Brocante is the French word for flea market. And the French love flea markets – you will find brocantes all over France, all time of year. They are just one of the many reasons why I love France and her occupants (by now you are also well aware that I love her for her food and wine). When I was living in Paris last year, going to brocantes were a weekly treat. At the beginning of each week I would research what brocantes were on within the city as well as in the surrounding suburbs, and plan the weekend around it. I found so many antiques and vintage wares, and on many occasions my arms would be so overloaded that I could barely get on the metro back to the apartment. There is no doubt I am addicted to brocantes, and now whenever French Boy and I travel back to France, we instinctively find the nearest brocante to explore, and last weekend’s sojourn was no exception. Sure I lamented over what I didn’t claim as mine (read and weep with me here), but below are a few of the treasures that I did claim. First, a set of vintage number stamps…

Then came this gorgeous terrine. And below, a set of perfectly kept French cotton napkins…

…We also found a tin box of antique wooden bowling pins that are specifically from the Jura area. They were quite a find and I will show you once I have cleaned them up and find a place for them in the boat. Also among my collection of brocante finds were some vintage doilies which I am using to make something (another show + tell to come no doubt).

I adore re-using, re-thinking, and re-styling oldwares, and finding such things in flea markets is just the best fun!

While the rain falls all around me, and the Rijks Museum bells chime, I just caught the last bit of natural light to show you what arrived on my door step last Friday…

Yes, it’s my Autumn swap surprise package of goodies! Can you guess who it was from? It was none other than the organiser herself, Sofia – that über talented gal who I just featured below in my etsy favourites. Sofia’s autumn package is fabulous, so so many treats I didn’t even know where to begin when I opened it up. Well that’s not true, I did know where to begin, and as the above photo shows you, the things I started with are not present and are all but gone…into my belly.

Sofia’s package is filled with delightful things like chocolate (gone), organic cookies (gone), mère poulard buttery biscuits (French Boy’s eyes lit up when he saw the package and he ever so politely asked “Can I please have one?” Who would I be to deny him of such a delicious treat born from his own territory!) (gone), lollies (gone).

Amongst the victual delights were also the following… l’Occitane hand cream and body bar, 2 gorgeous cooking books that I can’t wait to start trying out recipes, some Japanese Green Tea from Le Palais Des Thès, a beautiful notebook from la marelle en papier, postcards of Manon Gignoux, and… drum roll please…

…one of Sofia’s very own handmade brooches , wrapped in a little handstitched paper envelope. I am going to pin it onto my coat tout de suite. Thank you Sofia, for not only these wonderful delights but also for thinking up the idea of an autumn swap and organising it. This time of year for me is hard to swallow – the dark, rainy, cold days which are just normal for some, are not so easy for me having being born in the sun. So I absolutely loved participating – getting to know new bloggers through it, and exchanging gifts and sending them to strangers all over the world. It totally brightened up my autumn days, let’s do it again next year!!

xx

PS I think this will be a bit of a ‘show + tell’ week – I still want to show you the things I bought at the brocante in France (I know, I promised! I haven’t forgotten!), and I have lots of new things in the boat, perhaps I should do a little tour around it and show you my new treasures, what do you think? I also want to show you some things around the web that have caught my eye. Right now I’m going to play some piano. Catch you tomorrow, have a lovely day/evening!

Since we didn’t have an etsy favourite last week, I’m doubling up with my favourites to share with you this week! Starting with an etsy boutique-warming for Sofia with her new shop called l’oiseau rare, filled with her handmade treasures like the gorgeous necklace above. And I already have my first Sofia creation! I will show you in the next post. While you are checking out her new store, stop by her first etsy store too, right here. Happy etsy-warming for your l’oiseau rare boutique-atelier Sofia!
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The butterflies are free from Vol25. So very pretty.
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I love handmade buttons! I love using them on gifts, pillows, and dangling from ribbon. And I found these two etsy ateliers who make super cute wood and ceramic buttons. The wooden ones are made from wenge from the button shop and the white ceramic buttons are from mud puppy.
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This guy’s name is Joaquin. He is a brown fawn and he is made in Germany from etsy seller alberto’s family. He comes in his own little handmade paper bag and I think he would make the perfect gift for a new bub. In fact, I have a few new bubs born here in Europe that I must send gifts to, so if you go to the shop in a moment and see Joaquin and his pals all gone, you know I am the culprit.

UPDATE: I just bought the store out. There is only one left. Sorry guys.
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And last but not least, I think these earrings are a bit darling. They are from oh hello friend and they are only $6.50! While my ears would love me more for those darling danglies, my shoulders and neck would love me more for this mohair warmer, handknitted by French etsy seller tortilla girl.
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Thanks for stopping by for this week’s installment of…

I think next week I am going to start looking at Christmas decorations – I am rather picky when it comes to Christmas decorations and such (I’d rather an empty tree than a badly decorated one!), but I have started a rather lovely collection of etsy (and non etsy) favourites: handmade and über stylish Christmas treats for your home. The one thing I really have had trouble finding is Christmas stockings, so if anyone out there makes super stylish Christmas stockings, do let me know!

xx

Well, that’s it folks, I am going to sign off on my “one year in Amsterdam” anniversary celebrations, I do hope you’ve enjoyed my personal tour but there is SO much more I want to share with you!

Amsterdam is full of fabulousness, I now realise I can’t possibly squeeze it all in one week. So I will continue posting about little walks, wanders, discoveries and personal moments over time as usual. For those of you planning to visit Amsterdam at some point in your life, be sure to check out my Amsterdam category before you head in this direction, it will make your trip that much more intimate than following a guided map. One day I’d love to write a book about my favourite shops and experiences here. One fine day, as I always say!

Here is a quick list of more things I love to do in Amsterdam…

A Few Favourite Wanders:

A Few Favourite Bars:

A Few Favourite Eateries:

Happy one year anniversary my dear friend, thanks for having me and I do hope we get to share many more wonderful times together (but in the meantime, could you do something about the weather? I’d be much obliged).

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Etsy Faves up next! And something arrived in the mail for me from someone special in France, I can’t wait to show you (except that I’ve already eaten half the gift. oops.)

When I walk along the streets of my new hometown, I walk with my great grandmother, holding her grandson’s hand, half a century ago.

Going into Amsterdam together was a true delight for both of them – a very special date. It was usually around Christmas time when they would come in on the train from Leiderdorp. My great grandmother, who I called Nanny Bijkerk, would take her grandson to see the Christmas windows at the bijenkorf department store in dam square. Nanny Bijkerk would treat her grandson to lunch in the store restaurant which back then, was an extravagance. Then she would take him to Tuschinski’s to see a film. After the film they would stop at an olieballen stall and indulge in a sugary treat before heading back to Centraal Station and catching the train home.

When I walk along the streets of my new hometown, I walk with my Nanny Bijkerk. I look in the bijenkorf windows and see her reflection. I walk past Tuschinski’s and see her hand in hand with her grandson, walking up the staircase. I indulge in an afternoon treat of olieballen and feel her presence. I look down at my empty hand and see a boy look up at me, wide-eyed and happy. The boy looks just like me.
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(to read part one, please click here.)