Wrong side of the tracks...

For anyone that knows me well, the words.. 'i live on the wrong side of London' coming from my mouth would not surprise you - if anything, you would strongly agree.

Hippy. Emo.
Dirty.
Vintage.
Peace.
Old.
Challenging.
Cheap.
Artistic.
Freedom of Expression.
Music. Vinyl. Classics. 
Love.

Don't get me wrong - I adore the west (all of London for that matter), but there is just something about the east that gives you that sense of letting go of all expectations in life and just being.


For years, parts of east London have been the stomping ground for anyone willing to step outside the box, take a risk & show the world what they can do & who they are.
The constraints, expectations & norms of society do not exist here.

buildings are old. posters cover posters. graffiti covers graffiti. 

Artists art. Musicians music. 

For all of Australia's advantages and wealth - it is this that it lacks. 


It is here - in all of London - that makes me most aware of life. Not what has been. or what will be. 
Not when I will get married, or buy a house, or have children, or get a real job.
 But what is - right at that moment. 
Honest-to-goodness peace - in where I am, why I am, who I am.

Bruises...

Can't get enough of this song right now. 

It's had me dancing up & down London streets for weeks.

Happy Weekend :)  xx

A hairy affair...

Apologize for my absence... 


have been busy growing my beard....

record store day...

Today was 'Record Store Day' 

Which is (essentially)..

 "the one day that all independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. 
Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists across the globe make special appearances and performances."

For a vinyl 'fiend' (for want of a better word) like myself, I found myself searching for a way to get involved, when I came across Secret 7"

"Secret 7" is a project which aims to rekindle some of the excitement for sleeve art in the digital era by exploring how a track would be interpreted by an array of brilliant artists."

Amazing.

7 tracks were selected, from artists such as Florence & the Machine, The Cure, Noah & the Whale, Bombay Bicycle Club, CSS, DJ Shadow & Ben Howard, and inspired from these tracks, 700 7" inch sleeves were designed. From Wednesday, all sleeves could be viewed online or at Idea Generation Gallery, then today, become available to purchase. At ￡40 each, they could be yours to own. The catch? The designer and artist/track used to inspire the sleeve was kept a secret - unless, you purchased the sleeve.

￡40 for a 7" vinyl and you didn't even know what track you were getting? 

Wow.

Well, that was my first reaction. Until you read on... every penny profited from the sale of these records, goes to the 
'Teenage Cancer Trust'.

Done. Sold. 
So this morning, a couple of friends and I set off to Shoreditch. 
After an hour of viewing, pondering, umming ahhing, stamping of feet and some tough processes of elimination... 
I chose my sleeve...

Could not agree more.

...and how chuffed was I to discover it was Noah & the Whale!!!

A one-of-a-kind piece of art by Stephen Townsend, an incredible track on vinyl and a massive donation to charity.

love love love love love

So as just to ensure an extra run, in an already incredible day, I also managed to pick up a WELL sort after LP from a little vinyl re-seller on Brick Lane.... 

Pink Floyd - The Wall. 

Bliss. 

No wiping the smile of my face as I fall asleep tonight!

back to the basics...

As suggested in the blog name, one of the reasons behind starting all this was about my photos. Not only being able to put them together into stories for my family & friends, but also as a motivation and incentive for myself to keep talking photos, finding/doing things to inspire great photos, and ultimately improving and becoming better...

...for as they say, "practice makes perfect".

Not only has this been the case, but it has opened up a new realm and world of photography, ie/ books, exhibitions @ Gallerys, ect. One thing in particular has increasingly caught my eye: cameras.

Yes, everyone knows I have my digital SLR (as does every man and his dog) and I do adore it to the moon and back. 

But, how were the first photos taken? And, the principle behind the product?

Which brings me, back to the basics.

Tonight - I built my very own, state of the art, camera!

A paper pinhole camera to be exact.

When I first brought it (Tuesday) I was like an accountant with a calculator - I could not wait to get home and put it together... until I opened the box and read the first section...

hmmm... maybe they should have put this on the outside of the box. I neatly packed it away, closed it up, and hit the gym!!

Then tonight, with renewed motivation and enthusiasm (and the right 'tools needed' purchased), I re-opened the box... and began....

 3 hours later...... done. And COMPLETELY stoked!! 

The best thing for me was seeing how the mechanics of a camera work - on a basic level. 

With my bare hands (and a couple of brain cells), I turned a few pieces of cardboard and some glue, into something that can create memories & art. Incredible.

Along with some new Kodak Black & White film (which I am just as excited about) I will get snapping - well, light filtering, this weekend!

Stand by for the results...... :)

Pizza...

What to do when it is cold, raining and miserable out ?

Cook food then eat it !!

L & I cook or bake at least twice a week. My friends always roll their eyes at me, 'She's two!' but not only do we have sooo much fun I think it is such a great way for kids to learn, as well as develop their motor skills! 

L now knows:

- to make sure she holds the bowl with 1 hand while she stirs with the other (learnt that the hard way)

- to count the correct amount of eggs

- what to look at when we are measuring and when to yell STOP

Yesteday..... we made PIZZA!

Thanks Jamie Oliver....  200g Wholemeal Flour; pinch of salt; 2.8g yeast; 130ml lukewarm water; tablespoon olive oil.

Bon appetite! 

We all live in a...

  Yellow Submarine!

A Yellow Submarine!

A Yellow Submarine!

For the last 2 weeks this song has been whispered, screamed, sung, rapped, worded & whistled by L and I, so it's safe to say, it is one of our favorites!!!

After wandering through the V&A shop yesterday, I came across THE BOOK!

With sheer delight I purchased 2 straight off amazon (for half the price - of course) and received them this morning!!

The story itself is very quirky and somewhat strange, however the illustrations are great and can be lots of fun when read animatedly!!  And....

... with an ending like that what more can you ask for :)

For those of you who don't know the song... get off my blog!! hahaha

..here is the youtube clip of the original video... hope it makes your day :)

It's okay to visit Memory Lane...

I was recently contacted by a major player in my past, when a friend send me this quote...

Hint ?

It is so easy to get caught up in 'what if' when you push aside 'what was' ! You reminisce. Talk about when you met, the times that made you laugh and as the memories flow so do the emotions you felt. There may be tears, apologizes, wishes that things were different. But one thing is for sure - they aren't. 

ahhhh Memory Lane. A place where you can relish in the good times while dancing around the bad ones. Holiday there, and you can really put your life into perspective. How and why you are who you are today - and in most instances - be thankful for the roads you took and the ones you didn't... 

But to live there? Ouch. You left for a reason the first time, and more often than not, it was the right decision to do so...

Nostalgia. That shit can hit you like hail in a storm! 

And although this will not be the case for all people, those of us who don't actually live a Fairytale (yes - i believe in them) will nod, smile & carry on our merry way.

chocolate cookies... week 3...

 and last but not least... this wednesday, we made chocolate biscuits!! 

I love watching the girls bake!! 

They focus on everything (adding/mixing ingredients, cutting out shapes) with such seriousness and concentration!..... until the icing comes out.... and the smiles that spread across their faces as they try sneak a lick of the spoon while I'm not looking is priceless!

And although the mess was of catastrophic proportions - I think I'll be finding chocolate buttons around the house for weeks - it was more than worth it!

easter art... week 2...

week two.... painting eggs!! 

Because what's Easter fun without getting a little messy???