Vita

Books, image via Flickr by Sriatic

From cover to cover, as you delve deeper into the words, you don’t realise the emotional power a book has to inspire and shape your life. 

From my early years as a little girl growing up on the remote island of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. I was brought up with 6 sisters and a brother, so you can image life was crazy.  We didn’t have alot of money, and life in such a remote place was simple. We were lucky that the school was equiped with lots of books to read. Books have always been important to me. They gave me a sense of the real world that was outside my little island and taught me alot.  Enid Blyton and the Secret Seven opened up a world of adventure full of strange places and they allowed that little bit of naughtiness which I thought I could escape to. 

When I was old enough to leave the Island, I spent the rest of my teens and twenties training to be a nurse in Edinburgh. In such a big city, and still finding my feet, books were my constant companion for learning and relaxation. The stresses and strain of the medical ward were swept away by Mills and Boone classics and the Prime of Miss Jean Brody. These books brought back the most essential part of me. My femaninity. So much of my time was consumed by night shifts and medical exams, even a spare fifteen minutes so finish a chaper felt like bliss.

Books have been my reliable friend during my married years. My husband’s work meant that we were always travelling all over the world. It could have been so easy for me to feel out of my depth but because the books I read showed me different ways of thinking and living, it helped me to cope with the many cultures and people that I was very fortunate to meet along the way.  The popular travel books The Lonely Planet Guide was able to give me facts and figures about the countries I was visiting.

I feel it’s very important to have a certain level of understanding about a country before you visit and so those fact books gave that different perspective I felt I needed. In contrast to the  factbooks and guides that led me to basic facts and languages of a new place, books like Out of Africa, The Far Pavilions and Death of a Princess let me see inside the mind and soul of the people I meet along the way. For me that’s possibly the most amazing part of moving alot, discovering new people from new walks of life along the way. It’s incredible and allows you to really understand a new culture.  

Now that I’m back home in Livingstone, Scotland, where we live permenantly I have a little more time to read at my leisure and take my time when reading a book.  The thing about books is that incredible buzz you have, so much so that when you’re so involved in the story you can’t put it down, and it takes all your effort to do so. Those are the books that change your life. The ones that have fallen apart by your egarness to read, the ones you end up buying all your friends as presents because it’s a must, the one’s that even after years of sitting, gathering dust on your shelf, you still cannot wait to pick up again. The one’s that make me tingle. Those are the books that made me.

 

Tina’s Top Reads.

• Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott.:
This charming novel tells the much-beloved story of the four March girls, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as they grow to adulthood in 19th-century New England.

• The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford:
The story explains the nine year acquaintance that the lead character, Dowell, and his wife Florence have with another couple. The opening line of the book says it all “This is the sadest story I’ve ever heard”

• Housekeeping Marilynne Robinson:
Ruth narrates the story of herself and her younger sisters upbringing by a succession of relatives. Warm and enchanting with no sign of a possible outcome

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossini:
It tells the story of Amir, a young boy in Kabul, who befriends the son of his fathers servent. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events. A heartbreaking and moving novel that puts friendship to a real test.

 

 

 

 

One of the easiest ways to give yourself a confidence boost is to buy statement make-up. With the ever glamorous red lips being hot right now, and the likes of celebrities such as Rihanna, Cheryl Cole and Misha Barton sporting this season’s look, there is no reason we can’t perfect it too!

Dior manager Mandy Deacon says, “Red lipstick has been a statement of women’s sexuality for centuries. With the first ever red lipstick being brought out by Dior in the 1940s, it is still a big seller today amongst many customers.”

“There is just something about red lipstick that gives women automatic sex appeal and self confidence the minute they apply it. I’ve definitely see the lift in confidence in my customers.”

Mandy says she’d describe red lipstick as sexy, glamorous and eye catching. She says “It’s a great way to glam up any outfit, be it day or night, and make you feel great about yourself.”

Mandy explains how it’s important to choose a shade of red to suit your skin tone:
Pale skin: If you have pale skin, dark and vibrant reds can be draining, so choose a shade with a hint of orange to brighten pale undertones, and soften your complexion.
Medium skin: If you have a medium skin tone, you’re lucky as you can pull off most colours. A vibrant shade looks amazing on medium complexions, so why not try a colour like a post box red.
Olive skin: Olive tones suit most colours too, but reds with depth to them look amazing so be daring and go dark! Deep mahogany and dark reds with purple shades will flatter your tone too.
Black skin: Pick a lipstick that stands out from your skin tone but still compliments, go for a vampy red that is rich in texture. Avoid orange tones which may wash you out, and go for slightly bluish tones instead.
Mandy’s Top Tips for Red Lips
• Keep the rest of your make up subtle when wearing red lipstick, for day time go for natural make-up and for night a soft smoky eye. Don’t over do it though as you don’t want to risk looking tacky!
• There is nothing worse than seeing someone who’s lip colour has run past the edge of her lips. Use lip liner to stop that dreaded bleeding, and apply all over your lip to create a solid base colour.
• Make your lip colour last longer – apply a coat of lipstick, dust loose powder over the mouth (lightly), then re-apply the colour!
• Dot a little concealer or highlighter onto your cupid’s bow, just above your top lip, it will make your lips look fuller.
• What not to do- to much bronzer with red lips is a big no-no. Instead create a flawless base and apply cream blusher, it will make your red lips look classy and avoid tarty.