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Dear blog,

Happy birthday to you. One year hey?

You've come quite a long way haven't you?

You've covered a bit of ground...those top ten pretty picture posts are a bit of alright aren't they...

You've made me do projects I would never have dreamed of doing this time last year...silly ones too...who could forget the frou-frou juju :)

I've always pondered, but you've made it into a public pondering now...and haven't people been kind when I've done that...

You've kept me up far too late at night.

You've distracted me no end.

You put a stop to my prolific reading (but don't you get all smug, I'm on to it so don't worry your little bloggy head about that)...

You've educated me...

You've frustrated me...

You've inspired me...

But do you want to know what the best thing you've done has been?

Simple really...you've introduced me to wonderful people, helped me to make new friends. People who've given me so, so much. Encouragement, wit, wisdom, compassion, nonsense...all of that and more. 
I especially love the nonsense.

I've loved every bit of it...thank you blog. You can stick around for a while yet if you like.

So let's say we tell everyone how we feel shall we...how much we love 'em...it is Valentine's day soon after all...even though you and I really don't go in for that particular nonsense...

Please don't take this to mean that the blog or I want to marry you or anything...it's just a song we love...go with the general vibe and enjoy the Pride and Prejudice images while you're at it...no Colin in these ones though, sorry about that :)

Thank you everyone.  I've said it before, I'll say it again, and now I've even put  it on the follower thingamy...you're a top lot.

I do love a flower arrangement...especially when it's free.  I nicked these flowers from work yesterday...it's ok, I'm allowed and we get new ones every Monday :)

I never put flowers in this spot in the house...they're normally on the dining table.. but I really like it.

And that's what it looks like at night time...

The light is made from a bamboo lantern that I took the candle out of,  wrapped the fairy lights in tulle and just shoved them in. It doesn't appear to be a fire hazard:) I wrote about that here and here.
I got the fairy light wrapping idea from Simone's beach vintage blog (but she'd made a fantastic lightshade with white tulle for her daughter's room). 
Have a wonderful weekend won't you...

It's been ages since I've done one of these posts. Perhaps holiday mode makes you less philosophical? Not so much of the existential angst...or the eggs(istential) for that matter! We covered a lot last year on a Friday...success, privilege, love, loss, learning and quite a bit else that resonated with some of you. 

Do you remember old blue eyes and that song about doing it his way and the ..."regrets I've had a few" bit? Well this post is not about him. But it is about regret. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm not sure why...perhaps it's the books I've been reading, or another year beginning, or maybe just my age.
I have had a very lucky life...blessed in many ways and I am happy where I am right now. And like Frank, it's often a case of "regrets too few to mention". But I do have one rather substantial one. I won't share the private details of that regret because it's, well...private. Not like the regrets I have on an almost daily basis...regretting eating that last chocolate, regretting saying yes to an invitation when I really should have said no. Having that icecream at the movies on Wednesday night, that bad idea for a new hairstyle, the pair of trousers I bought that of course I would fit into one day! Nope, nothing like that. This thing that I regret changed lives. 

And yes, in many ways it has led me to where I am today...but still. That can be a bit of a cop out can't it?
So what is regret? Is it ok to have some of it; not all the time of course and not over trivialities...but sometimes, for somethings?
I looked in all the usual places for a definition. Dictionaries give very bland ones. Self help books all tell me that it's something you shouldn't do. And then I came across this quote...and put it on a pretty picture just for you :)

And I thought...yes. That's right. Despite what I think we've been led to believe...that regret is a useless 'emotion' (and a lot of the time I would agree) I think there is a purpose in feeling regret.  And that purpose is to make us meet responsibility head on. Look very closely at our regret, roll it around in our head and our heart and be honest with ourselves. I'm not advocating beating ourselves up...of course not (there's plenty of others eager to do that I'm sure!), and I know I'm not always as wise as I'd like to be...even now,  but if appropriate regret can help us gain some insight into ourselves and help others who might actually learn something from our experiences, then I'm all for it. 

Geez, I hope I don't regret this post... :)
image 1; image 2; image 3 by me - green cape NSW

Do you know Mariska? No? Why not? Come and meet her and then give her a huge round of applause. For not only is she a super lovely person...warm and encouraging...and gorgeous to boot...

with huge talent...here are just some of her wonderful creations...

...she is also extremely generous. In conjunction with Ivy & Piper, Mariska has donated  limited edition screen prints of five of her amazing paintings with all proceeds going to the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal. The details are in Ivy & Piper's latest Love issue...and they have also donated the proceeds from some pretty spiffy linen napkins as well...

Please check it out and consider the pleasure you'd get from having one of these brilliant artworks in your home. You can see them a bit better here (excuse rather dodgy screen shot)...I know for sure I'm going to have one on my wall one day...but which one :)

If you want to buy, please email ivyandpiper@hotmail.com.

We might have to make Mariska an honorary Aussie at this rate!

all pictures, except the dodgy screen shot, knicked from Mariska's facebook page!

Terribly, terribly sorry that the top ten is a day late...

via sense and simplicity

I had to go to book club on monday night when I normally do this...

by pia jane bijkerk

and I ran out of time to write the post...

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because we were so engrossed in discussing our last (extremely tedious) read...oh, for at least five minutes or so...we're serious book clubbers we are!!

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and then there was the drinking of white wine...

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and the scoffing of spinach and feta pastry thingies...

via elements at home

 ...so much for my carb detox!

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but despite the fact that I sometimes grumble about it, I really do love putting these posts together...

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they get me all inspired...

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and I have to tell you there's not much of that around here at the mo (inspiration I mean) ...

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no projects going on...even the dishcloth knitting has stopped...hard to fathom I know :)

via this pretty space

no DIY'ing...

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no painting...of canvases or walls...

via living etc (there's those chairs Jules)

no gardening...

via an indian summer

no nothing in fact. I think these sloth like tendencies have taken over momentarily...clearly I need to give myself a talking to!! But in the meantime I'll just continue looking for pictures to drool over :)

I have a confession. I did (and please excuse my French) stuff-all this weekend. Things I should have been doing, didn't get done. I stayed in my pyjamas until after lunch on Saturday and Sunday. 

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I didn't put my washing away, much less touch an iron.

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I really didn't think much about blogging...which I'm trying to tell myself is a good thing...only every now and then...of course ;)

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I didn't go and play volleyball as I promised myself I would.

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I didn't do the financial paperwork that I really must do, and I didn't start an assignment that absolutely needs to be started.

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I did the barest amount of grocery shopping that I could get away with. And I didn't do a whole lot of other things that I won't bore you with.
But here's what I did do. I enjoyed the solitude of having the house to myself. The 22 year old was in Sydney for the weekend helping the first born move out of an apartment she shared with a very odd French man and into a house with four other women...in 40 degree plus heat...poor loves.

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I thought about my upcoming trip to New York (thank you so much for the suggestions...please keep them coming). 
I read. I read lots. I watched old movies. I did a bit more to the Ballets Russes painting. Biting off more than I can chew comes to mind when I look at this...many, many more hours required until it's decent...but I will persevere thanks to some lovely encouragement from my blogging/facebook friends!

I went out for dinner with my man on Friday...we had fabulous salt and pepper squid. I made a nice dinner at home for us on Saturday. I went out for dinner at my lovely friends Chris and Terry's on Sunday...I'll photograph their house one day...you'll love it. So, I guess, in effect what I did was stop...and in a life full of constantly doing stuff...enjoy, for the moment, being a sloth. Like the vampire slayer does every single day of her life! 

 Now I just need to work out how to do that without feeling guilty. Any hints?

Happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit to you...any cause for celebration is ok by me...and yes, I know I'm a day late...but it's probably still February 3 somewhere in the world surely :)

According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves.

Oh well, bring that on thank you very muchly...what with floods, cyclones, snow storms and goodness knows what else in the last month, let alone the last year, we could all do with some calm! Perhaps the year of the Tiger was just having its last hurrah! We can hope.

Can you believe the size of that bunny! And no, I'm not related to the man in the colourful jumper...

Anyway, enough of that. Now that I've got your attention with a bizarre picture, and rabbiting on about Chinese horoscopes, here's what I really wanted to tell you. I'm going on a little trip next month and I need your help. Where are you going Kez I hear you ask...just in case you glossed over the post title. Well this, dear bloggy peeps would be the answer...

...as you'd know if you FB with me.
I'm going to Washington for work (oh yes, work can definitely have its benefits), plus one day there for sightseeing. And then (don't hate me please) I'm going to New York for six lovely days...days made all the more lovely because I will be meeting my Canadian friend Mary there. We haven't seen each other for 20 years when our husbands were both posted to the UK. How exciting is that! BTW, she's still got that husband...I was a little more careless :)
So....what should we do in our six days? What are the must sees? If you haven't been there let me know what you'd love to do if you were coming with us...and we'll try to do it for you (which I know is absolutely no consolation but  it's the best I can do). Sorry about that.
I'm making a list. I'll be checking it twice (oops, wrong holiday). I know I'll want to do some of the usual tourist things, but I'm hoping for something a bit different as well. Do you know any great flea markets for instance. Funny little shops were I can find a treasure that will speak to me forever of New York. You know what I mean don't you. So, if you know about a gem, or you know someone who does, could you please pass it on? I'd be ever so grateful. Can't speak for Mary though...she's probably got her own plans!
Have an absolutely fabulous weekend and thank you very much for all the comments this week...you're a top lot. You really are.

Yasi update: I'm so relieved to say that I've just heard from my peeps in Far North Queensland and they are all well and relatively unscathed.  I can breathe out now :)
Reading is like breathing to me. Absolutely necessary. But since this whole blogging palaver began I have been doing less and less...but not anymore! I've started a new monthly 'series'...doesn't that sound grand :)

I have promised myself to get back to where I once was...devouring books by the bucket load.

And to keep me on the straight and narrow I thought I'd do a monthly round-up of the books I've read.  I won't be reviewing them in any detail (because quite honestly, neither you nor I have the time for that now do we) but I will tell you about the one I liked the best.  So, this month (remembering that I've been on holidays so the list is impressive...even if I do say so myself!) I've read...in order...

Moral Hazard by Kate Jennings - fiction

Villa Fortuna by Geoffrey Luck - memoir

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs - crime fiction

Beloved Homes by Ikea Family - design

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell - historical fiction

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos - fiction 

The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi - non fiction based on Lionel Logue's diaries

Knitting by Anne Bartlett - fiction

Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali - non fiction/memoir

I enjoyed all of these although The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet was extremely difficult to get in to and if it hadn't been for Book Club I might not have persevered! Glad I did though.

Nomad was unputdownable and more than a little bit disturbing. I've given it to a friend to get his perspective. I haven't read the first of her books Infidel, but I will...

The one that touched me the most (and which I enjoyed the most) was Love Walked In...which was recommended by Julienne. Thank you Julienne, you sure got that right. When I told a friend I was reading a book called Love Walked In she wanted to know if it was a Mills and Boon...honestly, as if I would! It does sound a bit soppy but it is anything but. The story of Cornelia, a cafe manager in Philadelphia...looking for something but not sure what...and Clare, a lost 11 year old reaching out for her father, and a mother who has suddenly disappeared on her. Their paths cross and it's beautiful. The writing is lyrical, magical, literary but easy. It's like a conversation. This is a book you can have a relationship with...better than some of the men I've had relationships with that's for sure ;)

There is a sequel. I'm on to it :)

images 1 and 2 from weheartit