Holy Grail - Rubirosa

Ikea

Another Reason I Can't Wait to Return to Cape Town

what is your idea of a perfect day in cape town?
this is such a difficult question to answer, because, while i don’t mean to be smug, cape town really is the perfect city, so you’d need days and days to do everything there is to do! for me though, i’d love to wake up and do a yoga class, then meet my husband paul at lola’s on long street for a big eggy brunch and lots of coffee. a perfect day should include a nap at some point, but i’m not sure where i’ll squeeze that in, because i’d like to go walking on noordhoek beach while horses gallop by, have an icy swim at camps bay and do some drowsy beautiful-people-watching, i’d need to get to milnerton market, my favourite spot for vintage bargain hunting, or maybe i’d have better luck scouring the bric-a-brac on kalk bay’s main road. the evening would have to be outdoors, as the weather would be balmy and windless. so maybe we’d break the rules (unlikely – i’m a line-toer of note) and make a big bonfire on clifton beach, watching the sun go down behind the yachts while sipping a glass of bubbly. wow, i got a bit carried away there. life’s generally not quite so glam, but it’s a perfectly achievable day in this beautiful city of ours.

From an Interview with Heather Moore at SFBayGirl

Holy Grail - Coffee Table with Storage

Platform Coffee Table by CB2
Nice access and palette; not sure about the proportions

Zeitgeist - Trees

Beautiful Arboreal quilts by Kellie Wulfsohn

La Vie Pillow by CB2

Recipe

I gotta try this!

Kin pira ... a stir fry of root vegetables, sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin (sherry) ... a classic Japanese side dish ... usually ... with juli­enned gobo root, sliced lotus root, or car rots ... salty and sweet, and goes so well with rice ... only takes like 5 minutes to whip up

Nin jin no Kin pira (Carrots & Sesame Stir Fry)

1 car rot, juli enned
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
bonito flakes

1. Heat a fry ing pan over medium-high heat, and pour in sesame oil.
2. Throw in car rots and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Move car rots to one side of the fry ing pan, and pour in soy sauce on the naked side. Let it bub ble away and caramelize a bit, and quickly stir fry to mix. Repeat with mirin.
4. Remove from heat, and mix in sesame seeds and bonito flakes.
5. Kin pira holds for a few days refrig er ated in a sealed tup per. Nom with hot white rice!

Recipe from the wonderful food blog I Nom Things.
Visit to see her beautiful photo!

Jelly Molds

The human brain.


The human heart.


Oh, God. Gross!
But just in time for Hallowe'en.

More off-beat International Museum of Surgical Stuff here.

Tasseography

Image by Thorwald at Etsy
Vintage

Image by Unica
alma fortune cup by toby wong and the red str/collective Neat but the vintage one is lovelier.

What
How

Blind or Deaf

Would you rather be blind or deaf?

I was listening to NPR.
As much as I like music I'd have to choose deafness ... I couldn't live without Flickr and its ilk.

(Nuclear) Wessels - Gardening

Guy Wolff Pottery
Ben Wolff Pottery


Pigeon Toe Ceramics
Especially the footed tripods. here and here.
Pigeon Toe Online

Zumi

Photo by Photojojo

Photography

The Level Camera Cube by Photojojo.
Actually, I just want a couple of dozen in a bowl on my desk. So pretty ... like jellies.

Tupperware

If you didn't already, you'll love Tupperware after meeting Aunt Barbara!



Read about Aunt Barbara in New York Magazine.
Watch Aunt Barbara here.
Aunt Barbara's Homepage

Must Haves:
Modular Mates
Freezer Mates

Photoshop Tricks

Virtual Bulletin Board by My Janee.
I need to find an excuse to use this.

Needlepoint

Kaffe Fassett at Erhman Tapestry
Wait a minute!
This is on the top shelf in the closet ... unfinished. The shame!

~


Been thinking about Bargello lately.
But so has JA, apparently.

Podcasts

Tables

Seen in Canadian House & Home Makeovers (Fall 2009, p. 42)
I think that this is available at Vi Jull's store French Country in Toronto.
I love the architecture-y feel of it.

And a closer, grainer look ...


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Crank Trick #2 by Nobuhiro Teshima
Who doesn't like hidden compartments?

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Image from Takeshi Miyakawa Design
Wouldn't this be the be the end all of stash storage ... yarn or otherwise?

Colour

Itten's Colour Wheel
Itten's The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Color
Itten's The Elements of Color

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British Standard Colours at Fine Paints of Europe

Cocktails

Twig Swizzle Sticks at CB2

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Pimm's Cup at Shelterrific

1) The first thing to do is track down a bottle of Pimm’s. Pimm’s was invented in 1823 by a Mr. James Pimm. The exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret, though it has a very citrus-y, herbal taste. It is useful to know that it is 25% alcohol by volume. I’ve been able to find Pimm’s at liquor stores in the US, but not everywhere.

Pimm’s No.1 Cup is gin-based and is the most commonly available type. At one time, there were six different “Cups,” each based on a different liquor, but nowadays only No.1 and the vodka-based No. 6 — my personal preference as I’m not a great gin drinker — are produced, though I haven’t been able to find no. 6 in the US. There is also a winter version, Pimm’s Winter Cup, based on brandy and winter spices.

2) The next bit is easy. Fill a pitcher full of ice and add one cup of Pimm’s to two cups of lemony soda (such as Sprite) or ginger ale. Keep adding in these proportions until you are happy with the amount.

3) Then go to town on the garnish. At the very least, add some half-moon slices of orange and lemon to bring out the citrus-y flavors of the drink. A very traditional British accompaniment is slices of cucumber (there’s something very delicious about picking slices of sweet alcohol-soaked cucumber out of your drink) and some sliced strawberries to make it look pretty.

4) Finally, gently crush a handful of baby mint leaves and stir them in. By the time you’ve finished, your pitcher should look like you’ve just added a small fruit salad. You see? It’s practically a health food!

Seating

Settee by Windsor Smith Home
Oh, for an excuse to use this!
Seen in House Beautiful (September 2009, p.73) sans piping, upholstered in light grey Rogers & Goffington silk

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Windsor Workshop
Finished in Chinese Blue (90) in Canadian House & Home (September '09, p. 25)

Eye Glasses

Colour Therapy at Momentum
Love this concept, hate the shape ... so Vicki Gabereau
Love the blue but need the green.

Red - (Base/Sacral Chakras) - Red makes you feel more energetic, outgoing and ready to move in some overt way. Red helps to motivate fire and passion, ferocity and strength. Red denotes a strong sexuality.
Orange - Orange is the color of success. It helps to expand interests and activites.
Yellow - (Heart/Cardiac Chakra) - Yellow encourages openmindedness and attention to detail. Yellow generates positive and optimistic qualities in those who wear it.
Green - (Heart/Cardiac Chakra) - Green creates calm, soothing and balancing atmospheres. Green tends to create harmony and equilibrium.
Blue - (Thyriod/Throat Chakra) Blue suggests spirituality and order. Those who wear it reflect a wish for peace and quiet, tranquility and even solitude.
Indigo - Indigo has the highest positive vibration. It cobimes reason with intuition and discipline with creativity.
Violet - (Brow/Third Eye Chakra) - Wearing violet generates the feeling of self respect and dignity. It has creative and spiritual qualities.
Turquoise (Thymus Chakra) - Turquoise stimulates a quiet and reflection. It helps to clear all your thoughts and feelings, generating clarity in your communications.
Magenta - (Crown/Pineal Chakra) - Magenta generates feelins of softness, gentleness and kindness. It creates feelings of love and compassion.

Cutlery

Laguiole Steak Knives
Digging that stripey, I mean Marquetry, one

Publications

The Thing
Super cool or super precious.

Florists

French Tulip
3903 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 647-8661
http://www.frenchtulip.com

Studio Choo
Pacifica, CA 94044
(415) 624-5981
http://www.studiochoo.com

Richard Dawkins

I could listen to him all day long.

Follies

Gypsy Tents

Parasites

Radio Lab Podcast
Carl Zimmer's Excellent Parasite Rex

Baby Science

After Birth at Radio Lab
Books by Charles Fernyhough

After Birth

After Birth at Radio Lab

Plan Toys

Not for the "green-ness" so much as for the design. Yum.


These look very Montessori.


I would totally swipe these.

Nice to have(s):

Roller

Woodpecker Walker
See it in action here.

DIY Handbag(s)

Martha Stewart Reversible Handbag To Make
I think I could sew this although the curves are a bit daunting. But what a great excuse for a fabuluxe fabric purchase!

Fabric Stores

Spoonflower
DIY & Custom
Spoonflower Online

Britex Fabrics
146 Geary St
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 392-2910
http://www.britexfabrics.com/

M&L Fabrics
3430 W Ball Rd
Anaheim, CA 92804-3709
Reviewed here by Jaybird.

PURL PATCHWORK
147 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 420-8798
Monday through Friday 12-7;
Saturday and Sunday 12-6
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl
Tana Lawn cottons by Liberty of London

Sal Beressi Fabrics Company
1504 Bryant Street
(between 15th St & Alameda St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-5004
Read all about it here.
A personal favourite for decorating textiles.

Super Buzzy
http://www.superbuzzy.com/index.php

Amy Butler

Amy Butler Fabric


Amy Butler Patterns

Amy Butler CD-Rom

And now Amy Butler Rugs

Quilted Circles

Mrs. Schmenkman Circle Quilts Tutorial
Circle Pressing Tutorial at Anna Maria Horner