Monday 13 December 2010

Somewhere.....

I don't think there is anything I don't LOVE about Sofia Coppola. I wait, giddy with excitement to see her new film, Somewhere!



Sofia Coppola’s (Lost in Translation) new film Somewhere tells the story of Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), “a bad-boy A-List actor stumbling through a life of excess while living at Hollywood’s legendary Chateau Marmont Hotel. His days are a haze of drinks, girls, fast cars and fawning fans. Cocooned in this celebrity-induced artificial world, Johnny has lost all sense of his true self. Until, that is, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) unexpectedly shows up and unwittingly begins to anchor him. Johnny’s fragile connection to real life slowly revives in her presence. So when the time comes fro Cleo to leave, his sense of loss is palpable, but the gift of hope she has also brought him leads to a beautiful, poetic denouement imbued with all of Coppola’s remarkable powers to conjure mood and atmosphere.”

Vintage fur, please don't throw paint on me!

So much time has passed since my last post, too much time in fact! I have some new favourite things that I am so very excited to share; a new vintage fur coat, new red hair and a darling new flatmate.

The vintage fur, oh so very posh, probably my most favourite purchase ever, was a wonderful Brick Lane find on a cold and foggy London sunday. Oh how warm it will keep me this long and depressing winter - bear hug!

Red hair, a long awaited experiment, is sort of more a dark strawberry blonde and is super fun and cheery - a new look for winter, love it.

New flatmate, who Jess (current flatmate) and I met last week is an adorable Geordie girl who happens to also be a fellow blogger! It seems she has a very cute rabbit (who unfortunately isn't allowed to move in) and makes pretty things. Look, look!

Saturday 23 October 2010

Friday 22 October 2010

London you are wonderful

It has been just oh so long since I have last posted anything of value. Alas I fear this may be bacause I have been caught up in the delight that is London.

The cold has set in, I fear that my little Australian bones will not be able to cope. I must however soldier on and enjoy all that this crazy wonderful city has to offer.

With luck this weekend will have a lot of London instore. Fresh flowers, fresh food, and a fresh new look at London, Paris and New York.
The Columbia Road Flower Markets have been on the agenda for quite some time, so fially I get a chance to check them out. I have only heard amazing things about these markets, so I am sure they will impress.

Saf in Shoreditch intrigues me... it's a vegan raw food restuarnt (oh how Sex and the Cit of you). Saf uses a variety of unique preparation techniques, to prepare dishes cooked below 48°C to preserve optimum nutrition and flavour. Saf’s plant-based, botanical concept has been created by internationally renowned chef Chad Sarno. A full report will follow, including a run down on wheter or not there was a remarkably good looking actor - turn waiter - turn sex symbol servicing our table.

Looking for Festivals or something arty to entertain... the 10th Annual East London Photography Festival is now on. One exhibition that tickles my fancy is the London Paris New York show featuring work by Paul Baldesare, John Benton-Harris, Peter Marshall. This cutting edge exhibition of new work promises shots from three photographers, three major world cities and three decades!

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Read Me (or colour me): Indie Rock Colouring Book

Have you met The Yellow Bird Project?

Yellow Bird are a Montreal based not-for-profit aiming to raise funds and awareness for a range of different charities whilst raising the profile of their own favourite artists. Founded in 2006, Casey and Matt came together as bright eyed university grads yearning to make a different. Now, on the road to bring about a new world order of indie philanthropy, Casey and Matt seek out only the coolest of cool artists, collaborate with them to design awesome tee-shirts, and donate all profits to the charity of the artists’ choice.



A Yellow Bird side project from tee-shirts is something I personally find pretty darn cool, the Indie Rock Colouring Book. Created by Illustrator Andy J. Miller, you are invited to interact in a journey of creativity and colour the 60's style drawings actually designed bands including the likes of MGMT, Block Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Shins, TV on the Radio, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Bon Iver and The National.

You can buy the colouring book online here. I want one, and some Texta Zooms please!


Not to detract from the super cool designed-by-bands printed tees Yellow Bird are producing, I though I should also mention I want this hoodie... Mmm it will keep me warm during a long London winter.

Friday 27 August 2010

A Little London Festival: Wireless


Another role of film processed and printed, I am excited to find on this one snaps from Wireless Festival. Yes the Fest has been and gone (long gone) for 2010, nethertheless it's worth a post.

It was the day two line-up featuring the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Missy Elliot, 2ManyDJs and Snoop Dogg that saw us flock to Hyde Park for this Festival. The day was hot and the vibe was chilled, that drinking cider in the sun in the middle of London kind of chilled, but for a festival, patrons just didn't seem to have that pinging excitement about them. This did however change as the day went on, we saw crowds gather and part around the main stage many times throughout.

Hip-hop heavyweight Snoop Dogg attracted one of the biggest crowds of the day. You didn't need to be the man's biggest fan to enjoy this set as Snoop reminded us all why he is one of the genre's premiere stars. It's disappointing to say the same could not be said for Missy Elliot. You could tell the crowd wanted her, she didn't want the crowd. Arriving half an hour late, thrashing the songs that made her name in a mash up of bad samplings from her Under Construction album as she jumped frivously around the crowd. Where was the performance and why wouldn't she just give us the chance to dance to Gossip Folk or Pass the Dutch (which did not make even the shortest appearance in her set)?

Not getting a chance to visit the smaller stages, but wishing I had caught Jamie Lidell, Lisa Mitchell and New Young Pony Club, the unexpected favourite acts of the day came from The Big Pink and Example. It's catching something new, being excited by something unexpected and mixing it with the big names that makes a good summer music festival.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

oh comely


Further to my previous post, I would like to welcome you to the UK, where Frankie is not distributed and a brand new bouncing baby is set to fill her shoes. oh comely, a London based magazine has recently circulated it's first issue through the cobble-stoned streets of the United Kingdom. This creative and quirky magazine offers the same charms as Frankie, dishes up very similar content and even mirrors the design layout.

When I first spotted a copy I was ecstatic, when I first purchased a copy I was unsure, when I fist read a copy I was convinced (well, almost). Was this teething toddler new and creative, or something we've seen before? It is a dangerous dance taking inspiration from those who do what they do oh so well, oh comely you have big shoes to fill. Nethertheless I have not dismissed you just yet. The oh comely blog is cheery and fantastic with local offerings - a must read, I trust in time the magazine will follow. Let's all give this magazine a chance to grow, the little muffin certainly has potential.

You can purchase a copy online, issue two was due to be distributed early this month so go hunt it down!

Madolyn misses Frankie

There is a delightful little Australian magazine I love dearly, her name is Frankie.

Frankie magazine offers a spread of clean white pages pasted with dreamy fashion editorials, crafty delights, and lyrical stories from founders Louise Bannister and Lara Burke as they spend their days op shopping and drinking cups of tea. Dedicated to celebrating music, arts, photography, fashion and pop culture's quirkier aspects, Frankie publishes the hidden treasures of Australian cities and abroad.

I miss this magazine so, can someone please send me a copy. I will love you forever!

Saturday 7 August 2010

Sisters of the Black Moon

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Something I thought would be enchanting to share! These images from the Sisters of the Black Moon are bewitchingly beautiful, check out the website for this epic online vintage store here, me, I just really want to look at the stunning pictures!

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Teeny Zucchini


I really do enjoy recipes, and no one has better recipes than your mum. Mum's home cooking is something I think every girl misses most once they have moved out of the family home. The other day, just when I was really missing having someone to cook for me and eating food that doesn't involve frozen vegetables or stir fry sauce my mum sent me all the way from Australia a well loved recipe for zucchini slice. I made it, it was delicious and so ridiculously easy.

I am more than delighted to pass on the recipe from my mum, to you. Happy baking!

Disclaimer: a zucchini is a courgette in with a less pretty dress.

Sunday 1 August 2010

Oh what a darling: Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel, she is a darling! This clip is the latest edition to the ever growing list of reasons why we love her. Joseph Gordon-Levitt just gets more attractive every day. I was so delighted to discover he can not only act, sing, speak French but now dance! This clip captured whilst filming 500 Days of Summer is just wonderful.



Five more reasons why Zooey Deschanel is just the cutest.





Saturday 31 July 2010

A little bit Greek

Cheesy, eggplanty, delicious moussaka. I made this entirely yummy moussaka the other night sighting only from memory a recipe I vaguely remembered reading online. It turned out rather well and was quite delicious!

Monday 26 July 2010

The night is young. The night is always young: The Locals' Guide to Edinburgh

It's hard to find a quirky, non-touristy guide book that serves up recommendations of places you want to visit off the tourist trail, but when you do stumble across a good one it's a real treat. Word of Mouth Travels' 100% Made in Scotland city guide is like a friend in a foreign city letting you in on all their little local secrets.

On top of chapters delightfully titled "where to stay", "all you can eat", "Scots for weather", "beautiful walks", "drink and be merry" and my favourite; "you should be dancing, yeah" the book features a number of interviews with local legends including a fashion designer, a deli owner, a theatre producer, a musician and a parent and publican. You really do get a feel for a town that has so much character to offer.

The Locals' Guide is a pocket sized go-to guide for everything cool on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, definitely worth picking up a copy.

(Now my personal tip, I picked up my copy from The Red Door Gallery in Edinburgh but when looking online was surprised to find The Locals' Guide to Edinburgh cheapest at Amazon.com)

Saturday 24 July 2010

No more cheap shots

Last weekend's Sunday Times UK offered up a side of Lomography goodness with your coffee and morning paper covering an article by Bryan Appleyard discussing the hot new world of lomography that has so many people sharing the analogue love.

Having spoken to die hard lomographers and converted digital photographers alike Bryan Appleyard wraps up in a neat two page spread why we are loving these brightly coloured plastic cameras with names that throw around words like multi-pinehole, spinner, splitzer, fish eye, Octomat and Diana, Holga and Lubitel.

If you have subscribed to The Sunday Times online you can read the full article online at thesundaytimes.co.uk/culture.

Friday 23 July 2010

Childhood favourites

I was reminded today of just how amazing The Twits by Roald Dahl is, especially the part where the entire lounge room ends up-side-down on the ceiling. This got me rather excited about all my other Roald Dahl favourites, tomorrow I am going to dig through my most-loved second hand bookshops in the hopes I get to spend some time with old friends.


Thursday 22 July 2010

Hearts racing: Inception

Christopher Nolan's latest film Inception ended, the lights grew from dim to bright, myself and the 13 other people that accompanied me to the cinema were gasping, mouths dropped, hands on the sides of our heads, hearts racing, oh lord how we wanted more!

Inception is what blockbuster dreams are made of. The plot, who some have claimed involved a little too much thinking was all engrossing and got the mind ticking but was not hard to follow. Christopher Nolan exposes in front of your eyes the story of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a master-mind of high stakes espionage who with new technologies possesses the talent to enter people's dream and extract information. It's when approached by millionaire Saito (Ken Watanabe) with a job offer that pays far more than any dollar value that Cobb begins to explore the concept of incepting an idea into someone's mind as appose to extracting it. Nolan has captured ever essence of a dream on film. It's not just that almost believable but so far from reality feeling that says dream, it's the way you are left sitting in the cinema short of breath and groggy as if you have just awoken from an intense night's sleep with the characters.

Every member of the stelar cast are on top of their game in this one. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a stand out as mastermind Arthur alongside the darling Ellen Page, although potentially half a decade or so too young for her role of recruited architect-in-training Ariadne makes it really work. Tom Hardy brings humour and charm to his role of cheeky Eames while Marion Cotillard is truly stunning in her spine chilling supporting role. Leonardo DiCaprio, as in some of his most notable performances - Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can jumps to mind - steps up to the mark as Cobb demanding notation for employing the conviction that proves why an audience loves a bad guy.

Think The Matrix with one amazing zero gravity fight scene, a little bit of that bad guy doing it for good lead character from Swordfish and a whole lot of cinematic awesome. See this film.

Monday 19 July 2010

Miu Miu (Miu?)


How's this for a fashion editor whoops!

I was scaling the pages of The Guardian this morning to discover the media frenzy that has flocked around the 'travesty' that is the August UK Elle, US W and British Vogue covers in what I suspect has resulted in a lot of finger-pointing and diplomatic emailing as the big-wigs strive to find out who is responsible for an applique Miu Miu dress worth upwards of £1500 turning up of the three major glossies' covers'.

While the publications' PR gurus have gone into damage control with Vogue refusing to comment when approached by The Guardian, I would imagine there are a lot of big cheeky grins over at Miu Miu headquarters. You can't buy the publicity generated by a golden mistake like this.




Images from Miu Miu. Check out the full Fall/Winter collection on the Miu Miu website.

Saturday 17 July 2010

Is there candy in your camera?

I finally got around to developing my lomography snaps from Europe. A lot didn't work out which was disappointing and a few rolls caught too much sunlight. Nethertheless, here is my lomo show and tell.

Photos were taken on my Diana F+ with 120mm 100ISO and 400ISO colour negative film.