and then there was one

I have heard about the cases where the dentist’s kids have the worst teeth, the priest’s son is the biggest rebel and the shoemaker has no soles on his shoes… and I guess that is the case with my blog. While I regularly blog, tweet, write and photograph things from my clients, it has been ages since I updated my own blog…

And so I have taken a big step towards being a more productive blogger – I have finally merged my blog and my portfolio blog into one big blog… As the departure date for my European summer creeps closer I need to get the platform ready… So here it is.

Therefor I also apologise if some things will pop up twice, if the fonts and picture sizes are inconsistant and if this is no longer just styling and decor. There is, after all, more to me.

Enjoy. 

In your space iv

Part four of In Your Space, a personal project between myself and fantastic photographer Mareli Esterhuizen.

Read about the project and see more photos on my other blog. Yes i know…

Photographer: Mareli Esterhuizen

Styling: Helena Sheridan

House belongs to Matt Alison.

In your space IV – Matt

It has been more than a year since the last In Your Space – a personal project between myself and photographer friend Mareli Esterhuizen that had to take a backseat as too many personal projects do – but we were asked to do it again…


Matt Alison is a musician turned urban farmer and stay-at-home dad. I have followed his adventures on twitter for a long time and was flattered when he tweeted me to ask if we would come shoot In His Space.


Not too long ago Matt was a musician working super long hours, often away from home, but when his wife fell pregnant he decided to make some changes. A simple decision to not let his child eat the crap you buy in supermarket freezers or at fast food joints has lead to a whole new career. Today he takes care of over an acre of land in and around Cape Town, providing herbs and veggies to delis and restaurants while teaching others to grow their own and blogging his way through life!


My job as stylist was almost redundant as everything in his house seems to be perfectly curated and styled already. In a house where every item has a story and Matt can give interesting background on every piece we had lots of fun exploring the details and even getting in those much loved wide shots!

 Every piece in the living room has a story and Matt speaks of them with pride! 

 Matt’s “started curate this space as a concept/platform for the expression of ideas with other creatives centered around the table with home-cooked, homegrown food” in January 2012 and this Cado royal system wall unit, straight out of the offices of the Danish Embassy, was the departure point. Read more about the idea here. 


Above, on the top shelve designer Lucas R Adams made the ‘illuminating’ light as his contribution while everything on the bottom shelve was curated by interior design Neil Stemmet (of Koncept Design Architecture and Interiors) including a tortoise shell found on the plot of his new house on the west coast, rock salt and a collection of 1980′s National Geographics. 

Above, the top shelve was put together by illustrator Lauren Fowler and the bottom shelve by stylists / creatives Thaya Bedford & Nicole Ravenscroft.

Lights, inspired by the set of Mad Men (seasons 1 – 3) ordered from & custom made in the USA. 

 A collection of cameras and 365 photos (one from every day of Nathan’s first year) organised into ‘play time’, ‘bath time’ and ‘sleep time’ shaped into hearts along with wooden toys – all close to Matt’s heart.

 Matt and Nathan made this terrarium - see how here!

 Chickens – to ensure they know where their eggs comes from… 

 

 A fake snake to scare the birds and photographers

Garden goodness. 

While we played house with his interesting collection of cool stuff, Matt cooked up a feast in the kitchen. We ate an heirloom tomato caprese salad;  a bresola, rocket, grilled asparagus sandwich on sourdough with free range poached eggs from his garden and a Thai infused chicken salad, perfect for the scorching day we had… 

Find out more about Matt and his adventures on his blog.

Photographer: Mareli Esterhuizen

Styling: Helena Sheridan (although like I said, it was already lovely when we got there!)

My religion

Appreciate the Great Mother: 


Celebrate her offerings with reverence.


See sacred sights as her home – take gifts of joy, laughter, song and dance.


See trees and plants as her lungs, without which there will be no inspiration for us.


See rivers and oceans as her blood, keep them clean & unpolluted so that it may nourish us


See rocks and mountains as her bones, they give us stability and security.


See other creatures on Earth as your family – each reflecting a part of the human nature.


See every human as a part of yourself and treat them with love and respect.


Amen. 

Global consciousness

Look beyond your bubble, your church, political party, your bad habits and beyond your ego.

Think of a global future

The only future possible

One where we all pull our weight

And share the positive results

A world without poaching, war, racism and violence

There are too many distractions

Keeping us from seeing the bigger picture

Who wore what to this and that

Pop star scandals and fashion faux pas

Movies and TV

Mindless entertainment sucking at your soul

It is time for us to look beyond

See the global issues.

The inequality. Wars. Elitist agendas.

The destruction of our beautiful planet.

It is time to open up your eager eyes

Time to be awoken. 

operation declutter. phase 1

And then it was 2012. Wow we are already 10 days into this year. unbelievable!

As you might know, 2012 is a year of big changes and bold moves for me.
I am moving out of Cape Town and back to Malmesbury (after 8 years in the city) for a few months. In Malmes (the small town where I grew up, about an hour outside Cape Town) I will stay with my awesome Gran for a few months (she has two adjoined flats, so I will join her).
This way I will not only learn amazing skills from an amazing woman with a wealth of life lessons to teach me, but I will also be able to save so I can go travel.

The plan is to spend Summer in Europe. But more on that later, for now I am busy streamlining my life, in other words, getting rid of all the things that weigh me down and that I do not really need!

Phase one, books. I have already given my best friend 2011 in TIME magazines, so onto the books.
I can take the whole lot to Tommy’s Book Exchange on Long Street but for now, maybe there is something you would like to read?

From the top: 1. silly easy to read fiction

2. a classic!

3. fun for any party from young to old to naughty and nice

4. find your purpose via religion (nice day to day activities)

5. a truly South African story. Alison’s account on surviving a brutal rape/attack.

6. classic Katzenbach – a great suspense story

7. a non-fictional yet funny look into the illegal weapons trade

8. perfect for a mission into the winelands of SA (2010 version, still relevant)

9. a funny auto-biographical look at the life and times of a female american comedian 

10. great South African writing, set in Mellville Jhb. 

 From the top: 1. silly easy to read and enjoy fiction (a bunch of friends live through scenes in movies)

2. Now a block buster film, set at a remote boarding school for girls somewhere in SA.

3. silly easy to read fiction for when you do not want to think too much.

4. haha. not a self help book. 

5. the auto-biographic look at the life of SAcan children’s author Helen Brain. includes fictional pieces – great book.

6. similar to nr 3

7. More great SAcan non-fiction. an account on the life and times of one of the policemen caught up in the Apartheid drama and deaths. sex, drugs, violence and Apartheid 

8. a collection of poetry

9. fun interesting read 

10. over 20 years old and still the best reference for star signs and the people under them.

from the top: 1. non-fiction, a look into popular culture and it’s effects on societies / individuals.

2. a funny account of an advertising agency during the new recession. 

3. non fiction. I think the title says it all. very informative.

4. a collection of Apartheid poems.

5. great fiction by the author of Jarhead. Set in Tokyo and on a US military base in Japan. 

6. no comment 

7. a classic!

let me know if you are interested (or if I borrowed any of this from you…). 

All books going for R20! (bargain!) or 3 for R50 (that is half the price of  of a bargain!)

SOLD

mail me, call me or tweet me… 

e. quietriotgirl@gmail.com 

c. 083.55.86.594

t. @quietriotgirl

and watch this space for the rest of my belongings going on sale.

now back to the “give back/away” / “keep” / “sell” game with me!

Happy holidays