My first ever job as a stylist was assisting on a david jones catalogue, some 7 or so years back now. I was nervous, to say the very least. I had no idea about styling, or photo shoots, or anything of the sort. I remember walking into the windowless studio – a concrete room filled with hi-tech camera paraphernalia and trestle tables full of props – daunted by the bright lights and the fact that everyone in the room knew exactly what they were doing. That is when I met Jenni Booth, the stylist I was to be assisting. Jenni took me under her wing from that first moment, teaching me the ropes of styling for the many months that followed. Her generosity and genuineness never faded, and we soon became great friends.  I’ve always said that if it wasn’t for assisting Jenni, I would never have wanted to pursue a career in styling.

playing with props at Jenni’s place

A few years back, during a skype conversation while I was living in Amsterdam, Jenni let me in on an idea that she’d been nurturing for some time. We were rattling on about the frustration of never having enough time in a day as a stylist – so often we are allocated a minimal amount of hours to prep for a shoot, and those precious hours are spent rushing around from store to store, with most of it wasted in travel and trawling the internet for props. Even if we find something on the internet worth pursuing, we still have to get out there and pick the item up. During our conversation, Jenni asked me, “What if you could hire your props online, with clear photos and prices of each item. Would you use that service?” I answered, “absolutely! That would be awesome.” In the months that followed, Jenni got to work on creating just that – an online hiring store that would be super easy to navigate, with loads of great props, clear photos, and next day delivery.

Today, I’m super excited to be the first online to tell you about my dear friend Jenni’s new venture,  Prop Hire Online…

What makes Prop Hire Online truly unique is that it is an ONLINE ONLY store. It has been created to make the life of a stylist, art director, photographer – really anyone in the industry who requires props  – a lot easier and much more productive. It’s open 24hrs a day, so you can hire when it suits you. There are beautiful clear photographs of all items to show you exactly what you are hiring. It works just like an online shopping cart where items for hire can be added and tallied as you browse. Then, the items are delivered the next day to your studio or location and will be collected when the hire period is finished.

all sorts of props – from baskets, books, and backdrops…

Jenni has also included something rather exclusive to the range of items available – stylist supplies and kits. So if you have run out of masking tape or need a whole new kit, she can add this to your order and deliver it too. With this launch there are over 500 items available to hire for every kind of shoot, be it interiors, still life, food or fashion. New products will be added as they are gathered and a regular newsletter will keep you up to date with the latest arrivals.

One of the other things I love about it is that you can type anything you like in the search button – be it, say, the colour ‘red’ – and you get a selection of all the red props…

Isn’t that cool? Since shoots are often theme-based, you can narrow down your search this way. Let’s try, ‘green’…

I love it. There are so many gorgeous items. Looks at some of the crates…

and vintage bottles…

Last year while I was visiting from Amsterdam, Jenni and I were in a fabulous antique store in a little country town, and found this divine vintage French champagne bottle to add to the Prop Hire Online collection…

It’s one of my favourite items in stock, and I can’t wait to hire it for an upcoming shoot.

So if you’re based in Sydney or around, and are a stylist, photographer, art director, or just love photographing beautiful props for your blog, OR if you want a stylist’s kit of your own, then this is the store for you. Congratulations Jenni, after all the hard work and persistence, you’ve done it! And it’s more than fabulous. I am a very proud friend.

xx

-photo credits: first 3 images by me, fab product images by Alan Richardson.
–click here to visit Prop Hire Online.

There is a fabulous article in the april issue of australian country style magazine about artists Nicola Hensel and John Turier’s weatherboard cottage. Have you seen it? I’m enamoured…

This is a home with heart, filled with treasures found, foraged, and made by hand. Incredible art line the walls, vintage rugs are strewn across the floors, and an old piano is played everyday. Nicola’s niece once said that the house was like a giant cubby. I think that’s rather wonderful…

The full story is delightful, if you can get a copy of the april issue, you’ll love it. You can also see more photos and read a bit more about Nicola and John online right here. The photographs are by Sharyn Cairns, who I recently had the pleasure of working with, more about that amazing experience in a post to come.

I’m inspired.

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+photography by sharyn cairns, and styling: geraldine munoz for country style magazine.

+for more information about Nicola Hensel’s art, visit the Jan Murphy gallery here.

+to see some of John Turier’s sculptures, click here.

I love Melbourne. It’s one of those cities I always come away from feeling inspired. I’ve only been a handful of times in my life, and the last time was at least 5 years ago now, maybe more – however long ago it was, it’s been too long. So I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to take My Heart Wanders to Melbourne for a very special book launch event with Magnolia Square on April 3oth. For those who may not know already, Magnolia Square is a curated market place showcasing an amazing group of artisans and designers from around the country.  Each pop up market place has an event styling theme, and this one is ‘paper & thread’. I’ve been invited to style a space within the premises based on this theme, with inspiration from my book:

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“Pia Jane Bijkerk will join us from 12 midday on Saturday 30th April where she will create her own lovely space, expressing a little glimpse of her special creativeness and chatting candidly about her work, life on a houseboat and of course, signing copies of her book.”

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Exactly.  I am absolutely dying to meet as many creative Melbournites as possible while there – I’ve admired so many of you from afar over the last few years of being abroad, it’s time we meet, don’t you agree? Oh, please say yes.

When: 12 midday, Saturday, April 30, 2011
Where: Malvern Town Hall for Magnolia Square
What: styling, signing, chatting

This is going to be so much fun! Thank you lovely Nic at Magnolia Square for inviting me.

For more details, please click here.

I’ve been surrounded by boxes for days, knee deep in cardboard and packing paper. I’ve begun wearing gloves while I open and unwrap each item as I’ve been getting some seriously nasty paper cuts. But still, I am inspired.

All this unwrapping and flattening boxes has given me some wonderful ideas for upcoming book launch events. Lots and lots of ideas. Also, I’m very glad that my beautiful oak table from Paris passed quarantine…

Phew!

Victoria came up with another brilliant idea for an exhibition (remember the last one?). This one is called other people’s houses: a photographic exploration of the places we choose to live.  I was invited to be one of the exhibitors, along with the original 1010 group, “reuniting to explore feelings of displacement, intimacy and voyeurism through photographs of the places we choose to live”. I took photographs of intimate moments in my new home.

other people’s houses will be exhibited at the CAMP, 70-74 City Rd, London, from May 5 – May 18. To go along to the opening night (which I think is going to be awesome fun!), you can rsvp here.

Again, with the wiggling of the nose… being in two places at once would be a welcomed bit of magic this coming month.