5 Happy Things

I came across this post called 5 Happy Things on Sequin This on Twitter earlier today, and thought it sounded like a great idea for a blog post. I’m not necessarily always the most positive person in the world, what with being a wimp about any illnesses and injuries I might be suffering from at any given time and frequently expecting the worst (for example, the light shining on my landing in the middle of the night recently definitely was burglars trying to see in to our stairwell and what was worth stealing (…in the stairwell?!), not the neighbours’ security light, ahem). Blogs are often seen as super happy places of positivity, but I don’t think mine usually is – it just tracks my life as it is, what I’m doing and what I’m wearing or reading (or occasionally eating or making), so I don’t think I’m going over the top by pointing out 5 happy things that are happening in my life recently.

1. Sewing circle skirts. This is something I’ve mentioned in my last post, and something I have planned for my blog too (more on that very soon), but I’ve been attempting to sew over the last few months, and making two circle skirts completely from scratch including adding zips in complementary colours has been my first completed project. See above for my first attempt which is coming up in an outfit post soon (it had been ironed just before I put it on…then I sat in the car for ages on the way to my parents’, so I do know it is creased!).

2. Running. Wait, what?! I just said “running” was a happy thing?! Sian, is that really you?? Oh yes, and my friends will be shocked and surprised! A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for Run or Dye with my friends, then realised it had the word “Run” in it. It’s 5k and I at least want to be able to run part of it to keep up with my (much fitter) friends. So I’ve started Couch to 5K and am actually really enjoying it so far. I’m starting Week 3 tomorrow, and I’m pretty impressed that I’ve even got this far. I managed to add a bit extra running onto it yesterday and didn’t feel like it was too much. I do need to get myself to the Drs soon though because I’m having issues with pins and needles followed by completeness numbness in my feet at about 25 minutes (anyone got any idea what this is?!). I’m thinking it might be a circulation thing since I have Raynauds and bad circulation anyway, but would be good to get it checked out. And finally, I’ve got myself some good shoes, some shorts and a top for running, but my favourite sports bra (the Shock Absorber Flexiwire reviewed here) is getting to be a little too much on the small side, so I’m on the lookout for a new one in a better size.

3. Choir and singing. I know I finished choir for the summer as of our concert last weekend, but singing with the choir has definitely been one of my happy things. You might know that I was pretty big on singing at school – our choir was pretty busy with rehearsals 3 or 4 times a week, with a weekly service in the Abbey and other concerts happening every couple of months. I also like to boast about the fact that I was offered a choral scholarship to one of the colleges at Oxford (I didn’t get through the academic interview stage in the end, so didn’t go there if you were wondering!). I honestly didn’t think I was good enough to get a choral scholarship, let alone to Oxford, so it’s a pretty big thing for me really. I stopped singing while at uni after I had my purse stolen out of my bag while I was singing with a choir in the Cathedral at Newcastle – it upset me that someone would do such a thing in a Cathedral (even though I’m not especially religious, any place of worship, or even just any place in general, should be respected) and I didn’t go back afterwards. So when I found out about a local choir where I live now, I enlisted Fran and Charley and went along. It definitely makes me feel a lot better to go and sing with a group of people, and I can’t wait for it to start up again.

4. Plans with friends and family. Being back in the area where I am now, I get to see a lot more of my friends, which is amazing. I regularly see various friends for choir, book club, meals out, shopping trips, blog planning and just evenings at each other’s houses. I’m going out next week for a meal with two old friends and all of our mums to a local Chinese which we love, and I have plans with another set of friends to spend a weekend in Northumberland, then with Ben, Charley and Frankie to go to the Peak District later in summer, and to visit another friend in Birmingham, as well as a BBQ for my cousin’s 1st birthday this weekend and seeing them last weekend too – it’s all happening at the moment!

5. Clothes I love. I’ve recently managed to get rid of a lot of clothes I didn’t wear or love anymore, and have added a few more that I really do love. I seem to have a bit of a uniform at the moment of ASOS off shoulder long sleeved tops (perfect for this weather because they’re very lightweight but have my arms covered in case it’s chilly – I have two white ones, one black one now) with midi or circle skirts, including gingham and a pink full skirt. In fact, I’m wearing said skirt with the black off shoulder top today!! I’ve also discovered that I love repro fashion, and that it’s actually affordable (as long as I’m not spending too much money on other things) and wearable every day if I want it to be. I used to say that I liked to wear something unusual with each outfit to stand out to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit; now I’m thinking that it doesn’t matter what I wear, even if it is a fancy outfit to work, or something uber casual – I have these clothes that I love to wear and feel good in, so I’m going to wear them no matter what. There’s really no point in them sitting in the wardrobe forever anyway. I’m still having problems on the showing any cleavage whatsoever front because I continue to think that it’s immodest for me, even though I shouldn’t, but that’s a post for Big Cup Little Cup in itself there!