Flower gazing and Fynbos

Posted on December 9, 2013 by kittyanddude

For over 2 years now myself and Lady Bob have been planning to visit the famous floral Mecca that is Columbia Road. Somehow our Sundays were always enveloped by other ‘duties’ and the early bird factor also quashed some of our attempts. However, finally this weekend we managed to get up, get together and get on the assortment of trains, tubes and buses to the East End…..

Bob, the Gherkin and the Sun

And what a day it was…. even the Monsieur Soleil decided to join us.

Rows of Roses

And it was worth the wait……. beautiful blooms everywhere and the place was buzzing.

Heaving by 10.30am with a continuous stream of people who trailed through a coniferous corridor of Roses, Lilies, Tulips, Heather and Hydrangeas….

All of us wide eyed at the variety of flowers on offer whilst the vendors entertained us with tales of woe and boastful bargains.

Coloured Leaves

Being big fan of bouquets which containing the odd sculptural cabbage, you can imagine my delight at finding them in every colour and combination.

Joyful Cabbages

Also with Madiba in the forefront of my mind it was comforting to see the plethora of Protea on sale.

Proteas!

Even Pin head Proteas!

Spot the Strelitzias

Tata’s most favorite flower was actually the Strelitzia, also present in the market, nestling in their bird like form above..

Fynbos.. five pound a bunch

It seemed that South African flowers were very a la mode this week…. with ”no water required’ bunches of Fynbos flying off the stalls. It was probably their upbeat palette and carefree-ness which appealed to the average flower gazer….but I like to think that maybe it was a silent nod towards Nelson….

And for those looking for something less challenging than an entire tree and the creative use of tinsel…. Columbia Road has just the ticket! Behold… the Christmas Cherry…….

Christmas Cherries!

Buoyant, bright and three for a Fiver……Now you can’t get much more merry than that!

Super berries

Sleep Well Tata xxxxxxxx

Car Boot, Cocktails and Forgotten Spaces

Posted on October 26, 2013 by kittyanddude

The Southbank is always a bustle with an exciting happenings here and there. It has an instinctive pull to all sorts of Bright Young Things; whether your drug is quality street food, art, architecture, film or theatre …..the Southbank is a remarkable people pleaser.

‘YOU LOOK HAPPY”…… The Architect & I experiencing The Southbank Effect

So what better venue would there be for Hemingway Designs’ Classic Car Boot Sale……

Pitch Perfect Paraphernalia

Rows of vintage cars, caravans, motorcycles and trucks were on display for all to view and with more than just a white walled tyres to admire…. Clothing, jewellery, shoes, furniture, home-wares, art and all sorts of delightful paraphernalia were beautifully displayed and for sale!

Stuff!

And if your shopping antics brought on an appetite there was a another section devoted to plentiful array of Food Groups, Cocktails, Tea ( glass pots individually heated by tea-lights and timed for brew perfection!) and quality East London Coffee.

Happy Faces en route to the Double Decker Bar

There was also the bigger, better version of a Car Bar….. The- Double -Decker- Bus- Bar….. complete with DJ; playing great music to shop by…think Marvin Gaye and Etta James and accompanied by some beautifully kitted out Car Boot attendees who were suited, booted, coiffed…. complete with their Victory Rolls and vintage get-ups.

All of which created great atmosphere and a sunshiney, happy, Saturday shopping experience. This is a must-do, must- repeat event and has enticed me to get booking tickets for more Hemingway inspired fun next month! This time at Somerset House……

In fact last weekend I was also at Somerset House, The Architect took me to see the RIBA Forgotten Spaces Exhibition in which they invite their members to put forward ideas on how to restore dissused and abandoned spaces all over the Capital. Housed in the lightwells and coal holes of the old customs house, this showcase of re-invention felt right at home.

Darn good bit of recycling if you ask me!

See below some pics of my two favorite ideas…….

Escape from Street Level

An inspired escape route from the every-day drudge of the streets…. In The Canopy by Studio McLeod. Based on traditional cherry picking ladders this project allows you access to an otherwise abandoned space…. up in the canopy of the trees. It’s not just the nod to childhood tree climbing that I love about this but the usual and never-often-seen birds eye view. (beautiful blue ladders too)

Brilliant Bathhouse by Charlotte Tamplin, Charlotte Marshall, Kate Stevens

Or a public pool in a disused tube station? What a fantastic notion! Having tried desperately and failed to get tickets to a tour of a abandoned tube station for The Architects’ Birthday (they sell out months before apparently) this is something that I would definitely frequent. Imagine all those tiles, the curved walls, the stairs down into the pool, diving off the platforms??

Yes Please!

Now each time I walk down into the bowels of Brixton tube… I imagine how much fun it would be to swim up North instead!

Supermarket Art – Autumn Brights

Posted on October 11, 2013 by kittyanddude

Autumn has well and truly arrived today with blustery winds and a distinct drop in temperature, so I thought we could all do with something to brighten our moods.

So what better way to entice a smile than with something colourful and eye-catching.

Something completely ordinary, everyday ……………………….yet exotic and enticing!

Instantly recognisable and happy making packaging

I have always had a weakness for packaging, it’s similar to the obsession some girls have with Stationary or Ponies.

Rigid lines. Constrained patterns. Distinct writing.

Product mascots and loud, bright branded nouns.

Whilst back in Cape Town this February I revelled in the beautifully stacked items in Pick n Pay. Row upon row of luminous, patterned packaging……….

All neatly displayed and considered, like an exhibition; BEHOLD

Supermarket Art.

If Pilchards or Sardines were my thing…… I would eat these ones

Shiny, happy, stripey, starred Sardines

And what about the dried goods aisle?

A bizarrely wide selection of flour all beautifully branded with optimistic and patriotic names: Blue Bird, ACE, White Star and Impala.

Wall of Flour

There is something almost postal and efficient about these names.

They have a reaffirming, quality and make you want to buy Flour.

Now.

Impala Flour, so close to the South African National emblem it feels like a souvenir.

Then we drift into the Squash aisle, which is always awash with colour no matter what country you are in.

Having grown up on Orange Oros, and Roses Passion Fruit cordial this in an area of the supermarket which I often frequented as a kid.

Diluting juice is brilliantly marketed to suck children in… all the colours of the rainbow lined up ready for selection:

Guava, Mango, Lime or Grenadilla. Peach, Pineapple or Sarsaparilla?

Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me!

And even now in the depths of M & S on a blustery Friday night, with the promise of a chilly Winter afoot.

I am cheered by the sight of shiny, gem coloured bottles enticing my inner (packaging geek) child……

Vintage Inspired Imbibes

Mind you, I bet these would make damn fine cocktails…………………….

New Look for Kitty & Dude Blog

Posted on September 30, 2013 by kittyanddude

WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Please bare with me as I update my website. I have decided to focus it much more towards the blog aspect, rather than a portfolio based site. So, I hope you all like The New Look! How very Dior of me…….

There is still quite a bit of content to load and you can be certain that everyday there will be something new to see! But there are some widgets and image sizing I need to iron out, so thank you, in advance, for your patience!

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the new title…….

Inspired by a RIBA Drawing Day which The Architect took me to in March this year. Prior to pounding the streets with pencils in hand to capture 30 second sketches of a Nash spire, we were lead to the RIBA library to garner inspiration.

That is where I came across a book which made my heart beat faster and my fingers tingle with delight……….

This Blog is an ode to you, Owen Jones.

To you and your remarkable book.