tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21315452952305629182024-03-05T15:21:18.508+00:00Cashmere SundayAntoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-59701918025313062182012-11-07T00:35:00.000+00:002012-11-07T00:35:07.924+00:00Awesome Autumn Warmers!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Autumn is upon us - the trees are ablaze with colours, the weather is cooling down (scrap that - it's <em>freeeezing</em> already!) and the nights are drawing in, but fortunately I have these current perfect little pleasures keeping me as snug as a bug in a toasty little rug.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. The online <strong>21 Day Meditation Challenge</strong> from </span><a href="https://www.chopracentermeditation.com/Bestsellers/LandingPage.aspx?BookId=172" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopra Center Meditation</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - It's a 15 minute daily guided meditation on inviting abundance into your life and is a welcome break from life's current pressures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <strong>The Bridge Season 1 & The Killing Season 2</strong> - I currently can't get enough of Scandi noir; so much so that I managed to watch the entire season of The Bridge in one weekend!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.<strong> Modelo Beer</strong> - If you enjoy Mexican beers such as Corona or Sol, then I recommend you try Modelo beer. It's delicious, refreshing and refined. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. I've recently invested in a pair of <strong>Salomon trail running shoes</strong> and they're so good that I could wax lyrical about them all day. They're comfortable and provide excellent support, and are actually rather 'sexshy' (as far as running shoes can be anyway!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <strong>Spending more time in the kitchen</strong> - The current snap of cold weather has been a great encouragement to stay in and try out some new recipes. Recent experiments include <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver's</a> home made granola and my personal favourite - Canadian pancakes with blueberries, maple syrup & bacon on a lazy Sunday morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. It's only taken me 3 years, but I have finally found a fabulous pair of <strong>winter boots</strong> from Rieker. They are one of the leading designers of anti stress boots, so it's safe to say these boots rival my new Salomon trainers in the comfort stakes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. <strong>Party planning</strong> - My birthday is swiftly approaching which can mean only one thing - house partaaaay! The theme is Mad Hatters & Mayhem - I recently came across the <a href="http://www.vintagedorset.co.uk/party-ideas/mad-hatters-tea-parties/" target="_blank">Vintage Dorset website,</a> which has some brilliant ideas I may be using for the party!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. <strong>Autumn </strong>- What's not to love about Autumn? Crisp, sunny mornings, the first frost, pumpkin carving, the Fall leaves and the promise of the Christmas break just around the corner... Yes please!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">9. <strong>Warm Wolf</strong> - Cold nights mean that it's time for the return of Warm Wolf - a wolf teddy bear with a hot water bottle inside it. Yes, I may be in my 30's but I don't care!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. <strong>M&S food </strong>- Ok, this is an expensive addiction to have, but Marks & Spencer's food is just so deliciously, fantastically, resplendently amazing. That is all. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>What are your perfect little pleasures right now?</em></span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-7259403516883136982012-11-04T19:46:00.000+00:002012-11-04T19:46:34.614+00:00Trail Running in the Savernake Forest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my happiest discoveries this year has been my love for trail running. I've been an avid road runner for a couple of years now but it's only more recently that I've ventured off road into the exciting and extraordinary world of trail running.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This weekend a friend and I headed to the Savernake Forest in Marlborough to stretch our legs in the 4,500 acres of this beautiful woodland owned by the Earl of Cardigan. The forest is in a designated 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and words alone simply cannot do it justice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took my phone camera along for the run which was both a good and bad thing - on one hand it allowed me to capture these beautiful images, but it meant that I kept stopping intermittently to take pictures! Fortunately, my running buddy was very patient and admittedly the breaks were welcome as the Savernake Forest is certainly a challenging run consisting of ample hills and some very boggy terrain underfoot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people discount trail running if their focus is on achieving good running times. Naturally, the pavement or the treadmill are better if you're trying to improve your time but there's no harm in adding a spot of trail running into your routine too. It brings a whole new dynamic to the sport - it's both challenging and rewarding and it allows you the opportunity to spend quality time outdoors in the beautiful countryside. It's worth investing in a good pair of trail running shoes if you live in the UK though as it can get a tad muddy along the way!</span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-30949669797241498752012-10-31T23:57:00.001+00:002012-10-31T23:57:38.814+00:00Happy Halloween!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's not to love about Halloween? Copious amounts of sweets, spooky decorations, trick or treating and of course pumpkin carving!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This evening a friend held a pumpkin carving evening at her house, in preparation for the almighty HallowBon party she is throwing this weekend (HallowBon is a combination of Halloween and Bonfire Night and looks set to be the party of the year!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to confess I have never carved a pumpkin before in my life (sad I know!) but with a little inspiration from some pictures sourced from the Internet and a super sharp knife and voila! these are the beauties I created!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Halloween :)</span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-10221804550370529562012-10-04T19:12:00.001+01:002012-10-04T19:12:19.248+01:00Happy National Poetry Day 2012!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/sharpened-pencil-imagefree12365" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">dreamstime</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend sent me a fabulous email at work today in which she not only wished me a happy National Poetry Day, <em>(how did I miss this? I love poetry!)</em> but she also wrote me a joyful little poem about the flat pack joy that was our evening last night. (The move is almost done... finally!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love writing poetry and spend a fair bit of my free time wrapped up in creating the perfect poem. However, I'm not quite courageous enough to share my musings with the cyberworld just yet, so instead, in celebration of National Poetry Day, I thought I'd share one of my all time favourite poems:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you can keep your head when all about you<br /> Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;<br />If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,<br /> But make allowance for their doubting too:<br />If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,<br /> Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,<br />Or being hated don't give way to hating,<br /> And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;<br /> <br />If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;<br /> If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,<br />If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster<br /> And treat those two impostors just the same:.<br />If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken<br /> Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,<br />Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,<br /> And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;<br /> <br />If you can make one heap of all your winnings<br /> And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,<br />And lose, and start again at your beginnings,<br /> And never breathe a word about your loss:<br />If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew<br /> To serve your turn long after they are gone,<br />And so hold on when there is nothing in you<br /> Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"<br /> <br />If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,<br /> Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,<br />If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,<br /> If all men count with you, but none too much:<br />If you can fill the unforgiving minute<br /> With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,<br />Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,<br /> And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rudyard Kipling</span></div>
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-33724153971652447402012-09-29T20:05:00.000+01:002012-09-29T20:05:46.248+01:00All About... Tragic & Lovely<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things I enjoy the most about my 'Bug Another Blogger' series is the insight it gives me into the lives of fellow bloggers. We certainly all share a passion for writing, but that aside, we are a wonderfully varied group of individuals. This week I asked Karissa from </span><a href="http://tragicandlovely.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tragic & Lovely</span></a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a few questions about herself:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;"><strong>1. What accomplishment in your life to date are you the most proud of?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">I'm proud of persevering - sticking in out through the hard stuff. Because my husband and I didn't give up when things were hard, we have a stronger marriage. Because I didn't quit my job when it got difficult and exhausting, I am a better teacher. <br /><br /><b>2. Do you think people are a product of their environment?</b> <br />To an extent, yes! What we are taught when we are young generally remains our core. However, my brother, sister, and I are so different, despite being raised in relatively the same way by the same parents - thus, personality and personal choices greatly influence self.<br /><br /><b>3. What is your signature dish? </b><br />Chicken! I'm not a big fan of red meat and also find chicken the easiest to cook. Sometimes my husband will say, "Please, anything but more chicken!" But what I make over and over (and always get guest compliments for) would be either my mom's chicken enchiladas or the mustard glaze I put on salmon.<br /><br /><b>4. Why did you decide to start blogging?</b><br />I wanted a place to share creativity, to meet new people, to practice my writing... Plus, it's really fun!<br /><br /><b>5. What’s your favourite item in your wardrobe right now? </b><br />Since autumn is my favorite season, coats and scarves are the best! I have a beautiful coral coat that my parents gave me and a black and ivory scarf - I wear both often.<br /><br /><b>6. If you won the lottery, would you still work? </b><br />Yes! Probably mostly volunteering-type stuff or focus on my writing - but I'd be bored just sitting around. <br /><br /><b>7. Autumn or Spring?</b> <br />Autumn!!! I'm obsessed. I've even begun a <a href="http://pinterest.com/kabaker20/ode-to-autumn/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">pinterest board</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> dedicated to it.<br /><br /><b>8. When did you last see your best friend? </b><br />Fortunately, I see her every day - we work together :)<br /><br /><b>9. If you could live anywhere in the world (other than where you currently live) where would choose to your hang your hat? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really love Colorado and am quite happy here! But I really love Isla Roatan in Honduras and would happily live there. Or maybe semi-rural Pennsylvania. <br /><br /><b>10. Describe yourself in one sentence.</b> </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tough! Good thing you asked an English teacher who can be tricky with punctuation ;) Here goes... I am an introspective, Jesus-loving, introverted, married teacher who loves reading, writing, and animals (among other things); I have few friends but am dearly loyal to them; I'm thankful to say I'm happy in my life - always up for improvement but generally content with where and who I am.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image </span><a href="http://hopelessdomestic.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/truly-inspiring-tuesday-week-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: xx-small;">credit</span></a></span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-66439585846074055302012-09-27T23:20:00.000+01:002012-09-27T23:20:01.905+01:00What is Love?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstjqdk1VSOK7HaNIV0mF-_iz3lX6KV0SEFhY7IfmkS5BzZa7uEbTALj0YM-HHA5YegHHSfFhtkzQ7gz-R-mbkpx2kZ48MzCAWpFvTVM8bAN9U1iXlvQwMJIWN7GLawGT1LD5m5NcOaIg/s1600/dreamstimefree_247942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstjqdk1VSOK7HaNIV0mF-_iz3lX6KV0SEFhY7IfmkS5BzZa7uEbTALj0YM-HHA5YegHHSfFhtkzQ7gz-R-mbkpx2kZ48MzCAWpFvTVM8bAN9U1iXlvQwMJIWN7GLawGT1LD5m5NcOaIg/s400/dreamstimefree_247942.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been a barren few weeks on the blog front for which I must apologise profusely. <em>(I blame it on the fact that I am currently in the middle of moving house, which involves building flat pack furniture, which in turn involves me having to lie down for extensive periods of 'recovery' time...)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, normal blogging services shall return very soon. In the meantime though, I thought it would be nice to share this little thought with you....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Love is... to listen'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I volunteer for a local charity and the other evening I came across a painting in the branch with these words on it. And how true they are - one of the kindest things we can offer to our fellow human beings is a sympathetic ear. We all have vastly differing journeys through life but a common element is that at some point we will all face difficult patches. At these times, having someone to listen without judging or throwing advice at us can make all the difference. Surely that's love in one of its most selfless forms?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Why not give it a go and see what happens....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/ice-cream-sunset-imagefree247942" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">dreamstime</span></a></span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-21234500297466515932012-09-11T09:23:00.000+01:002012-09-11T09:23:19.962+01:00My Week in Photographs: 31st August - 6th September<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaSzW8yI1OFCR0hb_ggD-8veSh7p6eFI9mUI6I4I7yQLcoNhW-DX27CHUTRfcvXBIa9b95DvyWDI3w4Nt2-yGGjk4FXiEZZ_i5zs9BjQj3VMuLmizTUbMrTCP7nBQo1eB3Gq7LPS4a1E/s1600/autumn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaSzW8yI1OFCR0hb_ggD-8veSh7p6eFI9mUI6I4I7yQLcoNhW-DX27CHUTRfcvXBIa9b95DvyWDI3w4Nt2-yGGjk4FXiEZZ_i5zs9BjQj3VMuLmizTUbMrTCP7nBQo1eB3Gq7LPS4a1E/s640/autumn.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's official - Autumn has arrived in the UK! I have no idea exactly how or when this happened <em>(we haven't even had a summer yet!)</em> but it has begun. It's a little sad to see the nights drawing in but I can't help feeling a sense of anticipation about the start of the prettiest season of the year. I <em>love </em>Autumn and all the beautiful colours it brings.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNw8kbu82_YPqp4rDyjiblH49GjcUIJeKL8O4DSU08VKs0kGOMX82bIr4aVa3e0dVR9xS0U2O-kw4wgQXLUMfq6MAzzIal7V1eqxMmcgvbFgBjaEAkJZEurSrGD4xIYKuZCo2cPDP95Fw/s1600/kayak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNw8kbu82_YPqp4rDyjiblH49GjcUIJeKL8O4DSU08VKs0kGOMX82bIr4aVa3e0dVR9xS0U2O-kw4wgQXLUMfq6MAzzIal7V1eqxMmcgvbFgBjaEAkJZEurSrGD4xIYKuZCo2cPDP95Fw/s640/kayak.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's just as well then that my colleague and I passed the exam for our 1 star kayaking qualification after work on Wednesday this week, as the evenings are now almost too dark to get out on the lakes for a paddle.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXCAa9eTdKcowzax8CPiQ7cq0gqcaSiE__yNBZrPY1FzhvZHcKRmF42Vhstne4UOWvpv5fZn2GdwKXoE8BHlcaFOS0Pkmd3d58d7OYJ9X9vqyvIasWbjauqOvInDWJLpKxE6kjaw5VSs/s1600/house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXCAa9eTdKcowzax8CPiQ7cq0gqcaSiE__yNBZrPY1FzhvZHcKRmF42Vhstne4UOWvpv5fZn2GdwKXoE8BHlcaFOS0Pkmd3d58d7OYJ9X9vqyvIasWbjauqOvInDWJLpKxE6kjaw5VSs/s640/house.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a bid <em>(of denial)</em> to prolong the summer, I treated myself to a new and very summery coloured nail polish this week - 'Strawberry Fizz' from Rimmel. Whilst strolling home from work admiring my <em><span style="color: #e06666;">very pink</span> </em>toenails, I stumbled across this charming cottage. I think it's time for an eye test as I walk past this house every day but have never noticed it before!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly6HsglfqiZ7OOUNpey4EeDaJGDVJJQvo6eTEoiYE9cVXeO2Wg6ttdA6AwZqIdibrIols1Xu5jMcCLaP5I7w1HGqGgwQ5xz7tieuiVfZ-xqzneyVF5Y8aKkvyu-GhLM05Gmrf4awW8jc/s1600/broadway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly6HsglfqiZ7OOUNpey4EeDaJGDVJJQvo6eTEoiYE9cVXeO2Wg6ttdA6AwZqIdibrIols1Xu5jMcCLaP5I7w1HGqGgwQ5xz7tieuiVfZ-xqzneyVF5Y8aKkvyu-GhLM05Gmrf4awW8jc/s640/broadway.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend I finally went to see Broadway Tower in the Vale of Evesham. Visiting this remarkable folly has been on my to-do list for some time. I also went down the nuclear bunker on site (it's a little surreal going down a nuclear bunker that's in the middle of a field surrounded by sheep, countryside and not much else!). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-1GuGC-UrhhoTeaZ9pdX94rLXt0tptmPsgcJahULWeuk0oo57HIQi7By2cgkt4QFJzfKBaBk_ioY3DWWuKIXCXCy7fB9gNO-sUXJAONMuAtUoBCMWxGJUacszh503yU2oWTBtSVF1w/s1600/tidbits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-1GuGC-UrhhoTeaZ9pdX94rLXt0tptmPsgcJahULWeuk0oo57HIQi7By2cgkt4QFJzfKBaBk_ioY3DWWuKIXCXCy7fB9gNO-sUXJAONMuAtUoBCMWxGJUacszh503yU2oWTBtSVF1w/s640/tidbits.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Also this week:</em></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spent a rainy sunday in Bristol with a friend shopping at the Mall in Cribbs Causeway, which involved trying on the biggest coats and strangest hats we could find!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Came across Costa-Rican red bananas for the first time at my local greengrocers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Walked almost every day on my lunch break as the weather has been glorious</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Found a French sweet company in desperate need of help with their branding - gross!</span></li>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial;"><em>How has your week been?</em></span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-33095416776482917552012-09-08T23:33:00.000+01:002012-09-08T23:33:09.517+01:00The Science Museum, London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiGmiVPexHU_RHAGZLRdDDdguXxlnJv1_rkQeva1ELyI4Dl2bT1bP93hLYrgH7J1dI7RmA5sLKXqu63Kqf2Vqv8tYzmI7UZytZctHNsgoUPzNuCjtF6h_LooXfXYbayFcDrezIFTl3bQ/s1600/2012-07-20+16.33.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiGmiVPexHU_RHAGZLRdDDdguXxlnJv1_rkQeva1ELyI4Dl2bT1bP93hLYrgH7J1dI7RmA5sLKXqu63Kqf2Vqv8tYzmI7UZytZctHNsgoUPzNuCjtF6h_LooXfXYbayFcDrezIFTl3bQ/s640/2012-07-20+16.33.54.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it's science, but there isn't a whiff of geekiness in <em>this</em> museum. In fact, strolling through the exhibits, I was taken aback by just how cool the Science Museum is. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With over twenty different galleries spread over several floors, you can easily while away an afternoon, or even a whole day in here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exploring the exhibits, it's difficult not to feel a sense of pride and awe over the extraordinary accomplishments of scientists and pioneers over the centuries. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Making the Modern World gallery, which showcases hundreds of the world's most iconic inventions from the 1700s through to the 21st Century. You'll find the Apollo 10 command module here, along with Stephenson's original 'Rocket' locomotive, the Raleigh Chopper children's bicycle and Crick and Watson's DNA model. Prepare to be enthralled!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnBqfTNjvfvFIZIBM8rKBDR31CHQxQybMRQv2k4VxonLVmQZCkFnnZNY7lCL79FeoyrV9B6EsfI4lR9l9KxaqwhnBAjxx52nVTydbbdeF2WqLU3ZBqqRkwpBaumYdjCe0IHDh5ifgpm0/s1600/train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnBqfTNjvfvFIZIBM8rKBDR31CHQxQybMRQv2k4VxonLVmQZCkFnnZNY7lCL79FeoyrV9B6EsfI4lR9l9KxaqwhnBAjxx52nVTydbbdeF2WqLU3ZBqqRkwpBaumYdjCe0IHDh5ifgpm0/s640/train.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another absolute treat is the Exploring Space gallery that follows the history of the space age starting from 1957 with the launch of Sputnick 1, to sending spacecrafts to other planets, walking on the moon and launching thousands of satellites across the world.</span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53VVO0CRfKUgyV_NkOlyqzSAUFSQcXKZJ9bY62StqVz1vADM6kgrF13dNRx7HBIkoha6Kznop5hr_Ucb4MUgSp4uakPx62H3LFOyQLPbk3gzL4Lve7Nfx7CWib3bYko6Dsxp8TMo1fM4/s1600/space.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53VVO0CRfKUgyV_NkOlyqzSAUFSQcXKZJ9bY62StqVz1vADM6kgrF13dNRx7HBIkoha6Kznop5hr_Ucb4MUgSp4uakPx62H3LFOyQLPbk3gzL4Lve7Nfx7CWib3bYko6Dsxp8TMo1fM4/s640/space.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also on site is an Imax cinema and a museum shop that's brimming with gadgtes, science toys and gifts. There are also a couple of cafe's and restaurants which are ideal if, like me, you need to sit down and consume copious amounts of coffee and cake to get over the fact that you're extraordinarlily stupid compared to the remarkably talented inventors of the bygone eras. <em>(I had two pieces of cake...)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As with all the major museums and galleries in London, the Science Museum is free, so</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there's really no excuse not to drop by for a little lesson in all things scientific.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFMqh6DHaL4qBh3K_sVpAYWG5B1O8Z9XEC7gkRbydEPTUNy8E210UPlhorPrRTvZdf9Y3RdjiJRDlWxnlu2v6e9AKibW6ENjwFb4yDflPuTtZoME-sztFEx4mNx0b1tPjtTBDuPwMZKw/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFMqh6DHaL4qBh3K_sVpAYWG5B1O8Z9XEC7gkRbydEPTUNy8E210UPlhorPrRTvZdf9Y3RdjiJRDlWxnlu2v6e9AKibW6ENjwFb4yDflPuTtZoME-sztFEx4mNx0b1tPjtTBDuPwMZKw/s640/car.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For further info check out the Science Museum's website </span><a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-63277966964557801202012-09-08T11:26:00.001+01:002012-09-09T09:53:46.601+01:00Word of the Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOPUX7feEkoRN0jq83P7TACTiilNDhMxnx6sJtdnNGbZyUIbxgjqX8yFvimIY9ki5ecg8YCUZZ92LVBSZfsGIF8cuBXQLc59j0N2vDcvFTxGOXfP1bFTiGMNjKlE5LL-2Ijt87VSOwrA/s1600/20120908+Pills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOPUX7feEkoRN0jq83P7TACTiilNDhMxnx6sJtdnNGbZyUIbxgjqX8yFvimIY9ki5ecg8YCUZZ92LVBSZfsGIF8cuBXQLc59j0N2vDcvFTxGOXfP1bFTiGMNjKlE5LL-2Ijt87VSOwrA/s320/20120908+Pills.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Palliative</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">(Noun/ Adj.)</span> Remedy that alleviates pain without curing or dealing with the underlying cause</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Synonyms:</span> alleviant; alleviator, soothing</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>'Not even his charming company could serve as a palliative for her solitude.'</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>'Living is a sickness to which sleep provides relief every sixteen hours. It's a palliative. The remedy is death.'</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">'Palliative care is sadly lacking for patients with certain illnesses.'</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/capsules-imagefree148560" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">dreamstime</span></a></div>
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-88832533661186932562012-09-06T20:01:00.002+01:002012-09-06T20:01:09.934+01:00'Mission Kayak' Accomplished!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishing something</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> new! This week, I am basking in the warm fuzziness of that feeling because I have just completed my 1 star kayaking qualification from the British Canoe Union.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The course ran over a series of five weekday evenings and covered all the basics of canoeing and kayaking, including elementary manoeuvres, embarking and disembarking from boats, capsizing and of course health & safety and rescue procedures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another requisite for the award is to complete a river trip. I had this pleasure back in August on an all day kayaking excursion along the Thames in Oxford. We had dreadful weather that consisted of perpetual rain, thunder and lightning! (But I did it!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Admittedly I still have a lot to learn - my kayaking skills are more 'learner driver' than 'formula one' racer at this stage, but I intend to persevere with it, as I would love to become proficient enough to be able to go sea kayaking in the none too distant future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But let's not get ahead of myself. For now I shall simply pat myself on the back and enjoy practising my new found skills. :)</span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-25105292901814117672012-09-05T23:50:00.002+01:002012-09-05T23:53:02.318+01:00My Week in Photographs: 24th - 30th August <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It never ceases to amaze me just how much fun fancy dress parties are! Last weekend saw Suze's 4th/ 5th/ 6th? (I lose count!) consecutive year of celebrating her birthday in unusual attire, although the fun started in the office on Friday when the wig for her costume arrived, and was subsequently modelled by half of the office!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The fancy dress party proved an enormous hit as always and we were tripping the light fandango into the early hours of the morning. I then got up and did it all again the following day - albeit this time in a party dress rather than fancy dress! - for a good friend's wedding. And what an extraordinary wedding it was. (Greek weddings rock!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between all the partying, I also managed to finally see one of Royal Mail's golden postboxes in Cheltenham. I love the fact that it looks like a child is stuck inside this postbox! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There was also excitement and greedy bellies this week when we discovered that a delightful new waffle house has opened up in Cirencester. Nom nom!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In keeping with the food theme, I also dined at the lovely Hampton Manor Hotel in Solihull this week. The food was spectacular and the hotel is rather grand too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than that, the only other 'mini' entertainment was a road closure as a result of a tractor dropping its hay bales everywhere. Welcome to the Cotswolds!</span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-82264169223942259112012-08-30T23:51:00.001+01:002012-08-30T23:54:10.066+01:00He Says She... Waffles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being the sweet-toothed, culinary piggy that I am, my ears pricked up today when my work colleagues mentioned that a shiny new waffle house has come to Cirencester. So, at lunch time, I followed the syrupy-sweet scent of waffles all the way to Blackjack Street in the town centre, where the brilliantly named 'He Says She... Waffles' is neatly nestled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place is seriously awesome. The decor is a perfect blend of modern yet homely tables and chairs, with loads of quirky, waffle-inspired curiosities dotted about the cafe, lending it a fun and quirky air. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu is extensive too (providing you like waffles!) with plenty of sweet and savoury options, all at reasonable prices. The waffles took a little on the lengthy side to reach us but were worth the wait and were really attractively presented.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <em>only</em> downside - He Says She... Waffles is less than a five minute walk from my office, so I fear I may end up in here more than I probably should in the coming months!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out their website </span><a href="http://www.hesaysshewaffles.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - or better yet head to Templar Mews, Blackjack Street, Cirencester and try out the waffles for yourself.</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy waffling!</span></em><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-33958822365056363932012-08-30T00:06:00.001+01:002012-08-30T00:06:13.360+01:00Hot This Month!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August has been another windswept month for the UK, but fortunately I've had these 'hotties' to keep me happy:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">1.</span> The Olympic Games</span> - London has done a fabulous job at hosting the 2012 Olympics and as if we haven't had enough excitement already, this week sees the start of the Paralympics. Whatever will we do with our spare time when it's all over?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Greek Weddings</span> - everyone should have the opportunity to attend a Greek wedding at least once in their lifetime as it's a phenomenal experience! I went to my first Greek wedding this month and had enormous amounts of fun, particularly watching the traditional Greek dancing! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image from </span></span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/cross-and-arches-imagefree73152" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">dreamstime</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <span style="color: #cc0000;">'S</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">mother' by Daughter</span> - I heard this song on the radio for the first time this month and instantly fell in love with Elena Tonra's hauntingly exquisite voice. The song isn't due for release in the UK for another month or so, but I shall certainly be getting my paws on it as soon as it's out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Tesco's Feta & Butternut Squash Salad</span> - This may seem like a strange combination for a salad but don't be sceptical as it's delish! It's packed with ingredients including quinoa, edamame beans, spinach, chickpeas, sunflower seeds and oh-so-sweet cranberries. I could happily eat this every day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Homemade Cocktails</span> - This month saw me attempting to make my own cocktails for the first time - not only were they super tasty but I had great fun making them too! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/orange-drink-on-blue-imagefree154982" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-small;">dreamstime</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">6. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Murder: Joint Enterprise</span> - This brilliant new TV drama aired on BBC2 is directed by Birger Larsen, who helped create the Danish hit TV series The Killing (which I loved!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Fancy Dress Parties</span> - August has now become synonymous with one thing only - my friend Suze's infamous annual fancy dress birthday party! This year proved to be another smash hit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">8. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Bio Oil</span> - Love this stuff. 'Nuff said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">9. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Cadbury's Chocolate Coated Pretzels</span> - these little bite sized, chocolatey pretzels are utterly scrumptious and frightfully moreish. Yum!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>What are your perfect little pleasures right now?</em></span></div>
Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-71684705934255994062012-08-27T21:25:00.000+01:002012-08-27T21:50:30.466+01:00Word of the Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Punctilious</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohqtvRTm0k98CQlSO68L55J-PxBqUz-5Hg_o5z7PXx21lNSuwdUs0Z59qzo2d4wVfRurMtGFc2_fWvuNvA41OuwSOlY9rXuee0msxaOYa772Ye396SH6kOMewWUjW_82JSLzkVnQzqpw/s1600/pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohqtvRTm0k98CQlSO68L55J-PxBqUz-5Hg_o5z7PXx21lNSuwdUs0Z59qzo2d4wVfRurMtGFc2_fWvuNvA41OuwSOlY9rXuee0msxaOYa772Ye396SH6kOMewWUjW_82JSLzkVnQzqpw/s320/pot.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Adj.) Showing great attention to detail or correct behaviour.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Synonyms: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">precise - scrupulous - meticulous - pedantic - pernickety</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial;">Examples:</span><br />
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<span class="st"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Her punctilious manners made her fit right in at the country club, but down at the local dive bar she stood out like a black sheep.'</span></span><br />
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<span dtx-highlight-backgroundcolor="lime" id="dtx-highlighting-item"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'The </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">officer<span dtx-highlight-backgroundcolor="lime" id="dtx-highlighting-item"> in</span>sisted
upon<span dtx-highlight-backgroundcolor="blue" id="dtx-highlighting-item">
punctilious </span>execution of his commands.'</span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/sitting-on-the-pot-imagefree19468" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">dreamstime</span></a><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-31701052337061620502012-08-25T08:30:00.000+01:002012-08-25T08:57:03.823+01:00Cocktail o'clock!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEp9wAVUaUkInIv0HQT1LPeizUbIsFLl-Rcg1zIdbEEkwk-yEE51kgnGpKSxgKU1PIYTP7_S2T8rLpi8kGlwjS_k5P3afA9Ajxt10IpH2Z3ToE68N-OEOWiI2-2_zX-lqyhGayLuFhaLA/s1600/P1010208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEp9wAVUaUkInIv0HQT1LPeizUbIsFLl-Rcg1zIdbEEkwk-yEE51kgnGpKSxgKU1PIYTP7_S2T8rLpi8kGlwjS_k5P3afA9Ajxt10IpH2Z3ToE68N-OEOWiI2-2_zX-lqyhGayLuFhaLA/s640/P1010208.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're having friends over and are stuck for ideas for something entertaining to do, then perhaps consider holding a cocktail-making party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, a couple of the girls and I got together for exactly this and I could wax lyrical all day about how much fun we had!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>How to go about it:</em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmN2eHzImrf-8KRisBcZlFEP6N-waY9XPo_ozPxV1RcFruzg3hJ89QyagpWFw9yd812oLVdmRQzznezViMFS-KEg0P6IF-NNfxxtQElhyphenhyphenz2FaQOi1iyxRZ2RbjKDbPwX3PzSuGxPQ920/s1600/P1010204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmN2eHzImrf-8KRisBcZlFEP6N-waY9XPo_ozPxV1RcFruzg3hJ89QyagpWFw9yd812oLVdmRQzznezViMFS-KEg0P6IF-NNfxxtQElhyphenhyphenz2FaQOi1iyxRZ2RbjKDbPwX3PzSuGxPQ920/s320/P1010204.jpg" width="233" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll need the following basics:</span><br />
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<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A good cocktail book (we used '1000 Classic Cocktail Recipes' by Robert Cross) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cocktail shaker, preferably with a strainer </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A blender (for making 'frozen' cocktails, which I'd definitely recommend)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Various spirits and mixers, depending on which cocktails take your fancy. If you're on a budget then I suggest picking recipes that use the same spirit/s to keep the cost down</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Some nice glasses & decorations for the drinks, such as fresh fruit, drinking straws and mini umbrellas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Lots of crushed ice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A couple of willing <strike>guinea pigs</strike> participants to join in the cocktail shaking and drinking </span></div>
</li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And voila! you have all the ingredients for a perfect party.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxLpxRmv6MAjZLuwi9Sj1Pxr0AXYobrYeVYxYzSC-LNuYcqkKWmHE2vsYCyC0BJaxu7rzWXG_HU3oAH3NS2UaCzyqhSOBP9rRCQmBy83hhLymEgRoFbyNHHFTrpcMrEvuU9kiudSEj_I/s1600/P1010213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxLpxRmv6MAjZLuwi9Sj1Pxr0AXYobrYeVYxYzSC-LNuYcqkKWmHE2vsYCyC0BJaxu7rzWXG_HU3oAH3NS2UaCzyqhSOBP9rRCQmBy83hhLymEgRoFbyNHHFTrpcMrEvuU9kiudSEj_I/s320/P1010213.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We experimented with several cocktails during the evening, including good ol' classics such as mojitos, and classics with a twist - saocos (a Caribbean recipe similar to a pina colada but made with coconut milk instead of creamed coconut) and my personal favourite - frozen raspberry daiquiris. I couldn't find an exact recipe for the berry daiquiris so we improvised a little with superb results! The secret is to taste your creations whilst preparing them (any excuse!) until you get the perfect balance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><em>Happy cocktail making!</em></span></div>
Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-42432719426036617272012-08-24T23:21:00.001+01:002012-08-28T17:21:58.568+01:00My Week in Photographs: 17th - 23rd August<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtkuZ6-gwDJp0keyinkwMWsyFWJBPOY5sVP38-UVCpL1e3qgqkeUBs5M9zXYAGkkQz-ZGoHT_CKvcAD_QeK-VsdSEnHHCdE3DEL_z1N9yuItzXwGdP3AHmWsQOuHVj7YBOZTT13bFNRw/s1600/2012-08-21+19.18.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtkuZ6-gwDJp0keyinkwMWsyFWJBPOY5sVP38-UVCpL1e3qgqkeUBs5M9zXYAGkkQz-ZGoHT_CKvcAD_QeK-VsdSEnHHCdE3DEL_z1N9yuItzXwGdP3AHmWsQOuHVj7YBOZTT13bFNRw/s640/2012-08-21+19.18.26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday is always a fantastic day of the week, but even more so if the six days preceding it are crammed with exciting activities! It's certainly been one of those weeks for me and truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way as I love keeping busy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ResWTdw3DNclPOyI5i3k3mSCTuslbqgD4rZnsPMg8PYclgTAn9V1XHmS0vBi3KGu1MwK_mfqOyBoW-lmLczLJaeN8vibxTmEGb6y-5r2x40s6S9VopaBxw_xuO4d_MiBgwSu6lqrnmk/s1600/2012-08-18+18.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ResWTdw3DNclPOyI5i3k3mSCTuslbqgD4rZnsPMg8PYclgTAn9V1XHmS0vBi3KGu1MwK_mfqOyBoW-lmLczLJaeN8vibxTmEGb6y-5r2x40s6S9VopaBxw_xuO4d_MiBgwSu6lqrnmk/s400/2012-08-18+18.49.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend I joined the extended family for an evening meal at Egypt Mill in Stroud. It's a gorgeous venue set right on the water's edge. There was a wedding reception taking place the evening we were there so the service was a tad on the slow side but the food was fantastic and worth the wait. My cousin and I were getting pretty hungry, hence the steak knives in our hands!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP-SiixxKv1fVmgSa1b70F8lWBtaWSq169R_1EYSgxwjYBQm-oD3z0Bb1IjSC79qSiYDFPV1dUvM_2gU91d42GOGrrvGODmhVwL5gu2WyC7ghMArT4pNevGdcykUM796T-kKMmuyzeb8/s1600/2012-08-19+16.42.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP-SiixxKv1fVmgSa1b70F8lWBtaWSq169R_1EYSgxwjYBQm-oD3z0Bb1IjSC79qSiYDFPV1dUvM_2gU91d42GOGrrvGODmhVwL5gu2WyC7ghMArT4pNevGdcykUM796T-kKMmuyzeb8/s320/2012-08-19+16.42.57.jpg" width="257" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also had a great day out in Worcestershire with a friend, starting with a rather rainy but hugely enjoyable walk through the Wyre Forest, followed by a tasty three course lunch at a traditional English pub in Ombersley. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx93kzYOMjJf5ZAibo2W9Rq13LvT-Z_Mmv5eMwqOBYlrt5oOeVaeVLrrLGvrroRO94YYtnelc8ZU4Nqv8Gk33ahAscrBb1N370kae1kk86Oy_uu31bGFdD2kqf5EuZ7XIQa33XGSj4psA/s1600/2012-08-19+13.09.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx93kzYOMjJf5ZAibo2W9Rq13LvT-Z_Mmv5eMwqOBYlrt5oOeVaeVLrrLGvrroRO94YYtnelc8ZU4Nqv8Gk33ahAscrBb1N370kae1kk86Oy_uu31bGFdD2kqf5EuZ7XIQa33XGSj4psA/s400/2012-08-19+13.09.13.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst the men are away the ladies will play... Tuesday evening was ladies' night at my friend Harriet's house, as her other half is away at the moment. We all had great fun mixing up some impressive cocktails and getting mightily inebriated during the course of the night. Also on the menu was some super tasty chicken fajitas and hours upon hours of giggling over the silliest things! Girlie nights are great fun!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceGlyojBXVaWJFG6B2x9BjvCgjP2iAwMQyo1-1b7bqzbH1dd5sxNyrhEcvKnC-1J0Dtt6No2Ol1Dx7r-wuFVSypJQZQ5GbWBmnKqQQMkg2eMS7Buh0NCdSCaOhM4EkuHbweLHmLknSEo/s1600/2012-08-21+19.09.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceGlyojBXVaWJFG6B2x9BjvCgjP2iAwMQyo1-1b7bqzbH1dd5sxNyrhEcvKnC-1J0Dtt6No2Ol1Dx7r-wuFVSypJQZQ5GbWBmnKqQQMkg2eMS7Buh0NCdSCaOhM4EkuHbweLHmLknSEo/s400/2012-08-21+19.09.13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaggmEaDM06cKhyphenhyphenw4lADzpLbb9GYQ57_GsglHnIx1nPfBjsoG59apIHL3KCjGOucThxH52E6T-9h4OasVDw3ggpe7W94Lkx9VQ-WKix2iE19jYJdOsLdBguwcN68_UQMjHMuWTpZHiOcU/s1600/P1010227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaggmEaDM06cKhyphenhyphenw4lADzpLbb9GYQ57_GsglHnIx1nPfBjsoG59apIHL3KCjGOucThxH52E6T-9h4OasVDw3ggpe7W94Lkx9VQ-WKix2iE19jYJdOsLdBguwcN68_UQMjHMuWTpZHiOcU/s400/P1010227.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harriet's tortoise 'Speedy' was in hiding all evening (most likely because there were way too many ladies around the house for his liking) but we did get to meet Mr Lizard....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hangover central the following day at work which could mean only one thing - jaw breaking Cumberland sausage sandwiches from Waitrose! These are seriously delicious but it's no exaggeration to say that eating one of these is probably equivalent to eating an entire pack of sausages in one sitting! Perfect hangover food if you ask me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along a similar thread, a few of my office colleagues indulged in pizzas for lunch this week. The lanky lads ate a family-sized pizza each. I seriously don't know where they put it, as they savage their way through food like a pack of starving wolves and yet they are all so skinny. That said, they're young - let's measure their waistlines again in a few years' time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As if the week wasn't already busy enough, I also had my weekly kayaking lesson. After a rather rainy start to the day, the skies cleared and we were treated to a gloriously sunny afternoon/ evening on the lakes, which was just as well seeing as it was the 'capsizing in a canoe' lesson. I was particularly impressed with the first capsize we did - my canoeing buddy and I managed to throw ourselves out of our canoe without flipping our canoe in the process. Skills! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last but not least - a few other tidbits from the last seven days: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwPHFsBHVXcZ8ryvwc8fRAqjblWlpelOF0B-JhVhCuwiyyPUIvomPeHB84IB7MWcTGAR6L7jYTXWk70DYU6y7pmK7wOsFGCtYaqhM-LniA-swTKgwzfIqMtOydRkfzH-xM4uoQNkSlL4/s1600/2012-08-22+14.35.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwPHFsBHVXcZ8ryvwc8fRAqjblWlpelOF0B-JhVhCuwiyyPUIvomPeHB84IB7MWcTGAR6L7jYTXWk70DYU6y7pmK7wOsFGCtYaqhM-LniA-swTKgwzfIqMtOydRkfzH-xM4uoQNkSlL4/s200/2012-08-22+14.35.46.jpg" width="168" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daisy, the office dog was on total form this week, barking at the postman and various other unsuspecting visitors to our offices. Here's a photo of her making herself at home on my colleague Annie's desk. This little wolfhound officially rules the roost!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried these tasty chocolate coated pretzels from Cadbury's for the first time this week. They're new and utterly scrumptious. The only danger with them is that because they're not as sweet as normal chocolate it's quite easy to eat an entire packet in one sitting! Nom nom!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Arial;"><em>How has your week been?</em></span><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-22771538774940988542012-08-17T19:22:00.006+01:002012-11-04T19:49:12.705+00:00Soul Food from the Sole!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last couple of years, running has become one of my best friends. At school I was an avid cross country runner, but sadly somewhere down the road (<em>it was probably the road to the wine lands in Cape Town...)</em>, I got distracted by life and my passion for the sport started to dwindle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, rediscovering running has been of the best things that could have happened to me. After a busy day in the office, or even bright and early on a Sunday morning before the world has woken up, I love nothing more than grabbing my trainers and hitting the open road. I'm very fortunate to have miles of beautiful countryside literally on the doorstep, so within five minutes I can find myself surrounded by nature in her full resplendence without any people or cars in sight for miles. Bliss!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not just the endorphin kick that makes running so rewarding - I also find it does wonders for the soul. My mind has a tendency to permanently race around at about 1,000mph and running really helps to slow it down. I use my time out on the hills to work things through in my head (whether it's something that's bothering me, something I need to find a solution to, or even just creating a to-do list for the day!) and by the time I've finished my run, my head is cleared and my legs have had a good stretch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In June this year I ran my first 10k at Westonbirt Arboretum and despite the fact that the weather was beyond atrocious (think mud bath...), it was such a liberating feeling. I've already set my sights on The Wolf Run in Leamington Spa in April 2013 (Wolf stands for Woods, Obstacles, Lakes and Fields...) and plan to complete a similar challenge every year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It takes time and commitment to get back into running after having had a break from it, but if you can push through the initial difficult bit, then there's no looking back. I know I certainly haven't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Image from </span><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/best-foot-forward-imagefree89710" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">dreamstime</span></a><br />
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-78815029391062575932012-08-16T20:54:00.000+01:002012-08-20T22:56:11.760+01:00My Week in Photographs: 10th - 16th August 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Being the delightful creature of change that I am, I’ve made a slight amend to the current format of my ‘Photo of the Day’ posts. Rather than uploading a daily picture, I’m doing a weekly round up, all in one neat little post! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It can be challenging finding something interesting to photograph every day, but it's also rewarding as it makes you seek out a little a bit of magic amongst the mundane. It also serves as a reminder of just how much happens, even in a seemingly quiet week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>So, without further ado, here are this week's photographic highlights:</o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p><em>(The above photograph is of my cousin's beautiful kitten. I loved the way the cat was sprawled out on the floral duvet as it made for a glorious mish-mash of colours and patterns.)</em></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I photographed these horses whilst on a walk in Frampton. It was raining at the time and was the second storm I got caught in whilst outdoors sans an umbrella that day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came across this magnificent tree on the same walk. The English countryside is resplendent at the moment. Everything is lush and green as a result of all the rain we have had recently.</span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The family pets fighting over a stick. I don't think I'll ever fully understand why dogs are so fascinated with sticks, but on the plus side, it's preferable to cats playing with mice!</span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>Beautiful sunset over the lakes. Occasionally it doesn't rain in England!</o:p></span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>Here's my lunch after a client meeting, purchased at Starbucks in Surrey. I tried these interesting new crisps that are popped (using pressure and heat) rather than fried or baked. Oh, and the gap at the top of my wallet is where my debit card used to live... I realised on Tuesday that I'd lost it! (Possibly as a result of drunken trampolining at 3am on Saturday morning....)</o:p></span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>This caused a lot of laughter in the office - my colleague Suze borrowed a pair of shoes from the tallest person in the company and wore them for a large portion of the day...</o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt56uQreqW_wvwqUkBmvFJt1_L4j53KcTO0JoS3sdM9ScRYbeyWewCRNm0S1rjc41ECCUVqkZY8hUHM2WPQawz3Zb8K0j-5vqrZLWakRFLkiADidwuUEbU7POyg-kIo8gdVMGXsOoNlNM/s1600/2012-08-15+18.39.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt56uQreqW_wvwqUkBmvFJt1_L4j53KcTO0JoS3sdM9ScRYbeyWewCRNm0S1rjc41ECCUVqkZY8hUHM2WPQawz3Zb8K0j-5vqrZLWakRFLkiADidwuUEbU7POyg-kIo8gdVMGXsOoNlNM/s640/2012-08-15+18.39.31.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>My mid-week respite - an evening of escapism on the lakes in South Cerney. We ditched the kayaks this week for a lesson in canoes instead which was great fun - apart from the bit where we had to stand up in the canoes and paddle at the same time. Wibble wobble!!</o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2xo9am6vjPdFgvNRaofCfiycfGiEaRVJJILyAv5eJBcn3e4rLI71ZYOkUx-e37QxchjRI1M-JpjOPRTSjiXAbuBuURuPs3Kg94oLu5V5MHSVBQVyVvPOto2w29vus3KwSwwEarQkEgo/s1600/P1010157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2xo9am6vjPdFgvNRaofCfiycfGiEaRVJJILyAv5eJBcn3e4rLI71ZYOkUx-e37QxchjRI1M-JpjOPRTSjiXAbuBuURuPs3Kg94oLu5V5MHSVBQVyVvPOto2w29vus3KwSwwEarQkEgo/s320/P1010157.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApJvbPGl-Lvz6LnkjHXFEEr2IukSVKpr1vBqyux_Jjei39Kt34JPFE6ieJArc3r96poTpLuj20Pl5dtgUydKYZNUyiSK55JfaN-Q7ei9K7-J451wkY565QYR6NLHxQ1Hw4ocXyg26ElI/s1600/P1010166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApJvbPGl-Lvz6LnkjHXFEEr2IukSVKpr1vBqyux_Jjei39Kt34JPFE6ieJArc3r96poTpLuj20Pl5dtgUydKYZNUyiSK55JfaN-Q7ei9K7-J451wkY565QYR6NLHxQ1Hw4ocXyg26ElI/s320/P1010166.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>I came across these beautiful buildings whilst on a walk in Cirencester park. I love the light in the photograph of the bench - it made the picture look almost as though it had been sketched.</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>And finally - here are the the 'walking club' boys posing outside the rather prodigious entrance to the Bathurst Estate. What a door!</o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p>So there you have it - a few little snippets from my week! </o:p></span><br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-76871426342083616242012-08-14T23:25:00.000+01:002012-08-14T23:34:49.768+01:00All About... Are you Flowin'?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I last shamelessly 'Bugged Another Blogger' with a list of random & nosey questions about themselves, which can mean only one thing - time for another interrogation!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">Today's blogger is the talented and lovely Sarah (check out her awesome blog, "<em>are you flowin'?"</em> </span><a href="http://are-you-flowin.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">here</span></a><span style="color: #999999;">). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial;">Here are her Q&A's:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. If you weren’t doing the job
you’re currently doing, what work would you be doing instead?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to be a marine biologist growing up, not sure why, I think I thought it meant swimming with dolphins every day (in reality it’s more about cataloguing plankton)….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but if I had to choose a new career right now I’d love to be an art therapist<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Who knows you best in this
world?<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My best friend Alison, or my other half Jay, too close to
call it<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. What’s the biggest ‘fashion
disaster’ that you’ve ever sported?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Probably my favourite outfit in my mid-teens – baggy yellow
jumper, tight yellow leggings, yellow stiletto heeled pixie boots – with
hindsight, I probably looked like a streetwalker version of Big Bird from </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sesame Street</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: Arial;"> :D<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>4. Are you an optimist or pessimist?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bit of both!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
fairly happy most of the time, so I’m not a negative ninny, but I tend towards
realism rather than outright blind optimism <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>5. What is your favourite creative
outlet?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Am I only
allowed to pick one? </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How about a top 5?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collage, painting,
jewellery making, photography, fabric art<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. What’s the last book you read
and enjoyed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been
mainly reading non fiction recently, the last book I read was Water Paper Paint
by Heather Smith Jones<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>7. Have you ever walked out of a
cinema?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t think
so – I am always convinced that a bad movie will improve before the end (maybe
I am an optimist after all!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>8. What event in your diary this
year are you looking forward to the most?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A week in
Cornwall (5 days away and counting!), and Vans Warped tour in London in
November<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>9. What did you buy today?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I should
have filled this survey out on a more interesting day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bottle of orange squash, some Coco Pops and
a ream of printer paper </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>10. Who or what would you like to
come back as in your next life?<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ooooh, good one ……..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a golden eagle I think ….. flying looks like fun, and nobody messes with
those fellas<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">About the picture Sarah picked to accompany her interview:</span> "<span style="color: grey; font-family: Arial;">The photo is my drawing of my favourite trainers ….. kind of a self
portrait as Converse and Vans are all I ever wear, and it’s an example of my
main hobby, drawing and painting stuff </span><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">J<span style="font-family: Arial;">"<span style="color: grey; font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-46796888249219894202012-08-14T22:16:00.001+01:002012-08-14T22:16:53.936+01:00The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcAZtC2NYUn8rGS3V7AkXWWIIeBk7CphQSAp2_R5pyoyZUbJtxu6yFPlIVCP9CJ9X1kjDJs1pcdrjTVErRkJePev-Qv3bh0EJ-ilj_N5G1hry4Qt1hPIErEQ03c5258KV2HDliSt5-7c/s1600/alchemist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcAZtC2NYUn8rGS3V7AkXWWIIeBk7CphQSAp2_R5pyoyZUbJtxu6yFPlIVCP9CJ9X1kjDJs1pcdrjTVErRkJePev-Qv3bh0EJ-ilj_N5G1hry4Qt1hPIErEQ03c5258KV2HDliSt5-7c/s400/alchemist.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">What it’s About<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Alchemist is a story
about a young Andalusian shepherd named </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Santiago</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;"> who has a recurring dream about finding treasure
overseas. It follows his journey to </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Arial;"> in pursuit of his destiny and elucidates how the
universe shall open up a path for those that have the courage to pursue their
dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="color: #999999;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">Why Read it<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">Of the novels I’ve read so
far as part of my 100 Must Read Books Challenge, The Alchemist is by far my
favourite to date. It’s an uplifting, spiritual tale that has turned me into an
instant Paulo Coelho fan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">Favourite Quotes<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“When we love, we always
strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we
are, everything around us becomes better too.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“People are capable, at any time
in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“We are travellers on a
cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of
infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each
other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little
parenthesis in eternity.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“The secret of life, though,
is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“I don’t live in either my
past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate
always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a
grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">“Intuition is really a
sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">"And, when you can't go back,
you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">"You will never be able to
escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-91643381418956352632012-08-13T00:40:00.000+01:002012-08-20T23:02:44.775+01:00The Natural History Museum, London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the beginning of this
year I decided I was in dire need of a little more culture in my life, so
whenever I head into </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">London</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;"> now I always try to throw in a visit to one of the
renowned museums or galleries dotted about this remarkable city. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALNjLtfVK_HVwpxCxIBxC1MuSWk7UgU-8glMFnDW-ybHfnNB7FDzO-r1mQlJO3QhX9oG1iV6SUAwhyphenhyphenGRpUrhh8JGnSueguHeJJHfMsB5UJPGjfQVYvhc2juGwyYLGrq4xwpTCxAEsWqQ/s1600/2012-07-20+15.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALNjLtfVK_HVwpxCxIBxC1MuSWk7UgU-8glMFnDW-ybHfnNB7FDzO-r1mQlJO3QhX9oG1iV6SUAwhyphenhyphenGRpUrhh8JGnSueguHeJJHfMsB5UJPGjfQVYvhc2juGwyYLGrq4xwpTCxAEsWqQ/s640/2012-07-20+15.10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Most recently I visited the
Natural History Museum on </span><st1:street><st1:address><span style="font-family: Arial;">Cromwell Road</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: Arial;">. I only had a few <span style="color: #999999;">hours spare but with the
help of a</span> map of the museum I managed to see all of the key attractions, albeit
without stopping to smell the roses along the way!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">The museum is cleverly
divided up into four colour zones (spread across four floors) to help you find
what you’re looking for. Unsurprisingly, the children head straight for the
dinosaurs (blue zone!), so this tends to be the busy area, but it’s definitely
worth a visit. The ‘living’ T-rex is particularly impressive.</span></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">I loved the mammals’
gallery, which includes a life-size model of a blue whale (the largest creature
in the world) suspended from the ceiling. Other highlights included seeing the
dodo bird and taking the escalator up through the prodigious sculpture of the
Earth, which felt rather like being in a sci-fi movie!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">The celebrated Animal Inside
Out exhibition was still on display while I was there but sadly I didn’t have
time to visit it. The exhibition is adapted from Gunther von Hagen’s ‘Body
Worlds’ and shows the intricate insides of a variety of the world’s creatures.
(An admission fee applies.)<o:p></o:p></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OKIc1arB6tyvPsWcz83GBrN_UFSwKbiHrgNZihzT6Gad_UqyTkjOuL3uRY1mD2mRdV5yuX0grPkzQn8ia3vA3rqBI77XWo2a0BuRee6dCaCHjDzUIMfND-r-VgwKfubE35wrHL-VQUs/s1600/2012-07-20+15.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OKIc1arB6tyvPsWcz83GBrN_UFSwKbiHrgNZihzT6Gad_UqyTkjOuL3uRY1mD2mRdV5yuX0grPkzQn8ia3vA3rqBI77XWo2a0BuRee6dCaCHjDzUIMfND-r-VgwKfubE35wrHL-VQUs/s640/2012-07-20+15.01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’d certainly recommend a
visit to the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;">Natural</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;">History</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Arial;">Museum</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;"> to anyone as it’s a fascinating place and is undoubtedly
one of </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Britain</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Arial;">’s best national treasures. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">To visit the NHM’s website,
click <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank">here</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPcAMBXHdPCMuN9nMAdsvd6cRPaIIoXWy2XFyECet2dVFLSZQV-2HnTEV4UU0faeo5ASjUYwKrDwuGjmV6bH-YIELOXdoB4yTxGDBJrXNt_PFCaCeFimhGB-jnMT3zn4J474YWxlDdoU/s1600/2012-07-20+14.49.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPcAMBXHdPCMuN9nMAdsvd6cRPaIIoXWy2XFyECet2dVFLSZQV-2HnTEV4UU0faeo5ASjUYwKrDwuGjmV6bH-YIELOXdoB4yTxGDBJrXNt_PFCaCeFimhGB-jnMT3zn4J474YWxlDdoU/s200/2012-07-20+14.49.00.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-38096043213299973162012-08-12T21:05:00.002+01:002012-08-12T22:23:06.676+01:00If I was a Rich Girl....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTV5XjJhV4jfozHbggzdN1JJhQ7j-NwGYD9x0gwpmiBWZVrrP2bvTXUZSxScGAXSP4YboSgR4wSohSf_sz3C28zpWzEW2YfA-5AXzDhR__jEBRjA7akJBcGFedXzwy9rkHuzxoVoAsDM/s1600/the-penthouse-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTV5XjJhV4jfozHbggzdN1JJhQ7j-NwGYD9x0gwpmiBWZVrrP2bvTXUZSxScGAXSP4YboSgR4wSohSf_sz3C28zpWzEW2YfA-5AXzDhR__jEBRjA7akJBcGFedXzwy9rkHuzxoVoAsDM/s640/the-penthouse-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm forever stumbling across really fabulous (read 'expensive') things on the web, so decided it was about time to add a section to my blog dedicated to cool stuff that, <em>'if I was a rich girl,'</em> I would buy in the blink of an eye. The more outrageously expensive, the better!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1b5l7jbpa-lYd16IcjWaTZbeBhw6SLKNOoR5TqqrfRZyMBrgsRDOj6G5veFT7Sbl9WJKgj4bRvvdtSl50_CDvkE-qmS2NeKOHOW2PV8IOTAdYFiulOHSbyEon16pGquyYnv4GUAqvhc/s1600/the-penthouse-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1b5l7jbpa-lYd16IcjWaTZbeBhw6SLKNOoR5TqqrfRZyMBrgsRDOj6G5veFT7Sbl9WJKgj4bRvvdtSl50_CDvkE-qmS2NeKOHOW2PV8IOTAdYFiulOHSbyEon16pGquyYnv4GUAqvhc/s320/the-penthouse-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first acquisition would be this breathtaking penthouse apartment in Hyde Park, London. Apparently it's one of the most expensive flats in the world, costing a cool £6,000 per sq/ft. It has security gadgets that would rival James Bond, and of course boasts spectacular views across London.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes please!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To read the full article on this apartment, click <a href="http://www.collthings.co.uk/2011/02/10-most-expensives-homes-in-world-2011.html" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-3904913926903047912012-08-11T10:16:00.000+01:002012-08-11T10:37:43.996+01:00Etsy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahJCG-CrqVx84zR60IZLGfNCkbq-019761CX6TIUmjffl8WKBkA8atxhjitI1c8hgNWL2AIA6z_mfywChCBEAtNAbMGsa4rNTwSVnjEghyphenhyphen05NYptXaVJDb9S4KXNtjR5urRjQsmNGrkQ/s1600/201208+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahJCG-CrqVx84zR60IZLGfNCkbq-019761CX6TIUmjffl8WKBkA8atxhjitI1c8hgNWL2AIA6z_mfywChCBEAtNAbMGsa4rNTwSVnjEghyphenhyphen05NYptXaVJDb9S4KXNtjR5urRjQsmNGrkQ/s1600/201208+etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahJCG-CrqVx84zR60IZLGfNCkbq-019761CX6TIUmjffl8WKBkA8atxhjitI1c8hgNWL2AIA6z_mfywChCBEAtNAbMGsa4rNTwSVnjEghyphenhyphen05NYptXaVJDb9S4KXNtjR5urRjQsmNGrkQ/s400/201208+etsy.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #999999;">Recently a good friend of
mine introduced me to the fabulous world of Etsy.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Etsy is an online shop where
you can b</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;">uy
unique handmade and vintage items directly from independent sellers around the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999;">It sells a huge range of items from jewellery, clothing, art, wedding
goodies, right through to gorgeous items perfect for your home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #999999;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999;">I particularly like its search features – for example you can search for
handmade or vintage items– or my favourite – locally sourced items made
in my own hometown!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999;">It’s also very reasonably priced, which means you can pick up some fabulous
items at respectable prices. A little patience is needed though as there is an almost
overwhelming volume of items to look through and not all vendors dispatch to the UK. I could easily end up spending all day on
this website!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To check out Etsy for yourself, click</span> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/?ref=so_home" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">here</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">(Above dress/ image from </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/87392439/french-lace-bohemian-vintage-style" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-small;">Graceloveslace</span></a><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-small;">)</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-28647856445140113912012-08-09T23:19:00.002+01:002012-08-09T23:20:11.671+01:00Photo of the Day - Thursday 9th August 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1uNuoTr4iG9NoknybK8Hpo1_iIe6KjpKIv1y6bmSLoqFNwAmiORfcUOJEge3aIKvBGW9NV6m8MG6hUVS8qausMSb-MxmjnGh6cxoL-wiijtbrehjqzCp0jf5VgVRATlVNck5rNtXZyw/s1600/20120809+POTD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1uNuoTr4iG9NoknybK8Hpo1_iIe6KjpKIv1y6bmSLoqFNwAmiORfcUOJEge3aIKvBGW9NV6m8MG6hUVS8qausMSb-MxmjnGh6cxoL-wiijtbrehjqzCp0jf5VgVRATlVNck5rNtXZyw/s320/20120809+POTD.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I went out for lunch with a few work colleagues today - we headed to the recently refurbished Pizza Express In Cirencester's town centre. I was pleasantly surprised with it's new look (although the construction worker helmets as light shades confused me a little...).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The pizza was pretty good though and that's the main thing!</span><br />
<br /></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2131545295230562918.post-47842806037915703742012-08-08T23:10:00.000+01:002012-08-09T23:22:39.897+01:00Photo of the Day - Wednesday 8th August 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx7FHoYAr7yXQUrvwbqqYpp5noxRovh51A5yunw0Ad_e39wyGDIlDkVDaejKB-7kwydAMcSPK1WnCoPetQitgdvvhc9n3a6udNf_Isd-kX3B-hurKXZfJefWzO-wyH7gNv_ttcJjsLKQ/s1600/20120808+POTD+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx7FHoYAr7yXQUrvwbqqYpp5noxRovh51A5yunw0Ad_e39wyGDIlDkVDaejKB-7kwydAMcSPK1WnCoPetQitgdvvhc9n3a6udNf_Isd-kX3B-hurKXZfJefWzO-wyH7gNv_ttcJjsLKQ/s400/20120808+POTD+2.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The renovations to the church in Cirencester's town centre took place some time ago, but even now, whenever I walk passed it I still can't help thinking how the front of it looks like a sand castle compared to the rest of the church. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was also checking out one of the local bank's mortgage offers this lunchtime, but one of my colleagues had other ideas!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUoNY9-Qn6v-8OnyddUrxiRmPIdXySqsli5l6AYv_z11hW981HSeUjgut1Zso3YZPNF8jnBLdHIQ2akc_ZF_QL7AS1g8aFuav1Uqswysi6yoFYwe2PvkhPN2okBOl6BfQHXnGHnEmzqI/s1600/20120808+POTD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUoNY9-Qn6v-8OnyddUrxiRmPIdXySqsli5l6AYv_z11hW981HSeUjgut1Zso3YZPNF8jnBLdHIQ2akc_ZF_QL7AS1g8aFuav1Uqswysi6yoFYwe2PvkhPN2okBOl6BfQHXnGHnEmzqI/s320/20120808+POTD.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16293240688528617284noreply@blogger.com0