Scout Finch

I was once told that writing a story based on lists was the height of laziness as a journalist, but I say bugger it with today’s post.

One, this is just a self-indulgent project and doesn’t have an overbearing editor breathing down my neck and secondly, it’s Sunday and I’m writing it while wearing Target PJS and odd socks. Yes Carrie Bradshaw eat your heart out!

Sorry for the long delay in posts, but hey so what, I’ve been too busy enjoying this great city and life to give a hoot.

But for some reason I woke up this morning with an all-encompassing urge to write an update on five things that have been circling in this crazy brain.

Five things that I have been scouting out and can’t recommend highly enough to you…

First off, mainly because there is a little time limit on this one, I can’t recommend highly enough for you to beg, steal and borrow to grab the last tickets to the Empire show currently decked out at King George Square in Brisbane. It’s amazing.

It’s a sexy, burlesque version of Cirque de Soleil and is set in an intimate theatre of the round…and yes, you can get up anytime to replenish your drink and sit back like you are in someone’s lounge room and enjoy the marvel of human talent. It’s a show of comedy, circus, variety and burlesque.

Below is a link to the show I am talking about. Unfortunately, I was too busy enjoying the show to whip the camera out…but here is one of my lovely friend Robyn (who designed the header for this blog by the way – yes she’s super talented) and I before the show…and the carousel and performer who just happened to be sitting behind us. As you usually see at a show!

This is just an example of how weird and wonderful this show is.  Be quick as the show finishes in Brisbane on June 30…but is travelling around Australia. http://www.empireaustralia.com/

Number two. While reading the Courier Mail last weekend, I came across a cool story about a new exhibition, titled Madmen, at my home away from home – the Woolloongabba Antique Centre.

It started on June 14 and runs until the 24^th. I went along on Saturday and had a look. It’s amazing and yes you can buy the posters too.

It’s a display of rare print advertising from the early 1900s to today, put together by enthusiast Roy Sims.

There are original ads from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Vespa to even Ovaltine. It’s amazing and a true reflection of the wonderful art that used to go into advertising.

While I couldn’t find it, apparently one of the oldest one he has is an original French ad for the Moulin Rouge, dating back to 1906.

They are really well priced. I picked up this gem from 1924 for our new office wall – only $40.

It’s really worth a look. Really interesting…particularly seeing the sexism in advertising and really how little we’ve come in this area.

Thirdly, this new place called Grand Ideas recently opened near us at Northgate. It’s right across from the train station. It has a great little café at the front – made out of an old shipping container and reclaimed furniture and the Grand Ideas shop behind.

It’s an amazing treasure trove of reclaimed furniture, recycled timber…anything you can think of that is second-hand. It has old hospital cupboards, seats from an old cinema, masks from old theatre backdrops, and row-upon-row of salvaged doors from old homes.

We visited – well I dragged four of us under the guise of Sunday breakfast – and low and behold the shop behind just ironically as we finished our eggs benedict. Wow it’s amazing how these miracles just happen! Ha ha

Owners, Paul and Christine run the shop and are just amazing. Their enthusiasm for salvaging wood and furniture is infectious and I’m pleased to say they haven’t succumb to making this form of furniture wanky or overpriced like many other places in Brisbane.

I take my hat off to the couple, who apparently have been working towards opening this store for nearly three years while collecting the gems.

Go and say hello and go treasure hunting. Their website is http://www.grandideas.com.au/.

Leading from three to four, is our new office. Thanks to two beautiful pieces from Grand Ideas, we’ve being busy creating two work stations for our home office.

After years of sharing one desk and many fights over our own unique filing systems for stories and projects, we’ve finally developed our own areas. THANK GOD.

No more searching for my story ideas and clippings among Ed’s endless love of post-it notes and hundreds of wires connecting to his new IT toy.

We bought an old door, sanded it back and converted into a trestle table. We bought an old table from Brisbane Racing Club (complete with the word Finish stencilled in it) and gave it a bit of TLC to turn into my desk. Here are a few photos of our work in progress.

We’ve (thanks to Ikea white frames) create a wall to finally hang our collection of random pieces of art. I bought a book of drawings of New York for 50c at the recent Life Line Bookfest and ripped out sheets to make some pieces. We’ll keep you posted if this works or not or if it looks like crap. Could go either way ha ha.

And finally, two songs I have on repeat that I love. Both very funky, hopefully you enjoy them too.

http://vimeo.com/64070110

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Os1RRYDsA

Have fun scouting out new gems.