english girl dreaming of new york city. excited for all the good things to come in 2012. there's more to me than what meets the eye... click here to view my personal posts.
charlotte’s birthday is 28th january, so fiona and i made our way up to newcastle for the weekend. we had the best night out! some of these photos are from this weekend, others are from throughout january :)
(Source: kategillian)
fake christmas: a day after christmas spent with relatives who were tied up with other family members on the 25th. this year, it was mike & amy… she’s pregnant. ahh! p.s. i love my snood. can you tell ;)?
mumma and marley moo dancing.
day at the promenade <3.
scary day at the dentist :(… luckily my teeth are fiiiiiiiiine!!
(Source: kategillian)
amazing christmas dinner!
christmas eve bubbles with lisa!
a mass of wrapping paper after i was through!
marley’s christmas gift
moi on christmas day
festive phone :)
(Source: kategillian)
charl’s house
dinner and drinks at las iguanas with fee and charl
cooking rolo brownie bites for friends and family on christmas eve :)
(Source: kategillian)
there are only two days until christmas now!!
david (my brother) and i went shopping the other day to get last minute bits for everyone… and we got some yummy treats on the way home too :). last night mum, david and i went to tesco to get the big christmas shop in. it was awful! the supermarket was insanely busy. grannies we charging down the aisles for the last cheese board, fat kids were grabbing all the chocolate boxes they could, my mum taking enough bottles of wine and champagne off the shelves to bring every member of an a.a meeting off the wagon, husbands groaning in each aisle, my brother trying to escape every five minutes and me pushing a trolley that weighed a tonne around the entire shop. glad that part is over!
(Source: kategillian)
when do you start getting excited about christmas?
being the mature adult i am, i do not get at all flustered by christmas… NAAAAT. i love, love, love it! i would say i start getting excited once septemeber arrives. my excitement for christmas is directly correlated to cold weather.
do you still have advent calendars?
yes! my aunt gave us a homemade calendar when my brother and i were very little. it’s huge, made from material and has little pockets for each day leading up to christmas for our mum to put sweets in :). and it has letters for christmas day containing a more special chocolate, so i would open the ‘k’ pocket.
what are your favourite christmas films?
home alone 1 & 2, the snowman, miracle on 34th street, father christmas, the grinch, elf, love actually… to a name a few.
do you have any funny christmas memories?
the first one that pops to mind is that i was terrified of father christmas when i was young as i didn’t like the idea of a stranger coming in to my bedroom at night (where our stockings were at the end of our beds)… so i used to make david, who is 3 1/2 years younger than me, share the bed with me on christmas eve :). we’d both wake each other up when ever we heard a noise. these noises would be things such as the sleigh or father christmas’s boots coming down our chimney. of course.
talk us through your typical christmas day.
well! we all wake up very early, go downstairs to open presents in our pyjamas, get ready in our new christmas outfits, look at gifts, watch christmas films… then either go to my aunt’s house or await the whole family’s arrival at our house, have christmas lunch/dinner, fall asleep due to a food coma, open more presents that we’ve given to relatives / we’ve received from them, play games, watch more christmas films and then sleeeeeeeep!
and of course the words ‘eat food’ should be placed between each point. it is christmas after all.
what do you eat for christmas dinner?
let me start by saying this is my FAVOURITE meal. ever. nothing beats it!! and i will refuse to eat it on any other day, it just wouldn’t be right ;). we have… roast potatoes in goose fat, turnips, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, turkey, stuffing, kilted sausages (aka pigs in blankets)… that’s all i eat. my family also eat breads and various sauces, such as cranberry but i consider it enough of a challenge to my tummy to manage what’s on my plate to begin with haha!
do you have any christmas traditions?
the whole family has to help decorate the tree. and join in singing christmas songs when ever they are started… usually started by yours truly! oh and baking christmas biscuits together leading up to the 25th annnd all helping mum/my aunt make christmas dinner. we had more when my brother and i were young though. we would put a carrot, a glass of milk and some biscuits we’d made on the kitchen table for father christmas and his reindeer to enjoy. AND WHEN WE WOKE UP, HALF THE CARROT WOULD ALWAYS BE ON ONE OF THE CAR ROOFS!! i know. how magical. that clumsy reindeer!
what are your favourite christmas songs?
i sing each of them loudly! but my all time favourites are silent night (any version) and mariah carey’s ‘all i want for christmas… is yooooooooooooooooou ooooh ooooh baybayyyyy’.
what is the best christmas present you have ever received?
ooh. erm. i have clearly been very spoilt as one thing in particular isn’t jumping out at me! i suppose i have always just been grateful for each gift i’ve received, i’ve been very fortunate to have a mum (and the wonderful extended family inc. nana, pop, aunt, uncle, cousins etc) who always gave 150% for my brother and i at christmas. we had a child’s dream world each christmas :). thanks mum <3.
omg wait. scratch the ‘nothing is jumping out at me’ part. barbie’s pink beetle. she was pimpin’ that year.
do you prefer a real or fake christmas tree?
real. real. real. real. real. real. real. real. real… repeat. nothing beats a real christmas tree! sure, artificial ones are often fuller than real trees. but. the real trees have that smell, and i love buying one each year - it’s a tradition :).
what is your favourite christmas colour?
i love classic christmas colours. so reds, greens, whites and golds. done.
on christmas day, do you like to stay in your pjs or dress up?
i stay in my pyjamas while opening presents, then i get reallyyyy dressed up. it’s a fancy outfit day in my house :). we all put lovely new clothes on and use all our new beauty products etc. loooove it.
do you open your presents christmas eve or christmas morning?
i know other countries open them on christmas eve as is their tradition… however, father christmas hasn’t been then! so i open them on christmas morning!
what is your favourite christmas smell?
chwistmas tweeeee smell. and the gravy for christmas dinner. oh the gravy. oh and clementines. they’re in season at christmas time in england so most people get one in their stocking :).
what is your favourite christmas drink?
baileyssss, with lots of ice. my family don’t drink too much on christmas day (unlike other familys so i hear!), but we do have some baileys and bubbles, as you do!
do you prefer candy canes or ginerbread men?
gingerbread men! candy canes are an american thing… no one particularly eats them over here. they’re very sticky and too hard. i love them as decorations though!
what is the weirdest gift you have ever received?
ummmm. someone gave me a colouring set when i was 16. i mean, what is that about?! thanks mum. lmao.
have you ever made a snowman?
YES! it’s compulsory when there’s snow!
what is top of your wish list this christmas?
nothing in particular. my birthday is 30th november, so i usually get most things i really wanted that day. i just like surprises on christmas, anything thoughtful will give me a smile :).
what is most important to you about christmas?
famiiiiiiiiily. surely that is the answer for everyone? i hope it is. of course christmas is very much so about gifts these days, but i honestly prefer quality time with my family over any presents. my favourite part of the day is cuddling up to them all and falling asleep haha, oh and a fiesty game of pit. i’ve linked the game so those who don’t know can see what it is. it’s unbelievably good. buy it, it’s so cheap!
(Source: kategillian)
i woke up on 30th november to lots of cute birthday decorations :)
and flowers
and new make up palettes
so of course i had to be a camera whore ;)
we went to the trafford centre for lunch and plenty of shopping!
i decided to bake my own birthday cake. it was mammoth.
i made deeeelicious chocolate chip pancakes :)
paul ran the charity santa dash!
my favourite flowers bloomed <3
marley cuddled up to us all like a baby :)
i paid a stupid amount of money for a box of lucky charms… mmmmm
the weather has poured down recently… many, many times
mummy and i went christmas tree shopping :D! and decided to pick a 7 footer that we couldn’t carry ourselves. smart move.
foodgasm.
our first christmas tree in the new house :). the bottom left ornament was handmade by my late uncle, r.i.p. <3
i found mum’s stash of christmas gifts..
i’ve spent most of my days studying in the library until dark
it snowed!!
and it was verrrrrry cold.
charl came home from uni and we spent the night chatting over a bottle of wine. and listened to plenty of cheesy music… there may have been some justin bieber dancing too ;) hahaha.
(Source: kategillian)
1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be painful. Remember that before you get me.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me- it is crucial to my well being.
4. Do not be angry at me for long, and do not lock me up as punishment.
5. You have your work, your entertainment,and your friends. I only have you.
6. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don’t understands your words, I understand your voice when it is speaking to me.
7. Be aware that how ever you treat me, I will never forget.
8. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that could easily hurt you, but I choose not to bite you because I love you.
9. Before you scold me for being uncooperative,obstinate,or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I might not be getting the right food, or I have been out to long, or my heart is getting to old and weak.
10. Take care of me when I get old; you too will grow old. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say: “I cannot bear to watch” or “Let it happen in my absence.” Everything is easier for me if you are there, even my death. Remember that I love you.
aww this melted my heart <3. i hate when people mistreat their animals so i had to share this in the hope people will remember it. the photo is of my dog, marley.
(Source: kategillian)
everything about mid-late december is so special. the lights, the trees, the baubles, picking the perfect presents for others, wrapping gifts with such precision people would think you had ocd~, cheeky nibbles that have no fat or calories because it’s christmas, an endless stream of festive films, cooking and baking with the family… and most of all, spending lots of quality time with those you love
:) <3
(Source: kategillian)
~ this recipe is very easy to adjust depending on the amount of people you’re cooking for. therefore, i haven’t added the weight needed for turkey and rice. you can adjust the quantity of eggs too ~
ingredients
*turkey breasts
*spring onions
*egg white
*egg
*salt
*soy sauce
*mustard
*ketchup
*pepper
*vinegar
*oil
method
*dice your turkey breasts, coat with egg white (rub with fingers) and fry in oil until lightly golden.
*while these are frying, finely chop the spring onions in preparation for later.
*create your sauce when the turkey is nearly ready. in a separate (large) bowl, mix mustard, ketchup, pepper and a touch of vinegar for a stir fry sauce.
*once turkey is ready, pour into your bowl of sauce - ensure all the oil does not follow the meat. stir turkey and sauce together and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
*while waiting, weigh the amount of rice you need and fill the kettle.
*approximately 10 minutes before your turkey will have marinated completely, begin cooking rice.
*when rice is almost done, scramble an egg in a separate pan. add your spring onions.
*once rice is cooked, add to pan of egg and spring onion. stir together well.
*pour turkey and sauce back into the pan used to cook meat from earlier to reheat for a couple of minutes.
*time to serve!
*spoon rice on to one half of plate and place turkey mixture on to the other side. now you’re done, enjoy!
(Source: kategillian)
recently i’ve been doing lots of shopping and going out for lunch with friends / paul! perfect life :).
i bought all of the mac and elizabeth arden products for myself as a naughty treat… baby, if it’s wrong, i don’t want to be right. but most of the other products bought have either been for me as presents from paul.. he knows i am very particular with what i will use and wear so he prefers for me to pick something he knows i will love. it’s a shame it takes the surprise element out of gifts on the whole but he does pop in a couple of gifts i’m unaware of which is always very sweet. the other items have all been things i’ve bought as christmas gifts for paul, my friends and family! i love buying presents for people, my bank balance doesn’t love it so much though it has to be said!
(Source: kategillian)
