Nail Soup

A new start

2011-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

I never make New Year resolutions so I'm heading into 2011 with this optimism.

I start my new job at AKQA in Jan which I know is going to push me beyond anything I've ever achieved before and I can't wait! Bring it on!

I will miss freelancing, I've worked at some great agencies and have met some fantastic people. A big thank you to everyone who gave me an opportunity (especially Mike Pearson when I first moved to London).

Wishing you all an amazing 2011.

(Please check out Olly Moss' brilliant illustrations. It's his work above).

Snow day

2010-12-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love snow days?! I spent most of today acting like a big kid; snow fights, making snow angels and building a snowman! Clerkenwell is pretty quiet on the weekend but the best thing (apart from all the fresh snow) was nearly everyone we passed had a big smile on their face and said good morning. Snow is amazing!

No rain in Spain!

2010-10-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

The first holiday I've had in about 4 years where it hasn't rained at all :-)

How weird?!

2010-08-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Coincidence or subliminal influence? Although there's over 40 people in the office we're all sat within roughly 5 square metres of each other!

Cyprus and olive oil

2010-06-20T14:55:00.001-07:00

I'm back from my summer holiday in Cyprus and raring to go! Here we are in Ayia Napa dressed as Greek Goddesses of love!! For the first time in a long time I did nothing, not even think about work. Nothing but sun, sea and olive oil!!

Speaking of olive oil (this is a bit random I know) I got really annoyed that I forgot to bring some back with me and then I remembered about the Olive Oil Man who lives up the road from me. According to New York magazine it's England's best olive oil and I'd have to agree. What I love, is the story behind how it all started and the fact that the guy sells it from the back of his Electrical store! Murat du Carta's Cyprus Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced from his groves surrounding the village of Louroujina in central Cyprus. The olive trees were planted by his parents back in 1950.

If you live in London you really should go over to the store, he's a lovely man and he'll let you try everything first!

76 COMPTON STREET, LONDON EC1V 0BN
You can also buy it from his online store www.planetmem.com

Eric Zener

2010-05-03T05:08:00.001-07:00

Ah the California lifestyle. One day ey!?! I'm hoping this summer is half as idyllic as Eric Zener's paintings

Lissie Elle

2010-05-03T03:58:00.001-07:00

"In all the galaxies in all the mason jars in all the warehouses in all of God's kingdom.

Here we are,
in this one"

Beautifully imagical! with a sprinkle of eeriness. Think Where the Wild Thing Are crossed with Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan and maybe a touch of Pan's labyrinth. Get lost in Lissie's photosteam

Nike Air: The True Story

2010-05-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Genius!

This is awesome!

2010-04-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing stop-frame animation created by Anderson M Studio on behalf of The New Zealand Book Council

World Pillow Fight, London 2010

2010-04-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

This years World Pillow Fight in London took place at Saint Paul's Cathedral. The atmosphere was fantastic and it was great to see people of all ages getting stuck in! We didn't stay until the end but apparently the fight went on for an hour. They must have been knackered!

Here a quick video I put together of the event

World Pillow Fight, London 2010 from Cheryl Williams on Vimeo.

Les Arcs 2010

2010-03-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

More photos...

My week snowboarding was fairly up and down. The week started off pretty good, then took a dip after a few bad falls on the ice but it unexpectedly ended on a massive high. On our last day we finally had Fresh snow and I had some of the best runs I've ever experienced. Can't wait for next year now...Canada. Who's coming?

Oh and a big thanks to Andy for putting together this lovely memento of the holiday

Les Arcs 2010 from Andy Whitlock on Vimeo.

Keeping up with the Joneses

2010-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

I really like this film's story line with its tongue in cheek slant on marketing. I'm always reading about the latest marketing campaign or how companies are seeking to build their brand in authentic ways. However, this film is interesting because it offers a hybrid, back to basics approach to selling products. Not a digital campaign in site.

I've been keeping note of the all the things that I've bought recently that has been a direct consequence of someone else's influence (i.e not online!). Most of it involves food and destinations, but not so much products. I think its going to be ongoing experiment, I just wanted to become more aware of how I'm influenced and by who.

Right now...

2010-03-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

I've just finished a five month freelance stint and am back on my own territory and the creative juices are flowing! So for the next couple of weeks I've got some really nice projects to work on, to keep me out of trouble. Although I've got too many ideas and too little time, so having to drink a lot of chamomile!!

On a mission

2010-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

This song makes me want to paint the town red!

2010-02-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

I've been virtually preparing for my snowboarding trip next month via Google Street View Snowmobile See how Google and Whistler came together ready for the Winter Olympics 2010

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish

2010-02-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

I love Jamie Oliver! All action & passion! We need more people like him.

Up Narth!

2010-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

The North, James Bulmer

Cooking with dog

2009-11-01T03:48:00.000-08:00

I love cooking and I love dogs but I'm not convinced about combining the two! I fancied cooking a new recipe this week, so couldn't resist not clicking on the link 'Cooking with dog'! To my relief the dog just narrates the You Tube cooking channel of Japanese dishes. It's worth a watch!

Andrew Zuckerman

2009-10-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Extraordinarily beautiful photographs of birds by Andrew Zuckerman. That's all I need to say!

London skyline

2009-10-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I had to do something touristy with my sis & cuz, so paid a visit to St Paul's Cathedral. It was awesome! Apart from it being spectacular inside, the 360 view of London's skyline from it's Dome were pretty good too!

Happy to change

2009-10-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

The project poses the idea is that something as simple as happiness is the easiest way to get people to change. It made me smile :-)

Make History

2009-09-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z - D.O.A. (Death Of AutoTune) from Entertain- Ucom on Vimeo.

"I love what I'm doing. I love the artist I'm developing. I love the whole thing about it. Once again, I have to really look at it for the next three years and say, "Am I doing it for the right reasons?" 'Cause all I want to do is make history at this point. They got to pay me to make history of course. But that's my goal. I want to sit there with people really into making history. I mean everybody. I don't mean just artists. The interns -if everybody's not committed to making history every time I go into a meeting, and if I can't look into their eyes and I don't see the fire, then I gotta move on. ' Cause, you know, I don't have time. I don't have the luxury of time to just blow off three years. I do, but I don't. But I'm not looking to have a job. That's not hot!"
Jay-z

Priceless

2009-09-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

A documentary about Paul Mawhinney, the owner of the World's largest record collection. His collection is estimated to be worth $50 million and over 80% of the archive cannot be bought anywhere. Imagine that!

What I love about this guy is his passion he exudes for music. He's dedicated his whole life to it and he is now in an unfortunate situation where he has to shut up shop and hes looking for his collection to go to a very good home.

so come on Elton, adopt this one!

Temptation

2009-09-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

I think if I'd participated in the Marshmallow Test as a child I would have ate mine and then ate my sisters. We get on absolutely fine now that we've grown up, in fact this October she's visiting me for the first time in ten years!

2009-08-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

Since freelancing at Poke, I've drunk so much coffee (they have an awesome coffee maker!). So much so that this weekend I had to buy myself an espresso maker and invest in some decent coffee. I really recommend Inpetto Caffe, mainly because its smells like chocolate, but it tastes pretty good too! You can buy it at Aria, which is worth a visit anyway for its two floors of very cool stuff.

2009-08-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

I was so jealous when I came across this lady's work. My drawings are quite intricate but Johanna Basford takes her illustrations to the next level. Check out the rest of her portfolio here

*"Against tutor advice, my degree show was completely black and white. My illustrations are so detailed and intricate, I found adding colour somehow distracted from the beauty of the image and confused the eye. It's good to do something different, to help differentiate yourself from the masses. When I first started out, working exclusively in monochrome became my thing, it helped make my work stand out."
*Interview with ycnonline

2009-08-05T02:58:00.000-07:00

A beautiful photography portfolio belonging to I.Anton. It's one of the nicest I've seen in ages and has now inspired me to get out this week to go and take some more photos.

I feel the need... the need for speed!

2009-07-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

I've been way to busy as of late to update my blog! I've got millions of images and links that I kept meaning to post but never got round to it, so I've started using a tumblelog so I can update on the go...

so please checkout http://chezwill.soup.io/

2009-07-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Above is the So Me’s illustrated music video for Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Night”. Below is the shite music industry version they pumped out to the masses.

It's Rubbish!

The difference is Night 'N' Day!!!

2009-05-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Bat for lashes / www.batforlashes.com / www.myspace.com/batforlashes

Bye bye Cardiff

2009-04-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I'll miss about Cardiff is the view I wake up to every day... and not one of them is the same! Bye bye Cardiff Bay

2009-03-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

Kitty Daisy & Lewis show us around from Pure Groove on Vimeo.

How cool!?! Kitty Daisy & Lewis

2009-03-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sølve Sundsbø

2009-03-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

I love Amaud Loumeau's pixilated art. Get an eye full of his colourful, symmetric and abstract patterns...

2009-03-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Hische

2009-03-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Gary Vaynerchuk at FOWA Miami 09 from DamianVoltes.com on Vimeo.

If you haven't seen or heard of Gary Vaynerchuk, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Actually I just came across him today and am asking myself the same question. Love the guys enthusiasm, dedication and determination. His approach to life is no matter what you do, do it because you love doing it.

His attitude is that of a many professional Athletes, spending every ounce of expendable time on developing skills to get to the ultimate goal:being the best. Yeah its hard work and it takes a lot of organisation and management so as not to overlook the important things in life (good health, family and relationships, recreation). But ultimately sacrifices to have to be made and I know I don't want to get to a ripe old age knowing that I'd spent my life procrastinating.

Quotes

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"
Muhammad Ali

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
Muhammad Ali

"Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal: While others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before."
Herodotus

“Find something you love doing and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

2009-02-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

2009-01-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

Theres some interesting prints, colours and patterns coming from the runnway collections for spring/summer 09.
My favorites include Basso & Brooke, Luella, Marni,Diane Von Furstenberg

2008-12-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

And probably the next big thing. Janelle Monae or
myspace.com/janellemonae

2008-11-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

I love type. I love pattern. I love this. Thank you Andy Townsend for reigniting my design lull. Check out his full portfolio, its amazing :-)

2008-08-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Lovely illustration by Nikki Farquharson using repeat pattern and fashion images. This has really inspired me to get to get back to drawing, this is definitely my style. Am also thinking this would be lush to promote the Topshop 'Wonderland' collection.

2008-06-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

2008-06-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

One of the best web designers Ive come across Work for food. Speaking of which this weekend Ive been mostly cooking Fresh Spanish: Over 70 healthy recipes by Sergio Vasquez. (No I didn't cook all 70) Spent Saturday lounging in the sun listening to the bird and the bee whilst dreaming I'll be attired in Wheels & Dollbaby and the lush shoes at Browns this summer.