changes for 2016

First of all a whole bunch of flowers to wish you all a super happy new year for 2016. Nothing brings a smile to my face like a nice bouquet, and I eagerly wait for late spring to fill the house with poenies again - such a lovely flower that I chose its name to start my IG account a few weeks back.
This is one of the first changes I am making this year - putting myself out there a little bit more. I have come across so many inspiring things on IG and Pinterest this past year that I decided I might take part too, you know, join the gang and see what happens. Good things, hopefully. There's a link to it on the sidebar, check it out!
And since I've been cooing over those 2015 flower pictures, I've also used my last weekend off to make a new banner and rejig a few things around. Do you like it? Really feeling this "new year, new me" vibe. Groovy. Let's hope the enthusiasm sticks once work has started again :(

 So onto another challenge I'd like to try for this year : maximise time use. You've already seen my daily planning sheet here. I've gone once step beyond and want to make a proper full planner with short and long term goals to achieve. I got the goods from Pinterest, amazon and paperchase and started making a full blown planner. Just started, but it's looking good already (listen to me, modest and all...) And since the planning sheet have worked so well, I am really hopeful that I will get more out of my time. Not to mention that Baby has considerably grown and been replaced by a lovely toddler who can now play on her own for a while.
The next two massive changes this year are still being unfolded as we speak, so I have no pictures yet, but the first one involves a potential new house. THIS is the one, I'm telling you guys. Paperwork on its way, I am not for one second allowing myself to dream about it as my heart was broken by the previous one, but this is definitely the one for us.
The second and final big change will be...my teeth! For the past five months I've been going through the Invisalign process. Basically it's an invisible, removable brace, a bit like a slim gumshield. Every two weeks I get a new one to fit in and my teeth have gradually changed place to make me look a bit more like how I wanted to look. If all goes well I have just six weeks left till it's all over. More on that later, as I said, it's all still happening at the moment and I am not jinxing anything right now.

Well this was quite a lenghthy post by my standards! If you've managed to read this far, congrats. ♥♥♥ Happy New Year 2016 ♥♥♥

Just fabulous

Well, things fell apart.

In fairness, it was all down to us. We brought on on our own sadness, but have the clearest feeling that we did the right thing in the end. After a long period of doubt about whther this was the right decicion, a couple of details lead us to make some difficult calls and the house is no longer on the cards. It all came down to potential strcutural problems and lack of paperwork to back it up. It just didn't feel right, and when one is about to commit to such a huge sum of money, one thinks twice. Then weeps at the thought that, yes, it took sooooo long to get there! Boo hoo.
And so we're back to square one, only this time armed with valuable experience of what to ask and what to look out for.
But that doesn't take away the heartache. Or the crushing feelings that everything within commuting distance of London is unattainable.
 I could go on and on, but have decided to stay positive, and cross fingers for 1) winning Euromillions or 2) the housing market to suddenly crash and leave us in a marvellous position to buy.

So, on to fabulousness. Inspired by so many pretties on Pinterest lately, I had a go at designing my own daily planner sheet. Nothing too fancy for a first go, but I kinda like it.

I was a bit sceptical about using it first, but it's turned out to be great and really helped me focus on making the most of my days, especially days off. I've designed it to suit my personal needs, with a small "to do" list but including a "make and bake" on its side. The middle section is all about health, and I've realised how much more water I ought to drink everyday since using it. The bottom of the sheet is something for me, like doing my nails or just reading a magazine for 15 minutes, and something for others, like treating Baby to a little session at the Softplay or remembering to send a birthday card.
 When I use it, I fill it in as early as possible in the day and it's a great incentive to get things done quickly and not leave them till the next day. All in all, a fabulous tool. I'm now getting supplies in to take it up to the next level and make an even more fabulous planner for 2016.

Well that's it for today folks. Speak soon. Off to research houses ;)

hello autumn

My favourite season is here! We have been busy with making lots and lots projects for our new house but it's a bit like a rollercoaster ride and we're still not quite there yet. I get the impression that I've been saying "next month hopefully" for a looooong time now when people ask me when we're moving in. Today I'd give you the exact same answer if you asked me. So fingers crossed for November, hey?
So with nowhere but good old London to be, we've spent the first few weeks of Autumn going for walks and baking. The filo dish above is  a Moroccan inspired lamb swirl, delicious served with yogurt, fresh pomegranate and pistachio. But what about crafts I hear you say? Friends, I have serious catching up to do. I made a couple of tiny things for my excited toddler, but I am ashamed to say I have not tackled the big bad 2 remaining curtains for my bedroom yet. Who could blame me though, I mean: This is England, Downton Abbey, Fargo, The Returned, Homeland, TV has not been this good in ages. I absolutely adored the latest (hopefully not last) instalment of This is England, so poignant and just series after series. Never have I sobbed so much while watching a TV programme - have you felt the same about it?

Ma saison préférée est enfin là! On a été très occupés à faire plein de projets pour notre nouvelle maison, mais c'est un peu le parcours du combattant, et on n'est pas encore arrivés à nos fins. J'ai l'impression que ca fait une éternité que je dis " le mois prochain si tout va bien" quand on me demande quand nous emmenagerons. Si vous me le demandiiez aujourd'hui je vous donnerais exectement la meme réponse. Alors on croise les doigts pour septembre, hein?
Du coup on reste ici dans le bon vieux Londres, on a passé les premières semaines d'automne a faire des balades et des bons petits plats. Le truc en feuille de brick c'est une roulade a l'agneau d'inspiration marocaine, une vraie déchirure avec du yaourt a la grenade et des pistaches. Et mes bricoles, me direz-vous? Ben les amis, j'ai du rattrappage a faire. J'ai fait deux petits truc pour ma poupée, mais je dois honteusement avouer que je n'ai pas touche a mes deux derniers rideaux de chambre. Mais qui pourrait m'en vouloir, quand les programmations télé n'one jamais été aussi bonnes:  This is England, Downton Abbey, Fargo, The Returned, Homeland. J'ai complètement adoré la dernière série de This is England, si juste et toujours à vif, je n'ai jamais pleuré à sanglots comme ca auparavant devant ma télé - vous l'avez ressenti comment vous?

little pleasures

Life is complicated enough, so I'm trying not to overcomplicate mine this Autumn. One thing I am doing though, is trying out a few of the recipes featured on the Great British Bake Off. Obviously, I've had to draw the line somewhere - Victorian fowl pies? nope. Madeira cake and proofing-free bread? Most definitely. The Padron peppers are from Waitrose, and have nothing to do with the Bake Off, but I was so happy to find them in an English supermarket!

Last weekend I took Baby to see her first fair, which she loved, right down to the eurotrash songs blasting out of the speakers. Cute - in a cringy sort of way. The fair always comes to town this time of year, and I guess before we know it, Baby J will be big enough to go on the rides all by herself for the first time. I'm realising we are in a real transitinal phase at the moment, full of first times and last times. A bit like the autumnal season itself I guess: last time you wear your summer dress, first time you put the heating on, that sort of thing.

La vie est assez compliquée comme ca, alors j'essaie de me simplifier la mienne cet automne. Par contre, je me suis lancé le défi d'essayer quelques unes des recettes du Great British Bake Off. Cela dit, il a bien fallu tirer un trait quelque part - tourte victorienne au faisan? nan. Quatre-quart et pain sans levain? Absolument. Les poivrons Padron viennent de chez Waitrose, et n'ont rien a voir avec le Bake Off, mais j'étais tellement contente d'en trouver dans un supermarché anglais!

Le weekend dernier j'ai emmené Bébé a sa premiere vogue, qu'elle a adorée, jusqu'aux chansons bien pourries qui sortaient des sonos. Plutot atendrissant, avec une sérieuse pointe d'embarras. La vogue vinet toujours a cette époque de l'année, et j'imagine que d'ici peu Bébé sera assez grande pour pouvoir monter sur les maneges toute seule pour la premiere fois. Je me rends compte que nous sommes dans une phase pleine de transisitons en ce moment, pleine de premieres fois et de dernieres fois. Un peu comme l'automne, en fin de compte: derniere fois qu'on porte une robe d'ete, premiere fois qu'on met le chauffage, ce genre de choses. 

late summer

Well, once again the start of the school year has kinda hit me like a train. It's been a non stop fortnight, especially as our offices have all been moved around. Having a new responsibility in school has brought a couple of challenges already but yada yada yada...bored talking about work already.
On the home front not much has happened, our dream of becoming home owners has hit a bit of a delay, but we keep our fingers crossed that all will be fine if it's meant to be, no need to torture ourselves too much. For now I've been concentrating on making a new set of curtains (the old ones were literally about to fall apart, never seen fabric turn so badly in my life after a wash) and following the Bake Off religiously. This year I've fully embraced it and already made a few of the recipes from the contestants - all yummy stuff.
We've not really had much luck with the weather lately, it's that time of year when you wonder whether you'll have to put the heating on tonight. Still, nature's not completely given up on summer yet as you can see from the pretty sights from Hampton Court, and sensationalist headlines are promising an indian summer, as they do always do around this time of year.
Well this is it for now dear readers. Much needed rest awaits if I'm to make the rest of the week :)