the shoes are keepers and other fine things du jour

A week later I've decided that the shoes I discarded as cheap bling looking and not at all for me are indeed rather fine anyway. Because a) in another light they're not as shiny metallic as I first thought b) they're not bling in a tacky, tasteless (animal printsy) i wanna grab a millionaire bling but more of a summer fun dash of a bling like c) look lovely with a tan d) just as comfortable, cute and kind looking as their red siblings e) little miss redhead agrees. Ie they're keepers. Inaugurated today and de-lovely.





A week later I also painted both toe- and fingernails in the same monochrome but perky colour (Essie Turquoise & Caicos) and left the house for the first time since the cold struck. Far from fully recovered, but still back on the life track one might say.



And it was for a dinner date and fika with my bestie fellow happy muse. Lovely dinner, lovely talking, lovely fika. Well hello there best soy latte in the whole wide world at favourite cafe it's been a very long time no see or drink!



The cooler weather, the being out in public again, the food, the coffee and most of all the company and the conversation left me really inspired and invigorated. A day of very fine things that made me most happy.

How was your day?

happiness does work

One of the reasons we started the collaboration of Two Happy Muses was that we felt that too many people are either just putting in time going to work day in day out, week after week, month after month, year after year or are completely unhappy at their place of work. Which is simply awful, this is not how life should be. For anyone.

With the right attitude from the employer, the company, shareholders and employees, not to mention the society as a whole (inequality and gaps between rich and poor being two major factors for unhappiness), we should all be able to create a workplace we love to spend time at (and a planet to spend time on).

And seriously, what is the purpose of economic growth at every cost if people and the planet aren't happy? It's about high time we start seeing work and how work works in quite a new light.

We are all responsible for how we act and react to actions and interactions, whether it be in life as a whole or in a workplace. We're in it together and happiness is so much nicer, on so many levels, than unhappiness.

I think the Action for Happiness movement is one example of a step in the right direction, just the realisation that with small deeds most of us can do so much more to change our own lifes to the better not to mention other people's is a pretty major step actually.

That said, back to the workplace. I listened to a TEDx talk today about how happiness works - listen to it here and it brought up the idea (or why not the truth) that happiness is something universal, it is functional and it makes us thrive. It is important business.

According to recent Gallup polls only 13% of all people are passionate and happy about their work. People happy at work are less likely to get sick, they are less likely to leave the company, they are more productive and companies with happier employers have fewer workplace accidents. The cost of ignoring unhappiness is immense and yet happiness as a motivator and increased revenues factor is not being taken seriously in general.

I don't believe that an unreasonably high salary will make you happier, nor will status symbols or shopping in general. Consumerism is neither good for the soul nor the planet. I do believe however that a sense of purpose and meaningfulness will make you happier. And of course a stable financial situation based on a reasonable salary for a job well done at a workplace you enjoy going to with tasks you feel passionate about.

How such workplaces and worktasks should be shaped to create sustainable wellbeing and happiness for both individuals and the planet, that is something we should all take a serious think about. What do you think?

More about how I found my happy place you can read here

Currently dancing a lot to Happy makes me happy.

And watching singing kitty and dancing pony always push my happiness button.

hedgehog print

A few months back I passed a little art and design shop called WOS, that sold wonderful, original animal art pieces and prints. I didn't have the time to stop by then, but I promised myself to do so in a not too distant future.

Then a few weeks back, as birthday gift, I got this lovely print with hedgehogs, from my dear friend and fellow happy muse. She had simply remembered - and really, nothing simple about it since so many people do not remember things like this... - that I had posted a picture of the cute shop on Instagram earlier. And of course, I adore hedgehogs. And pink and green. Such a well-thought through gift! Heart a lot.

Today I finally framed it and I think it looks lovely. I have it in my office, in front of my desk. It makes me smile and is a sweet reminder of both the cuteness of hedgehogs and the darlingness of good friends.

adieu september ~

One of the sweetest song verses I know is "Keep your heart open, your eyes shut tight, what will be will be..." - I do try and keep both heart and eyes open (but when I wish for something special I tend to keep them eyes shut tight), though when things doesn't go my way, right here, right now I know that what will be will be. Because they are meant to.

That feeling, that belief does make it easier to take setbacks. And of course, the working towards the goal/s will continue, cross-fertilisation and serendipity oh how I heart you. (Yes I do make an effort with the happy place thing, I owe that to myself and the world around me...)

Today was the day we said goodbye to September, another month that just said swoosh. I think that, alongside the previous summer months, you will be remembered as an overall rather fine month indeed. So thank you, and could you please whisper in the ear of October to continue on this lovely path of goodness?

I ended the month in style, with getting tickets for upcoming TEDxStockholm events, the first warm up now on Thursday Oct 3 already and the main one is on October 21 - I'm sure me and my fellow happy muse will be inspired in new ways.

Adieu September,
hallo October,
what will be will indeed be ~


-- The sweet song verse is from You and I, part II by Fleetwood Mac

two happy muses

Some days a perfect soy latte with your name all over it can be synonymous with happiness.
Today I had one, which was rather nice of course, but the most happiness instigating thing of the day was the (as always) inspiring, wise, silly, smart, thought-provoking hours of conversations, working and planning I had with one of my business partners.

I love how we ALWAYS make eachother laugh until we basically cry, how alike we think and yet how we also make eachother see things and decisions in new lights (and what a relief that can be when we've struggled with certain things, different things).

I am most happy how we found eachother during one of those walk & talk sessions, that we later met up for fika, that we decided we both would love to have a project together and that we've since six months back spent countless hours with wonderful, uplifting, brainstorming conversations over coffee. That our respective competences compliment and inspire eachother fabulously and that our ideas have now been put together into our brilliant (if I may say so, yes of course I may!) project Two Happy Muses - creative workshops in work joy (website and workshops only in Swedish at the moment).

Yes, the Swedish word for it is "arbetsglädje", when I look for the proper translation in English the only one I get is "work satisfaction" and that really isn't what it's all about (that's only a side effect). No it is about finding pride and joy in your workplace, realising you can (should) own responsability for your work environment (as well as the world around us). Simply put, people who like going to their place of work, who find it meaningful and empowering are more productive and satisfied. Which of course benefit the results for the company. And then connecting those dots with the world around us in thinking about and striving for sustainability in sharing is caring.

We are now officially launched and we would absolutely love to help you and your company connect those dots of joy, work, sustainability through our fabulastic workshops
(in Swedish only at the moment).
Interested in hearing more about this?
Have a look at our website and
please contact us via the contact information there.
Welcome to Two Happy Muses
aka Catherine & Pia ~