If I was Betty...I would have a #madeinchelsea guilty pleasure

When I first decided to purchase a property that I could call home and that would have me indebted to an English bank until 2032, I never dreamt it would be anywhere near somewhere posh!

Having stayed in Fulham since moving to London, it seemed only logical to find somewhere permanent in the borough I'd become familiar with. A new build option came up. Plot number 30 was perfect and as I was turning thirty at the time it appeared to be a sign!!

Now finding decent men in London is considerably harder than you'd think. Either you find shy work guys, pushy local Londoners or foreign boys who remind you of home! I was hoping for something in-between...smart but fun, casual but cool! And then I moved in next door to Chelsea!!

Well you can't blame a girl for trying. I've always ended up with guys I've always ended up supporting financially, I was curious what it would be like to have someone treat me for a change. (Admittedly it won't keep my attention for long, I'm not one for daily being spoilt, but the odd romantic surprise won't go a-miss!)

But oh how I've had to bite my lip, and not seductively I might add.

I tried out a few local pubs on the water and wow don't those Chelsea brats stand out. Not sure I could even do spoilt posh brat.

For this reason, I find it rather hard to explain why I'm so terribly addicted to #madeinchelsea. Undeniably the boys are rather handsome or am I supposed to say "lush"? But they are also so incredibly awkward around girls, which appeals to the cute impulse reaction

Honestly I don't think I'll ever be at risk of joining those in the Chelsea set or falling for a rich little stud but oh what a fun guilty pleasure!!

If I was Betty... I'd try blogging from my iPhone app

Come on woman get with the technology....

OK, the move to an iPhone was an impulsive decision but not without some form of logic. I want GPS and I wanted better Facebook! See, totally reasonable!

And yes although I dreaded the idea of a touch screen, I must admit I do like all the fun goodies it can do. My biggest loss however is my BBM. The little thing that enabled the youth to immobilise so effortlessly during the recent London riots, is the thing I miss the most. Thankfully I've found a suitable app and have persuaded the BBM friends back home to join so we can continue with weekly gossip sessions.

I've taken this one brave step forward to blogging. I've been rather slack on the blogging front, apparently a new job were you actually have to work means I'm less likely to bother turning on my laptop when I get home at night.

But perhaps my super duper handy new toy will make blogging just that more accessible.

If I was Betty...I might start writing my blog again

Well it's been a while since I last logged into my blog and frankly it was quite a mission, considering all the variations on passwords etc that we have to remember in our 'modern' lives.

Anyway I back....

And so much has changed since I last wrote.

Firstly, after much consideration about trying to accept that my career here in London is that of a PA and that although I will always be a conservationist in my heart, that it's time to engage fully in my 'new' career. The only way to prove to myself that I could do this work was to get another job. I'd become comfortable in my first PA role and was easily able to handle the challenges thrown at me. It was time to head for the deep end. So, albeit it rather hesitantly, I applied for some PA roles, got an interview (or in this case 3 at the same company) and landed myself a new PA position. Of all things within in a financial company, who would ever have thought! But I hope to aspire to be a PA or Executive Assistant one day for a Conservation organisation, academic faculty or Charity NGO perhaps.

Secondly, I'm making my house a home! I took the plunge and have started decorating my home in the way I always imagined but just hadn't had the confidence to do so. Thank you to my creative friend for looking at my ideas and giving me the encouragement on what I could do with my little home. Admittedly I should have bought a larger roller, painting with this little one is hard work! But fun never the less, the sense of achievement is addictive.

And thirdly, talking about a sense of achievement, although my running took a bit of a nose-dive during the last 2 months due to life (or sorting out a new job) getting in the way. I've hit the comeback road literally and figuratively with great determination. My run club coach has talked me into doing a 10K run in November and some how that seems like a massive mountain but deep down I know that it is all mind over matter. There is certainly no reason why I can't do it! So it's time for some personal training to kickstart the process and then I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things. Wish me luck!

So here's to blogging again...regularly!

If I was Betty...I would be proud of climbing stairs

Perhaps you have wondered how the running was coming along. Well this determined tortoise is definitely on the up and up! One of the first sessions that I had at Run Club involved running intervals up and down a flight of stairs. And boy did it suck! On subsequent sessions that have involved the stairs, I have progressed from looking like I want to puke to pacing myself beautifully and completing all the required intervals... Who would have thought that I could be so proud of myself for climbing a set of stairs, but it's one uphill battle that I have conquered. And a big thank you to my fellow Run Clubbers who seemed to be just as thrilled as I was at my achievement and of course finishing the interval set at the top of the stairs, our coach couldn't help himself...and yes he inspired me to do that Rocky air punch!!

If I was Betty...I'd re-start my wedding book

Congratulations to my cousin who has just announced his engagement. Although this will be his second marriage, I do hope this one is the one that will bring him happiness as the first one appeared to flawed by youth.

I have to wonder about how people react to engagements, when I was in my 20’s finding out a friends impeding nuptials was something that just gave me a dreamy look and made me even more excited at the idea that soon it would be my turn. And yes I was one of those girls who had a file/book with all the cut outs of rings, dresses and table settings. Nothing like having your colour palate and seating arrangements pre-organised. But now that I am in my 30’s, each engagement only serves to remind me that I am no where near that public commitment. As for wedding book, I tossed that in 2004 when I realised that the man I was dating at the time was the “one” and had accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to do the big wedding thing so no need to have a wedding book anymore. Ah the dreams we give up for love.

Look I’m not bitter, I’ve had my fair share of proposals over the years, they just have never amounted to the actual event. I’ve had men ask me to spend the rest of my life with them and I have said yes, but fate has had other plans.

Sitting on the couch on a Saturday evening accompanied by my cat, sipping red wine (rather cheap red wine LOL), I wonder if I should re-start my wedding book? One never knows if some suitable bachelor may come by and this time I’m going to insist on my fairytale wedding.  

If I was Betty...I'd go to Weddings

Right, so I haven't blogged in quite a while. I've not really had much to say really. But after all the Easter breaks and Bank Holidays, it's time to catch up don't you think?

Firstly, I have a tan......well it certainly has a long way to go to be anything near to the tan of my childhood but nevertheless I ensured that I overdosed on Vit D at every given opportunity. I do however have to apologise to those who may have walked past my patio garden only to be greeted by me in a bikini. Actually scrap that apology...you shouldn't be looking over my fence and after seeing me spread eagle in a bikini, I'm guessing you will never look over my fence ever again! Ah sweet revenge. But back to the tan, there is a faint but nevertheless noticeable increase in colour and I am no longer transparent!! Bring on Summer I say!

Although it was Easter, I tried really hard to dodge the temptation of the chocolate egg but in doing so fell head first into a lot of Ice Cream. Oh well the soul needs feeding doesn't it? And I'm still sticking to the fact that I can say I never had a choc egg this Easter!!

Of course the most anticipated day was always going to the Royal Wedding! And yes I was with the masses down in Hyde Park, I was that single girl sitting on her own watching the girl get her prince. Oh how sad!! Admittedly I did try and sit close to a group of people so that I didn't look like the obvious loser in the crowd, however I probably shouldn't have chosen a group of Chinese tourists...

However I wasn't going to let the fact that I was going to be attending on my own spoil the event, and I cheered and sang along with the crowd. The atmosphere was lovely and it was a beautiful wedding. With highlights being the crowds reaction as Kate took her place beside Wills in the Abbey at the same time the sun came out at Hyde Park - a massive cheer! I loved seeing Harry's cheeky little face as he looked back to see Kate coming up the aisle before smiling and whispering to Wills. Of course the talk on the ground was all about Harry getting it on with Pippa when everyone saw them walking together. I had wondered at the time if that would trend on Twitter and yes it most certainly did. Oh the public love their fantasy gossiping don't they?

Naturally I did a runner when it came to the big group slow-dance to Aerosmith, somehow I thought if I was walking around it won't be so noticeable that I was attending this wedding party alone. Besides dressed in a pair of jeans, sweatshirt and with no effort afforded to my hair or make-up, I wasn't exactly a candidate for pulling! But watching a wedding and seeing someone show their commitment of love is very special. A fairytale whether you become a princess or not, it's still the thing we all secretly dream about.

After heading home, trying to avoid stuffing the hole in my heart with another ice cream, I got home only to receive a phone call from my 'arrangement' guy. He was expecting to spend the coming weekend and week with me before heading off to Europe and essentially it being the end of the arrangement. I wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye! But anyway he was home in Devon, in order to attend his brother's wedding on Saturday. He hadn't ever invited me to this wedding. His main reason being he couldn't invite a girl to a wedding, she might get all soppy and romantic and of course that would mean she might fall in love with him, beside he didn't believe in marriage. It's amazing how many men say they don't believe in marriage. I think I may have to explore this further at a later stage. Back to the phone call..."Come down to Devon"...what?...I couldn't believe what I was hearing! He wanted me to come down to Devon and go to his brother's wedding with him. Joking stating that I would actually be going as his sister's plus one if anyone asked, that way he could avoid having officially taken a girl to a wedding!

Crap!! A wedding...short notice...outfit...hair...oh crap I've got to get a train!!! So having thrown everything out of my cupboards, trying to find that dress I wore to Ascot last year (the only smart dress I have that's not a LBD or an evening ballgown), shoes...I need to find shoes...ok knickers...oh the dread of wearing a cream dress, I need to special knickers!! GHD - check! Run Run Run... Needless to say that after pushing an old lady out of the way at Paddington, as I crested the top of the stairs - the last train to Devon pulled out! Bugger!!

To be honest, I was slightly relieved that I hadn't made the train, it meant that I could go home, do my hair and sort out the terribly chipped nail polish! I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning and arrived in good time to take the train and head off to see my 'arrangement' guy. The wedding was lovely and it was great to see his family and friends again. I did well in not being the soppy romantic although I was dying to have a dance with him, which was nicely avoided as our lift had to leave early. I was really glad that I'd made the spontaneous decision to go down and see him. In all the excitement I had forgotten about the fact that the real reason it was so important to go down there, was that we could officially say goodbye! I know that we intend to remain friends, there's even the possibility of meeting up in Europe for a short weekend away but it's the end of the commitment part. Although we were officially never dating, as he said to me at the train station "You're the best girlfriend that I never dated ever", we were 'together' for 7 months and that does count for something. Look, I can't be a fool and hope that he would resist all temptation whilst touring for the next 6 months nor can I say that I might not find my prince charming standing on the crowded overground one morning, so to be realistic it was time we had to say goodbye. Yes, I'll admit that I cried all the way from Teignmouth to Paddington (well one good thing I can say about sobbing uncontrollably on a train, no one will bother to sit in the seat next to you!)

I don't do regrets, and I certainly have no regrets with this arrangement. I always knew he was going and we always knew we would have to call it quits at some point. I do believe though that neither of us had realised how hard it was going to be. I've had the most amazing 7 months. I've not felt this happy, content or had this much self-confidence since moving to London 5 years ago. For this I am eternally grateful!

If I was Betty...I'd collect as much sunshine as possible

Sunshine...glorious sunshine!!

You forget how much you enjoy the simple things in life until you spend a long cold winter without them. Thank goodness for that "Spring has sprung" feeling!!

Last week was a tough one by all accounts and it was only yesterday afternoon whilst sorting out my little greenhouse and watering the potted plants that life seemed normal again. There was nothing else to do but simply get out the blanket, sunglasses and a suitable book, then lay back and let the sunshine work it's magic on my body and more importantly my soul.

Here's wishing everyone a sunny soul week ahead!
(P.S Yes I know it's supposed to rain this coming Wednesday but shhh don't spoil the moment ok :) )