Inspiration

AFTER THE WINTER SOLSTICE

josephinetalepeddler 3 Comments

This is my favourite time of year as we enter into the dark cave, the belly of winter in Australia.

Garden Angel

 Except it’s never quite cold enough in Sydney. I’ve had a headache for two weeks now which I know is because I’m trying to juggle too many things alongside family illness.\

Smuchie outside the writing shedOur writing shed

 

 

My publishers and agent Selwa Anthony have started to discuss covers and author photos which is exciting, scary and very distracting!

I’m juggling two books and one short crime story. Yes, I’ve entered again for the annual Sisters In Crime Scarlet Stiletto Awards. This is the shortest space of time in which I’ve written a story for and I feel it probably doesn’t stand a chance as it has a very nasty bite in it. Ever hopeful, I shall submit this dark little tale because you just never know where your luck will flow.

On Saturday I spent a ridiculous amount of money to have my hair dyed to its natural state and I bought a most beautiful vintage-style dress (black with floral print) from a retro shop in King Street, which I have christened my Poets Cottage frock. 

Vivien Leigh

At night all I want to do is retire to bed early with a hot water bottle and pile of books.

More Vivien

At day, I’m often in my writing shed which you can see above. We’ve just ordered some lovely bird wallpaper for the shed. I shall post photos when it’s up. And yes, we are going to take down the Hills Hoist in front of it. I do like a Hills Hoist but I’ve yearned for a Granny line for years. 

June is coming to an end which is sad. June to me is the month of roses and love. It’s the anniversary of when I first met my writer partner, David Levell. I’m in love with everything rosy, including Jurliques Rose handcream which I’ve been slathering on my dry crocodile hands. That’s my June beauty tip.

And this morning whilst the city was waking, Daisy and I on our way to her natural therapist, Dr Peter Bablis, were peering through the windows of Channel 7’s Sunrise show to see live television at Martin Place and Daisy received a lovely smile and wave from the presenter, Mel.

What a pretty and personable person she comes across as.

J’adore winter. I wish it lasted for longer. 

images of vivien leigh source 

 

      

 

SNOWBALLS ON FIRE

josephinetalepeddler 4 Comments

The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball — the further I am rolled the more I gain.

– Susan B. Anthony (1820 – 1906), American civil rights leader

I just love this quote from the fabulous Blog No Country for Young Women.
 
It made me think of some of the older women I think have just got better and better with age. Here’s a few of my favourites

Beatrice, Mirka, Agatha, Brigitte

 
And I couldn’t resist sneaking a Johnny Depp photo in as he’s also improved with age. 

King Snowball Johnny Depp

Who do you think is an older inspiration? 
Hats off to all smoking hot snowballs! 
beatrice wood image source 
mirka mora image source
agatha christie image source
brigitte bardot image source
johnny depp image source

DAWN

josephinetalepeddler 9 Comments

What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realised it sooner.” Colette

This is a favourite quote that I’ve been using a lot this week. We’ve been enjoying exploring a pre-dawn Sydney to visit Daisy’s doctor before school.

 It’s an education to see Sydney’s inhabitants waking up.

The homeless people sleeping in train tunnels, fairy-lights in Hyde Park, joggers and office-cleaners.

 I have revisions to do for Poets Cottage and so I’m out of the 1940s where I had just got comfortable and back to a Tasmanian sea-fishing village in the 1930s.

 A great Newtown identity died this week. I’m going to miss Bob Gould.

I had discovered many treasures in his chaotic, messy shop over the last decade or so. As Chuck Mckenzie said on my Facebook, he reminded you at times of an oversized owl glowering away as you searched the huge towers of books. I also saw him as a cantankerous wizard from a Hogwarts library. A most fascinating man. I always found the perfect book for my research in his shops. I’d ask the book angels to guide me and somehow five or six books would find their way to me. Books long out of print, stories penned by ‘ordinary’ Australians giving the most terrific details of everyday life that I could use. Books that these days mightn’t have been published because they aren’t by a celebrity or a proven author. The last time I saw Mr Gould I had a pile of books for the 1940s Blue Mountains mystery book I’m working on. He looked through them, raised those eyebrows and said, ‘You have good taste in literature, young lady.’ I floated down the street afterwards, not just for the rare event of being called a young lady but my inner-geek was sated that Bob Gould said I had good taste in literature. Hats off to you, Bob Gould. With all the hoo-haa recently about publishing and technology, you were a blazing reminder of the magic, beauty and mystery that I love about bookstores and booksellers.

bob gould image source

colette image source

top hats and quote source

A Stevie sort of mood

josephinetalepeddler 0 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py3w5fttedA]Had a lovely morning sitting in my little garden working on revisions for Poets Cottage. Fresh washing blowing on the line, cats asleep in the sun. Blue sky, bright pansies and geraniums and garden gnomes for company Perfect working environment. And then I was in the mood for some Stevie. I still live in the 70’s when it comes to music.

Spring in Westminster

josephinetalepeddler 2 Comments
Some moments I loved from the Royal Wedding.

Black and white floors in the Abbey

The cheers and and joyful energy  from the immense crowds.
How super-relaxed both Catherine (had no idea that was her real name – shows how closely I follow the Royals) and William seemed. We felt as if we were right beside them due to the close proximity of the cameras.
 
 There were cameras planted in flowers, which is surreal-sounding, and wonderful aerial shots from the heights of Westminster Abbey.  When William helped Catherine alight from the coach after the service, it was a totally intimate moment and we were RIGHT THERE.
The black-and-white checked floors of Westminster Abbey. What a truly glorious setting for a wedding.
All the pomp and ceremony you could wish for. And I felt like singing along to ‘Jerusalem’ too.
The dress. The new Duchess of Cambridge is so elegant and controlled that she’s in danger of being slightly boring but she did look divine. I also adore her for doing her own make-up.
I loved the Queen in yellow. She looked like a happy buttercup and she deserves happy things.
And the Middletons. What an incredibly photogenic family. Carole and Michael Middleton are both extremely attractive and Pippa is also a spunk. So skinny, all three Middleton women. I read Catherine and Carole followed the Dukan diet which I must get hold of a copy. I need Dukan!
 
Harry, looking like a cheeky scamp and somehow managing to come across as the brother you would have liked to have had.
Not sure what I thought of the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s outfits. At least they were different. Everybody else was so stylish and it’s good to have a bit of a shock to wake us all up from all that beige elegance.
Samantha Cameron looked a bit under-dressed which is a shame when she’s so beautiful.
It was a beautiful wedding and I felt teary several times.
 
I’m a sucker for British tradition, pomp and ceremony and it was joyful to witness such a textured, historical rich event with all the trees and greenery in Westminster Abbey which gave the abbey a slightly pagan feel. The Spring floral colours and flowers gave a feeling of optimism and hope. 
  

London wedding and death of a Holy Man

josephinetalepeddler 2 Comments

I keep remembering those bleak London streets in 1997, strangely silent with the exception of a few screams and sobs. The enormous waiting crowd, united in shocked grief. And two tiny boys, walking with bowed heads, their lives shattered by that car wreck in Paris.

And the heartbreaking sight of one simple word MUMMY on a wreath.

Love Life and Joy

 

So pleased to see some happiness for one of those stoic little boys in 2011. Kate Middleton has achieved what my six-year-old daughter sighs for – to marry a Prince. May they live happily ever after.

And a death in India of the Guru, Sathya Sai Baba, who died this Easter. I’ve been a long time on a spiritual path and during my quest, I spent time at his ashram in India. I found him to be a fully-realised man who not only answered the question that had tormented me for years, but sent me away from his ashram saying ‘I didn’t need to follow the guru’.

Through Sai Baba, I met several people I have respected and loved over the years. I have felt quite melancholy all week remembering the ashram, the smell of the blessed food, the incense and the early morning devotions and Darshan.

Above is a photo of a younger me (no make-up and I had been very ill when I first arrived in India) with one of my stunning Italian friends, Raffaella, who I met at the ashram. 

The Italian women always looked beautiful at the ashram. They wore fresh flowers in their hair. The monkeys bit and terrified; the elephants were glorious in their baths. Food never tasted as delicious as the simple food there. And Baba was like an elegant, gentle child whose energy would strike the large crowds as he appeared for Darshan. 

 Om Sai Ram   

 


Writing with mist

josephinetalepeddler 2 Comments

I have taken the Summer curtains down at home and replaced them with the toile winter curtains. I am sad it is the end of the lovely Easter break. I do enjoy having Daisy at home even though it makes it impossible to write and I love not having to do the school run and lunches.

The Easter show is too expensive. Can’t believe for a family of three it cost nearly $100 to get into the gate to look at a few pigs and chickens. Daisy, of course, loves the pony rides and show bags, but for the same money we spent we could have had a night or two away in a good hotel.

A few photos from the show above. The print in the middle with the girl and bunny is one of the Emily Martin prints I have in Daisy’s room. I love her whimsical work. We did manage one day trip to the very misty mountains.

 I just need to get out of the city at times and walk through the bush, feel crisp, unpolluted air and escape air-traffic noise. I’ve carried the mist from the mountains back with me – it’s swirling around my laptop and through my mind, forming my current book in the Blue Mountains. I’m still plotting and feeling my way through the characters. When they’re ready to talk – I’ll begin. And last night I dreamt of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski, which has given me an idea for another short story.

 As David said, ‘you’re always working, even when you’re asleep.’

The Nigella Effect

josephinetalepeddler 7 Comments

Yesterday I took an impulsive break from my edit and attended the very packed Nigella Lawson book signing at David Jones.


When I say ‘impulsive’ I mean very last-minute decision to go. I literally shut the laptop and ran for the train wearing my comfortable writing clothes (read ‘scruffy’). I arrived at David Jones just as the signing was starting and thought I had found the end of the queue until the frazzled-looking security guard kindly showed me the end of the queue was way, way, way, way, way back snaking around the shopfloor.

Ever the optimist, I jumped right on the end and began making new friends as we waited patiently in line for the domestic goddess herself.

It was a lot of fun to observe normally too-cool-for-school Sydneysiders going slightly crazy over Nigella. She is obviously well-loved in Sydney.

In our house alone, David loves her, as does my Daisy and I have all her cookbooks. Well, I have now that I bought Express yesterday. My middle-sister who has been going blind for years is also potty over Nigella and has been following her movements from her country house in Tasmania since she arrived.  I think she admires her for her tenacity in tough times as well as her domestic artistry when it comes to the kitchen.

Amongst the madness and fun, the ever-game and smiling piano player played on in David Jones You can see a better post HERE where more shots were taken including of the smiley piano man .

A sales consultant had fainted. Whether from the excitement of Nigella or from the crowd, I’m not sure.

All good things come to those who wait. It was my turn to meet Nigella when the woman in charge realised I didn’t have my book purchased for her to sign. Total chaos! I quickly had to buy one from a valiant sales consultant.

And in the above image you see Nigella smiling at a scruffy looking writer as I threw myself at her like an excited puppy-dog. Note that big smile even though she has been smiling and signing for close to an hour by this stage.  

And for those who are curious of what she was really like, I can divulge she has beautiful, pale skin, intelligent, kind eyes, and a very down-to-earth and warm persona. I was thrilled. Too often, I’ve met famous people who disappoint in real life but Nigella is the genuine article. She may adopt a character for the screen but her charm was sparkling through as she interacted with the people who had queued patiently to have their moment with her. 

As I left the store, I was intrigued to see the staff member still lying on the floor nearly an hour later obviously waiting for the ambulance. Hopefully that woman is okay.

I remember when I saw Jerry Hall in the street once. I do love the very Sassy Jerry Hall and I was so impressed by her strut and the way she worked the gawking crowd. There were a bunch of workmen to who she waved and they began singing out to her. She was incredible. Being a person who tends to prefer to observe others, I’m often impressed by those who court fame. That Jerry Hall moment worked its way into my book when my bohemian writer, Pearl in the 1930s thread, struts her way down the main street of my Tasmanian sea-fishing village. Pearl may be clothed in the fashion of the 1930s but I was also seeing Jerry Hall as I wrote, long blonde hair swaying, high heels clicking as she sashayed through a modern-day Sydney street.

Who would you wait in queue for to grab a moment with? When it comes to celebrities it’s obvious I’d wait days for Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter.

But I was very glad I got a chance to finally meet the sensational Nigella!

Returning back to my edit, I submerged myself back into the world of Pencubitt in the 1930s and was surprised to have a call from the school. Was my daughter sick? No, she was waiting with the Office Reception as I had totally forgotten to collect her.

 Such is the effect of the brush with fame for us mortals. I’ve never forgotten to collect my daughter and so that’s what I call the Nigella Effect.  

 

In Praise of Women

josephinetalepeddler 2 Comments

To celebrate International Women’s Day, here’s one of my fave inspiring women, Amanda de Cadenet in action.

I love this woman’s photography and the way she works to portray women through her photography of all shapes and sizes. Her lovely photos are always a joy to browse.  She has a wonderful  community site, for women which is located  HERE

And here’s a link to her official Blog as well which you can find HERE

amanda photo link