handpainted checkerboard table

A colorful weekend project; a checkerboard 'woodwoolstool'.

On Friday evening I started to paint a vintage wooden stool (it used to be Pippa's bedside table) with a checkerboard pattern in Majorelle blue.

Today i finished the job and painted the other half of the checkerboard with moroccan pink paint in the backyard.

I love this color combination (totally matching the garden door rug).

In the mood to play checkers, anyone?

handpainted harlequin stool

I painted a vintage wooden stool (see bottom photo) with harlequin pattern in Moroccan colors.

color coordinated

I crocheted a new harlequin pillow cover for our bamboo daybed and matched the colors to the (homemade) cushions, that I made from a Berber blanket some years ago. Look here.

One of my best-loved crochet projects, this harlequin pillow. You can download the pattern in my ETSY SHOP.

Furthermore, the IFFR film festival started today and I sponsored the (online) festival by ordering a poster and beanie.

handmade harlequin pillow in moroccan hues

New handmade harlequin pillow in my Etsy shop.

A moroccan inspired version of the pillows I made before.

The basic color is moroccan pink, almost the same shade as the panelled wall in our bedroom, combined with bright and spicy colors which are completely common in Marrakech.

I started this harlequin pillow project on one of the last days on the ferry to Ilha do Farol, so also a tiny portuguese touch. (when I bring my hook and yarn on holiday, I hardly ever touch it, but if I don't, I always miss it haha...)

I recently finished the pillow and it turned out surprisingly warm, due to the use of characteristic colors.

This week I sold two(!) of my handmade pillows on Etsy, one of which goes all the way to Australia. Do you know i still make a dance of joy when i wake up in the morning and discover, someone on the other side of the world bought one of my handmade items overnight?

Since autumn has made its entrance here, I'm working on all kinds of crochet projects again. I wonder if you guys also get straightaway back into crochet mode in September?

Well, if you want to make your own harlequin pillow, you can download this pillow pattern from my Etsy shop. You can use yarn leftovers and for the base a fresh ball of yarn in your favorite color.

his side

Waking up in 2020.

The first thing i often think when i wake up is, i was hoping 'it' was all a bad dream...

I don't get used to this weird year 2020.

We try to make the best of it every day and can only wait and see.
Sometimes I just want to sleep and wake up in 2021 and start all over again with a clean slate.

However it may be, I still enjoy our new bedroom every single day. The room has a inspiring, soothing eclectic atmosphere and infuses me with fresh ideas.

I've got quiet a few comments, that I never showed 'his side of the bed', when we moved into our new bedroom. We both secretly chose our side of the bed.

You know my side of the bed, with the componibili design classic by Kartell and the vintage toucan lamp.

Well finally here some pictures from Henk's side, haha...

He chose a cobalt blue steel round table and a small modern metal table lamp that excels in its simplicity.

All seemingly flow quite nicely together!

The paper storage box is found in Breda and I'm in love with the color and illustration and decided to use it for my 'outfit-prints'.

tétouan

Tétouan - nicknamed the White Dove

On Sunday we drove from Tanger for two hours through scenic landscapes. The views were cinematic and along the road there were countless stalls selling tajine pots and ceramic tiles, that seemed to appear out of the middle of nowhere. We made this road trip to Chefchaouen together with Mohammed the taxi driver and were accompanied by charming Chiara from Milano. On the way we visited Tétouan and drove along the Rif mountains and some bright blue reservoirs to Chefchaouen.

The medina of Tétouan is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 because it remains relatively untouched by outside influence. Tétouan was a melting pot of Spanish Andalusian and Moroccan culture, which is evident in the architecture throughout the Medina.

It was still quiet in the narrow alleys of the medina and on the Sunday market, due to Ramadan.

After a walk through the medina we drove on to Chefchaouen. En route we met a couple of little boys selling flowers. We bought a bunch of tiny pink flowers and a yellow flower chain.

With flowers, beautiful and appropriate Moroccan road trip music, nice and interesting stories by Mohammed, we continued our journey to the Blue city.

bright light & vivid colors

Tanger is an edge city, caught between worlds. Located at the border between east and west, between north and south.

Standing at the top of the Medina you are at the northernmost tip of Africa. You can overlook both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and can see the hazy silhouette of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The city has always been a crossroad of cultures and this mix has drawn a notable collection of artists. French painter Henri Matisse is probably the most well known. In search of a new direction and surrounded by bright light and vivid colors, the French master found inspiration for some of his greatest works.

As a 'photographer', I strive to capture color and light, and I have always been enticed by Morocco's rich hues and variegated sunshine.

I came to Tanger because I wanted to seek out the creative spark down alleyways.