Amsterdam!

We're just back from a short trip to Amsterdam. I love Amsterdam! I've only been once before, but it's a top city on my list. It's cozy but doesn't feel too small (not to me as an outsider anyway); it's classy but laid back; it's edgy without falling off a cliff; it has a great mix of old a new, and it's just so pretty! I love the architecture of the houses and how the canals make their way between them. If you've read my blog a while you'll know I love them so much I made this, which is also one of my favorite things I've ever made.

Amsterdam Stroll

I finally finished my little embroidered Amsterdam that I started in Jessie Chorley's embroidery class. And here it is in the photos below! I loved Amsterdam so much, that at the class I decided it would be my theme, and I used canal houses as my first bit of inspiration, specifically the roofline of the houses, which is what makes them look so interesting as you're walking along the canals. I made a short video just so you could see the entire piece and to see the scale against my hand. It is very small but still hard to capture the entire piece well in one image.

Postcards from Amsterdam

We're back from Amsterdam and had a great time. I loved that city. The people were friendly, the city was easy to navigate, and well, it just has so many things I like--charming little streets, great shops, creative people, beautiful architecture, and it really just felt like a big cozy neighborhood, the kind where you could pull up a chair and have a nice chat with anyone. Here are a few pictures from our Amsterdam weekend getaway. We started our first day with a Dutch pancake from Pancakes!, which Pia Jane Bijkerk mentioned in her book. 

Then I hunted down a few shops in the book, and found quite a few great other shops as well. 

On Saturday we went to the Noordermarkt and found some great things, including this bag on the right made by Anne Van Dijk made from recycled army surplus supplies and men's suits (one of the things I especially liked in the Amsterdam: Made by hand book were her bags, which at 27 euros, are very reasonably priced, I think). 

We mainly spent our time in two areas, the 9 Streets and the Jordaan. Those two areas alone could have kept us busy for days. And those parts of the city are just so charming. Little narrow street after little narrow street, canal after canal. 

We stayed on a houseboat, which was really fun. The houseboat studio we stayed in was adorable but has suffered a bit of wear and tear and could use some TLC. It was still a really nice way to stay in Amsterdam, and it was in a great area for getting out and seeing the city. 

Lois liked to watch the boats and ducks go by. 

We liked checking out the other houseboats along the canals. 

I loved seeing the sheets on the line of this houseboat. So homey with the sheets and the potted garden. 

We also went to a few museums. The Rijksmusem pictured below. Museum of Dutch masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt. They also had a really great exhibit of doll houses--not the kind little girls play with, but serious, and expensive replica's of one's actual house. Check it out here. 

We bought Lois a new umbrella at a fun place called Kitsch Kitchen. She loves it. 

The weather was chilly and a bit grey the last two days, but it still looked beautiful. I really love the roofline of the canal houses. 

People love their bikes in Amsterdam. Soooo many bikes. I have never seen so many bikes. 

And sometimes entire families can be seen cruising on one bike, like this one in the center with 3 child seats on it. Wow. That would make me nervous! 

We also loved looking into peoples houses. It seemed like most people either didn't have window treatments or their window treatments were open. Both of these places below were split level, where behind the dining area was a floor above and one below, both of which you could see through to the other side. I wish you could see better. The houses were so pretty inside. 

This house below was really pretty too. It had a spiral staircase that went all 4 floors, which you could see through the windows. 

And of course we had to have Dutch apple pie. It was soooo good. Our trip was short but sweet, and I'd love to go back one day and explore the city some more. Amsterdam is now one of my favorite places I've been.

Amsterdam: Made by Hand

Greetings from Amsterdam! I've been looking forward to this weekend getaway trip for a while now in large part because I love the book Amsterdam: Made by Hand. It's always great to have a friend to give you the inside scoop to a city--to tell you the shops you'll like, neighborhoods, nice places to have a snack or just wander, and the second best to having that is finding a book that does just that. That's how I feel about Amsterdam: Made by Hand. Here's a peek into the book. If you plan to go to Amsterdam, and love handmade, vintage, or otherwise unique things, you'll love this book. The photos alone to me are worth the book. Photos from the book are all by the author, Pia Jane Bijkerk. More pictures from Amsterdam coming soon. It's been a wonderful first day!