Strap in: the Fyre Festival is back for a second bin-fire

Giveaways will be back next week

Today’s Substack is the newsletter equivalent of a micro-mini – short and sweet. : )

I’m busy working on things behind the scenes, so an abbreviated version of Becks and the City today will mean good things down the track.

Also, can I heartily recommend that you never approach a computer update with an optimistic thought along the lines of ‘I’m sure it’ll only take a few minutes’ when you have anything you need to do for the rest of the day? I made that mistake this arvo with a Mac update and it elevated my anxiety levels quite significantly. Lesson learned… until the next time, of course.

Have a splendid week.

xx

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News

1.     Steven Bradbury’s come-from-behind victory in the 2002 is still my favourite Olympic moment ever. If you’ve never seen it, catch this little compilation of his races in his quest for gold here, including his great moment of victory in the final:

Now he’s a hero in a whole new way, receiving a bravery award for rescuing four girls from drowning. Love ya, Stevo. A true Aussie hero.

2.     The Fyre Festival is back. Repeat: THE FYRE FESTIVAL IS BACK. I’ve only just recovered from that Netflix special on the complete shemozzle that was Billy McFarland’s first attempt at a high-end music festival on a tropical island. It remains the wildest doco I’ve ever watched. Turns out, Billy’s back for a do-over and so many customers are willing to pay to give him a second chance… or get a close-up gander at the implosion as it happens. Look, I hope he makes amends and people get their money’s worth, but somehow I smell another Netflix special on the horizon and I’m not complaining one bit.

Reviews

1.     Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas is a novel about an oceanside love affair, and although it’s melancholy and Lucas’s descriptions have you imagining you’re right there with the main character, I found I was left feeling more cosy than sad, which is what you want, really. It’s written in quite a literary way but is still accessible and carries a momentum urging you to read on, with its short chapters and a sense that you’re never really sure where it’s going. Recommended for taking on a wintery beach retreat or if you’d like to recreate that feeling of the wind and salty droplets battering at the windows while you’re curled up by the fire.

2.     I received a small tub of Soap & Glory Flake Away spa body polish in a recent MECCA Beauty Loop box. My favourite exfoliating concoction from the brand is the breakfast scrub, which has an unbeatable brown-sugary smell that is perfect for winter. This one contains shea butter and apricot seed powder and is pretty much the summery equivalent. The granules are nicely exfoliating without being too abrasive and it has a pleasant citrus-crossed-with-perfume whiff to it. I might buy this one in future when I want to smell like a fruit platter rather than my morning meal.

What I’m Feelin’ Right Now

• Leaf motifs on gold rings and bracelets

• Making art while the sun shines

• ‘Vienna’ by Gretta Ray

• A peach-grey-and-white colour palette

• Reinvigorating my wardrobe with new work-appropriate spring buys, especially denim-hued ones

• Making a pina colada pavlova

• Red-plated earrings

• Printed palazzo pants

Giveaway

Last week’s giveaway, Knife Drop by Nick DiGiovanni, was won by Karen Devenport. Enjoy, Karen! I’ve emailed you.

Giveaways are taking a breather and will return next week.

Playlist of the Week

You’re flying to New York in five days: