Wow, November went by quick didn’t it? My November online book boutique is about to close its doors – there are only 2 days left to order your personally signed copy of My Heart Wanders, Amsterdam: Made by Hand, and Paris: Made by Hand (or all three)…

It’s been fun signing books, wrapping them and sending them off to interesting destinations around the world. Thank you to everyone who has ordered so far. Some people have asked if I will extend the opening of the store but the answer is a very certain ‘no can do’ as I’m now nearly 8 months pregnant so my attention over the next 6 months will be focused on bringing our first bub into the world. That means now is the time to place your orders! I won’t be doing any public events or signings for the coming months. Click on the image below to be taken directly to the boutique…

note: I will be closing the boutique on Thursday December 1st so that North American readers have until their November 30, end of Wednesday, to order.  px

PS keep in mind I will ship ANYWHERE in the world – if your country is not on the shipping list just pick the country nearest you, then when ordering you type in your shipping address with correct country. (I just couldn’t type every country in the shipping, it would have taken me days.) If you are unsure, just email me your shipping address and book request and I will email you an invoice.

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As many of you are aware, My Heart Wanders won’t officially be available in North America until April of next year. Over the last few months I’ve taken note of the collective dismay expressed by those living in North America not able to get a copy for themselves or their friends and family for Christmas. So it got me thinking, what can I do?

Well, in between bouts of nausea and back pain (but oh to also now feel little feet and hands kicking and wriggling inside my growing belly – it’s so strange and beautiful) over the last few weeks I’ve been quietly working on creating a little “November only” online book boutique – a place where you can buy not just My Heart Wanders, but also Paris: Made by Hand and Amsterdam: Made by Hand, no matter where you are in the world.  To make it extra special, I will be signing each book with a personal message and dedication, so that your copy will be one of a kind.

The November book boutique will, as the title suggests, only be available for the month of November so that I can get all orders shipped out and to your door by mid December. And although due to the weight of the books the shipping seems expensive, it’s important to note that knowing my current situation,  I won’t be able to travel to book events, workshops or signings for quite a while, so this will be the only chance to get hold of your own personally signed copy of the book…

If you don’t see your country of residence in the shipping section, do not fret – I was not able to select regions (i.e. Scandinavia, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia etc) so instead I chose a few countries in each region -  you can pick the country closest to you as that will be the same shipping cost, or if you don’t see a country near enough to you then just email me your country and what you’d like to purchase and I’ll email you a paypal invoice tailored specific to your needs. (Australians please note: There is a great inexpensive flat rate for books sent within Australia – $5 for either Made by Hand books, $12 for My Heart Wanders , or $18 for all three).

I made the boutique very simple, specifically for buying one copy of each. However, if you want something more,  for example, 2 or 3 copies of My Heart Wanders with 3 different dedicated signatures, then email me your order request, I’ll get the shipping quote for you and will email you a paypal invoice specific to your needs.

So without further ado, let me welcome you to my November online book boutique! Please click here to browse the boutique at your leisure…

I do hope you like this idea, and that you’ll make room for a book or two on your Christmas list.

xx

Extra notes:

+All prices are in Australian dollars.
+Limited copies available, so please get in earlier rather than later to ensure your signed copy.
+The last order will be taken November 30, 2011 to ensure deliver by mid-December.
+Please click here to send me an email for special requests.

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Thank you for all the support & well wishes that have poured in over the weekend, you guys are truly wonderful. Something else I’ve wanted to share for some time are these 3 lovely features in 3 of my new favourite independent magazines. First off is the beautiful spread in the latest Anthology magazine. It features never-before-seen photographs of our petit bateau vert (little green houseboat) in Amsterdam. I took these images last year and saved them especially for this article. Above is an image of our tiny boat loungeroom. Last year, Romain spent the year composing his first guitar album, and that exact setting was his office! Meanwhile, I sat at the desk just 2 metres away writing and editing images for My Heart Wanders – it was a special year that we will always cherish, and was the perfect ending to our 3 years of life in Amsterdam on the houseboat.

Below is an image of the bed, covered in a mosquito net during summer, and a view of the living room space, looking down from the kitchen…

It’s a really special feature written by Anh-Minh Le, with lots of info about what life was like living on the boat. This image below is also from the article, and is one of my all-time favourite photographs from inside the boat. Over the course of a year or so I’d taped flower stems to one of the walls and watched them strike their natural, deceased pose. The muted shades, textures and unique characteristics captured my imagination each time I gazed at the wall. The little Dutch sailing boat I found at a market that Leslie and I visited, and I made the sail from scraps of linen, tea stained cotton and lace…

I’m in the midst of recreating another wall like this here in my new home in Sydney, I’ll be sure to show you once it’s complete.

The next sweet feature is in the latest issue (issue 10) of Canadian-based magazine, Uppercase. This one is written by lovely Christine Chitnis, who you may recall was also a recent guest in the (blog)house (here are her fab posts on life in New England). In this article Christine captured my thoughts, ideas, ideals, and ambitions in the most elegant of ways, and included one of my intimate poems from My Heart Wanders . I hope you can find yourself a copy of this issue, there are loads more great articles “for the creative and curious”…

And the third sweet piece is in the newest issue of peppermint magazine, an Australian-based publication focused on sustainable style. It’s a terrific mag filled with eco-minded articles, products and fashion trends. In this article, written by Frances Frangenheim, I talk about my ‘natural’ tendencies, all that inspires me, and my sustainable goals in life and work…

Just before My Heart Wanders was launched here in Australia in April, I decided to get some publicity portraits done by Olga Bennett. Although I was nervous and awkward in front of the camera, Olga managed to grab some great, relaxed images, many of which have since been featured in editorial pieces around the world. I want to thank Olga especially for letting me use these images for publicity. Please visit her fab blog here, and to see more of her photography, please click here.

In other news, I’ve managed to update the stockists page for my books, click here to view. My friend Heidi said she saw big stacks of both Paris: Made by Hand and Amsterdam: Made by Hand in the Seattle Anthropologie store, which is wonderful news. So from what I’ve heard, Anthropologie now stock both these books throughout their USA stores  – thanks Anthro!

I also heard that My Heart Wanders was nowhere to be seen for a while in Europe and the UK, and apparently it was because there was no stock left, which is also terrific news. But even better is that another print run has been completed and sent to stores in Europe, the UK, and restocked throughout Australia.

As many of you have become aware, the book won’t officially be released in the US until Spring (April/May) 2012. But I have something special in mind for those of you who would love to receive the book for Christmas – I’ll post about this next week.

Have a beautiful week mes amis.

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I can’t believe this spectacular event in Brisbane was over a month ago. I’ve been wanting to share these photos with you for all that time. They were taken by the very talented Natalie McComas who is a Brisbane-based photographer. Natalie wandered around for the whole afternoon snapping gorgeous moments like you see above and below…

stunning flower arrangements made by my sweet friend Zoë

This book launch was the creation of the flourishing creative community in Brisbane, organised by my dear friend Kylie from paper boat press. How it came about is a wonderful story of its own: When I moved to Sydney in February, Kylie called to ask, “So what have you got planned to celebrate the release of My Heart Wanders?” In a rather deflated tone I said, “I haven’t thought of a thing. I’m so exhausted from the move and completion of the book itself, I can’t seem to find the energy to…” at which point she declared, “no need to do a thing! I have decided I am going to host a very special book party for you, it can be whatever you want.” To hear her enthusiasm and boundless support was enough to get me giddy with anticipation, and over the following months we chatted about what kind of a celebration it could be. An afternoon tea at the neighbouring secreted oasis (also known as st. francis theological college in milton) was what we conjured up, and before I knew it she had the support and enthusiasm of the creative community in Brisbane, all buying tickets to join in the celebration, and donating crafted goodness for lucky door prizes. When the day arrived it was truly magical, I could not have dreamed up anything like it…

On arrival, guests lined up to give their names and have raffle tickets issued, and then strolled along the patio to mingle. I was rapt to see they were quick to get hold of their copies of the book and flick through as they sipped tea and chatted with new friends…

Guests took their copies off to enjoy quiet moments reading the book…

…and when it came time to start signing, they lined up and waited patiently as I chatted with each guest.

The atmosphere was quite something, and I put it all down to the guests, the helpers, the venue, and Kylie – the amazing host herself -  who made me feel so relaxed, even when it came time to stand up in front of everyone and say a few words…

…and draw the winners of the amazing lucky door prizes. There were three large collections of handmade goodies to give away, all donated by some of Brisbane’s most creative and generous crafters – please click on all their links below to see what beautiful treasures they make and sell…

michelle at nook
nicole from hot toffee
alarna from little jane street
sarah from red felt flower
kia hing-fay
erin from blossom creations
toni from giddy girl design
kim from udessi
tiel from tsk tsk
sharon muir
louise from loose.leaf paper
liana kabel
kristina from old yarns
alischa from bespoke press
selene from heikehaus
jennifer orland

What beautiful smiles. To make the day so special took many many hands. In the kitchen were Kylie’s friends Maria and Jan, making cups of teas and bringing out sandwiches and cakes for everyone. Kylie’s dear friend Sarah made the cutest butterfly cakes, and my sweet pal and fellow ex-Amsterdam dweller Zoë spent the morning creating spectacular posies for the tables, bringing over the supplies and food, as well as greeting all the guests. Kylie’s mum brought along some stunning bouquets from her garden…

…and Kylie’s sister Tiffany graciously manned the book table for the afternoon. Kylie’s brother and Dad helped out on the day too – setting up all the chairs and tables, and putting up signs in the street to direct guests to parking places. Sweet Kristina from old yarns made all the garlands especially for the event – she had collected pages from old french books, maps, and soft blue card that matched the colours of my book cover, cutting them into pretty circles and flower motifs and sewing them together to make long garlands which were strung between the stone pillars.

At the end of the day, a handful of Kylie’s friends stayed back to clean, pack and collect. It was truly amazing to see such a community of support,  a shining example of what community spirit is all about. I cannot thank each of these contributors enough, I’m still mesmerized by their generosity. If this event was a microcosm of the city’s community at large, then I can now see how and why Brisbane recovered so swiftly from the floods earlier in the year – the city truly looks amazing right now, no doubt it’s with thanks to the people who live there.

Among the beautiful Brisbane bloggers who came along for the event was A-M from the house that A-M built – I’ve been following her blog for a few years now, inspired by her two beautiful boys who always write her the most incredible letters (I posted one here some years back). It was a treat to meet the lovely and talented fashion designer Mady from an abundance of and her friend dayle of green bean food.  There was also Tracey from Quiet Paws, Ana from coleccionando estrellas, and Cate from A White Carousel. I also met new blogger Hayley from stylimerence who interviewed me on the day, you can read her beautiful post about the event right here.  I was elated to meet the delightful and eminent author Kate Morton who also came along – I’ve been a fan of her novels (as you may recall this post in the (blog)house library) for some time now so it was a rather special moment to meet her in person.

Thank you again Natalie for all the fab photos, and to everyone who came along, you really made it a celebration I will always remember – it’s moments like these that make me feel like all the intense hard work was worth it.

xx

PS Also while I’m here in the (blog)house, I’d like to let you know that homelife (which is the website for publications such as inside out and country style) are giving members a chance to win one of ten signed copies of My Heart Wanders. The competition ends on June 22, to find out more,  just click here.

PPS There is more going on in the (blog)house, did you know? Yep, it’s a busy household! Marjorie’s been cooking up a succulent (cue french accent) seasonal menu in the (blog)kitchen, while Christine is saying her goodbyes in the guest quarters – thank you so much Christine for sharing the delights of New England with us all.  There will be a new guest arriving any minute now… I’ll give you only one hint: New York, New York.

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It’s been a lot of fun gathering leaves and tree branches from parks and the side of the road, then installing all this found nature into shop windows. It’s incredibly satisfying, especially when I see people stop on the street and take a look – taking a moment out of their busy day to see something a little unusual, hopefully capturing their hearts and imaginations.

The first window in Sydney I installed was at the bustling Better Read Than Dead on King St, Newtown. This was one of my favourites to install, I think because I had the chance to incorporate some of Tracey Deep‘s incredible floral sculptures…

Tracey let me choose a number of pieces in her studio. I settled on these marvelous sphere sculptures, and some delightful dried banksia branches. I thought they might just work perfectly hanging from the ceiling next to my old chair, to create a kind of dream-like forest scene – a place to sit quietly and read a chapter or two from your favourite book. I used the packing paper flowers as well, and cut out some of my butterfly illustrations…

The cushion is something I’d made years ago with some left over sample fabric from Signature Prints. The backdrop comprises of linen strips that I’d used in the houseboat for curtains, and the leaves I found at Callan Park…

The next window I created was at sweet Oscar & Friends in Surry Hills. This window had quite different dimensions – it was tall and skinny, with only a small ledge for sitting props. So for this window I decided to focus on the glass itself and print then trace an entire passage from within the book…

Once I put the text up on the window to trace, I loved its roughness and was tempted to leave the strips of printed text as is…

Above is my little work station while creating the window.

It started to get dark rather quickly and I needed the outside light to be able to trace the text, so I had to stop taking photos of it and focus.  It was labour intensive, but once I finished and stripped the paper off, I loved the results. Then I wondered, what to do with the rest of the window? And how to draw the eye to the text? Well, I just happened to have found a huge eucalyptus branch the day before which had fallen from a tree in a car park. So I installed that up against the side of the window – I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was an ideal fit. Then to create an autumn tree effect, I attached branches of dried leaves along with some ribbon from the top of the window…

While I was searching for which passage of text to use a few days prior to installing the display, I opened the book and unexpectedly, it flopped open to one of the beginning pages that talks about how my trip to Paris came about. In it I mention that I was having an after-shoot drink with an art director friend – that after-shoot drink just happened to be around the corner from Oscar & Friends, at a neighbouring bar. So now here I was just around the corner but 4 years on, making a window display about the book that I wrote based on the journey I took that stemmed from that very conversation. I find that amazing. Anyway, back to the window display: It was pitch black outside by the time I finished the window, but I took a photo regardless of the lack of light…

And then before I headed off to Brisbane the next day, I took a quick detour back to Oscar & Friends to take a photo of it in the daylight…

The beauty of doing window displays is that they are so much about being there, in the moment – you have to be there to really see it, as windows are not easy to photograph with reflections and all. There are always lots of textures and layers which is what makes them wonderful, 3d forms of art.

Next up was the fabulous Shearers in Leichhardt… hello Norton St…

This time Ashlea and Romain were there to help (merci beaucoup mes amis!), so we got the window installed in next to no time. I love that all the props I’ve used in all these windows have been found, salvaged or handmade. For this window, I found a lovely branch the day before while driving through the residential streets of Bondi Beach. We attached it with fishing line, and then attached the paper flowers and scattered the leaves around the base, along with copies of the book…

Thank you Shearers, Oscar & Friends, and Better Read Than Dead for your continued support, and for letting me play in your beautiful windows. And a big hug and thank you to Tracey Deep for lending me some of her floral sculptures.

Last weekend Stef from Newspaper Taxi and I created a window display in her gorgeous store in Newtown (and had a party to celebrate it!), here is a sneak peek of the display…

…but more about that soon. For now, be sure to check out the window at Newspaper Taxi -  there is something you can add to it too (I’ll let Stef tell you about it when you go and visit).

This Saturday will be the very last window display event in Sydney to celebrate the launch of the book.  It will be at Little Paper Lane in Mona Vale. It’s exciting to wrap this month of events up on the Northern Beaches – my old stomping ground. On Thursday night I’ll be talking at Mona Vale Library – the very place I used to go to almost every afternoon after high school. And then Saturday we’ll have a party at Little Paper Lane- I’m so looking forward to being surrounded by family and locals, new friends and old – I hope you can come along! Check out the details right here. I wonder what I’ll create in Jayde’s window? I think since it’s my last, I’m going to go all out – Mona Vale, here I come!

a jumble of words, a jumble of thoughts and ideas…

PS a few people have asked what I use to write on the windows – I’m using posca pens in white, in different sizes, and I bought them at modern times on king st, newtown.You just need a bit of water and a rag to wipe them off glass. I find the pens are much easier to use than paint and a paint brush. Have fun!

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Many many months ago, way back when I was writing My Heart Wanders, I thought about what it would be like to finish the book, and what I’d like to do to celebrate the book’s release into the big wide world.  I dreamed up a rather wild idea – I wanted to go and visit various boutiques and bookstores, creating a ‘wandering window display’ in their windows, inspired by the fun I had making the window displays in Paris and Amsterdam. I liked the idea of these window displays just popping up around the city, randomly, with quotes from within my book, with images and ideas that I explore in the book taking form in ’3d’ within a shop window. I thought that I’d get a resounding ‘no’ from my publisher when I proposed my wild idea during a meeting earlier this year. Instead, I received a booming ‘yes!‘ from everyone in the conference room, I couldn’t quite believe it. Then I was lucky enough to be teamed up with book publicist Ashlea Wallington, who  – as I mentioned in my Melbourne post – loves getting crafty, and doesn’t mind the challenge of an untraditional author like myself.

To Ashlea and my delight, lots of boutiques and bookstores put up their hands for a wandering display, and so I’ve been busy every week throughout the month of May, creating my wandering displays. The first window I created was on May 1st in Melbourne, at Coventry Bookstore…

me having fun making the display, photos by ashlea wallington

Would you like to know a little of the process of making the displays? As you guys already know, I like to use what I have. So it’s probably no surprise that my inspiration for the window displays came when I was unpacking the boxes that arrived from Amsterdam a month ago. Everything in the boxes was wrapped in recycled packing paper. It was not too thick but not too thin. It was pliable and looked as good all scrunched up as it did all smooth and flat. Without thinking much about it, I’d begun collecting the paper – flattening out each sheet and putting it in a pile on the lounge room floor. Soon there was a huge stack of paper, and I was inspired by the layered edges. They reminded me, somehow, of flowers. And then I thought, perhaps I can make paper flowers? So that’s what I did – I began making paper flowers by tightly gathering small pieces of the paper, bundling them together and tying them with string. I loved the effect, so over many days and nights, I made hundreds of paper flowers for the window displays…

I made this origami boat out of brown paper gift wrap, a diary page from My Heart Wanders as the sail, paper flowers and some ribbon with my name on it

Then, because my journey in the book begins in autumn of 2006, I wanted to create autumnal scenes for the displays. So with this in mind I began forming my ideas, while looking around my surroundings for inspiration & things I could use. My friend Jenni came over one day and made a beautiful brown paper wreath using a big roll of brown paper I’d kept from my shop days. You can see the wreath in its full glory in that first photo in the window of Coventry Bookstore. Jenni also made the heart garlands and gorgeous little paper books which I combined with some of favourite spreads from within My Heart Wanders…

Ashlea and I had a ball creating this first window display. And at the end, I wrote this on the window…

“four years ago something very peculiar happened. My heart wandered.”

The leaves and flowers that we used in the displays in Melbourne were supplied by In Full Bloom – a beautiful florist just around the corner from Coventry. They were closed the day we were making the displays, so they dropped off a big bundle of floral props including hydrangeas and birch branches for me at the bookstore the day before. Thank you In Full Bloom! I had a peek in your window while in the neighbourhood, inspirational indeed…

Our next stop was Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park. They had quite a different window – it was tall and skinny, and had a lovely wooden cabinet for book displays. Ashlea and I stripped the cabinet bare and began assembling little vignettes in each cubby hole…

…using hydrangeas, paper flowers, book pages and birch branches…

It started to get dark quite quickly outside, but it didn’t deter us, though it made it more difficult to take photos of the process…

By the time we finished it was night! And we had a plane to catch back to Sydney. But before I left the store I drew a whimsical (as a lovely customer called it) tree on the window out the front, and signed some books. A week later the staff at Avenue called Ashlea to say they’ve had a fabulous response to the window display and had sold lots of books. That, I love…

Thank you Coventry and Avenue for lending me your windows to play in! A big thank you to Ashlea for all her help and making my weekend in Melbourne wonderful, to In Full Bloom for supplying such beautiful floral pieces, and thank you to Jenni for helping me make the paper props. Oh what fun we had. Next up: wandering window displays in Sydney…

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I’m sitting here in my new home, ugg boots on, three layers of clothing, blanket wrapped around my shoulders, typing with frozen fingers. I am so very cold. Oh the irony. Although it is not ‘that’ cold here in Sydney compared to Amsterdam (all I have to do is stand out in the sunshine here and I will thaw) , I’m now fully aware that houses in this country are not built for cold weather – that is, weather that dips below 15C. I find that quite peculiar, because at the same time every year, the temperature drops. Winter might not last for long in this country, but it still exists, and it’s cold. Why not make a home accommodate that change in temperature? I don’t get it.

Anyway, here in the (blog)house the weather is always fine, and we are always cozy. Right now I have two special guests pottering around, have you noticed? Dear Marjorie has come back to cook a fabulous spring menu, starting this week with recipes for gougères and an endive salad – miam. In January I had the pleasure of meeting Marjorie in her new hometown of Beaune in France, I will post some photos of this amazing French town soon (needless to say I fell in love with this special place and everyone who lives there). Click here to visit Marjorie in the (blog)kitchen.

Also in the (blog)house, hanging out in the guest quarters is sweet Christine who has just published a book called “markets of new england” with The Little Bookroom. Christine is taking us through New England each week this month, and already she’s shown us some amazing discoveries. I adore New England, I have been wanting to take Romain there on a road trip since we met, and Christine is certainly enticing us ever more to head out on our New England adventure. Click here to visit Christine in the guest quarters. Thank you both Marjorie and Christine for coming to visit, I hope you will enjoy your stay.

While we’re here, would you like to hear about my weekend in Melbourne? After the book launch in Sydney at Ariel on Friday (April 29th) I had to get up bright and early the next morning to catch a plane to head to Melbourne for a special event at Magnolia Square in Malvern Town Hall.  My Heart Wanders book publicist Ashlea had made all the arrangements for the weekend and came along to help me with the events and window displays – what a treat that was.  Ashlea loves getting crafty and totally ‘got’ my ideas and what I wanted to do, I feel very lucky to have her on board. Once we got to Melbourne, it was full steam ahead – we headed straight from the airport to the town hall to find it a-buzz with creative people. Within minutes Magnolia Square founder & director Nic MacIsaac announced my arrival and before I blinked I was surrounded by the loveliest Melbourne dwellers, all wanting to get their hands on a copy of the book and chat. We barely had time to get the books out of the boxes…

all photos above courtesy of little bird photography

Lynn from Scarlet Jones provided all the incredible props for my signing area. Although I have not been to Lynn’s shop, I’d been in contact with her over the years through our blogs – it was serendipitous that she was going to be at the market and was able & willing to bring a whole bunch of beautiful wares for my use. Lynn brought old suitcases, birdcages, a tailor’s mannequin, french doors and tables – when I arrived, the little corner space was so perfectly styled and arranged thanks to Nic and Lynn, I dared not touch it. Now I am dying to visit Lynn’s boutique – I have seen lots of photos of this special treasure trove and next time I visit Melbourne, Scarlet Jones will be one of the first places I go.  Thank you dear Lynn and a big thank you to her daughter Emma who stood by me the whole time and organised all the book transactions.

Photographer Pru Trundle from Little Bird Photography was there to capture the event, she took the most beautiful photos. Although I was intending to style while at Magnolia Square, we realised quickly that it wasn’t possible with all the people, so we decided I should focus on my visitors and chat and sign, while Ashlea pottered around me putting some of the props I’d made around my signing table. It worked out well, Ashlea did a marvelous job at it, but if you came to see me style I do apologise, it just wasn’t possible. Instead, I met dozens of wonderful people, and at the end I found a minute or two to visit some of the stall owners and took some photos on my phone – I look forward to telling you about them in another post soon. One of the things that I’m so pleased I did get to do was put out a little notebook for visitors to write a message in. I will treasure that book. Thank you everyone who wrote something, and a big thank you to Nic and her team for having me at Magnolia Square, it was a truly wonderful experience.

At 4pm, Ashlea and I gathered up our things, said our goodbyes, and headed to Lynda Gardener’s boutique in Albert Park – Empire Vintage. Awaiting us was an intimate gathering of friends new and old – we sipped champagne and ate delicious dips and crackers outside on the walkway while the sun set. It was a wonderful way to end the festive day. Lynda took some great pics on her phone…

The next day, after a hearty breakfast at The Wall, Ashlea and Iheaded out to the first wandering window location – Coventry Bookstore. With many thanks to the florists at In Full Bloom (which is just around the corner from Coventry) who left a fabulous bunch of floral goodies for me to use for the displays, we got started on creating something whimsical in the window. I will tell you all about that in the next post…

xx

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If you missed the official book launch at Ariel in Sydney last Friday, there are a few more events coming up during the last couple of weeks of May, I hope you can come along. This Sunday May 15, there will be a french-inspired high tea author interview, organised by Books and Nooks. It will be at Velluto, in Potts Point. From what I know, it’s already sold out, but if you want to come along, it might be worth giving Books and Nooks a call anyway, they may be able to make room for one or two more.

On May 21st, I am going to get creative in Stef’s window display area at her gorgeous store, newspaper taxi. Stef and I have been busy thinking up some great ideas for the day, it’s going to be so much fun being surrounded by creative people in such a beautiful boutique, sipping sparkling wine, chatting about all the things we love, and nibbling on some of the most delicious treats from neighbouring cafe Black Star Pastry…

please feel free to print this invitation out, give to your friends, or post it on your blog. x

Tickets cost $5.00 which puts you in the draw to win a fab lucky door prize with handmade goodies from newspaper taxi. But if you pre-order My Heart Wanders through newspaper taxi (I will sign it for you on the day), then you can come along to the event for free! But please RSVP sooner rather than later as places will be limited…

………………………………………..

When:
Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 4pm
Where:
Newspaper Taxi, 247 Australia Street, Newtown
Tickets:
$5.00 per person or pre-order My Heart Wanders now online and get in for free
RSVP:
Stefanie on 0421 981 182 or info@newspapertaxi.com.au

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I have something rather magical in mind for the window which I will work on with Stef in the lead up to the day, and then it will be revealed at 4pm on Saturday, May 21st. Oh I do hope to see you there!

xx

PS For those who live on the Northern Beaches, Jayde from Little Paper Lane in Mona Vale is hosting a similar event on May 28th, which I will tell you more about in a few days time.
PPS word is that My Heart Wanders will be released in Europe on June 6th, yay!

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A little less than a year ago – about half way through the making of My Heart Wanders – it did occur to me that once the book was published, I may have to do some public book events. For a very private person who has shied away from the spotlight my entire life, I can tell you, that realisation was much, much more daunting than writing, photographing, and designing this book. Over the weeks leading up to these events, I have had many discussions with french boy about how and why I don’t like being the centre of attention. My reasoning and explanations range from “I’m an artist, not a performer” to “I don’t have an oral monologue to tell” to “this is not who I am”.  He listens. And smiles. There is always something in his dimpled smile that gives me strength.

Last Friday night’s official book launch at Ariel was the first time I’d gotten up in front of a crowd with a microphone to my lips in, well, I don’t think I ever have. I didn’t say much, just a few thank you’s. But that in itself was a huge deal for me. I asked Romain if he would come up on stage with me and hold the microphone in case I had shaky hands. He did. He held it so close to my mouth though, and kept moving it every time I moved my head that it made me giggle, which helped relieve the tension I had building up inside me. It was wonderful to have him by my side. But I have to say, I think it was all made easier by the fact that everyone who came that night made me feel so special and supported. After a lovely introduction by Ariel’s event coordinator Steven, my publisher, Diana Hill, talked a little about the ‘making of’. It was wonderful hearing about it from her perspective, and funny to be reminded of some of the more stressful times we had last year, trying to work from opposite sides of the world. Then Victoria Carey, editor of Country Style, spoke next about how she first came across my blog, and how thrilled she was to learn that there was a country connection that stirred my wandering heart, and how that lead us to meeting and me writing the piece for the latest issue of Country Style. Victoria also read out parts of my book, and that for me was delightful. I don’t read my work out loud, so to hear it in her voice, with her interpretation, was very special.

Regardless of the awful weather outside, and the royal wedding, so many people came to wish me well and buy the book. I met lots of beautiful sydneysiders who I’d been in contact with online over the years but had never met, I had friends come along who I hadn’t seen in years, and family who drove through the downpour from the other side of sydney, to be there to support me. Ariel put together a great event, with french champagne and a fabulous spread of charcuterie and french cheeses (including my favourite cheese, comté)  by La Planchette.  It was an amazing night, one that went way too quickly, but one that I will treasure for always…

A big thank you to Jillian Leiboff for coming along with her camera and taking so many great shots of which you see above. Please visit her blog to see more photos from the night.

Thank you Ariel, Murdoch Books, Country Style and each and every one who came to celebrate with me – you made the making of this book worth all the effort.

xx

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PS here is the dress I wore that night…

It’s bright red, vintage, and I bought it at Grandma takes a trip the day before the launch. I wanted a big red flower for my hair but I couldn’t find one, so I took a red chiffon scarf that I had in my closet and fashioned it into a flower shape and pinned it on the side of my head.

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Since settling back in Australia – but especially over the last few days during the book launch events – the question I have been asked the most is “Why did you move back to Sydney?” Has this been on your mind too? I thought I’d answer that question here, in the (blog)house in case there are more of you wondering the same thing:

I came back to Sydney for my Mum.

I wanted to say this at the launch on Friday night at Ariel, but when I practiced saying it out loud in the days leading up to it, each time I’d choke up with tears before the answer came out, so on the night I thought it best not to.  Also, I know mum dislikes the spotlight as much as I do (can you imagine how anxious I was writing about her throughout My Heart Wanders? Thank goodness she loves it), so I thought it wiser not to shine it in her direction.

But I’ll shine it on her here now: Happy Mother’s Day Mum. It’s so nice to not be so far away.

I’m off to Brisbane today to celebrate the book’s release with many wonderful and creative Brisbane folk this Saturday, just in time for Mother’s Day. I know a number of people are bringing their mums along, and have bought copies of My Heart Wanders to give to their mums on Mother’s Day – thank you! I will try to keep you posted on my whereabouts via twitter, which has now become my mini visual diary as I post photos during my days through instagram.

Next week I’ll definitely catch you up on all the events over the past week. For now, you can see some great photos of Friday night’s Sydney launch on Jillian Leiboff’s blog (thank you Jillian!).

xx

PS yesterday I created some little foresty oases in the windows of two great bookstores in Sydney – Better Read than Dead, and Oscar & Friends in Surry Hills, I’d love it if you would swing by these bookstores to have a look, and tell your friends about them, thank you so very much.

PPS if you’ve missed out on some of the events already, there are still a few more coming up – please check the sidebar for the schedule. x

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