What’s the scene of my blogging space? I blog from my study, which is really just a sunroom not much bigger than my art deco desk. I look out on a panorama of garden: star jasmine, which has overgrown the fence and a large jacaranda tree planted by my brother when he was just a small boy. He had a green thumb even then! I observe the seasons changing from this light-filled north-facing position. A steady stream of bypassers walk, cycle and scooter along the path above the garden, heading on a scenic walk around the Sydney foreshore. This is a great spot for people watching.
It’s also a great spot for observing the bird life that comes and goes. Kookaburras are regular visitors and sometimes I’m even lucky enough to see a pair or a family in the treetops above. Other birds that visit are the gorgeous and enigmatic tawny frogmouths who reside from time to time in the jacaranda tree. They’re so well camouflaged that you have to be canny to spot them at times.
The enigmatic tawny frogmouths
My desk is littered with paper: fashion pictures and other inspiration, as well as notes, my trusty iMac and the ever-present iPad and cup of tea. When twilight comes I switch on the Atomic beehive lamp that I purchased on Etsy and suddenly I’m rocketed into the Atomic Age.
I have an old-fashioned ‘mood board’—yes, we’re talking pre-Pinterest days around here! There I pin fabric swatches, photos, clippings from magazines and anything else that catches my eye. I can see it from my bed, so I frequently drift into la-la land after gazing on the inspirational photos.
I can’t imagine life without music and invariably have something playing while working on my blog. What do I have on constant rotation when I’m blogging or searching internet sites for vintage finds? It’ll come as no shock that it’s often music from the sixties: Dusty Springfield, The Beatles, The Stones, Shirley Bassey …
Collectable Smiths 12-inch singles
To quote one Stephen Patrick Morrissey, ‘Paint a vulgar picture’, but I’m the first to admit that I also LOVE the eighties: The Smiths, Simple Minds, Duran Duran. Wouldn’t Morrissey squirm to be mentioned in the same breath as those new romantic dandies? They were more than just pretty-boys, though … they could really play live!
A selection of 12-inch singles and fan books
One particular image of Duran Duran is very memorable: the fab five leaning against a wall painted with a classical mural of a garden scene: Andy, Roger, John, Simon and Nick. John and Simon, as the tallest group members, stand in the centre, John sporting a particularly fetching white frilly shirt with red pussy-bow, gazes out from beneath a killer fringe. Sartorial splendour indeed.
What’s so appealing about eighties music and fashion, particularly that of the New Romantic movement? For me it’s the luxurious fabrics and unashamed adornment of the clothes that set itself against the grungy squalor of the punk era. Young men and women from art schools all over Britain were dressing up and heading down to nightclubs such as Steve Strange’s to dance the night away, all asymmetric haircuts and pantomime makeup. It was quite a glamorous time and helped young people to forget the woes of Thatcher’s Britain.
I was at an impressionable age, with the musicians of the New Romantic bands just that little bit older and quite a bit more sophisticated than I could only hope to be. I couldn’t play a driving dance rhythm on a bass guitar but I could don a frilly shirt and dance with the best of them.
A striking sunflower in the garden
You see how easily I go off on a tangent when music is involved! Back to my working environment and the things that inspire me while I’m blogging. I’m very fortunate to live in an area of great natural beauty and to be able to observe nature at close range. The garden is beautiful thanks to my mother’s green thumb, and there’s an ever-changing array of flowers to be seen.
A pelican at North Harbour
This is a great spot to work from, or just daydream. If you’re anything like me you try to surround yourself with beautiful objects and items that hold special meaning. For me it’s always photographs. My father was a keen and gifted photographer and I have always been around people who took photos. Family photos are, of course, the most precious items and I enjoy displaying a selection of images of the people I hold dearest.
Manly at dusk
For me the working environment is very important and can be a wonderful source of inspiration. It’s not always tidy; in fact I fight an ongoing battle with disorder and general chaos! But if I gaze outside at the garden, it’s always tranquil and I can lose myself in a sea of green.
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