What I Do and What I Think

Not easy to keep track of all the things that make you smile, think, laugh, cry, scream, spark your enthusiasm and turn your emotions on. But it's possible. And it's worth it.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

115/365 12 years ago, when I was moving for the first time in my own apartment, I bought this cheap red carton box from Ikea, to store small stuff in it. I moved it with me everywhere and from time to time I was sorting and throwing some things away, but always left the buttons, the letters, the batteries, the coins from different countries I’ve been to, the sewing gear that I never use, small gifts from friends and all sorts of apparently useless things but that you sometimes need and then you know “it’s in the red box”. After 12 years, it was time to replace the red box with a green box. I’ll come back with a new episode of the green box in 12 years 😂 
Do you have a useful useless things box? 
#sunday #order #sorting #decluttering #littlethings #memories #useful #uselessness https://www.instagram.com/p/B2JRqHHIM5Y1YbWVafRyPItdKEeg52fFGBIxdM0/?igshid=102mklobnuwtz

[whatidoandwhatithink]

114/365 I have a dream. It’s 6.30 am and I am still in deep sleep and Sam is no longer shouting “mama, I am awake”, waiting for me to go to his room and then take him downstairs. In my dream, I am still in deep sleep, while he is getting up alone, he brushes his teeth and puts his clothes on. Then he goes downstairs and feeds the cats, turns the TV on and watches a movie alone until I get up rested and happy at 9am. I have also versions of a dream where he makes breakfast, but I realize quickly that’s a long shot and my subconscious is playing tricks on me.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

113/365 Such a great delight to read this amazing book. The story of Cipe Pineles is fascinating, inspiring and makes you want the reading experience to never end. When passion for food meets passion for good design, the result can only be spectacular. I am greatful to these amazing editors for putting this exquisite book together.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

112/365 There’s a high probability that more than fifty percent of the kids were dressed as Dracula today. But there was only one with ginger hair and a matching cat. 🎃👻👹

[whatidoandwhatithink]

111/365 Goosebumps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKopy74weus&feature=share

[whatidoandwhatithink]

110/365 Children's universe is the most inspiring experience and just an ongoing explosion of creativity.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

109/365 Speed of light. The sun is too big and bright to properly catch it on camera.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

108/365 Never stop playing. Happy Children's Day!

[whatidoandwhatithink]

107/365 When kids are out playing, the coffee tastes better. #thatfeeling

[whatidoandwhatithink]

106/365 We need a little colour in our lives.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

105/365 There is no better way to spend a springy Sunday afternoon than in a Japanese Garden. The cherry blossoms, the lake, the koi fish, the sweet mono no aware feeling. Contemplating the beauty knowing it will not last long. Enjoying the moment. Living and breathing the moment. Not thinking that tomorrow is again Monday. 

[whatidoandwhatithink]

104/365 This made my day.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

103/365 I got these branches before Christmas last year and had decorated them with lights. When the holidays were over, I kept on planning to get rid of them, but postponed and dragged it like you usually do with the Christmas tree- did anyone ever keep their Christmas tree until March? I did. Then it froze, it rained, it froze again, it rained a lot more, and they hanged in there. And now they waited for our return with fresh small springy flowers. Their way to say thanks for not throwing us away I guess...

[whatidoandwhatithink]

102/365 What relaxes me at the end of a stressful day is to lay down next to my son and dive into a story from a far far away kingdom. Stories must be read, shared, imagined and enjoyed. I hope he will appreciate it one day. Illustrations by Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers in A Child of Books.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

101/365 When I go to a new place I always like to discover some local chefs, chocolate or pastry makers, mostly something local and food related. Food stories can tell you so much about a place, its people and its past. As we went to Antwerp last weekend, we stopped by to get some chocolates and macarons. What I liked about The Chocolate Line was first of all the location and the shop itself. A beautiful 18th century architecture of the Palace on Meir hosts this exquisite chocolate shop, with a separate room showing the lab and how it’s made. Dominique Persoone is a genius of chocolate and he dares trying the most unusual combinations possible. He also owns the entire production process, from cultivating the cocoa beans to making the best pralines and chocolate pills or lip balm. Fried onion pralines anyone? 

The next haute chocolaterie stop was of course at Pierre Marcolini. I have tried macarons from many places, I made them myself, but so far the best that stuck to my memory were the ones I had on Champs-Élysées at Ladurée a few years ago. They. Are. Not. The. Best. We tried the Marcolini macarons one by one, like we were tasting wine, and each of them was fascinating. The texture, the filling, the colors, the perfection. I decided once for all that I will stop trying to make macarons at home. Some things you just need to leave to the masters, let go and enjoy.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

100/365 I don't like what this world has become. I don't want to accept selfishness, racism, hatred, sexism, lack of humanity as the new normality. It's like all of a sudden everything you believed to be good and tried to develop and grow throughout your entire life has zero value. The belief that if you do good, good will come back to you. That if you respect others, they will respect you back. That if you are sensitive and well intended, you will be treated the same. That if you do your best in everything you do, you will feel good inside. I am nervous and sometimes terrified by the rise of bullies in the public space. People with no scrupules who don't care about any of the values I believe in. They only believe in money, power and their own interest. This is not the world I want to live in. I am truly sad, but still optimistic that people will not take bullies and aggressive behavior for granted and they will make their voice heard. What happened this month in Romania is a sign that those values I believe in are shared by many many others. This should be an example for other nations too. And bullies will not win because without realizing it, they are actually bringing the best out of people: creativity, assertiveness, solidarity, civic spirit, unity in diversity. Photo credit @The Art Institute of Chicago. Ivan Albright, Picture of Dorian Gray.

[whatidoandwhatithink]

99/365 We love lazy Sunday mornings.