Find out what made us tick this month: from our favourite reads to hot events on the agenda that we don’t want to miss (and you shouldn’t, either).
LOVE READING: It’s fair to say that we have been utterly glued to our computer screens. The culprit is award-winning website ‘Letters of Note’: a blog-based archive of fascinating correspondence, complete with scans and transcripts of the original missives, where available. Trawling through the archives made us feel like kids again, rummaging through our grandparents’ attic with giddy excitement- minus the dust! We found beautiful letters written by everyday folks, as well as historical and iconic pop-culture figures, which range from messages of love and admiration to break ups and feuds (and much more). These touching letters are a glimpse into the lives of people through the eras and a poignant reminder of the power of the spoken word. Especially, they revive the beauty of handwritten correspondence which is sadly defunct in a world full of texts and emails. Today a visit from the postman is synonymous with bills and bank statements rather than letters from loved ones!
In theme with our celebration of love this month, we handpicked a selection of favourites, for different reasons:
- Selfless Love: Iggy Pop: “So hang on, my love, and grow big and strong and take your hits and keep going.” Bet you didn’t think Iggy was a big softie, did you? This caring letter, written to a fan who is going through a rough time, proves otherwise.
- Passionate Love: Books have been written, films have been made, yet the tortured romance between Richard Burton and Liz Taylor continues to fascinate us to this day. This farewell letter, written by Burton on the eve of their first divorce and addressed to “my Lumps” is pure gold.
- Romantic Love: What happens when you get a novelist like Henry Miller writing a clandestine love letter to erotic writer Anais Nin? This: a powerful, intense and gut-wrenching correspondence.
LOVE TV: With all the hate bashing between certain women going on in social media, we like to see public displays of female friendship, love and support. Step forward ‘The Conversation’: a show that’s all about honest and thought-provoking conversations between successful women in showbiz. The clever concept comes from former It Girl Amanda De Cadenet and sees two women – Amanda and guest – sitting on a couch and speaking intimately about their life experience and struggles, and sharing nuggets of wisdom. De Cadenet is a warm and charismatic interviewer and her guests are superstars of the Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow caliber in unguarded mode, so it goes without saying: we’re hooked! Check out her channel here or watch on Lifetime.
LOVE THE PLANET: What to do with a disused underground bomb shelter? Richard Ballard, Steven Dring and Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr had the genius idea to create the 1ha (2.5 acre) plot in a World War II-era cavern below Clapham North station south-west London. They use low-energy LED bulbs and hydroponics to grow micro-herbs, shoots, miniature vegetables and other delicacies to be sold to restaurants, supermarkets and wholesalers. We think it’s a great way to make use of space in an urban area and promote healthy eating choices. Find more about it here.
LOVE FOOD: Foodies, rejoice! We have seen two fantastic launches this month, which bring you delicious home-made recipes: the first one is Amelia Freers’ new e-book ‘Eat.Nourish.Glow – Spring’. Amelia, one of the UK’s foremost nutritional therapists, has put together six tasty meals using seasonal ingredients and targeting specific seasonal problems, combined with practical advice on nutrition for a healthy and empowering diet. The e-book is available for Kindles and iPhones here.
The second launch that got us excited is Deliciously Ella’s new iPhone app. We’ve made no secret of the fact that we are already fans of her fantastic blog, which is brimming with delicious recipes ranging from salads to desserts. But as of this month, you can easily access her recipes at the swipe of a finger, while shopping for your dinner on the way home from work. The recipe sizes have also been changed to cater for one person to make solo preparation much simpler, plus new recipes and detox plans have been added making it a more personalised experience. Download it here.
LOVE FILM: We really enjoyed ‘Her’: an Oscar-nominated film starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson (or rather, her voice). The story follows Theodore (Phoenix), a lonely writer who develops an unlikely romantic relationship with his newly purchased operating system Samantha (Johansson) that’s designed to meet his every need. Beautifully shot (the look was inspired by one of our favourite photographers Todd Hido) and acted with an intelligent script, it left us wondering: is the relationship depicted in the film is actually too far-fetched to be real, because we’ll always prefer the real thing? Or will our reliance on technology soon develop into the emotional realm of relationships, with romance between humans and android becoming entirely possible? If you’d like to read our musings on modern day romance, check out our article: ‘A History of the Art of Dating’.
