sunday sound

It's safe to say my music taste is kind of eclectic. Looking back at my sunday sounds tells you that. And while last week we had the husky tones of Ben Howard soothing us to sleep, this week its the more funky beat of Matrix & Futurebound. "All I Know" was the motivation I needed to get through the mammoth apartment spring clean that occured yesterday. I think there is something about this beat that makes my brain and body wake up and push through the boredom barrier. Enjoy. 

the guardian of fashion

she affectionately names herself the guardian of fashion and judging from the organisation of her closet she takes her job very seriously. Anna Dello Russo, the editor of Vogue Japan talks about the inspirations for her accessories collection with H&M and takes us round her eclectic apartment. 

s.a.t.u.r.d.a.y

Saturday comes just once a week, which is a shame since its my favourite day. Although for some strange reason my body never allows me to sleep in, always waking early in the sort of way that makes it impossible to return to slumber! 

Maybe my body and brain are programmed for the week a little too much that they get confused come Saturday and dont really know what to do about it. It's funny how quickly our brains and our bodies get into a routine and succumb to what is now the everyday. I guess I noticed this mostly when we packed up and transferred our lives to Cyprus. 

Routines in the Mediterranean are very different from London, with a more relaxed atmosphere, laid back routine and afternoon naps thrown in for fun. And whilst before my Saturday routine would have been centered around working and going to the gym, now its cleaning, shopping and doing fun things like walking round old town nicosia, coffee in the sunshine and bacon sandwiches. What a difference a country makes huh. 

It's easy to fall into a trap though and get almost stuck in a routine, something which has been nagging me lately. Maybe the reason for my itchy feet was the routine, the everyday stuff of being an adult like saturday cleaning and monday night cooking that got me frustrated. 

I guess the answer is to catapult yourself out of the routine or stop getting overwhelmed by the familiar. 

red sky at night

One of the things I remember from growing up was a saying my mum would bring out every so often when the sky turned that wonderful pinky/purple/orangey/red colour. 

" red sky at night, shepherds delight. red sky in the morning, shepherds warning"  

And tonight was one of those red sky nights. After a day where the huge black and heavy looking clouds hung over the city waiting to burst and shower their drops of rain everywhere, the monsoon cleared to leave a beautiful sunset casting an array of colours across the few whispy clouds left in the sky. On evenings like this a feeling of calm comes over everything and I find myself mesmerized by the colourful sky above us. And it brings memories of warm summer evenings in England, where the light remains till late and as a child the last thing I saw before bedtime was a pink sky fading away. 

It's funny amazing how years later, all grown up and living in another country, a pink sky can bring back so many memories. 

photographs by me

it's all about giving (but not gifts)

This weekend was an eye opener. My whistle stop tour to London for little more than 72 hours was all in aid of the funeral for a wonderful lady who died at the grand old age of 93. Mrs F was the name she went by in my eyes and for the entire 24 years I knew her she was a loving women, constantly giving in selfless acts. Every time I would visit there would be freshly baked bread in the kitchen, coffee cake perfectly iced ready for me to devour and homemade jams and sauces just asking for a cheeky finger to be plopped straight into the jar for a taste. Aside from the food, she was an intelligent women who knew pretty much everything there was to know and was willing to share with anyone.   

While she was a remarkable women in almost every way, I think I will take one thing away from knowing her. The importance of giving. She was forever giving; selfless and ready to help with anything. A quality that is becoming rare. 

In such a busy world, full of material objects, focused on money and with access to almost anything you could ever want, its easy to become selfish. But stuff kinda clicks into perspective when you attend the funeral of such a wonderful women. Her heart slowed down and after 93 of giving life her all, it was time for a rest. 

Life teaches us so much, but death is when the real lessons are learnt.