I’ll Cheer For You November 24, 2009

Winter’s a far more exciting season for accessories. The choice is endless. Scarves and snoods, mittens and gloves, arm warmers and colourful tights.

I found my perfect winter item in the form of Yokoo’s Pom Pom headband.  Check Yokoo’s Etsy store for winter warmers like the oatmeal soopascarf and the numerous cowlneck scarves. I love the quirky images and I know that I will be finding it difficult to limit myself to just this headband.

Now if only it would get properly cold. I would be able to wrap myself in lots of chunky knits cosily.

Holidays and Other Distractions November 23, 2009

I have been feeling guilty for neglecting the blog. A confession. I have a few new addictions. One is the game Doodle Jump and the other is wonderful Joy Orbison mix. The mix is an easier thing to be obsessed with as I can just listen to this on repeat and it does not really affect my life apart from the obvious joy I get streaming into my ears. Doodle Jump on the other hand has put my life on hold. Like a proper geek, I’ve quickly become very addicted to this game, playing it all the time, at any given chance.

I thought that I needed to cure this addiction but could not bring myself to delete the application from my phone. I have decided that tonight I will write about Porto and Lisbon.

At our first stop, Porto we regrettably had rain every day. Luckily the large number of confectioners meant that we could duck in and out of the rain for more pasteis de nata and quick cups of strong coffee or bica.  And even though chocolate umbrellas can’t really protect you from the rain, it can with a little imagination make you forget your soaking feet.

I found Porto an interesting destination. The city was so old and hilly. The architecture beautiful. We searched for youth, but kept finding old men in flat caps and walking sticks. In a club, we sat in the dancefloor next to a family. Three generations sitting together in a darkened club, illuminated only by the dancing lights from the giant disco ball. The DJ played something generic and other families peered in from the madly decorated bar. It was surreal and wonderful.

Our next stop was Lisbon, a city we knew would be very different. It even has its own Le Cool guidebook. We wouldn’t find clubs filled with small tots learning how to walk and greying men and women. We’d find bars that looked like crazy museums lit by  pak choy lampshades.

In Lisbon, we missed variety in our diet so we went in search of something different. It led us to near wild goose chases to find the Mozambican restaurant and later a Malaysian-inspired place called Cafe Malacca.

We pursued the cool in Barrio Alto and Principe Real but it was in Sintra where we found paradise (as described by Lord Byron) and a paper mache animal park. In Lisbon, the old and new sat together comfortably. Sprayed on tiles didn’t look out of place next to the originals that are so distinctively Portugese.

In Sintra we walked up the massive hill and were rewarded by the calm of the lake where a lone black swan was swimming in circles. The air was so fresh and the forest trees were alight with autumnal colours.

On our way to Belem we found the Museu Da Carris, a charming little museum dedicated to the trams!  In Belem we had the most delicious tarts in Antiga Confectaria de Belem. Here perfectly baked custard tarts are served with icing sugar and cinnamon. Each bite is perfectly flaky with a soft filling. I regret not taking photos of any tarts. There were so many petite cakes and tarts. I have never eaten so much pastry in my life. And I’ve also never enjoyed pastry this much.

We went to the wonderful Berardo Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and happily whiled away a few hours looking at the exhibitions on at the moment.

On one of the evenings we met a dapper man. He was so excited about the fact we lived in London that he repeatedly proclaimed “London is the best country in the world!”. This we found endearing and very amusing.

The main highlight of the trip was when we decided to seek out The Cape Verdean Association (Associação de Cabo-Verde, 8th floor at Avenida Duque de Palmela 2, tel. 21 353 1932). In the business district of Lisbon, in an 80s office block, we entered this grey building and into the lift with two men in suits, clearly on their office lunch breaks.

Together we rode up to the eight floor. As we approached the 6th floor, we started hearing music. The men got more and more animated.

The lift opened onto the 8th floor into a big dining hall, filled with people, laughing, eating and chatting. There was a band playing Afro-Portugese music and couples danced in the front. I have never felt so much happiness around me. My last memory of Lisbon was this busy hall filled with music, chatter and dance. And I can’t imagine a nicer way to end a holiday.

100 Colors, 100 Writings, 100 Days October 12, 2009

I saw this on Design Observer’s twitter and thought Rachel Berger’s project was so good, I had to blog about it.  I sat after dinner in the kitchen reading Rachel’s favourite forty paint chips.

The project is simple. For 100 days, she picked a paint chip noted the name of the colour and the number of the day (of 100) and responded to it by writing. Everyone knows that there is memory in scent, but a shade or tone of colour can also remind you of things. And it most certainly can influence moods and emotions.

Rachel’s writing is thoughtful. The kind of writing I love. There is a lot of personal experiences, quirky observation and some random facts. Everything that makes for great reading is here.

08 Candied Yams “I bought my first yam this week. I wanted sweet potatoes, which sound a bit friendlier, but the store didn’t have any. The yam is quite rooty, forever looking freshly pulled from the earth — something that is born, grows, and dies in darkness. It’s bumping around my cupboard now, rolling into view when I take out the sugar canister, tin of anchovies. It’s clumsy and bulky. I rudely shove it back, out of my way, further into the darkness.“

48 Moss Landing “Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion opens with a description of the frightening, dripping, verdancy of Oregon. It continues for many pages, and it’s all true. In Portland, moss grows on the roofs of the houses, ferns sprout from cracks in the sidewalk, even the best maintained streets and buildings are prone to sliding around during the dark wet winter. One time in college, I came home for a holiday, and there were huge gray mushrooms growing out of my bedroom carpet.“

52 Glacial Tint “I’m stranded at my father’s house, what Joanna calls “the Greenway Inn,” on Greenway Avenue, way up in the West Hills. It snowed all night and is snowing now. Seven, ten, thirteen inches. Never in my life has it snowed this much in Portland. When I describe the white carnage to people in Connecticut and New York, they are not nearly impressed enough. They think Portland is like I think Denver is, snowy, cold, mountainous. I was shocked when I finally visited Denver and it was flat and sunny.“

57 Cool Melon “Only three times in its hundred-year history has the Crayola company changed the name of a crayon. Prussian Blue became Midnight Blue in 1958 and Indian Red was renamed Chestnut in 1999, both in response to requests from educators. In 1962, the company voluntarily changed Flesh to Peach, partially in response to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.“

I urge you to read the full set of Rachel’s musings here.

Creamy White Ceramics. The New Green. October 11, 2009

Designs are best when they tick the aesthetic box and the functionality box. The best ones also come with a bit of humour.  Seletti’s Estetico Quotidiano is a great collection of ceramics modeled after throwaway objects of the modern world.

Consider the milk carton, the sardine or anchovy tin and the egg carton.  While you may recycle these objects, the shapes of these everyday objects have been designed to serve its purpose in the best way. Now they can have a permanent room in your kitchen.

I wonder if this collection was inspired by Rob Brandt’s crinkle cup. Whatever it is, Seletti have taken ceramics to a new level and I love it!

Two by Two October 6, 2009

Keetra Dean Dixon creates magical art in the vein of Miranda July. Just Between You and Me features various objects that require co-dependency. I especially love the objects above. The glasses you wear to see eye to eye would definitely help reach compromises. The shadowing shoes = hugwalks and the balloons that take two to blow up.  Now that it’s getting colder, I am feeling rather romantic and daydream of walks on fallen leaves, wrapped in layers with the boy.

On the topic of sharing and togetherness, I recently spotted the Loving Cup by Maria Lintott Ceramics. The double handled cup  makes it easy to pass hot drinks, which will make it perfect for when it gets colder. While you’re on the website, check out the moustache-protector cups too!

You’re A Mug! A Moustachioed One! October 1, 2009

My love for moustaches is well-known. Guy sent me this link. Peter Bruegger’s mugs come with a different moustache on each side. At £11.95 a pop for this wonderful piece of disguise it is guaranteed to brighten up mornings.

I can’t wait to get my hands on all of them!

Sweet Endings and a Happy Meal September 11, 2009

I love mixing things up. So when the opportunity came to make some cupcakes to look like a happy meal… it was too good to resist.

Sarah came to visit and we baked. The result is the above. Hamburger cupcakes and sugar cookie fries.

Chocolate brownie is sandwiched in between Vanilla cupcake. Attention to detail meant toasting some sesame seeds and scattering them on the top bun; using coloured icing for the lettuce and cheese and jammy jelly for ketchup.

A Happy Meal is a Sweet Ending.

Weekend Away: Paris August 26, 2009

I have always dreamed of being in a band. And when I was in Paris at the weekend, we spotted this on the ground, outside my favourite shop in Montmatre.

I’ve been to Paris a few times now, but have never seen any of the cemetries there. We went to Cimitiere Montparnasse because I wanted to see Jean Seberg’s tombstone. It was very sunny that day. And she was nowhere in sight.

I found Serge Gainsbourg’s instead.  His was filled  with cigarettes, metro tickets other curiousities like this Bob charm.

It was a funny coincidence as only two days ago, my friend Siobhan was telling us how she liked the name Bob. We decided that the Bob in Twin Peaks was one Bob we didn’t like.

The best thing about being away is having the time to walk about. I remember when I lived in Edinburgh thinking that it was lacking a river. Having a river = having bridges. Bridges make a city very pretty.

Walking around a city is the best way to discover hidden gems. Nothing is better than stumbling upon a spot of beauty.

Or spotting the prettiest petits fours. When travelling, breakfast can be long and leisurely. Not unlike a weekend brunch. We had a breakfast of freshly baked breads. We were served a selection of yummy jams and nutella. Mmm..

I like revisiting cities that I love. You end up with a list of favourite places. Almost like you lived in that city.  In Paris, a favourite gallery is the Fondation Cartier.

The exhibition we saw was Grafitti- Born on the Streets. On the way out, we spotted a bunch of grafitti artists tagging a wall propped up in front of the building. It was a nice touch by the curators.

Touch Wood August 13, 2009

A trip to Edinburgh is never complete without a cheeky stop in The Red Door Gallery on Victoria Street.  On my first evening back in London I found myself trawling the interweb and found myself on their blog. I saw many lovely items and spotting the wooden ipod by Josh D led me thinking about other wooden wonders.

I love the use of wood in modern products. As a material that is losing its place to plastic, what I found was that there were many out there who yearned for the aesthetics of wood. I love plastic for its transparence and colours that pop; but wood is like the quiet, natural beauty. Like a girl who does not wear much make-up and doesn’t need to.

On the electronic/gadget front, I found the Ki-Board DIY kit by Hacoa a wood products dealer.

While the ipod and the keyboard are digital products, Lightning Heat has turned her analogue christmas decoration into a cool brooch.

Sniffle Co. is awooden haven with the cutest wooden brooches and buttons. My favourite is the woody Woody Allen.

Wide Eyed July 31, 2009

I discovered this amazing website yesterday, a real treasure trove, full of delights especially so if you have to buy a present for a baby. Bianca and Family also restore furniture. Look at the beautiful school desks that were featured on Apartment Therapy.

The magnets above reminded me of a few things which I’ve seen that are as kitsch and I love. I went to Saigon earlier this year and spotted the selection of toys below.

Last week I went to see Walking In My Mind and was delighted to look into Yoshitomo Nara’s student shack and his display of toys and dolls.

What I really want to get is these earrings from Les Nereides’s diffusion line, N2 which are also available as a brooch and cute hair grips.

But if wearing kitsch is not for you, there is always decoration. This wallpaper from Nono fits the bill.

Or buy this beautiful tree designed by Millicent & Frank. Although I think it’s the little deers that complete the look.