playback 2021 & press play 2022

Annual photo book tradition since 2007.

After 72 analogue photo albums from 1986, digital photography took over.

We missed browsing through our photo albums and started to make one printed photo book every year. Thousands of photos to choose from and we reduced it to 170 full-page photos of 2021! You can 'browse' the book on my Instagram account.

What a year. It won't get any crazier. It started in january with Henks heart attack and 65 seconds without a heartbeat. Thereafter sometimes pulse 180 because of the excitement and beautiful and emotional moments.

We went to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Olhao, Aljezur, Vila do Bispo, Paris, Bari, Ostuni, Puglia, Marrakech and Barcelona. We enjoyed the days with our family, friends, new friendships and of course there was the birth of our grandson Liam-Novi in November.

Let's forget the 'shit' and only remember the good things of last year and face 2022 with hope, joy and new plans. Very much looking forward to 'normal life', freedom, family time, travel and love.

Now it's time to hit the play button for 2022!

Best wishes to you all have a great year!

review twenty twenty one

Review 2021 in a nutshell.

January - Start of the year in Amsterdam. We stayed at my friend Ank's house for a few days.
February - Month of the winter walks - 10000 steps almost every day and lots in the snow.
March - The first rides in our orange Mini Cooper.
April - Slow life painting days in my studio.
May - Only a few rare beach days this spring.
June - Two weeks in southern Portugal.
July - Daytrip to Antwerp, since a long time.
August - Four days in Paris.
September - La dolce vita in Puglia
October - Marvelous Marrakech
November - Our grandson Liam-Novi is here!
December - City break in Barcelona.

2021 all in all, an emotional, eventful and memorable year with many highlights!

Happy New Years Eve to all of you!

earth day 2021

In honor of our Mother Earth.

full moons of 2021 by dorine de vos

Full moons of 2021 - illustrated by Dorine de Vos

The drawing is part of the New Years card I received from Dorine.

Dorine is co-owner and art director of Villa Augustus and my 'guru', since the first day I started working at Villa Augustus in July 2007.

Tonight as we took a walk in the enchanting light of the setting sun, the full moon came out and colored orange pink.

get in before it's gone

New striped beanie on E T S Y!

It's handmade and a unique piece, so get is before it's gone. I love the cool color scheme of this one.

You can find the ready made striped beanie and the crochet pattern the make it yourself.

Crochet really gets me through the lockdown...

Another advantage, you can make this hat from scraps of wool, so you don't have to leave the house to buy new wool.

the slaak

Saturday 9th of January - Rotterdam

On the occasion of our 29th wedding anniversary we stayed overnight in room 409 at The Slaak. A hotel which is housed in the former pressroom of newspaper ‘Het Vrije Volk’. A beautiful building with many authentic elements.

We keep celebrating love and traditions. L'amour toujours!

A sunny and crispy cold weekend with winter walks in Kralingen and Katendrecht.

Coffee to go at Vicini, take away ciabatta's for lunch from Da Giuseppe and dinner by hotel restaurant Didot34, which was delivered up to the hotel room door on a trolley.

Awakened by the sun shining through the large 'office windows' we had breakfast at 9 o'clock (also delivered in front of our door) overlooking the city. We've had a lovely stay.

PS: In November 2019 we had a coffee in the lobby and visited the Pantone Pantry by Tribute Portfolio to celebrate the opening of The Slaak Rotterdam. Different times, when you could drop by spontaneously to drink coffee. How we all miss that!

the turn of the year in amsterdam

Sleepover & slow living at my friend's house in Amsterdam from the 30th December to the 2nd January.

Four delightful days with many walks in the city, where everything was closed, but you can always take a walk in the fresh air and feed your eyes.

Amsterdam has so much to offer, inspiration everywhere, beautiful canals in scenic winter light. We 'rediscovered' the city in lockdown.