I love books. All sorts of books, fiction and non-fiction. Books are my friends, it is true. I always feel slightly sad when I visit someone and there are no books in their house.
My Little Brick, by contrast, is busting at the seams with books. Here's a recent purchase I'm totally smitten with. Velvet Pears by Susan Southam is a dream to peruse as the photography is so stunning. It details the journey of a young woman setting up a home for herself and her family over the years in Australia.
As well as jaw-droopingly beautiful images of this process and her exquisite gardens (oh her gypsy caravan, be still my heart!), Susan embellishes Velvet Pears with family recipes, hints and anecdotes. The chocolate cake recipe is divine (my family love that one!).
It is a wonderful book to dip into when you feel like a hit of beauty and the presentation is a beautiful artwork in itself. Lush, inspiring and celebratory of life and home. If this book was hundreds of dollars, I'd still think it a bargain!
Enjoy your weekend. It is very sunny in Sydney so I'll try to get some painting done tomorrow. The paint the old kitchen table kind, not the easel masterpiece kind, alas.
I also added a photograph (talking about lush and beautiful) of Cheryl Barker as Manon in her Paris scene costume. She really looks like something from a fairytale, doesn't she? That dress was spectacular!
Hope your weekend is fun, fun fun and filled with beautiful books and creative dreams. xx
“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”
Hans Christian Andersen
hi Josephine, sorry i have taken so long to respond, I have been with my family in Italy. My nieces first trip to Europe. Thanks so much for the award. So exciting. I love your blog!! So creative. Thanks Carla x
ReplyDeleteCarla my lovely I knew that you were somewhere exotic having adventures! No need to be sorry at all. I always love to hear from you. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping by to my new blog!
ReplyDeleteI am getting it together in-between childcare.. as I am looking after my niece & nephew this week!
Best wishes, Lizzie x
oh, i love a gypsy caravan too! maybe you could make a cubby-house one like this http://mikodesign.blogspot.com/2009/07/little-tourthe-kitchen.html . thanks for recommending that book, must look out for it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous title....I shall look for this it sounds absolutely delightful. Happy weekend, xv.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great book and the photography alone has me interested.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
My mouth is watering; chocolate cake, gypsy caravan ... I love your new book too! :0
ReplyDeleteHere is a question: Where do you buy your books? Is it incidental, say as you pass a store and see a book in the window, or are you a member of a book review magazine? I'd love to hear.
It sounds like a beautiful book. I love memoirs and books about a home. I am constantly reading them and even have a few on order right now! I feel the same way about a home with out books- it's too sad. I dream of having a library one day... oh I dream...
ReplyDeletei saw that on the weekend.....it is a beautiful book. it's on my list to get next. i bought 'kings way' which is a book on melbourne graffiti and also stephanie alexander's journal (which i'd been looking for for ages). i actually couldn't carry anything else...so next time it's velvet pears and possibly the book on the pompeii exhibition.....
ReplyDeleteSharon, to reply to your question I buy books from a variety of places. EBay and op-shops for the vintage books, Amazon for the books that I can't get in Australia and there are a couple of small bookshops in Sydney I like. Abbeys and Better Read than Dead. I tend to know what I want rather than impulse buy these days.
ReplyDeleteCat, glad you stopped when you couldn't carry anything else. xx
Hi, thanks for answering my question here and on my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteI am always curious on what people are reading, its kind of the first thing I like to ask someone, yet always hold back, for some reason like ... it's too personal. Knowing where people buy books is interesting too.
I would love this book I just know - I love when decorating a home has taken years, it's then eclectic and full of much-loved treasures. I'm always disappointment when people go to a furniture shop and purchase "a room" which is sterile, impersonal and lacklustre. Must see if I can locate the book here.
ReplyDeleteHope life is good there Josephine. We are bracing for hurricane season - already one out there threatening. Altho' we're 2 hrs. inland, we were hit by two several years ago and sustained a lot of damage! This is the scary time of year for me.
Enjoy this week dear.