Farewell May....

How we are heading into the 6^th month of the year is quite amazing, this year is

passing so quickly. May was a month for me filled with some big decisions, some travel, fun and a reminder that friendships are very special. May also saw me catch-up on some blog posts from previous months, I was on a role until I lost broadband at home for 10 days which made me realise how dependant our lives have become on technology & wifi, so I still have a backlog of posts which I am slowly working my way through.

So where do I start!.... May saw me celebrate 10 years of being at the big yellow store, I have had an amazing adventure at the home of Mr Selfridge, but my adventure is coming to an end as I have made the decision to leave and start a new adventure with a new family. From August I will be joining the Fenwick family on Bond Street in a new role. This is hugely exciting and has been a really big decision for me, it's one that has taken up lots of sleep, and counsel with my closest friends over the past few weeks along with lots of meetings and discussions once the big decision was made. Aside from this work has been busy with new launches, a celeb guest appearance from Kendal Jenner to launch the new estee edit range and I also have spent lots of time exploring the streets of London on my walk to and from work.

Last month I spent a Saturday afternoon walking the streets of Hampstead with Emily and some of her makelight ladies, this month I spent a lovely afternoon exploring Kew green and gardens with Emily and some new makelight ladies… pop back later this month when I will share more of my day.

May saw 2 weekends filled with big Rugby adventures as Saracens reached the finals of both the European Champions Cup and the Aviva Premiership cup… the champions cup was held in Lyon. I had a fab 24 hours in the French countryside. The Aviva premiership was a little closer to home in West London at Twickenham on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. Both games Saracens were the victors, sealing the double in Europe and the Uk which has made for lots of celebrations. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at both games, even if Sarries did make for a nail biting finish in both games!

Closer to home I have been enjoying some down time reading, walking, catching up with friends and enjoying some relatively good weather (although today is quite horrid).

May also saw me book a holiday for next year with my Aunt, not only has she managed to get me away from my desk for 16 days, she has also managed to get me to agree to going on a ship!... we have booked to cruise the Baltics, travelling to St Petersburg and then back via Sweden / Norway… so I'm swotting up on my Danish & Russian, with Wallander, The Killing and war & Peace cued up on my kindle & ipad.
May saw London awash with floral displays to coincide with the Chelsea Flower show, I enjoyed a couple of early morning walks photographing some of my favourites; Claridges, Peggy Porschen, and The Ivy Garden on the Kings Road. (separate blog post to follow). The Kits turns 3 in May and Fitz passed the day sleeping and Darcy spent it trying to eat my peonies that I bought back from France!.... I have so many blog posts to share, I hope that you pop back over the coming weeks to read more of my adventures from the month along with regular features. I hope that May has been filled with lots of lovely things and I look forward to sharing June with you ... 

Goodbye January...

wow where did January go?... one month of 2016 finished already. January was a month of storms, sunshine and a dusting of snow, fortunately in my little corner of the country I was relatively free of the extremes of these that some of the country faced.
Those familiar with my blog and my life will know that January gets written off in my house; due to a really heavy work schedule, culminating in financial year end. I have one more heavy week to go and look forward to my first full weekend off next weekend since before Christmas.
Although busy at work, I still managed to spend some special moments with friends and some time to myself.
1. Spent a Saturday afternoon at Harvey Nicks having tea.
2. Had lots of fun with my new kate spade planner.
3. Raised a glass of bubbly and said goodbye to a great colleague at work who is off to new adventures.

4. Fitz & Darcy spent many hours cuddled together in front of the fire and loving their cushion that they got for christmas.
5. Brunch at Forest on the roof of Selfridges (blog post to come)
6. Savoured a glimmer of blue sky and sunshine on Mr Selfridge as I arrived at work.
7. My desk!.... something that I've seen a lot of !!!
8. Friday lunchtime catch-up with 'bestie' in a good old Essexpub... with mini pails of fish & chips.

1 & 2. January planning and cuddles with the Kits were regular features.
3. Healthy breakfast in a jar at my desk.
4. A welcome reading break with a coffee and a great rugby book with the delicious Dan Carter.
5. Cosy nights in with a fire, blankets & throws. perfect for a cold night.
7. Hat & cashmere gloves staple feature for January's adventures with Taylor.
8. Chilly mornings in Taylor with temperatures dropping below freezing.
9. A little splash of pink to brighten the gloom of January.

January also saw us say goodbye to 3 of Britain's most loved; David Bowie, Alan Rickman & the great Sir Terry Wogan. Each have touched my life in their own way and I'm sad that cancer has taken all 3 of them too early in their lives. - David Bowie influenced so many and although I was a little too young to appreciate his heady years of the 70's, without him I wouldn't have had my 2 favourite 80's bands Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. From art, to fashion to music his influenced so many over the past 50 years and was a genius of his craft.
Alan Rickman - a guilty pleasure and an actor that never failed to disappoint, Guilty crush developed as the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood,  swept me away as Colonel Brandon in Sense & Sensibility, Despaired in Love Actually and put me under a spell as Severus Snape in Harry Potter. Another genius of his craft.
Still love this scene from Love Actually filmed in Selfridges with the very funny Rowan Atkinson.

and finally Sir Terry Wogan - I woke up with Wogan as a child as my mum loved his breakfast show and radio 2, something I despaired as, as a teenager. Very sad to wake up on Sunday and hear that he had passed away. I've spent many Sunday at my desk over the last few years avidly listening to is sunday brunch show, with fond memories. Along with his radio show, he was a consummate professional TV presenter, bringing fun, laughter and joy to many lives, none more so than introducing Pudsey to us 35 years ago for Children in Need and assisting in raising over 600 million £. What an amazing legacy to leave behind.

So as I say a fond farewell to January, I hope that February is kinder, less stressful and brighter.

Friday Night In....

With a trip to New York pending I have a fairly quiet November planned. The Cats and I are spent a chilled Friday night in as there were several Fireworks parties being held around by me and I wanted to keep the Kits safe.
With a new bed and the promise of the fire on, the Kits and I were soon snuggled up and enjoying a night in.

It also gave me some time to catch-up on some TV and box-sets that I have started.
It has been some time sometime since a TV series has captured my attention, however ITV's Unforgotten has done just that. A thrilling murder investigation 30 years old with several suspects whose lives are set to be destroyed as the investigation and secrets unfold. A fabulous cast and a thrilling "who done it" from start to finish, with final episode next week I cant wait for the conclusion.
Late to the Party I know but I have also discovered Sons of Anarchy and Chicago Fire!... perfect viewing for cold evenings suggling on the sofa.

My bestie is a huge fan of SOA, season 1 has been languishing in my "To Watch" pile I thought I would give it a go!.... well all I can so is thankyou Netflix for having season 2-7! I am really enjoying it - who knew a group of biking outlaws, trying to keep their local town free from drugs, & violence would so much fun!
Chicago Fire is another series that I discovered this year and I am now eagerly awaiting season 4 to be released. Lead character Taylor Kinney is a huge hottie ( still amazed that this is Lady Ga Ga's finance!) and anything that involves american fireman is a win for me!
I am sure that there will be more TV treats as we head into winter and I hibernate until spring!

# Project Life ~ October

Its hard to believe as I sit ad type this, that it is November and currently 18' outside.... October was glorious, filled with occasional rain, an even more occasional cold day and oodles of  autumnal sunshine.  With the weather being so warm, its hard to realise that Christmas is now only 7 weeks away......
October for me was gorgeous, I had some much needed time off work and I spent some it chilling and enjoying some sumptuous surroundings. It also kicked off Christmas and time for some planning... here's some snapshots from my October.

 

• Destination Christmas Selfridges wrapped the store windows for a week to complete its holiday window install. Unveiling over a night to reveal the Selfridges Christmas story filled with fairytales, magic & wonder.... and 1000's of sparkly lights.
• Fitz & Darcy have become familiar with the cat carrier this month as they have had weekly trips to the vets this month; they are now inoculated, micro-chipped, flea'ed and their boy bits chopped!... both have been exemplary patients.
• Sunshine... glorious sunrises captured at different parts of the month, favourite being from the Savoy and standing on the station platform waiting for the train.
• Kit sitting... this month I looked after Fitz & Darcy's brother and mum whilst friends were on holiday...  the kits are going back to spend the week with mum & bruv whilst  I am away next month.
• Christmas & 2015 planning..... with so much in my diary I spent some down time planning and organising the next few months.
• Starbucks Red Cups ... with the launch of Christmas at work, they also secured and exclusive with Starbucks to release their holiday range on the same day, along with an exclusive gold range of eats & treats.

• A Sunday at the Savoy ~ overnight stay at The Savoy ticked a big box on my bucketlist. An glorious hotel full of glamour, old school charm and exemplary service. Had a truly magical stay.  Room was gorgeous, and the late night drinks were divine in the American Bar.
• New York Planning ~ with 4 weeks to go until I'm in the big Apple!.... have 62 things on my 'must' list which I need to condense into 5 days!... think that I need to streamline the wish list!
• Remembering loved ones passed... October saw Nan's birthday arrive, she would have been 93, although I go weekly to cemetary, for birthdays & occasions I have taken to picking my mum up and visiting together.. this allows us to grab a coffee after and spend sometime togther ( a rare occasion)
• A night in Memphis - preview seats for the new west end musical Memphis, was fabulous. Beverley Knight & Killian Donnelly stealing the stage in presence and voice... a must see,great night out with me and the 'olds'.
• Afternoon Tea Mr Selfridge style - Theatre pre-fixed by a scrumptious tea Mr Selfridge style in The Corner Restaurant of Selfridges ~ a hidden gem on the 2nd floor overlooking Oxford street.
• Tony takes Drury Lane ~ Sunday night at the Savoy entertainment from Tony Hadley... an all round old school entertainer... sung a repertoire of songs spanning decades accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra... filled with glamour, charm and the occasional JD, all in beautiful surroundings.

So as we say goodbye to October, here's to a memorable November...... alas no trips to the Savoy planned this month, but with a trip to New York 4 weeks away, and Christmas 3 weeks after that, I have a quiet month planned!

Look who's 1!....

Yes... Fitzwilliam & Darcy are 1 years old!... this weekend saw the kits celebrate their first birthday. No great celebrations, but they have had lots of treats. They were born in June and came to live at Teresa's Terrace in July... Looking back they have given me much delight, a little worry and lots and lots of cuddles.

The year has seen them climb curtains & shred ironing board covers. Tooth brushing is much fun when kittens discovered water in taps and a moving toothbrush!

The discovery and  the magic & sparkle of Christmas, filled with trees, baubles, paper & bags meant that December was filled with mischief and mayhem!

Best of all snuggles on the sofa still continue to be a daily treat along with them waiting for me on the doorstep to get home.

 

Happy Birthday Fitz & Darcy

xxx

 



breaking from routine

I am a planning kinda girl... my friends & work family would probably describe it more along the lines of 'control freak'. I would like to think there's a bit more flexibility on the control now than a few years ago.
Sometimes all the planning in the world can't prepare for things out of your control, that just about sums up my week. I didn't return to work straight after the Easter Monday as I was still feeling out of sorts. Returning to work a couple of days later than originally planned had already got my week on the back foot which was compounded by Florence throwing a strop on the drive Thursday morning and refusing to budge! At 6am I had no option other than walk to the station, thankfully it was dry and the half hour walk was brightened by a shortcut through the park. I was determined to see the positives and snapped some pictures from my walk and I am determined to walk on days when its dry and I don't have an early meeting.

 With the Central line not stopping at Bond Street until early June my walking exercise was extended at the other end of my commute, and I needed a mini nap when I got to my desk!... 5 days work was then needed to be squeezed into 2 days which has been trying!
Saturday was planned for a day filled with Rugby, however with Florence refusing still to start, priority was taken over by trying to get her fixed. Whilst waiting for the Green Flag man, the Kits took the time to explore the car. This was their first time inside outside of a cat box!... as you can see they explored every inch there was to be sniffed, climbed and sat on.

Fortunately Florence only needed an new battery so that was quickly fixed once she was charged enough to get to the garage.
Afternoon was spent with brother watching the Rugby, fabulous result from Saracens... Cardiff for the cup final, here we come!

Totes Amaze Tuesday

Its that time in the blogging calendar to share my handbag heaven for this month. With blossom in the trees my capsule wardrobe for the month has featured lots of berry & pink hues, leading to handbag styling from mulberry. This months picks feature a Berry Dorset Tote and a fabulous little dark maroon/purple Daria clutch bag.

 I picked the Dorset tote up in the sale a couple of years ago before Mulberry hiked their prices up and the Daria clutch was a steal sale purchase a few years ago.
I love this clutch bag, its big enough to hold all the necessities, with some great security features, including a great fold over flap, inside pocket and zipped enclosure. I use this bag lots, more often in a casual environment, perfect with jeans, heels and a good jacket. I have a berry spotted mulberry scarf which matches perfectly... making my supermarket jeans look fabulous! Its one of my most envied bags by my friends and all have dibs on it in my will!

The tote is a great carry all, I was a little nervous that the handles wouldn't take the weight of my crap, but its perfect for throwing a book, lunch and make-up bag into for my commute. My only bug bear with it is that its not lined, but unlined leather bags are on trend and its not uncommon now, regardless of the price for a bag not to be lined.
Accessorised with one of my mulberry notebooks, a Michael Kors berry phone holder my Berry capsule collection is complete. I did have a little help when styling this post, Darcy loves a handbag and jumps in any if left on the floor!... this time he settled for just photo bombing the picture.

What's been your arm candy of late?....
Previous Totes Amaze Tuesday posts have featured Mulberry Effie Tote, Kate Spade Melinda and Victoria Beckham Liberty.

Cats & Cake!

In the last month a fab little cafe has opened in East London and last week I got to spend a couple of hours there with two of my favourite things; Cats & Cake!  Lady Dinahs Cat Emporium is located a stones throw from Brick Lane on the Bethnal Green Road. It is a 2 story cafe, which is a huge cat toy, all spaces have been created with the welfare of the cats in mind. It houses 11 rescue cats, details of all can be found here which are adorable, who spend the day playing in a huge cat house.
Such has been the enthusiasm for this emporium that all slots are fully booked until July.

It's very well organised, with 2 hour slots available for creams teas, savouries and cake. Access to the parlour is through a secure room where the 'kitty' rules are briefed along with hand washing and sanitisation. Food is prepared in a separate area, which ensures that both the welfare of the customers and the cats are met.

My cream tea was lovely, plenty of jam & cream and a tea pot big enough for 2 good cups of tea, great value and lots of fun with the cats.  The cats have lounge posts in the window, where they bask in the sunshine and draw lots of crowds from passers by. its a fun place which looks like its going to be a huge success.
The team are both helpful and knowledgable of both the menu and the cats. It's a fun place which looks like its going to be a huge success.

Life's stories...

I am a firm believer in Fate and sometime it works with us and sometimes against us and it seems this weekend Fate tested my emotions. This weekend I saw the date of the loss of my beloved Gramps's fall adjacent to Mother's Day, a day equally emotional. I grew up with my grandparents and their loss although not so 'gut-wrenching' is still felt every day.

Last week I hooked up with my friend Ali for drinks and a burger as she was in London for the RNA book awards ( Ali is the author Ali Mcnamara) Ali has just started writing her 6th book and as always we end up talking plot lines and stuff.... this lead to me talking about dealing with loss. It's 5 years this weekend since Gramps passed and later this year it will be 10 years since Nan passed. Growing up with both as an instrumental part of my life their loss was hard to deal with, it took me down some very dark paths but also opened up a whole new world to me which probably wouldn't have happened.  My blog evolved from a scrapbooking online forum that I joined shortly after loosing Nan, this became a saviour and my blog became an outlet for life when the outside world was a little hard to deal with. From this I have made and met some fab online friends. One of which is Ali. It also led to me working for the Big Yellow Store on Oxford Street, I took some time out about a year after Nan died to spend more time with Gramps and get my head sorted, Mr Selfridge came knocking just at a time when I need to de-hermitise myself.  So even though this weekend has been emotional, it has also been filled some happy memories, some of which we shared  in a trip to the cemetery with my mum. I will never have the daughter/mother relationship with my mum that others, but we are finding some middle ground and if that's sitting on a bench under a blossom tree at a cemetery sharing a coffee and reminiscing then that's fine by me.

This year I received my first Mother's Day card!.... yes I got one from the Kits!.... bringing a much needed smile to my face this morning...

My Nan always said that your life is like a book, some people are in it for the whole story, some just for a paragraph and others for a chapter, however long they share your life story, be blessed. So thankyou all for sharing this book so far....

February's Tale of 2 Kitties...

This month Fitz & Darcy have discovered the joy's of laying in front of the fire. Several times this month the Kitties and I have cuddled in front of the fire on the damp wet evenings. Its not been on for long but they have taken the most of the opportunity when it has. Darcy tries to get as near to the flames as he possibly can without scorching, where as Fitz is happy to laze in his basket.Its the first time that I've seen them curl up away from each other and sleep, usually they have to be in touching distant of each other or laying across themselves...

They are growing fast and continuing to explore and chase each other all over the house. Fortunately we haven't had any more shocks like last month. They have become little lap cats, as I sit and type this one is tucked up on my lap and the other is along a leg, which has become a nightly ritual of late....
It seems its not just me who has fallen in love with kitties.... these 3 very cute Ads have aired over the last month, much to the delight of cat lovers!... in favourite order:
No 1. Cat & Budgie for Freeview

No 2. Moustache kittie - 3

No 3.  McVities Kitties -

Cupcakes & Kitties!

Today is my nieces's 11th birthday. I'm not sure where the time has gone but 11 years have passed since she arrived very quickly (nearly in the hospital carpark) screaming into the world. I think it set a precedent for what was to come, as she is a little chatterbox and full of beans!
Friday night she called me and asked if I could make her a birthday cake for her & her friends.... her only request was a giant chocolate cupcake. This did send me into slight manic mode, as I was working Saturday which only left Sunday. So a hastily pulled together cake was constructed!

As I couldn't finish work early today, I arranged to have a birthday breakfast with the little lady this morning. So cake and cards were delivered at 7.30 this morning to an excited birthday girl.
 Lib's favourite chocolate is the Ferrero Rocher which was my inspiration for the cake & cupcakes.
Thankfully it all came together and she was very pleased with her presents and treats.
I did have one near catastrophe, thankfully I had just finished boxing the cake up, so no damage was done....... Fitz took an active interest in the cake & its box!!.... inquisitive  little kitties & cakes don't always mix!!

 

the continuing tale of 2 kitties ...

Fitz and Darcy are now 8 months old and continuing to cause chaos and mayhem whenever they can. They are also spending lots of time snuggling on the sofa. With work being manic during January, they have been a welcome joy when coming home of a night after stressful days.

I didn't realise how much these little fur balls had snuck into my heart until something happens and you realise how much part of your family they have become.  We have a routine at home, and usually they are both waiting by the door peering out when I pull up onto the drive. Last Wednesday I came home to be greeted by Fitz but no Darcy. F & D are house cats at the moment, so was a little concerned, especially as they were both inside when I left in the morning. After much calling and searching through the house, Darcy was still not found. By this stage I was beginning to panic and Fitz was calling constantly for his brother. After about an hour I heard a faint cry coming from outside. It still wasn't clear where it was coming from until i looked up and saw a frightened little kitty on the roof!..... how he got there I am still none the wiser as I had no windows open, the only option was via the loft hatch.  After much cajoling and half hour later I managed to coax Darcy off the roof. I did at one point think I may have to call the fire-brigade! My little black fur baby spent the rest of the evening on my lap.
Our nightly routine is an hour on the sofa curled up watching TV or flicking through pages on the ipad, before we head upstairs to bed.

January has seen the kitties work their way through all the treats that Santa bought them and their doggie cousins Archie & Roxie.

Twelfth Night...

The decorations are down, the tree is packed away and suddenly we are a week into January.... As you can imagine I had some help with packing away, as much as I had putting the tree up and throughout the duration of Christmas!

January is a gloomy month, the weather has been awful and my heart goes out to all those that have been flooded and damaged during this awful weather, here and across the pond.
I do have one Christmas present that each year I receive it makes me smile and brightens my year!. My GBF buys me each year the French rugby calendar .. Des Dieux Du Stade 2014. It makes the coldest day warm!
I have also been doodling ideas for different features on the blog this year. I would like to do some different things, but don't want it to become a blog full of promotions and freebies.  Some of the features you will see over the next month are:

• Arm Candy - what bag am I wearing, and whats in it!
• Beauty sprinkles - what beauty bits I'm loving this month
• Books to eat - what books I've devoured; did i love it or did it give me indigestion!
• Slices of London - what I've loved in London this month
• Seasonal supper - one recipe of what I've cooked this month.

What are you doing new this year?

Goodbye 2013... hello 2014.

As 2013 draws to a close its time for me to look back on my favourite moments. Its this point of the year when I look back that I realise how much I have done, what places I have been and the fab times that I have spent with loved ones.
All I can say is thankyou for blogging as my memory definitely isnt what it used to be!....
Here are 13 of my favourite things from 2013...

• Afternoon Tea at Claridges  last Christmas I received Afternoon Tea at Claridges at a gift. In March we went and had a lovely time. The venue, service and tea were fabulous... a perfect gift!
• Rugby Masterclass  Back in April  Jonny Wilkinson pulled on his Rugby shorts for the last time at Twickenham and I was there, front row to witness such delights!... a masterclass of perfection in so many ways!!! 
• Hollywood & Dames This year I was lucky enough to meet the lovely blue-eyed Paul Hollywood at a Bread masterclass and in the same evening watch one of Theatres Dames on stage - the fabulous Judi Dench.
• A day of Chocolate  one of the most inventive and fun afternoon teas that I have had along with an evening at the theatre with Charlie & Chocolate factory... a delicious treat for all senses.
• Summer theatre in the Park  Regents park became a firm favourite during the summer ... an evening watching To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride & Prejudice were two of my highlights on a summers evening.
• An evening with the Buble  a fab evening with friends old & new watching the supreme showman Michael Buble. An absolute joy ....
• Tea at the House  a behind the scenes tour a tea in the Houses of Parliament were fun, informative and a history lesson al in one go.
• Birthday with Bestie  co-ordinated diaries allowed for me to spend a fun day in London with Bestie, we laughed (lots) walked, gossiped, oogled and pretended we were both 14 again instead of 4*!!... 
• Pride & Prejudice and 2 kittens!... Fitzwilliam & Darcy came to live with me in July, 2 mischievous and naughty Kittens... so not like their namesake Mr Darcy!... 200 years after Jane Austen wrote the classic!
•  Hadley at the Hall  girl crushes don't abate even in you 40's!... Tony Hadley at the Albert hall was pure class, he crooned, rocked & balleted through the classics & 80's!
• The Savoy & a Songstress  a fabulous afternoon tea at The Savoy with two 70 year old ladies who have more energy than myself, followed by an evening watching a songstress Beverley Knight in The Bodyguard was pure class throughout.
• Thanksgiving with Friends  a new tradition for Teresa... Thanksgiving dinner with special friends... thankful for all. wishing them happier and healthier 2014 as December prooved to be worrying and unwell ... much love xx
• Christmas in Paris  A day in Paris during Christmastime was delightful, filled with sweet treats, lights and fun.

2013 has been fun, I got out and about lots, I loved exploring London in the sunshine (yes we did have a summer!) relaxing in the park with a good book, spending time with loved ones.  The Uk had Royal baby fever, we saw a Brit win Wimbledon for the 1st time in 60 years, and the Lions bet the Southern Hemisphere in the rugby.I look forward to seeing what 2014 will bring.
Looking forward to 2014....

• I would like to be more organised with life, blogging, and home.
• I hope to blog more (hoping my new wireless keyboard will assist with blogging on an ipad) and bring a little structure to my monthly posts. (more to come of this)
• Spend quality time with loved ones.... simple works for me as well as special treats... 
• A decade on from loosing a very special lady in my life I hope to mark this anniversary with love, memories and laughter across the pond.

A tale of 2 Kitties at Christmas...

This years Christmas bought a whole new challenge.... two 6 month old kitties!!!... Each year I pride myself on my beautifully decorated tree and fireplace. This years theme was completely worked around having 2 fur babies to contend with... mittens, kittens and wool!... anything breakable was hung out of reach of furry paws.

The Christmas tree was put up late as in the back of my mind I knew it was going to be a new toy to play with for two adventurous cats. I can say they have not dissappointed me.. Fitz was in the box before I could get the tree out and Darcy was in the tree before it was assembled..
Along with helping me to wrap presents, their inquisitive nature has had them explore every bag,  parcel and package wrapped.

However the tree has proved to be the biggest draw, they have been in it, on it, knocked every bauble off it and Christmas Eve saw me walk into work to find it completely knocked over!... the fun they must have had whilst I was at work.

After all that mischief and mayhem a much need snooze on the sofa is needed to recharge their batteries and dream of what fun they can have the next day.

Here's to a calmer Christmas in 2014!

Christmas memories...

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas spent with special people and loved ones. As most of you know Christmas Day is a day that I'm quite happy to sleep through. This year however I wasn't allowed, this year I spent the day with my brother and his family. Usually they go to in-laws or friends, but this year they stayed as home with the insistent that I join them.
My morning started early with two kitties eager to open their stockings, Santa was very good to me, some of which I will share in the next few days. My next stop was at the cemetery where I left some flowers and a christmas wreath for my nan & gramps, then onto the G household to open more presents with an excited niece and a 'cool' but secretly excited nephew.

With brother cooking the Christmas dinner, I was allowed to sit and relax watching the kids open their presents.
Dinner was lovely and we all had lots of fun with the crackers and charades at the table.
The afternoon was spent watching kids films, playing monopoly and building lego!... occasionally visited by nephew who's Xbox one was a bigger draw than the lego building!... His Armani PJ's from his auntie were a big hit!

The John Lewis rabbit may have stolen my heart in the Christmas ads, but i think the G family pet "Woody" comes a close second. My brother has trained him like a dog, here he is Christmas night getting his treats from his stocking.

I had a lovely day with the family, filled with fun, and love. x

This week...

Has been filled with coffee, cupcakes, birthdays & kittens!!!...
First of all thankyou or the lovely comments & tweets ref my recent post.. It seems that its not just the kittens that are fond of me!
Early this week my mum turned 70, so a batch of birthday cupcakes were baked, iced and delivered at 6.30am for the birthday lady, along with present and flowers. It was lovely to see her on her day if only briefly before I dashed off to work.
Also celebrating birthdays are my nephew and sis-in-law, their big days are next week, where they will celebrate them on holiday.

After a busy week dashing around I have had a chilled weekend. Saturday was filled with chores, & food shopping in the morning. This was broken up by an impromptu coffee with my mum who was also about at the same time. I was a little apprehensive as as much as I love her we don't have the best relationship. We stuck to neutral topics and had a really enjoyable hour catching up.. We came away we a promise to meet up again soon and as I walked away I thought if we can achieve this without killing each other then there is much hope for finding peace in Egypt!!
Saturday night was Indian supper with the golden girls who I haven't seen since July... It was lovely to see them and the added bonus was birthday treats for me... Book tokens & body shop treats.. Perfect for a little a pampering.
Those that follow me in Pinterest will see that I have started to pin some fashion styling pics, these are a collaboration of what I've been wearing that week. I've discovered a new little app which I am enjoying playing with on the sofa. I'm not the only one loving the sofa this weekend.

Fitz & Darcy have discovered the sofa, amongst lots of other things this week. I cannot sit down before they are clamouring all over me purring their heads off, before sleeping where ever they drop.

This week they have discovered the ironing board, and when propped up the wall makes a fabulous slide, scratching post and launching pad to jump on each other from ( i do know have to purchase a new ironing board cover!!) Also with all the birthday wrapping done this week, one will have to rethink her Christmas wrapping day as kittens, ribbon & wrap don't mix!... They have also discovered that the blind in the bathroom goes up and down via a cord and the toilet toll makes a fabulous toy & scratching post!!.. They have kept me amused and entertained this weekend.

Life is a journey.....

and the road travelled is full of crossroads!... This post is unlike my usual, but just felt the need to share the journey that I am on, which at the moment is full of crossroads and twists & turns.
Right now there is much Change in my life, professionally and personally.

Home life has been full of birthdays, anniversaries and challenges (some of which were birthdays & anniversaries).... Over the past month my nephew ended up in a burns clinic in the New Forest with 3rd degree burns to his foot from a camping accident!.. My niece had a burst appendix and an emergency dash to hospital and my SIL has just gone through a redundancy restructure which has resulted in her loosing her job after 26 years with the same business.  This has caused some distress within our small family, as she has always been a high performer and we never expected that she would meet the redundancy criteria. One persons personal opinion can change someones life in a moment. ...she isn't going without a fight. They have now departed on holiday for a little rest & relaxation for a couple of weeks and space to evaluate what they are going to do next.
Recently a new 'head of' was appointed within my department and although I believe that this will have a positive influence on the department, I can say that the honeymoon period is over. Roles and structures are being evaluated and much change is ahead. Having been through this process a couple of times before it always makes me a little unsettled.  As previously posted I am very confident in my work space but completely lack that in my personal life and having just witnessed my SIL go through something similar it does make me nervous. Contrary to all the employment laws, it is still harder to
be a high performing female in the workplace, age still influences decision making of employment and people still judge you on what you look like... This is quite a contentious statement but the reality is still out there... Business are just very good at working round this without appearing discriminative.  As I embark on this journey I need to take my team along with it and engage them on this journey... Thankfully I have a great team, who as well as doing a fab job have the ability to make me laugh out loud every day. This is what they sent me today!!!.....

Outside of work my two little kittens have bought much fun to my home... It's lovely having 2 little faces peering through the door as I put my key in the lock, haven't felt this wanted or loved since Gramps.
 I am having to evaluate how I do things at home... This weeks challenges are that the ironing board & clothes airer make fabulous climbing frames!... a new cover for the ironing board is on the shopping list as the current one has been shredded... They bring so much fun and mischief to my day that I can turn a blind eye to their little misdemeanours.... More kitty tales to come.

New Arrivals in July...

July saw a number of new arrivals in my life and the country worthy of a little celebration ... the first being the arrival of a new Prince and future King of England, George, son to Kate & William.

The second was a prince to my friend Kelly and husband James and little brother for Sophie, Congratulations on the birth of baby Lewis....
And finally 2 princes of my own!....

Fitzwilliam (Fitz for short) and Darcy ... Two little kittens now residing at Teresa's terrace. ... Fitz is the white tabby and Darcy is the black one. It has taken some time for me to name them as I wanted something significant to me and their personalities... Fitzwilliam is the most outgoing and adventurous of the 2 and Darcy is dark and brooding!... Pride & prejudice is my favourite book and with it celebrating 200 years this year thought it was fitting to name my two kitties after one of the most iconic & loved men in print!

London celebrated the birth of Prince George in style.. with multiple landmarks turning blue, including the big yellow store. One of the windows in the store was filled with corgis and balloons... along with celebratory cupcakes and cocktails in store.  

As you can see the kittens are settling in...The towel bales and the toy basket are very popular mediums of entertainment along with my iPad which they pad all over the minute I turn it on! Whilst typing this post I have two little helpers, one sitting on my shoulder and the other walking across my lap, tapping the screen!
The kittens have left their sibling with its mum so she isn't too lonely without them and reside around the corner at my friends house, so not too far if they miss their mum too much!.. Although judging on how well they have settled on the sofa I don't think they will go back!...

One week in they have given me endless hours of fun, .. They scamper around like lunatics and then fall asleep on their feet.. Very naughty, funny and sweet.. Perfect little housemates for me.