It's been that kind of weekend - the kind where you sort of want to curl up in your pyjamas and not venture outside. Add the rain and the gloomy weather, and it all adds up to hiding indoors like a hermit. Which is exactly what I've been doing.

Two days indoors, indefinite cups of tea, and my newly opened box-set of Ally McBeal DVDs, and I feel a bit sorry that this weekend is coming to an end. Even though it's not been memorable in any sense of the word, it's been exactly what I wanted. And getting a weekend off this close to Christmas is pretty darned impressive.

What does this week hold? Let's see...

Work: can't escape that! I like my new job but it can be sometimes draining. Last week saw my colleague and I off on a roadtrip around some of our branches in South England, and even though it wasn't a super challenging week, just being away from my own desk made it exhausting. I'm happy to be back in our regular Central London branch this week. We have a new starter for our team starting on Tuesday, so I see lots of training days ahead that will keep everyone busy.

Play: not much planned yet! Will hopefully be squeezing in a showing of New Moon this week with a few friends. I think I'm about the last person on the planet to have NOT seen it yet?! Ah well, hopefully there will be one or two less screaming girls in our screening, if I'm lucky.

I'm also eagerly anticipating a parcel at work, full of new cat toys. I'm sure that isn't exciting to most of you guys, but if you had any idea of how naughty Oscar has been lately, you'd be excited too. He's a whopping 1.5 years old now, and is most definitely on his way to the Terrible Two's. Any ideas on how to keep an ever growing indoor kitty from losing his mind (and his owners from losing their sanity) are welcomed.

Happy end-of-November!

I'm really looking forward to being able to wedding plan. At the moment, I'm planning the wedding planning, which makes perfect sense in my head but not much sense when I write it down. I can look, but there's not a great deal I can actually DO, and at the moment that's just fine with me. Okay, I lie: it's more than a little bit frustrating, but what can you do?

Ha! I know what you can do! You can book an impromptu visit home to get a head start on everything, that's what you can do!

Yes, during one random lunch break a few weeks ago, I decided to have a quick peek at flights back to Australia for a visit - and it worked out quite nicely that I had some holiday allowance ready and waiting to be booked in. A few text messages later, and everything was booked: I'll be back down under in April for a two week visit, and I'm super excited.

I know it was literally only a year ago that I was sitting around back home, just itching to be back in London, but it's different now. This time around, I have my shiny Visa, and can head straight back here to my boys nice and easily. And this time around, I have a mission - to cram in as much wedding stuff as possible! I'm planning on stealing my mum and MOH (hee!) and checking out all of the churches and venues I've been ogling online for the last few months.. and maybe even put a deposit down on one that catches my eye. It's going to be awesome!

So in the meantime, it's back to trawling the web for ideas and inspiration, and watching my bookmarks folder continue to expand!

In the midst of the vampire crazy hitting the internet, I thought I'd jump on board. I'm a huge Buffy fan, and yes, I may also be on the Twilight bandwagon (Team Jacob!) and came across this video. It's a clever little mash up between the two that made me laugh out loud a couple of times!

(I'm not an Edward hater, don't you worry - I'll be hitting the cinemas next week to catch New Moon and do my share of swooning.)

Watch the clip via YouTube.

It's been a hectic couple of weeks here in London. Why, you ask? Let's see...

(Be warned. It's photo heavy - like most of my posts lately. Love it!)

Bonfire Night
We didn't really get into this last year, as we didn't really have a clue what it was about and lived too far out to be bothered. This year, some work friends organised to head down to Clapham Common for the fireworks display, so off we went.

London Tour Guide
The fabulous Kirby and I had a few (short!) days together in London, and made the most of the Autumn weather to go sightseeing. Hot spots: Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Victoria & Piccadilly Circus. Even managed to duck into Hamleys for a spot of shopping, and to escape the pouring rain. Wouldn't expect anything else!

Autumn Leaves in Green Park
Couldn't resist playing in them - and how could we not? They were everywhere, and simply gorgeous - made for some beautiful photographs. We started a trend with our throwing of the leaf shots, and ended up having lots of followers.

High Tea at the Haymarket Hotel
I've been here twice now, and love it. Sat in the conservatory with a never-ending supply of tea, sandwiches and scones and the most amazing strawberry cake I've ever eaten. Even for someone who doesn't like strawberries! Indulgence? Yes please.

Euro Disney
My third Disney visit in a year; who says it's just for kids? Caught the EuroStar to Paris and then headed out to the parks for a quick trip. We were there on its very first day of Christmas decorations, so lots of fun decorations and events. The weather was freezing, with the sky changing colours every five minutes. Gorgeous.

Paris Adventures
One of my favourite cities, I've visited quite a few times now. The weather was cold, but we took in most of the sights in one day - hectic but fun.

And... there you have it. A little overboard with the pictures, but that's just how it works around here! (Miss snap-happy over here managed to take 350 pictures in our 2-day visit to France alone.)  Crazy.

Halloween isn't much of a tradition where I'm from in Australia. We have the occasional trick or treater, but it's certainly not a holiday like it is elsewhere in the world.

We are staying in this year, but I was determined to do something to mark the occasion. Enter the one lonely pumpkin I saw sitting on a shelf in Marks & Spencer...

I actually had a great time creating my (albeit very classic) masterpiece. I didn't realise how much work went into it... and bar from one panicked moment when I happened to punch my pumpkin's eye out (literally) it was fairly simple. Jason watched from afar... sharp objects usually have a tendency to end up slicing off his skin.

So now let me present my pumpkin carving process in all its glory - with an Oscar snapshot thrown in there for good measure. Happy Halloween!

Did you do anything out of the ordinary this Halloween?

I have a dilemma. It's kind of wedding related.

You see, I'm fine with having a long engagement. I'm not a particularly girly girl, I have never had dreams of pretty pink floral arrangements or floofy white wedding dresses. What I am though, is a planner. I need things organised. I like being in control.

(If you think that sounds bad, you should see my desk. Everything is in drawers, labelled, or in special compartments. I function so much better when things are sorted.)

With that said, here's where I'm befuddled. How much planning can one do for a wedding while living abroad? I know Janet pulled off a stunningly beautiful destination wedding in Mexico, and that I'm sure there are loads more of you that are much more experienced with all things wedding than I am.

I can look, yes. Thank goodness for websites - I can spend hours searching and exploring and trying to figure out options. But I'm hesitant to actually book anything without visiting first, without being there and exploring and seeing if it 'feels' right. It's the same with the church and the reception, and most other things too.

That being said though, and if I did leave it until I went home before I sorted anything out.. well, that leaves the slightly obsessive compulsive planner in me breaking into a cold sweat. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I'm hoping for a May 2011 date - and if we're not heading home for another year, that really only leaves 5-6 months to sort everything out. Is that too short? And what am I supposed to be beforehand?

AAAAH.

I'm not sure what I want. And I know it's early days, but I really want to start cracking along and following some kind of schedule. Or at least making my own list of things to do, so I can feel like I'm doing something, rather than just sitting here staring at my ring all day long.

Anyway, what do you all think? Planning-related thoughts and advice welcomed!

I didn't mean for things to get so quiet around here, but I suppose that's a good thing. I've had a really busy couple of weeks, things have been going well over here.

I've been showing my engagement ring to anyone who dares walk over to my work desk. As in, HI, HOW ARE YOU?! -shoves ring in face- LOOK!! Everyone has been great at the ooh-ing and aah-ing that I've come to expect. It's so much fun!

I got a new job at my work, technically a small promotion, so I've been throwing myself into that. I'm still working in education/recruitment, but now I get to focus on international teachers who are making the transition to the UK. It's fantastic, because I get to co-ordinate international things from here in London, and it's something that I went through myself just two years ago on the other side. I also get to work crazy hours and have a laptop/mobile that I can use to work from home on the odd occasion.

One of my friends from home, Julie, came to stay with us for a few days - she's now off trekking around Europe on a Contiki tour - but it was nice being able to show her around a few local haunts. She managed to take in Stonehenge, Bath, Salsbury, and some central London landmarks, in 2 days: not bad!

I was filmed for television. The Brit version of 'How to Look Good Naked' to be exact - and no, I most definitely was not naked, thank the heavens. We were walking down High Street Kensington doing some shopping, when a whole stack of cameras started walking towards us. My reaction was to swerve and walk around them, but Julie got caught up in them and ended up calling me back. They ended up asking me if I wanted some fashion advice (errrr...) and started to picked my outfit apart.

I should cut in here to give you some background on this: I had woken up at 6am to meet Julie at Paddington after her flight arrived - so I had the world’s fastest shower, threw some clothes on in the dark and was out the door. I was wearing a knee length denim skirt, plain black long sleeved shirt and knee high black flat boots. They told me they liked my boots (as the camera panned down to my legs) and that I needed to put on a belt and a blazer and WORK MY CURVES.

Yes, Gok Wan told me I had fantastic curves and to show them off. Riiiight.

It wasn't until the cameras walked away and we kept on shopping that I realised that I HADN'T BRUSHED MY HAIR THAT MORNING AND IT LOOKED HORRIFYING. One day I am going to be watching Channel 4 at night and the show will come on, and then I will see myself. And then I will die of shame. And my tombstone will read: "She may have curves, but she really should have brushed her hair."

I sucked up the pain since my first try at Spin class, and have now made it my Monday morning 7am pain session. And guess what? I'm getting much better! Last week was an endurance class with a lot of build-up climbs and flats, and I managed to do the whole thing. I think I'm fast becoming obsessed.. but once a week is more than enough for me right now, thankyouverymuch.

Have I mentioned that I've got an awesome fiance? Because I have.

So, back to all things engagement - let's just say that now I have the actual ring on my finger, literally this time, I've started thinking ahead a little more. For the last nearly three months, I've been content brushing people off when they ask about when and where and the details... but I'm actually starting to get incredibly excited at the prospect of planning. Real, actual planning. It's very exciting.

I'm still stuck in the limbo stage of not knowing when we're even moving home, let alone setting a date, but I can start researching - that'll tide me over for a little while. Be prepared for a whole lot of wedding related rambles, and most likely a few fits of frustration along the way - but it wouldn't be a wedding without a few of those!

My engagement ring is finally back!

(You can start wailing with excitement now, I know I have been!)

It's been a long road, with a couple of hiccups along the way, too.

Last week, we received a call from Tiffany & Co saying that the ring was finished its resizing work in New York and was on its way to London to be hallmarked. The message ended with the lady thanking us for our patience, and reassuring us that the ring would be back with us soon.

That message made the wait even more bittersweet - because I knew the ring was nearly finished, but I still had to wait for it to be completed. I snapped about a week later, and ended up harrassing Jason to make a phone call and see what stage it was at. He was told by a customer service rep, that the ring was still in New York and not expected back until late November.

Looking back, I think it's safe to say that this is when I had my first Bridezilla moment. Hey, nine weeks of waiting does not a happy fiance make.

I flipped out a bit, and sent a panicked email to Tiffany & Co - asking them exactly where the ring was and why we'd received two conflicting stories. We got a call the next day apologising for the confusion, and restating the first message: it's in London, but not ready yet. Back to the waiting game.

I got home on Wednesday afternoon earlier than usual, just after Jason got in. He was standing in front of our wardrobe looking like a deer in the headlights, and blurted out 'What are you doing home so early?' He looked so guilty that I asked what he was doing, and he sighed and told me I'd spoiled his surprise - and then pulled out the ring!

So, that's the end of my story. It's strange.. now that I have it on my finger, I feel more 'officially' engaged!  The ring is even more beautiful than I remembered, and seems to match my hands perfectly. And oh! The sparkle. I went to work yesterday and kept stopping mid-typing sentence to just stare at it as it caught the sun.

The boy did such a great job. Enough of my ramblings.. here's the bling!

This is my favourite time of year.

I love the crispness in the air. I love the scarves and tights and knitwear. I love the crunch of the leaves. I love the clearness of the sky. I love the colours. I love looking at forecasts and feeling the weather gradually cooling down.

This is my second Autumn in London, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Yep, you read that right.

Following on from yesterday's random moping, what I neglected to mention was that I'd already made my mind up to visit the gym first thing in the morning on Monday. I'd also secretly decided to try the 7am V-Cycle Spin class. I usually avoid the spinning studio at the gym like the plague because holy crap, the people in there are all so fit and healthy and beautiful, and I get tired bike riding for five minutes, let alone forty-five minutes, so how on earth could that combination possibly work!?

<deep breath>

Anyways, I pried myself upright at 6:30am and tottered along to the gym, and bit the bullet and signed my name to the timetable. I sat in the change rooms for five minutes freaking! out! and then went and found myself a nice, dark corner in the studio, where I sat free cycling for another five minutes, still freaking! out!

Fit people wandered in and found their positions, and I was already sweating away in my little corner. The instructor asked if there were any newbies in the room, so I waved my arms around and she came and adjusted my seat and bike for me, but then basically left me to my own devices for the class.

So, here's my verdict - which will quite possibly change in the future, but stands true for the time being. It's also coming from an overweight and uncoordinated non-cyclist, if that makes a difference.

Spinning HURTS.

(I know, who would've thought, right?)

I'm hurting in the most random of places. Places I didn't even know existed are hurting, and in very, very awkward spots. It hurts me to bend, sit, walk, turn my head, and brush my teeth. My thighs, oh my god, I can't even explain. But I suppose that means I was doing something right in the class, because hoo boy, am I feeling the aftermath.

The V-Cycle was tough, even though I hardly touched my resistance the whole class and focused mainly on breathing and getting the positions right. The first half of the class I felt completely out of rhythm; my speed was lower than everyone else's, my feet felt a bit numb in the pedals, and it was all out of whack. I really did doubt that I could do the whole class at the beginning. (Note to self: just because you choose the darkest corner of the room, does NOT necessarily help - in fact, I found myself trapped in by more experienced cyclists and my path to the exit was blocked! Ack!)

During the first session of climbing and cycling intervals, I could hardly lift myself off the seat, and struggled quite a bit. I found I tended to get up and climb as much as I could, and then sink back down and just cycle my way through the rest of the class until the next set of repetitions. It was hard work, despite everyone around me making it look effortless.

The speed sessions were much more enjoyable - I quite like being able to put my head down and burst into action for a few intervals. I found that much more bearable than the climbs.

Unfortunately it was during these sessions half way through the class that my nether regions started to feel the burn, and not in a good way. What starts as an irritation, turns into a dull ache, turns into a sweet Jesus, I can't sit down ever again. It got to the point where I was actually looking forward to the climbing, because at least it means I wasn't sitting down. That's when you know things are steadily going downhill.

I finished the class completely drenched in sweat, but quite pleased I had gotten through it. We cooled down at a slow cycling pace, followed by stretches, and I headed up to shower afterwards - which is when I got hit with the nausea. That wasn't pretty. I'll leave it at that. But interestingly enough, I felt fine straight after? I'm not sure if it was the intensity of the workout, the fact that it was an early morning workout on an empty stomach, or a mixture of things, but it wasn't the greatest.

The spinning certainly left me wide awake for the rest of the morning, and it wasn't until about 4pm that I started noticing the after effects. It's now 10pm, and I can hardly walk. My work colleagues assure me that it gets better, that my body (and butt!) will become accustomed to it, but the thought of doing another spin session in the next week is slightly horrifying. I think I'll wait and see how I feel, before I try it again.

I'm not sure if it's for me, but I certainly have a lot of time for people who do it constantly. It's one hell of a workout, that's for sure.