Butterfly Sleeps

Generally speaking, the only way to go with bedding is organic cotton sheets and waffle covers – all in achingly starchy white. Pretty much written in stone and try as one might to break it, there are never any beautiful, plain covers that will work in with uber eclectic decorations of graffiti / floral / scando art that covers the walls. Until now!!

Loving on this beautiful bed linen from Castle – a brand founded in 2008 by Rachel Castle who began pulling this lovely stuff together for family and friends and which has grown and grown. Also love her feltadermy-esque wall hangings. Could see one of these in the hallway of the apartment to work in with the paper butterflies from Coldplay’s last tour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAPRVydUDsI

Pretty girl

Love these little postcards from Netherlands commercial and editorial illustrator, Audrey Salomon. She graduated from the Fashion Academy Montaigne (now known as the Amsterdam Fashion Institute) in 1996 and has began designing her own collection of lingerie and dresses which have featured in little mags such as Elle…

Since then, Salomon has been doing commercial illustration which feature hand drawn, paper cut and computer added works. Also love that she enjoys eating french fries, drawing with pencils and bicycling with her son Victor. Cute.

Random loving! ha!

So weird but clever and crafty. And seeing as though we're both acquiring, or have, IPhones this is definitely up our new alley. Wouldn't loose one of these pup's in the sea of yellow posties! ($18 / 3 pack).

TENT London 09

Tent London is here 24-27 September, the most all-encompassing and diverse design exhibition spanning across architecture, contemporary and vintage marvels by both emerging and established designers from around the globe. Another draw-card is the exhibitions location – the Truman Brewery, a vast reclaimed industrial site smack-bang in the middle of the captivating Brick Lane.

New for 09 is Tent Digital, a celebration of the finest digitally-enabled design. Digital Tea Party by Audio Architecture, Creatmosphere and Shroom Studio explores the 'house of the future' involving control of your environment by lifeless inanimate interaction.

Ruairi Glynn’s robotic 'Dancers' perform based on the attention received by their guests in an attempt to keep their audience captivated – this could prove to be quite the distraction during an evening at the dining room table.

Plus sneak a peek at the designs from 09's finest handpicked graduates whose ideas will most likely shape our future surroundings. Such as two talented Swedes Bischoff and Emanuelsson's ‘Clock Clock’ and Grebin's 'Cozy Furniture'. With over 15,000 attendees last year we’re sure this year will be yet another exhibition of epic proportions, especially with the lovely team from Emap hosting the event – good luck kids and to everyone else in London – enjoy!

Sweet Release: Sarah Blasko

The world over has long been fascinated by the delicate sound of female indie-pop-rock vocalists and in recent times the emergence and following of artists such as Lykke Li, Bat for Lashes and Bertie Blackman speaks volume for the popularity of this genre. Sarah Blasko, who has long reigned supreme in the Australian hierarchy of female stongstress’ who deliver against the brief for soul-filled and thoughtful musical vibes, reaffirms her place with As Day Follows Night, which is a warm and reinventing album.

All twelve tracks throw a deliberate punch, almost challenging you to not feel the heart-break that the lyrics and the way they are delivered suggests you should. This is, in part, due to tracks being peppered with blues-y influences but also because Blasko’s lyrics offer a sense of honesty that makes her music easily relatable. It’s not surprising to learn that Bjorn Yttling, better known as one third of pop-assembly Peter, Bjorn and John, was a driving force, confidant and partner of Blasko’s during the writing and production process for this album. The raw and real sounds that has been filtering out of Scandinavia in the last few years (think organs, strings and the like) are easily identifiable in the layering on the tracks, which make listening to this album an absolute late afternoon pleasure.

As Day Follows Night is packed full of evoking and sensitive sounds, that make the album absolute magnetic music for many the heartbroken, summer hippy or those looking for something better than the dance-track rework many chill out session albums deliver. Benchmark the album against the first commercial release – All I want – it absolutely gets better.

Buy As Day Follows Night here.

All Jaded Up

If there is a color to break through the nude and stripped back hues of the moment, its gotta be the green and blue shades of jade. Deep accents are going to feature hard, whether it be via slight shimmers in a pair of silk trousers, subtle hints via jewels or nails. Mark our words – these colors are makin’ its way back in.

To tempt you fancy, check out the latest offering in cocktail baubles from Chanel. Heavily influenced by art deco trends, the piece features black onyx (bringing in that hard edge that we’re craving oh so much), and diamond, with the signature CC (yuck – SO ostentatious) stuck on like a branded end thought.

Combining a cocktail ring with a simple outfit is an instant statement that works to a tea. Out lady loves Lydia sure know how to make it work and we suggest, that you take some influence from her Samantha Willis lead.

Scented heaven.

A lit candle.. white cheesecloth breezing on a balmy night… ahh blisssss.

This is where it all began for the now iconic fashion label Ginger and Smart – Spa products. We discovered a beautiful array of these, not to mention endless pretty racks of gorgeous flowing summery frocks at the newly fit-out boutique in Avalon.

Head to the recently reno’d store if you’re down that way and pick up one of these well priced silver-embossed beauties.

To Davey. With Love.

Blogs. Who even really gets it? We tell our friends about MoHo and those that don’t sit in front of a computer all day, find it hard to rationalise HOW they to look at the same site everyday… let alone work through RSS subscriptions (and daily emails are also a struggle!). Which is why it's very fortunate for kids like Scott Schuman - of The Satorialist fame - to have developed an international cult following to such an extent that he’s been asked to shoot for a number of mags and brand campaigns alike.

Mr Schuman’s blog has been so successful in fact, that Penguin books is showing his photographs on the printed page with the release of his book - The Sartorialist. Currently available in paper back through the US (it was released August 12th) the book will be available worldwide this month. We can’t wait for the sexy hardcover version that will adorn our coffee / bedside tables alike. Perfect for the fashion kid that has everything… (NOTE: we haven't included a lot of images with this post... it's just too hard to pull together favourite shots when so many are wonderful. If you haven't been onto The Satorialist, we suggest you do.)

Considering it is one Mr David Price’s birthday today (the magical being who introduced Leah to the Satorialist in the start) it seems fitting that we write this little piece. Lots of love Davey you little peach – can’t wait to have you home!!!!

To the Memoire born

There is a front of a house on Marshall Road Manly that, represents and defines the historical grandeur of building design in the area. Considered the first truly Australian style of architecture, the front of the house is Federation in style – its design influenced by free-spirited international styles like the Queen Anne, sliced with the sober touches of Art Nouveau. Once a grand manor for the wealthy, it illustrates the hopes and dreams of a fledgling nation.

Once you round the corner, however, your breath is taken away for an all together different reason, for there is no more of the house to look at. It’s a shock to the system – it’s not what you expect. Because, in fact, the entire building has been stripped and ripped away to be an empty expanse of space and rubble, only worthy of graffiti artists’ grand works.

It are these spaces that tempt Melbourne photographer Sonia Mangiapane and her personal series ‘Memoire’ which documents long forgotten, run-down and vacant spaces around Australia. There is something soulful and poignant about these shots that stop you and make you wonder what lives have fallen and stumbled along with these buildings, as they are left to ruin. What hardships became of the families that once lived in these formally beautiful spaces. Mangiapane’s photos are the type that capture a moment, and emote a lifetime in a single frame.

You know you wanna Paratay

Paraty Party lovelies. Filling a desire for all things straight when it comes to building design, this Marcio Kogan Architects house derives its name from its location on the island of the colonial city of Paraty and Angra dos Reis (between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro)..imagine living in that freakin’ town!!!

Two reinforced concrete boxes make up the house’s structure. These sit on top of each other, and connect into the mountain that the house backs into, projecting outward almost onto the beach, in an 8m cantilever.
Huge glass windows in the space invites the outside in like one massive doorway for the living areas to be touched by nature that surrounds the house, and to take advantage of the insane sea views.
Sun, drenches the 20th century designed furniture, which showcases work by well known industrial designers and the areas that face the mountain have small internal patios with zenithal lighting, using beautiful exposed concrete to invite texture into the depths of the house.

To top it off (if you can even further…) guest arrive by boat, and have to wander up the bridge that connects the lower volume of the house, which also spans the reflective pool.

Pretty sure that this is what heaven looks like. Now all the house needs is a sweet Beach St / Eurobin crew to serve up some naughty smiles and sexy moves to a special play list courtesy of Bourne. You’re all invited.

We love us a look book...

Flamingo Sands certainly delivers some pure summer sexy to get us very excited!

Bright prints, black velvet look lycra, gladdy's, a berry lip, smoldering eye, tanned tanned limbs... channelling a Miami penthouse beach party with lots of gold, luxe and white, what's not to love and dream about for the months to come!

Enjoy! x

Francoise Nielly (nicely)

Let the truth be known, generally stationary is pretty darn exciting to us. Before Mo sojourned to Euro she was gifted with a pretty pack of artline texters from Ariel Booksellers in The Rocks to fill the Moleskin's full of happy exciting things.

Francoise Nielly manages to combine our love for beautiful engaging art with highlighter fresh hues she projects the images that surround her via painting, photography, roughs, illustrations and virtual, computer generated animated graphics. Each one draws the viewer into her vibrant world. Bringing the colour and lifestyle from an upbringing in the South of France (St Tropez and Cannes), a sense of space from an architect father and the fierceness and fire of being a French women, Nielly manages to engage and excite in a very special way that works well with our love of clean linear space, and abstract bright artistic expression.

Desperately want one of these for a wall… would sure make Christmas a peach.

What's on R V C A

Embodying the modern (Avalon) woman, Erin Watson has brought some sparkle to her 2nd season for RVCA. Free from trends (does that make it a trend?) RVCA combines art, music, fashion and modern lifestyle to inspire a generation to push boundaries.

The driving force? RVCA’s Artist Network Program (ANP) = set up to drive young pups to showcase their talents in an exciting and commercial-not-commercial fashion.

Some of what Erin has to offer below. Pretty.

Ms. Miso

Can't really say that wandering into work on a Monday morning is a favourite thing to do. But opening up an email and seeing some beautiful, creative, inspiring work definitely softens the blow.

Street artist Miso, hailing from Melbourne AUS, has a distinct style that is striking and romantic and defined and fluid all at the same time. Unique in her beautiful approach to representing women from all different walks of life, her work spans drawing, collage, illustration and of course (the most exciting unexpected) street paste-up.

Only a baby - she's 21! - this gem is currently pasting half and halfs across doorways. Inviting the viewer to step in... almost in an Alice In Wonderland -through the looking glass kinda way. In her own words

"I became really obsessed with Russian Constructivists for a while, with the idea of creating art that’s embedded in everyday life and errands. The way a transformed doorway might make a relatively banal task, like walking through a door, seem suddenly a bit more of an event, something that makes a connection, creates a private moment in a public space. I really like that idea."

Check her beautiful site and if you're in Melbourne, look up, or down, or around. Or look on MoHo to see Miso interviewed. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2uycLPyt5I