Words and Wanderings

As the mornings become lighter in Scotland, I've really enjoyed starting my day in bed with a black coffee and a book (usually nonfiction in the mornings!). This week I have been enjoying this excellent collection of writing advice put together by Hattie Crisell.

I hope you enjoyed this week's video, where I chat about what books mean to me and show a few cosy moments working in our local bookshop. After writing this post I'm off to prep for my shift in the bookshop tomorrow!

I hope you're all having a good week, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday with my next video ✨

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Words and Wanderings

We had a sprinkling of sunshine over the weekend, so of course I couldn’t resist taking my notebook and pen outdoors for some writing ☀️

In my latest video I share a little poem I wrote a while ago, inspired by spring sunshine and the quiet magic of our little bookshop in Scotland. I also share my daily struggle to resist buying new books while working there 🙈. Anyone else have an ever-growing TBR list? 😅

I also want to say a huge thank you to you for subscribing (and for watching my videos!). Your support means the world - it’s a very special feeling to put something creative out into the world, and for others to connect so warmly with it too.

Thank you so much for being here, and I look forward to sharing my next tiny film with you on Sunday ✨

*Ps: I have something very exciting to share with you (hopefully soon!). There may be a little hint somewhere in this picture … I’ll leave it here 😁

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Words and Wanderings

Hello from our little cottage in Scotland 👋

I hope you enjoy this week's video where I share a slow day off from the bookshop, wandering the Scottish countryside and writing about the changing seasons 🍁.

I also spent some time painting at my little art desk on my day off, watching the pheasants plucking at the grass outside my window and listening to the river as it carried fallen leaves, and the ends of winter, downstream.

I've recently reentered the world of journalling with watercolour, and on this particular day I decided to take things a step further by making my own paint palette! Here (among the very messy experimentation) you'll see a lovely round of foraged Ash wood, which my husband very kindly carved wells into for the paint, along with my attempt at filling them with my own mixed colours.

Do you enjoy creating too? I'd love to know what you might have been making recently (let me know in the comments!)

This week I've also started a new book, The Secret Life of Trees: How They Live and Why They Matter, by Colin Tudge. I am already captivated by it, finding that I linger beside the trees during my own nature wanderings, contemplating their beauty, their complexity, and their absolute necessity.

Are you reading something at the moment too? I'd love to know what (one of my favourite things about being a bookseller is chatting to customers about books and discovering new titles 📚)

I hope you are doing well this week, thank you so much for joining me on my channel, and I look forward to seeing you next week with a new video 📚 ✨

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 3

Words and Wanderings

Hello there 📚

In my latest video I share a tiny story I have written, about a whimsical wood mouse who lives among the heather. This story popped into my head one day as I was wandering the countryside with our three dogs, and I couldn't wait to scribble it down in my journal. This little mouse also prompted me to pick up my paintbrush and have a play with watercolour, another medium I like to use in my journals (and am still very much learning!).

I must admit, I do love a journal as a platform for experimentation - a sort of uninhibited sanctuary for dreams, ideas and creativity ✨

I'd love to know, do you keep a journal too?

I hope you enjoyed this week's video, and I look forward to sharing the next one with you on Sunday. Take care and have a lovely week 🍁

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3 months ago | [YT] | 1

Words and Wanderings

Hello everyone,

I first stumbled upon this whimsical signpost in the middle of the woods while walking the dogs last year, which still feels really magical every time I come across it. I sometimes imagine, if I pause long enough, that a little rabbit with a waistcoat and pocket watch might just appear!

I wanted to share this little bit of whimsy with you, as a way of welcoming and celebrating 13 subscribers! I am so pleased my tiny films are resonating with you, and it's an absolute pleasure to have you with me as I spend my days wandering the Scottish countryside, writing tales and poetry inspired by the magic of this special place, and being cosied up in our little village bookshop surrounded by stories.

I'm looking forward to posting my next video on Sunday, showcasing more wanderings in the countryside and cosy bookish days 📚. Take care and have a lovely weekend.

Until next time,

Kimberley

4 months ago | [YT] | 2

Words and Wanderings

READING UPDATE 📚

My latest video is up!

This time, I take you along on a very bookish weekend in the countryside. I also share my latest read: Dragonfall by L.R. Lam.

A week later, and this lovely story is off to the charity shop (sooner than I'd hoped, admittedly).

I often find there are two things that keep me tethered to a book: a good story and/or excellent prose. A strong plot helps me push through a poorly written book - and likewise, beautiful writing can carry me through a stale or uninspiring storyline.

Of course, 'good story' and 'good writing' mean very different things to every reader - reading is such a personal experience - so I’m speaking purely from my own perspective here.

The world L.R. Lam creates in Dragonfall felt rich and new. I was especially intrigued by the story’s exploration of gender. Lam's characters felt complex and diverse, and I appreciated the inclusion of a unique language throughout. I sometimes wondered if there were nods to the African continent in the book too, which, of course, I loved.

I really wanted to see how the story would unfold.

However, I revel in rich metaphor and sensory description, and I felt the writing often lacked that essence. I wouldn’t call it ‘badly written’ - far from it - but I needed more from the prose. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it felt like it was missing colour between the words.

That’s why I’ve shelved Dragonfall under my ‘DNF’ category on Goodreads.

That said, from what I did read, I think many readers will find this book an enthralling and exquisite journey - a charming escape into a fresh and diverse world of dragonkind.

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

Words and Wanderings

Hello there lovely community, I hope you enjoy this latest video that will be airing at 4pm today (UK time)😊. 
This will be a gentle, quiet escape into the Scottish countryside near our home, where we truly make the most of the budding Spring season. 

For the next couple of weeks, my family and I are heading up north for some more quiet adventures in the Scottish Highlands. We will be camping on the Isle of Skye and finishing our trip in a beautiful cottage near a salmon river, where I hope to paint lots, read plenty, and bask in the cosy light of a warm campfire. I can't wait to share the scenes from our upcoming trip with you on Youtube.

In the meantime, look after yourself and I'll see you very soon 😊.


I will also be on Instagram, sharing snippets of our trip! @calminthecountryside

Kimberley x

1 year ago | [YT] | 2