Constructively Alone

“Every kind of creative work demands solitude, and being alone, constructively alone, is a prerequisite for every phase of the creative process.”
- Barbara Powell

Here I sit. It’s a Friday night and you know what, I’m doing one of my favourite things! I’m not heading out. Too much of a nana at the moment for that. Going out is of course one of my favourite things though. But not tonight. It’s the end of a typicaly busy week for me and one of my favourite ways to spend my Friday night is at home pretty much by myself just flitting around doing whatever I want and relaxed by the fact that I don’t have to get up to an alarm tomorrow morning. Not only do I not have to get up to an alarm but I don’t have to walk out the door before lunchtime if I so desire. Not sure that this particular alone time becomes very constructive but then again I do think that as long as you're doing something you haven't done before even as simple as reading an article that you haven't already read then all time become constructive to an extent.

Friday night is always good.

Craving crazy!

As I was working away on placement yesterday as it hit early afternoon I had the most bizarre food craving. Not because it was a crazy food combo like peanut butter and celery or even corn and Nutella sandwiches which was one I heard on Triple J yesterday. Not was this craving something wickedly sweet and rich like a Lindt chocolate ball or a tasty baked New York cheesecake like I would typically long for at any given moment. Hungry yet? If you are this may just put you off! I was in fact craving a piece of homemade bread (normal right?) all soggy in home made vegetable soup! No idea where that came from except that it reminds me of how much I miss home with the family. Must miss it a lot since ten years ago I definitely turned up my nose at both aforementioned foods and my eleven-year-old heart would have sunk when it was announced that this was in fact on the menu for dinner. It would have been a painful twenty minutes for Mum as after we had gobbled down the bread dipped in the soup she would have to persistently stand her ground and make sure my siblings and myself consumed our ten mouthfuls of soup before we could

Have anything else for dinner! Screwed up faces would mumble 'what's in this?' As other sour faces were made as the ridiculous effort went into swallowing this disliked bowl of nutritious (and I will tell you now also absolutely delicious) soup. 'Well I made it with lots of love' Mum would respond.

Oh how times have changed. Kids are so funny! Sorry Mum!

20 years of Triple J's Hottest 100

So the other night as I was putting together the LINKspired post I began to ramble a bit when I mentioned Triple J's Hottest 100 from the past 20 years. So to avoid the ramble in that post I have given it a post all of it's own! Look out, here I go getting all nostalgic about music and being a teenager.

20 years of Triple J's Hottest 100! Wowee! Gosh it's almost as old as me! Established only two years after I was, this annual countdown began in 1993 when to place your vote you actually had to make a phone call! The voting system has certainly evolved since back in those days! Personally I feel the annual 'indie' countdown has become a strong staple in the Australian music scene. Amazing to think of all the fantastic music that has been produced in this time. All those songs that just from hearing the start of the tune play through your speaker you know what is coming for the next three and a half minutes. That is unless you choose to hit that switch and change the channel or jab at that skip button on your iPod.

I'm left feeling like quite the newb as I only really got into Triple J's selection of music five years ago when my brother (who had long been a listener) bought the Hottest 100 Compilation CD that year. My music taste before this time had been limited and innocent in many ways as I would have far from strayed from the typical top 40 tracks that are forever hashed out on the radio. The first album I ever purchased with my own pocket money was Britney Spears Oops... I Did It Again. And I'm still more than into all that mainstream music. I still buy Britney Spears CDs as I label my music taste as un-selective and very broad. Just don't expect me to listen to heavy rock or death metal and I'll be happy.

So at the age of sixteen I was exposed to Volume 15 of the hottest 100 and I recall having it on repeat as I fell in love with the difference in selection to my common listening habits. It was 2009, the year that Mumford and Sons claimed it was not your fault while Bluejuice were walking around on a broken leg, and Lisa Mitchell was sitting in a Coin Laundry. Vampire Weekend were singing about Cousins and Lily Allen was complaining that it's not fair. That whole album was the soundtrack to that year and I still listen to any of the songs featured on it and like a time machine it takes me back to those innocent days of being sweet sixteen.

And here we are five years later and it is definitely one of the most exciting parts of the year compiling that short list and indecisively trawling through all the tracks you fell in love with that year and chopping down that list to vote for your ten favourite songs while there are about 30 others that you had to cut off. With this count, hottest 100 from the past twenty years they were a bit generous and let us put in twenty of our favourites but then again the list of possibilities increased tenfold! It was so challenging to vote as I'm sure you found if you did. My list was heavily based on the last five years of music... or even three maybe.... my afterthoughts were filled with regret as I realised all the music I hadn't even considered! Go check out the final list. And they've even compiled it as a YouTube Playlist for us!

Now the count is all over and I've just spent the entire afternoon enjoying the fantastic selection it became as song after song popped up that I repeatedly wondered how I hadn't come to consider it in my own list!

All I can say is thank you Triple J! Thank you for playing the music you do and being the radio station that you are and making the Hottest 100 list that I'm sure will age beautifully far beyond another 20 amazing years of music!

Talking about it over on The Project

LINKspired #012

Just read this article about designer Dieter Rams,  and his philosophy in his design work where Good Design is as Little Design as Possible and was rather inspired by it. I'm now actually making a poster based on his ten principles to "good design" featured in the article.

Made Chocolate chip Cookie in a cup a few weeks ago and I'm so addicted to this one! Totally delish!

Pretty excited to find out tomorrow what has been voted as the Triple J Hottest 100 of 20 years! Go and check out the history of it all! It's so cool you can go and check out the entire archive and check out what was going on in the music scene since 1993.

Scrolling through Lovely Stationary and came across these delightful designs. The James Hotel. Love the patterns in the variations of the backs of the cards. Heart Affair. Love the retro feel to this identity. Science. There is just something about rounded corners that does it for me! And the blue is just gorgeous!

Totally keen to see The Great Gatsby! The Art Deco style identity of the typography they have used is gorgeous! Read about it over at desktop. Aaaand over at Like Minded Studios on Behance. So Striking and pretty!

Terribly patiently...

It's been a hectic but awesome week since I've shared anything on here. There are a few things I'll try to cover without waffling on too much...

Firstly Trimester One is done! Which is exciting. I'm pretty sure I passed everything and even had a particular teacher a little bit impressed with one of my projects so that was rather satisfying! Apart from that there are definitely some briefs that I shall be carrying on with in second trimester as there are just so many things I want to change and develop with them! Perfection is unobtainable but still I strive to achieve as close as I can get!

Then there was the big AGideas conference in the later part of last week. In some ways it's odd as it's such a student orientated event and all things going to plan this time next year I'll be a totally working woman and won't be classified a student and therefore am unlikely to be attending the event. It's an odd feeling as you went through it as if it's to be your last. At least for some time perhaps. This year was really interesting as there was a particularly mixed line up of speakers. With such a range of niche disciplines we had a few speakers that were practically scientists which a few of us found a little hard to connect to our own line of work and to work out it's relevance.

But all in all as usual there was certainly some amazingly talented people that presented impressively and definitely left some inspiration and extra knowledge in my brain. Particularly loved Gemma O'Brien who you can find out all about on her blog for the love of type and also go and check out her work as part of the Jacky Winter Group! SHe is just amazing with type! Then there was Stony Cherng a graphic designer from Taiwan who was definitely up there with the most entertaining along with some gorgeously stunning work on show and a fabulous performance of singing that she keenly serenaded the crowd with! Nadine Chahine was another interesting one with her work on Arabic type. I could go on and on... There were many fabulously interesting people to see!

Then there was my attending of the Groovin' The Moo music festival over the weekend! Grand times did proceed before the most disappointing moment of my life when it finally came to The Temper Trap coming on stage I was feeling quite physically ill and couldn't possible continue on in the chilled weather and had to go home. Possibly one of the most regrettable and frustrating moments of my life! I could cry just thinking about it. Will be waiting terribly patiently for them to return to Australia again! They were pretty much the reason I bought the ticket! That being said, those that I did see were fudging awesome! Especially Tegan & Sara, The Kooks, Seth Sentry and The Hungry Kids of Hungary. Probably a bit of new music to add to the collection there I think! Great stuff Bendigo! Couldn't believe how many people were out in their onsies! I was definitely wishing I had mine on as the day wore on and it got really cold!

Now I get to be back home on the farm for the week as I take some time out for my trimester break. So far it's been fantastic. It's always good to be home for a bit no matter how much I love Melbourne.

Today I had a wonderful time on a little movie date with the girls. We went and saw The Big Wedding. It was mixed anticipation as we went and saw it just as much because there was no other films of interest showing as apposed to being desperate to see it or it being a film we had heavily been anticipating which is much more commonly the case when we go and see something. My main attraction to the film was Katherine Heigl's starring role as I'm terribly biased and adore the woman. She was good in it but I wouldn't say it was the best work of any of the cast. Or more just the entire storyline or film in general was just missing that special something because really the cast was fantastic! 7/10.

I also purchased the new Rudimental album, Home. So far in love with it. Already love the singles Not Giving In and Feel The Love and so far haven't heard a track I haven't enjoyed. This will likely be played non-stop for the next few weeks! Have just been streaming Vampire Weekend's new stuff on iTunes too. Modern Vampires of the City. It's pretty cool. Adding that one to the newbie list too!

Anyways, time to go and get some delicious cheesecake that my sister made and curl up in my onesie with a few of the sisters and a movie. Blissful!

The true Secret of Happiness

Quick post. Busy busy!

Trimester one is almost done and dusted, but the best bit is the work part is done as I put in my final submissions today. The dusted part is like a sweet sprinkling of icing sugar that is attending the AGideas conference for the rest of the week! Hopefully it lives up to the past few years and exceeds expectations. I love the conference and am totally keen for the injection of inspiration that it provides. So lucky to be a design student in Melbourne with conferences like this so close to home!

In other news I am totally in love with Bastille's track, their debut into mainstream popularity it seems. But if you haven't already heard Pompeii, and perhaps fallen in love with it as I have then you have quite possible been living under a rock, yes? Another sweet as track right now that is repeating in my head is Daft Punk's latest offering of Get Lucky. So so catchy!

Anyway I will finish with this quote which I think rings rather true...

“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”
-William Morris
SwissMiss

Infinite

So it's Friday all over again. It's funny how sometimes it seems forever away, especially on Monday mornings but then you get there and realise that last Friday doesn't feel like that long ago...

Except now it's Monday and although Friday isn't quite as distant as it was when my alarm broke into my slumbering bliss and stole my dreams it sure seems yet again plenty far away. Today really dragged on to. Somehow my body clock is out of whack entirely and despite it only being barely 7.30 I already feel like it should be 9!

Despite the drag the day became I did enjoy a productive morning which did involve me getting a bit carried away with a brief I'm particularly excited about as my mind went crazy with ideas of the above and beyonds of the brief I could do with it. The sky isn't even the limit. Take it out to infinity! Though all this enthusiasm is a fabulous feeling it can also become asset back in briefs as your mind carries you off into outer space with all your ideas and it takes some serious concentration to cut the engines and pull yourself back to planet earth to ensure you get a solid foundation, a quality base station before you set your sights on landing on the moon.

Anyway, needless to say, excited I am! It's going to be a busy few weeks with the end of treaters just around the corner and major deadlines looming large! And I love it!

I also love that not only did I get my hands on Paramore's new and self titled album yesterday but also got a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and have finally watched it! And I adored it. Definitely wasn't disappointed and would highly recommend viewing along with reading the book. It was a ready evening last night actually as not only did perks get me going but I also got up to the season final of greys Anatomy which is the devastating episode that leaves Izzy and George's lives both hanging in the balance. Talk about torture. Despite knowing exactly what happens with these things it still seems to bring on some decent waterworks which isn't fantastic on top of this silly cold that I haven't quite shaken off yet!

Also slipped in a little shopping yesterday as I was beyond keen for some retail therapy. So much gorgeous Autumn fashion and accessories! Especially this gorgeous jacket I found in Jeanswest and fell in love with. Its in the stunning rich red wineish purple colour. Unfortunately my penny saving conscious prevented me splurging on it yesterday but I may just have to go back. But then I also saw a very nice few jackets in Myer so may have to scout about a bit and get one. I am due for a new jacket I'm sure!

Oh to be filthy rich!

Was a rather productive Sunday I had actually as I managed to give my room a good going over and got out all my beloved winter clothes! Kind of keen for the chill!