USA Trip: Tallahassee

You might think that we are driving through a forest here, but in reality we are in the middle of the capital city of Florida, Tallahassee. 

This is the greenest city l have ever visited, we have been here before about 5 years ago, it was great to revisit it. The roads full of trees are pure magic, at some parts so dense that it really is no difference of a forest until you see a mailbox for a house that is hidden somewhere behind the trees or trash bins. 

I always say that a city with trees just makes it all so much more friendlier, beautiful and liveable and Tallahassee definitely hits those marks. This city seems to be right in the middle of a forest unlike most cities.

Coincidentally we came across the Railroad Square Art District in Tallahassee, full with fun painted buildings. How colorful streets would be if all houses were painted like this.

l loved the Alice in Wonderland one and the Sing Loud one the most, which one is your favorite?

Down the Rabbit Hole.

''If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?'' ~Alice in Wonderland

And so it happened that an ugly abandoned armchair fell down the rabbit hole...

Down it went and its ugly paint and upholstery blew away.

Magically it became colorful and the flowers could talk and sing!

The roses had to be painted red, but please don't tell the Queen.

It ate a cookie and got a little bit rounder and bigger.

It got hearts to please the Queen of Hearts (and to save our heads in the process).

After many hours of patching, puzzling and appliqueing we created this truly wondrous armchair :)

Tadaaa! It has the Queen of Hearts...

The Cheshire cat with lots of hand embroidered details (the fur is vintage embroidery!).

Lots of flowers, tea cups...

 This chair is the craziest one we've made so far. It was super fun and we are very happy with the results. You can see more details at StarHomeStudio where this one of a kind beauty is available for purchase.

Childhood memories and Alice in Wonderland

I was born in a typical Amsterdam house, 3 floors with steep stairs. People who are not familiar with these old stairs are often surprised how steep they are, but those are typical in Amsterdam. Our house had a garage on street level, then 2 floors and the attic, with lots of stairs in between. In the center of the staircase there was an empty space where my mother had bookshelves installed, throughout the entire height of the house it was books books and more books, thousands of books. Beside adult books there were at least a thousand children books as well and one of my most vivid memories of childhood was that I would sit on the stairs, pick up a book and read it then and there. As a single child with a working mother who needed sleep during the weekends I spent my weekends quietly escaping to all kind of magical places, learning English with Dr. Seuss and producing a colorful imagination.

Alice in Wonderland was of course one of my favorites, I actually dressed up like her for a school event, but I am not close to be a fan like Dina Fragola who shares her HUGE collection of Alice in Wonderland themed memorabilia on her blog. As I have been seeing her collection every week I remembered those old days back in Amsterdam, the stairs, the books (which are now due to lack of space mostly in boxes in the attic and we desperately need something like this) and was inspired to create something 'Alice' themed.

We have been creating Little Red Riding hood, Snow-white, The Seven goats and the Wolf, The Puss with Boots, Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel themed fairy tale clothing so Alice in Wonderland was bound to happen!

With a gorgeously detailed Japanese fabric, a fluffy petticoat lining, a lace trim with on top a red roses trim, the skirt is like a fairy tale itself.

While we were at it we also made one in black :)

Both skirts are available in our clothing shop!
What is your favorite fairy tale?