Liebster Blog Award

So hello again!  Long time no posts and for that I really do apologise.  It's been a very hectic time over the last month.  Lots of things going on and not a lot of time to do anything else.  But I'm back... and this time with a more personal post as when I was browsing the web last week I discovered that Lifelola had been nominated for the Liebster blog award. This award is all about supporting the smaller blogs out there and although it seems that there are different variations on what you post these are the things that are common to all:

• answer 11 questions that have been asked of you
• post 11 random things about yourself
• nominate other bloggers and create 11 new questions for these bloggers to answer

So, thank you Doris from Diary of an Interior Novice for nominating me; here are your questions and my answers:

• What is your favourite day of the week?  Wednesday (broken the back of the week)
• What is the weather like outside your window? Overcast and grey
• Who is the most inspiring person in your chosen field? The dedicated teacher
• What is your favourite piece of furniture in your home and why? My large white feather sofas because they wrap themselves around you like a hug when you sit down (unless my children got there first!)
• What is the first thing that you do when you get home? Cuddle the cats/children depending on which allows me near them, otherwise have a cup of tea
• What is your favourite food? Italian
• What is your favourite colour?  green or pink
• Do you prefer dresses or jeans? Depends on my mood
• When do you blog?  Not enough currently, but usually in the evenings
• What was your favourite subject at school?  English/History
• What's your favourite TV show?  The Good Wife

Ok, so, 11 random things about me are:

1.  I'll choose savoury over sweet every time
2.  I read cookery books at night in bed like others read a novel
3.  I devour books and when I'm on a roll can get through 4/5 books a week
4.  I hate it when people are late
5.  I go to bed ridiculously early during the week
6.  Swimming is one of my passions, especially in the sea, rivers or lakes
7.  Spiders scare me
8.  I love big snuggly jumpers
9.  My current moto is 'don't look back because you're not going that way'
10.  Patience is not something that comes easily to me!
11.  I prefer to go shopping on my own

Now here are the blogs that I nominate:

htttp/www.jeffreydallan.blogspot.com

http/www.aquietstyle.co.uk

http/www.thebrand-stylist.com

http/www.pippajamesoninteriors.co.uk

and these are my questions for you:

• If you could live in any city for a year which one would you choose?
• Wine or beer?
• If you were a book which genre would you be?
• What's your most annoying habit?
• Simple or extravagant?
• What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
• Which person has influenced you the most throughout your life?
• When was your last 'random act of kindness'?
• What was the last book you read?
• How and where will you celebrate Christmas this year?
• What are you cooking for dinner tonight?

Well, that's it.  I hope you've enjoyed reading these random things and hope you take a peek at these other blogs too. 

Happy Weekend!

Letters of Note

I Like Words

I can't tell you how excited I was to open a Christmas present and find one of the most talked about books of Christmas nestling inside the wrapping.  It was of course Letters of Note  that was compiled by Shaun Usher.  The book was born from his successful website of the same name; an on-line museum of correspondence that has had millions of visitors.  The book is a collection of one-hundred plus amusing, inspiring and intriguing letters that range from Virginia Woolf's heart-wrenching suicide letter, a recipe for drop scones from Queen Elizabeth to Eisenhower to Nick Cave's letter to MTV rejecting his nomination for Best Male Artist on the grounds that 'my muse is not a horse...my muse may bolt! May abandon me completely.'  However, I think so far (I'm still a long way from finishing all the letters)my very favourite letter is from copywriter Robert Pirosh to a variety of studio executives asking for a job as a script writer.  Maybe we could all learn something from his creative approach! Here is the letter to whet your appetite...

 (Source: Dear Wit.)

Dear Sir:
I like words. I like fat buttery words, such as ooze, turpitude, glutinous, toady. I like solemn, angular, creaky words, such as straitlaced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory. I like spurious, black-is-white words, such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demi-monde. I like suave "V" words, such as Svengali, svelte, bravura, verve. I like crunchy, brittle, crackly words, such as splinter, grapple, jostle, crusty. I like sullen, crabbed, scowling words, such as skulk, glower, scabby, churl. I like Oh-Heavens, my-gracious, land's-sake words, such as tricksy, tucker, genteel, horrid. I like elegant, flowery words, such as estivate, peregrinate, elysium, halcyon. I like wormy, squirmy, mealy words, such as crawl, blubber, squeal, drip. I like sniggly, chuckling words, such as cowlick, gurgle, bubble and burp.

I like the word screenwriter better than copywriter, so I decided to quit my job in a New York advertising agency and try my luck in Hollywood, but before taking the plunge I went to Europe for a year of study, contemplation and horsing around.

I have just returned and I still like words.

May I have a few with you?

It seems that his novel approach was successful as he went on to land a job as a junior scriptwriter with MGM and in 1949 he won an Academy Award for his 'Battleground' script. 

This book gives such a wonderful insight into peoples lives, motivations, highs and lows.  For me, it is the book of 2013.

image: book

The art of letter writing - Wednesday Words

...is pretty much dead no?  When did you last receive a proper letter? By proper I mean one that was written by a friend or family, telling you their news, asking about yours.  When did you last send a letter or a card just because you could?  I expect, like me, it was sometime ago.  But isn't there something just lovely and touching about receiving a hand-written letter? There's an intimacy present because someone has taken the time and effort to think of you and put their thoughts on paper. Phone calls are a great way to stay in touch and in this rapidly developing world of social media we have facebook, twitter and numerous other on-line communication channels, but still nothing beats a good old letter, wouldn't you say?  A letter can be read, re-read, poured over, treasured, stored in your bag, carried with you, wrapped in ribbon and placed in a special box. 

 

If like me, you love collecting stationary, then letter-writing becomes even more pleasurable.  My problem however, is that I hoard those pretty cards and gorgeous papers.  I can't seem to let go!  One of my resolutions this summer (see last year's list)  was to clear out my desk and organise the notelets, cards and papers and USE them.  I have a lovely collection of pens too, so I guess it's time to put them all to use...I even have some stamps ready to go...

 

Here are some little tips to help you on your way...

* vintage tips to letter writing

 

*the lost art of letter writing

 

*Debrett's guide to writing letters

 

and finally this video...

 

 

 

Who did you last write a letter to?  I'd love to hear...

 

 

The Snow Child (Friday Fiction)

I loved, loved, loved this book.  Think fairytale for grown-ups; magical, enthralling, captivating.  Like any good fairytale though, it has a dark side...

Based on a Russian fairytale, The Snow Child tells the story of Jack and Mable, a childless couple living in a homestead in the brutal wilds of Alaska.  Jack is slowly losing his battle with clearing the land and Mable is unable to move on from losing her only baby many years earlier.  We first meet Mable as she contemplates suicide by drowning herself in the nearby frozen river; The silence between the couple deepens and it seems their marriage and way of life is under threat, until one moonlit night when the snow falls and they re-discover their tenderness for each other.  In the throes of these feelings they build themselves a small snow-child, even thinking to give her gloves and hat.  In the morning their snow child has gone, a small set of footprints lead away from the pile of snow, the only thing left of their endeavours of the previous night.

 Over time the couple catch glimpses of a small girl, even a handprint left on their window in the ice.  Until, one magical day, the snow child arrives in their cabin.

The prose completely captures the feel of the wild Alaskan landscape, the space, the harsh winters, the loneliness, but also its intense and fragile beauty. I'm waiting with baited breath for the next book from this talented writer.

{the wilds of Alaska}

All images: google images

Stolen content and something beautiful

I hate to start the week off with a moan but I need to let off a bit of steam.  Maybe you can help?  It's come to my attention that someone 'out there' has been stealing some of my content; more expressly my blog header design.  It seems that they've taken my hard work and creative inspiration (and the designer's copyright) and using a pretty poor picture editor they've deleted my blog name and inserted their own.  I just don't get it.  My blog header was designed for me. All its components are directly related to ME!  The bridge to represent my roots, my cat Geordie, my love of books....and so on. Why?  Can't they think up their own header design? Sigh...What to do?  I tried to report it, but it doesn't seem to fit into any of the Blogger 'report abuse' forms... Any help greatly appreciated from the blogging community?

Anyway, moving on....

 

 

Isn't this gorgeous.  I can just smell the salt, hear the sounds of people laughing, waves splashing against the shore, and...more importantly...on this cold, cold day, I can feel the heat, warming my skin.  Bliss...(this is a teaser - more of this to come later in the week) 

 

Thank you my friends 'out there' for reading me. x

 

 

image source:  JJ Locations

Fiction Friday - The Girl You Left Behind

I have a little confession to make:  I always thought that Jojo Moyes was just chick lit, fodder for the masses.  Nothing wrong with that, but when I was browsing Amazon and looking for something more substantial, I hurried on past.  How wrong can a person be! I first came across JM when she was recommended by a friend, and with nothing to else to read, I downloaded, Me Before You.  I was hooked.  It's not often I come across a writer that knows how to construct a plot and run with it.  This writer has got it.  Her characters literally dance into your life, they're so real.  I wanted this novel to run and run.  Anyway, that's not what I wanted to write about today; today I want to present you with (fanfare) The Girl You Left Behind.  Where to start - the plot?  It begins in 1916 wartime France in a bar called Le Coq Rouge, which is run by two sisters Helene and Sophie.  Their husbands are away fighting in the war and their village is gradually overun by the Boche.  Le Coq Rouge becomes the favourite eating place for the local German soldiers and it is there that the Kommandant notices a painting of Sophie, painted by her husband, a student of Matisse.  He falls in love with it; with her.  The story of Sophie goes on to what seems to be a tragic ending, but the painting lives on and emerges in Part Two of the book, residing in a minimalist architects house in London owned by the young widow of said architect, Liv Halston.  Over a lost handbag, she meets Paul, who works for a company specialising in restoring lost works of art to their rightful owners.  Well, you know what's coming don't you?!  I'm not going to spoil this for you because you're going to find out for yourself when you read it - you are going to aren't you?!.

The two plotlines weave in amongst each other with ease and familiarity.  JM writes with great clarity, empathy and historic knowledge and the result is a great read.  Go get. 

Wednesday Words - Good Grammar

True!  Bad grammar is my pet hate...apostrophes in the wrong places, was and were, homophones confused...come on peeps!  We all make mistakes sometimes, but surely there's no excuse for sloppy misuse of the English language.  If you're as geeky about this as I am then you may like to take a look at this, 20 common grammar mistakes that nearly everyone makes....it's setting my teeth on edge already!

Life Binge - Wednesday Words

Fiction Friday - Beach Reads (2)

My criteria for beach reads was covered here.  As well as a few light fiction reads, I also want something to think about and takes me out of my comfort zone.  Well, this book, Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe certainly did that!

Kitty Ferguson's clear-eyed passion for her subject makes this account of the little we know of Pythagoras's life approachable and readable, although why a theorem that had been proposed long before Pythagoras put his name to it was finally attributed to him remains caught in the "hinge of legend and history". (Lesley McDowell, The Independent)  I didn't know a lot about Pythagoras, and throughout school struggled with his theorem.  It might have helped to have read this book then!  It certainly gave me food for thought.

I talked about my love-affair with the films of Nora Ephron here and so decided I should read something she'd written other than her only novel, Heartburn.  I turned to her hilariously poignant collection of reflections, I Remember Nothing and other reflections.  Filled with insights and acute observations that hit hard, it is written in her own inimitable style and had me snorting out loud at some of her more outrageous (but true) reflections on life.

 Ephron writes about falling hard for a way of life (“Journalism: A Love Story”) and about breaking up even harder with the men in her life (“The D Word”); lists “Twenty-five Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again” (“There is no explaining the stock market but people try”; “Cary Grant was Jewish”; “Men cheat”); reveals the alarming evolution, a decade after she wrote and directed You’ve Got Mail, of her relationship with her in-box (“The Six Stages of E-Mail”); and asks the age-old question, which came first, the chicken soup or the cold? All the while, she gives candid, edgy voice to everything women who have reached a certain age have been thinking . . . but rarely acknowledging. 

My final beach read for 2012 was If You Want to Write by Barbara Ueland.  This has been recommended to me SO many times over the last year that it was a must.  Although it was originally written in 1938, it contains good advice for would-be-writers, including the mantra that everyone is talented and original and has something to say.  That's a good starting point for any writer I reckon!  She takes a lot of her inspiration from William Blake and ends with 12 points for the writer to keep in mind.  She talks a lot of sense and I know this is one book I'll be going back to over and over, dipping in and out of it as the need arises.

Wednesday Words

This is so true!  Those days when you get out of bed and something goes right straight away, it stays that way.  Those days when we begin grumpy, usually it stays that way too.  What are you loving in your life right now?

Fiction Friday - Beach Reads (1)

One of the things that gives me the most pleasure in the run-up to any holiday is the anticipation of the books I'm planning to read.  I start browsing potential reads weeks, even months, before I leave; stockpiling titles that I think will hit the spot, then narrowing the list down to about ten titles before I choose my final six.  Until recently, that of course meant that my case was very heavy, but that's where my kindle now comes into it's own; it's perfect for the holiday readathon.
I have certain criteria that have to be met for a book to reach the final six:  There has to be a book that makes me think, gets my brain going; maybe a subject I know nothing about.  There has to be a couple of 'easy-reading' choices for those days when I just want to absorb and be transported without too much effort on my part.  There's always a 'nurturing' book, something that encourages me to look at myself holistically and maybe make some changes to my lifestyle as a result, or just purely feeds my soul.  Then, finally, there's usually a biography; someone to inspire me with their life story.  Here's some of what I read this year, around the pool in Antibes.

Missing You by Lousie Douglas. I've already raved about this writer here and knew she was the perfect holiday read.  A poignant, tender novel about a single mum and her lodger, newly separated.  She manages to capture the complexity of human emotions and the ensuing tangle of events perfectly.

 Another author, whose books I have devoured when I want to transport myself abroad to sunnier climes.  Most of her books are set in Italy and this one is no exception. Essentially it's a story about four girls who have a holiday together, then plan to meet up every few years to catch up.  It's characters are realistic and the nuances of their friendships as they grow up, the highs and lows, are easily identified with.  A great 'pool' read.

My choice this year for the book that would 'feed' me was A Year of Questions: How to slow down and fall in love with life by Fiona Robyns.  I've long been a fan of her joint blog Writing Our Way Home and this book didn't disappoint.  The author splits the book into the four seasons and each season has its own set of questions.  Examples of areas covered include: 'Engaging with Life', 'Slowing Down', 'Inviting Solitude', 'Taking Risks' and 'Fear and Trembling'.  Each section begins with a musing, followed by a question for the reader to contemplate.  I love Fiona's writing style and her humbleness and love of life really comes through.  It's given me plenty to think about and really has made me think about how I live my life and how I can improve the quality of my days.

How do you pick your books for your holidays?  Do you spend hours choosing or take pot luck?

Wednesday words

It's true.  We've all been in that, shall I? shan't I? situation.  Do you agree?  Have you taken a risk and regretted it, or not taken a risk and lived to regret it? 

New Look Lola!

So, that new project that I've been working on?  Take a look at my new header..What do you think?  Do you like it?  It's been a while in the pipeline; a few thoughts followed by some action and this is the result.  I'm so excited to share it with you!  It's been a whole lot of fun getting to this stage but I couldn't have done it without the wonderful Gemma Milly.  She's a super-talented designer/illustrator with some illustrious credits to her name, including Browns Jubilee window, The Sunday Times, Lionheart Magazine and has been featured in Vogue and Grazia.  She took my random well-thought-out ideas and over time transformed them into what you see now...here's a peek at the process..

1.  All my ideas condensed into one - the things that mean the most to me, that define me (answer to your question Kat!), my roots in Newcastle, my home in London, the sea, books, writing, makeup, my cat Geordie - it's all there...now which to choose?!!!

2.  A few tweaks here and there and this is what I went for.

3.  Blog name - I've shortened it to Lifelola.  I took the first two/last two letters of Live and Life and first two letters of Love and Laughter to get a shorter name.  In fact, amongst friends, they've always refered to my blog (and now me!)as Lola.  Obviously meant to be.

4.  Colour.  I wanted pale ombre effects; beautiful, calming watercolours and I asked Gemma to put a wash over the blog name.  I wanted pale pinks and salmons, sea-foam green and corals.

Too many choices!  All so lovely, but you know what I went for in the end.

Thank you Gemma, for all your creativity and input and helping make my ideas a reality.  It's such a pleasure to see my ideas come together and I hope you all enjoy looking at it as much as I do!

 xx



Wednesday Words

Before I share today's words - I've got some exciting news...I've been working on a little project over the last couple of months... it's been a very exciting time, with lots of creative decisions to make and working with a fabulous designer/illustrator.  I'm dying to show you all the end result; just a few more days, so watch this space!

Sometimes it's all in the silence...

Wednesday Words

Wednesday words

Nora, Nora...

Along with many, many others, I'm mourning the passing of a wonderful writer, Nora Ephron.  I first came to know her through the film version of her only novel, Heartburn. How I loved that film!  It came out just as I finished at University and I remember watching it over and over and over; Carly Simon's haunting voice the backdrop for the breakdown of a marriage.  A truly talented writer, she wrote or co-wrote many of my favourite films including Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally;  I'm still searching for the high that I got when I first saw When Harry Met Sally.  She had a knack for tapping into the universal themes of love and loss, happiness and grief and the extremes of emotion that go with them, not least the black humour.. one of my favourite lines from Heartburn being when Meryl Streep (playing the wife of cheating Jack Nicholson!)began to spread the lie that Nicholson's lover "Thelma Rice has herpes"..oh what sweet revenge!
More recently she wrote her infamous lists: what I will miss and what I won't.  Diagnosed with leukaemia I can only guess that these lists were her way of dealing with the inevitable and she did it in her own inimitable way.  She said she wouldn't miss emails, bras, mammograms or dead flowers, but would miss the christmas tree, Paris, dinner for just the two of us, taking a bath and reading in bed.  It strikes me as wholly appropriate that these things are such simple pleasures; for in life, as in print, she and her characters celebrated the simple, universal things that touch us all.

We'll miss you Nora...

I leave you with a clip from my favourite film, currently winging it's way to me from Amazon

What was your favourite Ephron film?

It's a blogger's life!

The last few years have seen a huge rise in the number of bloggers out there in the virtual hemisphere.  You can find a blog on just about absolutely anything and it got me thinking...  what makes someone want to blog?  I can only answer for myself, but guess that my motives are similar to others.  I blog because I love to write; I love to communicate and forge a connection.  I've written since I was very small when I made homemade books, stapled together; moving onto writing 'chapter' books for my friends and terrible angst-ridden poetry when I was a teenager!  If I wasn't writing I was reading, and even my first job was in publishing.  I guess, in a nutshell, I write because it's when I feel most like me.  It feels like it's what I'm meant to do; whether it's writing a list (my love of lists is well-known) a poem, or a short piece of mindful writing, the buzz I get from seeing words form, that have meaning for myself and hopefully others, is a compulsive addiction. 

I remember when I first got the idea to blog...I'd been going through a tough time one way or another, and nothing was ticking my boxes, nothing energised or excited me and then, one morning, I woke and my first waking thought was, "I'm going to write a blog".  For the first time in months, I felt alive, excited, renewed by the thought of a new project and so 'Lifelola' was born.

It's been two years since the 'birth' of my blog and to be honest it's been an organic thing; initially I only blogged at weekends and then as I became more involved with my writing, I realised that even a short spurt of creativity through my blog, on a daily basis, fulfilled and calmed my urge to create.
But of course, as writers we can learn from others; from other bloggers who have been longer on their journey; who have different skills to share, advice and encouragement to give; so it seemed serendipitous, that, just as I was feeling that I'd come to a bit of an impasse with my blog that I came across the blog decor8 by the multi-talented Holly Becker, a freelance design consultant.  From there I discovered her on-line blogging course Blogging Your Way2.  I didn't hesitate to sign up and have spent the last month on a wonderful journey; getting to know fellow bloggers and making new friends (thank you to the London Bloggers Group!) but also, crucially, practising new skills through podcasts and on-line tutorials;  I guess, for me, my steepest learning curve was with the 'techie' stuff as that doesn't come easily to me - great tips and advice on taking photos, using photoshop, creating collages and dealing with on-line trolls!  Thank you Holly and all your wonderful team for helping me breathe life back into 'Lola' and keeping me on my toes for the last month! 

*credit: decor8

and to all my readers, thank you for your support, patience and appreciation!  Here's to the start of a wonderful week...x

Best of the rest...

Who doesn't like to browse the internet and if you're a blogger there's nothing nicer than having time to trawl the virtual hemisphere looking for inspiring writers and sites.  In fact, it can become quite compulsively addictive!  I impose a time limit on my browsing or I'd never get any work done and it's usually at the weekend that I have time to sit and appreciate all the hard work my fellow bloggers have put in during the week.  Here are some of my favourite sites at the moment - they showcase creativity at its best and always give me something to go away and think about or put into practise, so if you've time to kill, take a quick peek...
1. Camille Styles a fabulous blog from Camille and her team; featuring fashion, DIY projects, food and interior decor.  She's been seen in Apartment Therapy and Design Sponge, both great sites for decor inspiration. 

*credit: Chris Perez for Apartment Therapy

2.  The Life Styled by Catherine Shepherd.  I've only just discovered this one and I LOVE it!  Based in LA Catherine is a stylist and her blog covers beauty, fashion and other inspirational things from her daily life.  Beautifully put together and great photos too.  What's not to love!

*credit: Catherine Shepherd for The Life Styled

3. Three Beautiful Things by Claire from Tunbridge Wells.  It's the simplicity of this blog that makes it so attractive.  Everyday Claire journals three things about her day that have been noteworthy.  It's a sort of meditation on mindfulness right there in front of you; a reminder to be in the moment and that even on a bad day, there are good things!
"When I have a cold, to make up hot apple juice and honey, to take another paracetamol and have some breakfast. It's amazing how much better everything seems" *credit: TBT


4. Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily.  Another LA blogger who is just about to release a book of the same name.   A good go-to for fashion inspiration as she mostly chronicles her daily outfits, with other bits of inspiration for variety.  She's also an ambassador for Estee Lauder and you can check out her beauty tips here.

*credit: Cupcakes and Cashmere

5.  Pure Vegetarian by Lakshmi a gorgeously simple food blog with exquisite photographs.  She is a follower of Krishna and her recipes are all about healthy wholesome food cooked with love.  She lives in Finland and not only can she cook, but her food styling is beautiful.

*Credit: Pure Vegetarian

I hope you find something inspirational to take away, enjoy your reading and have a wonderful weekend...x

Just words

Torquato Tasso, Italian Poet 1544-1595 "Perduto e tutto il tempo che in amor non si spende"
~Lost is all the time that you don't spend in love~

It's true, love does exist!   Sending love to all my readers, thank you for your support...Xx