to celebrate today’s 45th anniversary of the film mary poppins (one of the best, sweetest movies ever!) mrs. jones would like to call out to her own personal imaginary magical nanny, jocasta innes.  whenever i am feeling (like young jane banks) a little stuck, frustrated, and/or panicked, the books i pull from the shelf for advice, techniques and color formulas are jocasta’s.  her knowledgeable presence comes through in every word of paint magic, the new paint magic, and decorator’s handbook (which are, of course, all the better when read to yourself in a keep-calm-and-carry-on british accent).

 here is a typical spoonful of sugar from paint magic (p. 173, rev. ed.):

“for any piece…of quality, or of potential to be developed, a really painstaking professional paint finish is the most substantial step toward the wished-for transformation.  slow it may be, but not boring.  there is a keen, sensuous pleasure, which experience confirms, in doing a thing thoroughly and well.”

so even if you choose to just go fly a kite today, or to feed the birds, please have a thought for nanny poppins and mrs. innes, and do it thoroughly and well.