Tuesday 30 November 2010

Introducing: Simon


Simon is with us since 9 January 2004. This one had belonged apparently to an english woman who couldn't take him back to England doe to the strict quarantaine rules, but paid a turkish family to take care of him. Alas, they throwed him out first thing.
Again, a neighbour begged me to take him. I was reluctant to take in a big male dog, it can be tricky in such a big group, but agreed to keep him for a week till she found an other home for him. With Estella it was love at first sight, 'this is a keeper', she said, and that was good, because we never heard again from the concerned neighbour.


The integration in the pack was painless. Simon is the most friendly, patient and good humoured dog that you can imagine. He loves everybody. And is a big lover boy as well, cronically in love with all the girls in the family.
He always has a big grin on his face, is full of antics, a total clown. Also he talks. He imitates the cadence of human speech and indicates very clearly what he wants.
For years, he jumped our wall and roamed free the neighborhood, everybody liked him. Or not everybody, because two years ago somebody poisoned him. He was very, very ill, the vet came twice a day to see to him. He pulled through, but we made the wall even higher and he can not go out alone anymore. He looks lovingly to the wall and remembers the good times...

Monday 29 November 2010

Monday Moodboard


1. PaperFairytale  2. sabahnur  3. TheHouseOfMouse  4. JKphotography

Prepairing for Christmas!
It is Cyber Monday today, time to shop online for Christmas. And for us European sellers these are the last days to send to have the items in time.
Wishing you a lovely week!

You can see more moodboards at Fleurfatale.

Sunday 28 November 2010

Urban Jungle


This week we were two days in Izmir, for our biannual shopping marathon. Afterwards we always need several days to convalescen, so the whole week was silence in the blog front. We will make up with an extra long blog post :)


This beautiful tiled mosque is on the incoming road to the city, and usually is imposible to park in the neighbourhood, but this time we found a spot and made some pictures. Despite its ancient look the mosque is built in 1990 with the famous Kütahya tiles. I love mosques, they are an oasis of tranquility and cleanliness in the middle of the caotic cities.



The mihrab, oriented to Mecca.


As you know, you leave your shoes outside the mosque and go in barefoot. This is, specially after the big feasts, when many people get new shoes, a source of free shoes for the multitasking believer. The fenomen even has a name: camii kundura, Mosque shoes. To avoid this, this modern mosque has installed safes for the shoes.


Also the fasade is tiled.


Lovely floral carvings.


Continuing our way on the old cobbled streets.


In route to the bead shops you go through the food market. The display in the butcher's shop makes a vegetarian out of you on the spot.


Lovely cottage factory conserves.


The fish monger lovingly arranging his sardines.


Herbs, natural soaps and sponges here, no need for a doctor.


Having a delicious roasted sardine sandwich in the middle of the market, outside, in my T-shirt , end November. Pure joy :)


This cavernous very old passage houses the second hand building materials sellers.



This is a corner of the delighful little hotel we were staying in for the night. You can see a lovely wooden finial against the background of the multi storied carpark.


Having breakfast in the patio of the hotel. Perfect place, but for the stoney beds.


This is the outside of the hotel, the yellow building. It is lovely to find such places in a city of six million people. The area is called Kemeraltı, 'under the walls' and comprises the old jew and greek neighbourhoods. There are thousands of shops in Kemeraltı and I suppose that you could spend your whole life there without needing to go outside the area to meet your needs.


This time we found a bag making stuff wholesaler. It looked like they hadn't spend a dime in shop furnishings in the two last centuries or so, but they had every thing that you may possibly need to make any bag.




I love this kind of third world entourages. Don't be mislead, though, the most actual and modish fittings can be found here.


It is paradise for the buyer and a gold mine for the seller, despite its humble looks :)



Back on the lovely old streets. Where are the women?


These old wooden houses are protected, but the owners leave them mostly to rot in the hope that the government will allow a new building when they are beyond repair.




A mannequin, hulled in the caracteristical cotton hamam towels is the add for the 'Healing Luxury Hamam'


Street vendors and street cats. Again, where are the women?


A hand painted door and an artisan bakery side to side. So many artists out there!

Monday 22 November 2010

Unusual Monday


No, it is not snowing here, not that unusual. It is that I haven't been able to make a monday moodboard this week, just a messy and busy day!
This is our challenge entry for this week's challenge of the europeanstreetteam with the theme: Waiting for Christmas, and what is Christmas without snow? You can see all the other entries here.

We will be away for 2,3 days to Izmir for some supply shopping, so our blog might be a little quiet these few days, but we will be back :)!

Friday 19 November 2010

My Friday Night Outfit


Sea Treasure Collection - Bouquet of Shells Cocktail Ring by staroftheeast
Silky Rose DRESS by MagnolijaDRESS
Multi-floral Lili clutch by BagatellesAndCo
Vintage peach pixie bow kitten heels by fruitsaladvintage

A very peachy and romantic outfit this week, ready for a very special occasion!
Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!

Thursday 18 November 2010

Our Creative Space...


Mum purchased these doilies about 15-17 years ago in Amsterdam, together with many more vintage doilies. We haven't used any of them yet. But these blue ones have been waiting to be used for 10 years for my infamous table cloth.


I purchased the embroidery thread according to these doilies, so that everything would match nicely. And now finally the end is in sight, the tablecloth and doilies will be united and hopefully live happily ever after :) Hopefully next week, if not too much things come in between, you will see the finished result, after we have made it round and figured out how to fit the doilies on the border.


This picture is for those who think that sewing is not a sport. Here you see me finishing a tote, in a weird position.


But all is well, when it ends well. And this tote ended lovely, as you can see here.


You can see more workspaces at Kootoyoo's blog!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Introducing: Lucky


This sweet sleeping lamb is Lucky. He has been with us since 14 may 2003
By that time everybody in our circle of aquintances knew that we are softies when it comes to dogs and several people tried and suceed to 'unload' a dog with us.


Lucky, (he had already that name) had belonged to a russian woman here that went back to her country, leaving the dog behind. A neighbour took pity and asked us to take him.
He was in a sorry state, with infected ears and anus and wounds from encounters with other dogs. He is very, very sweet, but would be better in a house with not as many dogs, because he is, yes, rather the underdog.


He loves to be held and hugged and sit on your lap and get attention without so much competition.

Monday 15 November 2010

Monday Moodboard


1. TwoTreesBelgium  2. emelephotography  3. Ravenhill  4. Pieceunique

The past few days the roosters and chickens have been extremly loud in our neighborhood. You would say that a chicken doesn't have alot of troubles, except for ending on the stove at the end of her life. But by the sound of it, there is more in their little heads.
Wishing you a lovely monday!

See more moodboards at FleurFatale's blog!

Sunday 14 November 2010

To Buy or Not to Buy?


(I buy handmade tag from windshine)

That is the burning question every time that I sit in front of my computer and browse through the tantalizing display on Etsy.

Being brought up in a very frugal way, buying is always tinged with a touch of guilt: don’t we have enough? Of course we have enough, more than enough of every thing, actually. But is enough…enough?


(Buy Handmade tshirt from phippsart)

I’m truly jealous of people that are naturally minimalist, free of cumbersome possessions, just what they need, no more. The old WW II saying ‘use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without’, is very actual in a society more aware of the preciousness of natural resources.

Well, that makes the choices easier: buy vintage, that reduces the waste of materials and gives you a unique product. But also in vintage is a lot that is mass produced and soulless, just like the new made mass produced goods.


(bag made with vintage materials from our bagshop)

So: buy handmade! Or handmade vintage, or handmade with vintage materials. And there is plenty of that on Etsy as well! Oh bliss, guiltless buying. Guiltless producing as well. I find myself specially virtuous when we can make a gorgeous new bag using almost exclusively reclaimed materials.

There is also the ‘buy local’ issue. Well, where we live, only fish and oranges are local. Also is local not always easy to discern. When buying linen fabrics in Amsterdam last spring, I asked the seller where the linen came from. He told me that it was Italian flax, woven in China and dyed in Belgium. It goes by the name of Belgian linen, but is it?

And so I buy on Etsy, of course I do. Do you?

Friday 12 November 2010

My Friday Night Outfit


Cute Basket Purse- Crochetted with Leather Details by StarBags
Vintage Fringe Cowboy Boots by axandapple
Coffee and Cream Date Night Tuxedo Dress by Minxshop
Tooth Decay . oxidized silver and gold filled earrings by andrea0503

A little tough cowgirl today, with sandy colors and boots to complete.
Have a great weekend everyone!