In 1977, photographer Robin Morrison produced a calendar featuring the local faces and businesses of Ponsonby, Auckland. Some have disappeared over the years, while others, like Bhana Brothers are still going strong. (Bhana has always been my favourite place to buy flowers in Auckland.)
Dick Armstrong’s – affectionately known as Dirty Dick’s (now State of Grace)
Arthur Cooper, Barber, Jervois Road (now Pure Restaurant, 186 Jervois Road)
Peter Rogers Art Deco (still Peter Rogers, Real Time, 74 Ponsonby Road)
Tony Burrows, the Mussel Man, Ponsonby (now Plants and Pots, corner O’Neill St and Ponsonby Rd)
John Moller, Funeral Director, & Noball (70 Ponsonby Road, now the site of the Quest Hotel)
Ivan, Ivan’s Restaurant, Ponsonby Road (now Chapel Bar & Restaurant)
This reminds me of the super-talents &some ideas (past and present!). Leading the way in Kinect hacking, they were doing some incredible stuff. This installation for New Zealand Post – Noise Ink – was one of my favourites.
This year’s Halloween weekend went like this: I sloppily carved a moustache into my mini pumpkin, I ripped my tights in anticipation, I pondered skullifying my face with a black eyebrow pencil, and then I just stayed home and wrote until the small hours. Oops! I will have to protest to my friends that I was there at those parties, just as a spectre.
Good news however. The calendar has only just flipped to Monday the 31st of October and there’s still time for me yet to get into the spirit. I just found this recipe for those cute little chocolate bats to make later this evening. Happy Halloween!
Donna Hay’s Marshmallow Vampire Bats
{From the NZ Herald}
To make twenty of the sugar bloodsuckers:
20 white marshmallows 200g dark chocolate, melted 20 small chocolate-coated biscuits, halved 40 small white chocolate melts
Dip the marshmallows into the melted chocolate and place each on 2 halves of the chocolate biscuits to create the bat bodies.Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Place 2 white chocolate melts on each bat to make eyes. Refrigerate until set.
My gorgeous friend Laura reminded me of this ad from Telecom New Zealand – Keep In Touch. (L. why do you not have a blog already?)
The beach featured is Cheltenham, and in fact I grew up on this little slice of paradise! Way to make me all weepy. Maybe it’s time to boot up the rasterbator…
Designer Karen Walker has just released her summer 11/12 eyewear range. And as always, the frames are bright, a bit nutty and immensely covetable. From top to bottom: Betty, Soul Club, Keep The Faith, Fight On in wood, Fight On in tortoise, and the multifaceted Vava. Isn’t the pattern detail cute?
When it comes to sunglasses, I adore mad, oversized shapes – and KW has absolutely nailed it with this collection. Can’t wait to see these bunny faces out on the street!
This time next week I’ll be in Paris. Eep. Clearly the best way to prepare is to learn choice French phrases from our two New Zealand friends in New York City.
Do you like Flight Of The Conchords? I was a bit dismissive at first but eventually on a flight to Europe, funnily enough, I watched every episode. Now I just wish there was more. MORE. Jacques Cousteau!
I’m working on a new all singing, all dancing, online home for the The Book Club For Drunks. As part of this, I commissioned the marvelous Erin Forsyth to make an illustration encapsulating all club’s activities… drinking & reading, ahem. Here’s a tiny preview:
I LOVE IT. From the big brash party skull, right down to the lipstick smeared martini glass and the blank book spines waiting to be filled in. Can’t wait to have the website up and running. Stay tuned!
Wearing a blanket all day long? Sounds super to me. Coultard jackets are available at House Of Aroha (a store crammed with amazing art, clothing and homewares - I’ll take it all).
During our trip to the Far North we left Omapere/Opononi, where my grandmother lives, and drove 20 minutes to the next town, Rawene, for coffee. Aside from the Boatshed Cafe, the cross-harbour vehicle ferry, and the dairy/post office, there’s not too much happening here.
It was so very quiet, but it’s kind of reassuring to know that some places never change, and are always how you left them. Even the chocolate fudge cake recipe hasn’t changed from 2009 to 2011!
Last weekend in New Zealand we enjoyed a public holiday for the Queen’s Birthday. It’s not her actual birthday, but I’ll take a free day off. We decided to get out of the city for a bit and drive up to see my grandmother in the Hokianga.
It’s a green-blue harbour at the tip of the North Island, with a clutch of sleepy villages nestled in its arms. Maori call the place Te Kohanga o Te Tai Tokerau (“the nest of the northern people”) or Te Puna o Te Ao Marama (“the wellspring of moonlight”). I call it home.
I took these photos when we walked up and across the headlands, on a morning so foggy that sometimes the sand hills were barely visible.
Have I told you all about my friend Jonny before*? Perhaps in passing. Jono Aidney takes many forms. Not only is he an expert rice krispie treat maker, a sage adviser on my love life, and a magnetic writer; he performs beautiful music under many various guises.
This weekend I’ll have the joy of seeing him twice. First on Friday as Quail State. It’ll be the first outing for his solo project – lofi indie pop powered by guitars and romance. If you’re looking for a new artist to check out, I definitely recommend exploring the Quail State* discography. Jonny’s voice is so lovely and clear.
Then on Saturday he’ll be performing a reunion show at the Kings Arms with Jonny Doom and The Forcefields – peddlers of fresh Aotearoa ska. Oh, and he also makes music as Heartspells. Their first single ’Marry You’ has the best lyrics:
You with the juice, lick on tattoos, I’m gonna marry you,
with a two dollar ring from the two dollar shop.
Busy guy. If I could have just a fraction of Jono’s drive and talent I’d be a very happy camper.
*While this post is very gushy, I’m only platonically in love with Mr. Aidney.
**Googling has just revealed me to me that the official bird of California is a quail. COOL.
I love Peter Stitchbury’s hyper-real portraits. I wish I had bought one of his vintage bowling ball portraits when I had the chance… his paintings are now selling for upwards of 50 grand a pop. If any of you are heir(esse)s, I urge you to get commission a Stitchbury painting of yourself. Swish.
“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.”
- Francis Bacon, 1625.
And if you have a moment, read this lovely story by Zach Klein, who had his portait painted by Stitchbury. It’s a small world.
Now here’s a yuletide soundtrack that’s sure to be a favourite for years to come:
A Very Little Christmas is a non-traditional carol album, compiled by Auckland’s Little Monster Studio. It’s a diverse set of songs from a loosely affiliated group of local bands who were all given the freedom to make their own musical take on the festive season. Artists include Luckless, Tono and the Finance Company, Canadia, Great North and The Crawley Christmas Singers. My picks of the bunch are Chelsea Jade and James Duncan’s romantic French Kissmas, Hold Dear’s melodic Anthem for An Orphan (for those celebrating in a big lonely city), and The Gladeyes’ lo-fi Carols and Parties.
Being no longer stuck in the year 2006, I find cuppycake iconography totally overcooked and a bit twee. But I can’t help but smile when I see this “Bake Someone Happy” tee by Parinto. It’s true! Baked goods make the world go ’round.
Designer Stephen Richardson says “Back in the 1970′s my dad’s advertising agency produced some sweaters for a client with the slogan “Bake Someone Happy” on them. He gave one to my mom and for whatever reason that slogan has always stuck in my head. To cut a long story short, this design is a nostalgic nod to that long-gone sweater.”
Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
