5/01/2018

Five Things: May



May is here, in the Southern Hemisphere at least and it's the month of the Auckland Writers Festival aka AWF which is honestly one of my favourite times of the year. I never seem to manage to make it to a lot of things on their calendar but what I do go to, I tend to love. This month I'm hoping to get a bit more writerly. By that I mean, I want to write more offline, potentially for submissions, maybe just for my own eyes. I feel like this is an ongoing goal but in May I want to get back into it because my creativity really fell to the wayside in April. Not really a goal per se but I really want to go to the Wintergarden in the Auckland Domain this month and want to check out the Mecca Trove in Takapuna. Anyway, this introduction is getting lengthy enough as is so five things for May; magazines, a TV show, makeup, books and a bit of art...

The Gentlewoman: I love me a longer-form magazine. One that's really like a weighty coffee table book. Designed to be read slowly, luxuriating over the words and imagery. That to me is the beauty of The Gentlewoman. The latest issue profiled Tavi Gevinson (fave), Allison Janney (also fave), Val McDermid, Katharine Hamnett and others. There's stunning fashion editorials as well and plenty of bite sized stories to peruse. I love their lengthier profiles in particular-the website's archives are worth checking out but the magazine in person is an exquisite treat. 

Feud: Bette & Joan: So I'm kinda pushing this show on my friends and family at the moment, #sorrynotsorry so I might as well carry it over to this corner of the internet too. I love me a good celebrity biopic and when this was announced, I was really excited. Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, yes please. Not to mention I find the whole unravelling of Hollywood starlets devastating yet fascinating all at once. You want to look away but can't. So admittedly I didn't know a lot about Joan Crawford or Bette Davis prior to watching this series but I am learning. I grabbed a book detailing their varied feuds and am immersing myself in it as we speak. Anyway, this makes for compelling viewing. I more or less watched all eight episodes in a matter of days last week. The costuming as well is worth a mention. I'd like every pair of sunglasses Susan Sarandon wore please and thanks. I'll definitely be rewatching this at some point. 

L'Oreal Paradise Mascara: The hype is real with this mascara. I'm guessing there's been a ton of fanfare on and offline because it's been sold out whenever I've gone to find it. Thankfully, my local Farmers had it and it was 40% off. International readers, that never happens here in NZ so when it does, y'all bet we get excited. Anyway, this mascara curls and adds volume like nobody's business. I feel like mascara is very much a personal preference thing but in my opinion, L'Oreal's mascaras are some of the better ones out there and generally don't disappoint. 

Currently Reading: Okay so I'm a serial reader, that isn't news to anybody. I thought I'd draw attention to the two books I'm currently immersed in. They're both novels which is unusual in itself for me but I wanted a break from the Plath journals. Anyway, first up: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society*. Longest title ever. Anyway, this book, told through letters, is about a London writer in the days post WW2 and a book club/secret society of sorts formed in Guernsey. I love epistolary novels. They're so clever. If I ever write fiction, this'll be the style I choose. Secondly, The Female Persuasion. This book flew onto my radar towards the end of last year I believe and I was so excited when it finally arrived. I'm saving my opinions for a review later in the month but so far I am loving it. 

Manifesto: I can't really explain this in words and honestly, I am sure some of the deeper meaning was perhaps lost on me but regardless, Albertine and I thought it was fantastic. So Manifesto is an exhibit celebrating various art movements and paying homage to them+the changing nature of creativity and the values we place on art. In each of the thirteen films, Cate Blanchett adopts a new character to tie in with each film. She's anything from an Australian schoolteacher, a Russian choreographer, a hot-mess Brit, even a puppeteer. Actually the puppets were borderline terrifying, I'm not gonna lie. Anyway, if you are in Auckland between now and June, it is worth a visit. Set aside some time. We were in there for at least two hours and didn't quite get to watch every single film. I think the idea is you're supposed to go in and out but if you can immerse yourself in them all, it is worth doing. 

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