I am loving...

Ooakly Wall Art

Jenny Ellmer's is a Geelong based artist who designs these really cute kids wall hangings.

Each Ooakly piece is special, with distinct differences that make it unique and truly one of a kind. Just like our fingerprints, no two are ever the same.

They are hand painted, hand stitched, hand made... with love!
For more details please email ooakly@live.com.au

I am loving...

The little sayings inside Dove Promises!

"A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory"

"I intend to live forever - so far so good"

"You're a diva and you're delicious"

"Everyone is gifted some just open the package sooner"

"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn unless you have chocolate"

"Silence, I am having a DOVE moment"

"Give me chocolate right now or I will sing"

I am loving...

Little Cupcakes is the smallest shop I have ever been into. But don't let the size of the store fool you.

The cupcakes which are baked everyday are the best in Melbourne! Not only do they come in a range of flavours but they are also preservative free and they have gluten free options.

A little piece of heaven for only $4.00! You just can't go wrong
Shop 7 Degraves Street Melbourne 3000

www.littlecupcakes.com.au

Why is this so hard?

For the past 6 months I have been meaning to clean out my bedroom at my parents place but for some reason I just have not been able to complete this task.

I gave the excuse that I was going to wait until my sister came home and then we could sort out the piles of clothes that are strewn across my room together but she is back now and I still don't want to do it. Its all just too hard.

I know they are not clothes I am going to wear again and I know that they need to go to a good home (the op shop) but I just can't throw things out.

I have been able to throw away 20 years of paper clippings, design brochures, cinema tickets (yes I had kept every one) and even old school books and assignments - but clothes and shoes seem so much more difficult to just disregard.

I know I will never wear the size 8 black shorts I was able to slip into 5 years ago but I just can't get rid of them.
They have personality and memories attached to them.

Why is this process so so hard? Do you find this process hard or is it just me?

I am loving...

The United Nude 'Lo Res' shoe.
This beautiful shoe is part of an new semi-automatic design method by United Nude where an object is digitially scanned into a 3-D computer model and re-generated into various resolutions. The Lo Res shoe is part of an automated design revolution.


Not sure how comfortable they would be but how cool do they look?

Other shoes by Unite Nude are 
Eamz Mary Jane: conceptually inspired by a furniture design classic; the Charles and Ray Eames chair. The United Nude Eamz shoe is an ode to their vision.

Cosmo: plays with gravity and tension and achieves what looks to be an impossible construction by using high-tech materials. Ultra light-weight hand molded carbon fiber that is extremely strong is the secret to this piece of sexy architecture for your foot.

 Helix: conceived from the idea of wrapping an object, in this case the foot. The curves and movement of the elastic material give the shoe its identity and emphasize the shape.

 

www.unitednude.com

I am loving...

Around December 2009 I saw this beautiful kitchenware on display at the NGV Shop and had forgot all about them till now.

So say hello to 'Nest' by Joseph & Joseph: the ultimate collection of practical, space-saving kitchenware, comprising of mixing bowls, measuring spoons, a sieve, strainer and juicer.

The unique design of the range allows the individual elements of each set to be stacked together, thereby occupying the absolute minimum amount of space.

Nest comprises of eight essential kitchen items 4 x measuring cups, 1 x small mixing bowl, 1 x sieve, 1 x colander/strainer, 1 x large mixing bowl and all pieces are dishwasher safe.

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003, combining their respective experience in product design and business - Antony studied design at Central St Martins whilst Richard studied business at Cambridge University.

Specialising in contemporary kitchenware, Joseph Joseph is now internationally recognised for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products available, and has become one of the fastest growing companies in the worldwide homewares market.

Their unique ability to match form and function has earned them global recognition for their multi-award-winning designs.

Cooking just became a whole lot more enjoyable!

www.josephjoseph.com

I am loving...

This week I am loving This Little Piggy went to Prada an adorable book of designer nursery rhymes.
The book has tewnty-one revamped, tongue-in-cheek, name-dropping nursery rhymes and is a great gift for yummy mummies.
Who would have thought you could make Nursery Rhymes so fashionable, politically incorrect and frivolous all at the one time?

This Little Piggy went to Prada was born of Amy Poorn's inability to relate to pease pudding and her horror of Disney character sippy cups.
Amy has recently written another This Little Piggy book called This Little Piggy Got Divorced which reflects on her her own experience of divorce.

The illustrations are also beautiful throughout this book and they just enhance the pleasure of reading it. The illustrations are the work of Zebby Eun-kyung Kang a Korean born, UK based artist. Zebby started this project while still studying fashion at the London College of Fashion and illustrated This Little Piggy went to Prada from a tiny room of her halls of residence. Since her Piggy debut, Zebby has worked for clients all over the world, including Vogue, Numero, Boutique1, Jaeger, Matches and Penguin Books.

I can't speak more highly of this cute book and would recommend it to any new mums with a finger on the fashion pulse.

www.thislittlepiggywenttoprada.com

I am loving...

Being a graphic designer in the 21st Century there is not much time or need to pick up the old tools of the trade. But I have found the ultimate inspiration to pick up a simple pencil and draw.

Introducing 500 Colored Pencils: the only set in the world that matches the span and wonder of human creativity. Each pencil has it's own identity and story and together, the colors suggest infinite possibilities and give you no excuses not to be creative at least once a week.

The company behind this concept Socialdesigner believe the greatest beauty of 500 Pencils is that you don't receive all of them at once. Over the course of 20 months you recieve 25 pencils a month and this gives you time to work with color families and fee the precious nature of each pencil.

Its a great gift idea that last 20 months and the pencils become your story and experience. It's about enjoying an unhurried creative process, and the artist - over time - you become.

There are even cool diplay units which you can collect and help you display your 500 beautiful pencils

http://500pencils.socialdesigner.com

Book Review

Mama Mia: A Memoir of Mistakes, Magazines and Motherhood
Mia Freedman

I love to read (my partner can attest to this fact) however I have never been one for the 'real life story' stuff. One might say I love to live in the world of Fiction. Mostly Fiction where girl meets boy, blah blah blah blah, live happily ever after. A few tears thrown in for good measure and that is my idea of a good book.

So when I heard that Mia Freedman was going to be writing a book about her life up until now I was intreged. I had started to read her blog mammia.com.au and was really enjoying her perspective on issues around Australia and the world. I picked up a copy as soon as it was possible and started to read, what turned out to be an inspiring and life changing book.

Freedman dissects the magazine world which she was a part of for nearly 20 years and enlightens the reader with some home truths. Freedman is so honest and open about the mistakes and successes she had working for ACP Magazines you can't but like her more as a person. I cried for hours after reading despair when trying to conceive for the second time and when she felt like she was nothing. It was so raw and real - there is not fluff to help try and escape the position she and her partner were in you just have to keep on reading and hope for the best.

I finished the book with a new perspective on life knowing that I can be an independent driven women and still be a wonderful mother in the future and enjoy a rewarding marriage. It made me reevaluate my view on life and made me aware of how greatful I should be with my current situation. There is more to life than work and even if your job is glamorous everything else can be falling apart around you. There needs to be a balance.

I am loving...

This week I have come across this fantastic collection of original, vintage and limited edition posters and prints.

Blanka is both an online gallery and permanent visual archive devoted to celebrating the very best in creative communication and print on an international stage. They are an open and enthusiastic co-operative of people from all creative disciplines expressing themselves through exceptional, innovative and inspiring printed items.

Blanka has been created to act as a permanent archive and virtual gallery space to display art and design, photography and print. They are constantly growing and evolving to showcase the talents of their contributors to deliver the best recent work, unearth some classics from our past and also bring you new, inspirational pieces hot off the press.

I love the posters of the TV shows and have found some other great posters for some exhibitions.
The posters are a Archival Giclee Print and are printed on Ultra Smooth Fine Art Paper.

So brighten up corner of your house with one of these colourful and fun pieces of art or buy one for someone special as they make a great gift!

www.blanka.co.uk
 

Item I can't live without this week

These 100% organic and fairly traded cotton designer t-shirts are from EJF Organic Cotton Designer T-shirts Range.

All proceeds raised go to help the Environmental Justice Foundation’s international work to protect people and planet! The Organic cotton t-shirts are designed by Giles Deacon, Allegra Hicks, Zandra Rhodes, John Rocha, Luella, Katharine Hamnett, Christian Lacroix, Betty Jackson for EJF.

The t-shirts are comfortable to wear and aren't too short (for those of us who don't like to show our tummies). T-shirts are shipped world wide so you can get your hands on one here in Australia.

T-shirts designs are available in Mens and Womens sizes. So hop online and help out a really good cause!

www.ejfoundation.org

I am loving...

What can only be described as every girls dream - a site where you can design your own shoes and then have them custom made and sent to your door!

Shoes of Prey creates beautiful bespoke women's shoes, designed online by you.
You choose the heel, toe, fabric, colour and embellishments and then expert craftsmen make your shoes to measure, swaddle them in a soft dust bag and crisp new box, and ship them straight to your waiting feet!
I am in love...

So how does one come up with such a great idea? Desire.
'Whether you're poring over a glossy magazine, clicking onto your favourite fashion blog, or lusting after a girlfriend's most recent stiletto purchase, we all know that the spark of shoe-desire takes just a moment to take hold, and then the need to find that perfect shoe is intoxicating.'

The journey to find the perfect shoe is often a long one that ends in compromise - the kind that makes you contemplate making an offer to the girl at the next table to sell you the shoes right off her feet.

Being too familiar with the long days of shopping that accompany the usually disappointing search for the perfect shoes, the great people at Shoes of Prey sought out a solution to this conundrum - they tracked down a team of highly skilled artisans dedicated to crafting shoes just the way they liked them, made friends, and now bring the solution to everyone!

www.shoesofprey.com

Item I can't live without this week

I can't live without my 365 diary from Kikki K.

This diary is not dated which means you can start from page 1 at any point of the year. You may choose the diary to start at the begining of a new job, a new semseter or even a new relationship.
I am using mine as an inspiration book/gratitude diary. But it is up to you what you use it for

The diary is cloth bound and the pages are just numbered no dated. It is only 165mm x 202mm in size which means it fits into a handbag.

I hope you enjoy this product as much as I do!

Reminder to one's self #1

Never ever go shopping with your partner after Christmas. Not even three days after boxing day sales. It is not worth the arguments and the winging. What seemed like a simple task today took over 4hours. Not only that but we came home with dvd's and other items that we didn't need.

I flippantly remarked I was going for a quick shop and would my partner like to join me.
First mistake.
Inviting someone along to the shops is never a good idea and I should have thought better of it as the words came tumbling out of my mouth.

When you invite someone else along you instantly take on what they would like to shop for, and if they don't have anything in mind at the time they end up thinking about items on the way in the car. You then spend the next three hours looking at everything they want to look at.

What should have only taken 2 hours by myself took almost 5 hours!

As much as it was nice to be with my partner I can think of better environments than a packed Westfield after Christmas to spend time with him.

Maybe next year I will try and keep my big mouth shut.