A REVIEW OF 2012: A YEAR OF CHANGE

Everything changes doesn't it?  Change is good isn't it? Well that's not how I felt at the start of the year when everything in my life seemed to be changing.  I was miserable and sad, but what I didn't realize at the time was the reason things were changing was because I was already miserable and sad before these changes. Change is never easy and believe me at times it was difficult, but I do not regret any of the decisions I have made this year, they have all been for the best.  Happiness is the best change of all.  Right I finished with the schmultz, its time for the review.

WEDDINGS
This was the year of weddings, with three of my closest friends getting hitched.  All three weddings were all different and great in there own special way. I purchased new frocks, got drunk and avoided being set up (does a drunken kiss count?) even though some people were trying their hardest, at each of the weddings.  Hopefully there won't be as many next year.  Your costing me a fortune. Congratulations to:

Mr and Mrs Mills

 Mr and Mrs McIndoe

 Mr and Mrs West

BABIES
I have got to that age where everyone seems to be having babies these days.  Three came into the world this year

 First up my cousin Nicole and her husband Dre welcomed the lovely Ava Carrington into the world.

Then of course my old housemates, Oli and Alex gave us the lovely Lyra.

And finally the much anticipated Henry, who after a difficult birth and giving us a bit of a scare is now well and kicking. Congratulations to my oldest friend Liz and her great husband Paul.

FAVOURITE FILM OF 2012

Searching for Sugar Man

FAVOURITE ALBUM OF 2012 

Funnily enough its the Searching for Sugar Man Soundtrack!

 FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME

Game of Thrones:  OMG!  I know its geeky but I'm totally addicted.  I watched series 2 in 3 days flat!

TRAVELS

I started the beginning of this year in Mexico, but this year has been all about Spain.  I have found myself there 3 times this year.  Firstly in Almeria with work; second time in Barcelona visiting my friend Mariel ; and finally in Malaga with my sister for some much needed rest.  I love Spain, the people, the food, the culture and the language even though I'm not so sure that Spain quite likes me inflicting my Spanish on it?

WORK

Oh yes, that thing that has consumed my life for nearly all of the year.  I have been on the same job all year, and I would love to tell you about it, especially now I have finished, but even so, I'm still not going to say what I worked on, as its probably more trouble than its worth. Sorry.

HAPPY 2013 EVERYONE FROM LADY WARRINGTON X

BABIES THAT LUNCH

Every woman knows the importance of lunch date with her fellow females. It's where we put the world to rights; we comment on how well the other looks; discuss the failings of men; catch up with the latest gossip and maybe wear a new item of clothing that we pretend not to care about, but really we just want to show off. Yes ladies that lunch is very important. I feel if the leaders of the world, made all of those important decisions for humanity in the lady lunch manner, the world would be a lot happier place and they would probably be a lot wiser on what is a good skin care routine to have too!

I meet up with my friends Alex and Kym the other week. We have met up like this many times before, but this time it was different. This time we had a BABY!

It only seems like yesterday, that we were in Mexico last New Year, when I got out of the shower to find Alex also naked on the toilet (this wasn't a surprise, Alex gets naked a lot; she hasn't got a problem with nudity)!
"I'm late"! She informed me.
"Your late! But your never late! God! Imagine if your pregnant!" I replied.
It turns out she was and now nearly a year later, here we are with 4 month old Lyra.

I have come to realise over the years Alex is one of my closet friends, which is funny because when I first met her, I couldn't stand her. I even think I might have described as a rude bitch after our first meeting? Though to be fair I think maybe the feeling was mutual, but as time went on and with our years of living together we came to know each other and find our friendship, which usually consisted of her acting like a Jewish mother, me rolling my eyes a lot and telling her to calm down. It worked though our strange ways of friendship. Apart from when she used to ask me to take the recycling bin! That was never good for our friendship. Bloody hated that bin! Don't miss it at all! God dam bin! I hope it burns in Hell! Hell I tell you! Hell!
As I said the recycling bin was never good for our friendship.

It had been a year of great change for both of us and even our friendship. When I first left Hackney Wick I felt our relationship was strained. I was sad and angry about a lot things and I was finding it hard to give up the flat. Alex who was the ultimate party girl was coming to terms with the fact she was going to be a mother and her life would change for ever. It was not a good combo. We clashed and had some blazing rows. As fiery as I am, I hate arguing with anyone, and especially people I care about. I distanced myself for a while as to sort out my own unhappiness, but now that seems along ago memory. I'm happy now and Alex is too. She has the beautiful Lyra and she is a great mother. This mass of energy that she has always had now has this amazing focus: Lyra.

Alex will always be Alex, I saw this at lunch: bossing the waiter around; making loud comments about people staring at her breast feeding; and shocking the hell out of the manager by trying to change the baby's nappy in the middle of the restaurant! Buts that what I have always liked about her. She doesn't give a shit. She now just doesn't give a shit and has a baby too.

A couple of days later, we met to take Lyra on her first cinema outing, to see the Hobbit 3D at the baby showing (Yes they do parent and baby showings, can you believe it)? Alex who had invited me seemed genuinely shocked that I had turned up. To be fair so was I! Going to the cinema with 30 screaming babies is my worst nightmare isn't it? Well actually it isn't, because during the ladies lunch I realised I really liked hanging out with Alex and Lyra. We didn't get wasted, we didn't pull guys and we didn't roll in, in the early hours of the morning, but it was one of the best days I'd had out in ages. I guess we are getting older, but with that comes a calmness. Yes a calmness and its nice. I feel our friendship has changed, but for the better. Oli and Alex have always been like a london family to me, albeit a crazy one, but now there is a new addition: Lyra. She brings a great new energy to us all, and me and I know Aunty Kym as well, want to see her grow and be part of her life. This is why there will be many more Babies that Lunch days to come and many, many other things too.

GOODBYE CARDIFF: ITS BEEN EMOTIONAL!

That's a wrap! 10 months! 10 God dam months of my life, here in Cardiff and its over. No more 6 day weeks, no more night shoots, no more crazy schedules, no more stress, no more CARDIFF! I have my life back, but the funniest thing happened during the clear up, a couple of days after the wrap: I burst into tears. Why? Because I'd been praying for the job to be over for so long, but then I was left with a feeling of complete sadness. Confused! Yes so was I, but then I realised what I have known for a long time. Coming to Cardiff was the best thing for me. I came here 10 months ago a broken person. I was truly miserable. I had left my home of 5 years that I loved and had been hurt by someone who I adored and who I never thought would treat me like he did. I felt like I had lost everything, but now I realise that was not true. Getting away from my old world and going somewhere completely different made me evaluate a lot things in my life and who I am and what I want. I have worked on myself for 10 months and realised things about myself I never knew. I know what I want, I know how I should be treated and I know what I deserve and I have never been able to say that before.

One of the best things about this job has been my costume family. It's been a tough 10 months with ups and downs but we have supported each other through out. They have lifted me and never put me down and made me feel good about myself, buts that's what real friends do. I've been a fool at times, I've been blind at others, by spending too much time and energy on people that were never worthy and never really cared about me. I have been clouded for so long, but now I see things more clearly and from that I feel calmer. I will still make mistakes but that's OK, because everyone does.

Cardiff I want to thank you. You pushed me to the edge sometimes but you were a journey that added to me as a person. I survived you Cardiff and that has to be an achievement in itself, doesn't it? Will I be going back? No bloody way! Ha ha.