I've got sunshine on a rainy day

Happy Friday one and all. So how's the week been?

Things have been hectic here, busy busy with fun and interesting client work. I'm blessed. You know, I still have to pinch myself that it's less than 2 years since I said goodbye to corporate life and threw myself onto the roller coaster yet again - can't believe it!

My dining room table was a fun and messy place to be yesterday, with fabric and paint swatches strewn all over the place as I played with pulling together delicious and enticing pallettes for my clients - perhaps my favourite part of this job. Hours pass, I forget to eat - and I might get a teeny wee bit obsessed with finding exactly the right colour or pattern, or combo of both!

Which leads me to my point ....

 

Slowing life down was a big part of this whole change, mid-life 're-appraisal', call it what you will! I didn't give up what I was doing before and risk disappearing into professional oblivion just to repeat the pattern of 'gotta be amazing, gotta give it my all', always at the cost of my energy and own inner peace.

 

 

So no matter how much I love what I now do - and you KNOW how much I love it - I know I still need to make sure I take time to stop and smell the roses, well my version of that anyway. So these photos that I wanted to share with you today are my version of that famous old cliche ....

 

 

Looking through my camera lens at a flower as intricate and beautiful as the Bird of Paradise, as close as I can get, makes time stand still. How can I not feel joy when I see the colours, textures and shapes of this marvellous little part of our universe?

 

 

They're not roses.

And they don't smell.

But they are my sunshine on a rainy day like today.

 

Til next time,

Nx

 

The colour of my week

You know how it goes, sometimes the universe gives you a nudge.  Then when you don't listen, it nudges you just a little bit harder.  Then if you're still not listening .... well, you were warned ....

One of mine taken in Scotland earlier this year

I happen to be studying Colour Psychology at the moment and one of two colours we spent time on this week was Yellow-Orange.   Along with its next of kin on the colour wheel, Yellow, this is not a colour I've loved in the past, or used extensively in any of my homes.  But lately it's been popping up on my colour radar more and more, demanding some attention.

via Apartment Therapy

 So what did I learn about this colour this week?  I learnt it is associated with abundance, amongst other things, but that word 'abundance' is the part of this week's lesson that resonated with me the most. 

(And by the way, I'm not sticking to all Yellow-Orange images in this post - I'm making room for all sorts of Yellows ....)

Gold Coast apartment building

Abundance is something I am blessed to appreciate in my life every single day.  But lately there's been a little gremlin lurking around, one that relates to perhaps the most tangible aspect of abundance - money.  It's been on my mind, worrying me just a little.

Detail from the astounding Grand Palace in Bangkok

Hardly surprising really - a total career change, from a very-comfortably-off-thank-you-very-much leadership consultant to a rookie interior designer, will do that to you.  This week's lesson on Yellow-Orange struck such a chord with me that I realised this little gremlin needs dealing with - he's been getting me down, holding me back, stopping me from launching into things that I am yearning to do creatively.  I've been second-guessing if these creative pursuits will make me any money, if they will keep me afloat.

Taken from Livingetc, May 2010 - this lives in my 'dream home' file

Then Jonathan Cainer pipes up with his say.  I don't tend to read my horoscope much, but since a very dear friend of mine has been sharing hers with me over the past few weeks, I was intrigued enough to check mine out this week.

Kangaroo Paw from my garden

 

And I quote for Wednesday:

"For love, we do all kinds of crazy things.  And for money?  The same applies.  Is it because we need to?  Is it because we want to?  Or is it simply in our desperation to obtain one or the other, we abandon and lower our intelligence.  That would be most ironic, especially as we would be far more likely to attract those qualities into our lives by manifesting confidence rather than acquiescence.  You won't compromise your state of emotional or financial well-being by being yourself today."

Graham and Brown 'Stretch' wallpaper via Apartment Therapy

And Thursday goes something like this -

"You are soon to be better off.  Your finances may not improve automatically, you may have to put in some serious effort, but at least you will have the opportunity to make that effort.  A door will open.  A chance will arise.  If you are encountering difficulty, it could only really be for one reason: because you are allowing yourself to be motivated by fear rather than inspiration."

Another detail from the Grand Palace

I would like to let go, to free myself from being motivated by fear, and allow myself to be motivated by inspiration.  And having come to that conclusion, the universe has now presented me with an opportunity to give it a go ....

Turns out that my car, which I can no longer start because the ignition is worn and the key won't turn, is going to cost me a bank-account-clearing $1100 to get back on the road.  Sharp intake of breath ....

... but still here, still me and still a very wealthy woman, in oh-so-many ways.

Til next time, Nx

Freedom Friday

Today was one of those days that reminds me how blessed I am to live the life I do.  After a busy week of work, today there were no deadlines, no house-hunting hassles (at last!) ... in fact I was free to do whatever I wanted. 

Photo by me

And what better way to start the day than by watching the first in the new series of Grand Designs that I  recorded last night.  I think Kevin gets more and more entertaining as the years go on - he is so sharp and tells it like he sees it, but always with a smile!  How I wish I was going to Grand Designs Live down in Sydney in late October - anyone going to make it along?

Martha gets in on the act - as per usual!

Then it was off to visit the Parry & Williams (Upholsterers) showroom with two of my fellow Interior Design Decorators, followed by a spot of lunch and a chat to cap off a great morning.  (You'll see the result of what I picked up at Parry & Williams for a song at a later date ... )

Another photo by me, minus the cat this time

Then just enough time before the weekend officially kicks off to think about writing a blog post.  But what to write about?  What photos to post?  Decision made as I spot my latest purchase which I love, love, love.  This Freedom side table looks good enough on its own (how much do I love teal) ....

Stencil Occasional Table in Teal from Freedom, $49.95, also available in Orange and (yellow) Green

But what about when you team it with the neighbour's bougainvillea?  POW!  A colour combo good enough to eat.

The bougainvillea just hangs over the fence ... honest ...

I really enjoyed Freedom Friday.  It was my kind of day.  What's yours?


Til next time, Nx

I hope these flowers brighten your day, just as you all brightened mine

It's Tuesday and although I promised myself I would devote all my time until Wednesday afternoon to my course work, I just couldn't resist a quick post.  I just wanted to say thank you SO much to everyone for their visits to my first post and especially their welcoming and encouraging comments - the words of friends and strangers alike have made me so happy, more than you can know. 

Blogging is a whole lot of fun, I wonder why on earth I didn't start sooner.  Or maybe I do ....  As we so often do in life, I managed to find quite a few reasons to put off starting my blog.  The main reason for me, though, is a little demon I do have to wrestle with every now and again on this journey.  At times when I'm not so sure of myself, I can so easily convince myself (browsing a few magazines and surfing the overwhelming amount of blogs out there will do it) that there's nothing new in the zoo.  How can I be different and have amazingly new and fresh things to say and show that haven't been said or shown before?  Well, its easy to think that, but it's missing the point, isn't it?  It's not about out there, it's about in here - what's in me.  Blogging, I've realised, is the most incredibly satisfying way for me to express myself and that's the part that really matters - that people read and enjoy what you have to say is the perfect icing on an already delicious cake.

Have a great day, everyone, and I'll catch you later in the week, Nx