CRAFTIST OF THE WEEK

our cups runeth over...

How much do we love these, customised silhouette mugs by brooklyn crafteeest Alyssa Zygmunt, perfect for HML HQ - and no more drinking Ramona's coffee by mistake - Genius. Get yours here.

But wait theres more, this fashion desinger by day, crafter by night also has these gorgeous customised wood slices, that really hit we log ladies where we live.

And of course because she is clearly a woman after our own heart she totally gets that we need an ceramic owl or two to complete our twin peaks tableax. Just beautiful. Her etsy shop is full of excellent things, and as she says "Please buy something. My little NY apartment is over flowing!" ... Alyssa I think we can help you with that.

SMARTARTS OF THE WEEK

cool world
If you're anything like us, reading uber hip interiors magazines can sometimes leave you a little, well, cranky. While we love the beautiful photography and droolworthy interiors sometimes the incredibly good looking, super neat peeps with smug expressions, clean surfaces and even cleaner co-ordinating designer threads inhabiting them invite you to give them a slap rather than round of applause. We think those at Unhappy Hipsters feel the same, although their slap comes in the form of  some very witty, sardonic sub-editing... which of course we love even more. For example:

We’re not ready to go out there yet, honey. And besides, didn’t I do a pretty good job bringing the outside in? (Photo: Christopher Sturman, Dwell, November 2009)

Well aware of her ability to unnerve house guests, she’d become scarily self-possessed. (Photo: Philippe Munda; Dwell, June 2004)

HILARIOUS.

ROAD TRIP OF THE WEEK

Sanctuary

Yesterday with my fellas I drove down the Healesville to visit one of my stockists Morris Brown. Owners Louise and Jenny have a lovely shop full of craft and design goodness including my paper flowers which look pretty in their space. It was a good chance to unwind after what has been a hectic working week.

Beck had told me that we would love Healesville and its surrounds and she was right! It was only half way there I remembered the anniversary of the Black Saturday fires this weekend. It felt particularly poignant as the heavens opened up mid morning, cooling everything after a three day heat wave.

My family is planning a treechange one day. Maybe we'll move into the new exhibition building! (HML regional headquarters).

Take a drive to the country soon. Have lunch, buys some produce (or in our case aged porterhouse, tea towels, pickled garlic and a lovely breakfast of fresh eggs and toast soldiers!) inject a little cash into these beautiful little towns.

We saw the road signs to Kinglake and Marysville further on. It was a quiet drive home in the rain.

The ladies of HML are big fans of the Sticky Institute so we want to give a shout out to their Festival of the Photocopier. We also want to encourage you scribblers out there to stretch yourselves creatively and participate in Target 168.We thought we might have a crack at it. You start making your zine this Saturday after receiving your secret special ticket that needs to be incorporated as proof, and deliver your zine in all its glory to the Fair the following Saturday - 168 hours later (geddit?)! -everyone who makes one gets a copy of everyone elses - extending the zine love nationwide! Zines will also be available at the Fair for all to purchase (that's the 13th- more about that later) - look out for your HML 168 tome there (we hope). Wish us luck.

Register your interest by Thursday peeps by emailing stickyshop@gmail.com

DISASTER OF THE WEEK

HAY DAY

It was the packaging. It was the fact that I was in a gourmet grocers and I'd just had my haircut and I thought I'd pretend to have disposable income. This is my only excuse for paying $14.95 for a packet mix. I'm no Nigella, but I'm no slouch in the kitchen either and I've become quite renowned for my cupcake skills.

But there was something so seductive about the brown and pale blue papers, the elegant box and even the pithy message from Donna ('shhh, don't tell them they're not yours' - uh Donna your name is on EVERYTHING I think they'll guess)

They looked ok. They were a weird pasty colour when they came out of the oven, and there wasn't quite the fluffiness to the icing the photo promised. I have to tell you folks they tasted absolutely disgusting. really. the most synthetic, rubbery, and just plain odd flavour I've ever tasted. I would have been better buying a jam roll from the supermarket. I took them to the HML bbq just so everyone could sample a truly horrible cupcake.Needless to say no one did and they went straight in the bin.

 Maggie B on the other hand is working her way through Michel Roux's Pastry book. This lemon meringue pie browned a little in our insane oven but the pastry was flaky, the lemon was curdy and the meringue was deliciously crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Sigh, back to the kitchen for me.