Lust List (March 2011)

Its that time again, for a little round up of the items that have caught my eye and made my heart flutter this month.

First. This seashell heart. So beautiful and would look wonderful in our bedroom I think.

Second. This money box from Urban Outfitters. 

Third. and going along the same theme. These headphones from Urban Outfitters. Silver please.

Fourth. This top from New look. I l.o.v.e summer tops like this. though it does make me think I really need to get my tattoo/half sleeve finished!

Firth. These converse.

Sixth. These converse. (I can't decide which ones I like most)

Seventh. These snapshot frames from OU. How cool are they for on your fridge! (huh. cool. fridge. made a pun and didn't even mean to!)

Eighth. This bunny rabbit tea towel from H&M.

Ninth. loving these clamdiggers from H&M. I think they will make me look shorter and dumpier than I already am, but I cant help but want them.

and finally. Tenth. This light shade from B&Q, which I think will be lovely in out hallway, or for our landing. :)

I am sure I shall end up purchasing some of these items, I dont think I shall have the will power to resist. and the first thing will likely be the lampshade. Our hallway definitely needs a makeover, its not inviting in the slightest. x

So you remember how yesterday I said that the clocks changing was fine because it was still light in the mornings.
It seems my mind was playing tricks on me and it was lies!
Because today when my alarm went off it was decidedly dark in our bedroom. No glints of sunlight through the curtains to entice me out of bed. Just dull and dark, (alright, I'll concede it was because it was cloudy and overcast, minus the clouds it would have been brighter) and it took more than double the effort it did yesterday to get myself out of bed, dressed and to the gym for it opening.

But up and dressed I got, and made it to the gym for it opening. I didn't overly enjoy this mornings workout (Darren is on early starts this week which means he cant come in the mornings. Even though we dont work out together when we are there, I still like his company on the car ride there and home and the odd smile at each other across the gym) I changed it up a little today, and instead of doing Treadmill/Bike. I did Treadmill/XTrainer. Boy did that sucker nearly kill me! but its good. I feel good for changing things around, and I used to l.o.v.e the Xtrainer, so its about time I rediscovered my love for it.

Tonight, straight after work I am going to a Body Balance class. We normally go on a Wednesday, but its later so means I am not home until 9ish and its so late to be eating dinner (I'm not home in time to eat and let it settle before going to the class) So today I have my kit with me so I can get changed at work and go straight there. Hopefully I'll make it in time and it will be a nice class.


When I got home last night Darren asked if I would like to see what he had done... uh-oh, what do you mean?
What he meant was that he had got home from work and spent the afternoon sorting out our spare room! Wow! ok its still got a lot of stuff in it that needs going through. and it has our old sofa upturned on its side awaiting being sold. but even so. There is space for a desk!! a desk!

ooh happy days.

and this is the desk we have chosen.

I cant wait to get it and start painting/creating again! :)
Happy Tuesday! xx

Goooood Morning Campers

Hope everyone is feeling fine this sunny Monday morning.

Yesterday was the first time in my life I think that I was NOT looking forward to the clocks changing. I love the lighter evenings, there will be absolutely no need for me to have the lights on my car on the drive home from work. it just automatically feels like summer.
This year however, I was just thinking about how it'll be dark again in the mornings when I want to get up and go gym... I was concerned it might effect my exercise pattern!! WTF? Whats happened to me?

As it happens, it didn't effect it much at all. Its still light enough to not feel like you are getting up in the middle of the night, so hoorah. Summer time is here. :)


I am still very much struggling with getting myself in this new routine fully. Mondays at the gym are a bit of a rush, it opens at 7am (not 6.30 as it does Weds and Fri) but I still want time to shower and wash my hair. (I shower every day of course, but wash my hair just every other day! I used the glad hair day shampoo and conditioner today by the way, my hair smells divine!)
So I am still very much on a learning curve, and my gym workouts need tweaking. I only managed a mile power walking on the treadmill today before I had to scoot off into the shower. However, a mile power walk is still better than staying in bed doing nothing!


Saturdays are turning into a bit of a non entity for me too. with Darren working & out at football I tend to run round the house cleaning and generally doing the chores, and then nothing. And seeing as weekdays tend to be so busy, going from 60-0mph is really throwing me off track. I need to find something more constructive to do with my weekends, while still giving myself some time out to relax, or we'll just have another case of burnout to deal with!


It'll all fall into place soon I am sure. its the same as any new hobby/project etc. its takes a while for it to become second nature.
What do they say? for the average person it takes 3 weeks to form a new good habit? (apparently)
One thing at a time, and those good little habits soon are second nature and help make things easier and more enjoyable.

I'm happy that I made myself get up this morning and go for a work out. no matter how small it was. A positive start to the day, a positive start to the week. :)

Happy Monday everyone xx

Sunday Snapshot

My new lip balms. Lip smackers! Fanta orange, coca cola, and coca cola vanilla (the latter being my favourite)
Purchased from Primark this afternoon (along with 2 pairs of PJs. A vest. 2 dresses. 2 tops and a necklace. Darren got 4 tshirts!... we had a little unplanned spree!)

I love them, and next weekend will be returning to purchase the 'sprite' version, and probably buy another vanilla one because I *actually* love it! :) x

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Weigh In Result & Meal Plans

I lost 1lb!! whaaaaaatt? after the week I had!?! All I can imagine is that actually my eating was not as bad as I had actually imagined, and the exercise is finally staring to work its magic! (I have been complimented this week on how healthy I am looking, and I am apparently looking 'leaner'!)

Now I do not think the in depth food plans I have been doing on here have been helping me that much, a little too restrictive and OTT having every single thing planned and to be honest were a bit of a bore to type out. So I am reverting back to a simpler strategy...

Saturday - Extra Easy
Breakfast: Egg & beans on toast
Lunch: ? Not yet sure
Dinner: 'KFC' chicken & chips with salad.

Sunday - Extra Easy
B&L: cooked full English brunch
D: Beef casserole in the slow cooker, roast pots and cauli cheese

Monday - Extra Easy - Gym in morning
B: Egg & Beans on toast
L: Leftover beef casserole etc
D: Fish, Chips & mushy peas

Tuesday - Green - Gym in Morning, Body Balance in evening

B: Egg & Beans on toast

L: Egg salad wrap & spicy tomato soup

D: Aubergine Parmigana & salad

Wednesday - Extra Easy - Gym in Morning

B: Egg & Beans on toast

L: Egg salad wrap & spicy tomato soup

D: Pork Curry & rice

Thursday - Green - Gym in morning - SW in evening

B: Egg & mushrooms on toast

L: Leftover Parmigana & salad

D: Lazy dinner! Jacket pot, crispy quorn & beans

Friday - Extra Easy - Gym in morning

B: Egg & Beans on toast

L: Leftover Pork curry & rice

D: Sausage, chips & veg

As you can see, and as previously mentioned, we are hoping to make our early morning gym visits a daily (week days) occurrence. We are also trying Body Balance on a Tuesday night instead of Wednesday too.

My snacks will probably mostly be yogurts and fruit. a couple of cereal bars on the green days. and some lovely sorbet with frozen raspberries for my desserts too of course.

Happy eating everyone! :) x

Feeling Good (and a request for advice)

So after my few days of feeling horrid, I am feeling back on track and good again.
Last night we had lovely home made veggy lasagne for dinner (quark thinned with a little skimmed milk instead of white sauce worked wonderfully!) and another early night were just the ticket.

This morning we were up early and at the gym at 6.30 again. Today our friends Leanne and Ed met us there too. I do love working out before work, it just takes a little adjustment to getting up earlier and its such a positive way to start the day.

In fact, we are enjoying it so much that we are going to start going every weekday morning before work. :)


This is where my request for advice comes in... Beautifying make up products that are super speedy to use/get results.

What can you recommend?

One thing I am on the look out for is an eyelash conditioner/conditioning mascara. My eyelashes are rather fine and unfortunately quite short. So without mascara I tend to look like I have no eyelashes! But I am convinced that using mascara every day is no good for my lashes either.

I also have a terrible habit of tugging them and pulling out any lose ones. Terrible I know. I dont want bald eyes!! So in my head conditioning them/looking after them more means less lose lashes, less tugging and more loveliness! Right??

So what products are in your gym/makeup bag?? Share your secrets with me. xx

A few things

A few things on my mind this week...

1 - I have SUCKED at eating healthy and exercising for the past few days - I've been completely burnt out!

2 - I've been completely burnt out because we have been putting our all into exercising, doing up the house and paying our credit cards off!

3 - We are now so close to our credit cards being paid off I can smell it (hoorah!)

4 - I get stressed and overwhelmed at the slightest things sometimes (like calling the garage)

5 - Putting on a favourite top (currently a stripy jumper) in the morning can instantly make you feel better

6 - I am having another early night tonight. Sleep also helps make you feel better

7 - I'd crossed 2 things off my 'to do' list by 9.30 this morning (hoorah!)

8 - My hair desperately needs cutting - Fuzzball. Eek.

9 - My new lunchbag arrived today, it has fawns and hedgehogs on it. Happy lunch for work.

10 - Darren told me last night to not beat myself up about not going gym. Its ok not to be there every single time we have planned... It'll all be ok.

He's right you know. It will all be ok. :)

Happy Tuesday everyone. HAPPY flipping Tuesday! xx

This should have been my Sunday Snapshot!

But the fact I forgot to post it just goes to show how my brain was functioning this weekend!! Doh!

Weigh In result & Meal Plans

Its that time of the week again.... How quick does it fly by?
Anyway last night I had a maintain (stayed the same) I know I should be pleased I didnt gain, but I'd not had a bad week, and I'd been to the gym plenty too so in all honesty I was a bit pissed off. Anyway, I'm going to use that frustration and turn it into determination... or something like that anyway! :)
I was at the gym this morning did an extra 5minutes on the treadmill and 'kilamanjaro' on the bike again.

And here are my plans for next weeks meals...

Saturday - Extra Easy
Breakfast: Egg on Toast (bread Heb. Flora Light 2syns, milk Hea)
Lunch: Stuffed mushrooms & salad
Dinner: Slow cooked gammon with roast potatoes, BNS & veg
Snacks: Fruit, sorbet (3syns) malteaser bunnie (8syns!)

Sunday - Extra Easy
B & L: Cooked Brunch. bacon, eggs, beans, tomatoes, sausage, toast (bread Heb, Sausage 2.5syns, milk Hea)
D: Dinner out. Either at my parents or at a pub.
S: Fruit. possibly stuffed mushrooms in the evening, depending on what time we eat dinner!

Monday - Green - Gym in morning
B: Cereal bar before gym. Egg on toast after gym (Bread Heb, Cereal bar Heb, flora light 2syns, milk Hea)
L: Rice or cous cous salad
D: Veggy lasagne, salad & garlic bread (cheese Hea, Garlic bread 5syns)
S: Fruit & low fat yogurt, sorbet (3syns)

Tuesday - Extra Easy
B: Egg on toast (Bread Heb, flora light 2syns, milk Hea)
L: Leftover Gammon & leftover rice or cous cous salad!
D: Fish, Chips & mushy Peas
S: Fruit & low fat yogurt, Sorbet (3syns)

Wednesday - Green - Gym in morning, Body Balance in evening
B: Cereal bar before gym. Egg on toast after gym (Bread Heb, Cereal bar Heb, flora light 2syns, milk Hea)
L: Leftover Veggy Lasagne & salad
D: Jacket potato, quorn fake chicken thing, baked beans
S: Fruit & low fat yogurt, Sorbet (3syns)

Thursday - Extra Easy - Weigh in evening
B: Egg on toast (Bread Heb, flora light 2syns, milk Hea)
L: Jacket potato & tuna salad
D: Pork Curry a la Darren
S: Fruit & low fat yogurt, sorbet (3syns)

Friday - Green - Gym in morning
B: Cereal bar before gym. Egg on toast after gym (Bread Heb, cereal bar 3syns, flora light 2syns, milk Hea)
L: Jacket potato, cheese & baked beans (cheese Hea)
D: Pitta pizza & bns chips (Pitta Heb, Cheese 2syns, Chorizo 2syns)
S: Fruit & low fat yogurt, sorbet (3syns)


Quite a samey week as you can see!! I do love eggs for breakfast, and I was trying to have something different (and quicker) the mornings we go gym before work, but I was feeling hungry mid morning and snacking. So I decided 'sod it' I'll have eggs. yummy! Especially as I get them from a guy at work who has his own chickens that are fed organically. You can really tell the difference to shop brought ones, even when they are free range, they just don't taste as nice as the ones I get from work!

Sorbet every day for dessert too. but I really am addicted to that, its SO good. :)

Pork curry a la Darren... thats, well thats quite simply a curry cooked by Darren of course! he is becoming a bit of a culinary wizz at curries. Which I have no complaints about, and take full credit for (well I did buy him a curry cook book!)

Have lovely weekends all of you! xx

A few things & Resolution Update

1. I love the big windows at the gym, I like looking out and seeing the place 'wake up' in the morning.

2. I do not love the Magpies that perch on the trees outside the big windows, forcing me to salute and say 'Hello Mr Magpie' Thus making me look like a loony in the gym!

3. Malteaser Bunnies are my new most favourite chocolate in the world (Creme egg I still love you, but the bunnies have me hooked!)

4. I really cant decide what colour to paint the downstairs w/c. Smallest room in the house, toughest to make decisions on!

5. Also, is it odd to put a photo of everyone from our wedding up in the toilet?

6. Another Body Balance class tonight, I hurt so much last week I'm kinda dreading it, kinda looking forward to it.

...

I thought I'd also take a look at how am I doing on my Resolutions for 2011

#1: Take care of myself more.
Well so far I am 9lbs lighter. I am exercising at least 4 times a week. and generally I am taking more time for a bit of pampering. A new hairstyle is on the cards in the not too distant future! :)

#2: Get house decorated.
Now known as the home makeover. ;) living room is 99% finished. Downstairs w/c is well on the way to being done. as is our bedroom, and we have started on the garden... so slowly but surely we are getting there.

#3: Change our lifestyle.
Now this is the one I didn't feel ready to share too much about. And I'm still not ready to share too much more. but the first steps have been taken, they may be tentative baby steps, but it seems the journey has started. I should be able to share a little more on this matter soon. :) x

#4: Improve my blog and start up an online shop.
riiiight... well, I guess only you guys out there can really be the judge on if this little space of mine has improved in any way shape or form. I think it looks a little prettier! generally I think it'll just be a case of  trying different things, seeing what works and what doesn't etc. So long as I still enjoy it its all good. :)
The online shop... not got there yet. thats a plan for a little later in the year. If I try and do too much at once I'll turn into a complete stress head, so at the moment all energy is on the home makeover!

#5: Get a dog.
Yeah. I forgot this was even a goal/resolution to be honest. Obviously it has not happened yet. Obviously I would love love LOVE to have a little pooch. But its still not practical :(


Not bad for a couple of month into the year eh! :) yay me! xx

Monday ... already!

Phew. Were did the weekend go? I dont know about any of you but the weekends just seem to fly by at the moment.
Saturday I was non stop. did my nails when I woke up (a few years ago I did a nail technician course, I used to do a few friends nails, but now I just tend to do my own as and when I fancy it! I am a terrible nail biter!!) took delivery of the groceries, cleaned the kitchen, tidied the living room and bedroom, hoovered the stairs and cleaned the bathroom (its exhausting just writing it all!) I stopped for half hour and grabbed a pasta mugshot for lunch then set about dying my hair.
Darren came home as I had finished drying it and we went into town to pick up Tickets for us to see Jenny Eclair that evening (Me and Leanne, not Darren!) Popped to another couple of shops. Home to get changed and ready, grabbed a couple of chicken kickers and a slice of Pizza from Darren (yep, the meal plan went out the window!) Watched Jenny Eclair (rather funny, though we both said we would have found it funnier if we were 20years older and a bit more middle class!) home and finally to bed.

Phew!

Sunday was the laziest morning imaginable. Darren cooked breakfast in bed, and we did not get up 'properly' until well gone midday! Lovely after such a busy Saturday,

Then when we fiiiinally made it out of our cosy bed. We started to rip the garden to pieces. It had gotten in such a mess over the past 2 years with me being unwell and then the wedding last year that it really does need a full on overhaul.
After chatting about it over breakfast in bed we came to the conclusion that the bedroom has very little to be done to it. Where as the garden... thats going to be one BIG job.

So, The bedroom makeover is on hold until Easter time when I have some time off and can get painting etc. and Darren is concentrating on the garden. At the moment its pretty much ripping stuff out, levelling the ground and doing some hard landscaping. None of which I would be very helpful with, so I shall take on the role of coffee maker and biscuit provider. While pointing out what should go where.

I'll share some of our garden plans later this week. But just as a quick share, these are the slabs we are planning on.

Have a good Monday everyone x

Sunday Snapshot

Starting to rip the garden up. We are putting the bedroom on hold for a while. Now its getting warmer the money will be much better spent getting our garden sorted out.
I'm starting to dread it already. Its not going to be an easy job!! Eek.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Weigh in result & meal plans

So, Weigh In last night. I had a maintain (ie: stayed the same) Which seeing how I'd had a couple of weeks off plan, been unwell and had eaten things like this. I was happy. :D

I am going for a really good week this week. as always I have planned my meals (all below as usual!) and I have plenty of exercise planned too.

Saturday - Extra Easy
Breakfast: Egg & Bacon on toast (bread as Heb, milk as Hea, 2syns for flora light)
Lunch: pasta salad (2syns for mayo)
Dinner: Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas

Sunday - Extra Easy - Gym in morning
B&L: Egg, sausage, beans (2.5syns for the sausage)
D: Bacon double cheese burgers & chips (Roll as Heb, Cheese as Hea)

Monday - Green - Gym in Evening
B: Egg on Toast (bread as Heb, Milk as Hea, 2 Syns for flora light)
L: Tomato Soup & Bread roll (roll as Heb)
D: Mushroom & pepper risotto & garlic bread (Philadelphia as Hea, Garlic bread 5syns)

Tuesday - Extra Easy
B: Egg on toast (bread as Heb, Milk as Hea, 2 Syns for flora light)
L: Leftover risotto (2syns for Philadelphia)
D: Chilli con carne & rice

Wednesday - Green - Gym in Morning, Body Balance in Evening
B: Cereal bar before Gym, Muesli & apple after gym (Muesli as Heb, Cereal bar as Heb, Milk as Hea)
L: Leftover risotto (again! 2syns for Philadelphia)
D: Some sort of Quorn thing! Jacket potato, cheese & baked beans (Cheese as Hea)

Thursday - Extra Easy - Weigh in Evening
B: Egg on toast (bread as Heb, Milk as Hea, 2 Syns for flora light)
L: Leftover Chilli & Rice from Tues
D: Tarragon Chicken & Pasta

Friday - Green - Gym in Morning

B: Cereal bar before Gym, Muesli & apple after gym (Muesli as Heb, Cereal bar as Heb, Milk as Hea)

L: Jacket potato, Cheese & Beans (Cheese as Hea)

D: Canneloni & Garlic bread (Garlic Bread 5syns)

My snacks for the week will pretty much just be fruit (and boiled eggs and a cereal bar for my early gym session days!) Saturday I am not 100% sure. I am going to see Jenny Eclair with my friend Leanne so We may have some nibbles!
And most evenings I shall probably have raspberry sorbet with some frozen raspberries. I actually cannot get enough of this at the moment, completely addicted to it. Its only 3syns for the small bowl full I have so it has become a regular treat.

The Tarragon Chicken we are having on Thursday is lovely. I shall be sure to share this recipe soon. and The Cannelloni on Friday, thats a new recipe I am trying. I'll let you know how it turns out and if its nice I'll share that one too!

Hope you all have a good weekend. xx

Pancakes

So Tuesday night I succumbed and we made pancakes. I just made up a small batch so we did not go tooooo overboard. But it was still incredibly decadent (mine were anyway!) for a Tuesday night!

As it was an unplanned event, and the camera batter was not charged we snapped a couple of quick shots on my BB. My tossing skills were remarkable! ;)

If you are currently watching your weight/dieting I may suggest you look away now! All good intentions of healthy eating went out the window with these little beauties. There is fruit included in them though, so technically there is some goodness in there.

mmmmm. Chocolate Cherry pancakes!
I had a few leftover frozen cherries in the freezer, and there was some chocolate spread stashed at the back of one of the cupboards. From previous experiments I knew this would be a tasty food combination, so threw them in my pancake.

oh... my... word. Soooo Naughty, but oh so lovely.

Just got to deal with the consequences of treats like this when I go weigh in tonight. Fingers crossed the odd bout of indulgence has not attached itself directly to my thighs! xx

A Few Things

Good morning. Its been a quiet few days as unfortunately I have been unwell. So today I am sharing just a little list of a few things on my mind at the moment.

.1 - Having a clean and tidy house is truly wonderful

.2 - Having a cold when you have a pierced nose is a real pain in the *rse (sorry. gross I know)

.3 - Last night I drove home without needing lights (Spring is in the air)

.4 - I'm starting Body Balance classes again on Wednesday

.5 - I am so un-flexible those classes may be a struggle/quite amusing/a complete embarrassment

.6 - The sunshine is really making me want to be outside taking photos

.7 - I really need to remember to charge my camera battery tonight

.8 - I would love to get tattooed again soon

.9 - I am dreading my weigh in on Thursday. Pleeeease let me have not gained.

.10 - My husband is now a follower of my little blog :) *waves*

.11 - Raspberry sorbet is amazing

.12 - Its Shrove Tuesday. To have pancakes, or not have pancakes. That is the question?!


Happy Tuesday xx

Sunday Snapshot

Just back from town where I picked up my new lovely Gok Wan glasses from Specsavers.
Not best accessorised with a red nose & cold I know (and I'm hoping my roots are not too noticeable using my BB camera) But hey, I may be a snivelling mess, but I have fecking cool glasses! :D xx

Weigh In & Meal Plans

Unfortunately I did not make it to Weigh In this week. A bit of a sniffle and feeling cold turned into a fully fledged stuufed nose, sore throat and aches all over. :(

I took the time I spent in bed to plan out this weeks meals and orde the groceries. Even though I am feeling rotten I am feeling positive and focussed this week.

This is what we have planned. I have gone a bit more indepth this week, with breakfasts, snacks, syns and healthy extras all included. Is this too much, or does it give a better all round idea of how I eat?

Saturday - Extra Easy
Breakfast: OSS & summer berries (Milk as Hea, Oats as Heb)
Lunch: Egg & chips
Dinner: Chicken, golden rice & salad
Snacks: Fruit, Raspberry sorbet (3syns), crisps or biscuits (2-5syns)

Sunday - Extra Easy - gym, swim or bike ride?
B & L: Egg, bacon & beans on toast (bread as HEb, milk Hea)
D: Roast chicken dinner (2syns for gravy, 3syns for yorkshire pud)
S: Fruit

Monday - Green - Gym in evening
B: OSS & summer berries (milk Hea, oats Heb)
L: Chilli supernoodles
D: Pitta pizza & BNS chips (pitta as HEb, Cheese as HEa, 2syns for Chorizo)
S: boiled eggs, fruit

Tuesday - Extra Easy
B: Fruit & salad (milk Hea, cereal Heb)
L: Left over roast veg (from sunday) & pasta
D: Philadelphia chicken, jacket potato & salad (3syns for philadelphia)
S: boiled eggs, fruit

Wednesday - Green - Gym in morning
B: Alpen Light cereal bar before gym. beans on toast after gym (alpen light is half a Heb, Toast as Heb, Milk as Hea)
L: Jacket potato, cottage cheese & salad
D: Mushroom & pepper risotto (3syns for Philadelphia, 5syns for garlic bread slice)
S: Alpen light cereal bar (half a HEb) boiled egg, fruit

Thursday - Extra Easy - Weigh in in evening
B: Egg & beans on toast (toast as Heb, milk as Hea)
L: Leftover risotto (2syns for philadelpia)
D: Sausage, chips & beans (5syns for sausages)
S: Fruit

Friday - Green - Gym in morning
B: Alpen Light cereal bar before gym. beans on toast after gym (alpen light is half a Heb, Toast as Heb, Milk as Hea)
L: Jacket potato, cheese & beans (cheese as Hea)
D: Mushroom stroganof & rice (5syns for slice of garlic bread)
S: Alpen light cereal bar (half a HEb) boiled egg, fruit

Now my gym session are all illness dependant of course. and as you can see on the days I have gym in the morning I have 2 breakfasts! A cereal bar before I go. and then beans on toast or something afterwards. something thats going to give me some extra energy. after getting up that early in the morning I need all the help I can get! :)
on the days I haven't worked in many syns I'll allow myself a treat, a chocolate (Hotel chocolate 3-4syns each!) packet of crisps, some sorbet. something like that.

If any of it takes your fancy, let me know. I'll pop the recipe on here.xx

Home Makeover - Living Room Inspiration

We are really close now to having our living room makeover complete. So I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the pictures that helped inspire our makeover of this room.

Rooms that are light and spacious always catch my eye and draw me in, and thats what we want to create in our home. Its a small house, and the rooms are not overly generous in size. But its just right for the two of us, and seeing that with the current housing climate we shall not be moving anytime soon we wanted to turn our home into just that. Our Home.

We already had a large picture in the room that was of green bamboo, and with the room backing onto the garden, (eventually we have plans for a little conservatory, but thats a little way off yet)
we really wanted to create the feeling of 'bringing the outside in' so concentrated on off whites, vibrant greens, leafy prints, textures and light oak furniture/flooring

These are just a few of the pictures that I came across when trawling the internet for ideas (the wallpaper sample shown is actually what we now have on one wall in the room. love it)

We needed it to be practical (with storage and a tv/games console area) but relaxing. A space to come home after work and instantly feel happy.

I shall share before photos soon & the final finished room soon too. x

Zion

Morning!

That *points up* is what my current glasses are called. Just discovered they are also apparently Mens glasses! <- Do it like a brother, do it like a dude :D Really excited to get my new specs on Saturday though.

Anyway, just a quick update for today. I'm currently sporting braids/plaits for the first time in years. quick and easy, and it means I can half dry my hair and just throw the rest up in this style after an early morning gym visit
(Yep, I had to mention it. I made it to the gym for 6.30 again. not feeling as tired this week, but we'll see if I crash and burn later)

Diet wise, the week hasn't been the greatest. I wasn't as organised as I thought, and the first couple of days were kinda a bust. I couldn't get a couple of the ingredients for some of the recipes I had planned so that went to pot too.
I then discovered yesterday that the Lucozade drink I'd been having at the gym was a grand total of 7 syns a bottle!! oops. I'd guessed at a couple of syns, not 7. So that hasn't helped either. Hoping that my work outs, and subsequent days healthy eating have made up for my few days of chaos.

Been quite busy on a few other little things too, none of which are in the 'ready the share' phase yet, but hopefully not too long now and I can let you in on what I have been working on.
I'm going to share some of the inspiration behind the different rooms in our home, and what we are trying to work towards with our little home makeover soon too. I hope you'll find some of it interesting & possibly inspiring too.

xx