Changes to my routine

And I love it.

I wouldn't consider myself an architecture geek but this beauty makes my jaw drop.

Those lines, that light. You don't need a degree in art to appreciate this beauty.

 

I don't think I say this enough, but it ain't that bad commuting into a city like London. The reward you get is sometimes where you least expect it. Kings Cross, you'll always have a special place in my heart.

Numbers of the day so far

9.15 am. I have been up for 3 hours.


In those 3 hours, I cycled to the gym, did a quick 40min workout, showered, cycled home.

I then cycled to the train station, sat on the train for 30min and walked 25min to the office.

I’m now sat at my desk, having just had breakfast.
Would it be silly to say I’m pretty impressed with myself? Well if no one else is, I’ve got to be, right?! Still a whole working day to get through though… wish me luck!

Le 1er février

London, 8.20am, 1st of February 2012.

Clear, cold and crisp.

The year is already flying by it seems.

Travels of the body and the mind

2012 has already been full of surprises for the Petit Filoux household. Amongst those, promised travels.

I shall tell more about this when the time comes, but until then I am preparing myself for travels of both a physical and spiritual nature. I would say wish me luck, but above anything, it is courage and strength that I need. Heeps of it.

I don't mean to be all cryptic here, but let's just say my road to happiness is full of obstacles. All of which I need to be prepared to face all on my own, with noone else's help but my own determination.

At the weekend I...

Enjoyed some newly purchased art displayed at the top of the stairs...

Together with the display directly opposite...

Marvelled at my new blooms...

And breathed in the incredible scent emanating from these beautiful flowers...

Started thinking about potential crafting projects...

And abandoned others until help is at hand...

Unfortunately, all the coffee in the world didn't seem to help...

Had fun stalking (and feeding) local wildlife from my bedroom window...

And finally put up our kitchen calendar...

All in all, a pretty nice weekend and a lot of new things for this January 2012. A very promising start I reckon :-)

Baby it's cold outside

Blimey it's freezing at the moment. No snow, just plenty of frost.

How to beat it? By wearing some of these:

And drinking some of this:

A duvet and thermal clothes would help too, but I'm not sure that would be a good office look.

Hello twenty twelve

It’s the 5th January 2012. How did this even happen. Christmas came and went in a flash, and so did our new year celebrations. It’s Day 3 of being back at work and I just wish we could go back 10 days. Oh yes it was crazy. Hosting Christmas lunch is not an easy task when you live in a small house, have limited working surfaces, and are a manic perfectionist. The last point especially might keep you up all night (not that it did really, I’m too much of a sleeping monster beauty for that).

Christmas was a resounding success and I’m ever so pleased everyone had a good time. I’m even more pleased my nan could make it and was able to enjoy our new home, our first house. I only wish my granddad was still around to join in the fun. Ah, life…

Since then, we have enjoyed time in the house on our own and it’s been so lovely. Mr PF was back at work last week and I spent my time doing house chores. Boring at times, but oh so necessary. Necessary so that when we both eventually went back to work, we wouldn’t have a mountain of ironing to face or all those niggly little things that needed doing. Sewing was done, a curtain was shortened, a futon cover was placed. I now have a new list of things that need doing in the house, but these are items that can be addressed this year, in 2012. No rush.

New year celebrations were enjoyed in Kent, not far from the coast. We did intend to stay by the sea, but a rather disappointing b&b let us down and we decided to pack our bags and find something better. We’ve had such encounters before, but we’ve grown up since, and we have the courage to pack up and go. It was a blessing in disguise really, because we ended up spending a wonderful couple of days in Canterbury. Huge tasty breakfasts, relaxing walks in town, cultural visits, yummy dinners.

A good start to the year it was. Fun and relaxing. I feel loved and that’s an amazing thing to have. This year is going to be a good one, I can feel it. I’m not one for resolutions, but I do like to have grand ideas to live by (listen to me, I sound like a right prat now). So what do I want in 2012? Lots of good times, happy times. Fun to be had at a couple of concerts lined up already, a trip to a good friend in Switzerland, a possible visit to family over in the States, the London Olympics, the wedding of one of my best friends. I want this year to be full of joy, stress-free, content. I would like to get stuck in the garden, make things grow, and possibly even eat the fruits of my labour.

Finally, a happy new year to all of you. I wish you all the best and all that you hope for. Thank you again for being there and reading Petit Filoux. It’s a place which forces me to stop and think. I love writing and this place does allow me to do so now and again (when I have the time!). It encourages me to record all these little daily things which make our lives rich and beautiful. Being a glass half empty kind of person, this is incredibly important. So here’s to 2012 xx

Thursday thoughts

It's Thursday. I'm getting ready for Christmas. I'd love to have tomorrow off but I'm way too busy at work. I'm working as much as I can on the shawl. I was interrupted in my endeavours last night after sweet looking Felix had a bite at my arm. I was crippled for the evening (take my word for it, you don't want to see a photo of the marks those fangs left). Thanks Felix.

I've got a hair dresser appointment tonight. Wish me luck. We have about 20 different salons in my little town, and I must have tried about a third so far. I've yet to find The One. They better not mess up my hair though because I have a Christmas party to attend tomorrow.

I have started organising my Christmas shopping list. Different categories for improved efficiency: veg/ fruit, meat/ fish, cheese, other fresh produce, cupboard stuff. Will definitely need to split it up into a few shopping trips to ensure sanity preservation. Let's just say someone might be earning a few points on their credit card.

Finally, pretty photo of the sun setting last weekend, taken from our bedroom window. It hasn't been like that lately though, we've had gale force winds and torrential rain. All nice and dry by the time I had to walk into work though, thankfully.

Phew, countdown D Day - 9

It's only Friday?

That's what it feels like this morning. Still one whole day to go. One long day at that, topped off with a Christmas party. "Party" is a very generous word considering the company budget involved... anyway, let's not talk about sore points. Ahem.

This weekend should be really nice though. I haven't exactly got a plan in mind, but it will/ should hopefully include the following:

• the purchase of our Christmas tree - the all very important decision of height and fatness, you know what I'm talking about.

• guess that means the Christmas decorations will have to come down from the attic - always an exciting moment since I seem to forget what decorations we have from one year to the next. Yes I do have a rubbish memory.

• a decision will need to be made regarding my nan's shawl. I've been faced with what feels like insurmountable problems, having to take back more rows than I care to remember. And I still don't have the right number of stitches on my needles. Not only is this totally perplexing, but it leaves me in a difficult situation. If I can't fix this tomorrow, I may have to ditch this project entirely.... Where's my knitting fairy, I need you!!!!!!!!!!!!

• wrapping up until I resemble a Michelin man to attend a local football game. My presence and the purchase of two tickets was another one of my great birthday presents to Mr PF. Call me selfless. Although not selfless enough to go stand in the cold on Tuesday night. That was beyond my physical abilities. I have a serious amount of Mediterranean blood running through my veins and it's fair to say I. Do. Not. Cope. Well. With. The. Cold.

• Finalising some Christmas presents. We've been very organised this year and once again, have made the most of the internet. How I love ordering things from the comfort of my own home!

• Feeding the Christmas cake. I can hear him calling my name for more brandy.

• Checking my bulbs and deciding whether now's the time to bring them indoors. Such anticipation has gone into this. It's the first year I've tried out bulbs and seeing them grow has been incredible. I thought I might have killed them off but no no, they're definitely growing! Would be lovely to have them in bloom for Christmas but I'm not sure how to get the timing right...

• Drinking lots of hot cups of coffee. My weekend tipple. Even better when served in those adorable cups with some dark chocolate on the side. I might even try to make some mulled apple juice to take to the football. Oh gosh, can't I just go home now and forget about work? I've got so much to do!!!

Friday tales

• On Wednesday, I helped French union members find their way back to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar home. Yes, they had come especially for the day to support their fellow public workers. As if there aren’t enough strikes in France, they come here for extra practise.

• I watched the Benton dog video (check it out on youtube if you haven't seen yet, it's hilarious) and because I’m a language sponge, I keep saying Jeez all the time as a result (after the owner’s Jesus Christ cries). Someone sort me out, my vocabulary is dwindling as I type.

• I’ve messed up a couple of rows on my shawl, which means I’m going to have to take 3 entire rows back. I even went to see the Rowan rep at my local John Lewis at lunch time to see if she had a magical solution and her advice was to just “go one stitch at a time and go slowly”. Not what I wanted to hear. I t makes me want to cry.

• Tomorrow we’re going to Cambridge to pick up a new sofa bed. Depending on the size of the package, I may or may not have to get home by train instead of the warm car. Wish us luck.

• On the plus side, my advent calendar chocolate is waiting patiently for me at home. Can’t wait.

A cry for (shoe-storage) help

I know you readers, you're full of imagination and come up with the most wonderful things. Now, read closely, because I'm counting on this skill of yours to help me out. Big problem in the Petit Filoux household. We don't know what to do with our shoes once we come in through the front door.

Now, I appreciate this may sound a little odd, but work with me here. When we used to live in our old flat, we had a fairly wide entrance and were able to put one of those little wooden shoe shelves in a corner. Not the most beautiful pieces of furniture, but practical. However in the house, the entrance is really small (it's a cottage after all), and in the four months we've been here, we haven't been able to come up with a viable solution. Let me explain it to you. A little sketch might help? I thought so. Here's an aerial view of the entrance:

What we've done so far is pile up the shoes behind the door (see my wonderful additions to the drawing in green), creating little towers until you actually can't get out the front door. Not good. I'm prepared to be disciplined and only have a couple of pairs each out at once (day shoes/ trainers for example), but even that, well that's 8 shoes that need to fit in somehow. I've looked all over the place (shops/ internet) for clever solutions but haven't seen anything that would suit us just yet. As you can see, there's not much space on either side of the front door either, which means once you step out of the porch, you're effectively in the living room. And once I close the curtain which separates the porch from the room, I don't want to be looking at shoes near my sofa.

That's where you come in! Would you please have a look at my sketch and try and help me? If you have any sort of suggestion, particular shops to check out, something to make even, I'm all ears! We need help!!

This morning

I was ironing his long sleeve pale blue shirt. It goes nicely with the lovely silk tie I bought him for his birthday. Today's a special day and it was my way of helping. A nice clean crisp shirt to start on the right foot. It's rather unlikely any of the interviewers will notice how handsome he looks, but I left feeling quietly confident.

Good luck Mr Petit Filoux!

Tongue-tied

I have a million things to say and at the same time, not much at all. Ideas are buzzing around my head and I don't know where to start. Similarly, I feel I don't have anything that interesting to say either, so yes, dear readers, I'm feeling a little tongue-tied.

Of course, what is interesting to one might be dead boring to another. Yet more photos of pretty flowers or 'in progress' shots of another crafty projects might not be what you're after. At the end of the day, this blog is really about jotting down ideas, keeping a record of what I get up to, while at the same time interacting with the fantastic crowd of people (you!) who sit behind your screen and read little blog of mine.

It all started over two years ago now and I can't believe it's been that long. 17th July 2009 it was. Blimey.

Life was slightly different back then and work perhaps a little more sparse. Less work = more time for blogging, there's no doubt about that. I'm now facing the fact that I'm not only more busy with work, but I now live in a house which is slightly further away from the train station, hence increasing my commute time. And let's face it, living in a house means heaps more things to do. My mum rightly said to me once, there's always something to do in a house. Always something to work on, to fix. I experienced just that yesterday when I spent a large part of the day gardening, or shall I say weeding. Not so glamorous hey?! But very rewarding, no doubt about that.

So, dear readers, I shall stop apologising for my inconsistent posting schedule. Boyfriend tells me that is why I seem to have lost countless readers and get very few comments these days. My answer to that is that this blog is meant to be enjoyable, enjoyable to both myself and my readers. And if I don't feel like posting, well it's just not going to happen. So I'm sorry to those of you of enjoy regularity, consistency and routine. Petit Filoux doesn't feel quite up to it these days.

Blogging has been a real interesting journey for me and has opened my eyes to a million tiny beautiful facets of the world that I live in. Something I reckon non-bloggers should be forced to take a look at what happens over here because they're missing out on so much. Not appreciating what's right in front of their eyes you know? Not understanding why it is that I feel the need to lie flat down on my stomach at the beach to get that perfect photo of pebbles... Not seen that one yet? Yes, I must tell you about our little jaunt to the sea.

So anyway, for someone who felt a little tongue-tied I haven't done too badly have I?! Well done if you're reading this and haven't felt the need to close your eyes with boredom. Continuous drivel or train of thought? Hmmm... You never know, I might be back tomorrow with a maximum of two sentences and five photographs. Someone's lucky day.

Happiness is where the heart is

I felt this was especially true during the last week or so, when I was sent away for work and didn't particularly enjoy it. I'd left my heart at home and felt rather miserable so far away  from it. Having just moved in my first proper home, I felt a little hard done by to have to stay away for so long, which probably didn't help. But work being work, there wasn't much I could do about it. So after a few tears and several phone calls, I managed to pull through.

This little old lady definitely helped me get through it. There's nothing quite like a truly lovely dog who greets you as you're only just getting out of the car, and within a few seconds goes to find the nearest stick (/twig/ piece of tree trunk, whetever was nearest!) to play. (And yes, I'm a little off cats at the moment after my delightful little shit of a cat-neighbour has decided to start using my lovely gardens as a toilet and using my cute little bench as a scratching post. Not impressed). The goat was equally lovely, although it was more interested in eating my jumper I reckon.

Cat or no cat - that is the question

Actually the question really should be "cats or no cats". Oh dear, I need some help.

Basically, we have wanted a pet for ages. Living in a flat where pets weren't allowed and with no access to outside space meant is was a complete no-no. But we now live in a house, so what's stopping us? Well, quite a few things actually.

After dog-sitting the neighbour's dog a couple of weeks ago, we realised a pet really would be a lovely addition to our home. We gave it some thought, looked at information on a local rescue centre's website and last week, we even went to visit a couple of cats, two sisters, that matched our "criteria" (sorry, I hate having to use that word in this context). (For the record, we'd both prefer a dog but full time jobs and commuting mean that's just not an option unfortunately).

The cats were gorgeous, that's not the problem. Actually, it might have been easier if they'd been moody little shits, we should have just thought, forget about it, it's just not for us. But they were terribly friendly and looked a lot of fun.

So here is our problem. We're just not sure whether to take the step or not. Pets make great additions to a family, but are we ready for the commitment yet? And there are so many downsides that we just can't shake off....

• having to give up some amount of cleanliness in the house. Cats climb everywhere and you just don't know what they've been up to when you're out at work all day
• having to deal with cat hair getting everywhere
• feeling a little nervous about leaving them on their own in our new house for about 10 hours each day...
• having to compromise on the type of carpet we had our eye on because apparently you can't have loop carpet with pets...
• the financial commitment is quite large and maybe not the best timing, having just bought a new house and everything. There will be the food, the litter, the vet bills, the cost of jabs and chipping
• the extra worry when organising a holiday (and possible expensive bill at the cattery...)
• Mr Petit Filoux is most probably allergic to cats. Not a great deal, but maybe enough to make the whole idea have to go away entirely
• not knowing where we could fit the litter tray. The house is rather small and there just aren't that many options...
• having to clean up after them if they've been ill on carpet/ furnishings
• the risk that they might scratch wooden flooring and soft furnishings
• the possibility that they'll dig up flowers/ plants in the garden

I love cats but all these things are making us think twice about it. I know this sounds like a list from hell, but they're all things we have to consider and accept if we do indeed decide to adopt some cats.

What's your opinion on the matter? Any tips or suggestions?

At the weekend

Soulemama does "right now" posts so well, I thought I'd try it myself... although of course I'm a little busy and posting tends to be delayed a little somehow... I'm sure noone will mind though! And it's quite nice doing a little retrospective anyway...

At the weekend I:

* Enjoyed lovely flowers scattered around my home. I can actually say "my home" now which is rather unerving... and terribly exciting!

* Prepared lunch for some garden helpers. The weather was good, new tools were purchased, gloves were worn (through? already?!). We've started the battle of the gardens. And we're enjoying some seasonal cuttings on the mantelpiece - I'm in love!

* Was thinking that my crochet top is long overdue. It just needs blocking and sewing up woman, get your skates on! Did I do anything about it though? Not yet, *sigh*...

* Got a little sad that we've had to say goodbye to our furry friend... and already thinking of a way to fill his shoes paws...

* Painted my toes red. Meant to do it in my favourite shade so far this year, Marron glace by Mavala, but a party meant it just had to match...
* Tried to make the most of the weekend and not let myself have a heart attack after the quote we were given to get the carpet changed... now, where's that lottery ticket gone?!

And back again

• It's been totally hectic here. I feel like I've been swirled around, bashed against walls, dropped off for a second, and off I am again. Only this is it for a while. Busy work and busy weekends aren't making for a quiet time to look forward to though, so I'm trying to calm down and take it all in while I have a spare second.
• The Petit Filoux household spent a few relaxing days in France. Some were more relaxing than others actually, and some were definitely much greyer and wetter than others. But we still tried to make the most of it; I had so much food I felt like a dumpling.
• We are getting a new, albeit temporary, member of the family tonight. More on this later. Let's just say it's a he, with four legs, a small appetite and a need for two walks every day. When he's not feeling lazy.
• We need to decide on new carpets for the bedrooms. I'm definitely part of the wooden floor boards family, but Mr Petit Filoux is most definitely a carpet man. So we compromise. Wooden floor boards downstairs, carpets upstairs. Now we just need to make our minds up. The selection is ridiculous. Who knew there were so many different types of carpet out there?!
• I'm struggling to get back in the blogging routine. Taking photos, downloading them, writing posts, it all takes some time! I know I've said that before, but it's true, living in a new house makes things a little complicated. Things aren't where they should be, the to-do list grows bigger each day... you know the drill, it's just life I guess!
• I'm trying to loose some weight. Broken record? Kind of. Only this time I hope to be serious about it. I look back and see a succession of half hearted attempts which all start with good intentions but fall down the drain as soon as I get peckish/ anxious/ stressed/ down right hungry. Like right now. Someone lock me in a room and throw away the key. And feed me healthy food at regular intervals. Please?

The lost month

I totally missed June with the move etc. I did however carry on taking a few photos so this post will be an eye feast of this month lost to estate agents, solicitors and mortgages. And yes, I did actually mean to post this in June, but I guess life just got in the way! I think you must have noticed that, since I'm rather erratic in my posting these days! So, here goes for June...

Spending a day at the races... don't get me started on the fact that money most definitely doesn't buy class. No I'm clearly not talking about the queen here, but rather about those scantily clad ladies who thought the more was on display the better....

Enjoying an unexpected bunch of roses (they weren't really for me, we just forgot to bring them to my nan when we went to visit her! Oops)...

Indulging in my annual pea podding exercise...

The rest of the month must have disappeared in the sea of carboard boxes that became my life for a few weeks, because I can't actually remember taking any more photos...!

Music in the park

I'm well aware we are now in August and it's absolutely baking. But let's not forget what July was like hey? Anyone notice the weather?! At times it felt like autumn. Not a good feeling when summer should really be in full swing.

The Killers at Hyde Park

So even though a couple of concert were eagerly planned and booked - surely an outdoor event in July will be alright? - we enjoyed a good few hours in the rain. On two occasions. The first time, we weren't very well prepared and got home soaked through and through and shivering to the bone. The second time we actually checked the weather forecast and donned our wellies. And carried a couple of umbrellas too. We just didn't want to look out of place.

Elton John at Hatfield House

It's funny how easily one forgets how utterly rubbish the weather was only a few weeks ago when the sun is now firmly in place and warming our hearts and skins? (I know, rather poetic don't you think?! I'm making the most of it, you know it won't last!)

Time

There’s no time to do crafty stuff. And show it off.

Actually, that’s a lie.

There’s plenty of time to show things off, just no time to actually make them, like I said. Little time at the house, lots of time at work. Time that I’d love to be spending at home, sorting through stuff, putting things in boxes, labelling said boxes.

Unfortunately, the very reason why I’m in a position to buy a house (working and therefore getting a salary) is most definitely getting in the way at the moment. I want to be at home, getting things done, crossing things off my list.  Which means that I’m neither here nor there.

I’m struggling to find words to put down on this little blog, so I’m sorry for the silence around here these days. I just don’t know what to write about. Possibly because I’m already in a mental packing state. When I start unpacking, I may have more to write about, but who knows.

So there, I’m still alive. But I just wanted to let you know that I’m not sure when I’ll be blogging regularly again. It could be tomorrow, it could be next week. We’ll just have to wait and see won’t we? Until then, I’ll resume my list making and blog lurking (yeah sorry about that, been keeping up to date with all of you and have had a distinct lack of energy when it’s come to comment writing).

So there you go. Don’t be angry, don’t be sad, just wish me luck and I’ll see you on the other side!