Weekend Learning's

I had an extremely good weekend! London is total chaos currently. She is littered with tourists and shoppers and Christmas fanatics. Literally, people walking around in Santa hats and the Jamaican trio who play the metal drums at the station are now dressed in red and green Christmas pyjamas banging out a very festive jingly song. It is weird. I love it! Even the hobo’s who are usually sweary and bitter have the festive cheer, I saw one dancing on his mattress to another drummers rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and singing something along the same lines... not really but he was trying and getting everyone in the mood and that is what counts! There is a lot of joy. And after being here for almost nine months… I am really loving it. I know, I know, I blow hot and cold, but I fricking LOVE Christmas, and it is on steroids here! And do you know why, there is a lot of sharing going on. It has made me gleeful. This is what else I learned;

• “For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.” - Audrey Hepburn
• Liberty of London is also one of the places to avoid during the December season. I needed to get something specific and stumbled out of the side entrance where the flower shop is. What a wonderful find! The aroma of fresh flowers is seductive! And during Christmas they have someone who hand makes Christmas wreaths for you to personalise and design yourself. Not only a beautiful gift, but a stunning keepsake. 
• “Always be touching her, even when your hands cannot reach her.” - J.R. Rogue
• In a world where everyone is overexposed, the coolest thing you can do is maintain your mystery.
• This is going to be a weird one. I love looking into peoples homes in December. Wait, I am not a creeper, let me explain. People in London, decorate their beautiful trees and then put them in their windows for all to see. They actually leave the shutters open. It is so gorgeous walking home at night, seeing all the pretty trees in the windows. Some are so sweet, decorated by children. I just love this! Something that you would never see in South Africa. People share their beauty with the outside world and I love it.
• “I am infatuated by the way desire dances down your delicate skin in molten liquid moonlight.” - The Word Virus
• Polpo is a bàcaro. This is a Venetian word to describe a humble restaurant serving simple food and good, young local wines. I visited this lovely restaurant with my closest friends in London. We shared wine, food and stories. We are all from South Africa, we all moved in 2015. I feel this is the smallest our table will be… 

Have a nice week my vanilla piccolo! Stay out of the Christmas rush, or maybe join it, embrace the tinsel party, share a little!

Xoxo

PS. My moon, my man, my everything. 

Leave a Comment Audrey Hepburn, Christmas, Christmas windows, December, J.R. Rogue, Liberty, London, love, Polpo, quote, quotes, share, The Word Virus, weekend

Weekend Learning's

SO it is Friday. What a late Weekend Learning’s this is! It is the first week of December. Back home we call this Silly Season. And for good reason! Here in London, there is not a name for it. Lame. I cannot wait to go home for Christmas. I love London, this is true, but I have had enough for 2015. I want my family, my friends, my dogs, my home… This is what I learned;

• If I have discovered anything this year, my heart, lives in South Africa.
• “You’re in my bones, and my blood, and my heart. I’d have to tear myself open to let you go.” - Cassandra Clare.
• Clifton Road Maida Vale is an amazing little road a good walk from my house. There are lovely little organic fruit and veg shops, deli’s, restaurants and even a pet store. A great London discovery.
• The use of swearing to alleviate stress or pain is called "lalochezia.”
• I finished another book this weekend. Yes I am proud of myself! Any suggestions on what to read next?
• "Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.” - Bertrand Russell 
• Shakshouka is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chilli peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. I only came across this when I started dating my man. And I quite like it. I for some reason was craving it this weekend and decided to make it. Probably the fact that I miss him so much, maybe a little food could bring me closer to him... kind-of-maybe-not. Anyway! Easy, low cost, delicious. Craving killed.
• You can remove errant deodorant marks from dark clothes by wiping the white streaks with a dryer sheet. I found this out this weekend. Fuuuuun, I love doing my washing. This is one of those things you do living in London; your own washing. 
• “Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.” - Margaret Peters

I hope you keep warm my little teacups. And if you are in South Africa, soak up that sunshine for me! Have good weekends.

Xoxo

PS. I want a pawpaw.

Leave a Comment Bertrand Russell, Cassandra Clare, Christmas, Clifton Road Maida Vale, December, home, London, Margaret Peters, Proudly South African, quote, quotes, Rare word meaning, Shakshouka, silly season, weekend

Weekend Learning's

Katie Holten's Trees of the USA.

Coldest weekend in London yet! It snowed on Saturday morning. Do not be daft, I did not see it, it was at 7 o’clock, I was in bed snoozing. But I did venture out, dressed like a snow man. By this I mean you wear so many items your arms stick out as there are so many layers, they sort of support your shoulder and armpits and create a funny bendy arm. As your elbow cannot bend either as that too, is padded to the max, it extends. It is fun actually. The blistery wind prickles your cheeks pink and puts a spring in your step. It is not as bad as I thought. This is what else I learned;

• Have you ever tried fresh mint tea. It is fresh, very. Try it. Delicious. 
• Tip: A woman can always tell if a man loves her by how much time he is willing to invest. Money spent is meaningless, but time spent is priceless. 
• I ventured to Zone Four this weekend to visit a family friend. It is really lovely out there. Nino’s in South Woodford is a great little traditional Italian restaurant. Really delicious and good value for money! Unlike anywhere I have been in the rest of London… Lol. Joke. 
• I also saw my first fox! In my friends garden! I could not believe it! I was so excited I almost ran into the glass doors. My friend was rather amused by my excitement, as locally these beautiful creatures are considered pests as they attack dogs, rip up garbage and poop in the street. He he. But I think Mr Fox was looking very fantastic scratching his fleas and then jumping through the fence… I felt like I reached a milestone in my move to London. Fox – Tick.
• “Later that night, I held an atlas in my lap, ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered; where does it hurt?” It answered; “Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.” - Warsan Shire. What has happened to our world? Why is there so much pain and hurt? I cannot stand to watch the news for another minute.  
• I am loving Francois-Henri Galland at the moment. He is a French watercolour artist. His new work is all of lovers, shapes and spills of colour. Simply beautiful, very suggestive. You are almost left to imagine what is not there, and more importantly what is. See some of his work {here}. 

Hope you have a positive rest of your last week of November and remember, stay weird, moon babies.

Xoxo

PS. “You are the calm that saves me from my own hurricane of maddness.” - Almaz A.

Francois-Henri Galland, Untitled.

1 comment art, fox, Francois-Henri Galland, Katie Holten, London, London restaurant, Nino's, quote, restaurant, South Woodford, Warsan Shire, weekend, Zone Four

Weekend Learning's

First weekend I have felt back to normal in a while. Been under the weather and under so much pressure at work. Then was attacked by a migraine… like a week of them *cry, then more work. It has been an interesting few days. It has been a tad of a struggle. But I am still here, smiling and happy. Why? I have so many great people in my life, blessed. You all know who you are. It is sickening how positive I am, think I might be glowing. And it is all because of you. And this is what else I learned;

• I had to work on Saturday. I feel like if you are in a good mood, nothing can bring you down not even working on the weekend. On the other hand if you are a negative ball of gloom, not even the sunlight will feel warm on your skin. How incredible is the human mind? How powerful is it that we can so easily convince ourselves into one corner and into another… this fascinates me. 
• "They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds." Mexican proverb.
• I find cooking a butternut one of the most frustrating things. Sometimes I try to chop it myself, stick the knife in, get it stuck, *bang bang bang, butternut turns into rocket and flies across kitchen. Or, some more common problems; over cook, par and under cook. Also there is the chance I get it chopped and it is under-ripe and it is just fuzzy. I found a solution! Again, my slow cooker. 1x whole butternut, remove sticker, clean (do not peel or anything), put in slower cooker for 5 hours on high heat, DONE! {This} is the slow cooker I have if you would like to get one.
• "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain. Not that I ever find myself here, I always find myself on the outside looking in and I am very happy here.
• Gails mince pies are some kind of devil food. They are so delicious. Trying a tiny sample was a mistake. I love mince pies. You know the Christmas pastry with spiced fruit in it… yum. Do not go there. Stay home and hide. 
• "You know, some people say life is short and that you could get hit by a bus at any moment and that you have to live each day like it’s your last. Bullshit. Life is long. You’re probably not gonna get hit by a bus. And you’re gonna have to live with the choices you make for the next fifty years.” - Chris Rock. I like this. At some point you decide to find the middle ground and not every huge risk is an opportunity, it is about making choices that make you light! 

Have a good week, keep warm London, it is going to possibly snow this weekend! 

xoxo

PS. "There is too much room, far too much space on all sides, in this bed alone.” - Daily Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson

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Weekend Learning's

From one of my all time favourite sites, Maddie on Things.

I was sick in bed this weekend with the onset of a cold. I had to make sure I kept it at bay by staying indoors (as much as I could) and keeping warm and snug. You know, you can still learn a thing or two from the constraints of ones own four walls. This is what I learned;

• Working late on a Friday is no fun at all. However, it does have its perks. Leaving the office late makes you see Oxford Street a little differently on Halloween Eve. Full of mad teenagers trying to get the best witchy outfit or slutty mummy. "That my dear cannot be worn as a skirt!" I heard one mother voice… rather you than me dear… 
• "I’m oxygen and he’s dying to breathe." - Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me
• I must admit, I have gotten into a habit of making chilli broccoli pasta on a Friday night. It must be the reminiscence of my parents Friday night pasta evenings back home. But when I get home hungry on a Friday night, the Lingunie calls to me. 
• A sick introvert living with two extroverts… the lock on the door is never enough. One realises how thin ones walls are when one desperately wants to sleep. 
• Bao London has got to be one of the worst decisions I have ever made. Korean buns filled with delicious spicy, crunchy, good smelling things. And then some Horlicks ice-cream to finish it off… YES in a BUN as WELL. I know it is ridiculous I was sick at myself and I want to go back immediately. And so did everyone else, there was a queue of thirty people standing outside waiting for their own buns. Buns. Amazing Bao Buns. Not healthy though… definitely only for a cheat day!
• Chamomile tea. I am an addict.
• "Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." - Khalil Gibran
• I have this terrible habit, I do it all the time. I plan to go from A to B and then that is that. A; being home and B; being the destination and then I would like to return home. But I know, in London this is impossible. So I went from A, home, to B the chemist to get medicine for my cold. I saw a crowd and somehow managed to stumble upon a motor show in Regents Street. Then a parade or strike, for I do not know what, but they were singing and dancing so I followed it quite amused and happy with the tunes and miraculously managed to end up in Covent Garden and went looking around the Rugby Stands, FOUR hours later I had not eaten or taken my pills. This is what happens, London sucks you in and POOF, from A to B turns into from A to G and then some J for a bit of L, M, N, O, P! I got home and passed out. 
• "To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” - Elizabeth Gilbert

Have an amazing week sparklers, it is Guy Fawkes on Thursday, hope you are going to see a bonfire and some fireworks somewhere! 

Xoxo

PS. Discombobulate 

My love...

Leave a Comment Bao, Bao London, Chamomile tea, Elizabeth Gilbert, funny word, Guy Fawkes, Halloween, Khalil Gibran, Linguine, Maddie on Things, Oxford Circus, quote, quotes, Tahereh Mafi, weekend

Weekend Learning's

So I went to Israel to see my love. I do not care what anyone says, when you really love someone, it never gets easier to say goodbye. There is always a little part of me which is lost when I leave him. And when we are together, I am whole again. Everything is simple and easy, it is just right. I had an incredible time - I always do… an adventure is not a place, it is the person you are spending those little moments with. I could go from the third floor to the ground floor and he would turn it into something incredible… a ride in a lift… romanticising the waves under the moonlight, watching the democratic debate! Adventures! Because it is you. This is what I learned;

• "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." - Eleanor Roosevelt 
• That whole new thing about checking in online for your flight is becoming a big deal. Some poor souls were left off the flight due to overbooking… not cool, but I guess it is becoming an online booking first come first serve deal… shame. 
• "Republicans win when there is low voter turn out.” - Senator Bernie Sanders telling all of your asses to go vote.
• Eilat has got to be one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. Yes I had my rose tinted glasses on… I feel a little warmth in my heart thinking about its beauty… I wish I had done more there… next time!
• "The mind is beautiful because of the paradox. It uses itself to understand itself." - Adam Elenbaas
• You cannot be on a migraine eating plan in Israel and at an all you can eat buffet! That is all.
• Sometimes my boyfriend makes me laugh so loud I stop mid laugh and think… gosh is that me? I have never experienced that before… it is those things in our relationship that I cherish… sore cheeks from smiling… sore stomach from laughing… lé good life, still, after all this time, you keep me laughing. 
• The açaí palm is a species of palm tree cultivated for its fruit and hearts of palm. Its fruit can be made into a kind of sorbet and it is really delicious! Oh my gosh it is actually divine! With the addition of toasted coconut (best), granadilla, banana, granola, just to name a few, it becomes an Açaí Bowl, delicious, especially served with two spoons and a chilly kiss.
• Anyone who cuts and shares an apple with you is a sweet and lovely human. 
• "You belong right here, in the stillness next to me. You are home with me.” - Daily Haiku on Love by Tyler Knott Gregson

Have a good week little yellow leaves, back to the grind of the fall. 

Xoxo

PS. “Learning how to love is the goal and the purpose of spiritual life… love is the truth. Love is the light.” - Lama Surya Das

Leave a Comment acai bowl, Acai palm, Adam Elenbaas, Bernie Sanders, Eilat, Eleanor Roosevelt, Israel, Lama Surya Das, quote, quotes, Tyler Knott Gregson, weekend

Weekend Learning's

The first weekend of October. Something changes in the air in October in London. Yes the weather, obs! But the menus at the markets have changed. There are now warm apple, pumpkin and cinnamon turnovers and hot spicy mulled wine. There are chimneys billowing white mist into the crisp blue sky. People are wearing burgundy and mustard coloured throws. There is a nip in the air but a warmth in the spirit, an English Autumn is vibrant and idllic! Also, while pottering around London, as one does, one noticed a lot of new things. Christmas decorations? Really? One cannot believe! This year has flown. And what a year it has been. This is what I learned; 

• “Like a wild flower; she spent her days, allowing herself to grow, not many knew of her struggle, but eventually all; knew of her light.” - Nikki Rowe
• I love to read. Sometime back home I would stop reading for long periods of time. I find I struggle to get into books. Now with my trusty iPad and kindle app, I have successfully finished three books since I moved here. I know for big readers a book every two months is not impressive but I am on my fourth book since I moved here and enjoying getting lost in my books more and more. I have been reading such scary books that I sometimes get too scared to go out into the hall, let alone get out of the bed and have to watch an episode of Friends to try and relax before bed… funny! I know I am silly… stop laughing!
• "Remember: the time you feel lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself. Life’s cruelest irony." - Douglas Coupland, Shampoo Planet. I strongly believe in inner reflection. 
• There are so many health places in London. Honestly, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, animal friendly, green, organic and biodegradable eat-in / eat-out restaurants are the new black… it seems. I have many favourites, I am yet to find a smoothie place where I truly love the menu. Most places do juicing but I think they water a lot of them down and we all know me and a smoothie – a love affair in a plastic sippie cup. I had a great one at Crussh this weekend – The Bliss Blend - Mango, pineapple, peach, bananas, coconut milk, bliss blend booster. (I took out the orange juice and yoghurt you will see on the menu, cannot have those on the The Migraine Diet). Was a little Saturday morning treat! Their branding is terrible though… it pains me. Just saying.
• I finally finished Grey’s Anatomy Season 11. I cried like a blubbering little wet blanket, and I LOVED IT! Really was not the same watching it alone. I used to watch it with my little Sis, at least then we would cry together, and then laugh at each other. Quote I loved the most, Owen’s quote; "We're supposed to feel; we're supposed to love and hate and hurt and grieve and break and be destroyed and rebuild ourselves to be destroyed again. That's human; that's humanity. That's being alive," he told Amelia. "Don't avoid it. Don't extinguish it."
• I think its a joke that peanut butter says “once opened consume within 3 months”. Three months… do people really have that much self control that they can keep a jar of peanut butter for more than three months? Wow. A jar of peanut butter lasts me about eight days, sometimes a little more but three months… never! 
• "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close." - Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets.

I hope you have an incredible Autumn week my fallen leaves. There will be no Weekend Learning’s next week, I am going on an adventure with my favourite sun baby!

Xoxo

PS. "Your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you."

Leave a Comment Autumn, Book, Crussh, Douglas Coupland, Grey's Anatomy, health, healthy, London, Nikki Rowe, October, Pablo Neruda, peanut butter, quote, quotes, reading, weekend

Weekend Learning's

Ahem, super messy hair!

Hey hey heeey! Another weekend has come and gone. They really do go quick, especially when you are a busy body like me. Smirk. Let me just say; Hello Autumn, I have not seen you in a long time. Since I skipped my last South African Autumn when I came over here I am really looking forward to the above quote. Some browns, reds and yellows in the beautiful parks here must be magical. I haven’t had an English Autumn since 1996, woa! This is what I learned;

• “Let us read and let us dance, these two amusements will never do the world any harm.” - Voltaire. 
• I have always been interested in the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. I cannot tell you where I heard about it. Ever since my discovery of this lunar worshipping festival I became desperate to visit one and come on, don’t you love the idea of eating something called a mooncake? It was a lot of fun. I ate a mooncake! They are very unusual… I took the leap and bought the traditional ones made with either lotus seeds or red bean paste with a salted duck yolk in the middle… I know odd. But they are weirdly delicious. I ated them. In fact I saved one for today and I cannot stop eating it, I cannot do the egg in the middle its too weird (sorry!) Thanks London China Town, I had a blast ^_^
• “Abracadabra” is actually the Aramaic (before Hebrew) phrase “Avra Khdabra” which means literally “I will create as I speak”. Fascinating! 
• You aren’t rich until you have something money can’t buy… 
• I love sitting at the front of the bus at the top. It is like riding a kids ride at Disney Land! It is a little scary how close the bus driver gets to things and sitting at the top makes it look like crash time is seconds away! Eeeee! Also in Autumn, for me it is quite cold already, so sitting in the sun spot there in the front alone (the Brits are way too lazy to go up there for a couple stops) is my ultimate… on Saturday and I must admit on Sunday too, I missed my stops and sat up there till the bus terminated. The simple joys! I just sat there, looking at the sights in the sun, snug as a bug in a er… bus. 
• "Your absence has gone through me. Like thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its colour.” - W.S. Merwin, “Separation”.
• “When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you are drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life… live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.” - Thich Nhat Hanh. 

Go out and live that life tiny trees! Have a great week.

Xoxo

PS. Twinkle, twinkle little bat… 

xXx

Leave a Comment Abracadabra, bus, Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, hich Nhat Hanh, Moon cake, Moon Festival, quote, Voltaire, W.S. Merwin, weekend

Weekend Learning's

Illustration; Bri Emery

Gosh. I have not done a Weekend Learning’s for so long. Where to start? At the beginning. This is what I learned;

• I live in a semi-detached, ground-floor, newly refurbished (so new it was finished two weeks after I moved in) house. It is complicated! I am still learning her ways. It reminds me of this quote to one of my favourite movies, Under The Tuscan Sun.
  "Pick one room and make it yours. Go slowly through the house. Be polite, introduce yourself so it can introduce itself to you." - Frances Mayer.
• Maybe I hope too much, maybe I dream too much, but at least I won’t give up until I’ve tried, and I won’t regret anything.
• Did you know that all the swans in London are owned by the Queen? Well since back in the day they are a protected species so the Royals look after them. I like it. Hurt them and get fined! Wish South Africa would do this for the Rhino’s. 
• “The best smell in the world is that man that you love.” - Jennifer Aniston. Oh how I miss the little things the most.
• I live in London. Just incase you forgot! Which means sometimes I will catch a bus somewhere and go past Marble Arch or Selfridges or Big Ben or any of these amazing landmarks! This weekend, the bus I caught took me past Harrods. Their window dressing is out of this world. Every time I realise I am about to go past there I get excited, open my eyes a little wider to see a little more (like a little kid) and gawk with my mouth open at the incredible display of the Harrods windows. This particular weekend I think I heard myself gasp out loud - they are magical! 
• “It takes both sides to build a bridge.” - Fredrik Nael
• My little sister is getting married! Yay! So I spend a lot of time looking into wedding stuff, did you know there is a bouquet glossary? Like a Pompander, is a flower covered ball tied with a ribbon for a flower girl? And a Nosegay is a compact cluster of flowers wrapped tightly and cut to one uniform length? And that is only two of them… I know. 
• I recently started a migraine eating plan to try and figure out what foods are triggering my migraines. I am a chronic sufferer. This means if I am not medicated, I can get 15 migraines a month… debilitating. So I am basically a vegan at the moment who cannot eat some select fruits and veg and nuts to add to it. But I feel great! Can you believe? I did have one migraine last week though… one is better than four… I’ll keep you updated.

Hope you have a Harrods window kind of week!

Xoxo

PS. Be grateful. Eat more vegetables. Love others. 

So many friends I thought would build haven't,
Friends I thought wouldn't have surprised me,
thank you.

Leave a Comment Frances Mayer, Fredrik Nael, Harrods, health, Jennifer Aniston, London, London Diaries, migraine, quote, quotes, SAFA in London, Stephs Wedding, swans, vegan, Wedding, weekend

London Diaries

How I felt... a lot.

Six months in London. What can I say? 

Well I can say that last month I was so convinced it was six months I tried to convince myself and my boyfriend it was until I actually said to him… “So I got here in March, so one month, twoooo, three, four… five… Oh...” It felt like six. It has felt like forever. But it has also felt like I left yesterday. It feels like yesterday I was trying to fit my life into 23kg’s of bag. Yes that’s all I could bring. It also felt like yesterday where I lived happily on my own and drove a car and NEVER took public transport for fear of death. 

It also feels like yesterday that I had my first night in London. I got lost on my way home. In the dark. No GPS. Naturally I feared getting stabbed or mugged (The South Africa Hangover I like to think of it as)… till I saw a girl, alone, sauntering down (what I thought) was a dark alley, iPod, cell phone and headphones blaring looking at me like I was insane… or escaped from Africa… which I kind of did… Now I walk home at night with not a care in the world. Can you imagine? I have to admit, living in a safe, first world country, swinging from train to sidewalk like a wisp in the night is a wonderful thing. 

I always dreamt of living in London, since I was a little girl. There is an electricity in this place that no other city spills. The old and the new. The creativity. The architecture that is juxtaposed by the nature, I love it! You can never be bored! OH a hedgehog! 

There are always a hundred things to do at any single moment. There are these sites and magazines which come out and tell you what you can explore, not monthly, not weekly, daily! And each one is different. You can walk down the street and find an artist selling his soul all for a penny and a pound. 

My favourite singer in Oxford Circus (I work here!! Wow hey?) is a man who sits with his legs crossed on the street and sings the same haunting song into an orange street cone which he rests on the sidewalk in front of him. What rubbish!? You say? His song is strangely melodic and he is very dirty and his song is very pure and I can hear him from five blocks away and the sound soothes my soul. I love his consistently, I love his brand! I truly will hang around him listening to his mad echo because compared to all the guitars and soapboxes littering London, this street cone songster, stole my heart. And this my darlings, is London. To be continued…

xoxo

PS. “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” - Samuel Johnson.

I am yet to see a fox, have heard one... scary.

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Weekend Learning's

Pretty vintage glasses on a wooden table,
wild flower (babies breath) - happy Coco.

I am in a weird place in my life where I’m feeling pretty uncomfortable on a daily basis. I do not know what it is or where it comes from. Last week I had two near death experiences (no jokes) and no I’m not in the mood to discuss. I also was informed some planet is rubbing my Leo moon up the wrong way and this is why I feel so prickly… great. And just to add to my woes someone very dear to me who I have learned to strongly lean on over the last year has packed up her teepee and pottered on over to London and left me here with an empty hole in my heart! Glum. I have my own opinion on what the universe is trying to get out of me… all I know is that I’m really trying very hard to keep smiling… meep! This is what I learned;

• Having all my family is one place is my ultimate! Friday night with all five siblings, plus all their partners and my little niece and my mum and dad – there are a lot of us and there is a lot of love, we are so blessed! BEST! What a great start to the weekend. 
• “I like messy people; people who don’t fit in a box or stay between the lines, but who’s integrity is greater than any rule book and who’s loyalty is stronger than blood.” - Jim Wern. 
• My little sister makes better banana bread than I do, and I love that! And my older sister has the best taste in shoes, so I love getting her hand-me-downs! Sisters - I can’t get enough of them! 
• “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.” - Rumi. Well one day at a time, at the gym, and mentally improving my outlook on life.
• Can you remember the last time you sat and drew or painted something? So I draw a lot it’s part of my job. On Friday we painted some canvases for work. I was very quite, as I always am when I draw or paint. I get lost in my wild imagination and it’s wonderful! So many people who were also painting (who work in other departments) commented on how much they enjoyed it and how good it felt. When was the last time you picked up a paint brush? Try it, paint! Just for fun! 
• “Sometimes life is a constant battle against the nostalgia of a time that can never be real again.” - Jason Myers
• I’ve come to an understanding that I love Rooibos. I follow a “Food benefit” site on Instagram and the other day they posted the “Rare Miracle Plant Rooibos”. I giggled. I know how amazing it is, but I wasn’t amused by the word “miracle” I was interested in the word “rare”. Then I read the comments, poor souls. It is virtually impossible to get hold of if you don’t live here in South Africa… now I love it even more! Read some Rooibos benefits {here}.
• “There’s a difference between loving the idea of someone and actually loving who they really are.” - White Collar. 
• Bad times, or rough patches like this little hiccup I’m having is good for you… well for me and for you or anyone! They teach you to appreciate the good times, learn from the rough and discover during the bumpy roads. Just remember not only could it be worse, but this is a lesson, learn from it, take it in your stride and come out of it a better human… shucks but I’m positive! 
• This weekend I said goodbye (for now) to my special Sarah. I can hardly write this without burting into tears (again). I am so grateful to everything you brought into my life and I cannot wait to see you again.
• “Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them but you know they are always there.”

Have shining weeks my shooting stars!

xoxo

PS. “Courageous hearts are often covered in scars.” - T.B. LaBerge

Last but most importantly,
Happy Anniversary to the one who reminds me to breathe.
Love.

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Weekend Learning's

The sweetness of doing nothing.

First weekend without the prospect of AfrikaBurn looming over my head. It was rather slow and a well needed rest. There was a lot of family time with both my respected families… Gosh I love family time. This is what I learned;

• “The mouth should have three gatekeepers. Is it true? Is it kind? And is it necessary?” - Arab Proverb
• I am in LOVE with the new nakd bars. No I am not talking about a nudest club! It is a raw food snack! And they're hell of a yum! I've only tried the Cashew Cookie and I need more in my life. What a great concept, and the name!
• "To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it." - Osho
• I have a love / hate relationship with healthy looking hair. I love the look! But I feel rather sad that whenever I get a haircut I feel like my hair is all gone. Even if it is just a trim, the lack of weight my hair once had, I almost feel robbed. What is it with women and this unreasonable desire to have long lustrous hair? One snip, and all femininity crumbles!
• “And tonight, I think of you; as I do every night.” - T.B. LaBerge
• I took my dogs to see my Gran on Mothers Day. They can get a little frantic with the excitement sometimes, especially when we go with my mum. I noticed this time, driving myself and just the pups that they were both pretty calm. I came to the realization that they'd either been soothed or knocked out but my singing… either way, I have finally found a way to calm the bests! 
• “I think a lot of people compare their insides to other people’s outsides.” - Emma Stone
• There are some people that come in to your life and are instantly family. Mother's Day dinner was lovely with the addition of our Sarah sister. I know, wherever she is in the world in the next few months, she will will close in our hearts.
• “Because if you’re lucky enough to have people in your life that make you happy, that inspire you, that move you, you need to devour each moment you have together because you never know how many of those moments you have left. These people are sacred.” - Katie Kacvinsky, First Comes Love 

Have a good full five day week my chunky-knit-scarfs! Its going to be a long one!

xoxo

PS. “Understand, I’ll slip quietly away from the noisy crowd when I see the pale stars rising, blooming, over the oaks. I’ll pursue solitary pathways through the pale twilit meadows, with only this one dream: You come too.” - Ranier Maria Rilke

Do it, you feel nice after.

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Weekend Learning's

Yes, I'm talking to you!

The weekends (*touch wood) are starting to become really amazing. It is not just about cramming as many parties as I can into the short window of freedom… how blasé. They're about quality, about enjoying the time I have with the people I love and about unwinding my coils. This is what I learned; 

• “I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things in life that are the real ones after all.” - Laura Ingalls Wilder 
• The Griffin in Illovo. So I thought I'd give this spot a second chance. I shouldn't have. The hostess 'lost' our booking and accused us of lying about making the booking, to be frank she was outright rude. I won't dwell on her issues but to end the night- when there is an unfinished meal and a clean plate and the waitress puts the empty one on the full one… (I wanted a takeaway and before I had a chance to ask she plonked the crockery on my half eaten meal) I swore I would never return. What the F, seriously. 
• Speaking of returning to places; if you haven't already visited the Kerri Evens exhibition at Everard Read I highly recommend it. I had to visit it again on Saturday morning after seeing the opening on Thursday and being blown away. Her art is honestly moving and seductive. I am in awe of her talent. Go now!
• “Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear.” - Charlotte Brontë 
• I really love to walk on the weekends. It is becoming something that if I do not do, I feel like I forgot to visit an old friend on the weekend. And with a double set this last weekend and seriously pushing myself on Sunday, I am feeling quite sore today, especially in the buttocks region. *wink.
• "Every blessing ignored becomes a curse" - Paulo Coelho
• Have you tried Happy.Me tea? Well you should! I managed to sample some this weekend and as I thought… amazing! It kept me quite for ages trying to get every last berry flavoured jelly. I think my boyfriend loved the silence just as much as I loved the tea! Its all vegetarian and all natural. You should try it, we can be addicts together… mmm!
• A spur of the moment lunch on a deck with tapas, Mediterranean style. Water served in pretty glass bottles, the sun warming my cheeks and my handsome man opposite me, really made me longing to be on holiday in some random vacation spot, all loved up and eating hummus. *Sigh… I am REALLY looking forward to this long weekend, can you tell?
• “He held her as though she was a gift. Given to him in love. Something still and small. Unbearably precious.” - Arundhati Roy

Have an amazing short week my jellybabies! 

xoxo

PS. “There’s nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood… And understanding someone else.” - Brad Meltzer, The Inner Circle.

Seriously... life is too short. 

Leave a Comment art, Arundhati Roy, boyfriend, Brad Meltzer, Charlotte Brontë, Everard Read, fitness, Happy Me, Illovo, Kerri Evens, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Paulo Coelho, quote, restaurant, Tapas, The Griffin, weekend

Happy (belated) Birthday Coco!

Five goldfish in a balloon, Happy Birthday.

I am a terrible Blogger-Mom. I forgot my own blogs Birthday! And it is my favourite number too... 

Cocobutton turned five on the 18th of February. I cannot believe it. I have been at this for five whole years. 337 posts later I still love to share all my deepest, darkest, most ridiculous nooks and crannies with you. Thank you to all of you who encourage me, who push me, who nag me when I forget to blog. You are the reason I keep doing this. 

Here's to five more... and five more after that! 

xoxo

PS. Logastellus (n.) a person whose love of words is greater than their knowledge of words.

xoxo

Leave a Comment balloon, birthday, Blog, coco's birthday, five, goldfish, Happy Birthday, Logastellus, quote, Rare word meaning, William Faulkner

Weekend Learning's

"I’m with you. No matter what else you have in your head I’m with you and I love you."

Ernest Hemingway, The Garden of Eden.

I've had one or two good Valentines Day's. But most of them have been merdé, you can look that up, its romantic and French for 'poo'. Having Valentines at the office is always weird. We have to do strange work posts about stuff we like and we get roses or cupcakes and I have to do some social media stuff which takes away from my real work but forces me to watch all the crappy love flowing on Facebook etc… it puts a weird mood on my Friday, and weekend. I'm not saying its bad, just odd. I think it is more evident when you are out and about on V-day. You're surrounded by couples. Some new, some old. But each one has a mystery I would love to know. Each ones face tells a story that sometimes, the other person at the table can't read, but I can. Sometimes you see two people smiling at each other and when one looks away, the others smile is wiped clean, there isn't even a stain of happiness left there, not even a lingering light in their eyes. Valentines, can't we all just be honest? It's an interesting day. This is what I learned;

• Valentines Day couples are the scariest couples. Brrr! Shivvers! 
• However… The best foreplay starts with "Good morning beautiful." giggle!
• “Our Generation has had no Great war, no Great Depression. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives.” - Chuck Palahniuk 
• I like tempura sushi so much that I actually search for it on the menu first before I look for anything else. If its vegetarian tempura Californian rolls (a rare delicious morsel) I will pay for your dinner. 
• “Continue to love. Continue to forgive. Continue to grow.” - Chelsea Ayers 
• I truly believe I am about to grow the best tomatoes simply because they are so cute and pretty those little tiny sprouts! But because I love them. Yes, I love those plants. 
• "People are prettiest when they talk about something they really love with passion in their eyes." - K.v.h. I am quite enchanted by people with drive, passion and a lust for their career. Yes I guess you could say it turns me on. Prrrr, ambition… wink!
• "A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." Show me your elastic band you beautiful thing! 

This was a little bit of an odd learning's I know, a little fluffy, a lot of inspiration but there is just so much to do on the horizon, who can't help but feel inspired and lucky to be alive? One of my heroine's Stevie Nicks knows what I am blabbing on about; 

“If you can find a passion at a young age, somewhere between fifteen and thirty, if you can find that passion, I can pretty much guarantee you that you can be sixty-five and still love that passion and still have a reason to dance out of bed and down the hall every morning.” - Stevie Nicks. Hope you dance all week long my little disco queens and kings! 

All my love...

Xoxo

PS. You don't have to give her the whole entire world to make her happy, just make her happy by sincerely giving her "You".

MWAH!

Leave a Comment Chelsea Ayers, Chuck Palahniuk, Ernest Hemingway, foreplay, garden, kiss, quote, sex, Stevie Nicks, Sushi, Tempura, Valentines Day

Weekend Learning's

Even in French, February looks and sounds romantic.

Hello February. The month of love, or so they say. I had a productive weekend. And I am going to admit I have quite the girl crush on Mother Nature and her moody storms. They are so seductive and euphoric, I just can't get enough. This is what I learned; 

• A Friday night in with the boyfriend all to myself is as rare as a unicorn and equally as special and beautiful. 
• “Scare the world: Be exactly who you say you are and tell the truth.” - The Shock of Honesty 
• I am loving the Nike+ run app. It is well designed and user friendly but it also challenges and encourages you to get out there and make footprints and to share your experiences. Try it out, you'll see what I mean. 
• “And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, “No. This is what’s important.” - Iain S Thomas. I've come to the realization that it is okay to miss some things in life for creating more unique things is way more interesting. Saturday was filled with unique experiences which I will cherish.
• “I’m not asking you to love me perfectly but to love me graciously.” - Ramses Prashad 
• I can't begin to explain how exciting it is to have all (well about half to be precise) my family in one place at one time. Sunday was my lovely Aunt Heathers Birthday. She flew out from New York with new Hubby, Uncle Jon, to celebrate in SA with the Jozi crowd. My heart was filled to the brim with gushy love… and my tum was filled with yummy food! Family, it is the best part of every part. 
• “Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care.” - Unknown
• I am growing my own tomatoes from scratch. Yes I am! I bought a kit the other day, I played in the mud, got really dirty and so begins my new little garden. The best part was milling about the house after my planting then walking past the mirror just to catch a glimpse of myself and discovering I had mud on my cheek and forehead! No wonder the caterer left in a hurry… 
• Did you know the chilling shiver you experience with a strong emotion has a name? It is called "frisson".

Have a lovely first week of February my squishy hearts! Hope you are planning your Valentines cards.

Xoxo

PS. Do not read the next sentence. You little rebel. I like you!

This, this is too true. 

Leave a Comment Iain S Thomas, Nike+, quote, Ramses Prashad, The Shock of Honesty, Valentines Day, weekend

Weekend Learning's

Hot. It was hot this weekend! And I loved it. Johannesburg often skips spring and burst into flames with summer. It was 30 degrees on Sunday. And I know it is summer when I sit in the shade in the park with my guy and get a little pink on my shoulders. I don't burn, this is my skin blushing me into knowing she's been kissed for the first time this summer, devilish! This is what else I learned;

• I hate knowing this is the last weekend of my September learning's which will have the memory of my boyfriend in them… especially since it's our anni month. Hurry home darling, October, come quickly please.
• "Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful." - Hazrat Inayat Khan. 
• Yom Kippur also known as Day of Atonement, it is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Although I don't yet fully understand this day, I highly respect my strong boyfriend and his family for doing this fast! 25 hours of no sustenance, impressive and humbling. Maybe next year when I know more, I can try do it too.
• "No one has ever made himself great by showing how small someone else is." - Irvin Himmel
• The Fishermans Deli in Dunkeld is still the best place in Jozi to get both fresh and frozen vissies. The crowds prove this.
• On that note, my boyfriend, yes- MY boyfriend, is an amazing Salmon chef. Next time, I am going to insist on double! Delicious… the chef... and the salmon… *wink!
• "You don't have to be born beautiful to be wildly attractive." - Diana Vreeland
• I am a memory keeper. I often know, to the day, what happened a year ago. This is a personal human trait I cherish. This particular weekend a year ago was the beginning of the rest of my life, the happiest weekend. Fate has a funny way of working out for the best.  
• "There will be dozens of people who will take your breath away but the one who reminds you to breathe is the one your should keep." - Unknown 
• Fika (v.) drinking coffee along with eating something sweet. I do this a lot… I fika?
• “We’re not the same person we were a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago. We’re constantly changing. Experiences don’t stop. That’s life” - Unknown 

Keep busy and pretty out there my little moon drops! Thanks for reading!

Xoxo

PS. People with good intentions make promises, but people with good character keep them. 

Leave a Comment boyfriend, Diana Vreeland, Fika, Fishermans Deli, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Irvin Himmel, Jewish, Johannesburg, love, quote, Rare word meaning, spring, weekend, Yom Kippur