Pipe Dreams and Professions

Triple play: Maroon 5

2012-01-25T13:40:00.000Z

2012 cookfest: Fruit scones recipe

2012-01-17T19:38:00.002Z

I absolutely love scones (are you a skowns or skons person? I'm the former), so here's my yummy recipe. As always, get your oven heated to 220°C and grease a baking tray. Mix 225g self-raising flour with a pinch of salt and rub in 50g butter. Stir in 25g caster sugar and 50g of currants and sultanas. Beat an egg and add 1/4 pint milk, beating well. Add this to your mixture, keeping a little bit for later on. With me so far?

Next up, dust your work surface with flour and place your mixture on your floury surface. It's worth dusting your hands too as it will be quite sticky, as well as giving your rolling pin a good covering. Keep your flour handy as it's likely you'll need to re-dust your rolling area.

Now, this depends on the individual baker to how thick and big you want your scones to be, but you need to roll a minimum of 1cm thickness. Anything up to about 2.5cm will work though. This also applies to how wide you want scones to be - it's your call!

Brush the tops with your remaining milky egg and bake in the oven for ten minutes, and voila! You'll have yummy scones to enjoy with a nice cup of tea and whatever you fancy. I like to keep things simple and stick with butter, but I know some people are staunch jam supporters whilst others love a spot of cream with their scones. Whatever you have, enjoy!

Sticky toffee pudding

2012-01-15T21:13:00.002Z

My 2012 cookfest continues with yummy sticky toffee pudding. Before you do anything, get the oven heated to 180°C. First up, put 75g sultanas and 150g chopped stone dates into a heatproof bowl with a tablespoon of bicarbonate soda. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak.

In another bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter to 200g brown sugar and mix well. Beat in two eggs, then add 200g self-raising flour. Once the mixture is nice and smooth, soak the fruits and add them to the mixture.

Once mixed in, spoon the mixture into a greased 8-inch cake tin. You can just use butter to grease the tin. Cook for about 35 minutes.

To make the sticky toffee sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, then stir in 175ml double cream and 200g brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Voila! You're done. Plate up a piece of the pudding, drizzle over the sticky toffee sauce and enjoy on its own or with cream or ice-cream - it's up to you. Enjoy!

Get into London theatre

2012-01-10T11:47:00.000Z

I'm a massive musical theatre fan, as you all know, so thought I'd share this email I received the other day in case you wanted to take advantage of cheap tickets. On shows up until February 10th you can book tickets from £10 with top price tickets costing mo more than £35. There's also no pesky booking fees/restoration levies either, which tend to get thrown on and bump up the cost.

It's through Get into London Theatre and you should take advantage if you can - it's not just musicals, but plays, dance, opera and entertainment. I'm booked in to see Mamma Mia - finally!!- but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up seeing something else. {^_^}

Watch your destiny.

2012-01-09T22:54:00.000Z

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

Teriyaki chicken stir fry

2012-01-08T17:15:00.001Z

I'm a big fan of Wagamama, but never seem to order anything but their chicken katsu curry when I go. But, yesterday when I spotted The Wagamama Cookbook on the bookshelf, I thought I'd give something else a try, the teriyaki chicken stir fry... OK, I gave something else a try only because they don't have their chicken katsu recipe in the book... And maybe Olly did most of the cooking. Maybe! ;)

First up, you need to marinate your chicken for about 3 hours, though the longer the better, so grab enough chicken fillet and slice it into bite-size chunks. The recipe says about 250g for 2 people, but we did more. Add the chicken to a bowl and add 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, 1 prepared red chili and 1 teaspoon of garlic paste. Make sure you get the chicken fully coated in the sauce and chili pieces - give it a good mix with your hands - then cover up the bowl and pop it in the fridge until it's time to cook.

You can also prep your veggies at this point so you're all ready to go when your meat is marinated enough. You need 110g of beansprouts, 1/2 red onion in thick slices, 75g of pak choi, halved, and 1/2 red pepper cut into strips. I'd say 1/2 red pepper is a lot for this recipe but it's personal choice - I'd use 1/4 of a red pepper instead. I'd also recommend adding in some more red chili if you like your food to have a bit more punch - I definitely do! You can also prepare your spring onions at this point to garnish - finely slice one spring onion.

Once your meat is marinaded and it's time to cook, prepare your rice first. We used basmati rice, which we boiled until cooked, then drained and rested it until it was time to serve up the stir fry. Once you are at that point, pour boiling hot water over the colander to warm and remove the starch, and then plate up.

Heat a wok up, without oil, until it's almost smoking, and then add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Make sure you don't get splashed! Add the meat and marinade to the wok and stir fry for about 6 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Add your beansprouts, red onion, red pepper and pak choi and stir fry for another few minutes.

Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, then serve over the rice, adding the spring onions on top. Voila! We enjoyed it with a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot and an episode, or two(!), of 24 - a perfect Saturday evening. {^_^}

D.I.Y Curry

2012-01-02T12:07:00.002Z

One of my 2012 resolutions was to cook properly - well, at least twice a month - and last night I got cracking on my first meal. I'm a big fan of Indian food (incidentally, six weeks until I go!) and with a little help from Hare's Moor (and Olly), a yummy Timatar Masala was made.

The kits contain all the spices, vegetables, bay leaves, chillies etc to make your curry - in the right quantities - but it's all fresh so you have to prepare everything yourself, such as peeling and grating the ginger and garlic, or deseeding and chopping up the chillies. (However, if you want it HOT, then remove the membrane, chop the chillies up, but add the seeds into the curry instead of discarding them.) All you need to buy is the meat you want to use, tomatoes, your rice and any side dishes you may want. It says on the packet serves 2-3, but I'd say 3 would make the portion sizes a little bit stingy.

After preparing all the ingredients, you place the first spice pack and the curry leaves into a heated oil pan, then add the chopped onions after cooking for a few seconds.

Cook until the onions are soft and light brown, for about 10 minutes. Add the chili, ginger and garlic and cook these for a few minutes.

Once that's looking good, add the next spice pack, followed by the tomatoes and salt. Either a medium tin of chopped tomatoes will suffice, or 3-4 tomatoes if you want to make this 100% home-made. Cook for a further few minutes, then add the meat. We went for chicken and used 3 fillets, chopped up into bite-size chunks.

Stir, then add water so that the chicken is half covered. Bring to boil and simmer with the lid semi-on for about 25 minutes - remember to keep stirring! About 5 minutes before you take off the lid at this stage, get cooking your rice and anything else. We had this with basmati rice that we seasoned with salt, red bell peppers, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, cloves, bay leaves and fennel, and had some garlic and coriander naan bread (I will learn to make this!) to mop up the yummy curry sauce.

Once your 25 minutes are up, add the final spice pack and stir well. Once the curry sauce is at the appropriate thickness for your taste, serve and enjoy! Oh, but make sure you remove the cassia bark before you do. {^_^} Absolutely yummy.

2012 resolutions

2012-01-01T14:33:00.001Z

2011 has been amazing, mostly, but you should always strive for MOAR! {^_^} I'm not going to include the usual 2-3 new countries to visit, more nice restaurants or musicals, but will think much more carefully about this year's resolutions. See, I'm always going to broaden my horizons in certain ways - it's part of my nature - so I need to think beyond what's normal for me and make my resolutions meaningful. {^_^}

Cook.
I'm very fortunate that O likes to cook and we get to eat out a lot - I don't actually have to cook very much. Hurrah! But, this will change. It may not sound like a lot, but I am going to make sure I cook properly at least twice a month - none of this taking food out of packaging and throwing it in the oven malarkey - and I'm not going to merely churn out tried and tested favourties. Favourite recipes, anyone?

Write!
Once upon a time this would have been what's normal for me so this wouldn't have been included in my resolutions. But, writing has fallen by the wayside, and this is going to change. I don't care if I write one hour a day or one hour a week, I need to get the creative juices flowing because it's something I love that isn't in my life any more.

Explore.
Now I don't mean the world at large, but exploring what's outside of my immediate world. Not settling for my favourite pubs in Chelsea or Hampstead but finding hidden gems. Trying out new little cafés for lunch instead of firm favourites. Spending hours just wandering wherever the road may take us or going to exhibitions of artists I don't like the look of at first glance. London is a big city and we all have our set tastes, so it's quite easy to settle and ultimately miss out. I want to explore.

2011 resolutions review

2011-12-31T14:05:00.003Z

My last post of 2010 had me looking forward rather than looking back on the year, which is how I came up with a bunch of resolutions neatly categorised into various life sections. This is how I fared:

Professionally I want to find a fabbity new job that challenges me:

I didn't have just one new job, in 2011 I worked for five different employers. Two I really loved - my freelance positions at Grayling and UNICEF - and then there were the two I really hated, to the point that I quit both of those jobs without the security of another job to go to... like you do.

Luckily both times things worked out - the first time I was out of work for six weeks, but that did mean I got to finally watch all four seasons of Mad Men, and the second time I was unemployed a grand total of half a day before I accepted the position I am in now. It's early days on that job, but it *is* fabbity and it *is* challenging me so I think I'll be just fine staying where I am job-wise in 2012.

Pipe Dream-wise I shall dedicate more time to writing and submitting my books:

Didn't happen, but things are going to change in 2012. I don't care if I spend an hour a day writing or an hour a week, book writing shall be done and once it begins I suspect I'll fall in love with writing all over again.

Money-wise I hope to clear my credit card debt and build up some savings:

Am currently paying off my credit card each month the equivalent of a *very* nice Burberry trench coat... bye-bye credit card debt in 2012!

Location-wise I need to move more central, hopefully with people I know and like:

When I wrote this resolution I was living in the French hell-hole, out in zone 3. Good news, I escaped to zone 1 and lived in Bloomsbury for 5 months, but moved again last month to zone 2. With my boyfriend who I can safely say I know and like. {^_^}

Travel-wise I'd like to spend some time in NYC and visit 2 or 3 new countries:

Will I ever get to NYC?! 2012's plan says YES, but I guess we'll only know this time next year!

I did visit those two new countries however - Italy and The Netherlands - and I guess I can claim three if I sneakily include Vatican City! Then there was the pre-Christmas getaway to Paris, a city I've been to a billion times, but somewhere Olly has never visited. Travel-wise, I had three lovely holidays in 2011. {^_^}

Taking lots of photos with my fabbity new camera, seeing a few new musicals and ticking off some more Michelin star restaurants should definitely be in the plans for 2011!

Check, check, and check! I made it to the West End/The O2 17 times this year(!) - should have been 18 but we didn't make it to Blood Brothers because of the London riots - plus dined at the likes of Rhodes W1, Swan at The Globe, Paramount, Marco Pierre White, Seven Park Place by Willian Drabble, Benares, Arbutus, Barbecoa, The Ritz, Maze and Kai.

I ate far more frequently at far less name-dropping restaurant - The Giggling Squid in Brighton, Bodean's (across London) and Tumeric Gold in Tonbridge, to name some of the best - not to mention all the yummy meals that O has cooked for me. {^_^}

Finally, I must try not to over-analyse, be indecisive or unhappy, and I will surround myself with people who are worth it. I will remember that I cannot control everything, that nothing is a given, and that in life you make your own happy ending.

Definitely. I think I'm finally getting there, Treacles, although life? Well, it's just one big learning curve, isn't it? Hope your 2011 was as you hoped, and wishing you all a fabulous and fear-free 2012 to achieve what you've always wanted to achieve. How did you fare with your 2011 resolutions? xoxo

Best films and books 2011

2011-12-30T12:29:00.001Z

I didn't make it to the cinema as much as I did in 2010 or read as many books, but I still have some clear winners of what my best films and books of 2011 are:

* The King's Speech
* Black Swan
* Source Code
* Senna
* Bridesmaids
* Rise of the Planet of the Apes
* The Adventures of Tintin
* My Week with Marilyn

Plus, it was awesome to see The Lion King and Jurassic Park on the big screen. {^_^}

Books:

* When I Lived in Modern Times - Linda Grant
* Soulless - Gail Carriger
* The Help - Kathryn Stockett
* Love in a Cold Climate - Nancy Mitford
* The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters
* The End of the Affair - Graham Greene
* Matched - Ally Condie
* To Touch the Stars - Jessica Ruston
* Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
* Gangster - Lorenzo Carcaterra
* Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion

What were your 2011 favourites? xoxo

2011 in pictures

2011-12-28T13:07:00.000Z

Triple play: Erasure

2011-12-26T11:42:00.000Z

Paris by day

2011-12-23T09:24:00.000Z

Paris - In and around the Louvre

2011-12-22T19:46:00.000Z

Paris

2011-12-21T00:28:00.011Z

Last weekend I toodled off to Paris with Olly for a long weekend in the French capital. We went on the Eurostar, a easier and much more convenient way to get there than flying, and stayed in La Villa Royale. The hotel is billed as being "at the foot of Montmartre" but equally this means it's at the edge of the Red Light District and a mere stone's throw away from the ridiculously over-priced Moulin Rouge and I-have-no-idea-how-much-they-are-priced-other-delights. ;)

The hotel is perfectly located though with each of the rooms names after famous French people. We stayed in the lovely Maurice Chevalier room which overlooks Folie's Pigalle. Despite what the view from our window suggests (see left), we found out that it's not actually a strip club as the red sign and devil lady indicates! And our hotel was perfectly respectable - honest!

The weekend was full of countless yummy food, and big snaps go to Angelina where we feasted on yummy pastries and macaroons and sipped the world-famous hot chocolate l’Africain - it's a hot chocolate that really has to be savoured and can't be guzzled because of its bitter richness. Simply beautiful though. It doesn't look like *much* above but, believe me, we were fit to burst.

We of course did the usual tourist things - a cruise down the Seine, a walk around Montmarte, the steep climb up to the Sacré-Cœur, a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, a visit to Notre Dame, admiring the Arc de Triomphe, plus a whistle-stop tour around the Louvre to name a few. There's this painting there, the Mona Lisa I think it's called... ;) Y'know, it's OK but it's not as amazing as the building itself or all the amazing sculpture that is housed there. I have to confess though, I was a little disappointed that we didn't get chance to pop next door and visit Les histoires de Babar exhibit at Musées des Arts Décoratifs. Babar!! {^_^}

Unlike me, Olly had never been to Paris before, but it was lovely to show him the sights and for me to see them with him. Plus, I've never been to Paris in December so I got to see all the lovely Christmas markets dotted around and soak up the Christmas atmosphere. All in all, a brilliant long weekend had, though I have to warn you that there is nothing romantic about going up the Eiffel Tower in December - utterly freezing! Still, at least our next holiday is on warmer shores. Until then though, we'll always have Paris. {^_^}

PS: I, of course, took ~~a thousand~~ lots of photos. There's Paris by night already up, and I'll be posting the rest later this week. I bet you can't wait. ;) xoxo

Paris by night

2011-12-20T23:18:00.001Z

Bon voyage!

2011-12-15T19:48:00.001Z

Au revoir, Treacles!

If you need me, I shall be over in Paris, definitely posing in front of the Eiffel Tower and definitely wearing a lot more clothes than I was the last time I was over in "La Ville-Lumière".

Oo-er. ;)

Expect lots more photos on my return. {^_^}

xoxo

Olly's Christmas Triple Play

2011-12-11T11:24:00.001Z

Apparently *my* Christmas triple plays aren't good enough - here and here - so here are O's. I still don't get what's wrong with Cascada's version of "Last Christmas" mind... ;)

Winter Wonderland 2011

2011-12-10T08:40:00.003Z

Photos taken last weekend at Winter Wonderland 2011. I'd love to say it was amazing, but it was rammed to the point of extreme hideousness - definitely wasn't that manic last year - plus we suffered at the hands of pickpockets. A true shame because there looked to be some gorgeous goodies at the Christmas Market, but we couldn't get close enough and we had that uninforced cash issue thrust upon us...

Still, at least there's one positive. Here are some photos to save you having to go down there:

Vatican: Part II

2011-12-09T09:52:00.002Z

Vatican: Part I

2011-12-09T09:52:00.000Z

Roma: Best of the rest, Part II

2011-12-08T16:32:00.001Z

Roma: Best of the rest, Part I

2011-12-08T16:29:00.001Z

Retro triple play: Christmas songs

2011-12-08T16:00:00.000Z

Triple play: Christmas songs

2011-12-02T16:07:00.001Z

Oh, and there's this version of "All I want for Christmas". Ruined by Justin Bieber, not to mention SELL-OUT Mariah. *shakes fist*

Home, sweet home

2011-11-20T20:58:00.000Z

Ask the question.

2011-11-18T21:37:00.002Z

The Iron Lady

2011-11-15T21:21:00.000Z

This. The new trailer for The Iron Lady. Cannot. WAIT. {^_^}

The Hunger Games

2011-11-14T20:07:00.003Z

The trailer for The Hunger Games was released today - looks epic - and the books are an amazing read so make sure you read them before the film is released in March! {^_^}

Beautiful adventure.

2011-11-13T21:38:00.000Z

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."

~ Jawaharlal Nehru

Materialism? Immaterial.

2011-11-09T18:58:00.002Z

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy."

~ Eric Hoffer

Never a truer word said. And especially correct with me when it comes to clothes. And bags. And shoes. Oh, and underwear. I mean, I have three drawers of underwear - THREE! And we're not just talking poky little drawers, but double width ones. Which is all well and good - though, let's face it, how many pairs of knickers can you honestly get through in one day? Two would be pushing it and at the rate I'm going at, I won't have to wash any smalls for more than a month... - but when you come to move places, that's when you start to think you should perhaps reduce three drawers worth to one. Oh, and severely reduce the rest of the wardrobes' contents.

Yes, I am moving again, and this time I'm not just moving flats. Oh no. I'm moving into what I hope will be a home. A lovely home with gorgeous country-style wooden floors (none of that laminated "wooden" pretend malarkey), our very own bathroom and where we start a whole new adventure. Yes, I said our and we. O and I are moving in together and I'd probably be terrified at the prospect of living with a man if the thought of not being with him wasn't more terrifying. (Not to mention that we've unofficially been living together since June so you can't really get all precious over something that's already happening - I'm not *that* much of a drama queen.)

But, it's not just that. Tomorrow I start my new job, which I'm very much looking forward to. It's one client, but it's not just the UK social media side I'll be looking after. I'm looking after the client's social media in ten countries.

So, new house, new job. But definitely no new man. {^_^} x

New endings.

2011-11-07T17:30:00.000Z

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”

~T.S. Eliot

Compatible weirdness.

2011-11-02T20:09:00.002Z

"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love."

~Robert Fulghum

Stormy thoughts.

2011-10-28T16:11:00.000+01:00

"Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thought that is forever flowing through one's head."

~ Mark Twain

There's a reason he's called the best man

2011-10-27T15:14:00.000+01:00

Me and the handsome best man. {^_^}

I think it's fair to say we were "merry" by this point...

Amazing wedding favour - we all got a book! {^_^}

Latest loves: TV Edition

2011-10-23T20:48:00.000+01:00

Triple play: Tinie Tempah

2011-10-22T19:20:00.000+01:00

Amsterdam 2011

2011-10-21T19:48:00.002+01:00

Check your fluff.

2011-09-28T15:28:00.000+01:00

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

~ A. A. Milne

Windsor and Eton

2011-09-26T20:48:00.000+01:00

If you fancy a wee jaunt to a purty place, head over to Berkshire and visit Windsor and Eton.

Windsor, of course, is home to Windsor Castle - it's a tad pricey at £16.50 to get in, but that does let you have entry for one year if you remember to get your ticket stamped.

Lovely. {^_^}

Now, let me get Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court Palace crossed off my list...

Triple play: Key. Dollar sign. Ha.

2011-09-25T13:39:00.001+01:00

Shortlisted. PRCA Freelancer of the Year Award 2011.

2011-09-21T12:14:00.003+01:00

Oh. Hi. PRCA Freelancer of the Year 2011 shortlist? Yep. There I am on it! {^_^}

Am utterly stoked and very proud to have made the shortlist for the work I did for UNICEF UK, in particular the #unicefirl campaign. Fingers crossed! x

Failure to deliver. Again. Wahanda customer review.

2011-09-20T19:29:00.004+01:00

I'm no stranger to making purchases online. I've been partaking for 13 years - half my life - and back in March I tried my first spa deal through lastminute.com. So, when Wahanda grabbed my attention on Twitter shortly after that, I was keen to give it a go.

In theory it sounds brilliant. Like your Groupon or LivingSocial offers, it works on the premise of group-buying. Because so many people are buying, you get a group discount and you get to enjoy a massage or a manicure, let's say, for a reduced price. Brilliant in theory.

My first foray into Wahanda didn't start well. I booked an hour long couple's Thai massage at Pho Thai in Islington for the bargainous price of £20. Except when I phoned up to book in, I was told I would have to pay the full price for a massage - bear in my mind I'd already paid through Wahanda - because they were refusing to fulfil the voucher due to its popularity... Great. Suddenly this didn't seem too hot a deal and surely a cap should have been placed on the offer, but I accepted this and contacted Wahanda for a refund. They were perfectly nice about it - very lovely - and I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Last night the boyfriend and I toddled off to Islington again, but this time to ZEN Health and Beauty for another couple's massage - this time a bargainous £33 for an hour full-body massage, followed by scalp massage. Except it didn't happen. The woman was very insistent that it was Wahanda's fault, but it just wasn't her deal on the website - the website still had it up reading as a package for two when she showed me it, but she insisted that it should have been for one person and that we weren't the first people who were led to believe it was for two people. Whether it was the salon realising they weren't going to make a profit and refusing to fulfil, or whether it was a mistake on Wahanda's part, either way we had paid for one thing, but were then told we wouldn't be getting what we paid for. Advertising Standard Authority, anyone?

So, once again I contacted Wahanda to ask for a refund not only on this treatment but on two other treatments I've purchased on Wahanda but hadn't yet tried to make those elusive appointments for. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Wahanda have issued my refunds, but there has been no apology from them, no nothing, other than their standard email of "Sorry it didn't work out this time, but we look forward to seeing you again soon." It's not *merely* customer service to apologise to the customer, it's actually good manners as well.

Wahanda is a company that won't be getting my custom in the future, and I'd urge you to consider whether making that 50% saving today is worth the hassle of having to ask for that refund and missing out on the treatments you were looking forward to a few weeks later when you try to use your deal. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love Wahanda, but for me they've failed to deliver twice and the lack of apology for my experience with them means they won't be getting a third chance.

Turtles are scary. (And Bambi is a girl.)

2011-09-16T17:05:00.000+01:00

Thumper: I'm a mountain lion! Roar!

Bambi: I'm a... I'm a bear! Maaa!

Flower: I'm a turtle. Rrrr!

[pause]

Flower: What? Turtles are so scary.

~ Bambi

PS: Ronno: "Bambi? Isn't that a girl's name?" <-- Yes, yes it is. {^_^} xoxo

Triple play: Snoop Dogg

2011-09-07T22:29:00.000+01:00

London Life: One Year On

2011-09-06T23:40:00.000+01:00

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

~ Søren Kierkegaard

Triple play: Queen

2011-09-05T01:28:00.002+01:00

Today's triple play is in honour of Freddie, who would have been 65 today.

Oh, go on then. A triple play movie bonus... They also happen to be from three films I utterly love. *squeals* Has to be because of the Queen in them, right? {^_^}

Life of late [Photo blog]

2011-09-04T21:38:00.011+01:00

Playing tourist in London with the family and O.

Eating yummy meals at Arbutus, Benares, The Ritz and Barbecoa.

Introducing O to the Dorset side of the family.

Admiring cars (and getting wet) with O at Chelsea Auto Legends 2011.

Not to mention: Reading Festival, Dreamboats and Petticoats, Gotham City seats to see Batman Live, plus getting to grips with my new job. Life of late, Treacles? Full of O, and it's never been so fabbity. {^_^} HAPPY.

How are you all? xoxo

[FYI: All photos mine, except the second restaurant set.]

Triple play: Reading Festival 2011

2011-08-27T09:13:00.007+01:00

Triple play: Avril Lavigne

2011-08-18T21:21:00.009+01:00

Someone Once Told Me

2011-08-18T12:10:00.002+01:00

Check out my Someone Once Told Me. {^_^} x

Love.

2011-08-16T09:47:00.000+01:00

"How do you spell 'love'?" Piglet asked Pooh.

"I don't have to spell it," said Pooh. "I just feel it."

~ A. A. Milne

Operation Blonde.

2011-08-15T10:23:00.005+01:00

This was my bee-yoot-iful blonde hair:

And then I decided to go red:

But after three months of red I've decided I now want to go back blonde... Hello bleach. Except in real life it's not *as* nice as it could be... And still has bits of red in it...

Give me a few weeks though - it will be bee-yoot-iful again (or will have fallen out. Maybe that's why Britney shaved all hers off that time?!) x

It's time to share

2011-08-11T08:52:00.000+01:00

He's starving. We're not. It's time to share.

Right now, a child is dying of hunger in Somalia every six minutes. And unless we do something about it, children are going to carry on dying. It’s simple. Children are hungry. We’re not. They have no food. We do. It’s time to share what we have to save lives.

Please donate now so UNICEF can save lives. Text SHARE to 78866 to donate £5, enough to feed a malnourished child for a week, or you can donate online.

But, don't stop there. Share further. Tell your friends. Show them this blog post. Email it. Share it on Facebook. Tweet #timetoshare. Retweet it. Tweet again. Shout it from the rooftops. See, the more we share, the more children’s lives we’ll save. It's that simple.

Beauty review: JINNYlash

2011-08-10T22:34:00.004+01:00

At the weekend I toodled down to JINNY Salon, just off Bond Street, to have half a set of JINNYlash put on. The ridiculously unfair thing about being a girl - compared to men who don't *need* long eyelashes, yet unfairly have them anyway - is that we have to enhance our lashes with mascara and what not to make our eyes pop out.

Seeing my best friend Vix with her awesome set of eyelashes immediately made me jealous and want my own set put on. Luckily, I saw a tweet asking if anyone was interested in getting a set done, then sharing their experiences about it, to which I obviously said YES!

I can't really tell you much about the process as I picked my lash length (a little longer than if I was wearing mascara), closed my eyes, and let them get on with putting on the 40 eyelashes per eye to make up a half set. But, it was quick, pain-free (always a concern with anyone having a beauty treatment for the first time) and I was pretty darn pleased with the end result.

The lashes are silk and curve naturally so they don't look artificial as can be the case with those do-it-yourself eyelash brands, and the fact that each lash is put on individually really makes a difference. Depending on how you look after them, they can last AGES until they fall out naturally, but touch ups can be done by the salon for £1 per lash if you do lose some along the way.

One thing that I will point out though is that I doubt my lashes will last as long as they could because a) I wear contact lenses so have more day-to-day contact with my eyes and b) I also suffer from hayfever, getting dry, itchy eyes and I have to use eye spray quite often to relieve them. As with anything, it depends on you as an individual to how long something will last and I've noticed already that I've lost some lashes, but I know that's because of my behaviour. You can see on this picture of my eye taken five days after I had them put on that the inner lashes aren't as prominent as on the rest of my eyes.

But, I'm still thrilled with them, despite this. It's quite refreshing not to have to struggle to take my mascara off properly on an evening, which I never do anyway - I love my mascara (Chanel's Inimitable waterproof mascara), but it's a bugger to get off if you're feeling lazy. More often that not I wake up with panda eyes... Oops. I for one will be booking another appointment for October - the full set this time - when I have a wedding to attend, but also when I fancy making my eyes pop. After all, a girl has got to do what a girl has to do to combat the unfairness of men getting those long lashes!

If you agree with this male eyelash injustice and want to have some JINNYlash put on to level the playing field, then until August 15th you can book an hour of treatment and get a full set put on for £50, instead of the usual £150. Bookings can be made up until November 2011 - visit their site for more info, or call 0207 495 8383 to book.

Roma: Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Navona e Pantheon

2011-08-04T09:05:00.002+01:00

All photos are © Claire Michelle Field - No reproduction without permission

Roma: Colosseum and Forum

2011-08-03T22:11:00.001+01:00

All photos are © Claire Michelle Field - No reproduction without permission

Retro Love: Back To The 80's

2011-08-02T16:17:00.000+01:00

Holiday Love - Roma: Gelato

2011-08-02T09:25:00.001+01:00

Holiday Love - Roma: Music Edition

2011-08-01T12:05:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday, Harry.

2011-07-31T22:22:00.002+01:00

"Tell me one last thing," said Harry. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

Valuable nothingness.

2011-07-27T12:28:00.000+01:00

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

~ A. A. Milne

Favour today.

2011-07-05T12:42:00.000+01:00

"What day is it?"

It's today," squeaked Piglet.

My favorite day," said Pooh."

~A.A. Milne

Latest Loves: The UBS edition

2011-07-04T22:46:00.000+01:00

Glee Live! In Concert! 2011

2011-06-27T00:35:00.003+01:00

I love musicals. We all know this. And awesome seats at musicals, it goes without saying. So it comes as no surprise that I'm a bit of a fan of the TV show Glee. And y'know, given they are touring this summer ... A-huh! It has to mean awesome seats at Glee!

You know those teeny bopper concerts with 12 year olds screeching like banshees at their pop idols? Yeah, that was me. When Puck (Mark Salling) came on and was a mere 7 metres away from me, I shattered glass. Well, I would have done if they didn't make you put your drinks in plastic cups (that's why they do that Treacles, FYI.) To be fair though, I screeched pretty much non-stop.

The show opened with the pretty sweet moving warm act of The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. But, of course, it opens with Don't Stop Believin' - the signature song - after a video intro from Sue and Mr Schu.

The show has a narration to it, so it wasn't them just singing the songs, and included such gems as Brittany asking if anyone wanted to go up on stage. Her response? "Well, you can't." CLASSIC!

I was giddy throughout and utterly adored the inclusion of The Warblers (cue, more screaming). It's a high energy gem of a show, though it wasn't glitch free. During Santana's take on Valerie, the mic didn't work for the opening lines, which seemed to throw her and the song was very weak. I'd have preferred them covering Bad Romance to Lady Gaga's Born this Way, and some of the set list wasn't that WOW in terms of song choice. Seriously, Ke$ha's Tik Tok - that would have been AWESOME SAUCE, Treacles!

All-in-all, utterly fabbity and I'll definitely go again if they do another tour. Can I go to McKinley High, please!? I think I'd fit in well.{^_^}

Set list:

1. Don't Stop Believin'
2. Dog Days Are Over
3. Sing

4. I'm a Slave 4 U

5. Fat Bottomed Girls
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand
7. Ain't No Way

8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
9. Born This Way
11. Teenage Dream - The Warblers

12. Silly Love Songs - The Warblers
13. Raise Your Glass - The Warblers
14. Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy

15. Lucky
16. River Deep, Mountain High
17. Jessie's Girl
18. Valerie
19. Loser Like Me

20. Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

21. The Safety Dance
22. Empire State of Mind
23. Somebody to Love

Balloons.

2011-06-23T15:46:00.000+01:00

“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”

~ A. A. Milne

The Royal Ballet Live at The O2

2011-06-22T12:09:00.000+01:00

At the weekend, I headed to see Kenneth MacMillan's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, performed in the massive Millennium Dome (it'll always be that to me, just like it will always be the BA London Eye - sorry marketing teams). It's the first time The Royal Ballet have performed at the Dome, on a stage that's 10 times the size of the Royal Opera House. Which, made it interesting.

Tamara Rojo as Juliet was amazing - much stronger than the male principal, Carlos Acosta - but the sheer size of the stage and the modernisation of the ballet with the use of video really hindered the performance, for me anyway. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were also brilliant, but the 'widening' of the ballet to a less traditional audience, in a less traditional space, probably shouldn't be a venture that should be repeated.

Enjoyable, but not amazing.

Does Elmo have to?

2011-06-20T21:22:00.000+01:00

Let's see what happens.

2011-06-18T07:56:00.000+01:00

"Hallo, Rabbit,” he said, “is that you?”

"Let’s pretend it isn’t,” said Rabbit, “and see what happens."

~ A. A. Milne

And they say she's so LUCKY.

2011-06-14T22:58:00.001+01:00

I'm so excited, Treacles. Over the next few weeks I have some amazing treats coming up, starting with a trip to the old school Millennium Dome to see The Royal Ballet Live at The O2, with Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo performing as Romeo and Juliet. Amazing.

The following weekend I'm back at The O2 for Glee Live (floor seating, right at the front - squeeeeee!) and then I'll be seeing Ke$ha a few weeks later at her Get Sleazy tour, supported by LMFAO. *dies*

I may be getting sleazy that evening and brushing my teeth with a bottle of Jack, but the next morning after Ke$ha I shall be looking much more respectable as I jet off to Rome. {^_^}

Life is good, Treacles. They say she's so lucky. I truly am. What are you all looking forward to? xoxo

I'm on the edge. (Of glory.)

2011-06-13T19:19:00.001+01:00

Triple play: Dashboard Confessional

2011-06-12T00:01:00.008+01:00

Out of reach.

2011-06-11T21:35:00.000+01:00

Honeyed anticipation.

2011-06-09T13:02:00.000+01:00

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.

~A.A. Milne

Welcome home.

2011-06-06T12:34:00.001+01:00

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This weekend, just gone, I moved to Bloomsbury. GLORIOUS. {^_^} x

Time. No excuse.

2011-06-03T15:31:00.005+01:00

“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking”

~ John Lubbock

Promise me.

2011-05-31T11:54:00.000+01:00

Christopher Robin to Pooh:

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

~ A. A. Milne

Dancing Girls

2011-05-26T23:02:00.001+01:00

This would be me and Vix on one of my Birthday Bonanza nights. We're awesome fun when there's a #lushalert going on - I never look that animated sober ... unless yummy food or musical theatre is involved, that is. ;) Now, imagine what we'd have been like if there had been a dance floor involved! xoxo

Dancing Girls from Lexplex on Vimeo <-- Awesome! Totes!

Triple play: Roxette

2011-05-19T21:52:00.001+01:00

*

*

TNW: What about full social media disclosure?

2011-05-16T23:50:00.000+01:00

Over on The Next Web today you can find my article on Twitter usage is scaling new heights, but what about full disclosure?

Make sure you have a read! xoxo

You know your campaign has made it when...

2011-05-16T17:12:00.004+01:00

... it's made into a cartoon and is in The Sunday Times! #thehat is doing incredibly - £15,700 at the moment! {^_^} x

The story of stories, a warning [Fiction]

2011-05-16T12:09:00.001+01:00

[Randomly found this saved in my drafts that I bashed out a few months ago and never published - a random, semi-dystopian short story. Enjoy!? x]

There was a girl. This is not her story. But rather it's the supposed story of randomness and coincidences, synchronisation and serendipity. She's integral to this, like you all are, but she's like a needle in a haystack - sometimes what can't be found doesn't cost tears at the end of the day, despite what you may think, and sometimes what you do find isn't very good at all. That's not your decision though, it's not her decision, it's what's sold to you.

There was a boy. This isn't his story either. It's also the story they sold to him.

There was this. There was that. And frankly, there was the other. The 'A' category market. Or B to the power of 11, with a disposable income of 75%. The movers. The shakers. The 'no frills' or Primarni brigade. Each one to tap into, each one to exploit for maximum return.

"This will make your life better," the proclaimed. "No, this will!" was battle-cried back.

"Be more social. Information is the new currency."

"Currency has always been currency," someone tried to defend back, but it fell on deaf ears.

So, they told everything. Because that's what everyone did. Nothing was sacred, nothing was held back, it was out there for all and sundry to see. And they said it made the stories sell better, because they knew everything, but there were people who had their doubts. This just meant they had to sell the story some more. Everyone has a story, they proclaimed, it's just tapping into the right one.

And do you know what, maybe they are right. Maybe it will always be that way. Until, The End.

Follow your heart

2011-05-14T11:21:00.000+01:00

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do and damned if you don't.”

~Eleanor Roosevelt

#thehat Princess Beatrice's charity auction

2011-05-13T19:57:00.000+01:00

"Have you told anyone?"

"Not a soul," was my answer.

I'm talking about #thehat, of course, one of the biggest secrets I've ever kept. I honestly didn't think we would get something that would eclipse #unicefirl - an incredible campaign for me to be the social media driving force behind (working alongside a brilliant team, of course) - but I get the feeling that #thehat will eclipse it.

If you're like what hat, where have you been?! It was leaked on Oprah! It's everywhere!

Yes, Princess Beatrice is amazingly auctioning the hat she wore to the Royal Wedding for Children in Crisis and UNICEF, which is where I happen to be the Social Media Manager. Because of this, I'm the person in charge of all the social media surrounding this, for both charities, which is not only phenomenally exciting, but also a bit of an honour and privilege, I must say.

I'm pleased to report that we've already had the first bid in, from none other than Duncan Bannatyne(!), who delightfully "modelled" the hat in this TwitPic, and it currently stands at £5,900. If you want to know how you'd look wearing the hat, there is a Twibbon so you can model it on your Twitter or Facebook picture.

I have a feeling that during this auctioin ... well, it's going to evoke some pretty fabbity and interesting conversations, and already has done from Stephen Fry and The Today Show tweeting about it. Amazing!

I ruddy love my job. {^_^}

Musical Review: Shrek The Musical

2011-05-11T23:00:00.001+01:00

I'm lucky. Incredibly lucky. Not only did I get to see a freebie of Jersey Boys last weekend, sitting in prime seats - was the second time for me seeing this one, but still incredible - well tonight I got to see a freebie of Shrek The Musical, a musical I've been excited about for MONTHS. Shrek marked my 9th visit to the theatre in 2011; my 12th visit since moving to London 9 months ago. Yes, I'm a West Endaholic.

The previews of Shrek opened on May 6th, with the show having its official launch next month. Now, I've been to previews before and found them to be bloody awful - see Thriller Live - but Shrek was truly a joy from start to finish, definitely taking the spot for my 2nd favourite musical (my heart still belongs to Mary Poppins). But, bearing in mind how many West End productions I've seen, the number 2 spot still means it's INCREDIBLE.

For me, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad absolutely *made* the show. You're supposed to hate the villain, but he was so brilliant, so deliciously dubious, that you couldn't help but fall in love with him. Not to mention that the role of Lord Farquaad requires the actor playing that part to be a little short, let's say - Harman executed this spectacularly which landed him the biggest cheers in the house when he was on stage.

Alongside Harman, Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona also got some pretty loud cheers. She was amazing, as was Nigel Lindsay as Shrek and Richard Blackwood as Donkey. The entrance of Donkey was an entrance, I'll certainly say that!

It's a superb cast all round though, and this extends to the minor characters, with Jonathan Stewart nailing it as Pinocchio and the brilliant Landi Oshinowo as the voice of the dragon. The choreography, especially the numbers involving the fairy tale creatures, Lord Farquaad and the knights/workers of Duloc, as are there costumes. Simply breathtaking! I could go on and on and rave about this - the clever script, the brilliant jokes, the amazing use of set, such as the bridge to the Princess's tower - but I urge you all to go and see Shrek instead. You'll thank me for it. I know I certainly will be making another trip to Drury Lane to the Theatre Royal for this one. {^_^}

Johnny Depp teaches me a valuable lesson

2011-05-10T16:59:00.002+01:00

Johnny Depp taught me a valuable lesson, but his advice came about too little, too late.

Now I'd love to be able to tell you a story that I was casually hanging about in *insert swanky but off-the-wall celebrity hangout* and Depp spotted me.

"My goodness," he thought to himself, "isn't that?"

As he pushed up his beany hat and squinted over, he realised it was. Me, that is.

"Johnny, old boy!" I exclaimed. "It's been a while. I've not seen you since you were, quite frankly Treacle, looking a little *too* skinny with Angelina in Venice. Playing 'Tourist' were we?" I quipped, to chuckles all around, before the suave Londoners remembered that they should be showing nonchalance to having a celebrity in their midst.

He raised his eyebrow at me, the other one at the hovering server who scurried off to get us a bottle, and he sat down. We chatted, chewed the fat, and he told me something that I wish I'd heard last year. He's a wise man is that Mr Depp. A wise man.

What did he say? Well you'll find that out when my first book hits the shelves... whenever that might be. ;)

Birthday bonanza

2011-05-07T00:40:00.001+01:00

Photos are a mixture from my collection and Alex's collection.

I love you, guys. {^_^} xoxo

#unicefirl Twitter takeover

2011-05-06T21:35:00.001+01:00

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again, I'm very lucky that I'm currently working for UNICEF UK who are very forward-thinking when it comes to social media - particularly considering they are a charity - and I'm extremely lucky that they trust my judgment when it comes to social media matters.

I have two major social media campaigns happening this month - I'm ridiculously excited about them, though I can't tell you anything about them at the moment - but these two campaigns have a tough act as they follow my phenomenally successful first campaign. This was the #unicefirl Twitter takeover campaign - that is, UNICEF In Real Life - which in 48 hours had 1.1 million unique Twitter accounts see the #unicefirl tweets, from 4.8 million impressions.

I'm not going to say any more about this on here, even though I'm immensely proud of the campaign, and that's because over on Community Channel I've put a blog post up about it.

Make sure you have a read, but also keep an eye out on the @UNICEF_UK account this month because there's another two incredible campaigns coming up. I honestly didn't think it could be done, but I'm hopeful that we'll fare just as well with these campaigns, raising awareness and money for a truly wonderful charity.

TNW: Social Media Scandal. Blame the Intern?

2011-05-06T21:21:00.000+01:00

Over on The Next Web today you can find my article on Who should get the blame for corporate social media mishaps?

Make sure you have a read! xoxo

Indifferent.

2011-05-05T23:04:00.001+01:00

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”

~ Elie Wiesel

Sunflowers

2011-05-02T22:14:00.003+01:00

Sunflowers 1888 by Vincent van Gogh is one of my favourite paintings, despite my heart belonging to the Abstract and Cubist movements (Kandinsky and Picasso in particular), and sunflowers are probably my favourite type of flowers.

Seeing this painting at the National Gallery never fails to make me smile, and coming out of the National Gallery to be greeted by blue skies and the sight of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square and Big Ben in the not-so-far distance reminds me I'm truly lucky to live in London.

Hope you've all had lovely long weekends. x

It takes time, there's no quick or magical fix.

2011-05-01T15:57:00.004+01:00

I learnt a long time ago that you can try and party away your pain and change your hair colour, but you can't escape yourself as much as you'd like to. Heaven knows I'm trying to escape myself at the moment.

And the thing is, I know I lead a charmed life, that I'm luckier than most. My 'rents reproach me for complaining, ask what more could I possibly want from life when I seemingly have everything. I go on holiday 3-4 times a year, I can indulge my love for top-price theatre tickets, champagne and dining out every night, and I've never known what it's like to want something material - if I want something, I'll go out and buy it. I'm clever, creative and can write up a storm. I'm loyal, funny, can eat what I want and still stay skinny, and I'm not likely to be mistaken for Quasimodo's sister.

But, I've quite often been told - semi-unfairly, I'd like to point out - that the "real world" isn't what my life is like, that people let me get away with blue murder and that, basically, I'm spoilt. Yes, I agree, that on the surface things seem well for me. That the perception I put out there is one of a charmed life and, to some extent, I can't deny these accusations.

The trouble is though, that's just the surface. It's the pretence I lead to try and get through being plagued with a depression that's always been there. Mostly I can rein it in, but of late I've not been able to, and I'm spiralling into the funk I experienced back in 2006 when it was one thing after another - too much for anyone to cope with. Which means it's not just been the low mood, it's been the lack of sleep as my insomnia has also made its return. I'm cranky, can't keep my anger in check and I quite often lash out at those I love. On a day-to-day basis, I can keep it together - function at work, go through the motions - but there's a weariness that I'm battling at the moment that seems uncontrollable at times.

There are two types of people in this world when it comes to depression. There are those who understand, who realise there's a little voice there in your head when you're low or lashing out that tells you that what you're doing needs to stop, but they realise - like you do - that you can't control this overwhelming emotion as much as that little voice tries to make itself heard. They are the people who support you. They don't make you feel that you can't talk to them about it or make you feel that the depression you have is a stigma - yes, even in today's world with the proliferation of mass media portraying depression in the way it does, it can still feel like a stigma to admit to being depressed. I'm not talking feeling low - everyone feels low from time to time - I'm talking depression. There really is a difference.

And then there's those who have never seen a loved one crumble, who don't get it, who think by telling you to "snap out of it" that you can because it's *that* easy to do so.Why on earth didn't I think of *snapping* out of it before?! My goodness, *thanks* for that valuable input, I'm cured! Feelings when it comes to depression are like a broken dam - once that barrier breaks down, you can't stop them flooding out. As much as you desperately try to fix that broken barrier, or hear that little voice telling you to overcome this, it feels like a seemingly impossible task.

It takes time, there's no quick or magical fix, and you worry that by admitting something like this that it will impact on your relationships, your friendships, or possibly even your future career in a world where employers Google potential employees. Not to mention how it *personally* impacts and skewers your thoughts.

Well, do you know what, I'm only human. I said in January, and I will keep reiterating this:

To err is human, to forgive divine. We all make mistakes. But it's picking ourselves up from them, forgiving ourselves and moving on, that's what matters.

I accept that I'm broken or "faulty" as The Boy used to say - a perfect example of someone who, at times, I wrongly lashed out at, (but not *all* those times I lashed out were wrong). But, in accepting this, I accept that I'm human. That there are the bad parts to me as much as there are the good parts, and that those people who only want or "accept" you when you're "playing perfect", well, they really aren't people worthy of your time or love.

I will get through this again, taking the rough with the smooth, but I know that there is no quick or magical fix, as much as we'd all like there to be. If I can accept this in a society which encourages us to be perfect and to not show our weaknesses - even if by doing so we're living a lie - then, perhaps, one day, we should all be able to accept this. I'd like to think so anyway. Thank you for reading. xoxo

Quotes. Royal Wedding Edition.

2011-04-29T22:01:00.000+01:00

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

~ A. A. Milne

Go Shorty. It's your BIRTHDAY

2011-04-27T12:36:00.000+01:00

Reflections. This was 25.

2011-04-26T21:16:00.001+01:00

Where to begin when reflecting upon the past year on the eve of my 26th birthday? It's tough, but it's been a tough year. Equally, it's been an amazing year. I guess the two cancel each other out. Maybe.

It's not often I struggle with words, fail to articulate myself, but writing this is somewhat bittersweet. That's because the person who kept me on the phone until midnight so he could be the first to wish me a happy birthday, the person who started my 25th birthday with me, well - we no longer talk.

When you feel like you spent most of your year loving someone who never loved you back and who kept you removed from their daily life.

When you're made to feel that everything you say or do is a crime and you don't fight your corner; when you feel worthless and cry more than you smile.

When you're left to deal with the scariest thing ever on your own and the person who isn't there to support you is instead tweeting about some random girl on the tube: "Girl using her iPhone to check her make-up. She doesn't know it yet, but I've just met my future wife." Yes, it was a "funny" tweet, but when it's the umpteenth "funny" tweet of that nature and considering what personal torment I was going through at that time, is there any wonder I sunk even further into the depths of despair?

I've told The Boy I will never forgive him and I don't think I will, which I don't like. Not only was he The Boy, he was one of my best friends. I know I can't honestly claim that it was an entirely miserable relationship, but sadly the bad times have overshadowed the brilliant ones and the memories I'm left with are those of puffy eyes and glum feelings.

Not only that, the impact of that ruined another relationship that took place in my 25th year. I pushed The Other One away thinking he'd treat me exactly the same way as The Boy did. In my 26th year I will try and give any relationship I have - unlikely, I want lots of me time - the chance to develop on its own merits without letting my past wrongly impact upon it.

That's a big lesson I've taken away from my 25th year.

This year my determination has come back. Funny how telling me I can't achieve something will make me make it happen in deference. I'm a Taurean (and a Field) for a reason. I've gone from working at the University of Leeds --> Middlesex University --> Grayling --> UNICEF and The Next Web. My career has gone from strength to strength - despite those who said I'd never get anywhere in the digital industry - and I know there are further exciting times coming up for me this summer. I've also got a full manuscript with a publishing house at the moment in consideration for a book deal.

I rightly said back in December:

My recent pain has already been useful to me in a short space of time, it's shown me what I'm made of and reiterated what I want to achieve and *can* achieve. 2010 has been a transitional year for me, but it's been worth it because I know it will make 2011 a definitive year.

Definitely true.

These career changes meant a move from Yorks to London, and I'm finally feeling settled in The Big Smoke. It was tough at first - really tough - but I've made some brilliant new friends and I'm finally having so much fun in London. Changing jobs has a lot to do with this - I was really miserable at Middlesex, but I took it because it was the first job I was offered to get me down to London and to The Boy. Oh. The irony. A big shout-out goes out to Victoria, who most definitely has BFF status alongside Bojangles and The Wife - I don't know how I would have survived these past six months without you. Thank you. xoxo

This year I asked for help. Some of you will know what that's in reference to. I needed that help. Never be afraid to ask for help if you need it, Treacles.

I went from blonde to brown to blonde to red, and had 9 inches cut off. FYI, I only ever change my hair from blonde in times of great adversity. Speaks volumes.

I spent too much money, went to the theatre too many times, and drank far too much champagne. 2011 will no doubt be the same. But, as long as I'm smiling this year, I don't care. I also said at the end of 2010:

I must try not to over-analyse, be indecisive or unhappy, and I will surround myself with people who are worth it. I will remember that I cannot control everything, that nothing is a given, and that in life you make your own happy ending.

Here's to a happy 26th year. Happy birthday to me tomorrow. {^_^} And here's to a new start. This was 25; 26 is going to be utterly FABBITY, I'm going to make sure of it. xoxo

Latest Loves: Kids react to viral videos

2011-04-24T12:13:00.000+01:00

I ruddy love Kids react to viral videos:

Chaotic soul.

2011-04-23T11:30:00.000+01:00

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."

~ Nietzsche

Facing fear.

2011-04-22T12:51:00.001+01:00

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'

~Eleanor Roosevelt

TNW: Tackling obesity, the digital native way

2011-04-17T11:19:00.000+01:00

Over on The Next Web you can find my article on Tackling obesity, the digital native way.

Make sure you have a read! xoxo

Drinking habits.

2011-04-17T11:07:00.000+01:00

"I drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."

~ Madame Lilly Bollinger