Thought-o-the-day: Keeping it real

I don't know about you, but daily I am exposed to beautiful things, places and spaces.

I read blogs, I flick through magazines and I check out instagram feeds (here's mine if you wanna look?) - it's all there for the taking.  A visual feast for the eyeballs and brain to gorge on.  And gorge I do.

Usually it's all fine and it's happy days, but sometimes, just sometimes it's all just too much.  The self-doubt can creep in and you start to feel a little inadequate.  I do and I know that you probably do too.  Perfect vignettes and pretty habitats, preened stylists and picture-perfect environs...

Today, I wanted to say, hey, it's ok.  I wanted to put my hand up and say that I'm human and so are my surrounds.  The power of the styled photograph is an extremely persuasive tool and mostly we are eternally grateful for photoshop and  clever camera angles.  The world would be a pretty ug place without them to be sure, but let's just keep it all in perspective.

Image taken by my neighbour Hanna.

 This is usually how I work - a dog or two in very close proximity, a glass of wine and in odd places thanks to wifi.  At the time of this photo we had taken out the two doors next to the fireplace (see below shot) and were replacing the old ornamental fireplace with a real open fire.  I didn't care that my floors weren't vacumed (with featured HUGE industrial vacum) or even that my fire surround was not in place.  I was just happy to sit and work with dogs, trackies and wine!

Image taken by Larnie Nicolson Photography

This image was taken the day that Larnie and LeeAnn came to photograph me and the house for Your Home and Garden.  I would just like to state that the chances of me sitting on the side of the couch and blogging are slim to none.  It is true that I will blog most places but this was a little tough on the thighs.  What it did do was show you all my pretty Swedish clogs and a great room perspective so that's all that matters really.

Hooray for good photography and clever photographer's everywhere.  It's such a skill.

Happy Monday - love yourself and your home.  It's a no-comparison-zone please.

*This blog post is written just as much for me as for you*