Currently reading...

Well I've decided to give up on Tess of the D'urbervilles (for now) as I felt like I was at a dead end with it and had got bored half way through so I think I'll come back to it when I'm feeling up to the challenge. However, I am currently half way through this little number by Joanne Greenberg - I'll post a review of it when I'm finished. Also, check out my cheeky little bookmark peeking up at me! If that's not incentive enough to get you to pick up a book, I don't know what is!

One Year On!

Today is the one year anniversary of my near-death-horse-related-accident. I'm spending it by remaining inside ALL DAY so as to avoid further accidents and almost certain death. I was lucky to have escaped almost completely unscathed - even though walking / sleeping / moving in general was a nightmare for 2 weeks. As you probably know, the air ambulance rescue part was actually filmed by the BBC for their TV programme 'Helicopter Heroes' but I've decided not to have my accident aired because I think it would be too traumatising to watch. (I don't remember much of the medical bit but my friend who was with me said it was pretty harrowing to watch.) Anyway, here's an amusing picture of me out of my head on morphine talking rubbish to myself.


Have a safe bank holiday everyone, and don't get on any horses!

I've been baking again!

Today I made Rose French Macarons with Raspberry and White Chocolate Ganache filling. They are so yum! They're a little bit too brown on top but still taste delicious.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

This lovely poem, which is of course by the wonderful John Keats is, as my friend and teacher Suzi would say 'an oldie but a goodie.' I hope you enjoy it if you haven't heard it before, but it is one of his more famous ones so I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard it!


Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing. 

Happy Feet!

I am so in love with my new shoes! I got them in the Office sale, reduced from £40 to just £8! Plus they're leather and super duper comfy. I'm completely in love with them. Plus, they match my toenails. And look! Tattoo is almost fully healed and peeking out. My feet are very happy today :)

The Skinner-Preece Wedding

Here are a few pictures from the Skinner-Preece wedding shebang. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thought everyone looked lovely. The cake was good too ;)

I've been naughty!

Hello, hello, hello! First off, apologies for the 10 day gap between posts. I've been SUPER busy. I've baked some nice treats, bought some nice new clothes and had LOTS of fun, but most importantly, I've had two interviews for a very important job which I'm just praying I get. I should find out Tuesday or Wednesday so positive thoughts everyone! If I don't get it, it won't be the end of the world but it will be a bit rubbish because I'll be back at square one in a sense. 


ANYWAY.


I've also had a weekend in Stoke visiting various Stokey friends which was MARVELLOUS, followed by having dinner cooked for me four times, followed by a wedding party last night which was really nice and I had such a good time dancing my (new) shoes off! (Pictures to follow!)


xo!

Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly (Official Music Video)

Check out Taylor Swift's new music video for 'Sparks Fly.' Not only is it my favourite of all of her songs, I think it's my favourite video to date and brings back so many memories from when I went to see her in March.

It's Thursday!

And today I am FINALLY getting around to seeing Captain America at the cinema! I'm so excited as most of it was filmed in Manchester and I walked past the set a couple of times so it will be interesting to see which parts I recognise. I absolutely adore Marvel films so it'll be fun to see how they've adapted the Captain America comic book story to fit the big screen. Then tonight I'm having my tea cooked for me by a certain someone which will no doubt be lovely. I may even wear my new leggings and t-shirt to celebrate. Three cheers for Thursday!

Your Daily Bake

Well today I made date, walnut and honey loaf and it is DE-LICIOUS (even if I do say so myself!) I don't think it's at all bad for a first attempt. I can't bake anything for the rest of the week because I'm trying to be super healthy (and yes - I'm still maintaining my early morning exercise regime - very proud of myself!) 

A Dream Within A Dream

Hello loves.
I've been having some really vivid dreams lately (I keep meaning to write snippets down but always fall back asleep before I get a chance. I need to get my butt into gear and keep a pad of paper next to my bed.) I think dreams are so interesting because they are one of few things than cannot be scientifically proven 100%. I like things that are unexplainable and almost like 'magic.' The subconscious fascinates me and I've very often found that (excuse the cliché) dreams very often do some true. So in keeping with today's post, here is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, which I love.

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Girl Crush Alert!

I have a new girl crush... meet Claire Sinclair. Playmate of the year 2011, Vegas showgirl and Spokes-girl for Betsey Johnson. I've also seen her appear on 'Holly's World' and she's just a really genuine, nice girl. I am in love with her a bit.

The Secret Garden

After being quite poorly this week and not really being able to get out of the house much, I've been watching some of my favourite childhood films to cheer myself up. Tonight's film of choice is The Secret Garden. I studied the book in my children's literature class at University and have watched the film countless times. Usually I prefer book versions to films but I think that the novel becomes a bit too focused on Colin rather than Mary's story and the magic of the garden. That said, it's still a beautiful story (albeit slightly scary if you're yougn) and it's still one of my favourite films. 

may my heart always be open to little

a lovely poem by e.e. cummings to brighten up this rainy Thursday.

may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old
   
may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it's sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young
   
and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there's never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile

Cowgirl Cookies

So today I decided to give one of Bakergirl's recipes a go for 'Cowgirl Cookies.' I'm not used to making American style recipes so I found it quite difficult following the method using 'cups' rather than grams. I think if I made them again I'd try and experiment with putting a little bit of milk in and a few less oats because I found the dough didn't really bind like it should, despite using egg. However that said, they are DELICIOUS. I could only manage to eat one small one though and my teeth are a bit sore from all the sugar. Bakergirl's recipe says it makes about 30 cookies but mine just made 12 gigantic ones! I had to make them big because like I said, the mixture wouldn't bind so I couldn't roll it - I just had to sculpt them using my hands. You can find the recipe for them HERE. 

Bye Bye David!

So this week is the week I say goodbye to my lovely friend David, who is going travelling around the world for 12 whole months with his girlfriend, Laura. He's started a travel blog so if you like mildly amusing people then I suggest you subscribe and give it a read! The link is http://www.travelpod.com/members/dave.lau.travel


Farewell David, and good luck!

Home, Glorious Home.

Well followers, after an incredibly stressful Saturday and a slightly stressful (but mostly blissful) Sunday, I am 75% unpacked and in my glorious little newly renovated bedroom. I've made it my own personal little space and had a darn good clear out and I'm really happy to just sit here by myself and look for writing work / read, so moving home hasn't been as tense as previously expected. (Famous last words...)


My tattoo (pictures to follow post-healing period) has been itching like crazy, especially in this humid atmosphere but I've resisted touching it because it's not worth risking ruining it just for the sake of some irritability. 


I've spent the last couple of days unpacking and sorting out all my belongings but over the next few days I'm going to get printing CV's and start sending them out to publishers in Bristol / Bath. I've applied for a few writing positions and done some research into suitable publishers I feel I could gel with so let's keep everything crossed!


I've also been keeping super disciplined with my early morning jogging / power walking. Up at 6.45am each morning and done 50 minutes of exercise followed by a home made smoothie / power juice, I'm starting to feel a bit more like my regular old self. Just about another stone to shed and I'll be the old me again :)


Looking forward to lots of nice things this week - jogging tomorrow and thursday mornings then going out for drinks with Liddy on Friday night then going to Henry's house for tea, films, games and gin on Sunday night. Lots of nice things in the pipeline...hopefully a new job will be one of them!


Anyway, that's all my news.
F xo