Yesterday I was walking along the street and I saw this beautiful dried, flat stem. It may have been run over, and it looks like its been walked over a few times too. I don’t know what it is about it, but I think it is so poetic.

It now lives on in my notebook.

Yesterday I was working up a sweat in The American Book Center window – hanging, cutting, taping, threading, and banging my head against the hot lights every now and then too.

I created this window display in celebration of the Urban Culture event coming up this Saturday, where you will find me signing copies of Paris: Made By Hand, right here in Amsterdam! I must say, it was a bit of fun to be doing up a shop window again – something I have not done since having my own shop in sydney some 10 years ago now.

For this window, I wanted to really incorporate the ‘made by hand’ feel, so I printed out photos from my book on plain, recycled paper, then I cut them up into individually letters which spell the words “made by hand’, “d.i.y.”, and “customize”. I then stitched them together with white thread and left all the threads hanging loose. I also made some hanging pinwheel thingos (do you like my lingo?) in all different sizes from Ferm Living wallpaper which I bought some time ago at Danielle’s online boutique Le Souk. I really like the paper and have been wanting to use it for something special but hadn’t decided what. Until now!

I also printed out some of my favourite photographs and stitched around the edges. And I chose heaps of fab books from within the store that are all about making things by hand, customizing, and doing it yourself. It was so much fun perusing the store’s shelves and selecting books for the window. I was so excited to see Faythe’s book Handmade Nation in store too!

I hope you like my window display and if you live in Amsterdam or near by then I hope this post will entice you to come and have a look and better still, come and visit me while I am there from 1-6pm. One of the marvelous girls in the store made these great handmade signs too…

…”be there on the spui square”, how clever! I hope to see you there!

xx

… the other day on my facebook fan page I wrote that I spent the afternoon sewing at riley’s place… but what was I making? Above you can see some clues. I will reveal all in the next post! But for now, have you any guesses?

Some of you may already know that as a stylist, I am represented by an agency. What does this mean exactly? well, it means that my agency holds my styling portfolio and if you want to book me for an upcoming project, you can contact them and they will organise everything.

Anyway, not only does my agency – which is called House of Orange – represent me, they represent hair and makeup artists, fashion stylists, models and photographers. They also have their own charity which is called Orange Babies and throughout the year they hold different fashion events here in Holland to raise money to help HIV infected women and their babies in Africa.

I will be helping out with one of the upcoming events next month and as part of the project we would like to send clothes to the children in Africa. We need HEAPS of children’s clothes and I was hoping some of you might have some to offer? We need clothes for children between 0-12 years, and we need them by the first of July which is only 1 week away! So, if you live in Europe and have some clothes you can offer, please send them to House of Orange at this address…

I hope to show + tell you more about the project once we get started on it next month, it is going to be alot of fun! For now, we need childrens clothes so please, send send send!

If you don’t have children’s clothes you can also send a donation or offer to be a sponsor for the event – for more information, please contact joanne.

xx

…white asparagus with french mayonnaise (my favourite). Followed by lumaconi pasta with creme fraiche, garlic and chanterelles. Finishing with strawberries and little melted chocolate pots for dipping.

It’s Monday night! I feel decadent.

Especially since I’m not the one doing the cooking.

miam.

xx

PS I am very busy this week, and in the weeks to come, but I have so much I want to share with you so every spare moment I get I will be right here in the (blog)house with you! I have some exciting things to show & tell…