friends

Fabulous Friends & Filigree

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“A friend is one who walks in when others walk out”

-Walter Winchell

I have been contemplating what to write that might appeal to our readers; jewellery or something else?

To date my ‘something else’ posts have been the most popular so I am going to go with another one of those today and maybe try to alternate jewellery:non jewellery posts after this.  Let’s see what happens!

So, I have decided  to write something to thank all our friends who have been so supportive of our endeavours to date, be it a LIKE on our facebook page and feedback on photos there, a jewellery purchase or a voice on the phone/Skype.  Thanks! It means a lot to both Doka and I to know we have the support of our friends and families.

Having recently moved to Croatia to start a new business with my husband and still knowing very little Croatian, I am finding myself spending more time on-line than ever before. The majority of this time has been focused on this blog or our new facebook page, (SebaDizajn) and learning about how I can use social media to promote our business.  Most recently I have opened a Twitter account to help spread the Seba Dizajn word on a new level – you can click on the links at the side of the blog to join us on Twitter or Facebook if you are interested.

I have found a strong and supportive network of on-line friends, many of whom I have not yet met but their help and encouragement warms my heart.  How nice to find people so willing to help when they don’t even know us.

I grew up in New Zealand and although I left home 12 years ago I still have many good friends there, we may not get to see each other but when we do it’s the best thing.  The internet allows some of us to catch up more often than others, yet there are many who I have no regular contact with and that’s ok too.  We will and do meet again and pick up right where we left off, magic!

This is a group of friends from my University years who gathered together in March this year to help us celebrate our recent wedding in Croatia – this is at the NZ version of the celebrations.

I have lived away from NZ for 12 years, although I am not sure how this happened! I left in 1999 for a year or two, with a visa to work in Canada and an onwards ticket to the UK to and a visa to work there for two years.  Now I’m married and living in Croatia! The latter two pieces were not part of the puzzle when I left home – I am not even sure I would have been able to locate Croatia on the map when I left NZ in 1999.

My two years in the UK somehow turned in 10 part time years, managing a Fair Trade business based in the highlands of Scotland where my passion for Fair Trade grew and flourished with the opportunity to travel regularly to Nepal and meet artisans there.

I feel so blessed to have been able to meet so many wonderful people in my travels and know that I now have friends scattered around the globe who mean so much to me. You are constantly in my thoughts, this short piece is dedicated to all of
you.

Thanks for being a part of my life, can’t wait to meet with you again!

What’s your sign?

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I have travelled reasonably extensively in the last 12+ years, often giggling at a silly sign, mis-translated restaurant menus etc.  Sometimes a sign just makes me smile for no particular reason, or reminds me of a dear friend, the ‘Senzy Bakery’ in Kathmandu unsurprisingly reminded me of sweet friend Senz.

I wish I had taken more photos of these signs on route.  Here are two of my favourites;

Repair shop sign, Vancouver, Canada.
near Braemar, Scottish Highlands.

Remember, the simple pleasures in life, don’t let them all pass you by!

And don’t forget to sign up and leave your comments here if you are interested in more of what makes as smile here at Seba Dizajn.  Cheers, Ruth

Tweet Tweet – My 10 Favourite Twitter followers to Date.

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So we’re Tweeting, I still don’t fully grasp the concept or how it will bring in any business but I seem to have embraced the tweeting with already 228 Tweets by me (@SebaDizajn is our twitter name) and have 91 followers to date.  That’s about 20x the number that are following this blog.  Maybe I’m more interesting in small snippets?!

I have found some amazing people & businesses to follow, I am especially interested in the ethical businesses and websites that I have been discovering.

Here is my TOP 10 to date & why

1. @NZJewellery – mates since we were 10 years old how could I not put them in number 1 spot?

2. @Goodleaf – tree climbing on the Isle of Wight, friends since we met working in a dodgy restaurant in Jasper, Alberta 10+ years ago.  Tree climbing, nature loving, flapjack eating, mellow adventurers from the Isle of Wight

3. @NikkiPilkington – social media guru whose free advice I have found invaluable as I tread these new waters

4. @KorculaExplorer – another new business here in Korcula, gotta help each other!

5. @Crazy_Golfer – purely because of the bio ‘I’m the future world #1 womens golfer and theres nothing you can do about it 🙂‘

6. @ethicalinstyle – ethical style tips, 1000+ Ethical ideas, what’s not to like about that?

7. @ethnicsupplies – sustainable solutions to poverty among African Women, love this!

8. @ethicalstore – Over 8,000 Fairtrade, Organic & Eco-friendly gifts, gadgets & groceries.

9. @jewelsandfinery –  antique, vintage and pre owned jewellery – who knows what treasures you might find with them

10. @thejewelryworld – informative & fun, and hopefully so positive leads for the jewellery business I am busy trying to promote!

ohh, 92 followers…. @Bridal_Magazine just joined the SebaDizajn journey.  Welcome aboard, hope you’ve had a look at our stunning cufflinks!  Perfect for a wedding party – must go tweet them and let them know…

Have just added a Twitter link here, join us, maybe you’ll make my next top 10!

The photo finish - they're following me too!

 

 

 

 

A sleepy afternoon in filigree land

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The coffee’s brewing and it smells so good. I have such trouble at this time of the day – anytime between 2 & 6 counts as my afternoon lull/low.

We’ve just had lunch and I feel so sleepy, there’s no-one on the street and I wonder if I could get away with a wee nap here at Seba Dizajn?  Doka is delivering some jewellery repairs to a friend and have asked him to ‘come back with ice-cream’.  Another friend of ours has an ice-cream shop across the lane from where he is heading, so topped up with caffeine and ice cream I’m sure I’ll make it thru the rest of the day.

I was trying to think of an image I could insert into this post and then I remembered that while we were in New Zealand earlier this year I had taken some photos of coffees I  had been served there.  It seemed like a slightly odd thing to be doing at the time, what would I do with these images?  Am happy to be sharing this fantastic ‘flat white’ with you – served somewhere to us somewhere in Dunedin, my beautiful home town. 

So, the afternoon maybe a quiet one here in Korcula, but I now have lots of happy times, family and  friends back in New Zealand to think about.  Think I’ll write some postcards…..

Something Nice

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Today I want to share how great I feel when I think about my lovely friends, near and far in this world.  Yesterday I took the early morning ferry to Split to meet a friend from Scotland whom I had not seen for a year.  Thanks for visiting Hilary, it is great to see you and to have this week to swim and chat, wine and dine. 

Life in a new country and culture is interesting and fun, but often isolating, mostly due to my lack of language skills!  It’s pretty hard to develop any friendships with a great depth with my current lack of skills.

So, to all of you near &  far, thanks for being part of my life.