Wednesday Wishes

Today's wish is a selfish wish, and possibly not attainable... but hey! A girl can dream.

I wish... for back dimples

Learn to Know When To Rest

Sometimes a person needs a swift kick up the behind to realise that they are burning the candle at both ends. 

I got mine this weekend when what I thought was an insignificant cough resulted in a near hospital visit, parental intervention (kinda mortifying when you're not a teenager anymore), a bag full of medication and a warning that if I didn't slow down a little, and eat a lot better, that I would end up in a little pile on the floor. Thankfully several days bed rest, some antibiotics and other meds, and good quality, home cooked food have done wonders for me and it looks like I'm on a slow, but progressive road to recovery. 

This weekend brought it home to me that sometimes a person really needs to put aside time in every week for a little rest and recovery. There are lots of ways you can show yourself that you care enough to make a little effort for yourself...

- A long hot shower, or bath, with your favourite products can do wonders for reviving the body. All those lovely smells and bubbles just washing away all the troubles of the week. Mid week I love all things citrusy to brighten up my days but at the weekend it's all coconut or almond to help me unwind and calm down.

- A date with yourself where you take a few hours to go sit in your favourite cafe or bar and sip a coffee, tea or glass of wine and enjoy your own company. Make it special by dressing up for no one but yourself. I like to treat myself with a trashy magazine while I sip my coffee, and pretend that I am an incognito celebrity with my huge sunglasses and oversized scarf. 

- Take an evening to go buy some beautiful fresh produce and cook yourself a beautiful meal. Set the table properly, put out a cloth napkin and some nice glass wear. Maybe a small flower in a bud vase. If you're feeling up to company invite your best friend around to share it. I like to keep it simple with either chicken or fish and a crisp green salad, just to make sure that there is still room for a little ice cream afterwards.

-  I feel naked without a fresh coat of polish on my toes so I get a tremendous amount of joy out of having a quiet night in to take off the old polish, soak my feet in something nice, put on lots of thick moisturiser, and re-paint my toes. Just remember to leave lots of drying time before sliding your beautiful feet under your duvet. 

- My absolute favourite way to taking some time off though is to seek out a puppy... a friends, a family members, I'm not picky really... and just roll about on the floor, the couch, the garden with it. There is no way that you can stay stressed with a small, excitable, lickable, lovable ball of fluff is trying to chew on your ears cause they love you that much.

Nemesis of Nom

Do you have a food nemesis? 

Something you know that you really shouldn't eat... due to intolerances  or allergies, or just because it's not good for you? Something that you are almost scared to let into your kitchen because you know that you cannot control yourself around it? Something that no matter how many times you tell yourself that you are better that this you still find yourself standing at the counter in your pyjamas at midnight, eating it with a pang of guilt keeping it company in your stomach?

My undeniable weakness is white bread. Soft, doughy, fresh white bread... piled high with sweet, sticky jam or smeared with a little pesto and melted cheese, toasted with a slightly charred edge and smothered with butter or torn from the loaf and used to mop up a savoury gravy. It is one item I have no self control around. I will happily eat slice after slice of bread until the entire pan is gone and only crumbs remain on the breadboard. I will have it plainly buttered for starters, with a savoury topping for mains and persuade myself that spreading it with jam, or nutella can count as dessert. 

I know that it does me no good. I know that processed wheat and gluten are not good for the digestive system. I know that it is full of hidden sugars... and I also know that I don't care. It tastes wonderful, and it makes me happy to get to enjoy it as a treat every now and then. 

What about you? Is there anything out there that you are scared to let into your kitchen? Is there anything that calls out to you when you go grocery shopping?

Movie Hug

What are your Go-To Movies? 

The ones that you put on when you want the cinema equivalent of a hug from a friend? The ones that you know every character, every piece of music, every quip? The ones that may not be cool to watch but always hold a special place in your heart. 

My Top Ten Movie Hugs, in no particular order and for many varied reasons, are

- Zoolander -

- Edward Scissorhands -

- Leon -

- Beetlejuice -

- Chocolat -

- Pretty Woman -

- Some Like It Hot -

- 10 Things I Hate About You -

- Moulin Rouge -

- Fight Club -

Morning Memories

Have you ever woken from a dream and been very unsure whether you had just had a good dream or a bad one? 

Last night I dreamt. Of a man that was once in my life. Not someone I ever dated, or who ever chased me or was chased by me, but I knew him. Unfortunately circumstances changed, people drifted apart, messages were not returned and he is no longer in my life.

In this dream we shared moments of intimacy. Hands on face, cheek to cheek, skin on skin. Shared breath and tangled limbs. Moments of joy, sprinkled with pleasure. The room was warm, the light was golden, all cinematic filters and flattering angles. There might have been a soundtrack playing, full of sunshine and adult joy.

I woke alone, in a cold room, in the grey morning light. And, even thought I never had him, I now miss him.

Wednesday Wishes

A lie in, in a freshly made bed, with a good book and a great coffee.

I Want...

picnics on the sofa

I want to feel a man wrap his hands around my waist from behind me

I want to wake up to sunshine streaming in my window

barefoot walks in wet grass

and to be brought a coffee in bed when I wake up

I want to buy, and hang, art

a weekly standing date with someone I love to talk to

I really want to wake up with good morning hair

I want hot soup and fresh, crusty bread 

to have a dance party in my room every night

to feel satisfied that I can make a meal with what's in my fridge

I want wake up beside a warm body, and then snuggle before falling back to sleep

I want
I want

I want...

Valentines

Now I know that for a lot of people Valentines Day is a lusty, passionate, sex soaked occasion filled with champagne, rose petals and chocolate covered strawberries. I have never been able to see it in that light. To me Valentines Day is all about sweetness and cuteness and love. 

It's a day for watching young kids being adorable, old people being amazing, and letting all of the people in your life know that they are loved. A day filled with candy hearts, fuzzy red and pink things and lots and lots of giggles 

My most memorable gifts have always been hand made, my favourite date was an indoor picnic, and to me the best way to spend the day is curled up on a snuggly couch with my very best friends drinking sparkling rose, eating heart shaped sugar cookies and watching some of the finest rom com's that money can buy. 

How about you? What is your favourite way to spend Valentines? Are you a die hard romantic? Are you a set in stone skeptic? Are you actually going to go see Die Hard in the cinema tonight (if so you have/are the coolest girlfriend ever)?

Listen To The Beauty

Lately I've been revisiting songs that evoke strong memories for me...

Every time I hear the opening notes of Gary Jules cover of Mad World I get chills down my spine and I am instantly transported back not to the moment I first heard it, but to the moment I first listened to it. In my car, coming home from college, on a particularly bright day and a very twisty section of the road. I actually put up the window, turned up the radio and paid attention.

Listen to it here for a little bit of nostalgia.  

Things I Love Today

Glitter Tip - I love simple nails. My fingers are almost always nude or a pale pink - I save the brights for my toes. Lately though I have been craving a little more when I look down at my hands on the keyboard. A little hint of sparkle seems to be bringing a smile to my lips. Have you tried this out yet? Does it work well with coloured glitter? I've only tried it with gold so far. 

Shoot - I moved house last week. This one has nicer housemates, a bigger room, a clean kitchen and a landlord who doesn't mind me setting up a training target in the house. Anyone who has followed Magatha May for a while will know that archery is my sport, and will probably know that I have been unlucky with injuries for the past few years. Right now I'm working on a training program that is slowly building up strength and stability but this really needs more than the once a week training that I can get from my local club and an understanding landlord is a god send. The fact that I have a downstairs room and no one can hear me shoot late at night is a bonus.  

This Image - All I want to do is print it out and frame it.

Honourable Mentions - salted caramel mochas, days bright enough to wear sunglasses again, Greek yogurt with lemon, sudden snow showers, my first TRX class - and I loved it, remembering a great hug, warm blankets and skype chats, new houses which are closer to work means 15 minutes more sleep every morning, rediscovering Adele's 21 album, THIS song from Passenger, reading and reading and reading for hours on a Sunday afternoon, fresh haircuts, the smell of warm, clean laundry, some dried mango with my mid afternoon coffee, looking forward to a few days in London with Raymy next week