Summer Days!

Summer Days!

Summer Days are Here Again!

Warm, long days… sun sparkling over the sea… the sound of waves…gentle breezes… pale cornfields and poppies… it’s the time of year we start to play our favourite summer hits, both pop and classical. They just don’t sound right at any other time of the year. Take the Isley Brothers (or indeed the original Seals and Croft version!) song ‘Summer Breeze’. The soft sweeping jazz harmonies perfectly evoke the warm sun. drenched landscapes and sea breezes. Classical music too – the lush orchestration of Frederick Delius’s ‘Song of Summer’ and “Walk to the Paradise Garden’ paint perfectly the rambling greenery, dappled sun through the trees, flowers and birdsong. Delius did, of course, move to Grez sur Loing with his wife, Jelka, where the garden there was a creative haven and inspiration for him. Like the Isley Brothers, the music of Delius just doesn’t sound right played in cold winter weather!  Why not get in touch and tell us your ‘strictly summer only’ favourites?

     

    Six Quotes about Cooking

    Six Quotes about Cooking

    Six Quotes about Cooking

    Image by Sergio Carabajal (pixabay)

    Hungry? You will be…

    …after reading these delicious quotes – enough to invite your friends and neighbours for a grand cook-in. Missed out any of your favourite foodie quotes? Drop us a line and we’ll include them in our next round on all things tasty in the kitchen.

    1. “I cook with wine… sometimes I even add it to the food” — W.C. Fields

    2. “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast” — John Gunther

    3. “Cooking isn’t merely a task, it is a journey of the soul. Each dish is a canvas painted with your emotions, memories and love”— Melanie Burkett

    4. “A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness”  —  Elsa Schiaparelli

    5. “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all” — Harriet Van Horne

    6. “Your opinion is not in the recipe” — Anon.

    We think that last one takes the biscuit (‘scuse the pun..!) and am sure will get plenty of heads nodding. Now if you’ll excuse us, it’s mealtime…

    Bon appetit!

    Our Top 10 Quotes of Picasso

    Our Top 10 Quotes of Picasso

    Our top 10 Quotes by Picasso

    Image by John Bonham

    Today (April 8th) is the anniversary of Picasso’s death in 1973.

    We love Picasso here at toneQuote. He was such a rebel, breaking all the rules, defying convention. Where would modern art be without him?

    To commemorate his death (and celebrate his life) we offer our 10 most favourite quotes by the great man. And be absolutely certain – we sure found it difficult to limit the quotes to just 10!

     Our 10 favourite Picasso Quotes

    1. “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist”

    2. “Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth”

    4. “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”

    5. “It took me my whole life to learn to draw like a child”

    6. “Everything you can imagine is real”

    7. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”

    8. “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not”

    9. “It takes a long time to become young”

    10. “I do not seek – I find.”

    Food for thought…

    So many more we could have included. We’ll have to do another list at some point. Hope you enjoy these for now!

    Six Quotes about Cake

    Six Quotes about Cake

    Six Quotes about Cake

    Illustration by Vicki Hamilton

    It’s Friday, it’s 5 0 clock and it’s cake time!

    It doesn’t have to be Friday. It doesn’t have to be 5 o clock either. Any day, any time is cake time! Put the kettle on and enjoy a cuppa and slice with our favourite quotes on the joy of cake!

    1. “The glory of cake: sampled delicately with a tea-spoon or grabbed firmly with both hands, cake is nothing but a wonder of human endeavour” — Annie F Deichmann

    2. “Cakes are healthy too, you just eat a small slice” — Mary Berry

    3. “Cake for later, cake as a way of life!”— Laini Taylor

    4. “If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!”  —  C.Joybell.C

    5. “Cake is the sweetest form of art” — Unknown

    6. “A party without cake is just a meeting” — Julia Child

    Some closing thoughts…

    Some would say baking cakes is a creative outlet that acts as a love language… it’s certainly a way to express care, sharing warmth and sweetness with family and friends. And let’s face it, nothing beats the smell of a cake in the oven…

    Time to get baking..!

    Six Quotes about Gardening

    Six Quotes about Gardening

    Six Quotes about Gardening

    Illustration by Bianca VanDijk

    ‘Tis the Season to be Digging!
    Our Favourite Quotes about Gardening

    What better time to grab a spade and get down and dirty! And we’re not alone in our thinking! Here are 6 of our favourite quotes on gardens and gardening by some great minds:

    1. “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun and heart with nature” — Alfred Austin

    2. “In every garden there is a child who believes in the seed fairy” — Robert Brault

    3. “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness;  it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust”— Gertrude Jeklyll

    4. “Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint and the soil and sky as canvas”              —  Elizabeth Murray

    5. “To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves” — Mahatma Gandhi

    6. “Gardens are not made by singing ‘How Beautiful’ and sitting in the shade” — Rudyard Kipling

    What inspiration to go outdoors and make a start!

    We love these quotes because wherever we live, as humans the experience of tending a garden helps us feel connected with eachother as well as nature. We’re all dependent on, and in fellowship with, the earth, the soil, the seasons, sun and rain. We also share the same feelings of frustration, joy, surprise and reward from the results of our endeavours and hard work too.

    So lets all pull on our wellies and get out there!

    Illustrations by Steffi Ihrig