Showing posts with label Happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Happiness. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Brothers - a friendship that is made to last

So many people warned us that the transition from having 1 child to 2 is far greater than it was going from 0 - 1. And although they were right in certain instances I wish they would not only tell us about the bad stuff, but also emphasize the good!!!

Anton, now 2 years and 2 months, and little Hendrik, a mere 2 months and 2 weeks currently dictate how my days and even my nights run and they decide when I can have a quick cup of tea, eat lunch and sometimes even when I can take a shower. BUT with the demands of these two little creatures comes entertainment and dialogue that NEVER fails to please. OK, no dialogue from Hendrik yet, but his constant smiling when Anton is around does indicate that he can see the clown that is his older brother.

Like I say - never a dull moment with these two and this is only but the beginning. I am excited when I think of the fun and laughter these 2 will still have, the battles they will face together, the games they will play and the fights they will have to settle. As a mother I have the privilege to experience this relationship firsthand and I am grateful for every moment that I can share with these two. 


  
 
It is my daily prayer that my two boys will laugh more than they will cry, play more than they will struggle, live full lives and, most importantly, enjoy each other and treasure the special bond that only siblings can have!

Monday, 11 May 2015

Sharing the happiness that comes in the form of Coal + Co

This morning I would like to introduce you to a very dear and talented friend of mine - Danette Mulder a jewelry designer from South Africa, currently resigning in Sydney, Australia. A girl whom I miss dearly and often think of when I wear one of my many Coal + Co jewelry pieces. 

Coal + Co is a hand made accessory line that was started in Johannesburg in 2012, almost accidentally when Danette was between living in Jozi and moving to Sydney and needed an income. She designed and hand made an easy to wear range and hosted a pop up shop with a few friends. This is here where things worked out quite well and she is still designing and making jewelry - and delivering quite frequently to South Africa - happy me! 

As Danette will tell you, the name Coal + Co originated from growing up in a coal mine town, where "fun resources" were limited. But she believes that it is exactly this limited exposure that fueled her creativity and shaped her as an individual. "Coal + Co celebrates my roots and all that went with it".

Here are a few pictures from the latest Coal + Co catalogue, look at these beauties:









As mentioned I have quite the Coal + Co collection already, but I get childishly excited every time that I receive a package from Danette and the happiness to wear something handmade, precious and beautiful NEVER wears off! I am actually expecting a pair of custom designed earrings from her soon and can hardly wait! Will share these once I have them in hand. Like I said, sharing the happiness that comes in the form of Coal + Co is a good thing.

You can follow her on Instagram or see her Facebook page here.

Have a good week lovelies.

Monday, 12 January 2015

...a little update

hello, its been awhile! let me begin by saying HAPPY 2015! may this be your year! so much has happened with me and my little family since my last post and i wish i could have shared it all a bit sooner, but today i am hoping to give you a proper update.

on a very happy note we celebrated my little sister's wedding day on 13 december and what a beautiful and spectacular event this was! she looked like the stylish and elegant woman she has grown to be and to see the immense happiness and excitement on her, now, husband's face when she came down the isle was one of the most special moments of 2014! as the wedding was being hosted on my parents' olive estate the days leading to the wedding were filled with family, friends, laughter and a whirlwind of getting it all ready... but this added to the special event that it turned out to be - so many guests attending the wedding had a hand in the end product and what a magnificent evening this was! i will in the weeks to come dedicate an entire post to this day as there are just too many precious moments to share here.


on a sour note, i must share that my dad had a very bad accident only a few days before the wedding and although things turned out far better that what we initially anticipated we got a big fright when a ladder slipped from under my dad's feet and he had an almost 3m fall! initially he only spent one night in hospital and came home with a big cut on the back of his head, a broken chest bone, broken toes and an intensely bruised body and although he spent the following week in bed or in his wheelchair, the old man still managed to walk my little sister down the isle!!!! my eyes fill with tears just thinking about this gesture! i can only imagine the pain he must have experienced in doing this, he even forced those broken feet into shoes! "no daughter of mine will walk down the isle without me by her side whilst i still live and breath". he did however go see another specialist two days after the wedding on on his recommendation he did undergo surgery to reset the chest bone as the break was far worse that initially thought. he is still recovering and the doctor said he must be take it easy for at least 6 weeks! as you can imagine this was one of the lowest points of 2014, but it could have been worse.


as i told you in one of my previous posts; expanding little family; we are having another baby and his arrival is getting closer and closer - estimated due date is 26 february already! i am getting very excited now and as my bump is growing a little each day the reality of this whole experience is also starting to feel more real! anton has now properly moved out of the cot and he is enjoying naps and evening sleeps in his "big boy" bed in his "big boy"room now, i am such a proud mother that this transition went very smoothly and that he himself suggested the move - no forced move here! this little guy has grown so much and he surprises us with a new word, or trick or skill every day - he certainly will be a great big brother! whats more is that this little guy will be attending kindergarten this year - staring this week!!! i am anxious to see how this unfolds for both mother and child.. more on this in a later post. for now this little blond prince is his moms favourite for another month or so and then a level of equality will have to be established :)


otherwise life is quickly falling back into its normal routines after we spent almost a month on our family farm in stilbaai - a wonderful break from the everyday rush of the city of joburg. christmas was filled with love and laughter as my entire family attended christmas on the farm this year - anton was the highlight and his joy and excitement at the lighting of the christmas tree was contagious! a special period with all of my most favourite people.




workwise i have decided to take it slow for the first half of this year and i have only taken on 1 new project as to prioritise little anton and his new baby brother. this project is another exciting one, a new residential projects for two very special friends that will soon start construction on their dream home. it is always such a humbling experience to be part of such dreams, even though it is my profession and work!

well there you have it all in a nutshell - some bits and pieces might still flood the pages in the coming weeks, but at least now you are all up to date again. may your 2015 be filled with warm sunshine, love and laughter and i also hope that i will be able to share more happiness than sadness in this new year - lets go!!! xoxo


Thursday, 29 August 2013

Kitchen love

As this week is dedicated to food and cooking, some attention can also be given to the kitchen. Tonight I am drooling over some wow kitchen designs and as usual Worded Reflection's love for all things white is evident!!

From here

Timber ceiling - LOVE! From here

Nice sink! From here

Really like the subtle touch of green. From here
 
I believe you cook better in a kitchen that you love - no matter how small or unpractical - work with what you've got and make your kitchen your happy place!!

Friday, 14 December 2012

Fun in the sun

Today is my last "official" day for the 2012 year! We are off to the lovely Western Cape province today. The husband and I will be embarking on a 2 day road trip this afternoon...

We will kick off our journey in a guesthouse in Kimberley this evening and are hoping to have dinner in the historically rich Kimberley Club tonight. Tomorrow we drive quite a big stretch to Stellenbosch where we will spend a few days with family and friends and attend a wedding and then its off to Stilbaai! Yippeeee, here our holiday will really peak! Family, friends, beach, sun, sea... What more do you need!?

From here

What are your plans for the festive season? If you are traveling, please travel safe, if you are staying at home, enjoy the tranquility and rest that comes with a few days off.

I will write as soon as I can, but suppose I will be offline for the few days on the road. Happy times to all! xoxo

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Believing in love

I stumbled onto some very sweet tiny love stories this morning and found it inspiring and fresh, perhaps it makes you believe in that forever-love-affair again...

Today, my 75-year-old grandpa who has been blind from cataracts for almost 15 years said to me, “Your grandma is just the most beautiful thing, isn’t she?” I paused for a second and said, “Yes she is. I bet you miss seeing that beauty on a daily basis.” “Sweety,” my grandpa said, “I still see her beauty every day. In fact, I see it more now than I used to when we were young.” 

Today is our 10th anniversary, but since my husband and I are both recently unemployed we agreed not to get each other any gifts. When I woke up this morning, my husband was already up. I walked downstairs to find beautiful wild flowers brilliantly arranged all over the house. There must be 400 flowers total and he didn’t spend a dime.

Today, I was driving home with my grandfather when he suddenly made a u-turn and said, “I forgot to get your grandmother a bouquet of flowers. I’ll pick up one from the florist at the corner down here. It’ll only take a second.” “What’s so special about today that you have to buy her flowers?” I asked. “There’s nothing specifically special about today,” my grandfather said. “Every day is special. Your grandmother loves flowers. They put a smile on her face.”

Today, exactly 10 years ago almost to the minute, I stopped at an intersection and a car rear ended me. The driver was a student at UF, just like me. He was cordial and apologetic. As we waited for the cops and the tow truck we chatted and started laughing together about all sorts of stuff. We exchanged numbers and the rest is history. We just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

Today, when I tapped the side of my wheelchair and told my husband, “You’re the only reason I want to be free from this contraption,” he kissed me on my forehead and said, “Honey, I don’t even see that thing.”


If you enjoyed reading these tiny love stories visit the Marc and Angel Hack Life blog and read some more, I spent a good 20 minutes reading some of these tales and it made me smile!!

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Life

The December madness is in full swing and  I am loving it!!!

 Noah and the Whale - 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.'


Within this whirlwind of parties, dinners, functions and drinks, LIFE still carries on and some colourful, happy events are making it even more exciting this year!!

Good news of the engagement of some very close friends...
Planning and preparation for the arrival of the newest addition to our little family of two, soon to be 3...
Preparing for out DIY family Christmas this year, what fun!!
Witnessing new friendships develop that might blossom into love...
Seeing the farm after the first summer rain...
Feeling how the stress and the rush of this year is slowly coming to a halt - breath!

What a wonderful time of the year! What a wonderful life!

From here


Thursday, 29 November 2012

Jingle bells already ringing

Last night I had my first Christmas function for the year and it is amazing how quickly one can get into the festive spirit of this holiday!

From here

Christmas,to me, is mainly about remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and spending time with family, but it is also about giving. Giving back to those in need, giving something special to ones you love, giving someone a hug, giving people hope through the precious joy and good news of our King and giving yourself a moment to breath - to take in the important things in life again.

In little less than a month I will, as tradition will have it, be celebrating this special day with my family in our holiday home in Stilbaai and I cannot wait!

Last night was a good introduction to the festive season and a wonderful way to end off a great year with some very special girls!


Thanks Suzie, Tanya, Kim, Liza, Sarizie and Jana for your friendships and kind personalities that fill my life!

Some pics to highlight our night, thanks Suzie!

Even though it is early, I am wishing you a merry, festive and silly Christmas season xoxo

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Our beautiful country of contrast

Today the stark contrast of our beautiful country, our rainbow nation, is getting to me! Friends' parents fearing for their lives on their farms in de Doorns, Western Cape, enthusiastic entrepreneurs starting new business ventures filled with hope and dreams of success, our country still mourning the epic shock of the Marikana massacre still looming over us, soon to be parents dreaming of a bright future for their unborn children, conversations of hope, sadness, frustration, excitement... our country of contrast - where are we heading?

The amazing Hex River Valley, from here

The current unrest between farm owners and workers that smudges this beauty, from here


Violent protests at the Marikana mines recently lead to too many tragic deaths, from here

I cannot wait for this! The Whippet, a coffee shop soon opening in Linden Johannesburg, from here

New parents filled with hope for a bright future for their children

In God we trust and believe to end the madness and the suffering of the poor and to safeguard and protect the precious lives of our people - of all our people. Today I pray that there will be compassion, respect and humanity for all that live in our beautiful country that is us, that flows in our veins and that makes us who we are. 

May all my fellow South Africans experience something good today, something to erase our negativity and something to colour in your day. Perhaps you can be that ray of sunshine that can brighten someones day?

Have a lovely day xoxo

From here


Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Start your day with a smile

Good day dear readers, the husband woke me up this morning with a lovely cup of tea and one of the chocolate biscuits that I made a few days ago. With a smile he said "it is never too early for chocolate". What a great way to start the day!!

From here
 My wish for today is that you can all put your smiles on and brighten someone's day! Have a good one!

From here

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Hello Sunshine!

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Monday, 29 October 2012

Hello week!

Its Monday morning and I am feeling rested and revived after a lovely weekend on the farm... As some of you might have realised by now, the farm is to me what a full body massage is to most people. I can never get enough of the fresh air, beautiful nature and even the 3 hour drive out there is part of the experience. Smile.

So what do you have planned this week? I am still not 100% back in my regular routine after my long break and I think that this week requires some attention to healthy eating and living - just to spark the habit again.

From here

 Some wise words to get me going again, perhaps some of you also find this useful:

From here
Have a lovely week all! xoxo


Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Live YOUR life!

A manifesto we can all strive to live by:

From here

Friday, 2 March 2012

Happy weekend

And then it was Friday - YAY!!

 

My, but has this week flown! What are you up to this weekend? I have yet another busy few days ahead of me and I am looking forward to spending some time with friends and family!

The highlight of the weekend will probably be watching Phantom of the Opera tomorrow night, the show has been getting great reviews so I am very excited!

My finds of the week include:
These amazing paintings by Marta Penter
Viewing Pablo Picasso's work through photos of light!
Taking the concept of a vertical garden much further - a great architectural project!
A healthy brownie that tastes amazing? Perhaps worth trying it out?

Quote of the week:

From here
 
I am wishing you a happy weekend dear readers!

xoxo

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

In the name of love


Happy Valentines day dear readers! May your day be filled with warm love, sunshine and happiness! 
Be thankful for the love that you receive and be mindful of the people that need your love today!


Monday, 6 February 2012

Something to make you smile

It is one of those Mondays - too much to do and too little time. A quick post of a few things that will make you smile.

Finally someone admits this!!

In celebration of the month of love.

If this doesn't make you smile, then I give up.

Beauty in the small things he does.

As my friend Tshepo would say "for realsies"

Say something that will last forever.

One more try, perhaps this makes you smile.

All images from here.

Have a lovely week dear readers!