jenny sais quoi

Friday 22nd of May

Morning coffee in the sunny front garden with Jenny Sais Quoi - Adventures in vintage & personal style by Jenny Walton.

Cool, clever & colorful coffee table book, a super belle gift from Henk, to celebrate that 'summer' started today.

s t u d i o

S T U D I O

My workspace is featured in the new S T U D I O book by author Sally Coulthard, published by Jacqui Small.

It's a very inspiring book about creative workspaces for creative people. I'm very happy and proud to be one of the creative people in this book.
You can find lots of bright ideas from the real-life studios of artists, crafters, designers, writers and painters.

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.

Thank you Sally for including my workspace inside this fantastic S T U D I O book.
Studio will be released on March 16, 2017. You can pre order the book now.

curious gardener

'A garden is never so good as it will be next year.' Thomas Cooper

The curious gardener's almanac by Niall Edworthy on my garden table.

It's a collection of remarkable facts, curiosities, ancient wisdom and time-honoured tips. Dry or dull information has no place in the almanac.

stripes, socks & bookcover

Socks in heels. Stipes on stripes. I like it a lot, those unusual combinations.

The red shoes are already ten years old and I hardly wear them, since the sneakers made their entry in my shoe collection.
Every now and then I bring them out of the shoe rack.

This weekend I started to read The Year of the Runaways.
The English translation of a novel by Sunjeev Sahota.
I received the book from India in the mail last week.
Just a few months ago I got a request from Bhavi Mehta to use my [red suitcase] photo from London for the cover of the book.
She said the picture is just right for the story.
I like those unexpected surprising twists.

apple & pear

Curiosities on the tiny table:

The pear jar is a gift from my sweetheart.
He bought the pear for me last Saturday at Lammie's Saturday shop in Dordrecht. (he knows what i like)
The vintage apple mirror is from Marseille.
The tile is a souvenir from Sevilla, we bought it in a antique shop years ago.
Old german book about trees from Berlin.

alice in wonderland anno 2014

The world famous stories Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll, are bundled in a new edition with cute and innovative illustrations by Floor Rieder.

For this book Floor used an old scratch technique in which she managed to create a new, witty and timeless Alice, you immediately close in your heart.

“You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

colour is your friend

We went to London to celebrate the Bright Bazaar Book launch party last April.

Will Taylor and Andrew M Boyd visited us for a photoshoot last year and we are very proud our house is published in Will Taylor‘s Bright Bazaar book!

The inspriring book is all about colour and #makeyousmilestyle and on the above pages the colours of our house are represented.

It's a delightful book, with 191 pages full of color and inspiration.

You can buy the book here and here.

sunny lazy friday

We had a sunny lazy Friday at home and in the garden.

Sometimes you don't have to go anywhere, to have that holiday feeling.

having breakfast at the canteen kitchen table with the garden doors wide open
walking barefoot in the grass
late lunch in the garden
napping in the shade
mowing the grass in the evening
enjoying a long sunny day with rosé on the rocks

yvestown book launch day

Off to Amsterdam! Today is Yvestown book launch day.
We will celebrate Yvonne's book launch party at Sissy Boy Homeland in Amsterdam.

So proud of Yvonne and Roel, who invented a new book genre;
YVESTOWN IN DE KEUKEN is about kitchen interiors and recipes from friends!
Culinary and interior inspiration in one book.
Can't wait to see the book! (and then quickly browse to our 'chapter')

This is a small gift for Yvonne and the postcard speaks for itself:
Yvestown in the kitchen, a book to lick!

36 hours & twirl

36 hours & twirl, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

The kitchen stool got a new twirl outfit and I got a new favorite travel book about 125 weekends in Europe.

This morning I've been busy compiling a couple of destinations for 2013...

and the winner is...

 

Silly Old Suitcase!

 

Thanks everyone for the nice comments and for participating. With 96 candidates in the give away, everyone had about 1% chance to win.

 

The little notes all went into the pink Moroccan basket, before they were skilfully mixed and stirred by Pippa and she drew the note with Silly Old Suitcase's name on it.

 

Congratulations Maartje, THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CROCHET TECHNIQUES is coming soon!

 

For all others, it's not the end of the world (twice) and soon there will be another give away.

the book is always better

the book is always better, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

Yesterday I got the new book by Dottie Angel and Rachelle Blondel as a present. Thank you! It's beautiful! Each and every page is granny chic and a joy to see and read.
The book is about crafty recipes & inspiration for the handmade home and lovely photography by Catherine Gratwicke.

And remember to take this good advice;
do feel a little crafty at least twice a day

villa augustus 5th anniversary book

villa augustus 5th anniversary book, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

Villa Augustus 2007 - 2012

The Villa Augustus 5th anniversary book "Queens of the secret garden" is a 'love song' to anyone who works or has worked in Villa Augustus.

Since the opening in June 2007, I'm enchanted by the place.
Back home they asked me how it was and I started to cry spontaneously for it was overwhelmingly beautiful.

In July 2007 I started my job at the hotel reception in the water tower and halfway I switched to the market.

Working at Villa Augustus is a pretty fine job or in Buddha's words;
"Joyful is the accumulation of good work."

The book (with a contribution of 20 artists who stayed in the Secret Garden room) expresses the VA atmosphere and experience superbly.

The makers Dorine de Vos & Andrea Piersma have made the perfect VA book and court-photographer Ries van Wendel de Joode has visualized VA, just the way it is.

There is a limited edition for sale.

So hurry to the market shop!

here is spun

here is spun, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

It's been proven
by people who are really skilled in style;
a house is a home when it's homespun.

A Homespun Style house is never done (whew) and always alive.

Selina Lake's Homespun Style is a book to refer to again and again and again...

sissy boy

sissy boy, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

Being a big fan of Sissy Boy since my teens,
I was pleasantly surprised by the message that I am one the winners of the 30th anniversary book of Sissy Boy.

In the 25th anniversary book published in spring 2007, a few pictures of Pippa and me were featured.

When we visited the SB shop in Breda 5 years ago, we got the book as a gift from the storemanager, who had recognized us as regular customers in the book.

Now we won the book!

The beautiful book represents the classy SB style through the years.
It's a tribute to the founder Michael Smit.
Reading the handwritten text of Michael in the 25th anniverery book, really touched me yesterday.

Sissy Boy is my favorite store in the Netherlands and I can't imagine my wardrobe and home without Sissy Boy...