It's Saturday night!  WOO HOO!  So, what are your plans?  A romantic meal out with the love of your life?  A pint down the pub?  Or a night on the town, dancing until the wee hours?  Well, it all sounds very appealing, but tonight, my friends, I am staying in, on my own, with nowt but a bowl of olives and a glass of wine for company.  Why?  Because such a night is well overdue...

Last weekend I came down with tonsillitis - AGAIN.  I was at my mate Darrens' catching up with my old chumlies when I woke up feeling decidedly ropey.  My mates blamed the Red Stag I had been drinking the night before (I strongly recommend the Black Cherry variety) and I put it down to being a bit run down.  By the end of the day I was dropping penicillin and huddled under a duvet next to the barbecue.  NOT fun.  
Of course I tried to push through it, but Alison made me go to bed for a few hours.  Very sensible.  Lisa then pointed out that maybe my immunity would be a bit better if I actually took it easy once in a while.  I have no idea what she means.  Okay, so I'd been out late on the Thursday, attended an evening meeting on the Wednesday and enjoyed a bevvy or two on the Tuesday, but that's normal.  Right?

Maybe she has a point - maybe I have been burning the candle at both ends.  But then, maybe it is a symptom of my recent rise in the responsibility stakes.  Okay, so I've had a job that requires a level of maturity since I graduated, but this home ownership thing has thrown me.  All of a sudden, I am responsible for the upkeep of the roof over my head, owe Virgin Money more cash than a bear to imagine and not only need to get Critical Illness cover but a Will to boot!  Well, I'm sorry, but whilst I have to accept that this means I have reached a new milestone in my life, I refuse to "settle down".  In fact, I think I am rebelling against the notion.  
That said, my nesting tendencies have also kicked in.  I spent the last week decorating my lounge with my dad - and it is looking fantastic.  Of course, this means that I have an overwhelming desire to paint all the other rooms, go out and buy more furniture and get all my pictures up... whilst still wanting to go out and party.  Along with my creative pursuits, I guess it's no wonder I'm falling apart at the seams.
Yes, I need to slow down - so tonight I am going to stick on a DVD and do my best to keep my diary as free as possible for the next couple of weeks.  Okay, so I have plans on Monday (pizza!) and Tuesday (plumber!) but after that nothing for over two weeks other than an appointment to give blood and a date at a spa.  And I plan to keep it that way.  Sadly, to quote Oscar Wilde, "I can resist everything except temptation" - and there are tasty morsels of fun all over the shop.
Wish me luck...

Well - you don't have to but I seem to be doing rather well at getting out of the big smoke these days.  In fact, if I count next weeks Bank Holiday (house party in Stafford coming up!) I will have been away four out of five weekends!  No wonder I'm struggling to get anywhere fast with the decorating...
Although I love the hustle and bustle of my life in London, it is nice to get away from it all.  Three weekends ago I came up north for a friend's hen do - and saw her get married this Saturday.  What made it all the more special was the rural setting of the reception - said friend lives in the middle of the Nottinghamshire countryside where you can see nothing more than fields as far as the eye can see, and the nearest convenience store is a good 15 minute drive away - and even that closes at 10.
As a city girl of thirteen years, I forget what it's like to live out in the sticks.  When  I was camping near Stratford Upon Avon recently I was delighted to learn that there was a bus service into town so the dedicated driver in our party could enjoy a drink.  Needless to say my plan was foiled by the last bus, running at a mere 6.10pm.  Oh well...
I guess both ways of life have their pros and cons.  Whilst London offers me everything I could possibly want when I want it, getting away from the 24 hour society helps me to slow down and recuperate - something that I really have to work at back in the city.  So, whilst I will be relieved to see my local Co-Op open when I get back to Walthamstow tonight, I know that I will have to make myself breathe more deeply and let the chaos wash over me once in a while.  
And on that note, I shall say adieu - I have some serious chilling to do...

Well hello there...
So I trust you all had a smashing Sunday?  I spent it commencing "Project Upcycle" - yep, that's right, I've given up on the decorating and decided to start having fun with my furniture instead.  Today I've been covering one of my bookshelves in pages of a novel and an A to Z atlas whilst my mate Nic made an iPod cover out of old bits of fabric I've collected over the years.  I've by no means finished, but think I've made a good start - and can't wait to revamp the table I acquired off Freecycle this week.  Yep, as in I got an extendable table, gratis.  LOVE it!

That isn't the only project I have started this week - but, alas, I can't tell you much about the other two, especially "Project Difficult,"  which has the backing of politicians, writers and media moguls alike.  No word of a lie.  I just hope that the campaign, directed at young women in particular, gets off the ground.  It could be big...
Oh yes, and on a less grand scale, me and my mate Chris have started making plans for a web-based comedic campaign.  Yep, we're going to take on all those dating gurus who, in a nutshell, tell women that the only way to bag their man is to play to his needs and big up his ego - all at the expense of their own.  Okay, so I'm over simplifying things, but you get the idea.  Personally, I can't wait.  Chris, on the other hand, has a lot of reading to do before we can start!

Well, I think I may have said too much already, so I shall stop - and maybe get back to the upcycling, email my partners in crime at "Project Difficult" and send Chris his reading list.  
Bring it on...

Evening all!
I hope you are all feeling nicely refreshed after the weekend?  I have to admit that, after three nights of camping, I'm quite tired - but then there's nothing quite like sitting around a smoldering BBQ at 11 o'clock at night, playing cards and supping Jameson's whiskey (a new and rather dangerous discovery for old Shell) to re-charge the batteries.  Okay, so as camping goes we were pretty well looked after (electricity supply, showers AND clean toilets?  Wow!) but cooking outdoors, sleeping with nothing more than a sheet of waterproof fabric between you and the elements and being without all those creature comforts we don't need but depend on is certainly good for the soul.  Even if not the back...

It isn't just going camping that has helped me detox my mind - if not my body (one thing at a time people!).  I've been reading a book by Gabbi Bernstein, Yoga and Meditation buff whose 108 Miracles Now breaks down developing your spiritual side - and maintaining your well-being - into easy to follow steps.  Whilst some of it isn't for me, it is full of handy hints to improve your relationship with the world and look at life with a more positive slant, something I admit I sometimes find tricky.  

On Thursday, I found myself seeing positives in what could have been a rather crushing situation.  After several rejection letters confused by some very positive feedback from publishers and competition judges, I decided to ask a professional to look at my first novel, Faith, Hope and Chocolate.  Deep down I knew it wasn't my best writing by any means but had grown attached to my characters - and still loved the concept.  Claire's feedback confirmed this - and her comments helped me see where it wasn't working and think about how I could develop the story line.  We concluded that the best course of action would be to start again - and, this time, write with a bit more of a purpose and a plan, something I admit not really doing the first time round.  So, watch this space people - just don't hold your breath, as I have novel number two to edit first, plus a couple of other ideas floating about...

Now, with all that in mind, I'm going to run myself a nice bath, read some more "Miracles" and write in my journal - the detox isn't complete yet!