January garden

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

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

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!

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