Cybermummy 2011 – Blogger to Blogger Inspiration

I’d love to pepper this post with photographs from this year’s Cybermummy 11 blogging conference, but unfortunately before my talk I was too nervous to take any, and afterwards I left the conference for a quick refreshment break with Hannah, Emily and the lovely (yes, it’s a pseudonym) Bumbling. The refreshments were rather, er, refreshing. And the evening photographs are rather, er, interesting.

I have to confess that the conference was more a chance for me to meet up again with some of the slightly deranged lovely friends I’ve made through twitter and blogging, and less a chance to learn about the mechanics of writing a blog (I think I’ve got that bit worked out – or at least this is as good as it’s going to get. Ha ha). So I can’t really review the conference itself. But I did love Jay’s photography workshop and I’m going to be stopping, dropping, and angling all my photos from now on. As well as figuring out ISO and, um, the other one I can’t remember the name of.

If anyone would like a write up of the talk, you can find it here thanks to WitWitWoo who live blogged the session with me, Tara from Sticky Fingers, Maggy from Red Ted Art and Claire and Lucy from Crumbs.

For those of you thinking I was really posh, having my notes on my iPad, a little confession: I had some written that tied in with the slides, but unfortunately I left them at home. The ones I used were cobbled together at the last minute on the train. I think I just about got away with it. Shh, don’t tell.

It was really lovely to meet so many people who read the blog over the weekend. If you’re new, you can add me as a friend on Facebook and also like Tales from the Village on Facebook for extra photographs, ramblings and chat, and you can also follow me on Twitter. And if you do all of the above, you deserve a medal. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

another weekend in London

Going to London again, this time to talk at the UK conference for bloggers. Exciting stuff. I’m going to be talking about how writing my blog helped my book to reach the top of the Authonomy chart for unpublished writers and how Twitter, blogging and Facebook help to get your name out there as a writer, and the 10 things I learned whilst writing a book.

If you want to look out for me, you will find me pulling faces, hiding behind things to avoid having my photo taken (not sure what to use as I can’t take the dog with me) and probably doing quite a lot of cackling as I catch up with old friends and some new ones. And as ever, taking notes.

And when I get home, I’m going to finish the edits and rewrites I have been procrastinating about for ages, and send the book off to the publisher who has expressed an interest. I forgot to mention that bit, didn’t I? Hooray.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

silent sunday

weekend bits and bobs

This book arrived in the post this morning – Pattern, by Orla Kiely. It’s gorgeous, inside and out. I’ve been dying to get my hands on it and it is just as beautiful as I’d hoped. I’ve earmarked a sunny corner in the garden for later, and I’m going to sit down with a jug of iced tea (recipe here) and daydream about the look of our next house.

I’m thinking lots of bold prints and maybe some 1950s style wallpaper somewhere – I might have to take a few rolls of this one from the Little Greene Paint Company with me. I love it.

Better go and get cleaning – we’ve got viewings on the house even though it’s half term and most people are in holiday mode, so fingers crossed. Have a lovely weekend!

The Highlands of Scotland

I’ve talked before about how much I love the Scottish Highlands.

Even with skies grey with thunderclouds, just escaping from the stress of selling our house made it the perfect holiday.

And if you don’t like the weather in the Highlands, wait a minute.

There’s a magic at Loch Ness. Huge water, huge sky. I’ve lost count of how many people have told me how much I’ll miss English village life when we move to Canada, forgetting that this is where I come from.

Taking my children to look for the Loch Ness Monster, just as my parents did with me.

And look, what’s that in the distance?

It’s so beautiful. If you haven’t been, go and visit. The Highlands are good for the soul.

Even the dog agrees. Look, she’s smiling.

Oh yes, and just before I go. I’ve been told off (or as we say back home, given a row*) for being a bit rubbish at the whole being-in-the-finals-of-blogging-awards thing. So if I can just say ooh, look at this:

and ask you to go here and vote for Tales from the Village in the best photography section, that would be awfully nice. Thank you. xxx

*That’s row to rhyme with cow, not row as in rowing boat. That’s your Scottish language lesson for the day.