A beautiful day in Ireland and an Inspirational Quote...

"Happiness is not an accident.Nor is it something you wish for.Happiness is something you design." - Jim Rohn

Yay, the sun is shining, the kids are off school and we are off to the playground!Its definately all about the little things in life that make us happy...the fact that the sun is so glorious today (even though it is very cold) is such a blessing, and its wonderful to see the kids running about in the fresh air.
Even Bella the Boxer is sitting in the sun in the garden...my poor garden, it really needs attention...I snuck out there yesterday and chopped away at the dead leaves on my plants. I have really neglected it and want to be better prepared for the winter this year. I think I need to read some gardening books, urgently, or I'll be left with no plants or flowers! The frost and snow has certainly taken its toll on my greenery.

Well...I'm off and I'll take some pics of the kids and hopefully post them tonight!Cheers!
P.S - the photo is in my living room.

Quotes to inspire...

"Finish each day and be done with it.You have done what you could.Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in,forget them as soon as you can.Tomorrow is a new day,begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have decided to include a quote everyday on my posts...I love quotes, they can be so inspiring and it sounds exaggerated, but I do believe one quote can change your pattern of thinking for the day!So ponder on them,I certainly will.

Just a bunch of thoughts...

Ah this picture is beautiful...I would love it on my wall.My favorite art involves the human body,I really think it is amazingly beautiful.I would love to have more art on my walls.
I can't believe we bought this house 18 months ago, it really doesn't feel like it was that long ago - but at the same time it really does feel like "home", more than any other place we have stayed in.
But I am restless...I want to knock some walls down,shop for furniture,paint,create an entire new theme in a room...Its all in my head...but the proof is in the wallet! (and theres not much there)
I know I just have to be patient,our family really needs a holiday and I have a few things coming up over April and July that are going to cost me a pretty penny.

My friend Lisa and I were invited to a "Ball" at a really nice hotel here in Cork, in April and when we first heard about it - well, we were NOT going to go, just felt too "mature" and a bit silly going to something like that.I guess its also a bit unfamiliar to us "South Africans.."
But...she phoned me last night, and we are now discussing the fact that we may just go and the more we spoke about it the better it sounded.Now I am a bit excited!
I booked us into the hotel anyway, and if she books her plane ticket...I am going to start looking for a dress. Why not?I think we will have a lot of fun and even if it just turns out to be a good laugh, it will be worth it...and I get to see my best friend in the world in April and I don't have to wait for July! Yaay! I'll let you know how the plans progress.

My Laundry Room

Hello on this lazy sunday afternoon...the kids were going crazy in the house, so my hubby has taken them to the local playground to burn off some energy, even though it is hardly warm and sunny outside...sigh...what can you do but make the most of the weather, at least its dry.
In the meantime, I am working on my poor neglected house...it really needs attention.
This is my lovely Laundry room...when we were looking at this house, it was one of the first things that attracted me to it,and it has been a life saver.Although, it needs alot of work still, we need to put up more shelving, finish the painting and it needs a very good clean.So I am about to go and do that,and I will take more pics once we have done more work in this little room!
The colour I pained it is called "Peony" by Laura Ashley and the curtain was made by a very good friend of mine, Steph, and it is in one of my favourite Cath Kidston fabrics.
Enjoy your afternoon!

Winter Blues

Do any of you lovely bloggers out there suffer from depression or the occasional bout of it...?
I have been doing some research into SAD, which is Seasonal Affective Disorder, and found some interesting facts...
SAD is far more common in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs during the months of September to January,mainly...but I believe can be quite profound in February and March when the weather is still quite dull.
Symptoms of SAD include weight gain, excessive sleeping,craving carbohydrates,lethargy,feelings of misery,low self-esteem and apathy.
Causes of Seasonal Affective disorder include light deprivation,stress and some people do just have a vulnerability towards it.

One known treatment, is to get a lightbox, which are available from electric stores and some health shops will stock them.Have a look at the website link at the end of this post - you can buy them from here and there is some more advice about SAD.
I am definitely feeling the effects of the winter blues!We bought a heater the other day which gives off quite a strong light, and that helps.
I pray for another sunny day in Ireland, soon!

http://www.lighttherapyproducts.com/

Dreaming of Paris..

Can you believe...we have not been to Paris yet? I was convinced that once we moved all the way over to Europe from South Africa, we were sure to see that city before too long...but life got the better of us,and especially since my son came along...its been crazy,financially and in other ways.
But, I am starting to see the light, he is already 5 and my daughter is 10 and I am thinking that perhaps, soon, I can take that trip I have always dreamed of.
I would love to go with the whole family, so have been scouring the internet in search of budget hotels, budget flights etc...
Its been educational to say the least...as everyone knows, Paris is very pricey.
I am determined,however, to make this my little project,even if it takes a while to organize...
You see my finances are dwindling at the moment - trying to get money together to buy a sewing machine,take a dress-making course and then I am taking the kids to see my best pal in Manchester in the summer (plus I plan on coming back with some lovely fabric etc to sew...)Does anyone else have these frequent budget dilemmas?
Oh, you can't have it all!
Being sick for the past week, I have had far too much time inside to THINK and I think that is driving me a bit loony.I need to get out, I need fresh air and I need my life to get back to some form of normality.
I've even felt too sick to blog...until now...so I'll just spend another day staring at the mounds of housework and dreaming of Paris!x

Bella's off to the woods

Ah look at my sweet girl,she's been stuck inside much of the time with the weather and the flu in this household...
She has been sitting in her favourite spot by the window and looking out.
She loves watching the cats play out in front of the house..
Thank goodness its the weekend, my hubby is home and is now about to take her to the woods so that she can run off some of that boxer energy...xx