OH SPRING WHERE ART THOU?

Oh wat verlang ik naar de lente... maar we zullen er nog even op moeten wachten. Als ik rondkijk, in Blogland, ben ik gelukkig niet de enige die een beetje ongeduldig is. Buiten is het grijs, daarom heb ik gisteren de lente uitgenodigd in mijn huis en ben ineens een stuk vrolijker. Op deze foto geen verse witte bloemen, sorry dames... deze lieve bloemetjes zijn van zijde.

Oh how I long for spring ... but we'll have to wait a little longer. When I look at other Blogs, I'm happy not being the only one who's impatient. Outside it is gray, so yesterday I invited Spring into my home and suddenly I'm a lot happier. In this picture no fresh white flowers, sorry ladies ... this cute little flowers are made ​​of silk.


Mijn blauwe druifjes zijn uitgebloeid en hebben plaats gemaakt voor deze witte druifjes.
My blue Muscari are overblown and have been replaced by this white Muscari..


...en een "Sneeuwbal" van zijde in mijn kopje ;)
...and a silk Viburnum Carlcephalum in my cup ;)


maar... deze bloemetjes zijn echt, de witte Hakiges Chamelaucium. 
Ik gebruikte de roze kleur in mijn Valentijn post.

but... these little flowers are fresh, the white Hakiges Chamelaucium. 
I used the pink color in my Valentine post.


HET IS BIJNA LENTE!
IT'S ALMOST SPRING!


* HOME SWEET HOME *
Ik las in de "Linda" deze mooie woorden:
"THUIS IS WAAR JE HART ZICH OPENT"
"Kom mijn vrijheid... ik noem je mijn huis, jij bent de plek waar ik me oneindig goed voel, 
zoals in een droom, maar toch midden in het leven."

* HOME SWEET HOME *
I read in the "Linda" (magazine) these beautiful words:
"HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART OPENS"
"Come my freedom ... I call you my home, you're the place where I feel infinitely good,
as in a dream, yet right in life."


OLD TYPEWRITER

Al meer dan 'n jaar ben ik op zoek naar een oude typemachine, genoeg te koop maar helaas niet voor mijn budget. Twee weken geleden zag ik deze oude typemachine op Ebay staan en heb toen gelijk een bod uitgebracht. Mijn bod is geaccepteerd, yeah! Na ontvangst op de foto gezet natuurlijk om het jullie te laten zien.

For over a year I am looking for an old typewriter, plenty for sale but unfortunately not for my budget. Two weeks ago I saw this old typewriter on Ebay and placed a bid. My bid has been accepted, yeah! I received my typewriter and took some photos to show you.


Het enige minpuntje is dat de inkt bijna op is, dus op zoek gegaan naar nieuw lint.
Zoek en gij zult vinden... GEVONDEN!

The only downside is that the ink runs out, so I started to search for a new ribbon.
Seek and you will find ... FOUND!


I'VE BEEN TAGGED


There is a tagging game going around where you reveal a few things about yourself, and I was tagged by a lovely lady named Deanna, from Snippets from Sprindale  She is not only a talented photographer but  also a gifted writer. Thanks for inviting me, Deanna, to join the game! So here are my answers to those questions.

Where Were You Born?
I was born in Jakarta (Indonesia) and moved with my family to the Netherlands 52 years ago. Two of my grandparents  were Dutch at therefore people have always teased me, calling me a “Bounty” chocolate bar… black on the outside and white on the inside. So I’m a Asian lady with a Dutch mentality, but growing older I discovered I still have some Asian traits.


Were You Named After Someone? 
My father loved American movies and I was named after his favorite movie star, Barbara Stanwyck. She was an  American actress from 1922-1936. As a child my nick name was Babsie. Noting to do with my name, but I think I will mention it, I’m 5 feet “tall” and my shoe size is 1 (eu size 34).


If You Have Any Children, How Many? 
I have two children, both are sons. My oldest son is Vincent and he has a grilfriend namend Yvonne (although they aren't married, she calls herself my daughter in law). Vechter, my youngest son is still a happy single. The free translation of his name is "Fighter", a rare name in the Netherlands but formerly used more frequently. Until now I could find one man with the same name. Both my sons live in Maastricht just like me and my love named Dick. So we all live 15 minutes away from each other.


Vechter, visiting his cousin Patrick and having a vacation in Bali,(the one with the red short is my son)


How Many Pets DoYou Have
None at the time, but we had 3 dogs Boris & Owen & Cleo. My very first dog, Molly, was given to me by my mother. She had this strange habbit to get a dog for every child (6 childeren) and it didn’t matter what breed it was, the only thing that mattered to her was that the dog was born on the same day as her new born child.

What Was Your Worst Injury?
I've been blessed to have no injuries or sickness at all (you can't see, but I'm knocking on wood). The only times I've been in the hospital was for 2 babies and a severe allergic reaction from hair dye. If I would dye my hair now, it will result in an anaphylactic shock. So no more hair dye for me, but the good thing about this is that I can grow old, grey and still being healthy and happy.

Do You Have Any Special Talents?
Talents??? Singing out loud in the bathroom and in my car, does that count? I think not... so finding my talent is going to be added to my Bucket List. The answer to this question is NO, maybe I can find one before I die.

What Is Your Favorite Thing to Bake?
I am everything but a Kitchen Princess, but I love to eat. No baking in this house, and all the delicious recipes I see on some blogs are going straight away to my oldest son (he's a Chef) in hopes that he will try it out and invite me to do the tasting.

What Is Your Favorite Fast Food?
Fried shrimps and chocolate milkshake at McDonald's. I know it's not the ultimate combination, but I love it although I'm not a fast food junky (my favorite food thing is to have a gourmet meal).

What Is The First Thing You Notice About People?
The first thing is their general appearance, but I'm not judgemental because their real beauty is on the inside and that's not a thing you can see/notice at first sight.

When Was The Last Time You Cried?
I think of myself as a tough girl with a little heart, but a few days ago I shed a few tears when watching the movie "The Notebook" for the fifth time.... oh, I'm so tough ;)



Do You Have Any Current Worries?      
Right now, life is good. My love is recovering well from colon cancer (no metastases), my children are both happy and doing what they love. And me? I'm enjoying the luxery of my early retirement (so, finally it paid off to be married to a man who's 10 years older LOL).

Name 3 Drinks That You Drink Regularly? Coffee, Fresh Orange Juice and wine. 

What Is Your Favorite Book?                                                                              
I like books but my reading moments are like waves. Sometimes I can read all day long and other times I can leave them on my bed stand for months. My favorite books are written by Sarah Ban Breathnach, "Simple Abundance" and "Something More". These books helped me grow into the woman I always meant to be.


  

Would You Like To Be A Pirate?                                                
NO, I’m a spoiled girl (by my parents as well as by my husband) and a spoiled girl would rather be a Princess.
  
What Are Your Favorite Smells?
Coffee in the morning, babies... yes they do smell wonderful, flowers and my husbands home cooked meals.

Why Do You Blog?
I wanted to have a place to post my photography and as a beginner to get in touch with women who share the same passion (kindred spirits), learn from them, getting inspired by them and to enjoy their photos and posts.

What Is The Least Favorite Thing About Myself?
One thing? Mine is a combination of two, my height and weight... I am small and overweight, but I'm healthy, yeah!

What Is Your Favorite Hobby? Photography (still learning) and being a dabble prone.

What Do You Look For In A Friend? Honesty, humor, loyalty.

Name Something That You Have Done That You Never Expected To Do?
One of the important things I've teached my children was to cherish family. Then both of my parents died and the family fell apart, and we had our grief process not only for the the loss of my parents but also the "loss" of my 2 brothers and 3 sisters. At that time we've never felt more alone and abandoned. I had to distance myself from my family, and it's definitely the most difficult decision I had to make and never expected to do so.

What Are Your Favorite Things To Do?
Photography and processing my photo's, blogging, enjoying my children, being with friends, searching for vintage and new home decoration stuff on Ebay and getting them on a low budget, going to Flea markets, sightseeing trips with my love, staying in my PJ's (way to long, sometimes) in the morning and doing unnecessary but fun things.... I will stop now because it feels that I can go on forever.

Any Pet Peeves?
Every time I get into a traffic jam, I always manage to choose the wrong lane, and women who put on their make up while driving their car.

What Is The Last Thing That Made You Laugh? 
Laughing out loud or smiling and having a heartfelt moment? Last week, LOL while watching “the funniest home videos” on TV, but  I want to share my smiling moment with a tear in my eyes… yesterday my son told me, he and his girlfriend were talking about having children in the future and how they want to raise them. He wants to raise them, exactly the way he was raised. At that moment I realized  that he stated the greatest compliment parents can ever receive from their children.

That’s all folks! Now it is my turn to tag a few more. If I tag you and you wish not to participate that's fine....it's all in fun, but to some this is not their thing. 

Marjon from MJ HOUSE
José from SPRAKELOOS
Sylvia from COSINESS
Sheri from RED ROSE ALLEY


AN IMAGINARY WINTER

De sneeuw was verdwenen en deze beelden leveren niet echt een winters plaatje op. Om een beetje sfeer in de foto te brengen heb ik het bewerkt met een texture van LENABEM-ANNA Het enige wat je nu moet doen is wat sneeuw op mijn winter bessen visualiseren.

The snow has gone and these images doesn't really deliver the perfect winter picture. I used a texture of LENABEM-ANNA, to add some atmosphere into the photo. All you  have to  do is imagine some snow on my winter berries.


The color of Springtime is in the flowers and the color of Snow is in the 
IMAGINATION


Visualiseren werkt... want opeens begon het te sneeuwen :)
Imagining works ... because suddenly it started to snow :)


“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” 
~ Albert Einstein ~



VALENTINE'S DAY

Elke donderdag is het voor mij bloemen-dag en vorige week zag ik ook deze verse Bosbes takjes met Statice (of Karel) in een rieten mandje staan. Geen water nodig, gewoon laten indrogen. Jullie raden     het al... deze is nu van mij. 

For me every Thursday is Floral-day and last week I saw these fresh Blueberry twigs with Statice in a wicker basket. No water needed, just leave it dry. I think you can probably guess...  this little basket is now mine. 

Deze Hakiges Chamelaucium passen perfect bij de romantische sfeer van Valentijnsdag.
These Hakiges Chamelaucium match perfectly with the romantic atmosphere of Valentine's Day.


De afgelopen week heb ik weinig tijd besteed aan bloggen :( het enige dat ik heb gedaan is een Slideshow Header gemaakt ( hoe je een slideshow maakt lees je  HIER ) én besloten dat het tijd werd om onze badkamer een make-over te geven. Alle vloer/wandtegels en het sanitair moeten eerst verwijderd worden... pfffffffffff, maar het resultaat zal de moeite waard zijn. Te zijner tijd meer hierover.



The past week I've spent little time on blogging :( the only thing I've done is creating a Slideshow Header  ( you can read  HERE  how to make a slideshow ), and decided that it was time to give our bathroom a makeover. All floor/wall tiles and sanitary ware must be removed first ... pfffffffffff, but the result will be worth the effort. In due time more about this.

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL !


WEEKEND FLOWERS

GERBERA voor het weekend  
GERBARA DAISIES for the weekend


ANEMOON - ANEMONE


en overgebleven ROZEN van vorige week
and leftover ROSES of last week


Geniet van je weekend!
Enjoy your weekend!