once in a blue moon...

happy new year to all my custardbydesign followers...

i've really enjoyed maintaining this blog in 2009, so much so that i thought it needed a bit of a revamp and a bit more thought on content and structure for the year ahead...i promise to keep it updated in 2010...

i'm looking forward to introducing you to more favourite spots of mine, little bars and nooks and crannies across ireland and more to come from this side of the pond...new craftspeople, entrepreneurs, companies, designers and artists...favourite books, articles and snippets from magazines...and a whole lot more...

and don't be shy...if you have a product, piece of art, interiors project you would like me to include get in touch...i'm only too happy to feature new products that i truly admire and appreciate...

adh mor...

well...

well...

i have an aunt who used to call our house everyday to talk to her sister {my mother}...and by well, she meant how are you...{whats the craic/whats new/any schlaps today/are ya well/is your mother home/where's your da/did you hear from such and such}...all sorts of questions in the vain hope my mother might drive the car into the back street and i'd say ''here's mummy now''...

so in the words of herself... i've a wee bit of updating to do regarding blogs and websites etc but other than what...whaddya think...???...so...''well...???''...

work in progress...

ok...so eventually...after a little bit of frustration...i have my 3 column layout which i'm happy with and i have my own custardbydesign banner which i took great pleasure in designing...

i did have a little help though...

this really is hard...

somehow i've lost all my wonderful daily blogs and websites and aaarrrggghhh...this is so annoying...

if it aint broke dont fix it huh...no matter...

i'll retrieve all my info...one way or another...

this is hard...

so i'm working on revamping custardbydesign...

i want to revamp the look of my blogspot as well as the content/layout...and i'm wondering where to begin...

when i say content/layout i mean structure...and when i mean structure i mean setting out a target or goal approach for me and my musings...i feel like i want to be a bit bolder and be able to completely slate something if i feel like its justified, it is my opinion after all...

i want more interviews...i'm going to aim for one a month...and january will see me interview me...!!!

i can't decide if i my random approach is good enough, sometimes i see a piece of artwork or a chair that i love and before i know it i've posted 3 or posts all about said artwork or chairs...is that a bit bleugh or is that OK...???

or should i set a goal so that 3 times a week i post about interiors on monday, architecture on wednessday and products on friday...???

let me know...what do you think...???

as for the look...i need to research all my options and what i can do...i feel like i want a 3 column blog...i feel like i want to design a cool phunky banner and i'm not sure how thats done...

so i'm off to spend a bit of time looking at all my options...i feel like i need to create a moodboard..!!!

oh...and if you have any hints or tips or advice let me know...!!!

believe...

believe...believe in what exactly - well thats up to you...!!!

i just thought i would share a little part of our christmas tree with you...

i'm taking a bit of a time out over the next few days to enjoy all thats happening over the christmas holidays...but i do have a little extra i want this christmas...and thats where i believe you guys can help me out...

i'd love to know who exactly reads my blog, what you do and where you're from, so please over the next few days i would appreciate it if you would actively follow my blog, and please make a comment in the comment box and introduce me to your blog if i'm not already familiar with it...

i'm going to bounce back in the new year with a little bit of a revamp and a bigger and better agenda for custardbydesign in 2010...

happy holidays...merry christmas...nollaig shona...joyeux noel...glædelig jul...fröhliche weihnachten...

skype me...

skype is all too important to me now that i'm across the pond from family and friends...

how nostalgic is this little device...its an old style phone with a usb adaptor...

http://www.yubz.com/

hang them...

what a noble coat hanger...i love the silhouette idea...

http://www.big-game.ch

zoomed in...

spanish born, london based designer cristian zuzunaga has literally zoomed in on colour creating a fresh view on printed design...

zuzunaga works with pixel concepts, applying design to fabrics used in furniture upholstery...he takes his inspiration from architecture and the urban environment devising his signature style based on squares and rectangles...

bursting onto the design scene with his pixel sofa, this was produced by danish manufacturer kvadrat and sold through moroso, he has now added more pixel inspired designs to his portfolio including chairs and artwork...

http://www.cristianzuzunaga.com

http://www.kvadrat.dk/

http://www.moroso.it/

something completely different...

i picked up a business card in a thrift store last week and the intrigue of only having a logo and website led me to find out exactly what lay in store...

and the intrigued paid off...not that i'm knocking the cutesy cutesy artwork and imagery that so often has been posted on custardbydesign and other bloggs i certainly welcomed the darker hues of what noir33 had to offer...

check out the website for yourself, and the photography section is locked until a photography exhibition in january which i hope i will be bale to attend...

http://www.noir33.com/

http://www.myspace.com/noir33

the story...

i read this little short story book yesterday and thought i would share the sentiment with you...a beautiful story in a beautifully presented book...

if you see it in the stores it will be a great stocking filler for someone...

“Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas Box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems them good. As for me, I believe. And it is, after all, my story.”

http://richardpaulevans.com/the-christmas-box

bow lane festivities...

the irish design shop are extending an invite to all you good boys and girls out there to an opening on thursday 17th dec...

resident artists will be displaying their work in the gallery space next door...on top of this new arrivals and reasonable prices are putting the irish design shop as a must for the ideal christmas gift...

and commencing saturday 19th dec, the irish design shop is transforming the workshop into a mini-cinema where they will be screening a selection of festive movies...

http://irishdesignshop.com

christmas riff-raff...

last sunday i accompanied joanna and her mum on a tour of homes decorated for the holidays in washington county...the tour was a fundraiser for the northwest arkansas junior league association...

for me it was a novel way of getting a good nosey inside peoples homes, the difference in the decorating styles were unbelievable, as did i get great value from noticing how different the house-plans and layouts are from the terraces in dublin and the country-side bungalows in armagh that i am so familiar with...

i've been meaning to blogg about the first house we visited all week and now i've actually found suitable images to use for this post...

kirsten blowers in a local interior designer, who runs her own unique little store called riff-raff...the house we visited was actually her parents house...i've selected 2 of my favourite images from the tour last sunday...

think oversized poinsettias and upside down christmas trees and you get the phunky vibe that kirsten has created...

i am also a fan of the black painted wall...

check out her links below for more images...

http://kirstenblowersinteriordesign.blogspot.com/

http://shopriffraff.blogspot.com/

http://www.juniorleaguenwa.org/

winter degloomification...

'the perfect antitode to gloomy irish winters'...

these limited edition prints from well-known illustrator chris haughton have been available at the canvas.ie inline store for a few weeks now...they are prefect size-wise and price-wise for interior projects...

http://www.canvas.ie

pour me some light...

i saw this lamp a few weeks ago on 'my notting hill' and michelle kindly shared the details with me...

available from cisco brothers, i just love the roughness and texture of this lamp, the almost abrupt shapeless lump of jug-ness that it is makes it so unique...but it still makes for a classy piece of pendantry...

it would be ideal in a kitchen i think...

http://www.ciscobrothers.com/

http://mynottinghill.blogspot.com/

pretty far west...

pretty far west is a very entertaining blogg where 'mise' vents her daily musings concerning art, interior design, furniture, lifestyle, blogging and strong silent men like myself...

her daily ramblings are often accompanied by her vibrant sense of wit and colourful imagery to boot...which is why pretty far west has been added to my blogroll today...

http://prettyfarwest.blogspot.com/

let it snow...

we had a tiny little powder dusting of snow today in fayetteville, which made me think of this...

snow sign by doublemuse at etsy...

http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=5920056

today i'm thinking about...

wallpapers...you've been chasing me on this for a while and eventually i've found it...envy and enchant, from the indulgence collection by harlequin...

http://www.harlequin.uk.com

radiant incandescance...

one of the great things about blogging for me is making contacts with craftsmen, artisans, designers, architects and other bloggers...yesterday i forged a funny rapore with elaine prunty, fellow blogger and glass artist based in dublin...

elaine is contemporary and innovative, creating stunning artwork for interior and exterior spaces...she uses the traditional skills of mosaic and stained glass artists in a very imaginative way...

elaine likes to work mainly with glass as if offers a luminosity, radiance and durability unequaled by other mediums...in my own words, her irredescent work and her mirrors rock...

www.elaineprunty.com/

crumpet and skirt...

nice bit of crumpet indeed...crumpet and skirt is a 'fledgling business' inspired by the fabulous sexyness of 50's pin-up girls...

showcasing the images of the pin-up girl in a classy and retro way, the products currently available are wrapping paper, greetings cards, tea towels and peek-a-boo mugs, with other products in development...

the cheeky ranges available are quirky and eye-catching...who needs a dish-washer when you have veronica for company in the kitchen...

i look forward to watching this product line develop...
http://www.crumpetandskirt.com/

weekend thoughts...

i did...

by artzink on etsy...

http://www.etsy.com/

an american tale...

well its happened...i've done it...i've moved...

i've been a bit pre-occupied over the past two weeks getting myself and my belongings packed up and ready for the states...i had a bit of trouble getting my hands on my visa after i got approved, nothing like some last minute drama...

so i arrived in america on wednesday, december 2nd and joanna and i have ssettled into fayetteville, arkansas for the time being while we job-hunt and find somewhere to work and then we'll be looking for somewhere to live...

and then i guess i'll be able to concentrate on the blogg again...

http://willstleger.wordpress.com/