Paris

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I'll be away for a few days. See you again somewhere next week. 

I saw the light

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In my opinion, beautiful lamps are one of the most difficult things to find. There's always something wrong with them: too expensive, too many unnecessary frills, too cheap-looking.  Olivier Abry, a designer from Lyon, comes to the rescue. He makes the most beautiful lamps out of vintage parts. Every single lamp is a unique piece and I think they really have their own 'personality'. I'd love one (or two, or three) for our new place. You can see and buy his lamps here.

Olivier also has a fantastic blog - one of the few blogs with a sense of humour, I think.  I've been a fan and follower of his blog for such a long time, but strangely enough it never really dawned on me that he made such great lamps. I was so fixated on the images on his blog that I never really paid much attention to the sidebar. Silly me! Luckily, I saw the light last weekend! And now so will you!

Book art

Secret passage, S. Kay, 2008

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Herman Hesse, A. Smithson, 2009

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My books are part of my interior, displayed like a piece of art. A whole wall covered in them. It's no suprise I was instantly drawn to these works of art above, especially to Stanford Kay's work. He's done whole series on books and I love every single painting. 

Grey day

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Today is one of those.

Nut case

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Absolutely adore this beautiful, walnut case jewellery designer Saskia Diez made for design company e15.

Want, want, want ...

State of mind

Ein haus für immer, C. Schmal

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This made me laugh! It's exactly how I'm feeling!

Blanket

Ilva, Tiger mag, Oct 2011

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I love the idea behind this jacket made of moving blankets. Very appropriate for what I've got on the brain these days!

Blue art

Depths, Elizabeth Sheppell, 2010

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Telling, Louise Fishman, 2007

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Untitled, Heimo Zobernig, 2010

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from Winter Group 14, Pat Steir, 2009

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Similarity

Still life by artist L. Vance, 2009

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I. Miyake dress by M. Sorrenti

First rites of Spring, V #51, Feb. 2008

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Bloom

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Orchid, R. Mapplethorpe, 1985

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I love

sketchbook by A. Worman

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I love artist Alison Worman. She's a student at MICA who is majoring in Fibers. Doesn't that just sound delightful, to be majoring in fibers?

Paris, je t'aime

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Only one week to go until our Paris trip. Can't wait! Any tips still welcome!

Inspiration

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Envolée by artist B. Gelé

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The colour palette I chose for our new place: accents of blue and dirty chartreuse (or is it kakhi? I get confused when it comes to naming greens). Our furniture is a mix of greys and browns, old and new. Now I'm constantly on the look-out for pops of colour to accessorize. I already found a beautiful West German sixties vase, now I only need lamps, pillows, a rug, and ..., and ....

To be continued.

Shapes

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White shapes. Or how architecture becomes art.

And this if you want to laugh today.

Or this if you want to get teary-eyed. 

A quiet protest

Brother holding his sister, 1996

by Peter Kayafas

Summer had turned seventy-six that year. Her hot embrace slowed us into a standstill. That’s when I found him. Faded. Green. Polished by sand and sea. My brother told me it was only rubbish, a piece of glass. Still, I knew better: I had found an emerald. Matt, trying to hide his sparkle. Too shy to be the gem he was. I loved him just the way he was. I was five and didn’t know yet we are expected to become.

I still find. Yet, most days I am found.  Too sensitive. Too direct. Too naive. Too shy. Too happy. Too sad. As if I’m solely made out of pluses and minuses. They cancel each other out until I dissolve into nothingness. Nothing, but always too. Were I to become, I’d be a success. I’d shine. Or so they tell me. Perfection knows no too. 

Society has become mercilessly malleable. Our potential has to be lived up to. Happiness must be created.  Yet, my potential likes to lie dormant at times. Often, I don’t even feel it’s there, simmering below my surface. And then, suddenly, it reappears. An unexpected, hungry visitor. A reason for a little celebration.  The cherry on my daily cake.  Until it says its goodbyes again.

The more I’m told to become, the less I am. I have no appetite for constant bliss. I like the rain. Leaves falling. Bittersweet, that’s how I like to take my life. But does that mean I don’t deserve to shine every now and again? Matt. Shy. Discreet. 


I want to be polished by whatever flows through me. Rubs against me. Sharp today. Round tomorrow. Stringing the beads onto the necklace that is my life.

Colour story

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Untitled, Peter Roesch, 2001

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Yellow and purple.

Penguin

by illustrator Oliver Jeffers

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Just because this really tugs at my heartstrings.

I love penguins.

Similarity

Storm op zee, P. Brueghel de Oude, 1569

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David Neale earrings

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Beautifully Belgian

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Photographer Eefje de Coninck.  See more of her work here.

I seem to be drawn to yellow combined with blues these days.

Antwerp tip

photographer A. Calero

Tonight, my parents are taking us out to dinner. A (belated) birthday celebration for both my dad (who turned 65) and me. We're going to Veranda - my new favourite restaurant in Antwerp (Berchem) and I urge you to go there too if you're ever in the neighbourhood. The food is really top-notch with lots of really amazing flavour sensations (the chef worked at In de Wulf before, one of Belgium's Michelin-star restaurants). Still, the atmosphere in the restaurant is really cosy and casual. A great combination, as I don't like stuffy and overly fancy restaurants. 

You can find Veranda at 60, Guldenvliesstraat, 2600 Berchem.

Shreds

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Designer Jisungha's final collection at the College of Art, titled 'Is jewellery more important than clothes?'  I like how the clothes disintegrate into jewellery or is it jewellery growing into clothes?

Click on the images to see the details.

Morbid beauty

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For today, just a little reminder that there's beauty in everything. It just depends on how closely you look.

Elephunky

Pull along Polly, elephant pouffe by J. Neelen

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I love this pouffe by Dutch designer Joni Neelen. Based on the pull-along toys of our childhood (but somehow it also reminds me of gymnastics classes ... )

Post-it war

image by Eva V.S.

I know, you've seen it on the internet before, but post-it wars has reached Antwerp, Belgium too.  As part of the global Oxfam-campaign to enhance awareness about sustainability and fair trade, Eva and I spent a lot of time sticking post-its on our shop-window yesterday. Can you spot what the image is? For those in Antwerp (or anywhere else for that matter): why don't you come and pay us a visit at Oxfam Boutique, Brederodestraat 27, Antwerp. Lots of lovely things in the shop looking for a new owner.

And YES, we WILL be re-using all those post-its! Promise!

Meet the boss

image, my own

You don't know what I look like - except for my hands in my profile picture - but I thought I'd share a glimpse of my life with you. Meet my 'other' man, Eliot, named after one of my favourite poets, T.S. Eliot.  We've been having a love-affair for the past 11 years; he stole my heart long before J did. 

Even though he's small and fluffy, he wears the trousers in our household (maybe I should knit him a pair!). He's very vocal about his likes and dislikes, knows he's NOT supposed to scratch our couch- but does it anyway. Of course he TOTALLY adores me, especially when I'm trying to use the computer. Or maybe he just wants a blog of his own ...

Quote

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It really did take me years to realise it!

And sometimes I still forget.

Apartment love

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While preparing for my upcoming Paris trip I came across this apartment. It is part of a renovated electrical cable company in the 18th arondissement. I'd love to live there, with that courtyard! And how cute is that shopfront they created ? Click on the images to enlarge.