Rush Hour

What does your rush hour look like? Mine looks like this:

The long and winding road...

At first glance, it tells you that I live in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the maddening crowds, the urban pollution, the sprawling suburbs, and the stress of modern life. It implies a certain quality of life that I am able to enjoy around the rural environment: oodles of space, no crowds, little to no noise, panoramic views, closeness to nature - not to mention low crime figures.

But a rush hour like this comes at a cost.

It means either I live far from the town and city, and still endure long commutes to work - not an enviable option. Or my work is land-based: farming, agricultural - and what should be an a labour of love has turned out to be hardship because this is how the State rewards those who feed the nation: crazy legislation (especially under the EU), heavy taxation, red tape, long unforgiving hours, and low pay - because the food distribution channels have squeezed out your profit margins. That means added pressure on your land for it to yield more (using fertilisers and hybrid GMO-ready seeds) and for your livestock to yield more (demanding more milk from the dairy cows to make up for your losses, expanding your chattel, taking up loans and moving the farm under an industrial model, while pumping your animals full with antibiotics and growth hormones). On your side of the game, there is no winner: your land wears itself out, your livestock wears itself out and you eventually wear yourself out. You'll consider yourself lucky when the State finally catches up with you with a cash lump sum for your farm, rase it down and have a motorway built through it.

With a rush hour like mine, one might assume that I am a stay-at-home mum or I work from home, maybe as a freelancer? Would money be no object? Either because I am financially secure... or I parted ways with the rat race!

Tickle is up for it!

I parted ways with the rat race years ago. A rush hour like mine comes at a cost maybe more to you than it does to me. Firstly I gave up on the lure of the materialistic way of life I used to enjoy. A carefully thought-out and wise decision because those material mirages were taking me nowhere down the road to happiness and fulfillment. In many ways, I feel happier now: no longer a slave to the wage, to the mortgage, to the loans, to the designer apparel.

This doesn't mean I am now living the life of an ascete or I am destitute. It doesn't mean I do not treat myself or my husband, or buy things for the home. It just means I do not follow the whims and craves and fads and trends of the market that influence life all the way to the check-out. This is a lifestyle choice.

It means I do not keep up with the Joneses either. What Joneses? We are the only residents in the hamlet for virtually half the year. What Joneses anyways? We live on a flipping island!

How about feeling deprived? Because no matter how much I sugar-coat it, a rush hour like ours comes at a cost. We live in an old family house where comfort is rustic and certain modcons like gas central heating and a fitted kitchen are lacking. This is the price to pay when you come off the rat race: it depends upon what you can now afford and adjustments inevitably have to be made.

We are cut off from quality services and conveniences that we took for granted back in UK or USA or mainland France. We live in a system that is politicised. And living as virtual hermits is in no way healthy. Humans are naturally gregarious. Birdsong is divine, and silence is golden - but too much of it rusts your spirits away.

A rush hour like ours may be a blessing to stressed-out urbanites seeking refuge from their urban shortcomings but beyond the eye-pleasing scenery, the reclusive life we live sooner or later takes its toll. A change of scenery would be most welcome.

What does your rush hour look like?

Lisbon, Portugal

A Floral Awakening

The end of Winter signals the start of Nature's Renaissance, a yearly art movement all to itself! And all the while, I shall never cease to be enchanted by Spring, my favourite season!

Semi-wild and heavy with scent: the roses at Château de Gudanes

Here in the northern hemisphere, nature is being reborn. The land awakes from Winter slumber, all aflutter in ways aplenty. It is sprouting a myriad of velvety catnips, soft to the touch. Sprouting tight buds, full of promise, unfolding into fresh tree leaves and floral blooms laden with sweet-scented aromas. Right now in Corsica, the air is fragrant with wild perennial Erysimum (wallflower), and elderflower, imbuing the air with their delicate yet intoxicating notes.

The joys of Spring will yield the boons of Summer (ibid.)

Our faunistic friends are busy nest-building. Bird songs speckle the canvas of our dusk and dawn with sparkles of sound, rich with joy, abundance and celebration. Enough to make you thankful to be alive! As I have said many a time... You are never alone with nature by your side.

Canopy of elegance: Albyzia trees (ibid.)

Hey, nature lover, more floral Spring delights await!

• Corsican Spring Flowers - Simply Natural Beauties
• Field Day in the Garden
• Oh, Hello Spring!
• Spring Snapshots
• Born to be Wild

Reasons to Heart January

There are indeed reasons to be cheerful in January! It shouldn't be dreaded or perceived as the anti-climactic month of the year - especially as it starts on a high note! Ringing in the New Year and its joyful countdown shouldn't turn into a hapless comedown. If you need a little convincing, then this post is for you.

Sitting on top of the world! Europe from space, photography by ESA astronaut Tim Peake, via Twitter

I heart January for many simple reasons. Here's ten of them, at the top of my head:
 

• The year (habitually) starts on a high note as a festive celebration. Keep it up! Don't get yourself sucked into the bad vibes of the fatalist and the disenchanted.
• Treat the new year as a blank canvas for your projects, ideas. A new start of sorts. Visualise that joy you felt at midnight and turn it into an impetus to get started on a project. It could be anything from rewriting your resume, to turning your balcony into an herb garden, to researching an author or a discipline.
• In the northern hemisphere, days have been getting longer since the end of December, bonus! This makes Winter less drab! If you live in the southern hemisphere, fret not! The Summer there has only just started so there are still many days of good sunny weather to look forward to!
•  Be kind to yourself and don't go overboard with resolutions: keep them few, simple and achievable.
• If you need a little retail encouragement, you have Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and other landmark celebrations to look forward to, if only in terms of their window-dressing quality and the cutesy presents. Spending cash is optional when you do window-shopping!
• Reconnect with family or friends who you are not in regular contact with. In France we have les Voeux (New Year wishes) tradition, whereby we send cards or give phonecalls to people within our circles especially to wish them a Happy New Year and catch up on the news at the same time.
• Have a couple of appointments to look forward to in January, like a visit to the hairdresser (with a new hairstyle or hair colour to boot), or starting a new class or hobby.
• Go out there and enjoy nature and witness it getting ready for Spring: buds and birds! Even if you live in town, you will still be able to catch glimpses of it in your daily endeavours or by nipping down to your local park.
• Slip into a new healthy lifestyle regimen to shed those extra pounds and feel more energetic. And if you are in the cleansing mode, you may even consider a pre-Spring clean round the home or catch up with any overdue paperwork. Addressing procrastination may not sound like fun but the quicker you get round to it, the more time you will have to enjoy the rest of the year!
• Yet most of all, you should just enjoy life because life goes at the speed of light and before you know it, youth will have morphed into middle age and middle age will have morphed into retirement age... You should simply be grateful for what you have and put things into perspective. Life could be better but life could also be worse. Life is a gift and the start of a New Year is an extra validation of life. It is so good to be alive and this is the number one reason for being cheerful, my friend!

Galapagos Islands, photography by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, via Flickr

A Wes Anderson Yuletide

If there is one modern film director who is able to bring Christmas magic to children and adults alike, command your attention and massage your emotion, film maestro Wes Anderson is the man of the action! Expect to be delighted!

via H&M

Swedish fast fashion brand H&M didn't go cheap for its Christmas advertising campaign. It moved away from the obvious and embraced the experiential. No tipsy petticoats or swaying cocktail dresses! Instead it geared itself up as H&M Lines, and took us - courtesy of Wes Anderson - on the train journey of a lifetime. The famed American film director took the H&M brand and accoutrement outside the box and beyond any marketer's expectations to a place of story-telling, of family-friendliness, of style and elegance that might as well showcase upmarket fashion retail and the couture brands, let me tell you! It's all about attitude and how fluid you are about positioning your brand in a highly competitive market.

via It's Nice That

Anderson's signature directorial approach brings together a vintage yet timeless timeline as a backdrop to the storyline: nostalgia without the wallow. The sweeping camera technique frames each scene in its exactitude before neatly sliding sideways or upwards/ downwards to the next scene, taking us for the ride without a bump, bathed in ambient pastel colours that remind the sweet-inclined of those special occasion chocolates dressed in robes of whipped mint creams and rosewater sugar paste. I call it 'Retro Candiland'! Adrien Brody is relishingly moody, like a silent movie actor, and the rest of the cast play their moody, restrained and instrospected selves. They unravel with the plot, shedding the wallflower and warming up, growing on us as likeable characters.

ibid.

Wes Anderson is the ultimate crowd gatherer: the laid-back and the snooty, the young and the less so, the show-off and the parsimonious, the well-off and the lacking, will find themselves in his commercial, should they allow themselves to. Anderson's message resonates clearly too: the company you're in (i.e. the group of individuals) matters more than the presents, and no matter the journey, be sure to enjoy it rather than solely focus on the destination. Christmas goes beyond the one-sided retail relationship of giving and/ or receiving, it is about sharing and enjoying the special moment in togetherness!

via BBC

Trust me that this is one Christmas commercial that will not grate or ire you. It will also write another page in the grand history of brand advertising. It commands multiple viewings and makes you itchy to reach out for your closest and dearest: 'No matter what, I'll be home to you for Christmas! But if my journey takes me off a tangent, a change of direction beyond my control, I might as well make the most out of it.' The short film celebrates the vagaries of life and the little joys to be had along the way.




Meanwhile in his methodical approach, Wes Anderson doesn't lose sight of the child within. There is a little boy in the film, who so resembles Wes as his child alter ego. The little kid has every reason to cheer up as he steps into the lounge waggon. And the marveling little kid is everyone of us. Come together and keep the magic alive!


P.S: The robins are home for Christmas... or maybe not?

Important Dates!

Spring and Summer yield seasonal produce that truly is hard to resist even if you are moderately interested in fruit and veg. Strawberries will always find a way to your heart, while those greens and tomatoes conjured up together in a salad are so refreshing, they are almost a tabletop necessity when the heat is on and a garden party beckons!

Three's not a crowd!

However Autumn (or Fall as it is commonly known in North America) and Winter may not be met with the same excitement. Yet in those heavy-duty root vegetables, rustic pumpkins, plump cabbages, rosy-cheeked orchard apples, and nuts of every variety and calibre, our bodies find the comfort food, the sustenance and the stodge they need to keep us warm and functional, and not fall into hibernation! And if you are my mum, add persimmons and dates to the list.

I must admit that I never was a fan of the latter two but I never gave up on them, to the extent that they are now a part of my Autumnal fruit bowl too, for added enchantment. This year I have reached a new milestone with those fresh dates, as three different types of them are cohabiting in the fruit bowl right now: Barhi, Medjool and Jujube! Save the date(s), I did it! Those Barhi and Medjools I got yesterday are from Israel. The Jujubes might be from Corsica, I'm not sure.

Sticky, gooey, yummy!

I have to pinch myself sometimes at the sight of these semi-exotic delicacies, yet by the same token remind myself that I live closer to Tunisia - a major date producer and exporter of middle-eastern produce - than to Paris! It is thus only natural that our market stalls and fresh produce aisles shall reflect the geographical proximity, which is a joy!

If you are not too keen on dates, chance is you haven't tried fresh dates. Those are the daddy! They are plump, juicy, sun-kissed, gooey, tasty, nutritious, generous and ready to lend themselves to those killer baklava and other sweet and sticky moist cakes with a middle eastern inclination! Give the shoulder to the thin dates tightly corseted into puny little plastic trays. They are the equivalent of factory-farmed food: unloved, they gave up the ghost way before their time and thus are dry and bland.

Eat as is!

All dates do not come from palm trees. I mentioned the jujubes in a post a while back, in reference to mémé (my grandma), who ate all sorts of unusual fruit while growing up in Corsica: medlars, mulberries, carobs, and the oddly-named  jujubes! The jujubier trees were introduced in Corsica in the 19th century from China, and their fruit (jujube) is also known as Chinese date. This forgotten date is making a come-back locally (in Corsica), no less so than in a mainstream fashion (i.e. down the supermarket aisle, and by the crate-load).

In matters of taste, it's a bizarro bite because not all dates taste of dates! Fresh jujube faintly tastes of apple, with a consistency to match, hence its French nickname of pomme surette (tart apple): an unusual taste for an unusual name! Fresh barhi - my favourite - tastes best when just ripe, in its off-white/ pale yellow robe and slightly giving to the touch as its skin starts to crackle. It tastes divinely of melt-in-the-mouth oven-baked/ caramelised apple, and will lend itself beautifully to the most amazing tarts and pies! The overripe barhi (brown and squidgy) however tastes like fermented apple, almost cider... Medjool doesn't taste of apple: it tastes of a fleshy date - with gusto!

Whichever date it is, enjoy it unadulterated. There are however other ways of 'dating' the date... by dressing it, blitzing it, and/ or baking it! I am well tempted by those three scrumptious recipes:-

Date, Banana & Coconut Smoothie by Tuulia

Mango Tahini Date Cereal Bars by Love Me, Feed Me

Pear, Date and Coconut Cake by Hummingbird High

Wedding Cheers!

I'd kept this under wraps and there had been no hint of it in my blogs. Understand that I am a private person, fiercely protective of my personal life, and like to keep it that way, only sharing a milestone moment in a few chosen (almost discreet) words. And this milestone right now is circled in a couple of wedding bands!

Roby and I got married recently! We held a private ceremony amongst a very small circle of close family members. It was all about simplicity and honesty. To us, what matters is not so much the theatrics of the big day than the deep significance that marriage, love and commitment behold. It is not so much about the big day than what comes after the big day - yeah the day after - and I need to point this one out, because I might be saving a few marriages in the process. It appears that way too many people out there are still getting married for the wedding day rather than for the marriage! And this is where it all goes pear-shaped!

Oh, I do love browsing through the sheer elegance of Style Me Pretty and BHLDN, don't get me wrong! But for me to dedicate a hefty budget and - let's say - months of careful planning, or to delegate this to the expert hands of some wedding planner, to ensure the hush of the confetti is coordinated to the hush of the sugar rose petals sitting atop a profiterole, that or I shall lose my beauty sleep, get hot under the collar and break into a sweat... Well the arrangements and lavishness and pretence and whatever it might be called was no bridal priority of mine - or Roby's. As much as I am a sucker for design and pretty packages, neither my husband nor I needed our wedding day to be a showcase for it. Because what matters most to us is not the packaging, it's what is inside it; a love that tastes sweet and genuine and is solid and enduring, rather than a love that just looks pretty - and somewhat manufactured. This is one of the reasons why we kept it low-key.

Here is a little household fun to brighten up your Monday - not to be taken literally at face value, but rather with a generous pinch of salt - as some might read it as a sexist misinterpretation of marriage. Those inexpensive wedding presents are from Housing Units, an old haunt of mine back in my Manchester days...

Meanwhile check out our Mirabelle lifestyle feature on our wedding!

Amore Pair of Mugs Gift Set

Amore Mr and Mrs Bottle Gift Set

Amore Mr and Mrs Keyrings

23-Jan-2016 Update:

My heartfelt thanks to my coach, Dina Robison!

Woohoo! A past client of mine that came to me exactly two years ago just got married to the love of her life! I'm so excited for this couple glowing with #LOVE... Posted by Dina Robison - Deliberate Attraction Coach on Friday, 22 January 2016

Tickle, Tit for Tat!

Oh mum, here we go again! You and the camera and the lighting and the writing and those silly poses that don't look very us, or spontaneous! You might disagree with me but you're showing me up! It's one thing showing me off to friends and folks, as long as it's only once in a while - but to show me up like a prized toy you won at the fun fair, and to carry me in your arms like I'm some Chihuahua boy or you're some granny is not fair on either of us! Actually, it is short of insulting.

After all, I've got a reputation to maintain, as a typical Jack Russell Terrier: boisterous, cheeky, fearless, playful, fun-loving, spirited (some call me opinionated!) and downright mischievous! I'm a Terrier after all! Yet instead of that, you're making me feel all coy and pansy-like for your piece of literature... You write, you write, right! But can you just not get a real job instead, for a change? Just a thought, but now come to think of it... Maybe not that great an idea, because if you weren't working from home, I would see less of you, and that is just not cool!

Mum, you forgot the bells and whistles!

Ok for the write stuff but tsss, don't you go writing things about me that just aren't me. Just tell it as it is: you and I are besties, the crème de la crème, and we've been going strong together much longer than the average marriage, and that means something! That also means we're well over the 7-year itch! Now apart from you, what do I love? I love walks! Preferably down the countryside, because towns and noises, I'm not too keen. I love being off the lead, out there down the paths, sniffing about the bushes and rocks, looking for lizards and geckos and anything that is small enough for me to handle (while you're not looking!).

I like to potter around, investigate. I get all excited and then dash back to you at full speed to share my joy and excitement, as you're calling me and laughing! You and I sharing moments, that's Heaven! It's all about simple pleasures, like your lovingly serving me my favourite dishes. And then there's the cuddles and belly rubs like you know how, as I'm stretched out on my back, lying comfortably on your bed (the comfiest place on earth!). And then afterwards down the garden for a game of ball. As I roll and jump like Hong Kong Phooey, and catch that ball in mid-air like I'm in The Matrix, I imagine a football stadium, that of MUFC at Old Trafford... Aren't I a Super League Doggie? Plus I can dream a dream that is rooted in reality because I'm a Manchester born-and-bred boy after all! Just like you're a Manchester girl (well, sort of), for all that time you lived there, which was a very long time in doggie years!

Au naturel...

Mum, you saved me from the shelter in Harpurhey, and this I shall never forget! I am forever grateful and honoured that as soon as you saw me, you knew. And I knew. And we knew that we were made for each other, like we'd been designed to interlock our lives like pieces that fit to the T of Tickle. And every day since, this has been proven to us without fail and spelt in gold letters in our golden book of hours.

Now I know that there's this gentleman on the scene, whom you've known a little while, and you love him and he loves you, and he's coming to join me and you (ok he's joining you - and me by default), and be with us forever. That is great news! Of course, it might take a little time for all of us to adjust (jealous, moi?), but as soon as he plays the game right, gives me my favourite treats, and the attention I deserve (Am I sounding a little spoilt and exclusive here?), and kicks a good game of 'soccer' with me (soccer, whadyamean?!), I'll be forever sold to this guy too! The three of us will be family... and I might even change football club allegiances! Arrgh, don't you get me to say 'soccer' just off the bat, when a good ol' game of English football is a game of choice for an English-born English breed dog like I...

Anyhoo...

Love to all and off to play,

Tickle  x

Turning Over a New Leaf

As odd as it may sound, I had meant to publish this post for a good couple of months now. In fact, I had put together some text and prepared the photo for it, but somehow I was too excited to press the 'Publish' button. I was out there, busy with my life. Oh boy, I am so excited that it feels like I'm sprouting flower buds and blooms all over like a Spring renaissance in the heart of Winter, and the 2014 New Year's Resolutions have delivered - exceeded even - the items on the proverbial list!

'Delivered' is an understatement! I started 2014 slightly iffy and am ending it in stellar mode, no boasting! In the process, I shed some old recurring patterns and took ownership of my life. I embarked upon some life coaching. I found myself - the real I - and I found someone extra-special to share the newfound me with!

Unlike most of my peers, I do not use my blogs as a platform to showcase every inch of my personal life. Having said that, I cannot not share some very exciting news! I have met The Man of my Life! We cannot wait to join soon, transatlantically! Yes ladies, he's a dashing American gentleman and an über-cool counter-culture writer. This is all I shall divulge for now.

There is another piece of personal news I wish to share. I have waved Britannia farewell and still cannot remain composed at the thought, two months later, that's how excited I am at the fact that a chapter of my life is now closed for good! In other words, I have managed to sell my house in Manchester, and as a result my last physical link to Britain is no more! Tickle, my little JRT dog is over the moon about it too: he's happier and safer in Corsica than he was in suburban Manchester, wondering if a Mastiff on the loose from the nearby council estate was not going to pounce on him from behind a bush, or the 105 bus run us over as our rain-soaked figures negotiated the puddles at the Hale Top junction... As a post-scriptum, there is no rain like the Manchester rain, over 300 days of it a year on average!

Roll on 2015, it's going to be hot and sunny!

A Candid Account of Cabin Fever

I live on an island and this gets people curious. A few friends and acquaintances from the mainland asked me what that felt like, and before I could get a word in edgeways, would muse: 'You lucky thing, must be so much fun! Always a beach close by, and the weather's so fine! Every day's a holiday... No stress, no nuthin!' - They're so sweet that I don't even feel like breaking a little taboo to them...

(Via Tumblr)

The last thing I want is spoil the island life cliché because it actually encapsulates some charmful elements of truth: the quality of life that is specific to islands, closeness/ intimacy to nature and a certain cosiness and security brought about by the scaled-down distances. And yes (in my case), the year-round beach holiday feeling. However this is not all pink hearts and fluffy clouds. Unless you were born with a silver spoon or enjoy the financial security brought by acquired wealth, you will still feel the stress engendered by the need to make a living and get creative in a challenging marketplace, with tough economic conditions to boot, exacerbated by the geographical, physical and commercial limitations of the island.

Then to the tough challenge of finding permanent employment, establishing a business model that yields a revenue beyond the tourist season, or finding a sustainable niche, all of those under the auspices of the local close-knit diaspora (a tough one, this one!), you will likely have cabin fever to deal with, a condition that is not readily discussed out in the open, as it might be wrongly perceived by some as a sign of weakness or some mental disorder. Therefore the chic and glamour and dilettante of island living as purported by the likes of Condé Nast Traveller and Coastal Living do not *in reality* come as intrinsic universal island privileges.

Oak Bluffs Cottage, via Remodelista (photography by Julian Wass)

Seasoned residents and born-and-breds have (had) to deal with cabin fever. It has reached the more select corners of the Bahamas, Mustique, Madeira, Capri, Santorini, Mauritius or Tahiti, in fact all of the isles. Cabin fever is part and parcel of island life, and the smaller the isle, the more acute the 'fever' - I find. Cabin fever manifests cyclically, mostly outside the tourist season (personally I experience it around the equinox season, October-November and February-March time), when you find yourself at odds with your surroundings, stuck in isolation, in the tiny villages and resorts, the same ol' town, the same ol' faces, the same ol' stories that do the rounds, the same ol' repeated patterns, the pettiness of it all.

You feel restricted and it gets claustrophobic, the physical cut-off from mainland and the rest of world gets too much. There's a feeling of powerlessness, no escape, cut off from the buzz of 'real life' as portrayed outside the confines, the imposed protectiveness of the island vs. the hustle and bustle of the cities, the vastness of the regions and continents out there. You feel spaced out (as in not in touch with the reality of the world at large), locked in your own little world, like you live on a grain of sand. The energy is trapped on an island, it swishes around and goes round in circles and you may start going round in circles in your head! You are bound to turn introspective, reflective and nostalgic. A certain weariness and boredom set in. Some might experience an impression of hibernation, being kept on hold, waiting/ pining for something good to happen.

(Via Tumblr)

Gala Darling has aired a few times how cut off from the world she felt when living in New Zealand, and from other sources, I understand that cabin fever over there is due to its geographical seclusion from the rest of the world. Interestingly too, a friend from California who spent a few years in NYC told me how claustrophic she felt there, describing it as a world all to itself, 'a self-centred, navel-gazing island cut off from the rest of the US', and with an insular mentality... From there on, let's extrapolate further. How about those intense and exclusive family, friend or love relationships, where any sense of personal freedom is suffocated? Those may bring in the cabin fever. And the pinnacle of cabin fever, at the exact point that bears its stigma, and pushed to the extreme by the creep masters, with Stephen King who turned it into his trademark. Did you ever wonder that in The Shining, writer Jack Torrance (portrayed by Jack Nicholson on film) was suffering from a psychotic form of cabin fever?

But eh, don't let it put you off! There are ways to circumnavigate the pitfalls of cabin fever. First and foremost, the wonders of the digital age mean that nowadays we find ourselves no further than one click away from the buzz of the world. Secondly, if you have time on your hands, it is best to keep busy (especially in the bleaks of winter) and cultivate at least one hobby that you are passionate about and that will take your mind off the daily grind. Get acquainted with self-help techniques like meditation in order to deal with the troughs of energy, and to alleviate symptoms of melancholy. Take regular trips outside your island, go visit friends and relatives. Just don't keep all your eggs in one basket, all your focus on your little isle!

'Kangaroo Island Sailboat', via Coastal Vintage

As your person of choice to discuss all things cabin fever, I am much more than a casual islander. In fact, I am pretty acquainted with island life as a whole, clocking over 20 years of it: Corsica (4 years), British Isles (16 years), Greek islands, Cuba (and the Cayos), and - last but not least - a tourist trip to San Francisco's notorious Alcatraz! I don't recall cabin fever as such when living in the British Isles, despite the British reputation for their insular mentality (and for their economic model to stand halfway between two continents!).

You understand where I've come from for the purpose of this article: although it is not that clear-cut, cabin fever is not strictly confined to the small islands. I will deduct from my observations that cabin fever is a state of mind, irrespective of location. You are likely to experience it in the middle of the Australian outback, on a poxy little dot on the Indian Ocean, in the throbbing heart of the Big Apple or to get up, close and personal with it in 'the comfort of' your own town or village.

If it does get unbearable on the island, it is best to pack up, spread your wings out and fly off to new shores, to feel the contrast and judge for yourself where it is you truly belong in your heart of hearts. Sometimes all you have to do is leave in order to better come back. Maybe you are too close for comfort and all it takes for you is to find your purpose, embark upon a journey of self-discovery, realise what makes you tick, what drives you, and then make it happen. As for I, as much as I know I won't be island-bound for ever, I might as well try to make the most of a beach life while I'm here.

My mum and Tickle (my little doggie) on our way to the local beaches...

Talk Dirty To Me

Out with the old and in with the new is how I'm feeling right now! I've always considered Springtime as a second chance for those New Year's Resolutions that came undone on the cutting room floor of our lives. Days are now drawing out, weather getting balmier, and we get infused with a sugar-like rush of enthusiasm, a fresh burst of energy, new ideas (or at least a fresh perspective on those ideas that got shelved over the Winter), a boost to budding projects and a general sense of rebirth after the drab of the cold season.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) might have taken its toll on some of us, but now it feels like the 'sap' in our bodies is making us feel jiggy with it, as we are sprouting leaves and buds and new growth and start blossoming under the auspicious higher vibration that is now ruling our days. And there is no better time than now to play domestic god(desse)s to the clutter and dustmites of our homes. Out with Winter dirt and in with the sparkle... And shake that booty while you scrub!

'Magic Balls' (for cleaning vases and decanters) from John Lewis

'Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner' by Method

'Natural Fibre Scrubbing Brush' from Maison Empereur

'Cotton Bobbin Wall Hooks/ Drawer Pulls' from Not On The High Street

'Sailors Whisk Brush' from Labour and Wait

'Limited Edition 1900 Box' (with styrax incense-coated paper strips used as natural air freshener) from Papier d'Arménie

YAY! And here is Method's response to my article:

Inspire Aspire - Let There Be Light!

The cloud with a silver lining is an ode to hope. Celebrated French writer and Literature Nobel Prize Winner Albert Camus said it beautifully: "In the midst of Winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible Summer". 

We all have the metaphorical cross to bear in life, admittedly some crosses being heavier, bulkier than others, with some of us plodding on regardless, while others make a mountain out of a molehill.

(Pict source)

Sooner or later in our lives, we are faced with crossroad dilemmas and pivotal destiny moments. We face setbacks, traumas and delays. Some of us even hit rockbottom: reversal of fortunes, string of 'bad fortune' events, loss of loved ones, illness, war, accidents, detrimental lifestyle choices, etc. But even in our darkest hour, there will be a crack of light coming through - no matter how thin, how faint, how insignificant - for darkness cannot exist without light and light cannot exist without its opposite either. Yin and Yang symbiosis. So there you are, if you are looking for a shred of hope, an ounce of fortune, a reason why, a smile, you have it! Dark is never completely dark - and light is never completely light. In fact, the colour white is made up of all the colours and the same applies to black.

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My message to you, if you are feeling blue, is to acknowledge the pain but don't linger on it. This too shall pass! Yet never give up on hope, never lose faith, stay afloat and never lose sight of the shore. And remember that you need darkness in order to see the stars! Every cloud definitely has a silver lining.

Inspire Aspire - Vivienne Westwood

Her eccentric style and sometimes far-fetched creations mean that she may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Vivienne Westwood is certainly a cut above fashion glitterati! To her credit, she has inspired countless designers and artists in the making to go off a tangent to explore their passions rather than follow the mainstream avenues of formal education in order to get a foot in the door and get noticed. And to me, this is all down to one word which has been a driving force for the fashion darling.

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I remember quite vividly watching a fascinating TV documentary back in England a good four years ago. I found it enlightening and inspiring, to the extent that four years on it still plays in the back of my mind whenever I harbour a doubt as to my next direction in life, and whenever I try find a reason why I can't make it.

Casually and very humbly, Vivienne mentioned a couple of times during the programme that she was self-taught. Yes that's right, a self-taught fashion designer and seamstress. She wasn't fresh out of Central St Martins College, and she didn't have the family connections to get that red carpet out and ease that ambition up into the fashion circles. The woman who famously said: "I didn't know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the art world" thought outside the box. She came from punk, she came from that clothes shop on London's Kings Road outrageously called 'Sex' where she designed crazy outfits for the likes of The Sex Pistols. As far away from the lofty French fashion houses in Paris VIII as can be... And the irony of it all would be that years later those very same individuals who sniggered at her origins would cram up into her fashion shows and shell out the dough.

Anglomania Collection - AW2013-14 - Look-091

To some, self-taught might mean a roundabout last chance saloon way of getting from A to B. To Vivienne, it was a successful means to an end, where theory was experimented upon, fun was had with swathes of fabric, where ideas could just flow without the restriction of dos and don'ts, and opportunities seized in a 'right place, right time' mode. Carpe Diem. Self-taught is the best out of the school of life. And closer to us, self-taught has seen bloggers turn household names and YouTube sensations set up shop very successfully, and I can't resist the thought of this other self-taught guy - Sir Richard Branson - the very boss of the airline company whose flight uniforms are being designed by our Vivienne. How ironic indeed!

March 2012 - Five Random Faves (Part 2)

Fave #2: Pop outside and spring into Spring!

If it's still nippy out there, we can't help but noticing that Spring is around the corner. Little hints point in that direction, apart from the warming temperatures (after that freezing start to the year!).

After the dragging hibernative Winter months, Spring signals nature's rebirth, and if you have a garden you will be prone to notice those subtle changes on your doorstep, from daffodils, snowdrops and primula popping up, to grass growth, to even the odd bee venturing past and birds launching into a concerto. Days are getting longer too and invite us to stay outdoors for longer!

You've guessed it, Spring is La Baguette's favourite season! To us it is like an epiphany, an announcement of hope and floral beauty! The big reveal is on its way and this is all we need to appease the aptly-named SAD (seasonal affective disorder)! (to be continued)

Want more? Check out La Baguette's Week-End Wonderweb on Spring, from last year.

Snowed Under! (Part 2)

Hey, it's been snowing across the net too! So then stay in with us, snuggle up and check out this selection of beautiful inspiring photography... Oh, hang on a minute... Is it me or is there a Valentine's hint down our icy Winter theme?

Sources: (1) via Pinterest. (2) 'The Kylie Fashion Shoot' by Stylist (pictured by William Baker). (3) 'Triple Layer Vanilla Ruffle Cake' by Red Magazine. (3) 'Vanilla Rosewater Cupcakes' by Sprinkle Bakes.

Snowed Under! (Part 1)

The cold wave that has been sweeping through Europe over the last couple of weeks has been well documented across the media. Images like that of the Vatican under snow will be remembered for some time, and so will the chaos that this unforgiving Winter has brought to our lives in different degrees of harshness. Let's bear a thought to those less fortunate, who sleep rough on the streets or manage just about to keep home temperatures bearable despite being affected by the recession.

'Adamo ed Eva Pupazzi di Neve ai Fori Imperiali' by Libero Guerra, via Flickr

When you might think Corsica is safe, think again my friends, for we've been having our share of the bad weather too, and working outdoors for a garden preservation society I have been able to appreciate the cold first hand!

As I am typing up this post from the comfort of my parents' home on my spare day, it is snowing out there. Bearing in mind that I live a mile away from the coast, the weather is bound to be even harsher inlands, especially in the alpine region of central Corsica. Roads are routinely blocked most winters with snow drifts and I don't dare to imagine what they must look like right now.

However intrepid snow veterans like some of my mates will have used this as a challenge to brave over 20 miles of treacherous icy tracks to reach the disused ski resort of Haut Asco to snowboard down the piste freestyle. Others like I would rather play it safe and stay indoors. The only ice I like is the one in my glass, with a shot of Havana Club and a dash of orange, thank you very much!

Now if Winter is your cuppa and it makes you jingle and jiggle all the way, be my guest and feel free to browse our selection of topical Baguette posts to keep you warm and fuzzy on the inside and deliciously frappé on the outside: 'A Week-End Wonderweb', 'What a Load of Waffle', 'Winter Comforts', 'T is for Tea' and 'Hot Shots'. (to be continued)