Steve Back

This post at Dreams + Jeans turned my attention to Steve Back's incredible photographs of Australian landscapes. It's not every day that you see landscape photography with so much pink; it's fantastic! The below picture is of Hutt Lagoon in Western Australia, despite looking like the colours were painted on the photograph.

Rainbow cake: what the what.

This recipe from Whisk Kid is nothing short of highly impressive. I like the fact that the baker made this in honour of a friend who, like the cake, seems 'normal' on the outside but is crazy on the inside! Aren't we all? As a long-time fan of anything rainbow-coloured, I appreciate the effort required to execute such a recipe (i.e. loads), and it does seem worth the reward - if you have a spare couple of hours.

Hansen-Løve on Love

Franco-Finnish film director Mia Hansen-Løve is comfortable exploring family drama in "Le Père de mes enfants" (Father of My Children). Another of her films to watch (out for) is "Un Amour de jeunesse" (Goodbye First Love). Her films appear to explore what happens when love is interrupted by life.

Portland + chocolate = two of my favourite things

source

Woodblock Chocolate, Portland, Oregon. It is heartening to continuously see small business-owners thriving and growing. Chocolate making is enough to melt the coldest of hearts, let alone done in one of my favourite cities. Those of us who would find it impossible not to lick the cocoa-slathered spatula should probably stick to our day jobs...

To PhD or not to PhD

The Economist ponders the rewards (or sometimes lack thereof) of the infamous doctoral degree. It is a question I have often pondered myself, having completed the requisite undergraduate study and being encouraged by my honours supervisor to consider a PhD. I have some friends who are currently studying towards this, and they seem to be doing just fine. I am aware that there is a lot of work involved (which I would be willing to do), but something I am still grappling with is: what would I get out of it?

Handy pantry items for entertaining

Julie from Julip Made has created a useful chart of pantry essentials for hosting an impromptu - or 'promptu' - gathering at home. Let us allow ourselves to guiltlessly enjoy sharing friends and food, without feeling like anyone or thing must be perfect. Pass the stuffed olives, please!

Kelsey Garrity-Riley

Kelsey's website clearly demonstrates her whimsy and aptitude for watercolours. I love how relaxed her (often female) characters seem. Iced tea and Vogue just got even cooler.

My Etsy store

Hello!
You may notice an Etsy icon on the right side of this blog - this is will take you to my newly opened Esty store, also called Philomanie. There, I offer my crazy and colourful collages which hopefully inspire delight, if not bewilderment.
I have been making collages since I was young and so enjoy the calm, quiet atmosphere of building a raging field of colour and shapes on a page. As I enjoy creating the pieces, so I hope people enjoy seeing them. Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Philomanie

A new approach.

Hello, discerning internet voyageur. Thank you for being here.
From this, the 200th post, I wish to put more of myself (my thoughts) into the mélange d'idées that is Philomanie. To this end, I will take a new, more voluble approach to the virtual treasures I share. Read: there will be more words. For example, some of my current interests are:

• Living healthily: enjoying be active, learning to cook delicious food, caring for physical wellbeing
• Living mindfully: trying to understand our impulses & actions, working towards achieving things important to us (even if this sometimes involves resting all weekend), reading to be informed & inspired, considering others' perspectives, taking responsibility for present, past & future
• Living boldly: creating, brainstorming, painting, articulating, dreaming, playing and thinking 'yes!' the whole time
• Living happily: accepting we are human, embracing uncertainty, acknowledging gratitude, celebrating our own & others' happiness, pushing ourselves at times & taking it easy at other times

Writing things down can be very useful and rewarding. Some may write novels, papers, articles, love letters, notes, lists, dot-points; anywhere is a good place to start. I'll start here.

Best of Bestor Architecture

Too glamourous to be called a 'surf shack'

Bon Appétit x Miss Moss

Food x fashion

Herriott Grace woodworked fineries

Wonderfully simple kitchenware. The maple cake pedestal is especially lovely.

Survey of women's cosmetics consumption

See the full infographic at MintLife

Mad Men returns and so does the mania

You could be forgiven for mistaking this abode for one of the show's immaculate sets.

Frida Kahlo's inner world

La leyenda

People, food, life: India

From Honestly YUM

Nature says, "Let's party!"

Spring is hard to beat.

Glögg = Valhalla

Delicious with or without a gingerbread house in the same room.

Yvette Inufio

Take a peek. She chases morning light too.

Future got super

Superfuture

Lykke Li

Forever a favourite.

Planet SARK

SARK (middle name Rainbow) has been one of my all-time favourite authors since I was little. If you have not yet come across her spirit of joy and abundance, now is the moment. She is great for giving a little mental comfort, in the 'we are all special human beans' way. How can you not love that!

Palazzo perfetto

Holy Margherita. Più.

New York, own fork

When in was in and out was out.

En France, le mariage pour tous

Enfin.

Leonard Lauder giving his $1b art collection to the Met in NYC

What an incredible gift.

Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre

Cut it out - via Mitchell & Dent

Sarah Davidson's home

Sometimes, all that makes sense is a circular mirror. Speaking of which: ahoy.

Ballet matters

Things get theatrical.

Get inspired, stay motivated

Better late than never...contrary to Darlene's tip!

When I grow up, I want to be a miracle

I saw this and thought of you.
Riita Ikonen  x Karoline Hjorth

25 things to never pay full price for

Get wise about bread. My favourite aspects of this article:
- Its frankness: 'If you have the means to grow flowers but you still buy them, there’s probably no hope for you.'
- Its ironic optimism: 'Want to know where to get lots of the music you love for free all the time? Turn on the radio!'  

Yes, dear

Tales of Endearment

David Ryle

All ryled up

Let there be light

Aurora Unrealis / read of the North

Fogo your own way

Newfoundland dream

Be the heroine of your own life

Nora Ephron tells it like it is.

Ladies who brunch

They've got it going on.

25 x motivation

Heaven knows we could sometimes use more of a spring in our step. See Wise Bread for more useful things to consider.

T for Times

T Magazine courtesy of the New York Times

MCK

The Milk Carton Kids are definitely worth checking out. They are even kind enough to make their first two albums free to download. Those crazy kids...on the up and up.

Interior artspiration

2D vs. 3D

Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek

Vision

Waves + the pull of the moon

As a curly-haired little girl growing up in the 90s, it would have been nice to see more wavy-haired woman like this.

Kevin Russ

Home

You will never beat Mancattan

A lot of pop + a lot of corn

Recipes for the Oscars

Russian winter

Ekaterina Vasilyevas

Cherry muddler

Rainier, prince of cherries

Succulent success

Desert candy

Bedroom bliss

Everyone can use a calm alcove sometimes.

And then she saved $

An impressive story behind this woman - inspiration that could save you a lot of XYZ.

• What can be learnt from trying to avoid spending money 
• 56 free things to do 
• Potentially increase the quality of your life

Save Heaven / Safe Haven

Art deco Cuba deco

Gabriella in grey

Wilde grey ablazer.

Get creative in the a.m.

Another great reason to get up in the morning.