two days in paris with pippa

Two days in Paris.

A mother-daughter trip we both have been looking forward to for months.

We departed on Monday early in the morning with the Thalys from Rotterdam and at 10:30 we enjoyed a coffee and hot chocolate on the terrace at Le Parisien. Thereafter we walked along Canal de Saint-Martin to Merci for lunch and inspiration and in the afternoon we walked and shopped in Le Marais.

At closing time, when we walked back to our hotel, we came across a very special art gallery, Design & Nature. An impressive collection and also a little sad but it was good to know all animals are coming from captivity and died naturally.

After having walked 13 kilometers through Paris we decided to have dinner in a typical Parisian cafe-bistro on the corner of our street.

Day two started sunny, so we had our French breakfast on the heated terrace at 'our' corner cafe.

We took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe and walked the Champs Elysees direction Jardin des Tuleries. After déjeuner avec des crêpes we walked on and at the end of my favorite park the most fairytale-like Christmas market appeared.

After a 'December mood' half an hour, we continued our route to Île de la cité. We shopped a little more and had another drink on the umpteenth terras...
We prepared for the return journey and had our last dinner in Paris.

The two days in Paris were great and we've had so much fun! This trip with my daughter Pippa was very precious and we both enjoyed it so much just being together. Love my girl. Paris together was priceless!

power to the people

This striped spencer is an easier version of the checkered spencer and is also suitable for beginners.

The new designed spencer pattern is an easy to follow knitting pattern. You knit it in one piece.

If you need a spencer in your winter wardrobe, you can download the SPENCER PATTERN in my ETSY SHOP. Available in English and Dutch version.

Street art in Dordrecht: power to the people by Johan Moorman

Outfit:
Oversized herringbone coat - Isabel Marant
Knitted striped spencer - handmade by me
Black top - Zara
Blue midi skirt - Zara
Bronze boots - Via Vai

workspace

A workplace is a place that feeds your imagination. Creating a 'perfect' studio won't happen overnight, it's a growing process and that's how it should be.

A few weeks ago we started creating a studio in Pippa's old bedroom. The idea was to create something new with nothing new.

Enough stuff in da house to redecorate this workspace, nothing new, no purchases, but furnished with items that were stored in the attic.

My wool stock (previously spread throughout the house), moroccan rugs, personal souvenirs, books, my home office (which started taking over half the kitchen table), vintage letters, stools (in all possible variations), etc etc...

Oh wait, something comes to mind...Correction, there is something new. Some new 40x60 cm photo frames. I printed my favorite photographs from Marrakech (and a few from Sicily).

Obviously I will often work at the kitchen table, but in that case I only need my laptop. It's really great to have 'everything together' in one place. I am full of ideas and love to work (or just be) in my new studio. The place still has to 'grow', anyway the good vibe is already there.

instant inspiration

Inspiration comes instantly when I enter my new workspace.

The wool from the B A Z A R seem to call; pick me, pick me...

The newly designed spencers I knitted recently turned out so cool! I'm writing the pattern and will show the new knitted spencers soon.

In the meantime my new 'atelier' is beginning to take shape. So far it's already so much fun to be here and I get loads of inspiration in this space...

the grand ginkgo finale

The golden week in November.

An impressive end of the yellow Ginkgo leaves in the frontyard.

After an endless summer, we are now treated to beautiful crisp autumn weather. The sun turns the yellow autumn leaves into gold.

The ginkgo tree in the frontyard is always at it's best this season and this year it seems even better.

and the Helleborus is almost ready to bloom...