Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Today I'm thankful for Saturday morning sleep ins, because I'm really not good at mornings. My plan this week was to start waking up at 6am, and I haven't made good progress so far, but hey, there's always tomorrow!

(image from http://uppercasemagazine.com)

Anyway I think it's good to ensure you get the sleep you need, and I am pretty renowned for having power naps. I never get sick anymore, (touch wood), because as soon as I feel run down, I sleep, and it seems to keep my immune system ticking along happily. 

I owe a lot of this napping style to my sweet Dad, who has always felt relaxed about taking a nap when one is needed. He is a night owl like me, and compensates for lack of night sleep hours by crashing out during the day when he can.

I also owe my belief in napping to the incredible SARK, a writer of colourful self-help books who wrote this one to my utter delight:

If you're into napping, this book will help free you of guilt. I've had my own copy for years!

Anyway, who doesn't love the look of a welcoming bed?

(image from http://piajanebijkerk.com/)

In the 1001 Ways to Relax book, which is a fantastic book for ideas to beat stress, you can invite peaceful sleep by doing these things:

"Lay your head on a pillow or cushion to release anger and tension. Imagine it's a sponge sucking and absorbing all the tensions and frustrations out of your mind, like blotting paper, from which they evaporate into the air."

"Select your bedtime reading carefully. Current affairs can re-renergise your mind at the wrong time. Restrict yourself to poetry or fiction suitable for mulling over as you drift off to sleep."

(image from http://davidrobertsbooks.com)

"Never take work to bed! However tempting it may be to read a report in bed, this will blur the boundaries between work and rest, making it more difficult for you to switch off from work concerns when it's time for you to sleep."

"Make peace with the world before you go to sleep with a simple prayer of forgiveness for yourself and
anyone else who may have disturbed your equilibrium."

"Use images to prime restful sleep. Some people can cue pleasant dreams by meditating on a positive subject - a cherished friend, a much-loved landscape, or a masterpiece of art - for a few minutes before they go to bed. Choose a subject that evokes calm. Meditate on it before sleeping and after waking from nightmares to avoid slipping back into the same bad dreams."

Enjoy and celebrate sleep, and take that nap if you need it!

Linking up with Maxabella Loves 52 Weeks of Grateful.

and Rusty and Redone's Keep It Simple Saturday

 xx

Friday Funny - T-shirts That Make me Giggle

Whenever I want to have a bit of a laugh I Google "funny t-shirts" so I can read some funny slogans.

Here are some for you from noisebot.com. Hope they make you giggle!

Joining up with Shelly at Tropical Mum for Friday Funny. See you there! xx

Make A Change: Waking Up Early

Each week, lately, I have been taking a look at myself and making a change.

I gave up fizzy drinks...easily, there is no nutritional value in them whatsoever!

I've been reading my scriptures, and taking notes!

I've been trying to go to bed at 10.30pm (not really working, but I have been getting to bed before 12 which is better, at least)

I've given up cake...pretty easily, except I reached out for a muffin the other day, and had to mentally slap my hand to back off!

And now I'm trying for Waking Up Early. I usually wake up about 7am, but I'd like to get up at 6am. I really enjoy that extra hour of sleep, but I need to get more of a move on in the morning.

So starting tomorrow, I will be an early bird!

 (Image from someprints.com)

What time do you wake up in the morning?

xx

Wordless Wednesday - Outside Our Front Door

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys Aussie Wordless Wednesday.

Screen Idols - Gwyneth Paltrow

I am having a bit of a Gwyneth Paltrow fest at the moment. After reading Emma I had to watch the movie, and it was MUCH, MUCH more interesting than the book! And Gwyneth was so good! I wish she would act in more period films, because she is so suited to them! Now I'm reading Possession and she's in that movie too, so I plan to watch it asap.

These are the movies she has been in, that I loved:

Emma (look at that setting!)

Shallow Hal (look at that hair and make-up!)

Shakespeare in Love (look at that costume!)

Sliding Doors (look at that sophistication!)

The Talented Mr Ripley (look at that hunk! hee hee)

and

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Oh, there he is again!)

I think I'd also enjoy

Sylvia

Running with Scissors

and Proof
because of their links with books.

What do you think? Have you seen any of these  films? Did you like them?

I also loved her singing Cruisin'

and Forget You (but couldn't find a video of that...)

She's been on a cooking show called Spain, On the Road Again

She's written cookbooks

and has her own lifestyle website called goop.com

She always looks stunning:

She has a cute, talented husband (who incidentally was featured in my recent Sunday Session post),

her children have unique names (Apple and Moses, if you didn't already know),

and she has a unique name too - who else do you know called Gwyneth??

So, other than a few dud movies (namely Duets and View from the Top) I think Gwyneth Paltrow is quite brilliant!
What's not to like?

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

I am still making my way through Possession at the moment, and I am enjoying it.

It's not a page turner, but it is holding my interest. It is all about poets and libraries, lost letters and scholars. It is the story of  Maud Bailey and Roland Michell and their search for information about two poets, Raymond Henry Ash and Christobel La Motte. The study of the poets' work is paramount, but those parts of the book often read like a critical essay, so I find myself more taken by the story of the scholars than the story of the poets themselves.

In fact it is a little slow moving, and I can't believe I actually Googled the plot summary, because I couldn't wait for the book to tell me the 'tragedy' in their lives that the book's blurb told me was coming!

Not usually my style, but there was a part of me that just wanted to cut to the chase. I still like the writing though, so I will continue to read on. Also, I think it is genius that Byatt invented two literary poets and their works, along with other works from the Victorian era. Incredible author! 

Next on my reading list is a book, I thrifted on the weekend, called One More Time, by Damien Leith of Australian Idol fame. Good on him for being multi-talented.

His book looks and sounds like the Alchemist, and is a bit of an interlude before I start another big book, The Mists of Avalon.

I'm linking up with Sheila's Book Journey to see what my bookish friends are reading this week!

xx

Thrifted Finds

Yesterday we went along to the Capricorn Festival, for a little adventure. There were lots of cute little stalls and a Senior Citz stall, where they were selling trinkets, books, and homewares
at thrify prices.

I saw this mirror and the cogs in my head went into overdrive thinking how I could upcycle it. Actually the angle of this photo makes it look like the bigger scrolls at the top and bottom don't line up,
but they do!

I'm going to paint the frame black and replace the mirror with a print. (Don't know when, I'll get back to you on that one!) 

So today I'm playing along with Sophie's Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures for the first time! Come and see what else people have been finding on their thrifting adventures!

xx