Anticccippaaaattion (as Tim Curry once said, whilst dressed in suspenders)

I am excited. I took a day out for hunting this week and found some good books, and one of them in particular made my heart beat faster, it was by one of my favourite authors, but a title I had never heard of, in lovely condition. I have taken a teaser photo of part of the front cover.

All I need now is some decent sun (ha!) light, so that I can take photos that do them justice.

Etsy BeauBazaar

Let there be light! Or, The One With Bulbs In

Bulbs - some in a jug found in 20p crate, more in an old olive oil can and the 3rd one in a tomato can covered in a risotto rice sack.

Gone but not forgotten

These are some of the books that have passed through my Etsy shop in 2010. I am looking forward to finding new treasures to fill the gaps left by these lovely books. I love finding them, it's hard to let them go, but I have a good excuse to go off buying again.

Etsy BeauBazaar

My Favourite Books in 2010

It was a tough choice but I have picked the books that left the biggest mark on me this year. In no order they are;

Venice because it is a love story that transports you to the city. I was there, standing on the ossuary island of Sant'Ariano, the hairs standing up on my neck.

Suite Francaise, for it's courage and prose, and the heartbreaking story of how Irene Nemirovsky's novel came to be.

Coco Chanel - A Life; for Justine's writing and her take on the woman behind the couture, and for Madame' s own ability to ensure that the legend is still shrouded in many layers - one of them being Cocos own ability to create a good story.

Love Child. This book may not have crossed my bows, had I not heard Allegra Huston speak at Hay. Not to be confused with a s'leb memoir, it is the beautifully written story of one woman's search for identity and family. It is suffused with honesty and love.

Flip It - I love this book for it's ability to make me see that a situation can be viewed in many ways, and how you can do that. I have dipped into it a few times to top up my optimism levels.

I would love to know which books left their imprints on you in 2010.

*Apologies for my lack of accents etc.

Wishing you healthy, happy, wealthy and wise.

Today was supposed to be a big party day. We were to travel to Derbyshire for a lunch to celebrate a family members 50th, but last night one of the family elders had a heart attack. He is OK but the surprise lunch and the big, happy birthday celebrations are off. Instead we will be staying home, and I will be grateful (for 10 minutes at least) for what I have.

Thank you for stopping by this year, and for taking the time to leave your comments. I am looking forward to reading, writing and more sharing in 2011.

The Quiet Ones Are The Best

When I was very young I had a book (The Women's Room, Marilyn French) that proclaimed very loudly on the front cover 'This book will change your life!' It didn't.

There are other books, that come in quietly, under the radar, making no such empty promises but changing your life in ways you can never imagine. Mistress Of Myself is such a book. When I found this book I was immediately drawn to the lovely drawing on the cover. Once I started reading Mrs Robert Henrey's book I so closely identified with her writing that I couldn't put it down. It is the story of a woman approaching middle age who was questioning everything and looking for a new raison d'etre.

Then, this unassuming tome helped me find mine. It was after reading this book that I decided I wanted to do something creative, additional to my day job. So, I started a shop on Etsy. I slowly put a few books on, and since that day last year I haven't looked back. I 've found something I love doing, and it gives me a perfect excuse to hang out in book shops. This week the book that started it all was snapped up. I do hope it has the same positive effect on it's new owner, I think of it passing through women's lives like a paper Mary Poppins, quietly making a positive change and moving on to the next owner when it's work is done.

About the author, Mrs Robert Henrey;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Henrey

Etsy shop;

Etsy BeauBazaar

Housework In A Hurry!

Here at Lilac Tenements we are enjoying the dizzying whirl of social activities that come round every Christmas, in punishing, tight knit clusters. Never in all of the rest of the year are we exposed to such quantities of Advocat and Twiglets!

How are we supposed to balance the demands of ensuring we have the right thing to wear/make up/nail varnish/hair colouring (a must in late, late, youth), child care, jobs, Christmas shopping and card writing together with maintaining some semblance of health and fitness? Something has to give. In my house it's the dusting. I have 2 tips for busy women - dim lighting and candles. Hides a multitude of sins - dust, stress lines and bags under the eyes!

Etsy BeauBazaar

Silence and Privacy

These are two words I am contemplating this morning.

Silence, seems to be the word du jour. Women going on silent retreats (Women's Hour Mon 22nd Nov), Radio 4 featuring a track of silence by John Cage entitled "4'33", and the Royal British Legion selling 2 minutes of silence to raise money. I tried to remember the last time I was in silence and I think it was in the garden during the time of the ash cloud (we live under the flight path). We must need silence for our mental health, what does it do to us that there is a constant electronic chatter happening around us, unless we are sleeping? I love walking in the countryside, emptying my mind, but is it enough?

The other word, privacy. Us Brits prided ourselves on our net curtains and our 'don't ask, don't tell' attitude with our private life. With the advent of FB et al that seems to be vanishing too. There have always been exhibitionists but now it appears everyone feels it's good to share. Can we over share? And if we do, what happens?

Silence and privacy - too much or too little have an affect on our minds and spirits. Will we be shaped by technology or will we wrest back control and ensure it evolves within our collective comfort zones in the future? I wonder what Mark Zuckerberg will have to say when he is middle aged, and a little crabby, and some young upstart invents something that threatens his sense of privacy? I hope I'm still here to say, "what goes around, comes around"!

My washing machine has just finished it's cycle, so I will contemplate the silence, and the fact that I just posted my inner thoughts on-line, and what that must say about me.

http://www.silentsingle.com/Store/DII-46-5-2+minute+silence.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJagb7hL0E

Down By The Sea

I took this fab photo of the Mevagissey Male Voice Choir back in the summer. It was an evening harbour side concert and they put their funky shades on to sing Under The Boardwalk.

Today my thoughts are with the residents of this lovely village which overnight suffered devastating floods. I hope everyone is safe and sound and has somewhere warm and dry to stay tonight.