What Sophie Said

On Saturday night, I went to a masquerade ball. It was for a 30th birthday, the venue was stunning, and it was just a wonderful evening. Firstly, it was so lovely to properly dress up. We often do nice things, but not events where you get the chance to really go all out, wear something new and feel special for the evening. It felt like an escape from the every day, and everyone really went for it. I was surrounded by beautiful dresses and the most incredible masks. No one in the room had let the side down! There was a three-piece jazz band playing throughout the party, and the evening sun was streaming in through the huge windows. I had met a grand total of about four people in the room before Saturday night, but 10 minutes in it didn't feel like that was the case. Sometimes, people stick with the people they know, but everyone was so open and friendly and there was a real sense that people spent the evening circulating. It was a truly special event, and hopefully e...

I’ve started a new thing over the past few months: replying to emails. I don’t mean work emails or emails from family – I of course already replied to those ones. I mean email newsletters. I’m signed up to the newsletters of a fair amount of writers and bloggers, all of whom write content I absolutely love to receive. They’re newsletters that I get excited about opening when they land in my inbox. A couple of months ago, I realised they’d never know how much I loved these letters to my inbox, emails which feel like they’re written only to me, unless I told them. So I told them. Laura Jane Williams wrote a good few months ago about a feeling of not being good enough. I can’t remember then context exactly but she’d realised this feeling and had chosen to approach those feelings differently. In a relatively short email, she had summed up all the emotions I had been feeling that same week: nerves, excitement, mixed together with a feeling of ‘who cares, anyway?’ ...

Amazing as being away last week was, you have to return to reality. On the most part things are good but life has a way of sometimes throwing the not-so-good in your face just to remind you you're back! Last Saturday was one of those days... I got home with a full food shop to find I apparently no longer have a freezer shelf. The cleaner was doing her usual trick of slamming every door and crashing the hoover into everything while talking on her phone at full volume. I had to chase O2 for the FIFTH time about an ongoing issue. I had a frustrating email about an incident from a few weeks ago which I won't go into. I realised I'd spent slightly more than expected this month - not to the extreme, but enough to be annoying as I like to stick to my budget and plans. Things like this kept popping up all day, as if reminding me that my week away was over. I guess it's all a case of perspective, isn't it? Things that would normally be a bit annoying are hugel...

I cannot describe how much good my week in Kent did me. For seven days the only aim was to relax. I have relaxing days at home, some weekends for example, but when you're at home there are always little jobs or plans popping up, and I don't think you truly switch off in the same way as when you're somewhere else. The cottage was roomy and bright, decorated beautifully and so homely and comfortable. The garden was huge and alongside it ran the cutest coastal path. On  the other side of this path were rolling green hills leading down to the long pebble beach. The weather was beautiful, with blue skies and warm air and only a couple of hours of rain in the whole week. There was nothing to do but relax. There weren't shops everywhere, or tasks to be done. There weren't people around you rushing and stressing and gossiping. People were quiet. People were calm. People were strolling. People were walking their dogs. People were friendly. The pace of life w...

I've had a bit of a blog break over the last couple of weeks for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I've just spent a week at the seaside! I spent Friday to Friday at a cottage by the beach in Herne Bay, Kent, where the itinerary was nothing but relaxation. I've walked, I've mini golfed, I've napped, I've watched films and most importantly I've relaxed. It's so easy to get swept away in the pace of work and life, especially in the mad rush that is London. I'm someone that gets stressed very easily, yet sometimes don't admit to myself when I need a break. The week away was great timing for a lot of reasons, and I thought today I'd just share some pictures of the beautiful place I've been spending my days...

On this day thirty years ago my parents said ‘I do’. My mum looked beautiful. Dad had a dodgy moustache and wasn’t sure the correct way to kneel down during the marriage ceremony. Thirty years on, they’re celebrating their love on an incredible trip around Sri Lanka. They’re in love, and they’re the best of friends. I have so much admiration for the two people I call Mum and Dad, and their relationship is just one of the things I have been so lucky to grow up around. They laugh. They bicker. They support. They mess about. They make plans. They go on adventures. They go on dates. They have ‘couple friends’ and their own friends. They both run their own companies and support each other relentlessly through the ups and downs that come with that. They taught my sister and me so much of what we know. They put us through fantastic schools and helped us continue on to our universities. They help us when we need advice, or are struggling.  Th...

This is by far one of my favourite reading lists, in that these books were all five star. Some I had been meaning to read for a long time before finally picking them up, and I’m so glad I finally read them. Others I had never heard of until picking them up and now can’t stop recommending them. Dominion, C. J. Sansom It is 1952, in a world where Britain surrendered to Hitler in 1940, and Churchill is leading an underground resistance movement. Full of spies and political drama, this was a real page-turner. The story was good, but what I loved the most was how utterly convincing the world created was. It felt like a very realistic scenario, and this was sustained throughout the novel. I’ve recommended this one to a lot of people. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stieg Larsson The plot begins in the first book, with Mikael Blomkvist researching the Vanger Corporation for an unsolved myst...

Anyone who knows me well knows two things about me: 1. I make lists, lots of lists. I wrote about that here . 2. If I'm into a routine of doing something, or interested in something, I will give it my full attention and headspace. This year, I've been making an effort to eat better and move more, and for the first time ever feel like I've been making some real progress, but there are still changes I want to make. Recently, I realised one of the changes I had made was actually damaging my progression and the way I looked at myself. I was keeping a record of what I was eating, and what exercise I was doing. This was originally to let me keep track of what I was doing and let me notice improvements that could be made. Writing down what you're eating is also something I've heard recommended many times to hold yourself accountable, and notice any unhealthy patterns you might have fallen into. A few weeks ago, I realised these lists were becoming a problem. R...

The fifth month of the year has already joined us. As I always say, the past month has flown by. April began with the most beautiful, sunny weekend in Hertfordshire. I finally went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour , and had a day out at Paradise Wildlife Park . De Vere Theobalds Park Hotel was the setting for the weekend, and I had the most relaxing, wonderful time. Later in the month, my wonderful friend Laura  RAN THE LONDON MARATHON. I'm so, so proud of her, and was tracking her throughout the whole course, getting a little emotional when she'd done it. I also saw Disney's stunning new adaptation of The Jungle Book , and had plenty of lovely, relaxed meals out. It was an action-packed month, as usual, with these things joined by a busy month at work, and the final appointment of my 6-week intensive counselling course for my anxiety. In amongst all that, the month has just slipped by. May looks set to be a good one, too. I've got a few plans and evenin...