Goods lift

GaGa does good lift treatment & in store moments for her new Fame perfume. Spotted in Myer Melbourne.
Myer VM
23/09/2012

Gourmet Garage

Andy & Dan are the lads behind Hawthorne Garage, a welcome newcomer to the deli / cafe / speciality food scene on Brisbane's south side, which is somewhat lacking from what I can see (and equals opportunity from where I sit and tap this out!).

There's an espresso window out the front serving up DNA coffee, seemingly popular with the yummy mummy's who reside is this well heeled pocket. Inside you will find all the goodies you might need for a quick top up shop or dinner tonight, a small deli counter offering a popular, quality range and a hot roast chook if you can't be bothered turning on the oven. A great range of Levain breads (Brissy's best baker according to me) and their mini flourless cakes. Pick up some fresh blooms from a small Campbell & Bradley Florist stall as you head out the door.  Being an old garage the industrial bones have been retained and polished, and  there is parking out the back.

You can find this modern little grocer giving the south side a tune up in both the food and service stakes on the corner of Orchard Street & Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne. Big thanks to the lads for letting me take some snaps, I am sure they will do very well here with their first venture. Open 6am to 8pm daily.  Hawthorne Garage, 255 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne QLD.

Folded Fashion Fabulousness

Melbourne shook off her winter coat on Saturday and served up a balmy spring day which was just  perfect for a stroll through the CBD and a spot of 'retail eye spy' ... and having just picked up a brand new zoom lens I went off in search of the good stuff. Colour is everywhere in retail land this season. Melbourne's GPO was running with a striking desert inspired installation to celebrate spring.  Made from folded paper, garden beds of cacti showcased the season's 'must haves' amid the blooms. Right next door to GPO the Myer windows had gone to Mecca (the cosmetic variety that is). Again, folded paper delivered another 'make you stop and look' moment (I also happened to chance a snap of that young lady with fabulous red hair in the distance  - the new lens works a treat!)

Sportsgirl was the last of my top 3 VM picks in the Bourke Street Mall. Ply wood palm trees in pastel and citrus tones promised a fashion paradise awaiting in store. This retailer always delivers an eye catching entry statement and is worth a look if you're in that part of town.  As for the other big brands in the vicinity ... well it was all a bit dull really (a bit like their share prices). Sigh.

VM Fashion Melbourne
23/09/2012

Mod Pod

Nespresso frocks up - in the VM realm this is pure gold!  Via Confettireclaim
Nespresso VM Food
22/09/2012

Think Pink

Hostels have gone hip in recent years. La Buena Vida by ARCO Arquitectura Contemporánea in Mexico makes it onto my  mod / fab / fun affordable accommodation list. Pics via ARCO Arquitectura Contemporánea.

Design Mexico
09/09/2012

Pop in Palm Springs

Oh to be pool side and soak up the pop pastel palette of The Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs.
Design Saguaro Hotel USA
09/09/2012

Bloemen stunning

It's spring time Down Under and the blossom is in bloom ... as are these visually stunning Dutch tulip fields. Pictures via Daily Mail UK.
Design Europe
08/09/2012

Sweetly streamlined

The Margaret River Chocolate Company has opened a rather stunning new store in Perth. A heritage space on Murray Street has been transformed by architect Paul Burnham to yeild a slick showcase for all good foodie things from the Margaret River region. Pics via PBA.
Design Food Perth
08/09/2012

Little Cutie

Little Nuffield is a super cute cafe in Newmarket Auckland and a finalist in NZ's Best 0f 2012 Awards. A shoe box size space (20 m2) and a minimalist makeover budget (around $30K) seems like money very well spent to me. You can read more about it on  Material Creative, an emerging design practice gaining recognition for their interiors. Pics via Material Creative.

Everyday eccentricities

Pylones is a French brand who puts a whole lot of personality into everyday objects. I've seen their rather striking stores in Paris and London and my retail radar went off when I spied their signature bright drums and 'can't miss it colour' walking through the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney recently. Next time you feel the need for a Prince & Princess dust pan and brush, a girly grater to perk up your kitchen accessories or a gift that is a little different you can find them somewhere on the lower level of the building. I gather this is their first store in Oz. Pylones, QVB, Sydney.

Pylones Paris Sydney
03/09/2012