Friday, May 25, 2012

Happy Friday...and a tune for your weekend!


Happy Friday! Only one more sleep till First Comes Love and I'm just about ready! I've got a
a whole heap of kokedama, terrariums and nests ready to go, and this morning I made this wreath.

Now for a tune for your weekend! It's birthday week for me, with five birthdays happening within seven days (two close friends, one nephew, one sister and one husband!). Two of those birthdays are in fact today, so a big happy birthday to Eko and Andreas! Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" has to be the ultimate birthday tune, and James and I have a tradition of waking each other up to its cheerful tune on each of our birthdays. So here it is, originally written for Martin Luther King, Jr., but today going out to Denis, Eko, Andreas, James and Katie! Happy birthday, all!


I hope you have a fantastic weekend, and if you're heading to First Comes Love tomorrow or on Sunday, Elli or I will see you there!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Wallpaper*


This is something I've been meaning to write about for a really long time! In March last year I received an email that began:

"I'm writing from the picture desk of Wallpaper* Magazine City Guides in London...We are currently working on the 2012 edition of our Perth guide, and are very keen to include Mr Sparrow."

 Needless to say, I was extremely excited! Wallpaper* City Guides are, I believe, the most prestigious travel guides around and have a strong design focus. Published by renowned visual arts publishers, Phaidon, the guides present a tightly edited, discreetly packaged list of the best architecture, hotels, bars, restaurants and cultural spots from top cities around the world. As photo editor Nabil Butt explained to me, "The travel experts from international design magazine Wallpaper* handpick the most exclusive locations specifically for the design savvy traveller."

The Perth guide has been out for a couple of months now and I finally got my hand on a copy a few weeks ago! Even knowing Wallpaper*'s reputation, I have to say I was surprised by just how spot on this guide is. They really have picked out the very best of the best in terms of architecture, hotels, bars, shops, escapes and landmarks (yes, we have - a few - landmarks!) - think Council House, Eight Nicholson, Mrs Brown, West End Deli, the State Theatre Centre, B&M Store and many more. There are also lots of facts and figures, a neighbourhood guide and an insider's guide by Conor and Romina of Test Tube and Zekka fame! If you're new to Perth, heading this way, or just feel like being a tourist in your own city (which can be a very good thing), you can pick up a copy at most good book stores. Thank you, Wallpaper*! It is such an incredible honour to be included in this prestigious publication.

And here is me at perhaps my proudest moment...


(By the way, I've recently got into instagram - a little late, I know, but you can find me here :))

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Petrafanella




These lovely new knits have just arrived from Perth designer Peta Galloway of Petrafanella. There are nice chunky 100% wool cowls in fantastic colour block mixes, and 100% wool wristwarmers with sweet heart designs, but my favourites are the rope scarves, which are a 90% wool 10% mohair mix and come in some lovely neutral colours like smoke and olive. I'm looking forward to throwing one of these on once it gets a little cooler! We have a range of colours and designs in store now, and each is handmade by Peta right here in Perth. I'll try and get these up into the online store in the next week or so, too, so keep an eye out...

*All images by Petrafanella

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Fisheye





 




As well as shooting a virtual tour of Mr Sparrow last week, Marianne also took these (and many more!) fantastically other-wordly stills with her amazing fisheye lens. I love the effect!

If you haven't seen the virtual tour through our facebook page, you can check it out here. Pretty amazing, huh?? Expect to see it up on the website in the next week or so.

Also, check out this flat panorama of the store...


Doesn't it look HUGE?? Ahh what I could do if I actually had that kind of space!

*All images by Marianne Annereau for Panthrough

Monday, May 21, 2012

Preparations










I spent most of yesterday elbow-deep in soil, making kokedama and terrariums for First Comes Love this weekend...

As I was making quite a few, I set up a little station in the backyard and got stuck into it - it was quite fun working assembly-line style (I usually only make a couple at a time). By the time I had whipped up nine kokedama and four terrariums, though, I was about done with all things green and dirty for a little while! That said, I do have some other pretty green things in the works for First Comes Love, and I can't wait to set up my display on Saturday!

Sale is GO!


Mr Sparrow's HUGE ONLINE SALE is now live! Check out the sale section online for lots of lovely things at 50% off! Most items are very low in stock, so don't dawdle :)

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Funky leggings





It seems like the ombre trend is still going strong and I'm not complaining! How amazing are these new colour-blend mugs from KAHLA Porcelain? Called Update, they're the latest addition to KAHLA's Touch! range, which features a velvety-soft surface that looks and feels amazing (and, incredibly, is dishwasher-safe!). You might remember we've stocked the Touch! Eat and Drink sets and carafes in the past...actually, we still have one carafe that will be part of the sale next week :)

I love KAHLA's description of the Update mugs: "It is as if your mug was wearing funky leggings." Totally. And with such beautiful, bright colour combinations, I can't imagine not starting the day with a spring in my step after a coffee out of one of these!

*Images from KAHLA Porcelain