MENSWEAR ON MISS MOSS

I've long been a fan of the Miss Moss blog. Diana's eye for great aesthetics, her fashion comparisons and other projects for JCrew, downloadable music mixes and a shared appreciation for style and fashion from years gone by, has me working that older posts button ruthlessly. I recently spotted these fashion comparisons on her blog pairing the work of M.C. Escher and recent menswear shows from Paris and Milan and had to repost. All images courtesy of missmoss.co.za. Original streetshots courtesy of Tommy Ton of jakandjil.

VANS SK8-HI STANDARD ISSUE

In spite of my amused response to some bloggers freaking out over a pair of shoes, I find myself getting pretty excited when I see a pair like these. Vans have always dished up quality shoes over the years. Easily one of my favourite brands. Found here via offthehook.

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NEIL ROAKE OPENS LARNEY'S

Fresh off the ongoing success of local food spot Craft and the award winning Concierge Boutique Bungalows, Neil Roake has opened Larney's. Occupying what used to be Cafe Duomo, near Cinema Nouveau in Gateway, Larney's opened on Friday and is already experiencing some serious foot traffic and dishing up top class cuisine. In true Roake style Larney's is visually bold, but not in your face, cheeky, yet not cocky. Offering a range of meals from baguettes to sweet treats, Larney's is also perfectly positioned for the arty types, who might want to grab something to chow before catching a movie. An endearing older couple were even commenting to me on how great is was, and how they wished it everything of the best. That's a good sign. We all know how fussy older folk can get on you getting their tea just right. Bound for succees, this trendy deli also sits with it's back snug up against the new premises of The Space, Gateway.

PING PONG PERFECTION

Crafted from environmentally farmed teak and customised with a drawer that holds four custom handmade bats, this ping pong table by James Perse has to be the ultimate addition to any bachelor pad or office.

THE HOUSE OF EVEL

In the heart of every young boy is a love for explosions, sharp objects and danger. I went through your typical fixation with all things deadly. Well... if you call vertical hills on a BMX, throwing ninja stars into rabid and vicious trees and crafting spears from fallen branches deadly, then I was your regular dare-devil. There was however, that one kid in the group that was by far the alpha boy. He was the one who'd hit the same hill standing on a skateboard, request the ninja star to be thrown at him and bet he could hit the neighbours dog with his newly hewn assegai. That kid was awesome. That kid was our own Evel Knievel. Images courtesy of houseofevel. For those who don't know who this guy is. He was the Elvis of Danger and he even had a pinball game made about him...c'mon how cool is that?

HOMEGROWN : RUDI DE WET

One of my favourite things about the internet, besides Facebook stalking, is the ability it has to dish up gems like this...straight outta nowhere. Now based in Australia, fellow-saffa Rudi De Wet has some fantastic and highly enviable skills. Discovered here via afroklectic.

JAMIE CULLEN ILLUSTRATION

Digging Jamie Cullen's work . Have a look at his extensive portfolio. It's got a little Piet Parra/early Jasper Goodall/Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band thing going on.

A VIRTUAL GETAWAY

Work has picked up the last few days and consequently blogging has taken a backseat. I have however been online...posting about my finds however, has not been possible. While I sit designing away, every now and then I wish I could pop out to a spot like this above. As much as I love getting out of the suburbs/city, sometimes a step outside to sit in the sun and just breathe is as good as a weekend away...okay I lie, but the thought of having a spot like this satisfies my need for my own spot for a short period of time. This spot's in Brooklyn, New York. Discovered on the truly inspiring eighthourday blog via ffffound.

A LATE FATHERS DAY COLLECTION

Sunday was Father's Day. My Dad was on my mind the whole day. He was such a great guy. He was kind, funny and always had time for me. I started gathering items that he'd given me over the years and others that he left behind. Above is a collection of certain things that remind me of who he was.

1. An old toiletry bag he used to use on his travels. For manly goods...shaving cream, razor, flick-knife. 2. A camera he bought in1975 in Mauritius. Pentax Asahi. My grandparents were born there, but I've never been...yet. Hopefully going next year for Mom's 60th. 3. A Leatherman he received as a gift a few years ago. 4. He taught me how to play chess. Don't think I ever beat him. 5. His army jacket. I'm over 6ft so the sleeves are on the short side. 6. His Bible. He grew up Catholic. He taught me well. 7. A traditional French card game called Nain Jaune. We spent hours playing this as kids. It dates back to the 1600's. 8. His wedding tie. A thin little number. Hope to rock it one day soon. 9. He ran the Comrades Marathon twice. One up and one down, and vowed he would only ever drive to Pietermaritzburg again. 10. A torch that reminds me of one of the last fishing trips to Ixopo. We got stuck in the mud at night in a deep valley and had to be towed out by kind locals. 11. He loved anything old and interesting. These are two copies of The London Illustrated News from 1913 and 1936. 12. A slingshot/kettie he bought. He grew up on a farm and always had the craziest stories to tell. 13. The last watch he owned. Nothing fancy...just aTimex. 14. This and a Mazawatee Tea tin remind me of all the weekends he'd spend in his garage, tinkering with his antiques and collectibles.

THE BICYCLE CAP

The Bicycle Cap by peSeta for the New Museum from casa peSeta on Vimeo.

If you're into bikes and you prefer hand crafted items over mass produced goods, then you'll love this love story of a bike and a sewing machine. Spanish brand peSeta produced a special series of limited edition bicycle caps for the New Museum of New York City.

FINE LETTERFORMS

I remember being a kid and spending hours with a calligraphy set I got as a present the one year, meticulously crafting each line, each ascender and each descender. I reckon I got pretty good at it too. I can't seem to find that book, but I did recently rediscover this lettering book that belonged my grandfather on my mother's side. I can't remember whn this was given to me and I don't own too much of either of my grandfather's stuff, so this is a keepsake for me. It feels that if I own something that was his, I have a little more than a memory of a man I wish I'd gotten to know a little better.

Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got, till it's gone - Joni Mitchell

UP THERE - A MUST WATCH DOCUMENTARY

UP THERE from Jon on Vimeo.

I was reading this article on the studiobotes blog recently and came across this line:

"In an age where everything revolves around digital and being instant, it’s refreshing to see someone who has mastered their craft, taking time and pride in using their hands."

It reminded me of the video above. UpThere is a documentary featuring the work of the dying trade of large-scale hand painted advertising and the people trying to keep it alive. There's something in me that swells with a sense of pride for these guys. It must be so rewarding to see your work at that scale and have thousands of people viewing it, yet knowing that it was all done by hand must be even more rewarding. View the site for the video for more information by clicking here.

OH MY GOODNESS

My favourite meal of the day is breakfast...by a long shot. Dinner's great, but to come up with a really great breakfast seems somehow more of a challenge. Personally, I tend to lean towards the standard two toasts, muesli and yoghurt routine. If I'm in a hurry it's just the two toasts...peanut butter and jam. It's driving me nuts. It's my favourite meal of the day after all. So I have every intention of buying ramekins... ( yes that's something used in the kitchen...No, I don't yet know quite what they are ) and whipping up these recipes as found on live and enliven but originally posted on what katie ate. I cannot however record this event, as I'm bound to seem freakish when I go on for way to long about the subtle texture of a cheese or the nuances of choosing basil over chives...like I'm doing right now. Weirdo...so this morning I'm settling for a breakfast in pita.

BITS AND PIECES...THIS AND THAT

This week has got off to a flying start and have been battling to find time to get my blog on. So I thought I'd post a bit on a few blogs and sites I've been checking out lately. Hope you like.



Victor the signwriter's story here on studiobotes. Now here's some really great local talent. Both of them actually.



Jennifer Young's story and pictures of the Aloha Sunday Supply Co. on her blog iartu. Browse the rest of her blog. It's amazing!



This branding for Fast Eddies Barber Shop by Richard Arthur Stewart on Behance. Minimal...but beautifully executed.

OUR LIVES OF DECKADENCE

If you're a local or you're going to be in Durban over the next while, make sure to check out this exhibition. Our Lives of Deckadence is an exhibition of skate culture, with the show featuring customised skate decks, photography and film. Brought to you by Verb and Revolution the opening at Gallery 415 is on the 17th of June at 18:30. R20 entrance gets you a free drink and raffle entry for a photographic print ( opening night only). Some of my crazy talented mates are taking part so it's sure to be a winner show. Check out the Facebook page here.