guest post: author sophie childs

For all my book lovers out there, I was contacted by SoVain Books with news of a new release. Author Sophie Childs' novel, Behind the Scenes, is perfect for all fiction and chicklit readers. I did a short interview with the author about the book, her hobbies, plans for the future and more. Sophie is a freelance writer living in Wales with her husband and family. Behind the Scenes is her first novel, and was inspired by her tiring years working in offices with rude bosses. Here is an excerpt about Behind the Scenes from the SoVain website:

"Bethan Brooks works in London for the ultimate boss from Hell, trying to support her wannabe rockstar boyfriend. But are The Vampire Squirrels really ever going to make it big or is she doomed to be a secretary forever? Luckily, Bethan finds the perfect escape when going to the cinema. There she loses herself in another world and forgets all about the dreaded filing and monotonous office work. Imagine her surprise when one day she encounters her favourite actor on the Tube. Suddenly, she finds herself part of the glamorous movie world she only ever dreamed about. With more at stake than she could ever realise, does she really want to know what goes on behind the scenes?"

My interview with Sophie is below!

You talk about inspiration in your bio - can you elaborate on what specifically inspired you to write your first novel?

SC: I was writing for a movie website and read an article about how Keanu Reeves is known for travelling on the New York subway, so I started to wonder what would happen if someone met their favourite actor on the Tube. I love using real life experience as the springboard for stories, and I used to work in offices and absolutely hated it, eventually handing in my notice to pursue a more creative career, so that led me to think about ways in which someone might escape office life. When I combined those two elements, it gave me the outline for what became my novel.

As I am a freelance graphic designer, and you a freelance writer, we both share a similar career. What are some of the pluses of being "freelance", as opposed to working under a certain company/organization?

SC: I have five children and I home educate them, so one of the biggest benefits of freelance work is that I can fit it around the children. Not being confined to 9 to 5 is a real plus. I also love the fact that my work is so varied. Recently, I’ve written scripts for radio ads, music singles and graphic novels, as well as book blurbs and children’s books. Who wouldn’t love being able to do such a wide range of projects? 3. In your free time, do you have any other creative hobbies that you enjoy besides writing? Writing is genuinely my hobby as well as my work, so I quite often write for myself when I’m not writing for clients. I used to love doing cross stitch, but it’s hard to find the time to sit down and do more than a few stitches. However, I’ve also recently rediscovered colouring. I saw how much fun my children had colouring in pictures, so I got myself some really detailed colouring books and was instantly hooked! It’s terribly therapeutic not having to think about anything while you create something that looks amazing.  I’m also a musician. I used to run an open mic night in London and write my own songs, although since I’ve had children, performing has taken a bit of a back seat.

Do you have any favorite artists or authors that you admire?

SC: I adore Guy Gavriel Kay. My favourite book of all time is ‘Tigana’ and I really admire how he manages to make even the most minor character interesting in just a couple of sentences.  I also really enjoy reading Mike Gayle. I think it’s really interesting getting the male perspective on relationships and his books are always a really easy read.

What are some of your favorite magazines or publications?! Mine are Harpers Bazaar and Vogue (of course).

SC: Celebrity gossip is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, so I do enjoy reading Heat. I also love Glamour – especially when they include free books!

Even though this is your first book, are you looking into the future?! Do you think you'll stick with fiction, or branch out into other arenas?

SC: I’m currently working on my second novel for So Vain Books. I’m really excited about the concept and the characters I’ve come up with, so it’s been a lot of fun writing it. I’m also co-writing a thriller with a friend about a reality show that’s a little like Big Brother crossed with Survivor and the Mole, with a bit of murder thrown in for good measure! I’d really like to get a few books out over the next few years. Hopefully people will enjoy reading them as much as I’m enjoying writing them!

If this book is up your alley, you can grab it on SoVain and read till your heart's content!
Thank you Sophie for your time!

tulum turquoise earrings

Pretty hues of turquoise blue, beige, antique copper and gleaming gold mix here to create a totally tropical-bohemian look! This chic fiesta of hippie goodness just reminded me of something you'd wear on the sandy beaches of Tulum (or really any other oceanside getaway!)…..

These chandelier-style earrings are surprisingly light, and surprisingly easy to make. I've started with a hand-forged wire frame, hammered to give a rustic texture and evoke a more antique vibe. Wrapping gemstones around this wire frame, and adding chain and bead dangles all combine to create a very intricate, very unique earring.

When I first got these turquoise and howlite rounds from bead store PandaHall.com, I knew I wanted to create something with a more neutral color palette. My love for mixed metals spurred the chandelier earring idea, thinking that copper and gold, both "warm" colors, would blend well together.

These are larger earrings, made so to show off the textured wire frame. I'll show you some substitutions later, just in case you want to make a smaller earring, change up the colors, or even try different shapes. Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. I used 8mm gemstone rounds from Pandahall, 4mm turquoise rounds from Pandahall,  24 gauge Cousin gold wire, 16 gauge Cousin copper wire, wire cutters and pliers, gold eyepins, gold fish hooks, jumprings and finally a nailpolish bottle (to wrap around).



Start off with your 16g wire. Wrap a couple of times around your nailpolish bottle. Gently take/slide this large coil off - cut through the coil at the top. With two of them, create loops at both raw edges with your pliers.
You can obviously use a round bottle, or really any shape. I like the diamond/arrowhead/triangle form of this one, because it is a little different than the ordinary!



I went and hammered these gently, to create texture and give it more of a weathered look. I literally used a regular hammer and concrete (in the garage), not a nice bench block and jewelry hammer. This gave that rough texture (that I prefer), but if you want a clean look, you've gotta use the ones made for jewelry. I am just to cheap to buy that, and prefer a rustic look! Especially for these earrings.
With your eye pins, create two beaded links, one on each side of the wire frame. Add a bead link on top of each previous one, and connect them with a jumpring- add a fishhook to top.



With about a foot of 24g wire, tightly coil the end around the bottom "v" of the frame- wrap about 3 times. Add a bead, catch it in this wrap, and wrap around twice again. Repeat twice with the turquoise. Now, add three howlite wraps, then repeat with three turquoise. Wrap and cut flush with the excess wire.

This step can be done after hammering (in step 2) and it is much easier to wrap this way! Beginners please do this! Then resume with the rest of step 2.



I then took about a 2" piece of chain, attached it with a jumpring to the wire frame's top loop. Attach it to the other side with another jumpring. Finally, I added a chain piece (maybe about .75" long) to that top jumpring, and added a turquoise charm at the end.
 

Not too bad, right?! Like I said, if you're not into mixed metals, copper always pairs well with turquoise, so you can use all copper findings. You can even try all silver for a more modern look. The 8mm howlite beads from Pandahall come in an array of colors, so you can choose if you want to use the beige or colored ones.



You could also make these smaller by using a smaller nail polish bottle. The, reduce the number of beaded wraps and bead links to keep the proportions. I also used a square nail polish bottle - try a round one for a different look.
I could totally see these pairing well with a flowy maxi dress and sandals for a chic beach outfit. If you're not anywhere near the beach, like me, don't fret. Pair with a long tunic top (in a neutral color) and dark skinny jeans. I add combat boots (when do I not) for edginess. You could also wear with flats or even heeled booties.



If any of you crafters follow this tutorial, be sure to take pics of your final result! Tag me @quietlioncreations on Instagram and I will repost you!


All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations. Do not post or reuse without crediting me and linking to me!

midsummer night dreaming

So, it's only taken about a month and a half to get this post up. Things have come up, things have gotten in the way, but, we've finally made it! Group cheer!

We're on the Bayou. The Bayou Bend. I first saw this place on Google, when I was researching spots and sights in Houston before my trip. Seemed legit. We pulled up (a quick right, before a bunch of high rise condos but on Memorial Drive, which is surrounded by parks and forests) and saw a very silver, very contemporary, building. Question mark. I had hoped it was the right place, but Siri assured it was and you don't argue with her.

We walked into the building, the art museum part of Bayou Bend, and was greeted by the desk lady. We told her we were here to see the gardens, paid our $5 or $10 admission fee (can't remember, but it was worth it no doubt), and were given a small round sticker with an Art Nouveau leaf illustration on it. She said we were to walk down behind the building, find a bridge, cross it, and enter the gardens. This could be really good, or really bad.

We left the building, looked around - still no sign of this grandiose garden extraordinaire Google had promised. Just a bunch of trees, small road leading down a hill, and condos on the other side. We walked down the road a bit to a landing parking lot, and wooden bridge slowly emerged from behind leafless trees.  Check ✓. A river flowed under it, complete with sandy brown water and plenty of gnarly branches. I could make out some sort of small iron dwelling at the other end of said bridge. We got closer, and were again met with another woman- she quickly checked we had stickers and let us pass. What is….. your name? What is…your quest? What is…. your favorite color? Blue. Ok, you can go. Making our way across this  (surprisingly swingy and precarious) bridge, I snapped some shots carefully until we made it to the other side.

There it was… the ever-elusive garden. Gardens. The eyes were met with mossy Greco-Roman statues, juicy green foliage, neatly manicured shrubs, hedges, gently weathered stone and the hint of some massive structure in the distance. Flecks of pinks, purples, violets and crimson peeked out of the ✿ flowerbeds ❀, which were currently being tended to by straw hat-bearing landscapers.

The first section boasted a circular garden, highlighting a sitting Greek goddess (Demeter?) surrounded by carefully placed brick, feathery ferns, evergreens and pretty purple pansies.

After walking thorough this alcove, I was surprised when the whole garden opened up, revealing a large span of grass, dotted with mature, knobby trees. On the left, the garden pushed back, housing a huge, double-sided fountain and statue of Artemis. On the right, the Mansion. It sat upon a hill, overlooking its grand belongings.

Traveling to the back of the gardens, which were mainly filled with different types of deciduous trees, the look likened to an English garden mood. This area contained yet another fountain, a butterfly garden, plenty of detailed iron work and some fern-filled ravines. In the very back sat the camellia plants - which, I had never seen before and thus they required a lot of photo space on my SD card. Camellias were Chanel's favorite flower, and I can see why. This was also the bee hangout. Tiptoe lightly to not get stung.

On a side note - one of the weirdest things about Houston, in general - their tree situation. I saw palm trees, evergreens, trees with no leaves, trees with fall orange and brown leaves, and then fully bright green-leaved trees. One word; confused. It's just the climate I guess. 

When we finally had trekked the full length of the gardens, saw all there was to be seen, I reluctantly made my way back towards the front. Past the iron dwelling, and over the bridge again, saying my goodbyes. Back to the parking lot it was. With a camera full of photos and plenty of new inspiration, it was surely a good trip.

Enjoy these shots, but remember, all photos are COPYRIGHT Allison Beth Cooling, so please DO NOT repost without crediting me and linking to me. If you would like permission to use a photo, just contact me here.

Bayou Bend Museum and Gardens
6003 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 639-7750
visit website

tagged with: photography, summer, photoblogging, garden, travel, photo blogger, houston, travel photography,
texas, flowers, bayou, bayou bend