Thank you to Spence’s Girl for the Sunshine Blogger Award for Just Midlife.

These were the 11 questions I was asked, so here goes –

What is a fun fact about you, never shared until now on your blog?  I love clothes, all sorts of clothes and have great fun matching and mixing things in my wardrobe.  Most of my clothing is second hand, which I think is really fun.  I love raking through dress agencies and vintage shops to find that special item that you’d never find in a mainstream clothing shop.  I’m the weirdo you see when you’re out and about wearing a heavy tweed jacket over a flimsy floaty dress whilst clomping about in sturdy country boots.

Early riser or night owl?  Definitely early riser.  I’m up before 6 most mornings.  And usually in bed by 9.30.   Well, you can’t burn the candle at both ends, can you?

Glass half-empty or half-full?  My whole life I’ve followed the half-full approach – it’s sort of intrinsically built into me I think.  I reckon I’d be miserable if I was to live my life in half-empty mode.

Who is your favourite author?  Hard one this … I read a lot.  After a lot of deliberation I will say Margaret Atwood.  A hugely entertaining lady, here are a few of her quotes just for good measure –

“Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.”

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

“A word after a word after a word is power.”

What inspires you?  People who have achieved something special, particularly when their achievements benefit other human beings.

Favourite vacation spot?   If abroad – the Greek islands for sure; I love Corfu.  If at home it would have to be Cornwall – it’s such a beautiful part of the world with its craggy cliffs, lovely beaches and delightful towns and villages.

Peanut butter – crunchy or smooth?  Crunchy – at least it’s interesting that way!

If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?  To relax a little more and not worry when things go wrong.  I’ve learned over the years when I’ve found myself in very difficult or dire situations to ask myself a straight up back to basics question – “Is this going to kill me?”  And in every instance, for me at least, the answer has been, “No, this is not going to kill me”.  And I’ve learned that things have a way of working out in time.

Sunrise or sunset?  Well, I adore both, and being a keen taker of pictures, it’s very hard to choose.  I’d have to say sunrise if I had to pick one, as it is the start of each new day, and each one gives us a fresh page and an opportunity to live the following few hours in the best way possible.

Are you a multi-tasker, procrastinator or laser focused?  It depends what it is I’m doing.  Running a business means I have to be focused, and I have to multi-task, to make sure everything gets done.  However, when it comes to family matters, I really can be a procrastinator, and I think it’s because I really, really want to get it right and I worry that I may not, even though my girls are grown up now and the pressure’s off somewhat.  And there are no pre-set rules; as a parent you make up the rules as you go along, and hope you’ve got it right.  I find it harder to make decisions when they affect the people I love.  When it’s work I just crack on, head down, tail up.

What was the last great movie you’ve seen?  Because I read a lot, I spend very little time watching TV or films.  However, Mr Midlife and I did go to a very old traditional cinema to see a Russell Crowe film a while back – The Water Diviner, an Australian historical fictional war drama which I very much enjoyed.