I kinda treat myself to something nice during the month of September ; mainly due to the fact that my birthday falls in September. It’s also the time when you know Autumn’s just round the corner. I love autumn fashion…the short skirts and winter leggings…boots and blazers…it’s getting cold…but yet still warm enough that you can get away with wearing that micro mini dress just one last time.

Which therefore brings me to my number one purchase for this autume…boots.

I’m not sure about everyone else but I’ve been dying for a pair that fits me perfectly! I have quite skinny calves and none of the boots on the high street fit me. Why should I succumb to always wearing my jeans in my boots just cause I can’t find one which fits around my actual calves?!? And no…I don’t want UGGs. Can’t wear those to work now can I?

Thankfully, I found DUO BOOTS. These guys are absolutely brilliant. My life saver. I bought my first pair off eBay a few days ago and for the first time ever, I feel it cup round my calves! Bliss! With 21 Calf sizes to choose from, you can find your perfect pair for those skinny calves (like me) or bigger ones. Prices range from £120 upwards. Granted they aren’t cheap. But these babies last forever! I couldn’t believe that the second hand one I got off eBay was 2 years old! The leather was still in a very good condition and with a quick heel repair and shoe shine, my second hand DUO BOOTS looked as good as new!

I think I might treat myself to a brand new one soon…. (since it’s gonna be my birthday and all…)

Dinner…cooked – check!

Wine…poured – check!

Candles…lit – check!

Good homecooked food in the comfort of our PJs and just for that evening, it’s just us…in our own little world…talking about things that have been and things that will be.

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I’m happy.

This past week, J and I have been away in Devon for a much needed break. We booked a few nights in a B&B in a little village just off Dartmouth and were pleasantly surprised with our choice. Greeted with home made fruit cake and a pot of tea, on the balcony overlooking the sea was more than we could possibly ask for. An extra bonus was that the B&B was seconds away from the coastal path which would lead us to a perfect tranquil little beach only know to locals in the area. There was hardly anyone around and we had the beach pretty much to ourselves ; which was a far cry from the noise and bustle of holidaymakers on Blackpool Sands.

All in all, we had a brilliant time and were a little dissapointed to be heading home.

When you’re so far away from home, there is really nothing you can do about the overwhelming sense of homsickness that just creeps up on you when you least expect it. Memories from back home sometimes invade my mind subconsciously and as I pull at one memory, it brings another one with it. Sometimes making me smile but sometimes….just sometimes…making me feel slightly depressed.

Being the oldest of 3 girls and being the only one away from home, I can’t help but feel so jealous and envious of my two sisters back home. Seeing photos of them on Facebook makes it worse somehow. Doing things we would normally do as a group…the 3 of us… Ok I admit it…it’s heart-wrenching…it absolutely kills.

You suddenly feel like you should have done more as a big sister. You should have been there more. You should have listened more. You should have loved them more. You should have protected them more. Coz now…you’re the one who is slowly just drifting away due to the physical barrier between you and the two of them. You’re the last to know about boyfriends or break-ups and you’re the last person they turn to when they need a shoulder to cry out or some big sister advice.

And as much as people say that nothing’s gonna change and that I’ll always be their big sister…the doubt still lingers…and as much as I try to be happy for them and be there for them…I can’t help but feel…things will never be the same again…

I couldn’t believe how much fun these were to take! I was on f22, 5-8secs, manual focus, VR off, mostly 18mm focal length. Mounted the D90 on the tripod, framed the shot and just snapped away!

The rides starting closing down at 9pm which wasn’t even dark yet so I reckon I could have had better shots if the fair was open much later. However, on the other hand, I do like how the blue in the sky in some of the shots.

Either way, it was still so much fun!

My usual routine when I get back from work:

1. Lock the door behind me…take my heels off…throw my handbag and keys on the stairs.

2. Look for J’s shoes which would give me a pretty good indication if he’s back home yet. If they are, yell something like “I’m home!” to figure out if he’s in the house or in his garage. 80% of the time I won’t get a response as he’ll be in his beloved garage (I swear he loves his tools more than me…)

3. Enter the kitchen and pop the kettle on for my mandatory 6pm cup of tea.

4. While kettle’s boiling, go up to the office and switch my laptop on.

Everything’s pretty routine from then on except this time….

I was pleasantly surprised to find a bouquet of roses and lillies on my desk!

My face instantly lit up! I don’t what it is about flowers…is it the smell? Or just the fact that J bought something which he knew would wither away and die after 2 weeks which doesn’t quite justify paying £9.99 for but is all worth it just for the good mood it puts me in all that evening. Or maybe it just boils down to the fact that I love little surprises…

Anyway, I’m getting a little side-tracked here. This post wasn’t meant to be all about the flowers but about something completely different so bear with me.

So anyway, I was sitting in the living room today surfing on my laptop and admiring my beautiful flowers when I realized just how bare my living room wall was!

J has very kindly released his reins over what we should about the interior design on the living room. So it all boils down to me to figure something out.

All I’ve done so far was paint it a different colour to the rest of the walls so kinda give it a “feature wall” look. I contemplated having it wallpapered but knowing my DIY skills, I decided painting was more manageable.

I want something totally different yet I don’t wanna just buy anything which would look pretty yet not be very personal.

One idea I had was to have a row of simple black picture frames containing some of my photography across the top of the TV and continuing all the way down to the floor on either ends. I’m thinking black & white vintage like photos.

Eventhough he did relinquish his rights over the matter, J feels very strongly about the idea. “Nobody hangs picture frames below eye-level. What are you meant to do? Go down on your knees to view them? ” he remarked.

Sigh…It’s a tough one…

P.S: Aren’t the flowers oh so pretty??