Auburn and Blue

Hong Kong House Tour

25
Oct

Today, I want you to sit back and enjoy as I take you inside an expat home in the heart of Hong Kong.

A house that looked nothing like this when its’ owners first laid hands on it !

Hong Kong is known to most as a concrete jungle with tall buildings on top of each other – and rightfully so if you look around you when first arriving at this apartment block in Mid-levels, Hong Kong.

The average size of a Hong Kong dwelling poses a tremendous challenge to any person who ever had the luxury of space before.

And it was no different for this family of four who once had exactly that in their home country, South Africa, that they loved but left, for work purposes – relocating to the UK initially.

When Leonie Roets, packed up her private law practise in Londen in 2007 to move to Hong Kong, they thought that they already know it all about giving up floorspace. After all, UK property comes with a huge premium on living space, so they had downsized once before.

But stepping inside this home today, you will see that there is no need to compromise on style when you go small on space.

Looking at the outrageous prices of rental property, and the limited choice there was, they decided to buy instead of rent.

But in a market still priced beyond measure, a dingy dwelling still comes at a high price and a good chunk of money still only offers an uninspiring, often run-down space. And with a housing allowance that abruptly came to an end, having to pay for their own housing after living on an expat allowance on the southside of Hong Kong when they first arrived, they had to run wild and buy the most uninspiring place Leonie had ever come across.

Having these wonderful accent pieces is unfortunately not enough to light up any dark, awful apartment which had a toilet in the kitchen.

There was no way to go other than renovating before they could even set foot in here.

And as Leonie explains…. when asked by a friend back then “What is it that you like about the place you bought…..she cringed when she heard herself say “Nothing…absolutely Nothing !”.

Not the words you expect from somebody who just BOUGHT the place !!

It was all a fuzz….but this no-nonsense woman knew one thing for sure ! She had to knock down a few walls….. open up the space….. and she started with breaking down the walls in the kitchen, opening up the space to form part of the lounge area.

Going with neutrals – white, gray, stainless steel – is the way to go in small spaces. The kitchen feels light and open and airy.

Taking this neutral scheme through to the rest of the house, makes it feel uncluttered and cleverly spacious by tricking your eyes with its’ simplicity.

Keeping the floors, the wall colors, the gray doors consistent throughout definitely gives it a sense of cohesiveness and a calm, clean look from the back to the front end of the apartment, which is connected by this corridor.

There is an element of white and gray in every room…which keeps the undertone flowing….

but by adding a unique color scheme this clever woman made sure each room stayed fresh and interesting on its’ own.

A small space that invites you to stay and promise to keep you fascinated for hours and made me wish I was a little girl again !

Unfortunately I had to move on as there is so much more to this apartment that had to be renovated in a short timeframe where they had only 6 weeks to complete the job. This might sound do-able to some people, but in a place where they had to path their own way in finding contractors and dealing with a culture unknown to them, and with very different ideas as to what exactly the definition of a “Western-style” renovation is, this turned out to be quite a challenging endeavour. Especially where Leonie opted for removing beams, while the contractor insisted on covering them and installing a false ceiling in a place that was already a challenge for a 6 feet 3 ” tall husband.

But a woman with a passion makes sure that giving up her dayjob is not all in vain, and this proofed again to be true in her son’s room.

A boy is a boy and he needs a different space, but it still does not mean that it has to be boring.

Leonie says that the best part of the whole renovation was certainly the flooring that came at such a high cost at first, but the silky feel of the floors, makes it a pleasure to walk on and greatly reduce the need for rugs in every space. Carpeting tends to bring down a small space where you try to stretch your distance between floor and ceiling to the max. Reminder that homes in this part of the world has lower ceilings, if you did not know that.

Peeking outside however, the view suddenly was not so bad anymore and was enough to make any monkey happy to live in this type of jungle !!

Hong Kong has seasons and white and gray can tend to become cold and depressing when your mood needs to combat the gray skies when winter chills creep in.

Elements of gold, dark wood and candles combat all of the above by the warmth and ambience it provides all throughout the house.

These elements that you first met in the lounge were skillfully repeated in the Master Bedroom…

….and bathrooms. Even with no time to renovate the bathrooms, they were given some TLC by Leonie’s touch, sprayed white and changing just the critical items like the basin. (see photos on the flickr link below)

You can take away walls, but there is unfortunately no way of adding rooms in a space like this and Leonie had to make do by building in a cupboard that serves as an office space….yes, that is the reality of the Hong Kong Housing, but again – she added her personal touch to make it a fun area as it forms part of the general living space. And in this little space she married them all – white, gray, color and even the gold….

to not subtract from the beauty of the rest of the room that sits on the other end. All coming together beautifully where mixing the elements in her decor surely brings out the best of the renovated space.

The selected windows were chosen because they had very few panels/ sections, creating an illusion of more space, once again. They open up completely and the combination of stacking doors and double-glazed windows were one of the best decisions they made in terms of opening up and allowing the outside in.

A job that reflects attention to detail, reason and rhyme to changes that were made and an end result that makes you stand back with a feeling of wellbeing for the worth it brought with every wall broken down or window installed.

Asked about one of the hardest thing that a family experiences in Hong Kong, it definitely is the lack of a garden or outside space and as Leonie explains – there is no going around that. You have what you have…and there is no knocking down walls here…but adding flooring that matched the indoor flooring did help to make the spaces link up.

Leonie managed to make this house a HOME….as one last look at the kitchen reflects how this expat mom and wife successfully took a neutral scheme to maximise space but added fun and color to ensure life is anything but dull in this dwelling !

Leaving this house, with it’s DIY umbrella stand and coat hanger at the front door reminded me of the tranquil white and gray scheme inside, not forgetting the dash of color that brightened up every space without overpowering the overall scheme. And this Hong Kong postbox with its’ dash of red just confirmed that.

It made me want to go right back inside.

But in a world where Concrete RULES….

Creativity ROCKS !

So, I leave you with this….

If you wish to see more details in this beautiful home, you can find it here. 

All photos by Auburn and Blue. Please credit if you use them.

Ilze

Pinterest put into Practice: a DIY Birthday Calendar

13
Oct

I have 5 questions for you  today.

For the last 2 questions, I don’t know the answers and I am hoping you will let me in on your secrets !

Here we go – Have you seen this pin?

No – you think you have, but you haven’t …

Maybe you saw something similar – but not this one. I know  – because this birthday calendar has just been made  – DIY  – and never been pinned before (YOU, off course are very welcome to be the first to pin it  !).

You are on PInterest, right?

Yes, I knew that.

Are you addicted to it?  Sort of??  TIny bit??

Ok – knew the answer to that one too.

But, for the next question – I  am wondering about your answer  ….. are you  a practicing or a passive Pinner?  A what….?

Passive – you love pinning. The end. That is where things stay – never make a recipe, never try the 10 health tips, never mix your own modge podge. Just adore you boards and feel like you accomplished a lot after a day of productive pinning (ME).

Practising – you geniunely look for things that apply, you actually go back and make them ! (MY SISTER).

My sister and I, from 2 continents, pinned the same pin (a different version of the one above, but we had a few opinions on it) – both thought it was a cute idea though. Chatting one late night on Skype about our total aversion to traditional birthday calendars where there is never enough space, and you forget in any case to turn the pages, so you don’t see the next month’s entries and then you may as well not have one to begin with. But this in-your-face, on-the-wall version that grows with your circle of friends and family is just perfect.

On her visit to Korea,we talked about  how she could finish off her ‘Orla Kiely -inspired’ study room at home.

We remembered this pin again and agreed this would be the perfect finishing touch to fill the empty spot on the wall. We rushed off to the Korean market, Dongdaemun, and gathered supplies.

She had some of the beautiful wallpaper left – enough to cover a plank – so no need to spend on expensive wood or paint.

Easier than painting the header, we bought some wooden letters that she could place on top of the plank – no need to attach to the wall.

Here is a picture from below so you can get the perspective of the letters and how thick the plank should be.

The trickiest thing to find is the round wooden “chips” as I call them ,but with enough determination you can find anything ! DO remember to have them punch in the tiny holes for you – most people are willing to do that….but you will pull all your hair out if you have to punch 200 chips both ends with a hole to attach them to one another (unless you have only 5 friends with birthdays – then go, ahead – it’s okay to attempt this at home !)

The “months”‘ were added an additional chip that was painted gray for a nice contrasting color to the white and to blend in with the color scheme.

Instead, she decided to just take a plank, cover it with some leftover Orla Kiely wallpaper and make it broad enough to have a safe ledge for the wooden letters to rest on.

Stencils were used for the MONTHS, but a Sharpie did just fine for the DAYS – especially if you have to keep on adding as your friends get added to you board… for that reason your own handwriting is best, because you don’t want to have 180 chips in one font and color and then you run out of stencils….or add over the years and then you have to get out a paintbrush every time. No, keep it simple and keep them the same. Just write on them – easy !

And that is basically Birthday Board in a nutshell !

A picture paints a thousand words ! I love how it came out. (that must have something to do with the fact that I had to throw in my ideas and inspiration of the how we will tweak the original, where to find things and  …….- ok, enough credit for me ! She really did it.) I am the pinner and planner, she is the implementer.

But to be fair to the person who came up with the idea of this birthday board in the first instance – here is the credit that is due to Lolly Jane. There you can find the whole tutorial on the exact how-to’s.

So, my questions again:

1. Have you seen this pin?

2. Are you on Pinterest?

3. Are you semi addicted ?

4. Are you a PRACTISING (*)   or a PASSIVE (**)   pinner? – I’m curious tell me?

5.  If you are “practising” – Tell me what you have done that you have seen on Pinterest? What have you actually taken off your Board and put into your LIFE ???

6. This is not a question –  If you are a “passive” pinner – oh, just go ahead and pin this !! You will never make it, but I know you will love looking at it as if you plan to make it !!  You can be sure to soon see it on my PInterest boards here.

Happy PINNING everybody and happy DIY if you can’t wait to finally be that person who does not miss a Birthday !   (I know Facebook reminds you – but put your friends on your REAL wall, not just your facebook wall !)

 

Ilze

Blogging knows no boundaries

11
Oct

Today’s story is about 3 women, 3 worlds apart and how it all came together to this day.

You will find out about the rest of the characters as my story unfold – 3 Blogs – a Book – a (Pinterest) Board – a Bakery – a Busstop – a Bassett – a Best friend – a Bond  – Blessings – a Blue envelope and a Bootcamp.

Sitting at my desk, I reflect  on the unfolding of this story over the past 2 years. But it comes not from my desk,  but straight from my heart.

 

It all started when I started a blog…. way back when….yes – I knew absolutely nothing about it, but just wanted in !

On the blogging bandwagon I jumped with both feet, arms up in the air !

One day I was browsing around on the internet and stumbled upon the beautiful blog of Holly Becker from decor8. It took me about a second to realize just exactly HOW little I knew about blogging. I spotted her link on the side inviting me to join an online-course and in desperate need for help I signed up !

It was incredibly inspiring and I had big plans for my blog. But life carries on while you dream your dreams and in the last week of our course my mother passed away.  My blog provided me with comfort in coping with this loss, but along with her burial and a period of grief, I also buried a lot of the plans for my blog. Death of a loved one tends to take your focus and divert it to your mourning heart.

Sharing my burden through my blog did however help me to keep myself together and soon I was ready to blog, tweet and pin to my heart’s content again!

The Turn in the Tale came in June 2011 when I joined in on a fun experiment , again hosted by Holly, called Stripemania. Holly created a Pinterest board for this and needed my location to add to my entry and oh my – not only did I discover Pinterest this way (THANK YOU, THANK YOU HOLLY !!!) …..but as I told her that I was in Seoul, South Korea – she tweeted back (from Germany) asking if I knew Moline, a lady who recently moved from Germany to South Korea. I did not.

Holly does not know me personally as I was just one of over a thousand students that has gone through her online courses and workshops (yes, she’s famous !)

Sidenote  – still amazes me how 2 people who have never spoken or seen each other can tweet from across 2 continents, without saying hello…without saying goodbye…but having the middle part of a traditional conversation in less than 140 characters. The wonderfulful world of modern day social media. So, if you have not been convinced of social media benefits – today is your day ! A simple tweet can be life-changing.

You know Moline? She lives in Seoul.

No, I don’t.

Click. Bye. Conversation over. Isn’t that amazing – and that is what Twitter brought to us !!

But that, my dear reader,  is not where the story ended. That really was the BEGINNING .

Hastily I searched Moline… and good old Google ranked a blog called Moline as the nr 1 find. I followed the link and as the images loaded, a life unfolded in front of me of  a hearty home and a crafty homemaker with beautiful children and a Basset. Never seen them before. So “Moline” was still as much a stranger as when the question came in an hour earlier.

In a city of 14 million people though, it is not surprising to have not run into a person that one person happened to know in a different country. So, what are the odds.

Right that moment my son walks past and spotted a Basset on the blog – “That dog is at our Busstop everyday ” … really?? . I mean REALLY??

 (photo Moline)

I browsed through as many posts as I could and could not believe my own eyes when I realised that Holly had put me in touch, from another world, with a woman who lives up my street, whom I had never seen, met or heard of.

But finding her blog and meeting her would  still not mean that  I would like her or that we had anything in common  – other than the fact that we both loved blogging ?! But deep down in my heart I had a good feeling about this talented woman that unfolded on the internet and flickr. (Yes, you HAVE to go later and check her out !)

I mailed the contact on the blog, she responded …or perhaps, as a true blogger – first checked my blog and then responded – so, comments started streaming in on my blog and I got super excited as I liked her more and more with every response I received.

My holiday started the very next day, with no time to meet this “stranger from up my street” – but we arranged a “blind date” upon my return to Korea.

A blind date in a bakery followed 2 months later, where I found Yvonne (her real name), only by her description of “look for a tall, Blonde lady with a German accent “.

We chatted, we connected, we clicked, we communicated, we simply could not believe how much we had in common as crafty creatures !

We met weekly – starting in a bakery  early morning…

and then venturing out…as I found somebody who instantly  became a best friend and a bond formed that took us later through trials and tribulations and difficult situations …right to the point, the month before I had to leave, when we found out that we needed the same surgery the same week, for which both of us were blessed , with “benign” as a result …but we could  cry and comfort during those times and most of all understand each other so uninterrupted. And life just seemed brighter walking up to a hospital with a friend by my side….especially if she comes dressed up in the Pantone 2012 Color of the Year – Tangerine Tango!

Life would have not been the same without that tweet from Holly that night !

We had so much fun…. strolling the streets of Seoul…. following paths that lead us to quirky corners where we could capture yet another moment on film for the sake of sharing our stories with the rest of the world – something we both love to do.

Happy days had to end as I packed my bags and took off to Hong Kong.

Arriving here, with a home to decorate, and a hole in my heart with nobody to meet in the local bakery, to go venture with me or to inspire me daily in a creative way, I started to stare at the things in my  house, missing my old life in Seoul and wondering what to do over here to make a new beginning….

Yvonne soon picked up that I was in a dead-end. Pins started flying my way via mail with new ideas and inspiring schemes that she has concocted for me while I could not see beyond the mover’s boxes.

Fast Forward a few weeks and a BLUE Moodboard arrived at my doorstep in the form of a letter.  Oh my – did this pick me up from my desperate deco dilemma !!

Oh…you can’t make me happier than sending me a self-made envelope with BLUE moodboard snippets from magazines. It was the right pick-me-upper to get my creative juices to start flowing again !

I was excited, but still a bit clueless , so  I turned to Holly once again for helping me out. This time in the form of her best-seller book, Decorate, that was so neatly stacked on my shelf.

Her book deserves a post of its own, which will follow tomorrow.

Being confronted with all the beauty in Holly’s book and all the Pinterest boards Yvonne so delicately shoved under my nose, I could not help but feel my desire to blog, growing again.  But I needed a community of bloggers to spur me on and an expert to help me along with those things that got left behind and buried in 2010.

Just in time to save me , I spotted the BOOTCAMP that Holly was offering to students who had done her courses before. JUST what the doctor ordered – and here I am today – doing a post for my workshop that started yesterday…. full of excitement and eager to learn a few new things….So much to learn and new things to try out ! Recently I started my blog’s facebook page and if you have not been there, hop on over and like it – that will make me happy too since you will hear of posts hot off the press !

So, if you are a blogger and you are sort of on the sideline whether or not to do a course…. you will make no mistake learning from Holly – she really is the BEST in blogging…..and you might just get a lot more than you bargained for !

Be encouraged today – sign up or start a blog. Social media fostered this relationship and made 3 woman connect in a way that touched 2 lives in a most profound way, for there is nothing like receiving a moodboard in the mail…. to make my day !!

This is my story that I wanted to share with you. One with a beginning… but no end.

Because a Blogging course lasts a month, but the benefits goes beyond borders and Friendships are Forever.

And together with a special friend in real life, I also am gaining wonderful new friends who have signed up with me for the BOOTCAMP and together we grow.

Can’t wait to see what is in store for the next chapter !

 

Ilze

Useful AND beautiful – NOT either or ?!

8
Oct

I have so many things to say and to share… but Apple has been failing me a little bit right now….

Yes, I’m sorry  Apple – I’m your biggest fan, but it’s true.

That ‘s a long story of its own…but basically I don’t have access to all my precious photos right now…. a string of errors and complications and crashes and a spinning wheel that drives me insane..

So, most of the things I wish to share with you in pictures are somewhere “out” there “inside” my computer somewhere without me being able to access or use….if that makes sense at all. I’m working on it though…so, don’t lose hope !

In the meantime, I’ll share with you something else instead – of a new item in my house – of which I took a picture that I can still lay my hands on !!!! …..and a little lecture from me on buying new furniture for your home.

Anyway – it’s about a recent purchase I made –  a Decorative Chinese “CD” cabinet….as the label read…. (and might I add that already in the shop, on the label – I saw my name in invisble ink on there…)

 

But let’s not go there and waste time on what it is called – because that is exactly my point today !

Instead – here is what I want you to know about buying new furniture.
1. Determine the USE, the NEED, the FUNCTIONALITY of the piece you have a space for in your place.
2. Then go look for something that would meet the requirements of 1.
3. No, wrong – don’t just BUY because it is functional and useful and meets the need….. Fall in love with it, make sure it is beautiful and pleasing to the eye..or else you will have something in your house that is useful, and not beautiful and that is a deco crime ! (Ok, you are excused if it’s not beautiful when you buy it, but you can make it beautiful yourself – that – certainly – IS allowed !)
4. You love it AND you can use it? Ok – go ahead and buy!

* If you have the money, and no need – and it is simply beautiful – go ahead, skip step 1-4 and just buy – you are one of the lucky people who can afford buying beautiful things without having a need for it ! For the rest of us… here is my story of my Cabinet.

It’s about the process of looking for that piece – and the mistake we often make – is to go out and look for an item that fits the bill in the traditional way – like a bookcase for books…. a pencil holder for pens…. a shoe cabinet for shoes…NO honey, that’s not how you do it ???!!!!
It doesn’t matter what it was INTENDED for. It is whatever YOU NEED it for and that’s all there is to it. It needs to serve your needs despite what it was built or designed for.
Okay – on to my story finally…

It is about my new “make-up” station ! I LOVE it because I am a bit of a messy make-up-per !! It’s always one of 3 scenarios which none pleased me:

1. I pull everything out the drawer, usually when I am already in a hurry and then have no time to put it back.

2. The alternative is to keep it on my countertop – but I hate clutter and messy bathroom tops when the items are not in use….

3. Another option is when you leave it in the drawer and just pull it open when in use – but that also irritates me as the drawer is always between you and your mirror and that annoying distance can ruin your effort in a minute……

In my old house – the bathroom had space for my make-up, the drawer was on the  side and not too low and it had enough light to do make-up right there. This new house, however, forced me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to do my make-up and hence the NEED arose for a new “make-up” station.

So I had to find a solution…and voila…this cabinet did it for me !

Let me first say – I Looooved the smell when it first arrived….yes, it did creak when I opened it and it smelled of old wood and it was like opening up a treasure chest when it just arrived!!

The colors were just perfect with the new color combo I selected for our bedroom but here was the selling point in my own mind…. The top has a deep enough drawer that you can have all the make-up out on display – as if in a drawer… but the lid opens to the top – so, no drawer between you and the goodies…..and the best part…when you are done – just slam the lid down – job done, no mess in sight, no clutter, but also no cleanup required….just perfect !

I have started putting it together – so here is an insider’s peek into it so far…

Two things I might add here as a side note which you may have noticed already … you mean you did not notice the empty toilet roll holders?? Ok – let me point it out..

1. Use empty roll holders as  a way to keep mascara or eye liners to stand up straight if you hate them wobbling around or lying down in your tray

2. Put a little handy bowl inside the drawer as your “mini trash can” – that leaves me the only thing to remove daily for clean-up. (the little ceramic bowl I was about to throw in the trash and then gave it a second life as a trash can for my cottonwool sticks (Q-tips)I use to perfect my eyes or mascara smudges or remove excess lipstick with !)

And the rest of the drawers…well, yes I admit -I have a thing for little drawers….. but they come in perfectly handy for that make-up you pull out only once in a blue moon, some sunglasses…. the possibilities endless !!

Was this piece of furniture intended for this use? Certainly not. But – I had a NEED, I loved the LOOK – so, what did I say in step 4 – need it and love it? Buy it and you will not regret !!

I bought it from the Red Cabinet here in Hong Kong and I can not end this post without saying that the customer service and the friendly staff in the shop, the free delivery and the wonderful stock selection made it an absolutely enjoyable experience from the moment I stepped  foot into their shop here in Hong Kong. Well worth a visit and a big thank you to Cynthia and her staff !! I am very sure they will also not mind me sharing their little hiding place here in Hong Kong….

In fact…it was so great… I just HAD to go back…maybe I will tell you about my bookcases that I bought there, next time and why I love them so much !

So, my point today – whenever you see an item in the store – always think a step further – we don’t always need to use it for its’ intended use – you are free to use it for ANY PURPOSE you might find for it. And with a beautiful piece of furniture, you will never regret using it in any which way it pleased you – you can always go back to the original purpose if you need to.

What do you have in your house that you are using for something different than what it was meant to be?

Let me know – you might just give me a fresh idea !!

 

Ilze

Most of the time but not Always……

12
Sep

On Sunday I went for a stroll down the street with my daughter.

I came across a street vendor with his little truck parked on the sidewalk selling beautiful plants, shrubs and trees.

How could you not love this color?!

So, I had to bring it home….

When I asked the lady: ” Is it always this beautiful”  she replied: ” No, not always….. there is a short period in which it bears no flowers ….and added…but most of the time it is ! ”

And when she perhaps noted slight hesitation, she went on to say: But in that short term when there is no flowers, the tree is still beautiful, still alive and it just needs time to prepare for a new, beautiful bloom. And you will still remember her flowers then, even if you can not see them !

Tonight those words rung up in my head again as I was pulling my hair out on this end…..

I missed a deadline in signing up my daughter for an activity. This means she will miss out for the rest of the year not able to join her friends when they take off on a Wednesday afternoon after school on their adventures. Detrimental for a little girl desperate to make new friends in her new environment.

I try to be a good mother and I am most of the time….but not always……

So I try very hard tonight to convince myself that there will be a time when we slip up, where we make mistakes, where we are not as efficient as we should be….but it is not always possible to be on top of it all. And I have to forgive myself for that.

There will come a time when I will be in full bloom again, able to handle it all and not let my kids suffer the consequences of my mistakes. Breaks my heart !

Right now there are a lot of balls to keep in the air and I am not able to bear flowers and be as beautiful and efficient as I would love to be….but I am hoping that this period will be short lived so that I can get it right again…. still not all the time…but hopefully most of the time.

That’s just life….. we can be beautiful – MOST of the time…but not ALL  the time. Nobody is capable of that and we have to forgive ourselves for that from time to time…. or our tree will die within and that new bloom will never come.

“Ease up on yourself Mom, you’re just human…and new to this town…. and there is life after school activities…. ”  she says…. with that  awful feeling deep down. Your kids will remember your beautiful flowers, and the things you did right when things go wrong. You will bloom again. Just not today.

 

Ilze

Postcard Holders in the House

3
Sep

Today I want to tell you about my Postcard Holder in my house.

Why? Because it has given me so much happiness in my new home since I moved in.

Here is how it started.

I have a super creative friend. Don’t you just love those people for having fresh ideas when your mind is numbed by other things?

In my last week in Korea we dreamed about decorating my new house and spoke about all the things so near and dear to me that I can not get rid of  – no matter how determinded I was to de-clutter at that stage. Remember this post about some of  those very dear items ?

So, my friend introduced me to the concept of having my own postcard holder.

It was the last day of our packing up in Korea and the movers were already in the thick of things….. but you know… I am unstoppable when I have a bee in the bonnet…and luckily I had a friend who understood (she started it after all?!) so she got the getaway vehicle ready  on the sidewalk on a sidestreet en route from our last lunch back to my house.

So, at a time when both of us had promised to be home much earlier, we hastily picked up the bespoke item as I decided “Let’s do it….it’s not too late!

It was too late to get it onto any kind of inventory list, so I just unceremoniously sneeked it into the final pile of things to pack.

My husband had no idea I even bought it…so, you can imagine his surprise when this wire rack appeared out of a box on this side ….so confused he asked…what the heck is that…and before I could even answer, he clicked and jokingly said…. “What?…did you buy the last postcard and then the guy decided to sell you the rack as well?? “. That was it. He loved it too.

It is important to put something in the shipment that is new and will excite you when the rest of the boxes can be quite overwhelming and mundane to unpack.

Finally the rack now proudly takes it stand centre stage in a sunny corner in my house here in Hong Kong.

Oh, the joys I’ve had…. since it entered the house.

Not only did it mean, I could take silly little breaks between unpacking to get out my old postcards that I collected in various places and on many journeys we’ve had….see, I always buy a postcard in fear I lose my camera !!  but then …I’ve never lost a camera… so, I have all these postcards I have never put into an album…. (Do any of you do that?? Buy postcards that you don’t mail but just keep for yourself?? ) ….but it also meant I had a place to put a few special greeting cards that should not be in dusty boxes….. and off course, the REAL postcards I received from many friends from all over throughout the years…

….like this one from one of my best friends, Judith, many many years before I could ever make it to Disney myself !

How true.

Oh, the memories it brought back putting them out on display….

I love having it out here.  Now, it is part of our home and I can dream every day about the places I’ve been – some only in my mind with my friends….. and the places I’ll go!

SO, if ever you are off somewhere far and think of me…and you have my address….. send me a postcard and I will add it to my collection and keep you close to my heart…and in my home.

 

Do you have something special in your home that gives you everyday joy?

Or did you grab something last minute when you had no time to really do it, but you are so happy you did?

Or what do you have tucked away in a dark corner that you can pull out on display to give you much more pleasure than it does currently?

Would love to hear !!

Ilze

Lazy Sunday Love

19
Aug

I love Sundays.

Especially lazy ones…. where you can rest, recover and reflect.

I have lots to do for today, but no intention of doing it.

Instead I had a chit chat with my son after my husband left for the airport.

Gone for 2 weeks.

We will miss him and hopefully get lots done before his return.

But for today…. no plans.

How is your day ?

Ilze

The Reality of Relocation

17
Aug

The Reality of Relocation is now slowly sinking in.

That reality is like cold water in my face every morning I wake up and find myself in a surrounding not yet familiar to me. It is a very pleasant view to wake up to ..but still…it is new, it is foreign and it is something to get used to as I realize it is not the same place where I woke up the past four years. The serious need for curtains (unless you are a wanna-wake-up-5 am-type person) is also a reminder of how much still needs to be done around the house.

Like … finding a more permanent home to some things I have arranged so far.

Things will take time to take shape in our new destination. Setting up the TV, printer and changing the plugs might make you feel like you are plugged in and connected again….but then comes the more subtle parts of finding your way into the heart of  the new place you call HOME in the broader sense of the word.

New routines need to be established to conform to social schedules and schooling requirements.

We are the new family…but so are many others. And when you are in a big community, nobody does a drumroll everytime somebody is new – it happens all the time and not everybody notice. Not that I expected it. I actually enjoyed hibernating for a couple of weeks having no pressure to dress up, speak up or show up.

There are many differences to each location you move to as an expat. And the difficulty with comparing postings come in when you take into account that with every move, every member of the family is at a different age and stage in life to where they have ever been with the moves before this one. It is thus not fair to judge a place by how you settle in…because YOU are different. And getting along easier might mean the place is easier, or it might simply mean you are more experienced.

 

There are certain things that are not coming out of your own, but are being imposed on you by the destination. And my first experiences here certainly resonate with my anticipation before coming….and that is that expats are a close-knit society to the extent  in which they need each other. In a place where things are extremely difficult, even those who like doing their own thing, are open for some form of community for the sake of having a support structure for their own survival. If, however, you end up in a place where you can find things easily and do not need to depend on others so much in order to create your own comfort, then people tend to be less interested in others and more mindful of their own business. Every one for themselves and survival of the fittest. None of this tribe business where one goes to hunt and bring in the food for the rest!

These are early days, but if you pay close attention to your new world, you can pick up the signals a society sends, very early on. To some extent there is a certain mould in each place and I feel it very evident here.  One tends to gravitate towards fitting into that mould – again for your own sake of survival and sanity and popularity. Or you can be yourself and be your own – depending how hard and how strong you are and how convinced you are of your own well-being being the way you are.

 

Those are choices to make. Choices we are now making daily as we figure out who we want to be in this next phase of our lifes.

Every child you take along on your expat rendezvouz also have to chisel out their new “me”…and as a parent you feel for them and what you have imposed on them….. seeing a strong, confident child come home with a tear in the eye when the experience of the day was that awkward moment when you stand in the lunchroom, tray-in-hand, and realising you have no place to go sit and nobody is asking either and reality sets in – I am new, I am alone, nobody knows me and life has been disrupted from the one I knew so well. Breaks your heart when you wipe that tear …..

 

Luckily that can all change in a day as they have done this before and they push on and work their way into others’ circles…. and a happy smile the next day was proof of that.

But each of them is so different as there is an older child – who noticed a kid by himself,looking all sad and lonely and despite being the new kid, he consoled the “other new kid” by asking him if he is okay and managed  to get the other one’s chin up. Not worried about his own circle of friends, confident that it will come… And then the other side of the spectrum – a 5 year old, who comes home after day one and talks about her two best friends she now has – but when asked what are their names, she has no idea who they even are…..and mommy knowing that those same two best friends a 5yr old can make in a day, might make her cry again the very next day…but that’s ok as she lives for the moment and life is good……and it makes you realise that there is probably a tipping point for children too….. again depending their age and stage. But in the end they will all be okay and they would have again learnt from this experience – as we all do. They will grow and so will we.

Yes – we are savvy expats, but perhaps not savvy and prepared enough to have avoided the million mosquito bites I got in week 1 which then dictated my wardrobe choices for the first week…. or not savvy enough to have avoided the 40 dollar taxi ride to take us to the other side of the street…..or experienced enough to know whether we would find a taxi home from the school meeting while the typhoon signal is hoisted…and realising that you scramble around to find your way between a million forms, mails and acronyms from school, which would soon be such familiar  turf that you will laugh at the mere idea that you at some point struggled to keep it all together.

Early days indeed…some days good….where I simply don’t sweat the small stuff…

And some days not all good…

as there is inevitably a sense of loss that is still very close to the surface.

A loss of familiarity with your surroundings, a loss of order and structure in your life that has not yet taken new shape and mostly a sense of loss of familiar faces and friends who filled your days every day… definitely the loss you feel most severely – and as a small consolation prize facebook has stepped in for that loss to some extent.

Forward we go…

Ilze

Reflections – in nature, our interior, our lives!

5
Aug

I can see clearly now, the Rain has gone !… la la la

Yes, I can make it now, the pain is gone..

all of the bad feelings have disappeared…la la la 

here is the Rainbow I’ve been waiting for..

it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day

Look all around – there’s nothing but blue skies ahead

Look straight ahead – there’s nothing but blue skies above

I can see clearly now, the Rain has gone…

 That tune must have rung over and over in my head this week – and do yourself a favour and listen to it while you read this post – it will make it much more fun and you will catch my drift !!

Since as I lie here on my bed, this is what I see..

…nothing but blue skies, sea and blended blue hues of the mountain afar through my glass balcony, after the hurricane whooshed outside this same window this past week ( told you about it  here. )

But more importantly, I realize that I am starting to see the beauty again…of the things around me. I can see them again as individual objects and not just one huge pile of STUFF.

It is my rainbow !

Things that I love – like my Moroccan perfume set that I bought on a trip we had to Marrakesh. Read about it here.

And the fact that I can see and appreciate things again, beyond the Messy Madness of Moving, even though it is not all done yet, made me realize that I have now come a long way….and life is going to be normal soon.

I even had time to lie in the bath this morning and just appreciate the little visitor outside my bathroom window.

It must have something to do with the fact that we had another day out this week…. and oh yes, to my absolute surprise – I realized that life carried on elsewhere on the planet while I got caught up in my little world.

So on the way into the city, we drove past the most beautiful scene that we have seen in a long while. Impossible to capture as I rushed to get my camera out – but a little too late as the taxi driver had no intention to slow down …. but still – it was not only me who noticed.  My kids were so in awe about the Reflections we saw on that drive that they still talked about it around the dinner table – trying to give their dad just a glimpse of what we saw ! It was like a floating earth on a reflective surface which was just incredible and impossible to describe. And here is the best I could do in the passing-by to give you a glimpse !

…but coming back home that evening and having seen so many beautiful things from designers in beautiful shops , I wished that I could decorate this house in a fresh, new, modern style that would reflect the nature and location of this house.

But then I also thought about the reflections we saw earlier that day and how, as in nature, our interior never stand by itself, but  it always reflect something else. What we do to the inside of our homes on the one end, reflect directly on our lives and our decisions that had got us there in the first instance.

And back in my bedroom on the opposite wall , I saw some more of my things that have found a special place in this house again – things that I love and treasure.

And they reflect who I am and where I’ve been. …..the armoire from that same Moroccan trip, artwork from a Russian Street Artist when we lived in Moscow and the old Singer sewing machine that belonged to my mom’s grandmother.

…and so it would be wrong for me to decorate in a way that suits the house and the future and who we want to become.

A few new objects will come, I am sure…as we have new needs and new taste, but it is good to not completely let go of the old and strip naked in front of what lies ahead. So I feel better already for not being able to start from scratch in decorating the house with new, tempting pieces that I saw on our day out, but to have to make do with the old !

There is comfort to have your familiar things around you. And if you buy what you love and which appeals to you, it will do so for a long time – even when the walls around them take new shape and form. And hopefully those things which we end up buying while here, will go with us again from here – to reflect in a new place, how we have lived in this house and what we have loved while living here and what made us happy.

And already – there are things that make me happy – one of them looking out the window and see that some of us have already found the magic of a new beginning in a new destination……while others just go with the flow of what is happening to them ….and just obey to their orders !

And this Sunday is just what I needed too. A little break !

Taking a deep breath and being thankful for the beauty around me, without the storm, the wind and the rain.

Reflecting ourselves in our interior lies deeper than the objects itself. How do you decorate when you occupy a new home? All new….?

And does your furniture show who you are? Even if you think no – it undeniably speaks to who you are – if only just in your choices of the pieces you once chose…or can afford to have…. it all is a definition of us and what we love, care for or don’t care to have. Tell me your story of how you decorate, and what you love to have around you, no matter where you go.

But if decorating is not your thing….just enjoy the beauty of nature out there – wherever you are. Note the reflections and how the object itself can not control the reflection.

I am looking outside my window again, and the calmness is pouring in to make me feel hopeful that soon we will have a normal household with everything in its place. Old and new !

Hope you had a good weekend, ready for the week ahead – whatever it holds !

 

Ilze

Hurricane

26
Jul

So the Typhoon (T1) turned into a Hurricane (T9) soon after I published my previous post. Read here.

WOW.

Nature’s Foce is something to reckon with.

I tried to take pictures but could hardly see out the window.

Running around securing items outside took the better of a few hours as my husband kept running in and out to tie down another thing that was flying around…… but eventually we had to just leave it up to the grace of God. No more going out once it had hit T9.

One little piece of trivia here – 3 big sections of glass (table-top of the patio table)  flew straight off the patio table and dropped on the hard floor, so my husband ran out again to catch them before flying away completely (photo on the right) – and not even a crack. Then we moved it inside and the next morning, moving the couch, they fell again and – one more time they all remained in one piece, no crack, no chip..small mercy and little miracle !

I fled the scene for my own sanity…..and a lot happened between that moment and the moment my husband came in and said – it’s all done…

When I came down – rugs were hanging, towels dried out, floors dry and the wooden cupboard on planks in the air to dry.

All I can say – I don’t’ know what we would have done through this storm without my husband. Apparently the worst typhoon recorded since 1999 (I wonder why Russia also had the coldest winter in 30 yrs, while we were there, and Korea the worst snowfall and flooding – also while we were there…. or maybe best not to ponder…).

I looked out the front and the back door…and not without taking a picture off course….

Anyway – I’m still smiling ! Still standing….doing good and always thankful that my problems are still minor compared to those of others.

And oh boy, when I saw the pictures on the Facebook page of Localiiz, who shared the Instagram photos of other Hong Kongers who lived through the storm, was I THANKFUL that it was not MY CONTAINER that got swept off in the docks.

My house might be a huge mess, but we have all our things…they arrived safely…and eventually we will have peace and order again….. Always a lot to be thankful for !

Thanks SO MUCH to all of you who sent me messages of encouragement and support and thoughts on my Typhoon blog post… I now have the energy to carry on and you inspired me again to do something GREAT here !

We took a day off the next day just to get out the house and go get our Hong Kong ID cards and the little break did wonders.

Now just for these non-hurricane related flooding problems in the house and the holes which keep glaring at me…

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON !!

 

Ilze

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