This Is Not A Hippie Bag

Happy Winter Solstice

"In the depth of Winter, I finally learned that within me lay an an invincible Summer"

Albert Camus           

Winter Solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere between the 21st-22nd of December depending on your time zone. This is officially the first day of Winter, it happens when the North Pole tilts 23.5 degrees away from the sun, it is the longest night of the year. On a very good note, after this event the days will slowly get longer until the Summer Solstice!

Pictures via National Geographic, Flickr, Tumblr and Pinterest,

9.11.11 10th Anniversary

For Our World a Poem Written by 11 year old Mattie Stepanek on 9.11

We need to stop. Just stop. Stop for a moment. Before anybody Says or does anything That may hurt anyone else. We need to be silent. Just silent. Silent for a moment. Before we forever lose The blessing of songs That grow in our hearts. We need to notice. Just notice. Notice for a moment. Before the future slips away Into ashes and dust of humility. Stop, be silent, and notice. In so many ways, we are the same. Our differences are unique treasures. We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts To nurture, to offer, to accept. We need to be. Just be. Be for a moment. Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting, Like children and lambs, Never judging or vengeful Like the judging and vengeful. And now, let us pray, Differently, yet together, Before there is no earth, no life, No chance for peace.

September 11, 2001

http://www.mattieonline.com/

Colour Me LULU

Should your glance on mornings lovely

Lift to drink the heaven's blue

Or when sun, veiled by sirocco, Royal red sinks out of view,

Give to nature praise and honour.

Blithe of heart and sound of eye,

Knowing for the world of colour, where its broad foundations lie.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The lovely Lulu de Kwiatkowski, She paints, she designs fabrics,wallpapers, dinnerware, pillows , rugs, bedding and my favourite of all are her collages that she transformed into a handwritten and hand painted journal, travelogue, bio, titled LULU all created on from her kitchen floor.

All this amazing work and a mother to three boys, I should have paid more attention when we were in art an sculpture class together at school!

To view more of her work go to her website and wonderful blog where I was inspired to do this post,

Brava xo

www.luludk.com

Images via Luludk, 1stdibs & ClicGallery

INTERMISSION

CHANEL

PARIS ÉDIMBOURG MÉTIERS D'ART 2012/13

Linlithgow Palace, KIrkgate Linlithgow, West Lothian Scotland

Gorgeous clothes and setting but shame about the music.

Dhow House Lamu

I had a dream and it was called Dhow House in Lamu, Kenya.

Owned and designed by Katy Barker along side architect Laurent Butazoni.

How divine is the Swahili and modern combination.

One day I will post my own pictures of this beautiful home.

Photos by http://www.dhowhouse.co.uk

Nour El Nil

Nour El Nil " Light of The Nile" , just the name on its own makes you want to run and book one of these beautifully decorated Dahabiyas , which were historically built to carry Royal families . I was doing research on Nile Cruises for the perfect boat for a private party and stumbled upon this gem of a fleet.

Nour El Nil has a choice of 4 Dahabiyas, Meroe , Malouka , El Nil and Assouan. They are similarly decorated but are of different sizes and cabins. You sail at a slow pace lounging on one of those elegantly stripped cushioned beds on the upper deck watching the Nile unfold before you, visiting the magnificent temples and docking on beaches for a swim.

Am sure with the renowned Egyptian Hospitality a trip with Nour El Nil would never be forgotten.Enjoy exploring their site , as they say in Egypt Inshallah (god willing) you will be soon voyaging on the splendor of the Nile.

NB. The owner of Nour al Nil is an accomplished writer whose wonderfully titled book "A Winter on The Nile: Florence Nightingale, Gustave Flaubert and The Temptations of Egypt" Would be a great companion on your journey or at home.

All pictures via www.nourelnil.com

Henri Biva (French, 1848-1928)

Pond in the mist, 1910

Oil on canvas

Nadia Comaneci's Perfect 10.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/37876758

INTERMISSION: CHAI BREAK

Masala Chai is perfect for a cold winters day.

Video by High Beam Media

Via Fine Dining Lovers

Food is Art II

Maggie Austin started her career as a classical ballet dancer, then having been accepted at L'Art de la Patisserie program at the French Pastry School, Maggie trained with the best world renowned chefs and pastry champions learning the top techniques in this art using the finest of ingredients. She Graduated from the program with honors, after which was accepted for internship at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago , a Mobil Five Star, AAA Five Diamond and 10 time James Beard Foundation Winner that is recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Truly an Art, her Haute Couture cakes are just perfection, inspired by Edwardian Botanical prints, fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Carolina Herrera, Flowers , textiles and more. They are lovingly made by hand at her Washington DC Studio, yes even the flowers are made from sugar, impressive. I have never seen such elegant and beautiful cakes, there are such perfection that you just want to throw yourself a party to have one made.

Just Splendid xo

All Images via,

www.maggieaustincake.com