it's almost








 “Each day, with a renewed sense of wonder and curiosity, I would sling the camera over my shoulder and set out to explore a new neighbourhood, chase the the shimmering, golden light reflecting off skyscrapers and observe the comings and goings of beautiful strangers.”
Elize has a magical ability to shoot through a subject or scene and extract the soul of it - to so generously share with you, me, us. I look at her photos of New York and am beautifully reminded of the community spirit that can live in a city, in a season. 

I feel spent of all energy as I wake this humid & dull Monday. I worked through the weekend, hidden from the pleasurable tease of summer whilst everyone basked and boasted with their talk and pictures of sea and sand! So I'm gonna add a ittle light to my morning and browse some more of her wonderful photographs. You should really join me. 

Photos: New York by Elize Strydom

Enough about me




It had been a long day lazing in the cabana with approximately seven and a half minutes of light hanging low in the sky. I had faded zinc plus some strawberry margarita left on my face and overdue-for-a-wash salted hair blowing in the wind...but I suppose I was determined and blissed out enough to excuse the non ideal - yet perfectly ideal - circumstances and shoot a few of my favourite things (to wear at a beach resort) for you.
I have a few requirements; must fold - or roll, depending on your packing style, must breathe, transition from beach to bar, float over the body for many reasons, hopefully not but realistically including sunburn, look as good with my favourite sandals as they do with complimentary white slippers and finally, match my mood. Sunny and light.
Despite my blank stares & expressions the memory of these moments in my mind are all smiles as I madly shouted directions at Mum ("Do NOT GET MY FACE IN THE FRAME!") and she semi obediently snapped away racing against the fading sun.

one/two - LP33.3 'The Covetous' blouse
three - Amy Kaehne' frill front shirt
four - Tigerlilly bikini top, Maille side panel pant
five - Amy Kaehne shift dress
throughout - Petite Grand necklace
locations - Hayman GBR

How to deal




I think once is enough for anyone to feel qualified in giving advice on how to deal with heartache/break. Someone who shares my home seems to be going through it right now so I have been letting my mind wander back a number of years and drawing on that one time, wanting to vocalise what I found helped me mend...but I quickly remembered how much unsolicited advice doesn't help so where better to indulge myself than right here, a self published archive of my life.
I will try and keep it simple.
one. READ. But not just anything, and definitely no psychology or self help books. Read fiction...things that force you to escape the present. Something like; Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - fast paced, addictive, hard assed and (hopefully) pretty removed from the realities of your life.
two. CRY a little. But not too much. Don't stop yourself from partaking in such a beautiful, natural healing therapy but don't go and just swim in sadness with the excuse of catharsis at the ready as a defence. It's a fine balance.
three. WAKE to watch the sunrise. It gets you out of bed. There's something more than metaphorical about watching a new day arrive right before your eyes. It's magic. Weeping may endure the night, but joy comes in the morning. 
four. BE alone. Try and enjoy it. Introverts - this is much easier for us. I thrived on finding I could sit and collage and read blogs and stare at the ocean and walk and potter around my room and sort through old photos and go to op-shops whenever I wanted, for however long I wanted with absolutely no regard for anyone or anything else around me. It's funny how the absence of one person can makes you feel like you are absent from any/all social commitments whatsoever.
five. REMEMBER your dreams. I believe things don't work out when at the end of the day (or month or year or decade) your deepest, inmost, core values and needs aren't aligning with the person you were  with. Which means you may have forgotten a few things about yourself along the way. Get back to that place where you remember you without the influence of another.
six. (re)ESTABLISH your ideas. On all the big things, spirituality was the major one for me. It ended up being the anchor for everything else. Educate yourself, read, research but also listen for the things that cannot be put into words.
seven. GO out with your friends. You may want to lock yourself in a cave at night. Don't. You also may want to go out and not come home. Also a big don't. Go out, have a drank, have fun, try dance even if it's just for a little bit. Be disappointed by the lack of quality men at bars, talk about it with all your other single girlfriends and pact to keep going out together but definitely not for the men.
eight. LOVE again, some day. Don't look for it. Sometimes (if you're a romantic) it's easy to forget there's more of a point to our existence than that intoxicating feeling of being 'in love'. Half the time the feelings a trap anyway so just get on with making your days and self happy.

Say cheese.

And don't take other peoples advice.

xR

Photos: Alison Scarpulla, Feaverish




sitting



I've been away.  The kind of away where you watch the sun rise and set every day, enjoy long and lazy buffet breakfasts, have chilled water delivered to your sun lounge, wear clothing only when dining, let the salt sit in your hair and on your skin even after the light has faded for the day. A holiday where you can pack light (silks, delicate cotton & bikinis as staple) and you need a good book to block the sun from your eyes as you lay and really get lost in another world...probably because you already are in one. The robes are fluffy and your sheets get turned down each night, a fresh pair of slippers are at bed side a candle is lit to set you up for the best chance at a good nights rest.

More on this to come....

xR

Photo:  Maille knit tank, Zimmermann bikini bottoms, Petite Grand necklace worn at sunset at Hayman GBR  
Shot by Mum, landscape by Rachel Kara