The artists

The Artists from Giant Creative on Vimeo.

It made me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.

Getting the Christmas Tree

Well, Christmas is round the corner but with all the financial doom and gloom in the news it can be hard to imagine a "splendid" Christmas. Times like these creativity really comes into play. Here are a few ways people are battling the recession at Christmas time.

For those who really want to "go green" why not make a glass tree? Instead of going and cutting down a tree that would help provide oxygen, go walk around the neighborhood and collect bottles. Not only are you helping the environment it would also count as community service. Win-win all around I say.

Via : apartmenttherapy

Now, I understand that part of the joy of having a real tree is that "Christmas" smell that goes along with it. Here is a simple, cheap solution. You get that pine aroma and the tree shape. Personally I think its genius.

Via : Tastefully Offensive

No matter what your Christmas tree looks like, or smells like, try not to forget that Christmas has nothing to do with trees, gifts, or even food. Its all in the word. CHRISTmas.

Reader Contributions

Word on my owl obsession is getting out. Look what fun photos the lovely Diyana sent me!

The owl cushion is by Donna Wilson and can be bought at John Lewis (Hint hint!). To keep your ears warm in style head to Dorothy Perkins. If you come across any owl ideas/pieces please share them by sending a quick email with a photo and link (so I can give credit where credit is due!). Its amazing how many owls are out in broad daylight these days!

Cats and Connections

Simon's Cat is just plain fun. And if you have a cat you also know that it is ABSOLUTELY true. You know what else is true? I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely young lady who had worked on the animation for Simon's Cat. Now I like it even more! Living in London never ceases to be exciting and meeting people never gets old.

Anita's Vintage Fair

Today I went to Anita's Vintage Fair at Battersea Arts Centre. There were racks of fur coats and dresses which looked like they might dissolve if you did so much as look at them. Its always interesting to imagine a time when clothes were more about luxury than practicality.

The images are of the two pieces I most wanted. The bag was real leather and from the 40's. What's not to love? With all that I try to fit in my bags I need something that has proven its strength. Maybe one day....the vest caught my eye instantly. Its so unique. Its also sheepskin lined, practical and beautiful!

The best part of the day, however, was the conversation I had with one of the stall owners. She shared the history of some of the pieces she had on show and it was easy to see her passion and enthusiasm. I spent 30 minutes just riveted, listening to her stories.

That conversation made me realise why I am working at being a journalist. Its so that I can spend my life talking to people who have something interesting to say. People are fascinating. Take some time to just listen them.

Friday Friend

I don't know about you but I think there can be no better way to spend a Friday evening than with my friends Ben and Jerry. So that's exactly what I am going to do. Have a great Friday!

The ultimate treehouse

It might not be practical but it sure is does have charm.

via apartment therapy

Creative Identity

What does your fingerprint say about you?

image from here

Where ever my heart takes me

Go against the grain

Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo.

I LOVE IT.

Bring back braids!

How beautiful are these braids at the Valentino show?

I wonder how hard it is...maybe I'll try it out tomorrow.

Via: seaofshoes

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

15 minutes of inspiration. Worth your time.

Most interesting to me is Steve Jobs college experience. As I go about trying to decide what it is that I really want I feel stifled by the structure of university. Why is college not a series of "drop-in" sessions, instead of producing more and more "drop-outs". How would the university experience differ if the students were trusted to create their own education.

Much like Steve Jobs, the students of today are frustrated with the system as it is. The London riots are an example of this. People are no longer seeing the value in their degrees. What if their degrees could be tailor made? Surely the best education is one motivated by the individual, created to meet the needs of each of the students as unique entities.

This restrictive format, of "you do this and do it now" could be stifling thousands of students world wide. Knowledge is a gift, and a privilege but who decides which knowledge is more important?

What I am suggesting is simply that those who would benefit, and make the most of, the knowledge at their disposal are being kept in classes that will never be of use to them. And while calligraphy may have seemed to be a foolish decision of Steve Jobs, a decision that would never have been approved of by a board of "educators", it proved to be a starting point in his life.

What we see is that society is not giving space to appreciate beauty. People are not given time to discover interests that they never would of considered. We are constantly lead to believe that "being sensible" is what will ultimately benefit us. But, as Steve Jobs points out, in the face of death what will sense have gotten us?

If you were going to die tomorrow would you finish that essay you were doing? Maybe you would, simply because you were absorbed by it; because you were consumed by a hunger to discover and learn. As much as I wish this were the case for all of us I highly doubt it is.

I think fear of failure keeps us from even trying to achieve out dreams, or potential. Failure, as painful as it is, is ultimately a part of life, and if you look at anyone who has achieved apparent success you will see that they are the product of responding positively to failure. Personally I think failure is inevitable. Therefore it is not the number of times we "fail" but what we learn from it that will make the difference.

Every step of the way you should ask "Do you love what you do?". Are you willing to fight the fear of failure because you are passionate about your idea? Yes, we all have to eat, but make sure you are not only feeding yourself physically but that you are also nourishing your own sense of self. In the end YOU are the best thing you have to offer the world. Focus on making yourself a valuable gift. We can all be the apple of someone's eye.

What snow?

Who needs snow anyway?

via: apartment therapy

Book worm?

How amazing is this?

Sitting by the window...

I miss my window seat in Amsterdam...

It was the perfect place to sit and think.

Where do you go when you just need to be?

Colour wheel

The perfect t-shirt for painting the streets of Amsterdam...

via: Matt Sewell

French Finds

Today I bought myself a long skirt at the french market we went to. Not many things funner than long skirts in summer. Now if only the weather would get better...

Photo: Mr.Newton

Triangulation

"To emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a mathematical system that only concerns itself with positive numbers."
Paul Klee

Photo: Jaimers on etsy

Freckles

"If freckles don't mean anything, does anything mean anything?"

Darwin Deeze - Constellation

Image: Benoit Paille

B + W glamour

Milla Jovovich by Carter Smith

Nothing beats black and white photos when it comes to glamour.

How can nothing be something?

Zero from Zealous Creative on Vimeo.

www.zeroshortfilm.com

Flag cake

Happy 4th of July! If I was gona celebrate I'd do it with this cake...

Charley Harper

Charley Harper. Probably the coolest person ever...

I got one of these style sweaters today. YAY! I love Zara sales...

image: sartorialist.blogspot.com

Best accessory? A smile

image: the sartorialist

Burning house project

The burning house project is such an interesting

idea. What would you take with you? Its pretty

evident that we live in an age of information, both

these people took their laptops (so would I...)! What is so special about a frying pan though?

Ik ben op Holland

I'm in Holland and this may well be the "coolest" place I've ever been. Everyone is on bicycles and looking effortless. Admittedly I'm pretty jealous of this "gift". My one attempt at getting on a bike ended in me practically under the bike. Not the elegant descent I had in mind...If I do ever get the hang of it I wouldn't mind owning one of these. How trendy are they? Of course I could just get a second hand Dutch bike and be just as chic...I may just have to give this bike thing another go!

Happened upon this Dutch website the other day. I've never seen anything quite like it. Dutch design has not lost its edge!

so what is this and who am i? well i guess its all relative really, what with this being the internet and all! however alot of who i am is reflected in the things that inspire me. hence the blog. a place to put all the things which i like or interest me or cause some kind of reaction in me. i guess you could consider jean-luc godard's quote a bit of a motto for this virtual mood board. i hope that you, whoever you are, can also find some thing of beauty, discover something quirky and look at things with fresh perspective.

via: http://pikaland.com/2010/02/25/holiday-matinee