Getting to know you, getting to know me

The World Cup football final was last Sunday. Now normally the mere mention of the word sport elicits a groan from me and cues me rolling away from the torture I know is about to come my way. I can see the appeal of sport, really I can (those Rugby players are yum). I'm just not into it. Maybe it's because my first real memory of gym class at school is traipsing outside to play hockey whilst it was snowing and being frozen like a popsicle to my hockey stick. A hockey stick whacking you around the ankles hurts. A frozen hockey stick whacking you around the ankles is pure agony. Or maybe it's because I am the most awkwardly coordinated person ever and all I can think about when faced with the possibility of having to play sport is all the horrible things that could go wrong. Guys, I can't even walk in a straight line without tripping over my feet, why do you think passing me a ball/bat and asking me to run is a good idea??

But I am quite patriotic. And the World Cup is  all about supporting your country. Now, I love England. I am well proud of being British. Truly I am. But England are rubbish at football. And Argentina are good. And the majority of my family are Argentine... so I support Argentina during all football games. Sorry not sorry. (Argentina I still feel your lose deep within my soul. Germany, congrats and all that jazz.) Some people were surprised these past few weeks to discover my Argentine roots, which in turn surprised me. I just assumed everyone knew... It got me thinking of all the other little pieces of information about me, silly, nonsensical things that just make me, me. So here are 20 facts about me that you definitely didn't care about but i'm sharing with you anyway:

1. This is me. I'm British with some Pakistani and Argentine thrown in there somewhere. Also some Welsh and Irish further back. I don't even know. I'm 23 (urgh so old) and an only child (it's super boring). My immediate family is pretty small and i've always been envious of large families.

This was taken a few weeks ago in London. I'm 23. Totally in denial about the fact that i'm OLD...

2. I am a third generation member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I love it. It is the greatest thing in my life and has brought me such peace and comfort. I am incredibly blessed because of my faith. I have wonderful friends who support me and love me. But most importantly I know that I am a daughter of God.

3. I bake. Like all the time. Sometimes not successfully. My oven at the moment is a tad temperamental. And by tad I mean a big fat lot. It runs about 40 degrees hotter than it should and cremates everything within about 10 minutes. which makes following a recipe really hard. But despite my oven acting like a stroppy teenager, I live and breathe for baking. which brings us onto point number...

This was the first cake I ever baked

 4. I dream of owning my own bakery. I have it all planned out. I have folders dedicated to it on my laptop, pinterest boards and a hoarders collection of recipes. I will bake scrumptious treats and serve them on china in my cute cafe with mismatched furniture and squishy sofas. There will be fairy lights, bunting and book shelves. There will be board games and puzzles and newspapers, there will be art adorning the walls from local inspiring artists. I will hold book clubs and quiz nights and mother and baby groups. I will teach baking classes and throw birthday parties for kids. And it will be amazing.

5. I love ribbons. My Mum likes to tell the story of when I was little I was more enamoured with the silky label on my teddy than the actual teddy. And thus an everlasting l o v e was born...

6. Christmas has always been, and forever will be, my favourite time of the year. I L O V E Christmas. The smells, the food, the excitement, the carols, the presents... It makes me super happy!

7. Giraffes are my favourite animal. It all started when I was about 12 and was travelling on holiday with my Grandparents. I was bored and grumpy and when we stopped at the services I spotted a teddy shaped like a giraffe. I think to shut me up my Nannie brought me said giraffe teddy and the rest is history. 'Lofty' (because he has a long neck, duh) and I are still best friends and I get overly excited about anything giraffe related. Even though I have never ever seen a real giraffe...

8. I have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E). It is more commonly referred to as as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). I had Glandular Fever when I was fourteen but was really late in being diagnosed and treated. I spent a year off school before returning part time for the rest of my education. There is a whole long story that I might tell one day but for now I will just say that it sucked. It still does. Although I am way better than when I first diagnosed, I still have to watch myself everyday to make sure I don't relapse. And although people try, nobody really understands. Read the excellent 'Spoon' theory here to understand a little better what it's like to suffer with M.E.

9. I love thunderstorms. They are my absolute favourite ever. Especially when i'm tucked up snugly inside and can watch them from my window.

10. I knit. My Nannie taught me when I was a little kiddo and I thought it was boring and never did any. Then one day at university I was procrastinating writing an assignment and picked up my needles again. And now I can't seem to put them down... I only do small projects as my attention span is quite short but one day I will knit myself a jumper and it will be glorious! 

11. I can't ride a bike. For this I totally blame my Mum for not being interested herself and therefore not teaching me when I was young and fearless. Now i'm old and scared of learning and making a giant fool of myself!

12. I like brightly coloured nail polish. It just makes me super happy to have brightly painted nails. Hot pink is currently my favourite.

13. I only ever wear skirts or dresses. I own two pairs of jeans and I loathe the days when I have to wear them.

Even the weather being freezing cold, wet and foggy on the moors would not deter me from wearing a dress.

14. I am not a morning person. If I could I would probably sleep all day. It doesn't matter how early I go to bed the night before, come morning I am a grumpy mess. And don't even think about talking to me for at least an hour.

15. I have curly hair. Except it's not the nice, sleek curly waves that people are always envious of. It's a tangled mess of frizz and knots that I never really know how to tame. Any suggestions of how to style my mop of hair would be greatly appreciated!

16. I adore sending and receiving post. It makes me sad that all I ever seem to receive is bills in the post. Who doesn't love to see a prettily addressed letter waiting for them when they get home from work? I want to keep the art of handwritten correspondence alive! I send post cards to friends in far-flung and not so far-flung corners of world. If you want to get involved then send me your address, I would love a new pen pal! 

17. Charity shops are the best shops. I've gotten some real gems from browsing my local charity shops, and all for dead cheap prices! £40 for a Burberry trench coat?? Heck yes! My love of charity shops stems from having no money or decent fashion sense. The clothes on the high street are expensive and generic, whereas I am cheap and not fashionable. And that's how I like it.

18. I love the game Scrabble. A game all about spelling and words, what's not to like?? Seriously though, i'm trying to persuade my family to start a Scrabble championship...

19. Cereal is the greatest food ever. I love it probably an unhealthy amount. When I was a kiddo my church snack used to be a pot of dry Cheerios. And at university it was a main staple of my diet. It still is too be honest..

Photo not mine. I found it on the interweb here and liked it a great deal. I hope you don't mind me borrowing it! You are very talented and have great taste in cereal...

20. Talking of food, I am addicted to jaffa cakes. I have been known to eat an entire packet in one go... don't judge me.

And that's me folks. This has been fun! Send in a message telling me fun facts about yourself, I want to know you all too!

Catherine