Be Inspired! - By Pau from Titine and Totoche

Hi all, I'm still on holiday, but don't despair, I've asked some of my favourite blogger-friends to fill in for me! I loved reading about Pau's sources of inspiration, I hope you find them just as uplifting that I did! Hop over to their blog to read more about Venezuelan life and subtle and fun style! 

Hello! My sister and I blog over at Titine & Totoche, though she’s more behind the scenes. We’re from Venezuela and we love fashion, food, nature, travelling, cats and music. :)
When Madeline asked me to guest post on her blog, I was so happy and slightly nervous because the task included finding inspiring pictures. I always see pictures around the internet or in books that I like or make me think about other things, but inspiring? I really had to think about what inspires me, and because of it, this was an excellent mental exercise.

Source: http://bit.ly/pH1V23

What inspires me: 1500 musicians (choir & orchestra) playing together

The Orquesta Juvenil Simón Bolívar and its director Gustavo Dudamel are currently a source of
great pride in Venezuela. In a politically divided country, through their amazing music they’ve been able to bring us together and get lots of recognition abroad. This picture then, symbolizes the importance of music; it also reflects hard work and dedication.

Picture by Titine and Totoche

What inspires me: Books/ Stories/ Novels

Through books we learn about new places and life lessons, historical events and imaginary ones too, we bond with characters and travel through time. I’ve never ever cried watching a movie, but I’ve cried reading books.

Source: http://bit.ly/rqTw6Q

What inspires me: Music, love, song and dance

This is one of my favorite movies. The song, the dance, the reason why he’s actually dancing and the rain/ splashing action are absolutely fantastic.

Source: http://bit.ly/q59wUX

What inspires me: A mountain range that hugs my city

My city is located in a valley, surrounded by the most beautiful mountain range El Ávila. It’s visible from the east to west of the city, and it’s a symbol of cultural identity. Its greatness and changing colors make me instantly happy and calm. The first picture is a painting by Manuel Cabré who throughout his career only painted the Ávila.

Thank you so much Madeline!! :)

You're very welcome Pau, thank you! :)

Be Inspired! - By Waves from No Signposts in the Sea

Dear Readers, at the moment I'm on my way to England for a much anticipated holiday, yay!

So instead of me, some of my favourite blogger-friends will feature on my blog. I asked them to choose a picture - any picture - that inspires them, and explain why or how.

I'm so proud to present the picture that Waves from No Signposts in the Sea chose as her inspiration, and the brilliant piece of writing she sent me. I'll definitely re-read it many times, and I recommend everyone to read her blog too - she inspires me to think out of the box when it comes to blogging, to write more and write better, to step over the consumerist side of fashion blogging and let my creativity lead.

It is the custom in some parts of western Finland to let an old house rot while the new generation builds a new one on the same lot. It is a bizarre sight: huge, wooden mammoths of houses barely standing in tatters, while a newly constructed building towers beside it, full of life. You wonder why the people didn't just fix up the old house, but for whatever reason this is the way it has been done for generations. I guess no one really questions the logic, apart from outsiders like myself.

Two years ago I got to visit one of these old, abandoned houses. It hadn't been lived in in decades, but it still stood there courageously, next to a huge lake, its outside paint worn out completely, its rooms filled with the strange smell of rotting wood and mold. Musty wallpaper leapt off the walls in shreds. Swallows had found their way in and built a nest in the kitchen. The wood-burning stove lay there rusted, and a selection of round, metal-rimmed eyeglasses hung off the wall, gathering dust. I took a lot of pictures of the house that day. For you, I chose one of ceiling paint chipping down. I am drawn to things old, broken, textured, lost.
Many people find images of abandonment heart-breaking. There is something gut-wrenching about the visible evidence of no one caring. And yet there is beauty in decay - be it in a wrinkly, toothless smile of a 100-year-old, in wilting flowers, a road with potholes, the punches we take, the sadness we encounter in life through loss and carelessness. There is beauty where it doesn't even exist. One of the most inspiring experiences in human life is the inevitability of heartbreak.