So the meatballs went well ...



At first I was a bit grossed out at the idea of sticking my hands in raw meat but after a while I found it rather therapeutic.



A quick frying and bubbling later and they're done. Here's our M&S ad ... ahum ...

These are not just meatballs. They are specially, hand rolled by Steph meatballs and are available exclusively to the new cook book in the kitchen.



Not bad eh?

This morning when I woke up, I had trouble opening my eyes. Eventually I hauled myself up to the sound of a hungry cat crying but after ten minutes or so, everything was feeling heavy and I was falling asleep again. Often when I'm like this in the part of the month when I shouldn't be, I get told, and know myself, that I only have myself to blame for doing too much too quickly - going out too soon after my bad week etc. But this month, I haven't been out at all yet and still I am being hit with a semi - bad few days. It's always seems to be one step forward and two steps back.

It's not all bad though, I got to stay snuggled up in bed with the cat while Stuart popped out and stumbled upon the summer sales. He got me a few treats such as this Dunlop bag ... I've had my eye on these for a while as part of my 'budget american apparel' - esque style ... simple basics with a retro sport twist. Although this was in the mens section, I think the colours make it more feminine and the more I look at it, the more I love it.



Stuart also picked me up this lovely cooking book which I am planning on using to make meatballs for tea tonight. I love how it's written, it's so humble and unpretentious using words like 'squish'. There's all kinds of recipes in there, from jam to meat pies to fruit salads - it's a book that you can use every day to make every day meals and puddings.



It even has a pretty pink ribbon to mark your page as well as gorgeous photos and poems and at £7 it's a bargain!

Today Stuart had to pop out to see clients and pick up a few bits from town so that left me to tidy around a little and to dance around like a bit of a prat and singing my lungs out to coldplay while no one was looking. Since it's hot but there's still a little chill in the air I decided to dress in thin layers. I've been looking for a long vest for a while now to wear as almost a dress like this or with skinny jeans and as a happy coincidence, I got this really nice Warehouse vest with this months Elle UK - so I'm pretty chuffed.



So chuffed in fact that Stuart picked me up two more whilst in town so I've got a black and a white vest too. Now I have three vests and two magazines that I can cut up to make some looks books for the next season to get some ideas. I'm really pleased to see that the romantic trends of the summer are taking a darker turn for the winter. It will soon be time to release the rock chick in me.

Vest - Freebie
Leggings - New Look
Socks - New Look
Boots - New Look

This morning our mini cards arrived from Moo - the lovely little printers that print all kinds of nice things. It's where we get our cards printed as well as these, which we use as business cards. Even though Moo now print proper business cards, we went for these as they are easy to carry (especially in the little white plastic holder we got too) and they're a little bit quirky ... just like us.



Stuart went for grey and black and I went for pinks. You can never be sure how colours are going to turn out on print because they vary so drastically on mac and pc screens but I'm really pleased. I was worried that the background pink would be too bright but it's come out a lovely dusty colour. Now I can't wait until our cards and stickers get here!

At long last! I have to admit quite sheepishly that when it comes to fashion/modeling programmes - I watch them all. Project Runway, America's/Britain's next top model but for years I've been waiting for something like this. BBC Three are running a program in which eight young women, all with various disabilities are gunning for a glamerous photo shoot with one of the top fashion magazines.

This kind of program has been a long time coming. People's perception of a 'disabled' person desperately needs to be addressed. Being disabled doesn't mean you have to be old (I've had many a banter with all kinds of people when waiting for a disabled parking space because I don't 'look' disabled'), I doesn't mean you can't be fashionable and it doesn't mean that you can't be sexy. Many people look through the person and see the only the disability and that needs to change.

This is the purpose of this program and this is the reason I set up this blog. I don't want to force my disability down people's throats, I don't want sympathy or special treatment but I want to try to let people know me as a person as well as a person with M.E. And even if it's only a few people who see that there is no such thing as a 'stereotypical disabled person', then that's a few people who know better.

They say ignorance is bliss, but in this case it's limiting and I am so glad the fashion industry, of all people, are taking notice of those who may otherwise be discounted despite their looks. Good look girls, I hope there's a second series!

The title to this post pretty much sums up what's going on with me today. The weather is aweful, there's storms brewing so the weather is currently incredibly muggy - there is no air and my body, and my M.E appears to hate it.

Despite this, I decided to get dressed - even if I only last a little while, I feel better knowing that I at least tried to fight my tiredness. I went for a bit of a school girl look, I don't know why ... I find myself doing this a lot and it's strange because when I was in school, I hated having a uniform and now I don't need one, I replicate it. I think it's just that element of fun.

After a couple of occasions waking up on the floor with the cat on top of me, I know that it's no good to fight the M.E - it's much much stronger than I am. Everyone who suffers with it is differant, some find the cold worsens their symptoms, with others it's the heat. I haven't experienced a hot summer with the M.E but now that I am, I know that I am the latter. You can wrap up against the cold - there's sod all you can do against the heat.

So ... I need to get back into my pj's, into bed and get some sex & the city on ... oh well, what a shame!

Top - TK Maxx
Skirt - Market
Tights - Oasis
Socks - New Look
Shoes - Bio Step

This morning I was woken by the doorbell at such an ungodly hour that it actually made me feel physically sick. That was made up for, however, by the arrival of our new phone. Of course, we had to immediately give it a test drive by plugging it in and phoning it. It has a proper bell, it's amazing, although the cat didn't love it all that much.

I was fueled by the excitement for all of ten minutes, and then my tiredness kicked in and I fell back to sleep. Stuart stayed up, and as he was up first he's stolen my dressing gown so I'm writing this dithering somewhat.



At a more subtlable hour, our usual postman arrived with more ebay treats. I gathered this package was the underwear I'd ordered but I was so chuffed with the packaging that I stopped to take a photo. It wasn't easy, Mono was chomping at the bit to get on with ripping up the tissue paper.



I now have underwear that fits me properly (finding my size in stores has proven somewhat problematic since I was 13), so I guess it's time to sort out my undie draw! 'Private Cover' was the ebay store I got them from and I highly recommend them!