Proenza Schouler Paper Bag Bag!!

So in love, you can see it actually has the serated edges of a paper bag!!
Apparently a very cheap paper bag retailing for US$615 on their site
*Ahem* christmas present maybe?

New Camera- What to buy???

So I've recently got back from PNG, and for some reason, my camera, which I've had for about 4-5 years, just isn't cutting it anymore... comparing these photos from the ones I took in New Zealand, I've realised that my good ole kodak funshare 6MP point and shoot just isn't cutting it anymore!!! The difference in quality of these two trips should be attributed partly to the different light and climate between the two countries. PNG is hot, humid, bright and tropical; whereas NZ was cool, misty and often quite dark, similar to the UK. But honestly, it's the camera that was driving me bananas- having been an avid photographer since I was in year 6 when my dad let me have a whole roll of film to use on our road-trip from Katherine NT through Ayers Rock and the Olgas back to Hunter Valley NSW.  

This was an automatic, film camera which I can't even remember the brand of, which they lent to me again 6 years later when I went to Europe. I think because it was film, this enabled the picture quality to be quite good, but it didn't compare to the Film SLR camera which I used extensively in year 11 and 12 for my art majorwork.  I loved this camera because of the two inter-changeable lenses and the massive flash you had to attach, I got some amazing photos, from yet another trip back to PNG and around the Hunter Valley.  The only thing I found with this was that it was so heavy that I couldn't use it for extended periods of time, but the quality (in spite of the fact I was developing the photos) was really good, and it enabled me to do so much more with my photos.....  

Anyway, after heaps of internet research, I stumbled upon Elsie's review of her favourite cameras, which lead me to Amazon, and this fantastic explanation of the pros and cons of DSLRs and in particular the Canon EOS 50D 15.1 Digital SLR.... which has pretty much convinced me that this is what I want and *ahem* need......

Restaurant Review: Bar Beach Kiosk, Newcastle

Review of Bar Beach Kiosk

 

Location: Right on Bar Beach, Newcastle, Australia.  You sit outside on benches and watch the morning beach crowd go past...
Opening Times: 7 days a week, open 7.30am-7pm weekdays, and 6.30am - 7pm on weekends.  Open for casual breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, coffee

Menu: Casual takeaway food, includes freshly squeezed juices, gourmet wraps and handcut chips

Service: Laidback in the morning, can get really really busy during summer holidays, but the food is always really good. Coffee is also worth ordering, and they have soy milk, as well as flavoured syrups.
How Much? Breakfast for two is usually around $20, lunch and dinner budget around $15 a head...

Recommended? Yes!

Bar Beach Breakfast and Dolphin watching

Um not to make people jealous or anything, but I'd like to say what a beautiful day it is today here in sunny Newcastle, NSW, Australia!I think spring is FINALLY making its way here!

The other  morning, Sammy and I had breakfast at Bar Beach Kiosk which we try and do once a week now its nicer weather, and we watched the local boys surfing with a pod of about 8 dolphins that casually caught the waves around them... Then the seagulls started annoying us so Sam went for a surf and I had to go to work :(

From Magic Seaweed

Rayban Wayfarers: Stuff White People Like

This blog is so tongue in cheek its hilarious...

It is written by this Canadian guy... After reading this post, I think I need to buy some Raybans....

Amy Tamblyn: Handmade wearable art

Amy Tamblyn works with gold, silver, steel and other found objects to create unique and beuatiful wearable art. Her studio can be found in Surry Hill, in Sydney and you can contact her directly to buy her pieces.  She was featured recently by seminal fashion magazine RUSSH as an up-and-coming designer to keep an eye out for... As you can see Amy's work speaks for itself! 

Sister Big Stuff Earrings

Elanor Rigby Earrings

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

I just felt like sharing this photo of Port Moresby looking into the Harbour, which I took on our recent holiday to Papua New Guinea, where we did the Kokoda Track (you can read about that here...).

I know it's not a picturesque photo by any standards, but I love how the many contrasts of PNG can be summed up in this... The shiny skyscraper/hotel contrasted with the abandonded building on the left... The chaotic road and the guys hitching a ride in the back of the ute versus the chained off footpath to protect the pot plants and the serenity mountains in the background and the harbour... with the (presumably) Malaysian fishing/logging ships coming to dock... I love the powerlines everywhere, when so many people can't even afford electricity...

I jsut realised I've posted like my third electricity line themed post for the week- sorry- I guess living with an electrician has inspired me lol....

Well Played, Victoria Beckham

The Go Fug Yourself post this morning cracked me up...

Read it here :)

Rug with industrial print

I found this rug on the NY Times site
Its the outline of an electrical transformer that hold up power lines.  I guess it would match the Think Contemporary upcycled cabinet with the powerlines vinyl print...

The rug was designed (no joke) by a man called Randy Twaddle (like Russell Brand said to FiFi Box what would your porn star name be? lol).

Twaddle was "drawn to the unintended elegance of the transformers and the lyrical quality of the power lines.”And I agree with him, the industrial nature of this rug, and the vinyl print from the Think Contemporary cabinet are beautiful in their industrialism, the lines are almost abstract when viewed in this graphic print on the rug...

The idea reminds me of that scene in Ameican Beauty where the freaky kid films the plastic bag against the brick wall... In some ways it is sad that that something like thiscan be considered beautiful, but then this is outweighed by the gritty urban scene where the bag floating in the wind becomes mesmerising....

Burberry Prorsum SS2011

"Think Contemporary" Upcycled Furnishings

I stumbled upon this post on Design*Sponge (one of my favourite blogs/websites) and I really love the idea.

 Joanne and Anthony run "Think Contemporary" which is an interior design and architecture company based in Dublin, where they have recently branched out into 'upcycling' old furniture into beautiful creations such as this...
 
The dresser was redone with paint and vinyl which has turned a old *blah* piece of furniture into practical art.

I think its really interesting the way that quite a depressing streetscape such as this one, powerlines at the forefront, grey, dreary housing etc can be so visually arresting... the stylised sun is such a focal point because of the unexpected pop of colour it gives to the drawers.

I really really love this piece of furniture and potentially may have a go at something similar myself at home :)

Lucette Cyber Warrior Collection

Guess what...! Lucette's SS 2010 collection is called Cyber Warrior, and is apparently designed for princesses on a Galaxy Quest, and was inspired by Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner and Lara Croft in Tomb Raider.... 

I loooooved Blade Runner- Deckard is definately Harrison Ford's best role hands down in my opinion- (I know I know, he was in Star Wars and Indiana Jones), as Blade Runner is still so incredible, as it is challenging and relevant to ethics of technology and the direction our society appears to be heading towards, with climate change and small-mindedness almost 30 years later.... 

Also, despite Lucette not mentioning Battlestar Galactica as an inspiration, they named these items after the series, which is Awesome...Although i think they are more Cylon than Starbuck!!!

Battlestar Dress (AUD $299)
Galactica Blazer (AUD $299)
Galactica Dress (AUD $279)


All from Lucette

Debra Cronin Designs- Vogue Living July/August 2010

Vogue Living ran a spread on Debra Cronin in its July/August 2010 issue.  She has restored an old terrace in Wollahra so that it is 'Alice In Wonderland meets The Addam's Family'.... Its pretty unsual I think in that all the walls in a number of rooms have been stripped back, rather than leaving one as a feature and painting the others.  It should be noted however, while it looks like it is the lower rooms that have been done like this, the upstairs bedrooms are white and have a more contemporary feel. I especially love how the chandelier does NOT sparkle in pictures of this room, although it might be a different story at night.  I loooooove the mirrored medicine cabinets in the bathroom, I've never seen anything like it before, however the room itself does look a bit gloomy.... I guess I like the look of these rooms, but it might be a bit much living in them all the time!!

The wine rack is AMAZING. I love the colour...  Debra uses her house as an underground dining experience as well, called 'Bite Club', which, along with pocket bars that are popping up all over the city, seems to be the trendy dining/wining thing to do in Sydney over the last couple of years....But Bite club actually has the chef to back it up, as he also works at Pier at Rose Bay...

Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

Check out Retrospect Gallery's website, it has incredible artists and you can view a lot of their work online...

Alberto Sanchez - Las Gaviotas

Andrew Thurtell - Jetty 2

Sean Davey - Pressure turn

From Retrospect Gallery Site- no artist mentioned

Battlestar Galactica

So we just finished watching the first season of Battlestar Galactica, which, if you haven't you're missing out because it is AWESOME...

Here's the run-down so far... in the future, humans create Cylons, which are basically androids that end up trying to destroy humanity.  Humans live on 12 colonies, and in the Battlestar movie, Gaius falls for superhot blondie Cylon and gives her access to the human's defence mainframe which lets the Cylons destroy most of the 12 colonies. 50,000 humans escape on various spacecraft which make up the fleet.Gaius is HILARIOUS because he can see blondie, but no one else can, and he's always making out with her and having people walk in on him in compromising positions.... Anyway my favourite characters are Starbuck, Apollo and Boomer (who is also a Cylon) and I'm hanging out to watch the next 3 seasons.... AND super excited about Caprica which airs on TV this week (its set 58 years prior to battlestar...) Anyway. Just felt like being a geek this morning :)

I can't WAIT until we see the Dropkick Murphys only 6 weeks!!!!