Beauty in Bloom

I treated myself to a pretty book the other day called 'Beauty in Bloom- A Collection of Beautiful Inspirations' by Natalie Bloom and it was such a cute and gorgeously illustrated book I though I had to share it with the cyber world. It's a short book, I read the whole thing in just over an hour and is filled with little tips, quotes and doodles to inspire a beautiful life (aww).

The first chapter focus' on physical beauty (Natalie Bloom is the founder of the make-up brand 'Bloom Cosmetics') which gives any make-up junkie a good fix of information and even a Chinese proverb I've fallen in love with:

'When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.'

The second chapter in all about 'Indefinable Beauty' and looks at all the little things in life there to make us feel fantastic- for example:

'Beautiful stationary is so important. Forget longwinded, impersonal emails and relish in the charm of writing a sweet note on elegant stationary.

Good-quality, gorgeous hosiery is a symbol of style and elegance....'

This chapter even has an A-Z of positive attitude, including:

'D: Dream big.....E: Ecletic, mix and match to suit your mood; don't follow one system of style.....J: Joie de vivre! The joy of life transcends any language.....S: Spirit: Your spirit is the engine room of your life. Keep it stoked and enthusiastic...'

Stoked? What a great word- Might have to adopt that one from the Aussies. The book carries on with various quotes from the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Karl Largerfield and Vincent Van Gogh as well as personal things that make Natalie's world beautiful (Ribbons, Doilies, Buttons, Pinboards, Perfume, Notebooks, Books, Magazines, DIY, Origami, Colour, Gardens and Flowers).

It may seem a bit fruity and lame to some, but I think every girl needs a book like this to dip into when she's feeling a bit low and wants to appreciate the little things in life. This has become my mantra over the last couple of years, focus on the now and appreciate all the little things in life that make you smile. Natalie even mentions one of my favourite films in the book- Amelie. Something else guaranteed to make you smile- if you've never seen it I demand you go buy it!

A pretty book with pretty illustrations about having a pretty life. I'm feeling prettier already :D