As I tune into creativity and inspiration with more dedication lately, I’ve found several creative initiatives that I admire. Some are artsy, some are business-y or culture orientated and in their own unique way they show me how people turn simple ideas and hobbies into projects, work, art, community gatherings or global initiatives. In this blog post, I share a couple of them with you, first some of the Cyprus-based ones, and then the international ones.

My sensitivity to earrings had me searching for pieces that are purely made from gold, gold-plated or sterling silver. I have found some Cypriot jewellery designers that are worth checking out, especially now as you’re getting ready for your Christmas shopping. All of the shops I mention, I have purchased from and tried their earrings and they feel perfectly comfortable to even my sensitive ears. So, this festive season please consider supporting local shops and artists. To them, it means the world. Here we go!

I’m always looking for something alternative to do and I love discovering new activities in Cyprus. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something fresh pops up. This felt like one of those moments. A series of flower workshops in Nicosia teaching different arrangement techniques. Exciting or what? During one of my Facebook scrolls looking for events for work, I came across this different kind of activity. The event’s cover photo caught my eye first. Colourful flowers spread out on a table and five brown-haired women creating bouquets. I love flowers and the idea of a series of workshops teaching different arrangement techniques sounded exciting!

This summer, during my first staycation, I vacationed with my family in the Paphos countryside visiting different villages. The weather was cooler up there, the stars were bright and the roosters were… loud. The hilly scenery that stretched out from my balcony made up for it though. Our days were spent visiting several charming spots spread around the Paphos villages. Hidden garden cafes, taverns in squares and eateries with jaw-dropping coastal views. I wanted to write a little guide with suggestions of where you may go if you find yourself in the area.

Ah the staycation. Who would have known that this would be the summer 2020 trend? For those that don’t know what it means, a staycation is when you holiday in your country or close to home. For many of us in Cyprus, that meant long weekends in Protaras, excursions to Paphos or even just being at home, as I found myself doing towards the end of the season and surprisingly it was something I was in dire need of.

I’ve kept this space quiet recently as I tried to unpretzel my thoughts and wrap my head around the new reality which had all of us home-bound. Just when I made peace with self-isolation and the rollercoaster of mood swings that come along with it, things changed again, ‘returned to normal’ and once more we must get used to a new way of living.

What the world is going through right now with the COVID-19 pandemic is quite crazy and if you’re self-isolating at home, it can quickly turn into an overwhelming experience. But it doesn’t have to if you make good use of your time and get creative, not only to watch the minutes go by faster but to also stay sane during this wild episode we’re living in.

The summer season is upon us and every year I try to stay up to date with all of the festivals going on. I always miss a couple though simply because I haven’t looked them up and there’s quite a few to remember. So, this year I decided to compile some of the island’s major festivals in a blog post, for all of us, with their dates and some details of what’s happening this year. Enjoy!

Summer is officially here, despite the rain showers of the last couple of days. The flowers and fields have bloomed and there's only so much time left to enjoy them before heavy heat hits us. I recently spoke to Miranda Tringis from CyHerbia Botanical Park & Labyrinth about how we can explore Cyprus's flourishing nature, and particularly during their upcoming annual Lavender Festival.