Happy St Georges Day ! - FELIÇ DIA DE ST JORDI !

Ok..so today is one of those days that I wish I could be removed from my studio and transported to Barcelona for 24 hrs.. Oh how I miss this day so much !!
Not only it is St George's here in England today but also in Catalonia  where St George is also the patron.
It is also International book day and Shakespeare's Birthday. I have to say that the place to be on the 23rd of April  is in Barcelona as that is where the big celebrations are!

The streets in the centre of the city are heaving with people celebrating and strolling the streets with friends and family whilst browsing through countless book stalls. There are also a couple of  traditions that mark this day - One is that the women get given a red Rose by their 'admire/s' and the other is that books are exchanged as presents amongst loved ones !!! It is the most gorgeous day of the year !

I specially love the idea of book exchange, it is such a lovely way to give someone you love a book you think they might enjoy. Also the good thing is that at the end of the day you might end up going home with several books in your hand !

Images by Barcelonayellow.com

Ester, a lovely childhood friend tweeted me a link  in reference where Catalans have a celebration in London's Borough Market !! I was unaware of it and such a pity I couldn't make it yesterday but if next year I'm still here I shall make sure to visit! - Happy St George's day to all !

Happy Earth Day ! And How a 12 yr Old Girl Addresses a UN Meeting !

Happy Earth Day to all ! Today is a day to contemplate and reflect on how to look after our lovely home and make sure we treat it with the 'Tender Loving Care'  that it needs. We need to think about  how to get  be kind to our planet in more ways than one.

  

                            

A very good friend of mine, 'Uncle Pott's',  recently sent me  a video clip from 'You Tube' where a young girl addresses the UN with a ten minute speech on how environmental issues are important to us. The speech was so powerful that not only did she leave everyone in that room speechless but I was also in tears by the end !! Watch it and see what you think- Happy Earth Day.

Sunday at the Seaside

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We took off and went to Brighton for the day! It was so good to get away and spend time strolling in the beach, which I took the opportunity to take a few pictures for my inspiration board. I wish I lived by the sea sometimes...

Massimo Viatli London Exhibition

I fell in love with Massimo Vitalis' images years ago whilst browsing through the Photographic book section in Waterstones bookshop and I hope to own one of his prints one day! 

The images made so much of an impact on me that since then I have developed a phobia of crowded beaches and refuse to be part of a crowd following a trend! Although I must add that these images make me smile seeing the humour in them and at the same time bringing me great memories of my childhood and teen holidays. 

Massimo Viatli was born in Como, Italy 1944. He moved to London after high school to study Photography where after that his career began and hasn't looked back since. After working as a photojournalist and cinematographer for many years he then began his beach series in 1995.

Massimo Vitali's work can  be found in the collections of the Guggenheim in New York, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain and the Elton John collection. 

If you are in London over the next few weeks I'm very excited to tell you  there's currently an exhibition of his work in London  at the Brancolini Grimaldi Gallery.  For opening times check here.

Outdoor Cinema Garden Party Inspiration !

Image via Hello Friend

Having  closed a chapter of Christmas get-together's another opens with Spring and Summer gatherings ahead -I know!!  We are only in February, but is my way to get through this wintery month by dreaming up fun social events at our home with our friends and family . I just came across this image of a gorgeous Summer evening garden cinema party and I just had to share it with you ! I think I might just have to copy it ;-)

Marni for H& M Campaign by Sophia Coppola

I first fell in love with Sophia Coppola's work when I saw  Lost in Translation were she won an Oscar for best original screen play. Sophia has now directed the new Marni campaign for H& M.  I'm  loving the mood and look she has created so fantastically well.

You can see the video bellow with the soundtrack by Bryan Ferry's Avalon and Marrakesh as a backdrop. The mood is so dreamy and just perfect, so much her style.

And to see behind the scenes see bellow..

Happy Women's Day !!

I wish you all amazing women out there a happy women's day to you all.

Eye Candy Studio Inspirations

Here are some images of gorgeous Studios. Aren't they inspiring ? :-)

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Rossana on Pinterest

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Rossana on Pinterest

Source: assets6.designsponge.com via Rossana on Pinterest

Source: be-mine-interior-design.tumblr.com via Rossana on Pinterest

Tesco Superstore- Cupcake Image Purchase

Hi my lovely friends!

The last couple of weeks have been absolutely manic with work! So many projects, deadlines and also news to share with you in a few weeks.
But in the meantime I can tell you  this afternoon I was told by my agent that I have sold a couple of images to the Superstore Tesco to be sold as greeting cards.  Cupcake images are definitely 'in' !

Above is one of the images you will be able to see in the stores soon throughout the UK and Worldwide.

  

Ideal Sunday Brunch Location

 

Image via Alvhem

Happy Sunday to you all ! Today I would love to be in a rooftop like this one chilling out with the Sunday papers having a delicious Brunch !

Anthropologie Inspired by Buenos Aires

As some of you might know by now Anthropologie is one of my favorite shops where I could just simply purchase EVERYTHING !! I'm so pleased to see part of their new home range collection has been inspired by my beloved Buenos Aires. You can visit the stores in the UK or in the US  and online of course.

New Images for 2012

Surrounded by white blankets of snow, temperature bellow zero,  cloudy and foggy skies and  days getting dark early I needed to add some color  to my life !! So in the last couple of weeks I've been in my studio  working solid on my new collection of images for Licensing projects..It certainly has lifted my spirits !

These images are also available in my shop here.

SALE ends 15th January !

As my line of works takes a new direction I'm saying goodbye to many of my prints in order to have a fresh start and create space in my Studio for this new chapter. Discounted prints up to 65% off on my shop @ Not on The High Street.  Sale ends on Sunday 15th Uk Time.

Happy 2012 ! What's your Wish list?

I hope you all had a lovely xmas time and 2012 is a great new chapter ahead for everyone.

I've decided this year I'm not going to do my traditional mental list of resolutions aiming to give up certain things and improve others, instead I'm going to write a little wish list. Here is part of my list to give you an idea..

*Learn how to cook a mean Thai curry ( vegetarian of course )

*Get back into Tennis after a couple of decades of neglect!

*Visit a new European city

*Travel to an Exotic location

*Finally go to New York and visit my good friends there ( although I fear I might not wanna come back! )

*Learn how to Windsurf ! - yes Sally !! :-)

*Create my photo albums the good old fashion style ( I have tooo many stored in boxes !!

*Spend more quality time with friends and family

*Write postcards to let special ones know I'm thinking of them

*Work with a charity organization

*Learn to grow a proper vegetable garden

*Go to Chinese Language classes ?

*Run a marathon even if it is a little one to start with ;-)

Perhaps I'm being a little bit ambitious but I'll let you know how I get on! 

What is your wish list?

Maltings Art & Craft Fair

 

In  my last post I mentioned I was preparing for an Arts and Craft fair @ The Maltings in Farham, Surrey- Well  here are some images taken my Blackberry, hence why the quality isn't that good ! Pictured are my new additions to the collection,  mini block prints on wood , which will be available in my new online shop very soon...I promise ! :-)

 

Christmas Holidays in London

As many of you might know by now I love London, perhaps because I'm a city girl at heart! 

Last weekend we had a fabulous time in the city as we decided to stay and embrace what the big smoke has to offer around this time of year. I thought I'd share with you the places we visited should you be in the area and might like to check them out. 

Marie had given us a fabulous and very generous Christmas present, tickets to see the Nutcracker Ballet at London's Colosseum ! And what a visual feast it was ! So magical and Christmassy! 

The next day it was a beautiful crisp and sunny Sunday morning, so we made our way to  London's Borough Market where we had brunch in a local cafeteria whilst surrounded by the markets culinary delights for this time of year; Mulled Wine, Mince pies, Cakes, Cheeses and much more. 

The South Bank was our last stop for a lunch date with great friends that had come over from New York! This is one of my favorite area of the city where you have all the cultural centers in one hub. The Tate Modern, London Film Theatre, Hayward Gallery and more by the river Thames . Here  you can sit and sip some wine whilst absorbing the city atmosphere and views, people watch with the  Jazz sounds in the background coming from a street performer, total bliss !!  

At this time of year the Christmas German market occupies most of the river front which is packed with  a great variety of craft & food stalls, great for this time of year. I hope I have given you a little glimpse of what London can be like if you live on the other side of the world. What is your place like at this time of year?  

I hope you all have had a great Christmas time with lots of quality time with friends and loved ones ;-)

My Sunday Movie

Now that I'm back here I'll tell you about my Sunday movie. I usually write about it on a Monday following my Sunday Afternoon tradition. I know this post is a day late but we can pretend I wrote it yesterday  ;-)

A few months ago whilst having coffee with my good friend Jane, she handed me over a book and said 'you should read this as I think you will love it as much as I did.' - and I did !! Since then we have got into a habit of exchanging and recommending each other books. I have to tell you The Help is one of those books that I'll never forget and currently is at my number one rank of my favorite books of all time!!

When I saw that it had turned up into a movie I was a little bit apprehensive to go and see it. I didn't want it to destroy all those perfect images I had created in my mind of this wonderful story that is so beautifully narrated by the author Kathryn Stockett.

Last weekend my mom had come to visit and on Sunday we decided to give the movie a try. What can I say?? I LOVED IT !! It filled all my expectations of what a movie turned from a book should be. The characters, the setting, the dialogue...Everything was as I had pictured it! I was so thrilled! Emma Stone is outstanding so are the other actors. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie I very much recommend it.

Here is the book description by Amazon(sorry I'm just been lazy):

    

Enter a vanished and unjust world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver...

There's Aibileen, raising her seventeenth white child and nursing the hurt caused by her own son's tragic death; Minny, whose cooking is nearly as sassy as her tongue; and white Miss Skeeter, home from College, who wants to know why her beloved maid has disappeared.

Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny. No one would believe they'd be friends; fewer still would tolerate it. But as each woman finds the courage to cross boundaries, they come to depend and rely upon one another. Each is in a search of a truth. And together they have an extraordinary story to tell...

Thank you Jane XX