This afternoon, I went round to visit a very old dear friend of mine who is now the proud mother of two fine young boys. As I write this, they are 3 and a bit, and 10 months old, but they're growing up so fast! I only ever get to see them every couple of months when I visit home. This time I was sure to take my camera with me so that I can record some memories, as before I know it, they're going to be fine young men! Here are some of my favourite pics that I took this afternoon…

I saw this on one of the messageboards that I post on regularly, and thought it was a lot of fun. It's kind of revealing when you read the answers back… Here's the poll…

• What are you wearing?
• Where do you live?
• What is your personal chef making you for dinner tonight?
• Where are you jetting off to next?
• What do you look like?
• What music is playing?
• What special skills do you possess?

Now here are my answers…

• What are you wearing? Nothing but Chanel No.5

• Where do you live? In a big country estate in Southern England. My house is extensive, and I have very large grounds with ornamental gardens. I also have 14 horses in the fields out back.

• What is your personal chef making you for dinner tonight? It's actually winter right now, so he's making me a nice nut roast with roast vegetables. For dessert, I think I'm going to ask for hot apple pie.

• Where are you jetting off to next? Paris- I need some new shoes.

• What do you look like? I'm 5'8" with really nice long hair, and I have the most fabulous boobs and ass. I'm also really well toned from all the yoga that my personal teacher guides me through each morning.

• What music is playing? I have an old gramphone that is playing my 1920s jazz collection of 78s. Although most of the time I'm listening to LBC talk radio.

• What special skills do you posess? I paint amazing pictures, and I can make flower displays look amazing. I also speak 5 languages fluently, I have amazing fashion sense, and exquisite tastes in interior design. I'm also a champion polo player and show jumper.

Yikes, I sound SUCH a dull old woman, who is a completely and utter BORE!

I mentioned earlier that my sister designed and made clothes, and that she’s in the process of setting up her online store. Her actual store is going to be wrap dresses (along the lines of the one she made me for my rehearsal dinner), but in the meantime, she also has some beachwear that she’s been playing around with, designing and making. She can’t afford to have professional photographs taken just yet, so yours truly stepped in and played clothes horse for the day. We had so much fun! Of all the pics we took (there were a LOT of outfits, lol!) this one is my absolute favourite…

Aren’t you GORGEOUS!!! I want you, and may have to have you for my wedding….
(for those interested, it’s from the wedding library)

I keep losing weight. I think it’s all the stress of the wedding, emigrating, not knowing which city we’ll be living in after the wedding, trying to get stuff finished up with my old job in England whilst trying to live in the US, trying to find a job in the US but not knowing in which city to look, not knowing if I’ll be allowed back into the US after the wedding, or if I’ll have to sit out my newlywed year back in England waiting for my marriage visa to come through (if the job one doesn’t work out…) blah blah. This has proven to be a tough year so far. I used to be a healthy 122-125lb, and right now I’m struggling to get above 112lb, which I *hate* as I’m scared of looking like a skeletor bride. They say the camera adds 10lb, and I just saw photos of myself and I look sickly Oh well, I guess I’ll be stocking up on protein shakes to drink with all my meals. I must gain 10lb by August so my 5′7″ frame doesn’t look like a stick insect

I am *so* pleased with my achievements this weekend. What with the wedding rapidly approaching, and the engagement photos coming EVEN FASTER (17 days and counting), I was beginning to get a bit panicked about what to wear for the various events planned. But HURRAH HURRAH! I finally found outfits that felt right. I actually found my little pink ‘going away’ outfit for the end of the reception the other week, but foolishly decided to think about it. When it came to making the grand purchase, everywhere, and I mean *EVERYWHERE* had sold out. But after a whole morning on the phone, and two people at Fenn Wright and Manson head office also on my case, we finally managed to track down my size. The jacket was actually the very last one in the whole country, eeks!! But I count it as a weekend achievement as the package arrived in the mail on Friday morning.

I also found a dress that I think would work pretty well for the e-pics, and it’s something that I feel very ME in which is a very good thing. Also got some fabulous shoes on sale, reduced from £198 down to £65. Oh how I miss british shoe shops when I’m in America……*sigh*. Anyway, I thought they worked pretty well with the dress.

AND, after having an insanely difficult time trying to find a rehearsal dinner outfit in the US (for some reason, I have a really hard time with US clothes stores, they’re just not cut for a European bodyshape, or for someone with no boobs), my amazing sister presented me with a wrap dress that she designed and made herself. I *heart* her. It was so generous of her too, as she’s setting up her own boutique, so she could have sold it and made money.

Anyway, here they are…and yay for striking things off the list