Easter Saturday with the Family

On Easter Saturday Lee and I got up bright and early to go to the supermarket before we went to my grandma's. We needed to get something vegetarian to eat in place of the roast lamb everyone else was having, and I also picked up some alcohol and some other veggie bits to try during the week. I'm loving being vegetarian and trying a ton of new things. We got some fake chicken which was really nice, it was very chicken-like in texture.

While Neil, Rob and Lee were cooking (love a man who cooks! get u one!) my mum, Caroline and Beth helped me with the favours for our vow renewal. I knew it wouldn't take four of us long at all, so we made a production line on the living room floor. It didn't take long at all, so it was one job off my mind which was good.

We had a roast lunch which was delicious, and then Lee and I had made a mini egg cheesecake. Everyone loved it, my mum told me we could make it next Easter too! After we'd washed up we went to sit in the garden with some Pimms. Rob and Beth had to go because they were going to Cumbria to stay with Beth's grandad, but the rest of us stayed outside for ages enjoying the sunshine. We eventually went back inside but no one wanted to break up the party! It was a lovely day.

I wore my flamingo skirt and a white top, along with a flamingo pin badge and flamingo earrings. I went with a bright coral lipstick too.

Bright lipstick. I took this at home before we left

My mum and Caroline with stickers and chocolates and ducks for the favours

Caroline and Beth

My grandma's garden. I was sitting on her new seat here!

Mini egg cheesecake! It was so sweet but really nice

And finally, my outfit. We came home and collapsed into bed, we were so tired! Can you see Ivy's face just in the corner?

Good Friday with the Family

Good Friday this year happened to fall on my grandma's 93rd birthday, so my aunt, uncle and cousins had arranged to come up for the weekend. We asked her where she wanted to go and she chose The Reindeer Inn at Overton near Wakefield, So all ten of us met there at 6.45 on Friday.

We've been before, a few years ago one Mother's Day. It's just above the National Coal Mining Museum so you get a lovely view out, which my grandma had remembered. We all gave her money because she wanted a new bench for her garden, which my stepdad had put up for her.

The food is really nice, home cooked with generous portions, and staff are really friendly. The menu doesn't have many veggie choices but fortunately the specials board did. I had garlic mushrooms to start and then sweet potato and chickpea curry with chips. I was too full for dessert! Everyone enjoyed their food.

I wore this Scarlett & Jo "skirt" - you may remember that it was a dress, one which I wore quite often as I loved it. Well the top had gone really bobbly, so I just cut it away from the elastic. It doesn't look perfect on the inside, but no one can see it there, so I don't really care. I'm excited to keep wearing the skirt as I love the pattern, and I'm happy I can wear white tops and others with it now! I pulled out this Simply Be t-shirt I've worn a few times. It's so soft and comfortable.

I decided to go dramatic with my lipstick and wore this dark purple Model's Own lipstick that I don't think I've worn before. I had barely any other make up on and I loved it!

Finally when we were all sitting at the table I made everyone go round taking selfies, it's my new favourite method of taking photos because it means you get everyone. My uncle said he really liked it too! It was a lovely evening with lots of rosé wine!

My nails were painted in Illamasqua Nomad which is this gorgeous mint green, I love it

Purple lipstick selfie in the car on our way

Me and Lee. Lee has very sensitive eyes so kept his sunglasses on in the bright conservatory

Lee and my grandma

Me grandma and Caroline

Caroline and Neil

Neil and my mum 

My mum and stepdad

Norman and Beth

Beth and Rob, this is a lovely photo

Rob and Peter - it's not often you see them in the same photo!

Peter - my favourite - and me

And my outfit when we got home!

What I Wore April 14th

In the middle of April we went to Durham because Lee's stepdad was turning fifty and Lee's sister had organised lunch for about twenty of us on Sunday. It's quite a long way to go there and back in a day but it was worth it, I think Gary appreciated it. Everyone put money in to buy him a day experience in a racing car which he'll really enjoy.

We got to meet Lee's brother Andrew's new girlfriend Libby, too, which was really nice. He's hopefully moving to Manchester soon to live with her, so we'll hopefully be able to go over a bit more to see him.

The pub was only doing Sunday lunches, with no veggie choices, so it was a bit confusing to get me something to eat but eventually I got nut cutlets with roast vegetables, Yorkshire pudding etc, all the stuff that comes with a Sunday dinner. It was really nice actually, with plenty of vegetables.

I had put on this Scarlett & Jo dress because it's really pretty but also quite comfortable to sit in the car in for hours. I used to wear it with my black cardigan but realised that this pink cardigan looks really good too, and makes it just a little bit more spring like.

I also picked these shoes up at a clothes swap a few years ago. They're handmade I think. They're really soft leather and comfortable inside. Thanks to whoever gave these away! I think they're cute.

When I stand I'm so lopsided!

Very cute shoes!

My "Hen" Party

I wanted to go out with some friends for a kind of hen party before our vow renewal. I made it happen in the middle of April, in Wakefield. There were six of us for food and then Sam joined us later after she'd finished work. I booked a table at Robatary, a pan-Pacific restaurant and cocktail bar that I've been to before. We met at 2.30 and had a lovely comfy booth seat.

I had some really yummy cocktails and absolutely gorgeous food. To start with I had deep fried onion petals with a rose mayo, which was interesting but really yummy. Steph had the same as me and she was less sure about the rose mayo. Then I had vegetable Indonesian curry which was SO good! The sauce was really nutty and thick and delicious. I also had halloumi fries which are so nice. The restaurant has tons of different choices for a number of different tastes.

We stayed in Robatary until about 6pm when they needed the table back, so we headed round the corner to Qubana. We went right up on the roof terrace for a few drinks before we each went home. I had such a lovely time and I'm really glad we went!

I was wearing a Scarlett & Jo dress and got lots of compliments on it, but forgot to take a photo of it. I was wearing Models Own lipstick though, which I liked.

Here's my photos:

My face on the way in the car

Me and Sarah while we were waiting for everyone else

Chinese cosmo

Deep fried onion petals

Me and Sarah, isn't she gorgeous

Me and Steph

Steph and Katie

N and Katie

My mum and N

Sarah and my mum 

Indonesian curry. I'll have to try to make it myself

Halloumi fries with a sweet chilli dip

Candy floss martini, it's really sweet but so good

And then a rose prosecco in Qubana

A New Crochet Blanket!

Years ago, when I first learnt to crochet, I said I would make Lee a blanket. I bought a bunch of Stylecraft Aran yarn in Denim, Silver, Raspberry, Aspen, Fondant, and black because those were colours Lee said he liked. I chose a granny square pattern from a book and made loads of squares. I decided to crochet the squares together with double crochets, which makes a nice raised line between the squares on the "right" side of the blanket. I did this for two strips, and I'd made around 54 squares so I could have just joined the rest together and finished it.

But I didn't. I put all the squares and the yarn and even the book in a carrier bag and then forgot about it. I've worked on other projects since then, obviously, and I kept meaning to get back to this. I've had the bag behind my desk for about eight months, but still hadn't got round to it. Then I finished another blanket for a friend's baby (I'll share photos of that once baby has received the blanket!) and thought, you know, I really should finish that blanket for Lee.

So I pulled all the squares out, put them into strips, and started to crochet them all together. I had to make a few more squares to make sure I had the right numbers of each colour, and I was really careful to keep the order the same as I crocheted each square into strips. Once that was done I crocheted the strips into the blanket as a whole.

I've not worked with Aran yarn much - it's thicker than DK and so the blanket is really heavy and warm. I was using a 5mm hook. The black was really hard to see, so I know there's mistakes in it but fortunately you can't see them.

I decided to just do a simple granny border in both the shades of pink as Lee really likes those colours. I had just enough of the raspberry left, but ran out of the fondant. I decided to buy another ball off eBay but had to wait ages for it, so while I did, I sewed in all the ends. There was a LOT. Most of the squares I had already done, thankfully, but the strips of crochet all needed doing.

The yarn arrived eventually so I just had to do a few more stitches, sew in the last ends, and hand it over to Lee! He loves it and it's already on the couch. The edges are maybe a little bit tight, but I've decided I don't care.

Trip to Fox Valley

On Friday 5th April I went to Fox Valley shopping centre in Stocksbridge to meet my friend R for lunch. We haven't seen each other in ages but it was Easter holidays in some parts of Sheffield so we didn't want anywhere too busy. I suggested Fox Valley as it's about equidistant between our houses, and I hadn't been in ages.

I arrived early and went into Paperchase looking for a couple of bits I needed for our vow renewal. Which will have happened by the time you read this! It's really exciting but also quite stressful, there's lots that needs doing and I wish it would all do itself!

R arrived with her little boy M and we looked at each of the restaurants before deciding on the Zorro lounge. There were lots of people with kids inside and it has a really relaxed atmosphere. M had a high chair and although he's only met me once before he was very happy to play with my bracelet and let me bop his nose.

The menu is quite varied, it has a lot of diner type items of food and plenty of vegetarian options and even some vegan options I think. They serve brunch all day, meaning I'll have to take Lee at some point because he likes brunch too. R and I both went for the big veggie breakfast and it was SO GOOD. I am so glad I chose it. I also got a vanilla milkshake, but I didn't think that was anything special. It was a bit thin for a milkshake for me.

We went in a few other shops after food, and then said our goodbyes. I followed my satnav to and from Fox Valley and it took me two different ways, I'm not entirely sure why but on the way back it brought me up hill and down dale, which was nice in the spring sunshine!

I was wearing a black skirt that I got at a clothes swap, and a mustard top that I bought a couple of weeks ago in Meadowhall, both from Yours clothing. I am really liking mustard at the moment and this top is really soft and comfortable to wear.

Later on a group I follow on Facebook was posting selfies so I took this one of me in my pyjamas, and ended up really liking it! So I shared it with the internet, obviously.

Mustard top and black skirt, in my bedroom mirror!

My nails were painted in Rimmel's sweetie crush nail polish. I like it, it's textured so a bit off at first but I think it looks nice

M was very interested in my phone, isn't he cute?

Milkshake

Breakfast! There was avocado, mushrooms, hash browns, two eggs on toast, wilted spinach and peppers, beans, and halloumi and sweetcorn fritters. It was all marvellous.

And this is the lovely selfie I took later!

Films of the Month - March

I watched seventeen films in March which feels like a lot?! When I was in Shropshire with Sam and Von we watched five films! Here's what I watched:

I really enjoyed the Wolf of Wall Street, which I've never seen. Loopy story, Leo is great

I had only seen Trainspotting 2 once, so I thoroughly enjoyed the rewatch

And I love Grease, I think I know every word to all the songs, so this is always a real comfort film for me

I can't remember who recommended the Boys Next Door, but I'm glad they did, I liked it a lot. It's very graphic though

Paddington 2 is such a cute film, I actually saw it at the cinema when it came out

And I had never seen The Normal Heart, about Aids activist Ned Weeks, so I'm really glad I watched it. Mark Ruffalo is glorious

On holiday we had taken some films (thanks Sam!) but they also had some in the cottage. One of them was Circle of Friends, which I sort of love even though it's a bit rubbish, so I said we should watch it

Then we watched High Fidelity because none of us had seen it in forever. Rob is such a douche but John Cusack is so pretty

Then Von said we should watch The Secret Life of Pets, and it was a lot better than I was expecting! Very cute

We also watched Made of Honor which is a pretty fun romcom, I don't think I've ever seen it. Patrick Dempsey is pretty

Von said we should watch the Back Up Plan, I liked it, Jennifer Lopez is really good

Then when I got back, lots of people on Twitter were talking about Isn't It Romantic so I thought I'd give it a go. It is nice to see a fat woman play a romantic lead. I liked it!

Netflix recommended Behind the Curve to me, a documentary about people who believe that the earth is flat. I am interested in conspiracy theories and this is a perfect one. The people in it are so frustrating! I would recommend it

Lee and I finally watched The Hate U Give after we both really enjoyed the book. The film is really good too, it is a really good adaptation

I watched The Dirt, a film about Motley Crue, on Netflix. I've heard that it's not that true to life, but given that I know almost nothing about the band I didn't really care. I thought it was funny

I've been meaning to watch Crazy Rich Asians for ages and am really glad I did. It's funny and cute

And finally, Lee and I watched the first X Men film, which I've only seen a couple of times. It's okay, but I really prefer Michael Fassbender playing Magneto like in the prequels