No. 25 - Keep a plant alive for over 6 months

In May I bought an Orchid. I didn't brag about it. 
I thought better of announcing that I was going for this one. I am too used to killing plants. And a couple of months ago I thought I had failed. The flowers started dropping off. In numbers they started falling, until there were just two left. 
So I googled it, and it turns out it's normal. That's what they do. 
And recently I noticed that there are new little red nibs forming on the stumps of old flowers. 

I guess I might be able to cross this one off the list......

More on the party planning

My party invites arrived from Moo. {You can tell this is an easier list item to do can't you.} 

I love them. 

I created the images for the from and back in photoshop using the size guide templates on Moo. {I am not very talented in photoshop, but I can do enough to get me through a day, so it's ok for me} I then uploaded them to the site as a front and back image. It's super easy to do. 

Once they arrived I rounded the corners to make them look more like a liftpass, popped a hole in the top and used a little bakers twine to finish them off. 

I also bought some Glassine envelopes {from Ebay} and made some super cute stickers {also on Moo, as they were on offer} to complete the look; 

I love them. Even if I do say so myself. 

Now I just have to work on creating a suitably tacky space. 

October

This month saw me hit a 365 on my shuttercal. It was a month of strange nights out in Manchester, meeting old friends, the onset of autumn, making soups, and new boots. 

Progress {?} & No. 29

My Cocodot liftpass styleeee invite

So, I appear to be REALLY running out of time fast on this list.

I might just try and set aside a couple of weekends to make sure that I get through this list. I am not good at failing things of my own creation.

But one of the points I am cracking on with is the party. That’s a super easy and fun point to get started on.

I don’t think that it will spoil anything {as the invite is there for all to see} to let you know that I am planning a après-ski themed affair {and if you are invited, you will already know anyway}. It took a while to decide if I wanted a theme, but well, I love a good bit of Apres Ski time and we thought it would be silly not to run with a theme that can be as widely interpreted as this one!

But just a little warning - It will be suitably tacky. 

The invites went out this week – I sent them through Cocodot. You can not imagine how much I love this site. I send so many cards through it these days, and the invite service allows me to email people AND post the invite to their facebook walls. It also means that I can see who has opened the e-vite and keep a track of the guest list. {Yes, I know it WOULD be easier to set up a facebook group and all that jazz, but I really WANTED to use the cocodot system.}

There will also be some actual invites going out to some people. These haven’t come back from being printed yet though, or been modified, so you can not see them I’m afraid.

Now I just need to find myself something suitably tacky, neony and ski-suity to wear.

September

So, month 9 of 2010 is over {wtf? where did the year go?} and I still have so much left to complete on my list - and the weekends are filling up - I need to start doing things that don't just revolve around keeping my housemate company in the week! She will be off travelling soon so I need to stop and make sure I am doing things for me! 


But September was the weddings of Rich&Karen and Jane&Mark, and a week in Portugal, and the A-Z souvenir foto school and the boy being ill. And, very importantly - it was the month that Lizzie had her beautiful baby boy - Brody! 

August.

August was all about the August Break - which made shooting so easy. 
It was also about packing the boy off to India and hanging out with friends and sailing and baking.  
You can see, and read, my full August Break posts here. 

No 16. Develop more Pictures

My gosh, how did I forget about this?
I stumbled across 3 120films that had been languishing in a drawer for some time, so I made the trip across town to Snappy Snaps and got them developed. 
I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo slack though - some of these shots are from LAST summer. Yes, that's right, summer 2009. 


Here are just a few of them but the rest can be seen on Flickr.

Fireworks

Double Exposure

Birthday 'Tasche

July

July was getting used to a new home, parties, hangovers (re-occuring theme?) and some lovely meals.

Living by Lists

Years ago I lived by a list that was taped to the inside of my wardrobe door, behind the scarves that hung there, hidden from anyone who came round. Hidden from anyone but me.

I used to check it almost daily to make sure I had done everything I needed to. The list had important items on it that made my life a thousand times easier, such as;

• Make sure there is milk and bread at all times.
• Make sure there are clean socks for the ex.
• Make sure his shirts are washed.
• Make sure you take the bin out before he knows it is full.
• Check for lunch foods. & Fizzy pop. There must be cans of coke.
• Have you done the washing up?

The list was longer than this, but I have forgot some of the terribly important points on it. But if I missed some of these items then I got the silent treatment, or there was shouting, or sometimes, things, like pots, got thrown. If we didn’t have bread from sandwiches, or milk for cereal, or cans of drink then the day started badly. When socks hadn’t quite dried yet from the last nights washing I have memories of hair drying them on the sly so that I didn’t the brunt of his anger. If there were no clean shirts. Well. There never were no clean shirts. No clean socks caused so much trouble I didn’t dare.

I kept to this list religiously.

***************************

For the last year and a bit in the house I just moved from we had cleaning lists. The cleaning list that caused such upsets - it was rarely adhered to. And when it was followed, it wasn’t followed by all the residents – I mean, since when do the stairs need hoovering EVERY week?

For my first few months in that house, Sam and I got in trouble regularly for neglecting the hoovering of the stairs. We cleaned the important places, like the kitchen and bathroom. But the stairs……… After Sam moved out and I didn’t have someone to get in trouble with, I tried harder, and other people took over the neglecting of the cleaning o the stairs mantle. But the cleaning rota appeared without fail and occasionally a note was left for the people who had cleaned least.

***************************

Now, I am trying to live by a more fun list. This list.

But I have to say, I have been neglecting it somewhat – I am now under 6months from my 30^th {GULP} and there seems to be quite a lot left on this list to be completed.

I keep looking at it in relation to what I have planned, and how I can steer what I am doing towards the list.

Going forwards there is a new point to the list;

NO.0 - make a concerted effort to try and ‘do’ more of the things on this fun list.

The boy started my panic in my decidedly uncompleted list by pointed out to me that I owe him 3 meals. That is 3 months whereby I haven’t cooked him anything. {No, that is a lie, I made him a bacon sandwich last weekend. Admittedly, he made me tapas, and paella and chicken kebabs this weekend, but who’s counting right?}

So;

No. 16 - This morning I dropped off 3 120mm films at snappy snaps to get developed. I know at least one of these films is from last summer. Maybe all of them are.

No. 13 - The bank holiday weekend will be spent on the boat.

No. 19 – Fingers crossed a London & Lizzie trip are on the cards soon. If we can make that happen it’ll be 2 get togethers in about 3½ months, which for us, will be an impressive feat! And I saw Katie at Glasto......

No. 7 Shaping up

At some point in 2009 I started to expand.

It was nothing unusual – I have a history of ricocheting between sizes – it doesn’t make me happy when I get bigger, it makes me pretty miserable if I am honest, but I know that it will happen.

I began to notice it when my skinny Baxter’s started to fit tighter and tighter, until my blue ones no longer looked acceptable and the black ones gave me the dreaded muffin top.

It got so bad, I did something I haven’t done before and just thought ‘screw it’ and bought the next size up. I though this time maybe I had expanded to stay……..

But I have some good news people – those bigger sized jeans are TOO big now. And the black ones, the ones with the muffin tops, I realised today those muffin tops aren’t there anymore.

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

All those days of dressing-less salads for lunch and dinner. Of annoying the boy with ‘is it healthy?’ questions when he cooks for me. Of not drinking those empty booze calories in the week. Of avoiding random midweek meals out. Of 6am runs. They have started to work.

Don’t get me wrong. I am nowhere near my university days of thin-ness, and I am pretty sure I will never reach that size again {and to be honest, I kind of looked a bit ill when I was at my smallest} but it gives me hope that when I am sat by the pool with the boys family in September, I won’t feel awful.

Now, I just have to keep up with all this good work………

No. 24 - See 10 bands I've never seen at Glastonbury

Done.

So without further a-do those bands were;

1. Corinne Bailey Rae
2. Willie Nelson
3. Snoop
4. The Black Keys
5. Gorillaz
6. Biffy Clyro
7. Editors
8. Muse
9. Jack Johnson
10. Toots and the Maytals.

The Black Keys were spine tinglingly good, Snoop rocked the pyramid, alone and with the Gorillaz, Jack Johnson was super Sunday chilling and Toots were just superb.

What a fantastic weekend………

*And I helped No. 19 along by meeting up with Katie during Jack Johnson and a little bit on Friday afternoon.......

No. 5. Live on my own.

So I won’t quite be achieving this on this year BUT I am moving out of the ‘house of death’ as one former resident calls it and into a lovely little pad with my friend Sarah.

We both realised living alone in Leeds could be pretty pricey, and to be honest I am not that great at being on my own all the time {trust me – I am no good at not talking - I’d end up chatting to myself way too much to still think I was sane!} so we decided to get me out of the house, and her out of her super expensive flat and into a shared place.

As crazy as it might sound to those in the know about my housemates - I am actually going to miss them. I won't miss the mess and the random people they bring home at 4 in the morning or the rudies noises that permeate through the ceiling, but, if nothing else, they keep me {and my work mates} amused with their antics.....

But I am very excited about the new place - we have less than a month before we'll be in there, and i'll have a new space to make my own again.

No. 26 - Take a road trip with Jim

{Image by Beatriz Del Carmen - Found on Flickr}

So I have had to adapt this one slightly as I am fast running out of holiday days from work and there are things popping up left right and centre that are eating into them……{and my cash}

Earlier this year the boy found out he is being sent to India to work. He’s off out there in August for a couple of weeks, and maybe again in October for a few months, so the plan was for me to go out for the end of his October trip, and us take a little journey to a few places, but ridiculous the costs of the flights, and my dwindling holidays put paid to that plan.

However we did book some flights over the weekend and we are planning a little road trip for ourselves in September. His sister is getting married at the end of September on the Algarve in Portugal, so instead of us going for a short 3 day break we have booked flights Wednesday – Wednesday, and a car, but not accommodation, so either side of the wedding we can have a little explore of the towns and cities on the coast there.

And the place they are getting married looks absolutely beautiful – it’s a little resort called Olhos de Agua, and the choices for the ceremony all look out on the sea. It’s going to be stunning.

No. 14 - Make a Blurb book

La Rosiere by Oh_gosh | Make Your Own Book

This weekend, what with the being sick and generally not wanting to do a lot, I thought it would be the perfect time to create this blurb book I have been thinking about for a while as a little holiday memory book - It annoys me that I don't have things readily available to print so much any more.

There is a handy new widget available from blurb too that lets you showcase the book here too. Pretty neat hu!

No. 23 {& No. 7}

In an attempt to kickstart me getting back into Yoga I am going to be taking the Bohemian Babe course over at Pop Fizz.

I haven't done a e-course before but the course sounds perfect to fit in with my getting fit for Glastonbury aim too {which has taken a little hit this week as I have been trying to shake some hideous cold that just wont seem to leave me}. The course will give me 3 yoga classes a week, and nutritional advice and finishes on summer solstice, 2 days before we leave for the festival.

I shall let you know how I get on. I have to say I am really looking forwards it.

P.s. Have you seen Pop Fizz before? I hadn't but Rhian of Rhian Caroline introduced me to Nicole's blog last month, and i have been reading back and forwards since.

April

April was night's out. Trips to Manchester. Bit of nature.

4 months down.

I'd like to take more interesting pics next month. That is the plan. Although, it's a cheap month I am planning to have so maybe it might be hard to do?

No. 24 - See 10 bands I've never seen at Glastonbury

Have you seen the Glastonbury line-up?

Some of it got announced yesterday - loads of people are complaining about it, but I'm pretty excited about it.

And I am pretty sure that it's going to be really easy for Sam and I to see 10 bands we've never heard of - just as long as it's not on Friday - every band I want to see is playing Friday, and all at the same time. What are they playing at?

no 7. Shaping up

So, I went for run no.2 last night.

I now have another couple of shaping up goals to aim for after Glastonbury now so I have to get this exercise thing moving;

• The boys' sister is getting married, abroad, in September.
• And he is off to work in India for about 6 weeks in October. Which means a weeks holiday, hopefully in Kerala, for me at the end of it.

Both of which will require me to wear nice clothes. And little dresses. My little dresses, that I love so much, don't really fit all that well right now.

Right onto the run;

• The lungs still felt like they wanted to escape.
• The knees started to hurt a little {but with their issues, that's was to be expected}

• But I made it a little bit further this time before I walked. The housemate kept telling me just a little further, just a little further, and it worked. And we went one road further before turning home. It did mean finishing the run on a long slope though.

We've set a 5k challenge for me in 8 weeks time, which I guess would be just before Glasto - which might work out just perfect. I don't want to be huffing and puffing my way through those fields again.

But I thought exercise was meant to make you healthier - I seem to have acquired a non-smoker's smoker's cough. Why is that people? Why?

no 7. Shaping up

Last night I went for a run, well, I think it was more of a jog.

I have been telling my housemate I’ll go with her for weeks, but there has always been ‘something’ in the way of the running.

She asked me last night, and I thought, what can I tell her I have to do so I don’t have to go? There was nothing that I could think of to get me out of it, so I sucked up the fear of exercise and went.

The main obstacle I thought might be lack of suitable gear, but as it turns out, when I moved back to Leeds, the random box of shoes I brought with me {and subsequently have barely looked in} housed some of my trainers - and just check out those doozy's.

And, on they went, with the sweat pants and an old tshirt and out for the first run of my life I went.

It was just over a mile, which might not sound much, but to someone who has never ever liked running {I am more of a water baby} I thought it was a pretty good achievement. Now I have got to get round without my lungs trying to force their way out of my chests and my head going bright red.

Easy right?

March

March was snowboarding in France and Italy, belated gifts from old friends, a trip to London, nights out, baking, photoshoots.

3 months of pictures down.

Doing well so far.......

This is the inside of the cake after my messy team mates had their fill.

I am still happiest with the blue layer.

No. 3 - A Rainbow Cake.

So, in light of my boss leaving, to have her bambino, we are eating cake this week at work - for my day of cake I decided to make attempt a rainbow cake.

I am just going to say it was hard work.

And it should have been harder. It really should have a red and a yellow layer, but my red food colouring was rubbish (think more brown then red - that’s the last time I don’t use paste) and I couldn’t find a yellow. To be honest, I didn’t search very far for a yellow, but I couldn’t find one.

So I started off with a basic sponge cake recipe, that I added extra vanilla to just because I thought it might be a good idea. And then I separated it into bowls, I did do 5, because I tried to make a red layer. I attempted it. And my housemate did. She poured more and more red into the cake mix and it got grimmer and grimmer and came out a bit of a muddy, reddy colour, a little like this but maybe browner. Which really shocked me after this colour at Halloween.

But just look at the colour of the blue. Don’t you just want all your food to be that colour?

The next failure came in the form of the cake tin. A good workman always blames his tools right. The cake tin was way too big for the amount of mixture I’d made, which means the layers are a little thin….

But after that realisation the baking was easy.

I used a tin with one of those revolutionary removable bottoms. It made getting the cake out a dream.

But since we only had one it took forever. Half way through I got so bored I nearly gave up with only the blue and orange layers done but my housemate talked me back into it. And then the Gaslight Anthem track came on Zane Lowe to cheer me up. Then I watched a few, back to back, episodes on 90210 on 4od. Nothing like a bit of teen drama to pull you through a baking morose!

And other triumphs include;

The oven only made it rise a little oddly, hence the wobbly edges. Which in our freakishly uneven oven is such an achievement.

The colours that worked, worked – and I mean worked. Mmmmmm, e-numbers.

The frosting went on pretty well too. It covers the wobbly layers of the cakes, I mean I know it looks a mess, but it was late by this point. And it tastes good.

But I have learnt from the experience - next time I shall buy some red (and yellow) food colouring paste, and also a non-8” cake tin. Maybe like a 6” one? In fact I will buy 2 of them. Then I can make the cake way faster….. because although these ideas seem great at the time, they do get a bit tiresome after a while.

I will attempt it again, and next time there will be all the colours. And there will be flat, beautiful looking frosting, like Whisk Kids'.

Next up – Rock and Roll Battenburg!

No. 19

I had a work thing in London this Monday, so Sunday was planned to be spent with Lizzie, for some lunch, and a catch up and a trip to some pretty shops.

My stupid train was delayed by over an hr, so we didn't get as much time as I would have liked, but the best thing about good friends is, that no matter how much time it's been since you last saw each other, or how much time you have together, things are just like they used to be.

We have had so much to catch up on – I mean she is with bump now {well, not actually with bump – the bump’s not there yet…..} but I wanted all the gossip - there are somethings you can't say over emails aren't there. And I also had to dispel the myth she has about the boy being some sort of saint as he's always cooking for me......the football chat we had set her straight. hehe.

We met at Oxford Circus, and wandered down Regent Street to Anthropologie *swoon*. How beautiful is the store. I am so glad they don’t have one in Leeds, or I would be even more broke than I am now. How can you not love a shop with a boat in it?

Walking round Liz and I stopped, she started the sentence ‘you know what this is just like…..’ my answer ‘A grown up UO’. Her exact words.

And you should have seen our excitement at UO when she first moved to London.

We then went for pancakes in an American Diner {I have never seen it take anyone so long to order lunch and a wander round the Lomography shop. Beads shops. Trinket shops.

Then, and I am not sure why, but we wandered, in search of dessert all the way to Covent Garden, where we SAT OUTSIDE with hot chocolates. Yes, that’s right. Outside in March.

Lovely, lovely day.

The next trip will be to help decorate their newly acquired flat.

{Sorry about the pics, they're from my phone!}

A helping hand

My wonderful friend Lizzie left me a belated birthday at her mum's house. I finally managed to get over and pick it up, and boy, was it worth waiting for.

Check out all the beautiful treats she got me, and the most darling thing was, that each of the little gifts was wrapped up in the box with a little tag relating to one of my 29 things.

The amazing Duoflex pictured at the bottom here is obviously for the TTV photography part. There's a little fold away bag for the farmers market trips, some transfer tattoo's {it took me 27 years to decide on the last one - a year might be pushing it a little}, key toppers for my 'own place', and a beautiful little travel pass case, which i might just have to put to use on my trip to London this Sunday.

I love my friends. xo

February!

2 months in.

Haircuts and holiday planning and snow!

No 6. Snowboard More - Completed

So we are back from a great week in the mountains.

{The view from our window}

{The boy, on the slopes}

{Mont Blanc}

{Back to France}

Our last minute and incredibly cheap catered chalet turned out to be pretty fantastic – the other chalet guests were all lovely, and very interesting {amongst them being a bomb disposal expert, a doctor and the most outgoing 4 year old you will ever meet} and the food was {maybe too?} delicious and the wine pretty tasty and free flowing. The hosts were wonderful too. It made me wish I could do another season.

And slope side things were pretty good too; the boy picked up snowboarding so quickly it kind of made me sick {honestly, it took me so long to learn to turn and he got it in a day or so} but his easy adoption of the snowboard meant we made it to Italy a couple of times, up what can only be described as a hellish draglift, but the slopes in Italy made up for the journey there – they were wonderfully empty and long and wide, and we rode a lot of red runs on the French side and a token, but accidental, black run. We also rode in cloud so thick we could barely see the lift right behind us. Which, despite being a little scary, was a lot of fun. Our second trip to Italy was with some of the other guests from the chalet and our host - It was great to have to push myself a little!

One day our plans were thwarted by 65mph winds, but I will let nature off, as my knees were pretty messed up {and still are!} but the day was saved by a cosy chalet and the fact we collectively put together a fantastic cheeseboards {including an actual Kilo of cheese}

The question now is, have we left it too late to fit another mountain trip in before the snow disappears?

Snowbusiness.

This time tomorrow I shall be on the slopes.

Officially.

I can-not wait.

What do you want to know?

Want to know more about me or my list?

You can now ask me any question you like here on formspring. Or in the box you'll find in the menu bar at the side.

No. 20

Agggggggh.

I might be falling behind on this list already.

I said I’d cook for the boy at least once a month. Which might sound like I don’t pull my weight around the place, but we only see each other at weekends, so it’s not that bad – I promise you.

But I have just realised the 3rd weekend in February is almost on top of us and I haven’t lifted a finger {well, that’s strictly not true, I made him cakes! But that’s not a meal}.
Since we are off to the slopes next weekend, I guess I had better get the apron on and get in the kitchen.

Now, I just need a recipe to cook him, I am not sure I can pull veg and noodles out of the bag again.

Any ideas?

I might turn to my newest book addition, a valentines gift, A Homemade Life, and see if I can get any inspiration for him. After all, he did buy me the book!

** I cooked - well, sort of.

We had mexican.

Fajitas.

Salad.

Yum.

No 6. Snowboard More

WE HAVE FINALLY BOOKED SOMETHING!

With 2 weeks to go, we finally found an ace, and cheap deal, to La Rosiere - staying in a catered chalet. It looks divine, with a log fire and beautiful views.

I've never been catered and I am really looking forwards to it - having spent weeks in self catered apartments of various friends (Thanks TK and your Norwegian Hutta) or places we've discovered on the internet and done ourselves, or those seasons in cramped houses, this does feel like the 'grown up' way to do the holiday!

But this is a proper deal - breakfast and meals and wine! See the important word there - WINE!

And to get us in the mood, and Jim and I are heading to Xscape so he can have his first ever lesson (lets hope he likes it!) and i can blow the cobwebs off Lola, and break in my new boots.

EDIT - we went. he loved it! Thankfully. As it's all booked. Now I just can't wait to get out on the slopes. And spend a few nights in that chalet in front of the fire with some vino and friends.......

January!

One month down, 11 to go.

January was full of snow and birthday parties and beautiful presents and baking and a lot of drinking.

You can see the full story here.

Now, here's to a much needed detoxing February - no drinking, and lots of veg!

No 21 - Make Carrot Chutney!

Marks and Spencers make the most delicious sandwich – Wensleydale and Carrot Chutney. It’s amazing – if you are passing through you should get one. But the annoying thing is you can’t buy the carrot chutney. And, when you look online, all you get are people asking where you can buy it, or for the recipe. No answers, only questions!

So, I thought I might try and make my own. Please bear in mind here, I have never made a chutney before, let alone one I don’t actually have a recipe for. Jim and I found a bit of a recipe that we thought might work – so with a few changes we went ahead!

I wouldn’t say it tastes just like the m&s one – I think I might make it again and leave out the apple – it kind of overtakes the carrot flavours! But, it’s not awful – so, a small triumph!

(Here is the recipe!)

Ingredients

tbsp olive oil
1 lb grated carrots
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup vinegar
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp caraway seed
¼ tsp pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots to the pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned and much reduced. Remove carrots from pan. Add ¼ cup of the sugar to the pan and heat until caramelised. Turn down the heat, add the carrots and stir. Pour in the vinegar and the remaining ½ cup of sugar, bring the pan gently to the boil stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, replace lid and simmer for 5-10 minutes let everything cook through. Remove the lid and gently boil uncovered until the chutney has thickened. Put into clean jars and seal.

Leave for a month for flavours to mingle before opening.

Getting started!

No. 20. Pt. 1 -

So, I got started on the list this weekend!

No time like the present hey.

First off, Cooking for Jim more. Once a month. He says that's 12 meals - I say if he lasts that long! Hehe.

I started easy and made us noodles and veg and salmon - in a hoy sin dressing. Nothing too spectacular, but it was delicious!

And why this combo? Because this was all the food I had in the house!

And a massive plus - no-one died of food poisoning!

So I think it stared ok.......And that's my meal for January out of the way!

And so it begins

I am 29, today.

Not overly happy about the fact - I feel about 23. I should be about 23! I even got I.D'd the other day!

And this whole approaching 30 thing makes me think I ought to be grown up! Another thing i don't like so much.

But it does mean the list begins today.

I am looking forwards to seeing how I get on, and if I can manage to get all the way through in the next 365 days!