Let them eat cake

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!

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

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

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

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