Ssssh! Don't tell The Man, but I've hooked him up - and me, obv. - tix for Bon Jovi this June - I am so freakin' excited!

It's The Man's b-day on the 14th April, so I've gone and become one of those hella cute-as-a-button girlfriends and bought him tix for his B-day - I am hanging on in there for my Bestest Girlfriend in the World EVER award that I'm sure he'll award me on the 15th April - tee hee!

Oh, don't worry, he doesn't read my blog so I'm safe with him not finding out and I'm also safe in letting you know that his pressie is a li'l bit about me too - yep, I crush on JBJ!



Now I know I crush a LOT, and I know my crushes vary quite considerably - from the far-too-young Zac Efron and One Night Only lead singer, right through to John Barryman, Ronan Keating and yep, Jon Bon Jovi but at least I'm not predictable, right?
So The Man's B-day present is a win-win love in - hurrah!

Can I say, I've just watched Gavin and Stacey and it is by far the funniest programme on TV right now, my jaw is aching!

Anyway where was I? I've admitted to my crush on JBJ...Oh, I know, I was quoted in the blimmin' Guardian yesterday!
How swank am I?

It was an article written by a journo-lady who didn't have much love for the colour pink and thinks it's damaging to young girls, as you can imagine, Author and Mizz magazine agony aunt, Lisa Clark - that's me! Tee Hee! - was telling the world how great pink was and how it's the colour of all things girl!

Swanks and I went for yummy scrummy dinner on Friday and drank pink wine - it was my first interaction with people I dig, well apart from The Man, obv., and it was lots of fun. Swanks, who went to Japan earlier in the year - not jealous. Much. - bought me some super-cool Japanese magazines and I bought him... a diet coke. That's fair, right? The mags are awesome and are total proof that I've really got to get myself a trip to Japan soonest! In my journal I've even created a wish page where I'm planning that an ah-mazing Japanese publisher might buy the books and that I get to go on a book tour there and eat yummy sushi and buy kawaii cute accessories by the truckload!

Oh, and guess what?
The Man and I have been going to The Edinbro book fest for the past four years now, and last year I said to him, "I'd really love to appear here next year!"
So, in my journal I cut a picture of me signing a book, along with the Edinbro book fest logo and guess what? I've been asked to host a Think Pink workshop - whoop, whoop! I did a rather embarrassing happy dance when the letter came through the door, and every time I think of it, I have to sit on my hands to stop me busting an 80s body-pop move with excitement! A date hasn't been confirmed yet, but as soon as it has, I'll post it up!

I'm now watching the car-crash that is Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love - this is bad and not even in a good way, I'll still watch it though - I'm a sucker for reality TV.

A Friday treat of fabulousness on this grey, rainy day - I LOVES it!

Something weird is happening here at the Pink Palace.

Very weird.

The Man is cleaning.

He's clearing cupboards, there's bin bags involved and most importantly, he's not involving me.

Hurrah.

I don't know what's initiated this sudden burst of spring cleaning in my beau, but I'm not complaining, we both HATE cleaning, but I get attacks of the girl-guilts and give in way before The Man ever does, so this sudden get-up-and-clean 'tude is completely welcome! Well...that is until he discovers bags and bags of accumulated 'stuff' and 'nonsense' that I hoard in every ickle space of our teeny tiny house - I do work from home remember, and I do need every issue of every magazine since 2000 - I really do, and yes, I do need 84 pairs of shoes and I absolutely positively need ALL my bags...Does that sound convincing enough for you?

I think I'll just keep my head down and work at pretending to be really, really busy!

I've got lots to do actually, but do you know what I've gone and done?

I've gone and started reading Jordan: Pushed to The Limit - it's so bad, yet so, so good! I knew this would happen, I'm a totes sucker for autobiographies, and the way they're written is so highly addictive that I know that when I start, I just can't stop!

This is no exception, I'm finding it really hard to put down, when I take a green tea break, I keep snatching a few pages in between - I also plan on watching the teev show tonight too - it's offish, Jordan/Katie is my guilty pleasure!

Don't know why my pictures were so teeny-tiny last time...Weird.

This is my dream car, have never seen it in this colour before, I signed up for driving lessons on the basis that this car WILL be mine - j'adore!



I don't know if I've mentioned, ahem, but this time next week, April 1st in fact, I'm going to have 2 brand-new books in the shops - it's not even an April Fools joke - it's real factuality.






C'mon, look at these li'l beauties - between them, they have EVERYTHING a girl needs to rock and rule in the world and, most importantly, they're gonna look hella cute in any boudoir. Fact.

I would LOVE it if you could buy one, or even both of the books. There, I've said it, I know it's cheeky, but I really would love it if people bought 'em.
You can buy them online - Viva La Diva here, It's A Girl Thing here or you can pester your local bookstore to stock them if they're not already - that would be just coolio-a-go-go! I'll thank you by running allsorts of fabulous comps next week to celebrate - I've got some fab goodies up for grabs!

While I'm biggin' these books up, but I don't think I've really got my head round it, when the review copies arrived, I got really excited - The Man and I had a green tea and hot cross bun to celebrate and well, that was kinda it, I just got back on with the job of writing, but this week, knowing they're going to be out there for everyone to see, I keep getting big rollercoaster-sized belly flips of excitement - two books, out at the same time? That's just freakin' awesome!

The Pink Parade is coming to town!
I'm gonna confirm dates with my fabulous blog tour hosts tomoz and I 'll be posting the dates over at www.pink-world.co.uk on Friday - whoop, whoop!

Blog tours are the bestest - you get to hang out at your favourite blogs, they treat you like you're a superstar and you get to travel the world in your cupcake PJs - it's the dream! Although, two of my tour visits are in NYC and I really wouldn't mind hanging out there in person!

Web world
I have been all about www.lolasland.com this week - I've been working on the website and have discovered yet another perk to my job - interviewing cute boys!

I know, what's not to love about that?

As if writing about Lola all day and getting to call it a job wasn't fabulous enough, I now get to interview famous people too, and guess who my first interview is?

One Night Only!

OMS! So excited, have retreated back to my 15 year-old self and am trying with all my might not to be an embarrasmond-o type, but hey, I can't promise anything!

Can you believe I only got one Easter egg? The queen of all things chocolate, got one Easter egg...It may have had something to do with the fact that I asked people not to buy them for me, but I didn't actually mean it, did I?
Well, I did as I'm working at cutting sugar out my life - won't bore you with the deets - but I was totally expecting the man to maybe share some Cadbury's Creme egg love - they're my weakness, but apparently, in the interest of my well-being, everyone did as they were asked, the mumma gifted me money instead which was much more fun than chocolate and will be spent on make-up goodies from Debenhams later today - hurrah - prods are the new chocolate! Anyway, I polished the one I did have off in one sitting last night while watching Pride and Prejudice and am now pretending that I didn't.

So Friday was date day for The Man and I, we had some quality boy/girl time and went walking in the countryside, we went to castles....



I love me an old castle - this is really near where we live, yet we've never visited it before!



This was The Man attempting to be all arty...



This was my attempt at being arty...



We ate yummy food and then curled up on the sofa to watch the recent Take That concert on DVD - he asked to, I didn't even have to make him! It was a much-needed fun day in the world of The Man and I - hurrah!

Saturday I went for a 2 hour walk at 7am in the morning in the pouring rain - loved it, 'cept I felt a bit poorly for the rest of day so was spent lounging and reading and drawing and making Easter cards and watching bad TV...

Sunday - Egg Day! Did I mention I only got one? I spent the day with my mumma - we went to a craft fair in the morning where we chatted to lots of arty people and I discovered this lady who's work I am now totes in heart with - she's going to do art classes in a teepee, I'm signing up!

I admired my mumma's Easter tree - who said Christmas has to have all the tree fun? It's gorgeous isn't it? I love it and it makes me smile just looking at it!



We went to my Auntie Val's for yummy Sunday roast - I defy ANYONE to try and beat my Auntie Val's Sunday roast - it's just not do-able, I am now the size of a substantial house, but it's worth it, coz it's so freakin' yummy!

Today I am 'spring cleaning' - not housework - I'm not crazy! - but my head - I'm making the vision board I said I was going to do back in January, I'm going to make a list of all the things I want to do before I'm 30 and music-wise, I'm going to alternate between Moldy Peaches and The Clueless soundtrack - yep, I'm going retro, y'all!

Oh, I also discovered I love toasted hot cross buns, I've totes been missing out on a taste sensation!

Okay, life update...

book
Finished Candy Girl - big thumbs up! Am reading a book called The Red Book it's about being a Spiritual Cowgirl - I'm loving it. The author Sera Beak is brilliant at making all things spiritual completely accessible to girls who also like to shop and eat chocolate too - also revisiting one of my favourite books, Succulent Wild Woman by Sark, it fell off the bookshelf last night, so I figured it was telling me to take a li'l look, so I did and I forgot how much I loved it - Sark rocks!
You got any recommendations?

song
Rockstar by Nickelback - cannot shift it from head and don't particularly want to - love it!

frequently worn outfit or item
A really un-attractive grey fleece hoody - It's 3 sizes too big, but it's so freakin' warm and comfy I feel like I'm cocooned in cotton wool, I bregrudgingly take it off to sleep at the mo, if I'm not going out then this baby goes on!

perfume
Charlie Red - slightly retro, stupidly cheap but never fails to get a compliment!

food
My auntie Val's sunday roast - if I didn't put on a stone every time I ate it, I'd pay her to make it me every single day - that's how nice it is...

drink
Green tea - have taken to drinking it through a straw as I'm worried it might stain my teeth!

guilty pleasure
A pleasure should never be guilty should it? These four days hve felt a bit guilty though as I really haven't opened a word document once which just feels so weird, I have been scribbling in a note book though, and I remembered how much I love writing in felt tip pens so that's what I've been doing, it makes me feel 5 again!

bane of my existence
there are things that are slightly annoying and irritating, like my bank balance not being bigger than it is and the fact I'm not sat on a veranda in San Fran looking out over the bay, but I'm pretty bane free right now!

anticipation
My next two books Viva La Diva and It's a Girl Thing coming out in just over a week's time - agggghhhhhh! I'm also looking forward to hanging with my Lola buds Lindsey and Sophs on Thursday - they make work fun x 1000!

wishlist
Um...will post that after an afternoon of cutting and pasting and dreaming and wishing...have a pink glitter-filled day!

Please tell me about your current loves and wishes!

This weekend has been all about the mumma.

She deserves a lot of lovin' right now, especially after losing my step-dad only two months ago, but despite dealing with all the sadness and loss and re-adjusting to being on her own, she has totally been there for The Man and I. Spending this weekend with her was not only a welcomed relief from the non-stop workload, but it's made me realise just how lucky I am to have her. We haven't always got on, and sometimes we still don't, but the way she's dealing with it all is a total inspiration - mumma, you rock!

So, on the subject of things I currently love and heart, beside my mumma....

Boy:
The Man, natch. Oh, and I'm still crushin' on Chris Fountain - go, Chris, go!

Book:
Candy Girl - Diablo Cody - it's a bit rudey, but I love her style so much I want her to write a million books/films. And why is she not my gal-pal?! We would totes be BFFs.

Song:
Alphabeat - makes me want a tambourine to bang. Now.

Frequently worn outfit:
A black jersey wrap dress from New Look - so comfy, v. flattering and can be completely funked up with pink accessories - j'adore.

Makeup item:
Wanna B lip creme by www.Bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com - lasts forevah.

Perfume:
Pink by Lee Stafford, it's dee-lish and I've had compliments-a-go-go since I've been wearing it, quite possibly about to become my signature scent...

Food:
White chocolate hot sauce - if you live near a Slug and Lettuce gastro pub, check it out - heaven.


Guilty pleasure:
White chocolate hot sauce. I was so planning to give up sugar, but then I discovered this. it's a freakin' taste sensation. Sigh.

Bane of my existence:
Deadlines. Pah.

Anticipation:
Spring. I'm totes over this winter thing.

Wishlist:
To become Diablo Cody's BFF, a pug dog and Chanel's holographic nail varnish please.

Tell me what you're lovin' and hearting right now...

oh, and if you're lucky enough to have a mumma, go give her a hug...

So, just when I was saying how my whole life was about writing and wearing my PJ's, like all the time - I went and got myself a date with a powerpoint presentation in front of 60 super-important people at publisher HQ!

It wasn't my ideal choice of dates but it was with some rather important people from the world of schmooze who could potentially make Lola a big star, so I had to work it for my girl, right?!

My ed-girl, probably for the best, had NOT warned me quite how big this whole thing was.
Now HC are a big-ass publisher, they print books by crazy-famous types and instead of the famous-type books greeting me on arrival, the entire foyer was filled with Lola Love books, my books - whoop, whoop!
Everywhere I looked, Lola was working it on the cover of style="font-style:italic;">Think Pink and bathing in fabulousness on the cover of Beauty*Licious, I was giddy.

In fact, I was giddy and I was beyond nervous.

And the nerves did NOT go away.
I was briefed on what I had to say by my ed-girl and ed-girl's boss - yep, that's how important it was, there were bosses of bosses - 'cept when all these super-important people came into the room I froze. I got a serious attack of the frights. I got pink in the face, I stumbled on words and for the first time in a long time I really felt scared.

Y'see, I'm actually quite a shy girl. I know it's hard to believe, but I've learned a whole lot of Think Pink techniques to make sure I'm able to do all the fab stuff I want to do in the world, but speaking in public, well, that freaks me out.

When I worked as a youth worker, I loved talking to young people, but if I had to talk to a group of people I worked with, I would get so nervous, that sometimes I'd ring in sick just so I didn't have to do it.

It wasn't 'til I worked the pink thinkin', that I realised I wouldn't get good unless I practiced, so that's what I did.
I learned to prepare, know my stuff, take deep breaths and speak clearly and slowly - except yesterday, I couldn't flick the pink switch.

I was prepared, and I deffo know my stuff - it was all about Lola for goodness sake, but I'd forgotten to channel my inner fabulousness, I hadn't taken five minutes to take deep breaths, instead I'd spent my prep time getting all eaten up with worry.

It was all over before it had begun. I'd felt the fear and I did it anyway. My first instinct was to run, but I muddled my way through with cheeks so pink they matched my Bnevertoobusytobebeautiful lipstick, but the important thing was I did it. I didn't do it well, but I did it. I messed up, but I did it.

Luckily, my ed-girl and my ed-girl's boss worked their much-practiced magic on the crowd, reminding them just how fabulous Lola is and that they should all totally fall in love with her.

My ed-girl told me that my nerves had translated as passion, and that these usually crazy-cynical types had actually liked me, so much so, that they stayed after the presentation to discuss my concept with me, the crazy pink cheeked lady and some even asked me to sign books for them...

Turns out not being perfect is really okay.
That's not to say that I won't try harder next time to be better, because I will, I wanna be good at what I do, but I also won't beat myself up for not being perfect this time round...

On the way home, I got on the tube to Waterloo with an amazing looking woman, she was about 70 and had a whole lady-about-town look going on. She had a full face of make-up and was ultra-glam. She pulled me to her side and said, "Well, don't you look just fabulous, I love all your colour, the world needs more people like you."
How adorable is that?

And just in case there was any teensy tiny bad thoughts left over this morning, The Man put on the Hairspray soundtrack and made me dance it out! There really is nothing like a Hairspray soundtrack to turn a frown upside down.

How am I EVER going to get any work done now I know my latest girl crush and now OSCAR winner, Diablo Cody has a blog?



Can't hang around here, I've got a LOT of reading to do.

Hola chiquitas!

I am totes aware that I'm being a hella tardy blog-girl right now.

It's not that I don't want to share Lisa Land with you, it's just that right now, if you came to visit it would be like taking a one-way ticket to yawnsville, Arizona...

For shizzle. (Yes, I am still lovin' JUNO!)

I have very little to report, because I've rarely left the Pink Palace - in fact, this past week, I've only seen daylight for an hour a day to go do my beach walkin' this isn't due to a five day fab film fest incuding such greats as Pretty in Pink, Ghost World, Amelie, Clueless or a read-a-thon of epic proportions - my to-be-read list is a book in itself, no, these scenarios are just the stuff of my pink tinted dreams, what's really happened is, I have become what people who wear suits a lot say they are...a busy person.

I always thought I knew what that term meant, and if, on my to-do list there were more than three things to do, which there usually were, I would go; "Oh my stars, I'm so busy right now" 'cept I wasn't. Not even close.

I'm not busy in the way those people in suits are either, you know, flying from here to there, flitting from meeting to meeting, no, I'm in my li'l house sat at my dining room table, sometimes on the sofa if I'm feeling really crazy, typing.
Words.

It does however, mean the following:

* I have very little, if anything, to share with your sweet selves - I could make stuff up, what with me being a writer and all, but then I'd be using up all my imagination on blog entries and not on writing books...

* My social life suffers - I know my postman better than my BFF right now...

* The house is a TIP - I'm not known for my ability to keep a clean house at the best of times, but right now, The Man and I are literally stepping on a carpet of magazines and papers and the shelves are inches thick with dust - it's not attractive...

* We get our shopping online - nothing you actually want ever comes - they make you up a new bag of treats instead. I'm hanging in there for the day I can replace my Tesco van with an Opodo one - that's when I'll know I've made it!

In other news, of which there is very little, my crush for Chris Fountain has developed into a li'l bit of unhealthy lovin'...



There's an interview over at www.pink-world.co.uk with the lady behind my new favourite website: www.lovelula.com go visit them both!

If you love your books about LA to be slightly trashy, but so well written you can't put them down then can I recommend The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare - I read The First Assistant first which was the wrong thing to do, but both are equally fab and have been such a treat to lose myself in before bedtime - Less TV, more reading should be my motto!

I have a longer than long to-be-read list, but would still very much welcome your fave chick lit recommendations please...

I LOVE me the chick lit - I do read other stuff, but when I really want to escape from the world and lose myself in a book - chick lit is like a big bar of chocolate and a comfy blankie - two of my favourite things! I'm quite particular in my chick lit reading though - right now, I like anything set in NY, LA and San fran other faves have been Jemima J by Jane Green and Lipstick Jungle by SATC author whose name has totes escaped me right now, needless to say the book was awesome and is now a TV show - someone in the UK please buy it!

Oh, I'm mucho excited about Gossip Girl - will it hurry up already? I got sent the entire set of books the other day and obviously won't be able to read them all before it starts but I am told they are so wrong, but so right - will let you know.

Ugly Betty still isn't back. That makes me sad.

Think that's everything.

Happy belated V-day!

Hope you gave yourself lots of love and treats and didn't wait for a boy-type to do it, coz while boy-types are nice and all, they don't always know what we really want, that's why I bought myself Diablo Cody's book from amazon - happy V-day to me!

The Man was a sweetster though, he pre-ordered me Stardust on DVD - happy, happy days, wrote me a poem - cute, and we sneaked off for an afternoon cinema double-bill! We watched Juno and National Treasure 2 - I LOVED Juno so much, everything about it was just increds - the music, the dialog - ADORED the dialog, the acting - quite possibly the most perfect movie. If you LOVE Ghost World which I absolutely, positively do, you'll LOVE this. And National Treasure, well, it was lots of fun! While I didn't believe for one minute you would ever be able to actually have a high-speed car chase through the streets of London, it was very funny and made me feel like a proper adventure girl!

WEB NEWS: The launch date of www.lolasland.com has been moved to mid-April - grr. It's outta my control but I've been assured that the extra time is needed in order to make it as prettylicious as possible - it will be worth it, I promise!

BOOK NEWS: Ed-girl has given fiction book 1 a tick v.g! Whoop, whoop!

This is goooooood news, except she's now kicking my bee-hind to send her book 2 - not so good news.

Why?

Because I'm really not happy with it yet. As this year got off to a not-so-nice start, I've been finding it soooo hard to find my Lola groove - I've tried, lots of times in fact, it just didn't happen. But the threat of an angry ed-girl and the synopsis for the book already being on amazon.co.uk is more than enough to make me feel the fear an do it anyway!

I am also filled-to-the-brim with crazy-assed excitementos about It's a Girl Thing and Viva La Diva hitting a book shelf near you in about 6 weeks time - AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!
I haven't seen finished copies yet, but if the last two are anything to go by, they're going to be so freakin' pretty, that it won't even matter what the words say!

Actually, I was in my ed-girl's office last week and I caught sight of the possible new covers for the fiction books - ohmystars, they're gonna be so adorebells it's untrue.

What else?

Oh, I'm still lovin' Pilates, which is good news and do my indie rocker DVD at least twice a week. I'm also doing lots of beach walking in this lovely sunshine while listening to my current muso-boy faves: Nickelback and The Wombats.

I'm totes beside myself with excitement that the Writer's Strike is over - I've been having serious Ugly Betty withdrawal symptoms - there really is only so many time a girl can watch series 1 on repeat, y'know...

Oh, happy days - I've got a pink Blackberry - how freakin' swank am I??

Have a sunshine-filled weekend - I'm off to Watch The Bratz movie!

So, I know it's a long way off and all, but this year is a BIG birthday in Lisaland, and I don't plan on being grumpy 'bout it, oh no, it's going to be a totes celebration and I'm going to LA baby!



Yep, my b-day present to myself is a vacay to the City of Angels - I've had a slight obsession since I read Weetzie Bat my favourite book by my favourite author, Francesca Lia Block - I want to put my hands in Marilyn's handprints, I want to go to a FLB writing workshop, I want to meet my idol-girl Hilary Carlip, I wanna hang with the gorgeous Jess Weiner in her amazing city, I wanna go on a tour of celeb homes, I want to walk along Venice beach, I want to...you get the picture, right?

NY is still my abbo-fabbo favourite US city, I most deffo left my heart in San Francisco and The Man and I have a detailed plan to buy a bee-yoou-tiful pad there like Mia's in The Princess Diaries when we're successful writer-types, but LA...well, LA is LA, and I want to experience it!

When did that happen?

It's lent already!

I'm not a religious type, spiritual yes, organised religion? not so much.
So, when I asked The Man if instead of chocolate, I could give up returning calls for example, or maybe eating sprouts - you know, things that you wouldn't actually mind giving it up, but he said that, while they deffo sounds like good things to give up, that wasn't really the idea.

Oh.

Apparently, you have to give up something you dig to know what it's like to be without it. Who knew? Well, religious types, I guess.
Which is why I shall be giving up the chocolate.

Sad days.

I know I don't have to give up anything, but it's a good exercise in self-control, and will also mean that I won't feel ANY guilt when I get munchin' on a whole lot o' chocolate egg in a few weeks time.

Happy days.

Oh, I'm also gonna give up trash mags - I mentioned it a while back, but still the odd sneaky one would make it's way into my shopping basket, but no more.

As I'm working at not putting trash in my body, I'm also going to work at not trashin' my mind either - pics of celeb girls with their so-called bad bits circled is now off the menu.

I'm not sure I can stop reading Perez yet though, one thing at a time, 'k??

Things I'm loving right now...

Honey dew melon - I didn't think I could love a food type as much as I love chocolate, turns out I can AND it's good for me - chances!

Jeffery Lewis - he writes cute songs and makes comics to sell at his gigs, I'm really annoyed however, that I discovered him by watching a re-run of The Culture Show - that is NOT cool.

Pilates - ohmystars, I have worked muscles I didn't even know I had - it's good though - I've done the DVD twice now, but do think I'll seek out a class, The Man is into it too so we could be Bendy Wendy's together!

My crystals, colour and chakra course - it's so good and I feel very om-like when I do it!

Sophie - she's the new addition to Team Lola and is working on the site - she's too cool for school - love her!

LA Ink - which is not as good as Miami Ink, but much better than Tattoo Wars...

Not to mention he fact that I have two new books out in April. AGGGHHHH. How freakin' exciting is that? Not one book, but two books, at the same time - Whoop, whoop!

One of my perfect-o life moments was going to see Wicked, starring the UNBELIEVABLE talent that is Idina Menzel.
She made being green a completely do-able option and, ever since, I've had something of a girlcrush.
She recently appeared in feel-good film Enchanted, and this very morning I discovered this:



J'adore and totes perfect-o for a Monday morning...Sigh.

Does anyone have a spare $3.6 million please?

I wouldn't normally ask, it's just that Miss Keris has made me aware that my DREAM house is up for sale in my DREAM city and best of all, it's currently owned by my fave EVER designer girl.



It's absolutely, positively meant to be mine.

Except, Lola is not close to making me that amount of money just yet - if only I'd have thought up a story about a pesky blimmin' wizard - but seriously, in poundage it's only £1.3 million, that's practically free...

Anyone?

You'll be investing in this pink pile of bricks, in NYC, currently owned by the ah-mazing Betsey Johnson.

Sigh.

You could totally come to stay...

I had a dream that scared the livin' bejezzlebums outta me last night... I dreamed I was actually pregnant.

WTF?

It scared me sooooooooo bad I had to get up and do something to shed the very idea from my head - so I did this...



I bought it on a whim, but it's actually blimmin' brilliant! The tattoo-ed, cool-haired Paige and Chaos provide a kick-ass workout that's actually fun. It's really hard work, and I'm feeling it already, but it's a nice change from the sereneness that pilates DVDs usually provide, I do dig that, but I dig this much, much more!

Oh, and thankfully, according to my book o' dreams, dreaming about being pregnant doesn't mean you actually are - phew - it's a sign of new beginnings and new starts, which is much better news!

And actually getting up and doing exercise is deffo a new start!
This January has been a month right outta sucksville in Lisa Land - I've ate loads of bad things for comfort and put on extra, not-needed weight, I've curled up under the duvet much more than I really should have, I've hardly written a word of Lola and while I deffo needed to take time out and do that for a li'l bit, it's really not an option long term. That's why I've been filling up my Think Pink box of fabulousness, making lists of things I like and signing up for new, fab hippy-girl courses - I LOVE my pink-tinted version of life, and it seems such a waste not be laughing out loud and having fun and adventures on a daily basis, doesn't it?

Which may of been what the dream was suggesting because before I went to bed last night, I wrote in my journal that I'm gonna take my own Beauty*Licious advice and stop using my body as a trash can, do fun things to get my endorphins pumpin' like dancing and pilates, and instead of treating myself with cake, treat myself with yummy skin care prods and cute-ass accessories that, combined will prettify me inside and out! You'll be pleased to know, however, that I will NOT be excluding my choc/cake love entirely, because quite frankly, that would be simply ridiculous.

All this goodness has kick-started an amazing chain of pink-tinted events - an email from the gorgeous Keith at FF - love you mister, an envelope of LOVE sent from my publishers filled with letters and sequins from your fab selves - please keep 'em coming, I LOVE snail mail put an address on and I'll deffo reply, treats to self from Amazon - Adele CD, Nickelback CD and a book about Goddesses and a bright, sun-kissed day - life is officially sweet again - yay!

I like the sunshine.
I don't like it hot and sticky, like in the summer, but in the winter, when everything is crisp and clear, the sunshine pretty much rocks more than anything else.
I went out for a walk earlier and it totes made me smile from ear to ear. It also made me squint, which I'm not altogether happy about, as I don't want any unnecessary wrinkles at such a tender young age. I would of worn sunglasses, but I always feel such a numpty wearing shades in January - what are the rules about these things?

I like listening to music on oversized headphones.
It fills my head with musical happiness and is by far the best way to listen to music. It really helps when I'm writing to block the real world out and completely lose myself in a Lola-inspired soundtrack!

I like napping.
Ohmystars, I do like napping. That is factuality, in fact, this is probably the reason for us needing a new sofa, The Man and I take turns to nap on it on a Sunday afternoon. (FYI, we didn't get a new sofa on Friday, turns out a sale does not an affordable sofa maketh. Why am I not in an Ikea delivery zone?!! It's really rather rude that I'm not.)

I like channeling my inner hippy chick.
After developing an unhealthy obsession with UK Style's TV show Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses, my passion for wanting to become a holistic therapist has become so huge, I've booked myself onto a series of holistic/healing courses and I'm starting with crystal healing and hot rock massage - repeat after me, Ommmm.

I like the Observer's Woman magazine.
It comes free once a month. It's awesome - great journalism, cool features about women you actually want to read about and great fashion. I also like YOU magazine. It comes free with The Sunday Mail. I don't love the paper and it's politics and if I could buy it as a separate magazine, I totes would, but I can't and I really like it's coverage of women doing cool stuff, so I buy it. So there.

I like making friends.
I really like the friends I have, but I like making new ones too. I've made friends with the lovely Sai in Japan through Myspace. She's gonna educate me in all things Japanese and we're gonna do cool Japanese/British trade offs - so not only a new friend but cool post from a new country - whoop, whoop! I've also started to send fan mail to people who's blogs I read telling them why I love both them and their writing - sharing the love and all that!

I like making lists.
Wanna see my list for this week?

- Finish final edit of fiction book 1
- Finish a readable edit of fiction book 2 to send to agent lady and ed-girl
- Plan website content schedule
- Upload new website content
- Return emails to readers
- Tidy the house - yawnsville...bored just thinking about it. Miss Sally has a fab saying about why you shouldn't waste your time cleaning, I can't remember exactly what it is, but I know I agree with it, except I haven't done any since before Christmas, that's quite bad innit?
- Put together and send parcels of pink fabulousness to Amy, Julie, Sai, Seleena, Cathy and Cordelia
- Take a pilates class
- Hang out with my mumma and do something fun and craftin' together
- Pay tax bill - I'd actually saved for it this year, so it's not too much of a shock to the bank balance, feel positively virtuous for being slightly organised!
- Find someone in Australia who wants to do magazine swappin'
- Set up new coaching/creativity website
- Get creative in my journal with felt tips and cuttin' and pastin' - LOVE putting fun playful things as actual to-do's amongst all the borin' stuff like house work and bill paying.
- Start work on my own zine - a real life paper one, so excited!

I like blogging.
A lot.

I like re-reading books.
I have a pile of brand-new, exciting books just waiting to be read, but instead I'm re-visiting old favourites, and am really enjoying the familiarity...
Have re-read California Club by Belinda Jones - chicklit at it's very, very finest, if you need a book vacay, then Belinda Jones is so good at taking you on adventures in amazing locations - she rocks. Also re-read Weetzie Bat in Francesca Lia Block, it's a one sitting read and I LOVE it. I've recommended it to a few pals recently and they've had nothing but good things to say about it.

I like Courtney Love's blog on Myspace.
She has moments of profoundness and then she has a severe touch of the crazies. Love her.

What do you like?

So, I have a lot of days that go right, you know, the sunshine-filled, bliss-kissed days that are filled with fabulousness, I get A LOT of those, because I create them in my pink tinted world. They are the very best kind of days.

But then, then there are days like today.
I woke up feeling sad about losing my step-dad and generally a li'l bit sorry for myself.

Now, I had options, I could of gone right back to bed and stayed under my duvet for the foreseeable future, I could have put on the One and Only by Chesney Hawkes and sung along at the top of my voice, I could of gone for a long walk along the beach, I could of put on my pilates for Indie rockers DVD and stretched my funk out.

'Cept I didn't.
I didn't do any of these things.
Instead I shouted at The Man. A lot.
Felt a little bit more sorry for myself, and cried. A lot.

So consequently, because I didn't address my funk, everything just went wrong, wrong, wrong.
The Man and I planned on going to buy a new sofa, except I left the instructions at home, he called me an idiot, I cried some more, then shouted at him, tried to get out of a moving car, he went through a light, got mad at me, we screamed at each other.
It wasn't fun, nor was it pretty.

That's what you get for not listening to how you really feel. If I had, I'd of told The Man I was feeling a li'l glum and I wouldn't have tried to 'act' normal, because I wasn't feeling normal, nothing like normal.

But I did check in with myself, realised what I was doing, and apologised to The Man for not explaining how I was really feeling and why. When I did, the world turned a teeny li'l bit pinker. The lady at the counter in Tesco called me 'Sunshine', Debbie Harry came on the radio and we rocked out, and I arrived home to fabulous-o mail from Miss Seelena - a Lisa rules puzzle, fizzy cherry cola bottles - my fave, strawberry scented ink for my cartridge pen and Miffy mail - thanks Miss Seelena - I LOVE it all!

Proof that when you're true to yourself and honest and open about what you're feeling, even the worst of day can turn into a pink-tinted one!

On recommendation from amazing author-girl, Melissa Walker I bought myself a copy of Franny and Zooey by J.D.Salinger. You absolutely HAVE to read it. I won't tell you about it because I'd hate to ruin the joy that is reading this book - it's only a thin one and can be consumed, and absolutely should be, in one sitting.
ADORE.

I've been in the big city of Londinium this week in training to be an all singing, all dancing techno-girl - you'll be pleased to know that there is nothing I can't tell you about wireframes and CMS, there really isn't! Now, I know this doesn't sound at ALL like me, and sshh, don't tell the boss-types, it really isn't, but it is all for a very good reason, I promise! It's v.exciting and I shall tell you ALL about it soonest, pinky swear!

As well as all the techno witchcraft, I had two brand-new experiences on my London stay-over: 1. I ate dim sum and 2. I played High School Musical Singstar - both of which are now top of my list of all things AMAZING!

Can you believe I've never had dim sum? I've been to Chinatown in three of the coolest cities in the world, London, NY, San Fran, yet never had Dim Sum - luckily, Miss Lindsey is very cultured and took me to a place called Ping Pong near Carnaby Street. YOu have to fill in forms and allsorts to get your food, but it was ALL fabulous and I ate EVERYTHING with chopsticks, I am now more than ready to visit China safe in the knowledge that I will not starve!

HSM Singstar is hard work.
That's factuality.
I have a sneaky suspicion that ed-girl has been practising in my absence, there is no other reason as to how she would be able to whip my bee-hind as substantially as she did. You'd think, as I was a guest, she'd let me at least win Breaking Free, but no. She is a girl of the competitive variety and she was out to win. And she did. A lot..




And I know I'm late on this, but I LOVED Heath Ledger. I especially loved him in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Sad, sad days.

This week has been one of the toughest times I've ever experienced, it was my step-dad's funeral. It was so so sad, yet so heart warming to be in the company of so many people who loved and adored him.

Which is why I re-visited my book, Think Pink today.

Y'see, when something hard knocks you, it's easy to forget all the things that make you feel good, and for a while you think you'll never feel good again, 'cept life's really far too short to think like that, and I also really, really want to write, and in order to write all things Lola, I need to get my pink thinkin' on - big time!

I loved reading it again, I even did some of my own exercises - I made Think Pink cards which was mucho fun and meant I got to colour in, and you know how much I love to colour in, and I put more treats in my 'Think Pink box of things that make me feel fabulous' - this has been on replay for the last hour...



I LOVE this musical and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song so much! If ever there were a Think Pink anthem, this would be it!

The book Remember Me to Harold Square by Paula Danziger as recommended by my ed-girl, it's from our youth but still just as good when re-read as an adult, if you haven't read it, go get a copy!

The song I'm on my way by The Proclaimers, love that they sing in a scottish accent and love it even more for the line "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today - uh huh, uh uh"

What would be in your Think Pink box of things that make you feel fabulous? Care to share with me? I've still got room for more and I love recommendations!

My name is Lisa, and I'm addicted to Miami Ink.

There, I've said it.

I really love it. I love it so much that I want to climb on a plane to Miami, like now, and have them tattoo me from head to toe.

I also took a wrong turn down Cheese Street and have just watched Dancing on Ice. I'm all about the dude from Hollyoaks and Susanne Shaw.

Am now going to watch Louis Theroux, who I have a HUGE crush on - Geek boy chic rock n rules.

D'ya know, I haven't moved from this sofa in 6 whole hours. Well, it is Sunday, day of rest and all that.