Life Curriculum ~ vol.7
Spring candles, naughty puppies, and a new film.
As always, this week is full of things to do, make, watch, listen to and read. The weekly Life Curriculum series is for paid subscribers only.
Do
I haven’t had a scented candle for a while, instead going with (a million) unscented tea lights and some incense – but it’s not the same. The throw from a good quality scented candle just can’t be replaced with incense. I love both, but I’ve had a new candle on my mind.
I love the idea of having a candle for each season, so have been researching spring scents. Criteria: soy-based only, recyclable vessel, no vanilla, no musk.
Here are some I’m looking out for…
Melbourne-based Öde’s “Bramble” candle ($) gives fresh pine, wild blackberries, and jasmine. Yes. (Their other two scents also sound beautiful.) They’ve only recently launched and are offering free shipping.
Reviews report how this candle ($$) makes a room smell fresh, like just washed laundry. Wild mint, eucalyptus, basil and Thai ginger – intriguing!
This candle ($$$) – in a beautiful object d’art vessel – is all citrus with Egyptian jasmine and waterlily… and vanilla. But maybe not too much?
I’ve loved Australian Lumira for years, but have never smelled their La Primavera candle ($$), which seems fitting for this brief. “Channeling springtime in San Remo…” yes please.
Oh, Aesop. I will probably never buy a candle ($$$) this expensive, but I know it would be divine. I love basically everything this company does.
Make
While outside, enjoying a glass if wine on my balcony as the sun went down, minding my business, I suddenly realised how dirty my windows are.
I have floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead outside and glass balcony panelling, so it’s a lot of glass to suddenly realise needs cleaning. The culprit I’m pretty sure is my dog and her nose, but I’m choosing not to spend too much time thinking about that.
So instead of actually going and cleaning them, I’ve instead researched some great DIY glass cleaners for you to help you fastidiously clean all your windows. While I pour another glass of wine…
I went straight to Martha Stewart for this, and she didn’t disappoint. Basically what we’re all looking for (mostly you though) is a mixture using equal parts white vinegar and hot water. If you’ve converted to powdered dishwasher soap, you can also use that in an equal mix with water.
And I have learned this the hard way previously: don’t clean while the sun is shining directly on the windows. It dries too quickly, which causes streaks. Use a sponge to put the cleaning solution onto the glass, and then a wet squeegee to remove it. Literally rinse and repeat.
And then come and do mine?
Read
I’ve been seeing rave reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest in Sydney, which ended yesterday. If you missed it too (what are the chances it will tour to Brisbane, I wonder?), then may I encourage you to re-read it with me?
Widely considered one of the best comedy plays of all time, Oscar Wilde’s Earnest is “a trivial comedy for serious people”, as he called it.
Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff are thick as thieves. They’re also living double lives. In the quaint countryside they’re pious gents, but in the city they’re playboys with a libertine reputation. Their absurdly luxurious lifestyle, usually lived without a care in the world, is rudely interrupted when love enters the mix, and the pair struggle to keep track of who they’re pretending to be and when.
I’m intrigued by reports that Sarah Giles’ interpretation of the play adds an amount of comedy to the female characters that most others forget. I’m looking forward to a re-read with that perspective.
Watch
As a teenager, Finding Neverland (2004) was one of my favourite films. I greatly wanted to be a film director when I was about 15/16 (maybe still do!?), and this movie just ensnared me and my imagination.
The Director, Marc Forster, went on to direct films such as Quantum of Solace (2008), Machine Gun Preacher (2011) and World War Z (2013)… and so I started to think that maybe Neverland was a bit of an oddity for him.
Then just this week I saw the trailer for his next film, White Bird (2023), starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson. And he’s back! Doesn’t this look heart-wrenchingly beautiful (and important)?
Especially given the events of the past week, this message is so important:
Listen
In honour of my dog, Sky, and her nose:
In case you missed it:
The first Menu came out, a new series where I pull together a menu (with recipes) for imaginary gatherings to inspire you to catch up with your loved ones. First up: a spring picnic, of course.
I started a new series called Wanderlist, where I share a place I’m dreaming about visiting. First up, 28 Degrees in Byron Bay.
I shared a moodboard and random list of links on the theme of vitality to kick off the new month.
I spent hours thinking about what I consider my fridge essentials in the first of my Biased Guide Series.