Fabbo Friday and Fab Holiday Books

Yes, I know it's not Friday. It's Saturday here in Sydney and a day that has alternated between sizzling hot to thunderstorms. I'm not a great believer in chronological time and so feel it's okay to post my usual Friday post today.
Apart from glorious nature and cute little cereal boxes; one of the other lovely things I adore about holidays is holiday reading. I put serious thought into my holiday book choices. I have to have more than one book, in fear I'll finish the first choice. The books have to be light but with enough narrative drive to keep me turning the pages. They have to be comfort books.
I got it right for myself this time. The Folio Edition of the complete Miss Marple short stories and a book that has sat on my shelf for ages - Belong to Me by Maria de los Santos. I remember reading about this one years ago. 'Literary chic-lit' they called it. It's a lovely read with really clever characters and a twist I didn't see coming. And The Rebecca Notebook & Other Memories by Daphne du Maurier. One of my old faves.

And Daisy's book choices are also below. They sort of count as my choices as well.

And the magazines I took were also spot-on mag reading for hols. The Australian Women's Weekly had a great article on ageing starring one of my favourites, Delvene Delaney. Plus a feature on the best cheesecakes. Country Style (to dream and sigh over) and Good Reading.

And my Fab Blog pick of the week is for this lovely girl's apartment on Apartment Therapy. I adore her clever use of space in her home and her love of pink and vintage feminine. I also could sigh over her shoe collection all week. You can see her home featured .http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/carolines-pint-size-retro-whimsy-on-a-budget-house-tour-130306

And signing off with the wonderful Johnny Depp.

Thanks for visiting me. xx
depp image Depp Impact

Chit-chat Wednesday and Misty Blackheath Streets

We are now home from the misty mountains where I travelled for research for 'Currawong House'. The trip was totally blissful. So difficult to return to gritty Sydney after the peace in Blackheath and very pretty Leura.
Bluebells and daffodils were everywhere and Blackheath kindly turned on a wonderful mist for us. Sadly, she kept the snow back until our return much to Daisy's disgust. We ate holiday type food, read holiday books, lazed and shopped in antique shops. I woke predawn everyday to write in my notebook, walk through dew-soaked grass and follow the Currawongs.

Since our return we have had drama emergency rushes to the hospital with Daisy. Our five-year-old daughter has the distinction of being one of the rare children with gallstones. Sunshine is soaking Sydney streets. I love this time of year when the terraces in the old streets seem bathed in light.

The book is forming itself. I feel the story beginning to rise like mist in Blackheath Streets.
Thank you for visiting me. xx

Magnificent, Marvellous, Mighty Monday and The Bromleys

Hello,

I'm on a research trip to the mountains. I don't have computer access or television there. So there's no distractions. It's bliss to write, dream and feel my characters begin to form. I can sense them gathering together for 'Currawong House'. The strike of matches, a prolonged and piercing scream. The smell of turps. But it's very early days and they're not revealing themselves fully yet. At times, they tease me with little hints that they are forming. I need to go to the mountains to wait - and listen.

On Saturday night I saw - compliments of Daily Imprint Blog - Songs for Sylvie at the Seymour Centre.
Torri Dixon-Whittle is one of those people who are so fab and so inspiring, you nearly have to lie down to absorb their fabness. She is the wife/muse of Australian artist David Bromley, whose paintings you can see above. I do love his nostalgic, slightly moody children.
Tori is also an artist - you can find out more about her from this interview at The Daily Imprint Blog, which if you're not following - then JUST DO IT! Nearly every day a lovely inspiring, fab arty person is interviewed by Natalie Walton. She has a varied bunch of totally cool and interesting people from Nikki Gemmell to India Hicks to Clare Press. And she has just started another Blog, Frontliners, which I love (as I'm a long-time Selby fan). Frontliners is a house Blog which features the houses of totally fab and cool-as-cats folk without their homes being too stylized for the shoot.

I can't leave you this week with more inspiration to savour than the Bromleys and Daily Imprint. Have a super fab week and I'll look forward to visiting you all when I return.
Thanks for popping in. xx
david bromley's art source
bromley family photo source
torri dixon-whittle image source