Just One Breath

An American girl in Scotland, figuring things out one step at a time

July 14, 2011
by heather
0 comments

Fish and Loaves

I am not sure how many of you share my love of fish but I think it is safe to say, fish is my favorite food. Fish is what broke my 8 year vegetarian streak. I am always on the look out for new ways to prepare it so that it remains healthy but still tastes good. I have a new recipe and it is a hit! It literally takes 3 minutes to prepare the fish and the whole meal takes about 20 to 25 depending on the fish cut and oven. Most of that 20 minutes is spent watching tv or looking up recipes online while the food cooks itself.

What you will need:

  • Fish (what ever kind you like. I used salmon this time but I have used smoked haddock as well. When something works it just works.)
  • breadcrumbs (I make my own from older bread, waste not want not)
  • parmesan cheese
  • basil (preferably fresh)
  • rosemary
  • garlic salt
  • olive oil
  • lime or lemon juice
  • a good baking dish to cook in
Now on with the preparation:
  • Preheat the oven to 180c/350f
  • Before I get started I get my stick blender, a tall tupperware container and all of my ingredients ready.
  • Next I put the bread crumbs, cheese and spices in the container and whizz them up. I really make my mixture fine.
  • Then I put about a splash of olive oil and a good squeeze of  lime/lemon  juice into the mix. I mix this up with a fork.
  • Next I pour a little olive oil in the baking dish and make sure that it covers the bottom. I use my trusty basting brush to spread it evenly. I am sure a cooking spray would be fine as well but I use what I have. Once you have your dish ready place the fish in spaced apart.

  • Finally, generously add the topping over the fish. You will already be able to smell how good this is.

Almost ready!

  • Before you pop this into the oven add a few more splashes of lime/lemon juice around the fish.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

It's cooking time!

See, it really is  just that easy. Now go watch some tv or read a book while it cooks.

While I have a few minutes I thought I would tell you how easy it is to have fresh healthy bread crumbs made at home. I was watching one of my favorite tv chefs and seriously one of the most earth friendly chefs I have ever seen, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Hugh showed how he makes his bread crumbs from stale bread. After the bread he bakes starts to go a little hard he puts it in the freezer to save it for later. His bags are full of ends or bits that didn’t cut nicely etc. All he does is pull it out and put it in his food processor and give it a whizz. I have started to do this because I hated to waste bread. I have a lot of bread in my freezer and when I need some space in there or want to start my stash of crumbs, I take some bread out and whizz it up. I don’t add anything to them at this point, I just store them in the refrigerator to use when I need. Recently I have been using them a lot. I love having all natural bread crumbs made at home from natural whole meal bread that we usually buy fresh. There are bits of fresh baguettes and french bread stashed too and Hugh mixes his breads, I just haven’t yet. Jamie and I have started dabbling in bread making so soon I will be making bread crumbs from our own homemade bread. These crumbs are so versatile and can be used on anything and with so many things added to them. Give it a try.

Time’s Up! The fish is done… wasn’t that easy?

Time to eat!

So far I have made this fish with mashed sweet potatoes as well as roasted potatoes (Courtesy of my fab man. He is the roast-master) or couscous and a choice of vegetable. I really think this topping will go with anything. The topping is so tasty that Jamie wants me to try it on chicken. I think that will be coming up soon.

Let me know what you think about this one and how you used it. Remember I love my fish, tell me what fish you love this on.  x heather

July 12, 2011
by heather
4 Comments

The Dress

Now before you all freak out that I am about to show the dress let me just say Jamie has seen it. Remember, nothing is really conventional when it comes to us so here is the story of The Dress.

When I arrived in Glasgow my number one shopping priority was to find a dress to wear for our Civil Service. I was not sure what size I was over here and I was bombarded with floral prints and leggings everywhere I went. I heard of some nicer stores to go to but I was overwhelmed to say the least. I had many days that I just wandered in and out of the same stores hoping to see something new or have the will power to try on another dress only to have it not zip the last inch due to my bust. I was feeling fat, frustrated and alone.

I wasn’t looking for a wedding gown. Remember, this was going to just be a nice simple service.  How hard could it be to find a pretty dress that didn’t cost the earth and wasn’t bedazzled, feathered or ruffled to death? Well, it was impossible. I went home several days and just cried. I had gone to all of the stores that were recommended and had seen nothing that came close to what I was thinking. I had even tried on things that I didn’t think would be right for the event with my Mother’s words in the back of my head, “Heath just try it. You may really like it once it is on.” She never seemed to be wrong so I really did try things and nothing worked. I had been tormented by so many dresses that were side zips and would not zip up the last 1 to 2 inches due to my bust.  I was about to give up…

One Saturday after a particularly horrible week of endless wandering around shops, Jamie and I were in town and we were passing a store that I had been in about four times, Coast. I asked if he would mind stopping to look at a dress I had seen but didn’t have the heart to try on due to the size available. I was still working out what size I am over here. He said sure. He has a secret guilty pleasure of seeing me find something I love and get excited. 99% of the time he will allow me to go into “just one more shop” without any complaints. He knew I was stressed and I knew I needed someone to give me feedback. We looked at the dress that I knew was too small and no other sizes were available to try so we were basically looking at the style. Long, empire waisted, flowy and simple. He liked the idea but this dress was not going to work for us.

Gutted again we began to leave the store. I don’t know why but I looked toward a dress I had looked at in the regular dress section. Hiding in among the dresses I spotted one dress, something I had not seen before. I had actually found something beautiful, plain, classy and my supposed size… no price tag. No price tag in a store where the average cost is £300 is not a good thing. I called to Jamie and showed him the dress. He lit up like I did. I  paused for a moment, not wanting to try on a dress that I really liked only to have it not fit due to my bust. I put the dress back, walked about three steps and then grabbed it again and asked the shop girl if she could tell me the price. It was the last one like it and it was marked down to £95 ($150). Really?! I had to try it on.

I went into the dressing room took a deep breath and tried to brace myself for the disappointment I was about to have. Off with the clothes and on with the dress then the moment of truth, will it zip up… and Zoooop! It did! Just like that. I cried with relief, took a moment, looked at myself and then called for Jamie. When he saw me in the dress and I saw his face I knew, I knew this was the one. I had the shop girl come back and tie the sash and talk to me about where to get it fitted. Yes it needs to be fitted, guess where. The bust. It was the last dress, my size and on sale. I loved it, Jamie loved it and it was mine. It was like having him there with me was meant to be. His patience and love were what was missing all along. We don’t do anything conventionally so why would this be any different. The person that is supposed to see me in the dress last was the first to see me.

Awwww…. take a moment. The dress is not complete there is more to this story.

Immediately I knew that I would need a shrug or wrap to go over the dress. I began the search online and got some ideas of what I would like. I thought about having one made and also about having it be a color to match Jamie’s shirt and tie. I looked in a few stores with renewed fervor that is until I got sick. I knew this time would come, when my body would encounter a Scottish bug that would get me and man did it get me. I was very sick for a week and really not well for a second. I had barely been out of the apartment except for when we picked out Jamie’s suit. To say that men have it easy would be an understatement. First store. First day. First suit. Enough said.

At the end of week two I knew I needed to get out of the apartment. I had seen a bridal store near where we got Jamie’s suit and thought I could ask if they had any shrugs. I chose not to have a brisk walk into town so I jumped on the train and beelined it for the store. I asked about the shrugs and they didn’t have any. Maybe going out with the sweats looking for a shrug was not the best idea after all. As I was leaving the store the saleswoman said I should try around the corner at Panache.

I walked a few blocks, not in my plan, and went into Panache feeling clammy and generally not well. I was greeted by a tall, young, pretty red headed girl. Generally you don’t get greeted over here when you enter a store. I was pleasantly surprised and it perked me up. I asked her if they had shrugs that would match my dress, as I pulled out the sash to show. She lead me right to the rack and showed me about 10 handmade lace shrugs. One caught my eye. It was the last one of its kind and it was my size… I hoped. I went into the dressing room and took off my shirt and realized I had a black tank top on and that would look silly but I had to see if it fit. And it did! It looked beautiful. I went out and asked the girls opinion. She agreed that it looked like a really good fit. Could this really be so easy? Wait… no price tag. I held my breath and asked what the price of this little peace of heaven was and she said it just went on sale for £50 from £150. I think I actually squealed at that moment. I got the shrug, thanked the girl and went back home on the train. I was elated! Are you seeing a pattern here? Last dress, last shrug, my size and on sale = fate.

The dress and the shrug I found to match. It is like they were made for each other. Notice this is a short dress, not flowy and not empire waisted... My mom was right again.

The Dress.

I will let you know at this time that Jamie has never seen me in the full ensamble. That will be something that I do keep traditional. There has to be one thing, Right? Seamstress is all lined up for the first week of August thanks to my friend Sarah Fraser, Fashion Goddess, suggesting a place I didn’t know about.

I love the dress, I love the man and I can’t wait to wear my new dress with my something old, something borrowed and something blue. x heather

 

 

July 7, 2011
by heather
2 Comments

Wrap your head around this… A minister’s daughter having a Civil Wedding.

I am the daughter of not one but two ministers and I am having a Civil Wedding Service. Huh? I know! It somehow seems wrong. It took me months and months to wrap my head around this as well, you will catch up. I will give you a snapshot into my thought process while you think about that.

When I decided to move to Scotland to be with Jamie we knew this arrangement would not come easily, something was going to have to be sacrificed. We looked into the options and the main thing we were looking for was speed. How could we be together as quickly as possible?

Option 1: Get a job.

If I had been able to get a job before I came to Scotland this would have been ideal, but it quickly became apparent this was not a realistic option. I looked thoroughly and found it to be very difficult to get a job in the UK even though I have 2 degrees and years of experience in my field. There is a point system that makes you eligible to get a job in the UK and no matter how I calculated things, I was 5 points shy. 5 points! If I wanted to get to Glasgow and be free to be with Jamie and do things in our own time, I would need a sponsor. A sponsor is a job that would agree to employ me before I came over so that I would not be a burden on the system. Getting a job was not looking like it would be something that could be done just like that, I did look at jobs, it would take a lot of time and we had waited long enough to be together. This option…not an option.

Option 2: Tourist visa.

If I came over on a tourist visa I had more time , 12 months, but I was not allowed to work, go to school or get this… get engaged! (When we started looking into me coming over we were not engaged yet.) Wow! That wasn’t going to work either.

Option 3: Fiance Visa.

The best option for us was to go for the fiance visa. The process of getting that together, well… that is another story. The Fiance Visa would give us 6 months to get married after I arrived in Scotland but I was not allowed to work, go to school or claim public funds (welfare) during this time. After we are married I can legally get a job once I have the marriage visa approved. So the sacrifice… me not working for 6 months or more. Me not work?! But it had to be done. We would be living and paying bills on one salary and whatever I could scrounge up before I came over. It was a plan…sort of. Getting married ASAP was never a problem for us, we knew we loved each other above everything, but how to do it in Scotland and within 6 months that was the real issue here.

We had heard of a civil service but neither one of us knew what that entailed, sometimes we still don’t. I looked around for a Registrar who could marry us in a small service with just a few witnesses. Already I was having issues with the idea of not having my parents officiate so I needed to look at it as business needing to be tended to, like getting a dentist or a doctor. Jamie and I agreed this would be the best option and looked at it as a step in the process of finally being together. We would have a bigger wedding that I had always dreamed of, next year at home in my church with my parents officiating.

While looking for a venue and an officiant I came across the Park Circus Registry. Have a look for yourself. It is a beautiful venue and I thought it would be perfect. I lived up on Park Terrace when I came to Glasgow University so the Circus was a sentimental part of my time in Scotland. I called and asked about dates and prices then needed to talk to Jamie about things. We decided to go ahead and set a preliminary date for the service. It will be August 13, 2011 and we will be in the Avon Suite.

The Avon Suite at 22 Park Circus. This is the room we will be married in. The picture doesn't do it justice.

We arranged to have two couples with us. One couple were his friends and one couple were my friends. It was perfect, intimate, simple, no muss no fuss so we thought. One afternoon my Mom called me on Skype and said they wanted to come to the “Wedding”. I hadn’t called it this. I could not call getting married to my best friend, my soulmate, in a room with a stranger making us say “there is no legal impediment to marrying you” a wedding. I just couldn’t. It was a service and a means to an eventual end. Jamie knew absolutely how I struggled with this. It hurt me to have been raised by a minister (my father) in a religious environment and not to be able to have him actually marry me. Add to that the fact that my mother was now a minister too and they could have nothing to do with the service, this really killed me. I wanted them to come. I never expected them to be able to be there so I was thrilled. I asked the registrar about ways around them being able to participate but there can be absolutely NO religious content at all and everything we want to add to the service is scrutinized then approved or disapproved. How is it possible to be elated and heartbroken at the same time? I am not sure, but I was both. To say that I cried a river of tears will not touch it

I spent hours talking to my parents, Jamie, friends and other family members about my feelings and began to look at the Civil service as something that needed to be done regardless. I loved this man and I wanted to marry him. We can still have the religious service next year that we planned on and my parents can say a prayer after we leave the venue. We expanded the guest list to 15 people, all family even if not related by blood. It didn’t feel right to not have all the important people that were able to be with us, not be involved.

We wrote a list of things that needed to be done so I could have some structure. I really needed to get my head wrapped around what I needed to do. The to do list looked like this:

  • Book Park Circus
  • Turn in paperwork
  • Get Dress
  • Shoes and accessories
  • Get Jamie a Suit
  • cake?
  • flowers?
  • Vows?
  • Guest list
  • Breakfast Venue

As we worked through the list together every step of the way, things did become easier. We decided after a meeting with the registration office, we will accept that we can not change the awful impersonal vows that we are legally obligated to say. We are finding ways to get some traditional vows into the service that have no religious wording to them. We will have my parents participate in the occasion but at the restaurant not Park Circus. We are not having a cake, we are having cupcakes that will be lovingly made by a dear friend. It will be an intimate affair and it will be ours. We have not done anything traditionally throughout our entire friendship/relationship, why start now? We will do this the way that is right for us. Slowly but surely, with love and compassion from all parties involved  the “service” became something different, the service became our Wedding.  x heather

June 30, 2011
by heather
1 Comment

Under the Moon

The next chapter in our story is the Summer of 1996. This was to be another summer spent with Irvine and his parents, but it turned out being my summer with Jamie under the moon.

I don’t know exactly how it happened but on a visit to Jamie’s house with Irvine I just didn’t go home. This was the beginning of us spending nearly every waking moment together and even some sleeping ones. The hours were spent listening to music, playing guitar, making pizzas, drinking coffee, watching bad British comedies, long walks and time star gazing. We talked about everything but could also easily spend time quietly together. I can still remember our first kiss… effortless.

Jamie, Irvine and Me at the top of Dumyat. This was one of the first walks. I almost died.

Jamie, Me and Irvine (always looking cheery) some weeks later. Notice you can't see my left hand, I am holding Jamie's hand.

The time seemed to blend as the days became weeks and I was nearing the end of my summer in Alva. The summer was the most romantic summer of my life and also the most painful to see come to an end. As corny as it was, we always looked at the huge Summer moon and said that we would be together if we looked at the moon… like it was our moon. Being a stupid teenager I made stupid mistakes and at the time I did not realize what I had been given that summer. That would come later…much later. x heather

June 23, 2011
by heather
4 Comments

Oh My…Spanakopita!

This is a whole new cooking venture for me, as if all of the others weren’t. I am living in an area full of pubs and restaurants but I have not found a Greek restaurant that appeals to me and not having a job at the moment I thought why not make my own Greek meal at home?

My favorite Greek food has to be the Spanakopita (Spinach Pie). I love it with a nice Greek salad so I figured I would give it a go and I have to say… it went WELL. This is without a doubt the easiest and yet tastiest thing I have made so far.

What you will need for this one (besides a fab photographer to take pictures while you make it, ahem… Jamie Boyd):

  • 2 onions, halved and sliced
  • butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500g spinach, washed and roughly chopped (I used frozen spinach that was thoroughly thawed)
  • nutmeg to taste
  • 200g feta cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 4 sheets filo pastry per pie (mine came in a rectangle shape, I cut it in half to make squares and so I had the right size to make two pies.)

What you need to do:

First lets deal with the filling.

  • Heat the oven to 180c
  • Cook the onions and garlic in a bit of butter until they are soft. It is your choice how much butter to use. I used about 1 Tbs.
  • Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Mine, being frozen, was already wilted so I cooked it for about 5 to 7 mins until all the ingredients were nicely combined.
  • Tip the spinach, onions and garlic into a bowl and add the feta, eggs and grate some nutmeg into it to your liking. Mix it well and when it is thoroughly mixed up set it aside. Now you are ready to move on to the other things you have to do.

**Finished filling set aside… I wanted to just smell this forever.

Next, onto the pastry. There are two versions I tried with this part so take your pick or try both like I did.  I made one pie with butter and one with olive oil.

  • Melt butter or pour some good olive oil into a bowl, get a little pastry brush and set aside.
  • Lay out a good size piece of greaseproof paper on the countertop. Begin by brushing the sheet of paper with your choice of butter or oil then place the filo pastry on the sheet of paper. Brush the filo with your choice of butter or oil and place the next sheet on top but slightly rotated. Keep going with the rest of the filo sheets, turning a little before adding each additional piece of filo.

**If I can do this without messing it up anyone can. This was my first time ever working with filo pastry.

  • When I was done buttering the filo I poured out half of the spinach mix onto the center of the pastry.

  • Next fold the filo over the spinach mix. This was easy, and I say that because working with the filo pastry was the part that made me the most nervous. Just grab the edge of the paper and tip it. The paper will let go of the filo so that you can fold it over the top of the spinach. Don’t make it too tight, just gently fold it. Continue all the way around until all of the sides are folded in.
  • Lightly butter or oil the top of the filo pastry .
  • When it is ready to go you can pop it onto a baking try or into a pie tin and bake it for approximately 25 min. Watch the top and judge it according to how your oven cooks. When it is nice and golden brown it is done.

**Notice that I am taking it out of a frying pan which is another option to bake it in. Thanks Jamie Oliver for this tip. The pan I used is a high quality stainless steel pan with a stainless steel handle. It baked in the oven easily and it made taking the pie out a breeze. I just popped the paper into the pan with the pie on it and whacked it into the oven…. 25 mins later…

**My First Ever Spanakopita! It looked amazing. I felt so proud.

If you are cooking with me, pat yourself on the back, well done! I served this beauty with a nice Mock-Greek salad. I used Romaine Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and balsamic vinegar. You can add red onion, olives and feta to the salad to make it authentic but we thought the pie was rich enough on this occasion.

**Voila! A Greek meal made at home.

This was so much fun and it easily made the 2 pies so we split one for dinner and then had the other split for our lunches the next day. The flavor was out of this world. Jamie and I kept saying ummmm….ummmmm….. It was unreal that something so easy was that tasty.

Now it’s your turn. Try it…add something to it, pine nuts maybe? Let me know how it goes. Enjoy! You too will be saying, Oh My… Spanakopita!           x heather

June 21, 2011
by heather
1 Comment

Working for free. Is it really for me?

If you are like me, sitting around is not for you. I was very worried about what I was going to do with all of my time since I am not allowed in to work in Scotland for an undetermined amount of time. Rules of the Fiance Visa state that I am not allowed to work, go to school or claim public funds. Many of my friends at home were urging me to just relax and enjoy the time off. I tried this. Relaxing is not really a strong suit of mine. I came from having three jobs to having none in the matter of one week. I tried to relax but after rearranging the entire flat, alphabetizing all of the books and dvd’s, scrubbing all of the walls in the flat a few times and cleaning the kitchen floor on my hands and knees for the second time in two weeks I realized this was serious… I needed a job.

I had not even thought about volunteering because it is not something that you hear much about at home. There are opportunities for young people to do things to get credit for community service for school or the odd Habitat for Humanity outing, but nothing that I would have been aware of that was regular. As I began to speak to “family” and friends over here I kept hearing about volunteering as an idea to get me out of the apartment, keep me busy and to meet new people. I thought it was a great idea but where? I began looking at http://www.volunteerscotland.org.uk/ and http://www.volunteerglasgow.org/. These websites are great but I was daunted by the prospect of having to get disclosures/clearances completed. I thought that if I had to go through the disclosure process it would be worth it to pick a job that may be a good reference for me when I am applying for a job that pays in the future.

I went through the sites several times, nervous about applying as an American for some reason. I kept seeing one that caught my eye and at the urging of Jamie I finally submitted the interest application. I applied to Yorkhill Children’s Foundation because I love working with children and live close to the hospital so I thought it was ideal, even if it was just for an office position. The auto-email stated it could take 7 to 10 business days to hear back. This was a great first step, I became a bit more comfortable with getting out there and trying to find something. Where had my confidence gone in such a short amount of time?

I decided not to put all of my eggs in one basket while I waited to hear from Yorkhill and walked into The Mitchell Library to see if they had anything available. I could have had a home visit position but I would not have been able to start until August due to training and disclosures. This was of no help to me as I would still have 5 months of doing nothing and this is what I was trying to avoid. I felt like I was never going to get a job that I could enjoy and would offer a good reference for my work ethic and skills.

A few days before The Royal Wedding I was walking around looking in local charity shops for the perfect hat to wear to a wedding fizz party. I was in The Heart Association shop when I saw on one of the dress tags that they were looking for volunteers. I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this before. At home all the Salvation Army stores have paid workers running things so I think I must have assumed it would be the same here. A whole new world of volunteering opportunities that didn’t need disclosures was opened up to me in that moment. I went to many shops to check them out and then I realized that there was one that I loved and that I knew I would enjoy working for. Oxfam Books.

I applied to Oxfam books and Oxfam Music shops on Byers Rd about a week after the Royal Wedding. I was so thrilled as I managed to have a really good conversation with the assistant manager of the book shop, James, when I took in my application. He expressed interest in me helping at the shop and said they would be in touch the next week, so I waited…and waited. A week went by and nothing. I am not one to give up easily when it is something that I want so I called the shop on Friday. I spoke to James again expressing my interest in volunteering and to show that I was serious. James assured me that he had spoken to the General Manager, John, already and was waiting for him to make the move. He gave me John’s email address and I wrote to him immediately.

Saturday, Jamie and I were doing our usual grocery run to Waitrose and as we passed the book shop I hesitated. I asked J if he minded if we stopped in so that I could approach John. He said sure even though I am sure he would have rather gotten the groceries home. I went in and asked to speak to John and out he came. I introduced myself and expressed continued interest in the shop and he apologized and said he was going to get back to me. By the end of the conversation I had the job and I was to come in the following Wednesday to start. Yay! I had a “job”.

I had still heard nothing from Yorkhill so I decided to take 2 days a week at the shop and this worked out well for them as some of the student volunteers were leaving. Now I am nearly one month into working at Oxfam and I love it. Volunteering at Oxfam Books is something great to do with my time and I feel that I am good at it since I love books and have experience working for a big chain bookstore at home. I still am taken aback when one of my managers comes and asks if I want tea or coffee but I am getting used to it.

Having said that… Karen with Yorkhill finally called me! I hesitated calling her back and spoke to Jamie about it a few times. I was happy but was I doing enough to keep busy? My social calendar had really bloomed but was I fulfilled? I feel some days like I am getting lazy, so I called Karen back today and I am going in later this week to meet. I figured what could three more hours a week hurt?

I thought for a while that I didn’t like to work for working sake. I thought I liked to work for the money, but now that I have the opportunity to give my time for free and to keep busy I understand and have come to believe that working for free is perfect for me right now. Everyone that is a volunteer is there because they want to be not because they have to be. Happiness breeds Happiness… and I am happy. x heather

June 15, 2011
by heather
0 comments

Is a Makeup Trial worth it?

As some/most of you know, I wear very little to no makeup on a daily basis. With the wedding less than 2 months away I thought it would be a good thing to have a makeup trial. This is something I recommend for all brides to be. Practice on yourself and also go to a professional or two to try different looks.

When shades of the cruelty-free, animal hugging vegan I once was reared its head, I went to the PETA website and looked up cruelty free cosmetics, cross-referenced Debenhams website for cosmetic counters and then proceeded to do laps around the store looking at which counter had girls, and in some cases boys, with the least horrifying make-up on. I chose Clinique.

I spoke to the lady there and told her that I was looking for a natural look, if there is such a thing at these counters designed to sell you the earth in little tubes and tubs. I don’t want to look massively different from myself, just a polished fresher version. I set up an appointment and paid my £20 deposit, which will be a credit towards the purchase of products, sneaky buggers.

While I waited for my appointment date, I watched about 100 videos on youtube on how to apply wedding make-up and even had an unplanned Aveda makeover. I have also been practicing simple things that will add to my eyes and make them look pretty and not too done up. I am getting good at eyes but when it comes to foundation and general face things I am clueless, so I was really looking forward to learning about skincare products, foundation, lipstick and maybe blush. I had a £/$ amount in my head that I knew I would spend and a ceiling that I would not go over.

On Monday the 13th, I went to Clinique and proceeded to have my makeup done. I “learned” my skin type, was recommended products that I should use to clean and moisturize my face and learned how to apply foundation. The eye make-up application I already knew and that was the same. I had a little trick up my sleeve though. I knew it was this persons job to sell me every product on the shelf. I had already purchased my Clinique recommended colors a few years back, so when she recommended a color scheme that was the one that was right for my skin tone I wanted to test her sincerity. I whipped out my little eyeshadow compact and showed her exactly the colors she just recommended for me. Yes, I still have it…remember I rarely wear makeup. She back peddled immediately, seeing her sale go down the toilet, stating that it is a really nice everyday palette but for the special occasion of the wedding I should “break out of my box and try something new.” Haha, the cheek! I let her try all of the colors she liked and wasted some of her time since I felt that she was wasting mine. I had my friend take pictures that I was going to post with this but seeing me wearing more makeup than a hooker, well…this is something best kept for Halloween.

So, all in all, a little bit of information was gained about foundation but I still feel that I am going to do my own make-up, if Kate Middleton can do it so can I. I did purchase some products and came home with a ton of free ones from a giveaway that was going on, look for these when an appointment is being made. I chose wisely and didn’t let her talk me into anything I didn’t want/need. The saleswoman in me knows the tricks, I used to use some of them. I stayed on target and went home spending £20 less than I said was my max…go me.

Makeup lessons I have learned …

1) Is a makeup trial worth it?

I still say yes if only to make you feel more comfortable with the way you do your own makeup. You may find that the person does an absolutely amazing job and have it done on the big day also.

2) Know your limits.

Just because it is “recommended” doesn’t mean you need it. Get only what you need and are interested in using independently and more frequently than on your special day.

3) Follow your gut.

If you don’t like it have it taken off and redone.

4) This is your day and you have to be comfortable.

Wear as little or as much makeup as you are comfortable with.

And finally…

5) Know what lighting and flash photography will do to foundation and shadow, this is important.

Do you want to look all white faced or not blended or just a mess…? Take some time researching makeup videos. Many makeup artists have videos that are really useful for learning some tricks.

So, take your time in deciding what you want to look like on the big day and ask your partner too. I did this every time I put on makeup or had it done because I really value his opinion. He wants me to look like myself but has really liked the trials I have done on myself. Good Luck… Be Beautiful. Pictures of my Wedding Day makeup will be posted in August. x heather

June 10, 2011
by heather
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The Beginning

Our story begins way back in 1995. I had gone back to Alva to visit my good friend Irvine and he introduced me to his best friend, Jamie. We only met that one day but he stuck with me. How could he not? Look at that smile. We were at the top of the Wallace Monument in Stirling nearly getting blown away. I thought he was cute but quiet and lets face it… he had great hair. You can’t see it here but he had a long, thick ponytail. Jamie took some convincing to be ok with me posting this picture as it is old and not good quality, but I said “This is us, this is how we were when we met and it is all part of our story.”

In order to be fair, here is one of me that day. Jamie told me that I made an impression immediately, he thought I was “intriguing.” I think it was the scrunchie…;)

It was a great day. I met someone that I wanted to know better, but that would have to wait until the next summer. Our summer under the moon…our moon.  x heather

June 8, 2011
by heather
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To Cut or Not to Cut… and where to go?

So, I haven’t had my hair cut in months. It is one thing that I am really funny about. Maybe I am just a creature of habit but going to a new salon is pretty daunting. I need my hair cut badly… see…

Before

What a mess! Mind, I just got up and it was crazy but the ends are fried.

So, I asked around for the past few weeks where people went and how much a cut costs. Most places are right around £30… Americans, that is like $50. Ouch! I got some really good suggestions and in the end I went for a salon that I knew was close, had a good reputation and I liked the info on the website. I chose Miu on Argyle St. Check them out. http://www.miusalon.co.uk

I was really pleased to get a warm reception when I went in. I explained why I was there and how I was nervous and just wanted a trim. They offered me a tea or coffee (most Salons here do that, one bit of great UK customer service that should be mirrored in the US). They asked me to wait a few mins as I walked in with no appointment.

I really liked my stylist, a young girl named Sharon. She listened to me and did exactly what I wanted. She understood what I was asking for and talked me through the whole cut. We had a nice chat too, not forced at all.  I think my hair turned out really well. What do you think?

After

Even cooler, the owner of the salon, who was getting her hair colored when I walked in, wants to practice wedding styles on me sometime in the next few weeks. She saw a picture of my dress and immediately had ideas. I said I wanted it down mostly and softly curled and she went off on a hair tangent. Really really nice place. I think I may have found a winner. Another thing to check off the list.  x heather

June 7, 2011
by heather
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What’s for dinner? Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad.

I was missing one of my favorite salads from TGI Friday’s so I decided to make it myself. It was actually pretty easy and not too messy.

I have found, over the past few months, that improvising on a recipe is the best way of cooking. A little bit more of this…a little less of that and a recipe can turn out really great and it becomes yours. It really depends on what you want it to taste like. This is roughly what it took to make the salad.

Salad:

  • Romaine lettuce (my personal favorite)
  • cranberries
  • can of mandarin oranges
  • a handful of halved pecans

Chicken ingredients:

  • 2 Chicken breasts
  • 1 small bag (100g) of pecan halves
  • about 1 cup of corn flakes
  • 1/2-1 cup of flour
  • 2 eggs (can be just one though for only 2 chicken breasts)
  • about 1/2 cup of milk

Get 3 nice sized shallow bowls ready. Finely chop the nuts and cornflakes then mix together. Place 1/2 in one of the shallow bowls and the other 1/2 in a separate bowl. I used a stick blender for this. Next, mix the milk and eggs. Last, pour the flour into another bowl.

Lightly coat the chicken with the flour. Transfer chicken to the egg mix and lightly coat. Then transfer to the nut/flake mix. Place this on a plate to the side.

So now your chicken is ready to cook.  There are 2 ways to do it. One bake, the other fry. I opted to do a little of both because I didn’t trust it would be cooked enough, I am a freak when it comes to cooking chicken. To fry place chicken in heated oil in a nice pan, I used ground nut oil, for 3-4 mins per side or until brown. I did that and then baked it on 150c for about 15 mins. Another way is to turn up the heat and go with 180c/350f and bake for 30 mins (no frying).

This was my set up. Clockwise starting with the flour.

Frying it…questionable. I won’t do this again. It tasted excellent but I want to not gain weight so frying really isn’t how I normally cook.

Finished product! Yummy. This last picture was taken by Jamie. He can make anything look like art, even my salad.

I put the lettuce, cranberries, oranges, and nuts in the bowl. I cut up the chicken after it cooled a bit and tossed it on top. Remember that other bowl of nuts and cornflakes…grab it. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar to it and lightly sprinkle the mix over the top of the salad.

Pick a balsamic that you like and go for it. I made strawberry vinaigrette. What… you want that recipe too?… ok easy… get that stick blender again.

  • a  good handfull of strawberries chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Whizzzz it up and don’t waste that mandarin orange juice… I poured a splash of that in too. This is a trial and error dressing. It called for 1/2 a cup of oil and I didn’t like it that way so less oil this time… much better.

That is it! A fresh homemade pecan crusted chicken salad. I think it took about 45 mins but I was washing things as I went. Easy Peasy. I never thought I would be able to make the things I do but google is amazing for recipes and then just make them your own. Go on… try it. Let me know if you changed it to make it your own version.  x heather