Go have a look at Pink Is The New Blog's latest - 'The Year In Jake'.

'Nuff said.

Tim's sister has named her baby Jacob. Me and Tim spent the afternoon round at their house with his other sister and all the various other nieces and nephews. Little Jacob is absolutely gorgeous. His hands and feet are massive and he's already got brown eyes. When Tim was holding him, sack-of-potatoes-style, as men do, he was quiet and content. When I held him, he whinged. Typical. Its adorable watching the other kids holding him and fussing over him. His 5 year old big sister is all proud and grown up when she holds him. His 3 year old sister and 2 year old cousin keep, quite energetically, stroking his little cheeks and hair. He's got a lot of dark hair. I love babies. We're all doing the usual 'He looks just like (insert various family member's names here)', even though Tim and his brother-in-law are both adamant he's just a baby and doesn't look like anything except, well, a baby. But everyone agrees that he looks most like Tim and his mum.

Did I mention I love babies?

In other news, I am trying to decide what I am going to wear New Year's Eve. I'm working in the pub and we all haveto wear fancy dress. At the moment I'm leaning towards being a cowgirl - minimum money and effort required. Any suggestions?

As Slade said,

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Tim's sister had her baby yesterday! Christmas Day! I knew she would. A 9 pounds 2 ounces baby boy - as yet unnamed. He's huge.

Hope everyone had a good one!

I have just been to pick up my much-needed, much-anticipated wages. Two nights worth of hard work. And I have been underpaid by nearly £10. £10 isn't really all that much, I suppose, but when you're not getting paid all that much in the first place, and have not a bean to your name anyway, and it is Christmas weekend, that £10 counts for everything. There is absolutely no explanation for it - there was no wage slip in my pay packet. Head bar-man: 'no one gets a wage slip this week because of Christmas'. Huh!!?? And my boss wasn't even there anyway, so I have to drive back all the way to Llandudno again tomorrow to sort it out when he IS in, probably consuming the missing £10 in petrol in the process.

Grrr.

UPDATE (the next day): It would appear that I have been taxed by mistake - as a student I'm not supposed to be. I'll get my money back soon. Ah well. Panic over.

This past week and a bit I have been (in no particular order):

• very pleased that Shayne won X-Factor, although I did rather like Journey South as well;

• scared of very large creepy-crawlies and moved to tears by King Kong. That Naomi Watts had it easy in that film - she didn't exactly have too many lines to remember.

• putting up the Christmas decorations - and throwing myself on the floor in a tantrum when I couldn't get the fairy lights looking right and/or untangled;
• back at work in The Pub, where I was told by some drunk regulars that I look just like Rachel Stevens. Can YOU see the resemblance?

• stung on the sole of my foot by a very large wasp while at Tim's house. A wasp! In December! And a massive one! It hurt.
• doing lots of uni work.
• watching lots of Sky TV and making the most of it while I can.

Next week I will be:

• opening presents.
• eating lots of food.
• eating lots of chocolate.
• watching lots of TV.
• working in The Pub.
• drinking alcohol, in lots of pubs (when I get paid for the working).
• crossing my fingers that Tim's sister doesn't have her baby on Christmas Day, as it is already 4 days late.

I am back in Wales for Christmas. Quite frankly, there really is nowhere else to be!

After Sunday dinner today, Tim and I set off out for the afternoon. I suggested going to this pancake house that I had heard of somewhere in Trefriw. I was very confident I knew where it was.

So we drove through the Conwy valley, on the Trefriw side of the Conwy River. Through this valley-

I believe, that that cluster of houses is actually Trefriw itself! A lovely place.

However, either we blinked and missed it, which is very easy to do with Trefriw as it is so small, or I didn't know where this pancake place was after all, as before we knew it we had passed through Trefriw, and there was no pancake house to be seen. From Colwyn Bay it takes a good half an hour's drive to reach this point, and I was really quite hungry, what with all the talk of pancakes, but thankfully by now we were at this bridge -

and on the otherside of this bridge is Llanrwst! A lovely little historic market town.

We wandered around Llanrwst for a bit, and then went into a tiny little tea rooms/antiques shop, which was a bizarre but appealing mix of medieval and Victorian. We had Welsh Cream Teas, which are the same as any other cream teas (i.e. tea, scones, jam and cream) but with the added extra of Bara Brith, a fruity, cake loaf made with tea ( I think).

Yum!

When we had finished stuffing our faces, we headed back off home, this time driving along the other (quicker) side of the Conwy.

When we got home, I introduced Tim to my Nainie (Grandma in Welsh), who, for many reasons, had yet to have had the pleasure of meeting each other. After Tim went home for his tea, Nainie informed me that Tim is very nice, and asked me 'when are you going to get married then?'

Later tonight, we are going to watch Narnia.

It is nice to be back home again.

*Disclaimer - no photos were actually taken throughout the course of the day. I didn't take my camera but decided to spruce up an otherwise potentially quite dull post with some illustrations. All pictures appear courtesy of Google Images, and for that, I thank them.*

Well, I finally finished my essay. In fact, I even handed it in a day early, and I have never actually done that before. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing. I've also had my dissertation meeting with my tutor and we have decided that my ideas for my dissertation are really rather good. The title is -

• An Investigation into the Justices of North Wales During the Reign of Edward II.

Isn't it exciting?! It's well underway, but with that and exam revision, my Christmas holiday is going to be anything but a holiday. I shall also be heading back to the pub to earn some pennies over Christmas, which I am quite looking forward to. After such an extended break from there, and not having to work there 5 nights a week either, my boss shouldn't drive me too crazy. Having said that, I will be working New Year's Eve. I'm just thinking of the money.

I've actually ventured into the city to attempt some Christmas shopping on my somewhat limtied funds today, and my attempts have led me to the conclusion that men are bloody impossible to buy for. Girls are easy! If you're unsure exactly what they're in to, are can't afford to buy someting truly spectacular, then something smelly, fluffy, or sparkly is never far away, no matter what shop you venture in to. But men? Blah. No idea. Tim has made it especially difficult, with his usual, 'I want a suprise.' I'm sure he'll be very suprised on Christmas morning if I don't actually get him anything at all. That would be a suprise.

In our house we have already had Christmas. Twice in fact. Once on Saturday, and again last night as one of our number was working all Saturday but didn't want to miss out, and we were all too greedy to wait.

Here I am sporting my 'luxury' cracker prize - one of those joke nail things that looks like its going through my finger. It kept me entertained for literally minutes.

With all of us at home for up to 4 weeks over the Christmas period, in all corners of the UK, its nice to get a bit festive together. I was very lazy and didn't contribute financially or culinary-wise to either Christmases, and as I was the only one who didn't do one or the other, it was my job to do the washing up last night. Particularly festive of me, I thought.

Ever wondered if dreams really can come true? Take a look at the guy on the left. Not Jakey - the bloke who is the common theme throughout all the photos. You might find an answer.

That guy is Trent.

Until a short while ago, Trent was a teacher from Detroit who started a blog, much like this one. His passion for all things celebrity led Pink Is The New Blog to eventually become purely a gossip blog, with acidy comments and funny nicknames for celebs.

All well and good.

Until some Hollywood movers and shakers realised just how popular this blog was and how many people actually read it.

Newspaper and magazine shoutouts and then interviews started. Before long, some serious LA execs got involvd and Trent is currently in talks to secure an actual Hollywood deal off the back of the blog. All this was helped a great deal by favourite 'Pink' fodder, Joel from Good Charlotte, coming across it, liking what he read, and becoming firm friends with Trent, doling out treats such as VIP tickets to Good Charlotte gigs and to the concerts of his ladyfriend, Hilary Duff.

All this, however, was fairly small fry compared to what was about to come along.

Trent has since, amongst many other things, met Madonna, got a mention in Nicole Richie's new novel, and been to numerous celebrity Hollywood parties.

But then it happened. The biggest and bestest thing that could ever have happened to Trent.

He met Jake Gyllenhaal.

Yes, invited along to the world premiere of Jake's new film 'Brokeback Mountain', which Trent has been plugging for months new in eager anticipation, he got to meet and chat with his alltime love, apart from his boyfriend, obviously - Jakey-poo himself.

Surely, it cannot get any better for this guy.

Of course, with fame, especially fame of this kind, negativity often follows. Trent has had some comments on the blog saying that since becoming friends with the rich and famous his posts have gone soft, with him going easy on particular celebs. The extra publicity has pointed new readers in his direction, which has resulted in some unfortunate anti-gay comments, forcing Trent to have to moderate his comments. But, for the large part, and myself included, avid readers, followers and fans are happy for, and just a tad jealous of, Detroit's favourite son (Eminem who?).

And all this off the back of a blog.

Maybe, just maybe, one day, off the back of my blog, I could meet my alltime love. What are the chances, really, that Richard Armitage is an avid reader, follower and fan of Welsh Girl In Leeds?

(Please don't answer that - don't dash my dreams before they've had a chance to take flight, I beg you.)

(Picture source - Pink Is The New Blog)