Tag: style

Home Again

A lovely almost blues beat, introduces Home Again from acclaimed pianist Loren Evarts in his first solo piano album, which includes a touch of bodhran occasionally, that follows on from his previous highly acclaimed Water and Light, released in 2015 . The music is moody, ever-changing, pleasing and refreshing as if another presence is sitting beside Evarts on the piano stool as he is composing, adding a little here and a bit more there, to create a dreamy, relaxing and delightfully peaceful sound.

Over the years Evarts has performed across a range of genres, from jazz to rock, disco, and for change of style a Portuguese band, all of which is influential in his music. As a highly sought after musician he has performed with some of the greats such as Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) Mike Davis (Rolling Stones) and many, many more. He is also noted for his Chamber Music compositions, one of which was a finalist in the prestigious London Chamber Music Ensemble competition.

A Day on the Concord River introduces this melodic and pleasurable album as it meanders along with a delicious blues feel; drifting, mediative, and gentle with Dugong Dance a lovely continuance of this piece. Dancing along is Far and Away, a piece full of hope and joy, with a light and airy timbre.

A thoughtful and contemplative piece is discovered in Sunset Island, bringing in the mellow feelings of watching the sun sink gently below the horizon; the end of the day bathed in the glorious colours of the evening skies, a time of reflection and acceptance.

Home Again as the signature track is a jaunty little piece that signifies journeys end, home safely once again. Wedding at Sunrise arrives with a wonderful warmth of familiarity that makes it an immediate favourite with a lovely, almost ‘old fashioned’ air surrounding the composition.

Nine Mile Bridge is a slightly more sombre, introspective piece, measured and broody with intriguing highlights interspersed within the melody, almost the light dancing on the water under a bridge as it flows deep and intriguing.

The lovely and final piece The Good Life could easily be considered as a tribute to a life which has been rich and full. This stylish and gratifying collection demonstrates the immense understanding and passion Evarts has for and with his music which equals if not surpasses his first release, Water and Light.

September 16, 2018
Simply Styling: Fresh & Easy Ways to Personalize Your Home

The author has had many years’ experience in home decorating. In fact, she began organizing her own room when she was nine. The production of this book has been a compilation of her many ideas since then, and her many experiences in other people’s homes. Kirsten’s website’, “Simply Grove”, gives a lot more detail of her philosophy and her preferences, but this book looks at ways to smarten up your home without a great deal of money spent. It is more the style than the immediate décor that the author examines.

The book is set out in chapters for various areas. There is the Living room, Dining room, Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Entryway and Kid’s room. The chapter on the Living Room has been divided again into several sections. We look at coffee tables, sofas, walls, rugs, etc. Each of these inclusions into a room is looked at for purpose and design. The coffee table may have a throw put over it to change the outlook, or you may have a small collection of jars or books stored there. The shape and style of the table is discussed in relation to the TV set and the rest of the room. Each aspect of the living room is given this minute treatment and interesting ideas for change.

Much of the information given by Kirsten is very practical and would help people just moving into a home, or people who are settled but need to change things around. There are many full page illustrations, each showing different styles and ways of decorating. Many of the author’s tips are helpful when purchasing goods. When choosing a sofa, the upholstery needs to suit your home and your purpose. Here the emphasis is on functionality.

Gallery walls are quite complex to arrange, so we have steps to follow to complement your style. Family photos can be in a variety of frames, while black and white prints can give a classic look, especially when in a white or black frame. Shelves and rugs are also mentioned, and the types of rug to buy are mentioned for a specific area. Wool is good for high traffic areas, while cotton is strong, but gathers dirt. Many types of fabric are discussed and their suitability shown.

This is a wonderful book for your coffee table. The index gives you immediate access to information on “The Bathroom” and what you can have in there, as with all other rooms. Also at the back is a Glossary of places you can access, via websites, to look at their products. If you would like to look at wallpaper for example, there is a website which shows many designs and patterns.

A lovely book to browse and enjoy.

May 8, 2017
Grace & Style

Jewellery, how we look, the latest fashion for clothing and make-up form a very important part of growing up and learning how to fit into whatever lifestyle you choose.

With a wry, witty, zany sense of humour and a whole lot of tongue-in-cheek attitude, Grace Helberg takes a serious and not so serious look at the fun, disasters, down right catastrophes and moments when you simply wish the floor would open up and swallow you, preferably whole and instantaneously, as you search for your very own ‘style’.

She, in her own inimitable manner, introduces the subject of style, and what we think, personally think that is, about what makes style and how you go about getting or finding it!

As a teen moving into young adulthood she suffered an eating disorder, not quite anorexia, but a close run cousin to this debilitating condition. She realised it was all bought about by trying to be like her best friend, who was a whole lot slimmer. After finally realising she was the one with the issue, and thanks to meeting up with a young man she fell in love with, found her way out of the maze, then decided to work out just what image and finding it was all about.

One thing lead on to another and she is now a best-selling author, comedian, actor and television and U-tube personality, all because of STYLE!

In this look at what she considers her style and how to achieve the desired look, she also addresses the underlying issue of first discovering who you are, just how you really want to look, how to be comfortable and make the best shopping choices, at least some, sorry, most of the time.

As well there are a huge amount of seriously good tips, tricks of the trade and ideas on how to go about creating the ‘art of pretending you have it’, even when you are wearing your sweatpants down to the corner shop!

Grace takes a look at make-up, the latest trends, past trends and fashion must haves, hair and the many ways of dealing with a ‘bad hair’ day, which does relate to ‘what happened to my hair overnight’!! There is a great little Bad Hair Character Wheel to help you come up with just the right style for the day like Debonair Detective, the Face of Fitness, or Domestic Goddess and as a last resort, Animal from the Muppets; the choice will be yours.

The final chapters contain a marvellous ‘flow chart’ which goes with the Ten Commandments, the Eleventh Hour Inspirations and a serious section on ‘How to avoid the dreaded ‘Camel Toe’, which winds up this hugely zany, very serious, depending on how seriously you take finding your image, look at all the fashion and fun issues we have all had to work out, step by step, on our journey to achieving that mysterious thing called STYLE!

April 23, 2016
Love x Style x Life

This is a book about STYLE; that illusive thing that we all strive to achieve and yet can be so fleeting or simply on the never, never going to get there plan. But with well-known fashionista and blogger Garance Dore letting out her secret to success, and yes, STYLE, we can all benefit from taking a good look at the simple things that do add up to that classy little thing called STYLE.

Born on Corsica and raised in a family that believed in hard work and making the most of opportunities, Garance grew up to be a child who sort of thought she knew her own mind. Always conscious of her mother’s sense of style, inherited from her mother, she realised that it simply did not matter how much or how little you spent on your clothing, it was how you wore the finished articles that made the difference.

A simple scarf, a remade dress or coat, a recycled bag, all used with care, can add that little bit of pizazz to an outfit.

In her bubbly, comfortable manner she offers her tips on life, living and dressing. You feel like you have just sat down with your best friend over a coffee somewhere in the world, to have a discussion about life, love and all the other bits and pieces that make enjoyable chatter.

As a successful woman, Dore talks about the pathway she has trodden to get to where she is today. As a Uni student she lost the road she was supposed to be traveling, going off in whatever direction was the fad at the time, in her twenties she though this, her thirties, that and dressed accordingly.

Now as a successful woman she reflects back over the past twenty years, offering her tips and wisdom learned the hard way. By trying and failing over and over again, but always being honest about where she was at and what made the difference, she is now an illustrator, photographer and writer on fashion and style.

She talks frankly and enjoyably about her life as a young student setting out on the pathways to adulthood, the breaks and opportunities she eventually learned to grab with both hands, the people she has met and who have offered advice and help along the way, and the love of her life, a man met at a fashion show, a name in his area of fashion photography.

Whatever you think about fashion, about style, about life, you will enjoy this very, very French, very entertaining and light-hearted look at what makes the world go round, particularly in relation to developing your own style and following your dream, picking yourself up and dusting off after each lesson learned wherever it may take you.

December 15, 2015