Joy is not in things - it is in us - realise your pure potential...

I know it's past Monday, and I am in fact late writing this post. Did I forget? - no. Did I have an awkward pigeon moment where upon I had nothing to write about this week? - initially I thought yes. It wasn't a lack of inspiration, but perhaps a lack of real Jane time. No spatula, no apron, no card creating, no hyping - just pure Jane time, was essentially all that was lacking from my week. That's not to say it wasn't a good week - because I did in fact have an amazing one!

I spoke to my Dad the other day. As far as Dad's go - he is the don-wah (aka, the next level) most awesome human in the whole wide world! He commented on how I had officially been away from home for circa 6 months, and he asked me this: This time a year ago, did I think I would be in London, doing what I am doing, meeting who I am meeting and living how I am living? I have pondered this over the last few days and realised, I am basically not at all the same person I was when I left New Zealand...

I came over here - not wanting a job whereby my days would be dictated by 6 minute units (as a lawyer I was accountable for those wee bad boys); I didn't want my success to be based on how much profit I was making for others, and I wanted to restore a healthy balance in my life again, and not just meet people - but have time to connect with them; have time to notice the squirrels and spy on the foxes...

What did I do in an attempt to achieve this? I started collating visual concepts (starting merely as just words) and stuck them to my wall. This was the beginning of my vision board.

Vision boards... Such a powerful concept. Everyone who doesn't have one - you should, and those of you who do - I want to personally high-five you! Never underestimate the power of attraction. Like attracts like something chronic. Think about it, if you hang out with predominately neg/serpent-in-the-fruit-tree sorts of people, over time, you will take on board these characteristics subconsciously and find yourself (to some extent) being neg. Those who hang out with peeps who bring out the best in you - well, they make you want to be the best you can possibly be. YOU can attract anything you desire! I am serious!

My vision board began with a random collection of words. The number '5' represented me finding a job whereby that's when I would pretty much always finish. The words 'daisy fantasy' represented me riding a pink bike in the South of France with a wicker basket on the front filled with daisies. I would be in a lacy frock with my hair unbrushed and head tilted back from laughing so hard. I also wore no shoes. 'Daisy Fantasy' represents unadulterated happiness in its most pure form. That childlike mindset that is happy-go-lucky and free from the concerns and insignificant dramas which we often find plague our lives.

I also had a 'B minor' chord drawn. This had a double meaning: 1) I wanted to play and write music again (as for the past 4 years, I would always say, I never had time), and 2) the minor had significance as I no longer wanted to major in minor things. I wanted to relish in what was important and disown all that dragged me down.

I also had a picture of a horse racing track. I see all new friendships as a gamble. Some, are like slot-machines, whereupon you keep investing so many coins into that damn machine but you get very little return, and it is quite rare to hit that jack-pot. You are much better to take your money and bet on the track - the stakes are much higher. I wanted to surround myself with meaningful, good, humble people. I knew at the beginning I would have to take a bit of a gamble - but I was sure good judgement would prevail if I kept it to the track.

I just wanted to share with you above a few of the things which I placed on my vision board when I first arrived (as in, I drew them on day 2 of arriving in London). Because they were the first things I stared at in the morning and the last thing I gave any thought to at night, overtime I have not only achieved all these things; but they have helped define who I am and what I believe in.

I have a boss who encourages and supports me no matter what and shows concern if I am working past 6 pm; friends who I invest so much time in and no longer have to cancel last minute to miss their birthdays because work got in the way, and my days are spent tirelessly giggling about randomness and oddly beautiful moments which seem to flow in and out; (not quite riding my bad-boy bmx through the South of France, but you get the metaphor).

I am back to writing, playing the piano whenever I can, and not majoring in those silly irrelevant issues that once use to bog me down. As far as London goes, - time flies, and because I spend a good part of my day merely getting from A to B, I literally do not have enough time to catch up with everyone and spend as much time as I would like with the great gems in my life. So how then - would I possibly make any time for those who aren't good humans and seem to bleed me dry? The old Jane back home would have felt under an obligation to 'help' them whereas, London Jane isn't entertaining the idea whatsoever.

Don't get me wrong, my vision board right now (which I am staring at), has loads more words and pictures which have built up and adorned my walls since I arrived. I have a wee picture of fairy wings, (as those back home will vouch), 'Fairy Jane' would be a frequent character at children's parties; I just never had the courage to do anything more with this alter ego. Now, I firmly believe, that within 5 years I will have an actual fairy glen party shop (with mushrooms that glow and you can sit on) and maybe a gig on the BBC prancing around in my costume telling stories. I believe in my ability; I believe in the power of visualisation and I believe in carving out and creating my own destiny.

You may have found this diverts far away from design and 'gift ideas' - and to some degree yes it does. However, as I initially told you at the beginning of creating this blog, I may from time to time go on a wee tangent. 

To those reading this, start mind-mapping words, drawing key pictures and believing that anything you want - you CAN attract. Not only should you never underestimate the power of a good vision board; you should never underestimate the power you hold within yourself.

Have a beautiful week - live with passion x

The power of love, light and a cheap set of doilies...

I have always loved lights on a Christmas tree. Always. Ever since I was a small child, a Christmas tree with lights made me basically beam with delight. I always told myself that when I grew up, I would have magical Christmas tree lights all over the ceilings of my house. Every room would have them and I would make forts on the floor and have the best adventures!

Unfortunately, my parents did not let me have the Christmas lights in my room (fire haz and all that jazz). I wasn't even allowed the glow in the dark star stickers on my roof (but I did eventually get these on the down lows anyway). However, the fluro stars didn't quite cut it so I would patiently wait for the 1st of December to rock around ever year so I could sit in front of the tree and look at the magical delicious coloured bulbs for hours... Strange child much?!

I am now 28 and still, tiny, magical fairy lights make my day. My brother asked me what I wanted for Christmas; my request - lights! It's quite amazing how much of a pretty wee feature they become. They take me straight back to that place of sheer excitement and happiness - a bliss moment.

Back in the Uni days, we had a friend (Carolyn) who still, (to this day) is one of the most talented artists (in both paint and sculpture) that we know. Being quite povo (poverty-stricken) as students, we would raid the organic collections of people's unwanted treasures left on the side of the road and make do with adorning our ratty flats with vino bottles (acting as vases) or 'can art' made out of beer cans. 

Carolyn took to task on buying some fairy lights (for about 10 bucks) and making the most incredible piece of wall art - a crazy spiral wheel on the lounge wall, held up by tiny hooks. We would spend countless hours staring at it, enjoying it and dancing around it like life could not get any cooler than this.

I heart my fairy lights so much. My London room makes me happy in an instant when I put them on. Tonight being Monday, I decided to take my arts and crafts to the next lev, and buy some doilies (I know what you kiwi's may be thinking reading this - tack tack tack) - but please do read on.. I wanted to make flower cases either out of pretty different coloured tissue paper or with lace-like doilies, so I could wrap these around the lights and they would look like flowers! 

I always see these gorgeous flower feature fairy lights, but for 40-50 quid my internal monologue gets all Castle-like with the shop lady and says 'you're dreaming'... Walkaway Renee... I went about researching how to make these.

My fellow hype-girl and myself do really get depoed (depressed) on Mondays... The Boomtown Rats sang about this day, so too did The Bangles; no matter what, we always struggle to get out of this neg mindset come late Sunday eve. 

In order to shift these feelings, I came home tonight, turned the lights on, repeated my top 5 highs of the day and got to work on how to make these 'flower lights'. I hopped on my bike and went out to buy a pack of doilies (I got 20) from the supermarket for 5 quid! How rad is that?! 

I am currently sitting on my floor, (feeling giddy like I am seven again) writing this and smiling. They let me dream and make me happy. There is something about good mood lighting which makes people feel really happy and at ease.

So, if you are feeling a bit low, want to take 5, and seriously feel content, I firmly believe a good set of fairy lights are key...

See the good in all things this week and unleash the child-within. We can't always be so damn serious.

And just like wasabi, fairy lights DO make everything okay... x

Paper Flower-lace-doily Fairy Lights

What You Need:

* 1 string of fairy lights (Argos sell them on the cheap, so does this website with next day delivery: http://www.fairylightuk.com)

* 1 paper doily for each light on your string

(All supermarkets seem to have these little beauties)

* Clear sticky tape

* Double sided tape

* Scissors

What To Do:

Take one of your doilies and make a cut from the outside to the centre. Put a little bit of double sided tape on the back of one of the cut edges, overlap that edge over the other to make a cone shape. Secure the other loose edge with another small piece of double sided tape.

Now make one of these for each light on your string of fairy lights ...

Right, time to put it all together!

Snip the tiniest bit off from the tip of your cone, just enough so you can push your fairy light through. When the light has been pushed through, take a small piece of clear tape and wrap it around the bottom of the cone to hold everything in place, like so:

Repeat with a new doily cone for each light on your string.

Now you have some racy-lacy fairy-lights!

Easy peasy, super cute and cheap as chips!

Tip: You could also use different coloured tissue paper and create the same, but have a rainbow of colour!

The Wolf Pack, the Hype Girl and the power of a good piece of wall art…

I live in a Victorian-era pad. What this means for me, is high ceilings and a lot of wall space.

Decking out these bad-boy walls has been far from easy. Yes, I love the odd Banksy print and have the 'memory lane' area which features all my cherished photos, but I still needed to get some art-work-esque features to make it more intimate, homely and visually appealing.

I love waking up to stare at something beautiful. Most people have their significant other to fill this, but even if I had this, I would still like something else, visually satisfying that makes me want to get up and be pos (positive) for the day ahead. You want something that has the potential to lift you up - a slogan, picture, words; that whenever you look at it, you feel sensational!

Statements, quotes, puns, poetry, music all take centre-stage in the life of Jane. I searched high and low to find something I could place on one of my walls which sums up my life. Above my bed, I received a wall piece that simply states: 'Work Hard, Play Hard and Be Kind'. This was from Oliver Bonas. You can even get this online for a steal of £58. Thank you sister in law. x 

Although this is my mantra for life, I still had empty space on the surrounding walls where I wanted one main central feature. You don't want your safe haven to be cluttered, nor do you want to deck it out because you 'feel you should'. Having a one-statement-art feature on the wall can truly make that space.

When I wake up and think through my gratitude list (what it is I am most grateful for), a reoccurring feature is saying to the universe how blessed I am to have my friends. Never ever underestimate the power of a trusty wolf-pack. I believe that having a tight-knit pack is an essential element to never-ending happiness. I know that my friends bring out the best version of me and I am slowly, (but surely) getting to a place where I am cutting out the neg, and all those I class as energy vampires. They tend to rent space in your head, aren't even paying for it - so it's time to serve them with an eviction notice... You get my drift.

Coming to London I had a few of my cherished diamonds living over here. Making new friends, having to 'start again', having that new job in a city which boasts a population of circa, 12 million plus - can in fact be quite a daunting experience. Although I felt quite scared, I also felt a sense of excitement - this was a great opportunity to meet new folk and extend the pack...

Don't you just love meeting good people, having the best time and really feeling that great friend connection? They are honest, kind, oodles of fun and just generally very good human beings. We all meet others who bring out the best in us. I call these my hype girls and boys. Everyone needs at least one. 

My fellow hype girl (Kristina with a K) and myself have been lucky enough to meet a bunch of people who we seriously just want to high-five all the time! We met these fellow wolves by chance, but always walk away feeling like we have found some good friends for life (such a beautiful feeling).

We spent some time over the weekend, laughing non-stop, not wanting the sun to go down, and even climbed a tree! (okay, well I did, the others just stared, but the fact that I felt comfortable to be a first class version of myself, rather than a second class version of someone else was truly amazing). I felt like we had travelled to our own Emerald City... That is how much fun we had.

My new purchase, on canvas, is a one-liner: 'I get by with a little help from my friends'. Simple, plain, but loaded with meaning, which I will now look at when I wake up each day. I made my own design, took words from my good friends The Beatles, and then went to the 'your image' website (see below) and placed an order. For £24.99, choosing your own dimensions and canvas and free delivery anywhere in the UK -this place is gold!

Don't underestimate the power of words, slogans, mantras. On this note, I am getting back into the card biz again, bringing back 10 new (not seen before) concepts I have designed in London. These will be sold from here, (I am not going to go through any other company nor art shop), because I think they will appeal exclusively to those who do in fact read this.

This week, deck out your walls, love your friends and make sure you tell them how much you appreciate them - it costs nothing. 

To the new company in my wolf-pack - thank you. As we use to say back in the Wellington card days - You are very swell indeed...

New hype message for my mornings: £24.99 -

http://www.yourimage2canvas.co.uk/

• White Frame, Cream Mount

• Size - 16x9 inches 

• White wrap edge 

• Canvas depth:1 Inch

Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind - £58 - Oliver Bonas: 

http://www.oliverbonas.com   

• 
  • Glass face
  • Frame Width: 2.25cm
  • Dimensions Small : 63cm x 53cm 
  
  
  • Dimensions Large: 90cm x 75cm

The Jar of Joy

How many of us are constantly stuck with ideas for a thoughtful and meaningful gift for that friend who is so special?

As my friends and family know, I am a card person. I have always (even when I was small) valued the words in a card over the gift. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE presents, but receiving a card in the mail has always left me feeling quite giddy and fulfilled.

Being in London, you have so many options and so much to choose from for that special gift - but last month I was faced with a slight dilemma. I went to find the 'perfect' gift for a great girl I work with - but I failed miserably. Allison was my first friend I made at my new job in London-town, and not only is she probably one of the kindest souls around - she is pretty much brilliant to the point where I really wanted to tell her this, but I felt a card would not make do.

I wanted to give her a gift whereupon, every time she saw the gift it made her feel good. No matter what challenging day she experienced, burden she faced, she felt amazing by simply looking at it.

I constantly refer to some of life's beautiful moments as 'Jar of Joy' moments. Don't you just wish you could savour that feeling, place it in a jar, seal it, and in times of struggle open it and feel automatically amazing - if only for a brief moment?

Taking this on board, I decided to make Allison, her own personal Jar of Joy. I went about finding cute little jars (these can be found for a steal from Oliver Bonas, John Lewis, Joy, through to second hand shops), and cutting up small strips of thick paper. I then sat down and wrote not only the things I loved about her, but small affirmations that would get her through any cloudy day...

These ranged from 'YOU are PURE potential - know this' through to 'See your worth, I do'.

I gave her the Joy Jar along with some other bits and bobs, but without a doubt you could see with her expression how much it meant to her - and so the Jar of Joy was born!

I tend to do the same with corks. Whenever I pop open a champagne, there is always a reason for this. Whether it is a special occasion, getting that dream job or getting through a dark period - I always (hands down) keep the corks. I then write on them the date, who was there and the location. I place these in a big jar and every time I am low, I reach into my jar, pull one out like a lucky dip and read it. Seconds later I see that I am left smiling!

I looked at one today (I could not bring my whole jar from New Zealand, but selected five corks to bring to London) which said '07/03/09', Pukehina, Dad and Me. This was a very special moment in my life. It was beautiful weather and we were at an amazing beach (a real gem back in New Zealand) and Dad had got champers to celebrate my new job and move to another town. This was so important to me, as this move and job actually changed my life in more ways than one. I remember being so proud of myself and happy that day.

My sister in law has really encouraged me with this blog. I am lucky to have her in London, and she has to be one of the most generous people I know, (my room is beautiful from her many gifts). From the painting hanging above my bed, to having me over for dinner and letting me know that if there is anything troubling me - she is merely a phone call away. What I have realised, is we all have different ways of expressing love. Mine has always been through words. 

I recently learnt that she will not be in London for as long as I thought when I first moved over. I wanted to highlight how much she does mean to me, and wanted her to know I would be thinking about her, even when she is not around. So Ela, I have made you your own Jar of Joy to take with you for your next chapter, so whenever things may seem hard, and I am on the other side of the world - you can read some of the excerpts and know how much I do love you. You mean the world to my brother and I hope I continue to get to know you more. x.

Jar of Joy ingredients:

*  A Sizable Jar (I got mine from Joy for two pounds fifty) +

*  Small strips of paper that will fit in the jar with enough room for you to write on +

*  Meaningful statements from the heart =

An amazing gift that shows both time, effort and love.

Joy shops are EVERYWHERE in London - and have beautiful trinkets (not just jars): joythestore.com/

My late Gran once told 'what you make with your hands, you make with your heart.'

Everyone deserves joy in their life, and you can capture this easily through making a Jar of Joy for that person you love. x

Out with the old and in with the new - all I now own is a suitcase

I arrive in London. Not only do I arrive on my own, away from the comfort and convenience of home (aka New Zealand), but with limited funds, my only possession being a suitcase and a spare room in a flat with a slat-bed, dreary curtains and a chest of drawers.

Gone is the prized Picasso print I got for a steal of 5 bucks at a second-hand shop which proudly took centre-stage above my bed back home; gone are the trinket boxes which housed my prized gems; gone is the beautiful duvet and amazing sheets which would have given even Joseph and his techni-coloured dream coat a run for his money in the colour stakes... The odd cushions which when placed together actually worked well, the different art work and many nick-knacks which truly did, (in a way) help me express myself - were all now gone... All I had was intense jet lag, a room (thank goodness) and a suitcase of clothes.

I was faced with the sad prospect of just living in this flat, reminiscing about my old beautiful room and working the 9-5 gravy train and spending as little time as possible at my humble abode. However, this was not me. I knew that I had a chance to recreate my own space in a creative fashion by travelling around London's many different haunts and even perusing online, to deck out my room, (of course on a shoe-string budget), to ensure that it became an open space where happiness, relaxation and a good aura all took place.

Over the past 4 months, I have successfully created this happy space. Having limited knowledge about where to get those homely room essentials, (all I knew about was Argos and Debenhams - please don't judge), and although there is nothing wrong with these places, (I have in fact picked up some great goodies), I needed to find those different, out there fun treasures too!

The motivation for writing and sharing with you this blog, is to help you with ideas to decorate, enhance and make your own abode something special too; to give you some ideas when some days you feel that you lack that creative spark; and to offer some gift ideas which are both thoughtful and different.

This blog is an add-on to my lifestyle writing pieces on the other site, in that, this blog is to include more things about my experiences, art pieces, trinkets and ideas etc.

As I travel around different markets, curious shops and write about my finds, I hope too, that you get some inspiration and this may help you to follow suit - to ensure that your room, abode, or home - can become your sanctuary... as has mine.

On a final note, I may from time to time, divert from this one subject matter and may write a few highs of my week too. It took me a long time to adopt a great mindset, and always have gratitude - no matter what position you may be in.

Here's to an amazing 2012, with lots of love, laughter, joy.. and creative ideas!

x