Back in 6 weeks!!!

I'm going on summerholiday.!!!

I'll be back in about 6 weeks.

I'll promiss to post more often when I come back and once my camera is fixed.

Have a nice summer!!!

kitchen of my dreams!!! part 2

I just discovered the blog of Johanna and saw here beautiful kitchen. I so love it!!!
It really is the kitchen of my dreams! That floor, those curtains, the shelves, just everything!
Maybe one day....

You should take a look at her blog for more really beautiful pictures, her house is really a dream!

just a perfect day!

Today was just a perfect day. I wish every day was like today.

I really loved the weather today, not to hot, a nice breeze, makes me so happy.

Tijn and I went grocerie shopping this morning, we had a croissant on a bench in a park, we went by bike and we loved it so much, that we drove a few round through the neighbourhood, just because we didn't wanted to stop cycling.

In the afternoon we stayed in the garden, me with my new book, "wonen in wit", sunglasses on, drink in my hand, legs on the other chair, m&m's in my mouth, breeze in my hair, a view at some beautiful flowers. Children were playing, no fights, just the 3 of us. Heaven!!!

Then I made dinner, and it tasted so good!!! Even the children said so.

I had 2 steaks(!) with butter and herbs (from own garden), rucola also from my own garden with honey-mustard sauce and walnuts, and double baked potatos (krieltjes) with chive's (own garden) and strawberry yoghurt for dessert. Jammie!!! Those small things can make me so happy!

After dinner we showered, put our pyamas on and waited in the evening sun in the hammock for dad, one child in each arm, rocking back and forth, so cozy. I felt really blessed!

Nothing can ruin my day anymore!!!

(Even though I had to stop at the pharmecy today to get medications for my sinusinfection, and was told that I'm not allowed to sit in the sun for 8 days!!!)

tagged, again....

I've been tagged by Marianne and I have to answer 5 questions. So here we go then!

What was I ten years ago?
10 Years ago I just turned 18! My adult life had begon. I was still in school, followed an education for bank-employee (and it was sooooo boring...) I was single, still living at home with mum and dad and my little brother (15 months younger) en two little sisters (30 months younger). I had 1 very close girlfriend and we were inseperable. No worries, going out every weekend (2,3 days in a row) and of course boys! We had such great times!!!

Five things on my to do list today
1. buying a new t-shirt bra (check!)
2. buying baisband and fabrics (check!)
3. doing the laundry (half check)
4. Sweeping the floor (check!)
5. doing the dishes (check!)

3 snacks I enjoy.
Chocolate chip cookies (or anyhing else covered with chocolate)
Cinnamonsticks
Hamka's (chips)
Actually I like any snacks....

4 Things I would do if I was a millionaire
Buying a new house
and a new car,
shop until I drop,
going on a long holiday, the usual things you would do when you win a million dollar.
And I want to do something for the children in africa. In a next life I want to do developmentprojects in africa. But now with small children thats not an option. Maybe when they are older. It's still a wish of mine.


5 Places were I lived.
Very boring, only in 4 different streets in the city I was born in.
In the oldenzaalsestraat, beukstraat, perikweg and the kampioenstraat.
Not really an world citizen, hihi!

Bunting Tutorial

Hi, here I am again. It's bin a while, I know.

I've been very busy and not feeling quite as well in my head. I've been nauseous, dizzy and have wierd fealing, more like I'm drunk all day. In the hospital they have taken picture's of my forehead and I'm weating for the results. Hope it isn't something bad. I'll keep you posted.

What I have been doing in my spare time is making buntings. I really like making them. It's easy to make and the results are great.

The first one I made is for a friend of my sister, who just gave birth to a son.

She liked the bunting very much. She tought my sister had bought in some brand-shop, she couldn't tell it was hand-made!!!

This one I made my for my own birthday last week.

This pink one, I made for a acquaintance who just delivered a little girl, after a nerve-racking pregnancy. She lost a son last year after 31 weeks of pregnancy. I thought it would be nice to make her a bunting too.

I used a part of the birthcard and used transferpaper to iron it on a bunting

I'm now working on a bunting for my boys. With red, green, black checks and dots,cherries and skulls.

I've made a little tutorial for you, so you can make one yourselve.

First I made a model out of cardboard. Place the model on a double layer of fabric.

Then follow with a pen with disapering inkt the lines of the model.

Then cut out 0,5 cm along the lines.

Then sew the parts togheter, leaving the top of flags open so you can turn them.

When you've turned the flags inside out the are 15 cm wide. Now you have to iron them.

And then you can sew the flags on to the bais band.

For 3 meter you need 14 flags. In the begin and the end you leave 21 cm open and the space between the flags is 4 cm. So it starts with 21 cm open, 15 cm flag, 4 cm open, 15 cm flag, 4 cm open, 15 cm flag and so on.... with 21 cm at the end.

Good luck sewing it!

I'm Back!!!!

After 3 weeks we are back from our holidays and had a great time!

Here are some picture's of our holiday in France. Notre Dame from Reims

Disneyland Paris

My boys at Chatteau Thierry

Notre Dame

Arc de Triomphe

Sem at the Eifeltower

Opera Garnier

Louvre

Provins

I really really loved Paris! I thought I would like it but it was even prettier than I thought!

I didn't liked Disneyland that much, tought it would be more special. But we had a very nice holiday!

Now I'm trying to read all your blogs, I have a lot to catch up and so little time! But I'm trying!

Vacation!!!!

I'm not here for a week.

I'm going on vacation to France with the entire family (11 in total).

C U next week!

for more information www.dieta.nl

Next stop, thrift shop! Part 2

As promissed some pictures of my treasure's,

for Anja's Next stop, thrift shop challenge.

I recently bought the gravybowl with the flowers in the middle and the gravybowl on the left. I'm starting to collect them too.

a couple of creamers for my growing collection

A fireplace fence, it's to small for my new fireplace, so I'm going to paint it white and place in in front of my window so other people can't look so easily inside my home.


2 new small enamel jars...

... and this shelf, which I'm going to paint white and hang it on the outside wall, the enamel jars will be hanging here.

Next stop, thrift shop!

Anja is hosting a new challenge. Next stop, thrift shop!

The "rules" are simple:
1) Go to a thrift shop, secondhand store, flea market, you name it and start your treasure hunt!
2) Add photo's of your findings to your blog during the 'Next Stop? Thrift Shop!'-week from wednesday April 9 to wednesday April 16.

I promised her I would participate but because I'm going on holiday friday, I don't have time for my usual visit to the thriftshop this week, I will cheat a little bit.
I'm showing my thriftshop finds, that I haven't shown here before.

an beautiful enamel bowl with strawberry's and forks

Sorry Anja for this short post. I will try to make some picture's of other finds that I didn't showed yet, and place it on my blog tommorrow....

Again an award!

I'm flattered again, I got another award from Elly ! Thank you so much!!!

Now It's my turn again to come up with a 5 blogs, who inspire me... Always a difficult choice with so many inspiring blogs!

Here's my choice.

1. Anita from My_country_cottage_garden for your beautiful garden en Tilda creations
2. Anne from Gretelies for the inspiration for the beautiful bags she makes
3. Amélie from Liebesgut for the many pretty things she makes
4. Louise from Lululollylegs for the lovely aprons
5. Mette from Erleperle for making many beautiful things

Thank you ladies, for your inspiration!!! And this are just 5 wonderfull crafty woman, I could up with so much more blogs...

There are 5 rules attached:
1- You've to pick 5 blogs who deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and also contribute to the blogging community no matter what language.
2- Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to the blog to be visit by everyone.
3- Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4- Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of arte y pico-blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5- Show these rules!

I hope I did this right...

This is my new workspace and my new sewingmachine where all my ideas and inspirations come to live.

Shop till you drop...

Last weekend I visited my sister in Utrecht. She lives there over a year know and I never visited here, shame on me....
Friday I went to her by train, and stayed the night. The first time I went away without my children. My stomach ached all day untill I was in the train. I really hate saying goodbye, even for 1 day. We made moussaka and tzaziki, my favorite food. My husband and children do not like that so it's not very often that I eat moussaka. We layed on the sofa, eating chips and watched a movie. I really loved not putting the children to bed and clean up the house before I could sit and relax.
Because we slept in the same bed we did not sleep very good. My sister went to the loo very often and coughed a lot, we were a wake at 6:30. By eight I already showerd and eat. And at 9:15 we were already at the fabricmarket.

I bought some nice fabrics for a present for a pregnant friend of my sisters. I'm making a flags for here, with the photo and the name of the baby on it (of course I can put the on the flags when the baby is born)

I also bought these fabrics. These were on my wishlist for a while but I could only find them on the internet. And I bought this lace and pink trims, crocheted flowers and cherries, the needlecase, the flowerpin and the deer applique.

Next stop was Dille&Kamille where I bought these lovely things. They had such beautiful postcards. I loved them all and could hardly choose so I bouht almost every card!

At Rachmaninoff I found these 3 tins. My sister bought one for me for sinterklaas. I wanted them for s long, but could not find them. So I was very exited that I found these 3 tins in the basement of the shop with a 50% discount! They were the last ones in stock and she just placed the tins 5 minutes before in the basement on sale. They where just waiting for me! 6 euro's for 3 tins, what a bargain!!!

At the end of the market I bought 5 bundles of ranuncles for 5 euro. But I forgot that I had to travel back by train for 2 hours, with my weekendbag, all my shoppingbags and my diner in my hand! I went on the train at 6 o'clock and was glad I was there first person who got in the train, because It was so crowdy that most people had to stand. I was home by 8 o'clock and was so very tired that I went to bed right away, at the same time as the children. I was a really long but exiting day!

Some adresses of really nice shops and places in Utrecht:
Nisha Wittevrouwenstraat 40
Leuk Nachtegaalstraat 49b
De_bakkerswinkel wittevrouwenstraat 2
P'np Lijnmarkt 16
Dish oudekerkhof 9
Vlaamsch_broodhuys Nachtegaalstraat 54
Tea_in_the_city Nachtegaalstraat 17
Giensch Voorstraat 31

Easter

Happy easter everybody!!!

-xxx-

Make my day award and thriftshop goodness!

I got an award again. This time from Elly. I'm always very flattered when I receive an award. Especially the "make my day" award. It means that my blog inspired her, and that is a big compliment! So thank you very much Elly, you are so sweet!

(I'm not giving the award to any one else, I already did that a few weeks ago.Hope you don't mind...)

I went to the thriftshop today. I always do that on thursday afternoon. Both kids are in school, and it's mom's afternoon off. I was looking for a white chrochet blanket for some time now, but I couldn't find one. But today was my lucky day!!! I didn't found one, but two blanckets! A white one for my sofa and a light blue one. It was so sad to saw the blue one lie there alone, so I deceided that I had room left for another one. My bedroom is blue, so maybe I put it there or I'll take him with me to our caravan. I'll find a place for him, don't worry...

Sewing update

A quick sewing update. This is what a made recently...

I made another Tilda heart. This one is for myself.

The fabric is the same as my curtains,

I really love that color, especially in combiniation with pink.

This Tilda doll, I made for my grandmother.

She's not feeling really well. She's old, can't walk anymore, lonely, and afraid to die. I thought the doll might cheer her up.

She loves pink and dolls. She cried when I gave it to her, she was so happy with the doll....

Mission accomplished...

My strawberry apron (pattern by Lululollylegs).

Red is still my favorite color!!!

kitchen of my dreams!!! Part 1

This is the kitchen of my dreams. My biggest dream is to rebuild our kitchen. Our kitchen is to small know. Just to little workspace.

I know exactly how I want the new kitchen to be. But we don't have enough money to build a piece on to our house. We hope in a few years time, till then I just keep dreaming...

I'm carring this picture with me for a few years. I cut it out of a newspaper, it turned a bit yellow through the years, but I think you get the picture.

Four

I've been tagged by Maureen.
I have to share 4 of my favorite movies, my jobs etc....

So here we go!

4 jobs I've had:
worked in a recordshop,
at a gasstation,
I washed beds of old people in a nursing home
I build racks at my fathers work, a real men's job!

4 movie's I like:
Romeo and Juiliet
Sliding doors
Shakespear in love
Virgin suicides

4 place's I've been:
Barcelona
Londen
Cologne
Amsterdam

4 place's I lived:
oldenzaalsestraat
kampioenstraat
beukstraat
perikweg

4 tv programs I watch:
Fashion for Passion
America's next top model
Project catwalk
Over mijn lijk

4 radioshows:
None

4 of my favorite foods:
Moussaka
Boerenkool met slasaus
Risotto with zuggini and bacon
Lamb's Lettuce with brie, walnuts and honey-mustardsauce

4 places I'd rather be:
in my bed
Somewhere in scandinavia
France
Everywhere were my family is

4 next victims:
Tarte Tartin
New_classic_home
Lili M.
ABACAXI & HORTELÃ

sewing part 2

Valentijnsswap!

Vandaag was het dan eindelijk zover! De valentijnsswap 2008 van de picasagirls!!!

92 Dames die allemaal wat moois voor haar swap-sister heeft gemaakt! Weken keken we er al naar uit! Vannacht om 00:01 was het dan zover en gingen de dozen open en de foto's op picasa!!! Ik kon natuurlijk weer niet zo lang wachten en heb mijn pakje om 18:00 al uitgepakt! En dit is wat er in zat! Gemaakt door mijn swapje Paulien. Leuk hé! Het is een collage om op te hangen, een mooi zakje, een heerlijk zeepje en een prachtig hartje! Allemaal zelf gemaakt! Knap hé! ben er onwijs blij mee! Paulien bedankt!!!

sewing crazy...

You think I've been sewing enough these last 3 days???

Let the attac begin!!!

Vandaag kreeg ik Tilda's boek binnen.

Ik heb nieuwe stofjes gekocht. En ik heb mijn eigen naam labeltjes. Dus aanval kan beginnen!!!

I got tilda's book today. I bought some new fabrics,

my name tags have arrived.

So let the attac begin!!!

make-my-day award!

Vandaag kreeg ik van Chantal van Abacaxi & hortelã de "you make my day award"!!! Zo lief! Dank je wel chantal!
Nu is het mijn taak om deze award door te sturen naar 10 andere blogs die "my day" maken! Vind dat niet zo heel moeilijk om te bedenken, inspirerende blogs genoeg! Het kan zijn dat ze ook net een make-my-day award hebben gekregen van een mede-blogster maar ik geloof dat dat niet zo heel erg is!

Hier komen ze:

• Elly van my everyday things
• Lidwien van Lili M
• Anja van New classic home
• Isabel van Tarte Tartin
• Marjolijn van something white
• Elizabeth van Sweet roses and vintage chic
• Yvonne van Yvestown
• Fred van Fred's world
• Aina van modern country
• Jane van Posy

Today I got the make-my-day-award from Chantal of Abacaxi & Hortelã! So sweet!!! Thanks Chantal! Now it's my job to return this award to 10 other blogsters who make my day. If find that not hard to with all those inspiring blogs! They might have had that award before, but the are really my favorite blogs, and I think that doesn't matter so much...

The Anja-Swap

Yesterday a pakkage arrived from Anja for me. Pretty wrapped and it smelled very good! Only looking at the pakkage a huge smile showed up on my face, that almost did not leave my face for the entire evenning! Inside the box were a hart-shaped candle and 2 selfmade hooks. With lace on it and with pink and roses of course! She made them espacially for me and they are so adorable! I'm really happy with them Anja!

Today I finished my things for the Anja-swap. I wanted to finished them today, so I can post them tomorrow and hopefully it arrives on saturday! I was so busy with the last details that I forgot to cook diner! My son's did not mind, cause it meaned that we were goning to eat french fries! Through the rain and storm and with our last money we walked to the cafeteria, but it was worth it! And now hope that Anja will like it!

Spring is in the air!

Mijn favoriete bloemen!!! Kon het natuurlijk niet laten om er een foto van te plaatsen!

My favorite flowers! I had to place this picture of course!

Home sweet Home

Zomaar even wat nieuwe foto's van thuis...

Happy new year!

Wishing you all a happy, healty, loving en crafty new year!!!

merry x-mas!

Merry X-mas everyone!!!

Tagged

I've been tagged by Maria from Something white It's the first time for me to be tagged. I don't really know how it works, but I'll give it a try.

I'm supposed to post 7 random and/or weird things about me. I have to post these rules:

@ Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

@ Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.

@ Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

@ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1) You can wake me up in the middle of the night for Tea!!! I'm a real tea addict! The only thing I drink is tea. Accept for my diary products in the morning. It doesn't matter what time it is, I'm always in for a cup of tea. Especially the turkish apple and the indian spices from pickwick.

2) My family had a castle a long, long time ago. I was built in 1250. I shall not bore you will all the details, but if your interested you can read more about it here (dutch).

Until 1814 my family belong to the nobility, but for some reason we lost this title. In the same period this castle was broken down. What a waste...

3) I think you'll be a little bit suprised to hear that my favorit color is red! The color of love! It always has bin. I think you thought it was pink, didn't you? Well it is too, but my all-time-favorite is red. And it will always be...

4) I have serveral tic's. For instance, when I hang my laundry to dry, I must hang the clothes with the same color clothespins. A shirt with 2 green clothespins, a sweater with to reds and so on... And in the morning when I choose what perfume I will where that day, I look at the color of the bottle, it has to match the clothes I'm wearing that day. When I'm wearing a blue shirt, I match the perfume with the shirt. I will never where a green shirt and put on perfume out of a red bottle. When I don't have a perfume matching my clothes, I put on perfume from a transparant bottle. A little bit crazy isn't it!

5)I love summer mornings, when the sun is just coming up and the birds begin to sing. I love sitting outside wih my cup of tea watching the world wake up.

6) My favorite food is greek food. I mensionted it before on my blog. I like moussaka, gyros, tzaziki, yummie!!!

7) I'm a very emotional person. I well up at the strangest moments! When bob the builder's twinbrother can't make it in time to celabrate christmas with Bob for instance! Or when someone begins to sing. Or seeing maxima say goodbye to amalia, at here first day at school (Within 2 months Sem is going to school for the first time, and I think it's going to be very hard to hold my tears...), or people getting an applausse. It's hard sometimes to prevent people seeing my tears. Embarrassing....

I don't know who to tag, so if you're interested....

The best things in life...

*Falling in love.

*Laughing so hard tears run down your face

*A hot shower.

*No lines at the Supermarket.

*Getting a postcard.

*Taking a drive on a pretty road.

*Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

*Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

*Hot towels out of the dryer.

*Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.

* A hot cup of tea

*A bubble bath.

*Watching a good movie with the kids eating potatochips and drinking Cola

*A good conversation.

*The beach at stormy weather

*Finding a 20 euro bill in your coat from last winter.

*Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

*Running through sprinklers.

*Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

*Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

*Laughing at an inside joke.

*Eating icecream

*Sundaymornings in bed with kids eating breakfast

*Falling in love for the first time.

*Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

*Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

*Your first kiss.

*Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

*Having someone play with your hair.

*Sitting outside on a warm summer evening

*Sweet dreams.

*Looking at the stars and moon on a bright evening

*Your kids saying they love you

*Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.

*Wrapping presents at present evening eating spicenuts and drinking hot chocolate with wipped cream

*Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.

*Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

* Bakking cookies with your kids

*Holding hands with someone you care about.

*Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

*Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.

*Spending time with your family

*Hugging the kids

*watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.

*Watching the sunrise.

*Having friends you know you can cry on or talk to about your deepest problems

See... The best Things in life are free!

christmas is coming....

pinheirinhos que alegria 3
Originally uploaded by Qpatchwork

This tree is so very cute!!!
I'm going to try to make it, wish me luck....

The chest-make over

When my uncle died a few years ago, my aunt gave me his chest,

a sort of bookcase, with secret drawers and storage space disguised as books.

I liked the chest very much, but because it was dark brown and it was a lot of work to paint , so it stayed in the barn for a couple of years.

Two weeks ago I dicided it was time to paint the chest.

It was al lot of work to get it upstairs but it was even more work to paint it white!

I had to paint it 5 times before it was finished! What a work!

Especially in the tiny little corners.

My arms ached for 3 days! But it was al worth it!

The chest turned out beautifully.

It has become my own space where I can sew, decorate and craft as much as I want.

No one is allowed to touch my chest, or even look at it! (just kidding)

It's all mine!!!

I'm so happy with it!

I love thriftshops!

Went shopping today, and I found some lovely things again.

I bought some new decoration for our bedroom. We've redecorated our bedroom a few months ago and I didn't want any pink in the bedroom, just white, taupe and grey.

But I've changed my mind, I think I can't live without pink...

It looked so very dreary. So I added a little touch of pink. It looks better now, it makes me happier although it's just a tiny little itsiepitsie bit of pink. (The pillows are going back downstairs tommorrow).

I also went to the thriftshop and bought a lot of lovely buttons for just 0,25 cent! Half an hour before I'd bought 20 new pink buttons for at least 25 cents a piece, and a crocheted ribbon for my cupboard. Those buttons were very nice too, but I wish I had gone to the thriftshop first, that would have saved me a few euro's...

At the thriftshop I also bought an (daiper)bucket, 2 ledgers (?), 1 white creamer for my collection, 2 pillowcovers and a handkerchief or something, don't know exectly wat it is.