Wonderful Wednesday #55

By JINGO can you believe i'm here again already?!  Filling your Twitter timelines and blog readers with my #wonderfulwednesday nonsense?!  It's not nonsense really though.  Because i do so LIKE writing these posts, and it's a good job because life, and time in general are not on my side of late and this little space has been a bit quieter.  I'm glad that i started this little regular post, if only to make sure that i do check in regularly until life lets up a little more and i can devote a bit more creativity to my little corner.  I hope you'll hang TIGHTwith me on that one.  Enough of that though, how are you feeling mid-week?  I'm off today so that makes my Wednesday extra wonderful already!  But there has been much more LOVELINESS to discuss before we even get to that…

*  ^That^ COAT - well only just seen.  I've admired it for at least two months.  Why the bobbins do coats have to cost so much money?!  I dillied and dallied - which is just typical of me.  You see we had that one warm Sunday afternoon where i didn't wear gloves or a hat or a scarf and only my light little jacket and so buying a new Winter jacket in February seemed a bit MAD.  But then this week happened.  And if you live in the north of the UK or Scotland you will know that the weather has been horrific.  On the understanding that Spring had retreated for the time being, i promptly ordered THIS little gem:  A bright orange, 100% woollen duffle coat {toggles, hood and all - suddenly i was five again and it felt good} lined with the prettiest  blue tile print {it's not just me that takes this kind of thing as a total deal breaker is it?!  Nice insides of purses, bags, shoes….teabag boxes….no?  Just me then} and with the hugest most cosy hood.  I haven't had a coat with a hood since i was five!  Let's just say based on a 'price-per-wear' this coat is WINNING this week.  It doesn't hurt that i feel little like Paddington Bear in it either!

*  Free HONEY!  The Mr often gets gifts from customers.  He makes custom built bass guitars, teaches guitar and plays in a band.  Last year one of his students mums' gave us a hamper of homemade jam - it was the bees knees.  We ate an unsociable amount of toast for a few months and the food to jam ratio in our refrigerator was definitely in the jam's favour.  This week he SCAMPERED home with some fresh {is that the right word? I know you don't make honey…} honey from a customer who has his very own bees!  I can't wait to try it on a light Spring breakfast of toasted and seeded spelt toast with salty butter and a banana on the side.  You know when it warms up.  Until then i shall be gleefully riding the porridge BUS

*  DREAM breakfasts.  Talking of ^porridge^ just when i thought i couldn't excel myself anymore in the porridge stakes from THIS recipe, i only flipping have.  I've really been getting into my raw nut butters lately.  This time last year i'd only ever heard of peanut butter, almond butter and hazelnut butter and only ever spread them on apple or toast.  Lately i've discovered brazil nut butter and pecan butter.  Pecan butter is the butter of dreams.  If you love a slightly toffee flavour you'll LOVE pecan butter.  I picked a small jar up from our local health food shop so i'm sure it must be quite readily available.  My favourite way of pimping my porridge lately is to add a couple of teaspoons of nut butter.  Not only does it keep you going much longer but you can create some pretty amazing flavour combinations too.  This week i mashed a ripe banana into my porridge oats, added a small cup of almond milk, two teaspoons of raw cacao powder and two teaspoons of raw pecan butter.  I let it bubble and come together and once the oats are cooked and its all combined i tip into my favourite bowl.  Then i stir in two teaspoons of chai seeds et VOILA!  It's honestly the most delicious, fulfilling bowl of natural energy you have ever tasted.  And it's 100% packed with so many vitamins and minerals and jolly good STUFF that it's so good for you and a brilliant way to start the day.  

*  New exercise FINDS.  Thanks to the darling Rosie of Cider With Rosie i have discovered 'Ballet Beautiful' videos by Mary Helen Bowers.  These short 15minute exercise videos are just the ticket for early 'not-got-much-time-rs' like me.  I LOVE how you can pick an area to focus on and also that the exercises are a perfect pace, not too tricky and beautiful and graceful at the same time.  This week i've been particularly loving the Swan Arms video.  I manage to complete it in the time it takes to brew my morning cuppa and let my facial moisturiser sink in.  In a weird way it's quite relaxing to complete too.  I sort of go into a little morning trance of loveliness.  Albeit with the odd arm ache.    

*  PIZZA.  Ha, a total and complete contradiction to the past two points!  Except sometimes you jus really need a pizza.  We have a bit of a Tuesday tradition/bad habit.  We always do our main grocery shop on a Tuesday night.  By the time we get back, get the shopping put away and ourselves changed, it's usually close to 8pm.  Tuesday night is ALWAYS pizza night. Lately we've taken to getting our usual supermarket pizza and pimping it a little:  adding extra spicy sausage - salami or chorizo {sometimes both! Ssh!} some spicy peppers and extra oregano.  Just bliss.  This weeks' just really hit the spot.  I half regretted having to share it with the Mr 'cos i could quite happily have eaten the lot all by my sorry self!

*  Pre-roasting three SWEET potatoes on Sunday afternoon for this week's lunches {smug lunch face!}. It's been lovely having something warm to eat for lunch on these freeeezing days we have been having up north.  I've been taking a little pot of hummus, some grated carrot, a few spoonfuls of red quinoa and some torn coriander leaves each day and just piling it all on top. Sometimes i sneak in a few slices of salami. Sometimes i swap the hummus for tahini and toasted sesame seeds.  Or i just grab whatever is left in the fridge.   

*  Getting emails off the LOVELY lot at LOAF HQ:  {if you haven't heard of them before, read about them HERE whilst you have a goosey gander over the little mood-boards i was lucky enough to create for them!} such a sweet bunch.  My dream job would be to be their Chief Moodboard-er Extraordinaire.  What do you think?!  They launch their new SS15 collection this Thursday 26th February online HERE.  I've been lucky to have a sneak peek and i may or may not have yelped at it all.  There is nothing i don't want and nothing that couldn't work in any kind of interior.  Such classically thoughtfully made pieces that are made to last and are inspirational in equal measure.   I've never been excited about furniture before, i've always been a soft furnishing kind of gal.  Until LOAF.  That's a true story…

*  The UPSIDE to terrible gale-force winds and torrential side-ways kinds of winds {apart from the hood of my new coat!} :  curling up in bed with only the fairylights on around our wrought iron bedstead and a hot water bottle between my knees and my favourite pyjamas.  Every grey cloud…

*  Looking BACK through the video footage i took of my 30th birthday spent in Edinburgh.  Apart from making me miss Edinburgh so much, it made me realise that i need to get my behind in gear and put my little vlog together!  

*  M&S Stem Ginger hot cross BUNS.  The King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Dutch-okay you get the picture.  They are FINE hot cross buns. And today, on my day off i shall be tucking into them slathered in almond butter and washed down with a mug as big as my face of Lady Grey.  I have to restrict them to days off or i'd look like one…They're THAT good!

*  Having a SISTER.  Don't get me wrong i love all of my family  but i can't imagine not having that little sister of mine in my life.  These past few weeks she has embarked on a brand new chapter in her career and which i am so so proud of her for.  There is a cardigan of mine which is years and years old:  a short aztec-y striped red, blue, yellow and green tapestry cardi-come-jacket adorned with little black pom-poms.  Each time i wear it she has forever admired it.  So this week along with some other little 'going away' trinkets, i wrapped it up for her, in sweet map print wrapping paper, and gave it to her as a little good luck PRESENT.  Then even-though she might not be round the corner from me or in the same city, whenever she is feeling a little homesick, she can wear it and think of me.  It's weird to think that we spent a large proportion of being little, arguing, not speaking or generally disagreeing with one another. Now i wouldn't change her for the WORLD!  She's the most special little sister i could ask for.  
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So enough of my sentimentality and soppiness, what's been making YOU smile so far this week?  Or what are you looking forward to that's getting you through a pretty naff week?  We all get them!  This little post is designed to make you pluck out those little tiny good gems and realise that life aint so bad after-all.  I'd love you to SHARE them here.  Remember you can leave me a sweet comment below or tweet me your #wonderfulwednesday on Twitter.  I'm @sallytangle.  

Have a BEAUTIFUL week!