A new lover

Fuzzy's feet

He's liking his black brogues at the moment.

Glimmer

Signs of appreciation from a stranger, over you?

They don't even know me.

It's cold and I need a jumper

Peas for lunch

Bird food doesn't have to be boring.

Peas. Cherry toms. Olives. Lemon juice. Coriander. Cheese and homemade tomato chutney. Boom!

Pretty flowers

Brixton stall £1 for four.

They make such a difference to the flat!

Colour!!

I love cake

This place is right next door to my office.

Shit.

Fuzzy hoofs

He wins. I need some fancy pants socks.

Our breakfast room

If only.

Nana and Hollie heaven.

 

 

 

Adult din dins, not just peas

Sometimes I just have a bowl of peas. Other times I make this :-) (with a wine bottle candle in background, thank you granpop!)

When I die

There will not be a funeral. There will be a picnic and music and cake.

'Hello my name is George'

Because giraffe names are alliterate only...

Telephone

One evening this week my Nana and I were checking over the stitching on a new pair of trousers I'd bought. We noticed a thread had come out on the crotch. In the lounge, my Nana sat in her solo chair and whilst facing her I perched on the footstool, sitting aside her calves. We were nattering away as I struggled to poke the thread through the new loop hole I'd made, using a crochet hook as the trousers balanced on her lap. Suddenly the phone began to ring.

"oohhh ooo, oh noo!".

I think Nana was worried I'd miss the loop if she got up.

"Where is it, where's the phone, oh it's behind you on the table, OH BIFF!"

I twisted lurched for the handheld phone and placed it in her hands, grinning.

"He, he, hello..!?" Nana said down the phone, whilst trying not to giggle.

"ahehehe... BIFF!? Nana!?... that's something I would say!"

At peace

I wake up to the sound of rain drops and I like it.

I hear you like post

The way you rip it up reminds me of OCD.

Evening

7.30pm and I'm settled for the night in. It's kind of nice.

Check your deck

Snorlax

Full. Shopped. Sleepy.

Holiday yum :-)

Period.

Wet hoofs

I've been in the sea and jumped over waves. I have a wet crotch.

Too busy playing it cool

and I've never got anything from it either. Here's a pro example when holding back and reading into things too much can spank you, perhaps in a bad way.

'Another funny thing was, since we both really liked each other, we were searching for signs during the date that the other person was (or wasn't) into it. I got nervous when Alex offered me a bite of his steak, but then placed the piece of steak directly onto my plate; did he not want me to eat off his fork? And he later admitted that he thought the date was shot when I didn't lean on his armrest at the movie, but instead leaned toward the other side. So funny how nervous people can be when first dating!... 

Then Alex walked me home, and, although I was usually a pretty slow mover (I'm a Michigan girl!), we kissed outside my apartment. The funny part? We were on Bleecker Street, so even late at night, crowds of people were passing by. Three drunk guys passed us and yelled, "Look at the lovers!" Romantic. :)'

Thankfully the goodnight kiss made it clear they were both interested! If either person had read too much into the lack of fork share or leaning on the other chair arm- who knows what the result could have been.

If you're always playing a game, how can you ever win? The game will always be constant, is there no end to your self battle?


A cup of Jo, this lady is sweet!

Four days

I've had such an amazing four days of family time and exploring. The Dorset coast is so beautiful and it's so nice waking up in green instead of concrete jungle London!

There have been mornings of breakfast perfection along with endless cups of tea and coffee. I even had a strawberry and white chocolate muffin left for me on my bed (must be the new chocolate kiss pillow trick). Now my next 7 day adventure starts with my Granparents, which I'm extremely excited about. They are so on top of things they ask what I would like for breakfast before I go to bed...

I love them :)

From Dorset knobs to stories from the knobblies... (I don't think they'd appreciate that twist on 'wrinkly')

I won't tell if you don't!

  Lyme Regis

The Tickled Pig breakfast

(life gets better when you see ducks!)

Sandacres

New habits - lazy strawberry

I now eat strawberries with the green on top. ops.

Welcome home, son

mmm. Listen.

Blogging: Look at your life in pictures

The images have the answers.

For me, blogs. It's a show and tell and I LOVE it. Learning about what makes other people smile, it makes me smile. Blogs are a tiny bit of heaven, it's like making silent friends over the internet. Whirlwind moments become calm again if you allow patience to sit down and discover.

My pictures aren't perfect, but they capture the moment I'm looking for.

F.F. - Fuzzy's feet

Why thank you Fuzzy. (he sent this in from the city)

He's not often in black. I like.

Be brave and behave

You know who you are.

Cardiff 10k 9.9.12

You put the foot down and the acceleration takes off. You start rolling down a hill. The first flip on a roller coaster. A first kiss. Hours of hunger, and soon salivating over the smooth dance down your throat.

The floor becomes silk and pounding footsteps ripple over your body like a pleasure earthquake. Sweat drips flirt with your eyes whilst smokey lungs flick the phlegm out. Determined hands scrunch into fists of determination. Ground teeth and frowning eyebrows, a hill becomes easy as streams are to walk through.

I hit the last 1k and peak the corner of Cardiff's Bute park. Spits of rain hit my face with intention for me to look up. A lump gains suddenly in my throat as if my breath was meant to linger. I've come to realisation.

Mind over matter, it always is. You wouldn't run unless your mind said you could.

56 mins 58 seconds. I am pleased with that.

Freeeeedooommmmmm

Giraffe hoofs

Guess the restaurant?...

A man and his bird

The most chilled seagull!

I wasn't kidding you know

Biscuits

I've just heard that there's one called the 'Dorset knob'.

I giggled for about a minute.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Or in my case, my wrist

The word which keeps flying out of my mouth

Transition.

Or 'transitioning'.

Usually this starts with a new wardrobe... yesterday became about owls...

pics to come!

F.F - Fuzzy's feet

Welly boot. Turquoise sock. Boom!

Empty fridge

A nice cleansing process to avoid any green fluffy gremlims on my return.

Cook up the leftovers!

 Seasoned to perfection.

Lazy chef

This is what happens when the chopping board doesn't sit properly on the counter. One awkward chop and you'll have squash seeds everywhere.

All before 8.30 am.

POW!

Mind over matter

It feels so great to have ran 5 miles and showered all by 11.30am.

Check out the pre-run bags!

and the post run feet!

Now I have the rest of the day to explore! Next stop, Tate Modern & Fuzzy.

That holiday feeling

Morning all.

I have a lot I need to write about. I just need to sit down. My morning began with the usual self timer wake up at 7am (irrelevant to what time I fell to sleep). I do love mornings though so can hardly complain. Garlic breath kicks in after last nights tapas, I stumble to the bathroom - I'm sure you all have that first morning pee? I check out the scales and frown over post dinner food baby weigh in.

Tea tea tea. I guess black syrup isn't on the menu since the bag shakes grainy like a salt shaker tinkles. I brew four teaspoons of black leaves in my tea pot and enter the lounge to pull the blinds up. The sun is shining and the sky is a blanket blue. I am on holiday.

I've never been a holiday person, never because as a kid growing up we just didn't have the money. Now i'm left to my own devices (heaven) I can pick and choose what I want to do with myself. I suppose this is my biggest flaw. I am hard on myself, and after hearing that from a friend yesterday it became clear to me how many ridiculous thought processes I suffer before making that simple decision- even if it's over making a cup of tea. Holiday is meant to be for relaxing. I suppose staying in the city, well I really feel like I need a good break away from this hustle. Tomorrow that will happen where I shall take off to see my family in Dorset and I'll begin to switch off... (I HAVE to switch off), but isn't that the point- I should be able to switch off now, I need to work on improving on this because the rest of the world surely isn't going to switch off from me.

Today's process. 'I want tea, I want to write and chill and read blogs, but what is the time, hmmm will I drink this tea and then eat, but I'm really not hungry, but I want to run hopefully before I meet fuzzy and I don't think I'll have time this afternoon, before tonight's plans, and I should probably eat something before I run, but I have a food baby and physically I feel like a sausage... ok I'll sit down and drink this tea and then decide because I'm still puffy eyed and don't know if I'll have a post drinking headache again today. Damn it I need to stop drinking. OOoo urghh stupid BBC article on flowers and Diana.'

Welcome to my world... welcome?...

Holidays are about picking and choosing what you want to do in order to have a good time, at your leisure, to enjoy. Remind me why I'm being such a back and forth moron about it?!

Write or run?

It depends which one I can do best and concentrate on, this spiral is taking it's toll!

Yesterday I spent my day celebrating my housemates 24th birthday. Happy birthday Baz!

I went back to H&M to buy that awkward black jumper which brought comfort to my eyes.

I had the loveliest afternoon tea with Yogi :) (Yogi's handy cam work) It's so great being able to talk to her about all sorts and Yog's makes me feel better about myself too!

and then finished the day off for Tapas celebrations for Baz's birthday dinner... (again too overwhelmed by all the food to take a pic!)

Dinner discussions: Relationships and arguments... I understand the back and forth, I understand the pain. I'm lucky I could be objective, when one is so trapped in the duo angst, the scene I think of is in 'When Harry Met Sally'. They argue, he says "are you done?" and he ends the argument on his own initiative and says "I'm sorry'. They hug. It's all it takes to break the spell.

It made me sad to see someone so stressed, I felt frustrated for her. Being single and objective I can't help but think, what's the argument worth?! At least you have each other.

Ryan O'Connell: You're fine just the way you are

'The second we become okay with ourselves, the less reliant we become on “stuff.” And then, oh my god, the whole world goes ka-boom!...

Everyone is convinced that the person next to them has figured out the world before they have. It’s a race. The first person to know how to cook a savory dinner and pay their bills on time while still maintaining a healthy relationship wins! Their grand prize? Uh… not sure yet. Bragging rights? Making your peers feel even more inferior?

You will feel stupid about a lot of the things that you do. You will question yourself and your decisions. Can you trust your thought process? Do you know what the hell you’re doing? The answer always is no. For everyone.

The goal here should be about becoming comfortable in your own skin. The people I look up to the most aren’t the ones with a great spice rack and decorating scheme (those people are often more psycho than those who still sleep on a mattress on the floor) but the ones who have a sort of “effortlessness” to their personality and life. They feel lived in, comfortable with where they’re at. I love that. I want that and I know that one day I will have it. One day I will trust myself and love myself and not be ruled by so much anxiety and fear. I know I will because I see myself already changing and moving toward that.

I guess it’s just about getting to a place of calm, of not constantly measuring yourself against others because I guarantee that if you do that, you’re always going to fall short.

Take things as they come. That’s all you can do. Otherwise, you’re just getting in your own way.'

and this is why I love Ryan O'Connell, Thought Catalog.

Hoofs

I might need to buy more shoes...

OMG

Duck eggs

Today's breakfast, Eggs royale with duck eggs and a side of bacon. Black coffee. Boom.

Yum yum yum.

(no pictures, I didn't want to waste time staring at these bad boys...)

Cake costs

and here's the consequence!

Blog post coming soon

On a 10k run!

Today I'm celebrating my housemates birthday!

Have a good day all.

Hurdles

I feel like I've been away for a year and have come back with my head finally screwed on.

Hi y'all.

Giraffe is pumping

10k Cardiff run!

"I was drinkin' earlier..."

Lately this appears to be my tipple of choice.

Giraffe hoof boots

Looks like I have a thing for dark grey socks.

The big bright green pleasure machine

 

Well there's no need to complain, We'll eliminate your pain. We can neutralize your brain. You'll feel just fine Now. Buy a big bright green pleasure machine!

Are you worried and distressed? Can't seem to get no rest? Put our product to the test. You'll feel just fine Now. Buy a big bright green pleasure machine!

Are you looking for a way to chuck it all? We can end your daily strife At a reasonable price. You've seen it advertised in Life. You'll feel just fine Now. Buy a big bright green pleasure machine.

If you lose love

Wear the colour

My morning

Because of this I sleep with the curtains open

she makes me giggle

What I'm wondering today

Why people loose their will to fight.

Why my habit is to stand up and eat out of the fridge.

How did my eyes get that puffy.

What are you really thinking.


?

It might be morning

But this was my lunch break yesterday

See my hoofs

On my pup, footstall anyone?

White blank page

Couldn't be more appropriate right now...

"Discuss your love as well as your folly"

Back home

I've surprised myself and for the first time in a very long time, this place in South West Wales really does feel like a home.

Also, it's great waking up to a full fridge containing exactly what I need, especially when it's nutritionally spot on. Food just appears because... someone else is bringing it home! It's like being looked after without too much thought.

Today, I woke up to this (post request) 1KG tub of pro biotic natural yogurt. Cheers Step Dadda.

I'm sure all of my photography friends are shuddering at the quality of my pictures!

Enjoy the day and your breakfast.

Thank you all

For checking in at 'That cake had consequence'. The number of views has been amazing and very motivating!

Please feel free to leave comments and feedback on what you have seen- is there anything specific you would want to see on this blog, with my spin on it?!

Thank you so much!

Hollie

Today I've been told

I can't do different accent impressions as they all sound the same.

...ok that's not the first time I've heard that!

"mash up mash up mash up".

Graduation: Your role? Audience

Today was my brother's Graduation. It was a proud moment and also a zingy one.

During the ceremony, my Granpop nudged me when a female Muslim in full dress walked across the stage. Perhaps he's starting to learn about multi-cultural Britain. Either way it gave me food for thought.

The highlight was also when he saw my 'filthy' glasses. From within his neat and tidy suit jacket, a organised leather wallet appeared and he handed me a single sachet lens wipe.

Where am I?

That's a good question giraffe...