And so, another month is nearly over.  I can scarcely believe how quickly 2014 is whipping by.  It’s time for another Things I Love Thursday post.

This week I love:

– Cooler weather.  The temperature has dropped quite a bit over the last week.  It’s certainly not cold yet, but there is a chilly nip to the morning air and I’ve needed to pop an extra blanket on my bed at night.  It’s a nice reprieve from the mega-hot weather, but I’m not ready to dust off my winter woollies just yet.

– Walking over the bridge and drinking in the sunshine and the peaceful atmosphere in that part of town.

– Almond and orange cake.  Divine.

– Watching travel documentaries and feeling the bite of the travel bug.

– Putting all my brooches on display.  Last weekend I used some leftover yarn to make this little panel to hang my brooches from.  I have a great collection of brooches but  I don’t seem to wear them very often.  I’m hoping that if I have them hanging where I can see them I’ll be more inspired to work them into my outfits.

– Making curried sausages.

– Laughing out aloud at my cats doing their nightly ninja routines.

– Making Money by Terry Pratchett.  It’s the funniest book that I’ve read in a long time.

– Finally getting my hands on a copy of the film The Witches.  It was one of my favourite Roald Dahl books when I was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to see the film.  But it is ridiculously hard to get in Australia.  But this week I managed to find it and I’m so excited to check it out.  Not only is it based on an awesome book, it stars Anjelica Huston and has creature effects done by Jim Henson’s workshop.  I bet I’ll love it.

– Breaking my friend Tom’s brain by sharing some disturbing ponderings about Beauty and the Beast.  For example:

* Are ALL of the household objects enchanted?  Was the toilet once some poor household servant that now has to (literally) put up with all of the Beasts’ crap?

*Cogsworth mentions that the curse has been in place for 10 years, but Chip the teacup is clearly a little boy.  How did he come into being?  Did Mrs Potts procreate somehow?

* Why does the Beast have a wardrobe filled with women’s clothes that are exactly Belle’s size?

* If the curse has been in place for 10 years, and it will become permanent when the Beast is 21, that means he was about 11 when he was cursed by the witch.  Where are his parents?  Surely he doesn’t live alone in that huge house (save for all his servants).  And if he does, wouldn’t it be entirely reasonable for an 11-year-old boy to refuse to let a strange woman into his house in the absence of his parents?

These are the kinds of things that I think about when I watch films.  I am a chronic over-thinker.

-Gorgeous emails and messages from friends when I’m feeling down.

– Drinking pear cider in bed.  Because I can.

– The art of Sam Staughton.  There’s an exhibit of his art at our local gallery and I went to check it out last Saturday.  I was blown away.  Many of his paintings are of city scenes, and feature things like abandoned side-streets, couriers and car-park employees taking a smoke break.  They tend to highlight everyday scenes that we all encounter, but don’t give much thought to.  I found his paintings mesmerizing, and spent ages marveling over hidden details and nuances in the pictures.

What do you love this week?  Don’t be shy, feel free to share.