Our big-eared friends

A slightly more austere subject today.

Something most of us are aware of, disgusted by but then rarely know how we could possibly get our hands dirty to help out...

Poaching in Africa is rife. The problem persists among many species, but none come to mind more than the dignified African Elephant, and the victims are swiftly rising in numbers.
There has been recent action in Gabon (home to over half of Africa's forest elephants) and Kenya. You can read more about the incidences here and here.

I've recently come across a campaign run by WWF to try and cut off (at least part of) the problem at the source. Read more about their campaign and get involved!

Alternatively, there is also an option to adopt and elephant (among other endangered species) - a great idea yourself, or even as an unconventional gift for someone else.

Every little bit helps.
And they need our help in a big way..

spinning

... only, your legs aren't required to power the chains and the sweat is more likely due to nervousness than exhaustion. A friend sent me video and we plan to try and make our own in a few weeks. Very exciting to see what ceramic options are possible using this method! If we feel like even more of a challenge, might even give this a try!

Upcycling

If ever we talk about upcycling, it seems like such interiors are a good example... a lovely home by Blesso Properties. Among other things, their main design principle is to make use of salvaged materials, such as reclaimed and recycled wood, post-consumer materials (like blue jeans!) and of equal importance, they're durable. Proof that recycled doesn't necessarily mean lower in quality or aesthetics!

potayto... potaato

So I decided to try home made gnocchi the other night... it's a recipe that I found in my new Jamie Oliver book. The recipe was entitled 'lightest potato gnocchi'. Two and half hours later... we were chewing on something resembling dumplings in a tasty wild mushroom and sage sauce. Needless to say, things didn't turn out quite as I (we) expected. The sauce was delicious, but the gnocchi were rather heavy and dense.

I followed the recipe pretty much to a tee, except for the part where he mentions putting your potatoe into a 'ricer' to make mash. I don't have one, but used my blender instead, which just might have something to do with it..

Either way, it took quite some time and I'm not sure I'm willing to try it all again to find out!

On a more successful note - my BF tried his hand at home made custard* - 8 egg yolks, double cream and a lot of wrist action later... and we were both on the couch, a warm bowl of golden deliciousness in our hands, our eyes blissfully glazed over (*recipe also by good old JO). 

Just beautiful...

Ross Lovegrove's Alpine Capsule. It took me a while to find, even though it's apparently been around since 2008. We're currently busy with a project at university to do with creating space in a dramatic, outdoor, coastal setting. I wasn't sure how I wanted to go about it, since I didn't want to add anything new, visually, to the rugged, raw surroundings... This is the perfect material - simply mirroring the surrounds to completely blend in with the environment. A totally unique overnight experience!