I was going to wait until tomorrow to show + tell you this one but I can’t wait. Beautiful Sarah (that’s what I have nicknamed her), who I mentioned in my last post, also sent me these pics which she took to show me that not only has BBC Homes & Antiques featured Paris: Made By Hand in this month’s issue, but also Selvedge! Wowsers!

I couldn’t wait to show you because I know how lots of you like Selvedge and also, i love Sarah’s fabulous styling of my book with the magazine, and wooden spools – perfect!

I’m also very excited about this page in the magazine because one of my favourite artisans from my book has also been featured – Alexia Hollinger. Can you see her bag there on the top right of the page? And wouldn’t you know it, I bought that exact bag on my last weekend trip to Paris. As soon as I walked into Alexia’s atelier boutique that bag, I swear, jumped right out and into my arms. I have been meaning to take some photos of it to show you. If you’ve read my book already, then you know about the other Alexia Hollinger bag I have.

Thank you again Beautiful Sarah, and thank you Selvedge.

xx

All this attention could go to a girl’s head, you know.

The other day I received an email from Sarah who has been a long time reader of the blog and who also sent in images for the My Heart Wanders project last year (which I know many of you are eager to find out what is happening but I can’t tell you yet! You are all so patient and I think you will be very happy to learn what the next step is when I can tell you. I promise you will be the first to know!).

Sarah wrote: “How excited was I to receive my copy of Paris: Made by Hand and the latest issue of BBC Homes & Antiques through the post on the same day?… And what fun to find that your book is featured on page 20 of the magazine (August issue).”

How cool is that! Sarah attached some photos for me which you see above – thank you so much Sarah! and thank you BBC Homes & Antiques!

mrs. french, via her recent post on sfgirlbybay, reminded me how much I love the work of cig harvey by posting the above photograph. bliss indeed.

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I’m very excited about the weather lately. Others may be complaining about the ‘heatwave’ but I could not be merrier. I nearly choked on my vegemite toast this morning when I heard the BBC warning viewers about the current heatwave in the UK… “temperatures could reach up to 30C” announced the newsreader.

Um, where I come from that’s called “summer”.

So needless to say I’m soaking in this sunshine like there’s no tomorrow. Amsterdam glistens when the sun shines. I would go so far to say that it’s the happiest city in the world when the sun is out. People’s smiles are broader, there is a spring in their every step, and life just feels like it could not get any better.

This is my third ‘summer’ for this particular european stint I’m on, but it is really only the first as the preceding two summers were ridiculous versions of the season. Last year I was in Sydney in August you may recall, and considering that is the peak of winter, it was by FAR hotter than the summer here in Europe. But that was last year! As we know life is all about the here. and. now.

self-portrait, sitting at mona vale beach in sydney, australia.

When the weather is this warm, I am more Australian than ever. I find myself listening to midnight oil. and craving a glass of ice cold milo. I walk easier in my light summer dresses, and my feet are so happy to be carefree.

Most of all, when the weather is this beautiful, I crave water. I crave jumping off the jetty back home, getting splashed (or bashed) by waves, letting my feet play at the water’s edge.

a favourite photograph from this post.

Oh yes. I’m a happy girl when the sun is out. I know you’ve heard me say it again and again. and again.

I’ve been dying to share this with you for weeks now. Box & Flea is a new design project created by architect Jeremy Barbour of Tacklebox (who is currently working on the new shop for Saipua in Red Hook, NYC which I will showcase here in the (blog)house very very soon!), and Andrew Woodrum of Fleaheart. I recently met Jeremy and his wife An – whose stunning memory of spaces paintings you may recall I wrote about here – in Amsterdam during their week long stay for An’s first solo exhibition opening in Den Hague.

Jeremy brought along a few of the bandanas from his new project to show me and I instantly fell in love with them. Each design is stunning and I love that they are masculine (perfect gift for guys) and utterly sophisticated.

I have heaps more to share with you about these fabulous new friends of mine (thank you for all the inspiration An and Jeremy!!) but for now I give you, box & flea. Check out the website, and also the box & flea blog.

xx