HANDMADE CERAMIC JEWELLERY DISH - AN URBAN VILLAGE CERAMICS

I honestly forgot how much I loved to blog - to find something inspirational online and to share that out into the world.  I guess life got a little bit busy back then as I got more and more into my creative flow of creating things out of clay.  I took my first course at Turning Earth way back when in the Spring of 2017 when they just opened their new studio in Walthamstow.... and it truly has been the best gift I could have ever granted myself.

Fast forward to 2023 - and I am still in awe of the magic - and the alchemy that can bring something so modest completely to life. 

This is a one of a kind jewellery dish I made towards the end of last year - it has a beautiful Belgian lace imprint and hand carved edge detailing.  The glaze is absolutely dreamy and I almost wanted to keep this little dish for myself.

But - if you are lucky enough to head on over to my Etsy shop 'An Urban Village Co' today you might find this beauty still available for one lucky shopper and keeper of magical things to be.

The necklace is from a gorgeous South African sustainable jeweller called 'Soul Design Jewellery' - I choose 'Love' to be imprinted onto the one side of the disk and 'Bali' on the other.  

If you would like to follow my ceramics journey on Instagram - you'll find me here 'AnUrbanVillage_Ceramics' - do say hello and I'm excited to have you follow along with me

Much love always

Lindé x

BALI TRAVELS - MY BEAUTIFUL STAY AT VILLA KUBU - 2015

I just stumbled upon this post - unpublished... from 2015 - my first visit to Bali .... so let me share this experience with you anew.....

It was only a couple of months ago that I stumbled upon Villa Kubu a luxury villa complex in Seminyak, Bali... I wrote a little blog post here, but little did I know at the time, that a few months later I'll have the opportunity to stay at Villa Kubu.  And even now as I'm writing this post I am a little bit overcome by just how wonderful this life can be in the here and the now.

So here we go.... I'll paint the picture.... I'm sat on a comfy lounger by the pool, my breakfast arrived a little while ago and I have the soft and soothing sounds of sweeping and birds chirping and co cooing in the trees.... The water is stirring invitingly and I realize with a very grateful heart that I have found paradise.... thank you

The morning had come and gone and I've been for a little wonder.  Back now at my little paradise villa and am relaxing by the pool.  Feeling peaceful and calm and just enjoying the gentle passing of time.  

Book your beautiful stay at Villa Kubu - this is Villa 11 

VILLA KUBU SEMINYAK: DESIGNED BY DEE MYTTON - BALI TRAVELS 2016

As the first month of the new year is already in full swing - I do what I normally to best this time of year.... revisit my past travels and starting to plan the next big trip!  As you all may or may not know - I LOVE BALI - absolutely truly badly deeply - so join me on this trip down memory lane - my recent visit to Villa Kubu - my favourite luxury stay on that beautiful magical isle.... I wrote a little blogpost especially for them which you are welcome to read here at the Villa Kubu Blog

Photo:  Lindé Davies

I wanted to share some of the reasons why I keep returning here, to Villa Kubu - even though there are so many other amazing villas and resorts to choose from in Bali... and I do get to see a fair bit of those too.

But Villa Kubu is somehow just one of those beautifully understated yet wonderfully luxurious tropical villa resorts that have been around for a while - a good 16 years to be exact - but still feels contemporary and very much on trend - and a place that really draws you back time and time again.   

My first stay here was also the very first time I visited Bali in 2015 - a bit of a late Bali bloomer I must admit, and yet I won't have it any other way.  I stayed at an amazing villa towards the end of the lane, one of the last villas - but somehow also one of the most beautiful, I thought back then ... My stay at Villa 11 was quite out of this worldly .... a true luxury villa with a beautiful private pool and perfectly landscaped gardens.   Koi ponds and big stepping stones and nature sounds all round.  The bathroom is open-air and has that jungle feel - fabulous lava-stone jacuzzi overlooks yet another koi pond with the water gently streaming down the stone wall surrounding this idyllic bathroom space. 

And yet - when you arrive at your home sweet home away from home, and you close the heavy wooden gate behind you - you truly feel like you are home just a little bit more beautiful, a touch more tropical and a whole lot more luxurious! 

Even though nestled somehow in the hart of hustling bustling Seminyak - driving down the lane as you make your way towards the entrance of this lush and tranquil resort - you somehow beautifully forget the rush and business where you have just come from and you enter a haven, a peaceful retreat, a tropical paradise…

So last year I stayed at Villa 7 - and I must admit I had a moment of absolute wow - can this be even more beautiful, more luxurious and more perfect than my previous stay?  Oh yes it can!  The design and layout is so unique and stylish, it felt a tad more traditional somehow which I loved, but still very much contemporary and tropical.  You enter through an antique Javanese gate into a little tiny outdoor lobby I would say - and then from there you step into your lush tropical garden - sweeping all the way along the left and around to the back of the villa. To your right a perfectly cut lawn and a couple of frangipani's that have fallen to the ground throughout the day - their beautiful fragrance sometimes still linger in the air.  And then the curved private pool, inviting and cool just waiting for you to take your first splash or gently wade in, whichever you prefer .... and a wonderful traditional bale towards the back overlooking this lush tropical paradise await.  Here you can relax and enjoy just being present in the moment,  or as I found a very good spot for a delicious breakfast, which can be served at your villa or enjoyed at the Oasis restaurant onsite and just a few steps down the lane.  I had the Eggs Benedict both days - somehow breakfast outdoors in these surroundings are what makes trips and travels just ever so much more special if you are being served overlooking your own little piece of paradise (for a few days)  And it was off course 5 stars all-round!

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies 

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies

The Spa Venues was just across the way from my villa and my dreamy treatment really sent me off into a very deep and relaxed state - I was floating for the rest of the day, my body felt renewed and my skin super soft for days.  The concierge and staff at Villa Kubu are always very friendly yet remain professional and whenever I left the grounds the security guard always said hello, and asked what my plans were for the day.  It didn't feel intrusive at all, but sincerely interested in where I was heading out to.  I never went very far mind you.   He saved me from a very long detour one afternoon and I'm happy that I took the time to say a little hello on my way.

My next trip to Bali I am planning to take my mum - I cannot wait to share all the magic all the wonder, and all the beauty of the island, it's people - the customs and traditions, the culture - and beautiful places like this one, like Villa Kubu - with her....

I'm sharing also a handy link to their current rates and some tempting offers so don't delay, 
book yourself a rejuvenating tropical paradise stay!

villa-rates: villa kubu

KIDS WITH A KITE - GILI AIR - NOV 2016

Photo:  Lindé Davies

I am almost 2 weeks back from my trip to Bali.  I took my laptop so I could write and blog each day - but my mind had me none of that.  I wanted to share my trip as the days go by - but no
I felt empty of words - and not in a bad way - in a good way - almost like I was empty so I can be filled right up again by the experiences of my trip
Almost like just being there was enough - it felt like there was no need to write about it while I was there - and I did not try

I guess a part of me, just wanted to just be there, enjoy being there and soak it all - and then one day when I am ready to share, it will hopefully find the right words out - to do just that.

So today I will start sharing bits and pieces from my trip - sometimes it may be lots of images and sometimes it may just be a single one photo.  I may have lots to say or I may just have no words at all and let the images and photos and memories I capture - stir your senses and create your own stories from looking at them

I took this while we were wondering the sandy island paths and roads of Gili Air in Lombok

'Kids with a Kite'

I hope you like it too

CALMA UBUD - BEAUTIFUL NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Sometimes we stumble upon a website or in my case a beautiful stay - and you just feel like you have arrived - and you are home

That's how I felt when I found Calma Ubud - and yes .... the feeling of calm, and peacefulness and tranquility all springs to mind.  A gentle structure nestled amongst the ricefields in a traditional Balinese village just outside Ubud - surrounded by nature - and magical sunsets at night

I love the lightness and the brightness and the vast open plan lounge and breakfast area that overlooks the soothing turquoise waters of the swimming pool - pool view, ricefield view - nature all around
What more can one want?

This a small luxury resort with only 10 beautifully designed individual guest rooms and suites - the emphasis here is definitely the simplicity of the design, the traditional Balinese craftsmanship enhanced by the contemporary tropical architecture - I'd like to call this rustic eco chic - however I do believe this is rather less rustic, and lots more luxury

Definitely one for the list ..... 

Images via calma ubud

DEA VILLAS CANGGU - SATI VILLA

Today I had the pleasure to stumble upon another exquisite boutique resort called Dea Villas ... and I quote:

'Welcome to Dea Villas - four tropical garden villas in rural Berawa close to Canggu.  A sense of space sets this exclusive enclave apart; each villa comprises living and bedroom pavilions set in its own private gardens with swimming pool, sun deck, lotus ponds and myriad quiet corners.'

'Villa Sati comprises a series of individual pavilions, well screened in delightfully established gardens. The largest of these is the open-sided living pavilion, which looks over an amphitheatre style performance space near the large free-form swimming pool. Encircling the pool are four joglopavilions, each housing a bedroom with garden bathroom and sun terrace. Among these is the sixth and smallest building – an antique lumbung(traditional rice barn) which doubles as a playhouse.'

Spacious - luxurious - traditional Javanese vernacular - yet translated beautifully in a contemporary manner.  The lush tropical gardens are landscaped to perfection - and the layout of the villa's allows enough privacy to retreat to - and again, enough openness to engage and interact with your fellow family members or friends also staying at Dea Villas

I can only imagine how tranquil it must be to awake here - in the midst of a beautiful paradise - life cant get much better than this!

'we travel not to escape life - but for life not to escape us'

Images via Dea Villas

http://www.thevillaguide.com/villa/dea-villas-villa-sati.aspx#exp

http://www.baliultimatevillas.net/dea-radha/

ROAM BALI DESIGNED BY ALEXIS DORNIER

Tropical co-living at its best at this beautiful airy and plant filled complex called Roam;  in Ubud, Bali.  Roam is a new brand that offers occupants the opportunity to move between co-living complexes around the world. You will find a beautiful movie clip on their landing page from which I quote

'We’ve converted a contemporary boutique hotel into a co-living space in Ubud, the artistic and cultural heart of the island. Two dozen rooms encircle a pool, and a co-working space sits on the rooftop across from an open space for events like nightly talks, yoga and capoeira.'
Designed by Alexis Dornier this space reminds me of the Eco Hotel Kandalama Heritance in Sri Lanka - design by Geoffrey Bawa.  I had the opportunity to stay at the Kandalama I think it was in 2004 and it was a remarkable experience - I could feel the design - it made me feel well.

Back to Roam -  And I'm quoting from Alexis Dornier's website:

'the vision of this place was to create community. A model of a micro society where people find their own space for privacy as well as places of gathering, exchange, movement and education, the structure we had found prior to it's make over already had a great deal of that desired spatial configuration we find today.
The inner court yard, surrounded by 3 run down apartment buildings, formed the starting point for surgical and effective alteration of floor plans by adding more components, knocking down walls, opening solid concrete walls, adding bathrooms and placing large windows that would allow for enough light, fresh air and exciting views towards its surroundings.
Roam is an urban place, and its density one of the key drivers to bring people together closely. We gave these places of gathering a new Roof on top of the buildings, connected them with a bridge, extensive deck space, cafe, bar, restaurant, lounge and other recreational areas. Also the central pool, the recently completed community kitchen and downstairs garden bar offer active areas for guests and visitors.
Balinese life around built structure is that of community through density. Taking the model of a traditional Balinese compound to another level, the feeling of family as an organism of exchange and life was always a key driver in the design for Roam. 'All under one roof' was another key design driver. The efficient canopy structure spans across all shared spaces. Different opacities through a range of materials such as bamboo, tin and poly carbonate turn the place into a light, yet protected outpost high up, overlooking its surrounding."

I'm keen to check this out on my travels - and hope to take a few photos and movie clips to share with you at a later stage.  This kind of development is really inspiring and definitely key in creating more sustainable co-working co-living spaces for a generation of explorers and nomads and just those keen to live more meaningful lives, not to be bound by convention, not living by the 9 - 5 rule book.  I'm keen to get breaking some rules - and living life to the full!  And seeing creative spaces like this one, really gives me some motivation to step up and step into life with fresh vigour and 'gogetfulness' 

Photography:  Alexis Dornier

Stumbled upon via random Google search for Architects in Ubud

More here:  archdaily and dezeen

BALIQUE RESTAURANT - JIMBARAN, BALI

Today I'm happy to share with you a new found restaurant, and this one is on my list for a visit when I'll be back in Bali in a few months time -  I've been meaning to go head back to that blissful Isle for some time now - and having this to look forward to is perhaps just what was needed to get me focused and back on track and into this thing called life again!

So back to Balique Restaurant - you will find this Vintage Cafe/ Restaurant in Jimbaran, along Jalan Raya Uluwatu.  I love the colourful vintage feel - perfectly combined with slightly paired down wall and floor finishes;  lanterns and lampshades a plenty - and authentic perhaps oldie worldy take - and don't we all love spaces that can transport us to another age or era even.

One for the list - this one is for sure!

Images via balique-restaurant

First spotted via ladyironchef