WATER COLORS

there are few things in life that comes close to the feeling of the weekend approaching.  i won't be up to much, spending some quality time with my man tonight, brunch with friends tomorrow morning and some good old family time the rest of the weekend.  oh, and hopefully  finishing the novel i'm currently reading.

i leave you with some very pretty water colors i found on etsy. happy weekend!

francina maria

susan windsor

popwheel art

WORDS TO LIVE BY

most of these 'words of wisdom' are as corny as hell. but let me tell you, this one has a special place in my heart.  it always seems to find me at the right time and reminds me that i am the master of my own happiness.  if this one helps just one other person today, even in the smallest of ways, i will be as happy as a clam. 

happy friday

LIFE AND FRIENDSHIPS

when i started writing this post, i had something different and more structured in mind. however, i decided not to rewrite, as this is what normally happens when you meet me for coffee and we start chatting. i warn you, there will be some haphazard rambling of thoughts, so get up, go make yourself  a cup of coffee and then keep reading.

i was out for dinner with a few friends the other night and i made a comment to the friend sitting next to me about things i don't like about myself. she immediately berated me and told me that it made her sad to think i had such a low opinion of myself. she also told me that what i hated about myself, she loved about me.

for example, if i was the kind of girl who suddenly started skipping dinners out with friends, or saying no to a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (what?!), to rather spend time in the gym, she would feel like she had lost the friend that she knows and loves.

it got me thinking about all my insecurities and whether i really wanted to change the things i don't like. how far would i go to change those things? are they very important or just something to complain about from time to time.

these little insecurities are all apart of who we are. it also has the ability to change the way we not just look at ourselves but how we make others feel.

it is easy to look at someone else's life and see everything that is perfect about them. how we wish we had their hair, or their metabolism, or maybe their wealth. sometimes we gossip because it makes us feel better about ourselves, or we make them feel guilty for having accomplished things we wish we had ourselves. wishing that we had the same opportunities they had and ignoring our own, easily dismissing our own as being not grande enough. compare it to a child that grew up without an education and now begging next to the road, yours seem pretty good, right?

so why not rather change the way we talk about ourselves and others. be happy for the friend who has an awesome job, even if you don't like yours. never allow yourself to 'hate' someone because they have something you don't have. start focusing on the positives and start becoming the person you would love to be friends with.

 "gain the confidence to star in your own life"

image source

HOUSE AND LEISURE NIGHT MARKET

so i'm sitting at my desk this morning, feeling like a pirate with one of my eyes in desperate need of an eye-patch. i have got this weird eye infection (too much information? sorry) and my eyelid has swollen to the size of canada. this was the first word to pop in my head, true story. 

i want to share a few pics of last week's house and leisure night market that i attended with the sweetest girls in kramerville, johannesburg. i loved it from the moment i set one foot in the door. 

the market was held at the most stunning venue, katy's palace bar, which has a beautiful sunset view over sandton's skyscrapers. this is definitely my kind of place with its warehouse feel, large spaces with big windows, concrete floors and brick walls.

 

 

 

if you're interested in reading more about the market and all the vendors, visit house and leisure's website here.

ART APPRECIATION >> TWO

one of the first things i attempt to paint (source)

happy friday! this weekend is going to be a busy one for us, packed with dinners and brunches and housewarmings and family time, all of which we will be enjoying to the full. with rick needing to study for the most part in between, i will be pulling out my brand spankin new sketchpad and attempt to draw something cool. 

so this past week's art classes had me starting with not one, but three paintings. since this is my first time in a very long time combining my very rusty creativity and painting i hope that at least one of them will come out looking like something i would hang on the wall.

work in progress

my mom - doing a painting of beethoven that closesly resembles a vampire rock 'n roller

 oom pieter - started with the detail on the yacht's sails

CABO CERAMICS

with my current love for ceramics i really should not be allowed to wander the internet with my credit card nearby.. it's like eating another piece of chocolate even though you know it's going straight to your belly, but you can't help it. just one more...

anyhooo, this is to all you other ceramic nutters, my kind of people. i browsed house and leisure's website this morning and came across the brand CaBo. they do amazing stuff. the detail is so exquisite with illustrations of dandelions and proteas. if you're interested in reading more about the brand, head on over to their website.

these pretty must-haves are available online here and here.

all images sourced here.

FEATURED - PRINTS BY IRENA SOPHIA

i came across these beauties a few days ago while browsing the etsy shop for prints. the prints are reproduced from the original water colors or drawings by the very talented fine artist irena sophia. irena is most definitely no stranger to the blogosphere, having been featured on many design blogs. her work is exquisite with influence from folk art, modern design and vintage illustration.

i would love to pick a few of these pretty prints to adorn my nest. my favourites are shown below.

head on over to irena's etsy shop to gush over her work and perhaps put in an order or two.

out of respect for the artist, please do not copy, distribute or reproduce and of these images without the consent of the artist. you can contact her via email or visit her facebook page. thank you.