The F Word

Yes folks, today is the day I discuss the F word .... FAT.

As you may have seen on the list, #21 is to finish my weight loss. I'm almost there, I just have a little bit left to go.

I'd better take you back in time through the medium of embarassing photos ...
(please excuse bad quality, some of these have been scanned in from old photos, and others were taken at a time of inebriation ... hehe)

This is me aged 18 :

Roll on 3 years to my 21st Birthday, and a lot’s changed :

Over the next couple of years, it got worse :

And it was after seeing this picture that I finally realised I needed to do something :

By this time we were living with Paul’s parents getting our deposit together, we were engaged and it was a few days after I’d turned 23. Although the initial weight gain was not entirely due to overeating, my diet wasn’t exactly conducive to losing weight. Two years after my lightbulb moment I’m still on that journey. Sure I could have gone crazy with my diet and done a lot more exercise, but I chose to lose it gradually to make it a more sustainable change and ultimately a lifestyle.

Fast forward to our wedding and I’m not there yet, but I’m a lot healthier and lighter than I was two years ago. I’m not far off my goal, just a little bit more to go. So now I’ve turned 25, what do I currently look like? Well, see for yourself … 

Authors Note : This is before I had my PWC - I can't seem to remember to get pics taken of me when I'm looking semi-decent! Ah well, you'll just have to wait!

I just want to end this post by saying thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far - whether it be telling me no more cookies or successfully hiding your revulsion at my ballooning I thank you all xxx

April Update

The one problem with some of the things on the list, is that they're ongoing challenges so I can't really report I've done them until the end!

To give you an idea though, this is how I'm getting on :

1. Start writing a blog and maintain it - I'm getting there, as this is my first blog I am still getting into the habit of documenting things. I should have this down by next March (she hopes ! )

2 . Learn to sew - Thanks to MIL I now have a sewing kit and after a shopping trip with mama, we now have fabric for the bedroom projects. We'll be sorting those soon, hopefully without sewing through my fingers!

5. Finish off decorating the bedroom - This is on track to be completed soon, thanks to mama we now have wallpaper up. Once we've finished the soft furnishings projects, it will be done, yay!

6. Eat meals at the dining table - We're getting there, I'll show you how domesticated Paul's become in an upcoming post!

7. Make and properly ice a cake - Using the awesome bakeware we received on the gift list, you could say I've gone baking mad recently. However, I've almost perfected my Vanilla Sponge cake, once I've done that, on with the icing!

8. Start to write a novel - As seen in this post, I have been laid down a challenge by a friend and I've already started to research the origins of the book, next up, characters.

9. Read as many of the books from the Book List Challenge - Well, I'm ploughing my way through the list although it's taking a little longer than I anticipated, but that's just because I'm getting used to various different writers styles. I'm currently reading Catch 22, but click here for reviews of Dracula, Atonement and 1984

21. Finish my weight loss - Despite my recent setback with the car accident, I will be back at the gym this week losing those saddlebags - yee haw!

22. Stick a pin in the map and go on a road trip to get there - For our summer holiday we thought we'd try this road trip idea thingy out. And we've landed in Provence, France! Keep an eye out for the road trip post details soon!

23. Get Christmas and birthdays organised - I'm starting to plan the Christmas gifts now, so we're sort of on track!?

25. Relearn to speak French  - I've got my greatest test ahead of me, we are going to go on a French roadtrip to Provence (see #22) for our summer holiday, and as Paul's use of French extends to "un biere, s'il vous plait" I'll need to step up. The main thing for this test will be my missing vocab, now, what's the French for motorway ....?

I know there are some numbers missing, but that's just cos I've got them planned out for a later date, so you'll just have to wait.

Do you have any helpful ideas or suggestions for the ongoing challenges?

Contemplating Atonement

Apologies again, I need more smacked hands for this, bad blogger Kiri!

Anyhoo, just finished Atonement by Ian McEwan. It was another one of those books where I'd already seen the film, but unlike most books, the film is a very faithful rendition.

The story is at its heart very simple, a young girl misconstrues something she sees and ends up condemning an innocent man, as she gets older she realises her error and is trying to atone for her injustice.

I loved reading the book and enjoyed seeing all the minute detail which had been portrayed accurately in the film. I would thoroughly recommend reading the book though as you get the insight into the characters heads that you don't quite get watching a film.

Has anyone else seen the film/read the book? What did you think?

Dracula - Let me introduce you to the Count ...

Some of you may know I am very much enjoying plowing my way through the Urban Fantasy section of Waterstones at the moment and that vampires, werewolves etc figure quite highly in my book collection.

However, I have a confession to make, up until Monday 18th April 2011, I had never read Bram Stoker's Dracula.
I'm not even sure why, I've only been obsessed with vampires since the age of 11.

First of all, I must point out if you haven't read it, the movies aren't anything like the book (isn't that always the case?) I kept making unfair comparisons between the film starring Gary Oldman which I deserve to have rapped hands for!

The book is written from several main character's perspectives in the form of their diaries. With each character adding their views and progressing the story along. I wasn't expecting this, but once I got into it, it made a good deal of sense.

What is a surprise, and what ultimately adds to the terror of this book, is that the Count's viewpoint is never shown; we don't know the motives behind his actions.

My only other point about this book is that I think I've been spoiled. Particularly in JR Ward's series of books, I have come to expect fantastic fighting scenes to climax the book. Dracula had all the right ingredients; a chase, trapping him at the end, fancy weapons, but it fell decidedly flat.

I would recommend this book to someone who isn't used to the vampire genre of books and/or the level of violence present in books. Again, as with 1984, I can see how it would have impacted back when it was first released, but I feel it just lacks that bit of oomph we've come to expect with vampires and the whatnot.

Source

So, after having found Dracula a disappointment who are your favourite vampires?

Sorry I've been away

Sorry I've been away for over a week folks, but we've had a bit of a hectic time over here.

Last Wednesday, hubby and I were involved in a little car crash where we were rear-end shunted. We're both fine, just a bit bruised.

Plus, we were away this weekend seeing our friend's gorgeous new baby, mmm, major nommage!!!

So, with everything else going on, I just didn't get time to put up a new post. However, having just finished Dracula by Bram Stoker, I promise a book review shortly.

Literary Leanings

As it states in my profile, I am a prolific reader. However, in the past few years I have ended up pigeon-holing myself reading mostly from the same genre. I was rather surprised when I came to fill out the list on Facebook how many of the "great" books I hadn't read.

At the end of each book, I intend to write a little review in case you haven't read it. So, on with the first book I've read from the list, 1984 by George Orwell.

The story is sent in an alternative future (it was written in 1949) and follows the character of Winston as he tries to live under the rule of the all-seeing Big Brother. Without spoiling too much of the plot, as you can guess, this doesn't turn out so well.

As I read this, I had to keep reminding myself this was written in 1949. The ideas Orwell came up with seem so plausible for today, that they must have blew people's minds back in the 50s. For example, telescreens installed in everyone's homes. This is where the term "Big Brother is watching you" comes from. I felt generally unnerved when reading this book, as it touches on similar issues as the Matrix; that only a small percentage of people are really aware of what is real and the rest (in 1984, the Proles) just mindlessly going on with their lives, under the illusion of free will. It does get you thinking, could this be real?

This is one of those books I think that should be read when meeting with a group or a class. I don't feel I appreciated it as much on this first read as the themes covered would benefit from further exploration and discussion. I looked up some information on the book this morning to try and get a better idea of what the ending was all about. However, I think when I have a bit more time, I definitely want to re-read it and use the classroom guides to try and get a better grasp.

So, would I recommend it? If you have a passing interest in Cold War era history this would definitely appeal. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking for a quick and easy read, this book demands your full attention.

Of Marshmallow Monkeys

When I was a very little girl, one of the jobs I saw myself doing (amongst many others) was being an author. I loved reading Enid Blyton and I thought that it would be the best job in the world to write books for other people to read.

I still think it would be a great career to have, but I still haven't done anything about it. This year, I intend to change all that. As is says on No.8, I'm going to start my novel. I don't know if I'm ever going to get it published, but I need to get the story out of my head and onto paper.

To boost my morale on this project, a friend has laid down the gauntlet and said that if I start to write one, he'll start to write his. So over the coming year, I will get this book out of my head, and get at least the first chapter written.

As for the title of this post, after an evening out with friends my husband received a text from my phone, calling him a "lovely marshmallow monkey". I was not with my phone at the time of sending this text but thought it would be a good challenge to try and fit in the phrase somewhere in the book.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other random phrases to try and include?