all the greens unite!

i think i will use that theme for as long as i have green things to document in my house. grand opening with the view from the bedroom, couldn't resist it's getting better everyday. the rest happened as the outcome of an it's-so-hot-i-keep-waking-at-the-crack-of-dawn kind of morning. i woke and decided to do something productive instead of drowning in my own sweat, so i gathered all these unrelated objects together. excuse the blur on some photos, it's probably the fog on the lens- it's kind of humid around here. in these determinedly hot and humid days i'm actually not doing much complaining, considering the levels of the heat, as i love hot climes and i feel we're actually blessed with a guaranteed three and a half months of clear skies and warm weather, so it's fine. it's just the office life that gets in the way really.

take a look at that vintage (ehem, from my childhood; so yes, it's sadly classified as vintage now) polyanna book, very sweet, no? i don't know if you're at all interested, but the rest is composed of some of my non-precious jewelry, a pair of cotton socks, beverage coasters and some greek mastic gum (not green, but pleasant enough to look at to be in the picture).

a little something for me

this little package made me really happy the other day. i spotted these pair of earrings on an etsy shop and decided to order online a couple of months ago. i just received them through a friend (who brought them for me from the states where i had them shipped- long way and long story), so they and i just got united and it was perfect harmony. the packaging, the little note inside the pack written by Kaye and the earrings themselves. i like it that they are made to order and handled by the designer herself, everything feels very personal. i'm proud of myself to have discovered her little shop and i think she's very talented. the shop is called datter industries if anyone would be interested to check her work. off to bed now, i'm massively in need of a mind/foot relaxation and i'm hoping to acquire both by laying my head on my bed. good night. 

past.present.future

i'm trying to accomplish exactly that. to be present only in the 'now' which is proving to be quite challenging since this past year, but i am making an effort nevertheless. there are those lazy moments when i need to go back to good memories to hide away safely only to be able to bear a dreadful moment or to worry about the future carelessly out of habit to justify a miserable state i might be in, but i know all the same that the real juice of life is in 'this moment', is in accepting and experiencing whatever there is and knowing that it will too change into something else, it will take another form or a feeling. there has been so many incidents and changes happening around me lately indicating that but still, my mind wants to play games with me and tells me to believe that i should worry about the future because that keeps motivations alive or keep the past as a reference, a source of information. i'd like to ignore it although i must admit it's an arduous job, but i'm stubborn and i do believe that living fully is really about 'living this moment'. 

so, having made the point, at this very moment nothing will stop me enjoy that piece of cinnamon cookie. have a lovely friday everyone.

a tale of two classics

1. a passage to india

this is my currently favourite scarf/shawl thing and i purchased it at the sales. it's made from indian fabric and has a wonderful texture. will be used the first chance i get during a possibly cooler istanbul night as it's boiling hot at the moment.

2. great expectations

it's actually a fabric that's been hand picked for me in bali by my best friend and it will turn into a nice summer dress hopefully soon (no, i'm not going to come home from work one night and just sew away the fabric magically into a stylish dress while there's ginger bread baking in my oven; it will be done by the very talented/inexpensive neighbourhood tailor).

so, that's double excitement, i'm a girl, i can get excited about things like that. easily. good night everyone.

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wise cat

after i've added these photos i thought 'these are a bit repetitive', then i've realised the reason is because when i take photos at my home i tend to get drawn to the same sights, this view from my bedroom being one of them. well, life can also be a bit repetitive too, our routines take over sometimes, although things never stay the same-we never stay the same; accepting all kinds of change is a big part of surrendering to life. i should remind myself that more often. mundane daily tasks are a small fraction of the bigger picture, they draw on the big canvas that's going to turn into a painting. i'm slowly learning that. 

the cat and i have spent quite a bit of time together this week-end, i've cleaned and cooked (let me re-word that: i've 'prepared' some food), hah! he has lazed around, kept searching for the coolest spot in the house and napped right wherever he found it. he has such simple objectives and aspirations in life, adorable and also enviable too, he's a natural born buddha. i, on the other hand, managed to worry about the stains on my table cloth (being the perfect housewife that i am- i.e. see the empty saltshakers), not very wise is it? girl needs a few lessons from the cat.

reality bites

just a quick post to celebrate the week-ending and that it's passed with with little moments of fun and some inevitable sarcasm; without them, it honestly wouldn't have been possible to reach friday. polarities and contrasts are inherent in big city life, so are mockery and crankiness and eccentricity. i embrace all, what i don't embrace is the reality that my legs are not soaking in some turquoise water somewhere on the aegean coast right this moment. soothing turkish coffee serving below i thinks, you? enjoy your 'friday night boogie'.

idle at heart

apologies for disappearing, it's been sort of hectic here with both good and not-so-good things happening consecutively. i feel like life is unfolding with more evident signs each day (signs to what? err, don't know? i'm just watching them) or maybe it's just me being more sensitive; either way i'm finding myself looking forward more to a well deserved break - which i've started counting down to quite a while ago. wouldn't it be groovy if we all could take breaks freely whenever our bodies (or minds) demanded? ok, i'm not going to go into this 'modern slave' idea but i've got a hint i might be one. grrr... what would be the cure to this situation?

1- go watch leaving las vegas (by the legendary mike figgis) and get an idea/inspiration -and courage if you're crazy enough- about burning all your worldly belongings for a new start. ok, not a good one (although an excellent movie) the rest is quite grim, we don't want that.

2- go read the newspaper inside and out, this will help you attain a new perspective about your insignificant needs; the globe's warming is a bit of a problem it seems and the world needs more peace apparently. forget about your worries (can you?).

don't know, i think i'll just go sit on that colourful promotion item i was sent by dhl the other day for a while (it's a beach/hunting/camping chair thingy and looks horrendous in an office environment) and worry about those extra few kilos i need to lose before my holiday starts.

so, here's an easy and light (and irrelevant, obviously) post i had prepared- what i could manage in the midst of all that's going on- a post about a product i love from L'erbolario di Lodi. it became quickly one of my favourite brands, introduced to me by my sister. they make natural beauty products and this body cream is amazing, both fresh and spicy, just the way i like. and i will be taking it with me to my 'summer break'. photographed in a hurry, but with love. enjoy your midweek.

a tree waking up

my oleander tree has bloomed. finally. the first time this year and the sight was so beautiful, i had to share it. and the cute plum tree at the back, it's getting closer and closer towards my balcony so i can pick more of its fruits each year. i'll hold a little longer until i pick them up as they're growing bigger and juicier i can see. i know it looks as if i live in a jungle or in a seriously green area, but i'm actually not. unfortunately, there aren't many trees except the ones in the spaces between the back of the buildings and i'm lucky enough to be overlooking into this space where there are many trees growing taller each year. i just need to spare more time staring at them. 

feasting and books

fat pancakes. that's how my week-end started innocently saturday morning and the feast continued with the arrival of my sister who was visiting from out of the country. we indulged in good food; four girls and a cat. i tell you, you may not guess so, but these turkish dolmas (stuffed wine leaves) go really well with italian salami. and with beer, and with sparkling wine and with home made potato chips :). there were also a lot of walking, laughing, catching up, the customary clothes swapping, touristy finds and the beautiful, knowing, timeless bosphorus at the background. 

going out becomes fun when four girls are trying to get ready at the same time, very teenage-ish, i like it. i also love the objects and the bits and pieces that my sister's friend has in her home and how she puts them together gracefully. there are many books in that house, so each time i'm there i get inspired to read more and faster; and this book 'Civilisation' seems interesting enough, i'm planning to read it; here are the links for both the turkish readers and the non-turkish readers: here and here and i'd like to hear what you think of the book if you've already read it.