1 Sep 2022
My lovely husband David, surprised me for my birthday last week with a couple of days away in the Tramontana Mountains of Mallorca – we stayed at the stunningly beautiful @can_beneit, near Caimari in the north of the island.
As soon as we arrived, I knew I was going to absolutely love it there. It was oh so peaceful – the only sounds we could hear were birdsong, sheep bleating and the breeze rippling through the leaves of the olive and fruit trees surrounding the ancient stone house.
As well as a Rural Hotel, the Finca is still a working olive estate, and each year the original steam-driven olive press is fired up to press the olives from the 200 acre Estate. Owner, Toni Duran, who gave us a guided tour, explained that the family (who originally came from Soller) pick their olives slightly later in the season than most other estates. Waiting until the olives are mostly black, gives the finished oil a more velvety smoothness. The entire harvest takes approximately 10 days, and produces around 600 litres of oil – not enough to sell, but enough to supply their @mirabona_restaurant. Being the daughter of a farmer, this kind of information totally geeks me out!
As well as olives, there are various fruit trees including orange, lemon and fig – Toni told us we were welcome to pick and eat any ripe fruit. The raised-bed vegetable garden supplies the restaurant too – at the time we visited there were melons, aubergines, Mallorcan peppers, cherry tomatoes, pink tomatoes and the healthiest, most abundant looking Basil I have ever seen in my life!
We’d gone there intending to find somewhere in the nearby villages to eat, but as soon as we’d parked the car, we just knew that we wouldn’t be leaving this little piece of paradise until we checked out! So we ate some of the tastiest, freshest food in the hotel restaurant, which also had a fantastic selection of local Mallorcan wines. I even received a “birthday” gato (Mallorcan almond cake) with a candle on it for my birthday! The staff were so kind and attentive – nothing was too much trouble.
We really had the most tranquil couple of days – we walked along country lanes, cycled into Caimari on the hotels’ eBikes and had a fabulous Pindas massage at the spa. We were so sad when the time came to leave. Even the weather conspired to keep us there – a storm began, just as we were about to leave – meaning we had to stay a little bit longer enjoying a coffee in the cosy dining room, watching as the neighbouring hills disappeared into the dark storm clouds.
We left with heavy hearts that day, but one thing is certain, we will definitely be visiting Finca Ca’n Beneït again sometime in the future.
Music: @freebeats.io
28 Jul 2021
As the mercury continues to rise here on Mallorca, I thought I would share my top five tips for keeping cool when it’s hot, hot, hot outside!
1. Wear light, loose, linen clothing – the loose weave of linen allows body heat (and sweat!) to escape from your body. Linen absorbs a lot of moisture and will dry quickly, keeping you both cool and dry.
2. Keep shutters (if you have them), and curtains closed during the day to keep the heat out. Now, if you come from the north east of Scotland like me, this one will go against everything you were ever taught growing up (open all the windows, let the sun / day light in, let fresh air in – and yes, even if it is absolutely freeeeeezing outside!)
3. Placing a bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan creates a similar air cooling effect to air conditioning.
4. Running cold water over your wrists – the blood vessels there are closer to the surface of your skin – will help to bring your body temperature down much quicker. Very important for those of us of a certain age!
5. (And my personal favourite!) Eat your own body weight in watermelon! Personally, I love my watermelon in a salad, mixed with cucumber, feta and fresh mint, with a dressing of olive oil, lime juice and honey, and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt flakes.
These are just some of things that I have found that work for me, but I’m curious, how do you like to keep cool?
3 Jul 2020
Wow, how can it possibly be the beginning of July already – it really has been a year like no other, hasn’t it?
Looking back over the events of the past six months, I was reminded about a Vision Boarding Session I did at the end of 2019. Over the course of an afternoon, each of us chose images, pictures and affirmations which we were drawn to, and created a collage symbolising our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. The things which came up for me meant getting back out into nature a bit more, taking time to hone my photography skills, do more “hands on” creative work, and just to live a little slower. Little did I know back then, that when I chose the image with the word “pause” on it, that was really going to manifest itself – big time! (Note to self: Be careful what you wish for!)
I guess back then, none of us could even have dreamed about the chaos and disruption that Corona Virus would wreak on all of us – at times it really did feel like we were living on the set of a horror movie. Now though, here on Mallorca at least, things are beginning, slowly but surely, to open up again and we are taking tentative steps into the “new normality” phase. This means that although freedom of movement has been restored, certain other safety measures, such as social distancing and hygiene measures will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully, wherever you are in the World, things are also beginning to get back to “normal”, and that you, your family and also your business can find a way to navigate through the coming months. Now is a great time to pause and reflect – by taking the time to figure out what has and hasn’t been working in your business – allowing you to do things differently in order to move forward in a more sustainable way. It’s at times like these that a small business really has the advantage in being able to shift and pivot, much quicker and smarter than their larger counterparts can.
My business model has meant that I have been lucky enough to be able to continue working with my clients throughout the whole of Lockdown, but as the mercury begins to rise here on Mallorca, the time has come for me to take my own “pause”. Let me tell you, temperatures in the high 30’s, plus high humidity do NOT make for Tranquilo working conditions! For this reason, the Studio will be closed from Friday 17 July until Monday 14 September.
So, stay safe, have a fabulous Summer, and I can’t wait to see you on the other side!
11 Jun 2020
I received such a fabulous response after sharing my “this house runs on island time” poster on my grid a few weeks ago, that I have decided to sell it as a Limited Edition print . . .
A4 Limited Edition Unframed Print.
Litho printed on 225gsm Premium Matte stock to give an artisanal feel. This print has a Limited Edition run of 50 copies, each print is hand numbered.
The print is available to purchase from my brand new Esty shop, here’s the link:- https://bit.ly/islandtimeprint
UPDATE: The print is now sadly all SOLD OUT! Let me know if you’d like me to make some more!
29 Oct 2019
I’m naturally camera-shy! I feel really uncomfortable having photos taken and I always think that the photos always look fake and well, just not like me at all! Then I met Katie (Katie Spicer Photography) . . .
We initially met at The Brand Stylist’s four day Retreat at Cal Reiet and Katie was the official event photographer. Over the next four days, Katie would be hovering around in the background, silently doing her thing, like the photography ninja that she is! In the evenings at dinner, we chatted and immediately hit it off, she was just so lovely and had that special way of putting you at ease.
When I saw the photos which Katie had taken at the Retreat I was blown away – Katie had managed to perfectly capture the mood and feeling of the Retreat. There were even some photos of me, which I actually liked – they just looked so natural!
I’d just finished rebranding my business as Tranquilo Creative and my next challenge was going to be the website. I knew that I was going to have to “grasp the nettle” and get some professional brand photos which I could use for that, and my other marketing collateral – I needed a photographer that I could trust, and feel comfortable with. I’d followed Katie on Instagram since I met her, and after a chance remark, I joked about how I wished she could come to Mallorca to take my photos – her reply was: “well, I don’t see why I can’t!”
So after a couple of months of careful planning (on both our parts!) – everything from shot lists, locations, prop lists, outfits, flowers, etc. – we manage to arrange a shoot date. Soon, I found myself en-route to Palma airport to pick Katie up for my first ever brand shoot! Yikes!
That night we went out to a local restaurant for dinner – we laughed and chatted just like old friends – it was then that I knew that I had made the right decision to pick Katie to be my photographer.
The next morning we begun shooting in earnest. This was where my fastidious Virgo pre-planning worked a treat – I had a detailed list of the shots that I wanted, and Katie brought her “magic” to make them happen. She was just so easy to work with – we joked and chatted throughout the shoot, and Katie gave me directions of which way to look, to turn, to smile. I felt immediately at ease, which I don’t normally do in front of a camera – in fact, I began to forget that there was even a camera there!
We whistled through the shot list that day, and after ending the day with a sunset shoot in my friends’ gorgeous garden, we out again for dinner and a large gin to celebrate me getting over my fear of the camera!
The next morning, we awoke early and headed off to Mondrago beach for some early morning shots – it was perfect – the beach was just so quiet and tranquil. Then after breakfast, we shot some of the final close up images on my terrace, before it was time to head back to the airport with Katie.
It really was a whirlwind couple of days, and believe it or not, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think you’ll agree, that Katie did a fantastic job with my photos – many of which are dotted throughout this website. All I can say is, for those of you out there who are also camera shy and considering doing a brand shoot, just do it, your business will thank you for it.
29 Sep 2019
It’s been a while now since I relaunched as Tranquilo Creative, so I thought I would share the reasons why I felt the time had come to start afresh . . .
When I started Purple Creative Design back in 2007, I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing! The funding for my employment had just ended and I really couldn’t face a long commute in and out of Aberdeen everyday, to work for someone else – ah the joys of living in rural north east Scotland! So, with only one client to my name, I decided to take the plunge into the heady world of self employment.
I’d always toyed with the idea of starting my own business, and that I would call it Morado Design. It turned out that, at that time, there was another business just up the road from me, using a similar name and doing similar work – so I had to go back to the drawing board. With time not being on my side, and wanting to get started with client work, I did the “unthinkable” – I chose my business name by which domain names were available! (What on earth was I thinking?!)
Anyway, fast forward 10 years and many more clients, I began to realise that the name didn’t really mean anything to me anymore and I was beginning to feel that it was actually starting to hold me back. To be honest with you, I’d also fallen out of love with my business and the type of work I was doing. I was tired – tired of the hustle, the quick turnarounds, haggling over prices, trying to meet client demands – something had to change, and boy, did it change!
In late 2016 we moved – lock, stock and bookshelves – to the beautiful mediterranean island of Mallorca! The slower pace of island life was exactly what I needed to recharge my creative batteries. I tried lots new things, visited new places, took up old hobbies again and met lots of new people – essentially, I made time to find the me that I am now.
That’s when the realisation hit me – what I was missing in my creative work was a hands-on element – the very part which I loved so much when I was a young designer just starting out. I needed to create a business which would complement my new lifestyle, as well as give me the creative space necessary to do my best work. However, rebranding was so much more than just changing my logo – I’d also realised that my existing business name and identity no longer fitted with my hopes and aspirations for my business in the future.
I’d been aware of Fiona Humberstone (The Brand Stylist) for a while – having just read through her excellent How To Style Your Brand book, and had wanted to attend one of her Colour Psychology Workshops in London, but the timings and logistics just didn’t work for me. Then, serendipitously, she announced she was going to launch her Brand Brilliance Creative Retreat (coinciding with the launch of her superb Brand Brilliance book), here in Mallorca! Not only that, but it was going to be in the town 10 minutes up the road from me – well, of course, I booked straight away – needless to say, it was a real game changer for me!
However, trying to come up with a new name was proving difficult – that was until I completed The Brand Stylist Naming Masterclass online, this gave me the tools and tips I needed in order to choose a name which encompassed what I wanted to do, reflected who I wanted to be, attract the type of clients I wanted and, which also reflected the overall feel I wanted for the business.
Tranquilo is one of my absolutely favourite Spanish words – it means calm, quiet, tranquil, serene, peaceful – and I think it fits beautifully with where my business is now headed – trying to create a bit of calm in this crazy, high speed life.
By taking everything I’ve learned, and applying the principles of colour psychology, I have been able to create an intentional brand for my business, and carefully selected colours, typography, illustrations, texture and photography which alludes to the calm, aspirational, quality of my work, as well as referencing my traditional design training and my many years of experience.
OK, so it’s taken a wee bit longer than anticipated, but I’ve now finally relaunched my business as Tranquilo Creative. There is still some work to do as part of the rebrand, but the biggest things are done so I can now start to enjoy it and focus on what I love; designing brand identities for other lifestyle business owners.
I hope you like the new branding as much as I do.
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