I am away from home this week away working at the Melbourne Art Fair – do come and say hi – I am at the Art Monthly stall.
This weeks newsletter brings a good reads edition – Its been about 6 weeks since the last one – so here are a few books that are not exactly crafty but rather creatively inspirational – all themed around the home – I hope you like them.
Interviews and imagery from creative women. I love/hate images of other people’s beautiful studios – jealousy and incredulousness at the perfection of these rooms can make my head spin. However while this book might crop out the messy bits, it keeps in the riot of colour and texture that inhabit these spaces. Lots to admire and get inspired by in this book.
A Very Modest Cottage. By Tereasa Surratt. Published by Hearst Books.
A journey of discovery while renovating an old holiday hut. Tereasa relocates and renovates an old cottage that has been in her family since she can remember. She takes us on her journey with her, researching its history and renovating it with love and modesty. With renovation tips and advice, how-to sand a wooden floor and choose appropriate paint colours, how to shop for the period and style you are interested in and how to start from the beginning with a plan. The lovely thing about this book is that it has a story, and a happy ending and along the way we are taken on the journey and given the tools to go on a journey of our own.
Full of practical how-tos and design solutions for a multitude of practical and lovely manly sheds. Yes this is a book for a man with a shed – but actually I think I want one – it would be called a design studio though! One downfall if you are not USA based is that many of the materials described are very specific and may not be available where you are located. But if you handy they you can adapt and improvise using this book as guide.
Ok – Wow! This book is a treasure trove of good advice and innovative ideas. From the usual ‘What to grow’ and ‘How to garden’ to using the garden as a teaching tool and a creative starting point. This books takes you from getting funding and drawing up plans to finding materials and resources. Creating the garden and using it as an outdoor classroom and of course healthy foods and cooking are all part of the process. Fabulous resource for schools but also for families who want to get more out of their patch of land.
This book, like most interior decorating books, is full of wonderful images of gorgeous rooms. There are no how-to’s or tutorials to help you achieve the look, rather tips and ideas of how to incorporate recycled objects and materials into your space. This book really is for those with a penchant for second-hand shopping, antiques or junk – and giving you ideas of how to then incorporate your special finds into your already eclectic style. I am not sure how ‘practical’ these types of books are, but for me they are all about eye candy – filled with beauty and lovely things.
Cooking from the Garden: Best Recipes from Kitchen Gardener. By Ruth Lively. Published by Taunton.
The recipes in this book are compiled from the magazine ‘The kitchen Gardener’, focussing on fresh garden produce – unfussy and simply delicious meals. And indeed the recipes are versatile and easy to follow – pity about there being no photographs – But I think most people will find this book simple to use and there are some real gems in here – from basic advice like peeling a tomato and making croutons to roasting vegetables and making mushroom soup. I know I will be making the flavoured vinegars and the Orange Peel and Rosemary-scented butter cookies look divine. Here is the recipe – give it a go and let me know what you think…
Orange Peel & Rosemary-scented Butter Cookies
… and don’t forget to join in on the whipup quilt-along.
Hope today brings you something nice..
Kathreen
xx
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