I could not resist setting up this still life today, a beautiful flower from Grandiflora a fabulous vase from Mosantimetre and soft linen napkins from The Stanley Supply Store.
I love my neice Jess. She has always been a bright light! xxx
I love getting on the boat in Mytilene and crossing the Aegean sea to Ayvalik. I went again yesterday it was another day trip and again not long enough. Next time I am staying overnight, there is just so much to enjoy there and I always come back inspired.
Walking around the village I am struck how the colours of nature are reflected in the fabric of our homes. My Greek Island Home http://www.penguin.com.au/lantern/authors/claire-lloyd
Finally I am sitting down to say thank you M&C Saatchi. Just before Christmas my friend Tom McFarlane suggested I come into the agency and bring my book, My Greek Island Home to sell in their fab canteen. Tom said it was the perfect Christmas gift. He spoke to the lovely Victoria Uriarte and asked her to come up with something tasty for lunch, with a Greek twist. I set myself up in the corner like a proper saleswoman and enjoyed meeting and chatting to various agency folk that came through the door. It was a lovely thing to do everyone was so friendly, a great atmosphere. The food was just yummie, Victoria really went to town. Slow roasted stuffed leg of lamb, chicken poached in red wine with olives, spanakopita, roasted chat potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, Greek salad, tzatziki, green beans with almond’s, figs baked in fig leaves with ricotta and honey, honey soaked vanilla cake with sesame seeds and poached peaches with crushed pistachios and honeyed yoghurt. As you can see from the photos there were smiles all around. What a great place to work, if I worked there I’d never go home. Thank you Tom and Victoria and thank you to all those who purchased a copy of My Greek Island Home, I hope you all enjoyed it!
I LOVE these hand made brushes. I photographed them at a friends house when I was in London recently. They are from The Stanley Supply Store, http://thestanleysupplystore.com
My good friend, photographer John Mason, www.johnmasonphoto.com has just been to Cuba and this is one of the images he sent me this morning. I want to go NOW! I love the dappled light and the colours are so intense. John was one of the first photographers I used when I moved to London, many years ago. I had admired his brilliant work featured in ‘The World of Interiors’ magazine, from afar, when I worked on Australian Vogue. He was always fun to work with because he never took things to seriously. Sometimes that drove me mad because he specialised in tormenting me too. I remember our first trip, we were shooting a car for Vauxhall and the number plates were sent separately. When I started attaching the number plates I noticed one was white and one was yellow. I was so freaked out that they had sent odd plates I could hardly breath with stress and told John. John strung me along to a point where I almost had to be slapped I was so hysterical. Then he told me to look at all the cars around me and yes, they all had one yellow and one white plate. I was so green, and taking my job so seriously, he thought it the funniest thing. I didn’t speak to him for the rest of the day. John is threatening to sail to Lesvos on his boat, has been for years, I’m not holding my breath. Thanks John for this beautiful image and for some great laughs on some great jobs.
So exciting, on my dog walk today I saw the first poppies of the year! Whilst those of you in Northern Europe are freezing your sox’s off, here on ‘My Greek Island Home’ we are getting some lovely sunny days and at 18 degrees outside I can walk without a coat. In the garden hyacinths and camellias are opening up and along the track, leading out of the village there are tiny, tiny, delicate, deep mauve, wild flowers bursting up through the soil. Spring is here. I won’t shout to loudly as you never know when there could be a change. I don’t expect we are over the winter quite yet but I am enjoying these days a lot.
Good news for all those who have been asking where they can purchase my latest book, ‘My Greek Island Home’. It is now available on pre order from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Island-Home-Claire-Lloyd/dp/1921382589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362833571&sr=8-1&keywords=my+greek+island+home and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greek-Island-Home-Claire-Lloyd/dp/1921382589/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362835578&sr=1-1 This book is a very personal account of living in a village, on a Greek Island.It’s about the importance of community and the generosity of people. It’s about leaving behind a city life and finding joy in a simple life, surrounded by nature, animals and warm local people. There are stories of daily experiences and also a few of my new friends recipes. It has been the most wonderful experience documenting life here and I hope all those who have the chance to read it thoroughly enjoy it.