Beat the GFC?

Yes, even the arse end of the earth, aka Australia, is experiencing the effects of the GFC. Those hard-up can now get a three-course lunch at the Parkview in Fitzroy North for not much more than a daily train ticket from Frankston to Melbs. It’s fair to say that many people are feeling less inclined to splash their cash, but there are still lots of free things to do… or ways of splash your cash in less abundant amounts. Exhibit A:

Yes, it’s this weekend. And Exhibit B, also this weekend:

Not to mention Exhibit C:

And lastly, Exhibit D (but watch out for the queues):

:: Arwen ::

I see your hanky…

… and I raise it with, er, another hanky. Technically, I realise ‘raising’ implies going one better, which one could argue I have failed to do. Perhaps I’m just adding to the general hanky theme. The one photographed beautifully above (thanks, P) is another Sally Scott one (thanks, Manabu) that I’ve already crumpled by wearing as a neckerchief. I love the pink and red together. Now if only Third Drawer Down did hankies as well… wait, they do.

:: Arwen ::

Op-art necklaces, and lunch

The guy who runs the lunch deli on the floor below where I work takes a strange interest in my accessories – to the extent that he won’t  serve me my soup  & salad without first checking out my brooch/necklace/earrings and remarking delightedly on it to the decidedly less interested lunch ladies (yes, lunch ladies – it’s just like a school canteen). The occasional un-accessorised outfit gets a severe tut-tut.

After the Design Market the other week I ventured downstairs, hungry and with just a little trepidation, wearing my beloved new necklace by Thomas Seymour. Success! Mick liked it, and I got my lunch.

Yes, it’s flat. I’m a sucker for a good optical illusion, particularly one rendered in steel – and so is Mick, evidently. You can contact Mr Seymour via his site to get one of these or another of his gorgeous geometric designs, or hold on to your horses until local stockists get wind of his talent.

NB: Honourable etched-jewellery mentions also go to  Nervous System and pseudorepublik.

:: Kate ::

Jonesing

What better to do on a Sunday than read? Just finished Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, an Australian writer, and thought it was worth posting the cover because you don’t often see this style on Australian books. It feels much more like a UK cover, Rob Ryan being a potential reference point, but this is a bit less cute and a little edgier. It’s an engaging read, too – for those of you who want to gain a deeper appreciation of the book (or just perv on the author), you can watch Craig Silvey talk about Jasper Jones online.

:: Arwen ::

She’s got the look

Allison Colpoys, we salute you. This talented young lady was recently named the Young Designer of the Year at the APA Book Design Awards, and with good reason. She somehow manages to have a distinct feel while creating very different covers – versatile but unique. She’ll be blushing right now too, because she’s also ridiculously humble. Read her being misquoted here at the Sydney Morning Herald, and see some more of her covers here.

:: Arwen ::

Red and pink

Max F Williams

Musician St Vincent

Sharad Gupta

Currey UK

An untrained eye

:: Arwen ::

Dance, magic dance

You learn something new everyday. My word of the week is ‘meggings’ – leggings for men. Avert thine eyes! Who would’ve thought the style of David Bowie circa Labyrinth would’ve made a comeback? Where did I learn such a word? Why, on James Cameron’s brand-new blog. James (pictured below… not above) and I met when I was writing an article last year, and over the past year or so I’ve enjoyed dropping into his shop and bugging him and his brother Scottie whenever I’ve been in the neighbourhood. Sadly, the shop is no more, which has greatly disappointed various menfolk I know. It may be back, but in the meantime those with a thing for classic men’s fashion can read James’ wisdom online.

:: Arwen ::

Fields of clover

Ingenious idea – to make book covers using letterpress. Cloverfield Press in America publishes short stories in limited numbers with hand-printed endpapers and dust jackets that are rather covetable. They’d make a nice gift for your progenitor for Mother’s Day, assuming that a) your mum reads b) you didn’t already buy her some velour Tweety slippers from Target c) you believe in celebrating a day that is now mostly just another excuse to part with your cash, and most importantly, d) Mother’s Day wasn’t yesterday. Oops.

Note: I did, in fact, remember Mother’s Day. Not only was it my mother’s birthday, but there was no way I could forget I’d signed up to run eight frickin’ kilometres on the actual day in aid of breast cancer research. Both Kate and my brother get full props for dragging themselves out of bed on Sunday to do the same thing.

:: Arwen ::

The art of writing letters

A few posts ago I mentioned how much I like receiving letters from our friend Manabu, who has the ability to write in straight lines without even trying. I went digging through my letters box to try and find some of his recent correspondence, and came up with these two. Aside from the sloppy photoshopping of my address (you hardly expected me to leave it visible, did you?), these are lovely examples of Manabu’s missives from Japan. Nothing beats getting a letter in the mail – and given my truckloads of lettersets, it seems I have no excuse but to get writing.

:: Arwen ::

A special thanks to Manabu for letting me display his letters!

Photographer: Yoko Inoue

Apart from causing serious apartment envy, the photos of Yoko Inoue also capture such lovely light. I imagine the above shots as taken in the afternoon of a winter’s day, when it’s pale and cold outside and all you want to do is curl up on the couch with that dachshund and have a hot chocolate. Mm. Hot chocolate.

The photos feel very Japanese in atmosphere to me, but it might also be the subject matter – zakka and beautiful homes.

Yoko’s site can be found here.

:: Arwen ::