Inspiration

Stillness comes in many forms, but sometimes you have to give yourself permission to seek it. The dictionary meaning of stillness reads as ‘an absence of movement or sound’.  As we embarked on lockdown this was very much the case.  It felt surreal and as though we were on another planet, it also felt like an adventure in some ways too.  Venturing into the unknown.  The drawbridge was up and we were all at home and all in it together.   It was that pivotal moment when the world stopped, planes were grounded, there was barely any traffic on the roads and people had to stay at home. It will always be remembered as a difficult time for everyone, no-one … Read more

Has Covid-19 put paid to all our holiday plans?  I am pretty sure if the trip was long haul then it will likely be delayed until next year.  Easyjet have today announced that they will be flying to most European destinations by August.  BUT the question is, do you fancy flying?  More importantly what is the airport experience going to be like?  Most likely longer queues to check in and bag drop and security could be interesting.  As some of you know we have a villa in Portugal which we also rent out during the summer.  Obviously any bookings that we had have been put on hold, however, Portugal itself and the Algarve in particular, state they are open and ready … Read more

    I am a big believer that you should wear what makes you happy and what you feel comfortable in.  I also think that the clothes you wear can contribute to your mood or frame of mind.  For example if I am wearing my ‘trackies’ I feel less likely to engage with things in a progressive way.  By that I mean I will probably end up pottering around the house or garden and not focus on the job in hand.  Days like these can leave me feeling  unproductive.    When I get up on a Monday morning and want to nail the week, you are more likely to find me in a pair of jeans or a skirt and … Read more

Something that is very on topic at the moment, and has been written and talked about a lot, is the subject of Millennials.  I find this is quite close to my heart because – obviously I am too old to be one myself, but I have kind of raised three Millennials.  Although the parameters of when you are born are quite precise to make you a Millennial, it’s neither here nor there, as there is an entire generation below us who have been deemed to be entitled. Lets look at this.  The generation in question were raised in a very different way to the way I was raised.  We definitely had to wait longer for things and there was no … Read more

When two men break into your home wearing balaclavas and carrying hunting knives let me tell you, it’s a GAME CHANGER. Not least because at the time I had two very small children asleep upstairs, and was the only adult in the house.  Feeling helpless doesn’t even begin to cover the stream of emotions that race through your body and mind as you realise that this is real and not a dream.  As the ordeal progresses you begin to process things in a different way as your body goes into fight or flight mode.   When there is a knife at your throat I can assure you all thoughts of fight disappear extremely rapidly.  You soon realise the safest ending to … Read more

                                              I think the most surprising thing about finding the nest is emptying is that I didn’t see it coming.  You embark on your journey as a parent with the whole process and excitement of being pregnant.  At the time the weeks seem to pass so slowly. By nature I am impatient and couldn’t wait to meet our babies.  Then you are catapulted into a world of responsibility and care and things you have no understanding of.  The learning curve is massive and there is no handbook.  Each baby is different; different children different worries.  You entwine your heart … Read more

            Some of the remaining Art Deco Hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. Spending a week in the most beautiful Art Deco Hotel in Miami has got me thinking about interiors over the centuries. This particular property has been sympathetically restored, maintaining the integrity of a bygone era. I can imagine the stylishly clad women and men walking on the stunning tiled floors, surrounded by stylish fixtures and fittings. The hotel itself is a landmark 1941 Art Deco building; understated yet opulent, and by the nature of the way it has been restored, it is very easy to imagine how it would once have been. Our decor today seems to be a bit of ‘anything goes’. … Read more

2018 Why, oh why, do we have resolutions only in a new year, which in this country falls in the winter?  Surely we would feel far more energised if it was in June and we had the sun on our backs wearing flip flops, than when we are seemingly weighed down with food, alcohol and late nights.  But it seems to be the way it is, as we say goodbye to the old and wish in the new.  A clean slate, a new beginning, heading into a new year resolving to change our habits, jobs, diets and routines, to name but a few. OK when I say new year, I should probably have started writing this in January.  I have … Read more