A number of people have been asking me lately “what inspires you?” and I tell them, “blogs!”. I know, shock horror that I admit my creative soul is fed by the creative genius of others, but it’s how the creative world works – we all feed each other. And you all know my mantra by now (beside ‘enhance the everyday’) is: embrace, nurture and acknowledge. So it got me thinking, perhaps its not enough that my favourite blogs are in my blogroll and that I assume you go and visit all of them as often as I do – perhaps its time I show you exactly what inspires me, on a more regular basis. So today I have selected a few of my favourite blogs and am highlighting some of their recent blog posts that have got my creative juices flowing. I just know they will do it for you too…

Starting with Jo from red aprons – not only does she have fabulous taste in stockings and shoes, but she is also a girl who leads an extraordinarily interesting life in Sweden, her new homeland. Having moved there some months back to study, Jo takes us with her on her everyday adventures and shows us what inspires her along the way too. Last week she took us to a tiny island called rörö and I can’t stop day dreaming about this place. Oh, I’m so inspired, just look at that homemade shack above!
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Now this is a new discovery for me – it ironically came just after I recently made the announcement of my dislike for a certain word. Well, I take it all back!! Because I have completely fallen in love with the Brisbane letterpress company called Bespoke Press! Yes, bespoke! You never thought I’d say it, did you? Well, perhaps Bespoke Press is the only time I will say it. They make the most beautiful invitations, stationery and paperie using 100% cotton paper, and they have a love for “deep impressions, graphic design, interior design, and beautiful handmade things new and old.” How could I not fall in love? They have a wonderful website and blog, and recently they went on an incredible journey through Croatia and Italy, giving us plenty of photos to drool over. You simply must go and visit, there is bespoke inspiration galore…

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Then there is Amanda’s photographs. I can never get enough of her work. And this photograph is just so delicate and feminine.
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And my dear Liberty Post! The girl’s got my heart this week – she has surprised us all by posting all about Australia! And I am getting such a kick out of seeing what she comes up with next – I always find it so much fun to see my country through someone else’s eyes, and Liberty has been posting everything from Dame Edna to Akira, from vintage Australian stamps to a splashing of hilarious shots of the Melbourne Cup day. Thank you Liberty Post, you rock!
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Now it’s no secret that I adore the life led by Joslyn from Simply Lovely. With two beautiful daughters Audrey and Millie, Joslyn is always doing the most fun things with them. Recently they painted this cardboard castle and I’m totally inspired… to paint cardboard castles, eat cotton candy, have children, and go to fun fairs on weekends carrying my Japanese parasol. I am also a bit jealous that she gets to wear flip flops and singletops on an Autumn day as we can see above. Oh, also that the sun shines in Autumn for her in Austin, Texas. Phenomenal!
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Nadia’s blog la porte rouge is pure inspiration – front to back, back to front, in between and upside down. Nadia snaps brilliant photographs all over her neighbourhood and home – they are magic to me. The above photos are of some dying gerbera daisies that Nadia couldn’t quite let go. And I just adore them – even flowers die gracefully in her home, like “layered ballerinas” as Nadia so eloquently observed.
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And then there is the fabulous embroidery work of artist Joetta from Little Yellow Bird. Recently she has begun painting on her embroidery, creating the most maginificent textural illustrations. So very beautiful, I can’t wait to see her new works once completed.
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So that’s it for show + tell around the (blog)block for today! Perhaps I should make this a regular weekly treat, what do you think? Maybe not so elaborate, but just an image and a post, like the other bloggers do, what say you? If you like this idea, then you’ve just read the first in the series called…

Tomorrow I will take you on a little wander for show + tell around le petit bateau, and next week I am going to… well, you’ll just have to wait and see. x

Brocante is the French word for flea market. And the French love flea markets – you will find brocantes all over France, all time of year. They are just one of the many reasons why I love France and her occupants (by now you are also well aware that I love her for her food and wine). When I was living in Paris last year, going to brocantes were a weekly treat. At the beginning of each week I would research what brocantes were on within the city as well as in the surrounding suburbs, and plan the weekend around it. I found so many antiques and vintage wares, and on many occasions my arms would be so overloaded that I could barely get on the metro back to the apartment. There is no doubt I am addicted to brocantes, and now whenever French Boy and I travel back to France, we instinctively find the nearest brocante to explore, and last weekend’s sojourn was no exception. Sure I lamented over what I didn’t claim as mine (read and weep with me here), but below are a few of the treasures that I did claim. First, a set of vintage number stamps…

Then came this gorgeous terrine. And below, a set of perfectly kept French cotton napkins…

…We also found a tin box of antique wooden bowling pins that are specifically from the Jura area. They were quite a find and I will show you once I have cleaned them up and find a place for them in the boat. Also among my collection of brocante finds were some vintage doilies which I am using to make something (another show + tell to come no doubt).

I adore re-using, re-thinking, and re-styling oldwares, and finding such things in flea markets is just the best fun!

While the rain falls all around me, and the Rijks Museum bells chime, I just caught the last bit of natural light to show you what arrived on my door step last Friday…

Yes, it’s my Autumn swap surprise package of goodies! Can you guess who it was from? It was none other than the organiser herself, Sofia – that über talented gal who I just featured below in my etsy favourites. Sofia’s autumn package is fabulous, so so many treats I didn’t even know where to begin when I opened it up. Well that’s not true, I did know where to begin, and as the above photo shows you, the things I started with are not present and are all but gone…into my belly.

Sofia’s package is filled with delightful things like chocolate (gone), organic cookies (gone), mère poulard buttery biscuits (French Boy’s eyes lit up when he saw the package and he ever so politely asked “Can I please have one?” Who would I be to deny him of such a delicious treat born from his own territory!) (gone), lollies (gone).

Amongst the victual delights were also the following… l’Occitane hand cream and body bar, 2 gorgeous cooking books that I can’t wait to start trying out recipes, some Japanese Green Tea from Le Palais Des Thès, a beautiful notebook from la marelle en papier, postcards of Manon Gignoux, and… drum roll please…

…one of Sofia’s very own handmade brooches , wrapped in a little handstitched paper envelope. I am going to pin it onto my coat tout de suite. Thank you Sofia, for not only these wonderful delights but also for thinking up the idea of an autumn swap and organising it. This time of year for me is hard to swallow – the dark, rainy, cold days which are just normal for some, are not so easy for me having being born in the sun. So I absolutely loved participating – getting to know new bloggers through it, and exchanging gifts and sending them to strangers all over the world. It totally brightened up my autumn days, let’s do it again next year!!

xx

PS I think this will be a bit of a ‘show + tell’ week – I still want to show you the things I bought at the brocante in France (I know, I promised! I haven’t forgotten!), and I have lots of new things in the boat, perhaps I should do a little tour around it and show you my new treasures, what do you think? I also want to show you some things around the web that have caught my eye. Right now I’m going to play some piano. Catch you tomorrow, have a lovely day/evening!

Since we didn’t have an etsy favourite last week, I’m doubling up with my favourites to share with you this week! Starting with an etsy boutique-warming for Sofia with her new shop called l’oiseau rare, filled with her handmade treasures like the gorgeous necklace above. And I already have my first Sofia creation! I will show you in the next post. While you are checking out her new store, stop by her first etsy store too, right here. Happy etsy-warming for your l’oiseau rare boutique-atelier Sofia!
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The butterflies are free from Vol25. So very pretty.
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I love handmade buttons! I love using them on gifts, pillows, and dangling from ribbon. And I found these two etsy ateliers who make super cute wood and ceramic buttons. The wooden ones are made from wenge from the button shop and the white ceramic buttons are from mud puppy.
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This guy’s name is Joaquin. He is a brown fawn and he is made in Germany from etsy seller alberto’s family. He comes in his own little handmade paper bag and I think he would make the perfect gift for a new bub. In fact, I have a few new bubs born here in Europe that I must send gifts to, so if you go to the shop in a moment and see Joaquin and his pals all gone, you know I am the culprit.

UPDATE: I just bought the store out. There is only one left. Sorry guys.
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And last but not least, I think these earrings are a bit darling. They are from oh hello friend and they are only $6.50! While my ears would love me more for those darling danglies, my shoulders and neck would love me more for this mohair warmer, handknitted by French etsy seller tortilla girl.
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Thanks for stopping by for this week’s installment of…

I think next week I am going to start looking at Christmas decorations – I am rather picky when it comes to Christmas decorations and such (I’d rather an empty tree than a badly decorated one!), but I have started a rather lovely collection of etsy (and non etsy) favourites: handmade and über stylish Christmas treats for your home. The one thing I really have had trouble finding is Christmas stockings, so if anyone out there makes super stylish Christmas stockings, do let me know!

xx

Well, that’s it folks, I am going to sign off on my “one year in Amsterdam” anniversary celebrations, I do hope you’ve enjoyed my personal tour but there is SO much more I want to share with you!

Amsterdam is full of fabulousness, I now realise I can’t possibly squeeze it all in one week. So I will continue posting about little walks, wanders, discoveries and personal moments over time as usual. For those of you planning to visit Amsterdam at some point in your life, be sure to check out my Amsterdam category before you head in this direction, it will make your trip that much more intimate than following a guided map. One day I’d love to write a book about my favourite shops and experiences here. One fine day, as I always say!

Here is a quick list of more things I love to do in Amsterdam…

A Few Favourite Wanders:

A Few Favourite Bars:

A Few Favourite Eateries:

Happy one year anniversary my dear friend, thanks for having me and I do hope we get to share many more wonderful times together (but in the meantime, could you do something about the weather? I’d be much obliged).

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Etsy Faves up next! And something arrived in the mail for me from someone special in France, I can’t wait to show you (except that I’ve already eaten half the gift. oops.)