Friday's Favorite Five, It's Good to be Back!

Friday again, time to reflect on the week that has passed and post about five favorite things from your week. Friday's Fave Five is hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, if you're looking for the rules, they're here.
Now, all I need to do is look at the pictures I've taken throughout the week to discover my favorite five things, so here we go!




1. We got back from France almost two weeks ago now, and I needed some time to get the laundry and some household chores done. We had a wonderful time in France and I came back well rested and full of energy.
I get up two hours earlier than I used to, just to be able to get some extra blogging time. I love the early hours when the house is quiet and my head is clear! The weather was lousy last Sunday so I took the time to post some pictures of my holiday in France. I was stunned and overwhelmed by all the lovely comments from all of you welcoming me back, telling me you missed me. I really had no idea how much this blog means to all of you and I want to THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your friendship and kind words. I promise I will continue to make time and try to be a better blogger in the future!

2. While we were away, we had the plumber over to do some work on my patio. Now that that's over and done with, I could finally rearrange the flower pots and decorate my patio again.

3. We bought some new hanging baskets and flowering plants

4. and two lovely coral red bistro chairs to go with the small table on my patio.

5. I had a lovely day out with my friend Nana last week. It was her birthday three weeks earlier and she bought me lunch. We had a lovely time catching up on the latest things in our lives. After lunch we made a little photo walk and photographed wild flowers. A day out with her is always such a treat, I'm already looking forward to the next time we meet!



6. Speaking of treats, I made Devil's Fire Shrimp ( Scampi Diavolo Fuoco in Italian, doesn't it sound better in Italian?) and my husband licked his plate with his fingers. Need I say more?

Midweek Blues, Blue Flower Arrangements.

 

For this week’s Midweek Blues, I took some pictures of some of the magnificent flower arrangements we saw last Sunday. I love how they used seagulls and seashells as the finishing touch to this blue theme.

 

 

 

 

Play along with Midweek Blues!
Colors, moods, music, poetry...be as creative as you like!

Midweek Blues is hosted by Rebecca at the Dusty Cellar.

Midweek Blues, Collector’s Item

 

 

For this week’s Midweek Blues I’m sharing this terrine, which is the latest addition to my collection of old kitchen ware. I was able to buy this at a good price (I got a three Euro discount) at the garden fair we visited last Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

Midweek Blues is hosted by Rebecca at the Dusty Cellar.

Happy Easter!!

 

 

I’m taking the weekend off, I’ll be back on Tuesday.
Happy Easter everybody!

Midweek Blues, Bad Habit?

 

 

I bought these cute little mini buckets for next to no money on a flea market many years ago, and they still make me smile. I use one to keep my toothpicks in, and the other two usually hold tiny bits and bobs like elastic bands or in this case a tiny block of alum and a mini nutmeg grater. Both of which I never use. I keep the alum to stop the bleeding when I cut my finger, but I always forget to use it! The little grater was packed with the nutmeg I bought and I cannot bring myself to throw it away!

I know, I know… I will throw it away after this post. I never really thought about it until now. ”Stuff” that lingers around can be such a bad habit!  

 

Midweek Blues is hosted by Rebecca at the Dusty Cellar.

Macro Monday, Meet the Easter Bunnies

 

These cute little Easter bunnies have been adorning my coffee table these past few weeks. I cannot believe this is the last week before Easter already!

More Macro Monday close ups and macros at Lisa’s Chaos.

Macro Monday, A Touch of Spring

 

I used these little stone birds to decorate the dinner table when I had guests last weekend. They added just that little touch of Spring we’re all looking out for right now.
 

 

More Macro Monday themed photos at Lisa’s Chaos.

Friday’s Fave Five, Valentine Weekend

Thanks to Susanne at Living to tell the story who hosts this Friday’s Fave Five it is now time to look back on the week that has passed and list five favorite things from it.

I love this meme, it makes me realize how happy I am, it makes me remember things I would probably just forget.

1. On Saturday we went shopping in one of my favorite supermarkets. It’s a shop for restaurant owners and I LOVE everything there. They have a food department where they sell beautiful fresh produce and delicatessen, herbs, spices … you name it, they have it. There is a department where they sell all kinds of kitchen equipment, like pots and pans and knives and professional tools, and you can also find all sorts of dishes and stemware and everything you need to dress a lovely table. It’s a Walhalla for a foodie like me! I really LOVE the aroma of the smoked garlic we bought there!
2. We were in need of new stemware, and we bought sets of wine/champagne/water glasses that match each other to replace the mismatched collection that was cluttering my closets. Can you see them, they’re on the bottom left of the collage?
Later that afternoon, I dressed a lovely table and started cooking a delicious meal with some of the food we had bought there.
3. Sunday was Valentine’s day and Monday was even more special. It was our anniversary, because we started our life together on February 15th, twenty eight years ago!
My husband spoiled me with flowers and gifts, and I prepared more glorious food to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
4. I made buttermilk biscuits for breakfast and filled them with smoked ham, rucola and cream cheese. ( from a recipe I found at Wanda's blog. It’s in her sidebar).
5. I made a couple of photo walks with my Big Guy again this week. One short walk along the canal just before sunset to capture the beauty of the evening light. That was when I first felt Spring is getting nearer. It has been thawing, all of the snow is gone now. And then yesterday I took the bus to Antwerp and made my first photo walk in the Big City with my Big Guy!! I had FUN!!!!!

Friday’s Fave Five, First Week of 2010

It’s Friday again, the first week of 2010 is almost over. Friday’s Fave Five hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is a great meme making us look back at the week that has passed and count our blessings.

It’s been a wonderful week. Most important item this week is …
1.The new challenge I got myself into. My husband’s Canon D40 has hardly been used since he got it, so I’m going to be the one using it. I’ve challenged myself to work with this big guy at least an hour a day trying to get to know him and understand how he works. At the end of the day, I pick one photo a day and post it on my new blog. That way I’m hoping to grow into it a little and to be able to see the progress I’m likely (or should I say hopefully) going to make. I photograph everything and anything now, even while peeling potatoes! ROFL!

Creativity and photography are the main key words this week I guess.
2. Last Saturday my husband and I went on a photo walk around the castle of Horst. It’s a place he knows well since he spent a lot of his school holidays there with his aunt who lived nearby. We took a long walk around the castle, and something magical happened. The sun came out, making the clouds part which changed the light all the time. It was as if somebody “up there” was playing with the light switches, illuminating the castle and the frozen pond. The castle was bathing in warm sunlight and all the colors started to pop. It was photography heaven. More pictures are to come within the next few days.

3. Snow and cold weather. I never thought I would ever hear myself say this, but I’m actually enjoying the snow and the cold Winter weather we’re getting here the last couple of days. It makes me want to go out for a walk in the cold crisp air. Coming home to real old fashioned cold weather comfort food after that is just wonderful.
4. Isn’t it great when you can find a great bargain, especially when you were not even looking for it? I went to the supermarket to buy bread baking flour when I stumbled upon this book. It’s a real baking “bible”, with old fashioned recipes and newer ones, a book I always wanted to have but somehow never bought. It was on sale yesterday! I paid 5€ instead of 25€ normal price. It was the next to last one, the last one still wrapped in plastic! I’m so happy with it!

5. I packed all the Christmas stuff and redecorated the living room yesterday, and I’m VERY happy how it looks. I made little arrangements with a snowy theme .
I’ll tell you how I did it: I used dried leaves and Hydrangea flowers - leftovers from my fall decoration - and silk roses. I sprayed them with snow spray. I sprinkled some artificial snow on while the paint was still wet and left them to dry. I used these ingredients to create flower arrangements and decorations throughout the living room. A little more snow here and there, an art book, Boyds Bears all dressed up for Winter … ( They even have skies and a sprinkle of snow on their noses! ) I had fun!

It’s been a great week, how was yours?

More Fave Five posts at Susanne’s Living to Tell the Story.
More pictures of me on my new blog Heavenin365.