TWO TIMES L.O.V.E.

My big sis and I when we were about five and three. Buddies for life!

photography: Caroline Coehorst / styling: Anne-Marie Rem

GIVE AWAY STONES

This afternoon I finally started my small project 'Give Away Stones'. I came up with this idea last Summer when we were in France, spending hot days at the riverside. I saw these hundreds and thousands of stones and I was sure the river wouldn't mind if I took a few to share with others.

I'm decorating the stones with kind words and poetry lines. These are stones to secretly slip into somebody's coat pocket for him or her to find when you're not around. Little messages to express love and friendship.

They will not be for sale cause you know, they're Give Away Stones..!
More about this project later..

CHERISH YOUR MARBLES

A few weeks ago I watched an interview with Dutch comedian Claudia de Breij. She talked about her youth and her feeling of not fitting in. She compared herself to a red marble in a bucket filled with blue marbles. I loved this comparison and it made me think about my own bucket.

There have been times I felt like the red marble. But nowadays I'm such a lucky girl. Over the years beautiful and unique marbles came rolling my way. I don't know why but they just did. And they still do, from unexpected corners, at unexpected moments. They are never plain blue. They have different colors, from smokey-grey to blood-red. Some have lines in purple, white or bluish-green. Some are transparant and others you have to rub carefully with polish to see their true colors. But when you do..wow! Beauty without comparison!

I wish for everyone to find such beautiful rare marbles cause they will enrich your life. Try to be open and attentive.. Maybe there's one laying in front of your left foot at this very moment..

BEARDED MEN

It's becoming evident that I have a thing for beards!  When you look around my house you'll see them everywhere: in the living room, in the kitchen and upstairs in my atelier. Maybe I am just preparing myself for how my 7 year old will look when he's grown up, cause his big wish is to one day have a beautiful moustache and beard.

Whenever we are in a shopping centre together and he spots a (any!) man with a beard he calls out: Mum, look, doesn't that man look awesome?!! I try not to be too embarrassed and just give the guy a nonchalant wave and smile..

In the kitchen: Blossom & Bill tea towel from ISAK

In my atelier: bearded men magnets by Jordan Grace Owens

In the living room: 'A look only you would understand' from Ashley G

:: Left / Wrong ::

*  This very yellow stool I bought at HEMA last Friday. Love it!

*  This novel about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda is probably the most confronting and horrifying book I have ever read and it made me ashamed of the world's ignorance. But I think we should all read it cause this must never happen again.

:: Similarities ::

Today Cora from Studio Neeltje invited me over to get acquainted. She is graphic designer and illustrator. A while ago she read an interview about my work in a local magazine and was struck by our similarities: we both studied Advertising at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, we both lived in Rotterdam for about 10 years on the first floor and had a small balcony on the North and now moved to Barendrecht, we both have one small child, a son.. Today we found out we have a lot more in common: we both love second-hand shops, chocolate cookies, HEMA, old furniture from a great shop in Amsterdam called Van Dijk en Ko, theatre.. (and there are even a few similarities Cora doesn't know about yet like we both have the same conservatory added onto the house and her colourful guirlande with the paper butterflies...I have that one too! It is crazy!)

But thanks Cora, for inviting me. It was really nice to meet you and I think that besides our similarities we have lots of differences to inspire each other with in the future!

Please check out the website of Studio Neeltje and find out all about her happy little creatures or go to Cora's inspiring blog.

Designed by Studio Neeltje

:: brooches ::

I love brooches. I think they are neat! I have all kinds of them, vintage, modern, wooden, leather, plastic, felted, home-made.. Without a brooch I feel something is missing! I think they can be a stylish boost to a day to day outfit or basic black dress. This one from Snug I bought recently at Make Room, an online shop selling great accessories. Leonie, the kind owner of the shop also has a beautiful weblog called Kopje suiker (Cup of sugar). Check it out!

:: Nothing happens without a reason... ::

This morning while on my bike, I passed a flea market selling second hand books and collectable lp records. I couldn't resist having a look and immediately found this beautiful book with the title 'Nothing happens without a reason'. I love this title because it is a sentence I often use cause it is something I strongly believe in. Besides that I love the simple illustration on the cover. I couldn't resist buying it cause..nothing happens without a reason..!