::inspiring Mondays::

The London Olympics have taken the UK by storm and as a resident of this island I am proudly on the bandwagon! I'm loving it! Last Friday, LMJ watched the Opening Ceremony in awe! Seriously, Queenie, jumping off a helicopter with Mr Bond was simply brilliant. And light pink really suits you. Also, I'm available to housesit the corgis; I can provide references.

A young generation of athletes lit the Olympic torch together. Absolutely amazing! To me, this was the best part of the ceremony, bringing everyone together and truly inspiring a generation. I felt proud to be here.

The Olympics have brought about a new discovery for yours truly... I feel for this country as if it were my own, a little bit my own. As the games unfold, I find myself wanting everything to go well for more than just because; I am Portuguese, Portugal is my home, and am an adoptive daughter of this country too. It feels good! And while were at it, these Games will be excellent for me, cheering for three nations, Portugal, Brazil for LMrJ and Team GB! 

:: Women's Gymnastics. It is absolutely fabulous! My jaw has not quite got back to position yet... amazing!

:: The Olympic spirit! How wonderful it is to be part of it.

:: London so close. 

:: homemade red velvet cupcakes for LMJ. My heart just warmed up!

:: Champagne for the picnic, the pre-Olympics picnic. Style!

:: LMrJ. I miss him so but it is worth every single moment!

:: Olympic hockey... I like it!

:: friends who live close to the Olympic Park and let you sleep over.

:: laughing. I've laughing a lot these days and I love it!

My Monday has been filled with the Olympic spirit. I believe it is inspiring a generation, or several! I wish you all a wonderful week filled with inspiration and smiles.

::inspiring Mondays::

... on a Tuesday. More on that in a minute, after I let you know it's SUMMER in Oxford. Proper flip-flop-wearing summer with Pimms and picnics and sunshine and heat. That's how you make a Joey happy, you give her a little bit of summer when summer should be and it's done! 

Elke has been in Oxford until this morning which made my Monday feel like a long weekend of treats. Elke and the summer have made me a very happy lady indeed. We watched life go by with a glass of wine in the sunshine and we talked about our plans and our Ms. We had lovely and open chats about everything and nothing; it's so important to talk about nothing only to realise you feel full of happiness afterwards. 

:: SUMMER! 

:: ice cream 

:: sunshine! 

:: Elke. 

:: cooking projects. in spanish! 

:: picnics. 

:: SUMMER! 

:: having a garden 

:: Little Brother's emails. 

 :: Pimms in the sunshine. Oh yeah! 

I hope you had a lovely start to the week, wherever you are. I will leave you now to enjoy the summer. Have I told you we have a summer in Oxford? Yep, we do!

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via things we forget

::inspiring Mondays::

I'm here. I've been here a week and it now feels like home. An untidy-work-in-progress-but-oh-so-welcoming home. In fact, as I type I'm watching University Challenge, another part of my British education which I have yet to explore for more than one episode in a row.

It has rained for most of the day and I was lucky enough to watch it mostly from my bedroom window with coffee and a good email catch up. Yep, yours truly had this Monday off, not because it's Monday but because I needed a slow-paced day. I got one and it felt amazing. Mondays rule!, have I told you that?

:: Monday off warm feeling!

:: Coffee at home in the morning. Twice. Oh the smell of freshly made coffee!

:: Posting goodies to Little Brother and the parents. 

:: Smiling in my bedroom. 

:: Sunday lunch in East Oxford! It's home. Home with slow roast lamb and lemon possets, yummy!

:: Local shops that sell everything and anything. I'm loving this!

:: A classic, Mrs Doubtfire. Still laughing!

:: The cupboards in the kitchen. so old and cute!

:: Girly catch up over lunch.

:: Knitting club heartfelt chat. 

:: My desk. I have a big desk in my bedroom.

:: My sewing machine on said desk. So pretty it looks!

:: Yoda! ♥

How has your Monday been? I hope fulfilling, happy and dry; preferably with some sunshine! Or make your own sunshine :)

::inspiring Mondays::

 

... on a Tuesday, because...

I have moved house this weekend. It was an adventure which is now coming to an end, to let the real adventure begin. I have painted the bedroom (white, of course!) and moved (most of my things) the same day. I am tired and excited and tired and excited. And a bit more tired and excited.

The room is lovely, and more so now all white, with a big beautiful old window and a fireplace. It is chaotic at the moment, with the exception of the bed. Mum always told me "a well-made bed makes a room". And it does. Amidst all the confusion, there it is, my bed, welcoming with its fresh egyptian cotton sheets.

None of this weekend would have been possible without the help of my friends. Not just the ones who have helped me this weekend, at great pain to one of them who was ill, but to the ones who made reaching this weekend a smoother journey. I could tell you to choose your friends wisely, but none of this is my doing; I just happen to be this lucky when it comes to the people I know. So here goes, in no particular order.

:: Phil. without him I could not have painted the room. nor moved a great deal of my things. he had worked on Saturday and was ill. That, dear readers, is what my friends are like.

:: Nick. Who is housing my books (he who houses my books is in my heart forever!) and helped me move more bits and pieces yesterday. and made me laugh when I thought I'd cry of tiredness. and it wasn't funny at all!

:: Jamie. I had a nice place to stay over the last two months, where my boxes weren't a problem and living mainly off boxes was bearable, for we had Big Bang Theory and series night!

:: Mel. For helping me move boxes two months ago and cheering me up this time around. For sending me a text asking me if I wanted to go food shopping together. It just warmed my heart.

:: Rachel and Gavin. For helping me move two months ago, making the prospect of living off boxes for a while way less daunting and the move not stressful at all. And for introducing me to my new place. The window is amazing!

:: Elke. Texting me just the right things when my heart ws deflating. Sometimes, it's just about knowing we're in together, even if together is a thought. A strong thought.

:: Julie. For giving me the a space to breathe... one sometimes needs such a thing.

And so it is that while I sort my bedroom and can barely see the floor, I smile at the thought that I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by good people, my people. Hope you are too!

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via i can read

a suggestion

via Pinterest

::inspiring Mondays::

This is an inspiring Monday. It has to be. Otherwise why would I be laughing now? I'll explain. I haven't had a working phone line since last Wednesday. I woke up at 5:30 today and couldn't go back to sleep. I cycled to work and it rained... so I got there soaked. My visitors arrived late. I spilt lunch on my jeans and fleece; a nice orange sauce all over it, yep! And I ran for the bus with an open backpack filled with groceries that came flying out all over the street and the plums hit a lady in the head... yep... so there! But...

I didn't feel that tired. I changed into dry clothes and had a lovely homemade porridge in work. And coffee. My visitors were sweet and chatty and inspiring! I had another fleece and could just about wash my jeans. I got all my groceries back AND made the bus! Oh... and my phone works. So there!

:: a lovely girly weekend in Bristol ♥

:: that feeling you get when you laugh so much you think you'll never stop!

:: porridge. hot porridge when you need it.

:: LMJ has a working phone and likes it!

:: cream tea! 

:: girly cocktails!

:: massages.

:: cat cuddles.

:: the rain. it smells nice. or it makes the air smell nice.

:: dry clothes.

:: a working phone. it's quite important when your LMrJ is all the way over in Rio de Janeiro!

As I write this, I laugh a bit more at how good and bad a day can be. In the end, it's a bit of a story to tell and laughing is good. So Monday wins and I win. Who wins in your Monday? :)

little note to self

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