Results matching “Christmas”

Back in 2008, I visited Colunbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. I went to see the Wildlights at the zoo, which was a very popular attraction to do at Christmas at that time and a few years prior. It was one of the first places to do a spectacular Christmas lights tradition, and since then, these are done at quite a few places. The zoo came to life with thousdands of Christmas lights at dusk. On the day I visited, it was close to -30 degrees Celsius, so a lot of my photographs did not turn out too well because it was much too cold, and we did not hang around for too long. It was just so cold; as soon as we were outside, breath from our noses froze.

Apparently, this tradition at Columbus Zoo started in or around 1998, but I had never heard of it until 2005 when friends visited; I suppose they mentioned it on social media, so attractions like this get a lot of publicity through word-of-mouth on social media. One of the other things to see, besides the lights, were some of the animals. I think they generally avoided the lights around the animals that need their sleep, but other animals could be visited in that time. These included the reptitle/lizard/bat houses, the elephant room, and the aquarium.

Wildlights at Columbus Zoo is still going strong but is not quite as popular as it once was. I would like to visit it again if I am around the area, but it depends if it has improved and is worth visiting. I know that zoos have gotten a bad reputation in the past few years, partially due to the stupidity of humans. I don't mind a trip to the zoo as long as the animals are content, and I think it helps people and children to learn about and appreciate animals. I remember my first visit to the zoo and learning about the animals.

I visited Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park last week after work to have a wander around the venue and to see "The Snowman Experience", an immersive cinema experience from Backyard Cinema. This year marks 40 years since "The Snowman" was published by illustrator Raymond Briggs, and a short animation was created a few years later based on the illustrations and is shown every year at Christmas in England. This short animation is far more popular in England and includes a magical snowman that was built by a little boy. A few years ago, a sequel to "The Snowman" was released. "The Snowman Experience" is new this year to mark the 40th anniversary, and this is the first time such an attraction has taken place at Winter Wonderland. Seriously, Winter Wonderland keeps getting bigger each year with more unique attractions. 

This year's attractions include the old favourites such as the Ice Bar, ice sculptures, a circus, ice skating, Christmas market, theme rides and new attractions such as "Peter Pan on Ice", "Teletubbies", ice sculpting workshops, and Backyard Cinema. Also new this year is a roller coaster Munchen Looping and possibly a larger Ferris Wheel. The attraction has attracted large audiences since its first "humble beginnings" year in 2007 with a leap in audience numbers a few years ago to prompt the organisers to de-design and increase the space. (When I visited in 2011, it was actually too busy to move and that put me off attending for a couple of years.) Those interested in Ice Bar and the Ice Kingdom may want to read my posts here Cocktails in Winter Wonderland's Bar Ice 2014 and here: Winter Wonderland's Magical Ice Kingdom (King Arthur).

I had scheduled "The Snowman Experience" for the early evening before most of the crowds had gathered. We were led into the first room to watch the first part of the animation where the boy builds the snowman and it comes to life. The room had a set of the living room and the kitchen of the house, which changed depending on what was happening in the film (lights turning on and off, the television turning on, the Christmas lights/fire, the snow falling). The next part, we were led through a chilly and foggy forest which smelled of pine tree before watching part of the film with the classic song with the snowman and boy flying through the air. The last scene was the snowman's party with a table set for a party. At this point, the snowman came through to wave to us.

After the film concluded, I had a bite to eat and drink and walked around the Christmas markets. This year, I noticed some popular London street food vendors selling in an area with live music at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. I had Homeslice Pizza, a staple of London pizza that started at Seven Dials (Lunch at Homeslice Pizza (Seven Dials, London)), and I really wanted halloumi fries but never got them. 

The was one market stall in the Christmas markets from iCreateDesserts that were selling glowing light bulb mocktails, and these actually attracted so much attention!

Winter Wonderland was fairly busy when leaving, and it was quite an early night as a large group of people were entering as I was leaving! But I had plans early on Saturday so needed to get home.

Previous visits to Winter Wonderland for historical purposes are below:

Where to See London's Christmas Lights 2017
Where to See Christmas Lights in London (2015)
London Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland 2014
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (2011)
A Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park (2010)

This year and for the first time, the Beaulieu Motor Museum has joined in the Christmas fun with an illuminated Christmas trail. The Christmas trail at Beaulieu is located at the Motor Museum in Hampshire's New Forest, and it features a mile-long illuminated trail with immersive installations. I visited the trail on Sunday evening, and shown below are just some of the illuminations. The Motor Museum's gift shop and restaurant also stayed open for the evening, and a fun fair with food trucks and rides was also present. Overall, the trail was not too busy and certainly not as busy as I expected it would be.

Many areas, such as trees, were illuminated on the trail, and snowflakes lit up the trail in some areas. The buildings also made a canvas for illuminations with patterns and snowflakes projected onto them. The trail also featured a Tunnel of Light with over 100,000 lights, sparkling colour-changing LEDs in synchronisation with Christmas hymns, a wishing tree, Alice in Wonderland illuminated tea party, additional light tunnels with Christmas songs playing, a tunnel of icicle lights, and illuminated illustrations set to the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Throughout the trail, filtered-spotlights adding colour to statues, trees, and architecture at Beaulieu and stars and fairy lights hung or were displayed along the path. Many stops along the trail provided great photograph opportunities.

One of the best displays was the Scented Fire Garden with lit ruins of Beaulieu Abbey, which projected a pattern onto the side of the abbey. This included the Fire Garden Cloisters, designed with flames and a Christmas-tree shaped structure with flames as the centrepiece. The arches and brickwork of the medieval abbey were lit up.

Santa Claus also made an appearance with one of his helpers with a short performance.

Half the way through the trail was a marshmallow pit with fires to enjoy toasted marshmallows over. The marshmallows could be purchased and toasted separately or with a unique take on the s'mores with ginger snap biscuits, a slice of dark chocolate and your choice of flavoured marshmallow.

Probably my favourite illiminations of the evening were the projections onto Palace House with colour-changing and illustrations of lights, all set to classical music. The sequence was a few minutes long and then repeated.

The finale of the trail included several small pine trees and a larger pine tree. These pine trees were sequenced to Christmas music with the colours of the lights changing and flickering along with the music to create patterns and different colours. This was a repeating sequence and was colourful.

This is the first year that Beaulieu have put on a Christmas trail, and I think they did a good job of creating interesting and immersive areas. This is certainly much better than the "Christmas at Kew" (Illuminated Kew Gardens at Christmas) illuminated trail that I visited in 2014, which only included a few illuminations with a wide area of dark trails without anything interesting in between. It was a fun evening out.

For the past few years, I have made an effort to celebrate Thanksgiving in London, even though it is a totally American holiday. Explaining the holiday to my British friends and colleagues is always meant with bemusement, although they are aware of "Black Friday" and associate it with that, and this is one aspect of the holidays that is unwelcome to me and paints a poor image of America. I think most people have heard the stories about greedy people fighting over sale items and waiting hours outside the shops for them to open so they can grab bargains. "Black Friday" has never been of any interest to me, and I am sad that it has taken over more of people's minds whereas Thanksgiving Day, a holiday worth celebrating, seems to be forgotten. I love Thanksgiving for many reasons; I love that it brings people together and it is a time to reflect. As a child, I also loved watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (please allow us to watch this in the UK, television networks!) Thanksgiving ushers in the Christmas season.

Of course, we do not get the day off of work, so most of my Thanksgivings have actually been spent working. This one was also spent working, but I had lined up Thanksgiving dinner in the evening after work. This was arranged and organised through the Benjamin Franklin House, named after the man who lived here, who was one of America's founding fathers. I'm actually going to see the house in a couple of weeks, so keep on checking back for photographs and a write-up.

The Thanksgiving Day feast took place in the Clothworker's Hall, one of London's famous livery companies or guilds. These companies were set up to ensure that standards, fairness, and consistency were maintained in the different areas of expertise. The halls tend to be lavishly decorated, as you can see from my photographs. Clothworker's Hall is located near Fenchurch Street station.

On entering, each guest received a glass of mulled wine, which was then topped up for the next twenty minutes while we waited to sit inside the main hall. I do not generally care for mulled wine, but this one was sweet and did not taste much like red wine, so it was good. I met a couple new people here - New Jersey and my home state of Ohio.

The table accommodated a large number of guests, and there must have been about seventy people. I wasn't able to capture the full length of the table, but you can get an idea above and also see how lavish the main hall looks.

We had flattened leaves on our placemats!

Then, the turkey arrived, and it was followed by all of the sides. Each "area" of dishes served six to eight people. The sides included cornbread (the good sweet kind as opposed to the more savoury kind), a mixture of roast carrots/sweet potato, green beans, mashed potato, roasted baby onions (I've not come across these before), stuffing, and the turkey. Gravy and cranberry sauce were available to have as well.

The turkey came out with a miniature American flag, which was a nice touch.

Overall, it was really nice to meet new people. I met people from New Jersey, Ohio (my home state), Illinois, Mississippi, and Texas. Most had been in London a short time or were just visiting. Topics of discussion ranged from travel to music to auctions to food to work. Just like that, the time flew!

For dessert, we had pumpkin pie and then seconds of more pumpkin pie. This was served with whipped cream, and it was a good traditional American pumpkin pie. After pie, we were treated to coffee (or tea) and a chocolate.

On the way out, I captured the beautiful little room on the side at the top of the staircase, which contains an old stained glass window.

The window is dedicated to Samuel Pepys, who was a member of Clothworkers. Pepys was an MP, naval administrator, and was famous for having a diary that has proved important historical use. He wrote about the Great Fire of London, the Plague, and many more events and details about London that would have been lost forever if he had not written them down.

Overall, Thanksgiving Day this year was fun, but it was over so quickly. I had such a nice time meeting new people and enjoying the good food that the time flew! (Also, it did not help that work was busy and I rushed across London.) This was the most traditional Thanksgiving that I have had in London, and I recommend it for American visitors/expats and also for British people who want to experience a traditional American Thanksgiving. With that said, Happy Thanksgiving (or belated Happy Thanksgiving)! 

Previous Thanksgivings that I have eaten at various venues in London are below:

Thanksgiving Lunch @ Jackson + Rye, Chiswick
Thanksgiving at The Jones Family Project
Thanksgiving at Balthazar (Covent Garden)
Thanksgiving at Christopher's Restaurant in London (Covent Garden)

After work today, I visited the Dominique Ansel Bakery to pick up a Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie and to try one of their popular cronuts and hot chocolate. Dominique Ansel Bakery started in New York City and it is a young company and actually has not been in London very long; in fact, the London branch of Dominique Ansel Bakery opened in September 2016. Dominique Ansel is a French-born pastry chef who opened his first restaurant in New York City at the end of 2011, and the restaurant became very popular and successful and has contributed to the pastry and bakery world with some new creations, which I will discuss below. The London bakery is located near Victoria Station, and it is actually between Victoria and Sloane Square.

Dominiqie Ansel is credited with creating the cronut (a cross between a doughnut and croissant), the cookie shot (a cookie-shaped shot glass with warm milk inside), frozen S'mores, blossoming hot chocolate, and other unique pastries. He was won many awards and has been successful in a relatively short time and now has a branch of his bakery in London and Tokyo. The London bakery has taken on the very trend of decorating its cafe and storefront for the seasons and holidays. Currently, it is decorated for autumn, and this will probably switch right after Thanksgiving Day because it's just wrong to miss out on Thanksgiving and decorate for Christmas before that!

Dominique Ansel Bakery creates a different cronut flavour each month, and this is available to purchase. This month, to tie in with autumn and Thanksgiving, the November flavour is pumpkin and toffee. I've previously had the cronut (called the crodough in other places because of a copyright on the name 'cronut') from London's Rinkoff Bakery (also see Rinkoff Bakeries, London) and DumDum Doughnuts. I was not actually that keen on them, but I thought that I must give this one a try as it was from the creator of the pastry. This one tasted nice with a creamy pumpkin-toffee filling and a crispy sugar-coated crust, though I am still not won over by them.

The other unique item from Dominique Ansel that I tried was the blossoming hot chocolate. It is called this because the hot chocolate comes with a marshmallow, which is shaped like a closed flower bud. When placed into the hot chocolate, the flower blossoms and fills the top of the cup, and a small chocolate is revealed. The blossom expands because the outside contains a thin layer of white chocolate, which melts when the flower is placed into the hot chocolate. I found the hot chocolate much too sweet personally.

The main reason I went to visit the bakery was to pick up the Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie that I had ordered. I am looking forward to trying this out. I will let you know what it is like, but it was described as having a silky pumpkin and custard consistency and a gingerbread crust. It does look very pretty with several dollups of whipped cream!

While I waited in the queue to pick up my pre-ordered pie, I looked at some of the other offerings from Dominique Ansel. They have afternoon tea on offer too, which is set in their private garden. There are also many different unique types of pastries available, many of which are for a limited time only. I am sure that there is something here for everyone. Oh, and I thought the eclair looked cute with the little corgis and queen on the side.

On a Friday early after work (I arrived at 4:00pm), the bakery was actually pretty busy. I am sure that it is even busier at the weekends, though there are quite a few areas to sit but visitors in groups may need to wait awhile to get a seat. Dominique Ansel Bakery is located at 17-21 Elizabeth Street in London's Victoria (Belgravia) area. The postcode is SW1W 9RP.

It is the time of year when we start to think about Christmas and advent calendars, and there are a lot of options on the market right now. I opted to go for lookfantastic this year as their advent calendar contained a lot of products that I have not sampled before. And I was not disappointed with the purchase. This post contains spoilers, so only read on if you're curious to see what is inside!

First of all, the advent calendar comes in a sturdy red box with a simplistic design, highlighting the lookfantastic brand. Each little compartment pulls out into a box. The boxes are also well-made, and this advent calendar box is built to last. All of the products were wrapped in red tissue paper.

HD Brows (High Definition Beauty) Contour and Colour Pro Palette, lookfantastic exclusive: Well-defined brows are 'in' at the moment, and this is the most expensive item in the box, retailing at £60.00. There is a generous amount of product, and it comes in a case with mirror. Thoughts? I'm a little less excited about this product because I don't really spend effort on my brows, which are normally hidden a bit by my hair anyway.

Filorga Anti-Ageing Micellar Solution: This make-up remover doubles up as an anti-aging product. The product should be used with cotton balls to clean off the make-up without using water. Thoughts? I am excited to try this out and am looking for a good make-up remover that isn't harsh on skin.

Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm: This hair balm is a leave-in product to add style and volume to the hair. It also protects hair against humidity and adds shine and keeps hair soft. Thoughts? I am a fan of this brand as I've enjoyed their past products, so I will be looking forward to trying this one.

Glamglow GravityMud Mask Firming Treatment: GravityMud is the latest from the Glamglow brand, and it leaves skin firmer after use. Thoughts? I am interested in this one having tried and enjoyed another similar product from this brand.

BBB London Ultra Slim Brow Definer in Indian Chocolate: This is a smudge and waterproof brow liner that has a creamy texture and ultra-slim tip to glide on. Thoughts? The colour is too light for me to use, and it is another brow product, so it doesn't excite me.

Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil: This facial oil is a blend of oils and plant extracts combined to soothe and brighten skin while protecting it against dehydration. It helps banish dry skin. Thoughts? In winter, skin has a tendancy to dry out, so I am looking forward to trying this out to see if it helps keep away the dry skin.

Eyeko Mini Black Magic Mascara: Mascara in a tube allows the product to be used, and this helps give the definition of thicker and curlier lashes. Thoughts? I own this product already and am currently using it. I like that it is in a tube as it doesn't tend to clump and dry out like other mascara.

Molton Brown Jasmine and Sun Rose Body Wash: Molton Brown is known for their shower and body care products, and their soaps and shower gels are amongst the most popular products. This body wash comes in rose and jasmine scent, which is floral and fruity. Thoughts? I enjoy this brand and have used their body washes in the past, so I will enjoy using this.

Regenerate Enamel Science Advanced Toothpaste: This product claims to recreate and repair enamel, but that claim is not correct because you can not re-grow enamel. What I think it actually does it to protect enamel from further erosin, which is should be marketed as as it's misleading and false advertising otherwise. Thoughts? Well, fizzy drinks and sugar have hurt my enamel. I tend to use products that help to protect enamel, but I don't agree with the misleading marketing for this product.  

Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser: This is a skin cleanser that helps remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate skin. It is created with mud from a European thermal lake. Thoughts? This is in slightly different branding, but I already own the product or a similar cleanser product from this brand. It does help purify skin and remove dead skin.

Rituals 'Ritual Of Sakura' Body Cream: This body lotion smells of cherry blossoms and is a light fragrance that blends into skin without feeling greasy or clumpy. Thoughts? I love this brand and have used some great products from them. I don't tend to use body creams a lot, so I am sad that it isn't in a soap or shower gel.

Grow Gorgeous Mud Mask: This product is a mask, and it promises thicker hair and a nourished scalp after use. Thoughts? It comes in a cute little tub, and I love the design of it. I can't wait to try it to see what it does to my hair and scalp.

Balance Me Tan Drops: Using two or three drops of this product with moisturiser will help give a tan, and the product claims to not have a foul smell or leave streaks on skin. It also allows the gradual build-up of tan for a natural look, and it can be used by vegans. Thoughts? I don't use tanning products, and when I have had samples, they've not tended to go well with me. I will try it, though.

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick: This bright green lipstick actually changes to a unique shade of pink to match the wearer's skin tone. It will look different on everyone. Thoughts? This is a unique product, so I cannot wait to try it out. I also love the design of the product.

Sleek Mineral Based Eyeshadow Palette in 'A New Day': This eye-shadow palette contains several natural day-time shades for a subtle effect. The case is made well and contains a mirror. Thoughts? This is a nice set to carry around without fearing that it may open up in my bag and coat everything in powder.

Doucce Fierce and Fine Graphic Pen: A waterproof eyeliner pen that comes in an ultra-fine line, this promises some stunning and long-lasting wear. Thoughts: I don't often use eye-liners, but this sounds like a good one, so I will see if it is.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: This product promises more radiant and glowing skin, and it is made from grape seeds. Thoughts? I've previously used this product, but I am not keen on it.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: This product hydrates and protects skin, and it is safe to use for people who have sensitve skin. Thoughts? I will use this as a moisturiser, but I do not have problem skin, so I am slightly less enthused about this.

ESPA Overnight Hydration Therapy: Another moisturising and skincare product, but this one is marketed to leaving on overnight for results. It helps purify skin and make it more radiant. Thoughts? I have previously used this product, and I suppose that this is more suited to winter use.

This Works Relax and Breathe Stress Check: This roll-on product promises to help the user sleep better by removing stress. It contains a blend of scents to aid in stress removal. Thoughts? Sometimes, I do have difficulty sleeping, so I will see if this product works. I've used this brand's other sleep aids, but I did not find them to work for me.

Mane and Tail Shampoo & Conditioner: This shampoo and conditioner duo promises to clean hair without stripping it of natural oils. It is also marketed for children's hair. Thoughts? I can't wait to try this product to see how it affects my hair.

Lookfantastic Fan and Highlighter Brush: This is another product from lookfantastic, and this time it is a highlighter and fan brush. Thoughts? I can always use more make-up brushes.

Aromatherapy Associates Bath and Shower Oil: Aromatherapy uses bath oils to help soothe, de-stress, and relax. Taking these with a bath will help the user sleep better. Thoughts? I've previously used this product, and it was a mess to clean off the tub as it's thick oil. I will not use it until I have a new bathroom because the current bath is too small to submerge myself in and doesn't create a relaxing environment.

Erno Laszlo Eye Serum Mask: This under-eye mask helps reduce wrinkles and puffiness; it adds vitamins to the skin to help moisturise the area. Thoughts? I've never used an eye mask product, so I can't wait to see what this is like.

Illamasqua Beyond Powder in 'Deity': This highlighter powder from cult favourite Illamasqua creates a luminous effect to the skin. It should be applied on top of foundation as a highlighter. Thoughts? This comes in a wonderful little case and is perfect to take away and apply or touch-up. I can't wait to try it.

And, that's it for this year's lookfantastic beauty advent calendar. What are your thoughts, and which product are you most excited about?

This month, several advent calendars have been released, which means that Christmas is fast approaching. Last year, I ordered the Prosecco Advent Calendar 2017, but I was disappointed overall with it because each bottle was duplicated at least once (except the last day's), and there were a few that I didn't enjoy. I decided to try the flavoured gin advent calendar this year. Gin is not something that I drink a lot of, but I think that I will enjoy these in the lead up to Christmas because it's been a busy year.

The Flavoured Gin Advent Calendar actually comes boxed in a giant Christmas cracker. The ends of the box fold out like the ends of a Christmas cracker. You cannot pull it, of course, but it resembles a cracker. Behind each number is a small bottle of flavoured gin to pull out.

The calendar came with 24 unique miniature bottles of flavoured gin and gin liquer made from a few different brands that I have heard of and also that were new to me. Brands included are Edinburgh Gin, Malfy Gin, Sweet Potato Spirit Co., Wilkin & Sons Ltd., and The Lakes. The alcohol percentages range from 20% to 43% with Edinburgh Gin being 20% and the strongest 43% being Whitley Neill.

1) Malfy Sicilian Lemon Gin
2) Sweet Potato Spirit Co. Raspberry Gin Liqueur
3) Wilkin & Sons Ltd. English Rhubarb Gin Liqueur
4) Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin Tea Edition
5) Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur
6) The Lakes Elderflower Gin Liqueur
7) Whitley Neill Quince Gin
8) The English Drinks Company The Orangery Gin

9) Malfy Sicilian Pink Grapefruit Gin
10) 6 O'Clock Sloe Gin
11) The English Drinks Company Cucumber Gin
12) The Lakes Rhubarb and Rosehip Gin Liqueur
13) Wilkin & Sons Ltd. English Strawberry Gin Liqueur
14) Sweet Potato Spirit Co. Orange Gin Liqueur
15) Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin Lavender Edition
16) Edinburgh Gin Plum and Vanilla Liqueur

17) Bramley and Gage Organic Sloe Gin
18) 6 O'Clock Damson Gin:
19) Malfy Sicilian Blood Orange Gin
20) Sweet Potato Spirit Co. Lavender Gin Liqueur
21) Poetic Licence Picnic Gin Strawberries and Cream
22) The Lakes Sloe Gin Liqueur
23) Wilkin & Sons Ltd. English Raspberry Gin Liqueur
24) Poetic Licence Fireside Gin Mulled Winter Fruit

I will endeavour to let you all know what these flavoured gins are like and if I have any clear favourites amongst them that I would buy and add to my drinks pantry.

Hello, readers! Earlier in the year, I posted a review of five years ago, so I decided to post one for ten years ago. This has not been an easy one to write. Here it goes! Oh, and it's probably not an easy one to read, so be warned. The background is that I started this blog as a quick platform for updates and for keeping track of bits and pieces that inspired me. As a web designer and developer, I am always on the look-out for inspiring designs and ideas to collect. One of my instructors in university (Visual Communications degree) told us to do this because those ideas are always useful and inspiring for our own projects. So, this blog was really started as a collection of ideas, art, and designs in the world of web and graphic design. I mention this because my blog was focused more on that aspect in 2008. However, I do remember 2008 as an eventful year, and it was not great year for me in many aspects, but it was a milestone year with changes ahead.

Approximately three years prior to 2008, I moved from Southampton and started to work for a small company just south of Bristol. I mention this as it is important to 2008. I lived in Bath because Bristol was a bit rough at that time. I enjoyed Bath, and I still do. It is one of my favourite places. In 2007, I had to move from Bath. My daily commute was a minimum of just over four hours a day, my flatmate was mean and did not know boundaries, and I wanted to be closer to work friends; I ended up renting a house on my own within walking distance of work in a tiny 'village' just south of Bristol. 

Unfortunately, the job was a bit dull; it was a male-dominated company with some odd rules. I met some great people and had some great friendships at the company, but I also needed something different and inspiring. With the flatmate issues, I did not want to rent. I just wanted stability. After a difficult time for a little over a year, the person I was seeing in Southampton previously (but turned out to be a jerk for most of the time I lived in Bath) wanted to make future plans. We were changing jobs and decided to buy a house together. We found one near Winchester and found a buyer for his place in December of 2007, and I finally felt like everything was coming together at last as I'd felt in limbo so long. We'd both taken new jobs that started on the same day in mid-December, and the commute was a long one from his place, but the plan was to be moved in to the new home by spring at the latest. 

Unfortunately, we found out in early January 2008 that the housing chain fell through. I was told it was a long chain of eight people. We were at the end of the chain as we were buying a new build, and the bottom of the chain pulled out of their purchase, which meant all the purchases fell through because buying a house in the UK is next to impossible. I lost quite a bit of money as I put down the deposit. At this time, there were news stories which scared people about buying houses, which I knew were silly, but the other people being frightened and the media coverage meant we lost out (while other people who could afford were buying up at cheaper prices). Stupidly, his mother was frightened about it, and then gave him cold feet although I kept trying to say that it was not an issue and knew that smart people would still be buying.

A visit to Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower in February, 2008. After years of watching it being built but late to be completed, I finally got to go inside and up the tower.

Things got worse after we lost the house due to the chain falling through, which leads me to tell my readers to not offer on a house unless you're absolutely serious because pulling out of a house sale in England (I believe the rules are different in Scotland) affects lives and costs a lot of people a lot of money. It was actually very stressful and put a lot of stress on us in addition to the continued long commute.

My commute was about an hour and a half each way to Basingstoke, and his would have been twice that long to Reading. Traffic was a mess, and it was stressful. Poor weather added to the stress because the smaller roads like the ones I lived on in West End (Southampton) were not taken care of in the snow. So, I ended up commuting and trying to get the housing situation sorted. At least I loved my job. My life has always seemed to be unbalanced; when the job is balanced and nice, the personal life is not and vice versa.

Despite the set-backs, which I will continue to explain, I tried to get my mind off of the stress. We went to Lille in France in early March via Eurostar for a long weekend. It was just a short trip that we'd booked a few months previously. We visited just before Easter, so we got to see Lille decorated for Easter.

Lille - chocolate Easter eggs

We also saw the girl band the Sugababes in concert in March (I believe the concert was in Birmingham) and also went to the ruins of Raglan Castle over the Easter weekend when we went to Wales to visit his mother.

Raglan Castle

When more bad news came, I also booked a last-minute trip to go away for a sun break as a surprise for him as I was feeling very stressed and we'd also had a snowy and trying winter. I booked a hotel in Alicante in Spain (Visiting Alicante and Benidorm in Spain) for a long weekend at the end of March as a surprise for him, but the weather ended up still being too cold for a proper sun break (which is what he wanted); we found a national park to explore and went to a theme park and to Benidorm. I really enjoyed the theme park. Overall, it was not too memorable a trip as I was feeling under a lot of pressure by then. Things were not going well at all.

Alicante

While the house problems were going on, my partner became a bigger problem. He wanted a different house because his mother did not like the garden and the house did not have a garage. (The house we really wanted that had both a larger garden and garage was reserved a couple weeks before we found a buyer for his house, so we went for the next best one in the development; we were both gutted but couldn't change this.) So, he complained and wanted to look for another house. I paid the deposits so lost out. Then it came to my attention a few weeks later that he was cheating. That was the reason we had split for a time when I was living in Bath a couple of years previously, but I was not aware it had started up again.

He'd become infatuated with a girl he knew from online who was obsessed with the same girl band that he was. She was also the same girl who caused issues when I was living in Bath and he'd be up most of the night chatting to her, which I later discovered. To put it simply, she was trouble and leading him on because she liked the attention and was frankly immature (she was a lot younger in age than he was and there are few people I know in their early 20s who are emotionally mature), and he wanted to be different because he obviously was not happy with himself. He wanted to act younger and be 'cool'. I often remember when we would visit his mother, he would walk far ahead of her because he did not want to be seen with her, and I thought that was rude and she didn't approve of that either. He'd belittle me as well. Looking back on this, I realise it really wore me down over the years from someone who was confident and creative to someone afraid of being belittled and that any action I took would cause him to snap.

A nice park I would walk to in West End, Southampton

It came to my attention because he got up extremely early one morning to see her. It was to turn up at her workplace at a what was once a large chain video/music shop in Basingstoke to help her take a delivery for the store. He would do anything to try to impress her and then treat me poorly.

Actually, during the whole time of him leading me on about the houses and moving, I later discovered that he was planning to move in with her. Yes, that is correct. He was in the process of renting out his house and moving to London to rent a place with her while he was still planning a house with me and getting me to pay deposits because I had savings and he did not. So, his wasting my time and messing with my feelings and my future is unforgivable and a horrible thing. He was a horrible person anyway, but that was one of the worst things anything has done to me. He did two more things of a similar caliber later on, which I will describe. 

After it came to light what was happening, I went back to see my friends and family on short notice for two weeks (I had no place to go as I was living with him and was very hurt) and then returned at the end of the month. He promised to pick me up from the airport. But again, he was out with her and he left me stranded at the airport and it took me a day to get home with heavy luggage from Gatwick to West End due to no rail services running and having no way to get to the house from the train station. (These were the days before Uber, smart phones like we have now, and a taxi would have been too expensive.) This whole situation was the worst thing that anyone has done to me - and done in a cold and calculating way. This is the second item he did that was absolutely horrible.

Another view from the Spinaker Tower

I've not actually told many people this story, but he was just a mean person. He was controlling and selfish. One of his annoying quirks was that he was late to everything to control the situation. In fact, he was meant to be usher at his step-sister's wedding. I was ready to go and waiting and reminded him we needed to go, but he was on the computer (now that I think back on it, he would have been flirting with that girl) and would not get ready. Then, on the way in the car to wedding in Worcester, he threatened to crash saying his step-sister would probably forgive him for being late if he crashed the car. Thankfully, I talked him out of it. (Yes, he was crazy!) We were late, so he did not get to usher, but arrived just in time for the ceremony. I wonder if she ever knew the reason we were late (which was due to his being on the computer), and I certainly hope she didn't think it was due to me.

Everything had to resolve around him. It was as if I was stepping on eggshells when I was with him. We always had to do what he wanted and very rarely what I wanted. I discovered a few years later that he actually fit the typical narcisstic personality. I lost myself for a long time when I was with him and wished that I had not given him the chances that I did because he wasted my time, and time is the most important commodity.

After I returned form the states at the end of May and discovered he was not there to pick me up from the airport as he told me and that he was with her in London, I packed what little I had at his place. Luckily, most of my items were still in storage after I moved from the West Country. One of my colleagues that I did not know well was so nice and let me stay with her and her family in Basingstoke as I had nowhere else to go and I needed to get back on my feet. It was tough. I then found a place to rent temporarily and had some of my items moved from storage. I did not see him again. I moved on and focused on my job, which I enjoyed. I made good friendships with my colleagues. I basically did not like it when I had to leave work, and weekends were also tough as I was alone. I was still trying to overcome his nasty effect on me as I had lost a bit of myself in knowing and associating with him. He was a soul-sucking parasite.

I had friends that I met in 2003 in Hampshire (but they later moved further away) that had come to visit my new flat in late June. While I was out with them, he tried to ring my number approximately 30 times in a row. He left a couple of crying messages. On the last message, he threatened to call the police to have them find me because he missed me and wanted me to pick up. I did not. I ignored his texts and messages. See how crazy he was?

The Louvre, Paris

I started to make other friends. I went to Paris in early July with a friend for a long weekend and had a very nice time getting away from everything. I had been to Paris before, many years ago, so this was my second visit to the city. I went to the museums and to the Moulin Rouge, which I really enjoyed. I was still very much trying to find myself and recover from a bad relationship that lasted just shy of six years then.

I also went to Disneyland Paris, and it was the first time that I have ever been to a Disney park. I saw the fireworks, night parade, day parade, and went on several rides. It was not nearly as busy (and in high season) as my visit this March 2018.

Disneyland Paris in 2008

I was also making new friends via a colleague at my workplace who noticed I owned a MINI and invited me to meet some other people who owned them. In short, my colleagues at work became friends in addition to attending events with friends from MINI. I went to several MINI events, such as Poole Quay, a meet-up once a month on Portsdown Hill, and various pub and meeting nights in Portsmouth and drives around the country, including the Isle of Wight. I was very much rebuilding my life from scratch as my ex had seen to it that during the relationship, that I could not have other friends as he would become jealous; I has been controlled by him and lost a bit of myself. Like all absuive relationships, it obviously did not start out that way with the control; people like that are wonderful to you at first and then change slowly once they know they have you. If it had started out that way, I would have not been in that relationship. He told me that he was jealous because he was worried that I would cheat on him because his ex-girlfriend did. (I can only think he was projecting that because he was the one who cheated.) 

Isle of Wight MINI Run in September

At the end of September, things changed and I did something that I regret. I had gone to the Castle Coombe MINI event with my colleague from work, and I was not having a great time. This event was the last major event of the year in the MINI calendar. The weather was extremely wet and dreary, and everyone was tired as we'd gotten up very early and arrived very early. Everyone went off, and I was just left to look around myself feeling abandoned by my friend who had taken me. I'd never been to that event before, but I started to feel lonely after looking around at the cars and did not know anyone. While I was wandering around by myself, the ex rang my mobile, and I answered. That was the regretable action. It was a huge mistake. It was a lapse in judgement.

MINI Castle Coombe event at the end of September

The feelings were still very raw and I wasn't recovered. This call would lead to more frequent calls later in October and then later messing up my mind about everything. Absolutely this was a huge mistake and waste of my time. I wish I had never taken that call.

Despite that lapse in judgement at the end of September, the beginning of October was great as I had earlier planned a few things. At the start of October, I went to Marrakesh in Morocco with a friend. I really enjoyed myself and had a good time getting photographs and traveling to places like Essaouira, the Cascades de Ouzoud, and the Atlas Mountains (Morocco Colours and Morocco, Part Two). It was an amazing trip. I had so much fun.

Morocco

After I returned from the Morocco trip, I had a couple of days back to work before going away for another few days. One of my closest friends from the states had a visit to Europe for the first time in early October with her partner for work, and the destination was Copenhagen (Autumn and Halloween Themes in Copenhagen). So, I joined her in Copenhagen for a few days. This was a lot of fun. We had a couple of days in Copenhagen to explore the city and go to Tivoli theme park before going to Malmo in Sweden across the bridge, where it rained but we went to a castle museum and to a few shops and ended up in a protest. Tivoli theme park was the highlight for me, and it was extra special because it was decorated for Halloween.

Tivoli, Copenhagen

Unfortunately, based on that call in September, I met up with my ex when I returned at the end of October. I remember that there was really bad weather storms at that time. One of the people I knew, but I did not know him too well, in the MINI gathering had died tragically. He owned a canal boat, and I guess he'd gone out to walk his dog in the storm and ended up drowning in the canal. He was found in the canal the next morning after the storm passed. I remember that because the night before the storm was the first day that I met up with my ex, and he had decided to work on things. He tried to make an effort. He'd begged me. He'd cried a lot. He cursed the girl he had been infatuated with. I wish I could have seen through his lies; he was just a user. Unfortunately, he knew where I was living after that and used it against me. Then, he was using me to stay at my place so he wouldn't have to commute so far. Again, he was just using me for convenience and I was naive.

Stonehenge

In November, one of my ex-colleague friends from my job near Bristol came to visit for a weekend. We went to Stonehenge because he had never been, but I had been a couple of times before and have driven past it a lot of times. After visiting Stonehenge, we went into my favourite city, Salisbury. We walked around the cathedral and I showed him the water meadows. There is a very nice walk from the water meadows to a little pub called "The Mill", bordering meadows of sheep and excellent views of Salisbury Cathedral. I lived in Salisbury for awhile, so I know a lot about different places to visit. 

Wildlights at Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio

In December, I had already planned to go back to Ohio to visit my friends and family. But on top of that, my ex wanted to go with me as well. I was not too impressed about him going with me. When we got to my parents', he acted like a jerk. He just wanted to be out shopping or on the Internet, which was slow at my parents' house as they live in the country, and we rarely saw my friends and family. All he wanted to do was to be online and out of the house. One time, he made a point of refusing to go on a day trip that we had planned with my parents. On the night before, he faked that he was really ill and on the brink of death; he even wrote a note to his mother because he said he was on death's door! He was obviously being over-dramatic and acting; he just wanted to go online all day. Yes, I thought he was crazy. Others did too.

I think he mainly wanted to come with me because he wanted to go skiing in Colorado, so we ended up in my home town for about a week and then had a flight to Denver right after Christmas to go skiing for a little over a week. Breckenridge and Aspen were the two places we visited, but we only skiied in Breckenridge. Both were very nice places, and we explored a little bit of Denver and Colorado as well. I loved the slopes in Breckenridge because I had not skiied much before, and I can do a partial snow-plough turn on one leg but struggle a little on the other. (I don't actually have great balance!) There was one run that started on the mountain and went all the way down to the main street. There was one small slope that was slightly too steep, but I made it down somehow.

Colorado

So, that year ended up going full circle without progress, but the progress was happening in the background as I had made new friends who would help me escape his abuse. It feels wrong to leave the story hanging here, so I must continue in order to close that chapter.

In spring the next year (2009), I could not afford the flat by myself due to spending money on him (or on account of him) and for another deposit on a house. To be honest, a two-bedroom flat was just too much money to spend on rent on my own, plus a few items were still in storage because the flat was partially-furnished. I moved out of the flat, but I was between staying with him and friends. I moved my boxes and furniture back into storage. Earlier that year, he was already talking about buying a house again, hence the deposit. I stupidly fell for it all again. Of course, things were not good, but I tried to get them to work but I didn't really trust him. After he knew he had me again, the belittling and mental abuse started up again. 

Not long after moving back in with him in 2009, I discovered he was again talking to her after they had had a bust up in the autumn of 2008. This was probably the only reason he got in touch with me at the end of September. I then learned (but not straight away) that they were again planning to move in together after he told me she wasn't in the picture anymore. He was planning on renting his house out to move to be with her. He was telling me he wanted to buy a house but telling her he was going to rent his house and move in with her to London. He was doing all of this behind my back again. 

The final straw was when he hit me when I was asleep; this was when I got out of there and stayed with friends. I already did not trust him, but I trusted him less then. What had happened was I'd gotten to his place after work and had moved a laptop bag from the floor to the sofabed. It was common that I would arrive home before he did, and I would do a bit of tidying up; looking back on this now, he was probably hanging out with her and looking for places to rent, although I did not know about this at this time. I had gone to bed, and he was on his computer again (he was addicted to it). I woke up with a big slap across my face. He said that the slap was due to me moving the laptop bag.

I should have seen the signs that something was up with him earlier. At about the same time, he was freaked out about having mice in his loft, and he wanted me to go up to the loft and move the boxes down because of the mice. He actually set up a survelliance camera to capture the mice moving around, and completely freaked out about it. I don't have a fear of mice, so it did not bother me. What he was doing behind my back was actually moving the boxes into storage in order to rent his place out, and I was oblivious to it. I thought he was just totally freaked out about the mice and that was the end of it. 

All that time, he was telling me that he was going to buy a house with me and we'd go look at houses on the weekend, but then he'd go off with her and look at places to rent in London. I had no idea until later just what he was doing. I even had a couple of friends confront him about the way he was treating me.

So, 2008 was not a great year for me at all and was a year of change and a year of limbo. If I could do it differently (which I would in a heartbeat), I would have made sure to have changed my phone number. He was blocked in other methods of communication except for that. I should not have wasted as much time as I did with him, but he is a manipulative and controlling person. This is someone that I am glad is out of my life. 

I know quite a few people (luckily) who have not gone through what I went through, so they struggled to relate to the situation and were not very sympathetic to me at the time. I tried my best and did not talk about it too much nor talk about this in much detail. I actually never dreamed that I would be someone who would have had to go through something like this as I have never been attracted to bad boys, and I enjoy a quiet life without drama. I did nothing to deserve what he did. There were a few red flags after I got to know him. He used his "my ex cheated on me" scenario to control who I spoke to. In these early days, communication to friends was an email or a phone call, so not as regular as having social media and smart phones/text messages. The other thing that he would do was belittle me to control every aspect of me, which is why it took so long to find myself again. People like my ex start out kind, but then they change once they know that they can because they know they are in control of the situation. I hope that anyone who is in a similar situation to this gets out and is not afraid to escape. Life is so much better without a narcissistic and abusive person wearing you down.

This post is a look back on the beauty, skin-care, and hair-care products that I have used up in the past few months. This is my review of the products to look back on them and decide if I would like to re-purchase any of those items. The products listed below have been used up from the beginning of April. I'm actually not using very many products these days as I have mainly been working from home and not going out of the house much.

Trifle Cosmetics Candied Apple Lip & Cheek Stain: This lip and cheek stain is in a dark pink colour, and I liked the cute tube. I like the packaging of Trifle Cosmetics. Would I buy it again? No, the product was too thick and did not evenly distribute across my lips. It was also too sticky and did not work on cheeks; the stickiness of the product was a problem and caused the product to go on thicker in some places, and it also did not transfer well when drinking cold drinks. I thought this was a good summery lipstick, but it was just too sticky and produced uneven colour.

TRESemme 60 second hair treatment shots: This is one "shot" that comes in a pack. Each shot nourishes hair. Would I buy it again? No. It's a nice product and does nourish hair, but it is similar to other products offered by other brands. The downside is that these create more plastic waste and would be more expensive than other products, so I would stick to my other brand. 

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse® Shimmer: This body and hair shimmer oil is designed to add moisture and protect hair and skin from pollution. It also adds a subtle glow to skin, and I love the scent which reminds me of honeysuckle. Would I buy it again? No; the product makes my hair too greasy and is very thick on my skin.

Lip Gloss - Marks and Spencer and Markwins International: I have hoarded some lip gloss and lipstick that I have had for awhile and have just started to use these up. Would I buy it again? Marks and Spencer - I had a glitter gloss and a berry red one. The berry red one was a good product, but neither had staying power. The Markwins was a bright red lipstick that went on a little unevenly. I wouldn't purchase these brands in the future.

Soap&Glory Hair Supply mask treatment: Soap&Glory create cute packaging that really stands out on the shelf and that is inspired by vintage advertising. This mask treatment nourished my hair and made it soft and smell good. Would I buy it again? Maybe, but there are a lot of similar products on the market.

Lush Glogg shower gel: This is a warm and spicy scent for the Lush 2014 Christmas range, and the scent reminded me of a mulled drink. I finished this product at the beginning of spring to use it up as it was my winter shower gel. Would I buy it again? Maybe.

Clinique Long-Last Lipstick in 'Twilight Nude': This pocket-sized lipstick was perfect for taking in my bag to apply when needed. It is a good berry colour that fits my complexion perfectly and is a perfect colour to wear to work. The lipstick also was long-lasting, so that's a bonus. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Superdrug self-heating mask: This mask heats when applied to skin and helps to exfoliate and keep skin in top order. Would I buy it again? Yes, I have purchased this product a few times.

Wella shaders and toners: These little packets of hair colour just help to add a bit of shine to hair; they are semi-permanent. I had previously used the blond and light-coloured ones, which looked great when I dyed my hair blond, but I have since developed an allergy to PPD and cannot dye my hair with most hair products. This product does not contain PPD, but it did not work on my naturally very dark hair. The colour of this was a plum colour. Would I buy it again? No, my natural hair colour is too dark but these do work for girls who have lighter-coloured hair (dyed or natural).

Clinique compact foundation: I used to buy this foundation many years ago because it was not a liquid form and one that I could take on planes without having to worry about the liquid ban. It has since been discontinued. The product was also very thick and clogged my pores; I did not realise how bad it was for my skin until I stopped using it and used other foundations. Would I buy it again? No, and I've generally gone off Clinique because I find their products too harsh on skin.

I am not sure what happened to the nice weather that we had in June and July and why it went away in August. I was hoping to make the most of it in August due to the earlier part of the summer being busy, but it turned out to be a cold and fairly wet month in the end. So, what did I get up to in August besides working my day job? Read below to find out.

July was a more interesting month, but August had some big plans. The bloke's birthday is in the first part of August, so I booked a nice hotel in the centre of Bristol at "The Bristol" for his birthday weekend. The hotel is located right on the canal in the middle of the city, and the rooms are fairly spacious for a town centre hotel with large bathrooms. Because it was his birthday, we arrived in the room to find a birthday treat with some fruit, a mini cupcake, and a nice chocolate. We did arrive to Bristol a lot later than I had hoped because we picked up a new car, and it just took awhile to get it all sorted out. The weather also was not kind with rain on the way there. When we arrived at last, it was early evening (we got stuck in Bristol centre with rush hour traffic).

We had dinner at the hotel, which was okay but not the best meal I have had this year. We both had a spicy carrot soup, and I had chicken with a chili glaze, but it was not spicy and the chicken was dry. The crushed potatoes side that I ordered was very good. For dessert, I ordered a chocolate mousse, but it was not chocolate mousse at all. It was some healthy chia seeds and it had no taste and felt heavy. It didn't taste of chocolate or have a mousse consistency at all, so that was a complete let down as this was not marketed correctly at all.

The main reasons of visiting Bristol were the Bristol Balloon Festival and the Gromit Unleashed 2.0 trail. Bristol Balloon Festival is always on during this weekend in August, and despite living in the area for three years, I never went. I wanted to go, but it was something that I never got around to doing. There are two launch times on the Saturday (as we arrived too late on the Friday to do anything), and one was at 6:00am. I set my alarm as I didn't want to force the bloke up early to go to the venue. We woke up to a perfect sunny day with the balloons floating past the hotel room window.

So, I was expecting a lovely day as I watched hundreds of balloons ascend into the skies and head toward the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I'd planned to see the later launch at 5:00 in the afternoon and then to let this be followed by the illuminations and fireworks. The bloke still wanted to sleep in when it came to 9:00, so I went down to get my breakfast and decided to start the day by going to see the street art from the previous weekend's Upfest street art festival. I caught another glimpse of the only sun we would get to see at the weekend, which was a short glimpse as I crossed a bridge on my way to Bedminster where the street art is.

I saw several amazing new street art murals by so many talented artists.

unknown eye oculus mosaic at the bottom of Bristol's Christmas Steps

I got back to the hotel at 11:00 and then we went out to visit the Gromit Unleashed 2.0 in 2018 sculpture trail by walking around the city. By now, it was gloomy, cloudy and dreary. There were a few spots of rain but nothing major. Unfortunately, this meant that the Bristol Balloon Festival was cancelled. The weather actually got much worse with downpours and wind. The take-off and illuminations were cancelled. We tried in vain to go to the festival before the event because there was not any communication and we left an hour beforehand, which gave us plenty of time, but the traffic was awful and we were stuck in traffic for an hour without even making it to the venue. So, I have still not managed to cross the Bristol Balloon Festival off of my bucket list.

On another weekend, I went to Nottingham to see another sculpture trail. I went to see the Robins Take Over Nottingham for Hoodwinked! Sculpture Trail. These robins were located close together in the city centre, so it was easy for me to see them. This was also my second ever visit to Nottingham; my first was in the summer of 2000. The weather was dreary and chilly, but it did not rain hard that day. This was just a day trip.

The following weekend, I went to see yet another sculpture trail for a day. This time, the sculptures were in Bath: Minerva's Owls Sculpture Trail in Bath, England. Again, the weather was the same with dreary dull skies and chilly temperatures and a few drops of rain. The weather was less kind this time, and the sculptures were spread over a further area, so I did not get to see too many of them.

This actually wrapped up the month of August. It had promise and I was hoping that it would be a little more than what it turned out to be. Last year, the month of August also did not deliver as we had the hot scorching weather in June and July, and August became chilly and wet. Perhaps next year I should somehow make sure that my next role is not so busy so I can enjoy hot summer days.