January seems to have passed me by in a flash! Unfortunately there has not been much fun stuff for us over the past month. I was ill in bed for the first week of the month and I still don't feel fully recovered! But I don't think this miserable weather helps! Steve has also been ill so if it wasn't one of us it was the other!

Onwards and upwards, though! A new month and a new bucket list! I'm secretly hoping for a snow day too! I'm looking forward to Valentines Day of course, although we are still not sure what we are going to do yet in the evening; maybe a meal out or cooking at home with a film. I have decided to have a bit of fun this year. We are going to challenge ourselves by buying a gift for no more than five pounds. Do I go down the novelty fun route or go for trying to find the great bargain of all time? Wish me luck!

Have you seen Before Sunrise and Before Sunset? We saw Before Sunset when I booked a surprise Valentine's Day surprise meal and viewing at the lovely Showroom arthouse cinema. It was such a feelgood film, set in Paris, and played out in real time. We were hooked on the story and caught up with the first film, where they meet on a train bound for Vienna. I look forward to seeing the final film, Before Midnight. You really should check them out, if you haven't done so already. If you do, let me know what you think.

Have a lovely weekend. We might be needing a canoe to get out if this rain doesn't stop! As the weather is terrible, I think we will find a new gallery this weekend and hope it's got a good coffee shop.

Have you any fun plans for this month?

Look no further for that sexy outfit you are looking to wear on Valentine's Day! This outfit is perfect for a romantic date night.

I absolutely love Valentine's Day. I adore the colour it brings after the dreary days we have in January. Red; my favourite!

Happy weekend!

When I first saw this recipe for chocolate and beetroot brownies, I wasn't too sure. Beetroot with chocolate didn't sound like a good combination to me! I am a lover of carrot cake though so for a change I thought I would try these out. There is nothing better than a brownie when it's cold for a bit of comfort.

Well I am so glad I did. The beetroot makes the brownies really moist and sweet and adds a lovely texture. It was hard not to have more than one piece at a time! Give it a go, you will be pleased with the result.

This yummy recipe is from the River Cottage website. Enjoy!

Getting a good photo in this light was not easy. One minute it was intense sunlight, the next black clouds. Roll on summer and longer days! So I apologize for not having the best quality shots.

I used to hear lots of talk about whether you should wear blue and black together and for a long time I didn't brave it. But one day I thought 'hey, why not just give it a go' so here I am in my latest addition to the blues in my wardrobe.

How do you feel about wearing blue and black together?

A couple of months ago, the lovely Sarah at Life As Always nominated me for the Sunshine Award! It really made my day being chosen by Sarah and it put a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. I'm sorry that it has taken me a while to prepare the post but life has been very busy lately.

Sarah always makes me smile with her lovely, cheery posts. She is always busy on her adventures having lots of fun and is now pregnant, which is so exciting. Pop over and see Sarah and read what she has been up to lately.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Linking up with Logan at Southern Sunflowers & Coffee Beans, Patti at Not Dead Yet Style, Molly at still being molly and Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy.

Have a lovely day.

I was tagged a few weeks ago by the lovely Andrea at Cous Cous & Cork Wedges to take part in The Winter Tag. Pop by to see Andrea and her lovely blog, she would love to see you there.

'Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home' - Edith Sitwell. This quote says it all for me as this is exactly what I think about winter.

I am so in love with crew jumpers right now. Perfect for layering in this chilly weather and let me tell you, it was a very cold day! You will be able to see from the photos how windy it was from the way my hair was blowing about!

Can you believe my daughter and fiancee both bought me this same jumper for Christmas but in different lengths! Great minds think alike! I must have mentioned that I liked them on more than one occasion. This is the one my daughter bought me as the shorter one didn't fit as well! I felt bad taking it back but I did manage to get a coat that I had been wanting in the sale with the refunded money, so all is good.