What I’m loving
My Babylonstoren calendar is a delight, not only because it’s so beautifully designed (with recipes, gardening tips, and general great ideas for specific months), but also because every gorgeous sheet simply peels off – so when the month is over you can use it as wrapping paper… or to line your kitty litter tray, depending on how the month turned out for you. It’s lovely, useful and cathartic: totally worth its quite hefty price tag (R390). I didn’t need to buy wrapping paper once last year, and it gave me joy every day.
AKA Jannie
An image created using ‘paint shades’ from different denims may sound a little… peculiar, but the reality, in Nicki Friedlein’s talented hands, is spectacular. I particularly love this portrait of artist Jannie Uitlander, AKA Jannie, but her landscapes – like the images of the Knysna Heads – are equally stunning. Nicki creates her pieces using jeans donated by friends. Have a look at her work on Instagram (@knip_art), or call her on 083 410 1320. She also takes commissions.
The world just got a bit brighter!
YInMn may not roll off the tongue, but it is very easy on the eye. Named after its chemical compounds yttrium, indium and manganese oxide, it’s already being called YinMin or Oregon, which is where scientists first made it. By accident. In a furnace. I think that’s fabulous – and I love it that the world has a brand-new colour in it, especially one as beautiful as this.