Peek-a-boo courtesy of Mahogany. It’s bright red.

Okay, so we’re approaching the middle of January and the tree is still up. Sue me.

I’m off to Minnesota for the holiday season. I’ll also be undertaking an important photography project, which I’m very excited about.

I’ve had that cold that’s going around… you know the one. Nothing a day relaxing by the sea can’t fix.

There is some long-haul travel in my near future… I’m flying halfway across the world in about ten days’ time to meet a photo client in conjunction a top-secret photo project. It won’t be secret forever, though— I will definitely post photos here.

And no, I didn’t cut my hair short, it just looks like it in this picture.

I put the tree up today… bring it.

It’s hard to believe, but five years ago today this site started out as an experiment to see what sort of things I could share with the world regarding life in Antalya. I feel like I’m still very much in the experimental phase, and maybe I always will be, but I love the people I’ve met along the way, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the next five years will bring.

My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Long-time readers may remember my initial review of Bonbon Balm… well, I’ve just received my twelfth limited edition balm, and I love the set now just as much as I did when I first started collecting. Sadly, Bonbon has decided to cease production, which I’m sad about, but I’m still very glad to have this wonderful collection of handmade balms, along with the designer jars, which I’ll get to use over and over.

Now that it’s not hot anymore, it’s a great time of year to spend time at sidewalk cafés. Most have free wifi and almost all have great coffee, which is a nice change from five years ago when all you could get in Antalya was lukewarm Nescafé.

Sometimes it’s the little touches in decorating that make all the difference. I’m big on candleholders.

Self-portrait during a brief writing break.

Sunlight beaming through lucite as I sip iced coffee despite the cold and type, type, type.

Well, it’s that time of year again— our merry band of crazy NaNoWriMo participants is heading out of the starting gate, either with a bang or… not. As usual, I’ll be participating, and as usual, my novel has an element of the supernatural in it.

Why the candle? It’s part of my writing ritual. It keeps my creativity burning or something. Whatever, it works for me.

Best wishes to all the participating novelists! Let’s nail this thing.

I love travelling, even the parts where one has to have a sandwich and stale muffin for breakfast in the middle of the night. More on this particular trip tomorrow.

I, on the other hand, chose to escape the heat by freezing my legs in the stream. It was heavenly.

The weather’s starting to settle down a little, and it’s becoming possible to go out and do things again. It will only get better from here.

I had a lot of summer projects that are just finishing up, and now it’s time to begin on autumn ones, which are my favourites. All the best times of the year are coming up. Soon I’ll be putting away the summer clothes and venturing out during the day again. Right now, though, I’m taking some time to reflect on everything that’s happened so far this year, to process it and let it go and embrace the current season.

In many ways, September is the start of the new year for me. I think a lot of it has to do with the school year. When you’re a kid, September always means a fresh start, a new beginning. I like that feeling, and I like that it has stuck with me into adulthood. It makes me want to go out and buy some spiral notebooks and pens.

I have no idea why I thought turning on the oven in August would be a good idea, but I was in the mood for a baked meal and a savoury mushroom cobbler hit the spot. I have to admit, it was tasty, but it basically turned the entire house into an oven, which wasn’t terribly fun. I think I’ll wait for October to do any more baking.

After a whirlwind summer in which guests have been filtering in and out of the house in varying numbers since May, the last house guest is finally departing tomorrow. A lot of fun things have happened and many adventures have ensued over the past three months; I hope each of my guests has had as good a time here as I’ve had hosting them.

This may sound crazy, but when the weather gets ridiculous in July and August, one of my favourite things to do is get on a delightfully Arctic air-conditioned bus, preferably one that’s not very crowded, and just ride it around. I like choosing buses that are on a route I’m not particularly familiar with, so I can see parts of the city that are new to me while catching up with podcasts or the latest music from my favourite artists. I also like taking photos sometimes, but mostly I just enjoy the ride.

I bought myself a walnut wine rack a few weeks ago (my first sort of grownup furniture purchase), and now friends have been bringing me bottles of wine as gifts. Wonderful.

I’ve been entertaining quite a bit this summer. Cocktails all around.

I’ve also recently been reunited with the mask I bought in Venice. One of the ribbons has become dislodged but the mask itself is in perfect condition.

Recently I was sent a package containing some Catholic rosaries that my grandmother gave me when I was a very young child. I’d had them in storage in England but had decided I wanted to see them again, so I had them sent over. I’d forgotten how beautiful they are. They’re my only remaining physical connection to my grandmother.

A friend of mine made this gorgeous 108-bead mala for me out of tiger ebony and faceted garnets. It was a custom order and I absolutely love how it turned out.

I’m nothing if not forward-thinking. I always have trouble being patient until autumn.

I love how the Sigma turns portraits into bizarre caricatures.

A friend brought me these wonderful incense sticks from a recent trip to India. There are twelve different varieties and they all smell wonderful.

Photo of me by Sara Thorson; my edit.

Spring cocktails with good friends, fantastic.

Usually when I take photos at this time of day, it’s because I’m up early, not up late.