This I believe - a list

 my heart in the clouds

May 30th 2009

Encouraged by the ever curious and lovely Lisa to bring May to a close by participating in this amazing project, I had intended to try to craft a coherent and perhaps even elegant essay around a central belief or beliefs. The project requests that one explain not only what the beliefs are but how one came by them, and relate them to a personal story... I had such good intentions. 

In fact all I've managed is to throw down a list of ideas that came to me over the month to use as starting points, neither elegant, nor particularly coherent. However, they do represent core beliefs and values, each one grounded in my own experience and which I hold central to my personal ideology. It's not an exhaustive list. And it might not be the same list I will offer in years to come. My beliefs, although strong, are not all carved in stone. They have evolved over time and I hope will continue to do so. But as a snapshot, I offer a Baker's dozen of them anyway:

• I believe in unconditional love - not that it's easy, or commonplace, but that it is possible.

• I believe that ordinary people often show extraordinary courage - I don't have to look beyond my own family and friends for evidence of this bravery, and it inspires me to be braver myself.

• I believe that distance, time, and even death do not diminish love - and that my heart can expand to accommodate new love without having to let go of loves I already hold there.

• I believe that friendship is akin to love and that depth of friendship has little to do with how long I've known a person - and more to do with how much of a kindred spirit I have encountered.

• I believe in kindness and courtesy - that they require relatively little effort and that they're what make it possible for me to co-exist even vaguely pleasantly with six billion others on this little planet.
  

• I believe that there is enough of just about everything to go around and so my bounty does not need to come at the expense of another's, and vice versa - this means I don't have to subscribe to societal norms that pit one against the other in a winner or loser style format.

• I believe that sometimes it is easier to give up or to give in than to go on - but that easier isn't always the best route to take.

• I believe that there is little point in comparing myself to others to establish my worth because there will always be people who have more or fewer skills, more or less honed, or who are better or worse off than I am - I need to be my own yardstick.
  

• I believe it's important to at least strive for integrity in all things - to me this means that what I think and say and do should all reflect the same stance.

• I believe that with rights come responsibilities - to exercise them, and to protect them and those of others who are not able to protect their own. This includes guardianship of the planet.
  

• I believe that I am capable of consciousness and if I manage to exercise it consistently, my life will be enriched - this means that I have to accept it might also entail exposure to hurtful things that I would sometimes prefer to be unconscious of.

• I believe that variety is the spice of my life - and I embrace new experiences, other ideas, and other people for their differences and even eccentricities. This does not mean I'm always comfortable with change, that I'm an absolute relativist, or that I believe all behaviours can be excused.

• I believe that my experiences have shaped me but that I'm not bound to be defined forever by those experiences - I can choose to learn from them, and even choose just to let them go.
  

All of this, today, I believe.

An extended list might include these things too:

• I believe in the power and use of chocolate as a mood enhancer.
  
• I believe that it's time for something pink to live in my wardrobe.
  
• I believe that food tastes better eaten outdoors or in the company of loved ones.
  
• I believe that someone should declare a standard three day weekend.
  
• I believe that I need more sleep and that I have time now for a nap...

Happy Sunday!

♥

The week in review - it's all in the numbers

~

212 delegates

63 office hours

20-odd cups of tea

15 workshops

6 cross-country train trips

4 days in the week

2 countries covered

1 frazzled me

~

friday evening

~

212 pence on chocolate

63 minute bubble-bath

20-odd blogs to visit

15 hours of sleep 

6 healthy meals

4 friends to dinner

2 days to recover

1 restored me

~

Happy Friday to me! 

Happy Friday to you too lovely ones!

♥

P.S. This little figure stands on my desk... she's only about 3 inches high and was given to me by my last team when I moved to my current project, which we knew was going to be a challenging one. She has a secret slip of paper tucked inside her that says "hold onto the smile in your heart. we'll miss you! love, J, T and C xxx"

This week, looking at her reminded me to try and do that.

P.P.S. And I must practice saying "no!" more.

Brief journeys - walk to work on a soft day in May

I love the soft days: summer-green trees, fresh gentle rain, air not too cold, sky not too grey, Canadian babies on the canal... It's a sweet way to start the day.

Ask, pause, and the answers will come to you...

The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. 

To stop means simply to die.

Aleister Crowley 

(1875–1947)

Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.

Joseph Campbell

(1904-1987)

Words do two major things: 

They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.

Jim Rohn

(1930)

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Albert Schweitzer

(1875-1965)

True happiness

consists not in the multitude of friends,

but in their worth and choice.

Ben Johnson

(1572-1637)

Great thoughts, words of kindness and solidarity, and sound practical advice, for which I am ever so grateful... some days it just helps to hear it. And a little perspective is always a good thing.

Thank you friends and family of my heart, near and far.

♥

Topsy Turvy?

May 2009

Winter in South Africa

May 2009

Summer in the United Kingdom

The picture at the top landed in my inbox (a present from my sister to cheer up my day - she always knows just when I need it, I don't know how) on the very same day last week that I took the one at the bottom.

And it looks like that again today. There and here.

I'm just saying.

Edit: Okay, the sun must have sensed that I was about to become reeeeeally grumpy (not a pretty sight or fun to be around) and it showed its face just after lunchtime. Now I'm sitting in a gorgeous puddle of sunlight on my living room floor, with the doors wide open, soaking it in. Thank you weather gods, thank you!

imPassioned Purple

What a colourful week we've had! I've so enjoyed exploring everyone's world through the spectrum. I've so enjoyed exploring my own little wardrobe world through the spectrum too. And I've confirmed a few things for myself:

• I love colour. It makes me happy.
  
• My wardrobe is not as neutral as I sometimes think it is.
  
• I probably could start a small shop with the beads, bags and baubles I have.
  
• My things are just things but they do have stories and their stories make them special to me.
  

Thank you to each and every one who has stopped by, read my ramblings, and stayed for a chat. Thank you to Lisa who has led the way with her glorious and colourful photographs and coordinated our efforts for easy enjoyment.

And thank you for ending the week on purple. Purple is my third favourite colour and I wear it quite a lot...

Purple passion - I love this purple fuzzy flower. I love it 'cause it's purple. I love it 'cause it's felt. I love it because the hands that made it belong to someone wise and funny and fabulous who reached out across the world and spread some of her beauty and colour my way. This is how it came to live with me. I love it.

Purple parrot & pearls - several years ago I needed to move. And I needed a new job. But I also needed not to be tied down for too long because I didn't know what I'd need next. I was lucky enough to find a maternity cover contract working with a great charity organisation, managing a team of lovely women who took me to their warm and generous hearts at a time when mine was mostly just going through the motions. They gave me a reason to get up every day, shared their strength and laughter, and helped me start the journey to finding myself again. When the contract ended after almost a year, I was ready to move on but sad to go. I had regained some energy and gained some friends. They gave me this beautiful necklace (and a matching bracelet) as a leaving gift and every time I wear them, I am reminded of how lucky I was to be in that place, at that time, with those people.

Drawn to the light - something about the shape of this sweet enamelled butterfly makes me think of a dancer with wings. It's dainty and delicate but don't let its demure looks fool you. It enjoys a good party. Here it's hanging over a lantern that I acquired when I was still living in London, bought especially for a harem party that my sister and I hosted. This is not as lewd as it might at first sound. We had recently spent a wonderful time in Istanbul and environs, where my sister was working for a while, and we wanted to enjoy an evening with friends, Turkish style. So we decked the living room out like a tent with colourful drapes of gauzy fabric, lots of candles, lanterns, flowers, and piles of cushions around a low table, where we invited a group of our girlfriends to join us for dinner, dressed "exotically, sumptuously and comfortably"... What fun it was. Everyone really pulled out the stops - one of my friends came in a sari style outfit made out of fake purple fur, hennaed hands, a bindi (or pottu) and her bedroom slippers. Another wore her silk lounging pyjamas and a kimono style robe, and a third wore her belly-dancing gear... It was great. We ate traditional Turkish summer fare, drank apple tea, and polished off a mountain of baklava (well, I polished off a mountain of baklava) while we set the worlds to rights. This lantern cast the most beautiful shadows over the event through its cut-out patterns and it was the butterfly that encouraged me to join the late-night dancing that ensued... 

Purple toes are pretty toes - how many purple nail polishes does a girl need you might wonder? Apparently quite a few! I have a bit of an issue with my toes. They are not of the neat and perfectly arranged variety. My sister has beautiful feet, dainty and symmetrical, and I'm sure my toes suffered a complex by comparison. For many, many years as a youngster I would not show mine in public unless I could absolutely not avoid it (like at the beach) and would never wear sandals. Silly. They may not be the prettiest, but I have ten and they work and toes are generally not the most attractive things are they? Anyway, I don't remember what the trigger was but I decided that it was ridiculous and that I was denying myself the pleasure (and comfort) of wearing so many lovely sandals and that I just needed to get over the whole toe thing. Strangely, because it really makes them even more conspicuous, I found it easier to show them with painted nails, than without. And so my love of polish was born. Now I enjoying playing with colours on my toes and I particularly love shades of purple, as evidenced by this little collection of my current favorites. All slightly different, some with a bit of sparkle, some with a lot of oomph, they live in their little bowl in the fridge door just waiting to come out and play...

 

Butterflies and books - I bought this bag a few years ago from one of my favourite stationery shops. Not a place one would necessarily expect to find accessories to wear but they do a great range of book bags and laptop carriers. I think it's probably fairly obvious why I could not resist it? Two of my favourite colours, butterflies galore and a great shiny finish, which feels lovely, is easy to maintain and is waterproof. Waterproof is important in the UK, land of many a rainy day. It's also really strong so it's the bag I use most often to go to the library because it can manage a good load and in the event of a shower, the books stay protected. It also often accompanies me on my longer train journeys to carry a magazine, my book, my laptop in its sleeve, a notebook, a pashmina, mp3 player, my camera, a snack... The essentials and the little extras that make a journey comfortable and complete.

 

Purple and a philosophy of life - this, the final of my beads and baubles to share this week, is a bracelet of amethyst beads, given to me by the above-mentioned sari wearer. Amethyst is said to have many properties associated with it that relate to healing, calm and spiritual wisdom and it was all these things that she wished for me when she made the gift. Apparently it helps insomnia too but, I have to say, I haven't particularly found that works for me. Either way, it's pretty and I love this bracelet because it came with so much love. I don't know why I took to draping it over the neck of this little zebra when I'm not wearing it (zebras are one of my favourite animals) but I did, and he wears it well I think? He certainly looks content enough. In the background a framed version of one of my favourite quotations by Henry Miller (also in my sidebar) and my nutshell philosophy on life. I couldn't have said it better.

Happy Purple Friday Lovelies!

♥

Racy Reds

I've just spent two nights in a very boring hotel for work, but what a delight to be able to browse all the wonderful colour that people are finding in the world this week. I love it!

So today we have red... Red and I have a history that hasn't always been an easy one. I have red hair. And for some reason that led me to believe that I should never wear the colour, so for years I avoided it, even though I was drawn to it. And then I went with a group of colleagues to a seminar on 'Personal Presentation for Corporate Women' (yes, I used to be one in a former incarnation) and part of the session was about colour and how red was an indicator of strength and confidence that every woman seeking success should have in her business wardrobe if she wanted to be taken seriously by her male counterparts (it was the 80s!). Anyway, long story short, I hated the seminar, and am no longer in a corporate environment, but I took it as an opportunity (officially sanctioned) to buy a red silk scarf... and I never looked back. Red and I made friends.

Guitar wire beads - I bought this set of beaded bracelets in the same shop as the above-mentioned scarf. The scarf is no longer with me (I am actually not sure what happened to it) but the shop remains an absolute favourite to this day. And I love these beads and baubles strung on guitar wires. I've had these for almost ten years now and I still enjoy wearing them. The combination of the deep reds with the subtle metals is just lovely and they make a very gentle tinkling noise when I move. 

African butterflies - another favourite bracelet, a souvenir of a trip to Namibia. I was working there for several weeks some years ago and was fortunate enough to spend the weekends travelling with my hosts to see some of the country. What a magical place it is. I'm generally not an arid landscape person - lushness and greenery make me very happy - but Namibia converted me to the desert. It's indescribable. Sea and desert adjacent to one another, sand dunes the size of mountains, entire plants the size of a coin, and the most vivid sunrises and sunsets I have ever seen over land, to inadequately name but a few features. I love this bracelet because it brings to mind that beautiful place and I most recently wore it to a work-related dinner function with a black dress, and several of these tiny feather butterflies in my hair...

A touch of rose - I love having my prettiest accessories where I can see them even when I am not using them and so I have these occasionally-used evening bags and the red flower corsages hanging against the wall in my bedroom where I can enjoy them every day. They dangle from the bottom of a heart-shaped wire frame, designed to hold cards or photographs I believe, which was my gift from my office Secret Santa last year. I still don't know who the Secret Santa was but I love the gift. It's probably not something I'd have bought for myself, especially in that particular shape (not wild about heart-shaped things for some reason) but it actually looks really pretty against the wall and I've found its great for hanging bits & pieces like this on!

A stopped watch - I don't wear a watch - never have - but I own several. And I love them all. Gifts to me from special people over the years, who just don't understand how I manage without one, they are all beautiful and different. All of them have batteries or winders that have now run down so that they no longer work. This one with the red leather strap is one of the very prettiest, a gift from my sweet brother, R. I think of him whenever I see it and although it doesn't tell me the time, it tells me that he loves me and he knows how happy red makes me. And I still manage to be punctual. Always.

Red is for Tango - I love a paisley print and it works so well on this lovely skirt, which is one of my favourites for dancing (and which apparently needs a press!). It's soft but slightly fitted, with a bit of a flirty flare at the hemline and allows great movement - perfect for an Argentinean Tango with a tall, dark Tanguero. Sadly neither Tango nor Tanguero have made an appearance in my life recently but if the opportunity arises, at least I'll already have the skirt. 

Red comes in several flavours - I snapped this shot of the handbags I have hanging on the back of the door in my guest room and without even having to rearrange them, they reveal that I have reasonably eclectic tastes in pattern, and that I'm quite fond of red. The one on the left is a great shopper that came as free gift with a magazine (don't you love those?) and has proved really useful. I love it. It's big and strong (can hold a week's worth of groceries) and the graphic floral design really cheers up a shopping trip. The leather one with the embossed butterflies and flowers is just big enough to hold everything a girl needs on an average working day, including a fold-up brolly, and who can resist a butterfly bag that still manages to look quite smart? Not me. The one on the right was something I bought when I was living in Paris. It's obviously not particularly Parisian but it reminds me always of that amazing city and how lucky I was to spend time there. And I like the pattern, the muted tones and the fact that it's beaded but still quite casual. I love to wear it with jeans. It's something that people often remark on and a year or so ago I was waiting in a queue in Marks & Spencer's when a woman came up to me and asked, in a lovely French accent, where I'd bought it. When I said Paris, she gave one of those expressive Gallic shrugs with a sigh, as if to say, "Aah, I should have known" and wandered off. That made me smile.

Reds can be invisible too - in the foreground here is the little zipped pouch that I use when I travel to hold whichever of my accessories I'm taking with me, most recently that included this wristband that I wore yesterday, and which I just unpacked from my little suitcase. In the background are two of the fragrances I like - one is a sample of Lauren, by Ralph Lauren (great for travelling, samples), and the other a gift from a friend who understood my love of vanilla and woody, spiciness and mixed this lovely warm fragrance specially for me. What an unusual and very personal gift. I was surprised and delighted! Although she's now returned to Australia, and the scent is almost finished, I think of her whenever I wear it or look at the beautiful red bottle she chose to put it in. Like all things, I have a variety of fragrances I wear, ranging from the green - light and fresh - to the red - warm and spicy - depending on my mood, the season and the alter-ego who's making the selection on the day. I have no signature scent, except that a hint of vanilla is something they almost all have in common. It's my favourite. I believe that less is definitely more when it comes to perfumes (it should be a subliminal sensory experience rather than an overt one I think, don't you?) but an outfit just isn't really complete until the invisible accessory has been added. And some days a red scent is just the thing. Now what shall I wear today?

Have a happy red day!

♥

P.S. It's not that I forgot about pink. I literally do not have a single item of pink in my wardrobe. There's a story behind that too, and it has to do with red.

Optimistic Oranges and Yellows

Colour weeks are brilliant! I'm so loving seeing how everyone interprets the day... And having fun finding colour in my own little world.

I know that many people love yellow but struggle with orange. It's often quoted as a least liked colour. But orange is one of the colours that makes my heart sing - the second of my three favourites. For me, it's the colour of creativity and optimism and always lifts my spirits. And orange speaks to me of Africa. 

I don't own much yellow, but orange abounds in my wardrobe. Just small touches but, with its vibrancy, a little goes a long way...

Earrings on a painted lady - strangely, although I love orange, I'm not as mad about yellow. Love it in flowers but that's about it. I bought these little glass earrings specially to wear to a wedding though. It was a request on the invitation that everyone wear "something yellow", as it's the brides favourite colour. Along with the earrings I also wore an olive green silk dress, a red, yellow & olive patterned wrap, a little red satin clutch bag, and a pair of red wellington boots. Err, yes, that's right. Wellies. Definitely one of my strangest wedding outfits to date but also one of the loveliest weddings I've ever been to. The ceremony took place on the edge of a lake in a national park in Wales and although it stayed dry for the hour or so we were outdoors, it had been raining hard all of the week before and started again shortly after we all tramped back down the hill and piled into Landrovers to head indoors for the party. Wellies were a must! At least until the dancing started... I must say that it was one of the sweetest, happiest weddings I've ever attended and the sunny splashes of yellow in everyone's outfits made it feel like the sun shone all day. I've only worn the earrings once or twice since but they always remind me of the occasion, so I hold onto them. Here they're lying on a square of my beautiful heirloom quilt (which deserves a post all of its own), made by a special aunt to reflect me and my life, including my love of butterflies, travel, Tango and Africa... and which she named, Dance of a Painted Lady.

Orange warm and fuzzies - this orange felt flower was one of the very first things I bought from Etsy. Oh, little did I know then what an addiction that site would become and this lovely shop remains one of my favourites. This small orange beauty lives for most of the year attached to a winter coat and she really brightens up many a grey day. Here she's resting up for the summer alongside a tiny carved bowl that I bought back from that trip to Sri Lanka mentioned yesterday, and a graceful dancer, sent to me as a Birthday gift by one of my lovely brothers, when he was living in Belize for a while. All three make me smile inside. Every day.

Citrus bling - these are two of my favourite beaded necklaces - the one casual and great with a pretty dress or jeans at weekends, and the other more formal and often worn with winter woolies or, as it's plenty long enough, as a belt over a chocolate brown tunic to work... A little bit of citrus brightens up any day of the week.

 

Button bracelet - this beautiful bracelet was made specially for me by the bride of the above mentioned wedding. She's an artist and her husband is a musician and we share a love of these things, and vintage buttons. She has a big collection of them and after the first time we met, at a New Year's dinner hosted by a mutual friend, she sent me this in the post. It also has green and red buttons on it and each one is special and different. I was so touched and absolutely love to wear it. She also made one (with a little less glitter!) for Gareth when they first met and he said that he knew then that she was the girl he would like to marry... and when he did, I wore this touch of yellow to celebrate the day.

 

Autumnal pashminas and shawls - no peek into my wardrobe would be complete without a hint of pashmina loveliness. And this orange lovely is one of my oldest and a firm favourite. Remember this and this? Well, that one and that pile and this pile combined are still not the whole collection. Yes, yes, I admit, it's an obsession. But really, they just make such practical sense for a girl who always feels a little chilly in this Northern climate and who gets a bit grumpy when cold. It's a service to the community really to ensure I'm able to keep toasty. And they are just soooo pretty, aren't they?

Keys to my home and heart - okay, not strictly a wardrobe item but this is something that I carry in my handbag every day and its decorative nature and the way it sounds and feels makes me happy whenever I have it in my hand, which is several times a day. My apartment keys provide access to my home... and the keyring with the traditional style beading and the African sea bean (a seedpod which is often found washed up on beaches) is a daily reminder of Home, where it comes from, and where part of my heart will always live.

Apple blossom - a corsage, which I bought last year at a Christmas market and which works in so many ways to accessorise an outfit. Here it's cheerfully decorating my little MacBook, another recent addition to my life. Although it's also not an accessory in the traditional sense, I do feel like the Mac is now part of my essential daily wear too. I had no idea I could ever truly love a piece of computer technology. But oh, how I do love this little beauty. I've always been a PC girl. Not through any conscious choice really but because it's what I had to work with. And it served me well, don't get me wrong. I don't regret our relationship for a moment and we still work well together. But when a friend was looking to upgrade his laptop and and offered me his Mac, I couldn't resist. And I have to say, I think I'd find it hard to go back. This is love. Tastes change with time and Apple is now my favourite flavour.

Amber sunlight - okay... the window is grubby (blush) and the glare is a little bit much (although I do love it when those flares are caught in the lens) so apologies for those but the sunlight is part of the point here. This amber pendant was given to me by a school friend about 25 years ago. We stayed friends after school even when she moved to Beijing to work and then to Frankfurt to marry. Then she moved again and we lost touch, as sometimes happens. I still think of her fondly and I know if we bumped into each other again, we'd share a pot of tea and chat in the same friendly way as before. This pendant always felt like it needed the sun to properly set it off so, many years ago, I strung it with these beads and it now hangs in front of a window wherever I am in the world, where it catches the sun beautifully, throwing amber light into the room and distracting me from the need to clean the windows...

A sunshiny and optimistic Orange Wednesday to all!

♥

Gorgeous Greens

Day two of colour week and oh, how I love a bit of greenery!

More danglies, in green - a pair of earrings given to me by the mother of a friend last Christmas. Not necessarily ones I'd have chosen for myself but I love them and wear them often. I have a few things like this, which I did not choose, perhaps would not have chosen, but I love how when other people interpret my taste they often open me up to something new. Next time around I'll consider something similar and so, in a small way, it's a broadening of an inner horizon. I like that.

Summer is a time for Peonies and pretty sandals - I bought a pair of these sandals for my sister. They are her favourite shade of green and the minute I saw them, I knew they had to be hers. I ordered them from one of my bestest online shops and when they arrived, I couldn't wait to see if they were as lovely in reality as they'd looked online. Oh, they were. Shell and pearl encrusted and so lovely in fact that I decided I needed a pair for myself too. There's not a lot of sandal weather in my life right now so they have yet to make their debut but, as this fellow sandal-wearer knows, when the right one's come along, you've just gotta nab them. And don't they look good under the Peonies I bought on Sunday? They're white so they don't strictly qualify for colour week, but they deserve to get a peek in just 'cause they're so pretty.

Sri Lankan greens - this is a tunic that I bought for a trip to Sri Lanka, which I enjoyed with my mother a little while ago. It was an amazing, rich and colourful experience that I will always remember. And whenever I wear this now, it conjures beautiful memories of one of the most beautiful places I've ever been privileged to visit, and a turning point in the journey of healing a broken heart. My mother's always been good at knowing exactly what's need to do that.

Corsage - this is something that cost me 99p. I bought it in a railway station kiosk and I immediately loved the frayed layered softness and the olive green colour. I've had it for almost 3 years and it is one of my very favourite accessories. It has both a pin-back and hairband on it and is often just the finishing touch needed to add a bit of femininity to an outfit. It's been worn on my lapel, waistband, the back of a dress, on a handbag, and to secure a scarf... And of course, in my hair. It's perfect for a Tango night up-do. A very well spent 99p indeed.

Maxi dress with leaves - I've always been fond of a Maxi. My father once commented that he was unsure if I had anything but ankles as he couldn't remember seeing any leg higher than that for years. He had a point. I remember wearing them as a child and feeling so special going to my first evening ballet with my mother in a "long-dress" like a grown-up. Or to lunch with my Nana, my sister and I dressed in identical gingham and denim maxi halter-necks. And I'm thrilled that they've made a comeback. I love the graphic floral pattern on this one, which I bought last summer and can't wait to wear again this year. There's not a lot of green on it but the leaves really make the whole thing work. It's pretty and floaty and makes me feel like twirling. I might wear it to our Midsummer Picnic next month...

Peridot, jade and emerald - all the colours of green that I love. Here, a few of my best loved baubles in the green spectrum. Despite the fact that I love beads and bijoux, I own no genuine bling. That's okay 'cause I'm not really a diamond sort of a girl. Beads are more my style. But if I could choose just one real gemstone to call my own, it would be an emerald. Preferably in an antique setting. In the meantime, these make me very happy.

Butterfly love - this is a very special item of jewellery and one of the most valuable things I own, in the way that something which embodies love is priceless. It arrived in the post, unexpected and so well-timed and I wear it almost every day. Here it's lying on a relatively seldom-worn but much-loved dress that I call my butterfly dress. Layers of blurry florals on textured silk chiffon, it fits like it was made for me, shushes softly when I move, evokes dreamy romantic notions, and goes well with glittery wings... I should wear it more often.

Gorgeous green Tuesday!

♥

Beautiful Blues

This week we'll be taking a journey across the rainbow together and I'm very excited about doing so. So much colourful loveliness in the world.

I always have trouble narrowing things down. What can I say? Variety is what makes me happy and I experience abundance in my life. So I decided in order to give myself and my lens a little focus this week I'm going to concentrate on exploring colour in just a single area of my world. My wardrobe. After all, the colour that's closest to me all day, every day is the colour I wear. And it definitely acts as an expression and enhancer of my mood. Although I wear a lot of neutrals, I love to add colour with a variety of baubles and a pop of texture or pattern. I have very few expensive pieces of jewellery and a relatively limited core wardrobe but am emotionally attached to almost every trinket, handbag, pair of shoes and item of clothing I own. Silly, I know. But true. I propose to share some of my current favourites and their stories this week. Organised by colour of course, and limited to no, absolutely no more than eight a post, which is still a relatively short list for me.

So here we go... let the colour commence...

Turquoise and silver earrings - turquoise is one of my three favourite colours and always makes me feel calm and happy. I wear it a LOT - in all shades from lightest aqua through to rich teal. Turquoise is also the birthstone of Sagittarians and a gemstone associated with the search for wisdom and spiritual journeys, which is perhaps why I'm drawn to it too. I've recently rediscovered dangly earrings after not wearing them for many years because someone told me that my face was too long to carry them off. He's not around anymore and I no longer care. I like them. They're pretty and I think my face carries them off just fine.

Flowers and shells with blue - this necklace was a thank-you gift from two sweet friends who boarded with me for several months while they waited for the purchase of their new home to go through. No thanks were necessary but it is a perfect choice and I love to wear it because it reminds me of many happy hours shared on my sofas while they were here. This year they're getting married and I will be wearing blue in honour of that occasion too.

Look to the sea - this was a gift to myself, made by this lovely lady. I wanted to manifest my desire to live near the sea again in some tangible way, to act as a reminder to my head of my heart's dream. This seemed the perfect way to do it. The pendant makes an occasional sweet tinkling sound when I move and I love that about it too. Here it's lying in a little glazed bowl that I bought on my first visit to the west coast of Scotland. That was a happy time and I am reminded of it whenever I look at this.

Beads and stripes - I love beads! Always have. Or at least as far as I remember since my great aunt Jess gave me an exquisite jet bead-encrusted handbag from the 50s when I was about eight. My wedding dress had a short jacket, which I hand beaded (including real shells and corals) for three months before the day. The marriage has sadly ended but the jacket still makes me happy when I think of all the love it represented then. This collection of simply strung blue bracelets are some that I also made myself and they get a lot of wear. As does the stripy summer skirt that they're lying on here. I've had it for about 15 years and I love it as much now as when I bought it.

Camera case - who says a camera case can't be pretty too? This one protects my faithful Canon compact from the wear and tear of being in the bottom of my handbag. I never leave home without it.

Butterfly bonanza - the latest addition to my summer wardrobe - an impulse buy. It's a beautiful soft cotton jersey-knit wrap-around dress that I wear as a tunic over trousers. I think it's one of those impulses that will prove a good one. It's a very busy pattern by my standards but I love the abstracted butterfly wings and of course, the colours... who could resist all those lovely blues?

Dichroic glass ring - this picks up the light in the most delicious way and reminds me of a visit to a delightful spa town, where a friend and I bought one for each other as a souvenir - hers was red. Whenever I wear it I think of the yummy mini-chorizos in honey, olives in thyme-infused olive oil with fresh ciabatta, and the fruity Pinot Grigio and chat that we washed them down with...

Glittery wings - okay, fair to say that I don't wear these for the day job - although I have considered it, and perhaps might one day do so. The faces at the office would be worth it. But they have been worn out in public on more than one occasion and have made me inordinately happy on those occasions. Just seeing them there on the shelf, ready to don whenever I feel the need for this particular accessory, makes me smile some mornings. They're a bit of a talking point and can take some getting used to on a dance floor but I highly recommend everyone add a pair of four foot-wide glittery wings to their wardrobe - colour choice optional.

For a list of all the other colour loveliness to be found this week, look here.

Beautiful Monday blues!

♥