...

another day ends with a colorful sunset...let the coming hours, days, months bring light, hope, love, compassion and most of all #peace all over the world.

we're all made of the same material, we coexist in this world and we should learn to do it peacefully. no human being is better or more worthy than another, we are all equal!

whether you're religious or not it's irrelevant; what's happening in this world is not any religions fault it's the fault of humans who forgot the essence of humanity and use religion as an excuse for their acts. 

we should all respect others in the way we want to be respected, we should treat them in the way we would like to be treated and love others in the way we want to be loved. It might come as silly but that's all there is to it!

empathy, compassion, love, humanity, fellowship, friendship, respect, equality...words for which the real meaning is so often forgotten...and yet they're some of the most important ones!

better sore than sorry..

I've always wanted to be more active and find a sport that I would love practising but it wasn't easy finding, took me about 30 years to succeed but now I've even got two :)

I come from the seaside and always loved water sports though I wasn't any good at it but that was until I discovered Stand Up Paddle a couple years back and became an addict. SUP is an very complete sport which requires all muscle groups but at the same time it's amazingly relaxing for the mind and an excellent stress relief. Being quite silent the paddler will encounter a large variety of unafraid fish, ducks, swans, etc...<>< the landscapes, the feeling of freedom, the absence of civilisation noises as well as the sunsets on the water make it quite enjoyable as well ;)

To challenge my balance skills I decided to spice up the SUP session of this week with a bit of SUP yoga for beginners, loved the challenge though it will require some additional balance training training to become a bit more enjoyable and a little less challenging :P

SUP being more of a summer sport I needed some winter complement and let's face it snowboard is not really the activity I prefer, I do enjoy it but I'm not a passionate snowboarder so I needed something  different. 

Out of curiosity at the beginning of this year I decided to go to a pole dance class, I wanted to see for myself what it was and was prepared to laugh at my own lack of strength or ability in this activity. A good friend of mine had been practising for over a year in a nearby studio and so that's where I went to give it a try... I was really pleasantly surprised to see I could actually complete the poses which were being explained at this initiation class and that the best part was I was having lots of fun doing it. I tried a couple more times and that was it...I couldn't stop anymore :) I must say that pole dance is not only a very complete sport it's also very good fun, new friends of all shapes, sizes, nationalities and a much healthier lifestyle&mindset. Oh and I forgot a complete stress killer as there's no place for stress when poling! :)

I have to say a very big thank you to all the awesome instructors @PinUp Studio as well as my fellow polers for the hard workout sessions, the killer warm ups, the ongoing support, the very helpful tips & advices, the fun & laughs, the improvised photo sessions and for all the jokes & good times we shared and will share in the future!

Recipe for a chilled afternoon...

After a rainy & lazy morning busy at giving a try to homemade nail art I was still in the mood for creation...

I decided to do some homemade wellness products. As I never did this before I decided to go for something simple; I would try a chocolate flavoured lip scrub...yummy & useful to prepare the lips for spring whenever it comes! The recipe is very easy and I had all the ingredients at home, so I gave it a try...the result looks really yummy but no, I shall not eat it!! What I will do is share the result & recipe with you.

Why stop when it started so well. I have been searching for a good natural face cleanser so why not make one myself, secret ingredient... honey, I read it's very efficient and antibacterial also that it makes the skin really soft, recipe of the honey face cleanser below for your own testing ;)

Lips & face having had a treat, the body needed its own and for this nothing better than a coconut sugar scrub, very easy and quick to prepare so no excuses. 

Once all these treats are ready, store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

My recipe for a chilled Sunday afternoon...

Ingredients

Your gracious self ^^

Chocolate flavoured lip scrub

Honey face cleanser

Coconut sugar body scrub

All ingredients may be changed at will except for the first one :) 

Preparation

Take a walk, do some stretching or yoga and/or just have a bath, use the coconut sugar scrub on your body and the honey cleanser on the face and leave for a couple minutes. While you wait use the chocolate flavoured lip scrub on the lips and massage. Rinse it all with warm water and dry with a fluffy soft towel, drink a warm tea and read a book or watch a movie...

Result

A very chilled & relaxed you with a soft and nicely perfumed skin ;)

Enjoy!

throwback thursday

I grew up in a Portuguese house and that alone says a lot...Portuguese are generally spontaneously happy and sociable persons, well the ones I know are. We are also commonly very noisy, we talk a lot, we eat a lot or maybe not the new generations with all the be fit, be healthy, be thin blabla. I was raised for a part of my life by my grandparents with my brother in Portugal as my mom and dad worked hard to make a living, I didn't know back then how hard but now that I'm all grown up I can see how much of a struggle that might have been. Growing with grandparents has its perks but it also has its bad sides but that's not what you remember really when thinking of it later in life. All in all I did have an amazing time with them and a very special youth.

When growing up we changed country with my bro and joined our mom in Switzerland, we lost a bit touch with the family that was there but we would go there anytime possible for holidays with the family, the sun and the sea....I do miss the sea a lot around all these stunningly beautiful mountains.

My grandparents having lived a long life and being in their oldies, they joined us here and that was strange after such a long time but nice to know they were around. I must admit I'm not much of a family person but even though I don't always say it or even show it, it makes me happy to know they are around and/or at reach. I will always be there for them if they need me but I might not inquiry if they do if they don't speak for themselves.

I realised yesterday that my grandmother was 84 and my grandfather 86, I wouldn't have said that much. Even though I'm very bad with ages, this fact really surprised me as I don't give much importance to age I never really ask myself how old people are and in one week time i realised that my loved one are getting older and they inevitably they will fall asleep one last time at anytime. I feel sad, sad that it took me so long to realise this and I say this despite having no regrets, I mean I don't have any unsaids or undones that I missed but why does it have to take the loss of a dear one for us humans to realise how rich we all are. I lost my dear gramma this week and I am sad I will never see her again or talk to her again but I am happy at the same time, she had a long life and her old age was a difficult time for her...now she is finally peaceful and resting. 

I truly realised even though I am sure somehow I might forget with time and our stressy lifes that we are rich by the people we surround ourselves with. It might be family, friends, loved ones...whoever it is we should always remember that they are there and even if like me you're not always good at showing it...try to at least sometimes, never tak anyone or anything you love for granted, they might just not be there anymore tomorrow.

To all my family members (the ones above&the others, the ones who read English please pass it around to the ones not on Facebook) but also to all my dear friends and anyone else dear to my heart (you know who you are), I have to tell you that I really love you all and that I am here might you ever need me and that does not only mean in case of trouble ;)

I might be silent but I did not forget any of you and I wanted you to know it!

Special note to my stepdad, I will translate but what can I say...my brain thinks in English! ;)

Aqueous transmission

The tittle of this post is inspired by the song I was listening to, feel free to listen to it while you read. I just love this song: Aqueous transmission by Incubus (http://youtu.be/3k0-sGqxIiQ). This song makes me think of the ocean ever single time I listen to it. I grew up next to it and have to admit it's the only thing I constantly miss from my country. There's nothing more relaxing than the sound of the waves crashing on the sand on a warm sunny day.

I had a pretty chilled weekend with friends, at home, with sports & yoga and I must insist life is made out of the little things...the small moments, the little attentions. Always enjoy your loved ones, you never know when they will be taken from you ;)

I'm fairly new to yoga but find it to be very enjoyable and somewhat visually beautiful...when you're good at it not really my case yet but I manage some cute yoga shots now and then.

Looking forward to summer & warmth to try yoga on the lake with the SUP [ô.ô]

I don't know if it's the yoga, the song, both or just the memory its self but feeling so relaxed brought be back to this aqueous transmission I wrote some years back...

'I've sailed through warm waters

As well as frozen lakes

I sail because I have no choice 

And I sing until I have no voice

I want to find what's further down the river

So I'll sing until I float away

Sometimes I look back and see

The many mistakes I have made

I'm just protecting the flame

Making my own way through

The uncertain waters of life

Many times I fought doubts

Doubts I'll ever find what's to be found

But I smile, I smile at life

I just want to enjoy the ride

The largest trip I'll ever make

I don't want my dreams broken

So I sail further down the river

Hoping to discover soon

Where they're taking me

What the purpose of the trip is

I cannot be certain

I sure hope to be getting closer

And that I will reach it someway'

020112

    Amsterdam, 2015

<creative afternoon>

Some days you just have to move and get something done out of your own hands....I've been procrastinating yet wanting to do some clothes repurposing of some stuff I never use so what better than a lazy & sunny afternoon to stop procrastinating and do so...I decided to start with a cute little pair of shorts that I made out of some used denim blue jeans...I'm quite happy with the result [^_^]

After I decided to modify a tshirt that I loved when I bought it but never seemed to find how/when to wear and make it a cute little girly top which I will more easily know how/when to wear hopefully! 

As I can never do something without making myself a new piece of jewelry I now have a new & super cute blue & white fabric ring which I love already <3

I started a couple other things...a sport shirt out of a colorful Adidas tshirt I won at a run last year as well as a cute mini skirt and some hand warmers but those are still in progress ... 🕔🕒 

All creations by ::les tresors de lyl::

Introduction

Got to start somewhere so I'll go for a small and hopefully not boring introduction...

I am a mess; I laugh, I cry, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm silly sometimes and crazy some others ... basically I am human like all of you; my thoughts and emotions flicker and change every single hour of every single day. I like writing, reading, taking photos and editing them, I love stand up paddle board and more recently discovered pole dancing as a sport which I am already slowly getting addicted to. I make some jewellery and some decos and I love spending a good time with good friends & loved ones. I live with my man that loves me and can somehow stand me day by day (don't know how but I guess I'm just lucky). I am an animal lover but cats&kittens are my favs so you're bound to see them popping by anyday, we have two black cats Onyx & Smoky and they are my babies as I like to say.

 I am in my thirties and I still have lots of things I want to do some day but never find the time or courage or both but I'd like it to change ... I have lots of dreams but if you blankly ask me the question I'll be speechless and won't know what to say. 😉 I have my head in the clouds but my feet are on concrete ground...tricky combination but it seems it's the one i need to be free.

I think you know it all or at least I can't think of anything else to say, enjoy the read and come back anytime!

Old idea, new beginning...

'Life is a series of steps that lead to happiness, writing helps me to follow this road . I share with you my thoughts, my writtings , my photos or my favorites of the moment.'

I decided that I needed to start writing and sharing even though no one might read it but creating my first blog a long time ago helped so I'll give it another try and as English became the fav language to express myself this little bundle of free expression will be mostly in English but it might also be in French or Portuguese depending on the mood of the moment 😏 

I also started today publishing online for reading some of my writtings and intend to continue...so far it's mostly poetry but someday I might finish the two stories I started long ago...

You should read "fl|cker|ng thoughts" on Wattpad #poetry http://w.tt/19AIPOU Download the App Now! http://w.tt/app-ios-s

I realise I am rusty at this...haven't used my old blog since 2010 but it will be a fun thing to restart and hope you enjoy it!