HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

This week’s sentiment

‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’ Audrey Hepburn.

Humble beginnings in an outdoor space Some of the best humans I know have come from these. Humble beginnings teach you to be appreciative, respectful and mindful. So news this week that following the imminent unleashing of the $1000 dollar a pop iPhone X (that’s a roman numeric 10 by the way not the letter X), Apple could soon be the first ever TRILLION dollar company. It made me think back to a very humble picture I saw that showed where Steve Jobs and Pete Wozniack started forming the little seedling that today is a world forest. It all started in his garage right here in 1976.

This sentiment was very much echoed by the very easy on the eye actor, Rupert Friend who was quoted this week as saying this whilst talking about one of his life heroes. ‘Roald Dahl had a beat up shed. And an old rocker. He put a plank of wood over his lap and a blanket over his knees and a crappy three bar electric heater and he called it the cock pit. He didn’t get a three windowed corner suite off Hyde Park. He knew that it happened here [taps forehead]. It made him want to write and act and keep doing different things.’ GO RUPERT, my sentiments ex-actly.

Interior idea of the week

I’ve long had a thing for screens - the kind of ones that are basically panels hinged all together. I think it started when I used to watch the Carry on Films with my dad and there was a lot of clothes flinging across them that used to make me laugh. They’re usually decorated rather ornately in an oriental style but there are tonnes more out there now. I found a very beautiful one by Christian Lacroix for over £3000 in my research but in keeping with the theme this week, I then stumbled across a wonderful idea in the interior archive which involved buying a plain hardware folding screen from Scumble Goosie and then adorning it with thick cotton rope from Cheap Rope (£2.25 a metre). Look at the beautiful result here in the pic- how absolutely gorg!

Winter fashion lightbulb moment of the week - wear neoprene

Have you heard of the wonder woman giving capabilities of this material?

No? Well, you have now. Have you ever seen yourself in a wetsuit and thought, ‘y’know I don’t look that bad! I actually look ok! Bit slimmer!’ Well, that’s because the wetsuit is twice too small for you but the material it is made from, (yes, neoprene) stretches to envelop you without you needing a new pair of lungs once removed, plus mostly wetsuits come in slimming black. So if like me, you feel as though the homegrown winter coat is very much on even though you don’t have a coat anywhere near you but you still need to go swimming (taking the kids, off on a cruise, a bit of winter sun all whilst looking totally amaazing), then get surfing to this neoprene wonder store, Glidesoul (glidesoul.com). The choice is so good it’s impossible to choose just one thing.

Art of the week

I stumbled across a piece of art that I instantly loved this week, it’s called BED and it’s by Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg was an inexhaustible creator across multi-disciplines. Painter, sculptor, printmaker, photographer. In the BED case a celebrated piece of his ‘combine’ art, he stretched bed linen across some wood (not a canvas as such), attached a pillow and went crazy with paint. I think we can call this man a veritable trail blazer for the future generations (let’s face it would Tracey Emin have thought of her own bed art without him? Probably not).

Christmas prep of the week? Get away, alone.

At a glance, the weekends until Christmas are filling up way too quick. So it might be time to squeeze in a cheeky weekend away with your partner, your bestie or indeed your self for some down time before the insanity properly starts. Although we do love our little people dearly, there’s no denying that going to a place without any little people at all is sometimes in order. For an adult only escape the country when you can watch the Atlantic uninterrupted, check out The Scarlet in Cornwall. Also comes with a luxurious spa and a top notch restaurant.

Song of the week

Dr Otto Gomez - Love Junky - I heard this for the firs time on the inimitable Huey show on BBC Radio 6 a fortnight ago but it actually came out in 1987. An absolute groove!

Listen to it here on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iyc3dlA

Three ways to revitalise YOU this week (they’re all free)

1. Say ‘you don’t know.’ We waste so much energy putting on a front and trying so hard to ‘save face,’ as we hope to appear knowledgeable and savvy but it’s actually a lot easier and a lot more insightful if we say, ‘I don’t know, what’s that?’ And then you learn something else yourself.

2. Do Just one Thing At a Time - this for me has to be the hardest thing ever. I find myself sometimes as I am scurrying around in the morning making bagels for breakfast with a hairbrush, some dirty laundry, last night’s sweet wrappers, half empty glasses and possibly the dog’s coat/lead all in my hand AT THE SAME TIME. It even drives me insane. I try so hard to repeat the mantra - 'do this first and you can’t pick anything else until that’s put int he right place.' It never works. If you can realise that doing one thing at a time is actually more time efficient and you will have more time. And if you work out the secret of how you actually execute this, please do tell me.

3. Take yourself down - ever laid on the floor on the grass outside and felt instantly more zen? Or sometimes do you ever get on your knees (or to your small child’s height) to see how the world looks from their perspective. Try it! It’s quite a good thing to remember that everyone’s perspective is different. Putting yourself in a different position can and does re-orient your mind too. Give it a go!

Food of the week - Jacket Potato

The response I got to the egg 'n chips was very positive so in keeping with humility, let’s take it right back to the wonderful spud. I am obsessed with spuds. When I’m tired, lonely and hungover, I default to this King. So, what do you have on your jacket potato? What does it say about you? I can never choose so much like a four season pizza I end up carving it up and having a medley of beans, cheese, coleslaw, gravy and of course lashings of butter. Its cheap, if fills you up, it doesn’t pretend to be anything that it isn’t and you can put whatever the hell you want on it if you like it. And I think mine says, I can never do one thing at a time!!

I kiss you on both cheeks ’til next week X