Home, "like falling in love"

Living Etc. A lovely pink kitchen

The first thing that occurred to me when I first saw India Knight's home is that she's one gutsy lady when it comes to decorating.

Pink everywhere, flowers, kid's artwork, holiday lights, and lots and lots of trinkets and items. There seems to be no restraint, and somehow this leads me to believe that this is how this mother of three lives life, with gusto.

Living Etc. Flavia del Pra lamp

Living Etc. Books and travel souvenirs abound in the home of this British writer

Living Etc. India Knight's bedroom

Living Etc. Even the guest bedroom in this North London home features pink

“I knew as soon as I stood in the hallway of this happy, airy space that it was destined to be ours," India tells LivingEtc. magazine, which featured her home in their March 2009 issue. "It was like falling in love.”

And that's exactly as it should be, don't you think?

I thought this made the home an especially apt one to feature just a couple weeks before Valentine's Day. Check out the full slideshow tour at Living Etc. here. You can find India Knight's blog, full of all sorts of interesting design finds, here.

Britain's new poet laureate

"Poetry's all about imagination, about looking at the ordinary and transforming it; it almost has a Midas touch."

-- Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's newly named royal poet, first woman to hold the post in its 341-year history

The Guardian newspaper

It will be interesting to see how Carol, a poet acclaimed by critics and the public alike, handles her responsibilities to the monarchy in her new post. The inventive poet is known for using humor and satire in writing about everything from housewives to Elvis.

A news story over the weekend in the Los Angeles Times says she was torn about taking the position, which requires her to muse about royal events during her 10-year tenure. The deciding factor? Her 13-year-old daughter, Ella, who reportedly told her, "Yes, Mummy, there's never been a woman."

The writer, who has also written plays, poems and books for children, says she will use her stipend of about $8,600 USD to fund a prize for young poets.

To read Carol's official biography, including a critique of her work, go to the British Council Arts Group. For a closer look, I would recommend reading a lively profile of Carol written by British writer Jeanette Winterson. And, if you're interested in more, go to TheNew York Times for a comprehensive round-up of her work and for a link to a BBC radio interview of her.