Friday, 23 December 2011 by Irene Hoofs
I feel like being in a constant Christmas mood since I arrived here in the Netherlands... cozy evenings with family and friends and seeing my kids enjoying every bit of it makes me very happy. And on top of this it was really fun to visit shops here in the Netherlands like Gosto design and lifestyle in Blaricum, a village in the middle part of the Netherlands.
A portugese lady called Sonia is the owner of Gosto and I could not have asked for a nicer and more appropriate way to end this year then visiting this shop were I could see with my own eyes and feel with my own hands many of the products that I have loved writing about in 2011.
Sonia told me that she is still hoping more and more people understand and buy these products that we in blogland all love. So if you are in the neighborhood of Blaricum don't forget to visit this super nice shop or
visit the online shop.
Merry Christmas to everyone...
peace, love, happiness and health is what I wish for all of you...
irene xoxo
ps. and if you would like to see how all these great products look like in an actual house just ask Sonia for the little catelogue she made of her own home ...
As you know - I moved into my first home this year, and with Christmas coming I have been thinking about all the little things I would love to have in it. My thoughts are of the smaller items right now, but hopefully when money stops flowing out of our house like a mad river - my husband and I can focus on the bigger things. One can dream right?
My wish list for Christmas this year is as follows ::
Find these lovelies here and here. Yes, natural wood oil can be considered lovely especially for what it does to wood and look at that handsome label. I have been drooling over Julia Rothman's Farm Anatomy for months!
I have a blanket obsession and once winter sets in I start itching for a new one. There are eleven blankets on this page and I want eight of them...that is how sick I am. One thing you always need is a good pair of scissors, and I would recommend beautiful handcrafted ones for all your household needs. You can find these lovelies here and here.
One thing I have always wanted is a well designed sewing kit, and then hopefully the ability to sew will follow. Right? This might seem really ridiculous, but I have given a lot of thought to which kind of doormat I would like to have on our wrap-around porch, and so far the knotted jute is my favorite. You can find these lovelies here and here.
And last but certainly not least, you can find these lovelies here and here. I could write a rather sorrowful poem dedicated to the difficulty of finding the perfect pillows. I'm pretty sure I would get booed at the local coffee shop, but I digress. I have always loved the simplistic design of a milk bottle, and to this day can't resist a single one.
What are the items on your wish list for Christmas?
p.s. - I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a wonderful holiday! Thank you so much for your warm welcome to me joining the Bloesem team - I have absolutely loved every minute of it. I can't wait to see what the New Year brings for Bloesem and Bloesem Kids, see you then! xx
Wednesday, 21 December 2011 by Irene Hoofs
On my way to meet Monique de Ruiter from VT-Wonen en visit the place were they create this great magazine.... will be fun and keep you posted of course! Above some quick styling ideas for Christmas that you can find at the VT-wonen site.
Thank you Desiree for the images above.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011 by Irene Hoofs
Oh boy am I enjoying my visit here in the Netherlands... one of my habits when being here is visiting all the second hand shops looking for vintage ceramics and else... my harvest so far: a beautiful breakfast set including coffee cups, plates and bowls by Ulla Procopé for ARABIA Finland, the Anemone Rosmarin pattern...
and more from ARABIA... two beautiful annual plates, 1978 and 1979 ... they make me super happy, such a nice little treasure!
... this lovely wall tile from 1967 by Edmond de Bellefroid for Mosa Maastricht and cute little candle holders from Bavaria Germany. Below a set of these beautiful red vases, yes they are from West Germany. and on the right a vintage handmade measurement.
I still find it amazing what people just give away... but I don't mind I am more than happy to give them a new home in Malaysia.
**All images by me, Irene from Bloesem.
Saturday, 17 December 2011 by Irene Hoofs
these cards from Dicky Bird...
this giveaway on BKids...
this apple and pear felt ornaments tutorial found via Bookhou...
... a couple of more posts on Bloesem next week but almost time to end this blog year ... wish you a warm weekend while I am hoping for snow here in the Netherlands :) xoxo irene
Thursday, 15 December 2011 by Irene Hoofs
Gift Ideas for My Sister: when the Etsy team invited me to curate a special gift guide, I immediately thought of my sister. We don’t see each other very often but we are getting together for Christmas this year. There is no way to properly show how much I love, respect and cherish her — but 25 presents are a good start. Here are some ideas for my sister and yours, organized by room.... Of course I have added this selection and 20 more handmade favorites to the Bloesem Gift Guide 2011 under the Only Handmade Category... Here’s to a wonderful family Christmas!
