The August Break 4

Could that cloud be breaking? This is for you Jo Jo x



Day one for me on The August Break 2011 challenge. Let's hope I can keep it up...

4 Sleeps To Go!

Everything in my life has been on hold for a long time now and in four days time I am able to reclaim my life again. I have to admit I have had a ball being back in advertising, with some real challenges, but most importantly some great people and colleagues that I have worked with. However, now I am ready to get back to RedFish, my interiors, my vintage buying exploits, sourcing wonder pieces for people and getting Teacups & Pearls truly up and running (more on that another time). So my first challenge is to create and build a website for RedFish and Teacups & Pearls, and for this I have given myself three weeks. I am going to use this space to show the countdown and see if 3 weeks are possible. Let's see shall we?

My best friend T believes that if you think hard enough about something it will begin to happen. There is one thing just recently that has happened in this way, but I will save that for another post as the culmination of the thought is on Monday and I don't want to tempt fate.

The thought I do leave you with is that today at the market I bought 4 1920's pen illustrations of ladies head fashion and a sale poster scamp for Derry and Toms (which I will share with you when I find their full history). Derry and Toms were one of the largest department stores in 1920's London. They were rivals of Selfridges and Swan & Edgar attracting vast queues on their opening sale days and standing the test of time until they sadly closed on January 13th 1972. Most people would then have known the building to have been taken over by Biba with the amazing Rainbow Restaurant and the famous Roof Gardens, commissioned by Derry and Toms, and now owned by Richard Branson.

So imagine my surprise when I am part way through researching the history of the illustrations I had bought and clicked onto a blog I read regularly Ted and Bunny. Her latest post was about yellow and how much she would love to wear it but sadly cannot, as the colour does not suit, and the last time she had bought a yellow piece was in Biba in the old Derry and Toms building on Kensington High Street - weird, random, coincidence?

It's been a long long time

I have been a very bad, bad, bad blogger. Can't believe how long I have ignored you for - sorry won't really cut it will it? Time has flown by many projects finished, postponed, cancelled and some we are trying to revive now - it's tough out there, the interiors industry is taking a battering most of my work is coming from the commercial side of things as residential is hibernating. I am now also trying to get some interior styling work e.g. photo shoots, theatre/tv sets, window displays, house styling etc so if you know of anyone who needs help with their style then please let me know :0

Also in an attempt to get the RedFish name out there have been working on my website (along with my trusty art director!) and man it's hard promoting yourself - it's not one of my strong points - for 14 years or so I promoted some major brands world-wide but when it's so close to home it's a bit personal! (sorry picture of my art director keeps placing itself up the top of the blog and now HERE am frustrated now so am going to leave it where it is! why does it do that?)

So in search of inspiration I have come back to blogging and it's been lovely catching up with all my old blog haunts which I have not frequented for a while - glad to hear you are all well and happy :0

Anyone else on twitter? I have just joined today so am very new to it but it seems quite fun - have just voted on which jacket richard bacon should wear on sftw tomorrow - loads of people involved in it so should be a bit of fun -come and look me up I'm under redfishdesigns.

Also before I run any of you seen this over at polariod? It's great - drag your image onto the polariod camera icon which will be on your desktop and it turns your modern image into a nostalgic polariod shot with all it's colour vignetting and flaws - the camera even makes the sound it used to when it was ejecting your print - mmm memories! Pop over and have a go and don't forget that if you are in a hurry you can give it a virtual shake - think I'll be spending some time on converting my pictures...

Happy snapping!