These totally nice Converse SAK x Jack Purcells, by Ryusaka Himura.
But there’s only 64 pairs in the whole world 
10
Aug 10
Running for a good cause: part 5
So, somehow last week I managed to walk into a piece of furniture and stub my toe.
Like most times I’ve stubbed a toe, I guessed that while it was disproportionately painful for a short while, it would cause me more embarrassment at my stupidity than long-term discomfort.
Or so I thought. It turned out the loud crack I’d heard was the sound of a bone breaking. Not really the most welcome news as I prepare to undertake the Great North Run in September!
Luckily, by some fluke, I’ve managed to break a toe which I don’t seem to use an awful lot for walking or running. After the initial swelling and bruising subsided, I’ve been able to strap the toe to it’s neighbour and it doesn’t seem too uncomfortable.
So yesterday morning, after a few days rest, I took an experimental 5k run to see how it coped. And it did admirably – no pain or real discomfort and no extra swelling or bruising today as a result.
So I’m back in the race!
Which is great because I’m running to raise money for a really good cause – to help Maggie’s cancer caring centres continue their good work to support people affected by cancer. If you’d like to help Maggie’s continue their good work then why not run right over to my JustGiving page and sponsor me using the button thing below:
Thank you!
16
Jul 10
Wants: part 3
Any piece from the Concrete Stitches range of furniture by James Plumb
Some great pieces made from reclaimed broken furniture, that this design pair make functional again by casting concrete in or around the pieces
15
Jul 10
Some (newish) music I’m liking
I always love to discover new (to me) music. These are a few bands/albums I’ve been listening to recently:
Beach House Teen Dream – kind of shimmery, deceptively gentle
Sleigh Bells Treats – distorted pop stuff
Stornoway Beachcomber’s Windowsill- folky but not too twee
Mock & Toof Tuning Echoes – electronic Shoreditch disco
Janelle Monae The Archandroid – a lost 70s soul classic
White Hinterland Kairos – hypnotic, with beautiful vocals
and finally:
Harlem Hippies – I picked up on this band after a tweet from @martinxo and I’m loving them. A kind of early 90s garage band sound (but far better than that description) which completely fits my mood right now 
If you’re on Spotify you can listen to all these and more on my new(ish) stuff I’m liking playlist
13
Jul 10
Design for the first world
A post on the Sugru blog flagged up this great idea: ‘Design for the First World’ - a design competition seeking solutions from the developing world to problems in the first world, and challenging our assumption that solutions only go from here to there.
The competition is looking for the best solution for one of four areas: Food Production and Eating Disorders, Aging Population and Low Birthrate, Immigration and Integration to Society, Sustainability and Over consumption. The website explains it far, far better than I can:
The competition has now closed and the judging will begin soon – I’m eager to see some of the ideas that have been submitted and finding out which has won.
12
Jul 10
Wants: part 2
A bottle of Comme Des Garçons Series 2: Red – Sequoia from Dover Street Market.
One of my absolute favourite smells
11
Jul 10
Two pianos four hands
I made an early start (by my standards, and especially considering it’s Sunday) this morning to catch a concert at the Pittville Pump Room, part of the Cheltenham Music Festival 2010
In their Two pianos four hands concert , piano duo Joseph Tong and Waka Hasegawa played a great programme including pieces by Debussy, Saint-Saens, Lord Berners and Ravel.
But the highlight for me was their performance of Stravinsky‘s Rite of Spring – vital and dynamic, their playing captured the primitive, rhythmic qualities of the full orchestral version and brought it alive – definitely one of the best concerts I’ve been to recently.
10
Jul 10
Running for a good cause: part 4
A minor hiccup this week in my training for the Great North Run 2010 on 19 September
An unanticipated increase in speed on the treadmill in the gym resulted in a twisted ankle and a painful left achilles tendon – worrying as I have a history of dodgy achilles tendons, having torn both in the past (resulting in weeks of immobility and then many more of limping)
Luckily a rest from running (though not the gym) over the past few days seems to have been all that was needed to get my tendon back to normal and training is back on track
Which is a good thing, as I’m taking part in the GNR to raise money for a great cause – to help Maggie’s cancer caring centres continue their good work to support people affected by cancer. If you’d like to helpMaggie’s continue their good work then why not run right over to my JustGiving page and sponsor me using the button thing below:
Thank you!
