Tampilkan postingan dengan label Las Vegas. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Las Vegas. Tampilkan semua postingan

Senin, 14 Juni 2010

Hey...guess what?

So I have been doing this blog thing for nearly six months now, suffice to say; I am not going anywhere; this is a keeper for me, I am loving it!

Who would of thought there were friends to be made across this world wide web? In blog speak: Never. Even. Occurred. To. Me. That day I first pressed the publish button and put myself out there...not a clue that I would actually 'meet' some kindred spirits through the process.

via Hey Gorgeous

So I want to say an enormous 'thank you' and 'I'm so delighted' and 'how very exciting' that my blog has been featured on Hey Gorgeous in the 'Featured Goodness' series. Rhiannon Nicole has become a firm friend to me in recent times. She writes the most beautiful words on her blog (which started out as a baking blog and frankly = cupcake heaven), along with fabulous images. Rhi is getting married very soon and she shares some of the most inspiring wedding shoots I have ever seen on her blog, along with much other loveliness. Such a wonderful eye for detail. She has also had an eye operation lately so get well soon Rhi - if I were near you I would make you a nice cuppa tea and distract you with inane chatter...

So in the spirit of weddings and sharing, here's a picture of my husband and I when we renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas two years back! Stepping out in the balmy, sparkly Vegas night; we had our friends right there with us (brother in law behind the camera), we went off to Smith and Wollenskys for a giant burger - in honour of Elvis Presley! A very happy and funny moment...


Kamis, 29 April 2010

Another beautiful blogger...

I was very surprised/pleased to be awarded another Beautiful Blogger award, this time from Tania, who writes, along with her co-writer Sarah Vine, 'Backwards in High Heels'. Quite flushed with pride that Tania described my blog as charming and aesthetically pleasing. In addition, Tania is a proper writer and has published a proper book, so the fact that she follows little ole me is great.

As I posted on one of these lovely awards a few weeks ago, I wondered if you were all that interested in another seven things about me and some more blogs that I like...then I assumed '...yes, I suppose so!' It would be positively ungracious of me not to accept my award, so here we go:

Number One
My husband and I renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas. It was at the Graceland chapel, we took the Elvis and Priscilla vows, officiated by a fake Elvis. We were with our two best men and their lovely wives. My favourite all-time Elvis song is 'Suspicious Minds' but that seemed somewhat inappropriate for nuptials so Elvis sang 'Hunk of Burning Love' instead! Anyone who has seem my husband's rugby-playing physique will grasp how apt that song choice is! My friend L, who was one of my bridesmaids in our 'first' wedding has a big thing for Elvis...so this is for you!


Number Two
One of my best ever films is 'Beautiful Girls'. It's little-known, subtle, charming. I could watch it over and over (which should be the measure of a great film). Natalie Portman plays a young girl called Marty and she is just enchanting - an old soul. The score is also haunting and nostalgic.


Number Three
I didn't learn to cook until recent years, so when I first left home I lived on Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and rye bread with Danish Blue cheese. Not the ideal diet. Later, as my husband did all the cooking I never needed to. Then he got busier and was home less and we had kids who obviously needed feeding, I eventually learned. Now I am quite good, much to the surprise of anyone who knew me when...


Number Four
I am ever so slightly obsessed with John Updike novels. I re-read them most years. Sometimes the maleness of his point of view frustrates me wildly. However, I think he writes some of the most accurate modern depictions of human emotion ever.

Number Five
We have a cat. I insisted on getting him the year my husband and I started living together. He has used up far too many of his nine lives. He has been run over by cars three times, he had been reconstructed by vets and special cat neurosurgeons. He has lost his meow. He is generally grumpy. But Boo still loves him.

Number Six
When I was at University, in those idle hours my housemates and I used to fill between lectures, we used to muse that I could be hand model 'when I grew up'. This was my fall-back plan in case the heady career I was anticipating from my oh-so-useful English literature degree didn't materialise. We even took test shots of my hands! I have these ridiculously long fingers...spindly I have always thought. Alas no, these are not them...but I love her nail varnish.


Number Seven
You might not have guessed it but I am abit of a thinker. Shock! Some very good advice I was given by my friend N who I work with, is simply to breathe...and it works!


Now I need to nominate some other blogs that I think are beautiful. As I so recently did this, I will limit it to three.

For beautiful writing...Mackin ink
For sheer prettiness...The Pink Pen Word Studio
For lovely quirkiness...My Guide to surviving and enjoying life's mundane

Minggu, 28 Februari 2010

Sunday night insomnia, Mr and Mrs and piscean indecision...

This was what met me early this morning; the view from my kitchen window as I made my cup of earl grey...the most lovely frosty sunrise.


This is the view from upstairs in my house - that's ground water laying in the field - which contributed to the insomnia I had last night while I lay wondering - if my house flooded what would I save? I got as far as (in no particular order) the Mac, my Eric Ward paintings, wedding photos, jewellery, shoes and of course husband, kids and cat...

The other contributing factor to my Sunday night insomnia was the fact that my husband and I bickered most of the weekend like an old married couple, despite our recent enforced absence (absence makes the heart grow stronger surely?). I took this picture of ducks in the rain a week ago, I love the waddle, the 'Mr and Mrs' quality of it...she goes slightly ahead, he follows after with his fancy green head feathers gleaming. Its as if if she is saying 'come on, hurry up, stick to my pace, places to go, people to see...'


Did I mention that my husband and I renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas a couple of years back? I always wanted to go to a Vegas wedding so we had our own. It was very entertaining, along with our little congregation we danced in the aisle as the Elvis impersonator sang 'Viva Las Vegas'. And this is me (my beloved took the picture) walking back to our stretch limo afterwards. I have this thing for photos of people (or ducks) walking away...


Just while we are on Vegas...I know I have posted alot about that place lately but let's just have a Monday appreciation for Brad and George in Ocean's Eleven. YUM. Raybans never looked so good...

Anyway, I digress...back to the insomnia. It wasn't even useful insomnia, wrestling with important issues, oh no. It was the mind-full-of nothing-important indecisive kind of insomnia. Shall I get up and have some milk? Shall I stay in bed and keep trying to sleep? Will I be over-tired in the morning? Is this because I was already hungover on Sunday from too many margaritas at a dinner party on Saturday? Are the kid's bags packed for school? Mental note: must make dentist appointments. And, and, and...

So after the lovely sunrise and a cup of tea, I logged onto Blogger for my daily fix and saw the inspiring post over at The Refocused Life which reminded me i) its 1st March today, ii) its my birthday month iii) lots of nice things ahead. Oh and iv) I am piscean; two fish swimming in different directions - I am in a constant state of indecision! No wonder I couldn't sleep...

Two Goldfish in Bowl

Jumat, 26 Februari 2010

Things of beauty...

Friday is a happy day...this past week has been interesting! More challenges at work, a few tantrums thrown in from my 4 year old son, and a few tears from my 8 year old daughter (missing Daddy...). All in all I am ready for a nice relaxed weekend of co-parenting with my surely jet-lagged husband!

Daddy's home from Vegas today...my week of single parenting is over...phew!


So I am quite pleased...



I have hyacinth bulbs in the garden that are trying to break through...nearly there...


I love Welsh dressers...this one is great because of the mismatched handles...


I like the tones of white in this picture...


Sweet...this just captures that wonderful innocent toddler phase...my children are out of that now...but its still makes me melt to see it...

I am really trying to read books at the moment - where does the time go?


I stayed up far too late last night watching Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road. It was gripping and tragic, even though I have read the book, the ending still shocked me. She has the strongest of faces; I couldn't take my eyes off her, and the period detail in the film is just incredible...


Senin, 22 Februari 2010

Say hello to Paris...

Children back at school today - some silence for the first time in two weeks! I am guiltily pleased (delighted?) as I can now put my house back together, re-group, gather my thoughts. I went for a run today (even in the rain...)...hmm what happened to that residual fitness? I limped around my normal circuit. But still it felt good to be able to do it.

Meanwhile my husband is at a corporate event in Las Vegas - now to say I am envious, well that would be a slight understatement! I do have a soft spot for that place, as my previous post alludes to. I know - Vegas is hardly a corporate mecca but apparently its something to do with the capacity it has for large groups of people (uh huh, yea really). So I get a text on Saturday night saying that he is standing next to Paris Hilton in a nightclub...umm corporate entertainment? It seems Paris was in town celebrating her birthday...

It wasn't this Paris...


It was this Paris...

Photo by: LVP/starmaxinc.com 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2/20/10 Paris Hilton celebrates her

So that's nice; I am doing laundry, he is celebrity spotting!