The Proposal

She turned the key into the lock and a slight gust of wind entered as the door opened, blowing a flurry of rose petals towards her. She slowly walked through the hallway following the trail laid out below her into the lounge and through the dining room. She stopped at the French doors and before she had a chance to turn around, everything went dark as her eyes were covered by silk. The delicate fabric against her skin, and his warm body around her, made her stomach flutter. Taking her by the hand, he led her outside.

It was autumn, crisp leaves were falling and the sun was beginning to set through the trees displaying a beautiful red and orange sky. He guided her down the garden and untied her blindfold so she could take it all in. They were standing under a Victorian style arch beautifully weaved with delicate fairy lights and the garden was illuminated with flickering candles. Seeing the shock on her face, he smiled and gently kissed her lips.

“Sophia, I have been in love with you since the day we met. You have shown me what it is like not only to love, but to be loved. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on and without you, my life is nothing. Before we met, everything was black and white, but now it is filled with colour. You are my inspiration; you are my hope, my dreams, the reason I get up in the morning. You are my life.”

Her body began to tremble and her eyes welled up as she watched him get down on one knee. Removing his hand from hers, he took a small box from his pocket and opened it to display a beautiful platinum ring with a square cut diamond sparkling before her eyes. She gasped.

“Sophia. Will you marry me?”

Tears poured from her eyes as she listened to the man she was so in love with asking her to be his wife in such a beautiful and romantic setting. She has thought about this moment for a long time, but never imagined it would be as perfect as this. Throwing her arms around him and holding him close, she screamed in delight as she answered his question.

“YES! Yes, I will marry you”.

They held each other tight for what felt like forever before he took the ring out of the box and placed it onto her finger. They both looked at the diamond sparkling so tenderly before them and as the tears continued, he kissed her again on the lips. It was a moment neither of them would ever forget.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Do not disturb!

More often than not, life has a scary way of creeping up on us and passing by without even realising, and it’s only when we do finally stop to take a breather and appreciate what has been happening, we comprehend how exhausted we feel. I am at this stage now, after spending the last few weeks in Crazy Town, so am finally relishing in some much needed R&R. My candle is well and truly burnt out and I am beyond defeated.

Birthdays, weddings, fancy dress parties and far too much Vodka has taken its toll and with another cold in the space of three weeks, my body is finally telling me to slow down and relax, which is exactly what I have been doing all weekend.

I have spent the last two days in the comfort of my own home, watching re-runs of TV shows I have missed, drinking lots of tea and enjoying my home comforts. I admit, I did venture out yesterday afternoon to my mums house but ended up curled up on her sofa with my sister and aunty watching Strictly and X Factor, enjoying a curry and a much needed catch up. There’s a lot to be said for chilling out with family, it was definitely what I needed and has restored some order back into my life!

Don’t get me wrong, I have loved the mass of socialising I have indulged in, but it has come with its drawbacks including many late nights, a lot of bad eating and drinking and a total neglect for the gym. It’s now time to get back on track before I get hit with the Christmas party season so I have also been spending time refocusing and am ready to wake up tomorrow with a fresh start, a healthy mind and thankfully, without a hangover!

Food for thought

If you have recently embarked on a new healthy lifestyle or are looking for hearty meal ideas, then an online publication created by Northampton based fitness enthusiast, Andrew Haigh may be just what you need. His Real Results Cookbook allows you to choose from a delicious range of breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas without the need to count calories, do any tedious tracking or follow unrealistic fad diets.

A personal trainer for over 3 years, Andrew has worked with a variety of people of all ages, shapes and sizes, and understands the difficulties faced when adopting a new healthy lifestyle. A common trait amongst his clients is their struggle to lose weight, not due to lack of exercise, but more through the food choices they are making.

With this in mind, he has spent time creating a collection of 90 different meal ideas for you to follow either as a fat loss programme, for inspiration to get back on course for better eating, or simply to vary your already healthy lifestyle. Each meal has been designed to be easy to prepare and cook, and most importantly emphasise that good food can be tasty.

With a selection of hot and cold recipes for each meal you’ll be spoilt for choice. So whether you fancy a quick fruit smoothie or pancakes to start your day, a warming soup or tasty stir fry for lunch ending with a delicious curry or even a succulent burger and chips for dinner, this book will have your mouth watering at every page.

You can purchase Andrew’s book through PayPal at a cost of £11.99 by clicking on the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BRV7RFN5D484Y  

To find out more about Andrew’s personal training, you can find him on both Facebook and Twitter:

http://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/haigh1?__user=506312768

and

@AJBlitzBodyBoot

Lost

Here is another attempt at a 99 word flash fiction story. Enjoy!

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Lost

She sat there with black stained tears streaming down her face clutching a crumpled tissue in her hand. Walking up to her I was overcome with sadness as she looked so vulnerable and alone. She saw me but looked away putting her hands into her coat pocket as if warning me off. I stopped, but something inside told me to continue.

In those few seconds of asking if she was ok, she looked up at me and smiled, took her hand out of her pocket and before I had a chance to register, it was over.

She shot herself.

I Love the Cake!

If you have a sweet tooth like me and are a fan of all things cute and yummy, then look no further, because tucked away in a kitchen somewhere in the middle of Northampton is a young lady by the name of Jenny hard at work baking a delicious array of cupcakes that are taking the locals by storm.

Setting up her own business in 2010, Jen’s artistic flair has enabled her to create a selection of cakes tailor made to your requirements. Already a favourite at weddings, birthdays and craft fairs, these delicious cups of heaven are proving to be very popular and you will soon find yourself falling in love with them.

Flavours include Vanilla and Chocolate, Peanut butter and jam or Rocky Road and that’s just to name a few. She is open to all suggestions and is happy to make an order to your preference and they are guaranteed to have your mouth watering and will be a big hit whatever your choice.

Available in boxes of 6 upwards and with prices starting from £1.20 a cake, you will be a fool not try one. So whether you have a special occasion coming up, want to go all out for a One Direction birthday party, or just fancy and naughty treat with your favourite cuppa, then give these cakes a go. You will not be disappointed!

If you would like a quote, or want to find out more, you can contact Jen on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/xx.jens.cupcakes.xx

and

@xJensCupcakesx

Thoughts...

Before I started my blog, I used to scribble things down in a note book that my Dad bought for me from a trade show at the NEC Birmingham in 1995 (yes, I am that sad I noted it in the cover!). At the time, I wasn't writing as much as I do now, but whenever I did, I always copied it into this book. Every now and again I like to read it, sometimes I laugh at what I have written and other times I cringe, but after reading some of the words of James McInerney this evening on Facebook (check out his poems, they're amazing), he reminded me of something I wrote during an English Lecture at university and I've decided to share it with you.

I'm not sure where I got the inspiration to write this, especially as I was taking notes on Lord Byron at the time, but somewhere in that lecture on 18th May 2000, my thoughts changed from 18th Century poets to something very different. I hope you like it!

Thoughts

Let me into your world to feel the things you do,
Never sit and wonder how life could have been when it has already happened.
Reflections upon life are all about learning and growing
into a person where we can control what we do.
But even so, when we are at our peak of controllment in life,
mistakes can still be made, fears can still be seen, insecurities are inevitable.

So this world you are in is similar to mine,
Therefore, we must join to become one,
to help each other through life
and to die, to be reborn again, to show others that
the whole of our living process is a learning one.

The Lovers (Flash Fiction Story)

I've recently tried my hand at some flash fiction, writing stories of no more than 99 words. I thought I'd share my first one on here with you all. I hope you like it.

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The Lovers

Their eyes met and her heart began to race as she gracefully floated towards him. She couldn’t believe she had found him after all these years of searching, and this time she wasn’t going to let go. Distant music played invisible to their ears; it was just the two of them staring deep into each others soul.

As she stood opposite him he took her trembling hand, gently caressing it. Removing the veil from her face, he smiled and said those two important words he’d been longing to say since the day they met…

“I Do”.