Tiptoe.. Through the Tulips

On the other side of the globe, where the weather is a bit cooler, gardens are a different story. Last year we were able to see the Keukenhof International Flower Exhibition in Holland in all its glory. I say "able to see" because Keukenhof is only open in the spring time--from late March to late May every year. The rest of the year, it is closed.

But what's with the clashing colors?

Keukenof is the largest spring garden in the world covering 32 hectares, with over 4 million tulip bulbs in 100 different varieties.

I loved seeing the tulips, but I didn't like that the tulip beds were planted randomly--meaning the colors were not matching. It would've been more attractive if there was some order to colors. For example, cool colors together and warm ones together, or maybe all pastels grouped together, and then all bright ones grouped together.  I would group them depending on hue, on tonal value, and then also on degree of saturation. It's just basic color theory.  But what am I saying?--these people are the experts, they probably have their own reasons.

We spent a whole afternoon here because there was lots for the girls to do. There was a playground with contraptions that were new to them.

Then there was a petting zoo with animals like furry ponies, furry chickens, goats, rabbits, a calf...

furry chickens!

And scattered around the park were different things to explore like a maze, a twig tunnel and a zip line.

There were also many areas for lazing around like these bales of hay doubling as lounging beds.

And there were also down cushions scattered on one part of the lawn, with people were napping on them.

Food was available from food carts--at least that's all we saw because we came late in the afternoon. The cafeterias were all closed by this time. But the grilled sausage from the cart was delicious!

Keukenhof was started by a group of Dutch growers who wanted to showcase the flowers of Amsterdam. It has now become the most famous tourist destination in the area--oh, and the website says it's the most photographed tourist site in the world. Hmm, I wonder how they concluded that?

If you are from a climate that is hospitable to tulips, you can actually order tulips while you are here (or even online I think) and they will send the bulbs to you in the fall so that they can be ready for the next spring.  I understand they ship all over the world. Unfortunately for us, these  tulips will never survive here!

Sissy Boy Homeland

In Amsterdam last summer, we came across this concept store called Sissy-boy Homeland. Strange name for a store and it was at the basement of a little mall. I could see houseware from the first floor so I went down the escalator and was pleasantly surprised.

The store had clothes, toys, fun retro stuff, and then a houseware section like Pottery Barn. There were plates, glasses, knickknacks, and then even furniture and chandeliers! I loved the look of the store and but what struck me were the chandeliers because I wanted one for my dining room. I took some photos for my file until a salesperson told me it wasn't allowed.

Good thing I snapped enough. I couldn't find a chandelier I liked locally so I had one made. It didn't come out exactly how I envisioned it, but I like it a lot still. I have tons of chandelier photos and I'd like to think I finally know what I like about each one--from the silhouette of the chandelier, to the shape of the crystals.  I also love that chair above and realized it a recurring theme in most of my design file photos.