January Favourites

Monthly favourites - welcome back my old friend! Considering that January is generally rather gloomy, there's been a whole lot of loving/adoring/drooling going on in this first month of 2016. Settle down with a cuppa, it's a bit of a long one!

Miniatures
As in teeny, tiny versions of beauty products that came with my beauty advent calendar, plus a few others I found knocking about in the drawers. It's been all kinds of fun getting to try out loads of different shower gels, body lotions, lipsticks, lip crayons, perfumes - the list could go on. I've been smelling good with skin all silky smooth. And there's still so many to go. Love.

Birthdays
Both Dave and I celebrate our birthdays in January. This is why we can never do Dry January. Well, that and the fact that we are quite partial to a glass or two of vino of a weekend/week night (delete as appropriate, depending on how work was that day). It's also why we don't do Healthy January, as everyone knows that you are legally obliged to eat cake on your birthday. The cake below was super yummy and super sickly. I found this out the hard way by eating two pieces one after the other and almost barfed. It's just class all the way round these parts...

New Job!
Yes, it's true, I am loving my new libraryland job. It is a massively different libraryland compared to my previous venture which could explain why this one is featuring in a monthly favourites. Public library work is many moons away from academic library work and all the better for it. I am very much enjoying the community element and feel that with this, and my other job, I have finally found my place in the world of work - who knew?!

TeeVee
January has been a bit of a weird one. Some days have been a get in from work, eat some dinner, walk the dog, and snuggle down for the evening, and others have been out and about and not turning the TV on kind of weeks. The former means lots of teevee time. We've been enjoying all kinds of good stuff including Luther: Idris Elba, be-still my heart. The man is phenomenal - in height, in acting, in all things genius. We also started watching Humans, which is frankly bordering on creepy and intense but extremely enjoyable. And yes, I am still in Buffy heaven. I've watched my way through series 3 and I am pretty sure I never saw any of it before - Faith and Xander - say what?!

Sue Perkins
Her book 'Spectacles' is honestly the funniest/best thing I have read in ages. I have variously chuckled, welled up, snorted, almost died from laughing/started hyperventilating, my way through it. She is a total dude and I'd really like to be her new best friend. Do you think someone can make that happen for me? BAAAAAAKE!

Going Out!
Yep, despite it being January and therefore officially the poorest month ever I have been a complete gad-about town. I've been here there and everywhere! Out for birthday dinners, out for post-Christmas meals with my new work buddies, out to visit friends, general out-ness really. It's been brilliant and even better as each evening has been very enjoyable indeed - just what you need to survive a chilly and wet January!

I think that might be it. Quite a list for the first month of 2016. See you for the next one in February!

Halfway Point

Halfway through January already! How did that happen? Looks like 2016 will be another flyer - whoosh!

How's January been treating you so far? Mine has been a very much mixed bag. I started off with an evil sinus infection that made me very dizzy, which as an on/off dizzer is not at all pleasant. But! I battled on through, mainly as I am still a newbie at work so can hardly be taking time off this early on. Not a good impression and all that. Sudafed has been my friend.

Then I officially became old. I'd been having some weird eye stuff going on, and in my usual totally dramatic way, assumed the worst and diagnosed myself with something deathly. To counteract the over-dramatics, I made an appointment at the opticians and it turns out I'm not going to end my days on this soggy land with something horrible; instead I will end them wearing varifocal glasses. Yep. Old. As well as being a blind bat for seeing things far, far away, I now need me something to help me read too! What is this life and this growing old malarkey? Me no likey. Rather than admitting to being old, I am thinking I will explain to people that my eyes need assistance with reading as I have read soooooo many books over the years that my educated eyes just need a rest. In the form of some new glasses. With varifocal lenses. Shush, don't tell anyone.

We're heading into the weekend by celebrating Dave's birthday today. He will also be old *chuckles* but he already has varifocal glasses... At his request I am making enchiladas and a birthday cake which will be washed down with beer and perhaps a cheeky Amaretto or two.

I can't talk about early January without mentioning the death of David Bowie. I was, and still am, beyond gutted. I was supposed to be working at home that day but I spent much of it in a daze, gazing at the wall, remembering moments with his music over and over again, and welling up frequently. I know his classic stuff is usually what people remember but I absolutely loved his newer music too. Little Wonder came out in 1997 when we were at uni and I remember we were all massively excited for new David Bowie music! There are so many words, and yet none of them feel right. So just sit back, press play, and enjoy the brilliant madness...