Ever since the R word (recession) it's been awfully quiet in my mailbox (the non-virtual one) and I miss it. Not that I'm greedy and want free stuff but it's just such a nice gesture. I believe that when you give you will receive, but giving has been hard for a lot of us and I'm happy things are slowly getting better.

So when I walked in my office building last week and a big brown envelope was waiting for me at the entrance, I was quite excited to find The Farm Chicks in The Kitchen book inside with lots of recipe cards, stickers and lovely messages. My readers know me so well because I LOVE this book. It's ME written all over it, I want to be a farm chick!!

I can highly, highly recommend it. Thank you so much Serena xox

Yesterday I finally received the second batch of my Blurb published book "The Yvestown Book - vol.1". I'm planning to make a series of little books all with different subjects. The first volume is titled "The New Old House" and shows photographs of my old house in The Netherlands. The second book I'm planning will be about my new kitchen and all the cooking I love to do.

The Blurb publishing thing is really cool and really easy to use but the quality of the books are quite ok-ish maybe perfect for someone less picky as myself.

This book contains 42 pages and hardly no text.

You can buy one directly from Blurb or you can buy a limited signed and numbered copy in The Yvestown Shop directly from me. Either way I'll earn a bit of profit.

I'd like to give one of the signed and numbered books away as a gift to one of you.

You'll also get a set of these crochet coasters I've been making. All you have to do is leave a comment and I'll draw a winner December 6th, on my 34th birthday, at noon CET.

Have a lovely weekend.

The Paumes books (or as Holly thinks I'm referring to my porn books) have finally arrived. Some of you were getting nervous but most of you have been truly superstars and were able to hold your breath and wait silently. Thank you for ordering from me, it means a lot to me as I really like to put books in boxes.

Children's rooms Copenhagen is of course yet another wonderful book. So many inspiring rooms and such lovely colors.

See this rug? It's been on my wists for a while but after seeing it in this room I must get it for my new studio.

I have a lot of boxes to send and I'll be doing that this afternoon. Do not panic by the sold out icon behind the Copenhagen book in my shop because everyone who placed an order before 18-09 will get their books hopefully after the weekend - that depends on how quick the post works. Do not hesitate to put in a new order because a new stash will be send to me next week. I have plenty of stock this time so shipping will be fast.

Thanks again for shopping with me, I can't say it enough so yet again thank you!!!

I Just want to let you know that I've updated the "how to buy on Amazon.co.jp" page. You can now find all the Jeu De Paume books I own with a direct link to Amazon.co.jp and to the Paumes page to preview the book. I've also included all the ISBN numbers.

There's also a link in the menu under patterns & projects for quick access.

I wish you fun shopping!

At last a real book club entry, it's been a while!

Independent London

Read Helen Evans review

This is one nifty little book. It's detailed, organized and easy to pop in your bag. For frequent visitors and travelers this is a great book to have next to your travel guide. The book is categorized by sort of shop (health, art, home, entertainment, fashion, flowers and food) and boroughs with easy maps and a travel planner. I can't wait to use it.

Amy Butler's Midwest Modern

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk

Even if Amy would make a book about spit I know I'm going to love it. Every little thing she does is magic! In Amy's Midwest Modern Amy takes you to her home and shows you around her house. Ever wonder what her kitchen looks like or her husband's studio?, get this book. The photos are beautiful and the atmosphere of the book is magical. I just love to leave the book open so that I constantly can have a little glance when I pass by. My top favorite this year!

Jamie at Home

Not yet available in the US

Hmm, really that's the first thing I want to say about this book. It's a hmm book, don't know if I like it but I do really like it. I did expect just a little bit more than just an ordinary cookbook. It's also a little bit more because Jamie gives good tips on how to grow your own food but than again when I watched the show Jamie is being cheeky because he's having a posh gardner who's growing all the food and doing all the gardening. And he's also showing some graphic photos of freshly shot bunnies and pheasants and I do have a bit of a problem with that. I do love all the recipes and I really like the layout and art direction blah, blah, blah ... but, hmm. You don't have to buy it if you don't want to but if you're a Jamie addict like me you should get it to make your collection complete.

The Gentle Art of Domesticity

Not yet available in the US

It's a wonderful, useful, colorful, informative and happy book just like Jane's blog, Yarnstorm, is. If you like her website, you'll love her book. Don't let the negative critics fool you because it's just again a life choice and a way of living. This book is all about that and it just lovely.

Cup
Plastic Cakelace Coaster

If I could make a town I could live in and pick all the people who'd live there too, I'd definitely pick Helen from Little Doll Face to be one of my neighbors. If she was one of my neighbors I think she would've invited me to her graduation tea party because I love to eat cakes and have a cup of tea from a GreenGate teapot and she would've known that. I'd buy her a Russian nesting doll to put on her beautiful shelves. Yes Helen's blog is one to hug!

Helen also left us a little message and I think we should check this out because it sure looks good;

I thought I would drop you a comment because I came across a book the other day that I thought that you and all your readers would like. It's called 'Independent London' . It is a collection of the most wonderful and independent shops that London has to offer. It is truly lovely, but I don't seem to have time to blog lately so I thought I'd make my recommendation here.

Helen

I just bought a copy and I can't wait to review it.

Talking about books, I have a new book of the month up. I'm still reading it but so far it's really good, inspiring and makes me want to move back to the country even more. I've also set up an Amazon.co.uk aStore for people living in Europe with lots more books I own and love.

ps: thank you for buying a pattern, it's been lovely so far and I hope I get to see some photos of some covers soon! It's still for sale over here or click on the little button in the menu on your right.

I've started all kinds of odd jobs in and around the house because I really need to get my mind of our current pet situation, it's grim people!

One of them is this roman blind I've made for our indoor patio. When we moved to this house I quite quickly decided not to use expensive fabric for curtains because we have massive windows and really high ceilings. I only splurged on fabric for the dining room curtains because my mother agreed to partial fund the fabric towards a birthday present (she's good at that). I tried to find affordable fabric for the rest of the house. I'm still pleased with my choices. For the living room I picked white linen curtains from Ikea and for the kitchen and indoor patio I picked cheap cotton red/white gingham fabric.

To add some color and to hide the white pencil pleat curtain heading tape (I didn't line the curtains) I made this wee roman blind of the same print I wallpapered on my kitchen walls.

I used the guidelines in this book by Katrin Cargill. It's a lovely book and extremely useful. There are so many wonderful projects in this book you immediately want to do. I feel so tempted to make my own eiderdown for the attic guestroom we are working on. It's really a "aarrggh, where can I put 50 million cushions because they are all so cute in this book" book. Anyway I've made it the book of the month and you can buy it in my aStore.

A couple of days ago I got an email from a Dutch reader asking me about the embroidery on my pillow shams. Oddly enough I was picking up embroidery in the same week. With the Bo being in Rome for work and finding myself glued to the TV re-watching all the past Gilmore Girls seasons on DVD, I needed something to fiddle with. I bought Jenny Hart's book Sublime Stitching almost a year ago but never really played with it - do I regret that!!

I've been having so much fun I can't hardly stop.

I've made two cushions for on the sofa and chair in the living room with the Chinese lanterns.

And I'm working on this table runner.

I super recommend this book, I really super, super do - honestly I can't find an other word for it, highly is too lame. You might also like the Stitch It Kit by Jenny Hart. Both books come with iron on transfers. The stitch it kit is really good for if you starting out because it's filled with the necessary items such as a hoop, a needle, some DMC floss and a bunch of transfers.

I can't believe it's been such a long time since my last book club review. Just as a treat and to make up my slackness I'm adding some snippets from my favorite pages inside the books.

1. In Bloom - Alice Whately

This is a wonderful book with all new homes, pictures and inspiration. The book is spilt in five chapters 1. feminine florals, 2. exotic florals, 3. funky florals, 4. retro florals and 5. vintage florals. I'm a mix of the feminine florals and vintage florals. The chapters are a good guide on how to use florals in your home and for which florals you should choose. The pictures in the book are beautiful and the styling is superb.

I love this mixture of modern and new and how the organza curtains fit perfectly over the garden doors. The glass chandelier, the odd lamp and the pink butterfly chairs.

Of course a book about florals can't go without some Cath Kidston.

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk

2. Cheap Chic or Style on a Budget - Emily Chalmers

I don't know where to start or what to tell you about this book, it's just ALL GOOD!! This is my absolute new favorite book. Another book by Emily Chalmers Flea Market Style and is now my second absolute favorite book. That Emily sure knows how to capture a book full of good interiors. I can only say "go order it now" because you will not regret it. So much inspiration, new photos and lots and lots of great tips.

I love this kitchen and that plate rack with the yellow chair under it is just perfect.

Ah shelving, almost as good as ice-cream.

I want to rate it ten stars. Highly recommended!!

2. London Kitchens - via Paumes

It's turning into a little addiction but I snatched this book straight after the lovely people of Amazon.co.jp sent me an email recommending it to me. It's super, super, super cute and my most favorite book in the series so far.

I loved peeking into the kitchens of designers from LovelyLovely and Loop. I also spotted a must have under the christmas tree item for myself over at Loop. It's featured in the book also. This is just, yet again, a wonderful book and I can highly recommend it!

ISBN number: 407253787X

4. Stockholm's Apartments - via Paumes

Do I need to say more? All the Paumes books are fabulous. So is this one and so will all the others to come LOL!!

I love this hall. The shoes are pretty and so is the wallpaper.

Look at this wall - it's a swoon wall!! I'd love to do something like this with that plate rack in Cheap Chic in my kitchen. Only if I did have a bit more space.

Great book, must have!!

ISBN number: 4072540021

After Clair posted a message about buying these great books. They are great though! I received some mail asking me to do a tutorial on how to order books on amazon.co.jp. I've whiped up a tutorial and you can go there by clicking here.

These are the ISBN numbers of the books we bought:

4072504416
4072486744
4072501395
4072499005

These are the books I bought in May:


1. Real Simple Solutions

I still remember when I picked up my first ever copy of Real Simple magazine, it's was on JFK airport October the 3rd 2005. Since then I've been loving everything Real Simple. I check their website daily and even indulged in buying some overpriced back issues on eBay. I secretly wish that it was me who invented Real Simple magazine. So during all my Real Simple website scooping I came across their book selection and ordered the one with the best looking cover first. I have to admit that I didn't even bother to check what they were about, I just wanted to have those books! This book is wonderful, the photography is wonderful, the contents, the solutions (although you're covered if you have your Martha Stewart collection) everything to the last detail is perfect. What I most love about Real Simple is the objects they use in their photographs it's all selected so carefully. The paint they use on the walls, the color combos for various objects is perfect and all blends wonderfully. If I was offered to wear a Real Simple t-shirt for every day for the rest of my life to get all their information in return I totally would do it without a doubt. Buy this book!!



2. Petits Appartements à Paris
3. Chambres d'enfants à Paris
4. Children's rooms "Stockholm" - All via Paumes

I found out about these books via Karkovski. Paumes doesn't have a credit card checkout on their website and because I don't like to send my credit card details via email I went on a little search . I found all of them on Amazon.co.jp and it's easy to order them because, if you ignore all the Japanese, all the buttons are on the same place as on the Amazon.com website and you can even have your checkout details in English. It's absolutely worth it because these books are fantastic. I would even consider learn to read Japanese because they know how to put a good book together. I always thought I was living in the design capital of the world* but I'm so wrong, Japan is! Beautiful, inspiring books for everyone to enjoy.

Here are the links and ISBN numbers:

Petits Appartements à Paris - 4072504416
Chambres d'enfants à Paris - 4072486744
Children's rooms "Stockholm" - 4072501395



* Alumni of the Design Academy in Eindhoven NL:

Max Barenbrug (designed the bugaboo baby carrier), Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey, Tord Boontje, Piet Hein Eek, Richard Hutten, Hella Jongerius (designed for Droog Design, Ikea and for the Dutch department store Hema), Joris Laarman, Paul Linse, Monika Mulder (designs for Ikea), Gijs Papavoine, Bertjan Pot, Job Smeets, Jeroen Verhoeven (runs with Judith de Graauw and brother Joep Verhoeven the label "De Makers Van" ), Sietze Kalkwijk (Studio Kalkwijk), Marcel Wanders (designed for Moooi).

Although it's already April I have a Book Club update for March. Do you mind if I alter the date so that I can keep it organized in my archives? I've made a Book Club archive menu on your right just under Blog Archives.

These are the books I bought in March:


1. The Princess and the Pea - Lauren Child

I saw this book over at Blair first. I totally fell in love with the images she posted and was very excited that everything was made in miniature - dear the concentration one must have. Blair mailed me and told me to get it. I did and I love it, we all love it here. The colors, the patterns, the miniature furniture, everything is correct in the smallest details (literally) I also love the writing in this book, it's really sweet. I totally recommend this to all!! If you like interior design (like me) and don't have kids (like me) than this book is wonderful too. There's so much to it. Put it on your wishlist!!




2. Creating Vintage Style - Lucinda Ganderton

I heard and read so much about this book so I finally bought a copy. It's great (ish) You know, most of the images in this book are found in other design books I own and it's getting a bit of a bore. I need new inspiration and new interiors to look at. Sometimes I caught myself knowing exactly the name of the person who lives in a certain room in a certain picture and I think that's sad ... LOL!! But the tips, hints and tricks in this books are really useful and enjoyable. So I DO recommend this book. But if you want something that guides you to create a vintage style and you don't want to spend too much money on too many books (like me - sorry Bo) I'd recommend to get the Cath Kidston book instead.



3. Just a tip for people living in The Netherlands - get this month's Elle Tuinen, it's wonderful!!

I went a little home decorating books crazy this month. But I can't get enough of this topic. Since I discovered that I can clean my home and read a book at the same time I'm not such a novel buying person anymore. I rather buy them on iTunes and plug my iPod while dusting and mopping!

These are the books I bought in February:


1. Super Crafty - Susan Beal and others

I'm opening the book while I'm typing this (yes I can type rather fast with one finger) and flip through it. I don't know if I like it or not. It's really hard to say anything about it. It's cute but a bit primitive. Maybe it is supposed to be primitive. The craft projects don't really do much to me either. I'm not really interested in putting daisies on my roller blades or violets on my bicycle helmet. But I can see potential for first time crafters.




2. The Simple Floral Home - Julia Bird

This is a beautiful book. Buy it while it's still cold and drowsy, you'll love it and it will definitely put you in spring mode!! Beautiful photographs and floral arrangements combined with beautiful interiors. Truly inspirational!!

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk




3. Home Sanctuary - Josephine Collins

This book is really surprising. I'm a fanatic interior design and decorating books lover and one thing I noticed after browsing so many of these books - there are never people in the pictures!!! In this book there are, lots of them doing various things in their fake homes. Cooking, cleaning, talking to their camera kid on the countertop of their make believe kitchens, jumping on beds (honestly I never do that) and getting clothes out of a closet. I now understand why there are never people in these books. They shouldn't be there, it's really stupid. Beside the jumping, cooking and cleaning doing human beings and bumping in a bunch of photo's you can find in The Relaxed Home by Atlanta Bartlett, it's a great book with clever ideas, inspirational rooms and good tips.

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk




4. Home Rules - Nate Berkus

I think that all of you who read my blog for a little while now know that I'm in love with Nate Berkus. I'm not such a person that just loves everyone - the other day I asked the Bo: "guess, which of my two heroes are seeing each other? Bo: *thinks hard* Mary Poppins and Edward Norton?" honestly we have the weirdest conversations sometimes - Anyway Nate is one of my heroes too and I was hoping that he would write a book and he did. Some say it self promotional, some say it's all the stuff that was on the Oprah show and how Oprah made it all possible. Well Nate, that's all true but you made it happen!! There ... I love this book and the beautiful photographs. I love all decorating books that start with "FIND YOUR STYLE" it's a golden rule. If you don't know what your style is you can keep decorating until you loose all your hair but you'll never get it right. This book deserves five stars and not just because I'm in love with Nate.

Because I dwell in books and because I keep buying them - I can't go to the library, I get attached to a book, don't want to take it back, I get enormous bills - I'm starting my own "Book Club". These are the books I bought in January.


1. Where Women Create - Jo Packham

If you like large, frilly and pompous rooms than this is your book. I much prefer simplicity and not every square inch of my "work place" to be packed and stuffed to the rim. It's not my book and I was rather disappointed. I think the cover tempted me to buy the book but I was fooled!! I much more enjoy Art Studio over at Flickr.




2. The Relaxed Home - Atlanta Bartlett

Yay! Totally my book!! I never really read books like this because I don't think these books were invented to be read but more to look at the pretty pictures. And pretty and inspiring they are indeed. Beware: don't let yourself be tricked by the cover and the name. I bought my copy in the UK and the cover is the same as The Comforts of Home but the contents is exactly the same. So you can buy either book but don't buy them both!! Really a good resource if you like the modern country style.




3. A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

I first heard about this book on Oprah. This book kept her up for three nights and so did it to a bunch of her producers and Nate!! So I thought to myself "this book must be good". I ordered my copy from Amazon because I always prefer to read a book in it's original language. Well now, hmmmm ... hard to say: I already read all this stuff when I was 11. I know all about the bugs, the user dreams etc. It's like the other day when Oprah said "EAT WHOLE GRAIN" like if it was a revelation!! I've been eating whole grain since I was able to chew!! I'm not going to trust Oprah anymore. I've been reading the book's reviews and all the things people liked about the book I dislike and all the things they hate, I love. For example the poor writing. I think the poor writing is actually genius!! I do recommend this book to those who aren't familiar and who never read a book containing the words Fuck and Fucking more than one time.




4. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Bought it on iTunes and it is absolutely worth the $69.95 I'm going to buy the next book on iTunes too because I so much better understand all the details this way. I'm not going to say anything about the book for those who haven't read it yet but it made me cry all at the end and I'm also really confused by something that happened all at the end, something to do with Snape.