Thursday 30 September 2010

dream house

There is something about hillside houses, which absolutely lifts my spirit to another level. And I adore cedar. With that in mind, this is my dream house, though I'd settle for a smaller house.

I love the combination of cedar and concrete, and the lighting is perfectly designed. Here are more images, of the interior as well, some of which is not my style but nonetheless beautiful.

photo credit: Mariko Reed for SB Architects via Karmatrendz

Wednesday 29 September 2010

girls bedroom

It's so much fun to view magazines on interior design or websites with children because they seem to know exactly what they want. Well, usually they want everything but that's a different story. Here are some of the items my girls have their eyes on at the moment. Personally, I love bookshelves that have the covers facing front. I'd like a small one to put on the wall in my kitchen for the cookbooks I'm currently reading.


rug, chair & bench: Maisons du Monde

Tuesday 28 September 2010

shopping in paris

It's time to go shopping again in Paris, imaginary shopping. I'm in the mood for 
magnets, paper clips, vases, and mugs. And I'd grab the deer and twine for my 
daughters.

via Boutique Bird on the Wire

Boutique Bird on the Wire is located at
2 Rue de Lesdiguières, 75004 Paris.
Telephone: 01 42 74 83 79

Monday 27 September 2010

yellow

via Urban Outfitters
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow
...
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow 

Chris Martin (Coldplay)
- listen on YouTube
photo credit: Don Freeman for House Beautiful
photo credit: Keith Scott Morton for Country Living
via Tivoli Audio 

Saturday 25 September 2010

the vignelli canon

Below you can view the online version of The Vignelli Canon and you can download 
it free on the Vignelli website.


- Free -

massimo vignelli

I found an extremely interesting interview with Massimo Vignelli on Design Observer, which is a great website for anyone interested in design, art, and culture. MV is interviewed by Debbie Millman. The interview is about 30 minutes long and they cover his career and talk about typefaces, vulgar design and more. According to Massimo, "A designer without sense of history is worth nothing."

This September, the printed version of The Vignelli Canon was published (see the online version in my next blog post) and the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology was opened. Here is an interesting article on Massimo and his wife Lella Vignelli by Jan Conradi, who covers their careers and the new Vignelli Center for Design Studies.

Back to the interview. Massimo has a strong opinion on the use of typefaces. He talks about a few basic ones which he always uses – he's a big fan of Bodoni – and says that we don't really need all the other ones, referring to them as junk.

screenshot: The Vignelli Canon, online version, page 29 
Everything Massimo talks about in this interview is worth paying attention to. I love it when he says, "Commercial things are done by people that want to exploit other people and couldn't care less about quality." And it's just priceless to hear what he has to say about marketing people: "As a general category I despise them." Then he talks further about their lack of creative solutions. (Here is another interview with MV in written form by DM where he, among other things, shares his opinion on market research.)

photo via Design Observer

Thursday 23 September 2010

real kitchen

OK, I'm going to have to use the word favourite again because the selby is one of my favourite bloggers. He photographs people in their home without using a stylist, just people and their home as it is, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, I have much respect for stylists and the work they do. However, as much as I enjoy magazines on interior design, architecture, etc., I sometimes cannot stand their presentation of kitchens.

Often I get the feeling that not a single soul has ever baked or cooked in them, that those kitchens have never been introduced to the concept of food! It is as if the contractor just left and the stylist brought with him an orchid to give some element of life to the space. I need that homey feeling to believe the kitchen is real.

the selby just posted images from his visit to Albert Maysles, the filmmaker, and his wife Gillian Walker, who live in Harlem. Their kitchen is not my style though I really like some of their kitchenware, but what I absolutely love is that these are images of a kitchen which has seen a lot of cooking. I mean, look at some of those awesome pots and pans!

My kitchen heart is beaming with joy.



photo credit: the selby

Wednesday 22 September 2010

yes please

I wouldn't mind adding this oval box from Lavender Room to my collection of pretty things.  

photo via notonthehighstreet.com

Tuesday 21 September 2010

rosy ring

There are so many beautiful and pretty things to be found on Etsy from people all over 
the world, but this ring, antique rose lavender ring, is a piece that I have a crush on. The
designer is richellephant.

photo via richellephant

Monday 20 September 2010

new sweet paul magazine!

Sweet Paul just published another stunning e-magazine, filled with food, images, 
recipes, and other wonders. I love the One Pot Wonders article. 

Now I'm ready for autumn!

Cover
Fall 2010

some of my favourite films

I'm in bed with flu but the good news is all the DVDs lined up. Already in the player: 
The Devil Wears Prada (2006). I've been a huge Meryl Streep fan for many years. My
favourite sentences in that film is when Miranda [Meryl Streep] says: "Florals for 
spring? Groundbreaking." And "By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how
that thrills me." 

photo via IMDb
 

The Hours (2002). Another film starring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman's finest role 
as Virginia Woolf. The cast of this film is absolutely amazing and Stephen Daldry directs 
it (do you remember his film Billy Elliot (2000)?).

photo via IMDb

Sense and Sensibility (1995). Emma Thompson is also a favourite of mine. She wrote 
the screenplay for the film and won the Oscar for it. She was also nominated in the 
category Best Actress in a Leading Role. I love this film.

photo via GameSpot.com

There are two other films on the table: Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and He's 
Just Not That Into You (2009)

Saturday 18 September 2010

ny fashion week

I feel like I have to say something about the New York Fashion Week, especially since I'm enjoying it through my two favourite bloggers, Garance Doré and The Sartorialist (they are a couple that must be a match made in fashion heaven).

Doré's blog entry, Sit Down and Enjoy, about Victoria Beckham's show made me like Beckham even more. The New York Times has images of her Spring 2011 collection and I have to say that I love these two dresses.


The Sartorialist went to the Preen show and each time I look at it I'm amazed by this photo of his. What a dress and look at the shoes!

photo: The Sartorialist

One of my all time favourite designers is Marc Jacobs. His Spring 2011 collection is stunning; the colours are mon dieu. Let's just skip autumn and winter and go straight to spring!

I borrowed a few images from The New York Times.


Friday 17 September 2010

romantic cups

I have a dear friend who currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She collects antique cups and what I have seen of her collection is beautiful. When I first saw Selina Lake's work below I immediately thought of my friend, who loved that photo when she saw it.

photo credit: Debi Treloar via Selina Lake
I have come across other images, which make me think of my friend.

photo via Ruby Lane

photo credit: The Chic Life 
 
photo credit: Cheryl MacLean on Flickr
And I have to include this photo taken when two of my closest friends were travelling in Tanzania in 2007. They have travelled to Africa so often that I'm no longer counting; I simply enjoy the stories and photos every time they return. This beautiful silver was sitting in their hotel room.

photo credit: Sigrun & JOE

PS. I'm a huge fan of Selina Lake (as some may have noticed) and her new book, 
Romantic Style, has now been published. I have to get a copy.

Thursday 16 September 2010

k&a recipe: dried fruit confectionery

Today I posted a new recipe on kitchen & aroma: dried fruit confectionery.

photo: LatteLisa for kitchen & aroma

Wednesday 15 September 2010

food & films

I was making pizzas for lunch and while kneading the dough in my hands 
I suddenly found myself thinking about all the wonderful films I've seen that 
are all about food. Lovely food!

Ratatouille (2007) is probably my absolute favourite. Maybe it's just the Paris 
setting. I don't know how often I've watched it with my children and I enjoy it 
every time. I'm almost certain there is a rat working as a head chef somewhere 
in Paris!

photo via AllMoviePhoto.com

One of the most precious birthday presents I've got was from my German 
friend Dietmar. I had told him in a letter that I was reading Karen Blixen's story, 
Babettes gæstebud, (we talk about books all the time) and a few weeks later 
the DVD arrived in the mail. Its English title is Babette's Feast (1987) and it's 
a gem (the story, too).

photo via Filmgids.nl

Julie & Julia (2009). Just five words: Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci.

photo via The Huffington Post

The scene with Comte de Reynaud [Alfred Molina] in the chocolate shop's 
window in Chocolate (2000). Priceless!

photo via Cinema Fanatic

Like Water for Chocolate (1992). I have to admit that it's been such a long 
time since I saw the film that I hardly remember any particular scenes, but 
Laura Esquivel's novel has never left my mind.

photo via EW.com

No Reservations (2007). A really cute film with food, food, food.

photo via nrc handelsblad
 .

Tuesday 14 September 2010

it's a wonderful blog world

I've been admiring blogs about interior decorating, design, and fashion (and food) for years. I love this particular blog world because it's simply about pretty things that light up people's lives, and, in some cases, beautiful photography as well. It can easily take one to a state of wonderful happiness in a second. There are so many talented people out there willing to share their work without a fee.

One doesn't have to own all those beautiful and stylish things; sometimes it's enough to enjoy the aesthetics. And do I enjoy it!

I also love it when I discover new blogs and one of my favourite newly discovered is FRYD + DESIGN. Jeanette Lunde is the author and I got her permission to share her photos. Choosing which photos to use was not an easy task, believe me!


She also has an e-magazine which almost makes me drool all over my laptop!

photo credit: Jeanetta Lunde of FRYD + DESIGN

Monday 13 September 2010

lady in red

The Sartorialist did it again, another stunning photo of a beautiful lady. Love it!

photo: The Sartorialist

Saturday 11 September 2010

latte, per favore

I feel like I've been neglecting you guys. No post since Wednesday! 

Yesterday, I met the girls, three Icelandic women who all live in Antwerp, at this really nice café in the sout part called Caffé Internazionale. Their specialty is pastrami sandwiches and of course that's what I ordered – and latte, of course.

I've never been there before and I loved the atmosphere, relaxed service, and location. The food was good and the latte was the best I've tasted in Antwerp, so far. Not bad!

If you ever find yourself in Antwerp, you can take tram 8 to Volkstraat and the café is a short distance away from the bus/tram stop.

photo via ETV 

Wednesday 8 September 2010

raining cats & dogs

This week it's raining in Antwerp. As much as I love the rain, I hate wet feet. When walking the children to school this morning I was dreaming of fashionable rain boots.

On my wish list are Le Chameau 'Iris' in gold or violet or classic green.


photos via Le Chameau

I like the crimson ones from Chooka and I think the whales are pretty cute if you want to be playful.


photos via Chooka

Then it could be fun to spice things up just a bit.


photos via Target