On this cold but sunny sunday I had tea with a friend in the horticultural garden of Amsterdam and I visited the sister of my mother in law who lives in a small but charming appartement in an old monumental building that has a lot of character. My mother in law, Nora, and her sister Vicky both have an eye for beautiful things and home decoration. It's always a treat to drink a cup of tea in their nice homes. 
Seasonsgreetings from Holland go into an envelop with a special stamp. Every year a designer/illustrator has the honour of designing these Christmasstamps. This year it was Jet van der Horst.
I love to stumble upon surprises while I'm surfing on the net. "MY TOWN" stories was one of those surprises. You'll find them at psychoPEDIA. Not a blogtitle I would go to immediately .
Since a part of me is in NY these days I'm drawn to whatever the world wide web tells me about the Big Apple. For example the Best of New York site is a joy to travel virtually.
Tomorrowmorning at 9.15 am, my Emma will be sitting in the plain that takes her to NY. I'll travel with her virtually. The next nine days a part of me will be in the big apple.
FOAM, the museum for photography in Amsterdam, where I work, just opened an exposition of the work of Helen Levitt. She started her career in 1939. Soon she became inspired by Henry Cartier Bresson and started to photograph people in the streets of NY. She's still alive, now 95 years old and lives a quiet live in the USA. 
For everyone who lives in Amsterdam or just loves the city, we made the Amsterdam World Agenda 2009. It is the second edition of this Agenda, filled with useful information about the city and its very different population. Dates and descriptions of Special days of remembrance and festivity of many cultures you will find on the writing pages throughout the year. The best adresses for excotic restaurants, the Amsterdam markets, theatres, you name it, it is all in the agenda as well as some interviews with citizens with foreign backgrounds. A lovely birthday- or Christmaspresent for Amsterdamlovers. 
Update of the bouquet I made on saturday. Somehow the dill I used, didn't cooperate. Instead I put the yellow heliantus, my mother brought from her own garden, between the lilly's. These sunny yellow flowers are from plants that my grandfather planted fifty years ago in my parents garden. As you can see they are still going strong.
Again a wonderful autumnday. Lots and lots of people at the market and on the café terrasses enjoying the beautiful weather. 
Around my corner you find "De negen straatjes" or "The nine little streets". Restaurants, fashion, shoes, cakes and more. Today was a perfect day for a stroll. We visited the little streets and sat for an hour in the sun on a bench along the canal Prinsengracht. 
Cars were not allowed today. On this glorious, sunny sunday inhabitants and tourists celebrated Amsterdam on bikes, walking, on the crowded water in boats or in carriages drawn by horses. It was a happy day ! 
My mother is blessed with eternal youth. Today is her 75th birthday. Yesterday she was the queen at her own birthdayparty for family and friends on a sunny sunday afternoon at a beautiful green location. I'm proud of her.This is the choir that won the BBC choir competition "Last choir standing". They got my vote wholeheartedly
Little girls are growing up. The girl on the poster is Lucy, a schoolfriend of my daughter Emma. Her picture is everywhere all over town.On BBC I watch "The Last Choir Standing". A competition between British choirs. Libera boys choir was a guest in one of the programs.
August 1st. A day of reflection. Is there still something of this child in me? The picture was taken before the time I can remember. Many years later I recognize this face in the faces of our family's children. I find that comforting .
On monday the 14th of July, France will celebrate the national holiday. It is also the first anniversary of this blog. I wont be there because I will be in France the next week. Hope to come back with enough inspiration to feed this page.
Congratulations or Gefeliciteerd as we say in Dutch. At the HEMA, a popular Dutch warehouse, I found this guirlande. When you fold it you can put it in an envelop and send it as a (children's)birthdaycard. Put a few matching balloons with it and the party can begin. 
There is something going on in the Gerard Doustraat. When you walk through this street that is in a nice part of Amsterdam, called De Pijp, you'll notice that the street is changing. New shops and restaurants are beeïng opened and trendy modern offices give this old neighbourhood new allure. For example the brandnew store of BLOND is a great place to be. A lot of space and daylight make this shop very inviting and pleasant to walk through and to buy happy things. Next to BLOND you'll find the "KINDERFEESTWINKEL" or Children's partyshop. A shop full of stuff that make every Children's party a succes. Decorations with a capital D and complete partyboxes with everything for a theme party. Find the right stuff for your prinsesses,
I am a fan of the work of Annie Leibovitz 
Today is "beschuit met aardbeienday".
Gorgeous roses this morning at the market. 
Graduationtime! Emma passed her final schoolexams ! Flowers and cakes!
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