the big Bjørke-bag

Lucky me: I have Bjørke as my friend. She's funny and sweet, she's a real inspiration and...she made me this gorgeous, XL summer bag! She combined the most wonderful vintage fabrics in a surprising way. It is not only a lovely bag: it is strong too, with a sound lining, a real piece of good craftswork!
Bjørke just told me she's planning to make some for sale, so keep an eye on her little online-shop and maybe the next one is yours!
Thanks, B!

beautiful bamboo

I actually have to cook dinner for my family right at this moment, but woooow...just found these great ecofriendly bamboo clocks by designer Maiko Kuzunishi, just have to share it. Sorry guys downstairs, a little more patience....

etsy: wires and threads

I was looking for 'threads and wires' on Etsy and this is what I came across (from top left):
Knitted pears of coated copper wire by Yael from Yoola. Wooden bobbin dolls from Mq square for holding ribbons and threads. Well, and I chose these pincushions from Emma Lamb just because of her gorgeous style (and they are made of cotton thread, ha, ha!). Last on the list is a bunch of wire-flowers by Also Alliteration, they are so funny!

back from paradise

It was even more beautiful, warm and quiet on the south coast of Crete than we expected! We stayed in white houses in the palm-tree garden, all with sea view (see photo with the shutters, taken from our doorstep). My sister and her family stayed in the old mill (see above) with the best view you can imagine. The immense beach - 20 meters from our house - was almost empty (apart from our sand digging-castle-building boys).
The first weeks of May the island is in full bloom, wild oleanders coloured the hills pink, bougainville decorated the walls of the houses... The weather was great (31 C), the food healthy and good (fresh, fresh, fresh) and the people were so very nice! Last but not least: The studio's and the mill are very much affordable.

If you ever consider a relaxed holiday
in this little paradise on Crete, contact me!

mana mou ellas

We are going to pack our suitcases today and leave for Greece tomorrow. My parents will celebrate their 50 years wedding anniversary on the empty south coast of Crete. There is only a beach, an old Venetian castle and a palmtree-garden with white houses where we are going to stay.

For me it will be a reunion with an old passion! I studied New Greek at the University of Amsterdam 24 years ago (I am in shock... 24?). I even studied in Thessaloniki, a beautiful city in Northern Greece. Well, actually: I didn't appear to be an academic researcher, I just loved the language. The sound, the cultural background, the language-filosophy and the beautiful 'design' of the alfabeth! After two years I had to let the non-realistic Greek dream go.

So I looked between my books this week and yes... I found my greek dictionaries and in one of them I found some short stories I wrote back then. What strikes me the most is that I even had my very own handwriting (see photo), in Greek.

So, poor mother Greece (this is an understatement at the moment)- Mana Mou Ellas: your lost daughter is coming for a visit!

Bye, bye blogfriends, I'll be back on the 11th of May.

queensday blossom

Years ago, when we lived in Amsterdam, we started - more as a joke - to hang out the flag on Queensday. In the village where we live now, people are more serious about this tradition. So we kept the flag and hang it out early in the morning every April 30st.
The tree in our front-garden loves our yearly event and decorates itself in festive royal pink!

ana kras

I don't know much about Ana Kras, only that she was born in Belgrade (Serbia) and that she makes the most wonderful lampshades! On her website she says she knits them (please correct me when I am wrong), but it looks like she winded yarn around (lovely shaped) frames of lamshades.
Thanks to Belgian bloggers Eva and Katty from Zeza & Flor who mentioned Ana's work in April.