Line+Liv

Kellie Smits from Buisjes en Beugels

The designer Kellie Smits founded 2005 the wonderful “slightly different” kids wear label Buisjes En Beugels + + +… a cheeky and fresh kid´s fashion, slightly unconventional but always wearable. Kellie lives with her husband and 2 sons in Rotterdam. 2009 Kellie was chosen – because of her great success with BB + + + – by Viva400 to one of the most successful women in the Netherlands. Look forward to a little X-mas trip with her…

+++ What is so special for you at the Advent and Christmas time?

When I had no kids I never liked X-mas, but now I like it very much, because it’s a warm period with a special atmosphere which speaks to the kids imagination. So I like it to decorate and create stuff together with my kids. And I like to make special food with them.

+++ Do you have a Christmas tradition?

Since we have kids we have the tradition to visit the 2^nd x-mas day a theatre show. On the first day we always go to our family.

+++ Do you have a Christmas style?

I GUESS MY X-MAS STYLE IS SIMPLE AND CREATIVE, JUST LIKE MY DESIGNS are no fringles…

+++ What is your favorite memory as a child  about Christmas ?

My best memory is the X-mas show I ice-skated in when I was a little girl. I was a motivated ice-skater and love to do shows, especially in X-mas style!

+++ When you place on your Christmas tree and how it is (he) decorated?

I place it around the 15^th of December and it is a totally non styled tree, with all kind of balls, little puppets, paper-folded objects in it. No concept just hang in what you like. The fuller the better!

+++ What do you do on Christmas Eve.?

 Nothing special…I am sorry watch a good movie I guess.. 

Dear Kellie, I am so so happy that you share you little Christmas world with us … thank you and all the best for you and your family.

… I got once in a lifetime at the age of 16 a standing wave at the hairdresser and when I got home thought my brothers I looked like a “ruptured sofa cushions”, with the result that I was wearing my hair from now on only to braid…

… Pauline was at the hairdresser and after a “much-needed” haircut she asked her hairdresser if she could blow-dry her hair to locks… not blow-dry, but liked to turn up… which meant for Liv and me to wait another 30 minutes… it was worth it, because Pauline looked quite magical, was much more upright – Angelic… but unfortunately the dream of blond curly hair was the next morning over…

… for these sugary snow globes you need:

+ + + 250g Acacia Honey

+ + + 200g unpeeled almonds

+ + + 400g white chocolate

+ + + Coconut flakes for decoration

1. Boil the unpeeled almonds in water, so you can easily remove the peel. Slowly heat the honey and add the peeled almonds and simmer everything for about 2 minutes… let cool slightly.

2. The mass chop with a food processor… it creates a musig pulp. From this pulp in little balls.

3. Melt the white chocolate in a water bath and pull the balls through the chocolate and then roll in coconut

…. the balls are as sweet as sugar candy. After drying, they can be easily cut into small quarters and delicious taste to the hot chololate and coffee.

I want to introduce you, in the weeks before Christmas,  in a I would like to invite you wonderful Christmas special woman and friends from my little Line + Liv world and take you on a journey through their Christmas thoughts.

…  please meet Anna Rosinski my lovely sister in law.  Anna lives with her husband (co-owner of the advertising agency  LLR) and their two lovely daughters in a gorgeous old building 5 rooms in Hamburg/North Germany. Anna is in addition to her Ayurvedic education a creative mother and decorator and a truly “divine” cook. We look forward to every visit with her, but unfortunately we can do it too often … but next year we come more. Promise! … Please enjoy the next few moments with Anna…

+++ What is so special for you at the Advent and Christmas time?

Really quite beautiful we find as many candles to light at any time of day. Our home will shine just at festive, when the light is something outside greyish. An old building with high ceilings and a wood floor  is also adorned with a charm and atmosphere of dreary weather.

+++ Do you have a Christmas tradition?

Maybe our tradition is to have none. We all celebrate in different places and is aware of the number of people very variabel.The eating or going to church is to mood.

+++ Do you have a Christmas style?

I think so! It must not be overloaded. Less is more. Something made by the children, something inherited from my parents and perhaps an especially beautiful lights. Which may then shine the hole day.

+++ What is your favorite memory as a child about Christmas ?

The best memory is waiting in our frosted glass door, until the desired call “children you can come” from my mother came. The candlelight shone through the glass door and the delicious smell made the wait almost unbearable...

 +++ When you place on your Christmas tree and how it is (he) decorated?

Since last year one day before Christmas Eve. Then we can focus all together only on the decoration of the Christmas tree. The whole living room is full of boxes with christmas balls, wooden pendant, red candles and felt pendant, preferably some small fresh red apples hanging from then hopefully stable branches.

+++ What do you do on Christmas Eve.?

Cook, bake, fry… opening presents… relax, enjoy, drink…

  

  … dear Anna, thank you for your wonderful photos and your kind words …

… … I love tortilla in all varieties and this especially because it is simple and very fast and the children love them also. For a pan you need:

300 g potatoes, 1 medium onion, 1 red paprika, 1 sprig of rosemary, olive oil, 5 eggs, salt and pepper and who like: sweet and spicy paprika

+++ Peel the potatoes and wash, dry and cut into thin slices. Remove onion and cut into thin strips. Paprika in half, wash and cut it into strips. Finely chop the rosemary needles.

+++ Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes and onion over medium heat for 15 minutes, until potatoes are almost cooked. They are not intended to turn brown, however. Season with rosemary, salt, pepper and red pepper if necessary.

+++ Whisk eggs in a bowl and mix with the potatoes and the paprika. Pan reheat with 1 tablespoon oil. Fill with vegetable-egg mixture, reduce heat and fry for 8-10 minutes, light brown and can falter – turn once. Cool slip on a working board and leave.

+++ To serve, cut the tortillas into bite-sized pieces.