tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45732429445196805382021-05-06T21:57:39.943+01:00Almost Amazing Grace.The scribblings of Grace Latter; an aspiring author, body-loving model, book lover, coffee addict, and proud owner of invisible illnesses. Read this blog if you want book recommendations, sex/body positive content, lifestyle stuff and, at times, creative pieces, ridiculous real life stories, and the occasional health blip. Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-42499003132671301402021-05-03T14:33:00.003+01:002021-05-03T14:33:47.693+01:00I don't need to come out.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hey, peaches. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">So, I recently filled in my very first Census. It was exciting, to say the least. I was baffled when I spotted it on the doormat, and did a whole 'who? me?' bit. Then it sat on my kitchen table for a few days, because despite it being lockdown and me being home <i>ALWAYS</i>, I still couldn't find the time to do it... you understand. When I finally got round to filling it in online, I'd already seen a fair few posts on social media about it; friends of mine were expressing astonishment and joy that there were several options for 'gender', others were annoyed there weren't more options for careers... and one of my new friends (Demi of <a href="https://s3x-theory-with-demi.com/" target="_blank">S3x Theory with Demi</a>) posted about the importance of writing 'queer' in the sexuality section. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1521" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vBgoraPtDo/YGtpcypxueI/AAAAAAAAS-w/6DR1o54KV0wKrIf5YstfSbNM4GxZL-sagCLcBGAsYHQ/w476-h640/AfterlightImage%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="476" /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Now, I definitely can't put it as eloquently as Demi did, but I'll try. Let me be clear - there were more options in the sexuality section than I was expecting, and that was so wonderful to see. Oh my goodness. It warmed my heart. Well done, Census peeps. We're proud of you. 'We', here meaning those of us who don't appreciate the heteronormativity that's forced down our throats all day, every day. Those of us who have been politely asking to be recognised for decades now - and when that didn't work, screaming and picketing and marching. Those of us who don't fit into a box - and don't want to. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Putting 'queer' in the 'other' box on the Census was the best option for me because, in all honesty, I can't identify myself any other way. I have tried, <i>oh lordy </i>how I have tried. Every time I've thought I have it pegged, I'm proven wrong. As I said to Demi, in the podcast interview she did with me, I have always fancied women. When I was in primary school, I remember complaining to my best friend Fran that the boys in our class had it so much easier than we did; they could just pick <i>any </i>girl to fancy 'because all girls are beautiful' and 'only a few boys are alright looking'. Then, in secondary school, I remember holding hands with one of my female-identifying friends while we watched Donnie Darko, and squealing inside. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward to uni, when I was almost exclusively making out with women on nights out in town, and at the SU... I always went home with men, though. Go figure. I think somewhere along the way I accepted that I was bisexual. It wasn't a big moment, it was just a simple acknowledgment. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">But as I said, every time I think I've got my sexuality sussed, it flips on me. In early 2019, fresh from an amicable break up (if you can even call it that) with a very lovely guy I'd been seeing for a couple of months who was perfectly nice and handsome but I'd not felt much of a spark for, I told my friend it was because we met via a dating app and I didn't actually <i>know </i>him before we got together. I had done some research and realised I <i>must </i>be demisexual. </span></p><p><i><span face=""Source Sans Pro", Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: -0.273104px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: -0.273104px;">'Demisexual people only feel sexually attracted to someone when they have an emotional bond with the person... </span><span face=""Source Sans Pro", Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: -0.273104px;">A common misconception is that demisexual people need to be in love with someone to feel sexual attraction. Demisexuality requires a connection, but for many people, that can be a close friendship or another type of non-romantic relationship.'</span></span></i></p><p><span face=""Source Sans Pro", Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: -0.273104px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- <a href="https://www.webmd.com/sex/what-is-demisexual-demisexuality" target="_blank">Web MD</a>.</span></span></p><p><span face=""Source Sans Pro", Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: -0.273104px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yep, I had read a hot take article on sexuality somewhere, taken a quiz, and realised Demisexuality was me to a tee. When I look back over my <i>romantic </i>history, every one of them has been a close friend of mine for a good while before we took it that step further. And while my sexual history is slightly different, I would definitely say my <i>best</i> experiences have been with friends of mine. I always thought it was a security thing; a comfort, the safe space to laugh when there were mishaps and not feel the need to be flawless and sexy ALL the time. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I felt a little smug telling my friend this. After years of mystery, I had finally cracked it. There was a handy label I could slap on and point at when anyone asked. It explained so much; why my first love was <a href="/2020/09/it-would-have-been-fun.html" target="_blank">my best friend</a>, my FWB situation(s) at uni got complicated, and one-night stands with perfectly lovely Londoners never really did the trick for me. Yep. I'd finally got it sussed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Then, a matter of days later, I walked into a cafe and saw <i>him</i>. We made eye contact, and instantly, my heart somehow reached up and out and smacked me in the face. I'd never seen him before, we'd not even spoken yet, he was a total <i>stranger</i>, and yet I immediately felt intrigued, excited and flustered. It was amazing, romantic, sexy - and confusing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Because, how could I fancy this guy? I'd never seen him before!? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I went back to the drawing board, after that. I looked at the facts: I was attracted to men. I was attracted to women. I was attracted to trans men. I was attracted to non-binary humans. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I fancied the Hot Priest, but I also fancied Kristen Scott Thomas. I was madly in love with <a href="http://instagram.com/bodyposipanda" target="_blank">@bodyposipanda</a>, AND <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kennyethanjones/" target="_blank">@kennyethanjones</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every relationship I'd had before was with a close friend turned Something More, but now I was feeling ALL THE THINGS for a complete stranger. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">That's when I realised that <i>labels are nonsense</i>. And even if you identify with one (yay for you!), it can change. And that's okay! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">A friend of mine and I agreed a while ago - and I discussed it with Demi in <a href="https://s3x-theory-with-demi.com/2021/04/10/grace-latter/" target="_blank">the podcast interview</a> - the term 'Queer' feels like a comfortable umbrella we can nestle ourselves under. It's neither gay nor straight, it's not bisexual or asexual - it's in between and far beyond. It's not a clear percentage men/women/other, it's everything! There's room for change, and no space for judgement. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1arTmAotdqQ/YGtpQQMNQ8I/AAAAAAAAS-s/IeXxiMNkbzUNWOEqiDFg2MMAeGfq12g-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/AfterlightImage.jpeg" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This post is not intended to be a 'coming out' event. I actually don't feel the need to come out, really. Nobody really should feel pressured to label themselves, and announce it to the world, in my humble, queer opinion. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are who we are. It's nobody else's business. That said, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I really hope that by putting that in the 'other' box on the Census, I've made a point. I am hoping that by the time the next one is shoved through my letterbox, they've updated it to include 'Queer' as a bona fide option. We deserve it. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fyARy0A90PY/YI_6oFqt9dI/AAAAAAAATAs/JMOyRMV-UYAhYJf2a-JRQmiS8ATDdnv9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/84B28224-6CB6-4660-A00A-2BC053CEE3BF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fyARy0A90PY/YI_6oFqt9dI/AAAAAAAATAs/JMOyRMV-UYAhYJf2a-JRQmiS8ATDdnv9ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/84B28224-6CB6-4660-A00A-2BC053CEE3BF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can listen to <a href="https://s3x-theory-with-demi.com/2021/04/10/grace-latter/" target="_blank">my chat with Demi HERE</a>; be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple, and if you like what you hear, maybe follow Demi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/s3xtheorywithdemi/" target="_blank">on social media</a> and slip some pennies her/their way <a href="https://www.patreon.com/s3xtheorywithdemi" target="_blank">on Patreon</a>!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H25Yd0YAStQ/YGt4PnMCn8I/AAAAAAAAS-8/bHYJvPVsXwER1MC2o1QlxKZgHadZJaxHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-73952998401059401522021-03-17T23:55:00.006+00:002021-03-17T23:55:48.059+00:00Well, I guess this is... <p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I don't want to be a grown-up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That's my overwhelming feeling right now. I'm looking up from my kitchen table, where I've been working 40 hours a week for the past couple of months, and blinking in the sunlight as it pours in through the windows; suddenly everything is illuminated and I realise, I'm growing up. I have a job - several jobs, within one company, actually. I'm going to be earning more than I ever have before, consistently, very soon. I'm squirreling money away in several savings accounts with varying rates of interest, in the hope that it will be put towards a flat of my own someday (or, slightly more likely, a trip to the other side of the world) - but in the meantime, I'm happily paying rent and bills, etc. A highlight of my week is doing The Big Shop - preferably at 7:30am, before I start work, because it's so peaceful in the supermarket, and then by the time I sit down at the computer I'm feeling like I've achieved something in the day already. My flat is full of plant babies. I go to the laundrette regularly. I'm obsessed with making porridge. I have a 5-step skincare routine, for morning and nighttime. I listen to Radio 2 on my smart speaker, while I work. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I go through phases of writing </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">meal plans</i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. I've installed Grammarly on my laptop. I drink Kombucha every evening, before dinner. I take supplements with breakfast. I came off the pill last year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">How did all this happen? </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTiRAE19Cag/YFKS5Xk1xEI/AAAAAAAAS9s/xnDAsrgUIUw9rWmgsCdwbg3ZcMidbzHsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/5I7A7976.png" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo by <a href="https://www.caitlinlock.me/" target="_blank">Caitlin Lock</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I try to remind myself that, in a lot of ways, I'm not a grown-up. Just looking at what I wear these days is proof of that. Also, I spend way too much money on plants, vegan chocolate, crystals, LUSH products, books, and the silliest home accessories from IKEA. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ask my parents to wash the clothes I'm too scared to put in the laundrette's machines. I am still guilty of a little social media stalking, now and again. I'm scared to walk outside after dark - <i>oh no wait</i>, that's not because I'm un-adult, it's because I'm a woman. My mistake. Hmmph. Anyway... </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think my grown-upness is blending a little with my inner child, though. My jobs are all fun, creative and make me feel like a superhero. I'm following people on social media who inspire me, and I try my very best to help others with their struggles too. My perfectly functional IKEA unit is packed with books arranged in colour order. A painted cast of my boobies hangs above my living room doorway. I got an IUD implanted so my sex life would be better, and I'd have less anxiety about those slippery buggers. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ceKfHR59Rb8/YFKS6CS0WEI/AAAAAAAAS9w/a-XTWh4LyJcPC4FZVCdranqNM_wL2D4rQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/5I7A7955.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ceKfHR59Rb8/YFKS6CS0WEI/AAAAAAAAS9w/a-XTWh4LyJcPC4FZVCdranqNM_wL2D4rQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/5I7A7955.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.caitlinlock.me/" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">Caitlin Lock</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm working on creative projects, and putting money into them, not just dreams and attempted manifestations. This blog is one of them - it's going to be a fully-fledged website someday soon; not just a creaky old Blogspot platform masked by a beautiful and very reasonably priced template, and a URL bought from whatever hosting monster can offer it semi-cheaply. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A teenager started this blog, many years ago. Her biggest problems were that she fancied a boy in her Drama class, ate far too many After Eights, and was struggling to pass her theory test. She just wanted a space to vent, and release all her pent-up angst and romance. I do wonder what she'd think if she could see it now - where it's got her, how many people have found it and continue to check in and read regularly, and just how much she's shared about her life on it. I don't think anyone could have ever predicted it. My little corner of the internet. My safe space. It's always been there for me. And it will be for many years to come. I </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">don't have to be a grown-up on here. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ljTrjC-UDOc/YFKSvjt9nNI/AAAAAAAAS9o/_8jtTCHyXYcw6T-tv7gklRqzvsleCgKfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-39012935283941342122021-03-07T21:54:00.002+00:002021-03-07T22:18:26.866+00:00Small But Big; Lemon Drops Design.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hey again, my fellow small bizz lovers. I recently emailed the gorgeous Nikki Rogers from Lemon Drops Design, a handmade jewellery brand from my neck of the woods, with some Qs about her business and how it came to be! So grab a brew, check out <a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" target="_blank">her website</a>, treat yourself to some of her uniquely bright and cheerful goodies, then read about the woman behind the designs... </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="780" height="516" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUIAN2iiGMo/YDE12_jEVcI/AAAAAAAAS50/3xMolM5lDP8SGvxW7aMDh3E3lj10KyOwACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h516/lemondrops04.webp" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">(photo from </span><a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Lemon Drops Design website</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hey, lovely lemony Nikki. So great to have you on here, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Tell us about what you do! </span></b></p><p><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hey lovely Grace! I’m so thrilled that you asked me to be part of this, thank you so much. I make colourful statement earrings and have very recently started working on a range of cards and stationery as well. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="780" height="516" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZidppO5pOY/YDE13ooLfZI/AAAAAAAAS6A/94Qq6nl81Scno0gYjc9qmSBnFwKgrGMlACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h516/lemondrops05.webp" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">(photo from </span><a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Lemon Drops Design website</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">)</span><br /><br /></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">How was Lemon Drops Design born?</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div></span></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Before I had my babies I used to be a sixth form teacher, so I was always on the go, my mind always busy. Contrary to popular belief being a teacher doesn’t really work out when you have your own small kids (unless they’re in childcare from morning until night every day) and my requests for part time hours were denied (that’s a whole other gender-imbalanced story) so I stayed home with the babes instead. But, my busy brain really struggled to adjust to that. I felt ‘worthless’ and struggled to feel satisfied with filling my days with baby groups. I dipped my toe in the making and small business waters a couple of times during the next two years but nothing stuck. Then in 2019 I realised I was in a rut. My wardrobe had become a generic ‘mum uniform’ of navy Breton stripes and grey and I desperately needed to feel more me again. I decided to inject a little colour and pattern with some earrings. I found loads I loved through Instagram but they were all from Australian makers (those gals know how to do colour and pattern), and my Etsy searches let me down so I decided to have a go at making some myself. I bought myself some essentials, watched lots of tutorials and made myself some rainbow leopard print drops. It wasn’t long before I had requests rolling in and so I thought, maybe this is my thing. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="780" height="517" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2alEoe6NYcw/YDE135PfGtI/AAAAAAAAS6E/HKx9srk5fmkMfdPdirwPSJZDK8fxq-k8ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h517/lemondrops07.webp" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">(photo from </span><a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Lemon Drops Design website</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">)</span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">You seem to have a lovely community of followers on social media. Do you feel you have lots of support from them? What kind of people are they? </span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Yes! I love my followers so much. They’re so supportive and feed my soul with all their lovely comments when I’m working on new designs, and they’re also really caring and considerate when things are hard - as they have been a few times this past year! Some of us also chat about what we’re reading or knitting over in DMs too so I feel like I’m building a really lovely little community of like-minded people. </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Can you tell us a bit about your creating/making process? </b></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Of course! I don’t really have a set way that I come up with ideas. Sometimes I know what colours I want to use, sometimes I have a specific pattern I want to create and sometimes I have no idea when I sit down. The process is always the same though. I make a large ’slab’ of my design and then I cut my various shapes and sizes from it. I try to make sure I have a range of sizes as some of my customers prefer a stud, whilst others (like me) prefer big earrings! I use up as much of the pattern as possible and then either save the scraps to be mixed to make a new colour for another day, or I swirl it together to create a marble effect which I use to make ’no waste studs’. Being as responsible as possible with my waste is really important to me. I don’t throw anything away and all my packaging and paper products are recyclable and where possible, printed on recycled paper. Once my shapes are cut they need to be baked. Then each piece is sanded to remove and rough edges, drilled, put together and fixings attached. Sometimes I’ll also add a shiny resin coat as well to make the shimmer or glitter in a design really pop. This whole process can take several hours from start to finish for one batch of earrings (then there’s photographing them and getting them listed in the shop as well). </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCfKfYTBspo/YDE126ZbHUI/AAAAAAAAS54/ONTjVN6rzz4Dhb991EyNxBQqBmJ8FqixQCLcBGAsYHQ/s780/lemondrops02.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="780" height="516" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCfKfYTBspo/YDE126ZbHUI/AAAAAAAAS54/ONTjVN6rzz4Dhb991EyNxBQqBmJ8FqixQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h516/lemondrops02.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;"><span>(photo from <a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lemon Drops Design website</a>)<br />(yes, I absolutely did buy these earrings for myself)</span></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">What are some of your favourite smallish brands? </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div></span></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Oh dear, there are too many! Haha, I have a bit of a shopping problem which I definitely justify by shopping small almost exclusively. Some brands I’m loving at the moment though include Smellysaurus who makes the most beautiful and delicious wax melts, and Bookwork Candles who make beautiful book-inspired candles. I also love anything from <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://staceymcevoycaunt.com/&source=gmail&ust=1613921319668000&usg=AFQjCNGqT4qU8EBBRZa3g1KupowK79oVAw" href="https://staceymcevoycaunt.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="">Stacey McEvoy Caunt</a>, <a href="https://nutmegandarlo.co.uk/" target="_blank">Nutmeg and Arlo</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emmalindleyart/" target="_blank">Emma Lindley Art</a>. And I couldn’t possibly not mention <a href="https://lucyandyak.com/" target="_blank">Lucy & Yak</a> who basically supply my entire wardrobe, though not sure they’re a small brand anymore...!</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="780" height="517" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLoT8M-Yl2o/YDE128PJUQI/AAAAAAAAS58/tnSUAS9G6EAKi0hB4fHiL49T1x3wyaaXQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h517/lemondrops03.webp" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">(photo from </span><a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Lemon Drops Design website</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; text-align: left;">)</span><br /><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What are your hopes and dreams for the future - can be personal or professional! </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></span></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I have some big ideas for this year, kind of so big (to me) that it’s a bit scary and I’m procrastinating instead of taking the leap. And I’d love to expand on my stationery offerings too. But my real dream would be to open my own little gift/book shop. I’ve always wanted a book shop but I think I’d definitely want to make lots of room for all the wonderful small businesses I’ve met in there too. Maybe when the kids are a little older I’ll be able to go for it! </span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thanks again for this, lovely! </span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">*</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thank you for being here, Nikki! Isn't she lovely, readers? Be sure to follow her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lemon.drops.design/" target="_blank">on Instagram</a>, and bookmark <a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/shop" target="_blank">her website</a> for future gift buying/self-treating!</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gG-dfp6SYes/YDE0DIhA1WI/AAAAAAAAS5g/SekBDGjUhH82YN26vpTxtROQ3P0AuVQZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lemondropsdesign.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="565" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gm6SRFi9o1I/YDE0nMG8lII/AAAAAAAAS5o/DUhBFe7NiyciRoKVwvxzYx6_ZQekV9ZaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/lemondrops01.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-82004514757282502102021-03-03T22:41:00.000+00:002021-03-03T22:41:18.880+00:00My happy places.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the lockdown(s), I've been missing so many people, and so many everyday THINGS, like treating myself to coffee on my way into work rather than using the instant stuff in the staff room (a true luxury), or chatting with the conductor on my train, or hugging someone I've only just met without a care in the world... but I've also missed places. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The concept of 'happy place' is so overused, but so accurate at the same time. There are a lot of places I enjoy being in, but only a select few in which I feel completely and truly peaceful, content, and safe. They're the ones I crave, especially recently when my little flat has become the only space I actually spend <i>proper </i>time in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Well, I can't visit any of these places for at least two months (if this 'roadmap' thing goes ahead smoothly - ha!), so let me just throw them out here, please? Thanks. And be sure to comment/tweet/DM/whatever with yours. I want to know. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aG6I3gHX6j4/YDGWWbXfrFI/AAAAAAAAS60/8nw6OaX7hJYwBV96jUPj9WhL0xoRVpUKACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/AfterlightImage%2B%25283%2529.jpeg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";" width="480" /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">We can start with the earlier memories that formed happy places. The big grassy area out the front of my college. Especially in Spring/Summer time, when everyone would spill out of the higgledy piggledy old buildings and onto the lawn, in the sunshine, gathering in groups and ripping into their lunches from the vending machines in the canteen. I remember lolloping lazily with friends in the heatwave, gossiping, playing catch and swapping notes between lessons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I guess if we're going to mention college here - the black box theatre I had all my A Level Drama classes in would have to be added to the list. I grew a lot in there, and after a rocky start I found it was a space I could properly <i>let go </i>in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Winchester cathedral grounds (and the little stone bench I almost always sit on, with a coffee, to stare up at the old building I graduated in). Also the pub by the river, the Oxfam bookshop, and the top of the high street (does this count, though? I'd never sit and 'hang out' in that place... maybe it's just a 'happy passing spot'). Obviously, the university campus would have to be on the list too; particularly the student union cafe, the library and my halls. I mean, the actual buildings where the seminars and lectures took place wouldn't go amiss, but I'm trying really hard to keep it to just a few, okay? Cool. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">(Let's go a bit faster, now. Because not every happy place needs its own explanation, and/or context.)</span></p><p><span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stargazy! My lovely, ridiculous friend's shop, in Hastings Old Town. It's </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">reminiscent of a gypsy caravan, packed to the brim with crystals, scarves, and the most beautiful handmade silver jewellery. I have genuinely, deeply missed visiting and working in there, since the first lockdown. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The bench at the top of the steps up the East Hill. I've started going up there again recently, after being put off for years because of too much time spent there as a horny teen, but you just can't beat the view and the peace and quiet of it. It's extra lovely when you go with a friend who brings a flask of tea and mugs, FYI. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yB1gds2D4gs/YDGWWNnpMoI/AAAAAAAAS6w/PSaGhYPQ8TwJZ_bHRRhkQT1vIDbZunOswCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/AfterlightImage%2B%25284%2529.jpeg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";" width="480" /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The West Hill, too. But only on the May Day weekend. The rest of the year, I could take or leave it, really. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My friend's cafe, at my favourite table against the exposed brick wall, drinking the strongest long black (the finest Brighton coffee, obviously) and eating a chai fudge brownie, looking through the window onto the lovely quiet street with the church and the tattoo studio and the ancient barbershop. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The place down the road from me with the rickety window shutters and chicly mismatched furniture that proudly exhibits itself as a tequila bar, but also offering a wide selection of whisky and the boujiest booziest cocktails. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The Brighton Lanes. Ugh. I hate how much I miss them, because it almost confirms that I am a hipster/indie kid wannabe, but I promise I only go there for the coffee and cake.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The office I work from once a week, with the table I always manage to knock off balance, and the quiet therapy room where the most chilled meetings take place, and exciting audio recording happens. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Our staff room in Tunbridge Wells, with the magnificent second-hand sofa that's perfect for lunchtime naps. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">My favourite patch of St Leonards beach, where I sat for 10 hours with some of my favourite humans (and nearly £200 worth of burgers and chips), on my 27th birthday. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Shakespeare and Sons, Berlin. Yet another cafe, but hear me out - there are bagels and books, too. It's just got the happiest feel about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Nana's porch, in her little village - with added Vegemite on toast to complete the vibe. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">My special spot in the park that's just up a little passageway at the end of my street - I started going there when I was let off shielding last spring, taking a blanket, a lunch box and a book with me. I'd often end up ignoring the book and just listening to my favourite podcasts while eating my sarnies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The biggest bookshop in Europe, in Piccadilly. Browsing each floor, one by one, for a good while before scurrying upstairs to the bar and indulging in their happy hour - when the prices are almost reasonable. (Optional but inevitable drunk book shopping to follow)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thursday Plantation, Ballina, New South Wales. The smell of the air there is like nothing else. Tea tree and eucalyptus, mixed with the essence of the woody forest, in the balmy heat, ooooft. I could get high off that sweet combo. It's also so peaceful there; walking through the forest or just sitting on the deck behind the shop, drinking a mint tea. Mmm. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf2Pyk-i1dA/YDvt7TPg3iI/AAAAAAAAS7s/ZqQNRrqurjszx_FdXHW70y9yeq1Oy4TEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_8622.jpeg" width="480" /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Bottle Alley - pronounced 'bot'lally'. I'm not sure why, but I've always loved walking through there to town, and back - and at night, it's quite magical. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">So many beaches on the East Coast of Australia, I cannot possibly name them all. I plan on revisiting them in 2022, one way or another. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">My roof. Of course. A proper sanctuary, and my saviour last year when I couldn't leave my building for so long. I'll miss a lot of things when I leave this flat in the summer; the pristine tiles in the kitchen, the rain-style shower head, the old fireplace, its proximity to the train station, the beach, the shops and the park - but I know I'll miss that old rooftop the most. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">*</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know I've probably forgotten so many here, but these are the ones that immediately fill my mind and calm me down when I think of the simple term 'happy place'. The ones I will look up on Google Maps while on my lunch break, and shamelessly travel through them in street mode. It's great to have these tucked away inside my mind, but then I also realise that one of the most important things to learn in life is how to make <i>any </i>space a happy place. And on that pensive, borderline wanky, note; I'll end this post. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">PS, I'm very aware how big a part food and drink play in this list. Not sorry.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gG-dfp6SYes/YDE0DIhA1WI/AAAAAAAAS5g/SekBDGjUhH82YN26vpTxtROQ3P0AuVQZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" style="background-color: white;" /></span></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-82092137314495337282021-02-15T21:54:00.002+00:002021-02-16T12:36:22.278+00:00Interview with Lauren Marina; illustrator and designer.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I love being able to interview brilliant, talented and interesting people here in my funny little corner of the internet! I'm hoping that someday, when lockdown lifts, I can do more of this kind of thing in a slightly different format - but more on that later. Now, let me introduce the divine <a href="https://www.instagram.com/laurenmarina/" target="_blank">Lauren Marina</a>! She and I met a while ago, through work. Now she's freelancing, creating 'illustration for inspired interiors' (ooft, that alliteration game is top notch, no?) and currently raising funds to make a full on brand, and eventually bring about a collaborative community studio space and shop! You can support <a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/marina-studio" target="_blank">the crowdfunder HERE</a>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I fired a few questions over to her via email, and her replies were so lovely. Read on, friends! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TaWKWsx_d6w/YCrpWOBW4_I/AAAAAAAAS4I/akEPOvB500gSYFcfhwdzgUInqv6nUeexwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/DSCF0125-2.jpg" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="426" /><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seansvisuals/" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">@seansvisuals</a><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at </span><a href="https://www.toshspace.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">TOSH</a><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Would you like to tell us about your wonderful artwork and Marina Studio brand? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hey Grace! I am an illustrator, pattern, and surface designer. I’ve been making art my whole life but took the plunge into freelancing full-time last year after leaving my previous job. I work on a mix of private commissions for clients, and also creating my own items to sell. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I draw all of my work with pencil, inks, paint, and also using my iPad and Procreate. I tend to lean towards using a limited colour palette of deep charcoal and beige or white, but sometimes I add in some earthy tones too. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I’m inspired by blooming houseplants, changing seasons, natural forms, expressive fauna, and wild creatures. I’ve recently gotten into drawing more animals, and I’m loving creating a series of expressive galloping horses! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Marina Studio is my brand where I sell a variety of lifestyle and interior items. I currently sell a range of art prints, greetings cards, and wrapping paper. I’m really conscious of my environmental impact so print only on 100% recycled high-quality cards, using vegetable inks, and my products either come packaging-free or wrapped in compostable sleeves. </span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How has lockdown etc. been for you, creatively? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Creatively, it’s actually been quite groundbreaking for me. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I began drawing again as a way to pass the time and to self-soothe my anxiety. It became an everyday hobby again and it felt really good to have the time to do it! Like slipping back into a pair of really comfy, familiar slippers, if you know what I mean? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I began to post some of my drawings <a href="https://www.instagram.com/laurenmarina" target="_blank">on Instagram</a> and had a really encouraging response from my community. Then I started selling some prints online, and a few commissions started coming in. Things have just snowballed from there really!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I started to think that maybe I could actually give my illustration a shot as a career. It was a bit of a ‘now or never’ moment for me. For a lot of last year, drawing felt like survival, for my mental health but also as a way to feed myself and keep a roof over my head. With each commission and each sale from my shop I’m proving to myself that I can do it, and that I can absolutely smash it!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">So as an artist, this last year has exceptionally transformative for my own confidence and self-belief.</span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2nR-k_LdtA/YCrpXoQYlwI/AAAAAAAAS4M/dA8i6nlNvq0uJMc-W8zh7ofWP4J0K500gCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/DSCF0023-2.jpg" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;" width="426" /><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;"></span><br style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;" /><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seansvisuals/" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">@seansvisuals</a><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;"> at </span><a href="https://www.toshspace.co.uk/" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">TOSH</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems like you've been super busy lately! Tell us about the latest project you're embarking on!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">So I started <a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/marina-studio" target="_blank">a Crowdfunder</a> at the start of February! I’ve never used a platform like this before so I was initially a little worried about how it would be received. I am looking to raise £500 so that I can expand my range of <a href="https://www.laurenmarina.com/" target="_blank">Marina Studio</a> products. I’ve been experimenting with wallpaper designs over the last few months and I am absolutely loving it as a potential end-point for my art! But, starting a wallpaper range comes with its costs, so I asked my community to help fund this expansion. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I have been utterly bowled over by the kind and generous response. I really thought that the Crowndfunder could fall totally flat, with no one caring or donating. But it’s been the total opposite. The £500 goal has been made, and I’m now aiming for my stretch target of £1000. The financial generosity has been amazing to receive, but moreover, the belief that people have in me as an artist is absolutely magic. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are your biggest hopes and dreams? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(for the brand, and for you!)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">If I can make a living from my art, have a secure roof over my head, food in my tummy, and a good work/life balance I’ll be so happy. I hope to move into a proper artist studio soon, but I don’t want to jinx it so I won’t say too much on that! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJrzsG37qqo/YCrpTxADdCI/AAAAAAAAS4E/SjCH6qaIJ3g8V4qjBcU31lK7nDs9KYCywCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/DSCF0151-2.jpg" style="white-space: normal;" width="426" /><span style="white-space: normal;"></span><br style="white-space: normal;" /><span style="white-space: normal;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seansvisuals/" style="white-space: normal;" target="_blank">@seansvisuals</a><span style="white-space: normal;"> at </span><a href="https://www.toshspace.co.uk/" style="white-space: normal;" target="_blank">TOSH</a><span style="white-space: normal;"></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you have a favourite piece of work you've done in the past?</span></p><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">That’s a tricky one. I find that my most recent piece of art is my favourite! So currently, that’s the Galloping Horse print. I just love how the sun's beating down, they look pretty chill and their tail flicks gleefully amongst the foliage! </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udRg4bX5UR0/YCrpamMo30I/AAAAAAAAS4Q/klt6USLnMGYwBkqxyhxx_LUakLX_v6MWQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/DSCF0383-2.jpg" width="426" /><br /><span>Photo by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seansvisuals/" target="_blank">@seansvisuals</a> at <a href="https://www.toshspace.co.uk/" target="_blank">TOSH</a></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thanks for chatting with me, Lauren. I can't wait to someday have a cuppa together on the beach in Dorset!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">My darls, if you want to support this queen and help her achieve her dream of making Marina Studio, <a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/marina-studio" target="_blank">contribute here</a> OR check out <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LaurenMarinaDesign" target="_blank">her shop</a>, OR buy her <a href="https://ko-fi.com/laurenmarina" target="_blank">a virtual coffee!</a> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PEZGZtZ0J0/YCrr6gQ9JdI/AAAAAAAAS4g/GgCtAKouoZczWoUW-q5KFWlhW9hP2n11QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-14719833884225857282021-02-06T10:20:00.009+00:002021-02-06T10:22:10.519+00:00Life is good, even when the world is bad. <p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Remember when everyone regularly did the 'things that made me happy this week' posts? I miss those days; when blogging was so simple and gentle and a passion, rather than a job, for so many. I also miss people taking the time to post on social platforms and their various corners of the internet about their wins and joys - these days it's all 'the world is sh*t', '2020 can get in the sea' and 'can't wait for my life to start again'... I get it. I really, really do. No, seriously. I shielded in the first lockdown, I've had to isolate a few times since then, I've been furloughed, I've not hugged my family for months now and all my favourite places to go are closed for the foreseeable future - I GET IT. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-08qwhPik5p0/YB5rIAWvX7I/AAAAAAAAS2Q/b6l3X6gCbKMv20SqytivyOPoPWVnHO2ogCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/AfterlightImage%2B%25282%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The world is a sh*tty place right now. It is. Our government suck. Businesses everywhere are struggling, money is tight, we all need a good cuddle. That said, life isn't all bad for me these days. I recently had a revelation - life's alright. It'll do. <i>Okay</i>, the lovely shop I work in is currently closed and I miss it dearly, but I've been <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/grace-latter_lush-customercare-lushcommunity-activity-6759249350364282881-brtZ" target="_blank">able to work</a> from home with one of the company's head office teams; 40 hours a week I am answ</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ering emails from distressed customers who need help - or just to be listened to - which actually brings me some real joy. </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, </i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">some of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">my favourite local cafes are closed and I can't meet friends for a sit-down-cuppa-chat, but I </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">can </i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">meet one friend at a time for a socially distanced walk along the seafront, or in the park, or around my funny old neighbourhood - and we can get coffee to take away, from the <a href="https://www.cakeroomhastings.com/" target="_blank">indie cafes that are staying open</a> as kiosks! </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay</i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, I can't get my fluffy, fast-growing hair sorted out and tidied up, but I'm basically getting a free pass to grow it and not worry too much about what it looks like - because I'm not going anywhere! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9NFWuBYKD0/YB5rH8twL6I/AAAAAAAAS2M/X2VOVk8P9PM38Q_8yRqIY0wS_UbAs-RxwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/AfterlightImage%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I have a TV. I have my laptop. I have wifi and 4G. I have books - <i>so </i>many books. I have my plant babies. I have friends, just a video call or a tweet away. I can do <a href="https://www.rachelmannsyoga.com/" target="_blank">virtual yoga classes</a> in my living room. I can boogie, live on Instagram, in my pants - a very weird and wonderful occupation that's got me through the hardest times. I have my health - just about. I have food, I have an income, and of course, I have a fabulous, hard-working, resilient body that is carrying me through it all. Now, I'm not very good at meditating, but I've started taking moments each day to think about the things I <i>do </i>have, and the things that make me happy, despite everything. They can be the smallest, silliest things. The other day I giggled through my face covering at the local bakery when I saw a small bowl next to the till, full of gingerbread men, with a little sign that said 'Lil Ginger Chaps'. Things like that. Take them in. I'm very aware I've written something like this recently, about finding <a href="/2020/12/turn-on-light.html" target="_blank">the light in the dark</a>, but it's so important! Switch off the news for one evening, you can afford that. Pop your favourite movie on instead. Grab some snacks. Maybe hook up your phone/laptop to Zoom and watch it with your loved ones. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4C2jDmz0GbY/YB5rIVEQijI/AAAAAAAAS2U/Lh5KkWfpl3oNLGZ2_UEsbRZmV7y9Y6NGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6683.jpeg" width="480" /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuP3RYiaMeQ/YB5rGhRUvEI/AAAAAAAAS2I/6dBONKAedIIloOW4N3zQ-U6yrkq-MCS9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6582.jpeg" width="480" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I've put some photos in this post of little things that have made me happy, recently; including an online LUSH makeup class, a day of dog sitting, and my plants. Okay, the Zoom call with Newton Faulkner is quite a big thing, and very unexpected, but hey... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The world will be okay again, someday. You need to make yourself okay, for now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Please comment with any tips you have for staying sane and staying happy, while the world is very sad. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--k_-FKKm2j4/YB5q_oIcmLI/AAAAAAAAS2E/clTCMaR_FP805SRae6ac-XzZH8XArJcnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-849841752337934952021-01-28T21:18:00.014+00:002021-01-28T21:28:06.124+00:00Interview with Ella Bell, tattoo artist.<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16465d57-7fff-4fb2-6d59-d696db160aed"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am so delighted to have had the opportunity to chat (virtually) with my beautiful friend and favourite tattoo artist, </span><a href="https://www.ellabelltattoo.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ella Bell</span></a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This queen has been a huge inspiration to me for a good few years now, after I stumbled across </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ellabelltattoo/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">her Instagram page</span></a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> back in 2016 (I think??) and fell madly in love with her style and ink work. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have her ink me up a good few times, and each piece she’s designed for me has been perfect. Seriously, for those of you who want to get inked someday, I cannot tell you how important it is to find an artist you truly love, and have so much confidence and trust in that you can just email with a vague idea and rough measurements, then leave them to work their magic. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway, let's get to the questions... </span></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoOtseDzsvg/YBMsEOezEBI/AAAAAAAAS1c/a0dvUE0qRrc6Z13Yb1FHiUNx6iaq4dQTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s855/ella06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="687" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoOtseDzsvg/YBMsEOezEBI/AAAAAAAAS1c/a0dvUE0qRrc6Z13Yb1FHiUNx6iaq4dQTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w514-h640/ella06.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="https://www.ellabelltattoo.com/" target="_blank">Ella's website</a>.</div><div style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">My darling Ella! You may just be one of the most beautiful artists, ever. When did you discover your creative spirit? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: -6pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hi Grace my angel! Thank you so much, I love you. Thank you for being such a fantastic client and friend! So I can’t really remember a moment of discovery as such, it was always just there, a familiar and integral part of who I am. I always loved making things as a child, and that creative spirit has only grown as I have. As I got older the spirit got a bit more drive and I really, really wanted to pursue my creativity more seriously, which is what led me into looking for a creative job. Making something you love into “work” has its own challenges, but being able to be absorbed in creativity is what my spirit needs, and I’m very grateful to be able to pursue it. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><br /></p></span><span><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="428" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLIaf8ueZHU/YBMnBNq3l5I/AAAAAAAAS08/hMFLJ_xjHhUbD-otuV4NQU-faOcCuRJLACLcBGAsYHQ/w428-h640/inkings02.jpg" width="428" /></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt; text-align: center;"><span>Photo by <a href="https://erinveness.com/" target="_blank">Erin Veness</a>, tattoo by Ella.</span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-size: large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">How did you get into tattooing? I hear it's a pretty tricky industry to find your feet in!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">God yeah, I always felt like the doors were sealed shut and I literally didn’t know how anyone ever did it, it felt like such a distant dream. For a few years before I got my apprenticeship I spent as much time as I could getting tattooed, which made me realise how much I loved tattoos for a start, and also gave me lots of valuable one on one time with tattoo artists. If they were happy for me to ask questions whilst I was getting tattooed, I did, and I ended up learning a lot about the industry and about how they themselves got into tattooing - I heard lots of stories and gained really valuable insights that helped me to build up a pathway in my mind of how I might be able to do it too. I then spent about another year working on my portfolio, improving my drawing and painting; and finally I began researching all the tattoo studios and tattooists that were in my area, to see where I could go first and ask about an apprenticeship. I was living in Plymouth at the time, and the tattoo studio Attica was my first choice. I took my portfolio in very nervously - they asked me to improve on a few aspects of my work and come back in a month or so, which I did, and luckily after that they took me on. I felt very lucky to get an apprenticeship at a studio I had chosen. I predominantly learnt under Steve McKenzie, but Martin Tay and Paige Spurdle who were also tattooing there at the time inspired and taught me a lot too, and I’m very grateful to all those guys for their support at the start of my career. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you *had* to pick... what kind of tatt is your favourite to do?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh man I don’t think I can choose! I absolutely love tattooing ornamental and botanical work in equal measure. Some days I feel like doing one more than the other, but I love them both so much for different reasons. Ornamental work is more stressful to do because of the emphasis on symmetry, there really isn’t much room to fuck up, but the finished piece is always so beautiful, it has such a high reward factor for me, and I just love how timeless and gorgeous it is. On the other hand, tattooing plants and flowers feels really organic and fluid to me, and I love making those pieces flow with the body. Nature is always my first source of inspiration and tattooing natural imagery feels like making a homage to it every time.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">You travel around a lot, to different studios (y'know, in a normal year). Do you have a favourite place? Is there anywhere else you wanna go? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I miss guest spots so, so much. I just love it, I love going to different studios and meeting different artists, and being able to work and travel is amazing. It always makes me so anxious but I manage to get through it somehow! I love returning to places, it’s like getting to know someone - Edinburgh, London, Brighton and Amsterdam will always be some of my favourite places to guest. In future I would absolutely love to tattoo in Germany, and closer to home I’d really like to return to my dear friend </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/meglangdaletattoo/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meg Langdale</span></a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in Leicester - she’s opened her own studio now, and I can’t wait to visit. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMnw5-QbvW8/YBMnAjG_wxI/AAAAAAAAS00/CFUm1uh1zmoOW3taPfSXx11OgLq9XvpRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/ella02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMnw5-QbvW8/YBMnAjG_wxI/AAAAAAAAS00/CFUm1uh1zmoOW3taPfSXx11OgLq9XvpRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/ella02.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt; text-align: center;"><span>Photo from </span><a href="https://www.ellabelltattoo.com/tat-portfolio" target="_blank">Ella's portfolio.</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soooooo, how was your 2020? How did you find the lockdowns? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mate, it’s been unlike anything. Time has gone so fast and so slow. I feel totally stagnant, like things have really come to a halt. I miss my friends and family SO much it breaks my heart, I miss hugs and spontaneous plans and mundane normality, I feel like I am craving for community and belonging. I’ve felt so disconnected from tattooing, and consequently from my sense of purpose and meaning. There’s been a lot of days spent literally atrophying into the sofa. Some personal hurdles were made extra hard to navigate because of the pandemic, which was very tough. I feel so fucking angry and bewildered at our decision makers and at the wider political landscape, and so sad for what’s unfolding around us. And I also feel incredibly lucky to have been able to spend lockdown isolating safely at home, with a lot of time on my hands to pursue creative projects. I’ve loved getting into lino printing and having more time to make art for myself, I’ve been painting and drawing, knitting, making weird little clay sculptures, reading books, playing Animal Crossing. I really enjoyed those sunny days in lockdown last year, I spent weeks just perched on our fire escape landing (aka our “garden”), painting and sunbathing. I feel very grateful to my boyfriend for his company and support, we’ve kept each other relatively sane! But yeah man just fucking all over the place really lol. I think the general overall flavour is a spice level 10 mix of “God I am lucky”, “when will this end”, “total lethargy” and “eternal Twitter doom scroll”. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope your 2020 and lockdown were okay too Grace, you’ve been a beacon of relatable honesty and positivity throughout. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><br /></p><div style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evscgnl3fNM/YBMnA5dwa0I/AAAAAAAAS04/_zJRhpI76ZsMVHSzEt_Z_V00tCB3foJKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s926/ella04.jpeg" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evscgnl3fNM/YBMnA5dwa0I/AAAAAAAAS04/_zJRhpI76ZsMVHSzEt_Z_V00tCB3foJKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w518-h640/ella04.jpeg" width="518" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span>Photo from <a href="https://www.ellabelltattoo.com/tat-portfolio" target="_blank">Ella's portfolio.</a></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is a life/career dream you want to pursue someday? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oooh, okay! I’ve been trying to get my mojo back and think about the future again recently, it feels very wafty and vague atm, but I keep coming back to the idea of somehow co-operating a community art space, with some other people. And it would be a place to tattoo from, and it would function as a studio in that regard, but also it would be a place for people in the community to gather and run art workshops, or do painting evenings, or exhibit artworks. A print-making space and a place to sell flowers. To make music in and also do knitting evenings. Literally just like, a hub, a heartbeat, something heavily community orientated and also private enough that you wouldn’t get loads of daytime drunk walk-ins or people enquiring about laser removal. I have no idea where it would be or what it looks like exactly. I just love the idea of working in a multi-disciplinary space, where creative people feel at home and where we support each other. So that’s my quiet dream, just bobbing along in the background of my mind. I’m sure that’s a way down the road but it’s something I think about a lot. I’d love to travel more as well, for leisure and work. And my boyfriend and I really, really, really fucking want a cat and a garden, so moving house would be incredible too. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for your lovely questions Grace, it’s been a pleasure to sit down and answer them, and I hope you are well and safe ~ wishing you loads of love for 2021! xxxxxx</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for chatting with me via email, Ella. Maybe someday we can go for coffee/gin again… </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ella is an angel, readers, and a genuinely wonderful creative soul. Check out her portfolio now, and her super cool <a href="https://www.ellabelltattoo.com/store" target="_blank">art projects</a>. Then follow her on Instagram, obviously. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dWsvzjZhrq0/YBMpc4GiI7I/AAAAAAAAS1Q/1a0LzY8cH7QqjEC6yV4GqCT81Y1_10uFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div></span></span><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-54148971072085054562021-01-17T23:16:00.000+00:002021-01-17T23:16:04.864+00:00Self-isolation, Part ??? who knows.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">10 days ago, I was instructed to self-isolate because I'd been in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid. I was aware of who it was, which was good - I would have gone mad wondering, otherwise - but that didn't make the pill any easier to swallow. I was suddenly overcome with flashbacks to my shielding days, and could almost feel the freedom I'd been reveling in being pulled out from under my feet. All the seafront walks, takeaway coffees, waving at friends as I passed them in town, my safe boyfriend bubble - gone, in an instant. Because I'd spent 20 minutes one Tuesday morning in the same room as someone (both of us socially distanced, wearing face coverings) who had tested positive the next day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I am so happy and relieved to share that in these past 10 days I have not noticed any symptoms, and am currently waiting on the results of a second test (the first was negative). I plan on going for a walk with my partner (who has also been isolating, as he was in contact with me the day after I was in contact with The Positive Person) along the seafront tonight at 00:01, to celebrate our freedom. Romantic and adorable, no? Like some kind of dystopian indie movie. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZCCRH2Cbp4/YAScGjtoXkI/AAAAAAAASxE/g6uMeXFW4ew1pQjNmoBUInN7fY74GwltQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/AE6A9737.jpg" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo by the wonderful <a href="http://sophie-mayanne.com/" target="_blank">Sophie Mayanne</a>, for <a href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/" target="_blank">Getty Images</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm almost sorry I haven't written anything on here since this latest isolation was invoked. When I had to <a href="/2020/04/isolation.html" target="_blank">isolate/shield</a> early last year, I documented it pretty well, I think. That was partly because I had nothing else to do, and the creative block hadn't quite kicked in yet (that happened in lockdown part deux). I wrote about <a href="/2020/05/isolation-reads.html" target="_blank">all the reading</a> I'd been able to get done, I answered <a href="/2020/05/woowoo-qs.html" target="_blank">some sex questions</a>, I did some more <a href="/2020/07/more-lockdown-reads.html" target="_blank">reading reviews</a>, I took on a new social media job at <a href="https://www.eggtooth.org.uk/" target="_blank">Eggtooth</a> <i>and </i>started working with them as a creative writing mentor for referred young people. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote a few sponsored posts during that first lockdown, too! The brilliant Helena Traill let me write a piece about the wonderful <a href="https://100storiesbook.com/blog/book-launch-by-grace-latter/" target="_blank">launch event</a> for her <a href="https://100storiesbook.com/" target="_blank">100 Stories book</a>, which was so fun to do. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote on the blog about </span><a href="/2020/04/distance-learning-centre.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">distance learning</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, a lovely </span><a href="/2020/08/safe-staycation-bournemouth.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">Dorset staycation</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, the different</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><a href="/2020/05/loo-too.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">definitions of ability</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, even a</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><a href="/2020/05/start-with-lights.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">lighting company</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">! I remember being a little apprehensive when I volunteered to write these posts because the specs were a little out of the ordinary for me and my little corner of the internet. But I took on the challenges, and my confidence in copy/content writing really grew from there. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I joined some creative writing workshops on Zoom, and published </span><a href="/2020/05/escape-creative-piece.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">one of the pieces I wrote</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, which I was especially proud of. And in </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">this </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">latest lockdown I'm going even bigger, and actually trying to write up that book I have stuck in my head. Wish me luck. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">And when I came out of lockdown (part one) I wrote a hefty post detailing almost <a href="/2020/07/what-i-got-up-to-in-lockdown.html" target="_blank">everything I'd done</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I'm definitely less hyper-</span><a href="/2020/04/isolation-feelings.html" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">emotional</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> this time. I've actually felt super </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">happy! How wild is that? </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suspect the alone time is what's doing it; I needed to take myself away from the hectic outside world and make some time for me. I reckon my new evening routines have also given me a boost, and a gentle shake. Most evenings I will usually spend lazing in front of the TV, eating everything within reach (nothing wrong with that, folks, but it does make me feel a bit <i>blehhhh </i>after a while) and endlessly scrolling on my phone. This changed a few nights ago when I decided to skip my morning shower and leave it till the evening after I'd stripped and re-made my bed; I washed my hair and body, covered myself in Sleepy body lotion, put on some fresh pyjamas and tucked myself in with a hot water bottle and a book, at 9:30pm. It was an absolute dream. I slept well, I felt fresh in the morning, and my super clean hair wasn't fuzzy and tufty as it usually is right after a wash, because I'd slept on it and made it softer. It sounds so simple, but this little switch up changed the game for me. I don't know if I can keep it up, but I'll try. It was also really helpful in the mornings not to have to shower and put my face on, because that can actually take me a while and mess up my timings. This would be especially inconvenient these days, as I have started a new job. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1cZnSePKiU/YAScGvDr_iI/AAAAAAAASxA/wyMq-36JGLkC1ng0IJj21b3BKf0bnfgrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AE6A9762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g1cZnSePKiU/YAScGvDr_iI/AAAAAAAASxA/wyMq-36JGLkC1ng0IJj21b3BKf0bnfgrwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/AE6A9762.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo by the wonderful </span><a href="http://sophie-mayanne.com/" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">Sophie Mayanne</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, for </span><a href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri;" target="_blank">Getty Images</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh, what's that? A new job? Yep. For the time being, while I'm not with the team in my lovely shop, the wonderful company I work for offered me the opportunity to work with the Customer Care team for a few weeks. So, until potentially the end of this lockdown, I will be working 10-6 (very civilised) Mon-Fri answering customers' emails and queries, checking up on their orders, sending them goodies, and also doing shifts on the brand's social media account. I do miss chatting and bonding with people face-to-face in the shop - and hanging out with my team of queens in the staff room, all of us munching on bourbons and drinking only the best looseleaf tea (okay fine, it's instant coffee for me), but this is the best situation to be in right now, to be honest. I am so grateful to not be furloughed because my rent isn't getting any cheaper, plus this work is definitely keeping me busy, and it's so good for me to actually have a routine for once in my life. I'm so lucky. I appreciate how fortunate I am. I hate that so many people have lost work since the lockdown(s), and I am raging at the government for letting the first round of furlough run out before they revealed there would be more, because so many people I know had to be laid off once the scheme 'ran out'. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do wonder what will happen, after all this madness ends. Obviously I know there will be no 'going back to normal', because really, normal isn't possible now. I know we'll probably never go bowling again. Or be allowed to test out mattresses in the store. Or try on clothes in fitting rooms - or return them, after they've been in our households. And I know it will be a good year at least before we can go <i>out-out </i>again. I wonder if hand-shaking will finally be scrapped. I won't miss it much. I will miss the theatre, and the cinema. They weren't just shows and films, they were experiences, the most romantic dates and exciting gatherings. Sigh... what do you think will happen? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kp-gpIzq-DU/YASiM7YzODI/AAAAAAAASxQ/k9otBlMKSgEep3FeSioY4m4cZ3rf5_zTACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-33653475045169846782021-01-08T20:00:00.001+00:002021-01-08T20:00:00.618+00:0049.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hi, I'm Grace. But you know that by now, don't you?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm starting to write blog posts *in* the Blogger box again instead of copying and pasting from Google docs, and it's taking me right back to my days at college, when I'd write frantically between lessons then hit 'publish' without proofing anything. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I always do <a href="/search/label/facts" target="_blank">these Facts posts</a>, and they get mad attention. Maybe because they're short and sweet? Maybe because you lot are nosy, and want to know every weird thing about me? I do sometimes worry my attention span is really poor, these days. I used to be able to sit and colour in a picture, or read a book, for hours on end. These days I get antsy when I'm doing the same thing for an extended period of time, and find myself grabbing my phone every few minutes - then I scroll, scroll, scroll, like, like, like, and don't really achieve anything but it's the quick-paced engagement my brain seems to prefer these days. Ugh. Wow, this turned into Something, didn't it? Apologies, gang. Let's get back to the quick and quippy facts... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I am really obsessed with making things like soup and porridge. My friend told me recently that's because it's essentially a brewing spell. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSsgkCaGg1I/X_gnJewJnMI/AAAAAAAASvI/qtO4Nu8b660e6RR1Lbc955qNJ1IAK9hXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1950/grace_latter_stay_wild_outdoor_96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1297" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSsgkCaGg1I/X_gnJewJnMI/AAAAAAAASvI/qtO4Nu8b660e6RR1Lbc955qNJ1IAK9hXgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/grace_latter_stay_wild_outdoor_96.jpg" width="426" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo: <a href="https://www.rachelmanns.com/work" target="_blank">Rachel Manns</a><br />Piece is a kind gift from <a href="https://staywildswim.com/" target="_blank">Stay Wild</a>.</span></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I got a 2021 planner, and don't feel foolish about it at all. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I hate English breakfast tea. Unless it's being served to me in a hospital bed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I can't wait to go sea swimming again in the warmer months; it was so healing and magical for me last summer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm getting eczema on my hands from washing them so much, again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">It's a tough call, but I think Pilea Peperomioides are my favourite houseplant. Don't tell my aspidistra. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I met Greg James once. He told me he liked my voice, and I should start a podcast.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I've unintentionally started a booze-free January... and I am now considering it a challenge, especially with all these awful news stories emerging every evening. Wish me luck. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">One of my simple but serious life mottos is: 'Never be without a pen' - Richard Gilmore, 2003. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I've finally started watching The Office (US version). I'm three series in, and only just starting to warm up to it. Stay tuned for more developments. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I've never written a Facts post with complete sentences like this... I quite like it. Do you? Let me know. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I received a negative Covid test result this morning, and it was honestly the nicest thing to wake up to. (the drive through self-test pop ups are SO weird, but an amazing feat of engineering)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I recently had a wild moment and ordered myself two dresses online, and when they arrived I remembered why I never order clothes online. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I start a new (temporary) job next week. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm really bad at keeping gratitude journals, or sticking to Miracle Morning-style routines. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I am really missing shoots, in lockdown. Not just the big snazzy magazine kinda ones in obscure locations in London, but the wacky ones with my creative friends that would often include trekking through muddy woods, dipping toes into the freezing sea, hanging spooky things from trees and doing a very quick and un-glam costume change in the shopping centre car park. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I don't miss sitting in cafes as much as I thought I would. Shocking, I know. I am actually really loving the fact that if I want to see someone safely right now, one-on-one, we have to go for a walk together. I realise, yet again, I am very fortunate to live right by the sea. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I've been in my little flat for a year now, and I am still so grateful I was able to move out and start my journey living alone in what turned out to be a most unfortunate year for everyone. I have to move in the summer, and I'm choosing to see it as an exciting opportunity to find a new happy space for me and my plants. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">But enough about me. How are YOU? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReOs_bE45bQ/X_gmiC4xnLI/AAAAAAAASu0/8tQH5KxYG0o1Tt1z0OgWGzaN2ezoDjCgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-17660940049016040112021-01-07T22:05:00.001+00:002021-01-08T09:00:00.416+00:00Did you ear the news?<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was in Year 5, I got bored during Story Time (here meaning: our terrible teacher telling us every detail of what happened in Eastenders the night before) and spotted a lump of thick solid glue on the floor. It had obviously been a drop from a glue gun, when we were doing crafts earlier in the day. It was like a perfect teeny marble, about the size of a 5p coin. I started fiddling with it, and eventually (don't ask me how), it ended up in my right ear. Then, somehow, it stayed comfortably lodged in my ear for 3 years. I had it removed when I was in Year 8, via syringe in my GP's surgery. It was the stupidest thing I've ever done, but oh my goodness it was totally worth it for the feeling of relief in that moment. I could </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">hear </i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">again! My ear felt so </span><i style="font-family: Calibri;">free! </i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I remember thinking 'I must take better care of my ears, from now on.' </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="2048" height="436" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZxvSxn2DhE/X_eAxxUW8OI/AAAAAAAASuo/yxxMdw9SoRcv7yoR1E1IMlP_aoxNKlVwACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h436/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3767420.jpg" width="640" /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">Photo by </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@olly?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Andrea Piacquadio</a></span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;"> from </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-black-crew-neck-t-shirt-wearing-white-headphones-3767420/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pexels</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Cut to nearly 15 years later (ouch) and I haven't given my ears any proper care since. I do that awful thing of sticking a bud in after a shower now and again, while I still have some water in there, but that's about it. A friend of mine told me they went to an ear clinic (pre-pandemic) and it was a life-changing experience, having their ears well and truly doted upon. It seems like such a luxury, but it doesn't have to be! Seriously. Put down the towel, the olive oil and the spoon, and let's go through some super fun facts about your amazing ears... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Y'know your outer ear? Well, it <i>never. stops. growing.</i> How wild is that? And we laugh at babies that have huge ears - I think we should be super kind to them, the poor things. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Here's one you probably already knew, but if you didn't, be prepared - it may ruin a bit of childhood magic for you. Okay, ready? The 'sound of the sea' that you hear, when you press a shell to your ear? That's actually the sound of blood rushing through your veins. I mean, that may be the science of it, but I personally prefer to cling on to the magical mermaid stories... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This one is a bit gross, but I think it will help some people... wearing a pair of headphones for just an hour can give you 700 times more bacteria in your ears. Yep. Sit with that for a bit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Last one is kinda cool; your ears <i>never </i>stop hearing, even when you sleep. I feel like I heard this years ago on come CBBC show - or actually maybe I didn't <i>hear </i>it, I probably had glue in my ear at the time. So, your brain makes a conscious decision to ignore sound when it goes into sleep mode, to make sure you aren't disturbed (any more than usual, anyway). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">How do we feel about these facts? They're pretty amazing, if you ask me. And there are so many more, but I'll leave you to listen out for them... I think we can all agree our ears are incredible, and definitely worthy of the highest standard of care. I'll be making it a resolution, when we come out of lockdown #26 or whatever, to treat myself and book in an appointment with <a href="https://www.aurisearcare.co.uk/ear-infection-treatment/" target="_blank">Auris Ear Care</a>, the ear wax removal clinic in Harley Street. My ears deserve the very best treatment, after the absolute nonsense they've had to hear in the past year! Check out Auris now if you feel the same, or maybe want to treat a loved one who struggles with their hearing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2JqTOkxy9TA/X_d_szZPAjI/AAAAAAAASug/JtBozSLOHmsIuk18vWhq0OBrBAuBuAcTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-22961927768482005042020-12-23T07:30:00.016+00:002021-01-24T18:37:37.895+00:00Small But Big; Beets Pulse & Thyme.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I am so happy to introduce you to Daniela at <a href="http://www.beetspulseandthyme.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beets Pulse & Thyme</a>; I recently participated in her <a href="http://www.beetspulseandthyme.co.uk/28day-mindbody-reset/" target="_blank">28-day mind and body reset course</a>, and was so wowed by the content of the course, and her beautiful, simple, nutritious recipes. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Let's get to know her a little better, shall we?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">How did Beets Pulse and Thyme come to be? </span></b></span></p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I started Beets Pulse and Thyme in the second year of my 3 year Naturopathic Nutrition diploma as a place to record what I was learning and sharing the recipes I was creating with others. The name came about in a brainstorming session with my husband. ;)</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7ubgR29ejo/YA2-Uwaw6XI/AAAAAAAASzI/I40UxpuuNhUVivnE1BVoXmEBi4-M-UN9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/jms9248-2-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k7ubgR29ejo/YA2-Uwaw6XI/AAAAAAAASzI/I40UxpuuNhUVivnE1BVoXmEBi4-M-UN9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/jms9248-2-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">Photo by Daniela @ </span><a href="http://www.beetspulseandthyme.co.uk/" style="font-size: 14.3px;" target="_blank">Beets Pulse & Thyme</a><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">.</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><b>What brings you joy? </b></div></span></span><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">There are many things that bring me joy - My kids, good food, all year round sea swimming, hiking, feeling the sun shining on my face and adventures. </span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><b>What is the biggest lesson you've learned in your journey with nutrition?</b></div></span></span><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Health and wellbeing are not a destination. It is constant and continuous exploration. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDPcEjQHdc0/X-EugjXWD6I/AAAAAAAASsc/9e9bDxoPVPk_uuypD7rxg0LXovmlN56SwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/beetspulseandthyme08.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">Photo by Daniela @ </span><a href="http://www.beetspulseandthyme.co.uk/" style="font-size: 14.3px;" target="_blank">Beets Pulse & Thyme</a><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">.</span></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><b>Is there one tip you'd give everyone to help them live a more balanced life?</b></div></span></span><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hmmm.. I wish there was just the one thing, but sadly there isn't. We are the sum of our upbringing, our emotions, our environment, our nourishment, our beliefs and our social interactions. To live a balanced life we need to be addressing all of these factors, digging deep, doing the shadow work, eating well and most importantly being open to constantly learning new things about ourselves and the world around us.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WA5JAW_1kUw/X-Eug_6Lb1I/AAAAAAAASsg/wFJdc4F8tzE0jR3aG3snS1M2Inc3rbv0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/beetspulseandthyme09.jpg" width="426" /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">Photo by Daniela @ </span><a href="http://www.beetspulseandthyme.co.uk/" style="font-size: 14.3px;" target="_blank">Beets Pulse & Thyme</a><span style="font-size: 14.3px;">.</span></span></div><span class="im" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><b>What are your aspirations for the future? (In work, and life!)</b></div></span></span><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">2020 has been a year of introspection for sure. The world has certainly presented us with many unknowns... </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">For the near future I plan on continuing to support people through my 28 Day Mind & Body Reset program, our next group cleanse will be starting in January. Then... as soon as it is possible I will be organising retreats again, in the stunning Carpathian mountains, with hiking, hot thermal springs and delicious food. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm really excited to be creating some new photography work as well as editing some older projects which all link into wellbeing and sustainable living. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">But.. my biggest and longer term dream is to eventually spend more time in my home country of Romania, creating a Permaculture smallholding, cafe and community. </span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">*</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much, lovely Daniela, for being my guest on this little old blog. You're a dream. </span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d-xS-qQPyTE/X9_RsmyqOxI/AAAAAAAASrg/kQlku0q-q5Agrru9EyPH6yRpqUqYvo4kgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZHZuHEidHc/X-EsirYdyGI/AAAAAAAASr8/2qE07XMbbBQWT2fb0921lfLwZYd5CeUqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/beetspulseandthyme02.jpg" /></span></div></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-86918588322505042762020-12-21T23:14:00.001+00:002020-12-21T23:14:43.715+00:00Turn on the light.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Now, more than ever, we have to take note of the happy moments. We have to submerge ourselves in them and take a long, decadent swim, until we surface somewhere remote, unfamiliar and so wonderfully peaceful. And then we'll hopefully turn and squint at the dark horizon we came from, and not remember what it was made of. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8CAX4YXyMI/X8_ip_q7gpI/AAAAAAAASp4/RgUOfr6yp4AdwxAQm-wWigV1-OsOrPnigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/FaceTim%2Bshoot%2B%25282%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8CAX4YXyMI/X8_ip_q7gpI/AAAAAAAASp4/RgUOfr6yp4AdwxAQm-wWigV1-OsOrPnigCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/FaceTim%2Bshoot%2B%25282%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo by <a href="https://www.facetim.uk/" target="_blank">Tim Dunk</a>.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />These happy moments don't have to be grand and sparkling, with pitch perfect music playing in the background and a warm, soft glow around the edges. They can be the smallest, quietest things. Like your Pilea Peperomioides sprouting a teeny baby in its soil. Or biting into the seeded sourdough you treated yourself to from the bakery, on your way home from work. Finishing a really lovely book before going to sleep. Finding the perfect Christmas gift for a loved one, when you'd been worried about finding anything they'd like. </span></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can even find happy moments <i>within</i> the sad ones. Like, it's sad that my workplace has to close due to restrictions (again) and is only open for orders. But it's great that they don't have to close completely! </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's also strange to be back on furlough for two weeks, but then it's also the dream! A Christmas break! </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strike>I sure will miss the chaotic Christmas shifts mind, they get me buzzed and warm my heart</strike> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I get to spend Christmas Day with my family, so it will feel <i>nearly </i>normal. Unfortunately, in order for that to happen, I had to make them my support bubble and this means my partner <i>isn't</i> in my bubble any more. But that's fine, because he isn't a big fan of Christmas anyway. <strike>it's pretty shitty that I can't be with him on the day, though</strike> </span></span></div><div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TY0ucuvbqDw/X8_ipwSjn4I/AAAAAAAASp0/9rV6Ft2-mqAClLVB2U7XqKWiWJKojXm7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/FaceTim%2Bshoot%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.facetim.uk/" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Tim Dunk</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">How about YOU? Are you finding the light in the darkness? Sometimes you have to consciously turn it on. And sometimes it takes a while; the bulb flickers halfheartedly, lacking the juice it needs to brighten a room. But you must persist. Press the switch harder, wait out the flickering, and call for help if you need it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edkDlyd0_Oc/X-DEnUIol6I/AAAAAAAASrs/gbGXvWnzTZUPYYbVfKpBtRc6JGgJXmuAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></div></div><p></p></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-11107849586821514292020-12-10T14:24:00.002+00:002021-02-20T15:27:26.467+00:00How to get a second home abroad...! *<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>* This post was written by a contributor. *</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there’s a particular </span><a href="/2020/08/safe-staycation-bournemouth.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">part of the world</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that you love going back to time and time again, and you have the financial freedom and flexibility to make a big purchase, you might be considering setting up a second home in that location. It’s something some people do - and many more dream of doing it. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-82679b1b-7fff-9b68-969e-de75ec9de9f6"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what do you need to consider and get right, when you're looking to set up a second home in another country? It’s not something to rush into if you’re serious about getting it right. So, let's give you a few tips and warnings here... </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1538" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1koXR4wf4k/YDEp0-UB-MI/AAAAAAAAS5U/VyoU-n9c5dAN95MWNuU7rTMKb9LL0cMAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/pexels-silvia-trigo-1296203.jpg" width="480" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Photo by </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@silvia-trigo-545701?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Silvia Trigo</a></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; text-align: start;"> from </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photo-of-body-of-water-near-white-building-1296203/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pexels</a>.</span></span></span></div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><br /></span><div><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Choose an accessible property. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">First of all, you’ll want to choose a place that’s accessible and is surrounded by the amenities that you’ll want to use when you’re there. If you’re going to be visiting your second home for weekends and little breaks, it’ll make your life much easier if it has all of the things you need nearby. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time traveling to a distant shop to stock up on food etc. Accessibility is one of the most important things to take into account here. </span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understand your mortgage options. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understanding your mortgage options and knowing which route you’re going to take when it comes to financing the purchase of a second property is something that’s very important indeed. Be sure to explore the different options out there and think about the logistics of borrowing money in another country, if that’s something you’re going to need to do. Do some research and speak to a local mortgage broker if you’re not sure where to start with this. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take care with transfers. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking care when </span><a href="https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/foreign-currency-exchange/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">transferring currencies</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is another important thing to think about. Exchange rates can vary depending on where and how you transfer your cash. And if you’re going to need to transfer a large sum in order to pay for a new home, you’ll definitely want to do your research and take care. You don’t want to get burnt by big fees and bad rates of exchanges if there are other options out there to take advantage of. It’s a way in which many people lose out, so be careful. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understand the legal restrictions. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">There might be some legal restrictions that you’ll need to take into account when choosing to buy a home in a foreign country. Some countries have restrictions on who can buy properties and how the whole process plays out. It’s important to understand that and to take action when finding a place that you feel confident you can legally buy. If there are restrictions in place that cause problems for you as a buyer, talk to a professional and see if there are ways around them that are safe and legal. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do ALL your research. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s important to do as much research as you possibly can before going ahead and making a purchase. Your research should be exhaustive. That way, you can be sure that you don’t miss anything and don’t make any potentially costly mistakes. Research the market and everything else related to property and finances in the location in which you’re looking to buy. The more you know and the more knowledge you’re armed with, the fewer mistakes you’ll be likely to make. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explore the option of renting it out. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">You might want to think about the possibility of letting out the property once it’s yours. After all, if this is a holiday home of sorts, you’re not going to be there all the time. You might be able to make some extra money by renting out during those periods. There are regulations regarding renting out properties in most countries, so you’ll need to understand and navigate these if you are interested in renting the place out when you’re not there.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plan for maintenance. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maintenance should be considered, especially if you’re not going to be there a lot of the time. You want to make sure the property stays in good condition throughout the year and is prepared for the particular challenges and problems that might arise as seasons change. You could hire someone to take care of maintenance tasks for you while you’re away if you can find someone you feel able to trust with those tasks. It’ll be one less thing for you to worry about. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look for discounted and subsidized options. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re looking for a home in a place that offers </span><a href="https://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-guides/loan-eligibility-hdb-flat-guide-12120" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HDB HLE</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> properties or something similar, you might want to see if you’re eligible for those kinds of discounts and subsidies. You might be surprised by what you find. There are lots of ways to save and reduce your overall financial exposure, and all of these avenues should at least be explored and considered if you’re working with a relatively tight budget. None of us can afford to throw money away. </span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make it secure for when you're away. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s important to think about how you’re going to secure the property when you’re not there. You can’t afford to ignore this because security is a major issue when you’re owning a property overseas, especially a second home. Security can be taken care of with the help of modern technologies as well. With modern alarm and camera systems, you can connect them wirelessly to your phone or computer back home, allowing you to keep an eye on things even when you’re not there. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you can see, there are lots of things that need to be done in order for you to set yourself up in another country and create a second base there. But despite the work involved, you shouldn’t be put off. For many people, it’s one of the best and most rewarding decisions they ever make - and it could be for you too!</span></p></span></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-33686766892637772982020-12-05T21:09:00.000+00:002020-12-05T21:09:05.014+00:00Small But Big; The Hastings Bookshop.<p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Oh yes, this <a href="/search/label/small%20but%20big" target="_blank">Small But Big series</a> is officially BACK, baby! For those of you who don't know, I love (to the point of obsession) small businesses. I want to work and shop with them as much as possible, and shout them out on every platform I have. Well, today I am overjoyed to be shouting about <a href="https://hastingsbookshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Hastings Bookshop</a>; a newbie to the infamous Trinity Triangle, and a welcome addition to our town as a whole. I was very excited to interview Charlie, the book lover behind it all... </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSBTbKLvu0Y/X8v2Gcf68hI/AAAAAAAASoY/VmxE1-oOy8ox5rw4BJu9ysP4JxTjqYifACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSBTbKLvu0Y/X8v2Gcf68hI/AAAAAAAASoY/VmxE1-oOy8ox5rw4BJu9ysP4JxTjqYifACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #222222;">What's <i>your </i>story? How did The Hastings Bookshop come to be? </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #222222;"><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">It's been my dream to open a shop in Hastings for a very long time. I grew up down here and it is such a special, warm and caring place - it deserves a really amazing bookshop. Book selling is in my blood I guess - most of my family are in the book biz. My mum and dad actually met when they were working in a bookshop together - goals! I've been selling books myself since the age of 16. I worked at Waterstones for a bit and then spent a few years working at this amazing bookshop on Tooley Street, near London Bridge, called The Riverside Bookshop - I learnt a lot and made some great mates there, I still love those guys dearly. Alongside my book selling I studied Sociology at Goldsmiths and then did an MA in Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University. I sometimes still write about philosophy, I've recently had a few pieces on French and African philosophy translated into Arabic and published by my good friend Oumar Azzeradj, an excellent Algerian/British philosopher and cultural critic who now lives in St Leonards. During the first lockdown I realised that the future of our industry lies in small, local, independent bookshops and publishers who have a really close relationship with their customers. With this new shop, I'm trying to combine a modern, contemporary selection of books (which try to deal with current social and political issues), and a classic, old-school approach to book selling; for example, recommending a book you think a customer would actually like to read, rather that what you are being told to hand sell by some company big shot. I have complete freedom to stock what I want in this shop and therefore I can make the stock list a genuine reflection of the interests of our community - Amazon and the book selling chains just can't compete with that. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>You're tucked away in Trinity Triangle, arguably the nicest part of the 'new' town. What's it like being there? </b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Being part of the Trinity Triangle gang is one of the main things that makes this shop so special. I first saw the shop that we are now in whilst sitting over the road having a coffee from <a href="https://stoogecoffee.com/" target="_blank">Stooge</a> (Shout Out Stooge - they do the very best coffee in town - hands down!). I just thought to myself, 'hey, a bookshop is just what this street needs'! I think our customer base is really compatible with the other local businesses on this stretch - in a few steps you can buy records from <a href="https://wowandflutterhastings.com/" target="_blank">Wow and Flutter</a>, a book from <a href="https://hastingsbookshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Hastings Bookshop</a>, a banging coffee from Stooge and stock up on supplies from the legendary Hastings institution that is <a href="http://trinitywholefoods.co.uk/" target="_blank">Trinity Wholefoods</a>. We all help each other out too - it's a proper community and it just looks drop-dead gorgeous - I'm super stoked to be in this spot. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">It's fair to say you opened at a very tricky time. How are you operating in Lockdown 2.0?</span></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">We only had 4 days of proper trade before we had to close for Lockdown 2.0 - which obviously wasn't ideal timing, but you know what, it's actually worked out really well for us! We got loads of press (probs because people felt sorry for us lol) so we ended up getting loads of people through the door when we first opened, which we maybe wouldn't have had opening in 'normal' circumstances. It has also given us a bit of time to put together a fully-functioning delivery and collection service. We have the door open (with a protective screen for safety) Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, for socially-distanced click and collect. We have also been doing local deliveries and sending out books nationally and internationally. It's been cool but I'm itching to get people back in and browsing again - I think bookshops rely on browsing more than other places, so fingers crossed not long left now. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7rLuU-YLzA/X8vzldImOVI/AAAAAAAASns/573TulHnNFYTjUJ-ZYTgCymZWJoYD2HcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7rLuU-YLzA/X8vzldImOVI/AAAAAAAASns/573TulHnNFYTjUJ-ZYTgCymZWJoYD2HcwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>Okay, the toughest Q: what is your favourite book? Or genre, or author? </b><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This is the hardest question for any book lover to answer, haha! It changes every day. At the moment I'd probably say my all-time favourite is Audre Lorde (her revival amongst young readers is just sooo amazing and encouraging to see) or James Baldwin. I also love Gwendoline Riley (who has a new novel due next year that I'm already raving about!). Oh, and Ben Lerner! To be honest, I have to stop myself now because I could go on forever. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nWhrs0fYes/X8vzmLao2lI/AAAAAAAASnw/3F_B2wRYFiggOedu9IUHpSRlnxG8IzhoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nWhrs0fYes/X8vzmLao2lI/AAAAAAAASnw/3F_B2wRYFiggOedu9IUHpSRlnxG8IzhoQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>When all the 2020 madness is over, what are you hoping to do with the shop in the future? </b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I have so many plans for the shop in the (hopefully not so distant) future. We have an amazing basement space here which I want to use for events. Book events, such as reading clubs, signings, readings etc, but also more general community events; kids art club, exhibitions, revolutionary political meetings - whatever people want to use the space for really! We have a really close relationship with authors and publishers here so I'm certain we can put on some really great events soon. I also want to collaborate with the neighbours on some events. So yeah, watch this space. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrAZyIfo2WI/X8vzmywIJCI/AAAAAAAASn0/wu3b7gAc3G40OYV2XhNBxLt4LNgzkcT-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrAZyIfo2WI/X8vzmywIJCI/AAAAAAAASn0/wu3b7gAc3G40OYV2XhNBxLt4LNgzkcT-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Hastings%2BBookshop%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Charlie. You're a gem. You've well and truly smashed it with your shop despite lockdown, and it's only going to get bigger and better now it's (hopefully) over! </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jjxT4C0bMJ4/X8Z1qPVusbI/AAAAAAAASnM/cNRtf7lABQ0mJICQ8fGVhDWv-F7XUl-fwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-23557674964764319972020-11-19T19:30:00.001+00:002020-11-19T19:30:49.621+00:00Recent Reads; pumpkins, politics and the patriarchy.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Hello, fellow book lovers. It's been a while since I wrote one of these! In all honesty, I haven't got much reading done, recently. Maybe because I'm too busy, but I also haven't been allocating time for it as much as I did earlier this year. I have to admit, I miss the end-of-lockdown summer days, when I would spent around 8 full hours on my roof, reading reading reading... </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Okay, tiny violin moment over. Here are some reviews. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj9gP2WJh04/X7a3g7Eq_zI/AAAAAAAAQ6Y/V82tCQ9jIi4WKf3fWzBmeRFR-PBYhXprQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="2048" height="606" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj9gP2WJh04/X7a3g7Eq_zI/AAAAAAAAQ6Y/V82tCQ9jIi4WKf3fWzBmeRFR-PBYhXprQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h606/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>Red White & Royal Blue, </b>by Casey McQuiston.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">An enemies to lovers story, in which the Prince of Wales falls for the First Son of the American President, and their romance must overcome opposition from all sides.</span></span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Review via </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150487-red-white-royal-blue?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=qtIv7XafAL&rank=1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Everyone was telling me to read this one. EVERYONE. It's a truly unique novel; New Adult (a bit of a grey area, genre-wise!), contemporary (it takes place in a <i>very</i> different 2020), witty, political, and sexy af. I won't lie, I didn't fully grasp some of the political jargon or Very American storylines, but holy cow I gobbled up the sexual tension and delightful character development. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Thank you so much to Claire, aka <a href="https://twitter.com/paperbookmarks" target="_blank">@paperbookmarks</a>, for sending me this one during Lockdown 1. You're a gem. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>Every Little Piece of My Heart</b>, by Non Pratt.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><i>When Sophie receives a parcel from her best friend, Freya, she expects it to contain the reason why Freya left town so suddenly, without goodbyes or explanation. Instead, she finds a letter addressed to Win, a girl Freya barely knew - or did she? As more letters arrive for more people on the periphery of Freya's life, Sophie and Win begin to piece together who Freya was and why she left. Sometimes it's not about who's gone, but about who they leave behind.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Review via <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52765863-every-little-piece-of-my-heart?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=YWPqedkfOB&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Non is one of my favourite YA authors. The characters she writes are so believable and layered, and their arcs are beautiful. Her dialogue writing is masterful. FACTS. I do love her romantic stuff, but let me tell you she is one of the very best when it comes to writing about friendships. *chef's kiss*</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I bought this book with a ticket to a Zoom event with Non in conversation with <span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-variant-ligatures: no-contextual;">Gráinne Clear, Commissioning Editor at Walker Books, organised by <a href="https://www.lutyensrubinstein.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lutyens & Rubinstein</a> Bookshop & Literary Agency. Check them out, please!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 22px; font-variant-ligatures: no-contextual;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-variant-ligatures: no-contextual;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(and consider buying from them this Christmas, rather than That Site) </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WljzrsYyJBo/X7a3g8eoqLI/AAAAAAAAQ6U/wTddFdXZDeEIlQsAE1ELysL7obFAMOKYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1909" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WljzrsYyJBo/X7a3g8eoqLI/AAAAAAAAQ6U/wTddFdXZDeEIlQsAE1ELysL7obFAMOKYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w596-h640/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="596" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Pumpkinheads, </b>by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Every autumn through high school, Josiah and Deja have worked together at the local pumpkin patch. They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1st. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">But this Halloween is different — they are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Review via <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40864790-pumpkinheads?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Dk9Q6kvGN3&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I am not a huge graphic novel reader (idk why, I just like allll the words), but I had had my eye on this one for a good while. Rainbow's writing is always a treat, and Faith's illustrations were just incredible. As for the story... I liked the friendship stuff, and the setting was adorable, but (spoilers) I didn't like where it went right at the end. I didn't believe it. Maybe it's because I'm cynical and jaded, but I noticed after finishing it that a few reviewers felt the same as me... </span></p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jPftTUBj2g/X7a3hNgROiI/AAAAAAAAQ6c/lZyY17jgD-QwF_JXLgw-rijsIBmlvTc4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1681" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jPftTUBj2g/X7a3hNgROiI/AAAAAAAAQ6c/lZyY17jgD-QwF_JXLgw-rijsIBmlvTc4gCLcBGAsYHQ/w526-h640/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="526" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/more-than-a-woman-9781529102758/?aff=3" target="_blank">More Than a Woman</a></b><span style="font-size: x-large;">,</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: x-large;">by Caitlin Moran.</span></span></p><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">It will come as no surprise to you lot that Caitlin (Cat, to those in the know) shimmied her way right up my reading list as soon as she landed in a most unladylike manner on my doormat. I was sold from page one; Caitlin takes us back to 10 years ago, when she'd just finished writing her bestseller 'How To Be a Woman', and embellishes a little on the memory, shall we say, by describing her 45-year-old self appearing to that Caitlin to warn her of what's to come in the future, just when her 30-something self thinks she's got it licked. Very clever. She's had a fair bit of criticism about HTBAW in the past 10 years; it hasn't aged perfectly, and a few problematic things have been brought to light, so it's great that this book began with this honest callback to her former self. </span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The book consists of chapters that mark each hour of the day, and what that hour entails in a wife, mother, writer and feminist's life; e.g. 8am, The Hour of Married Sex; 7pm, The Hour of Ageing, etc. </span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I'm still reading it now, but I have to share one of my favourite parts so far - the 'what about men?' chapter. Hear me out... Caitlin makes some very valid points about how the patriarchy is tough on men, too. She shares some of the responses her <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/caitlin-moran-twitter-downsides-man-toxic-masculinity-feminism-reactions-a8593471.html" target="_blank">Twitter call out</a> got; some are eye-opening, and some are super sad. </span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-mWTj86Q2I/X7a3h3_DWqI/AAAAAAAAQ6g/8Zn0avF1zComDZ01AMMLSa1YK3Tf6UAMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-mWTj86Q2I/X7a3h3_DWqI/AAAAAAAAQ6g/8Zn0avF1zComDZ01AMMLSa1YK3Tf6UAMgCLcBGAsYHQ/w594-h640/Pumpkins%2BPolitics%2BPatriarchy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="594" /></span></a></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">There we go! Those are my most recent reads. When I finish MTAW I'm planning to dip into some more fiction, as I need to escape again. What are YOU reading? Any recommendations? Comment below, and/or <a href="https://twitter.com/_gracelatter" target="_blank">tweet me</a>, please. See ya soon.</span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hpWFytXnbfQ/X7a6R26wNaI/AAAAAAAAQ60/q5nS2OsrWe02wsMFzKgGBPy20qtB3SEcACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-64262736665489320932020-11-08T18:43:00.002+00:002020-11-08T18:43:59.331+00:00Going back to basics.<p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello. Let’s try something here.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I started this blog in 2010, back when I wore skinny jeans, Converse and zip up hoodies all day every day, dyed my hair all the wrong colours and felt <i>SO MUCH</i>, I couldn’t keep it all in. I found peace and happiness in my tiny corner of the internet, posting with wild abandon about my crushes, A Level stresses, (questionable) fashion choices and foolish ambitions. No details spared. And while it wasn’t great when my peers found my little safe space and started ripping it out of me for being so mushy, pretentious and quite prone to embellishment, I was never discouraged because it was so good for my mind, writing my feelings out. </span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Well, over the past few years I’ll admit that I’ve become quite scared to just <i>write</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, like I used to. I’ve stopped my musing and rambling, and started overthinking and planning, so much so that I’ve lost a lot of the joy I used to get from this platform that I made for myself as a hormonal, angsty, romantic teenager. Now, I’ve proven to you readers <a href="/2020/09/it-would-have-been-fun.html" target="_blank">quite recently</a>that I still have that same teenager living within me, somewhere, and I’m wondering if I could take a leaf out of her book, as I muddle through the adult world as best I can. I want to take time for myself; </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I need to stop spending every waking moment trying to fill time with work, scrolling through various social media platforms, social engagements – okay, well, the latter isn’t really a problem any more in this current mess of a world, but you know what I mean. I need to stop trying to make use of every minute of my day. I need to do things just for the fun of it, and not because I can get something from it – be that money, freebies, a following, or a few brownie points here and there. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V102CXJgJm4/X6g6mLAwQoI/AAAAAAAAQ5E/Gke_HdMAr9w5ryQlVs4H0p9ErOzoooF1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1968/img0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1968" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V102CXJgJm4/X6g6mLAwQoI/AAAAAAAAQ5E/Gke_HdMAr9w5ryQlVs4H0p9ErOzoooF1wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/img0013.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><span face="calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo: </span><a href="https://erinveness.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #659ec7; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0em !important; margin-right: 0em !important; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Erin Veness</a></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;">L</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ockdown Part II (Revenge of the Virus) is going to be very different. For one thing, people seem to be generally feeling much more positive about it; I’ve had conversations with friends and everyday acquaintances who have said they’re simply seeing it as a paid month off work this time, and they’re excited because it means they can binge some more on Netflix, read more books, create stuff, do some work around the house, spend more time with their kids, and so much more. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">A</span><span style="font-style: normal;">lso, a lot of small businesses are staying open, but making vital changes to how they operate because they don’t want to close again, and they’ve </span><span style="font-style: normal;">made the effort to figure </span><span style="font-style: normal;">out how to work </span><i>with </i><span style="font-style: normal;">the restrictions. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I’</span><span style="font-style: normal;">m living my good life, to be quite honest. I’m thrilled to not be shielding this time around – huge shout-out to those who aren’t so lucky; I see you and I know what you’re going through – and I am excited for all this free time, that I will be mostly spending alone (because I love being alone. Did you know that about me?), on self care and my creative projects. I have a couple in the pipeline, and I’ve actually started manifesting them now, and not being afraid to speak openly about them with my close friends. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">One of those creative projects, I guess, is going back to basics here. I want to start writing openly and freely again, about whatever I’m feeling, and whatever I’m doing. I used to share </span><i>long </i><span style="font-style: normal;">posts on here about stuff I’d been doing day to day, and friends I was hanging out with, and what I’d been learning at college/uni. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Simple things. I never felt pressured to share political opinions, fine-tuned reviews or #sponsored #content, back then. I think now more than ever, we are needing to connect with our old selves and work out what used to make us happy, and if/why we’ve lost that along the way somewhere. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOhTOeT3WlI/X6g6l_ST6JI/AAAAAAAAQ5A/oH3nyU7kg7QRj-mq7P6ml1zLbzgogKk2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1968/img0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1968" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOhTOeT3WlI/X6g6l_ST6JI/AAAAAAAAQ5A/oH3nyU7kg7QRj-mq7P6ml1zLbzgogKk2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/img0024.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span face="calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo: </span><a href="https://erinveness.com/" target="_blank">Erin Veness</a></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Last Monday, I woke up with my gorgeous boyfriend, and as he got ready for work I realised that it was the last day I could do something spontaneous and have some </span><i>me </i><span style="font-style: normal;">time for at least four weeks, with the second lockdown looming. I’d been planning to check in on a Google meet at 10am, then join the live stream of my friend’s funeral at 11am, at my kitchen table, with a coffee. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Well, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I decided to skip the Google meet, jump on a train to Brighton, and watch the service in </span><span style="font-style: normal;">one of the indie cafes </span><span style="font-style: normal;">in the North Laines. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I smiled to myself as the train pulled into my favourite seaside city, and I stepped off the train into the winter sunshine. </span><i>Jordan would have liked this</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, I thought. You see, Jordan was always a ‘get out there and LIVE’ kind of person. We could all learn a lot from the way he saw the world. I settled myself in a quiet cafe, ordered a long black, propped my phone against the little jug containing the extra hot water I requested, and logged into the live stream. I tried not to wonder if the staff noticed I was getting tearful over and over again as I sat there for an hour, nursing my cup. Then when the service was over, I wandered deeper into the Laines and spent the rest of the day treating myself, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">mindfully</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. I got three new pairs of (ethically made) trousers; I grabbed some crispy tempeh tacos in a cafe I’d never been to before; I inadvertently explored the park while searching desperately for a public toilet; I got takeaway vegan doughnuts for the parents, as I was seeing them that evening; </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I visited the shop on Sydney Street that I once worked in, and when I finally boarded the train home I was full of good food and deep joy (two things which, in my book, are one and the same). </span><span style="font-style: normal;">I’d shaken off my usual stresses, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">boring To Do lists</span><span style="font-style: normal;">and thrifty tendencies, and just enjoyed myself for a change. It had been so long since I’d </span><i>done me</i><span style="font-style: normal;">for a day. I know it was a luxury, and I sadly can’t make a habit of it, but maybe I should try to schedule in one of those types of days every couple of months. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Maybe we all should. Once the world gets a little more… now, do I say ‘normal’? No. That’s a boring word. ‘Safe’? ‘Chilled’? They’re a bit better. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">When was the last time you had a <i>you </i>day? Was it magical? I wanna know all about it. Comment below, or tweet me. Also, what do you want to read on here? As a reader, it’s as much yours as it is mine, I guess. Only it’s not really. I can do what I want here. Mwahahaha.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7C9KQoRtsEI/X6g6f4sIH_I/AAAAAAAAQ48/ukD1HVv6K9UvPyMrf7-ThV_vFFh4nThqACLcBGAsYHQ/s155/G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7C9KQoRtsEI/X6g6f4sIH_I/AAAAAAAAQ48/ukD1HVv6K9UvPyMrf7-ThV_vFFh4nThqACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-44757752838583197022020-11-06T18:38:00.003+00:002020-11-12T09:27:51.479+00:00Be productive, with Mål Paper!<p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">Hey, stationery lovers, goal setters and go-getters – have you heard of Mål Paper?</span></span></span></p><p></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">They create simple yet stylish Scandinavian stationery, designed to help us be more productive by focusing our minds on the most important tasks. I don’t know about you lot, but I’ve been feeling like I need a kick up the butt recently, and I’m determined to make this second lockdown count for something. Anyone else? </span></span></span></p><p></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktGo34LPHUM/X6WWchB4g7I/AAAAAAAAQ4c/VqTWT3jhi9cTNsE4h-34dC50SGbL09AVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1023/journal-for-a-good-nights-sleep_1024x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktGo34LPHUM/X6WWchB4g7I/AAAAAAAAQ4c/VqTWT3jhi9cTNsE4h-34dC50SGbL09AVgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/journal-for-a-good-nights-sleep_1024x1024.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;">(<a href="https://malpaper.com/pages/win-yourself-mal-paper-products" target="_blank">photo source</a>)</span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Well, I have some great news. The wonderful folks at Mål Paper are currently running a competition to win a £50 gift card, so you can treat yourself to some of their elegant, fabulous products. Ooh, or maybe you could put that £50 towards a Christmas gifts for a goal-loving loved one? You can decide how generous you're feeling, or if you are just wanting to treat yourself. I've just entered, and got my eye on their <a href="https://www.malpaper.com/products/daily-goal-setter-planner-black" target="_blank">Daily Goal Setter</a> planner, if I win. Or maybe one of the affirmation card decks... </span></span></span></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl07ZiCNTs0/X6WW1iSMoPI/AAAAAAAAQ4o/_O27XH6gpsck5Z60OHGon2lq_-cszS5uQCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/daily%2Bgoal%2Bgetter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl07ZiCNTs0/X6WW1iSMoPI/AAAAAAAAQ4o/_O27XH6gpsck5Z60OHGon2lq_-cszS5uQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/daily%2Bgoal%2Bgetter.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">(</span><a href="https://www.malpaper.com/products/daily-goal-setter-planner-black" target="_blank">photo source</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">)</span></span></div><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">Here’s the <a href="https://malpaper.com/pages/win-yourself-mal-paper-products" target="_blank">link you need</a> to enter, and all you have to do is sign up to their newsletter, and tell them what your #1 goal is. Yep, it really is that simple.</span></span></p><p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">Enter now, for your chance to win!</span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkjubUo2B7Y/X6WXGZJTGOI/AAAAAAAAQ4w/7f-oOkgn40E5oiY6z149YjIdLyiQWGdIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s155/G.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkjubUo2B7Y/X6WXGZJTGOI/AAAAAAAAQ4w/7f-oOkgn40E5oiY6z149YjIdLyiQWGdIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></a></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-90891712471002506732020-10-22T11:55:00.001+01:002020-10-22T11:55:51.292+01:00Lydia Reeves & The Vulva Diversity Project.<p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lydiareeves_artist/" style="font-size: 15pt;" target="_blank">Lydia Reeves</a><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> is a brilliant, badass body casting artist, working out of a studio in Brighton (she travels around, too; see her Insta for more info on that). </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I’ve admired her work for a while now, and was lucky enough to be a volunteer in her Vulva Diversity Project! I then went back to have my fabulous, mismatched boobs cast so I could hang them in pride of place in my home. These experiences were so positive, empowering and fun; I’d recommend her amazing casting to anyone who wants to preserve a bit of themselves, get over any aesthetic hang-ups, and truly love their body. She has so many more awesome things coming soon, so give her a follow on Instagram and keep an eye on </span><a href="https://www.lydiareeves.com/" style="font-size: 15pt;" target="_blank">her website now!</a></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Lydia recently popped down to Hastings to do some recording for a super exciting project I’m working on. I can’t wait for you all to hear her speaking passionately about body love, breaking stigmas, and the pressures of society. But for now, here she is in blog interview form, </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">talking about her vulva project... </span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFViOPb_C_8/X49J03U4eDI/AAAAAAAAQ3A/AaGlX_uXlvsEZa2ma3jNA-FegLcglnT8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/SW3A3156_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFViOPb_C_8/X49J03U4eDI/AAAAAAAAQ3A/AaGlX_uXlvsEZa2ma3jNA-FegLcglnT8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/SW3A3156_1.jpg" width="426" /></a><br />(Photo from Lydia's website.)</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.35cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b>How</b> <b>did the idea for this project come to you?</b> <b>What</b> <b>was the original aim, and has it changed?</b></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.35cm; margin-top: 0.1cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b><br /></b>After suffering with huge anxieties and insecurities surrounding my own vulva, I decided I wanted to create something which helped other vulva owners to celebrate their vulvas, instead of feeling ashamed by them. </span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br />This started by casting myself, and then a few friends. I had no big plans for it to go the way that it has! After realising the positive effects it had on me and my friends, I put a shout-out out on my Instagram to see if anyone else wanted to come and get theirs cast. Turns out this project resonates with A LOT of people!! Since then it has organically grown into this beautiful, diverse, project which has already helped so <i>so</i> many people understand that all vulvas are completely normal, and beautifully unique.</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="instagram.com/lydiareeves_artist" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="810" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Nyhxxl4OQE/X49LtJ9RBAI/AAAAAAAAQ3U/bUn2669gLZcU2xMtEguKM99PmbMi3BU9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/lydia04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Photo from Lydia's Insta.)</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b>When</b> <b>did you first cast a vulva?</b> <b>What</b> <b>was that like!?</b></span></span></span></p><p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b><br /></b>I cast my own vulva when I was 19 (almost 10 years ago!) This was after first learning how to body cast, and of course, I applied this technique straight to my vulva! At the time I wasn’t in the right mental place to start embracing my vulva, so hid the cast under my bed for years and years!</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24px;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"></span></span></p><p align="left"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">When I first started this project last year, my first vulva cast wasn’t the best…It was on one of my best friends and she happened to have a lot of pubic hair at the time. I had no idea how much Nivea cream I was supposed to use, and clearly didn’t use enough! We spent the best part of 10 minutes easing the goop off of her pubes bit by bit as she’d got pretty stuck in there!! A HUGE learning curve for me, and thankfully we’re still good mates haha! </span></span></p><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></div><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b>What</b> <b>do you use to make your castings? </b></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">I mainly use a high strength plaster to create the finished pieces. I love the organic feel and the fragility each cast possesses.</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b>What is the process like for you, the artist, working with a model?</b></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;">I absolutely love the casting process. First and foremost I always make sure I’m putting the participant at ease as much as I can. I completely understand that this can be a very nerve-racking experience. Before getting into the casting process, we chat a lot about why they decided to come and get their vulva cast today, and I share a bit about my journey too if it feels appropriate. I could have never predicted how much I’d learn from doing this project, and it’s by far the best thing I’ve done to date!</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIxnRwDlQ5A/X49J3PkjuJI/AAAAAAAAQ3E/RRBSuGg9ZzUTZaPJsLdOqO8L6QaJX3PTQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/SW3A3145.jpg" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">(Photo from Lydia's website.)</span></span></div><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b>Where</b> <b>did you see this project going? Was there a particular goal you wanted</b> <b>to hit?</b></span></span></span></p><p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><b><br /></b>I had no idea where I was going to take this project when I first started. At the very beginning I kept on saying ‘if it helps just one person feel more comfortable with their vulva, then I feel like I’ve done a great thing.’ I could never have foreseen it going the way it did, as just over a year later I’ve cast 200 vulvas, and had countless messages from people – both who are part of the project, and also those who follow my work on Instagram – saying how much my work has completely changed the way they view their own vulva! I can’t wait for my exhibition, and my book launch, to reach more and more people.</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx4ebLHvr3E/X49LtCCxD-I/AAAAAAAAQ3Y/zcmCflCwCPkF_olIccgx0L9YfULM16OggCLcBGAsYHQ/s807/lydia05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="805" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx4ebLHvr3E/X49LtCCxD-I/AAAAAAAAQ3Y/zcmCflCwCPkF_olIccgx0L9YfULM16OggCLcBGAsYHQ/w638-h640/lydia05.jpg" width="638" /></a><br />Did you know Lydia sells some amazing handmade products, too? Check her store <a href="https://www.lydiareeves.com/store" target="_blank">out here!</a></span></p><p align="left"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><b style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where can people find you on social media? And how can they sign up to get their beautiful bodies immortalised in this unique way?</span></b></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15pt;">My Instagram is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lydiareeves_artist/" target="_blank">@lydiareeves_artist</a> and my website is </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15pt;"><a href="https://www.lydiareeves.com/">lydiareeves.com</a></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15pt;">. I am no longer taking volunteers for my Vulva Diversity Project, but I am still very much casting vulvas, boobies, bums and tums (and anything else you’d like casting!) so please feel free to drop me a message about booking in!</span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20px;">*</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20px;">Thanks so much for stopping by, Lydia. Huge love for you!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8c1WbKg_s98/X4n807_Q8lI/AAAAAAAAQ2s/yuvXqXpelS0bZkbRTm10Ggvtc_l348i5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></span></div><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-69857682536254420642020-10-12T18:30:00.014+01:002020-10-13T16:52:26.964+01:0048.<p></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For those who don't know... I’m Grace. </span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have only recently discovered chow mein, growing my hair out (a little bit) is proving very difficult, I'm trying to make more time to write, doing a 'big shop' in the supermarket brings me such joy, coming off the pill has been amazing <i>and</i> absolutely sh*t, I've finally bought a Monstera Deliciosa, I stare at myself way too much during Zoom calls thinking 'do I normally look like that?!', I'm trying and failing to set bedtimes on my iPhone, </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-style: normal;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">going back to work has been weird and lovely and exhausting, </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-style: normal;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm just starting a 28 day body 'reset' course with a local nutritionist and I'm so nervous/excited, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal;">turmeric is magical, fast fashion is evil, eating vegetables is important, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal;">I really think Sara Pascoe and I could be great friends, but then I worry I wouldn't make her laugh very much. </span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I do these fun fact posts now and again, and weirdly, they get crazy amounts of reads. You nosy peeps. I love you. </span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></p><p align="left" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-921ehiJKtLM/X4SOj7wsroI/AAAAAAAAQ14/uzdwTNzSRdo43KVLipEgnizrLw_4QTvyACLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h640/grace-18.jpg" width="512" /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo: </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4573242944519680538/5425345610812829626#" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #659ec7; font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0em !important; margin-right: 0em !important; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 0em; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Erin Veness</a><span face="calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> (safe distance etc., etc)</span></span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-74919667946809561682020-09-25T17:34:00.002+01:002020-09-25T17:34:21.263+01:00The joy of kissing.<p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I love kissing. No, seriously. It's a big deal for me. In fact, I'd say it's a make or break point. On my first date with Hands, I confessed to him (after a few whiskies) that I believed kisses were extremely important; I’ve always felt that if I get on with someone, great, but if their kisses don’t work for me, then odds are we won’t continue seeing each other for very long. I want sparks, excitement and a feeling of connection. </span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZUrKyRVsrk/X1KnEC7BNTI/AAAAAAAAQxE/NQDndFPR9dAmd6YUVp0xXHE2-iqvj4teACLcBGAsYHQ/s741/sophie%2Bkiss%2B02.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="647" height="625" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZUrKyRVsrk/X1KnEC7BNTI/AAAAAAAAQxE/NQDndFPR9dAmd6YUVp0xXHE2-iqvj4teACLcBGAsYHQ/w545-h625/sophie%2Bkiss%2B02.png" width="545" /></a><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">photo: </span><a href="http://sophie-mayanne.com/" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Sophie Mayanne</a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">What part of kissing is the best part, though? Is it the build-up? I used to love that part, when I was a hopelessly romantic teenager, full of hormones and constantly fighting inappropriate urges. We actually used to do an exercise in my Drama A Level lessons to ‘create sexual tension’ (hardly necessary, in a class of 15 sweaty teens mostly wearing leggings and writhing around to moody trance music, but hey) in which we’d grab a partner (literally) and take it in turns to walk towards each other and get in super close, as if we were about to dive in for an epic snog, then turn and walk away at the last minute… then turn back longingly, one last time. Goodness me, it was intense. And obviously, we all loved doing it. Because the suspense was delicious. It was like a scene in The OC, or even Skins; the <i>will they? won’t they?</i> plot lines were so juicy, it was almost a let down when the characters would break the tension with a smooch and end the wondering immediately. I remember I had friends at school and then college who I didn’t ‘get with’ because I enjoyed the ‘maybe’ of it all too much. I properly relished the excitement and question of it. My friends and I would always be swapping stories about ‘almost kisses’ on the train home, we’d get drunk on the anticipation and flush hot pink as we described every little detail –<i> “he and I were in the costume cupboard behind the theatre, and we both reached for this jacket at the same time, he turned to me and we made eye contact and I FELT HIS BREATH on my cheek…”</i></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Yep. The build-up, the <i>not-kissing </i>part, is pretty wonderful. But y’know what else is? The <i>actual kissing </i>part. When I was very young, I remember wondering how on earth we humans decided that we liked smushing our mouths together, and how that could be a declaration of attraction, or even love. And I mean, to this day I can still see the weirdness of it all, if you look at it simply – it’s just two faces being abruptly stuck together by two pairs of lips, with the optional tongues slipping in and out and shaking all about. It’s really bizarre. But it sends the happiest tingles through you; it somehow connects with your whole body, and your brain can get really into it as well. If it’s done right, that is. I’ve been kissed by some truly magnificent masters, a few promising punters, and then some absolute amateurs. Everyone has their own style and preferences (for instance, I’m really not that fussed about the tongue. Leave it in there, mate). I’m a big fan of hands on the sides of my face, or maybe one against the back of my head and one on my waist. Even a light hug around the middle feels nice. I once shared a great kiss with someone in a suit, and I think what made it great was the fact that I could grab hold of their lapels and pull them toward me. 10/10. I’ve also kissed someone I probably shouldn’t have, and that fact was hot enough really, but they also did this trick of running their hands up and down my back in little circles, which made me shiver against them and get in even closer. Sensory overload. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p><br /></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">But then it doesn’t always have to be dramatic. It can be lovely and gentle, like my first kiss with Hands, which was across a wobbly table in a pub on a quiet Friday night; just a little smooch that tasted like a sweet mingling of whisky and rum, it felt so gentle but hid within it a hint of wickedness.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aKv_qHX568/X1KnDwKttaI/AAAAAAAAQw8/DaohFrHxQjAHq0OchgXT1UNuSC3sT5thwCLcBGAsYHQ/s731/sophie%2Bkiss%2B03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="644" height="625" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aKv_qHX568/X1KnDwKttaI/AAAAAAAAQw8/DaohFrHxQjAHq0OchgXT1UNuSC3sT5thwCLcBGAsYHQ/w551-h625/sophie%2Bkiss%2B03.png" width="551" /></a><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">photo: <a href="http://sophie-mayanne.com/" target="_blank">Sophie Mayanne</a></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Then comes another exciting part… the <i>after</i>. When you break apart from the person you’ve been kissing and share a moment there, just you two. This is particularly lovely after a first kiss, partly because all that tension that built up would have finally been released, and you’ll both feel the happy relief of it as the dust settles around you… but also because it’s a taste of what’s to come. A first kiss is like a key, and you let yourself into something with it. You don’t know what the something actually <i>is </i>yet, and that’s part of the excitement, isn’t it? I, for one, <i>love </i>the ‘after’ part of a kiss. It can be so brief; just a quick flicker of a spark between each other’s eyes, blink and you’ll miss it, before you both look away and smile to yourselves, then continue with whatever you were doing. Return to the party, refill your drinks, catch up with other friends, don’t think on what just happened too much because there’s no time now. Or it can sit with you for a while, a comforting feeling that settles on your shoulders and tickles your lips; it fills up your chest with a mixture of warmth and confidence that makes you sit up a little and show your teeth when you smile. It glows in the corners of your eyes. For the rest of the evening, you and the person you kissed will feel the little smattering of stardust that was born when you collided, and exists between the two of you. </span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zfBMc50uWQ/X1KnDwq3MnI/AAAAAAAAQxA/LTVa8Acl350DsORsnu3P3vuk3nj-C-HDACLcBGAsYHQ/s741/sophie%2Bkiss%2B01.png" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="647" height="625" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zfBMc50uWQ/X1KnDwq3MnI/AAAAAAAAQxA/LTVa8Acl350DsORsnu3P3vuk3nj-C-HDACLcBGAsYHQ/w545-h625/sophie%2Bkiss%2B01.png" width="545" /></a><br style="font-size: medium;" /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">photo: </span><a href="http://sophie-mayanne.com/" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Sophie Mayanne</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">What’s your favourite part of a kiss? And are there any that you think will always linger in the back of your mind? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2TWfTCqxjk/X24b2CxpbZI/AAAAAAAAQ0M/YHKHQWBfpwYgV3Qf0H3Y9_ZwhD56zzIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s155/G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2TWfTCqxjk/X24b2CxpbZI/AAAAAAAAQ0M/YHKHQWBfpwYgV3Qf0H3Y9_ZwhD56zzIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/G.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 15pt;"></span><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-4105293528111286162020-09-12T14:56:00.002+01:002020-09-12T14:56:20.471+01:00Recent Reads: prison, musical theatre, and a dead dad.<div align="justify" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Oh boy, this one is very late going live… oops. I actually read these books about a year ago, and wrote these reviews back then, but then the draft got buried somewhere and I'm only just resurrecting it now. Think of this as a catch up, dear readers. I mean, maybe it will reignite the excitement for some of these books, as it's a while since some of them were published!? Yeah, that's what I'll go with...</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hqzPB-7Lgwg/X1zSicm3JxI/AAAAAAAAQzA/pDXYzw1RZIEHBOL3PVAoZd9MjfUB6vd2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AfterlightImage%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="469" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hqzPB-7Lgwg/X1zSicm3JxI/AAAAAAAAQzA/pDXYzw1RZIEHBOL3PVAoZd9MjfUB6vd2ACLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h469/AfterlightImage%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="625" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><b><a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/i-am-not-a-number-9781405293860/?aff=3" target="_blank">'I Am Not a Number'</a></b></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">, by Lisa Heathfield.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i>The Traditionals have been voted to lead the country, winning people over with talks of healing a broken society, of stronger families and safer streets. They promised a happier future for everyone. But when Ruby is swept up with protesters from the opposition, her life is changed forever. Locked in a prison camp far from home and with her belongings taken from her, she's now known by the number 276. With horror escalating in the camp, Ruby knows that she has to get her family out – and let the world know what's happening. Set in the present day, I Am Not A Number is a powerful and timely book for both young adults and adults alike. </i></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I already had a bound copy of the MS (she says casually, like she didn’t gasp dramatically when it came in the post with a note from the publisher), but I couldn’t <i>not</i> have a finished paperback edition of one of my favourite author’s books. As usual, Lisa broke my heart with her gorgeous characters and the sheer emotional weight of the story. Perfect. Devastating. Addictive. I always get so swept up in her books, it often takes me a couple of days to get my head out of it once I'm done reading. It's an emotional hangover. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><b><a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/the-truth-about-keeping-secrets-9780241346303/?aff=3" target="_blank">'The Truth About Keeping Secrets'</a></b></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">, by Savannah Brown.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i>Sydney's dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around their small Ohio town. He is also unexpectedly dead. The circumstances are suspicious, to say the least; how could he crash his car randomly, with no witnesses and no explanation? And why is June Copeland, homecoming queen and the town's golden child, at his funeral? As the two teenagers grow closer in the wake of the accident, it's clear that not everyone is happy about their new friendship. But what is picture perfect June still hiding? And does Sydney even want to know?</i></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">This book took me about a month to read. It just didn't grab me, which was a shame, because it had been highly recommended by the bookish friends whose reviews I tend to trust the most.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: left;">I called it about two chapters in. Which of course I find immensely satisfying, being right, but in this case it was a bit of a bummer. I wanted to be taken for more of a ride, and been more surprised. Maybe it's because I don't go for crime/thriller novels usually (the only exception, as far as I know, has been the genius </span><a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/white-rabbit-red-wolf-9781406378177/?aff=3" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Tom Pollock</a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: left;">) but I wasn't hooked by this one. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span><p></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><b><a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/sing-like-no-ones-listening-9781529010916/?aff=3" target="_blank">'SING (Like No One’s Listening)'</a></b></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">, by Vanessa Jones.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /> </p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><i>Since her mother died, Nettie Delaney hasn't been able to sing a note. This wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't starting at</i></span><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"> </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><i>Dukes, a</i></span><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"> </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><i>prestigious performing arts college, with her superstar mother's shadow hanging over her. Everyone is watching Nettie, expecting greatness. </i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;"><i>Then one night, in an empty studio after college, Nettie finds herself suddenly singing, while someone behind a</i></span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;"> </span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;"><i>curtain accompanies her on the piano. Maybe all is not lost for Nettie! Maybe she can find her voice again and survive her first year at Dukes. But can she do it before she gets thrown out? </i></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">This one well and truly pulled me out of my reading slump. I don't know what it was, but this book had the same effect on me that a Holly Bourne, Lisa Williamson or Sarah Crossan one does, in that it was so bloody <u>readable</u> and fun. Lovely and totally believable characters, some great arcs, solid – and, at times, deeply emotional – story. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p align="justify" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">*</span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">That’s all, folks! Well, that’s all from this teeny, old post about books I read a very long time ago… there will be a more up to date one soon, promise.</span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /> </p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">To any publishers reading this, my address has now CHANGED so please contact me if you still want to send me proofs etc.!</span></span></i></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">In these difficult times, we really need to be supporting the indies of the world, and steering clear of the giants who don’t appreciate the individual customers as much. Please consider buying from your local bookshop (<a href="https://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch" target="_blank">find it here</a>) or family-owned online businesses such as <a href="https://agreatread.co.uk/?aff=3" target="_blank">A Great Read!</a> (aff link)</span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOxFlOMHCLQ/X1zPNxo1M8I/AAAAAAAAQyw/vrR9eTW6E24h6V7sbezGx9wW0W48zQw7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s155/G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" height="106" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOxFlOMHCLQ/X1zPNxo1M8I/AAAAAAAAQyw/vrR9eTW6E24h6V7sbezGx9wW0W48zQw7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w124-h106/G.jpg" width="124" /></a></span></div><p></p></div>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-35341772427590617262020-09-08T12:52:00.003+01:002020-09-12T14:56:38.060+01:00It would have been fun.<p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">I was a very romantic teenager. Like, obsessed with all things love and lust. I had so many crushes, fantasies and ‘what if’ moments. I would spend hours listening to the same pop punk ballads, gazing out every train window, sighing dramatically, staying up late with my phone under the covers, agonising over my wording of the simplest texts – then sending the most obscure ‘hey, what’s up?’, definitely expecting a lovelorn essay in return, and being heartbroken when I only got a ‘nm, you?’ back, several hours later. UGHH. It was exhausting, having so many feelings about everything and everyone.</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /> </p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15pt;"><span face="">Most of these feelings were unrequited, of course. I think on some deranged level, I liked it that way. I wallowed in the pain and drama of it all. I can’t tell you how many friends I had who saw me as a confidante, someone they could go to for advice when they were sick with love. I’d happily listen, reply to all their texts (even if it used all £10 of my credit) and hog the family computer all evening to chat in mostly emoticons (remember those?) on MSN Messenger, when secretly, deep inside I’d be aching with sadness because all along, shockingly, I was in love with </span><span face=""><i>them</i></span><span face="">. Taylor Swift’s ‘You Belong With Me’ was basically my life, for a few years. In fact, the whole ‘Fearless’ album was my soundtrack; I’d listen to it on my iPod classic as I walked to and from school every day,</span><span face=""> </span><span face="">picturing my crush of the moment and I dancing together or kissing in the rain or running through airports for each other. It was torturous… and exciting.</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6eHoZgwc3U/X1TZepda0XI/AAAAAAAAQyE/ZU872rOXPXMUO9KKgbT_hZyZ7_04AFKJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/AngelsKnoll500DaysofSummer15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6eHoZgwc3U/X1TZepda0XI/AAAAAAAAQyE/ZU872rOXPXMUO9KKgbT_hZyZ7_04AFKJwCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h416/AngelsKnoll500DaysofSummer15.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><span face="" style="text-align: -webkit-left;"><span><a href="http://www.iamnotastalker.com/2010/04/15/the-500-days-of-summer-bench/" target="_blank">image source</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></div><br /> <p></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15pt;"><span face="">Then came the loves that </span><span face=""><i>were </i></span><span face="">reciprocated. Oh yes, there were some of those! Who’d have thought? They were all pretty wild rides – emotionally speaking, that is. Intense and instant chemistry, a spark that anyone around us could see, secret kisses in cupboards, code names we gave each other,</span><span face=""> </span><span face="">hands almost touching as we walked side by side, tension you could cut through when our eyes met,</span><span face=""> </span><span face="">flurries of texts one night and then silence for days. I got greedy, sometimes. I couldn’t get enough. I lived for the most dramatic moments, I gorged on angst and would set fire to the quiet comforts so things would be more interesting, if only for a short while. I played with boundaries between friendship and something more, because that was my favourite story line in books, films and TV shows. I remember being surprised when it didn’t work out as well in real life as it did in works of fiction.</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span><br /> </span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">My first love was my best friend. </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">T</span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">hey were the first of many best-friend-turned-loves – </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">and the reason I started this online diary of sorts, actually</span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">. </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">T</span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">he day we met we felt something big, and mutually decided it must be romantic, so we went on a date the following weekend. We went to the cinema and saw perhaps the worst film to watch on a first date. It became ‘our film’. But I turned out to be the misguided character </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">in the end, </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">who put too much of themselves into a fantasy. We had our first kiss at one train station, then decided to be ‘just friends’ at another, a few hours later. </span></span><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;">And for a year or so after that, we were truly terrible at being ‘just friends’.</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> </span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15pt;"><span face="">I remember when it all imploded, and I sat crying onto my computer keyboard, quietly screaming in pain. It felt like a physical loss. You were suddenly gone. Then some time later, I was in Waterloo Station, and you called me. You’d forgiven me. Then we both started uni, and you came to visit me a couple of times. The timing still wasn’t quite right, now I think back to it. I met you off the train one day, emotionally hungover and spiraling badly after a silly night spent with another ‘friend’. You were there, and ready. I wasn’t. Another time, we went for lunch at my favourite diner, and I told you over a shared portion of fries</span><span face=""> </span><span face="">that I’d started seeing someone. Another Northerner, with the same name as you, curiously enough. You laughed, and shook your head. We went out that night dressed up as geeks, in dungarees and fake glasses, and a few friends of mine asked if you were my long distance partner. We got home at 2am and ate buttery crumpets, then literally fell into bed together. Nothing happened. Between these two occasions, we met in London. We’d kiss now and again, in cafes and museums and parks, never in a big moment, but because it just felt like the natural thing to do. It made sense. It’s so weird to think back to that now, because to this day I’ve never been like that with anyone else. It inspired me. I wrote a novel about two characters who loved each other deeply, and wanted each other so badly, but never crossed that line. I always thought that was it; we’d come together again someday and it would be like no time had passed. It would just</span><span face=""> </span><span face=""><i>click</i></span><span face="">.</span><span face=""> </span><span face="">I thought of you when I read ‘One Day’. You were my Dexter. You weren’t the one that got away, you were the one I never made a go of it with. I know that if I had, things would be very different now. Because it would have stuck, I’m sure of that. But then ‘The Versions of Us’ also reminded me of you, and made me wonder – we may have been perfect together back then, but would it have lasted? How would we have coped with the distance, our different university experiences, and my health scares?</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span><span face="" style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The last time I saw you, we had lunch at one of my favourite restaurants in London. A small chain, a branch I’d never been to. You’d said as we walked there, ‘I think you’ll like this place’. You weren’t to know I’d been going to the one near me for years – on a lot of dates. I remember looking at you over my pots of dim sum and coconut rice, thinking ‘it’s still you and me, but it’s not the same us’. You told me a little about your work, and gave me updates on your family. I laughed at all the crazy stories, and briefly pondered on how I’d always wanted them to be my in-laws. I asked after your girlfriend, and you told me it was good, and you were working hard to keep it that way. I felt warm and happy for you. Since that day, we’ve called each other drunk a few times, and exchanged the odd message on social media platforms – we’re not Facebook friends any more, though. That seems too intimate somehow. </span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span face="">Today I found out you got married. An old friend of yours, another who you had a love story with once upon a time, told me. We’re both sad not to have known, nor been invited to celebrate with you. I’m giving some time to my teenage self today; remembering what I felt, what we had, and how heartbroken sixteen-year-old me would be to hear that it never went where she expected it to. I’ve cried at my breakfast table, put Taylor’s latest album on full blast</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span face=""> </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span face="">and sung along in the shower – I’ve even asked David Nicholls for some wise words. I’ll say congratulations and move on tomorrow, but today I need to mourn for my old romantic self.</span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><i>We were something, don’t you think </i></span></span><i style="font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;">so?</i></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face=""><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool</i></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face=""><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><i>and if my wishes came true,</i></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face=""><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><i>it would have been you.</i></span></span></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="155" height="106" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iog6ffas-ow/X1TWbi6-6ZI/AAAAAAAAQx4/tpN34Ui-hG8rueRaJNi63jR6bm7htQV6gCLcBGAsYHQ/w124-h106/G.jpg" width="124" /></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-71997043133621098992020-08-19T16:21:00.000+01:002020-08-19T16:21:19.655+01:00Let's have a safe staycation!<p></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Hello, angels. Who needs a bit of a break? All of you, and ASAP? Yep, that’s what I thought. These past few months, I’ve been seeing the same things pretty much every day. And surprisingly, I’ve grown a bit tired of my little flat, the residential streets in my neighbourhood where I’d walk up and down, round and round, day after day in lockdown… even the seafront is getting a bit samey for me, lately. I never thought that would happen! Anyone else feeling me on this? Oh well, there’s not much we can do about this restless feeling we’re all having, at the moment. </span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">… <span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">or is there?</span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DucuBgIcjwg/Xzf_Q69T9kI/AAAAAAAAQvI/EaKxN-xF2hglpKBCSC85HNanZMThhS5vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1366/bournemouth01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="1366" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DucuBgIcjwg/Xzf_Q69T9kI/AAAAAAAAQvI/EaKxN-xF2hglpKBCSC85HNanZMThhS5vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/bournemouth01.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.ef.co.uk/ilsd/schools/bournemouth/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image source</span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Obviously going away abroad is fraught with issues at the moment and while a cheeky trip to sunny Spain, for instance, is the dream for most of us, you have to think</span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">– </span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><i><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">is it worth the time in quarantine when you get home? Nope! </span></i></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So why not stay in the UK, and <a href="https://uk.hotels.com/de544256-at15/apartment-hotels-bournemouth-united-kingdom/" target="_blank">do a little exploring here?</a> There are so many wonderful places to discover not far from your doorstep, and you never know, you might find a new favourite holiday spot that you can visit without going through the faff of flying! </span></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I personally have had some lovely experiences travelling within the UK; exciting road trips down the coast with friends, chilled solo adventures to </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">historical towns</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, and epic train rides up to the Midlands and beyond. One of my favourite places to visit, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">though</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">? It’s gotta be the Bournemouth area.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I have </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">a few good </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">friends who live in this area, and </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">obviously it’s a treat seeing them when I travel that way</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. And it’s partly thanks to them, partly to my inquisitive mind and wandering feet, that I know of many lovely spots to visit within this part of Dorset. Here are a few of them… </span></span></span></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /><b>Brownsea Island.</b></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I come from a family that’s very involved in the Girl Guiding movement, and I attended my local Brownie, Guide and Young Leader meetings as I grew up, so of course I had heard about the legendary Brownsea Island. </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">It’s where the worldwide Scout movement began in 1907!</span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I finally got to visit there as a helper with my mum’s Rainbow unit, and it was a serious ‘wow’ moment. This National Trust site is a short boat ride from Poole Harbour, and has the most spectacular views across to the Purbeck Hills. I’d definitely recommend a day spent there, going along the free trails laid out all around the island, and spotting all the creatures who live happily in the woodland and lagoons. Oh, there’s also a picnic area and natural play ground, so it’s perfect for a family trip!</span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">The B</span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">ournemouth beaches.</span></span></b></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Well, obviously. Bournemouth boasts a truly brilliant sandy beach, which stretches on for miles, just a short walk from the town centre – via a beautiful little park, actually. Fun fact: it was in Bournemouth that the beach hut was invented 100 years ago, and they still have some of the oldest ones there. Weird eco-geek moment: the entrance to the beach from the centre of town has some MASSIVE recycling, glass, and general waste bins. That excites me, because the amount of beach litter collected in this country is ridiculous, and there’s no excuse for it. </span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Jurassic Coast day trip.</span></span></b></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Another geek out moment: I did Geography GCSE, and was obsessed by the natural arches and caves that are formed by weather and the sea, over time. Durdle Door is not far from Bournemouth, and Lulworth Cove too. When you take one of the day trips available, you can see both of these natural sites, as well as Sandbanks, Swanage and Durlston Country Park.</span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><b>Sopley Farm.</b></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">I’m biased, because I had a particularly marvellous trip here to do some pumpkin picking (although for us, as we visited on a rainy day, it was more like ‘pumpkin scooping’) but this fabulous farm in Christchurch is a gem. Vast PYO fields, and a cute cafe for those post-picking cuppas.</span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Oh also, Sopley </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i>Mill </i></span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">is a lovely wedding/event venue. </span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Healthy Habits.</span></span></b></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Oh c’mon, I couldn’t </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i>not </i></span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">put a vegan-friendly cafe in here! This gem is in Broadstone, just outside Poole. Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/healthyhabits_/" target="_blank">their Instagram</a> for a (visual) taste of their menu – ooh, and they’re currently doing Eat Out to Help Out! All the more reason to go, when you book your staycation to Bournemouth. </span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">In case you were worried about visiting these spots in this </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">tricky </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">time of COVID, fear not! I have looked up all of these activities and spaces, and they’re all imposing strict guidelines and hygiene measures. </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">And of course travelling there by public transport is perfectly safe, too; I know our National Rail services are making it mandatory to keep a distance from fellow passengers, and wear face coverings at all times on their services and in their stations/waiting areas. And to ensure you </span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><i>stay </i></span></span><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">somewhere that’s adhering to the new rules, check out the <a href="https://uk.hotels.com/de544256-at15/apartment-hotels-bournemouth-united-kingdom/" target="_blank">places listed here.</a></span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /> </p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Okay, have I sold it to you? Good. Book your super safe staycation now! </span></span></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 150%;"> </p><p align="center" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">This post is in collaboration with <a href="https://uk.hotels.com/" target="_blank">Hotels.com</a>, but all views are my own.</span></span></i></p><span style="color: #201f1e;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><p></p><p></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-57382840189222315112020-08-15T14:27:00.000+01:002020-09-18T15:56:40.237+01:00Recognising the Physical Effects of Anxiety*<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-style: italic; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">*this post was written by a contributor*</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c37154d0-7fff-1972-6870-c1465f97596e"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s safe to say that this pandemic has made people more aware than ever of the importance of looking after their mental health. Long periods of isolation, coupled with concerns about friends and family members all lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, so it’s important that you take check in with yourself now and again, and take steps to manage your anxiety. The problem is, a lot of folks don’t realise that they are struggling with anxiety, especially if they have never suffered from it before. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRJEsk3Br0M/X2TKHDx-ebI/AAAAAAAAQzc/2Sn-OFP3XLQBGn9aHqhOEeRHw_EDhShCQCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h640/pexels-team-maestroo-4320385.jpg" width="512" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@team-maestroo-1772097?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Team Maestroo</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from </span><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/african-man-with-closed-eyes-sitting-near-curtain-4320385/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pexels</span></a></div><p></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most obvious symptom is </span><a href="/2019/10/anxious-thoughts-FJ.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anxious thoughts</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but anxiety actually manifests itself in a lot of different ways and it’s important that you know how to recognise some of the other signs. And the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">physical </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">signs of it often get overlooked. Here are a few of them, so you can keep an eye out… </span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stomach Problems</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your mental health and gut health are closely linked and when you are feeling anxious, it’s very common to have </span><a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/gastrointestinal-gi-symptoms-and-anxiety-disorders-2584240" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">stomach problems</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. You may feel nauseous, and you can develop a lot of issues with digestion as well. It may not always be down to anxiety of course, and you should consider whether your diet could be causing it, but if you haven’t changed anything about your lifestyle and you suddenly start getting stomach problems, that’s a sign that you may be feeling very anxious. </span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vision Problems </span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most people don’t realise that stress and anxiety can lead to vision problems. When you feel very anxious, your body releases a lot of adrenaline and this puts pressure on your eyes, causing blurred vision. If you do notice that your vision is changing, it’s important to get your eyes tested and invest in a pair of specs (you can get some affordable ones at </span><a href="https://www.eyeglasses.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eyeglasses.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) if necessary. There are a lot of other reasons for vision problems so you should rule those out first, but if you find that your vision is blurred and you can’t find any other medical reason for it, it could be down to anxiety. </span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Headaches </span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tension headaches are very common in people that are stressed and anxious. The muscles in your neck, shoulders and scalp tighten when you are stressed and this is what causes the headaches. If you do some stretches to relax your muscles and relieve that tension, you will notice a big difference and your headaches should go away. Check out </span><a href="https://greatist.com/move/stretches-for-tight-shoulders" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">greatist.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for some simple stretches that will help to loosen up your muscles. </span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fatigue </span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody gets a bit tired sometimes but if you always feel like you don’t have any energy, there is probably something else going on. There are a few reasons </span><a href="https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/tiredness" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">why anxiety causes fatigue</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; firstly, your brain can run out of energy just like any other muscle so when you are very anxious, you will always feel tired. Anxiety causes your body to release a lot of adrenaline and your heart rate increases, but when this adrenaline runs out, you experience a crash and start to feel very fatigued. The physical impact on your muscles also leads to tiredness because your muscles are constantly tense all day long and they get worn out. In some cases, tiredness is a coping mechanism from your body because, by making you feel tired, your body hopes that you will take a break and recuperate. Sleep problems are also common in people with anxiety. It’s important that you find ways to improve your sleep patterns if you want to beat anxiety-induced fatigue. </span></p><br /><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chest Pains </span></h1><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chest pains are one of the scariest physical symptoms of anxiety. If you experience chest pains, it’s important that you see a doctor because there could be something more serious going on. However, a lot of the time, </span><a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/Reducing-Chest-Pain-Caused-by-Anxiety.aspx" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it’s down to anxiety</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. When you are anxious, it can affect your breathing so you take a lot of short, sharp breaths, which can cause the chest muscles to spasm and lead to chest pains. Anxiety also causes your heart to beat a lot faster and that extra stress on the heart leads to pains as well. When you are already feeling anxious and you start getting chest pains, it’s easy to jump to the worst case scenario and start worrying that something is seriously wrong, and this will only make your anxiety worse. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Often, the physical effects of anxiety are more of an issue than the anxious thoughts but people don’t make the connection between the two. You need to watch out for these physical symptoms and take steps to reduce your anxiety if you notice them. </span></p><br /><br /></span>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573242944519680538.post-58178013410452222322020-08-10T08:48:00.008+01:002020-12-09T08:52:51.003+00:00A Short Guide to a 'Better Relationship'*<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*this post was written by a contributor*</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrHuoYJ3wVs/X9CMOS4StDI/AAAAAAAASqM/tzJz6ahG-KEJVAt7EDx8Pj4cHmRJBfdsACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4132335.jpg" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrHuoYJ3wVs/X9CMOS4StDI/AAAAAAAASqM/tzJz6ahG-KEJVAt7EDx8Pj4cHmRJBfdsACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4132335.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-style: normal; text-align: start; white-space: normal;">Photo by </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: normal; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@ketut-subiyanto?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Ketut Subiyanto</a></span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-style: normal; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"> from </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-style: normal; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-couple-using-laptop-in-bed-4132335/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pexels</a>.</span></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><p></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Have realistic expectations.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Have you ever been with someone that drives you up the wall? They might make you laugh every day, and you might have great sex, but does it <i>still </i>annoy you how they let mugs pile up on the bedside table, or never do the washing up?! </span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1cdf42fb-7fff-7738-df47-c33785b1ecee" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;">You might not realise it, but their expectations are different from yours, and there's likely a million things that tick them off too. It's all about managing those expectations and compromising if you want to get along – just remember some expectations are valid. </span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></h2><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Talk it out. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Communication takes many forms in a relationship. There's the vocal kind, the emotional kind, the physical kind. Really, communication is all-important if you want to be with just about anyone. A lot of the time miscommunication is the root of a problem and talking things out can help. </span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don't ditch a good relationship because of a communication issue. If there’s love it's worth making some effort to get to know the issue a bit better and get creative with a solution. If you aren't understanding each other, set some time aside to talk it through - and maybe one day you'll need that </span><a href="https://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-education/diamond-carat/1-carat" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #4a6ee0; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 carat diamond</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...!</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Try to compromise. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Compromise is when you both want to do separate things but there's a reason why you have to pick <i>one</i> of those things. It could be something like where to go for Christmas Dinner; your family home, or his. Or maybe you can't agree on when to go on holiday? Or what film to watch at the cinema? </span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;">These separate ideas can actually cause quite a bit of friction and discontent between you. You go around asking yourself why your partner had to be so unreasonable, and why you have the right to this, etc. Well, you need to compromise. You need to give something up, and so do they, to make things better for everyone. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Look after yourself. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Even if you're not in a </span><span style="color: #4a6ee0; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.oprahmag.com/life/relationships-love/a25907941/expert-relationship-advice/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">long-term relationship</a>,</span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> this one still applies. You've got to know what inspires you every day, what routines work best for you, and what will bring you happiness in the long term. If you don't know what does it for you it's time to find out.</span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;">Making yourself happy is not something you only do as a single person, it's something you need in a relationship too. In a relationship, it's easy to forget about yourself sometimes but each time you remember, do something about it. Go meet up with friends, or travel solo for a change. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MDfYO_lfnpw/X9CMqXaN4XI/AAAAAAAASqU/6pqr9VntaS4GX89G8OyEmsMpyrxNF4fyQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4132371.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MDfYO_lfnpw/X9CMqXaN4XI/AAAAAAAASqU/6pqr9VntaS4GX89G8OyEmsMpyrxNF4fyQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4132371.jpg" width="426" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start; white-space: normal;">Photo by </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/@ketut-subiyanto?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Ketut Subiyanto</a></span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"> from </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, cantarell, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: start; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-being-affectionate-4132371/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Pexels</a>.</span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Be dependable. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Loving someone is about having </span><a href="/2017/10/i-love-sex.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4a6ee0; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fun in the bedroom</span></a><span style="color: #0e101a; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, no doubt! It's also about being there for your lover when they need you. If they're feeling down or unloved you need to catch them and lift them up again. If you're not there at those important times it can lead to trust issues and opens up a gap between you.</span></span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: large;">To be a dependable partner, understand what their moods are like and try to be there for them when they dip. You can expect the same from them. To make your relationship better you can talk about this stuff now and again so you're on the same page. </span></span></p>Grace Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07139934098007845687noreply@blogger.com0