catalogued life

Home delivery

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Captured in the image above: one of the perks of living here

Taken in our garage the other day, the neigbourhood tailor spent the afternoon working though a bundle of odd sewing jobs. Arriving on his sewing machine-bicycle, he took hemlines up and down, sewed buttons and turned round necks into v necks. Even though this is a common sight and occupation here, to my very western sensibility, it still always feels completely luxurious to have someone deliver this service in your own home!
Indonesia, how will I ever leave you?

Javanese Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:01:00 +0000

We recently picked up these simple baskets in West Java. Nothing beats the feeling of cruising around dusty hot Indonesian country towns (preferably with girlfriend in tow - hello sweet jane) and coming across fantastic wares such as these. Used for holding rice, they embody two of my favorite things in an object: beauty and function.

The Bather

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Oliver Voss, "Die Badende" (The Bather) found at Village and via here too

Loving this crazy giant sculpture in the Binnenalster lake in Hamburg, Germany.

Fascinating in that Gulliver's Travels kind of way as well as the fact she comes across as

someone just minding her own business enjoying a dip in the lake! Her pose is so natural!

Trying to get back in to the swing of things, harness spare time and channel it into something productive.

It's proving slightly challenging right now. School starts back this Thursday. Work started back last week for me and after what felt like one continuous holiday there for a while, I seem to have lost my ability to do two things at once. Trying to catch up on lots of things. Friends are returning to town from their summer break, some are just about to leave, the city has wound down for Ramadan, and while I am still loving to visit other blogs, I just can't seem to find the time to visit mine! Thank you for sticking around!

Wondrous bounty

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:09:00 +0000

These amazing volcanic beach rocks (they stretched for kilometres) left Jane and I speechless

(except for the continuous chorus of oohing, aahing and refrains of 'nooo, but look at this one'). We were shocked at how breathtakingly beautiful they were, looking more like exquisite pottery shards with their amazing markings. Or like chunks of precious turquoise stone. To say we were excited to come across this place, or that this place even existed, would be the understatement of the year. Words such as mind-boggling, astonishing and stupefying might be better used instead.

Nature's a potter: perfect crackling glaze (with shells from another Flores beach)

If I had to give this stone a name - I'd call it a mid-century modern take on Japanese Raku pottery.

Astonishing that this is a product of nature, not some beautiful handmade sculpture.

I wouldn't have any trouble buying this from a gallery, but to just pick it from beach was amazing!

More again in the style of Japanese raku pottery markings

Windswept bounty as far as the eye can see......

Abundance

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:00:00 +0000

And we're back...............refreshed, inspired and full of love, actually!

Corny, but really true. Full of love for family, full of love for fantastic friends who made the most excellent travelling companions. And full of love for Indonesia, a bountiful and gracious host. My mind is furiously buzzing with new ideas and potential opportunities. Travelling through the lesser known island of Flores was astonishing and breathtaking and I just feel really grateful for this trip in particular. Trying to slow down and reflect. Lots of photos to sort through and lots of exciting things to think about! More soon.................xo

Living vicariously

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:51:00 +0000

Shameless reblog and not really all about fashion journalism

via Patrick at Silence Nation

I liked this interview. Other than his tips for successful design blogging such as heavy editing, a strong point of view and photos you can't find anywhere else, I just really liked how he touches on why people

enjoy blogs to begin with: to live vicariously and see other people's take on the world! I couldn't agree more. Right now, I have just thrown in my corporate job to chase my dream of interior design; I also build and design beautiful tropical homes and am hoping to sail around the world on our yacht one day! I am an artist that has finally received DA approval on our country home-in-the-city and am relieved renovations can begin. Did you know I also draw incredibly hilarious story boards and am about to leave all that is familiar and drive 1200 km away to begin a locum in indigenous child health? Oh yer, I nearly forgot, I also live in NYC championing issues surrounding motherhood. Other days I simply champion artists. Of course this is just a small sample of what I do. I'm also really crafty and love to visit Australia, Canada, the US, and lots of Europe on a regular basis. Some days I'm an artist, other days a photographer or designer, even a designer-comedian! Did you know there was any such thing?! Of course, most of the time I am just me, but some days, I love being you!

Grass can be greener

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:44:00 +0000

via here

Was just writing an email to my dad when I found myself using the word darn and holiday in the same sentence. It was kind of tongue-in-cheek, but the moment I reread it, it sounded stupid and crazy. We have our next lot of visitors arriving in a few hours (the last ones having left on Sunday) and will all be heading off to Butu Karas, West Java again, returning on Sunday. As you all know, we have been having lots of little get-always lately with visiting friends. Of course we love showing people around and discovering new places together, but it’s also been a bit hectic. Hectic in a good way but still hectic nonetheless.

via here

I know I will reread this one day, when this adventure is over, and pinch myself that it ever really happened, and even kick myself for using words such as darn and hectic in this amazing context. Blasphemy! I know that we will eventually be back in Sydney, spending time with friends in much more fleeting ways, a bite to eat here, a lunch there and dreaming of these special holidays together. We will probably be quite holiday-less for some time as well, making this post all the more ridiculous. So be it I guess.

via 16 house

The only thing I can say, is that when I came across this simple image of a clothesline blowing in the wind - it just jumped out at me. Again, one part of my brain knows this is ridiculous, to be missing this kind of thing when I know mountains of washing will await me each week on our eventual return to Australia. And it probably won't be all Arcadian visions of crisp white clothes gently swaying in the breeze either. More likely it will be midnight runs to the laundry to dry school uniforms in time! It's just that these images are such a lovely counterpoint to all the tropical islands of late. Again, I know that is an absurd statement, even perhaps indulgent and ungrateful and while I know I am not any of these things, this week I am just really missing simple domestic pleasures. Like tinkering in a garden. Or putting clothes on the line while yakking to the neighbours. I guess this really is proof that sometimes, no matter what kind of amazing things you are doing, the grass can still appear greener on the other side.

ps welcome Table Tonic-ettes! Sorry you have arrived during a little insane moment! Thanks Louise (again!)

Light Drawing

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:28:00 +0000

One of the things I loved doing this weekend was experimenting with light drawings. A while ago I came across this post at Made By Joel all about using long exposure. He in turn had been inspired by Picasso here! (Made by Joel is one of the places I go when I need to print out colouring sheets or want to feel inadequate due to my total lack of crafting). Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with my effort and definitely want to try some more of these.

The setting certainly lent itself to experimenting: bonfires, fireworks and sparklers. Not to mention active volcanoes! Did you know that an adult holding sparklers magically creates a vortex whereby all children in the immediate vicinity will naturally gravitate? Much like moths to a flame? Or the Pied Piper? Incredible.

Long exposure fireworks

Well, if you're not sick of me blathering on about Krakatoa by now you may well soon be. As mentioned before, it has become our go-to spot to take visitors. And with good reason. Nothing quite beats the spectacle of an erupting volcano. We packed up on Friday and drove down in convoy, spending two nights on the beach with our Sydney friends plus some Jakarta friends too.

This time visibility was so low that it wasn’t until Krakatau’s looming outline was upon us could we behold it’s awesomeness. It all felt a bit windswept, overcast and moody this time.

Less tropical island and more dawn of time!

A passing and aesthetically pleasing fishing boat

Original Krakatau appearing in background

I have to say, that even after three trips, seeing an exploding Anak Krakatau just gets better and better. In fact, between lurching around on the boat trying to photograph and adequately capture just how majestic and awe-inspiring it was, I cried. Tears of joy. I’m not too sure why I cried except that perhaps witnessing such a jaw-dropping event that has been happening since the dawn of time just feels, well, worthy of tears.

It was an immensely moving experience. Plus we saw dolphins on the way there just to top it off!

Picture Perfect

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:53:00 +0000

Bliss aka island hopping in a rubber dinghy.

This photo is taken looking back to Palau Macan - the teeny tiny island we stayed on last weekend.

Noah is standing on the even teeny tinier uninhabited island that we swam or rubber dinghy-ed across too each day. I actually managed to snorkel across too!

Looking out from our deck!

Unbelievable. Could not get over how stunning it was.

Everyone spent lots of time swimming and exploring straight out in front of it.

Crazy

These really are quintessential desert islands. White sands. Gently lapping clear blue water. What tropical islands are supposed to look like. Feeling silly that we've never been here before. Only 2.5 hours from our home in Jakarta so to think it was on our doorstep all along..........

Beautiful rustic simple

Winding down

Winding up

Mandatory sand burying.

We are back in Krakatoa for the next few days which seems to be our go-to spot for taking visiting friends. Yep. It's tough. Have a great weekend!

Details

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:12:00 +0000

Behind the scenes at Miu Miu via sea of shoes

I saved this image a while ago. I love all the detail. The shoes, of course. The star on her dress worn with the practical binder clips. The sublime collar. Her strong profile and gaze. Relaxed yet focused and purposeful. Like the photographer maybe caught a quiet moment in what I can imagine was a crazy flurry of activity.

light-filled beauty via fine ting og sjokolade - where you can see the rest of the loft space. Sigh

Then I later came across this great bathroom and the two images somehow went together (well in my crazy mind they did!) Somehow I could imagine the Miu Miu girl coming home here. I love all this detail too. The sky light window, the golden jug, the hanging slippers, the funny little box with bunny ears, the sink table and the raw floor. The soft light and delicate pinks. A perfect bathroom ,yes?

Kapow! Superhero beauty

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:15:00 +0000

superhero cheekbones here

Kate Moss for Vogue Paris, May 2011

(I spent at least 3 years of primary school with my best friend Heidi making crepe paper skirts,

garbage bag dresses and putting on concerts with hairbrush microphones!)

superhero mask here

Love all of these striking images. The photography, the clothes, the saturated colours and of

course the model! Had fun arriving home yesterday and checking out pics of her wedding over the weekend!

Slightly embarrassed if my Dad reads this. He will think it's rot - rot as in googling celebrity weddings!

I'm just a sucker for any pretty pictures, Dad.

Superfluous I know. But so beautiful.

superhero lips and jacket here

just super delightful, really

Unplugging

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Just a quick drop in tonight. It's been roller coaster of a week. Literally moments before our friends arrived from Sydney midweek, the guard fell off a ladder while changing a light bulb in our living room. There was blood and panic as he was knocked out cold. He fell about 5 metres onto a hard marble floor, needing 12 sutures to the back of his head. Naturally it was all very dramatic and distressing with concerns over brain function and memory loss.

Thankfully, he's now ok and after two nights in hospital he just arrived back home!

It's been stressful trying to balance work and P's head injury - all while wanting to maintain the necessary fun holiday-y vibe our friends are entitled to after travelling all the way over here to have a holiday. Life goes on though. Suffice to say I feel like a break, and luckily we are getting one! We all leave early tomorrow morning for a weekend in Palau Macan, an island in Indonesia's Thousand Islands region. Thousand Islands is actually a string of 105 islands off Java - so only a boat ride from Jakarta Bay. These photos of an earlier trip to Bali have been on my desktop for a while and am hoping I will come home with a similar batch this time. Just want to lay on the beach and become a sand inspector for the weekend and when not inspecting sand, inspecting clouds.
No phone, no computer, no blog, no stats counter, no work. No nothing. Good times ahead!

Rooms with temperaments

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:34:00 +0000

Cool, restrained and sophisticated via keep feeling fascination

Can a space be described as steady and level-headed? Be given attributes normally used to describe human characteristics? I am the first one to love my pops of colour. There is something hot, volatile and passionate about brightly coloured spaces. But what about lovely pops of muted honey-toned woods? These places feel subdued, quiet and comforting. Spaces I know my husband would really like. These have been on my desktop for a while and they always remind me of the kind of rooms I would love to create for him. I think I am inching more and more towards this kind of muted sensibility.

I really really like these spaces.

I think my days of excitable raspberry cabinetry may be over.

ffffound via the brickhouse

Somehow these rooms come across all self-composed and level-headed.

Restrained, cool & serene.

via

Herringbone flooring. My great love here and at the very beginning.

It's funny, while I love the rush & chaos & emotion of colour

(I even have a label dedicated to it!), there is something so steady, tranquil and understated

about these rooms. Like they are not showing off. Or trying too hard.

Grounded, strong and understated via apartment therapy

Another quiet room via the marion house book

This room actually manages to exude maturity, depth and substance.

And in the kitchen pops of honey-toned goodness too (via here)

I am slowly but surely building up a collection of wooden boards of all shapes and sizes.

They can be bought quite cheaply over here.

There is actually a lot of lovely rustic and functional kitchenware in Jakarta.

Coffee which is not in a hurry via simple lovely

Grounded and loving via keep feeling again

This space is in former factory in Milan. Loving the wire wall art.

Calming lighting ha via here

ps Have not seen Tom in 5 days - he's been away working (which kind of might explain this post!). Tonight we are heading out post afternoon thunderstorm (I presume - it's just begun as I type this) to sit in a little curtained booth at our favourite Japanese restaurant and eat lots of raw yummy fish. We'll have our nice walk home afterwards. Something that we try to do regularly. A luxury in Jakarta when you usually have to move around by car. So in that respect, something so simple can be blissful and much appreciated.

So very corny I know but I dedicate these spaces to him. I've really missed him lately as he has been travelling quite a lot. I'm going to get you one of those Eames lounge chairs one of these days my love (hopefully thrifted cause I don't want a replica!) I live in hope - read this great Eames thrifted story via The Brick House here. Always loved this story and all the other great finds they acquire. They enforce a rule where they do not spend over $100 on any one item. So if you love op-shopping this is a great place to go.

Op Shopping, markets, rummaging - it's the one thing I really really miss over here.

Dissidence and opening doors

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

via fashion gone rogue

After watching our 4 year old break out (in a good way) at his first visit to an art gallery
(writhing around and soaking everything up), as well as our recent painting sessions,
the image above came to mind. I've had it filed away for a while. It's so striking.
Ok, so she's a beauty with an attitude, but it's the painting on the wall I really love.
I'd love to let loose and do something like that!
Looks like it would be therapeutic too!

Love this door, this colour, this floor and the promise of
what's behind it. You can see the whole apartment here.

Daggy segue ahead - another door opened this week - artist and dissident

Ai Weiwei has finally been released!

(albeit with probationary conditions, but still such great news)

I was upset when I wrote about him here (which includes the original back story if you're interested).

I know there are so many things going on in the world and that this may pale in comparison to other injustices which I have and still do struggle with on here sometimes. Trying to reconcile all the pretty shiny things with the absolute awful things going on elsewhere. It can be strange. In many ways ~~naval gazing~~ blogging is a refuge from that chaos. Especially living here, so close to so much of it. And living with someone so involved in it. Without sounding flippant, I like to think that Tom takes care of one side and I take care of the other. We kind of balance each other out like that. Literally - take a look at the drawings on the wall in his story.

Sad. Not shiny.

An afternoon at the gallery

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:12:00 +0000

On Tuesday we finished up work early and all went to see a new exhibition in town.

Indonesian Eye: Fantasies and Realities is a collection of 41 works by 18 emerging artists from all over Indonesia.

In August it will move from Jakarta to London's Saatchi Gallery!

After downloading the photos, I realised the majority are of Noah writhing around on the floor trying to
get a closer and better look at everything. I envy a child's enthusiasm and lack of inhibition.

PS. so much for my big claims of being a cataloguing extraordinaire.
I decided that the time had finally come to label all of these posts. A herculean effort (for a little while at least),
but glad it finally got done!

Beauty and function: jewellery bowls

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Swooning over Laura Carlin's painted ceramic bowls

Laura is an illustrator first so her ceramics are not only beautifully and organically rendered,

her graphics are great as well. Storing jewellery is exactly what I'd use these for!

I'd worry too much if these ended up in the kitchen storing fruit.

Laura here again

and again (my favourite one)

Table Tonic jewellery via here

sweet fine day

Laura's lovely earthy tones here again

Intricate textile patterning (via here)

.........and this one too (Joe Kievitt via here)........

for no other reason than these beautifully patterned textiles remind me of the bowls!

last one of laura's here
What would you put in these bowls? Disclaimer: these are not actual jewellery bowls.
I just like the concept. Beauty and function.

Compact living in Sydney: making every bit count

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:00:00 +0000

via the selby (of course)

While we live in typical expat mega-structure style over here in Jakarta (it's virtually impossible not to),

I think a lot about our move back to Sydney at the beginning of next year. We won't move into the part-owner of my heart straight away. We'll instead move back to the city first. With five of us it will be tight, but we will make it work. While I am usually drawn to pictures of big beautiful rambling gardens and old country homes, I still keep one eye on small spaces and compact living.

I really love this clever use of space above. Unless you are really lucky, it seems you have to make a choice between small and compact near the city or big and airy in the suburbs.

For lots of reasons, we will choose the city.

via emma's designblog

Loving this almost invisible clever storage.

The top one has that lovely warm honey injection of mid century wood. In an otherwise stark white setting

it creates such a lovely ambiance. While of course I love form to follow function, in small spaces first and foremost, it's got to be practical. The crazy impractical stuff (like my 2 glorious and very old Chinese printing cabinets - the ones that can't actually hold anything except for small Chinese printing blocks!) might fit happily in the country but sadly not in the city.

Emma's blog again

bike rack via here

brilliant via here

I love how this pretty storage area doubles as a display for one of my

favourite ornaments - babushka dolls!

Why not display what you love somewhere you will see it everyday!

And now for something completely different: what about this revelation from Martha Stewart!

She teaches a simple trick: to store a sheet set in each set's respective pillow slip.

How cool is that! Maybe sad that I find it cool but I struggle with a mismatched linen cupboard

usually in complete disarray. At least this will introduce some method in our soon- to-be small home.

Simple pleasures!

Escape

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 06:30:00 +0000

Imagine resting in here

.....climbing down and swinging in this strange and wonderful contraption.

Or if you must work, doing it in a space like this....

Actually doing it

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:59:00 +0000

I have started painting!

These are from a quick session the other day.

texture gallery @ lost and taken via here

Noah and I have been painting almost everyday for the past couple of weeks. Using the wet-on-wet technique, it's been great watching the paint move itself around the paper with the colours swirling and finding their own way. Watercolours are great! Noah loves to tilt the paper so that blue runs into yellow, turning green before his very eyes! He thinks it's magic. Literally. With no formal background (except a long ago degree in art history) I've been getting inspired by YouTube tutorials, the daily painting movement at RosaPicks, lots of art books (left over from said degree), and a desire to just actually do it. Much like the reason this blog started. It feels so great to just let go, muck in, and paint. Like trying a handstand!

via here

Considering purchasing this but am also trying to just relax and not think it through too much. Actually, it's interesting to see the difference between my effort and Noah's. Noah's paintings look more fluid, balanced and somehow more right (whatever that is). His watercolours seem more natural and organic. His paints mix to form beautiful plumes of colour. With me on the other hand, there seems to be a disconnect. Even though I'm trying to paint as freely as I can, I still feel like I might as well be painting action plans and KPI's at work.

It's a real exercise in letting go and just enjoying the process.

Rather than striving to get the look right, I need to get the feel right.

Helen Frankenthaler, First Stone,1961 lithograph here

It's not watercolour, but you know, any excuse.

Actually, I long to paint like Noah. I feel kind of envious of his uninhibited joyousness and freedom. He just goes for it, no hang ups and ends up with a great final product. I actually think that is the key. I'm so hung up on that final product, on how the painting is going to look, whereas Noah is all about the journey, mannn.

Woah. I know. Heavy and deep. Well actually, it is. Those little tubes of paint are teaching me quite a lot: that even though I like to think of myself as all relaxed, free and chilled out, I think my paintings may be uptight.

Now I really understand how art can be therapeutic. I'm waiting for the day to paint like zen master noah.

Noah's is the orange-y one at the top. Like some crazy intense sunset.

Mine is in the middle. The pink and orange one. A little linear. A little neat.

Ok, so I'm actually pretty happy with those colours. It's the lined boxes to the left that have me worried.

Why do I have to stay in the lines? Why did I draw boxes to begin with? Surely those colours want to break out of their confinement and become a crazy intense sunset too!

Cleverness

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:16:00 +0000

I know I'm probably a bit late to the party on these,
but I admire clever people who can put a spin on ordinary objects.
I'd love to order this living necklace here.
Image above and below from Colleen Jordan's Etsy shop.

Love the lettering in this Dirty Girl Clayworks

{found via here}

ha ha and these too......Letterpress cards from Saplings Press via yellowtrace

I do try Grammar, I really do. You should really talk to my sons.

!! Remember those days!!

I still find it excruciating when on the rare occasion I watch something with my lovely dad,

the obligatory sex scene pops up. The opening scene of french film Betty Blue, anyone?

I do not recommend that as a first date movie. Oh lord.

Helen again

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:58:00 +0000

Images above {here via here}

Here's to people that take the time and effort to scan!

Following on from yesterday, here is Helen Frankenthaler's

and husband, Robert Motherwell's apartment photographed for the 1967 issue of Art in America.

Motherwell was also a painter, an American abstract expressionist.

There's not a lot to say except for wow. And then to sigh.

It's really worth taking a moment to read the original text below

The contents of the rooms are incredible.

(Above) Living room in Mr. and Mrs. Robert Motherwell's brownstone, with Mrs. Motherwell (painter Helen Frankenthaler) seated at far end of room. A Mark Rothko oil hangs over the fireplace. The objects on the mantel include an Archaic Greek head (center), a painted wood Egyptian standing woman, about 1350 B.C., and a Thai bronze walking Buddha. On the white-topped table is a small David Smith bronze, 1961-62. The large blue and white painting is Hlen Frankenthaler's Blue Tide, 1964. On the lamp stand next to the sofa is Jacques Lipchitz' bronze study for Ploumanach. Above the sofa are two paintings by Motherwell: America Cup, 1964, and Figure 4 with a Blue Stripe, 1966. Among the objects on the coffee table are bronzes by Rodin (left) and Matisse (right). The painting on the right wall is Motherwell's The Homely Protestant, 1948.
(Top): A corner at the Motherwell's. The painting in center is Helen Frankenthaler's Small's Paradise, 1964; below it, on table, is a South Indian stone female figure, Pala period. At left is Barbara Cohen's Yellow Rest, 1966; directly above the Cohen is Kenneth Noland's Seed, 1962, topped by a Hans Hofmann from the fifties. Flanking the Hofmann is an African Baga wooden mask. A wooden Polynesian paddle rests on the floor.

Photos by William Grigsby.

Another Frankenthaler painting in situ via here

Helen again via here

Frankenthaler's Small Paradise 1964, as seen in top image via here

I posted a little Frankenthaler back here as well as in a homage to our pool here. I've always loved her fields of colour on such a grand scale! Even when it's not her work I love her work as I'm sure Frankenthaler has inspired Hadley Halliday (and many other artists too!). She is impressive. Not only are her paintings majestic and beautiful, but she also broke free of so many constraints for that time: she lays her unprimed (gasp) canvas on the floor so the paint soaks in like giant stains; she uses acrylics like one would use water colours, and she paints with house brushes, mops and buckets! As she herself says:

There are no rules. This is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. This is what invention is about.

Just a great photo

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:07:00 +0000

here

This is Helen Frankenthaler, (b.1928) in her NYC studio, 1956.

She belonged to my favourite period of art, Post Painterly Abstraction and Colourfield painting from 1950's/60's America. This is such a great image. I love how she is all bobby socks and headbands and could be straight out of an Elvis movie, yet there she sits, staring back at us, surrounded by her impressive and beautiful paintings.

Cuffs and bangles in The Square

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:27:00 +0000

Bangles....

And cuff!

I don't mean to have cryptic sounding post titles. This one is literal. We went to Kota, the old Dutch part of Jakarta, a few weekends ago and spent an hour or so in the square. It was Maddy's last day and she wore the Balinese cuff I gave her as a Welcome to Indonesia gift!

After juggling drinks, children and lunch at Cafe Batavia, we wondered around the square the cafe overlooks. It's not far from the morning walk we took through Chinatown last month.

A quiet moment (courtesy of an iPhone)

The square is very Dutch colonial and if it wasn't for the amazing assortment of Indonesian games, street hawkers and other entertainment, you may not think you were in Indonesia. I know this is silly and that The Flying Nun has absolutely no relationship whatsoever to early Dutch colonialism over here, but for some reason I always imagine Sally Fields flying through the air, in her nun habit, hovering above the square. I grew up watching re-runs and I'm sure part of it must have been set in one. Ok, back to the bangles.

Colouful bangles lay strewn about in a game. The aim being to throw a bangle from a distance in an attempt to land it on the bottle's neck. The prize? The bottle of soft drink, and if you get unlucky, a packet of attached cigarettes too.

Noah having his turn.

Traditional batik and contemporary street-wear

Peddle power!

Peddle Beauty.

And peddles with hats.

A favourite past time, you can hire bike-with-hat for a ride around the square!

Or feast on typical street-cart heart attack fare.....fired tofu, tempeh, fritters, yam.

Try to stay away from these but they can taste awfully good once in a while.

And for the sake of the title - check out these vintage beauties below.

House Of Lavande vintage YSL cuff. Yah they have a blog too!

All cuffs via Modus Operandi

House of Lavande vintage seashell cuff

House of Lavande vintage Pierre Cardin cuff. My favorite. Clean and sleek.

I do love me some cuffs. Remember this one?

Sunday Afternoon in Jakarta: salted caramel brownies and night swimming

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:28:00 +0000

We spent a very lazy Sunday at home this weekend.

We bought home some of our favorite take-away from a local street cart, which also happens to be a favourite of most Indonesian's too - Soto Ayam or chicken soup! It's a spicy and sour elixir, which after a busy week, was most definitely good for the soul.

Brown paper packages filled with rice. The packaging is always lovely here.

The turmeric gives the broth it's golden hue.

Lime is squeezed on lots of dishes over here. It gives the soto a fantastic sourness

which cuts the spicy sambal we usually add. The limes and little bags of sambal always come with the soup.

Bits of golden crunchy fried garlic sits on top of the rice.

As usual over here, the day was very hot so there was swimming after lunch.....

And after swimming - oh my goodness - there was salted caramel brownies. You have to try these. They are amazing. Those little specks of pale goodness is the caramel that weaves itself throughout the brownie.

The recipe comes from Emma at The Marion House Book and you can see her mouthwatering photos here. You will understand why I had no choice except To. Make. The. Brownies. Then of course it became more of a Can't. Stop. Eating. The. Brownies. Problem.

Later on that day, friends joined us for dinner (and shared the brownies!). Afterwards we all went night swimming in the rain. One of the pleasures of living in Jakarta is the weather. Sometimes too hot, sometimes too steamy, but always conducive to swimming, no matter what the time. It's crazy to think my family and friends are freezing in Sydney right now, while we are splashing around not only at night, but in the rain!

Peace out dear Esther

yellow and orange trajectory

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:43:00 +0000

This zesty colour combination here

Gummy Bear Chandelier by artist Ya Ya Chow.

The gummy bears don't impress me as much as the fantastic colours in this chandelier.

Coloured lamps always impart a really nice glow at night

and as an added bonus look great by day.

Red chandelier in photographer Anita Calero's NYC loft

Perfecion including the cork board fridge door

(which makes for a nice change from the chalk board versions)

Anita's home again. You can see the rest of it here.

It's one of my favorite homes. I have it in a magazine somewhere too.

A Paris apartment in a Steal this Look from Remodelista

(yes)

Coloured chandelier via Desire to Inspire

You can see this whole Chicago office and studio here

Ok so now I am on a roll. It's easy as I mine my lighting folder.

Glenn & Gina O'Brien's mid-century pendant beauty at The Selby (remember their amazing pool here)

Their whole home is seriously good. Imagine stumbling across this at a garage sale.

Found this picture of my baby, my mother and my brother in our old home around 3 years ago.

Gosh time flies.

It's the only photo I can find with some of my old colourful lights in the background - thought I better put my money where my mouth is (baby's arm is kind of obscuring another one). I had four of these, grouped all together. I no longer have any of them. Which is fine since they were made of paper and quite temporary and crushable (and cheap). I'm not too sure if I would use them again although they gave the most beautiful night time glow. They were kind of accidental in that I remember buying them quickly in a rush to put something up straight away and then of course they just stayed.

By the way, you can see our old Sydney kitchen here in NYC which is kinda a buzz. Ok, it's a buzz. Nice to have someone refer to your kitchen as warm, glow-y and art-filled. I try people I do!

here

Love the styling too

here

mason jar chandelier via apartment therapy (with tutorial).

..or glass blown globes via Marion House Book

accordion book light here

Another use for chalk board paint. Phew, because we needed more.

back to more festive and crushable colour here

Vintage Bill Blass Halter Ombre dress in silk chiffon via Moda Operandi

Floaty goodness.

If you start with yellow & orange fashion you gotta finish with yellow & orange fashion.