rotterdam.

how do i begin to talk about a country where you eat chocolate sprinkles and cake for breakfast, orange is their national colour and bikes trump cars for transport of choice? if you’re not already in love with the idea of living in holland, then read on, it’ll take you 30 seconds to be converted, promise.  i have been dying to share the last two and a bit weeks with you, but you know, life with a boy in a beautiful country that is filled with vintage and baked-good love, windmills, history and art…just kinda got in the way. my new neighbourhood is completely charming, with post office, bakery, florist, bike shop and everything a girl could need. it only took me 5 days before i had found my dream bike (a mint green gem at the most incredible price), wandered the markets, unpacked my suitcase and spent a sunny spring day in amsterdam. my relocation to rotterdam has been super smooth and made all the better with a yummy dutchman in hand. i am on the constant look out for work possibilities which is balanced beautifully with the opportunity to visit every bakery in rotterdam. of course the work/play balance is still completely out of whack, with the play part taking precedence, but with a burning desire to get screenprinting again (i found art shop heaven and could not be more inspired right now), update my big cartel store and keep a more concrete online presence… i see a more regular day to day routine in the near future. it’s been amazing having the boy take time off work and i couldn’t picture myself being in better hands than his. a proud dutchman with an impeccable knowledge for his beautiful country, i fell hard and fast for rotterdam within days of being here.  with art galleries boasting the works of koons, kusama, magritte, rembrandt and rodin…it was sure to be love at first sight. european design (not to mention the fact that eames and pastoe is everywhere I look) has my heart at bursting point. a morning spent at the market proved fruitful today when i walked away with a bike basket load of vintage goodness for under 15 euros, the place is brimming with pre-loved treasure. as i ride the streets i feel as though i’m part of something much grander, like a nationwide bike club. bicycles on every corner, lamp post and bridge, it’s impossible not to be completely enchanted by the bike culture here. i’ve already discovered several favourite bakeries, bought my annual museum card, signed up for the local supermarket’s bonus card and learnt how to say dankjewel like a true dutchie. with post it notes attached to every appliance in the kitchen, i have begun to take the language learning a little more seriously. i have spent time with some beautiful people, drank beer in a church and eaten my way through some of holland’s finest food products.  i've learnt how to live with a cat (i’m a dog girl at heart) and in turn uncover a new appreciation (ok, love) for the feline variety. in conclusion, this city has me completely under her spell. 

dutch life.

serious bike business.

market blooms.

i found heaven in art shop form.

i'm on a bike! (and deer feeding)

art, bike and a swan (bridge)

bakery and vintage love.

why would you choose fruit or cereal for breakfast over this???

reunited with kusama at boijmans.

koons love.

so much vintage goodness at the local markets (post coming soon!)

my heart.

my heart is a champion wanderer. it's not too frivolous or flirty but definately has it's favourite places where it prefers to spend it's time. for the past almost 3 years it has regained it's independence, lent itself to my job and my love for vintage and allowed me to be continually inspired by what life has to offer me. since returning from europe in july, my heart has been working harder than ever before. i have never felt so alive and so sure of where i will be heading next. tonight i booked a one way ticket to london. on february 20th i make my way to london for a week, see my best friend and family, test the job waters and then follow my heart to rotterdam. who would have known that this would be what my life had in store for me? i have no concrete plans, but with some dollars in my pocket, a thirst for letting my creative side run wild and a heart bursting with love, i can do nothing but go with all my heart. i at least owe it that. 

nara love.

pattern love.

goma love.

floral love.

bike love.

new hangout love.

shoe love.

neighbourhood love.

on ya bike.

why helloooo there. it feels like forever since i touched base with you guys. i must admit i've been cheating on blogger with a little well known new trend called instagram. but let's save that for another post. (tomorrow!) i hope this finds you well on this rather balmy sunday evening. i have a zucchini slice in the oven, i've just finished packing some of my latest thrifty finds away for my impending move (in 7 days!!!) and i'm dreaming up cupcake designs for my housewarming. you know, the important stuff. it's been an ok week, the sun has stuck around which is always nice in what can only be described as monsoon season here in queensland. i've been on some thrifty adventures, beat the sickness and am back on the road/bike again heading to some rather fabulous places. as mentioned before, i move into my beautiful floral mansion in 7 days...something i almost forgot about during my bout of unwellness but oh boy are the excitement butterflies pounding in my belly right about now. the weekend started a little like this...yesterday has now been labelled the day that my partner in crime (aka my sister/photographer extraordinaire) and i decided to go on a 3 and a half hour bicycle adventure. there were bicycle baskets full of fresh fruit and veg, johnson teacups, burnt faces...arms..chests, floral sneakers, an amazing honey & nut slice devoured and a whooollleee lotta sweat (sorry, that's gross.) it was one of my most favourite adventures i've had with her. a journey that we'd planned to last a couple of hours turned into a trip around town with baskets full of goodies. this obviously left us with very little energy (and sunstroke!) for the afternoon but i soldiered on, heading to the real estate to sign some papers and oh yeah, pop by a favourite oppy. she didn't disapoint. i've been in transition for what will be six weeks this sunday and although i have enjoyed the change of scenery, i am yearning to get into my new place and unpack. the opshopping behaviour has gone into overdrive (probably due to the fact that everything i own is in boxes and i need a daily view of beautiful florally things, which i'm clearly not getting)...here steps in the weekly opshop jaunt. oops. sorry mr bank account. there's a smile on my dial and really, that's all that matters. today was a lazy sunday to begin with but ended with an officeworks visit (due to the need for more plastic storage tubs to contain said opshopped treats), afternoon tea at a favourite spot with kate and a mega cleanup/copenhagen trip planning/zucchini slice making/fabric photo taking/inside out reading kinda afternoon. a lovely sunday. now, i'm off to read your stories. xx

on my bike, the amazing nut & honey slice, lots of pretty bikes, kate.

the johnson delight picked up at the markets, floral flour sifter, my favourite johnson pattern, westminster love.

a new johnson pattern, roses on dinner plates, apple green suitcase find, dress to wear in paris.

unearthed this treasure (from my collection) that will hang in my new bedroom.

this afternoon's treat fest. perfect.

a new year.

it seems like the older i get the faster the years seem to pass me by. i know i sound like an over observant 92 year old, but you know what i'm talking about. ironic really, considering the beginning of 2011 seemed to go on for what felt like forever. the floods shocked my beautiful state and city and many were left wondering how the rest of the year would unfold. mother nature tested the strength of many communities and we were left to watch in disbelief as what appeared to be almost every country was touched by her destructive behaviour. i got through the shitty time and it reinstated the importance of being with family and friends and knowing when to stop and enjoy the simple things. i know many are still dealing with this sadness and my heart goes out to those still rebuilding their lives. 2011 also brought news of my beautiful friend's baby being born who has brought more joy than anyone could have imagined. there was a reunion in the beautiful hawaii with my even more beautiful family, the decision to no longer live by myself and to leave my little vintage abode that i'd spent the last 2 years creating. it saw my two best friends relocate to europe and even though i miss them terribly, their courage continues to inspire me everyday. i wrote to tell my nan that i would be flying to london for her 88th birthday and i bit the bullet and made the decision (after years of talking about it) to start the surface design course in sydney in 2013 and priorities were realigned with the help of my beautiful support network who continue to drive my creativity and inspire me daily. i spent the last day of 2011 opshopping, baking moustache cookies and spending the evening with some beautiful friends (a few who i hadn't seen in forever!). we swam at midnight, drank delicious ciders, posed with edible moustaches and welcomed what already appears to be a wonderful start to 2012. i haven't made any resolutions this year but rather a little to do list that i'll work through slowly. starting with an instagram a day in january. like i need any more excuses to whip out my iphone. hello 2012!

my thrifty finds.

nanna's rolling pin and chocolate shortbread moustaches.

working the mo's.

part two.

some johnson gifts to bring in the new year. thank you kimberley & melania!

today was THE most beautiful day weather wise. i slept in, did my washing and packed up a few of my belongings. tomorrow i plan to bike to breakfast with my sister, bake my nanna's date loaf and watch an old movie. life in 2012 is good.

happy new year to you all and thank you for your amazing support throughout 2011. kit and nancy wouldn't be what it is without you.

christmas day.

the day started with belgian waffles for breakfast and ended with a big bowl of trifle watching jurassic park in our pjs. i was a little apprehensive about how the day would unfold, but i can honestly say it was one of the nicest days i've ever spent with my sister. we pottered in the kitchen cutting up veges and baking yorkshire puddings, drinking delicious cider and laughing uncontrollably at dinner whilst wearing paper hats and eating far more than our bellies could handle. after a bit of present opening we thought the smartest thing to do before dessert would be to take our bikes out for a spin. with all the kids out in the street with their new toys, we didn't want to feel left out. the weather was beautiful, warm as always in december but the humidity held back and so did the rain. this made for a perfect christmas sunday with my partner in crime. there's a lot of change and a month or so of a nomadic lifestyle ahead for me so it was lovely to cook my last big meal in the flower house and to spend time exploring my neighbourhood. thank you bertie, for making christmas memories that i know we'll tell our children about. your potatoes kicked ass and your friendship, one in a million.

thanks mr brenner for a tasty breakfast.

prepping.

the meal i've waited all year for.

the british girl in me squeals at the sight, everytime.

sunny early evening biking behaviour.

pink lady.

moustache cookie cutters! my favourite present.

i'm still working on it.

tis the season.

to be blessed. because ladies & gents, i am one lucky mf. i don't want to break blog etiquette with that kinda language but since hearing emily say shit on her blog a while back i thought it may just be ok. that's not the point though, but just how lucky i am, is. this week has been a long one. adding some overtime into the mix seemed like a great idea for the added $$ at the beginning of the week but by the time friday came about, i was suffering from friday sickness rather than fever and just wishing for it to be over. i'd even lost my instagram mojo (for all of 15 minutes, but still) and the bubble of the lovely weekend i had planned just seemed to burst, right there in gallery 12 around 3pm underneath nolan's mrs fraser. boo freakin hoo. so i put my sorry arse on the 204 and stopped off at coles to buy the essentials. quality street chocolates (christmas in a tin), yorkshire pudding mix and the december issue of country style.

mood had begun to lift (helped a bit by the smell that was emminating from the chocolate tin) so i wandered home and stumbled across a little pop up shop, right there, smack bang in the middle of my neighbourhood. screaming footy/cricket/whatever fans aside that were bustling about the place...i had uncovered a treasure and so i stepped inside. australian flora and fauna, fabrics and christmas decorations, vintage signs and letters, napery, vintage stationary essentials and even a moustache on a mug were to be found inside. i walked away with a couple of pressies but knew a quick once over wasn't going to be enough. arriving home in darkness and to an unlocked gate (this always means the postie/courier has come), i squealed at the sight of TWO parcels awaiting me. vintage floral found on etsy in one and a love package from mama in the other. a truly perfect end to a rather abnormally average friday.

the first saturday treasure hunt stop for kimberley, amy and i was returning to the pop up shop. in i went, girls in tow to show off the treasure i'd found the night before. more goodies purchased and off we went to my lovely local oppy and where many finds over time had been uncovered with my two best friends (who are currently living their dream lives in europe). the 20c price tags aren't the only thing that keep me coming back. the ladies who volunteer there are completely charming. a few giggles about me not quite fitting into the mini powder blue smocked purchase were exchanged and then we were off to apples for brunch. avocado on organic sourdough which rested upon retro melmac was the icing on the morning's treasure hunting cake. the opportunity to catch up with the gorgeous owners (hi kim, if you're reading this in your car) and the chat of possibly becoming the new owner of their johnson mug collection, was delightful.

since having my iphone and falling completely head over heels in love with instagram and it's 1977 effect awesomeness, i am able to capture the simple beauty that surrounds me, everyday, everywhere. it didn't take an iphone for me to work that out, but it makes capturing it and sharing it so much more fun. so, i come to my photos from the week. i've compiled a 'few' collages for you to gaze upon and for those of you following me on instagram, thank you, thank you and thank you. your feedback has been lovely and i am completely inspired by your happy places too. your comments on here and on the gram mean a whole lot to me and always have, so thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. you make me want to explore more corners and delve deeper into the beautiful life that i lead. and yes, my life is completely beautiful and i feel so blessed to be living it, for having you in it and to be driven to move forward and discover more of it. i am a very lucky girl and i thank you for coming along for the ride. i'll be back tomorrow with some snippets of my afternoon pottering about the rummage and general sunday behaviour. happy weekend all!

my saturday.

my week's florals.

my hood.

my gallery.

my christmas!

my other gallery.

my baking.

my thrifted finds.

i love nyc.

since I began watching friends back in 1997, i've always dreamt about wandering the streets of the village and popping into a coffee shop similar to that of central perk to sip on a mug of joe (not even really knowing what 'joe' was) whilst lounging in one of those beautiful big arm chairs. i even painted artworks similar to those seen hanging in CP, when I wasn't busy obsessing over david schwimmer. now, I know friends was filmed in LA...and central perk really didn't exist, but I longed for visiting the real village and experiencing the would be NYC life of ross and rachel, phoebe, joey..you know the score. it only took another 10 years and the show to finish for me to get my butt over to the states for some new york city lovin'. boy was it worth every penny. i fell in love with the place from the get go, once I built up the courage to leave my dorm room over on the upper west side and start exploring. i was travelling alone which made the experience even more radical and life changing for me. i had an absolute ball and even though I lost my camera (complete with hundreds of nyc photos) soon after in london town, the memories are still clear as day in my mind. this is why I saw it appropriate to head back in sept of 2010 whilst I was visiting my parents in sf. i took my mum this time, staying in a beeeautiful hotel just blocks from time square and a salvos warehouse (had to be mentioned) where we ordered starbucks at 1am in the morning, caught kelsey grammar escaping the backstage door of a local theatre, ate macarons on madison, toured the park, saw lots of art and thrifted up big time in the village. it was perfect and we walked for at least 8 hours a day. liberty was as beautiful as I'd remembered and we had some beautiful weather to wander about in. it was however, a completely different experience to the last, and that's why I love that city. this is why they sell so many t-shirts proclaiming 'I love ny' because everyone, really does love new york. it has something for everyone, every taste, every culture and definitely everything that a huge sex & the city fan, art maker, cupcake baker and thrifter could wish for. it's a treasure trove and I'm already planning my next visit. if you haven't been already, then you must plan a trip there, soon...your life will be better because of it (in case you have to plead your case with a hubby/bf/partner!) my thoughts and love go out today, to everyone affected by september 11, the day that truly did change the world forever. wearing my t-shirt with pride...new york, I love you.

xo