A good year

2012 was a good year, no complaints there but 2013 has already so much to look forward to:

▲ In 2013 I am going to work more hours in the office. 29 instead of 24!
▲ I am actually getting a whole different kind of job... yay!
▲ I am starting again with running now my knee feels a lot better.
▲ Getting a new phone. finally an Apple ;)
▲ Going to the IJhallen to sell lots of stuff.

Wish you all a wonderful new years' eve & marvelous 2013!
Make it work okay?!

xoxox

Merry Christmas

We are having a relaxed kind of christmas as usual, tonight (if it isn't raining) we'll visit 'kaarsjesavond' in Voorburg followed by dinner with a festive touch at home.

Tomorrow we're heading east to visit the inlaws for a christmasdinner with soto.

And the second day of christmas we're at home, just the 4 of us.

 

I hope you all have a merry christmas filled with love,

warmth & happiness!

 

xoxox

Random rambling

Sometimes the day starts on a certain mood, due to ugly-kind-of-phonecalls one has to make regarding echoes from the past.
Too bad the feeling stuck with me today, so I am treating myself to lots of cuddles, tea, music & some pottering about.
It's strange how things can drain you from all your energy in just such a short time...

via

 

Just 2 more working days until christmas break, the boys are really looking forward to that & I can't wait either!

 

xoxox

Count your blessings

christmastree from Wood & Wool 

new additions to my Rörstrand collection 

and another addition  :)

thriftstore finds 

waking up with Sjaan photo made with phone

 

Our house is in complete christmas-decor. Today the boys decorated the tree & I put the scrapwood-tree at our diningtable.

I received an email from a sweet lady who spotted my love for Rörstrand-china, she was selling some beautiful pieces on Marktplaats and she thought I might be interested... Oh yes! 

Found a tiny japanese lady & a vase with a hole at the thrifstore for a total of € 0,70! 

Love to wake up in the morning a be greeted by Sjaan.

 

But ofcourse the biggest blessing has to be to live in a country where you can't just carry a gun around. Ofcourse things go wrong here as well but not as fast & easy as in Newton this week.

My thoughts go out to all the victims & their relatives.

 

Have a save new week!

Keep warm!

xoxox

It feels like

illustration by Sato Kanae via Design Work Life

Hibernating I guess. It's all a bit slow around my blog. 'Busy' enjoying cold weather, friends, hot chocolate & cozy days with the kids at home. Watching Kerst met Linus, again!
Hope you're enjoying the days before christmas as well.

Keep warm!
xoxox

Count your blessings

Haven't been around my blog much this week but I had a great week!
On monday my birthday-gift arrived:

And although the light has been terrible all week I did practice a bit!

Most of my spare time this week I spend putting stuff in boxes. I booked a stall at the IJhallen Amsterdam, for the big fleamarket me & my dear friend are attending, the first saturday of february. Really looking forward to that!

We had a relaxed Sinterklaas-celebration on wednesday-afternoon. The boys were very excited to get a letter from the Saint telling them where the gifts were. Love seeing the magic of it all in their eyes.

Had an 'end-off-the-year-dinner' with the colleagues from my office-job, we went for sushi & teppan yaki at Benkei.

Yesterday my friend & her son came over. We had a spontaneous burrito-dinner, love these kind of get-togethers! 
She also brought some christmas to our house:

For more blessings visit Anki at Zilverblauw.

Have a beautiful new week!
xoxox

Ps my new camera is a Canon EOS 550D which came with two lenses, a 18-55 mm and a 75-300 mm.

LAST WINNER Monday Giveaway Marathon

 

And the winner of the Hikjes in Huis giveaway is:

Hiskia!

Congrats! Please send me an email with your adress at saskia.vanderzee [at] yahoo [dot] com

 

Thank you all for entering & a big thank you to the shops 

for this giveaway-fun on monday!!!

 

Have a great new week!

xoxox

Ps some shameless selfpromotion but I've put some stuff up on Marktplaats! *click* 

Count your blessings

This weeks blessing really has to be all about my friend.
Years ago my (not yet) husband & I bought a 70+ years old house with lots of potential & features (like stain-glass windows!). We had plans on renovating, painting & decorating but pretty soon after we moved in we found out I was pregnant, my husband is not a great DIY'er & everything came to a stand still.
To compensate I bought stuff to make our house our home. A few months back I decided it was enough, our home was slowely taken over by stuff. I did some cleaning out but pretty much got stuck.
And here's where  my dear friend came in, looked around, didn't judge & gave my a hand to pull me out. And not just by saying: you should do this or that, no she is really helping me to turn things around!

Today she painted the livingroom wall in this beautiful color & we made a start in deciding what to let go & what to keep, filling boxes for the fleamarket. 
Thank you so much dear 'Buuf' you really mean the world to me!

xoxox

For more count your blessings hop on over to Zilverblauw.

Random

'Life is like a ferris wheel.'

 

Took this photo last summer in Harlingen before the 4 of us went for a ride! Loved the views at the top but I have to admit I am pretty scared of heights & always afraid that a construction like this collapses. But I don't want the boys to be scared because I am, so with my brave face up, smiling meanwhile clinging on the seat for dear live! Silly right? :)

 

xoxox

 

Ps Have you seen this weeks giveaway?!

Not empty handed

Being at Flavourites Live for 3 days working pretty much all the time, I squeezed in a few moments of shopping & here is some of the loot. (Why not all?? Well some of it are actually gifts for others!)

vintage brooch from Feels Right 

 beautiful *very new, not even in their own shop* design

from Eva&Anne

 

 honeycomb-balls, notebooks & 'confetti'stickers from

Studio Stationery

 

And my pièce de résistance:

 candlestand from Lammers&Lammers at Studio de Winkel

 

So much fun to see all those shops & their enthousiastic owners in real life and to find some 'new' shops as well!
For a photo-impression hop on over to Flavourites!

xoxox

Ps check out this weeks Giveaway from Hikjes in Huis! 

Monday Giveaway Marathon

This weeks Monday Giveaway is from Hikjes in Huis! This diverse shop sells products made by young designers from all over the world and from the owner Janneke herself! Hikjes in Huis also sells some beautiful vintage toys, cards, garden-confetti & the beautiful plates from Ingela P. Arrhenius!

 What can you win? 

This beautiful (dutch!!) ABC-poster!!

How can you win?

Visit the shop Hikjes in Huis

&

leave a comment here!

Good luck!

X X X X X X X X X X

The winner of last weeks giveaway from Studio Pardoes is: Sophie Sweet Vintage! Congrats! Please send me an email with your adress at saskia.vanderzee [@] yahoo [dot] com

Have a great new week!
xoxox

Ps This is the 'final lap' of the Monday Giveaway Marathon, so why wait? Enter!!! ;)

Flavourites Live

art by Anneke Laarakkers

 

A bit quiet around here because from today untill sunday I am at Flavourites Live & enjoying every minute of it!

The workshop-table from Mijnes has got Anneke Laarakkers on one side filling a blackboard with beautiful quotes and on the other side is Geertje Aalders busy with her delicate cut-art!

And don't get me started on the great industrial location, all those sweet tweeps saying hi & all those shops... ;)

 

Have a great weekend!

xoxox

 

Ps you can still enter this weeks giveaway from Studio Pardoes!

Random

 

Three photo's today, I like them, they have a certain peacefulness about them I think. And the one of Cobus makes me want to go into hibernation! :)

Just 2 nights of sleep to go before Flavourites Live where I will be helping out with this!

xoxox

Ps have you seen this weeks' giveaway yet?

Monday Giveaway Marathon

This monday giveaway is from Studio Pardoes the Shop from Mevrouw Pardoes! In this shop Mevrouw Pardoes sells products she made from reclaimed, sometimes even 'forgotten' material which she found or was given to her, like bracelets from buttons & beads, dollbeds or little notebooks. She also has an ispiring blog Mevrouw Pardoes.
Every year 10% from all earnings by Studio Pardoes go to charity, how cool is that!?

phonecases made from sturdy felt

 

What can you win?

 

This phonecase (big enough for an Iphone) made from sturdy felt,

embellished with stamps & a usefull mailbag-hook!

 

What do you have to do to win?

Visit Studio Pardoes

&

leave a comment here!!

 

Good luck!

 

X X X X X X X X

 

 

Amazing amount of comments for the beautiful stamps by Studio Stationery, thank you all for playing!

The winner of last weeks giveaway is: Merula!!! Congrats! Please send me your address at saskia.vanderzee [at] yahoo [dot] com

 

xoxox

 

Ps I am not getting paid or bribed to do these giveaways & all winners are drawn by Random Number Generator.

Count your blessings

This week wasn't the best I guess, but there are still a lot of things that make me smile!

green small plants combined with my

collection of small, vintage vases

handmade birthdaymail

J. is busy making art from nature in school but this leaf was

beautiful on its' own he thought, so he gave it to me ♥

 

T. got some antibiotics to get rid of the virus that is bugging him. And I treated my bloated knee on a weekend of doing as little as possible & now I have a head full of ideas!

 

Have a beautiful & healthy new week!

xoxox

 

More blessings over on Zilverblauw.

 

Ps Last call for this weeks giveaway by Studio Stationery!

Countdown to

Next friday Flavourites is hosting their annual event: Flavourites Live! Where you can see about 160 webshops (& their owners!) in real life! 

And you get to feel & see the things before you buy them for your Saint Nic/Christmas-shopping!

But why am I counting down?

Well I am going to be there as the sidekick of Mirjam from Mijnes! I'll be working all 3 days with her.

So if you're going to Flavourites Live do come over & say hi!!

Have a great weekend!

xoxox

Ps don't forget this weeks giveaway!

Cuddle

T. is ill & missing out on the schooltrip to the zoo.
My rightknee is bloated & hurts.
There are things going to change at my officejob.
I'm not good at change I think.
Outside it's very misty & grey.

It's a cuddle-kind-a-day I guess.

xoxox

Ps to cheer you up check out this weeks giveaway!
Psps sweet card made by sweet friend

Random loveliness

  rose-hips



love this soft & classic pillow with a funny history

 

elegant little cup & saucer in the perfect color

These are all gifts my sweet & dear friend gave to me on my birthday. I love the fact that she went out to find the perfect gifts & there is even a color theme!

It's funny how you can actually meet a complete stranger & quickly realise that you are on the same wavelength with, well honestly, everything and to feel completly at ease with each other.

Here's to friendship & many beautiful years to come!
xoxox

Ps Check out this weeks Monday Giveaway by Studio Stationery!

Monday Giveaway Marathon

This weeks giveaway is from Studio Stationery! This shop has got everything for your writing, stamping, planning & masking tape needs! Recently they had a new addition: their own line of stamps

 Studio Stationary is giving away this

cross-stitch-stampset!
The bunny, the squirrel & the bird complete with inkpad!

How can you win? 

Easy visit Studio Stationery

&

leave a comment here!

Good luck!
 

X X X X X X X X
 

And the winner of last weeks giveaway by Wooncafé39 is Elv's! Congrats!

Please drop me an email with your address saskia.vanderzee [@] yahoo [dot] com

Have a great monday!

xoxox

Count your blessings

 

This week my blessing is to be able to celebrate good times with  my sweetheart, my boys, my friends & my family, to be spoiled with sweet & thoughtful gifts!

We turn not older with years,

but newer every day. 

~Emily Dickinson

 

Have a great new week!

xoxox

 

Ps last chance to enter this weeks giveaway!!!

Partylist

With my birthday, Saint Nic & Christmas coming up I made a small partylist.

Confettiring by Twinklebird

 

If you ever read my tweets you know I love me some confetti, it's cheap & instantly gives a partyfeeling. So to hang on to that feeling this ring would be perfect.

 

Tree from Wood & Wool
 

This tree is on my list for a long time now & not just for christmas.





 

Cakestand from Silvie Meuffels via StudiodeWinkel
 

I still serve cake straight from either the box or the cake tin, this would be a fun way of showing off my baking skills!

 

Button 'pepernotenmonster' by Mijnes
 

This one doen't need any explanation, does it? :) (Just in case: pepernoot by wikipedia.)

 

Wordbanner from Een Nieuw Avontuur

 

A colourful wordbanner you can use it for all parties! Simply change the words!

 

Have a happy weekend!

xoxox

 

Ps for a soap-party check out this weeks' giveaway by Wooncafé39!!

Psps so what do you think of my new header & layout? Pretty proud of it myself.

 



Random

 

* a good word always finds a good place *

 

My dearest friend spotted a carpet for me & so on monday she dragged me along on a thrift-hunt. Hadn't thrifted for a while, the last time I went I took home the golden couple.

I really love quotes, so when I saw this one in a 'new' thriftshop I had to take it home with me. The man who worked there gave it to me for free!



 

My friend hid these mother of pearl spoons in the shop last week for me ♥ & I picked them up for just 2 euro's.

And the carpet ofcourse, but that is a whole different blogpost. :)

 

Have a great wednesday!

xoxox

 

Ps. Love the quote Obama used today: The best is yet to come!

 

Psps. Check out this weeks giveaway from Wooncafé39



Monday Giveaway Marathon

This weeks giveaway is from Wooncafé 39! Next to a brick & mortar shop, a blog, workshops, brocante interiordecorating advice, Wooncafé 39 has got a wonderful webshop as well, filled with home decor accessoiries!

And she is giving away a candy-soap-bar!

 

 

If you want a chance to win, visit Wooncafé 39

&

leave a comment here!

 

Good luck!

 

x x x x x x

 

 

The winner of last weeks giveaway by Ierdwyfke is:

Maar Niet Van Grijs ! Congratulations!!

Please email me your address: saskia.vanderzee [at] yahoo [dot] com

 

Have a great new week!

xoxox

Count your blessings

love this photo at my sis in laws' appartment

 

 

What made me happy this week apart from the obvious:

* the good part of early evenings is to lite candles

* spoiling my inner-girl by getting myself a Sonny Angel at Hipgemaakt & winning some pretty, retro cards from 2 Zusjes en Jan

* visiting my sis in law in Amsterdam

* going for a drink & the movies with my husband (the first time in more than 7 years! *shocked*). We saw Skyfall & I must say I do miss Pierce Brosnan!

* Today we are having an easy sunday, I love days like this.

 

For more blessings visit Zilverblauw.

 

Have a beautiful new week!

xoxox

 

Ps last call for this weeks giveaway!