26 Feb 2012

Hit the Road Mac!

When we all despair about engineering and manufacturing taking the easy route down China way, there are reasons to be cheerful right here right now with Mac Motorcycles taking us down the fast lane in a sleek, designer-led classic British fashion. Those bikes were born to be wild, man: Captain America and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club would do them justice, while Britannia can rightly claim to rule the roads once more, and that does us proud, yeah!


Sources: (1) to (4) All photography by Mac Motorcycles, via Carefully Considered. (5) The aforementioned Captain America (Peter Fonda) and Dennis Hopper revisit the American dream on Harley Davidson in Easy Rider (1969). Check out the 'Top 10 Memorable Movie Motorcycles' compiled by Time Entertainment. (6) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (the band that took its name from the Marlon Brando film).

24 Feb 2012

Baby Pink Shower

It's all or nothing: if pink's the colour, it's gotta be baby pink for me baby!



Sources: Baby pink is good clean fun and more grown up than we'd imagine, so go on, give it a go! There's a colour dedicated to teasing the clouds, poking the sun, melting the snow and leading you gracefully all the way to Spring! So why resist such feelgood factor? (1) The dahlia 'Fiona Stewart' featured on Gardeners' World's 'Pinks and Purples' Gallery (photo by Jason Ingram). (2) Pink flower magnet by ilovehearts, via Not on the High Street. (3) 'Color Puff' by Design Seeds. (4) Marshmallow Body Butter by Mor Cosmetics, via Lineaspa. (5) 'Lollia' Relax Hand Creme, via Anthropologie. (6) and (7) 'Louise' leather shoulder bag and 'See by Chloé' leather and wood sandals, both by Chloé, via Net-à-Porter. (8) Fondant Fancy Party Cake by Betty's of Harrogate.

Tickled pink? More pinkiness here and there!

23 Feb 2012

Caught in the Pacific Trash Vortex

Images speak a thousand words as documented by visual artist and social activist Chris Jordan who has been following the fate of albatrosses on some of the remotest islands on Earth, the Midway Atoll... Ironically what should be paradise is nothing more than paradise lost... in plastic!


Source: All photography by Chris Jordan. Midway displays signs of human civilisation in all its tangible horror, where plastic fantastic is an aberration of pharaonic proportions. In this part of the world, the trash vortex - a superposition of plastic debris swirling around and causing devastation and suffocation not only to marine life but also to sea birds - is the size of Texas, itself slightly bigger than France... Where better to look out for proof than in the stomachs of decomposed corpses, so no need for NCIS to get their shiny dissection instruments out to determine the cause of death. Oh, and while we're at it, enjoy your dinner! Now according to Bag It (Jim Hurst) who's also been involved in the Midway Project, 'In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume. The United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the U.S. in 2009.' Makes you ponder, doesn't it?

12 Feb 2012

Pantone All the Way

From the moment Mirabelle got immersed in the Adobe world over a decade ago, Pantone has been it: an ode to colour, a trend-setter, a rainbow-grabber, a tone fetcher, a testament to shade and nuance, a practical answer to every hue under the sun, a technicolor promised land, a graphic designer's reference, an insider's omnipotent mot du jour and the pride and joy of every stylist of every denomination! Here's a book that capitalises on everything Pantone and that will give you added credit the moment you own it:
PANTONE The 20th Century in Color

Source: Chronicle Books.

9 Feb 2012

Sweet Valentine

Without faffing about and without flinching, while floating like a cloud in a flurry of flimsy fluffly fickleness, I found a way to express how much I love you, how deep I care, without even writing the word down or saying it face to face; I just took advantage of the fact Valentine's Day is Lovers Day to express my feelings for you! Tomorrow is bright.


Sources: (1) Leave out the words and say it with hearts instead, you cannot go wrong if you go the pared down way, with this simple yet message-effective letterpress Valentine notecard from Claire Short @ Shortgrassdesigns via Etsy. (2) Bring sexy back all the way from Ukraine with this naughty bookmark with 'Personalised Valentine Tattoo on Sexy Butt', from Olena Mysnyk @ MyBookmark via Etsy. (3) Playing with old tin has never been so much fun for jewellery designer Kate Hamilton-Hunter, turning the mundane into the costume piece, like this 'Floral Romantic Bracelet', available to purchase from her site. (4) Keep it odd (as a number!) and decorative with Hotel Chocolat's 'Dark Lemon Truffles Keepsake Heart'. (5) Intellectualise it if you may with some poetry; here an extract from Pablo Neruda, via Department of the Interior. (6) And finally picture it and show it off! Photography love duo Bryan and Mae pictured by Bobbi + Mike, via Style Me Pretty. Love ain't dead baby, it's only the beginning!

But hang on, love wouldn't be so without its share of pain, right? 'Love Hurts' by Incubus:



'Love hurts...
But sometimes it's a good hurt
And it feels like I'm alive.
Love sings,
When it transcends the bad things.
Have a heart and try me,
'Cause without love I won't survive'.

5 Feb 2012

At Home with Kokeshis

In recent years, Kokeshis and Matriochkas have donned many guises in the purpose of entertainment and homely companionship: just check out our capsule photographic collection for some further inspiration!

Sources: (1) Brighton-based illustrator and blogger Kris Atomic, via her Other People's Houses photographic exhibition. (2) Hang on a minute! This can't be a kokeshi, it's Barbapapa! Photo from The Yvestown Blog (02/02/12). (3) 'Kimono Girl Bento Box', available to purchase online from the Victoria & Albert Museum shop. (4) 'Four Seasons Kokeshi Dolls' from the Japanese Shop. (5) Extract from Kris Atomic 's sketchbook. (6) Quirky kokeshi sketch by French up-and-coming Corsica-based artist and personal friend Isabelle Duvignon.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...