urban outfitters

One of the most important discoveries that my daughter did in New York the last few days is the Urban Outfitters Store. Supercool. They have everything an eightteen year old can wish for. Ofcourse I googeld to see for myself. mmmm some things I like but I think I belong to another targetgroup. So much is clear.

The police is your best friend

picture

Emma in New York, the first day

the best of NY

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.

frozen in NY

New York

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.

young@heart

saturdaymorningmarketflowers week 43

Helen Levitt

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.

A week in the Provence

Back from a wonderful week in the French Provence.

Wereldagenda van Amsterdam

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.

Order via the website

http://www.wereldreisinamsterdam.nl/.

everybody

Perfect song for a melancholic moment.

saturdaymorningmarketflowers plus

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.

saturdaymorningmarketflowers week 39

Again a wonderful autumnday. Lots and lots of people at the market and on the café terrasses enjoying the beautiful weather.

bright autumnday

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.

no cars today

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 !

novastar

mum

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.

only men aloud

This is the choir that won the BBC choir competition "Last choir standing". They got my vote wholeheartedly

workspace

saturdaymorningmarketflowers week 33

This is what my garden would look like today, if I had one .

wrapping up

model

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.

last choir standing

On BBC I watch "The Last Choir Standing". A competition between British choirs. Libera boys choir was a guest in one of the programs.

saturdaymorningmarketflowers week 32

birthday

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 .

saturday July 26th

France

A week in la douce france

OEBELE

Oebele is the name of a children's TV series on Dutch television in the late sixtees. Sadly, all the material of this briljant programme has been deleted. Only a few fragments have been saved. To my surprise, one of the most beautiful songs is on You Tube.

quatorze juillet 2008

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

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.

Gerard Doustraat

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,

pirats or knights. For dinner in style visit The French Café. I will certainly go back to write more reviews on this interesting and vibrant street.

annie

I am a fan of the work of Annie Leibovitz

There is a documentaryfilm about her life and work.

From tomorrow to be seen in Amsterdam

R I A L T O

French destination

I'm invited to visit this chateau in France in july. YES!

pip

You name it, I want it.

Everything from Pip.

The cups, the bags, the stationery.

Cheerfull stuff

Emma, summer 2008

Just proud to be her mom

beschuit met aardbeienday

Today is "beschuit met aardbeienday".

We remember my father's birthday, the 17th of june 1930. He would have been seventyeight years old today. As beschuit met aardbeien, toast with strawberries, was the traditional treat on this day, all the familymembers, whereever they are, will eat this in honour of our great dad.

You gotta be

Good advice from Des'ree

saturdaymorningmarketminigarden

Gorgeous roses this morning at the market.

Together with lavender and passiflora

a romantic minigarden in a bowl.

saturdaymorningmarketbouquet week 24

Graduationtime! Emma passed her final schoolexams ! Flowers and cakes!

vlierbloesemsiroop

Vlierbloesemsiroop >beschuit met aardbeien

saturdaymorningmarketbouquet week 23

saturdaymorningmarketbouquet week 22

jay

YES! I did it . I caught this jay with my camera this morning. For over a week now, he visits our very small outside in the heart of Amsterdam. We are exited about this nature-rural-bird-thing and tried to take a picture but didnt succeed untill this morning. There are still peanuts left on the peanut-bird-string so he will probably be back this evening.

saturdaymorningmarketbouquet week 21

florist

i

As long as I can remember, I have a soft spot for men who are professionaly involved with plants and flowers. Gardeners, florists, I love them. Today I met Paul. A man with a passion for natural greens and colours. He has a charming little flowershop in the heart of Haarlem. In his shop an interesting palet of flowers to make beautiful bouquets. His website is under construction as we speak.

musicboat

Suddenly we heard the familiar sound of the little trumpet that belongs to Reinier Sijpkens and his tiny musicboat. Every summer he surprises you with beautiful compositions performed on this charming little boat on the canals of Amsterdam. It fills your heart with joy and puts a smile on your face.

late in the afternoon

surprising late afternoon light in the kitchen

audrey

Audrey Hepburn keeps coming back these last few days. Beautiful forever

garden

A perfect day for a stroll and a cup of coffee in the garden of Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus showed herself in all her glory. Blue bells, paeonia and ofcourse wisteria on it's best behaviour.

Geja 50

My dear friend Geja would have been celebrating her 50th birthday. A bouquet, of bought, and stolen from nature flowers, always made her happy. Here's to you dear.