Snapoff : Sunny sippin' and flickin'

Frankie says: Take time to sip tea in the winter sun while waiting for a prosciutto sandwich on organic wholemeal rye... *satisfied sigh*



Frankie also says: Take time to chat and laugh and eat with the nicest of friends

Chill 09: Next time it gets a bit warm in your hood, throw some ruby red grapefruit juice, mango juice, kaffir lime leaves and ice in a blender. Slurp it like it's 2009.


Hubby captured the bizarrely beautiful light that flooded our backyard tonight. Crazy dark clouds, rich golden light and a neighbour's palm tree. Love this shot!

Super weekend y'all xxx

Illohaven : Some kinda wonderful

I'm in awe of these illustrations by Mari Katogi. The illo above is the sweetest Little Red Riding Hood ever. It's so fresh and modern in a definite Japanese style.


And here we have the cheekiest Alice in Wonderland... I'd murder that pile of macaroons in a split second. Oops. Sometimes I confuse what's not real with cravings. Ahem. Next?


Hansel & Gretel on their way to nom their way through a candy house... Mmmm candy...


Alice through the looking glass...


This one is such a fave, I've saved it as my desktop background.What a talented artist, these are absolutely divine. Go here for more: mari.lomo.jp

Now I'm off to the beach!! I'm stopping only to pick up my friend C and her dog Ferris. Fish n chips here we come... xxx

Sketchalot : Bird, bike, boom and belonging

Today, my peeps, was delightful. It was so busy, but busy when you're freelancing has an underlying feeling of gratitude instead of stressiness. It was also warm. Real warm for mid-winter. I stopped by Bronte beach this morning - where I used to live... sigh - on the way to a shoot for a story I'm writing. I also ate burnt fig jam, honeycomb and caramel ice cream this afternoon in the sun. In between I was crazy busy dancing on this laptop, but tis all good.

Today's post, therefore, is all good and should make you feel like you've got a smile full of sunshine and a belly full of yum. Meet John W. Golden (you're already smiling at the name, aren't you?), a digital artist with a love of vintage and a handy knowledge of fun. Here's a couple fast facts about Mr John...
What's your earliest creative memory?
My earliest memory of drawing was a game a friend of mine and I used to play. We would draw tanks and airplanes and other military type stuff on pieces of paper. Then we would place a pencil point on one of our drawings. Using one finger on top of the pencil's eraser (to hold the pencil upright), you would flick the pencil point toward your opponent's drawings, resulting in a pencil mark "fired" from your drawing. If the pencil mark hit your opponent's drawing, they had to draw a scribble-y explosion on top of that drawing. The loser of the game was the first to run out of drawings.

Did you get in trouble for it?
I definitely got in trouble for it, as it was usually during school that we played the game.


What's your favourite magazine, book and blog?
I read Juxtapoz (mag), The Business of Holidays (book), and blog-wise, I follow AshleyG, The Black Apple and a dude named Matt Logelin.

Pics from top down: Belongs to You, Band Legged Blue Green Striped Bird Collage, Cycles per Second and Boom.
You know you want more: johnwgolden.etsy.com; jwgdesign.blogspot.com

Talentcomp : Slightly twisted does it for me

I've just had the most unexpected weekend. Hubby was away Friday night and working like crazy until Saturday night, so I made the whimsical (and somewhat mad) decision to paint his office. At 4pm I was in a cab picking up the perfect blue-grey (Porter's Explorer Blue), by 6:30 I had moved out as much as I could from his very full room and by 10:30pm I had finished the base coat. 7am on Sat I started on the blue and I was amazed at how serene the colour was. By 5pm I was done. And very, very sore. See I'm not good on ladders, especially not when they're sitting precariously against a wall (I didn't have much room to move around - his desks and one bookcase were too heavy to shift very far. Where the ladder wouldn't fit I was standing on my bedside table!)

Anyhoo he loves it. He put up his wooden blinds, we moved things back in and it looks twice as big (the original colour was dark orangey-red). I'm so thrilled! I only wanted to do it as a surprise because he's been working so hard, but what I didn't expect was to learn so much from the experience. I really pushed myself way past my limits to get it done (when I said precarious ladder angles I meant it! Plus horrible dizziness at the thought of falling off, a super tired body... you get the idea). So as my body recovers I feel mentally stronger... kinda hard to explain but I feel brilliant today! Bruised and tired and absolutely wonderful!

Speaking of some kind of wonderful, photographer Sherri Wilson Conley has shared some extremely pretty pics here on the blog. I'll let the rest of the post come from her...


Do you have any hidden talents?
Like tying a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue? Patting your head while rubbing your tummy? No, can't do any of that stuff. How about this... I think I could be a real good carpenter. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and I love working with wood and even own my own band saw! The smell of sawdust takes me back to the days when my Dad was working downstairs in his workshop when I was young. He was always making something with his hands. Of course, he taught me everything I know about woodworking.



Who are your favourite authors?
I really don't have any favourite authors. I read all kinds of books, fiction and non-fiction, on a variety of subjects. Sometimes I read two at a time. I just finished reading John by Cynthia Lennon, before that a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer and a few by Eckhart Tolle. The next in line to read is Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks, Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Healing Words by Larry Dossey.



What makes you laugh?
Quick, dry wit and slightly-twisted humour does it for me. Dave Barry and Garrison Keillor are two of my favorite humorists and are great to read if you want a lift! I love to hear friends tell stories on themselves, you know, the embarrassing kind where they just wanted to crawl under a rock...but they share it with you and it's so darn funny you both laugh until you cry? They're the best! And my two daughters can quickly bring me to tears from laughing fits and it happens frequently...usually in public!



Pics from top down: Soft, Flying into the Night, A Hint of Pink, Laughter is the Best Medicine and X's and O's.

More: sherriconley.etsy.com

Funflicks : Everything's funny

I am so in the mood for fun. Yes I know it's Monday and it's illegal and whatever... but I've just had such a great weekend and MJ is still cranking from my laptop and the sun's out. I spent the day yesterday with my hubby, bro, sis-in-law and niece. Holy cartwheels it's fun to hang out with a two year-old. Everything's funny. High fives are fun. Dogs are hilarious (especially our staffie, naturally). Bumpy, bumpy bridges are a giggle-fest. So I had to post something that'll make you smile...


Meet Bob, aka, bomobob, a Montreal-based photographer with an eye for happy.

What do you do for fun?
Fun, huh? Well, since I do this for a living, every day is kind of fun. As far as other things go, I love to travel, hike, design and build furniture, garden, cook, did I mention travel?


Who and what inspires you?
I can't say any person in particular inspires me, but more the collective of people, particularly on Etsy, who are taking the chance and following their passions, finding an outlet and an audience for their creativity. I'm also inspired by all the various arts and cultures in the world. Creativity and an eye for beauty are passions that are to be found everywhere in the world.


Pics from top: Crazy Legs, Krazy Klowns, Falcon Motel and Quack.

Plaything : Crush me happy

I've decided there are two types of celebrities I'm fascinated by. First, there are the phenomenally talented, über charismatic, compellingly good looking people who you can't help but want to get to know. I'm nowhere near obsessed, just curiously curious. I have a few celebrity crushes in this arena, like Clive Owen and Simon Baker. Mmmm they're special. Twiggy Lawson (above) had her own quiet way of captivating the world... so ethereal.


The other type is the person who makes a difference in the world and you come to get to know them through celebrity channels. Like Harvey Milk (above) or Princess Diana. The world is enriched by their lives... yes that's totally different from making blockbusters but you see my point. It's in there somewhere.


Now let me introduce you to Christian & Hallie, aka, Autumn&Eve, the Pittsburgh-based, super fabulous creators of the designs on this page. Here's a line from their Etsy profile page: "We're in the business of good looks and illustration." Do you love it? It made me smile. As did the pic of the deliriously lovely Isabella Rossellini (above) and Audrey Tautou (below). Sigh.


Here's a bit about Christian & Hallie:

What makes you laugh?
So many things. We have the weirdest sense of humor. Most people think we're crazy.

Who inspires you?
Pretty much everyone that we do a portrait of inspires us one way or another.

What's the best feedback you've had on your work? We love all of the positive feedback that we get, but our favorite was when someone said this about us, "This is the best seller I have ever had a transaction with on Etsy... All [their] responses were very quick and helpful... the prints were not damaged during transport. Thanks so much!"

Need more good looks and smiles? Want a custom-made order of your grandma? Go here: autumnandeve.etsy.com

Funpark : Get giddy with it

Giddy: Frivolous and lighthearted; flighty.



Fun: A source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure. Playful, often noisy, activity.



Free: Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion. Liberal or lavish. Given, made, or done of one's own accord; voluntary or spontaneous.



Soar: To rise, fly, or glide high and with little apparent effort.



Merriment: High-spirited fun and enjoyment; hilarity.



Live as though you're at a fun park. Be free, soar, smile, laugh. Let the wind dive through your hair and your cheeks turn pink; eat fairy floss with abandonment; see others as a source of joy and companionship. In short, live as though the world will support any and every one of your dreams in full.

The whimsical, gorgeous prints above are by Washington, DC-based Linda Plaisted, Many Muses Studio. Each piece of artwork she creates is layered by hand with images she has captured in her photographs, drawings, paintings and collected ephemera to create collage pieces with depth and detail.

What do you love about mixed media? As a painter and photographer and lover of all things art supply, I enjoy the pure play of different media and juxtaposition of interesting textures, layers and forms.

What's your favourite subject to photograph? Nature, hands down.

What makes you laugh? My exquisitely wonderful children, ages 2 and 5. They're magic.

Pics from top down: Roulette, Carousel, Up Up, Luna Park, Send in the Clowns and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. All from the Luna Park series.

lindaplaisted.com

Frankiestyle : The world according to moi

Ahhh, Saturday morning. They used to be so rushed, especially if the sun was out. Get up early, go for a jog avec dog, make a big breaky, wash dishes, clean kitchen & bathroom, wash seven loads of laundry, shop for groceries, put on a slow roast for dinner, play on computer, call Mum... by the time I relaxed the sun had set.

These days I have the leisure of cleaning the house during the week, so Saturdays are much freer. Today I went for a stroll through Newtown, sipping a flat white, listening to Lenka on my iPod, shopping for fisherman's pants and padlocks. Upon returning to my (clean) terrace, I decided to flip through my favourite sites and blogs and soon I'm going to chill with my new Vanity Fair. We're out for dinner somewhere local tonight, so I don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning and it's so LOVELY.

Now it has occurred to me how much I ADORE learning about other people's fave blogs and sites, so today's post is about me and my faves. Here are my daily hits of inspiration and smiles:

Firstly, who can go past The Sartorialist. I'm no fashionista, but I so love looking at the most fashionable people in the world. It serves me much better than fashion mag as it's real people (ok most of them could be models, but they're not they're just super fab) wearing their most elegant/quirky/divine outfit of the day. I'm always inspired by their colour combos or even a cute hairdo.



Pic above: Style Profile... Sofia Hedstrom, NYC
Pic below: On the Street......Blue & White, Governor's Island
thesartorialist.blogspot.com


Next I head to another extreme of fashion: the hilarious girls at Go Fug Yourself. Honestly, they are beyond incredible. They deconstruct outfits and celeb insanity without overdosing on nasty gossip, and often leave me in tears. And craving twinkies. You just have to go there.

This is Jenna Jameson, former adult film star/entrepreneur extraordinaire. Ha. Tragedy. Need more? gofugyourself.celebuzz.com


Following the fashion frenzy, I check out what's happening in New York. Joseph O. Holmes started joe's nyc in 2004. His daily shots of NYC are so perfect and stunning and unique, I feel like I'm there for just a second. This shot is delightful. The colours, the light... joesnyc.com


For a hit of interiors, I pop into The Selby. These aren't just any homes, these are how the cooler half live. Some are slightly extravagant, some rock n roll and other messy chic. Together, they're raw and fun. All shots are by Todd Selby, I dig his style. theselby.com



The latest post is Jon Liu and Laura Rule at home in London, and these are two shots by Todd at their place.



When I'm done there, I skip through a few other blogs you see on the right here... lots of faves, so much inspiration, an abundance of creative people living their dreams and sharing it with the world.

Hope you're all having an amazing Saturday wherever you are. Soak it up any way you can x

Illohaven : Jump like you mean it

I've never felt such satisfaction as I do when I see my features published in a magazine. It's an affirmation that's hard to describe. Writing is so personal and strange and public but I love it so so much. I don't think I'll ever stop. The other day I was going through my old high school books one last time before finally throwing them out (hoarding days are so over) and I noticed a few short stories and english essays. Sitting back I re-read my words, trying to remember if I had the pull way back at 14. I think due in part to my sheer craziness, the fact that my Pop wanted me to be a pianist and my slightly confused careers adviser, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. None. Thank goodness the pen found me again five years ago.

Last year I discovered the unbelievable joy of illustrating. I asked the art director of Real Living mag (where I worked for three years until a few weeks ago) if I could have a crack at an illo for the mag. I had never done one before, only painted and sketched, but I did two for them (completely in photoshop) that were both published. Happy days I tell you! I haven't done much since, but now that I'm freelancing I have more time to paint and draw and illo, as well as write features and everything else I love. It's paddle pop perfection.

I big-time heart Melanie's illos. I was so excited after I read her answers, I love reading about other people making their passions their jobs. Here she is in her own words...


The highlight of my career was the end of one and the beginning of another... I had a job that looked so good on paper but was so bad for the soul. After returning from my honeymoon while on a lunch break it was all so clear – I needed to quit immediately. Luckily, my husband was so excited to live vicariously through my quitting that he said, "just do it!' and since we planned to start a family asap we figured it would show us what it would be like with only one of us working... so I jumped ship! Later that night we both realized how crazy and scary of a move that was and how I needed to figure out something to add to the income pretty quickly. I wanted to support myself by being creative and even try breaking into the world of illustration and textile design but I needed to figure out how to make money in the interim. Having worked as a jewelry designer for a national brand (previous soul killer) combined with my degree in graphic design I decided to blend the best parts of them together – and voila – super extravagant wedding invitations! And thus, by the seat of my pants – Love Your Invite was born: loveyourinvite.com. Plus – extra bonus – along with running the invite business I now had time for crafting and illustration like what you can find in my Etsy shop: spreadthelove.etsy.com


My favourite subjects are whimsical ideas with lots of fine and delicate details...
I love to relax with great documentaries, snuggling with my husband and dog, gardening and oddly enough – trapshooting! (I've been doing it since I was 12 – it's a family thing.)


Top, left to right: You fly me like a kite and Forgotten
Above: Modern Cameo Print, Red Rose

Posterjoy : Sharing the love

Things I learned from my Mum: I can do anything and be anyone I want to without exception, to laugh often and loudly, a love of writing, a instinct for cooking... and a glass of wine solves just about anything.

Things I learned from my Pop: do your best in whatever you do, a love of maths, an instinct for gardening, to stand up for myself, to appreciate the details... and to know when to hit the beach after a day of hard work.

Some things just run in the family. Like curly hair (thanks Pop) and long fingers (cheers Mum), some things are just in us. I think once we accept and embrace these (talents, freckles and all), life becomes easier and more fulfilling. (Which means any day now I'll stop straightening my hair. Soon. Really. However, if I may point out I have taken a trip to brunette-ville for the first time in a while. Yes, yes, no more bleach. I'm proud of me too.) Where were we?

I was thinking about heirlooms after I read all about the gorgeous JJ, a Melbourne-based designer. I was drawn to her work instantly, it was like a bright beacon lit up the room. Then I found out her father was the illustrator of many portraits on Aussie currency and her 10 year-old daughter has just finished her first novel. Crikey. Here's a few words from the designer herself...

What makes you laugh? Hands down, my 10 year-old daughter Angel. She is the funniest, wittiest person I've ever known. She always making me laugh with her quick comments and insightful mind.

What music do you listen to as you create? When I'm drawing I nearly always listen to music, anything from Debussy, French music, Sigur Ros, Coldplay, Radiohead, Motown, Bob Dylan or the Beatles. When I'm designing, I rarely play music. I usually am so engrossed in what I'm doing that I don't even think about putting music on, and I also like the creativity to be pure if you know what I mean. I am so profoundly moved by music that I find it a distraction.

What are you reading? Currently I'm reading 'The Passion Test' by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, and 'City of Bones' by Michael Connelly :)


theloveshop.etsy.com

Top set, left to right: Je Taime, Never Give Up and Do What You Love.
Set above, left to right: Laugh Love Dream, Love in Manhattan and Carpe Diem.

Snapshot : Funny fridays I like

You know what I love about my blog? It gives me the chance to discover pics, people, art, stationery, cities, countries, ideas and so much more that I would never have found otherwise. It's so energising and satisfying. Initially I thought I'd just be putting up a pretty picture here and there, I had no idea there would be such a beautiful human connection in the whole process. Or that I would become obsessed. Hmm that too.

As you may have noticed, I get a bit excited when humour and creativity collide. Take Mike - aka Balakov - and his pics. Now these are some brilliantly styled, perfectly lit, insanely funny pics. So good, in fact, that each mask seems to take on a different emotion. Amazing.


Meet Mike...

What makes you laugh?
Well that's a tricky one, my grasp of neurophysiology is pretty weak, but I understand supranuclear pathways come into synaptic relation in the reticular core of the brain stem which activates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Terry Pratchett's books generally cause this response in me.

What is it about toys & troopers?
Compared to people and places, toys are easy. They don't move, they take less room, I can control the light, and I can put them in all sorts of compromising positions without them complaining or phoning lawyers. Why troopers in particular? Well that's easy, I'm a total Star Wars geek.

What's your favourite website?
I spend a lot of time on Flickr and DeviantART, and of course, I spy on my friends through Facebook.

http://www.flickr.com/people/balakov/

First group, clockwise from top left:
Cold. Standard Imperial issue Twinings English Breakfast Tea, always a favourite with the troopers.
A piece of me you seek, yes?
I wish I was a snowtrooper... Good Christ it's cold outside. Probably not so bad if you're dressed for it.

Second group, clockwise from top left:
Imperial Gardening Commander. TK-764 : Head of the covert gardening unit deployed on Endor. Someone has to keep it looking nice for when the Emperor visits.
Heat. "You'll love the weather on Tatooine" they said. At least on Hoth your ice cream doesn't melt.
After the war. Not all Stormtroopers did so badly after the fall of the Empire. TK-754 now owns a moderately successful washing machine spares supply business on Coruscant.
Down the pub. After a hard day hunting droids, TK-107 spends the evening watching the suns go down while relaxing in a traditional Tatooine pub.
North by Northwest.

Sloganjoy : Sir laughalot

I'm naturally quite a funny person. Sometimes it comes out a pinch too sarcastic, other times it's so straight it flies over everyone's heads, but most of the time it's in-yo-face funny. Can't help it.

Still, I like to be reminded to laugh. And most of all, I like it when the reminders are cute and clever and creative. Like these screenprints by Nick from London, aka Linocutboy. They're hilarious in a hand-crafted subtle way. Love it.

Bring it: linocutboy.etsy.com

Talentcomp : Boldly go

Stranded in a cafe the other day, waiting for the rain to pass, I became mesmerised by a flannel shirt in front of me. It was buttoned to a very hippish young lady with ray bans and uber skinny jeans. Now normally I would dismiss such a material straight away, but somehow (was there a sharp blow to the head I can't remember?) I got to thinking about art. This chicken was so confident in her style, anything would have worked. She could have worn a rainbow muppet poncho and I wouldn't have blinked.

There I was scrolling through these bold works by Brandi Strickland on etsy. And I'm thinking, they're bright, personal, fun, story-telling pieces of art. They stop you in your tracks. They're beyond confident in what they are, and they get you thinking, like a belted flannel in the city.

Brandi has a large net she throws to the world. And the reason she's an artist is because "it's the only thing broad enough to hold all my interests under one roof. I can explore nature, science, literature, psychology, communication, and spirituality, all in a days work."

Her work "explores the connection between nature and technology; the universe’s beauty and mystery, coupled with man’s desire to explain and understand it." You can see this playing out in the collage/paintings featured above, (clockwise from top left) Intuition, Parachute, Mountain Brothers and Red Mountain.

Mesmerised by the whiplash of colour? Find more at her paper whistle shop: paperwhistle.com