I know I'm a bit late for New Year's resolutions in February...but I've thought of one for myself. Instead of just letting each day roll into one, eg: Get up, go to work, come back, do work, go to bed etc etc, I WILL find something a little lovely, perhaps a little different or surprising (and hopefully uplifting) and focus on how it made the day a bit brighter.
Here's the first one. This was taken today at about 6.30am, just before my train for work rolled in. Just 2 weeks ago, as I left our flat and walked to the station, the sky was so black, filled with stars (and planes flying over), owls hooting in the trees...But this morning the sky was a lovely dark purple, and then became this brilliant pink.
And of course, it made me think of Nick Drake's brilliant Northern Sky
Happy Monday!
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Enjoying the Moment... Technology is extraordinary and helps us along is so many ways. It makes us feel connected to everyone in the wider world. Staying connected is important and especially when your loved ones aren't nearby, we share our happy moments with them....But this clip I found posted on facebook really made me open my eyes a little wider to how much we miss of them moment when we are glued to our phones or ipads.
I've always been a bit of a reluctant user of technology - quite frankly I don't really understand it and therefore have little interest..that is until my boyfriend persuaded me to get an iphone...and now sadly the film above becomes all too familiar...HOW SAD!!! I am determined NOT to get sucked in by this. I absolutely loathe people bringing their phones to dinner with them. I loathe the fact that we never switch off from it! People expect to be able to 'get at you' via email, text, or talking on the phone, where-ever, whenever... Perhaps I am guilty of ditching my lovely camera for Instagram of my phone; For being in a room full of people and looking at the internet on it etc etc, but I am going to try and put it right. I will continue to leave my phone at home (or on silent) when out with loved ones (that's what answerphones are for..) and I will enjoy making the most of phone conversations with friends and family on my old bakelite phone, snuggled up on my sofa NOT when trying to juggle 100 other things. I want to capture moments - I LOVE taking pictures and sharing them, and I do often- but perhaps I will switch back to my camera and enjoy the photography process rather than the instant gratification of Instagram. Finally, I want to eradicate everything on that clip from my life. I don't want to be living life through my phone... I wonder if you agree? :)
I've always been really interested in second hand and vintage things and LOVE rummaging through second hand bookshops, vintage markets and little second hand shops. I've collected some wonderful buys over the years and I love that they are unique with a history behind them which is why I treasure them all the more! From poetry anthologies to music scores, dictionaries and hardback story books dedicated with inscriptions dating back to 1920 - I just can't resist! My flat is strewn with some lovely books, and some beautiful vintage clothes too. Here are some of my favourites..
The skirt and the mirror above are from a little second hand shop in Chippenham, Wiltshire called Magpies. The skirt is 1970s and the cheval mirror I was told was 1930s. In the second photo is a collection of second hand books from a little book store in Worthing called Badgers Books.
This blue dress is my all time favourite buy! Found a few years ago when in New York with friends. We stumbled across the very famous Hell's Kitchen Flea Market whilst out exploring and this dress was on one of the stalls - vintage 1970. It was a hot day and I didn't want to try it on so I took a chance and bought it for $15 and it turns out it is the most perfect fit! It'd could have been made for me! As you can see, it's in perfect condition and beautifully made. I just love the detail down the front with the buttons and lovely mandarin collar.
I have been writing letters intermittently for some years now. I've always enjoyed writing and as a girl, I write in my diary nearly every day and have many now to treasure and look back on (and cringe and giggle). When I moved to Germany, I kept several and they are a fantastic read even now. So many memories of colourful people I met there and various adventures vividly preserved on paper. Like diaries, letters capture you in a moment. Throughout Music College and ever since, my friend Emma and I would always write to one another and tell our stories. It was a little piece of home comfort while I was away.
I absolutely love to put aside a quiet moment in the day when I can sit with a cup of tea and get my nice stationary out and just write. It's relaxing and creative and I love to tell stories. What a lovely thing to receive a letter in the post? Here's my effort today.
I love the idea of having one of those beautiful writing desks that were so popular with the Edwardians...
My Grandfather wrote letters to his sister when he was in the war and they were found recently - beautiful letters written home from where ever he was stationed at the time. Sadly, he died along time before I came along and so it is a really special link to him. I've asked my dad to send a picture over of them so I can share some of them.
Let's face it, emailing is just not the same. There's something about the paper and the handwriting that captures a person in a way that an email never can. Stamps are expensive now but a card or a letter become even more special as a result. My youngest niece used to write to me while I was at Music College and her childish scribblings and stickers and spelling mistakes were always such a joy to receive and would live on my fridge in London.
This post on appeared on Facebook a few days ago and has inspired me to write this blog today. How many times in life do we not stop and take in what's around us? How many times do we walk on and MISS so many wonderful things? I was AMAZED and felt very sad when I saw this...
http://youtu.be/myq8upzJDJc
Joshua Bell - violinist - wonderful, wonderful player who was busking in Washington DC metro. How many people stopped to listen?? It was rush hour and everyone seemed in such a hurry. Hardly anyone took any notice of him or the fabulous music. One woman recognises him and stops to talk.
How sad.
What else are we missing when we are running around like headless chickens to get to work, when we're in work, when we get home from work?? Sometimes life can feel a bit as if we're constantly chasing our tails.
I'm as guilty as anyone sometimes, and my aim is to make sure that every day I stop and find time to do something lovely, or see something lovely. This will be my mantra for the week...
I'm getting into Pinterest - a site that allows you to collate all your inspirations visually and keep them in a tidy collection. Perfect for when I want to put poetry and photography together etc and for simply gaining ideas from others. My latest board is called Go Back to What You Love. Reconnecting with what I love and what I want from life to hopefully inspire me to get out there and GET IT!
Trying to find a satisfying balance between work and play seems to get trickier and trickier...I'm still looking for it!!! But I have put together a collage of my photography to remind me that I do occasionally get the time to live and breathe, and indulge some of my favourite past times...creative stuff, spending time with friends loved ones, a bit of travel now and again....
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