Ellen ist im Urlaub!

I was going to write about the stomach twisting roller coaster this past year has been.

And how it brought me to this grand new continent to explore.

I was going to write about how I realized a dream that I never thought I would (be able to) realize in just two years time.

But… there is no time!

 

Ellen ist im Urlaub!

Hoping to get lost! ;)

 

ellen vesters urlaub

 

Girl Crush: Octavie

How I have grown to love the online community.

Yesterday I posted this on Instagram.

Even before I received Marloes‘s lovely gift, Octavie – who I never met in real life – touched me with hers.

 

I would wish for all of you to be Dutch. Just to be able to read Octavie‘s blogs.

In the commercial blog world, her non-commercial one really stands out. Sharing her beautiful drawings and her magical view on life. Such integrity, such sincerity.

 

I found the painting below in my mailbox after a little post on facebook that I loved her robin so much…

 

Thank you so much, Octavie (and Marloes and Anki, and all those others that give so much), you don’t know how much these things mean!!!

 

 

A lovely Sunday in Amsterdam

Starting your own business, or better/worse (*please delete as appropriate ) your own shop, can be compared to renovating an old house. If you would know up front what you’d run into, you would never think of starting it. But hey, as said you never know what will happen, so still moving along! ;)
Nevertheless, there have been a lot of deep breaths lately.

 

I deserved a break. So last week I donated myself some offline time, which culminated in a beautiful day in Amsterdam. I was invited to Ingrid‘s (aka Ingthings) booklaunch – at colourful shop All the Luck in the World in Amsterdam – and decided to combine this with a three hour breakfast on a sunny terrace at the area called De Pijp. I met my talented friend Nadine there which always makes for some good conversation.

 

I must say my distaste for Sundays is maybe, just maybe, slowly giving me less of a hard time.
I had a blast!

 

So many smiles: Dog Marley showing us her icebear moves, kids grooming guinea pigs (!) in the parc, Mikodesign‘s daughter being all excited about going to the best high school ever, this beautiful Frida she designed together with her mum and gave to me, and all those little gifts that Ingrid had layed out for all us guests to take home. She really knows how to throw a party (and must be the most generous person I have ever met…). I took home the little bird below (unfortunately my cat liked it as much as I did..!).

Check out Ingrid’s wonderful book, about thrifting, DIY, and foremost about enjoying small things, right here: Kringloopgeluk.

 

(sorry for all the filters, peeps, only had my iphone on me!)