Argh!!!

Having a good day so far (well, I woke up at 2.30pm and its only 3.48pm now lol) but with one major let down.....my TV has gone back to being blah blah fuzzy.

Moved into my apartment in June. Got a TV in August (I'm not to much of a tv watcher) and finally had it set up in September. And it wasn't til Christmas eve (!!!!!) that I picked up a reception, since September I could only watch ITV, but for the last few days i had all the channels and freeview. And this today it's gone back to fuzzy 1-5, even ITV is not clear. I am so saaaaaaaaaaaaad :(

Watching Come Dine with Me again as I blog (different bunch of guests, how many times does it come on?!). Awwww the only male guest is in the taxi crying!! He is with 3 big fat giant women/dragons. He is a bit of a lame wimp but they are really cruel to him.

Decided with S and R to do 3 Come Dine with Me type dinner parties by the end of 2010, very excited :) I am thinking of doing a Thai foodie theme, which might sound like a cop out (cos I ish Thai) but actually I don't eat a lot of Thai food and I've never cooked Thai food before (well I've done comfort food but not what I think of as tourist food). But the more I think about the dishes the more I can't be bothered. Even thinking about buying the ingredients is beyond me. I asked my mum what sort of fish i need to buy to make tod mun pla (thai fish cake) and she said "thai fish". What the crap is a thai fish?! Time to google some recipes methinks!

So my good day (I'm on annual leave, back to work tomorrow).....the only plan I had was to sleep in and despite 3 morning calls which woke me up I did stick to the paln. Not going to change out of my PJ's no matter what. Raining outside so super glad to be inside.

I hope you are having a great day, even if you are out in the cold and rain or at work ;p

xxx

One word tag

Wow someone is obsessed with tags! But that's the point right? The more people who participate the better it is.

So, questions requiring one word answers:

Where's your cell phone: floor
Your hair: bun
Your mother: short
Your father: skinny
Favorite food: KFC
Dream last night: none
Favorite drink: dietcoke
What room are you in: livingroom (i know i am beginning to cheat but...)
Hobby: reading
Fear: loads
Where were you last night: home
Something that you aren't: skinny
Muffins: drool
Wish list item: YSL
Where did you grow up: Plaistow
What are you wearing: dress
Your pets: no!
Friends: loved
Something you're not wearing: shoes
Favorite store: primark
Favorite color: black
Last time you laughed: today
Your best friend: jesus (!)
Best place you go to over and over: KFC (lol)
Person who emails you regularly: 'facebook'
Favourite place to eat: KFC!

That was fun. I guess I love KFC and can't hide the fact. At least I didn't put KFC as best friend though it does make me happy, and comfort me when I am down, and warms me when I'm cold.

Ho Ho Ho!

Hello, I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas.

My Christmas miracle is that I now have one blog reader YAY!!!!!!! (Hi Stephen *mwah*)

I was planning to do a '20 facts' thing, but i got up to fact 3 and couldn't think of anything....I'll give it another go when my brain cells are less engaged (I am watching Come Dine with Me).

So, how was your Christmas? What does Christmas mean to you? What did you do? Did you get presents?

My Christmas was great. I was a bit worried of how it would go. This is my first Christmas since I moved out of my parents house. Initially we were going to spend Christmas day at my flat but we decided to do it at my parents instead (thank you baby jesus!). So to me, Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birthday, which in turn means spending time with loved one and being happy. IF happy means turkey and presents then so be it. If it means midnight mass, cool. If it means Wallace and Gromit and someone getting murdered in Albert Square, then thats cool too.

I think what I am trying to say is that Christmas is Christmas. Please abandon this 'festive season' cr*p. "Wishing you and your loved one a Happy Festive Season". PURLEEEEEASE! I am so worried that the killjoy brigade will be successful in killing Christmas. Generally speaking, what is offensive about Christmas? Do you think the pretty lights on Oxford street is offensive? Why no more navity plays? I don't think the navity is about brainwashing, it is at the end of the day a story. And it's fun. Why deprive future generations of the pride and joy of being a donkey or a wise man?!

And I am not saying this as some "Christmas starts with Christ" person. I call myself a buddalic. Buddhist and Catholic. Both dudes say love, don't hate, so i am sure they won't mind too much that I have merged the two. But anyway, point being, say "Merry Christmas" and smile, whatever you beleive, it's not rocket science.

Peace not War. Especially over silly harmless stuff.

Bye! x

Happy Christmas Eve!

Happy Christmas Eve Everyone!!

Hope you are all more prepared then I am.
Today I went xmas shopping - spent over £150 and didn't get anything for anyone else. oops.
I have an (artificial) christmas tree up (that i bought yesterday) but it has no decoration apart from a few silver icicles. Never mind - i'll stock up in the sales and next year my tree will be blinging.

I am a very happy bunny - 4 months ago I was in Primark and saw a little suitcase that i loved but a woman took the last one (ARGH)....been several time since and it's never been in stock. but today....well a christmas miracle happened! I found my little suitcase AND the matching normal sized suitcase!!!!! Thank you Santa :)

So, I hope you and your loved ones have a great christmas.

Bye!

20 Q&A Tag

Howdy!

Another youtube rip off :)

20 really crap questions (actually I've only got 19 here...nevermind. No one ids reading this anyway).

What's the thing you can't leave your house without?
I won't cheat and say my handbag...I can't leave my house without vaseline. I get really freaked out. Even when I take my rubbish out I take my vaseline. If I could choose 3 individual items it would be vaseline, mobile and tissues. (5 items would include keys and purse)....hhhmm that turned into a sneaky long ass answer. NM.

What's your favourite brand of make up?
I would say benefit. I love their bronzers and blushes. For skincare and foundations I'd have to say Clinique.

What's your favourite flower?
Don't have one. Not really bothered. If I could pick a plant I'd say the calanthia. It's velvety leaves make me happy.

What's your fav clothing store?
Primark!!!!!! Obvious reasons.

What's your favourite perfume?
As I said in 8 most worn things, JP Gaultier.

Heel or flats?
Easy! Flats. I can't walk in heels. I keep a pair under my desk at work to pop on in case i've got an unscheduled meeting or if someone important turns up, but they go back under the desk as soon as said people leave the floor!

Do you make good grades?
(Obviously an American composed this tag!) - when i was at school i did make good grades. college was argh but then uni was good. I like studying. I love to read and i like exams. I hate coursework though. In my job now I do a lot of research so even though i graduated a long time ago i still feel quite studenty.

What are your favourite colours?
If we are not being too techinical, then black all the way. Otherwise I love pink generally - i wouldnt wear pink in public. I like to wear (apart from black) navy, mustard yellow, grey and beige. Yes I am very plain and boring.

Do you drink energy drinks?
Er, no I don't. Hope you found that insightful...(!)

Do you drink fruit juice?
Er........not really, only sometimes.

Do you like to swim?
No, becasue I can't swim. Supposedly swimming is like riding a bike (you don't forget) but this is untrue in my case as when i was younger (like, under 12yrs old)I could swim really well whereas now I could doggy paddle if you threw me in a tank of sharks.

What's your favourite moisturiser?
My number 1 fav would be Clinique's superdefense. Major love. 2nd would be origins mega mushroom, stinks but is a face-saver. And then 3rd and which might be my number 1 some day is some herbal shop own brand. It's only £5 for a tub (similiar size to the other two - whereas they cost £35 and £50).

Do you want to get married?
I'm not against marriage. If I met the right person and we thought marriage was right then 'yes'...but at this moment in time, even if i did have someone (which i don't) I wouldnt be mature enough to make such a major decision/commitment.

Do you get mad easily?
Simply...yes. I have a massive space for love and fluffiness, but then i have a tiny space for mad stuff, and the line between the two are super thin. If anyone crosses that line then WHAM, i hit them over the head with a chair., hog tie them and throw them into the nearest lake.

Are you into ghost hunting?
Erm....no. At least this question was potentially better then the bloody drinks questions.

Do you have any phobias?
I have so many I could start another blog! But I'll keep it short for now. I am scared of being underground. In crowds (which for me is more then 4 people). Closed/closing doors. Black windows. Ripe pineapples. Snails. Butterflies. Moths. Germs. Bodily fluids. White tiles. Socks in bed. Thats enough for now, im starting to get creeped out.

Do you bite your nails?
Yes I do. Not the actual nails, i love my nails, but i bite the skin around it if it goes hard. That sounds so wrong but i see other people doing it so i'm not totally disgusting.

Have you had a near death experience?
Probably not in the way this question means. I have once thought i was going to die, but it wasnt an accident type thing or anything that happened in the final destination franchise ;)

Do you drink coffee?
Another drink question. And wow, a hat trick of 'no's'. And just to clarify, i do drink loads of things, just not energy drinks, fruit juice or coffee. I like water, diet coke, fizzy lemonade and dilute juice.

Home Sweet Home

I have been living by myself for almost 7 months now. It hasn't been plain sailing but I have loved every second of it all the same.

The thing I found most surprising was how quickly I got use to it, and yet at the same time I still can't get my head around it. I thought I'd be homesick but I wasn't at all. I can count the number of times I've been back to my parents house. It is weird, and a bit sad but that's growing up I guess!

Sometimes I feel like I'm at a hotel; but then I have to take the garbage out and I remember I'm home. Same thing with the bathroom - limescale is my worst enemy. But i find squirting everything with limescale murderer and scrubbing at it with a toothbrush very therapeutic!

My biggest tramp factor is my oven. What is it's problem?! I feel personally offended that it's such a bloody mess. I don't cook a lot (understatement of the year) and I clean it all the time (love the squirty things) so why does it look like I've had it for 24624 years?

I have a love/hate with the palette of my flat. Frankly, it is boring and lacks life. But....after surrounding myself with things that Barbie and Hello Kitty would be jealous of (inc my current desk at work) it is nice to return home to peace and calm.

Still a fair number of hiccups that hopefully (please please please Santa/God) will be sorted in the beginning of 2010. It is appalling the 'customer service' I have received from various companies. My building contractor hang your head in shame. Whirlpool, you deserve bad things. Comet, don't take your customers for granted. British Gas - spend less money on those annoying adverts and more time in training.

I better stop, i'm making my blood boil. *deep breath*

Bye!

8 Most Worn Things

Still can't be bothered to do a formal introduction. What I have decided to do today instead is a typed 8 Most Worn Things (as opposed to a video).

I like to watch make-up tutorials on line, and a lot of the beauty guru's have been doing a '8 Most Worn Things' tag.

Anyways......

Most Worn Lipstick - Gosh Darling. It's a nude lipstick. I probably look dead wearing it but i love it. It took me ages to find it and it is such an easy colour to wear (nothing clashes with the zombie face) and the formulation is nice and smooth. Prior to owning this my answer would have been the infamous Barry M 'Marshmallow' (101) but I personally find it difficult to wear because it is drying, and so i look dead and flaky. Not good. I think most of the marshmallow fans layer some lipgloss on the top but i don't like lipgloss becasue a) it makes me feel self conscious b) i keep eating it.

Most Worn Earrings - I do not wear earrings. I tend to not wear jewellry at all. The only piece of jewellry I do wear is a pearl necklace given to me by my auntie for my graduation, but i wear it double on my wrist. I like it becasue it's very feminine, and it makes a statement without being in=your-face. The reason why I don't wear jewellry and favour pearls is because I am allergic to most metals so if I do wear jewellry I start getting spuffy/patchy/itchy/oozy. Nice (!)

Most Worn shirt/top - Well, when I'm hanging around my flat I love to wear my I heart NY tee shirt. I have an oversize one in classic white, and then a huge one in baby pink and i wear either with leggings and my pretend uggs, messy hair. I did wear my white one out once when i jsut got back from NYC but I was getting weird looks, I don't think Upton Park were getting my look. When I am at work, my most worn top is definitely my black and white polka dot shirt from Dorothy Perkins. It's the cutest top and whenever I wear it I feel happy. It's also the top I bought and wore to the interview so I guess that's why I attach happy feelings to it (yeah I've had the top for a year now, a buton popped off last week - time for the graveyard soon). It's capped sleeved with a bid, the necklace has a slight frill and it has 3/4 buttons down the bid. Becasue it doesn't button down all the way it's a good shape for me as my big belly is not fighting with the buttons. My favourite other work 'top' would be anyone of my merino cardigans. Despite the handwash pain I love love love my merino cardigans. I have 1 (or 5) of every colour, in both the womens and mens style.

Most Worn Nail Polish - In general, I would simply say fire engine red. No particular brand as I have about 10 in loads of different brands. As long as it is bright red I am happy. Recently though I have branched out and my most a worn at the moment would be between ELF bubble gum pink and Barry M erm....the grey one. Another contender would also have been Revlon's coral (tropical something) but it is a loser because it is overpriced considering the crap quality. But yes, for people who know me, my nails are definitely my outlet for colour.

Most Worn Shoes - Hands down, most worn shoes are the Primark 'Chanel' ballet pumps, with chain and without. I have 30 pairs (well I've bought 30 pairs, some are in the bin, some still have the tags on). I love them. I don't know what I will do if i ever run out. Whenever I go Primark I buy 4 pairs at a time (i love bulk buying). And when i wear them i usally work on a 4 pair rotation too, either 2 black and 2 cream, or 2 black and 1 cream and 1 nude. So that is why it looks like I am always wearing the same shoe!!

Most Worn Hair Product - Hair serum, either pantene 'smooth and sleek' (for after I've dried/straightened my hair) or Schwarzkopf 'Supersoft' for wet/dry hair. It is the best serum in the world, I've been using it for a few years but it's been discontinued now (I bulked buy so I still have one thank god!). I've bought a possible replacement (Loreal had a sale) but though i haven't used it yet I am not feeling optimistic - I don't think anything could be as great. And the other product is a recent addition to my hair care routine but much needed; its Loreal Studio Hot straight. It's something to do with heat protection. I tend to think this 'scientific' talk is mumbo jumbo but i must say my hair is better/has not gotten even crispier since I've been using it. And it's cheap so yay.

Most Worn Perfume - Perfume!! Well...I do wear perfume for the benefit of people around me. My all time favourite is Jean Paul Gaultier. I've worn it for many many years so I have had whiffs of it and shocked everytime by how i love the smell. At the moment I'm wearing something by Calvin Klein but to be honest I've never smelt it so not sure if it is good or not. I also keep perfumes at work in my pink flowerpot that I keep my pens in so they're usually random things like Next 'Pink' or 'Define', again I haven't smelt them so I hope they are decent.

Most Worn Handbags - Let me start by saying I love handbags. I'd say they were my biggest indulgence. It doesn't matter how fat or crap you are feeling, a handbag will make it better. I know people say this about shoes, but being fat does effect shoe-buying, and you can't wear glittery stilletto's with your pj's and feel great, whereas you can be carrying a great handbag and wearing my I heart NY outfit/leggings and still feel like a superstar. So, this was a hard category for me. Bear in mind, these tags aren't asking for favourites but things most worn. The obvious 'winner' by 2430424542 miles is my Louis Vuitton that was handed down to me by my mum. They don't sell them anymore but it's most similiar to the Speedy but softer/less rigid. It is the greatest bag ever but quite a random shape/size for me. Generally I like massive bags, beach tote type but my LV is perfect. It's big enough for all my junk inc some paperwork, not including my laptop and it's small enough not to be too chavvy. Interestingly, my most wanted but least worn bag ever is my LV Neverfull. The only LV (minus purses) that I've ever bought myself as opposed to nicked off my mum makes me want to cry everytime i see it. I saw it in a magazine and tore out the page and stuck it on my wall. Almost exactly 1 year later i bought it. I've now had it for nearly 2 years and and I think I've used it 3 times. What a bloody waste of money. I could have paid for 7 years life insurance. I could have paid half my monthly mortgage repayment. It's in pristine condition just sitting there mocking me. And every week I put my junk in it, but just as I'm about to leave I end up sticking my junk back into something else.

Ok I better stop lamenting for now.

Bye!

Who nose Penny?

So...how does this work? Will anyone ever read this?

I just need somewhere to pour my heart, soul and garbage into. So here I am. I hope I can keep this up, because generally speaking I am very good at giving up.

Introductions first I guess.
I'm Penny. And blah blah blah. I think I will do introductions another day.

What I need to get off my chest is my anosmia (I have no sense of smell). 5 senses. Sight. Hearing. Touch. Taste. Smell. The first 3 as I've listed are seen as the biggies. Not being able to smell is not tragic, it's just blah. *shrugs*.

To be honest, the most common time it bothers me is when someone says, "oh gosh...smell my wrist..new perfume...isn't it great?!" I never really know what to say. To me, that question is like asking "How are you?" - no one cares or wants to hear your answer. So usually I make a smelling noise with my nose near the wrist and say "woooow that's nice", and usually this works and the (presumably) nice smelling person starts talking about something else but occasionally I get the few who want to wax lyrical about the perfume or past perfumes or new perfumes or blah blah perfume and then I have to say, STOP!!! I can't smell. They say, WHAT?" Me: "I can't smell. Anything. Please change the subject or go talk to someone who can smell".

I don't know anyone else with anosmia personally, but my doctors says loads of people have the problem and there are worse things that I could have/lack. Yeah, tell me that when there's a gas leak.

Just to clarify, I've been anosmic since birth but I can smell random things at random times. So luckily for me, I've smelt (amongst many things) fresh cut grass, eggy farts, burnt bacon, burnt toast(I'm not a good cook - but I'll get to that in a minute), chocolate cake, coffee....etc. I don't know how it works. For example, once I was with my friend in Superdrugs and she was smelling shampoo's, she knows I can't smell but she lets me have a sniff so i don't feel left out...but anyway, bottle number 3 is waved under my nose and suddenly I'm like "wow I can smell. It's nice!" and 2 seconds later she sticks another bottle under my nose and asks which one I prefer - in those 2 seconds my smell was gone. Likewise, I can be sitting in a restaurant for 2 hours and then suddenly say "mmmhhhh that smells nice", even when the dish has been in front of me for ages. Unfortunately, this might only happen once every 3 months, sometimes longer, and it can make you feel very isolated.

Sometimes I see it as a blessing, sometimes a curse. I'm glad I miss out on farts and poo smells in public spaces *gag* But it has a terrible effect with me and food/in the kitchen. As I touched upon, when I'm cooking I can't smell if something is burning, so sometimes it can be burning for ages. If something has gone off I can't detect it, I have to depend on my eyes and obviously for foodie germs, the nose trumps eyes any day, so i suffer from food poisoning a lot. A lot a lot a lot.

I am scared of the vulnerability that anosmia can cause. Gas leaks and fires are my argh factors. So I have loads of alarms and detectors (even though I live in a tiny box of an apartment but better safe then sorry!!)

Sometimes I wish that I did have a 'normal' sense of smell - maybe it's smell envy but i think being able to smell other people can help build a bond. I'm not necessarily talking about anything wink wink nudge nudge, I just mean being families, between friends. I don't know what my parents smell like, I can't pull up a smell memory. I don't know what my closest friends smell like. Maybe they have a bad case of B.O and I should find better smelling friends - who knows?! I don't know what my friend's babies smell like. And at times like that I wish I really could, cos they look like they smell like heaven.

Oh Well. I'm glad to have got that off my chest. I've never really acknowledged this subject before, it's usually an afterthought so I am happy that for once my anosmia got first billing. My nose might be useless but it's still loved by me.

Well, thank you for reading. Love your senses, whether you have just the 1 or all 5 (or 6 lol).

Bye!