These are a few of my favourite things…

Lately I´ve been experiencing all sorts of moods and feelings, no outburst, just more like an inner expression and beneath my soul kind of feeling. These are triggered by a song, a bird, anything really, from random over-exhilarating excitement to simple smiles, must be something in the weather. A sunny clear blue sky in January is more than anything to smile about, not forgetting the fact that there´s life and music and joy in our lives.

This morning I find myself reflecting on little things, things I hear, see, touch, feel, little things that have some kind of magic to transform my mood from idleness to lingering smiles. I think its good practice to write down things that cause this sort of effect on you, Maria in The Sound of Music referred to them as her favourite things, could they be?

This January, a week or so into the new year, I am currently loving:
My Bonsai Tree:
A little story about this: I got it as one of my Christmas presents, very excited to have and very terrified that I will end up actually killing it, I hoping the latter doesn´t happen, but I do have a bad history with plants so I am truly hoping it definitely doesn´t die. A friend of mine told me that the art of keeping a Bonsai is in the act of not trying to kill while it dies… something along those lines. Now that I think about it, I am trying desperately hard to remember to water my tree, its an indoor tree and because my living room has direct light coming in from my balcony, I don´t have to worry too much of light etc. I do however tend to worry about whether the water in my tree would dry out if I turn the central heating on? Any ideas on how to keep this tree going without killing it? The worst thing ever – I did not know for a while that I was in possession of a Bonsai! The perfect Palm-face here.

This sweatshirt:
The first time I laid eyes on a sweatshirt that said KALE I have to say I was immediately impressed! Thanks to Beyonce´s 7/11 Video. I loved it not because I love kale too much but mainly because when you are Ugandan, the word ´Kale´literally means “OK” in Luganda. Since I am planning a summer trip to Uganda this August, this would be the perfect sweatshirt for particular times of the day of course. Doubt I could survive mid-day with this on and if anything, you can always wear this anywhere and everyone will know your a super kale lover! I am loving sweatshirts that say all sort of  meaningless meaningful things, I´ve got my eye on a few so who knows what next week´s OTTD will be.

“Wave your hands side to side, put it in the air Clap, clap, clap like you don’t care” Beyonce

Our Vinyl Player and the vintage sounds of Aertha Franklin:

At Christmas, I got my love this unbelievably impressive Vinyl player, little did I know that later I would fall madly in love with the nostalgic sounds it played. Aertha Franklin is one of our favourites, we´ve probably played the record too many times and in such a small amount of time, somehow though we are still very content. Obviously he makes sure that when someone comes home, they get to listen to a little bit of Aertha or Nina (sadly, we currently own a vinyl player and only 2 records), we make it work and we love it when other people love it too. I just can´t wait to fill out the shelf with more sounds — the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Etta James and even Micheal Jackson, I like to keep it Current but with hints of Vintage.

This clock in my house:
Apart from my family and friends, I don´t miss much in London. I found myself in IKEA staring at this clock, printed with a photograph of Brighton Hove District, it takes me back to London, not the city per se, but the idea of London, the way things are done, the air, the space, the transport. Its a bittersweet transportation of the mind because part of doesn´t want to remember but there is a little part of me that craves a time when I was happy in London. This clock brings those memories back and its nice.