This should be awesome. 

Alex-the-illustrator's new band...

Malphino is a band that plays a heady mix of Latin American music - from Brazilian Forró to Colombian Cumbia via a variety of tropical rhythms and a nod of the hat to Italian film score. While based in London, members of Malphino hail from all corners of the world (including Japan, Malaysia, Réunion island and the Philippines).

On Sunday 2nd June 2013, go see them at:

Tour de Force Studio,

6 Well Street, 

Hackney 

London E9 7JA

-Programme-

• 1pm - Doors opens - Aperitif: Bread and Malphino Grits

• 2pm - Main Course served - Malphino Coconut Chicken Stew - £4, Rice and Tropical Salad 

• 2:15pm - Marimba – G Bop

• 3:00 pm - MALPHINO 

• 4:30 pm till late - DJ Doug Shipton (Finders Keepers)

TROPICAL BAR offering refreshments: Cold Beers - Rum Cocktails - Ginger Ales

Free entry / Kids and pets welcome / For more details go to: malphino.com

RSVP for food: malphino@gmail.com

Here is Geoffrey, a Steiff hedgehog toy purchased for 2 Euros a couple of years ago in a French market. He reminded me of my childhood, when I used to adore playing with my friend's Steiff hedgehog family; Micki, Mecki, Mucki and the other one. My nephew named this one Geoffrey and he is much-loved by the family for his gentle expression and twinkling eyes. But he was lonely; he needed a partner, a wife - another half to share his life with.

So we found this lovely on Ebay; a bargain, so we thought, at £10...

She arrived and with much excitement, we opened the carefully wrapped box...

Geoffrey got rather more than he'd bargained for.

It just goes to show that mail order brides are not always exactly what's expected.

Having said that, Geoffrey has never been happier - and Olga hasn't had to use her wooden spoon on him...

...yet.

Lhasa de Sela - Rising

Con Toda Palabra by Lhasa de Sela