Well BookLovers, it's been ... A YEAR .. hasn't it?
We've had so many fabulous books that have hit our shelves this year, we've re-read ones we've loved, and we've discovered ones we never knew were actually OUT there.
These books have been our saving grace at times, our sanctuary, our escape from daily life, anxieties, worries, and troubles. For a while they allowed us to forget. These books have taken us on holidays to places we might never go physically, we've fallen in love with the dreamiest of hunks, we've sobbed our hearts out at the pain characters have felt - somehow numbing our own pain, we've danced excitedly when we finally hold that precious book in our hands (Oh I know you do the dance too), we've sniffed and stroked the pages like we do to comfort a child.
I know from the people in my life (including you my darling readers) that for some of us, this year has been one of sadness, pain, worries and anxiety. If someone were to describe it as a "Rollercoaster" of a year, I know we might say in reply... "Oh that doesn't even cut it... to say its an understatement would be an understatement itself", we may even add in a few expletives. I'm sat here this morning at 10:37am on New Years Eve 2015 writing this to say that, sweetheart ... I KNOW. I really do. It's a year that many of us will NEVER forget, and one that many of us likely would love to forget it. We've had a tough year so be kind to yourself, allow yourself moments to reflect, to cry, to scream and get angry. It's OK. But we also have to reach a point where we say to ourselves, OK, I want to try and get my life back now. It may come in a sudden burst or it may come in fits and starts, but you will get there I promise. (I'm telling myself this as much as I'm telling you too, so you truly are NOT alone).
Now, for those of you lovely readers who have had the most fantastic year, I am so thrilled for you, I genuinely am. Everyone deserves happiness and a life filled with love, good memories, good health, and surrounded by good people. I don't think there is much to say to you other than, keep going, keep reminding yourself of how far you've come, think about all the awesome things that have happened this year (we can all join in with this), and be so so grateful for them. Hold on to them closely and love them with all you have.
Many book bloggers are posting a round-up of their top books from 2015, but I can't do that and I don't want to. Each book i've read, each book i've touched this year has in someway touched me and will stay with me forever. Every author has worked hard this year to write their books, to make them as perfect for them and as perfect for us as they could have done, and we've loved them haven't we? So if I were on stage addressing you all right now i'd say, "Let's give a huge round of applause to all the authors this year, they should be SO proud of themselves and their books".
<Cue Applause>
So, what do we do now?
We look forward, we hold hope in our hearts, even with shaky hands, we intend to do our best, to be happy, we promise to be grateful for the people in our lives whom we love, and we vow to never forget the ones we've lost. We grasp a tissue, we hold our necklace pendant, we stroke the precious ear-rings/bracelet/watch filled with memories, we talk to the photographs. We never forget. We never stop loving. We never stop being grateful. We never stop trying.
And...
We take a deep breath, or several. We start by doing one tiny thing to prepare for 2016 and all that we want it to be. We think about the year to come and all the good things just waiting to happen, to be experienced, to be enjoyed. We feel a twitch at the corner of our mouths, and we start to smile, to dream, to hope, to wish. And just like that, we move one step forward at a time. We are all here together, we are in this together, and whilst as a planner I can't wait to Plan my 2016, I also know and appreciate that no amount of planning can prepare us for what's ahead, but it can give us guideposts, a helping hand, that tiny bit of encouragement, and a dream to follow.
So from the very bottom of my heart I wish you all, Readers, Bloggers, Authors, Publishers, a very Happy New Year filled with love, joy, happiness, good health, fond memories, wealth and abundance, vitality and peace, calmness and excitement, and I look forward to sharing the next year of our lives together, wherever that may take us.
I love you xxx
Dawn xxx
I would like to dedicate this post to the two most special people in my life who unfortunately we lost this year, my Darling Princess Pepsie, and My Beautiful Auntie Tracy.
You may be in heaven, and life will never be the same again without you, but you will always be in our hearts and remembered xxxxxxxx I love you both so much xxxxxxxx
When I received an email from the publishers sharing the details of this emotive book, I instantly wanted a copy to begin reading. However, like you, I will have to wait a little longer.
I am allowed to however (rather excitedly) share with you the COVER REVEAL of Time To Say Goodbye. (and I'll share with you a publisher warning - sorry!)
I am allowed to however (rather excitedly) share with you the COVER REVEAL of Time To Say Goodbye. (and I'll share with you a publisher warning - sorry!)
"I’m sorry for the trauma you will go through next year. I’m sorry for the pain this book will cause you. I’m sorry that it’ll all be my fault. But really I’m not sorry at all because this book is worth the hurt. Are you ready for heartbreak?"
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
S.D. ROBERTSON
11th February 2016
#saygoodbye
A heart-rending story about the unique bond between a father and his daughter, for fans of JOJO MOYES and JOHN GREEN.
HOW DO YOU LEAVE THE PERSON YOU LOVE THE MOST?
Will Curtis's six-year-old daughter, Ella, knows her father will never leave her. After all, he promised her so when her mother died. And he's going to do everything he can to keep his word.
What Will doesn't know is that the promise he made to his little girl might be harder to keep than he imagined. When he's faced with an impossible decision, Will finds that the most obvious choice might not be the right one.
But the future is full of unexpected surprises. And father and daughter are about to embark on an unforgettable journey together . . .
Will Curtis's six-year-old daughter, Ella, knows her father will never leave her. After all, he promised her so when her mother died. And he's going to do everything he can to keep his word.
What Will doesn't know is that the promise he made to his little girl might be harder to keep than he imagined. When he's faced with an impossible decision, Will finds that the most obvious choice might not be the right one.
But the future is full of unexpected surprises. And father and daughter are about to embark on an unforgettable journey together . . .
I think it definitely should carry the warning of "Only Read With Tissues On Hand" so I'll be off to stock up... race you all to the kleenex aisle!
Today is my stop on the blog tour for Jill Shalvis' new book My Kind of Wonderful (Book 2 in the Cedar Ridge Series). I am really excited to be hosting and to be involved in the tour, because earlier this year I was introduced to Jill Shalvis' books through my book blogging, and have gone on to read no I have DEVOURED them and loved every page. They are amongst some of my most treasured books.
Anyway, today the focus is on My Kind of Wonderful - and do I have something wonderful for you. I have a short Q&A with Jill herself, who kindly took time out to stop by and answer a couple of questions. Before we have a look at those, let's take a look at what My Kind of Wonderful is all about.
MY KIND OF WONDERFUL by Jill Shalvis
Published on December 22, 2015; Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; Cedar Ridge #2
UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE . . .
Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.
As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.Buy the book!
So, now lets have a chat with Jill herself;
Jill, thank you so much for stopping by, it's a pleasure to have you here to celebrate the publication of your second novel in the Cedar Ridge Series.
Q&A With Jill Shalvis:
1. Do you have a favorite quote/scene from the book?
“Aren’t you afraid that might express personal interest?” she asked.
His smile was a little naughty. “I’ve had my tongue down your throat. I’m pretty sure I’ve already expressed personal interest.”
2. What’s the last book you read?
Just finished Janet Evanovich’s latest, Tricky Twenty-Two. I do love me some Ranger, aka Carlos Manoso.
3. What do you hope readers can learn from MY KIND OF WONDERFUL?
Learn? I don’t know about learn. After all, romance novels aren’t brain science. They’re more like brain candy. Not necessary to life but pretty darn fun.
About the author:
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the- mountains adventures.
Connect with the author!
We're not finished yet! If you would like to discover Cedar Ridge from the start...
Start from the beginning with book one in the Cedar Ridge series, SECOND CHANCE SUMMER!
RESCUE ME
Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it's the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there's an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid—firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .
The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance . . .
Some of you may or may not be aware of my addiction of using planners... I do I am a self confessed #PlannerAddict and I simply can't go out shopping without popping into local stores to see if they have anything worthy of my planner.
I remember having a homework diary in Primary school... and I would colour the pages in, use stickers and make it look adorably pretty - I am sure I still have it somewhere in storage and if I come across it next year I will definitely blog and show you all (or maybe I'll Vlog?). Anyway, I was over the moon when in high school we were given a thicker, more informative planner that we had to ensure we stayed on top of things - I mean... we're high school kids... like we're going to stay on top of things... well actually I did but I was a total nerd... ANYWAY.... off track here.
I wanted to share with you my Planner Addiction and throughout 2016 I'm going to share with you more of my planner obsessions which help me stay on top of my book reviewing, blogging, studying at Uni and studying to be an accountant. I seriously RELY on my planner to help me through my day. As my Mom says, I plan to use my planner... and I actually do! Sundays are marked out for Planning & Reviewing.
So, firstly the planner I use is a filofax - personal size. I didn't fancy a bigger one because I wanted one that I could actually realistically carry around in my handbag - and one that wouldn't look unprofessional - as a student accountant I have to have some amount of seriousness in my head (my tutor would disagree over our funny conversations we share full of emoticons).
As you can see, I opted for the teal Filofax Domino Patent with the elastic strap - which I think it utterly brilliant. Everyone I know was shocked I opted for the teal when I'm such a PINK fan... not that you can tell by the folder underneath my filofax hey? ;) But I love the teal colour, it's grown up and I can easily accessorise with Pink and Gold.
I have a thaaang for Washi Tape. Seriously. I have over 30 rolls of tape and have asked for more... I know that's a tad greedy but I love it and use it every week in my planner (as you'll soon see). But my favourite washi tapes right now have to be the 3 shown below.
As you can see, I use washi tape, stickers (flat and 3d), paperclips that are pretty and even.... Gift Tags. Yep, these simple all year round, easy to pick up items aren't just for christmas people... they are for PLANNERS....
I use the gift tags on a super selective basis... For example when something HUGE, or IMPORTANT or... ROMANTIC or ... something i'm GRATEFUL for in that week happens. I simply attach the tag through the top 3 ring binds, and write on the tag... that secures it and leaves it to dangle prettily in place. The important thing is it looks pretty and makes me happy.
Ok so that's a quick intro to my Filofax. I'll be doing more on my filofax next year. Now for the other planners i'm going to be using in 2016. They are all in the pink and gold folder you saw earlier.. and first up is something I RAVE about. The Self Love Planner.
The Self Love Planner is something I've used last year and it helped me LOADS. So much I decided to become an affiliate so you can click on the tab at the top of my blog in the sidebar and get your Self Love Planner through my link for $10.
Anyway, my Self Love Planner is something I use in conjunction with my filofax because I use the self love planner to identify what acts of self love I want to make time for in my day, week and month. Then I take out my filofax and allocate the time and act of self love in the diary. It's even got it's own colour (Red) in the filofax so I can clearly identify my SELF LOVE moments.
I've started working through this planner over the weekend because there is quite a bit of closing down 2015, reviewing what worked, what didn't, how you showed yourself love and respect and how you can improve on that in 2016.
The planner shows the opening pages with a declaration of Self Love which I signed;
So that's another planner I use. But still.. being a total planner addict and utterly obsessed, I want more. So I have the Leonie Dawson Life & Biz planners which I've not begun working through yet, but you can see them below;
This is the Life Planner which I have in the folder with my Self Love Planner because I want the focus for 2016 for me is really centred around me. When I've worked through it a little more I'll show you, and share some of my goals with you, so you can help keep me accountable.
Now to your right, there is my Biz planner. As you can see I have created my own back cover for it based on an affirmation by Louise Hay. For me, this inspires me and makes me excited to actually use it throughout the year to help me. Not focused on this yet as for me it's really important that I get my Self Love sorted for 2016.
I really appreciate you sticking with me here and if you're still reading - THANK YOU - and I promise this is the last thing I want to say. In an upcoming post i'm going to share with you more about the accessories I use in planning. So there will be more info on the gift tags, and the stickers I use (maybe with links), and a set of stickers I had for my 27th Birthday to use in my planner. I can't wait to use them throughout 2016 and it's beyond understanding how I've managed to keep my mitts off them so far. So i'll hopefully be sharing that with you soon.
I would LOVE to hear about your planners that you use? Do you have specific planners like mine that you use? Or do you use a diary? Do you have a stationery addiction like me? Let me hear all the details below in the comments, I can't wait to hear from you!
I remember having a homework diary in Primary school... and I would colour the pages in, use stickers and make it look adorably pretty - I am sure I still have it somewhere in storage and if I come across it next year I will definitely blog and show you all (or maybe I'll Vlog?). Anyway, I was over the moon when in high school we were given a thicker, more informative planner that we had to ensure we stayed on top of things - I mean... we're high school kids... like we're going to stay on top of things... well actually I did but I was a total nerd... ANYWAY.... off track here.
I wanted to share with you my Planner Addiction and throughout 2016 I'm going to share with you more of my planner obsessions which help me stay on top of my book reviewing, blogging, studying at Uni and studying to be an accountant. I seriously RELY on my planner to help me through my day. As my Mom says, I plan to use my planner... and I actually do! Sundays are marked out for Planning & Reviewing.
So, firstly the planner I use is a filofax - personal size. I didn't fancy a bigger one because I wanted one that I could actually realistically carry around in my handbag - and one that wouldn't look unprofessional - as a student accountant I have to have some amount of seriousness in my head (my tutor would disagree over our funny conversations we share full of emoticons).
As you can see, I opted for the teal Filofax Domino Patent with the elastic strap - which I think it utterly brilliant. Everyone I know was shocked I opted for the teal when I'm such a PINK fan... not that you can tell by the folder underneath my filofax hey? ;) But I love the teal colour, it's grown up and I can easily accessorise with Pink and Gold.
I have a thaaang for Washi Tape. Seriously. I have over 30 rolls of tape and have asked for more... I know that's a tad greedy but I love it and use it every week in my planner (as you'll soon see). But my favourite washi tapes right now have to be the 3 shown below.
I got these three adorable washi tapes from.... drum roll.... Sainsburys! I know! I couldn't believe that my local supermarket were stocking such glorious and delicious washi tapes... so I snapped them up... or rather they just fell into my trolley as I was shopping.. I was surprised when I got home. .... OK... we know that's bull but hey I tried!
So I typically plan my week on a Sunday and fill my planner with all my weekly "To Do" items and decorate with washi tape. By the end of a week my planner pages look something like this...
As you can see, I use washi tape, stickers (flat and 3d), paperclips that are pretty and even.... Gift Tags. Yep, these simple all year round, easy to pick up items aren't just for christmas people... they are for PLANNERS....
I use the gift tags on a super selective basis... For example when something HUGE, or IMPORTANT or... ROMANTIC or ... something i'm GRATEFUL for in that week happens. I simply attach the tag through the top 3 ring binds, and write on the tag... that secures it and leaves it to dangle prettily in place. The important thing is it looks pretty and makes me happy.
Ok so that's a quick intro to my Filofax. I'll be doing more on my filofax next year. Now for the other planners i'm going to be using in 2016. They are all in the pink and gold folder you saw earlier.. and first up is something I RAVE about. The Self Love Planner.
The Self Love Planner is something I've used last year and it helped me LOADS. So much I decided to become an affiliate so you can click on the tab at the top of my blog in the sidebar and get your Self Love Planner through my link for $10.
Anyway, my Self Love Planner is something I use in conjunction with my filofax because I use the self love planner to identify what acts of self love I want to make time for in my day, week and month. Then I take out my filofax and allocate the time and act of self love in the diary. It's even got it's own colour (Red) in the filofax so I can clearly identify my SELF LOVE moments.
I've started working through this planner over the weekend because there is quite a bit of closing down 2015, reviewing what worked, what didn't, how you showed yourself love and respect and how you can improve on that in 2016.
The planner shows the opening pages with a declaration of Self Love which I signed;
This is the Life Planner which I have in the folder with my Self Love Planner because I want the focus for 2016 for me is really centred around me. When I've worked through it a little more I'll show you, and share some of my goals with you, so you can help keep me accountable.
Now to your right, there is my Biz planner. As you can see I have created my own back cover for it based on an affirmation by Louise Hay. For me, this inspires me and makes me excited to actually use it throughout the year to help me. Not focused on this yet as for me it's really important that I get my Self Love sorted for 2016.
Hi all,
I've been thinking recently about my blog - OK I think about my blog ALL the time, but lately I wanted to shift things up a bit, I wanted to blog more about life but didn't know where to start. Life got in the way. When life got in my way it meant that 2 weeks ago today we lost our beautiful baby girl Pepsie (read about my love for her here), and it brought news of my Auntie being firstly diagnosed with bladder cancer on September 11th, and then just this past week we found out that the specialists and doctors have told her that "there is nothing more we can do" - so I have this information in my head that my auntie is dying - and I have no emotion. Which is strange because I LOVE her SOOOOO much, but the shock of it all just hasn't allowed me to process that information at all yet.
Add to this horrible news, I have been - I still am anxious about my own health. My doctor thinks it's natural for me to be feeling so anxious right now about my own health and she is supporting me so much. Anyway, I've been crying and panicking and crying even more and then I realised that I HAVE to stop. I have to change the mental conversation that's going on in my head. I have to try.
So I turned back to my self help roots where I first began blogging. it was back in 2009... on a different blog, and it was a different time in my life. We don't really need to go into that. But, I became a HUGE fan of a lady called Louise Hay (founder of Hay House Publications), and over the years I began reviewing books written by her, and by many other brilliant authors. Then I switched over to Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Romance and even Mystery, Thrillers and Crime - genres I NEVER thought I'd be interested in (Thank you Angela Marsons <3 ). Louise Hay is the leading Affirmation Queen in my eyes, she lives and breathes her work. She is beautiful, and she is strong, and she has helped millions around the world with her positive energy. So I found out my books by her, one in particular; You Can Heal Your Life.
Louise Hay |
But I haven't been able to pick up a book lately... I haven't been able to escape from my problems, so I searched my brains (as traumatised as they are), and I thought about affirmations. Positive statements. Sayings that will help me think and feel more positive. So I began doing them when I woke up and throughout my day. If I'm honest, I was almost chanting them non-stop I felt so desperate to feel happy and healthy again.
I wanted to share with you 10 affirmations that I've been using to help me with my anxiety and self esteem. I'm not 'cured' by any means, but I have been able to smile more, to feel hopeful for my future, to think about next year, to think about all the good I have in my life, and to .... well I guess really I already said it. I feel hopeful.
I hope you enjoy them, use them, or can share them with someone who may need them. All is well in our world.
1. I am Healthy, I am Whole, I am Healed
2. All is well in my world.
3. I am Safe. I am Safe. Everything is OK, I am Safe.
4. I have a strong and healthy body that supports me every day in every way.
5. I am Calm, Centred and In Control.
6. I am Loved. I Love Life and Life Loves Me.
7. I am Strong and Supported by Life.
8. Life is always working out for me in the best possible way.
9. Wellness and good health is my bodies natural state.
10. I am Grateful for my Healthy Body. I am Safe and Strong.
I am so excited to be hosting the blog tour for this utterly gorgeous book! I mean, just read the title and look at the cover - it is just the perfect cosy read that compliments a full on girly sleep-over. Yes even at 27 I would love a girly sleep over. And, this one is with Marilyn Monroe ;)
Let's take a quick look at what it's about;
The hilarious follow-up to A Night in With Audrey Hepburn from your favourite new author.
Perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond and Sophie Kinsella.After dating the hottest man on the planet, Dillon O’Hara, Libby Lomax has come back down to earth with a bump. Now she’s throwing herself into a new relationship and is determined to be a better friend to best pal, Ollie, as he launches his new restaurant.Despite good intentions, Libby is hugely distracted when a newly reformed Dillon arrives back on the scene, more irresistible than ever. And when another unwelcome guest turns up on her battered sofa in the form of Marilyn Monroe, Libby would willingly bite her own arm off for a return to normality. But while she hasn’t been watching, someone else has filled the Libby-shaped hole in Ollie’s life and she realises she could be about to lose something that means everything to her. Libby doubts that Marilyn is the right person to offer her advice, but perhaps she should listen up, before it’s too late…
Today, as my part in the tour you get to read an EXCLUSIVE extract from the book to give you a taste of what you can expect from reading the whole book. I don't know about you, but after reading this alone... I was completely gripped with a grin on my face and the pages...they just kept on turning!
Enjoy my lovelies xxx
Chapter 2
Like I say, it’s only been eight weeks. But I really think I might actually be falling in love with Adam already.In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that a) I’m an incurable romantic and b) my standards are embarrassingly low. I mean, if you’re the sort of girl who’s constantly being showered in dozens of red roses just because it’s Tuesday, or whisked away to five-star luxury in the Italian lakes before being proposed to on a gondola, in Venice, at sunset, then my reason for suddenly realizing that Adam might be The One is going to seem a bit . . . silly.But then, they do say that it’s the little things that make a relationship go the distance. The offer to dash to the shop at eight a.m. on a drizzly Sunday morning to pick up milk for a cup of tea. The random text message in the middle of a stressful day that tells you how great you make someone feel. The surprise scrawl, at the bottom of the tedious weekly shopping list, that simply announces Thinking about you.My new boyfriend turning up to meet me outside my Very Important Meeting, bringing a Pret espresso and a packet of yogurt-covered raisins, is exactly this sort of ‘little thing’.So yes, it’s not red roses, and it’s a long way from Venice at sunset, but it’s thoughtful, and lovely, and it matters.‘You really, really shouldn’t have,’ I tell Adam, wrapping my arms round him and giving him a kiss. ‘You’re so busy. And your flight only got in two hours ago.’‘I slept loads on the plane. I’m fresh as a daisy.’ The expression, in his Brooklyn accent, sounds as incongruous as it sounds sweet.He’s probably not fibbing about this: he works for a swanky investment fund, and today’s flight, back to London from New York, is bound to have been one of the business-class variety. Unlike my mere hour’s flight back from Glasgow last night which, though brief, was of the Ryanair variety: cramped, hectic and a bit like finding yourself in a thirty-five-thousand-feet-high tin of sardines. And Adam does, in fact, look fresh as a daisy: impeccably dressed as ever in his crisp blue shirt and rumple-free grey suit, not a single dark hair out of place. To look at him now, lean and tanned and bright-eyed, you’d think that instead of just stepping off a seven-hour flight, he’d just stepped out of a salon.‘Anyway, it’s just around the corner from my office,’ he goes on.‘Your office is in Mayfair. This – ’ I gesture around at the slightly unlovely street we’re standing on – ‘is Clapham. Now, I know distance is nothing to you Americans, but I wouldn’t say this was just around the corner.’‘So I’ll drop in on Olly while I’m over here. See how everything’s going at the restaurant.’Even though Olly is very definitely the proprietor of his brand-new restauarant, most of the money is being supplied by Adam’s investment company. It’s how I met Adam, in fact. He was at Olly’s brand-new premises, the day after the builders started a little over two months ago, and I dropped in with a bottle of champagne. We got to chatting, and then he walked me to the tube . . . and, eight weeks later, here we are. Proud owners of a fully functioning, mature, adult relationship.‘Anyway,’ Adam goes on now, fondly pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. (At least, I think it’s fond. I can’t help harbouring the suspicion that my hair, the opposite of his own neat, never-a-strand-out-of-place locks, drives him slightly nuts.) ‘I know what a big deal this meeting is for you, Libby. I just wanted you to realize that I’m cheering you on.’‘You’re lovely. Thank you.’‘Not to mention that I expect you were up until the small hours polishing up your business plan . . .’He’s half right. I did stay up late after I got home last night after the wedding, but that wasn’t so much becauseI was polishing my business plan as panicking about it.I mean, this is the first time I’ve ever done what I’m about to do – go into a meeting with a bank manager and ask him for a small business loan – and I’ve no idea if what I’ve produced is even remotely good enough. Professional enough.But then, perhaps that’s the downside of ending up turning a hobby you love into a career you need to make a go of. I started my jewellery design business, Libby Goes To Hollywood, almost a year ago, but I still can’t quite shake the sense that it’s just a bit, well, rude to be walking into a meeting with a perfect stranger and announcing that you’d quite like him to stump up eight thousand pounds – ten if he’s feeling really generous – so that you can carry on living your dream of being a jewellery designer, just with a bit more all-important dosh around so that you can buy better equipment, and maybe even employ an intern to come and work for you so that you can keep up with all the orders.‘I was up late,’ I tell Adam, lifting a hand to waggle the espresso and yogurt-covered raisins at him. ‘So these are absolutely perfect.’Which, of course, they are.I mean, it’s not Adam’s fault that he thinks I drink espresso, or that I’m a person for whom yogurt-covered raisins are the very acme of pre-meeting treats. I might accidentally have implied, on our second or third date, that I was a go-getting, gym-hitting, green-juice-quaffing sort of girl. Just, you know, to keep up with his own go-getting, gym-hitting, green-juice-quaffing ways.Obviously in an ideal world, it wouldn’t be an espresso, it’d be a cappuccino. And they might be chocolate-covered raisins instead.
OK: in a really, really ideal world, the snack Adam had so thoughtfully brought me wouldn’t have the faintest whiff of raisin about it at all. It’d be those big, chocolate-coated honeycomb bites I’ve recently developed a slightly worrying addiction to, or a good old Yorkie bar, or – seeing as he’s just got off a plane – a massive great Toblerone.
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I'm sorry I've not been around. I don't actually feel 'ready' to post this, posting this makes it 'real', but I know I have to.
On Saturday 28th November at 8:16am, our beautiful, absolutely perfect and treasured princess and baby girl Pepsie, passed away. cry emoticon
She was 16 years old, and the absolute most perfect baby girl ever. Mum was with her holding her paw, stroking her beautiful face, and talking to her. It was peaceful and painless for her which we are glad about. Magick was able to see her a few moments before she went with the angels, which I'm glad about because she took on the 'mother' role with him, now I have to seriously step up and be there for him which I will, and I am. It's just hard to comfort him and let him know everything is OK when it feels far from OK.
To say that we utterly miss her is an absolute understatement.
We are heartbroken, and grieving. cry emoticon
We are heartbroken, and grieving. cry emoticon
To some, she was a cat, but to us, she was our baby girl, our Princess Pepsie, Our Pepsie Poppet, our family, and whilst we have lost that beautiful girl, the angels have gained a true diamond of an angel. I know my Dad will be with her, looking after her and that she'll always be with us, but you know it's not the same.
All I can hope is that she knows that we love her with every inch of our hearts, she will NEVER be forgotten, and we will continue to love her every second of every day.
We love you baby girl, and we always will, sleep well darling, and don't shout at the angels too much xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
** I plan on doing another blog post on our beautiful little girl where i'll share my memories of her and more pictures of the sweet little angel, so this won't be the last time I talk about her on my blog **
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