Dark Star Safari
8th April 2013
I bought Dark Star Safari for Si for his birthday. He read it and loved it, and I just finished it and loved every single word.
I think Paul Theroux is my new hero. His overland trip from Cairo to Cape Town was inspiring, funny and eye-opening.
Next up Sunrise with Seamonsters.
CommentDesign Indaba 2013
28th February 2013
Yes, it’s that time of year again folks, when the best of the South Africa design world come out to play at Design Indaba.
Like always I wish I had some spare cash to actually see some of the conference (Jessica Hische is speaking on Saturday) but I’m happy enough to pop down tomorrow to get inspired, and I’ll put a post together next week of all of my favourite finds.
Stay tuned!
Namibian Nights
11th February 2013
This gorgeous timelapse is for my awesome friends living out in the Namibian bush x
(Thanks Dad)
Lalesso X Pichulik
5th February 2013
On Saturday at Neighbourgoods I discovered Pichulik, a handmade jewellery brand with pieces made from climbing rope.
Not only are Katherine-Mary’s jewellery designs awesome, she’s also done a collaboration with Lalesso to produce a range of bags and purses.
This gorgeous Jaali purse has gone straight onto my birthday wishlist.
Holi One
4th February 2013
In a month’s time Cape Town will be hosting the first ever African Holi Festival of colour!
Run by Seed Experiences Agency (the same guys who put on Rocking The Daisies) they say, “The global HOLI ONE festival is not directly linked to the original Holi Festival, nor with it’s religious aspects, but is definitely inspired by it and shares the same values – a day steeped in the old Indian tradition of bringing people together in love and peace, a tradition that transcends backgrounds and cultures.” So basically loads of colour, love, partying and powder throwing with no need to get religious. Perfect!
Holi One is on March 2nd at the Grand Parade – so get your white clothes on, buy your tickets here and see you there!
Neon Yellow Toe Cap Vellies
15th January 2013
Eek! These Neon Toe Kids Vellies are too cool for school.
Made by Schier Shoes who are based in Namibia, vellies are ancestors of the modern-day desert boot and these ones are made of vegetable-dyed Kudu leather.
The best bit?
They come in big sizes too!
Drowning World
30th November 2012
Drowning World is a long-term photographic and video project exploring the global impact of flooding by photographer Gideon Mendal.
His somewhat controversial decision to release a selection of his Nigerian flood images on Instagram, alongside his more traditional images, means his photographs were available to a huge audience and created (with help from Twitter) an immediate awareness of the crisis.
It’s an interesting idea and one Mendal talks about in his interview with the BBC. To see more of his Instagram images, follow him on Twitter @gideonmendel.
(via BBC)
Daniel
26th November 2012
I was feeling kind of crafty this weekend and so I made these name blocks for my sweet little cousin’s Christmas present.
Thought it might be fun to teach him some South African animals!
Día De Los Muertos
28th September 2012
Here’s my awesome Fiona Goldthorpe soap.
I told you it was way too pretty to use, and now it’ll make me happy every time I come home and drop my keys by the front door.
Happy Friday!
Santa Shoebox
21st September 2012
I read about the Santa Shoebox Project on the plane going to Jo’burg and I think it’s awesome.
It’s a super inspiring project that co-ordinates the donation, collection and distribution of Christmas presents to underprivileged children across South Africa. The best bit is that it’s personal and you can choose your child by their name, gender and age.
Santa Shoebox asks that you fill your decorated shoebox with the following items:
• Toothpaste and a toothbrush
• Bar of soap and a washcloth
• An outfit of clothing
• Educational supplies
• Sweets
• A toy
Anything else you’d like to give (and fits in the box!) is up to you.
Such a simple, cute initiative that’s easy to take part in and will make a little kid super happy at Christmas. What else could you ask for?
I’ll make sure to put some photos up when we’ve made our shoeboxes. Si has a 5 year old boy called Prince and I have a 4 year old girl called Emihle. Yay!
Between Friends ♥ Robin Hammond
21st September 2012
Between Friends
Robin Hammond
Today’s Between Friends belongs to probably the bravest guy I’ve ever met. Being inspired by risk takers is a bit of a giveaway, although the grapefruit juice is definitely a curveball.
As a photojournalist Robin has spent a large chunk of his life travelling to some of the world’s poorest places. War-torn countries divided by poverty and corrupt beyond belief. He finds people who have no one else to tell their stories to and with his beautiful photography helps to raise awareness of their suffering.
Last year he won the prestigious Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award with his work on Zimbabwe, and the € 50,000 award meant he was able to travel there over a 5 month period (getting himself arrested twice and jailed for 3 weeks during the process) to take the photos he needed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Zimbabwe today.
By supporting “a profession in the grip of a severe financing crisis, Carmignan Gestion hopes to give these key witnesses [ie photographers] of today’s world the means to go where others will not.”
Your Wounds will be named Silence will be exhibited at L’Ecole des Beaux-arts de Paris from 9th November until 9th December and published as a book to accompany the exhibition.
L’Ecole des Beaux-arts de Paris
Chapelle des Petits-Augustins
14, Rue Bonaparte
75600 Paris
To view more of Robin’s work check out his website here.
(To view a bigger version, please click the image above)
44 Stanley
18th September 2012
Hello! I’m home!
Zanzibar was amazing. Beautiful, relaxing and chilled (that’s another post all turquoise and aquamarine) and because our flight left super early on Saturday morning from Jo’burg, we decided to fly up the day before.
We spent the day hanging out in a rather awesome hotel, complete with private jacuzzi, champagne and Nelson Mandela next door! And since we were there we thought we should check out a bit of the city too. 44 Stanley was recommended to us by the lovely Maike, so we went to have a look. It was super cool and we killed a couple of hours wandering around and eating. Here’s what we found:
Bean There - an afternoon wandering is never complete without a good coffee stop. Jo’burg’s Bean There is just as sexy as Cape Town’s and the coffee rocks.
Anatomy Design - I fell in love with the skull screenprint in the window.
Lucky Fish was a gorgeous shop selling everything from cotton Indian bedspreads to handmade soap. Si bought me one of Fiona Goldthorpe’s Día de los Muertos Skull Soaps. It’s much too pretty to use so I’m going to find a box frame for it.
AOP Gallery - the Fiona Pole exhibition had just been hung when we stopped by. Her etchings are beautiful.
Vovo Telo - Mmmm. Pizza bread and juices to die for. Their awesome branding was done by South African illustrator Alta Stegmann and the best bit? They just opened a cafe at the V&A. Sweet.
Decade / Wasteland had some gorgeous vintage furniture that reminded me of pieces my grandparents used to own.
Frazer Parfum - I found some more beautiful Frazer Parfum bottles in Méchant & Gentil (oh! if only they didn’t cost a small fortune).
So 44 Stanley was the perfect start to our trip and definitely check out if you’re ever in Johannesburg.
(Thanks Maike x)
Africa
4th September 2012
I love this 1554 Map of Africa by German Cartographer Sebastian Münster. Apparently it’s one of the earliest maps of the entire African continent.
Click on the image if you’d like to see a larger version.
Yay Bee Sea @ Wolves
28th August 2012
Yay Bee Sea is up for one more week at Wolves Cafe in Johannesburg if anyone is around to go check it out.
If you’re not, you can still purchase letter prints from here.
I love the O by Sergio Ines (of course).
The Ultimate Road Trip
27th July 2012
The compelling story of Gunther Holtorf and his 23 year road-trip is quite simply amazing.
What started off as an 18 month African adventure in 1989, continued as a lifetime of travel, and 800,000 kms later Gunther and his car Otto are still going strong.
I’m inspired and awe-struck. What an amazing man.
Watch a short video over on the BBC, that includes some amazing photographs by Gunther and Dave Lemke, a photographer who joined him for part of his journey.
Big Five
3rd July 2012
Another reminder I’m home.
James Jean Limited Edition Big Five poster, signed and numbered in an edition of 250.
Robin Hammond
19th June 2012
I’m SO excited to be able to write about our friend Robin winning the prestigious Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award. Hooray!
The award was established in 2009 and finances a photojournalism report lasting for several months on a proposed theme.
Robin’s work on the humanitarian crisis affecting Zimbabwe was dangerous and extremely risky but I know he’ll have taken the most amazing photos in the months he spent there, and hopefully the awareness raised through his photography will make it all worthwhile.
There will be an exhibition of his work at the Chapelle de l’Ecole des Beaux-arts in Paris from 9 November 2012 and a beautiful book to accompany the show.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris then, make sure you don’t miss it.
Nick Brandt
16th April 2012
These animal portraits by video director turned wildlife photographer, Nick Brandt are stunning. What’s more amazing is that he doesn’t even use a telephoto lens preferring to get up close and personal with his subjects.
Brandt is also the founder of the Big Life Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems. 100% of the proceeds of the charity prints purchased from the Big Life Foundation go to helping fight poaching in Africa, which unfortunately is on the increase once more. Donations can also be made here.
“There has been a massively increased demand from China and the Far East, ivory prices have soared from $200 a pound in 2004 to more than $2000 a pound today. Some experts estimate that as much as 35,000 elephants a year are being slaughtered, 10% of Africa’s elephant population each year alone.”
(via Flavourwire)
Goet
8th March 2012
I finally found out who make these awesome wooden stools! Another great discovery at Design Indaba…
Goet is a South African furniture and product design company and they make beautiful wooden furniture, lights, bowls and vases. Mmmmm.
Dan Halter | The Truth Lies Here
8th March 2012
The Truth Lies Here is Zimbabwean-born, Cape Town-raised Dan Halter’s 4th solo exhibition at What if the World Gallery in Woodstock.
“The show engages with notions of transmigration, the construction of ‘truths’, and the way in which things hold together and fall apart – the integration and disintegration of the fabric of the Zimbabwean Diaspora.”
I thought this image was pretty cool and I’m curious to see the rest of the show and his ideas about dislocated national identities - a subject that always interests me no matter where in the world it’s explored.
The Truth Lies Here is on from 8th March – 14th April.
Paper Jet
7th March 2012
Paper Jet was one of the Emerging Creatives stalls at Design Indaba and I couldn’t resist buying this ‘Around the globe in a spin’ card to give to our awesome friends Shell&Jacob. They left on Monday to travel in Mexico for 4 months before moving to Toronto, so the envelope swayed it for me!
The best bit though? A super tiny and super cute paper aeroplane that fell out from inside the card when we went to write in it. Too cool.
Paper Jet is a collaboration between two Jo’burg based designers and I’ll be looking out for their stockists here in Cape Town.
Love & Neon
6th March 2012
Yay! I’m back!
Hello everyone!
After what was by far the best and most amazing love-filled month of my life, I’m sat again in front of my computer trying to get back into the swing of things… and it’s hard!
I’ve still got wedding fever on the brain and I promise to post some of the bits and pieces I made and designed for the wedding as soon as we get our photos back from the *oh-so-awesome-and-cool* welovepictures but in the meantime…
On Sunday morning I went to check out Design Indaba (A Taste of Sónar on Friday night was also very good fun) and the first thing I saw were hartedief hearts. Beautifully made, collectible pieces of art, I thought these sweet designs were rather appropriate in keeping with my theme of love.
The rest of my Design Indaba finds will be coming soon…
PS *Sweet wishes to The Joys and The Johnsons on their anniversaries today*
♥ Mikado
14th February 2012
This gorgeous decal is by the cool folk over at Mikado. More sexy hearts for Valentine’s Day.
♥ Be Together
14th February 2012
Thought this ad, designed by Cape Town agency Am I Collective, was rather cute for ABSA Bank.
Be playful, be together…
Happy Valentine’s Day!
