Purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool color it has both warm and cool properties. A purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity. Too much purple, like blue, could result in moodiness.
Culture of Purple:
The color of mourning for widows in Thailand, purple was the favorite color of Egypt's Cleopatra. It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cultures. Purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank. The Purple Heart is a U.S. Military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.
I belong to a wonderful organization called: The Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network, which gives me the opportunity to meet many wonderful and interesting women engaged in a huge variety of businesses. A few weeks ago at one of the breakfast meetings Josephine Ive (photo above) was sitting next to me, and during the pre-breakfast chit-chat I learned she has a business(Magnums Butlers) which provides professional training services to butlers and valets and much, much more. I found this so interesting, that I asked Josephine if she would do a “question and answer” session on my blog about what she does, how she got started, etc.
BTW…I love her byline which is:
“The Science Behind Gracious Service”
1.How did you start in this business?
Trained as a classical Chef, ran my own catering business in UK before dropping in at the deep end as a Butler (fortunately my father had been a butler, so he was able to give me a few tips).........decided I liked it so much, gave up my business to become a full time butler with the Lord Chancellors Department, aka High Court Judges, in England. Did that for 7 years before immigrating to Australia. The rest is history as they say, started Magnums, got my first overseas butler training contract with Oriental Hotel in Bangkok and it has just gone from there.
2.Where did you grow up and where do you currently live?
The South coast of England, Highcliffe to be precise, beautiful place on the edge of the New Forest. Now live in Coes Creek, another beautiful area, enjoying being between the sea and the Blackall Ranges
3.What is your favourite country to travel to?
Tough question. As I love traveling to do my work, but probably three countries, Thailand, France and Zambia
4.What is the hardest part of your job/business?
Marketing overseas, both difficult and expensive.
5.What is the most fun part of your job/business?
Creating intellectual property, seeing students blossom with new found knowledge, skills and confidence.
6.How do you get business, customers or clients?
Word of mouth, website, social networking.
7.What "new thing" have you learned in the past week?
That it is OK to admit that you are overwhelmed and tired by your workload, and it is OK to step back for a couple of days without feeling guilty.
8.How do you relax and unwind?
Share quality time with my partner, watch a totally absorbing movie or do a 30 minute Latin dance routine.
9.What is your favourite:
Colour: Watermelon red
Food: Roast Lamb
Drink: Champagne
Song: Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore
10.Anything else you would like to share?
I am passionate about good service.
I love butler service for its elegance.
I can’t stand ‘passionate insincerity’ of which there is so much these days.
I still miss my first golden retriever Tessa and my calico cat Krug.
If I had the money I would have my hair professionally ‘coiffed’ every day!
I love sourcing unusual gifts for family and friends, and the all important gift wrapping, it’s a therapy for me.
Yikes....My blog has suddenly become "super-sized"..... everything is bigger, brighter and bolder. Well, the fun colours and brightness I love, as it reflects my overall view of my blog postings. However, I have no idea where the massive photo (see above earrings shot) came from and how to get it back to "regular" size.... Perhaps it's time to dust off the 3-d shades and hang in there...I'm working on it!
When Hawaiian natives first discovered peridot in the black sands of volcanoes, they believed the clear, green gemstones were the tears of the volcano goddess, Pele. Egyptian jewelry featured peridot, "the gem of the sun," as early as two centuries B.C., believing it connected them to their goddess, Isis. Peridots are said to have been a favorite gemstone of Egypt's most famous queen, Cleopatra.
The Romans admired the stone for its constant color which does not change in artificial light, calling it "emerald of the evening." Peridot is found in Medieval Christian churches and shrines and was also popular during Europe's baroque period of the 17th Century.
When a new source of peridot was discovered in Pakistan in 1994, finer than any samples that had been found before, the gemstone was popularized for modern use. These Pakistani stones have been called "Kashmir peridots," linking them in name with the famed Kashmir sapphires that are so highly prized.
