A Mile A Day.

So, I've been thinking; while I walk to and from work every day and I have a pretty active job, when I'm away from work I am sedentary.  And by that, I mean I can sit playing Skyrim for hours on end, or lounge in front of the T.V., or internet.  I figured, because my work day is so hectic, I should take some activity-free days to unwind and relax.

Which is where things tend to go wrong.

When it's time to go back to work, my periods of stillness means my bones ache when I've finished a shift.  Sure, I adapt to the rigours of work pretty quickly, but it's a struggle for at least a day, if not two (particularly if I'm working a 12-hour shift) and I'm tired of being not only achy from work but aching from stillness, too.

While I love kicking back and taking it easy, whiling away a few hours playing video games or watching T.V. or sitting reading, I need to remain active to fight off those back-to-work pains.  So [drum roll] for the month of February (and maybe even after that, who knows!) I am going to walk, cycle or, dare I say it, maybe even run a mile a day.  And that means -every day-.  No matter if I feel like laying in bed all day, or if I've just completed two 12-hour shifts back-to-back, I am going to get that mile done.

This isn't so much about improving my fitness or losing weight but staying active, keeping my body moving and improving my well-being.  I'm kind of excited to start.

Tomorrow.  Today is for Skyrim ^_^

Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Four Things.

I saw this post on 'A Beautiful Mess' way back in September and thought "Hey, that looks fun!  I should do that!" and never did.  Then a whole month rolls by, I realise I'm one month closer to the end of 2012 (where did this year go, exactly?  Blinked and missed it.) and I decide I'm going to do it.  Four things, four simple goals to achieve before the year is out.  Here they are.

:: Finish a project (and start it, too!) ::

My crochet blanket...-hangs head in shame- I regret making all those tiny granny squares and am now wishing I'd decided to just make one *huge* blanket.  So it's been put on the back-burner a little until I can pluck up the courage to continue it.  In the meantime, I'd really like to knit a linen-stitch scarf (it's such a pretty stitch, take a look here!)

:: Create a design I'm proud of ::

If I want to be successful in running and owning my own creative business, I have to get busy.  Lately, it's been so easy to put off all the awesome things I'd like to do but that involve a lot of effort and I kinda need to push myself a little bit to get these things done.  It's funny, since it's not like doing the laundry or cleaning the bathroom; these things are things I'm really keen to work on, but I still make excuses not to do them.  I think I build it up a little much, think of -all- the things I'd need to do rather than breaking it down into smaller, more manageable things and I get overwhelmed.  This is a good start.

:: Spend time with my friends ::

I don't see my friends all that often.  I don't really have many friends and I sincerely value the ones I do because of it.  But again, despite it being something I want to do (who doesn't love spending time with awesome people?!) I've been neglecting the people I care about and I'm concerned that those relationships will suffer.  It's important I make time to see them, to reach out with an e-mail or a phone call, to meet for a coffee or a spot of lunch.

:: Don't stress over work! ::

This one, I think, will be tough.  My manager is still off sick but is coming for a meeting next Wednesday to discuss a 'phased return to work'.  We're all skeptical but hopeful, too.  The staff who left have yet to be replaced and it's doubtful they will be.  We're running very tight at the moment and I'm doing more than I should be.  It stresses me out more than it should at the moment because we're short staffed, because I'm working 12-hour days, because I've got a lot of unwanted responsibility.  But from now on, work is staying -at work-.  Because it's just a job.  It's not my life.

I hope you're all having a great week and have something wonderful planned for the weekend!  I'm working the whole thing (Woo!  Haha!) but I'm going to work through it all with a smile on my face and the prospect of a week off in early November!  Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

P.S. Did you see my Seven Year Pen??  It's -so- awesome!  It writes beautifully and it's terribly pretty!  And environmentally responsible ~feels noble~ Go take a peek, there are lots of lovely designs and they only cost the equivalent of a dollar a year.  Bargain (^_^)

Book 1 Of 10 - The Sword Of Shannara

Zomg.

 To my fellow, geeky, science-fantasy adoring peoples, I present to you 'The Sword Of Shannara' by Terry Brooks.

{Source}

This book is the first in a trilogy and it is *absolutely incredible*.  I read it over the past week and oh...Just oh!  When I was about 16, I borrowed the trilogy from my then-boyfriend and read all three books over a fortnight.  My lovely brother bought them for me for Christmas and it was just as good as I remembered!

For those of you who like a story full of magic, epic battles and a band of comrades who quest to save the world, this novel is a must-read.  It was inspired by LOTR and you can feel it in the way it is written.  You come to love the characters; you fight with them, you cry with them, you exult in joy as they do.  It's truly an engrossing, superbly written novel, full of intrigue, mystery and an ending that will keep you guessing.

I'm thrilled that I've managed to finish one book already!  I'm well stuck into the second novel, 'The Elfstones Of Shannara', so watch this space for another review soon!

Hope you're having a grand weekend and have lots of wonderful things planned for the week ahead!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Things I Have On Monday!

Okay, so I will definitely get back to the ole Monday Must Haves next week - today is all about sharing my good news with you guys and showing you the bits and pieces I've been up to over the last week (^_^)

♥ I got some *great* news from the tax office last week - a couple of years ago, I worked for an opticians who didn't get my tax sorted out properly and I paid emergency tax for six months.  Last week, a letter turns up telling me I'm entitled to a tax rebate - £936 worth of rebate!  I couldn't believe it!  I'm so thrilled; this means I have more money saved for S's eventual move over here, for our house and for bills and all that junk (^_^) One of the most exciting letters I've ever received!

♥ I *finally* stopped procrastinating, making excuses and got off my butt, bought some proper running shoes and went for a run!  

{Spangly New Running Shoes!}

Even though I had problems when I attempted this the first time around, I'm so glad I gave it another go; I love how exhilarated it makes me feel when I've completed a run (albeit a short one!) and I'm really pleased that I'm getting some good exercise too!  Here's to a healthier Autumn!

♥ I crossed off one thing from my '10 Things' list - check out these bad boys!

{Oh Brown Boots, I ♥ You}

I found these on Ebay in instantly fell in love; they're perfect winter boots for me, with a good thick sole, waterproofed suede and a little heel for that touch of extra height (not that I need it, being 5'7!) I really am now all set for Winter and can't wait to pair these with pretty skirts and colourful tights (^_^)

♥ I kept putting off making this doll because I've never made a doll before and this one looked pretty challenging!  Last week, I knuckled down and sketched a template for myself and today I put pencil to fabric and cut out the pieces I need to make S's sister the perfect addition to her CosPlay outfit!

{It's Gonna Be A Biggun!}

I now have to dye the individual pieces (the head is yellow and the arms are blue and red) and get them all sewn together with the aid of my Mum's sewing machine!  I'm excited about completing this project; it's been a new venture for me and I know S's sister will be thrilled when it gets to her!

♥ Last but not least, I did some more work on my art journal this week and created a page for song number 2;

'The Broken' - Year Of The Black Rainbow

{Obscurity Has No Heroes}

This image was inspired by the following lyrics;

The world looks better when you're falling...

...Pray for The Broken, no-one can fix us,

We are, we'll always be The Wronged.

I'm super pleased with how this turned out (^_^) I love using red and black together, it always looks so striking and bold!  I might tweak the quote I've put in the top right corner; I'd like to write it in type-font and perhaps colour the background a similar red to the praying hands...We'll see!  It's a work in progress!

Well, I get the feeling my week is going to deteriorate pretty quickly since I'm now looking forward to two 10-hour days at work (boo!) but I'll keep smiling after having a great week last week!  S and I are *still* waiting for the paperwork to get there but the good news we've got the necessary funds to make the application so as soon as it gets there, all systems go!

I hope you're all having a great week and thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

I Have To Return Some Videotapes

Book #4 of 2011 was the fantastic 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. 

I'd seen the movie years ago and loved it; 80s music, dark humour and an incredibly buff Christian Bale = epic.good.movie.

For the record, I *love* Huey Lewis and the News

While I'm pleased to say that the movie stayed true to the novel for the most part, I'm almost glad it wasn't word for word!  This novel was gory, horrific and somewhat terrifying in its brutality - certainly not for the faint of heart.

Patrick Bateman is expertly constructed as a character; one half professional Wall Street banker with exceptional fashion taste and perfect skin, an intense work-out routine and an understandable disdain for the ignorance of those who surround him; the other half, an utterly psychotic, disgustingly inventive mass-murderer.  Both halves reside in one body, straining against each other in an expensive, materialistic, drug-fuelled yuppie world.

The novel is hilarious - it had me laughing out loud on so many occasions.  Equally, it had my stomach churning and me forcibly gasping.  There are whole chapters dedicated to music, paragraph upon paragraph of clothing descriptions, discussions on how to wear them and what to accessorise with.  Page after page of restaurant reservations and obscenely expensive meals, littered with Platinum AmEx mentions.  There are snide remarks, death threats, long and gruesome descriptions of torturous killings, copious drug use and more than just a little sexually explicit discussion.  This whole combination runs from the sublime to the ridiculous, dull normality and tedium to twisted insanity in the blink of an eye.  It's precisely this which makes 'American Psycho' unputdownable.

So if you're looking for a read that's a little bit different, that'll make you laugh and shock your socks off, I'd thoroughly recommend this book.  I wouldn't advise reading it while eating, though!

Hope you're having a wonderful Thursday!  I've got a killer shift at work tomorrow (6am-6pm...HELP) but thankfully I've got the whole weekend off *woop woop* which I fully intend on using to relax, read and finding some gorgeous yarn to learn to crochet with!  Yay for free weekends!

What have you got planned for yours?

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

10 Things And June Goals UPDATE

Since we've reached the middle of the year (and the middle of June, pretty much) I figured now might be a good time to have a look see how I've done with completing the goals I set myself.

...

Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have looked!

I've still got quite a way to go!  I've read four books so far this year, one being in this month (review to come soon) and I've got a workout and crochet session planned for this week (promise promise) but most of the goals on my '10 Things' list remain thoroughly untouched and abandoned.  There are things I'm currently too lacking in funds to do (hello, knee-high boots and driving lessons), things I keep inadvertently missing (blood donation, I'm looking at you) and things that I'm just about getting around to but not quite (still got 15lbs to go and the ultimate delicious cheese sauce remains sadly out of reach)

But I'm getting there.  And I *will* get there.  With only six months (I say 'only', but cripes will it fly!) left to go of the year, I need to kick myself into action and really nail some of these goals!  I can happily say I've figured out that dresses are my 'thing' (thank you, S.  I know I should've listened before but come on, you always say I look nice), proudly say I've lost over 14lbs already and I'm pretty stoked about pushing myself towards completing my goals!  I think I've taken it pretty easy on myself so far this year, but it's time for things to change; it's my favourite season, I have a fresh start with a new place and my favourite person coming to live here and there are simply too many awesome things to do this year to keep putting them off!  Roll on the next six months!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥

Happy Summer!

{1/2/3}
Gorgeous outdoor dining, delicious bbq quesadillas(!) and prettily-lit balmy evenings = perfection!

For me, today officially marks the first day of summer (^_^) I *love* June 1st and all the promise it brings of warm sunny days, barbecues with family and general awesomeness for the next three months!

Since this is the beginning of my favourite season, I've decided to begin a month of challenges that I'm setting for myself, in an attempt to become more motivated and productive!  I really feel like things are moving forward positively in my life at the moment, so now is a great time for me to branch out and push myself to achieve some goals!

♥ Goal #1 - Read 3 books - I've been seriously lacking on the reading front so far this year and if I want to reach my target of 20 books I need to get crack-a-lackin'!

♥ Goal #2 - Exercise - I am the queen of exercise excuses (I'm too tired, I don't have enough time, my knee is making a weird crunching sound) but I want to get into shape and the only thing stopping me from doing that is me.  I want to start a basic pilates and yoga routine and build up the strength in my joints (damn you, crunchy knee!) so I can move on to more advanced exercise.

♥ Goal #3 - Create - I need to sit and make proper time for creative endeavours.  It's all too easy to push it aside and say I don't have time but I know I do.  By the end of June I want to have created a prototype for an idea I've had and learn how to crochet a granny square.

I think this month is going to be a really exciting one too!  As I mentioned in my previous post, my boy and I have decided to really get the ball rolling with him moving over here.  The first big hurdle is finding a place to live so I can send off all the information he needs to apply for his visa, so we've started looking for a one-bed starter home for us to move in to!  It's really exciting, looking at different places online, deciding what kind of home we want, thinking about all the things we could do in our own space (hello home-grown vegetables, BBQs and upcycled furniture!) I'm hoping to have moved (or at least have a place available) by the end of the month so *fingers crossed* he will be moving over here at the beginning of August!  I'm so pleased with how things are moving along right now, knock on wood everything stays awesome and turns out just how we'd like it to!

I hope you all have an exciting month ahead - I'd love to hear about any goals or plans you have!

xoxo

♥Ắçĕ♥