Every year I make a little summary of the whole year and point out what's been good and what's been bad about it. I really like the way that I've accomplished everything I wanted in previous years, and my resolutions this year are scarce because I like the person I am now and if you don't it's your problem, not mine. This year has been interesting. Everything I've done with my other half has been brilliant - Paris (my dream came true!), Leeds festival and camping in the sun, Amsterdam, spending lots of time together and enjoying each other's company. Everything else, quite frankly, has been shit. I'm looking forward to starting a new year, and there are lots of things to look forward to, such as graduation, hopefully getting a fun job, going on more holidays and moving out - hurrah!!

So in case I don't speak to you until the near year, I hope you have a great night and lots of fun; I'll be high on yummy Martini Asti!

Lots of love and all the best in the new year,

Mon xx

Uh oh, trouble ahead! I spotted a jar of dark chocolate powder in the kitchen and I don't know if it's meant to be used for making desserts or just drinking it plain, but it makes amazing hot chocolate! Dark, strong taste of cocoa and heart-warming. If you've seen Chocolat, that's exactly what it looked like. Yum yum yum. 'Tis the season to let your booty get three times bigger, isn't it?

Gonna make mum a cup cos we watched Chocolat together and she was drooling at it too.

Love and chocolate air kisses,

Mon xx

Two days til Christmas. In my family it's more like one day because my dad can never wait to give us our presents so by 11pm on Christmas Eve (if that) there's wrapping paper everywhere. Joyous! Me and Mike went for our Christmas meal yesterday and spent the whole day cuddled up in the warmth watching films, you know one of those moments when everything's just perfect and you're so happy? I also tried Guitar Hero and rocked at 'paint it black' and 'woman' - after 3 glasses of red wine and some beer, maybe that's why most musicians are drunk on stage.

Time to go buy the paper and attempt to read it while Oli eats it and runs away with paper in his mouth. Oh how I love my baby.

All my love,

Mon xx

I've just read everyone's blogs, sadly don't have the time to comment as I'm so busy making sure Oliver doesn't eat my mother's special Christmas decorations (or what's left of them), but as soon as he's asleep I'll come back.

So last night was my dad's birthday, we went out for a meal and had a lovely night, which included a vile drink called 'frisky bison' that tasted like, and it took me and my sister a while to figure this out, "old carpet covered with moudly ass". And then mum tried to get us all into an alcoholic coma with her cocktail, it was nice but waaaayyy too strong. Evil Tia Maria She also told me to do this meme thing to show everyone where I grew up, so here's where my childhood took place:

Good memories. You couldn't see where I live now, because the view from the top would be covered by clouds. *mumble mumble swear mumble*

Love,

Mon xx

You know when you think you're right, but you don't want to be, and then you end up not knowing whether you're just paranoid and your gut feeling is wrong (as usual) or if you're actually right and things aren't perfect? ... reading back that doesn't make much sense... it's hard to explain, but I hope you get the idea. I hate the voice in the back of my head that says something's not right, because even when I think everything is fine and tell the voice to shut up, it's louder and more persistent than reason. Other than that, I'm loving the christmas break and being able to do nothing in the day - just putting my feet up, having the house to myself, watching nice films, having a drink or two and playing with Oliver (by play I mean running from him and being eaten alive). Tell you what I hate with a passion though, bloody christmas songs. My sister, much to my misfortune, loves playing them one after another, which comes with added jolliness to my ears as she seems to have a hearing problem and her idea of 'quiet' is being able to hear it two rooms away with both doors closed. The only way to defend my ears is by being super mature and playing music she hates louder, such as:

Jolly! But look, it's Finch! Finch are back!! Remember how upset I was when they split up? Memories come flooding back. I'm so glad I grabbed my life by the balls and turned it around so that it was the way I wanted it to be. Wish I could do that now, but there are no balls to grab onto this time. Just have to wait and as soon as they appear, I'll hold on for dear life.

Hope you're all keeping well! All my love,

Mon xx

I took a "Which Britney are you?" quiz and the result was "You are bald angry Britney". Need I say any more? I think I need detox - not from any substance (well, pastries maybe) but from bad feelings. I hate uni, I hate doing things I don't like because I grew up being told not to do this and not to do that, and as soon as I became old enough to make my own decisions without consent (nevertheless not without criticism) I started doing everything I wanted, which in turn worked against me. So, right now, I'm fed up. Enough is enough. I'm so tight, I would scream into a pillow instead of letting it all out for all to hear. But when people do hear, they think I'm mean. I'm not screaming at them, I'm just screaming.

So it's wednesday, my lovely day off. I always used to do quizzes on my days off, as a way to avoid doing work. Some things never change.

1. Where is your boy/girl tonight? (isn't this a line out of a Fall Out Boy song?!)
At work.

2. Last place you held hands with someone? Who was it?
My bedroom, with Mike.

3. Name something you did yesterday?
Took Oliver for his first jab.

4. Last person you text messaged?
Mike.

5. What kind of phone do you have?
One that dies everytime I ring someone.

6. What are you doing right now?
Watching MTV - no wonder I feel like sh*t.

7. What color are your eyes?
Brown.

8. Do you have a chair in your room?
Yep, it took me forever to choose it out of hundreds of chairs in Ikea.

9. What are you doing tomorrow?
Going to see Marilyn Manson!

10. Do you know anyone named Betsey?
No.

11. What color is your hair?
Er, Galaxy chocolate.

12. Do you remember singing any songs as a kid?
Yep, I still remember the words to the songs my mum sang, even though she doesnt.

13. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
I'll be kissing him forever hopefully.

14. When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings?
At some ridiculous time in the early morning.

15. Do you play an instrument?
Yes, I try and I enjoy it anyway.

16. Do you like fire?
As long as it's not on me.

17. Are you allergic to anything?
Fuzzy animals and ignorant people, they always give me a rash and an itch, honestly.

18. Have you ever wanted to be a teacher?
Yep, but I have no patience at all.

19. Is anyone jealous of you?
If there is, they'd have no reason to be.

20. When was the last time you got flowers?
Err... I can't even remember. If the cactus I bought counts, a few weeks ago.

21. Where were you 1 hour ago?
On the couch.

22. Where were you 4 hours ago?
In bed.

23. Has anyone ever used you?
Yeah.

24. Has anyone ever told you that they like you more than as a friend?
Yeah.

25. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
Curly.

26. Who was the last person you drove with?
Mum and Oli.

27. What are you looking forward to?
Right now gigs and christmas break.

28. Do you want to kill someone right now?
I'm a pacifist.

29. Name one object that you couldnt live without?
*looks around* Lip balm.

30. Name a quote from the song you're listening to:
*turns over to MTV2* "Some want to kiss, some want to kick you, there's not a net you couldn't slip through."

31. How is life going for you right now?
I feel selfish complaining about my life when so many people in the world die because they lack the things that I complain about. Besides, Oli just peed in the right place, i.e. I don't need to clean up - life is perfect right now!

32. Are you keeping a secret from someone that needs to know the truth?
No.

33. What is the last text message you received?
A goodnight message from Mike.

34. What do you think of your sibling(s)?
She's a very special person and I feel privileged to have her in my life. She's also a pain in the arse sometimes, but so is every teenager.

35. What was the reason you last cried?
Cos I had to get up at 3am to clean up doggy poop. Sleep deprivation makes me cry, I am such a child.

36. Where would you like to be right now?
At a beach somewhere gorgeous and peaceful.

37. Last time you couldn't take your eyes off someone?
Mike while he's driving, I do this quite often, he looks really sexy when he's driving.

38. What do people call you?
Mon, my mum did call me Maria yesterday.

39. Who is your celebrity crush?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, completely platonic though. And Milla Jovovich in a I-want-to-be-her kind of way.

40. Do you have any tattoos, and if so what and where?
Three, all covered up by clothes.

41. When do you plan on getting married?
Whenever it happens.

42. Most memorable past?
All memories that came to mind weren't good or happy so I'm not saying!

43. Most embarrassing moment?
Today? I Bridget-Jones myself too often to have a favourite moment.

44. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Cos Oli was running after it.

45. What was your last thought?
What the hell did I do to the TV to make it stop working?!

46. Favorite fruit?
Strawberries.

47. Which is worse? A bad laugh or a bad cough?
Bad laugh, bad coughs are inevitable.

48. Kill the spider or let it out?
Kill, they serve no purpose in the world.

49. Where do you want to travel next?
Maybe a nice city in Europe.

50. If you could have one super human power what would you choose?
To be invisible, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at times.

51. Have you had a beer in the last week?
Yesterday with lunch, don't you hate students?!

52. Favorite body part?
My eyes, they're exempt from all things wobbly.

53. What do you do on fridays?
Usually relax and have fun.

54. Do you enjoy drama?
No, hate it when people make a storm in a glass of water, like my mother would say.

55. Do you think you’re conceited?
No!

56. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
A hammock. Not weird, but the name sounds funny.

57. Do you call anybody by their last name?
My boyfriend's friends, because they were introduced to me by a boy!

58. Has one of your friends ever stolen a boyfriend from you?
She tried, and I cut both out of my life.

59. Do you ever wish you were famous?
Yeah, for doing something good, and without the crazy paparazzi.

60. Is there someone right now that could do something to make you happy?
Sadly all things bothering me have to be done by myself!

Time to feed myself and Oli...

Love,

Mon xx

Lalalalala lala laaaa la! I need:

- mistletoe (and the boy under it)
- polo neck top
- candles that smell like mulled wine
- cappuccino with cinnamon powder on top
- the whiff of rice pudding and hot food in the house
- fairy lights on
- fuzzy head from the wine and nice drinks
- a nap on the couch in the afternoon
- looking out of the window and seeing snowy roofs

...

- to get a grip. Really. Right now.

My present is already under the tree, attacking the branches to be precise. And I am sat here, having done all my work, wishing it was June and all this essay malarky was over. Bonfire night will come earlier next year, all the work I've done will end up in ashes, might even throw a lecturer or two in there - tisk, God!! I'm kidding!

Hope you're all having a nice day! And if you're in the North, hope you're at home because it looks absolutely miserable outside!

Love,

Mon xx

How sweet is my dog - he let me have a whole extra hour and fifteen minutes in bed today, probably because it's saturday! 8 o'clock is a lie-in since Mr I Think Monica Is A Giant Chewy Toy And All Her Friends Are Bones came to live with us. Last night was so much fun though! It was nice meeting lots of you and seeing how lovely you all are in person. Shame about the rain (shock horror), but if it's any consolation it's nice and sunny today! Typical! I'm sure there'll be lots of posts about last night and some dreadful photos of course.

Love,

Mon xx