't resist those sugary sweet pastel colours any longer. It's one of the best novelty bag designs I've ever seen, and it's going to go perfectly with so many of my colourful Spring / Summer outfits. I can't wait for the seasons to change so I can start using it! It's currently still available from ASOS here for just £25.

In the new year, I bought myself to a new cross stitch kit to keep myself busy for the next couple of months. I always have to be doing something, even when I'm resting. I bought this Easter kit from Riverdrift House, which is a sampler style cross stitch kit with plenty of pretty pastel coloured threads to play with. I'm normally just a Christmas cross stitcher, but I thought I'd give something else a go for a change... and yep, I'm not enjoying this half as much as the Christmas themed pictures I've done. It's therapeutic and it's pretty, but I definitely get more enjoyment out of Christmas crafts. I'll be seeing this project through 'til the end, and I'm sure I'll like it better once it starts coming together.     

I also ordered this gorgeous navy polka dot Hepburn swing dress from Lady Vintage (the same style dress as the red version I recently reviewed), but sadly it was far too big and I had to send it back. It's a shame as it was less than half price, but you win some, you lose some. I only noticed after delivery that Lady V have recently changed their sizing, but at least I'll know for next time.

I used some of the money from the refund to buy Ciaté's Mini Mani Manor nail polish advent calendar instead. It was just £14.70 (down from £50.00) on sale, so I thought I'd snap it up for next Christmas. I can never afford to buy them full price at Christmas time, but I don't mind using last year's as I know from experience that the nail polishes keep really well. It's sold out now on Ciaté's website, but it's still on sale through ASOS for £27 here.

So, that's how I've spent my Christmas money this year. I personally think I spent it well; I got so much for my money!

Have you picked up any bargains lately?

Wednesday Wish List

Hey guys,

Firstly, I'm sorry that this post is a day later than usually scheduled; I'm still without my laptop which is obviously making blogging difficult. I've been told it should be returned to me on Monday, either repaired or replaced, so fingers crossed it doesn't take them any longer; I feel like I've lost a limb without it! 

Anyway, I've not had to go completely cold turkey as I've been able to borrow my mother's laptop, so I've managed to put together a (belated) Wednesday Wish List post this week. It should've been ready yesterday, but I was too drained to write coherently.

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So, let's start with some pretty Simply Be dresses. I'm loving all of the colour and bold prints that have popped up in their latest stock. If you didn't get the memo, I'm crazy about both colour and prints. These are just six of the pieces that have caught my eye. I can't decide which I like best, but I'd love to add them all to my wardrobe.

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My love for Lindy Bop still isn't fading; I've currently got my eye on these two beauties. I'm not sure I have the boobs to pull off an Ophelia frock, but the boat neckline Audrey is definitely a tried and tested favourite of mine and I think it compliments my figure. I don't know about you, but I need some purple leopard print in my life. Who doesn't?!

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Boohoo Plus have a great selection of dresses this week, and these are just a few that have caught my eye. I particularly love the gingham smock; I think it could be a great dress to wear to my physio and acupuncture sessions over a pair of leggings (I refuse to wear sportswear and thankfully don't have to)... but it would be perfect for every day wear, too. At just £18, I'm tempted...

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I don't know what it is, but I have such a thing for black lace clothes, and ASOS Curve currently have got some stunning lace pieces, like the three above. The jumpsuit is particularly stunning; I love those lace sleeves. I also love the mint and pink pleated midi dress... although I doubt I'd be able to pull it off with my very fair skin without looking washed out.

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I'm head over heels (pun not intended) in love with the black sequined Look Who's Hare heels from Irregular Choice; just look at them! Those gold hare heels are the thing of dreams! I wish I could 1. walk in heels without breaking my neck, and 2. afford such beautiful shoes. One day... 

I think those tan brogues from ASOS are more on my level! No, they're not as cute as the heels, but I've wanted a pair of tan brogues to wear with tea dresses for ages.

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Modcloth have some seriously cute novelty bags at the moment... but, then, when don't they?! I'm particularly loving the red apple, but I'll take one of each, please! I doubt I'll ever grow out of loving novelty handbags like these!

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I'm also loving these four bags from River Island; those colours are all too tempting! It's exciting to see some Spring pastels beginning to filter in to the shops already... even if Spring is still a long way off.

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Yep, more bags; I'm coveting so many this week. As usual, Accessorize have a bunch of fun and adorable bags and I'm quite taken with the kooky owl bag and purse. I got bored of the owl trend a couple of years ago, since it's been so over-done, but for some reason, I really like these two pieces, so I've made an exception. I also really love the Bon Voyage Map weekend bag- even if I won't be doing any travelling for a while. 

The bag I'm lusting after most of all this week is the tan Tessa bowling bag from Fiorelli; isn't it beautiful? A perfect day bag if ever I saw one!

What's on your wish list this week?

The Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 In Review

Hey guys,

How are you all? I'm sorry I've not blogged in a few days. I didn't mean to go AWOL but my laptop has completely stopped working now, and my Mum's old Dell is almost as slow as old dial-up Internet. I lose patience with it within five minutes of turning it on. I must phone up the repair man today!

On top of laptop problems, I've been feeling physically drained of life these last few days, and keep drifting in and out of naps for some reason. I've felt all the more fatigued after another session of acupuncture on Tuesday. The treatment itself doesn't generally cause me any pain or discomfort (two needles have out of five or six sessions), but this week my back ceased up the second I stood up after the treatment, and the pain has been raging ever since. I don't know why my body reacted so badly this week, but I guess the fatigue is my body's way of cushioning the blow and helping itself recover. If only it worked the same way every night so I could get proper sleep.



Anyway, the main reason I'm here today is to write a little review of The Body Shop's Advent calendar "24 Days of Joy", which I counted down to Christmas with in December.



In case you were living under a rock this Christmas, 24 Days of Joy was a beauty Advent calendar filled with twenty-four of The Body Shop's lovely products. The set included a great selection of make up, skin care, and bath and body items, and featured a good balance of old favourites and latest additions, with a few seasonal products thrown in for good measure. Of the twenty-four items, ten different fragrance flavours made up the set, including Strawberry, Shea, Wild Argan Oil, and Vitamin E. It all combined to make a pretty tempting calendar, and with so many new products to try inside, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them all; so I seized it!

Just look at all those amazing beauty products! Waking up to one of these a day in the lead up to Christmas was so exciting and enjoyable. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning every time I opened a cardboard window and allowed myself a moment to play with my new toy. (Maybe that's a sign I love The Body Shop lotions and potions a little bit too much??) I was only disappointed by what was waiting for me on a couple of December mornings, but as a whole the contents were pretty damn great!

Here's a list of everything that was included in the calendar, in order by date:

1.  Almond hand and nail cream 30ml. 

2.  Almond nail file.

3.  Frosted Cranberry soap 25g. 

4.  Frosted Cranberry shower gel 60ml. 

5.  Frosted Cranberry shimmer lotion 60ml. 

6.  Eye definer pencil in "smokey black" 1g. 

7.  Strawberry heart-shaped soap 25g. 

8.  Strawberry lip butter 10ml. 

9.  Strawberry hand cream 30ml. 

10. White Musk eau de toilette 10ml.
11. Glazed Apple soap 25g. 

12. Glazed Apple Shimmer lotion 60ml.
13. Vitamin E Moisture Lotion 15ml. 

14. Vitamin E sink in moisture mask 5ml sachet. 

15. Vitamin E night cream 15ml. 

16. Moringa shower gel 60ml. 

17. Moringa body milk 60ml.
18. Bath lily. 

19. Honeymania lip balm 10ml.

20. Wild Argan Oil body lotion 60ml.

21. Eyeshadow brush.

22. Shea shower cream 60ml.

23. Shea body butter 50ml. 

24. Colour Crush Nail colour in "Relish the Moment" 6.8ml.

The most expensive products included in the set were the eye definer pencil, and the eyeshadow brush which each retail for £9, and are both fantastic products. There were also a number of items with an RRP of £5, including the Almond hand and nail cream, the White Musk eau de toilette, the Shea body butter, and the Colour Crush nail colour. Those six products alone total at £38- which is pretty great considering the calendar retailed for just £50, and was said to contain £83 worth of products! Amazing value!

So, the question is, "was it worth the purchase?"



And... I can say whole-heartedly that it was!

It was the first beauty Advent calendar I'd ever had, and it was such a treat to indulge in a different Body Shop beauty product every day during Advent, instead of a boring novelty chocolate. I looked forward to opening a new window every day to see what was waiting for me inside; and I loved the vast majority of what I found.

Out of twenty-four products there were only three that didn't wow me over- the bath lily, nail file, and the White Musk eau de toilette- although if I'd liked the scent, it would've been a great treat. I was able to pass it on to somebody who liked the fragrance, so it was still worth it because it made someone else's day.

The calendar made my December all the more enjoyable, and I personally think it was great value for money. I've been a big fan of The Body Shop for two decades, so I didn't need much convincing- I knew it would be a good purchase! The bonus is, the brand doesn't test on animals, so I was able to indulge on all these lovely things without feeling guilty that animals had come to harm for the sake of 24 Days of Joy.

If the contents are different next Christmas, or I've used all of this loot up, I'll definitely buy a Body Shop advent calendar again! In fact, I'll probably start squirrelling some money away for one over the coming months so I'm able to afford one when Christmas rolls around!

How did you count down to Christmas last month? Have you ever used a beauty Advent calendar?

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope it's already treating you well, but if it's not, I hope it does soon!

I can't believe that another year has come and gone. (I'm actually surprised by how quickly the days have passed so far this year; how is it already the fifth?!) I'm not going to lie, 2014 was not a fantastic year for me. It wasn't full of sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns; It was one of the hardest years I've ever had to face. 

I wasn't able to travel, make many memories, or reach any of life's milestones; instead I spent most of the year alone, bed ridden from constant pain with just a laptop for company. Yes, that's as glamorous as it sounds! When I did escape confinement, it was mostly for hospital appointments in an attempt to get myself better. It didn't work.

However, 2014 was the year I first ventured in to private health care. It was the year I finally found a doctor who would take me seriously, after almost three years of begging the NHS for help but getting none. I found an amazing spinal specialist in June, who immediately began getting a diagnosis by sending me for X Rays, MRI scans, and CT scans. Each one discovered something new, and within just a few weeks from my initial consultation, I learnt I had multiple spinal problems, most of which the NHS had never picked up on.

Soon after, I had my first round of spinal injections; they only had a negative effect and worsened the pain.

I was sent for a few sessions of physio at a different clinic, and for the first time I had massage, manipulation, and ultra sound therapy. Sadly, I didn't respond well to any of them, either.

Then, a couple of months ago, I was referred to one of my specialist's colleagues for physio instead, on his instruction. I trusted / trust my specialist one hundred percent (a whole new experience for 2014!), so he said "jump" and I said "how high?" Both men are the best in their respected fields, so I wasn't in a position to argue. I trust his judgement.

November and December were filled with physio sessions. I threw myself in to stretches, massage, manipulation, cranial sacral therapy, and acupuncture; the latter which I'm currently being given. (Okay, not right this second; that would be a weird time to blog! My next session is tomorrow.) Frustratingly, I've not experienced improvement through any of them.

My physiotherapist is stumped. Apparently from a muscular and skeletal point of view (and his), my body shouldn't be responding this way. From my scans and my known spinal issues, he can't understand why I'm in so much pain, or why particular stretches or activities aggravate my pain levels and leave me spiralling down hill. Last month he told me I react to touch the way a fibromyalgia sufferer does. He also diagnosed me with arthritis in my lower spine a few weeks ago! It was a big surprise, but in another way it wasn't; suddenly all the years of joint pain that began before I hit my teens made a lot of sense. It leaves me wondering what I'm going to be diagnosed with next! (I'm having more tests done this week).

He had a meeting with my spinal specialist to talk about my case, and looked through every scan. He told me he wants to see me get better and is determined to do everything he can to help me. I got a little emotional; nobody had ever said anything like that to me before. He and the specialist are the only two medical professionals who have given me fantastic medical care and have promised not to give up on me. I can't tell you just how much that meant/s to me after three years of being told to "get on with it" by NHS GPs, specialists, and physiotherapists in my county time after time after time. 

Even though I've not made any improvement in the last six months and their health care isn't free, I'm so glad I ventured in to private health care in 2014. I'm glad we found an amazing doctor who finally gave me some answers, and began suggesting routes to try; sending me down a road which led to a brilliant physiotherapist. It was a turning point in my journey, and it was definitely one of the best decisions my family and I made in 2014. I hope I can look back so positively and optimistically on my medical care this time next year! Fingers crossed I can! 

2014 was filled with dozens of hospital appointments, and days and weeks on end spent in bed recovering from them, but I did manage a little fun here and there, too. 

I got to see Fall Out Boy live for the very first time, and it was worth the nine year wait to achieve that goal!

I won a night's stay at a Travelodge (thanks, Rachel!), and spent a night in London with my sister and my best friend. We soaked up the festive atmosphere in Covent Garden, and took a boat along the Thames from The London Eye to Greenwich and back, sight-seeing along the way. We saw Linkin Park live at the O2, which was one of the best shows I've ever seen. I had such a great night away!

I explored a historic local church and graveyard I'd never stepped foot in before.

I enjoyed Bourton-on-the-Water in the summer sun, and in the glow of Christmas lights.

I made it to my local wildlife park, and survived the three hours. I saw my first baby anteater and it was adorable!

I made a few cinema trips through sheer determination to see my favourite book adaptations on screen.

I went to London for a CT scan... well, it was technically a hospital trip, but it was still nice to be in London during a 33'C heat wave! 

I was taken out to lunch a few times by the sister.

I even did a spot of window shopping here and there, mostly just to get some exercise, and fresh air...

Sometimes the boring little things are the ones that you cling to get through the difficult times. I definitely appreciated every chance I had to get out of the house and do normal, everyday things. It is kinda worrying now I realise that a trip to the supermarket has become one of the most exciting things in my life, though, (beyond these four walls)! What happened to me?? Ha ha!

As difficult as being house-bound for a third consecutive year can be, I refused to allow it to break me, upset me, bore me or anger me. I did my best to wake each day with a content persona, and filled my time as best I could. I read; I wrote; I attempted to cross stitch; I watched movies; I got lost in music; I took photos; I edited them; I dressed up; I experimented with make up; I spent approximately 9972159 hours on Pinterest; and I dedicated far more to this little blog. I was rarely bored. In fact, there were never enough hours in the day!

This little blog of mine was definitely my biggest distraction during 2014. It kept me busy every day, and without it, I don't want to think about how much harder last year would've been for me to deal with. It's a life line I don't want to let go of. I know I wasn't the best blogger in 2014; I wasn't best organised, I got behind on all your comments, and I didn't always bring great content, but I enjoyed blogging just the same, and had some amazing opportunities with some fantastic brands. I hope to be a much better blogger this year, and I'm going to do my best to make sure I am! I've got so many ideas and goals for the year ahead!

For the first January ever, I feel excited for the year ahead, and optimistic about where it might take me. I know it won't be easy, but I hope 2015 is a fantastic year and perhaps even the best year yet! Who knows where it might take me.

I hope that your 2015 is filled with happiness, good health, great times, great people, real love, and everything you could possibly hope for. Here's to 2015!

Where do you hope 2015 will take you?