Sunday Sketching

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You can only just see the start of my sketch in this photograph but there is nothing quite like a quiet hour of drawing or painting to start a Sunday. My 'studio' is actually my coffee table in my lounge but it doesn't matter, I get as absorbed there as I would in a real art studio. With toast and Mary Anne Hobbs on the radio for company it's the perfect way to wake up.

Geno Washington

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Another confession, I had heard of Geno Washington but didn't know too much about him and his story. Until yesterday, when he was interviewed by Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music. Geno's sense of joy and love of life was so infectious I had to share the interview here. That man has stories to tell and a laugh you won't forget! I tweeted about how much I loved the interview and had to giggle when the man himself retweeted my tweet and followed me. Life is beautifully random and fun sometimes : )

Breathe Magazine

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I've recently discovered Breathe Magazine which is new to the shelves in the UK. It is just so lovely and I can't recommend it enough as a lovely antidote to magazines full of adverts. All the articles are considered, kind, interesting and warm-hearted. If you can pick up a copy, it really is a perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea.

Monday Movie - Something's Gotta Give

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After last week, we all need a cosy, funny film and this is one of my absolute go-to movies. Something's Gotta Give starring Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Amanda Peet & Keanu Reeves. The whole film is like a warm blanket to me but I especially like the scene in the deli with Jack Nicholson eating his ice-cream, Diane Keaton wailing as she writes her script and the dancing Henries (it'll make sense when you see it!) I even made a special trip to go to the Grand Colbert brasserie in Paris a few years ago in honour of one of the final scenes in the movie. Click my photo of the Grand Colbert below to have a look at the trailer. Enjoy!

Comfort Blanket

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I have travelled a fair amount in my life, for events that I have worked on and in the name of wanderlust. These days I find more and more that home is the best place to be but I hope this is just a phase and that I'll soon recapture the urge to explore. In the meantime, I have various things around my home that remind me of the far flung places I have been. This blanket is from magnificent Jaipur. Every single day it reminds me of the magic of the city and how it was an absolute assault on the senses in the best possible way. It takes me back to the tiny shop where the shop owners pulled out practically every blanket in the place trying to sell them to us. So wherever you go, buy a little reminder if you can, it doesn't have to be big, just a trinket that takes you back there and reminds you of the wonders of this beautiful world. And maybe this comfort blanket will spark just a little wanderlust in me and you.

Biscuiteers

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Biscuiteers is a shop and cafe that specialises in beautifully iced cookies. You can buy a ready-iced treat for someone or you can ice your own biscuits in the cafe. We spent a cosy couple of hours icing silly faces and outfits on to gingerbread men and 'Day Of The Dead' style patterns on to cookie skulls.

It made me remember last Christmas when I had a lovely afternoon icing gingerbread cookies. It's such a simple pastime but something that gets you away from screens and gadgets and absorbed in creating... and eating : )