Friday, April 29, 2011

Kate Middleton is American

Yep! And she lives in Concord, Massachusetts. Well, the American Kate Middleton does, anyway. Apparently her name is causing quite a fuss lately. Not sure why.

Read more here. No pics on today's post.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Samantha Maber

Here's another great photographer from South African shores. Samantha Maber is recently returned home from living abroad, and loving being back... her love for her country, and her interest in the people she photographs is so obvious in her pics.























See her website here and her blog here.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Harmony & Dissonance

Usually on this blog, I try to showcase the gobsmacking talent that my peeps in southern Africa produce. I do this mostly to get the word out, as I live in America and I like to share the awesomeness of my homeland with my new friends.

But today I turn the tables. This post is going to be about an American. Granted, an American in South Africa, but with gobsmacking talent and an interesting story. Jimmy Danko is an artist visiting South Africa. These are his sketches.







I like Jimmy's photos, too.











You can see more of his work on his blog, and read about his adventures, too. Thanks to my friend Mark, for bringing this to my attention (Mark creates some pretty awesome art, too! Check it out here)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Paul Senyol

Also spotted in the new H&L magazine, this amazing painting by Paul Senyol. Definitely keeping a look out for more of his work.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

House and Leisure, May 2011

I just downloaded the new issue of my favourite magazine, House and Leisure. Love these shots...











All very bright and colourful, and very spring-like. Maybe I chose them because today was a beautiful, warm day and we took the dogs to the beach. Yes! Although tomorrow's temperatures plummet to 45F or 7C again, it was good to get a taste of summer, which is just around the bend!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Starling & Hero

How do you go from this



to this?



You get there by being upcycled (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) by Emile Kotze, and his company Starling & Hero. Emile spotted an unmet need in SA, to use beautiful bicycles, and vintage bicycles at that. With attention to functional detail and that glorious gorgeousness that comes from things well made, how could you go wrong?






You know I love bicycles and the culture it brings with it, so you can be sure if I lived in Joburg, I would be knocking down Emile's door. To read more (like, what's up with that name?) and enjoy more pics of those delicious bikes, go here or here.

Now, enjoy your weekend! Get on your bike!

The Wren Does it Again

How do you do one helluva awesome marketing and package campaign to go with a fabulous product like the PPC cement laptop bag? Just add a photographer, model, a graffiti artist and some 2- and 3D tinkering...






... then add some wonderful packaging.





To see more and get your own bag, click here or here.

PS: For my non-South African readers, PPC is a cement manufacturer.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hinterveld

As my real life (and by that I mean non-virtual) friends will tell you, right now I'm on a mission. The apartment I share with my husband is getting a make over. I've changed the hardware on the doors in the pantry. I've sewn cushion covers (with pom pom trim!). I've had a chair reupholstered. We've got a new set of dining chairs.And, last night, I made us a headboard (please forgive my 11:30pm photo shoot).



Its a kind of spring cleaning, I think, although if you live in New England you will know it doesn't feel like spring. We are having our customary rains, and as good as it is for the earth, the chill that accompanies it makes a real spring and the following summer feel a long way away.

So right now I'm thinking of keeping cosy. I wouldn't updating some of our bedlinen now, either... and I'm dreaming of Hinterveld.





Hinterveld produces the most luxurious mohair blankets... not only could I get something soft and divine for my new king bed, but I could get travel blankets, and knee blankets... I could be drowning in the softness, the gorgeous colours (which are called amazing names like "Bicycle Red" and "Karoo Blue Skies")!







Mohair considered one of the most sought-after fibres in the world, and the Karoo, where South African angora goats roam (and from where the mohair comes), produces the best mohair in the world. Hinterveld also runs an ecologically sound business, combing, spinning and dyeing the wool close the the farms, and reducing its carbon footprint.

Sigh. I do know that mohair doesn't come cheap, so I think dreams will have to do for now. But I will start saving up!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Boston Marathon 2011

Today is the Boston Marathon. People have taken hours and hours of time to train and qualify, while others have timen off work (or have the day off, lucky fish!) to watch. The South African flag has been having around town for weeks already, because our guy, Ernst Van Dyk will be back to win his 10th title. Go Ernst!




These are this year's banners... unfortunately I didn't get pic of Ernst's banner (wah wah wah) as these days I'm driving through town, not really walking. Hopefully they will still be up for a while and I'll get a shot.



I'm thinking today of my friends Cara and Terry, who are running for organizations close to their hearts. All I'm going to say is, remember that your feet are hurting because you're kicking so much arse!

(pics from here and here)

Friday, April 8, 2011

Portrait of a Nation

Don't you hate it when something simply spectacular slips your mind? Well, thanks to Style Guide Cape Town, I was reminded of A Portrait of a Nation.

Andrew Brauteseth uses the photography portrait to simply and beautifully illustrate the beauty and diversity in the South African nation. Beautiful.















I said beauty/beautiful/beautifully three times, didn't I?

Ja well. There it is...


and you can see more of Andrew's work on his blog, Guy with a Camera.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A Day in My Life

A big thank you to Vicki for asking me to participate in her series "A Day in the Life". I Want That is a daily read for me, so it was an honour! Never mind that I got to rub shoulders with people I admire, like Kobus, Lana and Carolyn.





Read more and see the rest of my pics here.