To town we go

I shop about 95% of the time online. No matter the screen size, I can make it work. No matter how close the shop (Hema literally two minutes away), I prefer delivery to my door or more often than not to my neighbour's door.  I do this not only because it is extremely easy and handy but also because I have little time during working hours because..I work and when I’m not, I’m mom and when I’m not that, I’m working out and when I’m not doing that I’m working here. Shopping is an after ten pm activity mostly which is my goal time to stop with the chores and have a cuppa or go to bed, depending on how ahem moody I am. 

But sometimes, every couple months or so, I need to get out. This trip started with a visit to the salon because nothing relaxes me more than having my scalp massaged, except a foot reflexology session which is my favourite thing in the world but back to the town trip. I decided to make a day of it, meaning each evening the week before was extra-long to free up Saturday, usually my chore and blog day. Needless to say, like most chicks after a good cut, I left swinging my head and feeling like a goddess. Then it was time to hit the shops. 

The only clothing store I physically visit (alas no webshop) is Label which celebrated their 5^th anniversary and was extra busy. I shop here often because it’s fun and affordable, with good service and being an independent shop I run less risk of running into my double. What can I say..I did not leave empty handed but I’ll show you that another time with some other bits of Winter to Spring kit. 

I also stopped at You are Here which is amazingly hip and carries brands that I typically only find online in my neck of the woods. The fact that it has amazing home accessories, including lots of Hay, is a bonus. I fell madly for a pink bag from Orla Kiely that was on sale and had to quickly leave to avoid a bag purchase, because if there is one item I don’t need more of, (after shoes) it’s bags. Still contemplating and hoping for a windfall but happy just to browse this hip hub.

I originally planned to go home after then, as to get some extra chores done before heading out to the movies in the evening but my car drove me as if by magic to Strijp S, which is hip urban centre for my town (Eindhoven de gekste!) even though I technically live out in the boondocks. A stop at Urban shopper, where they had some cool example areas from VT Wonen going up, a fave spot for kids clothing at Siki (love that robot sweater and so would Mika), I finally got to try the natural lip balm from Kiyoko (protective but too bland for me), a definite option for my coffee table grouping sighting at Kriz and a fun light at Garderobe/Craft Industry. A stop at studioRUIG to pick up (link) my Pikaplant and another gorgeous cup by De Intuitiefabriek because I love individual coffee cups like I love sugar and I live for and on sugar.

The first stop and the best of the day was Out of the Blue. I visited this store last year but it’s so good now. I started snapping pics with my phone left and right, everything was so beautiful, innovative and unique. A creatively decorated space with creative products. 

Excellent and friendly service, which makes gives it a top spot in my book. I totally dislike snobby stores and quite a few design spots are just that, giving you withering looks that say ‘you do not belong to the upper echelons entitled to shop here’. None of that here, very helpful, lots of information and offer of coffee to someone just browsing from their indoor drinks station located at that gorgeous live-edge table. Stores like these are to be treasured even more for the snooty ones that make design something for the select instead of an inspiration for all. 

I left with a beautiful new addition to my ever-growing coffee cup collection and a spoon for my sugar. And a most lovely candle that is a series of six moments of the day including ‘ the fuck it moment’ and each has an accompanying poem. I went with friendship which is soft, subtle and sweet. I notice that I have been slowly adding scents into my space, something new for me, but which makes a space complete. These scents make such a great gift and are beautifully wrapped. Mine is a gift to myself and sits on my coffee table, because when I do relax, I want to drift away in the candlelight on a lightly scented cloud..

I finished my 'out on the town' outing with a bite and a coffee at Caffee Allee. I had a latte brulee which I will be trying to recreate at home. I mean how utterly brilliant? My favourite things, coffee and crème brulee combined in one. Yksi, located adjacent to the cafe, is a great spot for design accessories and showcases like the funky benches or 3 R's exhibit pictured. There was a example of the available lofts in the building where I spotted the ultra-cool clothing rack and suspended television. Spaces like these make me long a bit for being a young, fresh, unencumbered twenty-something despite loving being a thirty something mom of two with massive hoarding capabilities. The extremely heavy vessel containers, yes please. And the grey Olav Slingerland vase to join the blue one I own would be a dream. All in all I had a lovely couple of hours out on the town, visiting favourite spots and learning new ones.

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Seeing green

This is the sitting side of my living space. I showed you the media side here. I originally planned on showing them together, because heck my space is ahem petite, but decided the details are just too good. 

While I’m still fantasising about a grouping of small coffee tables, the current lonely tabletop got a refresh with different candles, tealights, my beloved coffee tree in a jar (Pikaplant), the big brother to these coffee cups from De Intuitiefabriek and a new espresso cup and porcelain spoon which I physically shopped instead of my usual online habit but more about that tomorrow.

I vowed to relax on the couch more, I changed out the cushions. I love my Hay dots ones but was not in the mood for colour so in the fall I changed them to black and white ones but those were too small for good support and if I’m going to relax then I am going to do it right… propped up to the nines. How cool is the Objekten kangaroo cushion with pockets? In fave eggplant because lifting my arm to the coffee table is just too much effort to get the zapper. Off-set with a blue Muuto grid cushion the prop-factor is nigh on perfect..after I finish snuggling my tootsies into the sheepskin..

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Remastered

Everyone edits their photo's...

I thought and doubted taking the Meet the Blogger Masterclass Photography & Styling despite enjoying the Video and Personal Branding class last year. I don't edit my photos (I only recently cropped a few) and most pictures are exactly as my home is. And while I like my pictures, they are not completely conveying what I want them to say and while for now I'm still working with a compact camera that gives me error messages half the time, the tools will always be just that without knowledge, vision and style..done deal, to the masterclass we go!

The location was Vitra's showroom. Talk about style. I have Vitra in every spot from living to kids to my office. The fact that they have an amazing showroom combining the traditional architecture and modern glass additions with the fun and colour of Vitra was the icing on the cake. The aspect I love best about the space and the brand..livability. Design can be striking and uncomfortable. Yet the space remained bright, light but comfortable. All the living things with plants everywhere and the white being sated with colour makes it feel like a space you want to be in and where you can actually live.

To be honest I was a bit late because I navigate with an iPhone and it took me to two wrong locations and only found the right one after skipping the address and searching directly for  Vitra, which give me not Ouderkerk aan de Amstel or even Amstelveen but Amstelhoek. Go figure, even my phone makes a beeline for design and can't navigate..

The masterclass was not so much about technical photography knowledge, though it did touch on that topic. What it did do was give me food for thought. The central question I took away, being What is my style vision? What do I want from my photo's? Helping to define that in one go is not easy, so breaking it down helps. Questions like; What inspires me? What am I drawn to? What not? &Why?

I went to learn how to polish and make my look the smooth, editorial, minimal one that I love looking at but left with a realisation that is not me and why it feels so heavy and forced. Don't get me wrong, I love minimal and suave and have gained some great insights into making my pictures pop more. The pop is however not polishing it into a shiny palette of smooth greys (what I'm drawn to like a moth to a flame) because the photo's I love taking and sharing are the ones where the life springs off the photo, not the striking stills that are my inspiration.

Then comes styling. It incorporates many different aspects. The way the light falls, the shadows are all part of the picture and not just the actual elements of the photo. A big take away here for me is thinking in terms of the shot. Doing a storyboard ahead of time where I really take the time to decide before I start snapping and not feeling so fraudulent and vacuous to do adjustments for a shot. Adjustments mostly in layering and contrast. I love the look of my home but realise now looking 'in the real' or via a photograph are different things. Layers and contrast add depth and depth conveys life.

It was more tiring than I thought and not only because I alas live nowhere close to the neighbourhood and rightfully decided to get up and go running at 5.30 am that morning because even the lunch was executed with design. I mean watermelon, feta and mint salad in March and trays of scrumptious brownies? I left with not only a head filled with information and inspiration but also a full goodiebag as well as tummy!

Here are photo's of the beautiful showcases and of the inspiration it give me to layer, contrast, add elements outside my comfort zone and play with shadows and series photography..

These are the photo's I took during the exercises. The concrete house I brought with me and the green glass bottle, which I would have overlooked, belonged to another attendee but brought lightness to the weight of the concrete and solid shape.

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Preview; the third

Two shot Wednesday because a picture is worth a thousand words, so two is a double whammy. Here is a little preview of the makings of the most recent update to Mika's room.

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My first love

I mentioned on facebook spotting these babies in the winter sales. I wish I weren’t but I am majorly obsessed with A brands. Think Acne, Avelon and Alexander Wang.  So when I see these brands in the sales, I get a weak pulse. When I see it's a shoe sale, I get giddy and light-headed because I am a shoe chick all the way.

My first love, over-represented in my wardrobe and occupying top-billing, will forever be what goes on my feet. Joining the A’s in my shoe wardrobe are the Andie boots from Alexander Wang. The butter soft suede, the angled notched heel, the pointy nose, the leather ribbing, this is the perfect wedge ankle boot. My shoe love just got a big bigger. Now to muster the courage to wear them further than the carpeting of my bedroom..

Coincidentally the shot is of a new spot in my space..stay tuned for more treasure(spots).. and hanging the dot back..

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Dinner: sereh shrimp & sugar syrup paksoi

All my teeth are sweet, down to the last molar. Brown sugar goes in a lot of my savoury dishes because nothing beats an intensely browned bit of caramel in my book.

On my last vacation, sadly way back in 2012, I had a plate of crispy stir-fried greens dripping in sugar syrup. Needless to say love at first bite and my inspiration for this week.

But what to serve my plate of leafy, garlicky, peppery, sugary goodness with? Why not go for gold and do another food my kids will not touch and to be honest if the heads are still attached neither will I. Anyone else have this fear?

Thank heavens for supermarket prettiness but head trimming is worth it. What’s better than a plate full of spicy, garlicky, sugar stir-fried paksoi and sugar & sereh grilled shrimp? Eating it in lounging  with woolly socks, in front of the boob tube.

P.S. and followed up by a big bowl of popcorn with salted caramel and a movie. Hell yeah, my Saturday night was better than yours. I could teach you, but I'd have to charge..

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