Magnificent, Marvellous, Mighty Monday and Violet Magazine

I know a lot of Bloggers are mourning the death of Cookie and Domino and yes, I miss those magazines, but I can sleep peacefully over their demise. I'm still lamenting the loss of Violet magazine which was my idea of magazine heaven. The only mag that's come near it is Lula in my opinion. I have every issue of Violet which I pour over every now and again for inspiration. There were only four issues before it went belly-up but those four are equal to a lifetime of lesser publications.
If you missed Violet, it was an American parenting magazine put out by a fab stylist called Keki Mingus( daughter of musician Charles Mingus) who named the magazine after her daughter. It was jam-packed with very chic-boho folk and stunning photo spreads that weren't your average parenting graphics. Violet covered a wide range of topics from art, Montessori schooling, Beatrix Potter, Frida Kahlo and (gasp) fiction. It was funky, fun and visually perfect. It didn't treat you as if you were a beige, boring drone or interested in the latest $3000 stroller or the Wiggles just because you had become a parent.
My two very favourite issues were the Juliette Binoche (Issue 2) where she talked about her children's schooling in Paris. The photographs of la Binoche were amazing: as if shot inside a Parisian fawn-coloured shell. The light was stunning.
I also loved issue 3 featuring the King and Queen of Fab, Kirsty Hume and Donovan Leitch (son of icon Donovan) and their daughter, Violet.
I found the following quote about Violet magazine which may explain why I love it so intensely.
“That Violet has connected with today's parents is no surprise after talking with James Chung, president of Boston-based market research and consulting firm Reach Advisors. In 2004, Chung's firm released From Grunge to Grown Up, an extensive study outlining the parenting habits of Generation X versus their baby boomer predecessors.
Defining Gen X as those born from 1965 to 1979, Chung and his associates discovered parents of the so-called "slacker" generation have, for the most part, moved away from the "keeping up with the Joneses" attitude of the boomers in favour of a less material lifestyle that, in many cases, means being more hands-on with their children, even scaling back careers to spend more time with their families. They're often creative, independent thinkers, not so concerned with having the biggest house or the newest SUV. These traits, however, have also made them a difficult group for marketers and advertisers to get a read on. In fact, some have simply thrown up their hands in defeat, choosing to skip the Gen X gang altogether and go after the boomers' kids who, according to Chung, share their parents' affection for labels, wealth and status.”
And so for inspiration this week, I'm returning to Violet. The older, more settled sister of Lula, who stays true to her boho background as she embraces motherhood. And hats off to independent thinkers and non-materialistic bohos everywhere. I plan on starting a crusade for Keki to bring back Violet. In these days of Blogs like the Selby, I think Violet would thrive.
Enjoy your week. I hope it's filled with chic-boho fun and inspiration and thanks for popping in. xx

Chit-chat Wednesday and The Ballet Class

There was a time in my life when I would have baulked at the thought I would be the shortest and dumpiest in any class. But with age comes fearlessness re what others may think. And so this Monday I survived my first adult ballet class.
I was awfully proud of myself as this group has been dancing all year together and were rather professional. It was surprising to me how well I was able to follow some steps (yes, even twirls and spins). The teacher said, 'You catch on quickly, Jo' and the class applauded. Probably more in relief that there was something dumpy and hopeless amongst them!
Lest you think me a total braggart let me quickly say that I was even more pants at the stretching at the barre work than I could have ever imagined. I was like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. In fact, I got myself stuck on the barre whilst my teacher pushed, pulled and screamed encouragement, breaking both my hips and pelvis so that I could be more flexible in the following lesson.
I was terribly stiff from years of sitting hunched over a laptop. I left the class 'floating on air', as they say, but the following day I woke up in agony. My muscles had suddenly realised they were alive and weren't happy about the fact.
I shall return next week if I can find the strength to walk there.
And yes, that is me above as a young ballerina in Lae, New Guinea. How I wish my legs were as shapely as that now! Still, it was my Inspiration post about the lovely Juliette Binoche that spurred me on. If she can take up dancing in her forties then it's good enough for me!
Hope your week is going well. I am still unpacking boxes and living in chaos and clutter. Renovation is such a slow and horrid business. xx

tin man image source:

Magnificent, Marvellous, Mighty Monday and Juliette Binoche

I first loved Juliette in the beautiful movie The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. I thought her perfect in the role and over the years I have admired her in a number of films from the grieving mother in Blue to The English Patient.
I was fortunate to watch her dance in Sydney with Akram Khan at the Sydney Opera House (the duet was called In-I). It was most inspiring to see her tackle such a project as she only took up dancing in her 40s and it was a very physical, challenging role. There were flaws in her performance but overall she pulled it off magnificently. I think because she had supreme self-belief and confidence that she could do so. It was magical to witness.
After the performance she was interviewed by Caroline Baum and it was fascinating to see her 'in the flesh' after so many movies.
From memory she wore some very unflattering grey tracksuit that on her looked incredibly elegant. How do the French women achieve that? Is it supreme self-belief and confidence performing some illusion? Her hair was pulled back from her face and not one trace of make-up was visible. She was stunning but not in a perfect, Barbie doll way. She answered questions in an eloquent, abstract fashion, shrugging away the questions relating to body image and ageing with disdain to loud cheers from women in the audience.
She is chic, beautiful, multi-talented, intelligent (she also paints, is politically active and has two children). Why I have selected her as my inspiration for Magnificent, Marvellous, Mighty Monday is her willingness to try something new and push herself beyond her perceived boundaries. Something I feel I need to do myself.
And so let us follow the fabulous Juliette Binoche's example and examine any unfulfilled dreams, wishes and goals we have and have the confidence of Binoche to pursue them!

But I think it's a little different in Europe, because 40 is really the best age for a woman. That's when we hit our peak and become this ripe fruit. Juliette Binoche

You must understand, I don't have to be happy to be happy. Juliette Binoche
image source of Juliette at opera house:

image source of Juliette and Akram Khan:

image source of Juliette: