When I’m asked to describe my blog, I say that I’m partly a fashion blogger, but this is the first time I’ve done an outfit photo. Can it still be classed as an outfit photo when the only things I’m wearing are a dress from the collection Jasmine Guinness did a few years ago for the now defunct Oli (such a shame!) and a Swarovski necklace that Alex bought me on a business trip?

Anyway, please do forgive the awkward posing (this was the best of a bad bunch of photos – how do people do this every day?!) – if you have any secrets and tips on how to do the most flattering photo, please let me know!

My hair is now officially ginger. Ish. I’ve been washing with Vosene and Head&Shoulders in a vague attempt to try and wash out the red (“semi -permament” – ha!) and this is the current state. Its not that bad I guess. Maybe.

My best friend Helen decided to randomly send me two books by our favourite artist Kurt Halsey – they’re both full of his artwork, which is lovely to browse through.

I thought I’d share some links with you as well, in case the lovely weather has disappeared by the time you read this (and lets face it, its a bank holiday so it probably has turned rainy by now)

• I love reading Wild Olive for all her crafty goings on, and these jelly bean patterns (both embroidery and paper printouts) are so cute!
• I totally agree with this blog post by Clare – Slink Magazine sounds like it will be a nice change to all the usual “OMG CHERYL COLE IS SKINNY/FAT” (change last word on a weekly basis.)
• I love the Pioneer Woman’s recipes, and she’s put together a great round up of delicious Easter themed treats (something to do today?)
• Another foody thing I might make later are these marbled chocolate bars from A Beautiful Mess
• Kate Middleton For The Win. Love it!
• Zoey has started a blog, yay! It has the best name – Daisy Gin – thats actually a cocktail. I must try it!
• I love this summer dress tutorial by schwurlie – its been added to my ever growing to craft list!

Today marks the end of Lent and my self imposed Facebook ban. Despite using Facebook on a daily basis previously, I really didn’t find it difficult after the first day or so of remembering not to look at it! The only things I would have liked to use it for were to see photos of an event my stepmum organised and to message those friends who are hopeless with email or phone calls (you know who you are, wife) Next year I need to find something more difficult!

I think thats it for now! How are your long lazy weekends going – and how many of you have the whole 11 days off?

Back in the day (flipping heck, that makes me sound old!), I was a tad obsessed with Facebook. I honestly can’t remember when I first joined, but it was either while I was still at uni, or had just finished (I’m pretty sure it was back when you had to have an university email address for my uni). Back then, it was great. My uni had just blocked Xuqa and MySpace wasn’t as popular as it had been in our second year. Facebook was a neat, easy to use, site, and had a certain aura of exclusivity.

Without being snobby, that might be why I’ve lost interest. When we first started using Facebook, it was only available to certain people. You generally only connected with the people you were talking to at the time. Obviously as time goes on, you no longer see those people, but at least with Facebook, you can “reconnect”. No. No you wont.

Facebook opened up to everyone and anyone and that was great…at first. But as more people got on the site, the amount of pointless updates increased. I’m not claiming to be the most interesting person in the world. Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that. But – what do I mean here? People who use Twitter are generally a bit more internet savvy, they know the boundries on what is suitable to share on line (I just ate a nice bowl of chips) and not (I wuv my snugglums). Facebook users (and I am being VERY general here – I am not specifically saying “Bob is…”) are less knowing, and more likely to share the minutiae, often in hideous text speak. (There have honestly been times that I’ve seen a status update and had to think about what it could be translated as!)

I like to give something up for Lent, but most of the time, I can’t think of something that I want to give up, to see if I can manage without it. The last two times I’ve given something up were bread (that was a killer, especially because I love toast) and chocolate (which wasn’t as hard as I though, but did require some willpower, especially as I had to pass a vending machine full of chocolate everytime I made a brew.

This year, I decided to give up Facebook for some of the reasons above. I’ve not really missed it so far, although have becoming increasingly irritated with the site – if you disable your personal account, your fan page disappears as well. How clever. I had to set up a friendless account just to admin the page. Faff!

Have you given something up for Lent this year? Or did you give something up and have already broken?

It’s amazing how much chocolate you can fit into a bag that was meant for mascara.
I’m currently in my step-mums new pub in Cardiff, and currently in bed still – not because I am lazy, but because I don’t know the alarm codes to be able to go downstairs.
I managed to hold out until midnight, but I had the bag of Buttons that Helen sent me ready and waiting!
To finish, here is the post-it note that was on the buttons, and my slightly too gleeful face eating a Lindt chocolate bunny

This has been the most difficult thing I’ve given up, worse than when I gave up alcohol in the summer of 2005. Even worse than I gave up bread for Lent one year (I cracked in a week!)

However, I’ve managed to last this long without having chocolate. Which doesn’t sound like much, but normally I’d have chocolate every other day at least. I’ve found that because I’m banning myself from having chocolate, the mere mention of it is setting me off drooling! 

I was on the train to work on Thursday, and someone in my carriage had something that smelled deliciously hot, chocolatey and cakey. The thought of a hot, gooey chocolate cake took over my mind and I couldn’t concentrate on anything for a while!

I realise that the above paragraph makes me sound a little crazy, but I’ve found that when I try to give something up, even if its temporary, that thing takes over my head!

One of the guys at work pointed out that the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday was more than 40 days, so we had an argument (as usual) and looked it up. Apparently you’re allowed to lapse on Sundays during Lent, as each Sunday is a “mini Easter”. I think thats cheating!

One of the things I’ve been enjoying this week is thinking about the chocolates I’m going to gorge myself on as soon as it reaches midnight on Easter Sunday. Top of my list at the moment is this bad boy, a giant Lindt bunny from House of Fraser. Look at his deliciousness. Om nom nom indeed.

It takes 3 servings of hot water to fill my mug, and about 8 to fill the cafetierre. So i’ll be standing next to that tempting machine for about 5 minutes every 90 minutes or so.
My tea intake has increased quite a bit today-everytime I wanted chocolate, I had a brew. Eeeeeeexcellent.

Also today in Sainsburys, it seemed like everything on offer had some sort of chocolate part to it. I was sad.

Today is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day if you are not that religious. I managed to have two quite mis-shapen pancakes, which were so good with lemon and sugar. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent, and I’ve just decided to give up chocolate for Lent. Am I stupid and crazy and going to break this promise in the first week? Hopefully not.
I bought a medium sized bar of hazelnut Milka at lunch, and just made myself eat half of it, because I’m not going to have any chocolate for 40 days. Now I feel a little sick. Ew.