Weight Loss Wednesday

Loss this week: None! Stayed the same

Loss Overall: 42lbs

Pounds till target: 53lbs

I'm putting my hands up and admitting defeat. Weight Watchers, You're doing nothing for me to help me break my plateau. I wanted to love you and defend you but it's like I get down to 193lbs and fly straight back up again - it's demoralising. I've been bouncing around at this weight for almost a year now - getting down to a certain number then racing back up again a week after - whilst I haven't really changed my eating habits through the course of the week.

On Saturday, after my heartache with the pear shape debacle, I woke up blue. I hated everything about myself - we all get those days, but I was tired! Tired of not measuring up to the images of feminine beauty I'm consistently bombarded with of being tall, slender, tan. I'm about to turn 26 and I still feel as awkward as I did when I was 14. I'm 5'7, I feel dumpy, my hair goes really frizzy, I have freckles, vitiligo and one ear sticks out more than the other. That being said - I have, what I consider to be, pretty good eyebrows. I also happen to think I'm hilarious! I try to treat others with kindness and I would do anything for those I care about. So whilst my confidence is on the floor this week and I don't feel I've won the gene pool race, I'm a good person and I can't let my perceived flaws rule my emotions! Because then I'll only eat more.

I am taking control though. On Monday, I'm going back to Slimming World. I joined SW originally in March 2009 and lost my original 42lbs that way. I'm hoping that I can continue that success and Ceri has said he'll stop offering me chips and pizza to tempt me off the wagon - not that he does it intentionally!

Wish me luck!

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Garden Inspiration

The weather on Sunday was so beautiful, I did a lot of cleaning and had the back door open with the sun shining in - I was enjoying being able to potter around the garden with the sun coming down and drying out clothes on the line.

It also got me thinking that our garden will be lovely in the summer and that, surely, now is the time to start working on it? I'm not naturally greenfingered or thumbed! But I do like having a nice garden. Last night I dreamt that I gave birth to a baby girl, through my mouth - weird right?! But the baby was called Iris Rose - We tried to call her Iris Aoife but it didn't seem to stick. When I woke up this morning I googled it and it turns out it's a real flower - who knew?!

Now it's filled me with inspiration for the colours the garden should have - I'm tempted to invite my Dad down and lock him in the garden until it looks super awesome! That being said, Ceri's mum has a beautiful garden and could give us some pointers to make our little green patch just as cute!

Body Shapes

On Friday, I had an email exchange with Mandy the ModStylist about changing up my wardrobe a little bit, I've been feeling restricted by just wearing dresses because to be honest - I feel the British High Street has let me down! 

I did some measurements the other day and it turns out I'm a pear shape, I always thought I was a nifty little hourglass - but not so!

Ink Magazine

I asked Mandy for some help in breaking free from my perceived bonds! And she was super helpful, coming up with this for me:

Wearing skirts! by modcloth featuring a flare skirt

I was in awe of how cute the outfits were, but I seriously lacked (lack!) the confidence to wear them. Instead of taking pride in my teeny waist and J.Lo Bum, I sat and got upset that my tummy was too round and protruding to truly pull off a cute skirt and top, plus there's my bingo wings and chubby knees.

But then I had a shower, did my hair and put on a cute dress I hadn't worn since I bought it from New Zealand. Instead of getting down that I didn't look like my ideal - I thought I'd make the best of my situation and get excited about the possibilities! I may not look like Monica Bellucci or Zooey Deschanel but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't be confident to wear pretty things and feel good about myself in them - RIGHT?!

Instagrams!

This weekend was too quick, despite the fact I'd spent Thursday & Friday off work sick. I'm not overly too enthusiastic about returning to work tomorrow - I fear a serious case of the dreaded Mondays!

We've been sticking our finger on the map of the world that we have, in order to decide where to go on holiday - Nothing is booked yet but now I'm stuck between Berlin and Paris! HELP! I also still have to sort out renewing my passport which I've been putting off. Urch, Lord help me! The form is complete but then there's the hassle of getting someone official to say I'm me!

Healthy Eating - Bleurgh. Saturday was a bad morning of crippling self doubt and angst that had spilled over from Friday evening when I was having a melodrama in regards to not being able to wear a skirt because I'm a ridiculous pear shape. 

This weekend has been filled with glorious sunshine - I'm not sure of temperatures, although I've been out without a jacket! But it's been lovely! I crave sunshine! Today, I felt so motivated upon waking, I cleaned the entire downstairs of the house with the back door open and and washing on the line!

On Saturday, Wales played England for the Triple Crown in the 6 Nations (and won!) & Ireland played Italy (we also won!) So it was a good weekend for my and Ceri's teams! 

Here's to hoping that the week ahead is kind! How was your weekend?

Hair?!

Right now I have pretty long hair, and I'm getting a bit tired of it to be honest! I've been growing my hair for 3 and a half years and now I fancy a bit of a change!

Me in February 2009

I've been in desperate need of a haircut for a while now - I haven't had one in a year! (Don't judge me!) So I know I need a chop now, but how to get it? I've been scouring Pinterest for cute pixie cuts and there's a whole bunch! Ceri says he'll get used to - but will I regret the decision if I go for having it all off again?!

Ginnifer Goodwin

Michelle Williams - Dream hair, always!

Carey Mulligan

Help!? Suggestions? It's like Sophie's Choice!

Pancake Day!

Pancake day was a feast! It led to a bit of disagreement in the Burke-Davies house, were Pancakes a main meal on this day? Or an after? We eventually came to a compromise, Ceri had a quick dinner and then had his pancakes for an after - where as for me, they were my dinner.

Ceri & I were very much polar opposites on what we wanted from our pancakes, I'm a sweet kinda gal and he's a savoury dude.

I go nuts for blueberries on food, the first time I had it was when I was in  New York in 2003, struggling with a hangover (I was 17...whoops!) and having blueberries in a pancake was like a revelation to me. Infact, the American approach to breakfast was like a wake up call I didn't know I needed!

Ceri was a little bit safer with his pancake options - Currants and Nutella! Not to my taste at all, but a very successful evening nonetheless!

What are your flavours?

Things I Love Thursday (part 2!)

This was just too good not to post! And it's still Thursday - so it still definitely counts!

Things I Love Thursday!

If, like me, you cut your own fringe, you'll feel the pain that TuesdayBlouse was so able to capture with this!

How about these lovely junk food shoes from PonyChopShop?

Last night, Ceri & I celebrated 10 months (Time is flying by huh!?) and we "celebrated" by seeing The Woman in Black. I saw the play when I was 16 for school and had to sleep with the light on for 2 weeks. Last night was no different! I was so upset but the film was awesome!

♥ Only a short Things I Love Thursday this week because, yet again, I'm curled up sick on the sofa, but I am eternally grateful for Ceri making me laugh because we've had a lot of giggles lately

♥ I'm loving that spring is here in Cardiff today, the weather is a little warmer and I went to the Doctor's without a jacket! Shoots are coming up in our Garden and I'm tempted to pop into the garden shop down the road and get seeds!

♥ Planning our holiday! We were going to go to Ireland, then Berlin but now it looks like Ceri and I are off to Paris for a few days! I'm going to claim squatter's rights in Versaille Palace!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Loss this week: None! Gained 2lbs

Loss overall: 42lbs

Pounds till target: 53lbs

Well, I can't say I'm shocked. I always put on when I'm surfin' the Crimson Wave - I also ate like a hog this week. I don't know what's wrong with me but when I get to this stage, I always throw everything away.

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I guess I just have to kind of go back to basics, I also have to go back to the gym - because I haven't been going. I haven't had the drive to. I definitely need something to come and kick me up the arse, a motivator - at the moment I seem to have lost that push that I had at the beginning of the year to stay so motivated to my cause. I just feel a bit "meh" at the moment to all the things in my life from my job which is slowly sucking my will to live, to this. I need my umph again - where did it go?

Weekend Fun!

As I'm writing this, it's Sunday evening, Ceri & I are snuggled up on the sofa watching Blue Valentine - he hasn't seen it before and I haven't told him anything about what happens.

We both agreed earlier that this has been one of our favourite weekends, ever. The weather was a bit chilly but was blue skies all the way - we got the bikes out and dusted them off to go over and see Ceri's parents for Sunday Dinner. 

Spring is peaking it's head out in our garden with shoots poking out, purples and yellow rearing their heads to make our garden more pleasant! I can't wait to start making it a bit of a nicer place. At the moment it's a little bit of a fixer upper!

The other day, I popped into A Vintage Affair to get some tea cups to put make up and brushes in, slowly but surely I'm piecing my dressing table together. Now I just have to find the actual dressing table!

The temperatures this week are meant to sky rocket after Thursday and I'm excited at the prospect of being able to cycle to work again, because truly, I won't do it in cold weather because I am a baby.

Dinner with friends

On Saturday, we had a bit of a dinner party! Our friends Cath & Dan came over and I tried a new recipe, from Lorraine Pascale.

Ingredients:

• 175g of Chorizo
• handful of chopped fresh thyme
• 4 white fish fillets (I used cod)
• salt and ground black pepper
• paprika to taste
• olive oil
• 10-12 cherry tomatos
• 5-10 cloves of garlic

Firstly, I'd never cooked fish before that wasn't a fish finger. So this was a big deal for me! Ordering the fish at the counter in the Supermarket was a bit of a palava! Like...I bought 4 bits of cod, then asked for them to be filleted. Turns out they already were. I felt a bit silly but I genuinely didn't know! Now I do!

This was such a simple recipe to make! And tasted so good - it's literally something that can be thrown together with some steamed vegetables.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, chuck the chorizo and thyme into a frying pan over a high heat for about 5 minutes, then set to one side.

I put the fish in an oven proof dish, seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. Ceri's sister Rachel suggested zesting some lemon over the fish - which was lovely when it was cooked! I covered the fish in olive oil, then chucked in some cherry tomatos and garlic. Then put some of the chorizo on top and threw it in the oven for about 15minutes.

I put the rest of the chorizo & thyme for another 5-10 minutes then was ready to serve!

For dessert, I served up meringue, ice cream and blueberries - which were delicious! I love blueberries!

Spring is near!

Yesterday started off as one of those days where I was super bummed out, but as the day progressed everything evolved into a super great weekend! And it's not even over! The weather today, whilst a bit chilly, is making me feel like spring is just around the corner! I can't wait for the splash of colour and warmth that's headed ur way!

Ceri and I headed over to a town, Michaelston-le-Pit, to pick up a beautiful dressing table seat yesterday.

It's straight out of the 60s and was such a bargain! Thanks Internet! You're awesome! I was originally going to re-upholster the top fo the chair but I kind of love it the way it is now, despite the odd stain and the fact it needs a fresher lick of paint it's in really good condition!

Does anyone know any websites/blogs that have tips to restore furniture?