39 Sleeps....

until I, yours truly, will be at the home of Downton Abbey (aka Highclere Castle!)

*S-Q-U-E-A-K*

Words don't exist for how ridiculously excited I am. The countdown is on people!

Another TV Show I Love

Obsessed would be more accurate. The 'show' is Wallander and I am particularly obsessed with the Swedish version. I have seen films 1-4 and 9-13 and a boxset of 5-8 is en route from Sweden as we speak. Love it.

I also love the books by Henning Mankell (being read on my Kindle) and don't mind the BBC version with Kenneth Branagh.

One TV Show I Love

Glee! OMG it is hilarious and I absolutely adore it. The pilot was aired before Christmas and I have caught episodes 2 and 3 on the internet. I cannot WAIT for this show to come to England properly.

My new True Blood Mug

I painted this mug for myself (as I love True Blood) and I loved this design when I first saw it. Eric and Jessica are actually my favourite characters (in Season 2 anyway) so I'll be on the lookout for an Eric mug to paint for myself!

Speaking of TV....

It's back! My favourite TV show ever .... (combined with it's sister show 'It Takes Two'), Strictly Come Dancing! I like SO many of the couples this year too. Woo hoo!!!

I can't wait to see them all live in January when Marleen, Jo, Mum and I see them in Sheffield. EEEK!

I know it's oh-so-wrong but ....

I'm addicted to America's Next Top Model (Series 12)!

I've never watched it before but it's always talked about in TV shows etc so when the new season aired here in England, I thought I'd watch one episode out of curiosity .... and MAN!, I'm hooked! LOVE IT!

It's fierce!

Late to the game

I know I'm late to the game but Marleen lent me her copy of Studio 60 and I LOVE IT! What a fantastic show. You can see the echoes of West Wing in it and easily see how the same people are involved. Fantabulous! Utterly loving it!

True Blood

I got Season One of HBO's "True Blood" off eBay and I have watched three episodes so far but I do really like it. It's based on the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charmaine Harris.

It's kinda like a darker, twisted and adult version of Twilight. Me likey.
(Not for the faint-hearted - lots of swearing, nudity and it is graphic).

Addicted Much?

As you know, I love Richard Armitage (sigh) since "North & South" first aired on the BBC in 2004 so it wasn't just good news (or even great news) but super-duper-fabby-do news to hear he was joining the cast of Spooks.


(This picture is my computer wallpaper and Blackberry wallpaper)

Even better that he's playing Lucas North, a tormented, tortured MI5 agent who has been held in a Russian Prison for eight years. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-myyyyyyyyyyyy-Gawwwd! NO ONE SHOULD BE THAT SEXY?!

Spooks is SUCH a good show that when I watched Season 7 (where Richard first appears), I kept forgetting he was in it. I just got lost in every episode! It's so amazing.

When Spooks first came on TV (2002), I was hooked (as was the rest of Britain, I think!) but was traumatised when in episode two, one of the new Spooks (slang for Spy incidentially) gets her face burnt off in boiling oil (when she is discovered). Oh man, it was brutal. I lost touch with Spooks after a couple of seasons and Richard has been a good excuse to get back into it. And like I said, it's a testament to the show that I forget I am meant to be checking him out and am completely absorbed in all the characters.

Anyway Marleen, one of my best friends, bought me Season 5 and 6 on DVD as an eaaaaarrrrrrrrrly birthday present (she is the one who prodded me and said "helllooooo. Richard Armitage + Spooks. You HAVE to watch) and they arrived last night and I watched two discs of Season 5 last night. Addicted Much?

(Gena made me these wonderful Spooks Blinkies! (Drool) but I haven't worked out how to upload them properly so they flash and blink like they do in real life).

LOVE THIS SHOW!
I even dreamt last night about Adam Carter (Rupert Penry-Jones) and Roz Myers (Hermonie Norris) and how we were all on an operation together. LMAO!

The funniest thing ... EVER

My friend Marleen lent me her copy of "The Vicar of Dibley: Holy Wholly Happy Ending" on DVD as we're both big fans of the scrumptious Richard Armitage.

So I thought since I was going to go on the treadmill that I would put it on and watch it at the same time. BIG MISTAKE. HUUUUUGE MISTAKE.

I nearly fell off (from laughing) not once, not twice .... but THREE TIMES. This is bar none, the funniest thing I have ever seen. I squealed with laughter and am definitely going to buy myself a copy to keep.

One step closer ....

Well I am one step closer to finding out when the Second Season of "Army Wives" will be released on DVD as I found the cover art for the boxset ... just NOOOOO release date. Arggghhhh! The suspense!!!!

They are still GOOD guys!

Hurrah! I was watching the Season Finale (Season 4) of Numb3rs when it was revealed that Colby Granger (real name Dylan Bruno) was a S-P-Y!! I was gutted. So you can imagine my utter delight in the first episode of Season 5 to find out he was a GOOD guy after all (pretending to be a Spy!!) YEAHHHHHHHHH!

On another note concerning Colby aka Dylan. This is the first time I have seen someone who reminds me of a character in a book. Although in the book, he's described as having dark hair and blue eyes, whenever I think of OWEN PALMER in the Katie Chandler series (starts with "Enchanted, Inc." by Shanna Swendson), I always think of Dylan Bruno!

And if finding out Colby Granger was a good guy wasn't enough (which it was), I then tune into Day Seven of 24 to find out (A) Tony Almeida (real name Carlos Bernard) is back (not dead) AND (B) he's a GOOD guy! Huuuuuraaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

YIPPEE!! Good guys & good TV!

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Rock on 2009! I am really excited and enthused about the new year. It helps that I had a really lovely break over Christmas (finished at lunch on Christmas Eve and returned to work on 5th January). When I read my "stars" in the Sunday newspapers for 2009, I got a pleasant surprise. 2009 will be my year ;-) It said I will get a new job, meet someone while on holidays and get married quickly and by the end of the year. Oh WOW! It also said that I have been constantly battling the last few years but I get a break from this in 2009.


I don't actually literally believe in my "stars" but it is nice to read something positive at the beginning of the year ~ gets your mindset right!


By the way the new blog layout is thanks to Gena by the way. I love her work. Don't forget to check out her designs at http://knottymoosedesigns.blogspot.com/


Santa was VERY good to me this year! I GOT A NEW TV!! A flat screen, High-Definition, LCD Samsung TV (see picture below).



I bought my original TV from a supermarket and the picture was fading. Despite this I offered it to my Aunt (as a second TV) and she happily accepted. However when I took it over and plugged it in, it blew up! LOL! I guess it really WAS on its' last legs and I was even MORE thrilled to have gotten a brand spanking new TV from Santa.


Santa also bought me some UGG boots (genuine Australian Uggs). Not only am I Australian but I live in FUGGS (faux Uggs) so I was surprised (to tears!) to open a parcel and find brand new genuine Uggs waiting for me. I wear them ALL the time! (I am even tempted to sleep in them).
As well as Uggs and TV, I got some perfume (Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel), new iPod speakers (with a LCD screen built in so I can watch all the videos on my iPod), slippers, PJs, CDs (Amy Grant Christmas & Billy Currington's new one), DVDs (new X Files movie, Lost in Austen, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Grand Ole Opry at Carnegie Hall), a gift voucher for Marks & Spencers (I bought two pairs of shoes for work), books ("Pottery Barn Storage & Display", "The Pirate's Daughter", "Marley & Me", "Plantations of the Low Country" plus more), jewellery and so much more. I can't recall them all right now. I was overwhelmed and humbled and I loved absolutely everything.


I also loved seeing the faces on my family as they opened the presents I got them. I bought heaps and loved spoiling them! Mum went especially mental over her beautifully carved angel wings (below) and her metal detector and Dad loved all his Top Gear goodies and electronic gadgets I bought him.


So since I had a new TV and some new DVDs to enjoy, I spent my Christmas break watching A LOT of TV. (I do mean a lot - I even got a migraine the first day!)

The movies / shows I loved the most were "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor".

I love the whole Mummy series and this didn't disappoint. I also ordered "Iron Man" off Sky (through my TV) on New Year's Eve and really enjoyed it.

So much so that at Mum and Dad's the next day, we rented it and watched it again.

I am also totalling loving "The 4400" and am almost finished Season Two. I have Seasons Three and Four to go!

I have organised to upgrade my Sky package to the HD (High-Definition) package so I make the most of my new TV. They are coming on Saturday 24th January and I can't wait! I've paid for everything now (the new Sky box and installation) so it shouldn't cost me anything extra on the day!

That's all I have to report for now. Haven't had much time for reading with all the TV watching but I am about halfway through "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice.

Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SOB!

My favourites, Austin Healy and his professional partner, Erin Boag, were eliminated last night from "Strictly Come Dancing". Soooooob!!!

I am now cheering on Tom Chambers and his professional partner, Camilla Dallerup (see below)

Ace of Cakes!

I love LOVE LOOOOVE this show!!!



Chef Duff RULES!

Just a few American things I Love

In no particular order and by no means comprehensive,
here are a few American things I just LOVE!*

* besides the obvious like the people and the scenery

Clash of the Choirs

It has just started on the Biography Channel here and I love it.
My three favourite teams are Team Lachey, Team Rowland and Team Shelton!

Burt Bees

In fact ANYTHING by Burt Bees. I love this stuff!

I am addicted to the PARIS (French Vanilla) flavour of
Senseo coffee pods.
Senseo is available in England but this flavour isn't.

Sharpies!
Full stop. I adore Sharpies.
And I love the NEW Sharpie Pen (that doesn't bleed through paper)

Target
Possibly my favourite store in America.

Milk Duds

A new addition to my list having tried them for the first time in July.

Bath & Body Works

YUM! I love their anti-bacterial foam hand soap the best!

Borders
Sigh. I love this store.
Walking into this store (with money to burn) is my idea of heaven!

Sunflowers

This weekend my neighbours asked if I would look after their cats while they went away. Of course it wasn't a problem (their cats are so easy to look after). When they came back, they brought my this lovely bunch of sunflowers. Aren't they lovely (both the sunflowers and my neighbours).


I actually took it easy this weekend as I'm full of cold. I caught up on my Sky+ and watched the last ever episode of Third Watch.

Sniff. It was really good too!! I loved that show and I thought they wrapped it up really well. It's sad knowing there won't be any new episodes.

Hanging out with the Tudors...

..... Had a really lovely weekend hanging out with the Tudors (by DVD on Sunday!)



My weekend started off with a bit of a shock, I must admit. I woke up at 11.30am on Saturday morning. 11.30am! Crikey! I was so surprised, I rang my parents to double-check the time.



Saturday afternoon was spent shopping and hanging out with Mum.



Sunday was DVD day! I had ordered the Nora Roberts books made into movies on DVD (great Amazon.co.uk sale) and watched "Carolina Moon" and "Blue Smoke" in the morning after lawn-mowing and cleaning my house.



Dad was off to London on Sunday night so Mum and I had a girly night starting with me dying my hair and then both of us putting together some flat-pack furniture Mum had bought. We watched the sequel to "Elizabeth" (called "Elizabeth: The Golden Age") before watching "The Other Boleyn Girl". I love period dramas and I love anything to do with Henry VIII or Elizabeth I!

The costumes in Elizabeth, particularly, were STUNNING!

Other news .... a lady is coming by my parents' barn after work to buy Clive (my old car). She came and had a looksie at him yesterday and loved him and today she's coming back with her mechanic. He checks out (the car that is ... I have NO clue about the mechanic) so I hope she doesn't haggle too much on the price because I'm already giving him away as it is.

And I've had an influx of label orders lately :) which is lovely. Keeping me busy but it's nice to get the extra "pocket money".

With every fibre of my being, I love ....

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."
-- Oscar Wilde

I thought it would be fun to list some of the things I love - some are actual items and others are experiences.....

In no particular order:

The "Bestseller" and "Wolfheart" Chapter Charms made and sold by my friend Gena. To say I love them is a huge understatement!

My family.

.... and my cat!

.. and not forgetting my friends!

Sky+ ... even better than sliced bread!

My HoMedics SoundSpa given to me by my friend Jo.... "rain" is my favourite.
.... not to mention real rain on a tin roof or lashing against my windows.

The "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer.

The beach / coast at winter.

Reading (fullstop).

Colony Candles - scents Clean Caress or Summer Rain.

Browsing in "Borders"...
.... followed by buying BRAND NEW books (drool..... thud!)

My Senseo Coffee Machine and Senseo Paris coffee pods.

Visiting new towns, cities, places and countries.

Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent

The U.S.A. ... visiting it, exploring it and shopping in it.

Country Music.

That moment just before I fall asleep.

Flickr.

Amazon Wish Lists.

Chocolate .... there's no point in denying it!

I'll add more as I think of them....