Tag Archives: makes me smile

A Heart A Day #10

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It’s Gay Pride in Amsterdam, so for today’s heart from me to you I thought I’d stick to the colours of the rainbow. This heart turned into my morning meditation, then got me into a drawing-flow.

Gay Pride and compassion are an interesting duo, I think. We celebrate that everyone has the right to be who he or she wants to be, no matter what sexuality. Pretty compassionate. Yet so many people have something to say about some other’s sexuality. Judgement seems to be around the corner. Especially on days like these.
But what if all people judging others would start with themselves? If they would start to feel, listen to themselves. Would they maybe be surprised to hear a total new story, to see a whole new picture, that isn’t influenced by parents, friends, neighbours, isn’t influenced by someone else’s story and opinion? Would that make them more compassionate? In my ideal world, yes, it would.

10

[I love love and I love hearts! But oh, there’s too little of it, this world needs more love. So let’s change that, step by step. Away with pessimism. Away with hate. Let’s fill this world with love. And hearts. To show compassion towards each other, towards the planet, towards ourselves. It proves to be difficult for so many of us. But instead of judging it’s more meaningful to show love, to respond with love, to act out of love. Say it with hearts.

I’m sharing A Heart A Day. Homemade. Every day I will create a heart and post it on this blog. Will you help me make love and hearts spread like a contagious but healthy disease?]

A Heart A Day #8

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A chocolate-sprinkle heart today!
Be kind to yourself, you deserve a treat; this one life you, presumably, have…why be hateful to yourself and others, if all we are is human and we all have been given one life to live. Why not choose to spend time enjoying it, your life. It would be a waste to spend all your days being hard on yourself, judging others, comparing yourself to others. Why live a dissatisfied life if you could choose kindness? Treat yourself and others frequently; give away a smile, share your chocolate bar and do this consciously. You’ll get so much more in return.

8

[I love love and I love hearts! But oh, there’s too little of it, this world needs more love. So let’s change that, step by step. Away with pessimism. Away with hate. Let’s fill this world with love. And hearts. To show compassion towards each other, towards the planet, towards ourselves. It proves to be difficult for so many of us. But instead of judging it’s more meaningful to show love, to respond with love, to act out of love. Say it with hearts.

I’m sharing A Heart A Day. Homemade. Every day I will create a heart and post it on this blog. Will you help me make love and hearts spread like a contagious but healthy disease?]

About a Discodipped and starry night

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Last week I celebrated my birthday. I turned 31 but celebrated like I hadn’t even reached 13 yet. Growing up is something I’ll save for later.
I celebrated my birthday with a group of lovely people that I feel blessed to have in my life and call my friends. The theme was DiscoDip, after my favourite ice cream decoration.

Ice cream1

This accidental Discodip picture I took a couple of years ago. Copyrights by me, 2014.

I bet all my friends stressed out at the thought of a theme. That was the only true reason I decided to go with a theme – to make them feel a little awkward. And also the fact that Discodip is just too good and colourful to be true. It really makes me happy!

We met up at the TonTonClub in Amsterdam’s Red Light district. No red ears or under-age warnings needed; TonTon Club is kind of a modern game arcade where you can play Jenga or get lost in a car race (never ending if you keep on feeding the machine coins) and dive in a ball pit. You can also watch the prostitutes from a safe distance if visiting them is too much for you, guys.

Like any 13 or 31 year old probably wouldn’t… I made party bags for my friends. The kind my mother used to make for my birthday parties when I really was young. With a candy heart, confetti, a weird-shaped eraser and a lucky star. Because I love my friends, I love to give and I love to show my gratitude. The lucky stars I made myself and I added a little message to them before I folded them. Unless they’ve all unfolded their stars, they still don’t know what’s written on it.

So here it is, my message to you ‘unfolded’:


“Be the DiscoDip to someone’s icecream”. That’s the loveliest thing you can be: colourful, happy and full of love. And to share that is spreading it, like a colourful love-virus. So I won’t stop you from spreading. Enjoy!

If you want to fold Lucky Stars – it’s pretty easy! I just don’t like to write out the instructions so here’s a link to someone else who already did write the instructions down for you.

This ain’t tree-hugging

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While I sat down to write you a new post, I realised yesterday marked 6 months of Tessie’s Projects. Hurrah! And before I’ll continue putting down today’s figments, I want to say a very big THANK YOU. To all of you, where ever you are, taking the time to sit down and read the weird stuff escaping my brain. I honestly appreciate it.

One of the reasons for me to write this blog is so I can share happy moments and contentment. I like to tell about such experiences, hoping they put smiles on other faces too. And by writing about it – I’ve noticed – I learn to appreciate it even more.
Every day I hope for tiny moments and gestures that brighten up my day. Well, it’s not really hoping – the more I’m open for it, the more they seem to happen. These moments, I’ve come to realise, give me an extra boost when caused by connecting to total strangers. No matter how short the moment or how small the gesture.

I wondered about it for a while, about the why, but I think I know now.

In this massive and individual world we live in, there’s hardly any room left for acts of kindness and simple but true contact with our fellow humans. Apart from friends and family. But greeting someone in the streets, making eye-contact, a smile when passing by. They are the tiniest things, yes. But they make my day, always. The other day, strolling around the park, me and an old man almost bumped into each other. You know the awkward moment, when you both move in the same direction and then again… Often, myself included, this causes frowns and some sighing. This time our eyes met and we both laughed out loud. I took a big step to the right, to let him pass. We greeted each other. And that was it. A small thing, yet a moment to put in the 2015 Jar. Something we tend to take for granted. A situation we often allow to cause irritation. But there’s no need for irritation, is there? These moments may take 3 seconds off our time. Grab it with both hands and you’ll gain a big smile from it. Live these 3 seconds to the fullest and you’ll actually see this other person: how rare is that, huh? A person who, just like you, lives on this planet, breathes – or at least, you hope they do –, has a heart just like you and the ability to smile. Just like you.

Try it and soon you’ll realise it’s pure bliss. These little moments of contact, sharing a smile – for free! No judgement, because that ain’t necessary. Just two fellow humans. Passing by. Being aware and sharing a little piece of their heart. That’s all. And it’s no tree-hugging stuff.

After the nearly-bumped-into moment, I made a heart out of paper. And turned it into confetti. Confetti is always a good idea. My opinion. A confetti heart is a heart filled with feast and joy. A confetti heart is one big heart divided into many pieces you can share with others.

Scatter your confetti heart

Our hearts are our own, but sharing pieces of it with others will only make it stronger.
Make your heart a confettied one and scatter freely – it’s good and you know it!

 

[ the confetti heart I made, now has a double meaning. it is a huge thanks, right from my heart, to all of you ]

Obsessive love

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Dear reader, I’m in love! Or maybe “obsessed” is more accurate. The lucky bastard: Dick Vincent. A Manchester-based illustrator – whose work you may have seen in Flow Magazine par exemple – that won my heart about a year ago with his watercolour-illustrations. And since then I follow him where ever he goes: Instagram, Etsy, facebook… *sighs*
I’m drooling all over his work and desperately heart every picture he posts to Instagram. But when he posted the new print of “The Log Lady” from Twin Peaks (the series is returning in 2016!) he really set me on fire. Whoooosh! I mean, that clearly means he and I are meant to be – if he loves Twin Peaks and its characters then I don’t need any more proof.

Twin Peaks' Log Lady by Dick Vincent

Twin Peaks’ Log Lady by Dick Vincent

But before Dick Vincent is requesting a restraining order to stop me from getting any nearer, let me be clear: I’m exaggerating of course. However, I do love his work immensely. The dry sense of humour, a certain love for pets and other animals, simple yet (mostly) colourful and detailed – I can’t stop looking at him, er…it. With his amazing fantasy Vincent – who graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007, having studied Illustration with Animation – always manages to put a smile on my face.

The best people love cats and dogs. Another of Vincent's prints.

The best people love cats and dogs. Another of Vincent’s prints.

In the new year (currently December-broke even though it’s only November) I’m gonna treat myself to the fantastic print of the Twin Peaks‘ Log Lady. Excited already! Dick also showed us a little painting of Twin Peaks director David Lynch on his blog, so I’m hopeful this means the start of a Twin Peaks series of portraits. I would love to have Cooper, Harold the Orchid man, Andy, Lucy , Leo “New Shoes” and Nadine on my wall too. Do it for me Dickie, do it for me!
If not, I’ll expand my Vincent-collection with the pictures of Mark Twain and his marvellous friends. All is fine by me, really Dick. Just promise me to never give up on illustrating. And tell me you love me… my! Christmas cards too.

Who doesn't want this Peruvian farmer and his larma on the wall?

Who doesn’t want this Peruvian farmer and his larma on the wall?

 

 

Saturday work-out

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A funny sign which I spotted at Broadway Market.

This is my idea of a work-out. No sweat. Well, maybe a little when at first you can’t find your purse. And you feel lighter – or, at least your bag does. Instantly.

Hurrah!