Thursday

I have never been a big fan of Thursdays, for some reason they are the longest and slowest of all days of the week. I remember that when I was at school Thursdays were always long days because of sport and for some reason we invariably had tests on a Friday so you always had to study on a Thursday. I suppose that the fact that today is cold and grey doesn’t help matters either. Of course there is one thing that Thursday does have going for it – it is followed by Friday!
The pic says it all and makes me think of my fabulous friend!

Jeepers there are some amazing blogs out there! Obviously in another league altogether from what I have going here. Talk about inspiration, not just for blogging, just for living!

Sunday

Waking to another gorgeous morning, we headed up the West Coast to Langebaan where we met my mum, sister and Max for lunch. After eating far too much at a restaurant on the beach that serves a buffet of traditional South African food, we went for a walk. Max, Emma and Sarah could not resist the temptation of the sea and led by Lulu, it wasn’t long before all three of them were in it fully clothed. I am sure this is one of the few places on earth where you can swim in the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of winter!
Back home and with the sun setting it is time to sit in front of the fire and snuggle up for the night.

Saturday

Its a beautiful winters morning, the sun is shining but the air is cold and clear. I have decided today is a good day for a bit of a clear-out. My girls and a friend are sitting listening to musicals and singing along as they do some beading for a school market day they have coming up – its very productive and jolly! I have already gone through a whole pile of magazines, torn out the pics and articles I want and taken them to the local recycling bin. My next mission is to get stuck into Sarah's cupboard and sort through the clothes I can donate to a charity. Depending on how long it takes and how much energy I have after that, the garden is in desperate need of attention....or maybe I’ll just get onto the hammock with a book.....love weekends!

So Inspired

Thanks to Amber and her fantastic blog http://mrpricefashion.blogspot.com/ I have discovered this amazing website - http://www.garancedore.fr/en/ Wow, talk about style – what amazing photographs, beautiful people and inspiring words. I think that if I had to go back to my first year out of school now, I would without a doubt start doing something far more creative than I am doing now. Even though the industry I work in IS creative, my job is not. Looking at this website I am so envious of this inspiring womans job, style, talent, you name it! Both my daughters are creative and I will encourage them to explore their creativity and expand their horizons through travel, reading, visiting art galleries and exhibitions, watching movies, etc. The world has so much to offer and they have so much to look forward to.

I feel like I’m starting to get a feel for blogging. I have come across some amazing blogs and others that are just quite strange – but interesting none the less. One thing is for sure, they are engaging, inspiring and anything goes – this is fun!

I dream about living in the county one day. Of course in my ‘dream’ it is all rambling old cottage (beautifully fixed up with all mod-cons of course), gorgeous garden adjacent to bountiful veggie patch and a few well behaved, healthy farm animals who roam freely without wreaking havoc on said garden! The reality I know will probably not be quite so picturesque or perfect, but we’re all allowed to dream. I have wonderful friends who packed in the city life and moved onto their dream farm – in their case a simply gorgeous lavender farm. Lucky, lucky them, yes indeed, but I don’t think its quite as fabulous as I like to believe. That’s not to say they are unhappy with their decision, they love their farm, but it can be tough and in fact they have decided to move into the local village rather than live on their farm. However, this has not dampened my dream one bit! I don’t see myself as a farmer, in fact I don’t want a farm at all, just the country cottage......something like these pictures ;)

I have recently returned from a holiday in Scotland with my girls and my mum. I have been to Edinburgh many, many times and lived there briefly as a child. It was Emma and Sarah’s 3rd time there and probably their best holiday yet as they are old enough to have been quite independent, something they are not able to be in Cape Town. We had incredible weather and I have to say that every time I am there I fall a little more in love with Edinburgh than the last time - it is a beautiful city and I feel very at home there.

I love anything vintage, from photographs to posters and postcards, to fabrics, clothing, furniture and books. There is something about Europe, France in particular, that is synonymous with nostalgia, romance and history that is so appealing. Which brings me to the iconic Coco Chanel. If ever there was a woman who epitomized elegance, she is it. Thanks to her invention of 'little black dress' we all have that never fail number in our closet to save the day when we have 'nothing' to wear to a special occasion, and just a splash of Chanel No. 5 can make the difference between feeling dull to feeling fabulous.

Emma would give her eyeteeth for one of these!

This is one of my favourite places. I have memories here that go back many, many years and it is a place I will continue to visit for the rest of my life....

An awesome place to while away a Sunday

When not spending them with friends, Sunday afternoons are spent on the back veranda. Emma is never without a piece of paper or notebook and pens drawing and doodling and Sarah is never without a book or an Archie Comic - even if it is one she has read 10 time before. A bike ride or dog walk is always a good way to end off a perfect day.