top left:snow! pathetic i know, but that’s all we got here in Amsterdam; top right: i made a banana smoothie for breakfast; bottom right: more evidence of snow on the boat rooftop; bottom left:a morning visitor
How was your weekend? Mine was pretty fab – the highlight being a Valentine-inspired dinner over at our friends on Saturday night. We brought the champagne, melted chocolate and strawberries, and they provided a feast and great conversation. and oh how we laughed!! I don’t remember what about exactly, but it was hilarious at the time.
this gorgeous gal decided to land on the roof of le petit bateau and stomp around.
I also spent the weekend working on something that I can’t wait to ‘reveal’ to you very soon! Yes, it has something to do with this (blog)house of mine. Shall I tell you? No? Yes? No? Let me know. Because if you want to know, i will tell you! But if you like surprises instead, then I shall not give it away. but oooh I can’t wait for it to be completed!
beautiful creatures but awfully aggressive, non? this guy was making grunting noises at me. that can’t be good?
I also want to take this post to say a big thank you for all your awesome comments. Please be sure to read the comments to the posts if you have a moment because they add so much to my initial words and often provide the answers to questions, or simply different perspectives… and you all have an incredible imagination! I love it when you add an idea to my photos or creation, it creates this wonderful layering effect.
my messy desk, my morning guest leaving, and one of my many notebooks
One of my favourite (how many times do I say this word on the blog?!) commented posts is one from last month called a little tucked away treasure – it is my photo of bakers twine which I found tied to a branch in the Jardins Des Plantes in Paris, and I had this fanciful idea that someone had tied a love note to the branch for their lover to find. Raluca wrote a fabulous comment which showed I wasn’t too far off – she explains a tradition in Romania that totally explains the twine tied to the branch, I’m convinced now that the person who tied this string is Romanian! Go back and read it if you didn’t catch it at the time. Thank you Raluca! I am always amazed at how many corners of the world this blog reaches, and to learn these amazing facts about other cultures that I never would have known otherwise. Yay to comments!
Okay, I’ll let you get back to work. Have a wonderful day! But before I go, I made a little creature, just for you…
A friend of Harriet’s perhaps? She needs a name – suggestions welcome…
xx
i much prefer surprises, and cannot wait for you to reveal the news. and, i welcome harriet’s new companion with a smile!
February 16th, 2009 | #
hmmm, i’m of two minds about it. on the one hand, i love your surprises. on the other hand, i’m so impatient! i guess i’ll leave it up to your other devoted readers. xx
p.s. would you be willing to share your banana smoothie recipe? i have a craving for one now 🙂
February 17th, 2009 | #
ok girls, it sounds like you are EXACTLY like me – I too love surprises but then I am soooo impatient. So, lets see what everyone else would like.
Josephine, here is my banana smoothie recipe but I cannot claim is as mine, I found it on musician Charlie Chan’s website, the ingredients are as follows:
2 cups of Soy
1 Banana
Honey to taste
1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
put it in a blender and enjoy the fruits of your labour!
February 17th, 2009 | #
i just discovered your site through Jen Gotch’s and I really enjoy your blog… it’s such a lovely little world you’ve created.
anyway… i too love surprises and am desperately impatient.
February 17th, 2009 | #
Surprise and impatience, are we all like this? I think maybe, yes. And OH yes, a beautiful friend of Harriet’s, she look like a Lilibeth to me…
February 17th, 2009 | #
oh liz, lilibeth is just perfect! so far there is harriet, alfred, flo (remember Flo is Harriet’s brother’s friend’s sister-in-law’s cousin’s uncle’s boyfriend’s best mate) and now lilibeth! Love it.
Yes it seems we are all tarred with the impatient-slash-surprise brush. I must drive you all nuts with my ‘i have something for you but you have to wait’ regular commentary! i drive myself nuts too.
February 17th, 2009 | #
Hola! i too love surprises but would luv to know! i guess we will wait for your surprise…..yay! thanks for sharing all your beautiful fotos:) by the way, the fabric under the smoothie do you use it as a table linen or how do you have it displayed? i’ve been thinking of buying a little something like that from Etsy. also, does anyone know where i could find a bed cover as the one in your Paris apartment? it looks like %100 linen. any advise would be greatly appreciated. thanks again Pia!
February 17th, 2009 | #
your new project is already a surprise to us, so please do tell, when you’re ready, of course, we’ll wait, squirming in our seats. i second the nomination for lilibeth, if a second is necessary ;).
February 17th, 2009 | #
hi valeria! thank you for your comment. a quick reply to you before I head to bed…
I’ve been using that fabric as a table runner of sorts. well, not really, more like a loose cloth. I really like raw edges and I like fabric remnants for shoots and to make things from, so I often collect fabrics that i like and then I love them so much I can’t make myself stitch them into anything! so they end up as “table dressings” or wall hangings. That fabric swatch is from Maramiki on etsy.
The bed cover from my Paris apartment is actually from Ikea in Paris! It’s nothing fancy but it is 100% cotton and it’s been wonderful. You could try your local Ikea. I recommend anything that does NOT have patterns – patterns on a duvet date quickly where as plain linen or cotton you can dress with throws and quilts and pillows according to the season and your style.
Good luck! And let me know how you go finding a bed cover.
Cindy K – your ‘second’ on lilibeth has been noted – your opinion is ALWAYS welcomed!
re:the (blog)house news, I will reveal soon, well not so soon. Well, lets just see!
February 17th, 2009 | #
I love surprises but in this case, i don’t know if I will be able to wait Pia! So exciting… but I will, until you are ready to share. What beautiful images!
February 17th, 2009 | #
the butterfly said her name is marcella…..love your pics
February 17th, 2009 | #
I was thinking Poppy, but Lilibeth is mucho perfecto!!
February 17th, 2009 | #
I really want to know .. I cant wait! and I totally agree with you in regards of patterns on duvets.. I always buy plain or washed out tones on duvets ..
February 17th, 2009 | #
Oui pour Lilibeth!
February 17th, 2009 | #
Oh, please share! I might be in the minority here but I am too impatient! 😉 Of course if you’d rather keep it secret for now I’ll just keep popping back until it’s revealed though!
Beautiful swan and duck! ♥ One of my favourite things to do when it’s cold in the winter is to go feed the ducks, they get so happy and excited! Gives me the ultimate happyhappyjoy-feeling. 😀
February 17th, 2009 | #
Just wanted to drop of a comment saying that i find you blog so inspiring! I feel like creating….everything..something……when i go through your old posts. Dunno where to start though…:)
February 17th, 2009 | #
Surprise, give us a surprise!
(side note: this definitely isn´t one of the “info-loaded” comments, but just one to say that your blog reaches this corner of the world too)
February 17th, 2009 | #
Pia, your posts are always so beautiful! and make me so jealous of your little boat and visitors!! i need to be thinking of better things right now, so thank you very much for always being inspiring =) Also i plan on posting your happy list today =) thanks for sending it in and sorry it took a while to appear.
xo .v
February 18th, 2009 | #
Hi Pia,
I was wondering if I could link to a couple of these images on a blog I run? It’s called whiteonwhite.tumblr.com and is full of, well, white on white images!
Just found your blog through .V – lovely 🙂
February 18th, 2009 | #
Hi Pia;
I had no idea that you were such a cute beautiful girl.
I think you’re so young that you just don’t know what a beauty you are.
It’s only when you become an old bag like I am, and you look back at photos of yourself from like 10 years ago or so, that you think ‘gee, I was really quite alright looking’.
so enjoy your beauty now.
It’s also so rare that beauty and talent come together in one package. it’s an amazing world you have created on that Watergruwel, it’s made me extremely happy to see because I must admit I was a little heartbroken when I had to leave the place.
In fact I was so heartbroken I couldn’t bear to go back.
It would be a real pleasure to meet you sometime.
If Mark has the time he might make a website of my sculpture in the future. I think you’d enjoy to see it.
Here it’s also an amazing world. Yesterday I saw a spider that was completely pink, and a lovely long lizard was sitting on my tree, and there are turtles in the little canal by the house, and the smell in my orange orchard is just incredible, with all the lemons, tangerines, and oranges in bloom.
Maybe one day we’ll be able to send smells by email.
You have a very special gift, keep up the good work!
May 5th, 2009 | #