Lavender

Today I am craving lavender and all things purple... I wish Spring would hurry up and arrive!

Picture credits - Clockwise from top left:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9

An untouched apartment in Paris...

Hm I have been a bit slow on the blog posts this week which I can only blame on my own laziness.  This is an article that a friend posted on Facebook that really appealed to the hopeless romantic in me though so I thought I would share!

A few summers ago, A Parisian apartment that had been abandoned and untouched for 70 years was discovered in the quarter of Pigalle. It's owner - Mrs. De Florian left Paris just before World War 2 broke out, locking up the apartment for good and eventually passing away in the South of France at the grand old age of 91. When her heirs called on professionals to take an inventory of The Parisian apartment, it was unlocked and the treasures inside re-discovered.

The team described unlocking the dusty apartment as an experience similar to 'stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty'

To further add to the romance of this story, a painting of a beautiful woman dressed in pink was also discovered. One of the team members suspected it may be of some value and was proved right when an expert historian confirmed that the calling card left alongside the painting was that of Giovanni Boldini - one of Paris' most prestigious and important painters of the Belle Epoque. 

Alongside with the painting was a stack of old love letters tied with coloured ribbon. They revealed that the woman in the painting was Mrs de Florian's Grandmother, Marthe de Florian, who had been a famous French actress and socialite. She had been Boldini's muse and lover (in spite of him being married!) 

The story inevitably caught the attention of the art world and later sold at auction for $3 million!

Overall an enchanting and intriguing story of two women and the revelation of a great love affair. Of course there are many questions that remain a mystery in spite of the room being now unlocked. Why did Mrs de Florian flee such a beautiful apartment never to return? What other secrets did both women keep locked away?

Original article found here

and in The Telegraph here

Favourite Blogs: Poppytalk

I mentioned in a previous post that I would start featuring some of my favourite blogs so thought I would begin today with a beautiful Canadian blog that I have been reading pretty much daily now for around 2-3 years.

Poppytalk is an art and design blog with its own online marketplace - www.poppytalkhandmade.com which features artists and designers from around the world. (similar to Etsy except it is curated and themed each month)

Poppytalk is always my go to for DIY's and ideas for handmade presents - their step by step tutorials are accompanied by photographs or videos and even though they're simple to follow they produce great results.

Here are some of my favourite DIY's found via Poppytalk

DIY Letter writing set

Birch Bark Lampshade

Beautiful gift wrap

Hearts of ice

You can also follow Poppytalk on Pinterest here

Enjoy!

http://poppytalk.blogspot.co.uk/

Hansel and Gretel

On Saturday I watched a performance of 'Hansel and Gretel' at a theatre called The Tobacco Factory which is just down the road from my house. Last year we saw an excellent alternative version of Cinderella put on by The Travelling Light Company which was probably best and most original pieces of theatre I have ever watched so we were excited to see what The Tobacco Factory had to offer us this year. 

Like 'Cinderella', The company of New International Encounter used a small cast of just 5 who were all amazingly multi talented and were each able to play a range of instruments (such as a huge double bass - shown in my illustration above) as well as singing, story telling and acting!  

The play was humorous and charming and the style of performance worked particularly well in the small, intimate theatre space. My favourite part was when Hansel and Gretel first saw the Gingerbread house in the distance  - a tiny dolls house version of the gingerbread house floated through the audience, complete with a tiny smoking chimney. Another highlight was the performance of The Wicked Witch who was hilarious and had some great lines which had both the adults and children laughing.

It's refreshing to see different approaches and styles of theatre, and as much as I love big west end musicals, there is something special about minimal, intimate productions like this one where you can really appreciate the craft of the actors and each element of the production and performance.

Above is an illustration I did based on photo that was on the front of the programme.

The Life of Pi

12 years after it was first published and in just time for the film release, I have recently finished reading Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi'. I don't know what stopped me from reading it before now but after seeing the trailer for the film and reading the excellent reviews I decided that I definitely wanted to read the book before seeing the film adaptation.

Perhaps most people already have a rough idea of the story (which I didn't at all) - but it is an account of the extraordinary survival of a young Indian boy stranded on a life boat with an Orang-utan, Hyena and a Zebra with a broken leg. Oh and a Bengal Tiger called Richard Parker.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that the character 'Richard Parker' was actually a tiger  and not a person - maybe because the formality of the name, the clever way in which Martel writes or perhaps just because I am a bit dim; but in any case - the moment you come to realise the gravity of the leading character Pi's situation it becomes impossible to put this book down.

The story is so beautifully written, and although I'm sure the film which is shot in 3D will be pretty spectacular visually - it is worth reading the book anyway because it serves as such a good reminder of how powerful descriptive writing can be. It's not always necessary to have a literal re enactment  or set of images to be able to perfectly picture or imagine a scene as is definitely the case with Martel's book.

Having said that I am looking forward to seeing the film and will post an update on how I think it compares with reading the book.

Another thing to mention is the parallel of spirituality and human brutality that runs as a theme throughout the story. The protagonist (Pi) is an intensely spiritual and religious character - yet inevitably his faith is tried at many points on his journey. In the epilogue there is a slight twist (of sorts) which I think serves as the perfect ending to the book - leaving the whole account as mysterious and open ended as religion and spirituality itself. 

Below is a quote from the book and some illustrations that I found from various artists.

'Battle Of The Minds' - Andrea Offermann. Offermann submitted these images for a 2002 competition to illustrate Life Of Pi ran by The Times but lost out to Tomislav Torjanac.

'Life of Pi' by Jack Bruml Norton 

Movie Monday: Tiny Furniture

I recently watched 'Tiny Furniture' which I enjoyed so much I watched it twice in two days so thought it would be a good one to review! It is written by, directed and stars Lena Dunham - who was just 24 at the time.

I imagine that this film would not appeal to everyone - there is no definitive story line or plot outcome and there is no typical Hollywood happy ending. The film is a snapshot of  the life of 'Aura' - a recent University Graduate who has just moved home and is faced with what to do for the rest of her life. We see the mundane activity of her everyday life as she attempts to find work, a boyfriend and adjusts to living with her family again.

Aura's Mother and Sister are played by Lena's real life Mother and Sister as Lena had no money to hire actors or fund the film. Their relationship is portrayed so naturally on screen although the script and dialogue  were not ad libbed and were specifically written for amateur actors.

What is so refreshing about this film is how natural and unfinished it is. There is minimal music, blurred camera shots and almost  documentary style to the filming. Along with the simplicity of the storyline this really  makes you aware of how over produced most other films are in comparison. 

Lena Dunham also produces, writes and acts in the American Tv Series 'Girls' which I haven't seen but have heard lots of good things about so hopefully I will get round to watching it soon. 

Maybe it is because I am approaching a similar point in my life to the main character in 'Tiny Furniture' that I feel I can particularly to relate to a lot of the key themes in this film, but I do think that its authenticity and originality is a key part of what makes it a really interesting and enjoyable watch.

The Good Deed Giraffe!

"Giraffes are like me - my head is in the clouds but my heart is in the right place!"

This was a popular story in the news last week that really warmed my heart - you may have also heard of it. 

A man in Scotland called Armstrong Baillie has been parading the streets in a giraffe costume handmade by his Mum, doing good deeds and carrying out random acts of kindness. He got the idea after noticing that everyone seemed a little downhearted and decided he wanted to make those around him smile. For his first good deed he returned to the hospital where he was born and handed out £10 Mothercare vouchers to new parents; he has also given away free bananas to marathon runners and provided cups of coffee to cold passers-by. 

Since his story has picked up and gained attention in the press, Armstrong has been flooded with offers to appear on the radio and television, as well as receiving invites to visit countries around the world to spread his good cheer. He has said that as long as what he is doing continues to make others smile then he will carry on. 

I love stories like this and I wish there were more of them in the news... Random acts of kindness no matter how small can make such a difference to someone's day - whether you are dressed as a giraffe or not!

Armstrong Baillie has his own blog where you can follow updates on his Giraffe antics: http://goodgiraffe.wordpress.com/

Wild Cockatoos - Leila Jeffreys

I stumbled across this project by photographer Leila Jeffreys today and fell in love with these cockatoos. They all have such character and personality! Their names are perfect too! Now I want a cockatoo for Christmas as well as a kitten and a whippet... Here are a few of my favourites:

Matilda

Rosie

Bob

Commander Skyring

Neville

For more cockatoo photos and other work visit www.leilajeffreys.com

Trinkets and Treasures

I love this beautiful black lace collar I found via Susie Cowie's website. Perfect for a Gothic Halloween look!

Moonrise Kingdom

A friend shared this link with me earlier and reminded me of how much I enjoyed Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' . The story is melancholic, heart warming and unexpectedly funny with excellent performances from all the cast. I much preferred it to Anderson's other hit  film 'The Royal Tenenbaums', although there is a definite similarity in the tone and style in which the films are shot. 

The poster below is one I found on one of the tumblr blogs I follow daily: http://minimalmovieposters.tumblr.com/.

The blog features contributions from lots of different artists and there are lots of awesome posters on there for a huge variety of films and tv series so its worth looking through the archive for your favourite. I'd love to get some of them printed out and they'd make a great present for film fans. Not sure what the deal is with copyrighting on some of them though, so if you re blog please make sure you credit the original artist! This one is by Sam Larson.

Blackbird

I was listening to my ipod today and realised that two of my favourite songs both mention a blackbird....

Two different songs, both beautiful and uplifting... Listen and enjoy!

"Blackbird" - The Beatles

"Blackbird" - Rumer

"You were only waiting for this moment to be free..."

The Importance Of Home....

Never underestimate how wonderful it is to feel at home with someone or somewhere... 

Movie Monday: Where The Wild Things Are

For this weeks film I have chosen Spike Jonze's adaptation of the popular children's book 'Where The Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak.  In case you haven't read the book, the story is about a little boy Max who is unhappy with his life in the real world so runs away, creating a world of his own with beautiful scenery and strange creatures. Max makes himself King of this world and with the help of the creatures attempts to create a paradise where none of the problems of the real world exist. However through the dialogue and interactions with his new friends we see that this is not so easy.

The music makes the film for me - perhaps because some of it is by Arcade Fire (my favourite band). However the set, costumes and cinematography also perfectly capture the simplicity and freedom of childhood. I like that as an audience we remain unsure whether the whole of Max's experience is real or imagined - as this helps to give the story a magical touch.

A great film for both children and adults - it will make you long for an adventure!

"Inside all of us... is a wild thing!"

Movie Monday: An Education

I thought I would try to do a post each Monday featuring one of my favourite films, and to start with I chose 'An Education' starring Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard.  
The film is based on the real life account of author Lynn Barber, and tells the coming-of-age story of a young girl in the 1960's whose dull and predictable suburban life is transformed by the arrival of a playboy twice her age. It is a tale about the blindness of love, the bitterness of yours dreams not quite living up to your expectations and about the desperation for a different life that's a little bit different.


When I introduced this film to my friends, I was surprised that they were not able to enjoy it as they found Carey Mulligan's character Jenny to be arrogant and irritating. It is true that for a 16 year old she is confident, but I think Mulligan portrays perfectly how at that age self confidence is often just a front, and as the film develops we see that really she is vulnerable and afraid of what life holds for her.


I love the film, and think it truly deserved the Oscar nomination and BAFTAS that it won. As I mentioned, Carey Mulligan is excellent as Jenny and Alfred Molina is also hilarious as her Father. Watch and enjoy :) 

"Well I'm going to be French and I'm going to Paris and smoke and wear black!"

Wild Geese - Mary Oliver

I thought I would begin my blog by posting its namesake; the poem Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. A friend introduced me to this poem a few years ago and it has since become a favourite. I find it comforting and inspiring - it seems to capture that sense of wanderlust I often get too. 

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Image taken from: http://people.tribe.net/fbf438e6-da8f-485a-8257-37d8e53d010c/blog/86033082-8a84-4b3d-a10a-3bc447804456