As a little pick-me-up, I bought a cheerful new lipstick at MAC recently, designed by Dutch wonder-designer Marcel Wanders. I liked the look of the lipstick tube itself, which resembles a turned wooden leg of a table.
Which leads me to the pleasing setup above, also from Meneer Wanders–the business-class table setting of KLM. Evidently, this has been a project of his for some time. It’s lovely, with the scalloped edges that instantly remind you that you’re not on US Airways.
Tags:airlines·Dutch·Dutch design·great design·KLM·Netherlands
Something about fall makes me want to be surrounded by piles of beautiful books. Books are the best way to dream about places to visit, aren’t they?
My fall list includes re-reading Alledaags, which I bought in the Netherlands this summer. It’s written by a Kiwi illustrator who put an image to each day of a year in Amsterdam. Check out the samples. It’s funny, clever, and true. What could be better?
For the end of design week, I wanted to share this great homemade-design blog I recently came across, Vlijtig. As previously mentioned in this post, one of the reasons I wanted to learn Dutch this year is because I love their aesthetic and wanted to be able to read Dutch design magazines.
I’m not there yet, and so, thank heavens for blogs like Vlijtig that help me make sense of it all.
Tags:Blogs·design·Dutch·Netherlands
When I talk about loving the Dutch design aesthetic, what I mean is a spectrum that includes the crazy modern stuff like the kind Droog creates. I actually have a set of these bikes straps to use in your house. I have no idea what I’ll use them for, mind you, but I just love the idea of taking something so practical and making it a design element on the wall. Plus, hello novelty!
As already mentioned in a previous post, I had a vision for my time at the Regina Coeli Language Instititute. (You can see a video of my daily Dutch commute, if you like.) I knew it was a unique opportunity, and I wanted a quiet respite for my time there. Most guidebooks that cover the [...]
Tags:Dutch·Netherlands
The World Cup this year did me a great favor: People stopped asking about my trip to Scandinavia, to visit Denmark. Because the Netherlands made it to the World Cup finals, more people–friends, co-workers, family–stopped confusing the Dutch with other people. They had at least a little bit of new knowledge about the Dutch: They’re good at soccer, and they love to wear orange.
What is the deal with all the orange, anyway? Their flag is red, white, and blue. So how does that explain their love of orange, as in this apartment complex, festooned with the colors of a traffic cone?
I’ve already posted about how much I love the Dutch relationship to bicycling. I love Copenhagen Cycle Chic, and am trying to help bring Seattle Cycle Chic into being. But Dutch biking is simply beautiful.
If you wanted to lure me into a trap, here’s what you should put in there for bait. Marc by Marc Jacobs purses. Free travel upgrades, both in the air and on the ground. And European magazines, particularly if they involve Dutch design. Which is why Liv’ magazine is currently at the top of my [...]
Tags:Dutch·educated traveler·Holland·magazines·Netherlands·travel writing
Hooray! My tax refund came yesterday, which means I’ll be booking my time at Dutch Princess School soon! It’s probably worth explaining why on earth I’m going to spend thousands of dollars to get to fluency in Dutch. And most importantly–why Dutch? Literally every time I mention that I’m trying to learn Dutch, the person [...]
Tags:Amsterdam·cultural exchange·Dutch·languages·Netherlands·Regina Coeli Language Institute·travel writing
Like a lot of travelers, I want to learn a second language. I want to be fluent in a second language, which is why I’m planning on attending a language school (a.k.a. Dutch Princess School) this summer. In the meanwhile, I’m studying my heart out here at home using websites and software programs to bolster [...]
