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Thursday 30 April 2009

Easy to please

Yesterday the office was all a-flutter as a very posh-looking mint green bag from Laudree was hand-delivered, as a thank you for featuring them in our latest report. After much ado, a baby blue box was retrieved from the interior of the bag and a rainbow of macaroons uncovered. A crescendo of excitement! Just looking at them makes me smile.ViewLondon offered the following enlightening comment: "Of particular note is the simple dark chocolate macaroon, that’s sickeningly sweet yet surprisingly accessible – like a gourmet cookie without the heaviness." I find it amusing that a macaroon could be described as 'accessible', especially as it begs the question of what an 'in-accessible' macaroon would be like. Any suggestions?

To me they tasted perfect, and it struck me that girls are not so hard to please after all.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

Networked

I yesterday had the pleasure of being taken to Miller's Academy of Art and Science for a seminar on 'The Art of Networking'. As soon as you step over the threshold it's rather an assault on the senses. The rooms overflow with antique furniture, candle-stick holders, ornaments, gold frames, chandeliers, taxidermy, model ships and er, skulls. The whole effect was slightly reminiscent of Sarastro. Although I do like this style of interior design, the dusting along would drive me loopy.

We first arranged ourselves on the haphazard chairs, before deciding clamber up to perch on the cushioned pews which towered almost to the ceiling for a better view. The speaker to educate us on networking was the former producer of Radio 4's 'Any Questions' and 'Woman's Hour', Carole Stone. Not being an avid radio-listener or politics buff, I knew little of her but it seems she also holds 'salons' which aim to bring together various members of her vast contact database for enlightened chat and mutual brain-picking.

Although her networking pointers were not exactly groundbreaking, her lively and slightly waspy energy reminded me that the best way to engage is to show enthusiasm and genuine interest in people. Oops, was that a cliche?
She also rammed home, through various hand-gestures, the importance of simply 'having a go'. Hm, maybe I should make that my new mantra and not be quite so afraid of things not turning out perfectly..

After the talk, we retired to the dining rooms upstairs and hid in the corner with our food - feeling slightly like rebellious teenagers and refusing to make small talk with the other attendees. It was all rather too exhausting to put on my networking face, and I was more than happy to discuss the seminar within our trio.
Carole did do the rounds before she left and commented in particular that M 'looked very stylish and must have a very stylish job'. We weren't quite sure what to make of that either.. All in all a very interesting experience and I did come away with the email address of possibly the best connected lady in London town.

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Objective

As the people in my life will testify, I am rather abysmal at documenting my creative work. This blog will be an attempt to document my creative urges a little more effectively, but also record my day-to-day musings and some of the more interesting things I get up to outside of office hours. In short, it shall be another reason to inject a bit more hands-on crafting into my life.