With special thanks to Marné for contributing the pompom garland :o) More about that after Christmas.

I'm a Flickr lover all the way so when I found out about these Moo cards I ordered some and now I want to marry Flickr, if that's possible. I read somewhere that you can marry your pets these days so why not marry the best online photo management and sharing application in the world? I also love how I have to sign in as an old school member, it just makes me feel special.

I can highly recommend the Moo cards, they are super lovely and the best $19.99 I spent this month ... didn't I say that when I bought some new trainers?

You might like to check the MOO MiniCards Group.

I also love cats. So here a little homage to Flickr cats:

some are turned inside out or upside down
some love to take it easy or find a comfortable spot
some like small objects and some like to hide
some I want to steal and some prefer glass surfaces
some like to duplicate or like a good giggle
some like to fly and ... some are just damn cute
... but there's only one I heart the most.

The End

Thanks for your sweet birthday wishes, I had a really good one.

The day before my birthday (Sinterklaas evening) the Bo and I went out for Sushi in our favorite city and afterwards to see The Queen. I can highly recommend this movie - but that's a whole different story. On my birthday the people that are building a whole new neighborhood around us decided to cut of our water. It's one of the privileges of being born and living in a country with tapped water, it's horrible to go a whole morning without it. The rest of the day we spent food and cake shopping and in the afternoon we had a soes (Dutch cream cake) feast with my neighbor Amanda and her son Jesse. At dinnertime my friend Mandy, Rob and my brother with his new girlfriend came over for food and drinks and more soesen! It was a good birthday :)

So on to another festive part of this season, decorating the house.

The tree is up. It's my first ever fake tree and I'm still working on liking it. I don't know yet if I can go without the scent of a real tree, without the wonky branches and the picking out ritual we have each year. Maybe I can go without that last one because it's terrible how we both fuss over a tree. There's still more to decorate - oh joy!!

That little aqua colored thing on the floor is the Boo's fish. She always puts it somewhere she likes. I often find it next to her food bowls, it's so cute!

For the past few days I've been following the news on the missing of the Kim Family. Although I don't know them I sincerely feel for them and all my blog friends who do know them. I want to let you guys know that James and Kati made it to the Dutch news yesterday and wish them all the best in finding and returning James.

Today is also my birthday, I'm 32 and so far it's been a good day. There's no running water, a toilet un flushed, a face unwashed. I'm going to the gym to get a shower LOL!! But I've received the best disco ball glitter ring from the Bo ever.

Have a good day!!

I come from a family of large age differences. My father was 45 when I was born and my brother 13. We all grew up quite individually in a large home with each a private spacious room in where we would hermit and horde things to do. I never played downstairs in the living areas because to my mother these areas were for adults, I now agree with her. We shared lovely family dinners, outings and parties - my folks were really party people, I love viewing slides of my father and mother dancing in the dining room - but we never were really on track of each others social lives because by the time my sister had her first snog I was playing happily with Barbie or My Little Pony. It was fascinating though as a child to have older siblings and mixing up with an adult crowd.

I've kept living in large spacious houses in deserted places all over the world for the rest of my life and I've been living quite happily in the middle of nowhere. I am a social person but I love to walk away from it whenever I want to. I've never been a group girl either and I don't really work well in a team. I do like to joke around and have fun outside work hours but when I'm working I'm doing my job and I don't want to be bothered with social ramblings. I've also never been a part of a group of friends. I rather have few friends I can individually do things with, like when I was a child. I'm a loner and proud of it!!

So when the Bo and I decided to leave our country home three years ago to set house in the middle of a town because the Bo was getting a bit panicked to leave me alone when he went on business trips (there were no neighbors left, right, back and front just 270 pigs and a whole bunch of piglets) friends and family were quite concerned.

This is our house. We're in the middle with the green door and the geraniums. It's a barn conversion form 1890-someting and divided in three homes in 1924. I left out the house of my right neighbors because they're remodeling the outside and it looks like terror. We work well with the neighbors according the outside of the building. It was my idea to get matching awnings and to paint the whole lot in the same color. I only couldn't get my head round on the dark navy doors. It looks like a black hole in middle of all the whites. So our door is light green just as it is in the back.

The first two and a half years were great because I was busy renovating, decorating, shopping, painting, planning, cooking, cleaning and running after everyone telling them what to do. I didn't have time to actually observe my new surroundings and to adjust to town life.

I really dislike the word "Do" in a sentence like "Let's do lunch" or "I don't do kids". But I just couldn't find a better title to start this post as "I don't do neighbors", I really, really don't. I thought I could but I'm really crap at it.

The house is old so I hear everything and I hate it. I dislike the sound of crying babies, people hammering (god forbid we did a lot of hammering in our days of hammering) and I hate tap noises. Running tap noises are the most horrible noises on this planet. I don't want to know when my neighbors are doing the washing up or when they shower. It annoys me that whenever I don't hear taps for a while I get concerned that they don't shower enough and that I have smelly, stinking neighbors. I also get annoyed by cars. Our little stoop makes a great parking place, the stoops left and right apparently don't work. Isn't a rule that whenever you visit someone you park on their stoops not on their neighbor's stoop?

Although we have baby and tap noises and a parking lot (I should charge for) we have friendly neighbors and it's not their fault that they are our neighbors.

I'm really happy in this cute little house but I wish I could pick my middle up and place it somewhere remote - like Alaska for example.

I just NEED to share this!!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR UPLIFTING COMMENTS. AS I NOW FEEL FREE TO WRITE WATHEVER I FEEL LIKE WRITING I ALSO WANT TO WRITE THIS IN CAPITALS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO AT FLICKR AND I THINK THAT'S SILLY. BECAUSE CAPITALS DO NOT ONLY STAND FOR SHOUTING BUT FOR SAYING SOMETHING WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!

***

It's that time of the month again that I need to discus "She With The Lovely Goods" and that's not my period it's my hero Cath Kidston.

I'm not really much of a person who idolizes people. I would for example never run to a celebrity and start bombarding them with questions. I'd be too embarrassed, I rather keep it cool. I also never really had a role model or someone who I wanted to be. I did have a serious crush on Julie Andrews when I was a child and I did sleep with a record of The Sound of Music in my bed. But that either said something about my exquisite taste in music or the fact that my parents thought I was going to be a lesbian.

Just recently (or rather three years ago) I started this crazy Cath Kidston obsession. Maybe it's for the fact of making it up for what I missed in my childhood. It was my mother who was obsessed by Laura Ashley and turned everything Laura Ashley in our home. I must have been the only kid in town who was able to call a name by just viewing a fabric sample - any Laura Ashley fabric sample.

My mother was kind enough to let us decorate our own bedrooms as long as we picked something Laura Ashley. I remembered my brother getting out of it as he were a man and we (my sister and I) were just little girls. My brother is 13 years older. I picked "Emma". And now years later it's so fascinating that Emma was one of Vanessa Bell's designs and reprinted by Laura Ashley. So my liking in Bloomsbury started very early.

Anyway, while browsing Cath Kidston on Google, I found this:

Can you picture the chaos in my house and in my head?

"I'm speechless ... I need one ... of course I need one. I can get one in the same print as my kitchen wallpaper ... I can ask one for my birthday ... Oh crap, I was going to ask a new notebook ... hmmm, I could ask for a new CATH KIDSTON MOBILE and a notebook!! ... sod the notebook I need this phone!! ... blimey, it will so match my teacup ... arrrrgggh".

Read more about it here.

For those of you who've never seen "The Red Address" aka Cath Kidston's Gloucestershire home, you can find pictures here.

I could never do that, having more than one home. I don't know how they do that people with too much money. I would get totally annoyed. I would definitely want something that isn't in my Gloucestershire home but in my Barbados home. And than we have to fly back to get that thing I want and the Bo will be all annoyed and he'll be moaning on the plane how annoying I am that I want that thing and arrrrgggh ... I so never want to win more than a million because I couldn't deal with that stress. My brother's solution to this problem: "you should buy everything in pairs" yes people we do discuss these things where I come from.

During the past few months I've been thinking a lot about my little blog. I've been seriously thinking of giving it up just because I sometimes feel I can express my true feelings, concerns and emotions. For example when I write about Katie Holmes's stretch marks or how George Clooney looks like a cup of cappuccino I get upsetting email. It limits my writing freedom. Nowadays when I'm composing a post I keep cropping bits out and I end up with something like "this is what I've done and this is what I've made, byeeeee". It's just so boring and it really bores me too (the one writing this blog).

I don't know how you feel about this but I find it difficult to discuss topics like this with my offline friends. So I'm fortunate that through this blog I've turned a few of my online friends in my offline friends, friends I can discus such topics with. So after a good phone call with my best blog friend, a set date to meet in London with another blog friend and receiving things like this

in my post box (thank you dear Lisa for the magazines and dear Nina for the lovely Finnish goodies) it makes it all better. I've met so many wonderful and inspiring people through this blog that it would be a shame to let all that go. I'm really happy to know you all!!

So I'll keep my little blog and I'll enjoy updating it. But from now on I'll discuss whatever I like in this blog. So if you get upset because I like to discuss famous people's stretch marks, people that look like cappuccinos or anything else that might offend you please don't visit again. There's nothing more important in this world as a good healthy dose of self mockery.

I can't believe it's been such a long time since my last book club review. Just as a treat and to make up my slackness I'm adding some snippets from my favorite pages inside the books.

1. In Bloom - Alice Whately

This is a wonderful book with all new homes, pictures and inspiration. The book is spilt in five chapters 1. feminine florals, 2. exotic florals, 3. funky florals, 4. retro florals and 5. vintage florals. I'm a mix of the feminine florals and vintage florals. The chapters are a good guide on how to use florals in your home and for which florals you should choose. The pictures in the book are beautiful and the styling is superb.

I love this mixture of modern and new and how the organza curtains fit perfectly over the garden doors. The glass chandelier, the odd lamp and the pink butterfly chairs.

Of course a book about florals can't go without some Cath Kidston.

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk

2. Cheap Chic or Style on a Budget - Emily Chalmers

I don't know where to start or what to tell you about this book, it's just ALL GOOD!! This is my absolute new favorite book. Another book by Emily Chalmers Flea Market Style and is now my second absolute favorite book. That Emily sure knows how to capture a book full of good interiors. I can only say "go order it now" because you will not regret it. So much inspiration, new photos and lots and lots of great tips.

I love this kitchen and that plate rack with the yellow chair under it is just perfect.

Ah shelving, almost as good as ice-cream.

I want to rate it ten stars. Highly recommended!!

2. London Kitchens - via Paumes

It's turning into a little addiction but I snatched this book straight after the lovely people of Amazon.co.jp sent me an email recommending it to me. It's super, super, super cute and my most favorite book in the series so far.

I loved peeking into the kitchens of designers from LovelyLovely and Loop. I also spotted a must have under the christmas tree item for myself over at Loop. It's featured in the book also. This is just, yet again, a wonderful book and I can highly recommend it!

ISBN number: 407253787X

4. Stockholm's Apartments - via Paumes

Do I need to say more? All the Paumes books are fabulous. So is this one and so will all the others to come LOL!!

I love this hall. The shoes are pretty and so is the wallpaper.

Look at this wall - it's a swoon wall!! I'd love to do something like this with that plate rack in Cheap Chic in my kitchen. Only if I did have a bit more space.

Great book, must have!!

ISBN number: 4072540021

Getting magazines ready for Lisa and Nina.

Thanks to those for wanting to magazine swap with me. It's so good to know that I'm set for a couple of months especially with the GOOD season approaching.

It's almost Christmas people!!

I'm already bidding on bits and pieces over at eBay. I'm planning on making a mantle like Alicia did. I've been making pompom garlands this summer when it was 35 °C outside. Oh it's such a good thing summer is gone. I'm really an autumn kind of girl.

I've also indulged in buying DVD's. Lately I've been taking a great interest in Ralph Fiennes and I've been watching most of his movies. I've also been completing my Emma Thompson stack and I can't wait to watch the new Hugh Grant movie - at last!!! It's for sale at Amazon.co.uk look at that price!

We just got back from our trip to the UK. We planned a "I really want to do that before a die" trip. Bo wanted to see Stonehenge and I wanted to visit the homes of some of the Bloomsbury people.

Our first stop was in Firle, Lewes to visit Charleston farmhouse the home of Duncan Grant, Vanessa and Clive Bell and their kids.

It was something really surreal, taking a step into their living quarters all left intact. We were only allowed guided tours on Saturday but I didn't regret that really. It was lovely to be in each room with a group of six people and to be told about these fascinating people. It was such excitement to enter a room that each time I gasped. Especially when we entered the studio of Duncan Grant, it made the others giggle. It was just so beautiful and so weird I almost cried.

The stone construction around the fireplace above were set up by Maynard Keynes. Charleston used to be a very drafty house and this was the only way to keep the fire going. The painting in the oval circle used to be the home of a mirror.

After Charleston we drove to Monk's House in the village of Rodmell the home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. The National Trust only left the downstairs rooms as they were when Leonard and Virginia lived there and the upstairs rooms are tenanted by patchwork artist Caroline Zoob and her husband.

This is one of the rooms dowstairs painted by Virginia in a beautiful green color with fabrics designed by her sister Vanessa Bell.

Caroline and her husband also maintain the garden of Monk's House and Leonard's vegetable patches. They also sell the tickets and the booklets in the main entrance in the beautiful conservatory.

There is something so fun about visiting other peoples homes. Some may call it curiosity I call it interest, finding new inspiration. It was a most special weekend.

I simple can't explain what interior magazines mean to me or how much they mean to me. Most say it's a piece of paper with pictures but to me a magazine is like a journey. I love traveling to other peoples homes and gardens. I love tips on keeping house or improving my cleaning skills. I make it a little sport to remember all the names of chair designs and their designers names. Whenever we enter a designers outlet I love to quote; "oh look at that gorgeous Rar by Eames" as if I were to impress the Bo LOL! We also spend most of our income on things for our home. We don't smoke, drink, club or indulge in any other dodgy stuff but we love to home shop. Our neighbors are always quite concerned when we walk in with yet another piece of furniture and walk out with yet another piece of furniture that we believe should go. They never really dare to ask what we're up to and they must think by now that we deal in furniture.

You can understand how exciting it is for me to participate in a mag swap. I did one with Leslie a couple of months ago and recently one with Kristina.

Look at my loot.

Of course Leslie sent me Martha and Real Simple amongst two boxes of Pop Tarts (I can't find them here in Holland - arggggh) and all lovely Paper Princess goodies. And Kristina sent me Danish magazines I absolutely love.

Look at this pom poms blanket in one of the mags. I'm going to make one for the new guest attic, whenever that's done.

And this interior inspired me so much. I simply love all the white with the bright accessories, very me!

Thanks you Leslie and Kristina for letting me travel a bit beyond my own home.

If you ever feel like swapping with me, please let me know. I'm always up to it only not around Christmas because that's the one month I swap with Marné and we just established to make it a tradition. I love Christmas traditions!!

Oh dear I've been up to so much. I've been busy getting everything back in my computer. I've been playing the Sims 2 with my new mean graphic card. Oh it's heaven, I can't stop building, smooching edges and decorating. I can't wait for the new expansion pack either.

I also went shopping in London last week with my friend Ellen. We did have a lovely day and did do some serious shopping at Cath (did you noticed she dropped her int. shipping a bit?) It was a little power shop because we only had 4 hours. OF COURSE we missed our plane back so I had to buy new tickets. The Bo had to pick us up in the middle of the night someplace else and had to drive Ellen back to her car at the airport near us, where we were supposed to land at 19:00. Stupid girls!!! We we had a blast and the weather was extremely good to us.

Look at that Ellen posing in the sunshine :o)

I've also been in bed with a cold and did some catching up on DVD watching. Today I felt a bit better and went out with the Bo to the garden center where we bought plants and pumpkins.

I've been getting my hands dirty on carving and making these small polka dots lanterns. I have some more pictures in my Flickr album.

***

I also want to say Hi to some of the new readers. I'm not really a person to email you all personally and thank you. But I really appreciate your visits and your comments. They make my day. Thank you!!

Oh, oh, ooooooh Marné is having chicks and Kathleen a lovely video of her new hometown!!

The reason for my absence and for not emailing and replying to email is that my motherboard died last monday!! It's just so weird that just a year ago the server yvestown is on crashed. Is September a computer dangerous month at my house? The good thing about last year's crash is that I started to back-up so nothing was lost this time, only my favorites folder is missing but I'll get that back on Monday.

I've been really sick off it, I'm so used to having access to the World Wide Web that living without it now is not an option. It gave me a good chance to do silly little jobs I never seem to get around to like painting plant pots and buying artificial pears LOL!!

Will be back in full force soon.

This is the result of the chair I was working on. You wouldn't believe how relieved I am it's over. This fabric I used made a mess!! It's velvet and when velvet is cut tiny little balls appear and take over the world. But it was worth it.

I promised a slipcover tutorial and decided to have a tiny footstool tutorial you can find here. I'm going to make some more soon.

Thanks for all the compliments on my SKRUVSTA cover. For those who mailed me and for those who are interested, I'm working on a small tutorial plus some tips & tricks on how to make an easy slipcover. I think I'm going to use a footstool, or is that too simple? I don't know, please let me know what you think.

Now something not so different, now I get to think of it, I love to wrap. Not just gift wrapping, I love all sorts of wrapping. Books, securing teapots from breaking in the mail and I even love to stuff the Bo's bills in envelopes.

Kids here in The Netherlands cover their high school books in paper jackets because most of the books are borrowed and need to be returned to the book depot at the end of term. So they need to be secure, that's why we wrap them. It's a job most teenagers hate. I offer my service for free to all the teenagers in my world (and unfortunately the count is dropping tragically) I use vintage wallpapers, fun wrapping paper, glitters, bookplates and all sorts of good stuff and by the time these kids go to school they have the most secure and fun looking book jackets in The Netherlands. I'll post some pictures soon!

This is a picture of a wrapping project I've been working on today, it's for Leslie because we're having a little magazine swap.

Oh isn't wrapping fun!!

I've always been in love with the shape of this Ikea chair but I don't like the fabric they come in and I also love everything that I can take off and put in the washer. So, while browsing Amy Butler's website, I came across this chair and this one and this one and thought: "I can do that!!". So I went to Ikea (only a 10 min. drive from my home, isn't that heaven?) and picked up a SKRUVSTA.

This is what my SKRUVSTA is looking like now. I've made two covers, one in a cheap plain white sheet fabric to fit, pulled it apart and cut the flowery fabric using the white fabric pattern I made. Then I stitched the white fabric and the flowery fabric together (to protect the red of the chair shining through the new cover) and that's it. I can wash it, make another cover for when I get sick of the flowers and it's matching my interior. The Boo's loving it too!!

And after one successful covering story I'm trying to make a cover for something a little bit more difficult.

To be continued ...

There are tons of reasons why I love the Bo but one of them is the insanity we share for things we love we want no matter the consequences. After a speedy shop round through Amsterdam yesterday we stumbled upon this fridge. We're now going to redesign our whole kitchen to make that fridge fit. Don't tell my mum because she'll start picking her hair. She really dislikes our ever changing moods and she gets worried when we bring home yet another chair, that's not going to fit. It's the thing we do. Some people without kids have a lot of pets, we have a lot of furniture. When I'm old kids will probably call me "the crazy chair lady".

I picked up this plate rack at the Kitsch Kitchen flag store and while at it I took some pictures of the store for those few fans I know who can't go there.

I didn't dare taking pictures downstairs because of my weird picture taking phobia.

This is the new rack in my kitchen.

Just to let you know. We're not going to change this side of the kitchen. We are only going to put new doors up to match the new doors on the other side but that's it.

ps.: isn't it really cool how that fridge is the same color as my china?

Yay, I finally have my "In My Life" pictures up.

I'm also working on the Cath Kidston issue. I'm working on something really great but I can't yet spill the beans. I also spoke someone at Cath Kidston today and she probably thinks that the shipping amounts aren't correct. She spontaneously burst into loud laughter when I told her that flying is cheaper ... bless her lovely Cath Kidston goodies.

I'll let you know when there's more to tell.

I'm never really excited about the summer sales and how prices are low, I'm more excited about the summer sale because I know it means new stuff after the sale. Mostly I am excited about the Cath Kidston goods. I'm always hoping for the 2004 collection and her box files because those are my favorites. I can't say that I haven't been shopping around a bit in her current sale because that would be a lie. And a good thing that is that I'm done with my shopping because today I checked back and I found myself totally, utterly in shock and super ... super disappointed in Cath Kidston.

This is what I found.

Look at a random page of Cath Kidston's new layout and look at a random page of the GreenGate layout. I'm shocked, it's almost the same but the Cath Kidston people done a really poorly job. And to make matters EVEN worse she made her overseas shipping fees astronomically high.

I can't believe this!

With the new shipping fees it's actually cheaper, for most people in the EU, to buy a plane ticket to shop at her London shop rather than to order online. That's crazy!!

I'm not having this! I'm never really one for getting angry of things like this but I'm bloody well in love with Cath Kidston and I can't just stop buying her stuff because she's being a twat!!

I've decided that I'm going to mail the people at Cath Kidston and tell them about my disappointment and how I want things back the way they were. It's not that shipping fees ever been cheap for people living outside the UK but they were reasonable. This isn't!!

Please leave a comment if you feel the same disappointment and if you want to back me up, I'd really appreciate that!!

It's so weird how a picture can say so much. After watching these new utility room pictures for a couple of days I just can't get over the fact that the room isn't really me or better us. The rug is fantastic and so are the lanterns but after I took them out of the room it already made better sense to me. It's too much fuss. So this room isn't done after all. Bah!!!

I just want to show you this picture I posted on Flickr yesterday. You should read the comments. It's such a bizarre sight. I find it a shame though because I really loved this display of candles and it made such a pretty sight at night when they were lit. Also my tablecloth is ruined :(

On Friday I'm planning on being a little daredevil and to shoot some pictures at my favorite market flower stand. People here are always really nosy and they want to know why you're taking pictures and when I tell them that I'm going to write about them they of course want to read it and I don't know if I want to share my writings with the local market flower sales people. But I've been bragging about it so much to so many people that now is the time to show you where I get all the fine goods. So stay tuned and check back to find out if I really did it!

There are a bunch of reasons I've been so quiet. One is the weather ... it's stinking hot over here (I so get this phrase now because everything really does stink, including some people today in the supermarket). The other reason is that I've been working on my boot room.

The main plan was to move all my gear to the attic and turn it in to a sewing room. But after some Bo inspections and dodgy floor constructions and the chance that the perfectly plastered ceilings could come down, we reconsidered and moved my gear to the boot room instead. It's a great little room we only used for laundry and some of the tools we both use. It now is a utility room and not so much a boot room anymore.

This is what the room looked like when we bought the house, actually this is what all the rooms looked like when we bought the house.

We than decided to renovate and paint everything white so we could decided later what to do with the rooms. Honestly I'm one of those people who needs to sit in a room, for as long it takes, to know what to do with it. Boy I love that stable window! It was actually so tatty that we spent a month recovering it.

This is what it looks like now. And there's that plastic rug I've been talking about (still need to find an online retailer for that one K). And look at those fantastic Chinese gauze lanterns I bought via Kathleen at Anahata.

This is from the other side. I couldn't get a good shot of the washing area and the stable window because there's too much light coming through the window because it's so stinking hot!!

I still need to do some finishing touches but I'm really pleased with my little utility room. Of course the attic is still going to get it's make-over, we're going to make it a guestroom. We never really have that much guests but having the spare bed in the studio isn't so much fun either. So the studio is going to get a nice lounging corner too. Oh my .... all the possibilities. It's going to be a winter of many home improvements. Ah ... the thought of winter!!!

***

And some other stuff I'd like to write about. Leslie started a fun new Flickr Group: in my life. Please go over there and join if you like. And oh .. uhm, I've changed the layout AGAIN!! I can't stop myself.

After months of thinking about it, then trying it, failing it and trying it again it seems that everything is set up the way I want it to be and that as from today I'm using Movable Type to publish my blog.

I notice most husbands are the technical brain behind the blog but I don't have such husband. He can make absolutely beautiful things and he's lovely, funny and interesting but he can't fix me a nice blog. I need to do it all by myself and with the help of my pseudo computer husband Jo, who's a woman too. Thanks Jo for being my second set of brains!!

A couple of things have changed, I now have categories, I've made an archive page and I've moved all my favorite blog links to the links page. I've uploaded all my old blogger entries to Movable Type but lost all comments - such a shame because I love comments!!

I sure love my new publishing home.

Cheers!

***

Oh and Jes is opening her new shop, you might like to take a peek.

After a very long and fun conversation with Kathleen last night we came to talk about my garden and the boot room and how the boot room is joined to the house. It's a bit complicated because pre WWII houses here in The Netherlands are always a bit of a mystery. For example we didn't have a full working bathroom when we moved in because the house wasn't designed for it. Apparently the previous previous previous previous owners used to bathe in the little house (we call boot room now) in a bucket. The previous previous owners made that little extension that joins the main house with the little house. That little house is a true gem because it's multifunctional. Behind that cute door, with the heart cut out, is a little attic where we store "things we do not want to look at and be seen with" aka Bo's stuff. Behind the large window is the laundry and behind the small window is a WC. The little annex is for washing hands and for being pretty.

The patio is still really boring but everything needs to grow and I still need to paint. But we've come a long way as this is what it looked like when we bought it two years ago.



It's home and it's different to most houses here and that's why we like.

See the whole set here

After Clair posted a message about buying these great books. They are great though! I received some mail asking me to do a tutorial on how to order books on amazon.co.jp. I've whiped up a tutorial and you can go there by clicking here.

These are the ISBN numbers of the books we bought:

4072504416
4072486744
4072501395
4072499005

I just quickly want to share my passion for Danish design with you and leave you with some great links to some great Danish websites:

• Rice
• Green Gate
• Franck & fischer
• Jackpot
• Lille Hus

Last week I bought these Lack shelves at Ikea because I find them fantastic. You can't see the hanging construction and we almost have the same color walls as the shelf so you don't really see them hanging much at all. But, with having yet more shelving, the same problem returns ... what to put on them?????? I'm not really one for ornaments because I really dislike the dusting and because I can't find nice ornaments. But I do love vintage tin toys and I adore vintage Tonka trucks because they're so cool and come in really cool colors. So I started to gather bits and pieces I have tucked away around the house and was actually surprised with how much fun I think it is.



The vintage radio is a gift form my mother in law. She used to use it when she was my age. The little Adam Frank's Lumen cedar tree I found via Kathleen. I spelled out Boo Lief (means Boo Lovely) with some vintage alphabet blocks and found the old world bank in the attic. I bought the green Tonka truck on eBay and gave it a good wash (but it's still dirty) and I'm going to try to find another one for next to the radio on the top shelf. I'd love a red one!!

Click here for more pictures

These are the books I bought in May:


1. Real Simple Solutions

I still remember when I picked up my first ever copy of Real Simple magazine, it's was on JFK airport October the 3rd 2005. Since then I've been loving everything Real Simple. I check their website daily and even indulged in buying some overpriced back issues on eBay. I secretly wish that it was me who invented Real Simple magazine. So during all my Real Simple website scooping I came across their book selection and ordered the one with the best looking cover first. I have to admit that I didn't even bother to check what they were about, I just wanted to have those books! This book is wonderful, the photography is wonderful, the contents, the solutions (although you're covered if you have your Martha Stewart collection) everything to the last detail is perfect. What I most love about Real Simple is the objects they use in their photographs it's all selected so carefully. The paint they use on the walls, the color combos for various objects is perfect and all blends wonderfully. If I was offered to wear a Real Simple t-shirt for every day for the rest of my life to get all their information in return I totally would do it without a doubt. Buy this book!!



2. Petits Appartements à Paris
3. Chambres d'enfants à Paris
4. Children's rooms "Stockholm" - All via Paumes

I found out about these books via Karkovski. Paumes doesn't have a credit card checkout on their website and because I don't like to send my credit card details via email I went on a little search . I found all of them on Amazon.co.jp and it's easy to order them because, if you ignore all the Japanese, all the buttons are on the same place as on the Amazon.com website and you can even have your checkout details in English. It's absolutely worth it because these books are fantastic. I would even consider learn to read Japanese because they know how to put a good book together. I always thought I was living in the design capital of the world* but I'm so wrong, Japan is! Beautiful, inspiring books for everyone to enjoy.

Here are the links and ISBN numbers:

Petits Appartements à Paris - 4072504416
Chambres d'enfants à Paris - 4072486744
Children's rooms "Stockholm" - 4072501395



* Alumni of the Design Academy in Eindhoven NL:

Max Barenbrug (designed the bugaboo baby carrier), Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey, Tord Boontje, Piet Hein Eek, Richard Hutten, Hella Jongerius (designed for Droog Design, Ikea and for the Dutch department store Hema), Joris Laarman, Paul Linse, Monika Mulder (designs for Ikea), Gijs Papavoine, Bertjan Pot, Job Smeets, Jeroen Verhoeven (runs with Judith de Graauw and brother Joep Verhoeven the label "De Makers Van" ), Sietze Kalkwijk (Studio Kalkwijk), Marcel Wanders (designed for Moooi).

A week ago I found out about The Stylehive and I love it.

"The Stylehive is new kind of website - a collaborative shopping community. It is a place where contributors can work together to share and discover the hottest stores, designers, trends, and must have products"

I finally found the perfect fabric for the shower curtain I wanted to make for the bathroom*. I've made it from voile, it's the same print as is on the cushion but you can't hardly spot the difference between the voile and the cotton duck. It's great! I've stitched curtain tape on top of the voile and made buttonholes in it and hung a regular white shower curtain behind it. I'm really in love with it.

Do you see that little tail of the rubber duck in the picture? Well here they are, my new priced possession!!



I found them the other week and they crack me up. I don't dare to remove the plastic because I'm scared they go all funny and soggy.



I also love my fake geranium. I've tried to keep plants in here but the bathroom is just too dark so I gave up and bought this fake plant. I don't have to water it, don't have to speak to it, I only need to dust it so now and then.

* interesting fact, Dutch houses only have one bathroom and one downstairs toilet.

Kathleen of Liquid Sky Arts organized a music swap.

This is my first music swap ever and how I love it. I haven't yet received the other CD's but I sure loved making mine. It's hard picking music though. I like so many different styles. I'm not a "just country girl" or a "just blues girl", I love it all. It's hard for me to mix soft rock with reggae and punk with hip hop because, as always, I like my things organized. So I made two CD's, one for jumping and one to listen at.

This is the link to my iMix. You need to sign in to the Dutch shop - argh, complicated but if you're a diehard you'll know how to do this.

I sent my copies to:

• Susan
• Ulla - isn't that a beautiful name?
• Cori
• Leslie
• Kathleen

One of the reasons why I love to be married to my Bo is that he can make all things I have in my mind. For example this cabinet. A quick napkin drawing was just enough - I Love it!!

After a couple coats of paint (I hate painting MDF) and all the dramatic shelving problems involved, it turned out super cute.



This cabinet was actually easier to decorate as the open shelving I did on the other side of the kitchen. We use this cabinet for tea and coffee and because tea and coffee products always come in nice boxes (if you don't mind to spend a bit) it's easier to make everything look good. For example the Celestial Seasonings teas come in lovely, artsy boxes. I also bought some Chinese tea tins when I was last in New York to add some color. I'm absolutely in love with the cabbage bowls I found on eBay and that tea cozy. I also still love my pink Bodum jelly kettle, unfortunately they don't sell them anymore.



A bowl of lemons and limes are a cheap way to add some color and something living to a room. They are also really good for your health and tasty in teas. I found the book steps in the garbage and took it home and now is functional for picking stuff from the top shelf.



***

Something completely different. I have such bad hey fevers this year that I can't go outside at all. I've tried everything but nothing works. I went to the doctor and he put me on Zyrtec but that doesn't work either. My mother read somewhere that you should drink the juice of an union and mix it with sugar and put half a union next to year bed ... didn't work either ... made a hell of a smell in my bedroom though. Any tips, any tips at all to help me out of this misery would be fantastic!!

Leslie tagged me. Speaking of Leslie, check out her improved shop - The Paper Princess

1. Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally? I have so many minutes to myself so it's not really a luxury. What can one do in five minutes? I like flossing my teeth really thoroughly. I also like browsing eBay, flipping magazines and drinking tea.

2. Five bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it? I'd buy a "feel good" DVD or a home decorating magazine.

3. Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? Two crochet Ikea cushions, one of two rather plump chairs that I've been moving round the house but can't find a nice spot for, Bo's collection of English bolts, his radio controlled airplanes and all the stuff in the attic that needs to go anyway (counts for a 101)

4. Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house? A pot stove my parents in law gave us (and they never give us anything so we treasure this wholeheartedly), the time capsules I make (I store things that are special through time in capsules. For example: a paper of Dec 31 1999, family photos, Dutch guilders and all sorts of other things), photos of course, my computer and all of my books.

5. Five words you love? Lovely, encyclopedia, stuff, fabulous and coleslaw (because it almost sounds Dutch and it cracks me up)

I'm tagging: Kathleen of Liquid Sky Arts, Jenny of True Nature, Jane of Posy, Mary Jane of Rock Paper Scissors and Jenny of Allsorts

Just want to share the origin of the famous "Fresh Eggs sign". I received some emails asking me about it after I published it on Flickr. I bought it on eBay a little while ago. I just went there again and I'm all over in love with all the signs this seller is making. I think I want something with cupcakes next.

Visit the shop: Wiscombeart

Although it's already April I have a Book Club update for March. Do you mind if I alter the date so that I can keep it organized in my archives? I've made a Book Club archive menu on your right just under Blog Archives.

These are the books I bought in March:


1. The Princess and the Pea - Lauren Child

I saw this book over at Blair first. I totally fell in love with the images she posted and was very excited that everything was made in miniature - dear the concentration one must have. Blair mailed me and told me to get it. I did and I love it, we all love it here. The colors, the patterns, the miniature furniture, everything is correct in the smallest details (literally) I also love the writing in this book, it's really sweet. I totally recommend this to all!! If you like interior design (like me) and don't have kids (like me) than this book is wonderful too. There's so much to it. Put it on your wishlist!!




2. Creating Vintage Style - Lucinda Ganderton

I heard and read so much about this book so I finally bought a copy. It's great (ish) You know, most of the images in this book are found in other design books I own and it's getting a bit of a bore. I need new inspiration and new interiors to look at. Sometimes I caught myself knowing exactly the name of the person who lives in a certain room in a certain picture and I think that's sad ... LOL!! But the tips, hints and tricks in this books are really useful and enjoyable. So I DO recommend this book. But if you want something that guides you to create a vintage style and you don't want to spend too much money on too many books (like me - sorry Bo) I'd recommend to get the Cath Kidston book instead.



3. Just a tip for people living in The Netherlands - get this month's Elle Tuinen, it's wonderful!!

It's the BooBoo's first lustrum in two days. She's celebrating five years on planet earth.

She was born in my old house in a big Gateway box on top of the bed. Her mum is Pea and she still lives there. She was having three brothers and one sister. All were white only Rover, who now lives with a friend, was ginger. I sat all the time next to Pea's Gateway box and I saw all the kittens popping out. It was just so amazing to experience something like that. Each time a kitten popped out I gave a little jolt of admiration. I can't remember which came first but I remember clearly that Rover (the ginger one) was last because ... well, he's ginger!!


Boo, Pea and her brothers and sisters on the bed

We decided that same evening that the Boo was going to be ours. We would give the others away and keep the little Boo because she looked so much like her mum. Rover and Herman went together to my friend Marieke and Dude went to my friend Danielle's sister and brother in law and Jet went to our old neighbor.


Boo a couple weeks old

Ten months after the Boo's birth we sold our house and decided to move to Suriname in South America. Pea was adopted by the new owners because we didn't want her to leave her beloved house. Suriname was horrible, both for me and Boo. It's was too hot, too uncivilized and there were all these scary animals, reptiles and creepy crawlers we both hated so much. The Boo spent the length of her Suriname adventure under a bed. Only coming underneath it to eat and pee. I think she never pooped. So we moved back to The Netherlands. I don't think I ever seen a happier cat the day we opened her bench on Dutch solid ground.


Boo in our garden in Suriname

We shortly moved from my mother's house to a rented farm in the country side and Boo loved it there. There were mice galore and bunnies too. She would have her daily yell with the pheasant that strolled around the garden and she at last would rub the Shetland ponies in the farmers field. It was BooBoo's heaven up there.


Boo in the pony field, always really dirty

That lasted two years until we finally found our little old new house in town. We kept living at the farm during all the restorations and renovations and moved when the upstairs was done - or merely livable. A whole new adventure started for the Boo. There were stairs everywhere (we only ever lived in bungalows) and attics and other cats and lots of new and exciting people.


Boo exploring the boot room attic

Now at five and living in a town center she doesn't have much exercise and is growing rather fat. But she's getting sweeter by every pound she putting on. She wakes me up each morning (preferable at six) for her morning doses of cuddles (loolle as we call it) and she will sleep close to my tummy. She loves it when the Bo comes home and I don't know how she does it but she knows the sound of his car and she will run the front door, just like a dog, and waits until he opens it to overload him with rubs. She likes it when I play the guitar and when I sing to her. She loves, absolutely loves, Whiskas Dentabites and Kidney Gourmet mouse for tea. She currently hates the little truck that rides through our street because of all the new houses they're going to build. And the whales she makes hurt my every bone.

I can not explain how much I love this cat, so much that I have to dedicade a whole post to her and that writing this makes my eyes water.



Happy fifth birthday my little Boobeloo!

PS BooBoo and I would like to say thank you for all the sweet shelving comments. We love our kitchen!! There's always something nice to eat. Also the Boo's cat box is right under those shopping bags. And in the pantry we store her favorite food and treats.

I love open shelving but it's hard to create a display of items that don't look yet too organized. When I made my kitchen design, before the renovations, I was determined to have open shelving everywhere. I now have but I've been struggling with it for the past year. I didn't have the right china, I needed pots to store things in, I needed ... just things to make it right.



So I started my hunt on eBay for pastel blue china and I found Greydawn by Johnson Brothers. I mixed it with some old and new Laura Ashley stuff, some Cath Kidston stuff (OF COURSE it's getting pathetic) and the odd Ikea items.



I'm pretty pleased with the result and I promised myself not to change it. The best thing is that we use all this stuff daily so it's not just a display of pretty things it's actually useful too!

After all the shelving in the kitchen is done I'm going to start on the pantry. I want to make it pink or green, I don't know!!

Thanks to the lovely Jane from Posy for sending me a Cath Kidston spring/summer 2006 catalog. I love everything in this catalog and I love the new layout. I hope one day Ms. Kidston is going to reward me for all the free advertisement I'm giving her.

***

Oh and Reese ... she did it!! I'm in love with that movie. I went to see it with the Bo and I even, one day, hopped on a bus and went to see it myself again in the middle of everything I was doing. I had to drop it and go see it!! Beautiful performances by both Reese and Joaquin - what a shame he didn't get one.

I've made a Pointy Kitty today after the pattern of Wee Wonderfuls with the fabric Marné sent me last month. It's a little gnome pointy kitty cat :o)

Click here for more photo's

Boy I could use some sunshine!!

I'm not really one for saying that because I love winters but there isn't winter over here but some sort of combination of all four seasons and it's driving me nuts. These days when I go out I constantly end up soaked. So I've locked myself up trying to find projects that need to be done but are always put aside.

I've been organizing my ribbon stash, painting some little pieces of furniture, my friend Jo and I figured out how to install Movable Type but after puzzling for hours and endless phone calls later (please don't shout at me Jo) I've decided to stick with Blogger because everything seems to be working fine for me, I've made a new masthead and I've been cleaning a lot. My house is now the cleanest house on the block, maybe even in town!

Need a spring boost too and how's the weather at your end?

Oh poop, forgot to mention that I now have RSS. On your right you can subscribe to my Bloglines.

I went a little home decorating books crazy this month. But I can't get enough of this topic. Since I discovered that I can clean my home and read a book at the same time I'm not such a novel buying person anymore. I rather buy them on iTunes and plug my iPod while dusting and mopping!

These are the books I bought in February:


1. Super Crafty - Susan Beal and others

I'm opening the book while I'm typing this (yes I can type rather fast with one finger) and flip through it. I don't know if I like it or not. It's really hard to say anything about it. It's cute but a bit primitive. Maybe it is supposed to be primitive. The craft projects don't really do much to me either. I'm not really interested in putting daisies on my roller blades or violets on my bicycle helmet. But I can see potential for first time crafters.




2. The Simple Floral Home - Julia Bird

This is a beautiful book. Buy it while it's still cold and drowsy, you'll love it and it will definitely put you in spring mode!! Beautiful photographs and floral arrangements combined with beautiful interiors. Truly inspirational!!

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk




3. Home Sanctuary - Josephine Collins

This book is really surprising. I'm a fanatic interior design and decorating books lover and one thing I noticed after browsing so many of these books - there are never people in the pictures!!! In this book there are, lots of them doing various things in their fake homes. Cooking, cleaning, talking to their camera kid on the countertop of their make believe kitchens, jumping on beds (honestly I never do that) and getting clothes out of a closet. I now understand why there are never people in these books. They shouldn't be there, it's really stupid. Beside the jumping, cooking and cleaning doing human beings and bumping in a bunch of photo's you can find in The Relaxed Home by Atlanta Bartlett, it's a great book with clever ideas, inspirational rooms and good tips.

Buy this book at Amazon.co.uk




4. Home Rules - Nate Berkus

I think that all of you who read my blog for a little while now know that I'm in love with Nate Berkus. I'm not such a person that just loves everyone - the other day I asked the Bo: "guess, which of my two heroes are seeing each other? Bo: *thinks hard* Mary Poppins and Edward Norton?" honestly we have the weirdest conversations sometimes - Anyway Nate is one of my heroes too and I was hoping that he would write a book and he did. Some say it self promotional, some say it's all the stuff that was on the Oprah show and how Oprah made it all possible. Well Nate, that's all true but you made it happen!! There ... I love this book and the beautiful photographs. I love all decorating books that start with "FIND YOUR STYLE" it's a golden rule. If you don't know what your style is you can keep decorating until you loose all your hair but you'll never get it right. This book deserves five stars and not just because I'm in love with Nate.

Recently I made these top pillow shams for our bedroom. It started with an old white sheet I wanted to throw out but then I found that lace frilly hemming material while cleaning out some sewing drawers and made the shams. But white shams are just so boring. So I picked up my iron and the stitch-it kit by Jenny Heart, placed an extra heart and a flower in the center. And ta da ... brand new shams!!



I picked the same color of green in the CK shams for my bedroom closet, painted the French chairs pink, upholstered them with the same CK fabric and ta da... everything is matching!!

I love things matching. This bedroom matches beautifully with the green guestroom. I painted the walls the same color as the closet.

***

These are two interior blogs I found recently:

• Posy
• Posidriv

The natural light here is terrible. It's dark and gloomy and it feels more like autumn instead of winter. I need some snow and sun!!!

Thus my attempt of taking a whimsical photo of my new green guestroom/study failed miserably. With some Photoshop tweaking it turned out ok-ish but you can't really see how the green becomes delicious when the sun shimmers in this room - oh I love this room!!

I found the French bed on a Dutch auction/car boot sale site and picked it up last Sunday. My neighbor, who caught us caring the bed inside, insured us that it could do with a new coat of paint - arrrrgh!!!

Neighbor: *puts on a broad Amsterdam accent*
"doesn't it need a new coat of paint?"

Me: *puts on a Southern Dutch accent*
"don't you need to shut your mouth?"

I would have love to say that!!!

I indulged a little while ago in the Cath Kidston eiderdown. I was looking for a real vintage one but they are always so tatty and I prefer my bedding to be clean and fresh. Speaking of Cath, don't you think her sale goes on a bit too long? I'm waiting in anticipation for her new spring line. I've been keeping my wallet shut just in case. I've made the hot water bottle cozy myself some time ago, from a Gap sweater.

Bo thinks the room looks like a child's bedroom - well it does a bit but so does our whole house. For Pete's sake we have sailboats wallpaper in our loo!!

***

Oh and Dooce is in The Netherlands and this post cracked me up. The weather IS crazy here!!!

Jenny & Jenny tagged me :o)

Four jobs I've had

• Picking pickles in a farmers field (ugh!!)
• Au Pair in the UK (ugh ugh!!)
• Events planner
• Graphic designer

• Carrington
• The Sound of Music
• Sophie's Choice
• The Way We Were

• Wellesley MA, USA
• The Midlands, UK
• Suriname, South America
• Capri, Italy

• The Gilmore Girls
• The Office (British version)
• Absolutely Fabulous
• Dutch Idols

• Toronto, Canada
• New York, USA
• Perth, Australia
• Europe and The UK

• New York Pizza
• Noodle soup with chicken
• Anything pasta
• Mousaka with chips

• The Superficial
• Just Jared
• Liquid Sky Arts
• Flickr

• In London
• In the Cath Kidston retail shop
• In Belgium, hunting flea markets
• Somewhere where there's a lot of snow

• Marné
• Stephanie
• Amanda
• Hanna

Marné and I had a late Christmas swap because we were both so busy last month. I always LOVE swapping with Marné because she always knows exactly what I want without knowing it. I was having the Lightning Bugs fabric and the carving blocks on my wish list - do you spot the letter Y? And look at that mini knitted jumper :o)

Last October in New York I bought a big fabric pink letter B at Anthropologie for the Bo. The girls made fun of me because I bought my husband a big fabric pink letter B. one doesn't always have to buy something ugly looking just because it's for a man. Some men do like big fabric pink letters B or T or S. Ha ha - it's on his nightstand now and it looks really sweet.



The cool thing about the metal letter Y Marné sent me is that I now have my own "masculine" letter on my nightstand. Yay!!



Thank you Marné it was a fun swap!!

***

I'm also really excited about Leslie's Gifty. It's been such a long time and I always really enjoyed it. I hope I'm on the list!! And Whip up, I can't wait to see that site in action.

Because I dwell in books and because I keep buying them - I can't go to the library, I get attached to a book, don't want to take it back, I get enormous bills - I'm starting my own "Book Club". These are the books I bought in January.


1. Where Women Create - Jo Packham

If you like large, frilly and pompous rooms than this is your book. I much prefer simplicity and not every square inch of my "work place" to be packed and stuffed to the rim. It's not my book and I was rather disappointed. I think the cover tempted me to buy the book but I was fooled!! I much more enjoy Art Studio over at Flickr.




2. The Relaxed Home - Atlanta Bartlett

Yay! Totally my book!! I never really read books like this because I don't think these books were invented to be read but more to look at the pretty pictures. And pretty and inspiring they are indeed. Beware: don't let yourself be tricked by the cover and the name. I bought my copy in the UK and the cover is the same as The Comforts of Home but the contents is exactly the same. So you can buy either book but don't buy them both!! Really a good resource if you like the modern country style.




3. A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

I first heard about this book on Oprah. This book kept her up for three nights and so did it to a bunch of her producers and Nate!! So I thought to myself "this book must be good". I ordered my copy from Amazon because I always prefer to read a book in it's original language. Well now, hmmmm ... hard to say: I already read all this stuff when I was 11. I know all about the bugs, the user dreams etc. It's like the other day when Oprah said "EAT WHOLE GRAIN" like if it was a revelation!! I've been eating whole grain since I was able to chew!! I'm not going to trust Oprah anymore. I've been reading the book's reviews and all the things people liked about the book I dislike and all the things they hate, I love. For example the poor writing. I think the poor writing is actually genius!! I do recommend this book to those who aren't familiar and who never read a book containing the words Fuck and Fucking more than one time.




4. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Bought it on iTunes and it is absolutely worth the $69.95 I'm going to buy the next book on iTunes too because I so much better understand all the details this way. I'm not going to say anything about the book for those who haven't read it yet but it made me cry all at the end and I'm also really confused by something that happened all at the end, something to do with Snape.

Click here for a larger image

Easy peasy this noodle soup

To put in the soup:

• egg noodles
• chinese cabbage (paksoi)
• celery
• 1 egg for 2 people, 2 for 4 people etc.
• chicken filet
• vegetable stock

• soy sauce
• nutmeg
• black pepper

For a long time now I've been in love with Lucinda Chambers Jubilee wall hanging, I'd actually love to own it but the Bo finds it appalling. Recently, browsing a back issue of Homes & Gardens, I saw the wall hanging in cushion size and immediately thought of a fair solution ... not a big, enormous, appalling wall hanging but a nice small cushion for on the living room sofa instead. So when we were in London last December we went out to The Rug Company on Holland Park Avenue to score me a Jubilee cushion. But ... it was closed!! So I went browsing the internet. I didn't find a shop where I actually could buy the cushion but I found a lot of other good stuff.

First I found the website The Brocante Home and I love it!! Look at this entry - seems I'm not the only one with the Jubilee obsession ;o) Earlier I came across this cushion over at Laura Ashley and it made me think just to create my own. And, while browsing The Brocante Home again, I came across this entry and it reminded me of New York, last October, when we were in The Cath Kidston shop ... that same flag hangs in the shop!!



So yesterday I started to make my own Union Jack cushion, but along the way I realized that I didn't like it. "It's too loud!! Maybe I should just make a cross instead". To cut a long story short, I've made a Welsh flag instead LOL! And I really dislike it. So today I made something a little less bold and I like it.

In spite of all this, I now want that wall hanging and the cushion to match!!