Currently | May 2017

I can't remember the last time I sat down and wrote a 'Currently' post, where I chat about some of the things I've been doing lately, so I think it's about time I rectified that with a fresh new Currently post. This is what I've been getting up to lately...

Reading

I recently finished The Land of Later on by Anthony Weller, and Room by Emma Donoghue, both very different, but really enjoyable reads. The Land of Later on is about a chronically ill man who has just committed suicide trying to find the love of his life in the afterlife, and Room is a fictional story about a woman who has been held captive in a shed for seven years with her five year old son, through the eyes of the little boy who knows nothing of the world but Room, as he tries to process the world he's never been exposed to. I couldn't put either of them down; they were both harrowing and thought-provoking reads. I've just started reading This Must Be The Place by Maggie O' Farrell, which I'm only about a dozen pages or so in to, but already hooked on.

Watching
I haven't really been watching anything new on TV, but I'm loving the latest series of The Big Bang Theory, and got in to Timeless when it aired a couple of months ago. I have watched quite a few new-to-me movies, though, including A Theory of Everything, and Me Before You, (both of which had me bawling my eyes out), Room, The Choice, 3996 Days, and a bunch of other stuff I had ready to list in my head, but suddenly can't recall now I need to. Damn brain fog. I'm dying to check out La La Land, Fantastic Beasts, Beauty and the Beast, 13 Reasons Why, and The Keepers.

Listening

I downloaded Linkin Park's new album 'One More Light' on Friday which I'm obsessed with already, and I can't wait for Fall Out Boy's new album which is due out in September. I also really like Paramore's new single,  and I really need to check out their new album. I've not been impressed with a lot of other new music lately, so I've mostly been listening to the back catalogues of both LP and FOB on repeat, which I do often because their music never fails to make me happy.

Eating

a bag of Milka Mini Eggs, the last of my Easter chocolate. They're soooo good!

Wearing

a pair of raspberry-pink heart print pyjama bottoms and a navy PJ vest top. They totally don't match, but they were the only ones that were clean. And yes, I'm wearing PJs in the middle of the afternoon. What of it?

Stitching

I'm currently working on a rainbow spectral mandala from The World In Stitches, after recently finishing a geometric heart, and a geometric squares kit from the same company. I also have a flamingo picture on the go that I need to return to and finish, but I've put it aside for now as I needed a break from the repetition of sewing a sea of turquoise.

Painting

As I said in my Random Things Haul post last week, I've just started watercolour painting again, and have began painting a Johanna Basford canvas with a compass and nature design using my new Winsor & Newton watercolour paints. I'm making a complete mess of it, but I'm really enjoying painting again, and I'm sure I'll improve my technique again in time. I can already see an improvement in the sections I've painted over the last few weeks. I can't believe I left it so long to get back in to it; I'm finding it so therapeutic and relaxing!

Looking

forward to getting away to Cornwall for a week's holiday next month. I've not had a holiday since I developed chronic pain and chronic illness, so if I make it there, it'll be my first holiday in almost six years and my first to Cornwall in seven. I'm unsure how I'm going to manage the journey, let alone a week's holiday, and I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to cope with, but fingers crossed I'll find a way to power on through the pain, and get out and about to some of my favourite places (and maybe a few new ones) while I'm there. I know I'll do my best because I love Cornwall so much, and I won't be able to resist the siren call of my favourite places in favour of wasting the whole holiday lounging around a caravan. Ah, I'm so excited!

Planning

To go see Linkin Park play live in London in July as a birthday treat, providing we can get tickets, of course. I've seen them live twice before, and they've always been amazing live, so I can't wait for round three. I'm also making plans for Cornwall, sketching out future blog posts, and thinking about how to redesign the blog.

Craving

the feeling of sand beneath my feet, the sun on my skin, the sound of the ocean, the smell of salt water, the tides lapping around my feet in the surf, the cry of seagulls, and the scent of coconut sun tan lotion. I'm specifically craving Perranporth beach in Cornwall, but any sandy beach would do right about now. I'm not fussy. Hopefully I'll be able to satisfy my cravings in a few weeks when I go to Cornwall with a trip to the beach. If not I'll cry.

Buying 

I haven't bought a whole lot lately as money is really tight, but I treated myself to this Boohoo Plus smock dress last week after selling some old stuff on eBay, and managed to get my hands on a few of the Sleeping Beauty Tsum Tsums that went on sale last Tuesday. I'll give you a peek at them on Instagram when they get here. You can see some of the other things I've acquired lately in my Random Things Haul.

Needing

some new dresses, cropped cardigans, underwear, bedding, a new chest of drawers, a beach bag, a shower, a hair cut, some fresh air, a painkiller that actually kills pain, a concert fix, a new camera (Rosie broke mine), a good night's sleep, some excitement in my life... lots of things. Everything is on it's last legs, including me.

Wanting
I'm dying to get my hands on this poppy red maxi dress from Boohoo, this dress from Lindy Bop, this dress and this dress from Lady Vintage, the Too Faced Sweet Peach eyeshadow palette, this sewing box house from Cath Kidston, these Cath Kidston brooches, this flamingo pool float novelty bag from Skinny Dip, and some more Johanna Basford canvases to paint.

Wishing

I was rich and could afford everything I need and want. That would be the life. 

Loving

Linkin Park's new album 'One More Light'. It was released on Friday and OMG I'm loving it so much already. It's so uplifting and melodic, with some beautiful vocals from Chester- although not enough from Mike for my liking. As seems to be the tradition, it has a completely different sound to anything they've ever done before, and it couldn't be more different to their last album 'The Hunting Party', which was an epic album with a heavier rock and metal sound. I admit I'm a little disappointed by the total lack of rock tunes- I thought there'd at least be a couple- but I actually love the way they keep evolving their music. Once again they've nailed it. I have a feeling I'm going to be playing this album to death from now on.

Worrying

about my heart rate, which is still racing like crazy three months on. To be honest, it's scaring the shit out of me. It's been so fast the last few nights I've barely slept; I'm shattered. I just want everything to go back to normal, and to find out what the hell is going on with my body. I'll finally be meeting with a cardiologist on Wednesday, so hopefully I'll finally get some answers and some way of getting it under control, because I'm not enjoying this so much.

Crying

with laughter because my dog just threw a treat across the room to pounce on it. (She's developed a new habit of playing with her food). It landed under the open door of her crate, and now she's barking, howling, and making the funniest noises in despair at it because she wants the treat but is afraid to go near the open door. She cracks me up.

Teaching

I've just started working on recall with Rosie (again) because she still doesn't come when you call her, and it's time we cracked it. We have a huge garden so she has plenty of space to run around off the lead at home, but it would be great to give her the freedom to walk off the lead in public, and know she'll stay safe and come back. I've started getting her to come to me using treats and the clicker while I'm playing with her in the garden, but I'll probably look in to getting a long lead, and a dog whistle to gain a bit more control, especially for longer distances.

Clearing

out some of my old and unwanted things in an attempt to declutter, and raise a little extra cash. And I've also been having a good clean up of files on my laptop to try to declutter my virtual life, and get organised, too.

Scheduling 

some Sunday Favourites posts ahead of time for when I'm away, so I don't have to stress about throwing them together at the last minute. You'd be surprised how long they can take to assemble sometimes. I've been known to lose whole days to one post.

Wondering

how my appointment with the cardiologist is going to go on Wednesday, what their prognosis will be, and what might happen next.

Enjoying

the longer hours of daylight we've been having lately, and the sunshine streaming through my window today. I don't know why extended hours of daylight, blue skies and sunshine make such a difference to my moods, but they really do.

What have you been up to lately? Let me know what you're currently enjoying in the comments below!