A Prescription For Anti-Depressive Living

I was leafing through Jonathan Adler's fabulously effervescent book - My Prescription For Anti-Depressive Living - when it suddenly occurred to me that his witty philosophy on interiors could be applied to the inner workings of any enterprise you care to mention. Indulge me, if you will.

The very best ideas have difficult births - if you'll excuse the pun! Contrary to popular belief, failure in any worthwhile endeavour is necessary.

It is illuminating.

Suddenly everything seems clearer and you are propelled to greater heights as a result. A wise man once said, "If you haven't failed, you're not doing it right." and I heartily agree with him.

Be true to that which burns brightly within you. Trends and fads come and go but the things that make you intrinsically you are not only invaluable but should be nurtured, celebrated and exploited for the one-ups that they truly are.

The brass rollerskate above is one of my favourite possessions, much to the consternation of many. It is meant to be a doorstop but it often moonlights as a bookend, tchotchke or a fun reminder that being me - and doing things in my own kooky way - is good enough.

Treat yourself to some good, old-fashioned silliness.

Jump around like a loon to some music, roll around in the grass with your kids or borrow your neighbour's. 

The key is to have more fun and inspiration will spring forth effortlessly. I remind myself regularly that playing hard at work (rather than working hard at it) produces far better results - and a sunny disposition.

Do you have any fun or insightful tips to share? I'd love to hear them!

Fashion|Conscious: The Jumpsuit

Having gone through 30 days of Six Items Or Less, I created Fashion|Conscious for the express purpose of showcasing ethical brands and, hopefully, disabusing the notion that they are not as of-the-moment as their unethical counterparts. It will now be a regular feature on the blog and published once a month.

Today, I thought I'd have a little fun with an item of clothing I haven't worn much lately - the jumpsuit. Often eyed askance by many, I find that it is extremely versatile, slips on a treat - as most one-pieces do - and lends itself rather well to being dressed up or down.

The key is to choose one with a comfortable crotch depth and in a soft, luxurious fabric.

/Images: 1 & 2. Singlet jumpsuit by Hati Hati 3. Cotton polka cardi by Chinti and Parker 4. African print round neck jacket by FAIR + True 5. Papillon clogs by Swedish Hasbeens 6. Sicilian basket I by Muzungu Sisters 7. Maliabeth hobo by Melie Bianco (available in the UK here) 8. SPMA multico moonrock jaune fluo hi-tops by Veja 9. Zanzibar horn necklace and 10. Zanzibar horn cuff both by Edun/

Are you a fan of the jumpsuit? How would you wear yours?

Bloom

Bloom verb 

/come into or be in full beauty or health; flourish/

It is happening a little later than scheduled but I think you'll agree that it was certainly worth the wait.

  

These are scenes that I drive past almost daily and it has been such a treat to watch the gradual emergence of colour and to finally capture it for posterity.

May your weekend be filled with beauty and the joys of a full-blown spring.

Digital Books

I mentioned my digital library in my last post so today, I thought I would expand a little on the appeal it holds for me.

I adore hard copy as much as the next girl. The satisfying thud books make when they hit the table, the scent that wafts up as you thumb through printing-press-fresh, crisp pages cannot - in my humble opinion - be beaten. Having said that, there is a lot to be said for their digital counterparts.

I may well be unfashionably late to the party (so do excuse my exuberance!) but it was the lure of convenience - at a swipe of my fingertips - that eventually drew me to this medium. I have the iBooks app on my iPad and it has since become my default means of downloading and reading digitally. Below are but a few of my favourite features.

The bullet point icon on the top left of the above page contains some nifty little shortcuts which enable me to highlight portions of interest, make notes on them or even look up words in the built-in dictionary.

I have a habit of making sure I come to the end of a chapter before I move on to other tasks or errands. The page counter in the bottom right hand corner of each page helps me decide whether to begin one or not based on how much time I can spare.

All this pales in comparison to Seth Godin's vook - Unleashing the SUPER Ideavirus. Not only does it contain functional links, it also has 18 videos which further enhance the insights provided throughout which makes for an even richer learning experience.

Are you an ebook (or vook) geek like me? What fun features have you come across?

If you'd like a more balanced view, you can read the excellent points made by Tina of Colourliving in her post on the joys of printed books.

Flash Foresight

I had a completely different post planned for today but I came across a book so intriguing - so exciting - that it consumed my thoughts and crowded out all other options.

I haven't felt this way about a book since I greedily devoured the first few digital pages of The Artist's Way - but that's just it.

I find that whenever I happen upon something potentially life-changing, I cannot bear to wait a day longer to possess and fill my consciousness with it. As a result, I now have a digital library and it is full of books written by the Who's Who of personal development - my favourite genre.

I digress, however. The book of which I wax so lyrical - despite having only read 71 pages - is called Flash Foresight by Daniel Burrus. As the title suggests, it expounds the theory that we all have the ability to shape our lives and/or careers (be it in the simplest, most fundamental ways or in the more complex) simply by tuning into and using that most innate of traits - our intuition.

I do hope you will forgive this rather unusual admission but even as I type, I am eager to get back to discovering more. I promise to reveal what I have learned from it here on the blog when the time comes.

Better still, get yourself a copy. That way, we can all get together in the near future and swap tales of how the singular decision to purchase a book changed our lives for the better.

Does this mean I'm forgiven?