Vanilla Lily

Truth is, this year could have got off to a better start – the fact that its Sunday and I’m in the workshop with two projects to work on is just one example why (one of the frothier ones, truth be known).

When things are feeling a bit bleak one has a choice between wallowing in the awfulness of it all – tempting and sometimes quite cathartic but not very constructive; or trying to focus on the positive things in life. I’ve been seeing more and more references to ‘Happy Lists’ recently, I’m not sure where the idea originated (should find out really…) but it seems to have suddenly suffused the zeitgeist. And I like it! In a suitably zeitgeisty way, I realised that writing short notes to my ailing grandmother this week, and making a concerted effort to keep things light and chatty, has forced me to notice the small smiles scattered through the day. Which can only be good right?

So, in that spirit, I thought I might try to post a weekly happy list here.

First up, the picture above by Toulouse-Lautrec. Isn’t it wonderful? So warm, so cosy, so intimate – it looks like love. I spotted the card (though unfortunately not the picture, that’s a mission for another time) as we were leaving the d’Orsay one day last March and fell in love with it.

Other things that are making me happy today:

• sunshine in January

• coffee from my favourite coffee shop made by a smiling man who took the time to make a beautiful pattern with the milk in the creamy top even though it was going in a take-away cup with a lid on (is that an antipodean thing? The guys at Flat White do it too and make similarly great coffee – more creamy richness, less airy froth in their lattes)

• the new Joshua Radin album. Love.

What’s making you happy today?

You know when people ‘nip out for a pint of milk’ and stroll back in a year later? I feel a bit like that. Stuff happened, no real reason for being away, I was just a bit pants.

Its nice to be back in this space.

And the prompt for my return is also rather fabulous – this great site shows photobooth images of Americans, sometimes over a lifetime, giving a very cool (slightly spooky) impression of movement. Go and have a look – you won’t regret it.

I’m dying to find an old fashioned photobooth, one that does muli-image strips – ideally in b+w – to pull faces in with girlfriends (it also makes me think of a photo project I started years ago – perhaps thats something to resurrect before the year gets long in the tooth).

Found via the ever-inspirational Camilla

The new Toast summer supplement arrived yesterday – even more temptation, as if it were needed. I really want these trousers in grey – I treated myself to a pair in the indigo colourway recently and they formed the mainstay of my holiday wardrobe… super comfy and, I like to think, treading that (so fine I usually miss it by miles) smartish-comfy-casual line. So obviously I need another pair in grey (is purchasing pebble grey troos the definition of summer madness?)

I also love this pale madras skirt, which looks as though it would hang beautifully but look desperate against my resolutely pasty British legs. This bright stripy skirt might be a better bet – so summery!

Not remotely summery but totally covetable are the welsh blankets in their home section. Absolutely gorgeous. Now lets think, where could I store those then…?

Lindsay over at Run Lucas Run has written this brilliant post about appreciating herself and her body rather than constantly finding fault. It really is a rule to live by.

Fab photo Lindsay!