give myself 43 treats/rewards to remind me that life is good

I’ve written before about what art means to me – it really is something that touches my soul, if I can be so corny for a moment. So how odd, then, that I live in a space totally devoid of wall art!

The reasons are two fold: (1) I spent a month’s salary having my walls replastered, and ‘damaging’ it at all is just not appealing!, but more (2) I don’t like the thought of one picture being there, all the time. I’d stop looking at it – I’d definitely stop appreciating it!!

My exposure to art, then, tends to involve me going looking – which isn’t a bad thing! My ‘pooter desktop changes several times a week depending on mood and/or new finds.

Yesterday, though, I thought of a compromise: some stand-alone picture frames, small and easy enough to change if/when the mood takes me. I can fill them with bought stuff (they’re about greeting cards size), something I print from online, and eventually – whoo! – something I’ve created myself :) It also means I’ll have to indulge in a spot of re-organising to find a good space for the frames ;)

An invitation
To celebrate finishing off this goal – if not the intention to keep treating myself! – I’m asking you – yes, YOU! – to post some of your favourite art/pictures on this thread. What would you put in my little empty frame? :)

A bit late in the goal to go searching for less obvious ‘treats’ – the kind that don’t involve food or spending much. Anyway, this one is perhaps a little bit strange, but I must confess I do love ultra-organisation. Ikea is a terrible place! ;) Just the thought of everything with its own little compartment, everything uber-tidy… ah, lovely! :)

Anyway, lacking cash (or will, to be honest!) to do this on a big scale – ooh, proper bookcase-lined walls, tons of little shelves and nooks for books and craftstuff and… urm, yeah – I’ll start small! So yesterday I bought a set of drawer organisers, so at least my undies will be segregated! LOL!

I do adore going to the cinema. It’s such an enveloping experience, sitting in the dark, surrounded by people, not in your own space, and then the huge screen showing the movie – you just have to concentrate on it (unless the film is really rubbish, of course! ;))

Must make more effort to use my cinema pass – been thinking of handing it in, between the price going up and just not having gone for an age. But think I’d rather make the effort, and treat myself that bit more often :)

Given that everything is online these days, magazines are a bit of a pointless luxury. Still, curling up with a cuppa and some glossy paper is sometimes more treatsome than yet more time spent staring at a computer screen! Plus, there’s that luxury of time spent reading something often pretty pointless.

Today I subscribed to Empire via a half-price offer – this mean that when I finally collect enough clubcard vouchers, I can pick something else totally random if I want! I also got a total bargain on Psychologies last month, and I always buy the Do Crafts card making mag. That’s a nice mix, methinks :)

Newness in general is good for me, I am completely convinced. However, sometimes I find myself back in my little rut, probably without noticing I’ve slipped back in there, and sometimes it’s hard to get everything done that you need to get done and still find time for something new.

Step forward food: always time for nomming something a bit different!

This one started with the M&S Dine In offer (already mentioned on this list!) which along with some vouchers has allowed me to be a bit experimental with food already. This time the choices were suspiciously fishy, the chicken came with mushrooms, and the gammon wasn’t available! What to do?! Well I ended up getting the meatballs – and with an odd little thrill, at trying something so ‘not me’.

And wowee but they were good! I had almost regretted the purchase, meatballs not really being my thing, until I tasted them: succulent, scrummy thick tomato sauce with cheese – oh, nom! :)

All the happier for being a bit unexpected!

I love reading book recommendation from y’all – and I absolutely adore when I spot a much-recommended book for two quid in Sainsburys! Wheeee!

Got The Pillars of the Earth, and also an as-yet unread classic, Catch-22. Must remember to look more often! :)

I’m one of these annoyingly smug people who cooks, makes a meal plan for the week, and takes a shopping list with me. AND I have full storecupboards and freezer, so any day I don’t have pre-planned I know I can rattle something up, easily. However, for the most part, I know at the start of the week roughly what I’m eating – either through decision, or just what needs used up by when.

This week, however, some planned batch cooking and an offer in M&S collided, meaning I have a fridge overflowing with food – and plenty of juggling to do to make sure it all gets used! And with it all being a bit ‘special’, it does feel like such a treat: shall I have a roast chicken dinner, or steak and chips? What about salad with goats cheese and caramelised onion tart? And then, of course, there’s the wraps, or the beef stew, or… :) Oh, and when am I going to use up those (on offer) Veg Pots, and what about the soup?!

And that’s all before I even mention the melty middle chocolate puddings… :P

S’a nice problem to have – once in a while! ;)

I’m not a fan – it’s commercial, it’s such a forced occasion to show affection, and I’m terminally single! ;) Still, excellent excuse to treat myself, and I’m making a weekend of it!

Yesterday I took advantage of M&S Dine In deal special – steak dinner (and another to go, since everything comes in pairs!), gooey puddings, and some ultimate mash – oh, and a single rose for myself!

Today I’ve spent a lovely afternoon with my daddy (not romantic, but it’s definitely love :)) playing cards, eating and shopping (and he did my dishes!), and now I’m going for a hot bath with a lovely glass of sparkly (urm… water, I’m still off the booze!) before a debate over what lovely thing to feed myself for dinner.

And finally, tomorrow I’ll toddle along to Lush and treat myself to their new product range, just to try it out. And why not?! :)

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone – whether you’re treating yourself or someone (else) special :)

AND it was free!

I’m on the hunt for a new mascara, and 17 was one of the few brands that had waterproof brown/black. Since I don’t really like volumising or other nonsense, (and I couldn’t come up with another 2 things for the Clinique offer!) figured I might as well start with the cheapest as I experiment, anyway.

3-for-2 offer led me to pick up a replacement blusher – I’m down to metal! – and freebie? Hmm… that sparkly purple-with-gold ‘Cosmic Heather’ is really pretty! :)

Time to reopen this goal, especially if I decide to go back for that other shade… :)

Really, I was forced into it… between last night’s reading where the ebil Auditors are despatched via the chocolatier’s finest (the sublimity of the taste is just too overwhelming!); and then today at work a colleague had pictures of soft furnishings (cushions, etc) done to look like truffles, or covered in pictures – hard not to drool over! :P

So… well, the bus hadn’t turned up, I was right beside Thorntons, and my self-control is on hiatus. Vanilla and Caramel gooeyness here I come! :)