Reading, robins and reminders

As soon as I saw Tracey Fletcher King's instagram illustration recently of her comfy reading chair, I knew that I needed to draw my own reading corner. 

It's been incredibly neglected over the whole summer, so it's time it got a little attention. 

Now winter is coming towards us, I hope that I'll be curled up here with a mass of great books to plough through. Bliss!

Obviously with the roaring fire toasting my toes... ahh... I never thought I'd say it but now I think about it... roll on winter if that's the case. 

(by the way if you have any recommendations please just pop them into the comments below)  

I'm still managing to add to my Inktober Challenge, although I'm still not up to date. 

I thought I'd take a photo of the reading corner so that you can see what I was using as a reference. 

I've not drawn it exactly, otherwise I'd be here until October 2016, so let's say it's my artistic license. 

Here are a few other sketches just in case you didn't see them on my Instagram or Facebook accounts.

If you did, then I apologise... you must be fed up seeing these designs yet again, but we're near to the end of the month.
I'll leave you in peace then.

I've got a thing about Highland Cows.
This one isn't Hetty (drawn last year) but maybe Hilda perhaps?

I had a request to include a grapevine in this challenge... I'm pleased with this one which if you know me is unusual. I think it would be better with a nice glass of red, but maybe I'll have one later!

I like the swirly whirly grapes.

Now here's a very simple design of a fuschia that is still actually blooming in my garden. 

It's a beautiful pink puffy ballerina tutu.

And finally, I wasn't going anywhere near Christmas but I've got a few robins in my garden and they're singing beautifully. 

I think they want to be drawn.

I'm heading off to the PPF party now to check out other artists and they're amazing work. 

If you'd like to join me then click on the link below. 

Have a brilliant weekend everyone

Happy painting too xx

Artist Play Room....Books and Bookmarks!

Oh where do I start with this week's theme in the Artists Play Room.
They're something that make me feel all warm and fuzzy whenever I think about them! 

You could be forgiven for thinking I'm talking about chocolate here because as you know I'm a serious chocoholic and not afraid to admit it! But this time I'm talking about...BOOKS! 

Another passion of mine :D

I'm not sure how young I was when I first learnt to read, but I knew once I started I couldn't stop....nor do I ever intend to! I only feel comfortable when I have at least three books lined up and waiting for me. There have been occasions when my bedside cabinet has been so full, I couldn't even reach the lamp! 

I can also have the beginnings of a panic attack if I seriously think about how many books there are out there that I'll probably never get to ....(breath....breath....breath...) so I try not to think about that.

I have a serious compulsion to enter book shops whenever I see one, no matter what's on my plan, or timescale...everything pales into insignificance when I enter a book shop. I have also been known to hyperventilate too...although maybe I shouldn't divulge so much information here. But you get the jist.....

I LOVE BOOKS

Oh I know it should be shoes, handbags or clothes that sets me into a tizzy, but books win every time I'm afraid...no question about it.

I do love my kindle, but it's the feel, smell, turning of pages, bindings and their covers....in fact everything about a real physical book that can have me stroking it lovingly. 

Whoops....now that really is enough!

So onto Jenn's challenge....
Well having read the above (hopefully) you can imagine my quandary about what to do for this week challenge....so I decided to do some doodles, but also to include photographs from previous posts. I hope you forgive me for repeating myself if you are a regular visitor.

And so here's some book marks that I had fun with this week....I couldn't resist putting a few doodles together. Also I added some colour this time!!! SHOCK!
I know I shocked myself especially because I don't really like yellow, red and orange!
I'm more of a blue person.

We were heading for a thunderstorm last night when I took this photo...hence it doesn't show the white at it's best, but you get the idea I'm sure.

I was aware that there wasn't a tassle in sight...so I thought I'd let this little guy return to make an entrance....he appeared last year in the APR challenge, so I think he'll feel very at home.

I love this photo below...hence it's in my sidebar. 

I abore books, tea, and freesias so it ticks all of my boxes....how about you? 

What ticks your box? 

Oh I've just thought...it's not complete after all because there's not a chocolate bar in sight. 

What was I thinking??!!?!?! (slapping forehead with back of the hand)

 ...I had fun with this idea below and as you can imagine it took quite a time to construct! 

I went through my whole book collection to find the right size of book for the tree...AND managed to resist stopping to read any during the process...wasn't I a good girl? :D

It is part of my Christmas card collection now and last year I sent it to my book club friends.

This next photo was a very special reading corner in our previous house and now that I look at it, I realise just how special it was.

I haven't allocated a special reading place in this house, but then I suppose my studio has taken that place.

I'm aware that I'm not reading as much as I would like to, but what can you do? There really isn't enough hours in the day for me to fit everything in as it is...sigh!

So don't forget to hop over to Jenn's place (click here) and see what all the other artists have created for this fantastic theme.

This seems a good place to finish...in my comfy corner, so I'll leave you in peace and please let me know if you've a book recommendation that you think I should know about. I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Reading Everyone 

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY ~ Friday 14th September 2012

Outside my window...I'd love to say it's a beautiful spring day but I'm afraid I can't. There's a drab grey blanket sky which possibly holds yet more rain...it's certainly heavily laden. The cold wind is still visiting and I really wish it would move on to its next destination...it has been here for far too long! Talk about outstaying your welcome!
But there has been some sunshine that has caused stirrings within the bird and plant population. I counted 10 different birds in a high state of activity yesterday on my short walk. I say short walk because it was freezing and I'd not wrapped up enough...will I never learn about Melbourne weather?!?!
I see new shoots and buds about to pop in the garden and thankfully I appear to have not killed off the roses after my pruning frenzy. 
I now see that I've got figs appearing even though there's hardly any leaves open yet...see photo below.
The jasmine has popped along with the wisteria...there's a bitter sweet feeling here because I do adore them but unfortunately someone in their weird and wonderful decision thought that they would look perfect hanging over a trellis near the pool. Very near the pool in fact!
This does give quite a stunning display but hey people do you know how many petals and bits fall off !!! I'm just not looking today....

I am thinking... about my big brother as it's his birthday today. I haven't been home for two years which is unusual for me as I normally return home every six months for a visit. (There's a story there which I may divulge at some stage but not today) I'm hoping he's having a fantastic day ~ Happy Birthday Bro XXX

I am thankful...for my health. It's very easy to take for granted whilst everything is working well...but as you know this can change in an instant. So I'm stopping for a moment to be thankful.....

In the kitchen...bare for now but there's going to be a baking frenzy soon. My daughter is coming and it's my mission to feed her up...well isn't that what Mum's are supposed to do? My boys will certainly not object either. My hubby asked the question yesterday..."does this mean we can have duck fat on our roast potatoes again"?


I am wearing...A Fleece! I know I can't believe it either...still having to rug up here...Ugg slippers are keeping my toes cosy too.  I'm doing the 'hokey cokey' dance with the heating...too hot with it on...too cold with it off...(sigh)

I am creating...an email to present my designs to a publishing company...wow...tummy flip there. Wish me luck.

I am going...on a few mini trips soon so I'll be inviting you along if you're free...get your bags packed ready!

 

I am wondering...why my links within this post and my last post have different colour fonts. It won't let me change the colour either no matter what I try? Its infuriating having different colours...I'd prefer blue and I've tried so many times to correct it but it's just not listening. If you know how to correct this then please can you let me know? Is it me or Blogspot?    

I'm reading... The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (I'm reading it on my kindle)

The Paris Wife

Before I give you some insight into this particular book I must mentioned how much I enjoyed my last book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society It was a delightful novel of post-war friendship, love and books. If you missed it then all you have to do is click on the link above it will take you to the book review and authors video interview.

So onto this book. I decided that I would use my kindle for this read because I know I'm going to be busy travelling around so it will be ideal. I've enjoyed holding three huge 'real' books (as I call them).

I've only just started it but already I'm enjoying it immensely.

Book Description:-  

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingway's are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unravelling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

About the Author:-

Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress--before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996. Since then, she has received fellowships from the corporation of Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Ucross Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her first book of poetry, Less of Her, was published in 1999 from New Issues Press and won a publication grant from the Greenwall Fund of the Academy of American Poets. She's also the author of a second collection of poetry, Stumble, Gorgeous, a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up In Other People's Houses, and the novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her most recent book is The Paris Wife, a fictional account of Ernest Hemingway's first marriage and upstart years in 1920's Paris, as told from the point of view of his wife, Hadley. She teaches in the MFA Program in Poetry at New England College, and lives with her family in Cleveland. 

I am hoping...that a magic fairy comes in the night and cleans everywhere...what do you think the chances of that happening are? Yeah I think so too...nothing for it...I'll just have to wear my tutu and get on with it!

 

I am looking forward to...I think you know what this will be. Warmer weather and of course my daughter arriving. Sorry to sound like a broken record here but once she's here and it gets warmer I'll be able to move on ~ promise!
Oh I've just had another thought...a positive reply from the publishers would be good too.

 

Around the house...one cold pooch curled up in her fleece. There is a lot to sort out before my daughter arrives...the usual boring chores but if I get ahead of the game...then I'll be free to do whatever takes our fancy! I've moved most of my art stuff back into the studio from the dining room so both rooms need organising.

 

A favourite quote for today... 'Seize the Day'! I use this quote constantly (not sure where I got it from but it works for me)

 

One of my favourite things...is having my washing machine take all the hard work out of my day. I've completed two loads of washing whilst I've been chatting here with you. Not bad eh?
I remember not so long ago seeing my wonderful Grandmother washing her bed linen in her washing tub outside in her shed...using a podger to move the huge heavy sheets through the water....then folding them through a mangle numerous times to get all the water out of them...before them hanging them on the washing line. What a woman! 
I'm not sure I'd be changing my bed linen so frequently if I had to do that performance each time. 
(Bless you Nanny Pridd  X)

   

A few plans for the rest of the week: Work, rest and play but not necessarily in that order :D  

A peek into my day... The rebirth of a Fig Tree...so someone thinks it's spring!

   Well I better 'seize the day' then...before it disappears....

 So that's it for this week; I hope you enjoyed your visit. Don't forget to pop over to The Simple Womans Daybook and check out the other day book entries

Have a fabulous week and hopefully the sun will shine wherever you are Enjoy!

Brown Paper Packages....

I've been humming the tune of 'My Favourite Things' all day but then it is coming up for 'The Sound of Music' season. What would Christmas be like without that film? I think it must have been on every Christmas since it was made.

Now I'd like you all to sing along with me........

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

But what started me on this....why my brown paper package tied up with string, of course. With one of my favourite things inside...books!

I happened to be shopping along Glenferrie Road here in Melbourne and came across what I thought was a little book shop....but upon entering there was so much more to it than that. As I walked over the threshold...which is a must whenever I pass a book shop, I became aware that this was a little different than the usual bookshops. The chirpy assistant making coffee smiled and greeted me as I entered with the coffee aroma wafting over the nostrils...yes I know I'm a tea girl through and through, but that doesn't mean I don't like the smell of coffee.

The walls were lined with books but then I realised {call me dumb ~ well I am blonde ~ well sort of} that they were second hand books. But these were in really good condition. I saw lots of titles that I'd been browsing over during the last year but hadn't got around to buying... then the next surprise.... how much they were for sale. Hyperventilating commenced...

Happy Days.....

Well I couldn't decide on just one book could I, especially at those prices, so it had to buy three. And that was restraining myself. Then yet another surprise....the money from the book sales go to charity! 

That's what I call a win win situation....I was happy, the shop was happy {the assistant certainly was} and the charity certainly would be happy.

I always like to support charities at this time of year because maybe its a guilt thing, but I know I'll have a wonderful Christmas in my beautiful home with my wonderful family. Truly blessed.

But there's so many others that sadly won't have that experience. So its good to pass on a little Christmas cheer.

For anyone who's interested I recommend that if you're in the area the shop's name is 'Second Edition' just nip in and give it your support. Or just pop your unwanted books in for them to recycle.   

The charity by the way is Brotherhood of St. Laurence

I'm away to carry on with decking the halls.....

Have fun and keep singing! ;D

'Water For Elephants'...Girls Movie Night

 Brrr....this morning we woke to really cold temperatures here in Melbourne. I heard reports that it was only 3 degree's! But there again it is the first day of winter. The funny thing is that its supposed to reach 19 degree's later??? Crazy.....I wouldn't doubt it though, because you learn to expect anything here, weather wise. At least Muffin walked at a brisk pace trying to keep warm on our walk. Yes, I know I could have put her coat on, but sometimes you can grow old waiting for her to finish checking everything along our walk.

So it was good to get the blood flowing, especially after having a great night out last night with a few girls from our book club. We went to the cinema to watch 'Water for Elephants' We have read the book by Sara Gruen and thought it would be good to review the movie at the same meeting when discussing the book.

As you can see I purchased a copy on my Kindle. The vintage photographs were such a pleasant surprise too, but then I've always loved old black and white photo's.

I loved reading the book on my Kindle, especially at night with the little light.

I fell in love with 'Rosie'. I think she was definitely the star of the movie too. 

The Kindle is certainly proving an asset with my book club recommendations, although as I've mentioned before, I could never completely replace real life books. I just love books!

But with using the Kindle, I can now read so many more and then decide whether or not to purchase a copy for my bookcase.

I've always had a soft spot for h'efalumps (as my daughter used to call them)

Here's one little family we've had since 1994....I know elephants have a good memory unlike myself - I only know we've had them that long, because they have the date on them ;-)

From left to right let me introduce the family.....Melody, Marigold and Mum Elsie and Dad Lenny.

I'm really not so sad that I name my ornaments - I only know their names because they have them under their foot!

Kriss Kringle Kindle

I should have started off this years blog with my exciting news....

I'm now the proud owner of a kindle! Thanks to my very generous daughter.

I've been wanting one for quite a while, but held back because like her, we both love the physicality of books. But I have to say I'm really finding it fascinating. It's so exciting.....

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle

I've been able to sample books, before purchasing, which is a brilliant marketing tool, but it works for me too, and its so user friendly.
I chose a book and hit the button and within a minute up it popped on my kindle.

Wow...it was impressive!

If your a book fanatic and love to read then I can recommend you give it a try.

My favourite author at the moment is Ken Follett. I adored his 'Pillars of the Earth' and 'World without End' and am about to start 'Fall of Giants'.

If you have any book recommendations then I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Reading

A Book Christmas Tree

Well I now know that I have a problem.....yes I'm an addict - to my laptop! It became apparent to me when my son accidentally sat on it and all the lights went out. I cannot describe how traumatic it felt. The following morning I rushed to intensive care and they hit it full on with the paddles and whoosh it thankfully came back to life. Ahhhh....

So that's the reason for the delay in my postings and here we are in December already.

How can that be? Surely its only about April? Going by today's rain showers here in Melbourne it could well be. The calender tells me its December, so it must be true.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd send out my first Christmas card today.

This is for all the book lovers of the world.

A Christmas Book Tree

I have to confess I saw one similar in the Sunday Age Magazine and just had have a go.
Happy Reading

An inviting quiet corner

Life has been so hectic lately for everyone and with the run up to Christmas madness and all the preparations looming, I just thought this quiet corner looked so inviting. It's where I like to read.

I just love the way the light falls in the late afternoon. Ahhh....sigh.....

Books, Books, Books,

Books, books, books, I just can't get enough of them.

When I was young, it suddenly dawned on me that I would never be able to read them all, no matter how much time I spent reading. That was a hard fact to take in at a tender age.
Even at the age of eleven, I took myself off to join the local library and was devastated when I couldn't join, but after obtaining an adults approval and signature I left with ten books weighing me down.....sheer bliss.

So its not surprising that I've always wanted to join a Book Club.

Previously the timing has never been right for one reason or another but upon arriving in Melbourne, I was invited to join a Club.

(incidentally it took me ages to choose which book's would feature in this photo. Some you can't even see but they're there....)

Not only has it been fantastic in providing great idea's and recommendations for books - some I certainly wouldn't have chosen for myself - I've met some lovely new friends.

Gossip, giggles, and generally great girlie nights with fantastic books to boot!

I can't recommend joining a Book Club more, although sadly I'm aware you probably won't find one as good as mine.

Happy Reading....