Hello from Tokyo

Hey hey,
We'll it has been quite a while since my last blog. In that time we have moved house, sofa surfed for 2 months in Melbourne and Geelong and we will soon be in our new house mid March. Meanwhile a visit to Tokyo was required to help heal the back and avoid lifting anything. Tough to do, but so far so good. Swimming at least twice a week and the rest of the time snooping throughout Tokyo while gathering ideas for design projects. The branding project Australia has been going well with Annie's Gourmet Shop in Barwon Heads.

So what is new in Tokyo??

Sake

There is a British sake maker who, after years of proving his dedication, is the only foreign sake master in Japan click here to see the article. He has written two books about sake one of them being the Insiders Guide to Sake.

The company website is hard to read (that is unless you read Japanese) but you can take a look at the label design in case you're in a sake shop in the near future




A good sake blog click here

DSUK

Ok you need to head to the link for the Optimist website link. Click to the charities tab section, register and vote for Disability Sport UK as the best charity. They will recieve extra funding if they win so vote vote vote! While on the website be sure to watch the video of Neil Diamond singing his pink 70s pantsuit. GREAT FUN! (its on the video page of the link above).

Holiday times in Barwon Heads. Well apart from the occasional piece of decoration adorning a street light (a total of three star fish), it does not feel like the festive season. I feel the need for some snow. Happily its raining while I write this which is great since we are experiencing water restrictions so the garden is totally neglected. Sadly my back is improving very slowly since I stepped in a pothole a week ago and have digresses 90%. Fun fun fun. On a happier note we will be moving in January to a beach house directly behind the sand dunes in Breamlea (pronounced Brimli in Australia). We are gearing up now for the move so it is a bit hectic at the moment.

The dog on the beach

The beach at Barwon Heads at low tide.

Food from medieaval times! Joshua Bell who played the violin in the movie The Red Violin. He has come out with another album. In the radio podcast he prepares a 17th century pasta dish with Lynn Rosetto. Link

Welcome back peanut....you were away far too long !

Leonard paint brushes

Last weekend I was introduced the the move beautiful squirrel hair, round headed Leonard watercolour brush. It held water amazingly and always kept a very clean point. One can paint the smallest detail with the large 14 brush. They are said to be made with the finest Rockcliffe Park squirrel hair ( hee hee). Not sure what squirrels have had recent hair cuts but I am sure no squirrels were harmed in the making of these brushes (as much as your tulips might desire). Take a look at their website. Download the catalogue and take a look at page 10. The attention to detail with the wash mop quill is duely noted while holding and painting with it. The website sadly has no links to retailers outside France. I guess one will simply have to fly there to pick up a few and enjoy a couple of long relaxing bistro visits at Verre Volant and L'Ami Jean.

Lisa Breslow - a bit of NYC

I really like this woman's work. There is currently and exhibition in NYC. To view her work click here.

Lots happening down at this end of the world - but most of it is the same as the rest of the world; financial markets wobbling terribly and people fearful to spend (except in Barwon Heads it seems). Our search for a new home is starting as we only have until December 16th so we need to chop chop! Back is feeling a bit better so able to get my paints out and do a bit more branding work in lieu of photoshop with quick sketches.

back with more later
:)

Maira Kalman

This woman is so inspiring. Ok so I'm currently a little obsessed with TED but what I can say; they have some amazing speakers. It would be great to attend but at a cost of $4000 for the conference, its a wee bit steep :) Maira illustrated many a New Yorker cover. I particularly remember getting the New Yorkistan New Yorker in my mailbox and thought "wow what a fantastic idea". Sadly I did not bother to check out who designed and illustrated it at the time.
Click here to watch her speak about what inspires her and a few of the projects she has worked on. Such fun!



Oh remember EB Whites Elements of Style? Visually the book is pretty dry, but then it is a grammar book. Take a look at her illustrated version here.


This a blog she did for the New York Times. Link

Thursday evening, the sun is shinning, the birds are chirping AND its warm outside.




Lovely Sustainable House with Net Zero (0) Carbon footprint (so they say). Very impressive if so. Designed by the arch firm of Sheppard Robson
Link

Food News - Ted with Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman from the New York Times was on Ted last December to speak about the way we eat. Very interesting and a great presentation. I particularly like the part when he describes the quantity of of pigs and cows we consume running to and from the moon some four times.

Video Link

Global Politics

The big day has finally arrived. Phew! Enough with the campaign spending, lets get on with dealing with the issues. While following the election results I came across this humorous article from the Economist.

The Melbourne Cup Results

Australia Rules....

Viewed has WON by a nose - photo finish. The trainer, in his 80th year and his 50th Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings has won his 12th Melbourne Cup. Bauer placed 2nd, the English horse under trainer Luca Cumani. Third place to C'est la Guerre from New Zealand under trainer Murray Baker.
The Age Coverage and Photo Finish

Link to Telegraph piece on Bart Cummings, Viewed's trainer. Viewed is owned by Malaysian Dato Tan Chin Nam who has owned two of Melbourne Cup's winners trained by Cummings; Saintly in 1996 and Think Big in 1974 (good name).

Melbourne Cup Day

Image from www.horsehats.com

Live coverage from the Flemington Track
Cup Day! So significant is cup day in Melbourne, its designated a public holiday. Dress up, get your hats out and head over the Flemmington Race Track. Race starts at 3 pm.

Everyone is watching the Irish horse Septimus and the American horse Mad Rush. Apart from the regular challenges that foreign horses have; travelling to Melbourne, quarantine and climate changes, the horses and their foreign riders have to run the track in the opposite direction from Northern Hemisphere. Poor things! Regardless, the locals are labeling the competition as "The European Invasion"
Link to Melbourne's The Age news clip

While researching vintage kitchen equipment for my current project, I came across this charming site:
La Tartine Gourmande, written by a well travelled French expat stylist living in Boston with her Irish-American husband.

Etsy find! Fantastic rubber stamps from Sweetpapery. Sadly these two stamps are sold out but there is another fun one with cutlery.

Link to Etsy

Great gift for the gardner in your life- I'm sure they will look very charming once they are weathered. Be sure to write with a waterproof pen! Link to Simplemente Blanco. The main site is charming with the leaves blowing off the trees. Happily I don't have to experience that quite yet given that I've lived through two winters in a row.