On my insomniac mind....

I have insomnia. Again. Currently thinking about:

1) My "Christmas Present Ideas" list which then migrates into:

2) "Christmas Presents - DONE" list (yes, it exists - get me!)

3) "Christmas Presents - TO BUY" list

4) "Christmas Card List" ... which is currently a blank page...

5) I hope to God that Marks & Spencer's online shopping service has improved since last year when half of the presents arrived after Christmas, despite me ordering in the first week of December. I was so disgusted that I swore that I'd never buy from them again. Clearly I never learn.

6) I must, must, MUST stop buying from the E.L.F website! I think I've spent around £40 this month :/ I feel so selfish treating myself at this time of year (see above)

7) I really want to eat the tin of Quality Street that I bought as a family present for my mum (family present - that also includes me haha!).

8) What are the people over the road DOING?? It's 1:00am and they keep slamming their wheely bin lid.

9) I think that I could actually abandon Facebook in favour of Twitter... the addiction is wearing off and I'm getting sick of my News Feed constantly being spammed with everyone's Mob Wars and Farmville achievements... (anyone else with me on this?)

10) I enjoyed "Twilight" (the book) but for some reason cannot get into "New Moon"...

11) ... which I started reading for two reasons. Firstly, because the movie came out, obv, and secondly because the Gordon Smith book I was reading scared me to death (I read to get to sleep)

12) I'm cold but refuse to switch the heating on outside of the timer programme. I have asked Santa for a pink Slanket :)

14) (no #13, I'm superstitious) I REALLY hope my cousin Michael gets his double lung transplant in 2010. Cystic Fibrosis is a cruel, cruel illness :( Mike's had a terrible year and I want him to be well again. He's GOT to get the transplant. I cannot bear to think of it not happening. I want him to be well.

15) Actually, all I want for all of my Christmasses is for Mike to get his transplant. I love him so much. He's always been incredibly brave and it breaks my heart because he's been feeling so ill.

Right, I'm off to make some Horlicks I think! Goodnight xx

Hmmm, I seem to have fallen into a regular-ish pattern of Sunday night blogging, usually at a time when I should be thinking about getting ready to go to bed - yes I really do try to eke my weekends out!

I do love to catch up with blogs on a Sunday evening though, it's a perfect way to wind down and relax, and I kind of make it my "treat" to conquer the Sunday Night Blues (that sounds so sad haha!)

Lately...

I went to see 2012 at the cinema on Tuesday night. I've been really keen to see this after seeing a trailer months ago, I think the first time was when I saw Harry Potter HBP. I absolutely love "weather" related movies like Twister and The Day After Tomorrow and I had really, really high expectations for 2012, especially after it did so well on the opening weekend.

Then my friend Ben went to see it on Monday (he loves weather movies too :)) and didn't think it was all that. However, I went along with an open mind. To be honest I was expecting a thought provoking movie along the lines of The Day After Tomorrow, which if I remember rightly even made the news when it was first released, as it carried a very clear eco message that posed the question: could this possibly happen? Eeek.

I very quickly realised that 2012 was not going to be one of those kinds of movies. I was getting really, really annoyed at the beginning too because to be honest it was one big giant Sony advertisement (did anybody else notice this too?? You will when you next see it ;)). I know that Columbia Pictures - the studio behind 2012 - is an arm of Sony Entertainment, but honestly the product overload was ridiculous!!

But once the action starts and you start to take the movie for what it is, then you'll probably really enjoy it. If you're after an action packed, tense, end of the world movie that is completely silly but totally immersing, then 2012 is the baby to go and see... and it is definitely one of those movies to watch on the big screen as the SFX are amazing. Just leave your logical brain at the door ;)

Once I had realised that I had to suspend all belief (!!), I absolutely loved it, even the uber cheesy ending. Would I watch it again? Yes!

I started my Christmas shopping. I love, love, love everything about Christmas. I still have an advent calendar every year and am as excited as when I was little when the Christmas tree goes up... eeeeeeeeeeee I can't wait!!!!

Sadly, I'm one of those people who has ZERO initiative when it comes to buying quirky and interesting presents. If someone tells me that they would like this, this or this, I'll quite happily toddle off and buy it, feeling really happy because I know that the recipient will love their gift and it won't be eBayed on Boxing Day or car-booted come the spring!

27/11/09:**EDIT** This continued into a bit of a Bah Humbug moan about lack of Christmas inspiration etc, so I've deleted the offending paragraphs! Note to self: Do not blog whilst in the throes of PMT....

Finally, I have made a momentous decision... to ditch my blonde hair!!

I have been highlighting my hair since I was 18 but over the past year or so it's progressively been getting lighter and lighter and it's now almost white blonde. I don't mind that in the summer, but at this time of year I think it looks a bit silly.

My hair is naturally quite fair anyway, so I don't have a massive visible roots problem, but it gets to the stage where I can't escape the fact that it really does need a touch-up and salon prices do not come cheap.

I've been pondering over what to do with it and for a while I really wanted to go brunette as I love brown hair, but that's a no-no. My skin is so fair that if dark hair doesn't make me look completely washed out, then my light eyebrows and lashes will definitely make me look like an idiot!! Haha!

Sooo, I've decided that I'm going to go au natrel (gulp!). When I was little I was blonde, but after I had my first proper haircut it turned really, really red, and then went auburn when I was a teenager. With my roots now visible, the general consensus is that my hair is "strawberry blonde" with more blonde than red (maybe the years of blonde has bleached my hair follicles?!?!) I'm just hoping that it really is blonde and not grey :s It's all a bit daunting after being blonde for so long... and what excuse will I have for my "blonde moments"?! :)

How are you guys getting on with your Christmas preparations? It doesn't seem possible that it's just over a month away. Where HAS this year gone?!?!
xx

Nostalgic for NYC...

Wow, 3 posts in one day!!

Two years ago today, my friend Lisa and I flew to New York for a week. I've been longing to go again from the minute we arrived back in the UK. In fact I actually cried on the way to JFK Airport on the way back, how tragic is that?!

I can still remember it like yesterday. When we arrived at our hotel we dumped our cases because we  needed food, fast. Did we do the sensible thing and mooch around the neighbourhood for somewhere nice to eat? No. We thought like overexcited tourists. Hungry? WE'RE IN NEW YORK!!!! Lets go to Times Square!!

Looking back it was crazyness, honestly. But we had been awake for almost 48 hours by this point, and you know, logical thinking left the building. Times Square seemed like the place to go, to validate where we actually were, after all of the YEARS of wishing and all the months of waiting.

This photo was taken on 08/11/07 when we saw Times Square for the first time. We literally stopped at the top of the Subway steps and stood staring open mouthed while everybody bustled past us. We were rooted to the spot for at least two minutes, no joke. (OMG the Subway!! Our first time was rush hour and we were totally freaked out. We came to LOVE the Subway)

And this is the video that Lisa shot next to me while we stood: It won't mean anything to you guys, but to me, it was one of those spine tingling moments that I'll never forget - you'll need to pause my music player to hear the authentic sounds of NYC :)

And some photos!

Here are a few of the photos that I risked life and limb taking last night ;) It was my first time photographing fireworks and I have to say, I am quite impressed with the results! (I haven't edited them in any way except for the mini collage and watermark... still need to get the hang of that too!)

If you are wondering why some of the fireworks appear in only half of the photo, it's because the roof of my house got in the way - they literally were exploding right overhead. It's a shame, cos I would have some amazing photos if only I could have seen them properly.

I hope you all had a fun weekend!

xx

A post of Thanks...

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them...

For our tomorrow, they gave their today.

Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. You are not forgotten xxx

(I know it's not the 11th, but it is Remembrance Sunday)

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

Help!!!

I am currently being bombarded by fireworks!! Well, not me personally, but my house is sitting directly beneath a gigantic display courtesy of some people in the next street. I've been hanging (quite procariously!!) out of my bedroom window trying to get some photos...

I don't like the fact that I can hear spent firework carcasses landing on my roof or hurtling headlong into my garden. That also makes it a bit of a danger mission actually, trying to take photos peering up into the sky while burning particles shower down all around - eeek!

I also don't like the fact that Gizmo cat is terrified, poor baby. I've had one of those "Feliway" cat calming diffusers plugged in all week, but because it rained on Guy Fawkes Night and last night, there weren't many fireworks and Giz was ok. Now, he is refusing to move from his spot behind the settee (he has made sure that he is sitting over the hot radiator pipe though, he's not daft) and his HUGE eyes are darting over the ceiling, trying to decipher where the horrible noises are coming from.

Gizmo cat was 10 on Guy Fawkes Day... I can't believe it's been almost 10 years since that tiny, terrified bundle came into my life. At least I have something to thank The Ex for. And obviously I got custody of the furry little fella too :)

I hope that you are all enjoying the fireworks this weekend - be safe guys! (You, my lovely readers I mean - Guys are most certainly NOT safe hehe!)

xx