It was my birthday on Tuesday. I didn’t mention it at the time because, well, I hate birthdays.  And because I was sulking and feeling hard-done-by on account of the fact that, wah, I just got older!

But it was my birthday, and in the evening, Terry took me here:

(It’s a vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh. We’re not vegetarians, but God, the food is delicious…)

I wore this:

And over dinner, Terry gave me these:

They are “surprises” and there are 12 of them, which I can redeem anytime I want (although some of them require a certain amount of notice, or can only be redeemed on weekends, etc.) They have names like “Sparkle Surprise” and “Surprise Red”, and there’s even a “Rubin’s Surprise, which makes me a little bit nervous, because most of the “surprises” Rubin’s been leaving me lately could be described using the words “pee” and “radiator”.

(The names are cryptic, apparently.  I don’t think the “Calcium Surprise” is a carton of milk, for instance, but you never know…)

With this one act, Terry has earned Brownie points that will last at least until the vouchers run out. And birthdays = not so bad, really.

(Oh, and I also got this gorgeous handmade bookmark from Nina:

Isn’t that the prettiest thing? And the book’s not bad either, by the way. Ahem.)

(Note: this entry has nothing at all to do with the movie of the same name. Sorry, Google searchers, nothing to see here…)

I know it’s the shortest month of the year, but seriously, February, are you STILL here? Do you need a ride to the station? Can I help you carry your bags?

This time, my frustration with The Month That Won’t End has nothing to do with being locked out of cars, or finding myself in possession of more than one head or anything like that. No, it’s all about the shopping. See, I promised myself I’d try to spend less on clothes and shoes, and actually, for the most part this month, I’ve come good on my promise. I mean, there was that bikini I suddenly needed to buy right at the start of the month, and the ill-fated work-out clothes which didn’t see the light of day until last week, but even so, people, even so. I mean, I haven’t bought a single pair of shoes this month AT ALL (thank God I bought three pairs last month, thank God, I say) and that’s saying a LOT for me.

But I can take no more. The closer it gets to pay-day, the more eaten up with the thought of shopping I become. The more I start to feel that if I don’t go forth and shop RIGHT NOW, I will surely shrivel up and die.

So I bought yet another little black dress. Of course I did. This one is very basic and versatile, though, and I will wear it all the time. Like, for lounging around the house in:

For using my stability ball in:

For washing the dishes in a really blurry way in:

And for dusting in:

So, yes, a totally versatile purchase which I will wear EVERYWHERE, and as Becky Bloomwood herself says, I will be known as The Girl in the Black Dress. Which, let’s face it, will make a change from me being known as The Girl Who Keeps Buying Black Dresses Even Although She Already Has Dozens of Them Which She Never Wears. Because that’s just nowhere near as catchy, you know?