Wednesday, 15 March 2017

The cosy yurt home of... Alexandra Fuller





Photography by Laura Joliet

The yurt in question belongs to Wendell Field, a 49-year-old artist. Ms. Fuller went to see him about a painting last spring, and never left. As cunningly put together as the inside of a sailboat, this Hobbit house is one of a dozen in the yurtian community that Mr. Field calls home, where each yurt-dweller pays a little less than $400 a month for a spot. (Other neighbors include bison, antelope and the odd rampaging moose.)
Mr. Field inherited his yurt eight years ago from a friend who died in a climbing accident. The other day, Dilly, an elderly corgi, and Edgar, a dog of indeterminate provenance, dozed breathily on what little floor space there was, as Mr. Field served tea made on his diminutive wood-burning stove. Ms. Fuller, clearly exhausted, drifted in and out of a nap.
To read the full story and see more photos visit the NY Times here


Monday, 13 March 2017

Strandkrypa Botanical bedding from Ikea

Strandkrypa : Ikea Floral bedding... and no I don't Iron :)
Strandkrypa: ikea botanical bed linen
Strandkrypa bedding from Ikea

You know the deal, you go into Ikea to get some of those cheap Kilner style jars and maybe a couple of cheap washing up brushes and... bang.... you are hit by something that is actually really, really nice and not only is it awesome but also really cheap.

This is how I ended up with my favourite botanical bed linen, 'Stradkrypa'. This beautiful botanical bed linen is an absolute bargain and really good quality cotton.

and no I am not working for Ikea..


Sunday, 5 March 2017

Earthship: Shambala Permaculture....





Any one who follows my ramblings on instagram will know that I have had a spot of really bad luck with my health over the last year, I am finally healing well and I honestly believe it is down to an increased focus on my mediation practice, a new found passion for sound baths and Kirtan, and a rekindled interest in herbalism.

On my search for courses and retreats and a lot of inspiration, I have come across many beautiful places to stay to immerse my senses and have found a few gems I wish to share with you.... the first being this beautiful place.... Shambala Permaculture in San Marcos Sierras, Cordoba, Argentina.

 I have always had a thing for cob homes and earthships, with the colourful bottle windows and swirly patterns on the walls they have an etherial quality that I adore, and Shambala appears to be one of those places where I really don't think you could be unhappy or ill. Shambala is run by Nathan and Andrea here we learn about their home and workshop in their own words....

"Shamballa is our experiment in life and living.   It is our home and workshop, our place to practice and express our ideas, philosophies, designs and dreams.     We are holistically combining our life’s knowledge and life experiences, to reflect our vision that the ultimate work of art is us and our connection to each other and our mother earth or environment.

The places we live in, the people that we connect with, what we consume and the things we produce, the seeds that we plant, the decision making process that we make decisions by, are all guided by the vision that our lives and what we do with them, is how we affect and change our world.  Redesigning ourselves, our societies and cultures as an integral part of our garden planet, not masters over it.   This visionary idea will grow and grain strength.  It is being manifested by people all over the earth.  We are not alone.
It is up to us to create and recreate the world, in fact it is our birthright and responsibility.
We see ourselves as stewards of the land, and the designers, creators and curators of the projects on it.   We take what we do seriously.  From working to parting, everything is tied to our vision for life, culture and community.
The Shamballa project grew out of the shared dreams and visions of Andrea and Nathan.   Our experiment continues to evolve and grow.  As we grow and learn, so does our project and the people inspired by it.  Shamballa is an experiment in how we interact and exist in our natural environment, how we can have a positive environmental impact as a result of our lives, societies and celebrations.   We are guided by our experiences with transformational festival culture, permaculture, and deep ecology.   It is from these movements and ideas the shamballa was born.
Permaculture design, ethics and principles, have helped lead the way in our homestead.  Natural living, sustainability, resilience, traveling, backpacking, local economies, grassroots movements, raw food, natural building, art, organic gardening, shamanism, transformational festival culture, events like Burning Man and Boom have been some of the inspirations of our experiment."
If you are interested in studying at Shambala, you can find them via their website , Facebook and Instagram