Happy New Year

Hooray, I've made it! It's the end of 2010 and this diva is still standing !

Things I've learnt this year:

Remember to be grateful - I have literally landed on my feet the whole of this year, particularly when my back has been against the wall.

To take no prisoners - in my life and at work - I deserve the very best iand I don't have to put up with bad situations.

Not to run away from tough shit - life is great, but sometimes its not. How you deal with the tough times is what truly counts.

I am good at stuff - laughing, shopping, bad karaoke, giving advice (general and dating!) and I'm a certified fashionista.

Things I am going to do this year:

Step up on my writing - do more of it!

Spend more time with my family and friends.

Take up more freelance work - not just writing, I source materials for house refurbishments.

Make more me time - to do my photography, go to dance classes, rock climbing and definitely some more fencing and before I forget find a new love interest !!

Remember to enjoy life, because it sure ain't a rehearsal.

Thanks for continuing to read me and I hope you have a brilliant 2011 - May all your dreams come true !

Love BB

-x-

Christmas Is Over !

It's official my trying to love Christmas amnesty is over. It was ended by the pickpocket who helped themselves to my purse this afternoon, while I was out at the sales

I realised just how crap a memory I had when I tried to remember just how many cards I had in it (come on can you remember what you have in your purse or wallet, when you haven't got it right in front of you?), whether my membership card for the National Portrait Gallery is still valid and then regretted not having another copy of the picture of me and G,which was nestled in it clear insert.

I went back to all the shops I'd been to in the vain hope that someone would have handed my discarded purse in, but my pleas were met with stony indifference, only one assistant suggested I leave my number just in case and said she hoped my purse would turn up.

Back home a last minute desperate rifle through my bag, confirmed what I already knew and I called the bank.

I was pleasantly surprised to be connected to a human being (not a call centre in India!), who cancelled all my cards and gently reminded me that I'd got off lightly, aside from a little inconvenience I was not hurt and no money had been taken from any of my accounts -I was lucky.

She was right.I am, but the fact remains it gave me a wake up call not to stress out on the small stuff which I always do(after all nobody died, I just had a dodgy incovenient panic hour)and to be more alert to my surroundings and the people in them.

Lesson learned !

Friends Reunited !

If there's one thing you need after overloading on 'family' after Christmas. it's time with your friends.

M is back in 'Blighty for her annual Christmas break, leaving the Big Apple behind and luckily for her arriving just in time to miss our own snowbound airport chaos.

We caught up today for lunch at Selfridges, having managed to navigate our way past sale crazed bargain hunters, making up for being denied their Boxing Day fix curtesy of a national rail strike yesterday.

You wouldn't believe we haven't seen each other for three years. The banter was the same, our serious moments were just the right side of grown up - short and sweet but not too depressing.

Best of all though was the fact that we still share the same way of looking at things (men aside...my taste is marginally better!) in our lives and for that I am truly thankful.

I didn't hesitate inviting her to come along and have dinner with LL and I at a cheeky little Thai place in Shoreditch. LL duly arrived suitcase in hand, fresh from the 'Orphans Christmas' at N's, looking amazing in a Ruskie hat I would have died for.

Oh how I wish I had joined them, particularly when I heard they spent Christmas eating, drinking and best of all watching back to back episodes of The Tudors, featuring the very truly beautiful Jonathan Rhys Myers and the even hotter Henry Cavill.

LL was on tip-top form, full of stories, wise cracks and her usual wiry wisdom. She and M got on like a house and fire and hanging out with them both during a fun-filled evening made me thank heaven for good friends.

The Only Way Is Up

When a woman splits up with her man, she can always rely on her girlfriends to pull her through. However, when your ex rubs you nose in you splitting up, in the press and on national tv repeatedly, there's only one place to go to vent instantly - Twitter!

Last night's The Only Way Is Essex was a classic Twitter source, just begging for instant comment. Leading man M has been in a love triangle with his ex L1,who constantly tells anyone who'll listen to her, that they were 'together for nine years', almost like it's her Blue Peter girlfriend badge of martyrdoom.

New girl on the block L2, who sort of replaced L1 (Although M continued seeing L1 on the side!)and let's not forget, cheeky outsider S, who put the cat among the pigeons last night by confessing to be 'sorta seeing' M too.

In fact M and S ended the night in a black cab (Eastenders stylie!)heading off to the well renowned Essex nightspot Faces.

I'll admit I was glued to this hour long bitch fest, full of comings and goings and demonstrating the sheer stupidity of all the ladies concerned, allowing themselves be played by someone who is already completely in love - with himself!

I knew that fans of the show, wouldn't be able to resist a good old venting session on Twitter today and they didn't let me down. M and L kicked things off.

M moaned "Not having a public row pathetic on xmas, but just 2 say im SINGLE and have been for 9months, was seeing lucy in between, so how can any harm be done?"

Then L (that's L1, not L2!) hit back "U serious! You low life scum! How dare u even make this 100 times worst for yourself, get on with it u nasty evil person!!"

Then it was open house, as everyone (all pro L1 not L2!) piled in with their opinions on the situation.

"M needs to give himself a good scrub down and stop sleeping about! Man whore! It's not attractive! Lauren - stay clear!"

"I don't blame u hun u deserve so much better ur beautiful and won't have a problem finding someone nicer, have a fab xmas"

" M tried to make you look stupid but he came out of it lookin the bigggest fool ! chin up - keep smiling x"

All of these comments were from nice sensible people, trying to give honest and sincere feedback, but they missed the point. They proved there is such a thing as oversharing!

If you are going to open up your personal life to the world, then be prepared to be judged, sometimes harshly. I should know! How you deal with it, is what shows what type of character you are.

Looking at the Twitter traffic, M's ended the day branded as a 'love rat', while L1 has got so much Twitter sympathy, it may just give her enough of a boost, to realise that she is responsible for how she is perceived and treated by men, particularly the oh so charming M.

If you accept bad behaviour in your relationships, that's all you'll ever get and then some of the blame has to be laid squarely on your shoulders. You can't just blame the other person.

A Ok

Apart from all the stuff I've been through this year, I've watched lots of changes in the lives of my friends too.

The latest news was from A who has just landed an ace new job, which finally takes him to a role and industry, where he will have the opportunity to do amazing things.

I've watched him over the last few years, find love with an amazing person, give the very best advice and loyally support his friends, be a sweetheart(but don't get me wrong, he can still bitch with the best of us!)be a rock for me and end up exactly where he should be - which is super happy.

We're having lunch tomorrow and I can't wait to see him !