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

 

Party Hard

planet fur_party hard_ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

“Party hard” is what Miss Planet Fur wished us innocent creative souls at the start of 2013.

Boy, were we in for a surprise.

 

Intergalactic powers, she has.

 

Last week I was invited to no less then five openings and one lecture in two days time!

I slept through was too busy to visit the lecture (soooo sorry, Mr Van Gaasbeek…) and made it to three of the five openings.

 

First up:

Elle Aime!

Big wow factor. Big standard set for my own shop-in-the-making.
Elle Aime is dedicated to the crafty types among us.
The shop is filled with all kinds of craft materials as well as finished products (so much nice stuff…!).
Make sure you go there asap and do enter one of the workshops. You will have a great time for sure.

 

elle aime shop lisa manuels__ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

 

Second stop:

MamaMarketing!

MamaMarketing is THE Dutch platform for women that are starting their own webshop, although I can recommend it to anyone starting out as entrepeneur.
Their website is the place to go for advice on a number of subjects, including branding, SEO, etc.
The party I was invited to actually was a launchparty where the Mamamarketeers launched a productline, ranging from worksheets to workshops.
I can’t wait for their app to come out (soon!) which will also include a Quote Coach (love that)!
(you can read all about MamaMarketing in their mini magazine)

 

opening party mamamarketing webwinkel minimagazine_ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer copy

 

Third up:

Fred & Guus!

Fred & Guus sell art by young designers (including yours truly) and also offer a stage for the most amazing vintage finds.
In a short timespan they have managed to make an important mark in the Utrecht art scene.
Their taste for art is impeccable.
As is their taste for great parties!
(Which they promise to throw once every month!)

 

opening party fred en guus shop galerie_ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

 

You can’t visit a party without gifts, don’t you agree?

So I decided to give everyone a Dutch Dwelling of their own city.

This meant designing two more Dutch houses: Rotterdam and Den Haag (also known als ‘s-Gravenhage).

They will be added to my Etsy shop shortly, for all of you Rotterdam and Den Haag lovers out there.

Tell me when you feel like your city has been left out and I will try to make some time to include it!

 

dutch dwellings hollandje huisjes rotterdam_ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

Are you as curious as I am about the missed lecture by Mr Van Gaasbeek?

Watch Utrecht’s Creative Mornings channel at Vimeo. Very soon his video will be uploaded!

New Year’s present

A couple of weeks ago I was part of organizing the Winterfeest Hooi & Stro and it was raining.
I am not talking about the fluish fluids that were coming out of my nose. No.
I am talking real acid water pouring down from the Dutch skies.
It seems the raining hasn’t stopped since (okay. today it stopped. but then we were walking around in our freaking t-shirts, because it was so hot! where did winter go?!)

 

It makes me frown like a grumpy old woman.

 

What if…
all this frowning will make me need plastic surgery in a couple of years?
I am a big opponent of plastic surgery.
Scheisse. What can we do?

 

It’s time for some cleansing of the karma.
Surely that should bring us a cold-sun-shining-on-snowy-cobled-streets-winter?!

 

At the Winterfeest I gave away coupons for a 5€ discount on a fantastic cookbook I worked on last year: De Groene Garde (the Green Whisk). Why not put these coupons on my blog too?
De Groene Garde is a Dutch cookbook on ‘honest food’ which offers you exactly 100 delicious recipes, divided over the seasons. It also offers 101 tips practical tips for buying, preparing and storing of seasonal and regional food, organic food and fair trade products, and last but not least background stories and interviews with Dutch sustainability experts.

All collaborators felt so proud when the book got voted best 2012 christmas gift for women by a Dutch tv show!

Please scroll down to download your own coupon! You can order a copy of the book signed by me by just sending me an e-mail: ellen@ellenvesters.com

 

groene garde cookbook sustainability cycle of rice ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

coupon groene garde cookbook sustainability ellen vesters illustrator graphic designer

 

For some lovely pictures of Winterfeest Hooi & Stro, check out the gorgeous blogs of:

+ Zilverblauw

+ Enigheid

 

And now…let it snow let it snow let it snow!

(my man Mr Rockstar’s christmas project rocking a sold out Tivoli this christmas)