Tag Archives: friends

Party Style – Spring is here….

13 Mar

Today I want to start another series on my blog! Simply called Party Style.

My big passion lies in setting a scene for an event and I decided to pursue it more.

In this series I will feature some “teasers” for table settings which will hopefully inspire you when you host a little get together of your own. When you put a little passion into preparing for the next party, it will surely shows.  It is always nice when friends know that you took a little extra care preparing for the time you share.

Today we kick off the series inspired by SPRING.

Spring is here…..Winter is gone (well, supposedly !).

Why not celebrate by inviting a few friends over for a casual chat and dust off the winter blues with a bright, cheerful setting that will certainly invite the sun out !

I used the fresh flowers that I got from the market to inspire the rest of my color scheme.

Candles always add in creating atmosphere –  be it day or night when you entertain. Light a candle – especially if it has a lovely fragrance complimenting the fragrance of the flowers.

Color coördination is key to make visual impact. Make sure everything matches perfectly. It pleases the eye. Detail will make the difference ! When you have a table-cloth that has a design, try to stick to plain color napkins, plates and glasses. It gets too busy if you put cups and plates with a design on a table-cloth that has a print already. The same goes vice versa – you can use printed plates or glasses or pretty napkins when you use your table-cloth as an undertone of color.

Napkins always provide great opportunity to add a little something extra if you have time for a little effort and attention to detail. Make your own “napkin rings” with any small, inexpensive ornament and a ribbon.

If you are in my area, and you need help or a consultation on planning and preparing the space for your next elite event..be it a special birthday, a baby shower, a dinner, a business reception or any elite occasion that needs a bit more brainstorming than you feel capable of, contact me via e-mail for help at ioblog@me.com.

Hope the weather will allow us all to have a happy Spring-inspired celebration with the beautiful colors that are awaiting us all this Spring despite all the devastation brought upon us in the world over the last couple of days! Our thoughts are with all those who suffered tremendous losses and chaos and our hopes are for speedy relief !

Ilze

The difference is in… FRIENDS

6 Feb

Dear Friends

I have to admit. I got stuck a little. I have so many ideas for my blog, but as I reported earlier I needed to take the plunge…and so I did !!

I am moving my blog..but more details to come.

It has kept me from focusing my attention on all the wonderful posts I have in my head but I am hoping that problem will be of the past soon.

For now, I just want to tell all my friends how much I appreciate you and the wonderful support I am getting for my blog. It inspires me greatly. So, here is to your all…!!!!

Just in this past week, Friends made my day in so many various ways…

– sending me a mail to say that you read my blog even though you hardly know what it is and never comment !

– hearing from new friends who got introduced to my blog by old friends

– getting texts from a friend out of the blue from a weird number I don’t even know…. but hearing that she is thinking of me and wishing I was there..wishing me a happy Year of the Rabbit !

– hearing that another friend who moved just after I moved here, is moving BACK ….I am SOO excited !

– we just went on a breakaway weekend and hooked up with a couple of friends at the resort we went to. It was so much more fun to spend an evening having fun with a group of friends than spending the time on our own!

So – celebrating friendships in many ways today as I feel blessed to have so many friends in my life who is making this world a better place to be in !

And with that – I share with you my mini-cake stand that I bought this December. I just love it

I bought it in the small town of Parys, South Africa at the shop Thatzit! Unfortunately they do not have a website up to which I could link you up…but if you are in South Africa – do yourself a favour and visit them. You can find them at 100 Bree Street, Parys and tel nr: 072-545-4655 or ask info@parysanddome.co.za

They have fabulous finds and next time I go, I will be sure to do a full write-up.

Yes – sadly I have no decorated cupcakes to fancy it up right now…. but that is what you get from being away and coming home unpacking – no home-baked goodies for photo styling !

But – THANK YOU FRIENDS !!!

Each of you reading my blog or being in my life just makes my happy.

I will always love you.

Ilze

Sharing our burden

8 Dec

Life was so different since I got that call in Vietnam about my mother’s health… and I have not even shown my pictures to my lovely husband since I returned.

But today I looked at them…and spotted this one that I took the day before I got the news. Before it would have been just another picture, but given the context of my life the past few weeks, it got new meaning…. as life-changing events make you see things differently.

It reminded me of how we carry our heavy burden during a time like this while life around us carries on….

In fact …things around me whizz by at top speed, while I have felt a heaviness and have been moving at a slow pace.

We all grief differently, but I decided to share my load…. by sharing my pain, my photo memories of my mom and by blogging about her  passing away.

It is wonderful how each and every one of my friends responded and took that burden off my shoulders…by sharing my feelings, acknowledging my pain, even shedding tears for me, offering help and support, by listening to me and simply gave me the space to be who I am and to just make me aware of the fact that they are all there for me….

Imagine this woman’s load taken off her shoulders and be carried further by 97 strong people …. it almost starts to seem ridiculously light in that scenario…..which would totally allow her to start to focus on other things again and to be able to bend, stretch and reach out to others again. How much lighter my load became when almost a hundred friends each personally sent me a note, a mail, a facebook message, called, visited….some whom have never even met my mother…but they know me and they care….

I feel blessed beyond measure…

I want to thank each and every one who stood by me and my family.

I will miss my mother every day, but I feel every day how my spirit is lifting and how the people around me are helping me to carry on….without the load on my shoulders alone.

I feel inspired to start blogging again   – and that is a good sign.

I hope to write a few posts before the year ends…and I am looking forward to the New Year, hoping to bring you some great posts from all over about Life’s little details!

Ilze

Off to Hong Kong

28 Oct

This weekend I will be off to Hong Kong with my husband and some fabulous friends to have a fun time…

So, to get myself geared up I started browsing around for things I am currently in the mood for …. just looking……

But ooohh..it’s luring me in !!!

To give you a peep into what caught my eye… I have included one of my sets down below…

It’s fun to build your own little collection and here is the site I used to put together my ensemble… go try it at Polyvore …..you will have fun too playing around with all those items that usually stare at us from the windows or inside the beautiful stores. Now you can get your whole wishlist together without leaving home. Who needs Hong Kong to go shopping?

I’m still going though…. because some things the internet simply can’t replace – like the good company of the friends who will join us there !

Have yourselves a happy weekend – be it in HONG KONG or at HOME !!!!

Back soon,

Ilze xo

Hong Kong

Hong Kong by idodetail featuring a sleeveless blouse

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