owls

Metrio Coffee

by Amber on January 5, 2012 in Design

Behold owls, coffee and letterpress, together at last in a wonderful example of packaging design: Metrio Coffee.

Metrio Coffee

Metrio Coffee

Metrio Coffee

Metrio Coffee

The Metrio Coffee identity was first inspired by the classical vintage themes of ancient Greece (the Athenian owl and olive branches), then combined with a modern yet simple design. The word Metrio is derived from the common way Greeks drink short black coffee – METRIO – meaning short black with one sugar (medium sweetness).  

{From Behance - via Maya – thanks!}

{ 2 comments }

CFS Loves 69

by Amber on September 2, 2010 in Notebook

  • “I’m going to need a fistful of aspirin before you open your goddamn mouth again.” Oh. Hungover Owls. I CAN RELATE.
  • But Will It Make You Happy? New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.
  • The surprise and delight factor. My friend Jonny wrote this nice little piece on venues: If you were your audience would you keep coming back? Super relevant to bars methinks! PS. I went to the Die!Die!Die! warehouse party described and it was brilliant. Check out their song HowYe:

  • William Gibson muses on the big G – Google:  “To be sure, I don’t find this a very realistic idea, however much the prospect of millions of people living out their lives in individual witness protection programs, prisoners of their own youthful folly, appeals to my novelistic Kafka glands.”

Kicking Horse

{ 5 comments }

Is This What Love Is?

by Amber on February 12, 2010 in Notebook

Barcelona

I’ve found true love just in time for Valentine’s Day. LOOK AT THE MAJESTY. Thanks so much for reading Code For Something. I love you, have a wonderful weekend.

{ 1 comment }

MELBOURNE OWLS PART DEUX

by Amber on June 8, 2009 in Notebook

More Melbourne Owls. I am still very attuned to owls… I’m sure it happens all the time to you too – you become interested in something and suddenly see it everywhere!

This is called perceptual vigilance. This is a theory that suggests you are more motivated to look at messages and pay attention to things that meet your needs. Usually it manifests in more mundane forms (paint colours for your bathroom, signs for dentists and practical sweaters) – but I am happy I become visually obsessed with cute things; like baguettes, headbands and owls.

I saw this handsome pair somewhere in the Melbourne CBD:

owls

Followed by this sneaky fellow in Little Bourke Street:

spellbox

Then there was the winsome Karen Walker t-shirt I saw for the first time in a Smith Street boutique:

Karen Walker Owl Tee

Lastly – not spotted in Melbourne but freaking adorable nonetheless – cozy owl mittens:

owl-mittens

Give a hoot, make them yourself – the pattern is free! I’m not sure my knitting is up to scratch, but perhaps I can trick a wayward grandmother into making them for me… Muahaha.

{ 5 comments }

Sunday Afternoon Wishlist

by Amber on March 15, 2009 in Notebook

Sunday afternoon, a time for planning for the week ahead as well as some indulgent dreaming. There’s a few things on my mind, a few things I would love to have:

wishlist

  1. Kate Sylvester Symphrosia Coat – those jodhpurs are rather divine too.
  2. A Fernanda Pereira accordion pleated neck piece.
  3. Alexander McQueen hard case in charcoal, to make all travel luxurious.
  4. Ink of the marine persuasion.
  5. A plane ticket to one of the most fabulous places on the planet.
  6. And of course, a teeny tiny pet owl, with its pocket sized eyes full of wisdom.

Please and thank you! What are you coveting right now?

{ 3 comments }

MELBOURNE OWLS

by Amber on March 15, 2009 in Notebook

Still on the owl tip. Please view what can be described as probably one of the biggest “misses” of my shopping life, a beautiful vintage owl bag:

Hoot

Oh regrets! It was only about AU$100 too. If you’re digging the sheer amount of junk in this photo, next time you’re in Melbourne visit the Chapel Bazaar (217-223 Chapel Street, Prahran). Heaven for people like moi, who enjoy a good fossick and delight in scoring old gems. There appears to be 3+ owls in the one photo… so if you’re into woodland creature paraphernalia, chances are you’ll find a few.

Also worth checking out in Melbourne is tattooist Sam Rulz (she designed and inked my shoulders). Keeping on trend, she’s made a cool how-to guide, ‘Painting an Owl in 20 Steps’. Radical.

{ 2 comments }

NIGHT OWLS

by Amber on March 14, 2009 in Notebook

Owl in flight

For a while long time I have sulked and repeatedly declared the owl over. I mused on other animals, tried to convince my desk-mate Sarah that the camel was our new cornerstone of cool. But still the regal owl reigned. Even last week I took the issue up over cocktails with a textile designer. Eventually my heart has been warming up to them… and when I saw the promo shots for the new Mint Chicks album, Screens, I knew owl was well again ❤ (It’s lame, shoot me – I don’t care!).

The Mint Chicks

The same species of feathered friend is also prominent in their video ‘I Can’t Stop Being Foolish‘, a jammy little geeky number directed by Sam Peacocke.

owl

Another fan of owls is the gorgeous and free spirited Alison Goldfrapp; seen here communing with nature in a ruffled, cirque sort of get up.

Goldfrapp Owl

goldfrapp

Thigh high socks and wavy hair – adorable! The images are part of the recent ‘Seventh Tree‘ album promotion.

So back to the Strigiformes. They are found pretty commonly throughout the world and have a strong allegorical presence through many of our favourite stories. Uh, like Harry Potter and Hedwig…

hedwig

But why? Because in Greek mythology, the owl represents Athene, the goddess of foresight and knowledge. To Native Americans they are seen as protectors from harm. In a myriad of other cultures they shine brightly as signs of intelligence, reasoned perspective, wisdom, mystery, power and independence. It doesn’t hurt that they are so damn cute n’ fluffy either!

Fluff

owl

Yep, I’m over my owl-shunning phase and am right back into the swing of it all. This is embarrassing, but I’m geeking out on our avian friends so much that I’ve been listening to a collection of owl calls. They are actually pretty sweet sounding and I would like to see some sampled to make a banging electronic track – such as this Northern Tawny Bellied Screech Owl… A job for Goldfrapp perhaps!

{ 6 comments }