KIDDO, LET'S GO.

I don’t think there is anything better than waking up next to someone and feeling that first emotion of a smile. Knowing that this person you wake up next to is a better half of you than you even know. For 3 years I’ve been waking up next to me. I greet myself with a smile and know that today, today it’s me with the world.

This is a little memo to myself, so bare with me as I kick my own ass into touch for the next 500 words.

Kiddo, when will you learn that you are allowed to make bad decisions? You are allowed to fuck up. Simple. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be that girl that has created a path of infinite adventurous opportunities that get you out of bed every morning. If you broke it, you sure bought it but let that souvenir remind you that, you should not do it again. So stop. Respect yourself to let things go that don’t make you happy, and if by some divine luck you’re able to change that, then trust your gut to know that you’re not pulling the wool over your own eyes.

Find routine. You’re not superman. You need to know when to stop and let the air touch your face. So get out of bed god dammit, 6am is when some people start work, and you should find that time as yours. Be quiet and be still, reflect on the day that’s about to embrace you and then, get your growing butt into gym. Sweat it out and feel that burn, you know how good you feel when you walk out of that muscle infested space. You feel alive. Give that to yourself - there is only one you. And I’d prefer it if you had a hot ass. Thanks.

My love, it’s time to get rid of the bad relationships in your life. You don’t deserve to suffer for the sake of someone else’s lack of vision. You will never be able to change them, they’re selfishly intertwined in their own life and the reason they keep taking you down with them is because you allow them. Stop this, it’s ruining you. You deserve a team mate, not an opposition. You deserve a best friend with a great penis, not an asshole with the right moves. You deserve someone that wants to be with you, every minute, not the guy that finds you 20 people down his WhatsApp list. Please be kind to your heart, and ditch the frown that once had a smile. When you laugh you make the world a happier place, I want to hear it more often.

Stop spending money on memories that last an hour. Start spending your money on memories that you can look back on as life experience. It’s silly really. Ok, maybe you do need a new pair of heels, but that’s because you live in Joburg and heels look good on you and when you look good, you are happy. Spend a little money on happiness. But put some away too, you’re healthy kid but you might not always be so, just think ahead.

Learn to prioritise your friendships. You have such a wonderful gift of making new friends, start following up with them. You have no reason to feel lonely. Check that contact list, gurl you got a lot of friends in there that may not be thinking about you all the time but sure would love to hear about your life in excuse for a glass of wine. We’re all just as scared of each other - break that ice and pour him/her another one.

And lastly, love your family. Yes, they’re a bunch of hooligans and yes, they’re not perfect. But nobody has a perfect family. You didn’t turn out too badly so they must have done something right. Call your Dad. Often. He’s not going to call you, remember you left, you need to keep him in the loop. He’s not around forever babe, he needs you, even for a laugh it’s reminding you where you came from. Get that head back down to earth please.

So Miss AdailyJem, You think you heard what I have to say this time? Live a life that makes you feel alive, the minute you start to doubt a decision, get the hell up and run. Run into the arms of a handsome stranger, and only let go when you feel you can feel that head of ours rationalise a dodgy situation. You’ve got this, we’ve got this. Now wake up!

Questions - Day 60 (about)

There is something out there.

I wake up every morning, stretch and slip into a wonder of something close but yet unattainable.
The first question I ask myself is never a surprise, "What's for breakfast?"
The second is a little scary, "How am I going to make today matter?"
The third, is a statement disguised as a question. "Get up, don't press snooze, go run(?), now."

Squished between the reality of my life is a niggling quest of a question. Often ignored and put aside in the "Post-it" section of my brain. To do's later, I'll get around to it tomorrow's.
Tomorrow was 365 days ago.
There is less than 10 hours to go in today and nope, nothing quite life changing has surfaced.

Do expectations drive our purpose? 
We get a job, we are expected to behave in a manner of conduct, we quit our job. We live without purpose until we give way to stability and arrive back at the register to sign ourselves back into expectation. Because living a life we want, is beyond what we are expected and that's just silly, right?

What defines happiness?
I recently got questioned for my ultra positive personality. What makes ME so happy ALL THE TIME? Life does. A shift that if I find that sparkle and write my name in the sky it will never dull. I can't explain it - it's just happened. Wiki says, "Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion."
Can't fault them there.

What drives a million dollar idea? 
I heard a statement once. "Everyone will have at least three million dollar ideas in their lifetime." The other morning I woke up with an euphoric emotion. I seriously had a million dollar idea. I was going to be rich, I was going to be famous, I was, I was, I was… and then the 3 F's appeared:
Faith, Fear and Failure.
I put down my pen and closed the door.
Don't wag your finger at me.
I believe a synonymous moment, injected with a spark of genius, and a clock on the right hand, is what generates a pipe dream into an employed vacation.
All actionable by determination. Obvies.

These challenging prods make up the russian roulette in my brain. Circling like a Sharknado, unable to synergise into my life map.

I know one day after spending all this time grabbing at the short straws, I'll get my hands on the long one.

"HAH! Got it!" and turn around and tell you guys, "I told you so."

But right now, today, I could just let it pass. This quest to awesomeness that I chase daily is getting a little exhausting.

You know what I am talking about. - Day 13

You control your own happiness.

But then along comes someone that flips it on it's side and completely messes with your mind.
It's been a fascinating day, a lot of deep thoughts and finding myself in equally deep conversations. For a Monday it sure has shown what it thinks of the rest of the week. Middle finger up.

First of all, let's get this straight. Men and woman think differently. Why? Because they ARE different. There is no simpler way to describe it. Trying to figure out why a man acts in a certain way is just going to waste your thought space. If he digs you, he'll show you. If he wants to talk to you, he'll talk to you. And if he wants to get into your pants, by God he will find a way.

Yes, from a female point of view it's a selfish action.

And, no, most probably, you won't have a say.

Then there are those, oh Jesus, there are those that well, are different. The 'I don't play by the rules' Mike. Their rules, are goals, no woman nor invitation of romance can step on this guys path to greatness. Of course you want to date him, just look at him. Successful, head strong, caring, knows what he want's type of guy. But you, fearless female are not on his goal posts. This type of guy will lead you straight down a path to confusion-ville. Why? Because he is the nice guy, he really is quite oblivious to your intentions and will play that friend card so well you will feel like you are half way there.

I try not to play games, it's not in 'my' rule book. I've lead a very happy single life for almost 2 years, found great friendships with guys and well become, to my shocked face realization, the girl friend, girl. I am sorry, but this is NOT who I am, of course I want a relationship? Just because I am 100% happy with being Jemma, doesn't mean that Dr Dashing can't claim a shelf.

I am a great believer in manifestation. I put my order in 'upstairs' and most of the time I get what I want. This time however my MAN-ifestation is in front of me, so ridiculously tangible yet unattainable. Is this my fault? Have I been handing out this friend card in fear of something real happening? I think any girl reading this knows exactly how I feel, one step out of the comfort zone and it's all yes, YES or the probability of a no. Fucking hell.

So then I circle back to the men and women are different. Men, not so much the Michelangelo thinker. Women, scenarios of circumstances that are enough to drive us crazy. But it's our own fault. We string along a pleasurable fantasy completely oblivious to the opposite sex, in fear of living a pleasurable reality. Where really we should MAN up and say, "I dig you, wanna date?".

Ameezing, fashion, happiness

Did you know that there are blogs out there that are purely for the benefit of a good heart-warming sesh? These three blogs are what I like to call my daily outings from the world of brands and SM (Social Media), little pieces of adventure that occupy my morning coffee. Bookmark, tag them and tab them - these posts of prettiness (and awkwardness and real life dramas and fashion fantasies and creative passion) are to be your best friends. Forever.

1. Ameezing

This is Camilla, and this is her All Things AMEEZING blog. Gosh what I wouldn't be able to accomplish if I didn't have a piece of her life to start off my day. She writes in real time all the way from the bottom of her sometimes aching heart to the tips of her daily doing shoes. Each post is so delicately put together, you'll need to make a cup of tea, call the cat on your lap and savor up every vowel. In my words, amazing.
http://ameezing.wordpress.com/


2. Happiness is...

This may or may not be one of my best friends, and I promise I am not going to be biased but I also have to say that I will be. Dear Fathima, Happiness is… you. Thank you for fulling up those lonely moments of red wine with bits of creative deliciousness to nibble on. From lovelies around the web, (she does know the www backwards), to delectable scribbles of your magic pencil. These are some of the things in life I couldn't life without. Oh, and how could I forget those feline pets you call cats. I love them. I love this blog. ps. Look out for her in this month's SA Fairlady mag. Girl! You got published!
http://happinessisat.blogspot.com/


3. The Cherry Blossom Girl

The first time I laid eyes on this fashion fantasy was back in 2009, it was a "I think you might like this" from my dear ex-colleague Miss One Day Box's Megan Douglas. This "I think you might like" turned into "I think I LOVE!", opening my blogging heart to yet another inspirational world wide webber. Alix is my most favorite fashion bloggers to date, it's not just the envy of the items she posses but more the envy of the whimsical manner in which she presents them. To her, fashion becomes a daydream brought to life. A daydream I dream with almost every sip.
http://www.thecherryblossomgirl.com/

Friday you biscuit!

There are Fridays, then there are FRIDAYS! Today is one of those fan-flippen-tastic days of the week. I hope that yours is the bestest and the mostest, and makes you feel as fabulous as it is making me feel. Just for some inspiration here is a great pic I just had to click upon. Doesn't it just make you wanna hug somebody? Love somebody? Disappear to a foreign land with somebody? Ahhh yes... Have a G R E AT weekend! xxx

Glambox!

Our office first felt the Glambox experience a couple of months ago when the poor courier guy walked into a screeching giggle of girls. "Glambox!", "Our Glambox is here!", "Glamboxeeeeee". It was honestly the most intriguing, scary and all at the same time, most jealous experience I have ever witnessed. What is this Glambox, you screech of? Then there right in front of my eyes, I beheld the sheer beauty of tiny little glamsicles in a pretty pink box.

What is a Glambox?


Glambox is the brain child of beauty and online experts that have also been in the frustrating world of product envy. They know what it's like to feel overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of products and brands that all paw at our attention.

It was created to help us sort through the clutter of phony brands, find new ones and rediscover old favourites. It is the ideal way to find products and brands that work best for our individual needs, especially when they are cheap enough to experimenting with.

So how do you get your titivating talons on a Glambox?


Become a member at Glambox. Submit your delivery details, make payment and complete your beauty profile. Then each month, you'll receive a variety of 4-5 samples that have been picked directly from the beauty experts themselves. You'll receive anything from skincare and makeup to cult beauty tools, from well-known brands as well as emerging gems.

So for a little insight into the world of the beauty obsessed, I have just the sneak peak for you... (Many thanks to one of the lovely ladies in the office that wrapped hers up just so you could all awe in its glamorousness) 

THE GLAMBOX EXPERIENCE 

Happy Wednesday

Sometimes little words of wisdom pop onto your screen and make you feel like you are right where you are mean't to be. Have a wonderful Wednesday x

You Are Not In Highschool Anymore

Have you ever noticed that the older you get the less fun relationships are?

When you are young you cant drive, you don’t have a bank account with things to pay off. You get pocket money and can basically live a stress free life. Regarded school exams aren’t around the corner. Relationships become your weekends and without even knowing it you can fall effortlessly in love. All you know is the fun and romance and when it comes down to making the decisions, which movie to see is the toughest one you have to make.

So when did the ease and free flowing love intercept us and replace those feelings with responsibility? When did talking till three in the morning become a hushed “where are you going?” when I take the dog out? And when did that accidental boob graze that got us so hot and bothered get replaced with “ I’ve got a headache?” It seems as though we have tainted our own desires and the effort to grow up so fast has left us with gaps in our relationships.

My advice to myself, and to anyone that will listen, is taking it slow. Enjoy the honeymoon phase and if you respect your relationship as much as your happiness to be in a relationship you could see that honeymoon phase last. Being in love and sharing your life with another person is probably the most amazing gift that could be given to anyone. Appreciate every bit. Take days off to forget those payments, your ugly boss and go have a “ to be sixteen again day”. Hold hands, go watch a movie, hey find a playground and jump in a sandpit. Only through true happiness you will find your true self. Remember that guy that you first met, that blew you away with his smile? He is still there.