rob ryan

rob ryan is one of my favourite artists. here is my latest purchase from his etsy shop

also enclosed was an amazing little pop up desk calendar.

the details always astound me.

Ford Models in Saipan

i can be crafty.

i'm easing back into the craftiness with a little spot of knitting. i've bought a mess of blue sky alpacas sport weight yarn that is light, bouncy, softy soft with just a touch of scratchiness. the colours are tropical, i suppose, but i think i'd like to introduce a little more of this warm texture into my home. antoi is still the main craftswoman in these parts, check out her mainlandia blog.

manila: inspiration from an unexpected bonus view.

i had no idea how great the view was from my new pad in makati until new year's eve; from the living room i can see the distant fireworks set off along manila bay, but from the bedroom windows i have a nearly front row view of the ayala/makati display. the fireworks are so close, in fact, that the concussions rattle the windows in a most alarming way; if you did not know it was a holiday, this--along with the billowing smoke from the explosives--would make you think there was a war going on outside. yeeps.

it's making me rethink my lighting options....

islandy snowflakes.

i have always loved the idea of cutting out snowflakes from squares of paper, but was never really thrilled with the designs that i came up with. they were always rigorous, severe little numbers. i needed a little something to decorate one of the white-painted rooms at work, so instead of going for a white on white look, i pulled out some unused astrobright paper, and went a little more fluid with the cuts. the inspiration was hawaiian designs for quilts, although as you can see, there was a little freeform improv going on. maybe not so much christmas spirit as island spirit. it's all good.

"professionals"

i am currently working on my new condo in manila; i have had to hire an architect because of electrical and some minor structural issues. since he is there and is not only able to obtain the necessary permits, he can also access "to-the-trade" resources i can't without a professional. he is a respected architect, who works on both small residential projects as well as multi-million peso/dollar commercial ones.

however. i am finding it increasingly more annoying and frequent that he is imposing his style on my space over mine. wtf??? if i want something, no matter how unorthodox, it should be my decision. my mistake, possibly, but i think that he should act more as a facilitator than as an authority. am i wrong about that?

i'm just effing annoyed.

library love.

bringing the outdoors in, in an unexpected way: i had wanted to colour-coordinate my books for a long time, and when i finally did, i was surprised with not only how well it came out, but how it opened up and brightened the dark room. the addition of the blue walls and rug grounds the space, and mimics the sky and ocean just beyond the walls. sitting on the comfortable daybed covered in basic canvas is like lounging on the sand dunes below; or, if i'm feeling particularly capricious (read: ridiculous), like sitting on a cloud amongst the rainbows.