Some Strange Facts About My Happy Place!

First I must apologise for my absence (that's

if anyone even noticed ;-)

I have been in my "happy place"- Switzerland;

a place I spent childhood summers and am 

still very much in love with it.

Yes everywhere really does look like this!

Here are some more of my observations and strange laws/facts 

which makes me love this country:

Yes!!! The Swiss LOVE their chocolate and there are

luxury chocolate shops everywhere. When I say luxury I am

talking about $30/£27 for a mere 100grams of choccy-woocy-doo-dah!!!

That's maybe 3 pieces. Not enough to even tickle your tonsils.

But hey, when have I let price ever stop me when it comes to chocs?

The Swiss have even come up with the first GOLD chocolate.

Don't even get me started on this!

Luxury brands are everywhere. These places are not for tourists either.

These are places the Swiss shop as a matter of course.

When you consider that some of the oldest jewellery brands and most

luxurious watch brands are from Switzerland it is really no surprise.

Every luxury shop I went into had Swiss shopping in them.

Did I buy anything? No.

But the Mr wanted a Swiss watch which he bought and was

given a complimentary Swiss Army Knife with it (which was also on his shopping

list). I don't get the Swiss Army knife "thing" but these objects can sell for thousands!!!

Maybe it's a man-thing but the "Mr" was more excited about his free

Swiss army knife than the actual watch which he paid for.

The mind boggles ;-)

You still see the gorgeous alpine homes synonymous

with Switzerland but now also there is some fabulous architecture

which is just jaw-dropping. I am telling you this place is dripping

in money.

My happy place on Lake Lucerne to watch 

the world (and "old money") go by.

The perfect lunch spot on Lake Lucerne.

But I found out some interesting laws/facts  about Switzerland that I thought I would share

with you:-

* noise is prohibited on Sundays. That means you cannot play music

in your garden, mow your lawn or do anything that can be deemed

a disturbance by your neighbour. And let me tell you everyone

abides by the law. I quite like this law. What do you think?

* growing and smoking marijuana/pot is legal. It is only illegal

to sell it. If you don't plan on selling it then you are OK to smoke it.

What do you think?

* If you keep any kind of rodent as a pet such as a guinea pig

or hamster, they must be kept in pairs so that they are companions

for each other. How cute is that? If one dies, you can "rent"

another companion.

*Switzerland has the most liberal gun laws of any country; 2-5 million

guns in a country of only 8 million. They also have one of the lowest

crime rates in the world

*If you plan on moving to a gorgeous Swiss village (which

the Mr and I keep dreaming about) the villagers

get to vote whether you can move there or not. One factor is how much 

you have in your bank account, but other than that it is simply

a case of whether they like you or not. What do you think of that?

*Switzerland has nuclear bunkers capable of 

housing the ENTIRE population.

So there you have it. A little about 

my "happy place".

I would love to know your thoughts on some 

of the strange laws they have ;-)

Would they work in your country?

xxxx

My Love List

OK, it seems impossible to think that the last blog post I wrote

was just as the Summer had started, and now everything is over.

Hang on though Sweetpea. My Summer is not over yet.

By the time you read this I will be here......

.....in gorgeous Switzerland!!!!

I have family here so really excited about that.

I plan to really relax in our home, re-charge and eat lots

of Swiss chocolate. Did  I not mention that? 

But in the meantime let me bring you some of my favourite 

finds this August/Summer.

OK, so first up is this gorgeous eye mask by Jessica Russell Flint which

is a blackout beauty. They have the most gorgeous designs in silk and

it will guarantee you get your beauty sleep. Great also for using on long

haul flights. Beauty sleep even at 12,000m!!!

Check out all the gorgeous designs here

I am a real sucker when it comes to beauty products and as I am getting

older, oils are becoming more appealing (or should I say necessary;-)

This oil, by Inika has reached cult status and it's not because of its ridiculously low 

price tag. It's formulated from high-quality, certified organic rosehip oil which is

supposed to repair and nurture the skin. Hey! I am all for nurturing so had to try it.

I am loving it so far.

OMG!!! When I first saw this collection by Tiffany & Co. I nearly passed out.

As most of you know, I don't do delicate jewellery too well. So this Hardwear Collection

was right up my alley. All the pieces are supposed to be inspired by NYC industrial

landscape. Cue wrecking-ball-esque pieces. My favourites are the weighty rings.

What do you think? Too chunky for you?

Pictures of the collection have been strategically left around the house where the Mr

is likely to spot them ;-)

See the full collection here

I was brought up a good Catholic girl (well, maybe less of the good) but wouldn't say

I am particularly religious. In fact, I had a huge rebellion against the church in my 20's and never

really looked back. However, I am spiritual if that makes sense. This week I met

someone who was so inspiring with all she had achieved and been through, and yet she had this

intoxicating calmness about her that made me want to velcro myself to her in the hope some of

it would transmit via osmosis. When I got chatting to this woman (who was also hilarious and had

me in hysterics for most of our time together), she explained she was a Buddhist. I don't know why

but I was surprised. So we got talking about Buddhism, which has always fascinated me. By the

end of our time together I really wanted to know more. So she recommended this great book for me to start with and I must say it is a really wonderful introduction into Bhuddism, but written as a lovely story.

I highly recommend it even if you would like to learn a more mindful way of living day to day.

Finally, these gorgeous beauties are new in my boutique.

They are simple, sophisticated stacking at it's best.

They also come in a gun metal black (not shown here but on my website).

Anyway, for my blog readers I am offering to GIFT YOU your 3rd choice 

of ring when you buy any two.

You can get up close and personal with them here

That's it Lovelies. Would love to hear your thoughts on my choices.

Wishing you a wonderful start to Autumn/Fall

xxxx