The Joy of....Handbags

It has been said, by members of my family who shall remain nameless (you know who you are!!), that I have a "thing" for handbags - something that I would previously have strenuously denied!

But yesterday, in the car on the way to a therapy session (retail therapy!!) with my almost-teen daughter, she asked me if I was happy with my new handbag - she was with me when
I bought it, and got a new one herself at the same time.

I smiled even as she asked me the question, and realised that, yes, I am VERY HAPPY with

my new bag. In fact, I would have to say that it fills me with JOY (all be it briefly) every time

I look at it.

 It's just SO ME!!

It dawned on me then that happiness lies in these little every-day things, if only we
take the time to notice them!

So, I decided to share some of my happiness with you, dear reader!

These two beauties were actually bought for the same wedding - that of
my first cousin once removed....or is she my second cousin???
The beautiful pyramid shaped one was for sale in the wedding hotel's reception lobby
and I just couldn't leave it there...it was love at first sight!

More wedding bling bags!!
Well, come on ladies, you can never have too much bling!!

Beads, feathers and shiny embroidery....what more could you want?

And then there's the goes-with-everything bag!

I just love the colours and texture in this little beauty.

It barely holds a phone and a purse, but who cares??? It's gorgeous, and it's

another bag that makes me smile every time I use it.

Of course, being a Scot in exile, I have to have a wee hoard of tartan bags too!

All of these "little things" add up to a whole lot of happy in my world.

So, I guess now I'm willing to admit that I DO have a thing

about handbags!

Gratefully yours.

xx

Mother's Day

She's there for the laughter

She's there for the tears,

She's there when you need

to conquer your fears.

She's there for advice,

She's a shoulder to cry on

She's there when you need

someone to rely on.

She holds all the love you can give

in her heart

She's the one who has loved you

right from the start.

We shouldn't need a "special day" to remember how special

our Mum's are to us.

We should remember it, and be grateful for her

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Love you Mam.

Gratefully yours.

xx

A creative life

"Of course.....you're very creative !"

A friend of mine said that to me yesterday, and I thought

Oh....I suppose I am !

It hadn't really dawned on me before, but all the things I love

to do are "creative" !

I love to play the piano, and I love to sing with my choir.

Making music really lifts my spirits.

I enjoy making cards....especially when I'm making them

for someone specific.

Although, sometimes, I just get an idea in my head, and I 

run with it!!

And, of course, I love taking photographs!

I find that I see more, if that makes sense, when I have my camera,

and I love to try and capture some of the beautiful

things that I see.

On reflection, I'm very grateful for my creativity.

Being able to create something beautiful is very fulfilling.

Gratefully yours.

xx

Silver linings

I know that these glasses are very definitely MORE

than half full, but I have

been challenging myself to see every glass as half full,

to see every downpour as a rainbow in waiting.

I have been reminded this week that just because I

want everything to be sunshine and flowers

doesn't necessarily make it so.

BUT...

.....I have also been reminded that I still have a CHOICE

as to how I deal with that.

I have chosen to go with the flow.

I have chosen NOT to let one off day get me down,

but to forgive myself and move on.

After all...

...yesterday is history

tomorrow is a mystery

but today is a gift.

That's why we call it the Present

I'm not sure who first said that

but it's making more and more sense to me!!!

So, moving mindfully into a new Monday, I'm choosing to keep

thinking positively.

I'm choosing to be grateful for all that I have,

and all that I am....warts and all!!

Hope you choose to have a good week too.

Gratefully yours.

xx

18 years on

18 years is a long time!

Lots of things have happened in the last 18 years, not

least of which was the birthing of my two

glorious offspring.

There have been several trips to Australia (boasting!!), a trip

to the Cayman Islands and Cyprus,

many, many trips to Scotland,

Burns Suppers, "come dine with me" dinners,

friends, family,

christenings, funerals, first holy communions and

one confirmation!

And through it all, there has been one man walking along the road beside me.

I'm grateful to Kieran for always being there for me, right by my side.

And we've only just started!!

Gratefully yours.

xx

Positively fun.

It's been a lovely, positive week...

...or even a positively lovely week!

It's amazing how changing how you think about things

can change how you look at things, and how

you feel too.

I've been using this new technique (you'd think I'd invented it!!!)

to motivate myself to get fit and get in shape.

I went to the gym at K's hotel and got the lovely Hazel

to sort me out with some exercises

that I could do at home to increase my fitness

levels, and decrease my weight-ness level!

Now, in the past, this has been a recipe for "disaster da-ling!"

But this time, it was MY CHOICE!! and I have chosen to

exercise because I WANT TO, not because I have to!

And it's F U N !!!

I'm constantly surprised at how consciously choosing things

totally changes how they feel, or, more correctly,

how I FEEL about them.

This week I am grateful for positive changes, and for making

them because I want to!!!

Looking forward to a new and exciting week!

Gratefully yours.

xx

Choose with care

I'm liking the thought that I have a choice about what I do,

how I behave and how I feel.

And I am slowly realising that by consciously making choices

I am being more mindful, which can only be a GOOD thing!

And it's not just a case of choosing what to wear,

or what to eat (although even taking time to

make those choices can only be good)...

....but choosing how I want to spend my time, what will make me feel better,

and not just plodding from one day to the next.

....and choosing how I will react to a situation rather than simply

reacting, without thinking or engaging my brain!

...and choosing to be POSITIVE, and UPLIFTED and MOTIVATED.

Even CHOOSING to CHANGE the way I think about things

is working out even better than I hoped!

I am now CHOOSING to TREAT myself to a lovely walk,

rather than feeling that I really should get some EXERCISE!!

Today I am grateful that I feel more IN CHARGE!!

Give it a go! You may just like the choices you make!!

Gratefully yours.

xx

Start your engines

Courtesy of Google Images

Enough of the sitting around, planning all the great

things you are going to be doing this year

- YES, I'm talking to you!!

It's time to get those engines running and get off the start!

Of course, that would be much more appealing if the above Jag

was my mode of transport!!

Still, I can always dream!!

I don't know about you, but I seem to still be sitting (planning),

waiting for the race to start, waiting for the flag to 

let me know it's time to get going!

WELL....IT'S TIME!!!

So, I'm grateful that I have the choice, and am choosing

to get off my backside and get going!

The New Year isn't going to happen all by itself!!

And there is so much I want to achieve for myself this year!

I know I have a whole team behind me, cheering me on, and

I'm not about to back out now!!

I CAN DO THIS!!

Gratefully yours.

xx

New challenges

Along with changing some habits for the good,
I want to challenge myself to do more, be more, this year.

I want to push myself, ever so gently, of course, to
do things that I may have found a bit "challenging" in the past.
(See what I did there??)

Of course, even with the best intentions, life, and
family, do tend to get in the way a bit, and set their own agenda !!

So, this week's challenges were not so much set by me
as thrust upon me by my unwitting family !

But, ever the optimist...

This would be the
glass half full then!

...I chose to accept these challenges, and beat the odds.

I think my biggest challenge was visiting a busy

shopping centre, on a busy Sunday afternoon,

to shop for clothes with my just-discovering-his-own-sense-of-style

teenage son!
(I'm not big on crowds of people type places !!)

I think I cracked that one !!

Not only did I not run for the hills when I saw how busy it was
 (I think I have the same hills in my head that my mammy always had !!),
but I also didn't throttle said beloved teenage son
when he couldn't find the EXACT pair of shoes
 he had seen on-line, and wouldn't settle for anything less !

I bit my tongue, took a few deep breaths, and carried on regardless !

We actually ended up having a great afternoon !!

Challenge successfully completed, I'd say !!

So, this week I am grateful that I accepted the challenge !

Who knows, I may just have started a new, good habit !!

Gratefully yours.
xx

New "To do" List time!!

Another year lies fresh and new ahead of us.

I love lists (as I'm sure you are aware by now!) and I also

love notebooks, into whose lovely white

pages I write my lists.

This Christmas, I was lucky enough to get not one, not two,

but THREE lovely new notebooks!

So, lots of crisp, white pages lie fresh and new ahead of me!

I gave up on New Years Resolutions a long time ago....

....well, they probably gave me up as a bad job, truth be told!

But I have written a sort of New Years To Do and Not To Do List!

This list does include some CHANGES to my current habits! But I am

not going to push myself.

I'm going, instead, to PACE myself!

So for this month (well, I did say I wasn't pushing!!!), I am

going to increase my exercise, by walking more in the fresh (freezing!) air.

This has multiple PLUS points:

Fresh air

Fitness levels

Sunshine for Vit D

(well, okay, that might be pushing it a bit!!)

Photo opportunities

Head clearing

...You get the picture!

I'm hoping that by the end of the month a new HABIT will have been formed!

I will, of course, be staying positive and GRATEFUL, and

will be sharing my life with all who will listen (well, read!!).

I am grateful for your support!!

Gratefully yours.

xx