My Brand Spanking New Filofax. Personal Malden Ochre.

So today I am a tiny little bit excited about my new filofax! I have had my heart on the Personal Malden in Ochre for sometime and oh my goodness - it's certainly lived up to my expectations. It's absolutely beautiful.

 

I'm going to be using this as a wallet as well so I just went ahead and put all the necessary bits and bobs in. Now I'll only have to carry this - instead of both a purse and an organiser.

This view shows you the so-called 'flatability' of the Malden - which I have to say I am very happy with - it's not too rigid or too floppy. I know other people have complaints - but every organiser is a bit different so I guess I'm just lucky!

Back pocket which I have just stuffed full of stickers and the cutest little page markers/paper clips in the shape of bicycles, which I bought from staples.

All in all, I am beyond happy with this little treasure - it's the perfect size to carry around, I'm usually carrying at least two different notebooks at any one time - but now I can fit it all into this, plus it's my wallet! I'll probably do another post when I have it all setup - just to show you how I'm using it. Stationery and filofax addicts will know how fab it is to have a look-see in someone else's organiser! It's like having a little sneak peek into the private recesses of their mind! 

How important is packaging?

I've been toying with the idea of changing my packaging at HIPPIE-LAND for some time now. I want it to better reflect what it's all about and what better way to fit in wit the rainbow theme - than brightly coloured, sweet shop bags! 

Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii. Now and Then.

Mt. Vesuvius with the ruins of Pompeii in the foreground.

This is what Mt Vesuvius would have looked like before it erupted and buried the beautiful and rich Roman city of Pompeii.

What used to be the centre of Pompeii's political and domestic life. The major courtyard/piazza - contained the meat and fish market, governmental offices and official buildings. 

Inside Vesuvius! This is the crater - this photograph does not capture how big it is - it really just shows a little bit of one of the sides - but it is huge - you could fit a couple of houses at least inside.

This is the view from the top! The Bay of Naples is a sprawling metropolitan with skyscrapers! In Rome there are no really tall buildings because legally nothing can be higher than the roof of St Peters Basilica! Also in the distance you can just about make out the Islands of Procida and Ischia. In the other direction is the Isle of Capri (but you can't see it on here unfortunately!) 

I'll probably post more pictures, I'm finding them pretty inspirational at the moment!

When In Rome.

Here are a few photos from my time in Rome:

The Italian flag, on top of the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, in the Piazza Venezia (The Venetian Square).

Roman centurion taking a modern break, on the Spanish Steps.

The Roman Forum. Ruins of Ancient Rome.   

Tiny little butterfly. 

The sloping side of the Mt. Vesuvius. This is the most dangerous volcano in Europe and the 5th most dangerous volcano in the world! Although still active and well overdue for an eruption a whopping 3 million people live in the red zone. When it erupted in 79AD, burying the City of Pompeii and its inhabitants, it released 100x the amount of energy released by the Hiroshima bombing. You can actually see and walk around the ancient ruins of Pompeii, which are beautiful even if a little terrifying. In the bottom left-hand corner you can see the outline of a person - I left this in to show the sheer enormity of the volcano. Which although well overdue for eruption is still 

View of St Peter's at sunset from a courtyard inside the Vatican Museums.We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the Vatican at night, under the stars, and to sit in the open air listening to a beautiful musical performance. You can see on the photograph that there are railings around the top (Cupola) of St Peter's Dome, you have to get an elevator to the top and then walk 320 steps up a narrow staircase - but the views make it all worthwhile - with a vista over the entire of Vatican city and the River Tiber.

Just one of the many, many scooters/Vespas/Lambretta/Harleys you will find in Rome, it's the easiest way of getting around the tiny, cobbled streets of the city - but it makes the pedestrian's job of dodging traffic even harder!

Returning on a jet plane to England...

I'm back after a week in Rome. Just getting back into the swing of things.  WARNING: Future posts will be photo heavy!

On the way out.

Passing over the Suisse Alps!

A 'Room With a View'

 And on the way back after a truly wonderful week!

Little Island Idyll. No idea what it's called!

Up The Garden Path...

Just wanted to share with you our beautiful, blossoming garden. I love this time of year everything is so green. Picture heavy I'm afraid!

Apples growing on a our lovely 'Red Love' tree, which we planted in memory of a lost loved one.

It's a bit of a jungle out there right now. Our entire garden has turned into a rainforest!

Nasturtium flower petals, which you can actually eat, but they don't taste of much!

Clematis and Honeysuckle, which is pretty overgrown right now - but the flowers smell amazing.

Radish flowers which turned into radish pods -which you can also eat. We're drying some out at the moment to get the radish seeds for next year. 

How to dry herbs? Tie 'em up and hang 'em.

Here are herbs, picked from our garden and tied up. I use these herbs in some of my candles and soaps.

My favourite part - crushing them up using a mortar and pestle!

Have a lovely day!

Poetry On A Sunday Morning.

 We grow great by dreams.

Dreamers ... see things

   in the soft haze of a spring day,

or in the red fire

of a long winter's evening.

Some of us let these great dreams die,

but others nourish and protect them,

nurse them through the bad days

till they bring them sunshine and light

which comes to all those

who sincerely hope that 

their dreams

will come true.

     ~ Woodrow Wilson

Actually this isn't a poem, it was part of a speech that President Wilson made, but Susan Polis Shultz editor of 'Don't Ever Give Up Your Dreams' put it into poem format.