handmade One + Four = Life Photography + Art + Design Pip-Life

One + Four = Life : The Women Of Letters Edition

May 24, 2015

puffin nursery rhymeslounge roomdeefs rug five children
Disclosure: The floral paisley quilt and moon cushion included in this post were gifted to me by Freedom Australia (but I love them and they do indeed live on my couch!)

 

Hello!

How are you today? I am really good. I spent the afternoon with Rin (my daughter) at Women Of Letters. This is a pretty-much-monthly (I think!) event where a bunch of interesting people (usually women!) read a letter to a common, themed topic. This time it was A Letter To The Me That Never Was – featuring Australian of the Year and mother Rosie Batty, author and historian Clare Wright, Brodie Lancaster of The Good Copy & Rookie Mag, author and cheeky lady Abigail Ulman and musician Stella Angelico. It was great.

Rosie Batty wrote a letter to the little girl who never was – her story was about her own life, losing her mother at an early age and growing up with a dad who she loved dearly in spite of the emotional distance between them. She went on to talk about how not being sure how to love her Dad and missing her Mum might have established the foundations for difficult relationships in her adult life. She talked about choosing a man who could have been considered the WRONG choice, and how that ‘wrong’ choice gave her beautiful son Luke. It was honest and difficult and beautiful to listen to. I admire how Rosie’s handled the murder of her son, if you can even ‘handle’ such a thing. Rather than retreat, she’s found ways to speak up and transform other lives in positive ways. It’s something we can all learn from, I think.

You should go to a Women of Letters event if you can! (They are sometimes in the UK and US too!) Sorry I didn’t take any photos of the event, but more and more I just want to ‘be there’ rather than document the fun stuff I am doing… Hope that makes sense.

Here’s what my One + Four = Life photos are about this week…

One
I am collecting vintage children’s’ Puffins and Penguins. This one is a lovely shade of pink.

Two
Afternoon light on our yellow couch. You’d never know it was yellow now because I’ve buried it under cosy cushions and blankets.

Three
Finished! I will show you more soon, but this is the blanket I was making for my friend Defah. It’s all done! I want to give it to her before I show you the FULL VIEW though, keep a tiny bit of the surprise!

Four
I loved this story as a child. Have you read it? I also loved The Railway Children by the same author. And the BBC tv adaptation of Five Children And It! (Well, I think it was BBC….)

How has your week been? Have you done/found any good stuff?!

pip signature

more reading pink

And You Don’t Have To Win Everyone Over
The Good Stuff

Unfinished Business
The Social Club
Twelve Things You Might Like To Watch (Or Rewatch) On TV
Why Slowing Down Is The New Speeding Up
Have Your Pie And Eat It Too!

border pink

 

8 Comments

  • Reply Zoe | A Quirky Bird May 29, 2015 at 12:29 PM

    Seeing your delicious crocheting regularly has made me get my crotchet on. I’m doing a long infinity scarf. Thanks sweetie. Zoe xx

  • Reply charlotte May 28, 2015 at 6:36 PM

    I never read the 5 children and it, but I had the VHS (maybe the same adaptation) and watched it hundreds of times, I loved it!

  • Reply PatrickC May 26, 2015 at 4:41 PM

    Hi Pip,

    I’ve kept all my books from my childhood right up to now. The Railway Children was a special favourite as I saw the movie with Jenny Agutter at the cinema with my grandmother and just loved it. When it was on T.V. recently I managed to record it to my laptop and burn it onto a DVD. My parents bought me a Folio edition of the book for a Christmas present years ago. My favourite Puffins were and are “Stig of the dump” which I first read and bought 40 years ago in Grade 5 The Wombles and Thunder and Lightnings. I have to say one of my most prized possessions is my 1974 edition of Ethel Turners “Seven Little Australians” I love this copy because it was the ABC dramatization tie in edition with Leonard Teale and all the cast on the cover. That year for the ten Sunday nights of winter our little family would eat our dinner whilst the 7.00pm ABC news was on, then whilst the 15 minute focus program was on we’d get organised and be ready sitting in our bean bags and would watch each episode. Several years ago the ABC released the series on a DVD and I was fortunate enough to buy a copy. Its fantastic to watch again after all these years.

    So thanks Pip for stirring some memories.

    Cheers,

    The Renaissance Man

  • Reply Karen May 26, 2015 at 3:08 PM

    Your couch looks so cosy! I must admit, mine is pretty much always covered in quilts, blankies and pillows too, especially over Autumn/Winter – we call it “the coffin” because once you get in it, you never get out! x

  • Reply Charlotte May 25, 2015 at 5:15 PM

    That sofa looks ridiculously comfy! I remember the BBC adaptation of the railway children! Love those books ?

  • Reply Helen May 25, 2015 at 4:33 AM

    The letters event sounds *amazing*. I had that exact pink Puffin book when I was a child (Hello Memory Lane!)

  • Reply Isabel May 24, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    Good evening Pip! I feel it was rude to post my link without saying hello, so I am rectifying the situation. Hello! My week was good thanks. I love E Nesbit and the Railway Children, I read those books as an adult actually. I’d love to go to a Women of Letters event back in Melbs, and yes, totally undetstand the ‘being there’ rather than always documenting impulse. It’s no fun to be always thinking ‘I must blog about this’ and taking snaps of everything. I also wanted to say a big thanks for putting me on to Dani Shapiro. I read that article of hers about the internet hating you, and then explored more of her writing and she’s a wonderful writer, what a great new find, so thanks for that. Have a good week! Keep warm!

  • Reply Reannon @shewhorambles May 24, 2015 at 9:51 PM

    I love your cosy couch 🙂

  • Leave a Reply