Getting over it

When I prayed for a husband (on the rare occasions I did) I always asked for a man who would have similar hobbies to me so we could both enjoy doing them together. I particularly asked for a man who would like the more skilled sports such as climbing and sailing. Well, the climbing bit we've cracked as i've posted about before. The sailing bit was a bit of a surprise though as I always considered it a long shot to ask for someone who loved such a niche hobby. Don't underestimate God.

My guy LOVES sailing and I think even that's a bit of an understatement. Last summer we were a pretty new couple and didn't go together (his fear of frightening me away i think.) Then the winter months, well they're just not the best weather to go sailing in are they?! Secretly, I was dreading the day we went sailing together. What if I embarrassed myself? What if I got scared? What if I got sick? What if we argued? I was biding my time...

Middle of last week "let's go sailing together" came out of his mouth. Panic flooded through me and I tried desperately to think of ways to be busy. I was in a quandary really because I did want to get the first sail together nailed so I wouldn't be scared any more.  I agreed and Saturday rolled round too quick.

I got stuck in a drysuit, slipped up in the pebbles, made squawking noises inadvertently when I was scared and almost capsized the boat a couple of times. I also laughed, watched him as his face lit up when out on the water and challenged myself to stop being so difficult and just get over it.

We're going again soon. Thanks God!

Project Life

I don't know if you've seen my Pinterest tab over to the right of the screen there but I really like papercrafts. I'm talking cards, scrapbooks, photo albums. I'm not saying I'm good at them, just that I like trying to make something unique from a vague design on paper or in my mind's eye.

This week I discovered the concept of Project Life designed by Becky Higgins. Similar to the Smashbook idea, it's a easy method of scrapbooking those moments in life you'd rather not forget. You simply buy an album with slip pages and fill in those pages with either photos, memorabelia or a cute pre-made card you've filled out. There are tons of design cards out there and I found them at my local craft shop Hobby Craft. (Sneakily, I also found them on Ebay at a much lower cost.)

This is my next project! The Norwegian trip at Easter will be documented through the Project Life idea and i'll post on here when I'm doing it to share the progress with you all.

The freebies on the Project Life website are also worth taking a look at. I found these cute wallpapers for my tablet and phone and now I can't decide which ones to use. Choice spoils me but these four are my favourite.

High Five for Friday!

Well I think it's almost sorted now this whole new blog design malarky. It's been a mission and i'm the first to admit I had a whole lot of help from various people and of course the designer herself. She has the coolest shop on Etsy so if you're looking for a bit of a revamp of style for your blog check out her designs here. Back to Friday though because it's my favourite day of the working week!

1. I had a bit of a baking frenzy on Sunday and ended up baking a fruit loaf, a chocolate fudge cake and sultana/vanilla mini cupcakes with fudge icing and Malteasers. Not sure what happened there. Nesting hormones gone wild?! Who cares, if I do say so myself they all tasted amazing (I have actual tasters to back up this opinion too though...just to be certain). Here's the chocolate fudge cake...

2. One of the best things about my relationship with the boyfriend is that we share similar hobbies and can do them together sometimes. Not ALL the time obviously but it's great to share common joys in life. Tuesday we went climbing with some friends and took an obligatory selfie...of our feet though because let's face it, sweaty exercising faces aren't the greatest are they? My shoes are obviously the cute turquoise pair...

3. Not that this really pertains to my life but I found out you can breed a husky/retriever cross and they're just about the cutest pups out there. I want one. 

4.  I absolutely love spending time with friends, drinking coffee and eating something delicious. When the sun comes out and it's heat warms my skin that is even better. That's why this coffee date was full of laughs and a time of relaxing on a Saturday morning.

5. I saw these cute slippers in the Joules shop before Christmas but definitely wasn't going to pay 15 pounds for them...getting them for 4.50 was much better. While typing this I realise I don't have a pound sign on my keyboard...that's a little problematic. I also note this is another picture of my feet for which I apologise but I kinda like shoes so...

  

Have a great weekend!

High Five for Friday

Despite my complete lack of computer ability to actually get this blog update finished, here's to another great week...

1. Sunday afternoon was spent eating a day's worth of calories in one meal at the pub and included this treasure (found on the children's menu at a super cheap price - win!) Just to make you jealous you're looking at chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, a twix bar, half a cookie, m&m's and chocolate sauce. (N.B. My diet failed this day.)

2. As I was reading this week my dog often joined me to relax by my side. The window proved to be a distraction on more than one occasion and he did actually slip down the gap between my bed and the radiator at one point. Glad my dog has the same agility that I do (I might have fallen down that gap too...)

3. Date night with this suave looking fella was such a blessing after a hard start to the working week (thanks no doubt to awful clients) for the both of us. 

4. My gorgeous flowers bought for me as a surprise by the above pictured handsome man. I went to use the restroom at a coffee shop and when I came out he was there holding flowers for me. What more could a girl want on a Thursday evening!

5. I'm still struggling to reach my 5k running goal and am frustrated with myself that I can still only run 3k in one shot. I know I could take power-walking breaks and split up my run but that seems like i'm cheating myself.   The picture is blurry partly because i'm cycling (after the run) and partly because I get all shaky from the exertion. Also, how do people take good pictures in the gym?! This is a sneaky shot because i'm sure someone would laugh at me if I started taking gym selfies. 

I'm so ready for the weekend!

She Reads Truth: Jonah 3&4

Jonah is story which speak volumes to me. Like we read in the daily devotionals through the She Reads Truth website, there really is a lot of ourselves we can see through Jonah. It is a book of God's lavish grace and mercy on a people he deeply loves and cherishes yet who have been ignoring him for so long. Jonah, a man who thought he was better than many and yet who was too scared to follow through on God's initial calling, who then does so with a mixture of modestly and anguish. I'm getting ahead of myself though...

Jonah 3 begins with God's second calling of Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people there of His wrath. Considering he was outwitted by God the first time round (the whale incident and all), Jonah goes. I too struggle with God's calling in my life. When I was 22, in my last year of University at UGA I prayed like a mad woman for God to tell me what to do next, open doors for new opportunities or give me an inkling of my next adventure. It seemed as though everyone around me had plans - masters degrees, jobs lined up, travels booked. I had zilch. As I prayed one night I felt stirred to go to South Korea. This floored me. I ignored it and kept praying. I knew nothing of the country and had only a couple of friends from Seoul who seemed more intent on getting out rather than settling back home. I bargained with God to go to Australia because after looking on the map I thought that Australia was pretty close and could possibly do. This was apparently a no-go for God so in the end I gave up and accepted that I should probably go. I didn't know what I would do there though so said "I'll go, you provide". That seemed reasonable to me.

He did, I found out about the English teaching market out there and as I was tutoring anyway and loved it, it seemed logical. Fast-forward through one of the best years I've experienced and I know that God knew what was best for me even though I didn't. has that ever happened to you?

I love the way that in comparison to Jonah, the King of Nineveh was quick to respond to the word of the Lord. He didn't just sell a few bit of gold, treat his servants a little better or give his people a day off. He urged his people to relent from their ways, to put on sackcloth (an ugly, inexpensive garment which would have made all people seem as poor as each other), and to enter a time of fasting. If only I would have more courage to respond to the Lord in this quick and full-hearted manner!

Jonah 4 is when Jonah has a little angry tantrum and sulks on a hill. I know this is vastly disregarding the theological points that could be made here, but that's really what it was. Jonah wanted to see the people punished by God and when didn't happen, he sulked and claimed he wanted to die. When God gave him shelter and then took it away, Jonah showed his compassion towards a plant - even more illogical than not showing compassion to humans! But you know the story so you don't need me to explain it anymore. I wanted to comment on how sometimes my own anger can be illogical over the most seemingly irrelevant issues in life. The water out of the tap is sometimes warm - at least I have water...that sort of thing. God is continually showing his compassion to me and yet do i want that person who wronged me to be saved/forgiven? Honestly, at the moment of my anger no.

Rereading the book of Jonah has given me perspective being humble, loving beyond anger and sharing God's love to those we don't necessarily feel that close to. For the same compassion and mercy he shows to me is available to everyone else, all those he's created and nurtured whether they know him or not. It's not for me to decide who knows him.

Linking up with the rest of the She Reads Truth Bloggers here!

Updating

Bear with me people...this coding business is giving me a headache! New design coming soon...

Spring time goodness

Thursday was an exciting day and one which I'd been waiting for since October last year when show tickets were purchased! It was the day of the  Country Living Spring Fair held in the London Design Centre in Islington. This is a huge exhibition about all things spring: homewares, clothing, cosmetics, fabrics, furnishings, paintings, crafts (all sorts) and food.

When I visited the Christmas fair in October (premature but a sure fire way to get some early Christmas excitement) I was a little overwhelmed at the vastness of the whole show. This time I went prepared to be wowed and the experience certainly didn't disappoint. As you walk in you are greeted with a pretty garden display complete with a fountain and a pond! Ribbons hung from the high ceiling and the theme was pastel colours throughout.

There were hundreds of stalls to browse and buy from, many staffed by the artists/designers themselves. I had been saving to go so was really happy with the treats I bought for myself!

This tin lantern has a glass insert and was a gift from my aunt.

A cute Bill Brown of London fabric bag for summer and the beach.

This Jan Constantine cushion was actually free with something my aunt bought for my mum, I just benefitted from the free gift!

I also found a heart shaped ceramic dip set with a bamboo base from Occasion for Entertaining but it's wrapped for moving so I haven't photographed it yet. Having been sucked in by the selling technique of an Irish man I ended up buying toffee vodka, which after two shots tasted delicious and I was sold! Wonder why that was?! Also a food centred buy (I'm a foodie) were the curry sauces I bought after copious tasting and choosing of which flavours I wanted. I cooked the butter chicken last night and it was great!

There were also workshops and talks which were interesting and the Greene and Blacks chocolate talk was definitely my favourite (mostly because of the tasting!) The orange flavoured milk chocolate is divine and I had to try quite a lot to be sure I liked it as much as I thought I did...

After we were weighed down with bags we ventured into Islington for coffee and then down the pretty terraced house lined streets to a gem of an old pub for dinner. 

We were all falling asleep on the way home that night but so full of joy from our day out the exhaustion was worth it!