One of my favourite things...

...about living on the edge of London, is the enjoyment I gain from an evening stroll by the river.

If I time it right, I'm in for a treat with one of Surbiton's glorious sunsets, enhanced by the serenity of the swans sailing by.

Even if the day has seen its stressful moments, my walk - and the scenery - work as an antidote, setting me back on track towards relaxation.

Appearances can be deceptive...

You probably know by now that I'm keen on healthy eating (with a little naughtiness on the side every now and then)... So, yesterday I discovered a curiosity especially for Hallowe'en: golden raspberries! In spite of the fact that it's November (already, so soon) they're locally (almost) grown by Nick Evans in Sussex and they're the real deal. Raspberries yes, but a little plumper than their more familiar red-dy cousins, the variety is Driscoll Estrella (in case you want to track them down for yourself).

I tested them both on their own and with yogurt - they were full of taste - just a little anaemic in appearance, when compared with what we're used to. I found them at Sainsbury's, where they're known as 'Ghost' raspberries (for Hallowe'en, even though it's now past...) If you want a touch of indulgence, I think they could also work well dropped into a glass of fizz (Champagne, Prosecco or Cava) so that both the golden hue and the taste are enhanced, with an element of surprise thrown in...

On the edge of a smile or grumpy chic...

A funny thing happened to me today...and transformed my mood! The day hadn't started well: all sorts of boringly irritating problems where nothing went smoothly and everything took ten times as long as it should have done. By late afternoon, I eventually dragged myself out of the front door on a gloomy, drizzly day, feeling far from my best...

En route to running some (yawn) errands, I was dashing through the Bentall Centre, when two women came running after me, asking if they could take my photo. I was stunned when they told me it was because I looked "so stylish" as I was feeling seriously scuzzy and more than a touch frazzled. (My 'stylish' outfit consisted of chocolate brown silky combats, a sleeveless brown puffa jacket, mid-pink cardigan and violet-blue velvet scarf). After expressing some doubts and disbelief, I succumbed and let them talk me into being snapped for a weekly magazine (I'll tell you more, if I'm feeling 'brave' enough about revealing the publication, nearer the time)...

My experience illustrates how we (girls) can be our own worst enemy sometimes; confidence is often all-in-the-mind, when we're having a 'bad' day it can really pay to take the time - even just five minutes - to re-adjust our attitude, put things in perspective and replace a scowl with a smile.