Shoutout Sister Saturday: Zoe Lamont

Today's 'shoutout to a sister' is to my dear Zoe Lamont. Passionate about social change she's founded financial literacy organisation www.10thousandgirl.com for women around Australia to make finance more fun. Zoe has also co-founded www.futuremap.com.au bringing financial cornerstones and life planning into the workplace.

A raucous laugh and an unflinching belief in the goodness of people, Zoe sprinkles fun and positive change wherever she goes. I even quoted her in one of my Life is Crafted Planners 'Give first, love first and then watch the magic happen.'

I've done my first Audioboo (or as I now like to call it, AudioYAY) - which is just a small audio snippet if you like to hear instead of read. which you can hear below :)

listen to ‘Shoutout Sister Saturday: Zoe Lamont’ on Audioboo

Do you know a woman (personally or through their reputations!) with an amazing biz, product or story? Give them and their page a shoutout below in the Facebook post comments. I'll be doing this each week so we can all discover new and new-to-us people and ideas.

Go on over to the page now and add someone who deserves a shoutout!

Make it as you wish.
Arienne

Shoutout Sister Saturday: Lisa Fox

There are so many amazing things going on in the world and so many gorgeous women doing them. I'm always on the lookout for great juicy finds to add to my world so I thought I'd introduce SHOUTOUT SISTER SATURDAYs over on the Luxe Life Adventuress Facebook Page  

Do you know a woman (personally or through their reputations!) with an amazing biz, product or story? Give them and their page a shoutout below in the Facebook post comments. I'll be doing this each week so we can all discover new and new-to-us people and ideas.

Go on over to the page now and add someone who deserves a shoutout!

Make it as you wish Adventuresses!
Arienne xo

Room of Inspiration - Live Aspire Blog Event - Connie Chapman & Alison Morgan

Connie Chapman, Me!, Alison Morgan

Sunday morning saw me adventuring through the sunny sidewalks of Paddington and Darlinghurst to have a morning of inspiration and play.

Jessica Nazarali of Live Healthy Simply and Ursula Williams of The Aspirer have started putting on regular events called LiveAspireBlog. Walking into the room, I was met with a brightly dressed group of ladies (I added to the gorgeous rainbow with an orange and yellow combo) that had gathered to hear the two speakers of the day Connie Chapman of ConnieChapman.com and Alison Morgan of Relauncher.com. 

These spaces are so great to connect with other women. Yes, it can be a little daunting walking in by yourself, but there are others there flying solo too and we're oh so welcoming to each other. We're all attracted there for similar reasons - personal growth, business nurturing, creating whizbang microenterprises  with heart and positive impacts and tapping into the inspiration of others. It's not too hard to find like minded soul sistas there!

We had the opportunity to mingle with the speakers before and after the speeches and had some absolutely wonderful conversations with these magic-makers and met a great group of gals!

Learnings & TakeAways

Alison Morgan - Relauncher

• Customer service is super important. When building a relationship we can  ask customers and clients what they really want and see if we can provide an offering to meet their needs
• Be flexible in the direction of your business. It should be influenced by your customers and what is going on in the world. Sometimes you start out with one type of product and service and it evolves into something  different (small aside, did you know that YouTube started out as a dating site?!).
• The first year is extremely hard. It takes a lot of work and dedication. After a while, even though there is still a lot of work to do, things just start to happen more effortlessly.
• We are totally in charge of what we do. There is no Boss we have to listen to besides ourselves! There are no boundaries - it is limitless - so we can shape and mold what we want our businesses and lives to be.

Connie Chapman - Connie Chapman 

• Always write from a place of love, passion and authenticity as it will resonate much more with yourself and your readers. Write from the heart not the head.
• Transitioning from a full time job to your business, come from a place of real intention, not financial need as it will come through to your readers. Get a part time job to satisfy your financial requirements as you transition if you feel it will help you.
• Look at creating other income streams to supplement your main focus. Programs, products and E-books are great ways to create income and give your clients what they need even when you can't coach them one-on-one.
• Ask your audience what they want.
• Don't listen to the nay-sayers. Connie says, "I'll only take advice from people that have what I want.". Love it!

It is so nice to hear about the journeys of others and be able to relate to what they've been through and get inspired by their stories and advice. Working solo means you're in your own little world for most of the day so the ability to reach out and make real world connections and hear how others have created their businesses is priceless!

If you've not already checked the ladies out, what are you waiting for?! You'll be happy you've welcomed them into your lives :) Thank you Jess and Ursula for putting on such a great morning.

Make it what you wish Adventuress!
Arienne

Self Love & Sisterhood

Tara Bliss, Melissa Ambrosini, Amanda Rootsey & Jessica Ainscough
Photo credit via Earth Events

Self Love = Soul Satisfaction ~ Tara Bliss

Walking into this packed room for the event Self Love & Sisterhood took my breath away. I could feel the uplifting energy and looking around at the sea of eager faces was awwwwwwwesome! And this was before the panel ladies even stepped out onto the stage!

This is the world I have been longing for since I woke up from my sleepwalking life. Over the years I've made some amazing one-on-one connections with like minds, but seeing a sea of sisters in one place was truly encouraging - this heart-centered, authentic-life, soul-sista, make-a-difference community is truly growing. I'm excited to see what Earth Events has in store for us in this vein.

So, who were these magic ladies?
Tara Bliss from Such Different Skies, Jessica Ainscough of the Wellness Warrior, Melissa Ambrosini from Path to Wellness and Amanda Rootsey from AmandaRootsey.com.au. Amanda was one of the early followers of this blog and I got such a buzz realising that!! (hi Amanda if you're reading this!).

Me & Amanda - gorgeous girl - gorgeous dress! Photo quality - average ;)

These women are truly living their authentic lives and inspiring others to gracefully (and messily!) dive through the muck and magic and be our well, real, divine, wonderful selves.

I came away from this event inspired. Not only to earnestly practice my version of self love but to gain more confidence in putting myself out there and growing in the direction my heart desires.

The panel format was engaging and provided spontaneous wisdom and heartfelt sharing.

You know me and my love of paper and pouring my heart out onto the page, so, in typical Arienne-fashion, I took copious notes that I had a hard time deciphering! I took down words and phrases that captured me and left me nodding with my heart. I may not have gotten every word right but it the gist that counts right girls?!

In response to 'What does self love mean to you?'
Accepting and having your own back no matter what. - Jessica Ainscough (JA)
Having gratitude for what you have now - Amanda Rootsey (AR)
Everything doesn't work without it - JA
[if you don't have self love you're] Building yourself up with sticks instead of bricks - Melissa Ambrosini (MA)
When you love yourself you want to drink green smoothies....- MA
Working the Self Love Muscle - MA
One first step is awareness...see how you speak to yourself - JA
[affirmations are important in self talk] I deeply and completely love and accept myself - JA
We wouldn't be here if we'd not been so messed up - Tara Bliss (TB)
I have a choice in this moment - TB
What does the mean girl say in your head? Write it down. Look at it. No one else would talk to you like that so why do you allow it? - MA
Doing things for someone else brings self love back
No amount of darkness can ever blow out that candle of awareness and choice 

How do you practice self love?
Remembering who I am in quiet time. - TB
Meditating and connecting - MA
What I put in my body are acts of self love.
What soundtrack I choose to play in my head each day?
Getting to know myself without all the external labels (ie party girl) - JA

 How do you support the Sisterhood

Compare no more. Support and encourage others. There is an abundance in the world

Acceptance and love of where you are now

How do we make self love fun?Be gentle and forgiving of yourself
Do things everyday that you love. I've designed my life to make everyday and every moment fun - JA

Self love is not selfishness to the detriment of others. It is realising the importance of taking the time and effort in loving yourself so you can truly love and support others from the right place and from the best reasons.

I went with one of my besties and healthy influencers Miss C and caught up with Ashley - Physio and Pilates girl extraordinaire! 

The beautiful and vibrant Jessica Ainscough of The Wellness Warrior

Some of the takeaways and reminders that I am taking action on now:

• Sitting in stillness or journaling to connect with myself more regularly
• Becoming more aware of what I put into my body
• Stepping up into my own brilliance so I can shine and reflect that to the women shining around me
• Reminding myself that I chose the way I am now living my life and to allow myself more fun and lightheartedness in this.

I love Tara's quote that I highlighted at the top - Self love is equal to soul satisfaction. That's what it is all about - doing the things that make your soul truly light up.

How do you practice self-love?
Make it as you wish,
Arienne

10 Minute Trips: What Are Your 3 Best Qualities?

I know, I know, it is hard talk ourselves up but it is so important! I went to a Self Love and Sisterhood event last week and it was such a good reminder that we need to look after ourselves so that we can make life truly work for us. If we are constantly focussing on everyone else first, we get depleted and can deviate from the path that is right and wholesome and worth while and that makes life truly fun for ourselves. But that is a whole 'nother post Sister!

I'm doing a course at the moment where we are looking at building a business around ourselves. As part of that, getting to know who you are, what you want to be and what your strengths and values are is really important.

One of the exercises was to ask 25 people around you (family, friends, colleagues and/or clients) what your 3 best qualities are.

Sure, it felt funny asking, but it was such an interesting and enlightening experience. The responses were varied but I could definitely see a theme. It was truly heartening to see what impressions people have of you that shine through!

So, are you interested in the findings?! I put the words through wordle.net to create a word cloud (that was fun playing around with the colours and word directions!)

Now I know what my strengths are so that I can put more of those qualities out into the world as I see what people appreciate and benefit from.

I really recommend doing it. It is powerful. Plus when I am feeling a bit bleh it is a beautiful reminder of part of who I truly am. What an uplift!

I challenge you to do it Savvies. Go on - what an adventure it will be! Take a few minutes and put together an email and send it out to the people in your life that you trust or admire.

It could be something along the lines of "I'm doing an exercise someone recommended to me to find out my personal strengths. Could you please let me know the 3 best qualities you see in me?".

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne

Feeding Inspiration Into My World

What a way to start the day!

This morning, I kicked the day off with a dose of inspiration and connecting with like minds. Every month, Vibewire and the Powerhouse Museum put on FastBreak, a pre-work morning event and breakfast with 5 presenters speaking for 5 minutes on the month's topic.

Today was on the topic of Craft (close to my heart because of Life is Crafted!). It was five entrepreneurs discussing their take on Craft and Crafting. I always take something away from these sorts of events. Whether a re-determination to take action, a specific thing to do or inspiration to fuel my work and my being.

The pic above was of the first speaker, Rupal Ismin of Andable. Andable is a wonderful online marketplace with a difference - you can buy 'products directly from indie sellers in Australia and around the world. 
10% of every sale goes to fund a micro loan (or 'small business loan') to a person in need in a developing country.'

I've had my Andable account created for a while now, I just need to start stocking my shop there. This morning reminded me to get my Life is Crafted diaries and products organised so I can list them! Meeting Rupal after the presentation was also a treat. I am always interested in the people and personalities behind the scenes of businesses I'm drawn to.

Then I rounded it off with a coffee meeting with my weekly mastermind posse - two kickass women doing wonderful things in the world with their social enterprises. As one of them said - it was 40 minutes of Goosebump goodness going around. It is such an honour to have my path growing alongside theirs and to be along for the journey!

Sprinkling inspiration into your everyday is super important to keep you heading in the direction you want. The good news is that it is not hard to do. Here are 5 ideas:

1. Find and attend events in your area that have inspiring speakers and attendees.
2. Find a blog to read that inspires you to be or do more.
3. Make a regular date with people in your world that uplift you.
4. Take a walk and find the awe and wonder in the everyday things that surround you.
5. Connect to your dreams and goals. Have a daily reminder of the why behind what you are doing to push you forward.

How do you feed inspiration into your world?

Make is as you wish,
Arienne

8 Tips For Going On Retreat

What does the idea of going on retreat evoke for you?

A sense of stillness? Being? Growth? Laughter? Learning? Time? Silence? Connecting? Fun? Awe? Gratitude?

For the retreat I went to recently it was all of the above!

When Kimberly Wilson announced a year ago that she was running an Art & Yoga retreat in Paris & Provence, I was in.

She had me at "I'm.....Paris". So much so that I was the first one to book in (Eager much Arienne?!).

I had a year to plan and organise the trip and I had so many ideas about what I wanted to get out of it. I wanted to connect with Kimberly after following her blog for years and doing a couple of ecourses, I wanted to have inspiration, soak up the French atmosphere and meet some wonderful people.

Going on retreat can be daunting. You don't really know what to expect, you are in an unfamiliar place and you don't know who you'll be going through the experience with. Hopefully you'll have picked something you resonate with so you'll be with like-minded people!

Here is a list of 8 things that will help you to prepare for and on on retreat. Enjoy :)

1. Set an intention

I had numerous intentions, so to make sure I captured them all and infused them with a greater chance of happening, I sat down in a sunny spot and wrote down everything that came to mind. I jotted down what I wanted to have, do and be during the 10 days. Then I took it one stage further and visualised the situations and feelings I wanted to have.

Voila! Intentions set. I did this about a week before I left and it made me even more excited to get there.

2. Let go and have an open mind

Once you've set your intentions let your pre-conceived notions fly away during the retreat. The intentions will be manifesting themselves in your subconscious so trust them to happen.  You could miss some amazing unexpected opportunities and situations if you are holding on too tight to how things 'should' be. Having an open mind will help you absorb and experience all that you need to.

3. Take pictures of the memories

So many things are happening - the people, the activities, the new surroundings - what can you do to help you remember them? Take pictures! You don't want to be constantly snapping away in lieu of actually experiencing the moments, but it is soooooo nice to have pictures of the little and big things that left an imprint. You'll be happy you did later.

4. Engage with others and connect

You will be surrounded by an array of amazing people who on some level are just like you because the retreat resonated enough for them to make the effort to come too. Engage, interact and ask questions. You might find a new friend, business partner or mentor. People are magic.

5. Time for self

Don't forget that this retreat is for you. There may be a lot of sessions going on or people you would like to engage with, but don't forget to take some time for yourself as well. Peace and solitude can go a long way. You need time to digest and absorb your new experiences and learning so make sure you have some alone time each day.

6. Note your Lessons/AHAs each day

Listen up Savvy Shes! This is especially important. Write down 1-3 of your insights, lessons and AHAs at the end of each day. This helps to compound learning and bring it further in your life. It is also a way to share with others what you got out of the retreat when they ask.

7. Be present. Let go of everything else

You are at the retreat, not at the office or at home. Be here. Let go of all those normal distractions of what needs to be done 'back in real life'. If you have to, write it down and then forget about it until you go home.

8. After the retreat

Stay connected with those you connected with. They've had a memorable shared experience with you. I handed around a sheet that everyone put their details on which I collated and emailed to everyone.

One of the wonderful retreaters (Thank you Ms C!) handed this quote out to the rest of us:

On returning from retreat...

Be gentle with yourself as you return to your life after retreat. Accept the people, the problems, the joy and discomfort. Also, accept your annoyance, impatience and judgment (about yourself and others). To bring the spirit of your retreat to your life means to accept whatever comes up, not that each moment of your life will or should be henceforth serene. Welcome back to the world! Marc Lesser, Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less

  
Above all enjoy the experience!

Kimberly is running another French retreat in 2013. Check it out here

Have you been on a retreat SSS? What was the experience like? What tips would you have for others?

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo

Happy Birthday Puppy Dearest

Zander 'The Puppy Love Of Our Lives' turned a big ONE on the 8th April 2012!

We were going to take him kayaking on the Central Coast, but the weather wasn't the best so instead we dressed him up with a lei and took him down to the park with balls, treats and camera.

The three of us frolicked in the water, were models posing for pictures and played 'doggie in the middle' with Zander's favourite ball.

Zander's Party Outfit

I created a flyer in honour of him reaching yhis milestone...http://www.smore.com/zander-s-first-birthday

And no, we didn't sing Happy Birthday to him silly billies, that would have been going too far...

My Take On Love

Found On

Fall in love with yourself a little bit more.
Love yourself first. Love yourself well. Love the whole of yourself. Then reach out and give that real love to others.

Found On

Everyone is worthy of being loved.
There is enough love to go around. It is not finite. It is abundant.

Found On

Love does not equate to that one, grand, one-off event. It can be seen and felt in the small everyday actions and words we give each other.
Surprise the ones you love with little gestures and unusual ways.

Found On

Love that is true is constant. It is not dependent on situation or circumstance.
Love that is real is freely given. It is not asked for or coerced.
Take the time to understand how the other understands love and strive to give it to them in a form they understand.

Found On

Who you love cannot, and should not, be dictated by others.
Love must be nurtured. It can take effort. Make it worth it.

Love yourself. Love each other.

Make it as you wish SSSs
Arienne xo 

Connecting With Others

Humans are generally social creatures who need connection, seek interaction and want to be part of something they can add value or receive value from. While some parts of society are becoming more individualistic with smaller household sizes and two-seater cars, others are actively seeking community.
Live Your Life Well says research into the benefits of social connection include:

• Increased happiness. In one compelling study, a key difference between very happy people and less-happy people was good relationships.
• Better health. Loneliness was associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure in a recent study of older people.
• A longer life. People with strong social and community ties were two to three times less likely to die during a 9-year study.

Those are pretty good reasons for reaching out aren’t they?

Some of us want to connect deeper with our existing networks, some want to make new connections and  some of us want both!

Connecting deeper with people you know
Like the tip of the newsletter this month, instigate a few things to make those important relationships stronger. Here are a few ideas – feel free to add more in the comments box below.

Conversation starters
Host a dinner party or a picnic and have some conversation starters at the ready. Find yourself discussing topics, ideas, and opinions you may not be as familiar with and learn more about your friends. Here are some conversation starters to kick off with or there are cute ones available at Kikki-K.

Start a new tradition
Get a group of friends together and do a Come Dine With Me/My Kitchen Rules competition. Do a monthly Cheese and Wine night. Make a list of suburbs you want to check out more in depth and visit a new one every month. Start a bookclub or a GIG. The options are endless!

Buddy up
Exercise together. Try new recipes in the kitchen. Do your grocery shopping as a team. Do what you might normally do solo with another person.

Try new activities together
Wanted to try archery, bowling, knitting or white water rafting? Get a group and have a laugh.

Make time to connect with those you really want to
Schedule phone calls or skype dates with friends or family interstate or overseas on a regular basis. It is so easy for time to fly by, make sure you are in touch with those that you appreciate.

Making new connections
Sometimes we want to expand our social network to connect with others that have an interest or we’ve moved to a new place where we’d like to meet new friends. Here are some ideas to connect you with fresh minds.

Join a club
You could join a club associated with an interest you have. A running club, a book club, a speaking club.

Enrol in a class
Looking at learning a new skill or picking up a new hobby? Find a language or crafting class and meet like minds. You will hopefully be able to find something suitable close to you.

Get a dog
Since getting my pooch I’ve met a heap of people out and about in the parks of Sydney. My partner has even started playing golf with another puppy-papa and I’ve started meeting some great people, I might otherwise not have come across, to share biz ideas, discuss the world and share insights with.

Attend events
There are some great websites that have listings of activities to do or events to attend. They are free to join and the events themselves are often they are free (some may have a nominal free to partake in the activity). Two interesting ones I’ve come across are:

http://www.facetime.com.au
http://www.meetup.com

Connect online
A friend of mine has made some really wonderful connections on Twitter, building a relationship online then taking it offline. Same as connecting on peoples blogs – leaving comments on posts or sending emails to the writer over something they’ve written that invoked a response in you – let them know!

Here is a great article to help make those connections – 10 Tips for Connecting With Others.

Any other suggestions? What have you decided to do to connect deeper with others?

Arienne Gorlach is 10thousandgirl’s Content Manager. She loves connecting with minds that are inspired about life and searching to make their everyday something fun and fab (and that accept there are some yukky days too!). She actively seeks connections with people from all walks of life. She also blogs at www.savvysassyshe.blogspot.com

Original Post at http://www.10thousandgirl.com/2012/02/08/connecting-with-others/ 

Week in Review: 4 - 10 Feb - Reaching Out

Found On

I have had a fabulous week of reaching out to others and others reaching out to me as well. Connections are so important. It really is one of the 'cherry-on-the-top's of life! We are social creatures that crave support and truly connecting with others (interacting with others balanced with some solo time is especially sweet!).

A huge thank you to Ms J for sending me a wonderful email in support of what SSS does for her and to Ms S for feeling like she could reach out and ask for guidance. Both of you have reassured me that doing what I am doing is making a difference - heaps of gratitude to you ladies.

I've also sent emails to a couple of women who are doing some spectacular things in their lives. Three of them are people I have met through friends and had little conversations with, it was little nerve-wracking to actually send them an email and suggest meeting up to connect further. But I received favourable responses from all of them and am teeing up mutually workable times. So, Yay! Fabulous women unite :)

This week has been all over the place, some really great things happened like the above and some really bleh experiences happened too (but they were mostly within me so I managed to move through them and onwards pretty quickly!).

Prepped for my first focus group

Ran first focus group! It was a fabulous few hours and I got SO many insights! Thanks gals :)

Organising 4 more focus groups and shot off the emails and the wonderful RSVPs are coming through! (email me if you're in Sydney and would like to join in!)

Attended Yoga with a View event - they raised $700 towards cancer prevention research

Got into our backyard 'pool' for the first time :) Cocktails and watermelon in the sunshine - looking forward to more of the same!

Supported the first Free 10thousandgirl Webinar as moderator - a success! Next one is on the 22nd Feb. Click here to register.

Wrote more SSS aligned blog posts including How To Review Your Year, My Life & Passion,

Had a fabulous reading done by Dionne Paige

Did the Word of the Day role with Toastmasters with the word Schadenfreude (the joy experienced at the misfortune of others - I know, not very me!)

Have to find an extra night of accomodation in Paris now as flights have changed to Hungary

Entered a comp to co-host a small biz radio show as a one-off. Fingers crossed!

Had accountibility check in. So useful!

Friend Ms K arrived to stay for a couple of weeks

How has your week been? Feel free to share in the comments below (would love to see who is reading this!!!)

Make it as you wish SSS!

Arienne xo

A place for...Relaxation, Fun & Creativity?!

 The Grown Ups pool (that's us!) Thong is there for size comparison

The Fur Baby's Pool

The Man has been hard at work most of the day creating our little pool haven (A pool! Yes, we have a pool!!) and it is right next to our little garden and the Lemon tree of love!

And because we are loving (& pathetic) doggie parents, our little black monster has a pool of his own.

So now instead of dreaming of cool retreats on hot days we have one! 

Cocktails are coming up... 

Love Leads to a Ring...

 

Over two years together. A puppy to splash our love on. 

Business plans, travel dreams, snuggles, kisses, a home together, laughter, support.

On the 28th December 2011, my love, The Man, asked me if I would like to bind my life even more with his.

I said YES...

I'm looking forward to experiencing our story as it unfolds...

Love is in the air!!!!

Introducing a new family tradition

Some people love traditions, some hate them! Unfortunately my transient family doesn't have very many. It's probably because mum and dad have such different backgrounds and they met while each were living away from their homes. Plus we moved countries a lot due to dad's job.

Traditions create memories and events to look forward to. It is a common bond for each member of the family to participate in.

You may have a tradition that happens weekly (dinners together, weekend brunches or breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings) or perhaps yearly (holidays together, ways you celebrate events like birthdays...).

Traditions can have their benefits. Are there some traditions you dread? If so, replace them with something more relevant and fun. I believe traditions should add something that we value to life. Whether it is family bonding time, keeping some comforting consistency, or the creation of something memorable, think about having some traditions that will be worth the effort!

We've decided to start a new family tradition. It is something that we will be creating together and something we can look back on in a few years time. We're making a Family Interview Book! Okay, maybe I need to think of a better name for it...

My little sister and I have come up with a list of questions that each member of our family will fill out on Christmas day. They are not the most in depth queries but we wanted them to be easy and fun to fill out! We'll then stick the answers into an ongoing book that we can add to and refer to as the years go by.

We're also planning to take a pic of each person to accompany the questions so we can see (and laugh at) the changes we go through from year to year.

You might be wondering what the questions are that we've come up with (you are, aren't you?!). Well here they are:

...

Where, and with who, are you spending Christmas this year?

Where have you been/visited this year?

Where, and with who, do you live now?

Where do you work/what do you do at the moment?

Name a highlight of the year

What did you do for your birthday this year?

Who are you dating at the moment? Or who would you like to be dating?

Professional/Fun crush of the year?

Best/Good/Great Friend this year?

What song is in your head right now?/ Favourite song of the year?

What was the most annoying song this year?

The best movie/book viewed this year?

The worst movie/book viewed this year?

Best meal/ restaurant of the year?

Favourite drink of the year?

Favourite dessert of the year?

What’s you latest techno gadget?

What is your latest obsession/favourite things?

Your current health status is…

What is one plan for the new year?

What are you looking forward to next year?

Something else you want to add?

...
 

I'm not sure if the tradition of wearing the awesome shirts in the picture above will continue...But maybe it will!!

What traditions do you incorporate into your life? Are there new ones you can come up with?

Make it as you wish SSSs!

Arienne xo

Sculpture By The Sea

Well, after living in Sydney for 11 years I have gone to the amazing Sculpture By The Sea! Finally, I can cross it off my Sydney To Do List (and the Bondi to Bronte walk while we're at it)!

Since my Aunty Ursula is in town, we decided to do the stunning oceanside walk. We chose the best day weather wise (though not crowd wise as it was the opening weekend). The Man and The Little Man (aka Zander) rounded off the foursome.

It was a great day to get my white winter skin out in my first bit of summery sunshine (though totally sunscreened up). It is a fab day and well worth a visit if you're around.

Aunty Ursula, Zander and I in a frame

Having lunch under a shady tree

It was sooooo hot the Little Guy had enough and luckily my personal hot Man was close at hand

 This was a roadside garden we saw walking through the back streets of Bondi

London Bound

 Photo Credit

So, some of you may know that my younger sister Liane has been living in London for the past 6 months and has been away from Australia for about a year. We were lucky to see her last September for my Dad's 70th birthday in Switzerland where he lives and then again there for a big family christmas.

Regardless, we miss her so much that myself and our youngest sister Tatiane are heading over in October to have a Sissy holiday!

She's had some unusual requests that we bring over for her including Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter and Cottee's Maple Syrup. Oh the things you miss when you're away from your homeland!

Going on holiday always inspires me. You're away from your everyday surroundings, experiencing new sights and sounds and in some cases smells. You can't help but see things with new eyes. It is a great time for creativity.

So I'm making sure I pack my journal and camera and extra fresh eyes. I'm planning on crafting some SSSs things to get off the ground when I come back.

Any suggestions of things to see and do while we're over there? We're thinking of a long weekend in Ireland, Paris and/or Switzerland. And going over with a relatively empty suitcase and stocking up on clothes (well, a lot of my clothes don't fit me very well anymore - any excuse right?!).

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne xo