Everything about May's book launch

I don't think I'm often nervous. Put me at Koffietijd and I find it more cozy than scary. Now it's also terribly relaxed there, but still. But yesterday and the day before, the butterflies were flying in my stomach. Because now suddenly it was all about me. I was sitting there in the royal suite of the Amstel and especially for me, all my loved ones from the industry came. And oh yes, they would then look at my book and what would they think of it?

First came Manon Meijers. On a baby visit, as she called it. She had asked her beloved Guus for the best baker in Tilburg for beautiful chocolates, but he thought she was looking for a baker for sausage rolls. So where she ended up, the rolls were a bit better than the chocolates, but it was both a good story, and those chocolates were divine, I can tell you. I had a lovely dinner with my beloved in the evening after an intensive day.

Then came my favorite editors-in-chief. Esther from JAN, Ellen from LINDA. (deputy, but that doesn't matter to me), Marie Nanette from Vogue Living and Claudia from Nouveau. I have spent many, many moments with them in five-star hotels, so it was, despite corona, a celebration to see each other. Raising a glass of champagne to the good life and enjoying that beautiful Amstel Hotel.

Jochem, the PR star of the publishing house, knocked on the door again because the next guest was waiting for me. My editor friends reluctantly pulled themselves away from the comfortable sofa and continued their conversation on the terrace. Renate Gerschtanowitz came in. As always wonderfully dressed, this time in golden two-tone shoes from Chanel, a too cool pair of jeans with a split on the inside (‘Of course I could have thought of that myself for a pair of pants, but I ordered it like this’) and a beautiful vanilla-colored jacket. We talked about books, our dogs (Renate cuts hers herself now), big kids, and working from home. And then, suddenly, three girls stood at the door. Two of whom were mine. Bracha van Doesburgh was there with her Sophia and my Bel and Igoné. We ate macarons, my Iggy read aloud, the girls played hide and seek in the suite (which is 150 m2 so that worked well) and had a pillow fight on the bed. Wasn't that very naughty, they asked. I said that the Rolling Stones had slept here so the hotel was used to that.

Then there was another knock on the door. Beau van Erven Dorens peeked around the corner. With a bronze statue that he of course had taken from the hotel hallway, I know my regulars. He read aloud, my girls were roaring with laughter (because his story, shall I say, didn't quite match what was in the book) and we descended to the terrace for wine and bitterballen.

While we were reminiscing (‘Beau saw that dad and I fell in love with each other’) I heard a firm: ‘Joehoe!’ and there came Anouk Smulders and her daughter Bo walking. More wine, more bitterballen, more laughter and memories and then it was time for a dip in the pool. The girls, that is, because Anouk still had evening duty at Shownieuws. We waved goodbye until we could no longer see them from the terrace of the Amstel, brought our girls home and then collapsed together on the softest bed and the crispiest sheets ever from the Amsterdam Amstel Hotel. That was day 1, one more to go.

And yes, do you also want to order Cleo & Bast? Then click here, then you'll have it tomorrow.