3/11/2011

What: Arizona Pomegranate Green Tea

Why: 1) jummy taste 2) look at that pretty bottle 3) you only pay 0,99 cents

True story: I originally know this drink from one of our trips to California a few years ago. I loved the bottle so much, I wanted to take it home with me (well, not before my sister and I had a serious fight who could have the bottle.. I won, of course). At customs they gave me a really hard time, so I had to empty the bottle (and break it's beautiful seal), but eventually I had the bottle with me on our flight back. And now, 4 years later, I can just BUY one at the supermarket near my house! Well.. At least mine's made of glass, just sayin'.

26/10/2011

Who: Coco Chanel, or actually Madame Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

Why: the person who asked ‘why?’ obviously don’t know what we’re talking about here. Why? Hellooo.. Chanel Classic 2.55 with golden hardware- that’s why!

More: Coco Chanel was a groundbreaking lady in fashion, with her garconne-look and 'misérable de luxe'-style. Or like she once said: "elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress" and "fashion fades, only style remains". Some serious wise words, right?

21/10/2011

What: fashionable drawings by Belle Knol

Who: yeah.. I kinda ask myself the same question. I saved these amazing drawings on my desktop a few weeks ago and ran into them today while 'cleaning' my images folder. And now I seriously can't find them anymore online!

Where: I'm still hoping for the golden tip!

18/10/2011

What: Pata Negra, probably my all time favorite restaurant in Amsterdam

Where: They have two locations, one on the Utrechtsestraat 124 and one at the Reinwardstraat 1 (the one I prefer!)

Happy: Whoah, happy would be some sort of understatement. Eating here makes you euphoric and overjoyed! They serve the best tapa in Amsterdam, starting with their to die for alioli with bread. Patats bravas, berenjenas y calabacin fritos, albondiga's, queso frito, yum yum yum. Predominantly Spanish staff, great music and a big can of sangria: close your eyes and you’re in Barcelona. 

Money business: Count around €20/€25 per person

14/10/2011

What: I love Vintage, a fancy vintage store with a modern twist

Where: Prinsengracht 201.

Why: They sell the perfect combination of second hand clothes and new clothes with a vintage (like '20, '30 or '70) vibe. You can also find great shoes, bags and handmade jewelry. I love Vintage also has a web shop which you can visit on a screen in their boutique. Pick the items you like and they get them for you out of their stock. That puts online shopping in a different perspective!

Très spécial: I couldn't take a picture of the back of the shop, so another reason for you to go check out their store and find out why I couldn’t..

12/10/2011

What: a perfect Friday evening meal

Where: at Perla, a wood oven pizza place in the center of the Jordaan, located at the Tweede Tuindwarsstraat 14

Why: because they absolutely make the best pizza in Amsterdam. They get their mozzarella di bufala fresh out of Napoli two times a week and their tomato sauce is just perfect. It’s always crowded and you always have to wait for your pizza, but I assure you it’s totally worth waiting for.

More: there’s only one big table inside the ‘restaurant’, but you can also eat the pizza on your lap outside or sit at the windows (and read the Italian Vogue along with a Pèrrier Citron, woopwoop).

11/10/2011

What: My favorite motivational speaker, Nike.

Why: I have some serious running issues. When I close the door behind me, all dressed up for a nice long jog, I immediately regret it. Approaching the end of the street, I'm already "f***, it's burning! F****! I can't feel my legs!"

So: Than I ask my friend Nike for some advice and he tells me stuff like 'somebody who is busier is running right now' or 'victory is paid for in sweat, courage and preparation'. And I'm like 'Yeah, you’re so true! That's why! Come one man!' and I keep on running. (most of the time..)

5/10/2011

What: Bruchetta, my all time favorite antipasti.

How: Lately I'm trying out different variations, adding some new ingredients to my 'basic recipe'. But let's start with the basic for four big bruchetta's or about ten small ones. Cut two fleshy tomatoes in pieces, add one red onion (also small pieces) and add a big clove of garlic. Put plenty of (fine) olive oil in there and make sure you add some pepper and salt as well. If you have some, please add a few leaves of chopped fresh basil, 'cause that's delicious. If not, dried basil is fine too. That’s it for the basic bruchetta mix. If you like, you can try to add some parmigano cheese, tiny slices of (preferably buffalo-) mozzarella or even some sliced red pepper. When that’s finished, get a small bow and fill it with olive oil and add two big cloves of garlic. Stir it well. (Stir it up; little darlin', stir it up. Come on, baby)

For the bread, I like to use ciabatta but thin sliced baguette will do too. Rub one side with the garlic oil you’ve made and put it in the oven for about 5/10 minutes. (It depends on your kind of oven: mine is totally untrustworthy so it depends on hís mood actually how long it takes for my bread to get a little bit brown and crispy).

Get your bread out of the oven and put some of your bruchetta mix on top of it while the bread is still warm, that makes it even better! Eat it with a fine glass of red wine, preferably sitting outside and listing to some good music :)

When: Oh what the heck, you can even make it when it’s snowing outside and eat it underneath the Christmas tree, if you like..

4/10/2011

What: The Oatmeal, I love you! (Homework says: The Oatmeal I hate you!)

Where: www.theoatmeal.com, a website filled with hilarious quizes and comics. My personal favorites? 'Ten words you need to stop misspelling', 'Minor differences part 1,2,3 and 4', Cat VS Internet', 'What it's like to own an Apple product', 'Time spent using Tupperware' and wow, many many others actually.

Why: I guarantee you, you're going to smile. Even if it's not your kind of humor (*cricketsound*), you will at least grin a little. If this ís your cup of tea, be prepared: sometimes they make me laugh so hard, I almost choke (and that’s very sexaayy).

3/10/2011

What: Vapiano, the place for fast and casual dining in Amsterdam

Where: Oosterdokskade 145, near Amsterdam Central Station

Money business: You have to pay with a 'chip card': everything you order is put on a card and when you leave the restaurant you hand in your card and you pay the bill. A pretty small bill too actually, since you pay around €8,00 for pasta's and pizza's, €4,50 for a glass of wine and about €7,00 for some antipasti. Uh-oh, did I just created a new favorite cheap-and-easy-dining-place?

And for all you Einzelgängers out there: It’s also the perfect hang-out for when you’re alone. It’s spacious bit still kinda cozy and always busy. Easy blending in!

And..: they serve delicious Illy coffee!

9/30/2011

What: De taart van m’n tante (hm, The cake from my aunt sounds a bit dull)

Where: Ferdinand Bolstraat 10

Why: the best place for de-li-ci-ous cakes in Amsterdam! **Try the Zweeds Prinssengebak or their Chocolate Slutt Pie**

Happy: Definitely!Their cozy interior, the collection of amazing cakes exposed in their store, and the friendly staff: all the ingredients for a perfect afternoon tea.

Familiar name: The man behind De taart van m’n tante is Siemon de Jong, the confectioner from the tv-program Taarten van Abel.

A long blogpost – The Angry Vs. The Happy list (China Edition)

Since you know how fond I am of my happy lists, I decided I should dedicate one to our trip to China. (Shame on me for not writing anything about that already). Though, China didn’t always made me happy. The first email I sent to my friends and family back home started with the sentence: Do I like China? I find it hard to answer that question with just one answer. So, that’s why this time there’s not only a happy list.. but, also a ‘angry’ list! Let’s kick off with the negative one right ;)

1. Okay, maybe this is a bit more our fault since we totally underestimated this as a potential problem, but: why doesn’t anyone in China speak English? For instance, without the name of your hotel in Chinese for the taxidriver you’re totally lost. Asking for directions, wondering what kind of meat is inside your noodles (bullfrog? Snake?), asking if you’re room is ready.. forget it. *Deep sight*
2. Angry list China Edition  a.k.a. the things in China that I didn’t like
3. Their manners. Spitting, gurgling, farting, burping, sweating, smelling, scratching and any other dirty verbs ending with –ing. Constantly! Everywhere!
4. The way they drive. One hand is either holding a phone or is pressing the horn, the other one is either stirring or using the handbrake (why is that anyway?). They pass fully loaded trucks while we’re approaching a hill or a dangerous bend in the road and I just close my eyes. Seriously, do Chinese people have the infinite life, without us knowing it?
5. I just love my breakfast. And I also really need my breakfast. But nooooo I do not want rice, pork chops, pickled vegetables, smoked fish, seaweed or any other inappropriate food as the first thing I eat in the morning. I’m not totally a culture barbarian, so I tried some dumplings, sushi, sate and even some of their ‘delicious’ hot orange juice. But nope, it’s not my cup of tea.
6. Okay, this may sound really rude and bad, but why are there so many Chinese! And why do they always want to visit the same things at the same time? They clearly don’t mind waiting in long, long, long lines (since they’re obviously used to it), but I don’t! When we’ve visited the Forbidden City, I really wanted to make some pictures of the beautiful temples and squares. Think again, when you take a picture, it’s almost 90% filled with Chinese people and hey isn’t that little dot the top of a temple..  Great photo!

Hmm, I could go one with this list for a little while, but that’s not the right state of mind. So let’s move over to the positive side okay? (I just had my first yoga lesson, so I’m totally into this *homm.. positive thoughts and feelings.. hommm*)

Happy List China Edition  a.k.a. All the things I loved about our trip

1. Without any doubts the number one on my happy list, the moment I caught my breath again after a heavy climb and realized: I’M STANDING ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! The view was so awesome and it was just the two of us (well, at least for a while) standing there, jumping up and down, taking pictures.. Amazing.
2. Going back to Hong-Kong to find out that the sweet and sour pork at Spicy Crab at the Temple Street Night Market was still so good.
3. The hours I spent at the back of our motorcycle, watching hills, dirt road, villages, markets, people, water buffalos and palm trees passing by. With the sun in my face, the wind running through my hair and my arms tightly wrapped around my boyfriend.
4. The Taichi lesson in Yangshuo. Even though it was early in the morning, it was already so warm, we slithered through the room. It was really intense, but it was so much fun. And the way your body feels afterwards, so flexible and relaxed.
5. Sitting underneath a palm tree, drinking milk out of a coconut, listing to the sound of the waves and feeling the hot sand between my toes at Hainan Island.
6. The view from the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai
7. The moment we’ve finally fixed ourselves two train tickets from Beijing to Shanghai (Train? Shanghai? Tickets? Anyone? Help!)
8. The great restaurants we’ve had dinner at. The delicious Thai food in the French Concession, the amazing Indian food at Yangshuo, the tasty (and expensive!) Chinese food at Ghost Street Beijing, the great vegetarian restaurant and hmm.. the Italian restaurant with an actual Italian chef in Sanya.
9. All the times we’ve laughed our asses of because of all the silly things we saw and heard and the wrong English translations (A rape sandwich?).
10. Like I said, our trip trough China wasn’t always that fun. There were many struggles, problems and difficulties. But being together, fixing those problems together and still being able to laugh about it afterwards is what totally made my vacation amazing. Thank you J

M & C = LOVE

Well, this is not really a regular post. This is actually an ode. An ode to one of the best things in the world. Milk and cookies. Cookies and milk. Milk. And cookies. I like both of them separated, but I just looooove them together. That being said, I’m gonna put on my favorite t-shirt and eat some BFF’s.

Such a great discovery

Ten to Three Bakery, Aert van Nesstraat 24, Rotterdam

I seriously wanted to do a little dance of joy when I walked past this store a little while ago. As you may know, I’m a really big cupcake fan, so whenever I find a store filled with these treats my heart will just beat a little faster. And not only did all of their cupcakes looked amazing, their interior is great as well. It’s extremely cozy and cheery and reminded me of a fairy tale. I decided to try one of my all time favorites: a red velvet cupcake. Phenomenal! I must say, I did had a fair share of cupcakes in my life, but this one absolutely belongs in my top 5. And you know what also made me really happy and excited about this place? The way they perfectly gift wrap your cupcake. They put it inside a little box and in a small paper bag, both white-pink stripped. Cute! And you just pay €2,25 for a Classic Cupcake and €2,75 for a Specialty Cupcake, which in my opinion isn’t expensive at all for what you get.

It’s sad (or maybe it’s a good thing, actually) that they only have a store in Rotterdam, since I would be their regular customer. And what about their concept ‘Cocktails & Cupcakes’? For €9,50 you get a cocktail and two mini Classic Cupcakes. Match made in heaven, isn’t it?

I sure can’t wait to go back!

Happy List V

Even though the weather isn’t perfect, there’s still so much to make you happy right? These are my moments..

1. A big pile of fine magazines and travel books (plus a comfy couch and lots of green tea!)
2. Having spaghetti with tomato sauce for lunch ánd dinner
3. My grandparents visiting me in Amsterdam (granddad wore his safari jacket, since Amsterdam is some sort of exciting jungle for them ha-ha)
4. Buying overpriced but totally delicious macarons in Paris
5. Still being absolutely in love
6. The combination of puff pastry, tomato and mozzarella out of the oven..  Need I say more?
7. The thought of our trip to China getting closer and closer (we’re leaving this Monday! Aah!)
8. Spending a couple of days in France, just drinking wine, eating cheese en doing nothing. Perfect!
9. The enormous fireworks next to the Eifel tower on Quatorze Juillet (oh, and the overload of man in uniforms in the streets because of the Défilé)
10. This might get boring, but: eating cupcakes! (hello.. they were pink with colored sprinkles..)

Did I already reached ten? Damn, there are so much more happy moments to share! Well.. next time then. There’s only one I’d still like to highlight, that makes me very very happy:

* My debut as an editor at P.C. Hoofstraat.nl! *

Hole in the wall

I recently read about this art project in Paris by Juliana Santacruz Herrera. And I think it’s great! She fills holes and cracks in the pavement with brightly colored knitted pieces. Sadly I haven’t run into one of these small street art patches yet, but it must be funny to accidentally 

walk over it.

Photos from Flickr

And you know what’s funny, while doing some research on this artist, I found about another artist called Jan Vormann and his ‘Dispatchwork’. This German man travelled through the whole world during 2007 until 2010, visiting cities like New York, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, St Petersburg and Rome. His mission was to rebuild the crumbling walls of monuments and buildings. With Lego. Yes, the toy you (probably) played with as a child. His colorful reparations attract a lot of attention from by passers. For instance, in Berlin, he filled the gun holes in the walls from the Second World War.

I like street art a lot (that is, if you don’t count ugly ‘I was here/kill this/fuck that/love you’- graffiti), mostly because it’s fun to just run into it. When you go to a museum, you expect to see art. When you’re just wandering around in a big city, you don’t.  

Cupcakes in Amsterdam #3

The Darling, Runstraat 4, Amsterdam

Yes, another favorite is born! This boutique located in the Nine Streets in Amsterdam is a little girl’s dream coming to life. The combination of vintage and new items in the shops looked great, but I must admit I had my mind set on just one thing: cupcakes and tea! So we sat down at a cute table upstairs and looked around. Even if you’re sad, down or grumpy, you can’t leave this place without a smile on your face (well.. maybe men can ha-ha). And we order tea and cupcakes, a vanilla- and a rose flavored one to be exactly. Not only did they taste amazing, they looked fabulous as well. The Darling gets her cupcakes from The Queens of Tarts, which have their own atelier in Amsterdam.
Don’t miss this spot when you’re shopping!

Photo: The Queen of Tarts.nl

Photo: Iphone.. Sadly forgot to bring my camera

Photo: The Darling.nl

The perfect giftshop

& Klevering, Haarlemmerstraat 8, Amsterdam

Close to the Central Station and just at the beginning of the atmospheric Haarlemmerstraat, you can find &Klevering, one of my favorite stores to buy gifts.

They sell a wide range of great cookbooks, pretty crockery and cooking utensils, my favorite tea (Mr. Jones), delicious soaps and other body treats from Marseille, really cute gifts for kids. And it’s the perfect place for contemporary design pieces for your interior. You can find all different renowned brands, but they sell their own collection as well. It’s funny, because only after we bought a &Klevering presse-papier in a small boutique in Paris, I found out about their store nearby my home.

There are two more shops located in Amsterdam, one at the Jacob Obrechtstraat 19a and the other on the Staalstraat 11. And they also have a webshop.  See some of my favorites below..

Today’s quote

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. 

- Theodore Roosevelt 

Altitude

Now that our visa are in, our trip to China is getting closer every day. We’re still planning, since it’s a tough job to travel trough China on your own. Most people I know who visit this enormous country go on a organized trip, where you just hop on and off buses, planes and trains whenever someone tells you so. We need to find out all about  this on our own. In a country where they hardly speak English and where all the signs are in Chinese.  Ai!

Right now we’re trying to get a permit to travel trough Tibet, since we would really love to visit this part of China. I’m really curious about this special place on earth, with its high mountains and temples.  I’m a bit worried about the altitude problems we might get (you find yourself at an altitude of 5000 meters), but I hope we’re going to be fine. If not, there should be a café with a Dutch owner where we can buy special tea against altitude sickness. Who knows!

Anyway, it’s all very exciting, but I’m really looking forward to make this special trip!

Photo: project-himalaya.com

Hermessence

Photo: Hèrmes.com

Most famous for their leather wear, one could easily forget the other items in Hermès’ luxury collection. I’m talking about their breathtakingly delicious perfumes.

I smelled their Hermessence Collection about two years ago and ever since I’m hooked. You can’t compare these fragrances to other perfumes, since they’re truly unique. They’re pure, intense and filled with all kind of scents. The Heremessence Collection, reinvented by Hèrmes perfumer Jean-Claude Eilena, consist of nine different perfumes which sound just as chique as they smell: Rose Ikebana, Osmanthe Yunnan, Brin de Réglisse, Vétiver Tonka, Iris Ukiyoé, Vanille Galante, Poivre Samarcande. Paprika Brasil, Ambre Narguilé.

My favorites are Ambre Narguilé, Poivre Samarcande, Rose Ikebana and Iris Ukiyoé (the latest addition to the collection). All of the scents are unisex and perfect to combine. So I prefer the sensual ambre with a touch of spicy pepper. Or the light and delicate rose with a savor of tangerine and orange blossom.

The Hermessence Collection is only available in Hermès boutiques.  In Holland there are two stores in Amsterdam (PC Hooftstraat 97 and Dam 1) and one in Maastricht (Stationsstraat 34). You can buy the parfum in the regular size bottles (100 ml, 170 Euro), but they also sell gift sets with four different 15 ml bottles (100 Euro). Each of the bottles get their own mini Hermès satchel and they’re put together in a signature orange box, perfect! Buy them together with your lover, best friend, mom or dad, and share, combine and spray the love.

Three in a row

In Amsterdam there are a few big parks. I do like the well-known Vondelpark, but for me it’s always a bit too crowded with drunken homeless people, soggy love couples and too excited dogs and kids. That’s why I prefer the Westerpark. I’m not saying you don’t see these kinds of scenes over there (there’s a kindergarten located inside the park.. just saying), but definitely to a much lesser extent. But why I mostly prefer the Westerpark is because of all the great bars and restaurants you can find there. Located at the Polonceaukade (near the Westergasfabriek) there are three places I’d like to highlight for you.

Pacific Parc
Polonceaukade 23

The perfect place for drinks. In the winter, when there’s a big fire place in the middle of the restaurant, or during the summer, because of their huge terrace outside. It’s great for lunch or dinner, since they serve fine food for fine prices. Oh and yes, sometimes I just go there for desert (sticky toffee pudding, hmm!). When you sit outside, don’t count on a romantic table just for the two of you, since other people might easily join you at one of the bigger tables. Though, I really enjoy the laidback vibe at this place. Another asset: they are almost always open!

Photo: Westergasfabriek.nl

Toko MC
Polonceaukade 5

Whenever I walk past this place, there always seem to be some sort of party going on. When you sit outside on their terrace, you can enjoy the Carribean tunes while sipping your modern tropical cocktails. Their interior inside looks amazing, with a coconut wooden floor and blustery wallpaper on the walls. Since the weather turned bad again I didn’t had the chance to have dinner at Toko MC, because yes, I’d prefer to eat my Jamaican, Surinam, Brazilian or Cuban inspired dinner underneath a burning sun to get the full experience. But their menu sure looks promising!

Photo: neverslowdown.nl

De Bakkerswinkel
Polonceaukade 1

This wouldn’t be my list if there wasn’t anything sweet on it too. De Bakkerswinkel, I love it. Located inside a pretty old building you find this spacious, but still very cozy, bakery. There’s also a big terrace outside with big wooden benches. You can go there for breakfast, lunch or high tea, since they're only opened until 5. But please, only decide to order both a brownie and a scone with home-made jam and clotted cream if you’re really hungry, cause it’s heavy! But if you do make the same 'mistake' I made, they have doggybags to take your leftovers with you.. *takes a bite of her brownie*

Dear person reading this

Wow, I just found out about another website that I really enjoy reading. It’s called Dear Blank Please Blank and it’s filled with hilarious, frustrated, thoughtful, evil and sweet  ‘letters’ from one person (or group, object, animal etc.) to another. I don’t know what it is, but I just really (really!) love these kinds of websites. And if you’re tired of reading about other people’s stuff or just feel like putting your own thoughts out in the open, you can easily submit your own letter.

Sorry, just a quick post. There are still so much more Dear Blank’s to read!

  

(Seriously, I'm crying because I'm laughing so hard!)