Happenings

Hello all! Well it's been about 6 weeks since I last blogged, and lots has happened in that time, both good and bad, happy and sad (but mainly positive, I'm pleased to report) :-). Here's a potted summary of what I've been up to:

Since the last time I blogged, I have been:

• Remembering my Grandad; not only on those obvious occasions like his funeral or his birthday, which was last Tuesday, but also at random moments too. We're all generally coping really well, but I think there will always be those times where something triggers a flood of memories, and those are the times we'll be smiling through our tears, knowing that we were lucky to have had such a wonderful man in our lives for so long.

• Singing, dancing and acting up a storm with my drama buddies at our stage society. Not only are we deep into rehearsals for our forthcoming pantomime, "Jack and the Beanstalk" (I'm playing the Queen and am also a performance director), but we also put on a charity show to raise money for a local hospice and the Salvation Army in memory of one of our best loved members who sadly died of cancer earlier this year. As well as ourselves, a cheerleading troupe, 2 bands and a male vocalist also took part and the show was a massive success. We performed to packed out houses on both nights (particularly on the Saturday performance, which was sold out!) and the whole thing felt like a really fitting tribute to a wonderful lady's memory.

• Spending quality time with my friends: I've met up with my best friend from school and been introduced to her gorgeous baby daughter for the first time, I've been to the greyhound racing and for an amazing Chinese meal to celebrate two different friends' birthdays and also enjoyed meals out just because I could. As always, being around my friends has been fantastic and I'm excited that there are more events coming up. Lion King, Manchester's Christmas Markets...I can't wait!

• Working on a new project at work: I've recently accepted the offer of moving on to a new team at work, which has been ring fenced to deal with a particular project. Whilst some aspects of my role have remained exactly the same and I've stayed with my current manager, which I'm delighted about, I've now got a whole new challenge to tackle and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in. Plus being on this team = better hours, which I love. No more early mornings or late nights for me :-)

• Shopping: Both for me and other people, for Christmas, birthdays or just for now, online or at the shops... there's hardly been a week gone by lately when I haven't been shopping. Regular readers of my blog will know that it's one of my favourite pastimes, and I'm only sorry that I haven't got a better camera so that I could post pictures of what I've bought on here!

• Rekindling my love of reading (no pun intended!):  Although I bought a Kindle back in the summer, I've especially started getting back into reading in the last couple of months or so and it's really become one of the highlights of my daily commute. Plus the free and low cost books in the Kindle store mean that I've been broadening my reading horizons and trying books that I may not have considered before. Expect a full post on this soon! :-)

Anyway, that's all from me for now. How's life been treating you over the past few weeks? Anything exciting to report? Tell me all...your comments brighten my day :-)

'Til next time...

January round up

I honestly can't believe that we're approaching the end of January already, it certainly doesn't seem like a whole month ago that I awoke with a stinking headache, no phone and only a hazy recollection of the events of the night before! But somehow it has been, and here's my round up of what I've got up to in the last 31 days:

This January I have:

• Vowed not to drink too much ever again...my escapades on New Year's Eve cost me my recently upgraded mobile phone and some of my favourite eyeshadows as well as leaving me with a killer hangover, a badly grazed shoulder and severe embarrassment. Methinks I'll leave the drunkenness to other people from now on.
• Celebrated 4 family birthdays, including my own. I turned 28 on 22nd January and enjoyed a lovely weekend with some of my closest friends and family, during which I was thoroughly spoiled. I really am a very lucky girl! :-)
• Indulged in some shopping of both the sales and non-sales varieties...pictures will be up as soon as I can get hold of a decent camera!
• Enjoyed a lovely 9 day holiday from work :-) I didn't really do much, but it was very nice to get up and go to bed when I pleased, go shopping and get my hair done and generally just laze around <3
• And on the subject of work, I have actually felt more settled in my job and happier with my performance over the last few weeks. Whilst I'm nowhere near as competent and confident as I'd like to be, there have been definite signs of improvement and I'm hopeful that I'm moving in the right direction :-)
• Seen my best friend J (and her husband) for the first time since last summer. The three of us met up for coffee and a chat on Saturday, and whilst we didn't have much time together ( they were only visiting for the weekend so had a seriously packed schedule!) it was lovely to see her again and catch up with all her news. I was especially delighted to discover that she's 14 weeks pregnant (she's due in late July) and to see a scan picture...I'm seriously so happy for her and her husband S and I can't wait for the new arrival.
• Indulged in some girl time with 3 of my favourite ladies. We spent a little time shopping, saw "The Sitter" at the cinema and then rounded our afternoon off with a Nandos. It was an absolutely fantastic few hours and we were all agreed that we should make it a regular occurrence; it was the perfect Sunday treat.
• Enjoyed nights in and out with old friends; these are often some of the highlights of my week and there was no exception this month. I'm so lucky to have such a fantastic group of friends and hope that we'll always be as close as we are now.

And that was my January. How was yours? Did you do anything exciting? Tell all...I'd love to hear from you!

Till next time...

A weekly round up

And what a week it's been! With full time work, a lovely but busy day off midweek and a particularly hectic weekend all on the agenda, it's certainly been jampacked with both the good and bad (although I'm pleased to report that the good most definitely won out!). I could write a whole series of posts about what I've been up to, although for the sake of time, convenience and your boredom thresholds, I think I'll limit it to just one :-). And so, without any more waffling, here are the highlights (and low points) of the week that was:

Highs

• A bumper birthday weekend: This weekend has been full of birthday celebrations for some of my nearest and dearest, and I've had a simply fantastic time! On Friday night, I went to Pacifica Cantonese to celebrate my friend, The Performer's, 28th. I ate some of the best Chinese food I've ever tasted (the ribs were to die for), caught up with good friends and enjoyed cocktails and karaoke in the restaurant's upstairs bar. I was having such a good time that I certainly didn't want to go home and have an early night in preparation for work the next day ;-) (more on that later)! Then last night, I headed over to Felicini's, for another friend's surprise 30th. It was another night filled with fun, laughter, singing, dancing, food and alcohol, and it was made all the sweeter by the knowledge that I could have a lie in this morning! :-) Finally, this morning, my family and I visited my Grandad to celebrate his 92nd birthday with him. He's such a caring and generous person and a true gentleman, and I'm so glad that I still have a grandparent around to share their special day with. We ate cake, took photos and had a lovely time all round...pretty much a perfect Sunday morning.

• A new Christmas favourite: Yes, I know it's not Christmas yet but today my 2 sisters and I watched Arthur Christmas at the cinema. After hearing good things about the film prior to watching it, it would have been very easy to be disappointed with the reality of it, but it more than lived up to my expectations. It was both funny and moving in turn (I'm not ashamed to say that I welled up on more than one occasion, all I can say is thank goodness for my 3D glasses), and it's definitely an addition to my list of must watch festive films.

• Primark goodies: Regular readers of my blog will know of my love for Primark, and there's nothing I like better than going on a shopping spree there. And it felt even better as I was able to pay for all my purchases using money given to me by my Grandad (I told you he was generous!) I picked up some fantastic pieces, and I can't wait to share them all with you in a "What's in my Wardrobe Wednesday" post :-)

• Catching up with friends: Due to my work schedule of the last few weeks,I've had very little time to socialise so it's been great to really reconnect with good friends over the past few days. I know a few weeks doesn't sound like very long, but when I've previously been used to seeing some of these people two or three times a week, it really feels like it!

• Exciting events ahead: Last night I received an invitation to the wedding reception of two of my friends (the Comedian and the Enigma). They're planning an Easter wedding in Florida, but are throwing a big party for all their friends and family at the start of June. Even though it's months away,I'm already excited as I think about the good times that lie ahead.

Lows

• Work worries: By nature, I'm a bit of a worrier and I seem to worry about work more than most.I worry that I'm not good enough at my job, and in areas where I know there is room for improvement,I worry that I'm never going to get better. It doesn't matter that there are areas of my work that I've been praised for, or the fact that I've only been out of training for 4 weeks and am still learning the ropes, I just seem to dwell on the negative. Here's hoping that I can have a more positive attitude next week!

• Rude customers: I appreciate that not every customer I deal with during a shift is going to be happy and upbeat, and I can understand people being upset or angry if they are not happy with a situation they've found themselves in. That's only natural. But what I can't abide is customers who are rude or shout at me from the word go. It is not my fault they're experiencing the issues they are, so to talk down to me and blame me for their problems is not on. At the end of the day, I'm doing my utmost to help them, so to have that kind of attitude makes me seethe.

• Hangovers and bumpy rides: So Friday night, I went out and maybe drank a little more and got home a little later than I should have done. And on Saturday morning, I might have just gone back to sleep after my alarm had gone off and had to rush to catch my bus. And there is just the teensiest possibility that I felt a little queasy and the bus jolting up and down didn't really help. But all of that's just speculation of course...! ;-)

• Darker mornings and nights: I really wish it wasn't still dark when I got up in the mornings and dark when I leave at night, even if I'm only working 'til 5. That is all.

And there you have it...another week summarised! 'Til next time...

Has it really been a month...

since my last post?? Well, apparently so...although I can't quite believe it. But then again, when I think about what a whirlwind it's been, maybe I can!

So what's been making me so busy? Well, if you'd noticed my last post you might have a bit of an inkling...remember those two job opportunities that I mentioned? Well, I got them both! During the space of 24 hours, I went from having no job to having two. And I've been working my ass off ever since (well most of the time anyway!!) I'm now employed as a teacher every weekday morning, when I work with groups of 7-11 year olds who are struggling with maths and literacy. And then I also work as a sales assistant 2 evenings a week. So it's been a big change for me, but one which I'm loving so far, even if I am finding it hard to adjust to the fact that my evenings and weekends aren't always my own anymore! I could go on and on about my new teaching opportunity, and suffice to say, I'll probably dedicate a whole post to that pretty soon...but as for now, I think it's time to move on.

Even though work has been a major part of my life over the past month, I have found some time for myself and I can safely say that I've valued every minute of it! Here's some of the things I've got up to:

• Christmas Shopping: I can't believe how quickly Christmas is coming up...it'll be here in less than 5 weeks!! And as of just a week ago I was almost completely unprepared, having bought very few presents...but now, thanks to a lot of online shopping and a couple of afternoon shopping trips, I feel much happier about things. I'm not totally sorted by any means but I'm getting there!
• Sharing in Birthday celebrations with family and friends: October and November are busy months for me in terms of birthdays, and I've really enjoyed catching up with family and friends and celebrating together. I've indulged in a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet for my friend N's birthday and a delicious pub lunch for my Grandad's 91st! I enjoyed an evening of comedy and cocktails (only one...it was a school night!) for my friend E's 27th and made a mad dash across town after work to celebrate my friend D's special day. All were special in very different ways, and I can't wait for the next big event :-)
• Buying tickets: Whilst spending almost 5 hours trying to book concert tickets isn't much fun, I'm so glad that I (and my sisters) did. Because, as a result of our perseverance, stubbornness and downright craziness (on my part at least!), two of my best girl friends and I will be going to see Take That in June next year!! Although I wasn't particularly a fan of them the first time around, since they've got back together I've developed a new found love for them and that coupled with the fact they've got a reputation for putting on incredible live show made me determined to get tickets no matter what!
• Just chilling: Whether it's with a mini bottle of wine and Saturday night TV, or checking Facebook and my favourite blogs in a break from work, I've been loving those precious moments of doing nothing much.

And with that, I'm signing off. Bedtime isn't far away as I've got a 6:45 am alarm call in the morning, and I'm determined that tonight isn't going to be a late one.

Till next time...

Highs and Lows of the Week

I've not done one of these for a while, so with that in mind, and also because it's the end of the week, I thought I'd share my highs and lows of the past 7 days. So, without further ado, here they are:

Highs

• Time spent with friends: Most of my evenings this week have been spent in the company of some of my favourite people aka my friends! Whether we've been at the cinema, at a party or just relaxing by watching DVDs and having a chat, I've had a fantastic time and I know their company is something that I really value; basically I'd be lost without them!
• Good films: Over the past week, I've watched some amazing films. There's been Toy Story 3 at the cinema (I cried...proof that I have a soul!!), Stand by Me on the big screen at Spinningfields and Spaceballs and The Goonies on DVD at my friend's house. All very different...but all great. I have a feeling that I'll be adding some more DVDs to my collection once my buying ban is up at the end of the month!!
• The fantastic weather this weekend: If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you'll know that I've recently been bemoaning the terrible weather we've been having over the last few weeks. Well, the weather fairies must have been listening to me because the last two days have been glorious. Sunny, but not too hot...the perfect weather for sitting outside and reading my book or for going for a leisurely walk. Hopefully it'll last into next week too!!
• A fantastic driving lesson: My last driving lesson was one of those blessed ones where everything just came together. I even managed to get my bay parking right twice in a row!! Now I just need to book my test...hopefully before I have a terrible lesson and lose my confidence!!
• Stress-free shopping: On Friday, one of my closest friends and I had to go shopping to buy a present for our friend's 21st birthday. As her party was that evening, our schedule was pretty tight, and I was half expecting the trip to be fraught with tension, as we rushed from shop to shop to find the perfect gift. But no...it was one of the easiest gift shopping trips I've been on in a while. It turns out that we had similar ideas on what to get, so selecting the gifts was a breeze. And we even had time for a well deserved Starbucks before heading home!!
• The summer holidays: I'm currently half way through my summer holidays, and even though I've been moaning about the weather, I've definitely been enjoying the freedom to stay up late, without having to worry about being up early for work the next day :-)

Now I'm meant to write about my lows, but to be honest, I can't really think of any!! So I'll leave it here for today. Till next time...

Half way...

through my week's holiday, and I seriously don't know where the time's going!! I may get another week off after this, as some of the local authorities don't go back until 14th June, but I don't want to put things off, just in case I don't. Anyway here's a round up of what I've been up to so far:

• Going to rehearsal and then going for a birthday curry for one of my friends in the drama group on Friday night.
• Having a rather chilled Saturday: I visited my Grandad, made a monster batch of Rocky Road with Amy (I doubled up so there was a tray for home and a tray to take to my friends' Eurovision party!), went for a walk, had a gorgeous (if sinful) takeaway, then finally made my way over to my friends' house for Eurovision fun!! We really got into the spirit of things with our scorecards and sweepstake (I picked Moldova and got nowhere!!) and had a great laugh at some of the ridiculous entries!! The only downside was the fact that the UK came last...AGAIN :-( I've got to admit that our song wasn't great, but there were far worse songs in the competition. Darn political voting!!
• Trying to find as many distractions as possible so I could avoid doing job applications on Sunday...I know they need to be done, but I just wasn't in the mood at all!! And spending the evening watching SATC2 with one of my closest girl friends...I'm not going to give anything away just in case there are those of you who still haven't seen it, but suffice it to say I much preferred the first one. If you have seen it, what did you think??
• Making up for my laziness on Sunday by spending a good few hours on a job application on Monday, and then meeting up with friends for a chat, a drink and a curry for tea :-)
• Going on another Primark shopping spree yesterday...pictures to follow shortly!!

And now we're up to today...and nothing much has happened really!! I've been struggling with a headache for much of it and time's just seemed to fly by without me not doing very much!! Fingers crossed that the rest of the week will go by a little more slowly...I've got so much still to do!! Hope you're all having a good week whatever you're up to, and till next time...

PS: I've been thinking of doing some baking posts, but I don't know if you guys would be interested in them. I don't want to be a copycat or unoriginal and I know there are loads of baking blogs out there but as I'm baking on a more regular basis it seems weird not to be posting about it! Let me know what you think!!

Highs and Lows

I've been meaning to post this all day but, despite not working today, have only just got round to it now! So very quickly, as I'm wanting to go to bed shortly, here are my "Highs" and "Lows" of last week:

Highs

• Fantastic weather: The UK got its first taste of summer last week, with glorious sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 20s (Celsius obviously!!) and it was heavenly!! If only we could have that for 3 months every summer, it would be perfect!!
• Summer clothes: The gorgeous weather meant that I was also able to break out my summer clothing for the first time since last year...summer skirts, brightly coloured dresses, denim shorts and sandals, I didn't realise how much I'd missed you!!
• Free shopping: As you'll probably all know, I love shopping, and I love it even more when my purchases don't actually cost me anything!! A couple of months ago, I got a new mobile phone, and as a free gift I received some HMV vouchers, which I finally spent last week. I bought 4 DVDs, and they didn't cost me a penny! Then, on the same shopping trip, I decided to treat myself to an iced coffee from Starbucks which, you guessed it, was also free courtesy of some coupons they'd sent me earlier in the week! I still have a couple of their vouchers left over, so am hoping to be getting some more free coffee sometime soon!
• Another interview (and some useful feedback): I know I've already blogged about part of this point, but last week I received a letter inviting me to a job interview in a couple of weeks. Yay!! I also had an interview itself last week, and whilst I didn't get the job (boo!!), I did receive some genuinely useful feedback and advice from the school's headteacher, which I can hopefully put to good use next time around!
• Good news from the dentist: I had my first dentist's appointment in over a year last Friday, and was a bit worried about the state of my gums, as on my last visit there had been some concern that I was showing the early signs of gum disease, and I'd hardly been diligent in following the treatment programme my dentist had recommended. Luckily, this time around my gums were fine, even if another problem was discovered (more about that later!)

Lows

• An annoying sore throat: It first reared its ugly head last Wednesday, and then stuck around for Thursday too. It seemed to have disappeared by Friday, but made its presence felt again as soon as I started to sing at rehearsal on Friday night :-( Then the weekend passed with no incident, but guess what happened at Monday's rehearsal...?! Just go away and stay away please!
• The downsides of the heat: Namely, stubbing and cutting my little toe whilst wearing my gladiator sandals on Saturday, having to shave my legs practically every day to get away with the bare legged look and getting an annoying bite/heat lump on my right ankle!
• Not getting the job: It sucked. I had a mini 5 minute meltdown. Nothing else to say about that one really.
• Bad news from the dentist: I need a filling. And my teeth cleaning professionally. And neither of those things come cheap (in my opinion, anyway!)

And that's about all of them! I suppose I could have added in the "low" of someone wearing the same dress as me when I was out on Saturday, but I suppose it was qute funny looking back, and my friends all told me I looked better than she did anyway :-) Thanks guys!!

Till next time...

What's-in-my-Wardrobe Wednesday: Another Primark trip!

Now this is a post that I've been meaning to write for ages, but never really got round to. During my half term break which was about a month ago now, my mum, sisters and I took a trip to Primark, and here are some pretty pictures of what I picked up:

Charcoal/grey burnout floral tunic

I think this top is gorgeous and a great way to introduce florals into my winter wardrobe, although I got a bit of a shock when I tried it on at home because it's absolutely massive! As it's so big, I wear it cinched in with a thick black patent waist belt to give me a little bit more shape!
Whilst the weather's been cold, I've been layering it with a black long sleeved top underneath, but am hoping that I'll also be able to wear it without when it warms up a little!

Black ankle length leggings/Blue denim effect leggings

Just a couple of pairs of leggings for wearing under my longer length tops. I'd been looking for a full length black pair so the black ones were ideal. I wasn't so sure about buying the denim leggings (I can't bring myself to say the word "jeggings"!), as I couldn't decide if I liked the trend or not but I'm SO glad I took the plunge! They're really comfy and easy to wear and, unlike my other leggings, they don't fall down!

Multicolour floral print button front dress

This was another piece that I was immediately taken by, and I was even more attracted when I saw the price. This little number was only £7.50, and, best of all, it looks much more expensive on! I haven't worn it yet as I'm waiting for the weather to warm up, but will probably team it with either cropped leggings and pumps in the day or black opaques and heels for night. I already have a dress that's quite similar, and am hoping that this dress will be as versatile as that one.

Indigo skinny jeans

Another basic buy. I already have a pair of skinny jeans from Primark, and I like them so much that I've been wearing them to death over the last year or so. So I thought it was high time for another lol!

Pale blue/white longline striped shirt with pintuck detail

This is possibly my favourite item of clothing from this shopping trip. It's really comfy and easy to wear...it almost feels like wearing a man's shirt because it's a bit oversized, and it reminds me of the times I used to borrow a boyfriend's shirts to sleep in! I nornally team this with either my skinny jeans or denim leggings and my tan studded ankle boots.

Here's a close up of the pintuck detail:

Longline sleeveless striped T

Apologies for the crappy picture quality...the stripes on the main body of the top are red, and those round the neck are blue on one side and black on the other. This is another top that's a bit on the generous side, so I''ll be belting it with my skinny cream belt (pics to come later) and wearing it with skinny jeans or leggings. I wore it for the first time on Saturday night for a friend's birthday, and got some really great compliments so I reckon it's definitely a keeper!

Black chenille scarf/gloves set

I bought this as I needed a new pair of black gloves. I already have tons of scarves but as the set was in the sale, I thought I might as well get two things for the price of one!

Skinny tan leather belt/Skinny cream plaited waist belt

I'm really glad I bought these as lots of the tops I've bought recently are a bit on the generous side, and they look a lot better when they're cinched in. My personal fashion concept at the mo is all about my waist!

Blue/gold scalloped edge bag

I have my mum to thank for this one, as she noticed it before I did! I absolutely adore the vintage look it has and I think it adds a really different edge to an outfit.

Silver filigree butterfly necklace

There's not really much to say about this other than I really like it! Here's a close up of the butterfly:

How fine it is...

to not have to set your alarm for work the next day and to be able to wake up just when it suits you! I think that's one of my favourite things about the weekend, and luckily for me, I'll be able to indulge in this little pleasure all next week too, as I'll be on my half term break! :-)

It's been a lovely weekend so far...my days have been quite lazy and chilled out and last night I went to see "Les Miserables" in town with some friends. The show was fab...I'd been to see it in London years before, but I couldn't remember most of it so was seeing it with fresh eyes, just like my friends who were first timers. The acting and singing was amazing...the strength of the whole company performing together was phenomenonal, and some of the songs so catchy that they're still in my head today! For me, however, the best thing was the set design...I can't sum up how fantastic it was, my advice would just be to see it for yourself! After the show, we grabbed a few drinks and spent a couple of hours laughing, talking and generally putting the world to rights before heading home rather later than expected!

As for next week, I've already got some things pencilled in, and I'm sure I'll be making room for some more too! So far, this is what I'm planning:

• A driving lesson tomorrow...it'll be really nice driving when the roads are quiet as opposed to at rush hour as I often end up doing when I've been working

• A trip to Primark with my mum and sisters on Tuesday...the four of us haven't had a shopping expedition for quite a while and I'm looking forward to seeing what goodies Primark's got in this time around!

• Having my hair done on Wednesday...I'm having a trim and my highlights redone. Sometimes I think I'd like a complete restyle but I'm a bit scared of having something else done in case I really hate it!

• Taking a tourist trip into Manchester with Amy on Thursday...it was Amy's idea to go into Manchester and have a walk round looking at all the fantastic architecture. Despite the fact I've lived within a few miles of Manchester all my life and visit on a regular basis, I've never really taken the time to properly appreciate some of the beautiful sights it has. Expect a picture heavy post later in the week!

As for Friday and next weekend, I've no plans as yet but I'm sure I'll end up doing something with myself! Other things I want to fit in the week include general chilling (reading, watching dvds etc) and baking and there is also the small matter of my lesson observation to prepare for, as it's scheduled for the first day back after the break! And another job application to do...which I'm 50/50 about at the mo. I know it might sound really lazy, but the thought of doing any less than necessary work on my holiday makes me shudder lol!

Anyway, that's all from me for now. Hope you're all having fantastic weekends, and I'll be posting again soon...now I'm off work, I have no excuse not to lol!

Tagged: 10 Things

A few days ago, Brittany over at Sweet, Sassy and oh so Classy shared a list of 10 things that made her happy, and tagged all her followers to do the same. So without further ado, here's my list:

1. Spending time with my fantastic family and friends
2. Shopping!!
3. Not having to get up early at the weekend
4. Having a nice class to cover when I'm working
5. The "buzz" I get when an idea or piece of knowledge really clicks with a student
6. My friends N and M's baby H...he's 10 months old and getting cuter every day! :-)
7. Starbucks' flavoured lattes and skinny muffins/cakes
8. Drinking and dancing with my girls on a night out
9. My friends' L and G's wedding a week today... can't wait!
10. 3 weeks of work left till Christmas...that means only 15 working days! (well 14, because I've got the day after the wedding off :-) )

So, how about you? What makes you happy?? Looking forward to reading your lists!

And another week goes by...

almost without a peep out of me! I honestly don't know where the time's gone...I did have a bit of a manic week but I was still aiming to post a couple of times! But never mind, at least I can summarise my week into one post: my highs and lows! And here they are for last week:

Highs

• Birthday fun with family and friends: Not my birthday, but over the last week I've spent quite a bit of time celebrating birthdays and had a great time doing it! Well there was just one exception...but I'll come to that later! Anyway, my friends E and D both had their birthdays last week so I spent 2 very chilled evenings in 2 different pubs sharing in their celebrations and catching up with my friends. Then on Saturday, me and my family went for a meal with my Grandad and Uncle, to celebrate my Grandad's 90th which was on Friday. The company and food were fantastic and it was really good to see my Grandad enjoying himself and looking so well...nobody can believe how old he actually is! Plus the pub/restaurant we went to organised for us to have a free bottle of sparkling wine to help mark the occasion which was very much appreciated (by me anyway!)

• Reductions at the till: Yet more shopping this week...although there was an actual purpose behind some of it (you'll find out the reason later!). I picked up a gorgeous sequinned top/dress which I love, not least because it had a 25% reduction on it. Then I went to Next at the weekend as I wanted to buy a suit(there's a big hint there!) and I had a giftcard that I needed to spend. I decided on purchases that I thought added up to the value of the card, but when I got to the till I discovered that the trousers were less than half price! So instead of spending up, I still had 12 pounds of free money left! Bargain!!

And last but definitely not least...

• Interview: Yes, you read right...I've got a job interview! It's my first interview since my last long term post finished last December and I still can't quite believe it! I was in absolute shock when I opened the envelope and read the letter, as I when I'd seen the school's address stamp on the back, I was convinced it was another rejection! But no...they are pleased to invite me for interview on Thursday, and I'm really excited (although trying not to get my hopes up too high!). The vacancy is in a Year 4 class, which is one of my favourite age groups (ages 8-9), the school has a very good reputation and it's situated in a nice area, only about 5 minutes drive or 20 minutes walk away from my house. Can you tell I want this job lol?!

Lows

• Birthday not-so fun with friends: Remember how I said that there was one exception to the great birthday celebrations my friends had...well here it is. The night didn't get off to a particularly good start... E and D had invited loads of people to town but only 5 of us ended up going out (including E and D themselves!)! Then when we got out, things seemed to be looking up...but that didn't last long! We went to a bar first, then to a club shortly after that and that was when the problems really started! Whilst E and I were having a great time...the boys (D, S and NE) didn't seem to be. D was practically falling asleep, NE was hungry and telling everyone this at every available point and S just looked miserable as sin! Needless to say, we gave up relatively early for town (about 12:30) and that was when it really kicked off. E was upset with the boys, especially S and wanted to be away from him. I was also annoyed as I hadn't wanted the night to come to an end, and so E and I decided to have a short walk to cool down. But S kept following us which made E furious! She wouldn't talk to him, so I tried telling S to leave us alone and we ended up having a big row in the street which I'm sure highly amused everyone else around us! Eventually we got into a taxi and endured a very uncomfortable ride home. Me and the boys are fine now, but E is still angry with S, and knowing their rows and how stubborn E is, this will run and run! Things really just got out of proportion and I'm trying to see the funny side, but I sense that there might not be many nights out for a while!

• Noisy classes: They get really frustrating and I nearly lost my voice one day last week! Enough said!

So there's my highs and lows! Hope you all had fantastic weeks last week and have great ones to come!

Highs and Lows of the Week

Can't believe it's Monday already...the weekend went far too quickly! But it is, which means only one thing...that it's time to share my highs and lows of last week!

Highs

• Having a 3 day week: Now I could have been negative and seen my return to work after half term as a bad thing, but I'm not going to. One of the reasons is that I only actually worked on 3 days last week. I had Monday off as the schools didn't go back till Tuesday, and although I was available for work on Friday, I just didn't get a call which meant no work and an early start to my weekend! The second reason that I quite liked work last week was that three of the four classes I worked with were absolutely lovely, and at the end of the day I left the classroom feeling good about myself which is sometimes a rarity!

• New clothes: I picked up a couple of new tops from Asda last week that I'm planning on wearing for a couple of big nights out that I've got coming up...the joint birthday bash for my friends E and D on Saturday and my friend L's hen do on the Saturday after that. No pictures yet...I'll either do them in my next wardrobe Wednesday or when I've actually worn the tops.

• Christmas Starbucks: I was so excited when I went in Starbucks on Friday and saw that the red cups were back and the Christmas food and drink ranges were in store. I just had to have a Gingerbread latte and a Cranberry and Orange muffin (both skinny...so zero guilt on my part!). And they were so good that I was forced to go back yesterday and have another latte and a Christmas Pudding cupcake. I'm already wracking my brains to think of the next time I can go back for another treat!

Lows

• Rain: As I sit and type this it's a lovely sunny day, and I can already see the beginnings of a gorgeous sunset. It's so much better than the almost endless rain we had last week which was horrible. I got soaked on the way to work and then, after getting dried out, proceeded to get drenched again on the way home. Although I used an umbrella, my coat got wet, my trousers got wet and water somehow leaked into my shoes and I ended up with wet feet. Nightmare!! I'm seriously considering buying a pair of wellies so it doesn't happen again!

• My dodgy immune system: I came down with a cold on Saturday night, which meant I was sniffling then and all day yesterday, and am rather blocked up today. I know I'm lucky that it was over quite quickly and I haven't been that ill, but I hate that annoying feeling where you're not completely well, but not really ill either. It's also my third cold since August, so I think I've already had more than my fair share!

• The X Factor: I normally love this show but I'm getting really sick of it now due to the fact that the terrible twins are getting through week after week. They can't sing, can't dance and are really annoying and I think it's really unfair that better singers are going out at their expense. And I can't believe that Simon Cowell didn't take the opportunity to get rid of them when they were in the bottom 2 last night! He's been moaning for weeks about how bad they are but failed to do anything about the situation when he had the chance! It does make me seriously consider the rumours that the show has been fixed in favour of them, and if they do get much further, I think I'm going to give up and watch Strictly Come Dancing instead!

So there's my highs and lows. How was last week for you?

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday - Primark and Asda shopping trips

I've been off work this week as it's the school holidays, and have spent quite a lot of time relaxing and generally being a bit lazy! However, I still managed to find time for a bit of shopping on Monday. I went to Primark, which is just about my all time favourite shop, and whilst there wasn't loads that really grabbed me, I still picked up a few bits:

Red long sleeved top
This is just a really good basic buy, that I think will go equally well with a pair of smart trousers for work or jeans at weekend. Plus I love the fact that it's got tiny buttons down both sleeves...you can't see them on the picture but they make an otherwise ordinary top seem much more interesting.

Navy/red checked shirt

I absolutely love checked shirts at the moment, and thought the colours in this were gorgeous! When it gets colder, I might wear it layered up with the red top I bought.

Tan studded ankle boots

I love these boots, and have practically worn them non stop since Monday evening. They're wide fit too, which means it makes it much easier for me to tuck my skinny jeans into them! This is generally how I've worn them since I bought them, though they look just as good with jeans worn over the top. Just about the only bad thing is the fact they haven't got much grip on the soles which means that I've nearly gone flying on a pile of leaves a couple of times!

Black bead bracelet with silver flower detail

At the moment, I'm really into bracelets and bangles so took the opportunity to pick up a couple whilst I was shopping. I just found the flower really eyecatching, and think that this could really dress an outfit up.

Gold and ivory charm bracelet

This was another piece that really caught my eye...I just loved the detail on it and thought it looked much more expensive than it actually was (I think it was only about 2.50 or 3.00!). I think it's really pretty and have already been complimented on it, which always makes a girl feel good! The only thing is that the charms do make quite a lot of noise, so I'd be no good wearing it if I was trying to sneak up on someone lol!

A couple of hours after returning from Primark, my mum, sisters and I went to Asda where I picked up this cardigan:

It's something I'll probably wear layered up with a long sleeved top underneath, either for work or at weekends, depending on what bottoms I choose. When I bought it I had a choice of either black, stone or green. I went for this one because I thought it was an unusual shade, and didn't have anything else quite the same colour.

Anyway, that was my shopping! Hope you enjoyed and I'll be back with another wardrobe post soon (maybe it'll even be on a Wednesday next time)!

What's-in-my-wardrobe-Wednesday (well nearly!) - If you want to get ahead, get a hat!

Yes, I know it isn't Wednesday, but I honestly didn't have time to write this post yesterday, so here it is, better late than never! As you can probably guess from the title, today I'm going to be sharing pictures of some of my hats. Although I don't wear them as much as some of my other accessories, lots of my hats are among my favourite pieces in my wardrobe and I love the spin they can give to an otherwise ordinary outfit. So, without any further introduction, here's six of the best of them (I was going to do 5, but I found it too hard to choose!):

Straw cowboy hat
I bought this in Majorca a couple of summers ago, and it's great for keeping the sun off on those hot summer days (not that we've seen many of those here lately!)

Cream knitted baker boy hat

This was another Primark buy and I love wearing it in winter with my matching scarf. The only thing is it doesn't cover my ears properly, so I'm always pulling it down as far as I can!

Pale pink knitted beanie
This is really pink, although it looks more cream in the photo! I bought it from Asda to go with my pink scarves and gloves, and I really like the way it looks on. It also has a button detail on one side, which can't be seen on the picture, but I think it makes it look extra cute!

Red beret

I was first attracted by the colour of this hat; it's a really vibrant scarlet red and I liked it even more when I found out it was only 50p in the sale! I also like the fact that you can wear it pulled over to either side or to the back, as it gives the hat a slightly different look each time.

Black sequin beret

I love sequins and I love hats, so when I saw this it was a must have buy! Plus it was a bargain, only costing a few pounds from a cheap clothes shop and I love the way it can easily dress up a simple pair of jeans. As with my other beret, I also like the fact I can wear it at different angles and am sure I'll be wearing it a lot over the next few months, especially as it will fit in with the current sequin trend.

Black and white trilby

Out of all my hats this is probably my favourite. It was half price in the Asda sale, and like my sequinned beret, I really love the way it can dress a casual outfit up as well as make a smart one look more interesting. And it also helped me get a date with a really hot guy once...but that's another story!!

So that's my hats!! Hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for another installment of What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday soon!

What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday: Spotlight on Next

Like many other bloggers around at the minute, I've been inspired to write a themed series of posts, and as I love all things style shopping related...welcome to What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday! I'm not sure if this is going to be a regular series of posts yet, but in it I'm aiming to include posts on any new items I buy, as well as items on old favourites that I absolutely love and maybe even some of my top fives in various categories.

So to kick off, I'm focusing on some of my recent purchases from Next/Next Clearance as this gives me the chance to blog about my latest clothes/shoes purchases which I mentioned here, as well as sharing a couple of pictures of possibly my favourite pair of shoes at the mo.

Without further ado...here's the clothes first:

Cream bow neck top...despite the slightly dodgy picture, this is really lovely on! I've already worn it once for work, and then to the pub in the evening and think it's a really versatile piece that can be worn for lots of different occasions.

Cream top with black waterfall (?) front detail... I was initially attracted to this top because of its interesting front detailing and also its slightly unusual shape. The picture, unfortunately, isn't the best, but again the top is really flattering to wear. I can see myself wearing this for an evening out, maybe with my indigo skinnies and the shoes I'm going to show you in a bit. The final reason I love this top is because of the back...

It has an exposed zip, which I think is quite cool and is also apparently really 'in' at the mo.

Remember this post about my grey high tops? Well, I think I might have found a new love...while these pumps will never replace them, they're the best distraction I've found in a long search:

And finally comes a pair of shoes that I absolutely adore! They're about the comfiest high heels I've ever owned, they're shiny (and dare I say, a little bit sexy!) and they have a ribbon tie and a spotty inside. In short, they're just about perfect for me! What do you think of these babies??:

Not the best pic, but you can see the spotty insides and the ribbons!

And finally a side view, showing one of them in all her glory (yes, my shoes are female, deal with it!)

So, all that's left to say is thanks for reading my first What's-in-my-wardrobe Wednesday (that's assuming that anyone other than me has done!)...hope you enjoyed it! :-)

A mixture of things!

First of all, an explanation... I've been pretty good at blogging every day, and yesterday shouldn't have been any exception. I settled down last night and wrote a post about what I'd done that day, the things about it that had made me happy (and one that made me not so happy :-( ) and my plans for the rest of the week. So far, so good...then I went to publish it. It was only then I discovered I'd lost my internet connection, and try as I might, I couldn't get it back :-( In the end, the only thing for it was to restart my computer. This did work, but it also meant that my post was gone :-( By this point, it was 11.00 PM, and I couldn't be bothered writing it again!

So instead, here we are on Tuesday. Today I went shopping in town (Manchester) with one of my sisters and this is what I bought:

Red cardi (I know it looks pink here, but it's much redder in real life!)

Beige belted cardi

Longline checked shirt (with free belt lol!)

Indigo skinny jeans

Black T-bar Mary Janes

Pearl and diamante bracelet set

All of these are from Primark, which is possibly my favourite shop! :-) I also got two bras from there too, which I'm not intending to post pictures of lol!

In other news, things that made me happy today included going shopping and the fact that everything looked good on, the Krispy Kreme doughnut I bought while I was out (caramel dreamcake...yum!) and still being off work! :-)