Acropolis Now

In my senior years at school, Ancient History was definately my favourite subject. It was an escape for me - allowing me to delve into the past and see how we have evolved.

So, as you can image, I was thrilled to see some of the structures I learnt about in real life. As I walked through the ruins I appreciated now more than ever just how difficult it would have been to create such structures in that time. They are simply monumental and something that you should all come and discover at least once in your lifetime.

Such a perfect afternoon for shooting some amazing structures...

Such detail and symmetry in everything built...

Touchdown

After 24 hours in transit and a sleepless night in Singapore, I finally arrived in Athens early yesterday. As I flew in to land I was taken aback by the arial view of the city - the white homes scattered amongst the lash foliage and juxaposed with the ancient ruins was simply breathtaking! I had never seen anything like it before and it definately set the tone for the day that lay ahead.

It has been non stop since I have landed so the photos will be posted as soon as I settle in at Mykonos.

Lots to come...

Love and Toast

I love wondering through a cosmetic store. The combination of scrumptious smells draw me in - I want to spray on every bottle, sniff every tub and lather every cream onto my hands!

Love and Toast is the latest range to hit my radar. Creator, Margot Elena, is the multi-talented individual behind this new brand as well as Lollia, Tokyo Milk and Archive. Just by looking at her ranges you can tell that she has the ability to develop products that are not only designed well but are also commercially successful.

Margot herself has described this line as "Brit Pop Folk Art" - getting inspiration from Japanese design with a Swedish feel through the use of bright colours and simple iconography.

And if the packaging couldn't get any better, Margot took the design process a step further by selecting environmentally friendly packaging to illustrate her commitment to producing sustainable products. The paper packaging used is made from annually renewable and sustainable resources and then printed with vegetable ink.

If you want a serve of love and toast, you can visit your nearest David Jones store or check out their website www.loveandtoast.com

Natural Appeal

On a crisp winters day like this, there is nothing better than snuggling up in your trackies on the lounge and catching up on a pile of reading you've neglected.

As I sit here and sift though my somewhat enormous pile of clippings, I notice that I have accumulated a lot of interesting wooden elements that have simply warmed my heart. I have always been a lover of all things timber - each grain so unique, illuminating its beauty whether it be rough or smooth. I love that it can be curved, hammered, detailed and stained. I love that it can be used in every application and suit all tastes and styles.

The lamps pictured above are from Ke-Zu. I have never really been a huge fan of table lamps but I love that these present a sculptural element as well as a practical one.

I then thought that this chair, also from Ke-Zu, would sit perfectly in a room with one of the lamps above. They share the same fluidity and natural qualities, as do the cluster of tables below...

Of course after picking out these favourites from the pile, I couldn't resist selecting some soft finishes to compliment the look. The first brand that came to mind was Cloth Fabrics. Their product line is simplistic beauty - with a natural pallet that displays subtle bursts of colour and textiles filled with organic shapes and movement.

New Moon

Last week, work kicked off the long list of farewells and as a parting gift from my team, I was given a bangle from the new 'Moon' collection at Dinosaur Designs!

As you all know, I am in love with every range this Australian company has bought out and 'Moon' is no exception. The pieces in this range have a beautiful 2-tone metallic finish that maintains the classic look Dinosaur is known for.

Each pieces is out of this world, representing different perspectives of the moon.

There is no doubt that this jewellery is reflecting current trends in the fashion world - where space-like structures and metallic fabrics are adorning young fashionistas everywhere.

The dress in the image above is from the new spring/summer 2010 collection at Zimmerman. I love the fluidity of the dress and the way it contrasts with the bold print. The look would be complete with a cluster of the crater bangles and perhaps a pair of Ksubi sunglasses like the ones above...or perhaps like the pair below...

And of course I couldn't look past Balmain for some intergalactic inspiration...

And what about these shoes from the Adidas spring/summer 2010 collection...

To check out the complete 'Moon' collection visit their website www.dinosaurdesigns.com.au

Just what the doctor ordered

A friend of mine was travelling through Singapore last week and told me about this interesting nightclub he came across. It's called 'The Clinic' and as the name suggests, the interior is modeled closely to that of a hospital. Designed by Damien Hirst, the space spares no expense to make visitors feel as though they are really in some sort of medical institution.

After hearing my friends description of the place, my curiosity caused me to check out some images on the net and I tell you what, as morbid as the concept is, I kinda like the thought process behind the design.

Crisp whites, juxtaposed with stainless steel operating tables, drips, test tubes and jars of colourful pills all reflect the pop art style of Damien Hirst. As a man who dabbles in all things creative, from film to painting to architecture, his aim has always been to provoke thought.

I would love to push this look beyond the nightclub scene and into a home environment. I think that the theme would better suit a younger demographic who love to entertain. Below, I have sourced a few pieces from Space that I think suit the theme without being too literal. It's important to remember that you will be living in this space rather than visiting it occasionally so the look would need to be softened with the correct lighting, a slight burst of colour and timber work for warmth and a greater use of soft furnishings.

Plastic Fantastic

They are not the latest fashion accessory to hit shelves. In fact, they have been around for the last 25 years and are sure to make a big splash this summer with a new generation of clientele.

For those of you who haven't yet experienced Melissa's 'Plastic Dreams' you are missing out on something truly special. Since the line was launched, 50 million pairs of these unique shoes have been sold with 20 million exported to 80 different countries.

The process for creating a pair of these shoes is quite simple. Each shoe is produced from a sphere of plastic that is eventually moulded and transformed into a beautiful and intricate piece of art. The reason why plastic was chosen as her preferred medium is because it best communicates technology and renewal.

Melissa makes sustainable development her priority. From concept to production, everything is created, developed, fabricated and distributed with ultimate control on their life cycle. Each product is created from mono materials which means that they can easily be disassembled and recycled.

Over the years, the company's biggest challenge has been developing a material that best moulds to the foot. They came up with a composition called MELFLEX which has characteristics that improve the elasticity and resistance of each shoe. The material is natural and odourless, and maintains all of its properties even after it has been recycled.

Melissa is constantly surrounded by creative people. The likes of Karim Rashid, Zaha Hadid and Vivienne Westwood have all created shoes for Melissa, infusing their own backgrounds and styles into a new form.

If you are interested in a pair of Melissa shoes for yourself, you can find them at Space Furniture and Top 3. Or you can visit the lovely Nikki at Dress Me Darling in Surry Hills.

Harry Turns 1!

In June, my adorable little puppy Harry turned one! If you too are a dog owner, you will already know how precious this time is. After all of the pain and persistence that comes with training a little pup, you finally start to see them settle down and watch their true personality shine through.

To celebrate, I decided to throw Harry a party. Yes, I know he seems spoilt, but I simply can't resist that cute little face!

I rounded up the girls and and we all headed to the dog park with our picnic baskets full. The dogs had a great afternoon together while their mummy's caught up on all the latest goss.

After a few hours of tiring each other out, the dogs were ready for a nap and we called it a day. Each pup was given their own 'doggy bag' which was filled with yummy treats that resembled chocolate buttons, cookies and mini cupcakes. I purchased the treats from Dogue and Coles, and then packaged them in tiny plastic pouches, tied with ribbon and finished with a personalised tag fastened on with a peg. Not surprisingly, the dogs devoured them!

The Painful Countdown

Wow, I am completely drained from planning my move to the UK. With so little time left, the countdown is on and the panic has definately set in now!

Despite all this, I haven't taken my eye off the design world. We are now slowly coming into new season trends which are going to blow your socks off!

I have so much to share with you but it will all have to wait until next week.

Stay tuned...