Minibibo - mini white sculptures from Hamburg

Tonight I writing a post, I have been wanting to write for ages. Do you remember the white dinner in Hamburg?  I discovered the Minibibo during the white dinner as they were decorating the big table just next to mine. The "Minibibo Miniaturen" are a creation of Sylke Fischöder alias dekofysch. These white sculptures are kept under a cloche and illuminated with LED and the light intensity can be controlled by a remote control. This one is calles "Scene to eat"  This one is called "Speisenaufzug" (Food Elevator)

and this one is my favorite one: It is called the "Hamburger Kessel" (Hamburg Kettel). It just looks cute and poetic with all the animals, but it is based on a true story. Kettling is a police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations. It involves the formation of large  cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a limited area. Protesters are left only one choice of exit, determined by the police, or are completely prevented from leaving. During a demonstration by anti-nuclear protestors in Hamburg on 8 May 1986, Hamburg Police cordoned approximately 800 people into a "kettle" for several hours. The sculpture is a poetic reference to this political event.

If you like this sculpture, you can get in touch with Sylke, through her Facebook Fanpage: Minibibo on Facebook

Last September bouquet - a musical post

Dear friends and readers, I wanted to share a song with you from this new band, we discovered lately with Mr. Love. This Australian singing duo is called "The Jane Austen argument" and the song is called under the rainbow: [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/20678398" iframe="true" /]

So I suggest, you listen to this beautiful song while having a look at my new flower composition. I wish you all a great week-end! PS: the lovely little vase with the stars is not vintage, it is from the lovely Danish label Miss étoile .

 

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toc-toc-toc! or why curiosity is wonderful sometimes.

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Do you know the French magazine toc-toc-toc! ? toc-toc-toc! is the French way of saying knock knock and it also a new French magazine from Sophie Denux, exploring the interior of creative people.I received lately the 6th issue of the magazine from the online shop Line+Liv, the only retailer in Germany. Don't worry if you can't speak French: The magazine comes with a little booklet with the translated interviews in English. I love the size of the magazine (17 x 24 cm) and the beautiful photos inside. The idea is not new, I have been a fan for a long from the publications of the Japanese editor Paumes, showing the interior of creative people or family in different countries of the world. Online I also love The Selby and the German FvF. But let's have a look at toc-toc-toc! tonight!

In this issue, there is a portrait of

  • the French stylist Aurélie Lécuyer and her home in the countryside next to Nantes.
  • Valérie Gentil from the French online grocery shop beau et bon
  • Charlotte Desmullier & Elise Durand Wallon from the French label Rockmafia
  • The dutch label TAS-KA

Photography: Sophie Denux

 

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The best way to prepare a trip: Wallpaper City Guides

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We are currently preparing a trip to Benelux at the end of October. Actually, we will not do the Lux part of it and will go and explore the Netherlands and Belgium.We will start in Antwerp, then go to Brussels and visit friends and then visit some other friends in Amsterdam. For me a city trip is always a good reason for buying a new Wallpaper City Guide from the fantastic "Phaidon Verlag". For me they are the best companion for visiting a new City. They take you to hidden and cool places and show you the favorite bars and restaurants from people actually living in the city. This is not the guide you need if you want a description of the Cathedral and other typical landmarks of a city - but thank to a Wallpaper guide, we discovered straight away the designer district of Kyoto and a fabulous boutique hotel in Barcelona.  The guides are very affordable, as they cost 7,80 € on amazon and are usually available in English and German. The format is ideal and fits in any bag. Last but not least, they look fantastic on your shelf and just make you want to have them all! The photos are very minimalistic and very stylish. Here are a couple of photos from the Amsterdam and the Antwerp guides. The one from Brussels is arriving next week. Yeah!

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Globe story

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Yesterday I went to a very good flea market in Hamburg the "Turmweg" flea market which takes place twice a year in Hamburg. I felt in love with a beautiful new globe to complete my  globe collection.I think collecting globes is a sensible and natural collection for expat and international minds like Mr. Love and myself. I reminds me that we still have so much to discover and so many countries to travel to. I like the fact that our globes come from Eastern Europe (one from Russia, one from Poland and one from the Czech Republic). The one we found Yesterday is from the former GDR. The guy who sold it to us revealed us a fun fact if you want to know if a globe comes from the former German Democratic Republic. Here is how it goes: You have to look for Taiwan and if it's a socialist globe, it will written: "von den USA okkupiert": "Occupied by the USA"! I don't only have a physical globe collection. I also have a virtual one on pinterest: LOVEly globes, if you want to pay me a visit there. So here is the new globe with someone trying to hide behind it: If you look at the centre of the picture, you will see the communist detail:

Here are some other globes from my collection:

I think a collection reveals a lot about yourself. What about you? What are you collecting?

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My new reversible blue bag

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Here is my new pretty home-made project with some beautiful fabric I brought back from my stay in Lyon.I know it is not very seasonal and I need to wait for some good weather to wear it: means no rain...which happens sometimes in Hamburg! but it was so easy and quick to make: It jus took me one evening after work and I love the fabric.  I hope you had a good week so far. Talk to you soon.

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Morgenthau - absolutely beautiful shop!

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Morgenthau is one of the lovely lovely interior design shops in Hamburg that madame love is in love with! The shop owner used to work as a stylist for the advertising industry - and she definitely has a sharp eye for what works and what doesn't. This shop is just cinematographic, and each corner tells a story.I love the atmosphere inside the shop and the beautiful dark colour of the walls. At Morgenthau, you will find some expensive as well as some affordable design pieces, furniture, interior accessories and lamps. The style of the shop makes me think of the brilliant British interior designer Abigail Ahern and her love for dark backgrounds. You should go to Morgenthau if you are looking for something unusual for your interior. One thing I can assure you: you will not think that you have seen the things in the shop in 50 other interior design shops before. When I visited the shop on Saturday, I had a very nice talk with the shop owner who had just come back from Paris where she visited the biggest interior design fair "maison & objet" and she told me that she ordered some pretty cool stuff there, and I should come back to visit the shop again with the new decoration - and I can tell you: I can't wait. This shop is like a film set - it tells a story one day, and a completely different one on the next day.

Morgenthau Facebook Fanpage Weidenalle 4 20357 Hamburg Mo. - Fr. : 11:00 - 19:00 Sat.            : 11:00 - 16:00

Another perfect Sunday

Today was a little summer bonus after the grey weather we had last week - and it definitely had some of the ingredients that make a "perfect sunday"!I went to flea market around the corner of my flat - and even I didn't come back with a treasure this time, it was still very inspiring to walk around in the sunny Sunday afternoon.

On my way back I decided to take a couple of photos from my lovely front garden and its beautiful Hydrangea. I especially love them when their colours start fading.

and my neighbour invited me to take pictures directly in the garden! This may sound like a detail, but I was soooo happy he asked me that. It is another example of something that wouldn't have happen to me without my blog. So here is a picture of the little on the fountain, protecting my building.

 and oh! I almost forgot. As yesterday was the last day of my first giveaway, and I am happy to announce that the lovely Masumi has been randomly chosen and is the happy winner of the beautiful nighty Lilly. So I hope you had some highlights today too. I wish you a wonderful week.

 

red carnation trio

So - now I am back from my short stay in France. I stayed in Lyon and visited some dear friends and my cousin and spent the weekend in the Auvergne for the wedding of my oldest friend. It was really nice!The first thing I did when I came back was buying flowers. You know me! I think that a flat always looks a bit sad when you come back from a holiday and flowers are the best antidote against sadness! I used the pretty vases I bought in the lovely Lieblingszimmer shop and decorated one of them with some washi tape. I am usually not a big fan of carnations but I really got inspired by the intensity of their colours and I used the wonderful French fabric from Petit Pan as a backdrop for my pictures.

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Let's picnic

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This week, I took part in the third round of "Post aus meiner Küche": The food swap project organised by Clara, Jeanny and Rike.The motto of the last edition was Very Berry, and you can read my post here. This time the motto was "Let's picnic". I find it pretty inspiring: the last picnic of the season on the biggest virtual blanket. I decided to go French and do some madeleines (sweet and savory) & meringues (for the first time in my life! - usually my mum is the meringue queen.).So here are a couple of pictures of the little picnic basket, I put together for Sophia from Munich. I am looking forward to receiving post from Munich!

THE SAVORY MADELEINES IN THE BENTO BAG: 

I thought that the madeleines wouldn't look nice in a simple tupperware, so I decided to sew them a little Japanese bento bag - a bento is a Japanese lunch box. As I used some Swedish fabric from Lotta Jansdotter and some british fabric from Liberty of London, I call it my Scandinavian - British - Japanese creation.

THE SWEET BLUEBERRY MADELEINES:

THE MERINGUES:

THE PACKAGING:

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Mexican flowers with DIY vases

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When I see bright green, pink or yellow, that always reminds me of mexican paintings, of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.I have loved the Arizona Green Tea bottles for ages, so when I discovered the paloma lemonade can at my local supermarket, I had the idea of this colorful flower arrangement - the mexican way - and why not listening to some Mexican music, while reading this post?

Lhasa de Sela - El Desierto

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12034327" iframe="true" /]

my perfect sunday: a little giveaway

Last week I told you about my new discovery in Eppendorf; Wiebke's lovely shop my perfect sunday.Today I would like to offer my readers a little giveaway from this charming shop: the nightie "Lilly" is the perfect outfit to spend the perfect sunday. Lilly is from Wiebke's nightwear and homewear label Crisp. This elegant white nightgown is made out of organic cotton and is available in the sizes 34 to 44 and is worth € 119.

All you have to do is to leave me a comment under this post and tell me what are your ingredients for a perfect Sunday by September 15, midnight CET. The winner will be picked at random on September 16 and informed by e-mail. The winner will be able to pick up the nightie in her size in the shop if she lives in Hamburg, or alternatively will receive it by post.

For me a perfect Sunday can be a brunch with my friends, spending the afternoon with my sewing machine, having a chat with my family on skype, cooking something delicious. What about you?

madame love wishes you the best of luck!

★★★★★ UPDATE★★★★★16.09.2012★★★★★THE CONTEST IS OVER!★★★★★Thank you for your participation!

The comment number 6 has won! The lovely Masumi will look gorgeous in her new nightie from the label Crisp. She is also lucky enough to pick up herself the giveaway at my perfect Sunday in Eppendorf and get to know the charming Wiebke in person! Congratulations Masumi - I have sent you a private e-mail with the details.

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Manoir & Palazzo

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On the front door of this shop in Hamburg Eppendorf on Lehmweg 29, you will see the sign Manoir, but in reality, this shop is also called Palazz0.Palazzo is an antique shop which was founded in Hamburg in 1985 and specialises in wonderful vintage luggage. Palazzo was situated in the city centre of Hamburg and recently moved to the Lehmweg and joined the shop Manoir. Manoir is specialised in trompe l'oeil painting and restoration of antique furnitures. At Palazzo & Manoir , you will find some delightfully restored French and English antiques, some great swedish gustavian chairs and beautiful suitcases. This shop gives a fresh look at antiques as it is completely painted in a green neon colour that really lets the vintage Louis Vuitton suitcases and the old leather cricket balls shine. Have a  look for yourself and go treasure hunting:

 

Website: Manoir / Palazzo Lehmweg 29 20251 Hamburg Mo. – Fr. : 11:00 – 19:00 Sat.            : 11:00 – 16:00

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My perfect Sunday

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Last weekend I made a discovery that I want to share with you. I met Wiebke and discovered her lovely shop in the Isestrasse 86 in Hamburg, Eppendorf: My perfect Sunday. She asked herself: what makes a perfect Sunday? It can be a trip to the countryside, time with your family or time for yourself. Sunday is a day that tells stories about yourself. Sunday is all about taking a break.

My perfect Sunday in Hamburg has understood this concept and offers a range of objects from all over Europe and overseas that help you tell your story of your perfect Sunday and make your home more homely and cosy.

 

Wiebke also sells her own home and nightwear collection “crisp” in her shop, with dresses, trousers, shirts, coats and boleros. The soft colours: white, powder or light grey are beautiful and they are made of a very soft organic cotton.

As I am French, I was attracted first by products from French brands such as “La cerise sur le gâteau” from the French designer Anne Hubert. She knows how to combine lovely toile de jouy print or Liberty fabric with neon screenprinting.

You can also find products from British designer Abigael Ahern, such as her famous bulldog lamp that I also saw for the first time in Germany.

So if you are looking for selective and exclusive design and homewear fashion, My perfect Sunday is definitely a place you should visit while in Hamburg.  In the coming weeks there will be some very cool give-aways from “My perfect Sunday” to win on my blog, so stay tuned!

My Perfect Sunday Isestrasse 86 20149 Hamburg

 

Green variation

Today on my way back from work I was in the mood for a new flower arrangement. I really don't like flowers that come directly out of the greenhouse. I prefer them a bit wild. It reminds me of my parent's garden in the French countryside, or of a bunch of fresh flowers you bring back with you from a walk in the woods. It is very frustrating to live in the city and to have to pay for flowers you would just find on a road at the border of a field if you were living outside the city ... but there you go, in most flower shops you can still find "wild" flowers that are usually used to complete a bunch of colourful flowers at a moderate price. I like them just like that - I think they are just beautiful by themselves.

My little assistant #4 - Flowers are the best

So, now that we had a little break from my cat series, here comes n°4 - the classic one. As you all now, Cheddar's favorite things remain the flowers. He is always very excited when I come home carrying a bunch of them and he always feels the need to smell them. At the beginning, it kind of annoyed me, when I was trying to take my pictures, but now it became a tradition and every time, he sees my camera and some flowers, he jumps on the kitchen table for the photo shooting.So here are a some examples:

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White dinner in Hamburg

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Yesterday I took part in my first white dinner in Hamburg and it was an incredible experience. I spent the evening with a very international crowd coming from all around the world: I had friends at my table from Japan, India, Germany, Portugal, Albania, Mexico and Serbia! Just a sample of the lovely people I met through the Girl Gone International network in Hamburg. We were in the middle of about 5.000 people having dinner outside together. What a feeling!Here are couple of photos I took last night. First is a picture of my friend Merry Merret, who put so much effort into organising our international table: Thanks Merret for this very special evening! That was just magical!

My little assistant part#2 - the interior design cat

Good morning, so here comes the second post of the cheddy series. I am slowly transforming into the crazy cat lady, but I got very inspired...I want to show you today that a cat can be useful. Here are a couple of fotos, I took in my flat in the last couple of month:

1- Cheddar loves trying any king of chair or stool, just to check if it is comfi:

2- here comes Cheddar, the famous ipad holder:

3- and here is the cat lamp: