HOUSE: Crockery obsession ....

So I may have a slight obsession with crockery ... If you look back at my previous post about adding a homey touch you will know that I like picking up unique pieces of crockery to add to my collection that I can mix and match when I feel like it. Here are my latest pieces ....

My top 7 goals for 2015....

My goals for 2015 ... 2014 was a pretty big year for us, we got married and bought our first house so 2015 has a lot to live up to. Instead of setting unrealistic or immeasurable resolutions I have decided to set my self a few small goals that I can actually achieve and measure the results. Once I have completed them I can set some more and keep growing through the year instead of wading towards a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Visit family more.

As I noted in my round up of 2014 my first goal is to see my family more. This year I am really going to make it a priority to go across and visit my family when we go down to Surrey in the summer. 

Improve my cardio.

I spent a lot of time at the gym last year but due to shift changes we have had to cancel our membership so I am going to invest in a workout DVD for now then get the weights out in the garden when the weather improves. My cardio is very bad and I am not a fan of running so I am going to try some different bits to up my cardio. 

The year in review ... 2014!

2014

New year is a time for reflection so I have been having a think about my 2014 experience. It has been an amazing year and will be a pretty hard one to top to be fair. 

January

We kickstarted the new year as we meant go on by attending our good friends wedding at Durham Castle, it was a wonderful day and the bride was simply stunning. January was also quite special for me as I reconnected with a good friend … life is too short to loose good friends.

February & March

February was quite quiet, we were continuing with the wedding planning and hitting the gym hard! March was pretty much the same as February, there was a lot of time at the gym as we hit 6 weeks to the wedding. I went for my wedding hair trial with my cousin … only took 102 hair grips hehe mum was also well underway with the alterations to my dress.

Beast mode at the gym

102!!

HOUSE: New House = DIY = Just call me Kirsty ...

As you may have read in a few of my older posts me and the Hubby recently bought a new house and with that we have been able to start decorating and really making this little nest our own. This has lead to quite a bit of DIY and refurbishment, hence my title of just call me Kirsty.

This has been a frequent sight for us recently. 

Allsop that is. If you are not familiar with her she is sort of interior designer who does a few different shows on telly. Some of the bits are a bit too adventurous but she has some really handy tips for making your house into a real home by adding your own stamp. We have really embraced this idea by customising some of our existing furniture and and adding some new bit and pieces as we find them.

I have documented most of our progress on Instagram but I thought I would do a post (or two) about some of the bits so I can go into a bit more detail.

Here is our pretty girl taken from the garden. 

Tea!!! ... I love a pot of tea ...

If you have had the good fortune to meet me in person and visit my house you will know that I am a big fan of tea. There is nothing more soothing then curling up with a nice warm cup of tea.

I think its a family thing, my whole family loves tea, if you visit my aunts house she will offer you a second cup before you are half way down your first!! My mum always offers tea when we pop round or more accurately I will have been in the house for 10 minutes and will hear 'emma run and put the kettle on' hehe 

Then there are my friends who also enjoy a fine cup ... or several. If you visit A or Ns house you are offered a variety of teas from their cupboards usually an earl grey or lady grey. In contrast fiancé's friend L offers tea by the ever filling mug full, he's a big fan of tea after Uni and follows the same rule of thumb as my aunt ... if you are half way down a cup its time for another. 

Anyway I wanted to write up a little post about some of my favourite teas.

This is my current collection: 

PG tips was on offer so who can turn down a giant box - it will keep us going for a while an keep my work draw stocked. 

Peppermint - I discovered the joys of peppermint tea after I developed a bad stomach last year. My stomach would get really bloated and hurt after I ate, didn't know what was wrong but a pharmacist suggested  I try colpermin peppermint tablets, they contain pure peppermint oil which settles the stomach. I did a bit of research and discovered that mint has been used for years to settle bad stomachs and ease bloating, peppermint in particular is really good. So after that I bought some peppermint tea, this way I could take a little bit of peppermint throughout the day. 

Both the tablets and the tea really settled my stomach. Now I keep peppermint because a) its nice and b) its great if you are having a 'fat' day, it soothes my stomach and makes me feel normal again. 

Green tea and Green Tea with lemon - This was bought for the fiancé when he was still loosing weight as it helps to increase your metabolism. Green tea has been drank for centuries by the Chinese and has been found to help increase metabolism a bit like chilli. Its really nice if you want  a light tea for an afternoon or for with your lunch. Fiancé isn't a bit tea drinker and found it a bit sour so did a little reading and discovered that if you add a little lemon it gives a bit of a lighter taste. Hence why we also have green tea with lemon tea bags, stops him having to add lemon juice. 

Red berry - I got this one after trying some different fruit tea at the coffee stop next to fiancés training sessions. I wanted something fresh and light to drink but a bit fruity so picked up this red berry one from Tesco to try. I looked at some of the expensive brands but didn't want to shell out on tea bags to find they were too sour or sweet for me. This turns out to be really nice its fresh and fruity but not too strong that you feel like you are drinking warm Ribena hehe 

English breakfast - this is a fairly light standard tea which can be drank when ever you fancy it really. You can add milk or drink it black depending on how you feel. I find that some normal or breakfast teas can taste a bit bitter but this one is really nice with or without milk. Personally I don't take sugar, I used to take loads when I was little but slowly stopped taking it at all. All my immediate family are milk only even the fiancé and sisters partner, but that wasn't really their choice hehe the rest of us just forgot to put or offer any sugar to them. We offer guests sugar ... but family you have generally been making them tea so long that you just make up a load of cups and hand them out normal for everyone then black for my sister in law. So now neither of them take sugar either hehe probably a good thing as we generally don't have sugar in the flat, if you want any it has to be caster sugar out of the baking cupboard. 

Now for my Twinings  teas: 

Lady grey - this one I love either black or with a splash of lemon. Its a bit lighter then an Earl Grey so a good starter tea hehe if you feel like branching out from PG tips etc. I couldn't tell you how it tastes with milk as I only ever take it black. 

Mango & Strawberry - this is my latest tea addition I picked it up on offer in Tesco the other day. I wanted something similar to the red berry but with a bit more citrus so thought I would try this one. Its turned out really nice, fresh like the red berry but with a little something sweeter from the strawberry and a hint of tropical from the mango. 

I tend to drink my fruit teas a little cooler then other tea as I feel like you loose some of the flavour when they are very hot. Might just be my taste but if you find that you cant pick up the flavour very well leave it a few minutes. 

The last little gem hiding in my tea stores is the little balls in the baggie on the left. These were from my mum they are tea flowers. You might have seen them in some Asian restaurants, they are awesome. You out the little ball in the bottom of a large wine or other big clear glass then fill with warm water, the little ball opens up to reveal a flower which flavours your tea. I cannot wait to try them they look so pretty, this one is jasmine, I might even try it this weekend. I will be sure to write a post about it and no doubt will take loads of pics. 

So there you have it my little tea collection. I thought I would finish with a little pic of my other tea love .. tea pots. If I had more space I would have loads of tea pots you can get loads of really fun ones but always check the spout no use having a pot that pours terribly. 

LtoR - Nana's teapot older then me, Cow from my bro (ornamental as its got a broken spout :( ), Red spots from fiancé, Butterflies from fiancés parents. Can't have tea with out a milk cow then my tea spoon/tongs and teabag dish. 

As I have been typing I am sure that my mango & strawberry has gone cool so I will have to put some more in from the pot ... oh dear ... what a shame hehe 

Let me know what your favourite teas are and if you find any fun tea related things like the tea flowers. I hope this may have inspired you to try some new and different teas.

xXx

Durham ... a city steeped in history!

So I was talking with one of my friends last night and she asked how Durham was these days. See my friend, C, lives in LA. We met in Durham over 3 years ago and had many a fun filled lunch date or night out. Anyway during our chat C mentioned how she missed Durham and it got me to thinking how much myself and the fiancé had missed Durham last year when we were living in Leeds.

Image from http://www.dur.ac.uk/r.c.widdison/tour/peninsula.html#

It sounds strange because Durham is such a small city but there is just something about it. One of my favourite sights is when you come into Durham on the train and first see the Cathedral, sitting atop the peninsula with the streets sprawling out beneath it.  The minute I see the scene above I know I'm home!

How could you not feel a sense of awe looking at such a majestic building. The whole city is full of hidden treasures of history. You can walk down silver street or up saddler stree full of modern looking shops and restaurants and feel like you in any other small city but just take a look up above the store fronts and you will notice all the old brick work, vintage windows and just a general feel of the old city still thriving while modernity tries to adapt to fit. Take for example Jack Wills on saddler street, if you look up above their store front you will see a stain glass window which has been left in place and proclaims that this is the Robe Makes of Durham. The robe makers have actually moved onto north road but the window still remains. Oh and yes we still have a robe makers, this would be because whilst the Cathedral and Castle are the heart of the city, the University is its central nervous system.

This is another reason I love Durham, the collegiate atmosphere, some people might get annoyed at the students but I enjoy the atmosphere they can bring. The main difference I find between Durham and other Universities is that the buildings are melded with the city. I had matriculation and congregation in the Cathedral and lectures in one of the buildings on palace green, other colleges are hidden throughout the bailey and surrounding area. Aside from Castle and Hatfield the only way you can pick out college or subject buildings is by spotting the little gold plaques by the door. The students are a little easier to spot, look for the standard student attire or various college apparel but for the most part they harmless. A little spoilt but then hey if you go to London you have to wade though hordes or tourists so I wil take the spoilt students hehe 

Clockwise, Lecture rooms on Palace green, Cathedral Knocker,  Palace Green Library and the Market place Horse.

Another key feature of Durham is the market place. This has undergone a bit of an overhaul in the past few years but the overall feel is still the same. Yes the Horse has moved and is now facing the wrong way but hes still there. I cannot count the number of times I have uttered or heard someone utter the phrase, "so meet at the Horse yeah" it has always been a gathering place and before they put in seats one of the only places to sit and eat your lunch. There are two things the market place has lost that I do miss, the first is the cobbles, this is mainly for pure comedy value on a night out watching the female students stumble and fall whilst the rest of us walked over them easily having been doing so regularly since we were 16. The other is the phone boxes, there was a collection of them outside the pub, old red ones that really added something. Now the market place is more open and has been resurfaced. but it is still surrounded by the same old buildings keeping watch and it sill holds markets and fairs at various intervals. My favourite being the food fair with all its european treats and delicacies. 

There are still a few little treats you ca find up on palace green. Namely this old school phone box and vintage post box. Sometimes one of the best things to do in Durham is to just go for a walk. Me and the fiancé have done this on several occasions and in various types of weather. Our favourite route is to walk down from the back of the Cathedral over Prebends bridge and along the riverfront. Its hilarious in the snow and relaxing on a summer evening after a meal out. 

Looking at Framwellgate bridge and then the view of the footpath from Framwellgate bridge

Clockwise, lamp at the end of Prebends bridge, footpath below Framwellgate bridge, top of the steps from the path onto Framwellgate bridge and finally the end of Prebends bridge in the snow.

It is very hard to explain my love of this historic city, it was the first place I went on the bus to go shopping as a teenager, the first place I went drinking, where I graduated from for my Masters, the first place I lived with Fiancé and in May next year I will get married in another historic castle in County Durham, Lumley Castle, then it will be the first city I live in married to Fiancé. So many memories all linked to one small city nestled in the North of England. It may be cold, it may have many hills and it me be small and packed with people at times but I wouldn't change a thing about it for anything. 

Snowy pics of the Cathedral from the river bank and the Castle

My final pic to close this post is of me and C inside the Cathedral the summer we met. So many memories of good times with great friends in an amazing city. 

xXx