NO MORE BLUE MONDAYS

'She was a lost bird in a deep blue sky.

But when she spread her wings, she remembered how to fly'

Atticus

DAKOTA LEE BY STUDIO A

Stumbled upon this amazing project today - designed super talented South African Interior Designer, Tristan Du Plessis from Studio A

He was also short-listed for the restaurant and bar awards last year - so definitely one to keep an eye on - if design and strikingly beautiful spaces is your kind of thing!

And if you're anywhere near Gauteng pop down to Kramerville in Sandton and you can get your fix at lifestlye brand Dakota Lee - be it a Jack and coke at the Rockabilly bar or a tattoo or new piercing or a bit of retail therapy.  Looks like this is the place to get your body art done,  if that's your kind of thing or swoon over the beautiful interior design... is probably more likely where you'll be finding me than in a tattooist chair.  Be that as it may - they also have monthly live bands ... who would not want to be in the know!  Pop down and let me know what you think

Superbly striking interior design

Images via Studio A

http://www.studioa.co.za/portfolio/dakota-lee/

JUNE

An Urban Village Original

Can it really be June already?  Somehow it feels like I'm only just getting into gear for the new year, and yet we are almost at the half way mark ... and it kind of scares the living daylights out of me.  It scares me because I'm realising just all over again how precious this thing called 'time' really is.

And I'm sorry for the long absence here - I've been feeling like I've lost my voice somehow - and it is only just starting to trickle back again... but its shaky and its slight and I need to work on it - to feel it, to feel my voice before I speak it... I think its going to be a process but .... least I'm back and I want to be back for good this time.

I don't want other things or commitments or work to take me away from this one thing that has really carried me through one of the most dreadful times of my life... and I guess what's probably been happening is that some of those emotions have resurfaced again - and somehow subconsciously it has taken me away from the one thing that helped me heal

And now even as I'm writing and typing these words - I can see it more clearly now

What is dragging me down, is also keeping me from writing and sharing - and... by writing and sharing I can somehow gently fight what's dragging me down - and instead of allowing the negativity to drag me down - I can share something inspiring something beautiful something from my soul - and by just one positive share a day - I will stand up I will stand tall and I will stand my ground - in gently doing so - I know my voice will return again.

One day at a time, one post at a time - and by taking this time out of my day to write these few words - is one major accomplishment for me today

So - a big happy heartfelt cheer - cause I'm feeling excited about the direction I'm steering towards and I hope you'll all stay around for the journey - exploring - being curious - being active - being the change - making some changes - and little by little by changing our thoughts we will change our mindsets - and by changing our mindsets we will change how we view things - and by changing how we view things - we will them in a different light .... and once that light has gone on, and is shining from within - we would want to share that light and lightness of being - and make those changes to save not only ourselves but also those closest to us, and zooming out into the much bigger picture

Here's to making changes that will help save the world

Yay!  

Image: an urban village original

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OFFICE

Love the slightly unfinished feel of this apartment in Japan - designed by no 555 Architectural Design Office

Images via archilovers

LET YOUR HEART SOAR AS IT WILL ....

Isn't this just the most beautiful reminder ever .... 

'refuse to be average let your heart soar as it will - aw tozer'

This couldn't be truer than true today. I have this quote printed and stuck on a cork board next to my desk at one of the offices I work at... sometimes I forget it's even there. But this morning it just caught my eye again ... a reminder that we are anything but average; don't ever allow anyone or any situation make you feel any less 

After all .... You are extraordinary, you are made of stardust and the whole universe trembles at the sight of your delightful gaze...

This enlarged on canvas for my bedroom - good idea!

Image via Pinterest

INDIE HOME COLLECTIVE - TO DINE IN STYLE

Just been absolute swooning over the website of the Indie Home Collective - an interiors and lifestyle concept store in Aukland - and oh my they just sound like such beautiful kind warm people!

No wonder all the imagery is beautifully styled and inspiring - effortlessly so indeed.  One rainy day when I finally make it over to NZ - and to be honest its not quite yet on the list, but it's soon to be - this place will be first stop... and oh my they're hiring!

I'm in love with this recycled jersey lampshade by AY Illuminate - yours for a mere 995 NZD

So head on over to their online shop or blog... but be sure to have a pot of tea and your bank card at the ready... I resisted thank heavens! 

Images via Indie Home Collective Blog

GONG XI FA CAI

Happy Chinese New Year.... even if I'm just on the edge of still being within timings

Year of the Monkey

I would like to live this year without thinking of it as another year, but just living each day - as the only day that will ever count

Its a good habit off course to have goals and to make plans - yes, but to continuously live in that future dream can sometimes distort the realities we are creating in the here and now

More action and more dreams will come true

Cause its up to me and its up to you to go off and take that first step, make that leap of faith - grab each and every opportunity with all you have and make life happen!

Yay - and on that note, wishing you dreams that will start manifesting into your realities
Healthy lives and healthy minds and my any unwellness just keep moving along when they stop at your door
Friendships, love and yes always leave a trail of glittery sparkle wherever you go
Cause you're made of magic and stardust and have the whole universe in the stare of your eye....

Image by me ... tube journeys are so much shorter now I'm creating stuff again

LOVE TO LOUNGE RIGHT HERE

Now this is one beautifully inspiring loungey bohemian space - just dreaming about laying there reading a book or chatting to some friends or just the act of being, not doing, not wanting, just contentment and being - that has inspired me and lifted my oh so dreary spirits today

Love the daybed
Love the exposed brick walls
Love the rugs
LOVE all the plants
Did I say I love the daybed?

Love it all

Full blog post and more pics to follow in the coming weeks

Image Laura Moss for the New York Times

RISE + SHINE BEAUTIFUL!

design: lindédavies

Good morning, its time to rise and shine....

A whole weekend of wonderfulness await - but alas in order for us to rise and shine bright and fresh and ready for the day - it really starts the night before

Some of us are nightowls and that is when we do our best work, our most creative juices flows freely in those hours when the sandman normally drops by with his bags of sleepy sand...  and for others of us we love the magic of the early morning hours when the rest of the world is still covered in a haze of sleepfull dreams and beautiful restfulness....

I am unfortunately a bit of both, and so thus the struggle sometimes are stronger between the two - of which one will get the overhand tonight.

Today I would like to share a new little regime which somehow seems to work for me for those early morning rises

no 1 ... get yourself ready for an early night
- remind yourself that your body needs sleep to repair and restore itself and it needs rest from all the business we put it through
- I function best on a good 7 to 7 1/2 hours sleep - and I get up at around 5am most days
- which in return means I try to be in bed by 9.30pm latest
- we are all different and all function slightly differently - find what works best for you, and stick to it

no 2 ... set an intention for the next day - something nice 
- for example the thought of buying fresh flowers the next day is something nice to look forward to
- or going for an early morning run before the day kicks in
- or like today - my intention was to allow myself a bit of time to play around with some new fonts in photoshop (final result above)

no 3 ... as you close your eyes - remind yourself to be gratefulness, grateful for the day that has passed, grateful for the experiences you have had, grateful for the lessons learnt and grateful for the peaceful nights sleep that now awaits.  I then welcome sleep and allow my body and mind to gently fall into that state of bliss 

no 4 ... upon waking up - I immediately put a smile on my face in order to stir wakefulness

no 5 ... upon waking up - I remind myself again to be grateful for the good nights sleep - and then I allow sleep to let go of me, so I can awake my mind and body gently into the new day....

no 6 ... nothing like a good stretch and then onto your morning routine - I've started the 5 Tibetans this past week and I'm finding it a good all round stretch for my body and it is also quite energising

And on that note - I wish you all a good start to the weekend, and a good ending to the first month of the year.  I have decided that as the years and months now start to fade into one - each month I will create a little photographic storie (google photo's is great for doing this) of my month.  Movies I watched, and the clothes I wore and the friends I spent time with and the plans I'm working on.... and more importantly also to include all the wonderful synchronicities and magic that happened - I've had a good few of these in January already

Image: designed by me

MINIMAL AND STRIKING BLACK KITCHEN BY MODULNOVA

No matter which way you look at it - this is one magnificently well designed kitchen - masculine without feeling overpowering.  Just sophisticated -like the kind of space where you'll be drinking good red wine and putting all the wrongs in the world right - intelligent conversation and inspiring dinner parties..... and I imagine you can easily fall in love with the man pouring you a glass of red from the other side of that island  .....  

That's what this kitchen is saying to me ... and a neat little drawing to show you how it all fits together.  

And off course this kitchen is made in Italy - like all things of good quality and sophistication - you'll find more inspiring projects on the family run Modulnova website

Does make me miss my days of designing beautiful kitchens and photorealistic renders - but I don't miss the loooooooong hours and stress - I do miss the people

Images via Modulnova