Sprig in the City

26

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001Z

Today I turned 26. I will really miss being 25 - I wasn't quite done with it yet, but we'll see what 26 holds as I think it could be a pretty good extension of the previous year. Watch this space :)

This song, one of my favourite songs from Beyonce's album, came on my MP3 player as I was walking home tonight and as I feel a little older already and a tiny bit more pressure to get done those things that have been on my to-do list ever since I could write, the lyrics felt more poignant than ever.

This is pretty much how I feel about life - I want to leave something behind, even if it's only one feature or (hopefully) one novel that even just one person reads and enjoys (other than my mum). I want to love again, be loved again, see as much of the world as I possibly can, and not waste so much time worrying about the past, present and future. So here's Beyonce, saying it much better than I ever could!

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that
Meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world,
I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember,
So they won't forget

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

I want to say I lived each day,
Until I die
And know that I meant something in somebody's life
The hearts I have touched,
Will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference
And this world will see

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

I just want them to know
That I gave my all,
Did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because...
I was here...

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

Lyrics taken from lyricsmode.com

Clichés

2011-11-28T22:04:00.001Z

As a writer it's something we are supposed to avoid, and I can see why - clichés are unoriginal, usually cheesy and empty sentiments that mean nothing to anyone unless they're in a sickly greetings card. And I am a bit tired of hearing them.

Recently amid bad luck, a lot of change change and a few blues, I have heard just about every cliché going. I'm told my family's bad luck is because 'everything happens for a reason', though of course luck doesn't come into it because 'you make your own luck', and despite still being single and slightly lacking in having men fall at my feet (though really, who wants that?) 'he will pop up when I least expect it' and is 'out there somewhere'. Erm, out where?

Of course I appreciate the sentiment that people are trying to get across, but a bit of real advice goes a long way. No one has all the answers - it's just nice to care enough to try.

While we're on it, if anyone has some spare luck kicking about (you know, that stuff you're all busy making), chuck it my way - apparently, what goes around comes around...

Royal Mail, the Post Office and the Worst Customer Service System

2011-07-26T23:10:00.002+01:00

I have never been so angry as I am right now. Yes, I am stressed and yes, tomorrow it may seem better but right now, I am livid.

Today is my mum's birthday. Thanks to having no money and a stupidly stressful busy schedule, I haven't seen her for over a month. Knowing that I wouldn't see her for another couple of weeks, I planned her present in advance. I pre-ordered a book by her favourite author from Amazon and wrote a note on the inside of the jacket, just as her mum used to do for her when she was younger. A month or so ago I also heard about a promotion Benefit had with Grazia, whereby you buy Grazia and give a token in return for a mini gift set. Yes, this is only a couple of pounds but my mum loves beauty; she lives for it. Every time I go home I take her some random beauty lotions and potions and we swap some, share some and compare them. Trust me, if she could work a computer she could write more beauty blogs than any of us. So, knowing she would love it, I got the gift set with her in mind. So far, so good.

Yesterday (last minute I know) I took this wrapped and addressed parcel to work with me so that I could send it from the nearby Plaza Post Office on Oxford Street at lunch time. I bought a card, and a voucher for one of her favourite shops, which I put inside the card. I addressed the card but realised there was no point in sending them separately, and since the card and the parcel were going to the same place I asked the cashier for some tape to sellotape the card to the parcel. Therefore the card's address acted as the address for both since it sat neatly on top (though the parcel was addressed too, as stated). I asked her if this would be ok, she said it would be fine, didn't question it, seemed very uninterested. I handed over £7 for next day signed for delivery.

Today, I get a text from mum saying thank you for the voucher. I ask about the parcel. 'What parcel?' is the response. They'd lost it.

Now this is bad luck, bad service, whatever; but just over a month ago, they lost another present that I was sending a friend back home. Same branch. Recorded delivery, which apparently means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in terms of tracking (so why have it??) but still you would expect it to get there. But when I check the code online, they simply say it is still being processed.

So this is pretty bad so far. But then, add the worst customer service I've ever received and you can see why I am so, so angry. When I went into the branch last time, I was practically laughed out of the store, with the quite rude cashier (and I really was polite - despite my anger today I can never bring myself to be rude in public) telling me that even though the Royal Mail website said the package was still there, there was no way it could be. Helpful. So, I tried calling them using the phone number on the receipt. I got a computer. Computer Lady asked for my reference number, so I started "A, I, 2..." etc. What does she say back? "Did you say: K,I,2...?" I have to say no. To a machine. I repeat myself. Again, she thinks I have said a K. I genuinely cannot say the letter 'A' any clearer or louder, but after about six times of repeating myself I give up.

Look on the Royal Mail website; if you can find a phone number for a destination where actual human beings answer phones, I will kiss your feet. In fact, maybe if you can find a phone number at all. The 'contact us' page sends you to Twitter (don't worry, I've done that already). When I then looked up my particular problem (since of course they think the package is delivered, as the card arrived), I get this:

My item arrived but the contents were missing

Sometimes items which aren’t wrapped or packed properly can lose their contents. See our wrapping and packing advice.

If the damage was caused during transit, we’re very sorry. Please report this to us using our Customer Service pages.

Are they joking? Really? Are they kidding? If content is missing, it's the customer's fault? We can't pack our things properly, therefore they 'lose' it? The link goes to this oh-so-not-handy list of tips:

Some general tips for safe and secure packaging are:
Use padded envelopes for sharp edges or odd shapes.
Make sure any outer containers are strong enough for their contents.
Fragile items shouldn't touch either each other, or the side of the container.
Fill out containers with cushioning material like bubble-wrap or polystyrene chips (available from most Post Office® branches).
Write a return address on the item.
Put a contact name, address and telephone number inside.
Seal securely with nylon or vinyl tape along all edges and openings.
Flatten any sharp edge from staples or metal fastenings, and cover with tape.
Use a ‘FRAGILE’ sticker, if necessary.

I have worked in customer service myself, and now work in a company that has a small but efficient team of people who will ALWAYS make sure there is some sort of resolution to a problem. Whether or not the customer is wrong or right, no matter who has done something wrong - SOMETHING is sorted out in some way that means all parties are at least slightly satisfied, hopefully more than slightly. You can contact us by email, Twitter, Facebook, letter, or - shock horror - phone. Where you will get a real person who has a brain and a voice answering your questions and helping you out. For such a huge company like Royal Mail to rely on a basic FAQ section on their site and a Twitter account which is manned by someone who is very polite and probably doesn't deserve any of the complaints he/she gets, is frankly ridiculous.

Yes, I can now make a claim via snail mail (ha! If it gets there) and so I will hopefully get something back for the first gift that went missing at least, but this is so not the point. We rely on the postal service, and that's what it is - a service. A service we pay for, and not particularly cheap prices either. This is not how to run a business, it is not the right way to treat your customers and it just isn't good enough. 'Losing' my stuff is bad enough - but Royal Mail, you need to sort out your communication process pronto.

I'm going straight to the Post Office in the Plaza tomorrow to speak to the manager. I'll update this post if they do anything that shows they understand the meaning of 'customer service'; but I won't hold my breath. Let's hope I'm wrong...

**UPDATE**

As promised, an update. Thankfully, by talking to the people on Royal Mail's Twitter, we managed to work out that the parcel would eventually make its way to my mum's house as an 'unpaid' item and that she would have to pay for it and collect it herself. They also offered to pay this fee since I had already paid £7.00 for delivery. I am very happy that my mum text me today to say she received it and loves her present!

While I will never use the Plaza Post Office again since it has let me down too many times, I am very grateful to the Royal Mail tweeps. That said, they didn't do anything other than explain what would happen - it was the fact that I had put the address on the parcel that meant it arrived safely. I am about to fill in my claim for the previous birthday present that dropped off the face of the earth... let's hope I get my £20 back!

Stepping Up

2011-07-23T22:31:00.000+01:00

It's not been the best week for news. I have one thing that never fails to cheer me up when feeling down - and that's dance videos and dance films. I've spent a hell of a lot of time today on YouTube looking up flash mobs after seeing this Beyonce tribute, and have now watched Step Up 2: The Streets because, basically, the whole Step Up trilogy never fails to amaze me. They are just SO good.

One of the bonus features of the DVD was this clip, performed by Robert Hoffman and the rest of his Step Up 2 cast (including the gorgeous Harry Shum Jnr from Glee). It made me laugh, and today, that's exactly what we all need.

The Best Thing I Never Had

2011-07-10T00:37:00.000+01:00

Absolutely love this song right now, so thought I'd post the lyrics. Enjoy a live performance of it in her Glastonbury clips.

"Best Thing I Never Had"

What goes around comes back around (hey my baby)
What goes around comes back around (hey my baby)
What goes around comes back around (hey my baby)
What goes around comes back around...
There was a time
I thought, that you did everything right
No lies, no wrong
Boy I, must've been outta my mind
So when I think of the time that I almost loved you
You showed your ass and I saw the real you

Thank God you blew it
Thank God I dodged the bullet
I'm so over you
So baby good lookin' out

[Chorus]
I wanted you bad
I'm so through with that
Cause honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had
You turned out to be the best thing I never had
And I'm gon' always be the best thing you never had
I bet it sucks to be you right now

So sad, you're hurt
Boo hoo, oh, did you expect me to care?
You don't deserve my tears
I guess that's why they ain't there
When I think that there was a time that I almost loved you
You showed your ass and baby yes I saw the real you

Thank God you blew it
Thank God I dodged the bullet
I'm so over you
Baby good lookin' out

[Chorus]
I wanted you bad
I'm so through with that
Cause honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had
I said, you turned out to be the best thing I never had
And I'll never be the best thing you never had
Oh baby I bet sucks to be you right now

I know you want me back
It's time to face the facts
That I'm the one that's got away
Lord knows that it would take another place, another time, another world, another life
Thank God I found the good in goodbye

[Chorus]
I used to want you so bad
I'm so through with that
Cause honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had
You turned out to be the best thing I never had
And I will always be the, best thing you never had.
Best thing you never had!

I used to want you so bad
I'm so through with that
Cause honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had
Oh you turned out to be the best thing I never had
Oh I will never be the best thing you never had
Oh baby, I bet it sucks to be you right now

Goes around, comes back around
Goes around, comes back around
Bet it sucks to be you right now
Goes around, comes back around
Bet it sucks to be you right now
Goes around, comes back around
Bet it sucks to be you right now

Lyrics from http://www.azlyrics.com/

A Second Home

2010-07-18T20:19:00.000+01:00

While I love this blog and am definitely going to keep it, I have been meaning for a long time to sort myself out with a grown up website that I can let grown-ups look at. Finally, with the help of the brilliant Emma Cossey (follow her blog, she's awesome), I spent the entire weekend digging around in HTML with zombie eyes, making decisions despite never being able to make decisions and created... my website. I've imported a few of my favourite blogs from here so that it's already buzzing with content but of course there will be more to come, hopefully on a more regular basis as I love this writing lark.

Sprig is still very much in the city and will remain here, with updates from me that are perhaps a little more personal- but please, if you do like my random witterings, reviews and such like, do visit the new site - Judy Johnson Journo - and follow me there too. It'll be a fun ride, I promise.

Thanks for reading - and any comments on the new site are much appreciated!

Love,

Sprig

X

The Water Crew Crew

2010-05-09T17:56:00.001+01:00

Not so long ago I blogged about panic attacks, and I'm always talking about health and fitness. Recently a study came out recommending that exercise be prescribed for those suffering with depression or anxiety. That makes sense, given that a good run or session in the gym can be the perfect way to let off some steam.

Well, in my quest for fitness as well as a stress-free life, I wanted to find a fun way to exercise. I love dance classes but rarely find cheap ones or ones that friends will willingly go to with me (you sometimes need someone to look at with a 'thank God we're in this together' face). Gyms aren't fun unless you go with someone and even then, 'fun' isn't the word.

My favourite machine in the gym was always the rowing machine. It was so much better than the bikes, where you feel like your knees are going to break and you wish you were cycling outside round a park instead. But I was always lazy in the gym and worked out better in a class.

So imagine my delight (seriously, I was actually very very happy) when Havva told me about Water Crew classes. It's rowing... in a class. It may as well be called the Judy Class! Ok, maybe not. Anyway, I went to try it with Havva at Trinity Health Club, an intimate little club in London. The result? I absolutely loved it. I smiled through most of it. I even laughed a bit, because Fabio who runs the class was funny. I came away feeling like my whole body had been energised - which it had, as it actually does work out 84% of your muscles.

Obviously, I went back to Wahanda raving about it and we ran a MobDeal with the club pretty soon after. I bought it, as did my friend and we've got two sessions left on our voucher - but I will definitely be buying a course. It's the best class I have ever done - though don't be fooled, it's damned hard work - and I definitely feel happier and healthier after my hour's up. The other week I did 10k in that one session - so my target for the next time is 11k. Wish me luck!

Lip Gloss for the Lip Gloss Hater

2010-05-09T16:59:00.000+01:00

I hate lip gloss. Sorry, I know I'm a girl and I should like that gooey stuff that makes your lips look all sexual and gorgeous but personally I think it somehow highlights flaws and looks ridiculous. I don't have a trout pout and I don't want to try and make one using sticky icky stuff that my hair sticks to as soon as I go outside.

But, I do like lip balm. I've tried most of them. Blistex Spa Effects was my favourite until recently when I realised it hasn't helped one little bit with winter chapping, but does taste and feel nice when it's on. Carmex is also great but would be better if it weren't in an annoying pot.

I have now, quite by accident, found a new and permanent favourite. Burt's Bees. I was given the 'Lip Shimmer' stick in the Caramel shade by a friend earlier this year and I love it. It has a gentle sheen to it and is so moisturising; it has a minty, almost menthol smell and it instantly cools lips when you put it on so is very soothing. It lasts much longer than other balms I've tried and is the perfect colour. There, now who sounds girly?

I've also recently been sent their Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in the Pucker Berry shade - yes, a lip gloss. But Burt's Bees' natural ingredients make it far more moisturising and balm-like. It's still something I wouldn't put on before stepping out into windy London (hair stuck to lips = no thank you) but for night time in a bar, it's just right.

Both products are 100% natural and 100% brilliant. No trout pouts here...

Avène Beauty Products for Sensitive Skin

2010-05-09T15:02:00.002+01:00

I'm in completely the wrong job. I write about spa treatments and beauty products for a living and yet I have to limit my tried-and-tested's to things which involve very few products, or only products I trust - because I have sensitive skin. That might sound like a very normal thing to have but trust me, it's a nightmare. I have to stick to brands that I know and have used for years, not because they're the best but because I won't turn red when I use them. I've had some nasty allergic reactions to products before and it's made me very cautious - E45 cream and Dove shampoo are now my luxuries. Even water can be my skin's worst enemy, as London is one of the worst places in the UK for hard water.

That's why when I do find something new that I can actually use without wearing a bag over my head for the following week, I get quite excited. The lovely ladies over at Pegasus sent me over two products to try from the Avène Eau Thermale range - the Soothing Hydrating Serum and the Hydrance Optimale Rich Hydrating Cream with SPF 20. And I can tell I'm about to be hooked on them.

One look at the packaging was all it needed for me to be interested - when you've got sensitive skin you know not to look for glitzy covers or illustrations. Simple, clinical almost and covered in information about the product, they looked like something I could try. I had a little read about the brand - the products use Avène Thermal Spring Water to soothe and hydrate skin, based on the well known principles of hydrotherapy.

A few facts about Avène water:

Rich in silica to soothe and soften the skin
Protects and calms skin
The calcium/magnesium ratio is similar to the skin
It has a pH of 7.5 so it doesn't irritate and can be used on open wounds
Low mineral content
It's used in the Avène Hydrotherapy Centre and is recommended for sensitive skin

So - the products. Firstly, the serum; you use it morning and night after cleansing. Having previously used the No7 Protect and Perfect wonder-serum, I found that this was similar but had a better texture. It glides on to leave skin silky smooth and has a very delicate fragrance which reminds me of a mixture of Johnson's Baby talc and the smell of my mum's hand cream - no idea what she uses but it's gentle and fresh. Personally I hate strong fragrances in my skincare (usually an indicator that it can cause irritation) so I absolutely loved this. I would definitely choose this over No7 as it sinks in easier - I often found with Protect and Perfect that it left a weird residue afterwards.

Secondly, the hydrating cream; I am terrible for remembering to put on SPF as part of my usual routine, like most people. Come summer we all throw it on and our skin is happier than ever, but then the sun goes away and we forget all about it; but one thing I have learned is that SPF is a great anti-ageing device as well as necessary in the winter for when the wind is freezing cold. So, a moisturiser with SPF included is the best way to go for me - and this one is my favourite so far. With the same gentle fragrance as the serum, this moisturiser is not too thick (which I hate) and left my skin feeling super soft - I kept trying it on my hand at first and then adding more because my hands looked magically smoother within seconds. I had the 'Rich' version but they also offer a Light version too - probably a good way to switch up your winter and summer beauty regime.

What's great about the brand is that they're not too expensive (around £10 or so), and of course, for me, that they glide on and soothe my skin without causing any allergies. If you're like me and scared to try new beauty products out, don't be scared of Avène - the fact that the products are based on water as a main ingredient is a good start in itself.

Maybe I am in the right job after all...

*Note: I do not work for this brand, I am simply sharing my thoughts on something I was asked to try. And I liked it, so I wrote about it.

Return of the Sprig

2010-05-09T01:03:00.000+01:00

*Creeps in slowly...*

So, er... it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Since my last post in which I was talking about health and fitness, I have mostly been battling with health and fitness, and losing terribly. 2010 really hasn't been my year so far which is annoying because I had very high hopes for it come a very drunken almost-midnight on New Year's Eve 2009 (a year which also sucked, to be honest).

This post isn't to say I'm now back to full health and fit as a fiddle but it is to say I have a huge backlog of blogs to write and today I finally felt like I could make a start on them. I've especially got some lovely beauty products to talk about which have helped brighten mine (and my mum's) days during a couple of rubbish months.

*Creeps back out*

Feeling Fruity...

2010-02-28T18:43:00.000Z

As many of you know, while I love to write about spas and new fitness trends and try them out in the process, I do have a slight need for a daily dose of chocolate - usually in the form of Maltesers. Everyone needs a sweet treat every so often but really, if I'm to get as fit and healthy as I'd like then I should probably put down those light bubbles of melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness and find a healthier alternative.

However, I tend to find 'healthier' alternatives rather dull. Cereal bars always have a heap of sugar or something equally calorific in them which means their bland taste just isn't worth it. Fresh fruit is all well and good but it doesn't go well with a cuppa, does it?

Aha! Enter, Ultrabody. The healthy snack manufacturers have a new range of health foods which are perfect for calorie counters who are on the go. The bars are all vegetarian, some are gluten-free, all are dairy-free and more importantly they come without any added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Plus, their fruity ingredients mean that some of them contribute to your five a day - what's not to love?

Most importantly, they don't taste like rabbit food. The Fruitus Organic Mixed Berry and Oat Bar would be perfect for a breakfast treat or the Organic Seven Seeds and Nut Bar goes well with a brew. There's something for everyone and if you want to look after yourself, these 100% natural bars are probably a good place to start. And yes, I wrote this post while drinking a cup of tea and yes, I had the Seven Seeds bar with it - no Maltesers in sight!

Skin-Deep Beauty

2010-02-14T17:17:00.000Z

If you're anything like me you're easily convinced by friends who tell you this cream makes their spots disappear, or this mascara makes their lashes completely fluttertastic and even better than Cheryl Cole's false ones. If someone recommends it and I can see that yes, their skin is in fact more glowy than mine or their nails really are rock hard, then I think it's clearly going to do the same for me. Needless to say, I'm usually wrong.

Enter, mySkin.com. A new site that promises to provide unbiased skincare advice, mySkin.com analyses your skin based on what you tell them about the products you use, your age, sensitivity and more. After you've set up a profile with ratings of products you use now or have used in the past, you can see recommendations for products which are suitable for your skin. From cleansing to moisturising, exfoliating to tanning, they really do have it all - search for your favourite brands or for your not-so-favourite products and rate them on scent, residue, and effects to give an idea of what works for you and what really doesn't. As someone with very sensitive skin, I'm hoping it'll help me finally work out which ingredients to avoid.

A little like having a good old chat with your facialist but without a hard sell, the site helps you look at where you're going wrong and what others like you have had results with - far better than asking your friend who has a completely different skin type. Plus, rather than hearing what your friend's cousin's sister-in-law used to get crystal clear skin, mySkin is backed by years of research who know a little more about what goes in that cream you put on your face every morning.

mySkin.com works on an invitation-only basis, but they have rather kindly given me an access code to share with you all so you can check it out for yourselves. Hit 'join' and enter judyjay in the box, and you should be able to set up your profile and start your beauty discoveries. Let me know what you think!

Chewing Gum to the Rescue?

2010-02-14T16:09:00.001Z

So most people have heard of or used Bach's Rescue Remedy for a bit of stress relief, whether it's to prepare for an important exam, steady the nerves for your tenth driving test with Mr Grumpy, or to deal with something life has unexpectedly decided to throw at you.

Well, I hadn't, until a couple of weeks ago. For some unknown reason, I had no idea what Rescue Remedy did, despite having worked in a chemist when I was younger and no doubt selling plenty of them come GCSE season. As someone who suffers from the previously mentioned panic atacks, you'd think I might have caught on already. Well, better late than never.

However, while I'm slow to know the greatness that is Rescue Remedy, I am up to date with the latest in the line of stress relieving wonder products. I was sent the new Bach's Rescue Chewing Gum to try out a couple of weeks ago; chewing gum with an orange and elderflower liquid centre, that contains four drops of the famous Rescue. Designed to soothe and relax, I thought I'd give it a go.

Did it help? I'm not 100% sure. When feeling stressed or panicky, I tried to have one of the pieces of gum to see if it made a difference - I did tend to calm down, but I think that was a result of a mixture of things. Interestingly, I think the act of chewing is good for stress; they do say it helps you think and focus, and I would say it helps get some of that frustration out (surely better than gritting your teeth!). The taste does go quite quickly, so a little like bad bubblegum you can't keep chewing for too long, but it did have a pleasant orangey taste. It does have the four drops of Rescue in, but having bought a bottle of the original Recue Remedy I found that just directly using the drops was more effective.

Handy when you're on the move and need to be discreet, Rescue Chewing Gum is a good product to keep in your handbag but I wouldn't replace the drops with it entirely - it's more a sidekick than anything else. Plus, for days like today (the dreaded Valentine's Day, in case you hadn't noticed), Bach also now do a balm, perfect for lips or your temples... that might come in useful for first date nerves!

Hit the Panic Button

2010-01-31T00:54:00.001Z

I've always been a nervous person. As one of the more shy girls in school I didn't like to put my hand up to ask a question, and if I had no choice then my heart would pound and my face would be red as I spoke. In the lead up to my GCSE's I was convinced I was really ill, feeling so sick every day that although I got myself to class I had to go and get fresh air all the time - my doctor assured me and my dad (who I sent in to reiterate my problem) that it was just stress. No it wasn't, I complained, I was clearly very ill. Then came July and the end of school and it was all better again. I still don't like that doctor though.

I think I know when my panic attacks started, though I find the thing that must have set them off quite trivial. I had celebrated my 19th birthday at a bar in Brighton, having hired it out in order to throw a big party. The problem with hosting your own party is that you stress about who's coming, when they're arriving, whether they're having a good time and making sure you speak to them all. So I drank quite a bit. People bought me drinks, I bought me drinks, all I remember are the drinks. Needless to say I left early feeling very ill and my then boyfriend whisked me home in a taxi to stay at his. Then in the middle of the night, I awoke feeling like something was pressing on my chest, my heart was pounding and I couldn't breathe. It scared me, and him. That was the first time.

Since then panic attacks or anxiety attacks have become a regular fixture in my life. I don't have to be consciously thinking about something stressful for them to occur, which is the most annoying thing - my subconscious mind surprises me by setting off these awful feelings of dread. I get hot, and feel light headed; I worry I'll faint, then and there, at the train station, in the bar, at work - wherever I am. This worry makes it worse. My heart pounds, heavy in my chest like it's beating me from the inside. I can't breathe normally, sometimes hyperventilate. I feel sick. Then I get the shivers. My legs go like jelly and my mind races with thoughts, both good and bad, one half of me trying to calm myself down and the other half running through all the things stressing me out and the worst case scenarios.

If you're a fellow sufferer then just reading those symptoms will probably make you feel nervous - so take a deep breath, you're OK. How to deal with these pesky panics? I'm not sure yet. Ideally, I'd run away to a desert island, spending my days relaxing, writing and enjoying the sun, away from the stresses of money, work, health and life in general. Unfortunately the penniless writer situation means I have to stay in claustrophobic London and deal with it.

So far I have learned that they're worse when I'm on my own - I panic that something will happen and no one is there to help. To make it stop I need distracting; from a Friends DVD to a friend reading to me or telling me funny stories from their day, anything to make me stop thinking about the feeling of my heart pounding will help. Courtesy of a very thoughtful person I have a few paper bags in the drawer next to my bed, with messages of keeping calm on them, if I feel I need them to slow my breathing. I tell myself to calm down, that I am absolutely fine, that I know it will pass, and think about one of my favourite movie scenes - Ally and Noah in the boat, in the rain in The Notebook. Not sure why, but it's calming.

A lovely PR has sent me a new product from Bachs Rescue Remedy - a chewing gum with flower extracts inside - to try out. Having never even tried Rescue Remedy I had no idea what it would be like but I've had three pieces of the gum in as many days (the panics have really been getting me this week) and I'm still not sure they help - but it's a work in progress and I'll do a blog on the results soon.

As mentioned in my previous post, Twitter has become a huge source of support and knowledge, and the lovely Nicola (@nic__nic) sent me a copy of Panic Away, which has already been helpful in giving coping techniques.

If you know any tried and tested tips for kicking panic attacks for good, do let me know - they're becoming quite the nuisance. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and breathe... stress is not worth stressing over.

Here's my favourite happy-moment scene that keeps me sane....

Image from http://www.isfym.com/

A Year (and a bit) of Life as a Twit

2010-01-30T23:17:00.002Z

Just over a year ago I started working full time at Wahanda. Part of the job involved doing the PR for the company, and to get me started I was told that the future of PR was in social networking, and some site called 'Twitter'.

Well, I wasn't impressed. Pah, I thought. The status function of Facebook is one of its most irritating features (do I need to know that you love your boyfriend very much, coochy coochy coo? No, I think that's implied in the equally irritating Relationship Status, thanks) so who wants a website that's basically just status updates? Not me.

But in the name of work, I joined, tried to figure out how it worked and tried to quash flashacks of those awful chatrooms from when I discovered MSN as a teenager. I never used to write anything in chatrooms, because I was convinced they all knew each other and I'd be butting in - Twitter was a little like this at first, as I tried to look for tweets to reply to and tweeple to follow. But, save for a couple of weird ones who slightly stalked me and attempted to befriend me on Facebook (thank goodness for Block buttons), it didn't take long for me to feel part of the wave of the Twittering sea of people.

That was just over a year ago, and now, over 12,000 tweets later I cannot remember life B.T. (Before Twitter). What did I do when I had a random question? Who did I talk to at one in the morning when I was bored, awake and alone? How did I stay up to date with the very latest news? My year of Tweeting certainly made a dull 2009 a little less dull, for many reasons...

Friends - Obviously, number one is the people. Or Tweeple, if you can say that without cringeing. I talk to some of my favourite Twitter folk on a daily basis - that's probably more than I speak to some of my own friends. Whether I need to laugh or cry, learn or help, they are there to make me giggle, think, dream and share. I've even met a few of them and they're as lovely in real life as they are in their tweets.
Colleagues - As well as keeping in touch with past and current colleagues through the art of twittering, I have been introduced to new ones too. Someone who definitely falls under bullet-point one is Emma, who interned with us at Wahanda after messaging me, and has since become a great fellow writer, tweeter and friend who seems to know every website inside out. I've also discovered a brilliant bunch of writers who make me laugh out loud on a daily basis, and it's an honour to be listed with them in the slightly-old-already Twitter lists.
Bloggers - I never knew there were so many blogs out there. Beauty blogs, fashion blogs, gadget blogs, dating blogs... there are so many to choose from and there's such quality writing to enjoy. I talk to a lot of bloggers through Wahanda to help exchange links, and have also met some inspirational people whose blogs have grown already in the year that I've known them.
Dating - This is a short section, but who knows if it'll change... I'm not sure if any of my Twitter friends have dated a fellow Twit. Last summer I met, sort-of-dated and then sort-of-broke up with a fellow Twit. Though it was short lived and definitely not meant to be, I don't regret it. So, er, Bradley Cooper or Matt Damon, if you're on Twitter feel free to ask me out.... Plus, I have of course signed up to wonderful Leanne's Speed Dating event especially made for Twits - so watch this space!
Charity - Penniless writer that I am, I rarely manage to contribute much to charity. But having spoken to some wonderfully inspirational people and hearing their stories of cancer survivals and battles, I just had to get involved for Breast Cancer Awareness month. From Pretty Stylish London's wonderful ladies night which Wahanda sponsored, to JJ's tweet up in Chelsea, through the power of Twitter money was raised for this fantastic cause and I was proud to be part of it. Let's continue to #kickcancer in 2010, starting with the Speed Dating!
News - Where were you when you heard about Michael Jackson? I was on Tweetdeck. I saw one tweet about a suspected heart attack and all of a sudden, the All Friends column filled up with the shock of the nation and Twitter went down. Twitter has become my instant news resource, whether it's to tell us it's snowing in W1 or to reveal who's won X Factor. All very important to know as and when they happen.
(Over) Sharing - Ah, the ultimate point of Twitter. To share stuff. I discovered Spotify and shared my playlists with friends through tweeting. I replaced drunk texts to people I really shouldn't text with drunk tweets to people who are happily entertained and not judgemental. I can tweet that I'm sad and a flood of support comes in; I can be excited and others want to hear the good news. I need a new dress, someone helps me find it, or sends me a discount code. If I don't know how to do something, I ask (this even involved me trying to figure out putting a bulb in my new lamp. Thanks guys). If X Factor's Jedward are driving me insane, I can rant, and tweeple rant with me. And, a great testament to how I started on Twitter, I can share Wahanda's MobDeals with people that I know love a bit of pampering or a cheap fitness class.

To the people I follow - you're brilliant. Keep doing what you're doing and I'll see you in Twitterville!

Special mentions...
I couldn't write this without pointing you to the friendly, funny, talented people I know through Twitter. Here's just a few (listed by Twitter name to make it easy for you to go follow them)
Love_London
Tsunimee
Emma_Cossey
BangsandaBun
LoveLorns
LondonDarling
TeenyTinyLeanne
SteveTheBlack
GlennyT
HelenHenry
PPTheBlog
Mullies
HelenWrites
JasonArnopp
LisaVen
Ok this will take a while. Just follow everyone I follow!

Xx

Image courtesy of http://www.chris-wallace.com/

Over £10,000 worth of Prizes to be Won - Wahanda's Advent Calendar

2009-12-06T13:27:00.000Z

The Advent Calendar is already in full swing over at Wahanda but here's what you can expect!

Following the success of last year’s campaign, Wahanda’s Advent Calendar 2009 is set to be even bigger and better with daily prizes up for grabs with a combined value of over £10,000. Easy and free to enter, there are 25 days of prizes to be won from top spa and wellness brands across the UK.

This year’s calendar has something for everyone to make Christmas merry and bright, whether it’s for some much needed me-time or to tick someone off your Christmas list. Top prizes include spa breaks for two at luxury hotel and destination spas including Champneys, Hand Picked Hotels and Stoke Park, spa days at the exclusive Chelsea Harbour Club and The Sanctuary, and Christmas gift sets from leading beauty and grooming experts including The Refinery, Revitalash, Elemis. And of course the Wahanda Spa, Beauty & Wellness Gift Voucher, accepted at over 450 locations nationwide making it the most flexible and widely accepted voucher of its kind in the UK, will also be sprinkled into the mix.

With at least one winner picked every day, subscribers must come back to the site daily to find out the latest offer, and enter to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize – we’ll even send you a handy reminder each morning to make sure you never miss out. Visit the calendar now to sign up for your daily email announcing the newest prizes – and good luck!

10% Off at Love Hearts and Crosses Jewellery

2009-11-22T22:14:00.000Z

Thanks to the ever brilliant virtual friend of mine, Twitter, I came across the gorgeous jewellery shop that is Love Hearts and Crosses. If I could make jewellery or even design it, it would look a lot like some of the cute pieces they sell. From the adorable I Love You range - who wouldn't love to be given this necklace? - to the quirky earrings range, there's something for everyone and they make really heart-felt sentimental gifts at perfectly affordable prices.

The even better news: for any lovely person who reads my blog (hello!), you can get 10% off when you enter the code judyjay any time before 1st January 2010.

Ahem... just in time for my birthday on the 5th ;)

I'm waiting for the next lot of stock of the brilliant Alice in Wonderland Pocket Watch necklace (pictured) - love it!

Enjoy!

x

Makeup Must Haves

2009-11-22T15:50:00.004Z

It occurred to me this week that I am really quite fussy when it comes to makeup, and I also have a set bunch of products that I couldn't live without. I've worn makeup most of my life, from borrowing (read: stealing) my sister's clear mascara when I was ten to deciding that white eyeshadow was quite frankly the only colour to be seen in (for about three years - now it's green).

So, no promotion, no saying that the same products work for everyone, but here are my top ten makeup must-haves that I just couldn't live without. Let me know if you agree or think I should be replacing it with something you love instead... I can be fickle too :)

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion - not only is this stuff in a gorgeous, Disney-esque bottle, but it works. Put on before eyeshadow and the colour will not crease or budge, and it intensifies the colour too.
Bourjois Paris Ombre Stretch Eyeshadow in Vert - the ultimate green eyeshadow. I hated Bourjois' other eyeshadows in the small round pots - too hard and silky to actually get any on the brush. This one comes in a neat compact, complete with a brush which helps it glide on smoothly. It lasts all day and is super soft.
L'Oreal Lash Architect Mascara - I think that like men, there's a mascara out there for everybody - you just have to find it. Mine is Lash Architect - it lengthens, it helps curl (buy an eyelash curler though, don't rely on mascara!) and separates. I usually use a separate mascara to add volume, or just line the top lashes with liquid liner to add depth.
L'Oreal Superliner in Black Crystals - my favourite liquid eyeliner ever. For those who don't like the precision needed for a brush applicator but who hates those rubbish felt-tip ends which dry out, this is the answer. It has a softer, more flexible nib which delivers a subtly sparkly liquid black line and has the right shaped tip to be able to vary the thickness of the line easily. The best one I've found by far!
17 Hide Away Concealer Stick - this product has been a firm makeup bag staple since I entered my teens. The best budget concealer stick I've found, it's soft but not so soft that it melts off within thirty minutes, and provides good coverage for blemishes or redness.
Benefit High Beam Highlighter - I adore Benefit (a sucker for packaging) but prefer not to spend on their pricey products - except this one. High Beam is a liquid highlighter that you brush on anywhere you want a healthy glow - I use on cheekbones, browbones and, after a tip from a friend who models, on collar bones for definition! Weird but true...
New ID I-Smoulder in Charcoal - I got this through work (you can pick up new ID products in Burlingtons hairdressers) and it's my favourite black eyeliner. It twists to open so there's no sharpening needed, and the nib is angled so that varying the thickness of the line is easy. It glides on, stays on all day and last for ages. It also has a sponge applicator containing a cream shadow on the other end, which is great for creating smoky eyes.
Rimmel Recover Anti Fatigue Concealer - I had to buy this as they seemed to have discontinued my best ever under-eye concealer, the Renew and Lift Smoothing Concealer which was amazing. However, this one is pretty good and I couldn't live without it. There are so many under-eye concealers out there but again,they have hefty price tags. This one is great for a budget, lasts ages and provides fairly good coverage - you need to apply a bit more than usual as it's fairly thin, but it does work.
L'Oreal Color Appeal Chrome Shine Eyeshadow in Dazzling Khaki - my absolute favourite eyeshadow for a night out, this glitzy shadow glides on better with a brush (it comes with a sponge applicator) as it blends very well with other metallics. I always get compliments for the colour when I use it and it has enough sparkle to make you feel glam, but not like a five year old!
Bourjois Complexion Enhancer in Apricot - I discovered this product not too long ago, when looking for a good blusher. Instead of trying to find the right shade of pink for my cheeks, I decided to try this enhancer. It rubs on like a foundation, but is much lighter and gives a healthy, natural looking glow to make you look more radiant and awake. Another must for a night out or for winter days when you feel pale!

Book Review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

2009-11-07T19:47:00.001Z

When I first heard there was a new Kinsella book out, I could not contain my excitement. But when I read the basis of the plot, I was disappointed. I was worried the acclaimed author was going in a different direction, away from her chick-lit genius; I also worried I'd hate it. But. In good faith, I pre-ordered a copy and put off all the books on my bedside table so that I could get into Twenties Girl as soon as it came through the door. And that I did.

Twenties Girl tells the brilliantly funny and heartwarming story (as with all Kinsella's books) of Lara, a hopeless romantic with a floundering start up company, an ex boyfriend she just can't let go of, and the spirit of her Great Aunt Sadie following her around demanding she help her find a necklace.

I'm not a lover of supernatural genres but this kept to a rom-com style throughout and I was instantly hooked. Kinsella's lead characters are always endearing and I can personally always relate to them (shopaholic that I am), but Lara is perhaps the one I have most connected with; convincing herself she can make her ex love her, sticking her head in the sand yet having compassion for others and putting their needs first no matter how ridiculous they may be, all the while struggling with what will happen next. Lara and Sadie take us through hilarious incidents including fooling a room of professionals that Lara can read minds (until Sadie has a strop and leaves Lara in the lurch), plus some questionable '20s outfits and awkward dates.

The bickering between the two girls is addictive, and yet it creates a page-turner as you hope they will bond and help each other with each of their plights; Sadie opens Lara's eyes to the false idea of love she has while Lara helps Sadie to see the love of her life was just that, and not someone to regret. Sadie's character is so irritatingly lovable, you wish she'd be your best friend, while Lara grows throughout the book to become the best that she can be.

As emotional as Remember Me? and as memorable as the Shopaholic stories, Twenties Girl is quite possibly my favourite Kinsella book so far. Read it.

Book Review: Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella

2009-11-01T13:37:00.000Z

In anticipation of the review I am yet to write of my favourite author's latest book, Twenties Girl, here is a review of Remember Me? which I originally wrote for Flisolo.com. If you loved the Shopaholic series, give this one a go - it's equally brilliant.

Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? is another bestseller that will make you laugh unashamedly out loud. ‘Chick-lit' doesn’t do it justice; Kinsella’s books are classics in the eyes of her widespread fan-base, with memorable characters who stay with you long after the book is finished.

In Remember Me? our heroine is Lexi, a twenty-five-year-old with dire career prospects at a carpet company, wonky teeth and a rubbish boyfriend, Loser Dave. But after an accident, Lexi wakes up in hospital to find that actually, it’s not 2004 as she thinks; it is 2007 and she has the life she’s always dreamed of. Perfect teeth, perfect millionaire husband, designer handbags, the lot.

Suffering from amnesia, Lexi has no idea what has happened in the last three years of her life. Her ever-helpful ideal husband draws up a ‘marriage manual’ so that she can learn the ropes of their relationship, but as she begins to find out more about her new self, Lexi realises her dream life is more of a nightmare. Her best friends no longer talk to her, she’s not allowed to eat crisps, her sex life involves something called a Mont Blanc which turned out not to be a cocktail, and an attractive man is causing problems. Lexi’s character is brilliantly crafted as someone we can all empathise with, and the plot has many twists and turns with some fun bumps along the way, making it impossible to put down. From her disastrous attempt at driving her Mercedes (she couldn’t drive in 2004) to knocking out a £300 fish at her husband’s ‘Loft-style Living’ launch, Lexi is adorable and worryingly real.

Filled with some fantastic lines of wit, Remember Me? will make you giggle, cringe and cry, perhaps all at once; a must read for all Sophie Kinsella fans and even more so for Sophie Kinsella virgins- this book will get you hooked.

The Time of Your Life?

2009-11-01T13:28:00.002Z

This is an article I wrote for Flisolo.com, a student e-zine which has since closed. Having read back through it, I thought that perhaps it was still worth sharing, as it may be relevant to more than just university.

When Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes boldly sang The Time of My Life to their hearts’ content, they may have been singing more about love than university but the title is still very useful. When you’re at school, your parents tell you to enjoy it; when you’re nervous about starting college, everyone tells you it will be great; when you apply for university, you don’t need anyone to tell you: it’s going to be the best few short years of your entire life.

No pressure, then. Wide-eyed and nervous freshers will mix with those ones who prowl about with confidence, although inside they are probably quaking in their little fresher sized boots. But the ‘fresher’s fortnight’ that most uni’s endure, filled with friend-making opportunities, lie-ins and society reps who pester you with their clipboard, does in fact only last the fortnight. After that, it can feel like you’re on your own and it’s down to you to make the fun happen.

Well, it kind of is. The saying of ‘you get what you put in’ to something isn’t a saying for no reason; it’s tried and tested fact. But sometimes, you can put everything you can find into the uni pot of fun and it’s still just not quite…the time of your life. Damn you, Bill and Jen, you set the stakes too high. Newsflash: perfect usually isn’t possible. If you don’t look like you’ve slept with a coat-hanger in your mouth every day, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed and are destined to be miserable for the rest of your life (uni life, that is). Take a look around you; everyone else is probably thinking the same thing as they sit on their single bed in their alien rooms, reminiscing about home life or wanting one of those well-loved home cooked dinners.

Becca, 22 has just graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design. “In my first year, I went home every weekend. I just wanted to get away from halls! From dirty dishes in the kitchen to sharing four toilets between 20 students, male and female, it was horrible. We had four showers to share with plugs which were blocked up with hair, and some doors didn’t even lock so anyone could come in when you’re starkers!”

Halls is the problem for a lot of people; for me it was actually the better part as I must have been a saint in a previous life, living with people who immediately became my best friends. It was the second year that took its toll, as six of us moved in together and slowly things went a little pear shaped. As one housemate left, a stranger moved in and he wasn’t quite ideal housemate material. Might have been good for Big Brother, though. As he left us to pay his rent, clean his mess and listen to his abominable singing, we began to wonder what happened to that saintly previous life and why we were now being punished.

Though it may have seemed all doom and gloom, it really wasn’t. I wasn’t the only one having a hard time, nor was our house the only one to experience problems. Just mention the word ‘house’ to another student, and they will roll their eyes and have a story to tell. Or perhaps it is the workload that gets you down; being homesick; not meeting enough people; having to work because you don’t have enough money; or just not having enough money in general (the student loan only stretches so far).

But this is where hindsight is a valuable tool; think about where you might be in three years and look back on your time at uni- now what do you see? Becca admits that her second and third years were a massive improvement. “At first I felt separated from my friends and like I didn’t gel with the people in my initial groups. But in my second year, I settled in and found that it was quality not quantity; I ended up with a small group of really close friends and just enjoyed it.” As for me, I look back on our bizarre housemate (who we nominated for eviction, so to speak, thankfully at the end of year two) and laugh (although I cringe a lot too).

Rosie, 22 also graduated this year from Goldsmiths in London. “It can be hard because it’s not just university; it is living completely independently for probably the first time in your life so it can feel overwhelming at first.” During whichever ordeal you may be going through, there are always ways to perk yourself up. More importantly, the people around you can help. Being down is commonplace during student-hood; and the best way of getting up again is by surrounding yourself with friends. As Rosie advises, “If something happens, you’re still not in the deep end because you are surrounded by people going through similar things and there is help at hand. What feels awful on Monday is what you’ll be giggling about over drinks on Friday night.”

So go out, cook dinner together, take time out from writing essays; only little things but sitting on your own dreaming of home is not the answer. If things get really bad, there are usually counselling services on campus- but first of all your friends and family are the best counsellors you’ll find, as they know you best and can give you an opinion you trust. Trips home are great for a little bit of medicine for the homesick, but avoid going back too often; you can alienate yourself further and make it that much harder to go back again. It is down to you to make the most of it- the bottom line is if you don’t open up to new things, put some effort in and meet people, then no one else can ultimately do that for you. Just remember that everyone else is in the exact same position and you can’t go far wrong.

Good or bad, each year had something memorable about it, which is something to take away from the experience; it’s experience to take away, full stop. That’s what uni is really about. So really, the new song and saying should be ‘the experience of your life’. Because although rocky in places, it definitely is.

No shuffling, just repeat

2009-10-20T23:06:00.003+01:00

The amazing, scary, brilliant, gruesome, original, twisting, turning, Sunday-night-stealing series, Harper's Island has sadly now come to an end. I'll be doing a blog post shortly about the true greatness of this series, which I happened to come across on my journey through the Freeview listings, and proceeded to be gripped by it for weeks.

For now though, here's a song from the series which I have on repeat on You Tube (intermittently interrupted, of course, by Cheryl Cole's debut single and Alexandra's Bad Boys, also on repeat - help!). This song is by Civil Twilight and is called Letters from the Sky.

Whatever you do, DO NOT read any comments on the video on YouTube's site - you might spoil the end of Harper's Island for yourself if you haven't seen it yet!

Here's a YouTube video which has all the lyrics on it - some of the best lyrics I've heard in a while...

National Spa Week - it's arrived early

2009-09-08T21:46:00.003+01:00

Most of you lovely people will know that I work for the brilliant online spa and wellness specialist, Wahanda. What you may not know, however, is that Wahanda is the most comprehensive spa and wellness site in the UK, with thousands upon thousands of venues listed, including spas, salons, fitness centres, yoga studios, eye clinics, health farms, mobile spas, bootcamps, dental spas, destination spas, chiropodists... the list goes on. But there is so much more. Any bargain hunting beauty buff will be excited to see the range of spa offers and vouchers we have on the site... and it just got better.

National Spa Week, the industry's biggest event, is run by the Spa Business Association and is set to happen on the 19th - 27th September 2009. And guess who's the official online partner? No other than your global spa resource, Wahanda. We've had a crazy couple of weeks putting up hundreds of spa deals and offers, creating a dedicated spa week page and above all, trying to keep our lips sealed until it was time to go live.

Thankfully that time has now come - and you can already get your hands on the best 2 for 1 deals and offers around. From spa days to spa breaks, spa treatments to super spa facilities, we've got the hottest offers so that no one need miss out on some pampering. Top names included in the promotions are Champneys Health Farms and Town & City Spas, Dove Spas, Hand Picked Hotel Spas, Chelsea Harbour Club, Bannatynes and more.

So what are you waiting for? With London Fashion Week plus the party season coming up there's no better time to ready, set, pamper...

Feel free to quote me on that...

2009-08-22T23:20:00.002+01:00

After watching the beautiful, heartbreaking film Hope Floats again the other week, I was reminded of one of my favourite movie quotes. Sandra Bullock often plays quite plain characters with not very much to say, but in this film one of the final lines has always
resonated with me.

The film, despite seeming like a fairly ordinary melodrama on the outside, has a fantastic cast with Gena Rowlands (The Notebook) and Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin. What's more, it's directed by the multi talented Forest Whitaker which would explain why it works so well to make you laugh or cry. If you haven't seen it and you like a good tearjerker, I would highly recommend it for a memorable weepie. And the quote that I always remember so clearly? A comforting thought which can be applied to most situations...

"Beginnings are scary, endings are
usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most.

Try to remember that when you find
yourself at a new beginning.
Just give hope a chance to float up. And it
will..."

Personally, I always find beginnings scary, I always find endings too sad to bear, and it's easy to forget how great the middle part was. Make the most of the middle part of whatever you're doing.

Creating creativity...

2009-07-30T22:58:00.010+01:00

A bit of a random one, and a short one, but it's good to share.

I am a ma-hoo-sive fan of this artist: Sabrina Ward Harrison. She got me through Art and Photography, simultaneously, at college (high B's in both, thank ye very much). She helped me realise what kind of art I like, and that photography is art, and that the two merged together makes Judy-style art. From wall hangings to weird little cubes to scanning in Barbie dolls, I loved being creative with as many materials as possible and making it personal along the way.

Spilling Open: The Art of Being Yourself was my favourite book throughout college and still now; a creative diary full of sensitive, personal, delicate artworks exploring life, love and loss, it became my aspiration to be able to produce something equally in depth and characteristic. I'm not sure I've got there yet, but one day I'd like to...

"I think when I can get to that place of self-acceptance and a sense of calm assurance in who I genuinely am, if I can believe in who I am, what I need, what I deserve, and what I must express, then I can let go of the struggle of self-acceptance based on their approval of my beauty, boobs, thighs or sketchbooks. I will dare to do just what I do. Be just what I am. And dance whenever I want to."

Sabrina Ward Harrison

Images from artist's website

Holiday of a Lifetime

2009-07-19T17:50:00.011+01:00

Croatia Garden Festival 2009: Just two hours on a plane, but it's another world...

As my Twitterati friends will know, last week I came back from my week in Croatia. Two friends and I descended into the gorgeous country to go to the Garden Festival in Petrcane, combining the weekend of music and cocktails with a few days of sightseeing and sunbathing for what turned out to be the most relaxing holiday of my life.

Everyone's stressed, so I won't pretend I am any more so than the rest of you. But. The last year (going from this time last year till now, specifically) has probably been the most stressful/eventful/worst/greatest of all my 23 years... the usual stuff, love, loss, work, health, etc. My previous holiday, in July 2008 was Ibiza - and I absolutely loved it. But it was slightly ruined by heartache so as much as I tried, I couldn't shake off thoughts of home. Fast forward a year later, and despite money worries over how much this damn festival (I never ever go to festivals, so I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake) was costing beforehand, as soon as we set eyes on the festival site and drove past the beautiful beach late one Monday evening, a sense of calm hit me for the first time in... I don't know how long. Here's why...

PETRCANE

Petrcane is a small village near Zadar, and holds ten weeks of festivals throughout the summer - we just happened to choose the Garden Festival. The beaches are small, but still not crammed; they are not sandy, so get your jelly shoes ready for the sea because all those pebbles under your feet is like a painful form of reflexology. As we went for the second weekend, with a few spare days before to do our own thing, the festival site was already in full swing so we popped by for cocktails in the Tiki Bar, and danced on the over-the-sea dancefloor on our first few nights.

FOOD

Food wise, if you like Italian you're laughing. If not, you better not be vegetarian. Pizza was everywhere - we found our favourite pizza place very quickly and met a lovely waiter who went on to teach us some very important Croatian lingo, including 'nice guy', 'he's a jerk' (my pronunciation of that one was apparently spot on, but I never had to use it!), and of course 'please' and 'thank you' as we're polite girls. Grilled and skewered meat were also on the menus everywhere, as were fish and English breakfasts, so we were pretty happy. Prices are reasonable too (you need to get used to Kuna to understand that though - about 8 Kunas = £1, so prepare to part with hundreds).

SIGHTS AND NIGHTS

On day three of our holiday of a lifetime, we visited the Plitvicka Jezera National Park. Wow and indeed Za. The oldest National Park in Croatia, there were waterfalls everywhere, small caves to crawl into, and stunning views. It felt a little like Jurassic Park with their small electric 'train' and the vast size of the place, as we were taken around by our Mr Bean-like tour guide, but it was unforgettable. A definite must see for anyone visiting!

Day four and we decided to venture further for our sunbathing - and discovered Nin. Just ten minutes away by bus, we walked along the port to eventually find small islands of sand with just a handful of sun seekers on - and you even had to wade through the shallow clear waters to reach them. No shade, no shops and hardly any people around, it was like a private little set of islands in the sea that only a few lucky people knew about. The water was as warm as a bath, and so shallow that you could wander across to other parts, or as we did, take photos of us running through it (as it looks like you're miraculously walking on water).

We were told by a fellow sunbather that if you cross to one of the little islands, there is mud which is good for your skin which people were plastering all over themselves. Why not, we thought. So across we went and in what can only be described as one of the most disgusting feelings I've ever had, I stood in the soggy thick black mud, picked it up and smothered it on... giggling all the way. We looked a little odd, but so did everyone else. It dried, we took it off, and our skin felt smooth, but who knows if it did anything!We got some great pictures out of it with hand prints on our backs and mud wrestling poses...

For the nights out when the festival wasn't on, we went down to the festival site where bars were still open and everyone was hanging out. We played games of dare, danced in the rain (it rained only one night), and videoed the lightning which was in the next town - stunning. We made friends, took photos and laughed so hard it hurt.

THE FESTIVAL, THE PEOPLE, AND FUNNY MONEY

Our experience of the festival began with a boat party, starting at 1.30pm and lasting six hours. Armed with the festival's signature 'Funny Money', ours was called the Noah's Ark boat party, so we attempted to look a little animal-like (I wore a dress with a tropical bird print, one friend wore snakeskin-print, and another wore a feathery top). DJs were on board to entertain, alcohol was flowing (slowly, the queue was huge) and anyone with sea sickness was in trouble.

We had 'cabin crew' drawn on our arms by the Brew Crew, met a lovely group of people from Nottingham, and didn't want to sail home. The rowdy but fun hen party we'd met had dressed, cleverly, as hens, so there were feathers everywhere while people swang from ropes and sang along. We also bumped into someone who is from the same town as us back home and apparently used to be in my photography class at college - the world is definitely getting smaller! If you go to the festival, go to at least one boat party - it will be all you talk about for days and you'll make friends instantly. Oh, and take a hat, as I got sunstroke which almost ruined my night out back at the festival... almost :)

With an afterparty the next night, we first danced to the live acts which included Giles Peterson (and we even did some of the lighting for it), then on to Barbarella's Discotheque, where we partied all night with people we'd met, including our lovely neighbours (one of which was enjoying a holiday romance with my friend) and some lovely guys I'd spoken to earlier - Chris from Scotland, and Ben from the Midlands. We then walked back home as the sun rose to mark our penultimate day.

I have never been somewhere where literally everyone is lovely, friendly and it has to be said, good looking. Croatian folk are kind and helpful, while everyone who went to the festival were there for fun and games. The festival was clean (a relief for me, the festival virgin!) and well managed, with plenty to keep everyone entertained.

The only question for everyone was... Would you come again? Everyone said the same thing... they loved it so much that they wanted to, but also didn't want to for fear it wouldn't be as good - because we had a fuddy amazing time.

A FEW QUOTES FROM THE HOLIDAY

"I like strawberries and cream... they always make me feel real perky" in a Texas accent, can't remember why
"Fuddy hell"
"I am a special person, with special skills"
"In the house, on the boat, in the bar..."

For apartments in Petrcane, email Gail on gail@thegardenzadar.com. Our apartment was small but brand new and perfectly formed.

Lightning, our view from the dancefloor

Lyrical love...

2009-07-18T18:21:00.004+01:00

I was on the way to work the other day when Dido's 'White Flag' popped up on my MP3 player. Having not listened to it in what feels like years, I didn't press the skip button and listened on.

Sometimes, really paying attention to a song just happens at the right time, and you find that the lyrics suddenly mean something new compared to what it may have done before. So I just thought I'd share the lyrics (something I want to do more in this blog) in case it has a meaning for you too. Enjoy :)

"White Flag" Dido

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

Listen to the track on Spotify.
Lyrics taken from www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dido/whiteflag.html

All things bright and beauty-full

2009-05-30T23:54:00.003+01:00

As a lover of all things beauty without quite the bank balance to keep up, I was very excited to see a piece in thelondonpaper about a new site which allows you to try out brand spanking new beauty products for as little as £1. Sound to good to be true?

It's not. LatestInBeauty.com have realised that we're not all convinced by shiny glossy adverts who tell us 'you will have clearer skin, with no wrinkles, just by using this cream!', particularly when they're airbrushed to the point that it's a little insulting and haven't had a wrinkle in their life because they're 20 years old and already using Botox.

So Latest in Beauty have created a fantastic service, teaming up with plenty of beauty brands to keep anyone happy, to offer samples f beauty products. Yes, you can sometimes get samples in the bigger department stores - but not always, and not without listening to the hard sell first. Simply register on the site, then take a look through the categories - Skin care, Make up and fragrances, and Hair and body. Choose one product from each, and for a £1 text you will get your three samples delivered to your door. You can do this once a month, so choose wisely!

So for my first month, I tried:

Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimising Skin Refinisher
Christina Aguilera fragrance
Elemis Vitamin Rich Body Lotion

When I say samples, I mean samples. The Estee Lauder product came in seven sachets - one a day for a week. The Elemis tube was the tiniest thing I've ever seen, but very cute and would be great for travelling! The fragrance was like the small sample tubes you get in department stores, which is actually pretty handy for carrying around in my handbag.

I wasn't keen on the fragrance (too strong, and I adore Vera Wang's Princess too much) and I've tried Elemis products before and knew they were good, so the cream is nearly finished. My favourite was the Estee Lauder Idealist - a gorgeously light, citrus-scented gel like substance which sank into my skin beautifully and felt amazing. The sachets were very generous, so one would be enough for face and neck; my skin has never felt softer and I didn't want to put moisturiser over the top for fear of losing the lovely silkiness. I felt brighter and fresher and after putting the first application on in the evening, I woke up the next day still feeling soft and smooth. A definite must-buy!

Looking forward to next month when I can try another three beauty freebies...

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-02-28T17:47:00.003Z

Being a massive Becky Bloomwood fan, I went along to see Confessions of a Shopaholic this week. It was already a risky choice as I have given up shopping for lent, so it was kind of like taking an alcoholic to a pub, but I have been waiting for this film for a long long time!

Sophie Kinsella's fantastic and infamous Shopaholic books are hilarious, and every girl I know who's read them is convinced that Becky Bloomwood just 'is' them - including me. Her humour, her romantic side, her got-to-have-it shopping mantra are all things us girls understand. So, the film had a lot to live up to... question is, did it pass the test?

Thankfully, it did. Expecting it to be disappointingly different, with our British Becky Bloomwood being replaced by an American, and the dashing Luke played by a Brit, I was gleefully surprised when actually, it worked really well. Isla Fisher gave a fantastic performance as the gushing, fashionista journalist, who's 'magic cards' (credit cards) were maxed out due to her shopping addiction. She was very much like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, with a butter-wouldn't-melt voice and wide eyes, but with a sweetness that us readers all know and love. Hugh Dancy is the latest dreamboat to hit the screens, playing Luke Brandon with humour and a sensitive side.

The best scene in the film is the dancing between Luke and Becky when they are abroad - there won't be a dry eye in the cinema as Becky freestyles with her fan. Turning books into a film is always risky and there's a strong chance of spoiling what was so great about the story in the first place - but the only way they'll ruin this is if they don't make the sequels.

2 for 1 Elemis Day Spa Mother and Daughter Package

2009-02-25T16:34:00.001Z

You will both enjoy:* Body massage - 30 minutes* Intensive booster anti-ageing facial - 25 minutes. * Elemis day-spa gift vouchers are personalised and beautifully presented in an exotic silk gift box, containing a Skin Nourishing Milk Bath 60ml as a giftExclusive for Wahanda customers

read more | digg story

Getting into Bootcamp: Wahanda Q&A with Ben Davis

2009-02-25T15:29:00.001Z

As you know, Wahanda loves all things health and wellness. So as February is National Heart Month, we thought it was high time we found out more about fitness regimes that work to keep you and your heart in ship-shape. Ben Davis, co-owner of Sussex Bootcamps, tells us how he’s made personal training easy and affordable for us all.

read more | digg story

It's in the stars...

2009-02-21T18:06:00.003Z

This horoscope from thelondonpaper just sums up my thoughts this weekend!

Thursday, 19 February 2009
Very few of us want for nothing in this life, Capricorn. But those of us with good friends and family want for a lot less than some. If you've been focusing too much lately on what you don't have in your life, then perhaps it's time to start centring on the things that you do have. It's called counting your blessings – give it a go.

Just love it when things make sense...

Wahanda's guide to looking gorgeous at London Fashion Week

2009-02-16T17:35:00.004Z

Wahanda has done all the hard work for beauty-conscious fashionistas and compiled a top ten must-have list of the best spa treatments in London. Stay groomed and gorgeous as you flit from show to show with shapely brows, glowing skin, fuzz-free pins and a dazzling smile.

Visit The Wahanda Blog for the Wahanda hit-list of all things spa during London Fashion Week 2009.

Wahanda's Panic Button - Save your Valentine's Day

2009-02-10T11:05:00.001Z

Press Release: BE THEIR VALENTINE HERO: PRESS THE WAHANDA PANIC BUTTON

Wahanda guarantees to deliver your Wahanda Gift Voucher to your desk or door if you live in Zone 1 Central London and order by noon on Friday 13th Feb. If you live outside zone 1 but order by noon on Thursday, your voucher will be delivered the next day. Save your Valentine's Day!

Mother's Day Spa and Pamper Days from Wahanda

2009-02-09T16:51:00.001Z

Mother’s Day is all about appreciation, so what better gift than a spa day or pamper break? We’ve got ‘Mother and Daughter’ packages aplenty and 2-for-1 spa deals so you can get spoilt too. Treat mum to a spa day full of pampering delights, extend the celebrations with an overnight spa break, or give her the luxury to tailor her own Mother’s Day.

read more | digg story

And another thing...

2009-01-26T21:58:00.003Z

I am a
tweeting
twittering
tweetsome
tweetness.
Well, I will be once I figure out how to use it...

Follow me on Twitter!

Better late than never

2009-01-26T20:39:00.004Z

OK so January's nearly over and all you once-guilty, now redeemed people are looking forward to the end of your detox and the beginning of the usual cocktails, crisps and couch-potato-ing. I, on the other hand, have had a great month filled with, well, cocktails, crisps and a little couch potatoness.

However. The problem with this is that I am now working in the health, beauty and wellness industry and have decided that really I should practice what I preach. What's more, I want one of those bikini bodies that you see in the glossies for this summer so I need less of the naughtiness and more of the goodness (thankfully, clubbing counts as exercise so long as I go easy on the cocktails... or so I believe).

So, short of getting a little liposuction like those glossy stars, I fully intend to start exercising (aside from the clubbing), and while everyone goes back to their terrible ways til next January, I will start as I mean to go on (this does not affect the consumption of cake, though, as it is a fundamental aspect of tea-drinking).

My new favourite thing in my new-found life? Power Plates. Having tried them only once so far, and despite my headache post-vibrations, the aching muscles for the few days after reminded me that actually, I do have tummy muscles- they've just been hiding. And that actually, work-out pain is the best pain there is because it is so rewarding. Well, it will be when I look like Jessica Alba!

Support will be much appreciated during this new adventure so feel free to take up some new exercise regime and join me. For a little inspiration, see what the professionals have to say here.

Obsessions

2009-01-14T20:17:00.002Z

Current obsessions are, in no particular order:

doritos and dip
film quotes
Post Secret
oat and fruit cookies
muesli
pesto
twitter (uhoh)
the past
the future
niggling dreams (about the above)
mini eggs (gotta prepare for Easter)
YouTube
Beyonce Knowles' latest album
Michael McIntyre
this song: Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E2YnDlEMXiU

Another great film, another great quote

2009-01-12T23:52:00.005Z

After watching Nanny McPhee at the weekend (I know, it's old), I discovered my new favourite quote.

"When you need me, but do not want me, then I will stay. When you want me, but do not need me, then I have to go."

Nuff said.

Just In Case...

2009-01-12T23:27:00.000Z

I can’t even remember half of the things I own anymore. Having moved twice in the past five years into two rented houses, most of my worldly possessions have remained bubble wrapped and lifeless in battered cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes. With both sisters now living elsewhere, leaving me, my parents and until recently a cat, for once in our lives we have a spare room; yet for us this has the sole function of storage. Behind the forever closed door at the corner of the landing, there no doubt used to be a bedroom, as the owner’s mirrored wardrobe and single bed still take their place. Yet now, if we slowly creak the handle and push our way into our ‘spare room’, we are confronted with a dark, musty, obstacle course of a room which looks like the inside of a removals van, only not so neatly stacked.

Of course I have unpacked those things that I can’t or won’t live without, but everything else has stayed silently stowed away in the dark; this point has been repeated to me at intervals over the last five years by my parents (who are not at all innocent, as a lot of those brown battered boxes are theirs). So often I will shuffle in, black bin-liner in hand and start wrestling with box flaps, sending a sprinkling of dust into my face as I get ready to brutally de-clutter so that we may finally have a spare room. However, on further inspection of these containers of all things useless, something happens. As if rediscovering an old friend, every random piece of rubbish suddenly holds memories or sentiment, and is something that I clearly need and cannot live without. The result: bin liner gets dropped to the floor, I hastily look for some sort of cloth that can clean the poor, neglected object and it is awarded its very own spot in my small, messy bedroom whose current array of bits’n’bobs are already fighting for space.

This process is repeated for many items from many boxes. Some objects don’t quite warrant freedom, as although they trigger endless reminiscing my rational self argues that they are absolutely useless. Like, for example, a clock in the shape of a cat which my parents brought back from a short holiday in Swanage, Dorset, from my favourite shop there that I visited during my childhood holidays. Of course a clock is not useless- except this one, a couple of days after I was given it, was knocked over ironically by my own cat, and the all important cogs and mechanical pieces rather dramatically spilled out over my desk in an unfixable manner. But as I held it, albeit with its vital pieces missing, I could not bring myself to place it in the black sack which I had discarded in the moments of delight as I discovered forgotten objects.

And so it continues; jewellery boxes from old Christmas’s, which are pretty and in perfect condition but not as nice as my new one; cassette tapes from about ten years ago with songs which I love to remember but don’t love to play anymore; candles, from my phase of copying my older sister in covering all mantelpieces, desks and tables in various candles and candle-holders; a tiara from the school prom; a kids games console of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ which still works, if only it had batteries; school exercise books, because well what if I need to know how to do standard deviation or trigonometry one day? It could happen.

Proving that not just a select few of us are prone to hoarding all kinds of rubbish is the thriving de-cluttering industry. Any Junk? is a junk removal service working for anyone from domestic clients to big businesses- they even removed the scale model of a Skoda made entirely of cake from the recent advertising campaign. Jason Mohr, founder of the successful company, says of his domestic clients, ‘Most people tend to hang onto anything concerning their children, because of sentimentality and a lack of discipline to get rid of the things they no longer need or want.’ Other companies such as ClutterGone, The Clutter Clinic and The Order Restorers all offer to declutter your home and hence your life- the latter’s caption for their website is ‘We will give you back your sanity’. Well that’s not fair, I might keep useless objects most of which I’d forgotten exist but that doesn’t make me insane. Of course television caught on a long time ago, with Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House? and the brutal BBC’s Life Laundry, where Dawna Walter, aka my worst nightmare, enters her victim’s- sorry, client’s- home and empties it of all things nice and homely and precious, to restore order in their lives and help them to move on.

It seems it’s not just about being disorganised, us clutterers actually believe that these items will be of use some day in the future. Or does ‘just in case’, that great excuse of a phrase, mean something else? Lynda Hudson, a Clinical Hypnotherapist thinks that we usually hang on to objects either for a fear of letting go, difficulty in making decisions, or for security. ‘People are usually collecting security at the unconscious level, such as through items from childhood,’ Lynda suggests.

There is some truth in this for my collection of oddities. I keep my shattered cat clock and its tiny broken pieces in case it can, miraculously, be fixed one day, or in case my parents take offence that I throw it out. I keep candles in case I need them in the event of a power cut, or something just as disastrous, although I’m not sure I’ll know which box to look in, especially in the dark. I keep the cassettes in case they’re worth something one day, or I want to hear the songs again to relive my youth when I’m sixty and covered in wrinkles. I keep the jewellery boxes because they are doing a great job of neatly storing my old pieces of jewellery for me, which I can’t throw out in case I need some plastic rings and bracelets in the distant future. You just never know.

Lynda explains that decluttering has benefits of making you feel in control of your environment, giving you psychological space and allowing you to be free to move on from situations. Lynda recalls a patient of hers, ‘A man came to me once whose wife had died young and unexpectedly. He could no longer throw anything away except food-rubbish and even that was difficult; his house was a mountain of stuff and all he could do was to sit on the settee and look at it.’

The benefits of clearing out our clutter are important in Feng Shui; the concept that the physical space around us has spatial dynamics that affects us at both a design and an energy level. Feng Shui has its own term for this sentimental type of clutter. As Sarah McAllister, Director of The Feng Shui Agency says, ‘The term ‘affection’ relates to items such as toys strewn everywhere, cushions worn with wear, the bottle of wine left open from the night before- these create a sense of affection, of a place being lived in.’ However, as Sarah explains, ‘In Feng Shui the house is like a body, so we don’t want to obstruct the arteries (corridors) with clutter, and we want all the doors to be unimpeded so you can open it fully. Clutter can account for around 33% influence on your life, of whether your home or office are good Feng Shui or not, and clutter is definitely bad for Feng Shui flow.’

In my spare-cum-clutter-room, I don’t think anything is flowing apart from dust. Although I’m sure it’s not good for me to keep a whole room as a storage cupboard, I think throwing out those precious useless items would cause me more distress. So my collection of stamps that my Grandad gave me, my old art sketchbooks, a short story I wrote in Year 6, the odd Barbie doll, a broken disco ball, children’s books such as Mog the Cat and Mrs Pepperpot, and everything else that I’ve acquired through the years gets to stay wrapped up tight in boxes, aptly labelled ‘Stuff’, until the next time I appreciate their existence.