Too Cool for School

I took this picture of Calum yesterday at Eat in Cambridge where we had lunch. With his dark shades and Armani t-shirt, he looks the epitome of cool.

He took the picture of me in Gros Franck, my favourite French cafe, where we stopped for a vanilla slice (him) and almond croissant (me) before heading off into the city centre. The light was very soft which, thankfully, is really good for hiding wrinkles!

Manga Magic

The Sonia and Emma Show
Sonia Leong (www.fyredrake.net) and Emma Vieceli (http://emma.sweatdrop.com) are two very talented young Manga artists who presented a Manga workshop at Borders bookshop in Cambridge which I took Calum to yesterday.

For those of you who don't know, Manga is Japanese comic book art, and is wildly popular in Japan but also has a huge cult following in the UK and, in fact, all over the world.

Calum is a huge fan, although he prefers Anime (art which is drawn so that it can be animated). However, after seeing Sonia and Emma in action, he's now keen to learn more about traditional Manga and is even considering entering the drawing competition, run by major Manga publisher Tokyopop (great name) (www.tokyopop.com), that launched Emma and Sonia's careers.

A Hot Performance
Despite the sweltering heat, both outside and inside (the air conditioning in Borders didn't reach to the space where the workshop was being held), Sonia and Emma gave a riveting performance which was both funny and informative. I've rarely met two more engaging people. And they looked good, too.

Sonia's outfit in particular was very striking, so I just had to take a photo. Thankfully, Sonia was happy to oblige.

After their workshop, they signed books like true professionals, taking their time and chatting with people in a very natural and friendly way.

'Keep Drawing'
Most importantly, they passed on their knowledge with a wonderful generosity of spirit and gave all the budding artists in the audience a huge amount of encouragement in the form of 'if we can do it, so can you'. As Emma put it when she signed Calum's and Lola's books - 'keep drawing'.

That Sonia and Emma live and breathe Manga is beyond doubt, as is the fact that they're both outstanding artists, each with their own distinctive style.

But, if there's one impression I came away with, it's that they absolutely adore what they do and, in spite of the 'ridiculous' deadlines they have to meet (this is where the real world kicks in), their enthusiasm knows no bounds. That's a great message to give to the more awkward kids in the audience who don't share their confidence.

More Manga
Calum was enthralled by the event and even more delighted when he won some special Manga markers in the raffle.

I won a gorgeous promotional notebook and set of notecards, not available in the UK, which I gave to Lola. She thought they were 'awesome'. She also loved the book I got Sonia and Emma to sign. Sonia wrote a nice message about her having a 'lovely mum' - thank you Sonia.

So I now have two Manga enthusiasts in my house and even as I write, they're sitting in the garden, practising their Manga drawing.

They're comparing notes about technique, discussing different colour schemes and styles etc, and generally having great fun which, after all, is what Manga is all about.

Go Faster Girl

Sarah Smile
If you like cheesy 80s music, then you'll probably know the American soul duo Hall and Oates. Their cryalong ballad 'Sarah Smile' is unashamedly sentimental and I love it. I also love my friend Sarah who is a very smiley person.

Sarah came to see me for lunch today. I knew she'd arrived when I heard the roar of her Mini Cooper as she turned into the drive, sunglasses perched on top of her blonde highlighted head, looking every bit the glamour girl that she is. When I spoke to her earlier in the day to give her directions to my house, she was 'having her nails done'. Sarah is nothing if not polished!

But she's also very human with a zest for life that is both exhausting and exhilirating. Sarah and I hadn't seen each other for months, but it was as if we'd met the day before and the energy between us was electric.

We talked non-stop (as good friends do) about our work, our children and our plans for the future but, most of all about the funny things that women say and do. The easy intimacy that exists with a close female friend is very precious and that's what I have with Sarah. No subject is out of bounds, however embarassing or painful.

I could never keep up with Sarah but I enjoy being part of her fast-paced journey. And I'm definitely smiling all the way!

Here Comes the Sun

Let the Sun Shine In
We've just enjoyed a gloriously hot week and each morning I've woken to bright sunshine. One of the beauties of living in a 1930's house is that we have original stained glass windows, and when the sun hits them, the effect is quite beautiful, as you can see from the picture of our hall window. It's hard to believe it was taken at 6 o'clock in the morning!

I love the fact that each stained glass window is an original design as the builder wanted every house to be different. It means that every day we can enjoy our own litte bit of Art Deco and that feels very special.

Garden Bookworm
My daughter is an avid bookworm, just like me, and once she starts reading, she finds it hard to stop. Today was another beautifully sunny day, so she took the opportunity to curl up outside in a deckchair and have a marathon reading session. She hardly moved all day and, yes, she did finish her book. I couldn't resist grabbing a snapshot of her. The title of the book? Lirael by Garth Nix. It's part of a trilogy and she's already read all three books once, but they were so good, she's reading them all again - that's a sign of really good story.

Sunday Sunday

'Sunday, Sunday, so good to me', sang The Mamas and The Papas and this Sunday has been very good to me.

Croissants and Coffee
It started with our usual delicious Sunday breakfast of fresh croissants, coffee and orange juice. We sat in the dining room with the sun streaming through the window, heralding another beautiful day.

I had more coffee later with our next door neighbours (and very good friends) Ken and Shirley while we caught up with each others' news. It's always lovely to see them and the time simply flew by.

Our Street
We are lucky to live in a quiet, tree-lined cul de sac and this morning it looked particularly peaceful and picturesque bathed in early morning sunlight. So I decided to take a picture to capture the moment before everyone stirred.

Tennis in the Park
I played tennis in the park with the children today for the second time this weekend. We didn't play especially well, but what we lacked in skill we made up for in sheer enjoyment. I haven't laughed so much in ages.

As a reward for our efforts, we bought ice creams from the park cafe and ate them on the way home. Somehow, everything always tastes much better outside.

Revision Blues
My poor husband, Joe, spent the day revising while we were out having fun. He sits the first of two papers for his maths GCSE tomorrow. It's a daunting prospect to be taking an exam for the first time in nearly 30 years.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed he does well, but he's worked so hard, I'm sure he'll be fine.

I'm very proud of him and it just goes to show that you're never too old to learn!

New York State of Mind

I have always dreamed of going to New York and plan to do so in 2008 to celebrate both my 50th birthday (god, that sounds old!) and my son's 18th. In the meantime, I have a beautiful picture of New York in my kitchen, showing the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Brooklyn Bridge, all lit up at night.

I get up at 5.45am every day to catch the train to Cambridge and eat a solitary breakfast with nothing but Radio 4 and my New York picture for company. I love the early morning light as it has a special, magical quality. Last week the sun suddenly came streaming through the kitchen window, literally lighting up the New York skyline.

I looked at my New York picture as I ate my breakfast and imagined I was there.

It put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Jen Does Singapore With Style

Jen Goes Shopping
There are five girls in our office (including me) - Laura. Gill, Sam and Jen - and if there's one thing we're good at, it's shopping. We all share a passion for shoes, handbags, clothes, make-up etc, the usual girly stuff. However, Jen has got it down to a fine art.

New York, New York
Jen had a great opportunity to practise her shopping technique earlier in the year when she went on a trip to New York and came back with some much admired purchases.

She clocked up ten hours shopping in one day alone. That girl has real stamina!

Singapore Slings and Other Things
So when she went to Singapore on a conference, of course, she had to check out the latest Singapore styles, as well as the culture. She picked up some impressive bargains, including a beautiful silk dress which she wore for the gala dinner. I should say at this point that Jen is blonde and very pretty, so the dress went down a storm.

She also managed to cram in plenty of culture and sightseeing, inbetween intensive bouts of work. With her bodyclock completely out of sync, she survived on barely two hours' sleep a night and came up with a novel remedy for her insomnia which mainly involved drinking Singapore Slings, and other local cocktails 'to make her feel sleepy'. They didn't always work, but at least it was fun trying!

I've never been to Singapore, but I'd love to go. Jen took some fabulous photos and what struck me most were the vivid clolours, from flowers to buildings. Maybe I'll get there day and, if I do, I will definitely go to Jen for shopping advice!