Monday, 16 December 2024

Christmas Blogmas Tag

Thanks to abysmal winter daylight and horrendous spinal pain, I still haven't managed to take the photos I need for the festive blog posts I had planned, so today, I'm going to have a go at another Christmas tag post instead.

The Christmas Blogmas Tag is a short but sweet one with just seven questions, and if you want to hear about my Christmas traditions, what my favourite hot chocolate is, or what I'm hoping to find under the tree this Christmas, stick around to find out!


What is your favourite Christmas treat?

I love some homemade trifle, or the Chocolate Squidgy Log my sister makes every year. It's an old Delia Smith recipe she's been making since Sixth Form. It's basically a fancy chocolate Swiss roll, but with chocolate mousse and cream inside instead of jam. We don't let my sister in the house on Christmas Day unless she brings one.

What Christmas traditions do you celebrate?

We don't really follow any exciting traditions in my house these days. (I'm a single and childless old spinster, and I live with a bunch of Scrooges who don't get excited enough to care about traditions). All I can really think of is that we always play a compilation album called 100% Christmas while decorating the tree, which we've played every Christmas since 1994; my older sister and I drive around to look at Christmas lights together every year (usually on Christmas Eve); and I make a blackberry and apple trifle every Christmas Eve. Oh, and I like to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol when doing my first batch of wrapping. 

When I was younger, we always went to my Auntie's Christmas Eve party; were allowed to open one present from under the tree when we got home; put our stockings out on the sofa (we never had hooks over the fireplace); and were forced along to church on Christmas morning.


Are you wishing for snow this year?

I would love to get snow for Christmas, but I've only ever had one white Christmas, and no amount of wishing will change the fact that it doesn't snow very often here in south east England.

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

It's a tie between Santa Claus the Movie, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. They're the best Christmas movies ever!

Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

No, I've always wanted to, but for some reason, I never have.


What is your favourite hot chocolate?

I love Hotel Chocolat's hot chocolate. The cocoa whipped cream they top them with is to die for.

What gift are you hoping to get this year?

I would love to get one of the Polly Pocket Loungefly bags, or some of the books from my wish list this Christmas. I posted my Christmas list last week, if you'd like to see what else is on it.

And that is the Christmas Blogmas Tag.

If you want to take part, consider yourself tagged! Just make sure you leave me your links so that I can read your post if you write one.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

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The Amazing Christmas Tag

The Christmas Book Blogger Tag

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Monday, 9 December 2024

The Amazing Christmas Tag

I've seen the Amazing Christmas Tag on a couple of blogs this week, and since I still need to take photos for a few blog posts I have planned, I've decided to give it a go, too.

There are sixteen questions and sixteen answers, and if you want to know where I'm spending Christmas this year, what colour my Christmas lights are, or what I left out for Santa when I was a kid, today is your lucky day!

1. When do your decorations go up?

I used to start decorating for Christmas on the 1st of December, but these days, it varies depending on when I can catch a good pain day. I try to do my bedroom decorations during the first week of December (although, I haven't yet this year), but the last few years, we haven't got to the main decorations until a few days before Christmas. This year? We're actually planning to tackle it today!

2. Who is the Scrooge in your family or friendship group?

It's definitely my Dad. He's not anti-Christmas, but it's more of a religious holiday to him, and he can get annoyed if the decorations go up too early, and by the excessiveness of it all. I've lost count of how many times he's jokingly told us Christmas was cancelled over the years.

3. If money were no object, how and where would you spend Christmas?

I'd love to experience Christmas in New York; in a log cabin somewhere in Scandanavia with a lot of snow and views of the Aurora Borealis; and also somewhere hot and tropical, like Australia. But, in all honesty, I think nothing would compare to celebrating Christmas at home.

4. Who do you find the hardest to buy presents for?

My Dad is a nightmare to buy presents for. He doesn't really have hobbies anymore, he can't drink because of his health, his idea of a skincare regime is soap and water, and he's diabetic, so sugar is out. And to make it worse, his birthday is a month before Christmas, so it makes it twice as hard to come up with something new that he'll actually like. I struggle with him every year.

5. What did you leave out for Santa when you were a child?

We usually left out a mince pie, and a shandy, plus sometimes a carrot for the reindeer. 

6. Where did you spend last Christmas?

I just spent it at home in The Cotswolds, with my family.

7. Do you have a real or artificial Christmas tree?

We have an artificial tree in the living room, but I always get a small real tree for my bedroom, too. Best of both worlds!

8. Which celebrity would you love to spend Christmas with?

I'm not sure I'd actually want to spend Christmas with a celebrity. I'd probably be too nervous to actually enjoy myself, or they wouldn't be as nice as they appeared on TV, and it would change how I saw them.


9. How are you spending this Christmas?

I'll be spending Christmas at home with my family, like I always do. We'll do some baking, and have a family buffet on Christmas Eve, with lots of tasty nibbles. And on Christmas Day, my sister, brother-in-law, and Auntie are joining us for the day, so it'll be a low-key Christmas with all the usual things- presents, Christmas dinner, movies, games, nibbles- and should be really lovely.

10. Do you own an ugly Christmas sweater?

Ugly? My Christmas jumpers are cute, thank you very much!

11. If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone, who would it be?

I wouldn't say 'no' to Jason Momoa.

12. Have you ever had a white Christmas?

Only once. We had one of the coldest winters I've ever known in 2010, with temperatures well below freezing in the day time, and icicles the length of my arm hanging from the windows. We had a few heavy snow falls before Christmas, and while it didn't snow on Christmas Day, so it's not an official white Christmas, we still had about a foot of it on the ground on Christmas morning, so I'm counting it. It was magical, and I remember my Mum buried the frozen turkey in the snow to save on freezer space! We don't get a lot of snow in south east England, so it was a real novelty, and I doubt we'll ever have a Christmas like it again.

13. Do you use coloured lights on your tree, or white?

We have coloured lights on the living room tree, and I currently use warm white lights for my bedroom tree. 

14. Have you finished your holiday shopping, or are you a last-minute gift-getter?

I actually finished my Christmas shopping last week! I always pick up presents throughout the year, to spread the cost, but I'm not usually this organised already. I'm not gonna lie, it feels good! I could never leave gift-giving 'til the last minute. I feel stressed just thinking about it.

15. What's on your Christmas wish list for 2024?

My Christmas list is 90% books this year, but I also have my eye on a few dresses, Erstwilder brooches, Too Faced make up sets, and some new bookshelves. I'll be blogging my Christmas wish list this week, but if you want to see what I have my eye on, you can find my Christmas list board on Pinterest here.

16. How do you plan to spend holiday cheer in 2024?

Just by giving presents and cards to my family and friends, wishing people a Merry Christmas, posting festive content, and if I have enough money to spare, I want to donate to a food bank, and put a box of goodies together for a homeless person.

And that is the Amazing Christmas Tag.

If you want to give it a go on your own blog, consider yourself tagged! Just be sure to leave me a link to your post so that I can have a read.

How will you be spending Christmas this year?

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Tuesday, 3 December 2024

The Christmas Book Blogger Tag

I saw the Christmas Book Blogger Tag on a couple of blogs, and thought it would be fun to jump on the band wagon, so here we are. Let's do this!


What is your favourite Christmas scene in a book?

I love the Christmas scene in Little Women when Beth is recovering from scarlet fever, and Mr. Lawrence gives her his late daughter's piano. It makes me cry every time.

Oh, and also the scene in A Court of Frost and Starlight when Azriel takes it upon himself to fix the Solstice decorations Cassian and Feyre made a drunken mess of hanging; when he gets exasperated, and gets caught downing Rhys' good wine. His reaction is hilarious!

Do you have any Christmas book traditions?

Not really. The only ones I can think of are that I try to read festive books during December, and my older sister and I usually go sale-book-shopping between Christmas and New Year. I might have to make shopping for new festive books before Christmas a thing, though.

Do you prefer to get presents of book vouchers or books?

I honestly don't have a preference. Either way, I get new books. I love receiving new books people have chosen for me or picked off my wishlist, and gift vouchers are great because I'm a pro at getting more for the money during the Boxing Day sales.


Do you give books as presents?

Yes, I do. My family are all readers, so I gift books as part of their presents almost every year. A few people will be getting books off me this year, too.

What bookish item is on your Christmas wishlist?

I'm unlikely to get them, especially as they're from international brands, but I would love the Everything Nice Reading Companion from The Quirky Cup Collective; and the Kingdom of the Wicked Favourite Sin blanket from Litjoy Crate.

What three books would you love Santa to have in his sack for you?

1. The T. Kingfisher set of The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places, and House with Good Bones from Illumicrate.

2. The Bride of the Shadow King trilogy from Illumicrate.

3. The King of Scars Annotated Special Edition Boxset from Litjoy Crate.


Fake Christmas tree or real Christmas tree?

We always have a fake Christmas tree in the living room, and I always get a small real one for my bedroom, so I have the best of both worlds. I always thought I prefered real ones, but I think fake trees are much less hassle.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I particularly love seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations brightening up in the dark winter nights; giving gifts to my family and friends; and watching Christmas movies.

What Christmas book would you recommend?

I'd recommend:

♥ Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

♥ Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar.

♥ Upon a Frosted Star by M.A. Kuzniar.

♥ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

♥ A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas.

♥ Noel Streatfield's Christmas Stories.

♥ A Merry Christmas and Other Christmas Stories by Louisa May Alcott.


What dish on the Christmas menu are you most looking forward to?

My brother-in-law's goose-fat roast potatoes. They're so damn good! And also my blackberry and apple trifle and my sister's Squidgy Chocolate Log, because they're both delicious.

When do you open your Christmas presents?

We open ours once everyone is up on Christmas morning. And then exchange presents with my older sister and brother-in-law when they arrive around midday.

What's your favourite Christmas song?

It's probably between Last Christmas by Wham, I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake, and It's Only Christmas by Ronan Keating.

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?

I would love to have another white Christmas, as I've only ever had one (in 2010), and it was magical. It was so cold, we had snow on the ground for weeks, and icicles the length of my arm hanging from the windows! It rarely snows in Oxfordshire at the end of the year, though, so it's unlikely to happen again any time soon.

I hope you've enjoyed The Christmas Book Blogger Tag. If you want to take part, consider yourself tagged! Just make sure to leave the links to your posts in the comments so I can have a read!

What's your favourite Christmas book?

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Friday, 14 December 2018

The Cracking Christmas Tag


A late one from me today. I was aiming to have this post up this afternoon, but I was half way through writing it when my Mum decided it was time to decorate the Christmas tree, and I had go join in. Now the tree is up and decorated, it's time to play catch up!

Tonight, I'm going to answer a fun new tag post called The Cracking Christmas Tag, which I recently came across on another blog. (I forget which one, sorry). The tag was created by Nina Louise Law and Becc4, and features ten quirky questions about Christmas that will help get you in to the Christmas spirit. I thought it would be fun to give it a go, so that is what I'm going to do. If you want to know what I get up to on Christmas Eve or which Christmas songs I loathe, tonight is the night you'll find out. This is The Cracking Christmas Tag.


Weirdest family tradition?

I've been wracking my brain for an answer for this, but I haven't been able to come up with anything; I think all my Christmas traditions are pretty normal. I guess we're really boring! Seriously, the weirdest tradition I could come up with is that ever since I was little, it's always been my job to set the table for Christmas dinner, and I don't really know why! I have two sisters, but somehow it was always left to me, while they slacked off and played with their new Christmas toys. Twenty five + years later, and the job is still mine. Luckily, I'm weird, and have always enjoyed dressing the table for Christmas dinner, so I've never actually minded. I like making things look pretty.

It's Christmas Eve; what are you doing?

I usually spend the morning popping out to the supermarket with my sister for any last minute supplies we need, and baking goodies in the kitchen while blasting out some Christmas tunes. I always make my blackberry and apple trifle on Christmas Eve ready for Christmas Day. Afterwards, I usually put on a Christmas movie or two and wrap any last minute gifts- usually my Dad's gifts to my Mum. Lazy bugger! If my Auntie is hosting her Christmas Eve party (occasionally it's a couple of days earlier), then everyone starts getting ready to travel to Worcester around lunchtime. I haven't been able to go since I've been chronically ill, though, (around seven or eight Christmases now) because it's too far for me to comfortably travel and the whole day would cause me too much pain. If I sucked it up and went anyway, I'd have to spend Christmas Day recovering in bed, which would totally suck, so I stay home these days. I spend the afternoon watching Christmas movies with the dog, and finish up any last minute tasks, like putting up birthday decorations for my Mum, whose birthday is also on Christmas Day! If my family stay home, I basically do the same thing, but with company. In the evening, I'll / we'll start grazing on a buffet or enjoy a cheeky takeaway, and then I'll generally reach my pain threshold, and crawl back upstairs to rest up for Christmas Day. I'll get in to my new Christmas PJs, relax with a face mask, do my nails, and enjoy some of the contents of my Christmas Eve box while watching some festive TV. My younger sister always joins me around half ten to watch a festive episode of The Vicar of Dibley together, as there's one on every year. I'll basically spend the rest of the night watching Christmas movies and reading until I fall asleep in the early hours of Christmas morning. I'm so rock 'n' roll!

Top 3 Christmas Dinner Components?

1. My sister's and brother-in-law's goose fat roast potatoes.
2. My Mum's sage and onion stuffing (she makes it with sausage meat).
3. Turkey!

When do you decorate your house? November, the beginning of December, the week of Christmas?

I never put my decorations up before December, but I like to put them up as early in December as possible. I usually begin decorating my bedroom for Christmas on the 1st, and we always used to decorate downstairs a few days in to December, but it gets later and later every year, and we only started putting the decorations up this afternoon! The tree is finally up and decorated, but we still have so much left to do! That's tomorrow job.

Loved and loathed Christmas songs?

There are so many Christmas songs that I love! I have hundreds in my iTunes library. I love the classics and the oldies- basically the stuff I grew up on in the eighties and nineties- but I'm not a fan of much modern Christmas music.

Some of my favourites are:

Last Christmas by Wham.
I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake.
Step in to Christmas by Elton John.
Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens.
2000 Miles by The Pretenders.
A Spaceman Came Travelling by Chris de Burgh.
Stop the Cavalry by Jonah Lewie.
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.
Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney.
Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson.
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), and All Alone on Christmas by Darlene Love.
Mary's Boy Child by Boney M.
Troika by Lieutenant Kije.
It's Only Christmas by Ronan Keating.
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Dean Martin.

I loathe loathe loathe...

Santa Buddy by Michael Bublé. (Cringe!)
Let it Go and Do You Wanna Build A Snowman from the Frozen Soundtrack.
Any of those dodgy nineties / noughties Christmas pop songs from bands like The Spice Girls, Steps, and Kylie Minogue.


One big present or lots of little things to open?

I prefer to get lots of little things to open. I love receiving a gift bag or box full of fun, thoughtful, little presents that someone has put a lot of effort in to choosing, and it's always great to have more presents to open- it makes that Christmas morning magic last longer!

What is your favourite Christmas decoration? (Include a photo if you have one).

I'm not sure I could choose just one; I'm emotionally attached to so many of my decorations. I have two resin Mickey Mouse decorations circa 1990, one in the shape of a Christmas tree and the other a stocking, that I've always been particularly fond of. I got them when I was about five, along with a little drum and a hobby horse decoration, to make me feel better after I burst my ear drum at school and had to go to hospital. They're usually the first decorations I search for when we get the decorations out- and I still have to fight my sister to be able to put them on the tree because she does the same! I also really love my colourful vintage-style baubles from Rex London, all of my kitsch decorations, and some pretty white galaxy-effect baubles we have on our main tree that look amazing when the fairy lights hit them. I haven't got any decent photos of them to hand, but I'll share some when I blog a Christmas bedroom tour in the next week or so.

Do you like to have a themed tree or one with a bit of everything?

Themed trees aren't my thing; I'll always prefer them to be mismatched with sentimental decorations that have been collected over a life time, and bring back decades of great memories- kind of like a 3-D scrapbook. The family tree is covered in decorations in all kind of shapes, styles, and colours that have been collected not only during mine and my sister's life times, but my parents' and even my Nana's. I think some of them are as much as seventy years old! Nothing matches, it's so not Instagrammable, and it always looks like the eighties threw up on it, but I love it, and there are so many great memories attached to it all.

Christmas pudding: yay or nay?

Yay? I'm not crazy about it, but I don't mind a little portion with custard now and then. The best one I ever tried came with sticky toffee sauce- that was amazing!

What's at the top of your Christmas wishlist this year?

I have my eye on a little grey floral 'Alpine Ditsy print' speaker from Cath Kidston, some Erstwilder brooches, a handful of beauty palettes, and a few creative books. I actually blogged my Christmas list on Wednesday, so you can see what's on it here.

And that is The Cracking Christmas Tag.

I tag... anyone who wants to have a go! If you decide to answer the tag on your own blog, make sure you leave me your links so I can have a read!

What is your weirdest family Christmas tradition?
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Monday, 21 August 2017

50 Things You Should Know About Me

Hi guys,

I hope your day is off to a good start. Mine sure is not. 

I awoke this morning to find somebody had hacked my eBay, and Paypal accounts, and the email address attached to them over night, and spent £600 I do not have on Lego using my eBay account! I've been freaking out because I don't have the funds in my bank account to even cover the transactions because I don't have any income right now, and I'm just praying I'll be able to get it all back. Paypal are already on the case and I've got one of the three large transactions refunded already (luckily one seller thought to query the fact the address didn't match the one I registered), and the other two are pending, so fingers crossed. Hopefully it will be sorted before any of it reaches my bank balance or otherwise I'm screwed. Thankfully eBay noticed the unusual activity last night and froze my account as who knows how much more they would've tried to spend.

I'm fucking livid that somebody would do this. The spineless little cretin(s) really need to reevaluate their pathetic little lives. I'm sure their kids would be so proud to know their parents are buying them presents with stolen money from somebody who has none.  I hope karma comes back to bite them in the balls. Scum of the Earth.

They've also used my email address to sign up to hundreds of different sites, so even though I've changed my password, I think I'm going to have to delete the account, and set up a new one to be on the safe side. I'm going to have to go through everything I'm signed up to and change my sign in info. FML. It's the last thing I needed to be dealing with today.

I've done all I can for now, so I've taken a break from it all to blog to try to take my mind off it (doing well so far, then, haha!) It's been so long since I last did one of those 'Things About Me' kind of posts, so I thought it would be fun to share some facts about myself to help you get to know me a little better. 

Here are 50 things you should know about me...

1. My favourite pastime is going to concerts. I would happily go to one every night if I could.

2. I used to be a visual merchandiser in a vintage-style children's toy shop before I got ill.

3. I've lived in the same small town in Oxfordshire all my life.

4. I'm from a military family- my Mum, Dad, and Grandad were all in the RAF, and my brother-in-law currently is. Luckily, I never had to do the moving around thing growing up because my parents were out before I was born.

5. I studied animal care at college. I still hope to put it to good use again one day.

6. I'm the second of three sisters.

7. I've been in excruciating pain for almost six years straight.

8. My spine is naturally and abnormally fused to my sacrum (above the pelvis).

9. I suffer from bertolottis disease, fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative disc disease (plus torn and herniated discs), sciatica, osteomalacia, depression, and anxiety. Apparently my body hates me.

10. I've met all members of Boyzone twice, and Mikey Graham a couple more times... and I've had a fair few interactions during concerts, too. Yep, total fan girl right here.

11. The comedian Ronnie Barker was a regular customer of mine when I worked in a pet shop. We used to sell him ducks for his home in the Cotswolds.

12. I did work experience in two zoos when I was studying animal care, and got kissed on the head by a huge male sealion.

13. I love collecting novelty handbags, and quirky brooches.

14. I'm from The Cotswolds but I'm neither rich nor posh.

15. I was so shy growing up I would clam up and go mute around everybody but my immediate family and closest friends. I only really came out of my shell in my early twenties, after a few years of working in retail, and having to talk to people all day long.

16. I really love cross stitching, and find it helps me cope with my pain. It's not just for grannies; there are heaps of fun modern designs these days!

17. I have a black and white Tibetan terrier called Rosie, and also keep tropical fish.

18. I have two tattoos, but I would love dozens more. I was just getting in to them when I got ill, and if I hadn't I'm pretty sure I'd be covered in them by now. I have a tattoo wish list as long as my arm.

19. My favourite films are Little Women, Steel Magnolias, and Titanic.

20. I'm covered in freckles from head to toe, and have them on all areas of my body, including my lips, ears, and palm of my hand. I hated them until I was about seventeen, and now I love them!

21. I can't stand bacon or mushrooms. The smell and taste of both makes me gag.

22. Unpopular opinion: I can't stand Beyoncé, or the film Frozen.

23. I'm an introvert, and enjoy my own company, but I'm not anti-social and enjoy spending time with people I like, too. I just need a little time to myself to recharge every day.

24. I love creative writing, and have been scribbling down stories in my spare time since primary school.

25. I was raised catholic and went to a catholic primary school, but I'm an atheist. I tried to believe but I knew from a young age that religion wasn't for me. 

26. My favourite bands are Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy, and Boyzone, and I also have a thing for Ronan Keating. I don't actually like much pop music these days, but my love for those Irish men goes back to age nine, and old habits die hard! I also really love Arcade Fire, Panic! at the Disco, Evanescence, and Kings of Leon.

27. I worked in a pet shop for five years.

28. I've always wanted to be a zoo keeper. I'd particularly love to work with tapirs, giraffes, anteaters, aardvarks, and armadillos. I like the weird ones!

29. I'm happiest with my feet in the ocean. I'm a total water baby.

30. I've always wanted to learn how to surf.

31. I'm addicted to colourful eye make up, and particularly love green shades.

32. Colour makes me happy. I try to inject it in to all areas of my life.

33. I'm a stationery addict, and can never resist a new notebook, even if I already have 15 unused ones at home.

34. I pretty much always have my finger nails painted.

35. I love the Big Bang Theory, and watch an episode or two almost every day.

36. I love musicals, especially live at the theatre. My favourites from the stage are Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, The Sound of Music, Sister Act, and Chicago, and I love the movie versions, too.

37. I hate the sweltering summer heat, and love the rain.

38. My favourite place on the planet is Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, closely followed by New York City.

39. I once broke my wrist by unknowingly getting my foot caught in a basket rack, and falling flat on my face at work... in front of my boss, a colleague, and a big queue of customers. Hands down the most embarrassing moment of my life.

40. You will almost always find me with a camera in my hand, snapping photos wherever I go.

41. I love travelling and sight-seeing, and hope to travel all over the world one day. I'm currently dying to visit Austria.

42. I love crafting, painting, and creating stuff. There's just something satisfying about creating something with your own two hands.

43. I still don't know how to drive. I kept meaning to, but always had other things to spend my money on... like concert tickets and dresses. Now I can't learn to drive because sitting and travelling causes me too much pain.

44. I have a slight Cath Kidston addiction.

45. I'm a Christmas enthusiast, and love to embrace all the festivities I can.

46. My middle name is Christine.

47. I've had the same best friend since I was eleven.

48. My nicknames range from everything from Lou and LouLou to Weeze ('ouise), Weezy, and Weaselby.

49. I've had three ECGs so far this year.

50. My earliest memory is sitting in a hospital corridor with my Dad and older sister aged three after my Mum had gone in to labour with my little sister, and asking if we could "have a brown baby this time." Funnily enough, I didn't get my wish.

So, I've told you a little about myself... now I'd love to learn a little about you to get to know you better! 

Please tell me a few  things about yourself in the comments below! 

Do we have anything in common from the list above?
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Thursday, 11 September 2014

Getting To Know Me

I saw this challenge over on Mandy Leigh's blog last week, and it looked like fun so I've decided to give it a go. I thought it would be a great way to share a little more about myself and my little quirks.

Let's get started!


The Basics

Name: Louise Christine P.

Age: 29

Height: 5'6'' ish.

Hair Colour: Naturally: dark brown. Currently: bright red.

Eye Colour: Brown.

Religion: Atheist, but I was raised Catholic.

Ethnicity: English. I'm Southern born and raised, but with mostly Northern family.

Status: Single.


Favourites

Colour: Green, teal, turquoise, and cobalt blue.

Hair Style: Long flowing locks with a slight curl.

Food: Chinese.

Soda: Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Orangina.

Alcoholic Beverage: Woo-woos, daiquiris, Archers and lemonade, and vodka and lemonade.

Store: Cath Kidston, Paperchase, and Accessorize.

Mall: There aren't really malls close to where I live. I remember loving The Metro Centre in Gateshead when I was little, though.

State: New York.

City: New York, and London.

Animal: Tapirs, giraffes, beluga whales, narwhals, foxes, bunnies, and dogs.

Movie: Titanic and Steel Magnolias.

Anime: I don't like Anime.

Book: The Stand by Stephen King, and The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Music: Rock, Indie, Alternative.

Song: Iridescent by Linkin Park, Surburban War by Arcade Fire, Pyro by Kings of Leon, Rise by Boyzone, She's My Winona and Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy, Broken by Seether and Amy Lee, Lost in Paradise by Evanescence and Trade Mistakes my Panic! at the Disco are some of my current favourites.

Band / Artist: Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy, Boyzone, and Ronan Keating are my favourites. I also love Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Evanescence, Panic! at the Disco, and Snow Patrol.

Website: Pinterest, Postsecret, Tumblr, and Blogger.


This or That

Soda or juice? Soda... yeah, I know that's not good!

Music or Internet? Both! I couldn't live without either. Music while on the Internet?

Rock or rap? Rock!

Cats or dogs? Dogs, but I like cats, too.

White or black? Black... but white for furniture and home decor.

Cell phone or iPod? iPod.

Curly hair or straight hair? Curly, but my hair is straight.

Laptop or computer? Laptop.

Mountain Dew or Pepsi? Pepsi. We don't get Mountain Dew in England.

Phone or Internet? Internet.

Summer or Winter? Summer for the long hours of daylight, but Winter for the more comfortable temps and Christmas!

Going out or staying in? Staying in.


Random

What do you do in your spare time? Blog, read, spend way too much time on Pinterest, write, watch movies, paint my nails, listen to music, crafts, write lists, go to the cinema, surf the net... When I was pain free I would also go to a lot of concerts, travel, take little day trips to London, shop, catch musicals at the theatre, go to the zoo, hop on a train for a mini adventure, visit friends, and bake.

What do you wish you had more time for? Reading.

What's your usual clothing style? Girlie and quirky, with plenty of colour and fun prints.

What's your usual hair style? Straightened long bob with a blunt fringe.

What are you wearing? My red gingham Lindy Bop swing dress.

Are you single or taken? Single.

Who would you die for? My family,

What do you think of one night stands? They're not for me, but I don't judge anybody who has them.

Who's your best friend? My best friend is Angela, who's been my bestie since 1996!

Do you have any pets? Only tropical fish at the moment, but we're currently talking about getting a dog to keep me company.

Do you plan on getting married? Never say never, but I'm still not convinced anybody would want me. LOL!

Do you plan on having kids? It's never been my dream to have kids, and working in a toy shop for years has put me off kids for life... but I do love the idea of having a family... once the kids are adults, anyway! Haha! I guess we'll see!

How old do you wish you were? Not 29, that's for sure! I wouldn't mind going back to 26 so I can make up for the three years I've lost to back pain.

If you were to be anywhere right now, where would it be? New York City or Perranporth Beach in Cornwall.

Ever gone camping? Does camping in a back garden, or staying in a tent with camp beds at a Haven holiday park count??

Have you ever gone skiing on a mountain? No. I've never been skiing, but I'd love to learn someday.

Ever gone to church? Yes, I was brought up Catholic and went to a Catholic primary school, so I was dragged along to quite a few services growing up. It was never for me, though, and I'm an atheist so I only go for weddings, funerals, and christenings these days.

Ever gone to a famous water park? No, I don't think so.

Ever gone out of state? We don't have states in England, but I have visited many places all over the UK and Ireland.

Ever gone out of the country? Yes. I'm not well travelled yet, but I've been to France, America, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland so far.

When was the last time you left town? I went to London for the day just over a month ago for a CT scan.

What year were you born in? 1985.

What do you do in the summer time? I love to head to the beach, have barbecues, sight-see, travel, enjoy the sunshine, and listen to uplifting songs.

Are you naturally tanned? No, I'm extremely pale. I have the fair white, freckled skin of a red-head.

Do you live in a house? Yes, I live in a three-bedroomed semi-detached house with my parents and little sister.

What do you have on your mind? Blog posts, Autumn, Christmas, hospital appointments, life.

What time is it? 2:16am.

If you want to give this challenge a go, too, please do, crediting back to Mandy! I'd love to see your posts, so leave me your links below!

Thanks for reading.
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Wednesday, 19 February 2014

The Liebster Blog Award

In recent weeks I was nominated for a Liebster Blog Award twice by two lovely bloggers; Char of T*rexes and Tiaras, and the lady behind the blog A Touch of Sparkle. I feel awful that I've forgotten her name, and I suspect her blog has been deleted or changed because the link no longer works and I can't find the blog via Google. Regardless, I'm very grateful and humbled by both of the nominations, and it's only right that I take some time to answer the questions both ladies set for me. There are more stages to the award, but as I've been nominated a few times before, I'm just going to reply to the questions.


Char's Questions:

1. What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day? 

I love to go for walks when it's raining (with or without an umbrella); get soaked, and come home to a hot shower or a hot bath. And you can't beat curling up with a good book and listening to the rain drum against the windows, can you? I guess it's a good thing I like rain since it's barely stopped raining here since November.

2. Skirts or shorts? 


Skirts. I've never really felt fully comfortable in shorts; I feel they draw too much attention to my thighs, and they make me feel self-conscious about my legs and big bum. I feel much more comfortable in skirts that flare over my hips and thighs; they make me feel more feminine.

3. If you found £10 on the pavement, what would you do with it?


If I saw somebody drop it, I would pick it up and make sure they got it back. If nobody was around to claim it, I would probably put it in my pocket and buy something nice for everyone (the family) for dinner, or treat myself to something on my wishlist. If I was feeling especially generous (or guilty!) I'd donate it to an animal charity.

4. Favourite colour? 


I love various shades of green, teal, and purple. Although I also have such a thing for mint right now!

5. Best advice someone has ever given you?


Don't be scared of other people; nobody is worth more or less than anybody else.

6. Where would you most like to go in the world? 


Right now, I'm still dying to return to New York and Perranporth in Cornwall, but if we're talking somewhere new... I think my heart is most set on Italy. I blame the film 'Letters to Juliet'!

7. What super-power would you most like to have and why?


I would like to have the power of not feeling physical pain. It wouldn't make me a hero to anybody, but boy it would be nice not to be in pain every day!

8. Who is the last person you sent a text to?


My best friend, Angela. She was recommending a band to me, and it turned out that I had just downloaded their new album the night before! (You Me At Six).

9. How many times per day do you brush your teeth (randomly this was a question on a survey I recently was paid to take part in!)? 


Usually just twice- when I wake up and before bed, but if I've got an appointment or something, I'll usually brush them again before I go.

10. What is the last blog you followed?


I believe it was the blog Votre Grande Soeur.

11. Do you prefer to read e-books or regular books? Library or shop-bought?


I never thought I would ever say this, but right now I actually prefer to read from my Kindle! As a book lover, I was so against ereaders for years, but I had to eat my words when I realised how great they were a couple of years ago. I seem to read so much more from my Kindle, and I love the ease of downloading a new book no matter the time of the day or night. I do love reading regular books, too, though, and often switch between the two.

I haven't used a library for years. With the Kindle, I get my books from Amazon, and find free and cheap books through Kind of Book. With paper books, I usually buy cheap titles from the supermarket or borrow off my sisters or friends. I do miss spending a small fortune on novels from Borders or Waterstones, though. I could get lost in bookstores for hours.


A Touch of Sparkle's Questions:


1. Three things you want to achieve / do during your life?

I hope to:

-Recover from my disc injuries and regain a normal life.
-See the Northern lights.
-Go whale watching.

2. Why did you start blogging?


I started blogging for a few reasons. I wanted something to keep me occupied while being house bound with disc injuries. (I sure found it!) I was inspired by other plus size blogs and wanted to give it a go myself in the hope of working my way towards self-acceptance; something which I still hadn't gained back then at age 26. (I'm getting there now!) And I wanted to have somewhere to share my outfits with like-minded people, and show the world that fat girls can wear bright, colourful and patterned clothes!

3. The beauty essential you cannot be without?


I couldn't live without waterproof black mascara. 

4. If you could be anyone, who would you be?


Oh, that's a tricky one! I really have no idea. Half an hour or pondering later... I wouldn't mind being Dita Von Teese; she always looks fabulous!

5. Favourite Christmas colour theme?


I'm a fan of classic colour schemes like red, gold, and green... I like to keep the decorations tasteful, but on the Christmas tree, pretty much anything goes. It's full of memories instead of used as a fashionable decoration to impress the neighbours with.

6. Are you a morning or evening person?


I've always been more of a morning person, even if I am currently nocturnal at the moment! I've always preferred the day light and getting up early to make the most of it.

7. Favourite place to buy clothes/shoes?


I'd say my favourite place to shop is probably ASOS. They have one of the best, cutting edge plus size ranges out there, and offer such a wide range of accessories, shoes, bags, and beauty products by a variety of fantastic brands. You can buy your whole outfit in one place, without having to dress head-to-toe in one brand. It also helps that they offer free delivery- that's always a winner in my eyes. For shoes, I also turn to New Look and Simply Be who do some great wide fit shoes.

8. Do you have a Christmas tradition, if so what is it?

We have a few Christmas traditions, one being that we always have a family get-to-gether at my Auntie's house a day or two before Christmas each year. It's very informal, and the house is filled with family on my Dad's side, including some of my Auntie's friends and neighbours. It's basically an occasion to catch up with family, eat, drink, and spread a little Christmas cheer.

9. What is your favourite film?


My favourite film is Titanic, and it has been since I first saw it aged eleven. I never tire of watching it.

10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?


I would like to change society's obsession with body size and weight, and the unrealistic 'rules' and expectations that go with it.

11. If you could make one law, what would it be?


I would make it illegal for people to discriminate and body-shame fat people. It seems to be the last acceptable form of discrimination, and it's not okay that people are treated badly and often unfairly because of the size stitched in their clothes.


Thanks for reading.


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