« June 2007 | Main | August 2007 »
Well, here it is at last... our new car!!
If you don't know how we came to own this car then read the whole story here.
It is a very nice car, very spacious from the inside and at all levels a big improvement to what we had. However, it was difficult to leave our dear, faithful car behind this morning!! We really believed that it sensed its fate, because on the way to the garage it refused to go!
Anyway, I have to go... I'm taking our new toy for a ride!
Is bookish a synonym for tired and edgy?! No? Well, that's how I've been feeling today anyway. Let's just say that I could have been a little more patient with the children... ahum.
However, wonderful things entered our house today, all via my lovely husband.
First this book that I've been impatiently waiting for! I know everyone else in the world already owns it and has sewn many lovely things from it, but it's new to me and I love it. Can't wait to get started on some of these projects!
Then this fantastic book that I've also had to wait for for a long time. It's absolutely wonderful... very inspiring. I'll post some photos from it in another post (perhaps when I've finally started a new mosaic project).
Next up this gorgeous children's book. The drawings are so unbelievably wonderful.
Aren't these so beautiful?!
And then there is another children's book that we really like.
It's all about an elephant who thinks he's a cat... funny!
And then there is of course still this book (styling by Simon, by the way :))
I must the slowest HP-reader in the world, because I'm still only on page 224!! Please, tell me there are other people that still haven't finished it?! I think I'm just scared to read on...
Well, those were today's books... who knows what Michel will bring home again tomorrow?!
(Oh, I just have to tell you that Michel managed to break the new mug that I'd bought on Tuesday! Along with this favourite mug... well done, dear! And this afternoon when I got the washing out of the machine my lovely new table runner was all messed up, the colours had started to blend :(
So, no wonder I'm feeling bookish!)
Oh oh and.... tomorrow morning we're going to pick up our new car!! Yay!
Oh and PS, I'll post all the links for the books later (I need to get some sleep now)!!
Yesterday I thought that today it would be fun to go thrifting/shopping in Hilversum. When I read Kristy's post I was even more determined... she challenged us to go thrifting on a budget of 6 pounds, which is 8,95 in euros.
I think I did well.
There was this pretty fabric, huge tea towel and lovely hand-embroidered hankie:
and this bedlinen and flowery curtains...
and this wonderful table runner and delightful hankie:
This Pyrex bowl:
I'm so happy with this. I had seen Pyrex things show up everywhere on blogs, but I never really knew what they were. When I saw this bowl today, I immediately knew it had to be Pyrex. I think I actually smiled when I saw the stamp :) The things you learn from blogging!! There were in fact quite a few Pyrex items, the prettiest being a small butter dish. Although I was quite smitten with it, I decided to be sensible and not buy it. I knew I wasn't going to use it and I'm not really good at neatly displaying pretty things. Besides, if I had bought two pretty Pyrex things then that would almost be the beginning of a collection, wouldn't it?! Considering the state of the house starting a collection would not be the wisest thing to do... This bowl is useful though.
Then there was this gorgeous tablecloth:
Oh how I love it!! Have a closer look:
And then this mug:
Michel and I like to drink our tea from firm, colourful mugs. This one goes perfectly with the rest of our random collection (there you go... we already have a collection!).
And finally this large piece of fabric:
I love it, although I'm not sure what to do with it yet... any ideas?!
So that was all. I spent 8 euros precisely. There were lots of other lovely things that I could have gotten instead/as well. There were such pretty cups and saucers for only 50 cents, but again I was sensible... what was I going to do with them? I saw many things that I just knew would make some other bloggers drool... if only we'd be able to visit eachother's thrifstores!
By the way, I also did some "normal" shopping. I came home with a huge bag of clothes for the children... all on sale at H&M. I do love my bargains :))
I'll round off with this photo of the boy that claimed he didn't need a nap today... He climbed into his bed by himself just before we were supposed to have dinner and fell asleep right away. As you can imagine dinner was a challenge!
September 2006: our house, zucchini in the garden
I'm not really good at keeping a record of my children's development. Simon still has no baby-album. In fact, he doesn't even have one proper photo of himself, because we never print any photos from our digital camera... I haven't been keeping a baby-diary with Simon either. Also most drawings that Amber made through the years have somehow gone missing.
This is why I'm grateful for:
Amber came home last week with a booklet full of drawings that she made this year. Included were several techniques like folding, tearing, gluing etc.
However, my favourite part were the drawings that she had been making of herself in this schoolyear. Some highlights:
August 2006: Don't you love the bellybutton and nipples that show through her clothes?!
February 2007: I like how she has drawn the little ponytail that she wore that day
March 2007: Look at that pose! Do you see Michel/me and Simon in the background?
August 2006: Summer vacation, spending time with her aunt from England (my sister)
December 2006: Sinterklaas, that creature on the left is a horse!
June 2007: Celebration at school, picture of her on a camel in the rain
Thank you, Amber's teachers, for making this wonderful booklet and for making me feel a little less like a slob!
Check out some more (older) drawings here.
At long last the summer holiday has started for us.
All children were gliding into freedom today.
We're all so ready for this vacation to start. No more rushing and running in the morning. No more dashing from this party to the other, from one playdate to another... aaahh, bliss!
We're just going to take it really easy. Enjoy each other's company. Michel and I still have to work another three weeks, but after that we have three weeks off together. We'll go on daytrips, sleep-overs and perhaps go camping. And enjoy our new car ofcourse, which we will be able to pick up on Friday :)
But we're going to start/have started with some reading... how will it all end?!
Now if only the weather would start behaving as if it were summer!
No, this isn't a post about our new car. The one we're still patiently waiting for. The one that should have been here already, since we know it was born on the 28th of June in a car factory in Spain.
No, this is about Simon's cars...
These are the facts:
Well, I suppose I could go on a bit longer with this list, but I think the point is clear. Simon and his cars are a match made in heaven... they spend many blissful hours together. And I'm really glad he has such a rich imagination and that he finds so much joy in playing!
A little while back we had a 50th birthday to attend. The person celebrating his birthday is a painter who is a friend of Michel's. On his website here you can see the kind of work he makes. Michel and I both love his paintings very much.
Last year he was working on a book that shows an overview of his recent work. He asked Michel to write a piece about him (isn't that cool?!) en we helped him a little with the English translation of the text.
As a thank-you he gave us this:
Our first (and probably last) gorgeous piece of art... we think it's wonderful! This photo does it no justice at all, unfortunately. It is proudly hung in the livingroom. The children like it too, for the subtle details.
So we were invited to his birthday party. Coming up with an appropriate gift wasn't easy. Michel found a book that he thought would be appreciated, but I really wanted to make something myself. However, I found the thought of making something for an artist rather intimidating! Still, I put those feelings aside and started sewing.
I thought I would make a cushion for the sofa in his workshop. As a startingpoint I took Michiel's very own painting and picked out fabrics in the same colour tones as the painting. Then I cut small and wider strips and "randomly" started sewing. I did have some idea how I wanted it to turn out and I made sure the colours were spread the way I liked it.
When it was finished... I liked it! How I love a project that simply turns out the way I planned it!
But even better was that Michiel liked it as well. He was touched that I had taken the trouble to make something myself. And really that's all that matters, right?! As I've heard, it's now being used/displayed in his workshop.
This weekend has been the first in many weeks that we had a bit of summer weather here in The Netherlands. After an absolutely gorgeous spring, the summer up till now sucks big time!
So what do you do when suddenly a warm day presents itself? Well, bring out the BBQ ofcourse!
We spent a lovely Sunday with friends. Went to Weesp with them (longtime readers of this blog will know what we did there ;)) and then had a good old BBQ in the garden.
Amber had her hair did!
I wonder what this new week his in store for us...
At least a drawing (I didn't forget)... the winners are Katie and PJ! Send me your addresses so I can send your package!
And thank you everyone for your congratulations... here's to the next 200 posts!!
Isn't it the small, simple things in life that make you most happy? I'm glad it works that way for me.
My dear son dismantling his babybed with his own toolbox.
Beautiful cards from Tiel.
At long last some progress organising my craftroom; I'm able to locate some of the pretty things from under the mess. Still quite a bit to go, but I'm on the right track.
Jack is back :))
Harry Potter is nice and all, but I secretly prefer my annual dose of Jack Reacher. Anyone else a fan? It's shameless entertainment; perfect for summery days! I'm half way through the book, so I'd better get back to it!
And if you'd still like to be included in the drawing then leave a comment on the post below.
I've decided that this 200th is my official housewarming post.
It feels good here on Typepad... I'm staying!
I had plans to host a tea party... set a pretty table and serve some nice food. But I must be realistic... organising it would stress me out and chances are it will never happen.
So I'm afraid you're going to have to bring along your own food and drink... it's what we here call an "American party" ;)
Blogging is still providing me with lots of joy and a great sense of satisfaction. I've been keeping diaries ever since I was able to write, but I think that this is the most regular that I've ever been writing. It makes me proud that I'm keeping it up, although it isn't hard. I love documenting our lives and it's wonderful to know that in this way I'm preserving memories for myself and the children.
Of course, I also truly love the interaction with anyone who visits here. I'm still amazed that there are people from America, Australia and everywhere else coming here to read about my life. I love comments :)
As a thank-you I would like to give away two packages (*) to two people who leave a comment. I'll draw names on Friday. Lurkers, de-lurk!
Thank you all for making my blog feel like a place where friends can drop in whenever they want!
(*) The first package will contain a lovely handmade (not by me) apron and one of my patchwork pouches, the other will contain the cheery flowery bag and also one of my patchwork pouches. If you prefer one or the other, please say so.
