Today, march 2nd, but then 10 years earlier. This is what my home town Sneek (Friesland, the Netherlands) looked like after a snowy night!!!
~ Thanks to Dirk van der Meer, our weatherman, for this amazing video~
The Blogmopolitan Quiz
A while back i came across a post by Little Miss Katy. It was ‘The Blogmopolitan Quiz’ & i was instantly smitten with it. It’s a questionnaire kinda like the ones you see in Cosmo magazine when they interview a celebrity. The quiz is made by Erin aka Two Thirds Hazel & after surfing around on here blog i saw she created more versions of the Blogmopolitan Quiz. Very cool and i will definitely fill some of them in, in the future!
As i said i was so smitten with the quiz, i immediately knew that when i would get back in the blogging game i had to fill in the quiz and post it. And tadaa here it is!!!
* If you would like to fill in the quiz yourself, find the downloadable blank image here.
The ‘Right Moment’…
For some reason i keep waiting for the ‘right moment’… & while waiting for it, not even knowing what and when that ‘right moment’ actually is.
What ‘right moment’?!?! The right moment to start blogging again! I want to start blogging again, no i need to start blogging again. Why? Well because i’m having the urge so many times, i have so many partly finished blogs on my computer & in my draft box, written ideas in my note-book and on numerous papers lying around in my house. And not doing anything with them thanks to that dreathful and horrible ‘right moment’ is in my eyes a shame.
So i’m just gonna do it! Do it and not gonna wait for that somewhat hated ‘right moment’!
Maybe we needed washing
After the beautiful weather we’ve been having for the last couple of weeks, it’s getting used to all the water that has been coming down from the sky right now. Of course we prefer the sunshine over the rain. But sometimes a good rain shower isn’t so bad. Somethings are better in the rain!
♥ Kissing is way better in the rain ♥ Dancing & singing is awesome in the rain ♥ In combination with the sun you can see one of natures most beautiful miracles; the rainbow ♥ You can pick up a book, a cup of tea and curl up on the couch ♥ It’s so relaxing to stay in bed all day & have a movies or series marathon ♥ Unleashing your real and maybe repressed feelings can be so liberating ♥ You can shamelessly act like a kid again and play in puddles ♥
So you see rain isn’t always a bad thing. And if it’s bad, it’s never as bad as we think it is.
That’s also the metaphoric message in this youtube clip, a reminder to us that we sometimes need to see a bit further than our own front yard. There are always people in worse situations than ours. And their troubles should put our small daily problems in to perspective. We shouldn’t let the little inconvenient things get in our way: let them be what they are, accept them, deal with them or don’t and move forward. We’ll be fine!
And when you unexpectedly do get caught in a rain shower, don’t worry, maybe you needed washing!
The Exchange
6990 may just some ordinary numbers to most, but not to me. When I see this number combination it bring back so many memories.
You see 6990 is the number of the district in which I spent a year as an exchange student: Rotary district 6990 SouthEast Florida, The Keys & Grand Bahama Islands*.
When I was browsing on fb today i landed on the Rotary District 6990* page i had to ‘like’ it of course. And scrolling through the posts I came across a picture* of a group of people holding a banner welcoming an exchange student to the US, to their club and their homes.
Of course I don’t know the exchange student, but I can imagine what she was feeling when seeing the banner and the group as she was coming out of the gate. Tired, a bit scared but mostly excited about everything that is coming her way this exchange year.
Or at least that’s how I felt exactly 19 years ago today!
* clickable links
On the wall
The painting i have hanging on my livingroom wall (here on the right), has been the same one that’s been there for the last decade or so. I’ve put it up the day i moved in and it was also in my previous house. So jeah it’s been there a while & i’m still not sick of it. But lately i have been walking around with the idea i want to chang it up a bit, get something new. But what would be nice? What would ‘fit’ the room and what would ‘fit’ me? I’d love it to be colorful, not to bright though and i would go for something that sends out a calming vibe. O and of course it would be awesome if it was something that not everyone had hanging in their home.
I’ve already been looking around but honestly i know exactly what i want. I’ve known ever since i’ve seen a gorgeous picture at the Petersik house (they blogged about it back in early 2012). The painting is made by Samantha French and she has an Etsy store where you can see (and buy if you want) more of her oil paintings & prints. Of course i checked out her shop right away & couldn’t help fall in love with her style. Not only because of the colors she uses and the composition, but maybe mostly because of the swimming theme (o me & my swimming!).
And now ever since 2012 i’m smittingly & head over heels in love with the print you see here on the left: ”Three Feet Below’ print (the same one the Petersiks have fyi). And i’m afraid that ever since, i can’t help but compare everything i see that’s a possibility, to that print.
So i made a promise to myself that one day i will own this print. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but i will!
Maybe a good birthday wish list item?!
InstaSwapping
When i came home and saw what was waiting for me i could only cheer. What was so cheer-worthy? My Instaswap package had finally arrived. It had taken the postman almost 2 weeks after the first delivery attempt to find my house again. Well he sort of found it, he delivered it at the neighbours 6 houses down. Why it took 2 weeks, i have no idea, but he sure knew how to test my patience as well as that of the organiser of the swap and the maker of the package. All in all i’m glad everything turned out good and i’m so so happy with my ‘instaswap2014 summer edition‘ package.
After seeing more and more of the first Instaswap edition on Instagram (#instaswap2013) and on a few blogs, i knew i wanted to join in if a new edition would be held. How cool is it to swap/ exchange small gifts with someone you don’t know! You had to sign up and after a couple of weeks you receive a name & address by the swap organizer: that person will be your secret swapper. You snoop around on his/her Instagram, maybe also on some other (social media) sites and get inspired to make or buy (little) gifts for that person. On June 1st everyone would send out their creations & after you receiving the goodies you will also find out who it was that sent it to them.
Below you can see what was in the package that took forever to get here. 
This is what my sweet swapper made/ created/ bought for me!
- toothpicks with little white birds
- quotes of ribbons
- 2 little notebooks & a pencil in my favorite colors
- 4 different colored thread
- several cranes attached to a cord
- different sized hearts
- gorgeous candle bags
- pretty little dolls
I’m loving the gifts my swapper made for me. Especially the hearts & cranes have been inspiring me. But more on that later. For now i’m gonna enjoy all the cuteness and maybe even starting to think about the next Instaswap!
P.s. what did i get for my swapper? Well you can see it *here*
Dads day
To my heitie.
Hope you are having an amazing day and a great holiday!
See ya in a week or 2. X
15 Questions Hardly Anybody Asks
Sometimes you come across some questions that, normally, you would never have thought of and in that case also would never have asked somebody. But the questions in this case aren’t that weird and the answers could turn out pretty funny or interesting. So i thought why not and go for it? Lets go people!
Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
I have turned one of the bedrooms in my house in to a ‘walk in closet’ & the door to that room is always closed when i go to sleep. As well all the other doors on the landing. Except for my bedroom door. That one is always open. Don’t know why, maybe that way all the ghosts and spirits can come and go as they wish (even though walls and closed doors are a piece of cake to them haha).
Do you take home the shampoo, conditioner & soaps from the hotels?
Yes i do! And only that. The towels, decorations & anything else you can think of i leave it behind. (I work in a hotel & you’d be surprised what people take home with them!)
Sleeping with the sheets over your head or below?
Below. I think i would suffocate if they’re over my head.
Ever steal a street sign?
Ehhh yea i did. When i was in college. Cycling back to a friend’s house after a night out in the town we came across a sign that would look amazing in their house. So we took it. Not proud of that moment and honestly i can’t even remember what kind of sign it was.
Do you use ‘to do’ lists?
Of course. Way to many. And that makes getting thing done really difficult. Need to get a better system for that!
Do you have freckles?
Nope.
Have you ever peed in the woods?
Yes i have, multiple times. During my military training we spent some times in the woods and when you got to go, you got to go!
What’s this weeks song?
That has to be Hunter Hayes & Jason Mraz ‘Everybody’s got somebody but me’. Such a catching song, is stuck in my head for a while now.
What’s the size of your bed?
It’s a straight forward bed: mattress size 140 x 200. The comforter is 240 x 200/220.
Is there anything that’s irritating you right now?
There is, it’s swim related thing but it’s something i can’t change. Wrote all my thoughts on it down and hopefully soon there will be a meeting and it can be resolved (not getting my hopes up btw)
What’s your favorite food?
There is so so much i like.
Do you chew pens and or pencil?
Never! I find it so yucky.
Do you still watch cartoons?
Yes i do!!! I’m still a little kid at heart.
Do you count your steps while you walk?
No i don’t.
Do you dance even if there’s no music to dance to?
I really do need music to dance. And when i hear music i like i can get wild and dance like a freak!
Okay now you know a little bit more about me. And if after this you want to know even more about me, just ask away!
Ikea Love
I love Ikea. Love Love Love it. And when i found out they were introducing a papershop, i knew i needed to check it out. Now i haven’t yet physically been to a store since the launch, but i did go online and checked it out. And of course made a little wish list for the next time i’m going. Check it out!
1.Välbekant sticky notes 2. Särskild note-book 3. Välberkant clipboard
4. Välberkant magnetic notepad 5. Visionär decorations 6. Daterad gift bag
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