Mr Lee’s Instant Noodles

WE'RE SUPPORTING

For the longest time I was an enormous admirer of the loopy, distinct line drawings of Brooklyn-illustrator Matt Hollister. Having seemingly lost track of his work for a couple of years (who knows how that manages to happen), I was shocked to stumble across his work yet again recently while perusing the New York Times. I had to check out his website immediately, and from there I wandered into his blog. The best part was that you could almost watch a new style emerge chronologically, beginning with the old drawings and then a small experiment, a mono print and then, more and more, mono prints and experiments, less and less loopy drawings. Even the subject matter seems to have changed and become much quirkier to accommodate the new style. I’m certainly feeling that staying abreast of Hollister’s work should now prove pretty inescapable.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Musicians in Jacksonville, Florida, often plop themselves amongst breakfasting families to nurse their hangovers at the Fox Restaurant. The food is a step above normal greasy spoon fare, but is just as cheap, with a full breakfast costing as little as three dollars. They even offer bananas as an alternative to grits or hash browns.

WE'RE WEARING

Skagen are a Danish-born design company based out of Nevada with an innovative and clean approach to their work. Their trademark product is this titanium mesh watch, which I’ve worn with pride for years. But they also produce different models of sunglasses and jewellery. When so many products these days offer extra gimmicks and weigh you down by their size, Skagen strip it all back and, in doing so, hoist themselves far above the pack.

WE'RE THINKING

Check out these brilliant origami-inspired Green Berry Tea bags from Russian-based designer Natalia Ponomareva. While the tea seeps, the bag gradually expands into a poetic and delicate paper crane. The design hasn’t made it to store shelves yet but the concept is so impressive that it deserves sharing.

WE'RE READING

I’ve been a big fan of Michelle Vandermeer’s work since I came across her Mini Majellen zines at this year’s Sydney Writers Festival. Describing herself as a doer — as in one of those people who are always doing or making something — Michelle’s work, which includes book binding, illustration, jewelery making and her zines, stems from an internal creative springboard and a double degree in architecture and graphic design. Her work is smart and succinct. Read more

Sometimes we need an ad to remind us of what’s important. Normal is beautiful. Keep our oceans alive. Vote. Be more fearless. The Whitehouse Post is an international post-production company whose projects are damn fine. In fact, they are the scary mix of wit and aesthetics that makes any message convincing. Long live Coca-Cola.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

So 2008 brings its first great album of the year, the self-titled release from Susanne Sundfør, put out on a small label — Your Favourite Music — and a totally unsettling and challenging listen. Read more