Sunday Sweetness

I can't seem to sacrifice Sundays anymore - I want to eat this day, savour its unique taste, and be as "now" as possible. A little bit of these things are never far away..

To be rested, rejuvenated and perfectly happy:

1. Roast dinner Friday, Greek food Saturday, Eggy brunch Sunday

2. Leg cuddles

3. Very apple pie

4. Walks at night

5. Laughter with dear friends

6. Fruit and yoghurt

7. The Decemberists

8. A new couch and nothing to do but lay on it

9. Plenty of inspiration

10. Time to dream

Have a soulful Sunday.

Always

xx

...

Image aquí!

Recuperation Wednesday

For whatever your sweet little self desires - comfort, inspiration, colour, cosiness, twirling, crooning, giggles, indulging or an excuse to stay in your happy home..

Watch..

The gorgeous Feist and her amazing community of artists journey through the dreamy and lush experience that was the creation of The Reminder (2007). The process of multiple collaborations sees us through concept, recording and touring. Seriously, so amazing.

The new album Metals is due out in October!! More here.

Nom..

The best Dahl in all the world. We make ours from this book, but there are more here. Try adding cauliflower, broccoli, peas and chickpeas + greek yoghurt + lime pickle + cucumber and baby spinach. So good in hot and cold weather..don't try and stop me. And coriander!

Sip..

Masala Chai is always the most delicious. Or so I have found through my demanding tastebuds. This one over at Everybody Likes Sandwiches is perfect and can be tweaked for your enjoyment, trust me. That is not to say that this recipe is not delicious, I just like ginger. And cinnamon. And the occasional vanilla bean.

Ooh and pound those cardamom pods good! We have also dry roasted the spices before simmering.. 

Extra dark chocolate to nibble is ultra optional, I'm not saying the blocks I buy for baking actually make it into brownies.

And while we're on the topic of her lovely site, they're not really sippable*, but I should mention these muffins too. Love the 'Sandwiches site!

Have a restful, snuggly night,

wherever you may be

xx

...

* Pouring cake batter into one's mouth

doubles as quality control.

Life, ohhh life

 

Easy and simple, no-wrong-steps recipe for 

A Lush Sunday

...

* sleep late/nap often

* find some bagels and spread with delicious things

e.g. avocado and vegemite

* watch consecutive episodes of guilty pleasure/toxic awesome tv

* do some loads of washing; don't hang them out

* walk in the mid-afternoon sunshine

* buy some treats for your tummy

* gather some sweet friends..

* ..light candles, make pots of tea, hoover nutella and strawberries..

* ..work in some berry froghurt, fig ginger honey ice-cream and spekulaas..

* ..turn up the heater, make antipasti, invite more friends and lovers..

* ..frangelico, coconut and pineapple cocktails..

* ..laugh, listen, dance in your chair..

*..rose tea and caramel chocolate..

* ..write quietly as your dearest snores

...  

oh yes.

vegemite is purely optional..

 

I hope your Sunday treats you very right

xx

...

Title from Tracy Chapman (that one's an in-joke)

Paris image source unknown - help?

22.

Just over a year ago S and I were here. 

It was such a swift, precious time.

In a bit over two months 

we will have been in one another's hearts 

for three years.

I did not know at 19 that I would meet a man who would

help, guide and nourish me so.

I honestly had the vaguest idea of what love was.

Even now, 33 months and a fortnight on,

I continue to learn from him every day.

Now that we live together and have purchased

Ikea furniture and an almost-cat*,

I am still astounded, yet a little scared, and overall

overcome by how blessed I am to have met him,

and allowed myself to fall in love with him.

 In no way was it hard to fall in love with him.

The thing with love 

- in my singular and limited experience -

is that it is truly free fall.

That late Spring, early Summer of '08 

I was constantly asking myself if it was happening.

In truth it happened a number of times in that period.

It has happened a million times since.

I love that he fulfills me to the point that

I now trust in the magic, infinite nature of growth.

Every day, even the nasty meh days, involve a sweetness

I now can't remember being without but cherish,

completely besotted.

I love striving to be better in every way, in small ways and big.

Making coffee, other foods and looking after myself spiritually.

Being more of a lover than a fighter now.

Stopping to appreciate little bits and pieces of our neighbourhood.

Ultimately, I know that it is neither my job, nor my obligation 

to make him happy.

But the love we share is such a positive honey pot

that it makes me value the healthful, inspiring and delicious things

this dreamy life has to offer in an alternate way

to what my life was up until I was given this gift.

Love is all, and I already had so much of it in my life before now.

But this sort of love is not tangible like those

and I understand the richness which has been 

bestowed upon me is strong, supportive
and, of increasing importance recently, accepting.

Perhaps what love truly is is acceptance.

*I say "almost-cat" as Phase Two of engineering

a cat is almost complete..

xx

...

Photo of Springbrook National Park via Google Images

- this is an amazing place for

a trip of any length.

The walks through the falls and lookouts 

are especially breathtaking..we didn't get to the Glow-Worm Cavern, 

sad panda!

"if you were an ocean i'd learn to float"

I am really quite happy that:

1).  I get to make this on Monday for my love's birthday

2). I see an old, dear friend on Thursday

3). in two days I will no longer be

hungry for this or this,

this either - 

enter cooking sans guilt

4). soon, we will finally 

see this exhibition

5). there is love

6). there are blogs. 

a few..

the style rookie. heart of light. to my wife.

7). this man writes children's books and songs (see title)

8). this movie exists too (and, brought number seven to my attention)

9). that there are 

Beatrix Potter ceramics

10). pancakes and froghurt and maple syrup

are breakfast foods/gods

...

Have an amazingly splendid Tuesday,

I really, really did.

xx
...

Image via GoogleImagesSearch.

Title from Barry Louis Polisar. Point Seven.

  

Sophomore

Sometimes I buy into the theory regarding the "Sophomore Album Curse". While people get passionate about it, I don't especially as I think that it's possible for an act to simply become horrific regardless or are just not to my taste [anymore]. 

But I love that even as my taste changes, I don't forget. There's the nostalgia and the sneaky mustiness of memories and god, feelings. When I hear about a Good Charlotte tour (lord!) or they play Forever Young or Mr Brightside somewhere, I feel and still am 17 or 18 or 14, even 21, at a club that is the only one we could get into that late on a Saturday, subjected to the musical-predictability that both lures and removes punters.

 

And I think I loathe and love its quirky universability. And I think that might be what I love most about music -- universability.

I've been going through my old Frankies (oh yes) and a girl comments that music will make you homesick every time. Even Men At Work.

I love that it has bound me with so many extraordinary people, qualified a night from good to great, raised and solidified spirits. I love that I can honestly say it makes me feel.

I love that I have playlists for shittiness, for dancing, for workkkkking out, for funeral road trips, for my sweet love and our first months together. I love that it provokes theories, makes conversations, loosens parties, makes me teary, prolongs drunkenness and delays hangover, defines a dinner party, that it can ink itself on someone's skin.

I love that I am writing this instead of an essay that is nearly three days late because I'm so excited about a festival line up that is of yet completely unconfirmed.

So with all the sophomore albums I've been rejoicing over -- Battles, Lykke Li, Fleet Foxes -- musically, it's been a good year and it's barely mid-June.

All of the artists I've listed are stellar*, but I actually wrote this post for Bon Iver. His sound has evolved and the way he's explored that is really so beautiful. Different to 'For Emma', but brilliant in the very best way. The layering of sound has many of the characteristics I've noticed in many recent albums from Arcade Fire to the Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs,with a sort of '80s renaissance feel.

In no way do I know much about music at all, but I'm happy with the time it took for me to grow into this album. I could loosely describe it as lush in comparison to the bare sound of 'For Emma', and I will warn not to expect 45 minutes of Skinny Love stylings.

This is a good thing for two reasons.
One,

in the way that sometimes it's reinvigorating not to notice the artist you loved straight away. Not in a Twilight soundtrack kind of way, but the secret surprise sort. 

Two,
I think it's a gift to hear a development in sound. I'm not nearly as good with this, but Jeremy Larson puts in very nicely here**.


In truth, Bon Iver released the 'Blood Bank EP' in 2009, and when I first heard Woods way back on Skins Series 3, the evolution was apparent:

..and an enthralling gift. There is a correct term for vocal distortion (I will adjust this when the maestro gets home), as I haven't gotten that far in my musical education yet and I won't rely on Wikipedia. But if you haven't the EP or anything off 'Bon Iver', please listen to this first, and experience the journey.

I mentioned it at the start of this post, but I've been thinking about the Art Vs. Audience debate for awhile and it's something I'm going to address soon.. I do want to say that enjoying artistic maturity is something to be celebrated.  

 

So with that in mind:

Music is the weapon of the future

(seen on a t-shirt, 2007)

...

* I am still trying out Fleet Foxes - but it's definitely up there, 

I'm just giving it some more time before I provide 
an adequate, thoughtful review. 
** I couldn't find the post by Jeremy Larson that explained 
my point..though Sufjan's album is related. I will elaborate. 

 I also apologise for the muntiness of YouTube - is that fixable?!

And may I also happy dance for forthcoming M83 album?

... 

'Bon Iver' cover art here. More info about the album too!

 

Recuperation Wednesday

A new festival!

More info on Harvest here. They might be rumours right now, but the thought of seeing The National again is very special. For three years their music has swirled through my brain with its haunting perfection. It has made me love harder, think more broadly and live more faithfully. I am so grateful that I could see them in January and can listen to them everyday. Aphex Twin and Portishead make my heart beat a little fast too. Fingers crossed now! 

Hilarious pictures from my sweet love.

Oh to have a pet rabbit/sheep/goat/llama/alpaca/farm..More of that goodness here.

An exquisite moon.

 

And delicious, holistic inspiration.

The raw brownie looks too orgasmic. Dessert? Breakfast? Both?! Also check out some of Lauren's recipes in the same vein. She's so rad.

Happiest of Thursdays with Wednesday tidings too!

Please keep the people of Chile and Christchurch in your prayers as they try and recover from these disasters.

xx

...

Harvest info via my friend Morley. Congrats on post-exam freedom!

Rabbit + Sheep = Ladder via Infinite Ramblings

Lunar eclipse image and story via SMH

My New Roots via Busy Bee Lauren

Happiness..

..is:

1. My cosy bed and nowhere to go.
2. Spicy home chai, plenty of soy and honey.
3. Pure laughter.
4. Old friends.
5. People who smile back. Especially the older and younger.
6. Choosing gelati flavours.
7. Seeing my breath any time of the day.
8. Parcels in the mail.
9. Candles and flowers together.
10. Boyfriend singing in the shower.

Happy happy happy Sunday, as always

xx 

Happy list idea courtesy of Taza. Look at hers here and beyond!
Image via Green Wedding Shoes or OnceWed..I can't remember, let me know if you do!