Today I’ve stumbled across the work of Nathan H. Boyd (I say stumbled, I basically spend all day refreshing my “disney + cool stuff” Google search). That is a joke, obviously. Of course I know how to set-up a Google alert.
My favourites:
Another of today’s wonderments is Emma Butler’s movie-prop inspired illustrations, picked up via ShortlList and Buzzfeed . Lovely stuff.
A few things have caught my bibliophile eye lately – voluminous libraries and literary feets of genius. I guess this is some sort of trend; as digital consumes the paper back , so we find new ways of indulging in the atoms of pages. Of course digital is also helping the cottage book industry – but I think you’ll agree these projects are awesome.
First-up an article in the NYT from earlier in Jan that was reprinted in last’ week’s Observer. The article looks at a home decor / architecture trend that involves a desire for people to want to read their libraries, but who also want to stamp their identity on the well-thumbed shelves. Basically it’s a reaction to the idea that all libraries have too look antique, and also that many hotels/ bars etc stock their shelves with aesthetically appropriate though utterly uninteresting tomes. It may sound like silly opulence – but take a look at the work of Thatcher Wine and should you ever find yourself with a spare sizable wad of cash and an empty room you’d probably find it difficult not to give Jupiter Books a ring.
This week’s other spot was the voyeuristically awesome blog, Book Shelf Porn. They also have a twitter feed feed, so if you similarly have a book fetish I suggest you follow them immediately. In the sprit of sharing, here are a couple of images of my own book homes.
On Monday night, over dinner with some friends from Diageo (as a brand, an Edelman client), Simply Zesty and Next Wave Partners we were discussing the various merits of product placement in movies and television.
As conversations over a pint occasionally do – we then meandered – and started to work out whether or not product placement could work in books. On first thought, perhaps not – a brand would have to be working with the author from the genesis of the characters to ensure that the brand involvement was authentic.
We then started talking about “chic lit”, arguably not a genre we knew much about… Nevertheless we noted that ‘some’ forms of literature are produced as if on a conveyor belt, with very lightly flavoured characters. Yet they sell very well. Surely this sort of book would be able to be subverted with carefully placed brands and products? (I’ve since been reliably informed that Tiffany from Eastender’s first foray into penmanship resulted in a smorgasbord of branded ‘props’. So our assumptions were right.)
Now at some point the Galaxy Book Club came up. Building upon our earlier point about the product needing to be at the heart of the book – an idea started to form. (This creative spark can either be attributed to calamari on a Monday night, or beer as a creative lubricant).
So how’s this for an idea:
There are of course some neat digital executions that could be incorporated. A Facebook app that tells your friends to vote for your book, for example, if there was a public vote mechanic to the selection of the book. Simply Zesty have also spotted this similarly chocolaty idea. Extending this out we also talked about how you could have your names put in to the story. Mr Darcy is renamed as you, while your girlfriend becomes Elizabeth (horrid example, but you get the idea). Content rights aside – this book is then printed, with the hidden chocolate bar, creating a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day.
OK. So this idea might not create a new literary movement. But evolving the adage that “every company is a media company” so brands truly become publishers would benefit the artists finding support and help engage consumers in new ways. I’d buy a bar.
Oliver Lake just started following me on Twitter, so I took a curious look at his Etsy shop.
Check it out for very reasonable prints. Charming illustrations with more than a nod to retro-Children’s illustrations. Very cool. Particular faves:
To Kill a Tee
I haven’t posted since I’ve been back in the UK. It seems blogging and work aren’t mutually compatible. Alas. So I think I’m going to start posting more images/links and short posts in the interests of time.
A starter for 10 would be this awesome US clothing company, I just stumbled upon on Valet Mag. They take book covers and make them into t-shirts and sweatshirts. Personal faves are Moby Dick, Death of Salesman and of course To Kill A Mockingbird.
They ship from America and it’s only an extra $10 for shipping to London. Awesome.
Call me Ishmael. I realise a lot of these images look like black boulders in a sea of blue and they don’t really do justice to the most awesome Humpback’s in the Southern Hemisphere. But I had to share as it was such a great day out, scouring the ocean for sea life. I even spotted my first Sea Turtle. Cowabunga.
As well as mother’s, calfs, pelicans and turtles we caught a glimpse at a hammer head shark. Unfortunately I couldn’t capture the hammer, but I got the deadly dorsel fin. Pretty glad the surf hasn’t been up to much…
Noggin’
Apologies for the radio silence, should you have eagerly been awaiting a post from Queensland. I was sans internet last week – a blissful return to basics.
But now I’m back and the bright lights of Brisbane await. Here are some snaps, to fill you in on the last 7 days, in the meantime.
The latest addition to the Bonanno clan.
Jacobs Well – or Dawson’s Creek. Who can tell?
Hell is Surfers Paradise. Weather was nice though.
WALL-E’s QLD relation.
While this account is by no means definitive – two weeks is not long enough to savour all the delicacies of this part of the southern hemisphere – it is a recap of the best meals I ate while in Sydney. Food is where Sydney lords over London. Though not inexpensive – and on some occasions bloomin pricey – the food culture in Sydney is built-in; a relaxed meal is part of the furniture here, as much as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Fantastic produce, relaxed dining rooms, impressive concoctions – London could learn a lot. Apologies for the bourgeoisie pretentions of what follows…
Longrain – a very smart and buzzy Thai restaurant in Surry Hills. Simple, no fuss, but sophisticated. We had a fantastic eggnet – a house specialty – served with a refreshing cucumber and ginger relish. Next was a red duck curry with sticky rice. Again superb. (Though Longrain was a smart restaurant there are loads of great and cheaper Thai meals to be had all over the city. I had lunch one day in a canteen set-up near QVB. Matt – what’s the name of this not-so-well-kept-secret?)
Love Supreme. A very strange name for a restaurant, but the pizza is superb. A smaller, unrelated cousin to Pizza East, in vibe, this restaurant on Oxford Street seves lo-fi, no-fuss, fantastic food. We devoured a Love Supreme (artichoke hear, mozzarella, anchovies, gemolata) and a Smiley (sausage, red onion, pecorino). Slim bases, loaded with toppings. Absolutely bonza…
Bodega is well known for serving great food as the queues on a Friday night would suggest. A svelte tapas bar that swaggers with its reputation, the food was outstanding. A construction of scallops, that looked not unlike an architect’s model – served with beetroot, a wafer of cracker, garlic aioli and cress – was a highlight. So too were mushrooms with goats cheese, the sublime calamari, and a surprise hit with cauliflower toasted in cumin. The only let down was a chorizo that lacked fire. Madrid beats Sydney in affordability, but you can’t knock the precision of execution in this place.
Best Burger. I tried out a couple – and without doubt the CBD Bar has the best one on offer in the city. The rare beef patty bulges with meaty, char-grilled flavour. Set-off with a mustard mayonnaise, cheese, bacon and caramelised onions that aren’t too sweet. The only missing element is beetroot, an Australian institution, but missing from this fab lunch.
Best Sandwich. I can’t add much to this glowing Time Out review; 4ate5 on Crown Street, Surry Hills, serves the best sandwich I have ever had. Sour dough, stuffed with pulled pork, cucumber, mint, coriander, aioli, beetroot and salad. Absolutely out of this world.
Best Bakery. I’ve already mentioned this other institution – but the Bourke Street Bakery is worth a visit alone. Patience is paid off with fennel and pork sausage rolls and a smorgasbord of delicate pastries. I was torn between a rhubarb spongy thing and the crème brulee tart. I was won over by the arrogance of a brulee in pastry; I wasn’t disappointed. Ginger custard, a crisp caramelised topping dusted with broken pistachio and a short, sweet pastry. Utterly Awesome.
Best Mexican. Tex-mex is a Sydney regular. The best in my opinion is a cheeky, chain of fast food places. Guzman y Gomez. No frills, they serve excellent Pork Tacos, bulging burritos and salty nachos with guac. Lovely stuff.
Sorry to have droned on, but I wanted to capture this all in one place, lest I forget. I should also add that service with a smile is a Sydney staple. Something else we Londoners could take note of…
Sky Tower. Tourist trashy and utterly brilliant. After you travel up a rather rickety sounding lift, you emerge into the observation deck and are smacked with panoramic views of Sydney.
Bizarrely you get out on “level 4”. I think they could have humoured people by naming it “54” at least, but hey ho. Top tip: Head up at sundown; it means you get daylight and night time views. Only other criticism is that they foolishly let a developer put up a huge sky-rise, in between the sky tower and the view of the Harbour Bridge.
I also bumped into WALL-E. I didn’t’ have my SLR with me, so he helped me take some close up shots; I’m pretty pleased with the vintage quality. What a friendly and helpful robot.
 Edel Towers |
 Harbour Bridge |
 St Mary’s |
 QVB |
 Spy shot |
 Leaving the city |
 Obscured view of the Bridge |
 Heading up |
So this weekend was a jam packed, sun drenched, foodie feasting few days.
I’ve got a load of work to do (the pain of paycationing), so I’m keeping it short and sweet today. I’ve also tried this LiveWriter photoalbum function out. Hope it works.
In a nutshell:
Saturday – a trip to the best bakery in the southern hemisphere (incredible sausage roll, finished off with a ginger crème brulee tart. Yeup. Brulee in pastry). Then a quick walk through town, before jumping on to the Manly Beach Ferry. The weather wasn’t ace, but we had a walk along the coast to Shelly Beach, rock hopping on the way. The sundowner ferry back to the city provided some great shots of the iconic city skyline.
Sunday – At last the sun was out. Another delicious brunch in Surry Hills, before a walk through the expansive Centennial Park. Grabbed a bus to Bronte Beach; chilled out with my feet in the sand. Then walked up the coast to Bondi. Couple of beers with the Fazakerleys, before heading home to inspect my developing tan.
Top notch weekend. Rachel and Dan proving to be excellent tour guides and drinking buddies.
The Naked Pheasant
Noises from an empty nest 
