I am very excited to announce the launch of what was my "secret project" - my new fashion / lifestyle blog, Pretty Vintage! After giving up fashion blogging quite some time ago, I found that I missed it terribly - or at least, I finally realised what was causing that aching hole in my heart!
Pretty Vintage is exactly what it says on the box, encompassing fashion, hair, beauty, film & tv, books, craft, cooking and whatever else might come to mind. I look forward to seeing you there!
Oh me, oh my! I must admit that one of my favourite ways to creatively avoid doing what I intend to do (i.e. writing, paying bills, cleaning) is to browse Etsy and marvel at all the beautiful handmade creations therein. One of my favourite searches to run is 'owl', being that I love them so, and just look at this!
Made from exquisite linen with pretty cotton details, buttons, hemp string and an owl (screenprinted, not real) it's the stuff of my daydreams. This one comes complete with a notebook to jot down plot points and fabulous twists, but I think it would also make a wonderful book cover to protect your favourite books that travel with you. There are lots of other prints (including more delightful owls!) and you'll find them at Christina's Etsy Store. You might have to fight me for them, though...
[Thanks to Decor8 for the heads up!]
I really enjoy when someone uses a successful, age-old literary idea and uses an interesting twist to make it new again; and Lost in Austen was just that for me! A fabulous four-part ITV mini-series, it was a bit ridiculous at times, but oh-so-fun along the way.
Lost in Austen tells the story of Amanda Price - a die-hard Pride and Prejudice fan living in modern times - who one day discovers Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom, having popped through a portal from the Bennet's family home. Elizabeth quickly disappears, but a few days later she returns, and this time Amanda enters the P&P doorway to take a look at Longbourne, but gets 'lost' in Austen time instead.
What follows is a muddling of the events that take place in the book. Poor Amanda desperately tries to 'make things right' - that is, as they are in Austen's storyline - only to be thrown off by the absence of Elizabeth, quite a few unexpected plot developments and other titillating character insights.
I found it very engaging - and it did keep me on my toes, wondering how events could possibly reorganise themselves into some kind of acceptable, Austenesque semblance! In the end, I found myself as vested in Amanda's success as much as I have been invested in and loved Elizabeth Bennet in the classic tale!
Very good fun, indeed. I thoroughly recommend it, if you're looking for some Austen with a twist!
It's been a wee while since I shared some of my favourite writing with you; and in the case of this passage, from Nelson Mandela's inaugral presidential address, it is a favourite long held.
There is a saying that "the sum of parts is greater than the whole"; in this case, it's the opposite. The whole message far transcends the sum of its words.
Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure! It is our Light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves: who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented or fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a Child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us - it is in everyone.
And as we let our Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
Love.
[Phenomenally beautiful image courtesy of Greenplasticdave, a.k.a. husband extraordinaire]
Ah, Coldplay. I never like their albums on the first try; but after about three listen-throughs (and no skipping tracks! It's the rule!) they've won me over and I can't get them out of my head.
This album is something of a religious conversion (akin to Sting's album 'Brand New Day') and a lot more gritty than their self-proclaimed trilogy of Parachutes / A Rush of Blood to the Head / X&Y. What I love about it, though, are the lyrical, emotional and spiritual gems.
My favourite?
No I don't wanna fight a battle from beginning to end / I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge / I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends
I've been thinking a lot about "revenge" lately (the concept, not exacting it!). A wise woman said to me that revenge is the third 'R' in the '3R' cycle: resentment, resistance, revenge. When we resent, we begin to resist, and eventually it gets to revenge. 'A cycle of recycled revenge' really rang in my heart, because revenge can become generational, passed on, parent to child, not unlike any other familial trait. It's a plague on relationship. It breaks our nations from within. Our world is pitted against itself.
The only cure? Forgiveness.
When you seek to understand others, you cannot fail to love them. And when you love them, you cannot fail to forgive them their trespasses.
Food for thought.
I am really missing the Scottish mountains tonight. I can probably blame Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which heavily features the mountains in and around Glencoe and Ben Dorain. There's nothing in the world like the Highlands. Awe-inspiring, devastating, peaceful, mysterious and more often than not - misty; their feel changes as often as the clouds move in the skies above.
Fortunately, plans are afoot. All they'll require is more money than sense.
[Image from one of our many Highland drives, courtesy of Greenplasticdave]
I've always fancied myself as an honourary member of the Famous Five. I read the books from cover to cover for years as a youngster and still love to delve into the vintage mystery and adventure that they so beautifully showcase. My favourite stories, though? The ones where they go camping, particularly when it's near or in a castle; and happily, next week, we're going camping too! Of course, there aren't any real castles in which to camp in Australia, but we're heading to the rainforest, which is almost as good.
I'm a bit of an Anne, when it comes to camping. I delight in making things feel homely; coming up with tasty recipes from ingredients that don't require refrigeration; and the thought of 'dressing up' for camping absolutely enthralls me! I'm also hoping to use this time for a bit o' writing, reflection and space away from the modern conveniences of my living room.
Every once in a while, you stumble upon a book that you can read over and over again and it never gets old. I've owned a copy of 'George, Don't Do That', by the immensely talented Joyce Grenfell, since I was about twelve years old. I still read it. I still love it. It is, without any doubt, the funniest book I have ever laid my hands on (and I have owned and/or read a LOT of books).
What makes the collection of short sketches both wonderful and magical, is that an entire cast of tiny tots and their shenanigans are told through the singular voice of a (sometimes exasperated) nursery school teacher. It is absolutely hilarious. Don't believe me? Well, someone has been kind enough to transcribe them online...
Continue reading "Joyce Grenfell's 'George, Don't Do That'" »
Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,
There's always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
"Where are you going today?" says Pooh:
"Well, that's very odd 'cos I was too.
Let's go together," says Pooh, says he.
"Let's go together," says Pooh.
"What's twice eleven?" I said to Pooh,
("Twice what?" said Pooh to Me.)
"I think it ought to be twenty-two."
"Just what I think myself," said Pooh.
"It wasn't an easy sum to do,
But that's what it is," said Pooh, said he.
"That's what it is," said Pooh.
If you've been reading my blog since its beginning but a few weeks ago, I suspect you've noticed that I'm a very obvious fan of the wonderful Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. With the release of Order of the Phoenix on film yesterday (I loved it! Luna: perfect!) and book seven in a little over a week, we're all on Harry Potter overload of the best kind.
I have a Potter conundrum, though, and it's this: to spoiler or not to spoiler.
Now, it's probably very unlikely that much information (of the true kind) about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has leaked or will leak out, given the extreme security measures in place; but our local news website is quoting a US blogger who apparently has their hands on the book - and thus - the ending. For days now, I've been toying with the 'Should I click on the news link? Should I not?!' conundrum; and I must admit it's driving me more than a little batty!
