Madelief

French macarons

2012-02-11T15:05:00.002+01:00

Sometime ago I was given the book I love macarons by Annie Rigg. I have been wanting to try one of the recipes for a long time, but somehow I never came to it. Urged by my daughters, I finally made some last weekend. I was surprised by the result. The macarons looked far better than I had anticipated. The only downside for me was the roughness of the almond meal I used. Because of this I couldn't give the macarons the smooth look I wanted them to have. The taste was really good though!

It's the perfect gift to surprise your loved ones with on Valentine's day. You can find the recipe on this website.

Wish you all a happy weekend and a romantic Valentine's day!

LOVE,

Madelief x

Vintage finds

2012-02-04T12:01:00.002+01:00

It's cold and sunny in Holland. A thin layer of snow fell yesterday afternoon and makes everything look magical. It's quiet outside, even in a big town like Rotterdam. Now and then you can hear birdsong or the beeping of a horn in the distance.

I have been pottering around the house. Getting my vintage finds out of their boxes. I found some floral cups and plates by Royal Albert, a blue spotted jug and some 1970s purple and blue fabric, which I love. Most of it will go to my garden house. I don't know where to put it yet, but I am sure I will find some space :-)!

To show you some of my finds, I mixed it with some new fabric, my Emma Bridgewater mugs, new Greengate jug (which I at bought at Lia's beautiful shop) and House Doctor bowls. Don't old and new look great together?

Happy weekend! For the Dutch girls: enjoy the sun & the snow!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Parisian riviera

2012-02-01T08:04:00.000+01:00

It's the time of year to start thinking of 'where to go to' for summer. Last year we spent two glorious weeks in France.

Deauville in Normandy was one of our holiday destinations. The old and chique seaside resort is often referred to as the Parisian Riviera. The words do the town justice. Deauville still has the elegance and splendour of a bygone era.

When you have a lively imagination, it's not difficult to see the ladies dressed in the latest fashion, walking the wooden boardwalk The planches. Covering their faces from the sun with a parasol. While the gentlemen make their way to the Hippodrome, to see the horses race.

Since the 1900s Deauville has been a popular holiday destination for the rich and famous. You can still see signs of it in the old town, were the most beautiful villas line the streets. Plaques are attached to houses, to say the danser Isadora Duncan or the fashion icon Coco Chanel 'Once lived/worked here'.

Each year the town plays host to the American film festival. Along The Planches you can see beach closets which are dedicated to famous actors and film makers.

We enjoyed the town very much. Not only for it's history, the beautiful beach, great shops, but for it's lovely terraces and the delicious seafood as well. The neighbouring town Trouville is worth a visit too. I will show you some photo's another time.

This year we plan to go to The Cotswolds in England. Where will you be going for your summer holiday?

Enjoy your day!

Madelief x

January garden

2012-01-25T14:56:00.000+01:00

This year my January garden is different from other years. I can't remember having a hydrangea in bloom in January before. The white hellebore is two months early and my star of Bethlehem bulbs are a mass of pretty white flowers. Even the hazel tree is full of catkins. It all just beautiful.

There are buds and sprigs everywhere. I can see the yellow heads of the Daffodils and the purple heads of the crocuses. There are little sprigs of grape hyacinth everywhere. Even the tulips and the alliums are above ground.

Everywhere around me is birdsong. Normally January is a quiet month in the garden, but now it is as if the birds have been around all winter.

My head is full of ideas. The book grow your own cut flowers by Sarah Raven on my bedside table. I decided to grow a cutting garden in the beds in front of our garden house. I ordered seeds of the penstemon barbatus and the penstemon hartwegii, salvia patens cambridge blue, zinnia elegance dream and purple prince, Antirrhinum majus maximum 'Madame Butterfly' and Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sea Shells Mixed'. I already bought seeds of several varieties Sweet Peas. Can't wait for the season to begin. Have you made plans for your garden yet?

Before I forget, thank you for you lovely comments on my last post. They make me feel flattered and embarrassed at the same time. I am glad you enjoyed it! I have to add that I do not always look like this :-)

Enjoy your day!

Madelief x

Warm boots and cardigans

2012-01-18T08:19:00.003+01:00

dress Yarn Unit

wrap cardigan Monki

Now that temperatures are dropping in Holland, I changed part of my wardrobe. Thin cotton dresses and shoes made room for woollen cardigans and boots. I found a lovely grey wrap cardigan with leather pockets and a pair of high shoes at Monki. It really is a store for teenagers, but even for forty somethings it is worth having a look now and then.

One of my favourite brands is European Culture. I have several dresses by them. They not only make stylish clothes. They are very comfortable to wear too. The red dress on the last two photos has a vintage feel to it. It reminds me of the clothes Joan wears in Mad Men. Have you seen the series? If not, you should. If only for the amazing costumes by Janie Bryant.

One of the things I wanted to show you is MyPaperBag by Ramon van Middelkoop. My eldest daughter bought it recently. I think it is really super! The bag looks like it is made of paper, but is made of a high quality leather instead. What is special about the bag too, is that it is Fair trade. So the money goes to the right people.

Wish you a lovely day from a cold Rotterdam.

Madelief x

Grey dress Cos, chequered panty De Bijenkorf

necklace Cos, earrings Fiva, notebook Lifestyle

MyPaperBag by Ramon Middelkoop

shoes Monki, long grey necklace Cos

Dress European Culture, shoes Invito

Garden highlights

2012-01-11T21:27:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone, it's been a while... Sorry I did not leave any comments recently, but I was taken into hospital unexpectedly. I came home yesterday, feeling much better, but I still need a bit of time to feel my old self again.

This post is about the changes in my garden through the year. From the soft shades of the bluebells and blossoms in springtime, to the the abundance of colour by the Dahlia's and Zinnia's in autumn. It makes me happy looking at the photo's. Can't wait for the gardening season to start again :-).

When I visited our garden two weeks ago, I could already see the first signs of spring. Tiny snowdrops showing their white heads, fat buds on the branches, hazel catkins on the tree. It won't be long before we have crocuses' and even tulips. Due to the high temperatures we are having in Holland, nature is a few steps ahead. Is it the same in your country? I would love to hear how your garden is growing.

Enjoy your week & take care!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T18:16:00.000+01:00

Wishing you happiness, peace and joy in the New Year! I hope it will be a year full of love & friendship, warm summer days, outdoor tea parties, gardens full of flowers & starry nights.

Thank you for taking part in my giveaway. I enjoyed reading your enthusiastic reactions. A hearty welcome to my new followers too. I am sorry I haven't been able to thank you all in person, but I could not find the time. Christmas is always such a busy time of year.

It gives me great pleasure to make two of you happy. My youngest daughter Annebelle picked the winning numbers. This time both gifts stay in Holland. The garden book by Jeanne d'Arc living will go to Renny, from the blog Bizzy at Home. The two white teacups to Fleur from the blog In de Polder. Dear Renny & Fleur, congratulations! Will you please mail me your details so that I can send the books and cups your way? I wish all the others who joined in good luck next time!

Hope you all have/had a lovely Christmas holiday? I started work again today. I did not feel very much like it yet. I enjoyed every minute at home with the girls. We did a lot of baking. In between I even found some time to change an old lilac tablecloth, that was too short for our present table, into a romantic one with a vintage look. I used it for our Christmas brunch.You can see it on the photo's above and below. The plates on the table come from our garden house, the cups and the small lace tablecloths from the thrift store.

For those of you who are still at home, enjoy the rest of your holiday! A happy new week to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Family tradition

2011-12-27T10:03:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to thank you for your sweet Christmas wishes. I hope you all had a wonderful time with your loved ones!

In today's post some photo's of what I have been up to the days before Christmas. The baking of a huge two litre turban is one of the things that comes back every year and is becoming a family tradition. My daughters love it!

I also visited several thrift stores, in search of floral cups, glassware and linen. I needed them for our family brunch on Christmas day. I wanted the table to have a Vintage feel to it. I came home with two bags full of the most beautiful things! I even found some old Christmas decorations. On the photo's you can see some of the cups, decorations and glassware that I found. In my next post I will show you how our Christmas table looked like.

Enjoy the last days of the year! Don't forget to enter my Giveaway!

Lieve groet,

Madelief x

Christmas giveaway

2011-12-23T20:37:00.001+01:00

With a turban in the oven and pears slowly sizzling on the stove, the preparations for our Christmas brunch and dinner have already started. I will spend a great part of tomorrow in the kitchen. The days after that will be full of family and friends. How I look forward to it all. The last couple of days the pile of presents under the tree has steadily grown. Although in their teens, my daughters still find it difficult not to look who the presents are for :-)

This post is to say Thank you, for your sweet comments, your friendship, your enthusiasm and the inspiration you haven given me. This week I welcomed my 700 follower. Still find it hard to believe.....

I chose my first giveaway with summer and the garden already on my mind. It's the Danish gardening book Franske Fornemmelser by Jeanne d'Arc Living. It's full of amazing photographs!

My second give-away consists of two beautiful white porcelain teacups from my own collection. My china cabinet is bursting at the moment. I thought I could make one of you happy with the cups.

It's easy to participate. Just leave a comment on this post and let me know which giveaway you prefer. I would appreciate it if you would link my giveaway to your blog, but don't feel obliged. Everyone can participate, old and new followers. I will send all over the world. On the 2nd of January 2012 one of my daughters will pick the winning numbers. Meanwhile keep your fingers crossed.

I wish you all a Wonderful Christmas!

Love, Peace & Joy,

Madelief x

Photo 2 to 10 taken from Franske Fornemmelser by Jeanne d'Arc Living

Christmas tide is here

2011-12-18T19:56:00.000+01:00

Christmas tide is here

From our happy home
Through the world we roam
One week in all the year,
Making winter spring
With the joy we bring
For Christmas-tide is hre.

Now the eastern star
Shines from afar
To light the poorest home;
Hearts warmer grow,
Gifts freely flow,
For Christmas-tide has come.

Now gay trees rise
Before young eyes,
Abloom with tempting cheer;
Blithe voices sing,
And blithe bells ring
For Christmas-tide is here.

Oh, happy chime,
Oh, blessed time,
That draws us all so near!
'Welcome, dear day',
All creatures say,
For Christmas-tide is here

Louisa May Alcott

Only one more working day to go and the Christmas holiday starts for me. There is still so much to do....I haven't decided yet what to make for the family brunch on Christmas day and Christmas dinner on boxing day. Yesterday we had our last two performances with the choir. We had a concert in an old peoples home and a concert in a quaint little church in an old part of Schiedam. They were both beautiful. It's so much fun seeing others enjoy the music and even sing along. To me those concerts always bring the Christmas spirit!

Wish you all a lovely new week! Good luck with the Christmas preparations.

Madelief x

Bowls and tin by House Doctor

A touch of red

2011-12-10T09:44:00.000+01:00

Amaryllis & quince

Only thirteen more days to go before Christmas! Time passes by too quickly. I wish I could stop it just for a short while, to enjoy it more. I think the days before Christmas are probably some of the best of the year. They are full of anticipation, preparations for family dinners and parties, lots of baking, writing cards, last minute Christmas lunches with friends & colleagues and the Christmas concerts with the choir. We will have our first performance this afternoon. I am so excited! It's so much fun to sing together and bring the spirit of Christmas.

This post is to show you some of the reds in my living room. Although I prefer a Christmas house in more neutral colours, it has little touches of red at the moment. I found the cups and the tin at the flea market recently. Aren't they sweet?

I would also like to show you the lovely presents Linda from Beautiful ideas sent me. Linda, thank you once again for the sweet treats, lovely napkins and cards. Good luck with your tea party today!

I haven't been able to visit your blogs lately and next week will probably be the same, but I promise I will visit as soon as I am able.

Wish you all a Happy weekend! Have fun!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Butterflies & hearts

2011-12-03T15:09:00.000+01:00

This weekend we will be celebrating Sinterklaas with the family. The house is bursting with activity. The preparations for the arrival of the Holy man are in full swing. The girls are busy wrapping their presents, making poems and working on their surprise gifts.

On Tuesday it will be full speed ahead with the Christmas decorating. I find it difficult to wait. The beautiful Christmas posts on several blog, don't make it any easier. My daughters didn't allow me to start before Sinterklaas, and were quite right! Sinterklaas is such an old and beautiful Dutch tradition, it has to get the attention it deserves.

Last week I sprayed some branches white and decorated them with butterflies and hearts. They look lovely in the big white vase. I left work early to bake cookies with my middle daughter. The delicious odour of baking cookies in the house, made them difficult to resist!

Before I forget, I would like to thank Linda from Beautiful Ideas and Belinda from Vintage Rose for the beautiful give-aways they sent me! I posted the mirror I received from Belinda below and will post Linda's presents next week. They arrived just in time for Sinterklaas. Please have a look at their blogs. They are very different in style, but both lovely!

A happy Sinterklaas weekend to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Changing roles

2011-11-26T18:17:00.000+01:00

Not long ago I used to be the one on top of things. I told my daughters where to buy their clothes, what the best restaurants are and which places to go to. Slowly roles are changing :-). When going to Amsterdam for a day in late September, my eldest daughter advised my husband and I to go to Mazzo. We both liked it.

The Italian restaurant has an industrial, but homely feel to it. It's the perfect place to just have a cup of coffee, a quick lunch or dinner. The clientèle is a mix of young and old. While sitting there we watched mothers chatting in the back of the restaurant, while their children enjoyed themselves, men reading their newspaper or working on their laptop and trendy young people just coming in for a drink.

The food was delicious. My husband had a plate of spaghetti peperoncini vongole mussels and I a focaccia, tomato Mozarella di buffalo & pesto. When in Amsterdam do visit! You can find the restaurant on the Rozengracht, or just click on the link above.

Wish you all a lovely weekend! From a dark and grey Rotterdam,

Madelief x

Cupcakes & granny squares

2011-11-19T19:01:00.000+01:00

It's been a busy week. Work, a piano concert, choir rehearsals and appointments with friends and family took up most of my time. I am sorry I haven't been able to leave any comments. I will try to make up for that this weekend :-)!

Now that temperatures are dropping in Holland and the garden is asleep, to me the kitchen is the place to be. I love to spend time behind the stove, trying out recipes or just cooking a simple meal for my family. Last weekend my parents came for tea and dinner. The perfect opportunity to bake some more cupcakes :-)! It was my intention to give it a 'white' theme, but somehow 'blue' slipped in.

Can you remember the granny squares I showed you a while ago? All through summer I have been crocheting, to come to a standstill in September..... I was fed up with them! A friend of mine suggested to sew or crochet them together. She said it would help finish the blanket. It's exactly what I did and she was right. It does help!

Wish you all a happy weekend!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Cooking club

2011-11-12T21:58:00.000+01:00

For more than eighteen years, I have been a member of two cooking clubs. I was host to one of them this week. Which means I had to make the dining room look acceptable and cook the main course. My friends took the starter and the chocolates with them. Normally we always have a dessert too, but due to a conference one of my friends attended, we skipped it. We all have busy jobs and families and although the cooking club is perfect for trying out recipes, it's main purpose is to spend time together and enjoy ourselves.

One of my friends made a delicious potato leek soup as a starter. I prepared Marinated aubergine with oregano (Ottolenghi / The Cookbook) and Avocado, quinoa and broad bean salad (Ottolenghi / Plenty). It was more work than I had anticipated and glad one of my daughters helped me out double shelling the broad beans. I served some bread and Tsatsiki (Liselotte Forslin / Mezze) to go with it. It was delicious. So far the cookbooks by Ottolenghi have not let me down. The recipes are easy to make, look beautiful and are full of flavour.

Do you enjoy cooking?

A happy weekend to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Autumn leaves

2011-11-05T21:57:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your sweet comments on my 'closet' post. I enjoyed reading them!

Last week felt like summer in Holland. I can't remember having such high temperatures before at the beginning of November. Because we had hardly any wind, the trees are still full of leaves in the most beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red.

The garden is slowly falling asleep. However, there are several plants that still catch the eye. Like the Boston ivy with it's red leaves, the Callicarpa with it's purple berries and the Hydrangea and Sedum with their faded pinks.

We planted the last bulbs. Some purple tulips, pink and purple alliums, bluebells and forest hyacints. We cut back the grass, emptied the terracotta pots and cleaned out the greenhouse. There is still a lot of work to do before next spring, but there is no hurry.

Have you been working in the garden lately?

Wish you all a Happy weekend!

Madelief x

Closet visit

2011-10-29T16:22:00.001+02:00

One of the advantages of internet is that you come upon blogs and websites that are a source of inspiration. When it comes to clothes and fashion, I enjoy catching up with Scott Schuman's blog The Sartorialist. I like the way he captures street fashion. One of the websites I regularly visit is Closet Visit. It gives you a glimpse in the closet of artists, photographers, people working in the fashion industry etc. They recently posted their second film 'Matilde', which is beautiful! The film is like a dream, a fairytale. A combination of Alice in Wonderland, the Secret Garden and Little Red Riding Hood. Do have a look, and let me know if you enjoy it as much as I do. Choose 'couch mode' and you will get the full screen version. It's simply lovely!

On today's photo's two outfits and some accessories from my closet. They are very different in style. The brown leather bag, the black evening bag and the cameo are vintage finds. The necklace came from an auction site. The silver rings are presents I received over the years and love to wear. The clothes are a mix of old and new, by Zara, H&M & Vanilia. The striped top is by Best Behavior. The grey slouch bag is by Nelis & Janssen. They have the most fantastic bags! The shoes are by Invito.

What I would like to know. Which fashion blogs do you like?

Have a lovely weekend, Happy Halloween!

Madelief x

Cute cupcakes

2011-10-22T15:19:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I said thank you for leaving comments on my blog. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading them very much. Blogging would not be half as much fun without them.

I left work early yesterday, to spend some extra time with my daughters. They are at home for the autumn holidays. One of the things they love to do is baking. Especially cupcakes!

We made some simple ones with flour, sugar, eggs and butter. The frosting we use is from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook. It's a combination of icing sugar and butter. We always add a few drops of rose essence, to give it some extra flavour and a soft pink colour. The girls decided on the title of today's post: cute cupcakes it was going to be!

I recently found some sweet tulip shaped cupcake cases and pearl sprinkles at the garden centre (Intratuin). Off all places :-) They have an amazing collection. The light blue and pink cases with the flowers and polka dots are from Greengate. The Limoges teacup and little milk jar on the last two photo's came from our local flea market.

Wish you all a happy weekend! If the weather permits we will spending some time in the garden to clean things up.

Madelief x

Plant fair

2011-10-19T19:34:00.001+02:00

Last weekend we went to a plant fair at the arboretum Trompenburg in Kralingen (Rotterdam). It's one of my favourite landscaped gardens in the neighbourhood. Dating back to 1820. It has a huge collection of trees, conifers, hosta's and rhododendrons.

We visit at least twice a year, when there is a plant fair. Specialised nurseries from all over Holland are present. This weekend the fair was extra special, due to the fine weather.

We walked through the garden, around the stalls and sat in the sun to eat some home made parsnip/carrot soup. We took several plants home with us. I couldn't resist the tall spiky stems and purple flowers of the Verbena bonariensis and the crimson bell shaped flowers of the penstemon Rich Ruby. I found it difficult not to take any Dahlia's with me, but I wasn't sure if I could keep the tubers over the winter. This year I will give it a go with the Dahlia's I have in my garden. I would welcome advice!

What I would love to know. Have you been to plant fair recently?

Wish you a happy wednesday!

Madelief x

Autumn lunch

2011-10-15T20:49:00.000+02:00

Two weeks ago we had a few warm and sunny autumn days in Holland. I already cleaned the outdoor kitchen and prepared the garden house for winter, but this was too good an opportunity to miss.....another beautiful day in the garden!

I invited my parents to enjoy part of the day with us, and have lunch together. Because the grass was soaking wet, we put the table on the decking, which my brother recently renewed. From this elevated position we had a good view of the garden; the colourful flowers, the little garden house, the old hazelnut tree, the leaves of the plants slowly turning red, the morning mist.... I soaked it all up. It will be a long five months before the first spring flowers appear. Wish it could be sooner!

At the end of the day we took the last vegetables home with us. Some red and green peppers, garlic, oak leaf lettuce and grapes. Now it's time to open up my garden books once more and start thinking of what lies ahead. Will I plant more flowers, get rid of the herbs and some blackberry bushes, what shall I do with the fig tree that's giving too much shade......?

A lovely weekend to you all!

Madelief x

An autumn day in The Hague

2011-10-08T18:28:00.000+02:00

Last Wednesday I went to The Hague with two friends of mine. It was as dark and dreary autumn day, but perfect for sightseeing. One of my friends, who was born in The Hague and knows the town very well, took us on a guided tour. She showed us Noordeinde palace, where our queen Beatrix works, the Royal stables and the Palace gardens. We walked along the Hofvijver, past the houses of parliament and the tower of the prime minister to the passage, a covered shopping street dating back to 1885. The day would not be complete without visiting some shops. We settled on the Denneweg and Frederikstraat, with it's many antique stores and galleries.

We ended our day in Hotel des Indes, where we had a delicious lunch. What a beautiful place the hotel is. It has the charm and grandeur of the old world, but with modern day luxury. It feels like stepping back in time, to the days when men and women were still wearing hats, doors were being held open and a hand kiss was still a frequently used gesture.

Let me show you where we have been.

Wish you all a happy weekend,

Madelief x

Biggie Best shop in de Frederikstraat

Inside the garden house

2011-10-02T19:50:00.000+02:00

What a wonderful weekend we had in Holland! So strange to be sitting in the garden in October with temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius. I planned to paint the ceilings of our garden house white, but because it was so hot, I decided to do it another time. Instead I took some photo's to show you how the inside of our garden house looks at the moment.

We took the old cupboard from our living room to the garden house. I was pleased to see that I could store more things than in our old cupboard. There was even some space left for the teacups, which I recently found at the flea market.

I still have lots of flowers from the garden. I can't remember having picked so much, for such a long time. There are still Sweet Peas, Cosmos, Zinnia, Sedum and lots of Dahlia's. Some plants seem to have taken a growing spurt, like some roses and the pepper plant in the greenhouse. I will show you some photo's next time! Hope you all had a lovely weekend too?!

Happy new week to you all,

Madelief x

Getting ready for autumn

2011-09-28T07:26:00.000+02:00

We had some beautiful sunny weather in Holland this weekend. Perfect to do some work in the garden and empty the outdoor kitchen. When autumn storms arrive, I don't want my china and enamelware to be all over the garden.

I was sent two beautiful tea towels by the All tea towels company. They have the most wonderful selection of linen and cotton tea towels. From contemporary designs to vintage prints and more romantic patterns. All high quality. I found it difficult to make a choice. They have so much on offer. When the tea towels arrived by mail on Friday, my middle daughter asked me if she could have the red one with the text 'Keep calm and carry on', to put on her bedroom wall. Guess I will have to get a new one for myself !

Now that the garden is slowly going to sleep, I will be posting less frequently. Probably once a week. This leaves me with more time to finish my crocheted plaid, do some baking and cooking, and finally read those books that have been lying in my bookcase for weeks now.

Wish you all a happy Wednesday! Enjoy the sun :-)

Madelief x

Autumn decorations

2011-09-24T21:19:00.001+02:00

Today was a lovely autumn day in Holland. It felt good wearing a summer dress and sandals again. I spent a great part of the day outdoors and even found time to make some minor changes around the house. The summer accessories were put upstairs in the loft and replaced by plaids, pillows & candles in colours I find more suitable for autumn and winter. At our local fleamarket I discovered an old blue vase, which I couldn't resist. It looks beautiful on our new dresser and matches perfectly with the blue china and glassware inside.

Tomorrow we will be heading for the garden, to empty our outdoor kitchen and make everything ready before autumn storms arrive.

Hope you will all have a lovely sunny weekend!

Madelief x

A toutes les gloires de la France

2011-09-21T20:52:00.000+02:00

When walking on the forecourt towards the entrance of the palace of Versailles, one of the first things you notice are the words 'A toutes les gloires de la France' on one of the buildings. The words were added during the reign of Louis Philippe, who was king of France from 1830 to 1848, and turned the palace into a museum dedicated to the glory of France. The palace itself dates back to the 17th century and was expanded over the years. What began as Louis XIII hunting lodge turned into Louis XIV's palace, as we know it today.

We visited at the height of summer, which really isn't the best period to visit if you want to see all the rooms properly. It was terribly crowded. Especially at the beginning of our tour the only thing we could see was other people's backs. Later on, when smaller rooms turned into big halls, there was much more space to enjoy the splendour of the palace; the painted ceilings, the huge chandeliers, exquisite fabrics, the marble and 'gold' everywhere. There is so much to take in. One day is not enough to see it all. We decided to return one day, in spring or autumn, to take a better look.

In one of my earlier posts, I showed you around parts of the castle that had a connection with Marie Antoinette. Today some more photo's of the castle, like the famous hall of mirrors, and the amazing gardens.

Happy day!

Madelief x

Another rainy day

2011-09-18T21:01:00.001+02:00

Today we had another rainy day in Rotterdam. We have had so much of them this summer. Too much really. When I think back of the number of warm and sunny days we spent in our garden, I do not get any further than about ten. Such a shame!

Despite the showers we had today, I wanted to spend some time in the garden. If only to see how the last vegetables are doing, like the courgette, leek, oak leaf lettuce and pattison. I also wanted to pick some flowers to take home with me.

The garden was soaking wet. The smell of wet soil and grass overwhelming. How I love that scent. As I descended down the garden path tiny frogs jumped away through the rain. Looking for a safe place. There are still some Sweet Pea's, Dahlia's and Cosmos in bloom. I also picked some Sedum, which has a beautiful dusty pink colour and looks very pretty in a bouquet. At home I put the flowers in little jars and placed them around the house.They are such a joyous sight!

Now something completely different. Did any of you read the latest book by John Boyne, called The absolutist? It is one of the most beautiful books I read lately. It's about two young men fighting in the Great War, struggling with the complexity of their emotions. It's about love too and friendship. About the atrocities of war and about deciding not to fight any more.

When you are off to the library or bookshop this week, just take this book with you. It's simply beautiful!

A happy new week to you all

Madelief x

Late summer day in Amsterdam

2011-09-14T19:35:00.001+02:00

Not long ago, on a beautiful summer day, we made another trip to Amsterdam. We walked along the river Amstel, saw the Begijnhof with it's 17th and 18th century houses and visited the museum Geelvinck or Hinlopen house.

The Geelvinck museum is a 17th century canal side mansion in the old centre of Amsterdam. The museum tells the story of Amsterdams regent families from the end of the golden century, when their power was at it's height, until the French Revolution, when it all changed. It has six period rooms which are all different in style. There is a red and a blue room, a Chinese room, a library, a huge entrance hall and a coach house were exhibitions are being held.

One of the reasons for visiting was to see the garden, which is very impressive. It is situated between the mansion and the coach house and is a mix between a French renaissance garden and a formal symmetrical French garden. It has a huge pond and beautiful fountain.

Both the house and the garden are worth visiting. You can find some more information here. We ended our day on a terrace along one of the canals, with the sun shining on our faces and a glass of cold white wine in front of us :-) .

Have a lovely day!

Madelief x

The song of the sweet pea fairies

2011-09-10T21:03:00.000+02:00

Here Sweet Peas are climbing
(Here's the Sweet Pea rhyme!)
Here are little tendrils,
Helping them to climb.

Here are sweetest colours;
Fragrance very sweet;
Here are silky pods of peas,
Not for us to eat!

Here's a fairy sister,
Trying on with care
Such a grand new bonnet
For the baby there

Does it suit you, Baby?
Yes, I really think
Nothing's more becoming
Than this pretty pink!

By Cecily Mary Barker

Candle light supper

2011-09-07T10:00:00.000+02:00

After days of rain, the day I held my 'candle light supper', was the first dry one of the week. Even when dark clouds gathered over the garden in the afternoon, I kept faith. Somehow I knew it was going to be ok. If not, we could just grab our plates and find a seat inside the garden house. It's not big, but when squeezing in a little, there is room for five. It would be a bit cosy though :-)!

It wasn't a normal supper I had in my garden that evening, but a business meeting. While I laid the table, did the cooking and washing up, my colleagues did most of the talking. It turned out to be a relaxed and fruitful evening. We even saw glimpses of sunlight shining through the clouds.

I made my first pumpkin soup of the season as a starter, had ratatouille with rice and a salade with caramilized unions and bacon as a main course and meringues with fresh fruit and cream as a desert. Although simple, I believe it was to everyone's liking.

Well that's it for now. I am off to the city centre to find some birthday present for friends. Wish you all a cheerful and sunny Wednesday!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

An afternoon at the museum

2011-09-03T08:07:00.000+02:00

As a garden and art lover I am always on the lookout for inspiring places to visit. While in Amsterdam a short while ago, we decided to visit the Museum van Loon.

The Museum van Loon is situated in the heart of Amsterdam,along one of the canals. The house itself dates back to the 17th century and is beautifully decorated. Although it has touches of more modern times, it still evokes the splendour of the golden age. I especially liked the blue rooms. In which I found the light shining through the high windows amazing.

The garden is magnificent. It is laid out in formal style with low hedges and roses in between and looks very impressive with the façade of the coach house behind it. The coach house, which you can see on my first four photo's, was only recently purchased. Renovation is still going on, but you can already see how beautiful it will look once finished.

This weekend the weather in Holland is too good to stay inside. I am off to my garden to clean up the remnants of a candle light supper. I will show you some photo's soon. Have a good time!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Lets go fly a kite

2011-08-31T07:48:00.000+02:00

A short while ago, when the sun was still high in the sky and the temperatures comfortable, we set off for the beach somewhere near Kijkduin. The wind from the east was fierce and large numbers of jelly fish were blown ashore. During our walk we came upon some heavily guarded castles and even some pirates. We watched the sailing boats conquer the waves, see the fishermen throw their lines and families enjoy the sand and the water. I sincerely hope we will get a few more of those glorious beach days before the autumn sets in!

Have a great Wednesday!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Happy colours!

2011-08-27T16:02:00.003+02:00

While I can hear the thunder in the distance and rain is lashing against the windows, I write this post. At the same time I am having a look at the photo's I made in our garden yesterday. How bright & happy all the colours look!

The Sweet Pea's are at their best. I bring home a bunch of them at least twice a week. The zinnia's and cosmos just keep on growing. The anemones are slowly opening their buds, while the dahlia's are in full bloom. The flowers of the dahlia's keep amazing me. Some are simply huge.....and all those colours :-)!

Meanwhile the plum tree is full of deliciously looking purple plums, but I cannot reach them! I tried shaking the tree, fetching a high ladder, climbing the tree itself, but to no avail. If you have a suggestion how I can get my plums out of my 12 meter high plum tree, please let me know. The thing is, I would love to make plum chutney, but now the birds get the plums before I do :-)!

How are your tomatoes doing? Mine are literally rotten! The leaves have wilted and the tomatoes do not even ripen. What did I do wrong? Is is all the rain that fell? I would welcome some advise on how to threat them. There goes my multi colourful salad, tomato soup and passata......

Wish you all a sunny weekend!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Tea for eight

2011-08-24T08:13:00.002+02:00

Last Saturday I organised an afternoon tea in my garden for seven blog friends. Most of them were from the Rotterdam area. My husband and I started early in the morning to get everything ready. We cut the hedge, got rid of some big branches which were broken off by a storm, and tried to make the garden weed free :-). The best part of the morning was getting the china out of the cabinet onto the table and make it all look pretty.

It turned out to be a glorious day! The sun was shining & the temperatures were pleasant. It was a joy to see the faces behind the blogs. We talked, laughed, talked some more and drank lots of tea. Some of you may already have seen some beautiful photo's on Saskia's, Yolanda's or Ingrid's blog, but I hope you don't mind me showing some too.

Dear Ingrid, Saskia, Lia, Jolanda, Riet, Fleur & Anita thank you for coming. I am looking forward to meet again next year!

Happy Wednesday, Madelief x

For the love of grapes

2011-08-19T21:50:00.002+02:00

It doesn't often happen, that one is unexpectedly beckoned into a vineyard and invited to some wine tasting. The funny thing is that it didn't happen while on holiday in France, but during a country walk with my uncle and aunt in Wahlwiller, a tiny village in the south of Limburg.

Wim and Lenie, who maintain the Wittemer Wahlwiller vineyard, showed us around, told us about it's history and the different varieties of grapes they grow. While it kept raining outside, we sat under a tent, with a view of the vineyard, and tasted some delicious wine, cheese and Apple syrup.

Visiting the vineyard is a joy. Wim and Lenie are very hospitable and passionate. You can see they love their grapes, wine and vineyard.

I was glad we had already climbed the hill. Further climbing on an almost empty stomach with only wine inside would have been a disaster! If you are interested in visiting the vineyard. Just check out Wim and Lenie's website.

We ended our day at my uncle's and aunt's. They live in a beautiful converted barn with a garden full of roses and Dahlia's. My uncle treated us to a delicious 5 course dinner, which was absolutely delicious.

Peter and Ine, Wim & Lenie thank you very much once again!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

China cabinet

2011-08-17T08:27:00.001+02:00

In one of my last posts I promised to show you the second hand china cabinet I found on Marktplaats (sort of an auction site like Ebay) recently. Well, here it is! It fits into our dining room perfectly and looks as if it has always been there. One of the advantages of having a big cabinet is, that you can stack heaps of china inside :-)! Today a 'blue selection'. From Staffordshire chintz ware, vintage glass, Moroccan earthenware to porcelain from St Petersburg in Russia.

Our old cabinet went to the garden house. This means that the cabinet I had in the garden house, has to go. If you are interested, please let me know. You can see a photo in this post.

I also promised to show you the apron I finished recently. It looks bright, cheerful and a perhaps a bit too much, but I like it!

Have a lovely evening!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Sweet for my sweet, sugar for my honey

2011-08-12T19:33:00.001+02:00

Not long ago we had a wedding in Amsterdam. As the wedding took place in the evening, we had the whole day to ourselves. We decided to see the exhibit 'Inwards and Onwards' in FOAM, by the Dutch photographer and film director Anton Corbijn.

The photo's at the exhibit are mostly of artists, like Kate Moss, Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger. They are all quite large, in black and white and have black frames. Which really makes them stand out.

I thought I wasn't that much of a Corbijn fan, but he proved me wrong. I enjoyed looking at his work. Some photo's are arty, others humorous. I especially liked the one he made of Johnny Cash, which you can see on my blog today. I stood in front of his portrait for a long time. Looking at his eyes, the lines in his face, thinking of the life he has led.

If you haven't planned anything for this weekend or the next one yet, I can recommend the exhibition to you. You can find Foam on the Keizergracht. You have to be quick, because the exhibition ends on the 1st of September.

We visited some more museums afterwards, of which I will show you some photo's soon, and walked the streets of Amsterdam. One of my favourite streets is the Spiegelstraat, which is full of galleries and antique stores.

We ended our citywalk in 'Het Vlaamsch Broodhuys', where we had a delicious tea. They have the cuttest sugar bags, which I simply had to show you!

Wish you all a happy weekend! We are off to see family in Limburg.

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Photo's 4 & 5 by Anton Corbijn

Flowers and vegetables

2011-08-06T21:06:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone,

After some lovely sunny day's, it's raining heavily in Rotterdam. I don't really mind. It's evening now and the garden can use some water. The garden looks beautiful at the moment. I probably said this two weeks ago too, but to me it just is! It's full of pinks, oranges, purple's and yellow's. The Dahlia's, Zinnia's and Cosmea are in full bloom and so are the sweet pea's. I picked a little bunch of flowers today, to take home with me. A thing that always makes me very happy.

We found a huge orange pumpkin hiding in the herbal patch. What is it about pumpkins? They seem to be wandering around the garden. Sometimes we think we have lost them, to find them back one or sometimes even two metres further away. Do you have the same experience? I also put a cucumber and a courgette in my basket to take home with me. They taste so delicious :-)! To me there's nothing nicer than harvesting and cooking home grown produce.

I am sorry for not leaving comments with you all, but we are changing things around the house. I bought a new (second hand) dresser this week, which meant I had to empty the old one and fill the new one. It was more work than I anticipated. As we live in a second floor apartment, and the dresser is huge, we had to hire a lift. With the help of a friendly neighbour, we finally managed to get the dresser inside.....pfff! It looks absolutely great though! I will show you some photo's soon. Now I am off to the couch to put my legs up!

Wish you all a Happy Weekend!

Lieve groet van Madelief x

Let them eat cake

2011-08-03T08:48:00.001+02:00

It is said that the words in my title were spoken by Marie Antoinette, when a famine affected France during the reign of her husband Louis XVI in the 18th century. If the words were really hers, she must have been a funny lady.........

Have you seen Sophia Coppola's film about part of her life? The girls and I did. Although it probably doesn't have much of a plot, we loved the setting, the colours, the amazing costumes and the 1980s punk music in the background! The amazing shots of the Palace of Versailles and it's gardens, inspired us to go there and see it for ourselves.

We admired her bedroom in the palace, where the walls are covered in the most beautiful floral fabric. Couldn't believe the beauty of all the wall decorations, the marble floors, the statues, the mirrors and chandeliers. We walked through Le Petit Triatnon, the house she received as a present from her husband, and crossed the great park to see the Le Hameau de la reine .

The Queens Hamlet is like a fairy tale, with farm buildings, a vineyard, a dairy, a dove cote, surrounded by beautiful fields full of wild-flowers. It was a real working farm, of which the products were used in the palace kitchens. Marie Antoinette loved to visit the place. Well, enough about Marie now, let me show you around!

Oh, before I forget. I would love to welcome my new followers and thank you all for participating in my giveaway. I had not expected such a huge response................. I wish I could thank you all in person, but with a job and three girls at home for the holiday's, I simply cannot find the time. I hope you will forgive me.

Wish you all a lovely Wednesday!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Thank you!

2011-07-30T07:21:00.002+02:00

This post is to say Thank You for visiting my blog and leaving such warm and enthusiastic comments. I still find it hard to believe that a blog I started out of curiosity two years ago, turned into something so valuable to me. I enjoy making the posts and reading your comments. Because of my blog I found new friends, had coffee and lunch in a beautiful garden and even went shopping in a town I did not visit before.

To thank you I chose two giveaway's. My first giveaway is partly inspired by the garden. It consists of a book, a pair of garden gloves,wooden labels, garden twine and a bag of crazy cloth peg's I found at Villa Augustus and couldn't resist! I chose my second giveaway, because I love vintage teacups and I know some of you do too. As I have a huge collection, I thought I could miss a few!

It's easy to participate. Just leave a comment on this post and let me know which giveaway you like. I would appreciate it if you would link my giveaway to your blog, but don't feel obliged. Everyone can participate, old and new followers. I will send all over the world. On the 10th of August one of my daughters will pick the winning numbers. Meanwhile keep your fingers crossed. Good luck to you all and thank you once again!

The above photo's were taken from the outdoor kitchen in our allotment garden.

Happy weekend to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Something new

2011-07-27T08:21:00.004+02:00

It was my intention to do a combined post on my give away and a new free on-line magazine I have been introduced to, but I decided differently. The give-away will have to wait until this weekend. I hope you don't mind!

I would like to give Naturelle, the new on-line magazine, the attention it deserves. Normally I am not that much into promoting something on my blog, but somehow this is different. Probably, because I have been emailing with Annemique, the editor, several times now and she seems to me like a very nice and interesting lady, with something to tell and show.

To me Naturelle has every ingredient I enjoy in a magazine. It's stylish, has beautiful photographs, a modern lay-out and interesting and attractively written articles. Articles on living, places to go to, food, people and gardens. I especially enjoyed the article on the editors apartment in Amsterdam, the one on Amsterdam's secret gardens and parks and the 39 ways to live and not merely exist.

I can tell you lots more about the magazine, but I think it's best if you have a look for yourself. The magazine is written mostly in Dutch, but I think it may be interesting for foreign readers as well. If only for the amazing photographs.

When you are interested, please click on the photo below to enter the magazine, or go to www.naturellemagazine.nl

Enjoy & have fun today!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

All photograph's and pages were taken from Naturelle.

Paris je t'aime

2011-07-23T07:52:00.000+02:00

During our stay in stay in Paris we climbed 'la butte Montmartre'. What a steep hill it is! I thought my condition wasn't too bad, but I was wrong. It must have been the delicious French bread, pâté's and cheeses that slowed me down.

We chose a walk from the Dutch travel book '100% Parijs'. We started at Saint-Georges square, walked through the district La Nouvelle Athéne and had coffee and cake in the garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique, which I can recommend you. It's a lovely place to sit down and escape the hustle and bustle of the town for a short while. It's like a little oasis.

In the rue the Rochechouart (number 69 and number 73) you can find two shops, Mamie Bleu and Mamie, filled to the brink with vintage items. Hats, umbrella's, dresses, shoes, jewellery dating back as far as 1900. You name it, they have it!

Off course the 'piece de résistance' was the basilica Le Sacré Coeur, the amazing view over the rooftops of Paris and the tiny alleys behind the basilica and Place du Tetre, where you can see the painters at work. We ended our walk in front of the closed doors of the Moulin Rouge. We will have to come back to see a show another time!

Next week I will be posting my giveaway and introduce you to a new free Dutch online magazine, which I enjoyed reading very much!

Wish you all a sunny and happy weekend!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Yellow

2011-07-20T08:23:00.002+02:00

After two sunny and delightful weeks spent in an amazing old villa close to Paris and a converted barn in Normandy, we arrived home from France last weekend.

One of the first things we always do is to visit our garden. It's only ten minutes away from our apartment in town. My neighbours, who live on their allotment garden permanently during the summer months, took care of it. They did well, despite the bad weather our country suffered last week. Each time I open up the garden gate, I am surprised by the effect it has on me. The colours, the scent of the wet earth, the birdsong and the frogs jumping away as I continue my walk across the garden path. Although full of weeds, slightly overgrown and with two trees on the brink of capsizing due to broken branches, it looked good. The peppers, cucumbers, gherkins and aubergines in the greenhouse have grown a lot. There are yellow flowers everywhere. This must be a good year! Or is it my husbands home made compost that works wonders? It must be a combination of both :-)!

Along the stream the lilies I planted last year look lovely. The bulbs were given to me by my work to celebrate a successful move. I am not to keen on lilies in the garden, so I gave them a place behind our garden house. I must admit that I am surprised by their beauty. They look perfect between the yellow of the loose strife, with the green of the duckweed as a backdrop.

There will be lots of work to do in the garden the coming weeks, but I look forward to it very much. Can't wait to get my hands into the soil again and do some indoor decorating in the garden house.

Before I forget, I would like to thank Alice from the blog Le vrai bonheur, for the beautiful give away she sent me just before I left for France. Merci beaucoup chére Alice!

I plan to have a give-away myself soon, so have a look at my blog now and then.

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Lieve groet, Madelief

A bucket full of flowers

2011-06-30T12:51:00.002+02:00

This is my last post before the summer holiday. We will spend some time at home and in France (Paris and Normandy). With three 17+ daughters it is almost impossible not to visit Paris :-) when in France! One would like to see The Kiss by Rodin, the other one would love to stand under the Eiffel Tower and the third one would love to walk the streets and alleys of Montmartre. I guess I will just have to pack my walking shoes.....

In today's post an update of my garden. It's looking green and lush. I already harvested four cucumbers and my first courgette. The red & green peppers, tomatoes, gherkins and aubergines are doing fine in the greenhouse. The Larkspur and Lavender are in full bloom and the sweet pea's will open up their buds soon.

On one of the photo's you can see a slice of the Blueberry crumble loaf, I made out of of the book Cake Days from the Hummingbird bakery. In one of my older posts you can see me reading it. If you enjoyed their first cookbook, this second one is definitely worth buying too.

Well that's it for now. I wish you all a Happy Summer holiday. Have lots of fun! See you back in a few weeks time.

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Ship Ahoy!

2011-06-27T19:05:00.003+02:00

What better way to spend the first warm summer evening of the year, than on board a cruise ship?! Thanks to the crab and shrimp sandwiches my husband regularly eats during his lunch break, we were invited to a special party on the SS Rotterdam. The sea fish company that organised the party for it's business associates and regular customers, managed to get itself into the Guinness book of Records, with the biggest display of 'Fruits du Mer'. It was an amazing event! As there was no dresscode (mmmm) I opted for a simple skirt and top, tied a scarf around my waist and finished it off with a cameo I found in an English charity shop.

The atmosphere on board was relaxed. The were people of all ages and layers of society. I could even report some celebrities back to my daughters :-)! There was a drum band on the quay and we were welcomed by the owner of the company. With a delicious glass of prosecco in our hands we managed to find my husbands colleagues, with whom we spent a delightful evening.

The reveal of the 'Fruits du Mer' was a spectacle. Hundreds of balloons were let loose and drifted off to sea. The thousands of shrimps, crab, lobster, oysters and all other kind of sea fruit, a treat. The view from the ship was amazing. On one side of the ship we could see the skyline of our home town. On the other side the old warehouses. I felt so proud of my city!

If you ever go to Rotterdam, don't forget to visit this grand old lady, the SS Rotterdam! It was built in Rotterdam in the 1950s and used for transatlantic crossings between Rotterdam and New York. It has now found a permanent location in Katendrecht, one of Rotterdam's harbour areas.

It has been completely renovated, with eye for style and detail. The interior of the boat is very much the same it was in the 1950s. You can just walk around, have dinner there and even book it as Hotel accommodation! If you are looking for a special place....this is it!!

I hope you enjoy the photo's of the ship and the party just as much as I do!

Happy evening from a still sunny and warm Rotterdam,

Madelief x

Work in progress

2011-06-25T10:12:00.001+02:00

In between work, socialising, reading and gardening, I started painting, crocheting and sewing again. Infected by the many enthusiastic ladies who show the most beautiful handmade items on their blogs, I decided to use my creative side a bit more. I am working on three things at the moment; a huge painting, a crocheted plaid and an an apron made of leftover fabric and fabric I won with a giveaway.

I should not have started! If I had known beforehand it would be so addictive....... Every spare minute is filled with a paintbrush or crocheting needle in my hand or a pile of fabric and a sewing machine in front of me. Let me show you what I made so far. It's not perfect yet, but I am getting better at it every day :-)!

Have a lovely weekend!

Madelief x

A wet day at the flower show

2011-06-22T08:55:00.003+02:00

Wearing our walking shoes, thick jeans and fleece jackets, my husband and I set off for 'Huis Bingerden', early on Sunday morning. Bingerden is a privately owned estate in the eastern part of Holland. In the third week of June, the grounds are used for an annual International plants fair. Specialist nurseries from Holland and the neighbouring countries are present. This year the theme was 'creepers and climbers'.

My husband and I were among the first visitors to arrive. Stall holders were still walking around, getting everything ready for opening. The weather was horrible; strong winds, low temperatures and torrential rain. We had to run to the first pavilllion insight, otherwise we would be soaked to the bone.

Despite the bad weather lots of plant enthusiasts turned up, to see what was on display. Lectures were being held and even a plant auction. I took a moss rose called 'Belinda' home with me. It has a beautiful bright pink/red colour and is slightly scented. I also bought a lovely baby blue Hydrangea, of which I simply cannot remember the name. Hope you all had a good weekend too?!

Happy Wednesday!

Lieve groet,

Madelief

A country garden

2011-06-18T13:19:00.007+02:00

On a sunny spring morning, my friends and I visited Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden, England. Before the first visitors arrived, we were already walking through the park. Enjoying the orange and pink flowers of the old Rhododendrons, the Larkspur that just started to flower and the little hats of the Digitalis, buzzing with the sound of bees.

Although a formal garden, Hole Park gardens was a sweet surprise. If only for it's colourful borders and amazing view of the Kentish countryside.
Happy weekend!
Madelief x

On roses

2011-06-15T07:54:00.001+02:00

I don't know what it is with my roses this year. Some of them are doing exceedingly well, the others are behaving strange. The New Dawn roses have more flowers than I can remember. The Zepherine Drouhin is her old beautiful self. So are Gertrude Jekyll, Leornado da Vinci and Pierre de Ronsard. Coral Dawn keeps on flowering. Paul's Himalayan Dream and Veilchenblau are still very pretty. Thanks to the roses and the Delphiniums, the middle part of my garden looks beautiful.

However, in my front garden, nothing much is happening. Waltz time, William Shakespeare and Constance Spry are full of leaves, but there are no buds to be seen. I am not really sure what is wrong. They all have a sunny position, they don't seem to have any strange diseases and I feed them regularly. I think it must be the soil. Although I don't understand. We are gardening on heavy clay. It is said that roses don't mind about heavy clay at all. I don't know what I can do to help them. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. They are very welcome!

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Madelief x

Rose walk

2011-06-11T14:51:00.004+02:00

Last Wednesday I went to Delft to buy some wool. I finally managed to make granny squares, thanks to a detailed description by Fleur

Nowadays I always take my camera along. How pretty the town looks. I can imagine why tourists like it so much. The canal houses, the slightly crooked old church, the quirky shops and off course the painter Johannes Vermeer. Who lived there until his death in 1675.

June is the perfect month for visiting. There are flowers everywhere. I even found a rose tied to a doorknob. It made me wonder who put it there.....and what the story behind it is.

Happy long weekend to you all! If the weather permits, we will be spending some time in the garden. I have several projects that need to be finished. One of them is an old cupboard inside the garden house, that has to be painted white. We also have a garden inspection coming up, so everything has to look perfect.

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Dinner with friends

2011-06-08T07:45:00.007+02:00

Before I left for England we had a dinner party in our Garden. The roses were not in bloom yet, but the foxgloves and the Allium's were at their best. I picked the last columbines, violets and Spanish hyacinths to put in a vase.
Can you remember I was painting an old rusted garden set, my husband bought for next to nothing? It's finished at last! On the seventh photo you can see how it turned out. I am so happy we did not throw it away in the end, but spend some time making it pretty again. Now we have a new seating area in our back garden. It's situated near the stream, behind our garden house. A big plum tree provides enough shade. The ducks and little crakes in the water make sure it is never quiet and there is always something to see.

It won't be long now before the first building activities start and houses will arise. I try not too think about it too much and just enjoy the beauty of the moment. We will see what happens.....perhaps it won't be that bad after all!

Have a lovely day today!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

Great Dixter

2011-06-04T20:19:00.001+02:00

During my short stay in England I visited Great Dixter house and gardens.

Christopher Lloyd, the author of many gardening books, spent his childhood there and created one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen. There are fields full of meadow flowers, yew topiary, mixed borders and an exotic garden. It's a romantic, dreamy garden and a joy to walk through.

At the moment of visiting my friends and I were the youngest garden lovers walking around. It reminded me of a remark one of my daughters made when she heard we were going to see some gardens: 'mum are you going on a tour for the elderly again'! The fact is, they love it just as much as I do :-)

Christopher Lloyd passed away several years ago, but his head gardener, Fergus Garrett maintains the garden just the way Christopher Lloyd did. When you plan a trip to Kent or Sussex it's very much worthwhile visiting.

Great Dixter is open from the 1st of April until the 28th of October, tuesday to sunday. You can find more information on the website.

Happy weekend to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x

The rose family

2011-06-01T18:50:00.002+02:00

Pierre de Ronsard

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose-
But were always a rose.

By Robert Frost

Leonardo da Vinci

Schneewittchen

Paul's Himalayen Musk

Rhapsody in blue

New Dawn

Coral Dawn

I am joining Veronique at "Bloemetje op woensdag'

A Happy weekend to you all!

Lieve groet, Madelief x