Ready for Fall

September, 2012

Every year at about this time I start to get excited for fall and begin to anticipate the upcoming season -- the weather, the clothes, the food, the colors, the holidays. I am ready for fall. Do you feel this way? Here in Los Angles the heat is intense but I am dreaming of a chill in the air, cozy sweaters, autumn leaves, and fires in the fireplace. It all sounds heavenly right now. Fortunately the September issues of many magazines are out and there are some very exciting things coming up. Here are a few that have got my heart racing...

MOVIES

"The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley
Photo via here

Benedict Cumberbatch seem to be everywhere these days. In the film The Imitation Game he plays Alan Turning, the English mathematician who helped crack Nazi Germany's Enigma Code during World War II.  On the heels of his great role as Sherlock Holmes, he is once again playing a brilliant problem solver. Perfect casting. I can't wait to see this one.

 BOOKS

Photo via here

Fall and new books just seem to go together. Here are a few that sound very intriguing:

Novels

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Everyone in the book world is excited about a new book by Marilynne Robinson. This is the third in her much-praised Gilead trilogy.

The Dog by Joseph O'Neil
I loved Netherland by Joseph O'Neil. His latest book is about a New Yorker who moves to Dubai to escape his problems and finds himself strangely at home. If it's anything like "Netherland," it will be filled with beautiful writing, witty insights and sharp commentary about the modern world.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories by Hilary Mantel
After wowing the literary world by winning the Booker Prize two years in a row -- for "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" -- Hilary Mantel has written a collection of contemporary short stories.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan
This new novel by Ian McEwan (one of my favorite writers) is about a prominent London judge who faces the ruling of her career. The case is about people using religion to refuse medical care for their children and the life of an exceptional teenage boy hangs in the balance. This one sounds so good!  

 Cookbooks

Photo via here

Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is the owner of Ottolenghi restaurants in London and also a cookbook author. His book Jerusalem was one of the most popular cookbooks in recent years. Filled with fabulous middle eastern recipes, it is a must for the creative cook. His newest book "Plenty More" is a sequel to "Plenty," which was filled with delicious and beautiful recipes for vegetables.

Make It Ahead by Ina Garten
A new book by Ina Garten is always an occasion. After all these years, she is still my go-to in the kitchen. I have purchased my ticket for her book tour in November. I went two years ago when she was promoting her earlier book "Foolproof" and she was fabulous! In person she is elegant, very funny, and always down-to-earth.

Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from Our Kitchen by Zoe Nathan
Zoe Nathan is a celebrity of sorts here in Los Angeles. She is a young baker who has three very popular cafe/restaurants in Santa Monica and has just come out with a cookbook. People are very excited about this. She is one of the many amazing young women in Los Angeles who have developed successful businesses and continue to inspire all of us!

Photo via here

A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson
Mimi Thorisson is the creator of the beautiful blog Manger. She lives with her family on a farm in Bordeaux where she cooks and entertains with great flair. She shares her recipes and life style on her blog. Her new book "A Kitchen in France" is divided into four seasonal chapters and is part cookbook, part memoir. This book promises to be a beauty!

 DESIGN IDEAS 

Natalie Massenet's house in London
Photo via here

The design magazines at this time of the year often feature inviting and cozy interiors. Fall is a favorite time for nesting and I love the idea of warming up a house with a little touch of red. Did you see this piece in Architectural Digest on Natalie Massenet's house in London? She is the founder of Net-A-Porter. The red chairs in her dining room/library are a perfect touch. And don't you love a dining room filled with books? Go here to read more.

LECTURE SERIES -- "CAUGHT IN THE ACT"

This is a popular time of year for lectures and book signings. I can never get enough of UCLA Professor Charles Batten's lectures and beginning in September he will be giving a fascinating series of talks on the subject "Caught in the Act." Each of the novels in this series presents "the mysterious relations of moral choice and circumstantial compulsion, of will and fate, in the lives of its characters." Our first book is "The Picture of Dorian Gray." The others are: "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad, "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton, and "The Ambassadors" by Henry James. Go here to find out more. As a side note, I just finished "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt and think it definitely falls into this category!

DANCE

Swan Lake
Photo via here

The Australian Ballet will be bringing their groundbreaking production of "Swan Lake "to Los Angeles this fall. The original production starred Rudolf Nureyev and Margo Fonteyn and played at The Music Center over fifty years ago. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and to celebrate their big 50th they are bringing back this critically acclaimed production. I already have my ticket to this one!

Art

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at the Tate Modern in London
Photo via here

Probably the art exhibition I am most excited to see this fall is Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at MOMA.  It originated at the Tate Modern and is opening in New York in October. In the 1940's, Matisse turned exclusively to cut paper as his primary medium. He cut painted sheets into forms of different sizes and shapes and arranged them into compositions. This was a blockbuster show at the Tate. I hope to make it to New York to see this one.

Theater

The play Wolf Hall in London
Photo via here

If you can get to London this fall, the theatrical offerings are incredible. Hilary Mantel's books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies seem to have taken over the London stage. They have been turned into plays and are now running at the Aldwych Theatre on alternating night. They are so popular that the run has been extended -- through October 4.

Happy September!

By the way, have you read The Secret History by Donna Tartt? What an excellent book! I loved it.

The Inner Things

"In a way winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature."

--  Edna O'Brien, Irish writer

Livaria Lello Bookstore in Porto, Portugal

This is the time of the year when we tend to stay inside or go to indoor spaces that nurture the "inner things."  Recently I have spotted some beautiful places and writing that take us there.

 Bookstores

Shakespeare and Company in Paris

All of the book lovers out there (and I know you are one) can enjoy this inspiring article about the twenty most beautiful bookstores in the world. These spaces are truly stunning.  The only one I have been to is Shakespeare and Company in Paris where I fell in love with its bohemian beauty.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to visit the others?  Go here to see them all.  While many of us have been lamenting the closure of independent bookstores, an article like this gives us hope that at some point bookstores will be back.   And it is inspiring to know that these bookstores are valued and cherished. 

Museums

A visit to the museum is always enriching; it is one of those experiences that feeds the soul.  Right now the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has an exquisite exhibition of paintings by the 17th-century artist Caravaggio -- "Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and His Legacy" -- along with paintings by other European artists who were influenced by him.  I did a little research and discovered that Caravaggio was kind of a rock star; he had a big impact on an entire generation of painters throughout Europe in the seventeenth-century.  This exhibition includes more than fifty paintings, including many by Caravaggio, which have never been shown in California.  I feel good when I make the effort to see some art and am really looking forward to seeing this show.  

Dance

This scene from the ballet "Serenade" as performed by the New York City Ballet caught my eye the other day.  There is so much beauty and grace in this image;  I am always in awe of the beauty of ballet.  Go here to read more about "Serenade."  However, if we can't make it to New York, we can try to see a ballet performance in our own city.  Check your local paper to see what is playing nearby.  Many of the big ballet companies such as the Joffrey and the American Ballet travel around the country and perform.  Right now the Joffrey Ballet is touring with their spectacular production of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" -- it premiered in Paris in 1913 to a shocked public --  and I was lucky enough to see it this weekend!    

A favorite writer

One of the most rewarding and challenging writing projects (it requires discipline!) is keeping a diary.    Virginia Woolf used hers as a creative outlet -- "The habit of writing thus for my own eyes only is good practice.  It loosens the ligaments." -- as well as a journal for documenting her activities.  At the same time she was experimenting with a new form for the novel.  Books and words were her passion.  Here she writes about the kind of diary she would like hers to be:

"What sort of diary should I like mine to be?  Something loose knit and yet not slovenly, so elastic that it will embrace anything, solemn, slight or beautiful that comes into my mind.  I should like it to resemble some deep old desk, or capacious hold-all, in which one flings a mass of odds and ends without looking them through.  I should like to come back, after a year or two, and find that the collection had sorted itself and refined itself and coalesced, as such deposits so mysteriously do, into a mould, transparent enough to reflect the light of our life, and yet steady, tranquil compounds with the aloofness of a work of art.  The main requisite, I think on re-reading my old volumes, is not to play the part of censor, but to write as the mood comes or of anything whatever; since I was curious to find how I went for things put in haphazard, and found the significance to lie where I never saw it at the time."

It is not too late to start a diary for the new year!

   

 Inspiring Blogs

Some of the best bloggers open our eyes to what is going on in other parts of the world.  These bloggers (below) are taking us to some beautiful places.

Ben Pentreath shows us how beautiful London looks in the snow.  Go here .

Designtripper takes us to some special and rustic "cave" hotels which are located in the small, medieval hilltop villages of Italy.  The owner is attempting to save the dying hill towns in southern Italy and has worked with historians to revive them, adding these fascinating small hotels.  The interiors are decorated with an emphasis on traditional crafts such as textiles.  The coverlets and other linens are all produced locally by women who use ancient techniques.  These hotels are amazing!  Go here.

Sous Style gives us a peak into into the beautiful world of carnations.  We learn that even though carnations do not have a great reputation, they are actually one of the most respected and oldest cultivated flowers in the world.  And the most beautiful!  As long as you stay away from the typical colors of pink and red, they make stunning floral arrangements.  Go here.

  Food 52,  Amanda Hesser's exquisitely beautiful food blog, creates a "Downton Abbey"- inspired menu that starts with a creamy mushroom soup.  There are sage scones involved as well.  Go here.

And here is a terrific interview with Lesley Nicol, the actress who plays Mrs. Patmore on "Downton Abbey."  I would love to spend some time in her kitchen cooking the menu from Food 52!  As you read the questions and answers, be sure to click on the two videos that spoof "Downton Abbey."  They are very funny.

Put on the kettle, have a cup of tea, and enjoy.  There are so many places to go on a February day!

The Butterfly of the Moment

"It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily away.  How else, indeed, to clap the net over the  butterfly of the moment." --  Vita Sackville-West

I was thinking about the writing that many of us do on our blogs or in our diaries and journals.  Some days are busy, others are restful, but no matter what kind of day we are having there are often moments that we would like to "clap the net over" and remember.  They are the moments that put a smile on our face and give us a feeling of contentment.   They are sometimes moments of illumination and revelation, the ones that Virginia Woolf called "moments of being." They are incandescent flashes of beauty and poignancy that happen when we are just going about the business of living.  Maybe we've just walked out our front door and, as the sun warms our body and we glance at the trees and flowers around us, we smile at the goodness of it all.  Or maybe we've just left a lunch with a dear friend and as we drive home we remember the words of wisdom she imparted (which we desperately needed) or the funny story she just related that we can't wait to share with someone else.

In the days when people wrote letters and kept diaries, they would take time to describe an experience, conversation or thought they wanted to share with others and create a little narrative to give to their friends.  Some of these letters and diaries, especially those written by famous people, can be looked at today to help us understand what life was like then.  I think of the letters and diaries of Virginia Woolf. Today there are not many people who write letters, but many people still keep journals or diaries and  write blogs.

As writers, we notice these special moments and write about them.  We preserve them to keep for ourselves and also to share with others.  And the beauty of writing it all down and giving it a narrative shape is that we see patterns, unexpected beauty, and themes.  The process of giving our lives a narrative shape through language helps us derive meaning out of what we do.  Vita Sackville-West was right that the days can "slip emptily away" if we don't savor the beautiful, fleeting moments that make up a day.  These are the simple pleasures , the special moments that are often forgotten unless we take the time to notice, take a picture, and write about them.  It turns out that these are the things that often make us the happiest.  And when we go back to read about them, they remind us of where true happiness lies -- in the simple pleasures, in the magical moments of everyday life.

Here are just a few ideas for remembering "the butterfly of the moment:"

Take your camera with you wherever you go, tuck it into your purse and have it ready to snap a special shot.  You will go back to it for inspiration, I promise.  When I got back from my garden tour of the Cotswolds two years ago, this photo captured the pastoral beauty of the English countryside.  It lead me, in a sort of stream of conscious way, to the "Mapp and Lucia" books by E.F. Benson which were set in the Cotswolds.  I had always been curious about them and now was the time to make their acquaintance.   I devoured them, laughed out loud at their comic genius, and also watched the excellent television adaptation.  I know I will return to them again and again.  Laughter is medicine for the soul.

Write down meaningful lines you read in books, you will be so happy when you go back to them for inspiration.  Here is one of my recent discoveries from Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark.  This wonderful book is about a successful writer looking back at the beginning of her career.  The following line, my favorite in the book, captures the character's joy about being a writer and is an inspiration for those of us who are aspiring writers.  She describes the personal satisfaction that she has gotten from the creative process; she has no regrets about the life she has chosen:

"And so, having entered the fullness of my years, from there by the grace of God I go on my way rejoicing."

When you travel, take pictures of course, but also keep a journal of your observations and feelings.  You will go back to your travel journal and remember who you were then and it just may enhance your next trip.  I kept this journal when my husband and I took our young daughters to England and France many years ago.  One entry I love tells about a day that we chose to follow our children's preference for staying at our hotel and playing  in the garden rather than going to Blenheim Palace.  Although initially I was disappointed, the simple beauty of watching our girls play outside in nature in another country far from home outweighed visiting an historic site.  I wrote about that day in my journal.

Walk in your garden or outside every morning with your coffee.  It's the quietest and freshest time of the day and you just may notice the first flowers to bloom on your favorite plant.  Write about it in your garden journal.  I will never forget the year our garden was on a small neighborhood garden tour, and the tree peony was the highlight of the garden that everyone talked about.  We had purchased it the day before the tour at our local nursery, and placed it in a pot near the front door.  I love to remember that moment.  This lovely plant blooms every year.

Clip articles from newspapers and magazines and save them.  You will use them later.  As I clean out my study I am finding so many treasures from the past.  This one is from the dearly missed "House and Garden" magazine and was written in December of 2001.  In it the writer tells the story of how after 9/11 he discovered the real meaning of the holiday rituals passed down from his parents.  I pull it out every year during the holiday season and I cry each time I read it.

And just yesterday I was delighted to read an interview with J.K. Rowling in the New York Times.  I loved all her answers and felt we were kindred spirits.  There is something akin to an old-fashioned girl about Rowling that I can relate to.  I saved the piece.  My favorite answer was when she was asked "If you could be any character from literature, who would it be?"  She answered, "Elizabeth Bennett, naturally."  I will be hanging on to this one.  Go here to read more.

We are the repositories of so many experiences and when we write about them we turn them into something precious. Someone once told me that the happiest people are the enthusiasts.  Chroniclers, diarists, essayists, and bloggers all share something in common.  What we all seem to want to do is share our pleasure in the movement of life.    By capturing our experiences in words we transform them into the ultimate memory book.  Perhaps we will turn it all into fiction one day or weave it into a memoir.  These experiences are the essence of who we are but if we don't capture them, they may be forgotten and go the way of the butterfly.

Tagged by Elizabeth at "Pinecones and Acorns"

The wonderful Elizabeth at Pinecones and Acorns has "tagged" me!  This means that she has asked me eleven questions about myself which I will answer.  Then I am suposed to choose eleven bloggers and ask them a set of questions.  And so on and so forth...you get the idea.  The point of the exercise is for all of us to get to know some bloggers a little bit better.  This exercise has been a lot of fun.  So here goes...

1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

Woodstock, Vermont

AUTUMN has always been my favorite season.  What's not to love about this season of sunny and crisp days, houses and shops decorated with pumpkins and chrysanthemums, maple leaves scattered on the ground and small New England towns all decked out for the holidays.  This love of autumn started when I was a little girl and anticipated the beginning of the school year which meant new clothes, crisp temperatures, seeing my friends again and meeting new teachers.  As I got older nothing really changed; I went away to college and the same excitement occurred: new clothes, crisp temperatures, seeing my friends and meeting new teachers.  Now I welcome autumn because it is the coziest season around my house with lots of cooking and baking, a time to nest and be home as I get ready for the holidays, my very favorite time of the  year!

2. DO YOU PREFER TO WATCH TV OR READ?  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF TELEVISION OR BOOKS?

"Downton Abbey"
Photo via here

This is a close contest because when TELEVISION is this good (see above)  I love it.  One of the advantages to a television series such as "Downton Abbey" is its episodic quality.  With six or more episodes, we can really sink into the story much as we would into a good old-fashioned, sprawling novel.  Which brings me to the second part of the question, my favorite genre of books -- definitely NOVELS. I love becoming immersed in a good novel.  A good novel takes me places and puts me into other people's minds.  The best writers tell stories and invent characters that are always relevant and contain truths we can apply to our own lives. These books stand the test of time.  And so I often reread my favorites. These books take me to a cozy place, a place of recognition and connection, they make me smile and allow me to learn.  Here are three that I like to revisit:

So, the answer is I really love both!

3.  IF YOU COULD STEP INTO A TIME MACHINE AND GO ANYWHERE IN TIME, WHERE WOULD YOU VISIT?  WHY?

Photo via here

PARIS IN THE 1920'S as depicted in Woody Allen's film "Midnight in Paris."  It is his love letter to the city of lights.  It is also a wonderful reminder of a period of time and place when writers and artists were coming together and doing new and exciting work, creating art that would have a lasting impact on the world.  I would love to experience the excitement about art and life that was going on in Paris at that time.  Friendships were strong, literary salons were popular, and for the young and idealistic, life was intoxicating.  Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, the Murphys -- they were all there.  "Midnight in Paris" shows that era in a kind of a glow and a golden light, which is how it has always looked in my imagination.

4.  ARE YOU A CAT OR A DOG LOVER?

Elizabeth, I don't have a pet but if I had to choose it would be a dog.  My friends have dogs and I have a lot of fun playing with these furry friends.  Darla (my little Yorkie friend), you know I am talking about you here!

 5.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF BLOGGING?

There are three answers to this question:

The first is WRITING AND TAKING PICTURES.  Being a blogger is almost like being the editor of your own "magazine," the creative possibilities are endless.  For someone like me who loves magazines, this is a true joy.  And it is also an outlet for me to talk about the things I am most excited about.

The second are the OPPORTUNITIES that have occurred because of my blog:
For example I was happy when Stacey from Quintessence asked me to write a piece for the online magazine Women's Voices For Change.   I was thrilled when they accepted my essay about my daughter's wedding and my milestone birthday both occurring in the same month.
David from the excellent art blog A Husk of Meaning asked me to write a guest post on an artist I admired and I wrote about Duncan Grant and the Bloomsbury Group.  This was an opportunity to really delve into a topic that I love.

An old friend from grad school days at UCLA contacted me through my blog.  We haven't seen each other for ages. She lives in Connecticut and we've already planned a get-together for the next time she is in Los Angeles.

And the third and most important aspect of blogging is becoming acquainted with FELLOW BLOGGERS and MY READERS.  I have learned so much from you!  Book suggestions, gardening stories, travel advice, ideas for home decorating, inspiring thoughts and beautiful images, friendship and cheer.  It has been such a rewarding experience!  

6.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?  A STAY-CATION, VISIT WITH FAMILY, A CRUISE OR A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD?

Well, this is so hard to give just one answer.  (Are you noticing a pattern here?)  Bear with me, as I narrow it down to three.  And I would love my whole family to be with me on any of these dream trips!

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE --

My trip to the Luberon region of Provence was one of my favorite trips and left me wanting more.  Peter Mayle's books whetted my appetite, and when I finally got to go several years ago, it was worth the wait.  I would love to return and explore different parts of this region.  You probably recognize this photo from my header.  I love that path leading us to more discoveries...

ITALY --

Discovering beautiful and magical Venice when I went to Italy was a highlight of my life.  We also visited Florence and Rome on that same trip.  It was my only trip to Italy and I would love to go back and trace the footsteps of my ancestors. They lived in Naples and Rome.  One day...

ENGLAND --

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I have a love affair with England.  It started when I was in college and read English poetry and English novels for six years.   All those locations from the books were present in my imagination before I even visited England.  When I went for the first time, it was almost like going home.  I walked the streets of London that Dickens had described in his books, I saw Shakespeare's plays in the city where they were originally staged, I visited the English countryside where Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell lived.   The photo above which is from the Cotswolds takes me to the region where the delicious "Mapp and Lucia" books by E.F. Benson were set.  And there are so many parts of England that I still haven't seen:  the lake district of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, Yorkshire where the Brontes lived. The list is endless...

7.  SWEET OR SALTY?  WHAT IS YOUR GO TO FOOD SNACK?

Definitely SWEET and if I could, I would eat this every day.  But since I try to be good, I usually have a cup of tea and some ginger snap cookies in the afternoon.

8.  WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

 I used to write book reviews for several publications and I often dream of getting back into it:

Ralphe Fiennes in "The Tempest" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
Photo via here

But right now my dream job in journalism would be as a THEATER CRITIC.  I adore Ben Brantley's reviews in the New York Times and when he flies off to London to review the new season I always wish I could be him.  Can you imagine seeing all the fabulous plays he sees and then writing about them?  What a treat to see "The Tempest" (which I got to to see on my September trip to London) as a theater critic and then write up a glorious review the next day.  Obviously it's not all a bed of roses, but still I can imagine the gems would outweigh the disappointments.  And (since we are still in my fantasy world here)  I would love to write like him.  His review of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" (the longest running play in modern history) was excellent (you can read it here).  I loved his thoughts on this old classic and why it still has meaning and value.

There is also part of me that would love to be an interior decorator.  I read home decor magazines incessantly and love looking at people's houses.  There is such an appeal to the idea of helping someone create a "home" and encouraging them to let it be a reflection of who they are.  When I walk into a friend's house and see their books, art, travel souvenirs and family heirlooms, I really feel at home.    

And then there is always the delicious idea of being a food writer or food stylist for a magazine.  Okay, I cheated here and gave way too many answers, but I got carried away when I imagined my dream job!

9.  WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST?

"Bar at the Folies-Bergere" by Edouard Manet, 1882

I love MANET and his "Bar at the Folies Bergere" is one of my favorite paintings.  The face of the barmaid is so compelling, we wonder what is she really thinking as she goes about her job.   

10.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY IN THE WORLD, EITHER ONE YOU HAVE VISITED OR HOPE TO SEE ONE DAY?

LONDON --
   In the words of Samuel Johnson, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

11.  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SAYING, OR MOTTO?

"BE HAPPY.  IT'S ONE WAY OF BEING WISE." -- Colette

********

I am sending the following bloggers my questions:

Lauren from The Past on a Plate
Penny from LIFE ON THE CUTOFF
Rachel from Book Snob
Keri from Ivy Clad
Sarah from Snippets of Thyme
Carole from Mademoiselle Poirot
Claire from The Captive Reader
Bonnie from Living Life
Monique from Bringing Travel Home
Megan from Poem Sweet Poem
Janet from Janet's House

THE QUESTIONS:

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE WRITER AND IF SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BY THAT WRITER?

IF THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE FROM ANY TIME PERIOD YOU COULD INVITE TO DINNER WHO WOULD THEY BE?

DO YOU LIKE TO COOK?  DO YOU LIKE TO ENTERTAIN AT HOME?  IF THE ANSWER IS YES, WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT AND COOKBOOK AUTHORS?

ARE YOU IN A BOOK CLUB?  WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY?

WHAT ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE DO YOU GO TO WHEN YOU WANT TO RELAX?  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NOOK FOR READING OR DAYDREAMING?

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PART OF THE WORLD.   WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR HOME TOWN?

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED FORM OF EXERCISE -- WALKING, YOGA, THE GYM, OR OTHER?

HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE A SHORT STORY, MEMOIR OR A NOVEL?

ARE YOU A GARDENER, OR ARE YOU A GARDEN ADMIRER?  YOU CAN BE BOTH!

WHEN YOU TRAVEL, DO YOU LIKE TO GO TO A CITY OR THE COUNTRYSIDE?

WHAT WOULD YOUR DREAM CELEBRATION BE FOR A BIG BIRTHDAY?

I hope you will read all these wonderful blogs; each of them is inspiring, informative and will take you on a little journey.  These writers are sharing their passions and interests and reading their blogs will bring a smile to your face and give you something new to think about.

All photos are by Sunday Taylor unless otherwise noted.

Books and Houses

"Ah!  There is nothing like staying home, for real comfort" --   from "Emma" by Jane Austen.

In keeping with my British theme this month, there is probably no more beloved English writer that I could talk about than Jane Austen.  Her books, written two hundred years ago, continue to be read, made into movies, rewritten and turned into sequels.  Many people believe that this is because Jane Austen was writing about truths, truths about life and about human nature.  Truths that are still relevant today.  And she definitely had it right that most of us just want to be home for real comfort.  Sharing our homes with good friends is even better.

And so on a winter day in January, I can think of nothing better than welcoming a group of women to my house for lunch and a literary lecture. I am very excited to be hosting a special event to benefit Robinson Gardens, an historic home and gardens that was built in Los Angeles in 1911.  The Friends of Robinson Gardens raise money to support and maintain this historic property.  Our guests will have lunch at my house to be followed by a lecture given by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti  of the popular blog "A Bloomsbury Life."  She will be talking about her concepts of creating a warm and welcoming home in her lecture "The Hearth of the Matter:  How I Discovered My Design Style Through Books.

********

I  love Lisa's richly literary blog and her topic for this lecture.  I will be curious to hear about her favorite writers and how their books have influenced her design style in the homes she has lived in.  How we decorate our homes is very individual but many people agree that it is our personal collections of art, books and travel souvenirs that make our homes warm and inviting.   I have been collecting old books for a long time and years ago when traveling in England I was thrilled to find some treasured books by members of the Bloomsbury Group and I guess I could say that this collection influenced the look of some of the rooms in my house.  I am working on a needlepoint pillow that is a reproduction of one that was designed by Duncan Grant.  I can't wait to find a place for it on a couch or chair.   I have always been inspired by the friendships and devotion to books and art that motivated this group of writers and artists. They spent many happy days at Charleston, the home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and it is their idea of home as a gathering space for friends and fellow artists that has always attracted me.

Charleston in Sussex, England

With Lisa's lecture coming up, I began to think about some of my favorite books and I realize that I often return to them for their cozy domestic scenes as well as their compelling stories and characters.

"Emma" reminds me that some of the most fascinating people are flawed and complicated, though still lovable and nothing is more important than nurturing our dear friendships.  This classic book by Jane Austen also fosters a desire to stay at home and be cozy.

."

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens always inspires me to celebrate at home with the people I love.

My two favorite characters Margaret and Helen Shlegel of "Howards End" by E.M. Forster encourage me to bring together the fabulous and dynamic women I know and have them at my house.   I love the scenes of the two sisters having great discussions with friends in their elegant house in London.

********

An eccentric and fascinating English home I visited recently was the Dennis Severs house in London.

The Dennis Severs house at 18 Folgate Street in London

I had never heard of the Dennis Severs House in London until I read about it on "A Bloomsbury Life."  I am so glad I decided to make it a priority on my recent trip to London.  It is a recreation of an 18th-century house belonging to a silk-weaver in Spitalfields.  The rooms are deeply atmospheric and history is suggested by evocative still lifes and vignettes in every room.   It is truly a unique experience to walk through this house.  There is such an immediacy to the rooms, it is as if the inhabitants had just left before you entered.  The idea of home and all that goes on within the walls of a house is evoked in this experience.

One of the most important things I have learned since I have been blogging is how interconnected everything is and that most people who blog have a passion for something that is often infectious and can lead to many new roads in our lives.  The connections between people, their experience and discoveries, are what make this world of  blogging so interesting.

A room at the Dennis Severs house

And so I look forward to learning about the literary discoveries, connections, and experiences that Lisa has had that have formed her aesthetic sensibility.  I think we will all come away from this lecture with many new books to read and many new ideas for decorating our homes!   I wonder, which writers have influenced the way you decorate your home?