JoyDay is coming: 25th November

JoyDay is coming on the 25th of November, and as always
the key thing to remember for that day, is to celebrate
the tiny or maybe big things that bring you joy.

We focus on the negative too much (I am guilty of that) but
it is the recognised, and sometimes unrecognised, joys that surround us which can 
bring a healthy, happy boost to our lives.

This image is a shadow play I recorded in Melbourne a few years back.
I loved the image but just did not know what it was that delighted me about it.
Then I realised, it was the range of hues and tones within the shadows that
spoke to me.

So have a look into the shadows (a good thing to do from time to time anyway),
and find the surprising colours within.

A small joy but joy is joy.

Wallism_November: Ode to 'old school' design

Package design is an ever-present part of the urban landscape. 

Strangely, cigarette and tobacco packaging, a key to the overall identity of this commodity,
is vilified in many modern cultures.
Although people within those cultures still use the product inside.

In other cultures, usually more ‘old school’, this visual language is still considered an attractive and acceptable part
of the every day advertising and promotion campaigns.

Spinster Bar: Hip Bars of Athens: No.2

Bar No.2: Spinster.

Shiftazine likes this bar very much as it is opened morning, noon and night.
Athens in the past few years has had a renaissance of groovy, user friendly bars that one can go to, sit and drink a great cocktail and
it is not all about loud music and people’s arms being waved in your face while wildly dancing.

These bars are about kicking back and just chatting and relaxing.

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Spinster Bar is a welcoming, relaxing, sophisticated haven, which is perfect to hide from the Athenian noon heat or to start an evening out.

You will find Spinster Bar just behind the Athens Town Hall, around the corner from Fresh Hotel.

A bit of wear and tear makes a thing more interesting

It is such an old fashion surface for every day objects,

but it is a breath of fresh air to see..
Even when its chipped it looks good.

Like most things in life, a bit of wear and tear just makes a thing more interesting.

Release your inner girl

Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. 

The day aims to highlight and address the needs and
challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and
the fulfillment of their human rights.

EmPOWER Girls: Before, during and after crises.

The world’s 1.1 billion girls are a source of power, energy, and creativity –
and the millions of girls in emergencies are no exception. 

This year’s International Day of the Girl (IDG) on October 11 marks
the beginning of a year-long effort to spur global attention and action
to the challenges and opportunities girls face before, during, and after crises.

(Copy sourced from United Nations site for International Day of the Girl)

Op-Shop Opportunities

Just love the look of the mixed textures, elements, objects and colours, that have no business being seen together, that are often partnered up in 'op' shops and second hand stores. 

They should be all wrong together and yet they frequently make beautiful aesthetic music. 

The advantage of this kind of accidential styling is that with a fresh or non-contrived eye one can create a beautiful and surprising environment. 

Also you can save money and the planet while you are being brave and creative. Do it!

Its only Junk, if it's not useful

Old style flatwear, otherwise referred to as cutlery, is sadly a thing of the past in most ‘modern’ homes.

Why have these beautiful pieces of silverware gone away?
There is nothing nicer than the look and feel of these bone handled knives, the curved rat’s tailed forks and spoons.

Is it that people are just lazy, and don’t want to have to wash up these pieces by hand. 
Really?? Is that true?
Or does the aesthetic of these flatware sets simply not suit the digital world and all that populates it stylistically?

 So, if you want to have a sense and connection to times past, go shopping in stores that recognises the joy of old things.  Things that have a history.  

Objects that were manufactured in times when built-in redundancy simply was not a possibility.

All washed up

One day I had a revelation when I discovered the photographic work of Bill Eggleston,
an American photographer.

He possess an eye and a sensibility which gleams beauty in every corner of

one’s ordinary world.

His work is truly significant.

I thank him.