A Sentence a Day - 3 January 2015

January 3, 2015 Nicola

My sister Michelle and her husband Craig gave me this beautiful journal as a Christmas present from Kikki K in Sydney - A Sentence a Day.

They know I'm a sucker for stationery. It provides a beautiful space to capture the little moments that make life big. Each day poses a question to answer - something to reflect on or, as cleverly suggested by Michelle, something to inspire and lead my day down a lovely new path.

Today is the 3 January 2015.

Question:

What three words best describe your day?

Answer:

Productive - Today I got lost in my online banking, sorted scary financial stuff out and shredded receipts from November-ish that have been spilling out of a Liberty carrier bag and making feel me like a proper hoarder. It was a thankless, dull but necessary task. I have a clear head! I also have no money. However, I did budget for these gorgeous new kicks from & Other Stories. Now that's what I call Sensible Financial Planning.

Nourishing - Thanks to the brilliant (painful) concept of Dry January and the adept cooking skills of my husband Alex, I consumed healthy, wholesome foods that hopefully will nourish my body and soul - including pomegranate, kiwi and plum, aubergine with mint, greek yoghurt, coconut water and peppermint and licorice tea. (My inner naughty side is sneering, stuffing millionaire's shortbread down my gob and quaffing prosecco).

Local - Today I hung out around my own neck of the woods, rather than venturing into the big smoke. I walked from E17 to the village like Wanstead which is fab and not far from Walthamstow via Eagle Pond. I discovered The Larder where I ate a smashing plate full of hummus, sun-dried tomato, olive and crunchy seed salad, prepared just the way I like my salads - plentiful, substantial, with no ingredients scrimped on. Not a limp lettuce in sight, and a greedy portion of hummus to boot. Lovely.

A Sentence a Day - 2 January 2015

January 2, 2015 Nicola

My sister Michelle and her husband Craig gave me this beautiful journal as a Christmas present from Kikki K in Sydney - A Sentence a Day.

Today is the 2 January 2015.

Question:

What kind of person do you want to be?

Answer:

A loving, deeply satisfied, successful, multitasking-but-still-chilled kinda person who flops into bed at night celebrating what I achieved, huge or teeny, instead of berating myself for what I didn't; well-read, musically educated and interesting (but still curious) and a kind and considerate someone who others genuinely want to hang out with, dance with, laugh with and be happy with.

Phew.

*(Wearer of good clothes also a bonus).

A Sentence a Day - 1 January 2015

January 1, 2015 Nicola

So long, farewell 2014 - it's been emotional. As years go, you've been a bit fair-weather at times. Great in parts, grating in others and if the truth be told I'm looking forward to starting a blank canvas today, day 1 of 365.

Blog wise, it was a roller-coaster ride; interviewing and meeting talented musicians, participating in some super fashion competitions and hobnobbing with some lovely-and-not-at-all-scary fashion peeps were just a few highlights for Material Whirl. My blog was viewed about 10,000 times in 2014 according to those clever data peeps at Wordpress. I just found out I have readers in 111 countries, including South Africa and France as well as the UK and US which is crazy and kind of hurts my head but in a good way.

But, there's a heck of a lot more work to do this year. Plenty of hard graft needed which means being disciplined and focused, and challenging myself to write, write and then write some more. I'm hoping 2015 will be my best blog year yet.

Luckily, help is at hand.

This should get the creative juices going. My sister Michelle and her husband Craig gave me this beautiful journal as a Christmas present from Kikki K in Sydney - A Sentence a Day.

So today, the 1 January 2015, is a very sensible place to start in creating my Sentence A Day.

Question:

What is your New Year's Resolution?

Answer:

My NY resolutions are simplistic and pared back this year. The goals, the outings, the sights, the gigs, the travel (I hope) the special people and all the adventures along the way will be appropriately squished in, as standard, but this is my main focus:

I will stop comparing myself to others and be thankful for what I have - the happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.
I will seriously consider giving Facebook the elbow; saying goodbye to it's shallow, showy behind for good apart from using it as an extra spring-board for my blog. See above.
I will try hard to believe in ME and not give myself a hard time - it is impossible to live up to what society and social media deems perfection and also bloody knackering. My loved one's opinions count for everything and that's it.
I will continue to give love unconditionally and see the very best in people (even if it doesn't always feel reciprocated).
I will be kind, generous and giving and when the opportunity arises I will also go somewhere quiet, just me, Vogue and Terry's Chocolate Orange and not feel guilty about it.
I will read and read and read and write and write and write.
I will try and write A Sentence A Day and not six.