Our place

A couple of months ago I entered a short story competition held by Dragonfly Tea, and didn't win. I wasn't expecting to win, or even be shortlisted, I just wanted an excuse to stretch my fiction writing muscles. And it was fun! I haven't written anything longer than 500 words (fiction-wise) for a long time. Was nice to put a little more thought into the story than my usual flash-fiction bits. 

Anyway, seeing as I didn't win, I thought I'd put it here for anyone interested. The theme was "discovery" and it has dialogue and everything (like a real story!).

Our place

The one thing Anna kept of her mothers was her diary. On those particularly sad days, when the weather seemed to reflect her mood, she would make herself a cup of tea and shut herself away to read her mum’s words.

Today was one of those days. She had argued with her husband and needed advice. It was always these moments when the absence of her mother hit her hardest. And so she boiled the kettle and pulled out the diary.

Instantly she felt that strange mix of comfort and regret. Reading her mum’s musings about daily life made Anna feel close to her again, but at the same time a sense of ‘what if’ stung her sharply. What if she had never gotten sick? What if she was here today? What if she had lived and got to witness her daughter get married and meet her first grandson?

Breathing deeply Anna tried to put those questions aside. As she wiped away the hot tears from her cheek, she noticed a slip of white poking out from the lining of the diary. Intrigued, Anna began to pull at it, careful not to rip the fragile paper. It slowly revealed itself to be some pencil drawings, arrows and a few scrawled directions. It was a map.

With a furrowed brow, Anna rifled through her memory to place the descriptions. The map was titled ‘Our place’.

“Rich, look at this, where do you think this is?”

As quickly as it had enveloped them, the tension from their previous row dissipated.

“Looks like Hope Cove, near your parents old place. Where did this come from?”

“Mum’s old diary, it was in the lining.”

Anna paused. She remembered the house in Hope Cove, but she still couldn’t picture where this map was trying to describe.

“Do you think we could go there?” She asked her husband; suddenly it seemed imperative that she see this place.

“I mean, yeah, we could. We would have to plan it though, it’s quite a drive and we’ve got Jacob to think about too.”

“Well, he could come – we could make a little holiday of it.” She countered.

“OK, sure, let me look into it. A bit of a break might be good for us anyway.”

She looked at him, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude and gave him a long hug. Holding in every emotion that was trying to spill out from her she said, “Thank you.”

After a couple of evenings on the Internet and on the phone to her dad, the trip was planned.

“Dad doesn’t know what ‘our place’ means.” Anna commented while buckling her seatbelt.

“That’s odd.” Replied Rich.

“He said they had plenty of special places, but none of them were near Hope Cove.”

Rich offered a non-committal ‘hmm’ whilst worrying that it may be an ‘our place’ from a previous relationship.

Anna had always been especially close to her mother and idolised her. He worried that this trip could lead them somewhere unwanted. He turned to her and asked one last time, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

And with that, they started their drive, with folk music on the radio and Jacob babbling in his car seat.

After a few hours and two toddler tantrums, they arrived at their B&B. It was cosy, child friendly and smelled like the seaside. Anna hadn’t been back to Devon since her mother passed away. She always thought it would be too painful, but the nostalgia that came with the sound of seagulls and scent of fish and chips in the breeze eased her fears.

Settling in for the night, Anna was both excited and nervous about the trip to ‘our place’ tomorrow. She poured over the map one last time before bed, noting the tiny hearts dotting a path to what appeared to be a beach. ‘Where do you want me to go mum?’ She questioned silently, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Loading the car the next morning, Anna had given up trying to understand the significance of ‘our place’.

“Let’s just go, see what it is and then we can get ice creams and just enjoy the seaside.” She rationalised aloud.

Rich nodded and began to follow the Satnav to Hope Cove while Anna entertained Jacob in the back. He then switched to the directions from the map, asking Anna to navigate. They parked up on some grass to follow the rest of the map on foot.

The directions were vividly written, it wasn’t “Right at the big rock”, it was “Right at the rock that looks like a giant bear.” Her mum did always have a way with words.

Soon they found themselves on a tiny spit of sand, completely separate from the rest of Hope Cove. There were small rock pools lining the edges and a couple of bushes dotted around. It was like a private piece of serenity amongst a busy seaside town.

Looking at the patterns of the rocks, Anna’s memory jolted.

“I’ve been here before.” She murmured, taking in every sight and sound meticulously.

Like an old stop-motion animation, her memories came trickling back.

Her mum brought her here when she was a toddler. Just the two of them. They would explore the rock pools and paddle in the sea. Her mum would have a flask of tea and would talk to Anna about her day, even though she was too young to comprehend. ‘Maybe that’s why I always make tea when I read her diary’, Anna thought.

Her eyes welled up, “This is our place. Mine and my mum’s.”

Rich took her in his arms, feeling his own tears falling to join Anna’s. He sat her down on a mound of sand and picked up Jacob, placing him happily on his knee.

“Well, why don’t we make it our place now too.”

She looked up at her husband’s kind eyes and her son’s smiling face.

“I like that idea.” She said, with happy tears replacing her sad ones.

“It will be our place.” She said with a sigh, “Thanks mum.” 

focus and keep aiming

"An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it's going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming."

I came across this quote recently and it felt incredibly timely. Yesterday I moved out of my lovely rented flat and back to my parents. Anyone who knows me well will know how long I spent trying to get the necessary money and circumstances together to move out... so to be moving back again has hit me hard. This is no reflection on my parents - they are always incredibly supportive of me and wonderful to live with. What bothered me more was feeling like I was taking a step back, while everyone around me was moving forward. 

The original plan was for me to go with my flatmate to live by the sea. I chose not to. Finding both a job and a person you love is very rare, and I am not ready to leave either. My situation in my childhood home is a temporary one though; I am hoping to move in with another friend soon to spend just a little longer in this area. And then there will be change. 

I will follow the people and passions that light up my life, wherever that may be. I can see my future and it is full of happiness and love... and I'm feeling impatient, like I did in the backseat of the car on family holidays to Cornwall, whining "are we nearly there yet?".

I've done my best to make my room a sanctuary for the time-being though, surrounding myself with positivity and prettiness in the hope of settling my restless thoughts. And now, as I write this, I feel sufficiently settled. Like the arrow, I merely need to focus, and keep aiming. 

Story for a song - drive

Today at work I was looking at spreadsheets and stats, so a lot of numbers. As interesting as this is in relation to my job, it makes my brain hurt. When I got home I decided I needed a creative release. I haven't written creatively for a long time, and really want to flex my fiction muscles again. So I searched for creative writing exercises and found a great one - story for a song.

The idea is to take a song and its lyrics, and use this as a starting point for a story. As I found this exercise, I was listening to 'Drive' by Incubus. This is one of my favourite songs anyway, but it has taken on even more meaning after it played at my friend's wedding last weekend. We were all dancing in a circle when the song came on and we were singing the lyrics, which couldn't have been more apt, to each other the whole time.

I took this as a sign that I should write a story based on this song. I noted a few other writing prompts from other sites ('morning' and 'a beautiful place you've visited') so my story takes place on a sunny Costa Rican morning. I wanted to sneak at least one line from the song in there, and I managed it at the end. It's only a mini story, but I like micro-fiction (less is more sometimes). 

The sun was creeping up from the horizon, lightly touching the alloys as it went. Taking a sharp breath in, the morning air was cool and refreshing, - like a drink I hadn’t realised I needed. That’s how I knew today was the day.

I sat in the drivers seat and took a moment to soak in the sunlight and my surroundings. The breaking light was waking up the rainforest, coaxing its usual beautiful song. Setting off on the dirt track I knew exactly where I was headed. The future.

The fear that used to drive me was replaced with a sense of ease, a sense of knowing. I was driving now, and what a drive it was turning into.

I reached a corner overlooking the beach and decided to pull over. The red macaws flew overhead towards the sea, drawing my line of vision along with them. The sea was calm yet determined, crashing over the rocks with careless abandon. At that moment I felt like I was the only person on earth.

Cruising along the coastline I thought about my destination. I didn’t know what it looked like, but I knew that whatever it held for me, I would be there with open arms and open eyes.

a note on love

There's a girl sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a latte and reading a book. She does this every Saturday at 11am, hoping he'll come back. He (let's call him Josh, she likes that name) is her soul mate... he just doesn't know it yet.

She met him three weeks ago. OK, met might be the wrong word. She was waiting for her sister to finish work and pretending she was at ease sitting alone in the coffee shop. She played on her phone and fidgeted in her seat like an impatient child - why couldn't she just relax? Then Josh walked in. He was her type and he smiled at her. She smiled back. As he walked away with his grande Americano, he looked her way again and said, "have a good day." she blushed and said "thanks, you too".

Since then she had written their love story in her head. He would come back to the coffee shop, see her sitting there reading his (probably) favourite book and feel compelled to say something. He wouldn't know why, but he would have the feeling he had met her somewhere before. They would talk, she would charm him with her quick wit and self-deprecation and he would say "we should do this again sometime". She would say "Il'd like that" and they would exchange numbers.

They would then start dating. Every date would cement their future as they felt more alive than they ever had before. They would go back to the coffee shop every year on their anniversary, smiling at the serendipity of their meeting.

She could see it so clearly. 

Looking down at her watch she realised it was 2pm. Josh was nowhere to be seen and she had to go meet her sister. Another week would have to pass by without her soul mate. She sighed heavily and left the coffee shop.

********************************************

How often have you done this? Dreamt up a romantic scenario about someone you don't know? Or perhaps you do know them, but not very well. Do you fantasise that they have all the same tastes as you, that you love the same films, the same music and have the same outlook on life? I used to do it a lot at university. I fell in love on a weekly basis. 

There was this one guy who looked a little like Alex Zane and while we never said a single word to each other, we caught each others eye a lot. Then there was the friend from my course who I didn't know I liked until it was too late - I would imagine us meeting years later and me telling him I was sorry for being a pretentious bitch. Hell, I still think about the date I 'rain checked' on now when I see pictures of him looking happy with his girlfriend.  

I think at university I struggled with being alone. Probably more than I realised at the time. I think that's why I would lose myself in these scenarios, it was my way of coping with being lonely. After uni I wasn't single for long. And after that relationship I only had three months of being alone before I got into my next relationship. So I think now is the longest time I've been single since I was at university.

And I'm realising that while I am certainly more comfortable being alone now, I still have a pretty active imagination when it comes to love. A quote that always comes to mind when I catch myself in these daydreams is:

"Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the slightest bit of attention?" - Joel, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind.

It resonates.... which, I'll admit, is slightly depressing. But I'm working on it. I'm trying not to let my mind become overrun with 'what if's' about the past. I'm trying not to think about an alternate timeline where I made a different decision, and we lived happily ever after. I'm trying not to dream up scenarios about the people throwing me compliments like scraps of food to a dog. I'm trying not to over-think situations and create drama in my head, because - quite frankly, it's exhausting. 

I'm sitting with myself and trying to let that be enough. Because it should be.

I'll end on another quote on love,

"We accept the love we think we deserve." Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Now this quote is supposed to be about how people fall into bad relationships because they don't believe they deserve real love. What's ironic is that I didn't think I deserved my last love. I didn't think I was worthy of it for a long time. And even though it didn't work out between us in the end, it taught me that there is hope and that I do deserve it. There are good people out there, and I don't have to dream them up in my head.

a perfectly sunny afternoon

After breakfast and a quick morning stretch, I take myself out to the garden. Armed with new music, a magazine and some slightly-too-big-for-me sunglasses, I'm ready for my afternoon.

The cat struts over, proudly waving his tail in the air and meows in that demanding tone that says "Where the hell am I supposed to sit then?". I obediently pick up the cushion on the unused chair next to me and put it on the iron table, so he has somewhere comfy to bask. He jumps up and lies down looking smug (he does have a nice life). 

But the sudden rushes of air are unsettling him, and he decides that underneath my chair is safer to sit. What unsettles him has the opposite effect on me. The breeze is just cool enough to take the edge off the hot sun and its ferocity almost rocks me in my chair, like a lullaby. 

I get lost in music I've never heard before. Instrumentals play over Austrian bar background-noise and something that could be either rainfall or the crackling of a fire. I read interviews with fog experts, jewellery makers and directors. I read stranger's descriptions of what the clouds in the sky look like to them. I think of three blog posts. I pick up my phone and note down a book, a film and a website I want to look into later.

I only go inside to make lunch, which I immediately take outside to eat. It's a chicken and avocado salad. The creamy mellow tastes of avocado and chicken get slapped in the face with salty feta cheese and vinegar-y sun-ripened tomatoes - delicious. I finish reading my magazine and start writing this blog in my head. I regret my decision of wearing yoga pants over shorts and get too hot.

When I do come back inside to cool off, my dad tells me I've caught the current bun (sun). I look in the mirror and he's right. My forehead is decidedly pink and my freckles have found the confidence to pop up and say "hello!".

It's been a lovely afternoon.

ghost

In that moment she felt like a ghost. Like the dearly departed spirit of someone who once had a fantastic life. Now she was transparent. Forgotten by all except her pet who somehow still felt her presence.  

Sat behind a glowing screen she became a sightseer of other people's lives. She watched as they explored new worlds and laughed with old friends. In her head she was right there with them. Floating in the dead sea, kissing their boyfriends and living their lives. 

Except she wasn't. She was glued to the spot. Overlooked and slightly bewildered. Messages she sent to the living got lost. The words she thought she was screaming came out as a whisper. The work she did all day vanished in front of her very eyes. She was a computer that crashed and lost all of its data.

Perhaps, she thought tentatively, it is time to reboot.

**********************************************************

I don't know why, but I always seem to get inspired by slightly odd movies. Last time I wrote a little creative piece on here was after I watched Lost in Translation. This time it was after I watched The Double. 

The film was dark, funny and struck a chord. It's about a mild-mannered man called Simon who meets his double - a man who looks exactly like him but has the confidence to do everything he doesn't. His double proceeds to take over his life while Simon disappears into the background. Simon even describes himself as a ghost at one point, saying he 'doesn't exist'... and I think on some level we can all feel like that. Like we aren't really here.

I think social media can make this feeling even more irksome. Looking at all the exciting things others are doing on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - all while you're sat at home watching weird films with your cat. Of course, we all know that everyone has evenings/weekends when they do nothing of note, and that most people only post the 'fun' or 'exciting' moments in life on social media. Even so, it can be easy to fall into the FOMO trap - why aren't I doing things like that? What's wrong with me? 

And just like that, you forget all the fun and exciting moments you've had (and shared). You also forget about all the fun and exciting moments you have planned (even if those plans reside in your head for the time being).

Life should be lived to the fullest, obviously, but what's more important is that we don't compare our 'full' with someone elses. Just because your life doesn't look like theirs, it doesn't make yours any less substantial. We all look to different things to make us feel alive. 

Ironically however, despite those differences, if we looked beneath the glossy filters of Instagram and the carefully curated photo albums on Facebook, we would see striking similarities. We all feel lonely sometimes. We all fake smiles for the camera. We all have moments when we feel forgotten. I think it's important to remember that when you start comparing your life to theirs.

Anyways... apologies for the deep post... it's been a weird couple of weeks. On that note - I think I might have a little social media break and 'reboot'. 

lost souls

With no map or direction, the two lost souls found themselves at opposite ends of a jazz bar. One was sipping tea from a cup, the other was lighting a poorly constructed cigarette. Both their thoughts wandered far away from the conversations they were having, where words tumbled lazily from their lips. 

Drawn together by forces unknown, their eyes locked, both equally full of sadness. Seeking solace together, they ran from their surroundings to a nearby motel. As the sky turned black, they folded into each other. Telling their stories through their bodies, he kissed the scars of her youth while she gently outlined a birthmark on his shoulder. Escaped from reality, the lost souls felt free. 

As the morning light intruded on their slumber, the heaviness of reality retuned. Paying the bill with cold plastic, the souls thanked each other with polite words and a modest hug. Each returned to their lives, gripping onto reality with all the strength they could muster until their next chance meeting.

*****************************

Last night I watched Lost in Translation and remembered how much I love the film. The story of two lost souls seeking comfort in one another is told so beautifully. It stirred some creative juices that, to be honest, I haven't truly tapped into for a while. So I wrote this - my incredibly brief interpretation of the idea. Yes, it is pretty sad and perhaps not the uplifting prose one would want to read on a Saturday night - but hey, life isn't always sweetness and light. I like sad movies, sad songs and sad stories. I like a little darkness from time to time - it makes for good contrast.

My best writing has always happened when I'm a little sad - which is probably why I haven't written creatively for a while (damn you happiness!), but I have been through sad times in my life, and when a film or piece of music takes me back there - it is nice to turn those feelings into a story (even if they only end up on a neglected blog in the depths of cyber space). 

So here's to feeling sad every now and then - and embracing it. 

(p.s. - just to lighten the mood, how gorgeous is Scarlett Johansson's hair colour in that movie? obsessed)

what if money was no object?

Found this video on Facebook and had to share it on here too. 

What did you want to do when you were a kid? 

I remember vividly being asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" in year three and replying "a author" (clearly I had some way to go grammar wise). A few years after that we had to stand up on stage in front of the whole school  and say what we wanted to be when we grew up and why. By then I had decided I wanted to be a Vet because "I wuv animals".

Between then and secondary school I swung between professional horse rider and masseuse. The next time I remember being asked to consider my career was secondary school year 9 when we had to pick our 'options' for GCSE's. By then I was convinced I was going to be a singing superstar so chose music and drama. 

At college I realised I had no musical talent whatsoever and was right the first time round when I said I wanted to be an author, so I studied English Language, Media Studies and Psychology. When college came to an end I didn't know what the hell to do - so I went to uni to study media writing.

So far in my career I have worked in a factory, been a shop girl many times over, written thousands and thousands of words for free and had a stint in customer service for a fashion website. None of which really made me happy. I'm now writing for a living and can honestly say I'm happy.

Would I rather be travelling the world writing whatever I wanted and getting paid for it? Hell yeah! But  even though I'm not earning what most people my age are, I live at home with my parents and I can't drive, I'm still happy. I don't dread work on a Sunday night, I have time to go to yoga, read magazines and write blogs - and I have an amazing boyfriend and kick-ass friends and family. 

One day I'll be earning money from what I love - but until then, I'm happy to say I'm happy. 

Do you work to earn money, or are you lucky enough to enjoy what you do?  

more love letters

Every week at work I have a blog day (I know, I seriously love my job) where I have to research and write various blogs on different things. Today I wrote a blog about writing love letters to strangers, and I had to share it here too.

"The world needs more love letters"

The story started when Hannah Brencher moved to New York after college and felt incredibly isolated. After struggling with depression and loneliness she decided to reach out - to anyone.

And so her letter writing journey began. She wrote little love notes to strangers saying things like 'have a bright day!' and 'you're brilliant, even if you think nobody else thinks so' and left them in public places like the subway, cafes and park benches.

The idea is now 10,000 people strong and is slowly but surely brightening the world :)

Has anybody ever done this? Think it's such a great idea.

p.s for those wondering, I am now working for this company as a content writer (writing for their various directories) and I have never been happier in a job :)

otherwordly

It's a great space. Happy Sunday

(Otherwordly, found via is this real life?)

Fashion Writing Competition

People blog about fashion for many different reasons, some do it out of boredom, others out of passion. For a lot of people however, it is also a way of getting their name out there into the big bad world of fashion writing. Another fun way of doing this is by stretching those writing muscles and entering the odd competition....

Recently Freemans got in touch with me to see if I would spread the word about their latest fashion writing competition, naturally I wanted to keep quiet and enter it myself (mwahaha), but as this is competition is for students, I couldn't! But I know quite a few of my readers are students so thought I'd let you all know about it....

The prizes: The winner of this competition will be published on Freemans fashion blog AND win a shiny new Toshiba laptop! There are also 2 Sony digital cameras and a Samsung camcorder up for grabs for the runners up!

Here's Freeman's guide on how to enter: 

1) Find the perfect party dress for this year’s holiday season using the Freemans.com catalogue as inspiration - think office Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve – and piece together an outfit surrounding your dress of choice. 

2) Tell us why you chose this outfit in a blog style article of around 250-400 words.

3) Email us (studentfashion@freemans.com) your entry with your full name, age and place of study by 30th November 2011.

Let me know if any of you enter! And good luck :)

Watch Me

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Watch Me

Cut me in half and watch me bleed.

Watch me flail in desperation.

Watch me will my bones to join.

Watch my skin graft and tissue repair.

Watch my tendons mend and cells regenerate.

Watch me put myself back together again.

Watch me whisper sweet destruction.

Watch me knock you out with ease.

Watch me watch you fall beyond.

 Watch yourself fall into the depth of your own fear.

Watch me grow like never before.

Just something I wrote on the train home the other day, got inspired after reading another great Harukai Murakami novel. Not entirely sure what I'm talking about in this to be honest- think it's basically an FU to anyone that doubts you or puts you down. I love writing random things like this, has been a while!

Any of you guys do any creative writing?

Friends

The last week or two has really shed light on my friendships, and it's shown me once again just how truly amazing they are. So with this in mind, I wanted to post a piece of writing I wrote for my best friend Zoe a few years ago for her birthday- her 25th birthday is coming up and what I wrote still stands true and will do for the next 25 I'm sure :)

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'When we are born we are instantly bound to people- by blood. As we grow older we learn to build a family outside our own. We choose individuals and let them into our lives. We share every hope, every doubt, every dark encrusted thought with them. Sometimes they hurt us, betray us- let us down. We see their true colours and move on without them. Over time we understand who to trust...who we can truly call 'friend'.

Every flaw, every quirk of their's lightens our lives and keeps us from loneliness when others leave. We see through their eyes and into their hearts- we see the illusive beauty within. Laughter comes quick and easy, as do sympathetic tears and a kind ear. Always free to listen, they take in every 'blah' word we spit and repay us with wisdom.

Conversations that grow from nothing become wings to fly us far from the mundane. Dancing to loved songs becomes ritual and simple gatherings become events. We accept every flaw and insecurity...and love them all the more for it.

To find a person like this is special, to find more than one is a miracle. To have a group who share your passions, morals and goals is the only cure for loneliness. They are there when lovers scorn, when families fall and when even your own thoughts get too much. They show infinite strength to hold us up when all we see is black. The future holds many surprises hidden beneath the cosmos, but we know with these friends they can be tackled and turned into great adventures.

When we find these people we rest easy. When everything else falls apart we know we are not alone. And that is a gift to hold close to our hearts.

I have found those friends and I cannot wait to see what great adventures lay ahead- because with you, I know we can do anything.'

100 ways to uncomplicate your life

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I found this list via 'Little Miss Perfectionist' who found it via someone else, who found it via someone else.....

I can see why it's been passed around so much- it just. makes. sense.

And it starts like this:

"you see, when we’re born we see the world in an uncomplicated way.  we know what we need, and we ask for it.  we like nice people, and we don’t like mean people.  we sleep when we’re tired, we eat when we’re hungry, and we stop eating when we’re full.

 as we grow older, we eat and drink to console ourselves, rather than addressing what’s bothering us.  we overwork to avoid close relationships, rather than finding people we can trust to form strong bonds with.  we hold grudges, play games, spend more than we make, want things we don’t need, and we get too far away from our basic human needs.  in other words...we complicate things."

here are 100 ways to uncomplicate it... 

1. don’t try to read other people’s minds

2. get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired

3. get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly

4. stick to your budget

5. start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare

6. balance your checkbook

7. don’t try to be friends with everyone.  cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.

8. don’t try to do business with everyone. identify your target client and take very good care of them.

9. before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years

10. focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

11. stay home this saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish

12. kiss and make up

13. make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market

14. ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month

15. fill up your gas tank when it’s half full

16. don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad

17. pay your bills on time

18. get an annual physical examination

19. say “i love you” to your significant other and to your children. studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.

20. for just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are

21. give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years

22. throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended

23. when you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.

24. know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities

25. tell the truth

26. don’t cheat

27. don’t steal

28. if you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go

29. clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore

30. do your best at work, or at school

31. don’t eat when you aren’t hungry

32. eat when you are hungry

33. be yourself

34. say no unapologetically

35. cook simple meals

36. don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

37. pay off your car before buying a new one

38. organize your desk at the office

39. change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back

40. organize your important paperwork

41. take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday

42. help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers

43. have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached

44. spend your time with nice people

45. avoid drama

46. don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

47. turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers

48. don’t engage in office politics

49. refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs

50. do the dishes right after dinner

51. never go to sleep angry

52. ask nicely for what you need and want

53. walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart

54. do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger

55. leave work at work

56. don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy

57. don’t envy others

58. have your oil changed

59. take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold

60. don’t work more than 8 hours per day

61. weed your garden weekly

62. wash your car weekly

63. have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time

64. you don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships

65. don’t drink and drive

66. don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.

67. be friendly with your neighbours

68. return emails and phone messages promptly

69. schedule in free time

70. don’t procrastinate

71. do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it

72. be more flexible when you’re able to be

73. forgive and forget. end of story.

74. break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity

75. start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose

76. take care of any health issues or concerns

77. have your tires rotated

78. have your brakes checked

79. have your eyes checked

80. don’t let your imagination run away with you

81. let go of perfection in others

82. let go of perfection in yourself

83. don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves

84. find a way to reduce your commute to work

85. have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by

86. drink more water

87. eat more salmon

88. don’t make a mountain out of a molehill

89. wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style

90. finish what you start

91. wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style

92. create a daily routine

93. have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals

94. slow down

95. eat out less often

96. when you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one

97. allow your children to grow up

98. clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year

99. stretch every day

100. if a relationship is over, let it go

How to write a cover letter by Hunter S. Thompson...

(source)

I came across this through the lovely Muireann from Bangs and a Bun on twitter today...

it's a cover letter Hunter S. Thompson wrote to the Vancouver Sun newspaper in 1958 and it is possibly the best letter I have ever read. Ever.

For those who don't know who Hunter S. Thompson is, I suggest reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, (or if you're lazy, watch the film instead).

Vancouver Sun

TO JACK SCOTT, VANCOUVER SUN

October 1, 1958 57 Perry Street New York City

Sir,

I got a hell of a kick reading the piece Time magazine did this week on The Sun. In addition to wishing you the best of luck, I'd also like to offer my services.

Since I haven't seen a copy of the "new" Sun yet, I'll have to make this a tentative offer. I stepped into a dung-hole the last time I took a job with a paper I didn't know anything about (see enclosed clippings) and I'm not quite ready to go charging up another blind alley.

By the time you get this letter, I'll have gotten hold of some of the recent issues of The Sun. Unless it looks totally worthless, I'll let my offer stand. And don't think that my arrogance is unintentional: it's just that I'd rather offend you now than after I started working for you.

I didn't make myself clear to the last man I worked for until after I took the job. It was as if the Marquis de Sade had suddenly found himself working for Billy Graham. The man despised me, of course, and I had nothing but contempt for him and everything he stood for. If you asked him, he'd tell you that I'm "not very likable, (that I) hate people, (that I) just want to be left alone, and (that I) feel too superior to mingle with the average person." (That's a direct quote from a memo he sent to the publisher.)

Nothing beats having good references.

Of course if you asked some of the other people I've worked for, you'd get a different set of answers.

If you're interested enough to answer this letter, I'll be glad to furnish you with a list of references -- including the lad I work for now.

The enclosed clippings should give you a rough idea of who I am. It's a year old, however, and I've changed a bit since it was written. I've taken some writing courses from Columbia in my spare time, learned a hell of a lot about the newspaper business, and developed a healthy contempt for journalism as a profession.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity. If this is what you're trying to get The Sun away from, then I think I'd like to work for you.

Most of my experience has been in sports writing, but I can write everything from warmongering propaganda to learned book reviews.

I can work 25 hours a day if necessary, live on any reasonable salary, and don't give a black damn for job security, office politics, or adverse public relations.

I would rather be on the dole than work for a paper I was ashamed of.

It's a long way from here to British Columbia, but I think I'd enjoy the trip.

If you think you can use me, drop me a line.

If not, good luck anyway.

Sincerely, Hunter S. Thompson

(link to site)

It's going to make me think twice before writing a stagnant, carbon copy cover letter begging for an 'opportunity'....

Words

Just a few words for the weekend :)

I've actually got a weekend off for a change and get to spend it with my lovely boy for his birthday- Can't wait! What are you guys up to?

Xx

PS am typing this from my very shiny and very pretty new Mac laptop! It's my first one so may take me some time to figure out- but bare with me. Photobooth looks fun.....

(oh and all images from here)

Thinking Local....

Hooray I'm back from the non-blogging abyss! Have had a very hectic week, but finally a day off today which was spent with my lovely boy who fed me pains au chocolat and went out to get me magazines, (yeah, I've trained him well).

Finally I can blog about something that's made me very happy this month- I've had my first fashion article published! It's the first time I've been able to physically hold and flick through a piece of my fashion writing. Of course I've had work published before, but always on the Internet- which is great! But it was quite special to open up a magazine and see my name in print.

The magazine I wrote for is brand new and available to those in the Solent area, (so that's Southampton, Portsmouth etc.) and best of all it's free! The publication is called 'Think Local' and is designed to help local businesses flourish whilst offering a varied and interesting read. I loved flicking through it, there is so much in there from interviews to recipes to event reviews. So if you're in the area pick one up!

I was so excited when I got my copy that I took a few photo's.... I know very un-cool, but I don't care. I'm proud of myself. I'm currently thinking up article ideas for next month and am also contributing to another new mag in the South West- so will keep you posted on that one too :)

I have to say a massive thank you to my friend Tom for making all this happen and for having faith in my writing, really means a lot.

Anyway, I'll stop gushing/showing off now. Take a lookski...

I did a little piece about Winter style, going over the trends and easy ways to style them. Very happy with the results, looks so professional. You can read it online here....

If any of you do happen to read it or even pick one up, I would love to know what you think :)

Letting Go.

This post was inspired by my far too clever for his own good boyfriend, (who, as it happens, has just started his very own blog!! Go follow). I was having a mini meltdown, letting work stress get to me, and as usual, he snapped me out of it.

Do you ever have days when you feel like you can't do anything right? Today was that day. Getting quite a lots of negativity from various things, (shan't go into detail), and I was getting stressed, panicking and thinking- why haven't I got it figured out yet?!?! Couldn't grasp the fact that I was 24 and grappling with 2 jobs in order to both survive financially and to hold onto a dream.

Other mid-twenty-ers out there may be able to relate. You're out of education, thrust into the real world, and by now you should have the job you wanted, the flat, the social life- the whole deal right? So it's a bit of a slap in the face when you spot that you're actually living with you're parents and are more than a little further away from your dream career than you wanted.

But you know what, (and sorry if this is a little blunt), but THAT'S LIFE. Shit happens. It's all part of the so-called 'journey' and yeah, there are times when it sucks and you just want to curl up in the foetal position and sob, but it's these times, (and the way we handle them), that shape us.

Key things I took away from my conversation with the boy:

• Don't Panic. You're still young, you don't have to have it all figured out yet.
• Don't Take Any Shit. Don't slog your guts out for employers that take you for granted just because you're young and a teeny bit desperate. Take it in your stride and learn from these mistakes.
• Let Go. It's all part of the ride.

OK I'm probably over elaborating on the actual words that were said, but none the less, these are the thoughts that followed. 

So here's to all the people of the world who are lost, confused and maybe a little scared.

LET GO

and enjoy the highs and lows of this mental rollercoaster we call life.

(And try not to vom during the loop-di-loops.)

(All images via here)