It's Time for Action

I love stationery. I feel quietly content when I'm looking at new notebooks, sharpened pencils (I love Rhodia) and imagining what I'll write. I have alot of ideas - some come to fruition but most of them go by the wayside. It's the start of a new year and start of something new - that requires a new notebook.
My favourite local stationery site is Notemaker.com.au.  I have ordered from Mark at Notemaker small items for myself and larger orders for work and the guy gives you the best customer service.
This year's new notebook to get me organised is Behance Action Journal. It's sectioned into Action Points, Backburner ideas and a section with graph style paper for drawing and making notes. It arrived today and is exactly what I hoped for.

Delivery was super fast and they also gave me a free gift of their Japanese MT Masking Tape. I'm a very happy customer.

All lined up

I just watched this charming little film made by a couple who organised books by colour in a Toronto bookstore called Type. I love the overhead shot of the books that look like they are flying.
http://youtu.be/SKVcQnyEIT8

Sweet as a rose

I've wanted a pair of Bensimon's for years. I have been in stores that stock them but they usually don't have my size. I even tried them on a couple of days ago in a store down at the beach at Flinders and they had lots of cute colours but in tiny sizes. After waking yesterday morning, I decided to trek down to Manon Bis which is about a 40minute drive from my house. After trying on various lace-ups, I decided to go with the Ballerine in a pale rose. They are so sweet.

http://tinyurl.com/7lphx3f

Style and Substance

I've just finished reading an article in the "New York Times" on Tyler Brule, Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of "Monocle" magazine http://tinyurl.com/6ml7c8c
I've long been a fan of "Monocle" and enjoy it's design - they still use illustrations - interesting fashion but more importantly its content. It has well researched and written articles that don't focus on just one continent but give you a global microscopic view that makes me feel like I know something else that what I hear, see and read in the dailies.
I love that Brule continues to extend the brand with the seasonal newspapers, shops and now the wonderful Monocle 24 radio. http://www.monocle.com/24/

The hiatus is over

It's been a long time between drinks since I last posted. 2011 was a year of stress, anxiety and constant change - clearly I had a lot of learning to do. 2012 will be the year of change that I can take control of.

The year has started beautifully with sunshine down at the beach with the family. I've built so many sandcastles, collected some gorgeous shells, swam in the ocean on our hottest day this year and have barely given work a second thought.

Here is to a fabulous 2012 to you and yours.

Sshh, enjoy the quiet

Scrolling through the gorgeous blogs by Pia Jane Bijkerk - expat Aussie based in Amsterdam and Paris, I realised I was jealous. Jealous is not a word that I use often. Whilst sitting on her houseboat in Amsterdam, she recorded the sound of rain falling on the water with an intermittent sound of a duck quacking in the background.
Living in Melbourne, it's so rare we get decent rains and when there is a smattering of rain, I'm often sitting in an office building looking out the window wishing I could hear the rain or smell the rain.
For all you drought dwellers, enjoy: http://tinyurl.com/nv6lko

Angelic voices

Listening to the gorgeous voices of the Webb sisters. English-born Charley and Hattie are singers as well as musicians and have recorded two albums. Currently on tour with Leonard Cohen.