Christmas greetings from J.R.R Tolkien...

So, THE day is nearly upon us... Have I finished my present buying? Nope. Have I made and sent the cards that I had planned? No Siree. But, I have found this heart-warming and beautifully illustrated book, compiled of letters, that J.R.R Tolkien wrote his children every Christmas.

The letters started in 1920, when Tolkien started writing to his three year old son, John. The tales told of the North Polar Bear, Snow-elves, Red Gnomes and Goblins... Each letter is interspersed with intricately drawn pictures, and the envelopes addressed with the scratchy handwriting of a jolly, red-suited, white-bearded man. For 23 years Tolkien kept up the charade, entertaining his children with stories of Father Christmas and the hilarious, sometimes alarming escapades that he got up to in the freezing North... 

Magical! 

   available to buy from here...

Oiseau du jour...

Another day, another bird... Today's feathered friend comes in the shape of these striking, off-beat jugs by Sena Gu. The gold-topped porcelain cockatoo, and shiny lustre hummingbird are just a few of the brilliant creations by the Royal College of Art graduate. She takes everyday objects and adds her own organic twist, creating an emotional connection with them and their users. As well as birds, she has created pieces inspired by berries, eggs and cauliflowers... All of which express her desire to bring humour and vitality to her work. She defines good design by a product that makes life more happy, comfortable, and easy... 

Oh boy, these sure do make me happy!

Main stockist... Do shop

The Glory of Spanish Dress...

Last christmas I received subscription to Selvedge, a textile magazine, covering a wide range of topics; fashion, fine art, interiors, travel and shopping... Every two months, a beautiful new copy gets delivered straight to my door. The latest issue includes an article about Joaquin Sorolla Bastida's paintings of regional Spanish costume. He was one of the most successful painters in Spain in the late 19th century. 

'His style is notable for it's mastery of light, from the strong, blinding light of the Mediterranean to the softer, more nebulous light of the beaches of San Sebastian and Asturias, in the north of Spain.'

Joaquin became a great collector of ceramics, archaeological pieces, glassware, medieval sculptures and textiles. The textile pieces included historical items and regional outfits, that were acquired as part of a commission to decorate the Hispanic Society Library. 

'The historic textiles cover a wide period, from small Coptic fragments to fabrics from the 19th and 20th centuries.'

The beauty of these costumes also caught the eye of designer Oscar de la Renta. He has a great love for Spain, spending time in the country whilst studying painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, it is also where his design career all began... With the help of Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, the Ministry of Culture of Spain, and curatorial researchers, Joaquin Sorolla Bastida's detailed and illuminating paintings and the costumes that inspired them can be seen for the first time. 

'Joaquin Sorolla and the Glory of Spanish Dress', is exhibiting at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York.  

Taken from an article in Selvedge by Covadonga Pitarch Angulo. Translated by Alex Ross. 

Exhibition is on from 8th December 2011- 10th March 2012

The Slap...

I love Australian television series', I spent a ridiculously large amount of my youth glued to the screen watching the goings on in Ramsay Street, the highs and lows of Home and Away, and swooning over the spunky hunks in Heartbreak High... Now I have a new fave, The Slap. Based on Christos Tsiolkas' best-selling novel, the drama centres around a 40th birthday party thrown by Aisha for her husband Hector. Family and friends attend; there are kids playing, adults chatting, music playing and a barbie sizzling in the background. One of the children is a little monster... Banging and crashing around, taking Hector's records out their sleeves, pulling up the flowers in the garden, and breaking the other children's toys. It is decided that a game of cricket would be a good idea so the youngsters can let off some steam. The little boy doesn't understand the rules of the game, and starts brandishing the bat around. Tempers and voices are raised, the boy kicks and screams, and another child's father rushes over, picks him up and gives him a hefty slap on the cheek...

The series follows eight members of the party, each episode focusing on a different person's life, and their reaction to the slap. You get to see the repercussions from this single event and how a seemingly normal, innocent birthday party escalates into a group of people questioning their relationships, careers, and mortality. It is all beautifully shot, with amazing performances from all the cast, including Sophie Okonedo and Melissa George. It's currently showing on BBC Four, but is available on iPlayer. 

All pictures are stills taken from episodes 1-6

Allegra McEvedy... Bought, Borrowed & Stolen

Following on from the previous post, one of the interviews I listened to the other day on Monocle 24, was with Allegra McEvedy. She was so interesting; a lively, engaging character with strong ethical values, and a passion for people to create tasty, wholesome food. The most interesting part of her progression up the culinary ladder was the fact that at the age of 17, when her mum died, she did 'some serious misbehaving' and went off the rails, before getting thrown out of school. At 21, her father encouraged her to 'get a grip' and she completed classical French training at the Cordon Bleu. After a tumultuous career (she was sacked from The Groucho Club for various naughty shenanigans...) She became Head Chef at Tom Conran's The Cow (the first place that she lasted more than three months).   

'...there are more ways for a chef to make a difference than by winning Michelin stars, and good food should be available to everybody.'

After a spell in the U.S Allegra returned to London, and ran The Tabernacle, a cheap community restaurant in Notting Hill. She then opened The Good Cook, in Kensington, where she adopted a Robin Hood approach... An extra 2.5 per cent was charged to diners, which was then given to local charities. Her backers didn't like the idea of reasonable prices, and didn't like the idea of 'giving back to the community'. So unfortunately an amicable split occurred... Despite this though, Allegra has gone on to win countless awards after co-founding Leon... One of my favourite places to grab delicious, healthy fast food! 

Her latest book is called 'Bought, Borrowed & Stolen: Recipes and Knives from a Travelling Chef.' It documents at first-hand the foods, flavours and... knives, of her many trips around the world. When she was younger, and visited new lands, instead of keeping a diary of places of interest or holiday romances, she would write down a detailed description of all the food that she had eaten... She has whittled the book down to 336 pages, from carefully studying 20 years worth of culinary note taking. Not only does she convey the many cultures and tastes that she came across on her travels, but she also depicts a knife for each country that she was in. I can't wait to get my hands on it... Maybe I'll find it under the tree? Hint... Hiiiint!      

Images from 'Leon: Ingredients & Recipes' and 'Bought Borrowed & Stolen' both by Allegra McEvedy. 

Monocle 24...

During the day at work, we normally tune into Radio 4... From Woman's Hour, through to PM we listen to the goings on in Ambridge, and the afternoon play. Until... I took charge of the entertainment airwaves, and set the dial (erm... webpage) to Monocle 24.

Launched in February 2007, Monocle is premium media brand with magazine, web, broadcast and retail divisions. Focusing on global affairs, business, culture and design, Monocle's mission is to keep an eye on the world.

Monocle is a distinctive mix of smart journalism, international awareness and sharp design. In print and online, writers and photographers are dispatched to over 50 countries every month to deliver stories on forgotten states, alluring political figures, emerging brands, fresh forces in popular culture and inspiring design solutions.

I really enjoyed the mix of interesting news items, insightful interviews and global issues... Everything is covered; current affairs, design, culture, debate, fashion, and a great selection of world music too!

Greetings Cards available from the Monocle online shop (illustrated by Studio Tipi)
Pinch punch, first of the month...