Tag: Slowing Down

Magazines

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I absolutely love magazines. You can almost say it is my secret little addiction. Some women have a shoe fetish, and some have a handbag fetish, so why can’t I have a magazine fetish?

I love the feeling when I page through a brand new magazine, the smell of the pages and the sheer feeling of excitement just to see what new thing is on the next page. I sometimes just quickly page through a magazine to quickly see what is all the nice things inside and then I leave it for later…when I can sit back, relax with a glass of wine and slowly absorb every single image, text, and page in the magazine.

I love reading the articles and absorb how the author has chosen his / her words to get her message over. I even love it more to look at each image and analyse each piece of it. I even sometimes see a flaw on the image where the stylist missed something, and it makes me feel good about my own home and life. Just to know that magazines can also sometimes get it wrong.

I take such good care of my magazines my children aren’t even allowed to page through them. Each magazine has a special place on my bookshelf and I often go back to previous additions and relive every single emotion as if it is the first time I’m reading it.

I’ve travelled the world through magazines and I’ve become the skinniest woman, cooked the best meals and have the most beautiful home, by just reading. By reading a magazine my imagination just opens like a beautiful flower in spring. It’s funny how just one small image could start a whole new dream, that leads to a new project, that leads to a new corner in your garden, or new table in your home.

Thank you to all publishers out there for the amazing magazines we have!!

Frênds

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What would a woman do without her friends?

I never really had a best friend, I was always a loner and loved it, still do, but now that I’ve turned 40 (yes, it took me 40 years) I get to know the value, joy, love, and laughter there is in having a best friend or three.

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It was really tuff moving to a ‘plattelandse’ small town after growing up and working in the city with its high glass buildings and very important CEO’s. With luxurious shopping malls just around the corner; with all the comforts just a short drive away, but it was such an empty live. There was never time for a quick…or long coffee, and chat with a friend. Your best friends were your colleagues that work with you, and most of the time they didn’t even know where you live or how the inside of your home looks.

It took a while, but now, after we have gotten used to the slow life of the ‘platteland’, we have time to get to know people, the real people, not just the fancy cars, fancy dressed kids and presentations you see at work, but the actual people. You become part of their lives, and things like movie nights, braais that go on till sunrise and long coffee breaks in the afternoon, are what it is all about.

The best part of making and having real friends is the deep conversations. We talk about real problems and also try to solve them. We laugh at one another’s jokes, and silly moments and we appreciate each one’s “funny’s”. We accept the other person exactly how she is because, in the end, we are friends because we are the same. We feel the same about how we raise our children, what kind of food we eat, and how we decorate our homes. Our passions are the same, and we can share our heartache without feeling judged or ashamed.

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Even when we don’t see each other for more than 14 days we still talk as if we spoke yesterday.

That is what friends are for….for fun, laughter, love, and heartache.

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Mother’s Life+

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It is funny  how life changes once you become a mother (by the way, I always hated the word mother, until I became one). I always thought I was made out of steel, and have superpowers that allow me to never get tired, that can do absolutely anything my heart desires (I still believe that), and can have both a family life and successful career all at the same time until my two energetic kids were born.

I was hoping I could do all this by only drinking my 5+ cups of coffee a day…but life throws you different curveballs when you expect it the least. When my little sweetheart daughter was almost two years old I start to realise that 5+ cups of coffee a day and the best superpower you can have, don’t make up for the time you are never home to see your kids grow up into the best version of yourself. I was at the top of my career, loving every moment, but I wasn’t a good mom, so I made the tuff decision and gave up my career to stay at home with my children. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, both giving up my career (believe me, I’m not a very good cook, housekeeper or doing non-intellectual stuff all day) and looking after my children 24/7. For all the would-be, future mothers, the cold hard truth is, that it is hard work looking after your children. Especially, if you are like me an HSP (highly sensitive person), have very bad sensory processing issues and need A LOT of quiet-by-myself-time.

More about these ‘serious stuff’ later.

Now, 7 years later, my lovely, highly intelligent boy is in Gr 1, and almost going to Gr 2. My most beautiful little girl is turning 5 and is the absolute happiest child I’ve ever met. I can say with all my heart it is all worth it. They are the two happiest children in the world because their mom is at home with them every single day.

Below are a few pics just to ‘brag’ about these two happy, lovable children of mine.

Round ‘n About

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Life Zone is my blog sharing ideas and observations related to design, life, motherhood and any other life-enhancing experiences. This is your place to absorb new ideas, find new products and design ideas and get inspired!

Based in a small town called Riversdale in the Western Cape, South Africa gives me the time to live, love and write. This is the slow life where you can appreciate your life and focus only on the things you love.