Life Lately

1. Loving my eyebrows! Doesn't happen that often. 2. All this lovely weather means I can spend a few hours in the garden reading *heart emoji*. 3. Starting to spruce up the garden. A simple little bird house, a couple of planted shrubs to grow and started digging for my veggie patch. Exciting! 4. Bought a box of peppermint tea on a whim, such a delicious aftertaste.

1. We went to belatedly celebrate my birthday. So glad that P's feet are much better. 2. Sunsets are getting later in the evening! Yippee *big grin*. 3. Maisie is now 8 months old, grown up so much but still so little. Such a character! 4. Hair is taking forever to grow. Frustrating to say the least!

I know it's been a long long lonng while since I last posted.

My main focus at the moment is fixing the house. Well, not fixing, per say, more doing up. An endless list of what's to be done keeps calling my name.

The bestie, D, keeps making my DIY bug much worse. Terrible. But I'm liking the confidence it gives me. Knowing that I can look at something and see what I can do and actually do it. 

Still restricted thanks to my back, but I'm learning to not be as stubborn as I was. I'm starting a 12-week back strengthening course at the gym next week which I'm only slightly nervous about. I'm more looking forward to it than anything else. It's been too many years to even mention since I last attended a gym session. Can't wait until my PT tells me it's ok to go on the cross-trainer. Could go on that for hours. 

I'm struggling with getting in the mood to read but my collection of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunters certainly helps me. Still need to complete my collection.

Any other Menyons out there?

L x

And That Makes Us Three

Hey guys, I'd like you to meet Maisie.

Was debating whether or not to get a girl as I still miss my last one, Tilly.

Don't really talk about her or how I had to let her go as it brings bad memories and I can't help but get sad. Maybe one day.

Back to Maisie, she's absolutely adorable! Shouts out for me whenever I have to go into another room in the house. Not drinking yet which I'm looking out for. Any suggestions?

Already such a cat mum it's ridiculous! 

L x

I'm alive!

Its been a while since I last posted, I know.

Always something to get in the way and take control of your life.

1. We got married! Still in the process of getting things changed into my new name. Keep forgetting that I have a new signature now, so of course I sign things in my old one then realise. Waiting so patiently for our pictures. Still won't get them for a couple more weeks.

2. The house is coming along. Not quite there, but it will be.

3. We're getting an addition to the family, little Maisie. Can't wait to introduce her to you all! Such a cute kitty!

4. I got a job! Only in the past few days, and still don't have a starting date, but so happy about it!

Can I just quickly say my tongue is so small! Whaaa?!

L x

My Week in Pictures #7

This week has been absolutely full on! The house and wedding is taking up more time than I thought it would. Not long now, a month to go until the wedding... Eek!

In between browsing the internet to tick off my checklist (getting there!), having my back injury flare up, and doing bits around here, I'm glad to have found some time to myself. Whether it's doing a catchup on a challenge from @ellolovey's Instagram or trying out a clay mask, or catching an hour of sun in the garden. 

This past Sunday was a weird day. I don't do so well with Fathers Day, a black day as we may call it.

Even after 10 years it's not easy having that day to celebrate fathers when mine is no longer here. 

The service at church was a hard one but couldn't be missed... We had our last wedding banns read! 

Back to the service. They had a board up at the front for everyone to put notes on to say what makes them so special. I kept my post it note in front of me and had a little chat with him in my head (it's always helped me at times), and I remembered my dream of him. 

Came across a lovely poem on Pinterest and it spoke to my heart!

See what I mean?

Later on, when everyone else was busy doing their own thing, D (Phil's Dad) & I started making strawberry jam. He didn't just let me stand by and watch, but got me to stir and I felt like a little kid helping their Dad. Was a special moment. I stole a few strawberries, I say a few... Ha! 

I can't tell you how much I wanted to hug him, give a kiss on the cheek and just thank him.

Definitely feel blessed to be able to have him as my father-in-law. 

I love you Dads <3

L x

Currently Loving #3

Happy - Pharrell Williams

To do list pads.

These are just examples. (Top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)
I do a To-Do list every single day so that it gives me a mental kick up the bum. There's so many out there! I did purchase an Emma Bridgewater weekly list from Ryman. Was a treat, as I certainly wouldn't usually spend £5 on a notepad!

Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii. Need I say more? I did actually get it for Phil for his birthday but I'm ashamed to say that it's mostly been me playing on it haha.

Thrifty purchases. More on this another time!

L x

New Beginnings

We bought a house!
Yep, so close to the wedding, and it has limited funds.
But we're so excited!!!

This is the home we will start our married life in, possibly start a family in, and create memories.

It's so exciting!

We own 25% of this so we still pay rent. It's still over all cheaper than the rent for the last flat.

There is an open option that we can purchase more 10% at a time. 

Wahoo!

L x

Practise #1

As I've said previously, I'm going to be making my own wedding cakes. So obviously I need to make lots of prototypes until I've got what I wanted.

I have found the perfect recipe for a sponge cake and it's a hit with friends and P's family.

Recipe for sponge cake

5oz self-raising flour

5oz butter (I use margarine and it still works)

5oz caster sugar (although if you want to make it less sugary, just take 10% away)

3 medium eggs

Cap full of almond essence (although other essences will work but I only have almond in at the moment)

Beat the sugar and butter/margarine together until it's creamy.

Beat together the eggs in a separate container. Use a mug or jug. 

Pour in a bit of the beaten eggs a bit at a time, beat the mixtures together. 

Once all the eggs have been incorporated, pour in the flour in two batches.

I tend to stir, not beat. Gently folding in the flour never works for me and I always seemed to find clumps of flour after I got the cakes out of the oven.

I then add the essence, although you could probably add this between the eggs and the flour.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool for a bit before transferring to a cooling rack.

For this, I added some cocoa powder. I didn't substitute any of the flour.

I attempted to turn the buttercream blue, not that well as you can see.

The inside of this has chopped chocolate chunks in the sponge. 

The yellow fondant, I bought pre-made from Asda. An absolute nightmare to put on the cake!

I am determined to do better next time! Not quite satisfied with these.

L x