>> If you want your dreams to come true

I am starting to see a pattern here. About once a month I will write a more personal post about my journey in my career, life
and my dreams. I write about people that I admire for following their dreams, and how everybody should just go out an do it!
Easy right? I will write about that studio I want to own, that beautiful illustration print I want, or that place that I
want to visit. Dreams are great. But without a plan they are useless. Dreams can be depressing and feel far away.
Dreams are scary stuff.

...Jeez. Yes.

But I am sure that I am not the only one...everybody has a dream, don't they. That one thing that you're just burning to do with
your life. I think as scary as they are, we need a dream to feel like all is not lost, and one day, things will be different.
Maybe you hate your job and want to do something you love instead. Maybe you want to travel somewhere that looks amazing.
Maybe you want to find a perfect friend. Everybody wants something.

There is just one very unfortunate thing though. Most dreams cost money, time and work. Two things that very few people have
enough of, and the last...we'll, people are lazy. And that is why dreams are scary. Because you need to save or pay too much
for it to happen. Or, you might have to use up all your spare time to plan, or do a course, or do stuff which will leave you
feeling like there is just absolutely no time for anything else. Perhaps you simply can't afford to save and then everything
is just crap and you get depressed and you try to forget about your dream, because in your mind it's impossible or simply
too late...

Mmmm, getting clever aren't I....:-)

Anyways, as scary as dreams are, I think a dream is worth it. And if you think so too, then you will start anyways. Any goal
needs to have a plan. So do it today. Look at what you need to do to make your dream come true. Draw up a timing plan, draw up
a savings plan, register, do some extra work, do whatever necessary. Because every day you wait is a day wasted. Do something
that you feel is important. A dream IS important.

So I wrote this quote from some anonymous clever person, on a really beautiful picture by Italian photographer Manuel Cosentino. 
By the way, this project really inspired me, and I think it's beautiful. Plus it has a bit of a tik-tok tik-tok message... 

Lastly, I am very proud to say that I have stopped dreaming, and I am now doing. I have set my plan in motion to
realise my dream, and my next post about "my journey", will be about how far I've come in making it all happen:-)

>> Gorgeous spring fashion from Jane Sews

I looove this brand. Not only is the name really cool, and their website a beautiful simple design, but their actual
product blows me away. I can describe myself as a proud purist and minimalist, and I guess that's the reason why I
love Jane Sews. I love simple, timeless things, with just a touch of quirkiness. This Durban based shop

"is inspired by timeless femininity, a facination with global trends, and an eye for fine construction."

I really couldn't say it better myself. Go and have a look on their website, or see my selection of favs below.

The below outfit is totally my thing. I love everything about it!

>>I saw these and fell in love

Aren't they just the cutest, quirkiest things ever! <3

 

>>Hey stranger illustration

Yesterday, I came across Brad and Leigh. They are a married blogging couple from Jo'burg, with a really
stunning creative blog. It is quite simple, but I was completely fetched with the style of Leigh's drawings
and Brad's quirky writing. I think what they are doing is just so nice, a couple that shares each others'
passion for creativity and life. I was especially entertained by their "hello" section, how they speak about
that very familiar voice in their heads, the voice that says "we can't". Their blog is a direct response to
that voice: "we can". I admire how people can just get up and go for what they really want to do. In a creative
industry, you ideas are almost always dictated and often killed by a client, and sometimes it literally makes
you sick. It is nice to see that people can find a way to climb back into their own heart and do something
that they really love doing. Something that I should seriously think about. My blog is a good start,
but it is important to remember that with having only one life, it's worth taking a risk every now and then.

Have a look at these drawings, I adore them. Also, check out Leigh's business called hey stranger, and read a
bit on their blog. By the way, what do you think about the new look, hope you like it:-)

>> Into the water illustrations

I think I may have mentioned it before, but I am a huge fan of illustration art. I want to collect pieces like these "into the water" illustrations for our home. In fact, all of these goooorgeous swimming illustrations by New Yorker Yuko Shimizu seems like it was made for my future white and wood theme bathroom by the sea. I especially like these first two! Have a look at this incredibly talented illustrators portfolio for more of her fantastic work.

 

 

>>Watercolour Saturday

When I was a student, I used to work at the old art shop in Pretoria called Schweickerdt. I was always hanging around the watercolour stand, inspecting the tubes and pans and reading up about the medium. When the shop unfortunately closed down early in 2011, I managed to get a studio set of Winston & Newton watercolour pans for a fraction of the real price, with big plans to go to Hermanus and try them out on a seascape or something...well, that never happened. Working and getting married and making all kinds of plans left no time for me to paint and do art, and when I did have time, I was just too tired and uninspired to remove myself from the couch.

So, this weekend my good friend Clarise and I decided to finally get around to the hobby, and we cracked a bottle of red and whipped out our watercolour brushes. I always paint in oil, and I heard that watercolour is a super difficult medium to use, but I'm pretty much up for any challenge so I gave it a go. Both of us tried watercolour for the first time on Saturday and this is what we came up with. I plan to try these feathers one more time (especially the red ones), and if they come out sexier, then I'll frame them in little wooden frames for our bedroom.

So what do you think?

>>Holland tourism ad, original cool

About 2 years ago, Johan and I had the privilege of living and working in Amsterdam for about 3 months. I just love this tourism ad for Holland and the concept of you call it this we call it that. 

Holland really is that cool, and I miss it terribly. I can't wait to go back some day!

>>The Winter Sculpture Fair at the Nirox Sculpture Park

On the weekend of 4 and 5 May, the Nirox Sculpture Park just outside of Johannesburg hosted a "sculpture fair" that Johan and I attended with our friends Heather and Marius.

It was a day of enjoying contemporary art combined with the best food and wine from Franschhoek. It was so nice just to get out of the city, and spend the day in one of Gauteng’s most spectacular outdoor venues. The luxurious fair was also complemented by a high-end retail space, where visitors could browse top whiskeys, scarves, bags, teas, books and more in a stylish and cosy environment.

Although the food and wine fair was only for that one weekend, the sculptures will still be on exhibition for another month or so, every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The theme of the exhibition is "After the rainbow nation", and the artworks range from truly beautiful to completely bazaar, but always interesting. I also really enjoyed how ever artwork interacted with the environment and light. It is the perfect relaxed weekend outing, and wonderful just to go and take a stroll through the park, especially with the Jo'burg autumn weather so sunny and mild at the moment. I attached some of my pictures, however, the harsh mid-day sun was just too hectic on some, so only a few artworks are shown below. Best to go and have a look yourself:-)