Bloesem

My neighborhood .... Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam

*Guest post by Joelle Wehkamp

I live in the “ Jordaan’, a famous neighborhood in Amsterdam, nearby my favorite shopping streets the ‘ Haarlemmerstreet’ and the “ Haarlemmerdijk’. Here you can find a lot of nice little shops. Dangerous for your wallet but oh-so-nice! Last weekend I did my weekly shopping. Let me take you to Amsterdam for a few minutes. On the Haarlemmerstreet you can find ‘ het Grote Avontuur’. Here you can treat yourself on furniture and home accessories.Their style is folklore mixed with second-hand style! I always want to buy something.

{image from Family Styles}

For the most tasteful oils and vinegars you must go to Meeuwig & Zn. They offer you a lot of choice and in the back you even can drink a small beer if you want. I bought wonderful lemon oil! MMM! And together with a freshly baked bread of ‘Vlaams Broodhuis’, a few houses away, it is a perfect afternoon snack.

There is something funny going on at Haarlemmerdijk 41. During the week it is an empty store but every weekend something new and different pops up in this place. Which makes it every time a surprise. Last weekend it was Nooosugar who popped up. Nooosugar makes stunning handmade cushions, bedspreads and more. They sell their products normally on there website, this little popup store was just a try out. I fall in love with their beautiful colored stripes. Very curious which brand will pop up next time on number 41!

  

Restored is a shop and atelier in one. Started by two young designers who create all kinds of unique products. Restored is a fashion, interior and accessories store. And you can find other nice young designers as well. I always walk in for a quick view. And it’s always lovely! Look on their web shop to buy a nice little present for yourself!

 

{images above are from different designers available at Restored}

To make this little shopping perfect, I end up at ‘het IJscuypje’. I am truly an ice cream addict so you maybe can image how glad I am with this wonderful ice cream store just around the corner. Their ice is made of fresh products, it’s creamy and the shop looks just very simple and cute. You’ll find them on different spots in Amsterdam.

Thank so much Joelle for this shopping spree at the Haarlemmerdijk...can't wait to go there in August!

*Guest post by Joelle Wehkamp from Sjoe Sjoe

Cloud Cuckoo

I totally forgot, but today I'm celebrating together with the rest of the people from Kuala Lumpur "Federal Territory Day"...so please come back tomorrow for a new post!

Lenneke and Joey are traveling in Asia at the moment ... and I enjoy their journal very much!(Lenneke's home in Amsterdam)...I will also enjoy another weekend in Asia...warm weather some sate with fried rice and walk in thepark tomorrow...yes life is good...wish you a nice one too!

bookhou in dowtown Toronto

... today I wish I was living back in Toronto again where my dear friend Arounna and her husband John from Bookhou just opened their new brick and mortar shop on Dundas street in downtown Toronto ... it's a space with where Arounna has a studio directly in the back as well and were you can go and see where they make their gorgeous things as well ...  currently they are also running a printing workshops limited to four people per class and starting soon ... more information right here ... Congratulations!!

... for those of you who won't be able to visit the new shop ... don't worry ... Bookhou has a fantastic website and webshop where you can find all their fantastic product and they ship internationally ... can you believe that Arounna makes all the fabric pieces herself, she screenprints them and sews them together ... John is the designer and creator behind the fabulous furniture range ... unbelievable who these busy bees can manage everything ... Superjob!

Jan reporting from Vancouver

   I'm very happy that my dear blog friend Jan from the great blog PoppyTalk is giving us a report from her hometown, Vancouver ... when we were living in Canada (Toronto) often people told us to visit Vancouver, supposedly one of the most beautiful cities of Northern America .. but unfortunately due to student budgets, Vancouver was still way to far from us from Toronto ... so hopefully one day we will be able to visit and of course this design guide will come with us ... click here for the report ... thanks Jan and I wish everybody a wonderful weekend!

* * * Vancouver report by Jan from PoppyTalk

* * *Jan's blog PoppyTalk
* * *PoppyTalk Handmade Market

Singapore

   A little bit later than expected, but here are just a few images from a terrific shop I visted in Singapore last weekend ... my dear friend Jenny and I started at , which was recommened to me by Charlene in her report about Singapore .. and yes CasualPoet definetly is a little treasure in Singapore, I saw some prints from Ashley G hanging there, books from Lines&Shapes and other amazing little artpieces ... Jenny wanted to show me another great shop on Ann Siang Road called BooksActually ...
... and I'm glad she did ... this truly is a very nice shop and full with, of course books, but also little art gadgets, special stationery, great magazines and I fell in love with some of the vintage toys, which unfortunately are not for sale ...

... but the beautiful Caderno notebooks from Serrote of course are and these wall pieces by Astrid Gabriella Kræpelien caught my attention .. appearantly Astrid from Sweden has held an exhibition in Singapore recently and these were part of the exhibtion ... I could only find her flickr site on the web ...

Laural and Jen reporting from Toronto

A new world report this week from a city I had the pleasure of living in myself for almost two years ... Toronto ... unfortunately I never met Laural and Jen, when I was living there ... but they are showing us exactly the kind of neighborhood which makes Toronto so special, funky and interesting ... Laural told me it was a tough choice what to feature as there are so many great places in Toronto, but they chose to do a little tour of a fun kind of up and coming neighborhood ... just click here to see ...

* * * Toronto report

* * *Laural and Jen's beautiful shop GoodEgg Industries
* * *Laural's blog Thimble
* * *Jen's blog Toronto Craft Alert