As the day turns into night, we will hear our last soundscape for this series. Here, I take you with me into a most intimate moment: a time of evening when I am in Sydney, just before dinner. My Dad is cooking in the kitchen, my Mum is nearby and I decide to play a tune on the piano as the sky turns from pink to the deepest, darkest blue. I haven’t played this piano in a while and it is out of tune and dusty, which is quite how I like it. But now is the time I must let you know, I never play with an audience. I have only ever played for family and very close friends, and then, not even. So this is a very intimate moment…like opening a hidden away jewellery box and hearing a secret little song, this time, I play for each of you.

Please click the play button below…

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…and be patient while I prepare my seat. The night sky takes the stage…

…I lift the lid of my old friend…

…I click on the lamp…

…and I play. Just for you. Please enjoy…

………………………………….

**Update: If you’d like to hear more of my piano playing, please click here. Thank you. xx

The sun is shining in Amsterdam! I am so overwhelmed by it actually, my head is in a spin. I had plans to sit here at this computer and do some much needed work but I’m not. I am dropping everything, and heading out the door to wander around the city in the sun (avec camera, so technically it can be classed as work right). I just snapped the photo above a moment ago, to prove to you that my sweet friend is truly shining. Oh dear sun, please please stay for a while! I will love you long time.

xx

PS Promise to show & tell when I get back, promise.

Well, aren’t I glad I made it back from Australia in time! Holly’s meet & greet night here in Amsterdam on Friday night was a hit, and it was wonderful to meet so many like-minded people. The room was a-buzz with design chatter, with all of us sharing ideas, travel tips, and shopping secrets.

Although I did not get a chance to meet some of the attendees, here is a little selection of people I did meet…

First off, it’s a bit cheating I know, since she is actually already a wonderful friend, but it’s the perfect chance for me to tell you all about her again! Yep, I’m talking about my friend Riley, the fashion designer from New York whose fashion line had me weak in the knees the moment I saw it. Riley and I do lots of fab things together here in Amsterdam and one of them just happened to be going to the meet & greet. Above is a sneak peek of her fashion label’s – jackson, johnston & roe – fall collection which I adore, and above that is a gorgeous fabric pattern from their collection. Riley and I have a few fun things planned ahead, so I’ll be sure to post about them in coming weeks!

Now I actually didn’t meet the lovely lady who stocks the vintage pieces above and below, but my friend Danielle just posted about meeting her on the night and just look at the cool things she has in her online store called All The Luck In The World. Yes please!!

But I DID get a chance to chat with Swedish Emma from Emma’s Design Blogg, and she can be described by just one word: awesome. She has an incredible personal style that I’d love to adopt (cool hair, cool clothes, and so on and so forth), AND is heaps of fun. We also spent some time together yesterday, along with her friend Per, going on a bit of a vintage-inspired stroll through Amsterdam, stopping by some of my favourite vintage shops in the nine streets. I hope to visit her in her home city next! Here is an image from her flickr collection…

Then, sitting on my right was the delightful Sia! Whose blog siagrafica and fun drawings I have been following for a while now like I know so many of you have too…

And sitting on my left was The Style Files’ dear Danielle. Who had a terrible flu, yet she still made it to the meet with a smile on her face, what a champion. As you know she is another good friend of mine here in Holland, so it was lovely to see her again and catch up on news while I’ve been away. We also have some fun things planned together, I’ll keep you posted! Meanwhile, have you checked out the new wares she has in her online shop Le Souk? I talk of this piece of furniture, the Zaishu Antique Kimono stool which I am proud to say is made and designed in Australia…

And last but not least is Ms. Holly Becker, the blogger extraordinaire from Decor 8 and Haus Maus . It was great to meet her, such a sweet-natured gal with alot of heart and passion for what she does. I felt like I could have stayed all night chatting with her, so I do hope we meet again while she resides in her new pad in Hannover…

Thanks again girls and boys for such a wonderful evening. I am looking forward to seeing Holly’s post about the evening and hopefully catching up on who I missed out on meeting on the night. And as Sofia mentioned in a comment in my previous post, perhaps we should consider a Meet & Greet in Paris next time?! Nice idea indeed. Until then!

xx

just wondering.

Here’s a little tidbit about French Boy. You see, he suffers from a cultural kickback I like to call his latin drama. It’s a peculiarity that occurs at least once a day. An otherwise calm soul, with a heavy lean toward pragmatism and the commonsensical, his latin drama comes unexpected – everytime – and while only lasts for a moment or two, it’s enough to catch witnesses off guard and result in making me belly laugh – everytime.

And this morning’s scenario is one such example…

All was going smoothly. As he leaves the boat, he flashes a big happy smile my way and blows me a French kiss from the other side of the bridge. Off he walks to catch his tram to Centraal Station. About 10 minutes later, I get a call. My ear is instantly assaulted by the very loud music of the buskers that I immediately recognise to be those at Centraal. Then, with a calmish voice French Boy says to me “can you please hurry and look on the clothes basket for my visa card and pin card.” A question mark lights up above my head. So I look and I see nothing. “There is nothing here babe” I reply. Enter, latin drama, stage one: “What? Are you sure, are you sure? Can you look again, look around!” “Babe, there is nothing here, I promise you, do you think they have slipped out of your pocket?” “Oh shit, oh shit!!” Enter, latin drama, stage two: sheer, irrational, uncontrollable panic: “They were in the back pocket of my pants, they were there! Now they are not here!” The buskers are getting louder, and the panic in his voice is writhe. And this time, he has even managed to pass it on to me: “Shit, are you sure babe, are you sure? Hang on, let me think…”. By this time I can feel the drama peak over the phone, and I imagine his eyes suddenly firey and vacant while he undergoes the ‘spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch’ check at triple speed, over and over again. The buskers are loud and unrelenting. “Babe” I say, “did you check your rucksack?” “YESSSS!” he shouts and then silence. Except for the buskers. “Babe?” “Oh” he says, “they are right here, in the rucksack.” Enter stage three of latin drama: firey eyes turn back to twinkling jewels, he smiles, he chuckles at his own expense, and carries on with his day.

Curtains close.

I go back to sipping my tea, wondering what tomorrow will bring.