New York Baubles

My other half picked up these funky Xmas Tree baubles in New York - burger n fries! How festive!!

Posted by: Dan

What a mug!

I like the new mug that Claire got for me from Urban Outfitters.

The drip is part of the design, but looks so realistic that anyone trying to wash it spends at least an hour at the sink!

Posted by: Bew

Loopy Music

Liam Finn - Lead Balloon (I'll Be Lightning)



Me and Matt went to see the Black Keys play the academy last week, they were absolutely brilliant as usual, but Liam Finn (son of Neil Finn from Crowded House) was supporting them and he totally blew me away.

He uses a loop machine to record what he plays live and builds it up - great voice and an extremely talented musician will definitely be putting his album (called I'll be lightning) on my Xmas List!

Check him out!

Posted by: Bew

GOA

My ‘What we like’ this month is my holiday to Goa. I could write a thousand words about this inspirational place however, I will limit it to one special experience which was visiting an elephant sanctuary in the jungle.

Not only was I able to meet these amazing creatures but I rode and washed them and watched intently as they played amongst themselves. The sheer size mixed with their gentle, laid back nature was incredible and there were times that you simply forgot how dangerous these creatures can be. It was a ‘once in a lifetime moment’ and I have such fond memories...

Posted by: Jemma

Goldfinger Lobby Card

I found this original lobby card – pics that were sited in the lobby of cinemas – in a shop just off Carnaby St. This is such an iconic scene from the Bond movies – perhaps THE iconic scene...


Posted by: Dan

Buzzin Fly - 5 Golden Years in the Wilderness

Buzzin’ Fly are an independent record label concentrating on minimal/deep/tech house. London Agency, I want design are responsible for all sleeve designs, posters, and t-shirts using hand rendered type, collages, props and photography, giving the label an immediate - identifiable look. Music and design has always had a symbiotic relationship and this just proves it.

I was going to buy this on digital download, but thought for an extra couple of quid I could get a nice piece of design as well.

Posted by: Matt

Death Star over San Francisco

The Empire is invading.........AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

Posted by: Dan

The Steel City Tour

We recently went to see The Steel City Tour gig at the Sheffield Arena for our Christmas Party. The show featured three legendary Sheffield groups who brought electro-funk (Heaven 17), orchestral disco (ABC) and synth pop (the Human League) to the masses.

Heaven 17 was the first act up to perform some of their biggest hits, including Geisha Boys and Temple Girls, Penthouse to Pavement and of course the classic Temptation. (It’s worth mentioning that the girls who sang along with Glenn Gregory to Temptation sounded amazing)!!

Martin Fry followed, offering a 40-minute extravaganza of theatrical pop rock from the ABC back catalogue. Featuring all of their biggest hits from the catchy Poison Arrow and When Smokey Sings to the more recent releases like Ride and The Look of Love. It was a flawless performance from 50-year-old Fry whose velvety vocals have not tarnished with age.

There was no doubt who the night really belonged to – 80s synth-pop heroes the Human League. Emerging like something from The Matrix, in a leather trench coat and shades, Phil Oakey opened with haunting 1981 hit Seconds, before being joined by the band’s original female vocalists Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, for Mirror Man. From there it was non-stop for 12 songs from hardcore new romantic – Empire State Human – to 90s pop – Tell Me When.

The sound was immaculate, the visuals magnificent – all sci-fi lights and flickering images on a giant screen, from A Clockwork Orange to Barack Obama. I believe all concerts should be this arty, ambitious and entertaining.

The band ended the show with crowd-pleaser Don’t You Want Me and the uplifting Electric Dreams. It was easy to see why the electro-pop pioneers are still going strong.

Take a look:

Human League - Don't you want me - Sheffield Arena

Posted by: Linda

On top of the world!

I spent most of October in Nepal, on a 24 day trek to Everest Base Camp crossing two high passes, the Renjo La and the Cho La.

Our 12 strong trekking team congregated in Kathmandu and after taking an adrenaline fueled flight to Lukla (check out Lukla airport on YouTube!) we met our team of hero's - the Nepalise Sherpas and Porters, and the adventure began.

We were up at 6am each morning, woken by the call for washing water (no need - it's babywipes all the way!), breakfast at 6.30am, then up and out.

Trekking through the Himalayas was like dropping into another world - away from the rat race, no mobile phones, stripped back to the very simplest of living conditions. Our journey took us to the most remote areas, across glaciers with temperatures ranging from scorching sunshine to below freezing, walking and sleeping at altitude of over 5,000m. Each day brought mind blowing sights - the highest, most beautiful mountains in the world....(and possibly the lowest toilet conditions!) It was proven within our team that toilet humour is international!

We congratulated ourselves and our Nepalese team with a huge party on our last night, and after a kettle full of rice wine the Nepali singing and dancing came naturally to us all - the best ending to an experience of a lifetime!

Check out our leaders report at: http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/news/reports_read.html?id=697

Posted by: Yvette

HSBC Virtual Forest

I’ve switched all my accounts to online statements, so no more paper from my bank.

Thought I’d share this with you as it’s a lovely campaign, and a cool, inclusive green idea.

Let’s hope my tree grows some money on it - it’s called “moolahtree.”

Check out the Virtual Forest. For every 20 paper statements switched off by an HSBC customer, HSBC will plant a real tree. https://virtualforest.hsbc.co.uk/


Posted by: Clare

TV Ads to watch out for...

I like these very cool and funny television ads!


Argos advert - Christmas present (2008)



Barclays Barclaycard Water Flume Advert



Posted by: Jemma

School Chaise Longue

This is what you need to get you through double-maths!

http://mydeco.com/product/school-chaise/ccd3145df3b222bfbb936ae0c290715019321efa/

Posted by: Dan

This Goes to 11

I have noticed that the BBC Web site allows you to turn the volume of streaming video to 11 – shades of the famous Spinal Tap scene??

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=d54UU-fPIsY

Posted by: Dan

The return of the Wispa

They say that some things are best left in the 80’s…I disagree.

It’s back and tastes every bit as good today as it did in its 80’s heyday.

The Wispa was first introduced as a trial bar in 1981 and proved to be highly successful, prompting a full national release in 1983. It was Cadbury’s answer to Nestlé’s Aero. Sadly, after declining sales throughout the 90’s, Cadbury’s pulled the bar from their range in 2003, replacing it with “Dairy Milk Bubbly”. A sad day for chocolate lovers.

The good news is that the Wispa is back, again in limited period, and if it proves successful, then Cadbury’s may re-introduce it fully into their range. A case of history repeating.

So Wispa lovers out there, get buying and let’s make sure the Wispa is back for good!



Posted by: Roz

Grace Jones New Album

I am a bit of a Grace Jones fan – and am loving the new album for various reasons:

1) Its great
2) The photography is shot in Thornton’s chocolate factory in Derbyshire
3) My mate Ants produced the majority of it

...‘I AM HURRICANE!’

Posted by: Dan

Books with a little je ne sais qua...

These book designs were designed for French publisher La Découverte by the Parisian designers devalence.

Love the look of these, using a very utilitarian approach, the design is simple with striking typography to accentuate the title of the book.

Works for me.

The websites cool too. http://www.devalence.net/

Posted by: Matt

Wedding Sculpture

I love this sculpture given to us as a wedding present by my Godfather – New York based artist Lee Tribe http://www.leetribe.com/

Posted by: Dan

the Power of a Simple Gift - Operation Christmas Child

For me, seeing Daisy's little face light up on Christmas morning is one of my most favourite things, so when I heard about Operation Christmas Child I decided to make it a regular Christmas charity donation.

The idea is simple, fun and immeasurable in terms of what it must mean to children from some of the poorest places on the planet.

1. Get a medium sized shoe box and wrap it in Christmas Paper.

2. Decide if your gift is for a girl or a boy and the age category (2-4, 5-9 or 10-14yrs)

3. Fill the box with gifts that will bring the most delight to a child of that age.

4. Drop off at a designated collection point.

The boxes are then delivered to some of the poorest kids in the world regardless of nationality, political background or religious beliefs, many of them have never had a Christmas present before.

It's not world changing and it's not going to help these kids out of poverty, but hopefully it will make their faces light up on Christmas morning.

Find out more at: http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/


Posted by: Bew

What’s Cooking?

I like What’s Cooking? Jamie Oliver for the Nintendo DS. This fun and interactive cooking game feature’s a whole book’s worth of Jamie’s fantastic recipes. The concept of the game is that you follow the recipes in one of the virtual kitchens, or with real ingredients in your own home. The game has a voice-recognition feature, which means your hands are free to concentrate on the cooking.

I particularly like the mobile shopping list function – making shopping hassle-free. Simply choose the recipes you want to make and the ingredients will automatically be added to your shopping list.

You can cook against the clock in a series of exciting challenges that will soon have you chopping, stirring and baking your way to the top. The game also allows you to get creative with hundreds of ingredients and utensils, but what’s brilliant is that you can come up with your own recipes then share them with your friends and family over Wi-Fi.

Definitely a more fun way to cook!

Posted by: Linda

Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite

I like this book by Paul Arden - Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite. This book is a daring attack on the way we look at our work and our world. Instead of the usual boring advice, Paul Arden offers daring quips, aphorisms and paradoxes – all seeking to revise what we hold as our ‘common sense’. Whether you sell, manage or buy, Arden inspires you with his original thinking, startling anecdotes, brilliant photographs and offbeat quotations from artists, scientists and philosophers.

Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite will force a rupture in whatever it is you used to think – even if you didn’t know you thought it. And it will give you the confidence to take bigger risks and enjoy your work more than you can imagine.

Posted by: Linda

Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!

I like Whittlebury Hall Hotel Spa – this place is totally wonderful – not cheap, but absolutely the most relaxing place I’ve ever been, the facilities are beaut and you can choose from a wide range of relaxing activities or exercise, and the food is great too! They have a full range of massage treatments from Turkish Hamman to Indian head massage, along with Beauty treatments such as facials, hairdressing, mani/pedi etc. etc.

My Friday holiday went like this:
Lazing about in the following... Aromatherapy Crystal Steam Room... Caldarium... Experience Showers... Hydrotherapy Pool... Ice Cave (brrrrrrr!)... Roman Salt Steam Room... Sanarium... Tepidarium... Sauna

I also had some less lazy moments:
50 lengths in the pool... 30 mins in gym... 60 mins circuit training

The rest of the time I spent like this:
Eating & Drinking – fruit & water + healthy fish & salad buffet lunch + cream tea + 3 course gourmet meal + booze (so gradually ruined all the hard work)

Check it out:
http://www.whittleburyhall.co.uk/spa_index.asp

It’s near Silverstone (Milton Keynes, M1 Junction 14), and is where all the racing drivers usually stay, and is well lush!

Posted by: Clare

Scrambling in Wales

Squeezing in some last minute training for my upcoming trek to Everest Base Camp, I went to North Wales with a couple of friends to climb Mt Tryfan, which is just over 3,000ft. I did this route 6 years ago, and had forgotten 'the fear'. It was actually great fun in some sections, but pretty scary in others. Ended the day with a celebratory portion of chips and peas - perfect!

Posted by: Yvette

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

You either love him or hate him - a bit like marmite. If you're a fan then it's well worth a read. He talks very honestly about his life, and with his inventive use of the English language it's incredibly funny - you can hear him reeling off his crazy dialect as you read.

Posted by: Yvette

Stasiland by Anna Funder

Stasiland was my holiday read. It is about The German Democratic Republic when the days of communism ruled East Germany and how the infamous "STASI" affected the people living in it.

Taking on the formula of a novel, Stasiland is a collection of peoples stories from this time, former Stasi officers as well as victims of the regime, both groups who look back on the days of the GDR very differently.

The book is a captivating read and a great way to learn a little about the subject, it takes a humanistic approach to a very uncompromising time in history.

Posted by: Matt

A cut above!

I like the papercut work of Peter Callesen.

Using the most commonly used media format - the humble A4 sheet of paper - he's created some amazingly intricate work.

Just a sheet of paper, a scalpel, a bit of glue and a whole lot of patience.

See lots more at http://www.petercallesen.com/

Posted by: Bew

That's why Matt's gone to Iceland…

Yep, expect the bad weather, but the charm of Iceland and its people make it very easy to fall in love with the country.

The views in Iceland are exhilarating; it was great to see all the natural wonders of the country, the huge waterfalls, glaciers, geysers and best of all, the geothermal blue lagoon set amongst the black rocks of the barren lava fields.

Our base was Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and biggest city (Population around 120,000 of Iceland’s 330,000). It's no metropolis but that’s the beauty of the place. Thriving cafes, high-energy pubs and clubs, and a brightly coloured old town with rows of wood-and-corrugated-tin houses cluster together in the compact city centre. The place has a very relaxed atmosphere (except at the weekend, when the inhabitants indulge in some serious heavy drinking in the 15 or so pubs and clubs). A phenomenal place and the best fish and chips I have ever tasted!

Unfortunately the weather was that bad the pics don't do the place much justice. But check out http://gasperak.com/iceland/1/ which shows the place in its full glory (see if you can see the elf behind that rock!)

Posted by: Matt

All hail the print ad!!

I’ve been impressed recently by how many print ads have caught my eye with some even stopping me in my tracks! Whether it's magazine or outdoor I truly feel that a lot of company’s are going ‘back to basics’.

First up is Galaxy’s promoting Sex And The City on DVD showing NYC buildings made out of their chocolate - simple and effective.

Second is Lurpak’s where they focus on the quality of food which should go with their butter. In this instance it’s a classic baked potato but not just any, it’s a baked potato that is cooked to its best in an oven not a microwave – it’s clever and quirky.

Finally, a brand that always seems to get things right is Selfridges. Their ad ‘Treat Yourself’ works so well and is a great play on their key brand elements which are so recognisable and iconic now. Isn’t it great when you can sit back and let a brand work for you? Keeping it consistent with a sprinkle of freshness is the key!

Posted by: Jemma

Oh No! The Wire has finished!

I've just finished watching series 5 of The Wire, which has kicked The Sopranos off its perch as the greatest TV show I've ever seen.

It's hard to describe The Wire without making it sound like hard work, but I've found a review by Guardian TV critic and professional malcontent Charlie Brooker that does the job very well.

As he says in his summing up, just watch it - it's f***ing brilliant!

Monkey DJ

In Stockholm I saw this window display in the Old Town....monkey, headphones, what’s not to love?!


Posted by: Dan

My Wedding!

I liked my wedding – held on Sat 23rd August – it was great fun!! I also love this picture – from top photographer Scott Morrison http://www.delahoyaphotography.com/

Posted by: Dan