Booklust

Recently acquired books
Originally uploaded by miss_reecie

per yesterday's grand summer plans post, here are some books i've acquired recently that i plan to read in the summer:
(from top)

• In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Kim Cooper: part of 33 1/3 series. this one is about Neutral Milk Hotel. no more needs to be said.
• The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol 2 and 3: a really great manga about five students who assist the dead who can't move on.
• The Crimson Petal and the White, Michel Faber: some sort of mad Dickensian romp featuring brothels and perfume merchants.
  
• The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter: dark retellings of some Grimm fairytales
• Tourism, Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal and Platform, Michel Houllebecq: I plan to read these two together and try to make some sort of mad comparisons and informed statements about French and British nihilism.
• Fun in a Chinese Laundry, Josef von Sternberg: autobio of the man who made Marlene Dietrich a star.

HURRY UP SUMMER HOLIDAYS!!! i'm freaking out here!!!!

the livin' is easy

so it's that time of year again. the time when i start plotting madly about all the things i'm going to do and/or achieve in the summer. usually it's completely over the top and unrealistic, but i figure if i can do about 50% of the following it'll be a good summer:

• take classes in Arabic and/or French. I LOVE learning languages, and want to utilise both of these in future trip to Morocco.
  
• take a printmaking class. i have many grand schemes involving art deco woodblock and lino print action.
• read all the books i've been threatening to read all year but have been too heavy to lug around with law textbooks
  
• go somewhere hot and drink pina coladas (i'm thinking tahiti?)
  
• knit a truckload of socks. this endeavour will no doubt be assisted by my planned participation in Southern Summer of Socks
• learn to use my spinning wheel
• sew myself some dresses
  
• write my knitting book (subject top secret)
• play badminton
  
• master the art of falconry
  
• release a Christmas album

instant gratification

Biker vest - front
Originally uploaded by miss_reecie

so a lot of people don't like twinkle. sure, the patterns are a tad wonkily written. sure, the sizing seems a bit bizarre (but it does work out!). but you can't deny the garments turn out pretty darn good.
anyway, next up - tangled yoke cardigan!

Retro Redux Shrug

Retro Redux 2
Originally uploaded by miss_reecie

aha! finally a hot piece of knitwear which I can wear this spring/summer. I chose the colour and the pattern specifically to go with this dress, which was gifted to me by Fashion Assassin for some work I did for them earlier this year. But it's such a lovely shrug I can see it being worn with a lot of things this coming spring.
Now all I need is :
(a) weather to clear up and start looking more like spring
(b) invitation to a garden party
(c) wealthy gadabout to invite me to a picnic in the botanic gardens.

more photos on flickr.