ARCHINTEYE

Have found a very cool site http://www.archinteye.com general architecture and interior design site for all things unique and cool. Have to say the Willy Wonka House in Tribeca New York has to be the best interior design I've seen in a while!!!!

THE BOATHOUSE PALM BEACH

What a glorious way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon. This is officially my favourite spot in Sydney, I was so disappointed in myself that I had not been here sooner. The entire experience is sublime. From the moment you walk down the garden path past the lounge chairs on the grass, through the kitchen to the deck where the views are simply 'the best in Sydney' - you get a real sense that this is a very special place. There was a short wait as we arrived quite late about 230pm (kitchen closes at 3pm) which worked out well as we got prime position on the deck - directly opposite is Great Mackeral Beach so the views along the Pittwater are so spectacular. You watch the sea planes land and take off along with a varied amount of bird life. We ordered well!!! The hubby had the steak sandwich and I had the Chargrilled Bonito fillet with Pomegranate, witlof and fennel salad. The chips are the best - as good as the Flying Fish Chips (if you know those) and we finished off with a tasty cheese platter (goat, cheddar and brie with chilli ciabatta bread, walnut date log and fruit. YUM!!! You must go here visit http://www.theboathousepb.com.au/ for more info.

VICTORIA MASON

Ever loved something so much you wanted to wear it every day? Well here's a jewellery collection that helps you sport those harder-than-usual items like teacups and chairs. Victoria Mason is so inspired by everyday household objects that she made a range of silver jewellery to celebrate it. Whether it’s her tiny silver earrings shaped as spoons and forks or the Pencil Sharpening necklace, they remind us that it’s often the smallest things which give us the greatest pleasure. For more information visit http://victoriamason.com/ or their blog http://www.earlandcookie.blogspot.com/

MAMACITA by LITTLE THING

How beautiful is this range of children's clothing? Mamacita by Little Thing is a range of hand-made clothing from Mexico, commissioned to textile families to support trade into Australia. For more information visit http://www.littlething.com.au/

GIRLZ PICNIC IN MANLY

Sunday was a great day, after a very hectic week, the girlz and I decided to unwind (and unwind we did) on a beautiful Spring afternoon in Manly somewhere on Sydney's beautiful Northern Beaches.



We started at The Winery on Manly Beach, what a great venue. I've been to the Surry Hills and Kings Cross restaurants but the one on Manly Beach is special. The vibe is very chilled, low key, cool and relaxed. No posers here... thongs and board shorts welcome!! The staff are so friendly and helpful and the menu rocks (as does the Margaritas). We had the "Girlz Picnic" menu which included glass of bubbles on arrival, then lovely share plate of tomato/mozzarella salad and some assorted meat. Then a high tea selection of sandwiches, small quiche, tartlets and yummy petit fours. I'm a huge fan of the Winery they just get it right every time from the atmosphere to the staff to the food, for more information visit http://thegazebos.com.au/manly/





After a VERY long lunch at the Winery, we decided to wander down to Manly Wharf (opposite end to the beach) and sit by the harbour and watch the sun set. The best place to do this would be Hugo's on Manly Wharf. The open air setting and bar/lounge area is the perfect place to grab a light snack (pizza etc) and of course another margarita and watch the world go by. Hugo's has a few venue's throughout Sydney visit them at http://www.hugos.com.au/ for more information.





A little fact that most people don't know is that Manly holds some of the last mainland breeding pairs of Little Penguins. There are some wonderful volunteers that arrive at dusk to ensure the Penguins come to shore in safety and then stay with them until they go to bed. It's so very cute and so admirable to have people to help ensure these beautiful animals safety, especially in a high-traffic tourist area. We interviewed one of the volunteers who to my surprise said that 98% of the time everyone is just lovely and genuinely care about the Penguins. Manly Council have done a lot to ensure the survival of these guys, if you are interested in helping out or want more information visit the co-ordinators blog site at http://penguinprattle.blogspot.com/

JARDAN

Jardan Australia is a Melbourne company that has been designing and making custom-made furniture since 1987. The quality of their craftspeople is first class, and the design of their furniture is so unique it really cuts through the awful furniture in market. For more information visit http://www.jardan.com.au

MCA's $53 MILLON REDEVELOPMENT

The Museum of Contemporary Art is one of Sydney's most iconic buildings, nestled around our famous beautiful harbour and hugged by the Harbour Bridge on one side and the Sydney Opera House directly opposite. It was built in 1939 and has just received the green light for a $53 million redevelopment. This is BIG news for Sydney.


Above are the plans for the redevelopment transforming the building into Sydney's major art and education hub. The plans have been designed by award winning Architect Sam Marshall http://www.marshall.net.au/ in close collaboration with the MCA.



The plans include the creation of a National Centre for Creative Learning, along with revamped and extended gallery spaces and a new public entrance. Previous schemes to redevelop the MCA - including a proposed design concept by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 1997 and a controversial design by Sauerbruch and Hutton in 2000 - have failed to progress to planning consent stage but obviously Sam Marshall's designs have made the cut.


Education is the central focus of the redesign and with more than 500,000 people visiting the MCA each year, the design is key to accommodating everyone's needs. It will house a space with workshop for schools and after-school youth programs and will be the new facility for the Museum's renowned Bella program for young people with special needs. Plus a digital classroom, multi-media room, library and extensive resource room - the redevelopment will add so many benefits to the community as well as the visiting tourists.

The MCA has secured more than half of the $50m needed for the redevelopment, with already $27m already raised. Construction will commence once 90% of the funding has been achieved. There is a $10m grand from the State Government and a further $1m pledged by the City of Sydney.

MCA Foundation Chair Simon Mordant and CEO of Greenhill, is a passionate collector of contemporary art who has personally pledged $5m to the project.

Environmentally sustainable design (ESD) and the reduction of the MCA’s carbon footprint are also key elements of the redevelopment. The plans incorporate a seawater heat exchange with a fully integrated air-conditioning system offering energy savings of up to 30%. Other initiatives include ESD compliant lighting, energy monitoring throughout the building, insulation of gallery spaces, as well as water and materials recycling.

The MCA is the only institution in Australia dedicated to both collecting and exhibiting contemporary art, from this nation and around the world. For more information visit http://www.mca.com.au/

JONAS PETERSON

Seriously! Anyone thinking about getting married or capturing a moment in life should be contacting this guy... Jonas Peterson. http://jonaspeterson.com/ Possibly THE best photographer I've ever seen. His eye for amazing detail is out of this world. He captures moments that the normal eye can't see - what the heart feels he puts on film... Visit his website for more information.... I visit his site for daily inspiration!

PONY RIDER

I came across this very cool company called Pony Rider recently, I love their unique prints/fabrics. They have an online store http://www.ponyrider.com.au/ as well as a cool blog http://pony-rider.blogspot.com/

The wall dots above are a fresh take on the vinyl wall art that's really popular at the moment. These wall dots create a little portal into another world, there are various creative options but my favourites are above :)