MOST beatiful book in the world

This is hands down (with polished fingers of course) the most beautiful, perfect art & style book for ladees ever created.Reading it feels like someone lovingly crafted it especially for you. The humour is witty, the advice tongue -in -cheek, the illustrations DEVINE. Turning it's pages is like being transported into a happy, beautiful dream, especially if you have trouble getting dressed in the morning! If I sound like I'm gushing you're wrong- I'm actually playing it down! And it's oh-so-nice to see a book come after it's website instead of the other way around, to show us all that hard cover, cloth bound, art paper stock books are still beloved! And a quick shout out to my darling friend Kat who worships Michi Girl and is having her birthday today on it's first day of sale. Go and harrass a bookstore owner today or click here to buy Michi Girl's As If I Give a Frock on line.

introducing Xanthe

Think big sunnies, blonde bed hair, New York City and hanging backstage at a theatre and you might capture some of the essence of Xanthe.

You may remember my little post where I mentioned this effortlessly fabulous friend (click here) As good as getting a NIDA graduate version of Kate Moss to blog with me, Xanthe shares the same love for design (and spanish churros with caramel AND chocolate) as me, but more importantly, as a well travelled costume designer she is constantly tapping in to the more theatrical underbelly of design. While posted in Melbourne on her latest film project she has kindly offered to guest blog once a week with a distinctly Melbournian flavour, sharing her wealth of design and style discoveries with the rest of us. Her 'postcards' will also come from the other glam locations she gets to visit, so be prepared to meet some colourful people and overturn those great little gems she finds on her chic little way around the globe! 

small world version 2.0

If you've ever been on the ride 'It's a Small World' at Disney Land you may remember being haunted for days afterwards by it's cheerful reprise and smiling wooden faces. A friend of mine was actually left on this ride accidentally by her parents and will never be the same. Personally I love that it has never been modernised, the original and very retro, if not a bit politically and racially incorrect design of it is a masterpiece of 1950's anamatronics, but I digress. The reason a small world comes to mind is that the very talented Ellen Giggenbach of NZ has a homewares range that harks back to the same scandi-style that inspired the Disney ride. Prepare to see much more of her hand cut paper designs turned into home wares in Australian and international boutiques as she gains more popularity. Proof that computers can't always achieve the charm of a lovingly hand crafted piece! Visit Ellen G here.

treehouse fun

Today I bring you the first installment of my new 'profile' style posts of amazing creative people I know who you might like to meet. First off is Glen Allsop, photographer/muscian/humourist. If you lived in a treehouse near the beach, possessed a new Canon 5D and had a gorgeous architect wife as a muse (stay tuned, we'll meet her later!), you'd be an inspired photographer too!

 Visit Glen today at www.treehouse.aminus.com

How would you describe what you do as an 'artiste'? i have a re-occurring tendency to capture moments both musically and through a lens. 

 Glen, you are one of those all round creative people...does your music influence your photography or the other way round? I would say so - when I write tunes i am essentially threading together some kind of theme / atmosphere / idea and similiarly when i shoot i'll be trying to maintain a reasonably consistent theme / atmosphere / idea whether its a wedding, fashion shoot or anything else. So in that sense, i would say they influence each other. At the end of the day I am me and 'me' is not just a muso and not just a photographer either... so perhaps the outcome is a piece of me influenced by all things creative, people included!    

If a glossy travel mag sent you away to shoot on location anywhere in the world, where would you go? At the moment I'd just want to go anywhere WARM!!! I'd love to shoot Croatia or the Amalfi Coast... Are you going to back up that question with an airfare??!!  

Describe your studio space in 3 words. AMONGST-THE-TREES  =)

home is where the heart is

Home can be the place you grew up, a coffee shop in your favourite city, another person's arms around you, or a very pretty ring on your finger. You can get there with a song, the smell of freshly baked fingerbuns, a glance at a particular photo or on an aeroplane. You can get to the homes below by clicking here.

have you met miss jones?

Today is "Things You Wouldn't Actually Use But Need to Buy Anyway" Day. You're probably aware that more and more people are suffering from this disease, a compulsion to want things so beautiful and delicate they can only be looked at on a shelf, even though they resemble every day objects, like cups and vases and bags, you wouldn't dare pour your Twinings into them. You are not alone. If you are suffering from addiction, you can visit Miss Jones today for a harmless fix of very reasonably priced ceramic objects to calm your nerves. Visit www.haveyoumetmissjones.com.au

"printed curiosities"

What a great phrase. It perfectly describes those pretty little printed things you pick up in a boutique paperie that you're not exactly sure what you'd do with, but are compelled to buy anyway. 'Printed curiosities' is one thing Brooklyn based Sesame Letterpress claim to make for you...gift tags, note books, but also a great custom design service for special occasions. Loving!

soft zoo

You won't need to worry about cutting your foot on sharp coral or being harrassed by an aggressive peacock when you behold the cushy zoological wonders created by Tamar Mogendorff in linen, vintage fabric, mohair, beads and ribbons. In deliciously muted colours, almost every species on land and sea has been hand crafted by Tamar for you to display and treasure with no fear of been bitten.

vintage bookworm

It's funny how stumbling across the raggedy cover of a children's book can transport you back to the exact time and place you were last reading it...for me it was often between the illustrated bed sheets at my Grandmother's house after jelly and icecream. Now I'm sure it's probably terrible etiquette to blog about a blog, but if you'd like a good quality trip down memory lane I suggest you visit www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com. I gasped aloud at the sight of 'Love is a special way of feeling', i book I read til it disintegrated. Warm fuzzies guaranteed.

oh no they didn't....

...but oh, yes, they did! Just as I purchase two plane tickets to London after 18 months of saving where I skimped on everything from home improvements to takeaway food, they go and load the whole Portobello Markets online! It's a great idea, and of course I'll still go and compare it to the real thing, but here are my picks from the ill-timed but still fabulous website, pretaportobello.com Now you can visit London in your lunch break!

1.Sido neck scruff, 26 pounds, 2. Belle du Jour vintage earrings, 12 pounds, 3. Orion brown stitched croc belt, 25 pounds , 4. Dahlia gold leather petal shoes, 77 pounds, 5. Jovanna frilled 'cameron' dress, 69 pounds

hubba bubba dreaming

Like sexy little gummy bears straight out of a Sgt Pepper's type acid trip come the lucid little 'pupettes' of Maria Vittoria Benatti's illustration work. It's a hubba bubba induced kaleidoscope of cute imaginings for the world to enjoy, and there are more and more advertisers calling for her as her reputation grows beyond Italy where she's from. If you want to buy one on a t-shirt click here.

cute as a button

I'd do just about anything to avoid having to sew something myself...ever since my disastrous attempt at satin flares for a high school dance concert where I have never been more grateful for the invention of the humble safety pin. But when it all comes in a neat pack with patterns and fabric, and the results are as cute as these, then take courage and visit www.sewyourown.com.au where you can create and personalise your own tote bags, 'miss button' dolls and other soft friends.

the weird and wonderful world of design

Ceramic ornaments, particularly of the forest animal variety are an obsession for me that dates back to the days when I had a shelf in my bedroom at the age of seven dedicated especially to white porcelain-skinned creatures. Since everything I can remember from that shelf is now broken, it's time to start collecting again. The choice between a bouncing bunny rabbit or a young fawn captured mid-pounce is easier when all their parts are mixed together for a double-dose of adorability. Visit the strange and beautiful world of Runny Bunny here. Prices are from $6! Shipping is $7 when you buy 2!

laser cut cat

In the most politically correct way I can put it, I am somewhat averse to the feline species. I just don't understand cat lovers. One of my best friends has a gorgeous cat, (sorry- 'child'), called Hercules who she has admitted she would defend in court if it came down to it. She will no doubt go ga-ga over this necklace from Love Tuu Shop. Funny thing is, while I don't like to touch the real thing without thoroughly washing my hands afterwards, I love kitty kats in design and would happily make this necklace a pet of my own too!

weather or not you like it (and you will!)

How can anyone trust a TV weather girl? With her hair sprayed into a blonde scuplture, too much tooth whitener and poor attempts at mixing the forecast in with meaningless banter brought to you live from a bake sale in a rural town.We should all be grateful that Michi Girl, the sassy illustrated red head with the country's best daily weather and style report,  has gone global with a completely revamped website today. Sign up here and never look back.