SKYMALL

Oh, the things you can convince yourself you need at 36,000 feet.


Come on, who DOESN'T need a Sumo wrestler coffee table???

I think from here on out, I'm going to ignore wedding registries and buy all wedding gifts from SkyMall. "Hey bride and groom, I know you wanted a Williams-Sonoma garlic roaster, but I got you this Bacon Genie instead!"


The utter futility of this product has already been discussed on this blog. Basically, bacon genie allows you to cook bacon in your microwave....which is already a stupid idea, unless you like your bacon chewy and dry. Bacon is meant to be FRIED. Anyone who loves bacon enough to buy bacon accessories knows this.

In all seriousness, I kind of want this:


Your eyes do not deceive you, that is in fact a Wine Glass Holder Necklace, combining two of my passions: drinking and wearing jewelry. Throw in a straw and I'd be good to go. No more awkwardly holding my drink at parties!

Finally, since Father's Day was this past Sunday (click here to read my tribute to my Dad from a few years ago), I submit this for your consideration. Had I been more on the ball, I would have gotten this for our home yard in St. Louis:

I can just imagine the look on Dad's face every morning as he gazes proudly upon his Yeti lawn statue. Maybe next year, Dad.

What I did last weekend and centrepieces

My husband's hip aunt came to spend a week with us and it was great. We both love design, both love DIY, both appreciate the no-budget type of design and both love scoring bargains!



So over Friday-Saturday last week, we hit about 6 large antique/vintage/markets in Melbourne West (yes, only six because we had Hannah).



On Saturday I spent a grand total of AUD$28 but scored some great vintage pieces: a large shadowbox (the winning thing for me was the lovely detailed frame), a vintage traymobile and a great brass centrepiece with dogwoods (only $8).



I'd been looking for a fruitbowl/centrepiece for the dining table for a while... didn't want the ornate look... but the brass piece looks so gorgeous cleaned up! We were originally going to spray it a lovely dove grey, but think I'll just leave it.



Especially since the day before, we went to Geelong and scored a few things at the Mill Markets. Spent a bit more, but when I saw these gorgeous vintage puzzle blocks for AUD$25, I couldn't walk past them. I mean... when was the last time YOU saw these? (I was probably 10.) In great condition... no blocks had anything torn on them etc.



Hannah is not getting to these till she is MUCH older. (Much as she loves puzzles.)



Hmm... might shadowbox them like the little vintage baby things from yesterday's post from Eddie Ross.

Also bought some vintage earrings and the mid century teak-like (actually monkeypod wood) fruitbowl for $30.



Now these two bowls add a completely different look to my badly-need-replacingrefinishing dining table...

Which one did you like? I'm not sure which one I like best... or which mood I want to project.

Update: Jacqueline Kennedy: the White House years

Woo heee!!!! I just received a heads up from J.Mette letting me know that the Jacqueline Kennedy poster has been reprinted and is on sale again at the Field Museum at Chicago!

I discovered it way back in Jan 2008. Thanks J.Mette!



Get yours today!

Queenscliff's Ashby House

There's something visceral about owning something a genuine antique from another culture, another land. Especially when you know the provenance of said antique. I have no desire to own a Malaysian/Balinese antique, but to own a French or Swedish antique would be divine. I love to have just a few choice pieces of French/Swedish antiques in the home (rather than fill it will the same style -one would wonder if it was all repro!). I always remember the living area of Something's Gotta Give with the one Swedish horloge comptoise.



I really enjoyed the long weekend two weekends ago when husband, Hannah and I went to Geelong district in Victoria. I love the houses there and the sea air. Of course, I visited my favourite haunts in Geelong... but we also did some exploring.

We went to Queenscliff, about 40 mins on from Geelong, a lovely touristy seaside town. Whilst sharing a raspberry gelato, we discovered Ashby House, a gorgeous French shoppe, selling antiques, homewares and linens.



What sets them apart from the other French-style furniture stores is that Ashby House is full of GENUINE French antiques. Michael and Julie Melican visit France twice a year (what bliss, husband and I would love that life) to buy for their shop. They come home with containers full of the best things!



Like this giant Spanish antique armoire, from the 17th century. I don't know if you can see from the perspectives of the room, but this armoire is huge. It barely misses the ceiling!



There was also a unique armoire ... with two side sections with shelves but a glassed middle section with four wide, deep shelves... I loved it.



Michael and Julie treated us to a special stay-past-closing-hour-to-yak! I loved this French antique grandfather's clock and mentioned it to Julie, who was keen to share more about it. Turns out Michael and Julie pick these up, broken or not... and brings them home. Michael's taught himself to repair these great things. Apparently these are not "grandfather clocks"... these are "horloge comptoise", or clocks meant for the working folk, the unique thing is not the look, but the strikes. It strikes on the hour once, ringing out the hours, but then in 30 seconds it repeats itself. This is because people who are working in the fields, barns, stables etc don't often know the exact time, but hear it ring... and then they know in 30 secs they will get to hear and count the strikes again. Fascinating! (for me).



But this is my favourite piece. A small ceiling lamp ($1200)... Perfect to hang above the my "dressing table" area in our bedroom.



People, it's worth a visit. Queenscliff, Geelong and especially Ashby House. Check out their fine white linen, their antique silverware and silver compotes, their large French antique furniture, their gorgeously selected artwork, their clothes and even garden settings.

45 Hesse Street
Queenscliff VIC 3225
Australia
+61 3 52581907

Ananda Khalsa

I am madly in want of a piece of Ananda Khalsa's jewelry.
They are so fine!
So whimsical, so precious, so unique, so Christmas/anniversary appropriate :)



Ms Khalsa creates these heirloom-worthy pieces out of Asian art, natural forms, and the cool sleekness of metal. She hand paints each piece on paper and then sets them behind hand-ground glass in fine and sterling silver. Then she accents her pieces with 22k gold. (Which is so good to hear since Asian gold is 24k and that is what I've always grown up with.)



Ms Khalsa even accepts Paypal! heh!

Any of the below will do quite nicely.

Nicola by Shabner for sale.

This is now for sale. I thought I'd offer it here before eBay-ing it. Any takers? I can try to remove it from the frame and insert it into a mailing tube if preferred, since the frame is damaged at the bottom.

Measurements with frame are 60cm height, 50cm width.

Leave a comment or email me via my paperbean design website.

Figments

I received an email from painter Kristine Baerlin from New York about Figments Studio, specialising in artwork for the children. As you know, I love the idea of converting loved photos and portraits into art. Kristine's style is different from mine. She hand-paints the portraits using a signature circular pattern. A modern take on pop art tradition.



Contact Kristine Baerlin for your commissions on a personalised conversion of your favourite photo of your children taken this summer!

Thanks to my new sponsor!

Wow... it's exciting when you meet with others who believe in what your passions are and what you do.. I always believe in focusing on the passion rather than "how many people area reading"... Passions draw... popularity ... well... wanes.

Thanks to my first sponsor, Greentea Design. Mike Ramsey from Greentea Design contacted me 2 weeks ago and today... we have liftoff! :) Yay

Check out their kitchen cabinets and furniture! I'm Asian myself and love how the pieces are unique and we have real antiques. The website is also very very very well done. I love how you can view up really close details of the furniture pieces.



I love antiques... love to have show-stopping pieces in every room... maybe the Persimmon Hutch for the kitchen. Or the Antique 3 Drawer Black Console in the living room. Maybe paint it lacquered red and leave the detail untouched... or something. :)

New Releases at Room To Grow!

I featured Room To Grow a few months ago and kind director Lilach Weineiger sent me a lovely gift! (Thanks again!) It now hangs in my study in the new home (will feature the study when its ready) :)

Room To Grow was the first to carry Krooom's sexy range, but now you readers in the US can get it from Barnes and Nobles! The few French readers I have can go to Tropico and Hipercor in Spain.

Just to reiterate, Room To Grow/Krooom's products are made from reinforced cardboard recycled material (at least 60% post consumer waste). So go green! No chlorine bleaches and hazardous dyes used, only water based glues and a special UV coating. Done with the item? Recycle it again!

I love the funky and fun designs... suitable for the serious man, the moody teen, the funky designer and even the fun-loving little one! I love their toybox and the Maggie storage bookcase to match the lovely black and white damask Delta I got from lovely Lilach! On casters too! GREAT movable closet! Hmmm.



I think best of all these gorgeous things are so sturdy!

Lilach sent me an email two weeks ago letting me know about their new July 2008 range! Sorry Lilach, only now getting headspace to action some emails for the blog!

I love the new Manooo wall organiser! Perfect for kitchen, dressing area, children's room and the hallway. Pretty and fresh to the everyday mundane. :)



And of course, beneath the Manooo, have the Austin sideboard! Great for the hallway, these two things! One for your pickup-ables, and the other for the ubiquitous umbrella, vase, bags, scarves and berets. Great for newspapers and even the Yellowpages.