Splish Splosh!

I adore these minimen jewellery that Frédérique Conte has created. I stumbled upon these when I clicked on a link to Howkapow, a wonderful online design shop which sells many other lovely things including Lucy’s  graphic scarves (which is how I came upon this gem).  Seeing as summer is on the horizon and I am feeling it particularly more as I’m away in Kuala Lumpur where temperatures are well above 30° C, I have found the swimmers collection rather refreshing and the humour in these designs uplifting (check Nikki about to go skinny dipping!).  I tried to find more information on the designer all I could find out is the little write up on the Howkapow website.  Shops like Tombée du Camion do sell minimen like these. Guy and I are off to Langkawi soon and I cannot wait to be splish sploshing soon!

Deep Geometric Gems

This weekend I fell in love with Glass Candy’s new single and also with Lorena’s embroidered wonders. Unfortunately for me, Glass Candy’s only gig in London is while I’m away and Lorena is moving so her shop is closed for a week.

I’ve always loved geometrical shapes. These hand embroidered designs in various guises of pyramids, cubes, triangles, oblongs in the prettiest colours make such beautiful pieces. I cannot wait for Spinthread to open up again so I can get at least one of these masterpieces around my neck. I am thinking it’ll be one of the bigger, conversational pieces like the cubic bib above.

Backed with dainty lace and hand embroidered, I will probably find it difficult to resist playing with the geometric shapes knowing that I’ll enjoy running my fingers across these shapes.

Wear The Wild Ones Are

I’ve been hunting down some jewellery and would like to get my claws on these ones.

Zoe & Morgan‘s Who Loves Wins, AW09 collection is filled with spiders, lions and foxes for the brave-hearted.

Following the success of Tatty Devine’s Tiger necklace, a limited edition for winter has been launched. The White Tiger is the wildcat for me.

Who’s Next has just announced their Young Designers Winners list. The winners will have a chance to show in January, for free. On this list is Lena Klax. Her colourful polar bear necklaces come with detachable paw bracelets. I like the coral coloured one best. I am looking forward to seeing the pieces at the next Who’s Next.

Wide Eyed

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.

I felt hearts and monsters

What started as a lazy Sunday afternoon project to help Guy with a pitch, turned on a switch in me and from the little felt heart pins above, I decided to try out something else. I already had the stuffing, all I needed was a sit down with a needle and some thread.

I was going to make a monkey but as I was making it, it became a little monster holding a felt heart. A friendly monster. A love monster.

ColouRING

I’ve been meaning to blog about these crayon rings for awhile now.  I found some time today to do so. They are designed by Timothy Liles a Boston based designer whose day job is with Converse.

These rings are cast in washable crayon and are sold as a set of 8 and available to buy onThe Future Perfect. Great for the sudden creativity attack and for making like a kid again and drawing on some walls.

Fold Here

Origami is mathematical magic. With a few precise and determined folds, paper can be turned into boxes, animals, flowers and anything else you can think of.  One of the appeals of origami is of course the pretty paper that look like they could be swatches for beautiful kimono fabric. But for today I would like to throw some shapes your way.

I’ve dabbled and mostly failed in origami. The only thing I managed to learn was how to fold a crane. It still didn’t stop me from thinking about where we can go with origami. Fashion designers have used origami pleats and folds to create interesting lines and give detail to their creations.

I’ve picked out ones I like best, including a Roland Mouret top that is on sale on net-a-porter and a John Galliano gown with origami cranes. On the other end of the spectrum, Gareth Pugh’s AW08/09 collection goes beyond origami cranes to create his designs that have been nicknamed scarigami.

And if you rather have some origami jewellery, Parisians Claire Naa and Arnaud Saulignac have designed some amazing pieces. My favourite is perhaps the gold rhinoceros pendant below.

All The Jazz

I have a confession to make. I am an apple snob. Always have been, always will be. I remember the horrid little apples that were always in the Children’s Day goodie bag. I used to give them away and I am thankful that I am never to see those awful Washington apples again.

The problem with apples that don’t quite make the mark is the powder-like texture. Crunchiness is crucial to deliciousness in apples.

Pink Lady apples were a favourite for awhile but are now in second place to the snazzily named Jazz apples. Initially only sold in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s now offer them with a 1/3 off promotion, which means these crunchy, juicy apples are now available at a friendly-to-the-pocket price. Both Jazz and Pink Lady varieties not only taste great but look very rosy.

With the temperatures rising and dropping, I have been eating quite a lot of apples. I’ve enjoyed biting into a Jazz apple when it’s sunny and finding a pot of Zuivelhoeve yoghurt with apple and cinnamon compote very heartwarming and soothing with temperatures have dropped. This yoghurt is so delicious that upon discovering it, I have appointed myself as an apple and cinnamon yoghurt evangelist.

When I think of quite ordinary fruits like apples and pears, I think of how simple and inspiring these fruits are in design. From the yellow apples on my black patent shoes to my Orla Kiely grey pear print duvet cover. I remember obsessing over a pear pendant that was sold on day-lab but they’ve stopped shipping internationally, I was unable to buy it. I looked at the site today again and found some other lovely apple and pear necklaces.

As a fan of wearing fruity jewellery, I admit that fruits as inspiration work best as kitchen products. I love Yoyo Ceramics‘ kitchen tidy. Sold as a pair of an apple and a pear, they are available in four colours and will brighten anyone’s kitchen or even dressing table.

Luckily for me, working for Orla Kiely means being surrounded by print. The pear print is a favourite and I often reach out for the green apples and pears mug to have my coffee in and it pleases me ever so much, each time.

Wiff Waff, I love Ping Pong

I love the Chinese characters or Kanji for Ping Pong for self-loving reasons and also the quirkiness of it. My surname Khew is the same character without the stroke at the bottom. The word Ping is only different because of the direction of the stroke. Ping to the left and Pong to the right. Without those strokes, you get the surname Khew.

The last time I was home I took away with me a cute little sauce plate that is Chinese in origin. It had a little boy holding a ping pong paddle. This time round, I spotted my mum using a little bowl from the same set as the sauce plate. The bowl is decorated with four kids (two girls and two boys) playing a game of ping pong.  It immediately reminded me of these cute little earrings I spotted in Tatty Devine recently.

I was interested in looking at what other items were out there that were inspired by this very simple game. I found the following two items which I liked. This ping pong lamp is a nice environmentally-friendly creation and is made from used ping pong balls and is available from Studio Kleefstra.

This ping pong table is a great design remix that doubles up as a work station. Inspired by the design on a pair of Paul Smith shoes designed by Hunn Wai . I especially love the lace that’s been used as a net on the table below.

He has since designed another ping pong table that goes back to its roots and doubles up as a dining table. I looked up the history of ping pong to discovered that ping pong has its origins as an after-dinner amusement in Victorian England, mimicking the game of tennis. Every day objects like books, champagne corks, balls of string and cigar box lids were used to play ping pong (once known as wiff waff).

I can’t really play ping pong but have always found this fairly amusing to watch. If you fancied watching a film about Ping Pong, seek this. Music lovers I recommend Michelle Plays Ping Pong by Daisy Daisy.

Bright Like Neon Love

My love for neon comes and goes. No, what I want to say is my love for neon washes over me like a big wave and it simmers down. And then it comes back again.

My love for neon has been reignited by a recent trip to Primark and finding this neon plimsolls. Perhaps it was the recent post about jelly that reminded me of the joy in seeing neon colours on things.

Designers have dabbled with neon here and there. Influenced and inspired by highlighter pens there has been plenty of bright offerings over the seasons, usually around Spring/Summer seasons.  One of my favourite rings is a neon pink acrylic diamond by AMT.

I love Paul Smith‘s summer scarf offering in highlighter green, pink and yellow available from My Wardrobe. New York Magazine raved about  Michael Kors neon outfit on the runway but what caught my eye were the shoes. That neon toecap is very nice.

My favourite neon item is a folded purse from Orla Kiely which is completely sold out from a few seasons ago. I managed to get hold of the flat purse in the sample sale but will not rest until I find the oversized patent yellow leather folded purse with a kisslock coin section. Marc Jacobs seems to introduce neon bags on and off again.

Susie Bubble had a few months ago experimented with some neon pompom balls under a sheer dress. It looks amazing and a nice way to introduce some fluoro to jazz up (or should I say electro-fy) an outfit.

The choices are endless with neon. Whether you want a full on neon outfit (I have in my wardrobe an excellent neon yellow Hoss tank top and an asymmetrical neon pink top) or you just wanted to inject a little fluoro-power (accessories are great), there’s something out there. I quite like simple black dresses brightened up with neon tights.

And when you’re walking about have a listen to Cut Copy’s Bright Like Neon Love.