Thursday, April 20, 2006

From Catalogue to Catalog....

I have been having quite a lot of fun sharing the insides of my favourite books this week...so have continued on today! After posting on the catalogue from 'home made holland' yesterday..I looked out one of my favourite eye candy books...Catalog!

It is written by Carin Goldberg, who was fascinated by 1950's catalogues, and the notion that life seemed much simpler back then, in a time when everything you needed could be ordered from this one volume. Then at a flea market in New York, she found this huge catalogue dating 1951-52..and fell in love with the subtle colourings, and the yellowing pages. She then selected her favourite images and published them into this book, which I must say is really fabulous. I love it's simplicity..the fact that there is very little text, that the illustrations do all the talking. I particularly like how she has juxtaposed really functionally opposed items together..one to a page, highlighting their form and shape. On a side-note....some of the subtle colours in this book are just sublime..the soft creams and greens, they would be great as paint colours in the home! I like the inconspicuous cover too..very fitting!

Well...today was all of a muddle (mixed up head, full of the cold...and muddling on through in spite of it!). I ventured out to the post office to send out some orders..more tomorrow too! And was finishing off some other orders, and trying to get all my washing done for going on holiday..in...GULP..a day and a half!!! TOO much to do and not enough time!!! But it will all be fine....and I am so looking forward to sitting on down on that plane and looking out over the clouds....mmmm.

Can't quite handle any html codes today..so am link-free! :)..hope you are all having a good day thus far, and that you liked this wee peek inside Catalog...? Xox

13 comments:

lisa solomon said...

i think i must find this book.

thank you so much for sharing it... visual delight!!! xoox [feel better!! - more vitamins... more soup!]

Anonymous said...

Loved the catalogue peek... such a treat! And 'juxtaposed' & 'juxtaposition'... I write these words so often.

Enjoy the travel countdown (there's always so much to organise) & feel better, gracia

Anonymous said...

Bon Voyage! And, glad you got a kick out of my motorbike watercolours. Gracia & I are planning to exhibit a whole wall of our drawings later in the year (fingers crossed).

Anonymous said...

Wow! What an awesome book-thanks for sharing. I hope you get over that cold-at least you have it before your trip. I wish you a bon voyage! I am sure you'll take lots of photos-can't wait to see. : )

Anonymous said...

That book looks gorgeous! Thank you for sharing:-> I hope you feel better soon, lots of mint or echinacea tea for the throat and chest!

Anonymous said...

oh, this is gorgeous!

j. vorwaller said...

yes! have a *wonderful* time!! oh what am i saying? of course you will! i cannot wait to hear all about it either!

wear out those new cute flats pounding the city of lights and i'll live through you when you tell all about it.

those floating dresses really stayed with me today after seeing the catalouge in flickr..

IMEDAGOZE said...

that looks like a book full of inspirations! thanks for showing us some of the pages.

have a great weekend, abigail!

Anonymous said...

love this catalogue! the color of the pages and the simply centered images, WOH! have a great trip.

shari said...

dear abigail
so sorry to hear that you haven't kicked the cold yet! i do hope you'll feel better. maybe it's just the rushing around. i loved the images you shared from catalog. so so fabulous. wishing you a dreamy time in paris. i'll miss you and your postings. looking forward to hearing about everything when you return. take it all in and have fun! xx, shari

Anonymous said...

have a fantastic trip - with all the joys that spring in paris can bring! can't wait to hear all about it.

the catalogue is just gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

Oh - I want that book! Hope you are having a nice time in Paris!!! I am sure you do. ;-)

natasha said...

by the way, i went to amazon.com to look for the catalog book and found it for 50 cents! and there were more, so anyone intersted may want to look.

you always give us the best inspirations!