Sophie Gamand Shows Us What The Fashion Conscious Dog Is Wearing These Days...

Fashion has gone to the dogs. In a big way.
Dog fashion in many parts of the world is a damn serious business. There's plenty of dog owners in New York happy to spend squillions of dollars keeping their Chihuahua's groomed and outfitted in some sort of sartorial canine elegance designed by pet couturier Anthony Rubio.
Photographer Sophie Gamand dressed a few of these canine fashionista with names like Bogie, Kimba, Diva, Amazing Grace, Angel Song, Cosmo, Chester and Chai Latte in Mr Rubio's haute couture and created a series of dog portraits called Dog Vogue.
There's more about it here.
It's a strange society we live in isn't it.
There are folk wandering around in rags and cast offs, moneyless, jobless and homeless, while on the same street there are dogs ambulating with their owners,
dressed to the nines...

Just Add Water...

Dehydrated water.
What a brilliant idea and just what the world needs.
What will they think of next...

Signs Of The Times By Photographer Andres Serrano...

Andres Serrano is a New York born artist and photographer, well known for his provocative and often controversial works that combine beauty and vulgarity.
In October 2013, after becoming very aware of the large number of people begging on the streets of his New York, Andres conceived of a project to collect some of the signs of the homeless and rejected and use the signs to effect some changes.
He purchased around two hundred of the signs usually for around $20 each and his benevolence became a hot topic of gossip on the streets with the needy unable to believe their luck when Andres found them and offered to buy their signs.
This is another wonderful story of humanity on the streets and there's more about it here...

A Beautiful Gypsy Wagon Called Sarah Rose...

You met Rob and Jill back in November last year with their beautiful 1951 Bedford Housetruck named Maid Of Dreams.
They've also built this simply gorgeous Gypsy wagon called Sarah Rose. It's hard to keep up with this wonderfully creative couple and their magic carpets on wheels. At the moment they're spending the summer building another so watch this space. And for now, allow the beautiful Sarah Rose to enter your dreams...

The Simple Beauty Of The Humble Wooden Spoon By Robin Wood...

Thirty years ago, Robin Wood made the decision to never do a day's work he didn't enjoy. He decided too, to put mind body and soul into his work and do it in an environment close to nature.
The act of taking a tree, cutting it open, feeling the wood and making it into something that will be useful and bring pleasure for years is as it is for many, immensely fulfilling.
I've seen this man's work before and was over at Lloyd Kahn's Blog the other day and Robin was featured there.
Louis Sullivan, the famous American architect said in 1896 It's the pervading law of all things organic and unorganic... that form follows function. And so it is with the humble spoon.
Robin Wood, the acknowledged and acclaimed arbitrator of things wooden opines that these are the best twenty spoons in the world. And who am I to disagree with him. You can see them all here with descriptions of how they were made, for what purpose and by who.  Robin's beautiful Wood Craft Blog is here and there's more on the man here...

Simple Inexpensive Healthy Food From The Flying Tortoise Galley...

I've had access to some lovely, hours old, big and beautiful free-range eggs recently and what with my herb garden doing wonderfully well it's been so easy to create some simple and delicious breakfasts or lunches.
Just take a couple or more eggs, well you know how to boil an egg, I do it for no more than five minutes as I like the yolk soft, then peel off the shell, place it on your choice of toast. What you see here is New Zealand's famous Vogel's Original Mixed Grain bread with a few liberal splashes of a very good extra virgin.
Add some rocket, basil, chives or your favourite herb then some pink Himalayan salt mixed with kelp a good helping of ground black pepper.
Bon Appetit...

We've Just Given Birth To A Brand New Year...

Happy New Year!
Congratulations to us!
Let's celebrate! And when we have, let's all take a moment to look at our collective role
as proud new parents.
Are we going to nourish and care for this year as it wends it's way through its twelve month life cycle or are we going to shirk our responsibilities yet again. Are we going to let this year see more wars and injustices, loss of lives and shattered human dignity. Are we going to allow the innocents to suffer as we have done in the past. Are we going to go on our way selfishly not caring about our fellow human beings while we crave for more of this and more of that or are we going to share the milk of human kindness and give of ourselves to others less fortunate...