These are a few of my favourite things

Good Food
One of the things I love, is definately good food. My first image is a photograph taken by a good friend of mine ( and cousin!). We spent an afternoon together making Ginger bread from an old recipe of her Grandmothers. I love this image because of the way she has placed the items, the angle with which the photo is taken and the rich colours. I love the use of the vintage tea cup, saucer & the doily's. She has recreated her Grandmothers dining room table in this picture and I think she would have made her Grandmother proud.

Social Justice

Social Justice is something that I have always felt strongly about especially the wellbeing of children. My second image is taken of a child in a prison in Bolivia. The photographer is Nikki Denholm from www.exposure.org. I went to a workshop she ran on photography & she was really inspiring. She has a way of capturing the human spirit & beauty admidst really difficult circumstances.

Vintage Shopping
I absolutely love hunting through antique & op shops. I love the feeling of finding a discarded treasure and then adding it to my collections at home. My third image is a photo of a little deer that was taken by a friend of my sisters ( leilani heather.com). She collects these little ornament animals and on her website has a series of her collected finds. I like her image as it is simple & clean with an antique wash over the top.

Crafting
My next images are sketches created by 'bird in a bunny suit' and 'Sarah McNeil' - two local artists that I have come across at local craft markets in Auckland. There is a thriving crafting community in Auckland & I am really inspired by this new movement of people who value the hand made & see it as a way to look after the environment ( using eco friendly products) & combat large scale consumerism. I love these animal portrait sketches and wish they were both on my walls!

Travel

Last year my husband and I went to the USA and it was amazing. I love travel as it broadens your worldview and keeps you looking outward. My first image is of the famous slogan 'I love NY' (Milton Glaser) which I think you properly understand when you visit NY for the first time. Unfortunately this catchy slogan is plastered all over t-shirts for the tourists visiting Times Square which somehow cheapens this catchphrase but nonetheless, I still love NY!

My last picture is a 'take me here' print where the artist (lilys make believe) cuts out the words 'take me here' from a vintage map. I love this idea & for Christmas recieved one of these prints ( a vintage map of England). The next place on my list.