Summer’s been a bummer (eg UK), wild fires are burning elsewhere and I was day-dreaming yesterday about lunch under a fig tree in a Corfu garden (we used to have them on our our Greek holidays, at a old villa owned by relatives).
Terracotta plates full of glistening black olives, creamy white tzatziki, hearty chunks of almost sweet tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, a touch of vinegar, oregano, feta, onion, green pepper and cool cucumber.
Fennel and sesame seeded bread in a basket for all to share…
Click on photo for the sesame bread recipe
at Real Greek Recipes
It’s a ‘funny’ old time at the moment when laughing, seeing friends and family and – FUN – feel like treasures to capture and keep. And calmness, gratitude and laughing are the tonics to keep in life’s tool kit.
Summer bubbles
Blue bubble wine glass £7 each (in a set of six)
Aside from work (the 2022 Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards officially open on 1 Sept but entries are coming in already, for the 2022 Awards page & Entry Form click here: https://bit.ly/3f4uM8j )
…I’ve been buying a few small and simple things for the flat (but having to restrain myself from buying lots of seagrass items, I’m obsessed with seagrass (also watching seagrass documentaries).
I bought the IKEA Seagrass Basket in July (below) and just bought a Paperblanks journal, waiting for it to arrive and in the end opted for a dark green “fall filigree” design instead of the gorgeous sea blue one shown below.
i n f o
Wine glass + tumbler: Maisons du Monde
Blue dinner plates: Maisons du Monde
Seagrass basket & white + blue battery-powered string lights: IKEA
Seagrass IHALLIG place mat: IKEA
Tumbler in glass and woven seagrass “cover”: Maisons du Monde
Journal (also diaries, choose hard or soft cover): Paperblanks
r a f f i a +
b r e a t h i n g n e w l i f e
i n t o em p t y g l a s s j a r s
I’ve been weaving raffia around empty jars (it’s like a meditation, so soothing), watching Robert E Fuller’s adorable and fascinating wildlife mini-films (updated daily – including lots of secret Little Owl filming, my favourite owls – there were two in the pine tree by my garden but they left although I’m hearing more squeaking so I think one or even both might be back, what a joy if they are).
My first attempt with raffia…
Before: large empty glass yoghurt jars.
Now: not sure (but prettier!)
The rule is…no scissors allowed after you’ve cut the strands ready for weaving so you have to finish everything off by hand and honestly this is one of the most relaxing “meditative” things I’ve ever done. Wish I’d started during lockdown but better late than never. They’re far from perfect but you get so immersed in the gentle weaving of the raffia – plus it’s a super-affordable “craft”. I did these in the evenings listening to music.
e s s e n t i a l o i l s
+
g r i l l e d l e m o n s
+
s u m m e r f r u i t s c o m p o t e s
I’ve also bought some new essential oils (a few new brands/finds and some Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards 2021 winners – I’ll get a new post up next week about those), and making summer compotes (different types of peaches, nectarines, plums).
l e m o n s a n d
…l i m e s
And grilling lemons (so good, Moroccan-style) and adding zingy fresh limes to everything: sparkling water, tonic water, guacamole, my Tisserand Spa Diffuser and room sprays (with lime essential oil).
Side note: one needs to be very careful buying essential oils from somewhere like Amazon – there are some horrors! (Check the source, Amazon is rife with Made in China essential oil imposters which are absolute crap and may be potentially toxic).
Stick to brands like Tisserand or Pranarom or Puressentiel’s single oils or blends (NEOM Organics and Aromatherapy Associates sell their blends on Amazon too, also Scentered’s aromatherapy products are on Amazon, they don’t do essential oils however if that’s what you’re after).
I’ve got a mint, rosemary and just a touch of lavender oil blend in the diffuser (to help me focus) while typing this but Tisserand’s LIME essential oil is very “Mediterranean summer”, a good energiser.
Here’s the Tisserand SPA Diffuser: more info/buy
Here’s the Organic LIME essential oil: more info/buy (on SALE now)
I’ve been journaling a bit lately, too.
This Paperblanks journal will be here soon but it was hard to choose between the mossy green fall filigree design and the azure blue…which do you prefer?
(I went for the dark green in the end because of the pomegranate and lots of leaves detail).
They come as BLANK journals, hard back or soft cover, as well as 18-month diaries (like this one).
This is the one I actually ordered, below.
(Being a Pisces, making a simple decision takes an hour: green or blue?
“Oh the blue’s gorgeous. But then again I like the pomegranates on the green and the green is very foresty and in a way more autumnal, but I think I prefer the blue on the other hand I love trees and the green reminds me more of nature”…gah!!)
n o t e s
f r o m
t h e
g a r d e n
This unable-to-choose thing reminds me of an old man I met in Morocco, we were talking about the fleetingness of life and how we have often wasted so many days – looking back – and then he said something along these lines:
“Unless you’re making a really important decision, choose quickly: black or silver car? Tomatoes or courgettes for dinner? Feel into your stomach, you’ll feel the one that is right. Don’t waste time Googling and pondering while choosing – unless it’s incredibly important and requires much thought with consequences down the line, just CHOOSE A or B (and get on with your life!)”
Anyway, I hope you have a good weekend, and here’s to more fun and with a bit of Irish luck an Indian Summer ahead.
w a t c h i n g
t h e
b i r d s
If the weather doesn’t play fair, put some orange oil in the diffuser, brew a nice cup of something and watch something funny or marvel at the barn owl chicks, stoats, kestrels and (awww!) Little Owl(ets) as they set up their nests and hatch their little chicks, going about their days and nights in their little zen-style, unfurnished nature-designed apartments in the trees.
“Who’s that?”
From Robert E Fuller’s Little Owl Secret World
“courtship & early nesting” video
C a l m n e s s
G r a t i t u d e
L a u g h t e r
N a t u r e