Make It Monday - Baby Bunting

 This week I completed a special project that I've been building up to for a while. Some baby name bunting for my beautiful twin nieces. I hope they like it.

I enjoyed the process and have some more fun things lined up.

Fantastic weekend in England

With Mum

So after a few days away from the computer, I'm back.  I wasn't taking a break really as the last few days have been manic.  The aim of the trip was to find the bridesmaids' dresses and have the hen night.  It looked a bit bleak at times but we managed it and fit in a whole lot more besides.

Hayley and Isla - our little flower girl

I woke up on the day of my flight to a window of snow!  Luckily it didn't settle and the flight was fine.  The first signs of trouble came as we drove back over the Pennines to Leeds and saw the weather warnings for the day after.  The plan had been to go to the Trafford centre to shop but it quickly went out the window.

My best friends - Loreto and Hayley

The next morning - there were inches of snow and we weren't sure we'd even make it into Leeds let alone whether one bridesmaid would make it up from Derby but it the end it went well and we all got there.  After a Starbucks, we explored the new Trinity shopping centre which had opened just the day before.  

My sister Briony and cousin Christina

I have to say the centre is huge and very modern but as it was my first shopping trip with a baby along, I was unimpressed at the low number of lifts in the place.  We managed though.  The shopping was not successful - Leeds was not as ready for us as we thought with several stores not having the bridal sections we were hunting.  In the end we stopped for lunch at TGI Fridays before heading back to the White Rose for the BHS bridal store.

There we found a lovely dress that we had seen online - no spoilers on here before the big day though.  Not everyone was 100% happy but the dress looked great on all of the girls and we ordered them there and then.  We also found some fab dresses for the hen night - more on that when I get some pictures!

One Hundred Names

While I am still struggling my way through my first German novel of the year, I'm breaking it up a little with some English reading in between.  This, the second of my Christmas buys was perfect.  Ever since P.S. I Love You, I have been a big Cecelia Ahern fan.  I love that her novels are easy reading, chick lit, with a moral.  This one did not disappoint, it took less than a week again and made me laugh out loud as well as cry.  One not to miss.

Christmas!!

I know it's not quite December yet but I spent Friday afternoon getting in the Christmas spirit with Loreto and Michael (Buble).  We had mince pies (thank you Nico), Christmas tunes and lots of Christmas card materials.  It was a fun afternoon but went way to fast - can't wait for our next session!

Reflecting

source

 At the weekend, I saw some clips from episodes of the American TV series 'Girls'.  I had read about this new series which is supposed to be a younger, more realistic version of Sex and the City - a series I loved.  When I excitedly tried to see what all the fuss was about, I have to admit, I was sorely disappointed.  I'm not sure if it's just that I don't get 24 year old humour any more or if it's something wrong with the series - it made me cringe the whole time I was watching it.  Some parts just weren't at all realistic but for me, I have to have a character I can identify with and I really couldn't.  I found it offensive to twenty-something women that the series portrays them in such a way.  The only good things I can say about what I saw is that they included some actresses who weren't size zero.  In that way, and for me that way alone, the series was more realistic.

This started me thinking about how much I have changed in the last three years.  In my head, I don't feel any different to the 24 year old me but when I look at where I am and what I'm doing I can see that so much has changed and in a good way.  If you had told me three years ago that I would be where I am now, I would not have believed it but I couldn't be more grateful for every single change in my life since then.  

Around this time three years ago, I drove back to my Dad's house from my place in Harrogate having been sent home from work 'sick'.  I'll never forget the drive because I don't know how I managed to stay on the road in the floods of tears I was in.  That week I had found out that my contract at the school I was at would not be renewed and that they were cutting German from the syllabus entirely, I found out that I couldn't stay in my flat as my flatmate had anorexia and was moving home - I couldn't afford the place alone, and the guy I was seeing finished with me to go back to his ex.  I couldn't see anything good in my life and didn't think it would ever get better.  I'd spent years studying and doing everything I was supposed to do to get the job I wanted and it wasn't good enough.

Today, I can see more than ever that everything happens for a reason.  If I hadn't had that terrible week, I would be in a very different place now.  Losing that job, led me to a brilliant interim job at a specialist languages school and ultimately to my job here in Bremen, which I love.  If the situation in England had not been so dire on the languages jobs front, I would never have considered looking this far afield.  Having this job led me to Nico - my boyfriend and best friend who understands me more than anyone and makes me the happiest girl alive.  Meeting Nico eventually meant moving into our lovely flat together and building a home with Pete the cat.  I can't explain the change in mental state that I have had here - somehow I don't feel like I'm on some treadmill anymore, trying to reach the future and get to where I want to be.  I feel like I'm there now.  It doesn't mean that I don't still have goals and things I want to do, it just means that I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be right now.

I guess when I consider all this, I must be a different person to three years ago and I definitely do find different things important, funny or difficult.  My message today has to be to those who find themselves in a situation like I was in three years ago - Hold on.  It does get better!  Everything happens for a reason and makes you stronger - I'm living proof!