Bye bye, 2013. You've been swell.

It's New Year's Eve already, this time last year I was seeing in 2013 in Florida with convenience store fireworks but that feels like such an age ago. I've been tired, I've been happy and I've started to grow my hair again.

I quite enjoy doing these 'look back posts', it's nice to see what's changed over the year so I've put together a 'year in pictures'-style post, because I like to play up Photographer occasionally.

January

Snow Joke: Doll had her first anniversary with us and saw her first snow, I'm not sure what she made of it but it made a great Christmas card.

February

I passed my driving test!: What felt like an impossible goal, driving is something that just didn't come easy to me but I finally did it and it's one of the best things that happened to me in 2013. Driving was something I was really apprehensive but now I'm so glad I can get up and go wherever I like whenever I like - although I really must start walking more again.

March

Taking lots of walks on Greenham Common: ...and taking lots of guests up there. It's easily our favourite place for a Sunday afternoon stroll, it's a bit of shame we haven't had as much time to head up there lately actually but it's definitely on my to-do list.

April

First visit to Bristol: April was the month I met Bristol and I love it. 2013 was definitely a year for discovering what's going on nearby and I certainly got a lot out of my little car.

May

Making the most of Bank Holiday time off: May saw our first visit to Moon's dad's new home in Portrush. We made the most of the late-May Bank Holiday with Dot-to-Dot Festival, the Berkshire Country Fayre and a wonderful trip to Windsor.

June

Here there and everywhere: We visited our friends Tom and Matt up in London for the first time, discovered Newbury's dining gem 'The Taco Shop' (it's closed down now *sobs*), I won tickets for Taste of London thanks to my friends at Flavrbox and of course Glastonbury 2013 - we're so gutted not to have tickets for next year, especially since Arcade Fire are Friday's headliners and I'd so love to see them, still, we were definitely due and three years on the trot isn't half bad.

July

Full to the brim of weekend adventures: I'd definitely say July was my favourite. With more London exploring, a wedding, barbecues and entertaining town-mice, I certainly feel like I took full advantage of any free time I had and filled it up with fun things.

August

• I turned 24 and went to feed some deer to celebrate
• We took another trip over to Portrush and I took a lot of photos.

September

We played with dogs, experienced Inamo's 'interactive dining' and got free tickets to the Royal Berkshire County Show - it's the first time I've used my blog like that and I was really pleased with the results. September was also the month I was reunited with my old friend Laura after she moved to Reading from London.

October

• We went to two gigs - one meant flashing back to being 14, the other meant trying to be cool
• We also had a very fun weekend in Norfolk, we saw seals and walked along the beach. It was my first time visiting there and I would definitely love to go again(!)

November

Not a lot happened in November, but I did get to go to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which was pretty great. We also hosted a Bonfire Night party and everyone got to try The Taco Shop before it closed that following weekend...

December

Doing ALL the Christmas things: I took my first trip to Bath at the most festive time, we put up our Christmas tree for the second time and sent out our first Christmas cards as a couple - very exciting stuff(!)

Other Good Things in 2013:

• I got a promotion
• Moon and I celebrated 7 years together
• ...and a year in our little flat
• A new blog design that I did myself and am completely happy with
• I completed my Photo An Hour challenge

I did think that not a lot had happened in 2013, and I suppose it was a bit of a quiet year but I've enjoyed it all the same and my photo library lets me know that I've had quite a few snap-happy adventures. I hope 2014 brings exciting things and maybe the chance to travel and venture further.

Resolutions.

(source)
I feel like my New Year's Resolutions for 2014 are incredibly obvious and easy ones but to give me a reason to keep it up, I figured sharing it with you was as good a way to motivate myself as any...

Although I do often feel as though starting a new year with a list of things to do does feel a little cliché, it still feels like the right way to start - beginning it all with a fresh head and some new goals.

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1. Read More.

This is something I've been doing really well with in recent months, having read three books since August, it's definitely something I don't see why I can't keep up and I would so like to be able to do a few reviews a la Becky Bedbug. I have so many beautiful books that are just taking up space on my bookshelves longing to be read and I have a feeling it's going to feel so good once I get around to it.

2. Save more, spend less.

One that's been on my list for a few years now and I feel that turning 25 in 2014 means it's really about time that I nip it in the bud. I found a great source of saving tips on Pinterest, the 52 Week method is my favourite and seems like a good place to start. 

3. Eat more healthily & exercise a bit...

Feeling like a 'bit of a girl' about this one and it's one I'd love to be able to do privately and come out surprising everyone with how great and self-motivated I am, but it doesn't work like that so this is the year I'd like to have more patience for it. I don't even really want to do it for any particular reason, it would just be swell to have a lot more energy and I'm hoping this would do it.

4. Take back my lunchbreaks.

This is a bit of a tough one. Sitting behind a desk all day is all very well and good and I actually do quite enjoy my job but, and it goes very much hand in hand with 'Resolution #4', I just need more fresh air. It's just another thing that I think might combat day-to-day lethargy.

5. Be better at staying in touch.

I think this year has been a great one for making new friends and seeing old ones, but I still feel like I can do better. If we stay there, we'll have been living in our little flat for two years in April and I feel like I should have had more of my family round or at least been better at extending an invitation. I also want to keep up more with birthday cards, maybe not always presents but definitely always cards - it feels quite grown up but I quite like that.

6. Sort out the 'frame situation'.

Moon and I have so much framed stuff on our walls, and I like that, but we also have quite a few things that are yet to go up. All we'd need to do is rearrange a few things but the main thing stopping us is lack of nice frames for our lovely artwork that's yet to go up. Why's that a problem? Well, because all we need to do is get measuring and go buying, it's quick and simple but we're still putting it off - at least if it gets to this time next year and nothing's been done then I can recognise that we might have a problem.

7. Print more photographs.

I'm not too bad at sharing photographs but I'm terrible at printing them. I know it's something my Gran would like me to do and I've actually got a (huge) folder sitting on my laptop waiting to be printed. This is the year I do it, then I'll have photos to go into albums and up on the wall (if we ever sort out that darn 'frame situation).

So there you have it, what are your New Year's Resolutions? I'm just hoping I've picked things that are nice and realistic, funnily enough, Buzzfeed seems to think so.

December: Photo An Hour.

With all the fuss and overly decadent relaxation that comes with Christmas, I almost forget about this month's Photo An Hour. I'm so pleased to have done all twelve months, I think it's really done me good to accomplish this little self-set goal - unlike that silly Project 365, I attempted back in August.

These were taken around a week ago around a last-minute (only time we actually had) Christmas shopping trip, great idea to pick the last Saturday before Christmas, right?


8am // Light just poking through for our early start.


9am // Off to brave Reading.


10am // Greeted by this adorable cuddly toy stall on our arrival to The Oracle.


11am // The Salvation Army brave the wet weather to play some festive tunes along Reading high street.


12pm // Picking Ed's for lunch, we had to wait far too long for our hungry tums even if it was delicious.


1pm // Lunch arrives to fuel us up for the last leg of our Saturday shopping nightmare.


2pm // Back to Newbury.


3pm // We went home via The West Berkshire Brewery to get some more personal gifts for Moon's family. I think it might be worth a tour when we have some guest.


4pm // Popping into Newbury for one last thing, you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find an address book. If you were after a cycling journal though, that's much easier...


5pm // The day's haul, definitely didn't do too badly(!)


6pm // All tuckered out.



7pm // Wrapping presents while watching Surviving Christmas (the weirdest Christmas film of all time) // My little helper, no one loves wrapping paper more than her.


8pm // Cracking open some celebratory cava for our Fauxmas dinner of tasty roast chicken.
It's been pretty fun to set aside a day each month to do a Photo An Hour, but it has felt difficult at times, particularly when I've been feeling uninspired here. It's nice to have it wrapped up and I'm looking forward to finding a new similar project to start in the new year. I still want to do these sporadically, but one every month has made me realise that although I like the result and accomplishment, the rigidity does feel a bit stifling.

Oh, Christmas!

Working in retail, it's essentially been Christmas for me for the last four months, but that doesn't mean I've been any less excited about it, I love Christmas! I love Christmas trees, I love Christmas films and hey, I like getting gifts (as well as nailing it when giving them). So it's is a bit weird that it feels so drawn out yet is over so quickly.

Christmas being wrapped up (ahem!) does mean I'll be able to look forward to the new year though, and start my beautiful 2014 Frankie diary - I can't wait! With that being said, I have been snapping a few photos of the festive period that I'd like to share with you before 2013 really is over and done with, so here they are.

Did you have a nice Christmas? I'm sure I've eaten entirely too much of everything... Merry Eatmas(!)




Gran gets a cashmere jumper.


Old lady, Suzie, getting into the Christmas spirit.


Walk through the park for Destination: Christmas.





I've managed to evade Christmas pudding on more than one occasion in the last few days, but I do enjoy the ceremony of it.



Boxing Day spread.