I woke up this morning in anticipation of the deafening screech of cockatoos but instead I heard the wind gently pulling at the thick ropes that hold my home to the shore. As I dozed off again I thought I heard the dawn call of a kookaburra, but it was a distant car alarm. And as for the sound of cicadas, there is now unnatural silence in its place.

I recall a strange conversation I had some time last year here in Amsterdam with a European who told me about how much they disliked Australia. I said “what is it about it that you don’t like?” They said they had visited for 2 weeks, traveled down the coast from Sydney to Melbourne, and just hated it. Even though this person was quite rude, I, uncharacteristically, shrugged it off. When I glanced over to french boy, he was very obviously irritated. He said, “Well, what about the nature?! It is full of incredible, wild, unspoiled nature!” and to that this person dismissively replied “Oh yeah sure, but how much can you have of nature?”

So anyway now, I have to unpack. Needless to say that some of the sand, sea treasure and dried foliage from my homeland made it into the suitcase. Unpacking can be so bittersweet…

…to bid this landscape goodbye. While I write, the kookaburras are singing their last song for the day.

I will miss this country. again.

Next week I will be writing my posts from mon petit bateau in amsterdam. I have lots of posts to share with you that I haven’t had a chance to compose while here, so even though I’m leaving sydney, we haven’t seen the last of this landscape and its creative souls in the (blog)house just yet. Next week is going to be alot of fun. Until then, mes amis, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

xx

PS it has not stopped raining here in sydney all day. I had hope to enjoy one last swim in the ocean, one last walk through the bush, and blow one last kiss to the sun but alas, it’s not meant to be. The above photo is something ( I call it an ‘interpretation of the landscape’) I composed from a collection of botanical findings from my walks over the last 2 months. I will pin this photo up on my wall when I get back to amsterdam to remind me of the nature I so love.  À bientôt australia! tot ziens!

Last night’s impromptu booksigning and meet up was a hit! I met loads of lovely people, signed my little heart out, and was super pleased to find out the books sold out within the first hour. Yippee! However I was not happy to see a few people missed out. As usual I completely forgot about taking photos, and french boy forgot too until the very end when there were just a few people left. He was in mid conversation with someone and then all of a sudden he jumped up and announced with a look of sheer panic “I forgot to take photos!!”

from left to right: my dear friend Jenni Booth chatting with fellow stylist Phoebe; Stef, owner of the very cool store in newtown called newspaper taxi; me; and fiona, an avid reader and visitor of the (blog)house.

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He managed to find the camera, click the button, and the above scene is what he captured: The big empty spot on the coffee table is where the stack of books were, I am the one to the right with the ripped jeans (I decided to go with a bit of a hip, punk style – I’m hoping this looked better in person than it does on this photograph), and all the space around was filled with people – standing, sitting, chatting, sipping coffee, and me signing books amidst it all. It was a great atmosphere and Berkelouw made it all very welcoming – they had set up this little nook just for us, set among all their glorious shelves of books. Isn’t the setting fabulous?

So, it was all round good fun, and I’m feeling more and more at ease to do other similar events this year in Amsterdam. I need to find a pen though, that dries instantly  – I spend alot of time blowing on the page to make sure it doesn’t smudge.

A big thank you to everyone who came along. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed our chats and I hope I get to meet you again soon.

xx

berkelouw books, newtown, as captured by louise hawson from fab blog 52 suburbs. click here to see louise’s full newtown post.

Tomorrow – that being Thursday, February 4th – I will be at berkelouw books in newtown for an impromptu booksigning of paris: made by hand between 5:30-7:30pm. I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope you can come along. Don’t forget to bring your copy of the book but if you don’t have one yet or would like another, you can purchase one from berkelouw while you’re there. Too easy!

See you soon mes amis!

xx

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Where: Berkelouw Books, 6-8 O’Connell Street, Newtown (ph: 9557 1777)

When: Thursday, February 4, 2010 between 5:30-7:30pm

What: Pia Jane Bijkerk, author of  this here blog and Paris: Made by Hand -  impromptu booksigning and bloggers/friends meet up!

The other day I received a little gift in the mail from someone rather wonderful (who I will be featuring here in the (blog)house very soon) and attached to the gift was not just a card, but a polaroid notecard. I have to say, the cards are beautiful. The print quality, the image, the size – just perfect. Of course I knew about Jen’s polaroid notes ages ago but I hadn’t actually seen them in person. Now that I have, I must get a set.

This particular polaroid note above is by mat denney. It’s called ‘fading now’. So so  lovely, I just had to tell you.

Last week in New York, ten of Wilson A Bentley (a.k.a the snowflake man)’s incredible snow crystal photographs  – which date back to the end of the 19th century  – went on sale at the American Antiques Show. The vintage images are breathtaking…

“Every crystal was a masterpiece of design, and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost” said Bentley back in 1925…

According to an article in The Guardian, Bentley’s interest with snow crystals began when he received a microscope for his 15th birthday: “He became spellbound by their beauty, complexity and endless variety” (it’s nice to know I’m not the only one obsessed with snow!).

“Bentley started trying to draw the flakes but the snow melted before he could finish. His parents eventually bought him a camera and he spent two years trying to capture images of the tiny, fleeting crystals. He caught falling snowflakes by standing in the doorway with a wooden tray as snowstorms passed over. The tray was painted black so he could see the crystals and transfer them delicately onto a glass slide. To study the snow crystals, Bentley rigged his bellows camera up to the microscope but found he could not reach the controls to bring them into focus. He overcame the problem through the imaginative use of wheels and cord.” (as quoted by Ian Sample, science correspondent for The Guardian, Thursday January 21, 2010)

The method of singling out a snowflake to photograph apparently hasn’t changed in all that time. “You basically let the crystal fall on something, black or dark-coloured, and then you have to pick it up with a toothpick or brush and put it on a glass slide,” says Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics and snowflake enthusiast.

Bentley’s snowflake photographs have inspired people all over the world for over a hundred years – quilters, photographers, jewelers, and artists of all kinds have been captivated by Bentley’s work. I, am now one of them.

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Extra tidbits:

+There is a museum dedicated to Bentley’s work at an old mill in his hometown in Vermont. It houses about 2,000 of his vintage images. I must go.

+I first found Bentley’s images and story at the ever lovely Pacha Design – please read sammy and glenn’s beautiful post(thank you again guys for such inspiration!)

+View and read the full telegraph article – there are 21 images which tell the beautiful story of snowflake bentley’s work.

While I’ve been sunning it up down under, I have been missing out on what has most likely been the prettiest winter in Amsterdam for years. In the last couple of months it has unusually snowed in my new hometown countless times, leaving a nice thick blanket over the cobblestoned streets, parked bicycles, canals and houseboats, creating incredible picture-perfect scenes…

To say I’m envious of all who have witnessed these snowfalls is an understatement. I adore snow – always have and always will (I’ve survived a number of Quebec winters in my younger years and loved each and every freezing moment) – and to know that I have missed something so unique and spectacular is fairly heartbreaking. Of course I know that so much snow and slippery ice brings chaos to such a city but still, it’s one of those natural phenomenons that continually manage to surprise and delight me. Unfortunately the snow has stopped falling and the Amsterdam that I will go back to in a week’s time will most likely be the rainy, dark, and very cold one I’ve come to know so well.

But the good news is that my dear friends have been taking the most beautiful photos of their outings when the snow appears and emailing them to me. Their photos make me smile every time so I thought I’d share some with you…

All these gorgeous images are courtesy of photographers Cath Conroy and Alan Jenson. Thank you so much Cath and Al! You are both super lucky to have had this experience, and your first ever winter in Amsterdam to boot.

Stunning. Hope you’ve all enjoyed these images as much as I have. Cath and Al, I promise to pack a bit of sunshine in my suitcase for you.

xx