My week has, on the face of it, been very normal (apart from wandering around the garden in my wedding dress). As I work for myself, from home, my days have changed very little since the lockdown started. It wasn't unusual for me not to leave the house (except to go into the garden) for three or four days. I have missed being able to go out whenever I need to, and of course I miss seeing people in person, but this week has felt easier than last. I've settled into this new normal of ours. That's not to say I haven't had the odd wobbly moment, but there have been far fewer than last week.

After a power cut at the weekend that left me completely cut off from everyone for a little while, I gained a deeper appreciation for all the ways in which we can get in touch with each other. We might be on lockdown but we are connected in so many ways. We can pick up the telephone and have a conversation, text each other, talk on FaceTime, have Zoom meetings, Skype gatherings. Heck, we could send an email, or even sit down and write someone a letter!

I've enjoyed keeping up to date with my blog reading, and it's nice that some people are posting more regularly. Of course there is social media too. I still don't bother much with Twitter, and I don't normally spend a huge amount of time on Facebook, I prefer Instagram and it's pretty pictures, but recently Facebook has been an entertaining diversion, sure the usual nonsense is still being shared and spread around but I'm learning to tune it out.

Facebook became a place where people justify their opinions by sharing posts showing that another person agrees with their opinion. Admittedly I've done that on occasion myself, but as I don't find this enjoyable to either do or read, the time I spent on Facebook had dwindled to almost nothing.

But then we were all put on lockdown and it's become a place to connect again, like it used to be. Sure the opinion justification still happens but the fun stuff is back and in abundance, so I'll be frequenting my timeline a little more until the niceness stops and it reverts back.

This list of questions popped up in my timeline and I liked them, it's nice to think about the small, the unimportant, the random, and the silly at times like this.

Please feel free to answer them yourself if you fancy, just let me know so I can read your answers.

1. Who are you named after?
No one, my parents just liked the name and wanted something unusual. If I'd been a boy I'd be called Kevin. I'm told my Mum also liked the name Suzette.

2. Last time you cried?
Tuesday.

3. Do you like your handwriting?
It's OK, it can be a bit messy because I write so rarely these days and I think faster than my hand can move.

4. What is your favourite sandwich?
Crisp, preferably Walkers Cheese & Onion, and it must be on white bread, with lots of buttery spread. This isn't something I eat very often.

5. Favourite drink?
Tea! But I couldn't possibly pick my favourite tea.

6. Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes.

7. Would you bungee?
I would've when I was younger but I don't think I would now.

8. What is your favorite kind of cereal?
Porridge, made with oat milk and sweetened with honey, I have it almost everyday.

9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Yes.

10. Do you think you're strong-willed?
When circumstances require me to be.

11. Favorite ice cream?
Salted caramel or cherry.

12. What is the first thing you notice about a person?
Their vibe, how I feel in their presence.

13. Football or baseball?
Neither.

15. Last thing you ate?
Porridge.

16. What are you listening to?
The low hum of my iMac.

17. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
Today? Lilac.

18. What is your favourite smell?
Water - sea, rivers, rain, waterfalls, even running showers, as long as it's not stagnant I'm happy.

19. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My husband.

20. In a relationship?
Yes, I'm married and today is our 5th wedding anniversary, which is why I've been wandering around the garden in my wedding dress...

21. Eye Colour?
Greeny blue.

22. Favourite food to eat?
I like roast dinners (even though I don't like cooking them), chip shop fish n chips, Chinese takeaway, steak and chips.

23. Scary movies or happy endings?
I enjoy scary movies, but prefer happy endings.

24. Last movie you watched in a cinema?
Spiderman, Far From Home, with my Dad on my 44th birthday after a meal in Ask.

25. What colour shirt are you wearing?
Orange.

26. Favourite holiday?
A long weekend in North Norfolk

27. Beer or wine?
Gin.

28. Night owl or morning person?
Morning.

29. Favourite day of the week?
Any day that my husband isn't working (which is about 5 days out of the year, one of which is Christmas Day).

30. Favourite animal?
Domestic - cat. Wild - giraffe.

31. Do you have a pet?
Two cats, brother and sister - Socks and Tinker.

32. Where would you like to travel?
Any where at the moment! Outside of lockdown Japan, or Egypt.

33. Tell me your favourite joke.
What do you call a hen staring at a lettuce?
Chicken sees a salad.

I'd love to hear your favourite joke!? How has your week been?

Following on from Part 1, here are the remaining 30 Q&As.

31. What is something you're tired of?
Assumptions. Because they are usually based on the persons own feelings and experience, and have nothing to do with actual facts of the situation, meaning assumptions are usually wrong.

32. What is a city you want to visit?
Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Istanbul...

33. Heels or flats.
It's flats more and more these days, I've grown to love comfort more than pretty heels. I still have a few pairs of heels but they're rarely worn.

34. Where does one go on a perfect road trip?
It's got to be the States.

35. What do you do on a rainy day?
Stay inside. Work, read, knit, put the kettle on (although this sounds a lot like most days, no matter what the weather).

36. What is your favourite exercise?
Yoga and walking.

37. What was your worst subject at school?
I don't think I was particularly bad at anything but I struggled with maths more than more creative subjects. CDT Technology was my worse GCSE result, but that's because I didn't really pay attention, and just played with Lego in the lessons.

38. Which animal do you identify with most?
A cat. I like sleep, warmth and solitude. And I particularly like it when someone serves me my supper.

39. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
Porridge made with almond milk and sweetened with honey. 

40. What do you usually eat for dinner?
I try to cook lots of different things but pasta is a regular feature.

41. Cooking or baking?
I cook almost everyday. Sometimes I really enjoy it, other days it feels like a real chore. I don't bake very often and I have to be in the mood to do it, so both and neither.

42. Favourite Baked goods?
I like pecan and maple twists, donuts, the list is long and there's no one thing I always go for.

43. What is something you wish you could be good at?
Swimming and diving. I can swim, but not elegantly and I can't dive at all.

44. Skiing or surfing?
I'd like to try both before I answer that question.

45. First celebrity crush?
Shakin' Stevens

46. Most recent celebrity crush?
I'm not sure. I suppose Tom Hardy is appealing.

47. What colour was your prom dress?
It was called a Graduation Ball rather than a Prom, and I went to two. One dress was black, the other burgundy.

48. How do you manage stress?
Taking a break, doing something I enjoy - reading, knitting, or watching a film, with a cuppa, followed by a long hot bath, and possibly a glass of wine or a G&T.

49. What do you do to relax?
Same as the above. I believe managing stress is about taking time out, time to relax.

50. Shoes or bags?
Shoes. I have plenty of both but I probably get more excited about buying shoes.

51. How do you know if you’re in love?
I knew I was in love when I couldn't stop thinking about him, and I realised I felt completely at ease with him, and with him was the only place I wanted to be.

52. Who do you turn to when you’re sad?
My husband.



53. What are you most enchanted by?
Sunshine, swaying fields of wheat, the sea, stunning scenery. I guess that makes the short answer 'nature'.

54. What is your biggest strength?
I'm adaptable and resourceful. And recent years have taught me that I'm stronger and more resilient than I realised.

55. What is your biggest weakness?
I worry.

56. What are 3 words to describe living in your city?
I don't live in a city. I live in a small village. It's quiet, pretty, and open.



57. Cutest thing on planet Earth?
My cats of course.

58. Favourite colour?
It changes. At the time of writing, it's orange.

59. Favourite time of day?
Early morning. Pottering around in my PJs, drinking that first cup of tea, with an entire day ahead full of possibility.

60. Favourite band?
Currently it's Ward Thomas.


That's the end of Part 2.  Let me know if you answer these, I'd love to read your answers.

I've read a few these 60 Questions posts in recent months (Bev & Kezzie). I'm going to split my answers over two posts to keep it at a manageable length.

1. What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?
This month has hardly started but so far it's been that Andy was able to take an afternoon off, we had an impromptu lunch out, and attempted to start Christmas Shopping. Once home we lit the fire, watched a film, we had soup for supper and shared a bottle of wine whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing eliminations. We then watched The Wall for the first time and found it highly amusing, but probably not for the reasons it's meant to entertain. With the hours Andy works, this isn't something we get to do very often, so it might sound like an average day but for us it's a rare occurrence.

2. What’s your favourite game?
Top Trumps, we have dog and cat versions and make up our own rules.

3. When are you most inspired?
As a designer I should say all the time, but at the beginning of a project when ideas start to flow, that's the bit I really enjoy.

4. If you could teach one subject in school, what would it be?
Some form of craft, making things out of assorted items to spark the imagination.

5. What’s your favourite beverage?
Currently it's Whittards Peach Bellini loose leaf tea. It was a limited edition flavour so I stocked up when it went into the half price sale but I've just run out and am craving a cup!

6. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
That I'm a kind and thoughtful person.

7. What is your favourite birthday cake?
Fondant Fancies are something that should be mandatory for every birthday.

8. What is one thing you still have from your childhood?
I have a few things, I wrote a post about my keepsakes if you fancy a read. Short answer is I have a few soft toys, a handful of books, and a toy cot my Dad made me for my 2nd birthday.

9. What is your favourite film?
Impossible to answer. The ones I have in my possession and watch over and over are The Jane Austen Book Club, Housewife 49, Pride and Prejudice, The Holiday, and Eat Pray Love. But there are many, many films that I love.

10. What is something you can’t do?
Dive.

11. Window or aisle seat?
Window, I like to be nosy.

12. What is something that makes you laugh no matter what?
People falling over, walking into things. And those clips you see on Facebook of dogs wearing Ewoke outfits.

13. What are your favourite lyrics of all time?
You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot, Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last.

14. What is your favourite holiday?
Christmas. It's when the family comes together.

15. What’s heavily played on your music play list right now?
Freya Ridings and George Ezra, largely because I saw them both at Latitude in the summer.

16. If you could raid one woman’s closet, who would it be?
Rachel Bilson. I like her casual jeans outfits and her red carpet looks.

17. Must have purse item?
I'm guessing this is the US version of a handbag? Must haves for me are phone, keys, purse, handkerchief and lip balm.

18. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 12?
A hairdresser. A mobile hairdresser that drove from one appointment to the next in a black mini (the car, not the skirt).

19. What is something you will not be doing in ten years?
Trying to talk my husband into a loft conversion, because I hope it'll be done by then.

20. What is an important life lesson for someone to learn?
That difficult conversations are the most important conversations to have.

21. How do you start your day?
Each day starts pretty much the same - feed cats, make tea, load washing machine, empty dishwasher, bath or shower, then breakfast. After this the routine falls apart and I make it up as I go along.

22. Would you ever live anywhere besides where you do now?
Probably not. I would like to live by the sea but it's very unlikely.

23. What is your favourite dessert?
Black Forest Gateau or Creme Brulee.

24. Is there a dessert you don’t like?
What's the coffee flavoured one? That one.

25. It’s brunch! What do you eat?
Pancakes, crispy bacon and maple syrup, with orange juice.

26. Where was the best vacation you’ve ever taken?
The trip I took into the Sahara was pretty special. It was an organised trip by travel company Explore. I didn't know anyone else on the trip, so it felt pretty daunting. Everyone was lovely and I lived a longstanding dream of sleeping under the stars. We ate local cuisine, got caught in a sandstorm, climbed the dunes, rode camels. On the final day I woke early and watched the sunrise, having fallen asleep the night before looking at the most beautiful sky I've ever seen, littered with shooting stars.

27. Favourite Disney animal?
Dory from Finding Nemo, and Finding Dory is pretty likeable.

28. What is a book you are planning on reading?
I'm starting to feel festive so I have Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market, and Sleight Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain in my TBR pile. I'm hoping they'll be easy, feel good reads.

29. What did you read most recently?
I've recently finished Scar by Alice Broadway, the final book of the Ink Trilogy.

30. Favourite solo artist?
Currently Freya Ridings, and Jess Glynn

If you hadn't already guessed I'm taking part in Blog Every Day in November, hosted by Elizabeth over at Rosalilium. Are you taking part? Do let me know if you are and I'll give you a visit. I really enjoyed blogging everyday for 40 days, a challenge I set myself on my 40th birthday, but almost immediately lost momentum when the 40 days where up. What better way to get back into it?

Today's prompt is 'something new about myself'. That's a toughie. I can't think of anything in particular. Questions like this make my mind go blank.

So, instead I decided to list 40 random facts about me.

1. I have never seen The Sound of Music from start to finish

2. I was the captain of a majorette troupe

3. I almost lost the top of my right index finger by shutting it in a door

4. I can't roll my tongue

5. I dislike the word 'inspo', I hate having to write 'the word inspo' because it's not a word.

6. Coatigan is also not a word. If it's a cardigan that you wear as a coat, it's still a cardigan

7. I can remember the registration number of a random car we had growing up, but not any of the cars I've owned

8. My college years where some of the unhappiest of my life

9. I am private, not a prude

10. I can't pronounce the word sophomore or statistically

11. I hate to admit how untidy I can be

12. Sometimes I enjoy planning my outfit for an event, more than the event itself

13. I have to spend some time on my own everyday or I start to get tetchy

14. I hate being watched

15. I detest the word 'moist', if something on a menu is described this way (normally cake) I can't order it

16. I worry about everything in some way

17. I can cry at the smallest thing, but can be as hard as stone

18. I don't think being a child automatically makes you likable

19. I hate being interrupted by children

20. In my head all of my friends and family know how much I love and need them

21. In reality, my friends and family really don't know how much I love and need them

22. I judge people by their table manners

23. I don't understand people who can't sit in silence

24. I write in books

25. I wish I'd known my grandparents

26. I'm really awkward around really old people

27. I didn't like olives until I was 33

28. I have a hankering to be an extra in a film

29. I wish I had a friend I'd known all my life

30. At the age of 30 I felt like I was starting life all over again

31. I'm always surprised if I do something well

32. I love the smell of my cat's breath

33. My favourite smell is water - rain , the sea, waterfalls, sometimes just the smell of a cold running  tap

34. Sometimes I do things so that I can blog about them

35. I've watched The Lost Boys more than any other film

36. I judge people by what they do, not what they say

37. I hate being told what to do, which is why being self employed works so well for me

38. Once I've decided I'm done with something, that's it I'm done, there's no going back

39. a purring cat on my lap is one of the most relaxing things in life, a purring cat on my keyboard is just infuriating

40. I'm 40 and still don't feel like a real grown up

I tried to blog everyday in May. I failed. This is pretty typical of me and my blog, as much as I enjoy it, it's the one thing in my life that gets shoved to the backseat when everything else gets busy. But, for Blog Everyday in November, I'm hoping to do better.

If this is the first time you have visited by blog, welcome, I hope you enjoy it. What it is today is somewhat different to when I started back in 2010. My blog has changed and I have changed because of it. At first I just wanted to share lovely things, discover new beauty buys, coo over impractical shoes, share new clothes purchases and natter about my life in general and it is largely still about all of that but now my focus has shifted to pre-loved fashion. I still shop in high street stores on occasion but when I started to feel unsettled by my over stuffed wardrobe I set out to change the way I shop.

I love clothes and I love shopping but I hate the fact that I have too many clothes. A wardrobe full of rarely worn clothes started to seem utterly pointless to me, but my love for shopping remained - a contradiction if ever there was one. I've set about many wardrobe challenges to help curb my spending, teach me what I wear and how I like to wear it. I've made myself wear rarely worn or never worn items and now I have a 'one in, one out' rule when it comes to shopping. It doesn't always work, but I have noticed changes in my thought patterns and shopping habits, which I feel are taking me closer to the shopper I'd like to be. I've started to notice that I am thinking 'I won't wear it' or 'I don't need it' when I see something that in the past I would have bought, justifying the purchase by promising myself that I'd find an excuse to wear it, which I rarely did.

I would love to have a wardrobe of clothes I love and wear, all perfectly co-ordinated and bought under the heading of 'Buy Less, Choose Well'. I'm edging closer but I still enjoy shopping. It has shifted though, instead of going out with something particular in mind I now go out to see what I can find. The thrill of finding a lovely piece of second hand clothing is far greater than that I ever found shopping in high street stores. It also means that I have more things in my wardrobe that I absolutely love. I like the fact that the items I find aren't going to waste, they're being recycled and I am no longer looking for the fast fashion fix found in pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap high street stores. And when I get it home I make sure I wear it and work out how it fits into my wardrobe. If it doesn't it goes back to the charity shop, if it fits, then something else has to go.

As I've said I do still shop in high street stores, but this is mostly for items such as socks, footwear and undies. And PJs, I can't wrap my head around second hand PJs.

But this blog isn't all about that, as I've said there is also a smattering of general chit chat, some craft projects (more on that tomorrow) and I joined in a monthly Show and Tell photographic Challenge organised by Sophie, sadly October was the last one. So I'm taking part in the #fmsphotoaday challenge on Instagram instead. You'll also find the odd beauty review and wish list. There is also more than a passing mention of my cats, Socks and Tink, who make up the majority of my Instagram feed.

So this is me and this is my blog, I'm looking forward to the #BEDN challenge and finding some new blogs to follow. Are you joining in?

Thanks to Elizabeth for organising this again and coming up with a great list of daily topics.