Rabbit While You Can

Something shiny with cute animals and bright colours? I'm there! I stumbled across the Bandito Design Co. (a design collective from Columbus Ohio) this afternoon while catching up on Notcot. I'm really loving the work of Ryan Brinkerhoff - super bold images that tend to leave a lasting impression on your retinas. The above 18" x 22" print (entitled Bunny Farts - read the inscription and you will see why) is only a bargainous $10 in the sale - real art for only $10! It gets even better than that though... For a limited time only they are giving away free prints with every purchase! I'm starting to sound like one of those people on TV who sell home gyms. This art really will give you a six pack!

Pacis of Pasta

Let's get things started with a holiday post! We just spent new year in Rome with our friends Rachel and Ben (you should really check out their blog if you haven't already - 3prosecco4). We gambled through the city one day (when the weather was fine) to visit the Ara Pacis (pictured above in a rough Hockney-esque way), which is situated on the edge of the river Tiber in (what I think is) a gorgeous modern building designed by American architect Richard Meier. The right-wing mayor of Rome has threatened to tear it down, which I think would be a real shame as it compliments the surrounding ancient buildings, without detracting from them, or it's important contents.

Anyway, the Ara Pacis (the alter to peace) is incredibly detailed, and very well preserved - well worth a visit (especially if you have a guide with as much knowledge as Ben does)! As an extra visitor bonus there is currently an exhibition running downstairs showing Italian patents for some incredible, and some not so incredible Italian designs and inventions. These include varieties of pasta, shoes, cars and webbed gloves (see the last photo). I'm pretty sure that last one falls into the not so incredible - but I might be wrong!

Happy New Year!

Firstly, happy new year everyone! I've been a bit lax in my posting over the last month - not because I couldn't be bothered, but because I was being worked like a pit pony! Things have been manic, but I'm catching up. The good news is that I've got a plethora of new content to post in the coming weeks including all the exciting and amazing things I got for Christmas, the trials and tribulations of owning a beard, various trip updates (museums, countries etc.) and lots of fun bits and bobs. I will post a lot more - honest. I will not let this blog slip into the abyss. Even if no-one is reading it... ha! Those icicles really are hanging off my house - I have never seen icicles in the UK until today!

Roll Of The Dice Snake

I've just been watching an amazing program on BBC2 about black mamba snakes in Swaziland - one of Africa's most dangerous snakes. It reminded me of this photo that my brother found in the family archives. It's a dice snake that we had as a pet when we were little, and I just think the photo is ace. Anyway, I just wanted share my snakey past...

VIP at YSP

We had the most amazing day yesterday! We went to the VIP opening of the Rob Ryan exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and it was incredible! If you get chance to visit before it finishes you really should - and I'm not just saying that because they are selling one of the best tea towels on the market! We got to meet Sir Paul Smith who is officially the nicest man in the world (he opened the event). We also got to eat the most amazing canapés, meet all the people we have been talking to for the last 6 months and lastly (and most importantly) see some of the amazing work Rob has done during his time as an artist. The Rob Ryan exhibition is on until the 21st February 2010, so you have still got quite a bit of time to visit. Make it a date!

Pictures: Part of the exhibition (top), Paul Smith during his speech (below), Sally in front of some of the artwork (middle bottom) and a one of Rob's trademark birds standing on a hand rail (bottom).

Going Dutch

We have just spent an amazing long weekend in Holland - The Hague to be precise. It's such a lovely city - not just criminal courts! I don't normally do high street shops as every high street in the UK pretty much looks the same. It's not until you venture somewhere special that you find interesting quirky shops (like Columbia Rd in London, for example). The nice thing about being in foreign climes is that even the high street shops are new and exciting! My favourites this time were Dille and Kamille and V&D. Dille and Kamille (the last two pictures) is a gorgeous shop that sells all the basics that you could possibly need for the home. It's a treasure trove of everything from gorgeous natural bent-wood chairs to kitchen utensils I didn't even know I needed! V&D is a department store, but the food counters had me drooling. The marzipan fruits (above) and the bizarre hog roast styled pigs (below) really did taste as good as they looked!

Sunny Day Sets Fire

I'm full of home made pizza, so adrenaline is the last thing coursing through my body at the moment. The song Adrenaline by Sunny Day Sets Fire is the complete opposite of how I feel! The band is based in London, but is made up of a group of musicians from all over the globe. Onyee from Hong Kong has such an ace voice! Have a listen to Adrenaline and some of their other tracks (which are equally catchy), and see what you make of it!

Picture via the band's myspace pages.