#op: tamsin

[libertyreads]

April TBR 2024--

This next month is set to be full of rereads, hockey romances, and new to me books. It is also the month I'm starting a certification program so it will probably be a bit of a struggle to get through this month's TBR. I don't even remember the last time I've thought that about a month's TBR. I really hope I have as much fun with this TBR as I'm expecting to. I've really been in the mood for these rereads and these hockey romance so I'm excited to finally get to it.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken-- This is just one of a few rereads this month. Book two in the series comes out next month. I originally read this one as an ARC so I definitely need a refresher first. Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent who was never meant to break into ancient crypts or compete with sorceresses and Cunning folk for the treasures inside. But treasure hunting is the only way she could keep herself and her brother Cabell alive following her thieving foster father's disappearance. Ten years later she's looking for a ring that is supposed to save her brother from a curse. It's based in Arthurian legend.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo-- Another reread before a new book in the series. I remember enjoying this one slightly less than Raven's book, but I still enjoyed meeting a new character and getting their origin story. I also felt like it addressed an issue that isn't brought up a lot: male body image issues. We see it addressed a lot in fiction for girls, but there are boys who also go through this growing up. Plus it's beast boy and lots of green animals.

The Score by Elle Kennedy-- A hockey romance! I've been so in the mood for hockey romances this year. I don't know if it's because I found a few new to me authors and bought some kindle books for Christmas or what. In this one we follow Allie Hayes who is in crisis mode. Graduation is looming and she's dealing with a broken heart thanks to the end to her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just one though because even if her future is uncertain it sure as heck doesn't include Dean. It seems like he's going to pursue her after she puts him in the friend zone following their one night stand. I love it when the guy falls first or the guy is pursuing the girl so I'm looking forward to this one.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu-- The last of the rereads for this month. I'm so excited for the next book too. In this one we follow an international pop sensation named Winter Young who is brought into the world of spies when a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday. Sydney Cossette is a member of the elite covert ops group who is forced to work alongside Winter to infiltrate the crime organization's inner circle. This was such a fun and quick read for me last year and I can't wait to go back into this world of glitz, glam, and spies.

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen (NetGalley)-- This one just sounded so good when I saw it on NetGalley. It's unhinged women at its finest. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is an intelligent and glamorous socialite; she also happens to be a proficient serial killer. Over the course of fifteen years, she's dispatched bad men--rapist, murderers, domestic abusers. But leading a double life has left her lonely. Dating's rough when your boyfriend might turn out to be your next victim. Saffy thinks she's finally found a truly good man in Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster. This is a feminist thriller that asks if even a serial killer can have a happily ever after. My hopes for this one? Rich people drama and some mad women.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten (New Release)-- The second book in the series is finally coming out. This series starts with Lore, who has a dark power and a hidden past, as we follow her into the intrigue of the Sainted King's royal court. The king and his priest manipulate Lore and have her spy on the prince in order to determine just who is killing the villages at the edge of the kingdom. We follow on from the events of the first book in this new one.

My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne (Kindle)-- A hockey player who is going through a scoring draught is worried he's going to get traded before the deadline if he doesn't turn it around. Following a New Year's Eve with a woman, he has a waterfall of goals and knows he has to see her again. She wants nothing to do with him and he feels his has to change her mind. A hero falls first sounding story that I'm so looking forward to. I will say that there's a very obvious hockey error in the synopsis of this one and we all know I'm a little picky about hockey details. But I'll try to keep an open mind on this one.

Just Do This One Thing For Me by Laura Zimmerman (Library)-- I'm going to pull the synopsis straight from GoodReads since it's a Mystery/Thriller and those are hard to explain at the best of times: "'Just do this one thing for me.' Drew's mother says it more often than good morning. Heidi Hill has been juggling shady side hustles for all of Drew's seventeen years, and Drew knows that 'one thing' really means all the necessary things her mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her fifteen-year-old sister and eight-year-old brother. In fact, Drew is the closest thing to a responsible adult they've ever known. When their mother disappears on the way to a New Year's Eve concert in Mexico and her schemes start unraveling, Drew is faced with a choice: Follow the rules, do the responsible thing, and walk away--alone--from her mother's mess. Or hope the weather stays cold, keep the cons going, and just maybe hold her family together."

[harrycollins]

Not to shit on king leprussy himself (I love history though and that movie even though not entirely accurate is one of my favs), but I find your hyperfixation with the lovely Tamsin more enjoyable. Mostly because she does not have a leprussy. Hyperfixate away!

I think KoH fandom was one of my happiest fandom experiences due to the movie being old and the fandom being small. I miss my days of giffing Baldwin at every angle lmao.

and... I am glad you like Tamsin... lately, I am kind of insecure about her because I am constantly like 'am I making her too OP? what if I am writing her and Enver in a silly ooc way? is she boring?' so seeing someone likes her makes me happy.

[kleinewahines]

"I'm sure no one is loco enough to copy a movie to go after the leader of the Free World but then, we do live in... interesting times." For someone who was former black ops to say that was definitely something.

"I... am not confident to say yes, but neither is that a no... Madam President," she said the title almost as an afterthought. Mainly through the sheer idea it was easy for her to relax around people and forget herself sometimes. "If I was going to steal something though, I can't think of anything in this specific museum I would want. I'd hit up an art museum and then be in Caracas by the next morning." Clever going to a country with no extradition treaty and technically being a legal citizen of said same country.

The joking smile fades as her gaze follows Tamsin's.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-- everyone has their own way about it," her accent thickens considerably, a bit of Venezuelan, a dash of Hawaiian and just a skosh of vaguely Southern US.

Desperate for a change of topic, she rummages in her pocket to pull out a well-used leather wallet, flashing a burn scar on her left wrist as she does so. She carefully extracts a moderately large coin then slaps it down between them.

"President beats SecNav right?" she asks, brows raising as her hand pulls away to reveal the design on the challenge coin belonging to the Secretary of the Navy.

"as long as there's no attempt to kidnap the president."

she feels the slightest bit of a smile peeking at her lips. she'd seen the movie far too many times. there was a copy of it in the White House theatre and occasionally, when she was up late at night and unable to sleep, she popped that into the movie projector as she worked on emails. a slow exhale escapes from her lips as she leans head back against the cool cement of the walls.

"so they're trying to steal something from the museum?" she'd have to alert the ACTUAL security of this. perhaps they could also keep an eye out for the same types of people that Kath was looking out for.

at the term, she visibly flinches. it brings back memories and not EXACTLY good ones. something she can't afford to think about at this moment. kath had been SO LUCKY to be able to save her teammate.

tamsin could feel the flames of the fire, hear the explosion, feel herself FLUNG or was it pushed? the memory was so cloudy at that part. she subtly shakes her head.

"I'm glad you have her to talk to." tamsin had lost the one person she had been able to talk to. his image flashed across the television screen in front of them,the slideshow continuing its progression.

continued // @kleinewahines

[political-fluffle]

The pieces of this info op are really starting to come together. By November 2015 (when Cambridge Analytica, introduced to the GOP by Sam Patten, associate of both Kilimnik & Manafort, had already signed a contract with Trump) the Russians likely had huge database of US voters. Yes, The Kremlin had a full US voters database collected by the RNC and the Koch that they hacked from GOP’s SMARTech servers in Tennessee. They algo got keys for voting machines in purple states, a cheating scheme created by Karl Rove. That’s how Trump won the GOP primaries and later the 2016 elections.

[kunoichi-ume]

May Drabbles, Day 20 Make-up Prompt: “I didn’t want to go to bed without you.” Characters: Republic Troopers Tamsin Wharton and Markus Agrippa Word Count: 679

Note: Tamsin is one of Elara Dorne’s customization options, I just can’t ship Elara with anyone except Balic Cormac so I made him an OC based on this look. Markus is the XO of Cyclone Squad, another spec ops team on the same level as Havoc. What bits of the Trooper storyline I am giving him and not is still up for debate. I also chose another prompt from the one @cinlat did because I didn’t like that one and had no ideas for what to do with it and its being posted late because it’s the only one I hadn’t managed to get done before going on vacation last week.

The chrono in his discarded bucket chiming the hour pulled Markus out of his single-minded focus on his rifle. He had gotten it coated in mud while wading through the muck that covered the entirety of Quesh. It was a disgusting planet and going to bed with his rifle smelling of that filth was more than he could bare.

Usually cleaning a rifle was a fairly quick process but the repeated chimes of his chrono informed him it had taken even longer than he had thought. It was well past 0200 hours. 

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair to take stock of his progress. The weapon was serviceable now, though in pieces, but still needed some extensive detailing. Determined to get it done before going to bed, Markus decided some caf and a snack was in order before diving back into the muck.

Heading up to the top level of the Typhoon, Markus was surprised to see the galley was already occupied. Peeking in the doorway he found Tamsin sitting at the counter, reading and running her finger around the rim of a cup of steaming caf.

“Tam? What are you doing up?” His girlfriend and fellow Cyclone Squad member was never much of a night owl, actually they usually went to bed together hours before it got this late.

Tamsin jumped at his voice, looking up and gasping. “Bloody hell Markus, you trying to give me a heart attack?”

Markus grinned at her ire. It never failed to amuse him that she had nerves of durasteel in the field but jumped at the slightest unexpected noise otherwise. Entering the room, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before sliding onto a stool at her side. “You know you love it,” he said, earning a smack to his stomach that made him laugh. “Really though, why are you up?”

Averting her eyes, Tamsin looked down at her caf. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Everything from her tone to the slump in her shoulders were like red flags to Markus, clear signs she wasn’t being honest with him. Gently he turned her toward him with a hand on her shoulder. “What is it Tam?”

“It’s nothing, just me being silly.” Tamsin shook her head, trying to get him to drop the conversation and Markus sighed.

“We talked about this babe, anything that would have you up this late isn’t silly.” It was a conversation they had often, though usually it revolved around his inability to express grief at the loss of his last relationship – and his guilt for being the one forced to make a call that cost her life – but he was pretty sure it was one of those things that worked both ways.

Tamsin grimaced, the way she did anytime he used her own tactics on her. “Fine,” she said, “I didn’t want to go to bed without you. Happy now?”

“Deliriously,” Markus said, grinning widely. When Jaxo had died he had honestly thought no one would ever care about him the way the spunky soldier had or capture his heart as completely. Tamsin, and the no nonsense way she had pulled him out of his self-destructive spiral and encouraged him to pull himself up by his bootstraps, had been a blessing he still wasn’t sure he deserved.

Leaning forward he wrapped his arms around her, Markus pressed his face close to her neck. “I love you,” he said, lips grazing her pulse before he pressed a kiss there.

Laughing, Tamsin pushed him away. “You need to shave,” she said, rubbing her neck.

“Sorry,” Markus said, still grinning. “How’s this, you head to bed, I’ll go shave and come join you?”

“Are you going to shower that Quesh smell off too?” Tamsin asked, scrunching her nose up in disgust before he nodded, and she smiled. “How about I join you instead?”

Markus laughed, standing and pulling her off her stool to follow him. “And this, is why you make the plans in this relationship.”

“Damn straight,” Tamsin said, nodding. “Now get your ass into that shower.”

“Yes ma’am.”

[ladyespera]

AT LAST, SOMEONE GETS IT

the saddest death in Doctor Who and its related/expanded universes isn't River Song or C'rizz or what-have-you, it's actually Dal from Echoes of War

[taikoturtle]

op ten female characters:

tagged by: @unicornaffair

rules: write your 10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people!

dude i’m so behind on all these tag things i’m so sorry! I think I missed a few by others too. gahhhh

1. Waverly Earp (Wynonna Earp)

2. Root (Person of Interest)

3. Myka Bering (Warehouse 13)

4. Laura Hollis (Carmilla)

5. Quinn Fabray (Glee)

6. Alex Danvers (Supergirl)

7. Raven (The 100)

8. Tamsin (Lost Girl)

9. Brigitte (Overwatch)

10. Trini (Power Rangers 2017)

Tagging

@bluearrow126 @helb0w @youcanbemysanity @redgirolf99 @llightning5

@rat-a-tit @5by5brittana

[asrisgratitudejournal]

Thank You

Waa sudah seminggu lagi saya tidak menulis sodara-sodara. Recap weekend kemarin dulu yes:

1. Jumat: bantu-bantu prep Christmas party di dept. Udah ke RCR dari jam 2 siang: masangin Christmas tree, ngedekor, nempel-nempelin lampu di jendela, ngangkut drinks dari cold storage ke O5 pake troli… Ujung-ujungnya tapi leave party at 8 I guess(?) karena gabut aja gakenal siapa-siapa and I’M ALWAYS AWKWARD AT A PARTY. Kayanya emang partying is not my thing aja. Sempat had dinner dominos terus part ter-seru sesungguhnya adalah: DIKENALIN SAMA TAMSIN KE BEN!!!! Ini udah aku twit sih tapi pengen meng-emphasize lagi seberapa bahagianya saya hari Jumat itu. Jadi si Ben ini keren banget lah pokoknya, I think we’ve met once in a zoom meeting (postgrad coffee at Thursday 11 am gitu?) but I wouldn’t count that as a proper meeting. He made a petition (dengan Mike juga dan beberapa orang lain) terkait penghapusan £75 application fee di OU. It’s not effective now, probably will start for 2023/2024 admission, tapi keren banget aja he really spoke up and made sure bahwa OU tuh accessible for everyone. Selain ketemu Ben I think highlight lainnya adalah: main pingpong sama Sam! Dan diinvite ke whatsapp group table tennis dept! Superrandom sesungguhnya tapi ya senang juga sih. Btw harusnya Sabtu ada beres-beres si Christmas party tapi sudah penuh banget agenda saya so I didn’t help.

2. Sabtu: bangun pagi seperti biasa, kelas DD dan SMA16 dari jam 6am-11am. Siang tu ada pengajian jam 13 di Cohen Quad jadi sudah siap-siap jalan dari rumah jam 12.30an. Sampe di CQ blom ada orang baru Gilang doanggg terus akhirnya beli makanan dan minuman di co-op. Oh ini juga sambil otw ke CQ had a call with mar, iwang, arum, dan fidhia! Seru banget sih ya bahas kehidupan aja. Terus jam 14 tu ada jadwal badminton di Brookes, emang udah paling pinter kan ya, buruk banget planning saya: dari Headington ke Jericho ke Headington lagi terus ke Jericho lagi buat balik ke pengajian dan PPI Townhall di Fitzhugh CQ. Seru sih hari Sabtu ini sepertinya makan sangat banyak saya: sayur lodeh, bakso + mi, siomay, tempe goreng, risol, dsb. Malem harusnya ada dinner jardine scholars ox di Thaikhun tapi saking kecapeannya badminton dan bolak-balik kaya orang bener, akhirnya w mengcancel ikutan dinner ini deh. W tidur cepet gitu? Jam 7an kayanya dah tidur terus kebangun jam 2.30 pagi ngetwit yang makan bakso tea.

3. Minggu: kelas lagi sama spt biasa jam 6-11 am, lalu dilanjut beres-beres rumah: nyuci baju, ngejemur baju, ngebersihin dapur, ngevakum kamar dan dapur, ngebersihin kamar mandi. Ini ngerjain ini semua sambil call sama Tharina dan Eja btw wkwkw mau call sampah tapi semua orang busy jadi yasudah ku mostly hanya mendengarkan saja karena kalau on mic super berisik. By 11.40an kayanya ditelpon Iris dia nanyain berangkat ke St Hughes jam berapa karena ada weekly PPI Ox jam 13 di tempatnya Jordan. W berusaha membereskan itu semua segera tapi tetap saja baru kelar jam 12.20an terus langsung cabs. Sampe tempat Jordan jam 13.05-an gitu? Rapat weekly lah kami dan lalu jalan-jalan liat St Hughes. Nemu meja pingpong juga! Dan akhirnya main iseng-iseng nyoba rally ajja for like 10mins (?), habis itu took pics in front of the iconic chapel tower lalu went home. Pas di jalan pulang mampir dulu ke Tiger toko macem miniso gitu lah dan lihat art stall di Broad st. Kayanya sampai rumah jam 5an lalu ya as usual ketiduran lagi aja bangun-bangun jam 11 pm. Kalina sama arthur tiba-tiba dah di rumah aja deh pas w bangun. Oh iya, malam sebelumnya mereka nginep di London so I was home alone Sat night.

The whole week before tu Senin-Kamis kerja aja sama Iris di mana-mana, dari Greggs, Exeter library, sampe ke rumahnya Iris juga. W lagi menunggu feedback dari co-authors jadi lagi agak lenggang akhirnya nyempetin buat ngurus Transfer of Status dan ngerapiin figures buat di manuscript.

Minggu ini masih sama sih yang dikerjain. Palingan kemaren abis ngerjain self assessment aja buat Graduate Supervision Reporting. Cuacanya udah mulai malesin everyday hujan huft. Weekend ini agak lenggang sih. Cuma kelas rutin aja kayanya, terus badminton gadapet court (a bit weird padahal udah out of term skrg). Mba Nufis katanya mau visit Ox on Sunday yey! Semalam juga abis telponan sm Mba Nufis sampe 1,5jam huhu bahas kisah PhD dia. Teraneh adalah pas telponan itu w lagi di tempatnya Iris wkwk jadi cukup awkward mana ada flatmatenya Iris juga…

Sama kemarin (dan hari ini akan) kelas pelatnas IGEO lagi juga. Highlightnya adalah: di chat box saat ku nanya “yak, ada pertanyaan?”, pertanyaan yang muncul: “dipanggilnya kakak atau ibu?" LOLz. Lalu kubebaskan ke mereka, tapi kutekankan “kakak aja juga gapapa”. Padahal mereka literally kelas 11/12 sma yang berarti beda umurnya… 10-11 tahun(?) tapi ya gpp juga sih wong ku manggil mas igun aja pake mas padahal doi 2001/2002(?).

Pagi ini juga tiba-tiba Mita ngechat minta dicariin tempat pesan kue karena our mom minta dibeliin kue wedding anniv yang ke-30. Langsung ngeblast di grup sampah dan safe space dan super dapet banyak banget rekomendasi! HUHU sangat senang punya teman2 yang knowledgeable dan well-informed jadi tidak perlu do my own research.

Well, anyway, lagi-lagi bersyukur atas semuaaaa hal ini. Mostly atas rejeki dikasih orang-orang baik sih sama Allah. Ternyata ya se-ngaruh itu punya temen tuh. Pas kemarin sendirian betul-betul stres banget pusing rasanya ingin kabur dari masalah aja. Semoga ke depan makin membaik ini semua dan ku makin semangat mengerjakan research. Let’s go chapter 2!!!

*p.s. si tannies pada bikin personal insta account sendiri beberapa hari yang lalu dan ku sudah nge-dm namjoon! Well, mostly ya ngucapin makasih aja sih. Betul-betul hanya ngucapin makasih itu messagenya wkwk abisan gatau lagi mau ngucapin apa☹ therefore the title of this post

[23booking66]

*[PAPERBACK/HARDCOVER] The Meaning of Mariah Carey

bent u op zoek naar dit boek?  Sweet & Bitter Magic By Adrienne Tooley

 Book Excerpt :

In this charming debut fantasy perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Girls of Paper and Fire, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she?s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back?even for just a little while?is to steal love from others.Wren is a source?a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren?the only caretaker to her ailing father?has spent her life hiding her secret.When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren?s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin

 >>> START READING NOW

"This book is available for download in a number of formats - including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. You can also read the full text online using our Ereader."

 #POPULARBOOK, #PDB, #POPULARBOOK2020

[jeremystrele]

Living The Regional Dream In Strzelecki, South Gippsland!

Living The Regional Dream In Strzelecki, South Gippsland!

Homes

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

‘We love the rusty roof. This side of the house was overgrown when we purchased, blocking a fair amount of the view. This is a now great spot to watch the birds and the sunset and look out to Wilsons Prom,’ says Shelley. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘Our garden will be an ever evolving project, as all gardens should be. We are still learning the land, how far the sun reaches, where our natural springs are positioned and from which direction the damaging winds arrive,’ says Shelley. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A cosy corner of the living room. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

TV cabinet found in hard rubbish then sanded, waxed and completed with cane inset doors made by Shelley’s dad. Thea Skelsey canvases. Bertjan Pot for Hay table lamp. In the vase is wild pampas grass – a declared weed that grows roadside in Gippsland and is best cut down and out of the wind to prevent spreading. (Shelley drives with secateurs in the car for this reason!) Vintage timber rocking horse. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Living space. 1970s Parker sofa in original upholstery, another eBay gem. George Nelson Bubble Wall Lamp. Hand made cushions. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Mid-century Swedish exhibition and travel posters on the wall. The original baltic floors have been sanded and treated with an ultra-matte penetrative sealant. 1970s Parker sofa in original upholstery, another eBay gem. George Nelson Bubble Wall Lamp. Hand made cushions. Woven rug from Temple & Webster. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Heavenly! Canvas curtains sewn by Shelley from painters drop sheets. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

1970s Parker sofa in original upholstery bought off eBay; George Nelson bubble wall lamp; woven hemp rug from Temple & Webster; handmade cushions. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Shelley says they have no plans to update the 1950s kitchen renovation at this stage! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Views from the dining space. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Canvas curtains sewn by Shelley from painters drop sheets. Le Corbusier Lampe de Marseille from Cult. Secondhand dining table, velvet chairs and vintage Belgium rug.  Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The kitchen features a Falcon range cooker handmade in Britain (‘The pride of the kitchen and fired up at every meal’ says Shelley). Le Creuset kettle. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The larder features an Ikea IVAR storage system that’s been lovingly stained piece by piece. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Buffet stand bought at a garage sale in Canterbury, ‘Calvin the Komondor’ art print from the Cone of Shame series by Winnie Au, original Atelier Populaire posters, and wooden Latvian candle holder. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

1970s graphic prints, timber sculpture and leather carry bag all bought from op shops over the years. The hall runner was purchased secondhand from a couple on the Mornington Peninsula who ran it down the aisle at their wedding! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Cow hide from friends at Warialda Belted Galloway, String Furniture shelving, original Atelier Populaire poster, canvas curtains sewn by Shelley. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The master bedroom features a George Nelson bubble wall lamp, handmade pillowcases from Saltbush Avenue in Tasmania, their Nana’s old side table, vintage wool throw. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Amos’ room features a Warren Hill linen play mat, Ubabub bookshelves, original L’étoile Mystérieuse Tin Tin poster, vintage wooden train. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Amazing views from the property, and a look at Shelley + Tom’s pride and joy – the veggie patch! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The couple’s beloved veggie garden! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Tom looks out over the rolling hills. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Garden goodness. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The couple made the tree change from Melbourne to South Gippsland in 2018. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Shelley and Tom Banders immediately fell in love with this 1890s farmhouse in Strzelecki, Victoria (about 130km south-east of Melbourne), with its 10-foot ceilings and charming heritage details.

The pair were drawn to the South Gippsland area after visiting famed foodie Tamsin Carvin of Tamsin’s Table (fortuitously, Tom now works alongside Tamsin at The Borough Dept. Store in Korumburra). After seeing the property online, they went to visit, and were immediately awestruck. They wax lyrical, ‘We are surrounded by natural winemakers, micro dairies, single-origin cheesemakers and other niche artisans, producers and growers… However, having space is possibly the best part, we have established over 70 lineal metres of veggie beds, and planted a stone fruit orchard and a citrus grove. We are in the process of preparing a berry cane enclosure and designing a coop for our future chickens and ducks.’

After making the move from Melbourne, the couple set out to bring this farmstead into a contemporary era, while still maintaining the honesty and practicality of the traditional farmhouse. The home maintains the original footprint, with one bedroom transformed into an open-shelf larder (a country home dream!).

The walls were all whitewashed in Dulux White Polar, and the carpet stripped back to reveal beautiful Baltic pine floorboards. Shelley highlights the New Zealand pure wool carpet installed in the bedrooms out of necessity (cold winters!) but ‘also to generate a soft, dream-like quality to the resting spaces’

This soft, comfortable vibe carries throughout the home, creating a perfect retreat for the two self-described ‘home bodies.’ Shelley explains, ‘We always try to create an informal, welcoming space that radiates warmth and comfort.’ The interior finishes, objects and materials here have been selected for durability and functionality . ‘Our mostly preloved furniture allows us to relax if we’ve gotten dirty in the veggie patch. Life is too short to worry about these things!’ Shelley says.

For anyone reading along and dreaming of a regional escape, Shelley makes an impassioned case for taking the leap. She enthuses ‘Just go for it! We have never felt so grounded, connected and satisfied, ending our day with a glass of local wine, a bit of dirt under our nails and a belly full of real food. What are you waiting for?’

[graysongraysoff]

I thiiiiink it's the London National Theater one, which also had Tamsin Greig as Malvolia! The actors' names for this gifset (just grabbed this from the OP's tags so unfortunately I can't tell you which is which D: ) are Daniel Ezra and Adam Best

I Must Have It

[pattoutwat-blog]

Albion String Quartet - 100% Dvorak

The Albion String Quartet Rosalind Ventris, viola - Tamsin Waley-Cohen, violin Emma Parker, violin - Nathaniel Boyd, cello Miguel da Silva, viola A. Dvorak: String quintet No. 3 in E flat major, op. 97, B. 180 A. Dvorak: American suite in A major, op. 98b, B. 190 Rosalind Ventris, altiste en résidence à la Chapelle Musicale, nous présente son quatuor à cordes : le quatuor Albion, formé de 4 jeunes britanniques, a déjà une impressionnante carrière. Ils viendront profiter à la Chapelle des conseils de Miguel da Silva, et proposer le fruit de leur apprentissage au public. Rosalind Ventris, altvioliste in residentie bij de Muziekkapel, stelt ons haar strijkkwartet voor: het Albion Quartet. Dit kwartet bestaat uit vier Britse jongeren en heeft reeds een indrukwekkend parcours afgelegd. In de Muziekkapel krijgen ze een masterclass van Miguel da Silva, en aansluitend stellen ze de vruchten ervan voor aan het publiek. Click to Post

[gregorionardi-blog]

Da qualche giorno, nei momenti liberi ascolto la registrazione di un'interpretazione straordinaria: il quartetto op. 56 di Sibelius "Voces intimae" eseguito dal Quartetto di Budapest nel 1933. Ascolto suoni che non sembrano scritti, l'equilibrio di ogni inizio e di ogni chiusura di nota, di frase, l'infinità varietà di timbri che accompagna la melodia principale, la rapidità con cui si passa da un carattere a un altro - senza manierismi, senza velleità pedagogiche: magia dello scorrere naturale e irrefrenabile del pensiero, della semplicità raggiunta con tanto lavoro. Una giovane violinista inglese con la quale ho fatto musica tanti anni fa, Tamsin Waley Cohen, ebbe una volta a dirmi che gli artisti di inizio secolo (e parlava, penso, proprio di violinisti) non avrebbero potuto competere con gli attuali. Ne fui sorpreso, lo sono ancora. Riascolto il Budapest: è la loro ultima registrazione con un membro della formazione originale, il violista Istvan Ipolyi, l'unico ungherese rimasto. Il primo violino, l'ucraino Josef Roisman, il secondo, Alexander Schneider, e il violoncellista Misha Schneider, lituani, avevano sostituito da poco i tre membri originali del quartetto (gli ungheresi Emil Hauser e Alfred Indig e l'olandese Harry Son, poi morto nei lager). Cerco nella mia mente un possibile riferimento a qualsiasi cosa si ascolti oggigiorno, ma ben poco mi sembra paragonabile. Non si finirebbe mai di imparare da simili, insuperabili artisti. M'impegno ad essere allievo, seppure indegno, di tanta arte. Nel programma di Albano mi sono provato ad applicare simili velature. Forse un'eco di quella misteriosa delicatezza comincia ad affiorare in qualche pagina lisztiana: la Parafrasi dal Rigoletto, come l'ho eseguita, si muoveva su perlati accurati in modo per me quasi inedito; la trascrizione di un Lied di Robert Franz ha perso un tocco di sentimentalismo per dipingere piani sonori nettamente differenziati. Continuo (da tanti anni, ormai) la mia ricerca di una prospettiva acustica che sia al tempo stesso incanto e struttura. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaaGcMjIhc&t=23s