some happy things.

this has been another tough week in my world, where "doing things" has become all that little bit harder, with the temporary loss of one hand. although, i am off to the hospital again today for my appeal appointment, and hopefully the cast will come off and be replaced with something less life-hampering. while my tattoo session ~was booked in for tomorrow, i have managed to move the booking until later in this month, just to give myself some time to properly heal before getting all messed up again; i'm annoyed it had to be done, but very grateful they've been so willing to accommodate me and my health issues the way they have. oh, life! 

without further ado, a list of things that have made me bloody happy this week:

free dinner. last week my work pals and i followed @ma_plucker on the recommendation of katy, who declared they were giving away free dinner to their first 500 followers. not wanting the prospect of free chicken to pass us by, we did as we were told, and promptly rewarded with a voucher dm for a free winner winner, chicken dinner! we headed over to beak street (genius) on monday after work and cashed it in. i had the bbq pulled chicken on brioche, with mash and fries on the side (chlo and i shared). they're offering 50% off their mains and sides for the rest of this month too!

bargain flowers. a twenty pence challenge to bring dying roses back to life was accepted by me on my way home from a kind-of-disaster in beautiful knightsbridge on tuesday, and made me remember that everything is worthy of a second chance. they're still going strong too. best twenty pence i've ever spent.

strong coffee, baby kisses, and party rings. you know those mornings, right? a quad-shot maple macchiato is where it's at on those days. and then smothering your frienddaughter in sloppy kisses over lunch. there's nothing better. except maybe eating a whole pack of party rings at your desk because biscuit wednesday. wednesday was the king of days,

friend-dates and baked goods. mike and i headed over to the manfrotto blogger event on thursday night, to pick up a few hints and tips on how to take the most smashing of photos. we caught up with some friendly faces in milly and rebecca, before heading to fraq's in soho for some fresh lobster rolls. not only did i head home with a full belly and some new tricks for photography, but i even left with some home-made lemon, poppy-seed and earl grey shortbread thanks to mike's clever hands. (fancy 15% off camera gear? use MAN902 at the checkout before august 31st!)

blogger mail. this week has been a particularly good week for mail. i received a jet set discovery box from 'the perfume society', after the lovely melanie put me in touch with the girls who run the site. it was a win for hygiene, that's for sure, and i can't wait to get sampling (why not become a subscriber and join me?)!

london transport. i probably take it for granted a lot of the time, but when your normal line is down for scheduled maintenance, it really forces you to assess your options. on saturday i opted to forgo the tube altogether, and got the train into london bridge, before walking up the southbank to waterloo bridge, through covent garden and into leicester square. i was rushing, and it was windy, but it was a perfect day for sightseeing. this city never ceases to amaze me.

lady dates with my bff. bex has taken a 6 month contract in ediburgh, and so i only get to see her when she comes back to london on the weekends, and around her other friends and commitments; it was awesome to be able to spend a huge chunk of my weekend with her while she was back, and we spent it the only way we could think of: watching magic mike xxl at the cinema and eating all the food at shakfuyu in soho. the matcha green tea ice cream is beyond incredible, as were the chicken wings. as was mike and his pals. 100% would recommend (although, the food was not cheap). i haven't laughed that much in a film in a looooong time.

the perfect storm. there's no better feeling than watching the dark and stormy clouds roll in while eating an ice cream in central london, racing for the train, and beating the storm home. especially when the storm clouds turn out to be nothing more than an exceptional photo opportunity, and nothing comes of it at all. the perfect storm? i think so.

sunday. it comes around all too quickly, with its begging of clothes to be washed and room to be tidied, but it really is the ultimate day of reflection. i spent mine with friends, at bills, avoiding the rain and truly appreciating what incredible people, opportunities, and situations this life i've created has afforded me. i complain, a lot, and bemoan my personal 'tragedies' with the best of them. and while there are things i wouldn't have thought i'd be doing with my life, and goals that i haven't yet reached, there is nowhere in this world i'd rather be than here.

have a great week lovely ones.