Some years ago, the time known as ‘my indigo days’ when I had my store, I used to hold special exhibitions to mark the arrival of new furniture or art. One night, in November of 2003, I was to hold my last exhibition. I was showcasing the work of a local photographer’s visit to India, and I had invested in a large collection of antique furniture from India as well as antique jewellery from Tibet. The opening night was a hit - the store was full to the brim. And one of the lovely people who came in that evening with her 4 young children in tow was Sophie Bouris.

I will never forget, because my store was not exactly child friendly. But these children were so well-behaved - surrounded by loads of strangers, in a frenzy of chatter and bustle as cushions, tables, clothes, and jewellery were being ogled and passed over the counter. Sophie and I connected on that one fleeting first meeting, and looking back we see that our chance encounter was perhaps, no chance at all.

I tell you all this because it is my meeting Sophie that led us both to meeting Tenpa, and both of us individually yet concurrently, developing a special connection with him and his family.

Fast forward to today, and Sophie and my other dear friend Leona, recently returned from an incredibly sacred journey to Tibet with Tenpa, his sister Thongga and their father who is known to many as Rinpoche, but who I call pala (father, in Tibetan). The journey was perilous as the risk of Tibetans travelling back to their own country can be fatal. I was distraught when they all left, and I sent them my positive thoughts every moment of every day they were away. I hung on to every email Tenpa was able to send me to tell me they were all safe, and I was a wreck when I would receive mail that sounded tentative and less than reassuring. But they all arrived home safely and live to tell the tale.

And here it is…

Sophie has complied this incredible book filled with stories and events from the journey, including her stunning photographs and the journey details through the eyes of pala, Tenpa and Thongga. I have been lucky enough to have sneak peaks over the last few months as the book has been developing, and I will give you only five words to describe it: intimate, captivating, intriguing, heart-breaking and inspiring. A must read for not just those interested in Tibet, but anyone who has a heart.

I am so excited to announce that Sophie has given me the go-ahead to offer the book for pre-order. Just email me your name and contact details and I will put you on the list for the first books off the printing press in August. The aim of the book is to raise awareness of the Tibetan situation and hopefully raise some money from sales.

The book will initially come out of Australia but we’d like to offer the book all over the world, and in lots of languages - so if you are interested to volunteer translations or to help subsidize a print run here in Europe or America, please let me know.

Thank you Sophie, for creating such an incredible body of work, and for sharing it with us all.

well, i do. and i believe it comes in a soft-bound, full colour 110-page book filled with stunning polaroids by some of my favourite people. For The Love of Light is a tribute to the art of polaroid. It’s about to be available for pre-sale in approx. 6 hours time. There will only be a limited edition of 500 printed, and it’s $49.95. So in 6 hours time click here to order (noonish in North America, 6pm in Europe, and 2am in oz).

“Please close your eyes and then open them with the understanding that you are now in my world…”

That was the screen text on one of my short films I made for uni way back when. It then followed with a non-eventful continuing loop of crappy video footage of water backwash from a motorboat. Yes I went to art college. My poor fellow students, I apologise to you now but I’m sure I must have thought it expressed something inside me worth expressing at the time. Perhaps some inclination for wanting to be one of Kingsley’s captured water babies…

The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby

My mother read it to me as a child and as difficult as it was to try to understand the 19th century English of Charles Kingsley’s at the age of 8, the essence of the story and the beautiful sketches of Jessie Willcox Smith are etched in my heart forever still.

In short, the story is about Tom, a young chimney sweep who falls in the river and unfortunately dies but is transformed into a ‘water baby’. A series of underwater adventures follows with fairies such as Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid.

This story fuelled my imagination and passion for the sea and inspired many an artwork since, including the above mentioned short film and a number of sketches, photographic stories like the one below, short stories and poems that one day, when back in Sydney, I might take a wander through the attic and perhaps will feel brave enough to post them here in the (blog)house. I am always drawn to water, I can’t help but want to take out my camera and click away, so this week is dedicated to places, things and images water related that have inspired me and continue to inspire my work. I adore the waters edge, finding all sorts of little bits and pieces to make things from… stringing little shells into necklaces and bracelets, gathering driftwood, or just collecting, I always find a gift from mother nature when i take a wander by the sea side…

I’ve added some new features to the other rooms in the (blog)house and I’d love you to check them out! In the Library, I’ve added books with links that I have just read, or currently reading, as well as the latest on my coffee table. And in the Sound Studio I’ve added music I am currently listening to, currently playing on the piano, and currently composing, all with links. I will endeavour to write posts with reviews as I go too. So click here to go to the sound studio, or click here to go to the library (Alfred is there now waiting for you with some chablis)…

Also, something special is coming this way in the next few hours! I love surprises, don’t you? So be sure to come back this afternoon (or midnight for you aussies and morning for my american pals). See you soon! xx

Gather kids, it’s story time! Seriously, gather your kids if you have them, as this post is for the little ones and the little ones at heart. It’s a treasured childhood book of mine and I found a you tube reading of it to share with you which (again, with the peeing in the pants) brightened my day so much so that I now need to wear shades.

This book is called tikki tikki tembo, and the story is set in ancient China. It’s written by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent.

I adore this book, although my 30 year old copy is in Sydney, I can still bring it to you right here, thanks to technology. It is this book that first captured my imagination and sent my heart wandering East. It was through my constant yearning to learn more and more about China that I soon learnt about Tibet. I was devastated to realise that right at that moment, a country and people I cherished were destroying and torturing it’s neighbour and themselves. My wandering heart bled. That was about ten years ago. and at that time I was at Uni studying art, so I went to a Chinese calligraphist in Sydney who taught me the Chinese character for ‘love with suffering’, I was told it is a character used often. I still continue to use this symbol in my art.

But as some of you may know, thanks to all of us pressuring to bring this situation to the headlines and hearts of thousands, Tibet and China are talking right now. This is positive.

My post about my Tibetan friend Tenpa gathered some great and controversial comments, check them out here. And as I mentioned in my last comment on that post, I will not only be showcasing Tibet on my blog, but everything that is connected with it, and that includes China. So why not start with Tikki Tembo! It begins a little something like this…

The illustrations captured my imagination as a little girl. When Mum read me the book I was instantly taken to the little house at the top of the hill, or resting with the old man and his ladder.
And it is now one of my niece and nephew’s favourite as I have been reading it to them since they were toddlers. Their faces beam when they hear me say tikki’s name and they join in with pure delight.

I highly recommend you buy a copy as the printed version is definately the best. But for those who just can’t wait, here is the very awesome retro video reading. Make yourself a tea, take a break and a deep breath. And enjoy…

And just for laughs, here is a chipmunk version of tikki’s name!

Based on Mark and Sally Bailey’s farm property in the Herefordshire countryside of the UK, Recycled Home, pour moi, is love at first sight with a staircase and an old giant’s scissors hanging on a worn out wall on the front cover. Their intro exposes perfectly their decorating philosophy: “Use what you’ve got, be true to the structure of your house and the materials it is made from… think of your home as a delicious experiment.”

The book is filled with the most delectable photographs by South African Debi Treloar: One of my favourites being a tiny copper-sailed boat resting serenely on top of an old-fashioned door knob. And if you love wood, warm whites and textures you will love this book. Be warned though - you will end up wanting to buy everything at your next antique & flea market visit as this book guides you to seeing the beauty in things you would never have looked twice at.

I love the textile section where you will find an old otherwise boring chest of drawers with wrapped handles in different wild vintage fabrics, stairs covered with a patchwork of mini persian rugs, and the fabric of an old bathing tent made into stunning curtains. But as I flick through the pages, my added tip as a stylist to make this style work in your own home is organisation. Without organisation, this look can quickly design itself into a display of useless scraps.

WHAT I LOVE:

WHAT I’M ‘OVER’:

Mark and Sally have included a fabulous resource section from across Europe at the back of their book. And what more could you want? What about a website where you can buy their awesome finds and creations? Wouldn’t that be great? Yes it would and here it is!

Enhance The Everyday rating for Recycled Home by Mark and Sally Bailey: 4 outta 5

pilfered from Uncle Beefy

Who doesn’t love a quote? Pia obsession confession #1: Quotes. If someone gives me a book of quotes that’s it, anything I was doing goes out the window and I am stuck in that book until I get to the last quote. I am truly obsessed by them - I mean, they are tiny little pieces of art are they not? They make you think, question, ponder, wonder, and instantly fly you someplace else. And what’s more, if you have one of those freakish abilities with memory you can pull them out of your head to really bring home your story at your next dinner party. Instead, my story finishes with something like this, “and yeah you know, it is just like that guy said, you know, that guy, his name starts with an S, you know, everyone knows him! Anyway, he said something like, ‘fish with a man and you eat with…’ no no hang on, it’s ‘be a fish and eat for a day’ I mean no, sorry, it’s…). By then everyone’s eyes have rolled so far into the backs of their heads that I am surrounded by a table of zombies grappling to fill up their wine glasses to dull the pain.

Actually I’m wondering now whether the eye rolling just starts the moment I start a story, not necessarily when I end it. Hmm. Food for thought.

Anyhoo, I stumbled upon Uncle Beefy’s cool blog who then lead me to Compendium, a Seattle based company who’s mission is this: “To inspire, educate, motivate and celebrate the world we love and live in. We will strive to set an example of hope, passion, and creativity in everything we do—from the products and programs we create, to the ways we can make a difference for our clients, customers and community.”

Right on! Love finding companies with these goals. From what I understand, they are the guys who make all those journals and books, and postcards with cool quotes. You will have noticed already that I love to throw in a quote or two in my stories (like in Handy Hints numbero uno), and I have already a list of some great French ones I’ve learnt that I will be sharing with you so you can show them off at your next dinner party (I will try to give some pronunciation tips too, so you don’t look like a complete fool to the guest who’s secretly fluent in French). But for now, I will leave you to ponder this oldy-but-a-goody, you may even be able to find a slot for it at tonight’s soirée…