Memoirs of a premature 52 year old.

Completely forgot I had this blog, but there's 20 minutes until One Born Every Minute steals my attention, so I'm going to resume it now. As a fresh introduction to the world of blogging I feel I should have some kind of profound opening entry, but as I irritate myself a lot when I read things back like that, I'm going to just write about my mundane life.

2012 has thus far been pretty fun. The back end of 2011 was just lovely, saw plenty of great people ate far too much lovely food and most importantly got a onesie, so I am now free to dress as a tiger at my leisure, which is good because it's about the only option I have considering I've followed the diet of a corpulent Victorian gentleman over the festive season.

I have changed the title of my blog from it's working title (the innovative "Ellie's Blog"), following a profound New Year realisation of the things that do and don't make me happy, and actually embraced several of the activities I enjoy. I am a bit of an old woman, with Daniel in his final year, we're not quite sure yet where we're going to end up living next year, and I have spent the last couple of hours looking at potentially local WI branches. (What can I say? I just really like making Jam!).

Additionally to this, I've also for the first time that I can remember, made New Years resolutions of a sort. I have an extremely addictive personality, as such resolutions such as this either become abandoned in favour of the addiction I'm trying to overcome or become an obsession themselves (usually abandoned). However upon discovering that with no effort, dress sizes only continue to increase and finally reaching one that I just can't make excuses for anymore without expecting iminent offspring, I have taken up running. The good news is that its going pretty well, driven on with the knowledge that come June, I'm going away on holiday and I just cant expose this figure, without even trying to improve it. I am really enjoying it so far and so I'm contemplating training for some sort of charity event, possibly race for life. I have also decided to give up chocolate for lent, in the hope that combined it might have some kind of effect. Probably wont.

On New Year's day, we went to see Sherlock Holmes, which aside from Robert Downey Jr's delicious face was all good, I really enjoyed it. We also went to see the Iron Lady a week later, but I think that one probably deserves a post of its own!

Usually I'll post much smaller entries about all sorts of different aspects discussed here but just wanted to get myself started!

Rochdale Tea Party.

I have decided to have an afternoon tea party for my birthday. The theme is going to be "famous tea parties". I think there's plenty to do with that, for example the mad hatter's, the importance of being earnest, Miss Havisham, even Gaga does the teacup. We're going to scour the second hand tea shops looking for chintzy china and make nice cakes, it'll be great. I am already starting to think about food. Thinking little sandwiches, tarts, cupcakes, big cake, fresh coffee, tea in teapots, pink lemonade, champagne-ish. I love it :).

Glory Days.

Today is an absolute Springsteen day. Sometimes, just nothing else will do :). My summers don't seem as impressive as his I feel. I have all my clothes for the first time since the Willowman Festival and I have a tidy room, clean bedding and a highly anticipated visitor arriving in an hour or so. Today is good.

Brown Hair

Had my hair done again, it's still shorter and browner than the "ideal me" of this time last year, but I quite like it. It's my old hair but more bob-like darkened to a glossier brown that will lighten up but at the minute is nearly black to me. I do like it though, it's been on my head about 24 hours now and I do quite like it. The drawback is it makes me look washed up without makeup which is bad for summer, but the good news is my clinique foundation is rather amazing. It makes me feel vaguely french and looks reeeeally good with sunglasses. In my playsuit it makes me feel vaguely 1920's and like I should be striding purposely around a chintzy bedroom in a negligee and kimono. Before Poirot comes along too solve my gory murder the next day. Poison would be tres chic, I feel. Alternatively, a 3 quarter length maxi (all my stature allows) works for the living. The annoying thing is, for some reason in photos it just doesn't look as bobbish in real life. Therefore, to make up for this I enclose a delightfully pretentious black and white number.

Ellie Walton Book Club.

I have just finished reading a plethora of books. Yesterday I started reading "One day" by David Nichols. And I finished it this morning. I cannot recommend it enough. The beginning, in their university years uncannily echoes my own current situation. The characters manage to be annoying, but you still want to stick with them. The female protagonist, Emma is just a little bit too close for comfort, so maybe that's why I like it. The male counterpart, Dexter, isn't any one individual to me but manages to massively incorporate every male I've ever had any romantic encounter with. Read it- it's good. Cannot wait for the film. Apparently Anne Hathaway is gonna be in it, should be good.

Cupcakes and sunshine.

These are my fairy cakes I made the other day, decided we're gonna have afternoon tea with the such like for my 21st. In 3 and a half months. Scaryy.

I knew Prufrock before he got famous...

In case you were wondering, the title of that last post came from this poem, which is lovely:

The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock

A bit long to put the whole thing out on here, but this phrasing is my favourite bit.

And would it have been worth it, after a

ll,

Would it have been worth while,
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
And this, and so much more?—
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:
Would it have been worth while
If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl,
And turning toward the window, should say:
"That is not it at all,
That is not what I meant, at all."

AND I'm clearly not the only one who likes it :) Frank does too :)

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Love_Song_of_J._Alfred_Prufrock