Latest, and best to date, Visi issue

The latest issue of Visi is out, and you really should get your hands on it. Really.
The cover alone is simply amazing, with gloss detail and bumpy stuff over the statue. You'll have to see and feel it to see what the hell I'm talking about.

The last couple of issues were disappointing. I know I shouldn't say this out loud, but it was. I think there was a new editor, and they tried new things. Which didn't work. The collector's edition (50th issue) was trying to hard to be something special, it fell flat on it's face.

But now with number 51 Visi have redeemed themselves. Fully! Every single page is beautiful, filled with relevant info, pretty pics and GREAT locations.

The cover shot is by the utterly brilliant Dook, and can you believe is in Johannesburg? I won't say anymore, just that the building is filled with fantastic art, the structure itself is gorgeous and on my next visit to Johannesburg I most certainly want to get in there!

Get hold of your own Visi number 51 and enjoy. Promise you will not be disappointed.

Calendar from Visi

I love free stuff. Especially when it's from Visi, because it's bound to be good!

This clever *free* calendar pulls in your friend's birthdays from Facebook and adds them all in. Then, voila, the pretty calendar is emailed to your inbox. Print it out (A3) or just set to your desktop like me.

Go on, what are you waiting for? Go to the Visi site here and have some fun.

Thought for the day

Like sand in the hourglass...

Nope, it's not the Days of Our Lives! :) I've been spotting these gorgeous hourglasses in some shops, but really I'm looking for these with coloured sand in them. Anyone spotted them somewhere? The Space in Cavendish has white ones, these sexy black ones are from Cecile and Boyds.

I spotted lime green ones in a pic the other day, would love to own a set!

Right now, the week's time has run out (yippee!) and it's the weekend. I hope it's a relaxing one for everyone!

Overwhelmed

I have been slightly overwhelmed with work for the last 2 weeks or so - thus taking an unexpected (and not voluntary) vacation from blogging. It always gets extremely busy this time of the year, with clients wanting to get everything ready before the end of the year.

I have also been keeping myself very busy with some wedding planning and making of invites (not my wedding though) and hope to share these with you soon.

Some other things I have been up to that are worth mentioning:

• Sitting and sleeping (bliss!) on my sexy new couch
• Wondering about a paint colour for my bedroom - I am tempted to make it a DIY long weekend and start by painting the bedroom. It's long overdue
• Sleeping under my handmade quilt. Yes, moi can stitch! It's not finished (I still need to tidy the edge) but I love it already
• Been on the lookout for a nice shaggy silver rug. Why are they so expensive? :(
• Enjoyed a wonderful Sunday at Spier and lunched at the new Eight restaurant - so worth a visit!
• Mastered the art of hand embossing envelopes - It's not that difficult and the end result is worth it.

It's going to be rollercoaster ride until the end of the year, but then it's holiday! Yippee! I'm already counting the days...

Have to share

I love this collection of pretty fabrics displayed in embroidery hoops. Notice the way the fabrics are grouped together by colour and fade from blue to green to yellow to red and pinks? Beautiful!

I remember my mom doing cross stitch and using one of these hoops - I thought it was the best invention ever!

Image via The Purl Bee

Best of the Catalogues

New Season = new catalogues! With Spring officially here (although I'm not sure if Mother Nature got the memo - Cape Town is a little chilly this morning), I for one love to add a bit of colour in my apartment and accesorise with fun things. Perfect to chase away the winter blues.

I'm sad to say that the various catalogues are not all the exciting, except for @home. Woolies and Mr Price have loads of lovely glasses, plates, linen and that sort of thing. For vases I always head to Woolies first though.

Here are just a few of my favourites from the @home catalogue...

Maybe because my big brother is a pilot, but I love these bookends for R250.

This screen is perfect for hiding my desk inthe lounge, which is always overflowing with bits of paper and ribbon and odds and ends. At R1100, not badly priced either.

The yellow coat rack would look perfect in my entrance against the grey blue walls!

The sun is coming up earlier, setting later. The days are warmer and the birds are singing. Summer is on it's way darlings!

Surprise Surprise

I was surprised by Boardmans this weekend - and in a good way! M and I hit the shops on Saturday in search of the prefect couch. Well, perfect within budget that is.

For weeks now I have frequented the same shops, hoping they have new stock or a sale. You see, the comfy couches I liked were way out of my budget, and the ones that were in my budget were just down right ugly. Or too small.

Then, on another mission to find dining chairs, I said "Let's just go and look at Boardmans". Not thinking for a minute I have any better luck. Ha! They had a bit of a revamp, wouldn't you know?

M and I fell in love with a certain grey couch the minute I lay on it, and even more so after I heard the price. Tada! I was sold! Or, the couch was. ;) It's being delivered today (so excited!) and finally it feels like my little flat is coming together. I've lived there for over 3 years, but never really put in any effort.

I've decided not to post any pics until the transformation is complete, I'm hoping to have it all done and dusted in the next month or so.

As the couch was quite a bit less than what I had expected to pay, I indulged and grabbed the Arco lamp. Designed by Achille Castiglioni (that's him in the pic with the Arco lamp) in 1962, I love how this piece has survived just about 50 years and is still used in stylish homes all over the world.

Now mine is obviously a knock off, and I know that's a huge debate amongst designers and architects; one which I'm not going to enter right now.

Castiglioni drew inspiration from street lamps when designing the Arco: a ceiling lamp that needed no connection to the ceiling. The lamp casts it's light about 2 meters from where the base is, making it ideal to illuminate dining tables without having to have a pendant hanging right over it.

I say: "Sia la luce!"

Hang your hat

I'm an absolute sucker for Design Classics. Eames, Jacobsen, Le Corbusier: I want to own it all.

This coat / hat rack is from the design duo of Charles and Ray Eames. Who said coat racks need to be boring!

And at a little over R1000 for the original, this is everyone's opportunity to own a piece of design history.

Available from All Office.

I love...

..Peonies in plain, simple glass containers. Vases, milk bottles, empty jars....anything really.

It might have to do with the fact that I have never ever seen Peonies for sale in South Africa, or am I just shopping at the wrong places?

I love the softer than candy floss quality these blooms have. And the light pink ones are my favourite.

This is how I feel right now

I can't remember where I found this, but today, of all days, this is how I feel. It's been a little crazy here in the office (and at home) so I've been more absent from here than I would have liked, but I'm hoping after today things settle down a little more.

I have so many pretty things to share with you!

112,640...

That's the number of Post-It notes that were used to create this temporary installation at Grand Central station in New York.

The installation forms part of the Post-It notes celebration of it's 30th birthday.

I somehow don't think the random Post-It's I have stuck up on my computer screen at the office qualify as art...

Have a blooming good weekend!

This utterly gorgeous chair, from Weylandts nogal, is sure to make anyone wish Spring was here already!

This was the winner of the "Coup de Coeur" award in Maison et Objet Paris last year, and I can see why. Designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, who is responsible for most of the better Weylandts pieces. (Also love his Voyage bed for little babies)

Hope you have a blooming good weekend everyone!

I love...

...pretty paperweights.

Like these from Pezula. I've developed a penchant for all things that look like they've been torn out of a science book - not that I ever really liked science at school.

I heard my Haldane Martin pieces are being delivered tomorrow morning - can't wait!

x a

Happy Happy day!

I am now the *super* proud owner of not one, but two lovely pieces by wickedly wonderful Cape Town designer Haldane Martin. I'm quite giddy with happiness! (Remember I blogged about his home here)

I won't be going out much this month, nor will I eat out, buy flowers, indulge in Woolies goodness, see a movie, have the car washed or do anything that is not within my budget (the same budget that now needs to be revised in order to accommodate this purchase). Hey, good design never came cheap...

As soon as the lovely pieces of furniture are delivered to moi, I will post a pic.

So, going to buy the 2 pieces also made it my first visit to Haldane's impressive studio in Woodstock. It's a converted church (can't you see?). It made me want to live in such a building, with high ceilings, big windows, lovely arches and stuff. With a long, old table with some of his pink Riempie chairs (also by Mr Martin) around it. Perfect for candle lit dinners and entertaining friends.

All in good time....all in good time...

Cool, Not so Cool

Cool: having a soul-reviving long weekend up the West Coast.

Not So Cool: having to come back to work this Tuesday morning.

Enough said..

Happy Women's Day for Monday everyone!

The fiance and I are off to Paternoster for the weekend. Even though I see the weather is going to be pretty bad (awful actually), I'm happy. It gives me the opportunity to catch up on some reading and more importantly: sleep.

Have a happy, wonderful, fun filled long weekend!

x a

If you have not seen this ad, where have you been?

I want to eat Chicken Lickin JUST because of their ads!

Colour me pretty

I love colour charts. I like walking into Builder's Warehouse and staring at the wall of colour charts.

I especially love new colour charts. And Plascon's colour forecast for 2011 is out, and it's made me a very happy person.

Don't know if you remember the Plascon Colour magazine? Well, is had a reincarnation into the new Spaces magazine. This is second issue, and it's filled with inspirational pages, easy decor ideas and loads of colour options.











The 2011 forecast is inspired by Love. Gotta *love* that.

"In this year's palette, the romance of the past, coloured in soft nostalgic pastels, is a grounding element but at the same time we experiment with colours and textures, creating something new and sophisticated. We look to our environment for inspiration, drawing its rich verdant and earthy tones into our homes and lives, but we also embrace the bright colours and dynamic culture of our cities. This is a love of the past and the future, nature and city."

There are 4 pallets, with my favourites being Future Passion and Romance Rekindled (pictured above). Then there is also Vibrant Possibility and Eco-sustenance.

If you are at all thinking of painting, decorating or simply need some inspiration (who doesn't) then you really should spend the 15 ront on this one.

Be inspired people!

x a

Interesting Print

This print from The Brick Lane's shop en Etsy features a beautiful little bird (love the colours) printed on an original 1878 Bible Dictionary page. I love the idea of using old (in that case, very old) items and creating something new and useful.  I also like this butterfly...

                                          

Maybe I should grab my old,  fat, green HAT (Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal)  and see what I can conjure up...

 x a