food of the season

Now that the weather is getting better and better, I'm reminded of the time I will be spending this summer in the south of France. And that again reminds me of the work I did there a few years ago for the cook book Mijn Keuken van de Zon, which is translated in French, German and Finnish. We even won a price with it! The book shows images by Anna de Leeuw and recipes by Virginie Besançon. She cooks only seasonal food, and it all tastes even better than it looks. The book has only recipes for vegetables and fruits, so perfect for vegetarians and people that want to cut back on eating meat. I did the styling, part of the production and edited all the recipes.



Mijn keuken van de zon
V. Besancon

crocheted art

I really love these children's clothes that are made by www.teenytini.com. They are a perfect example of authenticity in creation and art, that so many people are looking for these days. As am I. And luckily imperfection is sort of a trend, because the one time that I have knitted something, it also looked really authentic like this.

gardens bij XandL

For me, the interior designs by XandL are amongst the best I have seen. They are timeless and at the same time way ahaid of their time. They transform an ordinary house in a beautiful piece of art that is practical at the same time. But what I admire also is that they not only design beautiful interiors but can work their magic on gardens as well, as you can see in the images.
Check their website for more beautiful and inspirational images www.xandl.nl.

new shop: Sketch

There's a great new shop in The Hague, in an old cinema at Lange Poten 41. The brothers Oosterom, who already own two interior shops in Rotterdam and The Hague, opened the shop in December last year. This time they bring more than just furniture. They sell everything that they like, and that can be anything. From shoes, chairs and paintings to fashion, great organic food and jewellery. From high end brands like Acne, Stella Nova, Raf Simons, Volta and Missoni Home, but also new, young designers and artists. The collection changes all the time, it is dynamic and conceptual, like a sketch.
www.sketchstore.nl

spring scene

Spring really is my favourite season of the year. And I especially like all thos beautiful spring blossoms. They cheer up the dulles, glummest days. I bought some branches a few weeks ago, and first I could enjoy the blossoms, and now they are growing little leaves. They combine well with Rosie and Viv's Stek-chairs (www.aboutstek.nl), that I wrote earlier about. The little blackbird's skull is made by Dutch artist Jeroen Kuster (.nl), and makes this little scene a bit edgier.

In the background you can see two beautiful images that are made by Stephen Gill. They are part of a series called Buried. He took pictures in his old neighbourhood Hackney Wick, and buried them on the spot. After a few weeks he dug them up again, to give a beautiful, weathered effect. We bought the images at Foam, the museum of phogography in Amsterdam (www.foam.nl). There's also a book about it, but I'm not sure if it is still for sale.

Paul Barbera, again

You can see in Paul's work that he loves how people work, live and create. And I love how he is a contemporary master of light.

Paul In Holland

Paul Barbera, the photographer from Australia that I wrote about earlier, is in the Netherlands again. I can't wait to work with him again. That counts for other people, because he's flying to Milan for the design fair on monday. But after that, I hope to do some work with him. Here's some examples from his beautiful work, that you can also find on his website where they create (see my links).

Clemens & August

Finally they are visiting Amsterdam, one of my favourite brands: Clemens & August. I love the clean cut clothes, crisp fabrics and special use of colour. The clothes are not for sale in shops, they have a webshop and they tour Europe with one (or two or three) day shops. They will be in Amsterdam from friday 9 to sunday 11. Check for more cities and information on www.clemens-en-august.com. (ps: check out their initials).

kleurinspiratie

This week I'm putting the finishing touches to a project I'm working on with Maaike Koorman. She's also a concept designer, and together we're taking care of colour forecasts for the webiste www.kleurinspiratie.nl. On this website, which is in Dutch only (sorry), we give you six colour forecasts for the coming season, for your house. The new forecasts will be online in two weeks. Here you can see some of the preparations, the end result is still a secret!

Lenneke Wispelwey

You can find more examples of Lenneke Wispelwey's beautiful ceramics on her website www.lennekewispelwey.nl.

Restored

Yesterday I had a little time to spare while I was in the Jordaan, which is one of the most beautiful (and therefor well known) areas of Amsterdam, my home town. It was a beautiful spring day, so I decided to take a walk down Haarlemmerdijk. This street has with a unique combination of beautfiul shops, dodgy coffe shops, old fashioned drugstores and the best food shops in town. And every week a new shops opens. Restored has been there for a while already, but is getting more beautiful everytime I visit it. The shops sells stuff made by young designers, like bags, jewelerry, porcelain and clothes. A very inspiring shop, I especially like the beautiful, elegant ceramics made by Lenneke Wispelwey. www.restored.nl

about Frank Visser

I promised to tell some more about Frank Visser. I can tell you about how I love his imagination, his styling, his set designs and all his other creations, but the images with his work tell it all. The first image is taken by Josie Sykes, the second and third by Mirjam Bleeker.

spring lunch last sunday

Last sunday I organised a spring lunch, to celebrate the new season (amongst other things). I put together a little menu with Marlein, who cooked and filled in the missing links. Marlein cooked, as only she can, so we could all experience what spring tastes like. As an appetiser she made little salty tartlets filled with pea-mint-ricottacream. Then watercress soup with radish-toast, followed by torta verde, salad with grilled haloumi. pink grapefruit and pomme granateseeds, grilled chicken with lavender and lemon. The best part came last, as always. She made the most beautiful and best tasting cake made with almond cake, whipped cream with raspberries, decorated with real roses.

The lunch took place in the perfect setting: Studio IJm. This is the studio of Frank Visser, a Dutch stylist, who creates the perfect dream world, in real life and as a set designer/stylist for interior magazines as Elle and Vogue Interior. Fedor van der Valk, who also works at the studio, makes string gardens, hanging plants, that made the whole spring look complete.
check for more of their work on www.ijm.nl and www.stringgardens.com

details

One of my biggest dreams (now) is to open my own shop one day. And then I will sell the beautifull accessories designed by Nest.
Check www.nestprettythings.com for more of these lovely, sweet necklaces and bracelets.

spring lunch

Next sunday I'm organising a spring lunch for a few friends. Luckily Marlein Overakker, my favourite food stylist, has time to do the cooking (next year I will do it myself again, promise). Not only because I don't have time to do the cooking myself this year. But also because she cooks much better and prettier than I do. When we meet we mostly talk about food, and she makes the best tasting and prettiest new combinations in food. She also made some of the cupcakes in our book Happiness is a Cupcake.
Miep Jukkema was the photographer of the images shown. Frank Visser did the styling, more about him later, together with John Biesheuvel.

suitcase full of surprises

My friend Celia, who is always full of creative and crazy ideas, had set up a new business: custom made fancy dress suitcases.
That is the best new idea for a christening gift I have heard in ages! (And a nice birhtday gift. If anyone wonders what to give my twin girls for their birthday?) The bespoke suitcases (or flight cases, hat boxes, whatever you like) will be filled with dressing up clothes that fit the style of the parents or the kid, if she (or he, off course) can already speak. The price depends on what is in the suitcase, and the suitcase itself, naturally. Want one? Send her an email: celia@iamceliarosa.com