Flat, Sweet, Flat

My brother, The Ameezing Joel, and I are moving into a new flat at the end of March.  A little but super sweet space in Killarney that is in excellent condition, allows small dogs (yessssss) and reminds us alot of the big, old Parkview house my Aunt and Uncle used to live in during our childhood. I think it’s the wooden floors, wooden doors and thick wooden skirting boards that do it.  So I have been thinking about all things house for the last couple of days.  I love, love creating spaces.  A world that is made up of a collection of things so completely unique to that person and moment in their lives. When moving house I find it an interesting exercise to see  that some things suddenly seem completely unneccessary and that others have become a part of your life story.  And without them your home would feel like a book with pages missing.

I don’t normally post pictures from the web (there are many bloggers who are much better at that than I am).  But after going through some old sourced pictures for home inspiration I have picked out five spaces to share with you.  All completely different from each other but all with a colour, a texture, a collection, a feeling, that is ameezing.  Unfortunately I have had these images for too long to remember where they came from.  If you know, please share.  Giving credit where credit is due is ameezing too.

 

Entrance Hall Love

Kitchen Love

Dining Room Love

Lounge Love (Go the Rodarte Sisters)

Bedroom Love

A Parcel of Deer, etc.

My friends James sent me a Whatsapp (what is the correct way to say that? Whatsapp-ed me?!) yesterday that said, ‘The collective noun for deer is a parcel.  A parcel of deer.  Thought you would like that’.  He was right.  So began a conversation about ameezing collective nouns.  A skulk of foxes, a murder of crows, a journey of giraffes, a crash of rhinos, an ambush of tigers, an armoury of aardvarks, a shrewdness of apes, a bellowing of bullfinches, a rabble of butterflies, a clutter of cats, a coalition of cheetahs, a business of ferrets, a kindle of kittens, an implausibility of platypuses, a drift of swans, an unkindness of ravens.  How delicious.  I wonder if there is a collective noun for an ameezing collection of collective nouns?

She wore braveness like a wig and pretended not to notice if someone said it wasn’t real.

Let’s talk about braveness.  Boldness.  Living without apology or excuse.  I read (okay snooped) someone’s open notebook the other day and there was a quote that said, ‘We are as responsible for that which we do as that which we do not do’.    Hhmm, so being afraid and doing nothing isn’t an explanation for inaction? Darn it.  I have learnt an unexpected lesson from an unexpected source over the last while.  Doing what makes you happiest and yet for some reason feels the most impossible, takes sacrifice.  A letting go.  Of the secret joy that this thing brings you.  And of the fear that others will not believe that you are able to weave the tapestry of the thing that makes your heart pound, your face smile and your soul feel weightless with euphoria.  So, I’m donning my wig of braveness and hitting the catwalk, come and model with me.  The view is fantastic and the people all clap and smile.

Reposting a picture for a pictureless post.  Taken by Ryan.

We Can Party If We Wanna…

The Ever Lovely Lindsay Jane is a clever lady.  For months every time I was looking for ribbon, balloons, polystyrene boxes, wigs, glass vases, tiny teddy bear eyes, huge ‘Happy 21st!’ signs, a variety of Halloween costumes and just about anything else party related you could think of, she would say, “You should go to Flowerspot, they have everything”.  And for months I didn’t listen.  Until one day, I packed some padkos, jumped in my car and drove to Woodmead.  Holy pandas toenails, was she right.  And everything, but everything is colour coded.  It’s a bit of a drive from the burbs, but totally worth it.  High five Ever Lovely Lindsay Jane and Flowerspot.  You cats are ameezing.

Flowerspot – (011) 804 5143.  Shop 6 Woodmead Value Mart, Waterval Cresent, Woodmead, Sandton.

 

Got Glasses?

Aadil got glasses.  Gee whiskers, they look dreamy on him.  For the Team Jacob fans of Ameezing (you know who you are), here are some pics.

 

 

The Good > The Bad

It is ameezing how 30 seconds of a completely ordinary, partly cloudy afternoon can make your whole day spectacular.  These little guys must have just been waiting to have their picture taken.  I drove past, slowed down, lifted my Blackberry, they all grinned, I took the photo, grinned back and drove away.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it’s a pizza vending machine.

I can’t be the only one who finds this truly ameezing, can I?  A pizza vending machine.  At O.R. Tambo Airport.  Just there, next to Arrivals.  Ameezing.

Message in a Bottle

My friend, The Ameezing Jacqui, recently moved back to London after spending two years in Joburg.  In the short time she spent here she became one of the best and truest Joburgers I know.  I miss her every day.  She has written a letter to Joburg about her time here.  I am honoured to share it with you:

Hello Joburg

I left your shores just over a month ago and now that I’ve had a little time to reflect I think maybe it’s time to share my feelings with you. After all I spent two crazy roller coaster years in your presence.

I arrived on your shores as a token Australian who had endured most people she knew questioning why in hell she would want to move ‘there’. That place where people get murdered all the time and apparently cars have flame throwers built into their wheels to ward off the thieves.

But I like to think I have changed those people’s perceptions because you’re actually a pretty amazing place. You’ve taught me to find beauty in the most simple things. Sunsets like I’ve never seen before. Gorgeous farms just a short drive away. A city centre that shows the promise of a new era. And a community spirit that goes beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.

Yes it wasn’t always pretty and I had a fair few days where I really hated what you showed me. But you taught me that there are a lot of people in the world who don’t have anything at all. And as much as I might want that new copy of Vanity Fair it’s really not the end of the world if I can’t afford it. Because it’s nothing in the scheme of things. And I think there’s a lot of people in this crazy world who need that lesson.

Most of all you taught me that, maybe because of how you are, you breed some of the most incredibly loving, giving people I have ever met in my life. People who will go out of their way to make you feel welcome, show you the best bits of the city, and save you when you’ve broken down for the third time in two weeks. Without complaint. They are people who will buy you coffee and pretty earrings and share Ameezing photos with you. Just because they want to.

These people changed the way I see life in more ways than I can mention and that’s pretty damn cool.

I may not live on your fair shores forever but you’ll always be in my heart. And I hope more people get to know you like I did.

Lots of Love

Jacqui xxx

(Ameezing: Thank you Ryan for the beautiful photo)

Panda on a Rocking Horse

After a Monday as bad as this one, only a panda on a rocking horse on a persian carpet could help.  Glad this little guy could oblige.

(Thank you Tumblr for this pic)

Fancy Pants

I’m not a big quote a quote kind of gal, but this one made me stop and ponder a little longer.

The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. -Thomas Moore

(Photo taken in Thailand)