THIS NEW YEAR ALREADY seems to be flying by. For some, January was a very long month, but for us, it was one of industry and new beginnings, the start of new (good) habits and the keeping of resolutions, all of which we’ve (more or less) continued into this month, but with far less constraints. This weekend was one of those relaxing ones that one needs from time to time to recharge—long languid mornings and late brunches, books and films and wine and rambling conversations. There are big new projects and life plans in the future, but for the weekend, it was nice to stop time for a moment…
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THIS WEEKEND we rented a scooter (our first time!) and drove to the beach, the wind in our hair on the quiet city streets. Today, it’s a holiday here, the shops are closed and the city is quiet, with many out of town for an extra long weekend. If you had believed in the idea of “Blue Monday”—that is, the idea that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year, good news: the concept is actually pseudoscience, made up by a holiday company in 2005 to sell summer vacation packages. Don’t you feel better now? January is really not that bad, for it is a time of new beginnings…
EVERY YEAR around this time, when the holidays are over (the memories of fairy lights and sequins fading) we're back at work and it's a brand new year, we become hopelessly drawn to winter white.
Here we are again at the beginning a brand new year. It seems everyone have spoken with is happy to leave the past year behind, for there were those in the throes of life transitions—be it a broken heart or career uncertainty, serious illnesses or loss, worries about the future and the state of the world in general.
A FEW YEARS ago P took me to visit an old school chum of his, Andrew, in the picturesque town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire. Located in the Wharfe Valley, at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales, the town was as charming as they come, with its quaint little restaurants (think I ordered Sole au Gratin) and perfect little English pubs where one of the old men from the village even asked my fancy self if I were "on the television".
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, there is a mini trend that comes along that is just too pretty to pass up, and the rhinestone/crystal belt with blue jeans is one of them. We had begun seeing these lovely embellished belts on Instagram, and then in shop window here in the city and fell in love with this simple and easy way to dress up an everyday look. Scroll through for some style inspiration and to shop...
In the Kenyan highlands a few miles north of the equator, lies Arijiju, a safari lodge. Located in Laikipia county, it also sits on the Borana Conservancy, a working cattle ranch and wildlife sanctuary. There are zebras and giraffes, gazelles, eland and hartebeest, lions and elephants, and most impressively, it is the home to twenty-two black rhinos, translocated from Lake Nakuru National Park, having reached its capacity of 70.
STRANGE to be writing this message on the very last day of the year, as when many of these photos were taken, the month of December stretched out like a long and languid dream.
THIS WEEKEND was a working one in parts, and parts old films and drinks on terraces where it was warm in the sunshine and chilly in the shade—a lucky situation for February, when terraces are still hospitable even in the wintertime. We moved here for the weather, but ended up staying for people, the food, and the laid-back way of life. The endless sunny days, however, will always be our first love and now that February is already nearly half over, it will be springtime before we know it…
THE WEEKEND was spent rediscovering the city, little corners and places for a quiet drink or dimly lit and elegant hotel lobbies where the service is casual and the wine is good. Since keeping the new year’s resolution of reading a few pages from an actual book every morning with coffee instead of scrolling mindlessly through my phone, have already finished two books and am nearing the completion of a third with a few days still left of the month.
We came across the most beautiful table setting inspiration on the Instagram page of Cara Fitch, a Sydney, Australia-based florist originally from Ontario, Canada. The wedding florist runs Trille Floral with a focus on arrangements that are loose and natural in style, just how you would find them in nature.
IN THESE LAST DAYS before Christmas, the city sidewalks are filled with last-minute shoppers, merry with the flush of cava and happy to be jostled about by the elbows and shopping bags of grandmothers with arms filled with gifts, and couples hoping to surprise one another with their thoughtfulness. Everywhere, there seems to be a feeling of good cheer.