SLIPPERS & SKATES: Defying Gravity On Ice

Today I went to see the Christmas ice dance show at my local ice rink, where I used to skate. They put on a new show every December and I have been to a few of them, but I think that the performance I watched today is the best one they have ever done. It is called Defying Gravity and it is an amalgamation of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked and Wicked for Good, all with a festive twist.

As soon as I walked into the rink I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. It was so nice to be back there again. It is a place that is very familiar to me, and it used to be a source of comfort and relaxation. I haven't skated in quite a while and today just served to remind me of how much I miss it. I miss the glide. I miss the whisper of the blades. I miss the smell of the ice as it welcomes you in. I miss all of it, so it was lovely to be back there again, watching some very talented young skaters bring an epic story to life on the ice. 

The costumes were amazing - some were very similar to those in the films, especially Glinda's beautiful pink gowns! They were just stunning and it was clear that a lot of hard work had gone into making this performance as true to the original source material as possible, while still making it viable for skating.  They had three different skaters dancing the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba, I suppose because it might have been too much for one skater to be constantly on the ice, and this way more girls got a chance at skating these iconic characters. 

The chorus line was made up of skaters of all ages, from the tiniest little tots to adults, all in bedazzling costumes, skating their hearts out for a full house. Some of the costumes had lights on them, others had LED butterfly wings that flashed in bright colours. It was a feast for the eyes! Ariana's voice belted across the rink as the skaters danced their numbers to the movie soundtracks and it was simply spectacular. I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire performance.

They mixed in pop music such as Kylie and Katy Perry and lots and lots of Christmas songs as the skaters wore festive red costumes with white faux fur trim, enjoying Christmas in the Emerald City. I think my favourite aspects of the show were the scenes recreated from the movies - We're Off To See The Wizard, What Is This Feeling, Popular, Dancing Through Life, Changed For Good, Girl In The Bubble and of course, Defying Gravity.  I also liked the cheeky chair dance the Shiz schoolgirls did to the classic Pussycat Dolls song, Buttons, at their first sight of Prince Fiyero - that made me giggle because we've all been bowled over by a mad crush at a young age! It was a fun and flirty dance, aimed at getting Fiyero's attention. 

It was a lovely show, with some very graceful performances. Many of the skaters are medal winners and champions, so you get to enjoy top class figure skating for a fraction of the usual ticket price. It would cost twice as much to see Disney on Ice, and probably even more for professional figure skating championship tickets, so a trip to the local ice rink is great value for money. And they work so hard on these shows all year long, adapting popular fairytales, movies and books into viable ice dance shows, creating choreography, rehearsing, making costumes and scenery etc, it would be such a shame to miss it. 

I'm certainly very glad I went to see the show today. It was beautiful and full of fairytale magic. It was the perfect start to the festive season. Most ice rinks have some kind of event on over the Christmas period, so see what your own local rink has to offer this month. Who knows, you might even be inspired to take up ice skating as a new hobby in 2026. 

I'm certainly considering dusting off my own pretty figure skates and legwarmers! But that will be later on next year, as I have new books to write first of all.  In the meantime, I'm going to make a hot chocolate and watch one of my skating films - I think an Ice Princess and Ice Castles double bill might be on the cards tonight. 

Happy skating!

Marie x

 

WRITER'S DREAM: My Anxiety Relief Card Deck!

 

"Most of all, bear in mind that today can be a great day, tomorrow is a better day and that all shall be well in the future."

On the 1st of November my Anxiety Relief Toolkit was published. However, I have been so busy this month that I haven't had a chance to post about it until now.  This was one of those commissioned projects that made me think "Yes! My editor just gets me and she knows the direction I'm heading with my writing!"  This is my very first full length project that is pure psychology - so no witchery! As such it is being published under my first name of Jacqueline Bruce, which is my second author brand for all my psychology work. 

When my editor first asked me to write a book on overcoming anxiety, I was very excited. Then when she asked if we could possibly make it a card deck, I jumped at the chance and couldn't wait to get writing the book and creating the cards! I had so many ideas, not just in terms of content, but in terms of the overall look of the kit, so I quickly fired an email right back to her, suggesting colours, imagery, themes etc., which she then passed on to the design team.

Anxiety is so debilitating to those who suffer from it, so I wanted my kit to be a safe space for them to turn to. I wanted soft, pastel shades of pink, baby blue, lemon, peach, lilac and pistachio green. I wanted beautiful watercolour artwork and imagery such as butterflies, gliding swans, flying birds, clouds, mountains, trees, leaves, lions and soft beachy waves. So basically, I wanted pretty Laduree colours and soft watercolour images inspired by nature! 

My main goal was to make the kit visually soothing, calming the reader from the moment they opened up the box. I wanted it to be a pretty little toolkit of psychological medicine - I am a psychotherapist after all, so calming and soothing people is just what I do. I'm delighted to say that the team have done everything I asked for and the final book and card deck is so soft and dreamy, with imagery that blossoms across the page and blooms on the cards. It's simply beautiful and I'm so happy with how it turned out. 

The 50 cards are flashcards that act as little prompts and reminders, and which can be used singularly or in conjunction with one another to build up a calming ritual.  I have split the deck into five categories: Affirmations, Self-Soothing, Trigger-Calming, Journal Prompts and Self-Nurturing, making it easier for readers to access the kind of cards they need most at any given moment of crisis, overwhelm or anxiety. Each card describes a psychotherapy based technique and is designed to help readers overcome anxious feelings or bring someone down from the psychological ledge! 

The book is packed with psychological techniques and information, based on my experience of working with clients in practice as a psychotherapist. Like the cards, it is beautifully illustrated with soft watercolour themes inspired by nature, but which also speak of freedom, flight, transformation, strength, grace, gentleness, rebirth and resilience. I put so much thought into how this kit would make readers feel - I wanted it to be like a warm hug from a good friend, a soft space they can land on when life is rough, a soothing experience when the road gets a little bumpy, as roads are wont to do at times. 

In addition, I felt that the cards should be a meditative experience in and of themselves, a beautiful antidote to doom scrolling! I wrote this project so that the cards are their own tool, one you can carry in your bag or pocket if you want to. They don't simply repeat the information I share in the book - that would be pointless. Instead, they each hold a kernel of  psychotherapy wisdom, with tips that can help you to feel better immediately. This meant that I managed to carve out greater word space to tackle more complex issues in the book, by offering more psychology techniques in the flashcards. It also means that when you're not in the mood for reading a book, say because you are feeling overwhelmed, you can pick out a couple of the flashcards and engage with this short form content instead. So simple. So soothing. So easy. And sooo pretty!! 

I was writing this book and card deck back in December/January time and it was a lovely writing experience. I was curled up by the Christmas tree writing away in the glow of the fairy lights, wishing only that the published work would find its way to those people who need it most. I feel such a strong sense of achievement when I am writing my psychotherapy projects. I spent years training, volunteering and working with clients, so to be able to share what I know through my published writing is an honour and a privilege. But then, that was the plan all along. 

I genuinely believe that The Anxiety Relief Toolkit is one of the most important projects I have ever written, because it will help people in a very practical way, and much like my book, The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care, this book and card deck will guide people through hard times in a very soft and gentle way. It would also work well alongside my I Am Grateful Journal that was published earlier this year. 

Life can be tough, we all have challenges and difficulties to face, and everyone is struggling with something. This kit encourages softness as well as growth, surrender as well as strength, calm as well as courage and dreams as well as determination. 

It was a joy to write and to create these cards for you. I hope that it will prove helpful to all those who might be struggling, now and in the future.  And watch this space, because I have already written a second psychotherapy card deck too, as a companion to this one, so that will be out some time in 2026! Exciting times!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This post promotes my own work, which is published as Jacqueline Bruce. 

The Anxiety Relief Toolkit by Jacqueline Bruce is out now in the UK. It is published on 3rd March 2026 in the USA. 

I Am Grateful: A Workbook to Beat Anxiety & Stress by Jacqueline Bruce is available now.

A Wiccan Guide to Self-Care by Marie Bruce is also available now. 

 

ONCE UPON A DREAM: Ant Middleton Unscripted Tour

 

It is after 11pm and I have just returned home from the Ant Middleton Live and Unscripted Tour.  This was my main birthday outing and I have been looking forward to it for months. Its the third time I have attended one of his seminar tours and I find them so interesting and inspiring. Tonight was no different.

It was a cold evening, so I got all bundled up in my long pink faux fur coat and headed into the city centre.  Once sitting in the theatre with a cosy drink, I settled back and waited for Ant to come along and work his SAS magic on me.  As usual the audience was mostly male, with lots of ex-military men who always shout out in response to Ant's questions such as 'Do we have any Marines in tonight? Any Para's?' and so on. It is generally clear that the bulk of Ant's audience is always men from the armed forces, and I do feel a little out of place, but I like the seminars so much, that its not enough to put me off. And if you're going to be surrounded by men, I'd much rather they were the highly disciplined sort! The man sitting next to me was called Greg and he had served in the Royal Marines. I got talking to him in the interval and he seemed like a nice chap. He was very attentive to me and my mother, making sure that we could see okay because we are petite and discussing Ant's books with me. I love a man who can talk books! So that was nice.

Ant was his usual opinionated self, warning people at the outset that there is nothing WOKE or politically correct about his shows. He often just says what a lot of us are thinking - like why is the British flag suddenly being taken down by police for 'inciting violence' and yet our soldiers are still expected to die violently for it? And why isn't the safety of British women and girls being taken more seriously by our own government? That said, this was not a political rally of any kind. It was simply a seminar where Ant spoke about his adventures as an explorer, mountaineer and soldier. 

I really enjoy hearing his stories, especially the military ones. He is an interesting speaker and his interactions with the audience can spiral into the hilarious at times. On this tour he did mini bootcamps, where he invited volunteers up on stage with him and proceeded to train them in the art of the perfect push up. Needless to say, I did not volunteer - I can't do any kind of push up, let alone a perfect one! I'd like to say its because my wrists are still weak, but the truth is I have never been able to do a single push up and its one of the things my Scots boys used to laugh at me for! The next task was even harder and Ant put volunteers into pairs and told them to stand back to back and link arms. Then they had to sit down and stand up on command, keeping their arms linked! It was very funny, as people struggled to get off the ground or fell over completely! 

I also enjoyed hearing about his plans to climb Mount Everest for the second time. He's going to do that next spring apparently. The phrase 'glutton for punishment' does spring to mind when he talks of all the risky things he's done and plans to do, but I guess he's just one of those people who need to push themselves constantly to be happy. Its not a lifestyle I would enjoy though - I'm far too bookish! 

The main thing I go to Ant's shows for is his motivational mentorship and good humour.  After the tough couple of years I've had with the accident last spring and then all the flashbacks of the hospital this year, I really needed a decent pep talk to get me feeling motivated and optimistic again and Ant Middleton has provided that in spades for me tonight. Its the reason I buy his tickets and books - because I know that they will act as a bit of a spring clean for my mind. He makes me feel like I can do practically anything if I put my mind to it - except climb Everest! I'll leave that to the experts. 

It has been a lovely seminar and I have enjoyed Ant's stories and banter. It was a lot of fun and I'm really glad I chose this as my main birthday outing. I went to see Wicked For Good on my birthday (it was brilliant!), but tonight was the main event and I enjoyed it so much.  Sadly there were no books or programmes on sale this time, but I have all his military self-help books so I'll probably re-read one of those. 

Ant Middleton's Live and Unscripted Tour is running until January 2026, so you might still be able to get tickets if you'd like to see him. Or you could always watch one of his TV shows. I liked Channel 4's Mutiny the best, where he recreates the sea voyage of Captain Bligh from Mutiny on the Bounty. Then of course there are all his excellent self-help books, so even if you can't get to the tour, you can still enjoy Ant's motivational work. 

I certainly had fun tonight. It was a lovely end to a prolonged birthday weekend and now I'm looking forward to the festive season!

Blessed be

Marie x

IVORY TOWER: Pink Shimmer Bedroom!

 

For the past few weeks I have been up to my eyes in wallpaper and paint, redecorating my bedroom and giving it a bit of a makeover. My inspiration was the series of background art images I purchased for my blog, pictured above and the Elven ambient video you can watch here - I love the soft pink world they portray, with roses and doves, books and candles. Its the kind of world I dream of. As a girl, I always had a pink bedroom, but as I grew older my tastes changed slightly, so I have been in the process of turning my deep royal purple room into a shimmering shade of light pink. This was much harder than I thought it would be and it took twice as long as I imagined!

I told my editor that I would be unavailable for the month of October, as I knew if I didn't book the time in to do it, it would never get done. I spent a while packing down all my belongings; clothes, makeup, perfumes, pictures, books etc;  I moved furniture to other rooms and then made a start in October. The room was finally finished at the weekend and I couldn't be happier with the result. It was very hard work and I'm pretty tired out by it, but it was well worth the effort. 

I wanted the room to be soft pink, but I also wanted it to glimmer, like my kitchen and hallway that I redecorated last autumn. They glow in the light and I wanted a similar effect in my bedroom. I chose a beautiful pink wallpaper that has a subtle shimmer in it and we covered every wall. Before, when the room was royal purple, it hugged you as you walked in - like a dark sanctuary. Now it feels like stepping into another realm - one of bright romance and optimism. The walls gleam and glimmer like starlight and when the sun comes in, the whole room lights up with a shimmering rosy glow. I have lots of chiffon and sparkly butterflies dotted around the room, and of course, my swan queens and unicorns. It wouldn't be my room without enchanted swans and magical horses!

I went all out and bought new crushed velvet curtains and bedspread in a soft blush pink, with new golden curtain poles to replace the old ones that had seen better days. I replaced the tired chrome knobs on a cupboard with sparkling new rose gold ones, and put up rose gold hooks for my dressing gowns. I painted the faded gold leaf accents on the bedstead in golden metal paint and I used leftover wallpaper to place new backing behind all my Pre-Raphaelite prints, so that they blend nicely into the pink walls. This makes the actual artwork stand out even more and it looks much nicer than the standard white background such prints usually come with.  I added iridescent bead curtains and pretty butterfly faceted crystal suncatchers to the windows, which make dainty rainbows dance around the room. My old a-ha framed posters were also given a makeover with a coat of sparkling glitter paint (because everything can be improved with a bit of shimmer!) and a few decoupage butterflies glued to the frames. My pretty Viking boys in pretty frames! They look so cute - I'm in love!

I found a hack on You Tube to turn your TV into a golden framed TV with a bit of inexpensive tape, so I did that too and I'm amazed at how well it turned out! My TV now looks like it has a rose gold frame and it looks so nice, I think I will do the TV in the lounge too.  I also got a new picture of glittering roses, which is just lovely. This room was quite a big project and I'd been putting it off for that very reason, but now its all finished, I'm so glad I did it. 

It's my birthday this week and so this room makeover is my birthday present to myself.  There are a couple of things I still need to do - I plan to place faux winter rose vines by the window frame, and hang a few sparkling crowns on the wall by the wardrobe, but I'm still waiting for those to arrive. I also need to spray paint the briar rose candle sconces I have as they are looking a bit worse for wear after all these years, so I'm going to give them a new lease of life with a coat of shimmering rose gold spray paint.  My mother also bought me a tall CD tower in white and a pink rug with roses on it for my birthday, so they are in place too. All in all it has come together quite well and I'm so pleased with how the room looks. 

I am very influenced by my surroundings and my mood is better when I am in a pretty place. I guess its the truth behind the saying 'tidy house, tidy mind'. That has always been true for me. I stayed at my mum's house while I decorated because I just wouldn't have been able to sleep amid so much chaos. Even now, there are all the boxes to unpack and things to organise and put away, but I can do that a box at a time. It will take a little while, but its a good excuse for a declutter and a reorganise, so I'm happy to do it. I'll probably just get everything squared away and it will be time to deck the halls for Yuletide!

For the most part the room is finished and I love the rosy glow it has. It looks pretty in all kinds of light, from sunlight to lamplight to candlelight - it simply shimmers! It feels very magical and it has renewed my own sense of enchantment. Everything sparkles and that sparks joy in me too. The room nurtures me and makes me feel like anything is possible once again. I had lost my sense of possibility I think, but now its back and with it a renewed optimism. 

Because I work from home I spend nearly all my time here, so I need my home to be as beautiful as I can make it. Transforming my bedroom was probably the best birthday present I could have given myself as it has really boosted my mood. Its just so pretty and I feel more like myself now that I have a pink bedroom again. Its a beautiful, glimmering, enchanting space to escape to when the world gets too much and I just need to retreat into a soft, peaceful space. 

My goal was to try and recreate the pink artwork of my blog background to the best of my ability - looking around my room I'd say that I have achieved that. This is still a magical room, but it is now much softer and more feminine, so it reflects the essence of my personality more accurately. With the dominant purple stripped away and replaced with the much softer pink, the room feels more fey than witchy, more enchanting, yet still quite regal in its own way.  It was hard work and time consuming, but the subsequent rosy glow has made it all worth while in the end and it feels like life is coming up roses again. Now all I need is an Elven Prince to charm me with his forever love... a girl can dream!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

BOOK NOOK: East of the Sun, West of the Moon by Jackie Morris

"So you are the one that should have had him. You are the one he waited for all those years and now he waits again. I hoped it was you when I found you in the woods, and wearing the necklace and all." 

The Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon is one of my favourites and this novella version by the artist and illustrator, Jackie Morris, is a beautiful retelling. I have been dipping into it as I spent the last few weeks decorating my bedroom, and after long days up to my eyes in wallpaper and paint, reading a chapter or two each night has been the perfect way to unwind. The book sweeps you away to a cold Nordic landscape from the opening pages and it holds you fast in its grip until the very end.

Similar to Jackie Morris's other books, such as The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow, it is lavishly illustrated with beautiful watercolour images that dream into one another, lending an even greater sense of enchantment to an already magical fairytale.  It is a beautiful hardback book, with a slim ribbon bookmark attached and the image of a polar bear embossed in gold on the cover. I do love polar bears! 

In this story, a great white bear comes in the night and asks a young girl to spend a year and day with him at his castle in the far northern mountains. She agrees and soon learns to love the bear, though she suspects that he might be keeping secrets from her. When she learns what his secret is, the bear disappears and she is left bereft. Determined to find him, she embarks on a snowy adventure, seeking out the enchanted castle that lies East of the Sun, West of the Moon, where her beloved is being held captive. 

This retelling is told in a very traditional way, with all the usual tropes of a classic fairytale - there are three gifts, three magical sisters, seemingly impossible tasks, glamour magic, a seductive Trickster and elemental helpers. The tale whisks the reader along from quiet, gentle woodlands and through desert storms, culminating in a land of ice and snow at the very top of the world, where the bear-prince sleeps alone in his tower as he awaits his rescuing maiden. 

It is a stunning book and a very pretty retelling of a charming Nordic fairytale. The illustrations add to the atmosphere of the story, with polar bears aplenty, rich woodlands and snowscapes all brought to life with the expert stroke of the artist's brush. I especially like the Queen of the White Bears scene, with the Northern Lights in the background, its so pretty.  There is a twist at the end, and while personally I would have preferred a more traditional ending, this new ending is more in keeping with a modern reading audience. It is a nice ending, but I would have liked the original better and found it more satisfying, I think.

Having said that, East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a very charming book, with both the prose and images living up to the high expectations readers have for Morris's work. Its a lovely story to read as the darkness gathers and the nights draw in. The snowy setting makes it a perfect winter read in the run up to the festive season. It's like a polar bear hug in a book! And who wouldn't love to be friends with a polar bear? I know I would - I could do with a bear-hug! Enjoy.

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book is about to be re-released on 24th November 2025 and is up for Pre-Order now in hard cover format. 

BOOK NOOK: The Witching Hour

 " 'A general reading, then,' said Noelle, beginning the shuffle with more vigour than she meant, 'will reveal to you an insight into your past, present and future. It shall serve to help you understand the aspects of your life as it stands, and reveal to you the consequences of your intentions or actions. Will this suffice?' "

from A Midnight Visitor by Susan Stokes-Chapman

The Witching Hour: Ghostly Tales for the Darkest Nights is the third seasonal anthology of ghost stories to be published by Little, Brown Book Group, following on from The Haunting Season (2022) and The Winter Spirits (2023).  These collections have become firm favourites of mine for the dark season and this new edition is no exception. It features many of the same authors, including Bridget Collins, Natasha Pulley, Jess Kidd and Kiran Millwood Hargrave, to name a few, so you can be sure of the masterful storytelling contained within the beautiful covers of the book.

As the title suggests, the thirteen spooky tales in this particular anthology are all built upon the central theme of the midnight hour, when anything can happen and strange spirits come out to play. Each tale is complete in itself and together they create an atmospheric and macabre reading experience. The tone is traditional, akin to that of M R James, although the authors are all modern masters of the Gothic genre. 

In this anthology you will find a haunted dolls' house, a vengeful curse, teenage friends who refuse to be parted by death, a couple of modern ghost hunters and much more. Some of my particular favourites are The Signal Bells by Natasha Pulley which has a spooky fey slant (I would have accepted the invitation too!), The Midnight Visitor by Susan Stokes-Chapman in which a tarot reading goes awry, Feast by Kiran Milwood Hargrave where a midnight feast at a girl's boarding school has deadly consequences, and Macaw by Catriona Ward because it is narrated by an all-seeing parrot! I also very much enjoyed The Terror By Night by Bridget Collins for its dark academia vibes, and Dr Thrales Notebook by Michelle Paver which is set in snowy Norway and has macabre Frankensteinian elements to it. 

All in all, this is another fantastic anthology of ghost stories, just perfect for the dark winter nights.  The publication of these anthologies is something that lots of bookworms look forward to each autumn, and this new edition definitely lives up to the hype created by the first two volumes in the series.  I also like that the tales within The Witching Hour are all based around the same midnight theme, yet the stories are completely individual and unique. It is a companion volume that is certainly worth adding to the collection and the three books look stunning sitting together on a spooky bookshelf.  So dim the lights, burn a candle, curl up with this latest ghostly offering and wait for the clock to strike... Enjoy The Witching Hour!

Happy Hauntings!

Marie x

AD: This book was published by Little, Brown Book group on 16th October 2025 and it is available in hardcover, digital and audio formats. 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Happy Birthday, Mr Scorpio!

 I'm a Scorpio, yeah the sexy jealous kind,

You had me when you said hi...Hi!

I'm feeling fireflies - oh my oh my!

It takes one to know one, so Happy Birthday, Mr Scorpio!

Love always, mo caraid, 

Marie

xxx