Crafty Mama

Break...

2012-01-30T09:02:00.009+01:00

Hello again! As you might have noticed I took a little break from blogging. It was nice getting requests when I'd start blogging again. Winter and the Holidays kept me in hiding for a while and I had other things to keep me busy, but now that things have settled down a bit, and Spring is getting near, I think it's time to pick up where I left off.

The last time I blogged was almost two months ago and this is what I've been up to these past weeks:

We payed Amsterdam a visit. Lovely city! It had been a while since I went to Amsterdam, so it was nice to spend some time there again. The weather was okay, not too cold, perfect for strolling the streets. And of course I couldn't walk past Starbucks without getting a hot drink(or two...)!

I've been taking lots of photos and while browsing through all my pics, it struck me how often I capture details instead of the whole picture. Funny, because I wasn't aware that I'm developing a certain 'style' in my photography. I'm planning to use my DSLR more often, but first I have to take it in for a good clean.

Hot cocoa and coffee intakes have increased over the last few weeks in an attempt to stay warm. To no avail, I must add, but that didn't spoil the fun! I think I might feel an addiction coming, but who cares?! About a year ago I hardly ever drank coffee and now I don't go a day without...(!)

And thrift stores were visited frequently. I love browsing through the store looking for vintage cups and saucers. It feels like treasure hunting! My collection has expanded greatly over te past few weeks and I'm now looking for a nice vintage style cupboard to store all my stuff. Another good reason to keep visiting thrift stores!

Other things I did:
* went to this movie,
* and this one too,
* almost finished reading Wuthering Heights,
* started knitting a pair of socks,
* danced to this song,
* didn't sleep in as much as I wanted to,
* cross stitched a quarter of a pillow,
* started dance lessons,
* ....

It's good to be back. Thanks for paying me a visit again!

Farewell November

2011-11-27T21:25:00.006+01:00

Farewell November. Farewell grey skies and foggy days. Farwell long nights and a welcome to even longer ones. Farewell Fall and going outside without a scarf. Farewell November Rain. Farwell first month at the age of 34. Farewell Fall storms. Farewell scented candles. Farewell November 2011. Thanks for being nicer than your usual self.

And thank you, Kara, for posting this beautiful wisdom:
“I would like to beg, dear sir, as well as I can to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a foreign language. Don’t look for the answers which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing, live your way into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

London Blythecon 2011

2011-11-13T22:04:00.012+01:00

Last October my best friend and I went to BlytheconUK, a Blythe doll convention in London. I realised I never blogged about that trip, but better late than never! Here's a photo impression of three wonderful days filled with dolls, culture, sunshine and girl stuff:

Blythecon was held at the Baden Powell House.

Vainilla Dolly custom dolls...*swoon*...

This was my favourite.

London Underground.

Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino and a cinnamon roll to satisfy my cravings. You can wake me up for this any time!

A few hours were spent browsing at this wonderful bookstore.

Beautiful staircase at the Natural History Museum.

Poupee Mecanique for the restoration of Kenner dolls from the seventies.

Need I say more? n_n

And of course I brought one of my 20 dolls to the convention.

The Natural History Museum.

Entrance Hall.

...or left.

London by night. View from the airplane.

My favourite candy: french macarons in different colours and tastes!

Well, that sure gave us some stares from tube travelers!

Superdelicious icecream in Kensington.

Inside the museum. The light was magical.

Harrods!

Group shot. My gosh, look at all those dolls together!

Hola Gominola: you can tell she works as an illustrator!

Funny custom doll. She's the same one as the doll I brought to the convention, but a totally different custom!

The guy with the headphones was about to start dancing!

Breakfast at our pretty hotel The London Lodge. Toast and marmelade.

I can honestly say I had a great time in London. The city was beautiful, we had fun at the convention and the weather was great. I'm sure I'll pay a visit to London again in the future!

34

2011-10-28T20:16:00.001+02:00

Okay. So today I turned 34. No looking back, it's time for a '34' list:

1.   My favourite colours are grey and blue,
2.   I can't draw(even though I'd love to!),
3.   November is THE worst month by far,
4.   I sleep with my socks on,
5.   I had my first cup of hot chocolate today,
6. Christmas freaks me out,
7.   And so do clowns,
8.   I suck at house cleaning,
9.   My current obsession is playing Wordfeud,
10. I'm addicted to lipbalm,
11. This was the first year I didn't count the days till my birthday,
12. The smell of lavender soap makes me happy,
13. I never leave the house without my phone,
14. Crocheting is my way to relax,
15. And I suck at playing Wordfeud by the way,
16. The only thing I 'like' about Fall is burning candles,
17. My favourite tea is honeybush,
18. I like watching programmes about the universe and how it works on Nat Geo,
19. And I still like watching Wacky Races,
20. Photography is my passion,
21. I can't remember the last time I didn't wear nailpolish on my toe nails,
22. Movies from the eighties are the best,
23. I started drinking coffee about half a year ago and now I can't miss it anymore,
24. I check flickr every day, a few times a day,
25. I listen to newsradio where there's people talking 24/7 so I don't feel alone,
26. My new craft project is furnishing my doll house,
27. I never get up on time,
28. I love wearing pretty dresses yet I hardly ever do,
29. And I think vintage dresses are the prettiest,
30. The last movie I downloaded is Fatal Attraction,
31. Music can make me feel utterly sad and then happy at other times,
32. I like watching drama series on my laptop while taking long hot baths,
33. I love people close to me stroking my hair,
34. Wuthering Heights is the audiobook that's on my Iphone right now...

Hello getting back to normal...

2011-09-11T21:35:00.007+02:00

Hello Sunday night before getting back to work after summer break. Hello long evenings watching English detectives. Hello drinking hot cocoa. Hello cuddling up on the sofa under blankets wearing pj's at eight o'clock in the evening. Hello new schoolyear. Hello pressure. Hello routine. Hello saying goodbye to sleeping in. Hello Fall. We're not the best of friends. And we never will be...

Saturday we had the best summer weather in weeks though! I tried to get as much sun as possible. I succeeded and shot some pics while I was at it:

A big thank you to the goose spreading it's beautiful wings to make this a pretty pic! (Honestly, I think the goose was pissed off, because it swam all across the water expecting to get some bread only to find out I didn't have any. That must have been quite a deception...)

Received my ticket for BlytheCon yesterday. I'm pretty excited to be flying to London in less than three weeks. I've wanted to visit London for a long long time and now it's finally happening!

This JerryBerry is coming my way! Image found here. Just wanted to share my childish excitement.

And this week's SP. See you again next week! I'm already looking forward to an unexpected free afternoon tomorrow!

And now it's Fall...

2011-09-07T10:49:00.009+02:00

Summer is done...and Fall showed itself by throwing a storm last night. The leafs are turning colours and falling from the trees in big numbers. I thought hard about what I DO like about Fall and I could only come up with my own birthday next month. I've made myself a promise to do lots of things I like this season. So I'll be going to London in three weeks, my art class starts in five days, I'll have lots of Latte Macchiatos and I'll be meeting up with friends and family.

I took a short 'end-of-summerish' break from blogging and now I'm back to share what's been going on:

Another self portrait.

Things I did...

2011-08-21T21:13:00.007+02:00

The weather was finally taking a turn for the better: the long lost sun was enjoyed and appreciated very much. Here are some things I did while summer is slipping away:

* I scored this vintage Instamatic33 camera! It's my best vintage find by far!!! A great piece to add to my growing collection. All I need now is some old film and I can take this baby out to play. I've found people naming their Instamatic...any name suggestions?

* Spent some time at the playground, enjoying the sun, swings and slides. Just doing a bit of reading, picknicking and taking things easy.

* Sat at this beautiful piece of artwork for a while,

* Enjoyed a day at the museum,

* Looked down,

* Enjoyed these bright colours,

* Watched pretty clouds and light,

* Captured this shot,

* Smelled these flowers,

* Picked and shared blackberries,

* Thought these sunflowers finally got what they deserved: SUN!,

* Smiled looking at him,

* Held hands,

* Thought these were sweet,

* Wandered fields,

* And shot yet another self portrait.

Old towns and looking down

2011-08-14T22:21:00.008+02:00

As summer progresses way too rapidly and the urge for eating lots of sweet icecream still has a tight grip on me, I tried to enjoy the moments spent outside even though these moments lacked sun most of the time. Yesterday as I stepped outside the air felt heavy with Fall and it was not a happy feeling. Let's hope for some some awesome sunny weather in September before Winter depression sets in!

My husband, daughter and I visited my birth town when our youngest was at daycare. Oh, how I would to make a trip on one of those boats! We also went thrift shopping at the biggest thrift store I've ever been to, but I scored nothing this time. Not even a piece of tableware...that was a first!

The rain made me feel like this at times: utterly sad and dreamy. It just didn't seem to stop raining. And it wasn't even that cold! I can't remember the last time we had such awful weather during summer break. I'd just love to sit in a park with a nice book to read, sweets to eat and the sun on my face, looking at all the people passing by, making up my own stories of their lives. Give me sun!!!

So with all this rain I had a great excuse to eat chocolate for comfort. Chocolate always makes me feel better. It's a girl's best friend! Well, it's my best friend at times and in any form really: icecream, chocolate milk or just a bar, I couldn't care less!

Our cute five month old cat Ollie picked up the habit of falling asleep in my lap as I eat breakfast every morning. Pure bliss! Nothing better than a soft and warm bundle of sweetness in your lap while you're still trying to wake up. I love her tiny beard in this shot and she smells ever so nice.

In between rain showers the kids played at playgrounds. They too are fed up with spending too much time indoors. It was a good thing they could get rid of their energy, because mama was kinda loosing it with those two rascals on the loose!

The past two days were spent restyling the blog. I thought it was time for a makeover, but I always underestimate the time and effort that goes into it. It took me about five to six hours to get everyting the way I wanted it to, because I'm not great with changing html codes and stuff, but I'm pleased with the way all my work turned out. It made me smile like this 10cm doll! Yesterday evening I worked until 2.30am and couldn't sleep because of working so late, so I lay awake 'till about sunrise...

So forgive me for cheating a bit on self portrait no. 33, because I looked like sh&*^% today!

Work in progress

2011-08-13T21:51:00.003+02:00

I feel the season is changing and so I've done some work on the blog and you can now Follow my blog with Bloglovin! Hope you like the new look and if you do, let me hear from you. Comments are very much appreciated! I'd also like to hear from you if you have any questions for me, if there are things you'd like to see on this blog, your likes and dislikes or if you have anything else you'd like me to know. Feel free to share!

Hello August...you came way too soon

2011-08-07T23:22:00.012+02:00

The past seven days:

- the clouds couldn't have been more beautiful,
- I read a great book sitting on a pink picnic blanket under a tree,

- popcorn was shared,

- the littles ones were taken care of,
- I dropped my coffee all over the wooden bench in the garden after I stepped on my cigarettes,
- stories were whispered,

- I took some time to enjoy this beautiful building while people were telling me to hurry,

- my boy yelled at everyone: 'Make way, make way, I'm a superhero!' and I thought he was right,
- I watched two episodes of House,

- this fence caught my eye,
- I ate three icecreams,

- I dreamed about sailing to far away places on a small boat,

- two bikes were resting nicely togehether against this pretty white bridge with chipped paint,

- we spent our Saturday in an old town,
- my sister, a friend and I went to the cinema(again!) and Captain America sucked BIG TIME!,

- hands were held even though for a short period of time,

- we went to see the dragon boat races,
- too much rain fell down and caused lots of sadness,

- I sat by the water,

- this number looked pretty,

- rain not only meant sadness, but rainbows as well...,

- my friend took this photo of our afternoon together. Our Sunday was well spent,

- I took another self portrait and lost count of how many I've taken so far.

And there goes July...

2011-07-31T22:45:00.007+02:00

With a rainy July almost over, I feel melancholy setting in. Can't believe there's only one month of summer left until September arrives. And since it rained a lot, as it did for the past five to six weeks, I decided it would be a good idea to clean up the mess in my craft room. I made lots of progress in a matter of days, and I can't help myself but walking into the room and just looking at the neatness re-appear. Here's an impression, and yes, I know I should have taken 'before' pics, but I forgot.

This chest needs a new set of handles, but I've put it to use already to store all my fabric.

We had two hours of sun though and these hours were spent having lunch on my favourite picnic blanket which hadn't been used before...

Waking up to this has put a smile on my face on most days. Letting my kids stay when they sneak up to the 'big' bed as they call it in the middle of the night without putting them back in their own beds is not on top on my parenting skills, but I don't care.

For some reason I was fascinated by skies and clouds. Fairytale-like at times...

'And the bristles of my brushes spin you into my curls today'. I discovered Lisa Hannigan by watching the Irish movie Ondine.

My sister made merengues topped with rose creamcheese. They were as delicious as they look!

Taken today. Maybe I should eat lots of fresh fries, chocolate and pancakes tomorrow! I'm off to watch one of my favourite British series Bottom. G'night!

Instagram I {heart} you

2011-07-24T21:13:00.008+02:00

Summer still hasn't shown herself, but I'm still looking. Words don't seem to come easily today, so instead of me rambling, here are some photos of the last 4 days...

Starting off with Wednesday afternoon. Planes high up in the clouded sky taking people to wherever places they need to be and pretty flowers in the backyard.

I like it when people do stuff out of the ordinairy. Someone thought it was funny(and it was funny!) to leave rubber ducks in the fountain in the middle of our town square. I remember stepping on those big black circles in the water when I was a little girl and usually ending up with wet feet. Must have been 25 years ago...

These lovebirds have been coming and going to this lantern post for weeks and finally I was able to snap a shot. Wednesday was good!

...Thursday came without pics...

I couldn't quite wake up on Friday and this coffee with a high dose of caffeine didn't even do the trick. It tasted good though.

And since I couldn't wake up, I went to bed early to watch tv and do some reading. The rain kept falling on my bedroom window and the wind made it sound like Fall already.

Saturday was spent shopping for a missing part for my secondhand sewing machine. I found it!!! The gay shop owner really knew a lot about sewing machines and he helped me out perfectly. These photos were taken in the parking garage. There were all these different coloured glass squares that looked so nice together. It must look even prettier on a sunny day.

Instadaily is one of the apps on my Iphone that I really really enjoy. Every other day there's a prompt and you can vote for the photos you like. These photos were taken for the prompt 'an Eye'. I'm not even that bad at participating: I'm now in 161th place from over more than 4500. The best thing about Instadaily is that it forces you to look differently at the world around you because of the prompts you're getting. And it's awesome to see what other Instagrammers make! It's one of the best online communities yet!

Birds in flight are stunning. Always perfect and flying like there's no tomorrow.

Self portrait made about an hour ago, wearing my pink swallow scarf tied around my wrist. That scarf is becoming my second favourite!

Summer, where art thou?

2011-07-17T21:36:00.010+02:00

School is finally out! My ninth year of teaching History to school kids is over. The past school year went by amazingly fast! Looking back, I might add it was an overall good year. Ups and downs, but that's all part of the game.

It felt kind of creepy but serene at the same time walking around an empty school. No kids, no noise, empty lockers and chairs piled up. Just silence...it was odd, but I enjoyed the moment while it lasted.

It felt like Fall had already started and although it rained pretty much all week and I felt anxious about loosing my grip on this year's summer the sunrises were beautiful. There's no prettier light than the fresh light of sunrise. I woke up a couple of times at about 4.30 in the morning because the birds were singing so loud. I just laid in bed listening. Those were magical moments.

The early morning light left beautiful colours on my kitchen cabinet while shining through the crystal that hangs in front of the window.

And because of all the rain, I stayed indoors most of the time and started knitting my daughter a bright pink monster. Once finished I promised to knit my son 'Hugo', the turquoise monster on the right.

Shoe pictures are pretty. These are my daughter's and mine.

This week kisses were stolen while drinking caramel coffee,

...and my favourite pie was eaten.

Self portrait no. 28. Have a great Sunday night! I'm off to watch the movie 'The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover'. Take care!

School's almost out!

2011-07-10T21:32:00.014+02:00

It felt like school was out already, because I only had to work on Monday. I had the rest of the week off so I tried to take things easy. It was way too quiet at times, but I kept myself busy while enjoying my time off and making some changes here and there.

Making a summer album has been on my 'to-do list' for a long long time. This was the perfect time to start. I have so many nice summer photos that are just sitting there on my laptop/camera/Iphone! It's nice to actually see those in print. I really should print some of the photos on my laptop as I am nearing 1,000 photos...!

This pretty walnut tree was catching the light beautifully. Note to self: do not try and open those green walnut shells with your nails again, because they leave nasty green stains.

Random flowers on my way to pick my daughter up from school. Everytime I walk past them, they seem to wonder why I haven't taken a photo of them yet. Well, now I did. So stop bothering me and just be pretty again.

This pole marks a crash site of English airgunners from Worldwar II. We have quite a few in our neighborhood.

Vanilla coffees are really nice, but this caramel coffee sure hit the spot! Who says a girl needs diamonds? A caramel coffee will do just fine!

I could sit on these for hours...

Love the shadows on the wall in this pic!

I handnicked these raspberries while the owner of the garden was looking the other way ^_^. They were very sweet and delicious!

My son always picks me flowers. Sweetness!

My mom is cleaning up her house and she's throwing away all kinds of stuff. She wanted to throw these out. No way! I was glad to save them from the garbage bin.

All of a sudden I noticed how long and curly my hair has become. I like it this way although it's really really warm during summer, so I usually wear it up in a bun.

I'm not getting another tattoo, but this one is so so pretty! I found it on Holly Sarah's blog and I love the colours and vintage anchor. I'd love to get something similar on my left arm to connect my rose and the swallow, but I guess enough is enough...

In the next weeks few I want to tranform my working space from total chaos to something like this. I love what Kara did to her space with all that vintage furniture and accesoiries. I made a start by buying a seventies desk. I'll try and score a nice mirror, desk chair and cabinet this week. Wish me luck!

And this week's selfportrait. Take care!

July has arrived way too soon

2011-07-03T21:07:00.013+02:00

It's July...can you believe it? JULY already!!! Times flies by sometimes. And so it did on certain days the past week. Sometimes that was nice, sometimes it was rather unpleasant...July is for enjoying summer with the ones you love most, for trying different flavours of icecream, for wearing flipflops and drinking icetea, for chipped nailpolish and heavy thunderstorms, for going to sleep way too late so you can watch the sun rise again, and for long walks by the sea until the sun sets.

July stared of with some craftiness. I made a layout....

...and this stuffed animal. Mister Donkey is now housed on my bedside table and he seems to be okay there next to Artis de Partis and my night lamp that never goes out.

Where I work there is this shop that sells delicious homemade icecream. I tried two new flavours this time: straciatella and lemon. Very, very nice indeed, but I do prefer something chocolaty or sweet. It was good to try something different though...

Made this heart holding one hand against the mirror.

We had a few warmer days so we played out in the garden. My sons likes to blow bubbles, but it never lasts long, because when he bends over to catch the bubbles, he automatically empties his bottle with soap water.

Of course I took some Instagrams. This new phone has become my friend.

The warmth was followed by thunderstorms and boy, they were pretty.

This made me smile.

And so did this pretty feather.

*Bricks*.

Sweet horse.

And bricks again.

Old cars are so much nicer than new ones.

Lavender and roses. Now this is Summer!

My sister and I went to the movies again last night. We looked utterly stupid with these 3d-glasses, but the movie was great! It's nothing like Amelie, but I like these kind of movies too. Lots of special effects, totally over the top and a story that has no deeper meaning at all. But hey, it makes great entertainment for a Saturday night! We had great fun!

Summer portrait. I feel lots better than I look!

On a typical Sunday...

2011-06-26T22:50:00.012+02:00

On a typical Sunday, like my two cats, I don't do much. At least not much productive. I took a photo approximately every hour to show you what a typical Sunday looks like.

First I tried to sleep after returning late from the movies last night. My sister, a friend and I went to see X-men. It's not my kind of movie, but it was fun to spend time together. Sleeping in failed due to the kids being up early. Which always happens on a typical Sunday by the way.

So after having a nice Nutella breakfast,

I took a nice long hot bath...

After which I finally fixed the basket on my bike. It turns out it sucks to ride the bike with the basket filled with groceries, because the basket is soooo heavy I can hardly take a turn properly!

Because the weather was hot, I gave potty training my son another try. He wasn't wearing diapers and everything was just fine. I asked him a million times if he had to go, but he said 'no' all of those times. And then all of a sudden he peed all over the floor in the local supermarket. Great! Better luck next time.

On the ride back from the supermarket, I looked at the clouds and tried to make images. It was a perfect day for laying down in the grass watching fluffy clouds floating away...

And in the late afternoon we went to visit my parents. It had been quite a while since I last saw them and the kids really needed to go see them. My mom saved me this pretty vintage tableware. I've been collecting vintage tableware for a few years now and this is a nice piece to add to my collection! Vintage tableware is so much prettier then what's in stores today.

And right now I'm blogging the night away...

Leaving you with this week's portrait...G'night!

A week in Instagramphotos has come to an end

2011-06-26T22:18:00.006+02:00

.26.06.2011.
Summer visisted today. Time for wearing sandals, t-shirts and eating icecream.

.25.06.2011.
Me inside an elevator. Elevators and I don't make a great combination.

So with these two pics my week in Instagram photos has come to an end. I will be posting more Instagram pics through my Twitter account found here. Hope you enjoyed. I did!

Look around

2011-06-24T20:25:00.005+02:00

.24.06.2011.
Grey buildings, blues skies and feet. My current favourites to photograph.

.23.06.2011.
My day off was well spent. I took a few minutes to sit down and read in one of my favourite magazines. I love Flow because of the beautiful photos.

Coffeebreak

2011-06-22T12:04:00.003+02:00

.22.06.2011.
Today's coffeebreak was well spent. Vanilla coffee is always nice. Mmmm!

A week in Instagramphotos

2011-06-21T22:58:00.003+02:00

I've been enjoying Instagram so much, that I decided it would be fun to share 0ne(or two!) daily Instagram photo over the next seven days. Enjoy!

.21.06.2011.
I went thrift shopping this afternoon and found this pretty green teapot and another tiny bird to add to my collection.

.21.06.2011.
Kayleigh treated her classmates to some sweet candy because she turned six last Thursday. I made 35 of these last night. It was much more work than I thought it would be, but it was very tasteful and the kids loved them!

.20.06.2011.
Our kitten Ollie is getting BIG!

...Instagram...

2011-06-19T22:25:00.009+02:00

Six years ago I was holding my 3 day old baby girl in my arms. And now she has gotten so big and almost too heavy to carry. I can't help but smile when I look at her funny little mouth. Her teeth seem to fall out all at once! Happy birthday, princess. May your life be long and healthy, but mostly filled with love.

Sleep didn't come very often nor very long the past seven days. I watched lots of late(and I mean LATE!) night tv. The past week I hardly grabbed my camera. But my new Iphone has this great app called Instagram and it was fun to play with. So instead of using my regular camera I took some pics with the phone.

There were rainbows and pretty clouds. Thunderstorms and rain as well. Lots of it...

And the magical goal of weighing 50 kilos was reached for a mere two days. Now I'm back to 49 again so my favourite icecream was very welcome.

Random sweetness. But he gave me quite a scare last week when he bumped into the wall with a stick in his mouth! The moment I saw him walking around with it I told him to put it down, but it was too late already. He started crying in a funny way, so I immediately knew something was wrong. His mouth was filling up with blood fast so I picked him up went to emergency. They checked him out, but the nasty cut had to heal by itself and so it did. He's a tough kid!

I carry my favourite blue scarf around with me a lot and when it was on top of my Iphone's camera lens this funny effect appear on screen. So I pressed the shutter and this is what I ended up with: magical bokeh effect!

Summer flowerzzzzzz....

And me.

And for some reason this song plays in head all the time. I'm not really sure what's it about, but I love the sound of it. I heard it the first time when I saw this ad and this one. Ads like these are bit much with all the different emotions in just 30 seconds. But it's a great ad anyway. I'd probably buy a Nikon because of it.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

2011-06-12T20:18:00.011+02:00

Last week was a nasty one. The kind you would have rather skipped altogether. It started off with me having a cold, followed by short nights filled with rather bizarre nightmares after which I couldn't possibly sleep anymore. It gave me headaches and made me feel grumpy.

So I gave in to my newest addiction and had four vanilla coffees in the past six days. The last few days have been better though. My cold has completely gone and the short nights are filled with sweet dreams again.

And when I wake up in the middle of the night seeing this puts a smile on my face. There's nothing like the feel of warm little boy's feet in the still of the night. Loves!

And this face makes me smile too. She'll turn 6 next Thursday. Sometimes I just can't believe how fast she's growing up. Next summer she'll know how to read and write!

The weather played tricks on us last Thurday. First, the sky was a beautiful bright blue and in mere seconds we had thunderstorms and hailstorms. I stood close by the window when the sky suddenly lit up gave this enormous loud bang that made me jump. Thunderstorms can be pretty romantic when you're cuddled up in bed, but they're not when you're alone. It was kind of weird to see the garden all white in June. It did remind me the longest day is getting close...Spring has gone by way too fast...

I stumbled across this pretty drawing here. Thunderstorms wouldn't be an inconvenience here, now would they?

Anyway, if you see this sis, have fun out there and please be careful. See you back next week!

This week's self portrait. Lollipops are nice. Especially red ones. It had been a long time since I ate one! Have a good week!

Butterflies and Fairytales

2011-06-08T14:05:00.004+02:00

Magic is everywhere if you know where to look. Just like there is beauty in everything. Just not everybody sees is.

These magical photos are by my favourite photographer Tim Walker. His work is beautiful beyond words! Enjoy!

Pretty weather weekend

2011-06-05T22:42:00.012+02:00

June started off sunny and warm. I tried to make the best of it. Here's how the last few days were spent:

Strawberries again. Just can't get enough! And neither can my kids.

Can you tell we're sisters? Hi there!

The weather was perfect for wearing sixties dresses and summerheels. I felt pretty.

My boy the day before he fell off the slide which resulted in a bloody nose right after he had fallen of the swing and ended up with a cut lip. Boys will be boys, I guess. Luckily, it wasn't serious and my hugs and kisses made a world of difference to him!

Summershadows are the best!

I finally got to read in the park. That was nice. Really nice.

Pretty stairs.

Pinetrees are magical. Just because they are...

Melons are delicious. Especially when shared.

Apparently I used waterproof markers to draw these two on my fingers, so it took lots of scrubbing to get them off again. It's not unlike me to be downright stupid at times. Fridaynight I fell asleep with a cup of tea in my hand and woke up in a soaked tshirt...Nice!

Little cowboy in pyamas.

One of my favourite guilty pleasures lately: vanilla coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles.

And here's another: ICECREAM!!!

Pretty numbers.

My daughter shot this week's selfportrait. She's almost six years old, but knows how to work a camera!

Welcome June

2011-06-02T10:33:00.004+02:00

Welcome homemade pies and strawberries topped with whipped cream. Welcome playing loud music in you car with the windows down. Welcome dancing bare feet in the grass. Welcome sitting by bonfires at night all curled up in a blanket or a scarf. Welcome painted toenails in summershoes.Welcome looking at the stars and the moon underneath pinetrees. Welcome picnics and reading books in parks. Welcome shooting photos in beautiful light. Welcome June. You're the best.

Small goals for two weeks

2011-05-29T21:48:00.014+02:00

The weather feels like Fall, but June is already around the corner. I can't believe how fast past week went by! But you know what they say: time flies when you're having fun. Well, it sure did some days.

Having strawberries for lunch beats anything. I could have them for lunch every day, any day...

This should help me to put on some more weight. Mmm, delicious!

The kids enjoyed a nice Saturday afternoon at the local farm, jumping the bouncy castle(I wanted to bounce too, but unfortunately 33 year olds were not allowed), petting chicken, eating icecream and riding horses.

And Saturday night my sister, a friend and I went to have a good laugh and saw this movie. It lacks anything pretty, the story is so bad it will kill some braincells for sure, but it was hilarious!

And then comes next week. And the week after that...I have a feeling that they will take their time to pass by. I lack energy, the weather is down, and so I've set myself some small goals to make time go faster.

#1. learn to play chess again. I've already beaten my Nintendo DS twice n_n !
#2. watch 'once upon a time in the west' and 'the hangover part 1',

#3. running two to three times a week(yes, that's me in that photo! I even bought some running shoes...WOOHOO!),
#4. get to weigh 50 kilos,

#5. finally finish reading these.

Here's this week's self portrait. Take care!

Week(end) Recap

2011-05-22T21:24:00.013+02:00

It's mid-May and life's alright. May is my favourite month of the year for a number of reasons. May is for having breakfast outside. For listening to loud music in your car with the windows down. May is for crocheting in the yard when there's no one home. For throwing away old clothes and buying new ones. For playing oldschool Nintendo games 'till three in the morning. May, I <3 you!

May is for going out and pretend summer's already here. My sister, my kids and I had a great Saturday together.

May is for watching late night tv or old movies downloaded from the internet. Up Close and Personal was one of those movies that kept me up all night feeling sad about the horrible ending. But it was pretty though...

May is for enjoying the weather while it's still not too hot. For spending all day outside without having to wear a coat. For reading books while sitting in the grass. For wearing dresses. May is for new life, new ideas, new dreams.

May is for eating sexy foods. For chocolate and strawberries. For icecream and waffles with warm cherries.

Mid-May selfportrait. My eye is still bruised and a bit sore, but healing slowly. So is my wrist tattoo I got on Monday.

.Smile.

2011-05-15T21:15:00.006+02:00

The days are longer, the leafs have all turned a bright green and the swallows keep making the most astonishing flights in the blue air every time I look up. Oh, how I love this time of year! I can't believe I already ate tons of icecream, drank lots of Latte Macchiatos(good ones!), wore my bikini twice, actually enjoyed riding my bike, had a picknick and painted my nails red, pink, darkbrown and blue. This season is going by way faster than it should...*sad face*...!

Things that put a smile on my face and in my heart this week...
- playing chess, Zelda and Mayjongg until 2 in the morning on my Nintendo DS,
- dancing to Dance dance dance,

- my son's shoes and mine,
- playing this song so loud I could feel the bass in my stomach whenever I felt blue. I visited this concert last summer and it was mindblowing! Oh, and I think men in suits are pretty(well, at least some are!),

- eating apples...(and strawberries),
- watching Midsommer Murders and Wire in the Blood,

- enjoying desert,

- my newest doll! She's an Elfdoll Dami and she's been on my wishlist for a long long time. I love her sad yet dreamy expression and she poses beautifully. I was lucky to stumble upon this girl who was up for adoption on flickr, so no custom fees or long waiting! She'll make a great model!

- Finally having my eye surgery done. It left some small bruising and discomfort. Too bad I can't wear my makeup and contacts yet, but I'm glad my eye is on the mend after six long months.

- pretty pink flowers that smell nice,

- Sidewalks and roads,

And to wrap things up: another self portrait.

What are the things that make you smile this season?

Random prettiness

2011-05-08T22:01:00.013+02:00

Last week I didn't do much. It was May break which meant no work for a whole week. I had lots of plans, but ended up doing other things. The weather was pretty, the light stunning at times. I enjoyed my free time and felt lazy. Here's my week:

- I watched the sun and her reflection of light in water. It was pretty...magical almost,

- We ate icecream almost every day. Coffee and caramel are my favourites right now, but tomorrow it might be something different,

- I couldn't resist playing and cuddling with this cutie. Ollie growing fast and she still smells ever so nice. I'd prefer her teeth to be less sharp though...OUCH! She loves to cuddle up at night and hide in my hair. The feel of her tiny whiskers against my cheek is bliss,

- I watched The English Patient for the first time. What an amazing movie! I loved this moment especially. The two of them walk up the stairs and then he grabs her hand, not wanting to let go. She doesn't look back because she knows the street full of people awaits her, she steps into real life again after being with him and then he finally but reluctantly lets go of her hand.

- Strawberries were enjoyed. My favourite summer fruit. And yes, I enjoyed the swing too,

- I listened to Lykke Li lots,

- Tiny toes were washed and scrubbed every day. My boy loves to walk around bearfoot, so this is what his feet look like after a summer's day! Not to mention all the amount of sand that's building up inside the house!

- My sister and I went to the movies. Arthur was great!

- I wore my brand new bikini for the first time this season. We hit 30C today, but even after spending a day in the sun I'm still very very white. I don't mind. My selfportrait looks quite alright.

Silence

2011-05-01T22:17:00.006+02:00

As I am writing this I am feeling better, Ollie is chewing me and my laptop. My weekend was filled with silence and farewells. And my mind was doing overtime. Friday was particularly difficult. To kill time and get my mind of things I read a lot, played my new NDSi XL and enjoyed the sun. It seemed like the more introvert I got, the more my photos seem to speak for me. Judge for yourself:

Benches, flowers and sunshine. Great combination to spend a lazy afternoon. Or evening for that matter.

Random fence.

Free: able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint.

I have this thing with numbers. My 'lucky' numbers have been 3, 9 and 18 for as long as I can remember...

Old windows that can use a new coat of paint are pretty. Just because they are.

And this week's selfportrait. I bought this super ugly stuffed animal, but I couldn't resist it for no apparent reason. Had no idea it's the mascotte of Artis(!) called Artis the Partis. He's sweet, don't you think?

Early Summer

2011-04-24T21:24:00.012+02:00

It's summer. No really, it is. The days are full of sun, and my mind and body are taking things slow. Lots of time was spent outside until it was way passed the kid's bedtime.

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I would have loved to lay down in grass that hadn't been mown for quite some time and just let all my thoughts and worries drift away...

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And maybe sit in a boat and watch these beautiful swans.

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I haven't even tried my new bikini yet! I really should. Maybe tomorrow...

My son's birthday was celebrated in the garden. I baked his favourite pie: meringue with whipped cream, forest fruit, honey and almonds. And anything that comes close to healthy food has to be left out, so he ate his pie without the fruit...No strawberrries this time.

The kids can't get enough of playing outside. My son calls these flowers 'blaasbloemen', because you can blow the seeds off and watch them take flight.

The colours outside are pretty. And so is the light when the sun starts to set. Absolutely amazing...

And another one: selfportrait week 16.

Birthday boy!

2011-04-22T09:25:00.006+02:00

Three years ago I traded this huge belly...

...for this beautiful baby boy!

And look at him now!

I love you so so much! May your life be good and full of happiness like mine is now! I will always be here for you whenever you need me. No matter what. HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!!

Ups and downs

2011-04-17T20:05:00.010+02:00

Last week has been one with lots of ups and downs. The ups were very up and the downs were the lowest downs in a long time.The ups were unexpected and enjoyed very much. The downs could have been prevented had I been more careful, trusting and protecting. But I'm learning still...thank you. Never mind my ramblings, here are some photos of my up-and-downish week:

One of the 'ups' was sharing the first strawberries this season. The firsts of a season are the ones to remember. These Spanish ones were sweet and very tasteful. Delightful really...

Another 'up' was adopting a new kitten. That was quite a story! I had been surfing the internet for while looking for kittens, but apparently it was a bit too early time of year. So when I finally found some kittens nearby in Lelystad I was thrilled and called the lady straight away. We made an appointment to pick up the kitten on Friday. On Thursday night she called me, her voice thick with tears, telling me that her big dog had stepped on two kittens and they had died...She felt really sorry for me, but I was feeling really sorry for those kittens! My kids were pretty disappointed and sad, so I continued my search for kittens that same night.

It wasn't long until I found an address in Hierden and we drove there the next afternoon. What beautiful surroundings so close to home! They even had pretty street signs...Here we found the sweetest black kitten and named her Ollie. She was born 8th March. And she smells ever so nice!

Today was mostly spent reading. Tim Krabbe's book touched me...it really did. The way the emotions were described made me feel them, live them as if they were my own. And at times, they WERE my own. Lots of ups and downs were felt reading this book: it made me cry, laugh, feel loved, feel empty, sad and happy at the same time, it made me long for strong arms holding me...It was beautiful!

Just watch closely and you'll see the prettiness lies in small details.

I picked 18 white daffodils today and made this self portrait week 15. Can't believe it's week 15 already!

Lost for words

2011-04-10T21:59:00.006+02:00

Today I felt the sun on my face, listened a the pretty song called Home, ate three slices of sweet meringue pie with whipped cream and forest fruit(which I baked myself!), watched two doves sitting on a lantern post kissing and smelled of clove after smoking another Djarum.

Anyway, I'm kind of lost for words today so I will let these pretty images speak instead.

They were found here.

Self portrait week 14.

Macarons are a girl's best friend! (how to make macarons)

2011-04-09T17:50:00.012+02:00

Remember I posted about making macarons? And how easy they were to make? Here the recipe I used for making 20 delicious macarons.

You'll need:
- 120g icing sugar
- 60g ground almonds
- 60g egg whites(that's two to three eggs)
- 40g caster sugar
- food colouring(that's optional)

Step 1:
Make sure you seperate the egg whites the night before you plan on making macaroons. Put the egg whites in an airtight container and let it rest in the fridge. The egg whites need to 'age' so your macaroons won't crack when you bake them.

Step 2:

Ground the almonds until you get almond powder. Almond is also available in some grocery stores, but not where I live. So I had to ground the almonds myself(and yes, it is a LOT of work, but it's worthwhile!).

Put your almond powder through a sieve to make sure it's fine enough.

When you have 60g of almond powder gently mix it with the icing sugar.

Step 3:

Beat the eggs whites. You need to beat them until these pretty peaks appear. The start adding your sugar in tiny bits at a time. Don't put the sugar in all at once, because that will take all the air out of your egg whites. If you want to, you can now add a little bit of food colouring.

Step 4:

Mix the beaten egg whites+sugar and the grounded almonds+icing sugar together in a bowl. You'll end up with a very sticky mixture of utter sweetness.

Step 5(the best step of all! You'll feel like a real chef! At least I did!):

Fill a pastry bag with the sweet mixture and pipe out circles onto a baking sheet with baking parchment. To make sure your shells are the same size, draw 1,5" circles on the baking parchment. Try to make the circles nice and pretty. After you've made about 40 circles let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This will hopefully prevent the shells from cracking when you bake them.

Step 6:

Put the shells in the oven. You should preheat your oven at 135 to 150C and then bake the macarons for 13 to 18 minutes. I baked mine at 150C for 16 minutes and they were perrrrfect!

Step 7:

After you've taken the shells out of the oven, let them cool down to room temperature. Slide your hand under the baking parchment and gently push the shell off. If you have an uneven number of shells this is the time to taste one!

Step 8:

It is now time to spread a filling between two shells. There are tons of recipes for nice ganaches on the internet, but you can also start out with nutella, caramel, peanut butter or some nice sweet jam. Use whatever you like. If you have the patient(which I didn't) put the finished macarons in the fridge and let them sit there for a night. This way, your filling will get a bit hard and the taste of the filling and the shells will blend in. I used nutella the first time(which was delivious!) and this supersweet vanilla ganache the second(yummy too!)

If you've used this recipe to try macarons, and have any questions, please let me know in the comment section. I'd love to see your macarons too so leave me a link to your blog or photostream if you have one! Thanks!

sigh

2011-04-08T22:38:00.011+02:00

Today I went back to a city I hadn't visited for a long long time. The city my parents came from, the city I took one year of college, the city I broke down in, the city that forced me to stand on my own two feet when I wasn't ready for it, not yet...the city that always feels a bit like home because I went there a lot when I was little, but a city that made me feel very disconnected this time.

So after we took the train, which was THE biggest adventure for my youngest, we immediately set out to look for my favourite icecream and found it:

...*Belgian chocolate*...Australians still had the same spot at the station after all this time.

It always makes me feel better. No matter what. Just like my new red nailpolish. Love it.

This also put a smile on my face: an absolutely beautiful sculpture of my favourite painting 'The Kiss' by Gustav Klimt. Magical really.

The old buildings looked oh so pretty in the sunlight. I daydreamt about living in that small tower above. Looking down on the streets below, watching people pass by while they have no idea I'm observing. I'd like that. Very much. I could see myself standing in front of that window, the morning sun of my face and then have someone special creep up from behind me with soft spoken words in my ear, a sweet kiss, followed by cigarettes and coffee. I can be a real dork sometimes. Today was sometimes.

Lunch was nice.

The ride home was a smooth one. The kids were tired and thus quiet which was nice for a change. We don't get a lot of that very often(but I'm not complaining!).

And then, almost home...

Home indeed!

Feels like summer! (picture heavy)

2011-04-03T19:25:00.010+02:00

It's only just April, but it feels like summer already! We've had the loveliest weather and made the most of it. I've taken so many photos I've lost count...Spending all day outside feels so great! I felt totally knackered at the end of the day, but it felt good. Can't believe we had snow just weeks ago. Spring is going by way too fast...*sad face*....

My little girl is not so little anymore. She'll turn six next June. I enjoy watching her love life and discover her own place in this world. She can be a real drama queen at times, but I guess that's all part of being a girly girl.

I got to do some reading outside. Feeling the sun on my face... pure happiness! We had a picknick near the playground, so the kids could play all they wanted to and I didn't have to run after them. I drank my coffee, and just sat down dreaming. It was an almost perfect day.

And some more dreaming...

Hello ladies!

This is utter bliss...

Just look at these two!

Yes mum, I can really put my legs the same way you did!

Every Spring, my daughter picks me a handful of daffodils. We watch the flowers grow and when they're at their best, she picks me some. Best tradition ever!

And as my son is growing older, he's joining in on the tradition.

She has that same look on her face as me: you can stare at me all you like, but I'll never let you in on my deepest thoughts!

.MaGiCaL.

A week ago we had a birthday to go to near the Northsea so we decided to make a short trip to the seaside. I've always loved the sea: the sound of the breaking waves, feeling the sand between your toes, hearing the seagulls. You know that moment when you walk up the dune and you first set eyes on the breaking waves? It was a very heavy moment for me this time, but it was a fine day in the end.

The water was still way too cold of course, even to dip your toes in, but the kids loved the water anyway.

We got to walk bearfoot around the house without feeling cold.

Other than playing outside I orked on another prompt for Kara's art journal class: what's your favourite colour? Well, mine are green, blue and grey. For sure! I always like using paint strips in my art journals, because they have the best words to represent the colours, so I like to leave those in.

And I baked macarons. I felt pretty intimidated by all the macaron-horror on the internet. When I googled for recipes I came across so many stories about why you should never try to bake them, because you'll never be able to succees since they are so 'hard' to make. Well, this pic comes to show, that making macarons is NOT hard at all. They were super delicious and pretty at the same time. And to make sure this wasn't down to good luck, I baked another batch today and they were delicious too. I had 20 to start with and now there are only 6 left...Anyway, I'll be posting a recipe with pics in a few days so stay tuned!

This week's selfportrait. I've put all my selfportraits on my flickr account and it's fun to see to the whole series! It was time to upgrade my account to a pro, so now my old stuff is visible again and I can upload as much as I like. Yay for flickr!

My world through the lens

2011-03-27T22:42:00.011+02:00

I took lots of photos I'd like to blog about, but there are just too many. Also shot a second roll of film with the Lomo Supersampler and getting it developed this week. I made a small selection of photos that represent what my world was about the past seven days...

Staircases are my one of my current likes...Don't ask my why, because I don't really know why. Maybe it's the curvy lines combined with the hardness of the steal construction.

Another like: sidewalks.

Rainbows and pink blossom = magical. This photo makes me want to start sketching my new tattoo with cherry blossoms. The Chinese and Japanese symbolism of cherry blossom tattoos is just perfect: it represents feminine beauty and sexuality, passion and love. Just like women, the blossom is of great beauty and it is very delicate, but at the same time holds great power. Cherry blossoms also represent life and the quick passing of it. Life means suffering and the lesson to learn is to let go.

No. 1...

My son loves the cars movie. One of the characters in that movie is Mack: a huge American truck in which Lightning McQueen travels everywhere. You can imagine the huge smile on his face when he saw the 'real' Mack!

Really, it is...

Heartshaped icecubes. Sticky and sweet, but ever so nice.

This is Spring and she's here to stay. That's not up for discussion. Period.

You can wake me any time for my favourite breakfast: french croissants with strawberry jam or chocholate sprinkles and some hot tea. Utter delight!

And this weeks' selfportrait. The seaside was sunny, but cold...(!)

LOMO = L.O.V.E.

2011-03-19T18:24:00.011+01:00

My Lomo Supersampler is now officially my new best friend. I've been carrying it around with me for the past three weeks taking random shots. When it was finally time to pick up my developed photos, I couldn't wait any longer and openend up the envelope in the shop before I paid....Imagine the stares of customers at my Oooohs and Aaaaaahs! Anyway, without further ado, here's a small selection of my favourite prints:

If you look closely you can see a bumblebee flying from one flower to the next!

Photographing directly into the sun.

Love the smell of these...

.Staircase.

This tiny creature is a Kewpie, another Japanese toy.

This weekend I decided to indulge myself on watching movies, reading and art journaling. Just that. My head's so full, I just needed time to clear my mind and what better way to do that than to step into imaginairy worlds and drift off to far away places...

I even started Kara's art journal class, which I'm loving so far. The first prompts were fun to do. It's been a long time since I grabbed my paint and made something. First prompt was to trace your own hand and paint the nails.

Next up: making a rainbow of thoughts. Mine read:
- I will always have a safe place to call home,
- I really am strong enough,
- Eating pancakes in bed is pure happiness,
- I love walks in the woods,
- Full moons are pretty,
- 1+1=<3...

And the last one about picking a colour that represents your current mood.

I think you know the drill for this one...11/52.

The weather is beautiful. The sun is out. I'm taking my Lomo with me today...

Spring = colour!

2011-03-13T20:48:00.006+01:00

I think what I miss most during Winter(next to the light of course!) is colour. You know that utterly sad feeling you get when looking outside and seeing nothing but grey-ish colours...I hate it! So while things outside are getting more colourful every day, here's a post about colours!

Driving home today, I saw this one daffodil already blooming. So I went home to grab my camera and drove back to take a few shots. Funny, how people in the streets look at you like they've never seen a camera before!

As I mentioned before 1st of March is the start of the icecream season. So last week a lot of icecream was eaten. My kids enjoyed the regular vanilla icecream with coloured sprinkles on top and I had a chocolate+ferrero rocher icecream. MMM! Well, actually, my kids ate their icecream and then ate half of mine too...

After finishing our icecream I saw this superpretty pink bike. I can't help myself, but I like pink. Not in clothes though! But I do like pink nailpolish, pink flowers, pink paint, etc...

One of the things in my craft room that puts a smile on my face is my vintage glass bowl with coloured sewing thread in it. I've caught myself in the act of justing walking in my craft room to look at it. I like small pretty things, I guess.

Just like I love candles. Candles are for making rooms pretty and cozy and lovely and romantic. They make you feel at home and they make you feel at ease...And they come in all sorts of colours. Brown candles are the prettiest though.

My son, like lots of boys his age, collects cars. The bright red one is his favourite, but it could be another car tomorrow. When I was pregnant and found out I was having a boy, the thought of having to play with cars was something I was not looking forward too. But really, it's not that bad.

Spring means birds too. Redbreasts or Robins are special to me, because whenever life gets a little rough, I see one. Usually it's sitting on a fence or up a tree looking straight at me. And I mean really looking me in the eye. Like it's trying to comfort me and tell me things will be okay in the end...

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Having said that, here's an image I found on the internet which I think is so so pretty and so so true.

And to end this post, here's my self portrait number 11. No black and white this time! Anyway, I'm off to watch Miss Marple on ITV3. It's Miss Marple weekend, so I'll be watching murders and grannies all night long. There couldn't have been better timing for airing a Miss Marple weekend, because I have a feeling tonight is going to be a long and dark one...

Hello March!

2011-03-04T15:52:00.023+01:00

March is finally here! It's my favourite month, sharing first place with May. It means winter IS finally over!!! March started off with lots of sunshine which meant plenty of opportunity to take out my Supersampler camera and play. I've only shot half a roll of film and I can't wait to get it developed. Just 12 more pics to go...creativity is flowing back to me and I feel the need to photograph, scrapbook, art journal, crochet, knit, etc...I signed up for Kara's new class today:

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Also inspired by the very talented miss Kara, is this serie of three B&W photos.

But Friday and Saturday were spent on the couch, since I was having a cold. I didn't complain though. It was nice to take a step back and do nothing other than read, watch tv and crochet. It also meant I was still in my pj's at afternoon tea and did not get out of them.

My son decided to get crafty too and got his hands on one of my inkpads. He discovered his face makes great artwork and he was right. After I cleaned him up, there were still some traces of blue ink on his forehead and chin. Good thing it was a weekend and he didn't have to go to daycare any time soon!

I expanded my toy collection this week with a Revoltech Danbo. My son has been playing with it ever since I opened up the package. He especially likes the little LED lights in the eyes...At least I'm not the only crazy person around the house!

Next to meeting Danbo, he was also introduced to kiwi fruit. He loved it right from the first bite even though he's a really picky eater. He ate two whole kiwis and wanted even more, but I thought it would be best to leave it at that.

Sunday was a good day. Lots of sun and I felt better. Time to play with light! The rainbow on my face comes from a crystal hanging in front of the window.

Since the weather was pretty, we took a small trip and I shot some photos.

And to end this post, here's this week's self portrait. I wanted to make a non black&white one this time.

Some days...

2011-02-27T00:00:00.014+01:00

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Some days I can hardly get myself to get up in the morning for a number of reasons: days filled with dark clouds, feeling tired, screaming kids, cold weather, too much on my mind,... I'd rather hide under a blanket and let everything pass me by. Last week I experienced a few of those days. But as life continued and I needed to be part of it, I got up, turned on the auto-pilot and did what needed to be done around the house. That had to change...

...So I did some things that made me feel a bit better(!):
1. COFFEE!

I went out for a latte macchiato and brought my kids with me. They enjoy going out for coffee and so do I. Even though it's not a fancy place, the coffee's nice(and yes, it's decaf).

2. Internet

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I surfed the internet for photo inspiration and found this awesome pic! The whole idea behind this one appeals to me. I also love the color scheme. The bright pink heart between all the dark and light shades is just stunning!

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Love this one. And I won't explain why...

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This Japanese designer toy is coming my way! I have no idea why I like it, but I do. And the best thing yet: it has a small on/off switch on the side of his head to switch on tiny lights in his eyes. It's going to make a great object for photography!

These tattoos are so pretty! I love the detail and the simplicity of just using outer lines. The lack of shading makes the tattoos stand out. I've been thinking about getting a cherry blossom tattoo on my side and IF I do, it's going to be similar to these ones. Both tattoos were found of flickr.

3. Taking some random shots:

....this beautiful statue has been in our family for as long as I can remember. It belonged to my grandmother and it's now my mother's. It's part of a set of two birds, but this one is my favourite by far.

Trying some different things with light and color.

The rain doesn't seem to stop. And it's been cold as well. Last Thursday I even woke up to some snow. I'm so fed up with this aweful weather! I need warmth...Bring on Spring!!!

My son's tiny hands are so sweet and soft. It feels good whenever I notice his hands looking for mine whenever he feels anxious or scared. I love hands.

We played with Photobooth. My kids just can't get enough of it!

.Random.

My daughter wants to dress up whenever possible and I let her. So in weekends and on schoolbreaks she pretends to be a princess all day long.

It was freaking cold outside with no coat on!

And last but not least:

Self portrait no. 9.

Currently

2011-02-19T19:00:00.010+01:00

Time for another *currently*...

Still making self portraits every single week. This is number eight in line. It's been fun so far. Getting impatient for Spring to arrive. It seems like forever! Wishing for the 1st of March to come: opening of the icecream season! Enjoying my Spring break.

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Listening to MUSE every day. In my car. On my I-pod. Or dvd. Loud. And I mean really loud. Mindblowingly loud. Craving chocolate. There are Easter eggs everywhere I look! Liking the softness of my hair after getting a haircut. It's been months since I last had my hair cut! I seem to speak some kind of foreign language when it comes to hairdressers: whenever I ask them to cut just the tips of my hair, I always end up having 10 centimeters or more cut off. But this time I got what I asked for.

Playing with my Lomo Supersampler(youtube video accompanied by a great song by one of my favourite bands The Arctic Monkeys) and loving it so so much! This new camera is such a great toy. Too bad it's only suitable to shoot outdoors...

Feeling tired. I guess the lack of sleep is unexpectedly finally getting the better of me. I've also been experiencing some hayfever already which is making me feel tired as well. Loving the lengthening of days. I love the fact that I can drive to work with the sun coming up as well as prepare supper while darkness is still far away.

Making doll clothes and succeeding at it. Call me crazy, but I like playing with these dolls. And I'm not the only one. Just so you know. Feeling the need to do something but not knowing what. It's making me feel restless at times. Spending time with my sister. Wanting a new tattoo but not getting it because it would make some people very unhappy.

Cleaning up after my kids. All.Day.Long. It's unbelievable the mess they make in just minutes. But at least they are getting better in helping me clean everything up again.

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Watching late night television. Funny how I never seem to make it to the end. I always drift off and then wake up a few minutes after the murderer was revealed. Playing Doodle Jump on my phone.

Potty training my little boy. Making plans for my trip to London. Meeting up with friends. Getting more and more compliments about my photography skills. And more followers on my blog because of it. Thanks! It means a lot to me.

HaPpY VaLeNtInE's DaY!

2011-02-14T07:00:00.002+01:00

Last week

2011-02-12T17:44:00.012+01:00

February is well on it's way. I don't mind at all. It means Spring is getting nearer every single day. I'm so ready for it!

Last week I:
- read almost every day,
- got very bored at work listening to people talk lots about non-important stuff,
- watched Poirot, Miss Marple, Frost and Midsommer Murders on BBC every single night,
- picked up my first roll of developed film I shot with my toy camera and was suprised by:

- how cute these two look together...

- how pretty sunsets are,

- how much I love the combination of a bright blue sky and a few fluffy clouds floating around,

- how big my boy is getting,

- how much my girl looks like me when I was her age,

- how a bit of sun changes everything,

- how much noise geese make,
- had trouble sleeping again,
- experienced headaches during the day because of it,
- neverheless felt good enough to listen to MUSE again(it had been weeks!),

- sold a doll and bought a new one. I now have 17,

- took another self portrait,
- went to yoga and drifted off to places far far away,
- finally made a heart bokeh and tried some different things:

Here I have the heart shape in front of my camera lens and then photographed some Christmas lights.

Treeson(Japanese vinyl collectable toy) and bokeh background...Not bad for a first try.

Two of my dolls(and yes, I KNOW they freak some people out, but I like them!) with bokeh background. Hardest part was getting the background out of focus to create the bokeh effect and focus on the dolls at the same time.
- made arrangements for a trip to the UK next October,
- ate caramel icecream,
- ...

...Sunday sweetness...

2011-02-06T20:34:00.018+01:00

...
I love
looking at
the moon
poems being
read to me
and the
sound of rain
against my
bedroom window

Selfportrait 6/52. It seems like I look more tired every week. Anyways, it took me several hours to cut out these letters by hand so this probably was a one time only!

Some days I don't feel like interacting with others...today was one of them. I just wasn't up for chitchat and playing nice so I took my camera and for a while I just completely lost myself photographing. It felt good. Funny how you just seem to forget the world around while looking through that lense...

I have this thing with beautiful hands. Hands can make and break, hold close and push away, cherish and hurt...Looking at my children's hands touches me everytime. These little fingers discovering new things, reaching out to me, snatching candy, picking noses(!), holding on to their favourite stuffed animal at night.

Last Friday was my sister's 29th birthday. Congrats! She threw a party last night and made these superpretty and delicious cupcakes. Even that rose tasted as sweet as it looks! Love you sis! Thanks for being there.

Winter's finally coming to an end. I've experienced the worst Winter by far and I'm glad it's almost over. I've woken up to bird songs already, daffodils are sprouting everywhere and blossom is insecurely starting to cover a few trees. I don't care how subtle these early signs of my favourite season are, they are here!

And whilst taking a walk outside, this tiny feather caught my eye...It perfectly resembles the feather I have on my foot. Need I say more?

rituals

2011-01-29T12:49:00.010+01:00

Surfing the net I stumbled across some photo prompts and one particularly caught my eye: photograph your personal rituals. It got me thinking...

Every person has their own rituals. Some are big, some are tiny. But nevertheless, they are important to that person. When I first read about this prompt, I started to think about my own rituals. It took me some time to realise I do have a few. Anyway, here they are:

Ritual #1: buy chocolate Easter eggs the minute I spot them in the stores. For me this moment marks the beginning of Spring. And Spring means the beginning of better times, the return of the light and the sun, a fresh start...I love the bright colors of the wrappings, all the different tastes of chocolate, the way you can let them melt in your mouth when you take a sip of tea...pure delight!

Ritual #2: Whenever I need to travel 'far' or whenever I am going through some rough times I take my Eeyore with me. I'm 33 years old so I'm way too old for this kinda stuff, but somehow this tiny creature comforts me. I've had for a couple of years so it isn't as fresh and clean as it used to be, but I don't care. It carries my smell, my tears, my fears, my secrets and my hopes. A couple of weeks back I read an article about women in their thirties who still cherish their childhood softy, so apparently I'm not the only one! Thank god for that...

Ritual #3: Every single morning I start my day with a cup of tea. Feeling that warm drink going down, wakes me up and gets me started. I love to drink tea, all year round. Tea never bores me. And it's a pretty drink too: just watch the way the tea spreads it's color in the hot water. All those pretty curls!

Ritual #4: First thing I do when I get up in the morning and go downstairs is turn the numbers on the calendar. It helps me to keep track of the days. Sometimes when I'm counting down to an important day I cheat a little, and change the day the night before when I go to bed...

And to end this post, here's my selfportrait for week 4. My tattoo stil hasn't fully healed, even though it's been five weeks since I got it done. I guess my feet are sensitive. These things take time to heal...

Weekends are for...

2011-01-23T11:58:00.011+01:00

In totally random order and by far a complete list...

The past 48 hours I:
- enjoyed a long hot shower after not being able to have a good night's sleep,
- kissed my son behind his ear,
- did some groceries,
- tried a new brand of shampoo,
- watched Eastenders,

- took another selfportrait(and yes, those are my regular pair of glasses),
- uploaded photos to my flickr account,
- felt totally exhausted and did my best not to notice,

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- tried to unravel the chaos,
- read the Sunday secrets on PostSecret,

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- ate some chocolate,

- listened to MUSE,
- helped my daughter make a notebook,
- kissed her on the cheek when we finished it,
- played with my dolls,
- ...

Photography, I {heart} you

2011-01-15T10:57:00.012+01:00

Being a visual orientated person. I tend to make images in my head. These images help me to understand the world around me. They help me to see the whole picture and act on what I see. I see myself as an observer. I love watching people interact, watching old movies, enjoying art, observing the world I live in, etc. Maybe that is why… I love photography…so much. Photography captures all that I love. Colors, composition, people, memories…Photos tell the whole story in a single heartbeat. Looking at photos you can feel the emotions, smell the smells, hear the sounds. It’s way to express oneself.

Source

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My love for photography started when I bought a second hand polaroid camera. The magic of pushing that button and having a photo in your hand seconds later was just plain awesome. Watching the image appear in your hands was something I couldn’t help but love. I guess it’s like the the smell of old books: you either love it or you don’t.

Downside of the Polaroid camera is that film isn’t easily available and on top of that it’s very expensive. But Fuji came with the solution: the Instax camera. I have the chocolate version which takes creditcard size polaroid photos. Great fun, but it takes a little practice in terms of lighting and pointing your camera in the right direction since the viewfinder isn’t in the middle. Who came up with that?! Check out this cool Instax project "Photo Inside a Photo".

After I bought my polaroid I came across the famous Holga: a plastic camera with no extras at all. Point and shoot and don’t expect anything fancy. I loved the light leaks, the possibilty of playing with coloured filters, double exsposures, ect. I remember the first time I took my film to get it developed and I saw the look on the shop owner’s face: this cheap plastic camera…was I really serious? But when I came back to pick up my photos he was fascinated by the Holga and it’s photos and he wanted to know more about my precious Holga.

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Toy cameras And the love continues…I recently stumbled upon two other two cameras with additional lenses. Instead of one lens, they have two and four lenses. Can’t wait to play with those and get my film developed!

And to end this post about my love for photography, here's my selfportrait for week 2. See you next time...

Hello 2011...

2011-01-03T18:15:00.018+01:00

So it's been quite a year. 2010 is a year I won't forget very easily. There have been lots of those magical moments I'll cherish forever. I've made some changes in my life and that's okay. I got two tattoos, signed up for yoga class, worked on getting more independent, and the list goes on.

A new year means a new beginning of all sorts. I haven't made a list of resolutions, but I did set a few goals for myself:
- start yoga again and complete the class,

- pick up photography where I left off,

- make a self portrait every week,
- blog more often,

Source
- dance like no one is watching,
- worry less about the smaller things in life,

- watch Amelie again,
- to not feel guilty when I eat chocolate AND icecream on the same day,

Source
- pick some daffodils as soon as possible,
- live in the present and not the past or future which means no more worries about things I can't change,
- ...

Currently...

2010-11-06T17:42:00.013+01:00

Feeling inspired by other blogs, here's my 'currently'.

Listening: Totally random, but I love this song and video. La Roux performing Bulletproof.

Eating: Today started off with freshly baked bread. Then two slices of bread for lunch and tonight I'll be enjoying some nice pasta with mushrooms. And of course some chocolate before going to sleep!

Drinking: Tea. What else?

Hating: Fall. And Winter too...This cold and lack of sun is killing me.

Feeling: Lots, but mostly positive.

Wanting: To fly...

Reading: I'm now reading two books at a time. The Wizard of Oz and Breaking Dawn. Loving both!

Wearing: skinny jeans, a grey top and cardigan and a pink scarf with roses. And some black anckle boots.

Watching: The very last season of Nip/Tuck. So sad that show is over!

Liking: The sound my Instax camera makes when I snap a pic!

Disliking: People telling me what to do and wanting to control me.

Waiting for: November to pass by. Make it quick please!

Looking forward to: What can I say...? Looking forward to starting a new yoga class is one of them.

Crafting: I'm knitting my third pair of socks. I find knitting socks pretty hard, but up until now it's working out just fine.

Wondering: Where I'll stand next year around this time. Life is so good to me right now...!

What I did this past weekend...

2010-10-17T22:11:00.006+02:00

This past weekend has been a rough one...All of a sudden Fall set in hard and it was very cold outside...lots of trees lost lots of leafs...I lost a piece of myself in the process...I just hate this time of year. And November has yet to come...

Here's a short list of what the past weekend had in store for me:

- I art journaled some random thoughts...
- Traveled to the secret place in my heart a few times,
- Drank lots of tea,
- Watched two episodes of House in a row,

- I went to get tattooed all by myself and that was good,
- Felt incomplete at times,
- Stayed up too late,

- Celebrated my dad's 59th birthday,
- played hairdresser with my daughter,
- danced with my son,
- enjoyed the chocolate my husband surprised me with,

- received my first MSD doll in the mail,
- feeling kind of freaked out by her size and lifelike-ness(but she's pretty and I'm almost done sewing her a shirt),
- fell asleep watching Daziel and Pescoe,
- did some very boring chores around the house,
- received an email that made me smile,
- listened to The Editors: 'Hold out your hand, hold out your hand, I will carry you...'. Such pretty lyrics,
- ...

What did you do?

25 things about me...

2010-10-13T22:47:00.015+02:00

Okay...I got tagged to share 25 things about me...Here we go!

1. My name is Evelien, but people close to me call me Eef. Whenever they call me Evelien, I know I'm in trouble!

2. When I grew up, my sister had to spend lots and lots of time in hospital. That mentally broke me and whenever I need to go to hospital I freak out. Even the scent of hospitals make me want to throw up...Same with doctors...and dentists...

3. I loooove every movie with Colin Farrell in it. Al Pacino, Edward Norton, Sean Connery and Daniel Craig movies are great too!

4. I have the entire collection of James Bond movies. Oh, and the entire collection of Thunderbirds...

5. I sleep with my socks on. A clean pair of course...

6. Italian food is my favorite.

7. I collect cameras. I have a Holga, two Polaroids, a digital camera, a canon EOS and there's a Fuji Instax on the way.

8. I love playing Nintendo games. Zelda is the best!

9. People think I'm a really shy girl, but really I'm not! I sometimes just like to watch people talk to eachother instead of joining in.

10. I'm addicted to chocolate. There have been times where I used to eat a big chunk of chocolate before I ate my breakfast...

11. I did all three degrees of Reiki. So I can teach Reiki to other people. And yet, I only taught three people!

12. And I know how to work with Bach Flower Remedies.

13. I'm afraid of confined spaces. I don't use the elevator if it's not necessary. I remember one time when I was 38 weeks pregnant and I visited my mom in hospital and one of the nurses stopped the elevator for me, but I decided to climb four stairs instead.

14. I loose my keys on a regular basis.

15. And my mobile phone too...(but I'm working on it)...

16. I love listening to MUSE.

17. I love knitting, crocheting, art journaling, sewing, etc.

18. Tea is my favorite drink. Rooibos especially.

19. My favorite treat is waffle with warm cherries on top. It tastes even better when you take a warm waffle, put some chocolate icecream on it and add lots of warm cherries on top of the icecream. If there's a food that's sexy, this is it!

20. I don't have a favorite color.

21. I'd love to get a Japanese sleeve tattoo, but I never will.

22. I read English books most of the time.

23. I watch BBC's Eastenders every week on repeat.

24. Crowds are not my thing.

25. I hardly ever go to sleep before midnight.

YES! I started art journaling again.

2010-10-10T13:38:00.004+02:00

One of my 4 simple goals(see previous post) was to start an art journal again. And last night I suddenly had that "I-need-to-make-something-now" feeling and just grabbed my supplies and sat down. Once I started I couldn't stop and finished four pages in one night. I stayed up until 2am with everyone else already sleeping, listened to MUSE and this is the result.

Front cover...Pretty boring still, but it's not quite finished yet.

{ME}. Click on the picture to view full size and read what I'm all about. This pretty much sums it up. Take it or leave it.

Love is our Resistance(left page). Beautiful song by MUSE. The lyrics are on the brown tag. Just an amazing song. I've been a great fan of MUSE for as long as I can remember, but it seems like lately their songs are touching me in a more profound way...

Unintended(right page). An even more beautiful song...*SIGH*...

No regrets(+work in progress)...

Still working on my other goals as well. The water-drinking-goal has been a major failure(not on some days though). I'm having my swallow tattoo next Thursday, the heart bokeh needs work and spending time on my own has worked out pretty well. I'm getting there! Maybe I should put another goal on my list: gain some weight. I've been losing a few kilos the past couple of weeks and with me being so skinny as it is, that's not a good thing. With the way I feel right now I should be on 50(+1!)kg pretty soon...

I'm off to enjoy the last bits of sun. Life's good and I'm loving every minute of it.

4 simple goals before 2011!

2010-09-28T23:40:00.002+02:00

I don't like to make goal lists. Main reason is, that I never seem to succeed in accomplishing the goals I set up for myself. But when I read Elsie's blog, I decided to tag along and set 4 simple goals before 2011. Here we go!

#1. Drink more water. At least 6 glasses a day. I haven't been eating and drinking the way I probably should have done the last couple of weeks...I know it's important to drink lots of water, but I just don't seem to be able to drink enough during the day. And to make it an even bigger challenge I'll treat myself to something nice when I've drank 6 glasses of water a day for 14 days in a row! It's going to be tough!

#2. Make a heart bokeh. I've been wanting to try that for such a long time and really when you look at the tutorials on YouTube there's nothing to it! So what am I waiting for???!

#3. Start another art journal. I started an art journal before and it was something I really enjoyed doing. Just writing down all my thoughts and ramblings, splattering paint all over the place, glueing, coloring, just the whole process of creating something unique...

#4. Take a 15 minute walk once a week all alone. I've discovered it feels pretty awesome to spend some time alone. Family life is hectic and chaotic at times and I could really do with a break now and then.
Writing this down I already know it's one of those goals I'll never be able to reach for a number of reasons:
#1: I hate Fall and being outside during storms and heavy rains is NOT one of my favorite things to do,
#2: the spare time I have with two small kids is rare and usually that spare time is at night. I don't see myself walking the dark streets all by myself...
#3: I wouldn't even know where to walk to. I like to have to go SOMEwhere and not just walk for the sake of it.
Okay, so this goal will be changed into: listening to my music at least 15 minutes a week all by myself in my room with the door locked. It could also be reading a book or playing my Nintendo. Or just sitting there enjoying the silence. Whatever...

And here's my 'extra' goal, but I probably won't reach that one before Spring 2011.
#5. Get my swallow tattoo. I've been wanting to get one for a long long time. I can't seem to decide where to put it though: on the inside of my upper right arm, on my ribs or on my foot/anckle. Birds have always fascinated me, swallows particularly: to me they mean the beginning of summer, love, freedom, ...

All images are from weheartit.com!

Fall is here...

2010-09-17T21:58:00.006+02:00

I have accepted the fact that Summer is really over. And that's something I hate. Because it means days are getting shorter, nights are getting longer, the world around me seems to die, there will be more rain and more storms, the nights will seem darker and thus more alone and I will be feeling cold a lot...

The only good thing about Fall is my birthday. So before I turn 33, here are 32 things that stood out this past year:
1. I went to see MUSE play live,
2. My daughter went to 2nd grade,
3. I wanted to get a third tattoo, but didn't,
4. Had to try my best not to loose more weight,
5. Sometimes completely lost myself in the chaos of everyday life,
6. Often found it hard to combine my work with two kids,
7. Watched my son turn two,
8. Listened to The Editors a lot,
9. Found out that if I turn my music really loud, my thoughts fade away,
10. Realised I will probably never be able to go on holiday without feeling homesick,
11. I really missed Ireland,
12. Enjoyed two Frapuccinos(cold coffee with chocolate),
13. Loved reading Twilight even though I know it really sucks,
14. Went from owning 0 dolls to 18,
15. Only missed two episodes of Eastenders,
16. Cried over some songs by MUSE,
17. Had a few nights where I actually fell asleep in complete darkness(so no tv, no lights!),
18. Thanked Twitter for bringing me what I missed most,
19. Felt very sad about losing a cat,
20. Rescued a sheep that was stuck with it's head in a fence,
21. Saw a baby bird run over by a car as I was walking towards it to save it,
22. Was too chicken to start another journal afraid my ramblings ever being read by others,
23. Got even more addicted to my laptop,
24. Tried to cut back on my chocolate consumption(I succeeded!),
25. Struggled with feelings a lot,
26. Wanted to pratice yoga again, but only made one attempt,
27. Picked up my camera again and loved it!
28. Realised time passes by so quickly,
29. Sometimes wondered what my purpose on this planet is,
30. Fell asleep a lot while watching English detectives on tv,
31. Went to the cinema only once,
32. Loved life in general.

Last bits of Summer...

2010-09-05T21:40:00.004+02:00

As much as I try to deny it, I know Fall is just around the corner. So I do my very best to make the best of the last days of Summer...And this weekend we had the most amazing weather after weeks of rain. We drove of to the seaside and pretended Summer is going to last FOREVER and boy, did it feel good!

Unedited pic. It's been a long time since I saw such a bright blue sky!!!

...Beautiful girl...beautiful sea...in that order!

Kite-surfing.

I love taking pictures with the sun in front of me to get these beautiful reflections. Not sure if my camera likes it as much as I do!

Yep...it's me.

Me and my boy. His mouth is a bit dirty from all the sand he ate...

My girl's attempt at making a snow(sand)angel!

Me: What are you doing?
Killian: Nothing...
Me: Are you eating sand again?
Killian: HiHi!
Me: Show me your face!

Me thinking: Oh, how nice...how am I ever going to get him cleaned up?

What were your Summer favorites? Mine were:
- not feeling cold all the time!(I'm a skinny girl, so I'm always cold in Fall and Winter!),
- getting to see MUSE play live!,
- discovering a new band The Editors(they played at MUSE's concert!),
- eating lots of icecream,
- Starbucks' Frappucino(although I only had ONE),
- getting back into photography,
- found some new/old friends,
- drinking icetea,
- listening to my kids' giggles coming from the yard,
- watching the swallow fly back and forth around our house,
- ...

Photo inspo...

2010-08-26T21:53:00.010+02:00

I love photography...

I love taking photos...

And I have a more than beautiful camera...

Problem is, I don't take it with me very often...And no camera = no pictures. Other problem is that I don't really know how my camera works. I mean, I do know HOW to take pictures, but I should make an effort learning how to adjust white balance, work the manual settings, and learn when I should use all the different automatic programmes that are on there.

I'm a learn-as-I-go kinda girl, so I've been taking my camera with me more often and just experimented taking pictures. I also love editing and I've been experimenting with that too...obviously...Here are some of my 'best' shots. These are the pictures I like best.

We found this tiny caterpillar on our table. It was the first time our daughter saw this little creature up close. Love: the look of curiosity on her face, the movement of the caterpillar and his shadow.

I'm not very fond of horses. They're too big, too noisy and I never know what to expect. But this cute little baby who was only a few weeks old here sure melted my heart. Love: the composition of the whole shot, the way the little one looks in to the lens, the grass sticking out of the big horse's mouth, her tail in the background.

Because rainbows are always pretty. Love: the light is just stunning!

I love roses. I love roses so much I have one tattoed on my the front of my left shoulder. Love: the colors, the blurry vase, the light in the background.

I think trees are magical. Especially the lonely, 'I-can-grow-here-because-I-love-this-particular-spot' kinda trees. Love: the composition of this picture, the whole background.

Experimenting with editing here. Love: the spooky, surreal atmosphere of this picture.

Thanks for looking!

What can I say...?

2010-08-23T13:32:00.011+02:00

I feel homesick whenever I go somewhere for a few days. And I mean REALLY homesick. I know it's ridiculous since I'm a 32 year old mother of two, but I hate being away from home. And don't ask me why, but every single year I book a trip thinking that maybe this year, things will be better. And every single year, they're not.

Anyway, this time it was even a bit harder to go on a trip. The past months a spent lots of time on the internet, found some new and old friends and having to spend a whole week without my laptop was something I was not looking forward to. The cold and rainy weather in Germany didn't help either. You can imagine how happy I was when my father decided to come with us after all(I asked him a million times!). Thanks, dad! And an even bigger thanks to my mom who took care of her AND my home while we were away. Love you!

So even though i may have rather stayed at home, we had a pretty nice trip. Just wanted to share some pics with you...

In Saarbrucken we went to Starbucks. Me and my kids enjoyed a decaf ice coffee and that pretty much made up for all the rain that day! It had nice chunky bits of chocolate in it which were hard to suck through the straw, but nonetheless very yummy!

My dad loves trains and so does my son so we decided to visit a train museum. After travelling for almost an hour, then walking through pooring rain to get to the museum, this is what we found...It was one of the coldest days of our trip: only 12,5 degrees Celsius. Felt like Fall...

I did get to take this beautiful shot though. She didn't mind the rain, because she got to try her new umbrella!

But we did get to visit a train museum the next day. There were rows and rows of rusty old steam engines and it was a very spooky sight. Kinda 'end-of-the-world' like...

But my boy didn't mind. He loves walking on the tracks, touching and climbing the trains, and just enjoying the time spent there.

Oh my! Is that really a bit of sun I see? Posting some holiday cards...

My husband and son acting out.

I took one of my dolls with me, but only took pics on the way back home.

And this is THE lucky shot of the week! The bee thingie is not edited!

So today things have gotten back to 'normal'. I still have one week off from work, but my daughter started school today, son's at daycare, man's at work. Getting back to our daily routine feels nice, but the ending of summer is really bothering me...

How was your holiday?

Let's talk face to face...

2010-08-07T20:41:00.005+02:00

Don't get me wrong: I. love. the. internet. In fact, I find it very hard to live without. I use it to download music, watch tv, read the world news, keep in touch with 'friends', buy doll supplies and books from all over te world, look for inspiration, learn new skills, etc. But there's something I miss...

When I connect on the internet I sometimes miss talking to someone FACE TO FACE. I miss where you can look someone in the eye and see how your words affect that person. Or sense the way someone feels and respond to it. I miss that touch on your arm whenever you need it or the looks exchanged when secrets are shared...

On the other hand, maybe that's why I communicate so easily online. I love leaving quick messages without having to explain myself. I share things I probably wouldn't have shared in real life. I love 'meeting' people where I'd normally be too shy to step up to them and say hello. I love sharing my story with other people online and I love hearing theirs. It's so easy to connect with others and the world seems so small.

The past year I've made some new friends online who are now friends in real life too. I've connected with people I haven't seen in years and lost a few I thought to be close. Things like hyves, facebook, twitter and flickr are great, but I guess the key is to find a balance between meeting people online and meeting people in the real world. Keeping in touch online is great, but there's nothing like meeting the people you love and care about in person!

(images except the first one('cause obviously that's ME!) were found at weheartit)

And 'old' hobby...

2010-08-04T19:26:00.012+02:00

It's been a while, but I did some scrapbooking again. Flipping through my albums, I got all inspired again, so I sat down, found some pics and started to create some layouts. It was easier than expected...I thought after all this time it could be a tough job, but it wasn't!

Her curls are all gone now...But she has the most beautiful long hair! Really love this pic!

Another old pic, but oh so sweet!

I used some packiging on this layout. It was just too nice to throw away...

And the last one...couldn't quite figure out the title, but this works just fine for me.

Tonight I plan on:
- reading another chapter in Breaking Dawn(I know it's not literature, but I love it!),
- listening to some more songs by The Editors; great music when you're feeling kind of
emotional in a good way,
- having another bite of chocolate pecan caramel icecream since my skinny jeans are starting to
look baggy on me,
- crochet,
- maybe do an art journal page.

Tomorrow I want to:
- sleep in,
- put on my MUSE dvd and play it really really loud since both my neighbors are on holiday,
- watch the Eastenders' rerun,
- ...
- listen to some more Editors.

Challenge: Self portrait without makeup

2010-07-31T19:43:00.007+02:00

Last week I found a challenge on Kara's blog to make a self portrait without makeup on. At first I thought 'no way I'm going to participate', but after reading a few posts of other bloggers I decided to give it a try...And here it is: my selfportrait without the makeup. I guess I cheated a bit, because I took a B&W pic, but what the heck...I did it!

Here's what I see: The face of a dreamer, someone who's getting older and not liking everything in the process(like the wrinkles around my eyes and mouth), worries that have no reason to be there most of the time, a caring mom. I see the face of an introvert person who loves to listen to other people talking, but who opens up to a select few. I also see a tired face(a face familiar to other mothers out there!). Like: my hair and eyes. Dislike: my tiny wrinkles, the fatigue...

We played with Photobooth this evening and I really love this one, although it's blurry and not the best composition ever(to say the least!). I just love the way my kids are goofing around. My son was watching tv at the same time so he's dividing his attention...

Now it's your turn to show your selfportrait!

Stay tuned next week for some crafty stuff! I'd love to see you!

A letter to myself...

2010-07-25T10:47:00.004+02:00

Dear me,

I'm writing you this letter to let you know I think you're doing a great job as a mom.

Life with two small kids can be pretty challenging at times and there are moments when you just want to take a break. Organising and planning ahead is the key to a more calm family life, so it's too bad those skills are not in your top ten list of best qualities. I mean, how often do you loose your keys(if not on a daily basis), is your pile of laundry building instead of shrinking, do you forget to pick up certain groceries you need for diner or do you lock yourself out of the house(the key thing again!)? And let's not forget about combining all this with your work!

But do the kids care about these little flaws? I can assure you they don't! They just want to be loved, played with, read stories to at bedtime, watch Cars or Dora together...and the list goes on and on with things you ARE good at! How good doesn't it feel when you come home after work or after visiting a friend and both these little beauties are waiting for you anxious to grab your legs and pull you down to hug you and kiss you? Best feeling ever!

So that's why I think you're great as a mom. And so does your husband! Just try to take a step back whenever things are rough, whenever your daughter is testing you out, trying to see how far she can take it, whenever the kids don't want to go to sleep(which is about 4 out of 7 nights) or whenever your son wants you to carry him around all day long and starts to throw a tantrum whenever things don't go his way(for example: he wants to wear his winter coat when it's freakin' hot outside, but totally looses it when you try to take off the coat). In ten years time, you'll think back about these sometimes chaotic times and you and your husband will look at eachother and say: "Remember when we sat on the couch at night feeling totally exhausted?".
and "Remember when people stared at us in the supermarket when our little boy laid down in one of aisles screaming, because he didn't want to walk with us?". And you'll laugh at it and think back about all those loving and learning moments you spent as young parents.

So whenever you feel like taking a break, not knowing what strategy to try next or if counting to 10(or 100!) doesn't seem to work, just read this letter and remember what motherhood really is all about: offering a loving and safe place for your kids to turn to no matter what. And that's something that's on top of your good quality list! Don't ever forget that!

Love, me

HomeMade...

2010-07-22T11:40:00.014+02:00

I love things homemade. And I love to make things for my home. My latest addiction has been cross stitching. I did some when I was a kid, and then three weeks ago I came across this magazine and got hooked again. The magazine came with a nice vintage style pattern and some embroidery floss, so I couldn't resist. I totally forgot how much I liked it!

And now, my little project is almost finished: the red lines will form the word "Luck". I bought a wooden vintage frame a few weeks back which will soon be the new home for this pretty swallow.

Japanese craft books are the best! Even for cross stitching. Ebay has been my dear friend again this past week and I found the best embroidery book ever! This pretty is coming my way! I just love the kawaii designs in it. The designs will look pretty on a pillow case or a clutch or whatever...They'll look cute on anything really!

Also {heart} this book a lot, but I haven't been able to find it yet! It has some simple cross stitch designs. Love the rainbow!

And two other pages from craft books that caught my attention. Look at that tiny sheep! An that hedgehog! Sweetness!

(pics found on the internet, but I'm not sure where...)

Speaking of homemade...look what my daughter and I made for my husband's birthday:

Cream cheese cherry pie! Superdelicious and easy to make! I really can't cook or bake that well, but this pie is made without ever seeing the oven! Perfect for me, I must say! And cherries are my favorite fruit so needless to say I ate more than one slice...

What's your fav pie?

I'm back(..and hopefully I'm here to stay!)

2010-07-19T11:41:00.015+02:00

I took a break from blogging, because I just didn't feel the mojo anymore. Sometimes it's good to take a step back from everyday things and give yourself a break. I've been thinking about whether I wanted to continue filling this blog with more posts or whether to just let it go and never look back...I decided to continue, but make a few changes...

Surfing the net I stumbled across some beautiful and inspiring blogs, but I also can across some blogs which were obviously copied from others. I do not want to be part of that last group of people, but I do want to be my blog to be more visual/inspirational/crafty/etc. than it has been before. The inspiring blogs were a main reason for me to keep blogging and make some changes while I'm at it.

So what does that mean? Well, first of all, I want blogging to be fun! So I'll post whenever I feel like it, no pressure. There will be months with lots of posts and months with less. Just keep checking if you like and hopefully you'll find something nice and inspirational here.
Next, I'm blogging for ME. And if people like to read that and comment...awesome! I love to read comments, but I do have to agree to every comment before it's published. Reason for this, is that I've been experiencing some spam on my blog and I hate that!!! So please send me comment-love!
And last, I'd like my blog to be a mix of a personal diary, lots of visual inspiration, posts with crafty stuff and most of all: fun to read!

So what have I been up to the last couple of weeks during my blogging absence? Well, I haven't been to the moon, I didn't save the earth, nor did I deep clean my house. I did find new friends, tried to cut down my spending on dolls(failure there!), bought a new kitchen and experienced days feeling totally exhausted. I wanted to scrapbook, but I didn't. Also bumped my head on my car which almost caused me to pass out and left me with a freaking headache for four days and I had a mole removed from the back of my neck which also caused me to almost pass out...But other than that, life's been good to me.

Summer came pretty sudden. The weather was staying cold and Fall-ish and the all of a sudden the sun warmed our skins. A lot of our free time was spent outside playing, reading, crafting, taking walks, eating lots of icecream and just enjoying being here on this planet.

I spent countless hours on playing with my dolls: sewing clothes, crocheting hats, customizing, and filling my shop. Did a lot of thinking about the reasons I love playing with these dolls so much and I think I kinda figured it out. I don't really know how to put this in to words, but it feels like playing with my dolls make me forget the worries I have(even though they are very little at most times) and it fills a motherly need in me. I know how silly this sounds(do I really??), but all around me women seem to be pregnant and that made me feel like I am missing out on something. I have two kids and I really DON'T want any more, but sometimes I do miss that whole adventure of carrying a tiny baby inside. I miss the kicks, the hiccups, the feeling of being THE most beautiful woman on this planet. On the other hand, there's lots I don't miss about being pregnant. So I play with dolls instead...

After being a great fan for years I finally got to see them play live! MUSE rocked! I was floating around on my MUSE cloud for days after the concert. And now it seems like ages ago...If I still was 16, I'd probably have a huge poster of Matt hanging on my wall...He is the best musician ever and whenever he plays the piano I have chills down back. There is no music that touches me like MUSE's does. The show was brilliant!

While I'm blogging there are so many other things I probably should be doing. One of them is cleaning the living room. Let's make me a deal: one hour of cleaning and then half an hour of cross stitching as a reward. Okay, I'm off!

Renewing Le Blog!

2010-07-19T10:41:00.021+02:00

Hi there!

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still here and working to give my blog a makeover! Working on some buttons right now...See ya soon!

The little man turns two today!

2010-04-22T10:31:00.006+02:00

This melts my heart!

Can you tell we'll have a problem getting him used to living without these things?

He wants to be James Bond when he grows up and he's already practicing his charms. Look at those lashes!

And another pic of him practicing his looks! What do think ladies?

Our son is turning the big 2 today! These past two years have gone by so incredibly fast!

What I've learnt these past two years:
- It's really fun to have both a son and a daughter!,
- Playing with cars can be fun actually,
- Even though he's just little he definitely knows what he wants!,
- I can't stop kissing his chubby cheeks, because they're amazingly soft,
- I can have an off day and it's okay,
- Having two kids requires schedules and planning ahead,
- Boys are just as cuddly as girls,
- Boys like pink and nail polish too(and I don't care about the stares people give me when my son wears his nail polish on one finger with pride!),
- ...

HaPpY BiRtHdAy, my son! We love you so much!

Tag along!

2010-04-18T21:18:00.012+02:00

Hi there!

Found this tag along game at Rachel Denbow's blog. Feel free to copy these questions and answer them on your own blog!

1. When do you feel happiest?
I feel happiest when I am around my husband and kids. Just being at home and spending time together and doing nice things together makes me feel great! Being part of this family is the best thing ever!

2. How do you take care of yourself?
By treating myself to some crafting time after a hard day's work.

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?
It depends...a bit of both I guess. But I'm only externally motivated by the people I love. I don't let other people tell me what to do!

4. What do you do for fun?
I loooove playing games on my NintendoDS. Also love crafting, watching tv and shopping.

5. What intimidates you?
Meeting new people, travelling by myself, being on my own...

6. What is something you're proud of? I'm proud of being a loving mom and wife. I'm also proud of my creativity.

7. Finish this sentence. I never pick up a spider (^_^).

8. Favorite vacation spot.
Ireland!!!!!! For sure. Love the landscape, the people, the music...guess I was an Irish redheaded lady in a past life...

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10). 8! We had some lovely weather today, spent time with family, cleaned my bathroom and fridge(the two chores I hate the most!), I made a cute pants for my Lati Yellow Lea, uploaded pics on flickr, found out my Dal will probably arrive tomorrow and my favorite programme is on tonight.

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know I can be pretty insecure...I hate changes...oh, and you'd know I play with dolls!

I'd love to see your comments!

What's been keeping me busy...

2010-04-15T22:13:00.007+02:00

Yes, I'm still here...somewhere...

I haven't been blogging for the past couple of weeks just because I didn't feel like it. I've been doing lots of other things, like:
- knitting,
- partly rerooting a Blythe scalp,
- making doll clothes,
- spending time with my family ,
- cutting my hair and discovering it's curly when it's not so heavy,
- thinking about getting a third tatto0(a swallow) but giving that a bit more thought,
- finished reading New Moon and watching the movie,
- discovering my husband is with Jakob, while I'm with Edward,
- listening to MUSE over and over and over again,
- wanting another baby, but not wanting it at all,
- trying to get myself to scrapbook again, but not finishing any layouts at all,
- waiting of my Pukifee Zoe,
- and simply just relaxing`9or at least trying to).
Things have been crazy around here and I feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes by everyday life with two kids and work. But hey, I'm hanging in there!

It seems like the last couple of weeks I've grown a lot spiritually. I all of sudden realized I am getting older. It sounds so stupid, but it kinda hit me I am now part of the adult world instead of the youngsters. Grey hairs start to appear here and there(which get yanked out while there's still only a few!) and when I laugh it takes a couple of minutes for my wrinkles to disappear. It's not that I feel old, I mean I am ONLY 32, but I do feel like I have a lot of responsibility resting on my shoulders. Taking care of two young kids, working as a teacher, working on keeping a loving relationship with my husband...these are all adult things, right? Sometimes I'd just like to leave it all behind for one day and...yeah...and then what? I wouldn't want to miss a single day with my kids and husband!

So, to end this rather emotional post on a lighter note: here are a few pics of my new dolls that arrived today! To keep the little girl inside of me happy!

Lily: she's a Lati Yellow Lea

Miki: she's a J'aime Doll Tanned Vito

Girls having tea!

Can I have one, pwease?

PS If you want to leave me a comment, please do! Just know that comments will have to wait for my 'approval', since I've been experiencing a lot of spam in the comment section lately. Thanks!

PinkPrettiez is open for business!

2010-02-01T18:09:00.004+01:00

I made my own deadline of 1 February and my Etsy shop PinkPrettiez is now open for business! I'm so proud of finally opening this shop, since it's been of my creative goals for about two years now! Now it's just waiting for the cutomers to come check my shop out!

Here are a few items you'll find in my shop:

Feeling so excited!!!