2017: The Review

This review is becoming something of a yearly tradition....you can find the reviews for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by clicking through. It's always nice to take stock at the end of a year and see what's happened over the last 12 months.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?

All sorts of little things - visited new places, met new people, but on the whole it's been quite a steady, serene year, life wise. There's plenty that I'm working on.

 2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?

For the most part, yes. I kept things remarkably simple, and bar a backslide on the iPhone in bed sitch over Christmas, I've built some good habits this year!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I'm a woman in her mid-thirties, so, yes! Oodles of babies.

5. What countries did you visit?

Scotland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Germany.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

A little more confidence in my own abilities and a dash more get-up-and-go. Mine sort of got-up-and-went at points various!

7. What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

None in particular. It's been a pleasant, steady year for the most part!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Working hard. Shrinking a little.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I let my blogging and writing slide a lot from October or so. I really want to fix this! I'm happier when I write.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Presents for people I love. And theatre/travel tickets.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

The kind, the warm, the friendly, the clever.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

I'm not in charge. But some people's ability to judge others has made me a little sad at points. We are all just trying our best, right?

14. Where did most of your money go?

Books, travel, wine, cheese.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Hamilton.

16. What song will always remind you of 2017?

Probably Shape of You by Ed Sheeran. as we travelled around Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany this summer it was everywhere.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

A little happier, about 25 pounds thinner, and a little richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Sleeping. Spending time with friends. Reading.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Worrying. Procrastinating. Comparing.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At home with Matthew and the kits, days full of food and rest and laughter.

21. Did you meet anyone special in 2017?

My new colleagues are lovely, and Smudge-cat is the sweetest (and entirely unexpected) member of our household.

22. What was your favourite TV program?

Ooooh, tough call.  I loved The Marvelous Mrs Maizel. I'm still a massive fan of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. And Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is my catnip.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Not really. Hate is a poison, I try to avoid it.

24. What was the best book you read?

It's been an odd year for reading - I've only read about a dozen books. Of those The Power and The Underground Railroad were the two frontrunners - both excellent!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

90s playlists on spotify.

 26. What did you want and get?

Hugs, love, a new kitten.

27. What did you want and not get?

Eh, I'm not sure now I think of it! I'm a pretty lucky girl.

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

Probably Girls Trip. Funny, filthy, refreshing good fun.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 37, was granted a snowy birthday (pretty rare in London!) and celebrated with southern comfort food and karaoke at Lucky Voice with Matthew and two of my besties. Perfection.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More sleep, more travel.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?

Lots of blue, lots of stripes, lots of Boden!

32. What kept you sane?

Friends, cats, husband.

(I've retired question 33 too!)

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Poverty. Something needs to happen.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

My little work crew. And Smudge (cats count, right?).

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.

Same as last year: be kind. But also, keep growing, make time for what's important, dream big, and be the best cheerleader you can be for the people and things you love.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

None of the songs I've liked this year have lyrics that sum up my year - I'm not perfect, I can come to the phone, and my shoes aren't bloody.

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23 Things I Would Like to Do This Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...as soon as the calendar moves over to September I'm ready for all things autumn. One thing I like to do in each season is make a list of things I'll try to do - soem are basics for that season, others are personal favourites for this time of year, and still more are new things I fancied adding to proceedings. I'll keep you posted on progress as we move through the season!

1. Make flapjacks

2. Go for an autumn walk in each of my favourite London parks (Hampstead Heath, Regents Park/Primrose Hill, Hyde Park, Green Park, St James' Park, Victoria Park, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park)

3. Unpack warm clothes

4. Buy a new bubble bath

5. Stock up on goodies at a farmer's market

6. Read Pride & Prejudice

7. Make some mulled cider

8. Bake a pie

9. Have corn on the cob with lashings of butter

10. Watch When Harry Met Sally

11. Write letters

12. Get up early for a walk and catch an autumn sunrise

13. Plan and serve an Oktoberfest inspired meal of beer and brats

14. Make granola

15. Celebrate Halloween (and actually dress up!)

16. Cook using apples & pumpkins & squash while they are in season

17. Watch Hocus Pocus

18. Decorate a pumpkin

19. Make veggie soup

20. Buy some candles with autumnal scents

21. Make chilli

22. Get out of London for a walk in the woods

23. Donate items to a Harvest festival

What things have you feeling super autumnal? Do you have any yearly traditions? Do you make a list of your own?

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Summer's End...

...And what a summer it has been. It feels like a heartbeat away that we were toasting the end of the summer term with fizz and fun at school, and now September is knocking on the door and beckoning in my favourite months of the year. I'm ready for back to school, for cooler temperatures, for the cosiness of autumn, and the pre-Christmas rush, but am so grateful for our busy, fun summer.

It feels like my summer has had two distinct themes - travel, and home improvements.

Travel has been amazing, whether it's been exploring the fjords and mountains of Norway, getting to know new cities like Copenhagen and Stockholm, revisiting Germany, a country I'll always have a soft spot for, or spending time with friends and family in my homeland, Scotland.

Home has been busy - we have cleared out room after room after room (and the clearout goes on). We've switched several rooms around too (cue much moving of furniture and yelling 'Pivot! Pivot!' at one another). Our team of stoneworkers and brickies and render-destroyers have chipped away at the cracked off-white facade of our house to reveal the loveliest sandy bricks below - one more week of scaffolding and dust and noise and that will be completed. Shona has completed on her new home and started moving her stuff across town. And Smudge cat is all settled in and very much part of the family.

It's been a productive, busy, challenging and fun summer, and I cannot wait to see what fun autumn may hold.  There are many projects afoot, lots to plan, and some potential changes ahead - but hey, life is never dull, right?

I'm off to enjoy the Bank Holiday Monday with brunch, sunshine, cocktails and cats; I hope you have a similarly lovely day planned. I'll leave you with a few of my favourite shots from summer break.

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Plates

I had to illustrate a post called Plates with a picture of some of my own pretty plates, right? These beauties are from West Elm, John Lewis, Monsoon, Laura Ashley, Marks & Spencer and one from my parents' wedding crockery. I love me some pretty plates!

Do you ever feel like sometimes you're trying to keep dozens of plates in the air? Like there's so much to do, and not quite enough time to do it?

Lately I've been feeling this, in a big way. I'm lucky enough to have a busy life (and lucky enough to have coffee and patience enough to whizz through said busy life), but this latest season is calling upon my inner acrobat a little. I've neglected my blog a fair amount, but one of the joys of having been in the blogosphere for over a decade means I'm well aware of the ups and downs of writing. With being back into full-time work (and what's more, full time work which I thoroughly enjoy), it's been the right thing to designate the blog to the backburner to simmer a while, whilst other more pressing tasks, activities and projects, from settling in with a new class, to helping backstage with the Year 3 play, to actually seeing my husband, have taken precedence.

So back to the plates. I like to think of each area of my life as a separate little plate, and one which I have to spin and keep in motion or it will falter and fall. Some plates are big and important - my job, my marriage, my home, my friendships. Some are smaller, but are shiny and beautiful and catch the light as they spin - these plates add so much to my life and are good for my health, my wellbeing and my soul. They include writing, blogging, exercising, cooking, walking, snuggling up with three very silly cats, reading and volunteering. Then there are the smaller plates, the ones which you can almost forget...until they threaten to fall.

We all have these plates. Yours might look very similar, or very, very different. But they will be there. This past few months, with a pretty big life change (from work at home writer and homemaker to full-time teaching is a big shift!), I've been working hard to keep the plates aloft, and I think I've managed it, for the most part.

All this to say, it's nearly Easter break, and I intend to do a good week of writing during the time off which is on the horizon. Brace yourself....blog posts are coming. I have holidays to recount, books to review, recipes to write up and so much to share.

But first, the end of term. And a jaunt to Italy. I'll see you soon, lovelies.

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Happy Monday #20

I'm back! And ready for the first Happy Monday of 2017. Inspired by the lovely Katy and Jasmin, these erstwhile roundups focus on the good things, big and small, that make it all worthwhile.

1. Time with friends

Whether it’s brunch with Kaz, pizza and a movie with Shona, a baby shower for a dear JLL sister, silliness and fun with bloggy friends, dinner giggles, or catching up with Jenna after a two-and-a-half year break, I’m always grateful for time with the people who make up my tribe.

2. Lighter mornings

Isn’t it great to wake up and head off to work and it’s not pitch dark?

3. Dancing

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What's In My Bag? (Winter Edition)

I've always loved these kinds of posts, but have never got around to doing my own. My innate nosiness means I'm always intrigued to see which items people tote around for their average day in the city, or out and about, and I hope if like me you enjoy learning about this sort of thing that this satisfies the very human instinct to see what others are up to!

I'm often out in the city for hours on end, and when I am I like to make sure I'm prepared (those years of being a Brownie and a Girl Guide, and the offspring of military folk, come in very handy). There's nothing worse than being caught short and discovering that you're miles from home without water/a tissue/lip balm!

Please enjoy the early morning realness of these snaps. January is not the one for photo gorgeousness at 6am/9pm...

This is my current winter bag. It's a grey slouchy pleather (for want of a better description!) bag from Accessorise, which I picked up in the early autumn before our US and Canada trip. I wanted a roomy, useful bag, with zippered sections to keep things secure as we dashed between flights, buses, taxis and boats, but with roomy sections which were easy to get into when you just wanted to grab a bottle of water, a pair of sunglasses or a scarf. This bag turned out to be perfect for purpose and was really a trooper throughout our travels, and it's now my go-to bag for the winter in London. It's big enough to carry all the bits and bobs I need out in town (teachers always carry a *tonne* of stuff, I find) but small enough to carry without injuring oneself or taking people out on the tube.

In my bag I always tend to have:

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Happy Monday #18

It's Monday, it's the start of the week, which means it's time for a lovely, positive start to the week. Katy and Jasmin inspired me with their cheery posts each week, and now, when schedule allows, I join in with a happy Monday of my own. Originally I updated weekly, but as the year has progressed and life has changed (and will continue to do so as we move into 2017), I will be doing these on a more ad hoc basis - when I've time and things to share I'll be here :).

1. A very happy birthday

On Saturday I turned 36 (36, man!) and had a lovely, lovely day. Cards and cakes and messages and wine and wonderful people meant I entered a new year on the planet feeling happy, lucky, and surrounded by love. I'm so fortunate to have the people I have in my life.

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Happy Monday/10 Happy Things #16

It's Monday, it's the start of the week, and I'm joining up as ever with Katy and Jasmin for a lovely, positive start to the week. It's a very speedy round up today, but let's go!

1. My newsletter

Yep, I've finally set up a newsletter - something I've been meaning to do for a fair old while. I'll be sending out a little note into the universe, every Sunday. If you like to sign up, there's a box in the sidebar on the left, or you can simply click here. I do hope you'll join us!

2. The Last Five Years

A full review to follow, but this show at the St James' Theatre is an utter delight! The cast of two absolutely own the stage and the whole thing is something quite magical.

3. Texts from Christy, about Mariah

Longtime readers of the blog will know that Christy and I have a soft spot for la Diva that is Mariah Carey. So when it was announced that Mariah was unveiling the big Christmas window display in Toronto and performing, Christy naturally went along to pay homage. And sent me texts aplenty so I could experience it for myself. So fun!

4. Christmas fun with Vixie

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Let's Get Cosy

I love this season, and this part of the year. The nights are drawing in, it's cold and there's a nip in the air, and the city is a symphony of greys, oranges and browns. Even sniffling through the first cold of the season cannot dampen my spirits!

Part of what I love about this time of year is the compulsion to get cosy, to curl up, to slow down, and to get a little hygge (if you're feeling on-trend and Danish about it). It's the season of self-care, serenity and hibernation...

As I love it so much I thought I'd share a few tips on how to really embrace the cosy vibe.

1. Invest in some candles and little lights or lamps. I love the smell of candles, the twinkle of fairy lights and the comforting glow of lights piercing the autumnal darkness. After being out in the cold and the wet it's a great treat to be in a cosy house.

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Happy Monday/Ten Happy Things #14

It has been genuinely one of the most rollercoaster-y (NB I don't think that's a word....but it totally should be!) weeks in memory, but there's been so much good, too. So as I write this up, full of cold, still disappointed that the trains failed to get me to Bristol for my godson's christening (love you, little guy - will visit soon!), the overall mood is sunny (unlike the grey London skies today). Add in the fact that it's getting cooler and cooler, Halloween is just around the corner, and the diary is filling up with time with some gorgeous folk...and you have the perfect frame of mind for a Happy Monday post!

So....It's Monday, it's the start of the week, and I'm joining up as ever with Katy and Jasmin for a lovely, positive start to the week. Let's go!

1. I have a godson!

My darling friend Naomi was kind enough to ask me to be godmother to her and her husband's handsome and intelligent little guy (don't even try to argue with me, I am entirely biased in my godson's favour and he's clearly going to be one of the most amazing, clever, kind and talented humans ever). While Network Rail prevented me making the ceremony yesterday (note, a cold-ridden thirtysomething welling up on a train is never a good look) I am so excited to go visit him and his parents soon! Perhaps wearing my fairy godmother wings....

2. Baby shower fun

How sweet is this cake from Anges de Sucre?

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Happy Monday/Ten Happy Things #2

I love doing little round ups and am almost unremittingly optimistic, so as we move through this month and beyond I've committed to joining in with Katy's 'Happy Mondays' and Jasmin's 'Ten Happy Things' link ups. Such a lovely way to start the week! Part one of this can be found here, but now let's crack on with part 2.

1. Kitties!

Our trio are on excellent form at the moment.  As it's a busy month for writing and house projects, I'm around a lot, and being able to punctuate my days with kitty cuddles is always a treat!

Matthew gets lots of lunchtime pictures like this.

It was also Matthew's birthday last week, when I was able to give him his wonderful, kitty-centric gift, created by our awesomely talented friend, Emily.

*SUCH* a talent

2. Recipe development.

I am having the most fun devising some new recipes and cocktails to share here. As someone who loves to cook it's so fun to be able to write about it and have people feedback.

3. Windsor.

This past weekend we went to Ascot (more on that later) and we stayed on the outskirts of Windsor to make travel to and from the racecourse easier. Matthew's parents and he and I enjoyed having a little wander around the town, taking in the castle, spying a bevy of swans, and having a delicious meal at the charming Windsor Grill. It was such a lovely wee spot to explore!

4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

The lovely Erica mentioned this show as a must-watch, so I added it to my Netflix queue. And I love it. It is so funny & quirky & perfect to watch when you're chilling out. Have you seen it?

5. Snapchat.

It took me a while to get into Snapchat, but now I love it - for me it's like a little vlog of my days and I love the immediacy and the silliness of the platform. As well as sharing on the app I also sharing my daily videos over on my blog's facebook page, so it's a fun way to have little videos of my adventures. If you're on snapchat and we are not friends yet, I'm cmclaire12 over there. I share about cats, books, events and fun, mainly. With occasional ridiculous selfies, of course.

6. Smoothies for breakfast.

I am trying to be a little healthier, in order to be a littler Claire. Part of this is smoothies for breakfast! I've found a protein powder I love for proteiny days (Sculptress - affiliate link), and the most amazing freezer packs for fruit smoothies or green smmothies from Ocado. It's going well - some mornings I go light, other mornings I go crazy, but it's a nice filling start to the day!

7. Katy's lovely Brighton vlog.

A couple of weeks back I wrote about my visit to Brighton with Katy, as part of the fab #inbedwithibis event.  She posted her vlog about the event yesterday, and it's so fun. She's so great on camera, and I was cracking up at my silly dirty laugh in the background of so many shots. We had such fun!



8. Ascot.

Matthew and John, my father-in-law, both have summer birthdays, so well always try to get together with them for a little birthday treat. Last year we went to to Formula 1, and this year we had a whale of a time at Ascot for the races! It was a great day, with some people profiting on their flutters and others....not. More than anything it was fabulous to spend time together, as well as hang out with our dear friend Chalmers, who happened to be in attendance as well.

Love whenever we get time to spend with either side of our families. We're both so lucky to love our in-laws.

9. Sunshine.

How brilliant is it to have the sun back again?

10. Christmas in July.

I am feeling so spoiled with the wonderful Christmas in July events I've been able to go along to. I marvelled at the beauties on display at the Marks and Spencer event (and adored catching up with the lovely Jaye and Natasha, who I bumped into there!), swanned around Somerset House to see Lakeland's offerings, and loved the Winter Wonderland created by John Lewis. I also got to see the A/W16 preview for Neptune and promptly fell in love with oh-so-many homewares.  I'm looking forward to more events later this month and have spotted so many great items to write and share about as we head into autumn and towards Christmas (eek!).

The 'make your own gin' bar at M & S was AMAZING! Can't wait to sample my creation in a fortnight.

A photo posted by Claire Roper (@cmclaire) on Jul 7, 2016 at 4:51am PDT

The Lakeland event was full of wonder and whimsy - and amazing gift ideas, like the above which I am so hoping to find in my stocking!

A photo posted by Claire Roper (@cmclaire) on Jul 10, 2016 at 11:28am PDT

At Neptune I loved the big, light space and the beautiful pieces on display - so much inspiration, made me want to go straight home and get sketching!

The John Lewis event, housed in the RSA building, was stunning. In the midst of a hot London summer's day, you descended the stairs into a winter wonderland. So many beautiful items and products on display.

So that was the last lovely week - here's to another one!

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Happy Monday/Ten Happy Things #1

Hello all, and happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend and that you're raring to go with a brand new week...failing that I hope you have plenty of coffee and a kind commute.

I love doing little round ups and am almost unremittingly optimistic, so I've been meaning to join in with Katy's 'Happy Mondays' and Jasmin's 'Ten Happy Things' for-ever. This month, I've actually pulled my finger out and planned to do so. I love catching up with all the little things that might not merit a whole blog post, and these round ups are the perfect way to do so. Here we go!

1. A heavenly house party

Last week the lovely Leanne messaged a bunch of us with a unique predicament. She had won a pair of 'Golden Tickets' to the Heavenly House Party an event being held by 7th Heaven to celebrate their thirtieth birthday. Alas, life called her away from London, so she wanted to know if anyone was free to use them (the brand very kindly let us transfer them across). After some diary discussions, it transpired that both Katie and I were free, so we spent a lovely few hours being pampered; doing classes in mindfulness, yoga and pilates; making our own facemasks; and generally having a lovely time. I left feeling replenished and oh-so-relaxed.

2. Lunch with blogger buddies.

On Wednesday I was lucky enough to catch up with Erica, Charlie and Miss Pond over lunch at Wahaca. I adore whenever I can find time to connect with my wonderful blog friends IRL! I also love when the brand gifts us free margaritas via twitter (way to go, Erica!).

3. Study progress.

We are officially at the halfway point! Post to follow with a proper update, but the new study and spare room are starting to take shape.

4. Veep.

I swear, this show just keeps getting better and better. The characters, the writing, the sweariness...I just cannot get enough.

5. Early morning Monday adventures with Charlie.

Last Monday the gorgeous Charlie invited me along to an early morning event hosted by Lipton in the Barbican Conservatory as part of their #isitMondayyet campaign. I've always wanted to go to have a look around the conservatory, and do love breakfast, so I was happy to be able to attend. We played on a fruity xylophone, snacked on unusual fruits, and witnessed a peach tea mushroom cloud. Hands down one of the more out there starts to a week I've had - today's coffee and toast can't quite compete...

6. Electro Brunch.

On Saturday, Kaz and I went to Gaucho in Smithfields for the Electro Brunch. Full review to follow, but oh my goodness, it was marvellous...

7. Work experience.

I spent two days lat week doing some work experience with a brand who work in content creation and social media and I loved it. The team were incredibly welcoming and so talented; I loved being able to see how they worked and to contribute a few bits and bobs to their process, Great fun, and such a wonderful opportunity.

8. Christmas in....June.

This month I already have a fair few 'Christmas in July' events to attend (I love these - as a Christmas fiend, getting to see what brands have in store for the festive season is such a treat!), but Waitrose kicked things off at the end of June. Miss Pond and I headed over together and had such fun exploring their ranges of food, decor and gifting for Christmas 2016. I'll be doing a proper round up once high summer has past and the winter chill descends, but I was so excited to see the beautiful offerings on display.

9. Instagram.

I am really enjoying Instagram at the moment. For a while I was feeling a little stuck with it - for a chatterbox like me Twitter comes more naturally - but I'm enjoying it more and more. If you'd like to follow me over there, I'm @cmclaire.

10. Ascot.

I loved heading to Royal Ascot with Appletiser last month, and this weekend I get to go to Ascot again. Matthew and his father both have their birthdays this month, so we and the in-laws are getting together to watch the geegees! I love the races (and the champagne, too!) so am really looking forward to it. I hope the weather is better than that we had for Royal Ascot though - that day was decidedly soggy!

Have a great week, all!

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Ten Things

It's been a busy wee fortnight here, full of fun. And work. And stress. And excitement. And relaxation. Isn't life grand.

*starts humming Circle of Life*

As is my wont, I thought I'd do a quick little round up of a few of the things that have been keeping me occupied.  Here we go!

1. The great study project continues. We are now at the OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF EVERYWHERE stage. All caps required, for sure!

2. On Saturday Katy and I are off to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I am beyond excited, and all ready to rock my Hufflepuff teeshirt with pride! Huge thanks to the babe that is Ashleigh-Jayne for helping to sort our tickets.

3. Last weekend I got to attend not one, but two musical events. I won VIP tickets to Capital's Summertime Ball on the Saturday, and Kaz and I had a marvellous time bopping along to Flo Rida, Craig David, Jess Glynne, Tinie Tempah and many more. On the Sunday, Erica and I went along to Field Day in East London, where we were kindly hosted by I Heart Wines (great company name, right?). Full post of musical adventures (and wine) to follow.

4. My competition to win a copy of The World of The Happy Pear* came to a close and I'm looking forward to mailing out the package to the winner, Tracy, in the next few days. I'm loving the cookbook!

5. I am getting very in to my social media, and loving learning more about the platforms and how I want to use them. Twitter is for chatting and sharing; facebook is for comment, crowdsourcing and kitty/puppy videos; instagram is for beautiful images and inspiration; pinterest is for collecting ideas and planning meals/holidays/presents; and snapchat? Well that's like my own little mini-vlog. I'm cmclaire12 over there if you'd like to follow along!

6. On Wednesday of last week Matthew and I went along to Royal Ascot as guests of Appletiser. We had a lovely day out together (even if the rain did try to dampen spirits!) and it was the perfect taster before we return to the course next month with the in-laws.

7. Speaking of Katy (see point 2), this weekend just past I had the most fun with her in Brighton. She was kindly invited to town by Ibis for a break by the sea, and a big screen viewing of Dirty Dancing, and I was thrilled to be her plus-one. Full post to follow, of course, but the whole visit made me so smiley it had to make this list.

8. This mad weather has really had me guessing, and I've got drenched at least twice, and sunburned once. Pick a route, British weather!

9. For the past almost year or so, Matthew and I have been watching the boxset of Parks and Recreation, and last week we finished the final, seventh season. How am I going to cope without my Knope?

10. After the weeks and months of discussions, on Thursday it's time to vote on whether we leave the EU or not. Whatever the nation decides there will be bumps in the road ahead, but whatever decision we wake up to on June 24th I hope we can band together to support the majority's choice, however hard that may be to swallow. As I write this most polls have the two campaigns exactly level, so I think whichever way the referendum goes we are in for choppy seas ahead. However you feel about it, I hope you'll be voting - it's a pretty momentous choice.

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Book Review: My Name Is Leon

Those of you who read here often will know a lot about me. I'm obsessed with cats, I love cheesey movies, I spend too much money on stationery and pyjamas, and I adore my tribe (both related and non-related; online and IRL). I talk about a lot of things here, often at length - blame my natural chattiness and my passion for writing and sharing for that. There are some things that I don't write about as often, or mention at all, even though in life I'm an open book about them...they just don't come up as much.

Today, I'll be chatting about a couple of things I haven't mentioned much before on the blog (forgive me if I have - over a decade of writing to process when making that statement), simply because I think they give me a bit of a different take and a different insight on the book I'm reviewing. And those topics are two things I'm passionate about, and which have changed and affected my life in a real, tangible and huge way; adoption and fostering.

In my life (gosh, I sound like an aged woodland creature in a Disney film now) I've encountered both, and both have changed my life. Forgive me if we're friends in real life and you've heard this tale before. First, let's look at adoption. On  a first glance, my family looks very normal (perhaps not if you join us for supper though; we're an opinionated group of stubborn, silly folk), but we're also a family built with adoption at the heart.

My mother is my biological parent, but my dad is my adoptive father. I've never met my biological father. In my more flippant moments I say he gave me two things, some DNA and a signature; when I'm feeling more reflective I can appreciate that there are parts of my physicality that favour his side from the few pictures I've seen - my Scottish stockiness, enormo-hands and bright blue eyes certainly don't come from my mother's side!

I've never felt the need to 'find' him because in all truth I don't really need to; I have a dad. Anyone whose spent time with me and dad will realise that it's a pure triumph of nurture over nature - we have the same ridiculous (and horribly immature) sense of humour, the same love of a drink with friends, the same tell when we're about to lose our temper, the same love of music and film. Adoption doesn't always work, but in our family's case it really, truly has.

When I was a baby, before mum and dad met (my biological father left while my mother was pregnant. Again here my reaction varies from a sarcastic slowclap to empathy for someone trapped in a situation they disliked so much they felt they had to bolt. Depends on the day, to be honest), mum and I lived in a small council house in rural Scotland and things were...not good. Mum was an absolutely devoted parent and did everything she could to keep me safe, warm and happy, but the money just wasn't there for two people. So she barely ate, and was stressed beyond belief. This all came to a head and eventually she was hospitalised with malnutrition. Ah, the eighties.

At this point I came into the remit of the care services. Discussions were had about what to do (again, I was a baby, so please allow a little artistic licence here - I'm building on stories told by others!), and eventually it was decided I'd be fostered by a family who lived in the same town as us for a few weeks. And that was the start of a relationship which has been going for over three decades now....

Frank & Sandra, my foster parents, are two of the kindest, funniest and humblest people I know. Without their help, the lives of both me and my mum would have been much, much poorer. My mum loves to tell the story of how Sandra came to drop me back at the end of my fostering placement and told one of the best white lies ever. Taking one look at my tired, isolated mum and probably realising that what she most needed was a little help, Sandra gushed about how much they loved having me to stay, and please would my mum allow the family to have me to stay for a day or two each week?  My mum said yes, and for the next few years until we moved away from the area I stayed one or two nights a week with my foster family. For mum it was a chance to work and get healthy and make plans; for me it was a chance to be part of a family where I was utterly doted upon - some of my first memories are from time spent with Sandra, Frank and their four children.

Even when I moved away, we stayed in contact through cards and letters, visits and get-togethers, and I'm far closer to Frank & Sandra and their children than any of my biological cousins, aunts or uncles. Again, nurture trumped nature on just about every level. They are two of the greatest people I know (and I know some pretty awesome people) and their heart for fostering and adoption is a marvel. They have changed the lives of dozens of children for the better, and without them my life would have been very much the poorer.

I found myself thinking of Sandra and Frank often when reading My Name Is Leon, the debut novel from Kit de Waal, a story with fostering and adoption at its very heart.  My Name Is Leon follows the story of Leon and his baby brother Jake when they are taken into care. Children of the same mother, but different fathers, the boys are pulled on two very different paths by the fickle machinations of the care system.

The story unfolds from Leon's point of view, which I found incredibly touching, and which gives a real sense of the lost-ness and bewilderment of a child struggling to understand the very adult situations around him. The relationships, whether between Leon and Jake, or his mother, or Maureen (on whom more later in the review), or Tufty, are adeptly drawn and infused with rawness and emotion.

The book evokes the mood and feel of the eighties wonderfully, from Curly Wurlys to BMX bikes to the songs on the radio: I can almost see the all-brown-everything sitting room furniture of my youth.  Leon is a narrator to treasure, and his nine-year-old point of view and frame of reference adds a real pathos to proceedings - there are several scenes where as adults we readers understand situations before Leon is able to do so.

De Waal writes her characters with a keen eye - she's both steady in description but able to shy away from judgement, and this lends a real humaity to the people she's created. Maureen, Leon's foster-carer, is a character to cherish, as well as a real representation of the thousands of hardworking, wonderful, under-reported foster parents in this country. The media seizes upon any wrongdoing by people who work with children in care (and are correct to do so) but they are woefully poor at celebrating the very many carers doing good, hard, testing work with some of our most vulnerable children and young people. Hopefully if we see a few more books with characters as honest, fullsome and real as Maureen we can move towards a fairer portrait of affairs, where we can root out the wrongdoers and share the inspirational stories of the good in equal measure. We need more foster carers in every area of the country, and I hope that a lot of politicians and policy makers encounter books and characters like My Name Is Leon and Maureen.

My Name Is Leon is a special and important book. It's both a wonderful, entertaining, moving story and a book that shines a light on an area of national life we don't always hear about. A story about the unexpected twists that life can take, and the unusual places where we can find love, belonging, and a place to call home. Released next month, I cannot recommend it more highly; for me this is one of the must read pieces of fiction of the year.

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9 things...

Life continues at the usual busy and on occasion relentless pace. My weeks can differ so much - at times serene and sedate, full of writing, working out and cooking / home improvements, at others busy and full to the gunnels. I like it, but it's a big gear shift from the flow of teaching, so nicely marcated and timetabled (and also busy, of course!).

This week has been deliciously active, full of events and friends and fun, as well as work.  Next week is a quieter one, but that's a good thing - I need time to digest all this week's learning and to write about all the fun I've had! As well as the big things, I thought it was high time I wrote a quick catch up post about the little lovelinesses of the past week or two.  Onwards....

As ever, my stationery addiction is real. I popped into Scribbler after dinner with Eileen on Tuesday and picked up a bundle of cards - the range is such fun! I'm looking forward to writing a fair few notes on Sunday. Possibly in my PJs. On Wednesday I met the delightful Jaye for the first time...and we spent a good half hour talking all things stationery and Erin Condren. Always fun to meet a fellow stationery fiend!

My 100 days of fresh continues, with it a brace of new flavours, recipes and ingredients to try. This week (16th-22nd) I've also gone full vegetarian, in honour of National Vegetarian Week. It's fun, but harder than I was expecting! I adore vegetables and am not a fussy eater, but am finding getting my protein tricky. It's definitely inspired me to seek out and learn more about non-meat protein sources; in yesterday's supermarket delivery there was a tonne of Quorn!

On Monday and Tuesday I attended the Dell #WeLoveYourWork event with the gorgeous Katy. This two day event was brilliant, based at the iconic Bourne and Hollingsworth venue in Islington. We had a range of talks and seminars (including a fantastic one on branding with the amazing Shini of Park&Cube, pictured above), I got spend some time with lovely bloggers I know well, like Katy; catch up with others I hadn't seen in a while, like Laura; and meet great new people like Ashanti, Gemma, and Jaime. Full post to follow.

The great big study/office project continues! It's now at the uniquely frustrating part, where two rooms are chaos, but slowly but surely it's taking shape, and sections are looking quite serene and splendid (like this half of my desk).

I've been enjoying playing with my Pen some more, and have some very fun food post ideas for next week and beyond. I was practising taking shots all day Monday and Tuesday, so my instagram was full of yumminess!

Last weekend my mum and dad came down for a visit and it was so lovely to see them! As they live so far away we can only get together two to four times a year, but we always have fun.  We went to Grennwich, took a boat ride along the Thames, played board games aplenty, had a cracking Sunday roast and taught my mum how to play blackjack!

At the Dell event we got to play with flatlays - I'm looking forward to doing more and more of these - I find the composition and balance elements of them such fun!

When I was sorting through my planner the other day I realised how close we are getting to our US trip (well, close-ish - it's still four months away but it's sure to be a doozy!), so I've been doing lots of research and thinking about what to do on our four hops. And daydreaming about returning to bright blue Vegas skies, of course...

The Kardashian hair plan continues and my hair is doing so much better for it! It's lovely feeling more in control of my tresses. And time spent straightening etc. is the ideal time to catch up with The Real Housewives of Dallas, my new guilty pleasure watch!

So that's life at the moment - busy, fun, foodie, with just a dash of reality TV. How are you?

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12 things

Life is busy at the moment, in a lovely way.  It's a great balance of old friends, new friends, work and play, and I'm loving the warm and lovely weather we've been experiencing here in London.  It's a time for pub gardens, spring cleaning, rosé wine, salads and sunshine.  I love writing as I go, but some things fly by before I have a chance to write about them, or are lovely, but are not complete, not enough fodder for a full post, or are 'quick mentions' as opposed to lengthy writings.  Here are twelve such things!

ONE

I am loving some of the book post I've been receiving, and have some fun books coming up on the blog over the next month.  Three books I've already read and loved all release on June 2nd, so that's going to be quite the week for reviews here!

TWO

All this sunny weather has me thinking ahead to the summer months proper.  For the first time in years Matthew and I have no major summer plans - no weddings to attend, no Edinburgh festival visit, no breaks away.  It's confusing me utterly to have such a quiet diary, and I'll be hoping to plan a few quick breaks away.

THREE

We're approaching the end of the Junior League year, and I spent ages trying to decide which committees to go for.  I can hardly believe I've been a member of JLL for five years now.  I've learned so much and made some great friends, as well as experiencing some great things.  I'm very lucky to be part of such a vibrant, fun, interesting group of women.

FOUR

Last night Shona and I went to see the final night of Sunset Boulevard at the Coliseum, and it was simply fantastic.  The cast were superb and hearing those songs played by a full orchestra was divine.  Glenn Close was stupendously good!

FIVE

Last Tuesday Matthew and I popped over to the Hard Rock Cafe to sample some of the #WorldBurgerTour samplings*.  Each restaurant around the world has a signature burger, and during this month and next the brand has selected a few to take a tour to other locations, with cocktails to match alongside.  We tucked into slider sized options of the four burgers currently visiting London - our favourite was the fiery Las Vegas burger.

The cocktails were nice too, with the Crisp Sipper a real delight.  Refreshing and perfect for sunny evenings.

SIX

At the lovely Clearspring event I attended last month, a product I tried and loved was the new Umami Paste*, which they are launching this month. Made with either ginger or chilli, this paste can be added to soups, sauces or stews; drizzled over meats, fish or vegetables; or served as a dip.  I've been enjoying the ginger one with carrot dippers, and will be trying the chilli version out in a few of our favourite sauces.

SEVEN

The big study move continues!  If you follow me over on Snapchat (I'm cmclaire12 over there) you will have seen boxes, shelves, and hilarious sorting-out finds aplenty (Elizabeth Taylor's diet book, anyone?  It both exists, and apparently I own it!).  I'm loving how the new room is shaping up and can't wait to share the project on here soon.

It's a work in progress...

EIGHT

A new season means it's time to research new recipes.  Always a fun project!

NINE

Some more fun food post arrived on Saturday (man I love being a food blogger sometimes :)).  I'm always looking for options to cook for my gluten free friends, so I'm excited to try the Celia beer and Gallo risotto rice which arrived!*

(ha, I love my silly concentratey face captured in the glass...)

TEN

I was also sent some lovely tea by the team at Williamson's to try*.  They've just launched an Earl Grey with blue flowers variety, which smells divine and comes in the most gorgeous, beautiful tin.  It's a light, refreshing cup, lovely for afternoon tea.

ELEVEN

I've been loving getting out and about in Leyton, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the East Village, and Stratford a little more.  It's so lovely to watch the area grow and develop and I'm loving the restaurants, shops and cafes that are cropping up.  I'll be reviewing lots of them here - love sharing about my local area!

TWELVE

I've finally got round to watching some of Jane the Virgin  and I am currently obsessed.  It's frankly a miracle I managed to drag myself away from the bingewatch long enough to write this post!  Have you seen it?  Do you like the show too?


So that's me, in between the work and events and all that jazz.  Busy, happy, emjoying it all, and making very good friends with my postie, too!


Disclaimer - as ever, where a product or event has been marked with an asterisk (*), I have been provided the product in return for an honest review.  Opinions for days, me. 

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