Home is where the heart is

I realise this is my first post in a while, due to various life changes... New beginnings :-)

After much searching over the last few months, I found the perfect new home and I am so thankful for finding it... The moment I walked in, I just knew it was right... It was a bare canvas and I made it my own... having just finished off the interior design (much to my bank account's dismay), it is feeling very homely...

I also have little feng-shui elements which I'm incorporating into my space to ensure it only has positive energy :-)

I am so appreciative of having a lovely big bath in my en-suite, as I really missed not having one last year... It may sound silly that I am so thankful for having a bath in my home, but you really miss it when you don't have one (!) ... I am just about to burn some candles and relax in the bubbles after a long day at work preparing for next term...

A beautiful and true quote...

'A house is made of walls of beams... A home is made of hopes and dreams'

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticism...

I'm a huge animal lover and always feel incomplete without one in my life... Unfortunately due to present living situation,  I cannot have my own but am looking forward to the future when I am able to have my own again :-)

This is my favorite 'youtube' clip, which never fails to put a smile on my face!

Lay down and relax ...

After a long day at work ... I decided why not treat myself and go get a massage and spend the day at the spa? Best decision i've made in a long time ... It was the most relaxing, calming experience and I plan to have one every month just because ;-)


To just completely zone-out of work and life pressures...  To have no blackberry near you... and feel disconnected was an incredibly soothing feeling...


Upon entering the room, the smell of candles and lavender surrounded me... Once the massage was underway, any issues faded into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all I could comprehend was not wanting it to end.... Hence, I had to be woken up to move off the massage chair at the end :-) 


Thank you Dessange, Bahrain for making my day...

Hmmmm Heavenly 

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures...

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to go to a cafe and paint... There is nothing more relaxing and soul-soothing than sipping on a latte and fulfilling your creative side...

You simply choose a ceramic piece and paint it at your leisure...

I'm so thankful I found this retreat on the island :-)

Death of a legend ...

Today marks the anniversary of the infamous James Dean... On this day in 1955, he passed away at the young age of 24 in a car crash on a California highway... Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder, nicknamed "Little Bastard,"...


One of my favorite quotes...

A little bio about the legend: 


''James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. He studied drama at the University of California, Los Angeles, before moving to New York City, where he appeared in plays and TV shows and took classes at the Actors Studio with legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg. Dean rose to stardom in 1955 with his role as Cal Trask in East of Eden. He reportedly beat out Paul Newman for the part. Dean's performance in the film, based on the John Steinbeck novel, earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. It was the first time in Oscar history that an actor was nominated after his death. The young actor's next film was "Rebel Without a Cause," also released in 1955, in which he played a rebellious teen named Jim Stark. The film, which co-starred Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, turned Dean into the poster boy for disaffected youth and cool. Dean’s final film "Giant," released in 1956 after his death, was an epic tale of a Texas cattle rancher and his family. Dean starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson and was nominated posthumously for a second Oscar for his performance as Jett Rink...''


''Dean's success as an actor enabled him to pursue his passion for racing cars and motorcycles. Despite his short life and brief acting career, he endures as a Hollywood icon...''

Music soothes my soul ...

I am an avid music lover, I don't have a specific type - whatever suits my mood at the time... Right now, i've been listening to a lot of Reggae, a wise man once said...


'The beat of Reggae closely resembles the human heartbeat, that's why it brings peace to everyone who listens...'

Lovely letters ...

One of my favorite feelings is when I receive a letter... The fact that you know someone has taken the time to write to me is heart-warming ... I also love to send cards or write to friends and family ... not necessarily for a special occasion but just to simply express my feelings for them ... I know it is something 'physical' which can be treasured forever if they wish ... not like an electronic mail or text message ... I have many boxes with notes, cards and letters from growing up ... I like to reminisce and look back on the memories from time-to-time ... The reason for this post, is that today I received a beautiful postcard when I was teaching - the children loved looking at the picture on the card :-) ... It was the highlight of my day reading your words - thank you mum ...


In the words of a romantic poet ...
'One of the pleasures of reading old letters is the knowledge that they need no answer' Lord Byron

10 Reasons to Write a Letter 

if you ever need one ;-)

1. It's personal — The recipient of your letter knows that not only did you think about him or her but that you took the time to sit down, put pen to paper and record your thoughts.

2. It's personalized — You can choose a card or stationery and envelope that matches your personality. If there's no stationery that matches you, you can make your own!

3. It's lasting — Oh sure, lots of people save e-mails, but who actually pulls them out of the archives and reads them again? Letters can be saved and cherished for generations.

4. It can be romantic — Spritz a little perfume on the paper, tuck in a wildflower, end it with Xs and Ox....

5. It's cheap — A piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and a pen, and you have something that the recipient will treasure forever.

6. It's controlled — There's no chance you'll accidentally send a handwritten letter to everyone in your address book, like you can mistakenly do with e-mail.

7. It lets you spread good news — The economy, the war, crime...the news can be so depressing these days. A letter from you gives your recipient some good news for a change. Tell him or her how your kids are doing in school, that you saw a bluebird in the front yard yesterday, even just that you thought of them today. It'll brighten their day!

8. It's tangible — A letter can be held, carried around, slipped under a pillow, re-read at the coffee shop. Oh, I know about Blackberries and other ways of reading e-mail in the coffee shop, but it's not the same. Trust me. It's not the same.

9. Technology won't make it obsolete — I can read the handwritten letters that my great-great-great-grandmother wrote to my great-great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. Will your great-great-great-grandchildren be able to read your e-mails in 100 years? I'll bet they'll still be able to read your hand-written letters, though!

10. It takes time — This means there are fewer chances for you to say something you don't mean. More time for you to say the right thing, to say it the way you really want to say it. A well-thought letter shows you took time for the recipient ... 

Innovation...

World's first Arabic speaking robot ... Intriguing :-)

A Brother is a Friend given by Nature...

Living thousands of miles away from my family is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with this year ... It has been very difficult as I am a very family-orientated person who loves my home-comforts and being able to cuddle up with my mum on the sofa without a care in the world ... (Hmmmm how I long for one of your special cafetiere morning coffee's mum !) ...

I am so proud of my brother who is starting at Oxford this month - fulfilling his dream ... He has inspired me in so many ways and helped me be the person I am today...

I just got hold of the link for his webpage (work in progress) www.a-woz.com ...

You continue to amaze me Ad - can't wait to see you very soon :-)

Immense love for my job...

Job satisfaction

I recently finished my Postgraduate in Education and am fulfilling my dream of working as a full-time teacher... A day doesn't go by that I am thankful and grateful that I am influencing children's lives and sculpting their minds for the future...

As a teacher, no matter how you feel when you walk into work in the morning - the children manage to put the biggest smile on your face from the first 'Good Morning' which you are greeted with as you enter the school hallways...

I feel truly blessed I am able to work in a career I really love...

A close friend of mine gave me the following poem when I graduated:

The mind of a child is a beautiful place,
An Eden where many things grow,
A garden of beauty where sheltered by love
Grow flowers in row upon row.

The mind of a child is a wonderful place
Where wishes and dreams are quite real,
And kittens and puppies and gingerbread men
Can talk and can actually feel.

The mind of a child is a mystical place
Where character grows like a tree
And children become either better or worse
From actions of you or of me....

Learning is fun :-)

Honesty...

Thought for the day: ''How many people have to let you down before you can actually learn that not everyone can be trusted? Im learning..''

Peace One Day...

I know it's a little late, but i've had quite a busy couple of days..

Happy Peace Day to all : 21.09.10

''When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace'' - Jimi Hendrix

Having faith...

Todays post might not be so positive - but it's related to the most positive person I know.. My best friend.. My 'mamma bear'..

All I can write right now is - this is not going to beat you - it is not going to get the better of you, we're going to get through this...

Your not going anywhere mummy x

Generosity...

Today I was listening to the radio on my way home from work and the guest speaker quoted a very important thought...

' Generosity is a state of mind - not a state of wealth'...

I related this to my life:

Yesterday in the grocery store, I was paying for my items.. There was a very timid looking labourer waiting behind me with a few cosmetic items and was struggling to put together a few coins to pay for it... Now, I am by no means a millionaire but I do have enough to help him out and pay for his goods... Those couple of dinars for his simple items are the price of something like a starbucks which we as middle-class take for granted... It gave me such an immense feeling to see the smile on his face - he was in pure shock - I just hope I made his day and helped him out in someway..

If we all did this - can you just imagine the impact it would have on their lives ?

A little inspiration for the day..

I woke up to a beautiful quote which I felt deserved to be my first blog post:

'Have you ever been in a beautiful spot in nature or hanging out with a friend or completing a project at work, but it feels like you're not really there? It's because your mind is at the wheel. Today, eject your mind from the driver's seat and let your soul steer. Take moments throughout the day to quiet your mind. Focus on the present. Release your doubts. Release your worries. Release caring what people think about you. Be still. For a moment...'

This inspired me to just enjoy the solitude I feel in my home - I have been listening to beautiful relaxing music, reading, drawing and clearing my mind of negativity.. I think we should all do this at one point in our day - it rejuvenates the soul.

serenity