Web designer for hire!

Well, I have finally gotten the Turtlewings website up and running. It has been a long and painful process and my little perfectionist designer brain is exhausted. I think though I will stick to designing and not rush out to become a website programmer. I just don’t have the wiring in my brain to understand the code and I can't get the typography and layout EXACTLY what I want!

Anyway, enough wining although it is not the graphic beauty I would like, it is functioning, well hopefully. Please let me know if there is something not working, like the slideshow, or slow graphics or of course is you have any great ideas about coding and websites. Enjoy!

www.turtlewings.be

Cambridge

Didn’t someone once say the best trip is when you don’t have time for photographs? or something of that nature. Anyway, I hate to disappoint but the above is the one and only photo of my weekend. It was wonderful, relaxing and great to be just the two girls for awhile, although I do have to say I missed the boys horribly, which is good.

The only thing that didn’t go as planned was the shopping bit, but who was I fooling to have a whole weekend revolve around shopping. I hate shopping! Isobel hates it equally as much, so after we managed to each buy a shirt (Isobel actually even got a skirt) we stopped at the nearest café for a refreshment. This was when the weekend took a turn from a shopping weekend to a food oriented garden designing weekend.

Isobel has just moved into a new flat with a garden, which HAD only one thing going for it, it was outside! Well, not true actually it was very green as well and had this really nice green thing with blue flowers, extremely deep roots and stinging leaves. We dawned our new gloves, put the beer in the fridge, took one of the new .50p tools and started weeding. It didn’t take long for us to decide it was enough for the day and we took out a couple chairs a couple beers and sat back and enjoyed…

the pile we had made!

No, it did look a little better, but not much and actually the next morning there seriously more dandelions. Probably we just gave them a bit more space to spread I think. So with the hard labor done we got all dolled up to go out for the evening. We had so much fun that we lost track of time and when we realized it was already 10pm and we rushed out for something to eat.

Sunday was unfortunately cut short by the lack of train from Cambridge to London and I had to leave four hours before my train to Brussels, but I left completely spoiled, relaxed and a kilo or more in my belly and not in my luggage!

Spoil Yourself

Sorry for such a long time between posts. Life has been very hectic here with school breaks, new projects and trying to get myself and my company sorted, but hopefully this blog entry explosion will pacify most of my loyal readers!

Tomorrow afternoon I am taking the train to London to meet Isobel for the weekend. We have not hung out alone together since our time in Helsinki “Sitting on the Korvapuustit Rock”. I am really looking forward to it and have already started my “Spoil Yourself” weekend today by spending 4 hours in the salon. I didn’t really mean to spend so much time, but I had a coupon from friends for a pedicure, but when I went I really didn’t feel like a pedicure and got a facial instead and then had my hair cut and colored. It was marvelous and I already feel very spoiled, so you can imagine how I will feel once the weekend is over.

www.google.com

Have you every type your friends names into google?
Today I was having my breakfast and enjoying the peace of not having to take anyone anywhere and being able to stay in my slippers, have my coffee and read the lastest news when I wondered to myself; “What is Ari doing these days?” so I type his name in google along with some of our other friends from Helsinki and here is what I found about:

Ari
Studio Miyake
Moco Loco
Next One (only in Japanese, but good pictures)

Stefano (alias Stefy)
Europaconcorsi (all in Italian)

Paula
Design Research
University of Helisnki

Fredrik
Movito
Magnolia

So, if anyone wants to add their latest movements, designs, careers, love, etc. feel free to comment!

Warm in Brugge

Pieter and I where married on the 15th of December 2000. This date had no more thought put into it than it was exactly 30 days from the time my thesis presentation was done and we could fly back to Brussels. Now, looking back I would have never gotten married in December. Not only was our honeymoon colder then hell in New York City, but each and every anniversary as been the same. 1st cold in Rotterdam, 2nd cold in London, 3rd sick and cold in Brussels, 4th so cold I can’t remember where we where and 5th…

Well, the real 5th in December we were not even together, but the fake 5th has spurred a wonderful idea and a new tradition. Last weekend we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 15th of April, warm in Brugge! It was the best time we have ever had and I think this will be our new Anniversary date. Pieter’s father gave us a night in an amazing hotel the Relais Ravestein. Each room has been designed differently, we were in the Jooris de Brune it had a fireplace, Jacuzzi bath, rain shower and my favorite big softy robes (there where even matching slippers!) It was the type of place that you feel like staying and not leaving, but we did manage to leave and spend all of Saturday shopping. We knew before starting out that Brugge was definitely not the fashion city of Belgium, that would be Antwerp, but we were determined to find something. What we didn’t know though was that more than half the civilized world travels to Brugge for Easter weekend! It was madness, but luckily we where not there for touristy things, so whichever way the crowd wandered we always went the other way. It was really fun, although the problem was that we were wandering around without a care or a map hoping to get lost and that is absolutely impossible in Brugge. Always, after an hour or even less of walking one of us would inevitably say “Hey, isn’t that the hotel!”

Finally, Pieter found a nice suit jacket, cool pants and some shirts and I found a great original lithography at a second hand store, signed by Constantine Kermes for 6 euros (after we got home we looked him up and it turns out he is quite a well known artist from Pennsylvania, small world.) We then headed back to the hotel to drop our things off. Just as we got back Pieter says “I feel like going out somewhere to eat really nice and wearing my new clothes.” Normally, that would sound truly lovely to me except for the fact that I had on old Levi’s, old Nikes and a t-shirt and the only thing I had gotten new was a piece of artwork which definitely wouldn’t cover much!

So, we rushed out again with only 30min till stores closed. We ran into the first affordable shop and Pieter said “you wanted a new look, well here” and he threw me a coat, shirt and skirt of which not one matched, but who am I to argue he is the creative genius! So, I tried it on quickly and it look surprisingly good, but the skirt didn’t work at all with the old Nikes and we really didn’t have time to find shoes as well, so I bought the coat and shirt and we where done! We went back to the hotel made a reservation for nine and went upstairs for a Jacuzzi. Up until this point our trip was brilliant, but I do not recommend taking a nice warm Jacuzzi bath and wrapping up in a softy robe in front of a fire and then having to get all dolled up and go to eat. We were both so tired during dinner we could hardly enjoy it and all we could think about was the fire and softy robes, but damn we did look good!

On Sunday we got up late, had an wonderful breakfast at the hotel (including Belgian chocolate Easter eggs), went to a museum, ate frites (French fries) while sitting at the foot of a statue in the market place, had a beer on a terrace in the sun and walked the canals. It was an exceptional anniversary weekend.

Thanks Dirk!

The Belgian Coast II

This is called part two because I have promoted our coast before in a previous post from last Oct. and I still think the same that it is the best place to take kids.

During Natan’s spring break we thought about taking a family holiday somewhere new and exciting. We were taken over with “parent guilt” that marketing and culture push on us that your child must be taken to Six Flags, Disneyland Paris or for god’s sakes Plopsaland (the name just gives me the heepy jeepies) in order to give him or her a proper holiday. I am not saying that you shouldn't take them to these places. I am pretty sure they would love it, but there are other more natural, exciting and amazing places also. Luckily we came to our senses before we bought the tickets and plus after such a stressful beginning of the year for both Pieter and I and hardly spending any quality time with the boys we decided to just do what we always do for a relaxing and enjoyable break, go to the sea!

It is a wonderful place no matter what the weather. I will admit this time was COLD and could have been much less windy, but we all had a brilliant time and came home relaxed, bonded and sad to have to go back to our normal routine. Of course you have to be flexible at the sea in Belgium you never can be guaranteed of the weather you want. The first day we where there was to windy for a bike trip and not windy enough to surf, so we walked on the dyke, rented a pedal car for Natan, ate ice cream and sat in the sand out of the wind and still in the sun (this is the best trick on the Belgian coast).

Day two was nasty for most every living soul EXCEPT surfers, for which we are blessed with two and a half in our family. So, in the morning we walked to get the daily donuts, hunted for crabs, found a starfish, flew a kite and then…. uncle Hendrik came and for Natan this is pure heaven! So, as the surfers put on less I was busy putting more layers on Natan and the 2.5 surfers spent the day in utter bliss, while I stayed indoors and read a book and Kai slept!

Day three was beautiful warm with no wind, so we got out early rented bikes and went to The Netherlands coast, which is only a 30min bike ride away. It was lovely! Unfortunately, the nice weather didn’t last and the wind and cold came back and it took us an hour and a half to bike back, but it was still worth the trip. We then hoped on the train and came home, exhausted, but very happy and thoroughly relaxed.

The Final Logo!

Natan's Quotes of the Day

""Why are there so many trees in the forest?" Natan asks,
"Because it is a forest." Pieter responds,
"Why is it a forest?" Natan continues,
"Because there are so many trees!" This discussion continued for
quite a while on our bike ride through the forest.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my logo it was a great help as well as great to have such a discussion going on from all around the world! Today though I had the greatest of advice from Natan. He drew me a picture of a tree in the park and said “Mama you should put this with the wishing turtle with wings in his belly.” This is the ultimate final touch a Japanese Cherry blossom drawn by a four year old.

We are ready for print. Thanks again!

My Logo?

Well, it has almost been a month now since the end of the exhibition. Also, it is my deadline for having a new company identity and direct mailer done and ready to send out to the 20 international schools here in Belgium. You heard right 20. I was also shocked when I finally counted all the addresses I accumulated.

Anyway, I have been “over thinking it”, as Pieter would say, and I think I have thought it out!

Here is the logo!

Now, it is time to hear from you. Please give me all your constructive criticism good and bad of course, before I print this thing!