Granite City Child | Childhood Quirks and Musings

One of my favourite programmes on television has got to be You've Been Framed particularly the cat and children segments because they do and say the funniest things, in fact it has quickly become one of my favourite past times to watch such videos on You Tube and I could literally waste hours laughing myself into a sleepy stupor with my iPad, and most nights I often do! But as you know, writing inspiration strikes in the damnest places and I thought it might be fun to share some of the sillier things I remember from my childhood that I used to think were true or real or just generally some silliness.

1) Before the age of 5 I used to call a dressing gown a 'gasshing goon' which now saying it out loud as an adult sounds like a wound or something quite disturbing to say the least. I'm not entirely sure why I thought this or said it like this but it just happened to be one of my earliest quirks.

2) When I was much younger my family rented the animated version of Charlotte's Web in which at the end (spoilers) Charlottes' babies (spiders in case you didn't know) fly away on little parachutes leaving Wilbur alone with only 1 baby spider left (who can't fly)... and I literally thought baby spiders were born with little webbed parachutes attached to them. The fact they didn't in fact fly away when they hatch was only brought to my attention 2 years ago, needless to say my reality was shattered and I was also slightly relieved!

3) I used to think that when I hit the age of 16 that I would magically become tanned with long blonde hair just like Barbie because that's what most girls were in the movies and of course that's what Barbie and Britney had! (This is a sad state of affairs for beauty standards in children!)

4) As a kid I used to think you could get sucked down the drain when you took the plug out of a bath - this is due to a very poorly constructed episode of Sesame Street (or the Muppets) in which the baby is sucked down the drain.

5) Whenever I was getting something taken off over my head for example a vest or jumper I used to scream, and I don't just mean a little, I mean blue murder! Again I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen, but I still do this if I get stuck in a dress in New Look or somewhere the clothes are ridiculously small... (true story)

Well guys I hope my little life musings have cheered you up today, my reminiscing has cheered me up no end and I have to say that these little quirks and musings are what I'm looking forward to seeing when I have my own kids some day, you know as long as the quirks aren't loud or disgusting...

 

 

As always if you have enjoyed this post be sure to leave your comments below, I would love to hear if you had any childhood quirks or just plain stupid things you used to say or do as they make me smile, or of course if you'd just like to keep up with me and the latest Granite City Girl posts you can catch me on the Twittersphere or the blog in Bloglovin'

Until next time folks, I'll be chilling in my gasshing goon (which thankfully does not go over my head!)

H.Elizabeth x

Domestic Goddess | Healthy Cauliflower Pizza

Hello everyone, I'm back again with yet another one of my recent culinary endeavours and this is one I am particularly chuffed with, not that it is elaborate or is a masterpiece by any means but I'm always pleased when I am able to add a healthy alternative to a favourite take away dish to my list of culinary delights and in this case I'm going to share my recipe for cauliflower base pizzas.

These are foolproof ladies and gents, there isn't really a 'wrong' way to make these and you can make them as healthy or cheese laden as you so choose, but I thought as I'm still on my health kick that I would give you yet another glimpse into my endeavours and share my 'healthier' version of a thin crust pizza. Now I made ours with lean sweet chilli chicken but you can use anything you like, go nuts, the sky is the limit!

Equipment

Large Pizza Tray
Chopping Board and veg knife

Fish Slice

Cheese grater

Ingredients

Half of a large cauliflower
2 Medium Eggs
Tomato Puree
1 Cal olive oil spray

Sweet Chilli Chicken
Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese
Handful of grated light cheddar

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C and grate your cauliflower.
2. Put your grated cauliflower in a microwavable bowl and switch on for 7 and a half minutes.
3. While this is happening shred half a cup of mozzarella cheese finely and grate a small portion of cheddar cheese.
4. Let the cauliflower cool for 5 - 10 minutes and then mix together with your prepared cheese and 2 eggs.
5. Prepare the pizza tin with some 1 cal olive oil spray and then spread out your cauliflower mixture into your tip and spread evenly.
6. Cook in your preheated oven for 10 - 15 minutes until solidifying and browning at the sides.
7. Remove from your oven and spread with tomato puree and add your chosen toppings, in my case some cheese and sweet chilli chicken, place back in the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and be careful when cutting and sliding the slices on to your plate, let it cool for a couple of minutes then enjoy your culinary creation.
   
   

Serving suggestion

Use tortilla bases to make garlic bread using garlic and herb spread (I use Philadelphia) and mozzarella cheese.

This has become one of our weekly meals in our home and paired with some garlic bread makes quite a substantial dinner, you can serve with salad if you like but you know I like carbs! My next attempt is going to be trying a chicken and kale pizza and I'll be sure to keep you updated on how that one goes down, I reckon it won't go down too well with my other half, but we will see.

As always I love hearing from you and if you do happen to make these I'd love to see your efforts, be sure to comment below how it went or of course share your pictures with me on Twitter, but if you'd just like to see more of my face, food and frolics you can follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, setting up my home delivery services.

H.Elizabeth x

Girls Day Out | Dundee Adventures

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I have done a post like this and this is mainly due to the fact that in my spare time I actually sit in a darkened room mulling over my friendless state... just kidding but today I am back with a special (to me anyway) edition of a day in the life with Granite City Girl centring around another girls day out. For me, and I'm guessing many others in my position, finishing university not only meant the ability to get out into the big wide world and pursue my chosen career path with confidence but it also meant that all of my university friends dispersed and returned to their respective home towns leaving me in the Granite City almost all by my lonesome so whenever I get the opportunity to go and visit them I jump at the chance. So after receiving an email from Dundee's Overgate shopping centre to attend a shopping, fashion, bloggery event last weekend I leapt and off I plodded to visit my good friend Lisa.

One thing I'll say about Lisa is she is never under prepared when I come visit, she has an agenda of events and a list of activities we could do for the weekend (which puts me to shame when she comes visiting me!) and because we had such fun that weekend I thought I would take you through a couple of the things we did that day and some of the places we went as a sort of day in the life of post, Dundee edition!

 

Tweet Chic at the Overgate

Promising days filled with fashion, shopping, discounts and fun, Tweet Chic did not disappoint. There were fashion shows featuring high street names such as New Look and River Island, impromptu dancing (which put me and my sweet sweet moves to shame once again) hair and make up demonstrations and a magic mirror which allowed you to virtually try on clothes (which unfortunately we didn't have the time to use) We literally spent hours in the centre just shopping and having a girly day and I came away with so many bargains that you'll soon be treated to another clothing haul. I'm looking forward to seeing what else the Overgate centre has up it's sleeve in the coming months because if this event is anything to go on then we are in for some retail treats!

Avery and Co
And now we come to the food portion of our girly day and trust me Avery and Co did not disappoint. I believe they are quite new to Dundee and as we don't have one in Aberdeen I was excited to go along and give them a go. Avery and Co have pitched themselves to online audiences as an independent eatery who provide a welcoming space designed to encourage people to eat, relax and linger, and my goodness did they deliver! First of all the food, oh  the food (can you tell I'm hungry as I type this?) As a starter we had the sweet potato quesidillas, and I do love a good sweet potato and for our main we enjoyed the tarka dal (which is a blend of lentils, onions, garlic and Indian spices served with cauliflower pakora and flat-bread) We must have spent a good few hours in there and it's not often I enjoy lingering in a restaurant post face stuffing but the tables are so openly spaced out, the staff were so friendly and the atmosphere was so relaxed that we didn't feel rushed out the door, the whole experience was just so pleasant, when I visit again I will definitely be pushing to go back there.

We did do a few other things that day such as visit the DCA for a drink (what a gem of a place by the way!) but I'm aware of my rambling on and on so I'll leave it there as two of the days highlights. I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my life today these posts are quite few and far between but I really do enjoy writing them so stay tuned for more day in the life posts in the coming months, especially as I have some quite exciting events to attend shortly! But as always guys I love hearing from you so be sure to tweet at me or share your comments below, or if you'd just like to see more from Granite City Girl you can follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm going on an adventure!

H.Elizabeth x

Nose Piercing | Process, Pain and Aftercare

In case any of you haven't noticed, I have a nose piercing it is relatively new I've had it for about 7 months so I wouldn't blame you if you hadn't seen it but today I wanted to chat to you a little bit about it for those of you who are perhaps thinking about getting a nose piercing and you're not sure what to expect or perhaps you're just a little bit nosy (ha!) and want to know a bit about 'how much it hurt' or 'how can I blow my nose' or silly little things like that which I find a bit funny (but are in fact serious considerations!)

When I decided to get my nose pierced I went back and forth a great deal, I asked my family what they thought, of course they thought it was silly to put another hole in my nose, I asked my husband who as ever was so forward with his opinions and said, 'whatever you think' or 'do what you like you'll look fine either way' In fact when I was thinking about it I got outside the piercing studio about 2 or 3 times then decided against it. I googled and pinterested and instagrammed pictures of people with nose piercings to get an idea of how it would look but I didn't actually see anything that was particularly informative about aftercare or pain or anything really - which I was disheartened and a bit scared about, so I thought I would be a good little pioneer and give a full overview today. Step one I would say is to think about it long and hard - it's a bit like getting a pet I suppose - are you responsible, will you clean and look after it as you know you should and will you be patient enough for it to adjust to your face?

Choosing a piercer

Choosing a piercer for me was very easy, when I was 16 I had my lip pierced by what then was Retro Rebels (a Gothic clothing store and piercing studio on Aberdeen's George Street) then had a micro-dermal on my chest a couple of years ago (which was painful and fell out due to no fault of the piercer) and given they have been made over into Rebel Ink and in recent years have become one of the most reputable piercers and tattoo studios in the Granite City, I was confident they were the way to go. But when you are choosing a piercer yourself there is nothing better than word of mouth, speak to others who have been there, look at reviews online and of course go in and have a chat to the actual piercer to answer any and all questions you may have, and if they're not very nice or appear to brush you off, don't go there, they obviously aren't interested in the well being of their customers.

Getting your nose pierced

I still remember the day I went to get the deed done, I wasn't nervous as I am quite good with pain and I have been to the studio a few times to have tattoos done so I had already spoken to the piercer a few times previously and he is super friendly. All of the equipment used should be sterile and having been there before I had no worries (plus is just smells so clean which I love!) Unfortunately the day I went they didn't have the colour or style of stud I was going for but I was advised by my piercer which would look best (listen to yours, they are almost always right and I still have my red stud!)

The way in which the piercing is done is your piercer will draw a dot on your nostril where they think the best position for the piercing is which you will then have a look at to see if you are comfortable. They will then put a thin, hollow metal tube inside your nose to get the position of the needle on the dot and this is where it will go through.The pain itself only lasts a few seconds but I'm not going to lie, it does hurt, I would say more than a lip piercing but less than a tattoo but of course they are two very different types of pain and everybody is different but this is just my experience. There was a little bit of blood, but of course you have just had a needle go through your skin of course there is going to be a bit of blood. Needless to say I was chuffed with my new piercing and if anybody is interested it cost me £15 (for which I had a birthday voucher)

Nose Piercing Aftercare

Upon leaving the studio I was given a pamphlet about general piercing aftercare and the thing I love about a nose piercing is that it is a pretty low maintenance piercing to care for (a bit like a cat) but of course with anything you do need to be vigilant about looking after it otherwise it could become infected. Straight after having it done it did feel strange and I got worried for a while I would never be able to blow my nose in a satisfying way again, but this passes and as the swelling goes down it just feels like a part of your face and in fact I don't even notice that it is there most of the time!

I used good quality cotton pads and a saline solution every day for the first couple of weeks to keep mine clean but I did run into a couple of problems, for example sometimes you can develop something called a keloid - which is a small bump right next to the piercing and if it isn't give the proper attention can become a permanent part of your face. Thankfully mine was relatively small and with continuous cleaning it disappeared within a week but I would advise keeping make up and heavy products away from this area while it is healing (something I didn't really do!)

Today I have no issues or cleaning problems with my piercing and continue to love it just as much as when I first had it done, I can blow my nose, wash my face and do everything a regular person without a piercing can the only difference? I have some lovely bling on my face! This post has been much more long winded than I thought it would be, but honestly I just wanted to be as helpful and informative as possible when it comes to this kind of thing because it is important and I don't feel as if I could have left anything out in explaining the process and aftercare. Be sure to leave me a comment below if you have any questions, if perhaps you are thinking of getting a piercing or maybe you already have one and just wanted to add something, post it below, come share it with me on Twitter or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City Girl posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin'

Until next time folks, blowing my nose like a regular person.

H.Elizabeth x

Being Female | Getting Measured For A Bra

Ah the joys of being a woman, not only do we get to deal with the misogynistic realities of the working world (and world in general) get paid a joyful visit from aunt flow every month and feel compelled to wage war on our weight, faces and general appearances day to day but now we have to worry about the migrating state of our 'nunga nungas'. Not that this is exactly news to the female population it's just the sad state of affairs that come hand in hand with womanhood, but a recent bra fitting in my good old local British Home Stores has given me (and my boobs) 'the fear' and today I would like to share why.

Recently I noticed a gap, more specifically, quite a large gap between my actual chest and my bra (a size which has suited me just fine since I was 18 years old) and I got a shock. Given that I have been working my bottom off in the gym I suppose I should have expected this, but being the curvy lady I am never expected to lose all of my weight from my chest first. For the first time in 4 years I was clueless (and bra-less) and after seeing a sign in BHS for a bra fitting service, something I have never ever had done before, I leapt at the opportunity for a bra revamp!

The girl who measured me was so helpful and informative and because some of you, like me, may not know how a bra is measured I'll just go over that quickly. First you are measured under your bust to get the circumference which helps workout the banded part of your bra for example I was shown to be between 36 and 38 (typical!) Then you will be measured at the fullest part of your bust to get the cup size (I believe that your band measurement is subtracted from your bust measurement and that gives the cup size) The results revealed to me that I was wearing a bra that was miles too big for me, and I mean by something like 3 or 4 sizes too big, which in turn got me thinking of the repercussions of wearing the wrong size of bra and what it really means for my general health, well-being and my 'nunga nungas'  

Wearing the wrong size of bra doesn't just effect how they look or the way in which your clothes hang (poorly if anyone was wondering) as I found there are a multitude of problems that can occur from wearing the wrong size of bra and the world has to know:

• Stretched boobs; wearing the wrong size can cause your tissue and skin to stretch resulting in, you guessed it, saggy boobs!
• Back pain; a bra that is too big doesn't offer you the support you need and you'll find yourself more hunched over with poor posture resulting in back pain.
• Back fat; yes the dreaded back fat which I thought was just a disgusting thing I had and therefore had to live with - nope bra is too tight!
• Bra gap; if you have a gap your boobs will just straight up fall out of there - thigh gap - yes please, bra gap - no thank you!
• Indigestion; strange one but I have heard that if your band is too tight it will dig into your ribs and upper stomach and can cause indigestion.

So really what began as a simple days shopping turned into a real learning experience for me and I'll be damned if I wear the wrong sized bra ever again. I feel much better in myself knowing I won't have any of the above problems (for a good while at least) and that I'm doing something small to actively benefit my own health as well as of course reaping the benefits of my clothes hanging better and generally feeling more comfortable day to day, ladies you never know the true joy of a well fitted bra until you have been measured properly, so I urge, if you do one thing in these next couple of weeks take 10 minutes to go and get yourself professionally fitted!

I hope you have enjoyed this rather school teachery, PSE esque post and at least come away knowing something you perhaps didn't know before. As always I appreciate any and all comments so be sure to leave yours below, come share your thoughts with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to stick around and see more Granite City Girl posts you can follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, holding up my 'nunga nungas'

H.Elizabeth x

Domestic Goddess | Chilli chicken and chorizo potato skins

Hello again, back today with yet another domestic goddess themed post, what can I say I feel I am on a culinary roll at the moment, and I thought since I always seem to share sweet snacks (which admittedly I am obsessed with) I'm going to change it up and offer a savoury in the form of my sweet chilli chicken and chorizo potato skins (anybody have a quippier name for them? all ears!)

I was inspired to make these by Pinterest (although their recipe revolved around sour cream, cheese and bacon) as well as an odd combination of ingredients that were left in my fridge at the end of a busy week, and as it turns out it was honestly the best thing I ate the entire week and has quickly become one of our favourite dinner dishes to make after work. These are super quick to make, require very little skill and are delicious!



Equipment

Bowl

Microwave

Microwavable Plate

Sharp Knife

Frying pan

Spoon (for scooping)

Ingredients

5 Baking Potatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil really)

Ready to eat sweet chilli chicken (2 packs)

Philadelphia Sweet Chilli Spread
Diced Chorizo
Cheese (grated to sprinkle)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Wash your potatoes well and dry with a clean dishtowel.
2. Coat the potatoes lightly in your olive oil and place on your microwavable plate. Microwave the potatoes (5 mins per potato so for 5 you will need 25 minutes) so they are soft and easy to cut.
3. In the final 10 minutes of your potatoes cooking in the microwave heat up your chicken in the frying pan then add the sweet chilli spread. Make sure you coat all the chicken in the sauce which should now go a bit runny having been warmed up.
4. Remove potatoes from the microwave and leave to cool for 5 minutes until you can comfortably handle them (or dive right in if you're impatient like me!) Cut them in half and then spoon out the potato inside (leave a little bit in so they aren't just skin and fall to bits!)
5. Once you have your 10 skins, scoop in your sweet chilli chicken mixture, add your diced chorizo to the top and sprinkle with a bit of cheese (optional)
6. Put these in the oven for about 15 minutes until the skins are slightly burnt (that's how I like 'em)
7. Leave to cool for another 5 minutes and then tuck in and enjoy.

Serving suggestion:

Use the mash that you had taken out of the potatoes as a side to your skins or you can put it back on top to make a nice lid for your skins.

 

These are really lovely to have as leftovers too, I often find myself making slightly more just so I can take them to work the next day and let me tell you they are often the envy of my colleagues.These are so versatile and can  be swapped and switched around for different things, for example you can put chilli in your skins and if you're feeling particularly health conscious you can even swap your potato for a pepper (obviously you don't need to microwave the pepper though!) Please do let me know if you give these a go or if you have your own spin on these, of course you don't have to follow this to the letter you can mix it up and have any filling you like, I am actually tempted to try a fajita mix in my next ones. Leave any comments or suggestions for new recipes to try below, come share them with me on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more recipes, reviews and recommendations you can follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks, mashin' tatties.

H.Elizabeth x

Weighing in | 50 Shades of Grey





It has been about a week and a half since I, like the majority of the world, dipped my toe in, bit the bullet and dove straight in to see 50 Shades of Grey at my local cinema. As a film buff I see most of the films that come out, and I have to say the hype surrounding this particular novel (if you can call it that) to film adaptation, in fact my local newspaper (The Evening Express) estimated that around 15,000 Aberdonians were set to flock to the cinemas on opening weekend to see it (which I of course avoided at all costs due to my intense hatred of crowds!) Since then I have seen various reviews, rants and general posts about the '50 Shades Experience' mainly revolving around issues of consent, domestic violence and feminism all of which have been very interesting to read, the world would be a very boring place if everyone were the same wouldn't it? So today I thought I would leap on the bandwagon and share my own views on this phenomenon that has men and women a like up in arms, going gaga and flocking to the cinemas!
 

First let's start with the film. The film itself? I didn't hate it. Of course being Oscar season it doesn't exactly fit in to the typical melodramas we have been saturated with and it was sort of a refreshing change of pace. The dialogue was cheesy, given it was taken directly from the book the majority of the time I really expected nothing but, the acting wasn't fantastic (I guess some of those scenes would have been pretty difficult to film so...solid effort I suppose) and the storyline itself is a basic Mills and Boon / Twilight crossover and so I'm not entirely sure where the success of this particular piece of smut came from but ho hum the public are mysterious creatures sometimes. If you are swithering about whether or not to see it, I wouldn't waste a tenner on it (if like me you have an Unlimited card go for it) as I do feel it is rather pricey. On a little side note I feel the cinemas have missed a trick here, give 50 Shades book owners a discount? Or free Ann Summers discount voucher with every ticket purchased? That's just the PR lady in me though I suppose.
 

With all of the comments of domestic violence circulating the blogosphere, internet and world given its popularity, I went in fully expecting to come out with my feminist hat on bemused at how such a violent film could be made in this day and age yet be so wildly popular with women in particular but it is here where we enter a rather grey area (HA!) The film and the book a like cover themselves incredibly well from revolving around an abusive relationship, and despite the naivety of the central female character I have to say that this is not a violent tale. Everything in the film is consensual, and when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING (in fact there was even an incredibly in depth contract read, reread and then agreed to) and it really comes down to a case of sexual experimentation, taste and character development, something we would never criticize people in the real world for (each to their own and all that jazz) As a feminist, I applaud the central character for being open minded enough to give everything a go and despite the overpowering and at times intense male presence in the film I think she held her own incredibly well, she ruled out everything she was uncomfortable with, did not run to his beck and call and was able to maintain her individual identity throughout the course of their relationship (brief I may add)

 

Even though there are sighs, hos and hums from the film critics and publics all over the world it appears this saga is here to stay (having signed on for another 2 films, and why not it's a money making machine?!) and I for one am excited to see the characters develop and delve ever deeper into the realms of female sexuality, experimentation and BDSM which as a nation we are quick to brush off and shy away from (I am also looking forward to seeing how much Ann Summers sales upsurge in!)
 

Until next time folks, feminism hat is well and truly on!

 

H.Elizabeth xx

Health and Fitness | Gymmin' Solo

'We should totally go to the gym together, it'd be great for motivation,' in this modern, health conscious world this statement appears to be the equivalent of insisting upon someone becoming your husband or wife, which is always met with one of two responses, the positive, 'Yes that would be fantastic, lets do it!' or the slightly more stand offish, 'Um, you know what give me a text I might not be able to make the times you're able to go,' and well ladies and gentlemen, I, Hannah Adams, am proud member of the latter and today I am going to tell you why buddying up at the gym can be counterproductive.

I suppose you don't need a trained psychologist to figure out one of the main reasons I prefer solitude at the gym, being an only child I'm quite used to going out and getting things done myself, it is something I have always took great pride in and even though I am now partnered up and happily married I still strive to assert my independence in day to day life, and the gym is no exception. In the past I have tried going to the gym with a few people, friends, colleagues etc. so I know that it can have its benefits, you know don't knock it until you try it and believe me I have tried!

From my own experiences, and of course people watching those buddies at the actual gym I have noticed a few cons to the gym buddy system for example the first thing that I noticed was the fact that there sometimes isn't enough equipment for you to train side by side. For example using a stepper in the gym can be a battle, in my gym there are only 6 and the majority of the time they are full, so if you're lucky enough to get one, you are just that, lucky and the odds of having 2 side by side empty is a rareity. Basically you're not going to get to use the equipment that you would like to use.

Something I have personally found is that one of you is always going to outlast, outdo or outrun the other, one of you is going to run out of steam first. Personally I have experiences both sides of that coin, the first when I ran out of steam way way before my partner and felt the guilt of asking to leave first and secondly when we literally stayed in the gym for 20 minutes before my partner was tuckered out and I was left feeling as if the gym was  waste of time.

The final point I am going to make in favour of gymming solo is that how many of you can say you and your gym buddy have the same exercise tastes? I certainly can't. For example when I first arrive I love to blast about 30 minutes on a stepper or treadmill, whereas my gym buddy may want to dive straight for the weights, which is something that would render me useless half an hour in and have me crawling back to the changing rooms. Some things you just are not meant to compromise on you know?!

So the next time somebody asks you to partner up or be their gym buddy don't be afraid to just say no, especially if you feel they're going to hinder your progress. This of course is just me, but I'm a lone wolf (bit of a scrooge sometimes if I'm honest) so you may love having a gym buddy, let me know your thoughts in the comments below, do you have any top gym and fitness productivity tips? Catch me on Twitter and share your thoughts or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City goings on and musings be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, lone wolfin' it at the gym.
 

H.Elizabeth x

Happy Valentines | A love letter to my freckles

 

Oh no, not ANOTHER Valentines post! Is it a gift guide? Perhaps a post to show off my gifts and wonderful love life? Well ladies and gentlemen you're in luck, because today's post contains none of those things, because I plan on spreading the love this Valentines in a different way this year because lets face it this day of love doesn't necessarily have to mean the love we share with a spouse or boyfriend and it doesn't even have to mean the love we share with our cats (just me?) Today I instead challenge you to take the time to think about the relationship you have with yourself, your supposed flaws, kinks and quirks and embrace them for all they are. In light of this I would like to share with you  love letter to my very own 'flawed' freckly face, and just what it is I love about the skin I am in.

As you guys will probably know I am a ginger, which living in the North East of Scotland suits me just fine, we get little sun, you're more likely to get scrutinized by your face being ginger if anything and finally my legs are never out of place on a dance floor considering the sunshine epidemic, in many ways I suppose it is like living like a vampire. Of course abroad this puts me at a distinct disadvantage with sporadic sprouting freckles, unfathomable sunburn and such a thick layer of SPF 50 I'm destined to slide right off of any deck chair or sun lounger I deem fit, but don't worry I'm not about to go on a lengthy rant about genetics, because as we have just established such negativity today shall not be tolerated. So without further ado here is my very own take on the perks of being pale:

Never needing to worry about streaky/melting limbs

The only thing I want is streaky bacon thank you very much, in the past I have had friends who loved a good tan, and quite frequently I see people moping and moaning about their fake tans being ruined due to movement or rain or sweating and really that's just quite a lot of upkeep for someone like me. I won't lie and say I have always felt this way, in fact I went and got myself a tan just last year at a local salon and I have to say never again, sitting down was a chore, moving was difficult and streaks were simply unavoidable. Did I also mention that tanning with a sun bed can cause skin cancer and wrinkles? I think from now on I'll keep to the pale and interesting look!

Foundation? Does it come in Casper? Skincare products are super easy to find

Is porcelain on the menu? If yes then that's me, palest one you've got, no questions asked, and did I mention my tone is consistent come rain or shine (in our case lack thereof) I often see people sharing their latest skincare secrets or make up must haves that alter foundation wise season on season but something I pride myself upon is I will forever own the fairest foundation of them all, it is both a money and time saver!

No freckle pencil necessary

Freckles in fashion again?! As ridiculous as I do find the notion of penciling freckles on I must say when they did grace the catwalk as an aesthetic choice I beamed a little and wore mine with pride, and I didn't even have to buy a freckle pencil!

Colour clashing? I don't think so!

Being pale opens a lot of fashion and style doors too, since nothing clashes with white the only thing I really have to consider clashing with is my hair (so orange, red and yellow are mainly out of the question)

Forever the fairest of them all

Have you ever seen the pin up ladies of the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe, Dita Von Teese, Audrey Hepburn or dare I say the fairest herself Snow White? We can rock a bold red lip flawlessly, create a brilliant cheekbone with a flawless contour and even boldly go where no tan brow has gone before.

Now I know being pale comes with disadvantages the sun being one of them, but today is not a day for dwelling on the negatives and this Valentines (and you know every other day before and after) I challenge you, whether you’re a single pringle, in a new relationship or even married, try to embrace the skin you're in freckles, warts, birth marks and all. Too often do we see negativity in our midst, whether it be on the news, on social media, or even ranting in our everyday lives, it's time for a little positivity.

I know this is something a little bit different to what you might be used to seeing on Granite City Girl or you know any other blog this Valentines but I do hope you have enjoyed it. I invite you to comment below what it is you enjoy about being pale or even what you like about your tan, freckles, birth mark, body shape, personality, anything, it'd be great to share the love. Be sure to come Tweet at me to share your own perks or if you'd like to see more of my pale mug be sure to follow Granite City Girl on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'll be the one without the freckle pencil.

H.Elizabeth

Granite City Girl's Digital Detox | Switching Off and Winding Down

Hello everyone, today I'm going to be talking a bit about a phenomenon sweeping the nation, particularly the Twitter and blogging world of late, it's an epidemic of sleep sprays, fluffy pillows and bedtime bliss, yes ladies and gentleman I'm talking about relaxation! It is true that since the New Year dawned on us everyone has kept up their side making an effort to eat a bit better, exercise more and perhaps most importantly get a few more hours or in my case minutes of shut eye every night. Not even I have been able to escape this inevitable eventuality that is the digital detox and this year have made a vow to get more sleep, relaxation and reading time by attempting to get into bed to wind down an hour earlier every night.

Switching off an hour earlier every night can be difficult if you have been conditioned to be switched on for what feels like 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and it can be particularly difficult if you're a writer, blogger or if your career lives online (or perhaps of course you're a serial procrastinator) but I would really urge you to give it a go even if just for a week to see what all of the fuss is about! Of course winding down means something a bit different for everyone, winding down for you could mean anything from taking your Nintendo into bed or listening to whale music when you're trying to drift off, but today I'm going to tell you what it has meant for me, how I've been staying grounded and finally the differences I have noticed both physically and mentally.

As silly as this may sound it has been a challenge moving from the sofa with an iPad to bed with a book has been a stretch for me, I am constantly wired, switched on and most importantly logged on, as I'm sure some of you have come to realise given my over active Twitter feed, and I think one of the biggest things for me was making bed time and wind down time something to look forward to, which in my case began with an inspirational book. Choosing a book in Waterstones has got to be the highlight at this point, there have been a great many highly coveted fashion, style and beauty books on the market right now but I chose the inspirational DVF biography, 'The woman I wanted to be' (which is brilliant and I highly recommend by the way)

To kick of my digital detox, I dedicated myself to an entire week of an hour early to bed, switching from switched on at 11.30pm to winding down at 10.30pm with an hours reading in bed, baby steps you know? The first night was easy I was actually in bed by 10pm and shifted through a fair chunk of my book, and so it went for pretty much my first week, by which time I had finished my book! Now given my first week went by in a tizzy of restful evenings, inspirational woman power and endless cups of lemon water and tea I'd say it went incredibly well, but how have I found it to have benefited my health?

First of all, I am so awake! I am having the best sleep that I have in years and I rarely wake up through the night anymore (which was quite frequent these past few months due to a disrupted routine) I drift off so much easier when I read before bed rather than surfing the net. In fact in addition to making sure I have no tech on before bedtime I have even began putting the TV in the living room off so there is complete silence in the house (you know other than the other half and the cat) Since getting more rest I have been able to go to the gym much more and am being able to put my new-found energy to good use, which in turn works wonders for my health. Oh and did I mention I'm much less of a Grinch to live with now?!

I really do recommend if you can to try and have an hour or maybe even half an hour of peace, quiet and relaxation before bed and get yourself into a routine to improve your overall health, energy and just your general mood if I'm honest. I'm going to aim to continue on this path and try to read a book every couple of weeks (especially if they revolve around female empowerment - any suggestions are welcome!) and I have even become so obsessed with relaxation I'm thinking of investing in a deep sleep spray. Have you guys become part of the digital detox generation of these past few weeks? Let me know how you have found it in the comments below or come share your tips for relaxation with me on Twitter. Of course as always you can keep up with the latest Granite City posts on Bloglovin!

Until next time folks, I'll be catching some zzzs

H.Elizabeth xx

Blogging | Buying Your Own Domain

Today I'm going to be doing my first in a segment of tips, tricks and things I have learned during this last year as a blogger. Now before I get into my first 'Blog Tips' post I in no way am an expert and I'm not claiming this is the fountain of youth or holy grail equivalent to blogging nuggets, but this is just my opinions and little things that I have found to work for me, and I'm going to start of with buying your own blogging domain.

As you guys may have noticed recently I have purchased and upgraded to my own domain, www.granitecitygirlblog.co.uk as opposed of course to www.granitecitygirlblog.blogspot.co.uk for me it was a decision a good few months in the making. In fact last year I made a deal with myself that if I kept up my writing and still found myself as passionate about blogging in a years time then I would buy my own domain and work from there, which as you can all see I have.

Before buying my domain I decided it would be best to find out a few of the ins and outs, perks and pitfalls if you will, that come hand in hand with buying your own domain, which is something I am hoping this post can help all of you with any questions or queries you might have revolving around domain purchase. I have to be honest in that my main reason for purchasing my domain name was really to drop 'blogspot' from my URL, that can pretty much sum up how little I understood or knew about the benefits that come with owning your personal domain name, but upon a little research (admittedly after I bought the name) I found domain purchases can bring a whole host of benefits to you the blogger.

Blog Ownership

Owning your domain takes the who out of the question of ownership. Funnily enough on researching domains a bit further you'll find that this content you may have worked very hard for, perhaps for years can all disappear at the click of a report button never to be seen again. With your own domain you are in control and have ownership of the platform in addition to the content (but I still suggest you back up your work somewhere more concrete you know... in case of apocalypse)

Increased Traffic

Since buying my own domain name I have noticed an increase in traffic being referred to blog, and as much as I would of course like to believe it is due to a step up in content we can actually trace this back to my new domain. When your address contains blogspot.com Google and other search engines will tend to index these whereas when people search for your unique domain address you will usually come out on top of the search engines.

Credibility

At risk of sounding incredibly vague, it just sounds and looks much better to drop your host. By creating your domain name you are creating your blogging brand and at the end of the day who do you want to be promoting? Blogspot? Or you? Brands will want to work with you a little bit more and you'll get that little sense of pride from typing your new domain name that is genuinely just yours.

One thing I will say however is that setting up your domain name is relatively easy, I personally purchased mine through GoDaddy who, to give them credit, did try to set up my domain but I think a few wires were crossed and all the did was make the domain a forwarding to my blog - which of course is not what I wanted. But by reading the instructions on Bloggers and GoDaddy's websites carefully enough I was able to set it up myself (and if I can do it, believe me you can too!)

Hopefully some of you have found this interesting, helpful or somewhere in between, I really just want to share a few things I have learned and found as a blogger this last year and I hope to share more knowledge I may accumulate in the months going forward. If you have any questions on how I set up my domain, what I have found the differences to be or if you just want to ask me a question in general be sure to leave a comment below, come share it with me on Twitter or if you just want to keep up with my latests posts be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'm off getting tecchy.

H.Elizabeth xx

Granite City Girl's First Blogiversary!

Hello everyone! So as some of you may know today marks the Granite City Girl blog's first birthday or blogiversary as some like to call it. I really wracked my brains for something spectacular to do to commemorate this special occasion, I thought of doing my first ever giveaway, I thought of sharing my own birthday pictures from the past 21 years for something a little different and I even thought of video logging the day - unfortunately this is something I am not quite ready for but stay tuned, you never know! Being the understated lady that I so truly am I thought I would instead strip it all back and just share with you today what I feel this blog and you readers have given me in the past year since that fateful evening that I sat on my bed and began drafting my first ever blog post!

First of all I just have to say how much I love blogging (if that wasn't already obvious I think something may be wrong) throughout the  last year it has been such a fun and creative outlet for me and has been such a great way to cope with the stresses of university and every day life and throughout has kept my passion for the written word, fashion, beauty and lifestyle alive.

I must just clarify, that as I have been attempting to get a bit healthier and eat a bit better I do not keep cakes and biscuits in the house, and any sweets we have belong to my partner and I am under strict instructions (from myself and will power) not to touch and therefore I treated myself to a celebratory lemon, as you can see (well lemon water) maybe next year we can have cake!

Blogging has given me a new perspective
Since I began blogging I have adopted a new perspective on life. I think the only way in which I can describe it is that I have become more perceptive and a bit more considerate of what I say, type and do in day to day life. It may not show on my blog but I think about things in much greater depth than I did previously (I wonder what this says about educational standards in the UK given that a blog has taught me more than I thought possible) This is in part thanks to the amazing blogging community who have opened my eyes to the wider world, to more opinions, perspectives and of course a whole plethora of new products for which I thank you all... my bank balance on the other hand damns you all!

Blogging has also given me an outlet for my passion

Writing has always been and continues to be my passion in life, if I did not have this blog to practice, proceed and progress with writing my all then I may burst! For me being able to sit in my home with a cup of tea and really get down to writing is one of the most therapeutic practices I have taken part in. Of course one day I do hope to weave this into my career one day, but isn't that every writers dream?

Blogging has allowed me to express my truest self
You'll notice a bit of a change in my posts over the last couple of months and if I'm completely honest I've gotten far more confident in my posts over the last little while. When I first started blogging I felt an intense pressure to keep up with the latest and greatest in the beauty industry and spend quite a lot of money on products I really didn't need and all and it was really just to keep up with other bloggers, and if I'm truly honest I wasn't happy with my writing then at all. Since then however I really feel like I have found my voice, and that doesn't mean blogging about the next beauty trend or up coming health fad, it just means writing about my own life, experiences and things I feel strongly about, and this is something I aim to continue with moving forward especially aiming to be less scared when it comes to expressing my opinions!

Finally Blogging has give me some damn organisation 
Before blogging my spare time was a mess, I'm talking endless amounts of TV, doughnuts and internet based procrastination (a part from the times I was studying or planning a wedding of course) but today my life has compartmentalized so well and I'm really enjoying the order, sad as that may sound to some! 

I just want to finish off by saying thank you very much to everyone who tunes in every week and comments on these little posts, I really didn't expect as much as I receive from blogging and here's to the next year and beyond on Granite City Girl.

Until next time folks, I'll still be here!

H.Elizabeth xx

Domestic Goddess | Apple and Cinnamon Flapjacks

With my healthy eating going relatively well (for three weeks in a row, what an achievement) I thought it was high time I got back into my kitchen and began to experiment with some healthier snacks and sweet treats to stave off any hunger pangs, cravings and general sweet toothiness I get throughout my days and I thought what better way than some sweet and fruity flapjacks?

Following a general flapjack recipe I altered it slightly to make it a bit healthier and Granite City Girl friendly (by simply adding honey, apple and cinnamon) and with it having become my new health friendly snack I thought I would share it with you guys as part of my year of health and well-being. 

Equipment

Scales 

Shallow tin

Baking Parchment

Wooden Spoon

Grater

Ingredients

115g Margarine 

75g Brown Sugar

250g Rolled Oats

4 tbsp Honey (add or take away depending on how gooey you like them)

1.5 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

2 Apples

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, grease and line your shallow tin with baking parchment ready for your mixture.
2. Add the butter, sugar and honey to a pan and place over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat and add your rolled oats and ground cinnamon. Grate your apples, skin on or off, entirely your choice and add this to the mixture too.
3. Spoon your mixture into the shallow tin and press into corners of the tin with a fork, bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Once golden brown remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes then cut into squares (or any shape you so choose)
4. For decoration you can add a few slices of apple to the top or you can drizzle over some honey.

These are really fun to make and you can even substitute the apples for pears, bananas or even chocolate, they're so versatile and you can always make them that little bit healthier... you know if you really want to mess with the masters recipe! Of course I'm not saying if you eat these everyday you'll lose a great deal of weight or that its a miraculous hidden health gem, but it's a damn sight better than eating a massive cake or chocolate bar on a daily basis.

So now that I'm back to baking I'd love to hear what you've been doing in the kitchen, especially if your home bakes are relatively healthy, and of course if you do give these flapjacks a go be sure to leave me a comment below and let me know how it goes. As always I love hearing from you be sure to catch me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more from the Granite City you can follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time, I'll be baking.

H.Elizabeth xx

Zest of my life | Lemon water for health

If you guys have been keeping up with me on social media and of course on here (with my recent gym rant - apologies) you'll know that I have been making a bit more of an effort to look after myself. From sorting out a proper skincare routine to cooking a bit more healthily (or rather just cooking full stop), cutting down takeaways and exercising regularly I'd say it has been going pretty well so far. But fear not today is not just another 'weight loss goal' post which have been bogging us down since the New Year hit, instead I'm going to chat to you about something that I have implemented into my daily routine that has worked wonders for my health, skin, immune system and maybe most noticeably energy levels and that ladies and gents is lemon water.

Lemon water first came into my life the day before my wedding. Sheer fluke and luck helped me discover this wee gem of a health holy grail as I opted for this as my 'refreshing beverage' over a peppermint tea (how very dare I!) and I honestly felt so alert and refreshed, far more so than if I had went for a latte that I decided to take it all the way home from Cornwall with me (metaphorically speaking)

Since coming home and getting back into somewhat of a routine I decided to look into this a little bit more, and even asked a few people in my work their thoughts on drinking lemon water every day, and having been given the health and nutritional approval I decided I had nothing to lose and began drinking a hot lemon water every day instead of a mid-morning coffee (I did not replace my morning coffee though - I'm not mental!). Now don't worry, I'm not going to sit here and list the benefits of drinking lemon water which you could quite easily google yourself, instead I'm going to explain to you what I have personally noticed in upping my zesty intake.

The first thing I noticed was how awake the beverage makes me feel, perhaps this is due to the fact that the sour quality of the water shocks you into waking up a bit more (probably a point best left to the scientists if I'm honest) I was really chuffed to find an alternative to caffeine, especially for when I'm at work, it stops me reaching for a bottle of fizz, or (and I'm ashamed it got this bad) reaching for 5 strong coffees a day. Lemon, as you'll possibly know, is known to be great for curbing hunger pangs or cravings which has been perfect for my mid-morning biscuit cravings. Despite my best intentions and eating something filling and sensible for breakfast, seeing my colleagues reaching for elevenses always leaves me feeling peckish, so it was at this time of day I decided would be best to squeeze in my lemons. As well as the practical benefits to drinking lemon water, like waking up and not gorging on EVERYTHING in sight. In addition I have noticed such an improvement in the quality of my skin. I do think this is part and parcel with my updated skincare routine (which I promise I will share with you soon) but since updating my beverage choices my skin is brighter and I've had far less breakouts. In fact I would go as far as to say I have had one nasty spot since drinking lemon water every day and that's the gospel truth.

So in short I suppose what I'm trying to say is if you are thinking of putting one thing into your diet this year for an all-round health benefit I would recommend lemon water, ditch the shakes, juices and protein packed nonsense and go for something a bit more natural. Of course I do recommend (as silly as it may sound) that you drink your lemon water through a straw as the acid could erode the enamel in your teeth which won't be a good look no matter how lovely your skin is or even how awake you are! Oh and be sure to attend the dentist regularly - health lesson and advice of the day.

I hope you've enjoyed having a wee read of this, I know it's a bit different to what I would usually share with you guys but this year I'd really like to give you more of a sense of my daily life (I will stop if you tell me you hate it of course!) Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below, have you added anything to your lifestyle to improve your health? Share your health tips and endeavours with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with life in the Granite City be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time, I'll be here feeling zesty.

H.Elizabeth xx

Gym Etiquette | Make up and The Gym

If any of you guys follow me on Twitter you'll know that the past few months I have been making an effort to eat a little better and start using my gym membership on a regular basis (I now go to the gym three times a week) and since going to the gym, yes I've noticed my skin has cleared up, I have more energy and of course there is the added benefit trying on clothes with confidence, but today I'm going to talk about something that bothers me about health, specifically the gym, and low and behold this time for me the issue all comes down to make up (shocking right?!)

Now as you'll know I love make up, I would not leave the house bare faced any more than I would leave the house just in my pants but something I can never and will never be able to get my head around is ladies and gents who insist on wearing a full face of perfectly contoured and lined make up to the gym. First of all it is such a waste of money, I would never choose to drip my £20 a bottle foundation all over the equipment in the gym or to smear my best eyeliners across my face mid workout and secondly, I point blank refuse to believe you are working out effectively if you come out with you make up still perfectly intact! 

In fact one fun story recently which sort of lead me to this snapping point which I had to share with you was post workout (I'm talking spin class, cross trainer, weight training and a good half hour on the stepper) I saw a girl who had walked in the same time as me, full face of 1950's pin up make up and pin curls in her hair, all still in place and still flawless and as she puffed a little sigh of, 'oh that was such a great work out' I just straight up said there is just no way! (Her little puff kind of reminded me of that scene in Friends where Rachel is giving birth that that cute little woman made her pathetic 'contraction' noise)

This particular post was spurred mainly to say people of the world, the Granite City in particular, enough is enough, nobody cares what sort of sweaty mess you look like at the gym and if they do well they'll just continue to waste their money on a membership they aren't using appropriately.  

Skincare Savvy; Why you should never wear make up for a work out:

• When you sweat your pores open up, which allows dirt and bacteria from the days nasties to be secreted, but make up prevents secretion and can lead to the clogging of your pores which as you know can create spots, blackheads and terrible breakouts.

• It is simply poor etiquette to sweat your foundation all over the machines.

• You look ridiculous, more ridiculous in fact than if you had just wiped off the make up in the first place, panda eyes and a runny complexion are not a good look.

• At risk of sounding a great deal like my dad, 'It is not a fashion parade' you're there to get fit not to flirt, save your money and your make up!

• If you're worrying about what you're wearing or how you look exercising, you aren't exercising.

My gym skincare routine:
Of course this routine isn't as rigorous as my usual home, morning and bedtime skincare routines but these are the products I use at the gym to keep risk of dirty nasties down:

Garnier Goodbye Dry Cleanser (with cotton pads to remove make-up)
Arbonne Gentle Facial Cleanser (to get rid of any make up which is stuck on there)
Nivea Moisturising Cream (what it says on the tube!)

I understand that going bare faced and baring all can be a daunting prospect, especially for gym newbies, but would you rather put up with acne prone skin and a great body, or would you rather have the best of both worlds out with the confines of your gym walls?

I hope you've enjoyed this rather different and rather ranty post today (apologies) but I'd love to hear your thoughts below, is there anything that bothers you about the outside world or the inner workings of your local gym? Be sure to let me know in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my latest's you can find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, I'll be the one not sweating off my best make up.

H.Elizabeth xx

New Year Reflections | 2014

It has certainly been a blast this past year, and at the moment I have been seeing a great deal of posts surrounding the new coming year and how much everyone would like to change themselves, their circumstance and generally their happiness and I think that's great, self improvement is where all great things begin in my opinion. But today I personally would like to do something a little bit different and reflect on 2014 in all its glory, because to sum up my past year in a word would be wonderful.

I didn't set any resolutions for 2014 except to just get by, through and enjoy all of the upcoming milestones (I didn't half make life difficult!) and likewise I won't be setting any resolutions for 2015.

First and foremost I graduated from my 4 year degree in Communications and Public Relations with a 2:1 and happily did not fall flat on my face collecting my scroll as I had feared (years of watching Lizzie McGuire face-plant had given me THE FEAR, in addition to those darn You Tube videos we all love to laugh at!)

This unfortunately was followed by a couple of difficult months finding a job, which looking back now I wouldn't trade for the world! (silly me to have left my stable job of 5 and a half years due to a workplace bully and of course to focus on my dissertation) after a couple of stints in various jobs and experiences, which I value as part of myself and my past now, I have found a job which  I have been in for about 5 months now, I really enjoy and allows me to gain valuable experience in magazine writing, editing and general marketing and communication goodness!

Swfitly this was followed by our beautiful wedding which I wish I could relive over and over again as it really was our perfect little day just for us and a few friends and family of course. Admittedly the bridezilla in me did come out and I am ashamed to admit the stress got to me a litte bit you know planning a wedding, completing a degree and looking for a job do tend to get a bit stressful in themselves. But of course as you know it all came together for our intimate ceremony in the Cornish countryside in what we consider to have been our dream wedding.

And of course ladies and gentleman, I started documenting my thoughts, feelings, reviews, life ramblings and memories with all of you in my little piece of the internet that is Granite City Girl and I have loved every minute I have spent as part of this blogging and reader community, relationship thing we have going on and may it long continue!

So 2015, dare I say you have a great deal to compete with but I look forward to your efforts!

I hope your 2014 has been as lovely and eventful as mine and I look forward to venturing forth into this brand new year with you ladies and gents! Be sure to share your best memory from 2014 in the comments below and if you would like to follow me into 2015 come find me on Bloglovin

Until 2015 folks!

H.Elizabeth x

Where is all of the 'Christmas Spirit?' | Christmas Shopping

It must be said, at this time of year I tend to have a love / hate relationship with shopping , well I say it's shopping but if I'm being totally honest it's Christmas shoppers. I apologise in advance for the unseasonably downer of a Christmas post but I'm afraid the world must be called out on their behaviour and so called 'Christmas cheer'  

I entered with high hopes, my mum had treated me to a slap up breakfast in town and the sight of the biggest and brightest decorations the shopping centres had to offer left me feeling incredibly full of festive cheer and I was incredibly ready and rearing to greet the days worth of shopping. And that's when it happened...

The not so subtle shoving, barging, pushing, lack of shopper etiquette as well as the complete and total abandonment of the much coveted Christmas spirit of the year and so the days events unfolded! If I could pinpoint one moment in the day I began to notice a difference I suppose I would say it all started with a tea set, beautiful, vintage and right up one of my friends/family members street the perfect gift....and did I mention it was also the very last one in store! Having picked it up, examined it for scratches, scathes and general scrappiness I decided, yes, this was the one, but all the while I felt a breath on my neck and a handbag nearly up my backside of another suitor for this tea set and upon discovering, much to her dismay, that I had claimed it as my own audibly sighed, mumbled profanities and shot a look in my direction which can only be described as 'bah humbug'....and that was only the beginning.

Throughout my Christmas journey I encountered similar acts of festive cheer and bah-humbugery of the highest order, such as the lady who decided to stop dead in the middle of the busiest street in town only to tut and titter when everyone maneuvered quickly around her or goodness forbid accidentally bump her handbag or perhaps the tale of the family who decided to use their push chair (child still inside) as a battering ram in order to fully dominate the tiny aisle space in BHS would be a more Christmassy tale. And lets not get started on Poundland (which may as well have a sign above the door which reads, 'Ye who enter here, abandon all hope) where I ditched all of my shopping in favour of sanity at having seen the queuing system, or lack thereof, a pet peeve of mine and the rest of the nation. Or perhaps the most interesting of all the elderly lady in Thorntons  who fully bashed, and made me fall onto the counter, in a bid to show her disdain for her lack of purchase, but not to worry she was quickly shut down by the cashier who came to my rescue as the bumper decided it was in fact my ass that was too big, as opposed to her manners being too few.

Much resembling THAT scene from much beloved comedy Christmas movie, 'Jingle All the Way' (the bit with the ball chasing) my hometown became a bloodbath of red tinsel, festive footwear and frivolous spending (that is the only way I can describe a woman piling handfuls upon handfuls of Christmas gift bags into her paws!)

So today ladies and gentleman I ask, why at the 'most wonderful time of the year', the time we ought to be the kindest, warmest and cheeriest we can be (it is indeed an unrealistic expectation I know) do we behave like animals, abandon all sense of moral right and wrong and simply stress one another out!? I myself have noticed that since the Black Friday madness those of us not living under a rock were forced to endure, shopping and the entire experience has refused to go back to normality and the sales aren't even on any more!

In fact in order to de-stress, cool off, let off some steam and generally calm down my mum and I found ourselves trailing a MILLION bags into the cinema with us to see Paddington, and I tell you it worked wonders, watching a fuzzy wee bear navigate London made Aberdeen and the shoppers look a little bit better.

Everything about the entire Christmas shopping experience this year has forced me to reevaluate the way in which I shop, the next time I shall not be going out armed with a fluffy parka and eyes full of hope, instead my weapon of choice will be steel capped boots and a hard visor! 

As I said I do apologise for the cynical Christmas post but I just wondered if everyone elses Christmas shopping experiences have been similar to mine this year? Or is it perhaps just me? (I really hope not) I would love to hear your Christmas shopping experiences from this year or perhaps you have a funny Black Friday story to share! Either way leave them in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to hear more of my Granite City rants be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'll be here catching up with a little zen!

H.Elizabeth x

Granite City Girl's Christmas Tag

Since it's Christmas time the bloggosphere appears to be overwhelmed with festivities, from the blogger gift exchange and gift ideas for him and her, to all of the festive make up collections and of course who can forget all of the gingerbread syrup products we've all been drooling over.

So I was quite chuffed to be tagged to do this post by Kate of Girl With Bambi Eyes as this year I've been feeling particularly festive!

These days I get more into the Christmas spirit. (Me and my Dad in 1993)

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie/s?

Elf, I still remember seeing this in the cinema when it first came out and I am still as much as in love with it now as I was then. I think cinema wise you get to see a different side to Will Ferrel's acting and it's a completely unique take on the traditional Christmas story. It also helps to be set in New York which I have had a love affair with since a very young age and will continue to until I visit ALL OF THE STORES to get it out of my system!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
My mum HATES me for this and accuses me of lack of excitement but I always wait until Christmas morning, it's not that I'm not enthused by gifts but I like the wait, plus it feels like Christmas lasts that little bit longer.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
My favourite memory from my childhood at Christmas was leaving out a Turkish Delight and glass of Coke for Santa (judging by those Coke ads Santa is an advocate!) At least when he came to my house he got something a little bit different!

4. Favourite Christmas food?
I love gingerbread if we're talking simple festive foods, I love that bit in the Grinch where they give him a Christmas cookie but he eats the plate, the gingerbread looks amazing. In fact the entire who feast in the Grinch looks amazing! If we're talking favourite part of Turkey dinner, I'd have to say roast potatoes with cranberry sauce, delish!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?As a kid I got an amazing Barbie dream house, I was very much a girly girl back then too, I remember it was mainly pink and white and it had blue roofing and I was jealous of her interiors and truth be told I still am,  Barbie has got taste!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Cinnamon scents are my favourite scents ever, I love anything tasting of cinnamon and extra bonus if its apple and cinnamon.

7. Do you have any Christmas traditions?
I must still be in bed before midnight, otherwise it just throws off Christmas, even if it's 11.55pm it must be before! We also always watch Elf when we're putting up our tree, truth be told that is quite a recent tradition that Nick and I have implemented over the last 3 years. Oh and when we're opening present I always sit on my blanket on the floor, some childhood traditions you just don't let go of!

8. What tops your Christmas tree?
A silver glittery star, I like to keep it traditional when it comes to our tree and those angels often freak me out!

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you asked for but never got?
Probably a puppy, I was never too disappointed though I got some amazing gifts, and I still do!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

I love watching people open their gifts on Christmas morning, I also love sitting eating my breakfast on Christmas morning while this is happening, food and presents have to be the best combo ever!

This tag has been so much fun to do I really do recommend you give it a bash if you're a bit low on the festive spirit this season so with that in mind I tag all of you bloggers and even non bloggers to give this a bash on your facebooks, blogs, social media or even writing it down will help.

Of course if you've enjoyed reading this or if you'd even like to share some of your Christmas memories, drop me a comment below, send me a Tweet or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latests on my Aberdeen antics, little life posts and such like, come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth x