{quotable thursdays}

In honour of International Women's Day, I'm posting a little quote/drawing I did for my guest bedroom:

A reminder that size does not determine one's strength...and a nod to all the wonderful women in my life who make me want to be a better person and who offer such examples of strength in so many diverse ways!
xo
L

{quotable thursdays}

Happy Thursday!!
Well, once again I'm snowed under with work...but I just had to give a moment today to a quote (or two). As you might know, a few weeks ago we had our sisters reunion, which was fantastic. More on that later, but since then I have been feeling so inspired by my dear sisters and feeling so uplifted with love...I thought I'd post some inspirational quotes.
 If I've learned anything from the amazing women in my family, it is the knowledge that sometimes it's the silent 'do-ers' who can achieve the most:

{both from a greatsite}

Lots of pics to share, but here are a few of my favourite from the reunion:

{at Woburn Abbey}

xo,
L

{quotable thursdays}

It's international women's month, so today I'm choosing a short & punchy quote:

{she persisted}

That quote could simply read 'she persisted' and it would reveal the strength of so many women, past and present, who have persisted in the face of adversity. Whether it's famine, abuse, discrimination, or simply the challenges of everyday life.
Last weekend I had a group of amazing women over for brunch. We met through poppy loves bookclub in London and I invited them out for a 'day in the country'. We brunched and chatted and then went for a country walk. By the end of the day, I felt lighter, happier, and simply positive.

{all laughs!}

 It's wonderful what happens when you surround yourself with amazing women.
Thanks to all the inspiring women in my life!
xx
L

{hen party in Athens}

What better way to spend an afternoon then having a hen party at a spa in Athens? As you know, I was in Athens for a good friend's wedding. Since all of us were coming from all over, we decided to have a hen party the day before the wedding. I organised a spa afternoon at a spa in central Athens, which was divine. Fish Spa Athens, is clean & lovely, but the best part was that the staff were so friendly. Fotis, who I did all the organising with was so helpful, after I kept chopping & changing times & the amount of people. I only knew the bride, so trying to organise 8 girls coming from the UK, America, Jordan, Hungary, Germany and I can't remember from where else, was a bit of a task!
The prices were really reasonable, and they let us bring in champagne (& they provided proper glasses); we also brought in food & they were just so happy to accommodate us. I got a full body massage and a pedicure and manicure...it was all so very relaxing after a few very busy months.
Even better, they took loads of photos of all of us, so we've got pics to remember it by.

{I bought some hats, a tiara & made a little 'bride badge' before I left}

{the bride, arriving at the spa}

{at fish spa!!}

{we went to a variety of places for drinks/dinner: we started in central Athens}

{then ate dinner at this lovely place in Piraeus, with these lovely tiles--it was incredibly cheap & oh so good!}

we finished the night having drinks at the seaside in Piraeus...

such a lovely day!

xo

L

{happy 40th birthday to my sis!}

If you read my blog, you'll know I have 4 older sisters. The second eldest turns 40 today. I miss her so much--she lives in Mexico, I live in London...and all I want to do is take her out for dinner & drinks & celebrate. So, in lieu, here are some pics celebrating her 40 years. We shared a room when she was in high school & I was only a wee lass...she always had the coolest clothes, blaring the greatest music, and had such a passion for life. Rach is the person you want to be next to at a party--people flock to her laughter, her sense of style, her sense of adventure, and her general 'fun-ness.' You know if Rach is around, there's sure to be a party and a lot of laughing...whether it's on the bus and you're teenagers and she's pretending to be from somewhere else and putting on an accent and everyone is looking at you in interest, or you're in some foreign country on a boat, where there's no running water, (and  no fresh water at that), and she'll waltz into a hotel, pretending she's a guest there, and get you a lovely chair at the side of the pool, no questions asked.
Happy Birthday Rach--I love you to bits! Here's to 40+ more...looking forward to all the fun times ahead!
xoxo
tinza

{montage of some of the early years}

{her passion for the sun & fun was fostered at an early age in the Bahamas}

{on Pacific Swift somewhere in the Caribbean}

{a beautiful bride!}

{having too much fun!}

{in Vegas for her b-day 6 years ago}

{us in Mexico in 2009}

{sisters!!}

{beach babes}

{5 sisters, Christmas 2012}

{brilliant business advice}

{women at work how far we've come from. women often offer a unique perspective in the work place and in business}

Can I promote another blog? I never do. My sister, the founder of Hipona Consulting, offers brilliant business advice. She does not approach business with a cold-hearted, cut-throat mindset, but thinks carefully & compassionately about what makes a good business work. She's witty, smart, & funny & her blog is equally as eloquent, compassionate, and insightful. Living in Ecuador, she offers a unique perspective on the Latin American  business world, but also a unique perspective on life in general. Much of her advice can be as much applied to business situations as it can be to life.
In her own words, she founded Hipona Consulting "after observing a need for organizations to make better decisions (and make ideas work) based on really knowing and listening to their stakeholders." So if you want savvy words from an amazing woman, check out her blog here. She also writes for America Economia, sort of the equivalent of the Economist.
There's nothing like a big sister who is a wonderful role model, as well as a best friend. For an interesting BBC discussion on the role women play in leadership roles, click here.
xo
L