THE BRAINERY STORE // VISITS REGIONAL VICTORIA

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Cooper, the innovative virtuoso behind Australia's latest conceptual phenomenon The Brainery Store.  

Launching at the end of this month, The Brainery Store will take it's pop-up style roadshow to Geelong, Victoria...the first regional outpost in a series of personalised, traveling forums intended to reach audiences with limited access to city based happenings. 'It is a simple idea about sharing the things we know...& introducing people who inspire us in word & deed' says Sarah. 

The Winter / Spring term launches next Wednesday 31st July with modern day hunter-gatherer Rohan Anderson kicking off the first discussion at contemporary art space BOOM Gallery. Over the coming months, the Geelong region can also look forward to discussions with...

+ Melbourne design collective Sibling 
+ Designer & Instagram sensation Stephanie Somebody
+ Melbourne City Rooftop Honey  
+ Nick Ray from Ethical Consumer Group. 

Each forum will also be accompanied by a curated pop-up shop of goodies. 

Enrol now via the The Brainery Store online! 

Image: Stephanie Somebody

GIVEAWAY // ABOUT A GIRL BY EMMA LEONARD

Ok folks...it's time for that other giveaway I promised a few months ago & it's a doooooooozy. One of my all time favourite prints by Melbourne creative genius Emma Leonard...'About a girl'. Another beautifully crafted 8 X 10 giclee print using archival heavy-weight hahnemuhle cotton-rag paper. 

SWOON! SWOON! SWOON! 

You can enter to win by leaving a comment on this post before 5pm Friday 26th July (Melbourne time) OR commenting on the OTIS & OTTO Instagram / 'About a girl' post.

One lucky reader will be drawn at random & notified by e-mail or direct via Instagram. 

Good luck! X

A MINI GUIDE // SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco. A city of diversity, fog & rainbows. It was nice to be back.

We spent a good chunk of our time hovering around Judah Street in Ocean Beach, admiring the pastel painted architecture & weaving through it's eclectic community of coffee houses, shops & restaurants. Heaven!

Outside OB, we roamed the city's many vibrant districts including the Castro, Mission & Haight enjoying the diverse selection of arts, culture & amazing food! A quick list of SF must sees: 

Food / Drink: 

Outerlands

Sightglass Coffee 

Pizzeria Delfina

NOPA 

Tartine Bakery

Judahlicious (Vegan)

Gracias Madre (Vegan Mexican)

Bi-Rite Market (Ice Creamery) - Worth lining up around the block for!

Retail:

General Store

Gravel & Gold

Mollusk Surf Shop

Little Paper Planes Shop

Muji Soma

Images: OTIS & OTTO // A Visual Guide

CORTEZ // ECHO PARK LOS ANGELES

Following a long list of recommendations, we were pretty amped to indulge in a bit food porn at the very hip 'Cortez' in Echo Park while we were in LA. 

Similar to their Cookbook Market only a few blocks away, Marta Teegan & Robert Stelzner's Cortez delivers a simple, communal style dining experience, full of meticulously sourced ingredients & seasonal organic offerings. 

I opted for the Kale Salad, a flowing compilation of super greens, cauliflower & pepitas topped with a fried egg...the perfect antidote to my hangover from the night before. Thanks Cortez!

Image: OTIS & OTTO // A Visual Guide

COBRA ROCK BOOT COMPANY // MARFA TEXAS

Our first port of call in Marfa was Cobra Rock, a small yet distinctive workshop where Colt Miller & Logan Caldbeck combine their creative super powers to make 'South Highland Boots'. 

The 'SHB' is a unisex 1940's square style riding boot, custom made to suit each owners hoof size. And...they have laces, a nice contemporary twist on the traditional desert boot! 

Check out their store now. They are worth the wait! 

Image: OTIS & OTTO // A Visual Guide

FORT STANDARD // OBJET D'ART

Hola Amigos! I am officially back & into the swing of things. What a honeymoon! BEST. TRIP. EVER.

We met so many interesting people, ate so much tasty food & visited so many AMAZING places. I have much greatness to share with you!

Our stay at El Cosmico in Marfa was...transcendental. One of the many cool trinkets I spotted in their lobby was a Fort Standard bottle opener.

Cast in brass, each individual opener bares the raw markings & hand made filings necessary to make these functional devices seem more like a contemporary art collectable than an ordinary house hold tool.

Simple. Beautiful.

Image: Fort Standard

THE TIN BAG // EATABLE OF MANY ORDERS

Hand-crafted in Atami, Japan, the EOMO 'Tin Bag' & it's sculpted wooden handle make for serious bag lust. 

Available from the lovely Shop Anaïse. 

Image: Shop Anaïse

GENERAL STORE // VENICE BEACH

OK...I know I blogged about General Store not that long ago but we're going there next week so I'm all excited again! YIP YIP!

Image: The Brickhouse Tumblr

TRACY WILKINSON // TW WORKSHOP

After spotting Tracy Wilkinson's pottery on Laure Joilet's website, I've been deliberating over how many TW planters I can squeeze into our suitcases on the way home from LA...it's no easy choice - they are all SO good. 

Tracy, who lives in the LA hillside suburb of Mount Washington so perfectly captures the essence of California cool...rustic, bohemian, organic. 

With a background in fashion & textile design, Tracy also has a range of similarly cool, super relaxed wearables as well as an incredible eye for interior decoration & design (see her amazing home / work space on international interview mag Freunde Von Freunden). 

Visit Tracy's TW Workshop for more info pronto!

Image: Tracy Wilkinson

BEST MADE COMPANY // ESSENTIALS

Beyond Best Made Company Axe fame lies a collection of quality goods similarly intended to delight & impress outdoor lovers.

Boasting double dipped enamelware, silk screened maps & wait for it...a HALF-GALLON jug of Maple Syrup...!?! I'm in camping heaven!

Images: Best Made Company

DIY FIESTA PLANNING // GUIDE

Whether your planning a large scale gathering or a laid back fiesta, there are loads of DIY touches you can add to personalise an event without a BIG budget...

Many of our Wedding details were simple DIY ideas brought to life with the help of willing family & friends (& the amazing Marsha Golemac who expertly crafted paper flowers for us en masse). It was a lovely way to include many of our interstate relatives in the pre celebration planning & a great excuse to get together for marathon tea drinking sessions & cake "sampling" outings. 

Photography:       Brooke Holm 

Paper Flower Art: Marsha Golemac

Event Styling:      Kirsty OTIS & OTTO // A Visual Guide

KINGS COUNTY DISTILLERY // NEW YORK

In a century old Navy Yard building in Brooklyn, Kings County Distillery are busy crafting moonshine & bourbon whiskey. Upon opening in 2010 as the first legal distillery in NY since prohibition, they have been busy winning awards & impressing design nerds with their minimalist "no frills" style packaged flasks. 

Sounds tasty. Looks tasty. Slurrrrrrrrrp.

Image: Pulplab

GIVEAWAY // EMMA LEONARD ILLUSTRATION

Using a delicate mix of gouche, ink & watercolour, Melbourne based illustrator Emma Leonard continues to delight us with images of ethereal femininity & beauty. A regular contributor to the pages of Madison & Yen magazines, her work very recently graced the inaugural cover issue of Hitched magazine. What a talented fox!!!

As a long time admirer of Emma's work, I am thrilled to let you know that Emma has kindly donated some of her dreamy prints for a GIVEAWAY on the blog. Yippeeeee!

Our first treat is the whimsical 'Little Indian'... a signed 8 X 10 fine art Giclee print on archival heavy-weight hahnemuhle cotton-rag paper. 

For your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post before 5pm Friday 17th May (Melbourne time) & one lucky reader will be drawn & notified by e-mail (don't forget to leave one). Good luck! 

P.S - To see more of Emma's creative musings make sure to visit her sweet blog & happenings via the Jacky Winter Group. 

STAY WARM IN A SOOPASCARF

With temperatures cooling & clocks turned back, our long Victorian Winter is fast approaching...

To avoid the chill, keep cosy in some woolly goodness from Atlanta based knitwear designer Yokoo Gibraan. Looks SOOPA toasty!

Image: Yokoo / Etsy Store

A HIDDEN PLACE // EXHIBITION OPENING

HOLY SMOKE! Thanks to the fine folks at Lamington Drive, another AMAZING exhibition opens in Melbourne this week...'A Hidden Place'. 

Beci Orpin & Kat Macleod have combined their illustrative super powers to create their first joint show, comprised of a select number of large format solo pieces as well as a series of (soon to be coveted) collaborative works. MAJORLY exciting!

'A Hidden Place' opens in Collingwood at Lamington Drive on Thursday 18th April until May 25th. 

Image: Lamington Drive

WHO GIVES A CRAP // LOO PAPER

Feel Good. Do Good. Toilet Paper. 

Launched by Melbourne lads Simon, Jehan & Danny, the 'Who Gives A Crap' campaign has many of us thinking about our lucky bottoms & how we can help improve sanitation in the developing world. 

When you purchase 'WGAC' loo paper, you don't just buy lush loo paper guaranteed to make your bottom smile, 50 % of all profits are donated to Water Aid to help build toilets & improve global sanitation. 

Flush poverty down the loo. Get rolling now. 

Image: Who Gives A Crap

KIRRA JAMISON // STILL POINT EXHIBITION

For those folks lucky to be living or visiting Melbourne in Autumn, there's one exhibition happening right NOW which should not to be missed... 

'Still Point' the latest collection of dreamy pastel artworks by Melbourne based artist Kirra Jamison is showing at the Sophie Gannon Gallery until April 20. 

Avec Magnifique!  

Image: Kirra Jamison 'Loop' gouache on paper / Sophie Gannon Gallery

THE P.A.M. 'BLACK GOLD' COLLECTION

A sample of the latest P.A.M. 'Black Gold' collection...'Dance Dance Sleeveless Dress'. 

Available in-store at Dagmar Rousset, Fitzroy or online via Someday Store. 

Swoooooooooon.

Image: Someday Store

CRAFTY PACKAGING BY A LA MODO

As a lover & purveyor of good packaging design, I was stoked to discover the innovative work of Seattle based creative, Stephanie Brubaker. 

Perfect for sweet & savoury goodies, Stephanie designs wedge shaped boxes & colour dipped bamboo cutlery which make for the cutest take-away-style treatment EVER. 

Planning your next crafty soiree or picnic? Head over to Stephanie's little Etsy store A La Modo for a look pronto! 

Images: A La Modo / Etsy 

OBJECT + TOTEM // MAINTAINING NOVELTY, CRAFT & MEMORY

Thanks to Pinterest & Instagram I'm invariably ranting on about something I've found online...today it's all about Object & Totem.

Based in Philadelphia, this little studio embraces a simple design aesthetic & locally sourced materials to create a completely unique range of objects intended to 'maintain novelty, craft and memory'. 

How GOOD.

Images: Object & Totem

CAROLINE Z HURLEY

Ok. I JUST discovered the work of Caroline Z Hurley. Amaaaaazing.

Thanks to a little update from Mr. Kitly, I found myself on Caroline's website this morning, coveting many of her impressive artworks, ceramics, throws & wearables.

The 'Hannah' black triangles throw was my top pick (& purchase). Made from 100% linen, this versatile gem looks perfect for cosying up with on those cool, autumn nights. Winner!

Image: Caroline Z Hurley

NEXT STOP, MARFA TEXAS

Around 3 years ago I was happily plowing through a fresh stack of magazines on holiday in Perth when I came across a small travel piece on the far West Texas community of Marfa...

Since reading that first article, I've kept a curious eye on Marfa happenings & wondered how I might visit this cosmic little hub before "it" gets too BIG (which according to Google Maps is approx 24,400 km's away from where I live...)

WELL, thanks to my lovely husband, we have managed to wrangle a few days on our honeymoon to drop in & say hello!

First stop...El Cosmico & our classic 1950's Vagabond trailer.

Images: Janna Gould Photography

SUN, SANGRIA, TACOS & OUR WEDDING

A couple of Wedding Fiesta snaps by the lovely Brooke Holm. Tacos made by Raph Rashid & the amazing team from Taco Truck. Yaaaaariba! 

Images: Brooke Holm 

OUR DREAMY WEDDING FIESTA

Soooo I'm still working on a 'Wedding Fiesta' post...but here's a little preview.

Taken at Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet by our talented friend & photograher Chris McConville. Check out his blog Pestpective for more wedding snaps here.

So lovely. Thanks Pest.

Image: Chris McConville

WHERE CHEFS EAT - INTERNATIONAL GUIDE

Where Chefs Eat...an über cool international restaurant guide full to the brim with recommendations from the world's best chefs. Niiiiiiiiiiice. Yummmmmm. 

Would make a great birthday present...hint hint.

Images: Phaidon Press

A TEEPEE + A MONTAUK WEDDING

Chanelling a little bohemian wedding inspiration from the amazing Pamela Love.

Count down is ON!!!

Images: Gary Ashely of The Wedding Artists Collective.

Found via 100 Layer Cake

THE COPENHAGEN COFFEE CUP

Simple. Modern. Perfection. by Paper & Clay Studio. 

A nod to Scandinavian design, The Copenhagen Coffee Cup looks pretty & is intended for everyday use (unlike some pretty ceramics), suitable for dishwashers (not that we have one) & will make a nice addition to my chock-full mug collection (obsession). 

Love a good Etsy find! 

Images: Paper & Clay Studio

AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS TEXTILES

At Swim-Two-Birds textiles & mobiles made by Belgian artist Renilde de Peuter are the bees knees...dreamy, versatile, spectacular.

I discovered Renilde following another late night Pinterest frenzy & shortly after spotted a few of her goodies at Mr. Kitly. Major score!

These goodies include kooky cushions & pot holders which double as wall hangings & a collection of highly covetable mobiles. 

Need & want ¡por favor!

Images: At Swim-Two-Birds