#1 Blogs about mysterious places in Australia and New Zealand. I'm not so interested in strange places so much, but rather haunting or beautiful spots that are off the beaten path. Does anyone know of any?
#2 Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left album - on CD. My sister has always been surprised that I haven't had the Nick Drake breakthrough. I suspect that I've put it off so that I could access his music at a time when nothing else was moving me. I used his song "Day is Done" as a soundtrack to my most recent post on Five Ways to Disappear. It's the perfect soundtrack to a late-fall stroll around a crumbling cemetery in Toronto - or anywhere.
#3 Ring watch. I'd settle for a pendant watch.
#4 Time and resources to make homemade soap. I bought a bar of honey lavender soap at the Royal Winter Fair. I can't tell you how happy it makes me. Every morning, I open the medicine cabinet and poof! - the smell of French fields washes over me and makes me forget the morning routine just for a moment.
#5 Lunch in a London pub with James May and Kirstie Allsopp. You may not know of these two English television show hosts. James May is on Top Gear, but he's got a very cool toy show they've been broadcasting in Canada lately. He's droll in that classic absurdist English way. I love that he's always totally disheveled and yet, they let him come up with madcap show ideas and he pulls it off. Check out his Lego house. Kate from Love You Big would LOVE it. He got scores of kids to snap millions of pieces together.
I've blogged about Kirstie Allsopp before. She's the host of Relocation, Relocation, Relocation and Kirstie's Homemade Home. For someone who seems like she comes from money, she's very down to earth. I also like the fact that she's not a size 2 and that she's got a funky fashion sense and isn't afraid to wear skirts and floppy blouses. I also like the banter between her and Phil on the real estate show. I wonder how she'd get on with James May?
#6 A copy of Maurice Gee's Going West. He's a Kiwi. Is there a theme going on here? I think it was on the Love You Big blog that I first saw this brilliant short film. Sadly, the book appears to be out of print. I'd love to read it.
Well, I'll stop here. Maybe I'll add some other elusive things on another post.
Erin:)
When is the James May show on?
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of both him & the Honourable Kirstie Allsop.
I adore James May! I've seen all his "Toy Stories" shows here in the US on BBC America. I especially loved the Lego house and the Scalextrix (sp)? car track.
ReplyDeleteAnother James fan here. The US version of Top Gear began this week and I have not had the heart to watch yet. Loved this post. You introduce me to/remind me of great things I had not thought about in a while. Where DID I put my ring watch? I have come across some great blogs you'd enjoy but can I name them now? Ahhh, memory, I miss you.
ReplyDeleteI wish the same regarding the soap.
ReplyDeleteMy sister had a ring watch.. she got it as a present in the '90s. Obviously wasn't one nice like in the ad, it was rather tacky & fake gold.
You can buy Maurice Gee's Going West at Book Depositry
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780571170142/Going-West
Thanks for the comments. Shangri La - this is fantastic news. I'll investigate.
ReplyDeleteErin
Does the ring watch have to be vintage? They have some pretty ones at this museum in New York that I visited:
ReplyDeletehttp://shop.tenement.org/store/product/4629/Ring-Watch/