Penguin passion:

I'm not saying that Penguin has the monopoly on beautiful paperback design -- not really. But I am confessing that I've been in love with Penguin's paperbacks since I was a little kid. I am also confessing to purchasing copies of Penguin paperbacks that are not in readable condition, simply because I love to look at them. I even have them lining the picture rail in my bedroom, and sitting in little stacks in odd places.

My favourite Penguin cover is the simple tri-colour image with the solid bar at top and bottom, the title on cream in the centre, the text in bold black sans-serif -- and of course the enduring Penguin logo. To me, it's an example of classic, timeless design. I love it.

I was thrilled, then, when Penguin once again began publishing old (and new) favourites in this gorgeous imprint -- happy little orange paperbacks with crisp covers, perfect hangbag size, and at a good price.

I was even more thrilled, yesterday, though, when THESE BABIES arrived. Thrilled is possibly an understatement; delirious might be closer to fact. The latest twenty-six Popular Penguins, all in a box, all courtesy of Penguin on Twitter*, delivered to my door. Can we please spare a moment for some serious exclamation pointage?

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

(The extra exclamation point is for the adorable book bag that also came in the box).

It's kind of totally a book-and-Penguin-lover's dream come true.

So now, my friends, where to start? I definitely want to blog my way through these books, sharing my reactions, which ones were my favourites, which ones were not, which ones you will just have to try for yourselves -- and I want your help to decide which to start on. I've narrowed down a possible starting place with these six:

The High Window, Raymond Chandler
The Pearl, John Steinbeck
The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham
The Accidental, Ali Smith
The Autograph Man, Zadie Smith
A Kestrel for a Knave, Barry Hines

Which one/s have you read? Which did you love the most? Which titles intrigue you? I'm ready to be dictated to by your choices! Thank you, Penguin, for providing so much giddy bookish joy!

*Follow them on Twitter for book news, quizzes and giveaways, and general bookish appreciation.

Edited to add: no wonder I felt so much affinity with this blog design; check out the layout and the colours. Hmm...

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Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- November meet-up possibilities WOOHOO! (and yes, I love mum and dad's mugs, too)

Katie -- the moustache mug also has Frida Kahlo's eyebrows on it. It's basically amazing.

Flashback Friday :: the blessing

It's been a long time since I've written one of these...

Though it was only four years ago, I felt unmistakably like a very small child in the presence of a very big grown up. It wasn't because she was patronising. In fact, she was far from it -- more like the embodiment of Emma Thompson's character in Stranger than Fiction, with all the best authorial characteristics but with more femininity, less neuroticism, and no chain smoking. Her voice -- clipped and clear with a gentle British accent -- only added to the impression. Here was a real author with real experience. Compared to her, I was most certainly a child.

Although it was ostensibly an author's panel wherein we -- the small knot of students -- would ask questions and she -- the teacher -- would share from her experience, she didn't get to say much. One of the other women kept bringing the discussion back to her "mermaid novel", leaving the author little space to talk. During a break, the author leaned over and whispered to me conspiratorially, "It would have been fun if it was just us two."

When the evening was coming to a close and coffee was being served, I found myself in the coffee queue near the author and we got chatting. She asked about my life and I told her about our crazy gypsy ways and the time spent in some of Australia's most unique places. When we got to talking about words, I confessed that my lack of writerly education and my own naivete sometimes held my back.

"Don't let it," she said seriously. "I believe that the craft of writing can be taught. You can learn to write. But you cannot learn to be a writer; some people are and some simply are not. To be a writer requires something else entirely, something that makes you different from others. You need a unique backstory." She looked at me closely, and I had the undeniable feeling that I was standing at a turning point in my own coming-of-age story. "I can see that you have it," she said. "In your experience, you have everything you need."

Perhaps, here in the retelling, what the author said sounds merely motivational, something to cheer along a hopeful girl. But in that moment, nothing felt further from the truth. Her words were a blessing. Her words were a benediction. And when I remember them, they give me courage.

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Conversations:

Jessica -- but I'm jealous of how golden your peanut butter bars turned out! Mine look too pale :(

Meaghan -- I KNOW RIGHT?

Rebecca Simon -- absolutely!! They are totally an excellent alternative for Reese's Pieces.

Unanonymous -- do you basically just have a stash of these in your fridge at all times? Yum!

Asea -- this pathetically teeny image is a slice tray. :)

Carla and Alastair -- the peanut butter bar love continues around Australia! Hee :)

Brooke -- totally working on the technology to do just that. ;)

Samantha R -- I've been wondering if Milk Coffee biscuits are similar to graham crackers? You'll have to come to Australia to find out...

Amanda -- you DEFINITELY need to make these :D

A dose of pretty:

There's been so much prettiness in my week, and since everyone needs a little dose of pretty in their lives, I'm sharing. First, Spring-coloured macaroons!

Tiramisu from my favourite new patisserie.

A gorgeously handmade (and international, no less) Valentine.

An edible Valentine from closer to home.

Dried flowers hanging from the kitchen dresser.

An amazing surprise from my mother -- a gorgeous little bedside chest of drawers with the cutest porcelain handles and a little sliding-out tray for coffee.

Postcards which help me to pretend I'm back at the National Gallery. The large one with the grumpy small person is by Brack, the bottom one by Drysdale and the top one is by Margaret Preston. These three ladies hanging on my wall inspire me to create stories.

What prettiness has brightened your week?

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Conversations:

Cara -- yes! Let's cheer one another on while we row! :) PS. I finally sent you an email!

Samantha R -- You're so right: immersion is key. xx

PS. Some Charley Harper image-spam:

Since my goofy picture of my new colouring book fails to truly introduce you to the loveliness of Charley Harper's artwork, here's a little bit of picture spam. Enjoy the bold lines, huge blocks of colour, and modernist shapes. It's such cheerful stuff!

[All found via Google Images]

Saturday Inspiration #4 (on Wednesday*)

Sometimes, when I am in a museum or gallery, I get this feeling that it isn't enough to simply look at the the painting, or the sculpture, or the piece of ancient pottery. I want to talk to the person who made the artwork, or watch them drawing, or simply pick the thing up and examine it from every angle, myself, with my own hands.

That's kind of how I feel when I look at these pictures I took just now. Seeing them here, flat and two-dimensionally captured by my less-than-amazing photography, you have no idea how gorgeous these Japanese papers are. A friend gave them to me in a little bundle for my birthday, and they are individual works of art -- the kind of art you want to pick up and interact with, to feel the texture of the paper, to look at the seeping of the inks through the fibres, to hold up to the light. These papers are -- terrifyingly -- almost too pretty to use.

I wish there was some way I could wear them instead.

*I make the rules, I can break the rules... I guess?

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Conversations:

Samantha -- I am exactly the same! I strongly believe that smaller parties are the nicest kind.

Katie -- squeeing is not only welcome, but outright encouraged around here. My blog is a safe place for squee.

Mitanika -- yeah, for some reason, clean-up-the-house parties are the loneliest kind ;).

Awesome thing of the day #7

I remember spending a lot of time as a small girl gazing at a poster of a treehouse. With about a dozen rooms in individual pods branching off from, well, branches, it defied all laws of engineering and gravity. Somehow, though, it pulled me in as stories could pull me in. I wanted to be in that picture so much I almost was.

That ability to be lost in something entirely imaginary has faded a little bit -- perhaps it's reached a more healthy level now? -- but I felt a tinge of it again when I saw this incredible Camper Bike, built by Kevin Cyr. Is this or this not amazing? Your own little house, wherever you ride! *hearts*

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Conversations:

Mitanika -- ooh, link love! Going to check out that motivational rap now :).

Samantha -- ah, you don't miss anything! I saw that "late twenties" lingering there the other day and just couldn't bring myself to change it yet. Maybe I should erase all references to age? ;)

Staish -- :D Do you have the whole album?

In praise of treehouses.

When I was small, a kids' magazine I subscribed to included, in one special issue, a large fold-out poster of a treehouse. The treehouse wasn't a real one; it was just a stylised artist's concept drawing, but I remember spending ages lying on my stomach on the floor, chin propped in hands, gazing at this picture. Then, for months, I drew my own plans for treehouses with amazing multi-levels and real windows and doors. Oh, and a pulley system for lowering and lifting snacks and mail. Always there had to be a pulley system.

Nowadays, pictures of treehouses still fill me with that same sense of otherworldly enchantment. I remember being a small person and believing that it really would be possible to make a treehouse with six rooms and a shingled roof and a rope ladder which could be drawn up when intruders appeared.

And so it makes sense that I want to jump straight into these pictures, from Pete Nelson's New Treehouses of the World. Aren't they just incredibly dreamy and fairytale?

Happy Monday to you all. Long live treehouses!

[images sourced]

Saturday Inspiration #3

This video -- in which Carrie and her big brother sing their very own cover of Say Hello by Rosie Thomas and Sufjan Stevens -- makes me want to be a small girl with red hair and a guitar-playing big brother. Such sweetness.

Saturday Inspiration #2

Today I stumbled across a delicious blog dedicated to recording the inspirations and delights of the day. Findings are assembled onto daily collage cards. Is this, or is this not a delicious idea?

Record the Day

At the end of a lovely weekend...

just an observation, originally uploaded by keri.

This is more true than I care to admit. Oh, how I love the cosiness of my comfort zone!

(with thanks to artist and writer Keri Smith for pointing out the painful truth)

Saturday Inspiration #1

This is blogging, picture-making, and story telling genius. I'm so inspired:

Maira Kalman's And the Pursuit of Happiness blog.

PS. From now on I'll be answering comments in the comments section, like the rest of society. So if you ask a question and need the answer, it'll be there.