Skål

A new daughter, Sol, AND a London Design Medal… it's been a busy month in the life of wunderkind, Daniel Rybakken. Daniel bagged the category of Emerging Talent, while the Lifetime Achievement went to the king of understatement, Dieter Rams.

The medal itself is seriously ugly. Luckily, the daughter is gorgeous.

Life

If you're not running too late you can glimpse the curious new Design Museum taking shape behind the hoardings on route to Kensington Olympia... not that Olympia didn't have enough curios of its own at Top Drawer trade fair earlier this week. It's been predictably good to catch up with old friends (now stockists), Black Bough and some of our oldest friends (also now stockists), Present London.

It wasn't all familiar faces though, we spent a few days in the spirited company of Joy, Anna and Rose of London Pooch and Anna Wright, even getting to meet Polly, one half of pattern-mad design duo, Wrap. While I admit the current copy (No.8) is my first, at least I can check out those back issues while I wait for more!

Too preoccupied to scour the charity shops proper, we did find a copy of Charlotte Salomon's (1917—1943) extraordinary document Life? or Theatre? in Oxfam, W8. This untimely 836 page tome dates from the early 1940s and forms a dream-like diary, or early graphic novel, where each gouache panel becomes a fevered or fluid artwork in its own right.

H111

I've collated the samples, bought apple flavoured hospitality sweets, made a few hundred business cards (and a business card holder); it can mean only one thing... that's right, it's trade fair time!

If you're off to Top Drawer at Kensington Olympia (15-17 Sep) then do drop in and say hi… or point and laugh as you pass us by. Sounds like new strain of avian flu, I know, but our stand number's H111.

20-80

I could still see the 'All Books 20p' sign at the back of the RSPCA shop when the cashier charged me 80p for Growing Vegetable Soup last week. It was still a bargain.

A quick image search filled the shameful gaps in my knowledge of illustrator, Lois Ehlert. I also saw her penchant for crazy knitwear… now I really am a fan.

The blossom on our courgette plant is spectacular, but the bounty is nothing compared to our generous neighbours', who've put regular veg on our plates for two weeks now.

Bring on the soup!

• Lois Ehlert, Growing Vegetable Soup, 1987