Thursday 27 October 2011

The Bale

Looking over my iphoto collection recently, I came across some pics from a work trip to Bali a few years ago.  The trip was to basically check out the new 'landscape design' competition in the Balinese resort world and I went under cover as a soon-to-be bride looking for the perfect wedding location.  It may have been a bit suspicious in that I had 4 work colleagues from the Balinese office along with me studiously taking notes and pictures (I must have appeared very important!), but all the resorts were very gracious and happy to show us around.  Indeed a dream work perk for me to see the latest and greatest designs Bali had to offer.

One of the boutique hotels that stood out for me was The Bale in Nusa Dua.  Designed by American Landscape Architect Karl Princic who is known for his understated yet luxurious tropical garden concepts, the resort has just 29 blissful villas each with their own swimming pool - the ideal honeymoon getaway.  Of course I wasn't lucky enough to stay in such style, and as they have a strict no children policy I've kind of missed the boat on that romantic getaway for two.  However from my brief tour, I was totally inspired by the beautiful limestone walls, use of mass planted wild grasses, sleek lines and modern, edgy feel of The Bale and would certainly recommend it for any brides-to-be.






Photos: Gardenique

Monday 24 October 2011

botaniska

Have you seen the new 'Botaniska' range at Kikki K? Its oh so pretty and just perfect for spring time. I received a birthday package in the post this morning from my cousin with a few little Botaniska goodies inside - what a lovely way to start the week.


Photos: Kikki K


Friday 21 October 2011

keeping cool in Sing-lah

Isn't this house the best! On a hot day we have to make do with Leichhardt Aquatic Centre to cool down, but this would be oh so amazing. Having lived in Singapore for a few years I know how hot and humid it can be most of the time with average temperatures of 28C - 32C every day! This is a beautiful way of being able to enjoy the open space and outdoor surroundings rather than hiding inside with the doors shut and the air-con on full blast. Designed by Wallflower Architecture + Design the house won an award in the independent house category at 10. Design Award of Architects in Singapore.  Warning: not very child friendly!


Here's a bit more information from Modern Architecture & Design News:
'This project is hidden from the eyes of the passers-by as it is surrounded by trees and bushes. The owner had wanted a contemporary home that prioritized environmental coolness to be able to enjoy the luscious tropical surroundings. The supporting structure was designed to offer maximal possible open space and a panoramic view. Inside, the house is full of ponds which are the natural cooling feature for the whole space. A beautiful spiral staircase leads to the roof. An interesting feature of the house is also a circular window in the roof through which the sun rays go through the water and light the main entrance.'




Photos: Modern Architecture & Design News




Wednesday 19 October 2011

yarn bombing

I'm a little late to yarn bombing, I walk past a fine example on Darling Street, Rozelle all the time and have often wondered how it came to be. On further investigation I realised there are already numurous blogs, websites and books dedicated to the art - even an International Yarn Bombing Day (oops I missed it). Amazing what people get up to in their spare time! If like me you missed the beginning of the global, yarn bombing movement here's a little bit of info and a few tips if you want to have a go. I have a frangipani tree in my backyard just crying out for some hot pink stripy leggings.

Yarn bombing in Rozelle

Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, graffiti knitting or yarnstorming is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint or chalk. While yarn installations – called yarn bombs or knit bombs – may last for years, they are considered non-permanent, and, unlike graffiti, can be easily removed if necessary. The practice is believed to have originated in the U.S. with Texas knitters trying to find a creative way to use their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since spread worldwide.

Due to the nonpermanent nature of yarnbombing there are some suggestions we make for your work.

1. Have fun! Since it is a form of grafitti, you may choose to do your yarbombing undercover. Think Ninja knitting….. Many have tagged before you in masks, ski caps, costumes. You may choose to do the same or rather by cover of night or early morning. There are others of us who are happy to tag in public. Either way, have fun.
2. Take an alias……If you choose to be an anonymous yarnbomber.
3. Leave a note. Do you have a message for those that find your art work? Do you want to lead them to the online gallery where all the work will be displayed? Maybe there’s another fiber artist out there that wants to join our ranks. Feel free to attach a note. I suggest having it laminated to protect it from the rain.
4. Take a picture. There is no way to guarantee that your work will not be removed. Take a picture that day or come back the next to photograph your work. You can download your photos to our Facebook page (Rebel Yarns), blog (rebelyarns.wordpress.com) or online gallery (http://www.galleryandstudio.org/). Many of these pictures will be used in our final gallery exhibit.
5. Drop off swatches. Any size, any color, any shape. There will be a box located at the Framing Mill where you can continue to drop off swatches until the spring. We will sew these together for our final yarnbombing project, an installation artpiece for the G.A.S. Gallery.
6. Spread the word. Tell your friends & family, start a knitting circle, teach your kids , their classroom, their scout troop. Yarnbomb alone, in a group, as a neighborhood. The more tags there are the more fun we’re having, the more our community has to look at. Post to MOL, keep up with the Facebook page and blog. Start a yarn swap. Be creative. Look around your neighborhood, what needs more color, a greater sense of humor, a touch of beauty, a simple statement.
You don’t even need to know how to knit or crochet to join in the art action. You can weave, wrap or tie your yarn. Or take the opportunity to learn to knit or crochet. There will be plenty of classes, knitting circles or new friends to learn from.







Source: Wikipedia

Photos: Street Art Utopia, Illusion Now

Thursday 13 October 2011

a productive space (or not)

For the great undisciplined (ie. moi!) working at home can prove VERY unproductive. Sooooo many distractions that simply can't be ignored. Let the cat in, let the cat out, washing, cleaning, The Circle, Ellen, coffee breaks, more coffee breaks, you get the picture. I have managed to wean myself off The Circle (miss those girls), and its not very often now that I wait at the front gate for the postman, but still I am the queen of procrastination and it doesn't take much for my mind to wander. Today is one such day and I've been dreaming about the kind of home office I would like to have. Rather than an office/spare room where all the bits of Ikea furniture that don't fit anywhere else live, I think I'd prefer something like this...




* Photos by Rumiko Nishi, thedesignfiles.net

Wednesday 12 October 2011

what everybody needs

In the Spring issue of The Outdoor Room, there are some beautiful pages showing Collette Dinnigan's dreamy country getaway on the NSW south coast. Like everything she does, the house & garden are devine - the vegie patch, the rambling roses, the corridor of coral trees, the lazy verandah, the gorgeous golden retriever! It's all picture perfect. 'It's our great escape. Mobile phones don't really work properly here, so it's uninterrupted and we can completely unwind. It's what everybody needs I think." Couldn't agree with you more Collette.







* Photos from The Outdoor Room, Spring Issue

trampoline fun

It was Tab's birthday last week and we decided to get her a mini trampoline that fits snugly into our mini garden. The 'enclosure combo' (ie. the cage like netting to keep them in) is quite an eye sore and not very in keeping with my garden styling plans, but the advantages of free mummy time far outweigh the ugly cons. The description says, 'easy to assemble and move with its unique frame locking mechanism that clips together' and 'assembly time approximately 60 minutes' - neither of these statements are true. Blatant lies infact! But after a few hours, some use of the hammer (to clip together that unique locking mechanism), many cups of tea and one Dora band-aid for daddy, we finally got it up. The rewards are already being reaped as I sit here, undisturbed as she jumps and jumps and jumps...


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