Dinky Danni - 10 random facts about me!

Yikes, I think I've let my regular blogging plans slide ever so slightly over the last couple of weeks.

Tom and I have started house hunting again which is a massive headache/pain in the arse/ordeal. We've been house hunting on and off for a year now and have had no luck so far, but fingers crossed we’ll find one soon.

Aside from that, we've also stepped up the wedding planning because it is ALMOST EXACTLY ONE YEAR AWAY! Eeep!

SO with all that going on, I haven’t blogged anywhere near as much as I would’ve liked to (especially after my little one-month-blog-milestone-pat-on-the-back-for-blogging-regularly-celebration).

I thought I'd write a personal post about 10 random facts, as I recently changed the name of this blog. A few of my favourite bloggers have been doing this lately and they are always entertaining, it’s nice to know a bit more about the person whose blog you’re reading. So, here are 10 random facts about me, Dinky Danni.

1.      I am reet petite

It used to annoy me when I was younger (... if I had £1 for every time I heard the question ‘how tall are you?’!) but I embrace it now. I'm sure everyone has something they’re self-conscious about (I like to think that includes Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Miranda Kerr too). The thing is to just own it, because it’s part of what makes you unique – as massively cheesy as that sounds. 
If it’s something about your figure that you’re self-conscious about, it can help to do a bit of research about how to pick clothes that highlight your best features. Now I know how to dress myself in ways that conceal my vertically-challenged legs. So I’ll wear A-line dresses that nip in at the waist and pair them with high heels, or I’ll wear one block colour with small patterns. There’s so much advice on the internet about dressing for your shape which is really useful.

FYI this guy is actually 7ft7 - the tallest man in Europe! He was in the Southport panto and my editor thought that me interviewing him would be a good/hilarious photo opp (I wonder why...!) 

2.     I was born in London, but grew up in a cute little seaside town called Southport

I love Southport and I love going back to stay with my mum whenever I can. It is such a nice town and I have so many amazing memories of growing up there. Silly favourites include:

·        On a Saturday, waiting for one of my best friends, Hannah, outside McDonald’s on Eastbank Street so we could go shopping to Tammy Girl (remember Tammy Girl?!) Hannah’s sister had a part-time job in McDonald’s and we’d go and beg her for extra  toppings on our McFlurry’s

·        Visiting the Southport institution that is Pippin’s. I used to go there for lunch with my nana when I was little. We would always, without fail, order two bowls of soup, a cheese sandwich to share and an egg custard tart for dessert. We had a favourite table which was in the section up the little stairs and we’d sit there and chat all afternoon

·        Watching a film at the old cinema (which is now the Vincent Café) and buying loads and loads of sweets at the old fashioned sweet shop next door

·        When I went through my ‘mosher’ phase, I’d hang out with my friends at the ‘new’ bandstand, the ‘old’ bandstand or the bowling green.

How pretty is this picture of Southport? The lighting was just stunning and I took it from the window of our room in the Ramada where we had a lovely view of the Marine Lake

3.     I went on my first flight when I was four-months-old

I'm sure all the other passengers were cursing my mum when they saw a tiny baby on the flight. But, much like I am now, I loved my sleep and just slept through the entire journey. I only woke up for food (again, much like I am now!) We went on loads of holidays when I was growing up and I think travelling from such a young age sparked my passion for travel. I love visiting new places and learning about different cultures.

I love this shot of Abu Dhabi from the sky, I took this on our most recent trip there in January 2015

4.     My first ‘proper’ job was a journalist on my local paper

I was a journalist on the Southport Visiter (yes, VisitEr), which was really amazing. Looking back now, I think I definitely took for granted just how fab that job was. I learnt so much and was sent on so many funny assignments. It was also just so cool being able to say I was a journalist (especially as I was only 19 when I first started!) My nana was probably even more excited than me though, whenever she saw a story with my by-line on, she'd keep the paper in our lounge so she could show anyone who came to visit.

Just a standard Monday morning for me as a Southport Visiter reporter...

5.     My first pet was a dog called Charlie

He was a King Charles Spaniel and golly, he was a character! Whenever we’d throw a ball for him to go and fetch it, he’d just look at us like ‘Yeah, and what?’ He also took a fancy to ginger people, he’d often fart then walk out the room and he couldn’t lie on his back properly because his tummy was too big, he’d rock from side to side. I really miss his grumpy little face.

Charlie was quite a patient dog...

6.     I’m getting married next March!

Yes, I am slowly turning into a full-on bridezilla. I can’t wait though, I am so excited to get married and have all of our friends and family there. It’ll be extra special because the way Tom and I met was a bit of a family affair. Our families both lived in Abu Dhabi and my cousin and Tom’s cousin were best friends and our aunties were also best friends. They’d always joked about setting us up (actually no, they weren’t joking, they were pretty serious!). Sadly, when my dog Charlie died in April 2012, I decided I needed a holiday to cheer myself up and jumped on a plane to stay with my family. Tom had also flown in with his nana for a holiday and we all decided to meet up for brunch one day. The rest, as they say, is history! :) We got engaged in Paris on my birthday in August 2013. This year, on 27th April, it’ll be the three year anniversary of when we first met and next year will be our first anniversary as a married couple!

We took this picture about 10 minutes after Tom proposed! (I'd just about stopped crying) 

7.     I have an irrational phobia of loud, sudden noises

I am actually getting a bit better about this! I went to my first ever firework display last November and have been able to stand in the same room as a cork being popped, which is a massive step for me (how ridiculous is that?!) My phobia used to be so bad that I literally couldn’t sit in a restaurant that had balloons in, I had to leave. There was also one time when I was younger and we were at a bubbly brunch in Abu Dhabi that I couldn’t cope with the waiters popping champagne all the time, so I had to go and walk around outside until the alcohol package ended!

A typical Abu Dhabi bubbly brunch! 

8.     I’m an only child

When I was little, I thought the phrase was ‘lonely child,’ so I’d walk around my class saying ‘I’m a lonely child’ to everyone! I like having no brothers and sisters though, as it means I get my lovely mum all to myself. I’ve also grown up really close to my cousins and I’ve known my best friend Loren literally since we were born, so I’ve never felt like I’ve missed out or like a ‘lonely child’!

With all of my lovely cousins

9.     I had to take my maths GCSE three times before I passed it

… And I only passed it when mum hired a home tutor for me! I am REALLY bad at maths!

... Says it all!

10. I was a vegetarian for 10 years from the age of 8 to 18!

I think it is really mad to look back on that now. I can’t believe I didn’t eat meat for so long, especially as now I have a real passion for food and my favourite meal in the whole world is a fillet steak, cooked rare. I actually have Hannah to thank for being a carnivore again. She knew I was thinking about eating meat and one day, she went to Tesco and bought one of those gorgeous, hot, roasted chickens. She came round to mine and started eating it in front of me, then strategically left, leaving me with the chicken. Well I ate the entire thing, then an entire packet of ham afterwards! I must’ve needed to make up for the lost time.

Me after eating that roasted chicken (thanks Hannah!)

Hope you enjoyed my 10 random facts! x