Wednesday, October 31, 2007

American Inspiration

Okay, folks, I don't usually mention things from my new home, the States, but this is a daily addiction of mine, and I'd love to share it with you. The Sartorialist may already be (probably is!) part of your daily blog reading, too, and is well worth it. Sart (also known as Scott) finds inspiring fashions on people on the street. It's lovely what he finds... for me the cool thing is that he is not only looking for high-end stuff. You could be wearing a sack cloth artfully and you could be on his blog.

Today he posted a web posting of a day when a crew from NBC followed him. I thought it was really interesting to finally see behind the scenes. Check it out here.

Here are some recent pics. Check out his blog for more gorgeous shots.





Inspiration



A shot from Wizards Gallery showroom in Westcliff, Johannesburg. As seen in Elle Decoration, Autumn Issue 2006.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Spoons

It seems I wasn't alone in being inspired by Skinny's spoon post, it seems everyone has been bitten by the bug. Visit her site, it is spoon mania!

Here is the latest victim, Freshly Found... although I don't know if she has seen Skinny's posts.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Ocean Views and Great Design

A friend of mine recently sent me photos of a house he has renovated... it's gorgeous! I thought I'd share it with you guys as you may appreciate it. I personally love the clean lines, and that kind of house is perfect for Durban (where it's located): for keeping cool, making sure beach sand is not an issue, and enjoying the beautiful Indian Ocean.






PS: The house is now for sale, by the way. If you're interested, let me know :)

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Super!

My favourite addiction, Elle Decoration South Africa, is online! I've googled them many times before but not found this... not sure why but I'm glad that Skinny mentioned them.

Here are a couple images from their blog posting on Cape Town interiors store, o.live.




Doesn't that jug in the first image look a little like the Anthropologie jug I posted about a while back?

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

A Jezze After My Own Heart

Ah, gotta love the can-do attitude. I love that Jezze has made her kitchen (and loo!) enviro-friendly and smart, and not to mention cute*. I agree that making things does not mean resorting to the middle ages, or other silly things. Just using your head about stuff.

Now, drool her at ingenuity.



*cute in the American sense of the word: adorable, pretty, lovely. Not the SA sense of the word: cutesy.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

He's Home!

My little adventurer has returned! He turned up just down the street (after crossing a busy, busy road and giving a neighbor of mine a good run for her money!). Phew! Now I can get back to normal.

If You're in Stellenbosch

Just got this email in:

Stellenbosch Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery is proud to present ‘Reality Bytes’, an exhibition by renowned Cape Town based photographer Dale Yudelman.

Direct from the LUMO Photographic Triennial in Finland, this is the largest showing of this acclaimed work in South Africa to date.

Please join us on Saturday 27 October at 11:30 am for the opening. RSVP to info@smacgallery.com or 021 887-3607.

Best wishes

SMAC Art Gallery




Drat! Wish I could go!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Sweet Lou

hi folks... got some bad news. My sweet Lou went missing on Saturday night and we haven't been able to find him. He's always been a little bit of an adventurer, so hopefully he's just off having some fun and will come home soon.



So, please, keep your fingers crossed, hold your thumbs, say some prayers that my doggie will be home soon.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

More Elle Deco Spring

I was reading about a Killarney apartment in my newly-arrived SA Elle Deco mag, and guess whose work I saw? Skinny's! Your work looks beautiful in this room, Heather!

Mozambique Getaway

It's been a long time since I had us a Friday day-dreaming post. So here it is... Pemba Beach Sanctuary Spa. Altogether now... exhale.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Try, try again.

People, get yourselves over to Four Walls design blog! Janine has posted about this really cool installation in the middle of nowhere, in SA.



For those who don't speak Afrikaans, "probeer" means try. I love it. Maybe I should print it out and put it on my fridge. I'm amazed at what I can achieve, if... I... just... try. Probeer!

Contemporary Cool

Freshly Found is right! The riempie is part of the South African experience... the comfortable seat, the smell of leather, the strong wood structure supporting you. So it's really wonderful to see South African industrial designer, Haldane Martin, put a new spin on it... here's a table. Can I have one, please?



Here are some wonderful shots of the furniture in action.





I also quite enjoyed perusing the website. Here are some of the people who make these beautiful ideas a reality.



Hooray for people who take design seriously, but also have fun with it :)

Monday, October 15, 2007

Hooo-ray! Hoo...ray! Hoorayhoorayhooooray!

Guess what arrived today? My long, long awaited Elle Deco magazine from SA... remember, my American friends, that the seasons are opposite down in the southern hemisphere, so this is the Spring issue.



The first thing that grabbed my eye was an ad, attached inside, to the spine.





I really liked the fresh approach to advertising... the objects on one side, and the map to the shops on the other... like little postcards. (Please excuse my scanning... I had my digital camera stolen recently, so making do with the scanner. Just tell yourself I'm being artsy, and then it'll look cool).

I've been through the mag briefly (also trying to get some school work done here) and here are a few things that caught my eye straight away. I love succulents and the ways you can display them... did you know that the proper name for these lovely little plants is actually Haworthia? And that they are virtually unique to SA? Gotta love 'em!



And then this gorgeous kitchen also caught my eye. LOVE the backsplash.



Okay, I'm outta here.. off to read my magazine, drink a cuppa tea and watch the Red Sox. To the South Africans out there... its a DISEASE!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Ja, so...

Anthropologie update... I went, all excited, to my closest Anthropologie store... and, uh, they didn't have a single SA object there! SO disappointed. Guess I'm going to buy something online if I want to meet it face-to-face... the sales assistant I spoke to said I could ask them to order what I want, and then shipping is free. Uh, not exactly what I hoped... I really wanted to see them all and choose what I liked. Oh well.

On the upside I succumbed to some other lovely ceramics. Not in any related to African design, but I'll share the fun with you.




These reminded me of a bowl I bought for my mother when I visited Taiwan, years and years ago. Not quite as grand, but they're lovely.

Loft Living in SA

So you know how I just am a sucker for all kinds of design... and I haven't really blogged about any architecture lately. Luckily I've been enjoying Janine's blog, Four Walls, and have some her cool work to share with you.





As much as I love the architecture in Boston, boy do I miss this kind of design... cool, airy, open. I love the wood rafters, the industrial lamps. Yes, Janine, I think I would love to live there, too!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Wahoo!

Can you hear me dancing a jig of delight? Many thanks to Happy March for leading me to Anthropologie's ceramics from South Africa. I love ceramics (cough*cough*... you should see the hutch in my dining room), and somehow I see myself adding to my collection pretty soon!



Some of the patterns are inspired by towns, like Port Elizabeth, or by the patterns in shwe shwe skirts. You can read more about shwe shwe skirts on She Wears Shwe Shwe. I believe I may have my own shwe shwe skirt arriving in December. Can't wait!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Ah, talent abounds!

Thanks to a busy schedule for class, things have been a bit hectic around here. I am quite enjoying 5 minutes to cruise my favourite South African blogs... whether at home, or abroad. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do...

Lols at Apparently Nothing was recently in Venice. Ah, SO jealous!



I am always inspired by Carolyn's discoveries in her daily life. A bit of graffiti, interesting people, and the everyday things in her life.



Last, but not least, I love this sketch by the talented Gary

at Spray Glue.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Inspiration

More feelings of snuggling in for some hibernation...

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Inspiration

As the days get cooler and the shadows longer, I find myself drawn to cosier interiors...