under the thatch ::

One of my very wise ideas is that, rather than buying eachother gifts, my boy and i plunge our squid into purchasing a weekend break away together in the new year.

We both suffer pretty severely from diagnosed S.A.D. and, although we can’t afford a jaunt in the sunshine, it always helps to adventure away to blow away the cobwebs and provide a change of scenary.

With this in mind, I have found a very dangerous website: Uhoh. See: Under the Thatch. I have my eye on a few expensive favourites, such as :: this :: this :: this ::
I could go on…

here we go again…

And so it begins. Xmas conversation in the office.

My colleague has purchased all – yes,all - her Christmas presents already. I’m slightly panicked, slightly in awe, and slightly disgusted by this. But, but, but it’s only just November.

I had a crazy aunt who always used to drop xmas presents off for us during her annual visit in the summer. This always evoked similar feelings of disgust, pity and confusion.

I’m simply not that organised. Nor do i have any desire to be fastidiously thinking about xmas all year round. In December is quite sufficient, thank you very much.

This is not to say that i don’t enjoy buying presents for people – and i do: little presents for folk all year round, in fact – or that i don’t enjoy the process of internet buying, waiting, wrapping and giving.

It is true to say that hitherto i have not been the jolliest enjoyer of xmas day itself per se. It is even more true to say that i am potentially The World’s Most Grumpy Ranter and frequently soliloquise on the topic of How Much I Loathe The Run Up To Xmas with all its commercial trappings, shit music, and spangley tinsel. This i do not like.

I really wish that xmas could just be one day with lots of food, lots of nice crafty bobbins, nice folk who want to spend time in eachother’s company, amazing music, good plonk, and all my favourite tv shows/films on tv. But xmas is very rarely actually like this. And therefore, if i had my way, i would probably dispense with the whole shebang altogether. There, i said it. Massive taboo.

Yet this cannot happen. Of course it can’t. And, inevitably,  i have given in and started internet browsing in the hope that this year i will get my act together and have ordered everything in time for xmas. And i have spotted these via Cup of Jo:

Petite Moss ring and Dark Cherry ring from bluehour at etsy.

Still ::

Still reading The Magus by John Fowles. Very slowly. Very very slowly. ‘Are you still reading that?’, my boy keeps asking. Yes, yes i am. Mostly beneath my two big duvets late at night and just before bed. I just can’t achieve my usual reading rate now i’m no longer an English student {and haven’t been for coming up to three years now – yikes} and my eyes droop. And it’s a pretty chunky book, thank you very much.

Still wishing the sun would shine a little bit more – although i shouldn’t complain really: we’ve had lots of Trina Days {my friend adores blue skies and crisp temperatures}.

Still wishing i had more motivation in an evening to cook ambitiously. We’re preparing for a Goodbye Old Housemate, Hello New Housemate meal this weekend, though.

Still wishing i had more time to catch up on my music/style/cooking/craft/photography blogs.

Still feeding my boy toxic Lemsips to clear up his dreaded flu.

Still wishing for an adventure. To be planned.

Still taking photos that i should get round to uploading.

Still longing for more shut eye.

stumpy and spindley ::

I’m home! Home after my week away living with my folks in the little town i grew up in! Home!

Nottingham, how i love thee. Emphatically. Over-emotionally. Slightly inappropriately.

And i have To Do List as long as my arm. Or an arm of average length as, let’s be honest, mine are rather on the stumped and spindley side.

flat ::

This is what kite flying looks like when the wind decides not to play along.

We ventured out to Calke Abbey in Derbyshire for a walk and kite fly in the fresh air. We left our adventure until late in the afternoon so the light was absolutely fantastic. We took a stroll around the abbey and the grounds of the larger house in the sunshine and with our winter coats folded over our arms. The house had an enviable vegetable garden with enormous, alien-looking squashes and a coal-heated hot house full of chillis, a few of which Jeffers naughtily snaffled to add to his sweet potato fajitas later that day. Delicious. There was also an impressive ice house and grotto.