healthy body boost

the beautiful christy turlington

The natural beauty of Christy Turlington is pictured here,  to inspire us! x

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Here is a little morning boost for your body!

Every morning before breakfast, make yourself a booster concoction of

5ml water

5ml aloe vera juice (keep in dark bottle in the fridge)

10ml of extra virgin olive oil

squeeze 1/2 a lemon

(its not as bad as it may sound, oddly enough you may even develop a taste for it)

Over a few weeks you should notice an overall improvement.

The aloe vera is very good for your liver & your tummy.  The oil is fabulous for your skin, your 

joints & is very good for coating & lubricating your internal organs.

Lemon juice is a very good acid for your tummy.

If you take it in the morning before you do anything else, it will give your body & metabolism a great 

boost & get you off to a good start for the day! 

With the lovely weather these days, I have started making my smoothies again & find it a great way to get all kinds of goodness into me.  I have started putting the aloe vera juice, flax oil & lemon juice into my smoothie & find it very tasty!

a healthy boost for us all!

shonalily.x

The beautiful Omo River people

This is the first time I have ever seen images of  the Omo People & I just couldn't wait to share these stunning photographs with you. They are some of the most colourful, stylish, beautiful images I have come across, 

so natural & full of unique creative flare.

  They say their incredible body art is purely spontaneous and for their own pleasure and experimentation!  

Inspiring!

Colourful make-up of bright yellows, vibrant whites and rich earth-reds, flamboyant accessories & elaborate decorations, these are the creations of the Surma and Mursi tribes of East Africa's Omo Valley.

Inspired by their environment of wild trees, exotic flowers and lush vegetation from their homeland bordering Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan, these tribal people have created looks that are simply breathtaking.

As they paint each other's bodies (all done without the aid of mirrors), it seems that the only thing that motivates them is the sheer fun of creating their looks, and showing them off to other members of the tribe.

A real celebration of themselves and of their stunning environment.

Pictures by Hans Silvester (Rapho/Camera Press) from the book Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester

 The above images were captured by Photographer Hans Silverster & can be found in the beautiful book titled Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Fashion-Tribal-Decoration-Africa/dp/0500543585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253624462&sr=8-1

shonalily.x

a collection of Vintage inspired Interiors

http://tracy-leach.blogspot.com/2010/06/profile-new-designers-with-vintage.html

Love the colours & textures!

Deryn Relph, with upholstery and accessories in awe inspiring combinations of magenta, fuchsia, pistachio and orange. The use of contemporary fabrics with knitted pieces, created a vintage style, that was still fresh and contemporary, yet commercially viable.

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http://www.styleture.com/2009/10/23/vintage-interior-design/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!

 Lighting reminiscent of years past is very easy to find, whether you get it from your local Salvation Army, a flea market, or even brand new by a designer that brings old style back with impeccable design. Your lighting should complement the rest of your decor, while providing a light source that is not too bright, but casts perfect shadows on the rest of your design. One way to get a vintage look is to put a light cage around your exposed bulb. In this Etsy listing it is described as “Machine Age,” which is quite intriguing for a vintage design. This look needs to be combined with the right decor, but could be the look for you.

Light design by Rothschild & Bickers

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http://4funpics.blogspot.com/2010/11/old-interiors-in-architecture.html

 

 

Stunning old interior images!

Even though they are dilapidated buildings & basically falling apart

I think there is something so beautiful about these images.

Have a look at the link for lots more amazing photos.x

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I just Love old Trunks!!!

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http://corksandcaftans.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/modern-50-vintage-interior-design

 

 

must love

Vintage shoe rack 

by Modern 50

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shonalily.x

~
the happiness of life

depends on the quality of 

thought

~ 
shonalily.x

Waris Dirie...an amazing & inspiring woman

1997 Waris Dirie’s biography ‘Desert Flower’

Waris Dirie was born in 1965 into a nomad family living in the region of Gallcaio, in the Somali desert near the border to Ethiopia. At the tender age of five, she underwent the inhuman procedure of genital mutilation. This horrible tradition is still practiced worldwide today, both by Moslems and Christians. According to estimations of the United Nations, more than 8 000 girls become victims of this cruel crime every day.

At the age of 13 Waris fled from a forced marriage to a man, who could have been her grandfather in age. After an adventurous escape she arrived in London and worked there as a housemaid and at McDonald’s.

SUPERMODEL AND BONDGIRL

She was discovered by the British top photographer Terence Donovan as a model at the age of 18 and became an international celebrity.

She was given a part as a James Bond girl in the movie ‘The Living Daylight’, side by side with Timothy Dalton.

supermodel wairis dirie

supermodel waris dirie

supermodel waris dirie

supermodel waris dirie

author waris dirie

founder of the Desert Flower Foundation 

DESERT FLOWER FOUNDATION
In 2002 she founded her own foundation, named Waris Dirie Foundation, based in Vienna/Austria, to support her work as a campaigner against Female Genitile Mutilation. In 2010, the Foundation was re-named “Desert Flower Foundation” to reflect the broader approach to addressing female genital mutilation though economic projects in Africa.

http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/en/

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, appointed her as UN Special Ambassador for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. She travelled the world for the UN, participated in conferences, met with presidents, Nobel Prize winners and movie stars and collects enormous funds for the UN.

'desert dawn' is the continuing story of waris dirie

'desert children' is her latest book

AWARDS AND HONOURS

In 2007 the French President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed her as a ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur’, the ‘World Demographic Association’ nominated her as the first woman for the ‘Prix de la GÈnÈration’ and the ‘Martin Buber Foundation’ nominated her as the first woman for the ‘Martin Buber Gold Medal’.

These are the FACTs about Waris Dirie,

with images of a stunning woman with an amazing strength & presence

but her true story is in her books. 

I have read & re-read her story, its an amazing journey, extremely inspirational

& an insight into a whole different world.

Waris Dirie is a beautiful woman!

shonalily.x

waris dirie

Artist Profile

Artist: David Downtown

 http://www.daviddownton.com/fashion.html

I took this snap shot of Davids work from a book I was reading...I then looked further to find out more about the artist...& absolutely love his feminine fashion illustrations.  If you like his stye, check out his site.

It's really worth a look! 

shonalily.x

feed your face!

I love the idea of using natural ingredients to clean & enhance ones skin...

a little food for your face! 

I am about to try one of these natural mask treatments & thought they are worth sharing. They are simple, straight forward & pretty economical (compared to a lot of skin products out there ) 

Masks you can virtually eat :))

Lemon Face Mask ( for blemished or spotty skin)

3 tablespoons fresh, strained lemon juice

1 tablespoon clear runny honey

4 tablespoons of green clay

A splash of water

blend lemon, honey & water until dissolved

slowly add green clay & mix to a thick paste

leave on for 5-10mins 

then rinse with warm water

pat skin & gently dry & apply moisturiser

Banana & Cornmeal Booster (for normal to dry skin)

Half of a banana

2 teaspoons of cornmeal

1 egg yolk

a little full fat milk

mash banana & blend with cornmeal & egg yolk

add milk to smooth (but not too runny)

leave on for 5-10mins 

then rinse with warm water

pat skin & gently dry & apply moisturiser

Rich Avocado Facial (for dry skin)

1 tablespoon ripe avocado, mashed

1 teaspoon of honey

3 drops of cider vinegar

a drop of sesame oil

mix the avocado, honey & vinegar

add enough sesame oil to create spreadable consistency

leave on for 5-10mins 

then rinse with warm water

pat skin & gently dry & apply moisturiser

Beauty tip from my mom!

plain yogurt straight from the tub,

smear on to the skin, 

hugely beneficial, brightening & moisturising for your skin

it will leave you glowing! 

Enjoy feeding your face!

shonalily.x 

happy skin!

 

natural style

Cat Power

Cat Power

Cat Power

Cat Power

love Cat Power's natural style

she seems very comfortable in her own skin 

which is always uber attractive! 

Cat Power

Cat Power

Cat Power

thinking I may have a little bit of a style crush at this moment!

shonalily.x 

beautiful voice

Cat Power

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vktyEV1yrCk&feature=related

a friend introduced me to the gorgeous voice of Cat Power...

here is a sample of her music...see what you think! 

shonalily.x 

Artist: David Downtown

swedish proverb

fear less, hope more

eat less, chew more

whine less, breathe more

talk less, say more

love more

& 

all good things will be yours.

  

a birthday card from a good friend.

shonalily.x

my new love affair with Audrey Hepburn

I am just starting to read Audrey Hepburn's biography.  Since first seeing her in, Roman Holiday, with the handsome Gregory Peck, I was smitten.  There is just something special about her & I was straight away fully intrigued! Growing up, I have definitely heard of her & have come to know her iconic images well, but for some baffling, unknown reason, I have never delved any deeper....until now!

It was only a few weeks ago when I first saw her on screen & since then, I now have her biography, which was a sneaky birthday present & just today a friend dropped up a box set of her most famous films....so, I feel that after all these years missing out on all that is Audrey, I am on the verge..... still at the fragile, curious, falling in love stages. 

xshonalily

spring! x

                                                    

smoking lily studio

follow us on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Smoking-Lily-Studio/156013381110349

Fascinators by Bonzie 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonzie/102320094198

Smoking lily studio is based in the heart of Kilkenny City where we have a beautiful loft boutique . You will find us at the top of a quirky old stairwell, in a space that is full of character & charm, where we love to collect & display our lovely collection of clothing, accessories & all things funky & fabulous!

With an eclectic style, smoking lily offers a beautiful selection of re-discovered hidden fashion gems.

With a loft full of smoking lily vintage pieces, mixed with a hand selected collection of consignment & second hand clothing & accessories...

re-introducing

re-inventing

re-cycling

re-discovering

                 Come on up & visit me at the studio or have a peek at our new online 

    facebook shop!

shonalily