The thrill

For me, being just that little bit of an artfreak it doesn't get much better than the thrill of discovering a new artist. Marco Mazzoni has been no exception to this rule. His hauntingly beautiful images send a flutter of excitement through me whenever I look at them.

If only I were that talented.

Check him out here :http://marcomazzoni.tumblr.com/

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The Flutter of Butterflies

It's funny how one of the most inspirational and confronting novels I've ever read has been one of the shortest. At an easy read of 132 pages The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby, manages to make you laugh, cry and really appreciate the small things in life that Bauby isn't capable of enjoying.

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The novel follows the sudden demise of the world wide renowned Editor of French Elle after he suffers a stroke and becomes a victim of the "locked-in syndrome." Jean-Dominique Bauby has become a quadriplegic that is so sever he can only communicate via blinking his left eye (also how he wrote this novel via his speech therapist) and obscene grunting noises, which are often too much of a task to even attempt.

Bauby manages to keep his sense of humour about the whole situation and even states that if "[he] must drool, [he] may as well drool on cashmere," this humour is the exact thing that stops you from wanting to put down the book from pure horror of his situation.

Throughout the novel Jean-Dominique explains the seemingly menial highlights his life has come to be about, the terrible nurses, the "tourists" in the hospital - those that only have minor injuries and therefor a minor time in the hospital and his new appearance. He looks into his past frequently, mostly looking at what he once had.

After the novel was published Jean-Dominique Bauby unfortunately passed away two years later, not even being able to experience the success of his novel.

I really recommend this book, from reading it I've gained a new respect for people who are put in his situation and will no longer assume their mental capabilities are hindered, which is clearly and undoubtedly not the case. I will also cherish every moment that I have, every sense, experience and simple moment of placing one foot in front of the other, something that a lot of people only have memories of doing.

Emma Leonard

Such a great, amazing artist.

I've always loved pencil drawings.

INK INJECTION

It really is completely true when they say that tattoos are addictive, whether it's the pain, result or initial excitement that draws you in and keeps you coming back they are 100% worth it. Well for me, and I'm guessing majority of our generation considering the influx of tattooing and tattoo parlours in the last couple years.

To those baby boomers or other generations who think it's a terrible addiction we've gotten ourselves into, then take a look at your left and below. How are these horrendous things? I would easily be perfectly happen with these on me until the day I die, when I'm old and wrinkly, my skin not quite as tan. It will and always be an expression of who someone is and a piece of art. My tattoo is of a swallow on my wrist, there is a meaning behind it but I'd rather not get into the nitty gritty. It's simply a mark of the real moment I became free in every aspect.

But what I really wanted to say from this is don't hesitate about getting something, make sure it means something to you, aleast the first tattoo. Then atleast you have a starting point, and can join the rest of us that are addicted.

Both of these beautiful beautiful pictures are credit to ohhellofriendblog.com where she has some amazing and insightful posts. You should check her out. She inspired me for this post.

To Market To Market

Being the beautiful warm Summer's day that today was I went on a scenic adventure down the coast to Torquay. A tourist hot-spot and a surfers heaven. Which coincidentally made it my heaven.

It's been a long long time since I've visited a market and luckily enough, once spotted through the crowds of people, I had come across one. The Cowrie Market, a Torquay specialty on the third Sunday of every month from Sept-April. The market would best be described as a Byron Bay-esque market, one that offers every organic concoction you could ever imagine and more. It has the most picturesque backdrop, looking out across the Pacific Ocean, and with every stall that you pass you get a peak of the world-renowned beach in between. The marketeers are a friendly bunch of people and spend most of their spare-time preparing for this event. Hidden amongst the stalls you will find handcrafted jewellery, home-brewed soaps/candles, recycled clothing, old (but immaculately kept) books and even items crafted from halfway across the world by people with far less intelligence but evidently more talent.

One such example was the hand crafted notebook I bought, being into writing and journalism it immediately caught my eye. And once the stall keeper explained that they were made by a small village in Rajahstan (India), via scraps of leather and recycled paper and that by selling these notebooks his family was trying to help give these villagers an income. So to put it simply, I was sold. I bought one on the spot and I love it. Whether or not I can bring myself to find something worthy to write in it and tarnish those wonderfully recycled pages I will never know.

Being able to find something like this for me at a market was a great experience, and the satisfaction of discovering something, and helping people, is far greater than the feeling and experience of buying something in a shopping centre. So from todays outing it has set me on a market frenzy and there's a couple other I am looking forward too; The Night Jar market, also in Torquay, the Night Market in Geelong and the market which will be held as a part of the St Kilda Festival. If you, like me, haven't been to a market in a while, I suggest you get back out there and discover something.

[ IMAGE OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FROM SURFCOAST TIMES WEBSITE}

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides is a novel that isn't for the light hearted, or those sensitive to the ugliness of life. The book follows the demise of the seemingly perfect lives of the perfect Lisbon sisters, minus Cecilia the sister always considered as the "strange one." The wierd one who is often seen dressed in a wedding dress, despite her age, and collecting insects. The story is told from the observations of the many young boys that live next door and happen to be infatuated by Bonnie, Lux, Therese and Mary. Their stories tell of many incidents peering through windows to the girls sunbaking on thier lawns, awkward hormone fuelled exchanges and of profound conquering.

Reading the novel it feels somewhat wrong, that you should step in and help the Lisbon family as their daughters one by one dop away like flies. Their deaths a result of the contagious remnants of their first daughters suicide. Much speculation and blame is placed on the families strange behaviou, however none think to intervene.

Eugenides creates a compelling novel, one that would otherwise be put down but due to his masterful writing has become world renowned. He captures the raw ugliness of the families situation perfectly and creates the illusion of suicide being somewhat beautiful. The morals are all there, however there is no happy ending to those who are looking for one.

Due to the novels success it has also been transformed into a movie, directed by the famously alternative Sofia Coppola and starring a young Kirsten Dunst. I haven't yet attempted to watch the movie for fear that it will destroy all imagery I've created of the book. I'm sure though, if it's as good as any other Coppola film it will be amazing.

So if you're looking for a book that's slightly different from your usual heartbreak or vampire novels, but one that is still highly praised then this is the one. So look no further, this "sparkling work" (The Times) created by the "hypnotic storyteller" (Jay McInerey) Jeffrey Eugenides is a must read book. If it helps at all I am currently on my fourth time reading this novel, and it is still as enchanting and strange as the first time I read it. So do us all a favour, and pick it up and start reading!



We're just friends.

I think it's pretty hard to disagree with what you read on everyones t-shirts, I love New York, and when you actually see New York I can assure you the feeling is contagious.

For me it was pretty much the same story. I'm not sure if the moment was whilst watching the infamous and witty Carrie Bradshaw tot around the city or just the numerous American movies forced onto my childhood with the symbolic yellow taxis driving around by the dozen.

But nevertheless it happened, and I'm in love. With a city of all things. It isn't the first either, it joins a long list of cities, some affairs much more brief that others but a long list none the less.

Looking at pictures certainly doesn't help this obsession, and buying a Travel Book explaining everything that is magical about the city doesn't help much more either.

So whether it only be for a few days, a week or a year, I want to be just another person in NY hailing a cab, relaxing in central park and getting blisters from one of my numerous pairs of high heels. I guess with my dream of becoming a journalist, and New York city pretty much being the hub for it, me getting there could be quite a possible acheivement. If all goes to plan. I guess only time and my bank account can reveal if that will happen.