Whenever I need a bit of prespective, I transport myself back to a family holiday in Namibia and as this image of my son and I so richly illustrates, there is something bigger than we can ever understand, but we just need to trust in life and the path it takes us on. It is a wonderful world. 
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Namibia
February 25, 2010Category: Inspiration, Inspiring places, Random moments, UncategorizedComments (1)
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Golearnto.com
January 29, 2010Education as an adult is so much more fun than as a child, because we have full control over what we choose to learn. When I find a topic that interests me my thirst for knowledge is insatiable, but I like so many others, simply don’t have the time to immerse myself fully. That is why I love the idea of golearnto.com which is a site that offers holidays combined with hobbies and their selection is so inspiring, I want to try things I did not even know would interest me.
Category: Inspiration, Inspiring places, people and products Tags: dance, golearn.com, hobbies, holidays | Comments (1)
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Moomah
December 19, 2009I have just come across this place in NY and it looks so inviting, relaxed and friendly. If you happen to be in NY, let me know what you think. If not, take a look at their inspiring site.
www.moomah.comCategory: Inspiring places, Interiors, Recommend Tags: cafe, moomah, Moomah NY | Comments (0)
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Anthropologie
December 9, 2009I attended a beauty industry talk this morning (more on why in January), of which the guest speaker was Marcia Kilgore; founder of Bliss Spa’s, Soap and more recently the Fitflop. Marcia was inspirational, authentic and clearly passionate about life. I then, finally managed to get to the London outpost of Anthropologie on Regent Street. I felt as if I had walked into Merci in Paris, which was a little disappointing as I wanted something different, but that’s me being super picky. If you have not been to Merci, this will be a real treat, but it is the merchandising that is captivating, rather than the merchandise, which if have a good eye, you would find in Portobello Market or similar for considerably less. That being said, it worth a visit and if you can’t make it to London, try their site – image below taken from www.anthropologie.co.uk
Category: Inspiration, Inspiring places, Latest News, Recommend, Uncategorized, people and products Tags: anthropologie lonon, anthropologie.co.uk, Marcia Kilgore, Merci, Portobello Market | Comments (0)
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Ganesh Retreats
December 4, 2009It’s the start of December and time to deck the halls. Whilst I love getting into the festive mood, the end of the year leaves me craving a cleanse of mind and body, as over-indulgence takes hold. For those wanting moderation in all things and an antidote from the excesses of Christmas, I thought you might like to hear about a retreat that sounds very interesting.
Ganesh Retreats bring together a wide range of holistic practitioners in a beautiful English countryside setting. Not only does the weekend promise to leave you refreshed and recharged, but more importantly, to give you the knowledge and tools for life, that will benefit you beyond the days spend in the company of the supportive team.
Weekend courses cost £470 accommodation, meals, 2 hours of yoga and 1 hour of meditation and breathing, 1 massage and 1 energy healing treatment, along with a nutritional cooking lesson and an introduction to crystals. To book a course, go to www.ganeshretreats.com
Category: Inspiration, Inspiring places, Uncategorized Tags: english countryside, Ganesh Retreat, Kelly Hoppen, Natasha, relax, weekend escapes, yoga | Comments (0)
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Notting Hill Brasserie
November 25, 2009I have walked passed Notting Hill Brasserie more times than I can remember, but ate there for the first time on Monday evening. The food was superb, the service faultless and the informal vibe gave our private dining room, all the comfort of home, but without the washing up – heaven.
I have known the group of 16 friends for three years now (we met through my son’s nursery) and being in their company made me feel blessed to live in London; a place where individuals from different walks of life come together- Spanish, Irish, Scottish, Jewish, Indian, Greek, American and even an Englishman!
Category: Inspiring places, Latest News, RecommendComments (0)
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Summer Holiday
August 10, 2009We have just returned from two glorious weeks in France, which began with a right of passage trip to Disneyland Paris. This place is seriously lacking in culture, overloaded with E-numbers and the hotels are rather shabby, even by my daughters standards, who on entering our room at The Newport Bay, looked out at the lake and suggested, it might be rather more comfortable to sleep on one of the little boats. Then there are the herds of adults donning mickey mouse ears, with children dressed in polyester princess outfits at fifty euros a pop, but each to their own and all that being said, I was happy to spend a few days in this mock magical wonderland.
Milli is enchanted by Disneyland Paris and all the eye candy enroute.
My advice would be to get the mini bar emptied on arrival and fill it instead with fresh food and water – trust me you will crave it after a day of candy floss. Avoid the queues by purchasing a Fast Pass for the major rides. Give your children a spending allowance and stick to it – in our case, 20 euros each was the limit. Finally and most importantly, let go of cynicism, inhibitions and expectations and revel in the moment and if you do this, I suspect you will enjoy the experience, almost as much as the little ones.
Three days later we headed to our friends Villa in Ile de Re; a picture perfect French village where the transport of choice is the bicycle. Mornings where generally spent walking or cycling to the local markets for fresh food and hunting for antiques and old linens. The afternoons were spent at one of the many beautiful, flat beaches, where the children went crabbing, collecting shells, building sandcastles and flying their kites. The sense of freedom we enjoyed was made all the better for the lack of beach side restaurants and the complete absence of vendors selling tourists trash. The week in Ile de Re could not have been more different to our days in Disneyland Paris, but I believe that growth comes from experiencing the polarity and richness of life and this is something to teach our children through doing.
Category: Inspiring places, Random momentsComments (1)
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Merci
March 23, 2009When I ran my retail business, I had cause to travel to Paris on a regular basis and no matter how many visits I made, I never tired of the city, it’s people, its architecture, its cafes and its stylish shops, the latest being Merci.
Conceived and clearly cherished by Marie-France Cohen, Merci is a 1,500sq m light-filled shop set in a former wallpaper factory. The space is filled with flowers, books, both old and new, flee-market finds and one-off objects made especially for the store by a host of designers, artists and creative people, keen to collaborate and give something back through this entirely philanthropic project, with all monies going to charities connected with children. Marie-France Cohen set up and recently sold the chic children’s wear brand Bonpoint and is saying thank you, for all it has given her. Her success will benefit children in the poorest countries and at the same time give us an opportunity to see what creative minds can achieve free of financial constraints; a welcome change in a world of mass market, global brands.
the courtyard of the beautiful building that houses merci.
the secondhand book corner where one can browse freely whilst sipping freshly brewed coffee.
love the knitting and needles but want the bag even more.
Category: Inspiring places, Latest NewsComments (0)
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International Women’s Day
March 11, 2009International Women’s Day
Sunday was international women’s day and I was privileged to spend it at a workshop that took place at the Brahma Kumaris centre in West London. The sun was shining, but nowhere more so than in the auditorium where over 200 women came together to celebrate the day.
This is one of many regular events held at the Brahma Kumaris and if you can’t get to West London, there are venues all over the UK.
Earlier in the week, I was invited to a neighbor’s house for supper, along with other girlfriends from our street. There I sat amongst these talented, intelligent, loving women, all of whom were living their lives to suit their values and it made me appreciate just how far women had come and how much we have to celebrate.
I was humbled to be in the company of some remarkable women and to be interviewed by Jayne, as part of a panel discussion.
Isabelle guides us to open our hearts and minds.
www.bkwsu.com
Category: Inspiring places, Random moments Tags: Brahma Kumaris - international womens day | Comments (0)
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Guardian Travel
December 28, 2008Last year I was lucky enough to travel to India with my family and dear friends. We were there for the festival of ‘Holi’ and you can read all about it an article I wrote for the Guardian Travel pages.
Download the article in 'Guardian Travel' as pdf by clicking above
Category: Inspiring places, Latest News, Press Tags: guardian, holi, travel | Comments (0)
