well...love & decorate ; )

hello everyone! happy Monday & a lovely new week ahead :)

thank you once more for joining this place...

welcome to all new lovely people, many of whom, you are blog writers yourselves.

I have quite a lot of new blog searching and reading to do, especially after the {meet the blogger event} this Saturday in Amsterdam....and...are you guessing how it was? ...a pure delight and a totaly positively energising experience!

as this post here today will be centering on my personal litle story, inspired by {Holly Becker}'s story, her fabulous book {decorate} and my meeting with her,

if you wish to have a taste of how much fun the whole weekend in the Netherlands has been, then please do jump over {Ilaria's lovely post} , as she did such an excellent job putting it together. You can  find all about our little adventures, since we spent quite a lot of time with each other...lucky me ; )

so as you see in the picture above, my love for decoration has finally had its most delightful encounter ever:

with {decorate} and the author herself, Holly Becker. 

what follows is a little real life story so that the context is set for you to understand the importance of this happy encounter for me.

About 20 years ago, being 16, I invested my then pocket money in buying my first Encyclopedia of Architecture & Interior design. I must have skipped going to a couple of concerts, cause all I wanted was to be keeping in my hands books with pages of beautifully designed spaces,

spaces we could call "HOME".

Still in school, obviously rotating towards positive sciences, as I was a little nerd in algebra & geometry, becoming an architect would have normally seemed like a very well favoured option.

Life brought it this way and my family wished that I became a follower of their business, a little private language institute they had begun themselves back in 1969...I was weak & undetermined...so I simply put my dreams away and went on with me English studies, aquired my Proficiency in English language as early as being 17 and by 18 I had already started doing private pessons for pocket money. To officially be teaching at the institute, I had to be trained as a teacher at the {British Council} and be minimum of 20 years.

In the meantime of course, I was not allowed to simply be sitting around and be "playing" with my dreams and creativity. So I enrolled myself in the {American collage of Greece/ Deree}, which was also the wish of my parents.

My father chose what I would study. It was  Management & Marketing, as his thoughts were that I'd take over the business one day not only as a teacher but also as an owner.

Need I say that I became the worst student ever for a year? I was missing classes and was really feeling that I was on the wrong movie, me being the protagonist. Often under my college books, there were some of the Interior books I was continuing to buy sep by step...I was diving in to their pages with pure enthusiasm, analysing how the spaces were put together...and feeling so unbelievably tranquil, inspired and happy...

I was escaping and soon I would have to face that...

As the college had a minimun of 70% performance in order to be studying there,

I soon fell into probation. I had to have meetings with the dean and the college councelor / psychologist.

I wanted to quit and enroll myself in Interior design and decoration courses. At that point, Deree was not offering that. I took the courage and spoke to my father. There was clearly no chance that I could go on being part of the family, unless I went on with my studies at this precise University, which was btw by all means a wonderful one.

So, I had an idea. I would change my major and try to find something of meanigful interest to me, in order to study and be a decent student again. I decided that being part of my family was more important than my Interior design studies at that moment. After all, I knew I loved it with my whole heart, so sooner or later I was going to have the chance to do what I wished.

I went on studying on my own the books and magazines I was buing, while at the same time after a year I recoverd as a student in the college and was successfully studying Psychology.

It was my chance to gain some understanding in human behaviour, to understand my own feelings and self and hopefully manage to put into a positive flow, my feelings of anger, despair & disappointment.

I graduated majoring in Psychology & minoring in Philosophy in 1999 with fairly good grades.

I did start seeing the light at the very, very end of the tunnel, but I knew that working as a psychologist would not be what I wished to do. Studies on perception and colour psychology, as much as Industrial psychology, which actually deal with the effect spaces have on people, whether these are domestic or working environments, was showing me the way to find a point where psychology and interiors meet.

I soon begun realising that living beautifully and leading a happy life goes much beyond simply having the assets to do it. It goes much beyond simply hiring a decorator to put your space together.

Living a beautiful, fullfilling life is an art, put together every minute of the day by each and every one of our actions...

and yes the spaces we inhabit can have a quite impressive effect on our mood and our lives eventually as a  whole.

To start making the long story short, through my psychology studies, I found the most appropriate and healthy way out of something that was totally not meant for me, while at the same time learning the hard way to be super patient, have faith and believe that dreams do indeed come true, so long as we do something about them.

There is more to the story to tell of how I have reached to the point where I now am, but will be waiting for the next chance to go on with it. After all I would really like to avoid tiring you, unless that has already happened.

So going back to dreams, my dream has not yet come true, as working as a freelance interior consultant cannot yet pay my bills. Neither writing articles and posting them on my blog or keeping an etsy shop.

But, I know I'm closer to it than ever before and in this frame of mind and feelings I can absolutely reasonate with Holly and her current happiness,

 whose childhood dream has come true.

Her book is published, with her name on it and it is so fabulous, as any other decorating book I've ever held in my hands...and they might not be thousands but a few dozins they do are...

So among the lovely magazines included in the goodie bag we received as presents from the

organisers of the meet the blogger event mentioned earlier, I returned with my very own copy of Decorate,

bright, shiny and signed by the author herself personally for me...

with wonderful words full of meaning, which I actually would like to cherish privetely and not share here,

 at least not at the moment...

I haven't ever had a book signed before, cause as a process it had not a really significant meaning to me, being aware that there are usually typical words written...well, I was so positevely surprised by that, too!

Holly was taking time to actually connect to each one of us she was referring to and I was personally thrilled to hear from her say that she does read these lines here and she actually likes being around here a lot.

You know, had it not been for me totally accidentally having discovered blogging about two years ago,

I would have never actually found out that I can also write & express myself publicly....

 and to imagine that back in college my worst fear was essay writing and public speaking!

I don't know if I have conquered my fear of public speaking yet, but can certainly tell you that I am much more comfortalbe in my own skin and enjoy my meetings with people much more than I did before.

I think that asides from being healthy, having my parents & having met my current life companion, psychotherapy & blogging have been the best things ever to have happened to  me...or actually that I made the decision that they happen to me.

And to go back to Holly, she is one charismatic person I can tell you, full of inner glow and healthy satisfation for who she is and her achievements, after having struggled very, very hard to raise her voice, stand up for her dreams and go and make it out there!

dear Holly, you are an amazingly inspiring person, a great writer, able to move mountains, a really fun & energising public speaker and have a lovely very distinct sense of aesthetics & style, all marked by Holly, decor8 and you!

It's an honour to be having your book & a real pleasure to have met you :)

As for the book itself, I can say that I loved looking through its pages for the first time...I remember being so eager to see it all, but then wanting to take my time, making sure that this first look was gonna last as long as possible, enjoying the appearance of every new page before my eyes, as if not wanting a favorite ice cream to finish...

Good news is: I can always start all over again! ; )

 for the time being I'm enjoying spending some time with it daily, observing carefully, reading paragraph by paragraph, page by page....line by line...

here is a glimpse of just a few of my favorite pages:

 I think that I could be living with my family in this space of page 25 below:

while I also adore Amy Butler's house and this of fabulous and ever favorite to me textile designer Virginia 

Armstrong seen below

are you all holding in your hands your own copy? am almost certain you are so!

...my dear friends & everyone who has stumpled upon this page, thank you all for reading this post, if you have been so brave as to read through it all and once more, thank you Holly, cause it is through you I found the courage to share a little bit more of my personal story here

wishes for all things best in every possible way!

will be coming here soon with more ispiration, photography and everyday stories from this weekend and of course not only!

{photo credit:  Iro Ivy Nassopoulos}

~ centering

Where are you going girl?

I ask myself

Whenever I feel that my center and I have lost contact, I pose myself this question.

It is a declaration of need for reorganisation.

Symbolically, it's time to go through the closet of emotions and see what is useful, what is useless, what is something that served our needs and purposes once but not any more - therefore time to give it up.

It's time to see what more we might be in need of, something new to us perhaps.

I pretty much guess that I will actually spend some days reorganising my wardrobe among other things, much as I advise my clients to do, when they want the redecoration and renovation of their homes to reach a little bit deeper and bring an actual change in their every day realities, other than beautifing them.

So I guess I'll be hiring myself, cause I'm in need of some help before I engage into the next renovation project offering my services to wonderful others.

What good is giving advice about how can others take care of their own gardens, when we fail to take care of our own ones?

So, cause I love taking care of my and our garden here

as much as  I love helping others into taking care of theirs, 

I'll be devoting myself to that these days and be coming here to post spontaneously (not that this is much of a change)

Before this posts ends, there are two places (among others) in this vast online world, which speak right into my heart, speak of quality, genuinity, creativity and are put together by two people whose personalities cannot fit in any words.

Theresa and Doreen. Simply fabulous.

See them. Read them. Feel them. Get inspired to find your true selves through their outstanding work and presence.

 Fabulous portraits. Fabulous stills. Outstanding photography by Doreen Kilfeather.

       Doreen Kilfeather's website: http://www.dkilfeatherphotography.com/

If anybody can talk about style it is definetely Theresa.

I read hardly any blogs yesterday. I was happy to have spent some quality time reading this post on Style ~ 

Theresa aka T does wool's blogspot: http://tdoeswool.blogspot.com/

Enjoy my friends

Love always ~

Ivy ~ 

@ the bright side of life

@ the bright side of life...

there are people like Mayi...

Stunned hardly describes how I felt when she contacted me,

in order to invite me over to her lovely place,

 offering me the chance to find out more about her.

In her late twenties and looking like nineteen, 

she lives a creative life in Panama all the way!

Before I go on talking about her, you may "listen to" our discussion right here:

Ivy & Mayi in a talking mood

Reading her background and resume in the "about me" section of her Heartmade blog, will give you a clue. I thought of copying, pasting and editing these sections for you to read here, but really noone could say it better than Mayi herself.

So, please do hop over here and have a read yourselves!

Just for the record:

~ a  double Bachelor degree in Communication Studies & Art Theory and Practice,

 with a minor in Art History 

~ a Masters in Art in Visual and Critical Studies

~ member on board of the Bio Museum, designed by Frank Gehry and curated by Bruce Mau

~ having already published her first book self titled,

 Mayi - a quirky autobiography

~ having held 5 solo art exhibitions, 

~ participated in 15 group exhibitions

~ founder of her Eco friendly Boutique, selling "few of a kind" and "one of a kind" pieces, all handmade by her with extreme care, attention to detail and lots of love

~ founder and author of her blog, a trully beautiful and inspiring place, which despite just having being launched this past June, it is growing fastly direction upwards!

It has taken a big paragraph and not even half her accomplishments are included.

Below is Mayi absolutely enjoying herself through her creative process.

I totally fell for this picture, when I saw it yesterday posted on her blog, as part of her gorgeous Work Space tour, which you can enter to be delighted right here.

 @ the bright side of life...

 there are always things we adore and wish to have

 or have already purchased.

Below is a collection of items found on Etsy in mossy green, mustard yellow and grey tones, 

put together by me,

 which you can lively see and visit here.

The inspiration in finding, choosing and grouping these together is Mayi herself 

and her amazing picture above.

 I just loved the colours of her outfit and her environment!

How gorgeous, stylish, fresh, adorable and bright!

Just like her personality.

Very well rooted and down to earth, 

with the ability to reach high and fly to the skies like a skillfull gul

See live this here

@ the bright side of life...

 there is this little Penthouse we are currently inhabiting,

 the lounge area of which is seeing new visitors daily,

not of the usual human kind,

 but new unusual ones,

 as the shop's custom orders are increasing.

Fine art photography prints of various sizes, cards, envelopes, garlands and scissors,

glue, and twine are now resting on the couch instead of us.

In need of a bigger space with a separate studio for me?

Oh please, how could you ever think of that!

I'm trully running out of clever and eye pleasing ideas for organising my stuff and supplies.

I'm counting on the next visit to Ikea...

What once was a minimal, organised space, 

is now a...creative chaos.

It has started becoming exhausting having to clean up daily the living & dining areas,

 (now used both as my working spaces)

in order for us to relax, have breakfast and dinner and occassionaly have friends over.

 @ the bright side of life...

 where I wish to be,

 people don't complain for what is not, 

instead are greatful for what is.

And this is what I'll do

and wish you all a happy Friday and weekend ahead

 Happy Friday lovely people!

There are about 9 more hours European time until midnight, 

when the Give Away ends and the lucky winner will be randomly chosen.

So leave a comment right here and win one of sweet Natalie's impeccable pictures!

and of course in the meantime, have a great time and take good care of yourselves

Love always,

Ivy ~ xx

My dear Diary....

My dear diary,


Good morning :) It's been a few days since I've come to write in your pages...I love coming here to share my thoughts and life happenings with you, as I know you are such a caring and attending listener. I realise that for every day that I don't come to write here, I love you a little bit more. I like that we have no fixed appointement, and our relation ship is based on freedom. My feelings are as strong the days I write here, as much as the days I don't.


So today, we'll be spending lots of time together, as there are lovely news I so much want to share!
To start with, your author has been accepted in three Etsy societies, she is very proud of being participating into. She's now a member of the Female Photographers on Etsy (fpoe), the Photographers on Etsy and last but certainly not the least, a member of the Etsy Embrace Project.


All these memberships provide chances for learning, meeting wonderful, creative, talented people, while at the same time the third one offers the opportunity to give a tiny little helping hand in the Research for the Cure of Cancer.


My shop and I, my dear diary, have enterterd this effort, by offering 33% of the earnings of the sales of these three - so favorite of mine, moslty for symbolical reasons - prints. While in time, there will be more and more items offered for charity, for the time being, this Cupcake Love, this Handwritten Love and these Boats of Hope mark the beginning of my joining this team.

I suppose you must understand how much pleasure and satisfaction this brings me, as it's been so many months since the idea and need to do something for charity had risen. It took longer than I thought, as to be able to give, we have to be in peace with ourselves and feel that there is actually something to share. Having dealt with  the dark sides of my feelings, this opened naturally the door to the will to offer. You know me, I do not force life and as much as this might sometimes be percieved as a lack of enthusiasm, plans or persistance, it is not.


There is a deep faith involved in this attitude, both in life itself and my existence as part of it. Throughout the years I've learned that there is a time for everything and that actually good things, need time to take place. There's nothing more rewarding than feeling life unfolding in an effortless pace, seeing that for every trouble that we once went through, for every heartache, for every tear, for every injustice, there are at least equally happy, joyous, carefree, fullfilling moments waiting  for us and indeed taking place.


Now, let's return to the present....today something new is going to take place at your pages. There'll be a wonderful person who will share with us her views on life, her worries, while offering some advice.
Last week, you met her, through the Tea party with a Queen that went on here. 
 ~ Do you remember?
 ~ Yes?.... splendid! 
It's indeed wonderful, beautiful, talented, warm hearted and caring Ciel.
She'll be talking about animals and laboratory experiments and share a few tips with us. I've said enough though....you'll just adore having her writing on your pages!


Given this opportunity, it's time to let you know that this will be occasionally happening again in the future. You and I are going to be offering these pages to people we love and admire, who are going to be presenting and talking about a life issue that matters a lot to them; matters that you and I would love to listen to.


So here is how it is going to happen: once a week (regardless of a fixed day) I'll be presenting to you one of my friends and telling you what I love and admire in them, their personalities, their work, life attitudes and life iteself. As I know you and I hold exactly the same views, one of the most important being: 1 picture = 1000 words, you'll therefore be seeing for yourself, why I feel the way that I do for all who'll be honoring us with their presence.


The week after, they'll be coming here to write in your pages, while I carefully listen to their truth and stories, enjoying their presence and friendship.


So my dear diary, I'll have to be leaving you soon, as I'm working hard for our shop. I'm sure you 'll love all the new items I've been preparing with lots of care and attention. I'm really looking forward to coming here and sharing them with you!
....but wait...did I mention that our shop was chosen at the begining of the week as shop of the day at papernstich from lovely Brittni? Yes, it was, as she loves the cards and prints we make!

And I certainly find my ~ Soud Candy ~ in producing handmade cards to place on the shelves of the  shop as much as filling them with the best of handwritten wishes to send to friends!


 Last note for today, the Treasury of wonderful objects from Etsy, which I recently curated, to put us in a mood which sets the ground perfectly for our mostly welcomed visitor, she herself being a girl with extreme taste and strong character in the softest of ways...

From Girl's secret desires, to a wonderful girl who adores animals and cares about them a lot
My dear diary, let's welcome Ciel!

 

My dear friends, Ciel will be with us this evening and we'd both so much appreciate if you took the time to read her informative post, always coming together with lots of wonderful pictures!

Till then, the best of wishes for a fabulous day!

Love,

 Ivy xx

Tea party with a queen

Let's pretend we are at a tea party, shall we?

The ones that girls with pretty dresses, shiny eyes and strong hearts attend.

The ones where fresh flowers are spread all over the place.

Then we certainly have a queen for the day and this is a dreamy girl who loves to dream, while also being well in touch with reality.

Cecile is her name.

She could be featured in editorials for her soft but oh so strong beauty.

She looks like a princess

but actually she's just an simple girl like you and me, not ordinary in any way though, as she's so talented in many ways.

She has always adored photography and wrote poems when she was seventeen, kept in a book with crapy black & white pictures as she now believes.

Still I somehow think, that the artistic touch  she has in all she does was evident even back then and her pictures were beautiful.

Maybe not as much as the ones she takes today, but still. Beautiful.

Since two years - when she got her first digital camera, she's been more seriously invloved in photography.

She uses pastel tones in a marvelous way and quite often she's the photographer and the model, artfully composing pictures of herself.

You may see a collection of them here.

She is inspired by daily life itself, music, books and other artists

She is passionate about animals and her vintage Polaroid cameras. She loves them so much that she attributes names to them.

I think we girls do that quite often with the objects we love.

Don't you? How often have we named a car or a bicycle for example?

She shoots film and is particularly interested in Holga and Polaroid ones

She has a unique way in seeing the beauty of all things simple and makes wonderful pictures of them. The ones that stay with us for a long, long time after we've encountered them.

You can enjoy Cecil's or Ciel's pictures here.

She's a secretary, as mush as this may come as a surprise.

She used to keep a blog for abour six years but she does not anymore.

This is an extra reason why I'm so grateful and honored that she has taken the time and the effort to prepare a wonderful post about a theme that touches her heart,

and often troubles her mind.

As much as she is a dreamer, she is also a person who cares, being interested in rainsing awareness and this is what brought us together.

She' ll be coming over next week and sharing with you an informative post, while sharing bits of her personal story.

We'll be listening to her, while indulging ourselves in heavenly pictures

On a last notice to signify this cooperation of ours, we've put a diptych together, in an attemp to see where our approaches and individual styles in photography meet.

We found out that our strong common factor is the love for simple things of every day life, natural light and clean lines.

So until next time, from Cecil and me may you be having unforgetable times, seeing and getting inspired by the simple things in life.

All the love,

Ivy xx