Birkenstock Love

Birkenstocks really are a polariser. You either love them or you hate them. For me, it's a love thang! I got my first pair of white Madrid Birkentsocks a few years ago and they are a summer staple. Very comfy and that go to pair or white flip flop type shoe.

Until I got a pair of Red toe-post type Birks. The Gizeh. Also really comfortable and they stay on your feet without you having to grip on with your toes. I can even run a little in those.

This year the two strap Arizona made a splash in the fashion world and i'm so glad because i'd been wanting a pair of these for a while and it seems like it'll be the perfect opportunity to wear them this summer (let's ignore the completely grey and rainy day going on outside just now). I got these from ASOS when there was 15% off a few months back but i've never actually worn them outside yet.

I got these in black because I wanted to be able to wear them with anything and black goes with anything. Here I paired them with my Gap ripped boyfriend jeans for an easy summer (grey) Sunday.

Angela

My BucketList, an update

My bucket list if you'll remember from here, was somethings from my bigger bucket list for the year that I wrote way back here in May 2010. It was something to spur me on to get out more and to do new things or things i haven't done for a while. Well, it's safe to say that I haven't really been doing anything on it except i have seen more movies at the cinema (hello Cineworld Unlimited card!!). I really really want to score a few things off the list but they are mostly things that can't, no, shouldn't be done on your own. As a little reminder, here is the summer list....

1. I want to see a real life piece of Banksy art, if you know where there's one please shout out now! Even better, come with me, YO!
2. I want to go to Alton Towers. I've not been to the funfair for years and I want a blow-out I'll be scared and scream but I want to go! Go go go go go.......
3. I still ache to walk along a Scottish beach, be it sunny or windy or rainy or whatever. I will do it.
4. Another trip to Londontown. I like it and it will help when doing the first thing on this list. Won't it?
5. Climb more hills. Well at least one. Which will be one more than last year. Yes it's been that long.
6. Seeing lots more new films. I've not been to the cinema for a couple of few but that will be rectified this weekend with a cinema fest.
7. go to Edinburgh festival to see a friend perform. Can't wait for that. My first time at the festival!

So number 6 is so far the winning bullet point. In the past month i've seen Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses, Captain America, The Devils Double, and i'm sure another but can't remember. All good films in my opinion. The first two were great for a laugh and to take your mind off other stuff for a few hours. Go see them.

Number 1 and number 4: Hhmmm well the trip to Londontown will have to wait until early next year i think and so unless Mr Banksy comes a paints some art on the hut in my garden, the chances of me seeing one in real life before the year's out is slim. But i can wait. More time to research their whereabouts!

Number 2!!!!!! Alton Towers, a theme park! I so want to go. Before the weather turns too bad. Will someone come with me please?!! we could hire a minibus and take a few bodies too. Come on? for a fun filled day out. Let's do it, dudes!! (Sorry for the excess use of the exclamation mark).

Number 5. Yet another that i long to do. But i'm reluctant to go off up the hills on my own. I just won't do it. I'm a fearty.

Number 7. Aah Lucky number 7. The Edinburgh festival is in full swing and alas I still haven't been. But, but, but, I'm off for a long weekend from this Friday and hopefully I'll be popping along to see the wonderful Mr Neil Fox in The Great Brain Robbery. Now running daily from 1.45pm for an hour at The Caves. Get tickets here!! If you wanna come along on Friday with me, tweet me @Ange77H.

And finally number 3. Well his time next week i should be able to blog about this. Fingers crossed the weather is nice. I'm looking forward to that mini adventure!

Now, enough with the things i haven't quite done yet and onto the stuff i have been up to. Well mostly working and spin classes. I'm averaging 4 spin bike classes per week but things aren't quite going to plan. I do think I need to pick it up a bit and do other forms of exercise. I'm just so nervous about going into the gym though. I prefer to go at quiet times but the gym is so good that it's mostly busy up until about 8pm. Is that too late to be gyming? I tend to find that once i'm home I can't quite get the motivation to go back out again. It's just laziness probably. Definitely. Since the gym is but a 10 minute drive away.

Spin class

Results aren't too bad but could be better.

I've recently become obsessed (nah, not really obsessed, what's another word for it?) with painting my nails in loads of different colours. Tropical Paradise pink, Strawberry Margarita, electric blue, bright purple as well as Glitter in the Rain - a fave. Previously, i was a barely there pink kinda girl but that's changed.

What else? Let me see....Well, I've met new people and have even visited Illegal Jack's in Edinburgh. Very nice it was too. Although my use of a fork and knife to eat a burritto was mocked. There's a way to eat it apparently. I also dined at Jamie's Italian on a lazy Saturday afternoon. It was nice. Except the cotton napkin appeared to be all fluff which ended up all over my purple trousers. Not a good look.

Jamie's Italian - Carbonara

Illegal Jack's - burrito...with fork and knife! AND ice cream as my fellow diner had just become Mayor! :)

Overall it's been a fun summer. But could've been a lot better. Now i have to go and draw the window over. The crisp early autumnal wind is blowing in.

Angela x

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I've started so i'll finish

I'm not very good at finishing things, as you might be able to tell from the abandoned 30 day photo challenge posts and the lask of Awkward and Awesome Thursday posts. The thing is i am very good at finishing things but some things I let slip by the wayside. Does this happen to you? I'm sure it must.

I have these great ideas and start on them with gusto and then.. blah.. it slips away. I wonder why...?

Anyway that's an aside. It's 5 working days til I am on my summer holidays. 2 whole weeks off work. Wahey! And I fully intend to hack away at that summer bucket list I posted a few months back here.

I am taking another trip to London off the list just now. Simply because I had to fork out £300 on a new clutch for my car a few weeks ago and it so spare cash for big trips is lacking. BUT, BUT, but... I may, just may be going on an awesome trip in February / March of 2012! Exciting.

Still on the list are a walk along a beach, any beach, a nice beach, somewhere. Seeing more movies. I haven't been to the cinema since I saw The Hangover 2 and there's been a good few films out that i've wanted to see. So I may just take myself off to see Bad Teacher tonight. Oh yes.

Also on the list is a road trip to Alton Towers. To a funfair. I've not been to the shows for years. Does anyone else call it 'the shows'?

Also during my summer holidays, I fully intend to got to the gym more and more spin classes. They started a new one on a Sunday and the first one was yesterday. It was pretty buy for a Sunday afternoon. I'll try to go along each week but you know, my summer bucket list day trips may get in the way!

Now, i must dash. I only popped on the check out the new Blogger layout in draft.blogger.com. I like it. Very clean, fresh, modern. A big thumbs up from me. I like simple clean functional design.

I'm rambling now. I'll go.

Laters people,
Angela x

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Seasons - they're a changing

It fell to the ground slowly. A leave that still had a bit of colour. But it was looking decidedly tired. I think Autumn's on it's way. And you know what that means? Winter will be here soon too. And I wonder what will that bring?...

I think the seasons are changing. From Summer to Autumn, it's happening pretty quickly this year. The nights are getting darker earlier. The mornings are still a bit light except when it's raining and then I need to put the light on when the curtains are drawn. It's these little things that let us know that times they are a changing. Then there's mum's age old way of scientifically measuring the flow from one season to another. It's the Street-ligh timing method - "that was twenty past nine they lights went on the night Ange" she'll say, to which i'll reply "Was it?", then she'll say "Aye, the dark nights are fairly drawin in". And so it goes on.

Summer. Was it a good one? For me it was a mixed bag. I never did as much as I'd planned to. But plans are made and can also be broken. It just means you can make more plans that are perhaps better than the ones you had in the first place - cool! I did partake in a lot of good things though like my first ever trip to London which by the way was ace! I climbed Ben Lomond - twice! and one of them was at night. Which was also great! This has now become a good hill to do as it's not too far from home but is more of a test than Dumyat is at 430m high.

Photo credit: PTC

I also climbed Ben Starav which was a beast of a day but good all the same. We had a few different weather systems going on that day but ended with blue skies and sunshine and a good wee stop by a fine flowing river then magnificent views of Glencoe area on the journey home. I love that area. I like being a passenger in a car in that area. Can't get enough of those views that change with every cloud shadow. I also had the house to myself for a whole 2 weeks. Which on the face of it may sound good but there were a few days in there that I hadn't spoken to anyone for about 3 days so had to phone Linda for a wee chat! ha ha. Summers end will bring something from nature. I'm not sure about it yet but we'll see...

Autumn... what shall it bring? Well, work is really starting to heat up and the students are back on 15th September so it'll be busy busy busy. Quite stressful but good all the same. You should see some of their scared wee faces when they turn up for first year. Wee shame but we soon help them find their feet. There will be my 5th time seeing Coldplay (with Jay-Z no less). I cannot wait, they are one of my favourites. Excited? Aye! There's my ongoing training regime for my Spring 2010 plan. This will hopefully be a successful regime that will bring a decent amount fitness as well as a release of the pain in the knees. Fingers crossed.

Winter... oooh goodness knows what will happen then? But I'm looking forward to it. Cold winds blowing in your face as you walk along admiring the wonderful scenery that unfolds with every step and with every corner turned. Rain battering off your face and you not caring except you can't see cos your glasses are covered. Walking up a hill and the wind either hindering you or helping you along the way. Nature's helping hand in whatever form it takes. Winter usually goes from October to March and March is meant to be spring time but in recent years there's still been snow on the ground when it's my birthday. I doubt if it'll change next year. And my birthday falls on a Saturday next year - don't you just love it when that happens! Great stuff!

After Winter comes Spring but we won't jump away ahead of ourselves just yet. Let's get this 2009 show rolling to it's next destination first.

Ange xx