Florence to Siena

Today we're driving south to Siena. Even though it's only a few hours drive, we're allowing the whole day for it, with the expectation that we may stumble across some places that need exploring. We're in the Chianti region, so maybe we'll see some vineyards. We'll be staying in an apartment for a few nights, then moving on again. Bring on the rolling hills and more lovely weather :]

To Florence

Summer's done a runner. Time to take drastic measures. 

Off to Florence with the Fam today, really excited. We'll be doing a bit of traveling around Tuscany over the next ten days, so i'll keep this up to date with where we're moving. Very much ready for some sun, sea air, interesting little streets, cathedrals. And food, of course.

100% Chocolate

Oh but to visit this shop in Tokyo. I somehow stumbled across The 100% Chocolate Cafe whilst trawling the net yesterday. I love the packaging and pretty much everything about them, especially the slightly pharmaceutical look. I can't decide if i'd want to eat, collect or apply all of these squares topically. I can imagine spending hours choosing which of the 56 flavours to go for.

Oh so nice!

A Wallowing Week

It's a busy week this week, I've finally got cracking on some uni work that's been playing on my mind for a while now. Whilst i've been itching to get back to doing something useful, it's been physically difficult to haul my brain into action. It feels like it's been sat in a dark muddy puddle for the past month or so, and dredging it out has been a challenge. At the end of the week i'm going away to Tuscany, something i've been looking forward to for a long time. I'm using the promise of an Italian advebture as bait to get me to work, although i keep having to discipline myself for wanting to go holiday shopping. I don't need anything, i just don't want to sit inside and work. How do you motivate yourself to get back into work mode?

Fringe Benefits

As part of  my brief visit to Scotland this week, i spend a day in Edinburgh at the fringe. Having only ever visited during fringe season, i have no indication of what the atmosphere is like during the rest of the year, however it's always been very lively and friendly on my few visits.
Like last year we didn't pack the day full of performances, we mostly wandered down the cobbled streets watching street performers, and sampling the local pubs. We also checked out a couple of exhibitions, there was a particularly good Rauschenberg one at Inverleith House in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The main highlight was a free show held at 'The Hive' by comedien Phil Kay. I never know what to expect with free shows, i usually assume i'll leave with several pulled muscles from awkward jokes gone down like a lead balloon. Phil Kay was refreshingly funny. It was a musical set of semi-improvised songs that built up layers of laughter. I can honestly say that i left with an aching face, i really enjoyed it.

Vegetable Prints

I really love these prints by Wendy MacNaughton. They remind me a bit of the illustrations done for Jamie Oliver's TV series, 'Jamie at Home', which i also loved. Now that the kitchen at home is starting to take shape (units in, walls mostly painted, utensils ready to be wired up) it's exciting to start thinking about the decoration and accessories (my favourite bit). As it's not really my kitchen to be decorated, i don't get to cast the deciding vote on what goes in, however i might suggest doing some homemade versions of these prints to go up on the walls.

The Riot Wombles

Over the last three days, my faith in the residents of a seemingly not so Great Britain has been strating to wear thin. I turned on the news this morning, expecting to see more debris and destruction across the country. I was surprised however, and thoroughly heart-warmed by the large groups of the public who had formed their own clean-up teams, and were setting about sweeping and clearing up the wreckage from looted shops. It was nice to see that people care about their communities, and that local businesses that had survived the riots were offering food and drink to the clean up teams.

Faith in humanity not lost yet.

Want Their Job: Ditte Isager

A photographer born in Copenhagen Denmark, and living in New York since 2006. Shoots include interiors, personalities, lifestyle and travel. The style is often simple nordic. I love the colours, textures and contrasts, she creates an almost magical feeling. I wish i had taken some of her photos, especially these ones of Venice.

The first photo i saw of hers was this one below. It was from a shoot for Bloomingdales bedding, and it just looks like such a perfect place.

Browse through some more of Ditte's lovely images here.

Alter Is Born (Almost)

An exciting endeavor a friend and i have been working on for some time. The final touches are being made, and then it's ready to go to print.

The Hour

Has anyone else been watching it?? I fell straight in love with it. It's a BBC drama set in 1956, which takes viewers behind the scenes of the launch of a topical news programme at the BBC in London. I love the clothes, the clipped British accents and the fact that every character seems to have a glass of whiskey or similar in their hand at all times. It's a pretty sturdy cast,with quite a few familiar faces popping up all over the place. Catch up with the first few episodes on BBC iPlayer.