Lunchbox salad

Oh no not ANOTHER salad recipe. Well as much as I like baking cakes and cookies, I do have to balance my life out with something slightly easier on my weight. So yes, it is another salad recipe, but not like every other salad you'd usually find in your typical cookbook or lurking on the world wide web. I think words are absolutely incredible, for they have the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Like in this case, calling it a "lunchbox salad" is just a way of your humble blogger here trying to glorify something that would be more appropriately crowned as "salad made with Tuesday night's leftovers". I don't like wasting good food, so being able to turn the slices of canned beetroot, hunks of soft mozzarella, unwanted wholemeal bread crusts and chopped iceberg lettuce into a new meal was more than just desirable. Plus it only took me 5 minutes to make so, why not?

In conversation with Indre Jakumaite, designer & owner of "Alexa Jay"

“生命影響生命”

Wise words from the mother of yours truly that essentially mean one’s life can impact another. Simple but meaningful, I think that one of the best things about making new friends is, quite honestly, the inspiration they bring you. Be it about a new challenge or a new way of thinking, I find that a significant part of my life is created by all the people I have met and their unique personalities. On this occasion, I had the privilege of getting to know, through a good friend of mine, fashion’s latest hip and fab handbag designer, Indre Jakumaite.

Created by t-i-v-a-s-u-r-a-d-e-j on Polyvore

Jakumaite is the owner and designer of the brand, Alexa Jay. Starting only 2 years ago, this London-based brand is well known for its beautiful accessories in stunning statement colors and elegant classic styles. With a hint of playfulness, the products often evoke printed motifs and interesting textures, two of the utmost important themes that constantly inspire Jakumaite.

So what exactly is the story behind the name “Alexa Jay”?

“Initially, we started the business with #IJ, but soon realized that it didn't work. It took us quite a few glasses of bubbly to get the juices flowing and to come up with a new name. We wanted it to be personal and meaningful to us, so my partner and I decided to play with our names and their sounds. Thus Alexa Jay was born.”

And who is this “Alexa Jay” girl you might ask?

“She’s a happy and busy city woman, with an iPhone in one hand and coffee in the other (and occasionally a cupcake!). She loves fashion but isn’t necessarily fashion led, and likes to go for playful looks that are elegant, classy, and in bright, statement colors. She’s keen on high-end trends with a mid-price point. Last but not least, she’s well-travelled, educated, and career-orientated but still has time for socializing, relationships, and caring for her own appearance and home.”

The girls of ALEXA JAY

I personally think that’s the kind of woman ALL women (including myself) should aspire to be.

But it’s not simply the Alexa Jay girl that I found inspiring, oh no. It was her creator, Jakumaite herself. Having a background in HR, she made a daring move by quitting her job and buying an industrial sewing machine to begin designing and making handbags. Her passion for fashion has allowed her to experience the two most “adventurous” years of her life. With the help of her mentor, Donna Ida Thornton, the founder of the denim boutique Donna Ida, Jakumaite has gained success in marketing her brand such that Alexa Jay products are now available both online and in numerous stores, notably Anthropologie in Selfridges, and has even made it to the designer spotlight of the infamous Marie Claire magazine (issue May 2014 to be more precise!). Her ending remarks? “I love what I do and so my business is a great source of pride and pleasure.”

Inspirational? I think yes.

Reach for the stars and be open. Let the experience of others influence your life.

And remember

Be “flirtatiously colorful.”

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For more details about or to purchase items from Alexa Jay visit:

Web: http://alexajay.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexaJayHandbags?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexajay_bags

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AlexaJayBags/

Alexa Jay products can also be found at:

·         Anthropologie (King’s Road, Regents Street, Bath, Guildford, Westfield, Selfridges and online)

·         The Mercantile (Spitalfields)

·         Kristina Goes West (online)

·         Lolly & Mitch (Hertfordshire – from November) 

The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry

92 pages

When choosing for books, I tend to opt for the thicker novels that are incredibly DNM (deep & meaningful, fyi). I like to escape from reality through the passage of words, similes and alliteration into a parallel world, where fantasy and dreams have no limits and time appears to be infinite. So it's fair to say that short stories and I hardly ever join hands and walk in unison. But there are, on certain and random occasions, that I go out of my comfort zone to try something new. And in this case, it was the colorful cover and interesting title, The Library of Unrequited Love, of Sophie Divry's soliloquy that caught my attention.

It's not a long read. In fact, I finished reading it on my train journey up to Newcastle today. There are no chapters, just words, structured in one long continuous paragraph lasting for, I repeat, 92 pages. It's not particularly happy, nor particularly sad. I think the best way to describe it was that it was expressive and slightly philosophical. It essentially focuses on a conversation between the narrator, who is a librarian, and the reader (i.e. yourself) who assumes the role of a male that has been locked in the library overnight. It's critical, sharp and crisp. You're basically left to hear about the librarian's outrage and criticism of modern-day politics, the Dewey Decimal System's pros and cons, and, at times, her grumpiness towards the (unpleasant) manners of those that visit the library. On a sweeter side, you learn about her unrequited love for Martin, a researcher who she deems has a "beautiful" neck. 

I'll agree - it's quite a lot to fit on just 92 pages isn't it?

Was I happy, moved or upset? Not at all. In truth, I felt quite neutral after reading Divry's work. It's not the usual happily ever after fairy-tale story that I tend to lean towards. Nevertheless, it was certainly interesting to see what exactly goes on in the mind of the silent but ever-present librarian. 

Looking Glass Books - Edinburgh

Lunchtime at Looking Glass Books

The original home of my copy of The Library of Unrequited Love. A coffee, gift and book shop, I think you'd be absolutely MAD if you weren't attracted to some aspect of this lovely boutique. With an atmosphere created by the smell of freshly-made coffee, checkered tables, and teal and purple felt sofas, visitors can comfortably tuck into a delicious sandwich and/or cake whilst devouring a good read from an eclectic range of literature. 

Tempted? You'd better be.

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