Filed under: Great Stuff
I do love having clever friends.
I was lucky enough to catch up with the lovely Helen after her book tour of the States. The subject of her latest book is one of my favourite designers Florence Broadhurst. This ‘Australian’ designer had an amazing capacity to reinvent herself and her biography encapsulates some of my favourite things about her- great design, never letting the truth get in the way of a great story and a woman far ahead of her time.
Helen O’Neill describes her quest:
“Researching Florence Broadhurst’s life was a roller coaster. She led a series of lives in different countries, musing different names and inventing different histories for each. Getting to the bottom of her life – and the genesis of her extraordinary designs – involved approaching everybody from the titled wives of former prime ministers to convicted criminals. The result is a story that has to be read to be believed.”
You can buy it here or here. If you’re in Australia you can buy it here or here.
Single Origin Roasters is a story of four friends who have fab hospitality, fair trade coffee and a roasting machine from Turkey called Boris. Their website almost as beautiful as their customer service.
I’m a huge fan. You can see the cafe from my office window and the neighbourhood is blessed by the smell of the beans being roasted to perfection. It’s also the home of our weekly Sydney Coffee Morning. One morning it was a little chilly and not only did the guys get the outdoor heaters going for me- Gavin even gave me his jacket to wear. Lovely!
Single Origin are coffee fanatics, but they won’t go near even the creamiest ristretto if it isn’t “Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Organic or Forest Friendly”. As part of the sack celebrations, Costa Rican coffee farmer Guillermo Vargas will be on hand to chat, HG Nelson will commentate and the utterly fabulous Fair Trade Ambassador Kylie Kwong will be there amongst live music, giveaways and a sack-style ‘Jackass’.
SINGLE ORIGIN ROASTERS
60-64 RESERVOIR ST, SURRY HILLS
WHEN:WEDNESDAY MAY 9, 4PM-6PM
HOW MUCH: FREE, JUST RSVP INFO@SINGLEORIGIN.COM.AU
Thanks to TwoThousand.
Filed under: Great Stuff
The Akina team is delightful.
They have lovingly crafted a hand bound book of twisted tales called Fairytale Villains.
Each of these books is handmade to order. You might like to do so here.
On Fridays time moves differently. It’s very easy, in a Douglas Adams fashion, to get lost:
I hope I find the weekend soon!
I went to an event last week to launch a new research paper. A bit dull and sales-y but what made my ears prick up was a bit of a stat outlining that while younger types below 25 define themselves by the brand of “personal stuff'” they choose to buy, those between 25-35 have a growing preference of ‘no discernible label’.
“Gadzooks! That’s me ” I thought. “Finally I’m part of a trend”.
I love interesting, bespoke, unique and no one knows where I got it stuff. Well designed stuff. Stuff that’s created by the imagination and brought to reality by a couple of people. Stuff that gives you insight to the boundless energy and imagination of motivated people. Great Stuff. So I’m starting a new category on this blog and sharing some of the people that I find who inspire me.
In each issue of Dumbo Feather five remarkable individuals tell you their stories. Their backgrounds and dreams are as unique as they are but what unites them is their creativity, passion and integrity, and somewhere they found the courage to fly. In their own words they tell you how they discovered their passion, what inspires them, the lows as well as the highs on the journey and ultimately why they do what they do.
Each person’s passion is unique whether it’s baking the best 100% natural sourdough bread in the world, producing fabulous fashion in remote Northern Pakistan, writing poetry, making music, fighting for human rights, finding a cure for malaria, painting, choreographing, exploring, wine making, film making…
Dumbo feather respects its readers, the environment (by printing on 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks by one of the most eco-friendly printers in the country), and its contributors’ work.
Don’t just take my word for it. Read reviews of the mag at Lovemarks
