Fall Garland

Pheewww, glad I got that out of my head/chest, but enough of black abysses and demons- ahem- at least for a while… Now off to fall and all its beautiful colors… those deep yellow, ochres, and oranges (for a lack of a better word that describes that particular color). You know what I mean right??

What better way to preserve those found beauties than a garland?  I was missing a fall garland in my collection of garlands, and my pockets are full of leaves, acorns, pine cones, etc… basically anything that I like I pick up, and everything that has a little twig is perfect for a fall garland.

These leaves had started to dry up, and I love the way they curl up. I don't know if their color will stay, but I'm not after preserving them that way. So they will or they will not stay that color, I don't mind.

All I did was tie them with a piece of thread, nothing more… this would be a perfect thing to do with kids, I think.

And then hang besides all the rest of the garlands... I would have love to be able to do more, but alas, my mind is in the stitching, and it seems that is all it really cares about at the moment.

But I really wanted to show you my new garland and how nice it looks… anyway, I wish you a happy weekend ahead… may you find time to walk in the woods, to breathe all those beautiful colors in, and maybe make a garland or two…

All the best,
Giova

Visiting Solingen and the Klingen Museum

A few weeks ago we decided  to visit the Klingen Museum in Solingen after a tip from a blogging friend. It is only 2 hours and a bit from Amsterdam, and well… I do love scissors, cutlery, knives, pointy things, etc… and this was just that sort of wonderful place.

 A thousand times swoon!

 And swoon a bit more…

 This one would look perfect in my collection…

How beautiful are these cases with the green and silver?  The perfect pocket knife. So sad they don't make things as beautiful as they did before.

 After all those gigantic swords, it was time for an ice-cream break.

Lo' and behold, we got lost but we found my kid's mothership, a Haribo supermarket. Guess who was the happiest in all the Solingen land?? I was!!

We drove 30 more minutes to see the Cathedral of Cologne, ate some amazing pretzels and then time to go back.

A very fun day for all of us, and perfect as a day trip. As a family with two kids that have almost a 10 year gap between them, it is sometimes quite difficult to find things they both can enjoy. This was really the best trip for both of them.

If you have any amazing ideas of things we could do, please, pretty  please let me know?? I will be eternally grateful ;)

Wishing you blue skies and tons of gummy bear eating,
Giova

An easter garland DYI with Urban jungle bloggers

I'm so happy to be back for the easter edition of Urban Jungle Bloggers. It was exactly a year ago that I joined for the first time, you can see it here, and what made me realize how a year had gone by, was to be able to see how much my plants have grown since then. You can see the one below is the tiny one I placed as Judith's place setting.

For this edition I wanted to do something very easy to make. If you follow this blog you probably know I'm a "bit" drawn to garlands. And of course this time my plant takes center stage, as well as the mini-chicks and my favorite chocolate of all.

These garlands, which you can make in no time, look perfect as a back drop for your easter brunch, as a craft idea for the children to make on easter day, or just make a few and send them to your pen pals.

And don't forget to bring out the chocolate eggs while you're doing this.

What you'll need is:

• old book pages
• scissors
• washi-tape
• watercolors
• string

And then:

-Simply cut the shape of an egg, as many times as you want, and paint in your favorite spring colors, with your preferred patterns. 

-I made them all the same size, but of course you can make them any size.

-Once they have dried, simply attach them to the string with a long piece of washi-tape, on the back part.

-Voilà, nothing more, nothing less! Easter egg decorating the easy way.

I do hope you get in the mood for making garlands and eating lots, and lots of chocolate eggs!!

Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series with the idea to get some green into our homes. Every month Judith and Igor invite bloggers to share ideas for creating an urban jungle through styling challenges, DIYs, green tips and tricks. Every month there is a different theme on the topic.
You can follow and get more inspiration on Pinterest and Facebook.

Have a lovely weekend ahead,
Giova

Apple Picking near Amsterdam

This past saturday we ventured out on an adventure, our first time ever picking apples!! I know, I should have at least picked an apple in my life, but no. I've picked mangos, avocados, papayas, even pineapples, but no apples or pears. Everyone seems to do that every year, and I always wanted to, but for some strange reason never did.

So this past weekend we finally did. When I was explaining to my little one that we were going to pick apples from the trees, he said; "so we're going to buy the apples from the trees?" Yes, sort of I answered.

As soon as we arrived (only 25 minutes from Amsterdam) he was speechless, and so happy. He thought it was an all you can eat.

Finally, after 40 years I got my apple from a tree, and it was delicious! For some reason I always thought I would steal it from a random tree, but I guess this comes in as a good second.

There were more apples than we could carry. We did get carried away on the self picking, and I'm already looking for recipes. And no, the picture above is not our load, but the farm's.

It was a beautiful autumn day, we couldn't imagine a better day for apple picking. The kids loved it and so did we.

The little one ate 4 apples and 1 pear. I'm not kidding!

I hope we are able to go back. I said the same thing with the tulips and we only managed to go only once per season, you can see it here and here. So if the weather permits we'll be back.

De Olmenhorst Landgoed
Lisserweg 481
Lisserbroek

Have a wonderful day!
Giova.

Drinking Water in Rome

It was hot. Very hot. We got desperate and we started drinking water from the fountains and became... unstoppable!  I had missed one of the greatest things, free ones I might add, in Rome 13 years before.

I've always been a buyer of bottled water (don't ask me, I don't know why exactly I had this terrible habit). In any case, it was one I wanted to break with, and I had found the perfect place to do it. The taste was just like water should taste, tasteless. And gloriously cold. 36 degrees centigrades calls for cold not lukewarm water.

It is said that the water in most European cities is quite drinkable=potable. I haven't found this to be true, not that is wasn't potable, but to me some of the waters have weird taste. I won't name places here (I don't want cities getting all angry at me), but some are really yucky. Yucky as in blah, there is no way I'll drink this even if it is free!!

Just press this button and sparkling water will come out (seriously). There is a line for this one though, but I didn't mind one bit, and neither did the other 50 people waiting!

And this quickly became our favorite past time, especially in Rome, where there are so many (apparently 2,500 water fountains). Sistine Chapel?? No way! Water was the answer.

Some were amazing like this one.

Others more simple like this one, which are called "Nasoni" because it looks like a big nose. Just cover the bottom hole and you'll be able to either drink water from it, or get all wet.

Others are to the point. Free, delicious and cold water anyone?

If you are ever in Rome, don't pass up the wonderful opportunity to drink it's amazing water. And if you have kids, then I'm very sure they'll thank you (with their smiles). Oh, and if they come running back to you all wet, don't tell me that I didn't warn you before.

Have a great Monday!!
Giova

Picking your own Tulips in Holland

Make plans and you will make God laugh; this is what my father always tells me. And boy is he right!
The pictures you will see are from our 4th intent to make it out to Lisse. The town where we went last year to pick tulips, and the only place we know we can do this.

First time: There was a flower carnival, impossible to get there, all roads closed.
Second time: We arrived just to find out tulips were still not in bloom (due to a very cold spring).
Third time: The traffic was unbearable (did I mention the road, one lane each, is being renovated?) we drove back.
Fourth time: We made it by a tiny bit of patience, and yes it was rewarded. Indeed!!

See? I told you so. In my mind I'm always dreaming of the day I'll be able to go back to those tulip fields. It is like color therapy or something of the sort.

7 euros for all you can fit in a bucket is not a bad idea, is it? Not only are you in color heaven that day but your house will be for the rest of the week.
At this moment every single vase and container in my house is filled with all the prettiness that we brought back from our short trip.

Not bad for not giving up, huh? I can't wait to go back, that is when my vases no longer have tulips in them and when the thermometer for my patience is a bit on the higher part.

I hope all this color makes you as happy as it made me.
May your week be bright and warm (not too warm though)!
Giova
P.S: "Never, never, never give up." - W. Churchill

Queen's Day Amsterdam

This past tuesday it was a holiday here in Holland. No schools. Everything closed. This is our second "queen's day" and I've never ventured out to the centre. Last year we walked around our neighborhood and you can see it here. This year my son decide to become more active in the festivities, i.e; he thought he'll sell his "stuff," and make some money like everyone else. He sold everything except the books. He was very happy with the outcome, and so was I, for seeing him so organized and determined.

That green car on the left corner was for sale (Mercedes 1977, 1,500 euros). Anyone interested? If you enjoy flea markets this is the place to be. I'm thinking next year I'll join my son and sell some of my stuff too.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Giova

Playing in Puddles

Don't think for a second that the weather in Miami is perfect all the time. It actually rains with thunderstorms- a lot (which by the way, I LOVE), and there are also hurricanes (which I don't like that much), but not at this time of the year. So what is the best thing to do when it is raining, besides letting it rain?

Well, you just go a bit crazy like my little one. You ran back and forth (laughing all the time), once you reach the end you start again, so on and so forth, until an hour later you are more or less exhausted. You also musn't mind what the neighbors think or for that matter anyone. You just run along the puddles minding your own business.

And then to finish the whole session off, and providing the only thing left dry is your face and hair, you simply submerge yourself in the now very played, very much enjoyed water.

Seeing things with new eyes, enjoying every single second, being happy with anything, like little children, it doesn't seem to be such a bad idea is it?
When was the last time you did something and felt like a child? Did it feel great?

Have a great monday!
Giova

Greetings from Miami

This weather is the main reason (other than to see my mom and sister) why we escaped so abruptly from Amsterdam. It's been glorious! To be able to wear sandals and shorts everyday, and see my kids running around freely is priceless.
We usually wait until the summer to come to Miami, but we couldn't wait this year. The weather had been a bit too cold, and the tickets weren't as expensive as they usually are during the summer.

This time to change from our daily routine which consists pretty much as; pool, and beach, and then everyday repeat, we decided to take a short road trip to Orlando. My older son will be 12 really soon, and when we asked what he wanted for his birthday he said he wanted to go to one of the parks in Orlando. So he picked Islands of Adventure, and off we went. He had a blast!! Me?? Not so much. When he was blasting off the Hulk or Harry Potter's dragons, I was looking after the little one. But it was definitely nice to see him soooo happy, and the weather wasn't the scorching heat of the summer.

It was nice to spend two days there, especially because we got to stay with some friends whom we haven't seen in so long.
Miami has been great, Orlando was "magical" (pun intended), the weather has been amazing. I'm not trying to make any of you, who are still stuck in winter weather, jealous. I'm just so very grateful that we got to do this, and see the beautiful blue skies everyday.

Wishing you all a great weekend.
Giova

Wonderful Halloween

Halloween is a special holiday in this house. It has been my oldest son's favorite holiday. Christmas what? He lives for dressing up since he was a very little boy. And I love that he loves it so much, and is not embarrassed by it. Except embarrassed by his mother with mustache and uni-brow. It was quite funny, he thought I'd grown them while he was in school (so naive this men when it comes to women's hair). I love homemade costumes, specially one that you can make with things you already have. We had everything except the dragon which my sister sent for him and the gangster gun. We had some other types of weapons, (although I was always against them), somehow they manage their way into my house.

It doesn't get more surreal than this, does it?  Diego was unavailable, so I found myself a rather nice Luchador, a small dragon and a gangster. 

Using mascara instead of a pencil made the whole uni-brow and mustache look much more realistic. My son kept saying to me; "Please don't let my friends see you like that they are going to think you are like this!" (ja!! ja!! if only he knew all the waxing that goes on in this body). And my paper flower making skills? None whatsoever!  I did get plenty of inspiration from Oh Happy Day and The House that Lars Built, I'm not even close to what these girls make!

Much rather spend the night with this "strong" luchador than with Diego.

And my little dragon with my very cute niece and nephew Spiderman!

Soon it will be my favorite holiday of all, Thankgiving! Can't wait. And my older son is already thinking what he is going to dress up as next year. Have to tell you that I'm also thinking about it.
So do you have a very special holiday that you can't wait for it to arrive? What about Halloween? Did you do anything special?

Any special plans for the weekend?
Have a great one!
Giova