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This Sydney Life

Monthly Archives: April 2012

Jonathan Adler – fabulously fun but perhaps not quite quirky!

30 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Retail

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Arts, culture, Cushions, Design, Dogs, Furniture, Homewares, Interior design, Jonathan Adler, Lifestyle, Peru, Rugs, Shopping, VAses

I know – his work is perhaps a tad too mainstream to be considered quirky, particularly for you Northern Hemisphere dwellers, but hear me out… I spotted these Jonathan Adler Williamsburg vases the other day and added them to my wee list of ‘things I like’.

As with so many things, when you change the context, you introduce a new perspective.  Forget they are a fabulously-fun-yet-not-quite-quirky Jonathan Adler design… NOW, might they look the teeniest bit quirky?

Jonathan Adler Utopia Williamsburg Vase
A little bit of whimsy for US$38 for the pair
(You can buy them here)
His and hers, no less!

Following on from that find, I thought it only reasonable to take a decent squizz at the flamboyant Mr Adler’s site.  You know what? – he’s got some funky stuff. If its been a while since you popped your head in, let me share a few things that tickled my wee fancy….

Jonathan Adler Zebra Rug - in orange
Hand loomed llama's wool rug from Peru at US$995
(You can buy them here)
Who knows where I would put it but its ORANGE!!! (or black, pink, red, turquoise, green...)

Jonathan Adler leather Terrier
Handcrafted from full grain leather at US$695
(You can buy them here)
Or, maybe you'd prefer a hippo' or pig or elephant or rhino'?

Jonathan Adler embroidered 'Specs Case' - in green
Handmade wool needlepoint for US$42
(You can buy them here)
I suspect it makes me officially old that I even need to consider a specs case...

Jonathan Adler Walnut Claude Special Edition Gossip Bench Set
You can stack or reconfigure to your hearts desire. This one for US$1,890
(You can order one here)
These are limited edition collectors editions and - forget the exorbitant shipping costs - I have no-where in my home to put one. DAMN IT!!!

Jonathan Adler Mod Love Cushion
Spread the love with needlepoint at US$175
(You can buy them here)
This design is also available as a footstool. Perhaps not together, though... too matchy, matchy, matchy!

I even quite like the Jonathan Adler manifesto.  Who doesn’t appreciate a brand that has the audacity to state, “We believe that when it comes to decorating, the wife is always right. Unless the husband is gay.“? Or, what about, “We believe tassels are the earrings of the home“? What do you reckon’?

The VW Campervan Tent almost makes me want to go camping…

28 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Travel

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Campervan, Campgrounds, Camping, Design, Gifts, Humour, Outdoors, Recreation, Recreation and Sports, Shopping, style, Tent, Volkswagen


It’s almost enough to make a confirmed city-girl like me consider camping…

You’ll be the envy of all your camping (and non-camping) buddies when you whip this wee beauty out.

Featuring:

  1. 1:1 Scale – exactly the same size as the original VW Campervan and officially licensed by VW.
  2. 2 large double rooms, separated by zips. Will sleep 4 adults.
  3. Opening doors in the same style as the original campervan.
  4. Inner compartments that separate via fly sheet doors.
  5. A choice of 3 colours – blue, red or green.

If you decide you would like one of these beauties, or if you’d like to learn more, get thee to Firebox.com where, upon payment of the very reasonable price of £299.99 you can have the VW Campervan Tent delivered to your door! So much cheaper than the original!

Sadly, it doesn’t feature a flush loo or a shower, the two primary reasons this blogger may not rush out to purchase her own VW Campervan Tent.

(All images sourced from here)

Lisa Solomon & her Hybrid World

27 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Art

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Colour, craft, Crochet, Drawing, Embroidery, Fibre Art, Graphite, Lisa Solomon, Sewing

Lisa Solomon's Carbon Tetrachloride, 2011, crochet and glass balls
(Image sourced from here)

Born to a Japanese mum and a Caucasian American dad, Lisa Solomon is intrigued by the notion of hybridization. The fusing of elements that may at first glance appear to be unrelated is at the crux of her art. She often fuses ‘wrong’ things together: doilies on the wall, tanks made of bright pink felt generating pretty patterns, sewing onto paper, environmental toxins molecularly represented by doilies, sewing without thread (the act of mending with out its mending capabilities), and the back side of embroidery shown as the front.

Lisa says she is “interested in gender identity – what are the parameters we use to place and name things within a masculine or a feminine sphere? What occurs when triggers and cues are misplaced purposefully confusing our vision?” I love how she has worked this theme into her Dolly Toxins and Viruses works. Making the stuff of chemistry texts so intricately beautiful and – for me – a thing of art rather than science. It makes me wish I could see her work in a gallery.

Lisa Solomon's Dimethyl Mercury, 2011, crochet and glass balls
(Image sourced from here)

Lisa Solomon's Sulphur Mustard, 2011, coloured pencil, acrylic, graphite, embroidery on duralar
(Image sourced from here)

Lisa Solomon's Lewistle, 2011, coloured pencil, acrylic, graphite, embroidery on duralar
(Image sourced from here)

Lisa Solomon's Doily Virus: Rotavirus, 2010, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, felt, glasshead pins, embroidery on duralar
(Image sourced from here)

Lisa Solomon's Doily Virus: Bacteriophage, 2010, acrylic, ink, colored pencil, graphite, felt, glasshead pins, embroidery on duralar
(Image sourced from here)

Lisa grew up in Los Angeles and moved north to go to UC Berkeley. She lives in Oakland California with her husband, her daughter, a one-eyed pit bull, a deaf frenchie and a cross-eyed cat. She teaches at several academic institutions in the Bay Area.

You can contact Lisa Solomon direct via her website here. Alternatively, she works with the following galleries: Walter Maciel Gallery in LA, Richard Levy Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, The Beholder (an online marketplace which is worth a browse!), Fouladi Projects in San Francisco, and Artstream Studios in Rochester, New Hampshire.

Laura Straßer is a Rare Breed of Ceramic Artist

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Design

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

animals, Art, Ceramic Art and Pottery, Ceramics, craft, food, Germany, Homewares, Ilmgold, Laura Straßer, Olivier Dupon, Pratt Institute, Product Design, Quirky, Shopping, Tableware, The New Artisans

(Image sourced from here)

I am loving the work of ILMGOLD product designer, Laura Straßer. Her latest range of quirky ‘Rare Species’ bowls feature the most gorgeous and whimsical animal creations…

'Zebear'
(Image sourced from here)

'Flyfish'
(Image sourced from here)

'Fennelduck'
(Image sourced from here)

'Artichedgehog'
(Image sourced from here)

And, if the quirky wee bowls weren’t enough to set your heart aflutter, you can also get matching lids-come-sideplates in the same delicate-yet-dishwasher-safe porcelain…

Ilmgold Rare Species 'Artichedgehog' with 'No Sharing' lid
(Image sourced from here)

Laura Straßer features in the fabulous Olivier Dupon book, ‘The New Artisans‘ (page 134, if you’re wondering).

Born in Frankfurt am Main, and now based in Weimar, she studied at the Pratt Institute in New York where she became hooked on porcelain design.

She has a beautiful philosophy in that she “hopes to create items for porcelain lovers that offer the possibility of offering  associating (hi)stories with them and letting them become favourite items able to be kept for a lifetime.” I reckon’ she has achieved this with her ‘Rare Species’ range. They are heirloom pieces, to me. What do you think?

Ilmgold ships internationally. Although their website is in German, for all of us anglophiles, there is a lovely link to an english order form here.

An Introduction to ANZAC Day from a Kiwi Living in Australia

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Culture

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

ANZAC, ANZAC Biscuits, ANZAC Bridge, ANZAC Cove, ANZAC Day, Australia, Baking, food, Gallipoli, History, New Zealand, Recipe, Sydney, Travel, Turkey

ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli
(Image sourced from here)

We’re a proud couple of nations, down here at the bottom of the world. We’re geographically isolated from the rest of our Commonwealth family. As a result, we’re both pretty independent and don’t like being told what to do. We’re often lumped together, even though in many ways we’re quite different. We’re fiercely competitive, and yet – like siblings – we stand up for each other (just don’t ask us who first created the Pavlova!). We both pride ourselves on our loyalty, humour and ‘mate-ship’. And, we both remember the ANZACs every year on 25 April.

ANZAC Day commemorates the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.) The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli, Turkey on 25 April, 1915 and met fierce resistance from the Ottoman defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight long and gruelling months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian and almost 3,000 New Zealand soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli made a profound impact on both New Zealanders and Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which we remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the ‘ANZAC legend’ became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future. The pride the original ANZACs took in their name endures to this day.

Anzac Day now promotes a sense of unity, perhaps more effectively than any other day on the national calendar. People whose beliefs may be widely different share a genuine sorrow at the loss of so many lives in war, and a real respect for those who have endured warfare on behalf of the two countries we live in. Rather than diminishing with time, today the number of Australians and New Zealanders attending Anzac Day events in New Zealand, Australia and at Gallipoli, is increasing. For most, the day is an occasion on which to formally pay tribute and to remember.

ANZAC Bridge, Sydney
(Image sourced from here) 

The ANZAC Bridge, a most gorgeous cable stayed bridge, happens to be my favourite bridge in the whole world! I love crossing the bridge, especially on a sunny Sydney day, with the harbour sparkling and views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to my left as I approach the city…

Spanning Johnstons Bay, the ANZAC Bridge is one of Sydney’s outstanding landmarks. Opened in December 1995, at a cost of $170 million, it provides a key link between Sydney City and the suburbs to the west. Originally known as the Glebe Island Bridge, on the 80th anniversary of Armistice Day, the 11th November 1998, the ANZAC Bridge was renamed as a memorial to members from both sides of the Tasman who formed the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – the ANZACs.

ANZAC Bridge Australian Digger
(Image sourced from here)

A four metre bronze statue of an Australian World War 1 Digger was placed on the north-western end monument on the 25th April 2000. A handful of sand from the Ari Burnu beach at Gallipoli rests under the foot of the digger as a permanent connection with comrades who fell and remain at the Gallipoli battlefield in Turkey.

The New Zealand soldier statue, placed at the south-western approach, was formally unveiled on 27th April 2008.

The ANZAC Biscuit
(Image sourced from here)

Anzac biscuits have always been associated with Australian and New Zealand soldiers in World War I. Legend says that the wives, mothers and girlfriends left at home were concerned that their fighting men were not getting food of any nutritional value, so they cooked up a recipe for treats that they would both enjoy and nutritionally benefit from.

A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus, eggs were scarce. The binding agent for the biscuits was golden syrup or treacle.

Although particularly popular on ANZAC Day, these biscuits are an easy cookie to whip up at any time of the year, and are especially great for hungry boys (big or small).

ANZAC BISCUITS

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar (‘superfine‘ sugar for my North American readers!)
  • 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup (or treacle)
  • 150g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has fully melted. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and add to the golden syrup mixture. It will bubble whilst you are stirring together so remove from the heat. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

(Recipe sourced from Taste.com)

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. (from ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon (1869–1943))

Aesop – Smells Great & Looks Good

24 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Retail

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

Aesop, Australia, Balanced Life, Bathroom, beauty, Brand, Cosmetics, creativity, culture, Gifts, Homewares, Lifestyle, Merchandising, Product Design, Retail, Shopping, Sigmund Freud

Aesop Advertising Header on Seek.com

I’m a girl. That means I like things that smell nice and look good. Stands to reason, really. I’m also quite a loyal customer. I’ve worn the same perfume since I was 16 years old (but that’s a whole other story). When I find a product I like, I tell people about it. Sometimes it’s the little things that make you happy.

I wish we could see perfumes as well as smell them. I’m sure they would be very beautiful. (L.M. Montgomery, ‘Anne of the Island’)

Today, I’m telling you about how much I like my Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash and my Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm. They both smell nice and they both look good. They sit side by side in my bathroom. I cannot remember how many times they have been replaced.


Do you know the Aesop story? Founded in 1987 by Aussie entrepreneur Dennis Paphitis, grooming brand Aesop has gone from strength to strength over the past few years. Aesop has signature stores throughout Australia, as well as in Paris, London and Zürich, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, with outlets in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. They have lovely androgynous apothecary-style packaging, very clean brand identity and beautiful smelling botanical products. The Resurrection range features anti-bacterial mandarin and rosemary. It is truly yummy.

I quite like the Aesop philosophy to a balanced life – “We advocate the use of our products as part of a balanced life that includes a healthy diet, sensible exercise, a moderate intake of red wine, and a regular dose of good books.” How much red wine do you think constitutes a moderate intake?

And, you gotta’ love an organisation that puts a quote like this on their website:

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. (Sigmund Freud)

Oh, and their retail shops are g o r g e o u s. Seriously. Worth a visit if you haven’t already been.

If you would like to know where your closest Aesop stockist is, or perhaps buy some of their product online, head to their website here.

(Images sourced from here)

Rejoice in Marni at Salone del Mobile

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Design

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Chair, Consuelo Castiglioniby, Fashion, Film, Francesco Jodice, Furniture, L’Arte del Ritratto, Marni, Milan, Photography, Salone del Mobile, style

I’m a wee bit of a fan of Marni, the Italian fashion label launched by Swiss-Italian fashion designer Consuelo Castiglioniin 1994. With furs, bold colors, unconventional art prints and designs, Marni has a quirk-factor and slightly off-beat feel that appeals.

Most recently, the fashion label has turned its collective hand to furniture design with a collection of 100 chairs made in Columbia by ex-prisoners.  This collection of one-off and highly collectable chairs was exhibited at Salone del Mobile in Milan.

The aim of the venture was to augment the prisoners’ resettlement into every-day life. The chairs are a common seat found in Columbian homes. The design was reinterpreted by Marni who modified the woven pattern and created new colour variations.

All proceeds from the chairs, which went on sale at the Marni pop-up in Milan last week, are going to the institute ICAM of Milan – a project which allows children of imprisoned mothers to spend their youth in a family environment.




The chairs are also linked to “L’Arte del Ritratto” (The Art of Portraiture), a photo exhibition and a video created in collaboration with photographer and filmmaker Francesco Jodice. The chairs are used as background for a series of portraits of Marni teams from different departments. After Milan’s Salone del Mobile, the exhibition will tour to various Marni boutiques worldwide where the local teams will also be photographed, so that the event will always feature new material.

If you want to watch a seriously stylish video featuring supremely fashion-forward Marni employees and some lovely time-lapse video footage with the 100 chairs AND you have 5 minutes to kill, click below:

Sadly, a wee jaunt to Milan and the Marni pop-up store last week was not on the cards for this blogger.  Maybe another time Marni?

(All images and video sourced from the Marni website here)

Mark McGinnis & His Less-Than-PC Alphabet Series…

21 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Art

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Brooklyn, Colour, culture, Design, Future Perfect, Gifts, Graphic Design, Letter (alphabet), Mark McGinnis, Shopping, Stationery

They are a little bit rude. They are a little bit contentious. They won’t appeal to everyone. They are certainly not for children…

Brooklyn-based artist Mark McGinnis and his series of most un-PC Alphabet Series prints seem to have found a comfortable wee niche. For the uninitiated, you’ll love ’em or you’ll hate ’em, but these spoofed alphabet cards (remember them from primary school?) will definitely cause a reaction.

I’ve got a sample of some of (what I consider to be) the tamer cards here:

I’m not sure I actually want to hang one on my wall, but the letter M did make me smile AND whichever letter you chose, it would be a conversation starter… What do you think?

If you decide you’d like a Mark McGinnis Alphabet Series print on your wall, you can buy one here, from The Future Perfect.

(All images sourced from here.)

The Very Graphic Style of Thomas Paul

20 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Design

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Accessories, Animal print, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Colour, cotton voile, Design, DKNY, Fashion, fashion institute of technology, Homewares, Interior design, Neckwear, New York, New York City, Scarf, style, Textile Design, Thomas Paul

Have you met the oh-so-talented Thomas Paul yet?  If not, go pop your head in to his gorgeous emporium of pillows, bedding, kitchen & dining accessories, and – my favourite, which will come as no surprise to those who know me – scarves.

I’m seriously lusting after one of Mr Paul’s animal print numbers.  Which one would you choose…?

There are these divine cotton voile scarves (with dimensions of 20″ X 75″):

or, there are these more monochromatic numbers (with a more generous 40″ X 80″ size):

Thomas Paul is a born ‘n’ bred New Yorker. He kicked off his fashion career in the mid-nineties after graduating from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Textile Design. He started as an intern at DKNY. Then, while working as a colorist and designer for a silk mill specialising in neckwear and scarves, he worked on neckwear collections for designers like Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, and DKNY. This eventually led to the creation of his own neckwear collection, digities, in the late 90′s. All of this created the foundation for his current range of home accessories.

He continues to expand his ideas, so I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next…

You can check out more of Thomas Paul’s designs here.

(All images sourced from here).

Seth Casteel – that underwater dog guy

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Joanna in Dogs

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Art, Books, Colour, Dog, Fun, Los Angeles, Photograph, Photography, Play, Seth Casteel, Underwater Dogs

© SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

Seth Casteel is pretty widely known as ‘The Underwater Dog Guy’.  His work has been all over the place recently.  I reckon’ it is because his love of animals shows through in every image.

You’ve probably seen these photographs before, but as they put such a smile on my face on this cold and wet Sydney day, I thought you may feel the same way…

©SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

©SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

©SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

©SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

©SethCasteel@LittleFriendsPhoto.com

And, if you didn’t already know, Seth has his first book, ‘Underwater Dogs’ due for release in October 2012.  That’ll be a winner for the coffee table (or perhaps for under the Christmas tree?).  You can pre-order the book through Amazon (here).

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