hazeljoy

a thought or two

01: facebook

daft, i know, but you would be surprised just how many people i have 'refound' on there. people who are supportive, kind, funny and amazing, and remind me just how ace i am. it's truly ace to have these people back in my life, albeit in a partially virtual way.

02: the return of winter light

the world looks crisp and young and alive to me in this funny old light. 

03: the movies

the pre-christmas tv scheduling run of films, films, films is kicking in right about now, and it's more than welcome watching.

04: quilts

no explanation needed.

05: being made to remember who i am

life's run of events are a funny old thing.

06: being made stronger

i can deal with anything. and i am glad of being made to realise it.

07: early weekend walks

it's just me and my ipod

08: live music

but i really must see more

09: photography

seeing the world anew, and capturing my life all over again

10: feeling festive

i love this time of year

and oh my goodness: 31 days of blog365 to go. however has the year gone so fast?!

anyone else noticed the changes? end of the summer thankfuls.

the light is starting to fade, and the cold setting in. 

i want to feel cosy and warm in the evening. 

i am starting to chose longer sleeves and more layers.

meals of choice are warm and filling.

winter's coming.

i'm not sad about it either. i like winter. (by the way, i only really consider there to be 2 seasons - winter and summer. autumn and spring are just transitional times in my world). winter is full of cosyings and warmth, and birthdays, and finding joys in simple things. i actually quite like the cold, too. and seeing the world being different, seeing the world being just it's bare bones, appreciating it's shapes and forms

things i am thankful for at the end of this summer:

01: good friends

02: wonderful family

03: bloggers! and their lovely thoughts and words

04: getting back to the structure of work

05: ripening apples for baking

06: good films (have you seen once yet? you really should you know)

07: not seeing rain in the last week (a miracle, no?)*

08: seeing things differently

09: my camera - capturing inspirations for later perusal

10: hazelnut syrup

*edit: wouldn't you know i'd do the two things that are guaranteed to make it pour down: wash my car and rejoice about the lack of rain.

moving in

i am finally moving into my new little room. the final coat (final because i finished the tin of paint) went on after school yesterday, before i went to see this with a lovely friend (have you seen it? i thought it was excellent. exactly as i wanted it to be. perfect, even). the colour is 'cotton white', apt really, as i intend to get back in the swing of things, fabric-wise.

and so all day i've been quite excited. you know the feeling when you've got something really important & enjoyable to do, and you sometimes forget what it is, then you remember? i've been doing that all day. all smiley inside, but thinking 'what is so excellent? oh yeah, my room!'

you see this room is very important to me. it's more than just a place to 'store all my crap'. it means i can keep things safe and organised. out of the way and available. 

these are my collection. my magazines. every issue of elle decoration (uk) since january 2001. impressive, no?

i admit i did start panicking earlier, when i couldn't find june 2008. i actually got slightly upset. this is not good. i am almost thinking that i should cut them up - as much as i love them, i don't want to be the creepy lady who keeps magazines as a sort of pet.

this picture pleases me the most. rich was (and is) as excited as me.

a lovely little day (saturday may 31st)

near-summer thankfuls.

01: new (and old) friends

02: discovering what 'comes up'

03: more space (inside & out)

04: making a place ours

05: time together

06: lighter nights

07: helpful acts

08: less stress

09: entertaining

10: music & dancing

((i never thought i'd write such a people-centred 'thankfuls' list. i guess i'm growing up))

winter thankfuls - 2

01: friday nights (rest)
02: saturday mornings (rest, rest, rest)
03: warm baths
04: children's questions
05: new socks
06: bulbs (could there be any better sign that we're nearly in spring?)
07: hanging washing on the line
08: getting a good haircut
09: having a good book to read
10: buying lovely presents (for myself!)

i feel all smug now too - i had permission not to post today, what with the fact that it's february 29th today. but now i have. so there. have a good weekend (and don't forget your ma on sunday) x

january down

wow, 1 month down already.
time is quite literally flying by. 1 more week until half term. then 5 more and it's easter. then we'll be in the summer term. flippin hell.

right now i am thankful for:
01. short half terms
02. lighter nights
03. longer days
04. warm places
05. brighter light
06. long shadows
07. meeting good people
08. finding lost things
09. friday nights
10. hot coffee

ps. happy birthday grandma! 74 today xx

l - me, r - grandma (ma's ma)

the best & rested (or "the christmas")

it was so ace.
we woke up. on. our. own. in. our. little. house.
i love this house. it's so much a growing and changing little space that doesn't fail to make me feel comfortable.

it must be a sign of my great maturity (ha) that the first thing we did was tidy and clean. christmas morning, before breakfast, we cleaned. now you might read that as very conscientious of us, or you could read that as we were too lazy busy to do any of it before then. i'll let you decide.
i spent the day in my pjs (i did wash, i just got dressed back into my pjs). i love pj-days.

rich and i were host to my lovely friend kathryn. plans overran (something to do with the fact we were using a neighbour's oven - picture me in spotty pjs, rich in my apron, trotting back and forth between houses. good job no one was around), we ate late, we had such a good day. rich didn't complain once when we began a third episode of america's next top model. he's amazing.

not traveling to parent's houses straight away made such a difference to our peace and rest. we did (of course) visit both homes, saw families, siblings and friends. but it has been being here, at home, that has made this holiday for me this year.

i've loved
- having my own little tree
- snuggling under the quilt
- getting up when i wanted to
- making christmas dinner (an activity we repeated at new years when we hosted again)
- watching films, and having the time to enjoy them
- being able to rest
- spending time together

and yes, school's on the horizon again. this will be a busy little half term. but i'm rested and ready for it. i've just got to get out of the habit of staying up to all hours and get myself to bed at a sensible time!

good night x

27 (or "the birthday")

it's the way it goes, tiddley pom... i just keep getting older.. who knew?
i don't feel any different, i'm just starting to want and like different things. if this is what getting older is like i think me and ageing are going to be friends.
it seems each year is getting a little shorter. not enough so as you'd notice, but enough to make the time slip by a little faster (a bit like in the twits when mrs twit makes mr twit think he's shrinking).

i had a cracking time. the best birthday in years. rich and i stayed at here the night before (i love this place - there's something of poirot about the art deco styling). we had dinner out and stayed up late. our room had a cracking view of the tree (they keep the lights on all night. again, who knew?).

nb. not this view - this was taken from my car. but it is this tree... it's so pretty.

i opened this gorgeous trio (of abigail's):

*i have shamelessly robbed these photos from abigail's etsy shop (thankyou and sorry abigail xx) (kelly also has the one in the right .. my we have good taste)

what a lucky girl eh? can't stop wearing them!
and then dinner out. ooo i am a bit flash and jet-set. (didn't mention the mid-afternoon sleep i happened to take did i?)