In summer mood....

Goodmorning to all who are living in the same hemisphere as where the little Penthouse is located, the living room of which is pictured above and from where I'm usually writing :)

And hello or good evening to those being in different time zones.

I 'm finally managing to come and make an appearance here to say hello and give a taste of this week's happenings (since previous Teusday's last post)  through some pictures. As you may well have guessed, I have indeed been a (very) buzy bee lately! Still, there has been some time to....

style a little tiny bit our veranda, by adding some hamam towels (bought at h&m Home on line)

on the chair and the bench and enjoying some sunbathing during the day or grilling during the evenings

make a collage displaying favorite moments happening around the house, such as 

getting dressed for an "at home" Friday dinner, styling around a bit for some pictures, crafting and making - one of a kind - combined art, collage & drawing cards such as this one,

bringing out Mr Squirrel to help me with providing some string ,as I was packing some gifts for dear friends and therefore making a click to capture the basket holding all of the "balls" of string as they looked so photogenic to me...

making the bed with fresh sheets (Ikea) mixing and matching the pillow cases (Ikea) from different sets with a light grey, duvet cover perfectly light for summer, also found at h&m home....all combined to acheive a minimal look in natural tones...

...also spending long, endless hours in front of the computer screen, processing pictures according to my personal feel and taste,  like the "House with hats" above, photographed by my loving partner (also madly into photography) in our neighbourhood some months ago and processed by me specially for the needs of our Etsy shop

....and the "Happy nuns" pictured above, which you are invited to open in flickr by just clicking on the link to find out why this is the title and which, together with the previous one, belong in the "Stories of times gone by" photography series and was inspired this weekend....

mostly by our visit to the Oltimers car's festival that took place in the park across our home (Verna Park), where I accidentally discovered myself in the reflection of a super polished back part of a 1930's car front light and therefore took a minute for a little - ahem! - posing....

and had plenty of time to fall in love with the cutest of the cars participating in the festival among Rolls Royce and Jaguars to Austin and Bentleys..to  Porches, to astonishing Cadillacs and totally rounded Ford vans... this little guy, an original VW beetle caring "his" vintage, leather suitcase on "his back", simply stole my heart like forever!....that's why he'll have a special place on the shelves of the Etsy shop, at your disposal when you wish to signify that you'll be away or to simply wish a friend:

"Bon Voyage!"....

...and as if all this has not been enough, there was some time to engage into a play with circles, remembering old days of school, when geometry class was one of my favorites(!) and so often run home to find the solutions of the assignments we would recieve, almost always absolutely correct to my teachers' surpise...."get a life you little teenage girl!", they must have thought and actually I do think the same, now.....I wonder what would they say if they saw what has been happening to all I've learned and how it is incorporated into my daily life....sigh....!


 Finally, to be bringing this rather happy Wednesday post to its end....

there has been some time to be feeling just like walking in the skies, when out in our veranda, as apart from the view of little roofs among gardens, one has an immediate connection to the sky, the little penthouse being situated on the 4rth floor. Oh Good heavens, dear all.....if it isn't about celebrating every little moment in life, then what is it about?....hard times will always come our ways as well and am thinking that maybe...just maybe...sucking the beauty of glorious little moments to the very depth of our souls when they occur, can be the antidote when these hard times appear.


All the love and blessings to all 
Friendly yours,
Ivy

Zucchini Love

Zuchinni Love, originally uploaded by ivy style33.

...leaving you for the weekend with this heart made of zucchini slices, prints of which will be shortly available in the Etsy shop, as part of my "Photography... Through Ivy's eyes" series, under the label "Domestic charm", categorized as Kitchen Stories.

...aiming at bringing some Love in your kitchen and everyday life, in a minimal way, for many happy gatherings and delicious meals!

Cool summer

Cool summer, originally uploaded by ivy style33.

Goodmorning on a Saturday!

Despite the quiteness here - where are you people?....hellooo....I'm back! - I"m posting this as promised last night. I blame you not for having possibly forgotten about this place and given up hope about me showing up....but I hope that we can catch up with each other.

The collage above is in the same colour mood as yesterday's and gathers some moments from activities that I so much enjoy....travelling, with a few pictures from our current vacation in
Greece and two from The Netherlands included, photography, crafting, styling and interior designing....all adored for the freedom and deep happiness they offer me when engaging in them...

"Colour your mood" could be my moto, as there is so much interconnection between what goes on inside and what is expressed outside....I have noticed the transition from one tone to the other in between days, from more warm to more cool tones, to be smoother and smoother as years go by....like a dance between too lovers, who interchange between moments of passion and ones of tenderness and tranquility....

It's a nice feeling, which can be enjoyed and cherished after many, many intense ups and downs and sincere work on getting to know who I really am and what I want.....claiming not that issues are finished, as they are for me eternal and never ending, with knowledge being a source with which we are never finished....but just wanting to mention that such processes are true treasures to be cherished like the most precious of gifts.

Oh, let us look inside and colour our moods with our personal, magical paintbrushes!

& now what...?

& now what...?, originally uploaded by ivy style33.

O.k...o.k...I know that I usually come here with a - big - smile and lots of positivism...and I trully like to do that...but as this blog is evolving as part of my everyday life, it is almost impossible to be always on this track. And I trully start to be getting used to coming here and sharing...and I'd like to do that as I often as I can...but this presupposes that I'm not placed high in any podium, but rather we are all gathered sitted on the floor, among comfortable cushions alltogether. Then I can share parts of my everyday life, of my reality, my thoughts and considerations here with you, where you are also welcome to drop in and share.

Just please do be aware that I'm not glued to this blog and I consider it to be....let's say...an extra room, where I get to have meetings with you, when there is free time....but you are all free to gather here and exchange views and opinions with each other, even without my constant presence. In a way, I'm always here, as this is a place created by me.

So today, allow me to share some less than usual clear thoughts and accept the fact that I'm kind of tired and confused....so...

...ever feel that you are stuck?
...that you know exactly what you are supposed to do, but have no strength to do it?
...ever feel that you doubt your own self?
...ever feel that your energy is drained?
...ever feel that you need to learn new skills, more things, but feel like you' ve spent your whole life in endless learning and simply just need a break?

...ever feel that it's time to really - really! - put your plans and wishes in action, but feel that you are tired even without having started?

...ever feel you are scared to become the best you can be?

...ever feel you are scared like mad of letting go of all the possible pain life has brought your way?
...and that it's time to see that there is actually NO pain any more...
...and that everything is just an echo of the past?
...of traumas that eventhough have been very well taken care off, they have left their irreversible marks?

Well, then you know how I feel these days....no, I am not locked in a room with black circles under my eyes, am not living in a mess and am not leaving myself untaken care of...

Our living space is well taken care of, I go out, I dress myself nicely, I socialise and occasionally work both at and outside home...
...but simply it feels like every little thing needs too much effort!

Then, I know it's time to go back and see what I 've lost and where on my way....

Find it...
Pick it up...
Keep it...
And cherish it like the treasure that it is!

And then...do. Life is SO all about doing.