I think I'm going to leave this alone for a while. Again.

I would like to use it more frequently but I just don't have enough interest/spare attention for it anymore. I'll still be on reading my favourite people blogging about things, but I probably won't post for a while. 

Except for the occasional Sunday Secret. 

As for my food blog, I'm at a bit of a dead end. I want it to be up and running with a lot of interaction from people and ideas and photos. But to get there requires a lot of effort, I'm just not in the mood to put in right now. Lazy, I know, but I'm sure a day will come along when I feel the need to get it up and going again and I don't mind putting in the spare time. 

Until then, ciao. 

Happy New Year! 12 Aims For 2012

1. Stop biting my nails. 
2. Become more organised with my money. 
3. Start eating healthier. (Less dairy!)
4. Phone my mum once a week. 
5. Try to sit and read once a day. 
6. Find something active to do once a week. 
7. Make more of an effort with my blogging/food blog because I enjoy doing it!
8. Call people more. I don't talk to my friends/family enough between visits. 
9. Continue trying to take good care of my hair to make it grow. 
10. Ditto skin.
11. Have regular dinner parties for my friends to practice my cooking. 
12. Update my wardrobe with things I actually want to wear that make me feel good about myself. 

I had a marvelous birthday, Christmas and New Year!

My birthday was very good. In summery, I got ridiculously drunk, cried, had a lot of champagne and saw a lot of friends and family, so it was a success. My parents had a party for me at their house and a group of pals came down and it was so nice to see everyone. My mum and dad gave me a very beautiful pandora bracelet which I'm terrified to wear in case I break it!  

Christmas was excellent. I got the pink orchid GHD’s I really wanted, the softest dressing grown in the world, a Dali calendar and a bunch of other things I needed. Kieran came down for the day and we all had dinner at my Aunts (I made both the cranberry and the apple sauce!), and afterwards we both came back to mine for strawberry wine and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. 

After that, Lum came and joined us and we tried out Kieran’s Christmas present from me (A yoda bong!)

I had an absolutely tremendous new year. A wee group of us were drinking at my flat and then we went to Donskies for the bells and then back up to mine. A lot of people came to say hello and quite a few joined and I think everyone had a brilliant time. There were a few photos, but my current camera is terrible so they're not of very good quality!

I've got a lot of thoughts about the New Year. I don't have any particularly strong feelings about last year; it had some excellent points and some not-so-excellent points, but generally it wasn't too bad. I've been feeling a bit strange recently though, like I'm in a bit of a rut. I feel like I need this New Year to kick start my brain. 

Christmas Dinner

I'm having my first dinner party tomorrow and I'm so excited, I don't think I'll sleep! There will be about 11 of us all together and I'm a bit nervous because I've never cooked for that many people! We're having a Christmas meal and my friend Callum has kindly offered to make the starter and bring it over the road. The menu so far is as follows:

Starter

Sweet potato, lentil and bacon soup

or 
Sweet potato and lentil soup (v)

with

crusty bread. 

Main

Roast chicken with sage and onion stuffing & cranberry sauce,

or 

Nutloaf (v)

with 

Steamed carrots & broccoli,

Spicy roasted parsnips with homemade apple sauce,

Roast potatoes,

Yorkshire puddings,

& Gravy.

For dessert, everyone will just bring along something for the group to share (i.e. cheese & crackers, mince pies, cheesecake). Hopefully we'll take some pictures and I'll be able to put some recipes on my food blog when it's ready to be re-launched in the New Year. Wish me luck!

Pasta and Bridget Jones

A Costa date with my best pal last night turned into dinner at mine (homemade pasta and homemade garlic bread!) and a movie. We watched the first Bridget Jones movie which I couldn't tell you if I've seen before properly and it was hilarious. I love how old it is now - everyone smoking in pubs for example! Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are always lovely to watch. It was nice to hang out with Lauren properly for a night. :)

Sunday Secrets

I do this!

In Glasgow!

This is by far my favourite city, especially at Christmas time. Please excuse how lame this next bit will be, it made me so happy, I just have to write about it.

When I arrived in Glasgow last night and I walked out of the train station, holding Kieran's hand, I saw George Square all lit up with Christmas lights and there was a  big wheel and an ice rink and when I looked up I saw (for the first time this winter!) that it was starting to snow. I don't know why, but there was just something so lovely about it all happening at once. We walked through Merchant City, which is always dazzling with the starry lights overhead and the snow started getting heavier and again, it just looked so beautiful and so nice and I felt really happy being there with Kieran and it felt like a real introduction to Christmas and now I just feel so good and I don't want to leave.

I think I'm definitely going to start thinking about moving here next year now that I have a job and I'm in a better financial position to consider it. Kieran has decided to apply for Stirling University to do Film & Media Studies and I think he's going to continue living here so thankfully he'll still be close if I do move.

I'm going to meet one of my good friends, Euan, for the first time since before summer which is pretty exciting! We're going to go get a coffee and then do a bit of Christmas shopping and have a catch up. :)