Part three has just started!
plural noun: human rights
a right which is believed to belong to every person.
“a flagrant disregard for basic human rights”
……………………………………………………………………………….
We’re back on the block… And it took us about 6 months…
You know why?
Well, some things in live can’t be controlled…
There are things that can surprise you unexpectedly…
and not always in a kind or pleasant way…
Unpleasant, nerve-wrecking, very stressful and sad,
yes it was… but nothing compared to the thousands
and thousands of refugees-families waiting for a better life.
There is this wonderful initiative of our friends,
TRUE ART OF GIVING,
and they thought it was a good idea
to start their auction today… December 10th
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY…
to help the refugees who are stucked,
sometimes already for years, on an island.
The island Lesbos in Greece.
We happen to be the lucky ones…
At least lucky in having the basic necessities of life.
We live in a beautiful warm home in a safe area,
and we have clothes to wear and enough food to eat
and the kids have the privilege to go to school, five days a week.
Enough toys to play with and we are surrounded by
our dearest friends and families…
Something millions of people can’t say… and without making us feel guilty,
we would just want us all to be grateful of what we ‘do’ have
and help out where we can. Even a little small thing or gesture will help.
Anything!
So, what can you do? Well…
We would love you to follow this beautiful initiative
TRUE ART OF GIVING
from today on… If you didn’t already…
It is a collective of brands, makers & shops
trying to master the art of giving this holiday season.
They’ve joined hands and are putting together
an auction with all your favourite christmas gifts.
Beautiful gifts from small businesses,
with a big heart for the environment
are available and selected for you.
And the total amount which will be raised,
will be donated 100% (yes yes!)
to BECAUSE WE CARRY
and will reach ‘the families in need’ directly!
This third auction will take place from today on,
Monday 10th until Thursday 13th 23:59 p.m.
Every item will be posted one by one
at TRUE ART OF GIVING‘s Instagram account.
So go check it out… This is the fun part!
And believe us,
it will fulfill all your christmas shopping dreams 😉
And at the same time we learn the ‘TRUE ART OF GIVING!’
The best of both worlds…
Thank you all so so much! Very much appreciated!
Illustrations by Roos Mertens
p.s. If you would like to read more detailed about it.
We wrote a story last year in December
about this ‘beautiful warm smart initiative’.
True Art Of Giving
Last Friday, ‘the festive month of the year’ has started.
Something a lot of people are looking forward to.
Especially kids…
Obviously most of them will receive quite some gifts.
The lucky ones…
Sadly enough, there are way too many families
whose priority isn’t gifts or parties at all.
There’s where I feel the story of ‘the little match girl’
by Hans Christian Andersen big time.
The very very unfair part…
Their primary and essential need is food and warm clothes.
Images we saw a lot over the years,
but what we don’t realize enough, that it is still going on.
And with this cold weather
we don’t want to think about
how it must feel to feel cold in a refugee camp,
where they arrived after a horrible journey.
Everything is better than that they were running from…
But if you have to decide to leave your roots an your country,
with your (little)kids, not knowing where you’re going,
that’s heartbreaking!
And the understandable reaction is to look away.
It’s too hard to see. But if we don’t do anything
how can the world cope with that?
And why do others have to fix this.
Stand together! Support the volunteers up there!
We think we have a really good suggestion of support
which might interest you…
TRUE ART OF GIVING
An auction organized on Instagram,
because that particular IG-community
is strong and are aware and will response rapidly.
Founded by our cool friend Britt Hansen.
TRUE ART OF GIVING…
is a collective of brands, makers & shops
trying to master the art of giving this holiday season.
They’ve joined hands and are putting together
an auction
with all your favourite christmas gifts.
They’ve started out with 15 people, but the collective
expanded in not even two weeks!
to 70 independent business owners who joined.
100% of this auction will be donated to @because_we_carry.
A hands on help organisation that really has our hearts.
They have been working on Lesvos, Greece since 2015.
Tirelessly helping refugees in every possible way.
The TRUE ART OF GIVING collective
would like to create some awareness
on how we spend our money during the holiday season.
In the Netherlands alone we have spend
13 billion euros on christmas in 2016…
…on gifts, fashion & extravagant diners.
It’s not the idea to judge you on how you celebrate your holidays.
But the collective would like to take a little spin on
how to spend those 13 billion and help others while we are at it.
We think it the best of both worlds!
Beautiful gifts from small businesses,
with a big heart for the environment
are available and selected for you.
And the total amount which will be raised,
will be donated 100% (yes yes!)
to BECAUSE WE CARRY
and will reach the families in need directly.
The first auction will take place this upcoming December 6th!.
Every item will be posted one by one at TRUE ART OF GIVING.
And believe us, it will fullfill all your christmas shopping dreams 😉
And the best thing…,
by even getting your hands on
a beautiful gift for Christmas…,
is THE GIFT OF GIVING, which is the best feeling.
So please share and make sure
we can give all the beautiful families in need,
as much as we can,
through the amazing team of
BECAUSE WE CARRY!
Tag along and start mastering the art of giving
with TRUE ART OF GIVING.
Artwork by: Roos Mertens
Images are from the participating brands.
PS. If you are a shop, brand, maker, dreamer, believer
and you want to be a part of this collective,
please email trueartofgiving@gmail.com
Good vibes only… dream big!
The brilliant Dallas Clayton is an artist…
Not just one to frame in one category.
More detailed, he’s an author,
illustrator, public speaker,
mural painter, and adventure seeker.
Also a skateboarder, father of a son
and friend of the world.
One thing is for sure…
he’s spreading ‘the word’ in beautiful illustrations.
It can be for all different moods,
and it’s all from the heart
with very very very positive vibes.
Without being it way too sweet!
Mister Clayton is helping us through the day.
Good, bad, tough, something to do with love,
happiness, sadness, insecureness,
doubts, thoughts, feelings…
But all in the most positive ways to look towards it.
It can make a total difference… and change your mood instantly…
Anyway, it makes us happy and optimistic all the time.
So we feel he deserves a worldcup
for all the brilliant positive cool vibes he’s sharing!
Follow him… You will get daily FREE peptalks…
THANK YOU MISTER CLAYTON!
WE WILL DREAM BIG, BIG TIME!
Credits: Dallas Clayton
A little tribute to Mr. Bill
BILL CUNNINGHAM,
the legend happy brilliant fashion photographer from NYC.
Famous in his blue french worker jacket…
(or blue winterjacket or blue raincoat)
Cycling through Manhattan (midtown/downtown)…
Photographing all the brilliant details of fashion.
Always waiting for the next fashion statement
to come around the corner!
He has an incredible eye for detail
and is very humble in his acknowledgment of his talent.
“It’s just on the street, it’s not me!”
he said in the wonderful documentary
‘BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK’,
you really have to watch!
After watching this you’ll wish you’ve had met him in real life!
His quotes are as brilliant as his work…
“He who will seeks beauty will find it!”
We can totally relate to that…
It sounds so simple, but you have to have an eye for that.
Sadly this brilliant inspiring Mr. Cunningham,
past away June 25th… at the age of 87.
Working 40 years for the NY times.
How sad they all must feel right now… : (
Well, we’re feeling blue as well…
Even without knowing him personally…
That’s what legends do…
So, some inspiration for the dudes…
In loving memory of
THE LEGEND MR. CUNNINGHAM.
…
All images in this moodboard are from
THE COOL HEADS – PINTEREST
/ Suusies / Aurélie Lecuyer /
/ Sarah Woodrow – smäm /
/ Tokyobike / the fableists /
From Holland with Love! Buggy to-go!
How much we love the warm hearts of initiatives and their volunteers!
The girls from BAG TO THE FUTURE had a wonderful idea last year,
by collecting backpacks for the refugee-kids at the Méditerranean.
Full with love, dreams, joy & happiness.
To at least get a little smile on their face.
They had left everything and had horrible circumstances
before they’d finally arrived in Lesbos.
Such a heartwarming initiative from the girls!
The reality right now is that the amount of refugees
is growing every day. And we’re all waiting for the EU-decisions,
as we speak. Afraid for what it will be.
Bag to the Future got the urgent request from their Breakfastclub partners
(at Moria/Lesbos, Sjanet Heins en Elly Bens)
for something very essential and very much needed …. BUGGY’s!
We can’t even imagine you have to carry your kids, above two years old,
without a carry-bag or let them walk through the horrific journey.
And most of the time they’re traveling with more than one child.
So here is our request to you!
Do you have a BUGGY left which is comfortable enough
to travel with them on their heavy journey to a better life?
So the kids can sleep, stay warm while traveling
and the parents can breathe a little bit.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!
A big preference for ‘the EasyWalker with the big wheels versions’ though.
As you can imagine, it’s needed on tracks with sand and snow.
HERE you will find all the info where to drop of the buggy’s etc.,
the girls keep you posted with the latest updates
and you can communicate through FB with them.
If you don’t have a buggy left but you would like to donate one,
they’re just 25 euro’s, then donate the amount to:
Stichting Bag To The Future: NL34INGB0007102039 t.a.v Buggy to Go
Come on lovely parents, grandparents or other big-hearted people…
HELP US TO MAKE THEM TRAVEL LIGHT!
A MILLION THANKS!
Illustration: Gwenaelle Glotin
Wild Cat
A little while ago…
Mr Cool Head was invited to a #reallywanttogo #event called
“Wild Cats” by
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC X TOMS
in stunning
THE HORTUS, Amsterdam
Couldn’t go there, due to a planned photoshoot,
but daddy cool took some time to go on a date with the dude.
And really happy they did!
It was a fun event for the kids.
Besides looking ‘live’ at the beautiful WILD CATS COLLECTION,
which they’ve designed to support Nat Geo’s critical nonprofit work…
The kids were transformed into WILD CATS…
(Which was, honest to say, more of their interest… ; ) )
Well, with paint on their faces (very professional!)
and an adorable hairpiece, which made them look like tiny little lions.
The lucky little species!
The main reason to organize an event like this was
TO CREATE AWARENESS.
… so, a bit more serious now …
Like many animals in the world,
THE WILD CATS
are disappearing in the wild at an alarming rate.
And this collaboration draws attention
to the critical need of protecting these majestic creatures
for generations to come.
Very sad, but true;
Africa’s lion population has declined 90% in the last 75 years.
There are more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild.
Cheetahs have disappeared from more than 75% of their range.
How can you help?
CAUSE AN UPROAR to save big cats!
High 5 give 5, spread the word,
build a BOMA, save a lion.
Or support in other ways.
You can DONATE directly to the
Big Cats Initiative
Or…
SHOP THE COLLECTION
Each item
in the TOMS and National Geographic’s
Wild Cats Collection
features design elements
representing big cats
as well as iconic photography
from National Geographic’s image library.
And additional to that,
TOMS is always giving away a pair of shoes,
when you buy one from them. ONE for ONE.
We LOVE that about TOMS!
So…
At home I’ve found this tired, don’t mess with me,
‘WILD CAT’.
One of the ‘lucky species’ on the planet…
And captured the moment.
Thanks National Geographic and TOMS
and the TOMS Animal Initiative,
for being so inspiring.
For being so incredible
impressive GOOD for the world.
We’re lucky to have you!
& WE’RE PROUD!
Photography: thecoolheads.com
p.s. you can always go to National Geographic Kids for
activities, games and assignments for
little advocates of big cats ; )
Image by TOMS (NL)
Master of Photography!
Only 24hrs left,
to get the opportunity of a lifetime…
A PHOTOSESSION ,
WITH THIS 5 year old MASTER …
And on top of that
some delicicious ICECREAM
( love it!!!!, it must be his idea )
all in wonderful SEATTLE
Imagine,
there’s a quite celebrated talented National Geographic photographer,
who will take his 4 year old son on a roadtrip through the desert to enjoy
a father & son get-together…
But it happened to be a lifechanging experience…
The dad, Aaron Huey,
was looking for something to do for fun,
while travelling…
Something they would both enjoy…
Along the way
they’ve bought 4 year old Hawkeye
an instant Fuji camera.
Well glad they did…
We looovvveeeeee it!!!!!
Little Hawkeye stole our heart.
As a photographer and mom of a 4 year old myself,
I would dream about something like this to happen.
BOY OH BOY…
The images…
Brilliant!!!!
Analog will always bring something surprising,
something we can’t control.
The angle from where he photographs the subject is so refreshing!
So natural and logical, but yet never ever done like this before.
Well, the rest is history.
There will almost be
HIS FIRST PHOTOBOOK
and you can help!
(big wannahave!)
Watch at KICKSTARTER!
You will see THIS LOVELY VIDEO!
#nowordsneeded
THE COOLEST KICKSTARTER PROJECT EVERRR!
Just 24 hrs left to support this project!
But we know for sure, this is the start of a wonderful career of a cool boy.
Not only because of his amazing photography,
but for for sure of being a cool, nice, intelligent, lovely boy.
Thanks to his lovely cool parents! You rock!
Photography: HAWKEYE HUEY ON IG, DAD ON IG
#tbt HOORAAAYYY!
We did mention it on IG and FB but we forgot to tell you on the blog.
#hahahaaaa #nowordsneeded ;#)
Three weeks ago we won the TALENT AWARD
at the Dutch Mom Blog Awards. YAHOO!!!!!
Couldn’t imagine the feeling and positive vibes!
Very very motivating to move on to the next level.
Meeting very cool creatives, smart-girls,
initiatives and cool brands was so much fun!
A moment away from the APPLE-I-sland
Lovely to meet you all!
We would like to thank the jury;
Bugaboo‘s Eeke van Velzen,
Campina‘s Pinar Erbudak
and JustK‘s Kirsten Jassies
BIG TIME!
Thanks for believing in the different,
contemporary thoughts of a curator.
For taking a closer look…
at the content, the photography, the brands,
the vision and the fun for the cool dudes.
Their thoughts;
“Very strong niche
with a good mix of own and curated content.
Wayward and Quirky. Design is very well translated.
WE SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE!”
A very special thanks to Esther Buitendijk, owner of Blogstreet and urbanmoms,
who’ve made it possible to shine at the Dutch Mom Blog Awards, one of her many initiatives!
Thanks Esther, big time!
Photography: thecoolheads.com (IG)
Graphic/illustration: miss cool, Jasmine Dowling
yes we can!
The last few weeks we felt really uncomfortable
watching the sad images from around the Mediterranean.
All the refugees running from their awful heartbreaking situation.
Where they even try the most dangerous ways to get away.
First it just hits you, but you go on with your daily life.
Thinking about the refugees
and it makes you aware of how lucky you are!
But then you can’t let it go anymore,
seeing all the parents running with their kids.
And then the worst possible;
the images of drowned children.
It left the world in shock.
Thinking about their parents.
Their circumstances, that every minute counts…
We have to do something. YES WE CAN!
The citizens of Europe are standing up,
not waiting for the government to do something.
The time is ticking…
We avoid all the negativism of scared,
frustrated, cynical people.
The refugees with their kids can’t help it…
In the worst situation you can’t ever imagine,
it’s awful when people are aggressive and hostile.
We want to help, because it’s HUMAN!
And it feels awesome that we don’t wait and do nothing,
But joining great initiatives like this one;
BAG TO THE FUTURE
Something we can do with our kids.
To teach them, make them aware.
A small gesture,
but that will make the child in need
HAPPY for a while.
To give them something for themselves.
If you want a bigger change,
you can always support
by donating and signing
and joining
these wonderful initiatives,
which really saves lives
or make it at least saver!
SAVE THE CHILDREN
MOAS
ARTSEN ZONDER GRENZEN
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
WARCHILD
A VERY BIG THANK YOU!
