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!