Random but Lovely

I am feeling lousy. Its a combination of annoying and persistent flu symptoms and what I like to call 'swamp-head', you know... that feeling where you have hundreds of thoughts running through your mind, but you can't seem to focus on a single one, or you are trying to focus on a single thing/task/feeling and loads of thoughts flood in and take over? Its chaos in there.

To balance out the craziness I thought I would share some random but lovely things with you.

Have you ever heard of heat-reactive paint/wallpaper? No? Well, me neither.

Then I saw this:

Looks pretty normal right? Neat workspace... pretty wallpaper... wallheater for those cold winter months... but wait... what happens if we put that wallheater on?

The heat from the wallheater causes the wallpaper to blossom... how insane is that? Clever and beautiful. I like it!

Ever dream of building your very own 'nest', curling up with a book and escaping for a while?

Then this would be perfect for you!

These dangling basket nests, called NESTRESTS, are perfect for "relaxation, meditation and open-air conversations"

Love inspiring quotes and clever typography and design. Then go here and here. Here is one of my favourites... and another one here and here.

Also this one:


And this one:

(Yes- the whole poem is there)

And to finish things off (and add a little sweet romance to this random post)- a 'shy' loveletter:

(source)

(Sending a special thanks to my mystery contributor for today's links and images).

Work Wise

How many people love their jobs? How many people see the work they do as a career and not just a pay cheque? How many people feel valued by the company/organisation that they work for?

From what I have heard lately... not many.

So many people in their 20's, and even those in their 30's and 40's are feeling jaded and dissatisfied in the work place.

While I can't speak for the baby-boomers or generation x-ers, I can say that us 20-somethings aren't happy. There are a number of reasons for that- the most important being that we want more- more freedom, more flexibility, more benefits, more money and more power. We are ambitious, we are honest and we are driven by ethics and morality (well most of us anyway). We want to feel that what we do makes a difference and we want to feel that we are valued by the people we work with and work for.

We don't want to go to work everyday just to put the bread on the table, we want to work for something, something important, something we believe in. We want to experience passion in the workplace and we won't settle for anything less.

So what can we do?

It is all about finding a good fit ... and the fit has a lot more to do with the employer than the actual job. If you had told me this five years ago I would not have believed it. But do yourself a favour... imagine your dream job... then throw in a group of unfriendly colleagues, an ungrateful boss, no benefits, a tiny salary, few opportunities to show your talent-set... well, then, what do you have left? Still your dream job?

So how do we find this best fit? This wonderful employer and possibly our dream job? Well its a long process, but I might be able to help.

You can start by getting a very clever book. Its called (and you won't believe this) 'Best Employers'. Yes- its true- a group of very intelligent people (called the CRF institute) decided to put together a list of all the best companies to work for in South Africa (why didn't I think of that?)


Want to know which companies offer medical aid, retirement annuities, 6-months paid maternity leave, subsidised meals, on-site gym, preschool, free financial advice, a coffee bar and sessions with a beauty therapist? Want to know more about the company culture and style of some of South Africa's biggest businesses? Or just want to find out about what qualities they look for in future employees?

Then you need to get yourself this book. I did and it now has a permanent spot on my bedside table. If I read an interesting article about a local company or see a job that I am tempted to apply for... I go to my copy of Best Employers and see where they are on the list of Best Employers in South Africa.

You can get your own copy of Best Employers South Africa 2010/11 at Exclusive Books, Wordsworth or Adams and Co.

Or you can get a copy FOR FREE by taking part in a very exciting giveaway!

The lovely and friendly people at the CRF Institute have given me three copies of the Best Employers book to send to three lucky readers.

All you have to do to be entered into the draw is-

1. become a follower of this blog (if you are already a follower you are halfway there already)
2. leave a comment on this post (tell me about your dream job OR what is most important to you in the workplace OR why you love/hate your job)

And for an extra entry in the draw- refer a friend (ask them to use YOUR full name at the end of their comment).

Its that easy! I will do the draw at 12:00 on Sunday, 13 March. So start following, get commenting and the book could be yours!

A Curious Love

I stumbled across this very clever love letter and just had to share it.

Note: it may seem strange at first, but read it right to the end (and then don't forget to read the small print).

(source)

I think it is brilliant! Is there a girl in the world who doesn't dream of being adored and showered with love letters, poetry and flowers?

This gentleman's lady definitely found a keeper. See the full shoot here.

And just to keep the mood of love going... (a song from my future mixtape)

An Ode to the Mix Tape

Does anyone remember the movie High Fidelity? You know - the movie where John Cusack, a record store owner, lists everything, including his last five breakups. He talks music, relationships, maturity and commitment (with a few pearls of wisdom - and some 'slamming' dance moves from Jack Black).

I haven't seen the movie in a while, but it has left me wondering about a few things... things like- what happened to dating, what happened to romance, and most importantly... what happened to the mixtape?

Things just aren't the same anymore... maybe I am 'old school' (or just plain old) but while globalisation has brought us closer together, modernization and technological advancement has pulled us further apart. People don't really talk anymore, everything is about speed and convenience and no one knows how to express themselves.

We talk at each other instead of to each other, we don't listen, we breakup over sms, we order takeout because we couldn't be bothered to spend an hour in the kitchen cooking something cheaper (and most likely- healthier), we don't feel productive unless we are doing five things at the same time and we can't relax until we are doing nothing.

Which brings me back to the mixtape... creating a mixtape was a process, and the end result was art. Hours were spent choosing songs from records, CDs or in my case waiting for your favourite song to play on the radio (... oh- the shame!). It was about waiting, patience, perfection. No quick solutions, no instant gratification- just hard work- but it was worth it.

Joel Keller, in his 2004 article, "PCs killed the mix-tape star", talks about his experience:

"I miss the way I used to make mixes. I'd sit in front of my tape deck, with a stack of CDs or records on one side of me, and a beverage (adult or otherwise) on the other, and spend a couple of hours or more finding just the right combination of songs to put on the tape. The levels would all match; loud songs got softened and soft songs got a boost. I would attempt to take the mix right to the end of the tape; I'd spend over an hour finding that perfect minute-and-a-half song or snippet that would fit musically with the rest of the mix."

So today's version of the mixtape? An MP3 CD? Seriously? We drag a couple of songs into a burnlist, click a button and voila... a compilation is born? Sounds easy, but its just not the same. Its not a process... its a procedure. Drag. Click. Burn.

And who needs an MP3 CD when you have an iPod... forget 20 favourite songs, try 10,000 songs. 10,000 song you will NEVER listen to. So..? My suggestion? Find the 20 songs you will listen to, follow the rules... and then... then... make a mixtape (ok fine- a mix CD if you will)!

You might also want to read this or this, watch/listen to this and definitely look at this and this.

Getting inside my head

I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about this blog and where I want to go with it. Right now it is a place for me to share some of the beautiful things I see (in life and around the web), but I often feel that sometimes I would like to share more of what is happening inside my head.

I have a lovely friend who is pursuing her dream of writing and she has a wonderful blog where she documents her life experiences, her joys, her struggles and her thoughts. This has been very inspiring for me.

Thank you Klara for being so brave and thank you for inspiring me to try and do the same!

So if you see a few "inside my head" posts in the months to come- just bear with me. I am going to give this "put myself out there" thing a try. I might love it, I might hate. it But at least I will have tried it!

Do you think I should give it a go, or do you think I should stick to lighthearted posts about pretty things? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Pretty Sleepy

I am one of those girls that would live in her pyjamas if she could. I dream of a closet full of beautiful night things (that I would wear in the day ... obviously). Wisps of silk and lace, cotton, white, black, baby blue, robes, fluffy slippers, dresses, oversized shirts...

Then I saw this...

I have died and gone to nightgown heaven (confession: I think this is actually a summer dress, but I don't care, I want one in every colour).

Love Fort

With today being Valentine's Day it seems like there is a little virus going around and I am feeling very lovesick (in a good way- don't worry). You know that floaty, excited feeling... like kissing the person you love for the first time, or getting ready for a very romantic date? That's how I feel. Its lovely.

And as if I wasn't feeling dreamy enough already... I stumbled across this DIY for a Love Fort. I LOVE. LOVE, LOVE the idea of a Love Fort. A private little space for you and your "person" to just enjoy the magic of being in love. Where you can fantasize about your future, read poetry and kiss till you can't anymore. Sounds like heaven to me!

I can't wait to build my own love fort. Maybe with all of this fantastic weather an outdoor love fort is in order... I am thinking of forests at sunset and a picnic filled with cupcakes and little sandwiches. What do you think?

 Here are some pictures of a few other lovely love forts...

Ooh- a starlit evening in a stripey tent... how romantic! Via Erin Ever After.

What a dreamy space

A forest princess and her fort

What a sweet little 'teepee'

Have a love-filled day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope you are having a day filled with love and splendor! Here are some pictures from a project I am currently working on.

Watch this space...

A Pretty Blog

I must confess - I am obssessed with The Pretty Blog (if you didn't know that already).

I haven't had a chance to blog much in the last few days, but here are some of my favourites from The Pretty Blog.

The most beautiful wedding dress from this gorgeous wedding.

'Quilt' cookies. Read more about them here.

Beautiful baby mobile. Seen on The Pretty Blog, available on Etsy.

And now for some wedding love...

Ballet is hugely popular at the moment with ballerina inspired touches being seen everywhere, and weddings are no exception. Check out this wedding that featured a live ballet performance as well as this wedding with the prettiest bridal (ballet) slippers (and an epic car).

Hope you had a lovely weekend! 

Oh... and before you go- please have a look at this fantastic wedding video. It is beautiful, sweet and filled with such intense and authentic emotion... its just perfect!

A Love Letter

Want to do something special for Valentine's Day? How's about a romantic love letter? Write something sweet, maybe add a poem, use this gorgeous double sided envelope (and labels) and seal it with a kiss!

Side note: This DIY task with printables was taken from The Pretty Blog, a lovely little blog which is full of downloads and DIY ideas for weddings, parties and other events (they even have some yummy recipes). Check them out here.

Lucky No. 9

I recently stumbled across Lucky No. 9, a design studio that creates the most gorgeous wedding stationery, branded items and even does event styling. 

I am in love! You have to (HAVE TO) look at the site here. They even have a blog with DIY projects and downloads.

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Happy New Year

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year (the Year of the Rabbit to be exact)!

"Most Rabbit years are quiet, positive and inspiring and 2011 looks to be heading in this direction – a refreshing change after the fast-moving and quite dramatic Year of the Tiger. Family, diplomacy and personal development will all be highlighted in 2011. Once again alternative sources of energy and green living will be under the spotlight. The arts and culture sector of society will very busy producing amazing works of art and staging important exhibitions throughout the year. Love, romance and family life are well-starred, with a renewed appreciation of loved ones and friends. Overall, it should be a fun and relatively peaceful year. Even though aggression, violence and war zones will still be in evidence, the Chinese Rabbit year favours peaceful solutions and diplomacy, so there will be a feeling that all is not lost and that hope is still very much alive." (source)

(image source)

To determine your Chinese Zodiac animal click here and to read your predictions for 2011 click here (mine have been strangely accurate... so far).

Happy Year of the Rabbit... may it be a successful and happy year filled with love.

More Loveliness

As promised here are some cute and clever ideas for Valentine's Day goodies. I have one or two surprises of my own planned, but you will have to wait a bit longer to see what those are. In the mean time enjoy these pics and links (look out for the free downloads too). Enjoy!

 

 Why not have breakfast in bed with a side order of 'I love you' (source)

(Thanks for the link V)

Bakerella has done it again! Loving these Valentine's Day Cake Pops.

Sparkly DIY I Love You garland

Cupid's Cupcake Arrows

Cupid Kit. Genius! Available here.

And just for fun- some downloadable templates (for Valentine's Day of course) from around the web:

Cute fruit stickers via Erin Ever After

Sweet treats goody bags

Cake topper tags 

And you have to look at these too-

Extra link love:

Valentine's Cards

DIY Heartstrings

I love you cookies

Bra and panties cookies

Fortunes of love

Woolies treats (my favourite)

Valentine's Day Love

I love any excuse to celebrate the people I love and go a bit crazy with crafts, cookies and gifts, so it is no surprise that I am getting hugely excited for Valentine's Day. I have seen some amazing things all over the internet (what would we do without blogs?) and will post some great Valentine's Day ideas a little later (crafts, cookies and other pretty things).

But in the mean time enjoy swooning over this magnificent creation - a cake with a HEART in the middle- how genius is that??

To see the recipe with instructions click here (via Birthday Girl).