brocante

pretty niche in the Westerstraat

DE WELDAAD

Last year I bought a wonderful five-armed candelabrum with leaves and roses of china at a litte shop called "De Weldaad" at the corner of Reestraat in Amsterdam. The little shop has a big sister now. On the 22nd of June was the opening of a big store on "De Noordermarkt". A greek blue cupboard calls you inside. Everywhere are lushes bouquets.Both adresses are at five minutes bicycle distance of my little house. I'm blessed.

homesick in Amsterdam

Halil Gür, an Amsterdam citizen from Turkish origin wrote :
"If you are far away from home you long for your language, the landscape, the sea, mountains, certain smells. I live in a world of consumption where welth has made people poor. You seldom see genuine, happy and radiant people here. When I feel homesick I reach out to people. I give flowers to my neighbour. What you give away, you can never loose".

>>Michael

Have you seen my Childhood?

I'm searching for that wonder in my youth

Like fantastical stories to share

But the dreams I would dare, watch me fly...

Michael is in the air. The news of his death is sinking in. My daughter and I both grew up with his music. In my youth I listened to The Jackson 5, my daughter's first Michael song was "Black or White". Tonight we watched our favourite videoclips and the 90 minutes interview with Oprah in 1993. A nice way to remember him and have a good cry while listening to "Ben"and "Childhood". Goodbye Michael.

14

This week my beautiful niece, Theuntje, turned fourteen. Going through the turbulent stage of puberty it's not the easiest time of her life. Hope she will remember these years with a smile when she's older.

michael

1958 - 2009

paris

Wish I was in Paris. I would find myself a nice terrace in the morningsun for a cafe au lait. This humble wish made me search for the typical french bistro chairs. finally found the site of Poitou. And there they were. Love them. Perhaps something for an Amsterdam dining table?

Amsterdam - St Petersburg

богатство

"From June 20th 2009, 10 a.m., a major new European cultural destination, the greatly expanded Hermitage Amsterdam, will welcome visitors to its elegantly restored 17th-century building in the historic heart of Amsterdam. The new museum will inaugurate its spacious new home with the exhibition At the Russian Court, a dazzling display of more than 1,800 treasures from the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg."

Yesterday I had the honour to be invited to a preview of the opening exhibition of the Hermitage Amsterdam. My friend Conny, who lives opposite the new museum, on her ship, witnessed all the steps of development during two years. The whole event makes me happy. A nice change in Amsterdam cultureland is that this museum is finished in time and within budget. . The historic building is restored beautifully. Outside as well as inside. And yes, the exhibition is dazzling. Glitter and glamour of the Russian Court. Wonderful !

sundaymorning citywalk

A walk along the Herengracht brought us to the Amstelveld were we had coffee. Further we went. Along the Amstel where the preparations for the grand opening of the Hermitage, later this week, were going on. In between, close encounters with crazy animals and adorable minigardens.

FW>>roses&peonies

roses, cherries & peonies

Slowly sliding into the season of roses and cherries. Today, on the first saturday of June, an explosion of peonies on the market, roses and the first cherries of the season. Yesterday, in the Hortus, I found a glorious Italian soap with the natural sent of roses and peonies.

dream away

never leave home without

bag > The Kipling FrugM nightblue. A practical A4 bag. For my daily stuff and sometimes a littlebit more.

mobile > A basic, simple nokia. After years of fancy telephones I went back to basic. I can call and sms. Nothing more, nothing less.

purse > Also Kipling, red, with enough space for all the bank- and other cards.

readingglasses in a chinese, very pink holder.

foam button > my working button that I wear in the museum

calligraphy pen > I'm lost without my call. pen. Any compliment about my handwriting I have to share with my pen.

uniball gel pen > For many years now I make my notes with uniball pens from Japan. Only uniball, no imitation, can do the job.

sunglasses > I'm the type that has several cheap pairs of sunglasses instead of one proper quality pair. Simply because I want to see my glasses in whatever direction I'm looking for them

I love all Moleskine items. My red agenda for this year and the two plain notebooks.

Sweeties for my coffees at the Coffee Company and Blistex lip relief for possible dry lips.

My passport and very handy Xtra bright bicyclelights from the HEMA.

And last but not least my dear and special keyholder that is with me for twenty years now. I bought it in 1989 as a souvenir in the year Paris celebrated the revolution from twohundred years ago.

oh joy

Exploring this blog is a joy!

calligraphy

Wish I could write like this

weddingbells

Really gorgeous and unusual weddingphotography by featherlove

hard graft

Beautiful bags, made of leather, canvas and felt.

FW>> Tuin de Lage Oorsprong

On the 14th of april this year I reported a visit to "Tuin De Lage Oorsprong". Today, six weeks later, the garden looks fantastic , more colourful and greener then the last time.

visiting the ship

the new hermitage

thinking of my father

Every year, during my childhood, my father and I used to sow little seeds of Capucine in a long row to border the garden. We made little holes in the soil with our fingers and put three seeds in every hole. Then we followed the growingproces of these bright coloured, favourite flowers of my dad. Last week I found this plant on the market. It is full of promissing little buds.

When your heart is in the country

Although I love my Amsterdam citylife, my heart is definitely in the country. Dreaming away in a magazine helps.

FW>> saterdaymarketflowers

Chelsea Flowershow

This week the famous Chelsea Flowershow.

Everyday on BBC TV.

Britain at it's best.

marketday

My favourite day of the week. Today it was hard to choose my weekly flowers. I loved them all

Diane Arbus

In 2012, FOAM Amsterdam celebrates it's tenth year with a retrospective of the work of Diane Arbus.

Mrs. T. Charlton Henry in her Chestnut Hill home,

Philadelphia, PA.,

1965 Diane Arbus (American, 1923–1971)

Gelatin silver print
8 1/2 x 8 7/16 in. (21.6 x 21.5 cm)Purchase, Alfred Stieglitz Society Gifts, 2001 (2001.399)© 1965 The Estate of Diane Arbus, LLC.

When this portrait of a society lady was published in Harper's Bazaar, the feature writer's text for the image noted: "Mrs. T. Charlton Henry … weighs a fragile, feminine ninety pounds, but moves through life like Trojan." Although Mrs. Henry—with her jeweled dress and formidable helmet of hair—may have been an atypical Arbus subject, the photographer employed her trademark classical style to capture the power and poignancy of this wealthy upper class woman in the elegant confines of her milieu.

Bye bye Dovima

Today is the last day of the Richard Avedon Exhibition in FOAM Amsterdam. For three months I've been working between his portraits and his fashionphotos. Sure I'm going to miss them.

Fluitekruid

There are thousands of pictures of my beloved fluitekruid to be found on the web. This one comes close to the feeling I have about this mayflower

VILLA AUGUSTUS

recycled bouquets

fresh, windy but beautiful

Morning sun on the Prinsengracht

bamboo

I adore these bamboo chairs. They were made in Japan and for sale in a really great shop called Zenza in the Utrechtsestraat.