Moving on up

Hi there!

Just a little note to let you know that this blog has moved to a new home. Please visit us at: www.nith.nl. And be sure to bookmark that address once you're there so you can keep up to date with new content!

Decisions, decisions..

I'm usually pretty decisive when I'm shopping, either I like something or I don't. But for the past two weeks I have been agonizing about what kind of dining chairs I should buy. It seems that I've finally hit decorating puberty: not a girl, not yet a woman. All these "sensible" decisions to make, it drove me crazy.. 

"How much comfort am I willing to sacrifice towards a chair looking great?"

"How strongly do I feel about reproductions, when the original is so desperately out of my budget?"

And last but not least: "Do I simply choose the color I like best, or do I take into consideration how well it matches the rest of my furniture?"

Well, I'm proud to report that I've made my decision. I've chosen affordable, comfortable chairs, that match my interior. The mustard colored remakes are coming my way. I feel like such a grown-up!  

P.s. Vintage Eames chairs can be found on Ebay, Marktplaats, etc. For great affordable remakes have a look at cultfurniture.com.

Feeling lucky?

Print by Nicola Rowlands

Are you feeling lucky? I do.

Goodie Goodness

I have just subscribed to Goodie Goodness. From now on, at the start of each month, I will receive a surprise box filled with goodies. Each time it's content will be handmade by a different designer. It's a bit like a surprise egg for adults. Minus the chocolate.

Curated

Another company that is in the business of surprising is Curated. Their boxes come quarterly and contain one item, handpicked by the curator of your choice. Every curator has their own specialty. There's one that specializes in books, one that knows all the best new gadgets, and so on.The gifts seem to range quite a bit in worth, so it's possible that you get a nice pen in January and a photo camera in April. But that just adds to the surprise-effect, doesn't it?

For those of you that are less bold. Here are some more specific ways to surprise yourself:

Limitee

T-shirt lovers might like Limitee. A subscription will land you four t-shirts a year (one for each season), with a limited edition print.

De Krat

Foodies will like de Krat. A standard case will contain eight different vegetables/fruits, a portion of meat or fish, a bread and one delicacy. There are many different subscriptions, once a week, once every two weeks, veggie, mixed. It will force you to be creative and try new recipes.     

Glossybox

If you are a fan of make up and lotions the Glossybox will be right up your alley.  

Ms Spanner

If you enjoy a surprise in the mail every now and then, chances are that the same goes for your friends and family. So why not surprise yourself and your friends at once. How? By taking a Lucky Dip.

You'll receive a surprise pick of items made by artist Nicola Rowlands aka Ms Spanner (who also made the print on top of this post). And any postcards you get, you can send to your friends. For no reason. Surprise!  

Inspired: Vintage portraits

I love homes that are filled with art. There's just so much more to look at. I especially like it if there's a mix of modern and (for lack of a better word) vintage pieces. It just makes it a little more interesting don't you think? These homes all feature an old portrait. I wish there was an heirloom like that floating around in our family. But, I guess a thrift store find can work just as well.

Found on The Design Files

Found on Design Sponge

Found on Marie Claire Maison

Found on The Design Files

Windowshopping: Garden Essentials

1// This frame will not only keep your table cloth in place, it also provides you with a place to hang lanterns or flowerpots. 2// This cute little BBQ will fit even the smallest garden. 3// Put a sheepskin in this chair and you can lounge all night. 4// How cool is this outdoor kitchen? 5// Grey sheepskin (to put in chair number 5?). 6// A rug will make your garden feel more like an extension of your home. 7// Not your traditional oil lamp. 8// Colorful planters is what any garden needs.  9// To quote Chandler from Friends: "IKEA! That's a comfortable chair."

Meanwhile..

Poppy love

My favorite flower has always been the poppy. Unfortunately they are not very suitable to put in a vase. But, after I saw this picture in VT Wonen Magazine I did some googling and found this shop that sells beautiful silk flowers. This big, fat poppy should arrive in my mailbox soon. And, since they were having a special offer on all summer flowers, I did not stop there. I got myself a whole summer bouquet.

Window Shopping: pinky rings

Back from Greece! Had a lovely time. Nice weather, nice people and of course: nice window shopping. I particularly liked all the little shops selling handmade jewellery and discovered a new trend in the ring department: pinky rings. Well, that's a trend I can get on board with very quickly. So, here are some examples from around the net:
1// 2// 3// 4//

I'm off! See you in about a week.

Window shopping: Waistcoats (a la Daphne Zuniga)

Remember Daphne Zuniga? Better known as Jo from Melrose place? I was fifteen when the show first aired and I thought Jo was so cool. A successful photographer, living alone, dating Jake, riding on the back of his Harley. For some reason she always wore a waistcoat of some sort. Paired with jeans and a t-shirt or, for a more feminine look, with flowery dresses. Either way, I wanted to look just like her. Luckily, in those days, I could still steal waistcoats from my dad's closet.

To this day, I still like the classic borrowed-from-my-dad waistcoat. And I also still wear the same sleeveless denim jacket I bought about 20 years ago. I just like the nonchalant effect this extra layer gives an outfit. This season I had my eye on a sparkly, gypsy looking one. I found it at Zara (No. 5), but I also found some other great ones for you on the internet:
  

1. // 2. // 3. // 4. // 5. // 6. // 7. // 8. // 9.

What's cooking: feta & watermelon salad

My apologies if I'm forcing too much of my anticipatory pleasure about my upcoming holiday on you. But, since the weather in Holland is pretty nice too, I'm hoping I'll be forgiven. Since it's Wednesday (recipe day), I thought I would post a nice Greek recipe. Problem is: I don't really cook Greek food. The only thing I ever make is a Greek salad and everybody knows how to make that. So, here's a variation for you on the traditional version:

Feta-Watermelon-Black Olive Salad  

I know this salad may sound weird, but I've tried it and it's really nice and refreshing. It's a recipe by Nigella Lawson, one of my favorite chefs. Here's how you make it.

Summer reads

I'm leaving for Greece in a week, so yesterday I spend my afternoon roaming the bookstore for some good holiday reads. After careful consideration I've picked these four to come and spend their summer on the beach with me.

I can't tell you if they're any good yet, but this is what they're about:

Lisa Jewell is my go to author when I feel like reading some chick lit. Some of her books are traditional 'boy meets girl' stories, but others (like this one, I suspect) just have a main character that is a girl and are easy to read. This is what Amazon says about the book.

Wonder, by P.J. Palacio, was written as a children's book, but according to the reviews it will appeal to all ages. The only children's book I've read as an adult is 'Stargirl' by Jerry Spinelly and I really liked that, so I'm hoping for something along those lines. This is what Amazon says about the book.
 
The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce, caught my eye because of the title. And then the back flap read: "When Harold Fry leaves home one morning to post a letter, with his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other." Now that made me curious. This is what Amazon says about the book.

I always like a book that has music as a theme. They're usually about guys that have an intense passion for music and struggle with the fact that their own (love)lives are not living up to the lyrics of their favorite songs. It seems to be a recipe for nostalgia and unlikely heroes. (Thanks to 'High Fidelity', in my head, the main characters always look like John Cusack). Telegraph Avenue, by Michael Charbon, is about two guys that run an all vinyl record shop which existence is threatened by the arrival of a music megastore. This is what Amazon says about the book.

30 songs for a sun-filled weekend

"In the summertime, when the weather is hot.." Nothing sets the mood like some summer music, so I've made you a playlist for the weekend. And now, off..

Inspired: Beach house vs Surf shack

We cannot all live in beachfront property, but there's no harm in pretending like we do by giving our interior a little "beach house vibe". As always when it comes to interior decorating I will look at all white, stylish houses admiringly, thinking: "This is the kind of house I want to live in when I grow up". 

Source

Sources: Left // Right

Meanwhile knowing that I will not be able to control myself and end up with something a little more like this..

Source

What's cooking: Ginger/Lemon Spritzer

Summer is finally here. Bring out the refreshments!

My favorite (non-alcoholic) summer drink has got to be the ginger/lemon spritzer.

Just fill a tall glass with some ice, sparkling water and the juice of one lemon. Then add a good splash of ginger syrup (how much really is a matter of taste).

Add some fresh mint if you have it.

Enjoy!     

Meanwhile

Inside my closet: running gear

Although my running shoes had been in need of replacement for years now, it took the opening of a new 'Run2Day' right around the corner for me to actually try on some new pairs. In the past I have let looks decide which pair of trainers I bought, but this time I let them 'analyze my walk' and recommend which shoes would work best for me. I even got to try out a couple of pairs by running laps through the neighborhood. Luckily for me, it turned out that the best pair was not too ugly. In order to make a necessity more fun I also treated myself on some new running gear. When it comes to running gadgets I'm pretty old fashioned. Just a digital watch and some tunes and I'm good to go.

1// Asics GT-2000 (Run2Day), 2&3// Pants and tanktop by Nike (Run2Day), 4// Retro digital watch by Casio (Ebay), 5// Ipod Shuffle (Apple store)

Inspired: bookshelves

Bookcases #1 and #4 I found on Pinterest. Bookcase #2 I found here and bookcase #3 here.

I'm going on holiday in a couple of weeks. That means preparing my reading list. Usually I pack about four books for a one-week holiday, three to read and a backup in case one of them disappoints. Of course any smart woman would have bought an e-reader by now, but I'm having a hard time letting go of actual books. Not only because I love going to the bookstore and wander around for hours trying to decide, but also because I just know that I'm going to buy any E-book I really like in paperback anyway. For me, a house is not complete without a proper bookcase. 

Check out these bookshelves. The first one would be my dream bookcase if I were 10 years old, the last one is what I dream about now. The other two are more realistic, but still very pretty!

What's cooking: Madeleines

Have you ever had a freshly baked Madeleine? It takes you straight to Paris. I made some the other day using Rachel Khoo's recipe and it was a lot easier than I had expected. The only difficulty was trying to stop eating them. You can find the recipe here.

nith pick: miss nati

What I love most about the necklaces made by Miss Nati is the subtle way they complement an outfit. They might be delicate and elegant, but they still get noticed. This one, made with agate and red coral, is my favorite. Today that is. They're all so pretty it is hard to make a definite choice. 

You can find more of Miss Nati's designs at Nith. 

P.s. She also makes very cute children's versions of her jewelry.