Beautify your neckline

There is a degree of master craftsmanship that goes into the creation of the more, earthy item of jewellery. They are always a beautiful blend of spirituality and style. The use of bright colours, gems and natural raw materials makes for trinkets you will not find in your local retail fashion chain.

Most ancient cultures believed these gorgeous, carefully crafted adornments were a way to embody the beauty of the gods. Interestingly, the same level of attention and details still exists today, as you will find if you visited the local market in certain parts of the world. The creativity required in making a polished, wearable and fashionable necklace out of bits of wood or specific shells can be quite remarkable. There is often a mix of culture and modern day style, incorporating the trends of today flawlessly with traditional works of art from centuries past. This state of having it's own unique identity makes owning handcrafted items of earthy jewellery a necessary addition to any wardrobe, especially if you are a trend-setter.

Gift giving made easier.

When buying a gift, most of us wish we had a limitless supply of money to buy the most memorable, fantastic gift that will stand out from any other. However, it's mainly the 1%'ers that can splash out like that without wincing. The rest of us must take a step back and re-assess the idea behind gift giving. With a bit of creativity, a gift could be found to have the same wow effect without ruining your bank account.


If it is say, for a person with whom you share mutual friends, how about you guys pool together and buy an expensive gift? Only thing is, there may not be much of a personal touch to it. For that, bake them a cake maybe, every one loves cake (even if the recipient is on a diet, there are tasty, healthy cake ideas out there, just ask Google). A personalised cake in their favorite flavour, maybe with a fun theme (a Vivienne Westwood Handbag for the fashionista maybe or a Clef note for the music lover) will always go down well.

I really just wrote this because I like cake, a lot (but that's not the point)

The Ten commandments (of gift giving)

1: Thou shalt employ thought.

It’s the universal golden rule of gift-giving: It’s the thought that counts. It’s true for the most part. “Thought” won’t compensate for a terrible gift, but a well-thought out gift seldom goes down badly.

2: Thou shalt gift the gift of life.

How long will this gift last them? Chocolates are an easy win, but once they’ve been eaten, that’s it. Gifts that carry some longevity are great. Timeless jewellery, or maybe something for the home. Something that they can look on fondly for a long time.

3: Thou shalt not cheat.

Unless they specifically specify what they’d like, you’ve got to do your own homework when buying a gift. Don’t ask them what they want, pay attention to them and make the right choice accordingly.

4: Thou shalt not envy.

Whilst you want to give a nice gift and one that’ll stand out, don’t turn it into a competition. Comparing gifts is a big no-no. It’s not about giving the favourite gift, just that your gift evokes the right feelings in the receiver.

5: Thou shalt not flaunt finances.

Gifts aren’t about the money spent, but rather the sentiment that goes into giving something nice to a loved one. So never rub the price in, they’ll more likely resent the gift than appreciate it more.

6: Thou shalt not present the same gift repeatedly.

So her favourite chocolates are Ferrero Rocher. Does that mean you will get her those every single time? Don’t. And even if you do, get/do something else to switch it up a bit so that there’s still some thought to your gift.

7: Thou shalt keep private jokes private

Sometimes, when buying gifts for particularly close friends or lovers, we can be tempted to buy the odd risque gift. That’s fine, but don’t present them in front of family. Last thing you want is somebody opening an adult gift in front of their grandmother.

8: Thou shalt not buy en-masse.

Buying the same gift en-masse may seem like a logical economical thing to do, especially if it’s something that they’d all like. However, giving gifts is about making people feel special and nothing makes you feel less special than being just the same as everyone else.

9: Thou shalt not spread gifts.

It doesn’t matter if their birthday is near Mothers’ Day, don’t spread the same gift over two holidays! They are two separate occasions, celebrated for different reasons. Let them feel appreciated for all that they are.

10: Thou shalt present the gift exceptionally.

After you have gone through all of the above and picked out the perfect gift, you don’t want to go and ruin it by packaging it poorly. Put as much effort into the presentation as you did in choosing it and you’ll be fine!

Any amount of time we spend doing what we enjoy is not wasted. Life, as they say is short and sometimes we do need that instant gratification we feel we have earned after maybe a hard day at work, looking after our children or other loved ones. There is nothing wrong with that, it is healthy, in moderation. Over indulgence may sometimes lead to ill-health and debt.

By all means, enjoy yourself, enjoy life, treat yourself but be mindful. Overdoing anything in life soon becomes less enjoyable. While rewarding myself, I make a conscious effort to ensure whatever activity I am engaging in will not go from giving a feeling of contentment to disappointment. Savour the moment, you really don't have to drown in it.

VanJess24

I don't know if i'm late with this, but I was surfing Youtube earlier and came across a channel with two very lovely young ladies who really CAN sing. I had to share, I don't think they are signed to any label and actually haven't really done much research into their work, but I think you guys should check out their Channel, it was so refreshing actually hearing truly beautiful voices without ANY studio gimmicks, just beautiful harmonies and a keyboard (one of those small piano things). I think they are treasures already. 

Strangers

What is it about them that gets us weary even as adults? I wonder why it still seems weird being about to walk up to a complete stranger, in a setting not necessarily seen as social, and starting a conversation about absolutely anything. A huge percentage of people in our generation do this exact same thing online everyday on dating sites, so why is it so strange in person?

Maybe it's the permanent, welcoming smiles that adorn most profile pictures online, or the reduced impact of rejection behind a screen. The way I see it, we are still talking to complete strangers, but missing out on the body language, the actual warmth ( or grumpy 'hmph' of a charmless individual) of actual physical interaction. I fancy exploring the concept of conversation with strangers when it is practical.

You should try it too. It can be very interesting.

Making your own Jewellery might be easier than you think.

Have you considered making your very own items of personal beautification? Do you realize you may actually be exceptionally good at it? With very little research you could find out, right now (If you're not terribly busy, ofcourse) details on how to give life to your own masterpieces. There is a certain delight that accompanies creating something with your own hands, an idea formed in your own mind. Give it a go, you might be great at it. I had not intended to preach about a different way to put a string through colored beads, I merely wanted to flip a switch in someone's mind. Same sort of way I'd love to plant these ideas.