Happy Sunday! Okay, I know, the weather is lousy (a trip to the corner shop for coffee and milk has put to bed plans for a nice walk this afternoon) but January is nearly over which means that spring is one step closer - hurray! Okay, I admit, I have reasons for my new-found optimism. Firstly, an offer I put in on a lovely little one bed flat in Walthamstow was accepted on Friday, which means that I am about to spunk 90% of my life savings in one go and get myself into horrendous debt for the next 25 years - yippee! Seriously though, I'm well chuffed. Don't worry, I am well aware that it could all go belly up before completion but I'm one step closer to fulfilling one of my biggest life goals. And that's not all. The owner of the City Pride pub, Luigi, has agreed for me to hold a little exhibition in his function room - cool, eh? Again, I'm not getting too excited until it actually happens, but hopefully from 18th February for two weeks, Tuesday to Friday, you'll be able to pop along and have a gander at my stuff - oh, and Luigi is going to be offering a discount on his authentic Italian food for anyone visiting the show. I know I for one will be taking advantage of his hospitality... get the dates in your diary. But before I leave you all too it to go chase my mortgage broker and design my exhibition poster, I leave you with a final thought. Yesterday I finished Miranda Hart's book, Is It Just Me? Okay, I admit it Miranda, it took me a while to warm to your style, but it has been a while since reading about yoga and motherhood has made me laugh out loud on the tube. And, as for the last chapter on Dreams, the lady has it spot on. You see, Ms Hart always wanted to be a comedy actress, but it wasn't until her mid twenties that she even dared admit it to herself. And, love her or hate her, you have to admit the girl's done good. And she never would have if she hadn't taken that deep breath and put herself out there. Which, come the 18th February, I shall be doing once more, this time with my art. Wish me luck. Oh, and if you come along and decide that you hate it, I won't be offended if you forget to tell me...
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Happy Sunday one and all! Well, I hope you are all taking it easy and making sure you get a break from the housework, unlike Lisa here who, even when she's at work, can't help herself but to grab a mop and bucket and get stuck in. Any excuse to wear her Clean Queen apron... As I type I am sat in Mama and Papa Berry's lounge, chilling after a day of fun and frolics with the extended family - think plenty of wine, Charades and amazing cheesecake courtesy of big sis and you get the idea! But today, rather than searching Rightmove for flats, I've found myself rather distracted... by holidays. I don't know about you lot but I need to escape from the drudgery of January - or at least know I have something in the diary. The problem is, most people don't seem to be free until June - my sis can't even squeeze in a spa day before May - and I'm GAGGING for a break! What to do? Well, if nothing comes up soon, I'm going to do what I do best - bugger off on my own. Probably not very far, but just to get away from it all. Maybe a weekend in Bristol, or perhaps even a jolly over to France... oh, decisions, decisions! You see, sometimes in life, if there's something you really want to do, you should just go ahead and do it, because, if you don't, chances are you'll only live to regret it. At the end of the day, life's too short, and it isn't waiting for anyone. Now off you go people - it's time to grab the world by its bits and have a bit of fun. Enjoy... Evening all! Well, it’s Sunday evening and I’ve been busy doing nothing – well, trying to, anyway. You see, my New Year’s Resolution is to do less so today, rather than running around like a mad woman, I’ve been pottering at home. Okay, so the pottering included cleaning, ironing and beginning my de-clutter, but it was quite restful by my standards... read more in my Anglo Info blog. Oh, and let me know if you take on my new mantra too! Anyway, back to my day. Yep, you read that correctly – I am de-cluttering. Those of you who have visited my flat are probably rolling your eyes and muttering “about bloody time” – you see, another mantra of mine is “love me, love my tut” – but I’m not getting rid of it all by any means, just streamlining. A bit. Yes yes, I’ve read all the magazine articles and heard about Feng Shui and know that having a home clear of clobber is supposed to be good for the mind, body and soul, but my stuff is part of me. A majority of my nick-knacks are presents or bits I have picked up on my travels, and my books are full of inspiration and ideas that I wouldn’t want to lose. Okay, so I don’t really need to buy CDs anymore or get my photos printed out, but, despite my new Smart telly (which so far I have managed to use without difficulty thank you very much!), I am still something of a technophobe and can’t quite get my head around the concept of keeping all my bits and pieces on the “cloud” - or whatever you call it. So there you go – my excuse for not extending my “less is more” mantra to my belongings. A friend who is much better at these things than me is Lisa – who was sporting the “Clean Queen” pinny I made her for Christmas whilst she did her housework yesterday. Look out for the photo which I will add to my “crafts” page in due course.
Well, that’s all from me folks – I’m off to watch a DVD and paint my nails. Mmm, I could get used to this new lifestyle... Okay folks, I need your advice. How on earth does one fit in flat hunting, preparing for Christmas, having a social life AND writing around a demanding full time job? Seriously, I need to know! It has been a manic week, and, whilst it has been pretty darn good, it’s also been pretty exhausting - I haven’t had a night in since Monday. Let me summarise... Magic Flute at the Collesium on Tuesday – a fantastic night, especially as some kind soul handed in my mobile phone rather than nicking it after I left it in the pub... Choir practice on Wednesday – always a pleasure! Christmas shopping and dinner at Seven Dials on Thursday – with only two stocking fillers purchased, not the most productive, but fun all the same. Flat viewing on Friday, which lead to an offer being made (watch this space) and me losing my mobile phone once more, this time in the estate agents car. Someone shoot me. Choir concert and The Dance Before Christmas at The Vaults on Saturday, fuelled by Red Bull, great music and a large Cornish pasty. And this week isn’t looking any quieter... The good news is, among the mayhem, I have managed to write three quarters of a short story which I intend to share with my writing buddy Charlene on Tuesday over dinner and, if I’m happy with the end result, I hope to enter in the ABC Tales Christmas competition. Watch this space for its online publication... On that note, I shall say adieu. Its seven thirty and I want to call my sister and my mum, polish off said short story and have a well earned soak in the tub before bed... wish me luck! Evening all! Well, it’s Saturday night and I’m enjoying a beer whilst I listen to my The Commitments soundtrack (I saw the show last night and LOVED it – but not quite as much as the film) and getting ready for a big night... snuggling under my blanket with a hot chocolate. It would appear that the fun and frolics of my birthday weekend have caught up with me and, coupled with a few late nights this week too (guys, you know who you are!), I’m pretty pooped. However, that doesn’t mean that I’ve let things slide at Shelly Berry Original. Oh, no. Today, ladies and gentlemen, is the first day of CRAFTfest, a virtual Christmas market where I am selling some of my art and crafts. This means that I have not only had to get my stall together but have also been promoting my rather rotund behind off! Keep an eye on Twitter to learn more and to see my pick of my fellow crafter’s work – and come back here to check out my special CRAFTfest blog next Saturday, which the lovely guys at Creative Connections will be promoting. Hurrah!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get in my pyjamas and replenish my Kettle Chips bowl. It’s gonna be a long night - and week... Hello my lovelies. Again I have been more than a little slack when it has come to updating my wee blog. I know it’s a poor excuse, but life has been a bit hectic – the day job has been getting in the way (BOO!), flat hunting has been getting me all a bit stressed out (ARRRGH!) and people have been, well, getting on my nerves (GRRR!). Yes, my friends, it is time for a rant. The day job has been, to say the least, trying of late. Okay, so I’ve only been back for one week after a fortnight break, but it took me about half of my holiday to repair the damage that such a draining situation has caused. This is especially annoying as, not only have I been feeling completely wiped out after a day in the office, I have been left with no energy to do the things that I want to do – namely, the things that I write about in this blog. As for the flat hunting... well, at first it was kind of exciting finally looking to buy my own place. But several viewing no-shows and a general lacklustre service from practically every estate agent I have approach has left me feeling more than a little disheartened. But I shall stop there – planning a blog on the subject for AngloInfo later this month – watch this space! Then, along with the pressures that my employers and customers put on me and the trials of tribulations of trying to get estate agents to HELP YOU when your budget doesn’t allow for the kind of commission that gets them all excited, I’ve recently come across quite a few people who are, quite honestly, not very nice. Yes, there are the perpetrators who cause my customers such grief, but there are also people who have unbalanced the status quo in my private life – and the lives of those I love. The people who think that it is absolutely fine to cheat on their partners, lie to get a someone into bed and to sleep with their long term friends – only to dump their friendship when a new girl/boyfriend comes along who disapproves of their new squeeze having mates of the opposite sex. Even worse, there are then the people who seem to think it is absolutely fine to abuse their partners – physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. People like this make me ANGRY. But, folks, before you reach for the vodka – THERE IS HOPE! You see, whilst I have been observing from afar – and occasionally a bit closer – such disagreeable behaviour, I have also met some really inspiring people. People who, despite being abused, bereaved and sometimes emotionally damaged by the kind of people I have written about above, have stayed strong. In fact, they have not only stayed strong and laid to rest their demons, they’ve also reached out to help other people who are in more pain and have less confidence to let go move on with their lives. People who are truly inspiring and keep me going when things are looking more than a little bit grim. You know who you are ladies. Thank you for saving my sanity. So, there you have it. My blog for this week/fortnight/month, depending on how the next few weeks go. But, just to prove that I am still writing and painting – albeit not as much as I would like - here is the link to my London Staycation blog on the aforementioned AngloInfo website and a snap of my latest artwork in progress. Hopefully to follow soon will be a couple of guest blogs – and maybe the above pic in its completed glory. Keep smiling! Hurrah! The sun is shining, Murray has won Wimbledon and I’ve just poured myself a glass of chilled pinot to reward myself for another day of hard graft in the office. It’s the kind of day that makes you think that, even when the going gets tough, anything is possible – as long as you put your mind to it.
Whilst I admit that I don’t always quite fully subscribe to this idea, I am a firm believer in giving things a go and, if I make a fool of myself in the process, at least I will die knowing I gave life my best shot rather than wondering, “What if?”. Take my trip to Peru for example. I’ve wanted to go for years and came to the conclusion that if I didn’t just get up off my arse and book the trip for me, myself and I, I’d probably never get there. Then there are my attempts to find a publisher – and now an agent. Okay, so the rejection letters suck, but I’m never going to get anywhere if I don’t take them on the chin and keep trying. And now I find myself in the throes of training for the Great North Run. So far it could be going a bit better (not having thrown myself down a mountain on said trip to Peru would have helped) but, you know what? Even if I crawl around the course, I will be able to say that I gave it a try. It interests me when I tell people about my escapades and they look at me and say, “Oooh, I could never do that! You’re so brave!” I apologise if you’re one of the people who has said this to me over the last few months, but I disagree. I don’t think that I’m brave. I’m not doing these things because I’m heroic, I’m doing them because I want to achieve something, to experience something, or to move on to better things in my life. Okay, so sometimes I have to take a deep breath before I march into my next scheme and ignore the little voice inside my head (or the negative person I’m talking to in the pub) telling me that it’s a stupid idea and I’ll just end up with egg on my face. But essentially my motivation is purely selfish. Over the last few weeks I have heard lots of stories of true bravery. Of course there is the woman who faced up to the Woolwich murderers. On telly last week I saw Eye Spy on Channel 4 and watched with amusement at how bystanders reacted to blatant sexism, homophobia and racism – and was proud to see my fellow Brits stand up for those being discriminated against without a second thought. Closer to home, I see people being brave every day of their lives. An old friend of mine has a niece who, at thirteen, has just had surgery to try and reduce the curvature of her spine caused by muscular dystrophy. The surgery left her very weak and for a while my friend and her family thought she might not recover. But she’s still fighting – a fact that, having known her for quite a large part of her life and admiring her feistiness in the face of her circumstances, doesn’t really surprise me. An attitude that takes guts, if you ask me. At work, my colleague and good mate Chris recently sent an email around the office, not asking for sponsorship for something stupid like a half marathon (ha!), but reminding everyone about the importance of being a registered organ donor – and making sure your registration details are up to date. Her niece Emma, who was only twenty, had been given under one year to live unless she could find a donor and have a lung transplant before cystic fibrosis would take her life. A couple of days later I was sat in the pub with Chris and asked her how Emma was coping with her prognosis. I know I for one would struggle to keep going in the knowledge that, unless I was lucky enough to have someone with the same blood group as me who also happened to be a registered donor die in a relatively short period of time, I was done for. But was Emma sat at home feeling sorry for herself and bemoaning her fate? On the contrary. In fact, she was rocking out at the Isle of Wight festival along we me and thousands others only three weeks ago. Yep, that is one brave lady. Luckily for most of us, we don’t have to climb such huge mountains on a day to day basis. But I think we can all be a little bit braver. When we see something that we don’t like or disagree with, we can take action, whether it is supporting a campaign or just speaking out when someone in the office makes a derogatory comment about the homeless person selling the Big Issue outside or the transgender waitress in the canteen. Of course I’m not suggesting we wade in if we see a fight in the middle of the street, but rather than rubber-necking along with everyone else, we can call the police - something I’ve felt compelled to do twice in the last few weeks. The other thing we can do to show our distaste at a situation (or of a person for that matter) is to simply walk away. Whether that be boycotting an unethical business or turning our back on people whose behaviours or beliefs we do not accept, it can often be more effective than arguing with some narrow-minded people will ever be. In short; as long as you aren’t harming anyone else, do what you want to do, be who you want to be, stand up for yourself and for others and you can’t go far wrong. Oh, and be thankful for what you’ve got. It could so easily be taken away from you. Sadly, that is what happened to my mate Chris and her niece Emma today. As I left my last meeting of the day and headed to M&S to buy that well-earned bottle of white, I received a text message telling me that Emma lost her fight today and had passed away just an hour earlier. I admit I shed a tear as I walked through Camden this evening, but then smiled to myself knowing that this plucky woman had lived her life to the full right up to the end of her tragically short life. So, tonight I am raising a glass to Emma and everyone else out there who shows such incredible courage in spite of illness, persecution or discrimination. They are the real heroes in my book - and a true inspiration to us all. http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ Happy Friday one and all! I don’t want to know how long it is since I last blogged here but I know it’s been a while. Sorry about that, but, well, I’ve been really rather busy, mainly putting my body through hell whilst having a bloody good time. Those of you who read my Overground Underground blog (http://blogs.angloinfo.com/underground-overground/2013/06/05/mountains-and-molehills/) will know I’ve just been to Peru – and have since fallen in love with it – and anyone who follows me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/lovehatelondon) will also know that this week has been dedicated to recovering from a really rather wonderful weekend at the Isle of Wight Festival. It would appear that standing in a field bopping to a plethora of bands for four days starts to hurt in your thirties... So, needless to say, my creative endeavours have taken a back seat over the last month or so – but not completely. Following two rejections from literary agents (FOOLS!) I have written to two more, and managed to squeeze in a writing session between my jolly jaunts too. Other than that, I admit I’ve not done a lot – but I’ve had a break and am rearing to go. Of course, going to far flung places and being able to take a step back from the day to day grind has given me space to reflect, gain perspective – and be inspired. The stresses of work aren’t getting to me anywhere near as much as they did pre-Peru, and I thank the country for reminding me what is important in life – and not to sweat the small stuff. And, as corny as it sounds, it brought me back to earth – as in it reminded me how beautiful the world can be, even when it pushes you to your limits. So, on the way home I made this little sketch – and intend to turn it into a painting some time soon. Another great thing about travelling (and the silver lining of long haul flights with dreary stop-overs in dull airports) is that you get time to read – and devour a book in 24 hours. I practically inhaled Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood and found myself nodding away to Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman – and have been inspired to get the paints out to celebrate womanhood too. No doubt I shall produce a collage or two to record my time in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and those amazing mountains whilst I am at it.
Watch this space.... It’s Friday! The weekend is here! And today is my “work life balance” day so, rather than dragging my ass to the office, I am sat in my dressing gown talking to you lovely people. Cool, non? So, what am I going to do on this gloriously wet spring morning, you may ask? Well I have a gratis lunch booked at 1pm (keep your eyes peeled on Capital Life for the review!) and then I think I’ll treat myself to the stupidly expensive May Ray exhibition. At £14, it better be good. You see, that’s the problem. Going out can be an expensive experience – which in general I am cool with (well, you have to be in London!) as long as I have a good time. Last week I made the mistake of going to see the Folly Mixtures at Madame JoJos – okay, so it was only seven quid, but by the time you’ve bought your dinner in town and had a couple of glasses of wine, the cost starts to mount up. I wouldn’t mind if the show had been organised to the extent where you could see the stage without standing on your chair (no, I’m not even joking) and if JoJos hadn’t filled their venue to such a ridiculous extent that I am pretty damn certain that it breached a number of health and safety regulations. And, if the show had had a bit more to it, we might have stayed beyond the first half... I know people have been saying it for ages, but maybe staying in is the new going out after all. Last weekend I had two really great evenings quaffing wine and munching takeaway/cheese and nibbles in the front rooms of two of my chums, talking Tooting (it’s hip, dontcha know?), men (ha!), the trials and tribulations of that thing we call work (uff) and everything in-between. I admit, in the week I have been a bit of a hermit too – but this does mean that I have been busy making stuff! After a very painful introduction to cable knit (sorry sis) I managed to create a lovely cosy headband (modelled by Mr Pink) just in time for spring, and also threw together my “Bag Lady” carrier bag holder – and am thrilled to announce that I can remember chain stitch from my home economics classes at school. Yay me!
The jury is out as to how far I shall venture into the wide world this weekend, but, if the weather doesn’t start to improve, it may not be far – which means that at some point I shall have to stop procrastinating and compose a letter to be sent to the two literary agents I have chosen to approach. Yes I am scared – rejection is never a nice feeling - but I guess a girl’s gotta to what a girl’s gotta do to get what she wants out of life. Anyways, I’m off now for a lovely bath before facing the world – and whether you decide to stay in or brave the weather, have a fabulous weekend. Adios! It’s funny old world, isn’t it? This time last week, I was knackered. I’d been out four nights in a row with only Monday night off to recover after a week of hedonism with my mate Lisa (There’s a rumour going around that we’re not good for each other. Can’t think why.) and, after a gruelling week at work, I was more than ready for a weekend hibernating in my flat – and very nearly cancelled my catch up with fellow arty-type and good friend Laura. Laura was pretty knackered too, but like the troopers we are, we hauled our arses out of our pits and met for an exchange of collages (I’d left a couple of creations at Laura’s last time we met), a mooch around the South London Gallery, tea, cake, and a bit of mutual mentoring. You see, Laura and I have “buddied up” and meet once a month to talk about how we have been getting on with our respective projects – and offer moral support when things haven’t quite gone according to plan. We both work full time, have busy social and home lives and often find focusing on our creative pursuits more than a little challenging. Laura admitted that she had not done as much of her “to do” list as she had hoped – but had the excuse of a new voluntary job, manic work schedule and an addiction to Coursera – a directory of free online courses on anything from philosophy, social networking and mathematics. Take a look at your peril – Laura is currently signed up to about half a dozen courses... So, last week was busy. This week, however... has been pretty dead. Other than a rather dull evening meeting I’ve been in every night – which, whilst relaxing, does lead to a bit of cabin fever, along with an over-indulgence of jaffa cakes. Having said that, it has been a rather productive week. I’ve caught up with my writing (novel number two is at about 12,000 words and counting) and have been getting on with a bit of crafting. Not only have I made my mum a snood (modelled by Dog below) and a rosette-style brooch to accompany her ticket to see Carmen for her Birth/Mother’s Day treat, I’ve made Breezy, a metre-long beast of a draught excluder commissioned by a chum who has unusually wide doors. And tonight I’ve titivated my collage “Fist” yet again... keep an eye on the “Art” section of this website for its unveiling once I decide it’s finished.
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THE JUICEHere you will find my latest news, including what I have been up to and what I have been writing (and making). Hopefully you'll like what I have to say - and perhaps I will motivate you to get creative too... Archives
August 2015
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