de volle manen van 2024

De volle manen van 2024 - illustration by Dorine de Vos

First full moon of the year tonight 🌕

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.

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'.

grapefruit moon

Good morning from the attic bedroom.

The pillowcases are designed by Dorine de Vos - exclusively for Villa Augustus employees - Christmas gift 2019.

"Grapefruit Moon"

Grapefruit moon, one star shining, shining down on me.
Heard that tune, and now I'm pining, honey, can't you see?
'Cause every time I hear that melody, well, something breaks inside,
And the grapefruit moon, one star shining, can't turn back the tide.

Never had no destination, could not get across.
You became my inspiration, oh but what a cost.
'Cause every time I hear that melody, well, something breaks inside,
And the grapefruit moon, one star shining, is more than I can hide.

Now I'm smoking cigarettes and I strive for purity,
And I slip just like the stars into obscurity.
'Cause every time I hear that melody, well, puts me up a tree,
And the grapefruit moon, one star shining, is all that I can see.

by Tom Waits

publication little thing magazine

Publication Little Thing magazine issue 43 winter.

Little Thing is a cool Chinese magazine, about interior, fashion, illustration and inspiration.

Yesterday evening during dinner at the kitchen table with my family, I received Little Thing magazine all the way from China!

A publication on wood & wool stool in collaboration with Emily Chalmers, following the publication in November in the Autumn issue about Villa Augustus.

Anew it's super fun! and i still can not read a word, except for the names, which are not translated into Chinese...

easter wallpaper

Dorine de Vos was preparing the Easter pop-up gallery in H E R F S T at Villa Augustus yesterday afternoon.

During Easter the HARE drawings and illustrations by Dorine de Vos will be exhibited in this gallery.

For this occasion Dorine made a very special booklet. The 'test printing sheets' were delivered in the market and I was allowed to bring some of those fantastic illustration sheets back home.

I'm sure I will frame on or more, but for now the gigantic sheets are used as Easter wallpaper! LOVE IT!

Yesterday morning during work I met the talented E m i l y C h a l m e r s when she visited the Villa Augustus marktshop. We had a lovely conversation and I proposed to give her a Watertower Tour in the afternoon. It was wonderful meeting her and family. I was honered when she told me during our walk through the gardens, she came across Villa Augustus through my blog or Instagram and she wanted to go there one day...

We enjoyed the tour & chat and I thought it was special to have this spontaneous meeting with Emily. I'm an admirer of her work and we have several books of her in our book case.

I wish you all a Happy Easter.

If you are in the neighbourhood or don't have any plans for the Easter weekend yet, I can highly recommend you to visit Gallery Herfst.

colors & patterns

Vintage Moroccan bread baskets from Marrakech.

A very pretty winter scenery postcard made by Caroline Ellerbeck.

Working on a new stool cover (inspired by environment).

Ikea harlequin saucer, enamel candle holder on the old French stool.

The colorful boucherouite carpet underneath, I brought from Marrakech last October.

about hares

The utterly cute hare family comes to visit during holidays traditionally! (I cherish them all)

Today we've framed the original drawing made by Dorine de Vos.
The past week the Villa Augustus hares were taped to the wall too, but once framed, the illustration looks even better I think. We're very pleased with this masterpiece.
In real the colors are even more beautiful of course, but hey it's dark in December.

You can still visit gallery H E R F S T to see (and buy) her original drawings at Villa Augustus. Dorine herself is also present the coming weekends and during Christmas.

advent season

Everything seems to go much faster this year...

PS: Our Piet Hein Eek tie silk table lamp is looking for a new place to s h i n e.

villa augustus agenda 2014 - give away

Hee poppelepee!

Here is the first agenda of Villa Augustus.
Look! It's about looking and seeing, hearing and listening. It's about fascination, about collecting, about the importance of beauty around you: in language, color, letters, poetry, pictures, things, small things.
An ode to the days, weeks, months. To the seasons. Where is it more visible than in a garden? In the garden of Villa Augustus. Vegetables, fruit, lots of flowers. The bees in the orchard. Obviously the agenda is not ready. There are no appointments, no secret names, no meetings to fairytale locations in moonlight.

price € 22.50 - edition Villa Augustus 2013 - design: Dorine de Vos & Erik Cox

This agenda is now available at Villa Augustus.
The good news is, that I'm allowed to GIVE AWAY an agenda to one of my blog followers, yay!

Everyone can participate until Sunday October 13 - 24:00 pm.

Hee poppelepee!

Zie hier de eerste agenda van Villa Augustus.
Kijk! Het gaat over kijken en zien, horen en luisteren. Het gaat over fascinatie, over verzamelen, over het belang van schoonheid om je heen: in taal, kleur, letters, poëzie, beelden, dingen, dingetjes.
Een ode aan de dagen, weken, maanden. Aan de seizoenen. Waar is het meer zichtbaar dan in een tuin? In de tuin van Villa Augustus. Groenten, fruit, heel veel bloemen. De bijen in de boomgaard. Vanzelfsprekend is de agenda niet af. Er staan nog geen afspraken in, geen geheime namen, geen ontmoetingen op sprookjesachtige locaties in maanlicht.

prijs € 22,50 - uitgave Villa Augustus 2013 - ontwerp: Dorine de Vos & Erik Cox

De agenda is nu verkrijgbaar bij Villa Augustus.
Het goede nieuws is, dat ik namens Dorine een agenda mag weggeven aan één van mijn blog volgers, yay!

Iedereen mag meedoen tot zondagavond 13 oktober - 24:00 uur.

augustus party

Yesterday we had a staff party at Villa Augustus.
The invitation itself, was a party!
We had a BBQ in the orchard (the food was delicious) followed by a spectacular performance of the Villa Augustus Band and a dance party in the Limonaia.
Nobody had to work, because former employees were hired for the evening.
It was a party as it should be!

my ever changing desk pinboard

my ever changing desk pinboard, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

Pinboard illustrations from top to bottom;

Vintage card from Deborah enclosed with my Kickcan & Conkers wooden horse Witje.
Winter program of Villa Augustus.
Sweet New Year wishes send by Monique of 101 woonideeen.

juffrouw van zanten & de 7 rovers

juffrouw van zanten & de 7 rovers, a photo by wood & wool stool on Flickr.

Today we visited the book launch at the Walhalla theater.
Dorine de Vos, illustrated this wonderful children's picture book.

It's called; "Miss van Zanten and the seven robbers" and is written by Mathilde Stein. A funny story and there is much to see. You have to read it at least several times to see all details.

Tonight I read Pippa in the garden (that was long ago!) and we have both enjoyed it so much.

Long before I was a mother I had an addiction regarding children's books.
(with growing children that reduces)

Fortunately today we had a good reason to add this 'educational' and colorful picture book to the collection. Signed most delicious by the illustrator herself!

Here you can find more about the book and check out the interview with Dorine de Vos!

on the wall

on the wall, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

The Villa Augustus Easter and Mothersday brunch invitations, illustrated by Dorine de Vos are funny and cheerful masterpieces as usual. Therefore they are pinned on the wall.

Also very special is the birth card of Pippa Rose, it is printed on growing paper. The seeds inside the paper become flowers. (when sown at least, but first just enjoy it a few days hanging there on the wall)

tea for two

tea for two, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

It's raining (again)
and it's cold even with a cardigan.
Time for tea,
with dark chocolate
in my best cups
tea for two
Why 4 cups?
So you can choose your own naked girl...

there's a girl in my tea

there's a girl in my tea, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

One of my new 'naked girls' teacups of Het Paradijs, designed by Esther Hörchner.

grace of a teapot

grace of a teapot, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

A toast to the grace of the pot,
ready at all time
To give up its emptiness
for the tea.
-The Minister of Leaves-

The teapot is designed exclusively for Villa Augustus employees by Dorine de Vos and is by far the nicest Christmas gift I ever received.

flowers from beerlala

flowers from beerlala, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

Julie Hendriks makes unique paintings. I've found her work at Orange Farmhouse and fell in love with a little painting of colorful flowers against a bright red(!) background.

Julie's work called Beerlala (after her son Beer) is so fresh and the colors are so bright.

Art for a nice price you can find in Julie's Etsy shop Beerlala.

gooD mooD

gooD mooD, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

It is quite an honour being a guest in her weekly 'friday with an illustration' blog Nitinha. Artist, painter and interior designer Anita Damas of gooD mooD factory has made an illustration of me and my work and this masterpiece certainly brought me in a very good mood.

The details of this piece of art are striking and stunning; my Kronan bike and stools are very similar. Even the way I put my feet are so me and I love the dress with Villa Augustus logo and will suggest the design as a new spring outfit!

I know Anita for a while and we actually met through Flickr and I became a fan of her work and photography. She lives with her family in Brasil and her little boy Ivo is so adorable!

I'm touched by this gift of a friend I have never actually met and lives on the other side of the world. Gracias Anita!