To all my fellow creative types, I HAD to share this poster o’ awesomeness by Ira Glass. Read. Believe. Read again. Go do awesome things.

I woke up this morning crying – this week has been a complete doozy for me – all sorts of unexpected, not-nice surprises, and, it seems, life’s not been too easy for the people I love around me too, not to mention all the awfulness that’s happening in the world – phone hacking, financial crisis, the death of those innocent young people in Norway, famine in Africa and the loss of an incredible talent in the amazing Amy Winehouse – what upsets me most about the latter is that on social networking sites, I noticed a lot of discussions going on as to which is worse – the death of 90+ innocent people or the death of a celebrity. I don’t think we should compare or discuss but just acknowledge that the death of anyone is a very sad time and respect the feelings of ALL the families and friends involved… It’s all left me questioning; ‘Where is the love?’

Seriously…where is it? The beau whispered in my ear this morning that amongst all this crazy world of angst and pain, it’s even more important that we share our gorgeous love stuff with the world by loving even harder than we already do, he’s not only a hot viking, he’s beyond wise too, which is why this week I’m even more determined, in amongst all the not-niceness to find some juicy, juicy strawberries, moments o’ beauty…

Belly dancing – so, I have a substantial belly and thought this was all I would need to become a slinky belly dancing queen, turns out you need killer core muscles and rhythm – and right now, I have neither. Boo. It was SO much fun though, my teacher specialises in Tribal Fusion belly dance and it’s totally kick-ass, feisty and so cool, and with practice, I think I might get reasonably good at it! It’s such a fun way to work out – my thighs are STILL aching and the class was on Thursday! The beau seems very enthusiastic that I continue with these classes too – can’t think why?!

Women, Food and God – This book is amazing. I finished it last night, but have just started it over again because I know there’s still so much to learn from it. It’s as if author, Geneen Roth, has got inside my head, unscrambled all the crazy emo thoughts I’ve had around food and made some sense of them all. It’s a sad fact for so many of us that we believe happiness is waiting for us once we reach size 10, 8 whatever. Geneen Roth writes honestly and her story is one that resonates with so many of us. If you want to break free from all of your false preconceptions of who you are and stop beating yourself up for not having the perfect body, buy this book. It’s really changing up my thinking – I am now a total Geneen fan-girl. Every women should own this book. Fact. http://astore.amazon.co.uk/sassy06-21/detail/184983301X

Girl time - This weekend I needed to escape, so I took time out to spend with my mumma, it was much needed fun and I got fed yumz, watched crap TV, read magazines, sat in the garden and baked cakes – it was delicious and love-filled.

Burlesque Bible – I HEART this new magazine. Burlesque Bible celebrates the world of burlesque in its entirety: Embracing the Taboo, Fashion & Films, Corsets, Lingerie, Hair & Make-up, plus interviews with Dita Von Teese, Immodesty Blaize, Dixie Evans, Tempest Storm plus more artistes of the past and present. It’s pretty, it’s beautiful and makes me want to whip out a pair of nipple tassels, pronto!

Watching the beau do olden days – I love how passionate the beau is. I LOVE seeing him rock his stuff in his dark age ensemble, interact with an awe-struck 9 year-old who has a million questions about spears and helmets and re-enact a battle with his boy pals to woops and cheers from the crowd. I do love that dude, have I mentioned that?

Amy Winehouse – I don’t want to discuss how tragic her loss is, how damaged she may or may not have been, and how angry I am about the reaction of some to the death of someone with an addiction, I think Russell Brand does that far more eloquently than I ever could here, what I do want to do is celebrate her awesome, incredible talent. I was super-lucky to interview her at the launch of her album Frank, I was in complete awe of this kick-ass, curvy Jewish girl who made my heart literally hurt with her songs of heartbreak and Frank is still one of the most incredible albums you will EVER listen to. Which is why I am, on repeat. Love and beehive hair-do’s to you, Amy.

Wohhhoooo – it’s Sunday, and I’m actually sharing my juicy strawberry moments with you on…Sunday – finally! I have allsorts o’ lovely treats to share with you…

The sea – The beau took me to the beach to celebrate a spectacularly shitty week, and I had an urge to run into the water and embrace goddess Yemaya fully clothed, so I did. It was a full moon so seemed kinda appropriate. I LOVE the sea, I love how it soothes me and I love how the beau knows that the only way to deal with me when I’m in a ‘Lisa funk’ is to take me to it. After an hour spent splashing around, I finally returned to the beau with a big smile – hurrah!

The beau - There are so many reasons why I’m going to marry this man one day, but taking me to the sea is definitely one of them! Hurrah for the beau!

Sarah Wilson – she’s a whole lot o’ awesome, I LOVE everything she writes, but I particularly love this feature – http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2011/07/what-lucky-people-get-right/#more-2392 – I think of myself as a very lucky person, but sometimes when the funk hits, you can really forget, and when you forget, well, you miss out on allsorts of juicy moments and delicious opportunities, and let’s face it, nobody wants that right?!

Slimpods – my gorgeous friends Keris and Sarah were both raving about Slimpods on twitter, now, not one to be left out, I cornered them both to ask ‘what are these Slimpods you speak of, g-friends?’ Turns out they’re really rather fabulous. So, as you know, I’m on a weight release journey towards health, well being and fitness, and throughout my journey, I plan on as many tools and techniques as possible, I never want to go back to being as heavy as I was, because despite rocking it, I wasn’t healthy, and more than anything, I want to be healthy, so I’m looking to have as many weapons against unhealthy eating behaviour in my arsenal as possible. Basically, Slimpods are a series of unique voice recordings which help people to permanently release weight. According to the Slimpod blurb, there are no diets, no calorie counting and no willpower required. Slimpods have been developed by Harley Street experts and use cognitive hypnotherapy to gently retune the mind and adjust the way you think about the world, especially in relation to food, health and fitness.

Now, I’ve been listening to the Chocoholic Cure and Drop Two Dress Sizes each night for the last three nights – I’ve studied Cognitive therapy, yet I’m at a total loss as to how they work. I wish I could explain, but I can’t. Personally, I think it’s some kind o’ magic jiggerypokery, because every time I try to think about how much I love chocolate, I just can’t. It’s flippin’ crazy. The deal is you should listen to each Slimpod for 21 days at the very least, and they’ll change up the way you eat forever. Which is a pretty sweet deal considering they’re only 10 minutes long, and so far, so fabulous…I’ll keep you posted over the next 21 days – I think I’m in love with a form o’ technologicals! To find out more for yourself, head over to: www.thinkingslimmer.com

California Dreamers – I LOVE chicklit, but recently, and this is going to be crazy-controversial, the standard seems to have dropped HUGELY. Plotlines are predictable, characters are lack-lustre and the leading men are right outta dullsville, so thank the goddess for Belinda Jones. I’ve got three go-to women’s fiction authors who never fail to let me down at producing inspiring, page-turning, consume in one gorgeous sitting books o’ fabulousness; Alison Bond, Rowan Coleman, and the other is Belinda Jones. Luckily for me, I won an advance copy on twitter last week and have been getting up an hour earlier each day just to read it. Belinda’s books are always set somewhere fabulous, her leading ladies rock and they’re very funny, California Dreamers is no exception.

The blurb: Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn’t even know where to start.

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

This Pacific Coast journey takes in Los Angeles, the world’s most romantic ranch and California’s very own castle in the sky – I LOVE arm-chair travelling and California is home to a big piece o’ my heart, so this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is amaze. If you’re going on holiday, take it with you, and if you’re not, it’s the perfect escapist read that’ll make you feel like you are – win, win!
Buy your copy o’ California Dreamers here – The Store o’ SASS!

What juicy strawberries are you loving this week?

Ohhhh, I have a book you are going to fall head over Westwood heels in heart with. I loved it so much, I read it one deelish sitting, it’s called The 52 Seductions and is by blogger and girl o’ fabulousness, Betty Herbert. Basically, Betty and her husband Herbert remembered whimsically the days when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, but then real-life happened, and their sub-duvet status was set to coitus interupputus indefinitely. Enter Betty and her challenge setting abilities. After a weekend of spontaneous sex, Betty and Herbert remember what they’ve been missing, and set themselves the task of spending a year seducing each other – ohhh la la! This book will have you laughing, nodding knowingly and pulling a cringe-y face at Betty’s total frankness and attention to detail as the couple explore their hopes, fears and disappointments and answer the burning question, ‘does monogamy really mean a lifetime of monotony in the bedroom?’ FYI: since I put the book down, the beau is now looking at me somewhat expectantly…

Come meet author-girl Betty Herbert, she’s rather fabulous.

Describe Betty Herbert in 5 words…
Delightful, funny, tall, excitable, hungry

52 seductions started as a blog, what made you start writing it?
Desperation! I really wanted to do something about our flagging sex life, and I knew from bitter experience that just trying to have more sex wouldn’t work. I invented the project because I really wanted to force us to think about what turned us on, and I decided to blog about it because I thought it would force us to stick to it.

It’s now a book o’ awesomeness, how do you feel about sharing your seductions with the world in book form?
Great! But it’s a weird feeling too – now it’s out in the world, I have no control over it. Unlike blogging, I can’t explain parts that people don’t understand, or add and extra bits when I feel something is missing. It’s a very disembodied experience to see it being talked about in the papers and on TV.

Out of the 52 seductions in the book, which was your most successful?
Ooh that’s a tough one! Different seductions were successful for different reasons. For example, the upside-down 69 made us laugh so much that didn’t matter I couldn’t do a headstand. And the final one was great because it felt like coming home – I could be honest about what would turn me on and not feel ashamed or shy.

And the worst?
There were plenty of those, too! Early morning sex sucked – and we’re still in dispute over whether Herbert fell asleep in the middle of it.

How does Herbert your husband feel about sharing his sexual exploits in this book?
I was really worried about it because he chose not to read the blog while it was being written – the first time he read it was when I’d completed the first draft of the book. But actually he loved it – he said afterwards, ‘I feel like you’ve written a book about how much you love me.’ I’m so grateful that he could see that – I was worried he’d fixate on the bad things and not see the overall good.

So what is the REAL truth about sex in a relationship, Betty? Can sex REALLY survive after the heady excitement of first date passion?
It can, but you have to work at it. For some couples, it comes naturally, but for most of us it’s about planning, organisation and commitment. Sounds boring, but it’s so worth it, because you reap the rewards in terms of communication and intimacy.

What’s next in the world o’ Betty? More sex? More books? Both?
Definitely both, although I don’t think I could face another year of seductions! I’m working on some ideas for new books now, but I’d quite like to write about our new project to make a baby next – I’ve already started blogging about it.

Quick fire round – what’s your favourite:
Shop: Daunt Books in Marylebone. A bookworm’s dream.
Make-up brand: I’m a Laura Mercier addict
City: Barcelona
Food: Spag Bol, but it has to be one I’ve cooked myself!
Quote: ‘Don’t wrestle with pigs. The pig enjoys it, and you get covered in shit.’
Motto for life: Get on with it.
Book: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke or L’Etranger by Albert Camus
TV programme: Currently, The Killing
Movie: When Harry Met Sally, of course!

Go visit Betty at: www.bettyherbert.com
And buy your copy of The 52 Seductions here!

Have you ever asked yourself how on earth such an awful film or trashy novel got published? Or wished you had more control over what was unleashed in our bookshops and on our screens? Well, now’s your chance.

The People Publish, set up by my gorgeous gal-pal Nicola Carley is asking YOU to publish the book Who is Petite Nicole? by bidding for pages on eBay, and at various milestones, the scrapbook she started at the age of thirteen will be revealed.

Some of the stories of the people who help to publish it will then be interwoven in a follow-up, and The People Publish will be donating 5% of the proceeds to the charities; Shelter, Mind, Action for Children and Arthur+Martha.

Buy a page, become a Publisher, be part of the next stage in the story…

Want to know what we’re talking about? Go to http://thepeoplepublish.wordpress.com/

Okay, so Nigella Lawson, my idol-girl in all things fabulous, has been reported today as saying that even though g-friends curves are in ALL the right places, she too worries about her weight, saying it’s simply a thing that girls do.

Now, I HATE the word ‘diet’ and banished it from my world years ago, but I think, as much as it sucks to say it out loud, she’s right, we do worry about it. We are constantly bombarded with media images of what the perfect body ’should’ be, celebs are circled with big red rings if they show a dimply thigh, being a size 0 is celebrated – which is really quite ridiculous, mainly because if you’re a size 0 that equates to literally nothing. It’s like women don’t want to take up any space in the world AT ALL. That makes me crazy-sad. I’ve been overweight since I was 13. I turned to food when my parents split up and it’s been my comfy blanket, my friend that I turn to when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m angry, when I’m tired, ever since.

Before I continue, while I’ve always been overweight, I just need to put it out there that it’s NEVER stopped me doing anything in life, I’ve travelled, I’ve dreamed big dreams and made them happen, I’ve hung out with celeb-types, I’ve developed an innate ability to accessorise, I’ve never been short of attention from the male population, but the one thing I’ve not been is healthy. I’ve had phases of doing what I think is healthy, but actually, eating low fat microwave meals doesn’t really count, who knew?! Now, as some of you may know, I started on a gorgeous goddess-girl journey earlier this year due to endrometriosis, but even then, I was still kinda playing at it. Yep, I joined the gym, yep, I started to eat different foods, and yep, it deffo made a difference, but I was still eating crazy-big portions and telling myself I could have an extra portion of chicken wings at TGI Friday because I’d done 20 minutes on the cross-trainer…

Most people say it takes a big event to make the actual ‘I want to change this up’ mind-shift – mine were a series of small events that accumulated into a big substantial sized arse-kick. I won’t bore you with all of them, but I’m thinking the ones that had the MOST influence were:

1. A waitress in London stroking my belly and asking when it was due, and that was BEFORE I’d had my dinner.
2. The beau and I talking in-depth about having children and at the weight I was with endrometriosis, it just wasn’t going to happen.
3. Having a wardrobe of never-been-worn size 16 dresses o’ loveliness, yet two outfits in a size 22 that I had to alternate on a daily basis. (Don’t get it twisted, I accessorised those bad boys as if my life depended on it!)
4. A friend being brutally honest and asking me if I was happy to always be known as the chubby girl with the pretty face and accessories.

Anyway, on the 6th May, I made a decision. I was going on a goddess-girl journey of self-exploration. I’ve been keeping a daily journal, which I’ll be sure to share with you, or may even turn into a book – who knows? – A journey where I’d look at everything I do to my body, both inside and out. It’s become a HUGE project, which I’m just at the beginning of right now. Now, I’d love to be able to say I was truly happy at a size 22, but I’d be lying. I was as happy as I could be, and anyone who knows me will tell you that I still rocked my Sass because you can do that no matter what dress size you are, but I wanted to know what it felt like to be healthy, really healthy, to be free from emotional eating, to be able to know enough about the food industry that I could make informed choices about what I decided to put in my body. FYI: I don’t know how that feels yet, but I’m working on it!

Since May 6th, I’ve released 40lb, and I’m now a size 18. This is all truly fabulous, but my goddess-girl journey has turned out to be much more than weight release, and I can’t wait to share it all with you! People keep asking me what my secret is, but there’s no secret, what I’m doing right now is completely re-educating myself. I am reading nutrition/fitness books til they come out my ears, my fave is: Slim for Life it’s truly brilliant and life-changing, I’m learning all about Ayurveda and conscious eating, I eat less and do more because that really is the only way to actually release weight, I swim every other day, I do pilates, I meditate, I dry brush my skin, I’m basically being good to myself, which I THOUGHT I was being by feeding myself chocolate and cupcakes, but now I really am, by giving my body the stuff it actually needs!

Disclaimer: I’m not claiming to be an expert, angelic-sounding or a guru – I’m literally just sharing my story s’far on my own personal journey. I may eat chocolate and cake in the foreseeable future. Then again, I may not. That’s the beauty o’ being me.

While Jessie J may have nicked my Cleo hair-do right out from under me, I’ll forgive her because I freakin’ LOVE this song. My friend Brett and I, first saw Jessie perform this on tour with Cyndi Lauper about 3 years ago – it’s been an anthem o’ mine ever since – thought I’d share the love on this gloomy Bank Holiday Monday – STAND UP!

Can I get a whoop-whoop for still attending the gym please – it’s been 3 whole months now! Which means it’s been 3 whole months that I have not known about the joys o’ the steam room. The sweet, sweet joy that is the steam room. Fo’ real.

I’ve decided to switch up my gym experience and have started to incorporate a li’l swim regime into the mix – yep, I’m rocking the curves in a swimsuit – more about that next week, anyway the steam room is just beside the pool so I thought I’d give it a go. LOVE IT.

Why? Because I can take a steam bath after exercise and it relieves muscle soreness and stiff joints, boosts your immune system, improves blood circulation, releases toxins and relives sinus congestion, and that’s just for starters.

What I love most is how AH-freakin’-MAZIN’ my skin is since I’ve been steamin’. Nothing is better for your skin than a heavy sweat, but y’know, I’m a girl in the world and I don’t have a lot o’ love for sweatin’ in public, but in the steam room heavy sweating cleanses your skin more thoroughly than soap and water, because it opens your pores and allows deep-seated grime and dead cells to be flushed out. Also, the heat causes an increase in blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your skin surface. Over time, this will help contribute to a healthy, glow-girl appearance.

It’s also a kick-ass thing to do to unwind and relieve stress. The heat tells your muscles to relax, and the cloud of steam provides the perfect soothing atmosphere for calming your mind – it’s positively spiritual. Like, om. Yep, I’m Lisa, I’m a steam room junkie. Seriously, I can not get enough of it. Next time you’re at the gym, throw your swimsuit in your gym bag and at the end of a swim or a workout, take yourself to the steam room. Make sure you take off all your jewellery, it’s HOT in there and it’ll burn you, breathe deeply and most importantly, relax. Ahhhhhhhhh…

Now, I’ve just seen this on one of SM’s fave websites, Sugarlesque and despite only having seen the cover, I know that I NEED it in my world. The Dr. Sketchy’s Rainy Day Colouring Book is a colouring book for grown-up girls – what’s not to love about that? Colouring-in is my most favourite thing to do AND, one of it’s co-creators, Molly Crabapple, is one of my absolute art-girl crushes too, damn it, I want it to rain right now.

According to the blurb, Dr. Sketchy’s Official Rainy Day Colouring Book is a natural cure for boredom, apathy, shingles, gout, sobriety, and erectile dysfunction. Lovingly illustrated, adorned with dirty humor and black wit, this book is twice as good as James Joyce’s Ulysses – and three times as sexy.

It contains: 208 Pages. 11 Paper Dolls. 9 Colouring Book Pages. 6 Interviews. 1 Maze. 3 Word Puzzles. 1 Board Game. 7 Good Ideas. 4 Bad Ideas. 2 ways to make Invisible Ink. 9 drink recipes. 1 Evil Curse. 2 cut-out pasties. 68 new Molly Crabapple Illustrations. 17 John Leavitt Cartoons. 1 Fred Harper cartoon. 4 playlists. 1 false history. 2 accurate histories. 1 way to rule the world.

Seriously, this is not a want, it’s a NEED. If you loved me, you’d totes buy it for me.

£20.00 www.sugarlesque.com

So, I’ve been wanting to go to the MBS festival in London for the last three years, but something has always come up, so this year, I’ve made sure to block out the dates in my diary – Will. Not. Miss. It.

So, if you’re curious about meditation, keen to try out yoga or intrigued to explore your spiritual side, visit the Mind Body Spirit Festival and discover all you possibly can about spiritual and holistic healing and self-development.

It’s held at the Royal Horticultural Halls, Victoria, London, between the 25th – 30th May 2011 and the six-day show will be a buzz o’ activity, entertainment, workshops and a treasure trove of marketplace stalls to meet therapists, sample healing treatments and indulge in retail therapy. There are free guided meditation sessions and over 73 workshops…

Now, I LOVE a workshop and this event does not disappoint. I’m super-excited about seeing the New York Times bestselling author Laura Day (USA), who comes with glowing endorsements from the likes of Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Chris Rock, Uma Thurman and Jennifer Aniston – can’t be bad, right? Laura Day will host ‘Practical Intuition’ – her pioneering techniques on harnessing and developing instinct and intuition. I’m also rather excited about Chris Linnares, founder of ‘Diva Dance’ – an exciting new method for women that uses fun dance moves with self-empowerment tools to energise the body, empower the mind and build confidence.

One of my most favourite ladies, Vianna Stibal (creator of Theta Healing) will be running her ‘Create Abundance with Theta Healing’ workshop – just so you know, this woman is AMAZING. (Not only is Theta an incredible helaing modality, I interviewed Vianna last year and she told me that I’d had my heart broken but the man I was going to marry was a warrior and I’d meet him later in the year – she was right on both counts, thanks Vianna!) My spiritual boy-crush, the Barefoot Doctor is in town and author, Marie-Claire Carlyle is hosting ‘Attracting More Money’ – which we can all do with a bit of, right?!

The show also features an eclectic range of over 80 performances and demonstrations. Free musical concerts, feel-good talks, yoga, tai chi and dance provide pure entertainment, whilst regular half hour meditation sessions offer the chance to experience this popular growing practice under the supervision of different guest facilitators.

Book tickets and find out who else is appearing by visiting: www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk – I’ll see you there!

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