{ Hello Melbourne }

My husband and I have moved once again, this time to beautiful Melbourne, Australia! We spent two wonderful years in Europe and we will forever treasure the amazing friendships made and adventures we had. Now, a new chapter in our lives start in Australia and we are just as excited for what this journey will hold.

Photos by Design Loving

{ The place I call home }

It feels like forever since my last post, I’ve been MIA on the blogosphere for two reasons…

Firstly, I went home to South Africa for a long overdue visit. It was amazing not only to see my family and friends again, but also because it made me remember why I love South Africa so much! The beautiful scenery made me feel so at home. Africa really does run in my veins and it’s nice to be reminded about it when living so far away.

The second reason is that I’m busy preparing for another big move; my husband and I are relocating to another country, across continents…AGAIN. We are both excited about our move but also a bit nervous, it’s a fun new adventure but with it inevitably comes a few challenges.

Later this week I’ll let you know which country we will be moving to, so watch this space!

Photos by Design Loving

{ Zsolt Vidak : Greetings from Budapest }

On our recent trip to Budapest we were looking for shelter from the rain and stumbled upon this awesome art & design shop called Rododendron. Here I discovered the work of Hungarian illustrator Zsolt Vidak and I instantly fell in love with his amazing colour palette and illustration style. I bought the top print called “Greetings from Budapest” and I can’t wait to hang it on my wall. If you are interested in seeing more of his great work visit his website or shop for a print here or here.

{ A Fascinating City Escape }

I’ve just come back from a short city trip to Budapest, Hungary and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was blown away by this city that is rich in history and coloured with breath-taking views in shades of amber, burgundy and teal. With great food, friendly locals, interesting sights and reasonable prices I would definitely recommend Budapest for a city getaway.

Photos by Design Loving

{ In Bruges }

I took these photos in Bruges a week ago, it’s my go-to place whenever guests come to visit in Belgium. It’s probably one of my favourite cities – It’s picture perfect! Have you ever been to Bruges? I would suggest visiting it in Autumn, it is absolutely gorgeous when all the leaves start changing colour.

Photos by Design Loving

{ The Most Beautiful Bookstore }

Maastricht, the Netherlands is home to the Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore. This breathtaking bookstore is housed in a renovated Dominican church dating back to 1294. The infusion of old and new was brilliantly executed by architectural firm Merkx + Girod who managed to highlight the grandeur of the original church and preserve it’s majestic atmosphere by positioning a colossal walk-in steel bookcase asymmetrically in the church. The upper level of the bookcase allows one to experience the church from a new perspective and have a close-up view of the historical murals. A treasure worth uncovering if you ever find yourself in the Netherlands. Plus, how awesome is that door!?

Photos by Design Loving

{ The Versalette }

Kristin and Shannon are two incredible ladies that met while travelling and soon discovered that they shared a love for adventure, fashion and sustainability. This shared passion lead to their collaboration that is now {r}evolution apparel. Through careful consideration, sourcing and design, they not only want to revolutionise the way clothing is designed and made but also the way it is consumed, challenging us as consumers to be smart about our fashion choices and through this create a more sustainable clothing industry.

This revolution begins with one piece - the versalette that can be worn over 15 different ways. It is minimalist clothing for the female adventurer that wants to look good but at the same time make a positive impact on the environment.

The versalette is smart and beautiful and definitely challenges the way we look at our wardobe. Less really is more! To see more ways to wear the versalette or to pre-order yours visit the website and blog.

{ The fine art of printing }

In 1555 Christoffel Plantin opened a printing establishment in Antwerp, Belgium called the Gilded Compass. 21 years later he moved into a building that now houses the Plantin Moretus Museum.

It is here that Plantin created one of the world’s leading printing and publishing houses and the reason why he became known as the most important printer of his era.

After Plantin’s death his son-in-law Jan Moretus took over the firm and today the museum houses the printing offices, workshop, library and printing room, all of which have been preserved in their original state.

This museum is a must see for all lovers of typography and printing. The museum houses an original Gütenberg Bible, the world’s two oldest printing presses, original typographical matrices by Garamond and the first printed Atlas. If this doesn’t get you weak at the knees – which it should, there are over 30 rooms filled with beautiful printing archives, artworks and printing equipment.

The museum also organises workshops on printing techniques and typography and seems to be very child friendly.

Photos by Design Loving and Iwona Marczak

{ DL Loves }

I’m back from a very spur of the moment week of travelling and it was fabulous! There is nothing better than spending time with fabulous friends and discovering amazing places together. This week it’s back to blogging and I’ve got some cool things I’d like to share with you, so watch this space!

Photos by Design Loving

{ The Grand Beguinage }

During the 13th and 14th Centuries Beguinages were religious communities where women devoted themselves to prayer and good works. Their homes were clustered together on the outskirts of the city where they attended to the poor. Unlike nuns the Beguines didn’t take vows and were still able to earn an income, own private property and leave the Beguinage whenever they chose.

The city of Leuven in Belgium is home to two Beguinages that are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Grand Beguinage in Leuven is breathtakingly beautiful. When you walk through its walled entrance it feels like you’ve uncovered a secret: a village within a city fitted with cobblestone streets, squares, gardens and dozens of houses. Between 1964 and 1989 the Catholic University of Leuven restored this Beguinage and it now houses students and university staff. Can you imagine living there!?

Photos by Design Loving

{ Hello 2012 }

We’re back from an awesome family vacation in Australia. Got to see Sydney for the first time, which was totally amazing, and had a super road trip all the way from Melbourne, through Sydney and Brisbane to Noosa. Now I’m ready for 2012 – Bring it on!

Photos by Design Loving

{ Cologne Christmas Markets }

Over the weekend we took a trip to Cologne, Germany to visit their historic Christmas markets. It was such a magical experience and I’d definitely recommend it. Germany’s Christmas markets are renowned for their old world charm and traditional German craftwork. On top of this they serve a superb range of delectable German delicacies, from baked apples to hot chestnuts, bratwurst, potato pancakes, gingerbread biscuits, chocolate and mulled wine to name a few. It’s the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit. Here is a link to a very comprehensive site about the different markets. It really is a must see!

Photos by Design Loving

{ Crumpled City Maps }

Exploring the streets of Antwerp the other day, I found myself in utter embarrassment as I tried to figure out where I was on a map twice my size. The wind was blowing, the map was all over the place and it felt like I was screaming to the world: “Look everyone I’m a lost tourist”. I tried to act cool and get the map back in my bag in one swift, confident motion and get to where I was heading…but no…I couldn’t get the damn map to fold on its original creases. The map and I were going at it head to head.

You can imagine my sheer excitement when I discovered Crumpled City Maps. Oh, how wonderful, a map that you can crumple up, chuck in your bag, get wet and find all the hot spots in the city. Sounds perfect. It might drive some people crazy, but I love it! What do you think? Do you like your maps neatly folded or would you love to be able to chuck a map in your bag too?

Spanish Friday : { San Sebastian }

I’m dreaming of San Sebastian… With our journey in Spain almost at an end I’m reminiscing about all the beautiful places we’ve seen and San Sebastian is most definitely on top of my list. It has the most exquisite scenery, the most charming cobblestone alleys and the best tapas by far. So, if you ever find yourself in Spain, do yourself a favour and take a weekend trip up north to Basque country.

Photos by Design Loving

Spanish Friday : { Camino de Santiago }

One of my friends recently walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. It’s traditionally known as the way of St. James, and is a popular catholic pilgrimage that has existed for over 1000 years. Today it is walked by people from all over the world, religious or not, for different spiritual reasons or personal goals. The end destination of the pilgrimage is Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain and there are various routes throughout Europe from which to choose, ranging from 1000km to just over 100km.

My friend Martin walked the French route and started his journey in León. The journey was just over 300km long, and by the sounds of it an absolutely amazing experience. A pilgrimage such as this is hard to put in words as it is such a deeply personal experience, but the stories he documented during and after his journey had me in awe. From moments of extreme silence and isolation to wonderful friendships he made along the way, from pain and exhaustion to serenely beautiful Spanish landscapes and villages, from endless kilometers into nowhere to the joy of reaching his destination.  It truly sounded like a wonderful adventure! Below are some of the amazing photos that document part of his journey, but to read some of his stories you can visit his travel blog here.

Which adventure have you dreamt of going on? I’d love to hear about it.




Photos by Martin Botha