Rosa Blu

A new path...

2011-10-20T19:48:00.004+02:00

Hello lovelies,

The people who have been following me know I've been away from the blog for a while, due to lots of new exciting things. One of the most important: I've changed my track and am currently wandering on another path.

Since a while I've completely fallen in love with photography in all it's senses, analog as well as digital, and because the love is growing stronger I decided to follow my dream. It makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland, and when I grab one (or two, or three...) of my cameras to bring with me and go outside to shoot photographs I am so utterly happy! It finally feels like bits and pieces are coming together, and I am enjoying my new journey so much...

I truly believe that we should always follow our hearts and do the things we really love, that's the only path that will bring us to the most magical moments...

Because I'm pretty busy lately with 'a whole lotta things' and need to concentrate on new projects, I decided to stop with this blog. Once everything is starting to get a little more quiet I come back with a new website and a brand new blog, in the meanwhile you can follow me on Twitter.

Love,
Rosa

Some pretty paper flowers

2011-05-05T13:32:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I've bought these pretty paper 'blommen', which is kind of a funny dutch for flowers. They're designed by Jurianne Matter (check out her amazing blog as well!), and I really LOVE her work. Everything is so pretty and colourful, and perfect in a house with some naughty cats who always feel so intrigued by plants and flowers. Which often results in eating them. But this time they just don't pay attention to them, so I guess this girl is finally winning...

Don't you just love the colours?

P.S. Pics shot with the instagram app. See more? My username is 'awholelottarosa'. Come say hi!

Spring!

2011-03-31T11:09:00.002+02:00

Hello dear people!

It's been a while since my last update, things have been like crazy here. I was busier than a busy bee, and so many exciting things are happening at the moment. I can't tell much about it right now, but promise I will as soon as I can.

Last week I've had my birthday, at the first day of spring, and we finally had some beautiful sunny days, so I was very excited to grab my camera and go outside to shoot a lot of spring-y photos. Magnolias and blossom galore! And although it's a grey and rainy day today, I know there are a lot of beautiful days ahead. Maybe tomorrow?

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

My porcelain addiction

2011-02-09T11:41:00.000+01:00

This week I have been re-organising some things and cupboards, and I was kind of amazed by the number of teacups in my collection. I've counted fourty five teacups. Yes, fourty five. Why would a girl need fourty five teacups, you're asking? Well, to throw a lovely teaparty, for example. And that's exactly what we're going to do next weekend...

Have a lovely day, enjoy the chirping birds! (they must be longing as much for springtime as we do...)

Do you remember your very first flea market find?

2011-01-21T16:27:00.001+01:00

My very first flea market find, ever! I've found this cute little bunny years ago, and there it was: the sparkle that lit up of my passion for flea markets...

What was the first treasure you ever found at the flea market? Let me know, I would love to hear your stories!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Pretty Buenos Aires

2011-01-18T10:23:00.001+01:00

The last weeks have been so busy, but now I'm finally back in the saddle. With loads of new inspiration for the new year, yay!

Today's post is dedicated to some of my favourite photos I shot when we were in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What a pretty city!

Have a lovely day!

xo

Goodbye 2010, hello 2011!

2010-12-31T12:00:00.002+01:00

On the last day of the year I would like to thank you all for following, reading my blog and tweets, and for the lovely comments. For me 2010 was a good year, and I really feel blessed to be able to enjoy so many great moments with my husband, both our dear families and our wonderful friends. To meet all those lovely people along the way during our travels, but also via Rosa Blu and, of course, all the people we meet in daily life...

 {one of my favourite pics from this year, San Francisco}

thank you!

I wish you all a fantastastic and wonderful new year!

xoxo

Some of my favourite movies

2010-12-29T13:00:00.005+01:00

I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a post to some of my favourite movies. I always love to talk with people about their favourites, and why they like it so much. My favourite movies are the ones that take me on a wonderful trip to 'another' world: dreamy, sometimes with a little bit of darkness, like a fairytale. Or a film closer to real life, but with a good and inspiring story that makes you think about things in your own life. Always made with a great eye for detail, like real eye candy. 

 Here's my little list:  

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain.

Big Fish

Edward Scissorhands

Sleepy Hollow

El Laberinto del Fauno 

Fur

The Green Mile 

Marie Antoinette

Before Night Falls

A Single Man 

Mar Adentro

Shawshank Redemption

I would love to hear about your favourite movies, do you have any? Let me know!

Christmas

2010-12-28T13:14:00.001+01:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend! We've had a lovely time with our families, a good friend, delicious food and wine, good conversations, home baked cookies, lots of snow, and some nice movies. It was perfect!

How was your Christmas weekend?

Sweet!

2010-12-22T10:25:00.004+01:00

My favourite cookies are definitely 'speculaasjes'. These typical Dutch cookies are made with butter, flour, sugar and some spices like cinnamon, cilantro, ginger, nutmeg, mace and pepper, perfect for cold winter days! But actually I eat them all year round. With a cup of tea or coffee, hot cocoa or milk with anise.Sweet!

These cookies taste a little bit like ginger snaps, which I love very much as well. I think I'm going to bake a batch of these with a recipe I found on one of my fave food blogs Darjeeling Dreams.

What's your favourite sweet treat?

P.S. Have you seen yesterday's Christmassy post? 

My vintage glow-in-the-dark Maria

2010-12-22T09:00:00.002+01:00

During my trips to France I'm always looking for vintage souvenir Marias from Lourdes, especially the odd plastic glow-in-the-dark versions. I love them!

I tried to make a photo of one in the dark, and this is how it turned out, amazing...

Have a nice day, lovelies!

A little DIY project: felt garland

2010-12-21T17:47:00.000+01:00

This is really a nice last minute DIY project for a felt garland. 

All you need is:

white felt (for 30 circles all I used is a piece of 20 x 10 cm and still had some left)

some sewing thread in a nice colour, I chose a fluor pink.

a needle

scissors

a round cookie cutter of 25 mm

The first thing you do is to push the cookie cutter in a piece of felt  until you can see the line where to cut the circle out of the felt. Then  you cut the felt in pieces to make it easier to handle, make sure it's big enough to cut the size of the circles. Put the first circle on a piece of felt, hold it between your finger and thumb and cut around the circle. This way you cut all the circles.  

When the cutting is done you take the needle and thread and stitch the thread through all the felt circles, like on the photo above... 

Et voilà, your garland is ready to bring a little prettiness to your wall. Or tree. Or wreath. Or somewhere else you like...

Easy peasy to make and so much fun to do while drinking your cuppa during tea time!

I'll add another pic soon, when I finished the garland it was too dark for a proper pic... 

Have a lovely evening!

Just a few more days...

2010-12-21T15:05:00.000+01:00

And then it's Christmas already! It's really amazing how fast this year flew by... crazy!

And although it's always quite busy this time of the year, don't forget to take some time for a cup of tea and enjoy the coziness!

xoxo 

Christmas is almost here!

2010-12-15T21:21:00.000+01:00

Do you know the feeling when all the time you think Christmas is still weeks away, and suddenly you realise Christmas is next week already? Indeed, that happens to me almost every year. 

Today I had some time to decorate our home a little bit more, and bring in some of the Christmas magic. These are some of my vintage glow-in-the-dark Marias. More pictures of our decorations soon...

Have you been decorating the house yet?  

Enjoy these lovely days!

Snowflakes

2010-12-06T17:28:00.002+01:00

One more photo of the snow last weekend, at this one you can even see the snowflakes falling! All the snow has gone now, but hopefully we will have some more soon...

How was your weekend? I hope you've had a good one...

Have a great new week!

A little more of the winter magic

2010-12-04T16:35:00.001+01:00

Today a lot more snow fell, and brought us some more winter magic!

Have a beautiful weekend, enjoy the snow!

A walk in the snow

2010-12-02T18:04:00.002+01:00

Today I went for a little walk in the snow, it was so incredibly pretty!

Enjoy your evening!

Cuteness all over

2010-12-01T13:00:00.002+01:00

I can't believe it's December yet! It's pretty cold for this time of the year, the cats love to snuggle up to stay warm while sleeping.... so cute!

{Pepe}

{Bella}

Grover was a little bit grumpy, he hates to pose for pics while he's trying to sleep, so no pic of him this time... :)

Friday's gig with... Gabriel Rios

2010-12-01T10:26:00.003+01:00

Some photos of Gabriel Rios' album release in Amsterdam, last Friday, we were invited for the gig. It was wonderful, I'm a fan of his music since the first time I saw him performing, years ago. 

What a great start of the weekend!

The other day I promised to shoot some photos of the snow here in Amsterdam, but although it's still freeeezing cold no more snow fell since then, just a little dust... maybe later this week.

Enjoy the day, keep cozy and warm!

A sweet little package from Canada!

2010-11-30T19:53:00.001+01:00

Today a sweet little package arrived at my home, all the way from Canada! It's the giveaway I've won earlier this month at Caren's wonderful blog Tea & Chickadees, and I thought it would be nice to share these pretty things with you...

I've won gorgeous embroidered art 'gold dress and balloons', by luckyjackson , a lovely tote bag made with the prettiest vintage fabric, by mygirlthursday, a journal with beautiful typography and two Christmas cards, by jacksoncreekpress, a little bird made of vintage fabric and a drawing, by Caren herself. She added a sweet personal handwritten note, which I always love. Isn´t snail mail the best?

So today felt a little bit like Christmas yet...

thank you very much, Caren!

Have a lovely evening, dear people!

Snow... and a giveaway winner!

2010-11-29T23:13:00.001+01:00

This weekend we've had the first snow of the season, although it was just a little bit of dusty snow. But today a lot of snow fell, and this was just the beginning, as a lot more seems to fall in the next days! 

I'm always excited about the first snow, and this year it's actually pretty early to have white streets and rooftops yet. Tonight I wasn't able to go outside with my camera to shoot some pictures, but I promise to go outside in the morning to make some proper ones...

The image below is from a very old little book with songs for Saint Nicholas Day, at the 5th of December.

Later this week more about this feast...

This weekend we had a little giveaway in the shop, and the winner of the guided tour for two persons is...

Karima!

A big thank you to all of our customers who paid us a visit in the shop these days, we really appreciate, it was fun!

Have a lovely new week!

A night with the boys

2010-11-23T11:22:00.003+01:00

This weekend I went to see my favourite indie rock band Interpol performing in a venue in Amsterdam, with some of my favourite people: my husband, my brother and two of my best friends. 

Could it get any better?

I really enjoyed to see these guys playing after such a long time, hope to see them again soon...

Have a lovely day!

In case you you're wondering: I snapped these pics with the Instagram app.

A little talk with... Julie Yülle from Paris!

2010-11-18T15:24:00.005+01:00

Today's post is dedicated to a very pretty shop I found when I was in Paris, a few weeks ago. This little gem is almost hidden in a small street in the Bastille area, but I was attracted by the colourful pompons outside of the shop, and that's how I found L'arrière Boutique du Passage!

I was delighted to see that all  things in the shop are designed and handmade with love by owners and  friends Julie and Marine. I thought it would be a great idea to do a  little interview with owner Julie Yülle for the blog, her friend Marine  wasn't in the shop that day. Here we go...  

Would you like to tell a little bit more about yourself? How do you know each other, are you friends? 

A mutual friend introduced us to each other about six years ago, she knew we were looking for someone to work with, and we slowly but surely became friends. 

Where are you both from, Paris?

I, Julie, was born here and still live in Paris. Marine is originally from Paris too, but she left the city to live and work in the countryside.

When did you start your shop? 

We opened l'Arrière-Boutique du passage last year, in September 2009. Before we found this place, we first had to participate in a lot of private sellings and trade shows. But the only way to persist is to have our own shop, because we want to offer fair prices for both the buyer and the seller.

Can you tell a little bit more about the shop's neighbourhood?

It is a very trendy neighbourhood! A lot of boutiques, and a lot of bars take over the night. It's both a very young and a family- friendly neighbourhood. Very close to us is the boutique Les Fleurs, which attracts lots of trendy Japanese girls (and French too, of course!) So they come to see our shop as well, and they seem to like us!

Do you only sell your own work in the shop or also work from other designers? What’s your philosophy about the things you create and your collection?   

First, it is our workshop. We create our work here, we cut, sew, all the pieces by ourselves. And we sell them, directly. But we have a philosophy about our creations, and we believe there are a lot of designers who deserve to get to a public without giving more than 50% of the price to the seller.
We also have an ecological and ethical approach, as well as esthetical. We believe in recycling, transforming, etc.
In this state of mind, we are very interested in working with other designers, we already work with some of them.
We hope to be noticed by designers who have the same approach, using other materials than fabric, for a change... 

Do you also sell your products anywhere else, like Etsy or a webshop?

No, we don't. It is probably a shame, but as all the creations are unique pieces, we can't find the time to make pictures and put everything online, as we both are working all day long and have children. 

What’s your favourite thing about having your own shop?

I love when I am working on some object, and while it's not finished yet someone says "Oh! When will you finish it? Can you keep it for me?". Meeting the people who will ‘adopt’ our things, that's the best, I think. 

Which part of Paris is your favourite, and why?

We love all the popular neighbourhoods, where you can find second hand objects, flea markets of all kinds...
We also love the ‘Marché Saint-Pierre’, near Montmartre, where we have our favourite fabric shops.

 Marine lives in the countryside, so she knows fine addresses near Tours (in the center of France). And as well, especially for me (Julie), all the shops where you can find beautiful shoes (like Chie Mihara's), as we are not able to make shoes (yet)! 

Do you have a favourite shop, in Paris or anywhere else?

I really love the rue du Marché Popincourt, were you can find several vintage stores: Alasinglinglin, Belle Lurette and Trolls et puces are my favourites. It's very near the rue Oberkampf, which is very young and trendy too, with a lot of bars.

Do you decorate your homes with your own designs, and can you describe your style in a few words? 

I have been to Marine's home just once, but I can remember that she's very very ingenious! She uses little pieces of fabric everywhere to fix stuff. She can make a lamp with a tool you usually use to make mashed potatoes. And she still can make mashed potatoes and very good french cuisine too. She also makes her own curtains, towels, tablecloths... everything is made with recycled materials!

 For me it's all mixed up: from Ebay, flea markets... For exemple I have an original 70's orange designer's couch, which I found on Ebay for 50€. But as I make vases and fake chandeliers made of fabric, there is a lot of myself everywhere in our home too.

What's your favourite city for a city trip?

Years ago, I used to travel a lot by hitchhiking, but since a while that’s a little bit more complicated because we have young children.

We really are looking forward to go together somewhere one day!
We have plans to go and visit our friend Erika Harberts (Mikodesign) from Rotterdam, but at the moment we don't know when that will be possible…

A big merci to Julie and Marine! 

When you're going to Paris, don't forget to visit Julie & Marine's cozy shop!

 l'Arrière Boutique du Passage

2 passage Josset

75011 Paris

Have a nice day!

An early bird

2010-11-17T13:44:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I was like an early bird, walking around when the streets weren't crowded yet with locals rushing to work and tourists with maps and cameras. I love quiet mornings!

Have a beautiful day!

Dreaming about California...

2010-11-15T16:15:00.002+01:00

This time of the year I always start daydreaming about our next trip. I was browsing through our photos and found this one, from our holiday to California, earlier this year... 

{picture by the hubs}

Makes me wanna jump on a plane right now! :)

Happy Monday!

A little peek

2010-11-12T17:49:00.002+01:00

These are some of the little cars my husband used to play with when he was a little boy. I can imagine the tiny version of him, with the beautiful dark curls and big brown eyes, playing for hours with his favourites. Vrooomm!

We've found my husband's old toys at the attic of his parents, they were still there after all these years! Lots of little cars, Playmobile, Lego and a zillion other things.

I love these kind of surprises, and isn't it a wonderful thing to have a little peek into the youth of your love? It totally made my day, what a treasure!

Have a great weekend, keep warm and cozy!

Easter?

2010-11-09T16:43:00.001+01:00

This is a tin I recently found when I was at a flea market in East London. Isn't it pretty? I totally fell for the green colour and the cute little animals. And I know it's not Easter yet, but some things are too beautiful to pick out of the cupboard once a year, right? :)

Have a lovely evening!

xoxo

Bella

2010-11-05T15:05:00.004+01:00

Here's a photo of our darling Bella, she was sleeping and I just had to make this pic of her cute pink kitty paws... 
{and then I had to cuddle her!}

Aren't kitty paws the cutest?

Happy Friday, and have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Merci Paris

2010-10-28T11:31:00.002+02:00

In Paris we finally went to see the Merci store, which was on our list since the first time we heard about it, and it was definitely one of the highlights of our shopping tour!

Merci is situated on Boulevard Beaumarchais, on the edge of Le Marais. When you enter the beautiful and light building, a former wallpaper factory, the first thing you notice is a stunning collection of fashion and interior design, stationary and jewelry, all in a wide range of colours and materials.

You'll find great pieces in their furniture section, mixed with lovely accessories like cushions, candles, fabrics, lamps and chandeliers. And at the lower level they have lots of small accessories like wall hooks, kitchen tools and even the colourful ceramics of Pantone!

Merci's fashion collection can be completed with shoes and lingerie, and even jewelry and bags! Unfortunately their sizes are not really suitable for tall Dutch men like my husband... :)

And if you need a present, don't forget to see their range of stationary  and Japanese washi masking tape in lots of colours and designs!

The building has different levels, so make sure you absolutely don't miss a thing of this amazing shop. And when you've finished shopping, grab your bags and go to their literary cafe for a nice drink!

I hope you enjoyed the little tour, have a great Thursday!

Little cars

2010-10-25T12:34:00.002+02:00

Hello! Did you all have a nice weekend? Today is a lovely sunny day in Amsterdam, so a very nice start of the Monday...

We just received the new wallpaper by Studio Ditte in our shop, with sturdy old little cars. I think it's the perfect wallpaper for a boy's room vintage style! {and actually these little cars would be great in other spaces, too!}

Customers always tell me it's pretty difficult to find original and nice wallpaper for their little boys, so: well done Studio Ditte! 

Have a nice day and a great start of the new week!

P.S. Did you know we also ship packages worldwide? If you're interested in our products please send us an email for the shipping rates, we'll be happy to help you!

Le Loir dans La Theière

2010-10-24T15:53:00.001+02:00

When we are in Paris we always plan a visit to our favourite salon de thé Le Loir dans La Theière for a lovely cup of tea and a (big!) piece of their amazing pâtisserie. Last time we went there I chose the lemon meringue pie, and that resulted in everyone looking at me because I couldn't stop laughing about the size of it. This time I tried the orange pie, with the caramelized sugar on top... delicious!

So when you ever have plans to go to Paris make sure to put this wonderful address in Le Marais on your list...

Have a lovely Sunday!

Snapshots France, part two... Paris!

2010-10-20T13:52:00.001+02:00

And today part two of the snapshots. As we didn't have much time during our stay, we were just for one night in Paris this time, we only went to visit our favourite part of the city: Le Marais. We've visited Paris a few times before, so we start to know the city a little bit more and which parts we like best. Le Marais is absolutely stunning, with all it's pictoresque cobbled streets and indie shops. We also do love Montmartre, but we'll keep that part for next time...

{on our way to Paris}

{Batman & Robin, Mama Shelter}

{Mercer & The Muse Coffee, upper Marais}

Next posts will be dedicated to the loveliest 'salon de thé', a gorgeous little shop we've discovered during our strawls, a stunning interior shop and some more about Mama Shelter...

Hope to catch you later!

Snapshots France, part one...

2010-10-19T14:53:00.003+02:00

Like I promised, today you'll find some more photos of our road trip to France. I've shot many many pics with my iPhone, these snapshots are all made with the CrossProcess app... Actually, there are so many great pics waiting, but today I would love to share some of the snapshots...

{on the road...}

{our chambre d'hôtes in Saussignac}

{an early walk}

{the local church}

{Saussignac}

{Château de Saussignac}

{Issigeac}

{La Mairie de Bergerac}

{Château de Lanquais}

{The beautiful St. Emilion}

Stay tuned for part two of the snapshots... Paris!!

Enjoy your day!

Famille Summerbelle CITY BAGS!

2010-10-18T17:08:00.002+02:00

Do you remember my post about the beautiful paper cuttings from Famille Summerbelle, with city maps of New York, London and Paris? Well, they now also have these fab canvas bags! 

This year I was so lucky to have visited these three wonderful cities again, and I'm afraid it will be hard to choose just one, as I love them all so much...

Which one would be your favourite?

Autumn in Bergerac

2010-10-17T19:33:00.003+02:00

Last week we went on a roadtrip to France, because we were invited for the wedding of good friends in Bergerac. We've had the most beautiful weather, with temperatures up to 29 degrees Celsius, can you believe that?
After the wedding we drove back via Paris, where we had booked one night in a gorgeous design hotel, later more about that...

Today part one of our wonderful trip, enjoy!

Soon more about this fabulous trip, so stay tuned!

Hello October!

2010-10-02T01:22:00.003+02:00

Today was the first day of October, I can hardly believe this year goes by so fast! It was a beautiful sunny day in Amsterdam, so when I had to go to the city centre I decided to go walking through the Vondelpark to catch some rays and try to improve my photography skills. The park is so beautiful this time of the year, I shot loads of photos. Enjoy!

Do you have some exciting plans for the weekend yet? Here it's going to be a busy weekend, with family, friends and hunting for a dress for the French wedding I told you about last week...

Have fun!

Tea Time!

2010-09-30T18:53:00.006+02:00

This afternoon I was sipping a cup of tea, and daydreaming a little about a lovely tea room I've visited with my husband when we were in Copenhagen a while ago. And then I realised that would be a perfect idea to write today's blog post about! We're always looking for great places to visit when we're travelling, and I think it's really a good idea to share them with you! That's what blogging is about, right? To share the little gems and get inspired by other bloggers, what a bliss!

  
Tea Time  is situated in the neighbourhood Nørrebro since 2003, when owner Maria  Jessen-Petersen opened this lovely tearoom because she was inspired by  the English tradition and love for tea. The cozy room is decorated in a  wonderful dreamy and romantic style, with a great eye for detail.  Antique furniture and bric a brac  in a palette of soft pastels,  decorated with beautiful accessories and of course vintage porcelain  teapots, cups and plates make this place pure eye candy!

The tea room has a long list with all kinds of tea where you can choose from, and the sweet treats are delicious! They also have a little shop to bring home your favourite tea...

  
So when you have plans to visit Copehagen and love tea, it's really a must-see! And do you know another nice tearoom? Let me know, a girl can never have enough lovely addresses like this!

Note: all pictures from Tea Time's website! 

Alphabet Bags

2010-09-29T16:14:00.003+02:00

These wonderful Alphabet Bags are designed by the English couple Hayley Thwaites and Lucas Lepola. They started the brand in 2008 with a range of tote bags with the letters A to Z, but soon they decided to add some more print designs to their collection, like the beautiful typography prints on the photos below. All bags have been made with a 100% heavy-weight cotton and stitched and screen printed in the U.K.

Lovely, isn't it? Which one would be your favourite?

P.S. Don't forget to  check out their other website Keep Calm  Gallery for beautiful artwork  prints!

H&M Home

2010-09-28T14:51:00.004+02:00

Since a few years Hennes & Mauritz has their own Home collection, which was only available in their online shop. But for the fans there's now some exciting news: H&M is opening a new shop in November 2010 in Amsterdam, at the Dam, and there will be a department in the building for their Home collection as well!!

{The H&M room in Lloyd Hotel}

H&M had a pop up shop at Elle Wonen's Inside Design last weekend, so that was a perfect chance to have a nice peek into their new concept. The funny thing about it is that it's totally different than in other shops, as you can see and feel the displayed articles, and if you like it and want to buy it you grab a little magnet from the item board, stick it to your little flat shoppingcard, and then you go to the checkout, where they get it for you from their warehouse after you have paid.

On the pictures below you can have your own little peek into their pop up shop; on the third picture the magnets with products.

My favourites are the washed linen duvet covers in crisp white or grey and the beautiful ruffled cushions. Oh, and look at those dreamy lace curtains! 

Aren't these luxurous accessories in a palette of white, grey, soft pink, green velvet and a hint of gold gorgeous for your bedroom? 

There's also a more naturel look in whites, grey, charcoal tones and naturel linens...

Which style is your favourite? Would you go for the more feminine luxurous look or would you choose the naturel with linens?

Inside Design 2010 (part two)

2010-09-28T10:03:00.003+02:00

Yesterday you could read about our trip to Inside Design 2010 in the Lloyd Hotel, today I would like to show you some more pictures of the wonderful event, shot at the other locations at Cruquiuskwartier and Studio IJm... 

{Cruquiuskwartier}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{String Gardens}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

{Studio IJm}

At the Studio IJm location there also was a small (and adorable!) pop up store by Mieke Willems, more about that soon! 

Have a nice day!

Inside Design 2010 (part one)

2010-09-27T18:42:00.001+02:00

This weekend we went to Amsterdam's Lloyd Hotel and some other locations in the city for the third edition of Inside Design, by interior magazine Elle Wonen. The Lloyd Hotel is situated in the Northern Part of the city, in a beautiful old building with lots of characteristic details, renovated, redesigned and decorated with a combination of modern Dutch design and timeless classics. Each of the 117 rooms is decorated by different designers, which gives the hotel a wonderful and inspiring atmosphere.

During Inside Design you can walk from room to room (just follow the pink tape!) and find the most stunning designs; furniture, art, lighting, fashion, books, food concepts, paint, home accessories and lifestyle products. It's quite inspiring to see so many wonderful items in such a beautiful atmosphere!

Today, in part one, I would like to share the photos which I shot in the Lloyd Hotel...

{uitgeverij Snor}

{Hiphonest by Annouk Post}

{Hiphonest by Annouk Post}

{Mobila Woonstudio}

{Keukenconfessies}

{Temporary Collective Arnhem}

{Vlinder & Vogel}

More on the blog later this week, so stay tuned!

My latest vintage treasure

2010-09-22T11:19:00.002+02:00

I've found these vintage scraps from the '60s last week, aren't they cute?

I still have my pretty little album with rhymes, written by family, friends and my favourite teachers at school, and with some beautiful drawings or scraps...

Do you still have yours?

Some of my favourite photography apps

2010-09-21T13:28:00.001+02:00

Since I have my iPhone I am often browsing the app store for interesting apps, especially for photography. And because there are so many I would like to share some of my favourites...

To make it easier to compare all photos I have shot the same image, a cup of coffee. There are lot of differences between all apps, so I try to explain a little bit more about each one.

Are you ready?

The first photo is taken with the camera function which is on the iPhone already. It's a simple camera, easy to use, and what you see is what you get.

This second picture is taken with the ShakeIt app. It's available in two kinds of polaroid effects, this one and the one with the larger strip on the lower side, and on both you can see the paper texture of the good old polaroids. A minus about this app is that there are actually three colour tones, but you can't choose the one you like, it's random.

I've used this app during my holiday to the USA this year, you can find the pictures here , here and here.

Then here's the third picture, which is taken with the Lomography app. It adds a funny colour effect to your picture, with the typical darker tones on the edges. This app is spectacular when used if you're taking outside pictures of something colourful, like I did here in San Francisco.

The next photo is shot with the Hipstamatic app. When you use this app you can switch the lenses, the film, and even the flash, so there are a lot of combinations possible, especially when you purchase the extra packages with more films, lenses and flashes.

Pictures shot with this app have a nice vintage effect, like old photos from the '70s. A minus is the small screen, it's difficult to see how the subject will appear at your photo. The funny thing about this app is that it's designed as a vintage camera.

Since a couple of weeks I have this great app: the CrossProcess. It's developed by the same people as ShakeIt, and it makes really nice pictures, with a vintage look and feel. It also has a small white edge, like one of the ShakeIt options. The funny thing about this app is that when the photo develops you first see it in negative, and then it colours slowly back to normal colours. I love this one!

And the last one is the Japanese app Pudding Camera. There are different options in this app, but the one I use most is the Basic cam with the Dazzle film. It makes really nice pictures in bright colours, and what I really like about this one is the 'dreamy' look of the pictures, especially when shot with sunlight. A minus for me (and I suppose more people who don't understand Japanese) is that you have to find out what the different options mean, it's like abacadabra. But as soon as you figure out how to make a photo it's also a great app!

You can find this aps here by clicking on the name:

ShakeIt
Lomography

Hipstamatic

CrossProcess

Pudding Camera

It's really nice to share some of my favourite apps in this post, and I would love to hear what you think and what your faves are... please let me know!

Have a fun day!

A pretty dress

2010-09-17T11:08:00.002+02:00

In about three weeks we're heading to France for a wedding of friends. Of course I'm pretty much excited about that, a French wedding is not something you are invited to much often, right? (Unless you live in France and have a big family or a huge amount of friends...)

But, now the expected happened, again: I can't find a dress pretty and special enough to wear on a wedding. So you can imagine I'm starting to panic a little and wonder how and especially where I will find a nice one...

{weheartit, by Celeste Castro}

Well, it must be somewhere, waiting for me to find it. To be continued...

Have a nice weekend!

Hello Autumn!

2010-09-09T12:59:00.004+02:00

How wonderful autumn is finally back again! I love the beautiful colours of this season, the leaves in the trees turning slowly from fresh green to all shades of yellow, orange and red, and then to be blown away by the wind. I love the days when the sun is shining and surrounds you with the beautiful warm glow like only the autumn sun can. 

But I also love the days when it rains so hard that the raindrops splash up from the streets again, and to finally wear my wellies and walk right through the rain puddles, like I always loved to do when I was a little girl. 

The wind that blows around the house while I'm comfy at home with a hot cup of tea and a good book. And baking homemade apple pie, with the juiciest fresh apples I can find, and to wait impatiently until it's cooled down a little and taste it. To wear my warm knee high socks again, and pull them up as far as I can, to stay warm...

Autumn, how lovely you're back, I've missed you!

Some vintage magic...

2010-09-08T21:34:00.000+02:00

When I found these stunning pictures at weheartit I completely fell for them because of the vintage colours and feel about these photos, so I wanted to share them here...

Have a wonderful evening!

Colombia Road

2010-09-03T14:28:00.001+02:00

In today's post I would like to share my photos from London's Columbia Road, where we went on Sunday morning. At Sunday there is the famous flower market, with lots of stalls selling plants and flowers. And even better: the wonderful little shops are all open!
We wanted to go there anyway for Rob Ryan's shop Ryantown, but were kind of surprised to find many more cute shops, like Treacle, candystore Suck & Chew,Vintage Heaven, Lapin and Me, Nelly Duff and Wingate. There even was a tiny flea market at the square around Ezra Street!

It was really a wonderful and inspiring trip, hope to go back soon!

And now another weekend is almost here again, but this time in Amsterdam... also not bad at all!

Enjoy your weekend, do you have any nice plans yet?

Kensington & Shoreditch

2010-09-02T15:07:00.002+02:00

Like I promised in my post yesterday: some of my pics from London's neighbourhoods Kensington and Shoreditch. Kensington with it's fancy design and fashion shops, and Shoreditch, the more urban and casual part with lots of young artists and their fashionably stylish galleries, shops and cafes.

We stayed in design hotel Hoxton, a great concept by the founders of Prêt à Manger, and I really loved the little details! We've had a delicious lunch at Albion (so we couldn't resist to go back for more the next day!), a tasty vegan dinner at Saf and a very good espresso at Prufrock (by the 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies!) and Nude Espresso...

We went to see some shops like Blue Bird (amazing!), Hummingbird Bakery, Mint Shop in South Kensington, Emily Chalmers' shop Caravan Style (do you remember my post about Caravan on this blog?), the Sunday Up Market, the flower market at Columbia Street with all it's amazing shops, and the Spitalfields Market. We strawled around in Shoreditch to find some really nice shops, and, of course, in Camden...

Tomorrow part 3 of our little tour...

Bye for now, have a lovely day!

London blues?

2010-09-01T17:33:00.001+02:00

We're back from our little trip to London! I was so excited to go there, as the last time was way too long ago and we heard a lot about the latest hot neighbourhood Shoreditch. We really enjoyed to strawl around and visit the most amazing places. And we were also wondering why we don't go more often... 

For some reason there are a lot shades of blue in these photos... :) More colours and more about Shoreditch tomorrow!

Enjoy your evening!

London!

2010-08-26T11:04:00.002+02:00

In a couple of days I'm going to pack my things and travel to London, for a short visit. I'm pretty much excited about what we're going to see, it's been a while since our last stay, so many new things to discover!

{weheartit}

I've been in England and London a couple of times, and really love the charming English people, their beautiful country and the amazing London, of course! Hopefully the weather will be a little bit better than today... *keeps her fingers crossed*

What's you favourite city for a short trip? 

Stories about the trip and photos soon, so stay tuned!

xoxo

Sparkles

2010-08-25T11:26:00.004+02:00

For as far as I can remember I've always loved the changing of seasons. For some reason it gives me the feeling of something new to look forward to... a new season, with all it's charms and precious moments. It brings some kind of sparkle at the day you feel the next season is coming up, even when the current season is still lingering  for some more days... do you know that sparkle? 

{weheartit}

Enjoy your day!

xoxo

Gorgeous maps

2010-08-24T14:18:00.000+02:00

This gorgeous maps of London, New York City and Paris really are a must-have for people who fell in love with these wonderful and amazing cities, like I did. The maps are prints based on original hand paper cuts by Famille Summerbelle. Look at the teeny tiny details, amazing...

Make sure you'll check out their website, for the new colours and lots of other great items!

I would love to have them all, but the problem is we don't have enough walls in our apartment to put them...

Which one would be your favourite?

Hello Autumn?

2010-08-23T14:29:00.001+02:00

Today it seems like Summer is gone, it's been raining cats and dogs for hours! But isn't that a great excuse to make yourself comfy and cozy at home, with lots of tea and chocolates? I think it is! 

I just found these beautiful pictures by photographer  Jessica Claire and stylist Summer Watkins, aren't these colours the prettiest? 

And no worries, perhaps we'll have some more sunny days in September, just like little presents...

Via: All The Mountains

The Big Apple

2010-08-23T12:33:00.001+02:00

I just couldn't believe my eyes when I found this pop-up book NYC, what a wonderful idea! Designer Daisy Lew created a city of paper buildings, which is an apple when you see it from above. That's right; The Big Apple!!

I hope you all have a great start of the new week!

(Via Daily Smudge) 

Sail

2010-08-21T22:08:00.000+02:00

This morning we woke up pretty early to visit 'het IJ' for a view at the boats at Sail. Although boats are not really my thing it was nice to walk around a bit and have a look, when it was not too crowded yet. 

I tried to make some photos with my Hipstamatic iPhone app, to give them a little drama with the typical 'vintage' colours... I always love how the skies and clouds look this way!

I Hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as I do!

Summer breeze

2010-08-20T18:35:00.002+02:00

Today I was browsing through my favourites in 'my magical electric archives' (a.k.a. laptop), and then I found this beautiful photograph by the talented Yvette Inufio.

What I really love about these stunning picture is that it's so feminine and dreamy, and it makes me think of a nice summer breeze. So I couldn't resist to share it with you...

Take a look in Yvette's shop by clicking here, for her Flickr page click here, and she also has a blog morning light in my room, enjoy!

Doll house?

2010-08-20T15:59:00.000+02:00

Today I was surfing from one blog to the other, and then I found  DosFamily. This übercool doll house is from the Swedish family behind company Charlie Charlie... 

Don't you just love the way it's decorated?

Jane's amazing home

2010-08-19T21:15:00.001+02:00

Today I found the great blog Alltheluckintheworld on the web, by Dutch graphic designer and artist Jane Schouten, and instantly fell in love with her stunning interior! What a wonderful and inspiring place, and look at all the vintage treasures! Would you like to have a peek inside her amazing home? 

Jane also has a shop with her sister Julie, where they sell unique vintage finds and lovely handmade items... to find out more about their shop Alltheluckintheworld click here.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour, let me know what you think!

Have a great evening!

Note: all photography by Jane Schouten...

Head over heels

2010-08-18T13:07:00.001+02:00

About two weeks ago I found the amazing magazine Uppercase in my local magazine store. I was attracted by the beautiful illustration on the cover, so I picked it up to have a little peek inside. And couldn't believe my eyes... What a treasure! Eye candy!

To find out more about the magazine and their stockists please check the website.

Have a nice day!

Some sunshine on a rainy day

2010-08-17T14:59:00.001+02:00

On this rainy day I came across the beautiful and cheerful website of Scottish designer Donna Wilson. From the very first moment I saw these stunning creations I was attracted by the pretty colours, don't you just love her collection?

You can find the complete collection here, and don't forget to visit her blog...

Have a nice day!

Note: all photography from Donna Wilson's website.

A wonderful evening...

2010-08-16T12:32:00.000+02:00

Last Saturday we went to see the Italian movie Pranzo di Ferragosto, open air at de Westergasfabriek in our city. It was a beautiful summer night, not too cold, so perfect for watching a nice movie outside! We really loved the sweet story, about Gianni and his lovely guests. You can find out more about the movie by clicking the title above...

We also took a walk around to take some pictures of the beautiful old industrial buildings. These were build in 1883, designed by architect Isaak Gosschalk, in characteristic red bricks and with beautiful details. After many years of coal related industries the area was renovated some years ago, and now you'll find many great places there such as restaurants (Marije Vogelzang's Proef is located here!), a cinema, galleries, cafes, shops and an espresso bar.

How was your weekend?

Have a great start of the new week, lovelies! 

xoxo

My favourite interior magazine

2010-08-11T17:05:00.002+02:00

I was just reading one of my favourite Dutch magazines 101 woonideeën. The reason why I love this magazine so much is that I always get inspired from the very first page, and it happens often I want to create new things, immediately!

Here are some of the highlights: {click!}

Famille Summerbelle 

Blafre

Blog Antonia Pesenti

Have a great evening!

Note: pics are from Dutch magazine 101 woonideeën, the august issue 2010. On their website you'll find lots of fab DIY projects and ideas...

Under the stars

2010-08-11T12:03:00.002+02:00

Last weekend our friend D. was over to spend some good time together. We had a delicious Japanese dinner at Wagamama's and then we went to the Pluk De Nacht festival, an open air film festival which is located at the waterside near 't IJ. We've been seeing the German movie Alle Anderen, and really enjoyed the relaxed feeling of lounging in comfy chairs and watching a nice movie under the stars. Could it be any better?

I hope your weekend was good as well!

Paris & Côte d'Azur

2010-08-07T12:06:00.000+02:00

Last week, when we went treasure hunting, I've found these wonderful vintage photos of Paris and the Côte d'Azur... Don't you just love the vintage look and feel of these photos?

{Paris}

{Montmartre, Paris}

{Côte d'Azur}

{Juan-les-Pins}

Have a wonderful weekend, with lots of sunshine! 

My favourite flea market

2010-08-05T17:27:00.000+02:00

Last weekend we went to my favourite flea market in the Northern part of Amsterdam. This market is once a month, and in summer it's outdoor and huge! The market is situated in an industrial area, and I really love the atmosphere, with lots of old characteristic buildings. And the water, of course!

We've found a bunch of wonderful new things, in the shop soon!

Have a great evening!

About a vintage telly, Buddy Holly and a toy shop...

2010-07-30T19:51:00.001+02:00

These are some of the vintage treasures we found when we went on treasure hunting yesterday... Some old records (Buddy Holly and Elvis!), vintage embroidery, a toy shop, a television from the fifties and a pile of great vintage books. *bliss*

Can hardly wait to go to my fave flea market this Sunday.

Have a great and sunny weekend, lovelies!

What's new, pussycat?

2010-07-30T10:10:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we went thrifting, and we've found loads of cool vintage thingies! In the shop soon, so stay tuned...

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

My morning coffee

2010-07-29T11:05:00.000+02:00

In the morning, when I have had my breakfast, I love to drink a good cup of coffee. For a long time the only coffee I drank was espresso or cappuccino from our Rancilio espresso machine, but since a while I prefer a nice pourover in the morning, as it is delicate and smooth. This morning I tried the delicious fresh Birdsong (don't you just love that name?) beans from Panama . So good!

How do you drink your coffee?

Have a lovely day!

My Brownie Holiday Flash

2010-07-28T22:02:00.001+02:00

Last week I found this cute vintage camera on Etsy, and instantly fell in love with the design. The camera is called the Kodak Brownie Holiday Flash, and it's made in the fifties...

I have no idea if it still works properly, I'm going to try to find that out soon... I'll keep you posted!

The ice cream truck

2010-07-26T22:18:00.000+02:00

When  we were in New York we saw this awesome ice cream truck, don't you just  love the retro looks of it? 

I think I'm going to get me an ice cream, right now!

Buenos Aires in red and blue...

2010-07-22T20:29:00.003+02:00

Some photos of our trip to Buenos Aires last year...

It was our first visit to Buenos Aires ever, and definitely not our last! What a beautiful city, with it's charming buildings in Palermo and San Telmo, the inspiring and cute shops, friendly people and buzzing atmosphere. Oh, and coffee with a delicious alfajores, of course...

Have a nice evening, chau!

Noordermarkt

2010-07-20T17:08:00.000+02:00

My favourite market in Amsterdam is definitely the Noordermarkt, with it's pretty square and the cute shops around. The square is named after the church Noorderkerk, which is build in 1620's.

 On Saturdays you'll find a little antiques and lots of organic foods, crêpes, olive oils, cheeses and flowers. On Monday mornings it's like heaven for vintage lovers, with loads of vintage clothes, beautiful brocante and funky vintage items.

What's your favourite market in the area where you live? I love to travel and I'm also very fond of special markets, so maybe I'll visit your favourite one day...

Have a wonderful evening, and stay cool!

P.S. Have you seen our interior in the sneak peek on the fabulous design*sponge yet? You'll find out more about it in yesterday's post...

A little sneak peek in our home!

2010-07-19T17:30:00.001+02:00

From today you can have a sneak peek into our interior at the wonderful design*sponge, definitely one of my favourite websites, with interesting sneak peeks (which I love!), city guides and the cutest DIY projects. 

So, turn the key {click!} and have a look! And let me know what you think, too. Would love to hear from you!

Happy things!

2010-07-16T11:06:00.002+02:00

This morning my vintage Polaroid camera arrived, YAY! The people who follow me for a while now know I have a weak spot for vintage cameras, and since I have the ShakeIt app on my iPhone I reallyreallyreally wanted a Polaroid. a real one. Now I hope to find the right film for it, someone on Twitter told me I can find it at The Impossible Project.

The other happy thing is a short video I found this morning on internet, and it's about a Surprise Ball from Kiosk, in cheerful colours, and... well, take a look, it's amazing!

The last happy thing is something I can't tell you about yet, but it's so exciting! One hint: it has something to do with our interior... later more, so stay tuned!

Have a happy weekend!

Vintage day!

2010-07-15T09:53:00.000+02:00

Today it's a perfect day to get the car and go thrifting! Don't you just love the exciting feel of 'you-never-know-what-i'm-gonna-find-today'? 

Let's hope this will be a good day, stay tuned...

Have a beautiful and inspiring day too!

Cheer up, buttercup!

2010-07-14T17:16:00.002+02:00

When we were in San Francisco in May we also went to see the cool shops in Mission and Hayes Valley. In a cute little shop called Lavish I couldn't resist to buy a lovely rubber stamp set, and this pretty hand printed 'cheer up, buttercup' card in a bright yellow, with the darling dog!

Don't you love it? You can find the shop here {click!}

A red bicycle and a spooky house...

2010-07-14T11:49:00.004+02:00

Last night the weather was still nice and warm, so we went for a walk in the beautiful Vondelpark. On our way we saw a beautiful red bicycle, lots of people with ice creams, a skate rental and a very spooky house... :)

I love those wonderful warm summer evenings! {especially when they end up with a delicious pistachio ice cream, hah!}

Have a lovely and sunny day! 

La dolce vita!

2010-07-13T17:36:00.001+02:00

Some more images from the book 'Italian Joy', written by the Australian photographer Carla Coulson. I think they're just perfect, don't you love the details?

Since a couple of months I shoot pictures a little more often with a black and white film, in my vintage Ricoh camera, and I love it! Do you like black and white photography? And do you like the sepia tones or do you prefer 'normal' black and white?

Have a wonderful evening!

Note: all photography is from the book 'Italian Joy' by the Australian photographer Carla Coulson. You can find her books here...

Gemma Correll

2010-07-12T13:56:00.000+02:00

This lovely print of an ampersand in black, white and orange is designed by illustrator Gemma Correll. I've won it as a giveaway via her nice blog, isn't it gorgeous? I really love her work, especially the illustrations of  her cute pug Mr Norman Pickles! And the cats, of course, too.

Have a lovely new week!

Hup Oranje!

2010-07-09T15:14:00.000+02:00

Today I shot some images of the orange flags in the streets, it seems like these flags are everywhere! 

Hup Oranje!!

Have a lovely weekend!

Ciao Italia!

2010-07-08T13:13:00.002+02:00

These pictures are from one of my favourite photography books 'Italian Joy', written by the Australian photographer Carla Coulson. It's a beautiful and inspiring book, with tons of stunning photos...

I've always loved Italy because of it's beautiful landscapes, old villages and buzzing cities. The authentic atmosphere, the charming cobbled little streets, the delicious food and the passionate characters of the Italians... Have you ever been in Italy?

Don't you just love Carla's pictures? Some more soon...

Have a wonderful day!

Note: all photography is from the book Italian Joy by Carla Coulson, click here for the book!

Prêt à Voyager

2010-07-05T23:00:00.000+02:00

Last weekend I have been on a little tour in Amsterdam with the lovely Anne of the website Prêt à Voyager, and then she invited me to participate in her wonderful project Boarding Pass, where people tell about their travels.

This week my Boarding Pass is on her website, with an interview and pictures, have a look here!

Enjoy your evening!

Rockin' weekend

2010-07-05T18:38:00.001+02:00

Some pictures of the Rock Werchter festival I went to yesterday, in Belgium... the weather was sunny and warm, the drinks were cool, the people were nice and the music was awesome. Gomez, Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, Alice In Chains, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam... and I finally could see Them Crooked Vultures performing live!! {these guys are amazing!}

 {sunny weather}

{great atmosphere}

{the main stage}

{Alice In Chains}

{superband Them Crooked Vultures}

{TCV's Dave, Joshua & John together}

{Fireworks after Pearl Jam performance}

My weekend was rockin' good, hope your weekend was great too!

Enjoy your week!

Fizzy Orange

2010-07-02T15:37:00.001+02:00

Today it's extremely sunny and hot {temperatures are rising up to more than 30 degrees Celsius!}, and our national football team is playing {The Netherlands vs. Brazil}. So you can imagine a cool and orange summer drink is more than welcome... Fizzy Orange might be a perfect idea!

Fizzy Orange

{recipe by Tessa Kiros' wonderful book Apples for Sam...} 

60 grams caster sugar

One long strip of orange rind, pith removed

juice of 4 oranges (about 330 ml)

500 ml ice cold sparkling water

Put the sugar, orange rind and 3 tablespoons of tap water into a small pan. Bring to the boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves completely, then boil for a few minutes so that the orange rind flavours the syrup. Add the orange juice, and late it bubble for about 5 minutes, or until it looks slightly denser. Pour into a jug and leave to cool completely {covered, to keep the flies out}. When it's cold and ready to serve, pour in the sparkling water and mix well, with lots of ice! 

Enjoy your day! {and the match, if your going to watch it...}

Hup Oranje!!! :)

Yellow!

2010-07-01T21:03:00.002+02:00

Today is the first day of July, and it's a sunny one! Perfect for a yellow post, so here are some summery yellow pics...

Do you like the colour yellow? And do you have this colour in your interior, or do you like to wear yellow clothes?

Happy (and sunny!) July!

Vintage photography in black & white...

2010-06-30T22:08:00.002+02:00

Finally I have the photos from my vintage camera, and it was quite a surprise how they would look like. It was the first time I took it with me on a trip, and I loved the feel of old fashioned photography {and it's not even that long ago, is it?}. Unfortunately the ones in NYC did not come out well, for some reason, but the ones in San Francisco look pretty cool! 

Do you see the strange light effect on the darker one with the Golden Gate Bridge? I have no idea how that happened, but I must say I like that unexpected effects!

Next time I'll try a colour film, makes me curious to try some more...

Bonne nuit!