Hello all!

So, this time I’ve gone way past my usual two months… and it is not going to get any better! I feel that with my travel blog in place, and my lack of photographic activity these past months, this blog has kind of lost its reason of existence…I may pick it up again, but I have a whole new adventure starting in the fall and I doubt I’ll have time to blog…

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If you feel like it, you can go and visit my last creation, The Donna Murphy Database a website I set up for a group of fans of Donna Murphy, the great broadway diva… Whether you already know her or not, you can go and browse through videos and pictures of her amazing work! Have a nice stroll!

A very quick note to let you know that my new website is online!!!
Please go and tell me what you think of the layout:

http://www.laurelei.com

Also, my Shipwreck Shawl is done and you can see it here…

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So… as always, it’s been a while! I should label my posts “winter, spring, summer and fall”, as that’s about when I seem to publish them each time! So many things have happened since Christmas…

The Sondheim workshop was AM-AZ-ING! Such a wonderful group of people, and Christopher Denny and Brent Barrett gave us so much to work with! They liked us so much that Chris will be back in May for a follow up… January was truly a magical month! I learned so much about myself as a performer and as a person, in so little time. And of course, listening to Sondheim’s music everyday for a month was not too bad either…

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So, after this intense month, for some reason I caught the crafts fever again. It started with embroidery, as I was fed up with my pincushion and made myself one from one of Sue Hawkins that I had purchased at L’Aiguille en fête, a huge crafts fair here in Paris. I love it so much, I’ve ordered the cissors holder and thread keeper’s kits, and I’ll be making them soon. I also started a crazy quilt block about my experience during the workshop, with some old pieces of fabric and this amazing Caron thread I purchased online. But I haven’t gotten around finishing yet because then I rediscovered KNITTING!!!

I’ve been knitting scarves forever, but I never got pas knit/purl until last month I stumbled upon lace knitting and it just blew my mind. So, I took out my needles again, plus some dpns and circulars that I had never tried, created an account on Ravelry (LeiLaure), and dove into it, as I always do! I started a Shipwreck shawl, as I love the sea and feel like a mermaid on dry land most of the time. I’m almost done with it, and wondering what monster I have unleashed, as I cannot wait to start on a dozen other things. I’ve always loved yarn and thread in all it forms, and knitting combine a lot of good points for me: you only need 2 pieces of wood and a ball of yarn, it’s light, small, you can stop it and pick it up whenever you want, and the possibilities are infinite.

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Professionally speaking, I’m a little swamped as I have two deadlines by the end of march. One is Ripley’s Believe it or not 2012 (not exciting) and the other is a tryout for Book 1 of the Underland Chronicles, Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, which I am DYING to get, as I love this author and the series (if you’ve got children between 9 and 12, I cannot recommend it enough). So we’ll see how it goes but my fingers are crossed as it would be a 5 books translation deal, exactly what I need to have time to write my own book, which we’ve started to write with my Dad (that is when he finds time to get to it).

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I’ve been reading Refuse to Choose, by Barbara Sher, and it’s been really helpful in designing a schedule that would fit me. I’ve been aware for years that I was a scanner, and I’ve got (almost!) no guilt left about it, but the idea of designing a “school day” style schedule, with 1h30 devoted to each activity, has been a stroke of brilliance for me. I’ve been able to stick to it when I had nothing else planned, and even when I had, I still managed to find time to do all the activities I wanted during the week. Which means that in addition to knitting and embroidery, I’ve also taken up Russian again (with Pimsleur audio course, that I would recommend to anyone), began writing the book and almost finished my website (I’ll post a link as soon as it’s done). I really like Barbara Sher’s down-to-earth approach (I’d read Wishcraft by her before), and it’s so nice to see written what you knew all along: that there’s no way you’ll stick to just one passion in life, and that it’s fine.

Also, as I was knitting my shawl along, I watched Legend of the Seeker, which, apart from being the most predictable show in the history of TV, has some of the most beautiful scenery, and a wardrobe department to die for. Needless to say, when I found myself in Camden Town, London, last week, I went crazy and bought some “Kahlan”s style” clothes for next winter, among which a corset, not nearly as beautiful as the one in the picture but that will do. I’m thinking about making myself an underbust belt with some scraps of leather I’ve got in my stash. For some years now I’ve been dressing more and more like a casual hunter/warrior, and right now I feel like amping the theatricality of it. We’ll see. I like seeing how style evolves as you grow older and starts filling your own shoes…

For now I’m at my Mom’s enjoying the spring bordering on summer weather, taking long walks by the sea and working like crazy the rest of the time. I’ve got one more trip planned to NYC this June, and maybe Norway in the summer… we’ll see! Anyway, who knows when I’ll blog again… In the meantime I leave you with this picture of a pinholder that belonged to my step dad’s great grand mother, and that he gave me as a present…It went through so many years and so many hands to get to me… so what’s another few months without a blog post!!! Until then, I bid you adieu!

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Hey everyone!!!

First and foremost very merry (late) Christmas to all of you, and my best wishes for a great new year!!! Currently at my mom’s, I’m enjoying some free time before things kick up again with a workshop in January about the Music of Stephen Sondheim. I can’t wait, though I’m excited AND scared…

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Christmas was uneventful, lots of food, lots of snow, lots of being stuck in traffic jams caused by the snow… but at least it was pretty!!!

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I’ve been a bit iddle lately, work deprived as I am… There’s supposed to be another translation coming at the end of February, but nothing much before that, except of course my dad’s and I project…We’re supposed to start writing seriously in january, I’m waiting for him to kick into motion with the first chapter… I’m eager and worried at the same time, but hopefully I won’t get too much of a writer’s block.

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I took advantage of all this free time to get my presents “just right”, and for the most part I succeeded. The favourite thing that I gave this year was this russian box I bought for my lovely boss and friend… The painting is exquisite and the Bird of Fire is one of my favourite Russian tales…

I get such pleasure from bringing out the lights at christmas, and my mom is even worse than I am! Proof: the picture below, taken in the living room… Shiny things everywhere!!

So, down to business! I thought I’d make a small “Best of 2010″ recap, about awesome things I discovered this year… I’m skipping the “Best books”, having read mostly for Hachette, so mostly Young Adult… If you’re interested in my “Best YA books ever” list, you can head off to Charlotte’s where I’ve already answered that question (scroll down for list)…

First of all, the music. I’ve discovered some swell artists this years, here are my favorites, with a playlist to boot…

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Favorite first: Marian Call. I have fallen completely for this girl’s music, first through her Sci-Fi tribute album “Got to fly”, and then through everything else she’s ever written and performed… I couldn’t choose just one of her song to put in the player, so I put two very different songs, that will hopefully get you hooked to her!

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Vienna Teng. Soft, unique, plural, I love the atmosphere her music creates anywhere you listen to it.

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Katie Gray. I’m a big fan of pluri-cultural music in general, and Katie Gray blends perfectly several genras to create her own unique brand of indie sound.

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Sara Bareilles. This one doesn’t need introducing, but I really enjoyed this album, so I thought I’d pop her in there!

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Athlete. This one is pretty recent discovery for me, but I’m really enjoying it, so here it is too… You got to listen to it, you’ll either love it or hate it, but either way it’ll erelict a response!

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That’s it for the music, and I chose my favorite song by each of those for you to listen just below, plus two songs by artists I also discovered recently! Enjoy!!!

Another thing that’s extremely present in my life, even though I don’t speak of it here, are TV shows. I’m the ultimate geek/fangirl, starting with The X Files when I was 12 up to Bones now… So here are my best TV shows discoveries of 2010! Of course some of those started long before but I haven’t gotten around to watching them before now (remember I live in France, so we don’t hear about the same shows you guys do).

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Bones: I fell in love with this show earlier this year and watched the first 5 seasons in a row. My love for this show has a lot to do with the fact that I feel so close to the main character, in a lot of ways. I relate to her, and I won’t hold it against you if you don’t, but the show is good enough writing wise to keep you laughing, crying and holding your breath. It really picks up during the 2nd season, thanks to some great secondary characters, some of the most likeable and well written as far as comedic procedurals are concerned. Plus, Brennan doubles as Wonder Woman. What more can you ask?

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Firefly: yes, I’ve become a browncoat! I know I’m late, but once again: this show never made it to french tvs (hell, it barely made it to american ones!). I was never a Sci-Fi/Spacecraft geek (unless you count my love for the first three Star Wars), but this show just got me hooked. The writing is great, the characters too, I love the setting and the strange mix of space and western. Plus, it’s lovely. Plus, it’s got Nathan Fillion in it. Plus, it won’t take you long to watch: 13 episodes and a movie. So, go. You’ll see, it’s shiny!

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Leverage: This show is underrated. If you love heists and cons, this is perfect for you. The writing is good, the characters are great, it’s full of good ideas and great plots, and besides it goes against the powers that be.

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Carnivale: HBO never disappoints, and this show is just up to par with the rest. Everything is amazing, the writing, the characters, the atmosphere… I can only strongly advise you to give it a try, you won’t regret it!

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And right now, I’m into season 2 of Farscape, a show I vowed I’d never watch… Well, I guess I was wrong. I can’t really define what it is about that show that got me hooked. Well, probably Aeryn Sun. And the humour. And the frelling insolence. And the simple craziness of it. My point being: give it a try if you’re so enclined, it will take you for a ride.

So, on this I’ll log off, this post being long enough as it is!!! Much love to all and a happy new year’s eve if I don’t write till then!

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Ok, this time I’ve outdone myself…but if you count the fact that I’ve blogged at Le Poisson Volant for a good month in October, I haven’t been gone so long!!!

So, without further ado and under the lucky wings of my beautiful cranes (a gift from a very dear cousin/friend in London), let me put you up to date!

As I had somewhat predicted, I didn’t read all the books I’d planned to this summer. To tell the truth, I didn’t read at all, too engrossed in my translation to have any time to read on the side…

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Since the book is now on pre-order on Amazon.com, I guess I can tell you a little more about it… It’s Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe… Here is the American cover, the french one is still more or less a secret. The french title will be “Hantise” (which means “Haunting”). I can’t wait to have the book in hand (probably in March…), it’s going to be beautiful.

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So, after a month in the US to see some friends of mine (head over to The Poisson Volant if you want to see the pictures), I’m back in freezing Paris, already looking for Christmas presents everywhere

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I made a detour to visit my londonian family for a wonderful week full of children, chocolate cakes and shows… I wanted to see the Donmar’s production of Passion, by Stephen Sondheim, one of my favourite musicals, and very rarely staged. I cannot say that I loved it,because Donna Murphy was so incredible in the original that it is very difficult to live up to it… See below one of my favorite scenes from the OBC, when Giorgio meets Fosca, this very ill and desperate woman who will end up almost stalking him, but also giving him a new vision of what love is. This song still touches me as much as the first time, even after ten years. Probably because it hit so close to home then, and still a little bit now…

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I have no work right now, and am trying mostly not to panic, and to use this time to work on my new project: my Dad, who is a writer, have been offering me to write with me for years, and I’ve finally taken him up on his offer… So since August we’ve been crafting a story, and we’ll be starting to write it properly in the next week or so! I’m extremely happy about this, as I’ve been wanting to write, as you all know, and couldn’t seem to get to it. Besides, we find that we really work very well together, which was not a given. I’m trying not to let my insecurities about being a bginner get to me, and I’m looking to books for help… Right now I’m reading On Writing by Stephen King, that I would warmly recommand to anyone wanting to write: very clear and useful advice! My dad keeps telling me not to worry, and one of the reasons I wanted to write with him was to learn, since he’s been writing for 20 years… so I’m definitely winning in the bargain!

Right now, I’m at my mom’s where I sit by the fire and enjoy the last days of fall before going back to Paris under the snow. Hopefully I’ll have time to post some more then (I know, you’ve heard that before)…

On this, I wish you all a lovely winter, though cold!