The Girls Night In Tour continues… more write ups and photos to come!

I had a brilliant time in Portlethen. I’m in Perth and Fort William libraries this week (to tempt you: there will be hairstyling tips, beauticians and goody bags as well as the latest Annie Valentine and St Jude’s news).

I’m in Blackpool on October 7th at 12.30 in Blueberries at 101-103 Topping Street. Then you can also come and chat to the author Jane Costello and me at 3.10pm at FYC, 154-8 Church St. It all sounds very exciting. Look forward to seeing you there!

I am touring about the country this month (Click on the ‘Girls Night In Tour’ category for details… maybe you can come!) visiting libraries for fun-packed Girls Night In events.

The first was at Cardonald Library in the South Side of Glasgow. What can I say? These people know how to party! We had food, we had drinkies, goodie bags and there was a whole wonderful pink and black theme going on with ribbons on the chairs, flowers and matching plates and napkins. I turned up in pink and black by co-incidence! It was a fantastic evening. I enjoyed the Q and A bit hugely, especially the spontaneous telling of our worst changing room disasters. It was great fun to read extracts from How Not To Shop and Jealous Girl to such a fabulous audience. Thank you all so much for a brilliant night!

Carlisle was also fantastic! We talked about books, writing, favourite authors, but also shoe shopping! We had chocolate and fudge tasting, lovely ladies from Lush and Clinique on hand and the fabulous Marie from Hoopers, a real live personal shopper, talking us through key looks. Marie is a total Annie fan, so it was brilliant to watch her bring little Valentine touches to her talk. According to Marie, every girl must have a red handbag and a pair of Armani Jeans this season. If you live anywhere near Carlisle, book yourself a session with her, it is probably as close as you will come to an Annie makeover!

Portlethen, Perth, Fort William and Blackpool are next.

I got a message from a lovely 15 year old girl called Fabvinne who is an amazing 6’2”. We had a few email exchanges about being so tall when you’re a teenager and how to cope with it.

I was about 6’ at 15 and went on to grow another inch! People always assume you’re delighted to be tall, but in my experience it can take time to grow into your height. I was definitely a tall introvert when I was young, so I was always trying to disguise myself with flat shoes and lots of black.

OK, my top tall tips… posture, posture, posture. I know, you don’t want to hear this, especially if your Mum’s been nagging since you were small, but tall people tend to slouch and if, like me, you’ve got boobs, you might be tempted to slouch even more. Ballet or yoga are definitely the answer. I did a yoga class every week for two years in my 20s and it changed my back completely. Now people compliment me on my posture! Sitting up straight comes naturally (shock!) I definitely think it looks better. Walking tall is the way to go, even if you are a foot taller than everyone else around.

If you are a tall person who loves heels: great, fantastic, go for it! Personally, I don’t really need the extra two inches. I feel freakish. I bump my head on doorways. I like one inch at the most. But my flat shoes must be pointy, this looks best on big feet.

Above the knee skirts and tight trousers, yes, I like. If you have 36 inches of leg, you might as well flaunt it. I never wear long dresses, because I look like a column. Even long, for me, ends well above the ankle.

Don’t get me started on finding trousers long enough. Only really Top Shop Tall and Long Tall Sally do them long enough. Most men’s trousers are sold un-hemmed and I am kind of outraged that this can’t be done for women’s trousers too. In fact, men’s jackets and men’s shirts often come in short, regular and long. Why not ours?!

I do use an alterations service to make jacket and coat sleeves long enough and I buy blouses with men’s style double cuffs and wear them unfolded, a good way to get a long enough sleeve.

My favourite tall shops not yet mentioned: Mango clothes are long enough in the sleeve and the body, Hobbs have tiny clothes but a great selection of size 8 and 9 shoes, I also like Uniqlo and Banana Republic. Then there are posh clothes. It does sadly seem to be that the bigger the price tag, the longer things are.

Now just a little advice on shorter men… when I first set eyes on my husband what went through my mind was: ‘cute but too short’ so I risked ruling him out – which would have been a very bad thing! If he stands very, very straight, he’s almost 5’10” but he loves the fact that I’m taller than him, so I don’t slouch, stand on one hip, lean sideways or try to appear smaller in his company.

Stand tall and learn to love your height!

As a former English Lit student, how proud was I to get this email?!

Dear Carmen,

I chose English literature as my subject, and my topic is a bit complicated: How has the portrayal of London changed in English Literature from the 19th till the 21st century, especially in the eye of Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist, Virginia Woolf: Mrs Dalloway and Carmen Reid: The Personal Shopper?

I am honoured!

Many of you lovely people have been dropping me a line to say how much you’re enjoying catching up with Annie again in How Not To Shop. Here are just a couple of messages.

Carmen…….just finished reading “Did the Earth Move?”, I have read all your others as well…..I must say, they are brilliant. The characters seem to weave their way into my psyche all day long until I can pick up the book again and see what is actually happening. I hate for them to end, like losing a friend. Write faster! I will be going through withdrawal! Mary R.S.

I have just come back from a week’s holiday in Scotland and although the weather was wet and windy I loved it. mainly because i spent the week reading first “the personal shopper” and then I rushed to Aberdeen to buy “late night shopping” i finished them both and am now a HUGE fan and can’t wait to read more. Thank you for making my holiday so fantastic i literally couldn’t put the books down. Thank you Heather x

(Heather, trust me, I felt your rain pain. I always tell people to holiday in Scotland in May, June or September. That’s when we get our good weather. July/ August is monsoon season on the west coast!)