Spoonie tour guide is go…

Last week my sis in law’s nephew was visiting from Australia. He is making good use of his youth & doing a little travelling. His epic trip takes him around Europe before hitting the south of Africa & then stopping off in UAE on the way back down under. Obviously we wanted to show our visiting family a good time. Thus, the spoonie tour guide & another week in pictures was born. 

Since Simon’s mum & aunts had spent happy years in Glasgow he wanted to have a good look around. My brother & niece are also cheerleaders for our fair city, so we didn’t want to let the side down. First stop was Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Kelvingrove is one of my favourite places. An impressive collection of varied exhibits housed in a stunning building, which itself sits in a beautiful park. Simon was impressed with the architecture & variety. I was delighted to get reacquainted with my favourite Lowry, some early body positive art & a really old tree.

Kelvingrove Art gallery & Museum


We capped of Kelvingrove with a quick walk in the park. After saying hello to some very friendly squirrels we were joined by my mum & sister for a bite to eat. Special mention for Brewdogs’s vegan hotdog. Yummers.

Glasgow Xmas lights

Pitch black & freezing by half 5 isn’t ideal for visitors used to a warmer climate, but it does show off the Christmas lights to perfection. I swear Fraser’s add more lights every year. I’m not complaining, I’m a sucker for a twinkly light. Argyle arcade is getting in on the action too. We thought this looked like a very festive cat. What do you think?

In between excursions I squeezed in a date night with the Toyboy. Wagamama’a vegan pad Thai & The Death of Stalin are getting a big thumbs up. They are respectively delicious & hilarious. The TB agreed. I also found a little time to beautify my nails & spread some #ProjectPostIt wisdom.

Project post it

On Wednesday we took a day trip to Edinburgh. Simon was really keen to see the castle (his first) & it didn’t disappoint. We were really lucky to get fresh, clear day. The views from the castle were spectacular. 


I hadn’t been inside the castle since I was a child, but was pleasantly surprised. The buildings are amazing & the restoration inside is really well done. There are are so many little details that are so well done. It’s crazy to peer out of windows & realise much of what you’re looking is as it was hundreds of years ago. 


We met this fine unicorn fella & his lion friend keeping watch outside the National War Memorial. Plus discovered this cemetery for soldier’s dogs. R.I.P. puppers. 


Importantly,  our castle visit finally bestowed upon me the recognition I deserve. I am Scotland’s Crown Jewels. 


With temperatures dropping we got Simon inside for some food. Then had a quick mess around with the mirrors at the camera obscura. This is a fab attraction that we sadly didn’t have time for, but it’s definitely worth a visit. A quick glimpse at more Xmas lights warmed our hearts before we headed back west.

On his last full day in Scotland we took our intrepid traveller to Loch Lomond. What better spot to show off our country than on the Bonnie, Bonnie banks?



The view from Luss pier is divine. The village is lovely, the pub has a real fire & hearty fare. We couldn’t ask for more. 

We got back into town with just enough time to check out the Xmas market, more lights & gorge ourselves in the swanky Atlantic Line. 

As much fun as I had during my stint as a spoonie tour guide, it wore me out. Thus a weekend in my jammies with this pair was in order. There is a lot to be said for hot baths, cuddles & carry on.

Everybody wants to be a cat…

I had a lunch date with my Mum & sis on Saturday, which seemed liked a good opportunity for an over due outfit post. It turned out to be a day of surprises, but very nice ones.

Anyway, back to the fashion. I combined my love of cats with my fondness  for swing skirts & donned this kitch beauty. 



Skirt – Lindy Bop

Vest – Forever21

Cardi – John Lewis 

Necklace – Gift

It wouldn’t be a ly outfit without an injection of colour, a box my Pom poms perfectly ticked. Oh & my eye make up helped too.



The food was yum, the news was good & my mum even treated me to a colourful new skirt. Saturday win.

You & I…

Dear Son,

I’ve been trying to keep low key busy today; house work, catching up on emails & so on. I have hoped to keep myself from sinking too deep into sadness. 
I’ve actually done quite well. I had a cry in the shower, but the water washed those tears away. There was no evidence left for anyone else to see, which is like you. Gone. Without a trace.

So, I’ve taken a lot of deep breaths & whispered to myself that I’m ok.

I’m ok

I’m ok

I’m ok.

And I am. More so than I’ve ever been since I lost you. I think maybe I can try again. Perhaps, I can do this life thing. I wish I could believe that would heal me, but you’re not a wound. The pain is bittersweet. 

I’ve been wondering what my life would be like with a 16yr old. Louder, grumpier, more complicated? I’ll never know how our life would been. I do know I’d have given you my best. I’m also sure that you’re worth it. The short time I held you within me will always be worth all the rest. 

Now, you’ve got me crying again. My tears are inevitable, as is my love. Inevitable & invincible. No matter what happens there will forever be you & I. 

Love always,

Mum

with my red nail polish…

Painted nails have always been my thing. Growing up, I never saw my mum without immaculate nails. In fact many of my friends should to think she was very glamorous in part due to her beautifully manicured & painted nails. So, I suppose that’s where I caught the bug. Gorgeous nails are a big part of my personal brand.
Now, pretty as my hands are, my darling little sister has taken manicures to the next level. Her nail art is amazing (you can check it out here). Her creativity has inspired me & I invested in some nail brushes. I am far from skilled, it’s going to take some practise, but here are a few of my first experiments.

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a month in the life..

I have written for a while. I blame this on the stupid virus that is making me feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Unfortunately my compromised immune system is making it very difficult to shake off said virus. I have however managed to get out & have a little fun, so I thought I would do quick compilation post.
The month started with the wedding of my wonderful friends Lisa & Gordon. I met Lisa whilst we were both working in a tedious a role. Lisa’s arrival transformed my days from dull to a giggle fest. That was 10 years ago & we have been giggle buddies ever since. Obviously over that time I have gotten to know Gordon and have discovered that he too is a truly excellent person. They have now completed their family with James, their perfect little man. The only thing left to do was tie the knot. They wed in style at a romantic Scottish castle. I was delighted to be part of their special day. My date couldn’t get the time off work, so my darling best friend, Pamela, stepped in. We took full advantage of the chance to be luxury bitches for a couple days.

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Carberry Tower.

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Lisa & I

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Adorable little James.

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Beautiful Bride.

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My perfect Pam.

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The one nippled statue I was caught feeling up.

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A little hung over the next day with my new man.

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My boy was very pleased to see me on my return.

 

Next up was a wee sojourn at my mother’s for some relaxation & quality time with my poodle babies. My darling little canine sister, coco, was seriously ill last month, but has made a remarkable recovery. She is now back to her old self including bossing her boy about. Despite D’artagnan being quite a bit bigger that his mum now, he is still very much the junior partner. Mum lives in a pretty little village, so walking the dogs there is always a pleasure.

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Sleeping babies. All that chasing each other up hills wore them out.

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Bronan was again very pleased to have his Mummy home.

 

Glasgow pride was my next excursion. The event was displaced this year due to us hosting the commonwealth games. The new venue wasn’t really up to scratch, but Bil & I still had a fun day. There were lots of freebies (naughty, tasty & practical) plus the usual buoyant pride atmosphere. Unfortunately the Glasgow weather chased Bil & I inside to escape the down pour. We withdrew to Delmonica’s for a chat & to review our swag.

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A small sample of Pride freebies.

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Sporting some gender equality face paint.

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Billy’s extensive freebie collection.

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The only correct attire for Pride, rainbow!

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The arrival of commonwealth games in Glasgow created a fabulous buzz in the city. I made a concerted to effort to experience some of the excitement. I am really not a sports fan; however I have loved the vibe in my city throughout the games. The spirit of Glaswegians infused perfectly with the influx of tourists ensuring that everyone enjoyed themselves. Glasgow has really shone. I nipped into town once or twice to sample the games fever. I took advantage of being out to do a little charity shop/vintage shopping. I also met up with friend up from London and had a great gab in the sunshine.

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Tourists posing with cones on their heads & a gold cone to celebrate the games.

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I found this gorgeous tea set in Marie Curie shop.

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& this fab shirt dress in Glad Rags.

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I love this street art.

 

Last, but not least I took advantage of the soaring temperatures by having a family BBQ. Lots of food, some frozen cocktails & my homemade cheesecake that pleased all in attendance. We had such a good time that we neglected to take many photographs. The only picture I snapped that night was my adorable boys waiting patiently for their burger. No family event is ever complete with some of our furries.

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Sun going down on my BBQ.

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Ringo & Buster waiting for their burgers. Their mum in the background munching hers.

 

 

  A day in the life The Beatles