FRIDAY'S ARE FOR ....

Villa Clementina

Dreaming of weekends away in tranquil locations such as the above...

And on that note and a splurge of spontaneity I booked a flight to visit a friend in the South of France in August for a long weekend of countryside bliss and hopefully some sun and sea and sand!  Oh and did I mention there will be wine too...?

I am rather looking forward to a lovely girly weekend lined-up: 

Saturday I am going for my 6 monthly dry-(hair)-cut outing with my gorgeous friend Gabby, followed by afternoon tea at BB's bakery.  And Sunday morning my darling friend Marie is coming over for some Qi Gong in the garden, followed by brunch and some girly chitter chatter!  Oh the bliss of all of this!

Are you doing anything nice?  Whatever it may be, have a lovely and inspired weekend you all

x

Image via Pinterest

FORMOSA ECOLOGY TEA GIFT SET

 

Having just brewed a nice and potent cup of 'bulletproof coffee' to kickstart my day; I stumbled upon this beautifully designed gift tea set.  And somehow my super strong coconut coffee slightly lost its flavour....

The Dieline had this to say:  "Victor Branding Design Corp created a simple yet illustrative package design for Pin Shiang Tea Co., Ltd.'s Formosa Ecology Tea Gift Set. "The packaging design of this fine Taiwanese tea collection not only invites to enjoy a cup of tea, it furthermore communicates the necessity for the protection of certain species. The front of each tea package shows an endangered animal, most of which are endemic to Taiwan.

The charming illustrations have an emotional appeal and call for responsibility towards nature. In this context, the design also points out the importance of sustainable tea production and motivates customers to buy the gift box containing three varieties of tea."

Would love to sell this in my 'once upon a time' shop one day!  Can we not do something similar for the dwindling Rhinoceros and Elephant herds of Southern Africa? 

Image first spotted via Pinterest

Text via thedieline

OUTDOOR INSPIRATION

The Design Files Open House as captured by Megan Morton

UID Architects

Found on greenhavendesigns.blogspot.com

Found on apartmenttherapy.com

Found on fashionmenow.blogspot.com

And now for some lush and lovely outdoor inspiration - I for one can certainly do with a few days of quiet contemplating hanging in this hammock by the pool....  

Our garden needs a bit of an overhaul - I spent most of Sunday morning doing some much needed trimming and tidying up - it looks heaps better already, but there's still so much to do.  A nice way to spend some time though, and being outdoors is so good for the soul; instant therapy!

Hope you made it through today, and wishing you all an inspired and inspiring rest of week  x

Images via Pinterest

BREATHE IT ALL OUT

I need some inspiration, I need some direction and I need a new purpose... but where does one start?

Have you ever felt like that?  Well this is exactly where I am - smack bang in the middle of 'uninspired-land' and its a very foreign place for me to have my mind wonder into that dark abyss.  Drifting drifting deeper into the dark....

So before I get pulled any further into that dark unknown place - I will try to stop myself, take a deep breath in, close my eyes and then just breath it all out.  When I feel like this, I know that I need to just be still, take some time out, don't fight against whatever it is that is happening; and at the same time, I must not allow that this phase take away my inner joy.  Always always always hold on to the joy, because there is so much to be grateful for, so much to still make you smile; even in the midst of a mini mental melt-down.  

When I feel like this, I normally imagine myself in a little rowing boat in the middle of lake or sometimes in the middle of the ocean; and instead of rowing madly for the shore - I just lie down on my back and look up at the clouds in the skies and drift gently to wherever the streams or waves will wash me next.  This imaginary place often helps to calm my mind ever so gently, so I guess that's exactly where I'll be heading next....

If you sometimes also feel like this, try to find an image or create your own beautiful place of calm and still - and whenever your mind starts to wonder or pull you into a thousand different directions, go to that place of calm and still; imagine the sounds around you, imagine the feeling of a soft breeze on your skin,  a sudden splash; and slowly you will unknowingly gather your thoughts and your courage and gently pull your mind back from it's wonderings ....

And once you're back in a good place again, be good to yourself, and be gentle with yourself; but start doing something,  start making lists - look at the things that need to change in your life,  get a new routine into place,  un-clutter your space, do something nice just for you.... just take one day at a time

And always remember - you are not alone ... 

and always remember - you will pull through this ...

and always remember - things somehow always work out in the end...

I truly believe they do

x

Images via Pinterest

ALL SHE WANTED ... TAPIWA MUGABE

Image via Pinterest

OLA JUNE!

June.... the month of long evenings and early sunrises and al fresco dining and bbq's and picnics in the park!

Oh how we've missed you!

Hoping your arrival will also bring lots of sunshine and no more rain pretty please?

Some summertime inspiration from pinterest.  Was chatting to a friend just the other day, and shared what my ideal summer would be like.  He said 'Darling, you want it all?!  Yes dear, I want it all!!'

Summertime in London can be darn good too - perhaps not quite the hammocks and sandy shores I have in mind, but I will find myself a lush and lovely spot of summer in London this June!  And if I'm lucky, I may just  be able to sneak in a little seaside trip, switch off the phone, soak in some sunny rays and take some time to just breathe and be and enjoy ....  

What are your plans for summer?

Images via my summertime