Life is Cool. Live it. Love it. Share it.
As beatiful as Amsterdam is, it does have its dark side. Within 15 minutes of leaving the train station, we were offered drugs, asked to visit a brown cafe and saw lots of tourists heading to the ‘Red Light District’. On one of the evenings we were in Amsterdam, we had had dinner, we had visited the ‘kermis’ aka carnival, (and rode in a ferris wheel that the crazy operator put into reverse and sent it around at triple {Read More}
Stamppot is a very traditional Dutch meal. It is a dish that most people in Holland would eat, but you never order it in a restaurant. I grew up on stamppot. It is delicious, hearty, easy and really warms you up on a cold wintery night. Essentially, stampot is potatoes and vegetables cooked together, mashed roughly with LOTS of butter and served with some kind of wurst. My mum used to make one with potatoes and brocoli and metwurst, another {Read More}
I have a reader (okay, it is me,) who would like to know how to add more colour to her black, grey and white wardrobe? Insert hints, tips, advice, stories below… I was a bit overwhelmed this week! So much AMAZING advice! I have had more responses to this question than any other! Thank you interwebs! This week also saw peeps posting photos on Instagram and facebook about how they added colour into their wardrobe. I am so inspired! {Read More}
I love Amsterdam. I love it for a lot of reasons: I love the whole Dutch Capitalness of it. I love that my dad lived there as a child. I love that all the best (and in parts, the worst) of Holland is housed in this one city. I love canals, boats, museums, history, culture, fashion and groovy Dutchness that is Amsterdam. I have been trawling through my old photos, and found a CDrom of photos of Amsterdam. I am {Read More}
Winter is certainly here in my mountain top city. It is time to think layers and time to pull out the scarves, tights and boots. This what I wore to my dad’s birthday lunch: cute, chic and comfortable. The ever so lovely Leonie from Verily asked if I would like to style this cropped jacket. How could I say no? I am loving this jacket. I took it on a pilot run last week and wore it to school. {Read More}
I asked my ‘Panel’ about who their style icons were… Here are some of the responses I gathered… Thanks to all who responded! Audrey Hepburn. Elizabeth Taylor. Diane Kruger. Kate Moss (hello skinnies and ballet flats!). Coco Chanel. I like to dress in a retro cute vintage glamour style with a modern twist. What my style icons taught me was to ignore fashion and remember style. March to the beat of your own punk garage grunge rock 50s soundtrack. {Read More}
The main reason Mr Cool and I decided to leave Australia and teach in London was the opportunity to travel. Right at the top of my list was Holland. My parents are Dutch, my dad came to Australia with his family when he was a young teenager, he came from the rough and tumble streets of Amsterdam. My mum also travelled here with her family a few years later, she was in her mid-teens. She hearlded from a small {Read More}
Today, you turn 8. Happy Birthday my sweet girl…. Here are 8 parts of you… 1. YOU – You are so amazing. You are smart and smiley, beautiful and boisterous, hilarious and helpful. You love school. You love swimming. You love soccer. You love your grandparents. You love all your cousins. You are one loving soul! 2. ME – You are so helpful and fun, we laugh a lot. You like to tell me ALL about your day and {Read More}
Mother’s Day for me this year was about COMFORT. I wanted to feel cute and I didn’t want anything pulling, or tugging, or waiste squeezy clothes. PLUS, I wanted to ignore the obviousness of Winter. Here is what I came up with… Jelly Shoes: I love sandals and fight to wear them as much as I can. These clear jellies are super cute and comfy. I couldn’t decide between all the MANY colours on the jbeans.com.au website, so I {Read More}
You know how you get those people who get all uppity about Valentine’s Day? They say that you should show love everyday of the year and all that rot. I happen to LOVE Valentine’s Day – I love that it is a chance to shower the one you love with small gifts, have a candle lit dinner and remember why the heck you chose that particular person over all others. I prefer to get all uppity about Mother’s Day. I {Read More}
