it seems like eons ago, but last summer i spent some time in amsterdam, but i couldn’t chat about it because i was on a special assignment for anthology magazine to cover the city, so it was a bit on the hush-hush. but the new issue of anthology is out, and my story lives on its pretty pages, so now i can tell you what a wonderful trip it was! the story includes a shopping & dining reference guide, in case you happen to be headed to amsterdam anytime soon, including the amazing 9 straatjes (or 9 streets) — blocks and blocks of some of the best cafes, boutiques and vintage shops i’ve ever come across.

these photos above and in anthology magazine were photographed by marjon hoogervorst, but i took a whole bunch of my own as well, so i’ve been hankering to share just how beautiful amsterdam really is with you for a while now! for the full article, check out the latest issue of anthology, and you can subscribe here. you can also see all my photographs from the trip here on flickr.

i absolutely love this home of fashion stylist kirsten hermann. effortlessly chic, in that thrown together european way i can’t get enough of, and have a hard time pulling off myself. how do they do it? i like the uncluttered rooms, with very few mid-century modern furniture pieces, and that the focus seems to be on the large format photos kirsten’s framed and displayed like a modern gallery. simple, and perfectly elegant.

• photos via freunde von freunden.

i’m still feeling a bit tongue-tied these past few days, and finding it difficult to dive in and blog, but i do have loads of photos to share with you from my trip to new york city.  there are so many (i took a ton!), that i thought i’d share them in groups with you. this set is from around the west village where we were staying at joanna’s apartment of a cup of jo’s. not only was her apartment (below) fabulous, it was like we were dropped into the best neighborhood ever. here’s a look!

i’m such a fan of the blog suitcase confessions, and since i’m soon headed out of town, i am inspired by his pairings once again. tim works as a Principal lecturer in Design and a freelance stylist based in the UK, and has exquisite taste. these images are of treasures and trinkets brought back from tim’s travels over the years, prompted by his rather wonderful habit of photographing everything that he’s unpacked from his journeys on his bed, before putting them away.

i think i’d like to try some of these pairings upon my return from new york – sharing my travel treasures along side photos of how they end up living in my home. i shared tim falle’s photo diptychs once before here, and now let’s a take a peek at suitcase confessions’ latest stylish souvenirs. i think he’s so inspirational when it comes to collecting a multitude of things, but displaying them in such an uncluttered and magnificent way!

this week, i thought i’d share with you a few of the snaps i was able to capture at the altitude design summit. honestly, i’d hoped to shoot many, many more, but i was either so busy, or had a glass of wine occupying my hand (after all, it was just one big party) that my vision just didn’t happen, or was somewhat blurry when it did! but here’s a glimpse at some of your favorite design bloggers having fun at alt!

oh, and check back later this morning for a detailed alt summit round-up.

hello, miss bonney.

erin kicks back.

allison, nicole, jaime & karey kick it off.

nicole and jaime share their design favorites.

effervescent and charming erin.

oh hey, it’s a very happy me.

erin, joy & jaime go hollywood.

nicole definitely makes it lovely.

erin, joy & jaime work the red carpet.

san francisco-based artist lisa congdon never ceases to amaze me with her prolific creativity. and in typical fashion, lisa’s off to another inspiring year, with her latest project ‘a collection a day 2010′. lisa is going to photograph, paint or draw her many collections and is documenting them here, on her new blog, a collection a day.

i love this idea — and i wish i’d come up with it! but she has inspired me to try and shoot something, or at the very least do something creative every day. now, i just need to figure out what! here’s a peek at lisa’s collections, just after a few days into it. i like to think of her first shot, of the erasers on january 1 as a metaphor for erasing all the negative in 2009 and starting fresh in 2010. simple and amazing! to follow lisa’s more of inspiration and see what she has posted to date, visit ‘a collection a day 2010′.