Friday I'm in love

Greenhouse At Night by Jeremy Miranda

I have to own this print. Amazing.

When I finally picked up the overdue library book that sat in accusatory silence on my bedside table, I was hooked from the first page. Not so surprising, since I've never read a Margaret Atwood novel that wasn't captivating, but the title 'The Year of the Flood' had seriously put me off. No points for guessing why...

If you aren't yet aquainted with the work of Margaret Atwood, get thee to the library. She spins an incredible story that pulls you in, straps you down and takes you for a ride. From 'The Handmaid's Tale', to 'Oryx and Crake', there is a world re-created, our world but warped and tweaked, where science, politics and the cruel beauty of humanity travel down the garden path and become dangerously lost. 

Sometimes I don't read for months at a time, apart from blogs and a few select magazines (Frankie, Peppermint and New Scientist), and if I'm not reading, then I'm not writing. I can't have one without the other, which is frustrating. I'll be focused on writing for the next few months while I study creative and professional writing through Griffith Uni.

Confession: I'm a touch nervous about study after so long, but really very excited to be doing rather than just saying.

Spaces

It comes as no surprise that the new 'mook' - magazine/book from the creators of Frankie mag is completely gorgeous. The large format Spaces is filled with the places 'where creative people live, work and play', and regular readers of Frankie might even recognise a few of the photos from previous issues. 

Spaces is hefty. It's a relaxed coffee table book. It invites you in and asks you to take your time. I love how it catches the feeling of each dwelling and workspace. (The Etsy lab? Seriously, I'd be their in-house baker and coffee/tea lady in a heartbeat.)

In a strange way, even though there are so many divine designer items and unique features that I'll never call my own, I'm comforted by the realness of most of the spaces: they aren't glossy and perfect, there's some really wacky shit that folks live with every day. Franklie, these people are my people.

Red by three

I'm a little low on energy due to a lovely little headcold, and the best colour for giving energy is red!

Red is hot, red is strong. The cultural signifigance varies across the globe, but you can be guaranteed the meaning or emotion attributed to red is always a powerful one. Love, hate, passion and pain can all be conveyed with this feisty primary colour.

When I wear my favourite red scarf I feel more confident, and sometimes simply putting on red lipstick is all I need to do for a boost.

Red is considered a healing colour too. I'm hoping these little dashes of red will get me out of my slump!

My Tangled Hair

My tangled hair

I shall not cut:

Your hand, my dearest,

Touched it as a pillow.

ANONYMOUS Translated from the Japanese by G Bownes and A Thwaite

Have a heart, my love

Rome 2010

So, St Valentine's Day. Whether you love it or hate it, think it's a chance to be super-romantic or another way for Hallmark to take your money, Valentine's Day is kinda hard to ignore. If you work with other people in any kind of situation, there will be the squeals of glory and delight from the recipients of enormous bouquets, and there will be the grumbles and razzafrazzes of those not so lucky. I've been on both sides, but I'm an old married lady now, and I get to stamp my feet if I'm not gifted with something shiny or sweet smelling. (I'm mostly kidding!)

loveheart cookie mcwashere glogster

Personally, I like Valentine's Day as an idea. A day simply to express your true feelings of love and devotion, to make known your affections, to revel in the overuse of love hearts and eat a little chocolate? How can that be bad?

The issue that I take is the cookie-cutter feel of a dozen red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. As with almost everything in my life, I want it different. I count myself lucky beyond measure to be married to my best friend, and to share with him many of the same tastes and opinions. (Except maybe when it comes to 80's music and sarsparilla) This means that I can be certain he'll never rely on the tried-and-tested Valentines favourites. One year it was a trip to a day spa (heaven!), once a voucher for a deep relaxation massage. There's usually a drawing or a painting, or a terribly mis-spelled and daggy poem. (He has a degree in fine arts, so his art should be better than his poetry)

I'm not bragging, I promise!

We can own our gift-giving, even on such clearly prescribed celebratory days as this, especially if the gift is a shared experience. I say no more red roses! Unless of course that's the one thing that your sweetie will swoon for.

These sound dreamy to me...

• A row on a lake with Django Reinhardt playing, and a nice bottle of red
• Make a bed picnic with a big tub of cookies and cream icecream
• Sit on your favourite beach and watch the sun come up
• Go out dancing together until your head is whirling

I'd love you to share your ideal St Valentine's day....

Summer giveaway

Have you entered my very first giveaway yet? All you have to do is tell me in the comments what summer means to you. Easy! And of course for all the folks on the other side of the world surrounded by snow and ice, it's a chance to really conjure up a little warmth.
So far there are some lovely entries, and I can't wait to read yours.

BrisStyle Valentine's Day Gift Guide

If you're a little stuck for gift ideas for your sweetheart, I recommend having a peek at the BrisStyle gift guide. There's lots of cute, romantic or anatomically correct ideas. I especially like the mixed metal 'Love Pendant' from Forever Inspired Jewellery by Liv, because we have an ongoing competition in our house to describe how much we love each other. "I love you to the moon and back" is a pretty good start!

My contribution to the whole smoochy St Valentine's Day scene is the St Valentine Scarlet Heart Garland, with nine crochet love hearts hanging on a line. I have them hanging above my bedside table, and I have to say, I'm growing very attached to them. But, I'll happily sell them to someone with stars in their eyes!

A photo, a poem

Drunk as drunk

Translated from Spanish by Christopher Logue

Drunk as drunk on turpentine
from your open kisses,
your wet body wedged
between my wet body and the strake
of the boat that is made of flowers,
feasted, we guide it - our fingers
like tallows adorned with yellow metal -
over the sky's hot rim
the days last breath in our sails.

Pinned by the sun between solstice
and equinox, drowsy and tangled together
we drifted for months and woke
with the bitter taste of land on our lips,
eyelids all sticky, and we longed for lime
and the sound of a rope
lowering a bucket down its well. Then,
we came by night to the Fortunate Isles,
and lay like fish
under the net of our kisses.

Pablo Neruda