secret angel

at work, everyone has been allocated a "secret angel". I have had a really tough week- but someone bought me cake to cheer me up! :D

get in!

I left a note on the fridge to thank my secret angel- but I have no idea who's writing it is- and now I want to know!

cheered up now. a bit. 

Open evening

retrospective brownie park holiday photos

shopping for a dress to wear for afternoon tea

OK, firstly, I may have bullied my boyfriend into telling me what he got me for my birthday a month early, but that is totally beside the point.

For my birthday, Traff has bought me afternoon tea for us in Harrods, london.

He will be wearing a suit. which means I will need a dress- after 3 days of shopping, these are my top 3 i think i'll try and get the red one!

pretty
this is the dining room in harrods.


:D

and this is the platter that is served- cut sandwiches, scones, and pastries from the patiserie in harrods- with a tea of your choice!
:D
how amazing is that?!





and this is harrods! all lit up in the dark!

the experience in valid for 10 months, so it might be nice to do in december, when all the xmas lights are up! and we'll be all dressed up anyways...wooly tights and a coat & I'll probably survive! x

Cambridge

I picked traff up from work and we went off to Cambridge- it was his idea, he rang me at like 9 am and told me to put a picnic together and bring him a change of clothes so we could adventure straight away!

so I did.
:D

We went to cambridge, and it was soooo pretty, we saw the colleges & independent shops and the market- and street performers playing the harp & one playing ethnic music.
it was lush!

we went to an arty bar as well- had drinkies whilst we got our bearings.

there was a community are project in the park and festival happening from a boat moored on the river- we had our picnic on jesus green & fed the duckies. actually, I think Traff fed the ducks more than he ate himself.

I did take photos, but they were on my SLR. I lent my digital camera to someone at work, and they haven't returned it yet! gah!

Q2) Which is worse, failing or never trying?

never trying.

people will always respect you for trying to do something, even if it fails. but if you never try you never know what you can do!

thats an easy one!

Q1) How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

In honestly, I'd probably be rather a lot older than my 23 years.
I'd love to be saying "I'd be 18/20 because I so much fun and have such a carefree spirit" But really, I'd probably be at least in my 30s.

I'm such a worrier. I stress about everything. I stress about me, my life, my job, my family, my boyfriend, my boyfriends family, my friends. especially about my job. I even worry about stupid things and keep myself awake most nights doing it!

I realised lately that I have a real inferiority complex. I genuinely think I'm awful at everything- I realised this when I had a lesson observation, which I did really well at, and whilst my mentor was giving me feedback I was arguing why I didn't deserve the grade she'd given me! talk about shooting yourself in the foot! lord alive!

this is something I really do need to work on.
less stress = more fun.
which would make me a better, calmer, more well rounded person.

so yeah, basicly, I'd be middle aged- time to turn that around!

50 questions that will free your mind

http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/

I saw this on Emma's blog and I wanted to try it too- so here goes! the link above is the original set of questions incase anyone else fancies this!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

Dinner :)

Traff and I went to the "Spice village" on tavistock street. and it was amazing.
I've been looking forward to the weekend- this week seems to have lasted forever. so we though we deserved a treat. (and that traff deserved a break from cooking)
:)

the food was awesome.
every time we eat at on tavistock street, its better than the one before.
:D
yesssss!

soo full of food and contented we fell asleep on the sofa about 10:30!

and THIS is why the tory government deserve to be hit by a bus- I don't think I've ever been more angry:

Terminally ill people warned over possible benefit cut

COMMENTS (129)

By Rebecca KeatingBBC News, Lib Dem conference, Birmingham

Terminally ill people face having their benefit payments cut

Continue reading the main story

Lib Dem party conference 2011

• Live: Lib Dem conference
• Clegg warns of 'long, hard road'
• Analysis: Nick Clegg's speech
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Thousands of terminally-ill people have begun receiving letters warning them their benefits could be cut in April even though Parliament has yet to approve the changes.

Under proposals being scrutinised in the Lords, Contributory Employment Support Allowance (CESA) will be time-limited to 12 months from April 2012.

The changes will be retrospective.

So people on CESA for 12 months or more when the rule comes into force will have their benefit cut immediately.

Earlier this week, delegates at the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham passed a motion calling on their MPs to oppose the "arbitrary" time limit, contained in the Welfare Bill, and the plans are likely to face stiff opposition in the Lords.

'No win situation'

Neil Coyle, of the Disability Alliance, said that while it is uncertain whether the rule will be passed, it is premature for the Department for Work and Pensions to warn recipients of the changes.

"The letters are now being sent at a cost of £2.7m, including letters to people who unaffected by the change but who will experience considerable anxiety," he said.

"The government has time to change plans before terminally-ill people and their families have this avoidable and quite nasty cut imposed."

The Department of Work and Pensions admits it is conceivable the legislation may not be approved but says it is better to warn people early.

"It would be completely wrong not to alert people well in advance that there is a possibility that their benefit entitlement may change," a spokesman said.

Jenny Willott, Lib Dem backbench spokesman on welfare, says it is a "no-win situation for the DWP".

"If they don't pre-judge the situation they could end up with thousands of people losing their benefits with little notice," she said.

Ms Willott says Lib Dem peers are working on the "issues to be ironed out" in the bill.

Terminally-ill people with less than six months to live will not be affected by the changes.

so, how clean is your workplace?

Burlesque for the masses- posted from bust

David Quinn might not be a name on your fashion radar, but this underground icon is poised to bring his fun, flattering fabric creations to the mainstream. Quinn makes art for artists to wear, creating costumes for dancers and circus performers, and gowns for brides and burlesque stars alike. He is known for unconventional fashion shows that double as performance art, and for working with neo-burlesque beauties such asWorld Famous *BOB* and recent Lagerfeld muse Dirty Martini, women whose charisma and curves require equally impressive clothes. 

In World Famous *BOB*'s solo performance piece "One Man Show," about a girl who had to become a drag queen to become a woman, Quinn provides a dazzling wardrobe for a powerful woman. As *BOB* slips in and out of her glitzy gowns, recounting the bumpy, glitter-littered road she took from small-town misfit to  "The Dream Come True Girl," it becomes obvious that dressing (and undressing) herself is a transformative experience.  *BOB* calls herself a "female-female impersonator," and in her fabulous, fiercely feminine Quinn-designed couture, she sparkles as hard as any of the sequins on her bodice.

World Famous *BOB* in a David Quinn dress (via stylelikeu)

Dirty Martini in one of her many Quinn creations (Ted D'Ottavio via Myspace)

Miss Astrid matches her signature eyepatch to a David Quinn dress (via Myspace)

Now Quinn is releasing a ready-to-wear line for Spring/Summer 2012, a preview of which, although teeny-tiny, can be seen here:

Though the line is decidedly demure compared to some of Quinn's work, it's still exciting that he's offering options for those of us mere mortals not lucky enough to be Dirty Martini. Quinn's  flair for color, texture, and patterns translates into chic options for any lady looking to channel her inner queen, whether she's working at the office or working it onstage.  

Check out more looks and find out how Quinn can rock your body atDavidQuinnNewYork.com.

Thank you for my post card Hayley!

extracting DNA from strawberrys

could you make the instructions look more phallic?

no?

ok, good, coz as beautiful as they are they're still damn vague...

yeah, you may call it a kitchen, but secretly its my lab, and I'll use my drinking glasses how I please!

the DNA is the white stuff on top.

the clear liquid is gin (who knew it could be so useful?)

and the red mush is mashed strawberrys, washing up liquid & salt.

Tuesday is an adventure day

having a boyfriend is a bit like having a puppy.... this was supposed to be an after dinner stroll!

feeding duckies! :D how cute? we were very very quickly over-run- even worse than roath park lake!

"have you lost your ball traff?"

pretty!

I'm taking advantage of living so close to the park- its beautiful!

Sunday dinner & football (yes, you read that right)

the wife made us sunday dinner- but with sausages instead of chicken..yummy :) we were going to take it to the park and have a sunday-dinner-pic-nic but it rained and was all grey and cloudy.

we didn't risk it.

maybe next sunday :D

the happy, hungry chef himself.

after dinner he made us go and play football in the park- I was totally rubbish. it was really really funny tho!

look! autum is almost completely upon us! the trees are turning! such pretty colour though and even if its a bit rainy the weather is quite warm- its lush to still be outside without a jacket this time of year!

moorhens, they're so cheeky and curious.