this week.

1. The three day week - I don't know if I could do it all the time as I actually quite like working and having a routine, but it was very good having a three day week due to the mega bank holiday weekends.
2. Having a tidy flat - we've had a bit of a spring clean and the flat is looking really great. I love it when everything looks fresh and tidy and there isn't any clutter.
3. Kick Ass - we finally got this on DVD (and I got IDed in the process - rather embarrassing!) and we were not disappointed. Hit Girl is my new hero. Cardy bought me the graphic novel for Christmas so it's my current bedtime reading.
4. My friend's roller derby blog - she's working on a book and has started a blog telling the story of her trials and tribulations as a trainee roller girl. Well worth a read!
5. Fire and Stone in Covent Garden - Peking duck pizza, need I say more?

this week.

1. The return of Doctor Who - tonight saw the return of the almighty Doctor and his three companions (yay for Rory the Roman!) and what a start to the new series it was. I can see that I'm going to spend a lot of time heroically hiding behind a cushion on Saturday evenings for the next few weeks...
2. Rearranging the bookcase - now that Neko and Blythe have arrived (squee!) I've had to make some more room on our already very busy bookcase. I ended up taking everything off, giving it a good dust and then got to have fun putting everything back. I can't really rearrange the furniture in this place so it's a good substitute!
3. Candybar - I recently discovered that there is a fun programme that allows you to change the dock icons on a Mac, so I'm now rocking the most amazing dock set up ever. I have ice lollies, bananas, cake, mushrooms... it's all going on!
4. Indeepop - when I found out about Candybar I went on the hunt for gloriously crazy icons and I came across this gem.
5. Thunderstorms - we had our first storm of the year this evening and I'm still smiling like a loon. I love thunder and lightning!

this week.

1. Spring flowers - colour seems have to exploded all over London over the last week. I'm lucky to work over the road from a gated garden and the daffodils are amazing. The flower beds on the way to the supermarket are awash with colour too. Glorious!
2. New arrivals - one of my friends has just had her first baby girl. I'm so happy for her, it feels like she's been pregnant forever! She's gone for a Space Invaders themed nursery - that's all kinds of awesome.
3. My spring coat - I've put my winter coat away for the time being and have broken out my spring coat, complete with gingham and embroidered flowers.
4. Waking up to sunshine - it definitely makes the mornings easier!
5. Cardy, for buying the Nintendo 3DS - perhaps the best moment this week. When I got home on Friday Cardy came into the living room with a HMV bag and I couldn't help but do a happy dance. Not only did he get it in Aqua Blue (which is gorgeous!) but he also bought the version of Nintendogs that I'd been eyeing up.

this week.

1. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - it's so nice to see something that you loved so dearly as a child being given a good treatment when it's rebooted years later. I haven't quite forgiven them for what they did to Polly Pocket (she's meant to fit in your pocket - POCKET!) so I was overjoyed to see My Little Pony being turned into something fun and exciting that adults seem to enjoy as well as the target audience.
2. Japan Day - I really loved Cardy's suggestion to have a Japan Day. Lovely food was eaten, yummy/cute things were bought and a very good if somewhat confusing anime was watched.
3. The Nintendo 3DS - I got to have a play on one of these beauties today and OH MY WORD it is spectacular! I think that tomorrow Cardy and I are going to be trawling the internet to find the best offer and then put in a pre-order. Squee!
4. The free SXSW FreePak from Hipstamatic - I love it when Hipstamatic release free sets, especially when a new lens is involved. The new SXSW pack including the Tejas lens is full of fun.
5. Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude - we did this in choir this week and it sounded amazing! I've had it in my head all weekend.
   

this week.

1. Hearing survival stories from Friday's earthquake in Japan - I'd been nervously waiting to hear whether people I know via the internet were safe and it sounds like everyone is accounted for. I still can't get over how terrible it all is. My thoughts are with all those people who have been affected.
2. Pancakes for breakfast - we decided to use the last of our eggs and made pancakes for lunch today. Pancakes + lemon juice + sugar = amazing.
3. Later sunsets - it's such a treat to be able to leave work and it still be light outside.
4. My new shortcut to work - not only does it take me past some very beautiful houses but it also shaves at least five minutes off my journey.
5. Homemade soup - we've been cooking up huge batches of vegetable soup to go in the freezer. Gorgeous with some hot buttery toast.

this week.

1. Looklet.com - I've never quite grown out of that girlish love of paper dolls so when I heard about Looklet.com I was THERE. Created in association with Vogue and featuring fashion from real designers it is every little girl's dream wardrobe simulator.
2. Skating at Earl's Court - as there was a bout on Saturday we had our training session at Earl's Court. The floor is concrete and a bit lumpy but it was so much fun! I couldn't really walk for three days, but there you go, that's derby love for you.
3. Valentine's Day - Cardy and I aren't hugely into Valentine's but we do exchange cards. I was also treated to a post-training back rub. He's a good'un.
4. Cardy's ever increasing Japanese game collection - Cardy has recently got a Sega Saturn and Dreamcast and he's been buying Japanese video games from eBay. I'm eyeing up ChuChu Rocket! - oh the excitement!
5. Late night noodles - I don't usually like to eat too late but on Saturday I really needed some food before going to bed so it was noodles in teriyaki sauce the rescue. Delicious!

this week.

1. Meeting up with old friends - I met up with a friend from uni on Sunday and a day of window shopping, Wagamama and gossip over Starbucks was had. It's always great when you meet up with someone you haven't seen for a while and you pick up the conversation like you'd only seen each other the day before.
2. Japanese pickles - Cardy is torturing me by keeping a jar of red pickled veg in the fridge. I fear I may wake up on the kitchen floor one morning with the stuff smeared all over my face.
3. South Park - thank you Viva for your week night showings of this fantastic cartoon. Cartman truly is a legend.
4. Wearing PJs during the day - I was meant to have a girly day with a friend on Monday but she was 'more snot than human' (her words, not mine) so we had to cancel. I therefore spend the day in the flat, wearing pyjamas and eating pasta. Happy times.
5. Creating palettes on Colour Lovers - so far I've been a watcher more than a do-er, but I've tried my hand at making some palettes and I've really enjoying it. Sometimes it's very frustrating, other times it just clicks.

1. Firefly - Cardy fancied watching some Indiana Jones last week but we don't have any of the films on DVD. I suggested that Captain Mal might be a good substitute and so began a week of watching Firefly over dinner. Although I won't deny that it would be nicer to have more episodes of this amazing show I'm sort of glad that they cut it in its prime. Now it will have the tragic luxury afforded to those beautiful people who die young - it will be forever brilliant.
2. Training so hard I have to sleep afterwards - exercise induced slumber is pretty wonderful.
3. Super Mario Bros. - I don't want to sound like I'm full of myself, but myself and Cardy do rather rock when it comes to playing video games together. We manage to reach a level of Ultimate Zen Coupleness which allows us to become this perfectly in tune gaming machine. And when we don't do too well we find it absolutely hilarious. We're therefore greatly appreciating the experience that Super Mario Bros. offers.
4. My new bag - I'm a bit gutted in that the custom bag that I'd ordered hasn't ever materialised, but I decided that rather than sit around a mope I should do something more productive about it. So I went out and bought a new one. From Desigual. Any excuse really. Needless to say it's a dream and I'm still not over the novelty of actually being able to fit my stuff in my handbag.
5. I Love Katamari on iPhone - absolute glee! Portable Katamari = ultimate love.

this week.

1. The return of Being Human - myself and Cardy are both happy to see Series Three of Being Human on BBC3. A werewolf, vampire and ghost sharing a flat? Yes please!
2. Choir - one word. Madonna. My WORD I am looking forward to our concert!
3. My new haircut - I've got my Louise Brookes bob back and I'm loving it. I'm not having to sweep the hair out of my eyes anymore and it looks so glossy.
4. Nakd's 'Cocoa and Orange' bar - I decided to try this out as an 'on the Tube' snack on my late nights this week. It's delicious and strangely filling. Definitely going to become a firm favourite.
5. Cardy's bolognese - last weekend Cardy cooked up some bolognese for the freezer which we cracked into on Tuesday night. While it was defrosting he told me that he hadn't even tasted it. He didn't have to worry, it was brilliant, especially with garlic bread.

1. Skinny jeans - roller derby is excellent. I can buy skinny jeans! And I don't look like a beast!
2. Glee - namely the Britney Spears episode. 'I petted a snake'. Good for you Britt!
3. Desigual's new collection - especially this top and this skirt. I'm already saving my pennies.
4. Paramore - after last week's Glee I tracked down the original 'The Only Exception' and found Paramore's fantastic music video. I won't lie, I've been doing my usual trick of having my iPod on repeat.
5. The 'just ordered new dolls' feeling - I finally ordered my Luka and Chloe. Now the waiting game starts! I don't mind the long production time, I've got so much to organise before they get here.

this week.

1. The first thunderstorm of the year - the sky exploded earlier today. Thunder, lightning, torrential rain. Love it.
2. Lunabee Art - I recently received a Quee figure from Lunabee. I'm definitely going to have to add more of her pieces to my collection in the future!
3. Finding a choir - on Thursday I went along to my first choir practice in ages with an old school friend. Having been used to singing church music it was certainly different! We sang the theme from Flash Gordon and are preparing an Erasure medley.
4. Rediscovering an old wardrobe staple - I found a Laura Ashley jumper in my wardrobe that I'd completely forgotten about. Purple, pink, green and brown stripes. Gorgeous!
5. Mild weather - as much as I love the cosiness that winter can bring, I am looking forward to Spring.

this week.

1. Living with Cardy - yesterday marked a year since myself and Cardy loved in together. I remember people telling me how hard it was adjusting to living with someone and how I should prepare myself for endless arguments, but I'm delighted to be able to say that their warnings weren't necessary.
2. Feeling productive - I know it may sound a little masochistic, but I've actually really enjoyed going back to work after having time off over Christmas and New Year. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm a morning person but I do really like getting up, going to work and coming home in the evening feeling like I've achieved something. I find it quite hard to get motivated when I'm at home on a dull and dim day, I think I'm solar powered.
3. Our John Lewis bed linen - shortly before I moved out my mum bought me a set of bed linen from John Lewis that she knew I was rather fond of. We put them on the bed for the first time the other day and oh my WORD I'm in heaven!
4. The Mac App Store - downloadable applications for Mac? Yes please! Very exciting.
5. Cardy's Wacom tablet - I bought Cardy a Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet for Christmas and seeing as he's such a lovely boyfriend he's been letting me have a go. I downloaded Sketchbook Pro from the new Mac App Store and although I'n not the greatest artist I can't deny that I've had an awful lot of fun!

this week.

1. Hairy Growler Jewellery - Cardy bought me some gorgeous jewellery from the Hairy Growler for Christmas. I love it so so much, especially the lock and key necklace. Cardy is most definitely in my good books.
2. Follow the White Rabbit on Etsy - I've been admiring Follow the White Rabbit's plush deer on Etsy for some time so I was overjoyed when Cardy bought me one for Christmas. I'm now the proud owner of Blueberry Ice. So cute!
3. Mario Kart on Nintendo Wii - the parents bought this for myself and Cardy for Christmas. Not only do I love it because it's Mario, I also love it because I won a race!
4. Christmas in general - I had a really good one this year. I got to spend it with my family plus Cardy, his dad and his sister. We ate good food, exchanged lots of lovely gifts and watched Doctor Who. Bliss.
5. Staying in for New Year's Eve - myself and Cardy don't really go out so we didn't see the point in going out on the one night of the year when everything costs more and you can't actually move. So we've had a Chinese takeaway, watched plenty of Futurama and will spend the evening on the sofa.

this week.

1. Urban Decay's Preen Shadow Box - the three of us in the office decided that we would do a 'not so secret Santa' for Christmas. My gift was Urban Decay's Preen Shadow Box. I really love the peacock hues so it's going to get a lot of use.
2. My MacBook case - I finally had an excuse to use my MacBook case from Kitsch Confection on Etsy. I love the matching pouch for the power lead!
3. Stollen - I had my first taste of stollen this week. Marzipan goodness!
4. My work colleagues - everyone has been so happy and generous this week. They've really made the run up to Christmas special.
5. Going to my parents for Christmas - I travelled up to Cambridgeshire today to spend Christmas with my parents. Cardy and his sister have gone to their dad's and will be coming over tomorrow morning. Very exciting!

this week.

1. Scrimmage - we had our first roller derby scrimmage session on Saturday and, if such a thing is possible, I'm in love with the sport even more. Absolutely amazing. I got some beautiful bruises!
2. The work Christmas party - having worked exclusively in schools since graduating I haven't really had the opportunity to go to a proper work do. So I was more than happy when the Routemaster bus turned up to take us to the London Transport Museum. A good time was had by all.
3. The Kill Bill films - myself and Cardy have watched both Kill Bill films over the last two weekends. I hadn't seen them in far too long. Uma Thurman is the only person who could work a canary yellow tracksuit.
4. My new Irregular Choice shoes - I'd been looking for a reason to buy Irregular Choice's Mini Magical Floral shoes in purple and this week's Christmas party was a brilliant excuse. I'm already looking for the next occasion on which I can wear them.
5. Timesplitters 2 - because we all need to shoot stuff up sometimes. One day I will graduate from playing it on the easy setting. One day...

this week.

1. Snow - yes, it leads to slippery pavements and the trains can't run, but it's white, fluffy, sparkly goodness and I had a jolly good time prancing about in our snowy front garden this evening. And this is coming from someone who didn't even get any time off work due to the stuff. So stop with the snow hate!
2. Pesto in toasties - we cracked out the toasted sandwich machine at work today and made pesto, cheese, ham and onion toasties. I think I may have a new addiction.
3. Unexpected curry - my Dad was meant to be staying with us on Thursday evening and was going to pay his board with Chinese food, but a combination of snow and a headache meant his trip was cancelled. We ended up going to the Indian takeaway on the corner and feasted on curry. All in all a good evening.
4. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - now we've got our second hand PS2 up and running we're finally able to play the games that Cardy has been gathering for the past year. At the moment one of our favourite evening past times is playing Broken Sword, and not only for the childish innuendo about George's tool. It's nice to be playing a game that isn't just about running about shooting stuff (although that is rather fun, especially TimeSplitters 2).
5. Not breaking any bones in roller derby - there was a horrible moment in this Saturday's practise where I thought I'd had my first serious derby related injury. I'm a bit bruised, but nothing's broken. What a relief!

this week.

1. Cinnamon and Nutella cake - I found this recipe in a book that my mother sent me to London with and my second attempt to cook it this week has been a great success. I baked yesterday morning as my parents were coming for lunch before we had a day out in London and it went down a treat.
2. Winter weather - I will be the first to admit to being cold, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm complaining. I'm quite small so I do feel the chill quite easily, but I actually prefer the winter to the summer months. I like coming in from the cold and sitting beside a radiator or curling up in a blanket with the laptop warming my legs and a cup of hot chocolate on the go. And you can't really snuggle that much when it's stifling hot.
3. Dressing up my dolls - I had the day off today and decided that it would be silly to go outside when I didn't really have to. My girls have matching underwear sets so they've been lounging around in them since January. As the weather has turned I thought it was time for them to wear something a bit more substantial. They look good in anything since they're thin and have legs that go on forever, so it's fun to play with different styles.
4. Liberty's Christmas Shop - I adore Liberty in general. There's just something about it, a combination of the rich woodwork and the elaborate displays. So going to their Christmas Shop with my parents yesterday was a trip well made. More fairylights than you could shake a stick at, cheery Christmas music and the decorations on offer were beautiful.
5. The new series of Peep Show - it started tonight and it looks like it's going to be a good 'un!

1. Kensington and Chelsea's Christmas decorations - I have never seen such pretty decorations. They've attached little Christmas trees to the top of the lampposts and iridescent stars have been suspended above the streets, casting purple and green reflections on the white buildings. Even the shops have put up their own beautiful displays. Beautiful.
2. The 'local' - the girls took me to the local pub for lunch today and we ate toasties in front of a proper fire. We all felt a bit drowsy when we got back to the office.
3. Desigual's 'MULA' jacket - so cute! I especially like the star detail on the collar and the asymmetrical buttons. And at 30% it's almost a bargain...
4. Homemade flapjacks - I did some baking on Monday and it seems have gone down well with Cardy. If anything the flapjacks have got better since I made them. Yummy!
5. My new bag from Sakura Urban - I've been a huge fan of Sakura Urban on Etsy for a long time and I'm so happy to finally own a piece of her work. She's going to be making me a bigger bag for everyday, but I am really enjoying my small poppy bag. The quality of just astonishing.

this week.

1. Remembrance Day - well, not quite a 'favourite', but it is very important to me. This year I wore my poppy with pride and had a quiet two minute silence on my own in the office on Thursday. Cardy went to a small service at the war memorial in Docklands. My Dad is a veteran so it has a lot of personal significance.
2. Pukifee - I never thought that I'd ever like a BJD this small, but I've been overcome with Pukifee admiration. I'm especially fond of Luna and Zoe. So cute!
3. Our new lampshades - I'm slightly embarrassed to say that although we've been living here since January, we have only just found lampshades that we liked for our living room. No more naked lightbulbs for us!
4. Peep Show - during the week myself and Cardy like to watch one of our many TV series DVDs. This week we have got through the first series of Peep Show. Alan Johnson - what a legend. But remember, there's man love and there's business love, and never the twain shall meet.
5. My sturdy umbrella - it's been foul outside this week and my umbrella has blown inside out a few times, but it's still going strong. We salute you little brolly. We salute you.

this week.

1. Fireworks - I know that some people find them a nuisance and I will admit that it sounds like a war zone outside, but I feel a certain childlike glee whenever I see fireworks. The best thing is that we didn't even have to leave the flat to see them. Result!
2. Waitrose pizza - myself and Cardy used to have a tradition, 'Pizza and Glee Night'. Every Monday we would stick two pizzas in the oven and would then delight in the cheesiness of Glee. But then something changed. More to the point, our usual pizzas changed and we weren't able to find a suitable substitute in Brixton. Today on my lunch break I decided that it was time to try something new, and it would seem that Waitrose has stood up to the test. Bravo Waitrose. Bravo.
3. Making my own jewellery - I'm by no means a pro at this, but I still find it highly enjoyable. At the moment I'm perfecting my memory wire bracelet technique. Seed beads are addictive!
4. Spontaneous dinners out - I got out of work early on Tuesday and rang Cardy to see if he wanted to meet up and go out for dinner. Half an hour later we were sitting in Wagamama, chatting and enjoying not having to cook. It was really lovely and unexpected.
5. My new Riedell Vandals - my new skates are AWESOME. Slightly scary, but awesome. I managed to get up to 20 laps on Saturday. Still not 25, but getting there

this week.

1. My hair stylist - I'm extremely fussy when it comes to my hair. I've had some really awful cuts in my time, so when I moved to London I felt extremely anxious about trying a salon that I trusted enough to be let loose with a pair of scissors. Well, my hours of Google searching paid off and I'm now sporting what may become my signature look, a Louise Brooks style bob.
2. Miss Violet Lace on Etsy - I won't lie, as much as I love my natural dark brown locks I do on occasion wish that I had gone crazy with colour in my student years. Nowadays I wouldn't even consider colouring my hair as not only does the thought of coating my head in peroxide make me panic, but I don't think they would quite appreciate it at work. So I think that one day I may have to treat myself to one of Miss Violet Lace's fun wigs. You're never too old to play dress up!
3. My new winter clothes - although we're currently experiencing an odd warm spell, it has felt like winter is definitely on its way. I had found what looked like the ideal candidate for a winter coat on the Laura Ashley site, but when I tried it on it didn't feel like it was going to keep my very warm. In the end I decided to check out my favourite label and trotted off to Desigual. I bought myself a gorgeous thick coat and a cozy polo neck jumper, one that doesn't make my neck itch. My word I love that shop!
4. Discovering new blogs - A Beautiful Mess and The Dainty Squid to be precise. Wholesome crafty goodness with a smattering of cute interiors, yummy recipes and adorable cats thrown in.
5. Having time off work - I am loving my new job, but I have really enjoyed having two days off to recharge my batteries. It's always good to chill.

this week.

1. Skate Attack in North London - when I decided that I was going to be joining the LRG Rec League I searched for a shop in London that would be able to kit me out. I tried one of the recommended skate shops in Central London but they hadn't even heard of the training skates I was after. So I decided to travel that little bit further and go to Skate Attack in Southgate. Myself and Cardy went on Saturday as he had decided to get his own skates after watching the bout. He now has all the gear he needs including a swanky pair of Diablos, and I ordered some Vandals which arrived at work this morning. I'm really looking forward to trying them out tomorrow!
2. My fingerless gloves - we've had some really bitter mornings this week so I've been glad to have my gloves with me. I'm going to have to find some proper gloves for when it gets really cold though.
3. Buying my lunch in the morning - four words: pecan and maple yumyum.
4. Sitting by the radiator at work - pretty self explanatory really!
5. Roehampton hospital - I'm so glad that I'm lucky enough to be in the postcode range for Roehampton. They really are amazing.