Sunday Song - Frederick

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I've been reading and really enjoying Patti Smith's Just Kids. It makes me want to jump on a plane to New York. This tune, dedicated to her husband Frederick is such a fantastic love song.

"I met Fred at Lafayette Coney Island. It's a place where they sell hot dogs in Detroit... I looked at him. I didn't know who he was. He looked at me. And I swear to you I thought, 'That's the fellow I'm going to marry.' I don't know why that happened. It was an instant moment of alchemy."

A Quiet Weekend In The Cotswolds

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We weren't expecting quite so much snow this weekend but still managed to have a lovely, cosy time in the Cotswolds. It's so good to have a change of scenery once in a while and to take some time just to explore and appreciate good company and good conversation.

Following Your Dreams

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If you look at this page regularly, you will know that I'm a big fan of Holly Exley's work so it was lovely to see her vlog this week in which she announced that she is currently writing and illustrating her own vegan cookbook. This really resonated with me as Holly had previously mentioned on Twitter that she'd love to illustrate a vegan cookbook and she has obviously been mulling this over and has decided to be proactive and just do it herself. I love that Holly's loves of vegan food and illustration have combined to become a project that she's really excited about. And I love that publishing has reached a place where we can now come up with ideas and create our own books in a way that can sit alongside traditional companies. Publishing your own book isn't easy but it's challenging, absorbing and rewarding. I can't wait to buy the book that Holly's creating.

Thank You Stephen Hawking

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A beautiful tribute to Stephen Hawking from Oliver Jeffers.

Three Minute Epiphany

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I love this series on Mary Anne Hobbs' show on BBC 6 Music. Three minute snippets of wisdom from creatives and people who are passionate about what they do. I found this one really comforting. Tom talks about music in his workplace, a bakery where they listened to tunes while they make doughnuts and rolls. He mentions rummaging round in a bucket full of cassettes and the joy of choosing which one to play. It cast me back to using a pen to wind a cassette back and to taping songs off the radio. Magical, cosy times.

Hidden Treasures - New Photos of The Beatles

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As I've mentioned, I've been thinking a lot about youth lately. I saw this article today about a photographer who took these pictures of the Beatles when he was 18. He couldn't afford a flash so took them all with natural light. As someone who never uses a flash, I absolutely love the light and shade in these. And can you imagine the thrill of being on stage with the Beatles capturing these moments?

The Beatles - a teenage photographer's shots

Shots of The Beatles' first US concerts are expected to sell for £250,000 at auction. Mike Mitchell, 18 at the time, snapped hundreds of never-before-seen photographs of the band's performances at the Washington Coliseum and the Baltimore Civic Centre in 1964.

Podcast - Live Life Better

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I've recently discovered the Live.Life.Better podcast hosted by Melissa Hemsley and have been listening to it on my commute. I listened to an episode about living clutter-free yesterday. It was perfect timing as I've been Spring cleaning this week. I found myself with three bags full of things to throw out and give to charity and now the bags have gone I really have no idea what was even in them. In the podcast, Sheila Chandra talks about how she was motivated to clear so that she could find things. I could relate as I often tidy or 'get things done' so I don't still have to do them. It allows me to relax. I'm not at all obsessive about it but I relate to the principle of a tidy space making life easier.

A Clutter-Free Life | Live.Life.Better. on acast

This week's episode is dedicated to clutter busting and spring cleaning - but how can we make a clutter-free life something that we cary through the whole year round? To help find the answers, Melissa Hemsley is joined by authors Sheila Chandra (Banish Clutter Forever) and Emma Gannon (Ctrl, Alt; Delete) who share practical tips.

Movie - Lady Bird

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I went to see the brilliant new movie Lady Bird today. It's written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan and I loved it. I've been thinking a lot about the brilliance of being young lately and how hindsight makes you wish you could do it all again, whilst at the same time being glad you don't have to. The writing, acting and directing come together perfectly to create something so utterly relatable. It inspired me to draw and made me want to get back to writing. Wonderful.