Our Hogmanay...

...in Edinburgh has so far looked like this:

Best wishes for 2010,

I hope yours is filled with light.

Love Wendy

xx

Christmas...

...was magical.

Heavy heavy snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day made my parent's garden look like Narnia:

My youngest neice and I took the opportunity to enjoy the snow:

As always, my parent's tree outshone my own:

I ate enough to see me through a prolonged hibernation.

I was spoiled rotten.

And, after buying my parents Mario Kart for Christmas, I got to enjoy their faces at trying to play it:

Definitely one of my favourite Christmas 2009 memories.

So sad it's all over, but we're enjoying the lull between Christmas and New Year. We need it to gear up for Hogmanay in Edinburgh - it's always a magical time (dare I say it - more magical than Christmas). We have lots of plans and things lined up to do and see in the run up to New Year - things that look like this.

xx

I Just Wanted To...

{source: weheartit.com}

...wish you all a very merry Christmas.

And to thank you for finding and stopping by my little corner of the internet this year. I love you all: my beautiful and insightful readers and friends.

I am currently inches deep in glistening snow, sitting by the light of the Christmas tree, surrounded by family, and so thankful for everything.

I hope all of your Christmas's are magical too.

xx

We Bought Ourselves...

{from weheartit.com}

...a joint Christmas present to each other.

We couldn't not, after seeing it.

We kind of blew our Christmas present budget, by just a little bit.

But it is the best present we could ever get each other.

What is it?

Well, boyfriend and I have just bought our very first house together!

I've never owned a home before, and boyfriend and I have always rented, so we are very excited to actually be owing our very own home.

The best bit is it has it's very own garden! I have wanted my own garden for nigh on ten years now. Having a garden means we can finally get the dog I've always wanted.

And while we love the flat we're in now, and our neighbourhood, it has never really felt like home. We never properly unpacked. Our landlord won't let us change the decor, the curtains, or put pictures on the wall (we even had to ask permission to hang a mirror above the bathroom sink). In fact in our last few flats we've lived in we haven't been allowed to do any of those things. So to have our own two bedroomed two storey flat (I've never had a second bedroom or second storey either!) where we can do what we like to is so exciting! I think I'm going to go on a mad picture buying frenzy just because we can!!

Did I also mention it's in a little village in the middle of countryside, near to Edinburgh?!

We don't move til February, but it's an exciting way to be starting 2010!!

xx

I Thought I'd Share With You...

...my favourite Christmas photo. I took this 2 years ago in Auckland, New Zealand, when boyfriend and I had the strange coincidence of staying on the most festive street in the whole of New Zealand - Franklin Road - for 10 days just before Christmas.

I have to say, Christmas in the southern hemisphere is quite strange and very different to what we were used to, and we didn't like it (though we did try to like it). In the end Christmas in shorts and flip flops just wasn't for us.

Whilst in Auckland, we met up with Liam, one of our friends from Aberdeen:
He didn't like the heat either. This is his face of disgust at the prospect of a hot Christmas.

Thankfully it's still snowing in Edinburgh as we speak:

(boyfriend on Princes St at the weekend)

I like the cold. What better an excuse for lots and lots of cuddling?!

xx

Phew...

...things have been pretty crazy in the Red Boots household of late.

And to be honest I haven't felt very festive, until now. But now we have lights on the tree, a mantle full of Christmas cards, mulled wine on the stove, Christmas presents bought and wrapped, and Christmas movies on the television - all making me feel very very festive.

And to top it all - for the past couple of days it has been snowing in Edinburgh!

This was the view from my flat on Friday morning:

Sorry they're not of the best quality - I was too excited to see even a little bit of snow to care!

And then today boyfriend and I got caught in a mammoth snow storm. I loved having to shake the snow off of my hat, and dusting the snow off of my shoulders when I got home, and then warming myself up in front of the heater.

For some reason the snow makes me want to nest - tonight I am going to cuddle up in front of the television with my dear, wrapped in my favourite blanket, and watching soppy Christmas movies. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now.

xx

Dear 16 Year Old Laura...

Today's incredibly moving Dear 16 Year Old Me letter comes from Laura at A Daisy Chain Dream...

---

{Grown up Laura}

Dear 16 Year Old Laura,

You are on the verge of falling in to a black hole; take a deep breath and step back; right now you are out of control. STOP BURYING YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND and speak those worries out loud. Tell someone, anyone, how afraid you are to eat.

How yes, you might be at a “medically healthy” weight right now, but four months ago you were 80lbs more. However scared you feel now, facing multiple hospitalisations, a 9 week stint on the EDU that doesn’t achieve much at all is a whole lot scarier.

Seven years down the line, you’ll be feeling like it’s too late. You’ll be too entrapped in this to ever see a way out. You might feel like a fraud, or a drama queen for looking for help now, but please, hindsight is 20/20 and I urge you to be brave and use your words.

Stop taking your friends for granted. Don’t mess them around and embrace every second with them. In just two short years you’ll be waving them off to university, and you won’t be joining them. Nothing can prepare you for how lonely that might feel. Never doubt yourself. Erase the words “I can’t” and “I’m not good enough” from your vocabulary. You’ve proven before that you can, and you are more than good enough. There is little else more important than self belief.

Appreciate your family. They might be an annoyance sometimes, but they care and won’t ever stop caring. You’ll need them more than ever in the future and you’ll wish you’d spent more time doing normal things when you were younger.

Save money, don’t waste it. You don’t need another belt, or pair of jeans. While we’re on the subject of clothes; buy some that suit you, dammit.

My most important advice to you, little 16 year old, is never give up. Things might feel too much right now, but push through the toughest times and you’ll be amazed at just how wonderful life can feel.

So, speak up, please. You know this isn’t about weight, or looking good. Get those real feelings out, and you’ll be able to live as your friends do. Life is too short, and too fragile to isolate yourself, and count every half calorie that may or may not pass your lips. The world is a big place and there is so much left to explore

Love,

Your 22 Year Old Self.

---

Thanks so much for taking part Laura. I really respect you for your honesty. So glad to hear that you are making progress - I hope writing this letter has helped in some small way.

xx

The Internet Can Be Really Lovely Sometimes #2...

...I came home in a foul mood last night after a long shift at work, and then had a go at boyfriend because my hormones have gone crazy, and then I cried for no reason. Sometimes it's rubbish being a girl!

So it was safe to say last night wasn't the best of evenings. But then I went on the internet, and everything seemed to make me feel better.

Marisa, from Or So I Feel... was my swap partner in Micaela's ornament swap. It turns out Marisa is one of the sweetest ladies on the internet. As well as having the cutest blog, she posted a sweet letter about my ornament on her blog here, and took some gorgeous photos:

Thank you so much Micaela for introducing me to Marisa!

---

Then I came across a quote, posted by a Red Boots reader - Does This Blog Make Me Look Fat? - that really sums up my Dear 16 Year Old Me series perfectly:

You can find the whole post here.

I love it.

---

Then I re-read Angelina La Dawn Tomato's blog posts about her mum's accounts of working with the Salvation Army over the Christmas period, and they really reminded me that the true spirit of Christmas isn't about mass-consumerism, but helping others less fortunate than ourselves. You can read her posts here and here - they are truly heartwarming. You can also donate to the Salvation Army to help others less fotunate this Christmas via Angelina's blog.

---

Thank you internet for cheering me up good and proper!

xx

We Finally Made It To The Christmas Market...

...on Princes Street Gardens, in Edinburgh.

So much fun.

We went on the big wheel:

I wasn't scared.

Ok, I was a little bit scared.

Actually, I was a big bit scared - we were very high up and it creaked, but sssshh!

On the big wheel after finally having the courage to let go of the bars:
Boyfriend looking calm and collected (despite being terrified of heights!):

Boyfriend's future brother-in-law upon realising the wheel was creaking:

To calm our nerves afterwards we went and had:


and:

Next time I might go on this:

How's your weekend going?

xx

Winter...

...has at last arrived to Edinburgh!

Ok, it's not snowing, but freezing fog also suits me fine. I love fog: I love the way it drapes and settles across the city, and feels a part of you.

Some views from my flat, taken this morning:

It's pretty cold though, so I plan on spending the afternoon ensconsed in blankets, and drinking rooibos tea.

And my tree has finally gone up! Only I've lost my fairy lights in the move, so it looks a bit sad. I'm a little bit embarrassed to share photos of it at the moment. Not just because of the lack of light, but also because of it's diminutive stature.

For ethical and environmental reasons we bought a live, potted tree that will grow year after year, so just now it's only 3 foot high and quite thin. But I like the idea of having a living, growing tree, and I know in 5 years time we will have an amazing looking tree, full of stories of Christmases past dripping from it's branches. Much nicer than having a throwaway tree, even if in the short-term it looks a bit sad.

I will share with you though some of my favourite vintage baubles:


Even though our tree isn't picture perfect it is quite exciting as it's the first time boyfriend and I have had a proper tree. Last year (when we were living in England) we didn't bother because we spent two weeks over Christmas in Scotland. The year before we were in New Zealand. And the year before that we weren't living together. So this little tree marks a new step for us!

xx

Dear 16 Year Old Patty...

...Today's Dear 16 Year Old Me Letter is by Patty over at Barrett All...

---
{Patty and friends at 16}

{Patty at 23}
Dear 16 year old Patty,
Oh boy. You’re quirky. C’mon - you’re having your “Sweet 16” at the bar modeled after “Cheers” because it’s your favorite TV show. But, it’s better than going out and getting drunk like most of your classmates. The fact that you don’t do that yet is very sweet – and you’ll get plenty of that crazy drinking in later in life. So, enjoy your youth.

Pay attention to those stupid, cliche signs hanging up in classrooms - y'know, the ones that say, "In 10 years it won't matter what clique you were in... what you did... what you wore..." because honestly, they're true. It doesn't matter. All those insecurities and problems are completely unimportant.

Those videos you make with your friends where you dress up in funny outfits and host fake talk shows… you think you’re just being an idiot and having fun with your friends. In a few years, you’ll still be an idiot and have fun with your friends... except professionally on a stage.

Be nicer to your family. It may be dysfunctional and weird, but they love you so much and support you no matter what you do. Even when you come home at 9am with puffy lips after a night of making out (and they'll just ignore it like the good, terrified parents they are.)

You’ll go through a lot in the next few years - you’ll get a job and lose it, you’ll lose your best friend, you’ll cut yourself, you’ll hate your life – but then you’ll go to college, you’ll become more independent, you’ll discover yourself and start making choices for that benefit you instead of everyone else. Things don't necessarily get easier, but you most certainly get tougher.

You will lose your virginity and it won’t be glamorous. You’ll fall in love and it won’t work. But you’ll soon discover you’re not the scum of the Earth – because gosh darn it, people LOVE you and you deserve all the same luxuries as everyone else.

Stop wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants every day! You look like a fool! You’re afraid of standing out now? Just wait a few years – your hair’s going to be bright red, your glasses thick and black, and you’ll be sort of – dare I say it – fashion forward.

What can I say, girl? Your life is fabulous. And your fun and unique personality is something to treasure and hold on to – because it’s going to be the one thing that will remain unchanged throughout the years. It's what makes you YOU!

Love love LOVE,

23-year old Patty

---

Thank so much for taking part Patty, and introducing me to your hilarious blog!

Only Because I'm Greener Than Green...

...The lovely Saskia over at Saskia's Spot tagged me many many weeks ago in a colour tag. Saskia photographed her favourite yellow possessions in her house, and suggested I do the same with green.

I realised I don't own a lot of green things, so this was a bit of a struggle. Bear with me please:

Our little lemon tree. We planted this from a pip in the spring time in an old sweetcorn tin. It's slowly getting bigger and bigger - I hope one day it will bear lemons.

My Peace Lily - i've had this for many years now. It comes with me every home I live in. It has survived many many moves.

My frog eyed welly boots. Boyfriend bought me these last Christmas. I thought I was going to die with excitement when he gave me them - I'd wanted a pair since I was a child. I love them to bits.

My little bug. Everyone hates this apart from me. I bought him from a gallery in Aberdeen. One of his legs fell off in our last move, but superglue saved the day!

Finally - my old green chair. My grandparents gave this to my parents when they married in the 1960's. I've loved it all my life, so when I moved my parents said I could have it. Again, I was so excited! It could do with a good clean, but I'm a bit scared to in case I damage it. Anyone have any tips on cleaning needlecord?

Thanks Saskia - that was a lot of fun - but sorry it took me so long to get round to it!

Would you like to take part too? I tag anyone interested with the colour RED (of course!).

xx