Daily Dose of Ash

I'm Baaaaaack!

2010-12-15T05:25:00.000Z

Miss me??

I can't believe I've been gone so long! A lot has been going on and there are so many changes to catch everyone up on! I'll try and break it down into a few different posts. I'll start from where we left off...

In April 2010, Neil and I began the process of applying for his US visa! It was a long and difficult process which required heaps of paperwork, police certificates, photos, medical exams and two trips down to London. I won't make you wait to hear the result though - we got it! We moved to America for good in October :)

Hopefully that's enough to whet your appetite and I'll fill you in on the six months in between throughout the week!

iPod Touch

2010-02-03T20:20:00.001Z

I am a very lucky girl :)

My too-sweet hubby surprised me last night with an iPod touch as an early Valentine's gift! I love it and I am having so much fun I just had to share! I got him one for Christmas (his Mum and our niece also got them for Christmas) so I have been having fun playing and borrowing them but since we're going on holiday soon he decided I needed one of my own. I can't wait to lay on the beach listening to music and playing with my apps!
Even if you are not a gadget person, I would definitely recommend one. They are so much fun!

Travel fashion

2010-01-28T20:30:00.000Z

My hubby and I are going on holiday in February and I always stress a bit about what I'm going to wear on the plane. I like to look nice, but I also like to be comfortable. It's always hard getting the right temperature because I get so hot hauling bags around the airport, but then I freeze on board. Lastly, you have to consider what will go with the rest of the clothes you are packing.
Now I should be saving all my pennies for spending when we are away, but I'm really tempted by one of these perfect cardigans...

It looks super soft and what a nice colour! I'd love one to throw on since it looks lightweight but would also be easy to shed when I'm overheating and overexhausted from a longhaul flight. Bring on the holiday!

Fab evening wear!

2010-01-18T20:27:00.000Z

Check out this really cute dress from awear.com

I love a fab bit of evening wear! Just wish I had more occasions for it...

Work night out!

2010-01-10T18:28:00.000Z

Lucky girl that I am, today I'm enjoying the second day of my three day weekend! Last night Neil and I went out with my work colleagues for a little celebration of our successful holiday season. It was quite the evening including lots of bubbles :) Other than that we haven't been able to do too much because of the poor weather but we're hoping to get out tomorrow and at least make it to the grocery store so we can stock up on healthy food and stick to our good eating, minus last nights nibbles natch.
We're also getting very excited for our two week holiday in just over a month! I can't wait to just relax and do nothing for two weeks, it's going to be wonderful!

The last thing in this little weekend update is rave review of Soap and Glory "Hand Food" hand cream...

{Image found here}

It is absolutely fabulous! It smells delish, but most importantly it's not greasy! I have never tried a hand cream that didn't leave my hands slippery or greasy. They would moisturize yes, but I couldn't touch anything again unless I washed my hands so I've always just avoided them - until now. I am a converted woman and I urge you to try it for yourself! They sell it at boots and you can get a small size one to try for around £2 so there's really no reason not to. Let me know what you think!

Farewell 2009...Hello 2010!

2010-01-01T12:07:00.000Z

This past year has been quite the adventure if I do say so myself! My (now) husband and I were engaged in the summer of 2008 and spent half of 2009 planning for our wedding on 12 July.

Just before that, in May 2009, I left my life of four years in Vancouver, BC behind and packed everything I could into a suitcase to start married life in England. We moved into this cute little flat in May.

Since then we have celebrated our first married Christmas, as well as my first snow in England!

{The day we set up our tree}

In the last of the big 2009 changes, both Neil and I started new jobs! I'd say we had a wonderful 2009 and we can't wait to see how 2010 turns out for us!

So far we have a two-week holiday booked to visit my family in February, both of our birthdays in March, possibly attending my cousin's wedding in California in August and whatever else comes along.

Some of my goals for 2010 (for me)...

- Lose a little weight and more than anything just start looking after myself a bit better

- Keep on top of my household chores and try not procrastinate as much

- Create and stick to a budget

- Write and phone my family/friends more

Some of my goals for 2010 (for both of us)...

- Start exercising (again)

- Walk more of the lakeland fells

- Save for a down-payment on a house (and a holiday to the Maldives!)

- Celebrate our anniversary at the hotel we were married (which was flood damaged a few months ago so fingers crossed!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Work dresses

2009-12-27T18:01:00.000Z

Check out this super cute work dress from Awear...

it's only £15 on sale! They have some great women's dresses and I definitely think I'll be stocking up in the sales x

"Posh" hairdo

2009-12-21T15:59:00.001Z

I treated myself to a spot of pampering earlier this afternoon and got my hair done. Snow was falling, Christmas carols were playing and I was sat in a massaging recliner getting a head massage - it was heaven.
A couple of weeks ago I had seen Victoria Beckham sporting this new hairstyle in a magazine

I really liked it and even though I've never had my hair that short/layered before, I really wanted to try it. I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but I think my stylist did a good job of recreating it. I'm no Posh but I did my best posing :)

I'm still getting used to the fact that I won't be able to rely on pulling my hair back on lazy mornings and I'm a little apprehensive about styling it myself for the first time but so far I'm loving the new look!

SNOW!

2009-12-20T20:31:00.006Z

I've experienced my first English snow the past few days and it's wonderful! It's made me feel so festive and happy :)

Hubby and I went out for a walk in the winter wonderland in the morning and then spent the afternoon warm at home, playing rockband! It really feels like Christmas now...

I'm all ready for my first married Christmas, my second Christmas in England. Bring on the turkey with all the trimmings!

Winter jackets

2009-12-16T18:04:00.000Z

About a month ago I bought Neil a gorgeous new long wool jacket. Unfortunately I now really want one myself! I have a puffy winter coat and a beautiful leather jacket which I love, but I'd love to add a nice long jacket to my collection if I can find an affordable one. It'd be great for the inevitable office parties and such during the holiday season. I've seen this one and a few other cute womens coats online but I'm not sure if I prefer this more casual, but still nice look or if I want something that is quite formal and dressy looking. I think I'll waiting for the post-xmas sales and let prices make the decision for me!

AWOL

2009-12-10T18:52:00.000Z

Sorry for my absence lately! My beloved macbook is suffering from technical difficulties and until I get it fixed I may not be posting much. I promise I will be back soon though and until I am I hope you are enjoying this festive season and all that comes with it :)

x Ash

Black is back

2009-11-30T21:22:00.001Z

At work I have to wear all black every day. Everything from head to toe must be smart and most importantly - black. While I thought I had a lot of black clothing before I started, I now feel like I have hardly any even though I have been slowly expanding my collection.
So I can avoid having to do nonstop laundry, I'd love to add some of these cardigans to my ebony wardrobe and with them all being under £20 I think that in my post Christmas shopping, even if they're not included in the sales, they will be at the top of my list!

{Top two from Awear, bottom from Asos}

New Moon

2009-11-28T20:50:00.000Z

{Image found here}

Even though it's not celebrated here in the UK, since Thursday was Thanksgiving the hubby and I took the day off work to spend together. I had initially intended to make a full dinner, but changed my mind. Instead we just spent the day relaxing a bit and went to the cinema and out for a meal. I missed seeing New Moon with the girls because of the flooding last week so I was quite anxious to see it. I'll be honest, I was a little let down. I suppose because I had read the books my expectations were too high. It wasn't that I didn't like it, because I did, I think I just hoped it would be different. I won't get into any more details at this time since I know a lot of people still haven't seen it.

To continue on the theme, in the evening we went to the New Moon restaurant in town and had a delicious dinner of carrot and coriander soup (sauteed mushroom and smoked cheddar crostini to start for hubby) and Moroccan spiced chicken breast. The highlight was probably the desert we shared though - dark chocolate and orange tart with orange sorbet and raspberry coulis, absolutely delish!!

Winter Weather

2009-11-23T16:49:00.006Z

Kendal has been swimming this past week. Heavy rain has caused some of the worst flooding in decades up here in the Lake District. Luckily it seems to be letting up! Still as I write this, it is as dark as night, cold and alternating between misty and showery. All in all, it just makes you want to curl up at home with a blanket and a warm, hearty meal.
I had the day off alone today because it was a special event at work for Neil. I took advantage of this time to do a spot of Christmas shopping but came out largely empty handed. I think online shopping is the way to go this year for price and selection since unfortunately there aren't too many shopping options here in little Kendal.

While I can't discuss my gift ideas for family and friends (I want them to be surprised!) during my virtual shopping trip today I couldn't help but notice a few things I'd like for this stormy winter! These gorgeous military style womens jackets are definitely on my list. I just can't decide if prefer the navy or the red!

Also on my list are comfy tall boots that I can wear in the rain. Pretty etched glass candle holders - filled with beautifully scented candles, natch. Vibrant, rich coloured eyeshadows and lipglosses. Comfy slippers and soft pajamas to cuddle up in, as well as cashmere lined gloves and warm scarves to wrap around me whenever I do decide to bundle up and venture out into the chilly winter air.

Have you started your xmas shopping? What's on your wishlist this year?

Only 38 days...

2009-11-16T20:58:00.002Z

until Christmas! Have you started your shopping or decorating yet? I am eager to get decorating and I've started saving for our xmas present fund, but I think I will wait until we get down to only month to go before I start any real festivities. I love the music, the smells, the food and most of all the magic of the season :) In true English style, I think I will kick off the season with the Dickensian Christmas festival in Ulverston. I can't wait!
{Photo from Martha Stewart}

Newlyweds of the Week!

2009-11-12T08:28:00.000Z

Hello everyone!
This week Neil and I are featured as 'Newlyweds of the Week' on the blog Newlyweds written by the lovely Sweet Pea :) She writes about family life in Texas and is the mother of two gorgeous twin boys. She also features some delicious recipes on her blog which get my mouth watering and my stomach growling! Please check out her interview with us here...

Thanksgiving

2009-11-09T18:25:00.000Z

The all delicious holiday is coming up Thursday the 26th of November. I had originally booked a week off work with the intention of taking my new husband for his first American Thanksgiving at my parents' house, but unfortunately with the amount of time and designated days we were each able to get off work, we'd spend an entire day flying each way and only be able to spend a few days with my family despite paying a small fortune for travel expenses. Plan B was a brief trip to the city of light - Paris. Ever the romantic (and foodie), I have always dreamt of visiting one of the most historic and culturally significant cities in the world, but never found the opportunity to actually wander its boutique lined streets (whilst nibbling macarons natch). However when you add up flights, hotels, transport, food and miscellaneous expenses, it costs a pretty penny to savour the splendours of Paris. Given all the Christmas shopping looming ahead, we decided that it would be best to put aside any extravagant spending until the new year. So on to Plan C which was to cook my own Thanksgiving dinner. While I thought this would be a no brainer, I have quickly come to realize that many of the foods I took for granted may be a bit harder to come by here in the country the pilgrims celebrated fleeing so many years ago. Thus, I am now taking suggestions for Plan D! I gave up all the days I had initially booked off, but am still taking the 26th so if anyone knows where I can get pumpkin pie (or the filling to make it) any restaurants holding American Thanksgiving dinners in the UK (I’ve heard of a few in London but we live in Cumbria) or any alternative Thanksgiving related or not ideas, I would love to hear them! Hope you enjoyed the weekend!

Cocktail Thursday "Halloween Edition"

2009-10-29T20:15:00.001Z

I don't know if you love Halloween as much as I do, but these Halloween cocktails will be perfect for Saturday night (or tonight for that matter!) however you choose to celebrate :)

Vampire’s Elixir

{Photo and recipe from here}

Ingredients:

- 1 and 1/2 ounces Raspberry Vodka
- 3/4 ounces White Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 ounce Half and Half

- Strawberry Syrup
Directions:
Dress strawberry syrup on the inside and rim of a chilled martini glass. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with vampire teeth.

Candy Corn Shooter

{Photo and recipe from The Nest}

Ingredients:
- Oranje Van Gogh Vodka
- Banana Liqueur
- Coconut Rum
- Orange Curacao
- Cream
- Grenadine
- Whipped Cream
Directions:
Combine Combine Oranje Van Gogh Vodka and Banana Liqueur into a mixer with ice. Shake and pour into the bottom of the shot glass. Combine Coconut Rum, Orange Curacao, Cream, and dash of Grenadine (for color). Shake in shaker with ice and gently layer on top using a spoon. Top with whipped cream.

Eyeball Martini

{Photo and recipe from here}

Ingredients:

- 3 ounces Vodka or Gin
- A dash of Dry Vermouth
- Olive stuffed radishes
Directions:
Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an olive stuffed radish that has been scored to create the "veins" of an eyeball.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE BARKERS

Christmas Party Outfit

2009-10-28T20:32:00.002Z

My company Christmas party is coming up very soon and I have no idea what to wear! All the girls will be wearing fashionable frocks as we are going out for a meal and then to a club in Manchester and I want to fit in without spending a lot of money. Looking fashionable and trendy while staying on a budget isn't exactly easy though and I'd love it if I could also get a black, work appropriate dress that I could wear again (and again) so I could justify it a bit more. I found some really gorgeous dresses but none that meet all the criteria so I'm at a bit of a loss. Hubby has offered to take me shopping at the Trafford Centre and I'd love to take him up on it, but I feel a bit guilty especially since we are thinking about a holiday to Paris next month that I'd much rather spend the money on.
All that said, I found this lovely Peter O'Brien dress that could definitely do double duty as a party and work dress but it's still a bit out of budget at £80/$132. It's not that expensive and I don't mind spending a bit for a nice quality item that I will be able to get a lot of wear out of, but given the prospect of a Paris trip I would like to stay under about £45/$75. This is still a decent amount so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll stumble across something perfect over the next two weeks...

Titles

2009-10-19T16:06:00.001+01:00

Something I had noticed before, but never really paid much attention to was the use of titles. In the UK titles are still used regularly, as opposed to the US where it is much more infrequent. For example, when I answer the phone at work, customers always say they are Mr Bob Smith or Mrs/Miss Jane Smith. I rarely, if ever, encountered this in North America. Most people, myself included, just gave their name when asked who was calling, etc. Although modern Britain is far from the tea and crumpets image most people like to picture, there are still etiquette rules that are strongly believed in. Not using a title is considered impolite and even the title of Ms, the default for women in America, was until rather recently considered too impersonal and the titles Miss or Mrs were the proper ones to use. While this is but a small detail of expat life, it is a difference I have definitely picked up on, especially now that I am dealing with customers on a daily basis and have to remember to address them correctly. At least I don't have to worry about that until tomorrow as this Mrs will be enjoying the rest of her day off!

{Image found here}

Cocktail Thursday

2009-10-15T21:22:00.004+01:00

I'm sorry I have been seriously slacking with my blogging lately, I'm still adjusting to my new routine and schedule. I wake up and get ready for work, rush out the door and don't get back to my computer until after dinner and tidying up around 8ish. To top it off by then I'm usually pretty worn out and ready to just crawl into bed. That said, I'm getting better about managing my time and getting things accomplished quickly so hopefully not too much longer until I'm back in the swing of things!

I realized I forgot all about doing a Cocktail Thursday post last week so I made sure to find some that I hope you'll enjoy for this week! This week's theme is Cosmopolitans with a twist! Let me know if you give any a try and if you do, what you think of them...

Rasmopolitan

This fruity cocktail combines raspberry with the traditional flavors of a cosmopolitan.

Ingredients:
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) citrus-flavored vodka
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) raspberry-flavored vodka
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Chambord
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Simple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
- Raspberries, for garnish
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodkas, Chambord, lime juice, simple syrup, and cranberry juice. Shake or stir until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with raspberries; serve.
Makes one cocktail.

Cranberry Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces Cranberry-and-Orange Vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 ounce orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau
- Ice cubes
- Orange peel, for garnish
- Cranberries, for garnish
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist orange peel over cocktail and add to glass. Garnish with skewered cranberries; serve immediately.

Makes one cocktail.

White Cosmopolitan (a personal fave)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup white cranberry juice
- 4 ounces vodka
- 2 ounces Cointreau
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add cranberry juice, vodka, and Cointreau. Shake to combine well. Strain into two large martini glasses. Serve immediately.
Makes two cocktails.

{All photos and recipes from Martha Stewart}

First Week

2009-10-08T20:34:00.002+01:00

and I've already gone home sick :/
I woke up this morning feeling okay but by about noon I had an absolutely splitting headache and felt like I was going to throw up so after I sat down for a while and still didn't feel better, they sent me home. I took some medicine and rested in bed so I'm feeling better than before, but still not one-hundred-percent. I am going in to work tomorrow no matter what though, so hopefully after a good night's sleep I'll be feeling a bit more healthy.
As for work itself, I'd say it's going pretty well! While it's taking some getting used to as it's not the kind of work I'd been intending to do and because I'm not used to such long hours and standing all day. Although I'm sure I have better hours than a lot of people, 8.45-6ish is a long day to do on your feet in heels! I'm not going to lie and say I wouldn't rather still be a housewife making dinner and taking care of chores, but it is nice getting out of the house and meeting some people.
Unfortunately a really nice girl called Sara who I've been working with this week is leaving on Saturday, but all the other girls are very nice as well and I'll get to meet anybody I haven't and see everyone let their hair down this weekend when we go out for dinner and drinks for Sara's leaving do. Should be interesting!

20% off at Awear

2009-10-04T19:12:00.000+01:00

In case anyone was tempted by the dresses I blogged about earlier this week, I found a 20% off code in this week's issue of NOW magazine (page 82) which says...

"To claim your 20% off, visit www.awear.com. At checkout, enter the code NOWOFFER09"

They've got the party dresses I blogged about, plus lots more I've got my eye on. Hope this helps any other shopaholics out there, but act quick because it says the offer is only valid until 13 October 2009!

I'm Employed!

2009-10-02T11:56:00.001+01:00

As of yesterday afternoon, I am employed! Cue cheering and applause, teehee

I have taken a sales position with a small local jewellery company. There are five branches across the country and I'll be working at the head branch which is here in my town. Although it is quite different to what I thought I would be doing, I am just very happy and relieved to have found employment this quickly! It'll be nice to get out of the house everyday, use my brain a bit more and I'm not going to lie - the extra income and jewellery discount will be lovely.

{A gorgeous 18kt yellow gold and citrine ring from our collection that I've got my eye on}

My degree is in history and African studies and the majority of my work experience is in education, so I didn't expect to go into a sales position, but I'm really looking forward to the new challenges and learning experiences. I start on Tuesday so I'm really going to enjoy my last full weekend of complete freedom, bring on the good times!

Cocktail Thursday

2009-10-01T11:07:00.004+01:00

One of my all-time favourite drinks is a rum and mint classic that I'm sure you're all familiar with - the mojito! Since you've probably tasted the original, how about giving one of these fruity twists a try?

Strawberry Watermelon Mojito (serves 1)

{Photo and Recipe from Brides}

Ingredients

- 1½ oz. Smirnoff Strawberry Vodka
- ½ oz. fresh lime juice
- ½ oz. mint-infused simple syrup
- 1 cup fresh seedless watermelon, cubed and chilled
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
- Club soda

Directions
To make mint syrup, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and add 8 to 10 mint leaves. Let cool for 30 minutes. Strain. Combine vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, ½ cup of watermelon and about 10 mint leaves in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a glass with ice and remaining watermelon. Top with club soda. Garnish with additional mint leaf.

Cherry Mojitos (for a crowd, serves 12)

{Photo and Recipe from Martha Stewart Living}

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups lime juice (approximately 9 limes)
- 3 lbs dark cherries (such as Bing or Buriat, pitted)
- 2 1/4 cups best quality cherry or plain vodka (or could substitute rum to stay more traditional)
- 750mls sparkling water

Directions
Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve 2/3 of the cherries; add all cherries to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top with sparkling water; serve immediately.

Not a sweet tooth? Try this cool and refreshing cucumber, basil mojito...

{Photo and Recipe from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}

Cucumber Basil Mojito (serves 1)

Ingredients
- 4 basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons brown or white sugar (the mojito in the above photo was made from brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 ounces light rum
- 1 cucumber rind, julienned
- 1/4 fresh lime
- soda water

Directions
Tear the basil leaves in half and place in bottom of tall glass. Add sugar and 1/2 ounce of the rum. Coil 12 inches' worth of cucumber julienne in bottom of glass. Mash together these ingredients. Squeeze lime and drop in glass. Add remaining rum. Top with soda water.

Leave sugar muddle and lime as undisturbed as possible. As you enjoy the drink, stirring the sugar or prodding the lime with your straw will add tang or sweetness as you like and as you progress through the drink.

What's your favourite cocktail?

Party Season

2009-09-30T11:46:00.002+01:00

The upcoming holidays always bring with them a few fun and festive soirees, as well as beautiful dresses to wear to said shindigs. Personally, I'd love to wear either of these fab party dresses this festive season

{Both dresses are from Awear}

I love jewel tones for autumn and winter and I find that they work very well for my very, very fair skin. I love the rich purple of the first dress and I have some violet suede Steve Madden heels that would look gorgeous with it. Now I just need to find the party :)

Driving in the UK

2009-09-25T10:44:00.009+01:00

For those of you who do not live in the UK, let me enlighten you on the cost of getting a driving licence here.

£50 - provisional licence
£31 - theory test
£62 - practical test
£143 - minimum!

Now, I say minimum because most overseas drivers need lessons to pass the UK test. Usually around 5-10 (for people who already know how to drive, they recommend 45 lessons for new drivers!) and at an average of £25/hr, that's an additional £125-250 (or up to £1,125 for 45). Also factor in that many people (even those who have driven for years and years in America) fail the practical test the first time, you can double or even triple that number. Lastly, add in the cost of the books to study for the theory test and the average cost rises to a whopping £450+/$717+

{Photo from the BBC}

Can you believe that?!

When I took my driving test in Oregon it cost $22.50 for the permit and the drivers manual was FREE! It was approximately $200 for drivers ed, $14 for the testing and $59 for the licence. I, like most Americans, passed on the first try as well so the total for obtaining my licence was about $295/£185.
Unfortunately, I passed driving an automatic and have only ever driven an automatic. In the UK, everyone drives manual cars and unlike in the states, you have to pass your practical test on a manual in order to legally drive a manual. Looks like I may need a lot of lessons!

I ordered the application forms for my provisional licence yesterday and they should arrive in 7-10 days. I better get to the bank and take out a personal loan too...

Cocktail Thursday

2009-09-24T10:08:00.011+01:00

Calling all chocoholics out there! Check out these delish sounding martinis...{Image and recipes found on The Nest}

PepperMint Pattini

Ingredients
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1/2 oz Crème de menthe
1/2 oz Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz Cream

Preparation
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a Peppermint Pattie candy wedge. Serves 1.

Almond Joy Martini

Ingredients
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1 oz Coconut Rum
1/2 oz Hazelnut Liqueur
1/2 oz Chocolate Liqueur

Preparation
Dip the rim of a chilled martini glass into chocolate syrup and roll in shaved coconut. Place glass into the refrigerator until ready to serve the cocktail. Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled martini glass with chocolate-coconut rim. Serves 1.

Snickertini

Ingredients
1/2 oz Baileys
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
1/2 oz Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz Amaretto
Splash of cream

Preparation
Drizzle a thin line of both caramel and chocolate sauce on the inside of a rocks glass and place in refrigerator to chill. Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake over ice. Pour entire contents of shaker into glass and add straw. Serves 1.

I am particularly tempted by the Snickertini! I think I might have to make a quick ingredient run this afternoon so hubby and I can have a sweet dessert tonight!

UK resident on the job hunt!

2009-09-23T13:32:00.005+01:00

As of Monday, I am officially a UK resident and therefore newly eligible to work! Any offers? haha
After a lovely night in Liverpool (including happy hour margaritas!) hubby and I got to our appointment bright and early and spent nearly four hours waiting and waiting and waiting some more. The whole process was very straightforward at least and aside from the exorbitant cost and ridiculously long wait times, it was easy peasy!
Now I begin the dreaded search for work! Living in a small town has advantages like being able to walk to work, but unfortunately the disadvantage of quite a low number of potential jobs. I had a telephone interview this morning - wish me luck that I get invited to the next stage of interviews!
If you have any advice for all the jobseekers out there, please feel free to share!

Wedding Photos

2009-09-19T10:44:00.007+01:00

Hubby has had to work in the warehouse and cover some holiday time for another shop so we've been staying with his parents for a couple of days to avoid the commute. I had a lovely few days with my in-laws, going out for fish and chips and being spoiled with snacks and having meals cooked for me! I've also been busy gathering up all the documents I need for my Further Leave to Remain (FLR) visa. We're heading down to Liverpool tomorrow morning, staying the night in a cushy hotel and heading for the visa appointment bright and early Monday morning. Wish us luck!
I also thought I'd take this time to post a few of my favorite pictures from our wedding since I never did get around to fully recapping the big day.

{All photographs by our great photographer, Christopher Birkett of Birkett Photography}

September Wish List

2009-09-15T13:51:00.013+01:00

My shopping eye is unfortunately always wandering and a few things have caught that eye recently, including this fab sounding illuminating powder from Too Faced. It's a light, translucent powder with flecks of gold for a soft glow inspired by candlelight. Available from Sephora.

Also on my wish list is an amazing blazer. I saw a girl in town today wearing skinny jeans, knee high brown boots and a great black blazer. New Look has a cheap and cheerful one with roll-up cuffs that has now been reduced to £20. This sequin one from Awear would be perfect for night time with a tissue thin white tank, some skinny jeans and these to die for gold studded black suede booties from Office.

I'm also in love with their gorgeous brown leather lace up heels! So academic and autumnal. They would look perfect with the navy version of these cardigans also from Awear.

As the autumn chill is in the air, also on the wish list this month are cozy throws and candles galore. Now it's your turn! What have you had your eye on lately?

MTV VMA's

2009-09-14T17:17:00.004+01:00

We don't have MTV but I've managed to catch the highlights including
Kanye West stealing the mic during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and declaring that Beyonce Knowles should have won...
and a very bizarre and bloody performance by Lady Gaga...
All I can say is - wow. If you need a pop culture fix, I encourage you to visit mtv.co.uk or mtv.com, where all the images are from and where you can also view the videos of Kanye's little outburst and Lady Gaga's rather OTT performance in all their glory.

Keswick and the Kendal Torchlight Procession

2009-09-13T16:21:00.007+01:00

Skiddaw

Hubby's days off got switched around a bit this week so on Friday we ventured a bit deeper in to the Lake District up to the market town Keswick.

After we got back from a lovely day in Keswick, which Neil loved so much he wants to move there, we went to the Torchlight Festival.
It featured carnival and street performers, floats, marching bands, antique cars, dancers and more! It was comprised mostly of local acts but also included groups from around the world. This was its 40th birthday and that theme played prominently in the floats.

York Day Trip

2009-09-09T20:24:00.004+01:00

On Monday, hubby and I got up bright and early (6am...ouch) and had a wonderful day out to York! We parked up and made our way down Dame Judi Dench Way (it's a real! hehe) towards York Minster, with a quick pre-Minster stop at Starbucks :)After my sbux fix, we toured the absolutely gorgeous Minster, one of the largest gothic cathedrals this side of the alps.
We then headed through the medieval streets, including the Shambles, and browsed the shops. We took in the view of the Minster from the Mens Department on the top floor of Marks and Spencers.
As our tummies began to grumble we decided on a pizza lunch in the sunshine followed by a trip to the (FREE!) National Railway Museum. On our way back from checking out lots and lots of trains, we walked along the bar walls and stopped for a rest in the gardens of the Yorkshire museum. It was a gorgeous and very enjoyable day!

Twilight

2009-09-08T19:58:00.004+01:00

I have been a bit absent lately because I have started reading the Twilight series. Image borrowed from here.

I usually avoid popular books (e.g. Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code) like the plague and after hearing a lot about them not being well written, I was very wary when I picked up the first title from the local library. I have been struggling for things to do lately though as I'm currently not working so I decided this would be the perfect time for some lighthearted reading. I figured I had nothing to lose since I was getting it from the library and therefore not paying anything for it!

Let me first say, I am very happy I took a chance on them! While they are not technically advanced or in anyway challenging reading, this is because the target audience is teenagers. The main objectives are plot and character development, at which author Stephenie Meyer is quite successful. The prose is flowing and addictive, definitely page turning.
I quickly got over my initial feelings that they were terribly written as I became entranced with the story. It has been a while since I read a book intended for teens, but once I made my peace with these books being very different than the Russian and French literature I have been reading the past few years, I was hooked!

I have completed Twilight and am over half way through New Moon. I'm currently on the wait list for Eclipse and I'll be sure to write about these books again once I've finished all four.

Rain, rain, go away...

2009-08-31T17:49:00.007+01:00

please DON'T COME ANOTHER DAY!!

You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the rain is coming down in buckets and is being accompanied by thunder and lightning (and not of the ice-cream variety)

Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of rain. It has soothed me to sleep by falling softly on my roof, made me feel cozy when I was tucked up warm with a blanket and a cup of tea and even cooled me down on hot day. However I grew up in place where it rained all the time, I went to university in a place where it rained all the time and now I live in a place where it feels like it rains even more than the last two combined. At least I got nice summers in Portland and Vancouver. In Kendal you can count the sunny summer days we've had on one hand! I can quickly feel what little summer we have had coming to a close as there is a definite chill in the air. So while I have ranted about the rubbish summer, I am also looking forward to the fall and what it brings with it including the leaves changing colour, Halloween, sweaters, hearty stews and Thanksgiving, which I will most definitely be celebrating!

We spent this last bank holiday of the summer with a nice drive to Hawes and a visit to the Wensleydale Creamery, home of Wallace and Gromit's favorite cheese :)

Image borrowed from Wensleydale Dairy.

We picked up some smoked blue wensleydale for Neil and some cheddar and caramelised onion for me! I would have taken some pictures myself, but stupidly forgot to bring the camera, doh!

New Hair!

2009-08-27T10:50:00.008+01:00

So yesterday morning, my hair looked more or less like this...

but by yesterday evening, my hair looked like this...

What do you think? I had it coloured a rich chocolate brown and cut about six inches off. She layered the front and gave me light layering around the back. Best all? It cost only £30/$48 for the cut and colour combined!

In the evening we had quite a bit of excitement though! A baby bat flew in through the window in our spare room and came shooting through our front room around 11:30. Boy are those little guys fast! It circled the room over and over and warp speed, occasionally dive bombing us as I screamed in shock. I love animals, bats included, but if one came straight for you faster than you can imagine, you'd scream too! haha
Anyway, it took about an hour to get it out of the house because the poor little thing tired itself out and rested behind our curtains for a while and we couldn't find it. After doing a little research I learned that it was most likely a confused baby bat still learning to fly and had exhausted itself tearing around our front room. Anyway, Neil got it out eventually and we finally got to bed. Let hope for a little less excitement tonight! We're headed to Bootleggers to see a Beatles tribute band!

Care Package Day!!!

2009-08-26T10:07:00.007+01:00

Check out that bad boy!

I am a very lucky girl and I know it! I have wonderful parents who I asked to send me a few goodies I missed from America and look what arrived this morning! I had been craving ranch dressing and got a bunch of packets of the dry mix (since bottles would have been too heavy) as well as butter flavor popcorn (none of that sweet/kettlecorn biznass for this girly). The rest of the package includes dried mangos and berries, dried cherries, osembei (rice crackers), furikake (egg/nori bits you sprinkle on rice), nori strips, packets of instant miso soup, Pirate's Booty (cheesey puffs from Trader Joes), tortilla chips, jalapeno and regular cheese dips, ChocoPie, beef jerky, wasabei roasted peas and my favourite chili seasoning (Carroll Shelby's, seriously this stuff makes the BEST chili).
I've already had some dried cherries and osembei for breakfast haha. Can't wait to make Neil some chili so he can experience the deliciousness. I'm going to do my best to pace myself with the rest of the goodies, but it will be hard!
In a bit of other good news, I also got an email from my parents saying that a check had come from the US government for me so I'm also getting a bit of moolah, cha-ching! Today is a wonderful day :)

Beauty Product Cravings

2009-08-21T16:03:00.006+01:00

Lately I have been having some serious beauty product cravings. My main enemies are NARS and MAC with their free shipping over £50 offer and gorgeous shimmery eyeshadows, candy coloured lipglosses and creamy lipsticks. You are evil temptresses! Luckily the nearest place to buy either NARS or MAC is Manchester, although I have been wanting to head down there to check out Chinatown and wouldn't mind popping into the Trafford Centre for a wee nosy round :) Partly because they also have a LUSH and I have been wanting this massage bar...

Imaged borrowed from Lush

It is vanilla, jasmine and tonka scented and sounds amaaaaazing! I would buy it online but because LUSH products are all about their scent, I always hesitate to buy without having smelled first.
Let me also say that LUSH massage bars are the bees knees! They last forever and (most) smell fantastic. Hubby loves having his head rubbed and we got hooked on these when they used to sell one called Sleepy Head which was scented with lavender and other soothing fragrances to ease one into dreamland. Sadly they discontinued it, but we've kept trying massage bars to find our new favourite and we've found quite a few!

However the only product we currently need is St Ives apricot scrub which shhh my hubby is now addicted to. He wanted something to exfoliate his face and so I brought this home and it worked so amazingly on his skin that he's hooked. This means I get to head to Boots later :) better leave my credit card at home!

Dent

2009-08-20T11:39:00.006+01:00

Last weekend hubby and I went to the Christening of a friend's daughter on Sunday followed by an excruciating workout on Monday morning. Seriously, my legs still ache! We later negated any good we might have done by chowing down on a delicious and well worth it, fish and chips lunch.

On our way home, we decided to go on an adventure to Dent and like usual, happened to choose the most difficult route there including many gates I had to jump out to open and close. I found this one particularly amusing :)

Who are you calling a cow?! Hehe

A few more images of the beautiful drive...
No plans yet for this weekend since they are redoing the flagstones to our carpark entry and we're not supposed to use it until Sunday night. Argh.

Sushi

2009-08-14T13:49:00.008+01:00

I have been having serious sushi cravings lately. Being a quarter Japanese I've been raised on the stuff and got thoroughly spoiled living in Vancouver which, outside of Japan, has to be the sushi capital of the world. Honestly, they sell it on every corner and aside from the odd bad place, it is delicious. Unfortunately for me, our small town doesn't really do sushi. The only place I've been able to find any is Marks & Spencers and their selection is rather minimal. For lunch today I had their vegetarian selection (£2.50)It was better than nothing and did somewhat satisfy my craving, but it just wasn't the same. I've had YO! Sushi suggested to me but the closest ones are Manchester and Liverpool and I can't really justify making hubby drive two hours for me to get my fix.

Settling In

2009-08-13T15:24:00.009+01:00

In the interest of full disclosure, we did not make it to the gym yesterday. Don't think we've fallen off the wagon though, we have our assessment today so we'll definitely be there tonight. In all fairness there was an England match on last night and since hubby loves his sports, but doesn't get to watch them that often, we decided to take the night off knowing that we would definitely be going today because of our assessment appointments. Enough about that though!

Today while I was bringing Neil his lunch at work, I was stopped not once, but twice for directions and I was able to give them successfully which was quite the novelty since I've only been living in this town (and England in general) for a few months. I'm finally starting to feel like I really live here and that I'm not just on an extended visit, which I did a lot of while Neil and I were dating across the Atlantic.

I am missing a few things from my original home though. Although I can honestly say that I love most food here, among the things I miss are...

ranch dressing
barbecue sauce
buttery movie theatre popcorn/microwave popcorn
black beans
mexican food
sushi
frozen yogurt

other things I miss about the states...

stores being open late
craft stores
ice-cream parlors
lower prices
target

but most of all, my family and friends!

If you live abroad, what do you miss from home? If you don't, what do you miss when you go away?

Fitness fanatic in the making?!

2009-08-12T09:26:00.000+01:00

As I sit here sipping my first cup of tea, I can hardly believe that I’m looking forward to…wait for it…going to the gym tonight!

We went for the second time to use the gym facilities and I actually enjoyed it! I usually hate exercise! I have always wanted to get in better shape and while I have had some success on the weight loss side, the fitness element has always alluded me unfortunately. Now I’m not saying I’m a gym bunny in training or anything like that, but I do feel like I might stick with it a bit longer this time. I think having hubby there really helps as both of us are trying to shape up and having someone urging you to keep going when you normally would have called it a day makes a big difference.
I’m looking forward to getting my workout plan tomorrow and working toward more specific goals.
Before I go…
As you have surely noticed by now, the blog has been redesigned. I felt like it was time to shake things up a bit, perhaps my fitness inspiration is spilling over into other areas of my life! Anyway, I would love to get your feedback about the new blog, good or bad!

Under 16?

2009-08-11T16:32:00.005+01:00

Hubby and I used our first free swim at the leisure centre yesterday, although I almost did not need to use one of my six freebies! The woman scanning the cards initially said that I didn't need to use the freebie because under-16s swim for free anytime. Neil immediately jumped on this and announced that I was most definitely over 16. The reason for this being that hubby is several years older than me and to make it worse, I look very young for my age. As a result, he often gets teased by his friends for robbing the cradle :P He wanted to make sure nobody thought he was a dirty old man!

It's occasions like this that I don't mind looking so young though! If I could have gotten away with swimming free all summer I would have taken it! Times I don't find it so favourable include shopping and other times when you have to be served. I often get ignored by shop assistants or get less attention because they think I'm a teenager who's just wasting their time. It can be frustrating but luckily with hubby by my side, I usually have less trouble.

Lastly, as previously mentioned, hubby and I have joined the gym! We are kicking off our healthy eating and fitness blitz this week. Tonight we are going to the gym to burn off some of those newlywed pounds and I'll let you know how we go!

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-08-04T14:53:00.008+01:00

Sorry that I haven't finished my wedding blogs yet, I have been a busy little bee! I am keeping up with my housewife duties, preparing for my distance education exams and enjoying life with my new husband :)

This past weekend we had two wonderful days out. On Sunday we had a picnic at Sizergh Castle.
Followed by a drink at the sports bar so Neil could catch a bit of the cricket and a delish curry at Mumbai.

Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful day in the sunshine browsing shops in Leeds! We had a lovely drive through the Yorkshire countryside and then spent the afternoon in Leeds. We nipped in for a look at the Superdry shop, pick up some passionfruit chocolate (YUM!) and a caramel choc for Neil at Hotel Chocolat. Neil showed me all the posh shops and then we stopped for a tasty noodle lunch at Wagamama. On our way home we played a couple of games of bowling :) and then relaxed at home in the evening.

For the rest of the week I am shut up in the house studying and writing, wish me luck on Friday!

WE'RE MARRIED!!

2009-07-24T13:00:00.004+01:00

We did it! We are now husband and wife :)
I will recap the crazy week and big day in a few installments since cramming it all in one post will probably exhaust you.

The week before...
Julia, my maid of honor, arrived in Manchester from Sweden on Monday the 6th and my parents, brother and grandma arrived in London the same day. Needless to say, my stress levels went through the roof, haha. Trying to organize everyone and where they needed to be and what they needed to do frazzled my nerves. Although I should have just relaxed and enjoyed things a bit more, I was too wound up in the days before. We did manage to go out for some fun with Julia and took my family to Ambleside for lunch. It was great to see everyone and show them our house and around where we live. So all in all, although I was a stress case, the week with my family here before the wedding went pretty well.

In the next post, The Day Before! Until then, I'll leave you with another snap from our special day...

Donington Park Superbikes!

2009-07-03T09:29:00.008+01:00

For Paul and Owen's thank you present for being in our upcoming wedding, we went to Donington Park to watch the World Superbikes.

It was a wonderful day out and we hope to go again!

TEN DAYS!!

2009-07-02T18:47:00.004+01:00

Only ten days to go until I'm a MRS!!

Tomorrow I'm heading further north with my in-laws-to-be to pick up the chocolates for the wedding as well as doing a bit of shopping. Things are coming together, but even as more and more falls into place my stress levels seem to be rising. I'm trying to relax and enjoy my last days as a bride, I know it'll all be over in a blur, but I'm also excited to move on to the next phase of our lives :)

Neil picked up his suit today and mentioned that he didn't have cufflinks for it and being the spaz that I am I accidentally blew it and gave away that I'd purchased him some. Even though I planned to have one of the bridesmaids deliver them to him on the wedding day, I caved and gave him his wedding present today. They are rhodium coated, brushed silver cufflinks with three small diamonds in each. I picked them for their classic sophistication, much like hubby to be :) I also have one other little present up my sleeve so he will get a small surprise on the big day :)

Wedding Crazies!

2009-06-24T11:45:00.008+01:00

I'm sorry that my blogging has been so erratic lately, we've been so busy getting everything ready for the wedding that I've been letting things slide. On Monday we splurged a bit and purchased our first wedding gift (thank you to the very kind family friends whose wedding gifts funded this purchase!) a sony A300 DSLR!

A sample photograph taken with our new baby :)
We are having a great time playing and learning and can't wait to take it on our honeymoon!!

Over the weekend we went out for a delish curry plus a couple of cheeky ones. Then we celebrated our fathers on Sunday and yesterday was my mom's 50th birthday! Happy birthday again Mom, love you :) No plans for the upcoming weekend yet, but it will no doubt be filled with running around and organizing wedding details. My fab maid of honor, Julia and my family will be arriving in England in only 12 days - I can't wait! AND only six days after that, a brand new Mr and Mrs will be introduced :D

I leave you with one more fun shot we took on our photo-walk...

ONE MONTH!!

2009-06-12T14:16:00.001+01:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the one month countdown!!
On this day next month, Neil and I are getting married!!

Today Neil and browsed the shops during his lunch hour and I got a fab dress to wear on our honeymoon! I'd had my eye on it for a little while now and I can't wait to wear at the posh cocktail bar at the Tigerlily!

The weather has been great today and hopefully it'll hold out through the weekend since Neil's days off are Sunday/Monday. We've got a meeting with our photographer and hotel wedding coordinator on Monday to go over all the final details. I still can't believe we're getting married so soon! It feels like just yesterday that Neil was down on one knee and I was saying "yes!!":)

Yesterday we went and saw Angels and Demons since Neil got some free tickets through work. We both thought it was pretty good. Not amazing, but I definitely thought it was watchable. I haven't read the book, but Neil has and he said it was a better book>film translation than The Da Vinci Code was. Tomorrow I get to stay at home all day and wait for the washing machine repair man, yippee! haha I will be pleased if he can fix it though, it would be nice to be able to do laundry whenever I want to.

Honeymoon!!

2009-06-01T19:24:00.000+01:00

Neil and I are busy, busy, busy trying to get wedding stuff done as we are down to only 40 days!! We are both on wedding diets now :) and we have booked our florist, favors and as of today, our honeymoon!

Technically it's a mini-moon since we're only going away for two days, but we won't be able to take a proper honeymoon until I've got the second part of my visa and Neil gets more time off work (he used two weeks to come visit me in Canada and is taking a week for the wedding) so we are making the most of our mini-moon and doing it up!

We are going to Edinburgh and are spending three days and two nights at the Tigerlily which was voted one of the 65 coolest hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveller :)

The photo above is of a Georgian Mini Suite "featuring fireplace, digital SKY TV, pre-loaded iPods, docking stations and DVD players, four poster king size beds with luxurious Egyptian linen cotton, flat screen TV, baths, power showers, fluffy towels, soft robes, slippers and a complete set of toiletries from the White Company." It's a bit extravagant, but we figured that there's no better excuse to go all out than a honeymoon! Especially when you only get a couple of days and have to make the most of them! There is even a hotspot nightclub in the bottom called Lulu and a fabulous restaurant...

I can't wait!!!

Settling in to my new home

2009-05-22T13:21:00.001+01:00

That is the view from our living room window at our new place in Kendal, so different from anything in America.

We are settling in to our sleepy little town pretty well and enjoying that despite it's size, Kendal offers everything we need. There are loads of shops, cafes and entertaining things to do. I'm still struggling for things to fill my time since I can't work until after the wedding, but hopefully with the weather improving I'll be able to get outside more at the very least! Today I went out with my future-in-laws for a lovely little lunch and a bit of shopping. Neil's off work at six tonight so I'm killing time watching the Simpsons movie until then. Neil's working the whole bank holiday weekend, but at least we're going for a scrummy roast dinner at his parents' tomorrow :)

66 hours and 35 minutes til England

2009-05-15T01:32:00.000+01:00

I'm feeling a bit more reassured after talking to my honey this morning. I know he's trying so hard to have a nice little home set up for my arrival and that he's prepared to deal with a slightly crazy wife(to be) while we live in England. I'm hoping I don't get too lonely or homesick for Vancouver or Portland. I think wedding planning will be a good time absorber. Right now I'm working on our mini-moon to Scotland and having a lot of fun. I've also got my online history courses and we may be purchasing a treadmill with some of our wedding gift money, so hopefully I'll stay busy enough to not drive him or myself too insane.

Today I purchased my second set of invitation materials which my mom and I agree are much better than the other invitations I was going to make. They are lovely embossed purple swirls on cream cardstock. The ones I had been planning on making were very simple heavy soft-white paper layered on black cardstock. They would have been nice but these new ones will be much prettier and luckily everything I had bought before is returnable! I also picked up a 'Here Comes the Bride' tote bag on sale and some very cute 'B' monogrammed luggage tags for hubby and me :D

Three and a half days

2009-05-14T07:59:00.000+01:00

In only three and a half days I will have two suitcases and a carry-on packed with as much of my life as they can hold. I will be moving half way around the world and leaving everything I've known behind. Wow. A little scary.

Although it's not my first move from home, it is the biggest. When I left for university although I was moving to a different country, I was still closer than my classmates who went to the east coast or even southern California. Even so, it was a scary change that I struggled with. I spent the first three months convinced I had made the wrong decision and planned on moving back to Oregon. If I had, my entire life would be different and I would not be preparing for what I currently am.

In less than two months I will be a married woman, living in a foreign country and knowing no one other than my soon to be husband and his small family. Gulp.

I am sure and confident about our wedding, my only doubts are about my impending move. How will I handle it? Will I go crazy? Will I drive my fiance crazy? How will I make friends? Because on top of having the normal post-university crazies (what am I going to do with myself now?) I have to worry about all the other stuff...I feel like Britney-level meltdown is not outside the realm of possibility :/

I haven't really thought too much about it yet. I've been so busy finishing up school, wedding planning and preparing for the fiancee visa that it hasn't really sunk in - until now. I got my visa in the mail today and everything became real. I started staring at all my things and thinking about what would make the cut for the big move and I didn't know how to feel. It's similar to the feeling I had leaving for university. I could (and can now) tell that my parents wanted me to be happy, but that it's incredibly hard for them to watch me go. This makes me sad because I don't know what to do for them. I know it's inevitable that parents will feel sad at these milestones: leaving for university, getting married, etc. because they're letting go of their children, but I wish I could make them feel better.

So I'm sad because I'm leaving my parents (even though technically I've lived away from home for years now) and scared because I don't know what's ahead of me. What I do know is that I have the most incredibly loving, sweet, kind fiance who will take care of me and support me. This makes me feel a lot better, but doesn't take away my anxiety over how I'll meet new people, settle into my new life and what I'll do with my career. I guess I'll have to figure out how to deal with those things as I go...

ANXIETY!!

2009-05-07T19:13:00.000+01:00

Oh my goodness, I have never been so anxious in my life!! I phoned the courier this morning to double check that everything went okay (it did) and we should have an answer either today or tomorrow hopefully. I'm praying we get an answer today because I don't think my poor nerves can handle a very long wait. I woke up just before six this morning with my heart racing and kept waking up the same way every hour until I finally gave up at 9:30.
Now I'm sipping some decaf coffee and planning on watching Grey Gardens (with Drew Barrymore) on my parents HBO. I have to be available on my contact phone numbers until 4pm in case the consulate needs to ask any questions so I'm basically killing time. I think I might work on the wedding invitations a little later, but I'm so edgy and jittery I don't know what to do with myself.
Alright, I'm through with my little venting session. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!

Where I've been...

2009-05-04T23:41:00.000+01:00

Just a quick little update on where I've been lately...
After finishing my exams I said goodbye to all my friends, packed up all my stuff and moved back to Portland on Friday. Since then it's been a whirlwind of picking up my wedding dress :) buying shoes, accessories, my mom's MOB dress, calling again and again about the bridesmaids dresses, etc on top of finally submitting my fiance visa application. I have been working like a crazy woman to gather all the supporting documents and today I have to get a money order and passport photos done. Tomorrow I am getting my biometric data collected and then overnighting everything to the courier who will walk it in to the consulate. WISH US LUCK!!!!! I'm alternating the visa application prep with working on the wedding invitations. AND my two online courses began today. AAAAHHHH! I feel like my head is going to explode! Poor honey is stressed out also, moving into the "Midget House" all by himself and getting everything paid for :/
Hopefully if everything goes according to plan (again, keep your fingers crossed for us) I will be back with him in two weeks!!

The dreaded wedding diet

2009-04-24T06:39:00.000+01:00

I set a goal that once I hit the 90-day/3-month mark, I would "officially" begin my wedding diet. We're now at 80 days and I'm feeling the pressure a bit because I'm finding it very hard to stick to my healthy eating with work lunches, end of term celebrations and trying to eat what's left in my cupboards before I move out. My goal is to lose approximately 7(-10)lbs so I'm not striving for anything impossible, I just need to stick to it. I need to stick to healthy eating, incorporate more exercise (especially light weight training for my arms and back) and just work on taking better care of myself, not that I don't do a decent job already. I try to maintain a healthy, nearly vegetarian diet, high in fiber, healthy fats and protein with loads of fresh veggies and fruit. I avoid trans fats, white flour, high sodium and I don't drink caffeine, but I do drink lots of water. So while I don't really need to lose weight, I know I'd look better in the dress and feel a lot more fit if I took off just a few excess pounds and toned up. Anyone have willpower tips? Fitting into a wedding dress should be the best willpower maintainer known to man, but I'm still struggling! Pizza, chocolate and yam fries are calling to me!

Also, Neil and I are now in the process of signing the lease for a different flat right below the one we were this close to signing the contracts for. It's a two bedroom and soooo cute :) It's not any bigger (despite being two bedrooms :/) but the interior is much nicer and it gives us a guestroom/study.

Nap dreams

2009-04-22T01:42:00.000+01:00

I always have crazy dreams when I nap and today was no exception! I just woke up from a delicious nap where I dreamt that I took a taxi to doctors appointment because I had a huge, broken suitcase with me and was running late. While all that sounds crazy, the part that I really knew was a dream was when shortly after I'd taken the taxi I realized I'd forgotten to pay. I know that a taxi driver, would never, EVER forget to have someone pay, ergo crazy nap dream. If that whole dream story doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. Don't try and figure out my slightly deranged mind, just play along.

The nap was a nice capper to a great afternoon. This morning I woke up and the sun was shining. I took a shower, talked to my honey and then Julia and I went down to the G Sport to watch Liverpool v Arsenal (4-4) and have some lunch. I had a cold strongbow, a veggie burger and some really tasty yam fries. Afterward I got my rook piercing taken out for the wedding. (It's been on my to-do list for months!) Then I came home and took the aforementioned nap. What a day! Tonight there is a new episode of Fringe, oddly enough also about dreams (From TV Listings: Agent Dunham witnesses a suicide in her dreams as the event actually occurs at New York's Grand Central Station.) Tomorrow I'm having coffee with my old roommate and loving my days of sunshine and relaxation!

I'm really craving some more yam fries though!!

Good News and Bad News

2009-04-17T03:30:00.000+01:00

Bad news first…
Yesterday my Mom called and broke the news to me that the envelope containing Neil’s wage slips, bank statements and a few other important documents for my fiancée visa arrived empty. He had mailed it to my parents since I’m submitting my application back in Oregon and apparently it was improperly sealed so somewhere in between everything was lost :(
We’re quite upset, but luckily we should be able to replace everything. We’re losing time and money and there is the potential for identity theft if someone finds and tries to use the information, but we’re trying to stay positive.

Now to end with the good news…
Neil met with the letting agent this morning and we’ve got a new flat!! He gets to pick up the keys next week :) I’m so excited for our first little home. I can’t wait to paint and decorate and make it our own. Unfortunately we weren’t able to celebrate properly since we were upset about the lost documents. I didn’t sleep well last night because of the stress, so I went out for a walk this afternoon to clear my head. I grabbed an iced Americano (decaf of course) and took a stroll through the Japanese garden. While there I made sure to cross the zigzag bridge. Legend says that demons can’t cross it so hopefully I have left all our demons and bad luck on the other side and Neil and I are in the clear. Fingers crossed at least! Afterwards I sat next to the pond and reflected on all the things we have going for us.
- we can more or less replace all the documents
- they were likely lost in the US lessening the risk of identity theft
- we have wonderful family and friends supporting us
- we’re healthy (a couple on the message board I read are trying to rush their fiancé visa application because he has cancer :/)
- we still have time to get the application submitted for my goal leaving date
- WE JUST GOT A NEW PLACE!
So since life has thrown us yet another lemon, I’m going to keep making lemonade and looking on the bright side and have faith that everything will work out.

2009-04-16T06:12:00.000+01:00

Great new episode of Fringe last night, I can't wait for next week's :) As for my day today, my exam went pretty well. I was watching an episode of House today and they were talking about willow bark and I thought "I know about that!" I even had a question about which medicine was originally derived from willow bark* on my exam today. At least the course has made me understand House better! haha

*Answer - Aspirin

Wedding stress is here with a vengenance!

2009-04-15T04:07:00.000+01:00

I think I need to take up yoga.

Wedding stress has begun to seep through every nook and cranny and I'm itching to get back to England and down to business! Right now I am tackling flowers and decor. I have decided to use cut flowers for the bouquets only because it just feels so wasteful (both financially and environmentally) to have cut flowers for the centerpieces and such. I am planning on placing a potted orchid on each table with a mirror and a selection of candles. After the wedding the orchids will make lovely gifts for our parents and special guests as well as beautiful decorations for our home. We have to keep at least a few for our new place :)

Even though I've got a major exam tomorrow (history of modern medicine) I'm preoccupied with all things wedding. Argh. I need to get my head together and finish up these exams before I launch into full-blown wedding mode. I'm doing my best but it's hard being a Bride-To-Be! Especially one who's down to less than THREE MONTHS before the big day!

Off to my date with miasma theory, colloidal chemistry and Claude Bernard. Yippee!

p.s.
I just saw a preview for the Wolverine movie and it looks good. I'm looking forward to seeing it and hopefully spotting the set that I walked through while it was filming here.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-04-14T00:31:00.000+01:00

Because I'm sure you want to know...

1. My knees, ankles, and the middle finger on my right hand crack constantly. All I have to do is walk around or bend them.

2. I love making lists.

3. I can't remember the last time I read a book cover to cover. It makes me sad, but not enough to do anything about it.

4. My dream is to open my own restaurant/cafe within the next ten years.

5. I was a pathological liar from 12 to 14. I used to tell people I was from Australia and all kinds of things I thought made me more interesting. Luckily it was just a phase.

6. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac.

7. I drink a lot of coffee, but only decaf.

8. My second toe is longer than my big toe.

9. I have more cupcake related items than anyone you know.

10. I plan to walk down the aisle to a string quartet version of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones on my wedding day - 12 July 2009.

11. I like to watch horror movies, but only by myself.

12. Is my lucky number and by pure coincidence with what the hotel had available, my wedding day.

13. My degree is in history, with my specialties being African-American history and Jewish history and diaspora theory as it applies to each.

14. I am addicted to reading trashy, gossipy articles on the Sun website.

15. I collect autographed CD jackets.

16. My perfect date would be sharing a good bottle of wine in a dark, smoky jazz bar.

17. I love anything passion fruit flavored.

18. I have sprained my left ankle three times so it now goes out on me at random times and makes me look like a total spaz. Thanks ankle, I appreciate it.

19. I wanted to get a tattoo for about seven or eight years but never did and now I'm glad.

20. I shook Jon Bon Jovi's hand five years ago.

21. I carry a picture of my fiance in my wallet.

22. I'm terrified of learning to drive on the left side and think I may take the bus for as long as I live in England.

23. I have lived in five different apartments over the past four years.

24. I once won an award for eating a giant, double banana split all by myself. It was called 'The Pigs Trough'.

25. I think that Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry could be the same person. They just look too much alike.

Movie Review: The Happening

2009-04-13T21:50:00.000+01:00

Maybe because of their release dates or their titles or for whatever reason many people compare "The Mist" and "The Happening". After just finishing the "The Happening" I don't really understand why. "The Mist" was entertaining, but more importantly it made me think. It made me really consider what I would be capable of in a time of crisis. Beneath the monster metaphor, this was it's main goal and with me it succeeded. "The Happening" on the other hand was a load of nothingness. Nothing happened. A bunch of people became affected by something and killed themselves. Bigger message = we're killing the planet so it's going to start killing us? WTF? Good actors wasted on a pointless film. I can give it some points for good cinematography but that's about it. Don't waste your time on this film because you will spend ninety minutes waiting for something to happen and it never will = 1.5=10

Movie Reviews: The Mist; Catch and Release; The Haunting of Sorority Row

2009-04-13T04:45:00.000+01:00

I find that I watch a lot of movies during exams times...probably not a good thing but c'est la vie. Most recently I have watched:
"The Mist"

After I got past the cheesy tentacle monsters and giant bugs, it got pretty interesting. Unlike a lot of horror movies, this one isn't about the physical monsters but the monsters within and about what normal people are capable of (good or bad). I liked the second half better, but overall = 7.5/10

"Catch and Release"

More or less a typical romantic comedy. Some touching moments, some funny, some quite sad. Overall very bland and unfresh though = 4/10

"The Haunting of Sorority Row" (apparently also known as "Deadly Pledge")

A made for tv movie starring Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl. Watchable, but predictable and clearly meant for lifetime viewers who want to switch it up with something scary. Bonus points for being filmed at UBC = 2.5/10

Lets play catchup!

2009-04-13T03:49:00.000+01:00

Classes have come and gone by now, just studying for and taking exams for the next 15 days and then it's back to Portland I go! The girls threw me an amazing bachelorette(US)/stagette(Canada)/hen party(UK) with just the right balance of sweetness and scandal. We all gathered for drinks and food at Alexa's house before a surprise private pole dance/lap dance class and then it was off to the pub for drinks and shenanigans. I've officially said goodbye to my single girl life and am happily preparing for my transition into married life in THREE MONTHS!! Today we hit the three month mark and wedding planning is beginning to kick into high gear.
Also, Neil and I are very close to signing the lease on an adorable flat in Kendal!! We are both so excited and are keeping our fingers crossed that everything works out when Neil goes in on Thursday to go over paperwork. I'm trying to stay levelheaded and not get too excited before we've put pen to paper, but I can't help it! I've been going through ikea catalogs and decorating "inspiration" collages and browsing home furnishings online nonstop...it's bad :)
I've got a lot more free time on my hands since classes finished and my last day of work on Wednesday. It was really sad to leave, I loved that job and all the people there. They were wonderful and had a delicious choc cake for me and sweet card that everyone had signed. I still have one last work lunch on the 18th but then that it. I'm just hoping I can find a great job like it in Kendal.

Well I hope I have caught you up on all the recent happenings and you can expect more frequent blog posts as I've got the time to write again.

Writing papers in the dreary Vancouver rain

2009-03-31T01:55:00.001+01:00

I am in serious need of some sunshine (and WARMTH!) and I think Neil feels the same way. Last week he sent me an article about vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) and I am feeling severely deficient right about now! I'm stuck inside writing papers all week although I'm not too bothered as its pretty dreary outside. I'm down to my last week and a half of classes and work and I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to buckle down and get everything wrapped up but I am the worst procrastinator known to man. I'm also finding it difficult to focus because the wedding seems to be coming up so quick! Just over three months to go and I have a lot to accomplish still. I want to shift into Bridezilla mode but I know I have more to do before I can let all things wedding take over my life for a couple months. You only do it once though so you might as well, right? ;)

Last week was my birthday (and Neil's!) and I went out for sushi with friends and my brother who was in town for his spring break. We all had a great time and the food was delish!

They even brought me a free deep fried Mars bar sundae AND they accidentally put in two orders so we got both free :) yay!

3 More Weeks of Classes!!

2009-03-23T02:18:00.000Z

I am down to my last 3 (2.5 really) weeks of classes and I really can't believe I am so close to being done with school and moving to England! It feels like the term just began and I don't know where the time went! My brother and his friends are coming up tomorrow which is also Neil's birthday. Mine is the day after that and I'm hoping to get a bunch of friends out for sushi and drinks :)

Happy Birthday Honey!!

Alone again :(

2009-03-20T04:04:00.000Z

Neil is back in England and I'm feeling a bit low. He made it back safe and sound, but exhausted and I've been battling the blues since then. I just feel a bit down and lonely. It's amazing what a difference a hug after a long day makes. I didn't enjoy coming back to an empty house last night. The weather isn't helping my mood much either, it's been pouring rain for days and it's not supposed to let up any time soon. I'm down to my last six weeks in Vancouver and frankly they can't come soon enough! I am in dire need of some sunshine!!
Enjoying the only truly sunny day while Neil was here...

FOUR MONTHS!!

2009-03-12T15:48:00.000Z

We're down to only FOUR MONTHS (122 days) until the wedding!! I can hardly believe that in only four short months I will be walking down the aisle!! It's going so quickly and I still have so much to do! I still need to:
- Finalize and file the application for my fiancee visa
- Find shoes, a veil and other accessories
- Find accessories and such for the bridesmaids
- Order invitations (!!)
- Finalize the (cup)cake order
- Figure out what I'm doing for flowers/book a florist
- Book hair (and makeup?) appointments
- Order favors
- And so on and so on...
I can't wait to finish school, relax a bit and get down to serious planning :)

A word cloud created from text on my blog...

One More Week with Neil <3

2009-03-11T22:29:00.000Z

Neil has been here one week already! He's only got one more week here and I can't believe how quick the time is passing! I've been a bit absent with my posting as we've been quite busy. Neil had a good flight to Vancouver and we had a couple nice days here before jetting off to Portland to see my parents and grandparents. On our first night there we had a really wonderful romantic dinner at Portland City Grill and a nice time catching up with my family. Unfortunately both of us have felt a bit under the weather the past few days so we've been taking it relatively easy. We tried the new Point Grey Browns restaurant on Monday and then Neil met up with his best man for drinks. Tomorrow we're hoping to go out downtown for some lunch and birthday shopping for the both of us :) AND Bahar and Ed arrive on Saturday and I can't wait!
Out for a Mexican dinner with my parents on Saturday night.

Neil is on his way!!

2009-03-03T06:48:00.001Z

According to the plan, my fiance will be at the airport now getting ready for his flight to Amsterdam, from where he'll take his flight to Vancouver and into my arms :) I'm so excited!! For the past three days I have done nothing but clean, do laundry and grocery shop for his arrival. Tomorrow I have a class in the morning, a bit of last minute straightening up to do and some surprise brownies to bake before heading to the airport. Although I've been counting down to his arrival for the past two months, the last 24 hours always feel the longest, I just want him to get here already!

March is Right Around the Corner

2009-02-27T07:05:00.000Z

I can't believe it'll be March in two days...wow...
It feels like just yesterday that Neil and I were ringing in the new year and now I'm down to my last two months in Vancouver before the big move. Lots to get through now with the fiancee visa and making arrangements for the journey back to England. Time is flying by and before too long I'll be a MRS as well! I'm excited for the wedding and I can't wait to marry the love of my life - I've never felt so sure of anything else. I am however anxious about all the other stuff we've got to do like being approved for my visa, getting me and all my stuff from Vancouver to England, completing the final course for my degree, finding a place for us to call home and getting all the little details for the wedding finalized. Phew! There is a lot on our plates for the next few months!

I also want to get back into running and try to start going to the gym on a regular basis. I probably should have started my pre-wedding fitness routine a while ago but since I don't have a gym in my new place I've been putting it off. I think I still have enough time, 135 days to be exact. My goal is to tone my arms and legs and strengthen my core and hopefully lose about 7 pounds in the process, although I'm less concerned about losing weight than just making sure nothing jiggles haha.

Enjoying a Brodie's Prime from the Hawkhead Brewery on a picnic in Ambleside last February. I can hardly believe that was already a year ago!
TGIF tomorrow!

Worn Out

2009-02-26T05:03:00.000Z

Today was a LONG day. Went to work in the morning, rushed home to change clothes then participated in a HKIN study where I had to balance on an unstable board (I definitely need to work on my leg muscles haha) rushed home again for a quick bite of lunch and a chat with Neil. Then hurried off to turn in a paper, ran to a midterm, ran to another midterm 10 minutes later, sat through a lecture, walked home in the snow (ugh) and now I'm studying for yet another midterm tomorrow morning at 8am followed by the second session of the study.

Maybe I'll get really lucky and we'll have a snow day tomorrow because right now I'm running on fumes.

I'd love a hug, a nice massage and a warm chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk. That would be absolutely wonderful. Pretty please? hehe

Case of the Gimmes

2009-02-25T05:12:00.000Z

I'm suffering from a bout of the gimmes. Just put up with me today, I'll get over it soon. I already posted once tonight about wanting to go shopping and now I'm posting about wanting a place to call our own. Sorry.

I so badly want a place for Neil and I to call home. A flat, a house, anywhere it doesn't matter as long as it is ours. I want to buy furniture and make a home. For the past four years I've made do with cheap, temporary or hand-me-down housewares. I've lived in six different places (not including an extended visit to San Diego or my trips to England) with no stay lasting more than eight months. I'm tired of the shuffle and sometimes, like tonight, it just gets to me. I don't want to serve wine out of paper cups anymore.

I know I'm young and I've got plenty of time but I just really want to settle and make a home with my fiance. I daydream about it constantly. I've browse listings all the time and I've already picked out all my favorite furniture at IKEA and Pottery Barn. Sad but true. haha

Alright. I think it's out of my system now. Thank you for being patient with me.

I want to go shopping!

2009-02-25T01:52:00.000Z

I know it's materialistic but I really want to go shopping. I know I've got a lot of clothes so I don't need anything, but I want new tops and cardigans and flirty summer dresses and boots and I could go on and on. I don't shop for myself very often, but still feel guilty for even wanting to go shopping because I know I should be saving my money, not worrying about what's on my back but as shallow as it is clothes and looking good make me feel good and a little retail therapy is definitely a mood booster. Anyway I'll drop it now, I just needed to voice my desire to go shopping and maybe get it out of my system without spending any money (which I don't have anyway haha)

Neil will be here this time next week!! I can't believe he'll be here so soon! The man will be spoiled rotten with all the artisan beer, beef jerky, chocolate, marmite and more that I have collected for his visit! I hope he appreciates it :)

Cryptozoology

2009-02-24T03:28:00.000Z

I'm still on the subject of Nessy :) I love Cryptozoology Chupacabra, Nessy, you name it! I found a day tour to Loch Ness and the Highlands out of Edinburgh and it sounds like a lot of fun.

More fun than my morning today! I got up early, felt really crap but dragged myself to work anyway only to find out that my boss is sick and canceled. I had woke up early and walked all the way over there for nothing. Needless to say I was a wee bit cranky. On the plus side, I'm down to only ONE WEEK until Neil arrives!! I'm SO excited :) I just have to get through three midterms and two paper prospectuses...hooray

Lastly,
I know my birthday is still a month away but if anyone wants gifts ideas, I'd love a travel mug. I feel guilty every time I throw away a paper coffee cup and since I drink quite a bit of coffee, I've been feeling guilty a lot lately! I'd love to have a reusable mug so if you need an idea for my birthday this year, there you go!

Mini-Mooning

2009-02-23T01:28:00.000Z

So the studmuffin and I have decided that since we can't go on a proper honeymoon until my visa permission comes through, we'll go for a mini-moon to Edinburgh and possibly a few other places in Scotland.

I want to see Nessy! haha

We're planning on taking this short romantic break right after the wedding and saving up for a honeymoon a few months later. We want to go on a sunny, beach holiday for our official honeymoon. Vote in my poll (on the right side of the page) to help us decide :)

Another day, another dollar

2009-02-21T04:25:00.000Z

As I get to know the parents and children better, I enjoy my days at work more and more. We chat more and I get to hear their stories and become a small part of their lives. I love seeing the kids learning, playing and growing into little people. I'm excited to some day have my own and find out what they'll look like and who they'll become, but I think it'll be a while before we're ready for that day. I'm still trying to figure out my own life!

Neil will be arriving in 11 days and I could not be more excited! I've got this weekend, next weekend and a week of midterms, work and participating in research studies in between, but hopefully time will fly by! I can't wait to see him walk through the airport and into my arms :)

Until then I'm settling in for a Friday night of reading and revision. Yay.
I'll also be dreaming about this dress...

Why does education have to be so expensive?!

2009-02-20T07:45:00.001Z

Just looked into Boston University's Masters in Criminal Justice which sounded fabulous until I got to the tuition and fees section. At $31,000+ it's pretty much a non-starter.

Hmm...on to plan b...

Redesign, Revamp, Relaunch

2009-02-20T00:24:00.000Z

Hello! Bonjour! こんにちは! Hola! Hallo! Hej! Shalom! 你好! Ciao! Jambo!

Welcome back to my blog! I have recreated it and now, officially relaunched it. I apologize if you are looking for old blog posts, but we're starting fresh as I prepare to make some major life changes in the next few months!

If you don't already know, I will be getting married this summer - July 12 - only 143 days to go!

I will be receiving my BA in History and African Studies from UBC, leaving my job and my life as I know it here in Vancouver for a new life in England. After we're married, Neil and I will be living in England for at least a year while we work on the immigration process to move back to the US as a married couple :)

We've got a lot of planning and decision making to do as a couple, but I also have a lot to think about as I plan my professional future. I've spent the last few years unsure of where to go and what I wanted to do and frankly, I'm still not sure. While we live in England I intend to pursue another job in childcare/education or the heritage sector (museum/curatorial/etc) but long term - who knows? I've recently started to look into in the FBI again, a career I thought I was destined for a few years ago but pushed aside in favor of something more family friendly.

I've been suffering from a bit of internal turmoil lately as I see many of my peers applying for/being accepted to grad schools, finding fantastic internships and jobs while I feel completely confused and unsure of what I want to do.

So that's where I'm at. That's what's new and that's what this blog will hope to explore in the future. Feel free to come along for the ride!