Yesterday I was going through some of my old photo albums in search of something in particular for inspiration, but instead of finding what I was looking for, I found this…

My heart stood still for a moment as I looked at it, whisking me back in time to a place, people, and land that I so dearly love. In this photo I am picking beans for dinner in my ex-partner’s parent’s home (gees, try to say that fast ten times), on Vancouver Island, in Canada. I remember asking my partner if he’s be so kind to snap a photo of me in this moment, because I wanted to remember it for always. I’m so glad he did. thank you m.

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It’s been a busy week here in le petit bateau, with lots of wonderful things happening that I hope to be able to share with you very soon. This weekend I would like to try to spend some time outside as it is forecast to be beautiful weather. It’s a long weekend to boot, so I will be back in the (blog)house on Tuesday with a very special week for you – it will be dedicated to my weekend in Paris, complete with soundscapes. In the meantime, if you would like to get a little bit more behind-the-scenes, you can join in the fun on my facebook page, where I write what I’m up to, and chat with friends.

Thank you everyone, for being here. My world would not be complete without you.

xx

While I’m on the topic of gorgeous handmade things (when am I not on this topic, you might wonder?), do you remember a couple of months ago I posted some sublime pieces created by Danish ceramicist Jette Arendal Winther, of which I found while perusing fave blog bientôt demain? Here is a pic to jog your memory…

Well, I’m excited to let you know that I just found out about an online boutique called danish ceramics which, as you may have guessed, specialise in danish ceramics! And it is here where you will find all of Jette Arendal Winthers one of a kind pieces, sold exclusively through this site. They will ship with a postal fee of around $40, and her pieces are upwards of around $33 each…

You can read more about danish ceramics right here, check out their designer line up here, and view jette’s pieces here. And if anyone’s asking, I like this one. No wait, this one. Oh, this one! Hmm, I’m besotted. still.

Being so far away from my homeland can be hard sometimes. Sure, I love Holland. And I adore France. But I love my home country, with its dusty deserts, sparkling ocean,golden sands, and fabulous foliage. Not to mention my family and dear friends. My homeland inspires me tremendously, and I miss it.

So every now and then, it does me the world of good to receive little pieces from home, little memories, little handmade creations, little notes. It makes me feel less far away, and allows my wandering heart to play a little by my home shoreline, if only by imagination, triggered by these little mementos.

Yesterday, I received some very special creations from Australia that I have had my eye on for some time now…

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when I first saw these pencils on the paperboat press blog, my heart sang. They say “fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”, by wordsworth. I can’t wait to start writing with one of them, I find myself calmed and nurtured just by the sight of them on my desk.

beautiful handmade tags, with perfectly handpicked quotes. They are smooth to the touch and they remind me of the glassy pacific ocean on a still and sunny day.

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As soon as I opened the package I wanted to photograph them. So, on this sunny morning, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I thought they looked pretty on my window sill, with it’s watery background and shadow-happy light. I hope you like them.

I’d also like to make an official announcement here in the (blog)house that their creator, dear Kylie of paperboat press, has recently opened her online store! It is filled to the brim with her handmade goodies, ready to be shipped off all over the world, wherever you may be..

So, make yourself a cup of tea, and take a look around her beautiful online boutique. While you’re there, please check out her blog which I adore, her book of poetry published by murdoch books, and here’s a sneak peek into her studio too (I want to play in there!).

Thank you Kylie, for being such an inspiration, and for ‘bringing me home’. I can’t wait to meet you one day.

xx

i adore jen’s stella shoe collection polaroids.

My friend Connie is the loveliest. Not only does she live in one of my favourite cities in the world -that being Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia – but she is creative, gorgeous, has impeccable style and does great things, for great causes. I will tell you more about her another time (sorry to whip the spotlight away from you so quickly Connie!), but for today I want to tell you a little about a fabulous fundraiser hosted by an organisation that Connie is the administrative coordinator for. The fundraiser is called Walk A Mile In Her Shoes…

The concept of this fundraiser started in California back in 2001, and the “walk a mile” events are happening all over America throughout Spring (check the calender here for an event near you). On June 6 however, the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre will be holding their 3rd annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event, and I want to encourage all you Vancouver Islanders – and Vancouverites alike who fancy a trip to the island – for this fabulous fundraising event!

Walk A Mile in Her Shoes is an international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. Everyone is welcome to the event and you can visit the website to get registered, pledge your hearts out and then get prepared to have an awesome time while supporting an important cause in the Victorian community. You can get your friends and co-workers involved by forming a team but if you can’t make it, you can still help out right here by adding a donation to my friend Birger and Chris’ Walk a Mile in Her Shoes pledge! Birger, who has just moved to Victoria from Germany, has this to add:

“I’m walking because it’s the right thing to do. It’s important for us as men to change our perspective and engage in the issue of sexual violence by participating in positive events like Walk a Mile. Then we can start to understand this issue and how it affects so many people we care about. And – I also look forward to experiencing what’s it’s like to be almost 7 feet tall for a few hours!”

Please don’t sprain an ankle dear Birger!!

another favourite of mine from jen’s flickr set.

I’m also very excited to let you know that Walk a Mile in Her Shoes has just received an added boost from a Victoria couple who will be matching all pledges raised at the event over the next 3 years, up to a maximum of $80,000! The couple are giving the donation in an effort to help address a 1-year wait list for one of the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre’s programs. And as Connie points out, “that means by making even a small donation of $5.00, $10.00 or $20.00 to the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre would receive double what you give!”

awesome.

jen’s gold swap shoes are so gorgeous!

So, if you fancy seeing a whole bunch of Canadian guys in heels – a sight I would absolutely love to see myself – please go along, I have no doubt you will have an absolute ball!

xx

PS We will see more of Connie soon in the (blog)house as she will be setting her e-travel bags down in the guest quarters sometime in the near future. And I know you are gonna love her as much as I do. See you here soon Connie!

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For more info about the event, including the walk route map and registration info, please click here.
To make a pledge, please click here.
All photographs with courtesy of photographer & stylist, Jen Gotch.

Lilibeth (haven’t we missed her?! Harriet too!) insisted on stopping by this morning -or evening, if you are down under – to let us all know that Paris: Made By Hand will be in the following fabulous bookstores by June 1st (that’s this Monday!)…

IN AUSTRALIA:

Pulp Creative Paper, MANLY
Kinokuniya in the Galeries Victoria, SYDNEY
Oscar & Friends Booksellers, DOUBLE BAY
Sun Bookshop, YARRAVILLE
Better Read Pty Ltd, NEWTOWN
Reader’s Feast RFM Melbourne, MELBOURNE
Abbeys Bookshop Pty Ltd, SYDNEY
Gleebooks Pty Ltd, GLEBE
Collins 941 Floreat, FLOREAT
Dymocks Sydney, SYDNEY
Dymocks Broadway, BROADWAY
Dymocks Nowra, NOWRA

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**updated 29/5, includes the following:

Readings Carlton VIC
Ang & Rob Norwood SA
Dymocks Belconnen ACT
Dust Jacket Inverell NSW
The Hive Braddon ACT
Elliot Collection Essendon VIC
Turner & Lane Malvern VIC

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For my Australian readers, if you don’t see the name of your favourite local bookstore above, I would absolutely love you (yes, LOVE you) if you could ask them to stock the book. I really really want the book to be in your local reading retreat, and the only way I know how to do that is to ask for your help. My local bookstores in Sydney would be Bookoccino in Avalon, and Berkelouw Books in Mona Vale. If anyone from the Northern Beaches could call these stores to ask for them to stock the book, I would be so so thankful. And I think my grandmother might just bellyflip to see them in her local bookstore! I would love my grandmother to bellyflip. I don’t know exactly what it means as I just made it up. But in my head, it’s an air born sommersault of sorts.

IN EUROPE:

American Book Center, AMSTERDAM
Sterling Books, BRUSSELS
Alexia Hollinger, rue Therese, PARIS
Galignani, PARIS
Shakespeare and Company, PARIS
Village Voice, PARIS
WHSmith, PARIS

There will be more stockists throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece, still to come. And there should be a number of bookstores in the UK but I haven’t had confirmation of these yet.

I will now go and pop these stockists onto the book’s webpage for your future reference…