First time boarder: lessons learnt safety gear and what to take!

I remember my first lessons on the mountain. I remember the bruises and aches as I crawled into bed that first night. How tricky it was to sleep and how uncomfortable I felt.

I thought that if anyone was going snowboarding for the first time they may want to have a list of items that will get them through their first snowboarding holiday this may be a list you haven’t thought about. Somethings you don’t need but some are essential.

This is just for beginners but let me know if I have forgotten anything!

Safety first

helmet
Goggles
Knee pads
Wrist armour
Back armour
Sunscreen
Lip care
Water
Boarding socks

Helmet

You can hire these so there is absolutely no excuse. I am saying it

“Only fools learn to snowboard without a helmet”

All it takes is a tap to the head to knock you out or worse. I will never forget the time I had to go straight down this long slope so I didn’t have to walk it. I was flying on this flat I was so excited. Then my board clipped and edge and I fell badly smacking my head.

There is video footage to prove it.

Gav heard the crack from where he was and was worried. My helmet saved my life that day.

Just because you see experienced boarders without helmets doesn’t mean you should follow suit.

Goggles

This is an absolute necessary. You have no idea how bright it can be up there and no sunglasses do not cut it. If you fall and you will goggles stay attached to your face sunglasses don’t and worse the arm of your glasses can poke you in the eye!

Snow blindness is a real thing and it’s all about the sun reflecting in the perfect white snow! You burn your corneas and have conjunctivitis like results.

Buy goggles. For the same price as a few beers you can protect your eyes.

Knee pads

Not essential but if you want to avoid bruised knees they I would suggest you buy them!

On my secondary of boarding we had to use a drag lifts. Ski resorts are bolt for skiers not boarders.

Drag lifts suck.

I was thrown down the bottom of the slope multiple times my knees were so sore. When I went down the mountain to eat lunch I skied Gav to check my knees and they were sore. He peeled back my leggings to discover blackened purple bleeding knees. We went straight out and bought some pads.

You spend a lot of time on your knees so even a cheap pair of knee pads is going to save you some bruising.

Hopefully you won’t need an ambulance with your name on it!

Wrist armour

The most common injury in snowboarding is a wrist fracture or break.

Sadly I know

Gav always made me wear wrist armour except one day I forgot to put it on. Slipped on a flat and broke my wrist.

After the cast came off I had to sleep with a wrist armour support for three weeks. Now my gloves have inbuilt wrist armour in them so I never forget to go out without them.

Wear wrist armour.

Back armour

After all my breaks and injuries I invested in back armour. I haven’t ever really hurt my back that often but still it’s a great piece of protection to invest in. This is definitely not an essential but it is important.

Bum armour

I sound like a night. The main things you rely on when you fall are your wrists to break your fall. Your knees if you fall forward and you bum if you fall back. Again this is not essential but if you want to feel super safe then treat yourself to some bum armour.

Sunscreen

Like goggles, you need to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. Yes I have had sunburn on the mountain and it’s not like sunburn at a lower altitude. This shit goes deep in your skin and takes longer to heal. So wear a high factor even if it’s overcast.

Sunscreen is cheap there are no excuses.

Lipcare and water

Only parts of your face will be exposed to the elements and you need to look after them. Ideally buy a lip balm that also have a uv factor in it.

You will need it or end up with dry cracked lips.

Keep a bottle of water on you. Snowboarding is an intensive workout especially if you are just starting out. You sweat a lot especially if it is really cold or really hot. Hydration is key do a good experience.

Socks

Are socks a safety item. Maybe not but your comfort is. Never think that two pairs of thin socks are as good as snowboarding socks. Just as your boots need to fit you properly if your socks are too thick or two thin you are going to have issues.

I mean toenails falling off issues!

So wear the right socks!

Round up

All your gear needs to fit you properly. Your comfort is key. Snowboarding gear in general is comfortable, warm and roomy. But it’s what’s underneath that matters.

Vanity on the mountain will get you hurt or killed.

So be smart, wear the right gear. I have picked most of mine up in TK Max for the fraction of the price. People sell there gear on eBay etc. I have only had to buy knee pads at the ski resort and a crappy pair of knee pads set me back £30. I could have got better ones at home and have since upgraded to my Dainese ones.

My point is being safe on the mountain is key to having an enjoyable time. It’s doesn’t have to cost a lot to be safe. Lessons are essential but most importantly if you are a beginner stick to the tracks!

They are there for a reason.

Keep your phone on you fully charged. As a beginner you should never board alone! Reception on the mountain in Europe is normally great! If you get into trouble you can call for help.

Snowboarding is fun, enjoy it!

Please let me know if I have missed anything off.

Wedding Catch Up

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It’s been a busy weeklife wise. So, todays blog will just be a quick catch up on what’s beenhappening with the wedding planning and other bits. We go on holiday for a weekto Bulgaria so if you follow me on Instagram you may get a little bored of thepictures.

Bits I have completed

Booked hair and makeup trial
Sourced napkins
Bought some wedding shoes
Bought my niece a flower girl dress
May have-found bridesmaids dress after all
Fix my pompom gloves
Snowboarding holiday

Invites haven’t been finished which is naughty as I wanted to post them out at the end of the month.I still may be able to but I need to pull my finger our and get on with it. I have some other paper crafting bits that at first, I thought I would cut it myself but being frugal doesn’t always mean DIY. Sometimes it is cheaper and looks better to outsource. I am looking at Printed.com to get me nice results but we will see.

Napkins

The plan is that I dye my napkins by hand. I-am getting the Danette’s involved in this one and as I don’t have a real lawn, Iwill have to cover the whole thing in dust sheets so it doesn’t get dyed. Gavin will kill me. Charlotte went on the hunt for real linen napkins for me so wehave the wonderful task of dying 140 napkins So far she has sourced 85. I have already bought the dye this is going to look lovely on the tables.

Yay, I am waiting for a warmer day we can do-this.

I did look at hiring linens but because I am cutting the table runners, I thought it made sense to make or dye the napkins to suit our theme. It also worked out that for me andmy friends spending an afternoon changing them far cheaper than hiring. They can-always be cleaned, bundled up and resold after. Plus we can keep a set forever.

I have ordered a lot more wedding bunting which my friend is picking up on her trip home which is great. My friends all over are sourcing some large vintage flags for me.

When everyone asked me-if I needed help. I wasn’t shy and asked people to get things for me.

Wedding shoes

I found some lovely green shoes that I like but they are a little plain. So Jess one of my Danettes is adding a bit of sparkle to my green shoes. She is a master at transforming shoes ( it is her job) but she also has a real love for it. I can’t wait to see the end result. It also means that I can take the pressure of myself to find the perfect Designer shoe. I am still looking but my back up pair are going tobe amazing.

Snow boarding holiday

We are off on holiday this month to the beautiful Bulgaria. I have never been but I am so excited to go. I always have a few jobs to do before. Like sewing up my Primark gloves that unravelled 30 seconds after I put them on.

You get what you pay for!

It took me less than 5 minutes to fix them and I love the colour!

So the rest of the week was all about packing washing and cleaning. I have made a master list and have enjoyed ticking it off. Yes my bullet journal will be coming with me because I need to make more lists!

To do this month

Send invites to printers
Book legal bit
Book lunch on legal bit
Order rest of table clothes
Get fit
Secure band
Enjoy my holiday

Time is running out next month it will just be 5 months till we are Husband and Wife and I can wait. Yes I typed that write I can wait. I need more time. he he. I cant wait to be his wife I just hope I can achieve everything. Sorry it was a little short but next Wednesday one is already much longer!

I hope you all have alovely week.

Carving out a little space for me: home organising renovation

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We creatives need space

Carving out a space that is all yours is so important. We are lucky our house has three bedrooms. Gav is a contractor so needs his office, he also paints Warhammer soldiers and plays a lot of computer games so his office is his world really.

He loves it.

I didn’t begrudge him because when I do my illustrations I normally just paint in the front room. Put this is getting too much. Marie kondo or just logical thinking means that this is wrong. Everything should be in it own place.

Everything should stay in its home.

So maybe its time for me to carve out a creative place for myself.

I had an idea to turn my spare bedroom into a creative place. I had a clear vision of shelves and my school desk as it has storage. We bought a grey sofa bed which is huge but suits the room.

When we first moved in I wanted to go crazy in the room. But when you have a space that is yours it hard to decide what you actually want. Gav gave me free reign so I went to the paint shop certain that I was going to paint the fire place a lovely lemon.

Yeah that didn’t happen.

Gav initially wanted this as his games room so we now have a large tv over the fire place. It may have to go but that is another conversation.

This fireplace is the absolute prettiest fireplace. We are lucky we have four original fire places in our home.

I have been having a bit of a clear out- plastic bin bags in toe. I started by removing all art materials from the bedroom. There is a lot. I have a drawer just for watercolour. I have papers stashed all over the house and pens and pencils everywhere. But can we ever find a pen.

Nope.

Adios mess

Because I am so dysfunctional, I love to organise but no system is ever right mainly because I don’t follow through with it. And it is all about the follow through and maintaining rather than the first burst of effort.

So I have been through. Art books are banished from the bedroom, when I am done all we will have will be clothes and bedding. And a few bedside books. Everything else needs to adios back to its rightful place.

Organising and routines

We all have our routines. What we like to do in the morning.

Me I am a shower, skincare, dress, walk the dog, out the door type of person. Rather than a leisurely get up get ready (that’s what Sundays are for) I prefer to eat at work (my sometimes breakfast) because I am not hungry first thing.

Gav is the opposite. He loves to relax in the mornings.

So I need to organise top to bottom in my small but very full house. Also we are buying lots of bits for the wedding and rather than forget about them it will be best to store them in the attic till needed. I have a cute a5 clip board with whats up there on it!

I know I am the biggest looser.

A space that’s all mine

So having a space for myself is ideal.

When I painted the fireplace I realised that the walls were cream and above the picture rail was white. Grrr.

Gav thinks cream is fine. I find it too fussy so I painted the wall by the window white. It’s a fairly dark room and need more light!

I bought my shelves from Funky Chunky Furniture, they are great and send you samples so you can match the wood. They are floating shelves so no brackets. If you have a Victorian house you will know that sometimes the wall aren’t straight. So I chose a slightly smaller shelf so they really float.

My father in Law and brother in law ( to be) put them up for me. They are heavy and awkward but gorgeous now that they are up! I love them. They match the picture rail woodwork.

I wanted them high enough so I can put my items that inspire me as well as my brushes and non lightfast bits. Everything means something to me. I have a few wooden crates that I will put my art materials in them away for the light.

Plant babies

This is a dark room but it is also the warmest! So we need to be careful with the plants and paints.

I have three plants in here. A money plant that I have propagated ( this is my 3rd one from the same plant yay) a Venus flytrap that is on her last legs… I think she can live for a few more weeks so I thought a warmer room with more sunlight may chest her up!

I love my plants.

Then I have my cactus, I bought it I the next sale a year ago for 50p I bought 15 and 7 survived, this is 6/7 he is a very sturdy happy plant who has been in the dark a while and seems to like it in this shady corner. Gav bought me this science plant jar and 6/7 loves it! Perfect amount of draining for him too!

Results

So this is my space a place just for me. Frank and Manhattan with occasionally join me in this room but it is make just for me. I need to paint the rest of the walls and get some more storage for my art materials so this place works for me.

Everything I love deserves it’s own home. I am so glad I started this project I just need to buy a new chair and start using it.

It is so therapeutic to clean and organise and be slightly less dysfunctional!

I hope you enjoyed. Here is the room before we owned the house!

Thank you for reading.

Bridesmaid Sucks: wedding eye rolling

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The role of the bridesmaid is to help you get to your big day. The history of bridesmaids just sucks… single maids who hope to be next.

This does not fit into my life.

It’s doesn’t fit in to modern life.

I want to be surrounded by people I love and they have actually crept up by one. I couldn’t resist.

The name brides maids gives me the ick. Groomsmen sounds cool, equestrian and very traditional. They also get to be stags whilst we get to be nagging clucking hens.

I am a feminist. So is my brother, my husband to be and my father. They all know and think that I am their equal, they have no issue with it.

Nor should anyone.

They do role my eyes when I talk about names, titles and derogatory terms.

I may bring it up more than necessary.

But to me it is necessary.

I don’t want to be a friggin chicken my friend ( hen do) I wouldn’t mind be a doe, to match my stag but seriously! Even that sounds a bit to wimpy.

Am I too much not to want to call my friends and family maids?

I am not really onboard with bride party or team bride, posy , it just doesn’t work for me. So I talked to the girls about it and they suggested the Danettes.

And I like it!

It’s sounds vintage but not antiquated.

Plus they chose it which I love. So they will be referred to from now on as the Danettes. If you google Danettes it does come up with a European chocolate pudding which I think is funny.

So I have 6 lovely ladies standing by my side.

So bridesmaids suck, but the Danettes rock!

What does a girl with big curly hair pack for a trip: Skincare and grooming products

Beauty, Make Up, Organising, Planning, Travel, Uncategorised

I thought I would share with you what this curly hair girl packs for a trip. Now a few years ago my grooming products would have been Boots curly cream, sunscreen, after sun, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Now my skincare and grooming products now take up a shelf in my bathroom Gav calls them my Potions.

I basically transformed from a bathroom minimalist to having products overload.

This is all preparation for my wedding day and also just because I need to take care of myself in general.

So what am I packing for a long trip?

Protective Skincare

Sunscreen

So this is the most important section well that and my hair care. I have thick curly hair that can drink all the moisture in the air and treble in size. My skin is pale (thanks mum) so I like to have different protection levels of sunscreen. So, I have factor 20, 30 and a 50! For my body I wear what ever is on offer but when it come to my face I wear La Roche Posay Anthelios XL ultra light fluid SPF 50+. Light on your skin and super protective.

The Seychelles can reach high temperatures: that breezy coastal air and sometime cloudy skies can be misleading. Reflections from the water mean the sun can get to you from every angle.

You need to top up all the time.

Never miss the back of your neck and the back of you hands.

Aftersun

I like to use this every night even if I don’t get burnt. It sooths my skin moisturises and this also has mosquito repellent in it so I don’t have to smell horrible when I sleep.

Mozzy spray is key to surviving the tropics. I am not taking perfume because there is no point. I hate putting chemicals into the air however none of the natural remedies work.

I have tried tea tree oil, bracelet you name it.

I was eaten alive.

Now I can handle a few mosquito bites but my body doesn’t like them. I get huge egg size lumps on them. I hate mosquitoes, but scratching drives me mad.

My Skincare Routine, with Manhattan 11.

Skincare

Day

Even though this looks like a lot of products it really isn’t. I have my cleanser and toner are both Elemis, Lovely and light on y skin. I will use them morning and night. I also have The Ordinary’s Rosehip oil which is good for soothing the skin and Matryxal which is great for wrinkles and pore shrinking abilities ( I am a convert). Tata Harper diamond moisturiser that is very light and smells like heaven. I have a small travel size rose exfoliator from Elemis which is my favourite. When my skin is ready for makeup I used la Roche Posey tinted SPF 50 which I love.

Night

For night I have my Elemis night cream which makes my skin sing with pure happiness. Burt’s Bees for my lips. Sunday Riley’s Luna for a night time treatment. Decleor’s Balm oil again for a soothing treatment. Elizabeth Arden anti ageing serum which I am saving to buy the bigger one. This stuff is ridiculously good with a ridiculous price to match.

Hair Care for Curly Hair

May as well get a gripe off my chest. If you have slightly wavy hair you do not have curly hair. I hate it on adverts when they get a model with beautiful perfect curls, call it frizzy and then straighten them. Curly hair is not the same as frizzy hair. Because if there is moisture in the air my hair will absorb it and become frizzy hair.

The different between silky wavy hair and curly hair is when you wake up in the morning you may have slightly fluffier hair. My curls have matted and felted together to create what ever shape my pillow has moulded them in. Unless I sleep on my face my hair needs to be washed or at least conditioned everyday or it looks like crap.

If you think I look like sideshow Bob before I go to bed you should see me in the morning.

My curls are full on curls. I love them but they are a nightmare. My fair is dry, frizzy, curly and prone to itchy flaky scalp. Very sexy.

This summer I have had a lot of good hair days.

I have battled with my curls my whole life and now we are in a good place. I now brush them in the shower (Controversial I know).

I have just discovered Body Shops Ginger Shampoo which smells like heaven and looks after my scalp. I may be able to start wearing dark colours regularly. I am using Muai conditioner which is hydrating for my curls. I just keep it away from my scalp.

Then I use Boots Curl Cream which is the best thing for my curls. And a comb.

Shower and grooming

Shower gel I will use whatever is at my dad’s house I am not fussy. But I have a got an exfoliating glove to help get rid of all the dry skin.

Venus travel razor is beyond cute and super sharp blades.

Hair grips and bobbles. I keep my hair grips in a large tic-tac box. I saw this hack on Pinterest and it is the only hack that has ever really worked for me.

I am also packing my foot cream and pumice stone. Having your feet exposed all day in the heat or soaked in sea water can lead to super dry feet. Lets face it no matter how small you feet are they are never perfect.

Make Up

I don’t wear a lot of make up at all. I generally don’t wear anything heavier than a tinted moisturiser. My makeup bag generally holds about 10 items but what I am taking on holiday is:

Pretty pink Lancome blusher
Blusher brush
Lancome mascara which is lovely and holds a curl
Eyeliner is L’Oreal one which helps me create a cat eye look
Elizabeth Arden eyebrow pencil
Lano lips moisturiser
Lancome pink

I am sorry if that was slightly boring. But when it comes to blogs I am really nosy. I like details and lists and just generally finding out what people pack. I find that they sometimes don’t give me enough information. Having big curly hair means that in the tropics I can sometimes end up looking like Monica From Friends . We all know the hair, yup that’s me.

So if you want information please let me know!

That it from me.

Enjoy your holidays and let me know what you pack. When it comes to shopping for products I tend to shop around to find the best price. I am not loyal to one particular shop. So this is what a girl with big curly hair pack for a trip: Skincare and grooming products hope you liked it.

Dana

For Elemis

For Lancome

For La Roche Posay

Madrid and Engagement ring shopping

Advice, Personal Experience, Planning, Travel, Uncategorised, Wedding

I honestly thought this would be easy, I mean it is shopping for my engagement ring?

I kind of knew what I wanted, something vintage or unique? I thought I would love shopping for jewellery, I didn’t expect it to be filled with pressure.

Having to pick a piece of jewellery that sits on your finger forever is hard.

With every ring I tried on I felt the price tag and the weight of my decision.

I have a new respect for partners choosing the ring. This isn’t my favourite necklace or bracelet. This is something that will stay on my finger permanently. And with that come a massive amount of pressure to get it right, so I will be happy forever, without regrets.
When Gavin asked me to marry him, those words were all that mattered but still.

I would like a nice ring on my finger at the same time.

We won a competition to Madrid through Brockman’s gin, see being a gin drinker really pays off! So we decided when we were there we would do a bit of ring shopping. Madrid has a lot of emeralds and I knew I wanted a green stone.

The first ring I tried on was a beautiful emerald cut emerald with two diamonds at the side on a gold band. It was expensive and beautiful and when I looked at it, it really wasn’t me. I felt strange knowing that this expensive ring wasn’t me and Gavin looking at me with his big beautiful eyes.

He just wanted for me to be happy and a drink.

We were in glorious Spain.

Engagement shopping in Madrid this was google maps helpful reminder

We all wanted a drink!

This continued in about five shops, the green was too green. The gold was two yellow.
Then we found a street filled with antiques… oh if I had a bigger suitcase!

I doubted my decision and my preference. We walked a minimum of 16000 steps a day. This was broken up with wine cheese and a bit of site seeing so I am not complaining. I really fell in love with Madrid a little bit.

We eventually found a gorgeous 1920 diamond ring. It fit perfectly. Was an unusual shape but I just wasn’t sure?

I couldn’t commit to it.

We were in Madrid not in London and leaving the next day it was not as though I had a lot of time to think about it.

I felt pressured to make a big decision

At first, I was grateful that I got to choose but then it started getting stressful and I started resenting the options out there.

So, I had a think.

Looking around shops was getting crazy.

We had eaten a lot of churros!

My plastic ring was broken due to its fragility.
If you havent read about my proposal please find it here Gav bought me a replacement in Sainsburys for £6. Yes, it turned my finger green, then black but after that it was fine. It was simple and pretty and I had lots of complements on my sparkling £6 ring.

Finding the real thing was proving tricky and stressful. I couldn’t commit to what I wanted.

I now admire men who go out and see the perfect ring for their partner and buy it. There is a reason that so may people just like a diamond solitaire.

It is simple and elegant.

Green is my favourite colour so I knew I wanted green stone. We have a running joke that my favourite colour is purple when it is green, Gav constantly tells me it is purple. So, when I was looking at stones I came across a green amethyst. It suits us! It should be purple but it is green.

I have a Pinterest board called hint, hint Gavin. Filled with pale green rings on white gold.

So, we planned a trip into London’s Hatton Garden.

I popped into a shop in Romford and they had some nice stones in the window. I had a two-minute chat with the girl who was working there and was told to come back when the manager was back at the weekend.

We were busy that weekend so didn’t come back for two weeks. Hatton Garden was waylaid due to birthdays and parties that kept getting in the way. I took Gav with me and as we approached the window there it was. A pale green cushion cut amethyst with a white gold band and little diamonds on the side.
She had got it.
It was perfect.
How was it possible. It even fit me. They had made it so easy, I thought it was going to take forever. She had even found me some matching earrings and a pendant. The woman was a genius!
And that its.
A two-minute chat and a lady who knows what she is doing and I have my beautiful engagement ring.

My Green Amethyst Engagement Ring

It’s probably not your cup of tea.

I love that it is not traditional. This little beauty is going to sit on my finger for the rest of my life. It wasn’t lovingly selected by my fiancé but we did pick it together.

Finding it was a journey, in a stressful first world problem kind of way. Our trip to Madrid was heavenly, I have never felt so at home in a place I have never been to before. So although we didn’t find my ring there it we cant wait to go back. I did start to think that my £6 ring was in it for the long haul.

But nope, here is my ring. In all its simple elegance.
Now to find the band!!!
Dana

Heartbreak, Hero’s and Wedding Plans

Advice, Personal Experience, Travel, Uncategorised, Wedding

When we got engaged everyone said “you wait for the drama and family issues”. A wedding really does bring out heartbreak but it also shines a light on the hero’s in our lives. I smiled politely at them, I thought we would be okay with our wedding planning. Although both our parents aren’t together now I still didn’t see any drama coming.

But then I caused it.

My brother’s wedding

My sister’s birthday is in July. She will be turning 40 so it is a big one. Two years ago, we decided we would all fly out to see her and celebrate it together in New Zealand. Then a year to the date came up she suggested that she came over, instead of all of us going out to see her.

All of us were grateful that we didn’t have to travel for such a long way for two weeks, plus the money we would save. It was perfect.

Then we got engaged

My sister was over the moon- she couldn’t believe it and was super happy when we said it wouldn’t be for another 18 months as my family are spread all over the globe.

Me and Vicky in Mahe, Seychelles

Payet’s love to travel

My sister is going to be one of my bridesmaids. Not because we are related but because she is my friend, she means so much to me.

When my ex told me he no longer loved me after I moved out to Australia to begin our new life, it was my sister who booked my flight out to New Zealand 4 days later so I didn’t have to face him. I stayed a month with her moping around the house, crying in my pillow, using up her phone bill to text him. She just let me go through the motions. She booked my hair cut so I could chop off my hair (the most therapeutic way of getting over heart break). Considering how devastated I was, I had a really great time. We had so much fun watching Harry Potter on the couch. Reminiscing about British Christmas and that Lamb is not the same as roast turkey.

First cut is the deepest, but my sister stood next to me with a giant plaster

A month later I had to face my ex and get my stuff sorted to send back to London. We tried and we failed. As I had absolutely nothing to go back for, no Job and no home. I decided to visit my Dad in the Seychelles and my mum in France. It took me two months to get back to London but I didn’t have any jet lag. I tried to look for the silver lining. The plane stopped off in Thailand.

5 days all by myself.

I was heartbroken and stuck in the hotel. Not wanting to spend my money because I needed it when I got home. The first day I barely left my room but I was getting so bored. All I could think was that if anything happened to me here no one would know. I was scared to leave the hotel. So I listened to the voice in my head saying come on Dans you can do this. It was my sisters voice telling me not to be afraid. Telling me I could do this, just go for a walk around the block. Explore, be brave and take advantage of the situation. Off I hopped into an illegal cab and did some exploring.

My sister is often the encouraging voice in my head.

Me and Vicky wearing Gryffindor when I am actually Hufflepuff

She is my hero

And my life moved onwards and definitely upwards.

Then I got engaged.

So when she facetimed my to let me know she couldn’t come over for her birthday it felt like a stab in my heart. I felt a lump rise in my throat and the guilt was overwhelming, I couldn’t look at her. She just stared at me as my eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t see and I couldn’t face her.

I wouldn’t see my sister this year because of my wedding.

She would be alone (not really, she has a family out in New Zealand) but without us.

And because she was coming over no one had saved enough……….

Gavin called me. My sister had called him to ask if I was okay (she wasn’t getting her birthday but she was worried about me) I cried down the phone to him in hysterics. I called our wedding stupid on numerous occasions. My brother helped me calm down (also a good voice of reason) I hadn’t seen her in 3 years. My niece and nephew are proper people now not just little ones.

3 hero’s here, my bro Sister and Dad

I called my mum so she could tell Vicky how I was feeling. But I still couldn’t face her.

After a while we started calling again. I was saving for a wedding and she understood but the guilt didn’t go away. My bestie suggested I fly out to see her but Gav said we really can’t afford it. He said that my sister didn’t mind and that I shouldn’t either.

I am not going to New Zealand.

My dad suggested that Vicky take the kids to Seychelles and she agreed. Cocktails, sunshine and family: perfect.

Decisions

I didn’t have the time off so I couldn’t go.

I didn’t have money to spare so I couldn’t afford the flight.

I was already going to France for two weeks to see my mum it is her 60^th! I also didn’t have the holiday.

So, I booked my flight to Seychelles stopping at Paris on the way back for my mums birthday.

Screw it, I will just have to Ebay all my clothes.

I can’t wait.

My sister has already filled my suitcase with harry potter cushions and clothes for the kids. Thank you, Emirates, and your 30kilo allowance.

We are going to visit all our favourite places. Dad is going to cook us our favourite meals. We are going to drink ice cold Seybrew on the beach and drink gin all night long.

So we do have family issues, I am sure there will be more to come. But right now, family is more important than my bank balance.

This one is to all the hero’s in my life.

In this blog I mentioned a lot of them.

Dana