Favourite things volume 1...

 

So along with my work contract ending and waiting to go overseas, time really has been on my side (not that I have been doing much with it). I get to sleep in every day, takes long morning and afternoon runs, spend countless hours looking at blogs and generally being a complete and utter laze.

The funny things is, I feel like I actually have so much to do. Iv noticed this trend with myself a lot. When I am busy at work, then my personal life is pretty busy too. But now that I'm not doing much (only temporarily of course) I'm more tired than usual, and the days sort of surpass me. Regardless of all of this, I am still enjoying being back at my folks house and taking a well deserved break.

These are just some of the things I have been loving right now. I have been seeing a lot of peonies on Pinterest and love how vintage they can make a room feel. As for quinoa dishes, my mom has been making them for years, it's only now that it's started to become cool amongst all the hippies, so way to go mom. False Flat is a book that gives a breakdown of why Dutch design is so good. It's something a friend of mine lent to me and my nose has been buried deep into its content.

Funkis, Speciality breads and Dave Brubeck are just the other small insignificance's in my life right now that are on my ' Favourite things' list...

Matilda...

Matilda has been an all time favourite book of mine since I was a child and even till this day. It was therefore inevitable for me to decide to give the book by Roald Dahl as a gift to the two girls I babysit on a regular basis. Because I am leaving to go overseas for a very long time, I don't know when I will ever see them again and thought a small personal gift would really be special. Gia and Kenley have become very special to me and I will always keep them close to my heart.

The Bicycle diaries: take 1...

 Yesterday afternoon I took my bike out for a spin around the block. I actually wanted to test out a mechanism I made to hold my camera while I ride. When I say mechanism, I imply this term very loosely, mainly because it was merely duck tape. The result was not quite what I was hoping for as the video is rather bumpy. Regardless I still think I did a semi decent job with the editing and music considering it was my first ever attempt.

Free Bird...

Now that Iv finished my 6 month contract at work, it was naturally time to move out of my flat. My dad and I packed the car till it could be packed no more and off we drove back to my hometown of Pretoria. I woke up this morning with an aching body from all the heavy lifting, but it was a bittersweet feeling knowing that I'll be back home for a month before I'm off to travel the world.

Not much is on the agenda for today, apart from sorting boxes of stuff that has built up over the past 4 and a half years and having one of my moms home cooked meals. With that, I have been listening to Bandcamp's weekly no 17- A part of something missing, and am particularly liking this....

Go Dutch or go home...

Today is officially my last day at work. It's quite bitter sweet because I kind of love my job, and the people here are pretty cool too. Regardless, this is the end of one chapter and merely the beginning of another. It's starting to set in that I'm leaving for The Netherlands in just under a month so excitement is at an all time high...

It's overcast and I love it...

It's cold outside but I have this to keep my spirits up. Not that this kind of weather dampens my mood, (excuse the pun). A semi mash up between Radiohead and David Brubeck lies below. Its quite incredible how well the two go together. As is they were written for one another. I think I can hear a bit of Portishead calling me next...

Cheese Heaven...

I think its safe to say that The Netherlands is exactly the right place for me, because of my love for cheese obviously And I am just itching to go to The Amsterdam Cheese Store. Rows and rows of wheels of cheese, wedges of cheese and squares of cheese, Cheese heaven I tell you. 

The interior of the store was designed by Studiomfd who wanted to retain and bring through the authenticity of the brand and 'the pure experience of this distinctive cheese' into elements of the store.

'Upon entering the store, the gorgeously aged materials of the interior form an invitation to visitors to enjoy the pleasures of the classic Old Amsterdam cheese. Pure materials with lots of personality, such as a wooden floor distressed with a saw blade texture, stairs and wall covered in white classic marble and a countertop of genuine Belgian granite. Foreign visitors can enjoy images of Amsterdam in a vintage-poster-style mural showing the landmarks of the city. Everything conspires to embellish the Cheese Experience.

At the half way mark of the shop, the floor changes into a black and white tile pattern and the materials become lighter. The lighter furnishings offer a framework for other cheeses, displayed on refrigerated table tops. The interior has been built in modular elements so that the entire retail interior can be moved easily to a new location. The result is a store that presents a dynamic staging platform of the history, the city and the character of the cheese'- Taken off  Retail Design Blog

It can't be Thursday already playlist...

A little bit to your right..

And so you should do as the title says.

The full story on VISI Online . A full post to be featured on The December Diaries soon!

Present in the post...

It's not very often that I receive something in the mail, let alone a large package, so this just made my day. Sent by Chapel- Quality Handmade Goods, a beautifull light grey Rider backpack presented itself in this unassuming brown paper bag. Oh how beautifull it is. I am just itching to try it out on my bike, really putting its name 'Rider' to good use.

The detail in the Rider backpack really sets this bag apart to purchasing something at just another store.The Chapel label is beautifully printed on brown card, with product details sewn on another. I fished through the inside of the bag when another surprise caught me off guard, a personal handwritten note on gold card with  their logo so humbly placed in the top right corner. I most certainly will enjoy the bag, thank you Chapel!

They really put a whole new meaning to making their products special and personal for their clientele', something i could most definitely live by. Now I want one in every colour...