Another Royal Wedding....... mine! part two

So the big day for Kate Middleton is finally here and in the UK we get to celebrate with a bank holiday! I should admit that I am now quite excited by the big event although up to last week I was quite disinterested. Maybe it is because I LOVE WEDDINGS. Or it may just be that I believe all brides should have a wonderful wedding day.

Anyways so in my last post (see here) I shared pictures from my wedding ceremony. Here are some of the photos from the fun bit, the reception!

An imposing view of Rhodes House.

In the vestibule area.

The wedding hall.

My Mum made the chair decorations.

The wedding cake which we forgot to cut!

Awwww. DH and I.

Another view of Rhodes House.

DH and I again.

I loved my waterfall bouquet.

Goodbye! We then went off to have a good time!

So folks that's it! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my own Royal Wedding. I really felt like a princess on my wedding day. It is still so clear to me although it was a few years ago now. What are your plans for the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday? And for those further afield, do you plan to watch the big event on television? Please share in the comments.

Have a wonderful day!

PS Check out these Royal themed links
♥ "Catherine 2011"- coming to a reality near you. Let's drink Tea and Get Laid.
♥ Kate Middleton's parents are years ahead. Make them joint prime minister! haha. The Guardian.
♥ The Princess and the Rooster: a modern fairy tale.
♥ The big reveal... do I have a royal connection?

Another Royal Wedding....... mine! part one

Hello lovely people!
So I was planning to have my first attempt at setting up the system for my PhD planner over the weekend. Alas, my wonderful plans were scuppered by being on call and actually having to do some work...... Can you believe it? How selfish of the NHS not to consider or respect my weekend plans! (just kidding of course, I had some interesting cases to sort out).

Anyways as I did not have a lot of time to write my usual inspiring and groundbreaking blog posts (don't smirk please) I felt inspired by the upcoming Royal Nuptials to dig out some pictures from my own wonderful wedding :-) I got somewhat carried away but I managed to narrow it down to about 20 photos which I will share over two consecutive blogs (for part 2 click here).

Here we go......


Trinity College Chapel.




Inside Trinity College Chapel.



A trip down Broad Street.

The groom in his morning suit. He looks rather smug I think......

Dad and I arrive at the Chapel. I was early and had everyone scrambling to get organised!

I didn't fall! Thanks Dad.

I feel rather pensive here. Second thoughts maybe? Just kidding.

One of the many floral arrangements. I wanted the chapel to feel like a beautiful garden.

We say a prayer. Also a good shot of the intricate ceiling of the Chapel.

I am grinning like a Cheshire cat!

A closer view. DH does a regal wave.



We arrive at Rhodes House.

I really enjoyed my wedding day. I loved planning it and DH was very hands on too. For a lot of the previous months I was on a really busy rotation with so much on call I got paid an additional 80% of my salary! It did help with the wedding finances though as we funded the entire thing ourselves :-) Also, it was rather inexpensive for a UK wedding, (I saved money by purchasing my dress and shoes in Trinidad amongst other things) but it definitely did NOT LOOK CHEAP!!

Did you enjoy these pictures? And if you are married please share what you felt was the best part of your wedding day in the comments. If you are satisfyingly single then share what you love or hate about weddings!

Tune in next time for part two of the post where I will share pictures from the reception.

Have a great day!

PS Don't forget to vote in the poll 'Which filofax should I choose for my PhD Planner?' The race is on between the Malden and the Finsbury. Look for it on the top right sidebar underneath the banner. 

A filofax spanner in the works: and I thought choosing a PhD planner would be simple!

Friends I have a dilemma.

You may remember the little poll that I ran all of last week asking you to help me choose a PhD planner. Well first I have to thank you all for your very insightful comments and for voting. The Fabulous Raspberry Finsbury defeated the Decadent Ivory Deco 41 votes to 10! She showed no mercy. I guess it was always a one filofax race! 

So we have a winner. Therefore everything should be simple. After all the only thing left for me to do is set up the Finsbury as my PhD Planner. However friends (well I hope you will still be that by the end of this post! eek!) there is one teeny-weensy, itty-bitty problem. My inherent character weakness for shopping filofaxes spending money on anything that is pretty or stylish meant that I decided to pay a little visit to the city organiser website. Why? Who the hell knows? It is NOT like I needed ANY MORE FILOFAXES. Remember I said I had a weakness!! And as a doctor I know full well that acceptance is the first step towards recovery :-( 

Anyways I told myself that I just wanted to browse a little and check out their stock. I was not going to buy anything. I was just looking. You know where this is going don't you? Well it turns out I saw a certain filofax that everyone has been raving about since it first came out. It was on sale, for £39.89 (so almost half price). And it came with 2011 and 2012 diary inserts. Still confused? Well check out all of these amazing posts now and tell me that you would not have done the same if you were in my position!

Here are the pictures of my shame!

So am I forgiven? To be honest I never understood why people raved about the Malden filofax so much. Now I do. The leather is absolutely delicious and feels divine!

I have one more favour to ask. Since so many of you had voted the Finsbury, I think it is only fair to run another poll for 'Which filofax should I use for my PhD Planner?' However the choices will now be the Fabulous Raspberry Finsbury or the Magnificent Crimson Malden. The poll can be found on the top right hand sidebar below the banner.

Please humour me and vote! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. And I hope after this post that you will still want to be my friends. Feel free to post your abuse lovely thoughts in the comments section. And have a glorious day!

PS My iPad is evil. It makes it too easy for me to shop online.
PPS I wish all Christians everywhere a Happy Easter :-) It is truly a time for celebration!

Fabulous Finds 6: Fiorelli Handbags

Hello everyone!
Hope you are enjoying the beginning of the wonderful long Easter weekend :-) The weather in the UK has been amazing since I returned from Trinidad. It feels as though I brought the sunshine back with me! It has also been lovely to be reunited with my dear husband and to enjoy the longer Spring days. But my darlings, that is not the point of this post. If you had been following me on Twitter, you would know that I mentioned that I ordered two bags while in Trinidad to help cheer me up when I returned to the Queen's country. I even cleared out my closet in preparation! Anyways one of the purchases was from NEXT and was so awful that I returned it immediately. The other was a definite winner from Fiorelli. Dearies, I am totally IN LOVE with that handbag.

Now I had never heard of the Fiorelli brand until the lovely Loulou mentioned her Black Loretta way back in January. I was intrigued and had to know more so I immediately went on to the Fiorelli website. This is what they had to say.......

"Brand innovation, meticulous design and high perceived value give Fiorelli the competitive edge. Our products always have a fashion twist but remain focused on being commercial and usable. We have a global ambition and are determined to be the best. We are passionate about pushing out the boundaries by continually reinventing and moving the brand forward."


Now doesn't that sound impressive? But what I like the best about the Fiorelli brand is the fact that their handbags are very reasonably priced for their quality. Prices range from £39 to £115 which is definitely not budget busting. A range of materials is used, including canvas, leather, PU and synthetic. The designs are quite fashion forward, without being too 'of the moment' or bling. There is also Fiorelli Black, which is described as the premium statement accessory. These designs tend to be more trend led and innovative, while being a tad more pricey. I think my current purchase will be the first of many, many, more! Hehe.

Here are some photos of these wonderful bags.....

What I bought for myself

Ginger Large Bowling Bag in Tan. It is also available in black.

From the website

Bermondsey Large Shoulder Bag

Smithfields Large Shoulder Bag

Spitalfields Large Shoulder Bag (also available in black)

So what do you think of these bags? Please share your ideas in the comments. Also let me know if you are lucky enough to own one of these amazing bags. I should admit that yet another order arrived in DH's office for me yesterday (his office mates have been calling him 'Postman Pat!') Do you want to know what it is? That, my friends is another post for another day!

Have a Good Friday! ;-)
 
PS There is less than one day left for my poll on 'Which filofax should I use as a PhD planner?' You can find it at the top right sidebar below the banner. Please vote!

Cleaning out my closet: four easy steps to wardrobe bliss



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'I'm sorry mama, I never meant to hurt you,
 I never meant to make you cry
 But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet' Eminem

Ha! Quoting Eminem is a first for me but I loved that song! Anyways back in January (that most horrible month of the year, apologies to Capricorns everywhere), I listed several ways to help us all find the joy in January. But I was naughty. Although I did most of what I said I would do, I NEVER got round to making cupcakes or sorting out my closet! And I have to admit that my closet was an absolute nightmare. For one as organised as I am (I refuse to disclose the number of filofaxes I now own), it was downright embarrassing to have such a messy wardrobe. Dear Hubby would just shake his head in disappointment.

But all is not lost my friends. Because a major part of the fun vacation I had back home in Trinidad was SHOPPING UNTIL I WAS DROPPING!! I brought back an entire suitcase of lovely new stuff for the summer months. Therefore I had no choice but to sort things out. And although one day I hope to own a dressing room like the image above, I am quite happy with how I organised my wardrobe. Here are four easy steps to organising your closet....

1. Get rid of stuff and be ruthless.
It is no good pretending to yourself that you will wear something that you have not worn in many years! If I have not worn a garment in 12 months then it has to go. Sort into piles as follows
♥ Things you love and will keep for sure
♥ Items to go to charity or sell on eBay. I couldn't be bothered with the latter so all of my stuff will go to charity (Oxfam is usually the one I use).
♥ The 'what the hell was I thinking when I bought that leopard print micro mini skirt?' items that you need to be gettin' rid of. Not that I actually own an item such as the one previously described. I just said that for effect. 
♥ Anything that is tatty or has holes. These items should go straight into the bin!

2. Organise your clothes sensibly
You can sort by season or by colour. I prefer to group by usage, for example, work clothes, formal wear, casual clothes, foldables. I do the same for shoes and accessories.  Use a system that will work for you!

3. Make the best use of the available space.
I have a three door wardrobe, four drawers and a large ottoman at my disposal. DH is stingy and won't let me have any of his wardrobe space in the guest room. He is mistaken if he thinks this will stop me from buying new stuff. Anyways you may have a more forgiving partner or better yet you are single so all the wardrobe space is YOURS!! Yay!! I also have a lovely organiser for shoes which sits in the dead space at the bottom of the wardrobe that DH had bought for me 3 years ago. At that time he tried to get me to implement a 'one pair of shoes in, one pair out' policy. Of course that never worked! I also have four huge rattan boxes on the top shelf of my wardrobe for storing belts, scarves, extra makeup, small purses, etc. I have some large plastic containers under my bed which I use for storing towels.

4. Maintain your organisation
This may be the most important step! If you don't keep everything in order, everything will regress quite quickly to the original disorganised mess. I will have to try to be good. And refrain from buying anything new for some time. Will these be my famous last words I wonder?

So lovely people, how do you keep your wardrobe organised? Please share further tips in the comments :-)

Also, don't forget to vote on my poll on 'Which filofax should I use for my PhD Planner?' Please see the poll at the top of the right sidebar under my banner.

Enjoy your day!

Filofaxes reunited... and a little poll

Dearies, I have returned safe and sound from my wonderful vacation in Trinidad. I was very sad to say goodbye to my family and friends. But on the other hand, it has been amazing to be reunited with DH my filofaxes!!! Oh, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways..... Therefore I have been very excited to do my first filofax post in almost three weeks!

Now, I did take a filofax with me to Trinidad. However it was a little old Domino which as filofax addicts aficionados already know, is not the most luxurious of filofaxes. I missed the leather of my Damson Adelphi, as well as the absolute decadence of my Deco. In addition I had also purchased a new filofax at the last Philofaxy meet up in London. But I was evil and chose not to share the type with you at that time. Muhahahaha..... Instead I had promised to reveal all on my return.

Well I am a princess who keeps my word. So my lovelies here are some photos of what I got. I have also included some of the lovely stickers that I received from Butanben. Thanks again Butanben :-)

Oooh a Finsbury. But which colour have I chosen?

Of course I went for the Raspberry. I have wanted this one for ages as I love the colour.

Cute stickers: cool britannia, medical madness and birthdays! I shall NEVER forget another birthday!

Potential inserts as I bought the filofax empty.

So now I have a conundrum. I need to organise my PhD planner and I don't know which filofax to use. Therefore I need you lovely people to help me out. I will be running a small poll for the next 5 days. Please vote and let me know what you think. The poll can be found at the top of the right sidebar, just below my banner. Remember, your vote counts! And this is an important election!

I plan to set up the chosen filofax over the Easter weekend as I have no life. I lie. Actually I will be on call so I will need to remain at home. And I can't think of anything funner (I know that is not actually a word) to do that won't cost a thing. So my lovelies be nice and vote. It will also cheer me up tremendously as I am still missing home.

Please feel free to leave any extra thoughts or statements in the comments. Have a wonderful day!

Other related posts
♥ The Philofaxy London Meet Up Spring 2011 parts one and two.
♥ I need your help! How should I organise a PhD planner.

Saying Goodbye

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"Never say goodbye
 Because saying goodbye means going away
 And going away means
 Forgetting" Peter Pan

So my holiday in Trinidad has finally ended. And as you read this scheduled post I am on a BA flight back to the UK. I am painfully aware of leaving so many of the people I love behind; my family and my friends. But every minute on the plane will bring me closer to the new life I created for myself in England. A life that I love just as much as my old life in Trinidad, as it includes my dear husband, a wonderful career, the home we made together as well as other people who I know care for me just as deeply as those I leave behind on my small island.  It should not surprise you that tears are running down my cheeks as I write this. Each time I hope that leaving my home of 24 years will be less painful. I tell myself that I will be strong. I will not cry. Yet inevitably there will be a scene at the airport and I will bawl my eyes out. I will feel as though my heart is breaking. As a result only my parents are strong enough to withstand this. They will be the only ones to accompany me. Everyone else would have said their goodbyes to me at my parents' house the day before or on the morning of my departure.

But alas, such is the life of an immigrant. Because that is what I am. I always find the negative portrayal of immigrants in the British tabloid media to be upsetting. Unlike the word expatriate the word immigrant is made to sound dirty, evil, disease carrying even. But I have been fortunate. I chose to leave my home. After all I had won a prestigious scholarship. I was not forced out due to famine, disease or conflict. And I have worked hard for my adopted country. I have accepted its people as my own. So I will never be embarrassed to be an immigrant. I will wear the label with pride!

To end I wanted to share some things with you. The first is a poem written by John Sheehy; the second a verse from a song written by one of our local calypsonians who migrated to North America. I hope you enjoy.

Immigrant by John Sheehy

Torn between two lands

It's not easy not

To

Feel

Affection

For one's hometown

And my adopted land

Spirit pulled between

Strings

Emotions buried

Beneath emotions

Waves of memories

Thoughts, loss, fears,

Uncertainties, achievements

The mountain I climbed

Inhabited in dreams

Yours to the

Bone

Physically

Imprinted

Trini to De Bone by David Rudder

All these years I spent abroad in de cold, longing to be home

Trini to de bone, trini to de bone

God I pray that some sweet day, I will no longer have to roam

Trini to de bone, trini to de bone

De problems we have are plain to see

We prove we could stand de scrutiny

All and all, a true democracy

How we vote, is not how we party

There's no place like home some people say

Though some have to leave to make their way

But in their hearts I know their destiny

To come home and big up they country

Here is a YouTube link to the actual song.

Do any of you have similar experiences? How do you cope with your new life? Have a great day and see you on the other side :-)

Six reasons why............ I am smiling today!

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I will be leaving Trinidad tomorrow to head back to the UK. I always find it difficult whenever I have to leave, especially as it is likely to be at least 2 years before I can return home again. Hopefully my parents will come up for the 2012 Olympics. Anyways to cheer myself up I have decided to focus on the six things that are making me happy today (these posts are becoming my favourite ones). Here we go :-)

♥ Seeing all my friends and family. I was able to catch up with all of my good friends from medical school and spend a lot of time with my family. Although things have changed, and there are some new additions, a lot of things have stayed the same. It is definitely a trip that I will cherish for a long time!

♥ Retail therapy. Clothes and shoes in Trinidad are not that much cheaper than England but I still managed to get a few lovely things for summer. Actually it is more than a few, as I need to pay for extra baggage on my flight! Hehe.

♥ Skype. I am a relatively new user of Skype. I first downloaded it for the Philofaxy Skype Chats late last year. However it has been a life saver. I made so many long distance calls to Dear Hubby (DH) in the last 5 weeks and none of them cost me a penny! We did England/ Singapore, Singapore/Trinidad and England/Trinidad phone calls with no problems. We also video skyped on several occasions (but only if I wasn't looking scary, hehe).

♥ Getting away from that annoying rooster! I talked about the neighbour's rooster from hell in this post. Friends he crowed at 4 am EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS! Man, words can't explain how pleased I am to get away from him. And before I leave for the UK, I shall make a cheeky call to the local KFC. I hate that rooster!!! Maybe he will die from old age before my next visit to Trinidad?

♥ Having a good rest. I had become very exhausted at work before this trip and so a vacation felt long overdue. Now that I am rejuvenated from my holiday, which included a lovely mini break to Tobago with CP2, I feel ready to get back to work and start my PhD research properly!

♥ Hugging my filofaxes DH. I have missed my Dear Hubby and my filofaxes (in that order of course). I can't wait to see DH's face at the airport when I get back and also to be driven home in the lovely new car that he bought (BMW 5 series for those who are car junkies). This will mean very little or no treats from him for a long, long time (gasp! how will I survive?) but I think I have been spoiled enough (after all he treated me to my Trinidadian vacation). I also used my excellent powers of persuasion to get him to agree to buying me a Mulberry Bayswater handbag for Christmas. Best of all I have now announced it to the world! So he will have to do it! Haha. I am also looking forward to setting up my PhD planner. Will it be my decadent Deco filofax or will it be the one that has not yet been named? I guess you will have to wait and see!

So that is my list of happy things for today. Is anything making you smile? Please share in the comments and as usual, have a wonderful day!

PS Today is my parents' 43rd wedding anniversary :-) Hopefully DH and I will achieve that milestone too.
PPS How many Deco filofaxes would I have gotten for DH's new car?

Guest post: When coworkers strike: 7 tips for dealing with a difficult colleague

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This guest post was written by Deb L., who uses these tips to deal with her difficult radiology technician co-workers. She is interested in learning more about other education options such as earning a social worker degree.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker spends 7.5 hours a day working. That's about 38 hours a week you spend at your workplace with your boss and coworkers. Since you are spending so much time together, it's important to get along with everyone at the job.

Being around difficult colleagues can kill your motivation, lead to negative feelings on and off site, and make it hard to manage your stress levels effectively. Here are six ways that you can ease the tension and deal with the problem people in your office.

Tip 1: Keep it Civil

Scenario: You are on the phone with a client, and Coworker X begins to speak loudly and rudely right next to your desk.

The best tactic to take in this situation is to keep your emotions cool and be civil. This includes being courteous, even if the other person isn't offering you the same. Ask your client to hold on a moment and politely request Coworker X to lower their voice or move to another section of the office.

Tip 2: Reduce Contact

Scenario: You're catching up with a coworker in the break room who has recently come back from vacation. All of a sudden, Coworker X butts into the conversation.

If you have absolutely no interest in sharing a casual conversation with him or her, feel free to excuse yourself. Allude to the fact that you have to get back to work, make a phone call, or send an e-mail. Reducing contact, and avoidance in general, is an acceptable way to deal with this difficult colleague if done tactfully.

Tip 3: Pay Them a Compliment

Scenario: The despised coworker turns in their part of the project that you are now supposed to integrate with yours. As much as you hate to admit it, it's well done.

I know this may feel beyond your capacity, especially if your negative feelings towards this person are extreme. However, paying someone a genuine compliment changes an aspect of your relationship. If you can find something positive to say, and actually mean it, they will react in a positive way and you in turn will feel better.

Tip 4: Keep Your Nose Clean

Scenario: You are competing with Coworker X for a promotion. Coworker X engaging in all kinds of dirty election campaign tactics, including criticizing your work in front of your boss.

Instead of focusing unnecessary energy on your coworker who is trying to bring you down, turn your attention towards your work. As long as you do the best job you possibly can, your nasty colleague will look petty and incompetent in comparison.

Tip 5: Let it Go

Scenario: Coworker X did something you found upsetting or offensive months ago. You are still festering with resentment and you see red every time he or she walks by.

Yikes. Resentment is one of the least productive emotions you can maintain. Harboring resentment only hurts one person - you. Remember that there are two sides to every conflict. Acknowledge your side, see what you might have done wrong or could have done better, and learn from the mistake. At the end of the day, you are only responsible for your actions, no one else's.

Tip 6: Seek Expert Advice

Scenario: You have so much conflict with Coworker X that you are on the verge of quitting, screaming, crying, or acting out physically.

If the situation with your despised colleague has gotten out of control, it may be time to seek outside help. Some corporate offices offer an employee counselor or help line for free. Human resource personnel are also a great option. Your confidant may be able to help you put the situation in perspective, make some changes in the office, or suggest another route to take.

Thank you Deb L for this excellent guest post. I once worked with a locum registrar who would not show up for ward rounds or clinics (sometimes he would not show up at all)! However he would volunteer to do extra on calls so that he could earn more money. It was extremely frustrating! Do you have any nightmare scenarios from your work life? How did you deal with it? Please share in the comments. Also if you would like to do a guest post, please contact me on caribbeanprincessmusingsATgmailDOTcom using the normal convention. Have a great day!

A double dose of cuteness

So I only have a few more days left of my holiday :-( And I have to admit that one of the best things about this vacation has been meeting my twin nieces for the first time. I have spent a great deal of time playing with them and it makes me sad that they won't be babies when I see them next. They have provided me with many hours of entertainment and although they are only 10 months old, each of them is a definite individual.

I have stolen some pictures of them (when they were about 5 months) from CP2's facebook page to share with you. I am sure you will agree with me that they are really cute. And I am not just saying this because they are related to me!!!

 

And now at 10 months

 

CP2.1 warms more quickly to strangers and likes to observe everything. She loves gadgets (phones, cameras, cables) and will stand up for herself. You will easily become her friend if you are eating as she will come and stand very close to you until you share some of your food with her! She LOVES FOOD!! It is really funny. Unfortunately she also enjoys taking away toys from CP2.2 who just lets her get away with it!

CP2.2 takes a longer time to warm up to new people. However she laughs very heartily and loudly which always surprises me. She is more of a risk taker than her twin sister (very much like CP2 and myself) and can already climb stairs. CP2.1 will simply sit at the bottom of the stairs and observe her although I am sure she can do the same if she wanted to. CP2.2 will also dance for you if you sing Incy Wincy Spider :-)

My other niece (younger brother's daughter) is also quite adorable at nearly 2 years old and has finally accepted me as a family member. She learns new things very easily so one has to be very careful with what is said around her!! She is already counting, pointing out letters of the alphabet, identifying shapes and knows all the parts of her body. Sometimes it is quite unnerving as she is still so young! Maybe she will be an academic like her aunty? I will also miss her when I return to the UK.

So that was a glimpse into the lives of the new generation of Caribbean princesses. I am thinking that at some point I would like to have a Caribbean prince, although I wouldn't say no to another princess (preferably one at a time!) For the moment I am enjoying life with DH though so I am not ready to change that!

What do you think of my lovely nieces? Have a lovely day!