Stealing Beauty (1996)

How is it that a film so culturally removed from my life’s experience can resonate with me so powerfully, even two decades after its release? I first saw this film on VHS tape (possibly DVD) when it came out in 1996. Not only did the soundtrack blow me away, but the film struck me as creative and beautiful in ways that films today seem unable to capture. It isn't about beauty in the sense of physical beauty (although actor Liv Tyler is gorgeous); it's about Lucy Harmon, a beautiful soul who has not yet found her soulmate. Sounds cliche, I know, but it's so much more refreshing than the 'friends with benefits' tropes that have been doing the rounds in Hollywood of late. 

My love of the film is perhaps a projection of my worldview. The relationship that gradually forms between Lucy and Osvaldo Donati is not dissimilar to my own experience of finding love. An unlikely pair, we gravitated toward each other in much the same way that Lucy and Osvaldo discover their connection. 

Osvaldo, the younger brother of Niccolò, has a different moral compass to his brother. This guides him in the direction of seeking a genuine relationship with a partner, something he has been struggling to find in Italy. He seeks a new life far away from Tuscany, a meaningful life where he can escape the hedonism that surrounds him. 

Mostly everyone appears to be living in perpetual holiday mode, in part due to their success as artists and early real estate acquisitions. But the Donati estate seems to have been passed down for generations and Niccolò lives a quintessential Bohemian existence. He has become accustomed to self-gratification as he moves from one conquest to the next like an untamed stallion.

By contrast, Osvaldo is such an interesting character. He wants something more than momentary thrills, and so does Lucy. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t still be a virgin at 19, given the attention she would have undoubtedly received in high school. It’s her depth of character for her age that is so attractive, but she won’t allow herself to truly live until she finds out who her biological father is. Spoiler alert: she finds out after ruling out war correspondent Carlo Lisca and playwright Alex Parrish. (I would have been investigating that Donati father too, but he's not mentioned.)

Stealing Beauty is visually intoxicating film with an incredible soundtrack. Bernardo Bertolucci (director) and Susan Minot (screenplay) have created a timeless piece that will hopefully not be forgotten. I am thankful that Niccolò was ultimately unable to steal Lucy's beauty! For an extensive list of the songs and instrumentals in the film, please get in touch.

And love...

Although it's been circulating around Facebook for some time, I love this poster. It encompasses everything I believe (with gorgeous imagery to match):

• Be kind - I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and show compassion to people less fortunate than myself.
• Work hard - I always work hard, perhaps too hard, but I do it for the sake of doing my job to the best of my ability.
• Stay humble - It's important to be aware of where you stand in the the scheme of things. However, I have found the need to exude more self-confidence in order to be taken seriously.
• Smile often - I do this as often as possible despite my serious and studious personality type!
• Keep honest - Honesty underpins all aspects of life. I have come to realise, however, that many people have alternative views on the definition of the word. I have learned to be on my guard around those people.
• Stay loyal - I'm a consistent person who isn't easily swayed.
• Travel when possible - I'd love to travel more as it's always such an amazing and mind-altering experience.
• Never stop learning - Well, this is me to a T; I don't believe in stagnating and am always trying to better my knowledge and skills.
• Be thankful always - Every day, I try to be thankful for what I have rather than bemoaning what I don't have.
• And, "Above all, love each other deeply..." (Peter 4:8).

Back on the horse!

Since returning from overseas, it has been busy. That time away gave me the opportunity to mull things over and rethink my online stores a little. Hundreds of eBay members wasted my time last year with empty enquiries, some even trying to gain free digital files (the very nerve!) I had one or two tears over a couple of very shrewd time-wasters who tried to take advantage of me :( I am determined not to let this happen again...

My listings now state some clear 'Terms of Sale' and this is having the effect of deterring the non-serious buyers (yay!) I also have 'Genuine Enquiries Only' plastered all over my store. The time away allowed me to step back a little and reassess why I am doing this. I enjoy making things but I'm lucky to be working for $5.00 per hour (usually less). I really only want to deal with people who love my creative items and appreciate them :) It just becomes exceedingly unenjoyable otherwise.

The card here is the one I gave to my Uncle & Aunt for their 40th Wedding Anniversary in Holland. I got a little overexcited but it is an event truly worth celebrating. It was wonderful to meet up with some of my other relatives too. My Uncle & Aunt's children (my cousins) are so lovely, and it was great to meet their children too. May I encourage whoever is reading this to just drop everything and go away from time-to-time. It helps you to step back and think rationally about where your life is heading...

I still love doing this and felt very blessed last weekend when many of my handmade cards sold at my market stall. I received some very encouraging comments too :) It keeps me going. I don't post my best cards on this blog by any means. The www is just a place for others to take, take, take. But if you remember the cards you have bought before, I would be happy to remake them for you (as I have done for regular customers). Browsing the posts in this blog is a little futile, as it contains just a glimpse of the odd handmade card. I have 1000's of digital pics of designs I have made over the years. I'm only too happy to put together a custom order for you! Looking forward to hearing from you :)

It's been so busy!

Chervonne and Thomas Ah Kuoi,

100% Recycled "Thank You" Cards,

'Wishing Well' Advice Cards

Well, I'm not quite sure what has happened to this year! I started an online store earlier in the year and certainly never expected it to grow as quickly as it has :) A couple of weeks ago I had to 'shut shop' completely for a time--it was just too hectic! My sister's wedding was approaching and I was a bridesmaid :) I also made some 'Wishing Well' advice cards for the Bride & Groom. I was so pleased to see that many people took the opportunity to write on these cards throughout the night. They are an alternative to a guest book and are very versatile--no waiting in a queue or for the book to be passed around. Just grab a groovy coloured pen and go for it! I haven't heard back from my sister yet, as she has been on her honeymoon, but I will be interested to hear about some of the wonderful messages received by the newlyweds.

I opened my store again after one week, and the orders just came rolling in once again! It hasn't stopped since. I'm now starting to get some larger orders, which is ideal, as it's easier to do things in bulk and package one parcel, than many small orders.

Although my online store is not very creative at this point (lots of bulk stationery items), I'm hoping to inject a bit more vibrancy into it in the New Year. One aspect of my store that has been very encouraging, is the opportunity I have had to sell environmentally-friendly paper products. They haven't exactly taken off, but there is a small percentage of people out there who wish to consciously support sustainable paper production in Australia. I am describing my cards which are made out of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. They also come with matching envelopes--all made in Australia, unlike many 'kraft' paper products, which (in worst case scenarios) can be made overseas from old-growth forests!

Well, gotta go for now--so many orders to complete, and I don't think I can get away with asking my husband to man my market stall yet again this weekend!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the dedicated mothers out there and, hell, even the not so dedicated ones (it's a hard slog either which way), have a wonderful Mother's Day celebration tomorrow! Thank you to the many mothers who have bought my cards over the years for children, new mothers, husbands, friends and, of course, your own mothers. Each time you bless someone with a special message it makes them feel important, valued and loved. If you have been looking to buy from my market stall lately, I have been away for a few weeks but am back next week. Remember, you can always contact me through this website or my online store for a customised order. Have a lovely weekend :)

One of my favourites...

Just thought I'd do a quick post of one of my favourite cards. Besides my love of leaves and everything green, I also like retro-style designs. A card like this is a little funky and, admittedly, doesn't appeal to majority of my Blue Mountains' customers. I usually sell cards like this to Sydney-siders from suburbs like Newtown or Bondi! I'm not sure why this is but it sure would be interesting to try a few markets in the city. The only problem is the stall costs they charge--as high as $100 for a trestle table. I can't perceive how I would be able to cover costs, let alone make any profit, and wonder how other stallholders are able to do it?!

P.S. I'm love that the blogger software let me insert images at a larger size today! I'm assuming that this is their new browser for uploading images--they look really effective at this size :)

Love is in the air...

With my sister's wedding pending (well, in a year from now!), I felt inspired to make some wedding/love cards. It's been a while since I've made some that don't just say 'Congratulations'. I once spent all night making the most intricate wedding card and regret not taking a photo of it before giving it away. The first two photos above are of a card I made today, the last two are of cards made quite some time ago.

Cute Little Notecards!

It's been a while since I've sat down and made a whole batch of notecards. I've had an increasing amount of people requesting them since my last batch ran out, so I've spent the last couple of days in a super creative frame-of-mind. At 10.5 x 7.5 cm each, they're relatively small designs, but lots of fun to create. I price them between $0.50 and $2.00. I have been extremely fortunate, in that my sister sourced the matching envelopes very cheaply for me (she's a great bargain hunter!) Out of the 50 notecards I plan to make before my next market, ten designs are pictured below. Please let me know what you think!