sally pring

I've spent the weekend trying to finally decide what will go on my yellow bedroom's walls - my postcards, my vintage records... Hopefully I'll have something to show soon. As I looked through Bodie and Fou for some inspiration, since they gave me this idea once (which is very much in progress). Suddenly I came across Sally Pring, a London-based illustrator.

Totally fell for her work, which can be purchased via her website, if you have a Paypal account:

I love her lines and colours. I want them all.

holy crap

It's been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it?

I want this for myself:

(image via Down and Out Chic via Southern Flourish)

this is it

I have decided that this is what I am going to do in my still unfinished yellow bedroom. That's it. The search is over.

(image via Bodie and Fou - Le Blog)

I want to kill myself because this is so chic.

the yellow bedroom, part 2

My problem at the moment is that I have nothing on my walls as of yet. However, I put together these five frames, which are serious contenders for hanging on the yellow walls.

I got the frames from the Sister, and decided to leave the backgrounds au naturel.

Here I framed two postcards I've had for a while and always thought belonged together. The top one is of Marilyn Monroe looking disheveled and lonely. The bottom one is a close-up of a mannequin missing an eyelash and looking lonely.

And here I simply framed four 7-inch vinyls I bought for nothing at a fleamarket in Pinheiros. Bought purely for their stylish covers. No sentimental attachment to the music whatsoever.

They will be making their way up on my walls when I finally decide where the hell to hang them.

will trade organs for bedding

I just saw this post on Apartment Therapy on Orla Kiely's bedding collection. I nearly wet myself.

Her bedding collection reminds of my 1970's bedding.

At this moment, I am offering my kidneys and a part of my liver for the following:

(images via Orla Kiely)

Orla Kiely falls directly under the category "shit that should be available in Brazil" ASAP.

the yellow bedroom, part 1

Since my yellow bedroom isn't all done yet, I'm going to post bits and pieces of it until it's all nicely put together.

But for now, here is a picture of my bedside table...

The bedside table and lamp are from Tok&Stok, while the acrylic pencil holder and alarm clock were bought at the London MUJI store. The pink phone was found at a flea market here in São Paulo. And I just want to lick those yellow walls...

But the cherry on the cake for me is the acrylic ceiling lamp, also from at Tok&Stok.

I just added this last picture because it looks all artist like and shit.

More pictures to come... hopefully more thrilling than a bedside table and a ceiling lamp.

that 70's bedding

A few years ago, my mother gave me her old bedding from when she got married.

They were purchased in 1975 and have lasted for over 30 years. No holes, no tears.

I use them regularly on my bed. The quality of this bedding amazes me... after thousands of washes, they have maintained their softness and colour.

Observe the evidence on these pillow cases. (I'm using the first one at the moment.)

I adore the patterns and colours. Growing up I used to think they were hideous on my parents' bed. But now I can't fathom life without them.

Moreover, I cannot find bedding with this good a quality here in Brazil anymore. I guess they don't make them as good as they did in the 70's.

And can we please notice that for a second day in a row I have posted my own photos?

So they were also taken on my nasty brown bedspread.

Don't be a bitch, I'm still learning.

P.S.

The yellow bedroom is coming together very slowly... but if you're good I'll attempt that taking pictures business I mentioned a while back.

in a not too distant future...

... I will post a picture that I will have actually taken myself. Of my new yellow bedroom.

I'm not a photographer, nor have I ever been. When I go on vacation, I don't even bring a camera. If there is a camera, its existence becomes unknown to me. I have no idea why this is... it's not like I don't like photography, or images. On the contrary, I'm a very visual person.

I guess I'm just a lazy bastard.

However.

As I will be moving next week to the new apartment with the Sister, I am making a vow to post pictures of my new bedroom. I will try my hand at photography and see what comes out of it.

Can't make any promises as to when these pictures will appear. It does take time to put a bedroom together. But appear they shall.

In the meantime, here are three of my favourite photographs. Obviously not taken by me.

Marilyn by Arnold Newman.

(image via here)

By Rineke Dijkstra, Kolobrzeg, Poland, July 26 1992.

(image via here)

Signs That Say What You Want Them To Say And Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Whants You To Say, 1992-1993, by Gillian Wearing.

(image via here)

come down south

I've been thinking.

I lived in London for 10 years, and have visited other cities where I encountered fabulous and stylish stores. Lately, I've been missing them.

São Paulo is a cosmopolitan, forward-looking city. So I think there are three stores that should be brought over to SP immediately:

1. Ikea

There still isn't one in the South American continent. I feel this should change. Here in Brazil there is a Ikea-like homegoods store called Tok&Stok, which is quite good. But it doesn't offer the vastness and design of Ikea.

For instance, I want this rocking chair for my yellow bedroom...

(image via Ikea UK)

... with this fabric.

(image via Ikea UK)

2. Anthropologie

I became acquainted with the store when I visited the Sister in Boston, where she went to university. It would work well here because it sells pretty, expensive things. And people from São Paulo ("paulistas") like pretty and expensive things.

Such as this lovely Grand Game wallpaper (which I want)...

(image via Anthropologie)

... this fine looking Keleidescope Throw...

(image via Anthropologie)

... and this Flock-Of-Swans dress.

(image via Anthropologie)

3. MUJI

I came to know Muji while living in London and am a loyal desciple. I love their simple, functional style in clothes, homegoods, stationary, and so on. Above all, I love their universal philosophy: "MUJI is not a brand. (...) MUJI creates products toward global consumption of the future."

If we had a MUJI store in São Paulo, I could stock up again on their gel-ink ball-point pens...

(image via MUJI US online store)

... their acrylic picture frames ...

(image via MUJI US online store)

... and get this steel pipe side table for my new bedroom.

(image via MUJI US online store)

I think I should be able to have these stores here in São Paulo to fulfill my current shopping needs.

Because deep, deep down, I am a good person.

stylish recycling

If I could get one of these recycled pieces by Rupert Blanchard for my new bedroom, I'd be really pleased.

(images via HomeShoppingSpy)

this is a complaint

I have not been able to find decent and/or attractive bedding here in São Paulo.

When I moved here last year, I needed some new bedding. Stores such as m martan, Casa Almeida, and Zêlo were my first stops, and then I went on a search in other street stores. I was surprised to see that bedding here is either overpriced if you want good quality, reasonably priced but without enough variety in colours/patterns, or available in a lower price range, with better design but of bad quality.

I ended up buying an aubergine duvet cover from Casa Almeida, which I got for a good price. But less than a year later, and after a few machine washes, it did not prove to be of decent quality. The zipper at the bottom of the duvet cover has completely torn off and the colour has washed out. This has pissed me off.

I believe in investing in a product to get a better quality and design, especially for the long term.

I just haven't found something that is worth investing in.

Ideally, if I found something like this...

(image via DwellStudio)

(image via marimekko)

... I'd be much obliged.

three things

Apartment Therapy is the interior decorator I will never be able to afford. Well, at least not in the near future. I love it so, particularly since it has featured posts from Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Makes me feel warm inside.

So here are three things that I am after for my new bedroom.

1. A cool bookcase so I can show off the books I bought for their pretty covers, as opposed to their content. Something in this style is appealing.

(image via Apartment Therapy)

2. An interesting/attractive way to display my postcard collection. These are some good ideas.

(image via Apartment Therapy)

(image via Apartment Therapy)

3. To arrange my bedroom like so.

(image via Apartment Therapy)

Enjoy your Monday. If that is at all possible.

yellow fever

In the next month or so I will be moving to a new apartment with the Sister.

And I have painted my new bedroom a nice bright yellow. I adore it.

Initially, I wanted to paint it teal. But I tested so many damn shades, that it became vomit inducing even before I could choose the final colour.

I have not fully made up my mind as to how I am going to design my new yellow lodgings, but I'm liking what I see here:

(images via Down and Out Chic)

All I know is that I have to incorporate a bubble-gum pink telephone bought in a flea market here in São Paulo:

(image via here)

It's very much in the style of Molly Ringwald's phone in Pretty in Pink. Which meant that I had to have it.