A Few Of My Favourite Things

* Raindrops
* Roses
* Whiskers on kittens
* Bright copper kettles
* Warm, woollen mittens
* Brown paper packages tied up with string

Wait. Wait. Wait.That's not my list at all!! That's a very different list of favourite things, although I do like mittens. And brown paper packages.  Don't panic, I haven't turned into Julie Andrews and started wearing skirts made of curtains and bouncing around full of happy, or surrounded with an army of small, sweetly singing children. That's not very me (not even pre-medicated me!).

Here's my list of my favourite things. In a loose sense of the word. In fact, it would probably be better for me to call it a List Of Things I Like. Sort of. A little bit. It's part of that whole happy-ish thing.

My Stack Of Books To Read

                                 

This picture only contains a handful of the books I own, but have yet to read. I have loaned a number of them to friends who I know will enjoy them, and who might as well be reading them whilst I can't. It's impossible for me to concentrate long enough to read an actual book. Or rather, I can read, but if I don't read the whole book in one sitting, I lose track of the plot and it becomes very confusing. In fact, this also happens if I read the book in one sitting, but at least I manage to get to the end of it so it feels like I've read a book, even if I haven't retained any information whatsoever from doing so. The books on this stack that I am most keen to read are the Joanne Harris and Jasper Fforde ones. I'm saving them for when I'm less stupid, because I really want to enjoy them, and I know I won't if I read them right now.

My Notebook

                               

I started this book on S's advice. It would appear that she shares a little of my love for Paperchase and seriously pretty notebooks. Armed with a sense of righteousness that can only come from being instructed to buy a pretty notebook ("and make sure it is a pretty one"), I went to Paperchase and brought home this beauty. It's a shame really that I fill it with my nightmares, my anxieties, and my general misery, punctuated with lists of things and a colourful variety of naughty words (of the F variety). In fact, probably the only positive thing I've written in it was a copy of Gala Darling's "Sad Trombone List" : a list of things to do to cheer yourself up. So, when I'm in a bad cycle I can look at the list, and make myself feel worse by pointing out that I couldn't possibly do any one of those things. Maybe one of these days, I'll progress and actually do something.

Hot Chocolate and Brownies

There are few things in life that a hot chocolate and a brownie from Gareth James Chocolatier's can't put right. I don't know what kind of witchcraft goes into making his brownies but they are beyond amazing, and I say this as a hardened chocoholic, who has eaten a LOT of (frankly inferior) brownies. I defy anyone to tell me there's a better brownie out there. I really, seriously wish I had a photo to add to this, but I've neglected to take any!! That's going to have to be my new week resolution: get a photo of hot choc and brownies from Gareth James (which won't be at all difficult to achieve). Add into that chocolately mix some of the friendliest people you will ever meet in a shop and you have the perfect place to get your chocolate fix. Go now. If you don't like chocolate, try their ice-creams: I highly recommend the mint choc chip and hazelnut praline.


A Box Of Smiley Faces

Because, who could continue to be miserable when faced with a box of chocolatey goodness. Even better, the chocolatey goodness came from friends of ours as a thank you present (they totally didn't need to get us a present, but they did anyway), so it is virtuous chocolate. I'm sure this means it is guilt free and calorie free, which may go a little way towards explaining why I have eaten it all.

My Knitting


                                      

There's something oddly relaxing about knitting. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. That's the noise of the needles, not just me being random. It should be an irritation, but it isn't. I also find counting stitches and rows and following a pattern oddly calming. I think mainly because you don't have chance to get distracted by random thoughts. I have just finished knitting a number of lovely patterned squares for a charity blanket, and am now working on a knitted waistcoat for the small boy.

Mollie Makes

This is my favourite new find. Or rather, thing that J introduced me to. Grown up friendship bracelets, felt toys, quilting techniques, crochet patterns, knitting patterns... What's not to love? It's an oddly inspiring magazine, and so pretty to look at. Mollie Makes is made of proper paper (not that shiny sh*t that other magazines come in) and has a really old-fashioned feel about it, whilst still being awesomely cool!! I've just got the latest edition today and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to curl up with a cup of tea, flick through it and decide on some weird and wacky projects to start. 

My Boys

I have nothing to say about this that won't make me sound crazier than I am. I can't help smile at them!!

And finally, just in case this was getting too sickly sweet....


Baby B's Pregnancy Test



Well, not actually Baby B's pregnancy test, for the obvious reason that he is far too young to have impregnated anyone. Fortunately, I have many years ahead of me before that possibility rears its ugly head. This is, in fact, the test I took (and passed) when I found out I was having baby B. Don't worry, it no longer smells of pee as I have removed the pee part of "pee stick" and disposed of it in an entirely sanitary fashion. I just kept the stick part with the funky symbols Baby B used to say "ha ha ha ha, you thought you had a chest infection but I'm a baby, ha ha ha ha, see you in 9 months"!