Flat hunting at the moment....

I know that flats aren't particularly big, but on the photos that agencies put up they look bigger than they actually seem in person. I viewed a flat the other day and when the agent showed me around I found my self saying, 'and this is it?' thinking, I'm sure I saw some more photos of other things here.... in the end I said 'well it's cute, very quaint' - on the tiny side really. I think I may have to lower my expectations before I go and view some others...

What are the news looking at today?

So, the world has stopped. Along with everything else, the news also seems to have frozen.

And another heavy downfall of snow today....hitting hard......and

we've just got breaking news on Heathrow airport, due to the snow....... the snow is causing pipes to freeze........this Christmas really will be a white one after all, but do we really want it now?

The news coverage on the sudden outburst of snow is tremendous. Every time I flick on the news, they're talking about snow, there's pictures of the stuff, it's all about travel and how people will get to their holiday destinations, whether people will be returning home for Christmas or not?? Of course the snow affects a lot of people, businesses, travel, but there's also

other things that are really important in our nation as well, especially at this time of the year.

Who's reporting on the people who will be alone this year for Christmas? How many people without homes are really going to suffer in this cold weather? What is the nation doing about things like that? It's not just that the snow is preventing people from going on holiday for Christmas, it's also that many more homeless people will be having a very difficult time this year. I think that's more news than anything.

Skellig - a treasure

Holding off from the wedding talk for a bit - everyone needs a bit of a break - I read the children's books Skellig last night, by David Almond.

I had water brimming at my eyes when I read the book; so sad, but so beautiful. I mean I don't know why adults don't read children's books more often, sometimes they're even more emotive and more heart wrenching than books that are actually targeted at the adult market. Okay, so some children's books don't tug at my heart, but I would definitely say that the majority do. Skellig for one.

I mean it's told from the perspective of a young boy whose baby sister is so frail that she is on the verge of dying. That for one is incredibly emotive. Then, the boy meets this revolting yet 'extraordinary' thing in his garage - we don't really know what it is....an angel, a bird, a beast.....Skellig doesn't even know what he is. But he is an interesting and amazing character in the book. This boy's life is hard, and I think it's good to discuss things like this sometimes in children's books because some kids need that comfort and reassurance that they're not the only ones who don't have a perfect life. And for adults, this books is lovely because it gives you more of an insight into what children's views of things are.

This books is a little treasure.

Ordering Chaos

Queen of all lists, I struggle to do anything that is not written down on paper with a star next to it. Every little thing such as 'I must buy milk' or 'remember to put a wash load on' and every big thing like, 'complete this submission by December' and 'book honeymoon soon' are ALL written on hundreds of lists; lists that I always re-write and re-write even if nothing is ticked off. I am a check list person, and when I've been able to tick off just one bullet point (that rarely happens) I glow with happiness. It's satisfying seeing it on paper that I've completed something, and it helps organise everything that is madly swirling around in my head.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8537856.stm

This perfectly explains my obsession for lists and makes me feel a lot more sane knowing that there are also others who constantly jot down their steps in day by day living. And I did not, of course note down in my list today, 'blog'.

Will I ever get to the church?

“Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.”

- Marsha Norman

I do hope this is not true. By any means, dreams that I have that involve my favourite authors or film stars or fiancé or chocolate built houses can come true. That's fine. But those dreams that still haunt you long after you've just experienced them in your sleep should definitely not be included in your book. I don't want them in my book that's for sure. So, loyally running along the theme of my up coming wedding, unfortunately anyway, I have had two heart ripping dreams in a row about the big day. The dreams are the kind where they seem really real and when you wake up you feel like you've just ignorantly welcomed a bolt of stress. The dream I had last night was especially one of those.

I woke up on my wedding day with no-one but my dad. And I love my dad but seriously, having no female companionship when you have to get ready for the biggest day of your life is not a good start...there's the make-up, the dress, the under-the-dress, the jewellery, the HAIR, the nails, the everything that is attached to the body that needs some sort of glossing over. So there was my dad, and I had woken up an hour before the ceremony began. There was very limited time to get myself ready and so it began....the panic in my voice "where is my underwear? the lingerie I bought the other week?! Where is it? Oh I need a shower first. Dad find my underwear, where is it?".......Now, asking your dad where the lingerie you bought especially for the *cough* wedding night has gone is not entirely appropriate....you would think.....but you know, in dreams, anything goes!

Perhaps it sounds like a funny dream, one you wake up from and think, ohhh, that's not going to happen, ha ha ha........ HA. ummm. Well no. The dream kept going on for hours...well yeah, the whole night really. But everything that happened just delayed me from getting to the church on time and after eventually finding my underwear I realise I need to shave my legs! -back in the shower. Apparently I didn't realise the first time round in the shower..... not a reflection of reality- seriously. My maid of honour turns up in the dream and this just proves how everything twisted around in my dream was......she didn't help me get ready, she was....faffing around, and then she fell out with me, slamming doors. Great, I thought. My maid of honour isn't getting me to the church on time, my dad is lingering, doing....I don't know what he was doing. Then I realised I was already five minutes late for the ceremony....my fiancé was waiting for me at the alter and I wasn't even on my way there.

Make-up. Grab mascara, grab blusher, grab anything that's....ooooohh, nail varnish! Put them in an asda bag with a huge hole in it....nope, find another bag. I shout at everyone....my brothers now arrive and they all sit upright on sofas twiddling their thumbs. "We have to go!" I scream in frustration as I am the only one who sees the sense of urgency. No-one moves. I scream again. An hour has gone by by then. One whole hour. So I've known brides to be 20 minutes late at max but not an hour.

Everyone begins to move outside to the car and then out of the blue comes a life long family friend who I haven't seen for years. We are suddenly in Bath and I cry to her about how everything is going wrong and we're late and then I realise that my bra isn't strapless so you can see the bright jade straps. This friend says, "Oh come on love, let's go to the vintage shop." I agree....for some reason.....a vintage bra?

She flips through newspapers in the shop...not clothes, newspapers and I shout again at how I am late but she just says, "have a cup of tea with me".

"I can't drink tea! I am late for my own wedding, does no-one care?!"

I finally get to the church after remembering my shoes...oh yes, I needed shoes to walk outside- ha, these things slip your mind. I stand at the top of the aisle and I don't see my fiancé anywhere.

Oh fab.

The Last One

The last and most cherished part of the bridesmaid process has come and with all the lovely dresses in my hands I can happily say that this chapter of the wedding planning is over. The bridesmaids each have a dress for the wedding and I have my dress for the wedding...surely it's downhill from here....

What to do when it's all over....

I've got my grips on four of the bridesmaid dresses! One more to go. They fit the girls perfectly and they look even more beautiful than I remembered - a happy ending after all.....well, until the last one arrives. Now the fabulous dresses that have caused me damaging distress can almost be ruled out of the equation. And onto the accessories - the fun part!

It's funny planning a wedding. There's all the hype and the big books and the scatty running about places to pick up truck loads of brochures....and then it stops. The wedding comes, and of course that is the best part of the planning, to actually see it all pulled together (I hope!).......but then there's marriage.....and this is obviously the best part *cough* *cough*. I am one of those people that loves to plan, loves the drama of things going wrong and then fixing them and feeling like I've achieved something - to me that seemed - impossible. After the wedding preparations, what will I do I wonder? Maybe make a scrapbook of 'how to be married'. Or even a scrapbook of 'what it used to be like when I had freedom and when I was partying and......' No, really I'm joking...really. Ohh but there are things to plan........ the thank you cards! Setting up our beautiful home.....or stingy flat.....but making it as beautiful as it can be...... and planning my friends' weddings - I WILL make scrapbooks for all their weddings...whether they like it or not. Or until they burn the scrapbooks to make a point and then I will probably take note...and leave. Hmmm........scrapbooking post-marriage. Oh, my fiancé really doesn't know what he's letting himself in for. :)