take a treat

being the sagittarian that i am, i looove to travel. having a toddler, sort of inhibits that whole experience (just a little) and needless to say it's been a while since i've had any vacation experience anywhere. so when i found this thanks to veer: the skinny ( a while back), i was taken away for, if not a moment, to another land, another place. i needed it after all this crazy coding.

studio hunting

cathykidston
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

isn't this the cutest little camper? i eventually would like to get an airstream for my backyard (which i don't have) behind the rancher (i don't have) and turn it into a little studio for me and recording studio for e. but that's another story. saw this cute little camper at cath kidston and just had to post it. there's some fun stuff online to buy there too.

olympic vancouver 2010 emblem

vancouver2010_logo_
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

the emblem was unveiled yesterday for the vancouver 2010 olympics. the inukshuk - a guidepost that was used for direction in the vast north horizons, and is now used as a symbol of hope and friendship; greeting the world with open arms. the name of this particular inukshuk is "ilanaaq" which is inuit for friend.


the real inukshuk in vancouver was given to the city by the northwest territories exhibit from the expo 86 fair. it is a beautiful symbol however, not true to the west coast native art that we see here. it is very northern canadian and we were very surprised to see it being used as the official emblem. there are so many beautiful haida and coast salish symbols that could've been more appropriate.

midcentury marvels

atomic ranch
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

never knew this magazine existed. love to get my hands on a few copies. might have to resort to ordering online. visiting their website, got a few teaser articles that reminded me of my childhood. the copper appliances, every room on one level, glass sliding doors that opened up onto a slick cement patio - some had pools - some had great places for bar-b-q-ing. i loved the ovens on the walls and the countertop ranges. my aunt and uncle even had an aquarium built into their wet bar decked out in the tiki tiki grass and lanterns. wish we had some home movies of those places.

canada dreaming

surfingcowboys
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

sometimes i wish i lived in "the states" (thats what us canadians call the u.s.a.). there is just so much to choose from in the shopping department. like this store surfing cowboys in venice, california; you just don't find anything like that near us or if you do, things cost a zillion. while in my search for vintage lamp shades I came across this cool place that carries not only fiberglass lamp shades, but vintage photos, furniture, hawaiiana and of course surf boards. i wonder if non-canadians ever dream of our culture - evergreen trees, snowmobiles, skiing, hockey......but is there home decor that goes with all of that? and music? there's surf for surfing so what would ours be - ski? do we have ski music? hockey music? snow shoe music? is there even a genre of music that is distinctly canadian? okay I'm really getting off subject now. but seriously, do we have a distinct genre of music that it's roots are originally planted here? never thought about it till now, but i don't think so. that's sad.

bananarama

bananarama
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

i always seem to have a few bananas left that never get eaten before they soften too much. this recipe is really easy and fast to bake if made into mini muffins. they can also be made into a loaf but takes longer to bake.

ridiculously simple banana bread

sift together:
1-1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda

in a separate bowl:
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

mix dry and wet ingredients until well blended. pour into mini muffin tins and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 f. for a loaf - bake for 45-55 min.

post a lamp

lamp
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

my mom brought this to me yesterday - i've had dibs on it for a while and now that they are moving she's decided to edit a few of their things. i always remember this lamp being around - it has that jetson feel to it - something space-age bachelor pad-like. now just need to find a shade, perhaps hula seventy could provide some ideas or links?

mix it up

chandelier
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

there are some traditional pieces that work so well with modern furniture and one of them is the chandelier. it sends out a feel of bel air and bungalow culture. also love those over-sized beveled mirrors with the guilded frames that just hang out on the floor. add some lucite a few barcelona chairs and you have one mod cocktail.

home depot, yes, home depot has a great plastic, yes, plastic chandelier for $159 - who is going to know it's plastic hanging up there???? who cares!

icon mag list blogging in top 21 most influential

while reading icon mag's 21 most influential, i found it interesting that blogging came in at number 9. it is interesting how design culture is shifting from the elite to the diy's - and even how one has more access to software, information and reaching the masses than ever before. it's such a cool time to be alive! here is a quote from their feature on blogs:

"computers and the internet are changing the way designers work in myriad ways, but we’ve settled on blogs as the phenomenon that is having the greatest impact right now.

blogs are a genuinely new method of spreading news, opinion and discussion. formatted like diaries, they can be written by anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection, allowing them to publish their thoughts on a global scale as soon as they can type it.

they’re already making a big difference: sites such as dezain.net and
reluct.com are posting reviews of new products and trade shows as they happen, giving global exposure to ideas that might never otherwise get seen, and at a speed with which traditional media cannot compete.

bloggers are also challenging traditional sources of authoritative opinion, such as print journalists and tv pundits. whereas, in the past, matters of taste were decided by an elite coterie of critics, blogging gives anyone with something to say access to a potentially huge audience.

this democratisation of the taste-making process marks a significant shift in the balance of design commentary." by the way, ikea was the number one most influential thing in design. Gotta love those swedes!

pope on the tube

Tube Pope
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

apparantly this street art was found on the london tube.

I've always found the process of this type of art to be intriguing.....how is it all done. in that vein I found a great website/blog all about street art. wooster collective brings all of that - stickers, graffiti, street art to the blogosphere. also, my very first blog that i visited on a regular basis has some great photos of the art in new york. check out bluejake and after that the gothamist.

mid-century mod

tulip chairs
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

just got an email from me and jJo vintage furniture today showing off their new arrivals. this is a great store here in vancouver featuring mid-century modern designs. the good stuff goes fast - so you have to be quick if you're interested. i'm quite partial to these tulip chairs, but am waiting for a nice eames chair to show up. cross your fingers.

dcd

David Carson
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID

"aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. the rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. amzanig huh?" david carson

david carson design - so inspiring - perhaps one day.......

love these bowls

nigella bowls
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

i absolutely love these nigella lawson bowls. the first time I saw them a year or two ago I had to have them. the colour, shape, everything about them is so well designed. great for pouring, holding when you're mixing. now if only I could learn how to cook.

sushi anyone?

Sushi Anyone?
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

i just found this twinkie sushi link via hula seventy - a new blogger (like me) - this is sooooooo fun! i want to make them soon! what does this have to do with design and life on the wet coast? not sure, but they look so cool and yummy! click here for the recipe.

poppy-fabulous

issac1
Originally uploaded by poppytalk.

love these new sheets from issac mizrahi's home collection at target. not only because they have photo-realistic poppies, but the colors and everything else in the collection is so upbeat, modern and fun! love the lucite, mercury glass and prices too!

coolest clock

you have to see this - it's the coolest little freebie. a clock for your desktop from the people at bludot. make sure you watch the short film first - it makes the clock that much more fun. it's something you wish you would've thought up yourself.